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<DATE>2011-05-26</DATE>
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<NAME>Holly (Beeman) Smith</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<P><PB REF="1" MS="y">
The Be&s;t and the Wor&s;t MAGISTRATE: OR, The People's Happine&s;s and Unhappine&s;s, <HI>Laid open in a</HI> SERMON Preached at The late Election of the Lord Major FOR The famous City of <HI>London,</HI> Sept. 29. 1648.</P>
<P>BY <HI>Obadiah Sedgwick</HI> B. in D. and Mini|&s;ter at COVENT-GARDEN.</P>
<Q><BIBL>JOB 29. 14.</BIBL> <HI>I put on Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and it clothed me; my judge|ment was as a Robe and a Diadem.</HI></Q>
<Q><BIBL>JOB 29. 15.</BIBL> <HI>I was eyes to the blinde, and feet was I to the lame.</HI></Q>
<Q><BIBL>JOB 29. 16.</BIBL> <HI>I was a father to the poor; and the cau&s;e which I knew not, I &s;earched out.</HI></Q>
<Q><BIBL>JOB 29. 17.</BIBL> <HI>I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the &s;poil out of his teeth.</HI></Q>
<P><HI>London,</HI> Printed by <HI>Peter Cole,</HI> at the &s;ign of the Printing-Pre&s;s in <HI>Cornhil,</HI> near the Royal Exchange. 1648.</P>
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</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD><HI>To the Right Honorable,</HI> John Warner, <HI>Lord Major of the City of</HI> London, Abraham Reynard&s;on <HI>Lord Major Elect; AND To the Right Wor&s;hipful, the Aldermen and Sheriffs of the &s;ame City.</HI></HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>My Lord,</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_IT was your plea&s;ure to put the Service of Preaching at this Election upon me; and it is your common de&s;ire to have that brought to your eyes, which lately was pre&s;ented to your ears: A&s;&s;uredly, I neither value my &s;elf nor this Sermon at that rate, as to make it thus publike; what is now done, is onely to expre&s;s my due re&s;pects unto your &s;trong commands, for &s;uch <HI>I</HI> do interpret your de&s;ires of Printing this Sermon to be: It is now no longer mine, but yours; For you I &s;tudied it, to you and the City I Preached it, at your reque&s;t I publi&s;h it, and to all of you I humbly offer it; and be you plea&s;ed to remember, that <HI>Verba Dei &s;unt vivenda.</HI></P>
<P><PB REF="3">
I have little el&s;e to &s;ay unto you in way of Epi&s;tle, onely this, You are a City upon a Hill, the whole Kingdom looks upon you, and are apt to move as your Orb moves, all Publique Places and Per&s;ons are exemplary: You have been famous for your Piety, for your Charity, for your Fidelity, for your Vnity; Give me favor to apply unto you tho&s;e words which Chri&s;t delivered unto the Church of <HI>Thyatira, I will put upon you no other burthen, but that which you have already, hold fa&s;t;</HI> Per|&s;everance in well doing, is one &s;tep further in the path of Duty, and the very next &s;tep to Glory; continue therefore in the love of God, in the obedi|ence of his Truth, in zeal for his Glory, in regard to his Servants, in Peace amongst your &s;elves, and in one Vnited Heart for the Publique good; This will be your Honor in life, your Comfort in death, your Crown for ever: For this above all, you &s;hall have the choyce&s;t of his de&s;ires unto the Father of mercies, who is,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your Servant in Christ, <HI>OBADIAH SEDGWICK.</HI></SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
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<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="3">
<HEAD>The Be&s;t and the Wor&s;t MAGISTRATE: OR, The Peoples Happine&s;s and Unhappine&s;s, <HI>Laid open in a</HI> SERMON UPON Prov. 29. 2. <HI>When the righteous are in authority, the people re|joyce: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.</HI></HEAD>
<P>_YOu are met this day (Right Honorable, Right Wor&s;hipful, and Beloved) about a very &s;o|lemn work, The choyce of a Magi&s;trate, of a chief Magi&s;trate for a City, for the chief City of this Kingdom; and the more weighty that this bu&s;ine&s;s is, the more commendable is your cu&s;tom, that you fir&s;t begin with God, from whom alone all Wi&s;dom and Ble&s;&s;ing flows.</P>
<P>There are three things for which God &s;hould be earne&s;tly &s;ought; one is, <HI>A good Chri&s;t:</HI> The &s;econd is, <HI>A good Con|&s;cience:</HI> And the third is, <HI>A good Magi&s;trate.</HI> For Magi|gi&s;trates are like the Prophets figs, <HI>Tho&s;e that were good, were</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier 24. 3.</NOTE> <HI>very good;</HI> and, <HI>tho&s;e that were bad, were very bad;</HI> or (as <HI>P. Martyr</HI> ob&s;erves) they are like the Angels: Good Magi&s;trates are like the good Angels, which are &s;ent forth to mini&s;ter for help and comfort; and wicked Magi&s;trates are like the evil
<PB N="2" REF="4">
Angels, which go forth to mole&s;t and hurt. If Magi&s;trates be good, they are a publike Ble&s;&s;ing, and if they be bad, they are a publike Plague; they are the Summer or the Winter, either as Heaven or as Hell unto a people: Heaven is a place of joy and gladne&s;s, and Hell is the place of torment and weeping. And thus is it with a people, as the Magi&s;trate is who is over a people, <HI>When the righteous are in authority, the people re|joyce; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.</HI></P>
<P>In the&s;e words you may behold (as in a gla&s;s) two different <NOTE PLACE="marg">The divi|&s;ion of the Text.</NOTE> faces of people: 1. The face of joy and gladne&s;s <HI>(The people rejoyce.)</HI> 2. The face of &s;adne&s;s and grief <HI>(The people mourn.)</HI> And both the&s;e are pre&s;ented with their different cau&s;es; The cau&s;e of the peoples joy, is the goodne&s;s of their Rulers <HI>[When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoyce;]</HI> And the cau&s;e of the peoples &s;orrow, is the wickedne&s;s of their Rulers <HI>[But when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.]</HI></P>
<P>Although Authority be (formally and intrin&s;ecally) the &s;ame, and varies not, as to its e&s;&s;ential con&s;ideration; yet cir|cum&s;tantially con&s;idered as in the hands of good or evil men, and is by them differently managed, it doth now produce different effects or pa&s;&s;ions in a people. It is not with poli|tical Authority as it is with renewing Grace, where the &s;ub|ject is changed, and acts according to the nature and power of that Divine Principle, making a per&s;on good, and di&s;po&s;ing him unto good: No, Political Authority doth not work thus; It doth not work <HI>Admodum Principii</HI> or <HI>Agentis,</HI> but onely <HI>Ad modum Subjecti</HI> or <HI>Recipientis;</HI> ju&s;t as the &s;ame Pen writes fair or blots, as his skill or rudene&s;s is who u&s;eth it; or as an In&s;trument &s;ounds plea&s;antly or har&s;hly, as the hand is which fingers it, or as a Sword defends or wounds, as the man is who employeth it. Hence it is that the condition of inferior people comes to be &s;o often changed &amp; altered; &s;ometimes it goes well with them, &s;ometimes it goes ill with them; one while they re|joyce, another while they mourn: of which variety, although there may be internal Rea&s;ons in the people them&s;elves, yet many times the cau&s;es are external, and (in particular) do owe them&s;elves to the goodne&s;s or wickedne&s;s of Magi&s;trates,
<PB N="3" REF="4">
as a mans health or &s;ickne&s;s do owe them&s;elves to the change of Air, or as the Childes condition doth to the change of his Nur&s;e.</P>
<P>I &s;hall not (at this time) trouble you with a Di&s;cour&s;e of Authority or Government, either for the nature and kindes of it, or for the order and degrees in it: Neither &s;hall I trouble you with that Di&s;pute about the lawfulne&s;s of a Chri&s;tian to be a Magi&s;trate; the Text pre&s;umes it as a great Ble&s;&s;ing when the righteous are in Authority: Nor will I lo&s;e any time in handling tho&s;e Vici&s;&s;itudes and Changes, whereof both the Governors and governed in a Civil State are capable; All that I intend &s;hall have reference unto your pre&s;ent occa&s;ion, and I will pre&s;ent the &s;umme of it in the&s;e two Propo&s;itions:</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>That much of a Peoples joy and happine&s;s lies in a righteous</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Two Pro|po&s;itions from the Text.</NOTE> <HI>Ruler or Magi&s;trate.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>That much of a Peoples mi&s;ery and &s;orrow lies in a wicked or unrighteous Ruler.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>I begin with the fir&s;t of the&s;e, <HI>viz. That much of a Peoples</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. <HI>D.</HI></NOTE> <HI>joy and happine&s;s lies in a righteous Ruler or Magi&s;trate;</HI> or take it thus, That it is a great Ble&s;&s;ing to a people when righ|teous men are in Authority: <HI>[When the righteous are in autho|rity, the people rejoyce.]</HI></P>
<P>Take Authority in all the &s;phaeres of it, either in the high|e&s;t, <NOTE PLACE="marg">1. True in all &s;orts of men being in Autho|rity.</NOTE> as is that of Kings; or in the mid&s;t, as is that of &s;ubordi|nate Magi&s;trates; or in the lowe&s;t, as is that of Ma&s;ters in Fa|milies, It holds true of all of them, if they be righteous (when inve&s;ted with Authority) they are a Ble&s;&s;ing unto tho&s;e who are under them. If Kings be righteous, they are to their peo|ple, like the Sun to the world: If &s;ubordinate Magi&s;trates be righteous, they are to the City as the Clouds to the Earth: If Ma&s;ters be righteous, they are to the Family as the Spring is to the Garden: <HI>David, Jeho&s;haphat, Hezekiah, Jo&s;iab,</HI> were righteous Kings; What a joy and ble&s;&s;ing were they to the people? <HI>Jo&s;eph, Daniel, Mordecai,</HI> and tho&s;e Magi&s;trates which &s;ome of the good Kings &s;et up, what a publique good were they to the Places and Provinces over which they were &s;et? And for Ma&s;ters of Families that have been righteous,
<PB N="4" REF="5">
how great ble&s;&s;ings have they been? <HI>Abraham,</HI> God &s;aith of him, <HI>I know him, that he will command his children and hou&s;hold</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">G<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">n. 18. 19</NOTE> <HI>after him, and they &s;hall keep the way of the Lord;</HI> and <HI>Jo&s;hua, But as for me and my hou&s;e, we will &s;erve the Lord:</HI> What a <NOTE PLACE="marg">Io&s;h. 24 15</NOTE> ble&s;&s;ing are they who are a means to bring the God of all ble&s;&s;ings? Righteous men are &s;uch who count no ble&s;&s;ing &s;ufficient for them&s;elves or theirs, but God him&s;elf.</P>
