the Law and the Testimonie Iudgement went out from God lately and it was fierce How many thousands strong men which might haue bin a wall about Ierusalem hath the Pestilence swept away But his mercy soon ouertooke his Iudgement For when did the eye of man behold so strange and sodain abatement of so great Mortalitie A great argument that hee will now appeare in Mercie And I cannot tell which hath got the better in the vie Your Honour or Your Religion that you haue made such hast to bring the Tribes to the Temple to giue thanks to the name of the Lord for this The first Lesson of this dayes Euening prayer is Exod. 18. There 's the Story of Iethro's counsell to Moses for assistance of inferiour Officers This was not the beginning of that great and parliamentary Councell which after continued successefull in the State of the Iewes For that was set after by GOD himselfe Numb 11. yet I make no great doubt but that the ease which Moses found by that Councell made him apt to see what more hee needed and so farre at least occasioned the setling of the Sanhedrim I take the omen of the day and the Seruice of the Church to blesse it That our Dauid may be as happy in this and all other Sessions of Parliament as their Moses was in his Councell of the Elders That the King and his people may now and at all like times meete in loue consult in wisedome manage their Counsell with temper entertaine no priuate businesse to make the publike suffer And when their consultation is ended part in the same loue that should euer bring King and People together And let vs all pray That our Ierusalem both Church and State which did neuer but flourish when it was at vnitie in it selfe may now and euer continue in that vnitie and so bee euer successefull both at home and abroad That in this vnitie the Tribes of the Lord euen all the Families and Kinreds of his people may come vp to the Church to pray and prayse and giue thanks vnto him That no Tribe or Person for any pretences for they are no better may absent themselues from the Church and Testimony of the Lord That the Seates of Iudgement Ecclesiasticall and Ciuill of all sorts may not onely be set but set firmely to administer the iustice of God and the King vnto his people That all men may reuerence and obey the House of Dauid who it selfe vpon God is the foundation of all these blessings That God would mutually blesse Dauid and this People That so the People may haue cause to giue thankes to God for Dauid And that Dauid may haue cause to take ioy in the loue and loyalty of of his people and blesse God for both Till from this Ierusalem and this Temple and these Thrones Hee and wee all may ascend into that glorious State which is in Heauen And this Christ for his infinite mercie sake grant vnto vs To whom c. FINIS ¶ Imprinted at London by BONHAM NORTON and IOHN BILL Printers to the Kings Most Excellent Maiesty 1625. Deut. 16.16 Vers. 1. Psalm 75 4â— Apoc. 12.6 S. Basil. Ibid. Psal. 113.6 S. Matth. 5.35 Thren 2.15 S. Matth. 24.2 Adrichom in descrip Ierus Iud. 19.10 2. Sam. 5.7 1. Chron. 11.4 S. Hil. ibid. Gen. 49.7 Coll. Dom. 5. post Trin. Plat. in vit Vrban 3. Lucan a Lib. 5. de Bel. Gal. In vita I. Agrip â—Cor 12. Vers. 25. Vers. 21. Vers. 21. Orat. 20. 1. Cor. 13.4 S. Luk. 23.34 Esai 2. 2. S. Math. 16.18 Gal. 6.2 Ezech. 13.10 2. Tim. 2.23 S. Luk. 19.12 Exod. 23.17 Psal. 50.13,14 1. Cor. 1.17 Psal. 127. 1. Ion. 3. Act 13.27 S. Basil. ibid. Deut. 17.11 Deut. 16.16 Vers. 22. Vers. 8,9 S. Luk. 10.30 S. Aug. Ibid. Exod. 23.15 a Apolina Ibid. Deut. 16.16 2. Chron. 7.12 S. Basil. Ibid. 3. Reg. 12.28 Ibid. S. Ioh. 21.16 Deut. 17.10 S. Basil. Theodoret Euthyâ— Caluin Mâ—scâ— Inn. Ibid. S. Luk. 1.75 Non eadem videntur Iudicibus iratis quietis Arist. lib. 2. Rhet. c. 1. 1. Cor. 6.6 * Tostat. in Exod 21. q. 16. P. Cuneus de Rep. Hebr. lib. 1. c. 12. Rom. 13. 1. Both for Causes Persons Pet Cun. de Rep. Hebr. lib. 1. pag. 101. 106. Caluin Muscul. Iun. versio Geneu Nay the Anabaptists themselues Ainsw Ibid. 2. Sam. 7.10 Psal. 89.36 Psal. 65.7 Calu. Ibid. 1. Sam. 8. Psal. 111.10 1. S. Pet. 2.17 Exod. 25.22 Exod. 18. Numb 11.16
