I will sing mercy and iudgment c * KING DAVIDS VOW FOR REFORMATION of Himselfe his Family his Kingdome * Deliuered in twelue sermons before the Prince his Highnesse vpon Psalm 101 * By George Hakewill Dr. in Diuinity * London printed for Mathew Lownes 1621 * TO THE PRINCE his Highness my gracious Lord and Master WHat hath heeretofore been presented to your Highnesse eare I heere make bolde with some little change to present afresh to your eye that you may beholde at one view the entire body of those discourses which were delivered disiointly and by peece-meale as also that you may revise that at leasure if ought therein shall be thought worth revising which was sometimes of necessiâ—y shuffled up in haste though I must confesse to mine owne comfort and your honor never heard but with singular attention and lastly that I may serve your Highness in somwhat as well absent as present specially now that your frequent presence with his Majesty enforceth your often absence from your Familie I adventure then most noble Prince to unfolde and lay before your view the Vow of DAVID as seasonable I hope to the times as suitable to the person for the reformation and government of himselfe his housholde and State whether made before his comming to the Crowne or newly upon it it is not certaine to define nor very materiall to know once wee are sure it was DAVIDS Vow which one Motive me thinks were of weight sufficient to stirre-up all Christian Princes specially such as professe the defence of the Christian faith to a serious meditation thereon even in that it was DAVIDS Vow who so lived and so died as never Prince I thinke before him nor perhaps since him so joyned together Valour and Vertue Courage and Humility Policy and Piety Thrift and Bounty Solemnity and Devotion Greatness and Goodness Without flattering the present times I might safely and justly say unto you Et Pater Aeneas avunâ—ulus excitet Hector The former of which as the world well knoweth hath added to his practice singular precepts of this kinde by which hee as much surpasseth other Kings as Kings doe ordinary men or men the brute creatures Yet I thought it not amisse to adde therunto the practice and precepts of that King who received such a testimony from the mouth of God as never did any and farre surpassed that in reall acts which Xenophon of Cyrus conceived onely in imagination This King then if you please to propose to your selfe as a paterne and his Vow as a rule we may by Gods helpe one day promise to our selves another Charlemaine or rather the perfections of all the Edwards Henries Iameses your renowned progenitors united in one Charles and your proceeding and ending answering your gracious beginnings and vertuous disposition which wee all hope and pray for wee may rest assured thereof For the effecting of which you cannot doe better than performe in deed what you have chosen for your word Si vis omnia subijcere teipsum subijce rationi which is truely to be a King For in so doing you will valew Soveraignetie not by impunity of doing evill but power of doing good and in attayning it onely be enabled for the doing of that good which before you desired And if this poore Worke of mine or any my endeavours either have or shall any way conduce to the furtherance of that publike and important worke I shall therein reape a sufficient reward both of my service and travailes accounting it my greatest happinesse on earth to have been counted worthy to be Your Highnesses first-sworne Chaplain ever attending your Commands GEORGE HAKEWILL To the PRINCE his Family YOV it was mine Honourable and worthy Friends to whom next after our Gracious Master these ensuing Sermons were first and chiefly directed You may iustly then claime a part in them and I wish they may prove as fruitfull unto you as they were intended Sure I am they wil not prove unfruitfull if you compose your selves to the Glass they hold forth striving to present you such to your Master as they represent to you that is such as seek not to rise save to get the vantage-ground for the doing of more good such as preferre their Masters good before their owne gain their Masters safety before their owne ease their Masters credit before their owne advancement such as in preferring sutes aim not at their private ends thâ—rough the sides of the Publike nor use faire pretenses for the compassing of foule proiects or the smothering of honest motions nor lastly look so much to the purse and power of Petitioners as to their worths and necessities A Master you have born I hope in a happy houre for the good of the Christian world of whom it may bee truely said Antevenit sortem meritis virtutibus annos Ingenio formam relligione genus Who not onely rewards and cherishes vertue but traceth out the path therof before you with his own steps best deserving that place by his ingraven courtesie and many Princely endowments which hee houlds by lineall descent Why then should any seek that favouâ— in the way of basenes and sycophancie which may more easily bee won in the plain and safe way of vertue and honesty Provocations to vice I knowe are not wanting in the place wherein â—on live yet seeing a religious Nehemiah may be found in Artaxerxes Court â— Daniel in Nebuchadnezzars a Ioseph in Pharaohs and some faithfull Christians even in Neroes house what may wee there expect where from the Chiefest are so many encouragements to piety in that Family whose Head I dare say rather glories in being a member of the true Church than the Second in the Kingdome rather in beeing baptized into the religion hee professeth than in beeing descended from the royall stock of so many famous Kings and where religion is built up be it spoken without disparagement of other mens labours or relation to mine owne by as sufficient Master-workmen in their kindes as the Land affords not thrusting themselves into the Place but all of them culled out and called thither not posting to Preferment by indirect means but like sacred Lamps spending themselves to give you light well testified by your singular respect towards them Of my self or this ensuing Worke I will say nothing By the grace of God I am that I am and I hope it will appear in this Worke and the effects therof in you that his grace in me was not altogether in vain Whatsoever it bee it is for your use and whatsoever I am I am for your service ready to bee imployed by the meanest of that Family for which I daâ—ly pray as for myself A poor member thereof GEORGE HAKEVVILâ— The 101. PSALMS according to our last and most approoved Translation which I chiefly follow in my ensuing Exposition I Will sing of Mercy and Iudgement unto thee O Lord will I sing 2 I will behave my selfe wisely in a perfect way O when
Counseller friend to whom he no sooner disclosed his unnaturall affection to his sister Tamar but Ionadab presently findes out and shewes him a trick how hee might compass his desire and satisfie his unlawfull lust 2. Sam. 13. Whereas had hee beene a faithfull Counseller indeed hee would have laboured by all meanes to have reclaimed him from his mischievous purpose have stopt such a villanie as afterwards brought shame to Tamar griefe to David death to Amnon Somewhat better was Ioab who though hee wickedly gave way to Davids cruelty in making away Vriah according to the tenor of the letter sent unto him 2. Sam. 11 Yet afterwards he did him the office of a faithfull Counseller when David retyred himselfe unseasonably upon the death of Absolon I sweare by the Lord saith hee except thou come out there will not tarry one man with thee this night 2. Sam. 19. 7. And again in the 24. of the same book when the King in the pride of his heart would needs have his people to bee numbred The Lord thy God saith Ioab increase thy people an hundred folde more than they bee and that the eyes of my Lord the King may see it but why doth my Lord the King desire this thing Which howbeit at that time David hearkened not unto yet Iâ—ab therein did his part and I make no doubt but the King himself afterward when hee felt the hand of God heavie upon him wished he had followed that advice The counsell of a grave and wise man who speakes not out of passion or private respects but out of a zeale of the publique good of the person of him to whom hee gives it should bee entertained and reverenced as the Oracle of God And though it bee true that bookes written in former ages which are justly called dead Counsellers be for the most part more faithfull in regarde that they speake without blushing or feare to the present times Yet as true it is that Counsellers which are or should bee living bookes if they bee faithfull are undoubtedly the more usefull in regard they best know the disease and should seek out the remedy of the times wherin they live It is not alwaies easie gentle physicke which is the best neither is it alwaies crossing couÌ„sell which is the worst desperate is that mans case and past all cure whose eare judgeth all to be harsh that is wholesome and nothing profitable but what is pleasing Our Prophet was of another minde when hee spake out of deliberation Psal. 141 Let the righteous smite mee for that is a benefit and let him reprove mee and it shall bee a precious oyle that shall not breake my head And so was Salomon Prov. 27. 6. Faithfull are the wounds of a friend but the kisses of an enemy are deceitfull And it commonly proves true that hee who reproves not out of vaine affectation of singularity but with discretion and out of an honest heart shall commonly finde more favor certainly more comfort at the last than hee who flattereth with his lips But Counsell is best sought for at their hands who either have no part at all in the cause whereof they instruct or else are so far engaged that themselves are to beare the greatest adventure in the success of their owne counsels Vpon that counsell which Rehoboams Counsellers gave him are set the two marks whereby bad counsell is for ever best discerned that it was greene for the persons and violent for the matter Principis est virtus maxima Nosse suos It is a great part of princely vertue to observe the humours of his subjects in generall but chiefly of his Counsellers the greatest trust between man man being the trust of giving counsell For in other confidences men commit the parts of their life their lands their goods their childe their credit some particular affaire but to such as they make their Counsellers they commit the Whole by how much the more they are obliged to all faith and integrity Neither need the wisest Princes think it any diminution to their greatnes or derogation to their sufficiency to rely upon Counsell since the ancient times doo set forth in figure both the incorporation and inseparable conjunction of Counsel with Kings in that they say Iupiter did marry Metis which signifieth Counsell so as soveraignty or authority is married to Counsell The second condition which our Prophet proposeth to bee found in such as he meant to entertain in his service is Walking in a perfect way or walking perfect in the way it comes both to one and the meaning of it is The taking of a godly and religious course as hath already been shewed in opening the sense of the former part of the second verse I will doo wisely in the perfect way so heer Hee that walketh in a perfect way hee shall serve mee These two then must go together Faithfulness and Godlinesse Piety and Fidelity civill Honesty Religion neither indeed can they bee as they should either thrifty for themselves or trusty to their masters who bee not first religious towards God It was the memorable speech of Constantius father to the great Constantine to such as forsook their religion that they might please and serve him Godliness then is requisite in the servant first in regard of himself and then in regard of his Master in regard of himself because by that means he is sure of a reward either from his master or from God or from both The generall promise they have 1. Tim. 4. 