THE BLESSING OF A GOOD KING Deliuered in Eight Sermons vpon the storie of the Queene of the South her words to Salomon magnifying the gouernment of his familie and kingdome By THOMAS GIBSON Minister Eccles 10. 17. Blessed art thou ô Land when thy King is the sonne of Nobles AT LONDON Printed by Tho Creede for Arthur Iohnson Dwelling at the signe of the white Horse in Pauls Church-yard 1614. TO THE RIGHT HOnourable the Lord Harington Baron of Exton Thomas Gibson wisheth all true happines both in this life and in the life to come MY purpose Right Honourable in the dedication of these sermons was to haue ioyned your Honourable father with that worthy Citie whereof he was a principall member and had speciall command and authoritie which place he much respected and loued and where he was againe much respected and honoured The ioy and ornament of the Citie was his name and countenance the very report and newes of whose decease was the cause of many a watrie eye and of many a heauie heart But their speciall comfort and ioy is that the Lord hath in mercy prouided so gratious an heire so worthy a successor so vertuous a fauourer as of all that are honest religious so most of all such as haue beene the faithfull friends and intire louers of your Honourable father who himselfe was a louer of all learning religion and of all good men a true worshipper of God zealous in the truth a sincere professor friend of the Gospell a fauourer of faithfull Ministers a worthie member both of Church and common-wealth a faithful dutiful seruiceable and rare subiect like Moses in faithfulnes in meekenes and in zeale against Idolatrie like Iob a iust man fearing God and eschewing euill like Nathaniell a true Israelite without guile Finally a man full of grace pietie curtesie humilitie temperance and other both morall and christian vertues I am not able to commend him according to his deserts that requires a larger discourse and it would perhaps proue an increase of sorrow which is rather to be abated then renewed I will therefore bend my selfe to administer comfort for so great a losse a losse so generall to Church and common-wealth Friends and followers Tenants and seruants and for my owne part I cannot but beare a part in sorrow for the losse of so kind a Patron and Benefactor both to me and mine Yet this is the vse of the prayses of the dead not onely for imitation of their vertues but also for the coÌ„fort of friends aliue And is this a small comfort Right Honourable that you had such a father yea a comfort and blessing it is to be of the seed of the righteous It is a further comfort that you enioyed him so long till your selfe came to ripenesse of yeares that he died in a good age full of daies few of his Auncestors liued longer and howsoeuer he left this life in a strange countrey yet no doubt he died in the true faith of Iesus Christ which he sincerely professed all his life and in the honourable and faithfull seruice of his gratious Soueraigne the Lords annointed It is no wonder that old men die rather it is a wonder in these latter daies that any liue so long Moses in his time made account of mans ordinarie age to be threescore yeares and ten Now the world decayes and the daies of our life is shortned We heare daily of the death of Infants children young men yea Princes taken away in the prime and strength of their yeares what maruell then though the ancient â—ie when the apple is ripe it must needs fall when the candle is spent the light must needs goe out This vse we are to make of the death of young or old to remember alwaies our mortall state and the vncertaintie of our life to be alwaies readie and prepared not to regard but contemne the lusts of the flesh the lust of the eie and the pride of life pleasures honours riches and the vanities of this wicked world Many moe comforts we haue against excessiue and immoderate sorrowe for the death of our best and dearest friends as to consider what they leaue a miserable world and whither they goe to the hauen of happinesse The best sort of the Heathen vsed three remedies against such kind of sorrow First to consider that death is common to all and vnauoydable Secondly that it is the end of miserie and hauen of rest Thirdly that it is likely that the soules liue and are blessed We haue the same and more sure comforts We know that our Redeemer liues and that wee shall see him as hee is Wee know not onely the immortality of the soule but the glorious resurrection of the body and that those that dye in the Lord are blessed Nothing comes to passe without Gods pouidence who is wise and mightie We pray that his will may be done both of vs and in vs. It will nothing auaile vs to torment our selues we are borne to dye many thousands are gone before vs and we must follow Pardon my boldnes right Honourable in presuming to put you in minde of these thinges which both by your own priuate reading and publicke heauing of many worthy