2. WITH a Regard to his Intereft, as the Rule of their Subjection.

ift. SWEARING by the Lord, as it comes into the Cafe of a Peoples Homage, is an Appeal to him for the Truth of what they pretend to. And this is fo great a Solemnity, that it is pity there fhould be any thing to take off from the Minds of Men the Reverence with which they ought to do it. For, it's as far as we can go in affuring one another of our Integrity. An Oath among Men is for Confirmation, and an Heb, vi. End of all Strife: And therefore thofe People muft 16. have funk their Apprehenfions of a Divine Majefty, and a future Reckoning, who will dare to fwear falfly. 'Tis a great deal more than deceiving Man; 'tis a Challenge given to the Perfections of God a telling him that either he does not fee the Fraud, or that he cannot avenge it.

THERE is in every Oath a double Solemnity; First, it's laying one Truth in pawn for another; we give in fomething that is undoubted in Teftimony of fomething that is now in Difpute. That as furely as I believe a God, and take his Word to be True, fo what I now fay is agreeable to it. That I would no more be a Deceiver in this Affair, than I would be an Infidel. But befides this, there is another Part in ani Oath; and that is, Secondly, an Imprecation; that upon the Falfhood of what I am now profeffing, I difclaim all the Mercies promis'd in the Book of God, and challenge upon my Soul and Body, every Curfe that is recorded there. If what I fay be not true and juft, I quit Heaven for Hell; give up all my Hopes of the Former, and avow my Right to the Latter:

THERE is no lefs than this in the Homage of a Subject to his Prince. He has call'd in God as a Witness, he stands open to him as a Judge. And would any Perfon dare to do this with lying lips, who knows the Solemnity of Swearing by the Lord? Keep Eccl. viii. the King's Commandment, and that with regard to the 3. Oath of God. What must that Man have been, who,

for

for any Secular Advantage would have given his Oath to David, and, at the fame time, believ'd an Hereditary Right in Ihbofheth? Is it not dreadful to think that People fhould not only cheat one another, but that the Name of God fhall be us'd; to Sanctify the Lye ? Can any Intereft of a Family, any Zeal for a Perfon be an Atonement for the Vileft mixture of Falfhood Exod. xx. and Blafphemy? God will not bold him guiltles who taketh bis Name in vain.

7.

NOW, this is what David promises, that they who fwear by the Lord, whofe Integrity he was fully affured of, fhould glory under his Government. No doubt of it, there were many crouding to his Court at Hebron, whofe Loyalty rofe when Saul fell: They took ther Convictions from Mount Gilboa, as fome in England did theirs from the Battle at the Boyne. But these were a Sam, iv. his Contempt Ifbbofheth, Saul's Son had two Servants, Baanah and Rechab, who were employ'd in his House, which they could not have been, without giving him an Affurance how hearty a Zeal they had for the Roy, al Family. And, yet you fee what a Vain Principle Loyalty is when Moral Truth is wanting. They continue in that Intereft till Abner leaves it; but when they faw there was nothing to be got by their King, they not only Drep him but Mu der him. And, tho they had often call'd David an Ufurper, yet now they bring him the Head of the Right Heir.

WHAT a fad Dependance muft a Prince have upon fuch Zealots as these? They'll tell him of Obedience without Referve, that their Lives and Eftates are at his Command, that he has an Authority to use them as he would do his Cattle; and, which is the worst of all, they cloath thefe lying Words with the Name of God. And, yet you fee, when things come to the Pinch, their Soveraign is their Property, and inftead of having the Service of Their Lives, He hath no Security of his own. For if they cannot make a Tool of his Crown, they'll make a Sale of his Head, But, are fuch Swearers as thefe defign'd for the Glory that David mentions? Are thefe the Strength of any Government? Or fhould their Weight how'd to

caft

caft the Scale, who would come in on either Side ? No, the Pfalmift meant a more upright fort of People in the Defcription that he gives us.

2dly. IN Swearing by the Lord, they make the Divine Glory the Rule of their Subjection, Can an Oath in the Name of God oblige me to Difhonour Him? When I call a Perfon my Soveraign, is my Reafon and my Confcience, from that time, his Property? No, thefe I have received from the King of Kings; nor can I difpofe of 'em to any Power upon Earth, without being guilty of High-Treafon against Heaven. But, this is what I have fo often enlarg'd upon in other Sermons, that I fhall difmifs it here.

