Davids devotions upon his deliverances

A SERMON PREACHED At All-Saints in Derby, June 28. 1660.

WHen my thoughts were summoned to make provision for this day, 2 Sam. 19.14, 15. came to minde. And hee bowed the hearts of all the men of Judah as the heart of one man, so that they sent this word to the King, Return thou, and all thy servants: so he King returned and came to Jordan, and Judah came to Gilgal, to go to meet the King, to conduct the King over Jordan. But seeing since the happy arrival of our gracious sove∣raign, so many additaments to our praises have flow∣ed

in uppon us, I judged that text too straight, unless I should alogically ramble, and so displease my self and you. I then flitted in my fancy, to verses 41.42, 43. And behold all the men of Israel came to the King, and said to the King, Why have our brethren the men of Judah stolen thee away, and have brought the King and his houshold, and all Davids men with him over Jordan? and all the men of Judah answered the men of Israel; because the King is neer of kin to us, wherefore then bee yee angry for this matter, have wee eaten at all of the Kings cost? or hath hee given us any gift? and the men of Israel answered the men of Judah and said, Wee have also more right in David than you, why did you despise us, that our advice should not bee first had in bring∣ing back our King? and the words of the men of Judah were feircer than the words of the men of Israel.

This text after a short survey I passed by, lest any rancor might revive, old sores being too apt to bleed afresh, withall considering those two first jar∣ring interests, laid by their animosities to bring our King back, but above all our dread soveraign in his gracious declaration and proclamations, which breathe out nothing but sweetest cementings, have∣ing conjured all interests, to preserve peace and unity, and since those two sticks, like them Ezekiel 37.16. are become one, and own one King, vers. 24. I shall pray that Ephraim may not envy Judah, nor Judah vex Ephraim, and if old prophaneness and its abettors, like that beast, Reve. 13.3, 12. have not their dead∣ly wound healed, I hope wee shall not hear of war any more.

My thoughts now began to hover, disputing about

texts fit for the occasion, or whether I should, with the antient fathers, make the occasion my text, but se∣riously pondering his Majesties gracious expressions in the proclamation, That due thanks, and praise bee offered up to Almighty God, by us, and our people, with one heart, & that humble supplications be powred out before him for his continual assistance and improvement of this and all his mercies, I then had by the conduct of a Divine finger pointed out to mee, Psalme 34.3. O magnifie the Lord with mee, and let us exalt his name together.

1 The title tells you the author, and occasion of this Psalm; the author David, a King by unction, heir apparent to the Crown, though not by descent, yet by divine designation, and Sauls voluntary offer upon Goliahs fall.

Our dread Soveraign, a King by birth, and by confuting transcendently signal providences, was by the envious Sauls of those times, forced to secure himself in forraign parts, when hee was but heir apparent.

2. This psalmists occasion was his straights, fleeing to the Philistines, and his exile thence by Abemilech, a common name to all their Kings, its signification excellent, the King father, but in order to David an Antiphrasis, expelling him that fled for shelter.

Our dread Soveraign fleeing to a supposed fa∣ther, the French King, from the fury of a Jesuited faction, imbrewing cruel hands in his Fathers Royal blood, against all Oaths, Protestations, and Co∣venants, to the irreparable scandal of the real, not nominal Protestant religion, and many thousand

souls who had never any such destructive thoughts to his Majesties person, or posterity, I say our graci∣ous King flying into France, was upon the matter exiled thence; driven from one nation to another people, yet God suffered none to do him harm, preserving our David where ever hee went, and for such a time as this; Now blessed bee God who hath put such a thing as this into the heart of the King, to walk in Davids steps, who being delivered out of the hands of all his enemies, doth, not in person only, but by his proclamation also, injoyn all to bless God for Englands redemption. I hope no pious spirit will quarrel with my parallel or prolix Preface, since I have been all this while within the call of my text, and not dis-servised the duty of the day.

The two first verses speak Davids resolution, in his person to praise God at all times, and the sequel of his praises, the humble shall hear and be glad, up∣on which my text is attendant.

O magnifie the Lord with mee, and let us exalt his name together.

This psalm being one of those the first letter of every verse following the order in the hebrew Al∣phabet, imports the writer to bee in an extraordi∣nary rapture.

To baulk all curiosity, consider this, plain but proper doctrine.

Prince and people, being joynt sharers in mercy, should bee joynt magnifiers of God for a mercy.

The word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 rendred magnifie, and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ex∣alt, will best manifest what the magnifying of Gods name is.

