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A44610
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An exact model, or platform of good magistracy, or, A sermon preached before the governour, council and assembly at the first meeting at Saint Jago de la Vega in Jamaica, Feb. 1, 1671 by Henry Houser.
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Houser, Henry, d. 1683.
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1673
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Wing H2946; ESTC R28697
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10,012
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30
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of Truth hating Covetousness Hearken then Application O ye Mountains and little Hills you Gentlemen of this present Assembly listen to this charge of Jethro in the Text approving your Selves to be men of Ability such as fear God men of Truth hating Covetousness Put on courage to help the Poor and Needy to defend the Widdow and the Fatherless and to neglect the Frowns of great Ones Fear God set him always before your Eyes and be a living Example to Holiness and Godliness Study to be men of Truth and set not a good countenance upon a bad cause And lastly hate Covetousness with a perfect Heart and esteem Godliness the greatest gain Plead for Christ and he will plead for you that so every one of you may appear at the Tribunal of God with joy and comfort and receive that sweet Sentence Mat. 25.2 Well done thou good and faithful Servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things Enter thou into the joy of the Lord. And verily it is now high time you should earnestly Study and Practise this excellent Lesson in the Text To be Men of Ability such as fear God Men of Truth hating Covetousness especially in consideration of the abundance and continual increase of Sin in this Land How doth every Street ring with Cursing and Swearing and Prophaneness How little conscience do men make of this day to live in open Filthiness and Laciviousness of the Flesh The Minister may Teach and Preach what he will and Threaten as long as he list yet the Gallants of our time like Galio in the Acts of the Apostles they care for none of these things We are fallen into those Times where Prophanness and Licenciousness have generally prevailed every where Sin is grown to such an height as if the Word of God were but a Scare crow and all Religion but a Fable we are brought to this wosul pass to mock and scoff at Holiness and Godliness at Piety and Religion as if God were neither to be fear'd nor cared for Truly wickedness raigns in every state in every condition in every place And now even at this time as if we would defie God to his Face and call upon him to hasten his Judgments upon our Land upon our Families and Persons every one strives as it were who shall out-dare him most in our Atheism Libertinism and Prophanness in all Riot and Excess in Impenitency Oh that some Jehosaphat would visit and Reform Oh that you especially who are the Head of the Principal members of this Island would Redress some part of these Grievances lest Sin and Wickedness get the upper hand and cause our Ruine And this the Lord expects at your hands in regard of those many singular Favours and Divine Blessings bestowed upon us even in this Land We have had Peace within our Walls and Plenteousness within our Dwellings while Thousands of our Brethren and Neighbours were smitten with Gods manifold Judgments and Plagues The Lord spared us and kept us safe even to this day Defeating and bringing to naught all mischievous Plots and Policies of our Enemies against us Oh then give thanks unto the Lord because he is Good and his Mercy endures for ever Let the House of Levi say his Mercy endures for ever Let the House of Judah say his Mercy endures for ever Let our Fields and Plantations say it is his mercy that we be not all spoiled Let our Towns and Dwelling-Houses say it is his Mercy that we be not all Burnt Let our Churches say it is his Mercy that we be not all rased yea let this whole Island say it is his Mercy that Fire and Sword and Pestilence and other Miseries and Calamities did not Prey upon me as upon others O Lord who is a God like unto thee thus to Bear thus to Spare thus to Bless Had not thy Mercies exceeded all Limits our sins ere this had sunk us all our Island had been made a second Sodom and Gomorrhe Oh that yet yet we all of this Church of this Land would meet the Lord with Fasting and Weeping and mourning and make our Peace and Reconciliation with him while Peace is to be had Oh that you especially who are now met and Assembled together for the Good and Welfare of this Island would begin now even now by wholesome Laws and Ordinances to beat down Sin and Wickedness and Reform and