IN the former part of this Chapter, Introducti [...] you may see the Spirit of Moses (an holy and gracious Governor) extreamly burdened with the sinful Provocations of a dis­contented People; The sins o [...] the People Burden to godly Gov [...] ­nors Although the man Moses was [Page 2]very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth, Numb. 12.3. yet the Peoples frowardness was too hard for his meekness; neither was he able, any longer to bear, the weight of that Burden, which their iniquities did inevitably cast upon him.

And among the rest of the sins of this People, that lay so hard upon the spirit of Moses, There are Two great enormities, Peccata primae magnitudinis, or the sins that [...]ay so hard up­on the Spirit of Moses, men­tioned. or heynous offences of the first mag­nitude, expresly mentioned here in this Chapter: The First was, Their complaining of an hard journey in the Wilderness, without a sufficient Cause; Com­plaints are never just, but when the Cause is just; and that the Cause was not just here, the effect shews: For in the first Verse it is said, Verse 1 That when the people complained, it displeased the Lord, and the Lord heard it, and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them: where ye have both the Sin, and the Pu­nishment. The Sin was unjust complaining, or dis­contented murmuring, because of their long travel in the wilderness: And the Punishment was consum­ption by fire. The Anger of that God brake out upon them, who is Heb. 12.29. A consuming fire: and He was at that time, A consuming fire unto them.

And (loe) that fire was no sooner quenched, by the Prayer & Intercession of Moses, but presently there was kindled another fire. The fire of the Lord was no sooner quenched without, but the fire of Lust within, that begins to kindle the second time, and speedily breaks out into a greater flame of discon­tent & murmuring. And from Vers. 4. &c. At the 4 ^th Verse, &c. The mixt multitude which was among them fell alusting, and the Children of Israel also wept again, & said, Who shall give [Page 3]us flesh to eat? we remember the Fish which we did eat in Egipt freely, the Cucumbers, & the Melons, & the Leeks, and the Onions, and the Garlick, But now our soul is dri­ed away, there is nothing at all besides this Manna before our eyes: That Manna which they speak so slightly of, and that they undervalued so much, in saying, Queruntur nihil praeter Man oculis su [...] occurrere ac si [...] in unius opti [...] cibi copia fast [...] dium penuria esset. Calv. i [...] Loc. We have Nothing but this Manna: it was as excellent food as ever men were fed with: The Psalmist calls it Angels food, man did eat Angels food, Ps. 78.25. If Angels would have been fed, they could not have had daintier food then that same Manna was, and yet they wept throughout their families, every man in the door of his Tent, and spake as if it had been no­thing for God to rain down Manna from Heaven, in a miraculous manner upon them. Which Repetition of their former transgression, did exceeding highly provoke God, and kindle his anger greatly, The Anger of the Lord was kindled Before, at the first onset of their complaining and of their murmuring. But now at the 10 ^th Verse of the Chapter, Verse 10 The Anger of the Lord was kindled greatly, says the text, Moses also was displeased.

And upon this occasion of their adding sin to sin, and wrath to wrath, does Moses begin to plead with God about the Burden that was upon him. From the 11 ^th Verse, &c. Moses said unto the Lord, The pleadi [...] of Moses w [...] God about [...] the Burden [...] that was up [...] him; from [...] Vers. 11. & [...] Whersore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the Burden of all this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people? Have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosome, as a nursing father beareth the sucking Child? I am not able (says he) to bear all this [Page 4]people alone, because it is too heavy for me: And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight, and let me not see my wretchedness. Which Pleadings of Moses, though they did arise from a troubled Spirit, or from a Spirit overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, for the sins of the people, and were Not without som mixtures of humane frailty, Quod Mosi displicuit [...]anta perversitas sancti zeli, et [...]aude digni fu­ [...]t, sed excessus pitio non caruit. [...]dem. not without some mixtures of human frailty: yet God He Hearkens and Hears; and overlooking the faylings that were in it, He presently signs the Petition of his servant, & grants him what he requested: the thing that Moses desired was, That he might have some Ease in point of Go­vernment, and that the whole Burden of it, might not for the future lie upon himself alone: That was the substance of his Request. And this ye see is both fully and fairly granted unto him, in the words now read unto you: And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me Seventy men, &c.

The Text contains a new Election of Magistrates fo the Common-wealth of Israel, wherein ye have these particulars notable:

• 1 The Persons to be Elected,
  Text divided [...]nto 3 Parts:
  or Chosen.
• 2 The Manner, or Order of the Election.
• 3 The main End, or Purpose of God in it.

The Persons to be Elected or Chosen, 1 are described Two wayes: The Persons [...]o be Elected, [...]wo ways de­ [...]cribed, By [...]heir Number [...]nd Qualifica­ [...]ons. 1 By their Number, Seventy men: 2 ^ly By their Qualifications, Elders of the people, and Officers over them, in the former part; and such as as also had, The Spirit of God upon them, in the latter part of the text.

Then the Manner, 2 The māner of [...]e Election. or Order, or whole Proceed of the Election, that follows in the close of the 16 ^th [Page 5]and at the beginning of the 17 ^th Verse, Gather unto me (sayes God to Moses) such a Number of men, whom thou knowest to be men of Gravity, and men of Experience; Elders of the people, and Officers over them, and bring them to the Tabernacle of the Congrega­tion, and let them stand there with thee, and I will come down, and talk with thee there; that is, I my self will be present at the Election, says God, and see to the managing of it in all things; according to the due Order.

And then in the 3 ^d place, 3 The End of God in it. God declares his full End and Purpose, or he opens his whole heart unto Moses in the Business, which comes fully up to the satisfaction of Him in that which he requested. For sayes he, I will come down and talk with thee there, where thou art apointed to stand with the Elders of the People, and the Officers over them; and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and put it upon them, & they shall bear the Burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thy self alone.

I shall but cursorily run over the former parts of the Text, as having mine Eye chiefly upon that which lies at the bottom of it: The Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me Seventy men of the Elders of Is­rael] Passing by the Number Seventy, as that which was not intended surely, to be alwayes binding, The Number Seventy not Binding. or perpetually presidential unto Posterity; that there should be continually such a number as seventy sitting upon the Bench, leaving that unto the good will and pleasure of God, in disposing it so at that time, and as not so properly belonging unto our present pur­pose: I shall first take notice of somthing by way [Page 6]of Observation, The Rise of the first De­ctrine, from the former part of the 16 Verse. from the two former Qualifications that lie plainly before us, in the 16 ^th Verse; Gather unto me (sayes God to Moses) such a Number of men as are upon thy certain knowledge, grave men, and expe­rienced men, Elders of the People, and Officers over them, and saies he, Let them appear with thy self at such a place, and there receive each of them a Commission, for Places of Authority; From whence I shall com­mend this lesson in the first place to you.

That it is both an ancient and a laudable Custome, Doct. 1 in all Elections unto Places of Authority, to have respect unto men of Gravity and Experience.

Ye see that God Himself does clearly give the Pre­cedency unto such, Ʋnto the Elders of the People, and the Officers over them, Reasons for Gravity in Places of Au­thority. in this Election or choice of his own making: And great Reason there is for it, That men of Gravity and Experience should be respected and looked after, and that they should be preferred (Caeteris paribus especially) rather then others, unto Places of Authority. Reas. 1

First because of that Honor which is due unto the Aged, or unto the Elders of the People, even as they are such, and that according to all Principles, whe­ther Divine or Moral, Not only Apud Lace­daemonios ij qui amplissimum Magistratum gerunt ut sunt, sic etiam apel­lantur senes. Cicer. de Sen. Heathens, and such as were meerly guided, by the Twylight of Nature, have alwayes held it their duty to give respect unto such; But even God Himself hath clearly taught us this lesson, Not only from his own Example, Being called in Scripture Non quod Deus more hominum consenescat, sed quod non aliter, magis ad mores hominum acco­modatè ejus ae­ternitas declara­ripossit. Mald. in loc. The ancient of Dayes, Dan. 7.9. But by a positive express Law of his, among his own People the Jewes. The Equity, Morality, and Ground whereof is still in full force, among us Christians, [Page 7]Lev. 19.32. Thou shalt rise up Before the hoary head, Si quaeratur quamobrem su [...] piciendi & re­verendi sint senes? Resp. [...] ipsam canitiem & numeros [...] annos, quod annositate Propr [...] us ad Dei Imaginem accedu [...] qui antiquus dierum appell [...] tur. Cartwr. in Prov. 16.3 [...] and honor the face of the Old man, and fear thy God, sayes Moses there: As if he should have said, This is no way disonant from, but very consonant or agreeable unto the Principles of Religion, the Piety of those that do truly fear God, to rise up before the hoary head, and to Honor the face of the old man.

