who now rejoice in my Sufferings for you and fill up that which is behind of the Afflictions of Christ in my Flesh for his Body's sake which is the Church Col. 1. 23. To suffer for the Truth ought to be the Joy and Comfort of him that has undertaken to be the Minister of Truth How much then do they forget their Vocation who upon meeting with Discouragements lose all Comfort and repent of their Labor Whom we preach warning every Man and teaching every Man in all Wisdom that we may present every Man perfect in Christ Jesus Col. 1. 28. The only design of an Apostolic Teacher is to form Jesus in every one of his Flock and to make all perfect in him Say to Archippus take heed to the Ministry which thou hast received in the Lord that thou fulfil it Col. 4. 17. They who consider not well the Duties of their Charge will soon neglect them Fulfil the Duties of the Ministry of Jesus Christ What Pastor do's not tremble at this Word Your selves Brethren know our Entrance in unto you that it was not in vain But even after that we had suffered before and were shamefully entreated as ye know at Philippi we were bold in our God to speak unto you the Gospel of God with much Contention For our Exhortation was not of Deceit nor of Vncleanness nor in Guile But as we were allowed of God to be put in Trust with the Gospel even so we speak not as pleasing Men but God which trieth our Hearts For neither at any time used we flattering Words as ye know nor a Cloak of Covetousness God is Witness Nor of Men sought we Glory neither of you nor yet of others when we might have been burdensome as the Apostles of Christ But we were Gentle among you even as a Nurse cherisheth her Children So being affectionately desirous of you we were willing to have imparted unto you not the Gospel of God only but also our own Souls because ye were dear unto us For ye remember Brethren our Labor and Travel For laboring Night and Day because we would not be chargeable unto any of you we preached unto you the Gospel of God Ye are Witnesses and God also how holily and justly and unblameably we behaved our selves among you that believe as you know how we exhorted and comforted and charged every one of you as a Father doth his Children that ye would walk worthy of God who hath called you unto his Kingdom and Glory 1 Thess 2. 1. Every Word a Lesson to Preachers What a Mercy to the World if they would study and follow this Spirit Be not thou therefore ashamed of the Testimony of our Lord nor of me his Prisoner but be thou Partaker of the Afflictions of the Gospel according to the Power of God 2 Tim. 1. 8. Great Courage is necessary for standing by the Truth and the Ministers of it Hold fast the form of sound Words which thou hast heard of me in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy Ghost which dwelleth in us 2 Tim. 1. 13. Great Fidelity requir'd of the Pastors of God's Church The Holy Ghost promis'd to them for this end Thou therefore endure Hardness as a good Soldier of Jesus Christ No Man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this Life 2 Tim. 2. 3. I suffer trouble as an evil Doer even unto Bonds but the Word of God is not bound Therefore I endure all things for the Elects sake v. 9. To suffer with Courage all Difficulties is the Obligation of a Pastor And if he suffer as a Criminal as this is most humbling so it brings him nearer to the Resemblance of Jesus Christ They are of the World therefore speak they of the World and the World heareth them 1 Jo. 4. 5. Unhappy Teachers whose Character this is CHAP. XXXVI Of the Flock Q. WHat Directions do's the Gospel give to the Flock in Regard of those whom God has put over them A. It speaks very particularly to them but that I may end this last Chapter with such Instructions as the Gospel gives I will first set down some Injunctions of God in the Old Law which as it was a Figure of the New so it may lead us to such Duties as God expects from the Flock in this better Constitution which is the Church of Christ And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian Woman whom he had married And they said hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses Hath he not spoken also by us And the Lord heard it Wherefore then were not ye afraid to speak against my Servant Moses And the Anger of the Lord was kindled against them and he departed Num. 12. 1 8. God shews his displeasure against those who murmur at such as he has set over them And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron And the Lord said unto Moses How long will this People provoke me Surely they shall not see the Land which I sware unto their Fathers neither shall any of them that provoked me see it Num. 14. 2 11 23. Great are the Judgments of God upon those who murmur against such as are over them Now Korah and Dathan and Abiram took men and they rose up before Moses with certain of the Children of Israel two hundred and fifty Princes of the assembly famous in the Congregation Men of renown And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron and said unto them Ye take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation are holy every one of them and the Lord is among them Wherefore then lift you up your selves above the Congregation of the Lord And when Moses heard it he fell upon his Face And he spake unto the Congregation saying Depart I pray you from tbe Tents of these wicked Men and touch nothing of theirs lest ye be consumed in all their Sins And the Earth opened her Mouth and swallowed them up and their Houses and all the Men that appertained unto Korah and all their goods And there came out a fire from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty Men that offered Incense Num. 16. 1 26 32 35. The Congregation being holy Exempts them not from their Obedience enjoin'd The Authority of Princes of the Congregation Men Famous and of Renown is not enough for questioning the Authority of Moses and Aaron whom God had commanded all to hear and obey Their offering Incense to God is not accepted while divided from Moses and Aaron they are under the guilt of Disobedience Thou shalt come unto the Priests the Levites and unto the Judge that shall be in those days and enquire and they shall shew thee the Sentence of Judgment And thou shalt do according to the Sentence which they of that place which the Lord shall chuse shall shew thee and thou shalt observe to do according to all that
