arisen among us who have thrust themselves into the Lords Vineyard It 's no lesse then persecution so they commonly give out to desire that their suspicious opinions may be examined according to the Word of God and they commanded to forbeare the publishing and spreading of them for the present There be many dangerous bookes abroad dangerous at least I le say no more The names of certaine books which have crept abroad of late Liberty of Conscience The bloody Tenent The compassionate Samaritan John Baptist From among your selves there did one arise the forerunner of all these called the Interest of England which is the rather to be taken notice of because it gave occasion to the rest The Calling of Ministers the power of Magistrates in matter of Religion the Law of God it selfe are all strucke at As touching the Calling or Office of Ministers I 'le say nothing for the vindication of it lest I might seem partiall Our Lord Christ Jesus whose we are and whom we serve will right himselfe as he pleases upon all those who revile any Ordinance or Servants of his owne appointing You will not be wanting to your selves Your worke is easie if it be no more then to repeale all Lawes already made in matter of Religion and to bind your selves from ever medling in such matters hereafter One of those bookes * The blâ—oâ—y â—â—nenâ— is reported to be burnt by Order The shell is sometimes throwne into the fire when the kernell is eaten as a sweet morsell But I am perswaded better things of you though I thus speake I beseech you see the Law of God righted Never thinke those men will make mans Law a rule to walk by whatsoever they pretend who disclaime Gods owne Law in that respect Consider also what helpes God hath graciously provided for The seventh â—onsideration your encouragement and the encreasing of your wisdome and improve them You have the prayers of many faithfull Ministers ordinary and extraordinary More Sermons have been preacht unto your eares and printed for your eyes then for any one Parliament yea then for all the Parliaments that have been before you There are some daily consulting by your Authority what advice to give you in matters of Religion They have not such titles among them as Arch-Bishops Bishops Deanes Arch-Deacons and it may be they are not looked upon as equally learned but I hope they will approve themselves both able and faithfull I 'me sure they love you better and more sincerely And I believe you consult with them not as Ahab with Micaiah with a great deale of prejudice Nor as the Elders and people of the Jewes with Jeremiah (a) Jer. â—2 5 6. who pretended faire for thus they spake The Lord be a true and faithfull witnesse betweene us if we doe not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us whether it be good or whether it be evill We will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send thee that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God But when it came to triall this was the conclusion Ch. 44 16 17. As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not harken unto thee But we will certainely doe whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our owne mouth c. Nor as Henry the eighth with the masters of the new learning See the preface before Bishop Cranmers confutation of unwritten verities as the first endeavours for Reformation were called to have their consent that all Ecclesiasticall Revenue might be alienated from Ecclesiasticall use and be disposed of by Him arbitrarily which they opposed and thereupon he made the Whip with six strings to scourge them withall I meane the six Articles which drew out the heart blood of many of them But as Cornelius and his friends with Peter We are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God (b) Acts 10. 33. Goe on as you have begun and reverence their advice The Father of lights make his owne waies plain both before them and you to walke in They consult the good of the Kingdome but they also stand in need of your wisdome and authority as for their vindication from unjust aspersions so also for necessary supplies to uphold them in their worke Yet againe for your selves Consider the speciall things The eighth consideration wherein Solomons wisdome did appeare and follow them close as you have occasion He peremptorily denied unreasonable Petitions though preferred by his owne mother in his brothers behalfe (c) 1 Kings 2. 23 Some thinke him too severe in the judgement against Adonijah for point of death (d) Sir W. Ralegh in Hist of the World 1 part 2 b. 18 ch 1 sect but I never heard of any who suspected his wisdome in refusing to grant him Haggith He that blames the one gives strong reasons for the other You have multitude of Petitions before you and may have more I make no question but you will distinguish of them Onely remember delays are denials it 's as great an injury not to heare and grant some as it would be to yeeld unto all (e) 〈…〉 9. 2. He tooke the first opportunity to execute justice on grand delinquents Joab Shimei Aâ—iathar c. and would not leave them to offend a second time Mercy is so good it 's a thousand pitties it should be misplac'd 3. He judged her to be no true mother who would have the living child devided (f) Kâ—ngâ— 3. 27 And certainly they are without naturall affection who desire to have the Kingdom still divided to make wars endlesse 4. He set himselfe to build the Temple for the Lord before he built his owne house (g) 1 Kings 6. â—8 compared wâ—tâ— 7. 1. Oh that we had sought God in due order in this respect Let us redeeme the time 5. There was order beauty and comlinesse in all things belonging to his Kingdome (h) 1 Kings 10. 4 5. Order and beauty is the end which you aime at hasten to it apace and let not all runne into confusion 6. The beginning of his reigne was in blood onely for execution of justice his latter end was peaceable and that peace most glorious Your beginnings were the same let it not repent you be true to your principles and we shall see alike glorious issue Consider also his failings and beware of them 1. He had The ninth consideration many wives even seven hundred Wives Princesses and three hundred Concubines (i) 1 Kings 11. â— Let not us have as many Religions There 's some anology between the one and the other 2. There was in his daies first a connivance at Idolatry then open toleration and withall Apostacy His wives turned away his heart after other gods vers 4. He built an high place for Chemosh
