the question or had taken up Armes against them or had supplicated against it they would have said It is the King oh we come in the name of the King we have it under his hand and seale They had it by a wyle an invention that turned it another way then the King intended but after when he saw it he was willing to recall his hand and seale but they pressed him thou hast signed a decree c. Therefore you shall find that afterward He set his heart to deliver Daniel and to revoke his owne decree upon better information and to recall that that he had not onely spoken but had given it under his hand and seale but the men were too hard for him in counsell I speake this mainly because there are those that if they can though upon mis-information get but the word or the hand or person of the King to confirme and signe what they doe it must be accounted rebellion and treason and what not for men to labour better to informe the Prince and to undeceive him when we see it is common in Scripture that Princes have given more thankes to them that have undeceived them and delivered them from their owne hands and seales that they have beene ptevailed upon to give upon mis-information then ever they did to them that obtained them at their hands Therefore in verse 9. King Darius sealed the writing but in verse 14. He was displeased with himselfe and set his heart upon Daniel to deliver him That is the second First the danger of seducing by flattery secondly of evill Counsell The third is the danger and mischiefe of force and violence The taking away of the wicked from before the King is a meanes to establish his Throne in Righteousnesse because of the violence and the force that a King is in danger of when the wicked are about the Throne his person is in danger to be mastered by their force and power and strength 2 Sam. 3.38 See it in David Malignants may be too hard for a King by force and violence as well as by flattery and Counsell The King said to his servants Know ye not that a Prince and a great man is fallen in Israel I this day am weake though annointed King and these men the sonnes of Zerviah are too hard for me This was the case Joab had killyd Abner trecherously David was King Joab was the Generall of his Army and his kins-man David was Unkle to Joab and his brother they were his nephewes Joab had slaine Abner basely it was a murther and a trecherous murther and David was King and should have done justice and he had protested it yet these were too hard for him not in point of seducing by flattery or of evill Counsell but by force and violence David could not make his party good against Joab because he was Governour of the Army and he was afraid that Joab might make more force then he and so he mastered the King and kept him from doing of justice though he were a just King and had vowed to doe justice and blood called upon him Yet these sonnes of Zerviah for there were three of them but one was slaine these grand Cavaleeres when they had gotten the sword in their hand though their pretence were to help David yet afterward they over-mastered him and would kill and slay and David could not check them for it The like may be said of the great ones about King Zedekiah that example though it be large is pertinent Jer. 37. he was a friend to Jeremiah but the Princes bore him downe and would have the blood of Ieremiah he had great ones about him so long as they would have what they listed contrary to the King and mastered him ver 21. Then Zedekiah commanded to put Ieremiah into the court of the prison Here the King favours the Prophet according to his request he frees him out of the greatest straite he was in Yet after the power of the Nobles turned the streame as we find Ier. 38.4 read ver 1. what the Princes were Shephariah the sonne of Mattan and Gedaliah the son of Pashur and Iucal the son of c. foure of the Kings great favourites about him they said we beseech thee let this man be put to death for thus he weakneth the hands of the men of warre that remaine in this City and the hands of all the people in speaking such words unto them for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people but the hurt Then Zedekiah the King said behold he is in your hands c. Yet before he had done him good and favoured him and intended to favour him but they forced the King by violence they did over-master him and over-beare him and made him goe contrary to his mind and intention And afterward when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian a good Courtier had informed the King that Ieremiah was innocent as we read ver 8.9 Ebedmelech went forth out of the Kings house and spake to the King saying My Lord the King these men have done evill in all that they have done to Ieremiah the Prophet whom they have cast into the dungeon and he is like to die for hunger in that place where he is Then the King was of another mind and in ver 10. he commanded him to take thirty men to take Ieremiah out of the dungeon before he died And Ebedmelech tooke the men with him and went into the house of the King under the Treasury c. Then in ver 14. Zedekiah the King sent and tooke Jeremiah into the third entry of the house of the Lord into a secret