not spare her but deposed her from her Regency 1. King 15. And indeed it is truly said Iustitia non novit patrem non novit matrem veritatem novit Iustice neither knoweth father nor mother but onely the truth It is reported by a late Traveller that in Zant over the place of judgement where all causes both Criminall and Civill are decided there are these two Latine verses written on the wall in letters of gold Hic locus odit amat punit conservat hâ—norat Nequitiam pacem crimina iâ—ra bonos This place hateth wickedness loveth peace punisheth offences preserveth the lawes honoureth the good implying that there should be no partiality used but every man should be proceeded withall according to his deserts To which purpose was that memorable speech of our King Henry the fourth of that name who when his eldest son the Prince was by the L. chief Iustice for some great misdemeanors commanded and committed to prison hee thanked God that hee had both a sonne of that obedience and a judge of such unpartiall and undanted courage But Agesilaus was as much to blame who when hee commended a friend of his to the Iudge hee mooved him that if his cause were good hee would absolve him for justice sake if not at his motion but howsoever the world went absolved hee must be bee an ill example of dangerous consequence in him who was to be a paterne of indifferent justice to his inferiour Iudges among whom wee finde that too often true which the heathen Orator complained of in his times Omnium Sermone percrebuit It is rife in every mans mouth In his iudiciis quae nunc sunt pecuniosum hominem quamvis sit nocens neminem posse damnari That in these judgements which are now-adayes a monied man though hee bee guilty cannot be condemned Nihil tam sanctum quod non violari nihil tam munitum quod non expugnari pecuniâ possit There is nothing so holy that may not be violated nothing so well fenced that may not bee overthrowne with money the lawes being made like unto cobwebs which catch and holde little â—lyes but the great ones breake through them Blasphemy and perjury sacriledge and symonie and extortion and oppression and vsury and exeessive bribery passe currant when petty theeverie in case of extreame necessity is most severely punished The fifâ— and last point I proposed is the End our Prophet proposeth to him selfe of this great work heer vowed It is the purging of the Citie of the Lord whereby is meant Ierusalem First for example to the whole Realme it being the Metropolis and head Citie of the Kingdome as also and principally by reason the service of God and the exercise of religion was in a speciall mannâ—r by divine ordinance tied unto it in which regard he cals it the Citie of the Lord as the Evangelist doth the holy Citie Mat. 4. This Citie was so large that it conâ—â—â—â—ed of foure quarters every one of them by walles divided from another The first and highest was mount Sion in it was the Citie of David called by â—osephus the superiour Citie exceeding strong in regard of the naturall situation thereof The second was called the Daughter of Sion because it seemed to come out as it were of the bosome of the other and in this was mount Moriah whereupon the Temple stood This Citie was compassed with a stronge walâ— wherein stood threescore Towres The third was beautified with many ample streets faire buildings compassed with a wall wherein were fourteen Towers The fourth was inhabited by all sorts of Artificers compassed with the third wall which was twenty five cubits high and had in it fourescore and tenne strong Towers So populous withall it was that during the siege of the Romans in the space of five monthes there were slaine and died as Iosephus there present reports it to the number of eleven hundred thousand Now albeit in our Prophets dayes this Citie was not yet brought to this perfection yet was it then very spacious and populous notwithstanding which greatness of the place and disordred multitude of the inhabitants yet by Gods helpe he undertakes the reformation It is a thing which we ought to bear away for it meeteth with the idleâ—ess and litherness of many who imagine that it is impossible to reforme a great City yea if it bee but a little market-town it is impossible say they that all should bee well there Yea this excuse is pretended by such as have but small families in comparison and so under a colour of this impossibility to reform all they doo almost just nothing no not so much as the lawes put into their hands and command them to do Yet these men have but as it were a posterne gate in Ierusalem to keep what thinke you would they doo if they had the charge of so great and large a City True it is let Officers doo their best there will be much disorder what wil it bee then when they doo little or nothing in respect of any care to weed out sinne but rather bolster it out take part with leud companions give them countenance speak and write for them yea keep them company men fitte rather to bee overseen and guided continually by others than to bee in authority to see or guide any But let such as bee in office doo their duty executing the good lawes put into their hands by higher authority and then not doubt of the impossibility of reforming abuses in their lesser charges seeing David trusting upon the