to be imployed about his businesse See your calling ye Rulers and Iudges of the earth Reverent you are because 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sent of the King to punish to protect but this is not all you also are 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Rev. 13. 4. God's Ministers and ye judge not for man primarily but for the Lord. 2 Chron. 9. 6. And this is your greatest honour triumph in this that God hath put your worke into your hands you are not onely the King 's but God's Iustices in this glory ride on prosperously and let your right hand teach you valiant things you are God's servants this is your dignity 2. Servus est nomen officii God's servants have much duty required of them a servant is not 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 one that moveth absolutely of himselfe hee is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 saith Aristotle the masters instrument and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 not onely the masters servant but the masters wholly Two things then befit a servant Consulere Dominum and Obedire 1. To receive instructions from his master in his actions The eyes of servants looke unto the hand of their Masters and the eyes of a Mayden unto the hands of her Mistresse Psalm 123. 2. What is this looking to their hands but waiting for their command by which they must be guided It is a brave thing when servants know their bounds and presume not above their Masters pleasure things then goe right when the hands take counsel of the head servants goe when their Masters say goe come when their Masters say come doe when their Master saith doe it It is so in every houshold it is so in the great houshold of God the Common-wealth it then flourisheth when they whom God hath set over it looke what he will have done and addresse themselves to doe that It is reported of Scipio Africanus Gel. sit 7. c. 1 that hee was wont before day to goe into the Capitoll in Collam Iovis and there to stay a great while quass consultans de Republicâ— cum Jove discoursing with Iupiter concerning the administration of the Common-wealth whence it came to passe that his deeds were plaeraque admiranda saith the Historian very worthy and remarkeable The Heathen man did thus by the light of nature let grace teach the Christian Ruler the same course that he enquire at the Law of God for his direction I am sure this was enjoyned Ioshua when hee tooke upon him the Principality of Israel Meditate in the booke of the Law day and night so shall thy way be prosperous Iosh 1. 8. This is one thing concernes a servant to bee ordered by his Master 2. He must obey instructions received doing is the life of having therefore doth he aske his Masters advice that what his Master will have done may be effected Hee is a bad servant that consulteth with his Master for fashion but will doe what he list himselfe and a bad Magistrate is he who comming to the Temple of God to heare what is the Word that commeth from the Lord resolves for al that to let his heart runne after covetousnesse and practise injustice either for money or favour to pervert the wayes of righteousnesse which God who hath given him his chiefe Commission chalketh out unto him Iudges ought to remember that they are the servants of God and as they know his will concerning their government so they must take heed and doe it 2 Chron. 19. 7 this is mans reference unto God servant The qualities of this servant follow bone fidelis good and faithfull the one whereof that is goodnesse belongeth to him qua homo as a man the other that is fidelity qua servus as he is a servant An excellent paire of vertues where they are united goodnesse gracing the person and fidelity adorning his employment so that if you looke upon him in his private course you shall see an Israelite indeed in whom is no guile and if in his publike calling a true dealer for his Lord Master 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 without turning aside any way 1. Good well affected well conditioned An excellent thing it is when this Attribute may bee given to men in authority that they are good men it maketh the City rejoyce saith Salomon Prov. 11. 10. And so it well may for it followeth By the blessing of the upright a City is exalted A good man will doe much good in his place and make many glad hearts by partaking of his goodnesse Therefore Ietbro wishing Moses to set men over the people would have them timentes Dei and veraces Exod. 18. 2. servers of God true-hearted men and the Lord himselfe appointing Ioshuah over the congregation testifies of him that hee was a man in whom was the Spirit Numb 27. 18. It is said of Rulers ye are gods Psal 82. 6. It is true they are gods by their power one way I but doubly age Pol 3. 13 if goodnesse dwell with their power Aristotle puts them together they that are gods amongst men 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 excell both in vertue and power And indeed they had need have goodnes that are such eminent servants and have many Talents committed to them they will never else beare their great burthen of being Pillars to uphold a State Streames to refresh it Pilors to guide it Havens to harbour it Castles to shelter it the good Magistrate will be all this when a wicked man will fall short a crack'd Pillar a bitter streame an erring Pilot a sandy havon a broken Castell in whom the ship of the Common-wealth cannot put any confidence I will conclude this point with Davids exhortation to the great ones of the world Psalm 2. 