IF ever Nation, to its Advantage and Renown, comply'd with the words of my Text, Dread Sovereign, it is your Loyal England. England by humbling her self this day in the presence of God and yours, appears more Glorious, than ever it [Page] did, by humbling with force of Arms, her most redoubted Enemies. Victory in VVar, is often a gift of Fortune, at the best the fruit of Va­lorous Conduct; dear bought, not soon got, and soon forfeited. Englands Humiliation, is a standing Victory of Peace, it is a quelling of Re­bellion, it is a Vindication of her Kings Right and her own Honour; Chance has no part in it, Loyalty produc'd it: The Wisdom of both Houses of Parliament concurr'd unto it: It is not fed with Blood and Booty, but Fasting and Tears; with Devotion it is maintain'd, and a forever settled Obedience renders it Eternal. Thus England has Humbled her worst of Foes, by humbling her self, and by so humbling her self, in this time of Visitation of Gods Mercy upon us, is exalted as high, as ever Rebellion had cast her low. Humiliamini, &c. Be ye humbled un­der the Powerful Hand of God, that he may exalt you in the time of Visitation.

The unnatural Enemies of their Country joy'd in her Confusion, in her Disgrace they Gloried, they Triumph'd in her Losses. England was gaz'd at by Foreigners as a Monster, to be kept up, and cut off, from the Commerce with the rest of the VVorld. A King Arraign'd? said they, and with horror; by who but England? [Page 3] A King call'd to the Bar, by who but Eng­land? A King process'd and Condemn'd, by who but England? A King brought upon the Scaffold, before his own Palace and People, and Barbarously put to Death; VVhen? VVhere? tell the place, name the Time, mention the Record, by whoever but England? Such were the insulting Reproaches whole England was expos'd to, for the guilt of a Crew of Miscre­ants degenerated from the Fear of God, and antient Allegiance pay'd by Dutyful England to her Kings. But Silence, O you! Who thus impeach the whole, for the Crime of a few, A party of wretched men, desperately Wicked and hardened in Impiety. They are the words of the Act in reference to this day. The King was Arraign'd, The King was call'd to the Bar; but England Sigh'd, England Wept. The King, against all form of Law, was Process'd and Condemned, but England Agoniz'd, between Grief and Horror. The King was Cruelly Murdered, but England Vow'd a just Revenge, and since has taken it of the Regicides. Re­bellion in that time over-rul'd the Stage, Rebel­lion acted the Tragedy it had contriv'd; poor England disarm'd, with sorrowful Eyes was forc'd to look on. No House of Peers then [Page 4] sat, no free House of Commons; a Kennel of Blood-hounds, a rude Expression, (did they not merit worse) were the Assassins, of our most Indulgent Monarch; they were led on by the Scent of an aspiring Passion, mask'd with Zeal for Religion, so to delude some: At Tyranny they ran with a fair show of Liberty, so to en­tice in others. Liberty indeed, to debase their Equals, to pull down their Betters, to enslave their Countrey. England groan'd under the heavy Scourge, and is no sooner recover'd, by the Happy and long Sigh'd for Restoration of her Natural Prince and Government, but makes it her first care, to vindicate her self to Posterity. Sitting therefore in Parliament she de­clares to the World, her Inexpressible Detestation, and Abhorrency, of that Villanous and abo­minable Fact, and for a lasting Monument of this her Sense, she beseeches the Royal Power to establish this day of Humiliation, to which Piety and Loyalty oblidges us to concur. Hu­miliamini, &c. Be ye humbled under the Powerful Hand of God, that he may exalt you in time of Visita­tion. In order to promote so Religious an Act, my first point shall be to remind you of the subject of Humiliation, which is Rebellion; and since Rebellion so unhumanely Arraign'd our Gracious [Page 5] King. My second point shall be to Arraign Rebellion. My third, to see Execution done upon her, and that by the hand of Humiliation. But let us first implore his Divine Assistance him, who made himself a Patern of Humilia­tion for our Sins, by the Intercession of His Virgin Mother, Ave Maria, ‘ Humiliamini, &c. Be ye humbled under the Powerful Hand of God, that he may exalt you in the time of Visitation.’

