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A01704
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The blessing of a good king Deliuered in eight sermons vpon the storie of the Queene of the south, her words to Salomon, magnifying the gouernment of his familie and kingdome. By Thomas Gibson, minister.
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Gibson, Thomas, M.A.
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1614
(1614)
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STC 11841; ESTC S103127
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203,984
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514
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true wisedome This is the ioye and Felicitie of Gods children in this life This doctrine serueth for many excellent vses And first it serueth to set out the miserable estate of such as are destitute of this gratious meanes For if they be happy that heare this wisdome vnhappy are they and cursed which cannot heare it which are cleane without it haue no taste or knowledge of it Where Prophâ—cying faileth or where there is no Vision of wisedome there the people perish And in an other place Where no counsell is the people fall But where manie Counsellors are there is health Againe The Lorde complaineth in these words by the Prophet saying My people are destroyed for lacke of knowledge Because thou hast refused Knowledge I will refuse thee that thou shalt bee no Priest to mee And seeing thou hast forgotten the Lawe of thy God I will also forget thy children The Lorde threatneth it as one of his greatest Iudgements to send in his wrath to anie people Blinde Guides dumbe Dogges Idoll Shepheards and scarcitie and famine of his word And as our SAVIOVR CHRIST saith That if the blind leade the blind both shal fall into the ditche Ignorance blindnes is a wretched vnhappy thing both in Minister people Knowledge a part of Gods Image Ignorance defaceth it Knowledge the Eye of the soule Ignorance the very blindnes and darknes of the soule It is the cause of all sinne and error And if it bee Eternall life to knowe God it is eternall death destruction and damnation not to know him And heauy is that sentence of the Apostle against such when he saieth That when the LORD IESVS shall shewe himselfe from heauen with his mighty Angels hee will in flaming fire render vengeance vnto them that do not know GOD which obey not the Gospell of our Lorde Iesus Christ which shall be punished with euerlasting perdition from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Some are maliciously ignorant misliking and hating the Truth Some are sloathfull idle carelesse They will take no paines for Wisedome Some are proude thinking scorne to learne and that they neede not bee taught but knowe enough alreadie These are none of the sonnes and daughters of Wisedome but rather those Fooles of whom Salomon often speaketh in the Prouerbes And indeed the Diuell may begge them for fooles these haue no part in this happines but are vnhappy here and shall be most vnhappy hereafter This doctrine also serueth for the reproofe of such as seeke to hinder and stoppe the course of wisedome these are vnhappy themselues and seeke to hinder the happines of others they are like to the malicious Philistimes which stopped the welles of Isaack as fast as he digged them and would haue kept his cattle from water so these would hinder men from the sweet water of life He that withdraweth the corne saith the wise man the people curse him but blessing shall be vpon the head of him that selleth corne Couetous and cruell men are most vile and wretched creatures which keepe backe the corne from the poore hoping for a greater dearth much more vnhappy are they which keepe from the people the bread of life the decay of tillage is a hindrance to the common-wealth and the cause of want and dearth and they that doe it doe offend against God and men and they sinne much more which pulleth downe Gods plough and hinder the sowing of the blessed seede of his word which is as needfull for the soule as husbandrie is for the body The righteous man regardeth the life of the beast but the mercies of the wicked are cruell pitty and compassion is to be shewed to the very dumbe creatures that doth vs seruice we must see them fed and it were crueltâ—e to pine them how much more are we to be mercifull to men to the bodies of men and most of all to their soules And if it be crueltie to pine and famish the bodies of men yea of any creature how much greater crueltie is it to pine famish and murther the precious soules of men in keeping from them the blessed and spirituall foode of their soules Were it not an vnmercifull cruell thing to take from a poore souldier his sword his buckler his whole armour and to leaue him naked and open to the force and rage of most cruell enemies As vnmercifull are they which take from the poore people the sword of the spirit the word of God being the armour of proofe and so leaue them altogether weake and vnarmed against their spirituall enemies by the power of the word and the right vse and handling of it Sathan Antichrist sin â—rror heresies all corruptions are weakned and ouerthrowne how shall we then doe if we be depriued of such a weapon and most cruell are they that depriue and robbe the poore people of it such are the Papists which keepe from the people the blessed booke of true wisedome wil not haue it read to the people in their own toÌ„gue but in a strange an vnknowne language wheras the Apostle had rather in the Church to speake fiue words with vnderstanding then ten thousand in a strange toÌ„gue he would haue vs not to be children in vnderstanding but of a perfect â—ipâ—age Christ coÌ„mandeth to preach the Gospel to al nations therfore he gaue theÌ„ the gift of all tongues that they might preach to euery nation in their owne tongue Others also â—oyne with the Papists which by any meanes sâ—eke to hinder stâ—ppe the free course of the Gospell such were the Pharises whom Christ threatneth saying Woe be to you scribes Pharises hypocrites because you shut vp the kingdom of heaueÌ„ bâ—fore men for you your selues go not in neither suffer you theÌ„ that would enter to come in And in an other place it is said that they had taken froÌ„ the people the key of knowledge such were the wicked malicious Iewes who killed the Lord Iesus their owne Prophets and persecuted the Apostles and forbad them to preach to the gentiles that they might be saued to fulfill their sinnes alwaies for the wrath of God is come on them to the vtmost Such a one was Alexander the copper Smith of whoÌ„ S. Paul saith That he had done him much euill the Lord reward him according to his workes of whom be thou ware also for he withstood our preaching sore Againe this also serueth to reprooue all those which may heare and will not such are all Recusants Papisticall or Anabaptisticall which refuse to come to our assemblies and will not be partakers with vs either of the word or Sacraments they haue other meetings haue gathered to themselues other kinde of teachers and haue made quite separation from vs and yet without any iust cause or reason and the true messengers of wisedome doe truly deliuer the