8 Godliness is profitable unto all things having the promise of the life present and of that that is to come But a more speciall one they have directed to themselves in particular in Ephes. 6. 8 Knowe ye that is ye servants for unto them hee begins to addresse his speech in the fift verse Knowe yee that whatsoever good thing any man doth the same hee shall receive of the Lord whether hee bee bond or free And yet more expresly in Colos. 3. 23. 24 Whatsoever yee doo doo it heartily as to the Lord and not to men knowing that of the Lord yee shall receive the reward of the inheritance for yee serve the Lord Christ. And many times it falles out that those who beeing faithfull and godly receive the least reward at their masters hands receive the greater from God and that even in this world by his gracious blessing This Iacob found hee was so religious towards God that though his Master were an Idolater he still kept himselfe free from it and yet so faithfull was hee to his Master that for the space of twenty yeers hee was in his service consumed with heat in the day and frost in the night and if any of the flocks were either stolne or torne by beasts hee made it good himself he set it not on his Masters accouÌ„t Yet for all this could not his Master afford him a good look much less a good word hee changed his wages
commonitio Psalmorum verò liber quaecunque utilia sunt ex omnibus continâ—t Futura praedicit veterum gesta commemorat â—egem viventibus tribuit gerendorum statuit modum ut breviter dicam communis quidam bonae docotrinae thesaurus est apte singulis necessaria subministrans Aug. in prologo in librum psalmorum THey bee of one kinde which the prophets deliver of another which the History of another which the Law and of another which the proverbs warn us of but the book of the psalms contains in it whatsoever is profitable in anie of them It foretels things to come it records acts past it sets a law to things present and prescribes an order for things to bee done in a word it is the common trâ—asury of wholesome doctrine properly administring necessaries to each particular Psal. 101. ver 1. I will sing mercy and iudgement unto thee O Lord will I sing AS the whole Scripture is by inspiration from God so this Booke of the Psalmes seemeth to challenge a kinde of preheminence above the rest inasmuch as the Authour of it was not onely a Prophet and a King but a man after Gods owne heart a Figure of Christ or as Euthymius speaks primi regis â—or lingua calamus the tongue and pen and heart of the King of Heaven The several passages of this book are more frequently and particularly quoted by Christ and his Apostles then of any other of the ould Testament It was and still is more usually both sung and read not onely in the Iewish Synagogues but Christian Assemblies as well by the People as the Minister that with more outward reverence then any other part of holy Writ It is put for al the Books of the old TestameÌ„t as they are differenced from the law of Moses and the Prophets Luke 24. 44. And lastly more Sermons CommeÌ„taries Meditations Expositions Enarrations upon it have been made and published as well by the Iewish Rabbins as by the Doctors of the Christian Church then upon any other scripture whatsoever Nay the very Turks themselves swear as solemnly by the Psalms of David as by the Alcoran of Mahomet And in truth hee that hath either practically tried or shall duly consider what a rich store-house it is of all manner of Prayers Precepts Exhortations and Comforts how this one celestiall Fountaine yeeldeth all good necessarily to bee knowne or done or had what a familiar introduction it is to beginners a mighty augmentation of vertue knowledge in such as are entred before a strong confirmation to the most perfect may easily conceive the reason why it hath in all Ages bin esteemed even of the best and most learned as a rare and precious Iewell worthy to be laid up in that Persian Casket imbroidered with gould and pearle which Alexander reserved for Homers Iliads In regard whereof our good King Alured translated the Psalter himself into his Saxon tong and one of the Emperours caused this Book to bee bound up in a little volume by it self for the special and daily use of himselfe and his attendants to serve them as a Manuall alwaies to attend them in their running Library And as I would not sooner commend the reading of any book to a Courtier then this so would I specially commend this Psalm to the carefull reading and serious meditation both of my Gracious Master the Prince and his religious Followers They shall both finde their duties lively expressed in it as in a mirrour howbeit it were indeed first composed rather to expresse the former then the later and my present choice of it bee chiefly intended and directed to that purpose This Psalme by the consent of Writers is a vow of David whether made before or after his comming to the Crowne it is not certain neither skilleth it much but that it is a vow all agree Since then for the Person the maker of it was both of understanding and power to make it since for the Matter the thing therein vowed is both lawfull and possible since for the Manner hee made it both deliberately and freely with advice and without constraint and lastly since the End of it was to serve both as a bridle to prevent and redresse sinne and as a spur to stirre him up and incite him to vertue and keep him close to the duties therein promised we are to hould it not onely for a warrantable but a commendable vow nor only commendable in David but with like commendation imitable by us in like case And as David made this vow so had hee speciall care to pay it 2. Sam. 8. 15. willing others to do the like Psal. 50 it beeing indeed better as his Son tells us Eccles. 5. 5 not at all to vow than to vow and not perform Yet in wicked vowes as that of the Iewes Acts 23. or in rash vows as that of Herod Iephte that of the Canonists houlds true In malis promissis rescinde fidem in turpi voto muta decretum In wicked promises hould not thy word in shameful vows change thy purpose wherupon St. Hierome worthily censures Iephte that hee was in vovendo stultus in praestando impius naught in making such a vow as he did but worse in performing it The thing heer vowed is either generall in the first verse or particular touching his own Person from the second verse to the fift touching his Attendants Counsellers and Officers from the fift to the eight and lastly touching the Church and Common-wealth in the last The matter by him vowed in generall is contained in the first verse I will sing mercy and iudgement unto thee O Lord will I sing Wherein without any curious descant or division wee may observe first the manner of expressing this vow it is by way of singing which implieth cheerfulnesse and alacrity for Is any merry let him sing Iames 5. And How should wee sing the Lords song in a strange land Psal. 137. As God loves a cheerfull giver so doth hee a cheerfull vower Secondly the ditty or rather the burden of this song Mercy and Iudgement Thirdly the Person to whom hee both sings and vowes it is the Lord. First then of his maner of expressing this vow I will sing As ancient and manifold as is the use of Musick so excellent was David in the use thereof a thing which delighteth all Ages and beseemeth all estates a thing as seasonable in grief as in joy as decent being added to things of greatest weight and solemnity as beeing used when men most sequester themselves from action It is apt both to quicken the spirits to allay that which is too eager able both to move and moderate all affections yea such is the force and efficacy thereof upon that very part of man which is most divine that some have beene thereby induced to think that the soule of man is composed of harmony Which being to speak properly of high and lowe in sounds a due
but not without them for though Mercy bee heer set in the first place yet is it coupled with Iudgement as milk and blood that mingled stood Iudgement like another Iacob layes hould upon Mercie 's heel and though Mercy like Pharez bee first borne yet instantly followes Iudgement like Zarah with his red thread about his arme Nay without Iudgement Mercy caÌ„not subsist in as much as by due execution of Iustice upon particular members Mercy is shewed in preserving the whole body And as filiall Feare is procured by Mercy so is unfained Love by such Iustice. As Mercy then is the more beautiful the more comely and amiable Vertue so is Iustice at times the more necessary It hath long been and still is a Question controversed between Physicians and Philosophers whether the Braine or the Heart be the more principal member in as much as the one is the fountain of life the other of sense so mee thinks when I compare these two Vertues together Mercy is like the Brain qualifying the immoderate heat of those spirits that are bred in the heart but Iustice like the heart it self the fountain of those spirits Now because I am to speake of the administration heerof in handling the last verse of this Psalme I will pass to my third and last part proposed in my Text the Person to whom this Song and this Vow are addressed and that is the Lord Tibi O Iehova psallam to thee O Iehovah will I sing This Name Iehovah anciently tearmed Nomen tetragrammaton the name of foure letters was to the Iewes so venerable that they never durst pronounce it as fearing to pollute it with their lips but Adonai which also signifieth Lord in stead thereof Of all the Appellations given to God in holy Scripture it is alone reserved as peculiar to himself and never imparted to any Creature neither doo we finde it given to God till hee had created man thereby to teach us that as man was by him made a subordinate Lord of the other Creatures so was he the independent and absolute LORD both of him and them To this great Iehovah then this most Soveraigne Lord this Lord of lords it is that David addresseth his Song and his Vow Hee was himselfe a great Lord the grand Commander of a mighty and populous Nation yet he acknowledgeth this Lord to bee by infinite degrees higher and greater than himself and himself to be but a worm in comparison of Him First then of his singing to this Lord then of his vowing unto him and lastly of his vowing and singing unto him Mercy and Iustice. Wee ought in our singing nâ—t so much to respect the delighting of our selves or others with the sweet tuneablenesse of the voice as to do worship to God by it and to edifie our consciences It is both ryme and reason Non Vox sed Votum non chordula Musica sed Cor Non Clamans sed Amans cantat in aure Dei The Heart not Harp Devotion not the Voice The Lover not the Lowd GOD's ears rejoice Not so much the Lute-string as the Heart-string nor so much the shrill Voice as the zealous Affection sounds in the ears of God And heerunto accords the Apostle Singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts Eph. 5. 