Selected quad for the lemma: earth_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
earth_n	heaven_n	lord_n	work_n	9,156	5	5.3243	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A48944	The honour of the magistrate asserted In a sermon preached at the assizes holden at Lincoln on Monday, March the 23. 1673/4. By Thomas Lodington, M.A. Sometimes fellow of Magdalen Colledge in Cambridge, and now rector of Welby in the county of Lincoln.	Lodington, Thomas, 1621-1692.	1674 (1674)	Wing L2812A; ESTC R217723	19,040	35

Authentick testimony which alone is so sufficient proof that it might supersede all other It is that of the Son of God Joh. 10.34 35. Jesus answered them is it not written in your Law I said ye are Gods If he called them God's If God called them God's so the Persian translation reads it Thus the Latin version Si de eis loquens ad quos ●●rmo factus est Deus illos Deos dixit To strengthen the reputation of this version I shall mention a place in the Law where God calls Magistrates Gods Exod. 22.28 Thou shalt not revile the Gods nor Curse the Ruler of thy People Idem bis dictum the latter Clause is Exegetical and puts a construction upon the former Rulers are called Gods I have made thee a God to Pharaoh Exod. 7.1 Thus God speaks expressly to Moses whom he intended to make his Captain General to bring Israel his People out of Egypt and his Vice-Roy to govern them I have made thee a Prince to Pharaoh I have made thee a Lord in the business of Pharaoh so the Fastern Language read it And that he might not want a meet Attendant of a God God appoints Moses a Prophet Aaron thy Brother shall be thy Prophet So known a thing was it to the People of Israel that God did call Rulers by the name of Gods that they themselves also called them by the same name Exod. 32.1 When the People saw that Moses delayed to come down they said to Aaron Vp make us Gods which shall goe before us for as for this Moses the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt we wot not what is become of him They do not say as the learned Rabbins observe make us Gods whom we may worship but Gods which may goe before us They asked a Captain and a Governor that might rule over them in Military and Civil affaires For whatsoever they asked it was to supply the absence of Moses but him they never had for a God but as a Prince and a Captaine And St. Jerome gives this Etymology of the name of Samuel 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 nomen ejus Deus to signifie that he who by his mother was dedicated to God to serve him in the Tabernacle was designed by God to serve him in the State as Judge over Israel God hath said 1. Then there is a Truth and Reality in the thing It is not a Complement passed upon Magistrates ascribing that to them that doth no way belong to them what God says they are that they are Dictum facium with God no sooner said but done The whole World was made by the word of God He spake the word and it was done Psal 33.9 It 's so in his Ordinances God in calling Magistrates Gods doth thereby constitute them such He advances them above the condition of the other men and doth thereby associate them with himself in the Government of the World and authorize them to be and to act as Gods 2. A Candid Construction must be given to the stile For he that sayes of Magistrates Ye are Gods sayes elsewhere Besides himself there is no God And 't is the first Commandment in the Law of God That we have no other Gods before him So unless that an Interpretation and Restriction be put upon the Text we shall be cast upon the blasphemous mistake of Murcion who observing God to Command his People to rest on the Sabbath day and at the Seige of Jericho to goe round about the City Seven days together one of which must needs be the Sabbath he accuseth God of inconstancy in his will and inconsistency in his Commands Judais fixit legem non sibripsi so Tertullian answered him and so must we our selves He who restraines us from making to our selves any other Gods doth not restraine Himself from setting such over us who shall be as Gods to us and honoured as such by us 3. God hath said Therefore is there an answerable Expectation in him that Magistrates be what he hath made them and carry themselves worthy of their stile that they execute Justice and Judgment in that Sincerity and Constancy as God himself would doe did he govern the world by his own immediate voice The like Expectation hath God from the People that they reverence fear love their Governors and be obedient to them actively in all lawful Commands and Passively in all other considering whose Name they bear and whose Authority they have 2. To whom Magistrates The Scope of the Psalm evinces this which sh●ws that Order and Government is of God Magistrates is his Ordinance Magistrates are by him designed and advanced to their office God is present with them to observe assist and prosper them to punish their Miscarriages and to reward their faithful Services 3. What is spoken Ye are Gods and all of you are Children of the most High Gods 1. Not Essentially such Not Gods of the same infinite Nature and Excellency with the Lord Jehovah the God that calls them Gods The Redemption of the World was a work of that difficulty and so pleasing unto God that the glorious Person employed in it is God indeed in the literal sence without a Metaphor The God of Heaven did then come down to the Earth and dwelt amongst men in the likeness of man The Government of the World though a great and difficult work too is executed and mannaged not by God made Man but by men made Gods But to these we may suppose God speaking as Pharaoh did to Joseph whom he made Ruler over all the land of Egypt According to thy word shall all my People be Ruled only in the throne will l be greater then th●… Gen. 41. ● God doth not deliver up his Soveraignty to them nor divide it with them Magistrates cannot 〈◊〉 to themselves what the flattering P●●t gives unto 〈…〉 cum Jove Ca●…ar habet Absolute Soveraignty is too much for the noblest Creature to re●… and for the most beautiful God to give It s inconsistent with the 〈…〉 finiteness of God's nature to constituted 〈…〉 sence God advances no Creature so 〈…〉 any Service so much as with Her●d to 〈…〉 the half of his Kingdom 2. Nor fi●…tions imaginary 〈…〉 have no other De●ty then what then fond worshipper 〈…〉 falsely ascribe to them 〈◊〉 Gods are 〈…〉 king the Gods of the Text are Gods of 〈…〉 as the word in the former sence carried the 〈◊〉 too 〈◊〉 to be given to any mortal man so in 〈◊〉 it layes it too low to apply to such excellent and useful persons as Magistrates are 3. But Gods constituted and ●…ined by God substituted under him to act for him in governing the World Vice-Gods representing the Person and Maj●…ty of the true God invested with his Authority and doing his office in giving Law to men and Executing the same to maintain Order Justice Equity and Peace among men D●… non propter J●●●tatem naturs sed 〈◊〉 effi●… Gods 〈◊〉 Gerents his L●…tenants whom he