Amend all that is amiss For this is the only way to keep our Island from mourning and misery and to prevent the Desolation and final Destruction of it And this will be Done and Accomplished when you shall truly and really Study and Practise this profitable Lesson in the Text To be Men of Ability such as fear God Men of Truth hating Covetousness Then indeed may you expect a Blessing upon all your Consultations Then as the Prophet Amos speaks chap. 5.24 Shall Judgment run down as Waters and Righteousness as a mighty Stream Then shall you and we and every one of us be able to go Home in Peace sit down under our Vines and Figtrees follow our Callings and that which is the chiefest of all lead a Quiet and Peaceable life in all Honesty and Godliness Then shall the Earth increase all People shall praise God and God even our God shall Bless us and all the ends of the Earth shall fear him Oh blessed be the Lord God of Israel who only doth wondrous things and blessed be his glorious Name for ever and ever and let all the Earth be filled with his Glory Amen Amen 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 FINIS A CATALOGUE OF BOOKS THere is newly Printed a Book Intituled The Worm that Dieth not or Hell Torments in the Certainty and Eternity of them Plainly discovered in several Sermons Preached on Mark 9.48 by that Painful and Laborious Minister of the Gospel William Strong Published by D. Thomas Manton and Mr. John Rowe Minister of Gods Word in 12o. Also a Book intituled Heavenly-Mindedness and Earthly-Mindedness in two Parts with an Appendix concerning laying hold on Eternal Life by J. Rowe Minister of Gods Word in Octavo Also newly Reprinted Divine Arithmatick or The right Art of Numbering our Days by S. Patrick D. D. in Octavo Also newly Reprinted Christs Power over Bodily Diseases Preached in several Sermons on Matth. 8.5.6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 verses and Published for the Instruction especially of the more Ignorant People in the great Duty of Preparation for Sickness and Death by Edward Laurance Minister of Gods Word There will be Published within a moneth a Book Intituled The Fountain of Life opened or a Display of Christ in his Essential and Mediatorial Glory Wherein the Impetration of our Redemption by Jesus Christ is orderly and unfolded as it was begun carried on and finished by his Covenant Transactions mysterious Incarnation solemn Call and Dedication blessed Offices deep Abasement and supereminent Advancement In all which the great Supernatural Mysteries of the Wisdom and Love of God in his most gracious Plenary and wonderful Salvation of Sinners by Jesus Christ is distinctly Explicated and in its several Parts as well as generally Applied for the winning of Unbelievers to him and Confirmation of all that do Believe in him by John-Flavel Preacher of the Gospel of Jesus Christ at Dartmouth in Devon FINIS
AN EXACT MODEL OR PLATFORM OF GOOD Magistracy OR A SERMON Preached before the Governour Council and Assembly at their first Meeting at Saint Jago de la Vega in Jamaica Feb. 1. 1671. By Henry Houser Minister of Gods Word in St. Katharines Parish Psal 82.6 7. I have said ye are Gods and all of you are Children of the most High but ye shall die like men London Printed for Francis Tyton at the Sign of the Three Daggers in Fleet-Street 1673. To the Right Honourable Sir Thomas Lynch Governour and Commander in Chief of his Majesties Island of Jamaica c. As likewise to his Honourable Councel and Gentlemen of the Assembly continuance of all Grace and Peace through Jesus Christ IT was far from my Thoughts as being conscious of my own private Weakness that this poor Sermon should gain such Acceptance with you as to judge it worthy either of your Thanks or of publick View But seeing your Pleasure is to Order the Publishing of it I do humbly Obey And therefore take the boldness to Offer and Consecrate the same even to you who are the Head and the Representatives of this whole Land and have commanded both the Preaching and Printing of it Yea and it is my Duty which Obliges me to make you this thankful Acknowledgments for the many singular Favours and Courtesies particularly that of your last Liberal Bounty and Kindness bestowed and fastned upon me so that I must say as Ruth said once to Boaz Chap. 11.10 Why have I found grace in your Eyes that you should take knowledg of me seeing I am a Stranger Verily I can ascribe and impute it to no other cause but unto Gods infinite Mercy and your own Goodness The great God of Heaven who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords so direct your Hearts that all and every one of you may truly and indeed according to Jethro's Counsel approve your selves to be Men of Ability fearing God men of Truth hating Covetousness That you may truly and indeed