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
SEVEN SERMONS PREACHED Upon severall occasions BY The Right Reverend and Learned Father in God WILLIAM LAVD Late Arch-Bishop of CANTERBURY c. LONDON Printed for R. Lowndes at the White Lion in S. Pauls Church-yard MDCLI The severall Texts of Scripture on which the learned Author grounded the inlargement of his Meditations SERM. I. PSAL. 122. 6 7. 6. Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem let them prosper that love thee 7. Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy Palaces p. 1. SERM. II. PSAL. 21. 6 7. For thou hast set him as Blessings for ever thou hast made him glad with the joy of thy countenance Because the King trusteth in the Lord and in the mercy of the most High he shall not miscarry p. 47 SERM. III. PSAL. 122. 3 4 5. Jerusalem is builded as a Citie that is at unitie 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 95 SERM. IV. 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 p. 145. SERM. V. PSAL. 74. 22. Arise O God plead or maintaine thine owne Cause Remember how the foolish man reprocheth or blasphemeth thee daily p. 191. SERM. VI. EPHES. 4. 3. Endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the bond of peace 241. SERM. VII PSAL. 72. 1. Give the King thy Judgements O God And thy Righteousnesse unto the Kings Son p. 287. SERM. I. Preached before His Majesty on Tuesday the 19. of June at Wansted Anno 1621. PSAL. 122. 6 7. 6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem let them prosper that love thee 7. Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy Palaces THe Arke of the Lord was brought out of the house of Obed-edom the Gittite with musick and great joy into Jerusalem and there placed 2 Reg. 6. The learned are of opinion that David composed this Psalm and delivered it to be sung at this solemnity Before this the Arke was in Gibeah a high place in the City Baalah of Judah 2 Reg. 6. otherwise called Kiriathjearim Josh 15. 9. But now the presence of it made the City of David Domicilium religionis the house of Religion as well as Regni of the Kingdome It is Domus Dei the house of Religion Gods house ver 1. and the last of this Psalme And it is the house of the Kingdome too for there is the seat of Judgement and there is the house of David ver 5. And it is fit very fit it should be so The Court and the great Temple of Gods service together That God and the King may be neighbours That as God is alwayes neere to preserve the King so the King might be neere to serve God and God and the King cannot meet in Ierusalem without a solemnity Now this Psalme was not fitted by David for the people onely when the Arke was brought to and placed in Jerusalem but also for their comming at their solemne feasts to Ierusalem to which they were bound thrice a yeere by the Law Exod. 23. For then some thinke they sung this Psalme either in their journey as they came up or else on the steps as they ascended to the Temple So the comming to the Temple was alwayes with joy And they were glad when the solemnity came At this joy the Psalme begins I was glad when they said unto me We will goe into the House of the Lord. Glad they were but no vanity in the mirth For as they went up with joy ver 1. so did they with prayer here at the 7. And the prayer is for the peace of Jerusalem Why but in Davids time the Temple was not built and how then this Psalme composed by him for this solemnity Yes well enough for though the Temple was not then built yet the Tabernacle was then up 2. Reg. 6. according to which patterne the Temple was to be built So all the service was there and therefore the solemnity too Beside the eye of the Prophet was cleare and saw things farther off than the present For first it is evident Qui non videbat praevidebat David that saw not the Temple built foresaw it was to bee built by his Sonne 2. Reg. 7. And so fitted the Psalme both to a present Tabernacle and a future Temple And it is not improbable but that he saw farther or if he did not the Spirit of God did and so fitted his pen that the same Psalme might serve the Jewes at their returne from Babylon to reedifie the ruines of both City and Temple For then the people assembled as one man to Jerusalem and kept their wonted ceremonies Esra 3. Nay I make no question but that he saw farther yet For what should hinder the Prophet but that hee might looke quite thorow the Temple which was but the figure or shadow and so see Christ his Church and Kingdome at the end of it So the Psalme goes on for both Jew and Christian Temple and Church that ye as well as they might pray for the peace of Jerusalem and that they may prosper that love it The words containe two things an Exhortation both to Princes and People to pray for the peace of Jerusalem and the Prophets owne prayer for it Let them prosper that love thee Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy Palaces In the Exhortation to both Princes and People that they pray for the Peace of Jerusalem I shall observe three particulars The Body for which he would have us carefull that is Jerusalem The Action by which we should expresse our love to it Our care of it that is Prayer And the Blessing which our Prayers should intreat for it and that is Peace First then here is the Body for which and all the members of it he would have them pray and that is Jerusalem Now Jerusalem was at this time as I told you made Domus religionis regni Gods House and the Kings And so it stands not here for the City and the State only as many of the Antient name the City onely nor for the Temple and the Church onely but joyntly for both For both Therefore when you sit downe to consult you must not forget the Church And when we kneele downe to pray we must not forget the State both are but one Jerusalem There are some in all ages too many in this which are content to be for the State because the livelihood both of them and theirs depends upon it but it is no matter for the Church they can live without that And there are some which are all at least in their out-cry