Secondly, God he threatens it at one time, Reason. as a sore judgment upon Eli, That there should not be 1 Sam. 2.3 [...] an old man in his house for ever; And at another time He promises it as a great Blessing unto his People, That there should not be Is. 65.20. an Infant of dayes among them, nor an old man that had not filled his dayes.

Thirdly, That which makes a man to be a man, Reas. 3 which is Reason, that comes not unto it's [...], Vid. Aristor Eth. lib. 8. C. or unto it's full Perfection. It loses not it's verdure, or it's greenness: Neither is the rawness of it boyled off, but by Age, and by Experience.

Also in the 4 ^th place, Reas. 4 That which makes a man to be more then a man, a Christian, a true Beleever, Re­ligion and Age, Gravity and Sincerity; They do mu­tually Help to Grace and Adorn, and Beautifie one a­nother: The hoary head is a Crown of Glory, Cum inv [...] tur in vià j [...] stitiae, tum [...] plicatur hon [...] canitiei debi [...] Cartw. in [...] if it be found in the way of righteousness, Prov. 16.31. As the way of Righteousness, is an Honor unto Age, so Age is no dishonor unto the way of Righteousness, but a good set-off thereto; There is hardly a more graceful sight in all the world, then to see an old man walking in his In­tegrity, Act. 21.1 [...] Mnason an old Disciple: 'Tis like the going of the Prov. 30. [...] Heegoate before the rest of the flock; that Solo­mon sayes is comely.

Fifthly, Reas. 5 As Gravity and Sincerity, so Gravity and Authority do likewise mutually grace, or wel become one another. How apt are men to slight Authority, when it falls upon those, whose years are every way incompetent or unsuitable thereunto? 1 Tim. 4.12 Let no man despise thy youth, sayes Paul to Timothy, which implyes that men would be ready to do so, to withhold that respect which is due from the very Calling of the Ministry; yea, and upon the same Accompt, from the very Calling of Magistracy also, in case it should alwayes descend upon the yonger sort.

Sixthly, and Lastly; God Himself threatens it, not only as an heavy Curse upon a Private Family; but he mentions it as a sore Judgment upon a People in his own Book; when He sayes, That He would take away from them, the Is. 3.2.4, 5. Prudent, and the Anci­ent. Maximas Re­spub. per adoles­centes labefactas à senibus su­stentatas & re­stitutas reperi­etis. Cicer. ubi Suprà. And (sayes he) I will give Children to be their Princes, and Babes shall rule over them: And the People shall be oppressed every one by another, and every one by his Neighbor; The Child shall behave himself Proudly a­gainst the Ancient, and the Base against the Hono­rable.

Then for matter of Experience to give a little touch upon that also, Men in Au­thority should be Experien­ced men, as well as Grave men. The Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me Seventy men, whom thou knowest to be, The Elders of the People, and Officers over them; that is, Men of Experience, aswel as men of Gravity, such as have in some measure felt the weight of Au­thority already, Experience very Helpful to those that are in Autho­rity. and that do not come rawly to it, without any former insight into the thing it self: Doubtless Experience is alwayes a very great Help, in things that are, Either Divine or Humane. There [Page 9]is a Threefold Advantage, that Experienced men have over others that are of no Experience.

First, By Experience, The Benefits of Experience a man comes to weigh his wings as it were, or to feel his own strength, and to Qui accipit gratiam, per quandam Ex­perientiam dul cedinis novit se illam habere, quam non expe­ritur ille qui no [...] accipit. Aquin 1.2. Qu. 112 Act. 5. know or understand thereby, Quid valeant humeri, Quid ferre recusant; what his shoulders are able, or not Able to Bear.

Secondly, A man hath hereby an Opportunity administred of discovering his Gifts, and his Parts, His Strength and his Faithfulness unto others, that they may accordingly take notice of him, for one Place or another.

And then Thirdly, Experience will also shew a man his failings, and how to rectifie himself, how to strayten that, which perhaps he himself, and o­thers too, have a long time endeavoured to make exceeding crooked.

This is alwayes the fruit of sanctified Experience: A special Ex­cellency in sanctified Ex­perience. It shews a man his own weakness: It lets others aswel as himself see, what strength he hath received from God; And it may at least help, to put a man upon the Amendment, of all his former failings: All and each of which advantages, are utterly wanting, to him that wants Experience.

But before I leave these things, that I have thus briefly hinted, about Age, and about Experience; Cautions a­bout Gravity & Experienc [...] I shall here put you in some certain Cautions concer­ning both, which may, and shall serve, as so many Ʋses of the Point.

First we must take heed, of confining God, Caution God not to [...] confined un [...] days & year [...] unto Dayes and Years, any otherwise, then as he hath confined Himself. Elihu in Job's Case does modestly [Page 10]shew us the vanity of such confinements, The vanity of such confine­ments from Iob 32.7.9. v. Iob, 32.7.9. His words are, I said, Dayes should speak, and multitude of Years teach wisdom: But sayes he, I do now in Experience find, That it sometimes falls out other­wise, Since great men are not alwayes wise, neither do the Aged alwayes understand Vera Dei & nostri cogni­tio, non est commune aetatis bonum, sed sin­gulare Dei be­neficium per cōmunicationem Spiritus, five in juvenibus, sive in senibus. Jun. [...]t Trem. in loc Deus mentes magis comprobat quam aetatem. [...]vid. Collect. Aug. Marl. in 1 Tim. 4.12. Judgment. Not alwayes, though many times they do.

Very certain it is, That God is, Agens liberrimum, The freest Agent of all other, and as he can, so he does fometimes powre out the Gifts and Graces of his Spirit more plentifully upon some in their Youth, then upon others of riper years, or of longer stan­ding in the world. 2 Chron. 34.1, 2. Josiah was but 8 years old, when he began to reign, and yet he did that which was Right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the wayes of David his Father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. And among all the Kings of Israel and Judah, none lived so desired, or died so lamented as that man did. The greatest Zach. 12.10 mourning that we reade of in Scripture was that of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddor, Iosiab but 8 years old whē [...]he began to Reign. for the death of good Josiah. I might also mention our own Edward the 6 of famous me­mory, but 9 years old whē he began to Reign. See Act. and Mon. de vit. Edw. 6. Edward the Sixt, and some others that carried themselves very Nobly and Honorably, in the Places of Supream Magistracy, even in their tender years: But yet, Though the wise and the holy God be at liberty, and may some­times vary from the Rule of outward Gravity, which he is no way tyed to: yet we see that for the most part he hath respect unto the elder sort, and that he does put this high Honor mostly upon them, to be his own Vicegerents, in Places of Autho­rity.

