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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
(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 the Text. In the second Membrum II. it followeth to be considered how this Counsel is described and particularized by sour essential Characters or Properties of good Magistrates Requisita ad pium Magistratum pertinentia They must be 1. Able Men. 2. Such as fear God 3. Men of Lruth 4. Hating Covetousness I. I. Virtus Potentia The prime and first Character then required in good Superiours and Magistrates is Ability they must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vire potentes Able men This Ability includeth strength of body whereby they are enabled to undergo and execute their Places and Offices with the more diligence and industry It includeth greatness of Estate and Descent of Riches and Wealth of Birth and Blood which oftentimes puts Spirit and Courage into the Souls of Superiours and Magistrates These are but accidental and complemental Ingredients belonging to Superiours and Magistrates The main and essential parts that are comprehended under the word Ability are following a. Understanding and Wisdom Therefore Solomon prayed to God for an understanding heart 1 Reg. 3.4 Give thy Servant an understanding heart to judge thy People that I may discern between good and bad b. Another substantial thing comprized under the word Ability is moderation of Mind which enables him to Rule and Govern his Passion and Affection A thing very necessary in a Magistrate who must not suffer his Judgment to be over-ruled and overswayed by his Passion Fortior qui sese quam qui fortissima vincit Moenia Such an one is stronger then he that subdues and conquers the strong Cittadel c. The last and principal Virtue comprehended under the word Ability is Courage and Fortitude as the Lord charged Joshua Chap. 1.9 Be strong and of good courage be not afraâ—d neither be thou dismayed for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest Oh what Courage and Heroical Spirit and Resolution ought he to be endued withal that must Encounter and Oppose the violent Torrent of Wickedness and Vice You are Met and Assembled together to begin and to perform a great work among us to Advance the Glory of God to Countenance the Gospel and the true Professors thereof and to reform all that is amiss and therefore you have need of Courage You must confute the Sins of the mighty you must support the work of the Ministrie against all Opposers of Gods true Religion and Worship especially against those proud Phanatick Emissaries who under pretence of New Discoveries and New Revelations of the Spirit wander from place to place from one Quarter of this Island to another and in opposition to the true Light of the Gospel cry out New Light New Light whereby they Seduce Deceive and Delude the Hearts of the Poor Simple and Ignorant People and therefore you have need of Courage You must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a living Law and be an Example to all Good and therefore you have need of Courage You must help the Poor to their right you must defend the Widdow and the Fathâ—rless against them that are too mighty for them and therefore you have need of courage Therefore awake and put on courage you that sit at the Helm and Covern the Ship of our Commonwealth steer a straight and right course without swarving to the Right or Left Hand for fear or favour Neglect and dispise the Displeasure and Frowns of Great men and Rescue the Poor out of the Hands of the Oppress our Therefore be strong in the Lord faint not be not weary of well doing but be couragious though in Rowing and Guiding the Ship of our Commonwealth the Winds blow and the Seas rage Christ Jesus by his Divine Providence and Protection will support and uphold it that it shall not Sink he will send a calm and bring it safely ashore Wherefore let me proclaim and speak as Gideon in the Ears of all the Faint-hearted Judg. 7.3 Whosoever is fearful and afraid let him return Home and depart On the other side I say unto you that are of Ability of Wisdom and Courage as the Angel did to Gideon Judg. 6. 12 14. The Lord is with thee thou mighty Man of Valour go on in this thy might to save Israel Prooceed and go on from stâ—eâ—gth to strength And so much of the first Character of good Superiours and Magistrates they ought to be men of Abilitie II. II. Tâ—â—â—r Domini The next Character of them from whence all the rest proceed is the Fear of God they must be 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Timentes Deum Fearing God They must be such as fear God not slavishly with a servile sear but truly sincerely with a filial fear wrought in them by Faith and the assurance of Gods Love and Favour He that hath this Virtue wants none and without this true fear of Justice a Receiver of False-Witnesses a Patron of Violence and Oppression The principal scope and intent why God hath appointed and ordained Superiours and Magistrates to Rule and Govern the World is that they may advance his Glory countenance the true Riligion and Worship of God and protect the Church and Commonwealth Now for these things what cares a prophane and uncircumcised Vice-god who fears not God who bears the Sword in vain and minds nothing else here on Earth but his own Profit and Pleasure As for the Church or Commonwealth Sink they Swim they all is one to him So that it is certain that the fear of God is the chiefest thing required in a good Magistrate who is the Ministâ—r of God and his Sword bearer nay it is the whose Duty of man as Solomon speaks Eccles 2.13 Fear God and keep his Commandments for this is the whole duty of Man Hence it was that the Lord commanded the King Deut. 17.18 19. To write a Copy of the Law in a Book and to Read therein all the dayes of his Life that he may Learn to Fear the Lord his God and to keep his commandments and to do them A Magistrate in whom God hath planted his holy Fear he will Judge others as one that remembers he must be Judged himself he will help the Orphans to their Right and defend the cause of the Widdow He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no Respecter of Persons He will neither condemn the Innocent nor justifie the Wicked He will set a watch over his Eyes that they behold no wrong over his Ears that they hear no false Accusation over his Tongue that it pronounce no unjust Sentence over his Hands that they receive no Bribe When an unlawful Suit is commenced by Favour or Friendship by Power or Policy he answers with Job Chap. 31.14 What shall I do when God riseth up And when he visiteth what shall I answer him This this is the man that feareth the Lord. By this Character now it will appear what to think of those many prophane and wicked Vice-gods who sell themselves to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord
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