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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A92778	Solomons choice: or, A president for kings and princes, and all that are in authority, presented in a sermon before the Honourable House of Commons at Margarets Westminster, at their publique fast, Septemb. 25. 1644. By Lazarus Seaman, pastor of the Church of Christ at Alhallowes-Breadstreet-London. One of the Assembly of Divines.	Seaman, Lazarus, d. 1675.	1644 (1644)	Wing S2177; Thomason E16_23; ESTC R189	37,337	55

resolute and exemplary in the worke of reformation For thus saith the Lord. If ye throughly amend your waies and your doings if ye throughly execute judgement betweene a man and his neighbour Then will I cause you to dwell in this place in the Land that I gave to your fathers for ever and ever * Jer. 7. 5 ●7 The Lord furnish you with all the fruits of his Spirit whereby you may be enabled hereunto I shall not presume that be farre from me to direct your wisdomes in any part of the great worke which is before you Onely touching the meanes of attaining that wisdome which I have spoken of I beseech you consider those words of David * Psal 119. 99 100. I have more understanding then all my Teachers for thy testimonies are my meditation I understood more then my Ancients because I kept thy precepts I know your businesse is great and your spare houres but a few You cannot read much nor it may be pray long Yet even in the Campe Alexander would finde time to read Homer * Quintus Curtius and from him he might soone learne how to husband time * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 H●● ●● ● The bookes of Samuel the Kings and Chronicles are proper for you and a key to the Prophets There are many prayers with you and for you but your owne humility and fervency in private will afford you most comfort And that your practicall wisdome according to the rule of Scripture may be seene and read of all men in all your proceedings and a blessing from Heaven upon them is and shall ever be the prayer of him who is Humbly and affectionately devoted to your service in Christ Jesus LAZARUS SEAMAN SOLOMONS CHOICE OR A President for KINGS and PRINCES and all that are in Authority 1. KINGS chap. 3. vers 9. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people that I may discerne betweene good and bad for who is able to judge this thy so great a people FOr more orderly entrance into the handling The Introduction of these words and the better understanding both of them and of the context there are three speciall things which I shall commend unto your present observation out of this Chapter 1. Solomons love to God 2. Gods love to Solomon and 3. The speciall use which Solomon made of Gods speciall love unto him Solomons love to God is described in the third and fourth The first speciall verses and therein there are these particulars considerable First the sincerity of it Secondly the infirmity which did accompany it These are laid downe together in the third verse And thirdly an instance to prove both in the fourth verse The sincerity of his love is contained in these words And Solomon loved the Lord walking in the Statutes of David his father That is in the same Statutes which David his father walked in * See 2 Kings 22. 2. In which words there is both a direct assertion He loved the Lord and a demonstration of that which is asserted He walked in the Statutes of David his father This agrees well with those words of our Saviour If ye love me keepe my Commandements ●ohn 14. 15. The infirmity which did accompany his love is expressed in those words Onely he sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places His marrying of Pharaohs daughter is no where imputed unto him for a sinne (a) Nusquam hoc nomine in sacris literis reprehenditur Mencchius in loc because it is supposed she was before the marriage converted to the true Religion The 45 Psalme makes this more then probable Sacrificing in high places seemes to be excused in the second verse yet not wholly but in part (b) A tanto sed ●on a toto The Law of God for sacrificing in one place onely which God should choose is very expresse Levit. 17. 3. Deut. 12. 13. And therefore whatsoever might be pleaded from examples of old the custome of the times or the ease and benefit of the people it was a sinne either to use or suffer other places then that one for sacrifice Yet as the people in the second verse so the King in this third seemes to be reprehended in that regard (c) Not onely Cajetan on the place but Tremelius and Junius excuse Salomon how solidly let the learned judge Yet such an infirmity as this might well consist with sincerity for we read the like of Asa The high places were not removed neverthelesse Asa his heart was perfect with the Lord all 1 Kings 15. 14. his daies By the way let us here take in these following Observations 1. To love God is a matter of singular commendation Inferences from the first speciall This was the brightest Diadem in Solomons Crowne There cannot be a blacker brand then that which is set on many in the prophecy concerning these latter daies That they are lovers of themselves and lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God (a) 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Tim. 3. 4. A second inference 2. There is no absolute perfection to be found in the best of Gods servants David was a man after Gods owne heart except in the matter of Vriah That which is said of the Angell and Church of Sardis I have not found thy works perfect before God (b) Revel 3. 2. may be said of all Magistrates Ministers and the best Christians Cur righteousnesses are as filthy rags (c) Isa 64. 6. If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us (d) 1 John 1. 8. Use of the second inference Therefore 1. let us humble our selves upon all occasions and be serious in the worke and businesse of this day which is to afflict our soules before God (e) Levit. 23. 27 2. Let 's be alwaies mortifying of corruption and die daily to sinne and cleanse our selves from all filthinesse both of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of God (f) 2 Cor. 7. 1. 3. Let 's adde to our faith vertue and to vertue knowledge 2 Pet. 1. 5. But above all 4. let 's trust perfectly to the grace of Christ (g) 2 Tim. 2. 1. and rest wholy and alone upon him who of God is made unto us wisdome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption (h) 1 Cor. 1. 30. In whom it is that we are compleat (i) Col. 2. 10. The third Inference 3. Observe we further God takes notice of all good and evill in his children He doth graciously distinguish of their waies That which is evill he sets upon record as evill yet acknowledges ownes and accepts of that measure of good which he finds in them be it more or lesse This appeares at large by all Christs expressions to the seaven Churches of Asia (k) Rev. ● 3. chap. The knowledge of it makes much for the praise of his Use Wisdome and