will blesse her and she shall be a mother of Nations Kings of people shall be of her (b) Gen 17. 6. 16. Christ rejoyces in it as part of his glory that by him Kings reignâ— and Princes decree justice (c) Prov. 8. 15. He himselfe was a King and hath thereby sanctified that calling and estate The benefit of this kind of government is as fully asserted in the Scripture as of any other A King that sitteth in the Throne of Judâ—ement scattereth away all evill with his eyes (d) Prov. 20. 8. 26. And in the same Chapter A wise King scattereth the wicked and driveth the wheele over them What shall we say to those most considerable places in Jeremy wherein God seemes to set out all the dimensions of his love toward his people the Jewes And it shall come to passe if ye diligently hearken unto me saith the Lord to bring in no burden through the gates of this City on the Sabbath day but hallow the Sabbath day to doe no work therein Then shal there enter into the gates of this City Kings Princes sitting upon the Thron of David riding in Charets c. (e) Jer. 17. 24 25. It seemes therefore that profanation of the Sabbath is very prejudiciall unto Kings and the true sanctifiers Note of it are their best friends It follows in the same book Thus saith the Lord Execute you judgment and righteousnesse deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor and doe no wrong doe no violence unto the stranger the fatherlesse nor the widdow neither shed innocent blood in this place For if ye doe this thing indeed then shall there enter in by the gates of this house Kings sitting upon the Throne of David riding in Charets and on horses he and his servants and his people (a) Jer. 22. 4. By all which it's more then manifest that as it was never worse with that people then when there was no King in Israel (b) Judg. 21. 25. so it should never be better then when God bestowed a King on them as the fruit and recompence of their obedience Among the glorious things which are promised unto the Church of God to be enjoyed in the latter ages of the world this is one and a principall meanes which is ordained towards the compleating of her happinesse that Kings shall be her nursing fathers and Queens her nursing mothers (c) Isa 49. 23. That the sonnes of strangers shall build up her walls and their Kings shall minister unto her (e) Ch. 60. 10. When the New-Jerusalem shall come downe from God Kings shall be no hinderance but shall bring their honour and glory into it (f) Rev. 21. 24. And therefore the most exact reformation in the Church may well consist with this kind of government in the State and the folly of that Proverbe will in due time appeare to all the world No Bishop no King We have therefore the more cause to be humbled this Speciall matter of humiliation day for all the evill which befals us under such a government The cry of such as are rob'd and spoil'd or impoverished is loud the cry of the widdows and fatherlesse is farre greater There is abundance of innocent blood shed in the Land The green tree and the dry are both cast into the fire The circumcised and uncircumcised are visited in like manner We must needs take that in Ezekiel unto our selves Behold I am against thee and will draw forth my Sword out of his sheath and will cut off from thee the righteous and the wicked (g) Ezel â—1 â— That judgement which is threatned in Zachary lies heavy upon this Kingdome I will no more pitty the inhabitants of the Land saith the Lord but lo I will deliver the men every one into his neighbours hand and into the hand of his King and they shall smite the Land and out of their hand I will not deliver them (a) Zâ—ch 1â— 6. God hath cut asunder his staffe Beauty by withdrawing his wonted Providence toward us and his staffe Bands by breaking the brotherhood betwixt one part of the people and another It shames me to speake of these things without teares of blood But what might be the cause of all this evill In the maine quarrell I am confident we may plead our innocency and say with David in the case betweene him and Saul Judge me O Lord according to my righteousnesse and according to mine integrity that is in me (b) Psal 7. 8. But surely the sins of the one party are not the adequate cause of the judgement on both What say's God Oh that my people had hearkned unto me and that Israel had walked in my waies I should soone have subdued their enemies Psal 8â— 13 14 15. and turned my hand against their adversaries The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him And Solomon When a mans waies please the Lord he maketh his Prov. 16. 7. enemies to be at peace with him We must needs conclude therefore that our waies are sinfull crooked waies that are not good seeing so many who were our friends are become our enemies And we also may say We have no King because we feared not the Lord what then should a Hos 10. 