IF all the sad effects of the Horrible Sin commit­ted on this day were now ceas'd, if the reproach that it brought upon our Religion and Nation were quite worn out of the Memories of Men, and the guilt of it intirely expiated in the sight of God, we should then have no more to do here, but to Celebrate the Memo­ry of our Martyr'd King, as we do those of the Primitive Martyrs, with Joy and Thanksgiving to God for those Tri­umphs of his Grace, which so eminently appear'd in him; [Page 2]and conclude our Devotions, with Prayers to God for a Portion of the same blessed Spirit, that inspir'd and supported him; to enable us to follow his Example in holy living and patient suffering. This indeed would be the most pleasing and comfortable exercise upon this day; and this we hope, may be the service in which our posterty may sometimes spend it.

But it is to be fear'd we are not yet ripe for this. The humiliation part hath not yet had its full effect upon us. The guilt of innocent blood, leaves a deep and lasting stain; not only upon the persons that shed it, but upon the place where it was shed; How much more [...] King, especially such a King, shed by his own subjects; the voice of it cries loud for vengance, it will be heard long after: And however, some may think we have done enough to still that cry already, and look upon this as an antiquated Solemnity, fit now at last to be Abro­gated and laid aside; yet I humbly conceive we ought the rather for that reason to continue our humiliation; I am sure we have the more need of it; because this is a sign, our repentance is not yet gone deep enough: Sincere Penitents are never weary in repenting and humbling themselves for their sins, but are continually exercis'd in all the Acts of Contrition and Godly Sorrow, till they have both receiv'd their pardon, and are past the danger of forfeiting it by a relapse.

But as some may be weary of their repentance, So th [...]e may be others that [...]hink they need none; I speak not of them who may perhaps think they were never concern'd in this sin, because they did not live in those days, yet even these should remember the second Commandment and con­sider that our Church hath taught us to pray, Remember not our sins, nor the sins of our Forefathers: But I speak of them who not content to extenuate and excuse the sin, have the boldness [Page 3]to justify and applaud the fact; acquit the guilty, and con­demn the innocent, nay murder him over again in his Repu­tation and Honour, which to use his own words, Were dear­er to him than his Kingdoms, or his Life.

Now, when men are thus insensible under the greatest national guilt, and under a continu'd succession of Judg­ments with which God hath pursued it for so many years, it is not only a seasonable, but becomes a necessary duty, still to humble our selves in the sight of God; still to be­wail the crying sin of this Nation, and not only this parti­cular sin, but also all those publick, and national sins which prepar'd the way to it; which provok'd God to give us up to to this last degree of wickedness, and brought down the Guilt and Judgment of this day upon this Nation.

To stir you up to this, I know not what to do better then to represent to you the antient people of God, in a con­dition something like that we were once involv'd in by the sin of this day; and to shew you their reflections upon it, that we may form ours in like manner.

In this Text the Prophet gives us the words that were, or might be spoken by the ten Tribes of Israel, with respect to their present condition. They were then in a state of Anarchy, after which there was but one short Reign more, and then the heaviest Judgment of God fell upon them to their destruction.

How they came to fall into this condition, will soon ap­pear upon a short view of their story about the time of this Prophesy.

