may ascend into that glorious State which is in Heaven And this Christ for his infinite mercy sake grant unto us To whom c. SERM. IV. Preached before His Majesty on Sunday the 19. of June 1625. at White-hall Appointed to be preached at the opening of the Parliament PSAL. 75. 2 3. When I shall receive the Congregation or when I shall take a convenient time I will judge according unto right The earth is dissolved or melted and all the inhabitants thereof I beare up the pillars of it THis Psalme is accounted a kind of Dialogue between God and the Prophet For David sometime speakes in his owne person and sometimes in Gods Some think the time when hee sung this Psalme was when he was now ready to be crowned King over Israel as well as Juda. The occasion of this his solemne devotion was not onely the care which he had of the world in generall the earth but much more and much neerer the care which he took of the Kingdome of Israel now committed by God unto his Government That Kingdome was then filled with civil combustions and the Church as it uses to be in a troubled State was out of order too The Learned both the Fathers and the later Divines differ much about my Text. For some will reade it Time and some The Congregation And the best is there 's warrantable authority for both Againe some will have it that this speech I will judge according unto right is Davids promise to God of his just administration of the Kingdome and some that it is Gods promise to David of his Grace and Assistance to inable him so to governe If it be Gods speech they are not all agreed neither whether it be meant of his temporary execution of judgement in this life or of his great and finall judgement Nor doe they all agree whether by the Earth be meant the whole world and the Church spread over it or the Kingdome of the Jewes and the Church as then conteined in it But the matter is not great For the Scripture is not only true but full in all these senses and all of them come in close upon the letter of the Text. And therefore for ought I know it is the safest way which shuts out nothing that the Text includes And my Text will easily take in all if you consider the words as Davids speech yet so as that one way David be understood to speak in his owne person and another way in Gods And this is no newes For usually in the Psalmes one and the same speech is meant of David and Christ and one and the same action applyed to God and the King And the reason of this is plaine For the King is Gods immediate Lieutenant upon earth and therefore one and the same action is Gods by ordinance and the Kings by execution And the power which resides in the King is not any assuming to himselfe nor any gift from the people but Gods power as well in as over him So God and the King stand very neere together And it is an infinite blessing both upon the King and the people when the Kings heart keeps as neere unto God as Gods power is to the King For then 't is but reading of my Text and you both see and enjoy the blessing presently For then the Congregation that comes up the great Congregation great in number great in place and great in power It shall not lose it's labour For I will receive it saith God and I saith the King The Congregation whether it be to serve God or the State or both comes up at an appointed time and I will make a convenient time for it saith God and I will take a convenient time for it saith the King When I have received it and in this time I will judge in it and by it according unto right saith God and I saith the King If Iustice and Iudgement be not executed the Earth will dissolve the Kingdomes will melt away all things will sinke and fall but I will beare up the pillars of it saith God and I saith the King If the Earth dissolve the Militant Church which dwells upon it shakes presently It must needs beare part with the State in which it is but I will beare up the pillars of that too saith God and I saith the King So blessed a thing it is where God and the King keepe neere and worke together The Text hath Two parts The one is the state of the Earth of the Kingdomes and the Inhabitors thereof and they when the Prophet wrote this were in weake estate melted and dissolved The other is the Remedy which God and the King will take to settle it And concerning this Remedie heere are Three things expressed First the Execution of Justice I will judge according unto right Secondly the Establishment or settling of the Pillars I bear up the Pillars of it Thirdly the time for both these and that is a convenient Time even when Hee shall receive the Congregation I begin at the State in which David when he came to the Crowne found the Earth the world in generall the Kingdome of Juda in particular and the Church of God And surely my Text gives me no hope but Liquefactaa est weakenesse dissolution and melting in them all For the world first that so farre as the Assyrian Monarchie prevailed in those dayes of David melted betweene riot and cruelty And the rest of the world which was not under them was broken and disolved into petty Dynasties and Governments which did nothing almost but prey one upon another And for the kingdome of Juda the speciall aime of my Text that melted first in the great disobedience of Saul and after that in civill dissentions betweene David and Ishbosheth the sonne of Saul for divers yeares together And as for the Church that had no publicke roome then given it but in Judea and there it could not stand fast when the Earth melted under it And we finde toward the end of Saul 85. Priests were put to the sword at once unjustly all And the Church cannot choose but melt when her Priests are slaine for the speediest melting that is is to melt in bloud Now this melting whether it be in State or Church is no smal thing For the Scripture when it would expresse a great Calamity upon men or Kingdomes uses the word melting or dissolving And that shewes that their honour and strength drops away and decayes till they become as nothing or quite another thing In trouble the heart of David melted like wax Psal 22 When their enemies prevailed The heart of the people melted like water Ios 7. In the time of vengeance the ungodly of the Earth shall melt and consume away like a snaile Psal 58. And that 's melting indeed Put but a little salt upon a snaile and he will drop out of his house presently Melting then is a great Calamity upon a
for the honour and safety of a kingdom And beginning that service with Gods For God forbid this Honourable Councell of State should sit downe and beginne any where else than at God Now the great Congregation among the Jewes was the Sanedrim And the going up of the Tribes to Jerusalem was first to give thankes unto the Lord and then to sit downe on the seate of judgement Psal 122. And Jerusalem at that time was the seat both of Religion and the State Differences I know there are many betweene us and them our government theirs but not in this That the Tribes are assembled and come up to one place Nor in this That they come up first to give thanks to God before they possesse the seate of judgement Nor in this much that there is a Session a Convocation for Religion as well as Parliament for State But to leave them and come to our owne This great Councell of the kingdome this Congregation is never received to meeting but about the Pillars of the State the Lawes and the Government That by the Lawes there might be Judgement according to right and by the Government the Pillars may both beare and be borne I say beare and be borne For though in the text it be I beare up the Pillars That is I at all times and I in some cases where none can but I and I when all forsake save I yet that is not so to be taken as if the people were not bound to beare up the Pillars as well as the Pillars them No for there 's no question but they are bound and strictly bound too Rom. 13. And certaine it is no State can flourish if there be not mutuall support betweene the Earth and the Pillars if it faile of either side there 's some melting or other presently For the strength of a King is in the multitude of his people Prov. 14. His supply and his defence is there And the strength of a People is in the honour and renowne of their King His very name is their shield among the Nations and they must make accompt to beare if they will be borne And this is read in the very Dictates of Nature for government For no man ever saw building of State but the Pillars which beare up it are borne by the Earth Now God and the King doe both receive this Congregation and in fitnesse of time and yet with a difference too For the King receives the Congregation to consult and advise with it but God receives it to direct and to blesse it And God with his blessing is never wanting to us at these and the like times if we be not wanting to Him and our selves And thus you have seene in what state the kingdome of Israel was in Davids time and how easie it is for any kingdom to be in the like in a melting and a dissolving estate You have likewise seene what Remedy was then and what Prevention is now to be thought of against this melting This both Remedy and Prevention consists especially in impartiall distribution of Justice to the people and in Gods gracious and powerfull supporting of the pillars of the State The time for this never so fit as when the Congregation is received by the King to consultation and by God to blessing It is not much which I have more to say The Congregation is now ready to be received The very Receiving it joynes it with the fitnesse of opportunity For it is the Kings opportunity to blesse his people with Iustice and Iudgement and it is Gods opportunity to beare up both King and Peeres both greater and lesser Pillars of the State My text delivers a promise of both For 't is Davids speech for himselfe and for God I 'le doe both saith God and I saith the King Now you may not distrust this promise on either side neither on God nor Davids Not on Gods side For that is infidelity Nor the Kings For what hath he done that can cause misbeliefe or what hath he not done and that above his yeares that may not merit and challenge beliefe of all And for the comfort of this Kingdome and all that dwell therein the service of the day which was first designed for this businesse seems to me to prophesie that another Hezekiah a wise and a religious King hath begun his Reigne For the first Lesson appointed in the Church for Evening Prayer that day is 4 Reg. 18. which begins the story of Hezekiah Hezekiah was twenty five yeares old when he began to reigne There 's his age What did he when he came first into the Throne Why one of his first works was He gathered the Princes of the Citie there was the receiving of the Congregation and so went up to the house of the Lord. After this what was the course of his life It follows He clave to the Lord and departed not from him And I hope I may make a prophecie of that which follows So that there was none like him among the kings of Judah neither were there any such before him And thus is our Hezekiah come this day to receive this great Congregation in the Name of the Lord. Let us therefore end with Prayer unto God That he would blesse both the King and the State That this Kingdome may never be Terra liquefacta like molten and dissolved Earth That if at any time for our sins it begin to melt and wash away the remedy may be forthwith applyed That Iustice and Iudgement may be given according to right That the pillars of the Earth may be borne up the inferiour and subordinate pillars by the King and both the King as the Master-pillar and they by God That all this may be done in fit and convenient time That God would make fit the time and then give the King and the State and this great Councel all wisedome to lay hold of it That this great Congregation may be in the fitnesse of time That God would be pleased to receive and blesse it That the King will be pleased to receive grace it That it will be pleased to receive the King according to his desert and their duty with love honour and necessary supplie that so he may beare up this Kingdome and the honour of it with comfort and be a strong and a lasting pillar to support both it and us in the true worship of God and all inferiour blessings That he may dwell before God for ever that God would prepare his loving mercy and faithfulnesse that they may preserve him That all the blessings of Grace may attend him and this Congregation in this life and all the blessings of Glory crowne both Him and us in the life to come And this Christ for his infinite mercy grant unto us To whom c. SERM. V. Preached before His Majesty at White-Hall on Wednesday the 5. of July 1626. at the solemne Fast then held PSAL. 74. 22. Arise O
mistake not upon the East and the Palace of Solomon upon the South side of the same Mountaine to shew that their servants and service must goe together too that no man might thinke himselfe the farther from God by serving the King nor the farther from the King by serving God The Kings power is Gods ordinance and the Kings command must be Gods glory and the honour of the Subject is obedience to both And therefore in the Law the same command that lay upon the people to come up illuc thither to Ierusalem the very same lay upon them to obey the Judges and the house of David illic when they came there To obey the Sanhedrim and the Judges Deut. 17. and both them and the King after the house of David was settled as in this place For then there was seated as divers of the Fathers and later divines observe both Authorities both of the Priests and of the King and his judges So the first lesson which the people doe or should learne by going up to the Temple is obedience to both spirituall and temporall Authority but especially to the house of David Well then illic there were the Seates or Thrones of judgement Of all things that are necessary for a State none runs so generally through it as justice and judgement Every part and member of a Kingdome needs it And 't is not possible Ierusalem should be long at unity in it selfe if justice and judgement doe not uphold it And 't is in vaine for any man whether he be in authority or under it to talke of Religion and Gods service to frequent the Temple if he doe not in the course of his life exercise and obey justice and judgement And this lesson Religion ever teacheth For it was the very end of Christs comming to redeeme us That we might serve him in holinesse and in righteousnesse S. Luk. 1. In holinesse toward God that 's first and then in righteousnesse and Justice towards men that 's next And they stand so that the one is made the proofe of the other Righteousnesse of Holinesse For he that doth but talke of Holinesse and doth unjustly therewhile is but an Hypocrite This for Justice the preservative of unity Now for the Seates of it They which are appointed to administer Justice and Judgemet to the people have Thrones or Chayres or Seâ—tes call them what you will the thing is the same out of which they give sentence upon Persons or Causes brought before them And they are signes of authority and power which the Iudges have And 't is not for nothing that they are called Seates For Judgement was ever given in publike sitting And there 's good reason for it For the soule and minde of man is not so settled when the Body is in motion For the Body moved moves the humours and the Humours moved move the affections and Affections moved are not the fittest to doe Justice and Judgement No Reason in a calme unmoved is fittest for that Now the Seates stand here both for the Seates themselves And so Sederunt Sedes is Active for Passive The Seates sate for The Seates are placed or for the Judges that sit in them or sederunt id est permanserunt for the perpetuity and fixing of the Seates of Justice The Seates must be in some reverence for the persons that sit in them The persons must have their Honour