A thanksgiving sermon. For the blessed restauration of his sacred Majesty Charles the II. Preach'd at Upton before Sir Richard Samwel, knight, May 29. 1660. By William Towers Batchelor in Divinity; eighteen years titular prebendary of Peterburgh; sixteen, titular parson of Barnake. Now (by the friendly favor of Mr. Reynolds) continued curate at Upton in the diocess of Peterburgh. With a short apostrophe to the King.

Pſalm the XXI.

The Title of the Pſalm, The Text. and the former part of the firſt verſe.

To the Chief Muſitian. A Pſalm of David. The Title.

The King ſhall joy in thy ſtrength, O Lord. The Verſe.

IT is a Thankſ-giving day, and a rejoycing Text; what the Title does covertly, (whoſe cover we ſhall pull off anon) the Text does, in open vew, Rejoice.

'Tis a Thankſ-giving for the integrity, and Succeſſe of the General, in preparing the way before the face of the Lord our King, to bring him in; to make the King happy in a loyal and obedient people; to render the people bleſſed, in a lawful and Religious King; A Lawful one theſe three waies: 1. By the law of Nature; The Kingdome is his, and the King is our birth-right; beſides, that he is our Legal King, by the moſt fundamental Law; he is our Natural King too, by the loins out of which he came. 2. By the law of the Land; that declares him our Sovereigne, and us his Subjects as our ſupreme; Not at all ſubjects to our fellow ſubjects, unleſſe under him, not, by the uſurpation of one, a wrong OR. or more of them, a wrong and miſ-named Parliament (a Juncto rather) but, to thoſe ſet over us by his authority; by him, and for him; For him, not, in a pretence, but really. 3. By the Law of God; 'tis by him Kings Reign; Prov. 8.1 • . and for him (not only for wrath but for conſcience, Rom. 13.5. for conſcience to him) that we obey.

We are to bleſſe God for the General; The General meanes the King; and the King meanes God.

The Text. (in the latter part of it) meets with all three, Strength with the General; the King with the King; and, Thy ſtrength, and, O Lord, with God.

Give we honor to whom honour is due; Rom. 13.7. to each, theirs; & in their right ſubordination; to the General, for the good of the King; to the King, for the benefit of three Kingdomes; to the Tri-Une God, for his bleſſing upon all: to the General, & to the King, as inſtruments; (to the General as a leſſe principal inſtrument than the King; and yet as a more prinipal inſtrument than all the world beſides; & yet, as the moſt principal inſtrument, to help us to that Muſical word, the King, which makes our very eyes to dance, and our very hearts to leap) to the King, as the moſt principal inſtrument of all, more immediately deriving bleſſings upon all; to God as the Author, the Guider, the Finiſher, the All in All.

In the General, have we due eſteems of, and bear we deſerved reſpects to the inferior inſtruments under him, his Officers, and Soldiers: All the ſtars are fine ſhining things, and ſhed good influences every one of them; If there chance to be a few Mutineering ſtars in the Firmament, whoſe malignancy threatens danger, yet their diſcord will be compoſed, and their very Ominouſneſſe become fortunate, by a conjunction with ſtars of a kinder temper; elſe, there is, yet, one remedy left; they muſt be disdanded, fallen ſtars; every Officer and Soldier muſt have his ſhare of praiſe, as well as of pay; but the Morning ſtar, Mart. (of whom we beſpeak the day, Phoſphore, redde diem) is the gayeſt, the luckyeſt, and lovelyeſt of them all; The General, who brings in the King, is that Star; The King is that Day; the light and chearfulneſſe of our faces, Lament. 4.20. as well as the breath and life of our Noſtrils, of our Souls; That Morning-ſtar muſt not be courted beyond the Sun; the Sun ſhines brighter far than he; the Sun, we ſee, ſhines upon him; and the Sun, we fore-ſee, (as glorious as his rayes already are) will make him ſhine brighter yet: Gen. 1.16. Tis that Sun, which muſt rule the day, which that ſtar uſhers in; the King muſt be known to out-ſhine the General; and the Generals Luſtre muſt be acknowledged the Greater, for ſtooping down to his: And laſtly, Jam. 1.17. The Father of lights muſt be infinitely honoured above the Sun; God above the King.