<P>Again, I de&s;ire you to remember, That there is a twofold <NOTE PLACE="marg">2. True in two &s;orts of Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s.</NOTE> Righteou&s;ne&s;s: 1. One is Political or Civil, which con&s;i&s;ts in the due admini&s;tration of Ju&s;tice and Judgement. 2. Another is Spiritual and Heavenly, which con&s;i&s;ts in a renewed Con|formity of mans heart and life to the revealed will of God.</P>
<P>If Magi&s;trates be Politically righteous, &s;o that in the times of their Government, <HI>Judgement runs down as waters, and Righteou&s;ne&s;s as a mighty &s;tream,</HI> as the Prophet <HI>Amos</HI> ex|pre&s;&s;eth <NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 5. 24</NOTE> it; <HI>If they relieve the oppre&s;&s;ed, judge for the fatherle&s;s, plead for the widow,</HI> as the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> delivers it, Even <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 1. 17.</NOTE> under this con&s;ideration alone they are a joy and ble&s;&s;ing to a people: It is a great ble&s;&s;ing in a Common-wealth, To enjoy our po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions, to po&s;&s;e&s;s our labors, to go out with &s;afety, to come home with peace, to be kept from wrong, and to be righted with Ju&s;tice.</P>
<P>But if Magi&s;trates be (al&s;o) Spiritually righteous, if they be &s;uch as rightly know God, truly fear God, cordially love God, zealou&s;ly act for God; if the Law of Righteou&s;ne&s;s be written in their hearts, the&s;e men are ble&s;&s;ings indeed, and a joy indeed, though not in the opinion of wicked people, yet in the opinion of God, and all his people. And this I &s;hall demon&s;trate unto you by four particulars:</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. By the Metaphors, under which they are &s;hadowed. <NOTE PLACE="marg">Four De|mon&s;trati|ens of it.</NOTE></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. By the Titles, with which they are de&s;cribed.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. By the Abilities, with which they are furni&s;hed.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. By the Services, in which they are engaged.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>Fir&s;t, By the Metaphors under which righteous and good Magi&s;trates are &s;et forth (in Scripture) as publique Ble&s;&s;ings, and &s;pecial cau&s;es of joy unto a people: If you plea&s;e to ca&s;t <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iudg. 9. 9, to 14.</NOTE> an eye upon <HI>Jothams</HI> Parable (in <HI>Judg.</HI> 9. <HI>ver.</HI> 9. to 14.) you
<PB N="5" REF="5">
may finde good Magi&s;trates or Rulers compared <HI>To the Olive|tree, to the Fig-tree, and to the Vine-tree:</HI> Now there are three things, ob&s;erveable in all the&s;e Trees;</P>
<P N="1">1. Every one of them is fruitful: The Olive-tree is <HI>Baccifera,</HI> and the Figtree is <HI>Pomifera,</HI> and the Vine-tree is <HI>&V;vifera;</HI> not one of them is barren, but fruitful, very fruitful.</P>
<P N="2">2. The fruit of every one of them is very good, all for com|mon good; not one of them but is &s;o rich, as to &s;et up and maintain a publique Calling: How many of you are enriched and maintained every year, &s;ome by the Olive-tree, others by the Fig-tree, and others by the Vine-tree? Almo&s;t all the Kingdoms on Earth fare the better for the&s;e three trees.</P>
<P N="3">3. There is a di&s;tinct and &s;pecial vertue in the &s;everal fruits which grow upon the&s;e &s;everal trees: The Oyl is of an heal|ing <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 10. 34</NOTE> and &s;trengthening vertue; The Wine is of a clean&s;ing and <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 104. 15. 1 Sam. 30. 12.</NOTE> quickning vertue; The Figs are of a plea&s;ing and nouri&s;hing vertue: And all this is a righteous Ruler to a people, He is fruitful, and fruitful for their good; To evil men he is as &s;earching and clean&s;ing Wine; To good men he is as &s;weet and nouri&s;hing Figs; To all men he is as healing and &s;trength|ning Oyl: God and man are the better by him.</P>
<P>Secondly, By the Titles (in Scripture) a&s;cribed unto reli|gious or righteous Rulers, which al&s;o &s;hew them to be a ble&s;|&s;ing and comfort unto the people. They are called</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>Shields: The &s;hields of the earth belong to God,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Da|vid;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 47. 9.</NOTE> tho&s;e whom he calls <HI>Shields,</HI> are the very &s;ame whom he calls <HI>Princes,</HI> or <HI>Rulers:</HI> A &s;hield is to cover the body, and it is to defend the body again&s;t the injuries of Darts which are thrown at a di&s;tance, and of Spears, which are near at hand to wound; and with the&s;e &s;hields anciently tho&s;e Commanders and Soldiers &s;tood guarded, who were in the Front, ready to receive the fir&s;t and &s;tronge&s;t Charge from the Enemy: Of this u&s;e is a righteous Magi&s;trate, in covering and protecting the people from wrongs and injuries; <HI>He &s;hall deliver the poor and needy, and him that hath no helper,</HI> P&s;al. 72. 12. A righte|ous <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 72. 12.</NOTE> Magi&s;trate is the poor mans Harbor, the innocent mans Succor, and the unju&s;t mans Terror.</P>
<P N="2"><PB N="6" REF="6">
2. <HI>Shepherds;</HI> &s;o the principal men are &s;tiled, <HI>Micah</HI> 5. 5. Now <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 2. 8. 1 Sam. 17. 35. Ezek. 34. 2. I&s;a. 40. 11. Ioh 10. 11.</NOTE> a &s;hepherd <HI>Watches his flock, Re&s;cues his &s;heep, Guides them, Feeds them, Gently leads them, and many times carries the lambs in his bo&s;om, and will give his life for the &s;heep;</HI> All this is a righteous Magi&s;trate unto a people, He watches for their good, Appears for their good, Con&s;ults for their good, Provides for their good; He hath the &s;hepherds Arms for the weak, the &s;hepherds Rod for the wicked, the &s;hepherds Staff for the di|&s;tre&s;&s;ed, the &s;hepherds Fold for all.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Heads: Mo&s;es cho&s;e able men out of all I&s;rael, and made</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 18. 25.</NOTE> <HI>them Heads over the people, Rulers of thou&s;ands, and Rulers of hundreds:</HI> And the Head, as it is mo&s;t eminent for place, &s;o it mo&s;t excellent for u&s;e; It is the &s;eat of tho&s;e &s;ingular gifts of Under&s;tanding, Wi&s;dom, Judgement, Coun&s;el; it is the foun|tain of all Sen&s;e and Motion: The Head is the Bodies Over|&s;eer, Watchman, Coun&s;ellor, Helper, all the body is the better for its influences: Of what benefit the Head is to the Natural Body, of the &s;ame is a righteous Magi&s;trate to a Political Body, &s;tudying, fore&s;eeing, foreca&s;ting, coun&s;elling, ordering all for their good.</P>
<P N="4">4. <HI>Pilets:</HI> I think the Prophet hath an aym at this, in <HI>Ezek.</HI> 27. 29. <HI>All the Pilots of the Sea &s;hall come down from their</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eezk. 27. 29.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hips:</HI> The Contingencies in this world are a Sea, The people who are expo&s;ed unto them are the Ship, and the Magi&s;trate is the Pilot who &s;its at the Stern: The Pilot hath the life and death of all the Pa&s;&s;engers in his hand; If he &s;teers ami&s;s, the Ship &s;plits; if he ob&s;erves his compa&s;s aright, they are pre|&s;erved; if he be ignorant, all mi&s;carry in the &s;torm; if he be di&s;creet and vigilant, the Ship bears up, and &s;ails through waves and tempe&s;ts: Of &s;uch a common &s;afety is a righteous Magi|&s;trate, He is your Ble&s;&s;ing in pro&s;perous times, and your Security in dangerous times.</P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Phy&s;icians:</HI> He who is called <HI>A Ruler, I&s;a.</HI> 3. 6. is called <HI>An</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 3. 6, 7. <HI>Galen.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Healer, I&s;a.</HI> 3. 7. A good Magi&s;trate is a good Phy&s;ician: One reports, That anciently Emperors Palaces were &s;ick mens Ho&s;pi|tals: A righteous Magi&s;trate will cure as many Di&s;ea&s;es in the lives of men, as the Phy&s;ician can in the bodies of men; He
<PB N="7" REF="6">
can cure Idle people of the Lazies, and Drunken people of the Drop&s;ie, and Murmuring people of the Sullens, and Mad peo|ple of their Rage again&s;t Godline&s;s, and Proud people of the Fever, and Tumultuous people of the Ague; His Courts, his Pri&s;ons, his Stocks, his Po&s;ts, his Sword, are notable Phy&s;ick for notorious Sinners: And be&s;ides this, he hath admirable Cor|dials, Re&s;toratives, Pre&s;ervatives in his Favors, Rewards, En|couragements to hearten and &s;trengthen hone&s;t per&s;ons. Surely a good Phy&s;ician is a common Ble&s;&s;ing.</P>
<P>What need I to adde any more of their Titles? They are al&s;o called <HI>Builders, Repairers, Fathers, Nur&s;ing fathers,</HI> nay <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 58. 12. &amp; 49. 23. Neh 9. 27. P&s;al. 82. 6.</NOTE> <HI>Saviors,</HI> nay <HI>Gods:</HI> Look of what u&s;e the Builder or Repairer is to an hou&s;e, of what help a Father is to Children, of what tenderne&s;s a Nur&s;ing father is to the little Infant, of what joy a Savior is to oppre&s;&s;ed Captives, of what good and ble&s;&s;ing God is to the world, of the &s;ame (in a proportion, and under God) are righteous Magi&s;trates unto a people.</P>
<P>I cannot yet fall off from this, without one &s;pecial Ob&s;er|vation, and that is this, All the&s;e Titles do a&s;&s;ure us, That righ|teous Rulers are a &s;ingular good to all &s;orts of men, in all con|ditions, in all places, and at all times: If Wars break out, they are a Shield; if Peace falls in, they are a Shepherd; in Straits, they are a Head; in Tumults, they are a Pilot; for Exorbitan|cies, they are a Phy&s;ician; for Wants, they are a Father; from Oppre&s;&s;ions, they are a Savior; and under all Di&s;comforts, they are as Gods.</P>
