and reigneth for ever, we become your Liege-men, and Truth and Faith fhall bear unto you, and live and die with you against all manner of folks whatsoever, in your service, according to the National Covenant, and folemn League and Covenant.

Then did the Earls and Vicounts put on their Crowns: and the Lion likewife put on his.

Then did the Lord Chamberlain loofe the Sword wherewith the King was girded; and drew it, and deliver'd it drawn into the King's hands, and the King put it into the hands of the great Conftable to carry it naked before him.

Then John Earl of Crawford and Lindfay took the Scepter, and put it in the King's Right hand, faying, Sir, receive this Scepter, the fign of Royal Power of the Kingdom, that you may govern your felf right, and defend all the Chriftian People committed by God to your charge, punishing the wicked, and protecting the juft.

Then did the King afcend the Stage, attended by the Offcers of the Crown and Nobility, and was inftalled in the Royal Throne by Archibald Marquis of Argyle, faxing, Stand and hold fast from henceforth, the place whereof you are the Lawful and Righteous Heir, by a long and lineal Succefion of your Fathers, which is now delivered unto you by authority of Almighty God.

When the King was fet down upon the Throne, the Minifter fpoke to him a word of Exhortation, as followeth.

Sir, You are fet down upon the Throne in a very difficult time: I Shall therefore put you in mind of a Scriptural expreffion of a Throne, 1 Chron. 29.23. It is faid, Solomon fate on the Throne of the Lord. Sir, you are a King, and a King in Covenant with the Lord; if You would have the Lord to own you to be his King, and his Throne to be your Throne, 1 defire you may have fome thoughts of this expreffion.

1. It is the Lord's Throne; Remember you have a King above you, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, who commandeth Thrones: He fetteth Kings and Thrones, and dethroneth them at his pleasure: Therefore take a word of advice: Be thankful to him, who hath brought you through many wanderings to fet you on this Throne: Kifs the Son, left he -be angry; and learn to ferve him with fear, who is terrible to the Kings of the Earth. 2. Your Throne is the Lord's Throne, and your People the Lord's People: Let not your heart be lifted up above your brethren, Deut. 17. 20. They are your brethren, not only flesh of your flesh, but brethren by Covenant with God; let your Government be refreshing unto them, as the rain on the mown grass. 3. Your Throne is the Lord's Throne; beware of making his Throne a Throne of Iniquity: There is fuch a Throne, Pfal. 94. 20. which frameth mischief by a Law: God will not own fuch a Throne, it hath no fellowship with him. Sir, there is too much iniquity upon the Throne by your Predecef fors, who framed mischief by a Law; fuch Laws as have been deftructive

to

to Religion, and grievous to the Lord's People: You are on the Thrones and have the Scepter; beware of touching mischievous Laws therewith. But as the Throne is the Lord's Throne, let the Laws be the Lord's Laws, agreeable to bis Word; fuch as are terrible to evil doers, and comfortable to the godly, and a relief to the poor and oppreffed in the Land. 4. The Lord's Throne putteth you in mind whom you shall have about the Throne; wicked Counsellors are not for a King upon the Lord's Throne: Solomon knew this, who said, Prov. 25. 5. Take away the wicked from before the King, and his Throne fhall be eftablifh'd in Righteoufnefs. And Prov. 20. 8. A King upon the Throne scattereth away all evil with his eyes. The Lord's Throne putteth you in mind, that the Judgment on the Throne should be the Lord's take the Exhortation, Jer. 22. from the beginning; the Prophet hath a Command to go to the Houfe of the King of Judah, and Jay, Hear the Word of the Lord, O King of Judah, that fitteth upon the Throne, and thy fervants, and thy people; Execute ye Fudgment and Righteoufnefs, and deliver the Spoil out of the hand of the Oppreffor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the Stranger, the Fatherless, nor the Widow, neither fhed innocent blood in this place. If ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter by the gates of this House, Kings fitting upon the Throne of David. But if ye will not hear these words, I fwear by my felf, faith the Lord, This house shall become a defolation. And ver. 7. I will prepare Destroyers against thee.

