best estate are altogether vanitie though they be called gods they must die like men and therefore must act according to those Laws which the King of Kings hath layd before them for his glory and his peoples good It is recorded concerning king Joash 2 Chron. 24.2 That he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the dayes of Jehoiada the Priest and no longer What no Bishop no King how true that Maxime is let others dispute Sure it is that a good Priest makes a good King or at least if he can help it will not endure a bad one But what was the matter with Joash after the death of Jehoiada v. 17. The Princes of Judah came and did reverence unto him and he hearkenod unto them c. Did they reverence him it was but 〈◊〉 duty but duty it selfe as every vertue hath two extremes but he hearkened unto them puffed up with pride he forgot to be humble and allured by their flatteries was perswaded to do that which in the conclusion tended to his ruine and the Nations woe Those therefore that are or shall be the Counsellors of a King remember what is written As a roaring Lyon and as a hungry Beare such is a wicked Ruler over a poore people Pro. 28.15 It is not for Princes to be drunk with ambition no more then with wine this will make him erre in judgement no lesse then that It is better for Princes to be sons of Consolation then of terror and those that take a delight to be and be accounted Hunters before the Lord it is just in God that they fall into the snare and that the venome of his arrows dry up their spirits Is the Prince naturally mercifull cherish and preserve that temper in him doe not as the Lyonesse did her young Lyon teach him to catch and to devoure the prey Eze. 19.4 perswade him not to wast and destroy or shew himselfe terrible with the noyse of his roarings least the Nations beset him and lay snares for him and he fall into their pit The greatest Triumph of a King is to gaine the hearts and winne the good affections of his people He that hath these shall never want their hands to vindicate nor purses to maintaine his Honour and interest That service is quickest in dispatch and soars highest that is mounted upon the wings of love A beloved Prince is as the breath of our nostrills The anoynted of the Lord worth ten thousand of us no dangers shall disquiet his repose no cares line his Crowne no terrors torment his spirit if his subjects can helpe it All Israel will come up to Hebron to attend the Coronation of such a King on the contrary what sadder spectacle in the world then to see a King mounted on his triumphant Chariot enriched with the spoyles and drawne by his gald-backt naked and impoverished subjects Which that neither wee nor our children may see let Kings and Counsellours ponder observe this truth That when Kings in governing goe beyond the limits of moderation they passe the lines of securitie and run the hazard of their own ruine When Kings make their Will their Law and their own Pleasure their Prerogative Royall Subjects often make their Power their Priviledge and conceive Might a sufsicient Right to vindicate their Liberties As I cannot allow the first so I dare not approve the second I have heard the Advocates of The Kings Bench and am not altogether ignorant what is said for the Common pleas I have summon'd a Grand Jury of my serious thoughts in the Case which have return'd an Ignoramus and I am resolv'd to leave both partyes to stand or fall to their owne Master But for this first branch of this seditious faction let them Consider the text Feare the Lord and the King First the Lord then the King The King after in with and for the Lord He that would be able to give a good account of his loyaltie must prefix these prepositions as Essentials of pietie he cannot love the King that feares not God Are drinking of healths swearing ramming damming hideous and desperate execrations and Cursings the symptomes of a loyall subject doe such damnable and deplorable carriages speake those that use them the servants of a Christian King defender of the faith or the Cursed vassalls of Baalâ—zebub Prince of the Devils Oh that my Counsell might be acceptable to such to break off this sin by Repentance and this iniquitie by a publique confession that there may be a healing of the error That that may be effected which for feare of them hath been partly obstructed which is by all desired That our Judges may be restored as at the first and our Magistrates as at the beginning Thus far of the first The second sort of seditious persons are such as will have no King Every small discontent armes them into desperate undertakings What portion have we in David or what inheritance in the son of Ishai To your tents O Israel Now look to thy owne house David Stay stay a little may not a man be more zealous then religious more forward then wise consider the end of it will it not be bitternesse and an evill day But further Have wee no share in David no inheritance in the house of Ishai Was he flesh of our flesh and bone of our bone at his inauguration and have we no interest in the succession Is that the best Counsell To thy tents of Israel Well goe on rejoyce in Jeroboam and his golden Calves Make priests of the meanest of the people submit