THIS Ahimaaz was a Soldier under Joab, in the battle which he fought with Absalom, the Rebellious Son of his too kind and indulgent Father, King David; who having newly pardon'd him that unnatural murder of his brother Am­non, and received him into grace and favour, and furnished him with a plentiful revenue, and slendid equipage; so that if he had pleased, he might have lived in peace and glory, and been a comfort to his Father, [Page 2] a Patriot to his Countrey, and a blessing to his Family: and after he had finished the circle of a happy and prosperous life, might have gone down with honour to his grave. The foolish ungrateful young man, being thereto excited, partly perhaps by the in­sinuations of a company of crafty Male-contents, but chiefly by his own Ambition, imbarques himself in a wicked and desperate design, against his Father's Life and Crown; in order whereunto, he industriously sets himself, by mean and poor condescensions, to cajole and inveagle the rude and giddy Mobile; which, partly by declaiming against the Male-administrations of his Father's Go­vernment, partly by promising them a through reformation if ever he arrived to be a Judge in Israel, he at length accom­plished. And now having formed to him­self a strong and numerous party, he gets his Fathers leave to make a progress to He­bron, (a factious town without doubt, and it lay West-ward of Jerusalem) under pretence of paying a Vow there; for so Religion is the usual sham of Rebellion: where being arrived with 200 men out of Jerusalem, who followed him blindfold without either fear [Page 3] or wit, he sends for one Achitophel, who had been a Councellor to his Father, but at this time, as it seems probable, was discarded the Court for some high misdemeanour: this canker'd old wretch, glad of the opportuni­ty to revenge himself upon his Master, im­mediately joins interests with his undutiful Son, and thereby increases his party into a strong and numerous Army, with which he marches against his King and Father, and is overthrown in a pitch'd battle; and not­withstanding his Father's orders to the con­trary, is slain by the hand of Joab, who wise­ly foresaw that David could never hope to Raign in peace so long as the Rebel Absalom was alive. Hereupon Ahimaaz the son of Zadock, a valiant Soldier, and swift and nim­ble foot-man, desires Joab his General that he may be the messenger of the good ti­dings to the King; but Joab having a kind­ness for the man, and wisely considering that the news of Absalom's death would be very unwelcome to David, and in all proba­bility transport him into a high displeasure, and so prove fatal to the deliverer; at first refuses to let him go, and in his room sends Cushi, who was either a common or [Page 4] a foreign Soldier; but Ahimaaz upon his importunate desire, at length obtains of Joab leave to follow him, and being much the nimbler, out-runs Cushi, and being arri­ved into the King's presence, cries, All is well, being unable either through excess of Joy, or want of breath to express his message at lagre: after which having recovered himself a little, he throws himself at the King's feet, and in a transport of Joy and Thanks­giving, thus expresses himself, Blessed be the Lord thy God which hath delivered up the men the lift up their hand against my Lord the King.

In choosing which words for my Text up­on this joyful occasion, God knows I have no design to insult and trample on the me­mory of that wofully mislead and unfortu­nate Gentleman, who was Captain of that late black Rebellion, the happy overthrow and conclusion of which we are now thank­fully commemorating. For though it can­not be denied, but that his unnatural and undutiful behaviour to his late most graci­ous Father and Soveraign, did but too just­ly intitle him to the Name and Character of Absalom; and that his Rebellion against, In­fidelity to, and barbarous aspersions of his [Page 5] present Majesty, who was always his gene­rous Patron and Benefactor, do but too de­servedly brand him the perfidious and un­grateful Absalom: yet considering the Rela­tion he bore to our late dear Soveraign of ever blessed Memory, the promising blos­som of his Youth, before it was blasted with wild and boundless ambition, and the glo­rious sphere in which he once moved, where, had he not aspired to the Seat of the Sun, he might have shone among Stars of the first magnitude, and shed forth a benign influ­ence upon his Country and Family. Consi­dering these things, I say, I am so far from triumphing on his ruine, that I heartily la­ment and bewail his being seduc'd into the crimes that were the cause of it, and detest those cursed Achitophels that seduc'd him, only to make him the tool of their own dire revenge and restless ambition: and if God so please, may that same Justice which hath reach'd him, lay hands on them, and by a yet more infamous punishment revenge his sin and ruin on their heads. And since his memory cannot live with honour, I hearti­ly wish it might dye in oblivion, that so ha­ving paid that debt which Law and Justice [Page 6] and the necessary reasons of things exacted of him, it might never hereafter be remem­bred against him, how desperately he broke through all the ties of Nature, Honour, Gratitude and Religion, to precipitate him­self into a shameful and untimely fate. But this being only a hopeless wish, I shall in pity to his memory, forbear running the o­dious parallel between Absalom and him, through all the black circumstances of their sin and punishment, having said enough al­ready, and yet no more than what was ne­cessary, to explain the sutableness of the Text to the occasion, Blessed be the Lord thy God who hath delivered up the men that lift up their hand against my Lord the King: In which words there are two things observable.