place for the Princes about him were too hard for him and he durst not be knowne to his Courtiers that he had any correspondency with Ieremiah See how lamentably a King may be captivated by the wicked that are about the Throne Ier. 38.14 Zedekiah sent and tooke Ieremiah into the third entry of the house of the Lord and said I will aske thee a thing hide nothing from me Then Ieremiah said unto Zedekiah if I declare it unto thee wilt thou not surely put me to death And if I give thee counsell wilt thou not hearken unto me So the King sware secretly to Jeremiah saying as the Lord liveth that made us these souls I will not put thee to death neither will I give thee into the hands of these men that seeke thy life Then said Ieremiah thus saith the Lord he gives him counsell In ver 24. saith Zedekiah let no man know these words and thou shalt not die and if the Princes heare that I have talked with thee and they come unto thee and say unto thee Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the King hide it not from us and we will not put thee to death also what the King said unto thee Then thou shalt say unto them I presented my supplication before the King that he would not cause me to returne to Ionathans
house to die there The King bids him pop them off with another answer and durst not be known that he had talked with the man of God he was over-mastered by his Courtiers that hedged him round they over-mastered him by their power Is there not need then and is it not just to take away the wicked from before the King that his Throne may be established in Righteousnesse If there be danger of mischiefe all these wayes of seduction by flattery though a King intend never so sincerely and of evill counsell in over-bearing him and circumventing him that he shall not be able to sound into the depth of their designes and of violence when they have gotten swords enow into their owne hands to make a prisoner of the King and yet to doe all in his name as if he were the chiefe Commander there is good reason that the wicked should be taken away from before the King and that the taking them away is the stablishing his Throne in Righteousnesse But here an objection must be cleared before I touch the application The objection is this you will say it is true wee all agree that the taking away of the wicked from before the King is the stablishing of his Throne in Righteousnesse and that the wicked should be taken away from before the King But stay Who must be the takers away And how must they be taken away For this seemes to be the nick of the point and the whole question is tripartite Who must be removed By whom And how must they be removed and so shall my answer be Briefly First who must be taken away I touched before but now shall more fully and clearly answer First generally the wicked originally it is the evill and ungodly thing but so it includes all wicked persons things and acts that are before the throne Prov. 23. Righteousnesse exalteth a Nation but sinne is a reproach to any people That is the generall all provoking evill things persons acts But secondly and more particularly all evill things acts and persons First in point of Religion so Maacah and her Idoll must goe downe 2 Chron. 15.16 So trecherous Abiather the Priest must be banished 1 King 1.26 So Joashes Princes must be casheered 2 Chro. 24. Secondly as in Religion so in the Camp bloody Joab though he be neer the King must have justice and Adonijah if need be because he is a Subject must be cut off 1 King 2.25 Thirdly in the Court Doeg and Ziba and Haman with Zedechiah's Counsellers and Princes that were too hard for him and Darius Princes that were too hard for him they all must be removed and taken away All in short that David names in Psal 101. I will early destroy the wicked of the Land that I may cut off evill doers from the City of my God That is as farre as they are knowne and convicted they may not be protected but yeelded up to justice Secondly who must remove which is the man that must doe this There is the question who must be the removers and takers away I goe still with a clew of Scripture in my hand I answer the Kings authority must doe it I have Scripture for it Pro. 20.8 The King that sitteth in the Throne of judgement scattereth away the evill with his eyes Let me explaine this Text and the great knot is untied The King that sitteth c. By the King in the Throne of Judgement we are to understand not the pleasure and will of a King no nor the very strict person of a King but we are to understand the Royall authority as it is exercised according to Law therefore he saith the King sitting upon the Throne that is the King in the Court of judicature he scattereth away the evill with his eyes he affrighteth and judgeth and removeth wicked persons and things by looking narrowly after them So that in two words if you would know who must be the removers it is Royall authority The King upon the Throne of judgement that is the King in all his Courts of Justice for concerning the will of a Prince none can be so unreasonable as to imagine that the will of the Prince must tell who shall be taken away and who shall be saved for then it is not Monarchy but Tyranny