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A87001 Israels just jvdge; or, The maiestrats brest-plate, against the darts of pride, envy, & hipocrisie: being enemies to iustice, mercy, & humility. Presented to the jmpartial maiestrats of this nation, especialy in the western parts, from whence the author (by Gods providence) drew his first breath; wishing them health here, and all happiness hereafter. / Written by Charles Hammond. Hammond, Charles, 17th cent. 1657 (1657) Wing H494; Thomason E899_4; ESTC R206742 13,989 19

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wickednesse springs up in most plaecs where such great roots of covetousness is planted Moses though chiefe ruler of the Children of Israel yet followed the counsell of his Father-in-law Iethero he did not despise him for his age age is honorable if they be not gray before they are good age is a crowne of Glory where it is found in the way of Righteousness Prov. 16. Happy is that gray head that is crownd with Righteousness but unhappy is that gray head that is environed with envy and covetousness Justice is the Mistriss of all vertues and the truest tryall of a good Man but the covetous heart is a very mint of fraud it can readily coyn falshood upon all occasions Covetousness is the mother of all sins whatsoever There is no evil that a covetous man will not put in practice so goods may come of it You cannot name that sin but he will swallow it in the sweet broth of commodi●y He that is greedy of gain will sel the truth sel his friend his father his master his conscience nay more with Ahab sel himself for money When once men are bewitcht with the love of money as Iudas was a small matter would make them sel Christ himselfe were he now on the earth to be sold All vices rule where geld reigns He that is inslaved to that sin may be wrought by Sathan to any thing Covetousness is the grave of all goodness it eatt out the very heart of grace by eating graces out of the heart When Avarice gets possession it turns grace onto doors No such impedim nt to conversion and salvation as it isf Ministers may wel wonder their Sermons take no better but. God tels us the reason Ezek. 33. They sis before thee and hear thy word but their hearts go after covetousness It destroyes more souls than all other sins put together as the Apostle intimates 1 Tim. 6 10. You shall sooner hear of a hundred malefactors contrition at the gallows than of one covetous misers in his bed Our Saviour expresly affirmeth that is easier for a Camel to goe through the eye of a needle than for a rich man that is a covetous Rich man to enter into the kingdome of heaven Luke 18.25 And the Apostle that no covetous man can look for any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ ●nd of God Ephes 5 5 1 Cor. 6 9 Well may it be accounted good counsel of Iethro to cause Moses to chuse those men for Officers that hated that sin of Covetousness for how can he doe Iustice to others that is so unjust to himselfe Or what cares he what affliction he layes upon his neighbours body when he hath so little mercy on his own soul There are few Rich men that will not rather offend the divine majesty than the temporal authority nor doe they goe to Chuych to serve God but the state which they use not to save their soules but charges There is no Religion in them but the love of money A covetous man goeth more to the assemblies for fear of the Law than love of the Gospel and more out of custome than conscience as Cain offered his sacrifice and so will God accept of it He sits down at table but hath no stomack to eat his ears are at Church but his heart is at home and as his hearing is such is his praying He may afford God his voice but his heart is rooted and riveted to the earth They have not cried to me saith God with their hearts when they howled upon their beds it was but for corn and wine Hosea 7.14 O that God had the same place in mens affections that riches honour and pleasure hath Charge them that are rich in this world that they are not high minded and that they trust not in uncertain riches but in the living God which giveth us abundantly all things to enjoy 1 Tim. 6.17 And well doth that man deserve to perish that so loves the Creature as that he leaves the Creator If a covetous man should hear me all 's one with him an ounce of Gold with him will weigh down whatsoever can be alledged from the Word He can like Canan well enough so he may enjoy his flesh-pots of Egypt also and can love the blessing with Esau but he will not lose the potage And in case he cannot gain by being Religious his care shall be not to lose by it and that Religion shall serve him best that is best cheap and will cost him least Any doctrine is welcome to him but that that beats upon good works Nor wil he stick with the Sages to fall down and worshiy Christ but he cannot abide to present him with his gold The love of money and coming in of gain is dearer and sweeter to the muckworm than the saving of his soul The Scribes and Pharisees who were covetous men shut their eyes stopt their ears against all our Saviour did and said yea they scoft at his preaching Luke 16.14 Of all sorts of sinners that Christ preached unto he was never scorned and mockt but by them when he preached against Covetousnesse and what is the reason but this Rich worldlings think the nselves so much the wiser as they are the richer therefore we may all pray that Iethro's counsel which he gave to Moses may be considered by those that sit at the helm of Iustice to steer this nation in this troublesome sea of these times that they would provide men of courage fearing God men dealing truly hating covetousnesse See what Jehoshaphat did when he brought the people to the Lord God of their fathers and he set Iudges in the land in all the strong cities of Iudah citie by citie and be sa●d to the Iudges take heed what ye do for you execute not the judgment of man but of the Lord and he will be with you in the cause judgement wherfore now let the feare of the Lord be upon you take heed and doe it for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God neither respect of Persons receiving of reward 2 Cron. 19.5 6 7. He hath shewed thee O Man what is good and what the Lord doth require of thee but to doe justly to love mercy and to walke humbly with thy God Must Mercy be joyned with justice yes Government founded on Justice and Mercy doth knit and unite the Common-wealth in love and vnity which is the true upholder of Peace and Plenty whereas injustice and cruelty brings war ruine and misery injustice and cruell oppression was Israels destruction shall any think that are guilty of the same to goe unpun shed no Except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Gods mercy is above all his works for it is of the Lords Mercy we are not consumed nay it is Gods mercy we doe not consume one another for we seeke the ruine and destruction of one another may it not be said to England as it was said to Jsrael heare ye the word of the Lord ye
