THE SHIELDS OF THE EARTH, A SERMON, Preached before the Reverend Judges, Sir RICHARD HUTTEN, and Sir GEORGE CROOK, at the assizes holden at Northampton, Feb. 25, 1634. PSALM XLVII. 9. The Shields of the Earth belong unto God; he is greatly exalted. THE Psalm is a Psalm of shouting and triumph at the proclaiming of a king: at which solemnity, the use of the people hath been, to clap their hands, to sound the trumpets, and, with united acclamations, to profess both their joy and their subjection. The Gentiles are here called upon, unto this duty and triumph of obedience; (ver. 1, 6) and great reason for it, in two respects: 1. So great is the king, who is here proclaimed, as that he is able to make all his subjects kings too. He chooseth the excellence of Jacob for their inheritance. (ver. 4) And that was the primogeniture and right of government. (Gen. xlix. 3, 4, 10) 2. So great a king he is besides, as that he is able to subdue all the princes of the earth to his obedience, and make them gather together, or resort unto him; which is a phrase expressing subjection. (Gen. xlix. 10. Hos. i. 11) But you will say, 'Is it then so strange a thing for one prince to conquer another?' No: the greatness of Christ's kingdom is in this;-that princes do voluntarily become his subjects; not by might compelling them, but by his spirit persuading them; not by armis, but arguments; not by conquest, but by conviction: The princes, the voluntaries of the 1 Kings i. 39. 2 Kings xi. 12. b Zech. iv. 6. people" are gathered together;" that is, are become obedient to the God of Abraham. But how come princes to be so flexible to terms of subjection? How come they to be willing, nay, ambitious, to stoop to another's sceptre? How come the grandees of the world to be caught by fishermen, and young lions to be 'led by a little child,' as the Prophet speaks? The reason of that follows in my text, "The Shields of the Earth belong to God:" and when he will be pleased to exalt himself, he can easily subdue and persuade them. Few there are of those whom I have looked unto, who retaining the original word, "Shields," do not understand it in the same sense with the first word of the verse, “Princes." Calvin, I confess, and from him some others, though approving this exposition as consonant to the scope of the text, do yet understand it in 'abstracto.' "The protection of the Earth is of the Lord;" or, "the Lord is the Shields ;"that is, "the manifold protection of the Earth." And so much do I honour the judgement of that most learned interpreter, that as he acknowledgeth the other exposition to be consonant to the text, so I shall not altogether neglect his; but take both the abstract and concrete together; the protection, and the protectors; the office, and the persons protecting the earth, belong unto God. But because I find, 1. The learned lexicographers in the Hebrew tongue, Pagnin and Schindler, both noting out this place in special, where princes and magistrates are called "Shields." 2. The learned expositors, Bucer, Melancthon, Musculus, Illyricus, Tirinus, Muis, with the Hebrew doctors Aben Ezra and Kimchi, taking the word here to note princes." 3. Because I find the harmony of the scriptures making way, and giving full allowance to this exposition; Hos. iv. 8, where rulers are expressly called by the name of "Shields ;"-I shall, I hope, with clear satisfaction to better judgements, choose chiefly to insist on that sense, as being, in all confessions, very pertinent to the scope of the text, and most suitable to the business of the time. Here, then, we have the "rulers of the earth" set forth by double relation: The one upward; they are "scuta Deo;" Isai. xi. 6. they belong to God:-The other downward; they are "scuta terræ," the "shields of the earth;" and both these noting two things, their dignity and their duty. They belong to God; it is their honour that he hath sealed them :-they belong to God; it is their duty to be subject to him. They are 'shields' of the earth; it is their honour that they are above others; they are the shields' of the earth; it is their duty to protect others. And surely, great reason they should do their duty, when they have honour and dignity of their own to encourage and support them in it. But there is a further reason than that in the text, namely, the honour of God; for when the rulers of the people do not only by the sacredness of their persons, but by the holiness of their lives, belong to God; when they are above the people, not in honour only, to over-top them,—but in love and righteousness, to protect them too; then never more, vehementer exaltatur,' the God of Israel is highly exalted. This is then the sum of the words: A two-fold dignity, a two-fold duty, and God's honour the end and ground of all:-Of all which, by God's gracious assistance, with due respect to the time and your great business. And first of their relation upward; they belong to God, their office to God, their persons to God. 1. Their office; the protection of the earth, belongs to God. The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; and all the princes in the world are but his deputies and vicegerents: he the supreme and the main protector. It is not in man; "he that runneth, nor he that willeth; but mercy comes from God." (Rom. ix. 16) It is not in the church; "he that planteth, or he that watereth; but the increase comes from God." (1 Cor. iii. 7) It is not in the battle; "the horse, or the rider; but safety comes from God." (Prov. xxi. 3) It is not in the state; "the wise man, nor the rich man, nor the mighty man; but judgement and kindness comes from God." (Jer. ix. 23) In matters of judicature, he "the law-giver to rule the cause;" (James iv. 12) he the "judge to hear it;" (Psalm 1. 