the Lord, but also because he is an enemy to the anointed of the Lord-I say there is an Antichrist, who would be mischievous and quickly destroy them, either with "the perilous sword" or else a powder-plot.

4, C.

You have now already seen both why and how that Abaddon would destroy Kings. Next, you shall briefly hear both wherefore and by what means God would give them salvation. First wherefore, wherefore doth God give salvation to Kings? Namely, because they are His vicegerents upon earth; because they are in God's place, because they represent IIis person; because they are His "ministers," His chief ministers. Rom. 13. Whereby is shewn that there is a kind of necessity for God to save those, namely, because they are His ambassadors. Surely those that are Kings' legates into foreign countries, those who are viceroys and presidents in provinces here at home, it hath always been accounted part of princely wisdom by all means to protect them, to vindicate them from contempt. For the honour of an ambassador is his honour that sends him, and the viceroy's dishonour redounds upon the King. Even our Prophet David, when those were reproachfully 2 Sam. 10. handled whom he sent instead of himself to rejoice with King Hanun, he judged himself to be violated in them. The disgrace, as though it had been proper to himself, he severely revenged. Thus it is with the supreme King, to Whom our Kings are viceroys; His own honour, except Kings be safe who are His viceroys, His own honour cannot stand safe and inviolate. Even for His own honour He will preserve them safe. For "by Him they reign," by Him they Prov. 8.15. are ordained." By Him they are what they are. All come

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to this point, that it belongs to Him, in some sort behoves Him, that whom He makes, them He should also favour; and whom He favours, that they may not be wronged; He is also their revenger if they be violated. This is one reason why He should give salvation unto them.

Further, to this I also add another.

4; 12. 31.

Rom. 13.1.

God desires His people's safety, He desires all our safety; for the benefit of salvation the more general it is, the more heavenly it is. The Lord said to Jonas, Is it meet that [Jonah 4. thou shouldest desire the preservation of the gourd? "And 10, 11.] should not I spare Nineveh, that great city, wherein are a

15.

XII.

SERM. hundred and twenty thousand persons which cannot discern between their right hand and their left?" Now He gives salvation to Kings, thereby to derive it to the people, fitly to them, that by them it may extend to all. For thence it is Ps. 82. 6. that He not only calls the magistrates gods—“I have called you gods"-but also saviours. For so it is in the book of Judges, as often as mention is made of the supreme magisJudg. 3. 9, trate. God, saith he, hath raised up a saviour for them, See the Othniel, Gideon, Jephthah, and others. Therefore they save Vulgate.] many thousands. Finally, it is most agreeable, fit, and a thing well beseeming God, to save the saviours of so many thousands; that is, to give salvation to them in whose safety our safety, yea all our safety, is placed. That place of St. [1 Tim. 2. Paul is remarkable: "Let prayers," saith he, "be made for Ï, 2.] all men." But this is boundless, it is too long to run through all. Will you therefore confine it in brief? Let them be made "for Kings." Because if for them, for all. If it be well with them, it will be well with all. In which place the Apostle pleads powerfully. Mark his gradations. "For Kings," saith he, that they may be safe: thence it is, that whilst they are safe, the peace is safe; in a safe peace there is a knowledge of God; from the knowledge of God an honest and godly life; from a godly and honest life comes the safety of the whole world. Do you not see that the safety of Kings, and prayers for it, is laid as the very corner-stone to all men's safety?

But why seek I for these examples abroad, seeing we have them growing at home here in our Psalm, and surely far more abundantly? In this verse are thanks to be given for the deliverance of Kings; in the next verse are prayers to be [Ps. 144. made. Why, I pray you? namely, the twelfth verse, that 12, 13, 14.] so it might go well with "our sons," "our daughters;" the thirteenth verse, that so it might be well with "our storehouses," our "flocks;" the fourteenth verse, that so all might go well with our "oxen;" that there be no "breaking in nor going out," or "complaining in our streets." None of these shall be, we shall have all these safe, if the King be safe. By account indeed there are eight-which the Fathers [Ps. 144. from the words of the Psalm, "Blessed are the people who i5.] are in such a case," have called them the eight felicities of

this life, the eight the safety of Kings. Nor only these eight, but also-which last remains and is worth all, "Blessed are the people whose God [Ps. 33. 12.] is the Lord"—this also, that God may be our Lord, that is, that our religion may be safe, doth certainly very much depend on the Prince. For surely he that reads of six Kings of Judah successively in the books of Kings, or the five Emperors successively in the ecclesiastical history; or he that here at home hath seen amongst us four Princes successively by turns altering religion, and as the Kings so the people also changing in religion; will discern that it is of great consequence that salvation be given to Solomon, lest when he is dead Jeroboam "make Israel to sin." Therefore that He 1 Kings 15. may give salvation to the people, He "gives salvation unto Kings;" both for His own honour's sake, and even for all our sakes He gives salvation to Kings. Why He should give salvation I have already made known. How he gives it, that yet remains. I haste unto it.

earthly beatitudes-all depending upon

30.

First, by sending His word that He may save them; but if 1. that be a small thing, by stretching forth His hands also, that He may set them in safety.