Sir, Deftroyers are prepar'd for the Injuftice of the Throne; I intreat you, execute righteous Judgment; if you do it not, your House will be a Defolation: But if you do that which is right, God fhall remove the Deftroyers, and you shall be eftablish'd on your Throne: and there fhall yet be Dignity in your Houfe, for your Servants, and for your People.

Laftly, If your Throne be the Throne of the Lord, take a word of Encouragement againft Throne-Adverfaries. Your Enemies are the Enemies of the Lord's Throne: Make your Peace with God in Chrift, and the Lord fhall fcatter your Enemies from the Throne, and he fhall magnify you yet in the fight of thefe Nations, and make the milled People fubmit themfelves willingly to your Government. Sir, If you use well the Lord's Throne, on which you are fet, then the two words in the place cited, 1 Chron. 29. 23. fpoken of Solomon fitting on the Throne of the Lord, He profpered, and all Ifrael obey'd him, fhall belong unto you; your People fhall obey you in the Lord, and you fhall profper in the fight of the Na tions round about.

Then the Lord Chancellor went to the four Corners of the Stage, the Lion King of Arms going before him; and proclaim'd his Majefty's free Pardon to all Breakers of Penal Statutes, and made offer thereof. Whereupon the People cried, nd fave the King.

Then

Then the King, fupported by the great Conftable, Marshal, and accompanied with the Chancellor, arofe from the Throne, and went out at door prepared for that purpofe, to a Stage, and showeth himself to the People without, who clapped their hands, and cried with a loud Voice, a long time, God Save the King.

Then the King returning, and fitting down upon the Throne, deliver'd the Scepter to the Earl of Crawford and Lindfay, to be carried before him. Thereafter the Lion King of Arms rehearsed the Royal Line of the Kings upward, to Fergus the firft.

Then the Lion called the Lords one by one, who kneeling, and holding their hands betwixt the King's hands, did fwear thefe words; By the Eternal and Almighty God, who liveth and reigneth for ever, I become your Liegeman, and Truth and Faith fhall bear unto you, and live and dye with you, against all manner of folks whatfoever, in your fervice, according to the National Covenant, and folemn League and Covenant.

And every one of them kiffed the King's left Cheek.

When these Solemnities were ended, the Minifter ftanding before the King on his Throne, pronounced this Bleffing.

The Lord bless thee, and fave thee; the Lord bear thee in the day of trouble; the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee: the Lord fend thee help from the Sanctuary, and strengthen thee out of Sion. Amen.

After the Bleffing pronounc'd, the Minifter went to the Pulpit, and had the following Exhortation, the King fitting ftill upon the Throne. Ye have this day a King Crowned, and entred into Covenant with God, and his People; look, both King and People, that ye keep this Covenant, and beware of the breach of it. That you may be the more careful to keep it, I will lay a few things before you.

I remember when the Solemn League and Covenant was entred by both Nations, the Commiffioners from England being prefent in the Eaft Kirk of Edinburgh, a paffage was cited out of Nehem. 6. 13. which I fhall now again cite. Nehemiah required an Oath of the Nobles and People, to reftore the mortgaged Lands, which they promifed to do: after the Oath was tendred, in the 13th Verfe he did fhake his Lap, and faid, So God shake out every man from his house, and from his labour, that performeth not his promife; even thus be he fhaken out and emptied, and all the Congregations faid, Amen. Since that time many of thofe who were in Covenant are fhaken out of it, yea, they have fhaken off the Covenant, and laid it afide. It is true, they are profpering this Day, and think that they profper by laying afide the Covenant; but they will be deceiv'd; that word poken then, fhall not fall to the ground; God fhall fhake

them

them out of their poffeffion, and empty them for their perfidious Breach of the Covenant.

The fame I fay to King and Nobles, and all that are in CoIf you break that Covenant, being fo folemnly fworn, all these who have touch'd your Crown, and fworn to fupport it, fhall not be able to hold it on ; but God will fhake it off, and turn you from the Throne: And ye Noblemen, who are affiftant to the putting on of the Crown, and fetting the King upon the Throne; if ye fhall either affift, or advife the King to break the Covenant, and overturn the Work of God, he fhall fhake you out of your Poffeffions, and empty you of all your Glory.