help of God is so confident touching this great populous City Let them but put-to their endeavours and they shall finde such success in the advancement of godlines and suppressing of impiety many times even beyond hope and expectation as they wil see cause to rejoice in the performance of their dutie and to praise God for his blessing upon it Again David vowing to reforme this City meaneth not to stay there but to proceed to the cleansing purging of the whole Land This no doubt hee might think that if Ierusalem were reformed it would be a great light and direction to the whole Kingdome as wee see how it falleth out lesser places look to those that beâ— greater and the meaner sort look to those that beâ— higher froÌ„ whom also there is 〈◊〉 force to draw inferiours either to good or evill Above maiori discit ar are minor A great towne or a great house well ordered may fitly bee compared to a great garden ful of sweet flowrs which yeeldeth much good â—avour and prospect to the neighbours if they bee ill ordered they bee like great dunghills noysome and contagious to such as dwell about A great towne or a great Personages house if they bee good do much good to the Countrey but if they bee naught and sinfull the poison of them is strong and the infection daÌ„gerous It is then a work worthy a King to beginne the reformation of
I will sing mercy and iudgment c * KING DAVIDS VOW FOR REFORMATION of Himselfe his Family his Kingdome * Deliuered in twelue sermons before the Prince his Highnesse vpon Psalm 101 * By George Hakewill Dr. in Diuinity * London printed for Mathew Lownes 1621 * TO THE PRINCE his Highness my gracious Lord and Master WHat hath heeretofore been presented to your Highnesse eare I heere make bolde with some little change to present afresh to your eye that you may beholde at one view the entire body of those discourses which were delivered disiointly and by peece-meale as also that you may revise that at leasure if ought therein shall be thought worth revising which was sometimes of necessiâ—y shuffled up in haste though I must confesse to mine owne comfort and your honor never heard but with singular attention and lastly that I may serve your Highness in somwhat as well absent as present specially now that your frequent presence with his Majesty enforceth your often absence from your Familie I adventure then most noble Prince to unfolde and lay before your view the Vow of DAVID as seasonable I hope to the times as suitable to the person for the reformation and government of himselfe his housholde and State whether made before his comming to the Crowne or newly upon it it is not certaine to define nor very materiall to know once wee are sure it was DAVIDS Vow which one Motive me thinks were of weight sufficient to stirre-up all Christian Princes specially such as professe the defence of the Christian faith to a serious meditation thereon even in that it was DAVIDS Vow who so lived and so died as never Prince I thinke before him nor perhaps since him so joyned together Valour and Vertue Courage and Humility Policy and Piety Thrift and Bounty Solemnity and Devotion Greatness and Goodness Without flattering the present times I might safely and justly say unto you Et Pater Aeneas avunâ—ulus excitet Hector The former of which as the world well knoweth hath added to his practice singular precepts of this kinde by which hee as much surpasseth other Kings as Kings doe ordinary men or men the brute creatures Yet I thought it not amisse to adde therunto the practice and precepts of that King who received such a testimony from the mouth of God as never did any and farre surpassed that in reall acts which Xenophon of Cyrus conceived onely in imagination This King then if you please to propose to your selfe as a paterne and his Vow as a rule we may by Gods helpe one day promise to our selves another Charlemaine or rather the perfections of all the Edwards Henries Iameses your renowned progenitors united in one Charles and your proceeding and ending answering your gracious beginnings and vertuous disposition which wee all hope and pray for wee may rest assured thereof For the effecting of which you cannot doe better than performe in deed what you have chosen for your word Si vis omnia subijcere teipsum subijce rationi which is truely to be a King For in so doing you will valew Soveraignetie not by impunity of doing evill but power of doing good and in attayning it onely be enabled for the doing of that good which before you desired And if this poore Worke of mine or any my endeavours either have or shall any way conduce to the furtherance of that publike and important worke I shall therein reape a sufficient reward both of my service and travailes accounting it my greatest happinesse on earth to have been counted worthy to be Your Highnesses first-sworne Chaplain ever attending your Commands GEORGE HAKEWILL To the PRINCE his Family YOV it was mine Honourable and worthy Friends to whom next after our Gracious Master these ensuing Sermons were first and chiefly directed You may iustly then claime a part in them and I wish they may prove as fruitfull unto you as they were intended Sure I am they wil not prove unfruitfull if you compose your selves to the Glass they hold forth striving to present you such