THe proper subject of Humiliation is sin; the greater the sin, the greater ought the Humiliation to be. To private Offences, which prejudice the Offender alone, private Humiliation is due, a publick Humiliation be­comes sins, which influence upon the publick; and no sins wound the publick so dangerously, as those, which are destructive to Loyalty, Obe­dience, and Government; Kings bare the burden and dignity of the Publick, no sin therefore requires a more signal Humiliation and Repen­tance, than Disloyalty, Rebellion, and the Con­tempt of the Right of Kings, and their Majesty; nor was there ever a Disloyalty, Rebellion or Contempt equaling that committed, against the [Page 6] Sacred Person of Charles the First. Humiliation then, on this Anniversary-Day, should exceed all others. If I mistake not, my Discourse holds good, relying upon the just proportion to be kept between Humiliation and Sin. I could ex­emplify each part out of holy Writ, were I not press'd between scarcity of Time and Copious­ness of matter: It is enough that I insist only upon Rebellion.

But is not that Rebellion to be blotted out of Memory, and buryed in Oblivion? Old Soares are not to be ript up. True, if perfectly Heal'd; and if perfectly Healed, yet their trouble and danger, may be expos'd for future Safety and prevention of the like. This is the method observ'd by Preachers in order to other Sins; and I have no cause to desert it in order to Rebellion of sins the greatest.

Forgive and forget, is a maxime of Christian Charity, in so much, as I find Acts of Pardon and Indempnity, stiled Acts of Oblivion; and yet I re­flect that as pardoning is a property of Good­ness, and Magnanimity; so to forget, argues a carelessness, or weakness of mind. God forgives, but cannot forget; and England on this day, will not have forgotten, what your Royal Brother, and your Sacred Majesty have so Generously [Page 7] forgiven. You have forgiven but, England will not forgive her self, and with the noblest of Dispositions, doth Pennance for a Crime which was not hers. So Christ an Innocent, humbled himself for the sins of his People, even to Death. Him we are to imitate; by so doing, England endeavours, to make her Loyalty, vye with your Clemency; and by not forgiving her self, for having been the Mother of a few Vipers, cannot but confirm and encrease, that tender Love, shown in all Time, even with the evident and many hazards of your Sacred Persons, in Defence of her Rights and Honour.

True it is; there is a forgetfulness, ever joyn'd with forgiving; for albeit one remember a Displeasure, yet in case he pardons it, he for­gets the main resentment due unto it. God cannot but remember sin, yet forgiving it, for­gets as it were to inflict the Punishment of Hell due unto it. This is what the Royal Prophet Psal. 78. and the Prophet Isa. c. 64. both v. 8. crave at the hands of God, Ne memineris Iniqui­tatum nostrarum, Remember not our Iniquities, and in conformity with this it is, that we are order­ed to implore the Mercy of God, That neither the guilt of that Sacred Innocent Blood, nor those other sins, by which God was provok'd, to deliver [Page 8] us and our King into the hands of Cruel and Un­reasonable Men, may at any time, be visited upon us and our Posterity. Thus the Act of Parlia­ment expresses it self, where we are at once re­minded, of the worst effect of Rebellion, and to Pray God to forget the resenting it. Having laid the subject of Humiliation before your Eyes, I come in my second point to Arraign Rebellion.

Rebellion, The Daughter of audacious Pride; Rebellion, Mother of the basest Treacheries, Rebellion nurse of private Discontents; Rebel­lion sower of Jealousies and Fears; Rebellion the disturber of peaceable Minds; Rebellion the distroyer of true Liberty and Religion; Re­bellion the bain of humane Commerce; Rebellion the destroyer of Wealth, Happiness, Birth-right and Life it self; Rebellion, the open ene­my to Order, Government, and God; Rebel­lion blazing in Fire and wallowing in Blood. This is the Monster of Monsters, disguis'd in all shapes to compass her ends; her Name I tell you is Rebellion, and from her Name I begin her Arraignment.

