Works of Joseph Hall, Section 7 – Section 9
§. 7. In a Counſellor of State, or Magiſtrate, is required
Wiſdome,
Diſcuſsing of cauſes,
Prouidence, and working according to knowledge.
Pietie.
Iuſtice, and freed from
Partialitie,
Bribes,
Oppreſsion,
WIthout Counſell, all our thoughts (euen of policie and ſtate) come to naught:Pr. 15.22. but in the multitude of Counſellors is ſtedfaſtneſſe: and no leſſe in their goodneſſe; 1.Pr. 24 5. Ec 7.2. Pr. 14 33. Pr. 17.24. Pr. in their wiſdome, which alone giues ſtrength to the owner, aboue ten mighty Princes that are in the City; a vertue, which though it reſteth in the heart of him that hath vnderſtanding, yet is knowne in the mids of fooles. For wiſdome is in the face of him that hath vnderſtanding, and in his lips: for howſoeuer he that hath knowledge, ſpareth his words, yet the tongue of the wiſe vſeth knowledge aright;Pr. 15.2. Pr. 24.7. Pr. 26.1. and the foole cannot open his mouth in the gate; and therefore is vnfit for authority. As ſnow in ſummer, and raine in harueſt; ſo is honour vnſeemly for a foole. And though it be giuen him; how ill it agrees? As the cloſing of a precious ſtone in an heape of ſtones,Pr. 26.8. ſo is hee that giues glory to a foole. From hence; Pr.the good Iuſticer both carefully heareth a cauſe, knowing that Hee which anſwereth a matter before he heare it, it is folly and ſhame to him; and that related on both parts; Pr. 18.17. Pr. 20.5.for He that is firſt in his owne cauſe, is iuſt: then commeth his neighbour and maketh inquirie of him; and deeply fifteth it: elſe he loſeth the truth; for The counſell of the heart of a man is like deepe waters: but a man that hath vnderſtanding, will draw it out.Pr. 22.3. Ec. 9.15. Pr. 13.16. Ec. 9 17. Pr. 21.22. From hence, is his prouidence for the common good; not only in ſeeing the plague, and hid ng himſelfe, but in deliuering the city: & as he foreſeeth, ſo he worketh by knowledge: and not in peace only: as, The words of the wiſe are more heard in quietneſſe, than the cry of him that ruleth among fooles; but in warre: A wiſe man goeth vp into the City of the mighty, and caſteth downe the ſtrength of the confidence thereof. For wiſdome is better than ſtrength,Ec. 9.16. Ec. 9.18. Ec. 9.13. Ec. 9.14. Ec. 9.15. yea than weapons of warre: I hauehave ſeene this wiſdome vnderunder the Sunne, and it is great vntounto me; A little City and men in it, and a great King came againſt it, and compaſſed it about, and builded forts againſt it; and there was found in it a poore and wiſe man, and hee deliuered the City by his wiſdome. Neither can there be true wiſdome in any Counſellor, Pr. 14.16. Pr. 21.30. Pr. 11.3. Pr.without piety: The wiſe man feareth, and departs from euill; being well aſſured, that there is no wiſdome, nor vnderſtanding, nor counſell againſt the Lord; and that, Man cannot bee eſtabliſhed by wickedneſſe: and indeed how oft doth God ſo diſpoſe of eſtates, that the euill ſhall bow before the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous? neither is this more iuſt with God, than acceptable with men: for when the righteous reioyce,Pr. 18.12. Pr. 29.2. Pr. 28.12. Pr. 28.28. Pr. 29.2. Pr. 25.26. Pr. Pr. 28.11. Pr. 24.23. there is great glory, and when they are in authority, the people reioyce; contrarily, when the wicked comes on, and riſes vp, and beares rule, the man is tryed; the good hide themſelues, and all the people ſigh: and the righteous man falling downe before the wicked, is like a troubled Well, and a corrupt Spring.
Neither is Iuſtice leſſe eſſentiall, than either; for to doe iuſtice and iudgement, is more acceptable to the Lord than ſacrifice: To know faces, therefore (in a Iudge) is not good; for that man will tranſgreſſe for a peece of bread; much leſſe to accept the perſon of the wicked,Pr. 18.5. to cauſe the righteous to fall in iudgement: He that ſaith to the wicked, Thou art righteous, him ſhall the people curſe, and the multitude ſhall abhorre him: Yea yet higher; Pr. 24.24. Pr. 17.15. Pr. 17.23. Pr. 18.16.Hee that iuſtifieth the wicked, and condemneth the iuſt, both are an abomination to the Lord. Wherefore, howſoeuer The wicked man taketh a gift out of the boſome, to wreſt the waies of iudgement; and commonly, A mans gift inlargeth him, and leadeth him (with approbation) before greatmen: yet he knoweth, that the reward deſtroyeth the heart;Ec. 7.9. Pr. 12.7. Pr. 15.27. Pr. 21.15. Pr. 19.15. Pr. 21.11. Pr. 21.2. Ec. 14.5. Pr. 12.17. Pr. 18.17. Pr. 19.5. Pr. 19.9. Pr. Pr. 14.31. Pr. 22.22. Pr. 24.26. that the acceptance of it is but the robbery of the wicked; which ſhall deſtroy them, becauſe they hauehave refuſed to execute iudgement: he hateth gifts, then, that he may liue, and it is a ioy to him to doe iudgement. He doth vnpartially ſmite the ſcorner, yea ſeuerely puniſh him, that the wickedly fooliſh may beware and become wiſe. And where as EueryEvery way of a man is right in his owne eies, and a falſe record will ſpeake lies and vſe deceit: he ſo maketh inquirie, that a falſe witneſſe ſhall not bee vnpuniſhed: and he that ſpeaketh lies, ſhall periſh: Laſtly, his hand is free from oppreſsion of his inferiours: which as it makes a wiſe man madde; ſo the actor of it, miſerable: for He that oppreſſeth the poore, reproueth him that made him: and if the afflicted be oppreſt in iudgement, the Lord will defend their cauſe, and ſpoile the ſoule that ſpoileth them; and vponupon all occaſions, he ſo determineth, that they ſhall kiſſe the lips of him that anſwereth vpright words.