for the Office they perform in them And the Seates must be fixed and permanent that the people which are fallen into Controversie may know the illic and the ubi whither to come and finde Justice The words in my Text are plurall Seates of Iudgement And 't is observable For the exorbitances of men that quarrell others are such and so many that one Seat of Judgement onely was scarce ever sufficient for any State Seats they must be and they seldome want worke In the prime times of the Church Christians could not hold from going to Law one with another and that under unbeleevers 1 Cor. 6. To meet with this frailty of man God in this Common-wealth which himselfe ordered appointed not one but many Seates of judgement And therefore even the inferiour Seates howsoever as they are setled by the King and the State severally to fit the nature of the people in severall Kingdomes are of positive and Humane Institution yet as they are Seates of Judgement they have their foundation upon Divine Institution too since there is no power but of God Rom. 13. By these Seats of Justice and Judgement the Learned in all ages understand Iudiciary power and administration both Ecclesiasticall and Civill And they are right For the Sanhedrim of the Jewes their greatest Seat of Judgement under the King after they had that governement was a mixed Court of Priests and Judges Deut. 17. though other Kindomes since and upon reason enough have separated and distinguished the Seates of Ecclesiasticall and Civill Judicature Since this division of the Seats of Judgement there was a time when the Ecclesiasticall tooke too much upon them Too much indeede and lay heavy not onely upon ordinary Civill Courts but even upon the House of David and Throne of the King himselfe But God ever from the dayes of Lucifer gave pride a fall and pride of all sinnes least beseemes the Church May we not thinke that for that she fell But I pray remember 't was Fastus Romanus 't was Roman Pride that then infected this Church with many others The time is now come in this Kingdome that the Civill Courts are as much too strong for the Ecclesiasticall and may overlay them as hard if they will be so unchristian as to revenge But we hope they which sit in them will remember or at the least that the House of David will not forget That when God himselfe and he best knowes what he doth for the unity of Jerusalem erected Seates of judgement Hee was so farre from Ecclesiasticall Anarchie that he set the High-Priest very high in the Sanhedrim And Ecclesiasticall and Church Causes must have their triall and ending as well as others I know there are some that think the Church is not yet farre enough beside the Cushin that their Seates are too easie yet and too high too A Paritie they would have No Bishop No Governour but a Parochiall Consistory and that should be Lay enough too Well first this paritie was never left to the Church by Christ He left Apostles and Disciples under them No Paritie It was never in use with the Church since Christ No Church ever any where till this last age without a Bishop If it were in use it might perhaps governe some pettie City But make it common once and it can never keepe unitie in the Church of Christ And for their Seats being too high God knowes they are brought low even to contempt They were high in Jerusalem For all Divines agree that this in prime
Kingdome And 't is not Juda onely but all Kingdomes of the Earth are subject to melting The many changes of the world have Preach'd this over and over That whatsoever hath Earth to the foundation is subject to dissolution And the Sermon is still made upon this Text Terra liquefacta est The Earth is dissolved Now usually before melting there goes a Heate And so it was Hos 8. A fire first and then the melting of Israel There neither is nor can be any Kingdome but it hath many Heates These are most felt by them that are at the working of the State But these are all quite above me save to pray for their temper and I will not further meddle with them Heates then there are but all Heates are not by and by a Furnace nor are all Furnaces able to melt and dissolve States No God forbid Not all but yet some there are that can melt any Kingdome especially two The one of these Heates is Sinne great and multiplied sinne For saith S. Augustine delinquere est de liquido fluere To sinne is to melt and drop away from all steddinesse in vertue from all foundation of Justice And here a State melts inward there 's little seen yet The other is Gods punishment for these sinnes For that makes empty cities and a desolate Land And there a State melts outwardly and in view And by this we have found what and who it is that melts great and glorious Kingdomes In the Text there 's no more than liquefacta est the earth is disolved not a word by whom or for what But it is expressed ver 7. that it is by God And it is too well knowne that it is for sinne and for great sinne too For as there goes sin before God heates so there goe great and multiplied sins before God makes his fire so hot as to melt or dissolve a Kingdome The sinnes of the Amorite not yet full therefore not yet cast into the melting pot But so soone as their sinnes were full their State melted The fruit of it from above and the root of it from beneath all destroyed And this was not the Amorites case onely for all Stories are full of it That when States have melted into wanton and lustfull sinnes they have not long after dissolved into desolation For as S. Hierom observes that course God holds with impious and impenitent Kingdomes as well as men absque discretione personaruus without any difference of persons or places Well when 't is Terra liquefacta when a Kingdome dissolves and melts what then What why then no man is in safety till it settle againe not a man For the Text goes on The earth is dissolved and all that dwell therein All men then to seeke what to doe the wisest to seeke and the strongest to seeke All. And it must needs be so For so long as a State is Terra like solide ground men know where to set their footing and it is not every Earth quake that swallowes the place But when it is once Terra liquefacta molten and dissolved there is no footing no foundation then I sticke fast in the myre where no ground is Psal 69. and myre is but terra liquefacta molten and dissolved earth All foule then and no foundation And when a Kingdome melts indeed that is both wayes In sinne and under punishment there 's great reason the inhabitants should melt with it into feare into danger into ruine For God never puts his fire to the melting of a State but for sin and sinne that is never committed by the dead State but by the living For when a fruitfull land is made barren it is for the wickednesse of them that dwell therein And therefore there is great reason when the earth dissolves that the inhabitants should all sweat and melt too When David came to the Crown 't was thus How is it now Why if you take the earth at large for the Kingdomes about you out of question there hath been liquefactio a melting in the earth and many Kingdomes have sweat blood But if you take the earth for the State at home then 't is high time to magnifie God First for the Renowned Religious and peaceable Reigne of our late dread Soveraigne of blessed Memory who for so many yeeers together kept this Kingdome in peace and from melting And secondly that now in the change of Princes which is not the least occasion for a State to melt we live to see a miracle Change without Alteration Another King but the same life-expression of all the Royall and Religious Vertues of his Father and no sinewes shrinking or dissolving in the State If you aske me the cause of this happinesse I can direct you to no other but God and God in mercy For as for the Kingdome that is made of the same Earth with others and is consequently subject to the same dissolution And as for us that dwell therein I doubt our sins have beene as clamorous upon God to heate his fire and make it fall on melting as the sinnes of them that inhabit other Countreys And though I doubt not but God hath the sure mercies of David in store for the King and will never faile him yet if Habitatores in eâ they that dwell in this good and happy soile will burden it and themselves with sinne great sinne multiplied sinne unrepented sinne it will not be in the power or wisdome or courage or piety of a King to keepe the State from melting For David was all these and yet liquefacta est terra the Earth was as good as dissolved for all that And therefore that this Kingdome is not a melting too I can give no firme reason but God and his Mercy For he is content to give longer day for repentance and repentance is able to doe all things with God And the time calls apace for repentance The Heavens they melt into unseasonable weather and the Earth melts and dissolves her Inhabitants into infectious humours and there 's no way to stay these meltings but by melting our selves in and by true repentance Would you then have a setled and a flourishing State Would you have no melting no dissolution in the Church I know you would it is the honourable and religious designe of you all Why but if you would indeed The King must trust and indeere his people The people must honour obey and support their King Both King and Peeres and People must religiously serve and honour God Shut out all Superstition on Gods Name the farther the better but let in no prophanenesse therewhile If this be not done take what care you can God is above all humane wisdome and in some degree or other there will be Liquefactio terrae a melting or a waste both in Church and State And this falls in upon the second generall part of the Text which is The Remedy as it was then with the Jewes the
to right who ever doe not Shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right Yes no question And therefore even Kings themselves and all mighty men of the Earth and Iudges of all sorts have need to looke to their wayes For God is over them with Ego judicabo I will one day call for an accompt I will judge all the Executions of Iustice with which I have trusted them And this is the first Prevention of the melting of a Kingdome the first Remedy when it begins to melt The maintenance and Execution of justice The Second followes and it is the establishing of the Pillars of the Earth I beare up the Pillars of it I saith God and I saith the King Where first it is not amisse to consider what these great Pillars of the earth are The Earth it selfe that hath but one Pillar and that is the poize and aequilibre of the Center And that is borne up by the Word and Ordinance of God Thou commandedst and it stood fast And saith S. Ambrose it needs no other thing to stay it The kingdomes of the Earth they have more Pillars than one This one which is Gods ordinance for Government they have but they have divers Administratours of this ordinance And these Pillars are Kings and Peeres and Judges and Magistrates Not one of these under the nature of a Pillar not one but yet with a great deale of difference For though there be many Pillars yet there is but Vnus Rex one King one great and Center-pillar and all the rest in a kingdome doe but beare up under and about him The Church that is not without Pillars neither No God forbid And it resembles in this the kingdomes among which it sojournes The great Master-pillar Christ he is the Foundation of all the rest and other foundation can no man lay of the Church Next to Christ the Apostles the Disciples are Pillars too and so called Gal. 2. After these their Successours Bishops Priests the Fathers of the Church in their several ages they came to be Pillars and so shall successively continue to the end of the world And so soone as Emperours and Kings were converted to the Faith they presently came into the nature of Pillars to the Church too If any man doubt this truth I le call in the Pope himselfe to witnesse it There are two great Props or Pillars of the Church saith Leo the Kings authority and the Priests both these and the Pope was content then to put the Kings first And Kings saith Saint Augustine are indeed great Pillars of the Church especially if they use their power ad cultum Dei dilatandum to enlarge and support the true religious worship of God You have seene what these Pillars are Will you consider next what they have to doe both in Church and Common-wealth The office of a Pillar is knowne well enough what it is 'T is sustinere to prop and beare up the Earth Quantum est columnarum nihil sustinentium sed in ornamentum tantum I know in luxurient buildings many Pillars stand onely for ornament but beare no weight It is not so with Pillars that are crown'd Honour and ornament they have and they deserve it but they are loaded too Kingdoms and States the greatest the strongest in the world are as mouldring earth as men Juda at this time was Terra liquefacta like a dissolving Body They cannot stand sine Columnis without their pillars to beare them And therefore the King hath ever been accounted and truly columna stare faciens terram the maine pillar and stay of the State And 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 quasi 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the King is the pillar the foundation of the people So S. Gregory for he bears subjectorum suorum onera not onely his subjects but their burdens too The office then of the Pillars is to beare but when is there use of them When why continually they can be spared at no time if they leave bearing the State melts presently We reade it foure times repeated in Scripture but upon two great occasions onely Idolatry and Abominable lust that there was no King in Israel Judg. 17. and 19. no King And still there followed a melting and a dissolving of the State Every man did what seem'd good in his owne eyes and the punishment was great At this time David was King of Juda and Ishbosheth would be King of Israel Joab was for the one and Abner with the other The Pillars here in stead of bearing fell a justling What followed Why you see Liquefacta est terra that kingdome melted The Pillars then can never be spared from their worke continuall use of them but yet at one time more need than another And the time of the greatest necessity of these Pillars is when there is any Liquefaction or weakening of the Earth And that is in the Text the Earth dissolving and then by and by recourse to the Pillars To the Pillars and therefore they which weaken the government nay which doe but offer to impaire the honour and reputation of the Governours are dangerous and unworthie members of any Common-wealth For to murmure and make the people beleeve there are I know not what cracks and flawes in the Pillars to disesteeme their strength to undervalue their bearing is to trouble the Earth and Inhabitants of it To make the people feare a melting where there 's none And what office that is you all know Continuall use there is then of the Pillars But what then Can the Pillars beare up the earth in a melting time by their owne strength No sure that they cannot not at any time and therefore least at a melting time But what then Why then here 's Ego and Ego I beare up the Pillars that are about me saith David and I saith God beare up both these and David too And indeed all Pillars are too weake if they be left to themselves There must be one to beare them or else they can never beare the Earth One and it can be none under God Ego confirmavi 't is I that in all times have borne up the Pillars of it And it is per me by me saith God Prov. 8. that Kings reigne And per me by me is not onely by Gods ordination once set and then no more but by his preservation and his supportation too And as S. Augustine observes Quid essent ipsae columnae What could the Pillars themselves doe if they were not borne up by God But when it once comes to Ego confirmavi I beare up the Pillars there 's nothing then to be feared Now these of which we speake are not stony or insensible but living and understanding Pillars understanding therefore they feele Onus terrae the burden of the Earth which lyes upon them when the dull earth feeles not it selfe therefore as they feele so are they able to
