A CAVEAT FOR MAGISTRATES In a SERMON preached at PAULS before the right Honorable Thomas Atkin Esquire Lord Major of the City of London November the third 1644. Being the first day of his coming thither after his entrance upon his Majoralty By ELIDAD BLACKWELL Master of Arts and Preacher of Gods Word at ANDREW UNDERSHAFT Published according to Order PSAL. 101.8 I will early destroy all the wicked of the Land that I may cut off all the wicked doers from the City of the Lord 2 SAM. 10.12 Be of good courage let us play the men for our people and for the Cities of our God and the Lord doe what seemeth him good LONDON Printed by Robert Leyburn for Richard Wodenothe at the signe of the Star under Peters Church in Cornhill 1645. TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THOMAS ATKIN Esquire LORD MAJOR Of the City of LONDON Right Honourable THis Sermon had waited upon you sooner had not some interveening accidents and occasions hindred At length such as it is It here humbly presents it selfe unto your Honour And truly my Lord you have all the reason in the world to own it for it 's more yours then mine It was your desire which with me hath and ever shall have the force of a command that brought it first into the palpit then into the presse yea so much as the very Text and all was your choice which to me is a mighty rock of confidence that you earnestly desire to know what it is God requires of you in your place being willing to doe it and I am sure you have power And these three compleat a good Magistrate Skill to govern Power to manage that Skill will to actuate both Much of that blessed work I was then such an earnest and humble suiter for I already see happily accomplished Your pious care for the more strict observation of the Lords Day Your unparalleld zeale for the suppressing of swearing drunkennesse and other the like God-provoking Land-devouring Soul-damning abominations your vigorous activity fidelitie sinceritie for the Reformation preservation good every way of this great Citie shall stand upon record to your everlasting Honor When I think of it I cannot choose but say with Ezra Now blessed be God who hath put such a thing as this into your heart And then pray with David Keep this for ever Lord for ever in the thoughts of the heart of thy servant To be instrumentall in the reformation though but of a family yea though but of a particular person 't is the most choicest and most glorious piece of service that can possibly be accomplished by the sonnes of men but to be instrumentall in the reformation of a City and such a City so populous so exemplary so influentiall into the whole Kingdom Oh the heighth the depth the breadth the length of this dignity The Lord give you an humble heart that you may not be exalted above measure through this aboundant honour he hath put upon you which is such that truly my Lord were there no other end for which you live but this yet in this you have great cause to blesse your selfe in God and in his name we blesse you And now what remaines but that you gird your sword upon your thigh and ride on that you advance still forward and do nobly for your selfe your people and your God Consider I beseech you how great the trust is this Citie hath committed to you It has given you the Keys the Sword The Safetie the Government They have all cast themselves as it were at your feet saying This is the man we will have to rule over us Thus shall it be done unto the man whom London will honour and thus has it been done to you And now will not you honour London my Lord that has thus honoured you And wherein can you honour it more then in reforming it It was the honour of that Citie Jerusalem above all other Cities in the World that it was the Holy Citie Oh that it might be Londons honour To say London is rich or London is wise or London is strong this is something But to say London is holy this is more then all Let not the wise man glory in his wisdome nor the strong man glory in his strength nor the rich man glory in his riches but let him that glorieth glory in this that he understands and knows me saith the Lord This will make it honourable in the eyes of God in the eyes of the Saints of God yea and in the eyes even of the verie enemies of God You cannot honour the Citie more then by endevouring to make it a holy Citie And my Lord as ever you seriously minded and intended any thing I beseech you mind and intend this It s the thing wee looke for at your hands It s the thing you must doe or doe what you will what you can you doe just nothing Doe nay you undoe every thing Reform us my Lord or you ruine us what a perfidious thing were it for your Honour to betray the Citie My Lord reform it or you betray it And your late solemne Covenant and the Oath upon Oath you have taken since ô what mightie ingagements should