I can look upon my County as an Epitome of the Kingdome (ſeated in the midſt, and heart of it.) I can honour the King in every Petty-Conſtable, one in a Pariſh; (be the common Soldier he) in every High-Conſtable one in a Hundred; (be the Captain over fifties, and over hundreds he) in a Sheriff one in ſhire; (be the Lord General he) in a reſembled Parliament too, a faint image of both Houſes of them, Peers, Knights, and Burgeſſes; (be the Lords, Knights, and Gentry, Commiſſioners for the whole Shire they) I can honour all theſe, becauſe of the King for whom they ſerve; I can honour the King above all theſe, ſomwhat of whoſe face I can ſee, (when he pleaſeth to ſtamp his likeneſſe upon them) in every of theſe; and (that I may honour the King faithfully, and unprejudicially, to the King himſelf) I can honour God above the King; That God whoſe image of power, whoſe inſcription of Sovereignty, the King bears above all; and can ſay, (referring all theſe ſtrenghs, and preparations of ſtrength and all the advantage hop't for by them, to the gift of God) as one King hath ſaid in Scripture, and another King in his heart, before me, the King (and the kingdome too) ſhall joy in thy ſtrength, O Lord.

See we if we can diſcover all, or moſt of theſe and ſome particulars depending upon theſe, out of the firſt part of the Text, the title of the Pſalme, which is equally the word of God, as the Pſalm after it.

A Pſalm (look we upon the title of it, and the ſeveral interpretations of that Title; upon the contents of it; or upon the former part of the firſt verſe; for our Text reacheth no further) every way appoſite both to the occaſion, and to our hopes.

Method I muſt be forc'd to tranſgreſſe, either in order to the bleſſings received, or in order to the Text; in an orderly enumeration of bleſſings, we ought to begin with Actual, rather then with hop't for bleſſings; and amongſt the actual, with the firſt which we receive; but my Text prompts me to another courſe, to begin with the Church, and with bleſſings hop't for to that; that, which is firſt in Nature conſiderable in the Text, is, that the Pſalm hath a Title; and in that firſt conſiderable (as alſo, in the whole Title,) I ſhall find occaſion to eſpy out a Church, and may hope to be excuſeable, not only as I am a Church-man, but as I am a Chriſtian, to begin with that: Have a little patience with me, and anon I ſhall pay you all, in ſetting thoſe bleſſings before you, which concerne your civil capacity, as you are men and ſubjects, as well as thoſe which relate to your Religious condition, as you are Chriſtians, and Diſciples; the meaneſt of your ſelves have skill enough to love gold better thau ſilver; give me leave to have as much judgement, in preferring the Soul of man above his body, and to begin with the more than golden bleſſings of that.

Firſt the Pſalm hath a Title; and that Title is the word of God; as ſure as the Pſalm after it, or any part of the Bible, before it, and behind it: If ſo, the cloſe after the Epiſtles, as well as the entrance upon the Pſalms, is the word of God too: If ſo, Timothy was the firſt Biſhop (not of one pariſh amongſt them, but) of the whole Church of the Epheſians; and Titus was ordained the firſt Biſhop of the Church of the Cretians; Firſt, each of them, in regard to ſeconds and thirds, &c. which were to ſucceed them, to follow after them: and, if ſo, the Church of England ought ſtill to have (as ſhe alwaies hath had ever ſince ſhe was a Church) Biſhops preſiding in it, in conformity to the word of God; ought to have them in the Church, even for the good of the ſtate alſo; for, I fear I may ſay it, he is no diſcerning Chriſtian States-man who does not fore-ſee, that if the Church, with the State be not delivered out of confuſion (if God, and the King be not both provided for) the State will, by the diſpleaſure and wrath of God, relaps into it; be it the care of every of us, in our places and callings, to reconcile God to us all; tha'ts the ſureſt way of perpetuating the reconſiliation, of quenching the heart-burnings amongſt our ſelves.

But this, though it be a truth conſequential out of the Text, is not ſo viſibly, and immediately the truth of the Prophet David, as of the Apoſtle Paul.

