Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	aaron_n	deal_n	mercy_n	34	3	7.1118	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A29687	The crovvn & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered in LVIII sermons from Heb. 12. 14, where you have the necessity, excellency, rarity, beauty and glory of holiness set forth, with the resolution of many weighty questions and cases, also motives and means to perfect holiness : with many other things of very high and great importance to all the sons and daughters of men, that had rather be blessed then cursed, saved then damned / by Thomas Brooks ...	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1662 (1662)	Wing B4939; ESTC R36378	584,294	672

looked upon as noble and necessary justice that all insurrections in the State be punished as Rebellion and shall those who are daily up in open arms against the great God and that daily bid defiance to him to his Son to his Ordinances to his people to his word and to his wayes escape without the least lash the least censure Shall those that rob their neigbours though it be but to the value of five shillings yea lesse be indited examined condemned and executed and shall others that rob God of his glory of his Sabboths and of his service c. escape without the least shaking of the rod or without the least danger of the whip Shall all prophan●sse loosnesse and wickednesse be winked at yea countenanced and encouraged notwithstanding his Majesties most Zealous pious and renowned Declaration against it and shall real holinesse and the power of godlinesse be on all hands scorned discountenanced opposed and reviled and yet no man say What means these things Well my Lords and Gentlemen for ever remember this All those sins that are in this Land committed which by your just power and gracious examples might have been prevented all those sins in the great day shall be charged upon your accounts and therefore it highly concerns you with all your might to brow-beat wickednesse to discountenance ungodlinesse and to improve your power to the uttermost for the suppressing of all prophanesse and for the countenancing encouraging and promoting of real holinesse that so you may give up your accounts at last with joy I have read of King Ethelbert how that by his godly example and by his countenancing and encouraging such as were godly and by his discountenancing of prophanesse and wickednesse he drew this whole Kingdom once to look after godlinesse Oh my Lords and Gentlemen if you would be but shining examples and patterns of holinesse to the Nation if you would but in good earnest put forth your utmost power for the encouraging of godlinesse and for the suppressing of prophanesse O what a holy Nation yea what a happy Nation should we have King Cyrus commanded the chief officers of his Army to keep a strict hand upon themselves for saith he that is the best way in the world to keep the whole Army in good order the application is easie But Eighthly In the exercise of justice you must look that justice and mercy that justice and clemency go hand in hand Prov. 20.28 Prov. 29.14 Psalm 101.1 Mercy and truth preserve the King and his Throne is upholden by mercy Some read the words thus It is usual in Scripture by Truth to understand Iustice Mercy and justice preserve the King and his Throne is upholden by mercy All justice will not preserve the King nor all mercy will not preserve the King there must be a mixture both of justice and mercy to preserve the King and to uphold his Throne and to shew that mercy is more requisite then justice the word Mercy is doubled in the Text. Justice without Mercy turns into rigour and so becomes hateful Mercy without Justice turns into fond pity and so becomes contemptible Look as the rod of Aaron and the pot of Manna were by Gods command laid up in the same Ark so must mercy and justice be preserved intire in the bosom of the same Magistrate King John thought to strengthen himself by gathering a great deal of money together but neglecting the exercise of mercy clemency and lenity he lost his peoples affections and so after many endless turmoyles he came to an unhappy end Iudge and Iustice Mercy and justice mildnesse and righteousnesse lenity and fidelity are a safer and a stronger guard to Princes and People then rich Mines munitions of Rocks mighty Armies powerful Navies or any warlike preparations It is very observable that Christ is called but once the Lion of the Tribe of Judah in the book of the Revelation and that is in chap. 5.5 but he is called a Lamb no lesse then nine and twenty times in that book and what is this but to shew the transcendent mercy clemency lenity mildnesse and sweetnesse that is in Jesus Christ and to shew that he is infinitely more inclined to the exercise of mercy then he is to the exercise of justice It is true Magistrates Judges and Justices should be Lions in the execution of justice and it is as true that they should be Lambs in the exercise of mercy and clemency mildn●sse and sweetnesse And the more