will seek If you please more particularly to consider who this person was you shall find him to be both a King and a Prophet and so it lets us see that the publick peace and good ought especially to be the care of two sorts of persons namely Magistrates and Ministers 1. I a King To whom should the peoples good and peace be more precious then to their Rulers It is well observed that the Hebrew words {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} are the same Radicals transposed whereof the one signifieth to Rule and the other to be Peaceable intimating Quod dominatores debent vacare paci that they who are in Authority should especially mind the peoples tranquillity When Saint Paul explicitly bids the people pray for Kings and all in Authority that under them they might live a quiet and a peaceable life he doth implicitly instruct Kings and Governours what should be their care that the people may live peaceably under them Non mihi sed populo was Trajans word and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is not unfitly derived from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} good Princes have ever looked upon themselves as constituted though not by the peoples power yet for their good and that the sword which God puts into their hands is for the preservation of the peoples peace 2. I a Prophet Though the Ministers chief work is to reconcile men to God yet his endeavours must not be wanting to reconcile man to man indeed there is a peace of carnal security which we must strive to disturb wo to us if we sooth up men and say peace peace to them in their evil wayes But still the peace of civil tranquillity is that which we must be careful to promote Levi had his name in Hebrew from {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} which signifieth to joyn to teach the Tribe of Levi that union not division should be their design Aaron the High Priest had Pomegranates and Bells together round about the bottom of his Vestment the Pomegranate having many kernels within one circumference is an emblem of peace and unity and the Bells being joyned with the Pomegranates teacheth Gods Priests that peace should be a principal subject of their preaching We must be O that too many among us had not been Trumpets of Sedition and contention but Bells with Pomegranates perswaders to peace and love Those whom our blessed Saviour chose to be his Disciples and Apostles were not hollowing Hunters but still Fisher-men The Priests of Juno were called Melissae we must be laborious Bees without a sting of anger except it be against sin and as Christ said of his Spouse the Milk of Love and the Honey of Peace should be still under or rather on the tip the top of our tongues But yet we must not thus confine the consideration of the I David was bound not onely as a King and a Prophet but as a Servant of God and a Member of Jerusalem to seek its good and so none is exempted from this duty Some Expositors conceive the three last verses of this Psalm to be one continued form of prayer prescribed by David to all the people and in this notion the I is every one of what calling and condition soever There is no man who is not obliged according to his place and calling to endeavour the common welfare S. Basil complained in his time I wish there were not too just cause of complaint in all ages that men are wont every one to withdraw his own shoulder from the publick burden {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and transfer the care of things of general concernment upon his neighbour by which means it cometh to pass as that Father well observeth that whilest each man having the same mind neglects the publick good before he is aware he brings a mischief upon himself Let no man therefore look upon himself as unconcerned in the common interest and if he cannot by any other way let him however seek it by his prayers Any man though blind as Bartimeâ—s lame as Mephibosheth and poor as Lazarus may yet say peace be within thee nay though he be dumb as Zachary he may say it in his heart which is an acceptable prayer to God it is that which every one may and if he will approve himself to be such an one as David was must doe But when is it that David will set about this work to this the Answer is given in the Adverb and the Tense 1. The Adverb is now which may be looked upon in a double reference 1. To the present state and condition of Jerusalem concerning which the Psalmist saith that it was a City compact at unity within it self and if so may some say why will David say now peace be within thee We do not usually crave what we have but what we want nor seek what we enjoy but what we need To this it is justly returned that we both may and ought to pray for and endeavour the continuation of those blessings we already enjoy non minor est virtus said he of victory it is true of peace which we must be as careful to preserve as to procure be the dayes never so Haldcion we must not think we have clipt the wings of peace so that it cannot fly from us and therefore must strive to keep it with us We are deceived if we think our mountain at any time so strong that it cannot be moved When the Sea is calmest and the Skie brightest on a sudden a storm a cloud may arise and therefore it is our wisdom to pray for dayly bread though our buttery be full for health though we are well and for peace even when all is quiet 2. To the present temper and disposition of the Psalmist Now that is while his heart was warmed with zeal to Jerusalem having fixed his meditations on her he resolveth to engage himself to pray for her peace and seek her good it is no small piece of pious wisdom to watch our own hearts and not to let go the opportunities of engaging them to the exercise of any duty Indeed whosoever observeth his own heart shall find it very deceitful It was holy Bernards complaint nihil corde meo fugacius nothing is more slitting then my heart and therefore at any time when we find out hearts in a good frame to any service of repentance or charity piety or prayer it should be our care not to let it slip but improve it to the best advantage 2. But will he only do it now nay it is the future tense in both verbs I will which implyeth a fixed resolution of continuing in prayer and endeavour for Jerusalems good The Septuagint useth the preterperfect tense I have the Adverb Now is of the present time and the Hebrew