<P>Thirdly, By the Abilities with which they are furni&s;hed: There are particular qualities which are proper to men in Au|thority, and do fit them and enable them for the publique good and joy of a people; I will mention onely five of them, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Five Cha|racters of fit Magi|&s;trates.</NOTE> and every one of them is to be found in tho&s;e that are righ|teous.</P>
<P N="1">1. Rulers or Magi&s;trates mu&s;t be men fearing God: <HI>Thou &s;halt provide out of all the people able men, &s;uch as fear God,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Exo. 18. 21.</NOTE> &s;aid <HI>Jethro</HI> to <HI>Mo&s;es;</HI> He who fears God, he onely is fit to rule men: That Judge who &s;aid, <HI>I fear not God,</HI> &s;aid immedi|ately, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk. 18. 4.</NOTE> <HI>I regard not man.</HI> Now take the fear of God</P>
<P><PB N="8" REF="7">
<Q>Either Comprehen&s;ively, as it contains in it the whole Wor&s;hip and Service of God (The fear of God is an abridge|ment <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eccle&s;. 12. 13.</NOTE> of all Religion:) Thus the righteous per&s;ons are the onely per&s;ons who fear God; no men are truly religious, but &s;uch who are &s;incerely righteous.</Q></P>
<P><Q>Or Di&s;tinctly, as it is a peculiar Grace, &s;etting a per&s;on always in the pre&s;ence of God, and affecting of him with an holy and reverential awe of God, In this notion al&s;o none fear God but righteous per&s;ons, it is their peculiar Character that they fear God.</Q></P>
<P>And verily, as this fear of God is the &s;afeguard of all our own Graces <HI>(Timor e&s;t cu&s;tos virtutum)</HI> &s;o it is the welfare <NOTE PLACE="marg">G. Pari&s;.</NOTE> of a people, if it be found in a Ruler; nothing avails more to keep his eyes &s;hut, his ears open, his hands free, his heart &s;ound: <NOTE PLACE="marg">The fruits of the fear of God.</NOTE> This pre&s;erves in him Con&s;cientiou&s;ne&s;s, Uprightne&s;s, Faith|fulne&s;s, Care, Diligence, Impartiality; This keeps him from Negligence, from Oppre&s;&s;ion, from all Inju&s;tice; A man who fears God, dares not to be wicked, or to deal unrighteou&s;ly. When <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> brethren thought that he would have dealt hardly with them, <HI>O no,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Jo&s;eph, I fear God;</HI> and <HI>Job</HI> dur&s;t not to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 42. 18. Iob 31. 4.</NOTE> do the lea&s;t wrong to any man, <HI>For,</HI> &s;aith he, <HI>doth not God &s;ee my ways, and count all my &s;teps?</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. Rulers or Magi&s;trates mu&s;t be men of Under&s;tanding, Judgement and Wi&s;dom; and therefore <HI>Solomon</HI> when he was to enter upon his Government, prayed, <HI>Lord, give thy &s;ervant</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kin. 3. 9.</NOTE> <HI>an under&s;tanding heart, to judge thy people, that I may di&s;cern betwixt good and bad: for who is able</HI> (he meaneth without this) <HI>to judge this thy &s;o great a people?</HI> Beloved, there are &s;uch multitudes of bu&s;ine&s;&s;es, &s;uch variety of cau&s;es, &s;uch diver&s;ity of <NOTE PLACE="marg">The nece&s;+&s;ity of wi&s;|dom in Rulers.</NOTE> circum&s;tances, &s;uch cunning of pretences, &s;uch newne&s;s of oc|currences, &s;uch difficulties of re&s;olution, &s;uch dangers in mi&s;|taking, that do of nece&s;&s;ity require wi&s;dom and under&s;tanding in Rulers: Wi&s;dom and under&s;tanding are nece&s;&s;ary for them to keep up their Authority, to direct them in the exerci&s;e of their Authority; they are an ornament to Rulers, and an ad|vantage to the people. <HI>By a man of under&s;tanding and know|ledge,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov 28. 2.</NOTE> <HI>the State</HI> (of a Kingdom) <HI>is prolonged.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="9" REF="7">
Now righteous men are wi&s;e and under&s;tanding men; wicked <NOTE PLACE="marg">Righteous men are wi&s;e men.</NOTE> men are more crafty, but righteous men are more wi&s;e: A righteous man and a wi&s;e man are (in <HI>Solomons</HI> opinion) reci|procal terms, as a wicked and a fooli&s;h man are. Con&s;ider wi&s;dom</P>
<P><Q>Either in relation to the Soul and Spiritual e&s;tate, as it ap|pears in the minding of the be&s;t part, in the eying of the chief|e&s;t good, in pitching upon the choyce&s;t means, and in ordering of man to the glory of God, and the certain fruition of mo&s;t perfect ble&s;&s;edne&s;s, This wi&s;dom the righteous enjoy alone, none el&s;e are wi&s;e unto Salvation.</Q></P>
<P><Q>Or in relation unto &s;ecular admini&s;tration for the civil good of people; even under this con&s;ideration the mo&s;t righ|teous <NOTE PLACE="marg">In&s;tances of it.</NOTE> have been mo&s;t wi&s;e:</Q> <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> was a righteous man, and a mo&s;t wi&s;e man for Rule; <HI>Can we finde &s;uch a one as this is,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 41. 38.</NOTE> <HI>a man in whom the Spirit of God is?</HI> &s;aid <HI>Pharaoh</HI> of him, when he pre&s;ented a method for the pre&s;ervation of <HI>Egypt: David</HI> was a righteous man, and in all his employments, whi|ther&s;oever <HI>Saul</HI> &s;ent him, he went and behaved him&s;elf wi&s;ely: <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 18. 5.</NOTE> <HI>Daniel</HI> and the three Children were righteous men, and in all <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 1. 20.</NOTE> matters of wi&s;dom and under&s;tanding, they were ten times better then all the Magicians and A&s;trologers: How wi&s;ely did <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> allay the di&s;ta&s;te which &s;ome had taken again&s;t <HI>Eldad</HI> and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Numb 11. 28, 29.</NOTE> <HI>Medad?</HI> How wi&s;ely did <HI>Gideon</HI> &s;mooth off the fiercene&s;s of the men of <HI>Ephraim? Is not the gleanings of the grapes of</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iudg. 8. 2.</NOTE> <HI>Ephraim better then the vintage of Abiezar?</HI> How wi&s;ely did <HI>Solomon</HI> decide the di&s;pute about the living and the dead <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 King. 3. 26, 27, 28.</NOTE> childe?</P>
<P N="3">3. Magi&s;trates or Rulers mu&s;t be ju&s;t men: <HI>He that ruleth over men, mu&s;t be ju&s;t,</HI> &s;aith <HI>David;</HI> and without all doubt <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 23. 3</NOTE> Ju&s;tice tends to the joy and welfare of a people: <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith, <HI>That it exalts a Nation;</HI> and we finde it to be a &s;ure <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 14. 34.</NOTE> hand, a &s;ure convey of ble&s;&s;ings, in the Scriptures. Reade that place concerning <HI>Abrahams</HI> po&s;terity, <HI>They &s;hall keep the way</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 18. 19</NOTE> <HI>of the Lord, to do ju&s;tice and judgement, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath &s;poken of him:</HI> And to this purpo&s;e the Prophet <HI>Jeremiah</HI> &s;peaks, <HI>Did not your father</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier. 22. 15.</NOTE>
<PB N="10" REF="8">
<HI>do judgement and ju&s;tice, and then it was well with him?</HI></P>
<P>He &s;aid not ami&s;s, who &s;pake that <HI>(Ju&s;ticia</HI> was <HI>Reip. co|lumna, &amp; Corona)</HI> Ju&s;tice was the Pillar, and the Crown of a Kingdom: <HI>The throne is e&s;tabli&s;hed by Ju&s;tice,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Solomon,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 16. 12. Iob 29. 14.</NOTE> there it is a Pillar: <HI>My judgement was as a Robe and Diadem,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Job,</HI> there it is a Crown. There are four Ornaments for men; Eloquence is an Ornament for an Orator, Humility is an Ornament for a Chri&s;tian, Con&s;cience is an Ornament for a Mini&s;ter, and Ju&s;tice is an Ornament for a Magi&s;trate. <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg"><HI>P. Mar|tyr</HI> 2. Sam. pag. 269.</NOTE> One &s;aith, That to do Ju&s;tice <HI>(Audire cau&s;as, Juvare pios, punire &s;celeratos)</HI> it is <HI>munus Angelicum, imo Divinum,</HI> This is An|gels work, nay it is work fit for God him&s;elf.</P>
<P>And are there any men more ju&s;t, then men truly righ|teous? <NOTE PLACE="marg">Righteous men are ju&s;t men. Num. 16. 15.</NOTE> <HI>I have not taken one A&s;s from them, neither have I hurt any of them,</HI> &s;aith righteous <HI>Mo&s;es: Behold, here I am, wit|ne&s;s again&s;t me before the Lord, and before his anointed, who&s;e Ox have I taken? or who&s;e A&s;s have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? or of who&s;e hand have I received any Bride to blinde mine eyes therewith?</HI> &s;pake righteous <HI>Samuel.</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 12. 3</NOTE></P>
<P N="4">4. Rulers mu&s;t be men of Mercy, as well as of Ju&s;tice: <HI>I will &s;ing of mercy and ju&s;tice,</HI> &s;aith <HI>David;</HI> The Mercy-&s;eat <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 101. 1.</NOTE> was the be&s;t &s;eat that ever was &s;et up for Sinners: and it is the excellency of Chri&s;ts Government, that it is full of Purity, and of Equity, and of Mercy. One relates of the Jews, That they would have none to be Magi&s;trates, who were not Fa|thers of Children; they thought their fatherly relation would be a motion to mercy. Now Mercy in a Ruler is a joy unto a people, and conduceth unto the publique good: <HI>The throne is upheld by mercy,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Solomon;</HI> and no per&s;ons are more <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 20. 28.</NOTE> merciful then righteous per&s;ons, they are begotten by the Fa|ther of Mercies, and are Children of Mercy: <HI>David</HI> &s;aith, <HI>They are gracious, and full of compa&s;&s;ion;</HI> and <HI>Solomon</HI> &s;aith, <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 112. 4. Pro. 12. 10.</NOTE> <HI>The righteous man regardeth the life of his beast,</HI> much more then the e&s;tates and lives of men.</P>
<P N="5">5. Rulers mu&s;t be men of Courage: <HI>Be &s;trong, and of a good courage, dread not, nor be di&s;mayed;</HI> So <HI>David</HI> to <HI>Solomon,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Chron. 22. 13.</NOTE> when he was to &s;ucceed in Authority. You read in 1 <HI>Kin.</HI> 10. 20.
