King SOLOMON's Infallible EXPEDIENT FOR Three Kingdoms SETTLEMENT OR Better Men make Better Times Delivered In A SERMON Preached in the Renowned and Famous City of Gloucester the Lord's Day before their Election of Burgesses for PARLIAMENT By Samuel Keme S. S. T. B. Rector of Allbery near Oxon. Psal 112.4 Unto the Righteous ariseth Light in Darknesse And the Righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance His horne shall be exalted with Glory The Wicked shall see it and be Angry I will cloath her Priests with Salvation and her Saints shall shout for joy There will I make the Horne of David to bud for I have Ordained a Light for mine Anointed His Enemies will I cloath with shame but on Him his Crown shall flourish Psal 132.16 17 18. London Printed by J. S. for G. Sawbridge and are to be sold at the Signe of the Bible on Lud-Gate Hill 1660. To the Honourable Tobie Jordan Colonel AND Now Mayor of the Ancient City OF GLOUCESTER TO The Honourable the Burgesses Elected Aldermen and Common-Council of the said CITY Honourable I Have ever esteemed Honest Authority the most noble potent and approved Patron to pitch on The three Kingdom 's Glory and every particular Person 's best Security Now That I might match my Principle with my Practise The Compulsion of your many Civilities the prevailing Voice of most of your Importunities hath not onely conquered me to a concession to print these Mushroom-meditations but made me being conscious of the worthlessnesse of any thing that can be called Mine as liable to censure to fly to you for Protection it being a Sermon formed at as great a distance from my Line and Level and ordinary Instruments I make use of as I am from my own Habitation therefore not framed to that degree of Perfection I could wish for your sakes or any who may peruse it Which I pray may be charitable in their Judgment For the heaviest Censures come from men that speak their Interest and without Judgment And to them but a word Why should you be violent for that which but by Violence and Oppression you cannot hold and whilst enjoyed is apt to torment your Souls with jealousies and fears and hangs on the twine-thred of the wandring Judgments of the hurrying Vulgar more multivarious than Nature's dalliances which are every minute fluctuous and returning in their new Varieties And why should they not rather acquiesce in the Reason and Determination of Righteous men in Authority whose Guide is God's Will revealed in his Word Take heed whilst you follow the guidance of your own Interest though you should enjoy Mydas's specious Wish yet it pay you not with ruine at the last Truly God will work alone Man must not be of his Counsel If we can be but patient God will be profitable but for Time and Means we must leave to him not interpose our selves Be tutored by the unexpected Actings of the Times not to presume on any Interests nor despaire of God for he can help thee or cross thee Nemo confidat nimium Secundis Nemo desperet meliora lapsus Policy and Vowes have deceived us let Righteousness and Religion undeceive us and let us take out this Lesson that Those Kingdoms flourish most not where Vice-Royes govern but the a Lawful Righteous King is personally present And till you arrive here you will be but vapours transported by unconstant blasts And if this word of sincere and loving Counsel shall raise any storm upon me it shall but cause me to put the Helma Lee and pray for them And pray for next under God protection from you who are not onely Martially impowred but Civilly invested with the Sword of Justice and divinely furnished with the whole Armour of God both to defend his friends and offend his your and his Church's Enemies And ever know that sanctified Wisdom and true Grace is a Sanctuary so safe and sacred that even Princes dare not touch the man that is thus protected Yours Honourable hath been in varieties of difficulties proved and approved And without the lest thought of Flattery I hint it You seem to me to be formed and educated of God in the way and love of Righteousness Truth and Peace attended on by Moderation and yet a Christian Courage and Counsel to act your parts in such a season as this is I must till death crave leave to honour you and divulge to the World your Courage and yet Christian-like Moderation in the use of your Power very lately Violent rash bloody Designs and Minds will never bless the owners with a setled Peace Tyranny borders near an inevitable ruine Moderation is a Spoke