19. And againe Singing with a grace in your hearts to the Lord Colos. 3. 16 not to your selves but to the Lord or at leastwise rather to the Lord than to your selves Now as hee addresseth his Song so doth he his Vow unto the same Lord according to his owne Counsell Vow perform to the Lord your God Psal. 76. 11. The reason is because all Invocation is due unto God and a Vow is alwaies joyned with invocation either for the obtaining the good wee desire or the avoiding the evill wee fear Besides it is God only that knows the secret motions of the heart As then in that regard we pray unto him alone so unto him alone are wee to direct our Vows who alone is able either to punish us if wee break them or to reward us if wee keep them Lastly a Vow beeing nothing else but a promissory oath as wee are to swear by none but God so are wee to vow to none but God And as the properties of an oath are Truth Iudgement and Iustice so are they also of a Vow Iudgement for the avoiding of rash vows Iustice for the avoiding of wicked vowes and Truth for the performance of such as are neither wicked nor rash but are made upon good advice and tend to good ends Finally our Prophet both sings and vows Mercy and Iudgement to the Lord thereby acknowledging GOD as his guide both in the entrance and accomplishment of all actions so in speciall of Mercy and Iustice and that he would exercise these imperiall Vertues not so much to content himself or to gratifie men as to please and glorifie God not so much because men expected it or commended it as because God commanded it and would take account of it Concerning actions of like nature done for humane respects the Lord hath said they have their reward Mat. 6. 2 that is acceptance honour and reverence from men because they are done to men but the Iustice Mercy that have God for their object and are referred to his glory and set him before them who is the searcher of hearts they I say receive their recompence from God Many times it falleth out that the Prince causeth a wicked person to bee executed the deed is good but perhaps he is moved thereunto rather with desire of revenge or importunity of suters then with the detestation and vileness of the fact this work I say in it selfe is just for the malefactour by his sinne deserved the punishment yet hee that doth it is notwithstanding unjust So much doth vertue desire to be cherished for her own sake or rather so much is God the fountain of all vertue jealous of his honour and jealous also of our love that hee will have every thing to the end it may bee good indeed referred unto himselfe and to the ends that he hath appointed as indeed all is taken and cometh from him alone and therefore should be referred to him and his glory onely as the rivers derived from the sea by secret veins chanels disburden themselves with full mouth into the same again Eccles. 1. 7. To bee short the Prince above all should referre and approve his actions to God seeing that God alone and not man hath set him up and seeing also that hee is not to bee judged by men but by God And now to conclude this point great and excellent things as wee see are comprehended under these two tearms Mercy and Iudgement which are indeed the very summe and abridgement of all that Kings should either learn or doo And seeing they are of so deep reach and extend so far as they doo wee may thereby plainely perceive that it is no light charge To be
Thou fool this night shall they take thy soule from thee The Galathians thought themselves wiser than the other Gentiles for the observation of the legall Ceremonies but St. Paul in his Epistle to them calls them fooles for their labour And likewise the Pharises were held the wisest of all the Iewish Nation but our Saviour tels them to their faces they were but formal fools True Wisdome is then to bee found and only to be found in the perfect way There is a Divellish wisdome rather craft then wisdome maintained by dissimulation and lying and perjury such as was that of Boniface the eight Bishop of Rome who entred like a Fox raigned like a Lion and died like a Dog of Iezabell and Achttophel in practice and Machivell in precepts This wisdome runs a contrary biass to this perfect way it is directly opposite unto it and fights against it Again there is a Humane or rationall wisdome enlightned at the torch of right reason yet left amongst the remainders of Gods image in man and this though it be beside the perfect way yet may it bee reduced unto it good use no doubt may bee made of it And lastly there is a Divine holy and heavenly Wisdome whose beginning is the fear of God whose crowne is the favour of God whose guide is this perfect way the word of GOD which is therfore called a way because it leads us to our journeyes end and a perfect way because the Authour of it is the abstract of all perfection because it sufficiently containes in it all things requisite to bring us to perfection both of body and soule both of grace and glory and lastly because it makes those perfect that walk in it at least in regard of endeavour and the severall parts of perfection though not the degrees as a childe may bee said to bee a perfect man in that hee hath all the parts of a man though hee want the growth and strength of a man And if this way were thus perfect in Davids time what is it by the addition of so many parcels of Scripture since If it then gave wisdome to the simple Psal. 19. 7 if it made David beeing brought up but as a Shepheard wiser than his enemies than his ancients than his teachers Psal. 119 as an Angell of God in discerning right from wrong 2. Sa. 14. 17 able to guide the people by the skilfulnesse of his hands Psal. 78. 72 what kinde of wisdome is there which wee may not now gather from thence What depth of naturall Philosophy have we in Genesis and Iob what flowrs of Rhetorique in the Prophets what force of Logick in Saint Pauls Epistles what Art of Poëtrie in the Psalmes what excellēt morall Precepts not only for Private life but for the regiment of Families and Common-weales in the Proverbs and Ecclesiastes to which may be added in a second rank as very usefull though Apochryphall the book of Wisedome and Ecclesiasticus what reasonable and iust lawes haue wee in Leviticus and Deuteronomy which moved the great Ptolomey to hire the Septuagints to translate them into Greek what unmatchable antiquitie variety and wonderfull events and certaintie of storie in the books of Moses Iosuah the Iudges Samuel the Kings and Chronicles together with Ruth and Ester Ezra and Nehemiah and since Christ in the sacred Gospels and Acts of the Apostles and lastly what profound mysteryes have we in the Prophecies of Ezekiel and Daniel and the Revelation of Saint Iohn But in this it infinitely exceeds the Wisedome of all humane writings that it is alone able to make a man wise unto salvation 2. Tim. 3. 15. Vpon these considerations Charles the fift of France surnamed the Wise not onely caused the Bible to be translated into French but was himselfe very studious in the holy Scriptures And Alphonsus King of Arragon is said to have read over the whole Bible fourteen severall times with Lyraes notes upon it though he were otherwise excellently well learned yet was the law of God his delight more desired of him than gold yea then much fine gold sweeter also than hony and the hony-combe I will end this point with the Commandement of God himselfe to the King Deuteronomie 17 When he shall sit upon the throne of his kingdom hee shall write him a copy of this Law in a booke out of that which is before the Priests the Levites and it shall bee with him and hee shall reade therein all the dayes of his life that hee may learne to feare the Lord his God to keep all the words of this Law and these Statutes to doe them that his heart be not lifted up aboue his brethren and that he turne not aside from the Commandement to the right hand or to the left to the end that hee may prolong his dayes in his kingdome hee and his children in the midst of Israell And looke what was there given in charge to the King in generall was afterward commanded Iosuah a worthy Leader in particular Iosuah 1. 8. This booke of the lawe shall not depart out of thy mouth but thou shalt meditate therein day and night that thou mayst obserue to do according to all that is written therein For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous and then shalt thou have good success It followeth O when wilt thou come unto me The comming of God unto his children is either by the performance of his promises or by the speciall assistance of his Spirit or by the receiving of them unto himselfe Such as thinke this Psalme was penned before Davids comming to the Crowne understand these words of the performance of Gods promise in setting it upon his head and settling him in the regall Throne and then this to be the meaning O Lord I will tarry thy leasure and keep my selfe within the bounds of my dutie till thou hast accomplished that which thou hast promised unto mee though thou delay the matter and put me off I will bee content to walke in the perfect way and not once presume to step aside out of it to compass that which thou hast sayd thou wilt give me And according to this promise of his we may see how hee carried himselfe for although there were a great space betwixt his anoynting whereby hee was by Gods owne mouth proclaimed heire apparant to the Crowne after the death of Saul and his comming to it notwithstanding he had the hearts of the Subiects insomuch as the women in their songs extolled him above the King though the soule of Ionathan the Kings eldest sonne were fast linked to him and so hee might haue conceived hope to have made a strong party against Saul who daily provoked him by most cruell and unjust persecution yet David kept himselfe in his uprightness hee hasted not by any indirect attempt as did his sonne Absolon afterwards against himselfe to seeke his owne revenge nor to displace the King and his seed which hee knew in time were to be remoued