<PB N="11" REF="8">
that <HI>Solomon</HI> placed &s;ix Lyons upon the one &s;ide, as he went un|to his Throne of Judgement, and &s;ix upon the other &s;ide, by every &s;tep there were two Lyons, to intimate, That men in Au|thority mu&s;t be men of Courage. Magi&s;trates (you have heard) are called <HI>Gods,</HI> and why &s;hould Gods fear the faces of men? If men will dare <HI>to &s;mite with the fist of violence</HI> (I&s;a. 58. 4.) you &s;hould dare <HI>to &s;mite with the &s;word of Ju&s;tice</HI> (Rom. 13. 4.) Magi&s;trates &s;hould be like <HI>David,</HI> who had courage to re&s;cue the &s;heep out of the mouth of the Lyon and of the Bear, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 17. 35.</P>
<P>And Courage in a Ruler is of wonderful good for a people: <NOTE PLACE="marg">The good w^c^h comes by Magi|&s;trates cou|rage. Numb. 25. 8, 11. 2 Chro. 15. 8, to 17. Righteous men are couragious men, Pro. 28. 1. Neh 6. 11.</NOTE> What good did <HI>Phinehas</HI>'s zeal bring unto I&s;rael? it pacified God, and &s;tayed the plague: What a notable Reformation did <HI>A&s;a</HI>'s courage produce, even that which made all I&s;rael to rejoyce: And no Magi&s;trates are &s;o couragious as righteous men; Grace makes the be&s;t hearts, and breeds the highe&s;t for|titude. <HI>The righteous men</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Solomon) are bold as a Lyon: Should &s;uch a man as I flee?</HI> &s;aid <HI>Nehemiah:</HI> They who truly fear God, do fear nothing, but to &s;in again&s;t God.</P>
<P>Fourthly, It may appear, That righteous Magi&s;trates are a ble&s;&s;ing and joy unto a people, if you con&s;ider their Services or Practices in which they are engaged: Righteous Magi&s;trates do con&s;cientiou&s;ly &s;et their ju&s;t Authority on work for tho&s;e common and good ends for which Magi&s;tracy was ordained. The Magi&s;trate may be pictured like <HI>Atlas</HI> bearing up the poles of Heaven; or he may &s;ay as <HI>David</HI> (P&s;al. 75. 3.) <HI>I bear up the pillars of the Earth.</HI></P>
<P>There are four &s;ingular Services which Magi&s;trates are to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Four works for Magi|&s;trates.</NOTE> perform:</P>
<P>1. The fir&s;t is, To maintain and &s;upport true Religion; and therefore that Emperor &s;et his Crown under the Bible: And <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Summa ra|tio e&s;t quae pro Religi|one facit.</HI> Papinianus</NOTE> <HI>Plato</HI> would have the Pallaces of Princes joyned to the Temples of the gods; their chief care &s;hould be to uphold that which is the chiefe&s;t.</P>
<P>2. The &s;econd is, To protect and encourage well-doers: <HI>Mine eyes</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David) &s;hall be upon the faithful of the land;</HI> and <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 101. 6. &amp; 16. 3. &amp; 72. 7.</NOTE> <HI>My delight &s;hall be in the excellent: In his days &s;hall the righteous flouri&s;h.</HI></P>
<P><PB N="12" REF="9">
The third is, To intend and pre&s;erve the publique welfare: <HI>Non mihi &s;ed Populo,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Adrian</HI> the Emperor; <HI>Peace be within thy walls, and pro&s;perity within thy pallaces, and I will</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 122. 7, 9. E&s;th. 10. 3.</NOTE> <HI>&s;eek thy good,</HI> &s;aid <HI>David</HI> for <HI>Jeru&s;alem:</HI> They mu&s;t be like <HI>Mordecai,</HI> who did &s;eek the good of his people, <HI>Non &s;uum, &s;ed &s;uorum.</HI></P>
<P>4. The fourth is, To puni&s;h &s;in and wickedne&s;s in the &s;everal kindes and authors of it; and therefore is the Sword of Ju|&s;tice put into their hands, <HI>To be a terror to evil works and evil</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 3, 4.</NOTE> <HI>doers:</HI> And que&s;tionle&s;s all tho&s;e acts and &s;ervices do exceed|ingly contribute towards the good and joy of people. A peo|ple are like a Garden, Religion is like the Sun, Peace is like the Clouds, Good men are like the Plants, Wicked men are like the Weeds, Ju&s;tice is like the Wall: Now no men can or will improve Authority thus, but righteous men. Righteous men, they onely are the Servants of God, the Lovers of Truth, the Friends to Godline&s;s, the Enemies of Wickedne&s;s, and the Channels of all publique good: Of this you may be con|fident, That the Go&s;pel never &s;pread more, that Godline&s;s never ripened more, that Wealth never thrive more, that Tranquility <NOTE PLACE="marg">Peru&s;e the Hi&s;tory of the Iudges and of the Kings.</NOTE> never &s;etled more, that Safety never compa&s;&s;ed a Nation more, then when Rulers (men in Authority) have been mo&s;t &s;incerely righteous and pious. And thus you &s;ee the fir&s;t A&s;&s;ertion de|mon&s;trated unto you; namely, What a Joy, what a Comfort, what a Ble&s;&s;ing righteous Magi&s;trates are unto a people. I mu&s;t now turn the Tables, and &s;hew unto you what a Cur&s;e, what a Mi&s;ery, what a Burthen wicked Rulers are unto a peo|ple; for &s;o it follows in the Text <HI>[But when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn.]</HI> Hence the &s;econd Propo&s;ition,</P>
<P><HI>That much of a Peoples mi&s;ery and &s;orrow lies in wicked Ru|lers;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>D.</HI></NOTE> or, That wicked Rulers are cau&s;es of woful mourning un|to a people.</P>
<P>When <HI>Pharaoh</HI> bare rule, what a mournful time was it with <NOTE PLACE="marg">In&s;tances Exo. 2. 23.</NOTE> the I&s;raelites? <HI>The Children of I&s;rael &s;ighed by rea&s;on of the bondage, and they cryed, and their cry came up to God.</HI></P>
<P>When the wicked Judges bare rule, what a woful time was it with the people? the Enemies break in and &s;poil the Coun|trey, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Iudges 2. 14, 15.</NOTE>
<PB N="13" REF="9">
trey, and the people hide them&s;elves in Dens and Caves.</P>
<P>When <HI>Saul</HI> bare rule, what a mournful time was it with <HI>David</HI> (he is forced to fly from place to place) and with the <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Srm. 26. 30.</NOTE> Prie&s;ts of the Lord? of whom he cau&s;ed to be &s;lain in one day Four&s;core and five per&s;ons; and be&s;ides, <HI>He &s;mote Nob the city of the Prie&s;ts with the edge of the &s;word, both men and women,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam 22. 18, 19.</NOTE> <HI>children and &s;ucklings.</HI></P>
<P>When <HI>Ahab</HI> and <HI>Jezebel</HI> bare rule, what a mournful time was it? many of the Prophets were &s;lain, others hid them|&s;elves <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kin 14. 4 &amp; 19. 10. &amp; 21. 13.</NOTE> in Caves, <HI>Elijah</HI> flyes for his life, and <HI>Naboth</HI> was &s;toned to death for his Vineyard.</P>
<P>When <HI>Haman</HI> bare rule, what a mourning did his wicked de&s;ign occa&s;ion? <HI>The City</HI> Shu&s;han <HI>was perplexed, and in every</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">E&s;th. 3. 14. &amp; 4. 3.</NOTE> <HI>Province there was great mourning among the Jews, and fa&s;t|ing, and weeping and wailing.</HI></P>
<P>When <HI>Herod</HI> bare rule, he made it a mournful time, for he &s;lew all the Children that were in <HI>Bethlehem,</HI> and all the coa&s;ts thereof, from two years old and under; <HI>And now there was</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 2. 16, 18.</NOTE> <HI>a voyce heard in Ramah, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning.</HI></P>
<P>And truly, if you con&s;ider either the per&s;ons, or their di&s;po|&s;itions in Authority, or their Actions, or the con&s;equences of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Four De|mon&s;tra|tions of the Point.</NOTE> their evil Government, it will plainly appear, That there is nothing in wicked Rulers, or from them, but what is very mournful.</P>
<P N="1">1. Con&s;ider the per&s;ons them&s;elves; Wicked per&s;ons are filled with woful Principles: When <HI>Hazael</HI> came to the Pro|phet <HI>Eli&s;ha, Eli&s;ha</HI> wept, and <HI>Hazael</HI> &s;aid, <HI>Why weepeth my</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam 8. 11, 12.</NOTE> <HI>lord?</HI> who an&s;wered, <HI>Becau&s;e I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of I&s;rael; Their &s;trong holds thou wilt &s;et on fire, their yong men thou wilt &s;lay with the &s;word, and wilt da&s;h their Children, and rip up their women with childe.</HI> O Sirs, the Principles of wicked men are cruel Principles, covetous Princi|ples, oppre&s;&s;ing Principles, unju&s;t, fal&s;e, corrupt, and irreligious Principles; their Principles are (certainly) again&s;t God, again&s;t Chri&s;t, again&s;t Truth, again&s;t Holine&s;s, again&s;t Ju&s;tice, again&s;t Faithfulne&s;s, again&s;t all the good of publique Society.</P>
<P><PB N="14" REF="10">
And is it not lamentable to &s;ee &s;uch men bear rule? that the defence of the Go&s;pel &s;hould be committed to him who is an enemy to the Go&s;pel? that the &s;eat of Ju&s;tice &s;hould be put to him who is, and cannot but be unju&s;t? That the protection of Truth and Holine&s;s &s;hould re&s;t in his hands, who (with all his &s;oul) hates the one and the other? That the care of pub|lique good &s;hould be Lea&s;ed out to him, who altogether con|&s;ults his private gain? That the admini&s;tration of Govern|ment &s;hould be given unto a lawle&s;s man? The Sword of Ju|&s;tice to a mad man? The power of differencing of Cau&s;es to a fool? Common &s;afety to one who is a common Plague? Were it not woful to have the raging Sea to rule the Ship? or the furious fire to govern an hou&s;e? Every wicked man is the one and the other.</P>