3. King doe to us And if we shall still doe wickedly we shall be consumed both we and our King 1 Sam. 12. 25. Yet one Observation more to comfort us a little Solomon 7. Observation is very confident that his heart was in Gods hands Either to blind or inlighten to mollifie or to harden to make him a blessing to Israel or a judgement Let not us therefore despaire either in regard of our selves or Our King He that made Esau and Laban relent towards Genes 33. 4. 31. 29. Jacob That caused Saul to acknowledge unto David Thou art more righteous than I for thou hast rewarded me good where as I have rewarded thee evill And gave 1 Sam. 24. 17. Daniel so large a roome in the affections of Darius notwithstanding the conspiracy of evill-counsellors against him And he that gave his people favour in the eyes of those Dan. 6. 20. who carried them captives even that great heart-commander Psal 106. 46. is able to set us all right in the apprehensions and affections of Him who is now too many waies at distance from us We have a divine testimony to build our faith upon The Kings heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water he turneth it whithersoever he will And many instances Prov. 21. 1. to strengthen our faith by Almost all the Persian Kings Before them the Babilonian Monark that head of gold and heart of stone to say nothing of Pharaoh the Egyptian How wonderfull is that passage concerning Amphilochius of Iconium * Theodoretus hist Eccles lib. 5 cap. 16. who changed the Arrian Emperors heart by denying that reverence
SOLOMONS CHOICE OR A President for KINGS and PRINCES and all that are in Authority Presented in a SERMON before the Honourable House of COMMONS at Margarets Westminster at their publique Fast Septemb. 25. 1644. By Lazarus Seaman Pastor of the Church of Christ at Alhallowes-Breadstreet-London One of the Assembly of Divines Wisdome is better then weapons of warre Eccles 9. 18. Scornfull men bring a City into a snare but wise men turne away wrath Prov. 29. 8. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the Earth Psal 2. 10. LONDON Printed by E. G. for J. Rothwell and are to be sold at his shop at the signe of the Sun in Pauls Church-yard 1644. TO THE HONOURABLE THE House of COMMONS in Parliament Assembled at Westminster Honourable and Renowned Worthies THe subject which I have treated on was well worthy of your eares but very unseemly for my tongue Yet because WISDOME which is THE EXCELLENCY OF KNOWLEDG is so exceeding necessary to make poore England once more happy therefore I have endeavoured to quicken your desires and prayers for the attaining of a full measure that the want of all other rankes may be supplied out of your abundance We have amongst us the worst of evils A CIVILL WARRE A KINGDOME DIVIDED AGAINST IT SEEFE The Nations round about us might justly apply St. Pauls reproofe of the Corinthians unto us with a very little alteration * And how can we choose but apply Cor. 6. 5 9. it unto our selves It may be said of England now as * one sometime said of France THAT THERE IS MORE 〈◊〉 de Clegâ—is de lapsu â—eparatione 〈◊〉 cap. 10. RIGHTEOUSNESSE IN HELL THEN IN THIS KINGDOME For there norighteous man is afflicted nor any wicked man punished unrighteously but here good and evill men are all involved in common miseries and suffer either on the one side or on the other and too often by both I speake not this either to blame Gods righteous judgements or your necessary defence of your selves and endeavours to suppresse the Forces raised against you but to represent the most miserable condition of this distressed and almost-utterly-destroyed Kingdome As touching outward meanes to redresse these grievances our hopes are in your wisdome WHO ARE MEN THAT HAVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL OUGHT TO DOE * And suppose Chro. 12. 3â— the Lord should be so gracious unto us that we might have just occasion to beate our Swords into Plowshares and our Speares into Pruning-hookes * which is the unfained 〈◊〉 4. 3. desire of all the well-affected there is a further taske to try your wisdome For what is it that is expected from you as chosen instruments under God for his speciall service in these daies Surely no lesse if I may use that Scripture phrase proverbially as some interpret it * then a new â—on the â—ation Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousnesse That is A REFORMED CHURCH A REFORMED COMMON-WEALTH For the one we have had the name a long time as Sardis had a name to live and was dead And for the thing we had it in part now we would have it intirely and without mixture The other viz. the Common-wealth must be suteable to the former It 's a charge laid upon those Worthies who laboured for reformation * By Dr. Jackson in the daies of QUEENE ELIZABETH OF BIESSED MEMORY and after as if they had wink'd at the corruptions of the State which were knowne and certaine and pretended to singular holinesse in the businesse of Religion as it is strictly considered It ought therefore to be the lesse offensive if the Watchmen of this present generation do sound their Trumpets louder than heretofore and cry out in good earnest for A REALL REFORMATION * The substancâ— of the Covenant as among themselves and in things Ecclesiasticall so in your selves likewise and in all affaires and businesses whatsoever Be not deceived God is not mocked It will not be taken at our hands that our goodnesse be like the morning dew or that we should be like Ephraim a Cake halfe baked God requires more He promises grace for more The Word and the Rod in both which God stretches out his hand and says Behold me behold me must teach us to perfect holinesse in the feare of God The NOBLES