72 ./gai"ft Pofemtioll. 1 Kmg~ 2::. s, multin1des of great ones in the workl. \Vhcn Ah.Jb h.td fer himfelf ir:t a wa.y of fin, the Prophet ; 1 .., ~i·. nmft ~t·prove hi~ ; and then he hatr~fJ and ptrfic~tc~h. ~he Prophe_r, bec~ufc he pmphtf~d not good 1 K.ng. ;)' ' 4 of hnn bur ev1\: When J(roboam thought that h1s mtercfi rtquaed htm, lO fer up CJ!ves at Da 11 a~d Betbel, and to make Priejti for th_em of the ~a{eft_of 1he: peo~lr:, the Prophet rnufi fpeak agaioll z. Chron. 16. }·us fin : and then he llretchc:th out h1s hand agamfi hnn, ar.d fauh, L1y hold ()n bim: IfAfa fin and 10 ' the Prophet tell him of it, his rage may proceed to imprifon his reprover. IfAm.1ziah fin with the 2 Chron. , 5. ldol_lters, the Proph(t mufl rcpmve him, :iind ho :\ill ji~mcc h~m or [mite him : And filenced he is, 16. and whar ·mull t&llow ? 2 Chron. I 5 1 16. lbe Kmg faJd tolum, Art Jbou made tif the King 1 coun[tl? forbt"r: whyjhuldj! thou bt [mitten-' (This fetm<th to be gentle dealing. ) Then :he Propho focbJr, and [aid> 1k..~ow tb .. /1 God IJa1b derermincdto dcflrny tb.ce, bec:J.ujc thou bajf dont tLU, and hajf not heark– John 19. 12. ned to my cou1ifrL. HPi/ate do but h4'U 1 LIfthou let WiJ m.m gv> thor~ art not Ca:fars friend, J he think– eth ir h1s intcreji' to crucitic ChrH\:: As HetoJ rhoug\u iG his inttrdl to kill him, and thc~t:fore to kill M.1:Lh. 2. 16, fu m.my other lr.fllltS 1 when he heard of the birth of • Kit~g ot the }::ws. Becaufe of an Herodi.sr 17, t!k and t he honour ol his word, E-Jcrad will norflick to b~:.head J olm Buptijl: And anmher J-lirod will kill M:~.tth.,1,~,6;. J~mCJ ~i~h th~ Sword, and imprifon Peter~ becaufe ll( fc:trh that 1t plc.~!~th the Jews. Inllances of M:u. 6. 19 ,2r, tn1s ddrerarc hn arc innumcrahle: There ts no way fo common, by wh1ch S.aran hath engaged the 2:>. Rulers ot the world, againft the Kingdom o~ Jdus Chritl, and againtl: the Preachers of his Gofpel, and . flh "·'>l+ rhc people that obey him, rhan by pe• fw,ding rhrm as Haman d1d Ab.Jim~~<, EOher 3• 8,9. [ Thm M .1 ctrJ:Jin peuple fctatterrd obroad, aJtd dif'perfcd am:mg 1hcpeople in ..C the Province-1 cf tby Kingdum, and their LawJare divCI'J from aU people, neither k,.eep they the KingJ LafPJ: therefore it i1 not for the King 1 prvjit tafoffer tbrm: if it pleafe the King, let it be written that they may be d<jlrrJ)•ed. J When once the D.. vd bath got men, by error or fc:nfuali!y, to efpou[c an inrerell that Chtift is again!\:> he hath half done his work : 1-~or then he knowC;h that Chrifi or his fervams wit\ never bend to rhe wills of (in– ners;. nor be reconciled to their wicked w~yc:s, nor t&ke part with them in a {inful caufc: And then iris tafic; fof S:J.tan to perfwade fuch me11, that thd(: precLfe Preachers and people are their enemies, and an: aglinf\ thc:ir inrerdl and honour~ and that they arc a turbulent feditious fort: ofpeople, unfit t:Obe governed ( bccaufe they will nor be falfe to God, nor take patt with the DLvil-, nor be friends ftl fin.) \Vhen once Ncbucbadn~zzar harh fct up his goldcn 1 1mage, he thinks he is obliged in ho~ nou~: to perfccutG them rha:r w11l not bow down, as refraCtory perfom that obey hot the King. )'Vh.m Jerobo.Jm is once engaged to fer up his Calves, he is preHmtly engaged again.ll thofe that are againtl them; aTJd tlllt is againHGod aRd all his fervanrs. Therefore as Rulers love their fouls, kt them. take: heed what cauf<.: and intercfi rhty efpou[e. Dircc:J. 6. ~· .26. Dirtd'. 