and not suffer any Fears or Apprehension of Danger to draw them aside from an honest Sentence or hinder the due Process of righteous Judgment between Man and Man Indeed a good Magistrate that uses the same Rule and Measure of acting indifferently towards all that determines his whole Affections to the Merit of things and not to any quality of Persons must needs by this equal Management create to himself many Adversaries There is a lofty Opinion and Esteem of themselves that commonly possesses the minds of rich Men. This is the proper Effect and Influence of Great Fortunes unless a true Christian Humility does rebate and qualifie it And therefore rich Men where this humble Temper of Religion is wanting always presume upon an Advantage above others which they also would have attend them in places of Judgment And this is the reason that so many foul Causes are commenced and managed by them which gives us the Account of that of St. James Cap. 2.6 Do not rich men oppress you and draw you before the Judgment Seats And therefore when they find that severe Justice is preferr'd and takes place without any regard had to their Figure in the World we must needs imagine them passing angry with those honest Magistrates that dispense it And therefore there is need of Spirit and Resolution in a good Governour a mind prepared to meet with the greatest Dangers that can manfully bear up against all the Affronts and ill Treatment of offended Greatness and that will never desert a Righteous Action through any prospect of Terror or Threatning Circumstance whatsoever lest if otherwise Justice and Judgment God's own Cause in the World should suffer and be perverted by it But then Secondly supposing there be such a formidable Appearance against him upon this due performance of his Office that the most resolute Fortitude and Gallantry of mind seems not able to stand before it this ought not in the least to influence or terrifie him from that true Judgment that necessarily belongs to his high Station but still he ought to determine boldly according to the Justice of things and support himself with a firm Confidence in God and his special Providence about him that he will undoubtedly protect him in the just management of that Work and Office which he has committed to him It is impossible that God should forsake or desert any whilst they are observing his Special Commands to them Common Justice does oblige the contrary and we should set a Mark of Baseness upon that Man that should be guilty of such a Deportment And then if God be for us who can be against us He that behaves himself justly in his high Province and Government altho' there be never so strong a Combination upon this Account made against him yet he may boldly say The Lord is on my side or the Lord is my Helper and I will not fear what man can do unto me Psal 118.6 Heb. 13.6 In God's Word will I rejoyce in the Lord's Word will I comfort me in God have I put my Trust I will not be afraid what man can do unto me Psal 56.10 11. As the righteous King David triumphantly said when his Enemies compass'd him in on every side and may be used with the same assurance by all good Governors in their Times of Danger Indeed God does not always effect their Deliverance in this World he sometimes steps from them and as it were leaves them alone that they may so fall a Sacrifice to the Malice and Violence of unthankful People but this is no Interruption of his Defence and Safeguard over them he still affords them sufficient Graces for their Circumstance and Tryals and when he has perfected them through Sufferings which is his usual method with the best of Saints and by which indeed they are made so he will certainly confer a surer Reward upon them and take them into his more immediate Custody in his Kingdom And this Desertion in the time of Trouble as to present things makes no Abatement of Faith in a good Governour he knows most assuredly That it shall be well with those that fear God at the last Eccles 8.12 And if God does not work his Deliverance in this world from the hand of his Enemies but lets him fall by them yet he is most fully satisfied that he will effect this very thing in his Death and Sufferings and vindicate his Righteous Actions and afford a most plentiful recompence of them in the Region of Glory and therefore he can use those great words of Job with the same holy Confidence and Resignation Cap. 13.15 Though he slay me yet will I trust in him We come now to the last thing viz. That these Gods and Children of the Most High must die like Men that is altho they be promoted to this high Station and stand in a great eminency above others Yet it is only some external thing a difference of degree and order that distinguishes them from the rest of Men there is still the same Humane Nature with all the Infirmities and Attendants of it belonging to them and therefore they are only poor Mortals subject to the common Circumstance of Dying and returning to Dust as well as their meanest Vassals And this Consideration should secure the Humility of Great Men and Princes it should keep their thoughts within due compass That they think not of themselves above themselves but that they think soberly that they are only Men made up of the same perishing matter and brittle Ingredients with others and that they exercise their rule over Creatures of the same Nature and Dignity that they can pretend to they have that original Nobility of a Humane Soul and Reason equally with them and may possibly far surpass them in those great things that only make difference of worth in us viz. Holiness of Life and Vertue which alone gives the preferments and different Stations of another World And therefore those that are below them here may be advanced much above them in Bliss and Glory These things ought to influence Princes and invite them to a gentle treatment of those that are under them not to put on any unnecessary State or Lordship towards them but be of a free address easy to be intreated attentive to their Petitions and Requests from them patient of their rudeness and simplicity with whatsoever else may be the effect of unpolished nature in them and offer them all the measures of brotherly kindness in all instances as still being mindful of that near relation of Brethren and common equality that is between them that they also must make their Bed in the Grave and sleep among the clods with them And this very prospect is enough certainly to keep down all Pride and Loftiness of Man depress all the swelling resentment and overacted State of Worldly Glory and preserve the greatest Potentates on Earth in a constant habit of Humility and low notion of themselves Alas What can it
