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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A49131	A sermon against murmuring preached in the Cathedral Church of St. Peter Exon on the XXIXth of May, 1680 / Thomas Long.	Long, Thomas, 1621-1707.	1680 (1680)	Wing L2982; ESTC R180131	20,243	36

reformation but we should begin it at the right end our own wicked hearts and lives and not at the Heads of our Superiors to complain that the days are evil with a design by such complaints to make them worse to search after remote and secret causes and overlook those that are so near and obvious in our own bosoms and with the Harlot in Solomon having overlayed her own child to accuse a tender mother 1 Kings 3.20 and seek to deprive her of her living child is a subtle design but such as could not stand the Test of Solomon and a greater than Solomon will judge such men It was observed by the Royal Martyr that whoever intended to bring forth confusion in a Church or State have used the Midwifry of complaints and tumults By this Artifice Absalom stole the hearts of the people from his Father David See thy cause is right but there is no man deputed of the King to do thee justice 2 Sam. 13.3 when the design was O that I were judge in Israel And to facilitate his design he remembreth his Vow at Hebron that under pretence of Piety to God he might strengthen his party and the more impunely cast off his obedience to his Father By the like art Jeroboam had stoln the hearts of Solomon's Subjects and made a great part of Israel to sin with him For though the foundations of Solomons Government were such as might have made all Israel as firm as Mount Sion which could not be moved though in his days there was a confluence of all those blessings whereof one or two might have made another Nation happy yet by their whining murmurings and restless complaints of heavy yoaks and approaching Idolatry of the hainous sins and imminent dangers of the Nation they did tantum non fail but a little of subverting the whole frame of the best established Government in the world But Solomon had a jealous ear which heard all these things and was assisted with more than humane prudence and power to suppress them He crusheth this Cockatrice in the Egg and discovers the folly and impiety of it Thou dost not inquire wisely c. which brings us to the last part of the Text non ex sapientiâ Witty men there might be among such ingeniosi in malum publicum but they were neither wise nor good men in the sence of Solomon For whether by wisdom we understand moral prudence or as most Expositors true piety and the fear of God they who thus causlesly murmured against the King had neither they acted both against Reason and Religion First against Reason For what is more irrational than solicitously to enquire after the causes of those things that are not They might as well ask why the Sun had lost its light or the foundations of the earth were removed which were as true as that the former days were better than those of Solomon which will appear by a short view of the Church and State of Israel in the days of Solomon For 1. In riches and wisdom Solomon exceeded all the Kings of the earth that were before him 1 Kings 10.27 The Vessels and Utensils of Gods House as well as the Kings were of beaten Gold for Gold was as common as silver and silver as the stones in the streets of Jerusalem 1 Kings 9.28 And his Royal Navy commanded the Trade of the world and kept his Exchequer always full and running over bringing home 666 Talents of Gold at a time besides the rich merchandize from Tyre and Egypt There was also a general peace to injoy this great plenty for Solomon was in this a Type of Christ there was neither adversary nor evil occurrence 1 Kings 4. but all Judah and Israel which made a prey of each other in the days of David were united and dwelt safely every man under his own Vine and under his own fig-tree from Dan to Beersheba there was a general and perpetual peace all the dayes of Solomon ver 25. Which peace was the more admirable because that though Adonijah had usurped the Kingdom and strengthned himself by the heads of divers factions Joab among the souldiers and Abiathar among the Priests and Shimei chief of the Benjamites yet was he setled on his Fathers Throne without shedding of bloud or any opposition His League also with Hiram deserves a remark being a friend to the True Religion and the most potent and skilful in Sea-affairs But what is especially to be noted is that all these blessings were confirmed to him by a promise from God for his father Davids sake 1 Kings 11.12 2. His clemency did adorn his peace for he pardoned such offenders as could obtain pardon from themselves Adonijah that had usurped the Kingdom and Joab that had barbarously slain Abner and Amasa Captains of his Fathers Host and Abiathar a revolted Priest that had strengthned the hands of the Usurper and Shimei also who having got the upper ground of David spit his venome in his Royal face reviling him maledictione forti with all the virulence he could 2 Sam. 16.7 Yet 3. His clemency was seasoned with justice which was inflicted on incorrigible offenders without respect of persons high and low natives and strangers particularly on Shimei for that horrid fact on the person of his father whom he commanded to be slain by the hand of Benaiah and the kingdom was thereby established in the hand of Solomon 4. His Maximes of Government were of infallible and eternal verity such as these Mercy and truth preserve the King and by righteousness shall his throne be established Pro. 20.28 It is the honour of a King to search out a matter Pro. 25.2 In the multitude of Counsellors there is peace But where no counsel is the people fall 11.14 Righteousness exalteth a Nation but sin is a reproach to any people Pro. 14.34 And his men were suited to his Maxims men of gravity and experience of prudence piety and moderation such as would have secured the Crown to Rehoboam had he not rejected them and inclined to greener heads that were brought up with him All these blessings he dispensed with great wisdom having a heart as capacious as the sand on the Sea-shore Which wisdom he acquired partly by giving his heart to it but it was perfected by the gift of God This made his face to shine so as he attracted the admiration of all the Kings of the Earth and the Queen of the South came from far to be an Ear witness of it and envyed the happiness of his Subjects This wisdom he demonstrated to be better than strength by suppressing strife and contention in the first rise of it He carefully observed all the motions of the people and neglected not in times of peace to make provision for war He had many fortified Cities and 40000 stalls for the horses of his Chariots and 40000 horse and his people were as the sand as for number Notwithstanding all this preparation of Chariots