in the Wheel of Envy nor is it safe to Tenter Authority for that displayes men And what bloody mischief was prevented and what high-formed stormy Resolutions calmed and what Peace was in a short space to admiration setled will never be forgot to your perpetuall honour whilst Gloucester is a City Enemies being Judges By which means though many of you being active in Counsel enjoyed not a Liberty to hear a part of this Sermon yet I bless God I enjoyed a peaceable opportunity to preach some of these Notions in the Publick Assembly the latter part of the Day Thus have your Actings added one Argument more to what I in Publick delivered That when Righteous men are in Authority the People rejoyce Diligence and Moderation are the best steps whereby to climb to any Excellency Go on and prosper They that by righteous Actings acquire Honour will hold it longer than they that have acquired it by Power or unjust Vsurpation This will make you succeedingly glorious that you shall need the Applause of none to add to your felicity This this Righteousness will in the Exercise of your Authority Martial Civil attract the hearts of all that hear of you to you for Love Service Admiration I shall dress up no more words in these Paper robes least I should seem to stand in need of your Pardon as well as Protection for my Impertinencies I knowing reall Desert desires more to deserue than to hear of it shall with Prayer to the Lord to make You and Magistracy at unity amongst your selves zealous for God's Glory and his Church's repairing and reforming and the Kingdoms Settlement upon the Foundations of Righteousness Peace and Truth presume ever to subscribe my self Yours and the City's most affectionate Servant in the Labour of Prayer for all Blessings SAMVEL KEME King SOLOMON'S Infallible Expedient for Three Kingdoms SETTLEMENT OR Better Men make better Times PROV 29.2 When the Righteous are in Authority the People Rejoyce But when the Wicked bear Rule the People Sigh NAtional and not Notional Righteousness is and hath ever bin esteemed the surest Foundation for Nationall and Personall peace and happiness The lastingest Settlement is formed from this Establishment Shews of it will and hath produced no other than Mock-showes and Kick-showes of Government No no! Dissembled Piety is double
Iniquity and provokes God to give Men over to affect mutability Novelty as Aristocracy Democracy Anarchy Oligarchy Fift-Monarchy The attempts of all which must be managed by Policy Power Violence Blood and Tyranny Experientia docet Pretences of Religion and Liberty hath in all Ages lead the Van-guard and bin the pretence for most the unbounded Licentiousnesse As in that nefarious and bloody Conspiracy and Murther of Julius Caesar When proud Sheba would invite Israel from a just and lawfull Subjection to the bondage of an Usurper He proclaimes a Toleration and Liberty And then the People as Bees when up in a swarm and hearing not the Voyce of the Master-Bee the Monarch are apt to light on any Bough yea Thornes or Bryars So Pride and Interest carry Men to cloze with any Faction Psal 2.3 The proud Rulers projecting against Christ's Monarchy declare for Liberty Let us break their bonds say they But your experience tells you The deadliest Storms attend the smoothest Calms Fair Promises are strange snares to intangle the ignorant and simple-hearted The cheapest things Men can part with and yet the strongest Inchantments It was the Devils promise to Jesus Christ to give him Kingdoms It is the Jesuit's first lesson Machiavell's old Rule And some of late Authorities practise John Huss had a fair promise for a safe conduct to the Council of Constance yet they cut him off as to Life with a distinction To come but not return Absolon stood at the Court Gates and having taken the People by the Ears with his Gallantry he leads them by the Nose into slavery 2 Sam. 15.4 His ear is open to all Plants Petitions of all Sorts no Cause he flatters no Error he tolerates not And then O Valiant Vertuous Bounteous Absolon was the common acclamation Sed Promissa Tyrannorum finiuntur in ruinâ Credentium They have Arguments in all Moods and Figures but the last is in Bocardo But Christians I have to our wofull past-experiment brought you at this time for your Election Incouragement Solomons Judgement as a direction Expedient For better time and a firm Settlement restore and cry up better men For when the Righteous are in Authority the People Rejoyce but when the Wicked â—ear