The first signifieth to multiply, excelling, honour, and so to magnifie God, properly, is above crea∣tures reach; man declares what God is, which is his highest pitch attainable unto; for the phrase to magnifie and justifie, rather declare or manifest, than make, hence the word, Nehem. 8.4. is translated a Pulpit, shewing that after signal mercies, they should bee so imployed, shewing it forth that God is good.

The latter hebrew word rendred exalt, signifies vocal praise, when David resolves to bless God with the best member that hee hath, which hee calls his glory. The word further, as some Criticks say, sig∣nifies to separate from a prophane to a sacred use; Christians joyes must bee spiritual, not in May games, and Morris dances, the reviving of that obsolete Roman whore, Flora, her festivals, the promoters of which now speak out, that prophaneness and de∣bauchery they prefer before their King, and their Venerean, Bacchanalian joy, will so provoke an holy healing God, that if his mercy were not above all, our praises might bee impeaded or polluted; but I hope those Idolatrous, popish, prophane prac∣tises with their abettors and promoters will fall, as Satan did before the Apostles, like lightning; how∣ever, let no humble heart bee dumb in praises this day, since a returning sun gives at the first, life to weeds as well as to flowers: I doubt not but care will in due time bee taken to crop at least, if not pluck up these tares, I mean not their persons, but their impieties.

To prove my doctrine, consult Isaiah 12.4. And in that day shall yee say, Praise the Lord, call upon

his Name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted, Psalm 66.2. Sing forth the honour of his name, make his Praise glorious, Psalm 68.4. Sing unto God, sing praise to his name, extol him that rideth upon the heavens by his name Jah, and rejoyce before him.

Our David is precentor in this spiritual quire, and let none with Michal jeer, or with the victors after Absoloms rout slink away ashamed.

God is magnified

1 When wee utter the memory of his great good∣ness. Psalm 145.7. They shall abundantly utter the memory of thy Great goodness, and shall sing of thy righ∣teousness. Its a good day, as the four leapers said when the seige was raised from Samariah, and if wee hold our peace, evil will befall us.

2 God is exalted when his actings are set forth to the life. Psalme 66.2. Sing forth the honour of his Name, make his Praise glorious. The less shadowed the more magnificent. God is never more magnified than when his work is owned, as being only his: with his holy arm hee hath got himself the victory.

3 When wee are speedy in our praises, not defer∣ring them till a mercy grow stale, or suffer an eclipse, Moses and Miriam, Deborah and Barach, took no day, but sang sweet songs whilst the deliverance was fresh.

4 God is then magnified indeed when our praises are spiritual, singing with grace in our hearts to the Lord, Collos. 3.16. when wee constantly boast of God, as ver. 1. not like those Israelites that sang his praise, and soon forgat him, turning his glory into the similitude of a Calf, whence Chrysost. compares

them to grashoppers, Subito saltantes protinus in ter∣ram cadentes.

If you look for reasons to enforce this duty.

1 God is great, and so is his name, hence, Jerem. 10.6. forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord, thou art great, and thy name is great in might; Hee exhorts to magnifie.

2 Wee are wisdomes children, and its our duty to justifie our parent, Mat. 11.19. wisdome is justified of her children; wee may not then bee tongue-tided in such a day as this.

3 Kindnesses are conferred upon this account, Psal. 50.15. Call upon mee in the day of trouble, I will de∣liver thee, and thou shalt glorifie mee; were not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

4 God his goodness endures dayly in despite of all iniquity, Psalm. 54.6. I will freely sacrifize unto thee: I will Praise thy name, O Lord, for it is good. And shall not the redeemed of the Lord say so who were remembred by him in their low estate? O magnifie the Lord with mee, and let us exalt his name together.

Use.

I shall infer only an exhortation to give God the honour due to his name, for the return of so graci∣ous a King.

Motives.

1 Many of us have the return of our prayers, hum∣bly groaned forth, and not in rancor and malice bol∣ted out, though those like the fly on the wheel think they stir up all the dust.

2 God is now cleared to bee the wise, and only moderator, ruleing, yea over-ruleing all pretended

providences, success was their Diana, and must bee the decider of that great controversie, Whether regi∣cidium by subjects was lawful or no: but God almigh∣ty to the honour of his name hath confuted those blood-hounds which killed and took possession.

3 Wee have now judgment running down like wa∣ter, King Charles the second restored, and that without the loss of one drop of bloud; who more in∣jured than our gracious King? and now God hath in spite of furious heathenish people, set him up upon his Throne, so that his enemies bow themselves, hee treading upon the Asp and Adder.