men you doe already know and vnderstand sufficiently Yet in my loue to your Honour giue me leaue to adde some further instruction It hath alwaies beene the endeuour of Sathan the common aduersarie of mans saluation by all means possible to draw all sorts degrees and ages of men from the true care and studie of religion and vertue to the effecting whereof hee hath from euery estate his pretended colours and faire pleasing shewes of perswasion alluremeÌ„t perswading the elder sort that it is a thing vnseemely vnbefitting their grauitie to become schollers in Christs schoole seeing their heads are filled with other matters namely of the Common-wealth and affaires of this world Hee can tell the middle sort which are in the prime of strength and witte that it is against all equitie and reason that such should bee depriued of the pleasures and delights of the flesh and the world And as for the younger sort hee will easilie make make them beleeue that it is not yet time to serue God that the points of religion are too high for them and able to dull and trouble their tender wits buzzing into their eares that wicked prouerbe A young Saint an olde Diuâ—ll Thus by his will he would haue none religious because he would haue none saued but rather that all should perish and come to vtter ruine and destruction It is a torment and vexation vnto him to see any well disposed in religion but if wee hearken to the counsell of God in his word wee shall soone finde Sathan herein a lyer a murtherer a seducer For the Lord chargeth all sorts and degrees of men to giue themselues and that betimes to religion and vertue commaunding his law to bee read and published to men women and
and Myrrhe to Christ she offereth and giueth to Salomon precious things they were a figure of the calling of the Gentiles so was she a tipe of the same long before they came a great iourney from the East to seeke for Christ she came from the South a great and dangerous voyage to heare and enioy the wisedome of Salomon Marie Magdalen Ioanna the wife of Cusa Herod his steward with many others follow our Sauiour Christ to heare his sermons the Eunuch the treasurer of Ethiopia came to Ierusalem to worship God It is lawful then to seeke for instruction abroad if we lacke it at home Merchants venter vpon the seas to farre countries for trafficke many goe to the Indies for gold Such as lacke prouision at home goe to markets and faires for it if our cattle want foode or water we will seeke farre and neere for them how farre doe men runne what paines do they take for humane learning how carefull are they to get mony how painefull to finde it if they loose it many flie to Rome and Rhemes not for wisdome but for foolishnes not for truth but for errors not for foode but for poyson many trudge many a mile on pilgrimage to worship Idols stockes stones yea some to ioyne with the enemies to worke treason against their lawful Prince this example will not serue their turne There is a lawfull peregrination to visit good men to conferre to learne artes tongues religion the Iewes were commanded to goe to Ierusalem sundrie times in the yeare but it was about the true worship of God Elkanah the Priest went euery yeare to worship and sacrifice to the Lord of hoasts in Shilo S. Paul went to Ierusalem to visit Peter and to conferre with him the popish peregrinations are vnlawfull they make it a principall part of Gods seruice there is no commandement for them they visit dead mens bones Images and reliques This superstition as many other was inuented many yeares after Christ others trauell and take vpon them great and dangerous iournies to the hurt of bodie and soule But the paines and trauell of this woman is to learne diuine wisedome teaching vs to refuse no paines in seeking for the meanes of our saluation but to labour with all care and diligence for the profite the comfort and the good of our soules Thirdly a good hearer must bee inquisitiue and carefull to learne This woman a Queene is not ashamed to confesse her ignorance to aske questions and to bee taught The wise man saith Hear◠ô yee children the instruction of a Father giue eare to learne vnderstanding The Apostle complaines of some women that were euer learning but were neuer able to come to the knowledge of the truth There are many hearers but fewe learners The care of this woman is not onely seene by her cost and labour in comming but by opening her heart and mouing doubtes asking questions conference and reasoning with good men are gratious meanes to further vs in the true knowledge of God The people must looke for the Law of God at the Priests mouth The Apostles aske of Christ their maister the interpretation and meaning of harde parables The CorinthiaÌ„s write to S. Paul to be resolued in certaine doubts And heere by the way obserue two notes of a good teacher in Salomon they must be able and apt to teach secondly readie and willing not nice strange