First, The great concern and interest God hath in the overthrow of Rebels, It is he that delivers 'em up.

Secondly, The great cause we have to re­turn thanks to God when he delivers 'em up.

I shall begin with the first od these, viz. The great concern and interest God hath in the ovethrow of Rebels, It is he who deli­vers 'em up. Tis true the success of War, on which side soever it lights, depends upon the [Page 7] divine Providence, which having the dispo­sal of all events, whether they be adverse or prosperous, turns the scale of victory on which side it pleases: for the second causes upon which success and victory ordinarily depends, is the good conduct of those who command, and the strength and courage and expertness of those that execute; all which are under the command and sovereign disposal of God, who if he pleases can infa­tuate the wisest and most skilful Comman­ders, blindfold their judgments, confound their reason, and turn their wisdom into folly, so that they shall run quite counter to their own designs, and blow up them­selves with their own trains; who if he doth not infatuate 'em, can yet frustrate their wisdom, and by a thousand accidents which they can neither foresee nor prevent, baffle and defeat their most prudent and promi­sing designs; who if he pleases can divide and break the strength of the most nume­rous, dissolve and confound the order of the best disciplined, melt and emasculate the courage of the most resolute Armies; and having the sovereign disposal of all the second causes of success in his hands, 'tis he [Page 8] alone that can decide the Battle and deter­mine the hovering Victory to which side he pleases; so that whether it lights on the right or wrong side, on the usurping Rebels, or lawful Prince's Crest, 'tis by his all-disposing direction and appointment: for though the horse is prepared for battle, and secondary causes concur as means and instruments, yet victory is of the Lord, Prov. 21.31. And though sometimes for wise and righteous ends he permits unjust Arms to prosper and triumph over a Righteous cause, of which we have a woful instance in our memory; yet ordinarily and regularly he declares on the righteous side, and awards success accor­ding to the Justice of the cause. For Battle is an appeal to God, in which the contending Parties joyn issue to put their case into his hands, and refer the justice of their cause to his award and determination; and being hereby constituted the sole arbitrator be­tween 'em, he ordinarily decides the victo­ry according to the right of the case; and, unless there be some very great reason mo­ving him to the contrary, awards it to the juster side. They therefore who make and un­just War, appeal to God in a wrong cause; [Page 9] and therefore have all the reason in the world to expect that he will decide against 'em, and finally award the victory to their enemies.

'Tis true, God is not obliged in justice, always to determine the Victory to the Just cause: for there may be just reasons, and many times there are, moving him to the quite contrary. Sometimes it may be more for the publick good, of which he is the great conservator, that this particular righ­teous cause should miscarry, than that it should prosper and succeed; in which case it's but reasonable that he should rather per­mit a particular mischief, than hinder a pub­lick convenience. Sometimes a good cause may be more effectually advanc'd by a present overthrow, than by a victory; and when this happens, it's a good reason why God should at present pronounce the sen­tence of victory on the contrary side. Some­times it may be necessary to deny success to those who have the righteous cause on their side, in order to the crowning it with some greater blessing; and to take away a less good, to make room for a greater, is such an exchange, as is far from Robbery. And lastly, Sometimes for the sins of those [Page 10] on the right side may be such as do render it not only fit, but necessary for God to make 'em examples to the world, of his righteous severity. And what greater severi­ty can he express, than to abandon a good cause, and rather permit it to fall to the ground, than see it upheld and supported by impious and prophane hands? But though there are these, and sundry other just rea­sons why God should not always award suc­cess and victory to the right side; yet doubt­less he ordinarily doth so: for all war is ei­ther between one Prince and Nation and an­other, or else between Princes and rebelli­ous Subjects. Now as for the first, it is in most cases impossible for us certainly to deter­mine which of the two parties hath the right­ful cause; because we do not understand the pretensions on both sides, nor are we capable of judging of those nice reasons, and intricate circumstances upon which their opposite claims depend; and therefore though we through our pity and ignorance together, do commonly pronounce the van­quished cause the best, and upon that ac­count do foolishly murmur at the decisions of Providence, as if they were unjust and [Page 11] unequal; yet God, who sees through all the circumstances of things, doth many times most certainly know the contrary, and so determines the case contrary to our blind pity and ignorance, according to his own infallible judgment: and had we but the understanding of God, I make no doubt but we should find many of those prosperous causes which we condemn for unjust, to be most just and righteous, and be fully satis­fied, that the awards of Providence in the case are much more equal than we imagine. But then, as for the other sort of war, viz. That between Princes and their rebellious Subjects, it's evident that Providence doth much more constantly decide the success to the just and righteous cause, and give judg­ment on the side of the injured Prince, a­gainst the Rebellious and usurping Subjects. For if you consult History, you will find, that though for just and righteous ends, God hath sometimes permitted Rebellions to succeed; yet where he hath prospered one, he hath usually cursed and blasted twenty. And indeed, since War, as was be­fore observed, is an appeal to God, the great Arbitrator of all events; there are [Page 12] peculiar reasons why he should more con­stantly declare himself for the right side in a Rebellious war, than in any other:

First, Because Rebellion is an apppeal to him, in a cause that is plainly and apparent­ly unjust.

Secondly, Because 'tis an appeal to him, in a cause that very nearly touches and effects his own Authority.

Thirdly, Because 'tis an appeal to him, in a cause that is of all others most destru­ctive of humane Society.

I First, Because Rebellion is an appeal to God in a Cause that is plainly and apparent­ly unjust. For in those wars that are between Princes and Princes, the right or wrong of the case is many times not easily decidable: the Meum's and Tuum's of Princes and Na­tions, being very often so blended and con­founded by Conquests, Leagues, and Inter­marriages, and revolutions of Empire; that 'tis not only difficult, but sometimes impossible to determine on which side the Right lies: and tho' the contending Princes may in most cases, perhaps, be able to inform [Page 13] themselves, whether the Cause they contend for be right or wrong; yet the people can be no competent Judges of it, but are ob­liged to acquiesce in their Princes judgment, and to follow 'em with an implicit faith: so that if they are in the wrong, 'tis through invincible ignorance, which renders their case extreamly pitiable and excusable before the just and righteous Tribunal of God. And therefore though He most perfectly understands on which side the Right lies, be the case never so perplexed or intricate, yet his compassion to their mistaken inno­cence, may in concurrence with other rea­sons, especially when their enemies sins do outvy the justice of their cause, sometimes prevail with him to give judgment of Vi­ctory on their side. But as for Rebellion, the injustice of it is far more visible and ap­parent, every man knows, or might easily know, if he were not extreamly wanting to himself, that his King is the Vicegerent of his God; and that being so, he is indispen­sibly obliged by all the ties of Reason and Religion to submit to his Will, and reverence his Person, and bow to his Authority; and that he cannot lift up his hand against him, [Page 14] without fighting against God himself; the truth of which is as obvious to our natural reason, and as plainly asserted in holy Scri­pture, as of any Proposition in Religion: so that I dare boldly affirm a Man may find as fair pretexts for any vice whatsoever, even for Drunkenness, Whoredom or Perjury, as ever were made for Rebellion. And were I to set up for a publick Patron of wickedness, I hardly know a villany in nature so black and monstrous, which I could not more plausibly recommend to Mens reason and consciences, than this of resistance against lawful Authority; which is such a compli­cation of Villanies, such a loathsom mix­ture of Hellish Ingredients, as is enough to nauseate any Conscience but a Devil's. And though Conscience and Religion are the Colours it usually marches under, yet is the imposture of this pretence so fulsome and barefac'd, that no Man in his wits can be innocently abused by it. For certainly that Man must have a great mind to rebel, his will must have a strong Bias of pride or discontent, faction or ambition in it, that in despite of all the evidence from Reason and Scripture to the contrary, can perswade [Page 15] himself that it is lawful for him, and much less that it is his duty to lift up his hand against his Soveraign. And therefore for Men to appeal to God in a cause so appa­rently wicked, is not submissively to refer themselves to him, but openly to mock and affront him; were the case obscure and dif­ficult, though it were unjust, it were excu­sable, and might fairly admit of a reference to the righteous arbitration of God: but to make a vexatious appeal to his Judgment again, in a case which he hath so often and so expresly judged already, is a common Bar­ratry; 'tis not to consult but to tempt him, and under pretence of submitting to his de­termination, openly to defy his authority: in effect, 'tis to appeal from his will to his pro­vidence, and to bespeak him to declare him­self against his own declaration. In this case therefore where the injustice of the cause is so apparent, and consequently the appeal to him about it is so prophane and insolent, God is more peculiarly concerned as sove­raign arbitrator to award for the right side, by delivering up the Rebel as a sacrifice to the just Revenge of his injured Prince.