OF BOHEMIA in the preface before the confession of their Faith rehearse some propheticall passages of their Ministers and particularly the words of JOHN Hus to this effect * Corpus S tagma Confessnum part 2 p. 224. We speaking of himselfe and other teachers of that age as yet goe but about the surface of the businesse and see as it were through Latices or a Cloud not piercing to the inward parts but a people shall succeed which shall dive into the bottome of the businesse and build on the solid foundation Yet this must be done by little and little And it shall be effected with great pressure and affliction and with exceeding difficulty All this is very consoâ—â—â—â— to Scripture and experience and therefore the more to be heeded Reformation must proceed from one degree to another TILL THE LAMBES WIFE HAVE MADE HER SELFE READY c. * Rev. 19. 7. And untill those other prophecies be accomplished which I shall but point you to peruse and that because they concerne both States Isatah 1. 25 26 27. Revel 11. 15. If the question be When shall these things be It must needs be answered in part with the words of Christ It is not for you to know the times and seasons which the Father hath put in his owne power * Acts 1. 7. And yet it must also be added that the time for us to endeavour it is now even while it is called to day For our parts who are Ministers we know it and rejoyce in it Christ must increase we must decrease untill the time come That the Moone shall be confounded and the Sunne ashamed when the Lord of Hosts shall reigne in Mount Sion and in Jerusalem and before his ancients gloriously * See Calvin on Isaiah 24. 23. As for you that are Magistrates and now sitting in the Supreame judicatory of this Kingdome I beseech you to consider what is expected of you and from you Shall tyranny bribery oppression partiality covetousnesse escape unpunished or remaine unreformed any where Will God humble Monarchy and destroy arbitrary government every where as certainely he will and let inferiour Magistrates degenerate into the same sinnes Must scandalous Ministers be cast out as unsavoury Salt unto the dung-hill and shall scandalous people live as if they were Lawlesse All this is but to praise * Qui monet ut faciat c. encourage and strengthen you in your holy purposes and resolutions notwithstanding the difficulty of the worke in hand and the mighty mountaines of opposition which are raised in the way What remaines but that you be reall
in matters of faith and Religion should labour to have their senses exercised to discerne both good and evill (d) Heb. 5. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as in the phrase of the New Testament so all that are in authority should endeavour the like in matters of government Which is the more necessary in these regards 1. For themselves that they may know what they have to doe upon all occasions and distinguish betweene the right hand and the left to secure their owne inward peace and that outward respect reverence and obedience which is necessary from others Nothing doth so much affect the heart of inferiours as to see a divine Spirit in those who are over them When Solomon had given proofe in one speciall instance of his ability this way the Text says All Israel heard of the judgement which the King had judged and they feared the King for they saw that the wisdome of God was in him to doe judgement (e) 1 Kings 3. 28. 2. For others that they may give suum cuique every one that which is their due Praise and encouragement unto such as deserve it and bring the wheele upon the wicked Their frownes and smiles their eare and eye their severity and clemency must be distributed and applied to each person according to their demerit That rule of the Apostle may be of great use here And of some have compassion making a difference (f) Jude 22. v. How miserably the judgements of some are blinded their affections misplaced their waies and doings corrupted for want of ability this way poore subjects have too much seene and felt Haman is preferred at Court when the Tree is fitter for him and Mordecai is forgotten till it was almost too late to remember him There was a great deale of zeale against the poore Gibeonites and none against the Amalekites though there was a Covenant to preserve the one (a) Josh 9 15. and both a generall (b) Deut. 25 19. and a speciall Law (c) 1 Sam. 15. 3. to destroy the other Christ must be crucified Barabbas released The Kings of the earth agree and give their Kingdomes unto the Note beast (d) Râ—u 17. 17. But when the Kingdoms of this world should become the Kingdomes of our Lord and of his Christ The Nations will be angry (e) Ch. 11. 18. 3. Good and evill doe sometimes change apparell and evill is alwaies bold to thrust in even among Governours without asking leave and exalts it selfe in the midst of them I saw under the Sunne the place of judgement that 〈◊〉 3. 16. wickednesse was there and the place of righteousnesse that iniquity was there If it were not so there would be no cause for the Lord to threaten in that manner as he doth by Isaiah Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees 〈◊〉 10. 1. and that write grievousnesse which they have prescribed What is it therefore that Governours especially Law-givers have to doe but to discerne as betweene person and person so likewise betweene Law and Law It followes not because it is a Law therefore it is just * Miâ—ah 6. 