if ye do good to them which do good to you what thank have ye For Sinners also do even the same And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive what thank have ye For Sinners lend to Sinners to receive as much again But love ye your enemies and do good and lend hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great and ye shall be the Children of the Highest for he is kind unto the Vnthankful and to the Evil. Be ye therefore Merciful as your Father also is Merciful Luk. 6. 27 28 c. Then said Jesus Father forgive them for they know not what they do Luk. 23. 34. Stephen kneeled down and cried with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge Act. 7. 60. Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but rather give place unto wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay it saith the Lord. Therefore if thine Enemy hunger feed him if he thirst give him drink For in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good Rom. 12. 19 20 21. Bless them which persecute you bless and curse not Recompence no Man evil for evil Rom. 12. 14 17. See that none render evil for evil unto any man but ever follow that which is good both among your selves and to all men 1 Thes 5. 15. Be Pitiful be Courteous not rendring evil for evil or railing for railing but contrariwise blessing knowing that ye are thereunto called that ye should inherit a blessing 1 Pet. 3. 8 9. Here is the Rule and it must be follow'd To dispence with it is to break it to hearken to Inclination is to forsake it The Difficulty of its Practice must be own'd and this more particularly in some Tempers but Difficulties must not carry us against the Commands of God in our undertaking to serve him there was no Proviso made for our Ease or Inclination but our Profession was Absolute how then can we pretend to follow Nature when God's Will is known to us If the Lord be our God it is mockery if we do not follow him CHAP. XI Of Forgiving Injuries Q. WHAT Directions do's the Gospel give as to Forgiving Injuries A. It speaks plainly to the Point Forgive us our debts as we forgive our Debtors Mat. 6. 12. Then came Peter to him and said Lord how oft shall my Brother sin against me and I forgive him Till seven times Jesus said unto him I say not unto thee until seven times But until seventy times seven Mat. 18. 21 22. Then his Lord said unto him O thou wicked servant I forgave thee all that debt because thou desired'st me Should'st not thou also have had compassion on thy Fellow-servant even as I had pity on thee And his Lord was wroth and deliver'd him to the tormenters till he should pay all that was due unto him So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses Mat. 18. 32 c. If thy brother trespass against thee rebuke him and if he repent forgive him And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day and seven times in a day turn again to thee saying I repent thou shalt forgive him Luk. 17. 3 4. Let all Bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice And be ye kind one to another tender-hearted forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you Eph. 4. 31 32. Put on therefore as the Elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercies kindness humbleness of mind meekness long-suffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any even as Christ forgave you so also do ye Colos 3. 12 13. For if ye forgive men their trespasses your heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mat. 6. 14. 15. And when ye stand praying Forgive if ye have ought against any that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses But if ye do not forgive neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses Mar. 11. 25 26. Forgive and ye shall be forgiven for with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measur'd to you again Luk. 6. 37. He shall have Judgment without mercy that hath shewed no mercy Jam. 2. 13. Charity suffereth long is not easily provok'd thinketh no evil beareth all things endureth all things 1 Cor. 13. 4 c. Thus says the Christian's Rule and there are no Promises but what requireth the Observance of it Let then all degrees of Malice Revenge Hatred Ill-will Animosities Resentments Provocations Grudgings Want of Neighborly Correspondence with all the train of such like Interior Disorders be examined by the Gospel and upon the evidence of their being not allow'd upon any account but absolutely condemn'd the Christian must conclude that either he must make this his Rule or else have no part in the Promises of the Gospel What then O God must I fear of my self who am so easie in admitting and so careless in overcoming what is thus contrary to my Profession I profess the Gospel but follow Inclination and is this to be a Christian CHAP. XII Of making and keeping Peace Q. WHAT Directions do's the Gospel give as to avoiding Contention and keeping Peace A. It speaks so plain in this Point that no Christian can be ignorant of his Obligation Blessed are the Peace-makers for they shall be called the Children of God Mat. 5. 