did Amasa in the action of Absolon and yet none of these capitally punished The prayer of Dauid herein is an excellent rule Psal 39. Be not mercifull to them that offende of malicious wickednesse with which also agree the wordes of the text He that will not doe the law of God c. implying wilfull contempt and not ignorance or weakenesse And thus much for the execution of iustice in generall Next to be considered are the two circumstaunces hereto annexed obserued in the method of the text of the persons and of the time The persons whosoeuer that none by their greatnesse should be priuiledged in the matters of Gods Law For as it is a like giuen to all so should it be alike obeyed of al and this is a principal dutie of the Magistrate to do euen Iustice equall iustice pleaseth the good and terrifies the ill for Lawes should not be like Spiders webbes to catch the Flies onely and the Swallow should beare them away on her winges Dat veniam coruis vexat censura columbas And therefore they were wont to paint Iustice blinde intending that no respect of persons should be had in iudgement neither doth this impugne that which was before spoken For it is to be vnderstood of such as are a like guiltie where the zeale of Gods glory should take away all partiality 2. Chr. â—â— This is that for which Asa is commended in deposing Maacha his mother from her regencie because shee had made an Idol-groue and on the contrary the destruction of Eli his house came by reason of this partialitie towardes his Sonnes in such high offences against the Lord. The next circumstaunce is of the time without delay not that rashnes is any way tollerable in great executions for Princes should proceede to them as Chirurgians to their cauteries and dissections last when all other remedies haue been firsh tryed considering it more honour to a Prince to gaine one then to execute many for many executions to Princes are as funerals to Phisitians medicorum maculae and if in common businesse reshnesse is so hurtfull as Salomon sayth Prou. 29. Seest thou a man hastie in his matters there is more hope of a foole then of him much more in matters of Iustice vpon the due execution whereof standes oftentimes the good of the state and sodaine and rash executions haue been hurtfull to Princes both in too late repentance and losse of their subiectes affections But the intent of this poynt is that Princes should not be zelous in punishing their owne wronges and carelesse in wronges done to God and least by slâ—cknesse of punishing the wicked should be incouraged according to that in the 8. of Eccles Because the sentence against an euill worke is not executed speedily therefore the hart of the children of men is fully set in them to do wickedly And lastly least for slacknesse of punishing offences done against God the Lord be prouoked to take the cause into his owne hand to punish both the euill doers for their offence and the Magistrats for their slacknesse which also it seemed this Monarke feared as appeares before in the 23. verse For why should he be angrie with the realme of the King and his children The next poynt in the text is the distribution of the punishment into particularities differing in degree according to the qualitie of the fault For as all sinnes are not alike so neither ought all punishments to be alike but the compensation of punishment in the ballance of Iustice should euer hold proportion with the waight of the fault Of these the first is capitall which being for wilful disobedience against the law of God the question might well be touched of punishing obstinate and wilfull Heretiques professed Athistes vpon blasphemers Idolaters and such like with death which is both commaunded in the Law Deut. 17. Exod. 22.20 and exemplified to vs in the practise of Moses Exod. 32 Asa 2. Chr. 15.13 Iosia 2. Kings 23. with many other in the Scripture And whereas some do obiect Fayth is the gift of God and men ought not to be punished for wanting that which is not in their power By the same reason no malefactour should be punished for grace to doe well is the gift of God as well as fayth and as farre out of any mans power as fayth is Yet the Magistrate doth not punish want of fayth but either publique contempt or lewd practise Moreouer christian Princes being keepers of both tables ought to be as zelous against the breakers of the first as of the second and so much more because the first concerns more neerely the glory of God which ought to be of higher accompt then their owne liues As for the argument here against out of the parable of the tares it is not worth the answering seeing by the tares is not meant Heretiques only but all the vngodly as Christ himselfe doth expound it In the rest of the punishments that descend from the highest to the lowest I onely obserue that contempt against the smallest poynt of Gods law should not be vnpunished for Qui contemnit minima paulatim ruit in grauiora And thus much for the first part of this Scripture contayning the decree of the King for the good of the Church Now followes the thankefulnesse of Ezra for so great and vnlooked for ablssing And as in the former part all christian Princes haue an example giuen them to seeke further the aduancement of Gods glory so in this we all may see a patterne of our dutie when we inioy such great