Imatges de pàgina
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Which occafions him in the beginning of the Pfalm to exprefs his grateful Refentments in fuch Words as thefe: Bleffed be the Lord my Strength, who teacheth my Hands to war, and my Fingers to fight: My Goodness and My Goodness and my Fortress, my high Tower and my Deliverer, my Shield and He in whom I trust; who fubdueth my People under

me.

q. d. I difclaim all glorying in my own Prudence and Conduct, and defire to give the entire Praise of my Succefs and Victory to him that hath girded me with Strength unto Battel: who has caused thofe to bowo under me that rose up Pfal. 18.39. against me. The Counfels of mine Enemies have been baffled by the Wifdom of God, and their Armies fcatter'd by Him who is the Lord of Hofts..

God has eminently been my Deliverer, for he hath faved me from thofe whofe Mouth Speaketh Ver. 8. Vanity, and whofe right Hand is a right Hand of Falfhood. In which Defcription of his Enemies he plainly intimates they were fuch as paid no deference to Truth or Juftice, to Honour or Religion: It refers to the Caftom of the Jews, who when they swore lifted up their right Hand towards Heaven; and when they enter'd into a Covenant with Men, to fignify their Confent, they gave one another the fame Hand: Their right Hand is a right Hand of Falfhood; they are Mẹn that can break in upon their own Covenants, and violate their Oaths to God; Treachery and Cruelty compofe their Character.

And how justly this fame Description may be affixt to our Enemies, I need not fay; fince we all understand the Language of a Despotick and Arbitrary Power, which in the late Reign made great Advances against our Civil Rights, and a

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gainst

Ver. 9.

gainst our Religion too: And as for Lewis the 14th of France, the Afhes of the Proteftants demolished Temples, the Blood of their flaughtered Innocents, both in France and in the Vallies of Piedmont, are enough to make his Name for ever to be condemn'd in Hiftory, as being one of the most barbarous Sons of Violence and Blood. Now a Deliverance from fuch Enemies as these, did so awaken the Gratitude of David, that he cries out, I will fing a new Song unto thee, O God: as if he had faid, I will not alienate from my great Deliverer that Tribute of Praise that is his rightful Due. Then followeth the Text, It is He that giveth Salvation unto Kings; who delivereth David his Servant from the hurtful Sword.

Which Words will furnish us with these two general Heads of Difcourfe:

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I. That the Salvation and Victory that good
Kings obtain, is given them of God.
II. That it is by a fpecial Providence of God
that righteous Kings (and confequently
the People under their Government) are
delivered from the mischievous Designs and
Plots of evil Men.

I fay righteous Kings, becaufe my Text faith, David thy Servant; and I add thefe words, from the mifchievous Defigns and Plots of evil Men, becaufe my Text fays, from the hurtful Sword; i. e. from the defign'd Mifchiefs of the hurtful Sword, which was to take away the Life of the Innocent,

I

I begin with the first of these, namely;

That the Salvation or Victory that Good Kings obtain, is given them of God.

All that I fhall fay to this Observation fhall be only to prove it, that I may make the better way to the fecond, which I defign (God willing) principally to speak to.

For the Proof of this first Obfervation, fee the 9 Ecclef. 11. I return'd and faw under the Sun, that the Race is not to the Swift, nor the Battel to the Strong, &c. A fwift Runner may tire in a Race, and come laft to the Goal; and a ftrong Army mifs of Victory, for Success in War does not always enfue upon vaft Preparations, and a mighty Force.

So that fometimes the most unlikely Undertakings fucceed well, when the most probable and beft-laid Designs are defeated and broken. And how is this brought about, but by the Finger of God? Who as he hath made, fo he alfo governs the World, and gives Success and Victory to whom he pleases; to whom we may fay, as King Afa in his Prayer, 2 Chron. 14. 11. Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with Many, or with them that have no Power.

God hath fometimes given a Defeat to a numerous Army by visible Miracles. Need I inftance in that amazing Check that the proud King of Affyria met with in the Overthrow and Ruine of his Army by an Angel, who flew an hundred fourfcore and five thoufand in one Night? Or need I tell you of the Wonders God wrought in Egypt for his Peopie; or what a Deliverance he gave them at the Red-Sea?

This

This Doctrine that I am now upon was fo well understood by David, that he frequently renounced any Dependance upon an external Pfal. 33. 16. Force: There is no King (fays he) faved by the Multitude of an Hoft: A mighty Man is not deliver'd by auch Strength. And in the 44th Pfal. 6. 1 will not trust to my Bow, neither shall my Sword fave me.

And this is yet further confirm'd by Solomon, Prov. 21.31. The Horfe is prepar'd against the Day of Battel: but Victory is of the Lord.

To whom but to God could the Victory of Gideon over a very numerous Army be afcribed, when the Clattering of Pitchers, the Sound of Trumpets, the Light of Lamps, and the united Judg. 7. 2. Cry of 300 Men, [The Sword of the Lord and of Gideon] difcomfited a Mighty Hoft, and caufed every Man's Sword to be against his Fellow? But what need I run fo many Ages back, when there have been fo many Instances within our Memory, to confirm my Observation?

& 22.

Particularly the late Glorious Revolution by the Undertaking of the then Prince of Orange, the prefent King of thefe Realms. How did all things concur to bring about our Deliverance from Popery and Arbitrary Power?

When we faw no way of efcaping, how did God difpirit the Army of the late King, which on a fudden was ftruck with fuch a Pannick Fear, that thofe that went not over to our Deliverer were scattered in the greatest Disorder, like Men under the vifible Effects of the higheft Confternation and Fear?

So that our Deliverance advanc'd towards us with incredible Swiftnefs, and was, beyond all Expectation, obtain'd with little or no expence of Blood.

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We were not exalted to our Happiness upon the Graves of our Friends, or the Ashes of our Dwellings. And are not all these the indelible Characters of the Divine Hand? To clofe this Head: To whom, but God, fhall we attribute his Majesty's Succefs in the Reduction of Ireland; and fince, in feveral Conquefts and Victories, both by Sea and Land, and particularly the Succefs of the laft Campaign? But I have faid enough to this first Obfervation.

Obferv. 2. That it is by a fpecial Providence of God, that righteous Kings and their People, are deliver'd from the mischievous Defigns and Plots of evil Men. In difcourfing on this Argument, I fhall attempt thefe three things.

I. To tell you when we may look upon a Deliverance, from a Plot against a good King and his People, to be by a special Providence of God.

II. Affign fome Reafons, why God Almighty, by his special Providence, does at fome times deliver a righteous King and his People, from the mischievous Defigns and Plots of evil Men.

III. Make fome Ufe fuitable to the Solemnity of this Day, and that Deliverance for which we are affembled to praise God.

I. I am to tell you, when we may look upon a Deliverance from a Plot against a King and his People, to be a fpecial Providence of God.

1. When

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