ready and inclinable they are to the exercise of mercy where mercy is to be shewed the more like to the Lamb they are Seneca hath long since observed that the custom of anointing Kings was to shew that Kings should be above all other men of the greatest sweetnesse and mildnesse their anointing being a sign of that Kingly sweetnesse and mildnesse that should be in them Nero's speech hath great praise who when he was to subscribe to the death of any condemned man would say Utinam nescirem literas I wish I did not know how to write But Ninthly and lastly you must do justice proportionable to the nature of the offence your penalties and punishments must be alwayes suitable to the offence to punish any fact more severely then it deserves is alwayes injustice to the offendour for so far innocency it self suffers as any man is punished beyond the demerit of his offence I have read of the River Nilus that if it either exceed or be defective in its due overflowings of the land of Egypt it causeth famine the application is easie Cleobulus one of the seven Sages was wont to say that Mediocrity was without compare and to punish lesse then the Fact deserves may be of dangerous consequence to the publike The Roman Fasces were a bundle of rods with an Ax in the midst to signifie the equity of Magistrates in punishing some only with reds and others with the Ax the Romans had their rods for lesser faults and their Ax for capital crimes Justice is then remiss when it spares where it ought to punish and Justice is then too s●vere when it punisheth where it ought to spare Extream right often proves extream wrong he that will alwayes go to the utmost of what the Law allows will too too often do more then the Law requires it is rare very rare to see a man dance upon the brink of the pit and not to tumble in A rigid-severity often mars all equity is still to be preferred before extremity To inflict great penalties and heavy censures for light offences this is to kill a Fly upon a mans fore-head with a Beetle In the French History there is mention made of an old Courtier that would needs depart the Court and retire himself to a private life the King desired him before he went to leave his advice in some general Rules what was best to be done in the Government of the Kingdom Upon which motion he took a fair

a fixed eye upon the infinite and most glorious holiness of God Now that this direction may the better work premise with mee these eight things concerning the holiness of God First Premise this with mee that God is essentially holy Mat. 19.17 There is none good but God that is there is none essentially good but God c. and in this sense none is holy but himself Now essential holiness is all one with God himself Gods essential holiness is Gods conformity to himself holiness in God is not a quality but his essence Quicquid est in Deo est ipse Deus whatsoever is in God is God holiness in Angels and Saints is but a quality but in God it is his essence The fallen Angels keep their natures though they have lost their holiness for that holiness in them was a quality and not their essence Look as created holiness is the conformity of the reasonable creature to the Rule so the increated holiness of God is Gods conformity unto himself Gods holiness and his nature are not two things they are but one Gods holiness is his nature and Gods nature is his holiness God is a pure Act and therefore whatsoever is in God is God 't is Gods prerogative royal to be essentially holy the most glorious creatures in Heaven and the choicest souls on Earth are only holy by participation 1 Sam. 2.2 There is none holy as the Lord Gods holiness is so essential and co-natural to him that hee can as soon cease to be as cease to be holy Holiness in God is a substance but in Angels and men 't is only an accident or a quality the essence of the creature may remain when the holiness of the creature is lost As you may see in Adam and the fallen Angels but Gods essence and his holiness are alwaies the same his very nature is holy Exod. 3.14 and therefore 't is that hee is called Jehovah and I Am because what hee is really that hee is essentially Though men for our information do distinguish between the Attributes of God and the Nature of God yet in him they are the same Look as the Wisdome of God is the wise God and the Truth of God the true God and the Power of God the powerful God and the Justice of God the just God and the Mercy of God the merciful God and the Mightiness of God the mighty God and the Righteousness of God the righteous God and the graciousness of God the gracious God so the Holiness of God is the holy God Gods Nature and his Name are one and the same God is essentially holy and that is the top of all his glory But Secondly As God is essentially holy so God is unmixedly holy the Holiness of God is a pure Holiness 't is an unmixed Holiness 1 Joh. 1.5 God is light and in him is no darkness at all There are no mixtures in God God is a most clear bright-shining light yea hee is all light and in him is no