to be playing up down the streets on the Lords Day Aaron may speak but it is Moses Rod that does the wonders Wee that are Ministers may cry out against these things but you have power in your hands Let not sin dare any longer to affront Word and Sword It s a pretious oportunitie God has put into your hands improve it You may do more good and bring in a greater revenue of glorie to God now in a few houres then it may be you shall ever be able to do again in many yeeres Close your eyes against all discouragements Laugh in the face of difficulties Passe by with generous magnanimitie and brave contempt the derisions of men viler then the earth You are high in place and office Be higher in affection and resolution To the worke in good earnest and goe thorough stitch with it Everie eye that looks upon you will blesse you The prayers of all Gods people will be for you And though we will not presume to say to you as Nestorius said to the Emperour Mihi ô Imperator terram tu haereticis purgatam tribue ego tibi coelum retribuam Give us London purged of Drunkards Swearers Sabboath-breakers c. and wee 'll give you Heaven Yet Jesus Christ shall say Well done good and faithfull servant And not onely wee that now live but succeeding ages shall call you blessed Your name shal be like a pretious ointment to the children yea to the childrens children that are yet unborn Your Honours most humble and obliged servant ELIDAD BLACKWELL A CAVEAT FOR MAGISTRATES 2 COR. 19.6 7. And he said to the Judges take heed what you doe for ye judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgement Therefore now let the feare of the Lord be upon you take heed and doe it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts THese words they are Jehosophats caveat to his Judges In the former verse you have their Commission He appointed Judges in the Land throughout all the fenced Cities of Judah City by City To judge to rule to govern Magistracie though it be for every ones good yet it is not every ones work but theirs that are appointed to it He appointed Judges There 's their Commission And then here 's their charge Wherein two things are required of them First Action ver. 7. Take heed and doe it Judges must be doers Secondly Caution ver. 6. take heed what you doe Judges must take heed what they doe And then you have the grounds of that caution they are two The first is taken from the person they represent in judgement The Lord For ye judge not for man but for the Lord Not for man It is not to be understood negatively but comparatively As that God will have mercie and not sacrifice Sacrifice too but mercie rather then Sacrifice So for men too but for God rather then for men So Tremelius Non tam hominis quam Dei vices in judicando geritis As if he should have said In this great work ye sustain not so much my person as Gods person nor are ye so much my Vicegerents as Gods Vicegerents my Deputies as Gods Deputies therefore take heed what you doe The second is taken from the person present with them in Judgement and that 's the Lord too But for the Lord who is with you in the judgement As if he should say you doe not onely represent God in the judgement but God is present with you in the judgement He sits as Lord chiefe Justice upon the same bench with you therefore take heed what you doe Thirdly you have the main help prescribed and that 's the fear of God Now therefore let the fear of the Lord be upon you The true fear of God in the heart of a Judge first it wil Restrain him from every evil Other Governours did thus and thus were injurious were oppressing c. but so was not I. because I feared God said Nehemiah Secondly constrain him to every good put him upon every duty Though never so difficult Gen. 22.12 Never so dangerous 1 King 1.18.3.12 Lastly you have the main hinderances removed And they are three 1 Iniquity wickednesse profanesse A mighty impediment to justice 2 Accepting of persons 3 Taking of gifis For There is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking gifts We will begin with the caution Take heed what you doe As if he should say be not rash headlong percipitant but discreet wary circumspect in all your doings and very wary marvellous circumspect here 's a double take heed Take heed and doe it and Take heed what you doe Caution upon Caution Of all men in the world Judges Magistrates Ministers Doct. 1 of Justice they ought to be men of marvellous warinesse and circumspection All men ought to be so The divers assaults of Satan to deceive us The sundry inticements of the flesh to beguile us The many allurements of the world to ensnare us All declare as much All have soules to save All have another world to provide for All have rules to walke by All are subject to erre from those rules All must appear before the judgement seat of Christ and give accompt of all they doe Therefore all had need to take heed what they doe But above all Magistrates had need to doe