But then it must be with this other Caution or limitation, Caution Seniores must be Saniores, Grave ones Good ones, or else not fit to be Great ones. That Seniores be Saniores, men of known Integrity in their wayes and walkings; and e­very way like, to be true and faithful, to the Trust reposed in them, or else their Places do not grave them so much as they disgrace their Places: Grave men must be Good men, Sin the grea­test Blemish unto Age. or else they are not fit to be Great men, since Nothing casts such a blemish up­on Age, or makes it so unfit for Government as Sin does; Prov. 16.13 Quam multi sunt qui multo. annos expetun cum pace con­junctos? Sed quam pauci sunt, qui hos quaerunt in vi [...] justitiae. Quae runt illos con­victu, in Medi­cinâ in opibus, sed ubi se obvi­umillis praebent in viâ justitiae non quaerunt. Cartw. in loc. The hoary head is a Crown of glory, if it be found in the way of Righteousness, but if it be found in the way of Ʋnrighteousness, then it loses i'ts crown of glory: As the Beauty of Age is Holiness, so the shame of Age is wickedness: And therefore in that very place, where God makes so gratious and so pretious a Promise unto his People, about filling up their dayes, He still leaves the Curse upon the Head and Heart of the wicked, Is. 65.19.20. I will (sayes he) rejoyce in Jerusalem, and joy in my People, and the voyce of wee­ping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voyce of crying. There shall be no more thence an Infant of dayes, nor an old man that hath not filled his dayes, for the Child shall die an hundred years old: But the Sinner being an hun­dred years old shall be accursed: that is, Though he live never so long, yet the Curse that never departs from him, but continues and grows upon him still more and more: And is it possible think ye, That he should be a Blessing to a City, or a Blessing to a Common-wealth, that is really Accursed, in all that he puts his hand unto? The undoubted Portion of e­very wicked man: Deut. 28.20. Experience how far to be respected.

Then for matter of Experience: Though it be [Page 12] good to have a Christian, and a due respect unto that also; both unto Age, and unto Experience: yet I pray take heed of Idolizing either. Such and such have bin in Office a long time it may be, but Quam bene se gesserint, How have they carried themselves in their Places, or in their Offices? When do ye mean to make that Enquiry, and to Act accordingly? True it is that the Apostle tells us, and it either does (or should at least) hold true in Temporals, as well as in Spirituals: They that have used the Office of a Diaconos ad fidelitatem in Ministerio suo cohortatur ab u­tili effectu quod eo modo bonum sibi gradum ac­quirant et mul­tam libertatem, nempe apud Deum. Piscat. in loc. Deacon well (which was but a lower Office in the Church) They (sayes he) Purchase to themselves a good degree, and great Boldness in the Faith, which is in Christ Jesus: 1 Tim. 3.13. It is the Rule that Christ himself goes by, and that He himself puts down for us to go by: Luk. 16.10. Hortatur suos Discipulos Chri­stus, ut fideliter agentes in rebus parvis, se ad fi­dem in maximis rebus colendam assue faciant. Calv. in loc. He that is faithful in that which is least (sayes he) is faithful also in much And he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much. And according to this Rule of Proportion, does the King of Saints and Nations, either lift men up, or cast them down: As in the Parable of the Talents; Mat. 25.21. Adesdum ut fructum percipi­as benignitatu meae, et reipsa sentias quam gratum sit mihi Officium tuum. Bez. in loc. Old Experi­enced Officers how to be dealt with. Well done good and faithful servant, Thou hast been faithful in a few things, be thou Ruler over many things. So he said to the two first, that had improved their Talents, and that in experience had been found faith­ful; but the other that upon tryal, had been un­faithful, and that had Napkined up his Talent, and made no good improvement at all of it. He was not to be Credited, or trusted any longer with it. And thus should you deal with your old experienced Officers, ye should either Advance or Cashier, con­tinue, or cast them out, according to the verdict of [Page 13]Experience; according to that faithfulness or un­faithfulness that ye do experimentally find to be in them: If experience tell you, That they have been faithful in a lower Office, ye may the better trust them in an higher. But in case they have been unfaithful in a lower, do not ye lay a temptation before them in an higher, least ye both deceive your selves, and de­stroy them thereby.

But I proceed: The Second part of the text containing Gods coming down to con­fer with Moses about the choice of new Magistrates. It follows in the words— And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me Seventy men, &c. And bring them to the Tabernacle of the Congrega­tion; and let them stand there with thee, and I will come down and talk with thee there. This I call Gods own disposing or managing of the Election in order to his own Glory, and the satisfaction of his servant Moses; And from thence ye may observe further.

That in all Affairs of concernment especially, Doct. 2 it's good to be there wayting upon our God, where he Himself is pleased, to come down, and talk with us.

Wait for me, sayes God to Moses, at the Tabernacle of the Congregation, with the Elders of the People, and the Officers over them, and I will come down and talk with thee there, and tell thee what thou shalt do; Note. where I pray Observe the great and the mighty con­descention here spoken of; for indeed there is much, yea, very much in it, much more then can be mentioned, That the great God of Heaven and Earth should Malumus Deum ad nos huc in terram descendere, quàm ad illum in caelum assur­gere. Camer. conc. 2. in cap. 6. Joan. stoop so low, or condescend so far, to any of his poor Creatures, as to say, Wait for me at such a Place, and I will come down and talk with thee there.

But ye will peradventure say, That this was indeed [Page 14]a priviledge that Moses enjoyed; Numb. 12.8 with him the Lord spake mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches, and the similitude of the Lord did he behold, But is there any such priviledge as this extant a­mong Beleevers now? Quest.

To that I Answer; Answ. Yes, doubtless God hath his times of coming down, and his wayes of talking with his own People still, The priviledges of the Beleever are no way straytened or diminished, but rather in­creased exceedingly since the coming of Christ, and there is a Tabernacle still, as well as in the dayes of Moses; Rev. 21.3. Indicat manife­stationem divi­nae gloriae non plenam adhuc futuram, quali fruentur sancti post ultimum judicium, aptum est Tabernacu­lum perigrinan­ [...]i Ecclesiae, non illi quae consequ­uta est fixam sedem in suâ pa­triâ. Brightm. in loc. Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, & he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And wher­soever this Tabernacle is seated and placed; that is, Wheresoever there are Churches Constituted, and Ordinances Dispensed, according to the mind of Christ, do but wait for the appearances of God in such places, and then undoubtedly, he will at one time or other come down and talk with you there. But I said, It's good (in all Affaires of Concernment espe­cially) to be there waiting upon our God, where he does vouchsafe to come down and talk with us: And surely so it is. In 3 respects it's good to wait where God vouch­safes to come down and talk with us. It's good to be there in 3 Respects:

• 1 In regard of God.
• 2 In regard of your selves.
• 3 In regard of others.

First, 1 In regard of God himself, it's good to be there waiting where he does vouchsafe to come down and talk with us; In regard of God, who does thereby discover This arguing, both greatness of Wisdom, and greatness of Power, and greatness of Love on Gods part.

[Page 15]1 It Argues greatness of wisdom, 1 that God is plea­sed at any time to come down and talk with us: Greatness o [...] Wisdom. God never speaks to the hearts of his People, or he never brings any savory message home to their Spirits, but he does alwayes mannage it, in the exactest way of wisdom: Men are apt to speak Psal. 41.6. vainly, and Prov. 15.2 foolish­ly, and Eccles. 5. [...] rashly, and Psal. 106. unadvisedly with their lips, if not worse then so; there is frequently very little, or none of the Col. 4.6. salt of discretion mingled, with any of their words, or with any of their speeches. But whensoever the wife God comes down to talk with us, there is alwayes a fulness of wisdom in that which he delivers; and there is not so much as any shadow of Vanity, or any appearance of Iniquity, in any thing that he sayes.

2 ^ly. It Argues Greatness of Power also, 2 Greatness o [...] Power. as well as Creatness of Wisdom, That God is pleased at any time to come down and talk with us: God never speaks to the hearts of his People, one way or ano­ther, but when his words are managed with a great deal of Authority and Power. Mat. 7.29 He taught them as one having Authority, sayes the Text of Christ, and not as the Scribes: Men speak weakly, and faintly, and coldly to one another; there is little or no strength in that which they themselves deliver: Their words are but wind, as we say; but when God comes to speak in them, or to speak by them, when he comes Psal. 18.1 to ride upon the wings of that wind; & to make out spiritual 1 Cor. 2. demonstrations of his own Almighty Power in the way of an Ordinance: Then there is such a fulness of strength discovered, that there can be no resisting of it; Then tis the 1 Pet. 1.2 Constat imn [...] ­tale esse quod Dei est, hom quod caduct [...] Ambros. d [...] Fil. Divin [...] [Page 16]immortal seed of the word, and that which never fades away: Then vain Imaginations, and unclean Affe­ctions, and proud Lusts, and corupt Reasonings must al come down, and every 2 Cor. 10.5. thought be captivated to the obedience of Jesus Christ.