darknesse at all The Moon indeed when it shines brightest Plato calls God the horn of plenty and the Ocean of beauty without the least spot of injustice c. hath her dark spots and specks but God is a light that shines gloriously without the least spot or speck Now look as that darknesse which hath not the least light attending it is the grossest the thickest Egyptian darknesse that can be so that light that hath not the least cloud of darknesse attending it must be the most clear splendid light that possible can be and such a light is the holy one of Israel 'T is very observable the Apostle to illustrate the perfect purity and sanctity of God adds a Negative to his Affirmative In him is no darkness at all that is God is so pure that not the least spot the smallest speck can cleave to him hee is so holy that no iniquity can be found in him there is no defect not default in the Nature of God hee is a God of Truth and without iniquity just and right is hee As Moses spake in that Deut. 32.4 God is a pure a most pure Act without the least potentiality defectability or mutability and therefore in the highest sense hee is light and in him is no darkness at all Surely there is no unrighteousnesse in God no evil can dwell with him or come neer unto him God stands at such a distance from iniquity yea hee so abhors it that hee never did nor never will bestow a good look upon it Hab. 1.13 Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil and canst not look on iniquity There are four things that God cannot do 1. He cannot lye 2. Hee cannot dye 3. Hee cannot deny himself nor 4. Hee cannot look with a favourable eye upon iniquity God doth indeed look upon iniquity with a hateful eye with an angry eye with a revengeful eye and with a vindictive eye but hee never did nor will look upon iniquity with an eye of delectation or with an eye of approbation witnesse his hurling the fallen Angels out of Heaven and his banishing of sinning Adam out of Paradise By all this you see that the Holinesse of God is a pure Holinesse 't is a Holinesse without mixture but now all the holinesse that is in the best and choicest Saints in the world is but a dreggy holinesse a mixt holinesse a weak and imperfect holinesse their unholinesse is alwaies more than their holinesse Ah what a deal of pride is mixt with a little humility and what a deal of unbeleef is mixt with a little faith and what a deal of passion is mixt with a little meeknesse and what a deal of earthlinesse is mixt with a little heavenlinesse and what a deal of carnalnesse is mixt with a little spiritualnesse and what a deal of hardnesse is mixt with a little tendernesse O but now the Holinesse of God is a pure Holinesse 't is a Holinesse without mixture there is not the least drop nor the least dregge of unholinesse in God 't is true the Gods of the Heathen were such as had been impure beastly filthy men Arnobius Austin Tertullian c. and therefore several writers have taken a great deal of pains to convince Heathens of their impiety and folly in worshipping such for gods upon whom they fastened many horrid ridiculous lascivious and impious actions and therefore they conclude against them that they are no gods t is most certain that the true God that Hee that is the high and the holy one cannot bee charged with any iniquity no nor with the least shew or shadow of vanity In God there is wisdome without folly truth without falshood light without darkness holiness without sinfulness But Thirdly As God is unmixedly holy so God is Universally holy hee is holy in all his waies and holy in all his works his precepts are holy precepts and his promises are holy promises and his threatnings are holy threatnings his

love is a holy love and his anger is a holy anger and his hatred is a holy hatred c. His nature is holy his attributes are holy and all his actions are holy hee is holy in punishing and holy in sparing hee is holy in justifying of some and hee is holy condemning of others hee is holy in bringing some to Heaven and holy in throwing others to Hell God is holy in all his sayings and God is holy in all his doings God is holy in what ever hee puts his hand to and hee is holy in what ever hee sets his heart to his frowns are holy and his smiles are holy his liftings up are holy and his castings down are holy when hee gives his givings are holy givings and when hee takes away his takings are holy takings c. But Fourthly As God is universally holy so God is eminently holy hee is transcendently holy hee is superlatively holy Exo. 15.11 and therefore hee is said to bee glorious in holiness there is no fathoming there is no measuring there is no comprehending there is no searching of that infinite Sea of holiness that is in God as neither Men nor Angels can set banks or bounds to Gods holiness so neither Men nor Angels can sound to the bottome of Gods holiness all that holiness that is in Angels and Men is but a spark to Gods flame t is but a drop to his sea t is but a beam to his sun t is but a mite to his millions c. O Sirs you shall