Selected quad for the lemma: death_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	aaron_n	fruitful_a	rod_n	18	3	9.9026	5	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A65355	A sermon preached in the high church of Edinburgh at the election of the magistrates of the city, on the 2d of Octob. 1694 / by James Webster.	Webster, James, 1658?-1720.	1694 (1694)	Wing W1208; ESTC R26310	9,270	18

A SERMON Preached in the High Church OF EDINBURGH At The ELECTION Of the MAGISTRATES of the CITY On the 2d of Octob. 1694. By JAMES WEBSTER Minister of the GOSPEL EDINBURGH Printed by George Mosman and are to be Sold at his Shope in the Parliament Closs 1694. Psal 101 verse 1. 2. I will sing of Mercy and Judgement O when wilt thou come unto me THE best and most perfect model of Government ever obtain'd in the World the Jews enjoy'd under their Judges It being indeed a pure Theocracy God himself was their political Head and King and as it were their Supreme Magistrate both Sacred and prophane History bear witness to this In Him were Lodg'd all the Prerogatives Royal all the Rights of Majesty He gave them their Laws immediatly from Heaven went forth before their Armies fought their Battels appointed their Rulers Deputies under him and exacted from them Tribute Briefly after a narrative of his Glorious Appearances and mighty Works for them and of their deep Obligations to him He Offers and they accept of him to be their King And by a mutual Covenant they bind themselves one to another But His stupid People ignorant of their true interest and weary of their Happiness shake off the yoke of God and exchange it for mans call to Samuel to give them a King And by no means would be diverted from their Rebellion and Treason Having 't is likely a design at once to change their God and their King to throw off their Religion and their Allegiance together However in Anger they have their desire They get a King who lived Wicked and died Miserable To him doth our Psalmist succeed according to a promise the Lord had given him And betwixt the promise and its accomplishment as some think or immediatly afte the accomplishment as others he composes this Psalm where he comes under solemn Engagements and Vows not to abuse his power as Saul had done but to employ and manage it for God I 'le sing c. The Psalm is one contiuued chain of David's Resolutions to Govern for the Lord And in our Text he promises to have a particular regard to Righteousness and Mercy the two Great Vertues of a Ruler and the two Great Pillars of a Government This Mercy is a Generous Compassion inclining Rulers to Observe Countenance Hearken to Judge and Reward the Good the Innocent and the Oppressed He binds and obliges himself to this so necessary a Work The melancholy scene and the great variety of Miseries people groan under should invite the Rulers Pity Draw out his Bowels and open his Eyes his Heart and Hand to their Relief This is his proper Province This is the Original Design of Government Mercy is not as the Disciples of Zeno thought a weakness of Soul a litleness and meanness of Spirit and a down-right Vice No Our Psalmist puts a just value on it and Vows it shall have a fixed residence and constant Lodging in his Royal and Religious Breast But least this compassion to which as is well observed by some wee are by nature swayed and by the very make and constitution of our Body prompted and inclin'd should by carrying us too far degenerat and bound into a vice he in great wisdom and discretion Resolves to temper it with a mixture of Justice by discountenancing punishing and being terrible to Evil doers I 'le sing of Judgement Magistrates at all times especially now when Wickedness takes strength from Forbearance and Indemnity enboldens offenders and the Government is in danger of sinking under its own Mildness should be Sons of Thunder and imitat him whose Ministers they are who both gave his Laws and Executes them in all circumstances of Terrour Some difference is to be made betwixt Moses Rod and Aaron's This to speak so is silently Fruitful without all noise and observation sends forth its Buds Blossoms and Fruit But that turns unto a Serpent Hisses and stings unto Death No sooner did Constantin once an Inhabitant of this Island mount the Imperial Throne then he sung of Mercy to the Harass'd and perlecuted Christians and of Justice to the Pagan Idolaters to them he speaks in Lightning and Thunder and is so severe and terrible unto them that its Prophecy Rev 6. is easily mistaken for a description of the last Judgement David to demonstrat the natural Delight himself and all Rulers should have in a well temper'd Goverment sings his obligations and engagements to it with a Joyfull emotion of Spirit Voweth when God shall come to him as the words may be read i. e. as Interpreters say when he shall be King To sway and weild his Scepter for the glory of God and the good of his People And whereas he Promises Then to execut justice and Mercy it is not to be understood as if he had neglected the same in his privat station But that when in power he will be in a more publick and better capacitie to do it There is one textual difficulty to be removed e're I go farther Why doth his coming to the Throne goe under the phrase of God's coming to him wee must remember he had God's promise of the Kingdom and in Scripture God is said to come unto Men when he accomplisheth his promise and bestows any singulat blessing on them But more particulary to persons invested with civil power God's word of commission comes Psal. 82. 6. I have said ye are Gods He speaks to them and with this Creating Word confers upon them Power The Serpent flattered us with a Promise that we should be Gods but the Lord doth really make some Men Gods The word of God mentioned John 10. 34. according to the best Interpreters is the divine warrand and commission to be Magistrates For the office and power is from God though handed down and conveyed by Men and upon that score called by the Apostle Peter an humane Ordinance Farther as soon as Men are cloathed with Authority God comes to them and gives them another Heart and a large measure of necessary and sutable gifts by a plentiful effusion of his Spirit breaths into them noble Dispositions which together with a Call from Men are Heaven's credential Letters that prepare their Reception and command obedience and submission from the people And in fine by phrasing it thus the Psalmist condemns all unjust practising to get into power for though having been anointed by the Lords express Command he had an undoubted Title to the Succession he has not the Ambition to shuffle his Anointed Head under the Crown till God by the vote of such as had right to give it comes and puts it on which he knows will make it to sit the surer and shine the brighter The proposition that lyes before us and is the scope of the words is Persons in Authority should manage their Government with an equal mixture of Mercy and Justice A Government well temper'd with them two should be the Magistrates delight Job 29 from 14