verse The Chaldee Paraphrase reads the whole Text in a lower strain Thus the Latine version Velut Angeli vos 〈◊〉 retutati A double allay in the stile instead of Gods they are called Angels and instead of their being they are but reputed Angels Attamen in veritate siout homines moriemini Though you are in reputation Angels immortal creatures not obnoxious unto death yet in reality and truth you are men and shall die like men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 like Plebeians men of lowest quality and frailest nature who have the lest helps to preserve life and prevent death Ego dixeram Deos esse vos nunc autem siout homines moriemini thus the Syriack is rendred God seems to revoke his large Commission given to Magistrates and to take away the Honour he had bestowed on them upon supposal of their male administration of Government and because they do not live and act like Gods he will now have them to die like men The like revocation as this seems to be God makes of his gracious Grant to Eli concerning the succession of his Family in the Priest's office 1. Sam. 2.30 I said indeed that thy House and the House of thy Father should walk before me for ever but now the Lord saith be it far from me for them that honour me I will honour and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed And likewise to King Saul concerning the establishment of the Kingdom in his House 1. Sam. 13.14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue But I do not take the latter verse to be a repeal of the law in the former which constitutes Magistrates Gods but an Interpretation and restriction of it how far and in what sence they are to be so taken And thus the most wise and gracious God knowing that the sacred Ordinance of the Magistracy will be spurned at and the persons of Magistrates affronted as King Saul was by men of Belial he provides for their security by giving them such a Title and such a Power as is able to set them above the reach of all attempts The Crown of thorns set upon the head of Christ was done in mockery by the Souldiers as if such a Crown were good enough for him who in their esteem was a person of low degree and had no other Title to a Kingdom than a bold pretence and sittest for him who was going to suffer a painful and ignominious death Yet is it a Hieroglyphick of the cares troubles and dangers that attend Crowns which foreseen and considered are able to cause wise men to refuse the office of a Ruler and to say as the Trees in the Parable Judg. 9. Should I leave my fatness Should I forsake my sweetness Should I leave my wine and go to be promoted over the Trees Therefore to incourage such Persons whom in his providence he calls to sit at the Stern to undertake government and to strengthen their hands to it and also to east an awful regard both of their Persons and Commands upon all men God puts upon them the name of himself Who is the blessed and only Potentate the King of Kings and Lord of Lords Again on the other hand God knowing how apt the corrupt nature of man is to advance too high under great Titles and to abuse great Trust unto actions unworthy of their place He gives timely check to such high towring thoughts he puts his own construction upon his own words and sets limits to that his large Pattent by which he conferrs such great Honour and Command upon them But ye shall die like men 1. That Magistrates whom God is pleased thus highly to honour may in the Psalmist's phrase Be put in sear and may know themselves to be but men and may consider that though their office be great their imployment honourable their abilities for discharge eminent yet they are not advanced out of the rank of men nor exempted from that law which all men are under Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto all men once to dye but after this the judgment No circumstance of Title Place Trust or Ability will set any any above the reach of that Law of Nature and Decree of God That so when they come to lay down their great Office with their frail nature this may be said to their honour in their Funeral Orations which Pliny in his Panegyrick says of the Emperour Trajan non minus hominemse esse quam hominibus praeesse meminit That he himself was a man was no less in his thoughts than that he was a Prince over men 2. That People may know what Honour and what Obedience to give their Magistrates Render to all their due Fear to whom Fear Honour to whom Honour As well what as to whom is to be considered We must honour and obey Magistrates as men whom God hath honoured and will have us to honour Men called by the name of God invested with his authority but yet remaining men still and therefore must not be adored as God and obeyed with active obedience as God himself in all Commands whatsoever We must not Idolize men and from a Sense of the high merit of able and faithful Rulers advance them higher in our hearts then God hath presented them before us On this account came into the World most of the Heathenish Idolatry Those ancient Heroes who by their clemency magnanimity and Victorious success did famous acts for the delivering preserving and enriching their People were by them partly out of gratitude to such noble benefactors partly to recommend their Virtues to the imitation of succeeding Princes exalted to the style of Gods And some victorious Kings lifting up themselves upon the high thoughts of their successes and enlargments of dominion have affected the Title and Worship of Gods I shall confine my self to the First General part and therein observe Three Particulars 1. Who it is that speaks I have said The Pronoun Feo hath no lower reference than to the most High God He hath said who may best even God who hath a natural Soveraignty over all Creatures by right of Creation 2. To whom doth God speak Ye As the former Pronoun relates to the Greatest in Heaven so this to the Greatest on Earth God the supreme Lord speaks to Magistrates his Vicegerents 3. What is spoken by God of Magistrates Great honour is given to them they are intrusted and imployed in the great affaires of the World I have said that ye are Gods and all of you are Children of the most High All things Concurr to put a special remark upon the whole matter Magna eis in h●● Pronomne h●e But when every word is Emphatical there must be a great force in the saying to command our attentions when the great God speaks great things to the great men of the Farth great notice is to be taken of what is said 1. Of the First Particular I have said To prove that it is God who here speaks I shall produce one