3 ^ly. 3 Greatness of Love. This Argues Greatness of Love also, that God is pleased at any time to come down and talk with us. God never speaks, Ad ventum di­ [...]i, forsan autem [...]ic non tam ve­ [...]emens ventus uit Eliae visia­ [...]e, sed lenior et [...]acidior quae­am aura nè ve­ [...]ementior alio­ui ventus cos [...]tis conscientiâ [...]ccati conster­atos vehemen­ [...]ùs terreret. Mercer. in loc but very lovingly, to the hearts of his People, and not so hastily as men use to do in their angry fits and moods: He appeared unto Adam not in the heat, but in the Gen. 3.8. cool of the day: He was not in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but in the small still voice, in the Vision of Elijah: He Isa. 40 11. Mansue tudinem & misericordiam Christi describit. Vatab. hic. shall feed his flock like a Shepheard, says the Prophet, He shall gather the Lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with yong: A Mat. 12.20. bruised Reed shall he not break, nor quench the smoaking flax, until he send forth Judgment unto victory. Thus in regard of God it's good.

Secondly, 2 [...] regard of [...]ur selves. [...] Job, 31.28. [...]uid mirum si [...]ferioribus & [...]eterioribus [...]ntentus nonsit, [...]ui citra sum­ [...]um & opti­ [...]um quiescere [...]n potest? [...]ern. Tract. In regard of your selves it's also good, to be there wayting upon your God, where he does vouchsafe to come down and talk with you: For o­therwise, when ye are in some great distress at any time, and when all the creatures are mute and si­lent about you, and have not a word to say, either for the supporting, or for the directing, or for the comforting of you: What would ye do at such a time, if Dilig. Deo [...]ag. 950. the God that is above should not come down and talk with you? Alas, the necessities, the inward necessities of the Soul and Spirit are variously such, [Page 17]and very frequently such, that if there should be Rev. 8.1. silence in heaven but one half hour beyond the ap­pointed time, unbelief would utterly be too hard for faith, and despair too hard for hope: And how uncomfortable a condition that poor creature is left in, that is both faithless and hopeless, that no man can tell you: for it is the very Abstract of all the Creatures misery, to have no Faith, nor no Hope in God: Despair is Hell it self.

3 ^ly. In regard of others, 3 In regard of others. It's good to be there waiting where our God vouchsafes to come down and talk with us: That when at any time, any of you have been spoken to, and received Consolation, ye may go and bear forth this precious seed, and be a means to encourage others to wait upon God, as you have done, that they may also in due time par­take of the same refreshments with you: God ma­ny times makes the hearts of his People to be not only Cisterns, but Conduits of Consolation: Blessed be God, sayes the Apostle, who Apostolica [...] dignitatem d [...] clarat, ostende [...] quod solatio [...] fectus, ac res [...] ratione refoc [...] latus, non se [...] pinat otioque dat, quemadn [...] dum nos, se [...] huc petius in­tendit studiu [...] ut alios unga [...] corroboret, at [...] erigat. Chry [...] in loc. comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we our selves are comforted of God: 2 Cor. 1.3, 4. Thus ye see how good it is every way, Both in regard of Himself, Our selves, and Others, to be there wayting upon our God, where he does vouch safe to come down and talk with us. The Uses of this follow; and

First, Since it is thus Profitable or Advantagious for us to do so; let us therefore observe, Ʋse. 1 yea let us take special notice of, the Times, & the Places: The times when, and the places where, our God is pleased to [Page 18] come down and talk with us: And surely look where­soever the Tabernacle of God is fixed among men, that is, Look where he doth dispence his Ordinances unto his People, in a pure Gospel-way, there he hath Promised, and there he does vouchsafe to come down and talk with them. There's the 1 Tim. 3.15 Ground and Pillar of Truth; and there's the 1 Cor. 2.13.16. lunguage of the Holy Ghost; and there's the Officium est Ecclesiae sustentare atque suffulcire veritatem su [...] ministerio, et corespectu columna veritatis appellatur. Davenant. Disp. de Jud. et Nor. Fid. Cap. 18. vid. Whitaker de Author. S. Script. Tom-2. Oper. lib. 1. Cap. 3. Pag. 46. Col. 1. mind of Christ.

Secondly, Ʋse. 2 Make it your humble request unto God, That He would Exod. 40.34 fill the Tabernacle with his own presence continually; That he would not leave you without his Company, at any of your Is. 1.13. so­lemn meetings; for otherwise, though never so ma­ny meet, yet if He be not there, the benefit of the Meeting's lost: Better be Mat. 18.20. with two or three, where He is present, then in never so great a crowd, where He is absent: Therefore, I say, beg his Presence, Psal. 105.4. seek his face continually, Rom. 15.30 strive with him in Prayer, That he would not leave you to the bare 2 Cor. 3.6. letter of the Word, or to the outward presence of an Ordi­nance, but that he would thereby, and therein, upon all occasions come down and talk with your souls, and tell you Act. 9.6. what ye should do.

Thirdly, Ʋse. 3 When God does talk with you, or when he does at any time speak to you, be sure to mind what He sayes; do not neglect, or slight this great Condescension: There is (as you have heard) much of the Wisdom of God, and much of the Power of God, and much of the Love of God to be [Page 19] seen in all that he sayes to you, and therfore do not undervalue it, or play with it, or look upon it as a vain thing, for it is Deut. 32 [...] your life as Moses tells you; and Christ He seconds Moses in that, The words that I speak un­to you, They are Spirit, and They are Life, sayes he, Joh. 6.63.

Fourthly, Make it appear by this, Ʋse. 4 That all the Teachings, and all the Talkings of God with you, are not in vain to you, by your walking suitably and answerably thereunto: Take heed of drow­ning all the great Gifts that are now vouchsafed unto you in the Homo qui naturae don [...] munus animae, rationis bene [...] um, excellentiamsensus, [...] cium mentis, artu industr [...] culturae bonum, persterile [...] que inopes actus revertit, o [...] pat, mergit, auctori fruc [...] cultori gratiam negat, sicu [...] bor è terrâ, sic iste è vit [...] [...] tur excidi. P. Chrys. Ser. dead sea of un­fruitfulness: There are hardly any Peo­ple under Heaven, that trade more in Or­dinances, then you do; ye are very fre­quently at those Performances, wherein God does appear, and shew Himself; your feet stand often, in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and ye do pretend, at least, unto a desire, That God would come down, and talk with you there: And therefore when he does so, when he does come down and talk with you, be sure to Rom. 6.17. [...]. That form of Do [...] whereinto ye were deliv [...] vid. Bez. hic. deliver up yourselves, unto that which he delivers, as a People that are willing to be taught of God, and let both Heart and Life savour, of that which He sayes to you: Jam, 1.22. Vult Apostolus ut non ta [...] simus auditores Sermonis [...] etiam effectores, hoc est ta [...] quibus sermo qui inserit [...] dices agat, quod fit dùm [...] ex verbo concipitur, et [...] entia nostra testatur fiden [...] Heming. in loc. Be doers of the Word (as James sayes) and not Hear­ers only, deceiving your own selves.

Especially when ye are met (as now) about any Business of Concernment, and the Lord shall then please to come down and talk with you, and cast [Page 20]in A word in [...]eason not to [...]e neglected, [...] being like [...]pples of gold [...]n pictures in [...]lver, grateful [...]nd delightful Prov. 25.11. a word in season; when ye come and sit before your God, for a word of Counsel, and He is pleased to come in with a word of Counsel, according to your de­sires, and according to your expectations: Now take heed of resisting or rejecting, and be sure to close in with that word, that so what ye do may appear to have been done in sincerity, Verbum secun­ [...]um suos modos [...]u commodè [...]ictum nihil a­ [...]ud est, quam [...]ntentia in se bona observatis locorum, temporum, & personorum circumstantiis, prolata. Cartwr. hic. and not in hypocrisie; and so I shall now fall upon that in the rear of the words which does principally concern the purpose of our present meeting.