and stately The graces of God are giuen for the good of others the ende and vse of the ministrie is to instruct and resolue doubts But manie in the Church are vnable to teach others are vnwilling others both vnable and vnwilling these are all confuted by Salomons example who both abounded in wisdome and was willing to impart it to others He was as readie to answere as this woman was to aske hee was as readie to teach as shee was to learne Fourthly after her hearing and learning she comends her teacher highly and speaketh reuerently of him So must good hearers haue a reuerent estimation of such as instruct them from the mouth of God Dauid receiuing good counsell from Abigail blesseth both her and her counsell The woman in the Gospell hearing the gratious words that proceeded out of the mouth of Christ cried out Blessed is the Wombe that bare thee and the pappes that gaue thee sucke The holie Apostle Saint Paule commends the Galathians for this cause that they esteemed him as an Angell of God yea euen as Christ Iesus In an other place Wee beseech you brethren that yee knowe them that labour among you and are ouer you in the Lord and admâ—nish you that you haue them 〈◊〉 singular loue for their workes sake And wheÌ„ you feele the power and fruit of their ministrie say with this woman Blessed be God blessed be such men blessed be such seruants which haue called me comforted and strengthned me happie are those people which may daily heare such wisedome Fiftly she acknowledgeth the chiefe felicitie of this life not to consist in riches honor pleasure but in wisedome So good hearers ought to esteeme it the greatest happines vnder heauen to haue a resident and teaching minister expounding and applying to them the wisedome of the true SalomoÌ„ Chrst Iesus But of this point I meane to speake more largely and fully after Sixtly she stirreth vp Salomons Courtiers and seruants to know this their happie estate it may be some of them scarcely acknowledged any such thing as many carelesse and vnthankfull people in our daies hauing good pastors yet neither feele nor confesse any blessing at all strangers can say happie are such a people though they themselues knowe no such thing good hearers must by this example not onely heare the word of wisedome and highly esteeme it themselues but stirre vp others to the like affectioÌ„ towards it they would haue others partakers of the same graces with them and indeed if they find it a blessing and comfort to themselues they will imparte it to others and labour to make others partakers of the same coÌ„forts with them Esaiah prophecieth that such shal be the zeale of the people vnder the Gospell that they shall say one to another Come let vs goe vp to the mountaine of the Lord to the house of the God of Iacob he will teach vs his waies and we will walke in his 〈◊〉 And Zâ—cariah saith They that duell in one 〈◊〉 shall goe to another to call their brethren saying 〈◊〉 let vs goe pray before the Lord and seeke the Lord of Hoasts Euery one shall answere I will goe also Andrew being called calleth Simon Peter his brother and â—hilip calleth Nathaniel the woman of Samaria being once acquainted with Christ Iesus calleth her neighbours saying Come see a man that hath told me all things that euer I did she had beene a companion with them in sinne now she would haue them companions with her in
them by his spirit and giuing them the faith of truth euen the faith of his elect calling them by the Gospell to obtaine the glory of our Lord Iesus Christ these be the sure notes and markeâ— of those which are truely wise and truely happie yea happy here and happy for euer Therefore let vs pray with the Prophet euery one of vs saying Looke vpon vs 〈◊〉 Lord be mercifull vnto vs as thou vsest to do to loue those that loue thy name We must not thinke then that this woman ascribeth happines to the bare hearing of Wisedome but this hearing includeth knowledge Faith and practise Therefore the Schoolemen make three kindes of hearing The one sensituâ— with outward eare an another Intellectuall that is with vnderstanding the third they call Auditus obeditiuus that is hearing with obedience The foolish Virgins they haue Lampes but no oyle in them they haue onely a bare profession and knowledge without inward grace or practise but the wise Virgins haue their Lamps full of oyle full of Faith obedience holinesse Such as be only hearers and not practitioners of wisedome they be like vnto a man that beholdeth his naturall face in a glasse and when he hath considered himselfe hee goeth his way and forgetteth immediatly what manner of one he was such are foolish and vnfruitfull hearers With true wisdome there is always ioyned true religion sanctification Therefore saith one Wisedome is no other thing but Truth it selfe in the which the true Felicitie shall be found It is in no place it is euery where it admonisheth abroad it teacheth at home it maketh all better