are they Nothing but a heape of most infirme and miserable creatures which you can never be as long as God gives his Judgements to the King and his Righteousnesse to the King sonne I have now done with the first generall part of the text and it is time to descend from the King to his Son the second part of the Fathers Prayer And thy Righteousnesse to the Kings sonne give Lord. Where first though it be not exprest in the text it may easily bee conceived that such a King as Dauid prayed for a Son before he prayed for Righteousnesse to be given him and though David had divers sonnes before yet in some respect or other they were all to David as no sons therefore there is no question to be made but he prayed for him I and therefore too when God had given him Solomon he calls him not bare his sonne but his onely sonne 1 Chron. 29. And no marvell since he was that son that God himself appointed to succeed in the kingdome for David 1 Chron. 28. and such a son is alway worth the praying for Well but what then when God had given David Solomon when God hath given any other King a son as he hath given our gracious King Gods name be ever blessed what then is the Kings prayers then or the peoples at an end No nothing lesse nay there is more need a great deale both for the King for the people to go on in their prayers as David did that the same God that hath given his judgements to the King will proceed and Give his Righteousnesse to the Kings sonne For it is a greater blessing to the King when God gives his Righteousnesse to his son than when he gives him a son For if Solomon succeed not David in his love to the Temple as well as the Throne if he inherit not the truth of his fathers Religion as well as the right of his Crown if he follow not his Fathers devotion and pray for Justice and Judgement to be given him as well as other temporary blessings the very blessings of the Son would end in bitternesse and be the discomfort and dishonour of the Father But it is the wise and prudent Sonne that is the Fathers Crown and the Mothers joy Prov. 10. And then the blessing of Sonne is a blessing indeed David saw this therefore he continued his prayers And it is more than fit for other Kings to doe so too Thy Judgements Lord give the King and thy Righteousnesse to the Kings son And for the people they have great need not onely to say Amen to the prayers of the King but to repeate the prayer and with fervencie to drive it in at the ears of God that so their children after them may be as happy under the Sonne as they themselves were under the Father while God gives both the Father and the Son zeale to his truth and judgement over his people And here I should take occasion to tell you of the care and devotion of our David in his dayes and of his prayers both for himselfe and his Sonne but that the age is so bad that they will not beleeve that he is so good beyond them And some for they are but some are so waspishly set to sting that nothing can please their eares unlesse it sharpen their edge against authority But take heed for if this fault be not amended Justice may seize upon them that are guilty God knows how soone And the Kings Judgement that God hath given him may pull out their stings that can imploy their tongues in nothing but to wound him and his government Well these must not divert me or any good subject from praying for the King and the Kings Sonne The Kings Sonne blessed name what imports then to a King surely David knew well therefore you see he leaps for joy into this prayer in the first words of the Psalme Some tell me this name imports at large the King and his posterity Sonnes or Daughters not distinct And I confesse the least is Gods great blessing upon a people For the wise Historian tells us that Plena c. The Kings house full of them is the Kings security and the kingdomes too and our Prophet proclames as much for he proclames him blessed that hath his quiver full of them he shall not be ashamed when he meets his enemy in the gate Psal 112. But when I find it Filio Regis the Kings Sonne I think David made a difference and had a speciall eye upon Solomon that God had given him to succeed after him 1 Chron. 28. Well then be it to the Kings Sonne Why but then is it but to one out of doubt where there is but one there can be no question but when there are more Sons than one as David had and other Kings may have there the Kings Sonne in the text stands for that Sonne that in the course of the kingdome is to inherit and to be King after him Not that prayer is not neeessary or not to be made for Gods blessings upon them all But because in the course of time the sterne is to be held by that hand therefore the prayer is most necessary to fill that hand with justice and judgement of the Kings Sonne and to season the Kings Sonne with justice and judgement So then the Son in the text was Solomon not borne first for he had other brethren living but designed by God and by David himselfe to be King after him designed by David therefore he had great reason to pray designed by God therefore David had reason to hope that God would give him a spirit of government And it was so for God gave him plenty of wisdome and store of justice 2 King 1. The Sonne with which God hath blessed onr King and us as natus haeres borne heire and I hope designed and marked out by God for long life and happinesse In all things like Solomon God make him saving in those things in which Solomon fell from these prayers of his Father Now as it was to David so it is to any King a great happinesse to have a Son to pray for For first there is scarce such another exercise of a Kings piety as to pray for his Sonne Secondly there is scarcely such another motive to make the King carefull of his Sonnes education as this prayer is For the more David prayed to God for Gods justice and judgement to descend upon his Son the more he seemed to see what a want it was for the Sonne of a King to want justice and judgement and the more he sees what this want is the more undoubtedly must he indeavour by prayer to God and his owne indeavour to looke to it for the vertuous education of his Sonne For it is impossible almost that he that prayes to God to give should not also indeavour that it may be given For when we our selves pray for any thing that prayer if it be such
and such is every King in his proportion that sets up these for his example It is not easie to match David but a better example than Christ cannot be found And therefore when Clem. Alex. had described a King indeed One that is Beatus Benedicens a blessed and a blessing King Or if you will as it is here in the Abstract Ipsa benedictio Blessing it selfe He is at Cujusmodi est Dominus Such as is Christ There the perfect example of Blessing Now while the King is said to be a Blessing let me put you in minde that there is a double Benediction Descendens una altera Ascendens One descending and another ascending That which Descends is the Blessing of Benefit That is the Kings Blessing He above and this drops from him In this like God whose immediate Vicegerent he is For Gods Blessings also are said to come downe and descend S. Iacob 1. The Blessing which Ascends is that of Praise and Thankes and faire interpretation of Princes Actions and this is the peoples Blessing And they are both in Scripture together 3 Reg. 8. For there ver 55. Solomons Blessing comes down upon the people and ver 66. the peoples blessing goes up back againe to Solomon Betweene these two is the happy commerce that a Prince hath with his people when they strive to out-blesse one another When the King labours the peoples good that is his blessing descending upon them and the people labour his honour that is their blessing reaching up to him And in this sense also as well as the former a King is said Poni in benedictionem to be set up as a Blessing that is for one whom the people ought to blesse For Gods ordinance Honour the King 1 S. Pet. 2. doth as much if not more require the people to blesse that is to honour the King than it doth the King to blesse that is to doe good to his people And there is no good division between a King and his People but this one That in parting of this great good of a gracious government the Kings part be the Honour the Peoples part may be the Benefit and both meet again in the Blessing And it is so in my Text For Ar. Mont. renders the Originall by Pones eum There the King blesses the people and the Septuagint and Tremel by Posuisti ei There God promises that he will or rather saith he already hath and ties the People that they doe blesse the King And you may observe too that while a King keeps to the two great examples of the Text David and Christ He is not onely a Blessing but he comes as hee writes Plurall And so it is in the Text Benedictiones not one but many Blessings And indeed the Blessings which descend from a King upon a people seldome come single and alone and this Kings keep theirhonour that they Blesse by number Esau could not beleeve that his father Isaac who was far lesse than a King to Blesse had but one blessing in his store Gen. 27. But be the Blessings never so many never so great Be the Assistants which a King hath never so deserving And David had his Worthies you know 1 Chon 11. 10. yet none of them may share with him in his honour of Blessing the people nor none ought to steale away the hearts of his people upon any popular pretences whatsoever For these wheeles of what compasse soever they be move all in his strength and therefore ought to move to the conservation of his Honour And this is in the Text too for David no question had a wise and provident Councill Nobles of great worth and these wanted not their deserved Honours God forbid they should And yet when it came to blessing the people that great meanes of specialtie of Honour to a King there David stands alone without a sharer Dedisti yea but whom not eos but Eum not them but Him as Blessings to the people The vision which Ezechiel saw c. 1. seemes to me an expression of this It was a vision of Wheeles the Wheeles were many the motion uniforme one wheele within another the lesse within the greater yet in the apparition these under-wheeles have no name but onely the great compassing wheele Rota ecce una One wheele appeared And in this case every man is bound to be in the service but the best may not look to share in the Honour And seldome meane they well to Princes that against the phrase of the Holy Ghost in this place Dedisti Eum thou hast given Him as Blessings will needes be thought Blessers of the People For such men doe but fish and baite in troubled waters to their owne advantage Yet these men speaking oftentimes with more freedome than either Truth or Temper so long as they finde fault with the present government never want saith Hooker Attentive and favourable hearers Never For my part I will keepe to the words of my Text and if there be a Blessing as who sees not but there is under God I will goe to Dedisti Eum Him whom God hath given If you thinke I have stayed too long in this circumstance I hope you will pardon me You should be as loth as I to go from amidst the Blessings but I must proceed Secondly then a King a Blessing yea but how long continues he so My Text answers It is for Ever For Ever And so Christ and David are both in the Letter Christ a Blessing for ever and that simply for of his Kingdome no end S. Luc. 1. 33. David a Blessing for ever but that not in himselfe but as Christ was to descend from him as he was Radix lesse Esai 11. from whence did spring Christ the Blessing for ever And Christian Kings in their generations a Blessing for ever too but that limited as they professe Christ and as they imitate David Now David is observ'd to have Blessed the people under him three wayes and to these three generals all the Blessings of a King are reducible These three are The true worship of the true God that is the first The second is Preservation from forraine Enemies And the third is Life and vigor of Iustice and Iudgement among the people The closer a King keeps to these three the larger his Blessings but if he fall short in any of these so much doeth he lessen his Blessings upon the people For if he maintaine not true Religion among them then his Blessings are not for Ever but end in the Peace and Plenty of this life If he preserve them not from forraine violence then his Blessings reach not so far as to the Ever of this life but are hewen downe by the sword of the Enemie If he doe keepe out forraine force yet if Iustice and Iudgement be not in life and in bloud at home his best Blessings wil be abused even by them which are trusted with dispensing them
and that for Ever Now this In perpetuum for ever was absolute in Christ but in David and other Kings be they never so eminent in their times it is but respectively for ever That is not for the Ever of eternitie no nor for the Ever of time But onely for the Ever of perpetuity of their own Reigne in their allotted time And this is a large for ever For you can have no longer Blessings from the best King than God gives him time to blesse in for he is constant in Blessing that gives it not over but with life and this was Iosias honour 4 Reg. 23. And yet I may not forget that some times this for ever extends the blessings of Kings beyond their life Namely when they blesse their people with a Blessing successor for the Septuagint read it here 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and that implies Succession So it is a Present and an after blessing A blessing in himselfe and a blessing in his seede In his person and in his posterity a Blessing And the Text fitted David home In himselfe all his life and in Solomon after his life a blessing for ever And in this the Text applies it selfe and so will doe I hope for ever and I will ever pray that the King may be a Blessing long and his Solomon after him to his people even in seculum seculi age after age in an Ever of succession and so proceed Thirdly then the King is a Blessing to his people and that for ever but who makes him so yea now we are come to the great Father of blessings God himselfe for if you marke the Text begins at Tu dedisti or Tu posuisti Thou Lord hast given him thou hast set him for blessings And God as in other so in this particular very gracious for no people can merit this at Gods hand that their King should be a Blessing to them and continue so No you see Tu dedisti thou hast given him makes him Donum a meere gift no purchase Againe no King can promise and performe this out of his owne strength that he will be a Blessing to his people and that for ever No you see Tu posuisti thou hast set him keeps him at his disposing leaves him not to his owne And indeed in this a Kings felicitie is borne as Christs was by an overshadowing power And you cannot no not with a curious eye search all the Reasons how he is set for Blessings because God in disposing it hath hid Lumen intra umbram and thickned the veile that is drawne over it There is much I confesse in the King to compasse the Affections of his People and there is much in the People not to distast the heart of their King for trifles not to urge him with indignities But when all is done and the blessing stands between the King and the People ready to descend from the One to the other yet you must goe to Tu dabis Thou Lord shalt give it For if he give it not it will not be had There will be a rub where it is not looked for and a stop in the Blessing For is there conquest over enemies or rest from them why that is Tua gratia Gods favour So S. Basil Is a King or a State famous for the ordering of it why there