THE OLIVE-BRANCH Presented to the Native Citizens of LONDON In a SERMON preached at S. Paul's Church May 27. being the day of their Yearly Feast By NATH. HARDY Preacher to the Parish of S. Dyonis Back-Church Psal. 122. 6. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem they shall prosper that love thee Aug. de Civit. Dei l. 2. c. 21. Quae harmonia à musicis dicitur in cantu ea est in Civitate concordia arctissimum atque optimum omni in Republica vinculum incolumitatis LONDON Printed by J. G. for John Clark and are to be sold at his Shop under S. Peters Church in Cornhil 1658. To all the Native Citizens of London PARTICULARLY Those who lately met together MORE ESPECIALLY The worthy Stewards of the FEAST HOw good and how pleasant it is for Brethren to dwell together in unity the Psalmist telleth us or rather cannot tell us and therefore proposeth it by way of Question and ushereth it in with a Behold of Admiration Surely then for Brethren who dwell together in unity sometimes to meet and feast together in amity cannot be either had in it self or justly displeasing to any At all solemn Feasts Piety ought to be the first and Charity the last dish upon which account it is that they usually begin with a Sermon and end with a Contribution It was your pleasure my honoured Friends to whom the care of the late Solemnity was committed to put the sacred part of that burden on my shoulders A Service which as I did not ambitiously seek so neither could I ingratefully refuse and therefore according to my slender abilities have endevoured to perform of which weak performance your candid acceptance hath laid upon me a further obligation of gratitude At your desire the following Discourse whatever it is was conceived in the Study born in the Pulpit and now appeareth to the World in the Printers sheets not doubting but that where ever you meet you will vouchsafe to own it since it together with the Author is so much yours As for you my Brethren who were pleased to honor the Stewards with your presence I heartily wish your liberality had been so large that it might have come abroad into all the land as a pattern for others to follow that as the close of the Sermon is hortatory so the Preface might have been laudatory But since I cannot praise I will pray The Lord make you to increase and abound in love towards the poor and needy To all my fellow-Citizens whether then present or absent I shall make bold to commend a double word 1. As the two Cherubims looked with their faces one to another and both to the Mercy-seat so let us mind each others welfare and all of us the Cities good Let there be no strife between us Brethren except it be who shall most honour this place wherein we were born by an exemplary conversation 2. As our Saviour said in another Case to his Disciples Rejoice not that the Spirits are subject to you but rather rejoice because your names are written in Heaven So say I in this let us not rejoice that we are London-natives but rather rejoice if we are Citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem Let us not please our selves with the priviledge of our natural birth in this City unlesse we are born again from above so as we may truly say according to Beza's Translation of those words of S. Paul our City is in Heaven where that we may all meet together celebrating an Eternal Festival of Peace and Joy is the unfeigned prayer of Your affectionate Brother and Servant NATH HARDY PSALM 122. Ver. 8 9. 8. For my brethren and companions sake I will now say Peace be within thee 9. Because of the House of the Lord our God I will seek thy good THis Scripture like a well-made picture which looketh every way or a well-wrought Key which fitteth every door hath a congruous reference to each circumstance of this solemne meeting Jerusalem the Mother City of Judea is the Centre in which the lines of this text yea the whole Psalm meet and upon what should our eyes especially at this time be fixed but London which is the Metropolis of England This Psalm whereof the Text is the close was wont to be sung by the Jewish Tribes when they met at Jerusalem on the yearly feasts in that respect very fit to be the Preachers subject when the English particularly the London Tribe is gathered together on their annuall festivall besides the place in which we are assembled is no other then the House of the Lord our God we who are here met are by our birth and education in this famous City brethren and companions nor is there any thing on this occasion more fit to be inculcated upon us than that which is the chief scope of the Text that we should seek the good of the City now say peace be within thee Indeed what duty more suitable to this place then prayer for whom should prayer be made if not for our English Jerusalem what should we pray for if not for her peace and good who should pray for it or seek after it if not we and when if not now on this day of our publick assembling You see how easily the Text is applicable to the occasion God grant we may all as readily apply the Sermon to our consciences and then I doubt not but with one consent we shall breath forth Davids language in reference to this our Jerusalem For my Brethren and Companions sake I â—ill now say peace be within thee Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seek thy good The words contain in them a double engagement and double enforcement The engagements are to words and works devotion and action prayer and endeavour I will now say peace be within thee I will seek thy good The enforcements are in respect of Men and God Relations and Religion persons and place For my brethren and companions sake and because of the house of the Lord our God If you please I shall more punctually anatomize the Text into its severall members for though sometimes a single view of every particle in a Scripture may seem a mangling of the meat and crumbling of the bread yet when every word affords a distinct materiall observation it is a carefull cutting of the meat and breaking the bread so as it may be the better eaten and more easily digested Conceive then the Text as a River parting it self into six smooth and soft streams or like a Tree spreading it self into six choice and flourishing branches namely the Cui Quid Quomodo Quando and the Quare The Subject for whom in the pronouns thee and thy The Object for what in the nouns peace and good The Acts whereby in the verbs say and seek The Agent who implied in the first person of the verbs and expressed in our translation by the Pronoune I. The Time when
