A Looking Glass for Princes and Peoples Delivered, Book 1 · Part 3 · Conclusion
The Conclusion.
I Close with the two maine vses of this Exercise, to witWee ought to praise God. Praise & Prayer: Of Praise, to thank God, that he hath given to the King his hearts Desire and hath not with-holden the request of his lippes: That he hath prevented him with the Psal 21.blessings of his goodnesse, and made him exceeding glad with the light of his Countenance. That hee hath blessed these Kingdomes with a Prince, and apparant Heire to these Thrones. God hath verifyed on this I land that which Fables fained of the happie or fortunate Isles; though we lye in a cold Climate farre from the Line, yet for our spirituall condition wee are vnderunder a better line. The Sun of Righteousnesse sendeth downe his direct beames, and fullest influences on vsus: No land for many Ages hath had a more gratious, and benigne aspect of Gods favour, than this.
God hath set over vsus a King that loveth the Trueth, professeth it with vsus, and in the Exercise of it, is exemplar toScotlands Happinesse. Subjects. Cast your Eyes beyond Sea, and consider what Kings rule over Christians there. The greatest of them striue with other, who shall bee greatest Slaues to Antichrist; they affect their owne destruction in pleasing him, by destroying their Subiects: There is nothing for Gods people, vnderunder these three greatest Princes, but either the Imperiall deformation rooting out the Trueth, where it hath beene; or the Spanish Inquisition, bearing it downe, that it ryse not; or the French Massacres, destroying both Professors and Profession: If the Saints vnderunder them were in our place, they would thinke themselues after a sort in Heaven, in a Goshen for light and securitie, and in Ierusalem for vision and peace. They hauehave drunken these ten or twelue yeares of the Cup of Wrath, and suffered all the losses of Warres: Their Men killed, their Women defiled, and Countreyes wasted: If God (as hee might justly for our sinnes) would make vsus drinke of that same Cup but one MonethMonth, after such a calamitie, wee would count mor… of our Happinesse, under the shadow of so good a King than wee doe.
Our Land hath not such rare Commodities as others, but yet the Tree of life groweth in our streetes; and every shaking of it in the publick worship of God, sendeth down such fruits, as all the Indies can not afford the lik:Psal. 147. 19 20. The knowledge of God in Christ; Remission of sinnes; Peace of Conscience, & other saving Graces, are better than all the Spicerie of the World. God hath showen his Word to Iaakob, his Statutes and his Iudgements to Israel: Hee hath not dealt so with every Nation: For this happinesse, wee are a matter of Wonder and astonishment to people beyond Sea, because of our great Peace, with aboundance of all things for Soule and Body: and onlie miserable in this, that wee neither know our Happinesse, nor thanke God for it, Wee are a part of these ends of the Farth, which the …ather givethPsal 2. in possession to his Sonne: And we finde not since the Apostles tyme a Land blessed with a more sound body of Doctrine,Bed Hist▪ Anglor. than this, which God in merciemercy continue: Wee were as soone blessed with the Gospell as any Kingdome, and our numerous and learned Cleargie, sent out some as Apostles, who turned to Christ some inner parts of this I land, and sundrie Countries beyond Sea: And since our returning from the Babylonish Captivitie, God hath set vp amongst vsus in Reformation a more glorious Temple than the first.
Happie is that Land, where the Sheepe of Christ goe out and Great Britains happinesse.in, and none affrighteth them▪ Praise thy God O Ierusalem, praise thy God O great Britaine; Hee maketh peace in thy Borders, and filleth thee with the fat of wheate: WhoPsal. 147 12 14. will not desire to be sed for the p…ace for the fatnesse andBernard. Sermon. 33 Deut. 4 7. 8 satieti…? Nothing is feared there, nothing is loathed, and nothing is lacking. Paradise is a sweete dwelling, the Word of God a sweete foode, and Eternitie is great riches. What Nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh vntounto them, as the Lord our God is in all things, that wee call vponupon him Deut. 4. 7. 8for? And what Nation is there so great, that hath Statutes and Iudgements so righteous, as all this Law which I set before you this day?
For you my Lords of Nobilitie, Councell, and State isSpeach to the Nobilitie, &c. matter of praise, because God hath given you a young Master, and augmented the matter of your Ioy▪ in strengthning that royall Line: and of your peace, in securing your States and Dignities, by the hope of that Succession.
For you also my Lords of the Colledge of Iustice, becauseTo the Colledge of Iustice. God hath ioyfullie begun this Summer Session, and turned this day that beginneth the Terme of Iustice, in a sacrum Iustitium, or holy Vacancie, from iustice, and from the Bench, hath brought you to the Church to praise him, and to pray for the Spirit of Iustice to our King, and Prince: That as God hath given a new Conduit for the Influence of Iustice on this Land, you may partake there of, according to your Place, and proue thankfull to God and to your Princes, in stablishing their Throne, by the Ministration of Iustice; and may bee a blessing to this People, making them obedient to God, and their Princes, when they are comforted by your righteousnesse.
For you also my beloved of this Parish, and others ofTo Edenburgh. this Citie, God hath given that Matter of Ioy you hauehave long desired. And at what time came the tydings of it? Even after you had refreshed vsus your Pastours, with your free offerings to the poore: You made vsus not ashamed of our boasting of your Charitie, but satisfied abundantly fourefold the necessitie that wee commended to you: And while at night wee were reioycing in the Lord, for that fruite of your Faith, God gladened vsus with the good tydings of the birth of our Prince. It is ever seene, that when a People are zealous, and cheerefull in good works to honour GOD, hee meeteth them shortly with a greater blessing.