What ſaies David himſelfe, when he prophecies of the Chriſtian Church? Inſtead of thy Fathers, Pſa. 45.16. ſhall be thy children, whom thou maiſt make Princes in all the Earth; in all of it; Geneva's ſelfe not excepted, but by it ſelf; (England as little as any part of the world, if we look upon the intire, full, untumultuary conſent, both of Church and of State too) S. Hierom's note upon it is the more conſiderable, becauſe he is a miſtakenly pretended father againſt Epiſcopacy; Theſe Fathers, ſaith he, were the Prophets, theſe Children the Apoſtles: Nunc, quia Apoſtoli a munde receſſerunt, habes, pro his, Epiſcopos Filios; ſunt & hi Patris tui, quia ab ipſis Regeris; He tells, and he comforts the Church, (I would none in a contrary Anti-Eccleſiaſtical, as well as Anti-Epiſcoparian way, would more diſconſolate her, then St. Hierome did!) that now ſince the Apoſtles are gone to heaven, She hath their Sons, the Biſhops in the midſt of her; Theſe, ſaith he, are to her in ſtead of Fathers, becauſe by theſe ſhe is, and ought to be governed.

But this, though it be David's, is not David's in our Text, either in Title orin verſe, 'Tis David's in effect there too; in both of them.

The Greek Title is, A Pſalm of David: David was the King: He is expreſly ſo called in the verſe: Kings ſhall be thy nurſing Fathers, Iſa. 49.23. 'Tis a prophecy of the Government of the Chriſtian Church by Kings; not only legal Kings are, but Evangelical Kings ſhall be thy nurſing Fathers; The King hath two Sons, Church and State, The Church is his firſt-born: as 'tis the priviledg of Fathers to convey down Titles to their Heirs. ſo, 'tis their indulgence, to take care how to preſerve thoſe Titles.

Though we have not the Church, directly in the Greek Title of the Pſalme, yet we have the Kings perſon there, David. Such a King, a Charles, we have heard of, and wept for, a long time; a King in Title at leaſt: He, who was, before but a King of hearts, is now owned a King of England, a real King; the Pulpits ring of him, as well as the bells ring for him; and we dare now profeſſe our ſelves, what the moſt of us have alwaies been, his loyal Subjects.

This ſuits with the day, the day is ſet apart for the King if not alſo by the King; and we will no more ſcruple (as formerly we have done) to obſerve a day, ſince it is for the honour of the King, out of a fear, leaſt we keep the day without the Kings conſent, ſince we are ſure we have his conſent, (and more than that God's too, and more then that, God's command) that we honour the King, as we fear God, 1 Pet. 2.17.

See we Doway's Title next, and the interpretation of that Title! if theſe will help us forward! The Title, a A Pſalm of David. Unto the end; The interpretation, it pertains principally to Chriſt; partly to godly and victorious Kings. Deo principatum; the King, & that Church, which he owns and defends, not unto themſelves, but to his Name give all the honour; Him, in the collect for defence againſt enemies, they acknowledge the only giver of all victory; him they worſhip more than ſucceſs; & more, becauſe of ſucceſſe; and not the leſſe without ſucceſſe:

And for that godly Epithet, all his loyal ſubjects (who dare inquire after, believe, and utter truth) may in his name (ſince his own humility will not do it) Challenge the Chriſtian world to match him, if they can, with another Prince ſo knowingly, and devoutly holy as he: I ſhould be glad to ſee ſuch a ſecond Phenix! but I deſpair.

Will Doway's contents advance us one ſtep more? they are praiſe to God, for Chriſts exaltation after his paſſion. Chriſt ſignifies, King; The King hath had his paſſion, in being twelve years a forceably, not owned King, and halfe twelve more, a ſuffering Prince; A deliverance out of all theſe, is, If any thing, an exaltation; for which this is the day of Praiſe and Thankſ-giving unto God.

There is more yet in this day than ſo; Carthuſienſis will Ludolfus's contents help us to find it out? A Pſalm; of the glory of Chriſt, in the overthrow of his enemies. Chriſt, I told you, is King; the King is Chriſt's Vicegerent; His (the Kings) glory is great in thy (in Chriſt's) ſalvation, Honour and Majeſty haſt thou laid upon him, (the King) in 5. v. of this Pſalm; The honour of the moſt glorious victory, His enemies being not twice ſlain, not dead in their ſins; not once ſlain, not dead at all, but ſo mercifully overcome, that they may have leiſure and Grace to repent of their multiforme and broody ſin, their rebellion againſt God and the King, and be reconciled to the ſervice and favour of both; No conqueſt like that, which, inſtead of killing an enemy, makes him a friend.