Rebellion, Thou art convicted of being a restless Spirit. Nothing in heaven; no State, no place, no Condition, can possibly content thee, Happiness swells thee, Misery enrages [Page 9] thee, Piety cannot mollify thee, thou art ever for Reform of Religion and Government; whereas True Religion alone, can reform thee. Heaven could not keep thee in peace, all the delicious Fruits of the Garden of Eden, could not satisfy thy disordered Palate; the Church has felt the smart of thy Divisions; thou hast over­run the Earth with Calamities; in Hell alone if thou art quiet, it is because tam'd by punish­ment. Restless thou art; the World thy old Ac­quaintance, comes in Evidence of it, by impo­sing the Name of Rebellion upon the: from Re. and Bello. I War again. Rebellion's stomach turns at the sweets of quiet: Unfeign'd Hydra, in the Fens and Bogs of Discontents she breeds, Is one head cut off? Without fable another shoots up. Is she beaten to the ground? She renews her Forces, She's ever beginning, ever Warring. Has she no Sword to manage? She Wars with her Tongue, she Wars with her Pen. If daring neither; she Wars with her Thoughts, she lays her Designes, she expects her Time, she's ever Rebellion warring again, a restless Spirit by Deeds answering her Name. And from her Name, I pass to her Deeds.

Rebellion, Thou art brought in Guilty of being wilfully void of Reason. A Rebel, in the first place, [Page 10] wages war against himself, by opposing the Law of Nature, which is his own Reason. Rea­son promotes a friendly Intercourse between Men, to their reciprocal Help and Comfort; Rebellion obstructs it. In order to this amicable Society, Reason prescribes a Supreme Power to end strifes, when arising; to provide against Invaders of the common safety. Rebellion will be Arbi­trary, will stand to no Authority, will her self invade. Reason teaches us to Sacrifice a Pri­vate Interest, Disgust or Wrong, to the Pub­lick Tranquility. Rebellion will have the Pub­lick Welfare to truckle to Private Passion. Rea­son's Decision is, that a patient Sufferance, is preferable to a successful Rebellion; Rebellion feignes causes of Sufferance, where there's none. In all her Proceedings unreasonable, But more,

Rebellion, The foulest Ingratitude is Charged upon thee. Nothing works so forcibly upon the generous Heart of Man, as to see himself lov'd: But Rebellion of a Man, thou leav'st no more than a Figure. Love by thee is slighted. Thou devidest Friends, thou Arm'st Patriot against Patriot, thou stirrest up Relation against Re­lation, Brother against Brother, Son against Father; the Love of thy Prince is requited with Hatred and Disdain. No tye, which [Page 11] thou dost not unloose; no knot, which thou dost not untye or cut, Country, King, God, cannot win thee with Kindness, I'll only give a glance at some particulars, too well known to dwell long on them.

Heaven is the seat of Felicity, the center of Bliss: Lucifer vouchsafe to be at rest; submit, and it is thine: No where canst thou be more at ease. Rebellion has stopt his Ears, and he's un­quiet. Reason tells thee, it's a madness to Rise against thy Maker. Where Rebellion has got in, Reason's not heard. God has conferr'd the No­blest of Beings upon thee, what more endea­ring? But endearments loose their Vertue with Rebellion.

Adam let this Example be a warning to Thee and Terror. I come too late. Neither the for­tunate state of Paradice, nor his own Reason excelling all other, nor the Demonstrations of Gods singular favour, could allay the Spirit of Rebellion, that had enter'd his Heart, when that Eritis sicut Dii, You shall be like Gods, had en­ter'd his Ears. What shall I say to the contu­macious Children of Israel? What to the un­natural Absalom? No Content, no Reason, no Kindness, could abate their Seditious Fury, and to advance to the subject I now am on.

