tenne times sought to eat him up to raven all hee could get from him This was the reward he had from his Master for his faithfull service But now God so blessed him for his sincerity in religion that the very Presents he sent his brother Esau were able to make a rich maÌ„ Gen. 32. And of himself hee professeth in the same chapter verse 10 With my staff came I over this Iordan and now have I gotten two bands In regard of men it fared worse with Ioseph though God prospered his Masters house for his sake neither would he hearken to the impudent and importunate suâ—e of his mistresse yet his recompense was disgrace and imprisonment they put his feet in the stockes and the iron entred into his soule But God in stead of the stocks set him in the seat of Iustice and in stead of his fetters put a chaine of gold about his neck I will conclude this point with the exhortation of St. Peter Servants bee subiect to your Masters with all feare not onely to the good and courteous but also to the froward for this is thank-worthy if a man for conscience towards GOD endure grief suffering wrongfully 1. Pet. 2. 18. Secondly as godliness is requisite in a servant in regard of himself so is it in regard of his Master First because if hee feare his Master and not God all that hee doth will bee but eye-service hee will certainely intend his Masters good no further than hee sees it may sort with his owne whereas if God the fear of him bee before his eyes hee is the same man when his Master is absent as if hee were present hee desires and endeavours his best advantage as much though he were a thousand mile off as if hee stood by and lookt on If Gehezi had thought that his Master had been so far indued with a propheticall spirit that hee could have tould him what hee did in so great a distance from him hee would never have taken such paines to run after the Syrian Captaine for a bribe to the disgrace of his Master and the undooing of himself And if Iudas had beleeved our Saviour to have been God and consequently that hee had knowne the thoughts of his heart undoubtedly hee would never have hatched against him such a foule treason within his breast It was nothing that made Achitophel to side as a Rebel with Absolon and to plot against his Master David and Ziba against Mephibosheth but worldly respects and want of true religion Besides as ungodliness in the servant cannot but put the Master in continuall fear both of his estate and person so it serves to infect as wel the children of the house as his fellow-servants wheras on the other side the godliness of one beeing countenanced and incouraged therein serves to shame the lewder sort and to draw-on the well-disposed Thus Daniel beeing admitted into the King of Babylons Court was an instrument for the reforming and converting even of the King Nebuchadnezar himselfe And Ioseph was admitted into the King of Egypts Court that hee might inform his Princes and teach his Senatours wisedom Psal. 125. 22. In the second of Kings and the fift wee read of a poore silly maid but a Iewesse by Nation the onely people of God at that time who being taken captive by the Aramites and serving Naamans wife tolde her Mistris of the Prophet Elisha in Samaria and by that meanes gave occasion to her Lord of going thither and cleansing himselfe from the leprosie both of his bodie and his soule Lastly a godly and religious servant will ever be praying unto God to send a blessing on that worke which he is set about as Abrahams servant did Gen. 24 and so God prospered his journey and the business he was intrusted with accordingly All which considered great reason had our Prophet to say and to double it to promise and to vow it He that walketh in a perfect way he shal serve mee He he Now because the word heer used to Serve in the Originall signifies a free and liberall kind of service it may well bee thought that our Prophet intended not only the admitting of faithfull and godly servants into his family but the advancing of such to the highest offices the placing of them in the chiefest roome of government under him And surely this consideration and promise was no less nay more necessarie then the former in regarde that the good which froÌ„ hence might arise is more publique They that bee of high calling if they bee good and desire their goodness may spread abroad and reach unto others for this purpose may not unâ—ily bee likened to great Cisterns or ponds full of cleare and wholesome water that might bee beneficial to many if there were sound and sweet pipes to convay it whereas on the other side it yeeldeth no benefit at all if the pipes bee stopt nay proves hurtfull if they bee poysoned and corrupted Whereof it commeth to passe that even when there be good Princes yet things doe still continue out of frame as wee see in the dayes of Iosiah a most excellent and carefull King who feared God betimes twice in his dayes reformed religion his remembrance is as the perfume made by the Art of the Apothecarie and as musick at a banquet of wine there was no King before him either after him that like Iosiah turned to God with all his heart as hee did yet were there in his dayes even in the time of his raigne horrible abominations atheisme and contempt of God pride in apparell oppression and cruelty yea much damnable Idolatry notwithstanding the good King by his laws had taken as good order against these as possibly he could The cause of all was that such as were under him in the Common-wealth and in the Church did not that which hee willed and belonged to their place According to that complaint of Zophonie That the Princes were as roaring Lions the Iudges as Wolves in the Evening which leave not the bones till the morrow the Prophets were light and wicked persons and the Priests such as polluted the Sanctuary and had wrested the lawe of God to serve their owne turne And so what marvaile though in a rare Kings daies iniquity overflowed and abounded Esay in like manner prophecied under good Kings Vzziah and Iotham and Hezekiah yet he justly and sorely complaines how farre all things were even then out of order their silver vvas become drosse and their wine mixt with water Cap. 1. 