is auxilium â te All helpe from God So Theodor. And God sells neither his help nor his favovr It is all at Tu dedisti his gift his free gift where ere it is There is great Errour in the world I pray God it be not as Common as Great And it is to thinke that this blessing can be brought about by Policie onely Policie is necessary and I deny nothing but the Only And they which maintaine that leave no roome for Tu dabis Thou shalt give the blessing But will carrie the world before them whether God will or no. Whereas there is more in Tu dabis in Gods gift than in all the Policies of the world And it must needes be so For all Policie is but a piece of Gods gift a branch of Gods wisedome Therefore not so great as the whole And no Policie can Promise it selfe successe there it must needs wait and stay for Tu dabis Therefore not so great as that upon which it attends And when miserable events dog the wisest projects then Achitophel himselfe will confesse this though perhaps not till he goe home to hang himselfe 2 Reg. 17. With this Politick errour went another of Destinie The former leaves Gods Altar and the sacrifice is to their owne uet Hab. 1. This other hampers God in the uet and makes both his blessings upon Kings and his blessings from Kings to the People to be all fatall And this was too common among the Heathen So Flav. Vopiscus Fato Remp. regi satis constat It is evident enough that Kingdomes are governed by Fate And then where is Tu dedisti Thou hast given him if he and his Blessings must be whether God will or not But these blind men had Blessings and knew not whence they came unlesse perhaps they understood Providence by Fate And Minut. Fael is not much against it And if they did then Providence and Tu dabis are all one For God never gives a blessing to a King and his people but he gives it and orders it by Providence Yet here the wisest of the Heathen are unexcusable in that they enjoyed the gift and would not serve the giver Rom. 1. Look right therefore upon The Author of Blessings And where it is Tu dedisti Thou hast given him as Blessings as it is with us there know it is worth Thankes both from Prince and People And where it is Tu dabis Thou shalt give and my Text is read both wayes there know it is worth the asking both for Prince and people that God will give their King unto them as blessings for ever And as it is Tu dedisti Thou hast given So that is not all but Tu dedisti priùs Thou hast given first God is first in the worke where ever a gracious King is a blessing to his people For that which is simply a gift in the Text is a prevention ver 3. And Praevenis eum prevents the King with blessings first that he after may blesse the people So that in this common blessing God is the prime mover aswell as in grace given to particular men And it it true of both which S. Augustine delivers but of one Avertat Deus hanc amentiam God turne away this phrensie from us that in his own gifts And here it is Tu dedisti we should place our selves first and set him after No where ever comes Tu dedisti Thou hast given God is evermore first in the worke to begin it yea and last in the worke to perfect it or else no blessing And therefore marke the Text and ye shall finde that
faithfull He must trust And now to end at home David is gone long since to his Hope the Mercy of the Highest But a King a gracious King is living over us in Peace and Happinesse as our eyes see this day I know He remembers why God set Him over this great and numerous people that is in benedictione even to blesse them And that he hath been a Blessing unto them Malice it selfe cannot deny And I make no question but he will go on with the Text and be Blessings to them for ever For ever through his whole time and for ever in his generous Posterity Tu dedisti Gods gift is through all this and I will ever pray that it may never faile He hath given this people all His time the Blessing of Peace And the sweet Peace of the people is Praeconium Regnantium the Glory of Kings And Gods gift is in this too For though it be the King that Blesses yet it is God that gives Blessing to Blessing it selfe And suppose Peace end in Warre Tu dedisti Gods gift reaches thither too For the Battell is the Lords 1 Reg. 17. The Battell yes and the Victory For sayth S. Basil Dextera victrix Whosoever be the Enemy the right hand that conquers him is the Lords Now for his Blessing it is fit he should receive Joy But if he will have that true and permanent and no other is worth the having he must looke it in vultu Dei in Gods countenance If he looke it any where else especially where the joy of his countenance shines not there will be but false representations of joy that is not This day the Anniversary of his Crowne is to all his loving Subjects Dies Gaudii and Dies Spei A day of Joy and a day of Hope A day of joy For what can be greater than to see a Just and a gracious King multiplying his yeares And a day of Hope And what can be fitter than to put him in minde even this day that a Kings strength is at sperat in Domino His trust in the Lord the preserver of men Job 7. That as God upon this day did settle His Hope and His Right to this Kingdome upon Him So upon this day which in this yeers revolution proves His day too Dies Domini the Lords day as well as His hee would continue the setling of his Hope on him by whom all the Kings of the Earth beare rule Prov. 8. I say Settle upon Him and his Mercy that is the last The very feet of Kings stand High and in high places slips are dangerous Nothing so fit so able to stand by them as Misericordia Altissimi the Mercy of the Highest In the goodnesse and the power of this Mercy he hath stood a King now almost five and fifty yeares nay a King He was before he could stand Through many dangers the Mercy of the Highest hath brought Him safe Let Him not goe from under it and it followes my Text verse 8. His right hand shall finde out all that hate Him And for himselfe Non commovebitur He shall not be moved not miscarry And so we offer up our Evening sacrifice unto God for Him and for our selves that God will ever give and he may ever be a Blessing to is People That His yeeres may multiply and yet not outlive His joy That this day may come about often and yet never returne but In Gaudio vultus Dei in the joy of Gods countenance upon the King and In Gaudio vultus Regis in the Ioy of the Kings countenance upon the People That the mercy of the most High may give Him hope in the Lord and strengthen it That His Hope may rest upon the Mercy that gave it That in all His businesses as great as His place His Successe may be Non commâ—veri not to miscarry That He may goe on a straight course from Blessing others in this life to be Blessed Himselfe in Heaven And that all of us may enjoy Temporall Blessings under Him and Eternall with Him for evermore And this CHRIST JESUS for his infinite merit and mercy sake grant unto us To whom with the Father and the holy Spirit three persons and one God be ascribed all might Majesty and Dominion this day and for ever AMEN SERM. III. Preached on Monday the 6. of Feb. 1625. at Westminster at the opening of the PARLIAMENT PSAL. 122. ver 3 4 5. Jerusalem is builded as a Citie that is at unity in it selfe or compacted together For thither the Tribes goe up even the Tribes of the Lord to the Testimony of Israel to give thanks unto the Name of the Lord. For there are the Seats or the Thrones of Judgement even the Thrones of the house of David SOme are of opinion this Psalme was made by David and delivered to the Church to be sung when the Ark of God was carryed up to Jerusalem when Jerusalem was setled by David to be the speciall seate both of Religion and the Kingdome The people were bound thrice a yeere at Easter Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles to come up and worship at Jerusalem Deu. 16. And some think this Psalme was prophetically made to sing by the way to sing wheÌ„ they went up by the steps to the Temple And 't was fit for they came up with joy And joy is apt to set men a singing And at joy the Psalme begins I was glad when they said unto me We will goe into the house of the Lord. But whatsoever the use of this Psalme was in any speciall Service certaine it is that Jerusalem stands here in the letter for the City and in type and figure for the State and the Church of Christ My Text looks upon both and upon the duty which the Jewes did then and which we now doe owe to both The Temple the Type of the Church that 's for God's service No Temple but for that The City the Type of the State that 's for the peoples peace No happy State but in that Both the Temple and the State God's house and the Kings both are built upon Pillars And it is not long since I told you out of Psal 75. that there are many times of exigence in which if God doe not beare up the Pillars no strength which the Pillars have in and of themselves can support the weight that lies upon them Be they Pillars of the Temple or Pillars of the State Therefore here to ease the Pillars God hath built up Buttresses if men doe not pull them downe to stay the maine walls of both buildings The Buttresse and support of the Temple is Religion God will not blesse the house if men doe not honour and serve him in it The Buttresse and stay of the Kingdome is Justice God will not blesse the State if Kings and Magistrates doe not execute judgement If the widdow and the fatherlesse have cause to cry out against the Thrones of Justice So
reference is spoken of Ecclesiasticall Censures and Seates And the word is Thrones no lesse So the originall So the Septuagint and so many of the later Divines forgetting their owne invention of the Presbytery And one thing more I 'le be bold to speake out of a like duty to the Church of England and the House of David They whoever they be that would overthrow Sedes Ecclesiae the Seates of Ecclesiasticall Government will not spare if ever they get power to have a pluck at the Throne of David And there is not a man that is for Paritie all Fellows in the Church but he is not for Monarchie in the State And certainly either he is but Halfe headed to his owne Principles or he can be but Halfe-hearted to the House of David And so we are come to the last the great Circumstance of the Text the House of David the Guide and the ground too under God of that unity which blesses Ierusalem The house that is not the house onely but the Government All Regall and Judiciary power was seated by God himselfe in David and his Posterity 2 Sam. 7. That He as King over his people might take care both that Ierusalem might be at unity in it selfe and that the Tribes of the Lord might goe thither to give thanks to the Name of the Lord that all the servants of God among that people might know that God had committed them to the trust of David that they might not promise themselves succour from God otherwise than as they lived in obedience to David that they might not think to alter the government or the succession but rest dutifully where God had placed them And therefore when Ieroboam rent ten Tribes from the house of David almost nothing but distraction and misery fell upon that people ever after as appeares in the story This to the letter strictly Now to the sense at large as both Church and State have subordination to the house of David For Ierusalem that 's at unity under David And the Tribes they goe up to the Testimony under David And the Seats of Judgement they have their severall ministrations but all with reference all in obedience to the house of David Now in a State the King obtinet locum fundamenti is alwayes fundamentall All inferiour powers of Nobles Iudges and Magistrates rest on him And yet the holy Ghost doth not say in my Text that the seats of Iudgement are upon the foundation of David but upon the House of David And the reason is plaine because there is one and the same foundation of the King and his people that is God and Christ But when the house of the King is built upon God as David's was then 't is to the people domus fundamentum both an house and a foundation of all their houses And that you may see the truth of this looke into the Story of all States and you shall never finde a thunderclap upon the house of David to make it shake but the houses of all the Subjects in the Kingdome shooke with it And this is an evident Argument that the house of David is a Foundation when such a mighty building as a State is shaken with it And therefore there 's no man that loves his owne house but hee must love the Kings and labour and studie to keepe it from shaking And if you marke the Text here 's Sedes super sedem one Throne or Seate upon another And all well-ordered States are built so by Sub and Super by Government and Obedience The intermediate Magistrates have their subordinations either to other and all to David But the House of David that 's both Sub Super under the rest in the foundation for so the Septuagint and the Fathers reade it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 upon the house of David so the house of David under as Foundation but over the rest in the administration and the government For they which are upon him must not be above him A primacie or superintendencie or what you will above the house of David in his owne Kingdome is a dangerous and an ill construction of Super Domum David The house of David a Foundation then and my Text warrants both it and mee I have no will to except against any forme of government assumed by any State Yet this my Text bids me say for the honour of Monarchicall Government The Seats of judgement in it are permanent And I doe not remember that ever I read Seates of Judgemens so fixed as under Regall power I doe not by this deny but that there may be the City in peace and administration of justice in other formes of government somtimes asmuch somtimes more But there are Judicia not Sedes Iudgement not Seates of it And Iustice there may be but it continues not halfe so steddy The Factions of an Aristocraty how often have they divided the City into civill wars and made that City which was at unity in it selfe wade in her owne bloud And for a Democratie or popular Government Fluctus populi fluctus maris The waves and Gulfes of both are alike None but God can rule the raging of the Sea and the madnesse of the people Psal 65. And no safety or settlednesse till there be a returne in domum David to a Monarchie and a King againe I 'le goe no whither but to my Text and Jerusalem for instance That people had a Sanhedrim over them a wonderfull wise and great Senate the chiefe of the Priests and the most expert in their Lawes of the other Tribes If any greater difficulty arose God raised up Iudges and Deliverers to fight their Battailes This people were well a man would thinke for point of Government very well And yet Calvin observes and 't is true though they had then Iustice and Iudgement among them yet they were but suspensa Iudicia variè mutata Iustice with suspence and often changes And which is more that people restles and unquiet even with the Ordinances of God himselfe till they had a King 1 Sam. 8. So after the disobedience of Saul which can cast even Kings out of Gods favour that State was setled upon the House of David The King then a Foundation and a settled one too as Mortality hath any The whole frame of the Common-wealth understood here by the Seats of Iudgement rests upon the strength of his house Upon his house therefore it must be built and settled else 't is not domus not a house When 't is built it must be furnished and plentifully too else 't is not fit to be domus Davidis the Kings house If any disaster hath been it must be repayed else Domus lacera a house upon props can be no foundation of Iustice to friends at home or upon enemies abroad And there can hardly be a greater misery to a Kingdome than to have the House of David weake Well then would you have the house of