Then for the person of the Prince he sits not in the Courts he is the Center and therefore is unmooveable and all the lines are drawne from him the judicature of Parliament as the highest Court the greatest line drawne from the Center of Royall authority and all other petty lines under it But you will say if the King were in the Parliament then there were the Royall authority that should take away the wicked from before the Throne I answer can the tything man doe his office and the Constable and petty Courts and the presence of the King not be required for the execution of them and shall the Supreame Court of the Kingdome have leffe power then Court-leet or Court-Baron Let reason and sense judge So when it is asked who shall remove them I say Royall authority This is that that Peter meanes 2 Pet. 2.13 14. Submit your selves to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake whether it be to the King as Supreame or unto Governours as them that are sent of him for the punishment of evill doers and for the praise of them that doe well This Text is commonly perverted by our rotten Divines Submit to every Ordinance of man for the Lords sake the Ordinance is of man the stamp of it is of God There be diverse Ordinances of man of Monarchy of Aristocracy suppose of Democracy Whatsoever the Ordinance of man be in the land thou livest in if it be in the Low-Countries submit to the Ordinance of Aristocracy for the Lords sake if it be in England submit to the Ordinance of Monarchy for the Lords sake if in another place submit to that Ordinance for the Lords sake still the Ordinance is of man theirs is the mettle and the stamp is of God For the Lords sake whether it be to the King as the Supream or to Officers sent of him why for what For the punishment of evill doers and the praise of them that doe well so the Ordinance is to the praise of them that doe well and the punishment of them that doe evill Now the Ordinance in out Kingdome you know what it is it is upon a pact or compact and the greatest priviledge of the Subject in that pact is the great assembly of Parliament But how must this be done If Royall authority must doe it the King in his judicature from the Parliament to the Constable must take away the wicked from before the King that is as far as they are convicted and as farre as his Office extends But how must they be taken away I answer by divers swords First by the sword of the mouth if it be possible by gentle admonitions and sharp reprehensions
Fourthly in punishing cursing Shimei that rayled against the Lords anointed in his affliction ver 44. all in that Chapter So Solomon saith no more here then there he made good in two severall paires of examples all done it seemes in conformity to this proverb or introduction But looke briefly a little further for more testimony look in the same Royall line and state King David the father of Solomon and indeed David gave Solomon this Coppy and he did but write after his fathers hand in the penning and recording this and in the execution of justice in conformity to it as we see in 1 King 2. David gave him charge concerning bloody Joab and cursing Shimei Thus we finde it from the Father and the Sonne the Father a man after Gods owne heart the Sonne the wisest King that ever swayed Scepter and we find it from him by precept and by practise But before I proceed to further testimony for this is the great point and will be the great question too as wee shall see anon it is good to enquire here concerning the expressions in the Text to open them a little by the way though I shall give you a brighter candle to see them anon First what is meant by removing Secondly who are meant by wicked Thirdly what is meant by before the Kings throne First what is meant by removing By removing brethren we must understand executing banishing casheering displacing or any other kind of punishment whereby those evill ones may be justly chastized and royall Majesty preserved and secured so the meaning is this to take effectuall courses that God and the Law may be satisfied and that such may doe no further mischiefe Thus this King Solomon executed Adonijah and Joab when faire means and pardon would not prevaile with Adonijah thus he casheered Abiather a great Priest and cut off Shimei a rayling Subject as I said before this is briefly removing Secondly by wicked we must understand all known transgressors and delinquents against the Law of God and man all dangerous malignants Shall David give you a list of them in Psal 101 he tels you of the wicked that turne aside ver 3. Secondly of a froward heart and wicked person ver 4. Thirdly of privy slanderers and proud spirits v. 5. Fourthly of secret workers and tellers of lies ver 7. Or shall Solomon adde somewhat to the Catalogue 1 King 2. heare what he saith First an ambitious traiterous favourite so he took off Adonijah Secondly a rotten Priest so he casheered Abiather Thirdly a bloody trecherous Cavalier so he executed Joab And fourthly a rayling Malignant and so he cut off Shimei Thus all wicked are comprized all drosse as it is in the former vers drosse is good for nothing and while it is mixed with the Silver it hinders the refiner of a vessell