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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A36518	Totum hominis, or, The decalogue in three words, viz. justice, mercy and humility being a sermon upon Micah 6th vers. 8th, preached in the Cathedral of St. Peters, York, upon Monday the 15th day of March, 1668/9 before the Right Honourable Baron Turner and Baron Rainsford, the Right Worshipful Sr. Jo. Armitage, Bart. ... / by Sam. Drake, D.D. ...	Drake, Samuel, 1622-1679.	1670 (1670)	Wing D2134; ESTC R20477	16,528	32

have done against the commands nor what mercy they have neglected to do according to the Commandment Therefore the Error of their ways they understand not they will not repent and so are without hope 'T is for a Lamentation that too many sit still in darkness and in the shadow of death but then where 's the fault hath God barricado'd up the way of knowledge or left himself without a wi●ness who cries behold me behold me to a Nation that seeks not after him True an evil eye cannot behold that which is good a coveting eye cannot love Justice a cruel eye will not love mercy nor a proud eye humility but the reason of all that is their own false glass These evil beasts or beastly Lusts have devoured the man I would speak to If our Doctrine be hid 't is hid to them that are lost eternally if not temporally for besides that 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that sacred Manuscript which is writ by the finger of God himself in the heart of man the Quakers Scripture of God within us the Bible of Gods own Printing there as they style it Remember St. Austins Tolle Lege he points us to a more legible Book the Gleanings of this Book is better than the Vintage of all other so that you need not now cry to us as the Disciples of John the Baptist Master what shall we do God hath gone before you in a fiery Pillar what 's writ in the Law how readest thou To the Law and to the Testimony all their words that speak not according to this they have no light in them but are benighted souls The Word is nigh you in your eye he that runs may read in our mouthes the Word hath gone through the world nay into your hearts convincingly Nor is it an Oriental Tradition or a Rabinical Dream only handed to us by unfaithful Ecchoes and imperfect rebounds no ridling Oracles are our rule but a revealed Word there he hath shewed the O man Omnis Scriptura est mensa Sapientiae there you may feast your selves saith Origen and Ireneus in his third Book says Ostentationes quae sunt in Scripturis non possunt ostendi nisi ex Scripturis never so lovely or beneficial sights The Devil hath his Showes the whole world and the glory thereof but our best way is to wink when he offers the object Here 's a sight man is made spectator of so good that 't is worthy of Gods own eye being an Emanation from himself The vail is taken off from the face of Divine Truth and you may love it for the beauty your selves behold in it And as he gives his Word to shine without so he gives his Spirit to shine within that the light of the Spirit might apprehend the light of the Word here are shewings indeed Barren fruitless Cutiosities he hath not shewn but necessaries to salvation are clearly reveal'd the Form of sound words and the truth which is after godliness these rich Mines are bared The way of Duty is plain who so is wise may understand these things then shall you know if you follow after to know the Lord. Light is come into the world and we live in the Goshen of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 should be our salutation welcoming these Irradiations Ignorance is now wilful work if men will either read or hear they need not be filthy he hath shewed them a cleansing Fountain Walk in the light then and when with Solomen you have considered these empty and shadowy Lights below where we can scarce find any thing worth a glance then lift up your gates and your hearts that the King of Glory may come in with the goodly Train of his revealed Truths Open your souls to these Heavenly Visions and warm them in these eve●lasting Sun-beams Times of former Ignorance so call'd because of glimmering discoverings comparatively God is said to wink at but after the Sun of Righteousness himself hath arisen with healing in his wings now he looks broad upon sinners chastising them with his beams for sins though small as Atomes You may have darkness in the day if you shut your windows O why do you not open your eyes and discern why do you act in the choicest points of Religion out of blind and implicit Principles Sons of light will not do so but in his light they will eye eternal light O how hath the Truth suffered betwixt the over-prying Socinian and the blind obedient I would neither have you burn your wings by over near approaches to this light