Prevention as it is now with us which God and the King will use to keep the State and the Church from melting This Remedy and the Prevention is just the same is expressed first in the execution of Justice And this God promises for the King and the King promises under God I will judge according unto right saith God and I saith the King Now Iustice and Iudgement is the greatest binder up of a State The great bounder of Peace and Warre And it is not possible to find dissolving sinews in a Kingdome that is governed by Iustice For if the King flourish the Kingdome cannot melt And the Kings Throne that is established by Iustice Nay farther Nothing but Iustice can establish the Throne and make it firme indeed But when God blesses the King with a heart full of Iustice when God strengthens the King in the Execution of Iustice when the King followes God as close as he can with Ego judicabo I my selfe will looke to the administration of Iustice with which God hath trusted me there can be no melting about the Throne of the King none in the State none in the Church But then this Iustice which preserves the King and blesses the people must be habituall To doe Iustice casually though the thing done be just yet the doing of it is not Iustice The State may melt for all that because the Remedy is but casuall Again since the whole State hath interest in the Justice of the King his Iustice must be spreading over all persons and in all causes And so 't is plurall in the Text I will judge Iustitias for every mans cause so far as it is just Why but then must the King doe all this himselfe No God forbid that burthen should lye all upon him Moses was not able alone for that It was and it is heavie What then why then Jethro's counsell must be followed There must be inferiour Iudges and Magistrates deputed by the King for this Men of courage fearing God and hating Covetousnesse These must quit Moses from the inferiour trouble that he may be active and able for the great affaires of State For if they be suffered to melt and drop downeward there can be no standing dry or safe under them And hence it followes that Ego judicabo I will judge according unto right is not onely the Kings engagement betweene God and the People but it is the engagement of every Iudge Magistrate and Officer betweene God the King and the State The Kings power that 's from God The Iudges and the subordinate Magistrates power that 's from the King Both are for the good of the people That they may lead a peaceable life in all godlynesse and honesty All Judges and Courts of Iustice even this great Congregation this great Councell now ready to sit receive influence and power from the King and are dispensers of his justice as well as their owne both in the Lawes they make and in the Lawes they execute in the Causes which they heare and in the Sentences which they give The King Gods High Steward and they Stewards under him And so long as Iustice and Iudgement sits upon all the Benches of a Kingdome either it s not possible for Fluxes and Meltings to begin in the State or if they doe begin their Drip will be cured presenly Now while the King keepes close to Ego judicabo I will judge that which comes to me according unto right if inferiour Iudges which God forbid judge other than right they sinne against three at once and against God in all For first they sinne against the people by doing them wrong in stead of Iustice Secondly they sinne against their owne conscience not onely by calling but by sentencing Good Evill and Evill Good Thirdly they sinne against the King the fountaine of Iustice under God in slandering of his Iustice to the people with the administration whereof they are trusted under him And once againe for inferiour Governours of all sorts The King is the Sunne Hee drawes up some vapours some support some supply from us T' is true he must doe so For if the Sunne draw up no vapours it can powre downe no raine and the Earth may be too hard as well as too soft and too melting Now this Raine which descends and is first caused by the Sunne is prepared in the Clouds before it falleth on the Earth And all Great men that are raised higher than the rest especially Iudges Magistrates of all sorts they are the Clouds They receive the more immediate influence from the King and if they be Gods Clouds and retaine what he gave them they drop fatnesse upon the people But if they be clouds without water they transmit no influence If they be light clouds in the wind then no certaine influence If they be clouds driven 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by a whirlewind then it is passionate and violent influence And the Clouds I hope are not I am sure should not be thus betweene the King and his People There is then Ego judicabo I will judge according unto right both for the King and all subordinate Magistrates under him But here 's Ego judicabo and I will judge according to right for God too For many of the Fathers will have this to be Gods speech or Davids in the person of God And then whatsoever men do with Iustice and Iudgement God comes two wayes in upon the judgements of men to review them For first God comes in when the Earth is melting by violence and injustice And then Gods Ego judicabo I will judge is either in Mercy to repaire the breaches to stay the melting of the State or else in Iudgement to punish the debasers of Iustice And this God sometimes doth in this life But if he doe it not here yet he never sailes to doe it at the last and finall Iudgement to which divers of the Fathers referre this passage of my Text. Secondly God comes in when the Seats of Iustice supreme and inferiour all are entire And then Gods Ego judicabo I will judge is alwayes to confirme and countenance the proceedings of Iustice and to blesse the instruments And my Text hath it full For it is not here said I will judge the cause onely or the men only whose cause it is or the Iudges onely that sentence the cause but Ego justitias I will judge the very Iudgements themselves how right or otherwise thy passe And then this must needs be to confirme honour them if they be just or to condemne and dissolve them if they be unjust rather than they shal melt or dissolve the State or somtimes to send a melting into that State in which Iustice is perverted Now howsoever men somtimes breake from their duty in judging according to right yet there can be no question of Gods proceedings He will be sure to judge all things and all men according
sometimes that I should think it is as the world takes it for a house of Butter against the Sun Well what 's the cause that there should be such melting in the Church what why surely there are many causes would I complaine to you of them But there are two in the very letter of my Text and them I cannot bank But I speak of the Church in generall and still hope the best of our owne The One is that the Ecclesiasticall Pillars which are the Churches most immediate bearers are in many places of Christendome but hollow Pillars And there 's no trusting of hollow Pillars with such a weight as the Church is And therefore here where God in mercy will stay the melting 't is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I will make the pillars solid I will not leave the Church any longer upon hollow hypocriticall and deceitfull Pillars The other is that the Church oft-times relyes too much upon her Pillars upon the wisdome and the power of them And so farre that sometimes Ego confirmavi God that beares up the pillars is quite forgotten And then whensoever she and her Pillars leave to rest upon God they fall on melting Presently and no wonder But whatsoever the Churches Error be this I am sure will concerne the State and you It is not possible in any Christian Common-wealth that the Church should melt and the State stand firme For there can be no firmnesse without Law and no Lawes can be binding if there be no conscience to obey them penalty alone could never can never doe it And no schoole can teach conscience but the Church of Christ For wherever you find the Church melt and dissolve there you shall see conscience decay Therefore be Pillars to the Church and you shall be Pillars strong Pillars to the State and to your selves The Third and last Circumstance of the Text is The Time that is chosen for both these both for the execution of Justice and establishing the Pillars And that is a set and a convenient time even when he shall receive the Congregation For that time I 'le take saith God and I saith the King The first instant of this time set or taken is Opportunity 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Text. And opportunity is the best moment in all the extension of time lose it and lose all The right use of it is one of the things that differences wisdome from folly Now a man would thinke that for these things in the Text all times were times of opportunity For can any time be unfit to doe justice to judge according to right to beare up the pillars of State and Church no sure there cannot And yet even for these here 's both God and the King for opportunity For here David promises both for God and himselfe that he will take a convenient time But then there is a great deale of difference betweene God and the King in taking of it For when the King comes to beare up the State 't is simply cùm accepero tempus when I shall take a convenient time For no regall power hath any command over time It can neither force on nor draw backe nor make stay of opportunity He must take it when God offers it or not have it And if it be let slip he cannot promise it shall returne to his hand againe Nor can this great Court make an Act of Parliament to stay or reduce it But when God comes to doe justice and to beare up the Pillars themselves then cùm accepero tempus is not simply the taking of a convenient time but the making of it too And it stands not for eligere but statuere not for a choice of time as if God must wait upon it but for appointing of time and making it fit to serve both God and the King For saith S. Augustine Deus non accipit propriè sed gubernat tempora God doth not attend opportunities of time as if he could not worke without them but he governes and disposes of time and occasion and makes them ready for us to take them Otherwise obsequia temporum as Arnob. calls them the pliantnes of time will not attend nor be commanded by us So that here God's taking of the time is nothing but God's fitting of the time to us and us to it And when he is said to take it it is for us not for himselfe Now though God be at this taking of the time yet it is not in men to give it him No ability of man or any creature can doe that And therefore where the speech is of God it is absolute and simply Quum Ego when I shall take it Not I and you not I from you But out of his owne wisedome he findes it and out of his owne goodnesse he takes it and by his owne power he uses it to beare up the pillars of the Earth And therefore here in the Text is never a Quum tu das when thou givest me opportunity but when I take and order time by my selfe And yet let me tell you that where mans strength can doe nothing to give God an opportunity to preserve the Earth and the kingdomes of it from melting there his weakensse can For as weakenesse is the thing that needs so the time of melting is the opportunity of establishing the pillars of the earth And so God in mercy is often pleased to make it 'T was so Psal 9. The Lord will minister true Judgement unto the people He will be a defence for the oppressed When will he doe this in opportunitatibus in the needfull time of trouble and that is the melting time And 't is so in the Text I beare up the Pillars of the Earth When doth he beare them Quum terra liquefacta est when States shake and seeme to be dissolving And since our sufficiency can give Gods wisedome no opportunity but yet our weaknesse gives his mercy opportunity enough it is manifest that no one thing is more necessary for preservation against the melting of a kingdome then humble and hearty prayer that God will come alwaies into that opportunity which our weakenesse makes And now because God doth often take unto himselfe second meanes and uses them in time to watch over the opportunity which himselfe gives here 's a touch in the Text for that too when this fit time of bearing up of the pillars of the Earth comes And that is as S. Basil some others read it at the Receiving of the Congregation that is when the people shall meet in the Synagogue to pray and praise God or when Honourable and selected of the people shal be summoned and gathered together in the name of the Lord for Counsel or Justice For no time so fit to honour God none to execute Justice none to beare up the pillars of the Earth as when the Congregation is received to meet and consider and weigh all those things which make
God plead or maintaine thine owne Cause Remember how the foolish man reprocheth or blasphemeth thee daily THis Psalme in the very Letter is a complaint of the wast that was made upon the City of Jerusalem and the prophanation of the Temple that was in it And these goe together For when did any man see a Kingdome or a great City wasted and the Mother Church left standing in beauty sure I think never For Enemies when they have possessed a City seldome think themselves Masters of their owne possessions till they have as they thinke plucked that God out of his House which defended the City As you may see in that bragge of the Heathen in Minu. Foelix And so 't was here The Enemies roared in the City and displayed their Banners vers 5. And then by and by followes the defiling of the holy Place Downe goes the carved work with Axes and Hammers and Fire on the rest verse 6. A profanation upon the Temple and upon all the Rites of Religion there was All agree upon that But it was yet but in Prophecie not come And the learned which lived after and looked back upon the Prophecy and the accomplishment of it are not agreed For some say the Text refers to the first great desolation by Nebuchadonozor some to the last by Titus some to that which came between by Antiochus Epiphanes and some indefinitely to all The best is you cannot refer the Text amisse For in every of these the City and the Temple the State and the Church were threatned alike And I for my part see no great reason yet why the Prophet should not mean all since certaine it is both State and Church did suffer in all This Psalme as in the Letter it lookes back upon the State and Church of the Jewes so in the Figure it lookes forward upon the whole course of the Church of Christ entertained in any State For if the State come to suffer 't is madnesse to thinke the Church can be free And therefore this Psalme certainely was penned to be Documentum perpetuum an everlasting document to the Church of Christ to labour and pray for the safety of the State Because if any violence threaten the Kingdome with Waste it must needs at once threaten the Church with both Prophanation and Persecution Well This danger is usually threatned before it come And so 't was here But upon that threatning what remedy hath the State What why wisely to fore-see carefully to provide against and unanimously and stoutly to resist the Insolence and the violence of the Enemie And to this work every Subject is bound by all Law of God of Nature and of Nations to put hand and meanes life and livelyhood But what remedy hath the Church What Why a Remedy beyond all this Majora arma as Saint Chrysostome calls them greater sharper weapons For foresight and care and unanimity and courage sometimes come all too short For all these may dwell in greater proportion in the Exemies Camp Whither goes the Church then Whither Why doubtlesse to God For when all things else faile The helpe that is done upon Earth he doth it himselfe ver 13. To God and to God by Prayer That 's the Church way And the Church way is Via Regia the Kings way as Epiphan calls it