What is meant from before the King That is from all speciall office especially in spirituals under and about the King so Abiather in spirituall Joab in martiall affaires Adonijah for intimacy and counsell and Ahaz mother Maacah for Idolatry Primarily by wicked is meant all wicked Counsellers Courtiers Officers Servants under and about royall Majesty and the Throne their sinfull Counsell and service must all be casheered and rejected Secondly and more remotely all wicked persons in a Kingdome as farre as they are convict must be brought to punishment discarded and discountenanced and dealt with according to Law for so the phrase is here remove the wicked from before the King c. but so much for the lesser candle by the way The maine piece I intend at this time is for I told you I am altogether upon undeceiving of mens judgements and untangling of their consciences the maine piece I shall stick on are grounds of this truth that is the ground and bottome of the whole question and businesse not onely disputed among Lawyers but among Souldiers I say the grounds of this why and wherefore the wicked must be removed from before the King that his Throne may be established in Righteousnesse or why the takeing away of the wicked from before the King is a meanes to establish his Throne in Righteousnesse I will give you but two grounds in generall but the latter will yeeld severall particulars The first generall ground is because the wicked that are before the King are a high provocation of the Almighty You shall scarce finde out nay you cannot finde out such a parcell of provokers in a whole Nation as the wicked ones that are about the King If there be wicked ones about the Throne God is more displeased with that parcell of wickednesse then with any parcell that nationally can befall a Kingdom Isa 1.22 23 24. Thy Silver is become drosse a sad case thy wine is mixed with water Silver the best that becomes drosse it is the worst wine of all liquors the most lively and vigorous mixed with water it is worse then if it were all water how so in ver 23. Thy Princes are rebels and companions of theeves every one loveth gifts and followeth after rewards Therefore saith the Lord ver 24. Ah I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies Here is a burthen under which the spirit of the Almighty groanes as it were so that he sighs again as a man that his back is on the nick of breaking ah I will avenge me c. What was the matter The greatnesse of the butthen of wicked great ones neare about the Throne wicked Nobles wicked great Governours in those dayes that were next the Prince for so I understand it next the supreame so in Hos 9.15 All their wickednesse is in Gilgal for there J hated them for the wickednesse of their doings I will drive them out of mine house I will love them no more all their Princes are revolters For the wickednesse of Gilgal where was that At Gilgal they chose they solemnized at least their first King and that was not an act according to Gods mind therefore the word Princes is added to shew that great provocation and wickednesse about the Throne the wicked neere about the King Also in Micah 3. for I can but feed you now with Cyphers see what was their sin ver 1 2 3. and their punishment ver 8 9 12. their sin was evill Wicked great ones neere about the Throne and their punishment utter desolation and destruction and sweeping away from the Earth So in Jerem. 5.5 he speakes of the sinne of great ones not onely the poore but the great ones were obstinate and stubborne and did breake the bands and despise the coards hereupon their punishment is direliction in the verse following A Lyon out of the forrest shall slay them c. No mervaile then if the Lord in the matter of Peor Num. 25.4 when he was so highly provoked cals for the heads of the people to hang them up before the Sunne Take all the heads of the people we must not understand the heads
you will shew me that my Sonne hath stirred up my servant against me to lye in waite as at this day Saul spake not to Edomites but to Benjamites But see his forwardnesse then answered Doeg the Edomite c. vers 9. And he tels such a tale that he kindled the King against all the Lords Priests that he sent speedily for them and commanded them to be slaine and when none else would doe it the complainer was the executioner vers 18. And the King said to Doeg turne thou and fall upon the Priests and Doeg the Edomite turned and fell upon the Priests and smote with the edge of the sword man woman and child he doth more then he is commanded to doe That is one instance But you will say Saul was a King deserted of God the spirit was gone from him and he was a wicked King See then in a good King the force of the wicked before the King that is about the Throne they are of force to draw a holy King a man after Gods owne heart contrary to his protestations and intentions they are of force to draw him aside and to keepe him from doing of justice Look on Ziba in Davids time and reigne the 101. Psal is Davids protestation where he promiseth and protests in the presence of God and doubtlesse the man did meane as he speakes To doe justice and judgement to walke in his house with a perfect heart