Nor yet is this all neither, Ludolfus's title is the ſame with Doway's, but his interpretation comes, (as I hope, the King does) more home to us. A Pſalm of David, Unto the end. That is, ſaith he to Chriſt, who is the end of the Law, of that Law, under which whoever were, were alſo under bondage. He goes on, It hath regard too unto the latter end, to the laſt time, in which theſe foretellings were to come to paſſe: The Pſalm, ſaies he, declares what good the Father will do to the King, the Son of the King, to Chriſt the Son of God, Propter contantiam. This is that conſtant King, whom no wants of his own, no temptations from abroad, no unkindneſſe from ſubjects, no allurements from forreigners, no offers of men, monyes, Kingdoms to boot, could either hire, or provoke out of his ſtedfaſt ſetledneſſe in religion: None, that are ſo true to the Church of England as he is, will dare ſuſpect him; for the reſt, if they do cavil for fear the fixt King ſhould change his Religion (and O! may they never cavil at him, even for this reaſon alſo, becauſe he will not change his Religion! Alas! What amends will they ever make to the King and Church, for having really changed their own! None, but this, to return to that Religion, at which the King ſtaies; Theſe are thoſe times in which is fulfilled the deliverance of King and people, Church and State, from the thraldome of that one Law of Arbitrarineſſe, from the ſlavery of that other ſword-Law; which I wonder, Thoſe who have practiſed it againſt the King and his leige people, have not abhorrd it for being cald by that Heatheniſh Idol-Name of Law Martial.

Theſe are the general and publike bleſſings, which this day minds us of; But, may we not be induced to hope for ſome peculiar bleſſings, ariſing out of theſe, and will not the extent of the title bear us out?

Junius, and Tremelius's Title is the ſame with ours; ours is the very Engliſh of theirs; To the Chief Muſitian. A Pſalm of David. Will not this deliverance, which brings Melody to our hearts, reſtore Muſick to our Churches too? No danger, (would men but rightly apprehend it) of too much coſt in the houſe, and decency in the worſhip of God; No poſture too humble in our penitentials; No Muſick too lofty in our gratulations and Praiſes: Talk men what they will of the ſpirit, of an humble and grateful heart, yet I wiſh they could tell me, by what ſurer token to judge of a proud heart, than by a covered head, and unbended knee: of a thankleſſe heart then by a tongue, which ſaies that heart loaths Church Muſick; I therefore wiſh it, becauſe my ſelfe loathes to Judge ſo hardly of the diſſenters, whoſe lowly reverence to God and ſober conformity to the Church they live in, I ſo earneſtly covet to witneſſe and to extol; This Muſick, of all the liberal Arts (ſaies B • etius, and Ʋenerable Bede) is the principal, becauſe this alone hath the honour to enter into the Church of God; and very fit it is, at this time to be reduc't, on this day to be uſed too in the Churches, if we will harken to the judgement of the wiſeſt Heathen, or ſee by the beſt light of Nature; The firſt, and lovelieſt office of Muſick (tis Plutarch's in his book upon it) is, to imploy it in a tune-full acknowledgement of the bleſſings of God which bleſſings we, this day, celebrate; which thankfulneſſe we, this day, pay; and I could heartily wiſh, we paid it, with ſome other Organs then thoſe living ones of our body (even with liveleſſe, though not with breathleſſe Organs) which body of ours is but a kind of inſtrument, a Corpus Organicum, and the Soul the Muſitian that tunes it; Moſt certainly, Grace will not deprive God of any thoſe honours which nature it ſelfe affords him, but much rather explain, and exalt, and adde unto them; If therefore we be not beaſtially in love with ſlovenlyneſſe and profanation; If we will not ſtill ſeem to worſhip God in a more proud and ſawcy manner then we dare to ſhew our reſpects to man (for, thus only to ſhew them, is to conceal them the more; and there is a kind of Harmony in a ſubmiſſe behaviour, a kind of Ayres in a reſpectful deportment) ſo to worſhip God, as if ſome Heathen, ſhould chance to come in amongſt us, he would rather think we were abaſing of God, we ſhall, then, all of us, with hands up to Haeven, and knees down to the ground, chearfully admit a chief Muſitian, a Chanter, (as chearfully as him ſelfe ſings) at leaſt in the Chapple-Royal, and in every Cathederal; In ſome I hear, theſe glories are already reſtor'd to our now-Iſrael, which ſo long hath been an Egypt; could I ſee them too, and hear them themſelves, as well as hear of them, Sylv. 4. I would exultingly ask that queſtion of Statius, Aſpicis, ut Templis alius Nitor?