The Prophet here is all upon this way For here in the Psalme is a Noise of Enemies comming There 's a Prophecie what they will doe if they get the better What doth the Church Doth she stay till the Enemies be come No sure 'T is no wisedome in the State 'T is no Religion in the Church to doe so No nor did the Church so here But she called to minde what strange things God had done of old for his servants ver 14. Upon that mercy she grounds her confidence That upon the same Repentance she shall have the like Deliverance And upon this Faith and hope she repents and prayes ver 20. My Text is the conclusion of this Prayer And it hath two parts The one is the Invocation that God would bestir himselfe Arise O God The other is what the Prophet would have him doe when he is Risen And they are two things which hee doth expresly desire of him The one is that he would pleade and maintaine his owne cause The other that he would remember how the foolish man reproches or blasphemes him daily Arise O God maintaine thine owne cause Remember how the foolish man blasphemeth thee daily The Text it selfe is all as it begins a Prayer It must needs fit the worke of the day For that Proclaimes for Prayer No time is or can be unfit to call upon God But such Times as this are necessary And there cannot more well be said than such Times as this The Prophet David where he points out opportunity for Prayer goes not so farre Call upon me in the day of trouble so will I heare thee and thou shalt glorify me Psal 50. There 't was but the day of Trouble But these Times might I be bold to put them under their just character for difficulties both at home and abroad are more than the day of trouble For beside that they have made up a long Day of trouble already These Times are the very concurse of Feare and Danger The Cloudes have threatned from heaven now many dayes together to destroy a hopefull and plentifull Harvest in the Day of Possession As the Prophet speakes Esay 17. The Pestilence as if it were angry that God had driven it out of this great City of the Kingdome wastes and destroyes far and neare in other places of it The Sword of a forraigne Enemy threatens to make way for it selfe And if it enter 't is worse than Famin and the Pestilence The Prophet calls it a Rasor Esay 7. But such as is readier to cut the Throat than shave the Beard Can yee tell where to sue out remedy against these but at God Perhaps you may think upon second and subordinate Helps And 't is fit yee should For these are simply necessary too And 't is Gods great blessing upon the Kingdome that to meete with the Distractions of the Time he hath placed over us in the Throne a wise a stout a vigilant and a most provident King Well But can you alwayes have these second helpes at hand Can you always by them effect your end Have you them ready at this time Have you the Sinewes that move them 'T is well if you have But I doubt 't is a great part of the sorrow and trouble of the time that you have not And howsoever have or have not there is a commanding power both over you and these And therefore this is a time for Humiliation under that power that he which gives Grace to the Humble would resist the Pride of our Enemies S. Jaco 4. I need not presse this any further The necessity of these Times
made the Object of our Prayers Yet this advantage may here be had If ever you may safely prefer the person before the cause and yet be just you may doe it here God before his owne cause And the reason is because God as he can never tender an unjust cause to his People so is he Justice it selfe And ever juster than any cause of his that is without him Therefore whatsoever others doe Arise O God and maintaine thy selfe and thine owne cause Maintaine it even from Heaven there 's no great trust to the Earth for that is full of darknesse and cruel habitations ver 21. Now all this while we have almost forgotten who 't is that makes this Prayer Saint Hierom tels me and he is not alone in the opinion the Psalme was Davids and therefore the Prayer too As a Prophet he foresaw the danger and as a King he went on directly to the highest remedy And though Kings now are not Prophets yet 't is a great blessing upon any Kingdome to have the King a Seer so farre as is possible To have him with both eyes open His right eye open and up to heaven for God to maintaine him And his other eye downwards but open upon his People to take care of them and maintaine them with the same support that he hath received from God And herein above other Nations we are blesed this day I say againe Above other Nations if we can see our blessing and be thankefull For the King keepes his eye as steddy upon God as if he had no helpe below him And yet at the same time as gracious an eye upon his People to relieve their just grievances as if he were more ready to helpe them than to receive helpe from them Let not your hearts be troubled neither feare S. Joh. 14. Here are two Kings at once at Prayer for you David and your owne King They are up and calling upon God to Arise For shame Lagge not behinde God and your King You have been and I hope are a valiant Nation let nothing dead your spirits in Gods and your Countries Service And if any man drop malignant poyson into your Eares powre it back into his owne bosom And Sir as you were first up and summon'd the Church to awake and have sounded an Alarum in the Eares of your People Not that they should Fast and Pray and serve God alone but goe with you into the House of the Lord so goe on to serve your Preserver Your Merit and the Noblenesse of your heart will glew the hearts of your People to you And your Religious care of Gods cause and service will make him I doubt not Arise and haste to the maintenance of your Cause as of his owne Onely in these and all times of difficulty be strong and of a good courage keepe close to the Law of the Lord. Be full of Counsell and then resolute to Act it Else if you shall not be firme to deliberated Counsells they which are bound to serve you may seeke and finde opportunities to serve themselves upon you This doe and God Arise and be with you as he was with Moses Jos 1. This doe and as S. Chrysost speakes Aut non habebis Inimicum aut irridebis eum Either you shall have no Enemy or you shall be able to scorne him the world over The second thing which the Prophet would have God doe when he is risen is that he would Remember how the foolish man blasphemeth him daily The Enemies of Gods Truth and of the peace of his People it seemes doe not onely seek to overthrow his Cause but base and uncivilly irreligious as they are they fly upon his Person too For so you see the Text changes from the Thing to the Person Maintain thy cause but remember the Reproach runs against thy selfe They blaspheme thee And by this you may see how dangerous a thing it is for any Men or any States to become Enemies to the Cause of God For sinne will not stay till it have wrought them farther even into enmity against God himselfe And therefore this sin here a high and a presumptuous sin is not called the presumption of them that hate Gods Cause but of them which hate God himselfe ver 24. Presumption easily falls to Reproach goodnesse it selfe But what Reproach is it these Enemies cast upon God What Why 't was in the highest degree 'T was Blasphemy For so Saint Basil renders my Text. And so 't is called againe Ver. 11. 19 You may be sure the Prophet mistook it not It went not single there were more than one and Theodoret calls them Execrations Cursings and Revilings of God And men of all sorts as well as usurping Enemies had need be watchfull over this sinne For a man may quickly be within the borders â—o it before he be aware especially â—â—he be bold and busie with the Cause of God as it is reserved and secret in himselfe For since all Blasphemy is a Derogation of some Excellencie chiefly in God the Schoole collects and truly That whosoever denies to God any attribute that is due unto him or affirmes any of God that is not agreeable to his Nature is within the Confines of Blasphemy Entred though perhaps not so farre gone But these Enemies it seems stuck at no degree of Blasphemy Spared God himselfe no more than his Cause And what reason can this State of Church have to thinke these Enemies or their like that spared not God nor his Cause will if they have power enough spare them or theirs But I pray who or what manner of Enemy was it that made thus bold with God Who why my Text answers that too Stultus fuit it was the foolish Man And you may know so much by his boldnesse We find Psal 14. There was a Foole that blasphemed God But 't was in his heart Out of his mouth he durst not let it goe not once And this Foole was in the same feare at first For his Blasphemy kept in his heart ver 9. But now he was grown impudent it brake out at his Lipps For as S. Basil and others observe he did Palam maledicere Blaspheme at large The Prophet no question knew these Enemies what they were that they had other names beside Fools But he fits them with their Name of Merit That they deserved that he gives them I told you these Enemies were cunning subtill Enemies And 't is true But Malignity against Gods cause and Blasphemy against his Person will make the greatest Wisdome in the world turne Foole. And Follie dares adventure any thing against Man Nay against God too which is alike true of the Foole at home and the Foole abroad The Prophet pray'd against their Enemies as we doe now against ours O my God make them as a wheele Psal 83. And see in what a wheele they are The worst that ever moved For their Blasphemy
maintaines nothing contrary to the Analogie of faith nothing that hinders the context nothing that crosses any determination of the Church nay since there is in it more piety to God more duty to himselfe more instruction to his Sonne and more good example to other Kings that the prayer begin at himselfe I will take the prayer as I find it in the very words of the Psalme to be a prayer first for David and then for his Sonne and so proceed Well then Davids prayer here is first for himselfe we shall come to his Sonne after And he is an excellent example to Kings in this for the first thing that makes prayer necessary absolutely necessary for a King is himselfe that a superiour hand even Gods hand would set and keepe him right whom so many inferiour hands labour to set awry I but what need the King to pray for himselfe he wants no prayers whom all the people pray for Indeed it is true the people are bound to pray for their King 1 Tim. 2. and I make no doubt but that the people performe this duty as they are bound since it is a tribute which by the Law of God they ought to pay and David so great and so good a King had out of question the prayers of all his people both for himselfe and his sonne yet for all that you shall find David at his prayers for himselfe too And certainly there is great reason for it for of all acts of Charity this of Prayer is aptest to begin at home It is true indeed the King ought to have the prayers of his people and that man cannot deserve so much as the name of a Christian that prayes not heartily for the King because that is not the Kings good onely but the peoples way to lead a life in godlinesse and honesty 1 Tim. 5. Therefore that man that makes no conscience of praying for the King let him pretend what he can he must be presumed to have as little care of all godlinesse and honesty I but though the King ought to have the prayers of his people yet in the performance of their duty I read not of any dispensation the King hath to neglect his owne not to pray for himselfe If he be a King like David he must be a King at his prayers too especially in those great things that concerne the King that concerne the Kingdome that concerne his Son and his succession to his kingdome there he of necessity must pray for himselfe He may joy in his peoples prayers there but he must pray for himselfe too And God be ever blessed for it you have a King that is daily at his prayers both for himselfe and for you yet here I pray take this along with you that as it is the peoples duty to pray for the King and that takes not off their King to pray for himselfe So on the contrary side the Kings religious care in praying for himselfe is so far from lessening that it augments the obligation of the people to pray for the King And when both pray the King for himselfe and the people for the King God will not refuse their prayers And the prayer granted though it fall first upon the head of the King as good reason it should yet it becomes as Aarons oyle Psal 133. for it runs to the skirts of all his people so that they have the benefit both of their own and of his prayer I will never misdoubt the piety of this nation in the performing this duty of which both here and in all places they are met this day to make publick proofe For the person that keeps close to this duty among many others he shall be sure of this one great blessing he cannot fall into the opposite sinne of murmuring against the King David the King in the text he had faithfull and religious people yet there was a Shimei among them that in stead of praying for the King cursed and reviled him 2 Sam. 16. David was very patient but I pray remember what Solomon the Kings Sonne did to Shimei 2 King 2. remember that and if the memory of his punishment would affright other men from running into this blasphemous iniquity all would soon be well We are to consider in the next place to whom it is here that the Prophet prayes and that is exprest A deo Give the King thy judgements O God Doe thou give And as this is all mens duty so it it is the duty of the King too among the rest to goe in prayer to God and to God alone Therefore Damascene puts God into the very difinition of prayer Prayer saith that Father is petitio decentium à deo the asking of those things that are fit to be asked of God For prayer is one of the greatest pats of divine worship so great that Parmatius disputing against Sermonian takes prayer for the whole entire worship of God No Pope can dispense with King or people either not to pray or not to pray to God but Saints or Angels As for their distinctions they are all new the antient Church knew them not though these have their use sometimes yet they are a great deale too nice to be used in prayer that is so essentiall a part of divine worship And you have great cause againe to blesse and magnifie God for a King so constant in religion so devout in prayer so direct in his devotion to God alone as he hath ever shewed himselfe to be and God for his mercy sake ever hold him there And indeed to whom should he or any of you goe in prayer but to God for none can give but he nor none can blesse or preserve that that is given but he If the King look to have his Throne established to himselfe or his Son after him he must go to God for the setling of it or else it will shake then when he thinkes it surest And since God hath proclaimed it himselfe By me Kings reigne Prov. 8. Princes have reason to looke up to him that they may reign by him since against him nay without him they cannot reigne To God then the King goes by prayer But al this is lost except we know for what And that followes next in the text It is for Judgement It is indeed for all that a Kingdome is but principally for judgement First because under God that is the establishing of the Kings Throne Prov. 25. Secondly because that is one of the Kings maine vertues for the ordering of his people for they cannot have their well-being but by justice and judgement Therefore in the Common Law of this Kingdome justice is rightly styled The supporter of the Common-wealth I will not fill your ears with curiosities nor trouble you with disputes wherein this judgement desired for the King and this justice and righteousnesse for the Kings Sonne differ one from another I know they differ in Schoole learning Judgement standing usually for the habite Justice