[Page 12] England was an Earthly Heaven, a worldly Paradice: The Liberty of the Subject, with a grateful acknowledgement, Reverenced the Royal Prerogative. Law ran in its natural Chan­nel, each one sat under his own Vine, fed of his own Grape, ever ready to lay down Life and Fortune, for his Princes Honour and Safety; when Rebellion stomaching at so much Prospe­rity, revolts against Religion, resolute never to end, but by making an end of Government.

Was there ever Sovereign who tender'd his Subjects Liberty, who abhorr'd the effusion of Blood, Sacred Majesty, it was your Royal Parent. What Clemency did he not use, in putting up in­juries? What Advantages did he not forfeit, by ketching at every overture of Peace, to avoid the Miseries ensuing upon his Kingdom? Peace was his Darling: But Rebellion was restless. Englands Happiness, was ever in his Eye, the object of his Wishes. But Rebellion hated its Fe­licity and Repose. The Comliness of his Person, the Exquisitness of his Wit, the Sweetness of his Temper, the Undauntedness of his Mind; shew'd in the midst of the greatest Calamities, would have gain'd the Affection of any, but Unreason­able and Ungrateful Rebells: His only Failure was, (if I may be so bold,) That he was more [Page 13] covetous of his Subjects Safety than his Own; more concern'd for Them, than resenting their Disloyalty, his Condescentions he acknowledges in his [...], or Royal Portract pass'd too far; all to gain his Enemies; and what in Rea­son could be of greater force, to subdue Hearts of Men, than such Paternal Proceedings? But all in vain; the hardship of his Fate was, he had to deal with worse than Brutes; he had to deal with Rebels. No gaining Rebellion by Love or Reason. Love is deem'd Weakness, Reason is against the Liberty of the Spirit. Re­bellion is a pure, pure, Spirit, but in nothing more, than that pure Spirits, as Divines teach us, in the fall of the Angels are Incorrigible, and so for the most part are Rebels. Reason works not upon them, Favours will not oblige them; their Spirit is fix'd upon inquitude, their Cause is ever for pretended Religion and Property, which puts me in mind of carrying on my Process,

Again, I find Rebellion notoriously Convicted of having invaded Property, under pretext of maintaining it. True regard to Property would respect the greatest of Properties: The Property Kings have, not only to their Revenues, but much more to be Obey'd, in what concerns their Government. Had the least sparkle of [Page 14] this regard, had place in the Rebels thoughts, they'd never run to such Extremities. His Sa­cred Majesty had never intrench'd upon the Pro­perty of any. Whatever he acted, was with the Advice of the Judges of the Nation; and well it might be, and it ought to be presum'd, they knew what was due to Law, Property, and Prerogative.

But grant he had taken a step too far, was the Subject to rage with Rebellion, to Depo­pulate the Nation with Sword and Flames; and in room of Kings and Countrys Property, bring in Tyranny? These were the lamentable effects of Rebellion convicted, of having invaded Proper­ty, under Profession of upholding it. To main­tain Property; Houses were Pillag'd: To main­tain Property; Villages were Fir'd: To main­tain Property; Townes were Beleagur'd, and Batter'd, To maintain Property; so many Battles were Fought, so many thousands, and thousands of Lives cut off: To maintain Property; Estates of the Loyal were Confiscated, the Rights of both Houses abolish'd, the People burden'd with Impositions. Rebellion will tell you, (and who'll believe her but Rebels) all was to main­tain Property, but the pretence of Property went not alone; it joyn'd hand and hand with appea­rance [Page 15] of Religion and Rebellion, appears horribly tainted with the most execrable Hypocrisy.

