such want or is the Lord prouoked for these onely to bring great necessitie vpon a Land Surely though these be great Wormes of the wealth of a Nation yet there are moe consumers then these For haue not the Prodigall Sonnes of our Countrey some of them vvasted their goods and flesh with Harlots who rising vp full haue neighed after their neighbours wiues as a fed Horse after his Mateâ— Ier. 5.8 Haue not some laid but all vpon vaine and chargeable brauery from their Hat-string to their shooe-strings Haue not some hid their Talent and Patrimonie in gorgeous and costly buildings desiring to dwell in larger houses then their fathers builded without all desire and care to keepe the good houses their fathers long maintayned Haue not some turned all into smoake by making that to passe through their mouth and nosthrils in townes and Cities which should in good and charitable Hospitalitie haue gone through the chimnies of their fayre Houses in the Country whereof some like a Plague-house stand euer shut vp Haue not some hauing turned all to destruction with the riots of Dice and Gaming turned beggars who were Gentlemen well descended and left And how great is the number of those who hauing filled their mouths with the smoke that hath beene spoken of call in for their pottels and gallons to quench it with large drunkennesse When wee consider such generall abuse of Gods blessings and mens vnthankefulnesse for them what maruell if God punish vs with scarcitie of fruits and pouertie of estate For this cause the Lord wrought fearefully in our eyes the last Summer and the beginning of this Let vs not forget his worke his great worke worthy to be remembred The last Summer there was little grasse to make into hay this Summer and yeere a great yeere of grasse the ground neuer in mans memorie better clad with that commoditie Yet how was her faire cloathing with grasse soyled with dirt in many flouded Medowes within the Land this yeere The last Summer the Sunne in his open chariot this Summer or the beginning of this in his chariot couered with clouds The last Summer glorious the beginning of this wading in water The Heauens the last Summer as brasse ouer our heads this Summer or beginning of this as a Spring or Conduit The last Summer bright and shining this Summer blacke like a Hayre-cloath ouer-cast vvith darknesse The earth the last Summer as an Iron-earth the beginning of this as a marish-earth The last Summer gaping with thirst the beginning of this drowned in raine and waters Doth the Lord worke so strangely and contrarily in two yeeres so neare together and in two Summers immediately following one another to leaue no impression and to get no audience Is it not to shew what power he hath both in his right and left arme that the carelesse in our Land may feare and be humbled before his great glory Is it not to make them to call their sinne to remembrance and their hearts to repentance This is the end of the Lords smiting a Land with sore diseases and long dearth that that Land by such visitation and humblings might mourne girded with sacke-cloath like a virgin for the husband of her youth Ioel 1.8 But if for all this it laugh and reioyce with sinners the Lord hath not lost that correction for hee will loose nothing by any that is hardened desperately in his sinne but hath left it as his witnessâ— among vs of a smarter if the easier cannot preuaile or of our most certaine destruction if he shall say why should ye be smitten any more Esa. 1.5 A reproofe of those who in a matter of such punishment as this Land hath beene lately vnder by two vnseasonable Sommers looke not into their sinnes as causes but altogether into the face of the skie and the distempers there blaming them Wee set our sinnes against God and hee setteth his creatures for sinne against vs. Wee refuse to serue God they grudge as much to serue vs. A wise man considereth this and considering findeth in his Christian search the true cause of all such distempers in the skie and alterations on earth to be in that ill vveather that commeth from the corrupt Ayre and mud of the age and times in which wickednes so aboundeth Hee that gathereth other wayes is vnwise or as one that is blinde and can not see a farre off 2. Pet. 1.9 It is so then that God did thunder maruailously with his voyce this yeere Iob 37.5 and in these parts on the Sabbath What maruaile when on the Sabbath vvee drumme against God hee on the Sabbath also should thunder against vs two or three Moones haue changed but vvith small change of the weather from euill to better and what maruaile if the weather bee not changed when our hearts are not changed and vvhen we looke into the change of the Moone and not to the change of our wayes If we would set the signe of the weather not in the Moone or Starres but in our good conuersation in Christ we should haue better signes of better seasons then haue lately appeared But some when there is any ill weather vp talke and complaine of some Coniurings abroad To such I may say if they would driue out of themselues Satans great host of lusts and those more then seuen or seuen-times seuen Deuils which haue so possessed them by customary and familiar sinnefulnesse they shall see a present calme and end in all stormes Iob sayth Miserie commeth not