— I will come down, The third [...]art of the Text opened. and talk with thee there, sayes God to Moses, and I will take of the Spirit which is up­on thee, and will put it upon them, &c. By the Spirit here, Seponam de [...]piritu qui est [...]per te, Spiritu [...]uta gratiae: non [...]t ideo minus aberet Moses, [...]d ut illi tan­ [...]um haberent de [...]piritu Dei, [...]uantum ad­ [...]ensurus ipsis [...]at Deus voca­ [...]or is auctor, ut [...]osi adju­ [...]ento essent. we must understand the Spirit of Government; And sayes God to Moses, I will take of that Spirit, or I will divide that Spirit, or I will encrease and mul­tiply that Spirit, that is now upon thee, upon these seventy men: The very same Spirit of Govern­ment that is now upon thee, sayes God, it shall rest upon them, even as 2 Kin. 2.15 the Spirit of Elijah rested upon Elisha; [...]un. et Trem. [...] loc. [...]ee Ainsw. [...]nnot. upon [...]e place. Not that Moses himself was to be unspiri­ted, or dispirited, or uncloathed, or unpossessed of the Spirit, that's not the meaning of it neither, But says God, the same Spirit that has 1 Cor. 12.4 diversities of gifts in it, It shal be diversly shared amongst you al, that are to be the Governors of my People, According to the several Exigencies, or Necessities of your Places: And saies he, Having thus sitted and prepared these men, By putting my Spirit of Government upon them, [Page 21] They shall then bear the Burden of the People with thee, that thou bear it not thy self alone. Two oth [...] Doctrin [...] from thi [...] ter part o [...] Text. From whence I shall further commend these two other Notes, or Obser­vations to you, which I shall entreat you to take spe­cial Notice of. The First this,

That the Burden of the People lies upon the Magi­strates. They shall bear the Burden of the People with thee.

The Second this,

That no man is any way fit or able to bear this Bur­den, but he that hath a Spirit of Government graciously conferred upon him.

To begin first, with the former of these, Namely this,

That the Burden of the People lies upon the Magi­strates. 1 Do [...]

For the opening of this, you may please to ob­serve, That the Burden of the People is in 4. The Bur [...] of the P [...] in 4 resp [...] upon the gistrates. Respects incumbent, or lying upon the Magistrates.

• 1 The Burden of the Peoples Sins.
• 2 The Burden of the Peoples Sorrows, or Suf­ferings.
• 3 The Burden of the Peoples Rights, or Privi­ledges. And,
• 4 The Burden of the Peoples Discontents. 1
  The Bu [...] of the pe [...] sins.

First, The Burden of the Peoples Sins, that's in­cumbent, or lying upon the Magistrate more waies then one; For sometimes Magistrates are the Cau­ses, of the Sins of the People, being like unto 1 Kin. 1 [...] Je­roboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. Rulers [...] of the sin [...] the Peop [...] veral wa [...]

There are several waies whereby Rulers may be guilty of the Sins of the Sins of the People, Either [Page 22]By 1 Sam. 22.18 commanding, or, By 2 Chr. 19.2 countenancing, or, By 1 King. 1.6 cōniving, or, By 1 Sam. 3.13. not restraining the sins of the Peo­ple: And in such Cases as these, If Magistrates will make Rods for their own Backs, or lay Snares for their own Feet to be taken in, Then nothing in the world more righteous, or — Non est [...]ex aequior ulla Quàm necu Ar­ [...]ifices Arte pe­ [...]ire suâ. equal, then that they themselves should bear the greatest weight, of their own procured Burdens.

Or, suppose on the other side, That the Magistrate be like 2 Ch. 34.37 Josiah, of a tender heart, or of a melting dis­position, and no way so much as accessory to the sins of the People, but one that would fain have all things rightly and duely administred, yet this will trouble Him never the less, but burden him so much the more, to see how hard a matter it is, to reduce a rebellious, De exilii sui in­ [...]ommoditate, et nolestiâ queri­ [...]ur David, [...]úam ex com­ [...]oratione tali­ [...]m barbarorum & malitiosorum [...]ominum quo­ [...]idiè experieba­ [...]ur. Muscul. [...] loc. or to bring a gain-saying People into any good order; as ye know what a burden it was unto 2 Pet. 2.7, 8. Lot, and how his righteous soul was vexed, and grie­ved from day to day, to see and observe the unclean conversation, of those lewd and wicked Sodomites, among whom he lived. And Psal. 120.5 woe is me saies Da­vid, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwel in the tents of Kedar, intimating that the lewdness of those places, was a very great burden unto his spirit also.

Secondly, 2 The Burden [...]f the peoples [...]orrows or [...]ufferings. The Burden of the Peoples Sorrows, or Sufferings, that also lies upon the Magistrate: Ma­gistrates ye know are called Patres Patriae, Senatus no­ [...]en dedit aetas [...]am ijdem Pa­ [...]essunt. Quin. [...]st. orat. lib. [...]. Cap. 6. Fa­thers of their Country; And can a tender-hearted Father see any of his Children lie groaning under heavy Burdens, and not do whatever in him lies to ease their shoulders of those Burdens? How sad was the fruit of Rehoboams refusing to hearken unto [Page 23]the People, Magistratus moribus debe [...] se gerere ut f [...] trem reliquo. rum, in offici [...] ut Patrem. Ames. de c [...] lib. 5. cap. 2 [...] when they came in a fair Petitioning way unto him, to ease them of their Burdens? The peop [...] Petition to Rehoboam. 1 King. 12. Thy Father made our yoke grievous, say they; now therfore make thou the grievous service of thy Father, and his hea­vie yoke, which he put upon us, lighter, and we wil serve thee. No saies he, His Answ [...] vers. 10.11. compared with 2 Chr [...] 10.14. My little finger shall be thicker than my Fathers loins; my Father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my Father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with Scorpions. Hereup­on the People depart in a mighty discontent, and resolve to have no more to do with Rehoboam, nor with his Government neither; Their Re­solution. v. 1 of both Cha [...] ­ters. What Portion have we in David? say they, neither have we inheri­tance in the son of Jesse, every man to your tents ô Israel, and let David see to his own house: And not only there, or at that time, but at other times, and in o­ther places also, Most of t [...] Civil Wars [...] that ever we [...] in the world [...] have had the [...] Rise from hence. Oh! the woful Contentions, and bloody Breaches, that have heretofore fallen out between Governors and Governed, when heavy bur­dens have been either imposed, or continued, with­out a sufficient cause! Gods goo [...] ness and sev [...] ­rity towards England. How many Iron yokes of Oppression hath God already freed the People of this Nation from, through a vast expence of Blood and Treasure? And as for those other Burdens and Im­positions that som amongst us do so much complain of, Truly for what I know, They might All have been removed by this time, Had we not either drawn, or continued them upon our selves, by our own What hin­ders our pre­sēt prosperit [...] Love would soon heal all our Breache [...] and ease us [...] all our Taxe [...] unthankefulness, and Disobedience, and unwor­thy walkings one towards another. 3 The Burden of the people Rights, or [...]

Thirdly, The Burden of the Peoples Rights or Pri­viledges, that also lies upon the Magistrate: I do [Page 24]not say, That the Rights and Priviledges of the People, are a Burden in themselves, or A Burden un­to them; But this I may, and do say, That the care of upholding and main [...]aining, The care of vindica­ting & encreasing, al the several Rights & Priviledges of the People; That must needs be a Burden to any man, or men, that shall conscientiously undertake the work, and go through with it accordingly: E­specially in — Serò me­dicina paratur Cùm mala per longas invaluêre moras. corrupt times, when things are mighti­ly out of frame and order, They that shall indu­striously set upon, and accordingly prosecute this service, The upholding of that which is present, the vindication of that which is stollen, or taken away, The encreasing, or adding of that which is wanting in point of Right or Priviledge, They shall find it to be one of the hardest pieces of work that ever men enterprized, and that which will prove a Bur­den too heavy for them, If the Lord Himself do not mightily assist, or wonderfully come in to help: And yet this Magistrates should, and are bound to do, Virtute Officij, by vertue of their Office; For as 2 Cor. 11.28 Paul had upon him, the care of all the Churches: so have Magistrates upon them the care of all the People, to see that In istos fines incumbit Ma­gistratui singu­laris cura legum & judiciorum, ut comomni justitiá et aequi­tate, tam consti­tuantur, quam exequutioni mandentur. Ames. ubi su­prà. Justice be done impartially for them, & without respect of persons, and that Nothing be with­held from any one that of right belongs unto him, either for fear, or favour, or upon any other terms whatsoever.

