The Happiness of a People in the Wisdom of Their Rulers Directing and in the Obedience of Their Brethren Attending unto What Israel Ought to Do

Of the Children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times to know what Israel ought to do, the heads of them were two hundred, and all their Brethren were at their Commandment.

IF ever those words of Wisdome, Proverbs. 8. 15. By we Kings Reign, and Princes decree Justice, were true of any of the Kings and Princes of the Earth, they were true of David, who in his publick, as well as private capacity approved himself a Man after Gods own heart; leaving an unimitable patern to the Kings of all succeeding ages, both of piety in obeying God and of wisdome and justice in ruling over men: as if the Book wherein Samuel wrote the manner of the Kingdome, had been perfectly transcribed in his life and Government. It was not undeservedly therefore, that after so large an edition of the whole Hystory of the Acts, and Reign of David, in the two first Books of the Kings, such a considerable addition should be made to that part of the Hystory, which concerned his entrance upon his Kingdome, in this twelfth Chapter of the first book of the Chronicles, where we have the triumphant manner thereof at large described, being attended therein with a great Host as it is called, ver. 22. like the Host of God: from which verse, to the end of this Chapter, it is very remarkable how the Pe◊man of this sacred Chronicle, like some Divine Herauld, is Marshalling the respective bands of the said Host, under the particular Banners of their several Tribes, assigning unto each, some distinct Character, as a special badg of honour according as they best deserved, either for the skilfulness of their Captains and Leaders, the number and valour of their followers, & willingness or readiness in both, to promote the design in hand, which was the turning the Kingdome of Soul unto David.

p. 2Amongst the rest of the Tribes, as they are here ranked in this Chapter, special notice is taken of the Tribe of Issachar, of which Tribe altho 〈…〉 no great matter had been foretold in the Prophe◊ical 〈…〉, either of Jacob or Moses, yet is there here in the Text a very signal testimony given, both to their piety and prudence, to their unity and magnanimity, any of which cannot be conceived, but to tend more then a little to the successful carrying on that great affair which now they had in hand: so as at that time, what Solomon saith of his vertuous Woman, Prov. 31. 29. might very ◊i◊ly have been said of the Tribe of Issachar, many daughters have done virtuously but thou excellest them all.

p. 2In the words of the Text there are four things very obvious to the view of the observant Reader.

1. The Distribution of the whole Tribe into its integral parts or constituent Members, as to their political order, viz. the Heads and the Brethren; of which two united together consisted the body of the Tribe, as is here implyed.

2. The qualification of each part, fitly disposing them to a regular performance of the duty incumbent on either, for the good of the whole. 1. Wisdome, in those that were the Heads, described both by its specification, understanding of the times. 2. By its application, to know what Israel ought to do. 2. Willingness in the Brethren, to attend the advice and counsel of their Leaders, they were at their Commandment.

3. The regular and orderly proceeding of each part, the which is necessarily implyed in the words; that when the heads of the Tribe had counselled and determined what was needful to be done, the Brethren were ready to put their resolves in Execution. It was not in Issachar, as Anacharsis the Philosopher, sometimes complained of the tumultuous proceedings in the popular Common-wealth at Athens, that wise and grave men deliberated on things, but fools and mad men resolved thereof: but at this time in Issachar, the body of the people were ready to put in execution what those who had understanding in the times judged needful to be done.

4. The entire unity of the Tribe amongst themselves, declaring the unanimous consent of the whole; in that it is said, all their Brethren were at their Commandment, so at the Commandment of the two hundred which were the Heads, which doth justly advance the gallantry of the Action of the tribe of Issachar in this affair, above that of any of 〈…〉 of the Tribes by the same proportion, by which our Saviour preferred 〈…〉 of the poor Widow above all the rest of the Contributers; 〈…〉 she put into the Treasury all which she had, so doth this Tribe send all their whole Stock to increase the Host of David: which if they were not so many thousands as some of the other Tribes might send, yet seeing there were none that staid p. 3behind, it was for want of number, but not of good-will, if they did no◊ equal or exceed the rest of the tribes.

p. 3I shall only paraphrase a little upon the words, to give the sense and meaning of them, before I commend any thing from thence to our present consideration.

Of the Children of Issachar, these were the descendants of the fifth Son of Jacob by his W◊◊e Leah, whose Lot as it seems to have fallen in one of the richest, and most fruitful so◊◊es of the whole Land of Canaan, so was it more likely, as was foretold in Jacobs blessing to dispose the Inhabitants, by reason of the r◊bul◊ickness of their body (an ordinary effect of the fertility of of any soyle) to couch down under a double burden of tribute then by any val◊u◊ of their minds, to shake off the servile yoke. …