These ten Tribes, as they were now divided from Benja­min and Judah, (which together with Levi, was all that remain'd to the House of David); are usually styl'd the Kingdom of Israel. Which Kingdom was under Jer [...]oa [...] the second-at the begining of this Prophesy, so I conceive Hos. 1. The latter part of the 1. v. and begining of the [Page 4]2d, should be pointed and read In the days of Jeroboam Son of Joash King of Israel, was the begining of the word of the Lord by Hosea; but as we read in the words next before, the end of this Prophesy was in the time of Hezekiah King of Ju­dah, in the 6th year of whose Reign the Ten Tribes were car­ried a way Captives into Assyria. So that this Prophesy was in writing from the time of Jeroboam the second, to the Captivity; during which time the people of Israel not only continu'd in the sin of Jeroboam the first, the Son of Nebat, but alsogave themselves up to several sorts of Heathen Idolatry, andat last were come even to Infidelity and Atheism, They did not believe in the Lord their God, as we read in the History of that Age and Nation, 2 K. 17. v. 14. To which this Prophet Hosea adds, They corrupted themselves, as in the days of Gibeah, That is, They lived in all manner of filthiness and rapine and violence, as the Benjamites did in Gibeah, In those days when there was no King in Israel, Judg. 19. Now the Effect and Consequence of this general Corruption both of Faith and Manners, was a continual Convulsion in the State and Government of the Kingdom, unruly facti­ons, and divided interests and parties among the people their heart is divided, saith the Prophet; and this lead them not only to frequent Mutiny and Rebellion, but even to murder several of their Kings: Four of the five Kings that Reign­ed in that interval from Jeroboam the 2d to the Captivity, being violently cut off by the hands of their Ambitious and Aspiring Subjects. For Zachary the Son of this Jeroboam, in the 4th Generation from Jehu, (the period which God had assign'd to that Family being expir'd,) was cut off by Shallum. There ended that Race of Kings that was set up by. Divine Designation; therefore saith Hosea, all their Kings are fall'n, Hos. 7.7. After this there follow'd a con­fus'd succession of four Kings more, till at length, when [Page 5] Pekah the last of those four Kings was slain by Hosea, not the Prophet Hosea to be sure, but another that got him­self to be make King about 10 years afterward. There fol­low'd (in the mean time for those 10 years) a State of per­fect Anarchy, these was no Government at all, but a liberty for the factious and bold to make a prey of the more quiet and peaceable. In this miserable state and condition, which was a sad presage of their approaching ruin, the Israelites were at last made sensible what mercies they had thrown away, and what Calamities they had drawn down upon them­selves by their Rebellion. They were brought to confess their guilt, and to acknowledge the Justice of God in their punishment: for as now they were found faulty, stood convict and received their sentence, in the verse before my Text; so they own'd the Righteousness of God in it, in the words of my Text, We have no King: And there is great reason for it, because we fear'd not the Lord; and hav­ing not the fear of God, What then should a King do to us? that is what cou'd a King signify to us?

Out of which words, I shall take occasion to shew these three things.

• 1. That then a People are most sensible of the blessing of Living under Kingly Government, when they are depriv'd of it; Now that they have lost their King they confess and lament their loss, and say, we have no King.
• 2. That the cause of a Peoples being depriv'd of their King, is commonly the irreligion and wickedness of such a People, we have no King because we fear'd not the Lord.
• 3. I shall shew how insignificant and ineffectual all Go­vernment is without Religion: We fear'd not the Lord, What then should a King do to us.

1. Tho I do not intend at present, to enter into the Con­troversy about the several forms of Government, yet both [Page 6]the words of my Text, and the happy Government we live under, will sufficiently justify me, to give Monarchy the preference of all others. And sure I am, that for three thousand years from the Creation, we read of no other sort of Government in the world; it was this that God set up a mong his own people: And this hath been Uni­versally receiv'd, approv'd and continu'd in most other Nati­ons to this day. But as I do not design to prejudg the other forms where they are the National and Legal constitutions; so it cannot be deny'd that for a Nation that hath been always under Kingly Government, and for Ages together hath thriven and prosper'd with it, where it suits with the genius of the people as well as with their Laws and Con­stitution, it is an invaluable blessing still to continue under the Protection and Conduct of Kings: And it is the saddest condition that can befall such a Nation, to have no King at all.

But tho this be so, and every man knows it to be true, yet it must be confess'd that very few consider it, while they enjoy the blessing of living under Government, and do not actually feel the misery of Anarchy and Confusi­on; and therefore altho Government is certainly the most Beneficial, it is often seen to be the most thankless office in the world: And tho Kings were anciently stil'd Luk. 22.5. Bene­factors, and good Kings are sertainly the truest and great­est Benefactors to Mankind, Rom. 13. the Ministers of God for the good of men; yet they are too often the most slenderly and un­gratefully requited of all others. Men are generally full of thankfulness to other Benefactors while they are actually re­ceiving their favours, however they may often forget them; But to good Kings, they are most ungrateful when most oblig'd, and slight the obligation, while they are receiving it. For when they fully possess the blessing of living under good Government, and may repose themselves in peace and [Page 7]safety under its protection, while they have all they can desire in this world, in the full and entire Enjoyment of their liberty and property, and may, if it be not their own fault, fecure to themselves all they can hope for in another world, by the undisturb'd profession and practice of true Religion; in short, while men are most easy, and most happy, and owe that ease and happiness, next to the providence of God, to the conduct and vigilance of the Government they live under; even then, a great many men are most uneasy, and discontented, and most given to murmur and mutiny against it. Tho their Governors make it their whole business to promote the interest, and secure the peace and happiness of their people; tho they sacrifice all the ease and comfort of their own lives to preserve them, tho they wholly spend themselves in cares and labours for their good, and freely expose their own lives to interpose between them and dan­ger, yet people are generally not only insensible of all this, but also requite it with murmuring and misconstruing every thing they do.