so for why First They have a larger and greater care and charge committed to them by the Lord then others have And that 1 In regard of places Other's their care and charge is shut up and contained within narrower and straiter bounds and limits then their's is Ministers to their Flocks Parents and Masters Governours of families to their families Their 's to Kingdoms Counties Cities 2 In regard of persons Let every soule be subject c. Rom. 13.1 That lawlesse immunity of the Clergie as they call it from the authority and jurisdiction of the civill Magistrate ' its the cursed device of Antichrist 3 In regard of things Others their care and charge hath respect some to the spirituall estate of men onely some to the temporall worldly outward estate of men onely their 's to both Again others their care and charge hath respect some to the state of the Church onely Some to the outward civill politike estate of the common-wealth onely Their 's to both The office of the Magistrate and the duty of the Magistrate it hath respect not onely to Religion but to the civill State not onely to the civill State but to Religion He is Custos utriusque tabulae must be carefull that all duties both of first and second Table be performed All open breaches of every Commandement in both punished Besides these are in the highest degree of preheminence next to God above all others They carry Gods image in their persons Gods scepter in their hands Are called Gods Et quo
sublimior gloria Eó major cura sayes Cyprian Again they of all others are most obnoxious to slips and falls and miscarriages And that 1 Because they have many provocations which others have not Ly open to many snares which others doe not ly open to 2 Because they want many restraints which others have Publike and private admonition and reprehension Fear of punishment c. A terrour indeed they are to others if they doe evill revengers to execute wrath upon others Rom. 13. But if they doe evill themselves who shall be a terror to them and execute wrath upon them Once more Innumerable and those unspeakable are either the mischiefs or benefits that must necessarily flow from Magistrates either diligence or negligence and that both to Church and Common-wealth A Magistrate he is a publike person and therefore a publike good or a publike evill If he be carelesse negligent ungodly unjust abuse his authoritie neglect his dutie what 's the issue Religion degenerates into Idolatry and Superstition The publike ministery of the word and all other means of salvation are either wholly neglected or exceedingly slighted Wicked men incouraged Godly men discountenanced Nothing but Ataxie Disorder Confusion in Church in Common-wealth Men cannot possesse their lives their estates their names their any thing in peace in quiet Whereas on the other side if Magistrates be wise faithfull carefull vigilant intentive God will be worshipped purely the Ministerie of the word prized highly evill men punished good men protected And all knit together in such an order that every one will forward what he can the peace prosperitie welfare good comfort of another and every one possesse and enjoy his life his goods his good name his all in peace in safetie in securitie This is cleer by the state of the Kingdomes of Israel and Judah When they had good Magistrates as David Salomon Josia Hezekiah c. How did every thing flourish that concerned either the glorie of God or the profit and benefit and comfort of men both for soul and bodie But when the Magistrates were Idolatrous Tyrannous Vicious Then all went to wrack And wee see it by our own sad experience And therefore Ecclesiastes 10.16 17. Woe to thee ô Land when thy King is a child and thy Princes eat in the morning And blessed art thou ô Land when thy King is the sonne Nobles and thy Princes eat in due season for strength and not for drunkennesse sayes Solomon That Land is happy that has good Magistrates and the contrary most miserable and unhappy For these and many other reasons Judges and Magistrates men set apart for the guiding and governing and ordering of Kingdoms or Counties or Cities ought in a more especiall manner to take heed what they do And that in all their actions Naturall Civill Religious In their whole conversations The ordering of their Families There Children Their Servants Those they employ in managing their publike Affairs Those too they employ in managing their Domestick or Houshold businesses and occasions to see that they be such as be faithfull in their dutie to them their masters on earth mindfull of their dutie to God their master in Heaven That they be pious religious conscientious such as feare God such as will discharge the trust committed to them If a man know not how to rule his owne house how shall he take care of the Church of God saith the Apostle of Ministers and it 's true of Magistrates as well How shall hee be able to governe a Citie that cannot govern his own Family