9. If thou bring thy Gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee leave there thy Gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy Gift Mat. 5. 23 24. A new Commandment I give unto you that ye love one another By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples if ye have love one to another Jo. 13. 34 35. Have salt in your selves and have Peace one with another Mar. 9. 50. Be of the same mind one towards another If it be possible as much as lyeth in you live peaceably with all men Dearly beloved avenge not your selves but give place unto wrath Rom. 12. 16 18. I beseech to walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called With all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in love endeavouring to keep the Vnity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace Eph. 4. 1 2 3. For God is not the Author of Confusion but of Peace 1 Cor. 14. 33. He that will love life and see good days let him refrain his tongue from evil let him seek Peace and ensue it Be ye all of one mind having compassion one of another love as Brethren be Pitiful be Courteous not
the Husband hath not Power of his own Body but the Wife Defraud you not one the other except it be with consent for a Time that ye may give your selves to Fasting and Prayer and come together again that Satan tempt you not for your Incontinency But I speak this by Permission and not of Commandment 1 Cor. 7. 3. 4thly That they may and ought to live holily There was in the Days of Herod the King of Judea a certain Priest named Zacharias of the Course of Abia And his Wife was of the Daughters of Aaron and her Name was Elizabeth And they were both righteous before God walking in all the Commandments and Ordinances of the Lord blameless and they had no Child because that Elizabeth was barren and they both were now well stricken in years Luk. 1. 5. This I say Brethren the time is short It remaineth that both they that have Wives be as tho' they had none and they that weep as tho' they wept not and they that rejoice as tho' they rejoiced not and they that buy as tho' they possessed not and they that use this World as not abusing it For the fashion of this World passeth away 1 Cor. 7. 29. We beseech you Brethren and exhort you by the Lord Jesus that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God so ye would abound more and more For ye know what Commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus For this is the Will of God even your Sanctification that ye should abstain from Fornication That every one of you should know how to possess his Vessel in Sanctification and Honor not in the Lust of Concupiscence even as the Gentiles which know not God 1 Thess 4. 1. Marriage is honorable in all and the Bed undefiled But Whoremongers and Adulterers God will judge Let your Conversation be without Covetousness and be content with such things as ye have For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 4. 5thly That there are great Duties of mutual Love and Support belonging to them and that Order is to be observ'd which God has appointed between them I would have you know that the Head of every Man is Christ and the Head of the Woman is the Man and the Head of Christ is God A Man indeed ought not to cover his Head praying for as much as he is the Image and Glory of God But the Woman is the Glory of the Man For the Man is not of the Woman but the Woman of the Man Neither was the Man created for the Woman but the Woman for the Man For this Cause ought the Woman to have Power on her Head because of the Angels Nevertheless neither is the Man without the Woman neither the Woman without the Man in the Lord. For as the Woman is of the Man even so is the Man also by the Woman but all things of God 1 Cor. 11. 3 7. Submitting your selves one to another in the Fear of God Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as unto the Lord. For the Husband is the Head of the Wife even as Christ is Head of the Church And he is the Saviour of the Body Therefore as the Church is subject unto Christ so let the Wives be to their own Husbands in every thing Husbands love your Wives even as Christ loved the Church and also gave himself for it That he might sanctifie and cleanse it So ought Men to love their Wives as their own Bodies He that loveth his Wife loveth himself For no Man ever yet hated his own Flesh but nourisheth and cherisheth it even as the Lord the Church For we are Members of his Body of his Flesh and of his Bones For this Cause shall a Man leave his Father and Mother and shall be joined unto his Wife and they two shall be one Flesh This is a great Mystery But I speak concerning Christ and the Church Nevertheless Let every one of you in particular so love his Wife even as himself and the Wife see that she reverence her Husband Eph. 5. 21 28. Wives submit your selves unto your own Husbands as it is fit in the Lord. Husbands love your Wives and be not bitter against them Col. 3. 18. Ye Wives be in Subjection to your own Husbands that if any obey not the word they also may without the word be won by the Conversation of the Wives while they behold your chaste Conversation coupled with Fear Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the Hair and of wearing of Gold or of putting on of Apparel but let it be the hidden Man of the Heart in that which is not corruptible even the Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit which is in the Sight of God of great Price For after this manner in the Old Time the holy Women also who trusted in God adorned themselves being in Subjection unto their own Husbands even as Sara obeyed Abraham calling him Lord Whose Daughters ye are as long as ye do well and are not affraid with any Amazement 1 Pet. 3. 