YOU will easily judge Thunder and Earthquakes improper Prologues to usher in such a Triumph as the Inauguration of a King. When Balaam in his Parable concerning Israel told Balak, [Page 2] The shout of a King is amongst them, Num. 23. 21. sure he meant not such boisterous Acclama­tions as This, whose noise disturbs the Upper Region, and affrights the Lower; But my excuse must be the common Say, that such Meteors as Thunder & Light­ning, usually clear a troubled Sky, and purge an ill-condition'd Ayr.

We have of late years suck'd in the unwholsome vapours of an Air tainted with Rebellion and Rapine, with ill Opinions and worse Actions, and there­fore need the loudest Thunder to fright us into our lost Duties, and cleanse our Element grown as degenerous as our selves.

I do not mistake the words in com­paring them to Thunder, It is the voice of the Lord. Verse 26. Haec dicit Jehovah, 'Tis he ut­ters this voice, a mighty voice, which shakes the wilderness, Psal. 29. 5, 8. and breaks the Cedars of Lebanon; which levels the Moun­tains to make them equal to the Vale, and beates the Towers, whose height threatned Heaven, to rubbish, untill they ly as low as their foundation: The moun­tains [Page 3] quake at him and the hills melt, Nah. 1. 5. and the Earth is burnt at His presence.

The dying Prophet Elisha was angry with the King of Israel, when he bid him strike with the Arrows upon the ground, 2 King, 13. 18. that he strook only Threetimes? had he strook oftner, V. 19. the Syrians had been quite overthrow'n. But this Artillery which stands mounted in my Text is sufficient to do the work intended. After these Three Overturns there needs no re-infor­cing of the blow, nor is there any Sub­ject left for further execution. The vio­lent Hurrican, fiercest of whirlwinds, doth not more surely destroy all obsta­cles standing in the way, than these Three Overturns Remove that which ob­structs His way who was to Come.

I know the History properly points at Zedekiah who was that wicked pro­phane Prince, verse 25. condemned to utter destruction: 2 King. 25. 27. And at Jehojachin, whose head was exalted by Evilmero­dach, upon the Abasement of the others height.

The Chaldee Paraphrase saith, As [Page 4] those words, Take off the Crown, threatned Zedekiah, so Remove the Diadem, threat­ed Seraiah the High Priest, V. 21. who was ac­cordingly slain at Riblah: This Diadem or Cidaris, being an ornament worn on the Priests head, and (as Hieron. writes) had the Name of God engraven upon it; As also you read Wisd. 18. 24. with thy Majesty graven upon the Diadem of his head.

Yet this particular of my Text is Mystically interpreted of Christ, by whose Copy Kings hold their Right, All dominion being given to Him, and from him derived upon His Vice-Gerents here in Earth.

And it may Prophetically and proper­ly enough look on Zerubbabel that ex­cellent Prince, who was a Type of Christ too; whom, after a long interruption of the Regal Line, God raised up to re­build the walls of Hierusalem, and Repair the breaches of his Temple. To which end he threatneth an Overthrow to the strength of Kingdoms which should oppose his work of Restauration Agge. 2. 23.

[Page 5] I shall take the liberty, and that with­out violence to the words, or distorsion of the sense, to apply them unto the happy occasion of This Day, and to re­flect from hence upon the Calamities fuf­fered under Those who sought to hin­der It. Yet with no purpose to refresh the Memory either of Those Persons, or the Mischiefs by them Acted, which the Grace and Mercy of Him who was the greatest sufferer would have buried in an Act of Perpetual Oblivion; but in thankful duty to God to commemorate the defeat of Their late unpardonable practices, who by Fraud Abjured, and by Force did all they could to keep out Him who was to Come, from possessing his un­doubted Right.

So that this First Part of my Text is a Judgement threatned, Division. not leaving untill 1 That it threatens be utterly destroyed, I will Overturn, Overturn, Overturn it, and it shall be no more.

But this Judgement hath a Sequele of 2 Mercy, and was intended only to make way for a greater Blessing in One who [Page 6] Comes after: which is an He eminent for His Personal endowments, Vntil He Come, And eminent for His Power which is supported by Two such Pillars that it can never fail.