Rule the People Sigh The Text is Independent and yet let me tell you it is for Monarchy the very best Government for it was pen'd by a Monarch King Solomon Not onely in Defence of Monarchy as to his own Interest and Glory but to the People's Security Peace and Indemnity as he Argumentatively expounds my Text ver 4. A King by Righteousnesse maintaineth or preserveth his Country but a man receiving gifts destroyeth it A man that is necessitated to inforce constant Taxes c. In the words in generall you have 1. Monarchy and Magistracy asserted 2. Happinesse assured First When the Righteous are in Authority the People Rejoyce Secondly The contrary experimented When the Wicked bear Rule the People Sigh In the words you have these parts First The Time or Season in which a Kingdom or People may expect and be sure of Happinesse When the Righteous are in Authority Secondly A just account of the length of Time of a Kingdom 's misery and calamity So long as the wicked beareth Rule And now I wonder not that King David experienced in the Harrassing and Oppressing of his People under Absolons Rebellion and Usurpation he and his Companions being routed and slain makes such haste to be settled on his Throne for his People good 2 Sam. 19.20 Absolon whom we appointed over us is dead Ver. 11. Then King David sent to Zadock and Abiathar the Priests saying Speak to the Elders of Juda and say Why are ye behind to bring the King again to his House See v. 14. He gives Amasa incouraging-hints as to be Generall in Joab's stead Ver. 13 14. He bowed the hearts of all the men of Juda as of one man Therefore they sent to the King saying Return thou with all thy Servants v. 15. So the King returned and came to Jordan And Juda came to Gilgal to meet the King and to conduct him over the Waters of Jordan Yea Shimei faces about and goes also And when holy David is in Authority the Kingdom rejoyceth exceedingly 2 Sam. 22. But when Absolon and Sheba Ruled their very hearts were grieved I shall clear these particulars or so much as I shall speak to 1. What is meant by Righteous 2. What By being in Authority 3. What by the Peoples Rejoycing and what kinds of joy it is that they express 4. What is understood by Wicked and what by their bearing Rule 5. What by Sighing First What by Righteous And really Christians there hath bin and is so much spirituall Hocus-pokery and Hypocrisy in the World that the Devil in Samuel's mantle hath past for the Prophet But because Christ hath said The Tree is known by the Fruit Affection concluded by Actions I will tell you what the Scripture saith Is not to do righteously and whom God looks upon as unrighteous that you may in your choyce decline them And whom he looks upon as righteous that you may Elect and Accept them as your Representatives I shall give you examples in Men and Actions These are righteous 1. Negatively not such as walk prophanely or countenance or oppose not the spirit of prophaneness in their Relations or Inferiors Noah in his opposition to this practise is called a righteous Man in his Age for he grieved for the unrighteous deed Gen. 6.9 10. Gen. 24. If there be fifty righteous c. v. 25. So Lot is called a righteous man in opposition to his times practice Secondly Such as walk perfidiously that break Covenants with God and Man That keep not their promises Psal 57. In opposition to this Jonathan is styled righteous acting so to David having made a Covenant with him 1 Sam. 18. although his treachery might have got him a Crown in all probability Thirdly Such as preferr Policy to Piety and manage it with the most notorious Acts of cruelty In opposition to this practise David is called righteous by hiâ— very Enemy Saul 1 Sam. 24. compared with 6.7 Verses 1 Sam. 26. And it came to passe when Abiâ—thar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah that he came down with an Eplâ—od in his hand And it was told Saul that David was come to Keilah and Saul said God hath delivered him into mine hand for he is shut in by entring into a Town that hath Gates and Bars Contrary to this is the unrighteous Actings of Joab and Abner And our English Historian Sanderson tells you of one lately that pretended Piety that by Policy he might act his Cruelty Such was Herod's Act Math. 2. and Judas Kiss to his Master 4. To walk cruelly and act Tyrannically meerly to fortify Interest yea against convictions of Conscience Upon this account is it Christ calls Herod Wicked who valued not to serve up John Baptist's Head in blood whom