to any thing rather then a returne to the house of David God permits much that he doth not approve of Let me with the peace of a good conscience lye with Lazarus upon a dunghill yea die like a dog in a ditch rather then stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of the scornfull May my memory perish rather then deserve such a Monument as Jeroboam had This is Jeroboam the son of Nebat that made Israel to sin Sedition hath somtimes successe but doth never prosper the conclusions of it though purchased by blood are lesse valuable then water It is in this case as it was with David Oh that any would give me to drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem his enemies the Philishins then lying round about it His worthyes will venture their lives to satisfie his longing what will not zeale and affection do but when he hath it he refuses to drink it but powring it on the ground sayes Is not this the blood of these men The blood of men is a dear rate for an imaginary liberty such a one as like Plato's Idea hath its existence only in fancy and is Ens rationis more properly then Ens reale If this be liberty say many thousands in England would we had been subjects still and he that thanked God that he was borne a freeman and not a slave had as little reason for it
Lord and the King c. The Text is easily divided into two generall Parts First A Doctrine which is a word of Command Secondly The Reason which is a word of Terror The Doctrine is 1. Positive My son c. 2. Negative and meddle not c. The Positive consists of three Parts First The Schollar My son c. Secondly The Duty Feare Thirdly The Object of this fear God and the King In the Negative First the Prohibition meddle not Secondly The hatefull object The Seditious In the Reason That word of terror Observe .. First an Assertion In which observe 1. The Terror Destruction 2. The Propriety or particularity Their 3. The certainty It shall come 4. The Expedition Suddenly Secondly An Expostulation in which the Assertion is doubled illustrated and confirmed Who knows the ruine of them both Of those in their order But first I shall commend the work and workman unto the Protection of the Allmighty My God my God Who art also my King send help unto Sion By thee Kings reigne and Princes sit in judgment build up our Sion but not with blood establish our kingdome in righteousnesse and equity Look not O Lord look not upon the iniquities of our Jacob behold not in severity the multiplyed transgressions of our Israel but thou O Lord the Lord God of Hosts returne unto us and let the joyfull shout of a King be amongst us Remember thy sure mercies of old and regard the face of thine anoynted Cloath thy Priests with salvation O Lord and let thy Saints rejoyce in thy goodnesse As the just punishment of our breach of Covenant with thee thou hast broke thy Covenant with us and being angry with thine anoynted hast prophaned his Crown and east it unto the ground but return O Lord for the salvation of thy people and for the salvation of thine anoynted Wound the head of the house of the wicked and discover the foundations of their cruelties and subtiltyes even to the neck Bring the wickednesse of the Wicked to an end but guide the just in thy feare Order the heart and hand of thy servant sanctifie both to thy glory and the Nations good Prosper thy Word as a word of truth meeknesse and Righteousnesse With joy and gladnesse let our Princes be established That thy name may be remembered through all generations and the people shall give thankes unto thee world without end Amen Amen Son is a word that intimates authority and relation and enjoynes submission and obedience he must have if not gray haires yet gravitie sufficient to speake him a father who calls another man his son It is sometimes a Civil Complement if Dives call Abraham father Abraham by a returne of civilitie will call him Son Thus Joshua to Achan My Son give glory to God Son is sometimes the denomination of Rationall creatures Angells and men and here if the Sons of God be assembled Satan himselfe will come amongst-them though he be turn'd out of doores with Ishmael and with Cain doom'd to wander when the Sons of God are assembled Satan will come if not to claime yet to clamor for a blessing and though with Ruben he shall not prevaile yet with Esau he will accuse threaten condemne seek the destruction of his younger Brother who hath got the blessing But let it be us'd when by whom and in what sense it will it speakes authoritie in him that speaks it and calls for attention in the party spoken to A son honoureth i. e. is bound to honour love and obey his Father But My Son intimates a more singular authoritie mixt with affection and not onely commands but constrains to a singular obedience mixt with reverence and holy feare When Isaac was to be sacrified we read not of the least opposition cry or complaint though he was suddenly surpriz'd and had no lesse then the appearance of unnaturall crueltie and barbarisme to heighten and aggravate the Act. That expression My Son did as it were charme him to obedience The cords of affection and bands of love binding an ingenuous nature faster then Sampsons new and untried Ropes But from the Son of