him from the band of strange children, whose mouth speaketh of vanity, and their right hand is a right hand of falsbood. And now our Sons grow up as young plants, and our daughters are as the polished corners of the Temple, our Garners are full, affording all manner of store; our Sheep bring forth thousands andten thousands in our streets.There is no decay (of Trade) no leading into Captivity. Only we cannot fay, there is no complaining in our streets. This fin lyeth as an indeleble reproach upon our Nation. We English-men never know when we are well. But what fhall we fay? when the most profperous raign of Peaceable Solomon was disturbed with the Murmurings of Male-contents, it is no wonder if it be fo with us. Every ear is filled with the hiffing of fuch Serpents, and the noise which they make among the Thickets of the people; but it will require the wildom of Solomon to charm them; and he did it fo effectually, that though they did fome time hifs at him, yet they could never hurt him, for there was peace all the days of Solomon. And that it may be fo with us, I fhall follow the method prescribed in the Text, where,

Firft, We have a Royal Prohibition, Ne dicas, fay not thou.

Secondly, We have the fin defcribed against which the Prohibition lyeth, which by consent of the best Expofitors is a murmuring and repining at the prefent Difpenfations of God, and the Administration of Publick affairs by our Governors.

Thirdly, We have the fecret and fubtile pretences by which it infinuates it felf to the hearts of the people, What is the caufe? and a falfe and odious comparison between the former and the prefent times, The former times were better than these.

And

And Fourthly, The folly and impiety of such secret and mischievous Arts, Thou doft not inquire wifely concerning this.

First, Of the Royal Prohibition, Say not thon, that is, Though you question the King's Prerogative, yet quarrel not with the Prerogative of God by whom Kings Reign and Princes decree judgment; as if he did not fet fit Governours over us, or did not ftill retain a power over them, who hath the hearts of all Kings in his hands, and difpofeth of them to his own wife and gracious ends either for the punishment or prosperity of a Nation: If the former days were better, it was God's will to have them fo; and the prefent are not fo bad, but we by our ingratitude deserve to have them worfe: If we will not submit to Solomons rod, God may fend a Rehoboam to chastise us with Scorpions. Know therefore that this fin doth not terminate in the perfons or government of our Princes, but invades the Throne of God; as Mofes told the Ifraelites, your murmuring is not against us, but against the Lord. And therefore Solomon ftrikes a blow at the root of this fin, the ne dicas is ne dicas corde, admit not a difcontented thought: for as where the Serpent gets in his head, he eafily skrews in his whole body, to where the heart is fowred with a little of this Leaven, it ferments and envenometh the whole man, infects the neighbourhood and troubleth the whole Nation. Solomon expounds the ne dicas in the Text, by ne maledicas, ch.10.20. for to murmur is fecretò maledicere; and we are not to speak evil of the Rulers of the people ne in Confcientiâ, not under a pretence of Confcience; because we must submit for Confcience-fake; we may not do it in fcientia,not speak the evil we know by them. It is not fit to fay to a King Thou art wicked. Much less Fob 34.18. B 2 maift

Ex. 16.8.

maift thou do it in conclavibus among thy Confidents, in private meetings. It is probably conjectured that Solomon had refpect to Jeroboam and his confederates, 1 Kings 12. 26. Dixit corde, He faid in his heart, now fball the kingdom return to the house of David. He had learnt by Shimei's punishment not to rail or confpire openly against the King, but contrived fecretly; for though it be faid that he lift up his hand against the King,it was not in open rebellion, for there was no war in Solomon's days; but the phrafe fignifyeth, juramento fe obligavit, he and his confederates entred into a Covenant against the King, the mischievous effects whereof though they were fuppreft by the wisdom of Solomon all his days, yet they brake out in the days of his Succeffor, and they complain even of Solomon himself, Thy Father made our Joke grievous, 1 Kings 12. 4. Now therefore make thou the grievous fervice of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us,lighter; And yet we read not of any contribution except for the building of Gods houfe, or the neceffary support of his own, to both which the people for the most part offered willingly. Nevertheless this gracious and peaceable Prince had many enemies who hated him, as Davids enemies did without a cause. They ac1 Kings 2. knowledged that God as well as his father defigned him for the Crown, and fetled it on his head against all oppofition, for Adonijah ufurped the kingdom, Abiathar, Joab and shimei abetted the Ufurpation,and were all defeated: God appearing for Solomon not once or twice for the prefervation of him from fuch enemies, was a daily miracle. But Jeroboam, Solomons fervant whom he had preferred and greatly honoured, was his moft dangerous and implacable enemy who filled the peoples hearts with fears and jealoufies, and their mouths with complaints of his Government; and very induftrious he was to find out