The ordering of their persons too Above all men in the world Magistrates had need to take heed that their lives be holy harmlesse righteous religious Such as may adorn their profession Such as may put an honour a lustre upon Religion Such whereby they may be an example of good to all of evill to none For why First with what face can a Magistrate punish sin in others if guiltie of the same sin himself A drunken Magistrate A swearing Magistrate A whoring Magistrate A Sabboath-breaking Magistrate how can he punish drunkennesse in others oaths in others uncleannesse in others prophanenesse of Gods day in others Secondly The excellencie of their office requires it Magistracie It 's a visible character of an invisible Deity They are called Gods I have said ye are Gods Psal. 82. And what a drunken God! a swearing God! a Sabboth-breaking God! a prophane vicious God! It 's no lesse then blasphemy Thirdly The eminencie of their place requires it They are as a City set upon a hill All mens eys are upon them Their lives are exemplary Men are led by example much and by the example of Magistrates more then by the examples of other men Reges ad exemplum c. Magistrates lives they are the peoples rules And of all things a rule should be strait A false rule a crooked rule it 's most dangerous Fourthly Example in them doth more good or more hurt A mighty force in the example of Magistrates Have any of the Rulers believed in him John 7.48 The example of the Rulers kept many from believing Evill examples in Magistrates is more infectious more contagious Jeroboams sin it made All Israel to sin If Magistrates be wicked how will wicked men be animated imboldned incouraged in their wicked wayes Not a greater provocation in the world to a wicked life then a wicked Magistrate God will be dishonoured more his people grieved more wicked men imboldned more the Land indangered more defiled more from them as from a fountain prophannesse wickednesse ungodlinesse will flow forth into all the Land as the Prophet speaks of the wicked priests of his time Jer. 23.15 Therefore above all men in the world Magistrates had need to take heed wihat they do And that even in All their actions in their whole conversations But especially in the administration of justice in the execution of their office in matter of government in point of judgement in their judiciary proceedings That is 1 In hearing causes that are brought before them 2 In passing sentence when they have heard them 3 In executing that sentence when they have passed it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} To these three heads may be referred all judiciary proceedings Hearing Sentencing Executing First hearing of causes that are btought before them whether criminall or controversall Doth our Law judge any man before it heare him saith Nicodemus The Common-wealth it 's a body politike offenders and offences in a Common-wealth they are as it were the peccant and noxious humours and diseases in that body Judges and Magistrates they are as it were Physicians for the healing and curing of those diseases and doth any Physician prescribe c. before he understands the state of a mans body and considers the nature of the disease Descendam ut videam saith God The sins of Sodome were exceeding grievous and their cry came up to heaven Yet God does not
therefore what you doe you will else undoe the whole Kingdom And will you be the persons that will undoe England Suppose God should yet disappoint all our hopes and bring in all our fears and fire and sword should overrun even the whole land and the enemie should begirt our very walls and we should heare the alarm of war in our very gates and should see torrents of bloud running down our streets our houses burning our wives ravishing our children dashing in pieces and our selves running some of us to the tops of houses others to the bottomes of cellers to hide our selves from the murtherer all in an uprore London stretching forth her hands and crying out to all the world as Jerusalem once behold and see if there bee any sorrow like to my sorrow And in the midst of these sad combustions and confusions your consciences should step in and tell you as the Prophet tells those filthy priests of old Mal. 1.9 This hath been by your means England may thanke you for this England might have been a Nation still if it had not been for you Religion the gospell might have flourisht in England still if it had not been for you The worke of Reformation might have been carried on even to perfection if it had not been for you O how dreadfull would this be where 's the man whose very heart within him can choose but tremble to think least he should be the man with whom it should be thus Now the good Lord of heaven startle you rouse you awaken you The good Lord of heaven make you serious in the businesse God will be dishonoured else his wrath provoked against your selves against the Land his people grieved