foorth of the dust Iob 5.6 his meaning is these miseries that so many complaine ofâ— come from sinne not from the dust of the earth but from these bodies of dust and the bodie of sinne God is able to giue vs raine in season and the appointed weekes of the Haruest Ier. 5.24 The raine we haue had hath beene vnseasonable and the weekes vve haue seene haue proued vncomfortable Commeth this from the Earth and altogether from a troubled skie no but our iniquities haue turned away these things and our sinnes haue hindred good things from vs Ier. 5.25 When the childe beginneth to play vvith his meat a wise Father will take it from him vvee haue abused our plentie and doe still abuse it and what can vve looke for from so wise a Father as our Father in Heauen but penury and dearth after fulnesse so abused So farre of the punishment which was by occasion and generall vpon the Countrie that which was particular vpon this lost Sonne followeth And hee began to bee in necessitie The Countrie being punished with a great dearth the lost Sonne is here sayd to haue had his part in the generall affliction for hee also began to be in necessitie that is the generall want extended to him as his sinne was in it and hee tasted of the cup of the common calamitie Hee was in want and as appeareth by the 16. verse in great want which want and great want was layd vpon him iustly
THE Christian Gouernour IN the Common-wealth AND priuate Families Described by DAVID in his 101. Psalme Guiding all men in a right course to HEAVEN Herewith also a part of the Parable of the lost SONNE Luke 15. Both expounded and opened by ROBERT HORN With the Doctrines and Vses thence arising The more particular Contents see on the Page following LONDON Printed by T. S. for Francis Burton and are to be solde at the greene Dragon in Paules Church-yard 1614. THE Christian Gouernour From whom KINGS on their Thrones Nobles in their Houses Pastors in their Charges Magistrates on Seats of Iustice Priuate men in their Families May draw good Instructions How to Rule their Subiects Order their Seruants Feede their Flockes Punish Offendors Gouerne their Householdsâ— THE Lost Sonne In whom is chiefly obserueable SINNE the true cause of Miserie REPENTANCE the right meane to obtaine Mercy TO THE RIGHT NOBLE MY much Honoured Lord RAFE Lord EVRE Lord President in these parts all true Honour with increase Christian Lord HAuing a great desire in my great want of meanes to expresse my selfe by some Office and Testimonie for your Honors good thoughts of mee in words of vndeserued commendation the rather because one Countrie 〈◊〉 in which you were borne Noble and one Countrey now containes vs in which you gouerne with honour and loue I light vpon certaine briefes of Lectures deliuered by me vpon a very worthy Psalme and before a worthy Audience your Honours immediate honourable Predecessour and others his reuerend and graue associates then in place A Psalme made by a King and for Kings which also may indifferently serue as a Table of direction for all States and Policies vnder that which is Kingly Therefore in the mirrour of this Psalme and example of him who made it as in a true Glasse your Honour may behold clearely the right and liuely image and face of a Christian Gouernour and gouernement And though no Psalme as it were pearle in this Booke of Psalmes or boxe of pearles can iustly displease yet as in the estimation of precious things That may please vs for one vse for which another being to no such vse will not please so well albeit precious for the vse it hath so it is in all these excellent Psalmes the Iewels of Gods Church For for some purposes one Psalme may be fitter that is more excellent then another though all be excellent and do edifie greatly in their seuerall kindes And indeed as when the Prophet gaue his mind to the preparing of those things that might serue for the building of the materiall temple He disposed in his minde to what vse this or that Iewell or waight of gold and siluer and a number of other things should be applied so for these Psalmes most of which were penned by this sweet singer of Israel the Prophet hauing stored and layd them vp as the ornaments of Gods Church in his Sanctuary for publike vse and as precious stuffe for the building of a spirituall Temple to God He had great consideration whereto each Psalm should serue Wherefore some he made for the Sabbath and Temple chiefly some indifferently for all dayes and places some for a remembrance of the generall some for a more speciall remembrance of the particular workes of God to his Church some for meditation and practise some for Doctrine and Prayer some for comforts some for threatnings some for confession of sinnes some of conuersion from sinne all which hee consecrated as Tables of perpetuall thankefulnesse to GOD in his House better then the three hundred shields and two hundreth targets that Salomon put in his house at Ierusalem though they were all of beaten gold 1 King 10.16.17 Now as Gods wisedome by Dauid thus sorted and disposed these holy Songs that they might be sutable to all the occasions and necessities of the Church for euer so in more speciall manner the same wisedome of GOD by him did indite this Psalme for instruction that it might teach euen Kings and all