conjecture that when he delivered the Law to Moses it should stand for a memorial to all ages for at that time there was no poore for they were all going towards Canaan and till they came there they all far'd alike they had Manna to eat and the Wildernesse for their possession for 40 years together and when they came to Canaan it was a Land that flowed with Milke and Honey Truly the Lord know their hearts great Men would be puft up so with Pride Ambition and Envy that the Poore shall goe to wrack in after Ages as you shall find in the Prophets times I wonder where we shall heare or read in any ages the Poore and Strangers so little rewarded and less regarded then in our times the poore cries the rich says let them worke will not they worke cryes the Majestrate let them be whipt which some perhaps are not able to worke or if they can their worke is not able to maintain their charge they not giving themselves and stopping the charity of those that would gives Reflect upon your selves you great ones of the Earth you that fare deliciously every day and thinke not of the afliction of Joseph you that lays out all on your backs and bellies or hoards up all in your coffers and chests and knows not who shall injoy it But why shall I or how dare I tell you of these things yes I must if I should not speake I thinke ere long the stones would speake to some of you I speake no more but what I have the word of God for my warrant He that giveth to the Poore lendeth to the Lord saith our Saviour Christ owneth the poore and strangers too you will find it so at the day of Judgement the 25 of Mathew will shew it you strangers cries some of you why they are vagrants they hinder us of our Trading cryes the Shop-keeper doth he come further then he can goe home at night our Majestrates and we will hold together right or wrong let him not speake for himselfe no nor suffer no other to speake for him our wils shall be our Law and though we can find neither the Law of God nor the Laws of the Land to justifie our actions our lips are our owne and who is Lord over us Psalm 12.4 Now for the oppression of the needy and the sighs of the Poore I will up saith the Lord and will set at liberty whom the wicked hath snared verse 5. Solomon saith when the Righteous are in authority the People rejoyce but when the wicked beare rule the People sigh Peov. 29.2 Thou shalt doe no injury to a stranger nor oppress him ye shall not trouble the Widdow nor Fatherless child if thou vex or trouble such and so he call and cry unto me I will surely heare his cry then shall my wrath be kindled and I will kill you with the Sword and your Wives shall be Widdows and your Children Fatherless Exod. 22. v. 21 22 23 24. The Lord is just in all his Judgements he tels Man doe as thou wouldst be done by the same measure you meat shall be measured to you or yours againe Rob not the Poore because he is poore neither oppress the aflicted in Iudgment for the Lord will defend their cause and spoil the soul of them that spoil them Prov. 22 22. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all the Children of destruction open thy mouth judge Righteously and judge the aflicted and the Poore Prov. 30.8 The Lord would have Men in authority speak for those that either dare not or cannot speak for themselves many a good cause is overthrown of the poor mans for want of Men of power and knowledge to speake for them it hath been an old Proverb might overcomes right either his purse or his place overcomes the poore man how dare you goe to Law with a Majestrate cryes some one Majestrate will take anothers part if they doe let them have a care it be in a just cause if not the poore mans cause will be pleaded before that Judge that hath no respect of persons he will pannell your owne consciences for a Jury to condemn you if you doe not justice heare you Judges and Majestrates God standeth in the assembly of Gods he judgeeh amongst Gods how long will you judg unjustly and accept the Persons of the wicked doe right to the poore and fatherless doe justice to the poore and needy deliver the poore and needy save them from the hand of the wicked I have said you are Gods and you are all Children of the most high but ye shall dye as Men and ye Princes shall fall as others Psal 82. This may strike a terror both to Majestrate and People doth God tearm them Gods it will confute those that would cry downe that authority whom God gives such a Title to on Earth Let every man be subiect to the higher powers for their is no power but of Gods and the powers that be are ordained of God giue to all Men therefore their dues tribute to whom you owe tribute custom to whom you owe custome ●se are to whom you owe feare honor te whom you owe honor Rom. 13. O you Jndges and Majestrates are you Gods then let the Law of God be your guide he that turneth away his eare from hearing the Law even his Prayer shall be abominable Pro. 28 9. Heare ye O Kings and learn you that are Iudges of the ends of the Earth for the rule is given you of the Lord and power from the most high which wi I try your works and search out your imaginations because you being Officers of his Kingdom have not judged aright nor kept the Law nor walked after the will of God horibly and suddainly will he appeare unto you for a hard judgment shall they have that beare rule for he that is low is worthy of mercy but the mighty shall be mightily tormented for he that is Lord over all shall spare no Person neither shall he feare any greatnesse for he hath made the small and the great and careth for all alike but for the mighty abideth the sorer triall you may read it in the 6 chap. of the Wisedom of Solomon though it be in the Apocraphy yet St. Paul makes it good in the GosPell Acts 10. v. 3 4. Rom. 2.11 Gal. 2.6 Epbe. 6.9 Col. 3 25. What Men ost Majestrats to be then in whose hand God gives the Sword of Justice who should represent that invisible God in the visible seat of justice we find in the 18 of Exod. Iethro the Priest of Midian Moses Father in law admonisheth his Son what Men he should chuse provide thou Men among all the People Men of courage fearing God Men dealing truly hating covetousnesse O! that is a sin I am afraid too much used both by Majestrats and others to in this Narion now in these times covetousness is the root of all evill and t is no marvell so much