Of all the Heathen Emperors Marcus-Antoninus, Dion cas; His, Rom. lib. XXXI was, I think, the best Governour, I am sure, he was the most learned and virtuous man; and yet living in a time of great publick Calamities, such as no man could help, his Reign was full of troubles and discon­tents, which gave occasion to several conspiracies and to one open rebellion against him. Mauricius was one of the best of Christian Emperors, yet his people being generally discontented, by reason of those taxes which his great Wars made necessary, a bold Rebel took the advantage against him, and murdered Him and all his Family. But there is no need to search History, for instances of this kind, the holy Scripture gives us some very remarkable ones. For we read that there were very great murmurings among the [Page 8]people of Israel against Moses himself, tho he acted in eve­ry thing he did, by particular direction from God; tho he had rescu'd them from the last degree of misery and bon­dage, tho he had obtain'd several signal victories for them against their Enemies; tho he conducted and sed them with perpetual miracles, and was just leading them into a firm and lasting settlement, and into the possession of a Land flowing with Milk and Hony; yet they could not abstain from frequent murmuring against this great and excellent Prince, while he was present with them, and doing these great things for them.

K. David was us'd in like manner by his people, tho he had saved them from their Enemies, and had deliver'd them out of the Hands of the Philistines, as they themselves could not but confess, 2 Sam. 9. v. 9. And tho he had been one while so popular, that whatsoever he did pleas'd all the peo­ple, 2 Sam. 3. v. 26. Yet by the cunning and artifices of one or two designing men, we see the whole Nation was turn'd against him, they cryed out What have we to do with the Son of Jesse? to your tents O Israel. To sum up all in one word, the Israelites grew weary and murmur'd under the immediate Government of God himself; 2 Sam. 12. So impossible is it for any Earthly Government to please all, and so insensible are men of the blessings of it, while they enjoy them; But when men are once depriv'd of those blessings, then at least they will begin to value them in good earnest; when the Crown is fallen and they are sunk into a state of Anarchy, when every man doth that which is right in his own eyes, and mens lusts and passions are their only Law; when according to Hobb's Law of Nature, every man may claim every thing, and there is no [Page 9]common Umpire between them; a short experiment of this Kind, will soon convince Men how great a Hap­piness it is to live under Government, and especially under a well temper'd Monarchy; and how great a misery it is to be depriv'd of it. Then they will ef­fectually feel, that there is no Tyranny like that of their fellow Subjects; nothing more Despotick and Arbitrary, more Insolent and Tyrannical, than the Madness of People without Government: In such a state all true Liberty is lost, by being turn'd into Li­centiousness; and all Property is thrown into Com­mon, where there is no Law to distinguish, no Ma­gistrate to stand by and Protect it. The safety of mens Persons, the good order of their Families, the duty to Parents and Relations, the modesty of Vir­gins, the chastity of Matrons, the reverence of Holy Things and Persons, the sacredness of Religion, the Majesty of God himself, are all laid open and ex­pos'd, and subject to every man's Lust and Pleasure. In such a state nothing is safe.

When a People is fall'n into this condition, or find themselves in great danger of it, and see nothing between them and Destruction; then to compare things past and present together, to Reflect upon the Peace and Safety they once Enjoy'd, and the conti­nual disorders and dangers they are expos'd to by this change; this will make men sensible of their folly, and of their contempt of Government while they liv'd under it, and were unthankful to God and Man for that inestimable Blessing.

Thus the Israelites that Murmur'd so often against Moses, while he liv'd with them, heartily mourn'd for [Page 01]him, when he was taken out of their sight, and by their Lamentations in the plains of Moab, made some kind of Honourable Amends to his Memory for their Mutining against him in the Wilderness. It were easy to shew the like in many other instances, but I shall reserve so much of your time, as will be necessary to speak of that great instance we are to remember this day.

II. I now proceed to the Second thing, that of this great and deplorable Calamity to a Nation, in being depriv'd of their Government, the common and usu­al cause is the Wickedness and Irreligion of such a People; this will plainly appear if we consider these two things.

• 1. That, morally speaking, no Government can sub­sist without Religion.
• 2. If it could subsist, God will not suffer it, be­cause Irreligion, and Wickedness provokes God to de­prive Men of that Blessing.

1. What notions soever we frame to our selves of Government, and upon what bottom soever we build it, Religion must be the principal foundation, other­wise it cannot stand long and steady. For as the obli­gation of an Oath is the great band of all civil Society and chief support of all Governent, so that obligation ariseth wholly from the perswasions of Religion. No­thing else maketh an Oath strong and effectual, but a firm perswasion that God Almighty is witness to the making of it, and will avenge the breaking of it, and such a perswasion is properly Religi­on; all the other obligations which men commonly [Page 11]speak of, are altogether vain, and ineffectual; whether they be those of Honour, or Gratitude, or Interest, or Promises and Contracts, without Religion they sig­nify nothing at all.