22 and hee addes the reason hereof in the verse following because their Princes that is their chiefe Officers under the the King vvere rebellious and companions of theeves They loved gifts and followed after rewards they iudged not the fatherless neither did the widowes cause come before them The people themselves do so sensibly see and feele this that they reioyce vvhen the righteous bee in authority Prov. 29. 2 whereas cleane contrariwise they sigh and mourne when
his State with purging the head-city of his Kingdome where by reason of the confluence of forren nations all sorts of people vice must needs abound but specially because head-cities for the most part by Monopolies and Companies and Corporations and I knowe noâ—â—hat devices labour to drawe to themselves the whole treasure of the Land and if the blood should all bee drawn from the other members to the head it would both disteÌ„per the head and starve the members The head-city then is so to bee respected that inferiour cities and towns bee not neglected but an indifferent hand to bee extended to them al lest one in time swallow the other as the greater fishes devour the lesser The last thing wee are to observe is that hee would begin his reformation in the City of the Lord. Of the Lord. His meaning is with matter of religion it beeing therefore called the City of the Lord because as hee had chosen the Land of Canaan out of all the world to bee the portion of his people so out of all Canaan hee chose Ierusalem to place his Name and Tabernacle there the Temple beeing not yet built and in the Tabernacle the Arke of the Covenant a speciall sacrament of his presence This our Prophet expresseth yet more cleerely in another Psalm 122. 9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seeke to dâ—o thee good Among other main and waighty matters then pertaining to the Princes charge the care of GOD's truth and Church must bee the chiefest For should the bodies goods and credits of men bee preserved and the honour and glory of GOD bee neglected Should earthly ease bee so much in request and heavenly bliss so little in desire Feare wee the ruine of all things where injuries and violences by men are not repressed by the princes sword and doubt wee no danger where idolatry heresie at h eâ—sm and blasphemie against God goe unpunished Is Gods hand shortned that hee cannot strike or his will altered that hee will honour those that dishonour him and blesse them that hate him It is a Romish errour repugnant to the word of God and to the examples of the best Kings and Monarchs before and since Christ to restraine Princes from protecting and promoting the true worship of GOD within their Realms Neither hath the man of sin more grosly betraid his pride and rage in any thing than in abasing the honor and abusing the power and impugning this right of Princes by making them his Bailiffs and Sergeants to attend and accomplish his will and not meddle with supporting the truth or reforming the Church farther than hee listeth that whiles they command their subjects bodies hee might command their soules the better half which commanding the body wil quickly upon occasion draw that after it as reason shewes and experience teacheth It is rightly observed that after the Bishop of Rome had once fully engrossed the Imperiall power there was never since Emperour of strength or Pope of vertue so they lost both by it And indeed as the blood if it fall any way out of the veins too much there is some danger but if it fall into the body extra vasa there is more danger for it will corrupt and putresie so was it with the supreme authority of Princes when they suffâ—red it to fall into the Clergy as it were extra vasa but their Scepters and Thrones allowed them by God are sufficient proofs that they may and must make lawes and execute judgement as well for godliness and honesty which by the Apostles rule are within the compass and charge of their Commission as for peace and tranquillity God hath given them two hands to be Custodes utriusque tabulae Vpholders of both the tables from observing this no man may drawe them since for neglecting this no man shall excuse them They must not be careful in humane things and carelâ—sse in divine God ought to be served and honoured by them that is by their Princely power and care as much afore men as his truth and glory excelleth the peace and wâ—lfare of men It wanteth many degrees of a Christian government to look to the keeping of things that must perish and to leave the soules of men as an open prey to impiety and irreligion And if Princes provide not this for their Subjects peace and traffique and such like makes no better provision for them