Promise was made him that his sonne Salomon should succeed him and that his seed should bee established in the throne Were not these strong motives to puffe up flesh and blood to make himselfe conceited and proud of his owne worth Yet heare what himselfe professeth of his humility the ground-worke of all his other vertues and abilities Psalme 131 I am not high minded I have no proud lookes I doo not exercise my selfe in great matters which are too high for mee but I refraine my soule and keepe it lowe like as a childe that is weaned from his mother yea my soule is euen as a weaned childe But what was it that kept him so lowe notwithstanding his greatnesse and so many rare excellencies and perfections wherewith he was endowed The first no doubt was the grace of God for as he gives his grace to the humble so it is his grace which makes them humble The second was those Crosses and aâ—â—lictions both outward inward wherewith GodÌ„ fro time to time had exercised him From my youth upward thy terrors have I suffered with a troubled minde The third was the consideration both of his naturall corruption I was borne in iniquity and in sinne hath my mother conctived mee as also of his actuall transgressions They are moe than the haires of my head and mine heart hath failed mee The fourth was the acknowledgement of his owne frailty Hee knoweth whereof we are made hee remembreth that we are but dust The fift was the contemplation of Gods greatnesse the greatest among the sonnes of men being lesse in comparison of him than the silliest worme that crawles on the face of the earth in comparison of them The sixt was the often exercising of himselfe with fasting with prayer with divine meditations and holy soliloquies with sackcloth and ashes with making his teares his drinke and minling his bread with weeping The seaventh was his studying day and night in Gods lawe according to the commandement given to the king Deut. 17. 20 that his heart might not bee lifted vp above his brethren and esteeming it above the hony and the hony comb above gold an silver yea much fined gold and precious stone The eightth and last was a full assurance free confession that God was privie to all his thoughts that hee would reward him according to his works that hee was both the Author Maintainer and Finisher of whatsoever good either in his bodie or in his soule or in his estate according to that memorable speech of Saint Paul l. Cor. 4. 7. What hast thou which thou didst not receiue and if thou didst receive it why doost thou glory as if thou hadst not received it Let our conclusion then still be in regard of all the good we either haue or doe Non nobis Domine non nobis sed nomini tâ—o da gloriam Not unto us O Lord not vnto us but unto thy Name give the praise Verse 6. Mine eyes shall bee upon the faithfull of the Land that they may dwell with mee hee that walketh in a perfect vvay hee shall serve me OVr Prophet having in the verse going before made knowne in part what they were whom he would not receive into his family and seruice Hee comes in this verse to tell us of what condition they should be whom hee purposeth to admit Mine eyes shall â—e to the faithfull of the Land c. It is not good that man should bee alone sayes God himselfe Gen. 2. 18. And Woe be to him that is alone saith the wise Salomon Eccles. 4. 10. And Solus vel Deus vel Daemon saith Aristotle He that desires to be alone is either of a more base or divine metall than men commonly are made of Vpon this foundation of mans sociable nature Kingdomes and CoÌ„mon-wealths are built consisting of cities and townes and parishes and they againe of housholds and families and they againe of husband and wife parents and children Masters and Servants of which last relation I am chiefly to speake at this time Though the name and nature of a Servant were first brought into the world by the ungratiousnesse of Cham Gen. 9. 25 Yet is the impression of superiority and subjection so universally stampt upon the face of Nature that it reacheth up to heaven there being a greater light to rule the day and a lesser light borrowed from and subordinate to the greater to rule the night If wee ascend higher to the Angels there are among them principality domination nay more than so it pearceth downe to hell where wee reade of Beelzebub a Prince of Divels And experience hath farther observed that even among unreasonable creatures this forme is kept The birds being by a naturall instinct subject to the Eagle the beasts to the Lion and the Bees marvailously obeying and reverencing their Master But this truth shines yet more clearely in man him himselfe a little map or module as it were of the great world his members being subject to the head his body to the soule his appetite to reason And this principle is so deeply ingraven upon the conscience of all that the very barbarous nations who retaine any sparke of civility