Duty and Interest in Prayer and Praise for Kings and All in Authority, Title page
Duty and Interest UNITED IN PRAYER and PRAISE FOR Kings, and all that are in Authority. From 1 Tim. II. 1, 2. BEING A SERMON Preach'd at WESTMINSTER, Upon the late day of Thanksgiving, SEPT. 8. 1695.
By V. A. Minister of the Gospel.
LONDON, Printed for John Barnes, at the Crown in the Pall mall, MDCXCV.
Duty and Interest Vnited in Prayer and Praise FOR The King, and all that are in Authority. FROM
I Tim. II. 1, 2.
I exhort therefore that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks, be made for all men: for Kings and all that are in Authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty.
THE visible Degeneracy of what we call Religion from its Original in the Scripture, and its fairest Copy in the purest Primitive times, has filled the hearts of the more considering persons with great sadness: Could we view our faces in that Glass, we should either correct our deformities by it, or, as some are too ready to do, break the Glass, that it may not at once shew us, and upbraid us with them.
For whether it be that aiery Speculations have eaten out the practice, or fiery contentions about matters of lower concernments, have starved the Spirit of Zeal for the great and weighty things of Religion; or the deluge of prophaneness which threatens to lay morality and godliness under water, be too strong for us to stem the Current; most certain it is, that the Christian Religion has had its beauty so miserably effaced, has been so wretchedly misrepresented, or so little represented to its advantage, that its open enemies have dared to triumph over it; and its few cordial friends have found much difficulty and discouragement to support its credit.
Amongst the many Instances of the decay of Religion in this present Age, the great Neglect of praying to, and praising God for our Governors supreme and subordinate, has been one, which perhaps has render'd them less zealous for, and possibly jealous of Christianity, as that which has not very favourable aspects upon the Persons and Thrones of Princes; or at least the Professors of it have horribly contradicted their own avowed Principles; and that which they pretend to be the only Rule of their Faith, has but a slender influence upon their Consciences.
Now as I have a clear Warrant from the Text, and as …ound an Invitation from the gracious Providence of God that smiles upon us, I will endeavour first to shew what it is we owe, and then to awaken the sleepy Consciences of men to pay what they owe, both in Prayer and Praise to God for Kings, and all that are in Authority.
The Text therefore gives us clear Direction in three momentous points. 1. The Matter of our Duty; or what we owe. 2. The Objects of the duty, or to whom we owe it. 3. The Reasons of our duty, why we owe it. (1.) If we heedfully attend to the first of these; or what we owe: The Text has reduced them to these four particulars.
1. That we offer up to God supplications, foreign: earnestly to wrestle with the Almighty, that he would divert his anger, or whatever calamities, judgments, plagues, may be in the womb of that anger, from them: that his vigilant eye would discover, his powerful hand turn away and defeat all those machinations which may be formed against their persons and governments; in a word, that he would secure them against those evils to which their high station, and the discharge of their weighty duties therein, may expose them.
2. That we also present our prayers, foreign, to God on their behalf; that he would fill them with all those graces, wisdom, counsel, understanding, courage, that may qualifie them for their arduous calling: that he would prosper and crown them with glorious success in all their lawful and honourable undertakings.
3. That further we make intercessions, foreign, for them, that God would not only bless them, but make them blessings to their Subjects, and happy instruments to procure much good to all that come within the sphere of their power and calling.
4. We owe this further, that we return thanks, foreign, to God for them: for all the good that they have done, or that was in their hearts to do; for all those deliverances God has wrought out for us by them; and for all that courage and conduct which God has bestow'd on them to render them serviceable; and for all that God has done for them in their preservation.
All this we owe; and are further instructed how we must pay it from the word foreign: which will instruct us, 1. that we perform all this with the greatest vigour of Soul, and application of Conscience. 2. That we do it constantly with unwearied perseverance. The nature of the word implies the former, and the form of the word the latter.
(2.) The Object of our duty, is express in these words, for all men; for Kings, and all that are in authority: only be it observed, that tho we owe to our King prayer and praise, yet these duties, these debts must be paid to God; and we shall acquit our selves both as Christians and good Subjects, when what we owe for them, we do not pay it to them, but to God on their behalf.
The persons to whom we owe supplication, prayer, intercession and thanksgiving, are here either described in general or in special. 1. In general, we owe it to All men: foreign: none so low but our prayers may help them; none so high but our prayers may serve them; none so good but may need, none so bad but may claim a share in our prayers.
We are indeed taught to distinguish between the violent men of the world, as they are our enemies, and as they are the enemies of the Lord, and of his Christ; under the former consideration, let us pray that God would forgive them, convert them, restrain them; wherein if our charitable prayers reach not their hearts, they will return into our own bosoms: And for this we have precept from, and precedent in our Lord and Saviour, Precept. Mat 5. 44. Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, pray for them that despightfully use you and persecute you, Precedent. Luke 23. 34. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do.
But as they fall under the other dismal character, our prayers ought to be of another temper, that God would convert 'em, there we would begin; but if they proceed as implacable enemies of Christ, we pray that he would defeat their counsels, insatuate them in all their contrivances, break their powers, disappoint them in all their expectations; and seeing we pray for no more than we know Christ will do, that he would overthrow and confound them and all their mischievous devices.