then is made for Oxen in good pasture nay not so good For an Oxe hath therein all hee needeth but a man without this left altogether unprovided in his farre nobler and better part And as Princes without this Care provide not well for their people so they provide but ill for themselves in as much as they can have no certaine assurance of the loyalty and allegeance of their subjects without it since nothing can cast a sure knot on the coÌ„science for the firme binding of it but the true knowledge and feare of God So that where Princes advance the good of Gods house they establish the good of their owne all in one Lastly it is to be observed that in all the Kings of Israel and Iudah their stories beginne with this observation as with a thing worthy to be chronicled in the first place how they dealt in matter of religion Such a King and such a King and what did he Hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and such a King hee walked in the wayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat I spare to cite places but it is the generall observation of those books of Kings and Chronicles as they that reade them knowe yea farther it may bee marked that God hath alwaies humbled Princes even powred conteÌ„pt upon them when they have contemned the messengers and forsaken or forgotten the house of the Lord. For the preventing whereof it shall not be amisse for them to consult with Church-men specially in Church affairâ—s as the wise the good King David in all his weighty businesses but specially in matters touching religion and the service of God still used the counsell and direction either of Gad or Nathan Prophets or of Abiathar and Hiram chiefe Priests It went wel with Ioash as long as Iehoiada his trusty Counseller lived but when Iehoiadah died the Kings goodnesse dyed with him Then came the Princes of Iudah and made obeisance to the King and the King hearkened unto them and they left the house of the Lord God of their Fathers and served Groves and Idols and wrath came upon Iudah and Ierusalem because of this their trespasse 2. Chron. 24. 17. 18. Give the King thy iudgements O God and thy righteousness unto the Kings Son FINIS * Heb. thing of Belial * Or perfect in the way * Heb. shall noâ— beâ—stablâ—shed 1. Sermon vpon the first vers fol. 1. 2. Vpon the former part of the 2. vers fol. 38 3. Vpon the later part of the 2. vers fol. 72. 4. Vpon the former part of the 3. vers f. 101. 5. Vpon the later part of the 3. vers fol. 120. 6. Vpon the 4. vers fol. 139. 7. Vpon the former part of the 5. vers f. 162. 8. Vpon the later part of the 5. vers fol. 188. 9. Vpon the 6. vers fol. 220. 10. Vpon the 7. vers fol. 250. 11. Vpon the former part of the 8. vers fol. 279. 12. Vpon the later part of the 8. vers fol. 308. Gen. 4. 21. Eph. 5. 19. Col. 3 16. Iames 5. 13. Salust 1 Kings 7. pro. 16. 12. pro. 20. 28. â— psal 85. pro. 21. 21. Cap. 32. 11. * Or doe wisely 156â— Borbonius Hâ—b 6. 1 Phil. 3. 13. Pro. 4. 18. Ezek. 40. 31 Luke 2. 52 Psa. 119. â— Rom. 1. 30 1 King 1 Herodotus Psal. 18. 26 Sueton us of Titus Pro. 25. 4. 5 â—spansâ— Mat. 24â— 45 Compare Mat. 8 with Luke 7.
forbid Hath not the Potâ—er power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessell to honour and another to dishonour Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it why hast thou made mee thus Now because we are to conforme our wills to Gods will that is his revealed will in as much as wee cannot conforme our selves to that we know not and hee reserves to himselfe we may therefore safely and justly hate those whom God hath namely and particularly expressed that hee hates but for others wee may and we ought to hate their lying their falâ—e wayes as our Prophet speakes but for the Lyers themselves and those that walke in such wayes wee have no warrant that I know to hate them There is a perfect hatred mentioned by our Prophet Psal. 139 which Saint Augustine understands to be when a man hates the manners but loves the man when hee hates the action but loves the person False witnesses did rise up against mee they layd to my charge things that I knew not saith hee Psal. 35 there is their action that hee hated neverthelesse when they were sick I put on sackcloth and humbled my selfe with fasting there 's his love to their persons 2. Sam. 15. He praies against the wicked policie of Achitophel O Lord I pray thee turn the counsel fo Achitophel into foolishnes but against Achitophel himselfe wee finde not that hee prayed howbeit David had advanced him to honour and hee now sided with those Rebels that had taken up armes against him It is to this purpose good advice of Saint Augustine Hominem Deus fecit praevaricatorem ipse se fecit ama in illo quod Deus fecit persequere in illo quod ipse sibi fecit God made man upright but they have found out many inventions to make themselves crooked Love that in him which God made but hate that in him which himselfe made And in another place Nec propter vitium oder is hominem nec ames vitium propter homineÌ„ sed oder is vitium ames hominem Many thinke they may love God and yet hate their brother but Saint Iohn is bold to put the lye upon such 1. Iohn 4. 20 If any man say I love God hates his brother he is a lyer If any man like not the phrase let him chalenge him for it Others thinke they may hate their brother and yet God love them well enough but them he tels Whosoever hateth his brother is a murtherer and yee knowe that no murtherer hath eternall life abiding in him and if not eternall life then not the love of God 1. Ioh. 3. 