Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

Prov. 16. And Solomon faith, The Throne is establifted by righteouf

12.

neffe.

Therefore where juftice faileth, Gods Ordinance is made an inftrument of cruelty, and the Kings Throne is fet on a flippery place, as we find it exemplified in this Kingdome of the Iews, whereof Zephaniah complaineth, Her Princes within her are Zeph. 3.3. roaring Lyons, bera Judges are evening Wolves.

Mic. 3. 10

Verse 12.

And Micah. They build up Sion with blood,and Ierufalem with iniquity.

The Heads thereof Judge for reward.qu

Therefore fball Sion for your fakes be plowed as a field, and [erufalem ball become heaps, and the mountain of the house, as the high-places of the forrest...

For God cannot long endure that his word fhall he drawn against his People, and that his gods (for he giveth Iudges his own title)fhould become lyons, and bears, and buls, and wolves, and devils, amongst the sheep of his pafture.

-f He did the Government then a great honour, who bore in his fhield the picture of Iuftice, having in one hand the sword; in the other the ftates, with this word.

Dum illa evincam.

But when Tribunalia may be called Tributalia, where Iudg ment is given according to the gifts and rewards that are given, or where corrupt affection ferveth its own turn any way from the way of Iuftice.o

C

[ocr errors]

God feeth it, and is angry that there is no judgment, & qui videt requiret.

52. Corruption of Iuftice is a figne of a drooping Common z Reaf wealth, because it not only is contrary to Religion, and the written Law of God, but it is contrary to the Law of God writ ren in the heart of man,

For as Lactant.faith well.

Devin.In Radix Juftitia & omne fundamentum, aquitatis eft illud, vide ne facias ulli quod pati nolis. This Counfel is good.

ftit,

Transfer in alterius perfonam quod de te fentis, & in tuam quod de altero judicas:

J

And if this law of nature muft bind all men to do Iuftice one to another, much more muft it oblige thofe to whom the office

of

of administration of juftice is committed, let them make it their r own cafe, and so no wrong judgement shail go forth.alis dosa

For this fame fus naturale is the fountain of all juftice, which Religion hath to enlighted, that God having planted true Religion in his Church, the Prophet faith He looked for judgments

May 5.7. The proper application of this text, is to the Magiftrate, to admonish him to execute the judgements of God juftly, that 1. Ve. neither the People may have caule po complain of wrong, but may know where to have right done them, neither the hophots of God may have caufe to awake the juftice of God againft those that manage the fword of juftice cruelly or partially, or any way corruptly.

But I have none fuch in this audience to admonish, and there fore I omit that exhortation as unproper for this hearing.

For us, if we hear the cry and complaint of our brethien, or 2. Vfes feel the fmart of oppreffion in our felves, we fee the danger of it to the State in which we live, threathing it with ruine, and it ought to ftirre us up as the Apoftle doth admonish, to pray to God for his help.

Texhort therefore that first of all Supplications, Prayers, Interceffions, and giving of thanks be made for all men.

1 Tim.z. 2. For Kings, and all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godline ffe and honesty

t

3. For this is good and acceptable in the fight of God our Saviour, Pros

[ocr errors]

Infurrection against the Magiftrate, and depofition of Kings, and violence offered to their Perfons even unto death, is a Presbyterian doctrine. Buchanan the Scottish Chronicler our Kings firft Schoolmaster in his book de jure regni, was the first broacher hereof; who maketh Kings to derive their authority from the People, and giveth power to the People to take away the fame if he govern not justly.

Against this we have Gods own word, faying Touch not mine annointed, where he calleth Kings his annointed by a special title, not given to any other Perfons, but fuch as exercife regal Authotity all the Scripture through; And if they may not be touched, much leffe may they be depofed or their Perlons violated. And this title is not only given to Davidbut to Cyrus. Thus

G 3

faith

ifay 43.1. faith the Lord na Gyrsis mise annointed. For as Imenema faith, bu

Lib. 5.

[ocr errors]

Vid. fup. p.36. Doctr.

Pfal. 22. I.

Inde illis porestas unde Spiritus. For so the Apostle, £ The, power's that be are ordained of God.elvanafaid: 10 -Therefore the Presbytery and Papacy like Herod and Pilate are friends to do a fhrewd turn, when they both put power on the People to right themselves against Kings that do not exe cute judgement, to allowing 9. 9 1930). 5.03 mil sombe

[ocr errors]

The Apoftle is a better guide, he bids pray for them, and if you confider what Kings then raigned, you will fay there could not be worfedo so s 72 01 Jan sy 1 vem be to "I must therefore with the Apostle admonish, let every foul fubmit it felfe; Let no man, let not a confederacie of men fedi, tiously and malicioully advance themselves against the Lords annointed: hand off, offer him no violence use not the tongue to curse him ufe not the pen against him to libel him: Curfe him not in thy heart, touch him no noxious and offensive way : and if fubordinate Magiftrates do let wrong judgement proceed, appeal from them to bim that Gitteth on the Throne of Iuftice, who doth drive away all evil with his eye iyot bo - If he will not do thee right, go in the Prophet Habakkuks way,wraftle with God by thy prayers, and make thy complaint to him. He heareth the complaint of the poore

2001 13

2. He complaineth and chideth with God for fhewing him all this iniquity and violence. From whence we are taught,. .E It is lawful in our Prayers to expoftulate and conteft with God.o

Habakkuk goeth farre in this you have heard. ferome faith, Nullus Prophetarum aufus eft, tam audaci voce Deum provocare. Yet we fhall find that others have gone very farre this way, David for one.