Conclude we upon the Title, with the note of that eminent 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , That great King-lover, and (in the Kings abſence) that ſtout Church-defender, the Loyal and learned, the Holy and Judicious Dr. Hammond. This 21. Pſalm was committed by David to the prefect of his Muſick, to be ſung by the Quire, in the aſſembly of the people, as a form of thankſ-giving to God (a very ſet form) upon occaſion of any victory, even an unbloody one. Upon the Kings recovery of his Rights and Prerogatives, to Rule the people, and ours of our Rights and Priviledges, not only really, but, a vouchedly, unmoleſtedly to obey the King ( 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 . as S. Baſil in another caſe, It may be our pitch of honour to be ſtiled the ſervants of ſo worthy a Maſter) upon theſe, do we right to God and his Church too; ſerve we him as ſhe hath appointed; and be this it ſelfe no ſmall part of our joy and thankſ-giving, that we may, all of us, praiſe thee again O God, we may acknowledge thee to be the Lord, we may praiſe and acknowledg even as heretofore: Were there nothing elſe ſaid in the defence of ſet formes, of Common Prayers, then what that late Martyr of Chriſt, and for his loyal people) the now-King's Royal Father, of dear and bleſſed memory, hath wrote, that alone, were enough to prevail with any, in whom there is the leaſt ſpark either of devotion, or unpaſſionate reaſon to return (upon the call, of the Church of England, and the counſel of the late nurſing Father of it, who would nurſe and feed it with his own blood, rather than forſake it) to their Almighty and moſt merciful Father, & to confeſs how much they have erred and ſtrayed from his waies, by their diſacquaintance with ſuch wholſome and intelligible prayers.

Review we what we have gained out of the Title; hopes of the eſtabliſhment of Biſhops, in that there is a Title; a King, to be ſure, out of the Greek Title; A Holy King in his ſufferings; and a victorious, after them, out of Doway: A King conſtant to his Religion, by whom, and by which, his people are delivered out of bondage, in the Carthuſian; A King under whom we do already injoy the true worſhip of God by ſet formes, in St. Hammond, and hope to injoy the Ornamental and decent worſhip too, with Muſick and veſtments, in the Church-Bible, and in that of Junius and Tremelius; A King, for whoſe reſtauration (and in him, for our own) we owe to the King of Kings, to the great God, in Doway. If ſuch an obſcure title will afford us ſo much of Appoſiteneſſe, ſuch a clear Text as this, the King ſhall joy in thy ſtrength O Lord, will do it much more.

The King; we have him in the Text, &, we hope, in the Land too (patiently bleſſing God, that, what was but Hope in the Pulpit, is Fruition at the Preſſe) in his own Land; In which, and the Heir of which he was born; in which, this year he is, and of which theſe twelve years he hath been King.

Look we in the Land, and we have him; look we on the Text, and up to that God who Inſpir'd it, and we have him, not from the Seas only, but from Heaven, The King O Lord.

The King firſt, ſo we read it; but, the Lord before him, ſo we muſt conſtrue it, O Lord, the King ſhall joy in thy ſtrength.