3 A successive Right of his own, Vntil He Come whose Right it is.

4 And then the hand of God, who esta­blisheth this Right as His Donation, And I will Give it Him.

I take the words in that Method where­in they ly, 1. Part. I will Over­turn, &c. I will Overturn, Overturn, Over­turn. The Greek in stead of Overturn, reads, [...], Iniquity, Iniquity, Iniquity. If you joyn them Both together, the Construction holds properly in relation to Gods Justice, who will cer­tainly by His revenge Overturn all Ini­quity. And if you apply it to our own Condition, you must grant we have seen Iniquity and violence and strife in the City; and felt the bitter effects of them for many years. Psal. 55. 9, 10. Nay there was Triplex Ini­quitas, Iniquity, Iniquity, Iniquity, one successive to the other, in the several va­riations of our Misery; And by the bles­sing [Page 7] of our Gratious God we have seen Three Overturns, like so many Batteries raised to destroy Each of them.

The First Overturn bent against the 1 Tyranny of a single Person, who was the fatal Product of a Counsail more impi­ous than the Means whereby he com­passed his Bloudy ends. A strange Usur­per, of whom I may truly say

Never was there Beast of that outragi­ous Pride and Cruelty, who from a con­temptible low condition was lifted so high as to trample upon the Laws and Necks of a (till then) Free people.

'Tis true, Psal. 93. 4. The floods that then lifted up their voice, Psal. 41. 8. Vox Cataractarum, Those Tu­multuous waves, and the Madness of the People, in their unruly votes Cryed quite contrary to God's Text, In stead of Take off, Set on the Crown upon the head of usur­pation, Remove the Diadem from Him who had only Right to wear it, adorn the Temples of a Tyrant; But the voice of God is mightier, (saith David,) This [Page 8] Over-ruling voice, cryes here against This Tyrant, as Profane as Zedekiah at his worst, Vers. 25. [...], (they are his Epi­thets) and more wicked; for I find not Zedekiah's hand stain'd with half the Blood our Monster in his short Rule shed; I say the same voice cries from Hea­ven, which bid Cut down the Tree in Ne­buchadnezzar's vision, Dan. 4. 14. Take off the Crown, dethrone the Usurper; and when He says the word, who can resist or counter­mand? One wo is past: Our first Over­turn hath cast down this aspiring Lucifer, causing his Image and remembrance to vanish out of the City, Psal. 73. 20. like a Night vision: So that we may ask Quomodo cecidisti? How ar't Thou fallen? O how suddenly do'st Thou cast them down! such slippery foot­ing hath all Greatness which is not war­ranted by the true Doner, but built on a Foundation of Blood.

2 The next Overturn is against a Mon­ster of more heads, A Complicated Ty­ranny under that Bed of Snakes, which Cut asunder formerly, Closed again in 59. Renewing their Cast skins with the [Page 9] old Practice to Tyrannise over their fellow Subjects, According to the Trust reposed in them, (which was the word in fashion.) That Aggregate of Rulers, to whom no Name is proper but his who was the President of their Assembly, Mar. 5. 9. Le­gion, For they were many; A Medly com­pounded of all Trades, of all Professi­ons from the Soldier to the Mechanick Artizan, which in their Mixture resemble the Feet of Nebuchadnezzar's Image; Their whole design being supported like That, Da [...]. 2. 42. v. 43. with Iron and Clay. The Miry Clay to shew the abject dirty Instruments en­gag'd in their new modell'd Rule, The Iron to enforce Obedience to it. At the Building of Babel all sorts of workmen were joyn'd, It was the same in this work of Confusion begun upon the Kingdom and the Church; In so Destructive a work these Operators were needful, 'Twas fit that such men who had before understood the use of the Hammer and the Ax should be employ'd, when Churches were to be demolished, and the Carved work of our Temples (as Psal. 74. [Page 10] the Prophet complain'd) Broken down with Axes and Hammers.

But this unequal mixture overthrew the whole Frame of their design; The Sword which for a time strengthned this lome building, deserting them, caus'd it to crumble into dust; As Cramps of Iron with-draw'n from a Rotten House make the ill-built Fabrick sink: And those examples of Insolence, which like the Tail of the Dragon had cast down all our Stars, Rev. 12. 4. both Those of the First Magni­tude the Peers, and Those who were E­qual to Themselves, yet joyn'd not in their horrid sense, were by the blessing of God and by His second Overturn Cast down themselves, becomming spectacles of reproach to all the world in those pu­nishments which they deservedly suffer­ed.