16. and much lesse is that a good consequence Such or such have a power to make Laws therefore this shall be a Law A discerning faculty must be improved by the way And this shall suffice for the first Doctrine It will be necessary to repeat the second againe in the same termes wherein it was first delivered All that are in place of government have speciall need of wisdome Solomons request must be theirs for themselves 2. Doctr. Give unto thy servant an understanding heart There is a truth in the point whether we apply it to Officers in the Common-wealth or in the Church Moses directing the people of Israel in the choice of Magistrates prescribes wisdome for a necessary qualification Take ye wise men and understanding and knowne among your Tribes and I will make them Rulers over you And when the Apostles Deut. 1. 13. saw it necessary to institute Deacons to ease themselves of their care and burden in serving Tables and making provision for the poore they give the same thing in charge Looke you out among your selves men of honest report full of the holy Ghost and wisdome And if men be not Acts 6. 3. sit to mannage the businesse of the poore unlesse they be even full of the holy Ghost and wisdome it will clearely follow that the greater and more noble imployments doe much more require alike proportion of endowment As for State-governours they have much businesse to runne through Many enemies to encounter with either forraine or domestique or both As Paul said to the Elders of the Church Of your selves shall men arise speaking perverse things to draw disciples after them so may it be Acts 20. 30. said to the Elders of the Land There will be some even among you that will drive their owne designes and consult their owne interests and so make parties and factions to the prejudice of publique good David makes a sad complaint to Abishai Behold my sonne which came forth of my bowels seeketh my life And the like is too often verified 2 Sam. 16. 11. Filius ante diem c. in others Among enemies we may well reckon flatterers hypocrites false friends as well as those who are factious seditious rebellious traiterous heady and high-minded and it will require no small measure of wisdome to deale with all these to advantage The trust which is reposed in supreame Magistrates is great The persons which they have to governe are many in number of different conditions dispositions opinions in whom there is a mixture of all contrarieties That which pleases some others abhorre One mans rise is from anothers ruine The ends which should be prosecuted are high and noble The meanes not easie to be determined and such as often miscarry The subject to be wrought upon is ill affected and so are the instruments The want of a little wisdome doth often prove a great prejudice not onely to the credit of such as are in authority a Eccl 10. 1. but to the successe of their affaires Besides all these generals I desire these few particulars may be taken into consideration 1. Even the best Governours are subject to a great deale of censure * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There be many curious eyes upon them Many that seeke advantages against them and waite for their halting If any evill befall the multitude they are apt to charge it upon such as are over them Moses and Aaron could not have subsisted under the murmurings complaints conspiracies which were directed against them though they were set over Israel by Gods extraordinary appointment had not the Lord himselfe wrought miracles for their preservation and for the dreadfull confusion of Korah and his complices When Davids company were a little more then ordinarily distressed they spake of stoning him 1
them call for more than all this Pray we therefore that the Lord would teach us how to strengthen our friends to gaine our enemies if it be possible But above all how we may glorifie God by doing or suffering in the midst of all scandals and blasphemies whereby he is dishonoured How to use his ordinances aright To try the spirits and to know his true Ministers from the messengers of Satan who transforme themselves into Angels of light Who be the Foxes the little Foxes that spoile the Vines and their tender Grapes and what to doe with them Cant. â— 15. Yet one step further Let 's practise exercise and manifest A fifth branch of the generall exhortation our wisdome in all affaires and upon all occasions When our Saviour says Be wise â—s Serpents and innocent as Doves (a) Mat. 10. 17. he meanes it of a practicall wisdome There is a prudence which some Moralists call prudentia practice practica * which is of all other kinds the most Pavonius in Ethicis disput 1. q. 2. excellent An ability of the mind whereby we know what is fit to be done all circumstances considered and are inclined to doe accordingly If things were so and so as sometimes we fancy and desire we could tell what to doe but as they are we are at our wits end Our duty is to take the worst and make the best of it He 's a skilfull Pilot that knows how to order the ship in a storme so as to prevent shipwracke I 'le conclude this generall part of the exhortation with that of St. James Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you let him shew out of a good conversation his workes with meeknesse of wisdom (b) James 3. 13. And with St. Pauls charge See that ye walke circumspectly or accurately * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not as fooles but as wise Redeeming the time because the daies are evill (c) Eph. 5. 15 16. As touching the second part of the exhortation to The speciall exhortation unto Governourâ— such as are in authority and entrusted with the publique weale out of the depth of affection which I beare them and the righteous cause wherein they are engaged I desire with all due reverence humility and subjection to spread before them the following considerations that their way may be like the path of the just which is â—s the shining light that shineth more and more unto the perfect day (d) Prov. 4. 