according to the Power God hath intrusted you withal oppose the violent stream of all Lewdness and Wickedness and Prophanness and be a lively Example to the Practise of Piety of Holiness and Godliness Yea that you may have both the Caurage and Zeal of Moses to Defend and Protect the true Religion and Worship of God against all Opposers thereof And this the Lord expects at your Hands in regard of the depth of your Interests You are more concerned in the Publick welfare of this Island than others of a more private Station and therefore you are bound to seek and to promote the Good and Welfare of this Island more than others It is a Maxime in Divinity Beneficium postulat officium Those whom God calls to the Highest places he calls withal to the Highest services Therefore it behoveth you above all things to remove all Impediments which might hinder the Advancement of the Glory of God the Flourishing of the Gospel and the Happiness and Prosperity of this Island If this be your chief Study and Care then certainly the God of Heaven will be with you and bless you in all your Doings in all your Consulations Then indeed this great Keeper of Israel will keep and preserve you in all your Wayes both in your going forth and in your coming in from this time forth and for evermore And this is the daily Prayer of your humbly Devoted Servant H. H. EXOD. 18.21 Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as fear God men of truth hating covetousness Exordium GReat Conjunctions of Heavenly Bodies are usually attended with great and notable Changes Beloved I hope that your present Conjunction will operate and conduce much to the happiness and welfare of this Island To the obtaining whereof it is most necessary that you especially who are the Representatives of this whole Land would study to approve your selves according to the direction of Jethro unto Moses to be Men of Ability fearing God Men of Truth hating Covetousness This Jethro was Father in Law to Moses who seeing and observing the great Care and Trouble and Pains that Moses took in Judging the People wisely foresaw that at length it would prove a thing too heavy for him alone to perform and except he did speedily remedy it it would not be long ere it would utterly consume his spirits and wear away his strength and health and life in taking upon himself alone all the care and trouble of giving Judgment among the people from morning untill evening Therefore to prevent all inconveniency Jethro by his sage and wise advice counselleth Moses to take unto him such fit and meet Assistants who by their just government of the people might ease him of that heavy burthen and help him to bear the same with more comfort and ease And this counsel of Jethro is expressed in the words of the Text saying Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men such as fear God men of truth hating covetousness Here is the first draught of Magistracy which Moses himself the greatest Law-giver that ever was followed and practised with good success and therefore I have chosen it at this time for my Text to shew and declare unto you especially who are upon this day come and Assembled together for the Good and Welfare of this Island how to perform your Duty and to Discharge your Trust with a good Conscience that you would be pleased to set before your Eyes this most perfect Model and Platform of the best Magistracy in the Text and according thereunto Exact and Direct all your Consultations to the Glory of the great Judge of Heaven and Earth the Advancement of the Church and the Happiness and Prosperity of this Island And all this grant He who is the great Monarch in Heaven and Earth for Jesus Christ his sake The Parts of the Text are two I. The Counsel of Jethro 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which he gives to Moses in these words Thou shalt provide II. This Counsel is Described and Particularised by four Essential Characters Membrum I. or Properties of good Magistrates They ought to be 1. Able Men. 2. Such as fear God 3. Men of Truth 4. Hating Covetousness I begin with the Frst viz. The Counsel of Jethro which he gives to Moses in these words of the Text Moreover thou shalt provide The word in the Original 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 imports great Care and Curiosity and Circomspection that is to be made in the choice or election of Superiours and Magistrates In the New Testament we have the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Look ye out Acts 4.3 It is added in the Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Out of the People the Magistrate must be chosen out of all the People he must be a choice Man one of a thousand culled and selected out of all the People Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the People This is the first part