[Page 16] II Secondly, Rebellion is an appeal to God in a cause wherein his own Authority is ve­ry nearly touched and affected in Wars be­tween Princes and Nations: the unjust side indeed offends against his Authority, by re­fusing to submit to the Laws of Justice, and consequently are accountable to him for high undutifulness and disobedience, which is no more than the common case of all wilful offenders against the Laws of Hea­ven; but in the case of Rebellion there is not only a peremptory disobedience to those Laws of God, which require our dutiful submission to our lawful Superiours, but also a direct renunciation of the divine Autho­rity it self. For all soveraign power is imme­diately founded in the Dominion of God, who being the supreme Lord of the World, no Person can have right to govern in his Kingdom under him, but by commission from him: for every supreme Authority is the head and fountain of all other Autho­rities, so far as it extends; and if it be not so, it cannot be supreme. So that unless all Authority be derived from God, he can have no such thing as a supreme Authority [Page 17] in the World; and if it be all derived from him, then all those persons who are vested with supreme Authority under him, must derive and hold it immediately from him; and if they hold it immediately from him, they can be accountable for the exercise of it to none but him: and if so, then for any of their Subjects to presume to call 'em to account by a publick form'd Resistance, is to arraign God's own Authority, and in­vade his peculiar; tis to thrust him out of his Throne, and set themselves down in it, and there to summon his Authority before 'em, and require it to submit its awful head to their impious doom and sentence. For since in their several dominions all soveraign powers are next to and immediately under God, 'tis by his Commission alone that they act, and therefore to his Tribunal alone that they are accountable: so that by resist­ing them, we do as directly resist God, whose Deputy-Governours they are, as a Neopoli­tan doth the King of Spain, by levying Arms against his Vice-Roy of Naples; and by re­fusing to obey their just and lawful com­mands, we demur to God's Authority, who in every Just thing they impose or require, [Page 18] speaks to us by their mouths, and commands us by their Laws: for so the Scripture tells us, not only that they are ordained of God, and that to resist them is to resist the Ordinance of God, not only that they are the Ministers of God; and that therefore for Conscience sake, or in reverence to his Authority, which they bear, they are to be obeyed, Rom. 13.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. but also that they judge for God, and not for men, 2 Chron. 19.6 and that there­fore their judgment is God's, Deut. 1.17. Whilst therefore we behave our selves facti­ously and rebelliously towards those whom God hath set over us, we live as Out-laws in the Kingdom of God, without any re­spect to that visible Authority by which he governs the World. And if this be so, then for Subjects to rebel against their Prince, is neither better nor worse, than to appeal to God against his own Authority, and to put this impious case to him, whether it be He or they that have the right of Governing the World: for this is the natural language of every rebellious appeal to God; ‘Lord, we refer it to thee, whether it be not just and lawful for us to take up Arms against thee, to renounce and cast off thy Domi­nion [Page 19] over us, and fly in the face of all that visible Authority by which thou art plea­sed to rule and govern us. Judge now we beseech thee, between thy self and us, let the event decide the right of the case, and do thou prosper and succeed us in this our undertaking, according to the justice and righteousness of our cause.’ When there­fore his own Authority is thus nearly touch­ed, by an appeal so Impious and Audacious, it's high time for him, unless some mighty reason intervene to the contrary, to stir up his strength, and make bare his Arm, in the vindication of his injured right, and affron­ted Authority; and by delivering up the insolent Rebel to condign punishment, to assert and maintain his Dominion over the world.

