_to wit_, Some directions to the king, for the right performing of his
duty, whereof I shall give seven.
1. A king, meeting with many difficulties in doing of duty, by reason of
strong corruption within and many temptations without: he should be
careful to seek God by prayer, for grace to overcome these impediments,
and for an understanding heart to govern his people. Solomon, having in
his option to ask what he would, he asked an understanding heart, to go
out and in before his people; knowing that the government of a people
was a very difficult work, and needed more than ordinary understanding.
A king hath also many enemies (as our king hath this day), and a praying
king is a prevailing king. Asa, when he had to do with a mighty enemy,
prayed fervently and prevailed. Jehoshaphat was invaded by a mighty
enemy, He prayed and did prevail. Hezekiah prayed against Sennacherib's
huge army and prevailed. Sir, you have many difficulties and oppositions
to meet; acquaint yourself with prayer, be instant with God, and He will
fight for you. Prayers are not in much request at court; but a
covenanted king must bring them in request. I know a king is burthened
with multiplicity of affairs, and will meet with many diversions; but,
sir, you must not be diverted. Take hours, and set them apart for that
exercise: men being once acquainted with your way, will not dare to
divert you. Prayer to God will make your affairs easy all the day. I
read of a king, of whom his courtiers said, "He spoke oftener with God,
than with men." If you be frequent in prayer, you may expect the
blessing of the Most High upon yourself, and upon your government.
2. A king must be careful of the kingdom which he hath sworn to
maintain. We have had many of too private a spirit, by whom
self-interest hath been preferred to the public; it becometh a king well
to be of a public spirit, to care more for the public than his own
interest. Senates and states have had mottoes written over the doors of
their meeting-places. Over the senate house of Rome was written, _Ne
quid respublica detrimenti capiat_. I shall wish this may be written
over your assembly-houses; but there is another which I would have
written with it, _Ne quid ecclesia detrimenti capiat_. Be careful of
both; let neither kirk nor state suffer hurt; let them go together. The
best way for the standing of a kingdom is a well constitute kirk. They
deceive kings who make them believe that the government of the kirk--I
mean presbyterial government--cannot suit with monarchy. They suit well,
it being the ordinance of Christ, rendering unto God what is God's, and
unto Cæsar what is Cæsar's.
3. Kings who have a tender care of the kirk are called nursing fathers.
You should be careful that the gospel may have a free passage through
the kingdom; and that the government of the kirk may be preserved entire
according to your solemn engagement. The kirk hath met with many
enemies, as papists, prelates, malignants, which I pass as known
enemies: but there are two sorts more, who at this time should be
carefully looked on. 1. Sectaries, great enemies to the kirk, and to all
the ordinances of Christ, and more particularly to presbyterial
government, which they have, and would have, altogether destroyed. A
king should set himself against these, because they are enemies, as well
to the king as to the kirk, and strive to make both fall together. 2.
Erastians, more dangerous snares to kings than sectaries; because kings
can look well enough to these, who are against themselves, and their
power, as sectaries, who will have no king. But erastians give more
power to kings than they should have, and are great enemies to
presbyterial government; for they would make kings believe that there is
no government but the civil, and derived from thence, which is a great
wrong to the Son of God, who hath the government of the kirk distinct
from the civil, yet no ways prejudicial to it, being spiritual, and of
another nature. Christ did put the magistrate out of suspicion, that His
kingdom was not prejudicial to civil government, affirming, "My kingdom
is not of this world." This government, Christ hath not committed to
kings, but to the office-bearers of His house, who, in regard of civil
subjection, are under the civil power as well as others; but, in their
spiritual administration, they are under Christ, who hath not given unto
any king upon earth the dispensation of spiritual things to His people.