mercies from the Lord. For as the best Sacrifice a subiect can offer to his Soueraigne is obedience so the best Sacrifice both Soueraigne and subiect can offer to God is thankfulnesse He that offereth prayse he honoureth me saith the Lord in the 50. Psalme But this age growes like the Heathen who when they knew God did not glorify him as God neither were thankfull Rom. 1. Like the nine Leapers that beeing clensed neuer turned backe to giue thankes and yet few ages or people haue had greater cause then we of this age nations to be thankful to God whose mercies haue bin and are so infinite towardes vs. What greater benefite then the enioying of true religion For had we all the world and beeing ignoraunt of the true God should loose our soules we were most miserable yet hath not the Lord only giuen and continued this vnto vs but euen when wee most feared both the losse of it and our peace together the Lord bestowed such a blessing vpon vs as had an Angell from heauen foretold it before it came to passe he should scarce haue been beleeued For it was contrary to our merite aboue our hope and beyonde all calculation of humane reason True it is the blessings are the same we enioyed in our late Soueraignes time but then seasoned with the bitter pill of Feare to loose them now our hopes do promise the future
happines of them to our posteritie which if our sinnes do not hinder good things from vs shall no doubt be accomplished For now the two peeces of wood so long disioyned mentioned in the 37. of Ezech. wee also may say are made one in the hand of our Soueraigne Now is that made one in gouernment which Nature had made one in situation now the two brethren Ioab Abishai may helpe one another Nay which is more we are that threefold gable which being well twisted will not easily be broken and these are great causes of thankfulnesse Further in the person of our Soueraigne we haue as great cause to praise the Lord in that not onely his Maiestie indued with excellent morall vertues but a zelous embracer and professor of the trueth and sinceritie of the Gospell from which neither hopes feares or perswasions could euer remooue him but as God had ordained him to be so we doubt not but he euer will be a true and worthy defender of the Christian fayth And now lastly for the time will not serue me to repeate all causes of thankfulnes this goodnesse of God in the middest of so great iudgment to remember mercie and to stay the hand of his striking Angell that so lately hath executed the sentence of death vpon so many of our brethren both in the head Citie of this kingdome and in many other partes of this land they were all by Nature as good as wee bought with the same price and we haue no lesse offended God then they The staying then of this iudgement should mooue vs all to thankfulnes that our liues and the liues of our brethren that remaine are yet pretious in the eyes of the Lord neither can we yet be secure considering the fire of Gods displeasure is not so quenched but that we may feare a kindling againe of the same a fresh for the wrath of the Lord is not wholly turned away but his hand is stretched out still because the people returneth not to him that smiteth them neither doe they seeke the Lord so that we may iustly feare least for our vnthankefulnesse the seconde iudgement be greater then the former And herein the example of Ezechia would not be forgotten who hauing receiued great fauour from God did not render to the Lord againe according to the benefite so that wrath came vpon him 2. Chron. 32.25 The Lord sanctifie our harts that these thinges may be better remembred and regarded then they haue been and this longer time of repentance that the Lord hath giuen vs may be thankfully acknowledged and layde hold on to eternall life This thankesgiuing may be distributed into two partes To whom it is giuen and for what In the first we see what hath euer been the practise of the godly who when they haue receiued any great benefit haue neither their eyes like children alwayes fixed on the gyft nor like carnall men on the meanes by which it was giuen them but their fayth rayseth their considerations higher namely to the Lord from whom all good things do come Wherein they consider of Gods loue towards them which stirreth vp in them loue to him againe his hearing their prayers which doth animate them to pray Psal 116.1 and his trueth in his promises for the strengthening and encreasing of their fayth And hereof is it that Ezra calleth the Lord the God of our Fathers in regarde of his couenant made with them So as by this maner of speaking it appeares he lookes to the promise the Lord made with the Fathers for their returne from captiuitie the setting vp againe of his worship amongst them which in this edict of the King he saw so fully perâ—ited and accomplished And surely the consideration hereof is much worth and of holy edifying in our meditations of heaueÌ„ly things to confirme our assurance of Gods promises hereafter to be accomplished to vs by the experience of his faythfulnesse and goodnesse past as of preseruation in affliction strength for perseuerance the resurrection of our bodyes and whatsouer promises remaine yet accomplyshed But these thinges are so playne they neede no further enlarging It followes in the Text which hath so put in