For the Honour of men that have no Re­ligion, and therefore make no Conscience of what they say or do, it is but anempty word, as they will find that rely upon it. Humane gratitude in this corrupt and degenerate Age, is alas! a very short and feeble obligation. Men soon forget benefits, and too oft re­quite them with injuries. Men's Interests are various and changeable, and he that is a good subject one day, for his Interest, may the next day be a Rebel for the same reason. For the Covenants and Contracts of Men of no Principles, they are no more to be relyed on then their words, which are justly to be compared to the wind for their instability: and tho their words are confirmed with their Oaths, which all men ac­knowledge to be the highest and most sacred obligati­on that can be laid upon Man, yet all must acknow­ledge also, that without Religion their Oath is no ob­ligation at all. For what can the Oath of men that have no Religion, no fear of God, signify? What signifieth their attesting and calling God to Wit­ness, who believe there is no God at all; or what are the contents of the holy Book to those who believe nothing of it, but look upon it all as fable and imposture? Such mens Oaths are the highest abuse and profanation of that sacred Action, a solemn mockery both of God and Man. Such Mens oaths, even where they seem to be in earnest, ought no more to be regarded then those vain Oaths and Imprecations with which [Page 12]they fill up their common discourse. And there­fore such men can give no sufficient security to any Government. So that wherever the subjects are Irreligious and Atheistical, there the Govern­ment must be very feeble and precarious; the foundation of it is weak and tottering, and those wicked men are always ready to undermine and blow it up; and will certainly do it whenever their Interest, or even their humor tempts them to do it; and they have strength and opportuni­ty to effect it. They may seem indeed to Act like the most Dutiful and Loyal Subjects for a time, while they are enrich'd and honour'd by the bounty and favour of their Prince; while they enjoy their own desires and pleasures un­der his Government, and every thing goeth as they would have it: But if ever they are dis­oblig'd or disappointed, if any thing cometh cross to them, then they are full of discontent and clamor, and the most forward to mutiny and rebel against him. So that those Princes who have any number of such for their subjects, are not only in an unsafe but in a very danger­ous condition, they hold their Crowns and Lives at the courtesy of those who (however, they are otherwise obliged) will be ready to deprive them of both whenever they can gain by doing it. We have Examples of this in three of those Kings of Israel, which I men­tioned to have been cut off in the time of this Prophecy.

They were, as Josephus tells us, Joseph. Antiq. Jud. lib. ix. c. xi. & xiii. murderd by such as had been trusted and preferr'd by them; Zachariah by his Favourite Shallum, Pekaiah, by a Captain of his own Ar­my, and Pekah by his Friend and Counsellor Hosea.

These Princes had reason to think they had sufficiently oblig'd those that killed them; but as we learn from the same Historian, they were irreligious Men, they had not the fear of God; and therefore they easily broke thro' all the Bands of Duty, Honour, and Gratitude; and Sacrifi­ced their Kings and Benefactors to their own Lust and Am­bition. But if Irreligous Atheistical Men should be true to their Kings, (as you see there is no reason to rely upon them) they would do much more hurt to the Govern­ment they live under by their ill Principles, than they can possibly do it good any other way: Men that dis­pute the Being and Providence of God, lessen the Autho­rity of the Magistrate, and the Reverence due to him as the Minister and Ordinance of God; they who deny the Truth of Revealed Religion, and the Authority of the Holy Scriptures, take away the greatest Obligation to O­bedience for Conscience sake; and lastly, they who de­ny the Immortality of the Soul, the Rewards and Punish­ments of another life, and the Natural differences of Good and Evil, enervate the Obligation, discourage the Practice, and (as much as in them lies) destroy the Being of all those Vertues by which the Throne is Established, and make way for such a torrent of Vice as will soon o­verwhelm any Nation, and overturn any Government in the World.

II But 2dly, Beside that Irreligion and Wickedness are naturally destructive to Government, they do also pro­voke God to deprive a People of that Blessing.

This the People of Israel had the greatest: Reason to know; for when God placed a King over them, to Pro­tect [Page 18]and Govern that People, he told them upon what Condition they might enjoy that Blessing, and transmit it safe to Posterity:

When God had chosen Saul, and they had ac­cepted him for their King by a National Consent, 1 Sam. 12.13. Behold, saith he, (by the Mouth of his Prophet Samuel) the King whom you have chosen, and whom you have desired, and behold the Lord hath set a King over you, if you will fear the Lord and serve him, and not rebel against the Commandments of the Lord, then shall you and also the King that reigneth over you continue fol­lowing the Lord your God: But then on the other Hand he plainly warned them of that which would certainly bereave them of that Happiness: If you will not obey the Voice of the Lord, but rebel against the Commandments of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you; and as the conclusion of all, v. 25. if you shall still do wickedly, you shall be consumed both you and your King.

