Doctrine for reducing Charity and Peace for reviving the spirit of Piety and bringing Vertue again into request for preserving State and Church from ruine we can have no confidence or reasonable hope but in the good Providence and merciful succour of Almighty God beside whom there is no Saviour who alone is the hope of Israel and Saviour thereof in time of trouble we now having great cause to pray with our Lord's Disciples in the storm Lord save us we perish Upon such Considerations and others whereof I suppose you are sufficiently apprehensive we now especially are obliged earnestly to pray for our King that God in mercy would preserve his Royal Person and inspire his Mind with Light and endue his Heart with Grace and in all things bless him to us to be a repairer of our breaches and a restorer of paths to dwell in so that under him we may lead a quiet life in all godliness and honesty I have done with the First Duty Prayer for Kings upon which I have the rather so largely insisted because it is very seasonable to our present condition II. The Other Thanksgiving I shall but touch and need not perhaps to do more For 1. As to general Inducements they are the same or very like to those which are for Prayer it being plain that what-ever we are concerned to pray for when we want it that we are bound to thank God for when he vouchsafeth to bestow it And if common Charity should dispose us to resent the Good of Princes with complacence if their Welfare be a publick benefit if our selves are interested in it and partake great advantages thereby if in equity and ingenuity we are bound to seek it then surely we are much engaged to thank God the bountiful Donour of it for his goodness in conferring it 2. As for particular Motives suting the present Occasion I need not by information or impression of them farther to stretch your patience seeing you cannot be ignorant or insensible of the grand Benefits by the Divine Goodness bestowed on our King and on our selves which this day we are bound with all grateful acknowledgment to commemorate Wherefore in stead of reciting trite stories and urging obvious reasons which a small recollection will suggest to you I shall only request you to joyn with me in the practice of the Duty and in acclamation of praise to God Even so Blessed be God who hath given to us so Gracious and Benign a Prince the experiments of whose Clemency and Goodness no History can parallel to sit on the throne of his Blessed Father and renowned Ancestours Blessed be God who hath protected him in so many encounters hath saved him from so many dangers and snares hath delivered him from so great troubles Blessed be God who in so wonderful a manner by such miraculous trains of Providence did reduce him to his Country and re-instate him in the possession of his Rights thereby vindicating his own just Providence declaring his salvation and openly shewing his righteousness in the sight of all people Blessed be God who in Him and with Him did restore to us our antient good constitution of Government our Laws and Liberties our Peace and Quiet rescuing us from lawless Usurpations and tyrannical Yoaks from the insultings of Errour and Iniquity from horrible Distractions and Confusions Ever blessed be God who hath turned the captivity of Sion hath raised our Church from the dust and re-established the sound Doctrine the decent Order the wholsome Discipline thereof hath restored true Religion with its supports advantages and encouragements Blessed be the Lord who hath granted us to continue these sixteen years in the peaceable fruition of those Blessings Praised be God who hath not cast out our prayer nor turned his mercy from us Praised be God who hath turned our heaviness into joy hath put off our sackcloath and girded us with gladness Let our mouth speak the praise of the Lord and let all flesh bless his holy Name for ever and ever The Lord liveth and blessed be our Rock and let the God of our salvation be exalted Blessed be the Lord God of Israel who onely doeth wondrous things and blessed be his glorious Name for ever and let the whole earth be filled with his glory Amen and Amen Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting and let all the people say Amen Praise ye the Lord. The Eleventh Sermon PSAL. 64. 9 10. And all men shall fear and shall declare the work of God for they shall wisely consider of his doing The righteous shall be glad in the Lord and shall trust in him and all the upright in heart shall glory IF we should search about for a Case parallel to that which we do now commemorate we should perhaps hardly find one more patly such then is that which is implied in this Psalm and if we would know the Duties incumbent on us in reference to such an Occasion we could scarce better learn them other-where then in our Text. With attention perusing the Psalm we may therein observe That its great Authour was apprehensive of a desperate Plot by a confederacy of wicked and spitefull enemies with great craft and secrecy contrived against his safety