O Lord, the King! How ſweet and orderly they ſound! Deus & Rex! 'tis a Methodical and Scholarly Title, a Book, in ſome degree (but without any Blaſphemy of compariſon; nothing not Compariſon it ſelf ſo Odious as that) Holy, like that of Gods; a Book (next to God's and the King's, the Bible, and the 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 ) fit to be in the hands eyes, and hearts of all Chriſtian, Loyal and intelligent Readers: The King; he is Our Lord; The Lord, Thy King, 1 Sam. 26.15. My Lord, the King. Dan. 1.10. He is the Lord of us All, both Thine and Mine; Rex & Ego, will befit the mouth and pen of Any the biggeſt man under the King; It wil become the door of his lips, and be a more ſuitable Motto over the Portal of his Buildings too; Ego & Rex meus muſt be laid aſide by all ſorts of Subjects, the lofty Cardinal, and the more lofty Fanatick who, with a Blood-Red Sword in his hand, ſets himſelf higher above his King, than he with a Bluſhing red Hat upon his head durſt ever attempt to do; 'Tis the Stile Of God, and for God alone, of him, for whom the King himſelf, King David, in the Grammer of my Text, ſaies, O Lord the King.

The King indeed is the First word in our tranſlation; but (that we may Give unto Ceſar, the things which are Ceſars, and unto God the things which are Gods; and give to both in their right place; Firſt, to God his, and then to Ceſar his) in how many other tranſlations read we God fore the King! 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in the Greek! Domine Rex in St. Hierome's! Jehovah Rex in the Proteſtants, Junius and Tremelius! and, Lord the King, in the Papiſts, the Colledge of Doway!

'Tis well done by all, in placing God before the King; but, of all beſt by the Elder, the Greek and St. Hierome, in ſetting God, and none but God, above the King; I wiſh that, forever hereafter, both the reſt would Go and do likewiſe! that none of the former would unauthorizedly, join the People, nor any of the latter Ʋnconciliarily put the Pope in Commiſſion with God, to ſit upon the Honour, Power, and life of Kings, againſt Goſpel and Law too! Seſſions at home, and Conclaves abroad, have no ſuch authority either of theſe two waies, and therefore Can have none at all, but Imaginary and Ʋſurp'd! That neither of them would go about to make Treaſon duty, by an arrogant and lame, King and Country, and ſelf-betraying diſtinction, either with a Ʋniverſis Minor, or with an Inordine ad Spiritualia.

To void the Firſt.

As Knights and Burgeſſes are reſpectively, their repreſentative Townes & Countries, So the King is the Repreſentative All; He is, Legally the whole People; I am told ſo by the writing of an eminent Lawyer; the Author, and his book had this Eulogy from aright reverend perſon of that Function, which, now we are got into our wits again, is, as it ought to be, honoured by all, that God made the man to make this book, he did his work, and dyed; which I the more boldly, and, I hope, the more unenviedly recount now, becauſe both are expired, the deſerving Author, and his Loyal hearty Encomiaſt.

Livor poſt Fata Quieſcit.Ovid.

If this be doubted for good Law, to make amends, I am ſure it is ſound Scripture, the King is as much our ſelves, as our own life makes us our ſelves; he is the very Breath of our Noſtrils; Lam. 4.20. Is it too much for the King to Repreſent the People! I tell you, (and I crave no pardon from any of thoſe, who believe him to be, what he is, God's Vice-Gerent) He repreſents more, even God himſelfe.

To evacuate the latter, (and thereby the more ſtrongly, for the very Popery ſake of it, to render the former an abomination) If this Inordine may paſſe for Authentick, how eaſily will Ambition and Covetouſneſſe be tempted to call, Every Temporal (The Crown of the King, and the wealth of the People) Interpretatively and by Reduction, Spiritual! When this is done, all Chriſtendom, and all Temporals therein, (A Religious Mine, and a Spiritual Cole-Pit too) will be the Popes; The Land and the Sea too will be his; the Sea ſhall be Holy-Water, and all ſhall be Fiſh that comes to his Net: the Gold and Silver ſhall be Fiſh; and the Fiſh ſhall be Spiritual; When all this is done, he may (next, do as another Pope we read of, did before him) Throw away his fiſhing-Net, ſend the Diſtinction to the Colledge from whence it came, call himſelf Christs Vicar, and every King his Curate to ſtand to his allowance, and own himſelf Lord of Temporals in the very Name of them, and Quatenus ſuch.

Which of the two, (the unlucky diſtinction (the lame member of it) of ſome who call themſelves Proteſtants, or of others amongſt the Papiſts) is more repugnant to Scripture, or more miſcheivous to man, 'tis hard to tell, ſo like they are the one to the other.

Non eſt tam ſimilis Iſſae nec Ipſa, Mart.