nor yet wink at Noon Above all O take heed of withholding truth in unrighteousness after these shewings Thou requirest obedience Da quod jubes said St. Austin jube quod vis Surely if our Piety be not prevail'd upon by the reverence of this He in my Text the Author yet the excellency of the Imposition doth so recommend it to our reason that we must put off the best part of our Nature to evacuate the force of our Religion We have a Law and by that Law we ought to walk true Lex non valet nisi promulgata but this great King hath sent out his Proclamations He hath so shewed thee And least man should appeal from him as a severe Lawgiver he appeals to himself What is it the Lord requireth but that which is good so good that Justice and Mercy are Gods own attributes By his Prophet Ezekiel God takes it hainously and well he may that man should question his wayes by whom all things are ponder'd and who doth all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 according to the Counsel of his Will with mature deliberation being Equity himself by way of challenge therefore are not my wayes equal And shall not the Judge of Heaven and Earth do right And though he give not account of his matters he is not bound to it Job 33. 13. Yet what is it Come now let us reason together saith the Lord Are they not the cords of man and the bands of love Hosea 11. 4. That I would draw you in by By downy perswasions not iron compulsions What are you afraid of these golden chains they are not Fetters for your feet but Bracelets for your necks Vices are chargeable but Vertue is free and you are wooed to it in a winning way Origen in his fourth book Contra Celsum breaks out thus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Though it be mutual to Men and Beasts to catch and be catch'd yet there is a great deal of difference Ratione an violentia Now we are fetcht over with no rushing wind or imperious sowerness but with gales of grace They are ignoble disingenious spirits that are not won over by such wayes The Sacrifices under the Law were seasoned with salt which mystically denotes discretion and the Gospel is the best Rationale in the world Let me therefore court you to the duties of the Text by St. Pauls Suada Rom 12. 1. 'T is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Reasonable Service the

awaken every single soul to his duty Let us water our own Field by cutting a passage from the common River inferring with David when God at large saith seek ye my face Let every one subsume thy face Lord will I seek But what is it the Lord hath shewed thee what is good This is an extensive word what is seasonable what is delectable what is profitable The Apostle Philip. 4. 8. comments upon the word Whatsoever things are true whatsoever things are honest lovely and of good report The all seeing eye enlightning the understanding shews thee what is good for thy will to make choice of If thou beest not so generous as to make choice of vertue for its innate splendor yet surely so prudent thou wilt be to make thy election of that which is good for thine own sake Self-love will constrain thee to this as well as Gods Command And what I pray is it the Lord requires but to do justly So good that 't is a miracle man should need a Mandate for the acting of it or a Law-giver to require it Gregory Nazienzen calls man 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 an heavenly Statue of which no man was the Artificer and so may I call my Text. Justice Mercy and Humility these rich glories of the Soul are fit materials for a superstructure that may reach Heaven The language of the Text speaks it of no humane extraction The Precepts are so excellent and refin'd so agreeable to the spiritual part of our temper so apt to clense and sublimate the drossy part of man that they are even proportion'd to feast our Souls There is such a Facultas Deo Analoga an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as Plato styles it betwixt this Law I am sure and the Soul that the Affections are necessitated to strike in i' th' Chorus Such a commanding Beauty man cannot chuse but be enamoured with its Rays the words like so many Philtres charming us into an holy obedience the very sound of them like Davids Harp may drive away the evil spirit 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 They are Love-tokens left with the Sons of men to engage their affections to him Two of them be in the representations of Himself Upon such an account St. Chrysostome in his 12th and 13th Oration 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 words it thus concerning his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 There needs no Oratory to allure men to these we need not heap up Arguments to convince you of their equity What need of an Interpreter to acquaint you with Gods meaning in them They have such proportion with our reason there is such a Magnetick power in the good that is offer'd to us as may well attract every rational being Such an intrinsick lovelyness and native fairness in them that 't is no eclipse or diminution of the liberty of the first being to say he could not but require them Since he hath created the World there must be Justice and Mercy too to preserve it else men would swallow down each other as greater Fish devour the less To the Question then the wicked put Psal 4. 