and no evill thing should abide in his sight and presence him that slandered his Neighbour he would destroy and he would cut off the wicked from the Land But Ziba tels a tale of Mephibosheth a slanderous lie that he did not come to meet David because he hoped the Throne should be established upon the house of his Father Hereupon David gives a rash sentence that Mephibosheths lands must be forfeited and Ziba shall have them and afterward when Mephibosheth tels ye truth that he was a loyall Subject and so sympathized with the King that he did not cut his haire nor wash his hands nor shave himselfe during the Kings troubles yet Ziba being neere about the King so prevailed that he could not doe judgement at the last compare 2 Sam. 16.3 4. with 2 Sam. 19.29 where he saith J have said thou and Ziba divide the lands Is this according to his protestation Would not a man have believed when he said J will walke in my house with an upright heart that he did meane according to his expression Yes without doubt he did but it is not as David meanes but as the Court stands affected and the Courtiers about him for though the Princes meaning be pious if there be such about him their seduction and fraud and flatterie may carry him against his owne intentions by the efficacy and power of fawning Courtiers to seduce a sincere Soveraigne to wrong his best and loyallest Subjects David had not a more loyall Subject then that honest hearted mortified spirited Mephibosheth yet notwithstanding that he was so deserving a man notwithstanding David was so sincere a King and made so full a protestation he drawes him aside and miscarries him Many other examples I could produce This is the first mischiefe and danger of the wicked before the King the danger of flattery and seducing The second danger is of mis-information for these are of serious consequence and if they be seriously considered they will put a sharper edge upon the sword of justice in your hands for it is the sword of justice that you carry then any other argument whatsoever Secondly the danger of the wicked about the King is in mis-information and evill Counsell and over-counselling and over-bearing a Prince in counsell they may draw aside a Prince The example of Rehoboam is famous he was the sonne of this Solomon 1 King 12. There were two sorts of Counsellers about the King First the old men that sate before his Father the grave Counsell the old Parliament of Israel as we read ver 6 7. and what doe they advise him to Gentlenesse and moderation to speake kindly to the people and to be their servant that day and they were his for ever The other were the yong Counsellers the Calvaleeres counsell hot spirits high spirits that were younger and they contrary give advice they will have him that he shall be a King by the sword by power and might and scourges and whips and scorpions to fetch them in and they shall try whether he shall be a King or none and the sad issue we read of in ver 16. It was pernicious though it were pleasing Counsell thus in Rehoboams case Anothers instance I could give you in Ahasueros that mighty Prince that had so many score of provinces yet Haman was too hard for him in Counsell In Hest 3. there we read of Hamans Pur he cast lottes he went to the Devill and to witches that he might find a way to compasse it to bewitch the King His insinuation to the King was that it was not for the Kings profit to suffer them and they were a people that were scattered and had other lawes contrary to other Nations the same lawes that were used in the Northerne troubles and are now used in all England and so he prevailed and inclosed King Ahsuneros with these arguments being too hard for him in Counsell that he made him to signe away the life of his owne wife that he did not know or understand till afterward But besides those two that I have named which both prove the danger of the wicked about the King in respect of counsell take in the third place the instance of King Darius that comes pat to our times The Courtiers were too hard for Darius they captived him in their counsels they over-mastered him they inwrapped him that he could not see the truth he could not see the bottome Dan. 6.4 5 6. we are a notable paralell for it the Malignants they had a designe upon Daniel because he was of a more excellent spirit then they and because the King set him above the rest of the Presidents Then in the 5. ver say they we shall not find occasion against him except it be concerning the Law of his God and they assembled and made a decree that whosoever should aske any petition of God or man for 30. dayes but onely of the King he should be cast into the denne of Lyons In verse 9. Darius signes the writing he gives it under his hand and seale he consents to it and likes it well because it was according to his present information he saw not the depth of the designe but after he saw it when the designe was unmasked and unvizarded and he espyed the bottome of the project the King was farre enough from consenting in that sense and to that end that they intended for in ver 14. when the King heard these words that is that they meant to accuse Daniel he was sore displeased If a man had asked these men