They saith he encourage themselves in an evil matter they commune of laying snares privily they say who shall see them That for preventing the blow threatned by this design whereof he had some glimpse or some presumption grounded upon the knowledge of their implacable and active malice he doth implore Divine protection Hide me saith he from the secret counsel of the wicked from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity That he did conside in God's Mercy and Justice for the seasonable defeating for the fit avenging their machination God saith he shall shoot at them with an arrow suddenly shall they be wounded That they should themselves become the detectours of their crime and the instruments of the exemplary punishment due thereunto They added he shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves all that see them shall flee away Such was the Case the which unto what passage in the history it doth relate or whether it belongeth to any we have recorded it may not be easie to determine Expositours commonly do refer it to the designs of Saul upon David's life But this seeming purely conjecture not founded upon any express words or pregnant intimations in the text I shall leave that inquiry in its own uncertainty It sufficeth to make good its pertinency that there was such a mischievous Conspiracy deeply projected against David a very great personage in whose safety the publick state of God's people was principally concerned he being then King of Israel at least in designation and therefore in the precedent Psalm endited in Saul's time is so styled from the peril whereof he by the special Providence of
Authority which enjoyns them It is an aggravation of Impiety often insisted upon in Scripture that it slurrs as it were and defames God brings reproach and obloquy upon him causes his Name to be profaned to be cursed to be blasphemed and 't is answerably a commendation of Piety that by the practice thereof we not onely procure many great advantages to our selves many blessings and comforts here all joys and felicities hereafter but do also thereby beget esteem to God himself and sanctifie his ever-blessed Name cause him to be regarded and reverenced his Name to be praised and blessed among men It is by exemplary Piety by providing things honest in the sight of all men by doing things honourable and laudable such are all things which God hath been pleased to command us that we shall be sure to fulfill that precept of S. Paul of doing all things to the glory of God which is the Body of that duty we speak of Secondly But there are deserving a particular inspection some members thereof which in a peculiar and eminent manner do constitute this Honour some acts which more signally conduce to the illustration of God's glory Such are 1. The frequent and constant performance in a serious and reverent manner of all religious Duties or Devotions immediately addressed to God or conversant about him that which the Psalmist styles Giving the Lord the honour due to his Name worshipping the Lord in the beauty of Holiness 2. Using all things peculiarly related unto God his holy Name his holy Word his holy Places the places where his honour dwelleth his holy Times religious Fasts and Festivities with especial respect 3. Yielding due observance to the Deputies and Ministers of God both Civil and Ecclesiastical as such or because of their relation to God the doing of which God declares that he interprets and accepts as done unto himself 4. Freely spending what God hath given us out of respect unto him in works of Piety Charity and Mercy that which the Wise man calls Honouring the Lord with our substance 5. All penitential Acts by which we submit unto God and humble our selves before him As Achan by confessing of his sin is said to give glory to the Lord God of Israel 6. Chearfull undergoing afflictions losses disgraces for the profession of God's truth or for obedience to God's commands As S. Peter is said by his death suffered upon such accounts to glorifie God These signal instances of this duty represented as such in Holy Scripture for brevitie's sake I pass over craving leave onely to consider one most pertinent to our present business and indeed a very comprehensive one which is this 7. We shall especially honour God by discharging faithfully those offices which God hath intrusted us with by improving diligently those talents which God hath committed to us by using carefully those means and opportunities which God hath vouchsafed us of doing him service and promoting his glory Thus he to whom God hath given Wealth if he expend it not to the nourishment of pride and luxury not onely to the gratifying his own pleasure or humour but to the furtherance of God's honour or to the succour of his indigent neighbour in any pious or charitable way he doth thereby in especiall manner honour God He also on whom God hath bestowed Wit and parts if he employ them not so much in contriving projects to advance his own petty interests or in procuring vain applause to