Accordingly we still find their Government firm and steady, or feeble and declining, according as they ob­served or transgrest the Laws of God; and that Obser­vation proved true of them, which St. Augustine some­where makes of the Ancient Romans, they prosper'd or decay'd as they were Nationally Virtuous or Vitious; and it is as truly and equally applicable to all other Na­tions. For God's method of Governing all Nations is a­like, but with allowance for their different Circumstances. He rewards Religion and Virtue, and punishes Wicked­ness and Vice equally (tho' not in the same manner) every where God's Blessings and Favours, his Kindness and Pro­tection, are the proper Rewards, and peculiar Priviledges of a Righteous and Holy Nation. Especially the comfort and happiness of lasting Peace and Settlement, under Just and Religious Princes; that is a Mercy which will not be thrown away upon a Wicked and Sinful People. None can expect it should be otherwise, that considers [Page 19]the different ways of God's dealing with Nations, and with Persons in this life. As to Persons, God may some­times permit Wicked Men to be prosperous all their life long, because if they go hence without Punishment, he can overtake them in another World, and there he will pay them once for all, with Eternal Judgments, so much the more heavy, for the abuse of his long suffering, good­ness and mercy in this Life: But Nations having no o­ther life but in this World, God must take them here, or let them pass altogether unpunisht, which, because the Justice and Wisdom of his Government will not suffer him always to do, therefore he must make Examples of them in this World; he may spare them for a time, in order to their amendment, or to let them fill up the measure of their Iniquities, but sooner or later he pours out his Judg­ment upon them in this World, because they have no being as Nations in any other World but this.

But whereas there are many forts of publick National Judgments, such as Famine and Sword, and Pestilence, and the like; yet none of all these is more heavy and dread­ful to a whole Nation, than the Dissolution of its Go­vernment, and giving up a People to be a Prey to their E­nemies, or (which is commonly worse) to themselves. If this be not the greatest of Temporal Judgments, it is next to it, and commonly ends in it, I mean their final Destruction.

Upon this Account the frequent Usurpations and A­narchies, that happened in the Kingdom of Israel, while that of Judah continued still in the House of David, are justly ascribed to the general Corruption of that Nation, occasion'd especially by the Apostacy of Je­roboam the Son of Nebat, who, as the holy Text saith often, was he that made Israel to sin. And even in the King­dom of Judah, when the House of David came to its pe­riod in the Captivity of Zedekiah, their Fall is attribu­ted [Page 20]to their Sin and Wickedness by the Prophet Jere­miah, Lam. 5.16. The Crown is fallen from our Head, or the Crown of our Head is fallen, wo unto us for we have sinned: And indeed it cannot but seem just and rea­sonable it should be so, that when a People throw off the Authority of God, and have no regard to his Laws, that then he should also cast them off; that when they deny him their Allegiance, he should withdraw his Protection from them, and remove his Vice-Gerents from among them.

III But if God should still continue the Blessing of Kingly Government to an Irreligious People, they would not be the better for it; for without Religion and the fear of God, it would never be effectual to the end for which Government is properly designed:

The chief end of Government is to promote the pub­lick Good, and to prevent any Evil that may endanger the common Safety; and in order to this, the Work of vernment is to do these three things.

• 1. To keep Men within the bounds of Sobriety and Virtue, in their Private Conversations; lest by running out into a course of Vice, they hurt and ruine themselves.
• 2. To keep Men also within the bounds of Justice and Honesty, lest they injure others.
• 3. To preserve the Peace and Order and Prosperity of the whole Society.

But none of all these can be attain'd without the assi­stance of Religion:

Without that, in the first place, Men cannot be kept within the bounds of Moral Virtue; it is true indeed that Humane Laws, the hope of Tem­poral Rewards, and fear of present punishment, are both necessary and useful to this end; but it must be acknow­ledged also that these alone are not sufficient to effect it; [Page 21]for some Men are so set upon gratifying their Lusts, that in pursuit of them they will boldly break through all the Laws and Sanctions that Man can invent; others can find range and scope enough for their Vices, and yet keep within the bounds of the Laws, or without the knowledge of the Magistrate.

And tho' good Government may sometimes put such a restraint upon Mens outward Actions, as to keep them from publick and notorious Sins; yet it can never reach all those various instances of Vice, which the Wit of sensual Men, assisted by the Devil, can devise; nor can the Magistrate follow them into all those dark Retire­ments, which are the usual Scenes of their Lusts; much less can he look into their Hearts where their Sins are first formed before they are acted.