and none worse Againe he that loueth himselfe being a Foole shall not profite in wisedome Neither can it be possible to be such a one as he desireth to be except he hate himselfe as hee is Both these must be ioyned together Religion and wisdome but men are deceiued that will seeke religion without wisedome and therefore they fall into false Religions because they haue left true Wisedome And some giue themselues to wisedome without religion but therefore their wisdome is false vaine because they haue no â—are of the religioÌ„ of the true God who would guide instruct them in the way of the best and happiest wisedome Of this vniting of religion and wisdome together Lactantius writeth excellently Where Wisedome saith hee is coupled with Religion there must of necessitie bee true religion and true wisedome because in worshipping God wee haue wisdome that is wee must knowe what is to bee worshipped and how and in being wise we must worship God that is we must performe in truth and deed that which we know where then is wisedome with religion to be found euen there where the one true God is worshipped where the life and all our actions are referred to one head and he concludeth thus in wisedome is religion in religion is wisedome they cannot be separated nor put asunder because to be wise is nothing else but to honor the true God with iust and holy worship And most worthily after he saith thus Wisedome pertaineth to sonnes which requireth loue religion to seruants which requireth feare as they are to loue and honor their father so these are to feare and reuerence their maister God being one because he taketh vpon him both these persons of a father and a maister we ought to loue him because we are his children and to feare him because we are his seruants And therefore it cannot be that religion should be separated from wisedom nor wisedome from religion because the same God is he who must be knowne which is a part of wisedome and must also be honoured which is a part of religion but let religion goe before and let wisedome follow because we must first know God and then we must worship him the fountaine of wisedome and religion is God himsâ—lfe Therefore prophane and wicked men are not truely wise and so not truly happie the Lord complaineth of such people they are a nation voyd of counsell neither is there any vnderstaÌ„ding in them Oh that they were wise then they would vnderstand this they would consider their latter end Bernard alledging this place They would vnderstaÌ„d saith he the things which are of God the things which are of the world and they would foresee the torments of hell then they would abhorre hell desire heauen and contemne the earth And this is true knowledge saith he to know that the Lord will come to iudgement though we cannot knowe when he will come And where as some wil say that all men know this euen the wicked themselues but saith he this knowledge worketh repentance amendment of life and a care desire to liue honestly And S. Iohn saith That euery man that hath this hope in him purgeth himselfe as he is pure so that true knowledge and true sanctinÌ„cation goeth together Therefore S. Iohn saith in an other place Hereby we are sure that we knowe him if we keepe his commandements he that saith I knowe him and keepeth not his commandements is a liar and the truth is not in him So that this standeth as an infallible true principle that those which are truly wise are truly happie in this life and in the way to that full and perfect happines in the life to come But now at last to obserue and prosecute the chiefe maine point and doctrine of this place which is this that the way and meanes to make a people happie is rightly to heare and obey wisedome this is the principall ioy and happines of Gods Children in this life And therefore saith Salomon Blessed is the man that findeth wisedome and the man that getteth vnderstanding for the merchandises therof is better then the merchandise of siluer and the gaine thereof is better then gold it is more precious then pearles and all things that thou canst desire are not to be compared to her length of daies is in her right hand and in her left hand riches and glory her waies are the waies of pleasure and all her pathes prosperitie she is a true life to them that lay hold on her and blessed is he that retaineth her see the fruits of wisedome immortalitie durable riches eternall glory true Ioy and peace she is a tree of life to the soule like that tree in paradise a signe of Gods fauour â—or like to the tree of life shewed to Moses in Marah which sweetned bitter deadly waters or like the tree of life in the Reuelation 22. vers 2. which brought forth twelue fruits and the leaues thereof were for the curing of the gentiles or like any liuing good tree which bringeth forth good fruit to the preseruation of life Therefore the wise man saith Take hold of instruction and leaue not keepe her for she is thy life And againe Hee that regardeth instruction is in the way of life Such a tree is wisedome It is compared also to
