Chap. 3o. ."bi E:xpofition upon the Booke of J o s. Verf. it. and there is a bridle which keepes to order. Some Princes ufe their power for the good , others for the hurt of the people ; ._ yet the people hurt themaelves worft when they throw off the powers. They have let loot the bridle, and of Now, for as much as under theft Metaphorsof a cord, a bridle, authority and obedience to euthority,are fhadowed and held forth tous. Fira , Note. Reverence is the bandcfobedience from won to man. Takeaway reverence and all forts and degrees of men,are bud. ledinto a confuted heape. The Apottle (t met. a. t7.) ;Dynes reverence to God withreverence to M=_giltrates, Feare God, ho- nour the King. Take away honour, and prefently we loofe fub- jection. As reverentiall feare keepes man in his due obedience towards God, fo honour maintaines obedience towards man. Ifonce men cart off the feare of God , they Toone let Toole the bridle before him, and flight both him and his word. Alral.am concluded (Gen. zo, a r.) 1 thought, purely the feare of god is mot in this place, and they will flay me for my wives fake ; As if he had fayd, there is no bridle, no tie upon them,therefore they will doe any thing that comes next, any thing that they have a mind and power todoe. And if the feare of man be not in any place, what will men forbeare to doe ! if there. be not a reverential( aw upon children towards their parents, if(here be not a reverenti- all aw upon fervants towards their maters , if there be not a re- verential) aw upon fub'eas towards the Magiltrate,what wicked- neffe, what violence may we not expert and quickly fee 1, No fooner is that cord footed, but the bridle is let look too. Secondly , Note. Reverence is duefrom infericure to theirfeopericurs, efpecialiy to Magifirates. Sob reports not only matter of fact , or what they did, but matter of iniquity, or that they did very ill. It is the fin of the people, when they defpife and trample upon the Authority of their Princes , and throwoff the reines of Government. The Apoftle'Paul gives that ftri& charge,Let every foule be fiebjell to the higher powers, (Rom. r 3. t .) And fo every foule ought tobe. 93
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