the Kinges hart Heere is the roote whence this benefite came next followes the benefite it selfe Pro. 21.1 The Kinges hart sayth Salomon is in the hand of the Lord as the riuers of water he turneth it whither soeuer it pleaseth him For if we can not thinke one good thought without the motion of Gods spirit much more are purposes of such great and wonderfull consequence as the beautifying of Gods house and furthering of his worshippe and seruice the speciall worke of God himselfe In which poynt I would note a double vse one for our selues that we knowing how many tentations Princes are subiect to by reason of these two great faculties of sinne wealth and authoritie should make it our continuall practise to pray for our Soueraigne Psal 72 1 Psal 20.1 that the Lord will giue him his iudgement and righteousnesse that the Lord will put in his Maiesties hart all good motions purposes and resolutions for the aduancement of his glory and good of his people and that his hart may neuer be corrupted either with pleasures or flatterers the bane of many Princes to choake those good seedes before they can come to ripenesse of perfection Neither should the great hopes we haue in good and vertuous Princes make vs carelesse herein For Salomon had many excellent vertues yet wealth and pleasure had welny wholly extinguished them Ioas being alwayes trayned vp in religion had a hart well disposed till he was drawen away by the Princes of Iuda as appeares in the 2. of Chro. 24.17 The seconde is that Princes themselues should consider what purposes they haue had heretofore for the good of the Church of God and to take heede they suffer not such motions of Gods spirite to be quenched in them For if in their lower estate with Dauid they haue made vowes and promises which no doubt the Lord did put in their hartes he will now looke at their handes for the payment of them For when God hath graunted the suite he lookes for the performance of the promise I might enlarge this poynt but to the wise a word is sufficient The next poynt in our text is the benefite for which Ezra is thankefull namely the beautifying of Gods house an vnspeakable speakeable comfort which the Church of God receiued by this Monarke In which wee may obserue ere wee come to the maine poynt that Ezra is first thankefull for the good of the Church before hee mention the fauour and preferment done to himselfe An argument vndoubtedly of zeale and loue to the Church of God as esteeming more the Churches good then his owne This affectionate zeale was in Moses who rather then the Lord should cast off the Iewes desired to be blotted out of the Booke of life And in the Apostle Paul that wished himselfe
A Sermon preached before the Kinges Maiestie by I. Hopkins one of his Highnesse Chaplaines EZLA 7.26 27. And whosoeuer will not doe the Law of thy Gods and the Kinges Law let him haue iudgement without delay whether it be vnto death or to banishment or to confiscation of goodes or to imprisonment Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers which so hath put in the Kings hart to beautifie the house the Lord that is in Ierusalem Imprinted at London by W.W. for Thomas Manne 1604. Ezra 7.26.27 The edict of the King The offenders against God against the King their punishment set downe in general the thing itselfe the circumstances of the persons of the time distributed into particulers greater Death banishment smaller in goodos in libertie The thankesgiuing of Ezra the thing person to whom attribute the cause the roote the fruite action subiect A SERMON PREACHED BEFORE THE KINGES Maiestie by I. Hopkins one of his Highnesse Chaplaines EZRA 7.26 27. And whosoeuer will not do the Law of thy God and the Kings law let him haue iudgement without delay whether it be vnto death or to banishment or to confiscation of goodes or to imprisonment Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers which so hath put in the Kings heart to beautifie the house of the Lord that is in Ierusalem A Speciall duetie required in a Minister of the Gospel is to apply himselfe in his teaching to the present time and occasion in handling such poyntes of doctrine as may be fittest for the hearers from which ground I haue made choyse of this Scripture consisting of these two partes 1 The foote or conclusion of a Commission graunted by Artashashte the Persian Monarch to Ezra the Priest for the stablishing of Religion and punishing of offenders 2 A thankes giuing of Ezra for this great benefit that God had so mooued the heart of the King to haue such care of his Church The words of the text are so plaine they need no farther interpretation I wil therefore endeuour to collect and gather such profitable instructions as will directly arise out of the same for our edification It appeares by all this Edict that this Heathen King had a speciall regard care for the seruice of the great God of heauen which care of his though hee were a heathen man came not of a heathen spirit but by the spetiall direction of the spirit of God and no doubt recorded by the holy Ghost to be an example and mouing president to all Christian Princes to looke vnto this poynt as a principall dutie required at their hands of the Lord by whom they raigne of whoÌ„ they hold their crownes namely to aduance the glory of God in setting vp and maintayning