6. Who will shew us any good our Prophet may make answer in the Text by just merciful actions God will put more joy in our hearts then when their Corn and Wine and Oyl their goods increased True if critically we distinguish none is good but one that is God but Vertue being the way to the Author of Vertue we must use the Stream of Justice to come to the Just one and the Rivulet of Mercy till we come to the Fountain of it Thus we love lower Excellencies because they lead to higher as we value gold Oar when we find it on the top of the earth because it leads to the Mine it self And if one poor spark of Vertue be so to be loved for its self as Justice much more is that infinite Rock of Orient and most shining Vertue to be loved in God The Text then is an Answer to the Question verse the 7th wherewith shall I come before the Lord And in opposition to their formal he offers a real way of pleasing God Do justly c. In which three words you have the two Tables of the Law all the second Table duties are comprehended in the former part of the Text Justice and Mercy and the sum of the first Table duties in the later and walk humbly that is notwithstanding you could plead exact equity towards the rich repeating Samuels Challenge and melting Charity towards the Poor yet still you have need of the Righteousness of a Saviour and the Mercy of our God therefore walk humbly Let 's take a Landscaip of the words though many through wilful ignorance or contempt pretend they know not the way of Duty yet God hath not left them in a dark Apocrypha but he hath vouchsaf'd a clear Apocalypse He hath shewed And though even earthly Princes think it below them to render a reason of their Decrees yet that men may be convinc'd of the equity of his proceedings that they are such as flow naturally from an enlightned soul if violence be not offered to it he appeals what is it the Lord requires 'T is plain also by the gradation of the language that whosoever pretends piety towards God must be sure to be a strict observer of Justice amongst his Brethren The foundation of all is laid in doing justly Yet in Mantissam over and besides Justice which is a due to all there is another Duty which though no humane Law can reach us if we act not up unto for whoever was impleaded for not relieving the Poor What Barr could Dives be brought unto though he withheld his goods from Lazarus to whom yet the Wise man saith they are due yet Gods Law requires even an office of mercy where an object of pity is tender'd therefore my Text adds to love Mercy And though we know the way and acknowledge the equity of it endeavouring to please God by a sttict heart towards Justice and an enlarged hand to Charity except God be our God and so actions perform'd as fruits of faith they are not acceptable my Text saith he must be thy God To the Duties of the second Table we must joyn Duties of the first These things ought ye to have done but by no means leave the main undone To walk humbly Neither yet will it suffice soberly to take the imployments upon us which God injoynes and humbly to manage them for a start only but with a steddy constant perseverence to the end This is call'd in my Text walking with God More distinctly First man pretends ignorance but God saith he hath shew'd 'T is not to be denyed but many lye still in darkness their foolish hearts blinded so that they cannot understand spiritual things savingly discerning spirits they have not they cannot order their speeches or their persons as they should They neither know the affirmative nor Negative part of their duty they neither see what injustice they