vnder Kings in authoritie how to please and serue God in those high places and that they might vnderstand and not forget that religious seruices belong to the Noblest as well as to the meanest and in reason rather to great persons then to common men For who should doe most worke but hee that receiueth most wages and who should pay the greatest rent but hee that hath the largest demise This Psalme therefore my Honoured Lord deserueth right well your best intentions both for the contemplatiue vse of it and your practicall in your Familie and the Prouince It is Gods Psalme or charge to you and such as you are by Dauid But because the Text of it short as it is is like to Tapestrie which being foulded vp sheweth but a part of that which is wrought and being laid open sheweth plainely to the eye all the worke that is in it therefore I though most vnworthy haue presumed thus to vnfolde this Tapestrie of the holy Ghost in so excellent a Psalme and to hang vp the chamber of it in a very meane Exposition giuen vnto it by my weake iudgement and gifts which in humblest good-will out of loue and dutie I humbly tender into your Lordships owne hands knowing the same to be willing and ready graciously to pardon and beare with things somewhat meanely done but with a well-meaning heart and to respect not so much the gift as the good-will of the giuer in matters of this nature Howsoeuer I haue dealt the Psalme is the same that euer it was which if I haue so opened that is so to the life of the Prophets words and so vnfolded that your Honour may discerne of all the pieces and sundry workes and matters contained in it as in a piece of Tapestrie opened you may I humbly thanke God and wish the fruit of it in your Lordships heart and from so good a treasurie in the places of your Honours publike and priuate emploiments to fructisie there that is turne it into a Prayer that you may follow in the steppes of Dauids obedience to it doing as hee did Often pray this Psalme to God my good Lord let it bee your meditation and counsellour in all your high affaires and when you would stirre the wheeles of all good graces in you for some holy and profitable dispensation of Iustice in the same vse it Lastly and for my selfe I humâ—ly beseech your Honour fauourably to remit this trespasse of my presumption respecting rather what I would doe then what is done and in how homely manner So not further to trouble your Honour I pray God heartily that as hee hath honoured you with a double honour of Birth and Office so hee would accompanie your earthly honour with such abundance of heauenly graces to goe with the same that here you may abound in euery good worke to the praise of God and in Heauen may receiue the pure crowne of Righteousnes and glory which is laid vp for you and for
all who loue and looke for the comming of Iesus Christ to whose grace most humbly I commend your Honour now and euer At your Honours commandements most humbly in the Lord. ROBERT HORN To the Christian READER GOod READER I confesse ingeniously that in some part of my way through this Psalme I haue walked by the light and in the steppes of some before â—e whose names are of account and prayâ—e in the Church And this I haue done for thy sake that fauourest good intents to helpe thee and thy Family by helping thee if thou haue a charge in the point of their direction to godlinesse For by these gatherings thou mâ—ist read in one little Booke what is otherwayes done in many and I trust to thy commoditie My drift herein may the better be borne with when it shall be considered that for this labour thus offered to thy Christian acceptance no returne is expected but what shall be made to GOD by thankefulnesse for those good helpes wherewith I my selfe was first benefited and desire in Christ to bâ—nefit thee And let no man say that I might haue filled my hands in this my Masters great Haruest rather then followed others for I am priuy to my weake estate in such matters and the gleanings are for the poore Leuit. 19.9.10 All that I craue and hope to receiue is thy good for thy selfe and thy good Prayers for mee that in our seuerall charges wee may so well behaue our selues that the Master of the House may bee glorified by our seruice and may glorifie vs in his Kingdome when hee shall say It is well done good seruant and faithfull thou hast beene faithfull in little I will make thee Ruler ouer muchâ— enter into thy Masters ioy Matth. 25.23 That wee may be partakers of this hope with the Saints in light let vs endeauour to nurture our charges with the knowledge of that truth which is according to godlinesse Tit. 1.1 And where worldly Masters of Families and carnall Ministers of Congregations doe little respect and fauour this dutie or the doers thereof let vs as the Word hath taught vs both doe and continue to doe according to this rule So shall wee reape in due season if wee faint not Gal. 6.9 The neglect hereof in you Masters and vs Ministers is cause that this large House of the Common-wealth so aboundeth with persons so highly disobedient to God and so shamefully disloyall to their Soueraigne Lord King IAMES whose happy and long life the God of our liues sanctifie and blesse euer to his great ioy here and euerlasting saluation in the Heauens AMEN Thine vnfainedly in