for the Church as if Templum Domini the Church the Church might swallow up Kingdomes State-affairs But there is no Religion in the one And neither that nor Civill Wisdome in the other Both then were commended to the Jewes and both are to us And both under one name Jerusalem One name and good reason for it First because the chiefe house of the Common-wealth the Kings house and the chief house of Gods service the Temple were both in one Jerusalem And secondly because they are as neere in nature as in place For both Common-wealth and Church are collective bodies made up of many into one And both so neer allyed that the one the Church can never subsist but in the other the Common-wealth Nay so neere that the same men which in a temporall respect make the Common-wealth doe in a spirituall make the Church so one name of the mother City serves both that are joyned up into one Now though in nature the Common-wealth goe first first men before religious and faithfull men and the Church can have no being but in the Common-wealth Yet in grace the Church goes first religious and godly men better than men and the Common-wealth can have no blessed and happy being but by the Church For true Religion ever blesses a State provided that they which professe it doe not in their lives dishonour both God and it And it blesses the State among other two waies One by putting a restraint upon the audaciousnesse of evill And this the wise men among the Heathen saw For Seneca tells us that this placing of an armed Revenger God over the head of impious men which is an acknowledgement of Religion is a great restraint because against him Nemo sibi satis potens videtur no man can thinke himselfe able enough either to shun or resist The other way by which it blesses the State is by procuring Gods blessings upon it So it is Psal 68. 32. Sing unto God O ye kingdomes of the earth there is exercise of Religion And then it follows ver 35. God will give strength and power unto his people there is the blessing And it is plaine in my Text for heere prayer is to obtaine blessing for Jerusalem for the State But it is expresly said to be propter domum Domini for the House of Gods sake ver 9. Now I would all States would remember this that they have a restraint from evill by and a blessing for Religion It would make me hope that yet at last Religion should be honoured for it selfe and not for pretences Secondly we are come from Jerusalem the Body as it comprehends both State and Church to that which the Prophet would have us doe for it That is Prayer Pray for Jerusalem Pray for it Why but is that all Can a State be managed or a Church governed only by Prayer No the Prophet meanes not so You must seeke and endeavour the good of both as well as pray for the good of both And this is in my Text too For the word in the Septuagint is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 aske and inquire after the good of Jerusalem labour it And yet it is often read in Scripture for Orate pray for it Both then And the Fathers beare witnesse to both in this place For S. Hierome Angust Hilar. and Prosp. are for the proper sense of the word Quaerite seeke it follow it Saint Basil Theod. and most of the latter Divines are for the borrowed sense Orate pray for it And surely God would have the great Ministers of State and the provident Governours of the Church doe both seek enquire consult doe all good to both And yet when they have done all hee would have them pray too And there is good reason for this for nothing more needfull for Jerusalem for State and Church than Prayer For the State nceessary For God is President of all Councels of State and shall he not be so much as called to Counsell and desired to sit And for the Church necessary too For the Son of God Christ Jesus is Head of the Church and can the Body doe any thing well if the Head direct it not And yet of the two the Church hath most need to be prayed for And that both because the consultations of the Church have more immediate reference to God And because the Enmity of the world is more set against the Church for God And while Christ tels Saint Peter that the gates of hell shall not prevaile against the Church Math. 16. He insinuates withall that those open gates gape not wider for any thing than for it therefore prayer for the Church very necessary And certainely so much danger over it and so little prayer for it agree not Now Rogate pray for Jerusalem reacheth every man in particular and all men when they are assembled together For what can a Senate consult upon orderly or determine providently if God be not called into the Assembly If there be not Deus stat God standeth in the congregation of Princes Psal 82. And such a superiour cannot be called into the Assembly mannerly but by Prayer Nay solemne State-Assemblies because if they erre they erre not lightly have greatest need of Prayer both in and for them Hence is that antient Christian custom that Parliaments assemble not for the State Councels meet not for the Church but they begin both the first dayes worke and every dayes worke with Prayer And the Heathen which knew not the true God knew that this duty was owing to the true God to pray unto him most solemnly in their greatest consultations and therefore Caesar being to enter the Senat sacrificed first And Appian speakes of that Act as of a thing of custome And it cannot be thought they did sacrifice without prayer Since Litare which is to appease by Sacrifice is to please by prayer too But I leave them My Text is more antient and more full than their practice For heere vers 5. the Tribes are no sooner gone up to the seats of Judgement to the house of David but they are followed close by my Text that they pray for Jerusalem So prayer the first worke and consultation after And doubtlesse the Spirit of God sees Prayer wonderfull necessary for Jerusalem that he makes that as it were the doore of entrance both into the Seates of Judgement among men and the places of divine worship and Adoration of God We have done with the Action Prayer Thirdly then here is the Blessing which we are to beg and desire at Gods hands for Jerusalem for both the State and the Church and that if you will beleeve the Prophet is Peace Peace is one of the greatest temporall blessings which a State or a Church can receive For where God himselfe describes the excellency of government he describes it by Peace Esa 37. The worke of Justice shall be Peace And my people shall dwell in the Tabernacles
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