3 There is but one Overturn more, and that, like the last breath and blast of a Storm, when the violence is spent, ushers in a Calm; This I look on as bent against that Rising little more than a year since, whose Spring and Head ap­peared [Page 11] in these parts, but the Stream was to be encreased in every County as they passed from this our Metropolis, whence their frantick Leaders set out, to the other Metropolis in the North; An attempt to hinder His Arrival who was expected, when His Foot was even upon the threshold ready to enter into his own, by an Army Collected from all Quarters of the Kingdom. Which design look'd at first with a dreadful aspect, like the Ramm in Daniels vision, Dan. 8. 4. Pushing West­ward and Northward and Southward, in each Part whereof some scatterings of the storm fell, until the Clouds which bare this Tympany vanished, almost without Noise at the farewel of it.

This the prudent Counsailes of some Renowned Patriots, industrious to vin­dicate their oppressed Countries Liber­ty, and the valour of a Faithful General (who deservedly wears an Honor no man hath cause to envy) by crushing the New threatning dangers aswell as by suppres­sing the Old, opened so fair a way for His Arrival who was to come, that not a [Page 12] dropp of Blood was spilt to stain the Glory of His entrance, nor did any visi­ble Face of danger appear to disturb his Peace being Come, For God sayes, He will Overturn whatsoever might withstand Him, And it shall be no more.

Such an Approach as this discovers the hand which guided him to us, and de­serves our loudest Hosanna to welcome Him, Psal. 118. 26. Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord

Those Others who went before Came in their own Name, meer Properties, Counterfaiting such State as Actors on the Stage, whose Reign lasts no longer than the Scean. We had not for many years beheld the True Face of Majesty untill He came, who appears in the next circumstance of my Text.

3 You may please to note He is a single Person [...], here's no Plurality of Rulers; Vnti [...]l He come. Homer. Prov. 15. 22. Many Counsaillours are the strength of a Kingdom, but more Princes than one, like many Suns in the Firmament, the certain ostents of de­struction.

[Page 13] This He stands [...], as a note of Eminence upon His Person, and Excel­lence upon His Endowments.

We find the First King of Israel was designed from the Goodliness of his Per­son; Saul was so: of whom I may say as Virgil of Turnus, ‘—Et totô vertice supra est,’ He was higher by the head than the rest of the People. 1 Sam. 10. 23. 24. See (saith Samuel when he presented Him) whom the Lord hath Chosen, that there is none like to Him amongst all the People. Dionys. Tam excellens statura con­sona erat Regiae dignitati, such a Stature and such a Person became a King. Pet. Cunaeus de Repub. Hebrae. l. 2. c. 14. Petrus Cunaeus writes, N [...]n jam Barbarorum dun­taxat, sed hominum excultissimorum est Majestatem corporis venerari, Magnorum operum illos capaces putare quos eximiâ specie Natura donavit. Not only Barba­rous people, but the most Civilized, at­tributed very much to the Presence and Stature and Majestick deportment of the Body; Thinking Those Capable of the highest atchievements who were endued with the best and Goodliest [Page 14] Shape. Hieron. Hieron. gives the reason, Quia velut pulchro indumento pulchritudo Ani­mae vestiebatur, The beauty of the Soul is consider'd by the features of the Body which is the Souls outward Tunica Animae. Gar­ment.

This made Samuel sent to Annoint a King out of Jesse's house, 1 Sam. 16. 6. when he saw Eliab, to beleeve him the man for the Bravery of his Person; until God rectified his error, and pointed out Da­vid, who though not of the same Size and Pitch with his brother, Ib. vers. 18. was a Goodly Person. You will easily judge that, be­cause intending to combate Goliah, Saul put his own Armour upon him, 1 Sam. 17. 38. which in a small Stature had been ridiculous to at­tempt.