to your Master as they represent to you that is such as seek not to rise save to get the vantage-ground for the doing of more good such as preferre their Masters good before their owne gain their Masters safety before their owne ease their Masters credit before their owne advancement such as in preferring sutes aim not at their private ends thâ—rough the sides of the Publike nor use faire pretenses for the compassing of foule proiects or the smothering of honest motions nor lastly look so much to the purse and power of Petitioners as to their worths and necessities A Master you have born I hope in a happy houre for the good of the Christian world of whom it may bee truely said Antevenit sortem meritis virtutibus annos Ingenio formam relligione genus Who not onely rewards and cherishes vertue but traceth out the path therof before you with his own steps best deserving that place by his ingraven courtesie and many Princely endowments which hee houlds by lineall descent Why then should any seek that favouâ— in the way of basenes and sycophancie which may more easily bee won in the plain and safe way of vertue and honesty Provocations to vice I knowe are not wanting in the place wherein â—on live yet seeing a religious Nehemiah may be found in Artaxerxes Court â— Daniel in Nebuchadnezzars a Ioseph in Pharaohs and some faithfull Christians even in Neroes house what may wee there expect where from the Chiefest are so many encouragements to piety in that Family whose Head I dare say rather glories in being a member of the true Church than the Second in the Kingdome rather in beeing baptized into the religion hee professeth than in beeing descended from the royall stock of so many famous Kings and where religion is built up be it spoken without disparagement of other mens labours or relation to mine owne by as sufficient Master-workmen in their kindes as the Land affords not thrusting themselves into the Place but all of them culled out and called thither not posting to Preferment by indirect means but like sacred Lamps spending themselves to give you light well testified by your singular respect towards them Of my self or this ensuing Worke I will say nothing By the grace of God I am that I am and I hope it will appear in this Worke and the effects therof in you that his grace in me was not altogether in vain Whatsoever it bee it is for your use and whatsoever I am I am for your service ready to bee imployed by the meanest of that Family for which I daâ—ly pray as for myself A poor member thereof GEORGE HAKEVVILâ— The 101. PSALMS according to our last and most approoved Translation which I chiefly follow in my ensuing Exposition I Will sing of Mercy and Iudgement unto thee O Lord will I sing 2 I will behave my selfe wisely in a perfect way O when
of them that reproach him fall upon us It argued a righteous soule in Lot to be vexed or as the Originall hath it to be tortured or racked not so much with the opposit on as the uncleane conuersation of the Sodomites and it argueth in a Chrihian man the renewing of the image of God stampt upon him in his Creation and in a Christian Magistrat the acknowledgement of his Lieutenantship to be held from God when he shewes himselfe as forward to make lawes and draw his sword for the punishing of sacrilege as theft blasphemy as murder idolatry as treason atheism as rebellion finally when by his actions it appears that he is as zealous and carefull of the honour and service of God as of his owne either gain or glory How many have vainely spilt their blood for the defence of their mistresses beauty or their owne imaginary reputation which had they done in defence of God and religion against atheisme idolatry or blasphemy they had undoubtedly purchased both the renown and reward of Martyrdom Now as our Prophet professeth to hate the work of al those that set themselves against God and godliness so of those most specially who turn aside froÌ„ the right path in which they have somtime trode or fall away from that truth which they have formerly professed It is true that where true justifying and sanctifying grace is once throughly seated and settled in the hart it can never utterly be rooted out the degrees and measure of it may be impaired and abated but the habit cannot bee exâ—inguisht the sense and feeling of it may be interrupted but the essence being cannot be abolisht the act and exercise of it may be for a time suspended but the character remains indeleble which being once imprinted upon the soule can never afterward bee blotted out or wiped away inasmuch as Christ whom hee loves hee loves to the end Iohn 13. 1. his gifts calling being without repentance Râ— 11. 29. So then this we must hold for a sure ground Stella cadens non est stella cometa fuit A starre that falls was never indeed a star it was but a blazing Meteor There may be an outward profession of doctrine and participation of the sacraments nay more than so in regard of the understanding an inward inlightning in som measure and a taste of the powers of the world to come in regard of the affections Heb. 6 yet all this but a counterfeit blaze No marvell then if such not onely turne but turne aside not onely fall but fall away They go out from us because though for a time they were among us yet indeed and in truth they were never of us 1. Iohn 2. 