arisen among us who have thrust themselves into the Lords Vineyard It 's no lesse then persecution so they commonly give out to desire that their suspicious opinions may be examined according to the Word of God and they commanded to forbeare the publishing and spreading of them for the present There be many dangerous bookes abroad dangerous at least I le say no more The names of certaine books which have crept abroad of late Liberty of Conscience The bloody Tenent The compassionate Samaritan John Baptist From among your selves there did one arise the forerunner of all these called the Interest of England which is the rather to be taken notice of because it gave occasion to the rest The Calling of Ministers the power of Magistrates in matter of Religion the Law of God it selfe are all strucke at As touching the Calling or Office of Ministers I 'le say nothing for the vindication of it lest I might seem partiall Our Lord Christ Jesus whose we are and whom we serve will right himselfe as he pleases upon all those who revile any Ordinance or Servants of his owne appointing You will not be wanting to your selves Your worke is easie if it be no more then to repeale all Lawes already made in matter of Religion and to bind your selves from ever medling in such matters hereafter One of those bookes * The bl●o●y ●●nen● is reported to be burnt by Order The shell is sometimes throwne into the fire when the kernell is eaten as a sweet morsell But I am perswaded better things of you though I thus speake I beseech you see the Law of God righted Never thinke those men will make mans Law a rule to walk by whatsoever they pretend who disclaime Gods owne Law in that respect Consider also what helpes God hath graciously provided for The seventh ●onsideration your encouragement and the encreasing of your wisdome and improve them You have the prayers of many faithfull Ministers ordinary and extraordinary More Sermons have been preacht unto your eares and printed for your eyes then for any one Parliament yea then for all the Parliaments that have been before you There are some daily consulting by your Authority what advice to give you in matters of Religion They have not such titles among them as Arch-Bishops Bishops Deanes Arch-Deacons and it may be they are not looked upon as equally learned but I hope they will approve themselves both able and faithfull I 'me sure they love you better and more sincerely And I believe you consult with them not as Ahab with Micaiah with a great deale of prejudice Nor as the Elders and people of the Jewes with Jeremiah (a) Jer. ●2 5 6. who pretended faire for thus they spake The Lord be a true and faithfull witnesse betweene us if we doe not even according to all things for the which the Lord thy God shall send thee to us whether it be good or whether it be evill We will obey the voice of the Lord our God to whom we send thee that it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God But when it came to triall this was the conclusion Ch. 44 16 17. As for the word that thou hast spoken to us in the name of the Lord we will not harken unto thee But we will certainely doe whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our owne mouth c. Nor as Henry the eighth with the masters of the new learning See the preface before Bishop Cranmers confutation of unwritten verities as the first endeavours for Reformation were called to have their consent that all Ecclesiasticall Revenue might be alienated from Ecclesiasticall use and be disposed of by Him arbitrarily which they opposed and thereupon he made the Whip with six strings to scourge them withall I meane the six Articles which drew out the heart blood of many of them But as Cornelius and his friends with Peter We are all here present before God to heare all things that are commanded thee of God (b) Acts 10. 33. Goe on as you have begun and reverence their advice The Father of lights make his owne waies plain both before them and you to walke in They consult the good of the Kingdome but they also stand in need of your wisdome and authority as for their vindication from unjust aspersions so also for necessary supplies to uphold them in their worke Yet againe for your selves Consider the speciall things The eighth consideration wherein Solomons wisdome did appeare and follow them close as you have occasion He peremptorily denied unreasonable Petitions though preferred by his owne mother in his brothers behalfe (c) 1 Kings 2. 23 Some thinke him too severe in the judgement against Adonijah for point of death (d) Sir W. Ralegh in Hist of the World 1 part 2 b. 18 ch 1 sect but I never heard of any who suspected his wisdome in refusing to grant him Haggith He that blames the one gives strong reasons for the other You have multitude of Petitions before you and may have more I make no question but you will distinguish of them Onely remember delays are denials it 's as great an injury not to heare and grant some as it would be to yeeld unto all (e) 〈…〉 9. 2. He tooke the first opportunity to execute justice on grand delinquents Joab Shimei A●iathar c. and would not leave them to offend a second time Mercy is so good it 's a thousand pitties it should be misplac'd 3. He judged her to be no true mother who would have the living child devided (f) K●ng● 3. 27 And certainly they are without naturall affection who desire to have the Kingdom still divided to make wars endlesse 4. He set himselfe to build the Temple for the Lord before he built his owne house (g) 1 Kings 6. ●8 compared w●t● 7. 1. Oh that we had sought God in due order in this respect Let us redeeme the time 5. There was order beauty and comlinesse in all things belonging to his Kingdome (h) 1 Kings 10. 4 5. Order and beauty is the end which you aime at hasten to it apace and let not all runne into confusion 6. The beginning of his reigne was in blood onely for execution of justice his latter end was peaceable and that peace most glorious Your beginnings were the same let it not repent you be true to your principles and we shall see alike glorious issue Consider also his failings and beware of them 1. He had The ninth consideration many wives even seven hundred Wives Princesses and three hundred Concubines (i) 1 Kings 11. ● Let not us have as many Religions There 's some anology between the one and the other 2. There was in his daies first a connivance at Idolatry then open toleration and withall Apostacy His wives turned away his heart after other gods vers 4. He built an high place for Chemosh