In all the Histories I have read, I find not any Nation but one, who best liked Persons ill-graced in their Bodies linea­ments for their Princes: Petro M [...] ­xia Hist. lib. 3. c. 17. n. 10. Pedro Mexia puts this difference between the Gothes and the Saracens, That the Gothes desi­red a Prince of Tall Stature, The Sara­cens better approved one bedwarfed and of mean Features.

[Page 15] Generally the Rule for Princes was the same which God appointed for the Priests: where Blemishes and Imper­fections of the Body made the One incapa­ble to serve at the Altar, The Other not so welcome to the Throne.

Our Third Richard's deformed Body and ill aspect made him look'd on as that Prodigy whom all fear'd, none lov'd. Therefore Socrates beleeved those could portend nothing but Mischief on whose Bodies Nature had set her Brand, and whose Aspect she had mark'd with cross ill-boding lines.

Now as the Outward Form of the Body makes a Candidate for a Kingdom, according to Aristotle, Forma digna Im­perio: So the Endowments of the Mind compleat the Choice.

As Wisdom; This was the Cause of Joseph 's advancement over Aegypt, Gen. 41. 38. Can we find (saith Pharaoh) such a Man as this in whom is the Spirit of God? And it was Hiram 's gratulation to Solomon, 1 King. 5. 7. Blessed be the Lord this day who hath gi­ven unto David a wise son to rule over this great People.

[Page 16] Deliberation; Not rash in Action, nor unwilling to hear advise, but weighing each enterprise in the Scale of Counsail and Reason: Lips. Polit. Praefat. Vt illud in principatu bea­tissimum est non Cogi, ita miserrimum non Suaderi, As it is a Princes Prerogative that he cannot be Compell'd, so 'tis his Mi­sery not to be Counsaill'd.

Temperance; Eccle. 10. 17. Happy art thou O Land when thy Princes eat in due season for strength, not admitting Disorder in their Meales.

Then Mildness and Sweetness and Affability in disposition; This made Titus the Emperour stil'd the Delight of Man­kind, admir'd whilst he liv'd, and lamen­ted in his death as the only darling of his Empire, born to oblige his whole People.

Personal valour; This mov'd Israel to elect Gideon for their Prince, Judg. 8. 21. Come thou and Rule over us, Both Thou and thy Son and thy sons Son: for thou ha'st delivered us from the hand of Midian.

Above all Piety and Religion towards God; Josiah's singular Devotion and [Page 17] Zeal to God's service stand as Examples to render his Memory pretious through all Ages; Esa. 49. 23. To be a Nursing Father of the Church is one of the richest Jewels in a Kings Crown.

Lastly, Nobility in his Extraction and Birth; Eccles. 10. 17. Happy ar't thou O Land when thy King is the son of Nobles, so sayes the Preacher.

But when there are None of These, Neither Care of Religion, nor Regard of Law, Neither Outward form, Nor In­ward Endowments, Neither Birth to dig­nify the Body, Nor Vertue to ennoble the Mind, Psal. 109. 5. Set thou a wicked man to rule over him, This is the highest Calamity, the greatest Curse that can befall a Land. We have cause to say so, having by sad experience too lately felt the Mi­schief.

Be it spoken to the Honour of God, and the Confession of a just Truth (far from any low purpose of Adulation which neither befits my Office nor This Presence) we miss none of these Excel­lencies, these Vertues in that Royal Per­son [Page 18] whom God hath set over us. Each ones eye may inform any that doubt, in much of what I say, And the dayly expe­rience of his scarcely pattern'd Good­ness confirm the rest.

Whether I mention His constant Piety, or love of Justice, His Active or Passive Fortitude; In all probations of a Daring Valour who hath Outdone him? (let Worcester be the witnesse) And I am sure in the Trial of His Patience for many years none Could Out-suffer Him. 'Twas Jugum portatum à Juventute, Lam. 3. 27. He hath been yoak'd to Necessities, and ac­quainted with Misfortune from his ten­der Age.

And for the Roaylty of His Extraction, were I an Herald and not a Preacher, I might blazon It to the full, Proclaming to all the World, That He who is come to us, might Claim the Crown by His proper Merit, did it not Descend upon Him as His Undoubted Right.

3 It follows in the next words. Whose Right it is. Whose Right it is.

[Page 19] There be but Two Great Rights which you find mentioned in Scripture. 1. Jus Primogeniturae, the Right of Primo­geniture, 2. Jus Regni, the Right to a Kingdom.