himself as in advantageously setting forth God's praise handsomely recommending goodness dexterously engaging men in ways of vertue doing which things is true wit and excellent policy indeed he doth thereby remarkably honour God He likewise that hath Honour conferr'd upon him if he subordinate it to God's honour if he use his own credit as an instrument of bringing credit to goodness thereby adorning and illustrating Piety he by so doing doth eminently practise this duty The like may be said of any other good quality any capacity or advantage of doing good by the right use thereof we honour God for that men beholding the worth of such good gifts and feeling the benefit emergent from them will be apt to bless the donour of them as did they in the Gospel who seeing our Saviour cure the Paralytick man did presently glorifie God who had given such power unto men But especially they to whom Power and Authority is committed as they have the chief capacity so they are under an especial obligation thus to honour God they are particularly concerned to hear and observe that Royall proclamation Give unto the Lord O ye mighty give unto the Lord glory and strength Give unto the Lord the honour due unto his name When such persons like King Nebuchadnezzar returned to his right senses do seriously acknowledge their power and eminency derived from God alone when they profess subjection unto him and express it in their practice not onely driving others by their power but drawing them by their example to piety and goodness when they cause God's Name to be duly worshipped and his Laws to be strictly observed when they favour and encourage Vertue discourage and chastise wickedness when they take care that justice be impartially administred innocence protected necessity relieved all iniquity and oppression all violence and disorder yea so much as may be all affliction and wretchedness be prevented or removed when they by all means strive to promote both the service of God and the happiness of men dispensing equally and benignly to the family over which their Lord hath set them their meat in due season providing that men under them may live a peaceable and quiet life in all godliness and honesty doing which is the business allotted to them the interest as it were of God which he declares himself concernedly to tender and by their ministry to prosecute when they carefully doe such things then do they indeed approve themselves worthy honourers of their High Master and Heavenly King then do they truly act God's part and represent his person decently When the actions of these visible Gods are so divinely good and beneficial men will be easily induced yea can hardly forbear to reverence and magnifie the invisible Founder of their Authority By so doing as they will set before mens eyes the best pattern of Loyalty as they will impress upon mens hearts the strongest argument for Obedience and respect toward themselves as they shall both more plainly inform and more effectually persuade people to the performance of their duty unto them then by all the law and all the force in the world as they will thereby consequently best secure and maintain their own honour and their own welfare for men will never be heartily loyal and submissive to Authority till they become really good nor will they ever be very good till they see their Leaders such so they will together greatly advance
Country till a long time after his decease How often did God profess for his servant David's sake to preserve Judah from destruction so that even in the days of Hezekiah when the King of Assyâ—ia did invade that Country God by the mouth of Isaiah declared I will defend this City to save it for mine own sake and for my servant David's sake We may indeed observe that according to the representation of things in Holy Scripture there is a kind of moral connexion or a communication of merit and guilt between Prince and People so that mutually each of them is rewarded for the Vertues each is punished for the Vices of the other As for the iniquities of a People God withdraweth from their Prince the free communications of his Grace and of his Favour suffering him to incur sin or to fall into misfortune which was the case of that incomparably-good King Josiah and hath been the fate of divers excellent Princes whom God hath snatched away from people unworthy of them or involved with such a people in common calamities according to the rule propounded in the Law of God's dealing with the Israelites in the case of their disobedience and according to that of Samuel If ye shall do wickedly ye shall be consumed both ye and your King so reciprocally for the misdemeanours of Princes or in them and by them God doth chastise their people For what confusions in Israel did the offences of Solomon create what mischiefs did issue thereon from Jeroboam's wicked behaviour How did the sins of Manasseh stick to his Country since that even after that notable Reformation wrought by Josiah it is said Notwithstanding the Lord turned not from the