A companion to the altar, or, An help to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper by discourses and meditations upon the whole communion office to which is added an essay upon the offices of baptism and confirmation / by Tho. Comber ...

A Practical Discourse on this Collect.

§. 3. Almighty God whose Kingdom is Everlasting, and Power infinite, have mercy upon the whole Church. The entrance into this Prayer is a Confession of Gods Eternal Supremacy, and Omnipotence, in the very words of Scripture, Psal. 145.13. Dan. 4.34. Psal. 147.5. thereby to lift up our hearts above the mutable glory, and limited power of all Earthly Kingdoms, to him that reigneth for ever, and doth whatsoever he pleaseth. Our Princes are many and not suffered to con∣tinue by reason of death, Heb. 7.23. Be they never so great, or so good, so dear or so useful, they must be taken from us. But our Supream King is always one, and Reigns throughout all Ages; So that Gods Church can never want a Patron, to secure it in all the changes of this World; especially since his power is as infinite, as his Dominion is endless, and his might hath no li∣mits but his wille. Upon the se∣rious meditation whereof, we may with hope, and chearful expectati∣ons, ask for the Kings Majesty, who is the Head of this Church, and for all the Members of the same, For this Everlast∣ing and Almighty King is able to furnish them all.

§. 4. And so rule the Heart of thy chosen Servant CHARLES our King and Governour, that he (knowing whose Minister he is) may above all things seek thy honour and glory.] The blessings which are bestowed on the single members of a Church, are the comfort and advantage only of a few; but if it may please God to direct the King always to seek his glory, herein he shews mercy to the whole Church, and bless∣eth all the Nation at once. For the Princes Piety doth

put such discouragement upon Vice, and cast so great a reputation and lustre upon Religion, that good men out of love will follow, and evil men for fear will pre∣tend to comply with, so excellent an example. And thus vertue becomes publick, encouraged and prevail∣ing, but wickedness infamous and obscure, and loseth many of its followers; which is curiously expressed in the 72. Psalm. Nor is there any one Earthly thing that the truly pious Christian doth more heartily desire. We beg with daily Supplications (saith Lanctantius con∣cerning the most Excellent Emperour Constantine) that the Divine Majesty will always preserve you, whom he hath chosen to preserve us all, and that he will inspire you with a heart always to persevere in the love of God, which will be advantageous, and salutary to all, and will procure your endless happiness, and the peace of all your Subjects. Lact. instit. in fine. Kings are the choi∣cest of Gods Servants, and in Scripture peculiarly stiled his chosen, Psal. 89.3.19. So that we may presume to beseech him, to bestow more than ordinary Grace, upon our dear Soveraign; whom God hath so wonderfully restored to us, and so mercifully preserved over us, that no Prince in the World hath had such signal testimonies of the favours of Heaven to him. We may pray there∣fore with much hope, and we ought to beg with great Devotion, that God would rule over him, who governs us; and guide him, by whose Counsels we are ordered, in such wise, that he may ever have in his Eye the Power and Goodness of his great Master, and always (know, that is,) considerf by whom he is deputed, and bear himself continually as the Vicegerent of God, by whom all Kings Reign: and in all his actings and Consultations that he may aim at nothing so much, as the advancing of the Di∣vine

Glory, from whence all his honour is derived. And surely herein our gracious King will firmly establish his own Throne, and make all his Subjects happy. For that Wisdom and Piety, Justice and Equity, which doth set for Gods glory, and make so many join in magnify∣ing him, that hath set so excellent a Prince over us, will be both his and our extraordinary benefit. We will therefore ever Pray that our Soveraign Liege may be above all concern'd to continue his care, to defend the Church, and execute Justice, that we may be happy un∣der his shadow, and after-Generations may call him blessed; to which every loyal heart and pious Soul will most affectionately say, Amen.

§. 5. And that we and all his Subjects (duly con∣sidering whose Authority he hath) may faithfully serve, honour and humbly obey him, in thee, and for thee, ac∣cording to thy blessed word and Ordinance.] We must not only look at the Kings duty, but also be mindful of our own: For the happiness of a Nation consisteth, not only in a Religious Prince, but also in Obedient peo∣ple; And therefore we are taught in the next place, to pray that not only we but all that are under his Maje∣sties Dominion, may be loyal and faithful, humble and obedient, revering his Authority, observing his Laws, and opposing all his and our Enemies; That we may serve him with our Estates and Persons (if need be) and never desert his interest, either for cost or peril: which Prayer we must not only make, with respect to our tem∣poral felicity; but as duly considering that the Almighty and invisible Governour of the World, doth not Rule us immediately by himself, but by Kings to whom he hath delegated his Autho∣rity; So that they bear his Name, and act by his Pow∣er;g And such as Rebell

h do fight against God, Act. 5.39. oppose his word, and resist his Ordinance, Rom. 13.2. Where∣fore we desire grace to obey, not only for fear of wrath, but for the Lords sake, 1 Pet. 11.13. that is, for Conscience sake, Rom. 13.5. And this will produce the firmest and readiest obedience to all the Commands of our Governours; when we observe them as subordinate to the Laws of God, Eph. 6.1. [in the Lordi] as far as they do not contradict the plain will of the Almighty, and [for the Lord] Rom. 13.1. that is because of his Authority vested in them. And thus the best Christian will be the best Subject. Let us therefore most fervently beg that we may all be conscientiously obedient; and if we desire that heartily, we shall not only obtain grace from God to be so, but this Petition is an evidence we are already loy∣al. And were it sincerely put up by all, there could be no Treason nor Rebellion harboured in our Breasts: but we should live in peace, and please God, adorn the Gospel, Tit. 11.10. oblige the King, and declare to all the World, that it is not only the Duty, but the Interest of Princes, to defend the Religion of this Church, which makes the best men, and loyallest Subjects in the World.

§. 6. Through Iesus Christ our Lord, who with thee, and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth ever one God, World without end, Amen.] It was a false and malicious calumny of the Jews, that the Kingdom

of Iesus was inconsistent with the Empire of Caesar; for Obedience to Kings was never so enjoined and assert∣ed before, as it was by Christ and his Apostles. And he himself hath told us that he is a King, but no Rival to the Monarchs of this Earth; For his Throne is in Heaven, And his proper Subjects, Saints and Angels;k He reigns, but it is with the Fa∣ther and the Holy Ghost for ever. For his sake therefore we may pray for the welfare of Temporal King∣doms, who hath power both to dispense them on Earth, Math. 28.18. and to command blessings from Heaven on them; especially on such Princes who are the Guardians of his beloved Church, who own his Supremacy, and daily confess and praise Him, that liveth and Reigneth for ever.

Notes

• e

  Deo non posse nolle est, & posse velle. Tertul. in Prax.
• f

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Rom. 13.4. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 v. 6.
• g

  Exod. 22.28. Psal. 82.1.6. Dii i. e. Judices qui potestatem Dei exercent. Ab. Ez.
• h

  Quicun{que} obfirmat faciem suaem contra Re∣gem, perinde est ac si ob∣firmaret faciem contra Divinam Majestatem. Midr. Cohel.

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Clem. Const.
• i

  —Sed intra limites Disciplinae. Tertul.

  Quia — poterant ali∣quid imperare perver∣sum, ideo adjunxit in Do∣mino. Hieron. in Eph. 6.

  Superiorum imperia Dura Declinanda sen∣sim, & relinquenda ma∣gis sunt quam Respu∣enda. Aul. Gell. Noct. At. l. 2. c. 7.
• k

  John 18.36. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Euseb.