a strange Woman a Babylonish Breed and Sons of Belial What Lamentation is too much for the loss of such a Father of his Countrey Who would not say with Jeremiah Oh that my Head were Waters Jer. 9.1 and mine Eyes a Fountain of Tears Or if a People professing God's Holy Truths should lose such a Nursing-mother should we not behold the sorrowful Children weeping for Rachel and refusing Comfort because she is not 2. Another Title the Holy Spirit gives to the Higher Powers is that of Captains in this style the Prophet Isaiah delivers a Message from God to good Hezekiah Turn again and tell Hezekiah the Captain of my People thus saith the Lord 2 King 20.5 c. And is it not the Interest as well as Duty of the General to preserve the Host under his Command With relation to this Conduct it was that when the Lord appointed Samuel to anoint Saul King he describes the Kingly Office by that of a General To morrow about this time I will send thee a Man out of the Land of Benjamin 2 Sam. 9.16 and thou shalt anoint him to be Captain over my People Israel that he may save my People out of the Hand of the Philistines The General of God's Host could not be sase but by preserving the Armies of Israel The good Captain by strict Discipline retains his Souldiers in their Duty and makes them pay an exact Obedience to his Orders His Vigilance secures them in their Marches his Judgment and Experience directs them in their Encampments his Providence and Foresight prevents Want and Surprize and his Justice deters them from Treachery or Mutiny on the other side the good General never fails to preser those whom he has sound to be Meritorious and does at least make it equally his Care to Reward the good Soldier as to punish him who deserves ill There is a Steddiness as well as a Presence of Mind which does always accompany him and gives that Assurance to his Army which is the Pledge of Victory And is not this the Character of an Excellent Prince One who is both the Head and Heart of his People 3. There was a time when the Supream Magistrates in Israel were call'd Judges as appears by their History compiled in a Book bearing that Name The true Business of those who preside in Courts of Judicature will appear from the Charge Moses gave to the Judges of Israel Deut 1.16 Hear the causes betwixt your Brethren and judge righteously between every Man and his Brother and the stranger that is with him Ye shall not respect Persons in Judgment but ye shall hear the Small as well as the Great you shall not be afraid of the Face of Man for the Judgment is God's 'T was the good of the People which was given in Charge to the Judges who were set as Guardian Angels for desence of Israel against the Sons of Violence They are therefore forbid to cast an Eye upon their own particular Interest but an impartial Administration of Justice without Prejudice or Passion hope or fear is recommended to 'em thereby to put an end to all Controversies to allay all Heats Feuds and Passions and to take from every Man all pretence of a Right to revenge himself for as Revenge casts Judgment out of Doors so Judgment makes Revenge needless it puts a stop to the first Springs of all Desires shewing how vain a thing it will be for an Ahab to covet Naboth's Vineyard 'T is the right Administration of Justice which is the Bond of Humane Society it secures to every Individual his Life and his Property and thereby Industry is encouraged and the Wealth and Strength of a Nation advanc'd Such a due course of Justice was maintain'd during the Reign of good Josiah and as that rendred his People happy so it made his Memory precious and his Loss so greatly lamented whereas the contrary practice of his Son Jehoiakim brought Ruin upon his own House Misery upon his Kingdom and Infamy upon his Name insomuch that God himself forbad any Lamentation to be made for his Death or decent Burial to be bestow'd on his Body The Burthen of this unhappy Prince is denounc'd by Jeremiah thus Jer. 22.13 c. Wo to him that buildeth his House by Vnrighteousness and his Chambers by Wrong It seems this Prince was pleas'd with an appearance of Magnificence and Glory though at the rate of oppressing and spoiling his Subjects and to this the Prophet alludes in the following Verses in which he proceeds with the Wo to him that saith I will build me a wide House and large Chambers and cutteth him out Windows and it is ceiled with Cedar and painted with Vermilion Shalt thou Reign because thou 〈◊〉 thy self in Cedar Did not thy Father Eat and Drink and do Judgment and Justice and then it was well with him Was not this to know me saith the Lord But thy Eyes and thy Heart are not but for thy Covetousness and to shed Innocent Blood And for Oppression and for Violence to do it Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the Son of Josiah King of Judah they shall not lament for him saying Ah my Brother or Ah Sister They shall not lament for him saying Ah Lord or Ah his Glory He shall be buried with the Burial of an Ass and cast forth beyond the Gates of Jerusalem This wo makes a full description of the unhappy state of a Kingdom when the Fountain of Justice is corrupted when Courts of Judicature become Snares to the People when Mens Causes are not Tried but their Persons when no Man shall have Right done him unless he himself is content to be an Instrument in oppressing his Countrey or in wronging his Neighbour When the Laws are interpreted to serve turns When those Laws which were intended for a steddy and equal Rule to all are extended or streighten'd as the occasion requires as an Innocent Man is to suffer or a profligate Offender to escape When Murthers are committed in Forms of Justice When a Judge of this kind when such a Prince falls the People are forbid to lament though one might think such a prohibition needless and the Prophet tells 'em expresly he is to be Buried with the Burial of an Ass Infamy is to follow and to stick upon his Memory 4. Sometimes the Soveraign Prince in Sacred Style is call'd a Shepherd Isa 44.28 God saith of Cyrus he is my Shepherd and in Ezekiel the words Shepherd and Prince signifie the same thing I will set up one Shepherd over them and he shall feed them Ezek. 34.23,24 even my Servant David He shall be their Shepherd and I the Lord will be their God and my Servant David a Prince among them And as it is the Business and Interest of the Shepherd so it is the Business and Interest of the Prince to cherish preserve and increase the Flock The watchful Eye the tender Heart and the gentle Hand