raze it even the foundations thereof let all true-hearted Israelites say peace be within it But this is not all which is here intended by saying I called it but now a word of devotion and so no doubt it is say is as much as pray you find the very word used a little before In the immediately preceding verse you meet with a short form of prayer Peace be within thy walls much like that of our Church da pacem Domine in diebus nostris give peace in our time O Lord and here David saith that is prayeth peace be within thee The truth is 1. Peace is Gods gift all the Letters of the name Jehovah are literae quiescentes quiescent letters it is he who must give quietness God is called the God of peace and peace is stiled the peace of God and good reason since he is the Author of peace and lover of concord Indeed it is Gods work and his alone perhaps for this reason called a creating peace creation being the prerogative of a Deity He onely in whose hands all mens hearts are can make men of one heart he onely who stilleth the blustring winds and roaring waves can quiet angry minds and furious spirits Is it forraign peace he maketh peace in thy borders Is it domestick peace he maketh men to be of one mind in one house Is the peace broken he healeth the breaches Is it made he it is who ordaineth and stablisheth it 2. The effectual means of obtaining peace is prayer it is the strongest weapon in war the best Orator for peace if we would have peace on earth there is no better way then to dispatch a messenger to Heaven peace is called by God himself the fruit of the lips it is the fruit of his lips he hath promised it it must be the fruit of our lips we must pray for it those whom the Psalmist saith God will bless with peace are his people and one character of his people is that they are a praying people either God will give no peace or however not as a blessing to them who call not on him for it Learn we then as upon all occasions to plead with men so especially to beg of God for peace there cannot be easier terms then ask and have and he will do little for peace who will not so much as ask for it Let then the Psalmists counsel be as acceptable as in the Hebrew phrase it is elegant {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Pray for the peace of Jerusalem And since it is to God we pray let us be sure that our saying be heart-work as wel as lip-labour for he understandeth the language of our hearts and it is our inward devotion which speaketh loudest in his ears 2. But is this all that David will act in order to Jerusalems peace onely a few good words and wishes No he will not onely say but seek A word of a very large extent 1. It includeth an act of desire since what we seek is that we do not onely coldly wish but affectionately will 2. More then this it is an act of design setting the head on work to contrive the best means of finding what we seek 3. Yet further it is an act of endeavour making use of all those means which are afforded 4. Nay more then this it is verbum solicitudinis and noteth an industrious diligence in that endeavour The Hebrew word here used {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is emphatical and as the Criticks observe is in this differenced from the verb {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} used a little before that whereas that signifieth onely to seek by inquiry this signifieth to seek by endeavour The verb by which the Septuagint translate it is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a word which hath an emphasis both in the verb and the preposition The simple verb {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} is more then {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} and noteth a sedulous search it is used of the Pharisees seeking to lay hold on Christ who no doubt did omnem movere lapidem leave no means unassayed to accomplish their malice against him The preposition {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} doth much increase the signification and is rendered diligently seek So that the resolve of this holy man in reference to Jerusalems peace and good is not only to send up devout prayers but put forth his utmost endeavour The truth is a lazie prayer begs a deniall it is no reason God should grant what we are not willing to have and we cannot be said to desire to have that which we will not labour as much as lyeth in us to obtain St. Gregories Gloss upon those words of the Church Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens is very apposite to this purpose cor cum manibus levat qui orationem cum opere sublevat he lifts up his hands with his heart who assists his prayer with endeavour the latter of these without the former is a contempt of God and the former without the latter is a tempting him and therefore let us joyn both together Indeed saying that is praying should have the first place it is the first in the Text and should be so in our practice but yet it is not the only thing we must do all other lawful means must be prosecuted in order to the peace of Jerusalem and that you may know who they are that must be thus devout in saying and active in seeking I proceed to a Delineation of the Agent implyed in the Hebrew verbs expressed pressed in the English by the pronoun I this I is most rationally conceived to be the pen-man of the Psalm and he most probably supposed to be David And before I go further it will not be amiss to observe that he who at the sixth verse exhorts others to pray for Jerusulems peace here maketh it his own petition and as here in reference to the duty of prayer so elsewhere in respect of the duty of praise the Psalmist as he calleth upon others Bless the Lord all ye his Hosts bless the Lord all his works so both in the beginning and close of the Psalme upon himselfe Bless the Lord O my soul Thus doth it become all those who crow to others to clap their own wings who admonish others to be exemplary themselves it is an excellent saying of Saint Gregory qui alios excitat seipsum ad bene operandum ligat our excitations to others are obligations upon our selves since as Saint Austine excellently Non obedienter auditur qui non seipsum audit hee cannot expect to be obediently heard by others who doth not hear himself that Orator is most likely to prevail who perswadeth the people to do no other then what he resolveth to do himselfe As here David I will say I