The Hands of God: OR KING DAVID'S CHOICE, Wherein are proved: 1. That the least of evils is to be chosen. 2. That war is the worst of evils. 3. That the Relation betwixt the King and Subject, is the nearest of all Relations. 4. That Rebels are the worst of men. As it was delivered in a Sermon, By T.S. D.D. Printed in the Year, 1647. TO MY HONOURED FRIENDS, SIR GEORGE CRAHAM, AND HIS VIRTUOUS LADY, THE LADY ALICIA CRAHAM. Sir, Madam, YOUR desires are Commands, and have therefore the Obedience of Your humble Servant, Thomas Swadlin. The Hands of God. 2. SAM. 24.14. Let us now fall into the Hands of God (For with the Lord is mercy, or, The Mercies of God are great,) but not into the Hands of Men. IT is a Theme of humiliation, This is; so the verse gins, supra modum angor, I am in a great straight: Had it pleased some men of this Kingdom to have followed King David's course, and considered with themselves six or seven years ago, Whether had been better, by Petition to redress our presumed grievances, or, by the Sword to remove some pretended evil Counsellors, we had not been put to this Aftergame with God; that innocence would have kept us on our legs; now our repentance must restore us to our legs; and so it will, I doubt not, if we will observe and do the Parts and Resolves of this Text, of this humble Text: The Parts two, The Resolves four. 1. We have here a supplication, Incidamus in manus Domini, Let us now fall into the hands of God; This gives up the first Resolve, and tells us, E malis minimum, Division. that of Evils, the least is to be chosen. 2. We have here a Deprecation, In manus hominum ne incidamus, Let us not fall into the Hands of men, This gives up the second Resolve, and tells us, Emalis maximum, that of all evils, War is the greatest. Each of these parts hath his reason; I shall account them for parts in my discourse, and so I pray do ye; so shall you have an equality of Parts and Resolves, four, and four. 3. The reason of the former is expressed; Let us now fall into the hands of God; Miserationes enim cum eo, or, Misericordiae Dei multae; For there are mercies with God, or, the mercies of God are great: This gives up the third Resolve, and shows us Relatorum proximum, That of all relations, that betwixt the King and subject is the nearest. 4. The reason of the latter is employed; Let us not fall into the hands of men, Crudeles enim sunt, Sacrilegae enim sunt; For their hands are cruel hands; For their hands are Sacrilegious hands: This gives up the fourth Resolve, and points out V●rorum pessimum, the worst sort of Men, When I have unfolded these particulars by way of explication, I find myself bound by my Text to give you a double Application. 1. in manus hominum incidimus, How and by what means we are fallen into the hands of men? into their cruel hands, into their Sacrilegious hands; and this will be Inquisitive. 2. in manus Dei incidamus, How we may again fall into God's hands, into his merciful hands? and this will be Exhortative. Pars 1. I begin with the first, the Supplication; Incidamus in manus Domini, Let us Now fall into the hands of God: Now, so our translation reads it, and so the purer Copy will beat it, ●ncidamus, Let us fall, i. e. Let us Now fall; for it is the present tense: And it was then, and I would to God it were Now presently to be done. But though so, why Now? why not rather, Let us ever fall into God's hands? yes, let us ever fall into God's hands, so King David intended; but Now especially, so King David desired. Now, that my young Subjects have forgot the cursed counsel of Achitophel, and the bloody sword, and the unnatural conspiracy of Absalon: Now, that my old Subjects are afraid of an enemy from abroad, and of a scarcity at home: Now, that my young Cavalry presume upon their own strength and gallantry, and dare meet the insulting enemy in the field: Now, that my old Senators despair under their own weakness and infirmity, and dare not look the Rebell-enemy in the face: Now, that there is but a step betwixt us and death, and God will punish us all; you for your past Rebellion, and myself for my present presumption: Now, rather than into the Hands of men, let us fall into the hands of God. This article of Time, in respect of King David's option, reflects only upon his present election, of Famine, Plague, or War; yet because his thirst after his Subjects good was eminent in the whole course of his Reign, as well in the serene and calm days of peace, as in the boisterous and stormy nights of War, I believe I shall not err, if I take leave to believe, that he intended this 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as a perpetual rule of Divinity for the youngest and eldest in his Kingdom; and tells them, That though they were 130000. strong, of men fit for War, besides children, and youth, and aged; yet for all that they should not presume; for God could as he pleased, tame them and cut them off: And though they were diminished, of that numerous Army, even to one cipher, why yet neither should they despair, for God could, if he pleased, de vit. pat. help and save them as well by few as by many. So Saint Augustine, Nè desperando augeamus peccata, propositus est paenitentiae portus; Let us not make up the measure of our sins, and fit ourselves for destruction by cowardice and desperation: Nor is this any way to encourage presumption, but only to allay the other extreme; so the same Father again; Rursus nè sperando augeamus peccata, positus est dies mortis incertus; neither let us make up the measure of our sins, and fit ourselves for destruction by precipitancy and presumption; but Now, while we have time, and Now, though we have but this time, let you and I, both young men and Maidens, old men and children, take out the first letter from each scene of our age, from Puer, P. from juvenis, I. from Virro, V from Senex, S. and that will make us what we should be, Pius, and fit for the best of choices, To fall into the hands of God. This yet, though the best of choices, must be warily read, and as warily understood, else we shall fall into error, if not into Heresy; for so were the Anthropomorphites branded, and to this day for Heretics they go, because from such places of Scripture as this, The hands of God, they presently concluded, God had a body, and all the organs and instruments of a body. From which Error, or Heresy rather have the Papists, as I