children The Kingly Prophet exhorts Kings of the earth and all people Princes and Iudges of the world young men and maydens also old men and children to prayse the name of the Lord. Saint Paul chargeth Timothie and Titus to teach old and young without exception Saint Iohn writeth his Epistle to fathers young men and children therefore the youngest are not exempted in regard of their young and tender yeeres Inasmuch as God is their Creator they are to remember him in the dayes of their youth Seeing in their first entrance into the world they haue beene baptised into the name of the blessed Trinitie and so haue taken vpon them the profession of true religion their proceeding and practise when they come to yeeres must be answerable to their beginning Further that age is slipperie weake dangerous and subiect to many temptations easilie seduced and ouercome by bad counsell and company They had neede therefore betimes to bee armed with the shielde of faith and sword of the spirit their witte and capacitie is then most fresh pregnant to conceiue remember keepe and hold good and gratious instructions Parents therefore are commaunded to bring vp their children in instruction and information of the LORD And it is the counsell of the wise man Teach a childe the trade of his way and when hee is olde he will not depart from it Againe yong men are subiect to death and must appeare before the great Iudge in that day as well as other Neede therefore haue they of due preparation Besides a religious disposition and behauiour in young age will bring them credit and honour all the dayes of their life and comfort ioy and peace of conscience in old age And what ioy what exceeding ioy will this be to Parents friends Tutors teachers and to all that loue and feare God A wise sonne saith Salomon maketh a glad father but a foolish sonne is a heauinesse to his mother It is therefore sayde of Iohn the Baptist that his father should haue ioy of him and many should reioyce at his birth because hee was filled with the holy Ghost in his mothers wombe Saint Iohn writing to that noble and worthie Lady reioyceth greatly that hee found her children walking in the trueth And examples we haue of grace and religion in the younger sorte Samuel from his childhood was consecrated and dedicated to the seruice of God Iosiah was but eight yeares old when he began to raigne in Ierusalem yet there was neuer any before nor after him more vertuous and religious Salomon though most tender and deare in the eyes of his father and mother yet in his young yeares was taught diuine and heauenly wisedome When our Sauiour Christ came riding to Ierusalem in a base manner though the Scribes and Pharises disdained him yet children cry Hosanna the sonne of Dauid Blessed is he that commeth in the name of the Lord. Timothie from his childhood had knowledge in the scriptures being instructed by his good Grandmother Lois and his mother Eunicâ— Iohn the Baptist grew and â—â—â—ed strong in the spirit and Iesus Christ being but 12. yeares old increased in wisedome in statute and fauour with God and men God will haue the first borne the first fruits and he that begins well is halfe his way Dimidium facti qui bene caepit habet The tree that buds not in the spring is dead and such as are deformed in youth neuer proue welfauoured in age As the arrow is first directed so it flyeth youth is compared to the day while it is day let vs walke in the light the night commeth when no man can worke The time of youth is the summer time with the Ant and Bee we must prouide in summer against winter The time of youth is compared to Haruest wherin men take the occasioÌ„ vse all meanes they can for the reaping and enioying of the fruits of the earth if they let that time slip all is lost He that sleepes in haruest is the sonne of confusion Dauid in his youth killeth the Lyon the Beare and great Goliah Sampson in his youth killed the Philistines let vs by our spirituall armour ouercome the wicked one euen in our young time Now besides all this giue me leaue Right Hon. to put you in remembrance of one worthie example of a noble young man Ioseph full of grace and vertue worthie to be imitated of Kings Princes and Potentates In this famous patterne I obserue these sixe vertues The first is his rare chastitie who being tempted to follie by his mistresse did flatly refuse her saying How can I doe this great wickednesse and so sinne against God He knew with Iob that this was is a wickednesse and iniquitie to be condemned yea that it is a fire which shall deuoure to destruction and shall roote out all his encrease The second vertue in young 〈◊〉 which is the ground of all the rest is his religion and the true feare of God in his heart All his actions and all his proceedings doe sauour of the feare of God It was this that