but patiently waited upon God doing his will yea when God two severall times had put Saul into his hands once in the Cave where David and his men were hidden another time in Sauls owne Tent where with such courage hee had adventured hee was so farre off from taking away his life which easily hee might have donne that his heart checked him for cutting off the lap of the Kings garment at the one time he sharply rebuked Abner for guarding the Kings person so weakly at the other Thus did this holy man wisely carry himselfe in the perfect way of patience and loyalty to his cruell Prince and persecuting father in law till God himselfe by the way that he appointed had set him in the Kings seat The contrary is reported of Don Carlo Infant of Spaine if the relation bee true that hee through impatience and ambition practiced against his Father and for that cause suffered in the yeare of the Lord made up in the numerall letters of this old verse Filius ante diem patrios inquirit in annos Once we are sure that our late neighbour King the sooner to get the quiet possession of that Crowne to which hee had unquestionable right if their Salique lawe be in force forsooke that religion in which hee was brought up and such as were disposed to play with his name found in it while he stood out Bonus Orbi but afterward Orbus boni but God dallied not with him suffering him to be dangerously stricken in the mouth upon the first abjuring of his religion and afterwards in or neer the heart in the midst of his Triumphes Nobility and imperiall Citie to the great astonishment of the Christian world Indeed it was a speech borrowed frow Euripides and often repeated by Caesar Si violandum est ius Violandum est propter imperium But rather befitting the mouth of a Heathen then a Christian yet are our owne Chronicles but too plentifull in Examples in this kinde of such as being heirs apparant to the Crowne rather snatcht it before their due time then received it when it fell Among others we read that Richard eldest sonne then living to King Henry the second approaching the corps of his Father as it was carrying to bee interred adorned according to the manner of Kings with all royall ornaments open faced the blood gushed out at the nostrils of the dead a signe usually noted of guiltiness as if nature yet after death retained some intelligence in the veines to give notice of wrong and check the malice of an unnaturall offender at which sight Richard surprised with horror is saide to have burst ouâ— into extreame lamentations Neither was Edward the fourth free from this imputation who when his father and himselfe had voluntarily and solemnly sworne to suffer Henry the sixt quietly to enioy the Crowne during his life yet did hee as thinking the time long till hee had it on his owne head set his brother of Glocester to dispatch King Henry teaching him by the same Art to kill his owne sonnes and successors Edward and Richard For those Kings that sell the blood of others at a lowe prize doe but make the market for their enemies to buy theirs at the same rate On the other side it is recorded in the French History to the eternal commendation of Robert eldest sonne to Hugh Capet the first King of their last race that being by his fathers consent and desire crowned King and proclaimed his LieutenaÌ„t General in the kingdome hee notwithstanding still continued a sonne without waywardness a companion without iealousie a King without ambition And wee may speake it without flattery that his Maiesty now living and long to live hath left to posterity a worthy paterne in this kinde by receiving this crown of England even from the hand of God having patiently waited the due time of putting it on howsoever hee were provoked to hasten it refusing the assistance of her enemies that wore it as long with as great glory as ever Princesse did not entring by a breach or by blood but by the ordinary gate which his owne right and divine providence set open Neither would hee for the settling of his right admit the toleration of any other religion then that which hee heer found and himselfe professed protesting openly that hee would chuse rather if hee were forced to it to spend the last drop of his blood than to enter upon such conditions But God would not suffer one drop of that sacred blood to be spilt which was so ready to be poured out for his sake Now those who thinke this Psalme was penned by David after his coming to the Crown conceive that at his entrance thereunto hee thus prayed for the speciall assistance of Gods Spirit aswell in the private carriage of his owne Affairs and Person as in governing the people committed to his charge well knowing that without it hee could not observe this Vow to which hee had bound himself nor administer Mercy and Iustice nor behave himselfe wisely in a perfect way nor performe any duty belonging to the office of a King or a good man as he ought Hee therefore desires of God that as hee had set him in the Kings Throne so hee would indue him with all maner of graces and royall vertues fit for so high a place and not onely so but to assist and direct him in the exercise of those graces and vertues The Heart of the King is in the hand of God hee turneth it as the rivers of waters Pro. 21. 1 hee turneth it to his good if hee flee to him for assistance but to his confusion if he stand upon his own strength It behooves all men to implore the aid of G O D but specially Kings and Princes as in all their actions so principally in negotiations and treaties of greatest Consequence That of King Salomon then chiefly concerns them Trust in the Lord with all thine hart and leane not to thine owne wisdom in all thy waies acknowledge him and hee shall direct thy waies Pro. 3. 5. 6. Princes have fewer then private men that dare freely tel them the truth which is indeed one of the great mischiefes of great places whereas on the other side their temptations are many and strong and their actions of weight importance drawing after them either much good or much evill It behooveth them then above all not to presume too much upon themselves upon their owne policy and forecast but rather upon the providence and assistance of him whose substitutes they are Thâ—ir Vice-Roys dare doo nothing of moment without consulting with them so neither ought they enterprise any thing of importance without consulting with the Oracle of God by religious invocation of him for the illuminating of their understaÌ„dings guiding of their wils following therein the example of the Wise man who treating of the excelleÌ„cy of true wisdom acknowledging it to be the special gift of God
crav'd it at his hands withal notably set forth the weaknes of mans wit judgement with the reason therof in these words Give mee that wisedome which sitteth by thy throne and put mee not out from among thy children for I thy servant and sonne of thine handmaid am a feeble person and of a short time and yet less in the understanding of iudgement and the lawes and though a man bee never so perfect among the children of men yet if thy wisedome bee not with him he shall bee nothing regarded for the thoâ—ghts of mortall men are fearfull and our forecasts uncertaine because the corruptible body is heavie unto the soule and the earthly mansion keepeth downe the mind that is full of â—ares Wisedome 9. Seeing then the infirmity of mans fore-sight and determinations together with the uncertainty of humane affaires and events it were good for all religious Princes to take that as their Posie which our late renowned Princesse made the inscription of her Coine Posui Deuâ— adiutorem meum Besides it hath beene noted that those who ascribe too much to their owne wisdome and policie end unfortunately As Caesar Borgia whom Machiavell makâ—s the mirror and paterne of his Prince his Motto was Aâ—t Caesar aâ—t nullus but in the end he proved both Et Caesar nullus And Timotheus the Athenian after hee had in the account given to the State of his gouernment often interlaced this speech and in this fortune had no part was observed never to have prospered in any thing hee undertooke afterwardes Now looke what Fortune was to them the same is Gods Providence unto us whereas on the other side the most prosperous in their enterprises have ever most willingly ascribed their victories their deliverances their success-full Counsels and happy issues rather to the goodness of divine Providence than their owne valour or wit And surely hee that shall consider how a day an houre a moment is enough to overturne the deepest plots of the gravest Senates that seemed as one speakes to have been founded and rooted in Adamant cannot but withall acknowledge it as exceeding folly and ingratitude in any man so to dote upon and admire the sufficiencie of his owne gifts as to forget the Giver so much to rely upon the arme of flesh that hee neglect the direction of Gods holy Spirit which is as if a man should set to Sea without a Pilot or undertake a journey through a dangerous Forrest in a dark night without a guide I will then conclude this point with that prayer of the People for their Prince and the Prince for himselfe Give thy iudgements to the King O Lord and thy righteousnesse to the Kings sonne Psalme 72. 1. A third sort understand these words of our Prophet When wilt thou come unto mee of Gods comming to David to receive him to himselfe thereby implying that hee would so behave himselfe as he would alwayes have an eye to the maine chance not onely to the end of his actions but of his life which indeed is an excellent meanes both to walke wisâ—ly as he promisâ—th before and uprightly as hee voweth immediatly after When Princes look not so much upon their plumes and traines their present power and magnificence as upon their future condition when their bodies shall become the like prey to worms and rottennesse and their soules shall vndergoe the like strict examination as the bodies and soules of their meanest Subjects When this great game at Chesse is heere ended they must with others be laid up together in the common bagge of Nature and then shall thâ—re bee no difference betweene their dust and that of the poorest Begger The rememberance hereof is like a bitter pill to purge out the malignity of many wanton and vaine â—umors or like a strainer all our thoughts speeches and actions which pass through it are thereby cleansed and purified As the bird guideth her body with her traine and the ship is steered with the rudder so the course of mans life is best directed with a continual recourse unto his end It is hard for a man to think of a short life and to thinke evill or to thinke of a long life and to thinke well Therefore when Salomon had spoken of all the vanities of men at last hee opposed this Memorandum as a counterpoiâ—e against them all Remember for all these things thou shalt come to iudgement Eccles. 11. As if hee should say men would never speake as they speake nor doe as they doe if they did but thinke that these speeches and deeds should shortly come to judgement But an hard thing it is for them who fare delicioâ—sly every day who glister like Angels whom all the world admires and sues and bowes to which are called Sacred Gracious and mightie Lords to remember the approach of Death They have no leasure to thinke of it but chop into the earth before they bee aware like a man that walketh over a field cover'd with snow and sees not his way but while hee thinks to run on suddenly falls into a pit so they which have all things at their will and swim in pleasure which as a snow covereth their way dazeleth their sight while they thinke to live on and rejoyce still suddenly rush upon death and make shipwrack in the calme Sea As it is good therfore for them to heare they are gods so it is meet they remember they are mortall gods They shall die like men Psal. 82. For when they forget they shal die like men they also forget to live and raigne like gods Had they with Ioseph of Arimathea their tombes hewed out in their gardens where they use of solace themselves it would make them so to number their dayes that they would apply their hearts unto Wisedome O that men were wise saith Moses then would they consider their latter end Deutr. 32. 29. So that Wisdome brings a man to consider his end and the consideration of his end makes him more wise As on the other side it is noted as a point of folly in Gods people that they minded not nor remembred their end Lament 1. 9. Now as the remembrance of death made the Prophet walke more wisely so did the remembrance of judgement after death make him walke more uprightly as well knowing hee was to render an account to a higher Iudge who could neither bee terrified with stout lookes nor ledde with respect of persons nor perswaded with eloqueÌ„ce nor blinded with gifts But as hee was in greater place then others so should his reward be greater and his Crowne more glorious if he did well but his punishment greater and his torment more grievous if hee did ill Therefore hee presently addes after this ejaculation cast in betweene I will walke within mine house with a perfect heart I will walke within my house with a perfect heart Walking is a word often used in holy Scripture and specially by our Prophet in this book of the Psalms