Law of God set before an intellectual eye carries such a light and beauty in it as may justly ingratiate it with the understanding And that heavenly beam which God hath darted into the soul of Man for the discovery of his own Laws being so exactly conformable to that light should readily comply with it God doth not so much as shew thee offer any command unto thee but what is good His Yoke easie his Burden light his Commandments not grievous They are good for thy self O Man Thy goodness extends not to him And if thou wilt not hate thine own flesh thou must embrace them They consult their own good that do good all things work for the best to them when these few and evil dayes are gone they receive good in death Whereas it shall be objected to the wicked Son thou hast received thy good things Then the righteous mans best good is to be produced and when Temporal goods fail he enjoys Eternal The contemplation of this put David upon the question Psalm the 34. 12. What man is be that desireth to live and loveth many dayes that he may see do good The answer at the fourteenth verse is Let him do good will ye still continue in a barren Wilderness and not reach forth your hand to the offer'd Grapes of Eschol will you give a ready submission to what the Devil requires and will you be obstinate against Gods commands will you be valiant under the comm●nds of a Tyrant and Cowards under your lawful Soveraign What Command is harsh when Honour is profer'd What Obedience is performed though Heaven be as a Label annex'd thereunto Do but strive and thou mayst storm attempt and thou shalt conquer There is no difficulty to a resolv'd Soul He that gives thee his Commands will assist thee in the keeping of them But what formidable Commands doth God impose Lord what wouldst thou have us to do le ts take a particular view Is there ever a bitter herb in his prescription that might lead death into the Pot Testifie against him if you find any I speak to wise men judge what I say You whose senses be exercised that you can discern betwixt good and bad you that have a spiritual Pallat a heavenly Rellish you ought to hear reason when Man speaks it much more when God offers it and in such a taking way His Law makes man contract all his first reason to apprehend it And the Gospel is the dilatation of Gods own reason a line to reach even to us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rational demonstrations Every mouth must be stopt when God opens his so convincingly Was it some great matter was it never so difficult a work of faith the Path straiter than indeed it is 't was well worth our strugling to obtain Heaven at our Journey 's end how much more should we press forward when he only enjoyns us those things which suit our reason so adequately To do justice 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 what but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which the Emperour and Philosopher Marcus Antoninus held to be Equivalences There are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the world even the ruder heap of Mankind that do but 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will cry up Justice others are so Rational as to plead for Mercy and the better bred Bereans desire and endeavour to walk with God Doe Justly And Is not Suum cuique tribuere Natures Maxim You may hear every man in his own Dialect extol this Precept Parthians and Medes and Elamites the barbarous Scythian and wild American have some Relish of Justice 't is so pleasant This Notion is a Pearl that shines in the dark none but wallowers in the mire will trample upon it This Gold will endure any Touchstone every Palate is satisfied with its sweetness In this Via Regia all Travellors desire to walk even Gath and Askalon would have owned this and Should not Jerusalem Justice hath an Olive-branch in its mouth and drops sweetness and fatness upon the Land it comes into Adeo res sacra est saith Seneca ut siquid illi simile etiamsi Mendacium placeat so venerable a thing is Justice that the very Counterfeit the Bristol goes for Currant 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith the Philosopher Those that labour to pervert it do yet Honour it and even those Men who themselves will not practise it cannot yet but love it at least commend it in others It gives Honour where it cannot winn Assent As Pilate acknowledged he found no fault in our Saviour whom yet he Condemned This God expects from all That Elegant Moralist Plutarch sayes God is angry with them that Counterfeit his Thunder and Lightning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 His Scepter and Trident he will not have medled with not imitate His Soveraignty but loves to see us darting out those warm and cherishing beamings of Justice in the Text of Justice Goodness and Clemency They that practice these with the Bee may make a Trade of their Pleasure in their business may have Recreation and in a holy Epicurisme fare deliciously every day upon their own Dainties Do Justly Omnes virtutum species uno Justitiae nomine Continentur saith St. Jerome ad Demetrium Do Justly Not Talk right onely as some Glib-tongu'd Absalons of late time who that they might Revile the Footsteps of Gods Anointed our late Martyr'd Soveraign of Blessed Memory said There was no man deputed of the King to do them right though their matters were just O saith Absalon that I was a Judge in Israel Great matters indeed when he and they