imagine, drawn their idolatrous imagery of painting God the Father in the Image of an old man, and his Son Christ like a little child in his hands. But if. God hath not hands of flesh and blood as we have, what hands hath he then? And how is it here said, let us fall into the hands of God? Why you must understand this, and all such passages in St Bernard's Catholic answer, Omnia haec habet Deus, & nulla horum habet Deus, God hath a body, and all the organs of a body; God hath not a body, nor any instrument of a body, Effectu habet, Essentiâ non habet; Essentially he hath none of these things, Effectually he hath them all. To let pass all other, as not to our present purpose; what is the effect of the hand? Why in relation to man, the effect of the hand is safety and protection; so we say, and we say true in so saying, a Bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, and one soul in the hands of God is better than 20 or 20000 souls out of his hands; so long as my child is in mine own hands, or my wives, or my servants, he is safe enough from falling; but if once we put him out of our hands, and trust him to the strength of his own weak legs, poor fool, by and by he gets a fall, and breaks his face; so long as our souls are in God's hands, they are for all the world as he made them, pure and upright; but if once he put them out of his hands, as God forbidden he should, or if once we pull them out of his hands, as God forgive us for it, we too too often do, why then by and by we find out many inventions, as the wise man speaks, and break the face of our souls. Eccles. 7.29. More particularly and properly in relation to God; his hands signify sometimes: 1. His eternal Counsel, so there; To do whatsoever thy hand had determined: Act. 4.28. His hand and Counsel all one there: Sometimes, 2. His actual power; so there again; Act. 4.30. Stretch out thine hand to heal and to do wonders; his hand and power all one there: Ps. 104.28. Sometimes, 3. Benediction, so there; Thou openest thy hand and fillest all things living with plenty; Psa 32.4. hand and plenty all one there: Sometimes. 4. Affliction, so there; Thy hand was heavy upon me day and night; hand and heaviness all one there; and so here; Let us now fall into the hands of God; i. e. our sins call for affliction, and let God afflict us: our Church prayer in reference to this text excellently, when thou wilt correct us for our sins O Lord, in judgement remember mercy, and let us fall into thy hands and not into the hands of men. I might give you more significations, and tell you of a manus dextra, and a manus sinistra, of a manus sanans, and a manus saeviens, of a right and left hand, of a saving and destroying hand, and many more; but this is the fairest and shortest construction of God's hands, as they refer to this Text. And here I admire at King David's wisdom, and at David's piety. I. His wisdom in making a virtue of necessity: 2. His Piety, in submitting himself equally with his Subjects to an impartial misery: 1. His wisdom appears, in that he made choice of what he could not shun; He knew he must into God's hands, what choice soever he made; and so must we: Naturally we must, and Legally we must: First, by the course of Nature all things tend unto their own Centre, and therefore says Saint Austin, A te Domine sumus, & irrequietum est cor nostrum donec in te revertamur, we are from thee O Lord, and we are restless until we are with thee again: Secondly, by the course of Law too, every thing must to his proper owner, Ps. and says King David, Thy hands have made me and fashioned me, Our souls are from God's hands, and into God's hands they must again, first or last; from him we had them clean and holy, and they must not be the worse for our wearing; from his hands as white as silver and pure as gold, we may not daub them with Mercury, till they be as black as a coal, and ugly as a Toad: from his hands as chaste as Susanna, S●san. 1.2 3. when she refused the Elders, we may not make them foul and impudent as Potiphars Wife when she enticed Joseph; Gen 39 9 from his hands as sober as Noah before he discovered his own nakedness, Gen. 9 we may not make them drunken as Lot, when he uncovered his daughter's nakedness: Gen. 19 33. from his hands as constant as Joshua when he stood to his first Covenant with the men of Gibeon, Josh, 9.19. we may not make them perjured as those Jews, Hosea. 10. who made a Covenant in sweareing falsely, we have no King, for what good can a King do us? No, God forbidden, In such a pickle, they will never into God's hands; Mat 25.30.41 never to his right hand amongst the sheep to go into everlasting life; but to the left hand amongst the Goats, to departed into everlasting fire: From which that you may be preserved, be you persuaded to entreat God, that you may fall into his hands, his hands of sanctification, to keep you from sin, his hands of protection, to keep you from, or deliver you out of War, and all other dangers while you are here, and from hence, into his hands of glorification and Salvation, to keep you at his right hand for ever and ever hereafter: And till then, If it must be into his hands of affliction, into his hands only, for that is but affliction; at no hand, into the hands of men, for that is destruction also. 2. Thus King David expresses his wisdom, and thus secondly, he expresses his piety: For herein he pities his Subjects equally with himself; yea, he prefers his subjects to himself, mark else what he says, Behold I have sinned, I have done wickedly, but these Sheep alas! 2. Sam. 24.17. what have they done? let thy hand O lord I pray thee, be against me and my Father's house. And if he would have sacrificed himself for their weal, in taking the fault solely upon himself: Lord! what would he not have done, in redressing all grievances, for their welfare, and his own to boot? Is it possible for any Grand or Close Committee of twenty five, or thirty, like that of Athens to have such bowels of compassion upon their fellow-subjects? And that they might know it was no fraudulent policy, and to secure them of all such fears and jealousies, he testifies his unfeigned piety in my text: When God sent him the choice of his three sharpest arrows, Famine, War, or Plague: Behold, like a Father pitying his children, as every good King doth, he declines the Famine, because that would have pintcht but the poorest sort, he