for the sentence or execution accordingly But here Rufinus and Austin and other Divines tell me that judgement and righteousnesse in this place stand for that justice and judgement that the King is indifferently equally to administer to his people and so for one vertue Here is the vertue and the power both from the King and both from God The benefit of both are the peoples but from God by the King Therefore David prayes here not for one vertue for himselfe and another for his son but for one and the same vertue for both For the Sonne had as much need for this vertue as the Father the one being a King and the other to be one they both needed this great comprising Kingly vertue without which there can be no religious peaceable government over a people So justice and judgement in this place as usually when they attend the King containe the vertue it selfe and the power that brings this vertue to act The execution is as justice and the power to give sentence moderation and equity to smooth over the rigour of justice and all other vertues as far as they serve to strengthen or direct and keepe even the hands of justice prudence especially Then it is a wondrous necessary prayer here for if justice should not be in the Kings will which God forbid it must needs grow apt to turne to sourenesse And if judgement and execution follow not upon the sentence of justice the Kings hand must needs shake into remisnesse And one of these sourenesse will make judgement it selfe or the pretext of it a scourage for the people And the other remisness will make the people a worse scourge to themselves for want of discipline to keep them in order For of all scourges there is none answerable to the unrulinesse of the people Now this vertue as large as it is when it fills the heart of the King it is called another heart it puts on other dismensions for it furnisheth the Kings brest with all rectitude and prudence and rectitude is the being and prudence the moderation and guide of all justice for so without respect of persons it belongs to the wise and prudent Prov. 25. Nay further though this vertne be so large yet the heart of the King is so capacious that justice and judgement cannot fill it if it stand single therefore David prayeth not for judgement single but in the plurall number Give thy judgements And there is great reason that he should pray so for justice continuing one and the same vertue gives many times different judgements and it must needs be so and the King must needs be an instrument in them all And in the various occasions that himselfe and his people have use of This David found in his owne heart therefore he prayes for all And this pray we alway for the King for all judgement for the King So give Lord. And here it is fit for you a little to take a view of your owne happinesse and to blesse God for it for you live under a King that keeps his Laws in his life A King that lives so as if he were a Law himselfe and so needed none A King that plants his Judges so as they may equally distribute his judgement and justice to his people A King so blessed by God for your good that whether it be for his owne prayers or yours or both or neither but that God is pleased to shew his mercy and glory upon him to you certaine it is that God hath given him a very large heart and filled it to the brim with justice and judgement Take heed I heartily beg it of you I say it againe take heed I heartily beg it of you that no sinne of unthankfulnesse no base detracting murmuring sin possesse your soules or whet your tongues or sowre your brests against the Lord and against his Anoynted but remember in that these two things First remember that it is as easie for God to take away any blessing even the great blessing of a good King as to give it remember that And secondly remember that unthankfulnesse to God for so gracious a King is the very ready way to doe it remember that too therefore looke to these things in time I but what then hath a King enough when God hath given him justice and judgement May his prayers then cease for himselfe as your prayers for him hath he no more need of God when God hath once given him judgement O God forbid surely he hath and it is to be presumed that the King daily prayeth I am sure his duty it is to pray that God would ever please to continue and increase the righteousnesse and judgement he hath given to him Nor can I think but that David was very oft at this prayer too for he saith Psal 99. The Kings power loveth judgement And it is more then probable that that he loved he would pray for he prayed to have it and to increase it And he that prayes so oft Psal 119. I say so oft that God would keepe him in the way of his commandements and cause him to make much of his Law he must of necessity be presumed to pray for justice and judgement which is the vigour of all Lawes divine and humane And Kings have great need oft to pray for this grace and for the continuance and increase of it too For Kings stand high that is true but the higher they stand the more they are exposed to tempests wind-shakings that passe lover the lower vallies with the lesse noyse danger And Kings are great That is true too but the greater they are the stiffer are the blasts of all temptations on them to batter at least to would be wise For certainly there can be no kingdome rightly constituted further than God himselfe comes in in laying the foundation of it in true impartiall judgement When the foundation of a kingdome is perfectly laid which is a blessing seldome perfect in al things in any kingdome whatsoever yet no kingdom can continue upon such a foundation longer than it stands upright upon it If it sway on either side if it fall not presently it growes weaker still the more it leanes away from justice and judgement which is Gods And as it is with kingdomes in their foundation and superstructure so it is with Kings too that are to manage and dispose them for if any King thinke himselfe sufficient by his owne vertue against the difficulties of a kingdome by his owne justice and wisedome and integrity he will find by his losse a Nebuchadnezar in his greatest greatnesse Dan. 4. that he all his vertue cannot long keep up no not a setled King Therefore David was wise as well as religious that he went to God for his judgements without which he nor his Son after him he knew was able to hold up the kingdome Give the King thy judgements O God And what did David with them when he had them What
he resolved to make them the very rule of his government and he did so for First for himselfe he tels us in Psal 119 Thy judgements have I laid before me There he makes them his owne rule Then he prayes over his Son Solomon O Lord give here to Solomon my son a perfect heart that he may keep thy commandements that they might rule his Son Well then Thy judgements But is not all justice and judgement Gods Yes out of doubt In generall justice and judgement are from him Therefore it is a great advantage to people in any kingdome even among Infidels to have the kingdom administred by justice and judgement But yet to make a kingdom perfect and entire to have the judgement Gods and the kingdome firme then there must these graines be put into the ballance First it must be justice not onely given but guided all along by God and Grace If this be not judgement cannot remaine firme in any man or any King Now as it holds it workes for worke it cannot beyond the strength it hath therefore if Gods spirit assist it not it may faint and faile just there and then when on the sudden it may shake a kingdome Secondly it must be judgement that is alway Gods and it must distribute rewards and punishments as God commands If justice and judgement role this eye aside though it may continue for ought may appeare to others and themselves yet they begin to looke squint and in part leave God Therefore if any pretended cunning way of justice and judgement so called shall debase and sinke the honour of God and the sincerity of Religion If any Municipall Law be made in any kingdome to strengthen such designes as are injurious to God and his worship there must there will come a failing upon all such kingdomes wheresoever they are and then it will appear though perhaps too late that the judgements of their King were not Gods judgements Thirdly it must be judgement that as much as humane infirmity can beare must be free from taint both within and without within at the heart of the King and his Judges under him and without from all possession in the ear and from all corruption in the hand If this be not Justice which should onely be blind to see no persons becomes so blind that it can see no truth and justice that is so blind cannot be Gods Therefore if the justice and judgement of a kingdome cut up its owne foundation can any man thinke it can build safely and wisely upon it for the State it cannot be And this Thine in the text for I must hasten Thy judgements It is so full a circumstance I cannot leave it yet For by it you may see how necessary it was then for David and how requisite it is now for all Kings to pray to God and to him alone for judgement For no King can master the Scepter well but by justice and judgement And you see it cannot be done by any kind of judgement neither but that that is Gods judgement in the upright integrity of it And then who can give Gods judgements but God himselfe who is as he is called Isay 30. The God and the God of judgement surely none can have it but he in perfection nor none can give it to others to make them perfect but he Therefore Austine askes the question but meerely in scorne What! is it come to that dost thou thinke that thou canst give justice judgement unto thy selfe No thou canst not for no man can give himselfe that that he hath not that that he hath already he needs not This our Prophet tels us plainly for tho the King love judgement yet it is God that prepares Equity and Righteousnesse in Jacob O blessed are all they that waite for him For if they waite he will give and that no lesse than Judgement his judgements to the King One circumstance behind yet is that the words are properly a prayer in the most native sense of prayer Not a thanksgiving onely that God had given him his judgements For though God had given David his judgements and he was thankfull for such a gift as this yet thinks here is not his proper worke but humiliation and supplication And it is an excellent thing to see a King at his prayers for then you see two things at once a greater and a lesser King God and the King And though wee cannot see God as we see the King yet when we see Majesty humbled and in the posture of a Supplicant we cannot in a sort but see that infinite unspeakeable Majesty of that God whom even Kings adore and are made far greater by their humblest adoration For when I pray you was Solomon the Sonne of this King at his greatest glory Surely you shall finde him at his greatest then immediatly upon the finishing of the Temple And how doe you find Solomon there just at his Fathers worke he was there at his prayers upon his knees saith the text 1. King 8. upon his knees whereas now many meane unworthy men are loath to bow their knees or stoope in prayer to God Now this prayer was a prayer indeed for prayer is apt to beg not to buy He that pleads desert challengeth reward of duty but he that prayeth relies upon the mercy and goodnesse of the Giver And this is the way that David comes to God both for himselfe and for his Son And I pray marke it David here the great example of a praying King he saith not retribue domine Lord repay me for the paines of my government for my service of the people or for my worship to thy selfe there is none of this but da domine Give Lord that thou art able to doe by thy power that thou art ready to do by thy goodnesse O Lord let not mine or my peoples unworthinesse hinder that Let not their murmuring disobedience be heard so farre as to thee but Lord give the King thy judgements and then I will execute them to thine honour and their good This was Davids way and it was prevalent And out of question be he King or Subject he that askes no more at Gods hands than either of both askes and shall have too little But God gives much to humble Sutors Iudgements and his judgements And neither the Prophet did ask nor God did give the earnest and pledge of this judgement onely but judgement it selfe to the King And certajnly the King had need to pray thus And so had the people as great need as the King for if this prayer be not made what assurance have you that God will give and if God will not give the King cannot have and if the King cannot receive justice and judgement hee cannot distribute it to the people ver 2. And if judgement be not distributed to the people there will be no peace ver 3. And where the people doe not receive judgement from the King and peace from themselves what
as it ought sets an edge on our indeavours because in a manner it assures us that God will give what we aske if we indeavour by Gods grace as we aske And for our owne particular I doubt not but we shall see Gods grace plentifully given to the Kings Sonne after his pious Fathers carefull successefull indeavour in his education That his heart may be full of justice and his hand of judgement against the time come that the judiciary power must descend upon him And if you marke it here the blessing that David desires for the Kings Sonne is the very selfe-same that he askes for himselfe Righteousnesse that is Justice and Judgement And there is great reason for it for this vertue is as necessary for the Sonne as for the Father The same Crown being to be worne by both The same Scepter to be welded by both The same people to be governed by both The same Lawes to be maintained by both Therefore the same vertue is necessary for both And the copulative in the text And thy righteousnesse for the Kings Sonne joynes David and Solomon the Father and the Sonne in one prayer for one blessing And this example of Davids prayer is a great leading case for Kings for this holy and pious King David this King full of experience what the greatest want of a King might be he doth not aske at Gods hand for his Son long life an inlarged kingdome heaps of wealth though that be very necessary but the grace of judgement and righteousnes that so he may be able to goe through with the office of a King that is Davids prayer And other blessings come within the adjicientur Mat. 6. they shall be cast into the lap of the King if he first seeke the Kingdome of God in the administration of Justice and Judgement to the people For Kings are ordained of God for the good of the people And this David understood well for himselfe acknowledgeth it Psal 78. that God therefore made him King that he might feed Jacob his people and Israel his Inheritance that he might feed them and as David knew this so he practised it too for he fed them with a faithfull and prudent heart and governed them wisely with all his power And even with this goes along the prayer of the Church for the King that he may ever and first seeke Gods honour and glory and then study to preserve the people committed to his charge to preserve them which cannot possible be without Justice and Judgement For as Austine proves at large there is no bond of unity or concord that can be firme without it And I will not tell you but Solomon may what a King is that hath not the grace of Justice Prov. 28. But however the more are you bound to God Almighty that hath given you a King so full of Justice and Judgement as you have found him to be And it is worthy our consideration too how David and Solomon agree in their prayers and what a Kings Son may learne when he is exampled by such a Father For we find when Solomon came to yeeres and wore the Crowne he fell to prayer too and his prayer was built upon the same foundation The prayer of David Solomon the