Selected quad for the lemma: land_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A57129
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Annotations on the book of Ecclesiastes
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Reynolds, Edward, 1599-1676.
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1669
(1669)
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Wing R1238; ESTC R26989
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179,441
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418
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feet to walk in and to have the light shine on our wayes whatever relation we stand in or whatever imployment we are called unto Prov. 14.8 Heb. 12.13 Psal. 5.8 V. 16. Wo to thee O Land when thy King is a child thy Princes eat in the morning The Wise man is not onely careful to keep Subjects from rebellion and disloyalty which was the matter of the greatest part of the Chapter before but also to mind Princes of their duty that they be not wilful sensual tyrannous but that they manage their office with noblenesse of spirit with temperance and industry and that by a most mighty argument because They cannot be good or bad to themselves alone multitudes are concerned in it and the weal or woe of whole nations doth depend upon it A wicked Prince is a great argument of Divine displeasure against a whole people 1 Sam 8.6 18. Isa. 19.4 Job 34.30 Prov. 28.2 And a good Prince an argument of his Love and that he intendeth to blesse such a Nation 1 Reg. 10.9 when thy King is a child He meaneth not so much in age for many have in their tender years by the fear of God and the help of prudent Counsellors governed their people aright and some of them much better then afterwards 1 Reg. 3.7 12. compared with 1 Reg. 11.4 2 Chr. 24.2 3 17. 25.1 2 14 27 26.3 4 5 16. But in understanding in experience in manners when a man childishly suffereth the affaires of a Kingdome to be turned upside down to be broken to peices by his carelesnesse and through want of prudence skill to discern between right and wrong Ephes. 4.14 Heb. 5.13 Isa. 3.4 1. Cor. 14.20 Such a child was Rehoboam in the strength of his age A child of one and fourty years old 1 Reg. 14.21 2 Chron. 13.7 when a man is 1. Ignorant or forgetfull of his duty 2. Changeable and easily turned out of it with every perswasion 3. Passionate easily angry and fearful and accordingly alterable upon such sudden impressions 4. Sensual and given unto vain delights 5. Craving and covetous and so easily turned aside by gifts 6. Vain and subject to be flattered by those who know how to make a prey of him These and such like impotencies argue childishnesse in one that Governs The wise man instanceth in one principal of these viz. Sensuality in the next words And thy Princes eat in the morning Though the King be a child yet if he have prudent and vigilant Counsellours their care may recompence and supply his defects but where they likewise be as bad as he Prov. 29.12 where all other ministers of State follow onely their private gain and pleasure without any regard unto publick welfare no wonder if such a Nation have a wo hang over it eat in the moring Are riotous luxurious spend their whole time in sleep and excesse Rise not up unto service but unto delights consecrate the flower and best of their time which should have been given to God and to the publick to their own vanity and riot Jer. 21.12 Isa. 5.11 12. Hos. 7.3 4 5 6 Act. 2.15 Prov. 31.4 This is matter oâ— patience unto the afflâ—cted people vvheâ— they consider that God doth thus reprove Kings for their sake Psal. 105.14 V. 17. Blessed art thou O Land when thy King is the son of nobles and thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkennesse The son of nobles that is men trained up instructed and shaped with principles of true Nobility wisdome and holiness As a son of death of perdition of wrath is one devoted thereunto so a son of nobles is one nobly seasoned with principles of honour and Government As sons of God Gen. 6.2 men bred in the Church of God and under a godly Education sons of the Prophets sons of Physitians men bred in such professions of nobles From a word which signifieth whitenesse either because persons of honour did use to wear white rayments Esther 8.15 Rev. 3.4 sit in white thrones Rev. 20.11 ride on white asses Judg. 5.10 or to denote the purity of manners which should be in Rulers that they might be examples of all integrity unto others Rev. 19.8 By sons of nobles then he doth not understand men barely born of noble Parents and who have noble blood in their veins such an one likely might the child be of whom he spake in the former verse but as there he meant a child not in years but in manners and qualities as the words Presbyter Elder Ancient in the Scripture use do not so much signifie age as wisdom and authority so here he meaneth one noble as well in vertue as in blood and birth This is the true nobility when piety wisdome righteounesse courage and the fear of God do adorn the royal blood and render persons truly illustrious and not dark and obscure creatures as mean persons are Prov. 22.29 Deut. 1.13 Exod. 18.21 nobility of blood without nobility of vertue and holinesse addeth nothing to a Govenouâ— at all Psal. 16.3 47.9 87.3 4 5.6 110.3 Act. 17.11 and thy Princes eat in due season In the time of eating after they have spent their strength in duty As to every thing there is a fit time Eccles. 3.1 so to this particular of eating and drinking Psal. 145.15 Matth. 24.45 Labour and service should go before eating Luk 12.35 37. 17.7 8 9. Abrahams servant would not eat till he had done his businesse Gen. 24.33 and our Saviour preferred his own Fathers work before his own Refection Joh. 4.31 32. Sometimes even wicked men have been so intent on their wickednesse as to deny liberty of eating drinking and other refreshments to themselves till their designs were to be accomplished Act. 23.12 Prov. 4.16 and so we find Magistrates so serious in duty as to forbear eating and to forbid it even sometimes when it was necessary Ezra 10.6 1 Sam. 14.23 Temperance is in no calling more requisite then in the Calling of a Magistrate Prov. 31.4 Multitudes of businesses and those of greatest importment and such as do often require immediate consultation and dispatch and such are many times the affaires of States will not allow liberty of eating and drinking all delights must be laid aside to attend them Exod. 12.34.39 It was wickedly done by the King and Haman to sit down to drink when the City was in perplexity Ester 3.15 to let publick safety lye still while private luxury was served for strength and not for drunkennesse The end of eating is to repaire that strength which had been weakened in duty and so to enable unto the attendance upon duty again It ought not to be the end of our liing but onely a necessary means unto life and unto the services thereof And therefore Gluttony and Drunkenesse are to be avoyded as by all men because of many other evils which are in them so in special manner by Princes Rulers because they do totally indispose