his worship and seruice and to correct and punish the contomners and transgressors of the same And as their loue vnto God hath drawne godly and good Princes to this care so hereunto are all the promises of happines tyed Iosu 1.8 Iosua being commaunded to obserue and do according to all written in Gods law was promised thereby to haue his way prosperous and thereby to haue good successe When the Lord promised the Kingdome of Israel to Ieroboam 1. Kin. 11 38. the Prophet speaketh thus to him from the Lord. If thou hearken to all that I commaund thee and wilt walke in my wayes and do right in my sight to keepe my statutes my commaundements as Dauid my seruant did then will I be with thee and will build thee a sure house as I did to Dauid and will giue Israel to thee So as all this prosperitie to him and to his seede was ptomised vnder this condition of practising the Statutes Commaundements of God 2. Chr. 26 2. Chr. 27 The storie reporteth of Vzziah that he sought God in the daies of Zachariah the Priest who vnderstood the visions of God and when he sought God God made him to prosper Iotham also became mighty because he directed his wayes before the Lord whereto agreeth the saying of our Sauiour If any man serue me Ioh. 12. him wil my father honour Now as al these blessings were thus promised performed so the falling from this course hath bin the ouerthrow of many great Princes with their houses as appeareth in the examples of Saul Ieroboam Ioas with many other Seeing therfore this dutie is both commaunded of almighty God graced blessed with promises of happines and the neglect thereof hath been so fearefully punished these can not be but strong and powerfull motiues to perswade euery one to the true care and practise therof But it is commonly graunted of all that haue any sparke of true religion that Gods honour in the establishing of his worship is to be sought and put in practise but in the performance thereof what slouthfulnes there is euery place yeeldeth too many examples yea those that haue otherwise good graces and largely tasted of the heauenly light herein are too slacke finding excuses as did the people in Hagges time Hâ—g 1.2 who denied not to build the Lordes house but layd it was not yet time to do it They haue their excuses with the Spouse who though she knew it was her beloued that knocked yet makes this answere I haue put off my coate how shall I put it on Cant. 5.3 I haue washed my feete how shall I defile them Exod. 4. Like Moses who though he knew well he ought to obey God yet makes manie excuses and delayes as appeareth in the 4. of Exodus But if we obserue the order of our text we shal finde that this being set in the first place teacheth vs that it should be the first care and practise of all worthy and Christian Princes as the true ground-worke foundation of all future happines yea the first care and practise of euery one of what calling or condition soeuer And this order Almighty God hath obserued in giuing vs his Law placing the duties of his seruice in the first table as first and principally to be respected and obeyed The like order our Sauiour hath giuen vs in our Prayers teaching vs to pray for the sanctifying of his Name glory of Kingdome obedience to his Will before all or any earthly or spirituall benefite to our selues Vnto this also agreeth that coÌ„maundement of our sauiour Christ Mat. 6. First seeke the kingdome of God c. This therfore being Gods order commandement must of necessitie be our practise whereto also we are prouoked specially Kings Princes that are Gods Leiutenants vpon earth by many famous memorable examples recorded in the holy Scripture Gideon being appoynted of the Lord the deliuerer of his people from the Midianites Iud. 6 27. the first Commaundement he receiued which he also first put in practise was to destroy the Alter of Baal 1. Chr. 29.3 Hezechia the first yeere and first moneth of his raigne opeâ—ed the Temple dores 2 Chr. 34.3 Iosia being
but a child of sixteene yeeres old began then to seeke the Lord God of his fathers Yea Cyrus in the first yeere of his kingdome at Babel hauing as Iosephus recordeth in his eleuenth Booke and fyrst Chapter of his Antiquities Read the prophesie of Esay made almost 200. yeere before of him that he should be the restorer of the Iewes in that fyrst yeere performed that famous worke of sending those Captiues home one giuing order for the building of the Temple But the famous and memorable example of our late Soueraine of all other cannot be forgotten but will euer be as sweete perfume in the house of God who â—…ing at the entrance into her kingdome the Church defaced the whole forme of Gods worship corrupted idolatrie practised the true preaching of Gods word banished groues and hill-alters in all places erected and maintained the Priest Sons of Aaron yet left aliue from the cruelty of that time remaining in banishment Her Maiestie in the very entraunce into her raigne against the liking of all her neighbour Princes some of them threatning her with sharpe Warre for the same and also contrary to the will of most of her counsell being at that time otherwise affected clensed the Temples called home her banished restored true Religion and established the Church in that state condition that the florishing thereof hath bin famous through