he delighted formerly to hear for opposing him in his Interested Herodias As cruel Bonner in his time c. And as our English Historian mentions one more cruel to Mr. Love Gibbons c. 5. Such as have broke all Bonds and bounds Laws of God and Man to make Laws to maintain their own Interest though to the ruining of three Kingdoms as Rehoboam Absolom and his Renegadoes and young men in Arms 1 King 12.11 14 15. 6. Such as Profess to be Counsellors for National safety and pull down its Hedge of Magistracy and Ministry Eccles 10.8 He that breaketh a Hedge a Serpent shall bite him Verse 9. Apply 7. As the fag end of this Character take a Company of them together discovered by the Apostle Paul 2 Tim. 3.2 3 4 5 6 c. Lovers of themselves Covetous Boasters Proud cursed Speakers Disobedient to Parents Unthankfull Unholy without naturall Affection Covenant-breakers false Accusers Intemperate Fierce No lovers at all of them which are good Traitours heady high-minded Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God having a shew of Godliness creeping into houses leading captive silly Women A Righteous man affirmatively is such a one as is positively holy in his Person and his practises his Opinion his Principles his Aims as well as Actions Jehu did drive furiosly acted highly but all was to get a Kingdom He is such a one as walks by Gospel Rules not Lights within or providences and successes Impulse of Spirit Secondly What By being in Authority And it is explained by the Apostle 1 Tim. 2.2 and that Personally or Relatively I exhort therefore that first of all Prayers and Intercessions be made for all men for Kings and all that are in Authority that is all that exercise a lawful Power over us Thirdly What kind of Joy or rejoycing the People act as the Product of such Government and Rulers Solution 1. Not carnal sinful prophane Rejoycing in drinking Healths Oaths or any deboisture drinking to excess sinning because God's Mercy abounds and have hopes of better times 2. Not rejoycing as to Self-Interest Preferment c. 3. Not rejoycing in bodily Priviledges but the Soul's Advantages this is explained by the Apostle also 2 Cor. 10.17 In the Lord in Soul's Priviledges Gospel-freedom in power and purity Magistracy and Ministry's restauration Anti-christ's disappointments Rejoyce spiritually yea in the Creatures and one anothers societies moderately yea and make the poor rejoice with you charitably Observation A Righteous Magistracy forms a People's hearts in all their Conversations to rejoycing and alacrity A righteous King Lords and Parliament is the Kingdom 's All-agreement Good men create good times Good Superiours good Inferiours Regis ad Exemplum I shall give you Scriptures and Examples and divine Arguments to prove it and so apply it And because the word King is out I shall rather confirm it than recal it and assert Monarchy not onely as most agreeable to the Nation 's well-being but God's Order To omit Himself being President and Oeconomical Government natural Instinct I pray you read Exod. 18.13 Moses sate and judged the People 21. Moreover provide amongst all the People Men of Courage fearing God men dealing truly hating Covetousness and appoint them to be Rulers Nobles but every great matter let them bring to thee 23. So shall the People go quietly to their place 25. ver And Moses chose able men out of all Israel and made them Heads over the People Exod. 19.6 Ye shall be to me a Kingdom Deut. 1.13 14 15 c. read 17. Bring it to me and I will hear it And pray see Rom. 13. Where commanding to obey Magistrates for Conscience whoever resisteth the Power 4. ver For he is the Minister of God 6. ver For this cause ye pay Tribute that is onely due to Kings Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's Deut. 17.14 15. God's Institution Then thou shalt make him King whom the Lord shall choose Josh 1. â—0 1 Sam. 16.1 I have provided me a King 2 Sam. 14.17 Prov. 11.10 In the Prosperity of the Righteous the City Rejoyceth Prov. 16.15 In the Light of the Kings Countenance is Life and his favour as a Cloud of the latter Rain Prov. 20.8 A King that sitteth on the Throne of Righteousness chaseth away all evils with his Eyes This contains Divine reason also Prov. 25.3 The Heaven for heighth and the Earth for depth and the heart of Kings is unsearchable Prov. 29.14 The King that faithfully judgeth the poor His Throne shall be established for ever Examples How chearfull and with what joy did the People manage