were Advanced In his wrath against our sins he made them such Was not the most righteous of them a Thorne-Hedge Blessed be God who hath restored us our Judges as at the first and our Officers as at the beginning who will do Justice not Word it only Do Justice Not that I intend to Prescribe Laws to you from whom we are to receive them but in regard Gods Law must have the Precedence upon which ours are Grounded I think it meet as S. Paul upon another account saith to put you in mind of these things from the mouth of God though you do know them and be establisht in those present truths Thus then Justice being the First-born in the Text may seem to challenge a double portion of Discourse yet my dispatch shall be quicker through this branch in regard I have such lively Comments before me nor need I press that much which these Parts have experienc'd to be your Practice for many years Do Justice And then Justum is done Justè when 't is distributed equally There was much Corruption it seems in St. Cyprians time which open'd his mouth thus Inter ipsas Leges delinquitur inter Jura peccatur Innocentia nec illic ubi defenditur reservatur Blessed be God we have no such complaining in our Streets yet exact and critically Curious should man be when he sits in the Seat of God for as Gregory in his Morals

Saepe ipsa nostra Justitia ad examen divinae Justitiae deducta Injustitia est sordet in districtione Judicis quod fulget in estimatione operantis Our best Gold will scarce hold out weight in the Ballance of the Sanctuary Much care therefore should we have in our evenness of Justice Davids Justice was as large as his Dominions 2 Sam. to all his People Let Judgement run down like water and Righteousness like a mighty stream that toucheth every door equally No Fractus no Windings and a sameness as in water towards all as Justice must wet the head so down it must run to the skirts of the Garment like the Sun it rejoyceth as a Giant to run his course Sol non alius diviti alius Pauperi citius Solem à Caelo quam Justitiam a Fabritio His beams are equally shed abroad Laws are made without respect of persons and when they are so executed then 't is an honour to the Distributer and a Happiness to the People That this may be done Praecipitancy must be avoided I will go down now and see saith the Judge Omniscient concerning Sodom The Eternal God takes time to teach Man to weigh matters A Cause may like the Israelites Cloud look bright enough on the one side and yet Aegyptian-darkness on the other Si Judicas cognosce and when the Cause is ponder'd the fear of man must be banish'd A Magistrate is Pudore Blanditiis Metu major saith Isiodore Pilate stumbled at this Stone If thou let this Man go thou art not Caesars Friend said the Jews down falls his Courage at this word and he lost three Friends thereby God Caesar and his Conscience The Ensign of the Law-giving-Tribe was a Lion and with these Salomons Throne was supported Phineas was a Man of a Noble Spirit and the Contempt of Families could not terrifie Job When the Magistrate is valiant for the Truth O how becoming is that Spirit of Power But VVhat went you out for to see a Reed shaken with every wind alass such a one is not worth looking on he that doth Justice must not be flexible upon the Account of any Relation or Reward Affections may pervert Judgment When the Object is too near the eye that Approximation and Vicinity is a prejudice to the sight Justice is the Souls Serenity a kind of Stoical Apathy I may say as Aristotle 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 'T is a pure Intellect not onely without a Sensitive part but without a Will pure Judgement without Affections All have an equal Interest in it and Priviledge by it Non Sanguinis necessitudo sed virtutis Cognatio proximos facit saith St. Ambrose So that the Magistrate must be Speculum non Coloratum a Glass not prejudiced not prepossest with any Tincture as unconcern'd as the Glass It was the Commendation of the Tribe of Levi Deut. 33. 8. That he said of his Father I know thee not What Had these Levites lost Natural Affections No but they knew not their nearest Relations so as to be partial in the Execution of Gods Commands Iustitia non novit patrem non novit matrem veritatem novit personam non accipit Deum imitatur 'T is a great piece of the Magistrates Knowledge to be Ignorant of his Acquaintance lest they should Byass him or his Affections Exit personam judicis quisquis amicum induit saith Cicero A noble Resolution that was of Saul had it been well grounded 1 Sam. 14. 24. 