First, by the word of salvation. For, lest any should overthrow that salvation which God hath given, He hath provided in a triple charge, wherewith as with a triple trench He hath fortified the safety of Kings.

1. "Touch not Mine anointed:" whereby He secures Ps. 105. 15. them from violent hands.

2. "Curse not the ruler of thy people:" whereby He Exod. 22. secures them from the poison of the tongue.

28.

20.

3. "Curse not the King, no not in thy thought:" whereby Eccl. 10. He secures them against the bold and boundless thoughts of the soul itself.

And if they be safe enough from these three, all would be well; the safety of Kings would be abundantly provided for. Thus God provides by His triple saving word, that their safety may not come in danger.

But if these are not enough, and often they are not enough, but this triple bulwark being cast down "strange children” dare sit in counsel and mutter ill words, nay verily even lift up their hand against God's anointed; yet then, as it is in the

XIL [Ps. 144. 7.]

SER M. seventh verse, "He will send His hand from heaven," He will send His hand from heaven and will deliver them from the midst of danger. This truly and indeed He will do, by opposing Himself both against their counsels and against them.

Against their counsels, partly by detecting them whilst yet they are scarcely ripened; partly by scattering them, even then when they are digested, finished; even then, when all is in a readiness.

And verily, for to detect their counsel He saith in another Ps. 132.17. place, that He "hath ordained a lantern for His anointed." "A lantern" surely, that is, faithful counsel; and those that are His ministers, they being the lamps of Kings, whom it concerns thoroughly to know their inmost designs; but when the King's lamp is too dim, then God's lightning gives light. For so it is in the sixth verse; when the light of the lamp sufficeth Ps. 144. 6. not, by Him, misso a se de cœlo fulgure, is the whole plot Est. 2. 22. discovered. The King's lantern I say, as when Mordecai 2 Kings 6. brought the accusation against the traitorous eunuchs; as [1the when Elisha revealed the plot concerning Aram's lying in wait for the King of Israel.

9.

King of Syria's lying in

wait.]

20.

But it was fulgur Dei, when, as Solomon saith, “ A bird of Eccl. 10. the air shall carry the voice," namely, when by some strange means and by no human assistance things are brought to Ps. 64. 8. light. When "their own tongues shall make them fall," as it is Psalm the sixty-fourth, and eighth verse. That is, when by their own whisperings, their own writings, they betray themselves. That all that see it may be astonished; [Ps. 109. who see it to be the hand of God, and that "Thou, Lord, hast done it." And doubtless He is wonderful in the Kings of the earth, but in no one thing more than in sending this His lightning, whereby the most secret counsels of traitors are often revealed.

27.]

Yet suppose it to be so; grant that nothing be suspected, not a word spoken, every thing concealed till all be in readiness, and now the treason brought to the very last cast; yet, even then He will scatter them notwithstanding, and as it is Ps. 144. 5. in the fifth verse, "He will touch the mountains and they shall smoke," every one. Absalom now having usurped a kingdom grew as big as a mountain. God will but touch

14.

I. 50.]

Absalom, He will smite His brain with madness that he 2 Sam. 17. might reject that very counsel which was most conducing to his design. Thus in a moment God scattered them all. Adonijah also swelled into a mountain. God will but touch Adonijah, He will smite his heart with a causeless fear, [1 Kings that then, when he was almost fully enthroned, he durst neither go on forward nor stir: thus they all vanish into smoke. "All of them are become," even when all was as Ps. 62. 3. sure as bird in hand, "as a bowing wall and tottering fence;" they either fall with their own accord, or with the least enforcing are cast down; they are touched, turn into smoke, and vanish.

And thus God sets up Himself against their conspiracies, and shews that He will assert the salvation of Kings. Moreover, He undertakes this very thing against the traitors themselves, "by making ready the strings of His bow against the Ps. 21. 12. face of them," as it is Psalm the twenty-first; and as it is here, the sixth verse, by consuming them with His "arrows." That men seeing their most unhappy ends, might tremble at their accursed deeds. Moses hath rightly comprised the whole matter, then when Korah first of all withstood him. Hereby, saith he, shall ye know that magistrates are from God, that God takes care for their safety: "If these men die the common death of Num. 16. all men, or if they be visited after the visitation of all men," then ye may make a doubt whether it be He; "but if God do a new thing" and bring all of them forth, every one to punishment, all of them to fearful ends; if Divine justice follow them at the heels and suffer them not to be carried

28, 29, 30.

to their graves in peace, morte vel maturâ vel siccá, hereby shall ye plainly know that it is the Lord Himself "Who gives salvation unto Kings," because the hand of the Lord is gone forth against them. And verily so it is; for what is become of those who boldly essayed to cast down that triple bulwark of which I lately spake? What is become of Sheba, who durst lift up his hand and sound a trumpet against David? "His head is thrown down from the wall." And 2 Sam. 20. 1, 22. what become of Shimei, who durst open his mouth and curse the anointed of the Lord? "His hoar head went down to 1 Kings 2. the grave with blood." What also became of the eunuchs who only thought in their minds how they might lay hands

9, 46.