Sir, you are in covenant with God and His people, and are obliged to
maintain presbyterial government, as well against erastians as
sectaries. I know this erastian humour aboundeth at court. It may be,
some endeavour to make you encroach upon that for which God hath
punished your predecessors. Be who he will that meddleth with this
government to overturn it, it shall be as heavy to him as the
burthensome stone to the enemies of the kirk. "They are cut in pieces,
who burden themselves with it." 3. A king in covenant with the people of
God, should make much of these who are in covenant with him, having in
high estimation the faithful ministers of Christ, and the godly people
of the land. It is rare to find kings lovers of faithful ministers and
pious people. It hath been the fault of our own kings to persecute the
godly. 1. Let the king love the servants of Christ, who speak the truth.
Evil kings are branded with this, that they contemned the prophets. When
Amaziah had taken the gods of Seir, and set them up for his gods, a
prophet came to him and reproved him; unto whom the king said, "Who made
thee of the king's council? Forbear, lest thou be smitten." This
contempt of the prophet's warning is a forerunner of following
destruction. Be a careful hearer of God's word; take with reproof;
esteem of it, as David did, "It shall be an excellent oil, which shall
not break my head." To make much of the faithful servants of Christ,
will be an evidence of reality. 2. Let the king esteem well of godly
professors. Let piety be in account. It is a fault very common, that
pious men, because of their conscientious and strict walking, are hated
by the profane, who love to live loosely: it is usual with profane men
to labour to bring kings to a distaste of the godly; especially when men
who have professed piety have become scandalous, whereupon they are
ready to judge all pious men to be like them; and take occasion to speak
evil of piety. I fear at this time, when men who have been commended for
piety, have fallen foully and betrayed their trust, that men will take
advantage to speak against the godly of the land; beware of this, for it
is Satan's policy to put piety out of request: let not this move any;
fall who will, piety is still the same, and pious men will make
conscience both of their ways and trust; remember, they are precious in
God's eyes who will not suffer men to despise them, without their
reward. Sir, let not your heart be from the godly in the land, whatever
hath fallen out at this time: I dare affirm, there are very many really
godly men who, by their prayers, are supporting your throne.
4. A king should be careful whom he putteth in places of trust, as a
main thing for the good of the kingdom. It is a maxim, that trust should
not be put in their hands who have oppressed the people, or have
betrayed their trust. There is a passage in a story meet for this
purpose: one Septimus Arabinus, a man famous, or rather infamous, for
oppression, was put out of the Senate, but re-admitted about this time;
Alexander Severus being chosen to the empire, the Senators did entertain
him with public salutations and congratulations. Severus, espying
Arabinus amongst the senators, cried out, _O numina! Arabinus non solum
vivit, sed in senatum venit_. Ah! Arabinus not only liveth, but he is in
the senate. Out of just indignation, he could not endure to see him. As
all are not meet for places of trust in judicatures, so all are not meet
for places of trust in armies. Men should be chosen who are godly, and
able for the charge.
But there are some who are not meet for trust. 1. They who are godly,
but have no skill or ability for the places. A man may be a truly godly
man who is not fit for such place; and no wrong is done to him nor to
godliness, when the place is denied to him. I wonder how a godly man can
take upon him a place, whereof he hath no skill. 2. They who have
neither skill nor courage, are very unmeet; for, if it be a place of
never so great moment, faint-heartedness will make them quit it. 3. They
who are both skilful and stout, yet are not honest, but perfidious and
treacherous, should have no trust at all. Of all these we have sad
experience, experience which should not move you to make choice of
profane and godless men, by whom a blessing is not to be expected, but
it should move you to be wary in your choice; I am confident such may
be had, who will be faithful for religion, king and kingdom.