kept him from that grosse iniquitie He ascribes the interpretatioÌ„ of dreams not to himselfe but to God He protesteth to his brethren that he feareth God And againe when he made himselfe knowne to his brethren he said Be not sad neither grieued with your selues that you sold me hither for God did send me before you for your preseruation And when his father asked him of his sonnes These are my sons sayd he which God hath giuen me This is the chiefe vertue in great persons the best Nobilitie A third vertue in Ioseph is his faithfulnes to his Prince He gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan for the corne which hee bought not for his owne priuate vse but for the profit of the King his maister And as he is carefull to preserue the royall dignitie of the King and seeketh the wealth of Pharoah so hee hath a pittifull heart to the poore distressed people and is carefull to relieue them This is an excellent vertue in great persons which serue in the Court not to seeke their owne priuate gaine but the credit and wealth of their Prince and yet to haue louing and merciful hearts to the poore distressed commons The fourth vertue in Ioseph is his seueritie and clemencie wisely mixed together Hee speaketh roughly to hiâ— brethren hee threatens them and chargeth them to be spyes and yet his heart is full of compassion and loue When they are truely humbled know themselues hee doth entertaine them kindly and receiue them with much ioy And this is a speciall vertue required of Princes and Magistrates They must with Dauid in the gouerning of their Court Church Common-wealth and house strike on these two strings Mercie and Iudgement They must bee seuere and rough against notorious offenders and yet
and a sincere loue to the word And aboue all things let vs pray hartily and continually to the father and founder of all good gifts for the blessings of all good lessons and instructions to our soules let vs confesse our owne weakenes and say in our soules with the spouse to her husband Christ Drawe me and we will runne after thee Finally let vs pray with Dauid be beneficiall to thy seruant that I may liue and keepe thy word open mine eyes that I may see the wonders of thy lawes I will runne the waies of thy commandements when thou shalt inlarge my heart Teach me ô Lord the way of thy statutes and I will keepe it to the end Giue me vnderstanding and I will keepe thy lawe yea I will keepe it with my whole heart Direct me in the path of thy commandements for therein is my delight Incline my heart to thy testimonies and not to couetousnes turne away my eyes from regarding vanitie and quicken me in thy way Looke vpon me and be mercifull to me as thou vsest to doe to those that feare thy name Direct my steppes in thy word and let none iniquitie haue dominion ouer me Teach me to doe thy will for thou art my God Let thy good spirit lead me vnto the land of righteousnes And in an other place Teach me thy way ô Lord and I will walke in thy truth Knit my heart to thee that I may feare thy name And let vs pray with the Prophet Ieremie Heale me ô Lord and I shal be whole saue me and I shall be saued for thou aâ—t my praise turne thou vs vnto thee ô Lord and we shall be turned And indeed the calling and conuersion of a sinner is the great worke of God as great as the worke of our creation And indeed what is our conuersion but an new creation for God that commandeth light to shine out of darknes is he which shineth in the he arts of his children conuerted It is he that must make both the eare and the heart tractable and flexible It is he that both must make vs willing to doe good and also able to doe good It is he that must inwardly perswade the heart and by his spirit teach vs inwardly before we can be truely conuerted Let therefore ministers of the word giue attendance to reading exhortation and doctrine Let them stirre vp the grace of God that worthy thing in them Let them be faithfull and wise stewards in disposing the secrets of God Let them preach sincerely diligently and feruently Let their affections and life be vpright and holie Let them be wholy possessed with the desire of Gods glory with the loue of Christ and with loue to the soules of the people and then their ministrie shall be acceptable to God If not powerful to conuert yet to confound their recompence shall be with the Lord their labour shall not be in vaine in the Lord. We are vnto God saith the Apostle the sweet Sauiour of Christ in them which are saued and in them which perish to the one we are the Sauiour of death vnto death and to the other a Sauiour of life vnto life and who is sufficient for these things And seeing that Paul is nothing Apollos is nothing but the effect and blessing is of God Let them striue and wrastle with them by humble and hartie prayer continually vehemently priuately and openly for the assistance of his spirit and the blessing of their labours that he would perswade