to worke in all manner of worke-manship And beholde I haue ioyned with him Aholiab the sonne of Ahisamah of the tribe of Dan and in the hearts of all that are wise hearted haue I put wisdome to make all that I haue commanded thee By the which place wee may see that wisedome and skill to doe such workes is the gifte of GOD and the wisedome of God doth not take away or ouerthrowe the wisedome of the worlde in Sciences gouernments or Trades but rather it doeth helpe and cure the errors and faultes that are in humane wisedome the preseruation of Kingdomes and Cities consisteth in peace iustice and mercie but all these are commended and commanded in the Gospell All ciuill vertues as Chastitie Temporance Iustice Fortitude are made better by the Gospell What is the ouerthrow of Kingdomes and of Countreys but notorious vices and sinnes As Prophanenes Atheisme Idolatrie disobedience Murthers Adulteries and such like but Gods wisedome doth reproue contemne and ouerthrow all such vices There are some things common betwixt humane and diuine wisedome as in both there are proofes from causes and effects things necessarie and things profitable are distinguished arguments are disposed in iust order and in fit wordes in both there are definitions diuisions collections but yet great difference betweene humane and diuine wisedome The one doth follow the light of nature the other is guided by the Spirit and by Faith The one doeth drawe her principles from the Sences from Obseruation and Experience the other doeth altogether wholie and onely rest vpon the worde of God The one doth dispose of speeches and actions according to the nature of the hearers and businesses The other is alwayes like her selfe laying open the sinnes of men and the wrath of God against them offering CHRIST and his benefites to all beleeuing and repenting sinners and finallie vrging amendment and newnes of life This is the summe and course of Gods wisdome without alteration Againe the wisedome of the world doth deuise vtter eloquent speeches and fine sentences the wisdome of God doth vse fit graue simple plaine words the other doth boast it selfe doth lift vp the mindes of men this doth humble and cast them downe Now seeing there are so many and great differences how can they agree together and euer be reconciled And therefore the wisedome of God accounteth the wisdom of the world foolishnes and the Lord speaketh basely of the wisdome of this worlde esteeming counting it meere foolishnes And yet there is a lawfull vse of ciuill wisedome in this life but in the life to come it hath no vse at all this heere is not to bee contemned but may bee vsed and hath many commodities in this world but it doth nothing profit to saluation it must not meddle with Gods wisedome to check or controule it but rather submit her selfe to it as a seruant and hand-maid and to keeepe her selfe within her owne compasse and limits and yet this wisedome hath her worthinesse and excellencie it is more excellent then riches pleasure or strength for what are all these without wisedome and therefore the Wise man sayeth That wisedome is good with an inheritance and excellent to them that see the sunne his meaning is that heritages goods lands are the gifts of God but wisedome is farre more excellent and may be without them but riches or pleasures without wisedome will doe vs more hurt then good Againe he sayeth Wisedome shall strengthen the wise man more then ten mightie princes that are in the citie Yet most doe glorie in riches and hunt after pleasures and few regard humane wisedome and learning moe are foolish simple and sottish that way then wise Great good and profit comes by the knowledge of naturall things for they doe publish the praise of the Creator and from them we may learne to know the Creator The heauens declare the glorie of God and the firmament sheweth his handie worke But this knowledge is sufficient to make men excusable but not sufficient to saluation But all ciuill humane wisedome is but a shadow in respect of true wisedome which doth excell al other as the heauen doth excell the earth this commeth and proceedeth from the holie of holiest as it were from the kings secret closet the other from the common treasurie as it were from the outward courts of the kings pallace true wisedome is bestowed onely vpon Gods friends the other vpon his enemies also It may be demaunded then of what wisedome this woman speaketh which she calleth the wisedome of Salomon and counteth them blessed that heareth it It is true that Salomon excelled in the knowledge of naturall things of liberall sciences and of publicke priuate gouernment It is said before in this booke that God gaue Salomon wisedome and vnderstanding exceeding much and a large heart euen as the sand that is on the sea shore Salomons wisedome excelled the wisedome of all the childreÌ„ of the East al the wisedome of Egypt for he was wiser theÌ„ any man he was famous throughout all nations round about But this woman came to be instructed and satisfied in things concerning the name of the Lord she came to Ierusalem where was the Law the Temple Salomon she had no doubt at home many Philosophers many wise learned meÌ„ which could sufficieÌ„tly instruct her in the knowledge of naturall worldly mattâ—â— but they could not satisfie her in her doubts coÌ„cerning religion Againe the effect power wrought in her heart by this wisedome driueth her to great admiration she reposeth felicitie in it it wrought in her grace religion confessing worshipping the true God and acknowledging Israel to be Gods people No wit of man no ciuil or humane wisedome hath any such power to worke such a worke Now that Salomon was a Prophet full of diuine wisedome his works extant amongst vs doe proue it I meane his three worthie bookes of the Prouerbes Canticles Ecclesiastes which are Canonicall and his true bookes in the Hebrew Canon I pray you consider with me the summe of the diuine matter contained in those bookes The Prouerbes are most excellent not humane but diuine all nations and tongues haue their peculiar prouerbs sentences and wittie counsels in fewe words setting out great matter There be sentences of Plato Aristotle Plutarch Seneca but there is great difference betwixt the Prouerbes and sentences of the wisest Gentiles and Prouerbs of Salomon for the other they are knowne in nature and many of them are prophane and filthie contrarie to faith and charitie but these are Propheticall sacred Scripture inspired by the Holy Ghost they containe many things which humane reason is not able to see nor comprehend they commend the word of God and teach true wisedome how we may attaine to it and stirre vp all to seeke and follow it they teach vs faith and pietie the true worship and feare of God the true loue of God and our