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
autem cum abundent infeliciter viuendo augenda sunt docendo Lies are either to be shund by speaking truth or to be confest and bewailed with sorrow or if they abound by ill living they are not to bee multiplied by teaching them as lawfull Verse 8. I will earely destroy all the wicked of the Land that I may cut off all wicked doers from the citie of the Lord. OVr Prophet having in the former verses of this Psalme vowed the reformation of his owne Person of his housholde Servants of his Counsellers inferior Magistrates Heere in this last verse he vowes in generall the reformation both of the Church and of the Common-weak of the Civill and Ecclesiastical State In the handling of which words I will follow the method proposed in the Text. The first word is In matutinis as Arias Montanus or Singulis matutinis as Tremelius renders it In the mornings or morning by morning Every morning wherin he notably expresseth his diligence and dispatch in that it should bee his mornings worke and then his Constancy and perseverance in that it should bee his worke euery morning The second thing is the worke it selâ—â— I will destroy I will cut off his meaning is when no other remedy will serve the turne The third is the Obiect the persons upon whom this severe justice is to be done not petty offenders much lesse the innocent but notorious malefactors The vvicked of the Land wicked doers The fourth is the unpartiality of his proceeding without respect of persons All the wicked of the Land all wicked doers twice repeated that we might take notice of it As he wold cut off none but notorious malefactors so would he as near as he could cut them all off Neither his heart nor his eye should pitie nor his hand spare any of them The fift and last is the End hee proposeth to him selfe of this worke the purging of the Citie of the Lord by which is meant Hierusalem first for Example to the whole Realme it being the Metropolis and head Citie of the kingdome as also and principally by reason the service of God and the exercise of religion was in a speciall manner by divine ordinance tyed unto it First then of the first In matutinis wherein his diligence in the carefull performing of this worke comes first to bee observed The saying is common and in some cases no lesse just Odi nimium diligenâ—es but where the businesse is weighty and the fayling dangerous a man can hardly be too diligent The life of man is precious and the preservation of the State and Church important and diligence in such a case is not onely commendable but necessary The search of truth is hard specially being disguised by the colourable shifts of cunning heads and in such a case as it is the glorie of god to conceal a thing so it is the Kings honour to search out a matter Prov. 25. 2. And no time so fit for this search as the morning when mens wits are freshest and their mindes after repose least distracted Therefore Iosuah rose early in the morning for the discovery of Achans theft 7. 16. And besides the drinking of wine often makes men after meales to forget the lawe and pervert the iudgement Pro. 31. 5. Therefore is there a woe pronounced against that Land whose Princes or chiefe Magistrates eate in the morning Eccles. 10. 16 that is take up that time which is specially allotted for matters of justice with intemperate and unseasonable eating and drinking As then he is cursed that doth the worke of the Lord negligently so is hee blessed that doth it diligently and watchfully In matutinis The second thing implyed in this word is speed and dispatch therefore it followes in the same place of the Prophet Ieremy Cursed bee hee that keepeth backe his sword from blood 48. 10 that deferreth to doe justice when occasion and oportunity is offered when reason and religion requires it Delayes in other things are not good but in this they are starke naught because by delay great offences many times get either friends for protection or meanes for evasion according to a saying of the Italians Give mee time and give mee life Againe by delay and connivence small offences growe great a little fire which at first might have beene put out with a spoonfull of water being let to burne turnes townes and cities into ashes and cannot bee quenched with whole rivers Punishments are as medicines which if they be kept too long hazard the Patient and lose their vertue And Magistrates as Physicians who must not let a disease go too long left by sufferance it proove incurable which might haue beene holpen by timely ministring Lastly as by delay the offender growes bolder to the farther indangering and oppressing of the innocent the infecting of the good the hartening and hardning of the wicked So hee that should cut him off many times by tract of time growes colder in his zeale to justice If Ioab had received condigne punishment according to his deserts at his killing of Abner he would never have growen so audaciously insoleÌ„t to murther Amasa in such a treacherous manner And had Absolon beene taken short when by his command his brother Amnon was slaine there had bin no danger of his ensuing rebellion against his Soveraigne his Father It is good then to launce an ulcer betimes before it growe to a Gangrene and to kill a Tetter before it spread to a Ringworme That which God commandeth Fathers of families that if they love their children they correct them betimes and chastice them whiles there is hope Prov. 13. 