had storehouses of provision for himself, he declines the War also, because then only the weakest should have gone to the wall; he had Garrisons and towers of strength for his own security, and makes choice of the Plague, which is Epidemical, and Impartial, Et aequo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas, Regumque turres, and knows no difference betwixt a poor man's Cottage, and a Prince's Palace: And yet it is the least of these Evils, because it is Impartial, as Famine is not, because it is not malicious as War is. And this brings me to my 2a. 1ae. 2a. 1ae. E malis minimum. or my first Resolve, which says, E malis minimum, of evils the least is to be chosen. But soft, at first sight here I meet with a double stop, and it seems that King David did not choose the least of evils: For says Saint Paul, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of God; Heb. 10.31. nor doth this seem to be the least of evils, Susan 1.23. for says Susanna, It is better for me to fall into your hands. Yet now I think upon it, These rubs are easily removed; For Saint Paul there speaks of contumacious sinners, and considers God as a severe Judge, punishing presently and eternally; King David here speaks of himself, a true Penitent, and considers God as a merciful Father, punishing here for a time, to prevent a punishment hereafter, and for ever: Fearful for them to fall into the hands of God, but for us, if we be like King David, Hopeful; so Estius, David considerate Deum ut Patrem, In locum. in hoc saeculo punientem; Apostolus ut Judicem, in hoc & futuro. Again, King David here compares one evil of punishment with another evil of punishment, and so better to fall into the hands of God, and to choose the least and easiest, that we may avoid a greater and heavier evil, Susanna there compares the evil of sin with the evil of punishment, and prefers Maximum paenae minimo c●lpae, the greatest evil of smart to the least evil of fault; and so better to fall into the hands of man and suffer evil, then into the hands of God, Rom. 3 8. and do evil; for we may not do evil though good may come of it, says the Apostle, much less may we do sin to avoude pain, In malis paenae datur, Juler. in malis culpae non datur electio; so Lyra, and Paeter Martyr. V G. A potent faction will bring down Lords as low as Commons, and the King as low as a Lord; to effect this, they do by a cunning head frame an oath without supreme authority to maintain an Army against that Army raised by supreme authority, or to introduce and preserve a strange Religion, not above 120. years old at most, thereby to extirpate a Church-government, which hath continued 1600. years without interruption, and founded by the Apostles, at least, so confessed by the very adversaries; to preserve the Privileges of Parliament, and liberty of the Subject without limitation, but the King's person and authority with limitations; all which is Treason by the Laws of this Kingdom, and sin by the Law of God: (for none hath power to impose an oath but he that hath power to draw the sword, and that power is only in the King:) And then do with a violent hand force their fellow-subjects to take this Oath, or rather force it upon them under the penalty of plundering, imprisonment, and penury. In such cases as this, we must be ready, with the Prince of Coandy, when Charles the ninth of France offered him his choice, either to come to Mass, or be perpetually exiled or imprisoned; to Mass, quoth he, I will not come, for that is sin; imprisonment, or banishment, inflict, Sir which you please, I am ready to suffer it. The noble Army of Martyrs speak this aloud in the silent rhetoric of their holy blood, That Maximum paenae malum potiùs eligendum, quàm minimum culpa; It is better going to Heaven in a fiery chariot, then to lie at ease in a sinful couch. And nature itself teaches us equally with the Scripture, in the Serpent's wisdom, to choose the least of evils; he will expose his whole body to save his head; and when we are condemned, and may as we please make choice of our punishment; the least of evils is to be preferred, if we believe the wisdom or piety of King David; so it stands uncontrolled. Let us now fall into the hands of God, and not into the hands of men; that was his supplication, and my first part; this is his deprecation, and my second part. Let us not fall into the hands of men, Pars 2. so true he is to his own principles; Deliver me from the cruel man, O God, deliver me from the wicked man, O God: i. e. from all men: for howsoever man was created Homo homini Deus, a God to preserve and help his neighbour; yet now he is degenerated in Homo homini lupus, and worse, into Homo homini Daemon, and worse yet, into Homo homini homo, because one man is worse to another, than either Wolf or Devil could or can be: It passed the Devil's artifice to contrive the Powder-plot; if the Jesuit had not put it in his finger, it had never have been dreempt of, and it passed both the Devils, and Jesuits cunning, when Juno raised a Typhon to rob Jupiter of his Nerves and Sinews; if the Puritan had not put in his head, it had never been voted, much less executed. And therefore I wonder not, that King David is so frequent in this kind of Deprecation, Erue animam meam de manu canis, Authol. Deliver me from the hand, i. e. from the power of the Dog; By this Dog, Cressolius tells us is meant the Devil, whom the Gentiles feigned to be Cerberum tricipitem, the three headed Porter of Holl: Certainly were they now amongst us, they would say in their babbling devotion, From factions Lords, and Rebellious Commons, and an Assembly of schismatical Divines, deliver us O Lord. I do not say, From the Parliament, No, God forbidden I should, it is the greatest and venerablest Court under heaven; and too blame they were whosoever they were, that called one Parliamentum indoctum, the unlearned Parliament, another Parliamentum insanum, or Phreneticum, the mad Parliament, and a third, Factiosum, or Phanaticum, The schismatical Parliament: For we do not always give denominations à majore, but sometimes also, à meliore; and the loyalty and wisdom of some Lords and Gentlemen, after they have suffered so much blood to be shed, Cub. may make this at last to be called, The good Parliament; God grant it the best that ever was since Henry the first founded that honourably Assembly; and if it were well remembered