his heart vvas perfect with the Lord all his dayes Loe how all his infirmities are covered with the mantle of sincerity 1. King 15. 14. Contrariwise in Iehu wee may observe how the holy Ghost after a large description of many excellent things done by him doth at last drawe as it were a cross-line and dash out all spoken before with this Conclusion But Iâ—hu regarded not to walke in the law of the Lord vvith all his heart Loe how all his other graces are buried in the grave of an unsound heart 2. King 10. 31. Great vertues not sweetned with sincerity are no ornament unto us great infirmities not sowred with hypocrisie are no great deformities those God acknowledges not these he imputes not The reason is because where sincerity is there in the meanest workes that are together with them the heart is given to God the more a man gives of his hart to God the more acceptable is his worke The widowes mite could weigh but little but her heart weighed heavy and so her heart being put to her mite gave it weight above the greater but farre more heartless largess of the Pharisee Sincerity is to our works as spirit is to our bodies which maketh it far better then where there is more â—lesh but less spirit O rare and excellent vertue of sincerity which can make light drams and barley corns as massie and ponderous as the huge talents whereas contrarily the want of sincerity maketh talents as light as feathers Hypocrisie such is the filth of it imbaseth the purest metalls and turneth very gold yea pretious stones into rustâ—y iron whereas sincerity by a divine kinde of Alchymie turneth iron into gold As in the naturall body to use Saint Augustines comparison the case of the sound finger is safer than of the blindish eye the finger indeed is but a little small thing and cannot do such service as the eye it is not of that admirable nimbleness and quicknes nor can it guide and direct the whole bodie as the eye doth and yet is it better to be a finger sound than to be an eye and dim or dark ready to fal out of the socket And Chrysostom sayes well that she is a worse woman that in hypocrisie blurs her face with tears that shee might be judged an huÌ„ble PeniteÌ„tiary than she that beautifies it with painted colours that shee might be reputed a faire and lovely creature Finally sincerity as it is of all vertues the girdle Ephe. 6. 14. of all other the most acceptable to God so is it to us the most profitable in all dangers tryals temptations begetting in us that Lion-like boldness spoken of in Pro. 28. 1. It is not put out of countenance with false accusatioÌ„s of slandâ—rous tongues it throweth them off as Paul did the Viper unhurt yea in a holy scorne it laugheth at them No no the brest-plate of righteousnes the brazen wall of a good conscience feareth no such arrowes It saith with Paul 1. Cor. 4. 3. I pass not for mans iudgement And with Iob 31. 35. Though mine adversary should write a booke against me I would take it upon my shoulder and binde it as a crowne unto me That which made him thus confident was the sincerity of his heart My righteousness I holde fast and will not let iâ— goe my heart shall not reproach mee so long as I live Iob 27. 5. And as it bred confidence in Iob in his tryals so did it minister comfort to Hezekiah beeing now stricken with the thunderbolt of the sentence of death O Lord thou knowest saith he I have walked vvith an upright heart Esa. 38. 3. Though those good works hee had done were in regard of his calling of the highest note the restoring of the true worshippe of God the purging of the defiled Temple and Priest-hood yet hee doth not comfort himselfe with these so worthy works O Lord thou knowest I have cleansed thy Sanctuary erected thy worship repaired the decayed wals of Ierusalem renewed the glory beauty of thy Sion No but without instancing in any particulars he had done he mentions onely the sincerity of his affection in doing them I have walked with a perfect or upright hart which is the same our Prophet here promiseth I will walk with a perfect heart Perfect as in regard of sincerity opposed to a doublâ— heart so likewise in regard of integritie opposed to a cloven or divided heart The former implies an unfained the later an universall obedience for the shunning as of hypocrisie in respect of others so of partiality towards himselfe Blessed are they that seeke him with their whâ—le heart Psal. 119. 2. And therefore are they blessed because it is commanded Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart Deut. 6. 5. Those false harlots the World the Divell and the Flesh are content to share with God in thy heart but God like the true mother will have all or none The gods of the Heathen were goods fellows they could well enough endure inter-com-communing and partnership but the true God is the jealous God who cannot away with halfes or parts As himselfe and the light which of all visible things comes nearest his nature are indivisible so is he most delighted with the Holocaust of an intire and undivided heart And as in nature Solutio continui the division of any member is the mayme and griefe of the bodie but the division of the hart is the present death of it so the division of the affections of the heart betweene the love of God and the love of our selves is undoubtedly the death of the soule With what face can we come before God when with Ananias and Saphira we keep back paâ—t from him when with Zachary and Elizabeth wee walke not in all the commandements of the Lord Doubtless the old and sure way not to be asham'd when we present our selves befoâ—e him is to have respect to all his coÌ„mandments Though we caÌ„not keep all nor any one indeed as wee ought yet we may and must have regard unto all and that equally without respect or difference of any For he that failes in one point is guilty of all Iames 2. 10. His meaning is sayes the most learned Interpreter Deum nolle cum exceptione coli that God will not bee served with exceptions and reservations As his lawe is one intire rule though consisting of many peeces so ought our actions and affections intirely to be squared thereunto If wee will goe out of Egypt we must not leave so much as an hoofe behinde us If we leave but one gate of our soule oâ—â—n our spirituall enemies who ly in ambush for all advantages may as well by that rush in upon us to our perdition as if no gate were shut no breach made up If the Bird bee taken but by the claw the Fowler is as sure of him as if hee had his whole body in his hand And the Ship is oftner
fac quod vis saith Saint Augustine If then thou wilt sin securely seek ouâ— a place where hee sees thee not and there doo what thou list but if his eye pâ—y into â—very corner then hast thou reason rather to stand in awe of the presence of the immortall God than of a mortall man So doo whatsoever thou doost saith the heathen Philosopher 〈…〉 as if severe Cato stood by lookt on but if in stead of Caâ—o he had put Deus as if God stood by and lookt on his advice might well have passed for â—ight Christian Doctrine which was the Counsell of Another save thaâ— hee named gods for God Quaecunque capesses Testes factorum stare arbitrabere divos What availeth it to have no creature privy to our evill acts when wee have him privy to them who must one day judge them The forgetfulness heerof makes many men and especially great ones dig deep as if they would hide their counsell from â—he Lord and contrive in secret those things which afterward being brought to light cast shame in their faces a burden upon their consciences a blot upon their name and without repentance everlasting confusion both upon body and soule It were good then to write upon their walls and to engrave upon their windowes that short Moâ—to which as short as it is yet our memories are shorter Cave Deus videt Take heed God sees it But then should wee chiefly call it to minde and make use of it when beeing inclosed within our wals sequestred from company occasion and oportunity invite us to sinne Verse 3. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes I hate the work of them that turne aside it shall not cleave to mee THe Originall hath it if wee will render it word for word I will set no word of Beliall before mine eyes But Word is there figuratively put for Thing as likewise Psal. 41. 8 and so is it rendred both by Montanus in the Margent and in the Text by â—unius howbeit in his comment upon this Psalm hee precisely follow the Originall applying it against sycophants and flatterers the mice and moaths of Court But of these I shal find or take occasioÌ„ to speak heerafter and for the Present make choice rather to follow the beateÌ„ track of all the Translations and other comments which I have seene specially considering that to speake properly a Word cannot bee the object of the ey but a Thing Well then one speciall point of that Wisdom which our Prophet had promised in the verse going before appeares in not setting these things of Belial or wicked things before his eyes As wee turne away our eyes from that or remove that from our eyes which we like not so what wee most delight in wee commonly set before our eyes or at least wee fixe and set our eyes upon that True it is that the eyes of the Lord are sayd to be in every place beholding the evill and the good Pro. 15. 3 yet are they in a special manner set upon those places and persons that hee hath a tender care of and respect unto and loves in a speciall maner Such a place was the Land of Canaan A Land which the Lord thy God â—areth for the eyes of the Lord thy God are upon it from the beginning of the yeare to the end thereof he never took off his eye from it Deut. 11. 12. Such a person was David I vvill instruct thee and teach thee in the way that thou shall goe I vvill guide thee with mine eye or as the Originall Mine eyes shall bee upon thee Psalme 32. 8. Such are all those of whom Saint Peter speakes The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous 1. Pet. 3. 12 and they are so over them that hee withdrawes not his eyes from them Iob 36. 7. Now then as they are alwayes sette before Gods eyes whom he loves so is God alway set before their eyes who love him I have set the Lord alwayes before mee Psalme 16. 8. Vnto thee lift I up mine eyes Psal. 123. 