5. There hath been much debate about the exercise of the king's power;
yet he is put in the exercise of his power, and this day put in a better
capacity to exercise it by his coronation. Many are afraid that the
exercise of his power shall prove dangerous to the cause, and indeed I
confess there is ground of fear, when we consider how this power hath
been abused by former kings: therefore, Sir, make good use of this
power, and see that you rather keep within bounds, than exceed in the
exercise of it. I may very well give such a counsel as an old counsellor
gave to a king of France; he, having spent many years at court, desired
to retire into the country for enjoying privacy fit for his age; and,
having obtained leave, the king his master required him to sit down, and
write some advice of government, to leave behind him, which he out of
modesty declined: the king would not be denied, but left with him pen
and ink and a sheet of paper; he, being alone, after some thoughts,
wrote with fair and legible characters in the head of the sheet,
_modus_; in the middle of the sheet, _modus_; and in the foot of the
sheet, _modus_; and wrote no more in all the paper, which he wrapped up
and delivered to the king; meaning that the best counsel he could give
him, was, that he should keep temper in all things. Nothing more fit for
a young king than to keep temper in all things. Take this counsel, Sir,
and be moderate in the use of your power. The best way to keep power, is
moderation in the use of it.
6. The king hath many enemies, even such as are enemies to his family
and to all kingly government; and are now in the bowels of this kingdom,
wasting and destroying; bestir yourself, according to vows and oaths
that are upon you, to be active for the relief of Christ's kingdom,
borne down by them, in all the three kingdoms; and for the relief of
this kingdom grievously oppressed by them. We shall earnestly desire
that God would put that spirit upon our king, now entered upon public
government, which He hath put upon the deliverers of His people from
their cruel oppressors.
In speaking of the king's behaviour to enemies, one thing I cannot pass.
There is much spoken of a treaty with this enemy: I am not of the
judgment of some, who distinguish a treaty before invasion and after
invasion, and say, treatying is very lawful before invasion; because it
is supposed that there is a little wrong done; but after invasion, when
a kingdom is wronged and put to infinite losses, then they say a treaty
is to be shunned; but in my judgment, a treaty may be lawful after
invasion and wrongs sustained; the end of war is peace, neither should
desire of revenge obstruct it, providing it be such a treaty and peace
as is not prejudicial to religion, nor to the safety of the kingdom, nor
to the undoubted right of the king, nor to the league and covenant,
whereunto we are so solemnly engaged.
But, I must break off this treaty with a story related in Plutarch. The
city of Athens was in a great strait, wherein they knew not what to do.
Themistocles in this strait said he had something wherein to give his
opinion, for the behoof of the state, but he thought it not fit to
deliver himself publicly. Aristides, a man of great trust, is appointed
to hear him privately, and to make an account as he thought meet. When
Aristides came to make his report to the senate, he told them that
Themistocles' advice was indeed profitable, but not honest, whereupon
the people would not so much as hear it. There is much whispering of a
treaty, they are not willing to speak publicly of it: hear them in
private, and it may be the best advice shall be profitable, but not
honest. If a treaty should be, let it be both profitable and honest, and
no lover of peace will be against it.
7. Seeing the king is now upon the renewing of the covenants, it should
be remembered that we enter into covenant, according to our profession
therein, with reality, sincerity, and constancy, which are the
qualifications of good covenanters. Many doubt of your reality in the
covenant, let your sincerity and reality be evidenced by your
stedfastness and constancy; for many have begun well, but have not been
constant. In the sacred history of kings, we find a note upon kings
according to their carriages: one of three sentences is written upon
them. 1. Some kings have this written on them, "He did evil in the sight
of the Lord." They neither begin well, nor end well; such an one was
Ahaz, king of Judah, and divers others in that history. 2. Others have
this written on them, "He did that which was right in the sight of the
Lord, but not with a perfect heart." Such an one was Amaziah king of
Judah. He was neither sincere nor constant: when God blessed him with
victory against the Edomites, he fell foully from the true worship of
God, and set up the gods of Edom. 3. A third sentence is written upon
the godly kings of Judah, "He did right in the sight of the Lord, with a
perfect heart." As Asa, Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat, and Josiah, they were
both sincere and constant. Let us neither have the first nor the second,
but the third written upon our king, "He did right in the sight of the
Lord, with a perfect heart." Begin well, and continue constant.
Before I close, I shall seek leave to lay before our young king, two
examples to beware of, and one to follow. The two warning examples, one
of them is in the text, another in our own history.
