Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n
Text snippets containing the quad
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A28659
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A doore of hope, also holy and loyall activity two treatises delivered in severall sermons, in Excester / by Iohn Bond ...; Doore of hope
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Bond, John, 1612-1676.
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1641
(1641)
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Wing B3569; ESTC R23253
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104,423
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165
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the Heavens according to the colour of the â—lâ—ss so doth the Heaven seeme to be coloured Your judgements affections countenances touching that Court doe give aime and copies to them all both for their opinions speeches actions Therfore let it be your care to Countenance 2. Next Promote Parliamentary edicts and proceedings That is put on publish prosecute and execute all such new Edicts Orders and Commands especially touching Reformation as are sent and issued from them To instance there is a Vow or Protestation commended unto us by their practice and approbation there is An Order for the due observing of the Sabbath c. Now the promotion of all those and the like doe lye upon your charge and consciences in the first place and the neglect of them amongst us when once granted to you will be required at your hands Ye are our Civill watchmen see your duty Ezok. 33. each of you according to his place is our Moses to take the Lawes at their mouth and to declare them unto us that we may heare and doe them This is one weighty duty 3. Next Second them That is whilst they doe endeavour above to set right the great body of the Kingdome ye should labour here below to reforme your petty and particular Jurisdictions this would be no little furtherance to that great worke As petty brooks doe make up a River and many Rivers fill a Sea so Family-reformations make up Parishionall and all Parishionall ones doe fill up a Nationall and Vniversall 'T is a Proverb as true as ancient The way to have a cleane street is for every one to sweepe his owne doore So let the Magistrates and Officers in every County City Corporation Parish now sweepe their own severall Jurisdictions and then the great publike work of Nationall clensing will more easily succeed So much to Magistrates 2. Partiular Lesson may be to Ministers Brethren I confesse my selfe one of the last and least of all your Tribe but yet so cleere and necessary is this lesson that the meanest Embassador may nay must presse it upon us at this time suffer therefore the word of exhortation Now or never is the nick of time in which we ought to play the trumpeters Ezek. 33.3 c. to stirre and call men up to the helpe of the Lord in this great worke who knowes but that that God which did throw downe flat the walls of Jericho by the trumpets though meane ones of seven Priests going before the Arke I say Josh 6.20 who knowes but he may also be pleased to doe great things now by our poore service therefore let us up and be doing and if we doe need spurres in our sides because the way seems somewhat cragged let us consider these two or three Motives First looke we upon the eminent examples of our most ancient and famous Scripture-Predecessors in like times and cases I meane let us turne over the Histories of Deliverances and Reformations in Judah and there we shall find that their Prophets Priests and Levites were some of the greatest and most active instruments in both they were as it were the holy bellowes to blow up the refiners fire Let us take an instance or two to kindle us First in that Deliverance and Reformation in the beginning of young King Jehoash his raigne 2 Kin. 11. There good Jehojada the high Priest being thereunto called is the very primum mobile ver 4 5 c. the founder and finisher of that great worke yea that tripartite Nationall Covenant to which the Lord the King and the people were parties was contrived and perfected by his meanes 2 Chr. 29.3 So secondly in King Hezekiahs Reformation as the first thing that he beginneth withall is the Temple so the first persons that we find him consulting with ver 4. ver 5. they are the Priests and Levites He brought in the Priests and Levites and gathered them together into the East-street and said unto them Heare ye me ye Levites sanctifie now your selves c. Yea and for furthering that Covenant which he made these must be the cheefe men in the businesse ver 10. ver 11. Now it is in mine heart saith he to make a Covenant with the Lord God of Israel My sonnes be not now negligent for the Lord hath chosen you to stand before him to serve and that ye should minister unto him and burne incense 'T is no meane honour Brethren to be made some of the prime and immediate Ministers of the Lord in such great workes and yet alas I speake it to mine griefe and to the generall shame of our Tribe who more backward to set on Deliverance and Reformation now then are many of us The Protestation the Declaration for abolishing of Images c. how slowly how faintly are they executed Yea and the more dully I beleeve in many places because the execution of them partly depends upon the Minister Let all the true Embasâ—adours of Christ think upon this and be kindled 2. Another Motive may be this Our very Callings doe presse us hereunto Ezek. 33.2 c y Sam. 9.9 Isa 58.1 We are said to be Watchmen we are Seers yea we are called trumpeters as before and what is meant by all these but that it is our duty to descry publike evills and dangers to discover opportunities of good and so to call men off from the one and onward to the other 3. Thirdly this is a meanes both to settle and prosper us all in our functions and to entaile them and a blessing upon our posterities See how the Tribe of Levi came by their Ministeriall prerogative Exod. 33. When Aaron and the people had made a Calse for this great sinne justice must be executed ver 26. and Moses calleth for it Then Moses stood in the gate of the Camp and said who is on the Lords side let him come unto me And all the sonnes of Levi gathered themselves together unto him Being called they doe promote justice Hereupon see what a Reward and Blessing followed ver 27 28. Num. 3.5 6. First a Reward And the Lord spake unto Moses saying Bring the Tribe of Levi neere and present them before Aaron the Priest that they may minister unto him Deuâ— 33.8 Secondly a Blessing And of Levi he said let thy Thummim and thy Urim be with thy holy one ver 9 whom thou didst prove at Massah c. Who said unto his Father and to his Mother I have not seene him neither did he acknowledge his brethren nor knew his owne children c. They shall teach Jacob thy Judgements ver 10. ver 11. and Israel thy Law they shall put incense before thee and whole burnt Sacrifice upon thine Altar Blesse Lord his substance and accept the worke of his hands smite thorow the loynes of them that rise against him and of them that hate him that they rise not againe There is a blessing with a witnesse See