A looking glasse for princes and people Delivered in a sermon of thankesgiving for the birth of the hopefull Prince Charles. And since augmented with allegations and historicall remarkes. Together with a vindication of princes from Popish tyranny. By M. William Struther preacher at Edinburgh.

The first part: K. DAVID a Suter.

LOOKE not (Beloued in the Lord) for a ful explication of euery part of this Text, with their doctrines and vses, as wee doe in Sermons, but onely for such points as this occasion craueth: In summe it con∣taineth a prayer of King Dauid for his Sonne Solomon, and offereth three things to our consideration. The Suter who prayeth is King Dauid: Next, for whom hee prayeth, it is for Solomon: And thirdlie the thinges that hee suteth, which are three: First, the Gift of King∣lie wisedome; verse 1. 2. The vse of that Gift in righteous Iudgement: verse 2. And thirdlie the fruite of that Gift so vsed, Peace and Tranquillitie: verse 3.

For the first, the Suter is King Dauid, a Father for his Childe, a King for his succeeding Sonne, and a Pro∣phet for one that GOD was to blesse. Nature might moue him as a Father to seeke the good of his Sonne; and Civilitie as a King, a greater Father of a Kingdome, to seeke the good of his Successour: But as a Prophet hee is moued diuinly to sute that which GOD had showne him hee was purposed to doe: In the first two respects, hee had an ordinary grace as a Father, and a King to seeke this Blessing. In the thrid: hee had an extraordinarie gift to augment the former two, beeing priuie to Gods mind in this particular. Therefore it is not onelie a Prayer, but a Blessing: The one suting a Gift, the other conferring the sought Gift, or rather declaring that it was to bee conferred on Solomon.

Parents haue a Fatherly authority ouer their Children to blesse them, and are obliged to seeke their good (be∣cause like Adam and Eue, they are first their murtherers ere they bee their Parents) And Kings as Fathers ouer their Subjects; but Prophets are aboue them both

in this point: what the former haue by nature, and Gods power committed to them, that and more had Dauid, a Prophet, as being priuie to Gods purpose. So that this Prayer is not so much a Prayer for obtaining, as a prophecie that hee shall obtaine. That extraordi∣nar Gift is now ceased in the Church, yet euery one should take heede how hee prayes: That as the matter hee seekes is good in it selfe, needfull for vs, and promi∣sed, so it be sought with confidence and liberty. If the Lord so open our hearts to seeke it, hee will also satisfie our hearts in granting. None knowes his minde, nor hath giuen him counsell, but when Prouidence is performing his promises, hee will giue some notice of his purpose to his owne in these particulars.

GOD had purposed this blessing to Solomon, and now hee moueth Dauid to pray for it as a meanes both to giue his purposed Gift to Solomon, and to oblige Dauid the more for obtaining of it by prayer: The Blessing hee hath ordained for vs, hee giues an heart to seeke it, and in the very time of so free and affectuous seeking, wor∣keth in vs an hope of receiuing: For wee know not what wee shall pray for as wee ought: But the Spirit it selfe maketh intercession for vs, with groanings which cannot bee vttered. And hee that searcheth the hearts, knowes what▪ is the minde of the Spirit, because hee maketh intercession for the Saintes according to the will of God. Gods Spirit will not assist vs with a spirituall libertie and confidence, in see∣king that, that God is not purposed to giue; for GOD is euer like Himselfe.

Prayer is on our part a Condition required, and a meane to obtaine; and on Gods part, a sort of beginning and obligeing to giue vs that blessing that he hath made vs to seeke. These are both temporary effects of Gods eternall purpose, and meanes to performe it: This is the couenant of grace, to turne the Condition in a promise,

and then to performe it in vs, that as GOD presenteth Saluation vnder condition of Faith and other workes of grace, so hee promiseth these conditions, and worketh them in vs. Hee promised that they should beleeue, who said, And they shall not teach euery man his neighbour, Know the Lord. Hee promised that they should bee pardoned, who said, I will bee mercifull to their iniquities. Hee promi∣sed that they should obey, who said, I will put a new heart in them. Hee promised that they should perseuere, who said, I will put my feare in their heart, so that they shall not depart from mee. So then, Grace purposeth, Grace promiseth, Grace maketh vs to pray; and Grace performeth the promise in answering our prayers, that it may bee seene Wee are saued by Grace. This wonderfull disposition of Gods Grace in prayer, is summed vp in one verse. Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble, thou wilt prepare their heart; Thou wilt cause thine Eare to heare: And Dauid on this same purpose: Thou hast said, That thou wilt builde mee an house: Therefore haue I found in mine heart to pray this Prayer to Thee.

Notes

• The summe and order of the words.
• King Dauid a Supplicant.
• Prius peremp∣tores quam parentes Bern. hom. 2 super missus est.
• Parentes sen∣simus peremp tores, &c. Cypr. de lapsis Sect. 7.
• Amos cap 3 5
• Cū ipse Pater qui largitur ista suggerat peti, &c. Cypr de as∣cens. cap. 4. Rom. 11. 34.
• Rom 8. 27
• Grace com∣pleats all the parts and de∣grees of our happinesse.
• Credituros promisit, qui dixit, & non docebit ••nus∣quisq, proxi∣mum suum. Reconcilian∣dos promisit qui dixit pro∣pitius ero in∣quit atibus eorum. &c. Prosper de Vocat. Gent. lib 1. cap. 9. Ephes. 2. Psal. 10. 17 2. Sam. 7. 27. 1 Chr. 17. 25.