fierceness of his great wrath wherewith his anger was kindled against Judah because of all the provocations wherewith Manasses had provoked him And how sorely by a tedious three years famine did God avenge Saul's cruelty towards the Gibeonites Nor are only the sins of bad Princes affixed to people conspiring with them in impiety for even of King Hezekiah it is said But Hezekiah rendred not again according to the benefit done unto him for his heart was lifted up therefore there was wrath upon him and upon Judah and Jerusalem So the pride and ingratitude of an excellent Prince were avenged on his Subjects And when good King David God averting his Grace from him did fall into that arrogant transgression of counting his forces that as Joab prudently foretold became a cause of trespass to Israel and God saith the Text was displeased with this thing therefore he smote Israel David indeed seemed to apprehend some iniquity in this proceeding expostulating thus Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbred even I it is that have sinned and done evil indeed but as for these sheep what have they done But God had no regard to his plea nor returned any answer to it for indeed God's wrath began with the People and their King's sin was but a judgment executed on them for The anger it is said of the Lord was kindled against Israel by their sin surely which is the only incentive of Divine wrath and he moved David against them to say Go number Israel and Judah So indeed it is that Princes are bad that they incur great errours or commit notable trespasses is commonly imputable to the fault of Subjects and is a just judgment by Divine Providence laid on them as for other provocations so especially for their want of Devotion and neglecting duly to pray for them For if they constantly with hearty sincerity and earnest fervency would in their behalf sue to God who fashioneth all the hearts of men who especially holdeth the hearts of Kings in his hand and turneth them whither-soever he will we reasonably might presume that God by his Grace would direct them into the right way and incline their hearts to goodness that he would accomplish his own word in the Prophet I will make thy Officers peace and thine Exactors righteousness that we might have occasion to pay thanksgivings like that of Ezra Blessed be the Lord God of our fathers who hath put such things as this in the King's heart to beautifie the house of the Lord which is at Jerusalem We are apt to impute the ill management of things and the bad success waiting on it unto Princes being in appearance the immediate Agents and Instruments of it but we commonly do therein mistake not considering that our selves are most guilty and blamable for it that it is an impious people which maketh an unhappy Prince that their offences do pervert his counsels and blast his undertakings that their prophaneness and indevotion do incense God's displeasure and cause him to desert Princes withdrawing his gracious conduct from them and permitting them to be miss-led by temptation by ill advice by their own infirmities lusts and passions into courses fit to punish a naughty people So these were the causes of Moses his speaking unadvisedly with his lips and that it went ill with him for their sakes of Aaron's forming the molten Calf of David's numbring the people of Josiah's unadvised enterprise against Pharaoh Neco of Zedekiah's rebellion against the Assyrians notwithstanding the strong dissuasions of the Prophet Jeremy concerning which it is said For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah until he had cast them out from his presence that Zedekiah rebelled against the King of Babylon Considering which things it is apparent that Prayer for our Prince is a great office of Charity to the Publick and that in praying for his safety for his Honour for his Wealth for his Prosperity for his Vertue we do in effect pray for the same Benefits respectively to our Country that in praying for his Welfare we do in consequence pray for the good of all our Neighbours our Friends our Relations our Families whose good is wrapped in his Welfare doth flow from it doth hang upon it We are bound and it is a very noble piece of Charity to love our Country sincerely to desire and earnestly to further its happiness and therefore to pray for it according to the advice and practice of the Psalmist O pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee Peace be within thy walls and prosperity within thy palaces We are obliged more especially upon the highest accounts with dearest affection to love the Church our Heavenly Commonwealth the Society of our Spiritual Brethren most ardently to tender its good and seek its advantages and therefore most urgently to sue for God's favour toward it being ready to say after David Do good O God in thy good pleasure to Sion build the walls of Jerusalem Arise O Lord and have mercy upon Sion for the time to favour her yea the set time is come Now these duties we cannot