The Heart of Man is God's peculiar Province; it is he alone that can discern and govern the inward motions of the Mind, and regulate the corrupt and sinful Inclinati­ons of Men; and until that be done, tho' Men may be brought to be outwardly regular, they cannot be sincerely and constantly virtuous; their Virtues will at best be like Flowers without Root; they may appear well for a time, but they soon wither and decay; and tho' their Vices may be suppress'd, they are not extinguish'd, but like a cover'd spark of Fire, they will be apt to break out again.

Some will take upon them to say, they can be Virtu­ous without being Religious, because they are of Opini­on that Evil is its own punishment, and Virtue a Reward to it self, and that therefore their own Ease and Interest would oblige them to be Virtuous, tho' there were no Hell to punish, nor Heaven to reward them.

But alas, (notwithstanding all the fine things that the Stoicks and some others have said upon this Subject) there [Page 22]are very few Proselytes to this Doctrine, because as our Nature is now Corrupted, Men cannot but see that to be Virtuous, they must deny themselves and the grati­fying their own Inclinations; and they must undergo several things that are unpleasant and difficult to Flesh and Blood, which nothing can sufficiently engage Men to do, but the Belief and Expectation of those glorious Re­wards, which Religion alone proposeth to the truly Good and Virtuous.

A true sense of God's Omniscience, a Contemplation of his infinite Purity, and a Just consideration of his o­ther Attributes, together with the Assistance of his blessed Spirit, will cleanse and sanctify the Hearts of Men, and render them sincerely good and virtuous; but without these, no Humane Government or Power upon Earth can ever do it.

(2.) In the next place for Justice and Honesty towards others, it will be absolutely impossible to preserve these, without the fear of God, and a due sense of Religion.

While Men believe there is an Universal Governour, that has the care and inspection of all the Actions of Mankind, and that as they are Good or Evil, Just or Unjust, he will certainly reward or punish them first or last; and while they believe also that this Universal Governour, requireth of them not only to be outwardly Just and Honest, but also to be inwardly sincere and upright; to be so far from taking another's right, as not to wish it from him: While Men truly believe these things, it is an easie matter to preserve Justice in the World, but with­out this Belief, Men may live fairly with their Neigh­bours for a time, as long as it stands with their Interest and Convenience; or while their Reputation, or fear of Humane Laws oblige them so to do; but, alas! all these are too weak to make Men truly Honest, when they [Page 23]are strongly tempted to be otherwise, if once they can get loose from the Obligation of Religion, those other things will only oblige them to seem Honest, but not really to be so. For he that is just only because it is his Interest, will be as often unjust as he can hope to gain by be­ing so.

And if he value his Credit more than his Interest, yet that will never restrain him from doing the most unjust and wrongful things, but only engage him to be cautious and wary in doing them; and if that were all that Men had to consider, there would be a great number of them that would despise their Credit and Reputation, and care not what Men say of their Actions, as long as they find they can thrive by them: And lastly, for Humane Laws it is known to a Proverb, That they are but like Cob-webbs, which take the little Flies, while the great ones too usually break through: A great and powerful Oppressor will find ways enough to invade his Neighbour's Right, notwithstanding all Laws in the World; and too often make use of the Laws themselves to serve him in it: Besides this, in­numerable Frauds and Thefts, Perjuries and Murders may be committed, and never come under the Cognizance of any Humane Laws. Those Wickednesses are the Works of Darkness, and many of them never come to light; so that no Humane Law can find these any more than it can hold the other. There must be something to restrain the Strong as well as the Weak, the Crafty as well as the Simple, to bring all alike within the bounds of Justice and Honesty, and this must be that which maketh Men inwardly and sincerely good, which I have already shew'd, nothing else can do but Religion.

3. In the third and last place, for Peace and Order, it must be acknowledg'd that tho' there is a peculiar Soci­ableness in Humane Nature, yet it is Religion that is the [Page 24]great Cement of Men's Affections, and the greatest pro­moter of Peace and Concord among Men. It is this that is the true Wisdom which comes down from above, and which not only is it self, but also makes Men to be first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easie to be intreated; and renders Men meek and lowly, mild and patient under Injuries, cour­teous and charitable to all others, and so brings them to live together in Peace and Love.

But when Religion is once thrown off, when that ceas­eth to have power over Men, they are left to their own unruly Passions, to the Dominion and Tyranny of those fleshy Lusts, which both war against the Soul, and make Men to war against one another: Such as Pride and Am­bition, Covetousness and Envy, Malice and Revenge, im­patience of restraint, and Hatred of every thing above them, which naturally hurry Men into such Practices as certainly destroy the Peace, and sometimes the very Being of Societies.