6. To Love your mighbourJ as your [elves, and do aJ J f!U would be done by, isthe infallible means to a.void the guilt of perfccution~ 1-'or Ch.:~rity {~tjftrub Jo11g, anct ;, kjnd, it en– vieth not, it i..t not eafify prowked, it thinJ?.!tb no evili rejoycetb not in iniquity, but rtjoyceth in the trntb ; it. btareth all tbi"gJ, btlitvetb all t{,ingJ, 'hopeth all tiJing~o, eHdu,c'lh aU things. I Cor. 13. 4, 5, 6, 7· Love worketh no iU tobiJ neigbho,r: thert/ore Love i1 the fulfiUing of the Lar11, Rom. I3· 10. And if it fu.lfill the Law, it wrongtth no man. when did .yeu fee a Man perfecute himfe/fl imprifon, ba... niili, defame, lhndcr, revile or pui to d~ath himfalf ( if he were well in his wits ) ? Never fca.r pcrfecution from a roon that Loveth liU neigbbout aJ himfe!f, and dctb aJ be, would~~ ,tfone by, and is gor filfifh and uncharirablc. Dire/1. 7· ~· 27· Diru~t. 7· Pride a/fo mufl bt [ubdued if you would not be perfccurors: Fer •·proud man cannot endure to have his word difobeyed, though it conuadiCl: the Word of God : Nor can he en .. durc to be reproved by the l'reachm of rhe Gofpd; but will do as H"od with Jolm Baptijl, or" A fa or Amaziah, by 1he PJOp.hets! Till the f~ml be hwrnbled, it will not bear the !harp remedies which our Saviour harh prckribed; but will pcrfecute hiiT:~ that would adminititr them. Direl/. 8. 9· 28. Dirccl:. 8. P-'ffion mufi be[ubdued, a~td,the mi11d '-'P' calm, it you would avoid the guilt of pcrfecurion. A[,; was in :1 rage when he imprifoned the Prophet: (A rit.work for a raging man)• ..i ~ad Nthmhadniz'(;ar was in • r..tge and fury when he commanded the puniOlmlnt of the·three w.it– ntffcs, Dan. 3· I3· The wrath of. man wbrketh no~ the will of God, JamtJ J, 2.0. The nature of wrlU.hfulnej J tendeth to IJurtiHg thofe you arc angry with. And wrath is impatient, and unjult; and Will not hear what men can fay, but ra!hly pdfeth unrightcous fcntence. And it blindcth Reafon, fo that it c:nnot fee tht truth. s. Dircli. 9 • _ §. 29· D:reCb9• And heark..,ning tomalitious bacltbiterJ and Jfa.itderer 1, and. f.~vouring tbe tnemies of_GodtintjJ in their calumnies, will engage men in perfccution cte they are aware. For when the wicked are in the favour, and at the ear ofRulers, they have opportunity to vent~ thofe falfe reports, which th(y m:Vcr want a will to vent ! And any thing macy be faid of men behind their b1Gks, wiih an appearance: of·truth, when there is none to contradict it• . If H.zmanmay heh·eard, the Jews !halt be deHroyed, as not being for the Kings profit, nor obedient to his L~ws, Jf Sanb.J/Jat and Tobiah m.ty be heard, the building of the·Walls of Jerufalem, !hall fignitie no better than .m ifltended re~el.o lion. They..afe.true words, though to fome ungrateful, which arc fPoken by the Holy Ghofl, Prov. '29· 12· [If a Ruler IJearken u J;rs, aV hir forvanu are wick,.ed J (for they will foon accommod.. ue ~th1.'m(clv(S ro fo vit.ious a humour ) Prov. 2 5· 4, '5· Tuk_e away the,droji from the filvtr, and there jhtJU come f rJrrh a Vcffcl for the finer : Takt away tht 'R'icJted [ram before tbe King , tMd hiJ 1'hrom fhall lie ·ejfabiijhed i;t righteoujnefs. If the Devil might be believed, J'ob ,was one cha[L (~tytd- God for g~in, and might have been made to..curfe him to his f,ac:c. And it his fc'r·vants may be believed, there .is 1 norhio!) fo vile which the beL< mco arc nor guilr.y of. '
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