<P N="2">2. Secondly, con&s;ider their di&s;po&s;itions as in Authority, and <NOTE PLACE="marg">Wicked Rulers &s;ad|ly expre&s;&s;ed in the Scri|ptures.</NOTE> you &s;hall finde &s;till more cau&s;e of mournfulne&s;s. The Scriptures compare wicked Rulers</P>
<P N="1">1. Sometimes to the <HI>Bramble, Judg.</HI> 9. 14. There is no fruit from a bramble, nay not &s;o much as leaves to make a &s;hadow; nay, in &s;tead of the&s;e, it is full of &s;harp pricks, which &s;cratch, and tear, and wound, and pain us: No other thing is a wicked Ruler; take him at his be&s;t, he is but an <HI>Inutile pondus</HI> (a <HI>George</HI> on hor&s;eback) and take him in his proper di&s;po&s;ition, he is (as the Prophet &s;peaks) <HI>A pricking bryar, and a grieving thorn.</HI> A <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eze. 28. 24.</NOTE> wicked Magi&s;trate, this is the &s;umme of him, He is a great mans Slave, a poor mans Cur&s;e, a good mans Foe, a wicked mans Friend, and all mens hurt.</P>
<P N="2">2. Sometimes unto the <HI>Lyon and Bear:</HI> I confe&s;s that the <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 30. 30.</NOTE> Lyon (oft times) is the Emblem of Maje&s;ty, Strength and Courage; but under this notion a wicked Ruler is not intend|ed: You read in Scripture of the Devil, that he is called <HI>A roaring and devouring Lyon;</HI> to &s;uch a Lyon is a wicked Ruler <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 5. 8.</NOTE> compared: <HI>As a roaring Lyon and a ranging Bear, &s;o is a wic|ked</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 28. 15.</NOTE> <HI>Ruler over the poor people,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Solomon. David</HI> &s;peaks in one P&s;alm, <HI>That the Lyons roar out for their prey;</HI> and in <HI>Da|niel</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;a. 104.</NOTE> you read, <HI>That the Lyons brake in pieces the bones of tho&s;e accu&s;ers:</HI> The very like doth the Prophet <HI>Micah</HI> affirm of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 6. 24.</NOTE>
<PB N="15" REF="10">
wicked Rulers, <HI>They pluck off the skin from my people, and their fle&s;h from off their bones; They eat al&s;o the fle&s;h of my</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Mic. 3. 2, 2.</NOTE> <HI>people, and flay their skin from off them, and break their bones, and chop them in pieces, &amp;c.</HI> Is it not lamentable to have a peo|ple thus abu&s;ed?</P>
<P N="3">3. Sometimes unto <HI>Scorpions:</HI> The Prophet <HI>Ezekiel</HI> is &s;aid <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek 2 6.</NOTE> <HI>to dwell among Scorpions;</HI> All wicked men are Scorpions, and e&s;pecially wicked Rulers. There are four things which the Na|turali&s;ts do ob&s;erve in Scorpions; 1. They are venemous Bea&s;ts, full of poy&s;on. 2. They are mi&s;chievous Bea&s;ts, apt to harm: <HI>Pliny</HI> &s;aith of them, That they are <HI>(Semper in ictu)</HI> al|ways <NOTE PLACE="marg">Plinius, Eglinus.</NOTE> thru&s;ting out their Stings. 3. They are trouble&s;ome Bea&s;ts, and therefore in tho&s;e countreys where Scorpions a|bound, the Inhabitants dare not to lodge low, and are forced many times, <HI>Ocreatos dormire.</HI> 4. They are tormenting Bea&s;ts, they lick you, and wound you, and torment you; <HI>Their torment was as the torment of a Scorpion, when he &s;trikes a man,</HI> Rev. 9. 5. Now all this are wicked Rulers, they are as he &s;pake of <HI>Nero, Veneum terrae: The poy&s;on of Adders is under their lips, they are full of mi&s;chief; David</HI> &s;aith, <HI>That mi&s;chief is in their</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 36. 4. &amp; 28. 3. &amp; 140. 9. &amp; 26. 10.</NOTE> <HI>heads,</HI> P&s;al. 36. 4. <HI>and in their hearts,</HI> P&s;al. 28. 3. <HI>and in their tongues,</HI> P&s;al. 140. 9. <HI>and in their hands,</HI> P&s;al. 26. 10. And be|&s;ides all this, they are but a torment and vexation to a people, <HI>They have vexed the fatherle&s;s and widow,</HI> Ezek. 22. 7.</P>
<P N="4">4. Sometimes unto <HI>Wolves, Ravening wolves (Her Princes</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eze. 22. 27 Zeph. 3. 3.</NOTE> <HI>are like wolves ravening the prey) and evening wolves: (Her Judges are evening wolves)</HI> and what the di&s;po&s;ition of the&s;e are, I need not di&s;cour&s;e of among&s;t you.</P>
<P>3. Thirdly, &s;urvey a few of the actions of wicked Rulers and then judge whether they be not cau&s;es of woful mourning to a people: Their actions or works have been &s;uch as have overthrown Religion and Ju&s;tice, and &s;o con&s;equently the Souls and Bodies of men, and what more can be &s;aid to expre&s;s la|mentation and mourning?</P>
<P N="1">1. Concerning Religion (in which bottom all our Souls are embarqued) were it not mo&s;t amazingly &s;ad, if a people &s;hould for&s;ake the true God, and &s;et up Idols, and Sacrifice to
<PB N="16" REF="11">
Devils, nay Sacrifice their Sons and Daughters to Devils, re|nounce the Son of God, the Truth of Chri&s;t, the Go&s;pel of Salvation? O in what a lamentable condition are &s;uch a peo|ple! Yet wicked Rulers have done all this them&s;elves, and have cau&s;ed <NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Flagitio&s;i&s;|&s;ima feceri facinora &s;e|cuti morem Imperatoris &s;ui.</HI> Salu&s;t in Iugurth.</NOTE> the people to do all this by their examples, by their per|&s;wa&s;ions, by their commands, by their threats, by their power, as you may read (for &s;ome part of it) in the Hi&s;tory of the Kings of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> and <HI>Judah,</HI> and (for the other part of it) in Eccle&s;ia&s;tical Hi&s;tories &s;ince Chri&s;t.</P>
<P N="2">2. Concerning Ju&s;tice (which is the Ark of a peoples &s;afe|ty) how woful have the actions of wicked Rulers been again&s;t it? Ju&s;tice is like that <HI>goodly &s;preading Tree,</HI> &s;poken of in <HI>Daniel, The leaves whereof were fair, and the fruit thereof</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 4. 12.</NOTE> <HI>much, and in it was meat for all, the bea&s;ts of the field had &s;ha|dow under it, and the fowls of the heaven dwelt in the boughs thereof, and all fle&s;h was fed of it;</HI> yet wicked Rulers are (in this re&s;pect onely) like him that cryed aloud, <HI>Hew down the</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver. 14.</NOTE> <HI>Tree, and cut off his branches, &s;hake off his leaves, and &s;catter his fruit; let the bea&s;ts get away from under it, and the fowls from his branches.</HI> What&s;oever tends to the utter &s;ubver&s;ion of Ju&s;tice, the &s;ame hath been done by wicked men when they bare rule: At your lei&s;ure peru&s;e the Scripture, and that will report unto you</P>
<P><Q>Their neglecting of Judgement: <HI>They judge not the fa|therle&s;s, neither doth the cau&s;e of the widow come unto them;</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 1. 23.</NOTE> <HI>They overpa&s;s the deeds of the wicked, and the right of the needy do they not judge.</HI></Q> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier. 5. 28.</NOTE></P>
<P><Q>And their perverting of Judgement: <HI>They afflict the ju&s;t, they take a bribe, and they turn a&s;ide the poor in the gate from</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 5. 7. 12.</NOTE> <HI>their right; They turn judgement into wormwood, and leave off righteou&s;ne&s;s in the Earth,</HI> &s;aith the Prophet <HI>Amos: They ju|&s;tifie the wicked for a reward, and take away the righteou&s;ne&s;s of the righteous from him,</HI> &s;aith the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah:</HI> And <HI>are</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 5. 23.</NOTE> <HI>not the&s;e the things which will make a land to mourn?</HI> <BIBL>Amos 8. 8.</BIBL></Q></P>
<P>4. La&s;tly, con&s;ider the Con&s;equences which befal a people for all the&s;e things: The times of Gods Judgement upon a people are mournful times, and times of wickedne&s;s make
<PB N="17" REF="11">
times of judgement, and the times of wicked Rulers do make the times mo&s;t wicked, and therefore expo&s;e them to the greate&s;t of Gods judgements. It were ea&s;ie to &s;hew unto you, That God hath, even for the wickedne&s;s of Rulers, 1. De|parted from a people, for&s;aken them, ca&s;t them off. 2. Hath removed all their outward ble&s;&s;ings, the Corn, and Wine, and Wooll, and Flax, and Plenty, and Peace, and Honor. 3. Hath denyed them many ble&s;&s;ings, denyed them the fruits of the Earth, the &s;howers of Heaven, the &s;ea&s;ons of Harve&s;t, Help, Succor, Pre&s;ervation, Deliverance. And 4. Hath inflicted up|on them the &s;ore&s;t of judgements, Plague, Famine, Sword, and hath rooted them out of their Land, and &s;cattered them over all the quarters of the world.</P>