What

Another paffage I offer to your Confideration, Jer. 34. 8. After that Zedekiah had promifed to proclaim Liberty to all the Lord's People, who were Servants, and entred in a Covenant, he and his Princes, to let them go free, and according to the Oath had let them go; afterwards they caufed the Servants to return, and brought them in fubjection, ver. 11. followeth upon this Breach? Ver. 15, 16. Te were now turned, and had done right in my fight in proclaiming liberty: but ye turned, and made them jervants again. And therefore, ver. . 18, 19, 20, 21. I will give the men who have tranfgreffed my Covenant, who have not performed the words of the Covenant which they made before me, when they cut the Calf in twain, and passed between the parts thereof, I will even give them into the hands of their enemies, into the hand of them that feek their life, even Zedekiah and his Princes. If the Breach of a Covenant, made for the Liberty of Servants, was fo punish'd, what fhall be the Punishment of the Breach of a Covenant for Religion, and Liberty of the People of God? There is nothing more terrible to Kings and Princes, than to be given into the hands of Enemies, that feek their life. If ye would efcape this Judgment, let King and Princes keep their Covenant made with God: Your Enemies, who feek your Life, are in the Land; if you break the Covenant, it may be fear'd, God will give you over unto them as a Prey: But if ye yet keep Covenant, it may be expected, God will keep you out of their hands.

Let not the place ye heard opened be forgotten; for in it ye have an Example of Divine Juftice against Joash and the Princes, for breaking that Covenant, 2 Chron. 24. 23. The Princes, who inticed that Breach, are deftroy'd. And in the 24th Verfe it is faid, The Army of the Syrians came with a smal company of men, and the Lord deliver'd a very great Hoft into their hands; because they had forfaken the Lord God of their Fathers: fo they executed judgment against Joafh. And verfe 25. His own ferpunts confpired against him, and flew him on his bed, &c. The Con

Spiracy

Spiracy of Servants or Subjects againft their King, is a wicked courfe: But God in his righteous Judgments fuffereth Subjects to confpire and rebel against their Princes, because they rebel against God: And he fuffereth Subjects to break the Covenant made with a King, because he breaketh the Covenant made with God. I may fay freely, that a chief cause of the Judgment upon the King's Houfe, hath been the Grandfather's Breach of Covenant with God, and the Father's following his fteps, in oppofing the Work of God, and his Kirk within these Kingdoms: They broke Covenant with God, and Men have broken Covenant with them; yea, moft cruelly and perfidiously have invaded the Royal Family, and trodden upon all Princely Dignity.

Be wife by their Example. You are now fitting upon the Throne of the Kingdom, and your Nobles about you; there is one above you, even Jefus the King of Sion; and I, as his Servant, dare not but be free with you. I charge you Sir, in His Name, that you keep this Covenant in all Points; if you break this Covenant, and come againft this Caufe, I affure you the Controverfy is not ended between God and your Family, but will be carried on to further weakning, if not the overthrow of it: But if you fhall keep this Covenant, and befriend the Kingdom of Chrift, it may be from this day God fhall begin to do you good; altho your Eftate be very weak, God is able to raise you, and make you to reign, maugre the oppofition of all your Enemies: And how foever it fhall please the Lord to difpofe, you fhall have peace toward God, through Chrift the Mediator.

As for you who are Nobles and Peers of the Land, your fhare is great in this Day of Coronation; ye have come and touched the Crown, and fworn to fupport it; ye have handled the Sword and Scepter, and have fet down the King upon his Throne.

1. I charge you keep your Covenant with God; and fee that ye never be moved your felves to come against it in any Head or Article thereof; and that ye give no Counsel to the King to come againft that Doctrine, Worship, Government and Difcipline of the Kirk, eftablifh'd in this Land, as you would efchew the Judgment of Covenant-breakers. If the King and ye, who are engag'd to fupport the Crown, confpire together against the Kingdom of Chrift; both ye that do fupport, and he that is fupported, will fall together. I prefs this the more, because it is a rare thing to fee a King and Great Men for Chrift; in the long Catalogue of Kings, which ye have heard recited this Day, there will be found few who have been for Chrift.