willingly subscribe vnto it Whether then wee looke upward to heaven or downeward to hell or outward to the creatures or inward to our selves we shall every where finde characters imprinted of superiority and subjection command and obedience domination and service To take it then as granted to bee a thing not lawfull onely but commendable nor commendable onely but as the case now stands in a manner necessary I will proceed to the unfolding of the words themselves And first of the former part of the verse Mine eyes shall be to the faithfull of the Land that they may dwell with mee Faithfulnesse in holy Scripture is taken in diverse senses Sometimes for steadfastnes and assurance of beleefe Put forth thine hand and put it into my side and bee not faithless but faithfull Iohn 20. 27 Somtimes for truth of speech Fidelis est hic sermo This is a true faithfull saying 1. Tim. 4. 9 Sometimes for the profession of Christian religion If any faithfull man or faithfull woman have widowes let them minister unto them 1. Tim. 5. 16 Sometimes for certainty constancy in performing what a man promiseth Let us keep the profession of our hope without wavering for hee is faithfull that hath promised Heb. 10. 23 Sometimes for perseverance in the truth Bee thou faithfull unto the death and I will give thee the crown of life Rev. 2. 10. And lastly sometimes for a carefull and conscionable discharge of ones duty in that place whereto he is called thus Christ is said to have been a mercifull and faithfull high Priest in things concerning God Heb. 2. 17. And Paul testifies of Tychicus that he was a faithful minister in the Lord Ephes. 6. 21. And in this sense I take this word specially to bee understood heer in my Text Mine eyes shall
wilt thou com unto me I will walk within my house with a perfect heart 3 I will set no wicked thing before my eyes I hate the work of them that turne aside it shall not cleave to me 4 A froward heart shall depart from me I will not knowe a wicked person 5 Whoso pâ—ivily slandereth his neighbour him will I cut off him that hath an high look a proud hart wil I not suffer 6 Mine eyes shall bee upon the faithfull of the Land that they may dwell with mee he that walketh in a perfect way he shall serve mee 7 He that worketh deceit shall not dwel within my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight 8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the Land that I may cut off al wicked doers from the City of the Lord. Buchanani Paraphrasis PSALMVS CI. TE salus rerum cano qui precanti Lenis irarum es facilisque flecti Impiorum idem tetricus rebelles Frangere fastus Huc meae vires vigilant labores Huc ferent omnes opis in tuae speâ—â— Semper ut castis domus institutis Culta nitescat Si salutarem mihi tu serenus Porrigis dextram tibi corde puro Serviam fraudum scelerÃsque pura Serviet aula Nec mihi exemplum statuam sequendum Litibus siquis miseros iniquis Vexet aut causam tenuis clientis Prodidit hosti Sponte qui pravis studiis inhaeret Sit procul saevi sceleris minister Candidos nunquam mihi censeatur Inter amicos Quisquis incautum lacerat sodalem Clam venenato iaculatus ictu Persequar plectam penitúsque ab ima Stirpe revellam Nec meae mensae dapibus fruetur Mentis elatae tumor arrogánsque Vultus cunctos veluti minores Lumine spernens Veritas â—â—mplex quibus est amori Hos amo amplector video libenter His mihi â—eros sociis senectus Impleat annos Integer vitae mihi sit minister Tecta non intret mea fraudulentus Nemo mecum intra mea commoretur Limina mendax Impios longè mora nulla terrae Finibus pellam procul omne monstruâ—â— Civitas sancta ut Domini releget Flagitioruâ—â— The Analysis of the Psalme The principall Contents of the severall ensuing Sermons THe first treates chiefly of the preheminence of the booke of the Psalmes of the Nature Conditions of a Vow of the antiquity excellency of musick of the diuerse kindes of Church-musick of the abuse good use of Songs singing of Mercy and Iustice requisite in a Prince Of the person to whom both Songs and Vowes are to bee devoted and to whose glory both Mercy and Iustice are to be administred The second of the necessity of a Magistrates beginning Reformation from his owne person of Wisedome required in him both Civill and Spirituall of his patience in waiting for the performance of Gods promises of his imploring the assistance of Gods Spirit of his Meditation of Mortality The third of Idlenesse of progresse in good duties of moderation of the alâ—owance of our owne hearts in all our actions of the perfection of the heart unfoulding it selfe in Integrity and Sinceriâ—y of the tryall of a mans sufficiency for publique imployment by the menaging of his housholde affaires of being the same abroad and at home The fourth of presumptuous sinnes of the sense of the word Belial of the vnlawfulnesse of Images for religious vse of sundry temptations and intisements by