by them, that a King was the Founder of that great Court, certainly they would be very careful of giving a King occasion to be the Confounder of it. There were unlearned men in That, and Frenetic men in the other, and Fanatic men the third; and there are, God increase the number of them, learned and loyal, good and great men in this. And next to the hands of God, let me fall into the hands of a Parliament, so long as it remains entire, and each party preserve their own privileges, without entrenching one upon another, and not suffering a prevailing faction to encroach upon the Prerogatives of Royalty, upon the liberties of Loyalty, upon the essence of Episcopacy; for then the people must expect no Religion in the Church, but what the prevailing Lords and Commons shall prescribe them, no liberty in the State, no property in their Estates, but what the mercy of their Fellow-subjects will allow them. He is no true English man, that honours not, that fears not a true Parliament; for the happiness of peace is the perpetual fruit of it, but such a Parliament that crumbles itself into Conventicles, where a small Committee shall have power to make rich men Delinquents, and loyal men Malignants, and learned men both; for my part I neither fear nor honour, for the plague of perpetual War is commonly the reward of it; and my prayer is, A perpetuo bello, & perpetuo Parliamento libera regem Carolum, & subditos ejus Domine; Let us fall into the hands of God, and not into the hands of men, for E malis maximum, War is the greatest of evils. It is my 2a, 2ae, and my second Resolve, 2a. 2ae. E malis maximum. and thus I undertake it: Peace is the greatest of blessings, and therefore War is the greatest of evils, peace is the greatest of blessings positively, and comparatively. First, Positively it is the greatest of blessings; for it was the last legacy Christ bequeathed his Church, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, as Saint Basil calls it, his farewell gift, a gift including all he had given before, or promised after his departure; 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, a gift dropped from an higher world than this we breath in, Joh. 14.26 says Saint chrysostom. Peace I leave With you, my Peace I give unto you: Peace he gave, knowledge he promised his Church, Peace he gave before, knowledge he promised after his Ascension, The holy Ghost whom the father will send in my name, Joh. 14.27. he shall teach you all things. Our blessed Master therein telling us, peace must have the precedence and first place in our hearts: The best order certainly on earth, because the only order observed in Heaven: The first place there is given to the Angels of Peace, or Love; which are called Cherubin, the next to the Angels of Light or Knowledge, which are called Seraphim. But oh, the Enthusiasts of our age, as if they never meant to come thither, they do most confusedly invert the order, for they will first have light or knowledge, and that of Revelation; then Peace or love, and this to none but them of their faction neither: so cross are they to Christ, that though he do, yet they do not account peace the greatest blessing positively. Secondly, the greatest yet it is, and that secondly comparatively too; I will but run it over, my Wife is a blessing, but without peace in danger of a Rape; my Child is a blessing, but without peace in danger of a Pike; my Wealth is a blessing, but without peace in danger of a Plunder; my Liberty is a blessing, but without peace in danger of a Reformation; my King the best of blessings, without peace is in danger of a Rebellion, and to be mistaken for an evil Counsellor. That we may enjoy our Wives, our Children, our wealth, our Liberty, our Religion, our King; my prayer is, Give peace in our time O Lord, and let us fall into thy hands. And because peace is the greatest of blessings, therefore War is the greatest of evils; the greatest essentially, and the greatest effectually; the Devil is the Author of it, and destruction is the end of it: God feldome suffers it but for the greatest sins, Sacrilege and Rebellion: The Israelites never knew the misery of War, until they had provoked God by their inventions, Josh. 7.11, 12. 2 Sam. 15.21. and Achans Sacrilege, and Absalon's Rebellion were not the least of those Inventions, nor the lowest of those provocations, only Jeroboams altering Religion, 1 Reg. 12 31. and extirpating the high Priesthood (which was the Jews Episcopacy) and in their room instituting the basest and lowest of the people for a Presbytery, was higher. The best way therefore, as I conceive, for the Lords and Gentlemen of this Kingdom, to remove this War is to give God and Caesar their own, the Church her Patrimony, that is God's due; and execution of Justice upon the Rebels, that is the King's due. And as War is the greatest evil, in respect of the Author; so also in respect of the End, for it seldom ends but in ruin and desolation: The Philistims war put an end to saul's life and Kingdom; 1 Sam. 31.5. 2. Reg. 10.7. 2. Reg. 17.23. Jehues War swept away Achab and his posterity: The Syrians War set a period upon Samaria; The Romans War gave a date to Jerusalem: It was War that writ the sad character, Jam seges est ubi Troja fuit; and as he reckoned up all evil men in Ingratum, so it may truly be said of War, Si bellum dixeris & omnia dixeris, for it is attended by spoil and robbery, which never leaves pilfering until it hath squezed out that abundance, which the sponge of peace hath sucked up. Would yond see a short and small Map of War's misery; in a word take it thus, Imagine you see your Wives and Daughters ravished, your Infants tossed upon Pikes or dashed against the stones, your dead Parents dragged out of their quiet graves, your goodliest Cities on a flaming fire, your houses plundered, your bodies dismembered, your Laws subverted, your Religion profaned, your Churches defiled, and nothing to be heard or seen, but weeping and wailing with mournful lamentation, one crying out Nulla salus bello, another, Heu miseri qui bella gerunt; and tell me then, yea tell me now, if it be not high time to say and pray, Let us not fall into the hands of men, but let us fall into thy hands O God. The reason follows, Pars 3. which is my third part, For with the Lord is mercy; or The mercies of the Lord are great, read which you please, With the Lord is mercy: First, sometimes Promethean mercies, Jona 3.4. to prevent a threatened danger, so in the case of Niniveh; their danger was threatened, and themselves summoned to destruction within forty days: but who can tell whether God will have mercy, if we repent, and we perish not? They did repent, and God was merciful, and they did not perish: And here were Miserationes, bowels of mercy, yearning as a Father doth for his child's past miscarriages, and keeping him from misery. Secondly, sometimes Epimethean mercies, to deliver out of an eminent and present danger; so in the case of Jerusalem, 2. Reg. 19.35. the Assyrians besieged them, and intended to storm them the next morning; and behold, the same night the Besiegers themselves were all dead corpses, and the Besieged were delivered: And here were Misericordiae, hands of mercy, pitying as a Father doth his child's present miseries, and snatching him as a Brand out of the fire that he consumes not. But be they Miserationes, preventing mercies, or be they Misericordiae, subventing mercies; They are Magnae in both respects, and each way very great. Great certainly to David, when the men of Keilah intended to betray him into the hands of Saul, and he was miraculously preserved. 1. Sam. 23.10. Great certainly again to David, when Absalon by a great Conspiracy had surrounded him and his handful of men, and he was miraculously delivered, and the conspirators great Army as wonderfully destroyed, 2. Sam. 18.7. not fewer than 20000. Rebels fell in that day. So great are God's mercies to his Anointed one's, especially when they are men after his own heart, as King David was; He then either infatuates the Rebel's heads in discovering their plots, or else he intimidates their hearts in cowardising their executions, and catching them in the same net which they laid for others. And are not his mercies as great to all the loyal subjects of his Anointed ones? Abiathar, Zadoc, Ahimaaz, 1. Sam. 22.23. Ittai, 2. Sam. 15 16. and the rest were all safe in their constancy to King David; whereas Joab the Lord General himself, with all his followers were all destroyed when they revolted to Adonijah. 1. Reg 3.25.34. And may not we upon these promises make use of King david's Amabaeum, and also make it our Refugium? O praise the God of Heaven, for his mercy endureth for ever; which delivered King Charles from the madness of the people upon Jan. 10. 1641. for his mercy endureth for ever; which delivered King Charles and his loyal Gentry from the treason of _____ and the roaring of the Canon at Edgehill, October 23. 1642. for his mercy endureth for ever; which delivered Queen Mary from the waves of the Sea, and the thundering of the Ordnance at Burlington, February 13. 1642. for his mercy endureth for ever; which delivered King Charles from the King-catchers at Oxford, when they were so wrathfully displeased at him, and as they thought had surrounded the City so securely _____: for his mercy endureth for ever; which delivered King Charles from the assassination of Master Hugh Peter and his fellow-levellers at Hampton Court, November 11. 1647. for his mercy endureth for ever. And many more, for his mercies have been very great ever since, in maintaining us though our maintenance was taken from us, and had been greater from the beginning, and since, had not the Supinesse of some (the worst sort of loyal Subjects) and the compliance of others (the worst fort of Rebels) hindered. notwithstanding that, we may yet turn King David's benedicite, into confidite, and say, O trust in the God of Heaven, Jud. 13.23. for his mercies are great: For as Manoahs' wife said, If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have received a offering at our hands, neither would he have showed us all these things, nor would he at this time have told us such things as these. Nor is the remembrance unseasonable at this time, or from this Text; though the Text and time be both for Humiliation; for the end of humiliation is as well to fortify our Faith, as to mortify our flesh; and to the strengthening of our Faith be it spoken; had God an intent to deliver up the King and ourselves for a prey, he would not have given him and us so many deliverances, nor have made of our enemy's intentions so many discoveries. Certainly his past favours are but pledges of his future; ●. Sam. 17.36. so King David grounded an assured victory over Goliath the Philistim Giant, upon his former experience of overcoming the Lion and the Bear; and now at this time his hope breathes after a good success in the hands of God, because his mercies are great. And because in this choice, upon this ground, he had an equal respect to his subjects with himself; it therefore follows, As the King studies his subjects safety with the hazard of his health, so should subjects endeavour the King's safety with the hazard of their lives. Which brings me to my 2a. 3ae. or my third Resolve, which shows Relatorum proximum, 2a. 3ae. Relatorum proximum. and says, That of all Relations that betwixt the King and Subjects is the nearest, and thus I undertake it. God hath disposed several Relations amongst mankind, one betwixt the Husband and Wife, a second between the Father and the Son; a third between the Master and the Servant; and a fourth between the King and the Subject. But which of these relations is the nearest, is not universally, though it may very easily be determined: First, that betwixt Husband and Wife is sacramental; for it is per pactum & faedus, by vow and covenant: Secondly, that betwixt the Father and the Son is natural; for it is per semen & sanguinem, the Father's nature gives Being to the Son, and his veins are filled with his Father's blood: Thirdly, that betwixt the Master and the Servant is political; for it is per autoramentum, by Indenture, the Master's head directs the Servants hand, and the Servants hand feeds the Master's head. But this betwixt the King and Subject is all; Sacramental, Natural, and Political: First, Sacramental, for it is per dejurium, by the great Oath, we have sworn to be loyal to him, and he hath sworn to be loving to us (and who but a faithless Rebel will break such Oath?) Secondly, Natural, for it is per haereditatem, by succession; and he is, quâ King, Pater patriae, and we his Sons; The best blood we have, and the best life we lead, is, That we are subjects to so gracious a King; (and who but a graceless Rebel