Now how is it possible to preserve Peace and Order where these violent Passions are predominant? It is as easie to bring the fiercest wild Beasts to be tame and gentle, as to bring Men who are thus abandoned to their Lusts, to be meek and peaceable. No­thing can make such Men peaceable, but what can mor­tifie their Lusts and cure their Passions; and nothing can do that but the Spirit of God, that Dove-like Spirit which dwells in those Temples which are dedicated to him by Religion.

The result of all that I have said upon these two last general Heads in brief, is this, that as no Government can subsist without Religion, nor continue long, if the Subjects of it have not the fear of God; so on the other hand no Government can obtain its end, either in pro­moting Virtue, maintaining Justice, or preserving the [Page 25]Peace and Prosperity of a Nation, without the assistance of Religion. And the Conclusion which naturally follows from these two things, is this, That therefore it is the in­terest as well as the Duty of Kings and Princes, and of all the Ministers of Government, (as they desire their own pres ervation, and the continuance of their Authority, and Hope to do any good in their Stations) to make it their chief care and business to suppress all Irreligi­on and Vice, and to promote Religion and the Fear of God among their Subjects, without which, (in a word) they themselves can never be safe, nor their People happy.

And now to apply what hath been said, with respect to the present occasion; all that has been said of the Bles­sings a Nation enjoyeth, in having a Government over it, especially such a Government in the Person of a King, that makes it his business to do God's work in the World, in restraining men from sin, and promoting Religion and Vir­tue: All this these Kingdoms had, in the most eminent Degrees, in the Person and Governmentof King Charles I. of glorious Memory. He was a shining Example of Re­ligion and Virtue; there were all the Motives to it in his Government, both in punishing of Vice and Encouraging of Virtue. And tho 'tis true, there were Complaints of Grievances and Oppressions in his time; as perhaps there will be in all Governments; yet whatsoever ground there was for them, it is certain, there were such Riches and Wealth in his Reign, as never were known in England before: The Wealth and Plenty and Prosperity of England was then the wonder and Envy of all our Neighbours: And for Arts and Learning, the attendants of Peace and Plen­ty, we then surpass'd all other Nations in the World. And yet from the beginning to the end of his Reign, still there were those Complaints, which I less wonder at, since there were (as I have shewn) the like among, God's cho­sen [Page 26]People, and that even under Moses's Government, and in the time of David's Reign.

But as this insensibleness of God's Blessings could not hin­der his People from feeling the want of them, when by the loss of those Excellent Governours, they could better judge what a Blessing they enjoyed in their continuance with them: Even so it happened among us when our King was taken away. Then there was a general lamentation; not only his Friends, but some that had bin his Enemies, joined in it. There was indeed such a general lamentati­on in this Kingdom at first, when the matter was fresh, that the like has been never known nor heard upon any occasion.

It was much aggravated and heighten'd by a Sense of the manner of his being taken from us.

If the Lord had smitten him, or, his day had come that he should die; or if he had descended into Battle and perished; in all this there had been nothing extraordinary or singular, but that it was the loss of an excellent King: And that was no more than what Judah suffer'd in the death of their good King Josiah: And yet we see what a sad lamentati­on they made upon that occasion, 2 Chron. 35.25.

But there was this extraordinary in our Case, it was that which would astonish one to think of it, that such a blessing should be thrown away with our own hands; that such an excellent King should be murdered by his own Subjects! and that with such unparallel'd Circumstances, at the Door of his own Royal Palace, with the Pageantry and Forms of Law, a scornful Mockery of all Earthly Justice, and the boldest Defiance of the Justice of Heaven: This was horrour to all good Men that saw or heard of it; it broke the Hearts of not a few at that time, and even now all good Men have that sense of it which they want words to express.

Indeed it is hard to get over this Subject; it is hard to [Page 27]speak of this blessed King's Murder, without a just dete­station of them that were the Authors of it: But that is not my business at this time. I am now to consider this matter as it stands between God and this whole Nation.

It was certainly a dreadful and almost an unexampled Judgment of God, a Judgment that went very near being fatal to us, it was the great Mercy of God it had not end­ed in our Ruine. We may therefore be sure there were great National Sins (sins as great and extraordinary as the Judgment) by which we drew it upon our selves.

I do not mean only those particular sins which imme­diately produc'd this doleful effect, and which were per­sonal to the Actors in it; but I mean those publick and National sins, in which all had their share, and which first set the other on Work. They were these that de­priv'd us first of the Protection of our God, and then made him pour down his Judgment upon us, and deprive us of our King.