The first example is of Joash. He began well, and went on in a godly
reformation all the days of Jehoiada; but, it is observed, "That after
the days of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came, and did obeisance to
the king, and he hearkened unto them." It appeareth, they had been lying
in wait till the death of Jehoiada; and took the opportunity to destroy
the true worship of God, and set up false worship, flattering the king
for that effect: for it is said, "They left the house of the Lord, and
served groves and idols;" and were so far from being reclaimed by the
prophet of the Lord that was sent unto them, that they conspired against
Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada, who reproved them mildly for their
idolatry, and stoned him with stones, and slew him at the king's
commandment. And it is said, "Joash remembered not the kindness that
Jehoiada his father had done to him, but slew his son." Sir, take this
example for a warning. You are obliged by the covenant to go on in the
work of reformation. It may be, some great ones are waiting their time,
not having opportunity to work for the present, till afterward they may
make obeisance, and persuade you to destroy all that hath been done in
the work of God, these divers years. Beware of it; let no allurement or
persuasion prevail with you, to fall from that which this day you bind
yourself to maintain.
Another example I give you, yet in recent memory, of your grandfather,
king James. He fell, to be very young, in a time full of difficulties:
yet there was a godly party in the land who did put the crown upon his
head. And when he came to some years, he and his people entered into a
covenant with God. He was much commended by godly and faithful men,
comparing him to young Josiah standing at the altar, renewing a covenant
with God; and he himself did thank God that he was born in a reformed
kirk, better reformed than England: for they retained many popish
ceremonies: yea better reformed than Geneva; for they keep some holy
days; charging his people to be constant and promising himself to
continue in that reformation, and to maintain the same. Notwithstanding
of all this, he made a foul defection: he remembered not the kindness of
them who had held the crown upon his head; yea he persecuted faithful
ministers for opposing that course of defection: he never rested till he
had undone presbyterial government and kirk assemblies, setting up
bishops, and bringing in ceremonies, against which formerly he had
given large testimony. In a word, he laid the foundation whereupon his
son, our late king, did build much mischief to religion, all the days of
his life. Sir, I lay this example before you the rather because it is so
near you, that the guiltiness of the transgression lieth upon the throne
and family, and it is one of the sins for which you have professed
humiliation very lately. Let it be laid to heart, take warning, requite
not faithful men's kindness with persecution; yea, requite not the Lord
so, who hath preserved you to this time, and is setting a crown upon
your head. Requite not the Lord with apostasy and defection from a sworn
covenant: but be stedfast in the covenant, as you would give testimony
of your true humiliation for the defection of these that went before
you.
I have set up these two examples before you, as beacons to warn you to
keep off such dangerous courses, and shall add one for imitation, which,
if followed, may happily bring with it the blessing of that godly man's
adherence to God. The example is of Hezekiah, who did that "which was
right in the sight of the Lord." It is said of him, "He trusted in the
Lord God of Israel, and he clave unto the Lord, and departed not from
following Him, but kept His commandments." And "The Lord was with him,
and he prospered whithersoever he went forth."
Sir, follow this example, cleave unto the Lord, and depart not from
following Him, and the Lord will be with you, and prosper you,
whithersoever you go. To this Lord, from whom we expect a blessing upon
this day's work, be glory and praise for ever. Amen.
CHARLES II. TAKING THE COVENANTS.
Sermon being ended, prayer was made for a blessing upon the doctrine
delivered. The king began to renew the covenants. First the National
Covenant and then the Solemn League and Covenant were distinctly read.
After the reading of these covenants, the minister prayed for grace to
perform the contents of the covenants, and for faithful stedfastness in
the oath of God: and then (the ministers, commissioners of the General
Assembly, desired to be present, standing before the pulpit) he
administered the oath unto the king, who, kneeling and lifting up his
right hand, did swear in the words following.