18. The first consideration is this The feare of the Lord is The first speciall consideration the beginning of wisdome (e) Prov. 1. 7. This is so much the more to be regarded because it is so often repeated by the Holy Ghost in Scripture (f) Ch. 9. 10. Job 28 28. Psal 111. 10. If there were no more but a Sâ—laâ— in the close there should be the more diligent attention to it but being so oft inculcated in the same book and by several men of God our hearts should be deeply affected with it Men that have no feare of God before their eyes are seldome of Gods counsell They plough not with his heifer I meane they consult not with his Spirit in the word no wonder if they read not his riddles All his counsels are to them like the writing on the wall to Belshazzar Yea they have rejected the word of the Lord and what wisdome is or can be in them (d) Ierem. 8 9. The secret of the Lord is with them that feare him and he will shew them his Covenant (e) Pâ—â—l 25. 14. As for the wicked 't is with them as with Jerusalem The things which made for her peace were hid from her eyes (f) Luke 19 42. Labour therefore to be really godly that you may be truely wise Have respect unto all Gods Commandements that ye may not be ashamed (g) Psal 119. 6. Let his testimonies be your delight and counsellors (h) Vers 24. Secondly There is a wisdom which God curses beware The second consideration of it He taketh the wise in their own craftinesse And againe The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise that they are vaine (i) 1 Cor. 3. 19 â—0 Those words of the Prophet Isaiah are very dreadfull Behold I will proceed to doe a marvellous worke among this people even a marvellous worke and a wonder for the wisdome of their wise men shall perish and the understanding of their prudent men shall be hid (k) Isa 29. 14. The causes assigned of this so fearefull a judgement which the Prophet though most eloquent wanted words to expresse were Hypocrisie and Superstition in Religion They that are not wise according to the Word for Religion shall not be wise for the good of the State at least their wisdome shal have no good successe Pharaohs wisdom was to keep Israel under (l) Exod. 1. 10. but thereby he multiplyed strange plagues upon himselfe and people and was utterly overthrowne in the red Sea he and all his Host Balaams wisdome was to cast a stumbling blocke before the children of Israel (a) Revel 2. 14. to make them eate things sacrificed unto Idols and to commit fornication by this meanes he thought to have brought them under a curse but it lighted on himselfe (b) Num. 31. 8. And on the Moabites and Ammonites Who were ever after to be looked upon as bastards and shut out of the Congregation of Israel unto the tenth generation for ever (c) Deuâ— 23. 2 3 Achitophels wisdome was to make the difference betweene David and Absolon irreconcileable but God turned it into foolishnesse (d) 2 Sam. 16. 21 Jeroboams wisdome was to make Religion serve the State but while he laboured to stablish himselfe by this meanes he rooted out both his family and the Kingdome it selfe (e) 1 King 12. 26 28. The Jewes were so wise as to reject Christ for feare lest the Romans should take away them and their Nation * John 11. 48. The evill which they feared came upon them the means which they used to prevent a judgment brought it upon them with expedition Therefore let there be no oppression neither of people nor of Ministers Religion must be pure and sincere They who consult other mens mischiefe shall procure their owne No perpetuall war but with the divell and sinne Let our Kingdomes be the Lords and his Christs in the first place entirely lest we be no more a people If he be not the Corner-stone of the whole building both in Church and State all wil prove but a Babel and end accordingly Thirdly consider this Wisdome and Authority are The third consideration not alwaies intail'd The Scribes and Pharisees fate in Moses his chaire and yet were blind leaders of the blind It 's one of Solomons observations too often verified Folly is set in great dignity (f) Ecel 10. 6. But Job speakes more fully of the
way of Gods judgements in this kind He leadeth Counsellors away spoiled and maketh the Judges fooles (a) Job 12. 17. The nineteenth chapter of the Prophesie of Isaiah is full of expressions to this purpose At the third verse The spirit of Egypt shall faile in the midst thereof and I will destroy the counsell thereof At the eleventh verse Surely the Princes of Zoan are fooles the counsell of the wise councellors of Pharaoh is become brutish And in the thirteenth They have also seduced Egypt even they that are the stay of the Tribes thereof We are apt to desire more and more power but what gaine we by that without wisdome Great men had need to be of all other most humble And more care must be taken to know how to governe then to be able to command If this were not an humbling day I should not touch on this particular Yet give me leave to draw a little neerer * 〈◊〉 fourth â—peâ—â—ll conâ—â—deration Consider the persons with whom and the things wherein you have to doe As for your enemies I need not bid you beware of them nor to distinguish of your friends I speake of the people generally Among other observations touching their disposition there 's one noted by Gildas of old that they desire novi aliquid audire to heare of some new Gâ—ldas in lib. de exâ—idâ—â— Britanniae waies Hence it is that we have had so many changes among us especially in Religion Your care must be not so much to please the people as to doe them good We are very greedy of things and as soone weary of them It might be written over us Vnstable as water A little slackning of the golden raines hath made too full a discovery of our weaknesse But you have three Kingdomes to looke unto Three distressed Kingdomes He 's a skilfull Physitian that can quickly heale or recover the best of them Alas for poore England the distemper of it increases by the meanes of cure Who would have thought so many of her children would prove unnaturall Some Tâ—res must needs be spared for the Wheats sake There may be good use of the woman of Tekoa's parable if it be well 2 Sam. 14. 