oil. It is of
more worth for a king to be the anointed of the Lord with grace, than to
be the greatest monarch of the world without it.

2. This anointing may put a king in mind of the gifts, wherewith kings
should be endowed, for discharge of their royal calling. For anointing
did signify the gifts of office. It is said of Saul, when he was
anointed king; "God gave him another heart." And "The Spirit of God came
upon him." It is meant of a heart for his calling, and a spirit of
ability for government. It should be our desire this day, that our king
may have a spirit for his calling; as the spirit of wisdom, fortitude,
justice and other princely endowments.

3. This anointing may put subjects in mind of the sacred dues of the
authority of a king. He should be respected as the Lord's anointed.
There are diverse sorts of persons that are enemies to the authority of
kings; as 1. Anabaptists, who deny there should be kings in the New
Testament: they would have no kings nor civil magistrates. 2. The late
Photinians, who speak respectfully of kings and magistrates, but they
take away from them their power, and the exercise of it in the
administration of justice. 3. Those who rise against kings in open
rebellion, as Absalom and Sheba, who said, "What have we to do with
David, the son of Jesse? To your tents, O Israel." 4. They who do not
rebel openly, yet they despise a king in their heart, like these sons of
Belial, who said of Saul, after he was anointed king, "Shall this man
save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents." All these
meet in our present age. 1. Anabaptists, who are against the being of
kings, are very rife. You may find, to our great grief, a great number
of them in that army, that hath unjustly invaded the land, who have
trampled upon the authority of kings. 2. These are also of the second
sort, who are secretly Photinians in this point, they allow of kings in
profession; but they are against the exercise of their power in the
administration of justice. 3. A third sort are in open rebellion, even
all that generation which are risen up not only against the person of a
king, but against kingly government. 4. There is a fourth, who profess
they acknowledge a king; but despise him in their heart, saying "Shall
this man save us?" I wish all had David's tenderness, whose heart did
smite him, when he did but cut off the lap of Saul's garment, that we
may be far from cutting off a lap of the just pow