10 11. Be wise now therefore O ye Kings bee instructed ye Iudges of the earth serve the Lord with feare and reioyce with trembling It is not enough that ye be wise and learned that you know how to manage affaires and order your businesse though this be an eminent quality serve the Lord likewise and bee full of piety that your care of discharging your duty may issue forth from the fountaine of an honest heart in you for if it come not from hence it will scarcely have being That servant who gained somuch was good and faith full but good in the first place faithfulnesse followeth the second quality A quality very pertinent to a servant it is required in a steward that he be faithfull 1 Cor. 4. 2. and it consists in this us depositum ad voluntatem disponentis disponatur that what a man is betrusted with hee imploy according to the will of him that betrusted him God giveth divers abilities to men to some more to others lesse hee that shineth according to â—he measure of his light that worketh according to the person of his strength that helpeth according to the quantity of his â—yle hee is faithfull This faithfulnesse is commended in Christ in
the dayes of his dispensation upon earth who finished the worke which his father gave in to doe and in Moses of hom it was witnessed that he as faithfull in all the house of God Heb. 3. 2. This faithfulnesse supposeth Talents given they were receivers first who were now called faithfull and it hath these ingredients to make it perfect 1. Industry the Talent must be imployed the slothfull servant is vnfaithfull because he frustrateth his Lord of the one of his gift hee gave it theâ— that from thee it should be derived to the helpe of others thou keep it to thy selfe the dâ—ner is injured Synefius speaks De Dion some who having a treasure abilities in them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 would as soone part with the harts as their meditations so there are many of all profeâ—ons who let their gifts like Churles money lye rusting them by which meanes tâ— become unfaithfull the caâ— of their great skill shall bâ— witnesse against them and the treasuring up of learning they treasure up to themselves guilt and sorrow Better it is by farre to have a little knowledge and use it rightly than to have a vast braine full of windings and turnings wherein much knowledge is with great perplexity tossed to and fro but can never finde a doore of utterance 2. Prudence to discerne what is to bee distributed for all men whom wee deale with are not alike if we will use our talents right we must give to every maÌ„ that part which belongeth unto him As for Example In the exercise of Iustice some mens sinnes are open and with a clamorous voice goe before unto judgement these must have those kindes of punishments which the ancients Gel. 6. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 all 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 exemplary â—nd for terrour some are slips â—nd must have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 such instrumeÌ„ts as serve for admonition whereby the offender may be moved better to look to himself afterward he that punisheth great transgressions with whips and light with halters cannot bee faithfull in that hee doth not proportion the sentence of Iustice to the sault committed 3. Frugality non incassum expendere saith Chrysostome Hom. 78. in Mas. not to waste our talents without cause It is too common a fault in the world that many who have quicke wits and ready tongues spend them oft-times to small purpose even where there is no probability they shall prevaile or if they prevaile it shall overthrow equity Love of profit and hope of gaine swalloweth up men faithfulnesse they will take the defence of a bad cause and set a good face upon the foulest matter with as much earnestnesse as if they contended for the truth of the Gospell to which end I dare say they doe not thinke God either gave them their wit or tongues but to stretch the one and shorten the other for the upholding of just and righteous cases I know not how they salve the matter but I take the conclusion of the Schoole for sound That it is unlawfull for any to co-operate to the doing of mischiefe and therefore though they conceit they have done well quantum ad peritiam actus in shewing their skill they surely offend grie vously quantum ad iniustitiam voluntatis in voluntary abusing their Art unto unrighteousnesse But let us all learne fidelity my brethren in our severall rankes because the time will come e're long when honest dealing shall more availe than house and land full bagges and large possessions when it shall bee tenne thousand fold better for us to heare God calling us faithfull servants then now to have the world admire us for our getting money oâ— fawne upon us because wee are rich So I have done with the compellation the last thing observable in Gods entertainment of the doer I come to the commendation of his doing fidelis fuistisuper pauca thou hast beene faithful over a few things where wee have both testimonium facti God's witnesse of his deed Thou hast beene faithfull and latitudinem facti the object whereunto the deed extendeth few things 1. The Testimony God before gave him a double Title of good and faithfull yet now affirmeth of one onely his fidelity not thereby excluding the other but re-iterating the immediate cause that which iâ— ncarest to the effect of trading for good advantage so that goodnesse may bee repeated 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 thou hast beene good and faithfull The words seeme to occasion a question how God who is veritas truth it selfe and cannot bee deceived who is verax true in his speeches and cannot deceive should here apprehend his servant as good and faithfull and call him so whereas weeread Mat. 19. 