a departed Soul and that of Elisha did effect the same and that of another Prophet did restore Jeroboam's withered hand how the prayers of God's people frequently did raise them up Saviours and when they cried unto the Lord in their trouble he delivered them out of their distresses how the prayers of Asa discomfited a million of Arabians and those of Jehoshaphat destroyed a numerous army of his enemies by their own hands and those of Hezekiah brought down an Angel from Heaven to cut off the Assyrians and those of Manasses restored him to his Kingdom and those of Esther saved her people from the brink of ruine and those of Nehemiah inclined a Pagan King's heart to favour his pious design for re-edifying Jerusalem and those of Daniel obtaining strange visions and discoveries how Noah Job Daniel Moses and Samuel are represented as powerful intercessours with God and consequently it is intimated that the great things atchieved by them were chiefly done by the force of their prayers And seeing prayers in so many cases are so effectual and work such miracles what may we hope from them in this wherein God so expressly and particularly directeth us to use them If our Prayers can so much avail to our personal and private advantage if they may be very helpful to our friends how much shall the Devotions of many good men all levelled at one mark and aiming at a publick most considerable good be prevalent with the Divine Goodness However if God be not moved by Prayers to convert a Prince from all sin to make him do all the good he might to bless him in all matters yet he may thence be induced to restrain him from much evil to keep him from being worse or from doing worse then otherwise would be he may dispose him to do many things well or better then of himself he would do he may preserve him from many disasters otherwise incident to him which will be considerable effects of Prayer 11. I shall add but one general Consideration more which is this That Prayer is the only allowable way of redressing our case if we do suffer by or for Princes Are they bad or do they misdemean themselves in their administration of government and justice we may not by any violent or rough way attempt to redâ—lm them for they are not accountable to us or liable to our correction Where the word of a King is there â—â— power and who shall say to him What dost thou was the Preacher's doctrine Do they oppress us or abuse us do they treat us harshly or cruelly persetute us we must not kick against them or strive to right ourselves by resistence â—or Against a King saith the Wise-man there is no rising up and Who said David can stretch out his hand against the Lord 's Anointed and be guiltless and They saith S. Paul that resist shall receive to themselves damnation We must not so much as ease our stomach or discharge our passion by raiâ—ing or enveighing against them For Thou shalt not speak evil of the Ruler of thy people is a Divine law and to blaspheme or revile Dignities is by S. Peter and S. Jude reprehended as a notable crime We must not be bold or free in taxing their actions For Is it fit saith Eliâ—â— to say to a King Thon art wicked and to Princes Ye are ungodly and to reproach the footsteps of God's Anointed is implied to be an impious practice We must forbear even complaining and murmuring against them For Murmurers are condemned as no mean sorâ— of offenders and the Jews in the wilderness were sorely punished for such behaviour We must not according to the Preacher's advice so much as curse them in our thought or not entertain ill conceits and ill wishes in our minds toward them To do these things is not only high presumption in regard to them inconsistent with the dutiful affection and respect which we owe to them but it is flat impiety toward God and an invasion of his Authority who alone is King of Kings and hath reserved to himself the prerogative of judging of rebuking of punishing Kings when he findeth cause These were the misdemeanours of those in the Late Times who in stead of praying for their Sovereign did clamour and rail at him did asperse him with foul Imputations did accuse his proceedings did raise Tumults and levy War against him pretending by rude force to reduce him unto his Duty so usurping on their Prince or rather on God himself assuming his right and â—king his work out of his hands disâ—overing also therein great profaneness of mind and distrust of God's Proviâ—ence as if God being implored by Prayer could not or would not had â—t been needful without such irregular courses have redressed those evils in Church or State which they pretended to feel or fear Nothing therefore in such cases is left to us for our remedy or ease but having recourse to God himself and seeking relief from his hand in his good time by converting our Prince or directing him into a good course however comforting our selves in the conscience of submitting to God's will This is the only method S. Paul did prescribe even when Nero a most vile flagitious man a sorry and naughty Governour as could be a monstrous Tyrant and most