the Lord Iesus ROBERT HORN THE CHRISTIAN GOVERNOVR Psalme 101. expounded A Psalme of DAVID I will sing Mercie and Iudgement vnto thee O Lord will I sing THis Psalme is Dauids For in the title which it hath it is called Dauids Psalme and beareth Dauids name In which He declareth how he will behaue himselfe in the Kingdome after he is inuested in it both for the affaires of his Crowne and for the more priuate matters of his Court. For the time when he wrote this most excellent Psalme as it is not named so the certaine houre day or yeere of it is not materiall and it is probable that it was made some short time after the report of Sauls death or not long before he came to the Kingdome by the common voice of all the Tribes who came to Hebron to make him King 2 Sam. 5.3.1 The Psalme itselfe consisteth of the title and bodie of the Psalme the title is in these words A Psalme of Dauid Where the Kingly Prophet writeth his name in the beginning of the Psalme as Princes doe in their Letters and Commandements to giue further matter vnto it and saith A Psalme of Dauid as if he should say if any shall doubt who made so large a promise to God of bringing himselfe vnder him in obedience and faithfulnesse yea and bound himselfe by a religious Psalme as by his bond and pawne so solemnely to performe the same let that person know that it was Dauid Gods King that entred thus into couenants with the Lord for the good gouernment of his owne house and the whole Kingdome This is the meaning Where we learne that none can be so great as to be ouer great and good for the good ordring and holy instruction of the charge that God hath put him in trust with therefore this Princely Prophet as he placed his greatest delight in the Arke of the Couenant because it was the presence of God to Gods people so to bring it into Ierusalem was the ioy of his heart 2 Sam. 6.12.14.15 This made Solomon his Sonne the mightiest and wisest King that euer raigned in Israell Christ excepted of whose eternall wisedome and greatnes his wisdome and greatnes mortal were types shadowes to cal himselfe a Preacher Eccl. 1.12 Iosua ruled his house as a Bishop Ios. 24.15 Abraham who had a great family catechised it Gen. 14.14 After God himselfe is Abrahams witnesse that he would keepe none in his house Sonne or Seruant whom he would not traine vp in Religion therfore saith I know Abraham Gen. 18.19 or I dare giue my word for Abraham that he will command his sonne and houshold after him that is as he feareth God so hee will make them to feare him and to keepe the way of the Lord as he keepeth it doing righteousnesse as he is righteous So Câ—rnelius was a denout man and deuout Cornelius had a good house For of him it is written that he feared God with all his house Act. 10.2 These all were great men and in their times famous yet did they looke straightly to the waies of their people and diligently teach them in the wayes of the Lord. The Reasons First In doing this we are Gods seruants and is any too good or great to doe him seruice Secondly we may saue a soule from Hell and who can doe too much or be too good to deliuer his brother from perdition Againe Christ died for the poorest soule did Christ die for him and doest thou despise thy brother for whom Christ died Thirdly none can bee too good to keepe hiâ— house from infection and those whom he hath in house from the plague of ill counsell Not to reforme a wicked person or not to remoue him if he will not be reformed is to cast an infection and plague of euill example vpon those that be good and promiseth no better successe then they can looke for who bring a leprous person among the whole and a contagious person among the sound and can any be so proud and mercilesse as not to preuent a spoile and losse of Christian soules so certaine and neare Lastly He that will not see the persons vnder him well ordered doth giue way to them to runne into disorder and to breake out into wickednesse and what is this but to communicate with their euill and to be if not
were the enemies whom the Lord would destroy But what furthered their sinne and hastened their end more or sooner then vnsanctified fulnesse and that hill which they supposed to be so strong in their vnmoueable prosperitie Saul being of a low degree and spirit in his Fathers house liued commendably and well 1 Sam. 9.2.21 But hauing a kingdome and being King he left the Lord and did much wickednesse Sathan would haue set vp Christ in prosperitie as vpon an hill thinking that if any estate could a full estate would make him fall from God and fall downe to him But Satan could finde nothing in Christ Iohn 14.30 that is nothing for his purpose in any temptation though hee found corruption enough in others euen the best after they were tempted in such manner for when Dauid had rest and ease by such rest and ease he fastened the point of this naile in him and droue it to the head in his adulterie and bloody sinne 2 Sam. 11.4 Peter feeling the fire of a warme estate denied his Master by feare Iohn 18.18.25.27 And therefore as the milde and gentle beames of the Sunne haue more force vpon a wayfaring man then the strongest gale of winde that bloweth in the skie for the Sunne by his warme beames maketh him to cast off his Cloake and to put off his Coate as