<P>And now I think you may &s;afely &s;ub&s;cribe unto the truth of this A&s;&s;ertion al&s;o, That wicked Rulers do make a peoples con|dition very lamentable and mournful; as on the contrary, Righteous Rulers do make their condition very happy and joy|ful. There remains nothing but the Application of all this to your &s;elves and your pre&s;ent occa&s;ion, which I &s;hall fini&s;h in three U&s;es: 1. The fir&s;t &s;hall be a word for you who come this day to choo&s;e a Magi&s;trate or Ruler. 2. The &s;econd &s;hall be a word unto him who&s;e lot it may be to be cho&s;en by you this day. 3. The third and la&s;t U&s;e &s;hall concern all of you, whe|ther Electors or Elected, Magi&s;trates or People, and the Lord direct what I have to &s;ay unto all your hearts.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, For you who are (this day) to choo&s;e a Magi&s;trate, <MILESTONE UNIT="&V;&s;e."> I do humbly pre&s;ent unto your wi&s;doms three Advices: <NOTE PLACE="marg">Three Ad|vices to tho&s;e who are to choo&s;e a Magi&s;trate. <HI>Alvares.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P>1. <HI>Be very &s;erious:</HI> One &s;aid, That it was as hard a task to obey well, as to command well; and I think it is (almo&s;t) an equal weight of difficulty to choo&s;e a good Magi&s;trate, as it is to be a good Magi&s;trate. <HI>Alvares</HI> reports of the <HI>Aethiopians,</HI> That they placed many empty Chairs about the Judge's Seat, &s;uppo&s;ing that the gods came down and &s;ate with him; This was but a fiction, and yet it &s;erved to work an awful care in Judges to &s;entence righteou&s;ly: Neverthele&s;s, this is a Truth, That God him&s;elf looks upon every one of you in this work, &amp; con&s;iders what you intend or act. Magi&s;tracy is his Ordinance,
<PB N="18" REF="12">
as wel as Mini&s;tery, his Image of Authority &s;hines in that, as his Image of Grace appears in this; &amp; his Honor is as much intere|&s;ted in the former, as your Salvation is concerned in the latter.</P>
<P>There are &s;ix Arguments which unto me &s;eem &s;ufficient to <NOTE PLACE="marg">Six mo|tives to be &s;erious.</NOTE> per&s;wade you to be <HI>very &s;erious in your work of choyce:</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>The Office is high:</HI> There is nothing (no, though never &s;o &s;mall) wherein the Name, or the Image, or the Work, or the Honor of God are involved, but hath Maje&s;ty in it, and challengeth reverential &s;eriou&s;ne&s;s from us: And all the&s;e do center in Magi&s;trates; for Magi&s;trates 1. Do bear the Name of God, God him&s;elf doth call them <HI>Gods, P&s;al.</HI> 82. 6. 2. They do bear the Image of God: Dominion is a part of Gods Image, <HI>Gen.</HI> 1. 26. on it are engraven the large Characters of his Greatne&s;s, of his Goodne&s;s, of his Wi&s;dom, of his Mercy, of his Ju&s;tice. 3. They are in the place of God, they are his Deputies or Vicegerents here on Earth. 4. They bear the Sword for God, their Office is from him, and their work is to be for him, <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. 1, 4. 5. They are entru&s;ted with the Ho|nor of God, even with as much of it as both the Tables of the Law of God do contain, of both which they are <HI>Cu&s;todes.</HI> Should you not be &s;erious in that which hath (in and about it) &s;o much of what is Sacred and Divine?</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>The Tru&s;t is great;</HI> and according to the nature of a Tru&s;t, &s;hould be the proportion of every wi&s;e mans care. What&s;oever is dear to God, and valuable with you, the Magi|&s;trate is (in &s;ome degree or other) tru&s;ted with; The Magi&s;trate is a Pilot, and this City is a Ship: Are you not careful unto what Pilot you commit the Ship? e&s;pecially a Ship &s;o richly la|den? and more e&s;pecially in times of Storms and Tempe&s;ts? The Magi&s;trate is a Commander, this City is a Ca&s;tle: Are you not careful into who&s;e Cu&s;tody you render the Ca&s;tle? e&s;pe|cially a Ca&s;tle of &s;o great a &s;trength, and in times of &s;uch dan|ger, wherein many have betrayed their Tru&s;t? A Magi&s;trate is (as you have heard) <HI>A Shepherd,</HI> and this City is as a flock of &s;heep: Are you not careful unto who&s;e watchfulne&s;s you leave the &s;heep? e&s;pecially &s;hould you not (at this time) be &s;o much the more careful, when &s;o many Wolves do abound, and (per|haps)
<PB N="19" REF="12">
run up and down among&s;t the &s;heep? A Magi&s;trate is a Nur&s;e, the City is the Childe: Are we not &s;erious unto who&s;e Arms and Brea&s;ts we lend and recommend our deare&s;t Chil|dren? Religion is a Jewel, Ju&s;tice is a Jewel, Trading, Safety, Pro&s;perity are Jewels; will you not be advi&s;ed in who&s;e hands you depo&s;ite &s;uch precious Jewels?</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>The Employment is difficult:</HI> We look upon Authority as a great Dignity; and &s;o it is; (every Magi&s;trate is a Star of the greater Magnitude) but withal remember, That the Magi&s;trate hath as well the Chain about his &s;houlders, and the Sword in his hand, as the goodly Collar of <HI>E&s;&s;ees,</HI> and his pompous Robes: The Chain of many Duties, which he is bound to act, and the Sword of Ju&s;tice, which he is bound rightly to wield: As the wheels in <HI>Ezekiel</HI> were full of Eyes, &s;o a Magi&s;trates Calling is full of Cares and Services. There are two Callings which are the highe&s;t in the world, and al&s;o the heavie&s;t in the world; 1. The Mini&s;ters calling, <HI>(Who is &s;ufficient for the&s;e things,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Paul.)</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 2. 16. Exod. 4. 13.</NOTE> 2. The Magi&s;trates Calling <HI>(O my Lord, &s;end I pray thee by the hand of him whom thou wilt &s;end,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Mo&s;es.) Trajan</HI> &s;aid of his Imperial Crown, That he who knew the cares of it, would not &s;toop to take it up: And <HI>Demo&s;thenes</HI> profe&s;&s;ed, That if there were two ways before him, the one leading to Govern|ment, and the other to Death, he would rather choo&s;e that which did lead to Death.</P>
<P>You read of <HI>Paul,</HI> that he complained, <HI>All the care of the Churches were upon him:</HI> O then, what a burthen mu&s;t lie upon that man, upon whom mu&s;t fall all the care of <HI>this great and mighty City!</HI> It is a great care to look to one Pari&s;h, It is a great care to look to one Family, It is a great care but to look to one Soul, What is it then to have the care of &s;o many millions of men lying upon one &s;houlder? To take care that &s;o many mili|ons lie down in &s;afety, Trade in &s;afety, walk in &s;afety, and live in peace? To take care that God be wronged by none of the&s;e, That his day be prophaned by none of the&s;e, That not one of them be wronged, That not one of them do wrong, but he &s;hall &s;uffer according to the wrong which he hath done? Hath every man &s;houlders &s;ufficient and proportionable to bear &s;o va&s;t a burthen? Therefore be &s;erious.</P>
<P N="4"><PB N="20" REF="13">
4. <HI>The Mi&s;take is dangerous, Error Per&s;onae</HI> is as dangerous in Magi&s;tracy, as it is in Marriage, much more dangerous then <HI>Error Fortunae:</HI> All the danger lies in <HI>Error Per&s;onae;</HI> for of all men, wicked men are the wor&s;t; and of all wicked men, wicked Rulers are the wor&s;t: The Lepro&s;ie in the head was the wor&s;t of all Lepro&s;ies; Poy&s;on in the Fountain is mo&s;t influ|entially dangerous: A Canker in the Root of the Tree, is perni|cious to all the Tree; <HI>If the eye be blinde, the whole body is full of darkne&s;s,</HI> &s;aith our Savior. The Devils are the wor&s;t of all Crea|tures, for they are <HI>Principalities, and Powers, and Rulers of dark|nes,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Eph 6. 12.</NOTE> <HI>and are wickednes in High places:</HI> Wickedne&s;s is bad enough at the lowe&s;t; but it is intolerable when rai&s;ed or high with po|wer. A wicked Ruler is a fiery Arrow, &s;hot out of the wrath of God among&s;t a people: Do you not by all this di&s;cern what the danger of your mi&s;take may be? And yet men are &s;ub|ject to this dangerous mi&s;take, even <HI>Samuel</HI> was &s;ubject unto it; <HI>Surely</HI> (&s;aid he) <HI>the Lords anointed is before him:</HI> But the Lord &s;aid, <HI>Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his &s;ta|ture,</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 16. 6, 7.</NOTE> &amp;c. yea, and (&s;ometimes) they who would be cho&s;en, do trap and beguile us into this Error by goodly pretences, as <HI>Ab&s;olom</HI> did, 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 15. 4. and by courteous and fair carriages, as <HI>Galba</HI> did, of whom <HI>Tacitus</HI> writes, <HI>Omnium con&s;en&s;u capax imperii ni&s;i Imper&acirc;&s;&s;et.</HI></P>
<P N="5">5. <HI>Your Opportunity is honorable:</HI> There is no new Ma|gi&s;trate to be cho&s;en by you for this City, but God at &s;uch a time pre&s;ents unto you four great advantages: 1. One is, To make Chri&s;t very glorious. 2. A &s;econd is, To make Religion very pro&s;perous. 3. A third is, To make this City very happy. 4. A fourth is, To make the whole Kingdom (upon which this place hath &s;uch an exemplary influence) very &s;afe.</P>
<P>Beloved, you have in your hands, This one day, All the next years Mercies, and Ble&s;&s;ings, All your own Comforts, and, All your Brethrens Comforts: A good choyce is a full years Ble&s;&s;ing. And verily, as &s;uch an opportunity is preci|ous, &s;o the honor which God puts upon you in that oppor|tunity is very glorious; for as Magi&s;trates are Gods in re&s;pect of Office, &s;o are you (who come to choo&s;e) you are al&s;o Gods
<PB N="21" REF="13">