the sense of Seeing The fift of the good vse of naturall affections in the soule so they bee rightly moderated and applyed of a twofolde hatred of malice and zeale of the hatred of mens euill vvorkes not of their persons of the hatred of Apostates and Apostasie The sixt of the frowardnesse of the heart in rebellion repining against God in harshnesse and bitternesse towards men of shunning euill company for feare of Suspicion Infection Malediction The seauenth of the vertues and vices of the tongue of slaunder in generall of priuy slander of priâ—y slander of a mans pretended friend or fellow servant of the putting backe and punishing thereof The eightth of the affinitie between slander and pride of discouering the secret affections of the heart by outward actions and gestures in special the pride of the heart by proud lookes of the proud heart it selfe and wherein it consists of our Prophâ—ts not suffering it as a reasonable man as a member of the Church as the Father of a family as the Soveraigne of a kingdom of his owne freenesse from it notwithstanding his great and manifolde gifts and the reasons thereof The ninth of domination and service of fidelity in servants in actions vvhen a servant doth that vvhich tends not so much to the satisfying of his Masters sensuall appetite as his reall good when he preferres his Masters gaine his ease his liberty his safety before his own secondly in speeches by concealing his Masters secrets and imperfections by giving him if occasion serve and hee be called to it wholesom and free counsaile of godlinesse required in a servant as well in regard of his Master as himself where by occasion of the proper signification of the word to serve vsed in the Text is added a discourse of the disorder of States by the corruption of Iudges vnder-Officers even when there are good Kings and lastly it concludeth with the choise and reward of good servants The tenth of deceitfulnesse in generall of deceitfulnesse of servants in speciall how pernicious it is both to themselves and their Masters of lying in which are handled the nature and severall kindes of Lies the greatnesse of the offence how â—lightly soever wee esteem of it together with the punishment alwayes due vnto it and many times inflicted on it The eleventh of diligence dispatch and constancy in punishing malefactors at his very entrance to the Crowne yet not without advisement and discretion of three cases which by some are held vnlawfull in which it is lawfull to destroy in defence of a mans owne person in a iust and lawfull warre and by the sword of the publique Magistrate The twelfth of three vnlawfull kindes of destroying by some held lawfull namely selfe-homicide in Duell for reason of State without due order of law or course of iustice of the right obiect and vnpartiality of his iustice and lastly of his vowing to purge the Citie of the Lord whereby is meant Ierusalem first for example to the whole Realme it being the Metropolis and head Citie of the Kingdome as also and principally by reason of the service of God and exercise of religion which by divine ordinance was in a speciall manner tied vnto it I have the rather noted the distinction of these Sermons because the third and sixt are not sufficiently distanced from their next precedents ALia sunt quae Prophetae tradunt alia quae Historia Lex quoque alia Proverbiorum etiam alia
wee shall hereafter heare the plausible and willing hearer is as farre forth lyable to censure as the â—ale-bearer The third and last stroke lights on the reputation of the party slandered which though it bee of the three the least yet is it a very grievoâ—s wound and the third part of my definition t is a false report wounding a man in his good name The Latines call it Detractio because it is a kinde of theft in that it stealeth from a mans good name in in which sense our Saviour may bee thought to have called them theeves whom he whipped out of the Temple because by their buying and selling in it they robbed God of his honour profaning the place consecrated to his worship As then the Slâ—nderer is a murtherer by wounding a man in his reputation so is he a theefe in stealing from his good name nay theft it is in the highest degree and a degree beyond the highest kinde of theft properly so called and therein I affirme no more than the Prince of Schoolemen hath done before me Vitium detractionis quo proximi lâ—ditur honor ex genere suo gravius est quam â—urtum and his reason is first because restitution may more easily bee made of goods than of good name which being once lost for the most part is unrecoverable Secondly because a good name is dearer to a man of understanding than his goods in as much as it hath a nearer affinitie with our spirituall good And a good name saith Salomon Prov. 22. 1. is rather to bee chosen than great riches being better than precious oyntment Eccles. 7. 