Fourthly, 4 The Burden of the peoples Discontents. The Burden of the Peoples Discontents, that also lies upon the Magistrate: If ye roade o­ver several Chapters in the Books of Exodus, and Numbers, and there view the Passage of the Chil­dren [Page 25]of Israel, from Egipt into Canaan, you shall find that nothing all along, was such a Burden to Moses and Aaron, or such an affliction to them, as the Discontents of the People: True it is, that the wants of the People were exceeding great and many, (& yet no other then such, as the wise God thought fit to exercise them by) sometimes they wanted Bread, and sometimes they wanted Water, and sometimes they wanted Want of Faith the greatest w [...] See for th [...] Iob. 13.15. [...] 27.13. L [...] 22.32. Jo [...] 36. other [...] wants nev [...] pinch us t [...] our Faith [...] ­ns, Fides [...] mem non ti [...]. Hier. If [...] take away [...] mear, God [...] take away [...] hunger, sa [...] the Marty [...] Faith, and that was the worst want of all: And in the midst of al the straits that they were under hereby, instead of complai­ning of themselves, and of their own unworthiness, and unbelief, and undue provocations, They would still be murmuring, and complaining against Moses, and against Aaron, as if they had been the Causes, of all their present sufferings. Instances [...] the People [...] Burdenm [...] Moses & [...] with their [...] murmuri [...] in the 11. [...] & 16. Cha [...] of this Bo [...] of Number [...] A remarkable instance of this their unjust and injurious dealing, ye have not only here in the 11 ^th Chapter, and again in the 16 ^th Chapter of this Book of Numbers, in the mat­ter of Korah, and his Company, But more especially in the 14 ^th Chapter of the same Book, where when the false Spyes had brought them news of Gyants, and sons of Anak, in the land of Canaan, that would in all likelihood be too hard for them, and that might peradventure come upon them, and kill them, Numb. 14.2. It is there said, A special [...] stance of [...] doing so, [...] Numb. 14 [...] vers. 2. &c [...] That all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses & Aaron: and the whole Congregation said unto them, Would God we had died in the Land of Egipt, or would God we had died in this Wilderness: And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this Land to fall by the Sword, that our Wives and our Children should be a prey? Were it not [Page 26]better for us, to return into Egipt? And they said one to another, Let us make a Captain, and let us return into Egipt: And albeit Vers. 5. Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces before them, and intreated them to be quiet, and not thus male-centent or unruly; And withal, though vers. 6, 7, 8, 9 Caleb and Joshua (the two good Spyes) came in to their assistance, and did all that ever they could, Non persua­debus etiam si persuasevus, Verse 10. to perswade them, yet all would not do, but sayes the Text, All the Congregation bade stone them with stones, at the 10 ^th Verse of that Chapter. Thus ye see, in what Respects, the Burden of the People, lies upon the Magistrates,

In the next place I am to shew you, Doct. 2

That no man is any way fit, or able to bear this Burden, but he that hath a Spirit of Govern­ment graciously conferred upon him.

For the Opening of this, Opened in the Resol. of two Queries. Two things to be inqui­red; 1. Wherein the Spirit of Government lies? 2 ^ly. Why no man is any way fit or able, to bear the Burdens of the People, in all the particulars mentio­ned, but he that hath such a Spirit graciously con­ferred upon him, or vouchsafed unto him?

To the former Question, Qu. 1 Wherein the Spirit of Government lies? Answ. A Spirit of Government includes I Answer thus, Such a Spirit in­cludes these ensuing Qualifications:

First, A Spirit of wisdom and understanding: of all other men, A Spirit of wisdom and understanding 1 Magistrates had need to be wise men, yea Col. 1.9. filled with the Spirit of wisdom and under­standing; wise as 2 Sam. 14.17 Angels of light, to discern between good and evil, between Party and Party, between Cause and Cause, between that which is Righteous, and Just, and Good, and that which only appears to be so.

Their Wisdom lies more especially in 3. Things;

• 1 In the knowledge of the Rule,
  The Mag [...] strats wise in 3. Thi [...]
  of all Equity and Justice.
• 2 In Applying Things, to that Rule.
• 3 In making out, a Right Sentence or Judg­ment from that Application: In each of which particulars, the Magistrate is to be marveilous exact, and careful.

First, In the knowledge of his Rule, 1 In the kn [...] ­ledge oph [...] Rule. which is the Law of Deut. 1 [...] God and men, that he must be well versed in, and know the whole compass of it, that so he may not stagger, or be to seek, but understand fully and clearly, what he may do, or what he may not do in any Case that is brought before him.

2 ^ly. In Applying things to the Rule, 2 In applyi [...] things to [...] Rule. He should alwayes express both a great deal of Tenderness, and a great deal of Faithfulness.

First, A great deal of Tenderness, with T [...] derness. [...] Summum [...] Summa in [...] not putting the worst, but rather the best interpretation upon things, Especially where there is but any hope of reclaiming the Offender, in a fair, and gentle, and mild way of Proceeding.

But withal, with F [...] ­fulness. as a great deal of Tenderness is to be used, so asmuch Faithfulness, that neither the Ma­jesty of the Rule, nor yet the Authority of him that Judges by it, may be any way wronged, or preju­diced thereby.

And then in making out a right Sentence or Judgment, from such an Application, 3 In making a right Se [...] ­tence or J [...] ­ment fro [...] that App [...] ­tion. There must be alwayes great store of wariness and circumspecti­on used: The hand must be steady of it self, and there must be Nothing to jogge it: All things are [Page 28]to be so carried with so much clearness, in the ma­king up of any Business, that there may be no just complaining afterward, that every thing was not exactly scanned, or not duly enough considered of, before the Sentence passed: These things are so Essential to a Magistrate, in matters of the greatest moment, that the Omission of any one of them cannot but produce, a world of inconveniences, reflecting very much dishonor, even upon the Office it self: So that, Support 1 This is one main Support, under all the former Burdens, A Spirit of Wisdom and Under­standing.

Secondly, 2 A Spirit of Courage, and of Might, that's also very requisite in a Magistrate, A Spirit of Courage and of might. That He should not be of a soft effeminate disposition, but of an undaunted Spirit, full of Courage, and Resolu­tion, Ephes 6.10. Ille enim fortis est qui non in se, sed in Deo fortis est. Aug. Enar. in Ps. 33 strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might: otherwise how shall he be Able to hold up his head against both Wind and Water, against all the whole torrent of Vice, and current of Prophan­ness, that he shall be sure to meet with, and that he must oppose and cross, in case he would be Faith­full: How much Fortitudo to­gata, est quâ non tantum in aegri­tudine etmorbis, in tempestate maris, in Sylvis & incursu la [...]ronum, sed etiam in ferendis injuijs quibu [...]nos adversarij afficere conantur, aut afficiunt, illisque non privatâ vindictâ, sed auxilio legum depellendis, animi firmitatem deli­beratam retinemus. Polan. Syntag. Theol. lib. 10. cap. 19. fortitude, and valour, and mag­nanimity ought He to be Possessed of, that shal turn the Prov. 20.26. wheel over the wicked impartially, and Pluck the Prey out of the Lions mouth, & rescue the Isa. 1.17. Oppressed, from the man that is too mighty for him? That shall neglect the f [...]wns, and the fawns, Job. 29.17. reject the [Page 29] letters and the suits, of this man Rich, and that man Great, and t'other man his Friend, that He may do Justice in his place? He that is sure to go into the Field, and to enter the Lists, with the strongest, and the stoutest, and the subtlest Adversaries, that ever flesh and bloud brought forth, shall he be a Coward? He that shall 1 Cor. 16. [...]. quit himself like a man, in such a ser­vice, Had he not need to be an able man? which was the first, and prime Qualification in Jethroes Advice to Moses, Exod. 18.21. The Burden of the work is to heavy for thee, sayes he to Moses, and Exo. 18. [...]. thou art not able to perform it thy self alone. Thou shalt therefore provide for thine Assistance out of all the People, Able men, [...] viros virtutis, Vid. Monta [...] vers. hic. as Montanus turns it, men of a David-like, or of a Sampson-like Spirit, in the Cause of God, 2 Suppo [...] and of all his Faithful people, That's a 2 ^d Support, under all the former Burdens, A Spirit of Courage, and of Might.