Religion was in the Case. Was it so? O Holy Rebellion! So highly concern'd for Religion: That thou art ever new modelling it. The Reason may be; that thy Principles, and those of True Religion, cannot subsist; and since thou art resolute, not to shape thy Prin­ciples to Religion, thou'lt cut out a Religion to thy Principles. Religion is Peaceable, thou Seditious. Religion teaches Submission to God, and his Vicars; but that Lesson is not for thee: Perpetual Change is thy business. Innovation is thy inseparable Camerade; and one Innovation is ever a precedent for an other; and in all thou art the Leader. Thy Spirit is a singular one, it cannot away with what is common; as if Religion by being the common, could be­come the Prostitute of Babylon: The Truth is, Church Orders, are of too great a Subjection; thy Spirit will be at Freedom, the Lord alone must govern it. That is, the Lord in the Mouth, and Belzebub in the Heart. Religion upon the Lips, and Alteration of Government in Design. Thy Religion was, to change Churches into Stables, Bells into Canons, Leads into Bullets: It was Hypocrisy, not Religion. And O! that [Page 16] here I might stop, and stay thy fury, which draws me on to the last Act, Horror chilling my Blood at the very Thought of what I am to say.

Rebellion appearing convicted of being a rest­less Spirit; of violating the Law of Nature, Reason; of the basest Ingratitude, in abusing her Princes Love; of having invaded Property; of most prophane Hypocrisy: That nothing should be wanting to the greatest excess of Ini­quity, she passes the utmost bounds, of Exor­bitancy and Cruelty. In all she has done, she pretends to Justice and Revenge, and that by Law, and that against her Sovereign.

The Design of Rebellion, ever lurks in the breast of a few; by her specious Cheats, many are engag'd; she is an Artist in contriving. Property, Religion, Law, she makes her diffe­rent Scenes, and turns them at her Pleasure, to humour the Parts she's resolv'd to perform. Having the Sword in her Hands, she pulls off her Mask, and discovers her Villanous Inten­tions; she erects a Court of High Justice, and behold the Catastrophe, The last Act of the dismal Tragedy; She Arraigns her King. Ah Rebellion! Rebellion! Thy earnest Demonstra­tions of zeal for Property and Religion, are they [Page 17] come to this? Thy pretentions, ever are Jeza­bels, Fair in show, in substance Cruel. A High Court of Justice? A High Court of Enor­mity and Treason. Do'st thou know who thou Arraignest? He is thy King. Do'st thou know, whose Condemnation and Murder thou hast resolv'd? It is thy King's. Consult the Funda­mental Laws. Consult? What need of Con­sult, where the Abomination so clearly dis­covers it self? High Court of Justice? If this be Justice; what is Treason? And if this be Trea­son, and of Treasons the most Horrid; down with the Name of High Court of Justice? No Court can be held, but by Power from the King, and no King can lend that Power against himself. But since thy vain Plea is Law, and thou wilt not know what a King is. It is my Duty to make thee know, both what is Law? And what's a King?

It is not the Sword, it is not the Mace, it is not the Grave Attire, it is not the Bar, it is not the Chair, it is not the rest of Formalities, which constitute Law; they'r only to sustain its Dig­nity. Rebellion may usurp them, to colour In­justice; but can have no Law to justify her Pro­ceedings. Law is an obliging rule of humane Acti­ons, ever order'd to the common good. To be Ob­liging [Page 18] its Authority must be deriv'd from above, from God; and this Authority God has plac'd in his Vicars Supreme Governours. To be a Rule it must not deflect, from the first Rule of the Divine Will and Command, it must stand with Reason and Justice; the Peace and Good of the Publick must be its end: And to be for the common good, Law cannot be a wea­pon of private Passion. No Law then can up­hold this Court of thine, O Rebellion! Thy ends are Private. Thou reced'st from the first Rule, by usurping Gods Prerogative, who alone is the King and Judge of Kings: It is a­gainst Reason to claim Power over a Supreme, it is Unjust to Arraign thy Judge. Law then opposes thy Pretentions to Law, and the Dig­nity of a King wholly defeats them.