a burthen too heauie to be borne where the vvinde with his loude and colde blasts maketh him both faster to holde and more closely to wrap about him both Cloake and Coate so the vvarme Sunne of prosperitie can make vs more naked to God by sinne then the colde winde of times blustering with troubles Therefore hath a Christian more neede in prosperitie to watch sinne then in dayes of aduersitie and trouble which may further be proued by these reasons following The reasons First Satan hath more cords to binde vs in those temptations which are on our right hand fet from profits pleasures and honour then in those which are on our left drawne from aduersitie want and basenesse Which made him to reserue his temptation taken from prosperitie to the last place in which he reposed all as in his best weapon or vveapon of proofe Secondly prosperitie is a slipperie path a man may soone fall in such a vvay but aduersitie is a more rugged and sure way not so apt to faile vs. Thirdly in a full life we haue more meanes of sinning then in a bare estate For what will not wealth doe to the help of riot that pouertie cannot A poore man cannot offend by drunkennesse by whoredome by oppression by fulnesse of bread by garish apparell as a rich man may Vses Therefore no cause to be secure when vvee haue fairest weather vvith the vvorld in these outward things For then commonly the foulest is vvithin In Luke Chap 12. ver 19. He that ouernight had his vvarme Sunne in much goods laid vp for many yeeres that is vvhich hee supposed should continue long and were presently gone was in the colde shaddow before the next morning or rather in the armes and shadow of colde and sencelesse death O foole this night they will fetch away thy soule from thee vers 20. Belshazzar was presently driuen from his Banquets of Wine to a banquet of Feare where hee saw in his deepest rests the fingers that wrote and wrought his greatest vn-rest and trouble For they pointed to his present vnhappy change from a glorious Monarchie to an inglorious Sacrifice by the sword of Darius of the Medes Dan. 5.4.5.6 And the Text sayth that the same night was Belshazzar the King of the Caldeans slaine verse 30. Also when did the enuious Man sowe his tares but vvhile hee slept that had sowed good seede in his field Matth. 13.24.25 So vvhen wee promise to our selues or the flattering vvorld doth offer to vs the sleeps of a quiet and easie life then doth Satan sow in our mindes the tares and impediments of true Peace and Righteousnesse The yong man vvho reioyced in his youth must for that abuse of his youth come vnto iudgement Eccles. 11 9. And if so then vvhat securitie or sound peace is to be found in the best worldly estate so threatned vvith iudgement and tormented vvith feare What better to haue our fill of Quailes and they to come out againe at our nosthrils Numbers 11.20 When vvee are filled with the Quailes of vvhat wee vvould haue vvee may thinke our selues vvell but how vvell and how long well vvhen at that very instant and vvhile that sweet meat is betweene our teeth the vvrath of God by such lusting against God is ready to fall vpon vs when Satan is pleased and the strong man hath possession all things are in peace Luke 11.21 but what peace more cruell then any warre is that which hath peace with Satan and warre with God Secondly heere vvee see that goods are not good but by their good vse They cannot make vs better this power belongeth to the Lord Psal. 62.10 prouder they may make vs and more to trust to our selues and lesse in God or they can doe vs no good vvithout grace and the desire of them cannot but purchase vs great harme for 1 Timoth. 6.10 the roote of all euill is in such couetousnesse Many say Who will shew vs any good that is vvorldly good Psalme 4.6 but there is no good in that and this is true good to haue Gods countenance vvhich is more then all riches and God with vs which is better then all worlds For it is the blessing of GOD that maketh rich Prouerb 10.22 that is riches make not a rich man but Gods grace with riches and hee shall rise to wealth not that riseth earely Psal. 127.2 but 5.18 To bee rich heere is to haue a good and comfortable estate heere Not to haue much goods but to haue much good of that vvhich wee haue bee it much or little The wicked may be rich but not in such manner rich hauing the plague but not the blessed contentment of riches which is the gift of GOD Ecclâ—s 2.26 This young man had riches but was he rich We shall after heare how poore hee was vvhen hee would faine haue filled his belly with the huskes that the Swine did eate because no man gaue vnto him verse 16. And so rich are they vvho hauing vvealth vvithout grace are so commonly as it vvere driuen from their full tables vvith this young man and lost Sonne to great hunger and the diet of huskes So much for the occasion of this lost Sonnes sinne the sinne it selfe followeth He tooke his iourney into a farre Countrie Heere the Euangelist or rather our Sauiour by him speaketh of this young mans sinne in two things First telling vs vvhither he vvent and secondly vvhat hee did in all that time of his stray-life Hee went into a farre Countrie that is as farre as hee could go from his Fathers presence and feare For the nature of such sinners is to remoue as