1. And as long as hee thus set his eyes upon God and God before his eyes hee could not well set any wicked thing before them Hee could not at once intend two such distant objects hee might glance or squint upon both but directly fix his eyes upon both hee could not This made him so confident I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes A bird may light upon a mans house but he may choose whether shee shall nestle or breed there or no And the Divell or his instruments may represent a wicked object to a mans sight but hee may choose whether he will entertaine or imbrace it or no. So that upon the matter for a man to set wicked things before his eyes is nothing else but to sinne of set purpose to set himselfe to sinne or to sell himselfe to sin as Ahab did 1. King 21. The best among us God helpe us are subject to sinne For if we say we have no sinne we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us yet by the grace of God we may be kept from presumptuous sins that they have no dominion over us Psal. 19. 13. And though wee doe the evill which we would not doe yet wee endeavour to doe the good which wee doe not and we delight in the lawe of God after the inner man though wee feele in our members another law warring and rebelling against the lawe of our mind and bringing us into captiuitie to the lawe of sin Rom. 7. In such sinne ever goes with some unwillingness with some wrastling and striving with some remorse of heart and check of conscience whereas the unrepentant sinner sets wicked things before his eyes hee seekes out provocations and hunts after occasions of sinning he goes on with an high hand and a stiffe neck and is carried with a swinge as a ship under full saile hee drinkes-in iniquity as the beast licks up the water or the fish catches at the bait hee cannot sleep nor rest quietly in his bed before hee have done some mischiefe his only study is to fulfill the desires of the flesh and having his conscience seared with an hot iron and being past feeling he gives him selfe over to vvorke all manner of uncleanness and that with greediness hee returnes to his former sinnes as the horse rusheth into the battell Ier. 8. 6. He makes haste he runs to all excess of ryot I. Pet. 4. 4. And being come to this pass hee gets him a brow of brass a strumpets forehead that canon blush Ier. 3. 3. He declares his sin like Sodome and hides it not Esa. 3. 9. And then Peccator cum in profundum venerit contemnit when he is thus plunged in the gulfe of sinne hee growes desperate hee neither feares God nor cares for man Take heed then of setting wicked things before thine eyes that is of sinning ex destinata malitiâ of set purpose say alwaies and practice
And which is more from a Vow to an Imprecation If mine heart have walked after mine eye let me sowe and let another eat yea let my plants be rooted out verse 7. This was the Vow and the Imprecation of this holy man howbeit the common practice of men bee that of Salomon Thine eyes shall looke upon strange women and thine heart shall speake lewd things I remember I have read a Dialogue betwixt the Eye and the Heart which of them should worke most mischief and the conclusion of it was Ratio litem dirimit Definitivo calculo Cordi causam imputans Occasionem oculo Reason takes up the matter and decides the controversie by imputing the cause to the Heart and the occasion to the Eye the Eye beeing as it were the Pandar or Broker but the Heart the Strumpet though S. Peter seem to impute it to the Eye Having eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease to sin 2. Pet. 2. 14 or as the Originall reads it full of an adulteress Where we see by a figurative manner of speech the very chair and throne of wantonnesse to bee seated in the Eye howâ—â—it it be in truth but the passage pipe to convay it to the soule yet such a passage as the Fathers generally understand of it those passages of Ieremy Death hath climed up by the windowes 9. 21. And again Lament 3. as the Vulgar reads it Oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam mine ey hath made a prey of my soule Which the very Heathens well understanding in the dedication of the severall parts of mans body to their severall gods and goddesses as the cars to Minerva the tongue to Mercury the arms to Neptune they leave the eye to Cupid their god of lust as being the fittest for his use the proverb houlding alike in inordinate lust as in ordinarie love Out of sight out of minde Vbi dolor ibi digitus ubi amor ibi oculus as the finger alway waits on grief so doth the eye on lust Whence it may bee in the Greek the same word only by the change of a vowell signifies both to see and to love Valerius fitly cals the eyes the spies which ly in ambush for the unâ—lermining of other mens mariages And Alexander using a different phrase shot at the same marke when hee called the Persian maides dolores oculorum griefes of the eyes and thereupon in my iudgement hee wisely refused that Darius his wife whose beauty the Macedonians so much admired and commended should bee once brought into his presence as fearing lest hee who had manfully subdued so many nations should himselfe be shamefully conquered at the sight of a woman but on the other side the Comedians saith Clemens Alexandrinus bring-in the wanton Sardanapalus sitting in an ivory chaire and casting his eyes in every corner Dinah goes a straggling through the country whom when Sichem heire to the Lord of the countrey sawe sayes the text he tooke her and lay with her and deflowred her It is noted of Potiphars wife that she first cast her eye on Ioseph before she inticed him to folly and of our Prophet that from the roof of the Kings Palace their houses being square and flat on the top he sawe a woman washing herselfe And what followed upon it you know first goes videt hanc then quickly comes after visamque cupit and instruments will not be wanting for potiturque cupita vidit sine veste Dianam Praeda fuit canibus nec minùs ille suis. This irregular glancing or inordinate gazing is that which metamorphosies a man into a beast and makes him a prey to his owne brutish affections The Divell knew full well the danger of this sense when hee presented before our Saviours eye all the kingdomes of the world and the glory of them and Hezekiah learned it to his griefe when he stirred up such coales in the Babylonish Ambassadors by shewing them his treasure that they never left till they came and fetcht it away I saw among the spoyle a goodly Babylonish garment saith Achan and two hundred shekles of silver and a wedge of gold and I coveted them and tooke them Thus as it is the instrument of wantonness so is it of covetousneâ—s and of gluttony and drunkenness too Looke not thou saith Salomon upon the wine when it is red and when it shewes his colour in the cup in the end thereof it will hurt like a Serpent and bite like a Cocatrice Prov. 23. 31. So is it of pride looking-glasses being nothing else but the artificiall eyes of pride as our naturall eye is a kinde of living looking-glasse by which so many staines and blemishes are not discovered in the face as imprinted in the soule and lastly so it is of Idolatry the Prophet Esay in his twentith chapter stiling the Idols of Egypt the abomination of the eyes twice within the compass of two verses ver 7. 8. Whence it is in my iudgement that among all those idolatrous nations which worshipped false gods and went a-whoring after their owne in ventions the greatest part have ever consented in worshipping the host of heaven the Sunne the Moone or the Starres which among all creatures the eye most admireth and delighteth in Good reason then had our Saviour to say If thine eye bee evill all the body is darke Mat. 6. 23 and Saint Iohn 1. Epist. 2. 16 to make the lust of the eyes one of those three fountaines from which all other vices streame The sonnâ—s of God saw the daughters of men that they were faire and then followes that mischiefe which drew on the flood on the olde world The first woman sawe the fruit of the tree of knowledge that it was pleasant to the eye and from thence issued that first sinne the mother of all the evill which wee both doe and suffer Whence it may be in the Hebrew the same word signifieth as well an eye as a fountaine to shew that from it as from a spring or fountaine did flowe both sinne it selfe the cause of sinne and misery the punishment of both And if our first parents were thus bewitched by the eye and thereby received their bane in the state of innocency when their appetite was yet subordinate to reason and their reason to God what can wee promise to our selues Qui animas etiam incarnavimut who have made our very spirit a lump of flesh prone to entertaine vice but weake God knowes to resist it They are in a manner composed of flax or tinder apt to conceiue fire and to bee inflamed by the least sparke admitted by this sense except it be speedily repelled or quenched by grace Great reason then had our Prophet to pray and wee with him Turne away mine eyes O Lord from beholding vanitie great reason had hee to promise and we with him I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes the one for the imploring of Gods assistance and the other for the quickning of our owne endeavours
death take that breath againe from him turn him into dust or into nothing at his pleasure but his Vicegerents on earth have no such transcendent power their commission beeing confined to the rules of justice and religion the observation whereof is undoubtedly the fairest and safest course they can take Vriah was Davids Subject yet when the King had cunningly caused him to bee placed by Ioab in the forefront of the battell and upon a sudden retreit to fall by the sword of the Ammonite in sense of this unjust act hee afterwards cries out Deliver me from bloâ—d-guiltiness O God Naboth was Ahabs Subject yet because Letters were written in the Kings Name and his Seal was set to them for the putting of Naboth to death the Prophet Eliah is bid to charge him with the murther Hast thou killed and also taken possession Neither doth Ahab plead his power over Naboth or Naboths subjection unto him but by humbling of himselfe seems to acknowledge his guiltiness There is nothing that makes a man to bee more accounted of amongst all men than beeing accountable to no man for his actions so to carry himself specially in the destroying and cutting off of men as if he were ready to yeeld account of his proceedings to all men There is nothing that wins more hearty affection and inward both revereÌ„ce and obedience than when a man may uncontrouleably and without checke doe what hee list to doe no more than what is lawful and justifiable Nee tibi quid liceat sed quid fecisse decebit Occurrat mentemqâ—e domet respectus honesti And as the Panegyrist speakes of Theâ—dâ—sius Idem es qui fuisti tantum tibi per te licet quantum per leges antea licebat ius summum facultate câ—pia commodandi non securitate peccandi experiris Wherunto the strongest motive to induce a minde possessed with the sense of religion and the feare of God is that no earthly throne is so high but that it hath a superior throne in heaven from which it was derived to which it is subordinate and by which it must bee judged and the lesse it is lyable to humane censure the more strict and severe either in this world or in the next or in both must it in reason expect the divine Si genus humanum mortalia temnitis arma At sperate Deum memorem fandi at que nefandi Therfore our Prophet ads I will destroy I will cut off but whom the wicked of the Land the workers of iniquity which is my third generall part the Obiect upon whoÌ„ this severe justice is to be don It is as great abomination saith Salomon Prov. 17. 