19 but it had been better for them not to have knowne the way of righteousnes than after they have knowne it to turne from the holy commandement delivered unto them 2. Pet. 2. 21. And better had it beene for the Church never to have brought forth or brought up such grace-lesse children These then it is that David as a Prophet must hate and as a Prince must punish as beeing most injurious to the truth most scandalous to the Church most dangerous to the State and most odious to God but above all he must take heed that they proove not infectious to himself Shall not cleave to mee No work of them that fall away but chiefly their worke of Apostaâ—ie and falling away That shall not cleave to mee As likenes is the cause of love and That of union so dissimilitude is the cause of hatred and That again of seperation That which wee hate we suffer not to come or at least not to abide neer us but either wee remove it from us or our selves from it nothing beeing more hatefull in it self and in the sight of God and good men than to entertain and imbrace that in our selves which wee professe wee hate in others David then having professed that hee hates the work of them that turne aside hee could do no less than promise it should not cleave to him Were their arguments never so plausible their power or number never so great their neernesse by friendship or kinred never so inward though Israel play the harlot yet let not Iudah offend though Saul turn aside and fall away yet that is no warrant for David nay rather let Sauls falling away serve to warn David The one fell away and lost his Kingdome by it but the other would not fall away though it were to the gaining of a Kingdom nay all the Kingdoms of the world and the glory of them they beeing temporall but the sting which followes upon this defection and finall apostasie eternall Witnes that desperate voice of cursed Iulian who sprinkling his blood in the air cryed out Vicisti Galilaee vicisti O Galilean thou hast overcom Now the way to keepe us that this damnable work of apostasie cleave not to us is to keepe us from cleaving to the Apostates themselves or suffering them to adhere or cleave to us and withall to cleave fast to God This was Davids practice For the first Their drink-offerings of blood will I not offer nor take up their names within my lips Psalme 16. 4. So far was hee from cleaving to them or suffering them to cleave to him And for the second It is good for mee to hould fast by God Psal. 73. 27. And againe I have stuck to thy testimonies O Lord put mee not to shame Psal. 119. 31. This his utter disclaiming of the one and sticking close to the other was it that made him so bold in another Psal. Mine heart is fixed O God mine heart is fixed 57. 7 and so confident heer It shall not cleave to mee I conclude with the exhortation of the Apostle Saint Paul Take heed brethren lest at any time there bee in any of you an evill heart and unfaithfull to depart away from the living God Heb. 3. 12. And with the praier of S. Iâ—â—de verse 23. 24 Now unto him that is able to keep you that ye fall not and to present you faultlesse before tâ—e presence of his glory with ioy that is to God onely wise our Saviour bee glory and maiesty and dâ—minion and power both now and for ever Verse 4. The froward heart shall depart from me I will know none evill or I will not knowe a wicked person HEe had promised in the second verse to walk with a perfect hart and heer he promiseth A froward heart shall depart from him Now though that part of his Vow bee set before this in place yet hath this the precedency of that in order scales must first fall from S. Pauls eyes before he can see clearly and Naaman must first be cleansed of his leprosie before his flesh com again as the flesh of a young childe We must first deny our selves before we can follow Christ and the heart must first leave to bee froward before it beginne to bee upright as the distemper of the body
Thou fool this night shall they take thy soule from thee The Galathians thought themselves wiser than the other Gentiles for the observation of the legall Ceremonies but St. Paul in his Epistle to them calls them fooles for their labour And likewise the Pharises were held the wisest of all the Iewish Nation but our Saviour tels them to their faces they were but formal fools True Wisdome is then to bee found and only to be found in the perfect way There is a Divellish wisdome rather craft then wisdome maintained by dissimulation and lying and perjury such as was that of Boniface the eight Bishop of Rome who entred like a Fox raigned like a Lion and died like a Dog of Iezabell and Achttophel in practice and Machivell in precepts This wisdome runs a contrary biass to this perfect way it is directly opposite unto it and fights against it Again there is a Humane or rationall wisdome enlightned at the torch of right reason yet left amongst the remainders of Gods image in man and this though it be beside the perfect way yet may it bee reduced unto it good use no doubt may bee made of it And lastly there is a Divine holy and heavenly Wisdome whose beginning is the fear of God whose crowne is the favour of God whose guide is this perfect way the word of GOD which is therfore called a way because it leads us to our journeyes end and a perfect way because the Authour of it is the abstract of all perfection because it sufficiently containes in it all things requisite to bring us to perfection both of body and soule both of grace and glory and lastly because it makes those perfect that walk in it at least in regard of endeavour and the severall parts of perfection though not the degrees as a childe may bee said to bee a perfect man in that hee hath all the parts of a man though hee want the growth and strength of a man And if this way were thus perfect in Davids time what is it by the addition of so many parcels of Scripture since If it then gave wisdome to the simple Psal. 19. 