in re&s;pect of the fruit of your Choyce, for according as your Choyce is, you make day or night, light or darkne&s;s, good or evil, joy or &s;orrow unto the people, which works God owns for his works in Scripture.</P>
<P N="6">6. La&s;tly, <HI>The very individual action is weighty:</HI> For it is E|lection, and Election is a weighty action; it is an action which naturally calls for, and depends upon Judgement, Coun&s;el, Deliberation. There are &s;ome Magi&s;trates by Succe&s;&s;ion, whom people receive, but choo&s;e not; and there are &s;ome Ma|gi&s;trates by Nomination, who are cho&s;en for us, but not by us; and there are &s;ome Magi&s;trates by Election, who are (if I may &s;o allude) our own Creatures and Workman&s;hip: And we, we are the more entituled unto their good or evil carriages, by how much the more they are formed up into their place of Au|thority by our own wills, not meerly con&s;enting, but di&s;tin|gui&s;hingly choo&s;ing and rai&s;ing of them; &s;o that if they be good, the fir&s;t fruits of the comforts are your portion; and if they be bad, the bitter water of Cur&s;e is likely to be your draught fir&s;t: O therefore how &s;erious &s;hould you be in this work! you &s;hould u&s;e the Touch&s;tone and the Ballance, Try men, and Weigh men. Election (they &s;ay) is onely <HI>Paucorum,</HI> and <HI>Bo|norum,</HI> and <HI>Optimorum;</HI> Well, &s;ince the Office is high, the Tru&s;t great, the Admini&s;tration difficult, the Error dange|rous, the Opportunity honorable, and the Action weighty, here are Rea&s;ons enough why you &s;hould be &s;erious.</P>
<P>2. My &s;econd Advice unto you is, That in this work <HI>you be Religious:</HI> When you are to choo&s;e a Magi&s;trate, choo&s;e him fir&s;t by the Book, and then upon your Knees, and la&s;t of all by the Vote.</P>
<P N="1">1. By the Book, <HI>Da Magi&s;trum,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Cyprian;</HI> or as one writes of <HI>Bole&s;laus</HI> (King of <HI>Poland)</HI> who &s;till carried about him his Fa|thers Picture, and when he was to do any great work, he would look on the Picture, and Pray, That he might do nothing unworthy of &s;uch a Fathers Name. The Scriptures are the Picture of Gods will (there his will is drawn out to the life) be|fore you choo&s;e a Magi&s;trate, look there, and read there, what maner of Per&s;on God commends as fitte&s;t for Rule; and whom
<PB N="22" REF="14">
God doth choo&s;e, do you choo&s;e; and whom God rejects, do you reject: as the <HI>Tir&s;hatha</HI> did put them by from the Prie&s;t|hood, <NOTE PLACE="marg">Neh. 7. 64.</NOTE> who&s;e Regi&s;ter could not be found in the Genea|logie.</P>
<P N="2">2. Upon your Knees: For a good Magi&s;trate, as he is for God, &s;o he is from God; Every ble&s;&s;ing comes from the Fa|ther of Ble&s;&s;ings: Our Mi&s;eries begin below, on Earth, but our Mercies and Comforts &s;pring from above, in Heaven; there is not the lea&s;t Mercy but is above our De&s;erts, and worth a Prayer. Publique Officers may prove the more woful, becau&s;e private people are le&s;s Prayerful. The I&s;raelites de&s;ired a King, but they did not de&s;ire a <HI>good</HI> King, and they &s;ped according|ly: <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> his Prayer &s;hould in this ca&s;e be our Pattern, <HI>Let the Lord, the God of the Spirits of all fle&s;h, &s;et a man over the Con|gregation:</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Num. 27. 16.</NOTE> I know no rea&s;on why there &s;hould not be as &s;o|lemn Fa&s;ting and Praying before the choyce of a Magi&s;trate, as (anciently) there have been before the choyce of a Mi|ni&s;ter.</P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>Be concientiou&s;ly Re&s;olute:</HI> Choo&s;e no man but him whom (in your Con&s;ciences well enlightened) you believe fit|te&s;t for &s;o great a Place and Charge.</P>
<P>Do not lay a&s;ide a per&s;on for any private grudge; look on no man as <HI>your</HI> Enemy, but as <HI>Adrian</HI> &s;aid of one ('twixt whom and him&s;elf there had been a per&s;onal quarrel) when he came into his Authority, <HI>Eva&s;i&s;ti;</HI> &s;o let every one of you &s;ay of any one with whom you have had any private differences, <HI>Eva&s;i&s;ti,</HI> I mu&s;t not think of <HI>my</HI> Enemy this day.</P>
<P>Nor yet lay hold on any Per&s;on for any private intere&s;t: As you mu&s;t not remember who hath been <HI>your Enemy</HI> &s;o you mu&s;t forget who hath been or may be <HI>your Friend:</HI> There is this difference 'twixt Bowling and Shooting, in Bowling we con&s;ider the Byas, but in Shooting we fix our eye onely upon the Mark: In this bu&s;ine&s;s of choyce you &s;hould not con&s;ider, how good a Friend, but how good a Magi&s;trate; Not what prefer|ment may come to you, but what Emolument may come to the City; Not how able the per&s;on is to head a De&s;ign, but how fit he is to rule &s;o great a people: And therefore, as he &s;aid of a
<PB N="23" REF="14">
Judge, (before whom a great cau&s;e Cau&s;e came) Dare now to be ju&s;t; the like I &s;ay unto all you, who come to choo&s;e a pub|lique Officer this day, Dare now to be con&s;cientious.</P>
<P>Know you a per&s;on to be a a Scoffer at the Word of God, an Hater of Godline&s;s, an Enemy to Godly Per&s;ons, Pro|phane, Loo&s;e and Irreligious in his walking? dare to reject him from being your Governor, who rejects God from being his Governor.</P>
<P>Know you a man to have been unfaithful to the Kingdom, unju&s;t in Inferior Tru&s;ts, cruel in his Dealings, turbulent in his Spirit, Revengeful in his Di&s;po&s;ition, imperious in his Place, who will take no wrong, and do no right, Dare to hinder him this day from rule. Is he fit to be a Shepherd who plays the Wolf? or to be a Father, who tears and rents like a Lyon? Is he fit to &s;it on the Bench and Judge, who de&s;erves to &s;tand at the Bar and to be judged?</P>
<P>Know you a man who prefers his private Intere&s;t before the publique good, who con&s;ults his own ea&s;e and &s;afety be|fore the welfare of Religion and Ju&s;tice, who like wax may <NOTE PLACE="marg">Of every one of the&s;e it may be &s;afely &s;aid, what <HI>Solo|mon Jarchi</HI> fancies <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> to have &s;aid to him who at the election of the &s;even|ty, drew that black which was called <HI>H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">e|l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">k, Non <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="2 letters">pit T<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> Deus.</HI></NOTE> be tempered to receive any impre&s;&s;ion from a friend, who may be bought and &s;old by a Bribe, turned any way by hopes or fears, who looks on this Office, as <HI>Demetrius</HI> did upon <HI>Diana, for gain,</HI> who is of that Emperors minde, when a poor wo|man delivered him a Petition, he an&s;wered, <HI>Non e&s;&s;et otium:</HI> a&s;&s;uredly her reply is a good caution for you, <HI>Noli erg&ograve; Impe|rare:</HI> this is the man who will be a plague and cur&s;e to you.</P>
<P>But on the contrary, If upon mature ob&s;ervation and expe|rience, you finde a per&s;on (as I tru&s;t many there are in this So|ciety) who is religious with <HI>Jo&s;hua,</HI> zealous with <HI>Jo&s;iah,</HI> ju&s;t with <HI>Samuel,</HI> meek, and compo&s;ing of differences among&s;t Brethren with <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> wi&s;e with <HI>Solomon,</HI> fearing God with <HI>Job,</HI> &s;eeking the welfare of his people with <HI>Mordecai,</HI> loving of the excellent, and frowning on the wicked with <HI>David,</HI> un|moveable in the ways of Righteou&s;ne&s;s with <HI>Paul,</HI> above fears with <HI>Nehemiah,</HI> again&s;t Bribes with <HI>Eli&s;ha,</HI> who&s;e honor lies in Gods honor, and his happine&s;s is abundantly made up in your common welfare and ble&s;&s;ing; re&s;olve on him, this is
<PB N="24" REF="15">
the man, this is the Righteous man, who being in Authority, will give occa&s;ion of joy unto all the people: The Lord direct you to light on &s;uch a one this day, and this is all which I have to &s;ay unto you.</P>
<P>I have in the next place a word to &s;ay unto him, who&s;oever <MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="&V;&s;e"> he may be, on whom the lot may fall to be (this day) cho&s;en chief Magi&s;trate for this City.</P>
<P><HI>Sir,</HI> As your choyce, &s;o your work is likely to be in a trou|ble&s;ome time; you well know how divided, how broken, how &s;hivered our publique condition is; and when the Ship is in bro|ken Seas, the danger is the greater, and the Pilot hath rea&s;on to be the more careful and circum&s;pect: A&s;&s;uredly, your Piety, your Sincerity, your Fidelity, your Wi&s;dom, your Meekne&s;s, your Zeal, all the Abilities which you can po&s;&s;ibly a&s;cend unto, will meet with occa&s;ions &s;ufficient for their tryal and improvement.</P>