In the first of these all Domination was originally founded; For the Elder Brother in his Tribe was Princeps Fami­liae, the Prince of his Family. And not only the Excellence of Dignity which was his Birth-right, But the Inheritance is so fastned to Him as if God intended no se­paration, either by the Hatred or Affe­ction of the Parent. The Text is most remarkable (and I wish all Parents would lay it to heart) If a man have Two wives, Deut. 21. 15. one Beloved, and another Hated, and They have born him Children both the Belo­ved and the Hated, And if the First-born son be her's that was Hated, Vers. 16. Then it shall be when he maketh his sons to Inherit that which he hath, That he may not make the son of the Beloved First-born before the son of the Hated, Vers. 17. which is indeed the First-born; But he shall acknowledge the son of the Hated for the First-born, by Giving [Page 20] him a double Portion of all that he hath; for he is the beginning of his strength, the Right of the First-born is his.

Therefore though the Law hath been overcurious to un-rivet this Birthright by Gods & Mans Law entail'd upon the El­der, bringing in Feigned Persons & False Vouchees, and Formal Proclamations to devest it, I must only say thus much, Sic non fuit ab initio (as Christ said of Di­vorce) It was not so from the Beginning, Mat. 19. 8. but out of the hardness of mens hearts did this Invention spring. How ill an Inhe­ritance wrested from the Right heir to be plac'd upon another hath prosper'd, let the Example of so many unhappy Fa­milies ruin'd upon this Accompt te­stify.

The second is Jus Regni, the Right to a Kingdom, which hath Jus Divinum, a Divine Right for it's warrant, Francisc. à Victor. Re­lect. 3. n. 1. Omnis ci­vilis Potestas ità Deum habet Authorem, ut nec Orbis totius consensu tolli potest; This receives such Authority from God, that the whole World cannot abrogate it.

[Page 21] I do not only mean a Successive Right but an Elective.

I Confesse where Princes are Elected by their Subjects, the Government is not so Absolute, being oftimes clogg'd with Conditions, yet is the Right so firm that it can never be Reversed nor Reassumed by Those who first conferr'd It. Bellar­mine is of a contrary Judgment when he saith, Bellarmin. Ex Navar­ro citat à Suarez. Populum nunquam suam potesta­tem ita in Regem transferre, quin illam sibi in habitu retineat, although the People Actually transfer the Power upon the King, Yet Habitually They retein it in Themselves; But this is Contradicted by Persons of his own Party eminent for their Learning and famous for their Writings. Suarez Suarez De­fens. Fidei Cathol. li. 3. cap. 3. p. 125 n. 4. plainly chargeth him with Falshood. Non est simpliciter verum Regem pendere in suâ potestate à Populo, etiamsi ab ipso eam acceperit. And after­wards he very honestly and fairly Con­cludes, Rex postquam legitimè constitutus est, supremam habet potestatem in omnibus ad quae illam acceperit, etiam si à Populo il­lam acceperit, When once a King is law­fully [Page 22] constituted, He hath Supreme Power over the People. Again Royar­dus, Royard Do­minic. 1. in Advent. Rege constituto non potest Populus jugum subjectionis repellere, The People cannot withdraw their subjection from a lawful Prince. Lastly, Franciscus à Vi­ctoria, In a Case like This, The Cardi­nals Election of the Pope, Francis. à Victor. Re­lect. 2. nu. 4. Electores non habent Authoritatem in quem eligunt, Sed Authoritatem Applicandi istam Dignitatem, Those who Elect have not Authority over him whom they have Elected, but only an Authority to Apply that Digni­ty. So sure and irrevocable is the Right of an Elective Prince.

But when the Right of Succession brings a King to his Throne, This is of all others the Noblest, the Firmest, and Carry's the greatest mark of Gods favour, both to the Present Prince, and to Those from whom he was Derived

Succession to the Crown of Israel is by God promised to David as one of the Richest Temporal blessings He could give. He bids Nathan the Prophet tell him, When thy dayes be fulfilled, and [Page 23] Thou shalt sleep with thy Fathers, 2 Sam. 7. 12. I will set up Thy seed after Thee, which shall pro­ceed out of Thy bowels, And I will establish his Kingdome. When God is angry with a Land, he cuts off the Line of Successi­on, Jer. 22. 30. Write this man Childless; He quencheth his Light and the Lustre of his Name, sending him to his last Bed like a despised Lamp, Job 12. 5. inglorious, and in the Dark, with­out any Heir to preserve either his Pow­er or his Name.