Thirdly and Lastly, Rebellion is an ap­peal III to God in a cause that is of all others the most destructive of humane Society: Which is another peculiar reason why God should decide against it, rather than against any other unjust war whatsoever. For God being the Soveraign head of humane So­ciety, we may be sure that the principal end [Page 20] of his Government is the publick good; that being infinitely happy within himself, and from the immense perfections of his own nature, he can have no self ends to serve in ruling and governing the world; but that his great design is to Bless his Subjects, and by diffusing his goodness through the world, to make 'em all partakers of his happiness. And if it be so, then we may certainly de­pend upon it; that as those things and actions are most grateful to him, which are most beneficial, so those are most odious and offensive to him, which are most pre­judicial to the world. Now there is no one thing whatsoever that is more beneficial to the world than Government, which is the soul of Humane Society, by which it exists and operates, without which it must inevi­tably dissolve, and its united parts immedi­ately disband and fly in pieces. For an un­governed Society of men, is no better than a herd of Wolves and Tygers, whose cross interests, inconsistent humors, extravagant passions and affections, are perpetually prompting 'em to tear and worry one ano­ther; by reason of which it is impossible for 'em to live together with any comfort or [Page 21] security, but either they must submit their passions to be restrained by Law, and their interests to be ballanced and adjusted by Government, or withdraw themselves like other beasts of prey into dens and secret re­tirements, and there live poor and solitary as Batts and Owls do, and subsist like Ver­min by robbing and filching from one an­other. Since therefore Government is so indispensably necessary for the Common­weal of men, to be sure, God, who is supream Lord of all, and the great end of whose Government is the good of the whole, must have a very tender respect and regard for it, and an implacable aversion to every thing that is destructive to it. Now it's certain, there is nothing so destructive to Govern­ment as Rebellion: For as for wars between Prince and Prince, and Nation and Nation, they are indeed the plagues and scourges of Nations, by reason of the slaughters and devastations they carry with 'em; but they subvert not Government, which is the life of Nations: whereas Rebellion carries the same slaughters and devastations with it; and besides that, it strikes at the very foun­dations of Government. For though the [Page 22] design of the Leaders of Rebellion, is not to destroy Government, but to usurp and ravish it out of the hands of the lawful possessors; yet their practice tends directly to the destruction of it. For whenever Sub­jects levy Arms against their Soveraign, they actually throw off the yoke of his Government; and if they may throw off his, they may for the same reason throw off anothers, till at last they have thrown off all, and utterly dissolve themselves into a wild Tumult and Confusion: which being once admitted, Government can have no other foundation to rest on, but the humor and caprice of a wild multitude that is to be governed no otherwise, and no longer than it pleases. And how is it possible for any frame of Government whatsoever to subsist upon such fickle and mutable prin­ciples: So that when Subjects Rebel against their Soveraign, they appeal to God against the very being of Government it self, which is the life and soul of all humane Society, and do in effect desire him finally to deter­mine by the issue and event of things, whether it be just and reasonable, that they should be ruled and governed. When therefore [Page 23] the point they contend for, is so apparent­ly destructive to humane Society, of which he himself is the supreme head and Sove­raign, and the final decision of it is refer'd to his Arbitration: We have all the reason in the world to presume, that he who is the God of order and not of confusion, will, without some mighty inducement to the contrary, damn the Rebels cause, and award success and Victory to the Government.

Since therefore there are so many pecu­liar reasons why the Lord of hosts, the mighty God of War, should arm his Al­mighty power against the Rebelliuos: this ought to caution us not to engage our selves in any Factious, Disloyal or Rebellious de­sign against our Prince and Government; because in so doing, we take the most effe­ctual course that it's possible for men to do, to oblige the Almighty Providence of Hea­ven to fight against us. For there is no one sin in all the black Catalogue of the works of darkness, which God is more concerned to punish in this life, than this of Treason and Rebellion. And accordingly if you con­sult those monuments of divine vengeance, which are transmitted to us, both in Sacred [Page 24] and Prophane history, you will find that there are none of any sort so numerous and remarkable, as the dire and infamous Tra­gedies or Rebels. And though from these no certain conclusion can be made of the fate and issue of all particular Rebellions, because there are instances of some that have prospered and succeeded; and particularly of one among our selves, and in our me­mory, which next to the Rebellion of the fall'n Angels, was perhaps the most Barba­rous and Infamous that was ever acted on the stage of nature. Yet this I am certain of, that were it my design to draw down some exemplary judgment on my own head, and even to entail the vengeance of heaven, upon my self and my prosperity, I could not propose to my self a more probable and ef­fectual way, than Rebellion: Which of all the crimes and villanies that have ever been perpetrated, either by Devils or men, hath ever proved most fatal to the Actors of it. Wherefore as we would not make our selves the marks of divine vengeance, and expose our guilty heads to its Almighty Thunderbolts, it concerns us to be very careful that we do not swerve from our [Page 25] due Allegiance to our Prince, that we do not suffer our Pride or discontent to prey upon our Loyalty, nor imbibe Seditious Principles, nor intriegue our selves with factious Combinations, which are the Semi­naries of Rebellion: but that out of an aw­ful fear and dread of God, we honour and obey the King; and avoid, as we would the Air of a Plague-sore, medling with those that are given to change.