But the Text enjoyns us not only to pray, but to give thanks for all men; which seems very hard to flesh and blood: We are apt to think we behave our selves well towards all men, if we can bear their insolences, forbear revenge, and rest content under their provocations, and think it to be a straining of the point too far to press us to give thanks for them: But indeed in some cases we owe more … than to our friends, the one will conceal, the other divulge our failings; and seeing our hearts are so deceitful, and our friends so partial, let's give thanks to God that we have enemies that will watch against, and learn from thence to watch over our selves.
We are debtors to the poor and to the rich; the poorest may lend us the subsidy of their prayers, of their holy examples; they may teach us meekness under hard treatments of men, patience under the hand of God; submission to poverty; improvement of trials and afflictions; which are mercies of so great value, that we cannot expect any obligations equivalent from the richest.
2. But especially we owe our supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings, for Kings and all that are in authority under them.
If self were rightly understood, this duty would be the easiest task that ever was imposed upon us; for in praying for them, we pray for the Nation, and so for our selves: the prosperity and success of the King, is the prosperity of the whole Kingdom; and as the Philosopher curst the man, whoever he was, that first divided bonum, utile & honestum; that which is profitable, from that which is just and righteous: So may they be lookt upon as the common Plagues of a Nation, who first divided the interest of the Prince from that of his People; or first taught the People to set up an interest distinct and separate from that of their Prince.
(3.) The Reasons which support so weighty a duty are next to be attended to; and they are two. The first is drawn from our clear duty, the second from our unquestionable interest; and consider the cause we have to acknowledge the goodness of God, who has so strongly united both these, that we can never fail in the former, but we must be false to the latter.
1. The former Reason is drawn from the conscience of the divine Command given forth by his Apostle, l exhort; under the authority of which Praecept the highest spirit must bow, the stubbornest bend: This answers all objections, silences all disputes, satisfies all scruples. This Text is not constitutive of a new duty, but declarative of an old obligation which from the beginning lay upon the Conscience; this was not a duty now newly created, but newly exemplified; he does not now make a new bond, but ties it closer that Conscience may feel its bonds; when Conscience slumbers it must be awakened; and when a Notion is much worn off, it must be refresht and toucht up again to the Original.
2. The other Reason is drawn from our own interest and advantage, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. Which Reason has two branches.
1. Our civil interest will lie much in't; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life. 'Tis but a languishing dying comfort we can take in any thing we call ours, if we cannot possess it in Peace: Security is the sweetness of Propriety; whatever be the furniture of our table, the sawce of every morsel is peace and quietness. We look upon all our good things with a pitiful eye, when we think they may be ours but for this moment. The Sword of a foreign Enemy, the Rapine of some petty Tyrant may sweep away what we have in an hour.
2. Our Religious interest is greatly concern'd in this duty, that we may lead a life in all godliness and honesty. Reason then we have to pray, and give thanks for our Rulers, that we may, and do lead such a life, in outward peace, with a freedom to worship our God according to his will reveal'd to us in his holy word.
From the words thus open'd, many observations offer themselves: I must content my self, and I hope you, with this one clear from the Text, and pertinent to the present occasion.
Doctrine. A religious and Loyal People can never want just cause to praise, and give thanks to God for their Kings and Governours.
If they be bad, yet we have reason to pray God would mend them, and to praise God too, that they are no worse? that if they be not such as are eligible, yet that they are such as are tolerable. If they be good and gracious, then the case is plain; to pray he will confirm them; and to give thanks that we who have neither merit, nor meetness for so great a favour, yet are blessed with it.
If God shall exalt the Nation, we have cause enough to pray, that he would not cast us down; if he shall lay us low, to bless his name that we are laid no lower.
If God shall prosper our King with success, we have reason still to fear and pray, that our turning those successes into wantonnes, may not provoke God to turn his hand against us; if he shall humble us with adverse providences, yet will there remain matter of thanksgiving that we are not consumed.
We can never be so low but the everlasting arms are underneath us; our enemies are never so high but the Almighty arm of God is above them. Let the storms rise and roar, and rage, our God fits above them. There's matter of praise: if it be a dead calm, still we have reason to pray, that storms may not surprize us.
The Psalmist has drawn the circumference of our rejoycing and our fears with great exactness, Psal. 2. 11. Rejoyce with trembling. Never such cause of rejoycing, but it suggests matter of trembling; never such cause of fears, but it affords matter for hope, place for faith, and room for thanksgiving to God, that we are not sunk in utter despair.
The Apostle, 1 Cor. 7. 30. teaches us the due measure of sorrow, To weep as tho we wept not; and the true bounds of rejoycing too, To rejoice as if we rejoiced not; The former, because God can … …way those tears from our eyes: the latter, because he can…allay … most pro…use rejoycing, and mingle our cup of consolation with the waters of bitter affliction; when God exalts us, we are cautioned not to exalt our selves, but our God; when he abases us he would have us keep our hearts low, but to lift the eye of our faith on high. And this will be the true mean under the various dispensations of providence, when God humbles us to be humbled, when he chastises us to be chastifed, but not sink in …pondency; when he lifts us up, then to be lifted in praises.
The Apostle James, ch. 5. 15. instructs us, that Prayer is the proper duty for a day of affliction; that praise is the suitable duty for prosperity; but yet s…, that prayer is never out of season in our highest, not praise improper in our lowest condition.
In the managing this observation, I will endeavour 1. Briefly to confirm it. 2. Then largely to apply it.