<P>But, Sir, though it be &s;ome part of your unhappine&s;s, to ap|pear upon the Stage in divided and di&s;tempered times, yet it will be the more for your honor, if you can with your &s;ingu|lar wi&s;dom, and expedient meekne&s;s, calm our &s;eas, quench our fires, &s;teal into joynt our broken bones, binde all of us up into an Unity and Love, who are &s;tarted a&s;under &s;o much through our own frailties, and (I fear) the more through other mens &s;ubtilties. It was the work of Je&s;us Chri&s;t to harmonize God and man, and it will be your prai&s;e as well as duty, to clo&s;e up Chri&s;tians and Brethren; But I &s;hall &s;pare further di&s;|cour&s;e for this. One reports of <HI>Hippocrates,</HI> That he gave an Oath unto his Schollars to look well to his children: An Oath is beyond me to impo&s;e on you, neverthele&s;s, I would (with all humble and dutiful re&s;pect) commend (and that from God) unto your choye&s;t care, two Children, and both of them be|long to God; the mentioning of their Relation, hath rai&s;ed in you already both a Reverence and a Re&s;olution: But what are the&s;e two Children? Sir, As you have but two farthings to commend unto God <HI>(Bernard</HI> calls the one of them your Soul, and the other of them your Body) &s;o God puts the care but of two of his Children unto you, to Nur&s;e them for one year; the one is Religion, and the other is Ju&s;tice: If you be
<PB N="25" REF="15">
plea&s;ed to look well to them, you may be confident that God will look well to you: The&s;e are the two Legs upon which the Political Body &s;tands, nay they are the two Pillars which hold up Heaven and Earth: The&s;e are <HI>Solomons Jachin</HI> and <HI>Boaz;</HI> The&s;e are (in their peculiar Services) that <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron</HI> who brought the people of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> out of Bondage: God commends and chargeth the care of the&s;e two (Religion and Ju&s;tice) upon you.</P>
<P>Some of the Jews (as I finde it in one whom I have peru&s;ed) do relate concerning the &s;ix Steps by which <HI>Solomon</HI> a&s;cended unto his Throne, That upon every Step in his A&s;cent, one cry|ed aloud unto him to Remember &s;ome &s;pecial thing appertain|ing unto him in his Place: When he advanced his feet upon</P>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. The fir&s;t Step He cryed <HI>[Lo titeh mi&s;hpat] Judicium n&eacute; inclinato,</HI> Wre&s;t not Judgement.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The &s;econd Step He cryed <HI>[Lo tikir panim] per&s;onam n&eacute; re&s;picito,</HI> Accept no per&s;on in Judgement.</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The third Step He cryed <HI>[Lo tikahh &s;hohher] munus n&eacute; recipito,</HI> Take no Bribes.</ITEM>
<ITEM>4. The fourth Step He cryed <HI>[Lo tittang lech a&s;herah] N&oacute;n plantabis lucum,</HI> Thou &s;halt not plant a Grove.</ITEM>
<ITEM>5. The fifth Step He cryed <HI>[Lo takim lech matzebah] Noli erigere &s;tatuam,</HI> Set not up a Pillar.</ITEM>
<ITEM>6. The &s;ixth Step He cryed <HI>[Lo tikbahh &s;hor] N&eacute; mactato Bovem,</HI> Kill not an Ox <HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">i.)</HI> Sacrifice not to Idols.</ITEM>
</LIST>
<P>The meaning of all this was, That <HI>Solomon</HI> (and &s;o every Ruler) ought to have an exact care of Ju&s;tice and Religion; the which if you &s;hall faithfully perform, you &s;hall reap the comforts of both in your own Con&s;cience, and &s;ee the fruits of both in the pro&s;perity and &s;afety of this great people commit|ted by God and man unto you.</P>
<P><PB N="26" REF="16">
There is one word more which I have to &s;ay, and it con|cerns <MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="&V;&s;e"> us all: Since Righteou&s;ne&s;s doth &s;o much conduce to pub|lique comfort, and Wickedne&s;s doth &s;o much contribute to common mi&s;ery; Therefore let us all labor,</P>
<P N="1">1. <HI>To be Righteous:</HI> As <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> wi&s;hed, <HI>That all the Lords people were Prophets;</HI> &s;o do I wi&s;h, that all the people of this City were righteous, that the City may be called (as <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 1. 26.</NOTE> &s;peaks) <HI>The City of Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and then it &s;hould have that Name which that City in <HI>Ezekiel</HI> had, the Name of the City <NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. 48. 33.</NOTE> was, <HI>The Lord is there;</HI> and if the Lord be there, all ble&s;&s;ing and comfort &s;hall be there.</P>
<P N="2">2. <HI>To love, regard and countenanee Righteous Per&s;ons:</HI> Your glory and &s;trength is in tho&s;e, as your reproach and mi&s;e|ry is in the wicked: Is it not better to &s;ee a City like an Or|chard, &s;et with excellent Trees and Plants, then to &s;ee it like a Wilderne&s;s, overrun with noy&s;om and hurtful Bea&s;ts? <HI>The Righteous are the excellent on earth,</HI> &s;o &s;aid <HI>David</HI> the father; <HI>The Righteous is more excellent then his Neighbor,</HI> &s;o &s;aid <HI>So|lomon</HI> his &s;on: All men are the better for Righteous men; the better for their Graces, for their Prayers, for their Services: <HI>Laban</HI> fared the better for Righteous <HI>Jacob,</HI> and <HI>Egypt</HI> the bet|ter for Righteous <HI>Jo&s;eph:</HI> You may truly &s;ay of Righteous per&s;ons, as he of the Prophet, <HI>The chariot of I&s;rael, and the hor&s;emen thereof.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. <HI>To abound in all the fruits of Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> but e&s;pecially in Love and Unity, in Love and Peace among&s;t your &s;elves, which are the glory of Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and your own common Safety and Pre&s;ervation: <HI>Jeru&s;alem</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David) is builded as</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 122. 3</NOTE> <HI>a City that is compact together;</HI> you of this City call your &s;elves, Brethren, Brethren of &s;uch and &s;uch Companies; Now &s;aith <HI>David, How good and how plea&s;ant is it for brethren to dwell to|gether</HI> <NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 133. 1</NOTE> <HI>in &V;nity:</HI> Some things are neither good nor plea&s;ant (as the Torments in Hell) &s;ome things are plea&s;ant, but not good, (as the Delights of Sin) &s;ome things are good, but not plea&s;ant, (as the mortifying of Sin) but Unity among&s;t Bre|thren is both good and plea&s;ant.</P>
<P><HI>Solomon</HI> (in the <HI>Canticles)</HI> &s;ets out his &s;tately Chariot with
<PB N="27" REF="16">
much magnificence: <HI>The pillars thereof were made of &s;ilver, and the bottom thereof of gold, and the covering thereof it was of purple:</HI> But then he addes that which was the accent of <NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 3. 10.</NOTE> all, <HI>The midst thereof was paved with Love:</HI> All our excellen|cies appear with a greater excellency by the flames of Love and Unity: Our Savior (who was <HI>Amor mundi &amp; de&s;iderium mun|di)</HI> tells us three things of this Love; one, That it was the &s;um of the Law, <HI>Thou &s;halt love the Lord thy God,</HI> and, <HI>Thou &s;halt love thy neighbor.</HI> A &s;econd, That it was the &s;ub&s;tance of the Go&s;pel, <HI>A new Commandment give I unto you, that ye love one another.</HI> A third, That it was the character of all his Righ|teous Servants and Di&s;ciples, <HI>By this &s;hall all men know that you are my Di&s;ciples, if ye love one another.</HI></P>
<P><HI>John Ger&s;on</HI> (in an Oration of his to the King of <HI>France)</HI> a&s;&s;ures us, That all the &s;orts of mans life con&s;i&s;t in Love and Unity: There is our <HI>Vita per&s;onalis,</HI> and that con&s;i&s;ts in the Unity of Soul and Body; There is our <HI>Vita Spiri|tualis,</HI> and that con&s;i&s;ts in the Conjunction or Union of God with the Soul; And there is our <HI>Vita Civilis,</HI> and that con&s;i&s;ts in the Unity of men one with another: Our Souls are &s;aved by Love, and our Safeties are pre&s;erved by Unity. I will but tell you a fancy which the &s;ame Author mentions, of a di&s;pute be|twixt <HI>Mars</HI> and <HI>Pallas,</HI> which of them &s;hould have the honor to give the Name to the City of <HI>Athens,</HI> at length it was re|&s;olved, That he &s;hould give the Name, who could finde out that which might be of mo&s;t good and benefit for that City; Hereupon <HI>Mars</HI> gives a &s;tately Hor&s;e, which &s;ignified Wars, Divi&s;ions, Tumults; but <HI>Pallas</HI> gave an Olive-Branch, the em|blem of Peace, Love and Unity; the City of <HI>Athens</HI> pre&s;ently cho&s;e <HI>Pallas</HI> to be their Guardian, rightly apprehending, That Love, Unity and Peace, conduced mo&s;t to their Pro&s;perity and Safety: you may with ea&s;e make the application to your &s;elves.</P>
<P>And now what can I &s;ay more unto you? you have heard where joy doth lie and mi&s;ery, your comfort or your &s;orrow, in Righteou&s;ne&s;s or in Wickedne&s;s: If you choo&s;e to be Righ|teous, and to live Righteou&s;ly, God will delight to be with you and ble&s;s you; And how will he ble&s;s you? <HI>He will ble&s;s</HI>
<PB N="28" REF="17">
you with Peace, <HI>which is the effect of Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> I&s;a. 32. 17. He will ble&s;s you with Pro&s;perity, <HI>which is the &s;hower poured down upon the head of the Righteous,</HI> Prov. 10. 6. He will ble&s;s you with Safety, <HI>which is the wall of Salvation for the Righteous,</HI> I&s;a. 26. 1, 2. He will at length ble&s;s you with that glorious, per|fect, everla&s;ting happine&s;s, which the Apo&s;tle calls, <HI>The Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> 2 Tim. 4. 8. Unto which the God of Righte|ou&s;ne&s;s bring us all for his &s;ake, who is, <HI>The Lord our Righteou&s;|ne&s;s.</HI> Jer. 23. 6.</P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