39. Had he done well in Adjuring the People he had done eminently well in resolving not to spare his own Son Jonathan Personal Relations must not sway in Publick Concerns Though Coniah was as a Signet upon my right hand yet should he be pluckt thence And as the Provocation of the dearest Relation must be hazarded rather then that of God and the Conscience so much more light in the Ballance should a Gift be Hugo in his Homilies calls this Fatuam Reverentiam alicui exhibitam non causa debita sed propter Vtilitatem 'T is below a generous Soul and may Judas his Quid dabitis never receive other Answer then St. Pauls Silence Felix looked that he should have given him Money but his expectation was frustate Lyranus hath a Note I cannot here pass for there is as great a temptation to a Christian to favour a poor man in his cause out of tender comiseration as there is in hopes from the rich yet this must not be done neither saith he ne forte motu pietatis indiscretae condescenderis ei in prejudicium justiciae These are the chiefest Remora's of the Ship of Justice but the remembrance of your names and places will break through these pitiful retards I have said ye are Gods saith God himself of you If really you would be so let your hearts be cloathed with Zeal as your bodies with Scarlet which is an Emblem of it The Magistrate is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lex loquens quid vanae sine moribus leges proficiunt Be greater then by your example than your office This puts life into the Law when you are the transcript of it without which it is but a dead Letter Holiness gives boldness God looks for such men to stand in the Gap and make up the breaches of Justice Such as eyeing the day of the Righteous Judge are timerous with a Laban or a Doeg to abuse their power as knowing they are call'd Shields of the Earth to whom power is given principally for protection not vexation or ruine of others Nemo prudens punit quia peccatum est saith Seneca sed ne peccetur Revocari enim praeterita non possunt futura prohibentur 't is not in the power of punishment to recall what is past but to prevent what is possible the reaching 'T is in exemplum that Israel might hear and fear and do no more so presumptuously Lest man should mistake the ground of his power as if it was given him to march Agrippa like 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the Text tells him of another design that God hath and therefore he backs his power with a precept of pity Love mercy Non mihi sed populo said Adrian the Emperour and the Philosophers words are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hoc Reges habent munificum ingens prodesse miseris saith Seneca The Apostle calls the Magistrate a Minister for good and was it not for this addition of Mercy even Justice it self might be suspected for Cruelty We must then do justice so as that we must love mercy also Justice is a debt upon Mans account Mercy is Gods over-measure One of the Kings of France said to a Woman who on her knees beg'd justice of him Rise up or beg mercy for I owe thee justice Man punisheth if we be not just but God punisheth if we be not merciful his wayes are not as our wayes nor his thoughts as our thoughts he hath many supererogating moreovers And love Mercy And now that I have shewed how Justice

conveys your estate over to you I might shew you how Mercy calls for an holy alienation of it bids you draw forth your soul to the hungry So the word Mercy is sometime taken but this would not be so suitable Love Mercy If we take the words exegetically by way of Comment upon the former then he that doth justice must by his place afford unto the people a merciful protection in opposition to cruel oppressors Upon this account the Prophet Ezekiel in his 28. 16. styles the Magistrate a covering Cherub to spread out a securing wing and so is Moses styl'd a Nursing Father to his Israel Or if we look upon this as a distinct charge as indeed there seem to be a great Emphasis of love upon Mercy and a merciful act may be done when 't is not loved then the Magistrate must be of sedate affections of a composed temper not hurryed away with the least violence of passion The reason is render'd by St. James For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God no 't is observ'd they stand in opposition there Inferiora fulminant there 's thunder in the lower Region but all above is quiet He that is plac'd above his Brethren must not give place unto wrath None refuse the waters of Siloe because they run softly but such as are styl'd the raging waves of the Sea foaming out their own shame The God of Peace requires pacatum animum a quiet composure of our spirits and in the execution of any office then especially must we love mercy having an eye to softer qualifications rather then more rigorous exactions This seems to be added in my Text to doing justice to season and temper it to a golden Medium lest Man should walk up to the extremities of Draco's bloody Laws that punished all offences with death St. Ambrose gave excellent counsel to Theodosius after his rash Massacre he wisht that in all Sentences that concern'd life there might be thirty dayes before the Execution Some space to shew mercy if need required Thus when you sit upon the Bench in Judgment let mercy give the Sentence In the height of Jewish malice St. Paul assures us in order to himself that they went less still then the summum jus of the Law Deut. 25. 