17. There is none goed but God no not one Psa 14 2. And Quis est fidelis Mat. 24. 46. Who is the faithfull servant hee rightly asketh as being well advised that if the whole earth be searched a faithfull servant cannot be found if then none good none faithfull how this servant I answer there is a two-fold goodnesse Originall in God alone by participation this in many God giveth us leave to kindle our candles at his light as all naturall things have heat from the Sunne This derived goodnesse is either that which should bee perfect and without all admixtion of evill so no man good or imperfect in degree though sincere and sound such as viatores men in this life are capable of this in the Saints The like wee may say of fidelity though there be no man who can give an exact account pro omnibus articulis temporum for the whole time of his trading with his Talents yet such an account as God in his mercy doth accept of many doe give and so God calleth them good and faithfull 1. propter propositum boni their full ayme and endevour is good though they swarve sometime because David swore to keepe Gods righteous judgements Psal 119. 108. hee was a man after Gods owne heart though fouly overtaken Saint Austin faith Nullus vivit sine peccato nec cessat tamen bonus esse quia affectu tenet pietatem 2. Comparative they are good and faithfull compared with the rabble of unfaithfull men as those which study are called learned in comparison of such as know not their letters though yet they be ignorant of many things Saint Paul saith Let us which are perfect bee so minded Phil. 3. 15. Whereupon Ambrose Comparatione eorum qui res Divinas negligunt perfecti dicendi sunt qui pietatis iter ambulant 3. Denominatione facta a meliori parte the regenerate man consists of flesh and spirit hath in him the Law of the members and the Law of the mind Rom 7. 23. hee is called good and faithfull from the better part as man is said to bee reasonable in respect of his soule though his body be unreasonable and not snow alone is white but even linnen also which hath upon it some aspersion Certaine
〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Moderation a vertue commended by Saint Paul Phil. 4. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 let your equity bee manifest Mor l 5. c. 14. and by the Philosopher who gives the reason of it Lawes being made for generall cannot fetch in all particulars which are infinite there may then a cause come to hearing which may in equity be right and yet against the Law here the good Iudge doth not urge the Law to the worse but so pronounceth as the Law-giver himselfe would have said if he had beene present But I stay not upon this point it may be I am out of mine Element I once heard at a Sessions the Preacher in the Pulpit pleading for this quity and hee that supplyed the place of the Iudge conâ—â—mning both him and it I will goe no further in it than Beza doth and so farre I dare say I 1 Tim. 1. 3 may goe Hoc accipe de eo iure de quo remittere aliquid possunus where the Iudge may â—ake from the rigor of the Law â—n cafe of equity there hee ought to loose the cords of it or this is the end of lawes and â—udges that every maÌ„ may have his right be maintained in a just cause over throwne in a bad Thus have wee seene in Nehemiah the first thing which he did not not make examples the â—ule of his actions whereunto hath been referred the affirmaâ—ive what it is that hee and all in his place must bee guided by 2. Nehemiah went crosse to â—ad examples So did not I. Those that were before him did not as they ought to dâ—â— and had hee imitated them he might have done as ill as they but hee detested the wronâ— which they offered and professeth he did not so The ill dealing of his predecessors is specified in two particulars 1. The having abundance oppresseâ— and sucked the blood of thâ— poore and needy people whom they should rather have releeâ—ved had the people been rich they might well have required a floece for their maintenance for what Shephear watcheth over a flock and doth not sheare them but they were Tonderâ— not deglubere not to flea the sheepe because their wooll was thinne So did others but so did not hee 2. Their servants domineered and bare rule over the people hee meaneth not the Minister of Iustice and such as they put in office for these are to rule and men must submit themselves unto them 1 Pet. 2. 13 â—ut their under-servants and very one which had dependance upon them these would â—ee Masters and carry themselves as if they were more than some body A common â—ault in great mens retinues and â—n offices Spirituall and Lay where every hang-by will look loose upon a right good man â—nd a proud boy demeane himselfe malepertly to his betters Nehemiah thought the Goverâ—ours to blame who suffered his in their Courts and Famiâ—ies and therefore here proâ—esseth he did not so The point that I observe from henee shall be generall Magistrates must not follow the naughty courses of their Predecessors There are certaine vices which Divine Learning hath pointed out as rockes which Governors ought to take heed of which vices are noâ— idea's and abstracted formes Esse in esse but have had their seat in meâ— of authority there is no evil in the world which some maâ— hath not beene guilty of nâ— sinne belonging to a Magistrate but some Magistrate hath offended in The godly Governour when hee seeth that other have stooped to wickednesse must resolve against it himselfe that hee may bee able to say with Nehemiah But so did not I. The maine evils not to bee done by Magistrates are these 1. Vnjustice judging contrary to right and equity both in distributive and emendative Iustices 1. In distributive the good Iudge must neither justifie the wicked nor condemne the just for both these are abomination to the Lord Prov. 17. 