will violate such faith?) Thirdly, Political, for it is propter salutem, for preservation; Et quia servati per Regem, ergo servi Regis; and we are therefore the King's Servants because the King is our preserver, and next to God for our peace and plenty, thanks to the King: and at every Court-Leet, not an English man living but he enters into this service, and binds himself Apprentice, not for years, but for life: As the Comic hath it, Serua & serviam, so long as the King denies us not protection, we must yield him subjection: None but anunthankefull Rebel will dispute it, and therefore this betwixt the King and Subject, is the nearest and strongest of all Relations. Nor is it so only Formaliter, but also Firvaliter, and the nearest of all Relations it is, as well in the Effect, as the Efficient, God is the Author of it, and mutual weal or woe is the End of it: The Wife may offend, and the Husband incur no danger, the Son may transgress and the Father never smart; the Servant may be bad and the Master never the worse: but if the Subject's sin, the King perishes: 1 Sam. 12.25. If ye do wickedly, both ye and your King shall perish; there the King smarts for the subjects fault, and if the King sins the subjects shall not go scotfree; for here the King sins and the subjects die: King David numbers the people, and the people are diminished: the transgression his, the destruction theirs. Yet whether the cumbring of the people were merely King David's sin, or mixedly his and theirs, (for they might have entreated him to have forborn this muster) or if his sin only, yet whether it was not so his sin, as that it was also the subjects punishment for former sins, is a question amongst Expositors: and in my weak judgement, If the people had not a hand in this particular sin, yet their former sins were the cause why God permitted his Anointed to fall into this error. So the Chapter gins; 2 Sam. 24.1. And the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel; against Israel, not against David; and because it was kindled against Israel, therefore God moved David against them; or as the Margin expounds it, God permitted Satan; and so it is said in the Register, Satan stood up against Israel, 1 Cron. 21.7. and provoked David to number Israel. Be it which it will, his or theirs; Saint Gregory is in the right; Mor. ●. 25. cap. 20. and 23. secundum merita subditorum, disponuntur acta Regentium, the hearts of Sovereigns are disposed by God according to the merits of their subjects. And what was the merit, or rather demerit, of the subject at this time? Absalon's conspiracy it could not be; for there died 20000 in that and for that; nor could it be King David's adultery with Bathsheba: for that was private and unknown; it was then, certainly it was Shebas Rebellion, none suffered for that but Sheba himself; many more were in that combination; and fit they should smart for such a sin, for God seldom suffers Rebellion to be unpunished and go to the grave in peace. Yea, Master Calvin himself tells us, Si piè regnent, summa est Dei benedictio; si in Apostasiam aut Tyrannidem degenerent, flagella sunt Domini ad punienda populi delicta, good Kings are nursing Fathers and Gods blessings, bad Kings are Church-destroyers and Gods scourges. I add, good Kings may accidentally for a while seem to be the people's scourges, a good King may raise a tax of Ship-money; King Solomon did so, 1 Reg. 10.22. and seek to establish an uniformity of Religion in all his Dominions; King Jehosaphat did so; 2 Cron. 17.7. and neither of these are in themselves sins, not Shipmoney, else ask the learned Judges, and let them ask their honest Forefathers: not uniformity in Religion, for the Church was never so happy as when all the Churchmen were of one accord; Act 2.1. nor the State neither, as when all the Statesmen were like a City at unity in itself; Psa. 12 2. when the Pavement desired not to be the Roof, nor the Weathercock the Foundation, nor the lower Hall the upper Parlour; but every stone was content with his own condition, in that place, where the Master-mason had placed him. Yet even from hence may bad subjects take occasion to rebel; and so that which was no sin in the King is by wicked subjects made an occasion of the highest sin in them. And when people are come to the height of sin, Rebellion, which admits no supreme, Sacrilege excepted: yet if we believe Optatus, and weigh Gods punishments, by the weight of punishment judging the height of sin, we would not except that; for he tells us, Rebellion is summum malorum, the sin Paramount, Gen. 4.115. that hath no Peer: Cain for his Fratricide is but marked, and so dismissed Niniveh that Sacrilegious City in stead of ruin, Jona. 3.4. hath a warning; Numb. 16.32. but Corah and his complices for their Rebellion have a sudden and matchless destruction; the earth coffins and buries them alive: Saint Austen goes further, and charges the Donatists Faction (and Faction is evermore the usher to Rebellion) with the sin against the holy Ghost. No wonder then if the wrath of the Lord be kindled; and a wonder it is to me, if when God's wrath is kindled, and the King will hazard himself to preserve his subjects, the subjects be not again reciprocally bound to preserve the King with their own hazard. Sure I am, Nature resolves it so, Scripture resolves it so, and not a Casuist, not one, if my memory be right, is against it. 1. For Nature, look upon the Bees; they have a King if you believe Pliny; L●b. 11. c. 17. and a guard is ever about his person, to preserve him from a foreign Invader, and a Domestic Traitor; If the Hornet will make his way, yet he must dull his sting upon the subject, that he may not hurt the King: Capitis est habenda ratio; quodlibet enim membrum naturae impulsu pro Capite vult perlclitari, says Peter Martyr, 2 Sam 18.3. we must secure the King, as nature hath taught every member to endanger itself to preserve the head. 2. And that is one Scripture resolves this case, David the King having rebellious subjects risen up in arms against him, resolves to go in person against them: No Sir, it is not safe for you; for you nor for us neither, to go into the battle; for if we fly away, they will not regard us, neither will they pass for us, though half of us be slain; but now thou art better than ten thousand of us. Mark the Church-margent there (and it is the best Commentator upon the