3. Forty stripes saith that Text he may give him and not exceed compare this with 2 Cor. 11. 24. And St. Paul saith of the Jews received I forty stripes save one All things then that are lawful for us are not expedient for us He that chuseth alwayes to walk upon the Battlements is in danger of the Precipice You that are the distributers of Justice then be merciful as your Judge which is in Heaven is merciful Would you know how that is So unwillingly doth he grieve the Children of men that he calls the act of punishing his strange act Opus suum alienum extorquemus ut pereamus saith Tertullian It comes with a sigh Heu consolabor ah I will ease me of my adversaies and avenge of my ennemies yea and a tear too Plangitur Princeps Tyri quam bonus Deus saith Origen qui etiam eos deflet qui se neglexerint Deas tristatur non de injuria sua sed de nostra perditione O Israel thou hast destroyed thy self Thus our Saviour when he beheld the City wept over it What a strugling is there in his calm breast who says What shall I do unto thee Ephraim how shall I make thee as Admah And at last Mercy triumphs over Judgment My repentings are rolled or kindled together I will not proceed to execute the fierceness of my wrath with a remarkable twitting reason for I am God and not man O let all that have the signature of God upon them imitate him St. John saith indeed he saw his Saviour with a Sword Revel 19. 15. But it came out of his mouth Oris arma sunt oscula No weapons but kisses from the lips If there had been any danger of this Sword the Spouse in the very first words of the Canticles would not so passionately have broke forth Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth My Beloved is white and ruddy saith the Church there In that dusky Type he is resembled to a Man whereon Thomas descants excellently Candidus in toto corpore rubicundus in genis white in all conceal'd places ruddy only in the face which is obvious to every ones eye as if it was but a show of Justice rather to terrifie then torment White when merciful but in his justice ruddy as if he blush'd to be constrain'd to punish by our obstinacy God ordinarily reveals himself in the Old Testament by two Names Jehovah and Elohim Now the Hebrews note quando egreditur sententia ad clementiam he chuseth to be call'd by his great Name Jehovah his proper incommunicable Name but quando egreditur sententia ad justitiam in any process of Justice or Judgment he alwayes styles himself Elohim By which Name Angels Judges and false Gods too are once call'd God it seems is jealous of his Name of Mercy Imitate him and do acts of justice with melting spirits and tender bowels There is no such great Chasme betwixt Justice and Mercy as some think no irreconcilable antipathy they may well enough greet each other with an holy kiss you may bring about Justice by a high and powerful yet withal a soft and delicate hand Mercy need not disarm your Justice Moses Rod may be both a Serpent to sting the guilty and a staffe to support the weak These may stand together and yet a third an humble heart must be conjoyn'd all is in vain else Walk humbly with thy God saith my Text. I should not have dar'd to have detain'd you thus long from those weighty affairs I know are incumbent upon you but that my Text at least pleads my pardon when it enjoyns you mercy nor will I retard you much longer now lest I should be thought guilty of that which I do decry and pressing humility shew my self ambitious to detain you Briefly then come we to the highest step of this Heavenly Climax even the must humble posture before the most High And now give me leave like that holy Leveller of Mountains John the Baptist to prepare the way of the Lord by the language of my Text commanding humility Man is a proud Creature prone to stand upon his own supremacy even to Deifie himself When thus puft up above measure Humility is the thorn to prick that Bladder How many still think the Urim and Thummim the Brest-plate of Judgment is only with them Humility teacheth such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not to be over-wise I cannot stay to shew you the Lenthenlook of Humility in antient times nor the hoof'd knee by continued prayer yet with much sadness I cannot but observe humility in our times is grown more stately Knees of the soul those invisible ones she will pretend to give readily but Elephant like wants joynts