15. Not justifie the wicked by suffering him to breake through the Lawes as great â—yes through cobwebs when hee ought to bee holden of â—hem for the power beareth â—ot the sword for nought Rom. â— 3. 4 but as God hath so must â—ee have 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a revenging eye over them that doe wickedly He must bee a Iosuâ—h to clense the land from the Iosh 7 1 King 2 theft of Achan a Solomon to take away the innocent blood shed by Ioab from the kingdome yea in this a Saul to 1 Sam. 28 cut off such as have familiar spirits and wizzards from among the people In capitall crimes the offender must dye by the sentence of the Iudge and in sinnes which the Law hath not said so heavy a punishment upon as drunkennesse swearing whoring the crying sinnes of our dayes though the committers of them thinke them to be nothing no more than Aetius the hereticke accounted of fornication penna aurem scalper Epiph. bar 76 to rub his care when it itche yet ought the honest Iudge dâ— the best hee can by all severiâ— and even by that which oâ— loose times call cruelty to taâ— them away or if that be in possible yet to chase the Birds of the night into tâ— night againe and to restrain if not the being yet the roariâ— of them It is now no time spare when the bankes of in quity are full and ready eveâ— day to runne over to drown the world Againe hee must not coâ—demne the just hee that is nâ— an offendour must be protectâ— not punished by the lawes Gâ— appointed Cities of refuge fâ— such as had transgressed again their wils but a mans own innocency should be his refugâ— when he hath not transgresse at all Wilt thou stay the rightâ—ous with the wicked saith A braham to God that bee farre from thee shall not the Iudge of all the world doe right Gen. 18. 25. And wilt thou condemne the guiltlesse may I say to an honest Iudge that bee farre from thee shall not hee that sittâ—th in the seat of the righteous God doe right It is surely unjust as I have said to assoile a lewd person but of the two farre better it is to free a man as harmelesse who hath done mischiefe than to condemne a man as mischievous who is harmelesse David sung it of Solomon Psal 72. 14. and it becomes every man in place of Iudicature He shall redeeme the innocent from violence and deceit and precious shall their blood be in his sight 2. Emendative Iustice the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luk. 12. 14 Iudge must not doe unjustly but give to every man that which is his owne he must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a right divider betweene man and man taking from the one what hee hath got of anothers and giving it to the other whose it is The good Magistrate cannot as the Popes Parasites say he can de quâ—drato facere rotundum make something of nothing and nothing againe of something as
first part of Iehoshaphat's charge to his Iudges aymes at this Let the feare of God bee upon you 2 Chron. 19. 7. and there is great reason that a Magistrate above others should bee a man fearing God 1. In regard of the greatnesse of his place authority and power puffe men up make them thinke they may doe what they list it is a hard thing in nature for a man to be great and good some who have done worthily while they have been commanded have forgot their goodnesse when they became commanders The Historian observes that among all the Tac. hist l. 1. c 13 Roman Emperors solus Vespasianus in melius mutatus est only Vespasian grew the better for his dignity And the common proverbe is Honores mutant mores Men are lightly worse after honours than they were before So prone are all men through their corruption when they are exalted to bee like the unjust Iudge Luk. 18. 1. who neither cared for God nor man Thus it alwayes fareth where men give way to their owne unruly affections but where the feare of God is planted there the greater men are the better their greatnesse giues them hands to bee able and Gods fe are an heart to bee willing to do much good There is nothing worse than a Magistrate without the feare of God armed injustice is the worst evill and nothing better then a Magistrate fearing God armed Iustice is most Soveraigne 2. In regard of the many provecations they are subject unto He that is in place of authority shall bee beleagred by kindred by friends by servants by mony suit upon suit reward upon reward to turne his heart out of the way and his tongue from speaking right things and a difficult thing it is considering our mould to resist so much importunity to passe by so many temptations unsnared great need then hath a Magistrate to set the feare of God as a seale upon his senses and upon his heart that hee may not be perverted I may well say to Governours as Simeon the Propheticall Monke spake to the Pillars which hee whipped before the Earth-quake Stand fast for you shall