7 if it made David beeing brought up but as a Shepheard wiser than his enemies than his ancients than his teachers Psal. 119 as an Angell of God in discerning right from wrong 2. Sa. 14. 17 able to guide the people by the skilfulnesse of his hands Psal. 78. 72 what kinde of wisdome is there which wee may not now gather from thence What depth of naturall Philosophy have we in Genesis and Iob what flowrs of Rhetorique in the Prophets what force of Logick in Saint Pauls Epistles what Art of Poëtrie in the Psalmes what excellēt morall Precepts not only for Private life but for the regiment of Families and Common-weales in the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes to which may be added in a second rank as very usefull though Apochryphall the book of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus what reasonable and iust lawes haue wee in Leviticus and Deuteronomy which moved the great Ptolomey to hire the Septuagints to translate them into Greek what unmatchable antiquitie variety and wonderfull events and certaintie of storie in the books of Moses Iosuah the Iudges Samuel the Kings and Chronicles together with Ruth and Ester Ezra and Nehemiah and since Christ in the sacred Gospels and Acts of the Apostles and lastly what profound mysteryes have we in the Prophecies of Ezekiel and Daniel and the Revelation of Saint Iohn But in this it infinitely exceeds the Wisedome of all humane writings that it is alone able to make a man wise unto salvation 2. Tim. 3. 15. Vpon these considerations Charles the fift of France surnamed the Wise not onely caused the Bible to be translated into French but was himselfe very studious in the holy Scriptures And Alphonsus King of Arragon is said to have read over the whole Bible fourteen severall times with Lyraes notes upon it though he were otherwise excellently well learned yet was the law of God his delight more desired of him than gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also than hony and the hony-combe I will end this point with the Commandement of God himselfe to the King Deuteronomie 17 When he shall sit upon the throne of his kingdom hee shall write him a copy of this Law in a booke out of that which is before the Priests the Levites and it shall bee with him and hee shall reade therein all the dayes of his life that hee may learne to feare the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to doe them that his heart be not lifted up aboue his brethren and that he turne not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end that hee may prolong his dayes in his kingdome hee and his children in the midst of Israell And looke what was there given in charge to the King in generall was afterward commanded Iosuah a worthy Leader in particular Iosuah 1. 8. This booke of the lawe shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayst obserue to do according to all that is written therein For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou have good success It followeth O when wilt thou come unto me The comming of God unto his children is either by the performance of his promises or by the speciall assistance of his Spirit or by the receiving of them unto himselfe Such as thinke this Psalme was penned before Davids comming to the Crowne understand these words of the performance of Gods promise in setting it upon his head and settling him in the regall Throne and then this to be the meaning O Lord I will tarry thy leasure and keep my selfe within the bounds of my dutie till thou hast accomplished that which thou hast promised unto mee though thou delay the matter and put me off I will bee content to walke in the perfect way and not once presume to step aside out of it to compass that which thou hast sayd thou wilt give me And according to this promise of his we may see how hee carried himselfe for although there were a great space betwixt his anoynting whereby hee was by Gods owne mouth proclaimed heire apparant to the Crowne after the death of Saul and his comming to it notwithstanding he had the hearts of the Subiects insomuch as the women in their songs extolled him above the King though the soule of Ionathan the Kings eldest sonne were fast linked to him and so hee might haue conceived hope to have made a strong party against Saul who daily provoked him by most cruell and unjust persecution yet David kept himselfe in his uprightness hee hasted not by any indirect attempt as did his sonne Absolon afterwards against himselfe to seeke his owne revenge nor to displace the King and his seed which hee knew in time were to be remoued