Thirdly, A Spirit of the fear of the Lord, 3 that's also very requisite in a Magistrate; A Spirit o [...] the Fear o [...] Lord. He that Ruleth o­ver men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God, sayes David, 2 Sam. 23.3. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the People, Able men, and such as Fear God, sayes Jethro to Moses, Exod. 18.21. Such as fear God, not with a slavish, but with a filial, not with a vitious, but with a gracious fear: In short take it thus; Quid est qu [...] Sapientia C [...] ­stiani? Q [...] ­nisi Timor, [...] Amer Chri [...] Salvian. ad Eccles. Cathol. Lib. 4. Fides facit formidinem, formido facit solic [...] nem, solicitudo facit perseverantiam. Tertul. contr. Marcion. The Consideration of his Presence, who is 1 Tim. 6.15. King of Kings, & Lord of Lords, the great & the only Potentate, [Page 30]All Eye to see, and All Eare to hear, and All Hand to punish every disobedience; This should awe the Magistrate continually, and make him afraid, to Exod. 23.3. patronize the Nocent, to Deut. 24.17 pervert the Cause of the Innocent, to Prov. 17.15. justifie the Wicked, to condemn the Righteous, 1 Sam. 8.3 to take Bribes, to Prov. 28.21 accept Per­sons, to Mat. 18.6. offend any of the little ones of God: He that truly fears God, dares not do any of these things, and why? But Because he knows all such Practises as these are, to be an Abomination to that God, who is a Heb. 12.29 consuming fire, and that hath provided Isa. 30.33. Tophet for Princes, and great ones, aswel as for those of a meaner rank and Quality: This therefore may well go for a 3 ^d Support under all the former Burdens. Support. 3 A Spirit of the Fear of the Lord.

Fourthly, 4 A Spirit of Truth and Faithfulness, that's also very requisite in a Magistrate, A Spirit of Truth and Faithfulness. without which, all the other Qualifications that I have mentioned already, are but shadows of Honor, and of no worth at all: Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts. Ps. 51.6. for though a man be reputed ne­ver so wise, a man, never so couragious, and stout, and Able a man, yea, never so Pious and Religious a man; Veritatem quam scripfit in cor­de hominis quia non legebatur in corde, iteravit Deus in Tabulis, ut voce fornisecùs admotâ redi­ret ad cor, & ibi inveniret, quod extrà legeret. Lombard, Sentent. lib. 3. Distinct. 37. Though his Name be up, and his Credit never so great, for all these things, for Wisdom, for Courage, for Prety, yet if these things be not in him of a Truth, If there be Nothing to Confide in, or No­thing looked after, but an Appearance, or an outward shew of these things: Such a one is but the Picture of a Magistrate. He is no more a Magi­strate in Reality, or in propriety of speech, then a painted man's a man: But He that is a Magistrate [Page 31]indeed, Gods Vicegerent indeed, He is a Exo. 18.2 man of Truth, one that knows the truth, and that loves the truth Non solùm verum opponi [...] tur falso, et v [...] ritas mendac [...] verùm etiam [...] significat sin [...] rum et simpl [...] cem, et oppor [...] ­tur fucato et [...] mulato. Zan [...] de Nat. D [...] lib. 3. cap. 3 [...] Both wayes, both in opposition to falsehood, and likewise in opposition to hypocrisie; one that hates with a perfect hatred, All those Hiding places of Iniquity, All those dens, and thickets, and co­verts of deceitful dealing, that others have to lie down in; And in all particular Cases, Suits, and Controversies whatsoever, He counts it his greatest honour to sift out the truth, to maintain the truth, and to cleave unto it inseparably; still saying, Amicus Pla [...] Amicus Soc [...] tes, sed mag [...] Amica veri [...] as He did of old most worthily, Such a one is my Friend, and such a one my Friend, Socrates my Friend, and Plato my Friend, But Truth's my best, and my dearest Friend, and with that in my Bosom, I intend to live and die: This I mention, 4 Supp [...] as a 4 ^th Support, under all the former Burdens: A Spirit of Truth, and Faithfulness.

Fifthly, A Spirit of Heavenly-mindedness, 5 A Spirit o [...] Heavenly-mindedne [...] that's also very requisite in a Magistrate, which is the con­cluding Passage in Jethroes Advice to Moses, More­over, thou shalt Provide out of all the people, Able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating Covetousness, I pray mark; He does not only say, Let Rulers or Magistrates abstain from Covetousness, or flye from Covetousness, that's not his language; But let them sayes he, be such as Exo. 18. [...] Quoniam [...] pturimum [...] duntur ins [...] judicibus, ob quaestu, no [...] tis munitie [...] contra hoc g g [...] ­corruptelae [...] ­avaritiam [...] ­professo det [...] ­rentur. Ca [...] in loc. Reasons [...] Magistrat [...] should H [...] Covetous [...] hate Covetousness: Now Hatred that reaches as far as it can, after the Non-being of the thing Hated: As Love desires the life, and the preservation, so Hatred the death, and destru­ction, of that which is the Object of it: And in­deed, Great Reason there is for it, why Magistrates [Page 32]above all other men, should be Haters of Covetous­ness, why they should Hate that evil more then a­ny other evil.

First, Reason. 1 Because it is a Sin that God hates, There­fore should they Hate it: It is a Vice that God Ab­horres, Therefore should they Abhorre it: Psal. 10.3. The wicked boasteth of his hearts desire, and blesseth the Covetous whom the Lord Abhorreth: Does the Ezr. 5.11. God of Heaven abhorre the Covetous, and shall not the Psal. 82.6. gods upon earth abhorre to be Covetous?

Secondly, Reas. 2 The Magistrate is to Hate the evil, and to love the good, or else He cannot Establish Judgment in the Gate, as ye may see from Am. 5.15. Though He is not to hate the Person of the evil, any where, yet he is to hate the evil of the Person every where: But he is so far from hating every evil, that he does not so much as hate any evil, that does not hate Co­vetousness, for that is so deep, and so dangerous, and so comprehensive an evil, that it hath all evil at the bottom of it; It is sayes the Apostle, 1 Tim. 6.10 Radix excisos semper densius reparat ramos. Evellenda est ergò radix nè rami superfluè excidantur. Hier. in loc. The root of all Evil. And therfore to be Rev. 14.3. redeemed from the Earth, and from a 1 Pet. 1.18. vain Conversation, here below, and to have a Spirit set upon Col. 3.2. Heavenly things, more then upon Earthly: Support. 5 This is another main Support, un­der all the former Burdens. And thus ye see, what kind of Spirit that is, which God bestowes upon those whom he does prepare for Government, A Spirit of Wisdom, and of Courage, and of the Fear of the Lord, and of Truth, and of Heavenly-mindedness: Magistrates must be men of Ʋnderstanding, and men of Valour, and men of Truth, and men that Fear God, and men that Hate Covetousness.

Now for that other Question already propoun­ded, Qu. 2 Why No man is any way fit or able to bear the Bur­dens that have been mentioned, but He that hath such a Spirit as this, graciously conferred upon him? Answ. The Reasons of it are Two:

First, Because of the great weakness, Two Reas [...] of the Doctrine. of the Crea­tures own Spirit: And 2 ^ly. Because of the great and mighty strength of a Spirit thus under­propped, or sustained, and upheld, by the Spirit of the living God.

The Creatures own Spirit is so weak, and so feeble, 1 and so full of sores naturally, The extre weakness o the Creatu own Spirit so full of Ignorance and Folly, and Cowardize, and Athiesme, and Hypocrisie, and Earthly-mindedness, that it's able to bear Nothing, just Nothing at all, every small and light Burden is too heavy for it.