the world holding with a most constant resolution aboue the wonted custome of that sexe the continuance thereof against all contrarie perswasions to her last end Which worke of her Maiestie how the Lord hath blessed the length and peace of her raigne and the flourishing of the Church with so many worthy and excellent men giues manifest demonstration Let vs then euery one looke vnto this dutie as the first stone and maine ground-worke of all our happinesse which being not layde all carthly glory will be but as a house built on the sand 2. Chr. 20.37 yea like Iehosaphats shyppes built at Ezion Gabar that brake in peeces when there was greatest expectatioÌ„ of their vses Gen. 11. Like the Tower of Babel that began in pride and ended in confusion The Lord heerein blesse and sanctific the heart of our Soueraine that as his Maiestie hath knowne the Scriptures of a child and bin brought vp as Samuel in the Temple of the Lord so his royall arme may still be strengthned in this glorious worke that he may be like the morning light which is cleerer and cleerer till it be perfect day Now if it be obiected that these poynts are needlesse to be handled saying as did Korah the Lords people are holy inough there is no need of these admonitions The wordes of the text will cleere this poynt Whosoeuer will not do the law of thy God c. So that it is not inough that the lawes of God be established or that they be professed but that they be religiously obeyed practised And the looking to this poynt is a speciall dutie of a christian Prince Soloculus mundi Princeps regni and very famous to this purpose is the example of good Iosia who made a couenant with the Lord both for himselfe in his owne practise and for his people whom he caused to stand to the couenant and compelled all that were found in Israel to serue the Lord their God And the present example of this Heathen Monarch also being recorded by the holy Ghost for vs vpon whom the ends of the world are come should be no smal prouocation to all persons professing christian religion to further the true practise of obedience to Gods law by all good meanes whatsoeuer What neede there is of this care and how behoouefull it is for vs to be stirred vp therto both by exhortations examples the great prophanenesse of this euill late age of the world prooueth too planely For although religion as was before remembred is happily established the Church hauing both reuerend Bishops worthy Teachers yet touching christian conuersation in the practise of Religion we may complaine as doth the Prophet Ieremy in the 8. Ier. 8. Chapter I harkened heard but none spake aright no man repented him of his wickednesse saying What haue I done euery one turneth to his race as the Horse rusheth into the battell yea that which the Prophet Hose speaketh in his 4. Chapter By swearing and lying stealing killing and whoring they breake out and blood toucheth blood The complaints may be alike for the â—â—mes are alike sounde doctâ—ine sicke manners good religion euill practise in our profession we say we will go worke in the Vineyard but in our practise neuer come there like the Figtree which Christ cursed full of leaues but no fruite like the Church of Sardis Apo. 3. haue a name that we liue but are dead Athismne hath preuayled mightily the diuill labouring not as heretofore onely to trouble the quiet of the Church he dooth nowe iugulum petere seeke to cut the throate of all Religion by bringing in a prophane scorne and contempt both of the ground and practise of all godlynesse and would to God the trueth of this were not so manifest that it should need tryall For prophaning the sacred name of God by horrible oathes is most common yea in that fearefull manner as if they would crucifie the Sonne of God a fresh Sacramentes not regarded Sabaothes not sanctified Prayer onely made a cerimonie and for vntemperate vncleane life we may againe complaine with the Prophet Hosea Hose 4. Exod. 8. Whoredom Wine and new Wine take away the hart yea all these so common and so many that they are as the Frogges of Egypt that came into the Kinges Chamber Besides all this ignorance in the common and meaner sort yea grosse ignoraunce so that it may truly be sayd with the Apostle in the fift to the Hebrewes Whereas concerning the time yee might haue been teachers you haue yet neede to be taught the principles of Religion and as babes to be fed with Milke A great cause of these mischieues is in the labourers for there is want of labourers and want in labourers many cannot labour many will not labour no though they haue large allowance of the Churche beeing worse then the Prophets in Ieremies time for they prophesied for money these haue money and prophesie not nay which is worse appoynt none to prophesie for them so as many great Congregations haue onely a blinde Guyde to watch ouer them Other like the Scribes and Pharisies sitting in Moses Chayre say and doe not like vnto Boate-men lookeing one way and rowing another Hereby it commeth to passe that religion hath been so little regarded Seminaries Schismatikes haue so preuayled for they haue mined and we haue not countermined but my Lord the King is wise as the Angell of God hee will both finde out and reforme these abuses in due time It folowes in the text and the Kings law Next vnto God Princes are