And let all the People count of this blessing, as of a Child borne in everie house of this Land, and praise God for this new matter of our dayly Prayers: For sex yeares bygone our Prayers had a want, because we had not a young Prince to pray for: But now God hath filled vp that want, in giving vsus a Prince, to pray for after his royall Parents.
The second generall Vse, is to pray to God: and that forWee ought to pray. our King our Queene, our Prince, and our selues: For our King, that the Spirit of the Lord may rest vponupon him, the Spirit of Wisdome and Vnderstanding, the Spirit of Counsell and 1. For ye King.Might, the Spirit of Knowledge, and of the feare of the Lord, that he may iudge not after the sight of his Eyes, nor reproue after Esay 11. 2. 3the hearing of his Eares; but may iudge the poore with righteousnesse, and reproue withequitie, for the meeke of the land: That he would blesse him with Counsellours about him, and judges with him, like Iethroes Elders: Men that Cantic. 8. 6feare God, hate covetousnesse, and seeke Gods glorie, and the well of King and Countrie. That hee would set him as a Seale on his Arme, and on his heart. That hee would multiplee Grace more and more on him, to verifie the glorious Title of Defender of the Faith, in maintaining thePsal. 61. 6. 7 Psal. 132 Trueth, and repressing Idolatrie, That God would cloath his Enemyes with shame, and on him make his Crowne to floorish. That hee would prolong the Kings life, and his yeares for many generations, that hee may abide before the Lord for ever: and continue the meeke race of the Stewarts.
To pray for our Queene, as the Iewes did for Pharaohs2 For the Queene. Psal. 45. Daughter: That she may forget her People, and her Fathers house; and that as God hath begun to make her a fruitefull Mother in Israel, so hee would increase that fruitfulnesse, and make her proue new-borne in Israel: And with this bond of the fruite of her wombe, that tyeth her to the King, and this I land; to tye her heart also to the Trueth professed amongst vsus.
To pray for our Prince: That the matter of our Ioy in3 For the Prince. him may be constant: That God with the increase of his Dayes, would increase his Gifts and Graces, and enable him for the Place hee hath appointed him; that when his Father is full of good Dayes, hee may succeede him in all these forenamed blessings, as well as in these Thrones That so there never faile a Man of that Line, to sit on the 1 Sam 2. 12. 1 King. 2. 4 2 Chron. 6 16 Prover. 3. 1 Luke. 1.Throne of these Kingdomes. That as Mankynd is increased by his Birth, so the number of the Faithfull may bee increased by his new Birth, in the …awer of Regeneration. And as God hath made him a Sonne of our Desires, so hee would make him a Sonne of Delight to vsus and the Posteritie, by growing in favour with God and Man.
To pray for our Selues: That wee may know the Tyme of 4 For our Selues.our Visitation, and the things that concerne our Peace, and proue thankfull to God for his great Mercies. Wee are like Ierusalem in the Happinesse of our Tyme, and as like her in not knowing of it: Wee are like that Figge Tree which was long spared; and if wee bee vnfruitefull, still weeEsay. 5 are neere to a curse: Wee are that Vineyard that was well dressed, but if wee bring not our better fruits, wee shall bee destroyed. For all Estates of this Land, from the greatest to the smallest, doe meete Gods merciemercy with ingratitude and rebellioun. God hath beene passing through the reformed Churches these yeares by gone; with a fearefull, yet a iust visitation: Wee are as guiltie as they, and yet God in a forebearing merciemercy is waiting if wee will repent: IfRom. 2. wee turne not to him vnfainedly, let vsus resolue that the dregges of this Cup are reserved for vsus: onelyonly let vsus take heede, and keepe our Soule diligently, lest we forget the things which our Eyes hauehave seene, and lest they departDeut. 4. 9 from our Hearts all the dayes of our life.
But let vsus not thinke, that our present businesse in this True thanks giving is n…w obedience. Psal. 68.Church is sufficient, wee must heereafter walke in a new obedience to God, who ladeth vsus dayly with blessings. This is our best thanksgiving, and a most forcible Prayer, to obtaine new blessings vponupon the blessings receaved; and with all, it is a Seale that Gods Mercies are given vsus in Mercy. If our Thanksgiving be a constant walking worthie of Gods blessings, then he will delyte to dwell amongst vsus, and blesse vsus more; than shall we still be a matter of ioyfull wondring to the World, and of comfort to our selues, when the blessings of the Scepter of Christ, and of the well sweyed Scepters of our Princes are visible amongst vsus, in Religion, Iustice and Peace.
The Lord who hath blessed vsus with this ioyfull Occasion, and brought vsus together in this house, to testifie our ioy before Man and Angels, put this Day amongst these white and ioyfull Dayes, that are marked with rare blessings, and make it a period and beginning of a ioyfull reckoning of yeares to come. The Lord make vsus constant in thankfulnesse, that his goodnesse may continue with vsus: That the end of all his blessings may bee his Glorie, in the Salvation of our Princes, and of our selues, through Iesus Christ our Lord. To this God, Father, Sonne, and holy Ghost, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, bee praise, honour, and glorie, now, and for evermore, AMEN.
FINIS.
A LOOKING GLASSE For PRINCES and POPES.
OR A Vindication of the sacred Authoritie of PRINCES, from the Antichristian vsurpation of the Popes.
By the same Authour M. William Struther.
August. Civit. lib. 4. cap. 7. Ipsi attendant speculum suum.
Bernard Consid. Lib. 4. Ipsi sint speculum, ipsi forma.
Idem Lib. 2. Admove speculum, faedus se in eo vultus agnoscat.
EDINBVRGH, Printeed by the Heires of Andro Hart. 1632.