Abraham come to the Son of God This is that my beloved Son By which expression God did not onely acknowledge him for his Son but oblige him as a Son to duty Heare him what he says In the volumne of thy booke it is written of me I come to doe thy will yea though it was to be led as a lambe to the slaughter and to lye bound and dumbe as a sheep before his shearer But to come to our selves he that hath sealed the Charter of our adoption hath impos'd upon us a necessitie of subjection He that hath entred us into the Prerogative Office of the Sonnes of God commands us to receive him and to believe in his Name You then that are or would be called The Sons of God learne Gods love and your duty his authoritie and your submission Where the word of King is there is power if the Lyon roare who will not feare If the Lord have spoken who can but prophesie Let not your prudence obstruct your pietie nor your love of the world extinguish the love of God in your hearts He that knows the will of God and dares not doe it for feare of men he is as ill if not worse then prophane Esau who sold his birth-right for a messe of pottage Every man therefore that desires the honour or claims the priviledge to be the Son of God That prayes our Father as The sons of the living God let them with Reverence observe The duty Feare Feare is sometimes so far from a duty that it is a disturbance It puts all out of frame and makes him more timorous then the Hare That ought to be bold as the Lyon The Apostle calls it by a fit name when he calls it the Spirit of bondage for this is that that not onely binds a man up both hand and foot but casts him into utter darknesse Unbelievers and those that are thus fearefull Rev. 21.8 as they are both blinde usually lead one another so they fall into the same ditch The Indians feare the Devil and sacrifice to him not out of love but least he should hurt them And many that are called Christians feare God upon no better account This was the sad effect of the first transgression I was affraid because I was naked c. and to subdue this in us was the end of Gods sending his Son into the world that we being delivered from our enemies might serve him without feare The love of God shed abroad in our hearts casts out this feare Secondly Therefore feare is an awfull respect to and regard of with love reverence and honour This seasons all the duties of men and makes them acceptable to God This feare attends upon and ushers in great joy This is Commanded Serve the Lord with feare Heb. 12.28 and rejoyce with trembling To distinguish this from the
Wood where we may see under over and through it each end and side of it and yet cannot get out of it Is not our nation betrayed by it self either pitied scorn'd or hated by all where have we a friend where not an enemy In such a case who will not say What shall I doe It hath often been the result of my serious thoughts I have often with Paul breathed out Lord What wouldst thou have me to doe Your consciences your honours your interests your posterities cannot I am confident but engage your most constant desires and endeavours with a holy and watchfull prudence for the glory of God and the peace and happinesse of this nation In such a case if you shall enquire of God as I hope you have done take this returne as an Oracle of divine truth and a most sacred directoty My sons fear you the Lord and the King c. Let not the greatest take it for a solecisme that the meanest of their servants calls you son God often intrusts his treasure in earthen vessells Poor Eliah was in some sence a Lord with that good and great Courtier Obadiah and Moses a man and of mean parentage upon a divine account was no lesse then a God to Pharoah but indeed the counsell is of God who am I that I should attempt or undertake such a design unsolicited by any but moved by that good â—â—irit of God mercifully preventing me in all the duties of my calling I have appeared It is very true that there is somthing in piety as well as Policy to countenance that which some account unparaleld prudence evidenced in silence the prudent will keep silence in that time for 't is an evill time But there is as a time to keep silence so a time to speake Believe it the banes betwixt the King and his people hath been published once and again those that it is either now time to speak or to be silent for ever Such a marriage would be honourable amongst all men May it therefore goe on and prosper all that are sons of Sion pray for the Peace of our Jerusalem and may they prosper that love it in order to which fear the Lord and the King This is our duty and will be our safety I have had some struglings within me whether fully to subscribe my name or no I have resolv'd not to do it not that I fear any danger or apprehend any cause of danger The greatest enemy is envy but because I would not Court applause or worship the Rising Sun Take all the notice I shall afford you I am A Lover of Truth and Peace W. H. A CHANGLING no Company for the Lovers of LOYALTY Prov. 24.21 22. My son fear thou the Lord and the King and meddle not with them that are given to change For their calamity shall rise suddenly and who knoweth the ruine of them both THe genius of the Text as it is