Com.S: That this Lazy is,Spiritual; Chap.io. 393 then they are forced. lob tells us ofCome like thefe, that anon as the cord is Icofed, Job 3o. t r. will loofen the bridle themfelves ; thefeare the Ions of Belial : and the other fort are as far in the other extream, whoare fervilitfpirittet, 'of afervile andbafefpirit. To avoid bothextreams, we mutt obey as the people promifed to obey JoJbua; Au Jofb. 1t.6,17. that ¡boil commandelt we will do, andwhitberfoever thou fendef us we will go; ten- tam fi f ehàvab fuerit tecum ( as fome read the words ) only if the Lord be with thee, fo long as thou doll not departfrom him, we will not depart from thee. That tan- muabe our direction, we mutt obey fo far as they go not contrary to Gods Com- mands; if they command contrary, we tray difobey,and yet remain good Subjeéts. This for the fpiritual part of this Precept. 4. The fourth rule requires the mean conducing to be handled , and thefe alfo have been partly handledbefore, and therefore may be paffed over here ; only fome moreMeans we mayobferve for the Superiour inhis Duty, out ofthe for Pfalm. t: To think ofhis account, C+uando veniet ad me ? When will Godcome This Pfalm rot. mua be his thought, he mutt give an account how he hath executed his place. God will demand 3sbi efi grex tuns ? Where is theflock that was given to thee ? 2.Th'e next is in the fame verfe: for the well-ordering ofa Kingdom he will begin at his ownCourt ; ifa King, ifa Mailer of his own Family, he mutt begin at him- felf, Iwillwalkinmy boufe with a perfell heart. Our Saviour faith, Rui facie pecca- tunt,fervor e(t peccati : be that committetbfin,is thefervant of f n,and he is not fit to rule Tohn 8. 34. over others, that is under the bondage of that, from which he fhould deliver others. Thirdly, his eyes muff be upon fach as are faithful in the land : he muff pick Pfalnt tot. 6. out thofe that are integri, wife,found, anduncerrnpt, which are worthy to be in place ofGovernment. He muff be careful to know fuch as are fit to be calledad pramium, to rule finder him , that fo when there is occafon he may einploy them in publick Service. 4. He muff Confider whit they be which he nileth over; they are the City ofGod; ü: and thereforehe mua not eaeemof them lightly. It is Gods wotk,and they areGods people, Citizens ofGods City. The Heathen -man could fay toa Governour; Re- member you are over Free-men, and over Atheniaia, thereby admonishing him, to be moderate and careful in his Government : much more should it make all Chri- ffian Governours careful,whentheyconfider the dignity and worth of thofe they are Pet over, that they are the City and Servants cf God, and redeemed by the bloud ofChria, &c. Add as there are fomemeans,theconlderation whereofmay work in Governours a care to perform the Duties oftheir places aright; fo again there are means to keep men from ufurping Authority, and affefkiug, without lawful title, Power over others, or afpiring to higher places than they are fit for. To this end they fhould la= hour to humblethemfelves, as David did, who accounted himfelf Is dead ,dog, aflea; it Sam. 24.c4; a wormand no man. And Peeing the defect ofgifts in themfelves, to be content ( with at. so. the Apoale ( with what place fever they aré called to; andwith David to fay, Ewe Pfalm 22. 6. me, Behold here am I, let God dowith me Whatfeemeel, good to him. Thus ought a man a Sant. r gsó; to nand affe led to preferment, and to fay, if I be fit for theplace , God can pro- Vide it for me ; Ifhe do not, what dighity foever it be, I can be as well without it as with it. He ought to think with himfelf, that though he be Dominus ingenii èr lingue, have lit andEloquence at command ; yet ifhe be fermis peccati, a fervane of fin, there is matter enough to humble him. And becaufe there is in every man natu- rally a fpirit that lulls & longs after honour as the babe longs for the breaa;therefore withDavid,he thould ablallare,weanhimfelf from afpiring thoughts,by fuchconfide. rations as thefe. Nay,the fame King goeth a degree further. Michal thought heaba- fedhimfelf too much by dancing before the Ark, blot he told her,he would beyet more Pfalm t t. v vilee bafe hi bis own fight : fo far he was from afpiring after an higher eaate, that he 2 Sam: S. zì. would prepare himfelf to be in a lower condition, if God thould pleafe to Pet him lower. Thus it would begood, if wewould prepare our felves before-hand, and to fay as Balakdid to Balaain,though he were a HeathenKing,/ thought to have promotedNumb. 24. ti; thee; but Godbath kept theefromhonour e he acknowledges it to be Gods hand to keep men fromPreferr tent, God difpofes of Honours and Preferments as he pleafes. When the fons of Zebedee would needs fit one on the right the ocher on the left handof Chriaín his Kingdom, Chrilt tells them; Thofe places muff be for them, for D d d whom
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