bloody Persecutour the very inventer of Persecution did sway the Empire He did not advise Christians to stand upon their guard to contrive plots to provide arms to raise mutinies and insurrections against him but to offer supplications prayers and intercessions for him as the best means of their security and comfort And this was the course of the Primitive Christians during their hard condition under the domination of Heathen Princes impugners of their Religion Prayers and Tears were then the only Arms of the Church whereby they long defended it from ruine and at last advanced it to most glorious prosperity Indeed if not assuming the liberty to find fault with Princes we would practise the duty of seeking God for his blessing on their proceedings if forbearing to scan and censure Acts of State we would earnestly implore God's direction of them if leaving to conceive disgusts and vent complaints about the state of things we would assiduously petition God for the settlement of them in good order if in stead of being shrewd Politicians or smart Judges in such matters we would be devout Oratours and humble Soliciâ—ours at the Throne of Grace our endeavours surely would find much better effect toward publick advantage we certainly might do more good in our closets by a few hearty wishes uttered there then by all our tattling or jangling Politicks in corners There are great contrivances to settle things every one hath his model of State or method of Policy to communicate for ordering the State each is zealous for his own conceit and apt to be displeased with those who
judgments O Lord. For thou Lord art high above all the Earth It is to them ground of exceeding comfort to receive so clear pledges of God's Love and Favour his Truth and Fidelity his Bounty and Munificence toward them expressed in such watchful care over them such protection in dangers such aid in needs such deliverance from mischiefs vouchsafed to them Such Benefits they cannot receive from God's hand without that chearfulness which always doth adhere to gratitude I will saith David sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt bountifully with me Because thou hast been my helper therefore in the shadow of thy wings I will rejoyce My lips shall greatly rejoyce in thee and my Soul which thou hast redeemed I will be glad and rejoyce in thy mercy for thou hast considered my trouble and hast known my Soul in adversities The Lord hath done great things for us whereof we are glad Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoyce let them ever shout for joy because thou defendest them They are also greatly refreshed with apprehension of the happy fruits sprouting from such dispensations of Providence such as are the Benefit of mankind the Peace and prosperity of the Civil State the Preservation settlement enlargement advancement of God's Church the support of Right the succour of Innocence the maintenance of Truth the encouragement and furtherrance of Piety the restraint of Violence the discountenance of Errour the correction of Vice and Impiety In these things they as faithful servants of God and real friends of Goodness as bearing hearty good will and compassion to mankind as true lovers of their Country as living and sensible members of the Church cannot but rejoyce Seeing by these things their own best interest which is no other then the advantage of Goodness their chief honour which consists in the promotion of Divine Glory their truest content which is placed in the prosperity of Sion are highly furthered how can they look on them springing up without great delight and complacence O saith the Psalmist sing unto the Lord for he hath done marvellous things He hath remembred his mercy and truth toward the house of Israel all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God And Sing O heavens cryeth the Prophet and be joyful O earth and break forth into singing O ye mountains for the Lord hath comforted his people and will have mercy on his afflicted And When saith he ye shall see this the comfort of God's people your heart shall rejoyce and your bones shall flourish like an herb and the hand of the Lord shall be known toward his servants and his indignation toward his enemies Even in the frustration of wicked designs attended with severe execution of vengeance on the contrivers and abettours of them they may have a pleasant satisfaction they must then yeild a chearful applause to Divine Justice The righteous saith the Psalmist shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance and Let the wicked saith he perish at the presence of God but let the righteous be glad let them rejoyce before God yea let them exceedingly rejoyce Whence at God's infliction of Judgement upon Babylon it is said in Jeremy Then the heaven and the earth and all that is therein shall sing for Babylon and at the fall of Mystical Babylon in the Apocalyps 't is likewise said Rejoye over her thou heaven and ye holy Apostles and Prophets for God hath avenged you on her Farther V. The next Duty