A SERMON PREACHED On Munday the sixt of February At WESTMINSTER At the opening of the PARLIAMENT By the Bishop of S DAVIDS LONDON Printed by BONHAM NORTON and IOHN BILL Printers to the Kings most Excellent Maiestie M. DC XXV PSAL. 122. V. 3,4,5 Ierusalem is builded as a Citie that is at vnitie in it selfe or compacted together For thither the Tribes goe vp euen the Tribes of the Lord to the Testimony of Israel to giue thankes vnto the Name of the Lord. For there are the Seats or the Thrones of Iudgement euen the Thrones of the house of Dauid SOme are of opinion this Psalme was made by Dauid and deliuered to the Church to be sung when the Arke of God was caried vp to Ierusalem when Ierusalem was setled by Dauid to bee the special Seate both of Religion and the Kingdome The people were bound thrice a yeere at Easter Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles to come vp and worship at Ierusalem Deut. 16. And some thinke this Psalme was prophetically made to sing by the way to sing when they went vp by the steps to the Temple And t' was fit For they came vp with ioy And ioy is apt to set men a singing And at ioy the Psalme begins I was glad when they said vnto mee We will goe into the house of the Lord. But whatsoeuer the vse of this Psalme was in any speciall Seruice certaine it is that Ierusalem stands here in the letter for the Citie and in type and figure for the State and the Church of Christ. My Text lookes vpon both and vpon the duetie which the Iewes did then and which wee now doe owe to both The Temple the Type of the Church that 's for God's seruice No Temple but for that The Citie the Type of the State that 's for the peoples peace No happy State but in that Both the Temple and the State God's house and the Kings both are built vpon Pillars And it is not long since I told you out of Psalm 75. that there are many times of exigence in which if God doe not beare vp the Pillars no strength which the Pillars haue in and of themselues can support the weight that lies vpon them Be they Pillars of the Temple or Pillars of the State Therefore here to ease the Pillars God hath built vp Buttresses if men doe not pull them downe to stay the maine walles of both buildings The Buttresse and support of the Temple is Religion God will not blesse the house if men doe not honour and serue him in it The Buttresse and stay of the Kingdome is Iustice. God will not blesse the State if Kings and Magistrates doe not execute iudgement If the widdow and the fatherlesse haue cause to crie out against the Thrones of Iustice. So the Church and the Commonwealth Gods house the Temple and the Kings house the house of Dauid are met in my Text. And they would euer meet and in loue no question did not some distempered spirits breathe sower vpon them For the Church cannot dwell but in the State Ye neuer read that she fled out of the State into the wildernesse but when some Dragon persecuted her Reuel 12. And the Common-wealth cannot flourish without the Church For where the Church is not to teach true Religion States are enforced out of necessitie of some to imbrace a false And a false is not a helpe to make a Kingdome flourish But when they dwell together when the Church the House of Grace is a welcome inmate to the State which is a wise fabricke of Nature then in the Temple there 's meeting The people goe vp to blesse and praise the Name of the Lord. And then in the State ther 's meeting To settle the Thrones of Iudgement to make firme the house of Dauid And then and neuer but then Ierusalem that is both State and Church is as a Citie that is at vnitie in it selfe My Text is nothing but a most deserued praise of Ierusalem And not of the particular materiall Ierusalem alone but of any State of any Church that is as Ierusalem then was and that doth as Ierusalem then did This praise of Ierusalem both formall in it selfe and exemplary to vs is set downe in three things And they seuer the Text into three partes For first here 's the vnity of Ierusalem 't is builded as a Citie at vnitie in it selfe Secondly the Religion of it For thither the Tribes goe vp euen the Tribes of the Lord to the Testimony of Israel to giue thankes vnto the name of the Lord. Thirdly the Gouernment of it both spirituall and temporall For there are the seates of Iudgement euen the seates of the house of Dauid The first commendation of Ierusalem is from the vnitie and concord that is in it 'T is like a Citie that is compacted together That 's for the buildings no desolation in the midst of it saith S. Basil. 