plain pleasing and plausible so it is necessary just and honourable I cannot in these dayes of confusion but congratulate the Text to the times oh that I could reduce the times to the Text I cannot but own it as a guide to the blind as a naile of the Sanctuary fastned in a sure place as a seasonable speech spoke by him that sits in the congregation of the Gods is president in all the counsels of men and establish or overthroweth them at his pleasure what shall I say I looke upon it as the only balm of our Gilead prepared by God and to be apply'd by men for the health and recovery of the daughter of his people Licurgus the great Law-giver to the Lacedemonians and no lesse then a King in Sparta ordain'd that if any man came to propound a novelty he was to come with a halter about his neck to signifie his submission to a speedy execution in case that which he propounded was judged evill and inconvenient tending to sedition or ruine but if just necessary and safe his halter was taken off and an honourable reward assign'd him for his good service and encouragement The latter of those I expect not the former I do not fear I know whose the command is and who hath appointed it It is divine and therefore uncontroulable It is a charge not a humble Petition or Advice But was it meerely morall The saying of Seneca Isocrates Plato Aristotle yea of Machivell himself The state of affairs justly lookt upon with prudent and impartiall eyes such as are neither blood-shot nor have the beams of profit and self-self-love then I durst and would if call'd to it before a free and full Parliament not packt by faction nor over-aw'd by force propound it in the Lacedemonian posture as the best advise most seasonable and sutable counsell that they can take or any man can give Fear the Lord c. Wisdome and authority say our Lawyers necessarily concur to the being of a law Wisdome without authority makes as little impression upon some mens spirits as an arrow upon a wall of flint it may be powerfull to do well but seldome prevalent to hear well The wisdome of a poor wise man may deliver the city but no man regards or rewards the poor wise man Authority without wisdome easily degenerates into tyranny no fury like a fool cloath'd with authority Absolon and Abimeleck of old our Butlers Brewers and Coblers now adays can sufficiently evince it I countenance it in none I abhorre it in all better is a wise child then an old and foolish King But in my text wisdome and authority go hand in hand and God himself having joyn'd them together let not man dare to put them asunder if we look upon God the Author of this and all other holy writ who shall resist his will If upon the penman it was Solomon for his wisdome stil'd the Preacher for his authority the son of David king of Israel Solomon as he had a threefold title so had he also a threefold imployment in holy Scripture we may not unfittingly terme his three books his Ethicks his Physicks and his Metaphysicks or if you will they seeme to have relation to or resemblance with the three integrall parts of his sacred building The First was the Court of the people common to all Israelites The Second The Court of the Priest into which might come only the Tribe of Levi. The Third The Temple and holy of holies into which might enter Priests especially consecrated to that purpose for the time and the high Priest in the most sacred and solemne feast The Song of songs is only a fit subject for sanctified souls none that are common or prophane may enter into it or intermeddle with it Ecclesiastes is only fit for the Preacher or worthy Church-man But the book of the Proverbs is of generall concernment belonging equally to the Prince and Peasant and such is the Text equally directed to every man high and low rich and poor every soul My son fear thou the
more and more sin one mischiefe covering it selfe with another conceiving it cannot be safe but by so doing As we see it was thus with David in the matter of Vriah and Ahab in the case of Naboth the beginnings of which are oft but small but alas alas how great a sire will a little sparke kindle He that made the whole world the object of his contemplation as he was griev'd to see some idle and others ill imploy'd so was he also griev'd to see many bufie in other mens matters Such endeavours are seldome acceptable or successfull and this connivence they carry ever along with them if well they are but well if evill the more paines the lesse thanks ye accessaries in this case come in as principles and beare the reward of their follyes in their sufferings Briefly God hath placed every man in his own station appoynted him some office calling imployment or businesse of his own This let him doe it with all diligence and following the Aposties rule Let him study to be quiet and medle with his own businesse 1 Thes 4.15 Sin and sinners in generall we must not medle with My son if sinners intice thee consent thou not if they say Wee will lay wait for blood c. vid. 1 Prov. v. 11. We shall finde precious riches and fill our houses with spoyle Cast in thy lot amongst us we will all have one purse My son walke not in their way refraine thy foot from their paths c. Good old Jacob whom neither affection to his children nor love of gaine could court to the countenancing of cruelty abominates that villany of his sons in slaying the Sichemites though they pretended great and urgent reasons for it especially after overtures of peace for the future and tender of satisfaction for by-past injuries he confesses that it made him stinke in the nostrills of other Nations and many years after even upon his death-bed to evidence his perpetuall hatred of such treachery he disclaimes any society with or approbation of that act Into their secrets let noâ— my soule enter in their assemblies mine honour be not thou united and passes sentence upon them that were chiefe actors in it Simeon and Levi Devide them O God in Jacob and scatter them in Israel Gen. 49. 