their Affairs in the Daies of righteous Kings and Magistrates As in godly David's Solomon's Josia's Ezekiah's c. Again under wicked Kings as Absolon Jeroboam c. Richard III. Henry VIII Queen Mary c. what astrange alteration in the faces of People But in Edward the Sixth Days after in Queen Elizabeth's so at present what Rejoycing what a Life in hope of Trade what Demonstrations of joy in all places amongst all Degrees Sexes Ages even whilst but in expectation of Restoration 1. Arg. Because Righteous men constitute and enact none but righteous laws righteous Superiors cannot dare not do any other then righteous things for Inferiors Now this creates joy in the heart Prov. 12.10 A righteous man regards the life of his Beast Prov. 16.17 The path of the Righteous is to depart from evil Prov. 20.26 A righteous King scattereth the wicked and causeth the wheel to turn over them 2. Arg. Because righteous Superiors bring multiplyed blessings on their Inferiors and keep evils from them and seek God much for them Prov. 11.11 By the blessing of the Righteous the City is exalted Prov. 10.21 The lips of the Righteous feed many Righteousness delivereth from Death Prov. 10.11 Prov. 12.28 Life is in the way of righteousnesse and in that path-way there is no Death 3. Arg. Because all such things as usually create joy in us wait on their endeavours by God's appointment and the relishes of them expected by the People are performed to the People As Righteousness Peace security dwelling under their Vines and Figg-Trees injoying the Fruits of their own Labours They shall dwell safely and be quiet from all evil Prov. 1.33 Prov. 2.7 He Preserveth the Estates of the Righteous He is a Shield to them that walk uprightly Prov. 2.21 The just shall dwell in the Land They have the promise of all Temporals and Spirituals Health to their Navel Marrow to their Bones Prov. 3.24 When thou sleepest thy sleep shall be sweet 33. Ver. He blesseth the habitation of the Righteous Prov. 28.10 Whoso causeth the Righteous to go astray in an evil way he shall fall himself into his own pit but the upright shall have good things in possession Prov. 6.11 16. A naughty person a wicked man walketh with a froward mouth He winketh with his Eyes he speaketh with his Feet he teacheth with his Fingers Frowardnesse is in his heart he
deviseth mischief continually he soweth discord Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly suddenly shall he be broken without remedy Blessings are on the head of Righteous Prov. 14.34 Righteousnesse exalteth a Nation Prov 16.6 By Righteous mens Actings Iniquities shall be forgiven Prov. 21.12 The Righteous teacheth the House of the Wicked Vse 1. Of Information in these particulars following 1. That Nationall felicities and happinesse consists in Righteousnesse and Holinesse not onely in greatnesse but goodnesse 2. The true cause of the sad aspect of the three Kingdomes for some years past is a want of Righteous men in Authority and unrighteous Actings I need not be your Remembrancer of them It would take up all my time and revive your trouble to rake in the puddle of noysome stinking mire and dirt 3. It informs us of a Nationall Remedy for the malady viz. to endeavour to have Righteous men in Authority 4. Whom we are to look upon as Friends of the Nation and Keepers of its Liberty Not a Committee of Safety not I know not who but Righteous Rulers and Righteous Men in Authority For they form joy of Heart and introduce every Mercy Use of Exhortation I am come from the Lord to beg this one thing from you in this your Opportunity To Elect and endeavour to fix Righteous men in Authority as your Representatives And observe the severe directions that God hath sent me withall to you this Day 1. Men that preferr Piety before Policy and not Men that preferr Private Interest before National Good that preferr God and his Churches Settlement before their own Advancement That will build his House before their own 1 King 5.5 The People returning from Captivity did so Ezra 4. And although it was obstructed by force some years yet in the next opportunity they fell to it with Swords in one hand and Trowels in the other manger all opposition Ver. 23. Oh! Chuse Men that keep Faith and a good Conscience 2. Men of known Integrity and Fidelity to God and Man and not of discovered Apostacy and Hypocrisy Men that will lose their Lives and Preferment rather then not keep their Covenant and seek a Settlement Armor of Proof formes security men that can