'T is like a Citie at vnitie in it selfe That 's for the Inhabitants For the beautie and artificiall ioyning of the houses is expressed but as a type of this vnitie When men dwell as neere in affection as their houses stand in place 'T is a great ornament of a Citie that the buildings bee faire that they stand not scattering as if they were affraid each of other But wheresoeuer 't is so the Citie is beholding to vnitie for it Let the Citizens breake their vnitie once they 'l spend so much in quarrels that they cannot build the Citie No other times but when the Inhabitants are at peace can build nor no other time can keep them from waste But what Hath God care of houses out of question not but for the Inhabitants that dwell therein Hee that taketh the simple out of the dust and lifts the poore out of the mire Psalm 113. loues not man for his house nor no Citie for the buildings Ierusalem will not let mee wander for an instance For here so long as the Inhabitants serued God and were at vnitie what Citie like Ierusalem The Citie of the great King S. Mat. 5. The glorie of the whole earth Thren 2. But when they fell from God to Idols from vnitie to heart-burnings among themselues what then became of Ierusalem what why iust that which our Sauiour foretold S. Mat. 24. That one stone should not be left vpon another that should not bee throwne downe not one neither of Temple nor Citie And so it came to passe before Adrian left it If any man therefore will haue his house stand he hath no way but this to labour that Ierusalem the Citie may serue God in vnitie Now Ierusalem is by way of singular eminence called here a Citie compacted together And Dauid himselfe might best call it so For before Dauids time Salem and Sion were two Cities The Iewes dwelt in Salem but the Fort of Sion was yet held by the Iebusites 1. Chron. 11. Two
long as Ierusalem was at vnitie in it selfe But when that brake all misery began For no sooner had Ieroboam made a Rent in this vnity and torne away ten Tribes from the house of Dauid but by and by Samaria is as good as Ierusalem and the Calues in Dan and Bethel as good as that God that brought them out of the land of Egypt 3. Reg. 12. So dangerous a thing it is when vnitie and God's command are broke together The Iesuite Lorinus tels vs There are better causes to perswade vs now to goe on pilgrimage ad Limina Petri and the Iubilees at Rome then the Tribes had here to goe to Ierusalem What better causes The Iewes had Gods expresse commandement to goe to Ierusalem and the forme of worship that was there And what better warrant can any man or any people haue then Gods command Let him or any other shew me such a command That all the whole Church of Christ all the Tribes which now serue the Lord must come in person or consent and doe it at Rome wee will neuer stay for Lorinus his better reasons Wee will take Gods command for a good one and obey it But they must not thinke to choak vs with the wool that growes vpon Pasce oues S. Iohn 21. which as the Fathers haue diuersly spunne out so no one of them comes home to the cloathing of Rome with such a large Robe of State as she challengeth And this in the meane time will bee found true That while they seeke to tye all Christians to Rome by a diuine precept their Ambition of Soueraignty is one and a maine cause that Ierusalem euen the whole Church of Christ is not at vnitie in it selfe this day Now beside the honour seruice done to God the people had many other benefits by comming vp and meeting at Ierusalem Many but one more especially And that comes in to the third commendation of Ierusalem the Gouernment both Spirituall and Temporall For there also are the seates of Iudgement euen the seates of the house of Dauid So they might serue themselues at the seats of Iustice while they went to the Temple of serue God In the ascending 't was illuc thither And here at the sitting 't is illic there One the same City honoured with God his Church and the King And it must needs bee so For these three God the King and the