prescribed to good men in such cases is to trust in God that is to have their affiance in God upon all such like occasions in all urgencies of need settled improved and corroborated thereby This indeed is the proper end immediately regarding us of God's special Providence disclosing it self in any miraculous or in any remarkable way to nourish in wel-disposed minds that Faith in God which is the root of all Piety and ground of Devotion Such experiments are sound arguments to perswade good men that God doth govern and order things for their best advantage they are powerful incentives driving them in all exigencies to seek God's help they are most convincing evidences that God is abundantly able very willing and ever ready to succour them They saith the Psalmist that know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee And I saith he will abide in thy tabernacle for ever I will trust in the covert of thy wings For thou O God hast heard my vows thou hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy It is indeed a great aggravation of diffidence in God that having tasted and seen that the Lord is good having felt so manifest experience of Divine goodness having received so notable pledges of God's favourable inclination to help us we yet will not rely upon him As a friend who by signal instances of kindness hath assured his good will hath great cause of offence if he be suspected of unwillingness in a needful season to afford his relief so may God most justly be displeased when we notwithstanding so palpable demonstration of his kindness by distrusting him do in effect question the sincerity of his friendship or the constancy of his goodness toward us VI. Good men upon such occasions should glory All the upright in heart shall glory Should glory that is in contemplation of such Providences feeling sprightly elevations of mind and transports of affection they should exhibit triumphant demonstrations of satisfaction and alacrity It becometh them not in such cases to be dumpish or demure but jocund and crank in their humour brisk and gay in their looks pleasantly flippant and free in their speech jolly and debonair in their behaviour every way signifying the extream complacency they take in God's doing and the full content they taste in their state They with solemn exultation should triumph in such events as in victories atchieved by the glorious Hand of God in their behalf in approbation of their cause in favour toward their persons for their great benefit and comfort They may not as proudly assuming to themselves the glory due to God but as gratefully sensible of their felicity springing from God's favour se jactare se laudibus efferre as the Hebrew word doth signifie that is in a sort boast and commend themselves as very happy in their relation to God by virtue of his protection and aid They may not with a haughty insolence or wanton arrogance but with a sober confidence and chearfulness insult upon baffled impiety by their expressions and demeanour upbraiding the folly the baseness the impotency and wretchedness thereof in competition with the wisedom in opposition to the power of God their friend and patron For such carriage in such cases we have the practice and the advice of the Psalmist to warant and direct
and fat by digesting the thin air with what regard then shall his free and faithful advice be entertained Shall not his moderate confidence be accounted impudence his open sincerity of speech be styled unmannerly presumption his minding others of their duty adjudged a forgetfulness of his own condition or a disorderly transgressing the due limits thereof If he be not ashamed of the truth will not the truth be ashamed of him Shall he not prejudice more by the meanness of his garb then further by the force of his reason that good cause which he maintains Will men respect his words whose person they despise will they be willingly counselled or patiently reproved by him whom they esteem yea whom they plainly see so much their inferiour No the same words which proceed from the mouths of men in eminent dignity are not the same when they are uttered by those of base degree Weak and ineffectual are the most eloquent harangues of beggarly Oratours obscure like themselves and unobserved the most notable dictates of poor mercenary pedants The authority of the speaker doth usually more incline then the weight of the matter It was the observation of the wise Son of Sirach When a rich man slips he hath many helpers he speaketh things not to be spoken and yet men justifie him the poor man miscarried and they farther rebuked him he spake discreetly and yet could have no place When a rich man speaketh every man holdeth his tongue and his words they extol to the clouds but if a poor man speak they say Who is this and if he stumble they will help to overthrow him And Solomon himself notes the same The poor man's wisedom is despised and his words are not heard Not onely those that swell with pride and swim in plenty but even the meanest of the people will be