they be upon your spirit The vows of God are upon you my Lord so that it s no arbitrary thing Necessitie is laid upon you and wo to you if you doe it not Yet again reforme London my Lord and you reforme England If London be wicked ungodly prophane how will prophanesse flow from it as from a fountain into the whole Kingdom And on the other side if London be pious religious well ordered well governed reform'd how will all the Counties Cities Villages Places round about by its example be encouraged likewise to a Reformation Once more and I will use the mightiest argument in the world and that which so raisd the brave spirit of that great Apostle to such invincible patience unwearied activeness for Gods glorie and the Churches good Let the love of Christ constrain you I read of holy Job that being a man in authoritie as you are he was such a terrour to wicked and ungodly men that they durst not shew their heads but were glad to flie into woods wildernesses solitary places and there hide themselves in clifts and rocks and holes of the earth and cut up mallows among the bushes and Juniper roots for their meat It 's a copie penn'd for you my Lord by Gods own hand write after it I know you feare not the face of man Your Honour knows what it is to lie in a prison for your Countries good Beare not the sword in vain Draw it and cut off those that wil not otherwise be reclaim'd Make wicked and ungodly men affraid of you Let not Drunkards dare to goe reeling and staggering in the streets nor Swearers dare to open their mouthes in oaths and blasphemies in the streets nor children others dare
order for bloudie Joabs cursing Shimeys treacherous Absolons punish sin as well in great ones as in small ones not sparing with Moses To hang up even the Princes of the people before the Lord God is no respecter of persons no more be you Remember that message out of Smithfield the other day Freely too Let love of justice constraine you to do justice and desire of Gods glorie and desire of the publike good Not promises gifts rewards gratuities Herodotus has a dreadfull story of one Cambyses a Persian King who finding that one Sicanus a Iudge had been hired by money to pronounce a wrong sentence Eum excoriari jussit pellem ejus affigi ad sedem judicialem Hee caused him to be flead and his skin to be nailed over the judgement seat and there to remain for the terrour of succeeding Iudges If all perverters of judgment had been so served there be many Iudges in England had had but little skin on their backs Bion was wont to say A Magistrate when he leaves his place should go out non ditior sed clarior not more rich but more righteous And what is it for a Iudge to have lucrum in arca damnum in conscientia as Austine speaks Gaine in his Coffer and losse in his Conscience A full purse a foul soul 'T will prove like Judas his bag his bane at last Remember that of Iob Fire shall consume the Tabernacle of bribery Never let it be said of you as Eschanes said of Demosthenes that you incline that way most that brings In most Iustice is a debt you owe scorne to be hired to pay your debts Doe it speedily too Jethro was troubled to see causes hanging from morning to evening Surely t would have troubled him more to see them hanging from year to year To see causes depending to become immortall And then execute that sentence when you have passed it And if it be to life execute it with all the allowance of time of mercie of clemencie of mitigation that justice will permit And with aboundance of compassion In a word doe nothing rashly unadvisedly inconsiderately but every thing gravely warily deliberately with abaundance of caution and circumspection To helpe you a little consider 1 the person you represent in judgement You judge not for man but for the Lord The Ordinance of Magistracie it is the Ordinance of God Rom. 13. The person who judgeth is a person sent of God {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} the Minister of God Rom. 13.4 The person sustain'd by the Iudge is the person of God He is Gods vicegerent Gods delegate Gods deputy The persons and causes to be judged are Gods The man is Gods his life is Gods his estate Gods The judgement too If righteous and just and good it 's Gods God will own it approve it defend it reward it Consider that You have your commission from God receive your office from God derive your power and authority from God sustain Gods person doe Gods worke execute Gods judgement take heed therfore what you doe Doe nothing but what God would doe if he were in your room Now would God punish the poor and pardon the rich would God justifie the wicked and condemne the righteous would God pervert judgement would God accept persons would God receive gifts would God be corrupted why no more be you You execute Gods judgement make God your pattern in