as soon stop the Sun in his course and change the day into night and raise the dead and make a world and tell the stars of heaven and empty the sea with a Cockle-shell as you shall bee able either to conceive or express that transcendent holiness that is in God This glorious Name or Title the holy one of Israel is ascribed to God about thirty times in the Old Testament and all to shew that hee is most excellent and transcendent in holiness and the Seraphims which stood before the Throne cryed out three times a row Holy Holy Holy is the Lord of hosts Isa 6.3 to shew that God is most eminently and superlatively holy for so thrice holy in some languages is most holy for holiness God is a none-such there are none to bee compared with him neither are there any among Angels or among Men yea or among the Gods that are like unto him who is like to thee among the Gods glorious in holiness fearful in praises doing wonders Gods holiness is infinite t is so super-eminent and so super-excellent that it can neither bee limited nor lessened nor augmented if men should blaspheme or reproach the Lord hee would bee never the worse he would be never the lesse holier then hee is and if men should bless him and worship him hee would bee never the better never the holier unto perfection there can be no addition a drop taken out of the sea can no waies add unto the sea Hee is exalted above all blessing and praise Nehe. 9.5 All the Angels in Heaven and all the men on earth cannot add one Ray one Beam of glory to the essence of God to the holiness of God as God is goodness in the very Abstract and justice in the very abstract and mercy in the very abstract and righteousness in the very abstract and lovingkindness in the very abstract so hee is holiness in the very Abstract so that no man can flatter him or add unto him and hence t is that God glories in the Attribute of his Holiness more than in any other Attribute For Isa 57.15 thus saith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose name is holy when God would lift up himself in all his Glory hee doth it by declaring that his name is holy and so when God would swear by himself hee swears by his holiness Psal 89.25 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lye unto David and so in that Amos 4.2 The Lord God hath sworn by his holiness that lo the daies shall come upon you that hee will take you with hooks and your posterity with fish-hooks Look as the great men of the World are wont to swear upon their honour when they would give us the greatest assurance of what they will do because such Oath are look't upon as most sacred and inviolable so the great God swears by his holiness because his holiness is his greatest Honour and because hee hath no greater nor no better nor no choicer nor no sweeter nor no preciouser things to swear by let mee saith God bee never owned as a God nor honoured as a God nor trusted as a God nor feared as a God nor valued as a God if I do not Inviolably keep my promises and make good my threatings having sworn thereunto by my Holiness Now you know the Scripture saith when God could swear by no greater hee sware by himself Heb. 6.13 so I may say when God could swear by no greater Attribute by no greater Excellency hee swears by his Holiness that being the top and the glory of all Look as all the wisdome of the creatures compar'd with the wisdome of God is but folly and as all the goodness of the creatures compared with the goodness of God is but naughtiness and as all the fulnesse of the creature compared with the fulnesse of God is but emptiness and as all the power of the creature compared with the power of God is but weaknesse and as all the righteousnesse of the creature compared with the righteousnesse of God is but unrighteousnesse So all the holinesse of the creature compared with the holinesse of God is but unholinesse mans highest purity is but impurity when 't is compared to the purity of God yea the very holinesse of Angels compared with the holinesse of God is chargeable with folly Job 4.18 That fulnesse of holinesse that is in Angels or Saints is only the fulnesse of the Vessel but that fulnesse of holinesse that is in God is the fulnesse of the Fountain that fulnesse of holinesse that is in Angels or Saints is but the fulnesse of the Branches but that fulnesse of holinesse that is in God is the fulnesse of the Root that fulnesse of holinesse that is in Angels or Saints is but the fulnesse of Sufficiency but that fulnesse of holinesse that is in God is the fulnesse of redundancy But Fifthly As God is infinitely holy transcendently holy superlatively holy so God is originally radically and fundamentally holy the Divine Nature is the root original and spring of all holinesse and purity all that holinesse that is in Angels and men flows from God as the streams from the Fountain as the beams from the Sun as the branches from the Root and as the effect from the Cause There is no holinesse to be had but from the Holy One hee is the Author and Original of all the holinesse that