Text,) signifying hereby, that a good Governor ought to be so dear unto his people, that they will rather lose their lives then that aught should come unto him. And the most glorious Epitaph that ever Abishai had is That which the holy Ghost gives him, when he rescued King David from the hands of Ishi●benoh when he thought to have slain David; 2 Sam. 21.17. But Abishai the son of Zerviah succoured him and smote the Philistim, and killed him. Nor are his Courtiers without their monument of praise, for saying, Thou shalt not go out with us to battle, lest thou quench the light of Israel; (Their glory it was that they had such a revend esteem of the King, as to account him their light) For the glory and wealth of the country standeth in the preservation of the godly Magistrate, Lies our Margin there. Non quod libet, sed quod licet, laus est facere; so it ought to be, though there were no other reason, but this very piety of the King; that he supplicates the hands of God, as well for his subjects safety as his own, because the mercies of the Lord are great; and deprecates the hands of men, because their hands are cruel hands, because their hands are sacrilegious hands. It is my fourth part, the reason of this Deprecation; Pars 4. But I have very little reason to speak much of this; the very speech of it being little less than cruelty and sacrilege. First, a cruelty to your ears to hear, how Master Charles Nucomin, Parson of Trinity Church in Colchester, had his clothes torn off his back, and his Body beaten with Cudgels and Halberds. To tell you how Sir John Lucas (now Lord Lucas) was imprisoned, his doors and walls battered, his windows beaten down, his gardens defaced, his Cattles driven away, his Evidences torn; the very Vault, wherein his Ancestors were buried, broken up, and the Coffins of the dead transfixed with Pistols and Halberds. To tell you how Sir William Boteler of Kent was used and abused; his Steward's hands burnt, with Match and Candle, because he could not for his ignorance, or would not for his honesty, betray his Master's Treasure. To repeat these and many more, and many worse than these, is a cruelty to your ears: Nor can it do less than fetch tears from your eyes to remember how Master yeoman's and Master Bourchier of Bristol, Master Tompkins and Master chaloner of London, and that never to be forgotten William late Archbishop of Canterbury, were murdered for Traitors, but cannot otherwise be remembered then, the Most glorious Martyrs of this Inglorious Age: Qualia in tempora reservasti nos Domine? And having such speaking Precedents, both of Clergy and Laiety, neither is that Priest nor that People worthy to live, who are afraid to die in and for this cause: This cause, wherein God, the King, and the Church are equally involved. Howsoever let it not be told in after Ages, That ever the English hands were so cruel, as to outdo the outrages of the Wilde-Irish, and all the Barbarismes of the Goths and Vandals. I dare not commit further cruelty upon your cares. Secondly, Nor dare offer so much Sacrilege, upon your Devotion, as to tell you how Sacrilegious the hands of men have been upon holy Persons, Times and Places. 1. The holy places of Canterbury, Rochester, Chichester, Winchester, Westminster, and Exeter cathedrals; how have they turned those houses of God into Stables, for the Bodies of them, into Slaughter-houses for the chancels of them, into Butcher-rowes, for the Pulpits in them, into Chopping-boards for the Communion tables; and the very Vaults, where lay the bones and ashes of holy and royal men, into Draff-houses; Ah! If these things go on, where, where will God have a place of public worship in England? 2. For Holy Persons, If Episcopacy be extirpated, Root and Branch; what Priesthood, or Ministry, call it which you please, shall England have to justify herself against Rome, and that other Thief of Geneva? We have vindicated ourselves against Rome, and tell the world, yes, and will justify it, that imposition of Episcopal hands is essential to the Ordination of the Clergy, and where it is wilfully wanting, there is no Apostolical Church. 3. For holy Times, if Annunciation-day, if Christmasse-day, if Good Friday be forgotten, as they are already voted down; how will our poor Posterity ever mind the Incarnation, the Nativity, and Passion of our blessed Lord and Saviour? Or, 1 Tim. 1.15. that ever jesus Christ came into the World to save them? Add but to this, the voting down of our English Liturgy, & without that how shall our successors be ever catechised into the belief of a Trinity in Unity, and Unity in Trinity? Where, where is it to be plainly learned, but in the Collect for that day, and in the Creed of holy Athanasins? And without believing that, how shall our poor children be saved? Truly me thinks the Lords and Gentlemen should have some care of their salvation. I dare not commit further cruelty or sacrilege upon your ears or hearts: Only, if such men there be, whose hands have been so cruel and sacrilegious; you will, I am confident, you will give up the verdict of a Billa vera, upon my 2a. 4a, and my last resolve, which says, That such men are virorum pessimi, 2ae. 4ae. Virorum pessimi. the very worst sort of men; Quoderat demonstrandum; but need no other proof than your consent. So I pass from the explication to the Application of my Text: The first is inquisitive, and asketh, Appli. 1. ut in man's hominum incidimus; how and by what means we are fallen into such cruel hands, into such sacrilegious hands? Our sins you will not deny, are the provoking cause; yes, our sins are, and every one of us must say with that Prophet, Propter me hac tempestas, I am the cause of this storm; and I pray God give us all, and every one of us grace, every one of us Personally, and all of us Nationally to repent of our sins, that this sad sentence may be revoked: (If you expect the politic cause, I dare not be too inquisitive, lest myself be brought under an inquisition.) For all war is a plague; but Civil War is the greatest of all plagues; yet as great as it is, some ease it would be if we knew where to lay the blame of it; And it is my misery, that I dare not determine, whether York or London did be get it, whether the King or some body else must father it; no, I dare not; but you my brave Christian Lords, Gentlemen and others, who have not lost your Religion and reason, your courage and