When this Successive Right was inter­rupted, though by persons of the same Regal Line, what Tragedies ensued, and what Blood was spilt, let our own Chro­nicles resolve from Richard the 2. to Henry 6.

It is the goodnesse of God to us, that we enjoy a Successive King: And it is the Kings Glory, that He comes to us derived to His Crown through a Succes­sion of Numerous Monarchs. To what Votes soever Elective Rulers ow their Scepters, Succession is the Vote of God, who both declares the Right, and then Con­firms it as his Donation. It follows in the last place

[Page 24] And I will give it.

4 Crowns conferr'd by other hands sit loose and tottering upon the Head of such as wear them, I will give it, And I will give it. keeps Them fast.

This is the Magna Charta for Princes, The Great Charter by which Kings hold the Right to their Kingdoms, Prov. 18. 15. By Me Kings Rule; It is God who sets up and pulls down, Giving the Kingdome unto whom He pleaseth. Tertullian said well, Inde est Imperator unde & Homo antequam Imperator, Dan. 2. 21. The Emperour is made by Him, who made him Man before: Even Heathens joyn'd in the confession of this Truth, Callimachus. The Greek Poet tells you, [...]: And Tacitus more like a Christian than a Heathen, Tacit. An­nal. lib. 3. Principes Im­perium à Deo habent eosque instar Dei esse, Princes receive their Ruling Power from God and are in His Stead.

Where are Those then who place the Right to Dispose Kingdoms in the Pope? As do his Sycophants the Canonists, who [Page 25] blush not to bestow the Style of God upon him, Dominus Deus noster Papa, That so He may have better colour to bestow the Other.

Or Those in another Extreme, who entitle the People to this Power, Buchanan. de Jure Re­gni apud S [...]o [...]os. Populo jus est ut Imperium cui vult deferat. A strange Prodigy in opinion, not heard of until Those Men came into the World, who (as was falsly alleg'd of the Apo­stles at Thessalonica) Turn'd the World up­side down, Act. 17. 6. placing the Feet above the Head, Rom. 13. 1. and Subjecting the Higher Powers, contrary to the Rule of God, to the Peo­ple, who by His Command ought to be subject unto Them.

I may apply Nazianzens question to this purpose, Gregor. Na­zian. Orat. 15. [...]; what madnesse is this to leave the Head and take Rules from the Feet? He goes on, [...]. Ibid. It is praeposterous to the Order of Na­ture when the Fountain is obstructed, and the Stream which borrows being from it holds full Course; when the Sun [Page 26] loseth his luster, and a dimme Star en­lightned by it governs the VVorld. Senec. Trag. Malè imperatur cum regit vulgus Duces, cryes the Tragedian, It is a pittifull Kingdom where the People Rule the Prince.

Chymists will tell you, nothing can make Gold but the Great Elixar which Turns all it Toucheth. Doubtlesse the Peoples Power is a Metall of too low and Coarse Allay to produce a Crown▪ Thou shalt set a Crown of Pure Gold upon His Head, Psal. 21. 3. is God's Peculiar.

VVhen the rebellious Israelites in Moses absence would needs make a God, Exod. 32. 1. That is a Leader or Ruler to go before them, They contributed their Earings to the carrying on that design; But the Effect and Issue of that Contribution was only a Calf. v. 4. I beseech you remember, from all our Contributary Plate, from the sil­ver Basin even to the smallest Bodkin, whether we had any Productions a­mongst us better than This.

Certainly before Knox and Buchanan, and Junius Brutus, These Doctrines to Diminish Princes were never broached. [Page 27] One tells you, The King hath no Pro­priety either in his Kingdome, or His Revenue, Junius Bru­ius vindic [...]ae cont. Tyran­nos, quaest. 3. p. 136. Non Proprietarius, sanè nè usu­fructuarius Regni.