24 is also required of the fathers of the Common-wealth Whoseever will not doe the lawe of God and the King let iudgement be executed speedily upon him Esra 7. 26. And the reason hereof is yeelded by Salomon Eccles. 8. 11. Because sentence against an evill worke is not executed speedily the heart of the sonnes of men is fully set on mischiefe Yet is there not more haste to be made than good speed The celestiall spheares the higher they are in situation the slower are they in their proper motion and the supreame Iudge of the world useth much forbearance long suffering toward sinners that so by the riches of his goodnes hee might draw them to repentance or because hee foreseeth that they will doo some notable good worke to the advancement of his glory the good of his church Much like saith Plutarch in that golden Booke of his De sera Numinis vindicta as the lawes ordain that a woman condemned to death for some hainous offense bee neverthelesse reprived and spared if shee be with childe untill she bee delivered which beeing done the Law is executed upon her As then the supreme Iudge in heaven inflicts punishments on offenders without al passion and with all patience in due manner place and season so should his Vice-gerents on earth not so much out of desire of
be true that the better sort be directed by love yet the greater sort are corrected by feare A man that stands by and sees one that is wounded seared or launced is therby made more carefull of his owne health and in like manner the beholding a malefactor to be brought to deserved punishment makes men more wary how they runne into the like courses It was a true saying in the generall of the Proconsull to Cyprian at his martyrdome though ill applyed to him in particular In sanguine tuo caeteri discent disciplinam In thy blood the rest will learne discipline Secondly the cutting off of the wicked causeth the good to leade a more quiet and peaceable life in godliness and honesty who if they should be permitted to live and enjoy their liberty wee should neither meet quietly in our assemblies nor dwell quietly in our houses nor walke quietly in our streets nor travaile quietly in our wayes nor labour quietly in our fields In better tearmes stands that State where nothing then where all things are lawful and it is no lesse cruelty to spare all than to spare none For he that spares one bad thereby injuries many good which gave occasion to the Proverbe Foolish pitie marres the Citie and to the saying of Domitius that hee had rather seeme cruell in punishing than dissolute in sparing Many saith Saint Augustine call that cruelty when for love of disciplin the fault committed is revenged by the punishment of the offender whereas the Sentence of him that punisheth satisfieth the lawe and redoundeth to the good not onely of them that are present but even of them that are yet unborne So that severity used in this case Vtilitate publica rependitur is payed home and recompensed with publike benefit Yea but though hee be a malefactor say some yet is hee a personable man of an excellent wit and good parentage and is it not pitie to cast away such a man To which may justy be replyed Is it not more pitie that a proper man should undoe a profitable man that a witty man should hurt an honest man that hee who hath good parentage should spoile him that hath good vertues to serve the Common-wealth To cut off such a wicked person then by the stroake of justice is not to castaway a man but to preserve mankinde and better it is Vt unus pereat quam ut unitas that one single person should suffer than a whol Society Truncatur artus Vt liceat reliquis securum viuere mâ—bris Thirdly as by sparing wicked and wilfull transgressors the wrath of God is provoked and his judgements pulled downe vpon a Nation So by cutting them off as by an acceptable sacrifice his wrath is appeased and his favour procured If blood were shed in the Land and the murtherer not put to death the whol Land was thereby defiled and made lyable to Gods displeasure Num. 35. 