Iapheth that he might dwell in the tents of Shem that he would circumcise the hearts and eares of the people and take from them the vaile that hindreth as ignorance prophanes vnbeleefe hardnes of heart and such like That he would power water vpon the thirstie and floods vpon the drie ground That hee would take away their stonie hearts and giue them hearts of flesh that so they might walke in his statutes finally that he would giue them vnderstanding hearts that they might be fulfilled with the knowledge of his will in all wisedome That they may discerne the things that differ that they may be pure and without offence vntill the day of Christ That they may walke worthy of the Lord and please him in all things that the same signes of conuersion may be seene in their people as were truely found in this woman And indeed many if not all the notes of good hearers which in the beginning I obserued in her are true signes and notes of her calling In that she takes so great paines and bestowes so much cost to seeke for true wisedome In that she is so carefull to enquire and search out the truth of religion In that she speaketh and thinketh so reuerently of Salomon her teacher reposing true happines in true wisedome and stirreth vp others to be of her minde these and sundrie other are signes and tokens of her conuersion She speaketh not like a Pagan Heathen or Idolater but like a worshipper of the true God she blesseth him and confesseth him to be the disposer of kingdomes and acknowledgeth Israell to be Gods people and howsoeuer before either by secret inspiration or by report she heard of the true God of his worship and of Salomons wisedome yet now she doth fullie taste the truth of it in her owne soule the secrets of her hearts are made manifest shee worshippeth God and saith plainely that God was in that place The diuine wisedome of Salomon had parswaded this daughter of Iapheth to come to the tents of Shem to be a member of the visible Church and to imbrace the truth of religion and no doubt she went ioyfully home and indeuoured by all meanes possible to establish the lawe and worship of the true God in her owne countrie Our Sauiour as you haue heard commended this woman and ioyneth her with the Niniuites who no doubt truely repented though many of them fell away afterwards It is true that all the Kings of the earth sought the presence of Salomon to heare his wisedome that God had put in his heart as we may see in this chapter I doe not say that all these were called and conuerted It may be many of them came to heare and see newes rather for humane then diuine wisedome to see the glory and royaltie of Salomon the beautie of the Temple and his Pallace which he had builded or vpon some other sinister respects Among so many this woman is especially named singled out and commended yea a whole storie is recorded of her and not of the rest the cause of her comming was religion She lost not her labour but got fruit and profit by her comming and sheweth plaine testimonies of her conuersion Indeed something is said of King Hyram that he euer loued Dauid and when he hard the words of Salomon he reioyced greatly and said Blessed be the Lord this day which hath giuen to Daâ—id a
if I giue sentence contrary to law Solon said that the safety of the Common-wealth consisteth in these two points that rewards be distributed after the desert of vertue and punishments after the quality of the offence Iustice saith one knoweth not father knoweth not mother but knoweth the truth accepteth no person but followeth God God is a iust Iudge against wicked persons and if any do stay Iustice and Iudgement through bribes or rewards their sinne and corruption is the greater and a Iudge may be ashamed to say to any offender What wilt thou giue me to shew thee fauour or doe thee Iustice Is not this as if it should bee said What wilt thou giue me to deny my selfe to loose my Office and to sell God himselfe There bee three things saith one which hinder Iustice the fauour of friends flattering praise and receiuing of rewards But this latter is of greater force then the two other There may be causes why punishments may be delayed or lessened some offenders are greater then others and are ring-leaders to wickednesse these deserue more sharpe punishment Others are seduced and fall by occasion these are more mildly to be dealt withall But the inferiour Magistrates can do nothing in such cases without the direction and counsell of the superiour As there be differences of offenders and offences so there be differences of lawes against the which they doe offend Some lawes haue their ground warrant from the law of God and Nature to the transgressers of these there should bee granted no fauour or remission There be other positiue written lawes of the countrey concerning lesser and smaller matters in these the Magistrates haue power sometimes vpon good occasion to remit and pardon so that it