(The very Reformer is, in this, what he loaths to be, a Papiſt; the Papiſt's ſelf is, This way (What no intreaties & diſputes of ours can preſwade him to be the right way) a (Reformer) and therefore would be hated with a perfect hatred, by all thoſe who believe themſelves bound by Either Table, by any one command of God, who either love their neighbour, or their very God.

The King, we have him, (God bleſſe him; be bleſſed by him; By us for him) from the Lord we know, O Lord the King; his helpe, and Our help (his helping of the King to us, and of us to the King; Pſa. 121.2. our help both by God and the King) ſtands in that Name.

But what means did the Lord honour by uſing, whereby to reſtore our King to us? His Kingdoms to him! ſtrength; an Army; Conqueſt by that ſtrong Army; Incruenta victoria the Beſt, the Nobleſt, the Royalleſt, the moſt Chiſtian, the moſt Heavenly, an unbloody Conqueſt; a Wiſe as well as Valiant Army, an Army whoſe Lookes did conquer; a ſtrength which overcame wiithout a Stroake; ſo overcome, as that the Miracle of the Ʋictory, the peaceableneſſe of the War, does evidence and demonſtrate no leſſe then the Kind power of God to be the Conquerer; So that though we May look up to the Hills, to the ſtrength, to the Hoaſt, From whence cometh our help, v. 1. yet we Muſt, in the very next verſe look beyond them, to the Heavens, to the Name of God, to the Lord of Hoaſts, In whom ſtandeth our help; In Man it was not the Sharpneſſe of his Wit or Sword, but a very Rumor of him, in God it was not the utmoſt, the non-ſicut of his Power and Love, but the very Name of Him, which hath gotten for us, which hath Gotten to himſelfe the victory. Nomini Tuo Gloriam Domine.

This is the ſenſe of the Text, this is the ſtory of the Times; And what can the reſult of all this be but Joy, the Joy of all? The King and the Kingdome, ſhall rejoice, The King is a Terme Relative, and it would continue to be a wiſe and happy Age, if we would all of us, be ſober Arithmeticians, and as much count the proſperity of the King to be the welfare of the Nations, as to cal, (ſomewhat, we ſome times know not what) the ſucceſſe of the Kingdome, the honour of the King; Moſt bodily afflictions will the more eaſily be born, and ſpeedily remedied whilſt the Head ſcapes the Blow, whereas a broken head endangers, and a cut-off-head diſ-livens every Member with it; The King is not Himſelfe, He is in ſome meaſure the Kingdome too; We are not Our ſelves, We are Slaves without the King; There is a Reciprocalneſſe of affection, betwixt King and People; The only difference is, he hath loved us more than we have regarded him or our ſelves; His preſent joy is ours, as our paſt griefs have all along been his; Here is joy, greater, ſublimer than can be ſeen, unleſſe by that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 as the Fathers that 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , as Homor calls him, that God which cauſes it; All our Bone-Fires and Bells have been but Dark and Dumb repreſentations of it; our Drums and Trumpets, but ſtill Muſick, our Heralds at-Armes meer Pageantry, Pictures and Shadowes; our Ʋoices to the Eare, and our Languages to the Eye, our Pulpits and Preſſes but Extempore ſilences, and at beſt but Studious ones; our very Deliverance it ſelfe (till we look upon the face of the King) but a pleaſant Dream; When the Lord turned again the Captivity of England, we were, Pſa. 126.1. (as thoſe of Zion before us) Like them that Dream; When after the ſighes of our hearts & the Options of our Souls, O That the ſalvation of Iſrael were come out of Zion) the Lord hath been pleaſed to bring back the captivity of his people, Pſal. 14.7. though Jacob does rejoice, and Iſrael is Glad, yet our joy is louder and brighter; more Harmonious and more Subſtantial, more Manly and Soully, more Strenuous and inward, than can be uttered.

Res ſevera eſt Ʋerum Gaudium. Senec.

All the reſt are but the Poaſt and Signe, the outward pearance; The Heart is the Houſe where Joy Inns & dwels, Thou (O Lord) haſt granted him (the King) his Hearts deſire, as well as thou haſt not with-holden the requeſt of his Lips; and the deſire of his heart; is the joy of us all, we Joy that he hath his deſire, and his deſire it is, that we ſhould joy.