endure Banishment Imprisonment c. A Weather-Cock in Church or State is fitter to hang in the Wind than to be in the House 3. Men that preferr Mercy before Cruelty Prov. 14.21 The Wicked despiseth his Neighbour but he that hath mercy on the Poor is Blessed Math. 9.13 1 Sam. 24.7 And he said unto them The Lord keep me from doing the thing to my Master the Lord 's Anointed to lay my hand upon Him for He is the Lord 's Anointed 4. Men of Courage and Activity that preferr Publick Good before Personal Safety such as Hester If I perish I perish Not such who in the Duke of Alva's time of Tyranny are pictured in Holland with their Fingers on their Lips but such as will venter Life and Liberty to Speak and Act to redeem the People out of Slavery that dare say Mori possum tacere non possum 5. Men of Gravity and Majesty yet preferring Humility to Self and Vain-Glory and the just Cause of Poverty before the unjust Cause of great Men in Authority Mordecai before Haman 6. Men that preferr Verity before Heresy Christ before Antichrist Gospel-Reformation before former Interest-sake or abominable Toleration 7. That preferr Unity and Order in all the Churches of Christ and his Members before Seperation or Division 8. Men of Grandure and experienced in Authority with whom is Wisdom Sobriety Moderation good Education and Ability the Head and not the Tayl of the People The list or fag-end may patch but never can make a beautiful Garment Lastly Chuse Men of sensible and tender hearts that Sympathize with the Nation and your Selves in and under all your Greivances and miserie that may be sensible to call home the Banished relieve the Oppressed Injured the unjustly imprisoned Sequestred And now I shall give you some means by which you may gain such righteous Men to be in Authority and some motives and a word to the Elected and so I have done 1. Meanes Be very frequent and fervent in prayer to the Lord who gives righteous hearts to men to give them so qualified to you and that He would providentially shew who are so indeed So the Disciples prayed Acts 1. and pray much for them Shew us whom thou hast chosen 2. Meanes Be very Circumspect as to secret guilt of gross and habituall sin God doth often punish the sins of a People by giving them unrighteous Superiors in his wrath Prov. 28.2 For the transgressions of a Land many are the Princes thereof but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged 3. Meanes Exactly to observe the Character and Rules I have set before you whom to Chuse 4. Mean To set a high value on righteousness to bring it in fashion to cry it up to exemplifie it teach it to youth c. by daily instruction Chatechising to diffuse it every one to each otherby examplary life Last Means To repent in this joynt of Time Nationally Personally I shall say as Mr. Bradford in flames of fire so I to you and the Kindgom in flames of affection Repent O England Repent Do not obstruct God in his work of Mercy by omitting this Duty you can expect no good or righteous Actings for time to come till you repent of all your unrighteousness past Repent of all pretended holiness of omitting to practise righteousness Repent of all sin yea the very appearances of evil but especially Nationall sins for which you have never bin grieved nor troubled in the powerful Actings of it For although you could not prevent it you ought not to connive nor comply with it but complain to God of it I shall tell you of some sins which if you would be righteous God expects you should Repent of 1. National dissatisfaction with our real Mercies that God afforded to us I mean not at the dressing of our quailes after the Romish mode but at quailes themselves our opposing Moses and Idolizing Calves of our own making and approving This sin you have pencilled out 1 Kings 12. 9 16. Let all such Enemies repent of their unrighteousness that offer'd violence to the Parliament that they might carry on more cleverly the King's death 2. Repent of your Solemn League and Covenant-Fraction as to God and Man in all the branches of it Numb 30.3 If a man Vow a Vow unto the Lord or swear an Oath to bind his soul with a bond saying This is the thing which the Lord hath commanded Deut. 29.24 25. Even all Nations shall say Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this Land what meaneth the heat of this great anger Then men shall say Because they have forsaken the Covenant of the Lord God of their Fathers which he made with them when he brought them forth out of the