things sometimes setting up a good Prince for the Encouragement of Godliness and to bring Honor and Repute to Vertue and Religion and sometimes permitting an ill Governour and a Tyrant to possess the Throne for a Tryal of Constancy and to reclaim the Vices of a long Peace and Luxury Thus then Power and Dominion being a Derivative thing from God and a communicated Ray of that Eternal Empire whereby he governs all things both in Heaven and Earth and has the sole Right to do so it being a part of God's own Sovereignty invested in Man which places him in a Seat of Eminency above others it plainly follows that those may well enough be styl'd by the Name of Gods who have this Divine Authority committed to them The Second thing is to shew the Manner and Platform of their Government how they ought to deport themselves in the Management of it And that is seeing their Power is something from God a Beam and part of the Heavenly Majesty they ought so to behave themselves in all Cases as God himself would do if he should personally appear for that Action They ought to disingage themselves from all partial Affections and Interests and follow the free Dictates of Mind and Reason as they are farther assisted by the Spirit of God for the Holy Spirit of God adapting himself to the different Necessities of Men must needs be suppos'd to be more plentifully present with those that are in the more difficult Circumstances of a high Station they ought I say to acquit themselves from the Straitness of self and all private Suggestions and maintain a larger Sphere of Action only look upon the Justice of things and the Expediency of them to the Publick Good But to speak more particularly and in express Instances First then a good Governour upon this Divine Platform must be very careful and make it the main Scope of his Endeavors to promote the Wellfare of those that are under his Charge and Government And this is only a Transcript from the Heavenly Pattern if we consider the several Methods of Divine Providence the Actings and Process of it ever since the beginning we may plainly discern this That its perpetual Design was to advance the only Good of Mankind viz. To draw them off from their sinful practises and establish vertue and the right worship of God where vice and idolatry did reign before And that Governour that would be like God whose Power and Authority he is endued withal must have this end and project in all his Actions to carry on the publick Good and advance the Benefit of those that are committed to him He must have no particular Reserve of Self in any of his Proceedings but move in a larger Compass and intend his whole purpose and endeavors to a general Advantage or rather he may consult Self-Interest as much as he pleases if he determine Self aright not to the sensual as most men do but to the rational part of him and then apply Interest only to those things that bring Benefit and Advancement to that It is a great Mistake to think that the Good of the People can at any time clash and be inconsistent with the Good of the Governor And that Ruler that entertains this Notion is certainly an ill Man and sets up the Desires of Sence as the Rules of Action in Opposition to the free Results of Mind and Reason Good is a general thing and has no particular Confinement in it but is adapted and suitable to all Men. The same Good diffuses it self through Prince and People and if it be not for the Advantage of both it is but a false Notion and no real Good The true Interest of the Prince cannot be any seperate thing from that of the People The Advancement of Vertue and the true Religion which is the only universal Good is that alone which establishes the Throne and makes the Government facile and tenable This Good concerns Princes as well as private Men and if at any time they carry on things that have not this Tendency in them they manage a Project against themselves and 't is some sensual Appetite and mistaken Self that is the Cause of it This then ought to be a strong Motive to Princes to intend the publick Good seeing by this means alone they can obtain and secure that which is truly so to themselves and they ought to design this in all their proceedings if they will imitate him who conferr'd their Power upon them And as God Almighty often carries on that which his infinite Wisdom discerns to be the Good of Mankind by Methods contrary to the Carnal Desires and Will of Man as by several kinds of Afflictions and the like So a good Prince when he meets with an ill inclined People that have not their Minds set upon Good he ought to make use of his Authority from Heaven and even contrary to their Will and Inclination force them to the Observance of right things such as he sees expedient for them although never so great Troubles attend the Enterprize This then is the First Divine Character of a good Governour That he ought by all means to carry on and endeavour the universal Good of the People under him A 2d duty that belongs to Magistrates in Imitation of him from whom their Power cometh is an Universal Justice both as it relates to God and Man And 1st as to that part of Justice that relates to God we must endeavour with all Diligence to maintain the great Respect and Honor that is due unto him And this God himself takes care to vindicate Isai 42.8 I am the Lord that is my Name and my Glory will I not give to another neither my Praise to Graven Images And 't is very observable in the whole Complex of the Prophets that the many Methods of Providence that have been made use of in the World have all of them tended to this viz. To draw men off from Idolatry and Superstition to the Worship of the only true God And that they should also worship him in Spirit and in Truth This is his Glory that has always been the great Exercise of his Wisdom to keep up and maintain in the World viz. the true profession of his Name and the practice of Vertue that is consequent to it And this is indeed the Glory of God and that alone which brings Honour to him when Men by their manner of Living express the Divine Perfections and make them confess'd and believ'd in the World when by their Conformity to the Laws of God they declare his infinite Wisdom and Goodness in proposing such Heavenly Rules of Action When by their careful declining all Sin both in Thought and Deed and the exact Holiness of their Lives they plainly signifie the Omniscience of God that he sees the most secret Designs of Man together with the spotless Purity of his Nature That Holiness only becometh the Righteous Lord and is acceptable to him