Another quarrels Him for the upper­hand, scarcely grants him Precedence: If he do 'tis all, And unlesse in Private will not allow Him the Better Man: when he comes in Publick, Buchanan. de lure Reg. apud Scotos. Populus Rege praestan [...]ior & Major, The People are his better and much above him. Again Though the King be Singulis Major Uni­versis Mi­nor. ibid. Greater than any Particular Subject, Yet he is Lesse than the whole People, Populum à quo Reges nostri habent quicquid Juris sibi vendicant Regibus esse Potentiorem. Ibid. Again, Populus eandem Potestatem habet in Regem quam Rex in Singulum: The People have the same Power over their King as the King hath over any single Man: And again (take him for all) when the People call their King in question before them, Ibid. Minor ad Majorem in Jus vocatur, the Lesser is Con­vented, Arraigned, Condemned by the Greater. Excellent stuff! From whence you may discern what hands lay'd the [Page 28] first foundation of our High Courts of Ju­stice. Indeed after all the Arts and La­bour to assert this pretended Power of the People, after all the distorted Scri­ptures and Miss-apply'd Texts by Those Sons of Bichri who blew the First Trum­pets of Sedition in our Israel, Curse ye Meroz &c. And cursed be he that with­holds his Sword from shedding Blood, And To your Tents O Israel we have no part in the son of Jesse, with many like these; There was but one speeding un-con­trolable Text to do Their Bloudy Busi­ness, Mat. 21. 37. This is the Heir, come let us kill Him, and then the Inheritance (the Right to di­spose the Kingdom) is ours.

I cannot without horrour mention it; And I pray God There be not too many amongst us who yet hold an Obedience not out of Conscience but Constraint or Outward Complyance, because They want opportunity to Resist.

This is the sense of a great Leader in his time, who by occasion of that Text, Put them in mind to be subject to Principa­lities, replyes, Tit. 3. 1. It was good Politick ad­vise [Page 29] St. Paul gave for that time, The Christians were few and poor, had no power to do otherwise, Nor were Ripe for any other purpose. I give you his own words. Buchanan. de Jure Reg. Finge ad Christianos qui sub Turcis vivunt aliquem è nostris Do­ctoribus scribere, ad homines inquam Re tenues, Animo demissos, & Inermes & Pau­cos, et ad omnem omnium injuriam expositos, Quid rogo aliud consuleret quam quod Paulus Ecclesiae quae tum Romae erat?

Strange kind of Men; who from such Principles as these scatter their Wild­fire both from the Presse and Pulpit, to enflame their abused Hearers, and Kindle that Combustion which by the Mercy of God hath been so newly quenched within this City, and indeed through the whole Kingdome (for it was a very diffusive Plott) And as it was one of the most Treacherous De­signs wherewith these late Dayes of Mis­chief Teemed, so we have Cause to Multiply our Thanksgiving to God for the Timely Discovery and Defeat of it. The Apostle gives Them their proper [Page 30] Style, of Filthy Dreamers, Phanaticks and Enthusiasts who despise Dominions, and speak evil of Dignities, Iud. ep. v. 8. whether in the State or in the Church. If any thing of Order, or Decency, or Setled devotion be offered to Them, They Cry out Po­pery and Superstition, with as much Noise and as Little Sense as Demetrius with his Fellow Craft-men did upon Diana at Ephesus: Act. 19. 24. 28. And when you come to ex­amine their dislike by sober Reason They can give as little account as They: The greater part whereof (The Text tells you) Knew not what They ailed, Vers. 32. why They came together, or why they made those hideous exclamations.

Men who decry the Pope, yet Cry up Themselves into an Authority as great as His, Not onely over the People but over the Prince, That declame against the present Government to introduce a VVorse of their own. Iudg. 9. 15. As Abimelech, who was the Bramble in Jothani's Pa­rable, invited All to Rest under his shadow,, which Could afford no Shel­ter but a Scratch: No Appeal lying [Page 31] from their Irregular Consistories but to Themselves, (I need not tell you who Proclamed Assemblies to be the Su­preme Indicatures in all Causes Ecclesi­astical, Protestat. Jul. 1638. Proclam'd at Glasgow. some of those Heads are high enough now) By which meanes They so entangle Thofe who fly to Their perplexed Judicatures for Relief, that, like Sheep who in a Tempest run to the Bryar for Protection, They Return with a lost Fleece and a Torn skin.