Will'st thou once learn what a King is? Give Ear. God is the King of Kings, 1 Tim. 6.15. And Kings are as it were the Gods of their People: Kings cannot be Gods Judge, nor can the People be their Kings. Who is the Supreme? Who the Judge without Appeal, but the King? To whom do inferior Judges own their Autho­rity, but to the King? From who do Courts re­ceive their Power, but from the King? In whose Name are Impeachments drawn up, but [Page 19] in the Kings? Acts of Parliament; by who are they Enacted, but by the King! And by consequence, the final Legislative Power, in who doth it reside, but in the King. By the undoubted fundamental Laws of this Kingdom, neither the Peers of this Realm, nor the Commons, nor both together in Parliament; nor the People Collectively or representatively, nor any other Persons whatsoever, ever had, have, or ought to have any Co-ercive Power over the Persons of the Kings of this Realm. It is the Parliament which speaks, and yet Re­bellion against The undoubted and Fundamental Laws, dar'd Erect a High Court of Justice against her Sovereign, and what dares not Rebellion do? She is too well vers'd in Holy Writ, not to know, That to resist Kings, is to resist God; Rom. 13. What shall it be to Process, to Condemn, to murder one?

But by who is he to be Try'd? Com­mons are Try'd by Commons, Peers by Peers; have you a Jury of Kings? And had you, there's no Judge left to give the Sentence but God: And Woe to Rebellion, when God's to Sentence. More yet; in case you Condemn him according to your execrable Formality of pretended Law, may he not grant himself a Reprive? He can bestow it upon the meanest, and most guilty Subject, shall he not be able [Page 20] to confer it upon himself; he can give it ano­ther, even when the Sentence is most Just; and shall he not enjoy his own Prerogative against the most unjust of Sentences?

Ah! To what end do I tyre my self and you? Our Renowned Prince, plac'd by God above Law, without Law, and against Law, must fall a Victim to the highest Injustice. Rebellion has got the Sword, and the Sword without the Ballance is the Type of Cruelty; to Cruelty Majesty is forc'd to bend; and Sacri­legious Rebellion never appear'd with so ghast a Countenance, as imbru'd in his Royal Blood. That Blood will ever set her out to the detesta­tion and horror of the World. That Blood will blaze her to all Ages for what she is. That Blood will speak aloud and say: Fly Rebellion, she'll never spare Subject, that durst Process, Condemn, and by Name of High Justice, Mur­der the Meekest of Monarchs. No more, no more, of what without Affliction and Tears, I cannot call to mind. His last Thoughts were his Peoples Welfare, his Kingdoms Peace, his Nations Happiness; he died, undaunted, like himself, like a King, forgiving what the World will never forget, so Sacrilegious a Murder. That Pardon, that Innocent Blood, crys yet [Page 21] for Revenge against Rebellion, and upon Re­bellion let it fall; let Rebellion die never more to rise; let it die by the hand of Humiliation; The subject of my third point, with which I conclude, Humiliamini, &c. Be ye humbled under the powerful Hand of God, that he may exalt you in time of Visitation.

In my preceding Discourse, you have seen at Leisure Rebellion Arraign'd, Process'd and Convicted, of the most detestable of Crimes, and by consequence Guilty of the worst of Pu­nishments; And as her Sins surmounts all o­thers, so would I have her Chastisement pro­portionable. The subject is of a large extent; but not to transgress, I will close it in little. Men that die for Offences will rise again. Re­bellion I would have her die so, as never to re­vive. Let Rebellion then die, but how, Sub potenti manu Dei, Under the Powerful Hand of God, by an humble Obedience, For what end? That God may exalt us in time of Visitation.

God has his different Visitations, as you'l find in Holy Writ; Visitations of Anger, Vi­sitations of Love, Visitations of Mercy, Visi­tations of Revenge, Visitations of Humbling, Visitations of Exalting: His Visits of Humb­ling, Anger and Revenge lay grievous upon [Page 12] us by the Scourge of Rebellion; a Road grown on our own Soil, This seems a time of a Visita­tion of his Love, Mercy, and Exalation upon us. But Humiliamini, Humiliamini, Be ye humbled. We may humble our selves, and we may be humbled by another; to be humbled by ano­ther, is commonly a Chastisement, to humble our selves, is now and then a satisfaction, in order to Rebellion it is a Pevention; so that our humbling our selves, is at once a satisfacti­on, for Rebellion that's pass'd, and prevention of Rebellion that might come; and behold, the desir'd Execution done by Obedience upon Rebellion; greater revenge cannot be taken. Satisfaction destroys it, and puts it, as I may say to Death, Prevention hinders it from re­viving, so that Humiliation Tryumphs in the utter ruine of Rebellion.

