Com.5. 'mat this Lazy is Spiritual.? Chap: [á: 395 amples ofEfau and Amos. Amos lived in the days ofVzziah and - jeroboam; and he Amos 5.13. ` tells us, that then it was a time for theprudentto keep (Hence, becaufe it was an evil: time. A wife man muff hold his peace, kit it fhould fare with.him, as with the Le..' Judges 18.55. vite, when the Danites cryed, lace, holdthy peace which he was forced' to`do -lefts they fhouldhave (lain him. It was certainly nofign of good Government, -when John 18.22. our Saviour for faying he was not bound toacculehimfelf beforeCajephar, was (mit- ten on the face by a Catchpole : and when Ananias commanded Saint Paul to be Aéts 23. a. fmitten on the mouth, becaufe he pleaded his owncaufe whereas'Efay living inthe days of Hez°kiss, a good King, darli fay to Shebna, Who are you whence comeyou andGad deal thus and thuswithyou, t. A fècond fign of evil Government is, when meneannot have Jultice, butare delayed by thole that fhould; right them. Saint Paul notwithltanding his appeal to Nero, could get no; Jufrice, becaufeNero being upheld by his uuder-Governours,muft. r Sam.26.6.7, an uphold them. Achis could confers that Davidwas upright, yet he told him; he muff not go with himfir fear of difpleafing the Loeds of the Philiflims. 3. Another Ggn is by their;fpeech; which the Heathen observed A good Governour faith, XIMIKOM µoi, it,is my duty, and I muff do it. An evil Gover- nour will fay ¡Vs': µcì, I have power and I may do it : He boalts with Saul,: I can give you Vineyards, etc. and with Pilate, I have power to crucifie thee, and power to let thee go. 4. A fourth fign is out of Menander, when their eye-brows fvell fo, that they will refufe to amendwhat io amifs. It there be any fault, and if you tell thetn not of it, they will fay ; Why did you not tell the of it ? and if you do, they will fay ; ass.4.6thG; u, we will confider ofit ; and then it fhallbe as much amended, as if it had never been mentioned : and allo you (hall, when opportunity ferves, be remembred with fome mark ofdifpleafure, as one, too bafieor pragmatical.When one told oab ofelbfoloms hanging in a tree, he asked him, why he did not kill him? but the other replied, that confidering the Kings aril charge to thecontrary, .7oab himfelf( if the fach had been done by another,) would havebeen ready to.accufe hitn',to the King, and to have him punifhed. g. It is a lgo of ill Government, when Religion.is pretended tojfop juffice. It was much praéfifed in the Primitive times, and oft complained ofbythe Fathers. Ifany of the Rulers or Officershad wronged a Chrillian Bishop, and hehad complained to the Emperour who promifed juflice, and appointed a day forhearing ; then would the Deputy come and fay, This man is aChriffian, he ought to be patient, and to for- Ads 16. 37. give injuries, and not to go to Law,.it's againll the principlesof his Religion." And thus they were difmiffed without Office, and reproached for their labour. So it is often with others, efpecially if any Clergy,man.reek .for juflice. 6. Lafily, The thriving ofthe righteous isa good fign. .In his days (faith the Pfalmift ) /hall therighteous flourifh. But on the contrary, when-as the Heathenob' ferved,Tbeflatterer is chief in effeem ftrta t owsopIrrns, and the Sycophant thenext, and a xaes- ìc, era', the lewd and naughtyperfun is the third. This is a fign of ill Government. Such a Sycophant was Doeg, whoaccufed David to Saul, and made r Sam. 22.9. him purfue him ; his crime was filch, that there was no Sacrifice appointed by the Law to expiate its and therefore David faid, Lethim be turfedbefore the Lord. It is 26. r9. reported, thatwhen Cæfar firft enured upon his tyrannical Government,he gave pre- ferment fie ut nor. bonefiaret hominee, & tauten inquinaret ornamentá ; fo that the men had no honour by them, but dishonour was brought upon thepreferments,and thcfe places ofpreferment are difcredited, when unworthy men as Sycophants and lewd perlons are placed in themby Governours. 7. The faxth Rule for expounding the Precepts is, that we do not only obferve The fixth rate them our felves, but caufe them to be observed by others. 'According to this ofprocu,iig we mull not onely honour our Superiours, but draw others to this Duty. The tFie obferv,nion negative Precept is given by,the Wife -man, Myfon, Fear God and the King, and by others. 3- Prov, 24. 2r. meddle not with thof that are given to change ,&c. We mutt neither be principals noracceffories in any rebellious courfeagainft our Soveraign, neither do any thing ofour (elves, nor draw others to joyn with us in any fuch unlawful courre. An Sam. 24.1a. example we have inDavids. when he had Saul at advantage,,.he would not hurt him himfelf, nor would hç fuller Abifluai to delfroy him; for who ( faithhe) 26.9. Ddda can
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