6) he the "pleader to argue it;" (Psalm xxxv. 1) he the "witness to confirm it;" (Mal. iii. 5) he the "King to determine and over-rule it;" and all to the purposes of safety and protection. "The Lord is our judge; the Lord is our law-giver; the Lord is our King; he will save us." (Isa. xxxiii. 22) "O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thy help: I will be thy king." (Hos. iii. 10) It is the devil's style to be xaτńyopos, an "accuser;" it is Christ's, to be maρáxλnтos, an advocate and comforter.' It is the devil's work to be Abaddon,' a destroyer; it is Christ's, to be Goel,' a redeemer. When it comes to punishing and pulling down, then he calls it "opus alienum," a work strange unto him; (Jer. xxviii. 21) he is not willing to afflict; it comes not from his heart. (Lam. iii. 33) But when he is to build up, to protect, to show mercy, to be a shield of the earth,' then he delighteth in that. (Mic. vii. 18) You see the protection of the earth belongs to God. 1. By his providence: he supporteth it; the same virtue being required to conserve the world, which was to create it. 2. By his ordinance: he setteth up and establisheth those orders of government which are to administer it. 3. By his assistance and benediction: he encourageth and prospereth the just and honourable endeavours of those, that are dispensers of peace and justice. Lastly, By the powerful restraint of his law, over the consciences of evil men; by the sweet influence of his grace on the souls of good men; by planting an awful reverence towards authority in the minds of all men; by his secret and wonderful wisdom, tempering and reducing the various events and contingencies in the world, to his own merciful ends of peace. By these and the like powerful operations, are churches and commonwealths marvellously protected, amidst so many machinations of Satan, so many mutinous and turbulent affections of men; so many jealousies and antipathies of states; so many principles of commotion and dissolution: as a piece of rich and beautiful arras is curiously wrought out of the mixture of various and contrary colours: That every one who looketh on, may say, "Verily, he must needs be a God which judgeth the earth." O! therefore let us all learn to rest upon this protection,not to trust in our own counsels, purses, policies, and machinations: "The name of the Lord is the only strong tower," for the persons or states to flee unto. Without this, walls of sea, and towers of munition, mines of India, and horses All the defences of Their defence, their of Egypt, mountains of brass, and men of iron, would do no service, afford no succour or help at all. men, without God, are but a shadow. shadow is departed from them, Numb. xiv. 9. Thus their office belongs to God. Next, their persons, they belong to God too. His own they are, and so he calls them: "Touch not mine anointed," Psalm cv. 16. C And his they are divers ways: 1. By a singular and more special propriety. Other things belong so to God, as that men also under him, and by subordinate interest and indulgence from him, have a right over them too. "The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; but he hath given it to the children of men." The beasts of the forest, and cattle on a thousand mountains, all his; but he hath subjected them all to man. It is not so here. Princes do so belong to God, as that he holdeth all the propriety solely in himself, transferreth it not upon any other. "A Deo secundi, post Deum primi, soli Deo subjecti," saith Tertullian. There is not a man between them and God, but he only that is man and God: "Every soul must be subject; therefore no soul is above them." (Rom. xiii. 1) d 2. His by unction; by the royal character and sacred signature, wherewith he hath marked them for himself; by his own 'dixi,' the word of God which came unto them; as our Saviour speaks, John x. 35. "Inde potestas, unde et spiritus:" so Tertullian. And an ancienter than he, “Cujus jussu homines, ejus jussu reges:" so Irenæus. And an ancienter than he, "The powers that are, are of God;" so Saint Paul. And yet further, "The God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom :" so Daniel *. And if you will yet go to the ancientest of all, "By me kings reign:" so God himself. (Prov. viii. 16) Cyrus a heathen king, Saul an evil king, David a holy king: all these were "Anointed shields" (to use the phrase of the prophet, Isai. xxi. 5) so they are called: the first by the prophet Isaiah, the other by Samuel, and the third by God himself. a Psalm xxiv. 1. i. 28. b Psalm cxv. 16. h Rom. lib. 5. c. 24.-Aug. de Civ. Dei, lib. iv. cap. 32. et lib. 5. c. 121. xiii. 1. k Dan. ii. 37. |