the execution of it Follow his rule Imitate his example He accepts not persons nor takes rewards Deut. 10.17 but without respect of persons judges according to every mans work 1 Pet. 1.17 The greatest potentates and the highest Monarchs in the world if wicked and ungodly can no more escape the vengeance of God then the poorest wretches that live upon the face of the earth witnesse Pharaoh Zenacherib Nebuchadnezer Herod Hamon c. Yea and his dearest children he corrects as well as those that are his veriest enemies Yea Judgment Begins at the house of God 1 Pet. 4.17 and tribulation and anguish to every one that doth evil to the Jew First Rom. 2.9 God carries himselfe equally and indifferently to all in the execution of judgement Doe you likewise Set up God for your pattern your president imitate God Thinke would God shew mercie now would God acquit this man now or would God condemn this man now If not why should I doe it It is a sweet thing when a Magistrate lying down at night can reflect upon the day and say I have done nothing this day but what God himselfe would have done if he had been in my room That 's the first reason And He is with you in the judgement That 's another mighty argument why you should take heed what you doe The Lord is with you in the judgement 1. with you to assist you The burthen 's too heavie for you aye but God will put under his own shoulders you shall be assisted by the great God 2 With you to protect you defend you safeguard you from wrongs from hurts from violences Friends may frown enemies may threaten aye but God is with you and if God be with you who can be against you 3 With you To behold all your proceedings God stands in the assembly of gods Psal. 62.1 Stands Not sits but stands Stands to looke this way and that way and the other way to heare what this man sayes and what that man does To heare who gives an I when the nocent is to be punished who gives a No when the innocent is to be quitted Therefore take heed what you do 4 With you To reward your integritie punish your partialitie Remember that When ever you set foot into the place of judgement say as Jacob Surely the Lord is in this place ô how dreadfull is this place The Lord is here and he heares every word I speak and he sees every action I doe I have not only men to behold mee and Angels to behold me but even God himself he is present with me There was a Canon made in the Chalcedon and Ephesine Councell that upon the Judges Bench the Book of the Gospell should be set up which the Judges were to cast their eyes upon to the end they might doe every thing according to the minde of Christ And the Ethiopians were wont to set up a Chaire of State in their Senate and that to be emptie as if the God of judgement sate there as Umpire and Moderator whom the Senators ought to look upon in passing sentence that they might imitate him in their judgment to the end they might doe every thing as in the sight of God who as the text says is with them in the judgement These are the Reasons in the text You sustain the person of God sit in the seat of God execute the judgment of God stand in the presence of God Therefore take heed what you doe Execute Gods judgment as God himself would execute it Nay yet more you must
to be playing up down the streets on the Lords Day Aaron may speak but it is Moses Rod that does the wonders Wee that are Ministers may cry out against these things but you have power in your hands Let not sin dare any longer to affront Word and Sword It s a pretious oportunitie God has put into your hands improve it You may do more good and bring in a greater revenue of glorie to God now in a few houres then it may be you shall ever be able to do again in many yeeres Close your eyes against all discouragements Laugh in the face of difficulties Passe by with generous magnanimitie and brave contempt the derisions of men viler then the earth You are high in place and office Be higher in affection and resolution To the worke in good earnest and goe thorough stitch with it Everie eye that looks upon you will blesse you The prayers of all Gods people will be for you And though we will not presume to say to you as Nestorius said to the Emperour Mihi ô Imperator terram tu haereticis purgatam tribue ego tibi coelum retribuam Give us London purged of Drunkards Swearers Sabboath-breakers c. and wee 'll give you Heaven Yet Jesus Christ shall say Well done good and faithfull servant And not onely wee that now live but succeeding ages shall call you blessed Your name shal be like a pretious ointment to the children yea to the childrens children that are yet unborn Your Honours most humble and obliged servant ELIDAD BLACKWELL A CAVEAT FOR MAGISTRATES 2 COR. 19.6 7. And he said to the Judges take heed what you doe for ye judge not for man but for the Lord who is with you