son meet at once For David did not simply pray for wisedome but for that wisdome that might enable him to governe the people And indeed all the wisdome of a King especially to direct Justice and Judgement is the very ready way to all Kingly wisdome Therefore Davids prayer went up first for Justice because without that there is no wisdome There may be wilinesse if you will to resemble wisdome but there was never any wise King that was not just And that policy will be fouud weake in the end that perswades any King against Iustice and Judgement And as before it was not Judgement alone that David desired for himselfe but it must be Tuam thy Iudgement So Righteousnesse alone doth not content him for his Sonne but it must be Tuam too Thy righteousnesse And indeed morall Iustice alone cannot possibly be enough for a Christian King Religious and pious Iustice must come in too He must take care for the soules as well as for the bodies and goods of his people Therefore one of the Churches prayers is that the King may study to preserve the people not in wealth onely and in peace but in Godlinesse too He must so give the people their owne that is Iustice as that he command the people to give God his owne that is Justice with Religion And there is no King nor no Kings Sonne can possibly doe this unlesse God give them the spirit of Judgement and Justice God must first give it the King before the King give it the people And it is Give Lord For as Morall Justice onely will not serve so neither will Theological but only qua datur as it is given For as it is acquisita as it is learned by study be it by study or practise so it is speculative or operative by rule that is the most but as it is given so it is at the heart and so the King is not onely active by rule but it makes the King and the Kings Son to be in love and to joy in the judgment that they are to put in excution Then the King is fitted indeed for government when there is the love of Justice and truth in the inward parts Psal 51. For then they cannot but practice what they love I and then that Justice which is within at the heart is vera tua truly Gods Righteousnesse and for this Justice and Judgement I shall therefore continue Davids prayer and go on Give Lord thy judgement to the King and thy righteousnesse to the Kings son For if God doe not give it is not possible for Justice and Judgement any other way to descend into the heart of the King and the Kings Son None but God can see to drop Justice and Iudgement into the deep heart of the King none but onely Pater luminum the Father of Lights that stand over and sees how to doe it And yet I must tell you here that while he prayes for Gods Iustice and Iudgement for himselfe and his Son it must be understood with a great deale of difference and and that in two respects First because Gods Iudgement as it is in God is substantiall It is so in God as it is his essence himselfe This way no King is capable of Gods Justice because it is his essence But Iustice as it is given to the King is a quality an accident and that is separable if God either leave to give or desist from preserving that that he hath given therefore Kings have great need to pray for this Iustice because they can neither have it nor keepe it without him Secondly because Iustice as it is in God is Lumen all light so bright that even impious men themselves cannot but accknowledge it even
when they are condemned by it So cleare that no intangled cause can cloud it no corner sinne can avoid it And this way againe no King is capable of Gods Light because that is a thing in communicable as his substance as essentiall as he But Iustice as it is given to a King is but Lucerna but a Candle-Light an imparted Light a Light that is kindled and set up in a materiall substance so darkned with dregs yet even this Light Kings must pray for and it is but need they should for if God give not even this Light it is impossible the King should see how to doe Iustice or that he should discerne how to execute those judgements that God hath given him Therefore the Lighting up of this Candle in the heart of the King the Light of Iustice and Iudgement is a marvellous blessing and God himselfe accounts it so and it appears First because among the many threatnings that he thunders out against rebellions people this is one that he will take from them the Light of a Candle Ier. 25. he wil not leave them so much light and it was so for Gods Iudgement departed away from the King the King lost the Kingdome and the people were lead away in darknesse to captivity So you may see what it is to want this light of judgement in a King Secondly it appeares to be great by the promises of God for among the many professions that he makes to this glorious King David this was one that he had ordained a light for him Psal 132. So then you see by the presence of this light what the benefit is to have it But then still Kings themselves and the people must remember it is but Lucerna but a Candle lighted at that great light the Lampe of God And being but a Candle light it is easily blowne out if God keepe not his light about the King to renew it and if God provide not a fence for this Light of Iustice against the winds of temptation that bluster about it Therefore our old English Translation reads that place in the Psalme happily I have provided saith that Translation not onely a light but a Lanthorn for mine Annointed to carry this Light And this improves the blessing a great deale further For there is no carrying of this Light without the Lanthorne of Gods owne ordaining the temptations that beset the King are so many and so strong that except this Lanthorn defend the light all the light of Iustice and judgment will out And this Lanthorn is so hard to make that God himselfe must ordaine it or else the King cannot have it for who can fence and keepe in Gods blessings but himselfe Therefore David here went very right in his prayer marvellous right both for himselfe and for his Son da Domine Give Lord not the light of thy judgement and justice onely but give the Lanthorne too for thine Anointed that he may be able with honour to carry thorow this Light of Iustice and Iudgement before his people And let me me tell you one thing more that filius regis the Kings Son here is not onely a fit object of his Fathers prayers but of yours too for the peoples prayers as well as the Kings for filius regis is filius regni too the Son of the King is the Son of the Kingdome his Fathers Son by nature but the Kingdomes Son by right all the subjects having equall interest in the Iustice and Iudgement of the Kings Son Therefore while David prayes pray you also that God would give his judgements to the King and his righteousnesse to the Kings Sonne I and where ever there is want for a Kings Son to succeed and inherit his Father surely it is a marke that God is somewhat angry with a people For if God doe not sometime divert the judgements and sometime lessen them when there is not a Son to succeed that judgment nsually is a fore-runner of sorrows of sorrowes sometimes that men can neither see nor prevent I know they may easily foresee that troubles may follow us but of what kinde they shall be to what greatnesse they shall increase how long they shall continue what trembling they may make at the very foundation of a State whether it will please God to give them an issue or not an issue I suppose none can tell but God himselfe Therefore still let the prayer be exprest in what person it will let it be made by the King or by the people or by both all shall goe well so wee pray and give thanks heartily for the King and the Kings Sonne I must break off the rest Thus you have seene David praying for himselfe and his Sonne That it is an excellent thing to find a King at his prayers that his prayers cannot better begin than for himselfe nor better proceed than for his Sonne nor be piously made to any but God nor for a more necessary kingly vertue than justice and judgement nor with more wisdome than for the joyning of Gods judgement to morall justice for that will ever be the setling of the Kings throne and the honour and safety of the King himselfe This day is the day of the Kings crowning many yeares may it sit on his head and crown all his dayes thorow with justice and judgement and this solemnity in observing with prayer and devotion to God the initiall dayes of the Crownes of Kings is old as well as any other For Tertullian tells us that it was a practice long before his time I and even they which serve no true God Infidels themselves were upon such dayes as this at their vows and prayers to such Gods as they had for the happinesse and safety of their Princes and I hope we shall never fall short of Infidels in our prayers to God for the security and happinesse of the King but we shall take up the prayer here as David begins it Give thy judgements to the King O God and thy righteousnesse to the Kings Sonne And it is the best solemnity of this day to pray for the King This is the day of the Kings crowning and yet as I have not already so neither shall I now break out into any large panegyricks and prayses no not of a gracious King But I come hither to preach a kinde of Gospel to you even glad tydings that God in the mercies of Christ whose the Gospell is hath given you a wise and just and religious King a King whom God hath enabled to wind up all his other vertues in patience within himselfe and clemency towards his people A King made by God for so I hope not onely to beare for that he hath done enough already but to master the great difficulties of his time at home and abroad that so his people may not onely be but may live and flourish in peace and plenty This is the day of the Kings crowning and though not just upon this day yet within the
compasse of this year God hath crowned him againe with a Son a Crown far more precious than the Gold of Ophir For since Children are in nature the Crowne of their parents rejoycing what joy must this needs be both to the King and to the people who have an interest though not alike in the Kings Sonne In the Kings Son and he a Sonne given by God after some yeares expectation and he a Son given after so great a losse of a Son in the former yeare and he a Son after so many feares that this blessing could not or not so soone come upon us So here are two great blessings that God hath given you at once the King and the Kings Sonne the tree and the fruit the King to be a blessing to you and the Kings Sonne to be a blessing for your children after you And besides all other blessings that are to come here is a double blessing rising with this Sonne for it dispells the mists of your feares and promiseth an influence to them that shall come after And let me put you in minde of it for it is most true whether you will beleeve it or no There are no subjects in any State I speake what I know whatsoever Christian or other that live in that plenty at that ease with those liberties and immunities that you doe There is no nation under heaven so happy if it did but know and understand its owne happinesse To these nay farre above all these you have Religion as free as may be And all this you have maintained to you by the justice and judgement that God hath given the King for your good Take heed I beseech you take heed what returne you make to God and the King for these blessings Let not the sins of the time murmuring and disobedience possesse any They are great sins when they are at the least but they are crying sins when they fly out against such a King as God hath filled with Iustice and Iudgement Rather set your selves to prayse God and to blesse his name and to give him thanks for his goodnesse And pray to him that he would still preserve the King and that his loving kindnesse may imbrace the Kings Son That so no cloud no confused darknesse may be spread over this kingdom that no cloud arising from your ingratitude to God may obscure the King nor no eclipse caused by popular Lunacy may befall the Kings Son For in this the King and the Kings Sonne are like the Sun in the firmament seldome or never eclipsed but by that Moon that receives all her Light from them nor by that but when it is in the head or poisoned taile of the great Dragon the Devill In the multitude of people is the Kings honour Prov. 14. But in the loyalty and love of the people is the Kings safety and in the Kings justice and judgement is the happinesse of his people the ready way to make a King joy in justice and judgement over his people is for people to shew their loving obedience to the King And since none of us can tell how or what to doe better let us take up the prâ—yer here where David leaves it and proceed to pray as he did That as God hath given us a King and to that King justice and judgement so he will most graciously be pleased to continue these great blessings to him for us that the King may still receive comfort and the people from the King justice and judgement That these judgements may be many may be all which may any way fit the King or fill the people That these judgements may be Gods judgements that is as neare the uprightnesse of Gods judgements as may be even such as may preserve Religion intire as well as Equity And that God would graciously please not to looke for pay from us but to give where we cannot merit That since he hath not onely given us the King but the Kings Son he will at last double this blessing upon us and make the Queen a fruitfull Mother of more happy Children That to this Royall Prince he would give many happy dayes and a large portion of his mercy that the King and his Son and the joyfull Mother that bare him may rest in the middest of Gods blessings both spirituall and temporall that we may be in the middest of Gods blessings and the Kings till the Kings Son be grown up to continue these blessings to our Generations and transmit them to them And so O Lord give and continue and strengthen and increase and multiply thy judgements to the King and thy righteousnesse to the Kings Son even so Amen Lord Iesus and doe it To whom with the Father and the Holy Spirit three Persons but one everliving God be ascribed all Might Majesty and Dominion this day and for ever Amen FINIS 2 Reg. 6. 17 2 Reg. 6. 2 3. Josh 15. 9. Ver. 1. 9. Ver. 5. Ex. 23. 17. Ver. 1. Ver. 7. 2. Reg. 6. 17. 2. Reg. 7 13. Esra 3. 1 2 S. Hierom. Basil Theod Hilar. Arnob. Euthym. Ibid. L. 2. Nat. Qâ— 42. Psa 68. 32. ver 35. Ver. 9. S. Hierom. Aug. Hilar. Prosp. ibid. S. Basil Theod. c. ibâ—d Mat. 16. 18 Psal 82. 1. L. 2. Bell. Civil p. 100 Ver. 5. Esa 37. 12 Psal 29. 10 2. Reg. 5. Ver. 4. Ver. 6. Eccles 3. 8 Esa 45. 7. Deut. 29. 29. Enchir. c. 101. 1 Tim. 2. 2 Joh. 14. 27. Rom. 12. 18. 2. Reg. 7. 9. 1. Reg. 17. 2. Reg. 5. 5 2. Reg. 2. 2. Reg. 5. 20. 1 Chron. 22. 8. S. Jaco 1. 20. Appian L. 2. Bâ—l Civi p. 504. 1 Chron. 22. 9. Apoc. 21. 2. 10. G. de voca Judae pag. 44. Pag. 66. and 79. Rom. 11. Posit 7. pag. 2. Posit 44. 49. Pag. 48. Esa 25. 2. Pag. 105. Ver. 6 7. S. Hierom. Genev. Annot. Ibid. Jer. 19. 11. Apoc. 21. L. 3. de Virginibus Pag. 56. 75. Pag. 56. 102. Pag. 163. Sal. To. 4. Tract 37. Lorin in Act. 1. 6. Act. 1. 6. Lorin in Act. 1. 6. S. Hierom. Ar. Mon. Trem. Serm. 1. de Ieju 10. Men. Ver. 6. Ver. 7. Epist 7. ad Smyrnen S. Hilar. Ibid. S. Hierom. Ibid. Euthym. Ibid. Nihil firmius aut utilius aut celsius Turribus S. Hilar. Ibid. S. Hierom. Ibid. Gal. 2. 9. S. Chrysost Hom. 10. in S. Mat. S. Hierom. Ibid. Psal 74. 5 6. Esa 5. 5. Euthym. Ibid. Psal 100. 5. Patâ—rc L. 2. S. Luk. 10. 5. Calv. Ibid. 1 Tim. 2. 1. Or given him Or not be moved Gen. 27. 34. Exod. 18. 10. Vers 1. S. Hierom. S. August Jansen Calv. Lorin ibid. Vers 5. Lib. 1. sâ—ro Jaco 1. 17. 3 Reg. 8. Vers 55. ver 66. 1 Pet. 2. 17. Gen. 27. 38. 1 Chro. 11. 10. Ezek. 1. 15 Lib. 1. verbis primis Luk. 1. 33. Esay 11. 1 4. Reg. 23. 25. Jansen Copp ibid. S. Basil Ibid. Theodor. Ibid. 2 Reg. 17. Hab. 1. 16. Flav. Vop