But This is a Day of Good tidings, Conclusion. a Day of Comfort and Rejoycing. I will not therefore mingle any sharp Invective with it against Those who entertein it not with equal Duty or with the same affection as we do; Neither will I give a farther mention to These Discords which marr the Musick of this Day, A day of Gods making, Psal. 118 24. Hic est Dies quem fecit Dominus: Nay, Hic est Dies in quô Do­minus fecit Regem, This is the Day upon which God Made the King. This 29 ^th. [Page 32] of May was the Happy Day of His Nati­vity, ‘—Illa Sidus inocciduum perpetuum que dedit.’ On this Day did This Star arise in Our British Haemisphere, who shines the brighter by this Concurrence, this addition to our Happinesse, That the Inauguration to His Life is now be­come the Solemn Inauguration to His Crown.

A Day wherein we meet to offer up our Thanks to God that He is Come to His Throne whose Right it is; And Vpon whom the Desire of All our Israel was set, 1 Sam. 9. 20 as Samuel told the first Annointed King.

To Offer up our hearty Prayers for the Continuance of this Triumph, That this Anniversary may long be celebrated by us; That the King may see a Revolution of many Sun-shines like This: And that as it was made a solemn Decree in Israel to keep an [Page 33] Annual Mourning for the slain Josiah, 2 Chron. 35. 25. so it may passe among our Lawes to hold this Day, as once the Feast of Purim in Esters time, Ester 9. 24. in memory of our Deliverance from a Servitude, nay from a Massacre unto which we by Lot were destin'd.

Especially for the Deliverance of our Soveraign from the hands of a Bloody Human now pearched higher than the Gallows by Him prepared for others; And from the dangerous Votes of Those Miscreants who had Abjured His Right, to place it upon That Barabbas, who carries on him the perpetual Stamp of Sedition and Murther. Luc. 23. 19.

To blesse His Glorious Name that He hath preserv'd Him from forein At­tempts laid to Destroy Him during His Exile, and undertaken by such whose neer Trust freed them from all suspect, As well as from Domestick Dangers after His Return.

[Page 34] To Blesse God who preserv'd Him that He might Come; And Blesse him again That He is Come, Given to the Hearty Desires of His Loyal People.

Finally, Ezra 6. 10. as Darius Commanded the Jews, To Pray for the Life of the King: And though at present I cannot say (as it there followes) To Pray for the Kings Sons; Yet to Pray accor­ding to the Prospect our Hopes now have of that Happinesse, That He may have Sons to be the Subject of our Prayers in the future, as Himself this Day is.

That He may grow Old, Yet ne­ver superannated in His Prosperity and Comforts; That God would add many Years unto His Life, Yea take from our years, who most gladly would spare them, to add unto His.

[Page 35] That we may account our felicity in­volved and wrapped up in His; As A­lexanders Army confessed, Quint. Cur­ [...]ius. Omnes unius Spiritu vivere, They were Spirited by Him.

That as He is the Breath of our No­strills, Lamen. 4. 20. so we take Care that no un­wholsome Vapours, no seditious Damps be raised to annoy His Peace or offend Him.

That God would place Him, as He promised Zerubbabel, Agge 2. 23. As a Signet upon his right hand; That He would own Him in all His undertakings, as He did Zerubbabel that excellent Instrument of His Glory.

VVhat can I say more? Let me sum up all in that Eulogy, that Loyal Ac­clamation which Tertullian saies the Ro­man People used to their Emperour, Tertullian. Vitam Prolixam, Apologet. cap. 35. Imperium Securum, Domum tutam, Exercitus fortes, Sena­tum fidelem, Populum probum, Orbem quietum: That God would Blesse Him with a Long Life, A Secure Empire, A Safe Palace, A Valiant Army, A Faith­full [Page 36] Counsail, A Contented People, and (if it be possible) Peace with all the World.

Let God Hear and Grant these our Prayers, And let Those want the Com­forts of Life and benefit of Prayer themselves, who do not Cor­dially and with all Loyalty of Soul say Amen to this Prayer.

AMEN.