33. When Achan had stoln the consecrated thing the wrath of the Lord was so kindled against all the Hoast of Israel that they could not stand but were discomfited before their enemies but as soone as Achan with those that belonged unto him were stoned to death the Lord turned from his fierce wrath against Israel so that wheras before their enemies chased and smote them now they atchieved many great and famous victories Ios. 7. So long as the murther committed by Saul upon the Gibeonites was unpunished there was sent a grievous famine upon the Land of Israell three yeares together but as soon as Sauls seaven sonnes were hanged at the motion of the Gibeonites God was appeased with the Land Two notable examples to this purpose we have recorded by Plutarch the one in the life of Romulus the other of Camillus When Romulus K. of Rome Tatius K. of the Sabines after cruell war had made their coÌ„position to governe the Romans Sabines joyntly there fell a strange kinde of plague and famine in the Cities of Rome and Laurentum for two murthers committed by the Romans and Laurentines the one by the kinsmen of Tatius upon certaine Embassadours of Laurentum which murder Tatius neglected to punish and the other by the friends of the saide Embassadours upon Tatius in revenge of the injustice done by his kinsmen and suffered by him Whereupon it being noted that the plague and famine increased strongly in both Cities and a common opinion conceived that it was a punishment of God upon them for those murthers committed and not punished they resolved to doe justice upon the offenders which being once done the plague ceased presently in both places The same Author likewise ascribeth the Sack of Rome by the Gaules to the just judgement of God upon the Romans for two injustices done by them the first was the unjust banishment of Camillus the second the refusall to punish certain Ambassadors of their own who beeing sent to treate peaceably with the Gaules on the behalfe of the Clusians committed acts of hostility against them contrary to the lawe of armes And when the Gaules sent to Rome to demand reparation of the injury the Romans not onely refused to give them satisfaction but also made made their Ambassadours who had done the injurie Generals of an Army to assist the Clusians against them notwithstanding that the Foeciales officers ordained by Numa Pompilius to determine of the lawfull causes of Peace and Warre made great instance to the Senate that the Ambassadours might be punished lest the penalty of their fault might otherwise fall upon the Common-wealth as indeede it did For the Gaules giving battel to the Ambassadors overthrew them and prosecuting their victory spoyled and sacked Rome it selfe under the conduct command of Brennus their chief Leader and as some write a Brittain Wherein I wish to bee noted how grievous a sinne it is in the opinion of the very Paynims themselves and how dangerous to the Common-wealth to neglect and omit the punishment of notorious malefactors whereby the offences of particular men are made the sinnes of the whole State and draw the wrath and punishment of God upon the same And as upon the whole State so chiefly upon his person and posterity to whose place and office it belongs to see justice done It is a true saying Iudex damnatur cum nocens absâ—luitur the Iudge is condemned when the guilty is absolved and Qui non vetat peccare cum potest iubet He that doth not restrain a man when it is his duty and it lies in his power doth command him to sinne He that saith to the wicked thou art righteous him shall the people curse Prov. 24. 24. And in another place Hee that justifieth the wicked is an abomination to the Lord 17. 15. So that whereas they thinke by this meanes to winne estimation with men they make themselves odious both to God and men Saul was punished with the losse of his kingdome for not punishing Agag with death 1. Sam. 15. And Ahab for sparing Benhadab had
not spare her but deposed her from her Regency 1. King 15. And indeed it is truly said Iustitia non novit patrem non novit matrem veritatem novit Iustice neither knoweth father nor mother but onely the truth It is reported by a late Traveller that in Zant over the place of judgement where all causes both Criminall and Civill are decided there are these two Latine verses written on the wall in letters of gold Hic locus odit amat punit conservat hâ—norat Nequitiam pacem crimina iâ—ra bonos This place hateth wickedness loveth peace punisheth offences preserveth the lawes honoureth the good implying that there should be no partiality used but every man should be proceeded withall according to his deserts To which purpose was that memorable speech of our King Henry the fourth of that name who when his eldest son the Prince was by the L. chief Iustice for some great misdemeanors commanded and committed to prison hee thanked God that hee had both a sonne of that obedience and a judge of such unpartiall and undanted courage But Agesilaus was as much to blame who when hee commended a friend of his to the Iudge hee mooved him that if his cause were good hee would absolve him for justice sake if not at his motion but howsoever the world went absolved hee must be bee an ill example of dangerous consequence in him who was to be a paterne of indifferent justice to his inferiour Iudges among whom wee finde that too often true which the heathen Orator complained of in his times Omnium Sermone percrebuit It is rife in every mans mouth In his iudiciis quae nunc sunt pecuniosum hominem quamvis sit nocens neminem posse damnari That in these