15. The object then of our hatred must be the worke not the man we must learne Parcere personis dicere de vitijs It is the commendation of the Angell of the Church of Ephesus Revel 2. 6. This thou hast that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicholaitans which Ialso hate not the Nicholaitans but their deeds and for those imprecations wee reade of in diverse Psalmes or else-where in holy Scripture seeming to inferre or include hatred to the persons of those against whom they be poured out they are all either Indefinite or Conditionall or Propheticall Indefinite without naming or ayming at any particular person or if they be definite naming some partilar person then are they Conditionall intending in the first place if God have so ordained it Conversion if not in the second Confusion or if they bee both definite and absolute then are they Propheticall non tam vota quam vaticinia speeches of men inspired not so much wishing what they foretell as certainely foreseeing and foretelling that which of themselves they wish not Vt in verbis quasi malâ— optantis intelligamus praedicta prophetantis saith Saint Augustine or if they with it it is either because they knowe by revelation it is the will of God or tht it makes for the glory of God And thus Moses wished his owne name to bee razed out of the book of life and Saint Paul himselfe accursed from Christ and both rather then Gods glory should be blemished by the scandalous imputation of the Gentiles in the rejection of the Iewes his chosen people To whom pertained the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the service of God and the promises This was it likewise that troubled our Prophet he was not so much moved for his owne sake as for Gods cause hee doth not so much hate the work of them that forsake him selfe as of those that forsake God not so much of those who turned aside or fell away from his friendship as from the course of a vertouous and religious life or from th service of the true and living God I hate the worke of them tâ—at fall away Whether in doctrin or in mariers whether in convesation or in opinion whether by impure life or false worship His zeale in this case an affection equally compounded of love and anger was such that it consumed him and as his owne phrase is ate him up which though it were mystically spoken of Christ yet is it literally to bee understood of David and yet withall his excessive griefe such that his eyes poured out rivers of waters because men kept not Gods lawe Thus zeale kindled a fire within him and his grief resolved him into teares to teach us that in our heate to Gods cause we forget not to be tenderly affected towards men but to joyne pittie with our earnestness and with our fervency compassion and to our compassion must be added knowledge and discretion otherwise shall wee be no better than those reprobate Iewes who had zeale but not according to knowledge and out of this perfect composition fervency compassion and discretion ariseth that perfect hatred touched before but here falling into its proper place Doe I not hate them O Lord that hate thee am I not grieved with those that rise up against thee I hate them with a perfect hatred as if they were mine enemies Psa. 139. 21. David would scarce have accounted them good Subjects who should not have shewed theÌ„selves enemies to them who were enemies to him and the State but reason then if himselfe would be reputed a good Subject unto God or his Vice-gerent on earth he should proclame them his enemies who had proclaimed themselves enemies to God and religion When Croesus was assaulted in the sight of his dumbe sonne they write the force of Nature wrought so powerfully in him that it unloosed the strings of his tongue and hee cried out Homo ne perimas Croesum The truth of of the story I leave to bee defended by the Authours of it but this am I sure of that scarcely any outward action more cleares our inward grace of adoption arguing us to bee indeed the sonnes of God then when wee are truely sensible of dishonour offered to our fathers name when we imbark our selves in his quarrels and as our Psalmist speakes in another place The reproches
Counseller friend to whom he no sooner disclosed his unnaturall affection to his sister Tamar but Ionadab presently findes out and shewes him a trick how hee might compass his desire and satisfie his unlawfull lust 2. Sam. 13. Whereas had hee beene a faithfull Counseller indeed hee would have laboured by all meanes to have reclaimed him from his mischievous purpose have stopt such a villanie as afterwards brought shame to Tamar griefe to David death to Amnon Somewhat better was Ioab who though hee wickedly gave way to Davids cruelty in making away Vriah according to the tenor of the letter sent unto him 2. Sam. 11 Yet afterwards he did him the office of a faithfull Counseller when David retyred himselfe unseasonably upon the death of Absolon I sweare by the Lord saith hee except thou come out there will not tarry one man with thee this night 2. Sam. 19. 