2. Idest amplissimis graâ—â—osissimis bonis corporeis saith Iunius OyntmeÌ„ts are there named because in those Eastern parts they were laid up among the most precious things even in the Kings Treasurie as appeares Esa. 39. 2 and were of all sorts highly esteâ—med not onely for civill use in anoynting their faces and bodies as well living as dead but for sacred use in anoynting their Kings Priests and Prophets And this oyntment is it which in the 30. of Exodus is called the holy anoynting oyle compounded of oyle olive and Myrrh and Cinnamon and Calamus and Cassia after the art of the Apothecary or the Perfumer and whosoever compounded any like to it or put any of it upon a stranger by Gods ordinance hee was to bee cut off from his people Even before this rare and costly oyntment doth Salomon prefer a good report and not without cause since the one cannot keepe the body from putrefying as the other doth the memory from rotting Well then by how much more excellent and divine a good name is by so much more daÌ„nable and pestilent is this vice of detraction The Proverb is Oculus fama non patiuntur iocos There is no good sporting with the eye or with a mans good name the least aspersion cannot but be offensive to either and a wise man is as tender sensible of the least touch upon the one as the other He was no foole at least in morall matters who hath tolde us that Negligere quid de se quisque sentiat non solum arrogantis est sed dissoluti To be careless what men thinke or speake of him is the part not onely of a proud but of a loose minde And hee was no foole either in morall or spirituall who exhorts us Whatsoever things are of goodreport if there be any vertue any praise to thinke on those things Phil. 4. 8. Whereof Saint Augustine yeelds the reason Propter â—os conscientia nostra sufficit nobis propter vos fama nostra non pollui sed pollere debet in vobis In regard of a mans owne self the keeping of a good conscience is sufficient if he be clear to God-ward but in regard of doing good to men specially in publique places a good reputation is no lesse necessary which hee that by slander takes away not only wrongs him from whom he takes it but others with whom hee communicates in vertue and to whom he might prove beneficiall whereas standing in their opinion guilty of that whereof he is accused though wrongfully neither his speeches nor his actions can be so acceptable and consequently not so profitable unto them as otherwise they might bee To which purpose is that of Thomas Auferre alicui famam valde grave est per cuius defectum impeditur homo à multis bene agendis And likewise that forenamed good Doctour Pillar of the Christian Church duely weighing these dangerous effects caused these two verses as Possidius reports it in his life to bee written in capitall Letters over the Table where hee took his ordinary repast Quisquis amat dictis absenâ—ûm rodere vitam Hanc mensam vetitam no verit esse sibi Hee that loves to detract from such as are absent let him knowe that his presence at this table is not desired Another thing which much aggravates this vice and the foulenesse of it is that the Divell hath his name from slandering and a nature nothing dissenting from his name hee slanders God to man and man againe to God as his instruments doo man to man God hee accuseth of envy to man Gen. 3. 5 God doth knowe that in the day yee eat thereof your eyes shall bee opened and yee shall bee as Gods knowing good and evill And as hee accuseth God to man of envy so doth hee man to God of hypocrisie Doth Iob serve God for nought hast thou not made an hedge about him about his house and about all that hee hath on every side thou hast blessed the works of his hands and his substance is increased in the land but put â—orth thine hand now and touch all that hee hath and hee will curse thee to thy face The Herbalists write of a certaine Plant which they call Divels-bit so named as they say because beeing of soveraign use for mankinde the Divell is thought by simple people of malice to bite off the root of it which is found very small or none at all Now the root of the union betwixt God man is the love of God to man and the duty of man back again to God and this root I am sure wee may truely call Divels-bit not that he can ever bite it off but because hee never leaves nibbling at it This is hee that stands before the woman Rev. 12 clothed with the Sun and the Moon under her feet and upon her head a Crown of â—welve Stars being now ready to bee delivered of her childe and hee as ready to devoâ—re it beeing delivered His endeavour is either by temptation to make a good purpose abortive and to stiâ—le it in the womb or birth if hee may or if not that by slander to deuoure it beeing brought into the light Let the slanderer then remember as often as hee opens his mouth to that end whether it bee simply to disgrace another or by his disgrace the more to commend