15 In the sight of God to condemne the just as it is to justifie the wicked And the Prophet Esay 5. 23 pronounceth as great a woe against him that taketh away the righteousness of the righteous from him as against him that iustifieth and absolveth the wicked for a reward As then speciall care must be had that the innocent do not suffer with the guilty or as the guilty So specially that their blood be not spilt and their life uniustly destroyed Know for certaine saies the Prophet Ieremy that if yee put mee to death yee shall bring innocent blood upon your selves and upon this Citie and upon the inhabitants thereof 26. 14. Thereby implying that God would avenge his blood not onely upon the murtherers themselves but upon the people the whole Land should be guilty of it Manasses was a 〈◊〉 murtherer hee shed innocent blood exceeding much till hee replenished Ierusalem from corner to corner 2. King 21. But marke how fearfully God revenges this sinne in his posterity In the dayes of Iehoachim the Lord sent against him bands of the Chaldees and bands of the Aramites and bands of the Mâ—abites and bands of the Ammonites and hee sent them against Iudah to destroy it For the sinnes of Manasses and for the innâ—cent blood that hee had shed as it is exprest in the 24. of the same booke Manasses was dead and rotten long before this time yet wee see God had not forgotten that sinne but the whole Land smarted in the third generation after him So likewise Ioash most unkindly caused Zachariah the sonne of good Iehoiada to be stoned to death because he reproved him for his Idolatry But see what followed When the yeare was out the Hoast of Aram came uppe against him and they came against Iudah and Ierusalem and destroyed all the Princes of the people and sent all the spoyle of them to the King of Damascus though the army of Aram came with a small company of men yet the Lord delivered a very great army into their hands After this the King himselfe was smitten with great diseases and at last his owne servants conspired against him and slew him in his bed And the reason of all these fearefull judgements is given there by the holy Ghost For the blood of the children of Iehoiada the Priest It is memorable that which Procopius an Historian reports touching Theodorick King of the Gothes how that having slain Boâ—thius and Symmachus two both noble and innocent persons the guilt of that horrible fact cleaving close to him hee had a strong imagination that the head of a certaine fish which was set upon his table was the head of Symmachus gaping and yawning upon him The very conceite whereof struck him into such a quaking fit as was the beginning of an extreame sickness upon which he shortly died Now as hee vowes to destroy the wicked and none but them so doth he all them my fourth generall part His indifferent and unpartiall proceeding I will destroy all I will cut off all Not that he thought it possible to root out all but that hee would doe his best to leave none The magistrate herein is to imitate God whose deputy he is whose person he represents And as he communicates with God in his name so shold he in his nature Who without respect of persons iudgeth according to every mans work 1. Pet. 1. 17. Though Coniah were as the signet upon his finger yet would hee pluck him thence Ieremy 22. 24. And as his practice is so is his precept Ye shall haue one lawe it shall be as well for the stranger as the borne in the countrey The stranger if hee deserve favour must have it as much as if hee were borne in the countrey and hee that is borne in the countrey must be punished as severely as if hee were a stranger Tros Tyriusue mihi nullo discrimine agetâ—r If a sonne be stubborne and disobedient the Parents themselves must bring him forth to the Iudges that they may sentence him the people stone him Deut. â—1 If a brother if a daughter if a wife offend in some cases they are not to be spared Deut. 13. And therfore Asa King of Iudah is commended for his uprightness in this respect that when Maacha his owne mother committed Idolatry hee would
his State with purging the head-city of his Kingdome where by reason of the confluence of forren nations all sorts of people vice must needs abound but specially because head-cities for the most part by Monopolies and Companies and Corporations and I knowe noâ—â—hat devices labour to drawe to themselves the whole treasure of the Land and if the blood should all bee drawn from the other members to the head it would both disteÌ„per the head and starve the members The head-city then is so to bee respected that inferiour cities and towns bee not neglected but an indifferent hand to bee extended to them al lest one in time swallow the other as the greater fishes devour the lesser The last thing wee are to observe is that hee would begin his reformation in the City of the Lord. Of the Lord. His meaning is with matter of religion it beeing therefore called the City of the Lord because as hee had chosen the Land of Canaan out of all the world to bee the portion of his people so out of all Canaan hee chose Ierusalem to place his Name and Tabernacle there the Temple beeing not yet built and in the Tabernacle the Arke of the Covenant a speciall sacrament of his presence This our Prophet expresseth yet more cleerely in another Psalm 122. 9 Because of the house of the Lord our God I will seeke to dâ—o thee good Among other main and waighty matters then pertaining to the Princes charge the care of GOD's truth and Church must bee the chiefest For should the bodies goods and credits of men bee preserved and the honour and glory of GOD bee neglected Should earthly ease bee so much in request and heavenly bliss so little in desire Feare wee the ruine of all things where injuries and violences by men are not repressed by the princes sword and doubt wee no danger where idolatry heresie at h eâ—sm and blasphemie against God goe unpunished Is Gods hand shortned that hee cannot strike or his will altered that hee will honour those that dishonour him and blesse them that hate him It is a Romish errour repugnant to the word of God and to the examples of the best Kings and Monarchs before and since Christ to restraine Princes from protecting and promoting the true worship of GOD within their Realms Neither hath the man of sin more grosly betraid his pride and rage in any thing than in abasing the honor and abusing the power and impugning this right of Princes by making them his Bailiffs and Sergeants to attend and accomplish his will and not meddle with supporting the truth or reforming the Church farther than hee listeth that whiles they command their subjects bodies hee might command their soules the better half which commanding the body wil quickly upon occasion draw that after it as reason shewes and experience teacheth It is rightly observed that after the Bishop of Rome had once fully engrossed the Imperiall power there was never since Emperour of strength or Pope of vertue so they lost both by it And indeed as the blood if it fall any way out of the veins too much there is some danger but if it fall into the body extra vasa there is more danger for it will corrupt and putresie so was it with the supreme authority of Princes when they suffâ—red it to fall into the Clergy as it were extra vasa but their Scepters and Thrones allowed them by God are sufficient proofs that they may and must make lawes and execute judgement as well for godliness and honesty which by the Apostles rule are within the compass and charge of their Commission as for peace and tranquillity God hath given them two hands to be Custodes utriusque tabulae Vpholders of both the tables from observing this no man may drawe them since for neglecting this no man shall excuse them They must not be careful in humane things and carelâ—sse in divine God ought to be served and honoured by them that is by their Princely power and care as much afore men as his truth and glory excelleth the peace and wâ—lfare of men It wanteth many degrees of a Christian government to look to the keeping of things that must perish and to leave the soules of men as an open prey to impiety and irreligion And if Princes provide not this for their Subjects peace and traffique and such like makes no better provision for them then is made for Oxen in good pasture nay not so good For an Oxe hath therein all hee needeth but a man without this left altogether unprovided in his farre nobler and better part And as Princes without this Care provide not well for their people so they provide but ill for themselves in as much as they can have no certaine assurance of the loyalty and allegeance of their subjects without it since nothing can cast a sure knot on the coÌ„science for the firme binding of it but the true knowledge and feare of God So that where Princes advance the good of Gods house they establish the good of their owne all in one Lastly it is to be observed that in all the Kings of Israel and Iudah their stories beginne with this observation as with a thing worthy to be chronicled in the first place how they dealt in matter of religion Such a King and such a King and what did he Hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and such a King hee walked in the wayes of Ieroboam the sonne of Nebat I spare to cite places but it is the generall observation of those books of Kings and Chronicles as they that reade them knowe yea farther it may bee marked that God hath alwaies humbled Princes even powred conteÌ„pt upon them when they have contemned the messengers and forsaken or forgotten the house of the Lord. For the preventing whereof it shall not be amisse for them to consult with Church-men specially in Church affairâ—s as the wise the good King David in all his weighty businesses but specially in matters touching religion and the service of God still used the counsell and direction either of Gad or Nathan Prophets or of Abiathar and Hiram chiefe Priests It went wel with Ioash as long as Iehoiada his trusty Counseller lived but when Iehoiadah died the Kings goodnesse dyed with him Then came the Princes of Iudah and made obeisance to the King and the King hearkened unto them and they left the house of the Lord God of their Fathers and served Groves and Idols and wrath came upon Iudah and Ierusalem because of this their trespasse 2. Chron. 24. 17. 18. Give the King thy iudgements O God and thy righteousness unto the Kings Son FINIS * Heb. thing of Belial * Or perfect in the way * Heb. shall noâ— beâ—stablâ—shed 1. Sermon vpon the first vers fol. 1. 2. Vpon the former part of the 2. vers fol. 38 3. Vpon the later part of the 2. vers fol. 72. 4. Vpon the former part of the 3. vers f. 101. 5. Vpon the later part of the 3. vers fol. 120. 6. Vpon the 4. vers fol. 139. 7. Vpon the former part of the 5. vers f. 162. 8. Vpon the later part of the 5. vers fol. 188. 9. Vpon the 6. vers fol. 220. 10. Vpon the 7. vers fol. 250. 11. Vpon the former part of the 8. vers fol. 279. 12. Vpon the later part of the 8. vers fol. 308. Gen. 4. 21. Eph. 5. 19. Col. 3 16. Iames 5. 13. Salust 1 Kings 7. pro. 16. 12. pro. 20. 28. â— psal 85. pro. 21. 21. Cap. 32. 11. * Or doe wisely 156â— Borbonius Hâ—b 6. 1 Phil. 3. 13. Pro. 4. 18. Ezek. 40. 31 Luke 2. 52 Psa. 119. â— Rom. 1. 30 1 King 1 Herodotus Psal. 18. 26 Sueton us of Titus Pro. 25. 4. 5 â—spansâ— Mat. 24â— 45 Compare Mat. 8 with Luke 7.