wicked men animated encouraged emboldened in their wicked ways Maxima peccandi illecebra impunitatis spes Not a greater provocation in the world to sin then hope of impunitie And within your consciences they 'l accuse you And without the complaints sighs groans and tears of the oppressed they 'll cry to Heaven against you And the oaths blasphemies drunkennesses uncleannesses prophanations of the Lord's Day c. which you might have suppressed and did not they 'll cry to heaven against you And will not all this prevaile with you Why I beseech you by all that 's dear to you As you tender the glory of God As you tender the safetie and securitie and prosperitie of this great Citie yea and of this whole Nation As you tender the peace of your owne consciences yea and the eternall salvation of your souls in the bowels of Jesus Christ I beseech you Take heed what you doe ANd now my honorable Lord give me leave I beseech you to address my self in a few words to you Certainly your Honor would never have chosen my text for me if you had not intended I should direct my speech to you Truly my Lord I have not the least jealousie or suspition either that you will not take heed and do it or that you will not take heed what you do I am confident you have studied your dutie I am as cōfident you are resolved through the mightie assistance of Gods grace and spirit to stirre up your selfe even to the verie utmost to doe your dutie Yet give me leave to put you in remembrance Philip that great King of Macedon He knew that he was mortall and that he must die yet hee would have his Boy knocke at his Chamber doore everie morning and tell him so My Lord Take heed what you doe 1 As a man 2 As a Christian let those inward and immediate actings of your soule towards God be scru'd up to a higher peg now then ever Love God more Delight in the Ordinances more Prize Jesus Christ more Be more in communion with him too close communion closet communion Ply the the throne of grace Double your files at heaven You have more need now then ever If you prayed twice a day before truly you had need pray thrice a day now Morning and Evening and at noone will I call upon thee says David Be much in seeking God Much in consulting with the word too And then for your outward conversation Order that aright See that your life be holy harmlesse righteous religious such as may adorne your profession such as may put an honour a lustre upon Religion such whereby you may be an example of good to all of evill to none You are as a Beacon upon the top of a Mountain All mens eies are upon You. Thirdly As a Master of a Family Families in Scripture are called Churches Salute Aquila and Priscilla and the Church in their house Let your Family be a little Church in regard of frequent reading the Scriptures Prayer morning and evening and other the like duties and exercises of Religion performed there My Lord I beseech You heed what I shall now say Religion set up in Your Family will bring Religion into fashion as I may say throughout the whole Citie And for your servants and your officers the charge God gives to you doe you give to them God bids you doe you bid them Take heed what they do Shine the fixed stars never so oriently and resplendently yet if the Sun and Moon the inferiour Orbs should not give forth their light what a darke world would it be Be you never so couragious so industrious so godly so just so upright yet if your Officers be false hearted negligent indulgent covetous timorous how will every thing goe to rack It 's with a corporation as with a curious clock or watch though the spring be never so right yet if but the least wheele yea but the least pin be amisse it distempers all Remember Davids resolution this way in that 101. Psalme It was the happinesse of Solomons time that not onely the Mountains the supreme Magistrates brought forth peace but even the little hils too the inferiour officers brought forth joy unto the people Oh that it might be the happinesse of yours my Lord But lastly and chiefly as a Magistrate In all your actions in your whole conversation you ought to be a man of marvelous warinesse and circumspection but especially in the administration of justice in the execution of your office in matters of government in point of judgement in your judiciarie proceedings that is when in judiciall places and in judiciall affairs hearing causes sentencing executing Then above all other times and in those things above all other things it highly stands you upon to take heed what you doe Countenance the good Curb the bad Judge the fatherlesse Plead for the widow Help poor ones Defend weak ones Oppose great ones if ungodly Cut off wicked ones Pull the prey out of the teeth of the Lion Break the jaws of the Oppressour Accept not persons Take not bribes Let the fear of the Lord bee upon you Put on righteousnesse as a Chaine and judgement as a robe and diadem What ever corruptions you see redresse them