conscience, may: And I may without fear of an inquisition propose a Riddle, ask a question, answer it, and unriddle it who pleases. Where then was the first guard? Where the first Committees? Where the first Commissioners for raising men, Ammunition, and money? Where the first denial of a legal and just proceeding upon Delinquents? Upon real Delinquents, not imaginary; who the first intruder upon the others Rights by force and arms? Who the first Seazor upon the others strength by Sea and Land? Who first raised that Devil, the Militia, and would never lay him again? Who first raised an Army to fetch up evil Counsellors? Who first did, and still do avert all honourable motions of peace? He that can undo this knot, may easily say, who was the Father of this war: None else will so carefully nurse the child; and upon his, or their skoare must all the Rapines and robberies, all the murders and bloodshed of this present Civil War be laid, when God shall make inquisition for this blood; and there let it rest for me. Unless to these you will join those fearless sons of their Grandsire's imprecations; one whereof was this. Disspate thou, O God, the Counsels of such as deceitfully travel to stir the hearts of the Inhabitants of either Realm against the other; let their malicious practices be their own confusion. If this fright them not into Loyalty and obedience, let them not be offended, if I believe, they are therefore called Scoti, quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, because they sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: Non veniet anima mea in consilium corum, and my prayer is, and hope I you will join with me in it. Let us no longer fall into, nor under the hands of men, of such cruel men, of such sacrilegious men; but into thy hands O God, for his sake, whose hands were stretched upon the cross for us, Jesus Christ, Amen. Appli. 2 And ut incidamus in manus Domini, how we may fall into the hands of God, my next Application is to tell you, and to obtain this favour, to fall into God's hands, we must make use of our own hands. 1 Tim. 2.8. In the words of St. Paul, levantes puras manus, lifting up pure hands: And these in the exposition either of S●. Ambrose, who reads, sanctas manus, holy hands, and holy hands they be, quando cor mundum est, Esay. 1.15. when the heart is clean, & sanctas attollimus manus, Esay. 59.3. and holy hands we lift up, when they are clean from slaughter, blood, and cruelty; when they are free from Rapines, Robberies, and bribes, & in omnibus bonis exercitatas, ad Elcemosynas inprimis effusas, when they are exercised in all good works, especially in Alms. Or of Cornelius a Lapide, puras levantes manus tum corporaliter eas abluendo, ut Judaei, tum spiritualiter ab irâ, etc. Pure hands we lift up when we keep them clear from wrath and revenge, from Militia and Malitia, and all other filthiness; Ac per Elcemosynas servando plenas, and keeping them full of charity. Or of Jansenius, would you fall into God's hands, Eccles. 39 as David did? Why then you must be as David was; and what was David? Why David was validus manu, (the very signification of his name it is) strong of hand, & validus manu est, qui validè ad dandum extendit manum, he is strong of hand, who freely gives to the poor, and is full fraught with charity. And how many objects of charity there are, the poor Gentry, the poorer Clergy, and the poorest Sculdiery speak aloud; the poor Gentry and Clergy, that are ashamed to make their wants known, and dare not do worse; men that heretofore have been more blessed in giving (for they know it a more blessed thing to give) and would not now be altogether unblessed for want of receiving, Psal. 41.11. and the surest way for yourselves to be blest is, to consider the poor and needy, as the Psalmist speaks, and not put them to the impudence to beg; consider them therefore, and at once bless them, and be blest yourselves. The poor Soldiers, whose dismembered bodies, whose stormed backs, whose starved bellies are Rhetoric enough to persuade any Christians, who have philemon's bowels of compassion, to refresh such Saints. And when you have done this, Serm. 93. de Temp. hark what St. Austen sayeth; Adversarios si volumus vincere, manus nostra, i.e. actus nostri sint in Coelo, non in terris; would you overthrow your enemies? then let your hands, i.e. your conversation be in heaven, Math. 5.45. until you are like your heavenly Father; nor are you ever so like him, as when you are merciful, as when you are charitable: Be ye merciful as your Father which is in Heaven is merciful. Hark again what holy Ephraem sayeth, Expausione manus in oratio nostra quasi arcu armetur; let your prayer be armed with a Bow by the lifting up of your hands; but let the arrow of charity be shot out of that Bow, if you intent to hit your enemies. Or would you have peace with your enemies, and not victory over them? It is every good man's desire; why, charity I must tell you, is the best way for this too; nor will this time of humiliation ever be complete and perfected to an Accommodation, until your repentance, like a glorious Bride is led to Church by the hands of faith and charity to her Groom; in this dress, as Ester in her royal apparel found favour with Ahasnerus, shall your repentance find favour, and obtain help of God in time of need. Thus, thus shall the peace of God dwell in your hearts; and when the peace of God is within, you may be confident the other peace will not be long without. This, this is the best way that I know, how we may fall into God's hands; even by lifting up pure hands to God, and charitable hands to God's servants: So shall we have peace with, or victory over them that are risen up against us. And my prayer is, Almighty God, take us out of the hands of men, out of their cruel hands, out of their sacrilegious hands, and take us into thine own hands, into thine own merciful hands, and as a pledge thereof, give us what thou requirest of us, holy hands to appease thee, and charitable hands to appease the poor, that so we may have peace with, or victory over thine and our enemies, for his sake, who hath already given us victory over our spiritual enemies, and will hereafter over our eternal enemies, Jesus Christ our Lord: To whom with the Holy Ghost, three Persons, one immortal only wise God, be ascribed all Honour, Praise, and Power now, and for ever: Amen. FINIS.