judgements which are now-adayes a monied man though hee bee guilty cannot be condemned Nihil tam sanctum quod non violari nihil tam munitum quod non expugnari pecuniâ possit There is nothing so holy that may not be violated nothing so well fenced that may not bee overthrowne with money the lawes being made like unto cobwebs which catch and holde little â—lyes but the great ones breake through them Blasphemy and perjury sacriledge and symonie and extortion and oppression and vsury and exeessive bribery passe currant when petty theeverie in case of extreame necessity is most severely punished The fifâ— and last point I proposed is the End our Prophet proposeth to him selfe of this great work heer vowed It is the purging of the Citie of the Lord whereby is meant Ierusalem First for example to the whole Realme it being the Metropolis and head Citie of the Kingdome as also and principally by reason the service of God and the exercise of religion was in a speciall mannâ—r by divine ordinance tied unto it in which regard he cals it the Citie of the Lord as the Evangelist doth the holy Citie Mat. 4. This Citie was so large that it conâ—â—â—â—ed of foure quarters every one of them by walles divided from another The first and highest was mount Sion in it was the Citie of David called by â—osephus the superiour Citie exceeding strong in regard of the naturall situation thereof The second was called the Daughter of Sion because it seemed to come out as it were of the bosome of the other and in this was mount Moriah whereupon the Temple stood This Citie was compassed with a stronge walâ— wherein stood threescore Towres The third was beautified with many ample streets faire buildings compassed with a wall wherein were fourteen Towers The fourth was inhabited by all sorts of Artificers compassed with the third wall which was twenty five cubits high and had in it fourescore and tenne strong Towers So populous withall it was that during the siege of the Romans in the space of five monthes there were slaine and died as Iosephus there present reports it to the number of eleven hundred thousand Now albeit in our Prophets dayes this Citie was not yet brought to this perfection yet was it then very spacious and populous notwithstanding which greatness of the place and disordred multitude of the inhabitants yet by Gods helpe he undertakes the reformation It is a thing which we ought to bear away for it meeteth with the idleâ—ess and litherness of many who imagine that it is impossible to reforme a great City yea if it bee but a little market-town it is impossible say they that all should bee well there Yea this excuse is pretended by such as have but small families in comparison and so under a colour of this impossibility to reform all they doo almost just nothing no not so much as the lawes put into their hands and command them to do Yet these men have but as it were a posterne gate in Ierusalem to keep what thinke you would they doo if they had the charge of so great and large a City True it is let Officers doo their best there will be much disorder what wil it bee then when they doo little or nothing in respect of any care to weed out sinne but rather bolster it out take part with leud companions give them countenance speak and write for them yea keep them company men fitte rather to bee overseen and guided continually by others than to bee in authority to see or guide any But let such as bee in office doo their duty executing the good lawes put into their hands by higher authority and then not doubt of the impossibility of reforming abuses in their lesser charges seeing David trusting upon the help of God is so confident touching this great populous City Let them but put-to their endeavours and they shall finde such success in the advancement of godlines and suppressing of impiety many times even beyond hope and expectation as they wil see cause to rejoice in the performance of their dutie and to praise God for his blessing upon it Again David vowing to reforme this City meaneth not to stay there but to proceed to the cleansing purging of the whole Land This no doubt hee might think that if Ierusalem were reformed it would be a great light and direction to the whole Kingdome as wee see how it falleth out lesser places look to those that beâ— greater and the meaner sort look to those that beâ— higher froÌ„ whom also there is 〈◊〉 force to draw inferiours either to good or evill Above maiori discit ar are minor A great towne or a great house well ordered may fitly bee compared to a great garden ful of sweet flowrs which yeeldeth much good â—avour and prospect to the neighbours if they bee ill ordered they bee like great dunghills noysome and contagious to such as dwell about A great towne or a great Personages house if they bee good do much good to the Countrey but if they bee naught and sinfull the poison of them is strong and the infection daÌ„gerous It is then a work worthy a King to beginne the reformation of
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.