35.

fome

fome real cause for his complaints, but finding none, he could only keep the people alarmed with the feditious Queries in the Text, what is the cause?

This being the Sin forbidden in the Text I fhall aggravate it, 1. From the Causes, 2. From the Effects of it.

vetera lau

babentur.

1. The Caufe in general is the lufts of men. So S.Jude Ex vitio describes Murmurers to be fuch as walk after their own malignitaLufts, ver. 16. For when men are refolved to enjoy their tis humana lufts,they will indure no restraint from God or man, be dantur, their laws never fo eafie or equal: every one of them præfentia hath the mind of an Emperor, to live above the Laws faftidio themselves, and to make their will a Law to others. Tacitus. And hence it is that they would heap up Governours to themselves as they heap up Teachers, or rather ufurp both those Offices to themselves, that it might be with them as when there was no King in Ifrael, every one might do what feemeth good in his own eyes. S. Jude v. 16. calls them μμtiμoe, complainers of their prefent condition, as too narrow and uneafie for their great Souls, which they think fit and able Intelligences to inform the highest orbs of Magiftracy and Ministry.

2. Ariftotle lays it proceeds from self-love, and a fond conceit of our own parts and merits, for no man thinks too highly of himself but he thinks too meanly of others. I am not as other men, fays the Pharifee, nor as this PubLican. Some respect fuch a perfon is content to allow the Worthies of former ages, who are removed out of his his way, and cannot rival him in his designs..

Sed nifi que terris femota fuifque

Temporibus defuncta videt, faftidit & odit. If virtue it self were incarnate among fuch, they would look on her with an evil eye. The Pharifees feemed much affected with the Sufferings of the ancient Prophets, when at the fame time they perfecuted the Son of God

by

by whom they were all inspired. So the Poetafters in Virgils age,publickly read the harsh Poems of Ennius, defpiling him whom all ages fince have deservedly admired. And on this account Jeroboam and the Malecontents in his days magnified themselves as if they were thofe Lilies of the field, to one of which Solomon in all his glory was not to be compared. There is scarce a Potsherd though newly taken from the earth, though empty and crazy, but if it be not presently gilded over and made a veffel of honour, is ready to expoftulate with the Potter, why haft thou made me thus?

3. This humor proceeds not only from a mans fuppofed worth, but from his real weakness. It is impotentia fpiritus, the want of power to govern our own fpirits that makes us impatient of the government of others. The shallowest rivers run with the greatest noise. And in all nature the weakest things are most querulous and ungovernable. Children will be froward, as well full as fafting; the weakness of their reason and judgment makes their defires and paffions fo extravagant and impetuous. The Olive and the Vine can content themselves with their own fatnefs, and the good man is fatisfied from himself. As Cincinnatus and the worthies of old Rome, who could command as Generals in the Camp, and advise as Oracles in the Senate; and when their Countrey was fafe, return again to their little Cottages and the Plough. It is the fpiny bramble that is alway afpiring and in perpetual motion until it kindle a fire to confume it felf and the Cedars in Lebanon, fudges 9. 15.

4. Another ingredient is guiltinefs, which always makes men jealous and fufpicious, especially of fuch as are in Authority. And as guilt caufeth fear, fo fear produceth hatred of those whom they have offended (i.c. ) the Legislators, whom not being able to oppose by force,

they