Church that is God his Spouse his Lieutenant vpon earth are so neere allyed God and the Church in loue God the King in power The King and the Church in mutuall dependance vpon God and subordination to him That no man can serue any one of them truely but he serues all three And surely 't was in a blessed figure that Gods house and the Kings stood together at Ierusalem The Temple if I mistake not vpon the East and the Palace of Salomon vpon the South-side of the same Mountaine to shew that their seruants and seruice must goe together too that no man might thinke himselfe the farther from God by seruing the King nor the farther from the King by seruing God The Kings power is Gods ordinance and the Kings command must bee Gods glory and the honour of the Subiect is obedience to both And therefore in the Lawe the same command that lay vpon the people to come vp illuc thither to Ierusalem the very same lay vpon them to obey the Iudges and the house of Dauid illic when they came there To obey the Sanhedrim the Iudges Deut. 17. and both them and the King after the house of Dauid was setled as in this place For then there was seated as diuers of the Fathers and later diuines obserue both Authorities both of the Priests and of the King and his Iudges So the first lesson which the people doe or should learne by going vp to the Temple is obedience to both spirituall and temporall Authority but especially to the house of Dauid Well then illic there were the Seates or Thrones of iudgement Of all things that are necessary for a State none runs so generally through it as Iustice and Iudgement Euery part and member of a Kingdome needs it And 't is not possible Ierusalem should bee long at vnitie in it selfe if Iustice and Iudgement doe not vphold it And 't is in vaine for any man whether hee bee in authority or vnder it to talke of Religion Gods seruice to frequent the Temple if he doe not in the course of his life exercise and obey Iustice and Iudgement And this Lesson Religion euer teacheth For it was the very end of Christs comming to redeeme vs That wee might serue him in holinesse and in righteousnes S. Luk. 1. In holines toward God that 's first and then in righteousnes and iustice towards men that 's next And they stand so that the one is made the proofe of the other Righteousnes of Holines For he that doth but talke of Holinesse and doth vniustly therewhile is but an Hypocrite This for Iustice the preseruatiue of vnitie Now for the Seates of it They which are appointed to administer Iustice and Iudgement to the people haue Thrones or Chayres or Seates call them what you will the thing is the same out of which they giue sentence vpon Persons or Causes brought before them And they are signes of authority and power which the Iudges haue And 't is not for nothing that they are called Seates For Iudgement was euer giuen in publike sitting And there 's good reason for it For the soule and minde of man is not so settled when the Body is in motion For the Body moued moues the humours and the humours moued moue the affections and Affections moued are not the fittest to doe Iustice and iudgement No Reason in a calme vnmoued is fittest for that Now the Seates stand here both for the Seats themselues And so sederunt Sedes is Actiue for Passiue The Seates sate for The Seates are placed or for the Iudges that sit in them or sederunt id est permanserunt for the perpetuity and fixing of the Seates of Iustice. The Seates must bee in some reuerence for the persons that sit in them The persons must haue their Honour for the Office they performe in them And the Seates must bee fixed and permanent that the people which are fallen into Controuersie may know the Illiâ— and the Vbi whither to come and finde Iustice. The words in my Text are plurall Seates of Iudgement And 't is obseruable For the exorbitances of men that quarrell others are such and so many that one Seat of Iudgement only was scarce euer sufficient for any State Seates they must be they seldome want worke In the prime times of the Church Christians could not hold from going to Law one with another and that vnder vnbelieuers 1. â— Cor. 6. To meet with this frailtie of man God in this Common-wealth which himselfe ordered