6 7. applied There is yet another Kingdom about which you must Of the Kingdome of Christ bestow your greatest care I meane the Kingdome of God and of his Chrisâ— In reference to this set your hearts upon that admonition which neerely concernes all in authority Be wise now therefore O ye Kings be instructed ye Judges of the earth Kisse the Sonne lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when his wrath is kindled but a little Psal 2. 10 12 The question is not as sometime in the Roman Senate Tertul. in Apolog. whether Christ shall be God or no It 's resolved among all Christians that he is King of Kings and Lord of Lords And his Kingdome is given him of his Father and when and where he pleases he will rule as King even in the midst of his enemies (b) Psal 110. 2. befâ—re they are aware (c) Luke 17. 20 21. His Will in the Church is a Law and therefore our onely enquiry is What is the mind of Christ In matters of Religion you may over-doe and under-doe too much and too little I hope you will not be perswaded to looke on and be neuters betweene Christ and Anti-christ betwixt God and Belial There are disputes about liberty and power The things are certaine both from Christ how to set out the bounds of each that they may consist and promote one another in the Church is a taske that will try all your wisdomes Liberty must reverence power and power preserve liberty The Lord helpe you to finde out the true meanes for both I meane all this in matters of Religion The World hath beene mistaken in these things a great while and Christ professedly wages warre with the Kings of the earth in these latter daies and shall overcome them (d) Rev. 17. 14. Yea he invites all the Fowles of the ayre and Beasts of the field to banquet on the flesh of Kings Captaines great and small c. b 〈◊〉 â—â— 17 18 Which argues there is some neglect towards him and yet we know subjection to him and faith in him have beene pretended for many generations But we have not learned Christ as we ought to doe If we shall still stumble at this stone we shall be broken at the last And further Compare your worke with Solomons the Tâ—e 〈◊〉 speâ—iall â—â—nsideâ—ation advantages and diâ—advantages how farre forth it is alike or unlike It 's alike in these things 1. He had the sonnes of â—â—rviah as a speciall charge * 〈…〉 they were too strong for David his father but it was expected at his hands that he should see justice executed on them It 's lookt for at your hands that enemies to the State and grand delinquents should be brought unto condigne punishment impartially for wherefore else hath the Kingdome engaged themselves to live and die with you 2. There was a Temple to be built in his daies And now is the time that God will raise up the Tabernacle of David that was fallen and close up the breaches thereof and raise up his ruines and build it as in the daies of old Miâ—aâ— 9. 11. 3. He had the government of Gods people and so 't is now The people of this Kingdome are in covenant with God Yet the case differs very much 1. He had peace round about we are in the midst of warre 2. He was himselfe a King But the supply of our Kings failings are expected at your hands Let none of those evils be found 〈…〉 in Yâ—â—u or your Committees which your selves have complained of in his Court and Councellors He that hath called you unto all this will I hope enable you through his owne Almighty power for his mercy sake And now bethinke your selves what meanes are The sixth speciall consideration used to corrupt your wisdome Some use threatnings accusations and slanders Yea grievous things are layd unto your charge and all this to affright you from your resolutions and endeavours Even among your friends there are too many that raise mists and scare you with threats of losing a party c. There be many hypocrites and fiatterers Yea and many Shimer's who in the beginning of our troubles lookt upon you as bloody men and men of Belial (d) 2 Sam. 16. 7. and now come and submit themselves as he did (e) Ch. 19. 16. I hope you will distinguish of them There is a generation who looke for much at your hands and yet aske nothing I meane by way of humble petition When they finde you or themselves in such a posture as that they cannot be denied it may be you may heare of them Besides the many loose prophane and scandalous Ministers there are a new sort