SALOMONS COƲRTIER
§. 8. Muſt bee
Diſcreet,
Religious,
Humble,
Charitable,
Diligent,
Faithfull.
IN the light of the Kings countenance is life,Pr. 16.15. Pr. 19.12. and his fauour is as the cloud of the latter raine, or as the dew vponupon the graſſe: which that the Courtier may purchaſe, hee muſt be 1. Diſcreet: The pleaſure of a King is in a wiſe ſeruant,Pr. 14.35. Pr. 22.11. Pr. 11.27. Pr. 12.26. Pr. 22.4. Pr. 15.33. Pr. 25.6. Pr. 25.7. Pr. 25.15. but his wrath ſhall be towards him that is lewd: 2. Religious both in heart, Hee that loueth pureneſſe of heart, for the grace of the lips the King ſhall be his friend: and in his actions, He that ſeeketh good things, getteth fauour; in both which, the righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: and beſides theſe, humble; The reward whereof is glory: for, before glory goeth humility. He dare not therefore boaſt himſelfe before the King, and thruſt himſelfe ouer-forward in the preſence of the Prince, whom his eies doe ſee: whom he ſee moued, he pacifieth by ſtaying of anger, and by a ſoft anſwer breaketh a man of bone, not aggrauating the faults of others: He that couereth a tranſgreſſion, ſeeketh louelove;Pr. 17.9. Ec. 8.2. but he that repeateth a matter, ſeparateth the Prince. To theſe, hee is diligent, taking heed to the mouth of the King; and therefore worthily ſtandeth before Kings, and not before the baſe ſort: and withall true and faithfull; when hee vndertakes anothers ſuit, hee lingers not, Pr. 22.29.knowing that The hope that is deferred, is the fainting of the heart;Pr. 13.12. Pr. 17.8. and though A bribe or reward is as a ſtone pleaſant in the eies of them that hauehave it, and proſpereth whitherſoeuer it turneth,Pr. 19.6. Pr. 21.6. (for eueryevery man is a friend to him that giueth gifts) yet hee accounteth the gathering of treaſures by a deceitfull tongue, to be vanity, toſſed to and fro, of them that ſeeke death.
SALOMONS SƲBIECT.
§. 9. His duty to
His Prince,
Reuerence,
Obedience.
Fellow-Subiects.
EVery gouernment preſuppoſeth Subiects. Pr. 14.18.In the multitude of the people is the honour of the King; and for the want of people, commeth the deſtruction of the Prince: Of whom God requires, in reſpect of the Prince, Reuerence, Obedience: Pr. 19.6. Pr. 29.26. Ec. 10.20. Pr. 24.21. Pr. 17.11. Ec. 10.20. Pr. 17.11. Pr. 24.22.That they ſhould reuerence, and ſeeke the face of the Prince; not curſing the King, ſo much as in their thought, nor the rich in their bed-chamber; but fearing the Lord, and the King, and not meddling with the ſeditious, which only ſeeke euill. For, as the Fowle of the heauen ſhall carry the voice, and the maſter of the wing declare the matter: ſo (for reuenge) a cruell meſſenger ſhall be ſent againſt thē, their deſtruction ſhall ariſe ſuddenly, and who knoweth their ruine? For their due homage therefore and obedience to lawes, they take heed to the mouth of the King, and the word of the oath of God;Ec. 8.2. and if a law be enacted, Ec. 10.8. Ec. 10.9. Ec. 8 3.they violate it not, nor ſtriue for innouation. Hee that breakes the hedge, a ſerpent ſhall bite him. He that remoueth ſtones, ſhall hurt himſelfe thereby: and hee that cutteth wood, ſhall be in danger thereby. And if they hauehave offended, they haſte not to goe forth of the Princes ſight, nor ſtand in an euill thing: for he will doe what-euer pleaſeth him;Ec. 10.4. but rather if the ſpirit of him that ruleth, riſe vp againſt them, by gentleneſſe pacifie great ſinnes.