apt to contemn his instructions whom they perceive in few or no circumstances of life to excell them If the Preacher's condition be not as well as his Pulpit somewhat elevated above the lowest station few will hear him fewer mind his words very few obey him Job's Case deserves well to be considered While he flourished in wealth and reputation all men attended to his counsell and admired his discourse The Princes saith he resrained talking and laid their hand on their mouth The Nobles held their peace and their tongue cleaved to the roof of their mouth When the ear heard me then it blessed me and when the eye saw me it gave witness to me Unto me men gave ear and waited and kept silence at my counsel After my words they spake not again and my speech dropped upon them So officiously attentive were all men to Job in his prosperity But when the scale was turn'd and he became depressed in estate no man minded either him or his discourse except it were to despise and scorn both But now saith he they that are younger then I have me in dirision whose fathers I would have disdained to have set with the dogs of my flock I am their song yea I am their by-word They abhor me they fly far from me and spare not to spit in my face Because he hath loosed my cord and afflicted me If Job a person who so equally and moderately yea so humbly and courteously and bountifully used his prosperity as we find he did was notwithstanding in his adversity so generally slighted and abhorred what shall their lot be who never enjoyed those advantages what regard shall their wholsome advice find what efficacy their most pathetical exhortations obtain what passion their faint breath raise in mens benummed hearts No more certainly then their mean condition shall procure among men either of friendship or esteem We see therefore how Almighty God that he might conciliate credit unto and infuse a persuasive energy into the words of his Prophets and Apostles was pleased to dignifie them with extraordinary gifts of foretelling future events and doing miraculous works their Doctrine it seems though of it self most reasonable and plausible being not sufficient to convince the hearers without some remarkable excellency in the Teachers challenging the people's awful regard and exciting their attention Otherwise how pitifully-scant a draught those poor fishers of men had caught by the common allurements only of innocent life and rational discourse I leave you to imagine And where such extraordinary commendations are wanting is it not reasonable that the need of them should be supplied by ordinary and probable expedients I might further add how a necessitous and despicable estate doth commonly not onely disturb the mindes and deject the spirits of men but distempereth also their Souls and viciateth their manners rendring them not onely sad and anxious slavish and timorous but greedy also and covetous peevish and mutinous rude and ignorant engages them in sordid company and tempts them to unworthy courses From which one cause how scandalous effects and how prejudicial to the Churche's both honour and safety have proceeded I need not for to say since wofull experience too loudly proclaims it I might adde more-over that the Priests do confer to the good of the State which is secured and advanced by the sincere instruction of men in duties of Obedience Justice and Fidelity and by maintenance of good Conscience among men So that if things be rightly considered it will be hard to find a better Commonwealths-man then a good Minister Seeing therefore the good of the Church upon various accounts is so much concerned in the Priests encouragement welfare and respect 't is very fitting they should have them Which Consideration I conclude with that serious Admonition of the Apostle to the Hebrews wherein the substance of what hath been spoken on this point is contained Obey your Rulers or Guides and submit to them for they watch for your Souls as they that are to give an account that they may do it with joy and not with complaint for this is unprofitable for you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is for this pays no taxes quits no scores turns to no account is no-wise advantageous for you but rather for there is a Miosis in those words is hurtfull and detrimental to you But farther III. Common Equity and the Reason of the Case exacts that Safety competent Subsistence and fitting respect be allowed to the Priests If you consider their Personal qualities who I pray do commonly better deserve those advantages then they Those qualities I say which result from a liberal a sober a modest Education in the Schools of Wisedom and under the influences of good Discipline If Birth that is at best an imaginary relation to the gallantry of an Ancestour entitle men to Honour if the cheap favours of Fortune be so highly prized and admired if Riches that is the happy results of industry in trivial matters do easily purchase respect what may they not pretend to whose constant and not always unsuccesful endeavour it