be shaken Dr. Hall in que vâ—dis p. 97 Satan and ill-disposed men desire to winnow them to sift their integrity their honesty their Iustice out of them they had need keepe themselves in the feare of God that their uprightnesse may not faile This feare of God is the best preservative against all ill motives Shall others tell a man in place or himselfe conceive that hee hath the law in his owne hands and that he may wrest it like a Lesbian rule which way he will the feare of God will suggest other thoughts to him How shall J doe this great evill and sinne against God If great meanes be used to violate and many rubs throwne into the way to turne aside Iustice the feare of God will constraine a man to leape over them all because hee will thus reason I who sit now upon the Bench to give Iudgement must one day stand before the Barre of a greater Iudge my selfe to give account of my judgement which if I can give with joy as I ought happy I. I shall heare euge well done good and faithfull servant But if my account bee perplexed and wrong I tremble to thinke of punishment by eternall separation from God ito maledicte away thou cursed You see what force the feare of God hath to plead for right to plead against wrong Nehemiah maketh this the reason and it is a strong reason of his not doing wickedly So did not I because of the feare of God I have now done with my Text yet something by way of Application must be added that so my Text may be laid to the businesse in hand and fitted to it Nehemiah's course may best be presented to you Right Honourable most Reverent and Worthy for he was a Deputy under King Artaxerxes to the Iewes so are you under our gracious Soveraigne to these parts hee in his Deputation disclaymeth all unrighteous dealing and you must doe so in yours The Oyle therfore of my Exhortation shall first be powred upon your head and so drop downe to the skitts of your clothing all that have any hand in this great Assize for though they all be not Nehemiah's men in authority to judge yet doe they all concurre for the production of the sacred act of Iustice and in that respect for the time are not private but publike persons and must take care so much as concerneth them that Iustice may runne freely without stoppage 1. Therefore Right Honorable I desire you to set this worthy patterne before your eyes I doubt not but when you looke into the glasse of my Text you see your selves in it for it is said that you are Nehemiah's men fearing God not doing unrighteousnesse yet give me leave to hold the glasse before you and shew you not onely Nehemiah but even your selves to your selves that you may be the more incited â—ihil Plut. lib. 5. nat quest indignum tanta virtuâ—e committere as he said to doe nothing unbeseeming so great worthinesse If you behold the examples of Iudges in former times you shall finde some to have declined and gone out of 1 Sam. 15. 9 the way Saul sparing Agag who was the sonne of death the Nobles of Iezreel stoning 1 King 21. 13. Naboth a man most innocent Est 3. 13 Ahashuerus giving the Iewes goods for a prey to the rest of the Provinces Festus hearing Acts 25. 9 grievous complaints against Paul but cutting him off when he answered for himselfe Samuels 1 Sam. 8. 3 sonnes turning aside after lucre taking bribes and perverting Iudgement Oh let your eyes bee upon these by-paths but be upon them to decline them oh keepe your selves from the accursed thing that though many hurried by the evill spirit care not how they demeane themselves yet you may not doe so because of the feare of God that by your happy meanes righteousnesse and peace may still kisse each other in these Easterne Angles 2. Let mee speake unto the Lawyers who have a great stroake in matters of emendative Iustice and Pleas between man and man For my selfe nemo vestrum mihi iniuria cognitus I know no hurt by any of your profession none of them ever wronged mee and I know a great deale of good by some of you grave you are honest true dealing men but the common fame is that there is much iniquity in your ranke Dr Hal quo vadis p 1 1. and no marvell for where many pots are boyling there cannot but bee much skumme where much practice and tempering with mens estates much dishonesty and false play Two things I have heard condemned among you 1. That many stir up men to strife and contention that so they may have employment Some are said to be like the Sea-crab who desirous to eat the flesh of the Oyster which he cannot come by
It is directly expressed by the Prophet Amos chap. 4. 12. Thus will I doe unto thee O Israel and because I will doe thus unto thee prepare to meet thy God O Israel The comminations of God in Scripture doe not shut up the way to repentance but rather open it inviting the sinner to send up his humility his penitence his prayers to stand in the gappe and to keepe off the wrath of God that it come not foorth to consume him If I speake saith God against a Nation to plucke it up and destroy it if that Nation against whom I have pronounced turn from their evill way I will repent of the evill which I thought to do unto them Ier. 18. 