4 Hypocritical tyranny is exiled, which Jezabel like, when proclaimed a fast, meant murther, devotions being the harbingers to too many innocents destructi∣ons, which made us in those times choose redarguing texts, though wee durst do no more, witness Luke the 12.1. In the mean time, when there were gathered to∣gether an innumerable multitude of people, in so much that they trod one upon another, hee began to say to his disciples first of all, Beware yee of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisie; upon December the 6.1655. but I scorn to crouch or flatter.

5 Heresie, and blasphemy, like Apolloes oracles at Christ his birth being silenced; oracula cessant, as Juvenal said, A canting Augustus, as Suidas hath it, enquiring about his successor, might, if hee could re∣turn, write haec est ara primogeniti dei; this is hee whose right it is from God; in a sound sence I may say, the son of God, the sonne of his care, and de∣light witness those wonderful providences in his preservation, and restauration.

6 Heedfully consider seven things in our gracious King.

1 Hee is no alien born, but a native, as Juda said of David neer a kin to us, the first King that drew his first breath in England since King Edward the sixth, hence that admired Sympathy and lenity towards his subjects hath much of its rise, Happy art thou O land whose Prince is impatient till thy wounds bee healed.

2 Ponder his prudence, evidenced in the choice of men, once jarring in their interests, to bee imploy∣ed in greatest trusts, by which hee prevents fears and jealousies, once Englands false fiers, so that wee may say as it was of David and Solomon, our Lord the King is as an Angel of God, to discern good and evil.

3 Hee is no childe, to bee carried to and fro by the breath of self-seeking Sycophants, but at that age the Lord Christ was, when hee undertook his spiritual Kingship, and David his temporal, thir∣ty years old; a childe is often a misery to a peo∣ple, which King Edward the sixt, and his sub∣jects, sadly felt from his courtiers factions, Eccles. 10.16. Wo to thee O land, when thy King is a childe, and thy Princes eat in the morning, And Isa. 3.4. And I will give children to bee their Princes, and babes shall rule over them.

4 His temperance is exemplary, so that debauched ones, like those loose youths in Job, fear, and fly, our great Charles being a second Charles the great, ci∣bi potus{que} parcissimus.

5 Hee is the Son of antient Kings, and our King by an indisputable descent, so that none can say as those

rebellious Israelites did in scorn, what is David or the Son of Jesse? our Chronicler Speede proving King James his title to this Crown was not from Hen∣ry the sevenths daughter only, but before the con∣quest. Now as Plato in his Alcibiades, consentaneum est meliores esse naturas in nobili genere, quam igno∣bili.

6 See how none could nestle, or bottome in peace, upon this throne, though by Sycophants fawned upon, and with large promises of support, addressed unto, God verifying that of Ezekiel 21.27. I will overturn, overturn, overturn it, untill hee come whose right it is; and I will give it him.

7 Hee is the desire of three kingdomes, being a divine and reasonable donation, invited home by com∣mon consent, and entertained with highest expressions of joy.

And now what remaines but that wee should walk worthy of such a Prince, lest God in anger deprive us of him? as 1 Sam. 12.25. But if yee shall still do wickedly, you shall bee consumed, both you and your King. And then wee may at our leasure with groans and sighs repeat Jeremiahs lamentations to the breaking of our hearts. Think not by surfeiting, and drunkenness, chambering and wantonness, pride and envying, to ce∣ment our breaches, and maintain his honour, Re∣hoboams roysters ruined him, the Persian Princes in∣joyned the Jews to pray for the Kings life, where drinking was without compulsion, healths were not heard off.

Damning and drinking provoked the Almighty, and is not God (being alwayes the same) as angry

with the same sin as hee was? nay, recoyls upon old sins will cause recalls of old Judgments; you con∣tradicting spirits who side with many, you hate out of an antipathy against holiness, know, that our gra∣cious King expects better things from you, in that pithy passage, That humble supplications bee powred out God for his continual assistance and improvement of this and all his mercies, to the honour of his great name, and safety, peace, and benefit, of our Kingdomes and domini∣ons. Is God honoured by reviving old revellings? and is safety secured by prophaneness spitefully com∣mitted? will you thus requite the Lord, yee foolish peo∣ple and unwise? but I direct my speech to those hum∣ble ones in the 2. verse, who will rejoyce, and with upright hearts pray, that the Throne of our King may bee greater than his progenitors, and that God would build him a sure house, so that wee may ne∣ver hear the sound of the trumpet, as alaruming to war, nor know the sad sequels of domestick broyls. And now to cloze up all, I say with Mephibosheth, 2 Sam. 19.30. Forasmuch as my Lord the King is come again in peace, unto his own house, let them enjoy re∣wards that seek them, all I desire, is liberty to preach Christ Jesus the Lord.

FINIS.