be not against the glory of God To this agreeth the words of his Maiesty to his gracious sonne There be some horrible crimes saith he not to be pardoned as Witch-craft wilfull murther incest poyfoning false coine and so hee concludeth that fauour is to be shewed in lesser matters and specially in such as concerne our owne priuate causes But see here the corruption of our nature we are more seuere in our owne causes then in Gods cause wee striue and contend and make a stirre for our riches possessions glory and credite if any goe about to diminish and impaire them how violent cruell and implacable are we But if it be the cause of God how modest how gentle and milde are we Is not this to preferre our selues before God The children of Israel contrary to Gods commandement suffer the Cananites and the Moabitish women to liue Saul spareth Agag and the remnant of Amalecke And another King of Israel spareth Benhadad contrary to Gods commandement And thus men are willing to spare where God would not haue spared and where they should bee most patient and kinde there they are cruell Whereas in our own causes we ought to be patient and mercifull but as for the cause and glory of God we are to be in it most zealous and seuere And there bee some offenders whom the Lord will haue cut off in all seuerity without any fauour pitty or compassion He saith of Amalecke I will vtterly put out the remembrance of Amalecke from vnder heauen Yea the Lord sware that he would haue a warre with Amalecke from generation to generation And he chargeth his people Israel that when they had rest from their enemies and possessed the good Land hee had promised them that then they should not forget to execute these his iudgements on those people and roote them quite out The reason why God did so hate and pursue this people was their hard and cruell dealing against the children of Israel and therefore long after when Saul was King hee giueth him this charge saying Goe and smite Amalecke and destroy all that pertaines vnto them and haue no compassion on them but slay both man and woman both infant and suckling both Oxen and sheepe both Cammell and Asse But Saul vpon a foolish pitty spared Agag the King and some of the fattest beasts but the Lord did not spare him but thrust him out of his kingdome for his disobedience And Samuel said to Agag As thy sword hath made women childlâ—sse so shal thy mother be childlesse amoÌ„g other women And Samuel being a Iudge hewed Agag in peeces before the Lord in Gilgall Ahab a King spared another King whom God would not haue spared but the Lord said to him Because thou hast let goe out of thy hands a man whom I appointed to dye thy life shall goe for his life and thy people for his people These be fearefull examples for Kings and Princes that they take warning by them how they spare any vpoÌ„ any sinister respect whom God in his iust iudgement would haue smitten with the stroke of death and this is no cruelty to follow the example and commandement of God himselfe Hee saith to a wicked and rebellious people If I whet my glistering sword and my hand take hold on iudgement I will execute vengeance on mine enemies and will reward them that hate mee I will make mine arrowes drunke with bloud and my sword shall eate flesh for the bloud of the slaine and the captiues when I begin to take vengeance of the enemy And the people pray thus to God against the seede of Esau because they conspired with the Babylonians Remember say they the children of Edom ô Lord in the day of Ierusalem which said Raze it to the foundation thereof O daughter of Babel worthy to bee destroyed blessed shall he be that rewardeth thee as thou hast serued vs. Blessed shall he bee that taketh and dasheth thy children against the stones No pitty nor mercy is to bee shewed to such as bee sworne enemies to the Church and their owne Countrey to bloudy Babylonians grosse Idolaters And yet as there must bee vpright iustice in all good Magistrates so to this also there must bee ioyned clemency and mercy there is vse and place of both and Iustice and Mercy both of them may bee abused but true Mercy and Clemency is an excellent vertue to all Christian Princes and Gouernours They are in the place of God who is full and rich in mercy and compassion and whose mercie is ouer all his workes they are to follow the example and nature of God whose Image they represent and carry they gouerne and rule not beasts but men and therefore all humanity is to bee vsed towards them they are to punish with griefe and compassion A Physition giueth to a patient his friend some bitter potion which hee could bee content in loue to cast away but onely that hee knoweth that it will bee for the good and health of his friend And thus Magistrates are to thinke of punishments as of medicines whereby the guilty may be amended and others by their examples terrified When the guilty is to be condemned the Magistrate is to thinke