little strengthened and hardned by our folly Differences might either be prevented or lessened or sooner remedied both the smaller and the greater differences if we had more wisdome Families Church and State our selves and posterity are all in a perishing condition If it be the property of a wise woman to build her house and of a foolish one to plucke it downe with their hands as it is indeed (c) Prov. 14. 1. We must needs beare our share in that reproach for hitherto we have done little else which way soever we apply the words Secondly let us consider the benefit of wisdome that The second branch of the generall exhortation we may prize it and hunger after it as well for the excellency of it as to supply our want A little wisdome may stand us in more stead then a great deale of strength witnesse that Parable or History I know not whether to call it of the little City and few men in it which was delivered by a poore wise man from a great King who came and besieged it and built bulwarks against it (d) Eccl. 9. 14 1â— If there be any Plaister that can heale our wounds or any Physicke to cure that deadly disease whereof Church and State have long been sicke I 'me sure wisdome must be the principall ingredient Is there any thing impossible to this most Soveraigne â—race could each of us attaine a due proportion it would reconcile all discord and enmity That sweet promise would be accomplished The envy of Ephraim shall 〈◊〉 and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off Ephraim shall not envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim * 〈…〉 There 's likely to be another Earth-quake to rent not onely the vaile of the Temple but also the foundations of it Nothing but wisdome can prevent this and I feare the 〈…〉 of wisdome must be brought forth before it will be effected A brother offended is harder to be wonne than a strong City and their contentions are like the barres of a Castle (a) 〈…〉 18. 19. 〈…〉 Thirdly let us pray earnestly for our selves and one for anothert that we may be richly supplied with this grace each of us according to our need in all respects For our King in the same words that Solomon useth for himselfe and likewise for the Parliament For our Armies for all inferiour Magistrates for the Ministers of Gods holy Word and Sacraments and for all the people of the Kingdome That God would teach us to know our duties towards him and one unto another in every kind It may be one reason why there is not sufficient wisdome found among us is because we doe not seeke it or if we desire it for our selves yet we care not how destitute others be The Lord hath enough in store for us all There is a speciall promise made to Christ in those words Behold my servant shall deale prudently he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high (b) 〈◊〉 52. 13. All that are heires of promise may plead their portion even in this Christ is made unto us wisdome not onely by imputation but effusion A spirituall and heavenly wisdome is wrought in Gods children whereby they are instructed how to please and glorifie God and how to worke out their owne salvation Yea and how to carry themselves among men wherein they sometimes so excell that they are exceeding beneficial unto others * Josepâ— Daniel c. and their adversaries are either convinced or astonished The Libertines and others were not able to resist the wisdome and the spirit by which Steven spake (a) Acts 6. 10. The promise which Christ made was generall to all the members of his Church I will give you a month and wisdom which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay or resist b For matters of government d Luke 21. 15 there is that in Isaiah I will also make thy Officers peace and thine exactors righteousnesse (c) Isaiah 60. 17 Which implies that when God blesses Church or State he will provide governours for them that shall be wise as well as just and so order things that all may lead a quiet and a peaceable life in all godlinesse and honesty (d) 1 Tim. 2. 2. But it is as hard a matter to obey well as to rule well the rather because the Powers which be are sometimes divided against God and among themselves In the case betweene God and man its clearely resolved in the Scripture That question puts it out of question Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye (e) Acts 4. 19. When the powers on earth are divided among themselves there is a great deale of difficulty pretended and yet if men were to resolve this case blindfold I meane abstractively from by respects and partiality there is not one of a thousand who consulting with the light of nature or Scripture would not resolve for the lesse power in a just cause against the greater when there is nothing but greatnesse to support it The Lord teach us all to learne this lesson perfectly which hath cost us so deare Yet we shall doe well in these times to take in those words of David And see if there be any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting (a) Psal 139. 24 Fourthly let us inlarge and bound our desires about A fouâ—th branch of the geneâ—all exâ—â—râ—aâ—ion wisdome as we ought to doe If we need a manifold wisdome let us not feare to aske it for God gives liberally â—ut we must have respect unto our ranke and station Secret things high things other mens matters needlesse things and curiosities must be let alone The onely wisdome is for every one to be wise for himself (b) Prov. 9â— 2. To know his owne duty and to doe it How to prevent offences and jealousies to reconcile differences to deny our selves and to promote a publique good To seeke God in due order (c) 1 Chr. 15. 13 and first the Kingdom of God and the righteousnes therof (d) Maâ—th 6. 33. To save our souls though we lose the world (e) Ch. 16. 26. To seare him who hath power to cast soule and body into hell (f) Ch. 10. 28. not the oppressor (g) Isaiah 51. 13 To build Gods house and not our owne (h) Hag. 1. 4. In a word to kisse the sonne lest he be angry (i) Psal 2. 12. and to make this our onely designe that whether we live or die we may be the Lords (k) Rom. 14. 8. and when Christ Jesus shal come the second time we may be found in the number of those on the right hand whom he will welcome to himselfe saying Come ye blessed of my father inherit the Kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of the world (l) Mat. 25. 34. Yet the times and our condition in