must first bee remooved before health can bee restored and darknesse first chased away before the light break forth In the Verse immediately going before hee professed hee hated the work of those that fall away or lepart from God Now the best way to provide that himself might not bee found faulty in that which hee hated in others was to strive that a froward heart should depart from him For the more this frowardnes decreaseth in us the neerer wee draw to God and the closer it sticks unto us the farther we wander from God True indeed it is that it can never utterly depart our soules till our soules depart our bodies and both body and soule depart this vale of tears While the heart lives its naturall life it will also live in our hearts and as the heart is among the bodily members the first that lives and the last that dies so is this amongst all the corrupt affections of the heart yet must wee still labour to mortisie it that though it remaine yet it raigne not in vs though it live yet the strength of it be broken and the head of it crushed Againe in that hee speakes of parting with a froward heart hee freely acknowledges that though hee were by grace a man after Gods owne hart yet by nature beeing without God as well as others hee could not bee without this froward heart neither his Calling nor his Crowne could priviledge him in that Case unless in becomming a King hee should leaue to be a man and being advanced in dignity he should shake-off nature which being voyde of grace rather serves to deprave nature farther than any way to correct it Once in this Psalme hee promised a reformation of his eyes twice of his heart therefore a double watch is to be set over the heart in regard of any other member Salomon begins with it Prov. 4. 23 Keepe thy heart with all diligence or as the Originall reades aboâ—e all keeping as a man would say with double diligence for out of it are the issues of life And from the heart he comes to the mouth ver 24. Put away from thee a froward moâ—th and from the mouth to the eyes ver 25. Let thine eyes looke right on and from the eyes to the feet ver 26. Ponder the path of thy feet and from the feet to the hand ver 27. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left thereby shewing us that the heart is as the first wheele of the Clock if this bee either righâ— or disordered so are the rest For as out of the aboundance of the heart the mouth speaketh so the eyes looke the feet walke the hand moves As the heart is the shop of the vitall spirits and they againe the food of the naturall life so is it likewise the fountain of new birth and That the beginning of our spirituall life Those sacrifices in which no heart was found were by the Heathen counted ominous Their conceit therein might bee superstitious but I am sure t is true that those religious exercises in which the heart is wanting cannot be acceptable unto God Hear then with thine â—â—res but with thy heart too pray â—â—th thy lips but with thy heart too receive theâ— Sacrament with thine hand but with thy heart too otherwise thy hearing thy praying thy receiving being heartless will in the end proove fâ—uitless Therefore doth our â—ropheâ— so often beat upon this heart-string A froward heart shall depart from mee Frowardnes is sometimes universally extended to the whole corruption of the heart as Psal. 58. 3 The ungodly are froward even from their mothers wombe and so it includes both Ieremies deceitfull heart 17. 9 The heart is deceitfull above all things who can know it and Ezekiels stony heart 11. 19. I will take from them their stony heart and give them a heart of flesh and Saint Stephens uncircumcised heart Acts 7. 51. Yee stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and eares and Saint Pauls foolish heart Rom. 1. 21. They became vaine in their imaginations and their foolish heart was full of darkness And thus our froward heart is both stony and uncircumcised hard anâ— impure in regard of it selfe deceitfuâ—â— full of windings and turnings in regard of men and lastly foolish voyd of all true knowledge and understanding in regard of God Now to this hard wee must oppose a tender heart compassionating the miseries of men relentinâ— at the threatnings of God and bleeding in the consideration of its owne naturall hardness To this impure wee must oppose a cleane heart Create in me O God a cleane heart cleane though not from all stain yet froÌ„ the foule blots of gross sinnes though not from all impuritie yet from hypocrisie To this deceitfull we must oppose a simple heart sine plicis without pleits and foldes speaking as we thinke and doing as we speake and lastly to this foolish wee must oppose a wise heart wise I meane in things appertaining to saluation and the mysteries of godliness More specially frowardness against God in holy Scripture is contracted either to stubbornness and rebellion in not submitting our necks to the yoke of his law or to repining and murmuring in not submitting our backs to the rod of his chastisement The first is peruersnesse and obstinacy and it shewes it selfe either in preferring the traditions of men before or equalling them to the Oracles of holy Scripture and the ordinances of Christ or which is as bad if not worse in preferring the devices and desires of our hearts before the express injunction or inhibition of Gods commandements faire pretenses may be made for the former but for the later no colour no excuse at all I will instance onely in the two last precepts of the first table because they immediately concerne the honour of God Thou shalt not take my name in vaine saith God if then I speake of him jestingly or inconsiderately or sweare by him rashly or falsly knowing what he commands and my selfe practice Doth not this argue a froward heart Remember that thou keep holy the Sabbath day saith God If then I spend it in gaming or idleness in gluttony and drunkenness in chambering wantonness knowing what he commands and my selfe practice Doth not this argue a froward heart This froward heart it is that our Prophet doth heer promise to put away And surely not without great cause since hee had learned no doubt out of the 26. of Levit. ver 24 If yee will not be reformed but wil walk stubbornly against me I will also vvalke stubbornly against you I will punish you yet seuen times that is in the highest degree Neither could he be ignorant or forgetfull of the message of Samuel to Saul yet fresh in memory To obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of Rams but rebellion is as the sinne of witch-craft and stubbornness as idolatry Because thou hast reiected the word of the Lord he hath also reiected thee from beeing
King 1 Sam. 15. 22. 23. Nay himselfe had told vs in another Psalme speaking of God With the pure thou wilt shew thy selfe pure and with the froward thou wilâ— shew thy self froward or as the Originall beares it Thou wilt wrastle with the froward Now if God come to wrastle with man though with the stoutest of men the commander of heaven earth with dust and ashes it cannot but proue impar congressus as the wrastling of a Giant with a Dwarfe wee shall make no match with him Hee it is that looseth the bond of Kings and powreth contempt vpon Princes if they contemne him Iob 12. As severe as they are towards their inferiors if they carry themselves frowardly towards them so severe is hee to them if they carry themselves frowardly toward him Let them alwayes then remember that Omne sub regno graviore regnum est Every earthly kingdome must yeeld an account to a higher And let them deale with God as they would haue others to deale with them the same obedience which they expect from others themselves must first performe to God And the more and greater blessings they have received from him the stronger is their obligation of obedience to him specially considering that God demands it at our hands as a thing not any way beneficiall to himselfe For our goodness extendeth not to him Psalme 16. 1 but onely as profitable to our selves Neither doth hee binde vs to any blinde obedience as the Padres doe their novices nor exacts at our hands the sacrificing of our sons and daughters and the passing of them through the fire as the Divels did of the Heathen but onely tyes us to his will revealed in his worde The execution whereof is no lesse comfortable for this present life then necessary for that which is to come The first thing then and the chiefe in abandoning this frowardnesse is the submitting of our necks with all forwardnesse to the yoake of Gods lawe which though it seeme at first to be burdensome to flesh and blood yet that being once mastered His commandements are not grievous 1 Iohn 5. 3. Nay his yoake is easie and his burden light Mat. 11. 30. The next is the submitting our backs to the rod of his chastisement and as the former required our obedience so doth this our patience For after we have by our obedience done the wil of God yet even then wee have need of patience for the finishing of the race that is set before us Heb. 10. 36. It is a fair step to perfection victory when a man can say with the Church in the 44. Psalm Though all this become upon us yet forget we not thee nor behaue our selues frowardly in thy covenant And with Mauritius the Emperor when he felt the utmost of misery Iustus es Domine iusta sunt iudicia tua Righteous art thou O Lord upright are thy judgements with that noble Lord of Plessis when hee had lost his eldest and his only son and as I take it his only childe a Gentleman of marvelous great hope Tacui non locutus sum quia tu Domine fecisti I held my peace and opened not my mouth because it was thy dooing O Lord. I deny not but the best may at times when they feele the hand of God heavy upon them growe pettish and breake out with Iob Let the day perish wherein I vvas borne or with Eliah It is enough now O Lord take awaey my life or with Ionah I doe well to be angry even unto death though that were indeede an high degree of impatience or with our Prophet Hath the Lord forgâ—tten to be gracious and will hee shut up his loving kindnesse in displeasure These motions may suddenly arise in their hearts and they may speake unadvisedly with their lippes yet they take care that frowardnesse doo not possesse their hearts And when they come to themselves they are as ready to say with one of them Though hee slay mee yet will I trust in him Iob 13. 15. And with another Though I walke through the valley of the shadowe of death I will feare none evill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe they comfort me Psalme 23. 4. When a man is once growen to this assurance that God loves him hee takes every stroke at Gods hand as a severall pledge of his love kisses the very rod that strikes him as knowing that the rod of Aaron and the pot of Manna must goe together but when that assurance wants if God strike a man for his disobedience it makes him fret with impatience till that provoke another stroke and the more he is stâ—â—cken the more impatient hee growes and againe the more impatient hee growes the more is hee stâ—â—cken till in the end insteed of confession and submission he breake out into open defiance and rebellion against his striker challenging his Maker of injustice and from that to indignation and gnashing of teeth which is nothing else but a kinde of frowardnes proper to Divels damned spirits Now the higher we are in place the more impatient we coÌ„moÌ„ly are of crosses supposing we shold have God at our beck as we have men being apt to say with Pharaoh Who is the Lord that hee should thus cross me but let such take heed lest while they imitate Pharaoh in his rebellion they partake with him in his confusion Now as from the love of God flowes the love of man so from this frowardnesse of obstinacy and impatience towards God for the most part issues a frowardness of haâ—shnes bitterness towards men opposite to that meeknesse which Christianitie and that sweetnesse of disposition which morall Phylosophie teacheth us The symptomes of it are a bended brow a frowning eye a sharpe tongue a a hanging lip a clowdy and lowring countenance the caâ—ses self-conceit and scoâ—â—e of others an overvaluing oâ— our selves a disâ—steeming oâ— others the effâ—â—ts diâ—â—iculty in accâ—sse and roughness in â—nâ—â—â—tainement and in regard of others both â—eare and hatred two inseparable companions Absoloâ—s faire speech and stretching forth of the hand was it that stole the hearts of the men of Israell as on the other side Rehoboams crabbedness was it that forced the people to say What portion have vvee in David neither have wee inheritance in the sonne of Iesse to your tents O Israel One gentle word one gracious look would then have won them for ever whereas his dogged answerâ— wrought him a deep and irrecoverable losse Vt ameris amabilis esto the way to be beloved is to be lovely in carriage and amiable in condition and the best guard of Commanders is the love of inferiors Non sic excubiae non circumstanâ—ia pilâ— Quam tutatur amor All the poleaxes and halberds in the world cannot so safely guard the person of a Soveraigne as the love of his Subjects Who can find in his heart to lift up his hand against such a Prince Qui