5-7 But to speake to the object in the text The seditious Sedition is the murtherer of pietie the bane of charitie the mother of consusion It is a hell upon earth as having nearest relation to and confederacy with the Devil and his Angels Satan never acts so like himselfe as when in the shape of an Angel of light he attempts workes of darknesse and by his delusions and devices throws all into extremities and those often contrary casting some into the fire and others into the water Sedition is that Grand Trapan which not onely carries away deceived soules such as in the simplicitie of their hearts goe on thinking no evill but also perverts good intentions and in time converts them into most horrid practises Sedition hath this evill in it that it usually corrupts the best knowing such when corrupted to be ever the worst That poyson is most mortall that hath seised on the vitalls and thus it is in a Church or State when Religion is turn'd to faction and peace the daughter of pietie is so fatally betrayed that she becomes the mother of dissention and grand-mother of destruction Nor do I wonder at it in our dregs of time when in those purer dayes the Apostle tells the Corinthians that he fear'd he should sinde what he was unwilling to finde strife envyings wrath contentions backbitings swellings and discords Behold an Army of Saints whose Cause is envie and swellings whose Artillery is strife wrath and contention and whose Military provision seems no better then backbitings and discords If thus it be with the greene tree what shall become of the dry and if the righteous could not be preserved from those evills how shall the wicked and ungodly appeare But to come to the Text the seditious seeme to be of two sorts which I gather from the last word Both a word necessarily relating to two and indeed in State-affaires two factions or seditions are most dangerous First Such as would have Monarchy degenerate into tyranny Who cannot be content to have Soveraignty like the tree of life planted in the midst of the paradise of God whose fruit is food and whose leaves are physick to heale the Nations but they must have it as that overgrowne tree whose height must reach to heaven It was a foule signe of Babels approaching ruine when his Princes and people who knew the King to be but a man must honour him as a God Is not this great Babel that I have built for mine Honour c. preceded that fatall deposing Thy kingdome is taken from thee c. Dan. 4.28 Herods flatterers were his murtherers had not they cryed out The voyce of God and not of man Herod might have been a man much longer but they giving and he accepting divine Honour he was smitten with a mortall disease He was eaten with wormes and gave up the ghost Acts 12.22 Such as those Hosea 7.3 That make the King glad with their wickednesse and Princes with their lyes That see vanitie and devise folly and say The Lord saith it Arbitrary Power and government at pleasure This shall be the Custome 1 Sam. 8.11 They interpret it This shall be the right power prerogative royall of your King to take your sons your daughters your tenths and till you cry out because of your King Such as Rehoboams young Counsellours Make thy little singer heavier then thy Fathers loynes 1 Kings 12.10 I take no delight to rub up old sores yet I request those whom it may concern to remember That flatterers have been most fatall to Prinâ—â—â— A Court Parasite is a Court Plague It is most certainty true That a King is made for the people and not they for him Their safety and welfare ought to be the aime and end of his government in requitall of and thankfulnesse for which his ease should be their labour his honour their endeavour his safety their hazard and in as much as their securitie is his chiefest worke their tribute and Honour ought to be duly payd to him as his just wages Princes are called Gods An unjust cruel tyrannicall god is non-sense and blasphemie with all sacred reverence be it spoken and receiv'd If God himselfe were as the son of man that he might erre or could be deceiv'd an arbitrary and unlimited power terminated in crueltie and oppression would depose him from his royaltie and make him even such a Creator hatefull to his Creatures God who is the holy one of purer eyes then to behold iniquitie may deale with men as the Potter with his Clay and who shall say What doest thou his wayes are unsearchable and his judgements past finding out but for man yea the best of men who in their