2. THIS Swearing by the Lord,may be underftood of their pure Religion before God and our Father. The whole of his Worship, and of our Concern with him, is often exprefs'd in this as the moft Important Article, and there are feveral things that we muft comprehend in fuch a Notion of a Good Man. If he is one that Swears by the Lord,

IT fignifies an Engagement that he has laid him. -felf under to ferve him. 'Tis a making over all the Right that he has either in Soul or Body; that they fhall be the Lord's in a perpetual Covenan, that is ne- Jer. 1. §. ver to be forgotten. Tield your Selves to Him, as thofe that Rom. vi. are Alive from the Dead, and your Members Inftruments 13. of Righteoufneẞ unto Holineß. And this cannot be unlefs we take him to be the Guide as well as the Object of our Duty. To Act upon any other Rules than he has given us, is a Breach of our Oath; 'tis Swearing by the Lord, and Swearing by Malcham. This Zep". i. §. Expreffion in my Text fignifies that we are given up to him, and can, upon no Account, depart from the Commands that he has publifh'd, we avow his Authority over us, and difown every other Pretenfion

AND then, their Swearing by him must have an Influence upon their whole Converfation. He that deals faithfully with God, will do fo with Men. For, by that Oath, he has oblig'd himself to a Confcience Acts xxiv.

void 16

void of Offence towards both. And certainly these ought to glory in a Government, which they do not Pfal. ci. 6. only Serve, but Adorn; Mine Eyes, fays David, fall be upon the Faithful of the Land, that he may ever dwell with me: And that Refolution would come with him to the Throne, which you find, Pfal. xvi. 2. My Goodnefs extends not unto Thee, but unto the Saints and to the Excellent of the Earth, in whom is all my Delight. Men who are afraid of difpleafing God, and full of an Awe to his Jealoufy, who dare not believe by Proxy, or take their Opinions upon Truft, do in those very Scruples, (whether they are right or wrong) give a publick Honour to Confcience. They let the World fee, that there is something that they cannot be hir'd to do. The Scripture has diftinguifh'd them from others, who stick at nothing. There is a mighty DifEccl. ix.2. ference between him that Swears, and him that fears an Oath, who knows how great a Solemnity it is.

THESE may be defpis'd, as they always are, by Men that make Religion only an Engine of State; they venture at all, and run thro' any Form of Worfhip, that has Preferment on the other Side, fuppofing that Gain is Godliness. And it is fcarce to be imagin'd that They will object against a Pofture in the Church, who put themselves into any in a Court. But what Affurance can thefe give to Men, who are fo loose to thofe Concerns they have with God? They that Swear to the Lord in Truth, dare not Eccl. v.4. take Things for granted; they know he has no Pleasure in Fools. Tis of very little Value with them what Men say is Lawful, if there is but an Appearance that God has told 'em otherwife. They do not work up a Rule out of Scripture and Councils, the Voice of Heaven, and the Traditions of Men; for, what Communion can Light have with Darkneß? Now, these deferve to glory in a Righteous Caufe; they that are moft Faithful in the Service of God, are likely to be fo in their Allegiance to the King.

3. THIS Swearing by the Lord, may refer to the Troubles they had been in. The Phrafe is taken in

this

2.

this Senfe. Lord, remember David and all his Affli- Pf.cxxxiii Etions, how he fware to the Lord, and how'd to the mighty 1, 2. God of Jacob. It has been the Practice of good People, when their Fears are gathering within, or Danger lowring over their Heads, not only to fpread their Cafe before God, but to lay themfelves under new Engage ments, when the Mercy came. So did Jacob, when he run from his Father's Houfe, If the Lord will be Gen. with me in the Way that I go, and give me Bread to eat, xxviii. 20, and Raiment to put on, then shall the Lord be my God. 21. And thus do the Children of Ifracl, when King Arad Num. xxi. the Canaanite took fome of 'em Prifoners, They vow'd a Vow unto the Lord, and faid, if Thou wilt indeed deliver this People into my Hands, then will I deftroy their Cities. And this they might do in the Time of David's Banishment from the Court. As his Title to the Crown had spread itself among the People, fo the Wifhes of all good Men were on his fide. Abigail told him, that God would build him a fure Houfe: And it could not but raise in every thinking Perfon a Dread of what was coming upon 'em, when they faw King Saul indulge his Envy at the expence of all publick Juftice. Tho' David was the only Man that he now purfued, yet what could a Nation expect from One, who fought the Life of his Son, his beft Commander and trueft Friend? A Prince that will facrifice all thefe Engagements to a private Paffion, leaves no room for any confidence in his Word. Who knows where the Royal Fury will fall next?

UPON this, the good People could not but de fire that they might be put into better Hands; and perhaps, on that Occafion, they would make Vows to the Lord, that if he would but unload 'em of a Tyfant, and set over 'em a Man after his own' Heart, the eafiness of their State fhould promote the Ardour of their Duty. These ought to glory in David's Government, 'tis what they had long'd and pray'd for. The Mercy brings a Claim with it upon them. God has their Vows upon Record, what manner of Perfons they would be. They always attended the right Intereft as far as ever they could; and when their Hands were D

ryed,