To name nothing more at present but that which was the Fountain of all our Misery, it is certain (if we may believe them that liv'd in those days) there was a very great neglect of Religion at that time in this Nation. I do not mean of the outward Form and Profession of Re­ligion, perhaps that was never more in request on both sides, among them that were Contending about it; but the great defect was in the Life and Power of Reli­gion.

This appear'd too much on both sides. On one side, we must confess, among them who adher'd to the Prin­ciples of Loyalty and true Religion, there appear'd too great a neglect of the Life and Power of it in them; which gave occasion for some to say, that their looseness and Ir­religion was the Ruine of the King's most Righteous Cause. But on the other hand, this appear'd most mani­festly [Page 28]in them, who, notwithstanding all their great and specious Profession of Religion, and all their Preten­ces to tender Consciences, yet had no sense, and made no Conscience of their sin, in running out into that Re­bellion, and into all those Rapines, Sacrileges, and Mur­ders which they committed in the Profecution of it.

This great want of the true Power and Spirit of Religion was the unhappy Fountain from whence all those other sins issued forth, that made up the measure of our Iniquity, and drew down that dismal Judgment upon us, which we lament on this day. What then re­mains, but that we still humble our selves under the mighty Hand of God; that at the same time we Mourn over the Memory of our Martyr'd Soveraign, we also la­ment those great and National Sins which depriv'd us of him?

But while we lament what is past, let us also do what we can to prevent the like for the future. That is the true end of our Humiliation this day. It is to be fear'd we are not better than our Fathers, pray God we are not many degrees worse. What will become of us, if we continue in such a state of National Sin? If we continue unthankful to God for those many Mercies we enjoy, and still murmur against him, because we have not all we would have, and because we have some al­lay mixt with them, not considering that we Enjoy much more, and suffer much less than we deserve.

If we are perpetually reviling and slandering the Govern­ment, under whose Protection we live in Peace and safety at home, while our Neighbouring Nations are over-run with the devastations of War; if like the Israelites of Old, up­on every cross Acoident or Disappointment, or any thing that is uneasie to us, we break out into Complaints and Exclamations against Moses and Aaron, and are presently [Page 29]for returning back into Egypt; have we not then just reason to fear, that God should at last cast us off, and either give us over to the Will of our Enemies, or to our own Follies and Delusions?

But besides this, when God has delivered us from the hands of our Enemies, that we might serve him without fear, if in­stead of serving him, we dishonour him more and more; if vice and wickedness are grown Common and bold among us; if blasphemous Opinions against the God­head of our blessed Saviour, and the Holy Ghost, are di­vulg'd and entertain'd; if men are not afraid to set them­selves directly against God, despising his Holy Word, blaspeming his Blessed Name, and denying his Provi­dence and Being; if this be our Case, what Judgments may we then expect, yea, what may we not expect, from the Justice of Almighty God?

He hath shewed us a Token of his heavy Displeasure against us, in taking away that Excellent Queen the great Blessing and Glory of our Church and Nation.

I tremble to think what we have Reason to fear he should do more; but that he may not do it, that he may not go on to punish, and that his anger may be turned away from us, let us now turn to him with Weeping, Fasting, and Praying, with a sincere and Universal Repentance of our Sins.

Oh that all Orders and Degrees of Men among us wou'd heartily join in that blessed Work, every one of us in particular for our personal Sins, and all together for our Publick and National sins. If such a Work were once set about in good earnest, it wou'd soon shew it self in bringing forth fruits worthy of repentance; a generous Oppo­sition to Irreligion and Wickedness, and a hearty Zeal for Religion and the Honour of God. If that holy Fire were kindled in the House of God, and from thence [Page 30]inflam'd our Nobility and Gentry, especially those who are Magistrates, with hate to sin, and an ardent love t God and Goodness; how soon wou'd this dissipate those Clouds that now hang over us, and spread abroad a glo­rious Light of Religion and Holiness, and of Hope and Comfort over all the Land. Such Illustrious instances and Examples of Religion and Virtue, wou'd at once teach by their Example, and Command by their Authority, a general Reformation among the People; and so bring Religion and Virtue to be as common and universal as Irreligion and Vice now are or ever have been. What a Blessing wou'd this be to the Nation? What Strength and Security to our Government? What safety to our King? And what abundant Honour to them that shou'd be the Instruments of so much Publick Good.

This wou'd add a Lustre to their Names, beyond all the Titles and Characters in the World: This wou'd secure to them a double Immortality; Immortal Honour to their Memories on Earth, Immortal Glory to their Souls in Heaven.