7. A manifest example wherof we have in that threatning denounced against Ninivie a threatning than which in Scripture none more absolute none more peremptory yet forty dayes and Ninivie shall be destroyed yet was this sentence reversed by God upon the Ninivits conversion though hereby men might conceive of him that he was as a man to repent and of Ionas his messenger that he was a false prophet And I doubt not but I may safely say If the house of Iehu had by the message of Hosea learned to walke in the wayes of God this revenge here denounced might have beene removed or at leastwise deferred till succeeding generations Let men who find the curses due by the Law dogging them for their transgressions not hereupon grow desperate as if there were no way of evasion but they must dye for it Daniels counsel was otherwise to Nebuchadnezzar even after the decree of the Watch-man and the word of the holy One O King breake off thy sinnes by righteousnesse if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity Dan 4. 27. Prolata est sententia ut non fiat saith Chrysostome upon these words God threatneth Iudgment that he may not execute it telleth men of evils to come not onely that they may know but especially that they may avoyd them For the second these predictions assure the impenitent of vengeance they are the earnest of that price which shall hereafter be paid them to the utmost farthing for shall God speake the word and shal it not be done hath he said and shall he not make it good assuredly his word shall stand and his threatning not returne to him in vaine every jot and tittle thereof shall be fulfilled in his season He foretold of a flood to come upon the old world the world remained impenitent the flood came and swept them all away Hee foretold plagues to light upon Egypt Egypt remained impenitent and the plagues with multiplication layd hold upon them In a word hee foretold to Iehu's house the departing of their glory Jehu's house remayned impenitent and in a smal while their glory departed from them This point the Apostle Paul hath laid down in plaine terms Rom. 9. 6. It is impossible the word of God should fall and yet many stumble at this stone calling into question both the justice and truth of God when as contrary to the propheticall threats impenitent sinners enjoy earthly good things the Law having denounced many temporall judgements against them all which notwithstanding they live many times in great delight and prosperity as if they were the sonnes of blessing and had nothing to doe with cursing To cleare therefore this point in a word or two I affirme that not to exccute vengeance threatned against impenitent sinners is neither against the Iustice nor the Truth of God 1. Not against his Iustice for the rule whereby God squareth his Iustice is not alwayes retributio pro meritis that hee doe to the sinner according to his desert but sometime condecentia bonitatis suae that he doe to the sinner what becommeth his owne goodnesse as Aquinas Prima q. 2. primo 3. speaketh though evill men in themselves deserve most righteously all the punishments denounced in the Law yet the goodnesse of God requireth that hee empty not the treasure of his wrath upon every occasion but sometime spare when he might strike whether therefore he striketh he is just or whether he holdeth his hands he is still just Cum punis malos iustus es quia illorum meritis eonvenit cum parcis iustus quiae bonitatituae condicit said Anselmus Ansel ciâ— Aq. loco pred cto truly In the former just because mans sinnes deserve it in the latter just because it is consonant to his owne goodnesse 2. Not against his Truth If the sinner goe unpunished in Zanch in 2. praecep p. 374. one sort or other even of temporall punishments then say God is untrue but never think a thought against his truth because the sinner is not punished in this kind or that for howsoever God hath annexed these and these judgements to the violation of his Precepts to the intent that the wicked may know what is their due guerdon and what they may expect De nâ—t Dei l. 4. 6. 5. q 2. from him yet is he Iâ—dex liber not Iuratus as Zanchy saith well Hee is not bound at all times to inflict them or upon all sinners but in his wise dispensation so to order them as may make most for the manifestation of his owne Iustice for the conviction of the wicked for the good of his Saints and for the terror of all men His speciall threatnings against particular either Nations or men lay fast hold and misse not the burthen of Ierusalem of Ahab of Jehu of infinite more wee see have fallen heavy upon them but his generall threatnings against generall sinners are then made good not when they al light upon every sinner but when some of them light upon all and so it may be truly averred God never said hee would avenge but hee hath avenged to the full and the transgressor hath found it to his smart To conclude this point wee which are the Heraulds of the Lord of Hosts are bound to denounce destruction against his enemies not so that wee can surely tell them as the Prophets did If they offend in this kind they shall be punished in this sort we have no such visions now adayes and we may be too bold in speaking beyond our Commission but this we may yea and must say that even the temporall evils of this life are the portion of sinners as Zophar hath excellently described it through the whole twentieth Chapter of Job and they may justly feare to be overtaken by them cursings in the City cursings in the field cursings in their body cursings in their seed cursings in their soules cursings in their estate all these wait for them and were it not for the curbing fence of Gods mercy would suddenly as the old worlds water make away with them Repent therefore this is the end of all that you may bee free from the curse sons of promise not of threatning to whom God may say I will doe good and not as hee did here to