that vou heard the hallelujahs of the palm-bearing multitude, or the shrieks of damned cast-aways; would it be so indifferent a thing to you, whether you obey Christ's call, or no ? Believe it, these are no devised fables, but do really exist, whether you mind them or not. And why should you not suppose, and forethink things so sure, and so nigh ? A sweet voice comes from heaven this day, saying, let ail that expect to enjoy the glory that is here, see that they submit heartily to Christ's sceptre ; for he saves no more than he rules : And the whole number of the glorified in heaven is made up of such as heartily closed with Christ's terms on earth. A dreadful voice com.es up from hell, crying, (as it were) in your ears ; as ever you expect to escape the miseries and torments that are here, do not re- ject Christ's yoke and government as we did: Our yielding up of ourselves to the sway and goYernment of our lusts, was our ruin.
Use III. To conclude : Let all men try their own estates, and ex- amine to what king they do indeed belong, and whose subjects in truth they are, Christ's or Satan's; for these two kingdoms divide the v, hole vrorld. God hath furnished us with self-reflecting powers ; ive are able to retire out of the confused noises of the world, and sit retired in the innermost closet of our own souls, where none but God and our consciences shall be privy to our debates ; and there so- lemnly demand of our conscience, and charge it to make plain and faithful answers to such questions and enquiries as these:
Quest 1. To whom do I yield the most prompt, cheerful and constant obedience? To the commands of Christ, or to the solicita- tions of Satan and my own lusts ? He that hath my obedience, the same is my Lord and King, Kom. vi. 16. " To whom ye yield your- selves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey.'' When God and conscience calls me to pray, and the world calls me off to attend its ensnaring pleasures, and unnecessary employments ; which of these calls do I pay obedience to ?
Quest. 2. AVho governs the secret and unseen part of my life ? That every man is, in the account of God, which he is in secret, Rom. ii. 28, 29. Now who is king in the closet ? And what rules do my thoughts move by ? If Christ bring my thoughts into obedi- ence, so that I dare not indulge to myself a sinful liberty to enjoy the speculative pleasure of the sins I have acted, or would act, had I opportunity for it : And if I am in the fear of God when alone, and make conscience of my secret, as w^ll as public duties ; then I am under Christ's government, and he is king of my soul, 2 Cor. x. 5. Mat. vi. 6. But if I make an external shew of obedience to Christ, and secretly obey my lusts ; I am really the servant of sin, and belong to another king. O my conscience ! what sayest thou to these things ?
Quest 3. Whom do I follow, or heartily resolve to follow, when it comes to a parting-point betwixt Christ and the w^orld; when I must cleave to the one, and forsake the other ? Matth. vi. 24. Do I ^vith full purpose of heart cleave to the Lord ? Acts xi. 23. Is it my
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sincere resolution to follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth ? Rev. xiv. 4. Or have I secret reserves to quit Christ's service, and give religion the slip, when it comes to real distress and difficulty ? These are sounding questions, and will discover whose government we are under.
Thus I have endeavoured to spiritualize and improve the great and solemn actions of this good day ; a day for which (I hope) the children yet unborn shall praise the Lord. How happy will our king and queen be, if they reign over a people that Christ reigneth over ; and will conscientiously pay them obedience in, and for the Lord ! I believe it will be a greater joy to their souls, to see you set the crown upon Christ's head, in your subjection to his laws, than to see the imperial crown of England set upon their own heads. Religion breeds the best subjects.
Let England praise the Lord for such a day as this ! how many sad years are run out, since it saw the crown upon the heads of a Protestant king and queen at once i Let faithful magistrates rejoice they shall never more be put upon the odious and dangerous drudgery of persecuting good men, under such a government as this.
Let ministers rejoice, yea, let them rejoice with double joy to others ! they shall no more be driven into corners, nor put to silence, (a silence as bitter as death) whilst the royal sceptre is swayed by such hands, wherein God hath now placed it.
Let all the people rejoice, for these their rulers shall be to them as the light of the morning, and as the clear shining after rain, 2 Sam. xxiii. 3, 4. And let us all say, Isa. xxv. 9. " Lo, this is our God ; we have waited for him, and he will save us : This is the Lord, we have waited for him ; we will rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
Matth. xxiv. 45, 46, 47.
Who then is a faithful and wise servant^ whom the Lord hath made ruler over his houseJwld, to give them meat in due season f Blessed is that servant, whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall Jind so doing-. Verily, I say unto you, that he shall make him ruler over all hi» goods.
X HIS great and solemn assembly, (met upon a greater and more solemn account,) brings to my mind those words, and with the words, a very sensible touch of the same affection, with which the church uttered them, Isa. xhx. 20, 91. ' Children, which thou shalt have after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me : Give place to me, that I may dwell. Then shalt thou say in thine heart. Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and I am desolate ; a captive, and removing to and fro ? And who hath brought up these ? Behold, I was left alone : these, where had they been ?'
Words, big with holy admiration and wonder, at her strange and sudden increase and multiplication, after such a wasting time as these seventy sad years had been to her. This was a miraculous and surprizing work of God, in their eyes.
We have had our wasting time, as well as they ; multitudes of faithful and prudent ministers have been swept into their graves by ejections, banishments, imprisonments, and heart-breaking silencings. Whence then are all these which our eyes behold this day ! Who hath begotten us, and brought up these.? These, where had they been ; and out of what secret recesses are they come .?
Many thought the days of our prosperity, and opportunities of our service, had been numbered and finished, and that God had no more work (except suffering work) for us ; when lo, above and be- yond the desponding thoughts, and unbelieving fears of our hearts, we are here this day in a numerous assembly, with peace and liberty, to consult the affairs of Chris^akeingdom.
Yea, to the joy of our souls, we see the plummets and lines, once
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