RIGHT REJOICING. 3S edifying meetings for mutual assistance in the matters ofsalvation ; or to the cherishing of ignorance or Popery ; in the people it will blast the glory of all that you have done, and turn the mercy into gall. Believe it, the interest of Christ and holinesswill be found at last the surest ground for any prince to build his interest upon ; and the owningof corrupt and contrary interests that engage men in quarrels with the interest of Christ, is it that hath undone so many princes and states already, that it should make the greatest learn, at last, to account it their highest honor to be the servants of the King of Saints, and to devote their power to the accomplishment of his will. I need not tell you that it is the sober, godly, con- scionable sort of men who know what they do, and why, that will be the honor of their governors, and the most useful of their sub- jects, and not the barbarous, malignant rabble, that understand not what belongs to the pleasingof God, the happiness of themselves, the good of the commonwealth,or the honor of their king. And do you not think that remissness, to say no worse, of magistrates, who should restrain the insolenciesof such, is a great dishonor to our nation, and a great temptation to many in the country, that stand at a distance from the fountain of affairs, to continue their fears lest we have changed for the worse ? Put yourselves in their cases, and tell me whether you could, with equal cheerfulness, keep this day, if you were used, as many able, faithful ministers and people are in the cities and countries of the land, who have their persons assaulted, their windows battered, their ministrations open- ly reviled, and that go in danger of their lives from the brutish rabble that were formerly exasperated by the magistrates' punishing them, or the ministers' reproof, or crossing them in their sins. As physicians are judged of, not so much by the excellency of their remedies, as by their success, and the people think of themas they see, the patients live or die, so will they do by your great perform- ances, which you mention before the Lord this day. Should they prove to the suppression of serious godliness, and the setting up of the wicked ofthe land, I need not tell you what a name it will leave unto the actors to all generations. But if you vigilantly im- prove them as you have given us abundant reason to expect, then the issue shall be the healing concord of the churches, the curbing of profaneness, the promotingof a plain and serious ministry, and of the diligent service of the Lord. This is it that will make your names immortal, that have been the happy instruments of so blessed a work. How joyfully, then, will the subjects commemo- rate the happy introduction of their sovereign ! With what love and honor will they hear his name ! How readily will they obey him ! How heartily will they pray for him ! How precious will VOL. H. 49
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=