in the judgement Therefore 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 nor respect of persons nor taking of gifts THese words they are Jehosophats caveat to his Judges In the former verse you have their Commission He appointed Judges in the Land throughout all the fenced Cities of Judah City by City To judge to rule to govern Magistracie though it be for every ones good yet it is not every ones work but theirs that are appointed to it He appointed Judges There 's their Commission And then here 's their charge Wherein two things are required of them First Action ver. 7. Take heed and doe it Judges must be doers Secondly Caution ver. 6. take heed what you doe Judges must take heed what they doe And then you have the grounds of that caution they are two The first is taken from the person they represent in judgement The Lord For ye judge not for man but for the Lord Not for man It is not to be understood negatively but comparatively As that God will have mercie and not sacrifice Sacrifice too but mercie rather then Sacrifice So for men too but for God rather then for men So Tremelius Non tam hominis quam Dei vices in judicando geritis As if he should have said In this great work ye sustain not so much my person as Gods person nor are ye so much my Vicegerents as Gods Vicegerents my Deputies as Gods Deputies therefore take heed what you doe The second is taken from the person present with them in Judgement and that 's the Lord too But for the Lord who is with you in the judgement As if he should say you doe not onely represent God in the judgement but God is present with you in the judgement He sits as Lord chiefe Justice upon the same bench with you therefore take heed what you doe Thirdly you have the main help prescribed and that 's the fear of God Now therefore let the fear of the Lord be upon you The true fear of God in the heart of a Judge first it wil Restrain him from every evil Other Governours did thus and thus were injurious were oppressing c. but so was not I. because I feared God said Nehemiah Secondly constrain him to every good put him upon every duty Though never so difficult Gen. 22.12 Never so dangerous 1 King 1.18.3.12 Lastly you have the main hinderances removed And they are three 1 Iniquity wickednesse profanesse A mighty impediment to justice 2 Accepting of persons 3 Taking of gifis For There is no iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of persons nor taking gifts We will begin with the caution Take heed what you doe As if he should say be not rash headlong percipitant but discreet wary circumspect in all your doings and very wary marvellous circumspect here 's a double take heed Take heed and doe it and Take heed what you doe Caution upon Caution Of all men in the world Judges Magistrates Ministers Doct. 1 of Justice they ought to be men of marvellous warinesse and circumspection All men ought to be so The divers assaults of Satan to deceive us The sundry inticements of the flesh to beguile us The many allurements of the world to ensnare us All declare as much All have soules to save All have another world to provide for All have rules to walke by All are subject to erre from those rules All must appear before the judgement seat of Christ and give accompt of all they doe Therefore all had need to take heed what they doe But above all Magistrates had need to doe so for why First They have a larger and greater care and charge committed to them by the Lord then others have And that 1 In regard of places Other's their care and charge is shut up and contained within narrower and straiter bounds and limits then their's is Ministers to their Flocks Parents and Masters Governours of families to their families Their 's to Kingdoms Counties Cities 2 In regard of persons Let every soule be subject c. Rom. 13.1 That lawlesse immunity of the Clergie as they call it from the authority and jurisdiction of the civill Magistrate ' its the cursed device of Antichrist 3 In regard of things Others their care and charge hath respect some to the spirituall estate of men onely some to the temporall worldly outward estate of men onely their 's to both Again others their care and charge hath respect some to the state of the Church onely Some to the outward civill politike estate of the common-wealth onely Their 's to both The office of the Magistrate and the duty of the Magistrate it hath respect not onely to Religion but to the civill State not onely to the civill State but to Religion He is Custos utriusque tabulae must be carefull that all duties both of first and second Table be performed All open breaches of every Commandement in both punished Besides these are in the highest degree of preheminence next to God above all others They carry Gods image in their persons Gods scepter in their hands Are called Gods Et quo