7. And again in the 24. of the same book when the King in the pride of his heart would needs have his people to bee numbred The Lord thy God saith Ioab increase thy people an hundred folde more than they bee and that the eyes of my Lord the King may see it but why doth my Lord the King desire this thing Which howbeit at that time David hearkened not unto yet Iâ—ab therein did his part and I make no doubt but the King himself afterward when hee felt the hand of God heavie upon him wished he had followed that advice The counsell of a grave and wise man who speakes not out of passion or private respects but out of a zeale of the publique good of the person of him to whom hee gives it should bee entertained and reverenced as the Oracle of God And though it bee true that bookes written in former ages which are justly called dead Counsellers be for the most part more faithfull in regarde that they speake without blushing or feare to the present times Yet as true it is that Counsellers which are or should bee living bookes if they bee faithfull are undoubtedly the more usefull in regard they best know the disease and should seek out the remedy of the times wherin they live It is not alwaies easie gentle physicke which is the best neither is it alwaies crossing couÌ„sell which is the worst desperate is that mans case and past all cure whose eare judgeth all to be harsh that is wholesome and nothing profitable but what is pleasing Our Prophet was of another minde when hee spake out of deliberation Psal. 141 Let the righteous smite mee for that is a benefit and let him reprove mee and it shall bee a precious oyle that shall not breake my head And so was Salomon Prov. 27. 6. Faithfull are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemy are deceitfull And it commonly proves true that hee who reproves not out of vaine affectation of singularity but with discretion and out of an honest heart shall commonly finde more favor certainly more comfort at the last than hee who flattereth with his lips But Counsell is best sought for at their hands who either have no part at all in the cause whereof they instruct or else are so far engaged that themselves are to beare the greatest adventure in the success of their owne counsels Vpon that counsell which Rehoboams Counsellers gave him are set the two marks whereby bad counsell is for ever best discerned that it was greene for the persons and violent for the matter Principis est virtus maxima Nosse suos It is a great part of princely vertue to observe the humours of his subjects in generall but chiefly of his Counsellers the greatest trust between man man being the trust of giving counsell For in other confidences men commit the parts of their life their lands their goods their childe their credit some particular affaire but to such as they make their Counsellers they commit the Whole by how much the more they are obliged to all faith and integrity Neither need the wisest Princes think it any diminution to their greatnes or derogation to their sufficiency to rely upon Counsell since the ancient times doo set forth in figure both the incorporation and inseparable conjunction of Counsel with Kings in that they say Iupiter did marry Metis which signifieth Counsell so as soveraignty or authority is married to Counsell The second condition which our Prophet proposeth to bee found in such as he meant to entertain in his service is Walking in a perfect way or walking perfect in the way it comes both to one and the meaning of it is The taking of a godly and religious course as hath already been shewed in opening the sense of the former part of the second verse I will doo wisely in the perfect way so heer Hee that walketh in a perfect way hee shall serve mee These two then must go together Faithfulness and Godlinesse Piety and Fidelity civill Honesty Religion neither indeed can they bee as they should either thrifty for themselves or trusty to their masters who bee not first religious towards God It was the memorable speech of Constantius father to the great Constantine to such as forsook their religion that they might please and serve him Godliness then is requisite in the servant first in regard of himself and then in regard of his Master in regard of himself because by that means he is sure of a reward either from his master or from God or from both The generall promise they have 1. Tim. 4. 8 Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life present and of that that is to come But a more speciall one they have directed to themselves in particular in Ephes. 6. 8 Knowe ye that is ye servants for unto them hee begins to addresse his speech in the fift verse Knowe yee that whatsoever good thing any man doth the same hee shall receive of the Lord whether hee bee bond or free And yet more expresly in Colos. 3. 23. 24 Whatsoever yee doo doo it heartily as to the Lord and not to men knowing that of the Lord yee shall receive the reward of the inheritance for yee serve the Lord Christ. And many times it falles out that those who beeing faithfull and godly receive the least reward at their masters hands receive the greater from God and that even in this world by his gracious blessing This Iacob found hee was so religious towards God that though his Master were an Idolater he still kept himselfe free from it and yet so faithfull was hee to his Master that for the space of twenty yeers hee was in his service consumed with heat in the day and frost in the night and if any of the flocks were either stolne or torne by beasts hee made it good himself he set it not on his Masters accouÌ„t Yet for all this could not his Master afford him a good look much less a good word hee changed his wages