f He who 1s the ſtrength,and defence,and proteQor of his People ; which he here manifeſts by ebliging and direQting Kings and Rulers ſo ro manage their Power and Authority as may molt conduce to their comfort and benefir. g By way of command. Or, of me, by way of Prediction and Promite concerning me and my Houſe and the Methas who 15 to come out of my Loins. þ Tiws it is a Precept or D<claration of the Duty of Kings, and particularly of So/omon his Son ( to whom as a dying Man he gives this Advice ) and of his Succellors theKings of God's /ſrael,for whole Inftru&ion he gives this Rule. And {ſo here are the two principal parts of a King's Duty anſwerable to the two Tables of God's Law, Juſtice towards Mcn, and Picty towards God, both which he is to maintain and promote, among his People. To which if you add Benigniry and Clemency. whereby a King renders his Government nor ftrightful and burden jom, but acceptable and amiable to his People, which poliibly may be meant by the following Simylitudes, here is a compleat Charadter ot an excellent Prince or Governour- Others make it a Prophecy of Chriſt, and then the words arc or may be thus rendred, Tere ſhall be a Ruler over Men { or rather, ameng Men, as the 'Hebrew word properly ſignifies, to wit, the Mefſſias, who, though he be the Ererna!
and Inviſible God, yer ſhall viſibly appear and rule ameng Men) - ju or righteous one ( a Title oft given to Chriſt as 1a: 53: 11. Jer: 23: 5,6 and 33: 15; Zech; 9: 9 ) ruling in the fear of the Lird, ma- king it his great buſineſs to advance the Service and Worſhip, and Glory of the Lord: or, as itis in the Hebrew, ruling the fear of rhe Lord; i: e. Governing and ordering the Worthip of God, which 1; oft called, the fear of God, And to this Clauſe is added to prevent o1 remove ſcandals and offences which mighr be taken art the Metſias when he ſhould come, becauſe of his changing and abrogating the Ceremonial Law; and ro in{inuate that he thould have no leſs power in the governing of God's Houſe and Worſhip, than Moſes had ; and that he might make fuch Laws as he thought meer. And if this be the meaning of the place, then as Jaceb, being greatly afflicted with the troubles which he by the Spiricof Prophecy toreſaw were coming upon his Poſterity,comtorts himſelf with the thoughts of that great and glorious Salvation of God, which he alſo forcſaw and waitec for, Gen:49' 18, So David refle&ting upon the great Diſorders, and Miſcarriages, and Calamities which had already ariten in his Houle ; and either, wiſely prelaging, or torcſceing by the Spirit of the Lord, werſe 2. that the ſame fins and miſcries ſhould befal his Poſterity and Succeflors ; he ſupports and cemtorts himſelf with this Confidera- tion, "That one of them thuuld be a moſt excellent Pe fon ; Juſt and
Mecſſias, who was undoubtedly revealed ro,and expeRed by David, as ap DCcars By many paſſages of the Pſalms, and by other Scriptures.
4 And * be ſhall be 5 as the ligtic of the morning. when the ſun riſeth, even a morning without clouds ; as
the tender graſs /pringing out of che earth by clear prov:s: 8:
{hining after rain. _ 7 Theſe words are either, r- A further Deſcription of the King's iJuty. which is not only to rule with cxatt Juſtice and Piery, bur al- ſo with ſweetneſs, and gentleneſs, and condeſcention to the Infirmi- ties of his People ; to render his Government as pleaſant and ac- ceptable to them, as 1s the Sun-ſhine in a clear Morning, or the tender Graſs which ſprings out of the Earth by the warm and refreſh- ing Beams of the Sun after the Rain, which hath a peculiar ki d of ſweetneſs and fragrancy in it. Orrather. 2, A PrediC&ion or Decla- ration of the ſweet and bleſſed Effe&ts of ſuch a Government, both to the Governour himſelf,in that Peace,and Proſperity, and Glory, and Happinneſs which it brings to him, and to his People ; to whom it is no leſs grateful, and comfortable, and beneficial, than thoſe great and publick Bleſſings of Sun-thine and Rain, and the Fruits v'hich they produce : Which is true ofevery good King or Gover- nour ; but moſt eminently of the Meſſias.
5 Although my houle be not fo with God & ; yet he hath made with me an everlaſting covenant /, ordered in all :hings m and ſure »: for o this 5s p all my falva-
tion q, and all my deſire r, although he make is s not to grow,