506 Chap. 29. An Expofition Opon the Bookof ] o a. Vert, tr. will pleafe them ; yet when a people infiead of bleffìng are ge- nerally complaining of and murmuring againa their Magifirates, when in fiead of blefling and witting them good, they are revi- ling and fpeaking evil of them, efpeciai y when infield of bleffing them, thcy are cu:ling and whiling evil to them, there are fad fymtomes of manyprefent evils, and prefages of wcrfe. la Jobs Commonwealth, there was nothing heard but blefling ; he bief- fed the people, and the people blefled him. Thus it hath beet- between Prince and people ; and thus it (hall be at the fulfilling of that prcmife (1fa. a . 26.) 1 will refiere thy Judges as at the firft, and thy Cour fellours as at the beginning ; afterward thou/halt be called the City ofrighteoufnefs, the faithful Ceti. Secondly, Obferve , That reverence and Araife which Magifirates gain by righte- ous and vertuosu anions is honourable indeed. - The worfi of men , the wort} of Magidrates , have had high Encornions and praises ; but good Magif rates deferve them. To be commended for piety and equity, to be commended becaufe we have done commendable things, is the only true commenda- tion. Some doe but borrow a blefsing from others, and others barely beg it. Some Magifirates are bleffed only for fear, and others for hope, Of there latter Solomon fpeaks (Prov. 27, 14.) He that bleffetb his friend with a loudvoice, rung early in the morn- ing, it/Hall be counted a curie to bim. To blelle our friends is fo much our, duty, that'ris our duty to bleffe our enemies ; yet there is a blessing of our friends which is our fin, and may prove a curie both to them and us. He that blefeth his friend with a loud voice, V, ben his heart is filent, or meaneth him no good, or fecretly wifh- eth ill to him, this hypocritical ble(sing of a friend, will be an enemy, or a curie to him that ufeth ir. Again, he that bleffeth bis friend with aloud voice, as if he had a mind that all should know it, when himfelf knows he deferves no fuch matter, this man doth but call .loud for a deferved curie upon himfelf. To bleffe thofe who deferve tt not, deferves a curfe. The undue honour which we give to others, is our own fhame and difgrace ; and as it turns to the Chame and disgrace of the giver, fo of chofe to whom cis gi- ven ; not onlybecaufe it hardens and fattens them in their fin, but bemire others know 'cis falle, and fee their Criame and naked- _ fiefs,
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