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out of the Sphere of our Commanding, or Controuling of Providence. He that defires nothing of worldly Riches, according to Socrates's Saying, does, in fome Measure, refemble God, in his All-fufficiency. And how can we call those poor Men, who want nothing; whofe Souls are inrich'd with fuch rare, Perfections of Patience above the Power of Impoverishment? Calamity it felf, in Ariftotle's Opinion, proves oftentimes the Occafion of Happinefs; in leading a virtuous Life, full of Peace, Quiet and Contentment.

LET the poorest Jobs of this Age then be no longer afflicted, or discomfited among Chriftians; or elfe the Heathens will rife-up in Judgment against their Impatience and Murmuring. Let them reft fatisfy'd upon this faithful Affurance, that the moft miferable Deftitutes here may prove God Almighty's greatest Favourites hereafter; and their prefent Defolation or Diftrefs tend to their future Bliss and Glory in another World: where all terreftrial Sorrows will be wip'd away with their Tears, and turn'd into celeftial Joys, or angelical Injoyments. Happy will a merciful, compaffionate and bountiful Prince himself be in fuch a fuffering People, on this Side Heaven; who can thus religiously and virtuously forget their Poverty, Tribulation or Thraldom upon Earth! Happy alfo will the People of a Nation, almoft bankrupt and beggar'd, be in fuch a tender-hearted Prince; who is deeply touch'd with a true Senfe of their Miferies, and earneftly concern'd for the Redress of their Grievances! Both Sovereign and Subject will by this Means be highly Happy. His Kingdom

will flourish again, and his poor Country-men rejoyce in their Redemption.

VERSE VIII.

OPEN thy Mouth for the Dumb, in the Caufe of all fuch as are appointed to Deftruction.

I

PARAPHRASE.

Beg of you, Son Solomon, in the laft Place of my Advice for your Well-doing and Advantage, to adminifter Justice equally, exactly and impartially to all your loving People in Subjection to your Authority or Commands. You will do well not to commit the Care, nor intruft the Execution of it wholly to your fubordinate Officers of the State. You ought to fit upon the Bench fometimes your felf in Perfon, as well as the Throne; to fhew your Prudence, your Power, or your Prerogative, as well as Condefcenfion and Humility. Let me intreat you to frequent the Courts of Judicature, more than perhaps you have hitherto done; honour them oftener with your Prefence; over-rule the partial Judge open your Mouth in a righteous Caufe, and never fpare to fpeak in Favour of the Dumb and Defence lefs. If you chance to fee any helpless Perfon there, either Plaintiff or

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Defendant, in Danger of lofing his Right upon a Tryal; because he is not able to make it out, or to manage it with Succefs, for Want of knowing the Law: Or if you find he cannot fpeak fo well for himself, through Fear, Modesty or Ignorance; because perhaps he has no Gift of Elocution, and no Faculty of Addrefs fit for the Hearing of the Court: Hold not your Tongue then upon this Occafion; left the Innocent be caft, the Righteous be wrong'd, and the Juft forc'd to fuffer. Keep no longer filence, but immediately undertake his Vindication. Take his Part more especially, when it happens to be the Cafe of fome unfortunate Strangers; who want the trueft Interpreters, require the faithfalleft Advocates, and deferve the most impartial, unbiass'd or uncorrupted Judges: when they understand nothing of the Laws, and are peradventure, either in Jeopardy of Life, or in imminent Danger of fuffering fome confiderable Damage in Body, Credit or Eftate; as if they were appointed to Deftruction, only for Want of Friends. Let fuch friendless Wretches as thefe, whether Orphans or Indigents, Foreigners or Natives, never be oppreffed by Might, Malice or Mifunderstanding; for Default of Speech or Knowledge, how to make their Defence upon Life and Death, or in Cafes of Liberty and Property. The Word of a King will foon rectify fuch Miftakes of Perfonal Refpect or Partiality. 'Tis a princely good Office to take fuch a poor Man's Caufe in Hand, that is not able to help himfelf, nor qualify'd to fay any Thing to purpose for his own Preservation, or in Juftification of a clear undoubted Title. How like Majefty will it look, to deH

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fend the lamentable Cafe of the Widow and the Fatherless, involv'd in vexatious Suits of Law; to efpoufe their Quarrel in a difputed Right; or to vindicate thofe Miferable Mutes, and filent Deftitutes of Fortune, who are cutout (as it were) for Destruction, or confign'd over to Ruin, by the malicious Profecution of their mortal Enemies: And that perhaps too fometimes long before any Sentence of Condemnation is openly pronounc'd, or Execution fix'd to the fatal Day? But you may nevertheless, like a wife Prince, a true Patriot, ftill refpite, reprieve, and pardon, by Virtue of your own unlimited Prerogative; where you fee any Colour of Reafon, or politick Occafion of Prudence for it, without prejudicing the Publick. In a Word, I befeech you, be merciful as well as juft; and let your great Clemency over-rule the Rigour of the Law. Thus you will become a faithful Father of your Country; and the Inhabitants, your most obedient Children.

JU

REMARKS.

USTICE and Mercy, well-mix'd and wifely moderated, are fuch fignal Virtues, fingular Qualifications, and illuftrious Ornaments of Crown'd-Heads themselves, as well as interiour Minifters and fubordinate Magiftrates, or other friendly Fellow-Subjects of all Ranks among one another; that they render any Reign or Adminiftration of Government, not only happy in it felf, but also wonderfully glorious in the Eyes of the whole World. They fenfibly draw upon a particular Kingdom, the general admiration of Foreign Coun

tries. The Loadftone it felf is not more attractive of Iron and Steel, with all its hidden Powers, than thefe Virtues are of Efteem and Veneration. For which Reafon, the Natives may unanimoufly rejoyce with Exultation, under the benign Influences, and diffufive Goodnefs of their gracious Governour, their lawful Prince, their pacifick Sovereign.

UPON this Confideration, the good Queen preffes her Son Solomon fo pathetically to the Practice of thefe Two Royal Excellencies and noble Indowments of Mind: without which, no Government can long fubfift in a firm Condition, or a flourishing Conftitution. Whereas, if the Word of God be true; and the holy Scripture cannot be fuppos'd to falfify, or to mifreprefent Things against any rightconftituted, or well-adminifter'd Government: as it is in Prov: Chap. XXIX. Ver. 14; The King that faithfully judgeth the Poor, his Throne Shall be established for ever, in the Hearts of his People. But by the By; there is not a more vile vulgar Notion in the Universe, than that which would have all People left to their own Liberty or Choice, in Matters of Morality and Religion. A difcreet Compulsion is abfolutely neceffary for large-ftretching Confciences. They ought to be prudently reftrain'd; to think, fpeak and at rightly, according to reveal'd Rules or establish'd Doctrines. All other Freedoms are irregular, unreasonable and irreligious Latitudes. There would otherwise be no Room for Satyr or Reproof; for Rewards or Punishments; for Law, Government or Decorum but the whole World would in a little Time turn Free-Thinkers, Free-Talkers, and Free-Booters; loofe Livers, lewd Liber

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