My God, my God, why haft thou forsaken me? why art thou Sofarre from helping me, and from the words of my raaninglas 303 my God, I cry in the day, but thou heareft me not, and in the •night season I am not filent. And he profeffeth it. Nicara Pfal. 42.9. I will say unto God, My rock, why bast thou forgotten me? why go la mourning, because of the oppreffion of the enemy?lls vor David is very frequent in thefqespostulations, fő is holy: Job, fo is feremie, and both these are very much overgonein pallion,

and

and therefore examples rather of weaknesse, which we must decline, then rules of direction to imitate. Com si zida, bio but

นน

St. Paul doth give us good warrant for this wraftling with God, it is his very phrafe? Non kelaech pou brethren for the Rom. 155 Lord Jesus Christs fake, and for the love of the Spirit that ye 30. Arive together with me in your prayers to God. He ufeth a word that figneth fuch ftriving as isi in trying of mastery, who shall have the best. ovat. s.scanty ist eboƆto egiting aledT And Jacob is a type hereof who wrestled with the Angel till the break of the day, and though he got a lameneffe by striving with his over-match, yet would he not let him go till he had gotten a bleffing, ed AI a ao lutei ao

[ocr errors]

Reprefenting the fervent petitioners that come to God in the name of Chrift, as the woman of Canaan did for her daughter, neither the Disciples nor Chrift could make her turne afide or be filent.

But here is a Quare: for the Apostle doth fays Oman who Quer. art thou that replyeft against God? When once God hath de- Rom.9.20 clared himself in any thing, how dare we call him to accompt, and aske him a reason for any thing he doth ano fotos A And again the Prophet Jay faith, Woe unto him that striveth with his Makere voda molti rolne su pode

Further, is it not contrarie to that petition in the Lords Prayer? Fiat voluntas tua: For doth not the Prophet declare here a dislike of that which God did, as feeming to with it had been other wife, when he asketh, why daft thou shem me iniquity, and make me to behold violencesic domaidh

Ifa. 45.9.

The best way to clear this doubt, is to behold this paffion in Soli fome chofen fervant of God, and fee what he makes of it; we will take David for our example, and let us hear him first complaining, and then answering for himself, his complaint is paffiohina Jalelq

nate.

will the Lord caft off for ever? and will hee be favourable Pfal.77.7.

no more? ).

Is his mercy olean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for Verf. 8. evermore?!

Hath God forgotten to be gracions ? bath he in anger shut up his Vers, & tender mercies.?.

He

[merged small][ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

He recovereth himself, saying, calqueto Gue And I faid,this is mine infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most high, hoog en svig bob m

Surely there be infirmities in the Saints of God, and this expoftulation with God is an effect of infirmity: Yet fhall you fee that this doth no way weaken the doctrine before delivered, that it is lawfull to expoftulate with God in our prayers.

The infirmities of Gods fervants are of two fortsDr. Na、 turall. 2. Sinfull,bel mno. who madogodoald MA LHA

We must fo destinguish, for when Christ took our nature into the unity of his perfon; with it he took upon him all our infir mities, but not our finfull ones. For he was like man in all things but finto th mo toldbeg provisted: gabalaiqs&

Three especially are noted in the story of the Gospel that is to fay, no skam blags fli. Daca calquera 5 or Sorrow: Fear: Anger:

1. Sorrow, for he wept and mourned.:

2. Fear, for he was heard in that he feared.ae tot med: 1 313Anger, for he did often chide, and reprove, this barb Thele affections be naturall, and fo long as they be affections, they are without blame when they exubrate, and grow into perturbations, then they are faulty. For there is which is the inclination: and there is al which is the inflammation of nature biqu19 uns son diob to an intrulou quit 579

God who in creation gave these affections to nature, hath not denyed us the ufe of them; yea he hath ordained them as excellent helps for his work of grace in us.

Therefore we find fear mingled with faith to keep it from fwelling into prefumption, that fear is not a fin in the Elect,as fome weak confciences ignorantly mistake it, but it is Cos fideil the whetstone of faith to give it the more edge. edges!

As in that complaint of David, My God, my God, why haft thon forfaken me. Where the first part of that complaint is vox fidei, the voice of faith, My God my God: the fecond is vox timoris, the voice of tear, que me direliquifti: and we fay, fear is a good keeper,it makes us lay fo much the fafter hold on God by faith; Yea it is a warhing to us to avoyd any thing that may do us hurt.

The

« AnteriorContinua »