I now proceed to the second observable in the Text, viz. That God's delivering up of Rebels, is a just ground of praise and thansgiving to him; for the proof of which I shall not need to urge any other argu­ment, than the signal defeat and overthrow of his late Rebellion, for which we are now rendering our thankful acknowledg­ments to God. For considering the temper and quality of the Persons, of which this unnatural Rebellion was composed, a very small Prophet may easily prognosticate, to what a deplorable condition this Nation must have been reduc'd, if it had prosper'd and succeeded; for it was nothing but a common shore, into which all the kennels [Page 26] of the Nation ran, being partly made up of the most debauch'd and profligate Atheists, that had broke through all the Laws of hu­manity, and stript themselves so naked of all the shew of Piety and Vertue, that they had not hypocrisie enough remaining to disguise their lewd and villanous intentions; partly of beggarly Male-contents, who had no other way to repair their broken for­tunes, but by running in to the shipwrack of the Nation; but chiefly of hot-brain'd furious Sectaries, whose blind zeal, like the Devil in the possess'd Man, threw 'em into Fire and Water, transported and hurried 'em into any villany, into Perjury and Mur­der, Treason and Sacrilege, and would not permit 'em to stop at any thing, that made for the Interest of their cause: such were the Ingredients of this poisonous mixture. So that had God for our sins permitted it to prevail, we had quickly seen a flourishing Kingdom, like Herod in all his glory and splendor, seized on, eaten up by Lice, by a swarm of the basest and most infamous Vermin that ever bred out of the filth of a Nation: We had seen the Atheist glutting his lust with the rapes of our Wives and [Page 27] Daughters, and quaffing the tears of Wi­dows and Orphans: we had seen the beggar on Horse-back flaunting in the spoils of our fortunes, and triumphing on the heads of our Nobles and Gentry; and the bloudy Enthusiast imbrewing his hands in Loyal bloud, appeasing his furious zeal again with Royal Sacrifice, and throwing down all that is Sacred in our Jerusalem, to make way for the erecting his Phanatick Babel, his Tu­mult and confusion of Religions: in a word, we had seen our Laws trampled on, our Liberties inslaved, and our yet Sacred and Virgin Throne, to our everlasting infamy, deflowred and prophaned by a spurious il­legitimate Issue. With this dire spectacle our eyes had most certainly been entertain­ed, had this black Rebellion succeeded: wherefore our Gracious God being moved to commiseration, by this woful prospect of our approaching Calamity, roused up him­self like a mighty Man of War, and with an avengeful eye looked down upon this Host of Assyrians, and with the breath of his No­strils, scattered the Rebellious Rout before him. Wherefore not unto us, O Lord, not to our conduct or puissance, but to thy [Page 28] Name be all the Glory and Honour. And since we are all of us sharers in this Great Deliverance, it's just we should all return the Tribute of our Praise to our Great Deliverer. O give thanks unto the Lord therefore for he is good, because his Mercy endu­reth for ever. Let Israel now say that his Mercy endureth for ever. Let the House of Aaron now say that his Mer­cy endureth for ever. Let all them that fear the Lord say that his Mercy endureth for ever.

And as the best Return of Gratitude we can make to God, let us by our future Loyalty to his Illustrious Vice-gerent, by our firm relyance on his Royal Pro­mises, which hitherto have been ever sacred and invio­late, by our chearful submission to his Laws, and con­stant forwardness to oppose and detect all treasonous designs against his Person and Government, endeavour as much as in us lies to render his Reign safe and easie, and prosperous. And by our immovable constancy in the profession and practice of our holy Religion, the most pure and unsophisticated, the most Primitive and Loyal Religion of the Church of England: let us en­deavour to indear our selves to God, that so by our faithful supplications we may prevail with God to fix the Crown upon his Royal Head, to guard and protect his Sacred Person, to bless and secure his Government, to abate the Pride, asswage the Malice, and confound the devices of his Enemies; and after he hath injoyed a long, a pious and prosperous Reign upon Earth, to Crown him with everlasting Glory in Heaven. To which Prayer I am sure all that are the genuine Sons of the Church of England will with a true Heart and Zealous affection say, Amen.