But the Spirit of God, 2 The invin [...] strength o [...] Gods Spir [...] Placitum D [...] necessitàs se [...] tur volum [...] comitatur [...]f [...] ctus. Tho [...]. B [...]dward [...] de [...]lau [...] lib. [...]. cap. [...] hath invincible strength in it, and such as cannot possibly be, either [...]a. 31.3 [...]. resisted, or repelled, or outvyed by all the Power of the crea­tures, [...]a. 31.3 [...]. The Horses of Egipt are flesh, and not Spirit, sayes the Prophet, that was an Argument of their great weakness, That they were flesh, and not Spi­rit. And on the other side, Zach. 4. [...]. Who art thou ô great Mountain sayes God? before Zerubbabel thou shalt be­come a plain, and He shall bring f [...]rth the head stone of the Building with shootings, and they shall cry, Grace, Grace unto it: yea, But how shall this be done? Not by Might, nor by Power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts; intimating, That what Created Might and Strength could not do, The Spirit of the Lord alone was able to effect. Thus then ye see, the Burdens that are upon Magistrates, the Supports that they [Page 34]have, under those Burdens, and the Necessity of those Supports.

The Ʋse of this is Threefold: It serves,

• 1 By way of Information.
• 2 By way of Admonition.
• 3 By way of Direction.

By way of Instruction, Ʋse. 1 or Information, This follows from hence, By way of In­formation shews us three things. in the first place, That there is No calling whatsoever, though never so high, and honorable, but it hath it's Burdens; Ever since Rom. 5.12. Sin entered in­to the world, 1 That no out­ward calling is unburden­some. and God said unto man, Gen. 3.19. In the sweat of thy face, Thou shalt eat thy Bread, Eccles. 1.8. All things are full of labour, from the Sheephook to the Scepter, No calling unburdensome, The Crowns of Princes are glistering things, but they are many times lined with Cares, In omni honore est onus, every Dignity hath a Bur­densome duty waiting upon it: yea, and the higher, or the more noble, & excellent any outward Imploy­ment is, the greater are it's Burdens, which hath al­wayes made, men of Note and Worth, to shun and de­cline those Places, all that ever they could, and very unwilling to come at them, as being sensible of their own great weakness, and insufficiency to bear the Burden of them: Perhaps an Judg. 9.2. Abimelech, or an Ab­salom, or some such worthless fellows as those were, may covet such Places, and earnestly sue for them, saying as one of them did, 1 Sam. 15.4. Annon eligendi de toto orbe or­bem judicaturi? Sanè huic nego­tio non se inge­rat rogans. Ali­us pro alio, alius forcè et pro se rogat: Pro quo rogaris, sit su­spectus, Qui ipse rogat pro se, jam judicatus est. Nec interest per se, an per alium quis roget. Bern de. consid. lib. 4. cap. 4. ô that I were made Judge in the Land, that every one that hath any Cause or Suit might come to me: whereas others that know the weight of Magistracy, & that do withal consider the Burdens that are upon it. They can by no means be perswaded to buckle with it, until they see A clear [Page]call from God and men inviting them thereunto, and then they dare not but appear, when the great voyce from Heaven says, Rev. Come up hither, 'tis an evil modesty to draw back, or to 1 Sam. 1 [...] hide behind the stuffe.

2 ^ly. Let us from hence take notice, The g [...] of Go [...] that he to any Implo of the loving kindness and tender mercy of our God, in affording such sweet Supports, & comfortable Supplyes, unto all that are to bear the weight, of any great Imploy­ment, God never layes heavy Burdens upon any, but where he gives shoulders exactly suitable, or fully proportionable to those Burdens: He sayes to all his, that are under any strait or exigence whatsoever, Deu [...] The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are mine everlasting Armes: The God of Wisdom hath provi­ded wisdom, and provided courage, and provided the fear of his Name, and Truth of heart, and Hatred of Covetousness, for every Magistrate that is of his own chusing, and that hath but a mind, to these heavenly Qualifications, He hath laid up all these Joh. 1 [...] Graces, in his Son, the Mat. Son of his love, and from thence they are to be issued forth by his Spirit unto al that stand in need of them, & that do withal un­fainedly desire, to be made partakers of them.

3 ^ly. Ye may from hence learn, 3 How [...] nor the of Lon [...] whole mon-W [...] of Engl how to Honor the City of LONDON, and consequently how to Honor the whole Common-Wealth of England, The way lies plainly before you, and it is this, If there were but a strict Course taken to Seclude the Igno­rant, and the Timorous, and the Prophane and the Falsehearted, and the Covetous, from Bearing any Office: N [...] If every Justice of Peace in City and Coun­try had but Jethroes Qualifications, were they All [Page 36] such as they should be, Able men, and men that fear God, and men of truth, and men that hate Cove­tousness, what a blessed Return of things, should we then see immediatly? then indeed, our Isa. 60.17. Officers would be Peace, and our Exactors Righteousness: upon this Account we should certainly be the most famous renowned People, that ever the Sun shined upon.

But ye will say to me perhaps, Object. What do you telling us of such an Ʋtopian Common-wealth as this? Alass! where should we have men thus wel disposed, or thus highly and nobly Qualified, either in City or Country, though we should search, and inquire, ne­ver so diligently after them?

To that I Answer Two things, Answ. First it must in­deed be acknowledged, Men rightly qualified hard [...]o come by. That men thus qualified, were always very hard to come by; hertofore they were very choice Commodities, very rare Creatures, & truly so they are still: [...] Ier. time, In Jeremies time they were so, Jer. 5.1. Run ye too and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, & know, and seek in the broad places therof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth Judg­ment, And [...] Ezek. time, that seeketh the truth, and I will Pardon it, says the Lord: 'Twas so in Ezekiels time also, Ez. 22.29, 30. The People of the land have used Oppression, says God, and exercised Robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy, yea they have Oppressed the stranger wrongfully, And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the Land, And [...]t all other [...]imes. that I should not destroy it, but I found none: And so at other times, and in other places: It's a known story concerning the Cynick that came into the Market place, Diog. Laert. at noontide, with a Candle and a Lantern in his hand, And when [Page 37]they asked him what he made there in that posture? I seek for a man sayes he: A man! They told him, there were men enough to be had, for he was in the midst of a crowd of People; Yea sayes he, that's true, Homines video, sed virum desidero, Here are men enough, but here's never A such a man as I would have: very certain it is, that men of wisdom, and men of courage, & men that fear God, and men of truth, and men that hate covetousness, as they are the choicest, so they are the rarest Creatures, in all the whole world.

But 2 ^ly. Though men rightly Qualified were heretofore, and are still, exceeding hard to come by, yet be not wholly discouraged from entring upon the work of Reforming those who should be A means, to help Reform others, Difficultie [...] must not di [...] hearten fr [...] known and necessary [...] ­ties, rather quicken t [...] unto. Do but come as near this Pattern as you can, for the present, and so come up to it by degrees, by little and little, For in cor­rupt declining times, it cannot be expected, That the Isa. 66.8. Earth should bring forth such a Blessing as this, in one day, or that a Nation thus blessed, should be born at once: as the Prophet in another case, Do you in the City here, but begin to the several Counties, in the way of this Mercy, Longa per p [...] cepta via, exempla br [...] & see whether they would not follow you, who can tell what a powerful effect, such a good example from hence might have, upon all the Nations besides.

In the next place, That which hath been said, Use f [...] Admoniti [...] to Magistr [...] themselve [...] may serve by way of Admonition, to Magistrates themselvs: Remember I Beseech you (Right Ho­norable, and Right Worshipful) the Burdens that are upon you, & upon others in the same condition with [...] [Page 34] [...] [Page 35] [...] [Page 40] better then themselves, By all means take heed of im­powering such, unless ye mean to ruine all, For (Alas) how unfit are they to Rule a City, or to Rule in a City, that have no manner of Power, over their own unruly Spirits, I conclude my Advice to you, as Exo. 18.23 Jethro did his to Moses, If ye shall do all these things, that I have now made known to you from the Word of Truth, God Commanding you so, Then shall ye be Able to endure, and All this People shall go to their place in peace.