And had I not Reason in the beginning of my Discourse to term it England's standing Peace, more glorious than any victory in War? So it is. If Obedience stands, Rebellion must fall. And by this Humiliation Day, our Obedience being perpetuated, Rebellion must down for ever, Be ye then humbled under the Powerful hand of God. The Powerful hand of God, I interpret to be Kings, in their Scepter they sway Gods [Page 9] Power, in their Sword his Justice; and so by Obedience to our Prince, we are Humbled under the Powerful hand of God, to the total extirpa­tion of Rebellion. The best of satisfactions we can give to the Royal Father, is to annihi­late Rebellion by a true Allegiance to his great Son; Fasting's good, Prayer yet more excel­lent, by them the Rebellion of the flesh is tam'd the Rebellion of the Spirit by sole Obe­dience.

The ever hard neck'd Children of Israel. They Fasted, Isaiah 5.8. v. 3. Wherefore have we Fasted, and thou seest not? wherefore have we af­flicted our Soul, and thou takest not knowledge? Rebellion can Fast, and none invoke the Lord with longer breath than Rebels: But their Fast and Prayers are not acceptable to the most High, They'r Disobedient, their Humiliation is Hy­pocrisy, it enters not the heart; Hear what the Lord Answers to the complaint of those pre­tenders to Prayers and Fasts, Behold in the day of your Fasting your own Will is found. A Rebel will ever have his own will, and refusing to submit his Will to God, gives out Gods Will to be his; and so makes God as it were a Subject, and himself a God. From Obedience then our Humiliation is to derive its whole Worth and [Page 24] Valour, and that it may be eternal, to the eternal destruction of Rebellion, O that Eng­land would learn to know the voice of the Ser­pent! Would learn no more to be deluded by those canting Charms of Liberty, Property, and Religion. Remember that even Satan the Prince of Darkness, 2 Cor. c. 11. v. 14. read the place, it is much to our purpose, transfigures himself into an Angel of Light. And so doth his first Child Rebellion. No pretence whatsoever can Justify Rebellion. You have a Prince, whose Wisdom and Experience makes him know your true Good and Happiness, I may confidently say, better than you know it your selves. Trust him, who God has Intrusted with you. With the free use of your Religion, your Bodies and Minds he has both eas'd: He has vindicated your Properties Invaded by false Zealots, but real Persecution. His indefatigable Concern, for the publick Honour and Welfare of his Kingdom, you cannot but own; but you must inviolably own your Duty to him. Rebellion's to be kept down by his Wisdom, Courage, and Power; but by a generous and ready comply­ance in you. No Army ever gain'd Victory without Obedience; and no Kingdom without Obedience shall ever reap Glory. Humiliamini, &c. [Page 25] Be ye then humbled, to be exalted. Vir Obediens loquetur Victoriam, Prov. 21. v. 28. The Obedient Man shall speak Victory. We are to be Men, Stout Rational, but Obedient, to be Victorious both of our Earthly and Spiritual Foes. Let Jealousies be laid aside, and you'l improve your Sovereign's Love: Appease Animosities, Chase away Fears, and you'l produce, and nourish a mutual Confidence in each other; to your own Quiet and Comfort, to the Terror of your Ene­mies, and to your King and Countreyes Renown. Thus in Spight of Rebellion, by Obedience to the Son, you'l compleat the Wishes of his Dying Father: You'l make an Atonement for that Sacrilegious Murder. Obedient England will be more Glorious, than ever she was Disgrac'd in the Ignominy put upon her, by a few Un­natural Rebels; and so enjoying the Fruits of a Peaceable Conscience, the Sweets of a setled Tranquility in this Life, she'l be dispos'd to be Crown'd with Eternal Reward in the next: Which God of his Infinite Goodness grant us all. In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.