observes there is only this difference between seditious murmurings and seditious tumults that the one is the Brother and the other the Sister Tumults and Seditions are more masculine but Murmurings as malicious Which the Ancients have ingeniously described in the Fable of the Giants which the earth brought forth who for warring against the gods were smitten with Thunderbolts and to revenge their death the Earth laboured again and brought forth Fame The Moral is this The Common people are that Earth who opposing their Governours were subdued by force of Arms but to be avenged of them they brought forth Fame i.e. Seditious reports and slanders which had such secret motions and subtle evasions that the gods themselves i.e. their Governors could not silence them Which is the third thing proposed the subtle pretences by which this lust insinuates it self what is the cause c. As if they had said The present times are much degenerated from the former and are still growing worse Atheisin is increased and Godliness discouraged vile persons are exalted and such as are truly honourable despised and there are few or none that are valiant for the truth or shew their zeal for the Lord of Hosts In former times men were more active for Reformation of abuses both in Church and State there wanted not some that would tell King David his faults to his face and accuse him for a man of bloud and if he seemed not to hear the Curses of Shimei there was a Sheba to blow a Trumpet and proclaim Every man to his tents O Israel 1 Kings 12.16 Nay there was an Achitophel whose Counsel was esteemed as an Oracle of God that prevailed with Absalom to undertake to redress the Grievances of the people 2 Sam. 16.15 and these made their party strong enough to drive the King out of all his strong holds and chase him not only from one mountain to another but from one Kingdom to another and at last to bind the King himselfe in chains and his Nobles in fetters of Iron And this honour had those ancient Saints And as for Church Reformation we have the Examples of those Godly zealots that publickly protested against those Superstitious vanities and heathenish customs which David would have joyned to the Worship of God such as his bowing and dancing before the Ark his appointing several Orders of Priests and Levites with Vocal and Instrumenral musick for the Service of the Temple who were to praise God with the Psaltery and Harp and to stand every morning and evening to praise God for his mercy endureth for every 1 Chron. 23.30 1 Kings 12.28 And as for the costly ornaments the vessels of Gold and Silver the Painted and Carved works there were those that brake them down with Axes and Hammers and took to themselves the Houses of God in possession yea they propagated a more simple and purer Worship such as that of Jeroboam who brought their houshold-gods to their doors and set up Calves at Dan and Bethel making Priests of the meanest of the people who were contented with the free-will Offerings of their Brethren But now though this liberty of Conscience be denyed us and King Solomon hath established by a Law all that David intended though he have built and beautified the Temple and obligeth us to that publick place of Worship and enjoyns us to Worship and fall down and kneel as if God were there present Ps 95.6 Though he requires an Uniformity to all those Forms of Prayer and Thanksgiving which were composed by David and Asaph 2 Chron. 29.30 and to joyn with the Levites which were the Singers being arayed in white linnen having Cymbals Psalteries and Harps to make one sound in Praising and Thanking the Lord 2 Chron. 5.12 Yea though Solomon do stint the Spirit of prayer in Gods Ministers and forbids them to be rash with their mouths Eccles 5.2 and to let their tongues be hasty to utter any thing before the Lord as if our extemporary prayers were the Sacrifices of fools yet may we not complain or so much as Petition against these grievous impositions Nay what is yet worse we are required to renounce the Vow at Hebron and the Solemn League which Jeroboam and his godly party took with hands lifted up to heaven and instead of the Vow to God we are told we must keep the Kings command and that in regard of the oath of God ch 8.2 And we must also declare that against the King there is no rising up Pro. 30.3 upon any pretence whatsoever nor against such as are commissioned by him but if the spirit of subordinate Rulers rise up against us we may not go out of our places Eccl. 10.4 nor stir beyond our private callings and capacities but fear God and the King and not meddle with them that are given to change Pro. 24.21 though it be for a thorow Reformation And in a word Solomon would put such a gag in our mouths that we may not so much as demand What is the cause that the former days were better than these But I have saved these men the labour in summing up all the Causes of the pretended evils of their-times and how frivolous they are appears evidently by this that David appointed nothing for the publick Worship of God but what he graciously accepted And all that Solomon injoyned was immediately directed by the Spirit of God and stands recorded in the Holy Scriptures as general rules to be observed in the publick Worship of God to all succeeding ages Solomon well knew that the evils in his days were caused by the Complaints of those malicious men who were enemies to his Fathers Government as well as his own that they intended to bring his Person and Government into contempt and minded not the redress of publick grievances as much as of their private fortunes and if the times were evil they took a direct course to make them worse by endeavouring to overthrow all those Constitutions which both Solomon and his father David had well established He knew that if these Male-contents were permitted to sow these seeds of Rebellion they would like the Dragons teeth sowed by Gadmus spring up into Armed men that would destroy their Brethren God forbid that we should be insensible of our own sins or of the tokens of Gods wrath that are upon us That our Religion should be as Sion of old whom no man cared for or that we should suffer our selves to be led into Captivity as we were brought out of it as men in a dream It is our Interest as well as our duty to mourn for other mens sins as well as our own but we should do that in secret and take heed that under a pretence of reproving their sins we do not pour out reproach on their persons and government and by such art so spread abroad their infirmities as to make a cloak for our own iniquities We may also be instrumental in a