Measures were necessary to establish the just Rights of the Throne and the Church of England which I do not question but will appear to have been such in the Effects of Time if Men already have not their Eye-sight sufficiently cleared up to discern them He had such an Uprightness of Mind and Design in him as would always influence to an impartial Justice Many might complain that they were disappointed of their Expectations when they were not rightly laid but none could ever urge with any Appearance that they were injured by him And altho' no Man had more of Mercy and Kindness in his Disposition than he had where there was a due Object for it Yet he was very cautious of applying it to such Malefactors as had the legal Sentence of Blood-guiltiness upon them He was afraid of bringing Sin upon himself and doing harm in the World by giving Liberty to an ill man to repeat his former Practices who for any thing he could tell might still be the same in Heart and Design and only Fear and present Circumstance might compel him to appear otherwise And certainly it is much safer to leave such persons in the due Process of Justice to God's Mercy which if they be sincere Converts they will be sure to meet with and if not Mankind will be thus delivered from a troublesome Member But as to the Doctrine of Forgiveness in respect of Self he had well learned this from his Heavenly Father and carefully reduced it into his constant Practice And none had more Occasion for this Vertue than himself had as always standing in a high Station and so being continually exposed to the Envy and Emulation of great men which perhaps is the best Account of all that Enmity that he conversed withal Whatsoever the Cause was I am sure 't was an unreasonable one many were those that rose up against him and when their Attempts fail'd them and they had nothing else to do but put on the Habit of Repentance and beg Pardon they never missed of this from him and a friendly Reception into his Favor altho' it often happened that their base Dissimulation indisposed them for Mercy and Pardon in the Court of Heaven whither he always referred them for Doom and Judgment affirming that if they seem'd but penitent and ask'd Forgiveness he must not intermit the necessary Duty of a Christian towards them Let him that sees the Heart deal with them as he pleases Altho' by this means he gave them fresh Opportunities against him which many of them were not wanting to improve to the best Advantage and which being managed by so much Strength and Greatness would have terminated in the Ruine of any but only such an one whose Proceedings were laid upon such an honest Ground-work He was possest of that Disposition which our Saviour prescribes to all of us Luke 17.4 That if our Brother trespass against us seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to us saying I repent we must forgive him And he fulfilled this to that degree that he only could do that was always in a high Management and met with such repeated perfidiousness as he did Indeed this must be allowed a wise man and Christianity obliges nothing to the contrary that when one observes Injuries to proceed from a base mind which has not common Probity left in it that he receive not such persons into his Confidences nor repose any Trust in them If he pass by the Offence without any Endeavors or thoughts of Requital or of doing them any Prejudice upon that Occasion he has done his Duty all that can be required from him And he is the wifer Man if he does not renew a free Converse with them and assure their Favour by a mutual Friendship and it argues him the better Man and of more Uprightness that he does not fear them this Neglect of them even daring them to produce what they can against him and would not be resolved upon by an obnoxious person Yet notwithstanding this common Prudence which I believe was less in him than in other People insomuch as his great Parts and his upright Use of them more rais'd him above Suspition which is a sneaking Disposition of Mind that only belongs either to Men of low and Inferior Spirits or to such as have the Sence of Guilt upon them and are lyable in their Proceedings I say notwithstanding this common Prudence to secure one against the dangerous opportunity of a false Friend pretending Reconcilement he always exprest himself kindly and with due respect to all Men howsoever deserving from him And if he were an Adversary to any ones better Circumstance or Advancement I am confident it was rather upon the publick account that that should not suffer by the farther Capacity of an ill Man then from any self regard in the business His Temper was beneficent one might see a Complacency and pleasure in him when he perform'd any obliging instance which well argued that Actions of that kind did derive from an inward Principle and the very habit of his Mind And I refer to his many Friends that have been advantaged by him to speak sincerely their own Experiment if he were not very discernably satisfied when he promoted them or rather let those that have been guilty of so much baseness and after many Obligations turned his Enemies convinced the contrary That he delighted not in Beneficence And as he was thus ready and propense to shew kindness so he did not expect long thanks or any cringing observance upon the account of it Such unmanly Behaviour was intollerable to him altho there might have been this Reason for it Nor was he an Usurer of his Favours or designed interest from them his high Advancement that he always stood in as well as his Temper which perhaps had that fault in it that it was but too careless of his own profit made him incapable of any thing so mean and sordid he was one of those third sort of Men mentioned by the Emperor Antoninus lib. 5.4 who exhibit favours and then manage themselves with that indifferency towards the Objects of them as if they were not sensible that they had done so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Being like to the Vine as he there compares them who puts forth her Clusters and then after having produced her proper Fruits requires nothing else or no recompence for it but when one Vintage is over then begins again to make her self ready against the next Season for another Intimating hereby that those who are truly beneficent or that best sort of Benefectors are contented with the reward of a good Action and seek no further and when they have performed one friendly office they rest not there but in a repeated Progress determine themselves to another Which indeed the thoughts and resentment of that inward pleasure that results from acts of kindness will almost forcibly carry them to and besides that derivative Pleasure that