"I Charles, king of Great Britain, France and Ireland, do assure and
declare, by my solemn oath, in the presence of Almighty God, the
searcher of hearts, my allowance and approbation of the National
Covenant, and of the Solemn League and Covenant above written, and
faithfully oblige myself to prosecute the ends thereof in my station and
calling; and that I for myself and successors, shall consent and agree
to all acts of parliament enjoining the national covenant and the solemn
league and covenant, and fully establishing presbyterial government, the
directory for worship, confession of faith, and catechisms, in the
kingdom of Scotland, as they are approven by the General Assemblies of
this Kirk, and Parliament of this kingdom; and that I shall give my
royal assent, to acts and ordinances of parliament passed, or to be
passed, enjoining the same in my other dominions: and that I shall
observe these in my own practice and family, and shall never make
opposition to any of these, or endeavour any change thereof."[16]
After the king had thus solemnly sworn the National Covenant, the League
and Covenant, and the King's Oath, subjoined unto both, being drawn up
in a fair parchment; the king did subscribe the same, in presence of
all.
Thereafter the king ascended the stage, and sitteth down in the chair of
state. Then the lords, great constable, and marshal, went to the four
corners of the stage, with the lion going before them; who spoke to the
people these words, "Sirs, I do present unto you the king CHARLES, the
rightful and undoubted heir of the crown, and dignity of this realm:
this day is by the parliament of this kingdom appointed for his
coronation; and are you not willing to have him for your king, and
become subject to his commandments?"
In which action, the king's majesty stood up, showing himself to the
people, in each corner; and the people expressed their willingness, by
cheerful acclamations in these words, "God save the king, CHARLES the
Second."
Thereafter the king's majesty, supported by the constable and marshal,
cometh down from the stage, and sitteth down in the chair, where he
heard the sermon. The minister, accompanied with the ministers
before-mentioned, cometh from the pulpit toward the king, and requireth,
if he was willing to take the oath, appointed to be taken at the
coronation? The king answered, he was most willing.
Then the oath of coronation, as it is contained in the eighth act of the
first parliament of king James, being read by the lion, the tenor
whereof followeth:
"Because that the increase of virtue, and suppressing of idolatry,
craveth, that the prince and the people be of one perfect religion;
which of God's mercy is now presently professed within this realm:
therefore it is statuted and ordained, by our sovereign lord, my lord
regent, and three estates of this present parliament: that all kings,
princes, and magistrates whatsoever, holding their place, which
hereafter at any time shall happen to reign, and bear rule over this
realm, at the time of their coronation, and receipt of their princely
authority, make their faithful promise, in the presence of the eternal
God; that, enduring the whole course of their lives, they shall serve
the same eternal God to the uttermost of their power, according as He
hath required in His most holy Word, revealed and contained in the New
and Old Testaments; and, according to the same words, shall maintain the
true religion of Christ Jesus, the preaching of His holy Word, and due
and right ministration of the sacraments now received and preached
within this realm: and shall abolish and gainstand all false religions,
contrary to the same: and shall rule the people committed to their
charge, according to the will and command of God, revealed in His
foresaid Word, and according to the loveable laws and constitutions
received in this realm, no ways repugnant to the said Word of the
eternal God; and shall procure to the uttermost of their power, to the
kirk of God and whole Christian people, true and perfect peace, in time
coming. The rights and rents, with all just privileges of the crown of
Scotland, to preserve and keep inviolated: neither shall they transfer,
nor alienate the same. They shall forbid and repress, in all estates and
degrees, rife oppression, and all kind of wrong: in all judgments they
shall command and procure that justice and equity be keeped to all
creatures, without exception, as the Lord and Father of Mercies, be
merciful unto them: and out of their lands and empire they shall be
careful to root all heretics, and enemies to the true worship of God,
that shall be convict by the true kirk of God, of the foresaid crimes;
and that they shall faithfully affirm the things above written by their
solemn oath."
The minister tendered the oath unto the king, who, kneeling and holding
up his light hand, swore in these words, "By the Eternal and Almighty
God, who liveth and reigneth for ever, I shall observe and keep all
that is contained in this Oath."
This done, the king's majesty sat down in his chair and reposeth himself
a little.