1. Likewise ye Husbands dwell with them according to Knowledge giving Honor unto the Wife as unto the weaker Vessel and as being Heirs together of the Grace of Life that your Prayers be not hinder'd 1 Pet. 3. 7. Teach the young Women to be sober to love their Husbands to love their Children to be Discreet Chaste keepers at Home good obedient to their own Husbands that the Word of God be not blasphemed Tit. 2. 4. Young Men likewise exhort to be Sober-minded Tit. 2. 6. That the aged Men be Sober Grave Temperate Sound in Faith in Charity in Patience Tit. 2. 2. The aged Women likewise that they be in Behavior as becometh Holiness not false Accusers not given to much Wine Teachers of good things Tit. 2. 3. I will that Men pray every where lifting up holy Hands without Wrath and Doubting 1 Tim. 2. 8. In like manner also that Women adorn themselves in modest Apparel with Shamefacedness and Sobriety Not broider'd Hair or Gold or Pearls or costly Array but which becometh Women professing Godliness with good Works Let the Women learn in silence with all Subjection But I suffer not a Woman to teach nor to usurp Authority over the Man but to be in silence For Adam was first formed then Eve And Adam was not deceived but the Woman being deceived was in the Transgression Notwithstanding she shall be saved in Child-bearing if they continue in Faith and Charity and Holiness with Sobriety 1 Tim. 2. 9. Let your Women keep silence in the Churches For it is not permitted unto them to speak but they are commanded to be under Obedience as also saith the Law And if they will learn any thing let them ask their Husbands at Home For it is a Shame for Women to speak in the Church 1 Cor. 14. 34. Thus speaks the Rule and so particularly that there can be no
the Apostle's account than renouncing Christianity and turning Heathen and yet how common is this among those who esteem themselves Christians The Book of Proverbs describing the vertuous and industrious Woman in her Family I here and some part of it Who can find a vertuous Woman For her Price is far above Rubies The Heart of her Husband doth safely trust in her so that he shall have no need of spoil she will do him good and not evil all the Days of her Life She seeketh Wooll and Flax and worketh willingly with her Hands She is like the Merchant's Ship she bringeth her Food from afar she riseth also while it is yet Night and giveth Meat to her Houshold and a Portion to her Maidens She layeth her Hands to the Spindle and her Hands hold the Distaff She stretcheth out her Hand to the Poor yea she reacheth forth her Hands to the Needy She maketh fine Linnen and selleth it and delivereth Girdles unto the Merchant Strength and Honor are her cloathing and she shall rejoice in time to come She openeth her Mouth with Wisdom and in her Tongue is the Law of Kindness She looketh well to the Ways of her Houshold and eateth not the Bread of Idleness Her Children arise up and call her Blessed her Husband also and he praiseth her Favor is deceitful and Beauty is vain But a Woman that feareth the Lord she shall be praised Prov. 31. 10. An excellent Copy I wish all would set it before them and endeavor to come as near it as their Circumstances will allow Resolution and Virtue will make many things very Practicable which Sloth and Niceness will not allow to be Possible As to Servants When Jesus was entered into Capernaum there came unto him a Centurion beseeching him and saying Lord my Servant lyeth at Home Sick of the Palsie grievously tormented And Jesus saith unto him I will come and heal him Mat. 8. 5. It is a very commendable Charity in them to be careful of their Servants especially in time of Sickness Servants be Obedient to your Masters with good Will doing Service as to the Lord and not to Men knowing that whatsoever good thing any Man doeth the same shall be receive of the Lord whether he be Bond or Free And ye Masters do the same things unto them forbearing threatning knowing that your Master also is in Heaven neither is there respect of Persons with him Eph. 6. 5 7. Masters give unto your Servants that which is just and equal knowing that ye also have a Master in Heaven Col. 4. 1. I beseech thee for my Son Onesimus which in time past was to thee unprofitable but now profitable to thee and to me whom I have sent again Thou therefore receive him that is mine own Bowels For perhaps he therefore departed for a Season that thou shouldest receive him for ever not now as a Servant but above a Servant a Brother beloved especially to me but how much more unto thee both in the Flesh and in the Lord. If thou count me therefore a Partner receive him as my self If he hath wronged thee or oweth thee Ought put that on mine Account I Paul have written it with mine own Hand I will repay it Phil. 10. See how S. Paul shews favor to a poor Servant and pleads for him Behold the Hire of the Labourers which have reaped down your Fields which is of you kept back by Fraud crieth and the Cries of them which have reaped are entred into the Ears of the Lord of Sabbath Jam. 5. 4. I add something from the Old Testament The Hebrew Servant which thou hast brought unto us come in unto me to mock me Gen. 39. 17. This was a false Accusation of Potipher 's Wife and ought to be a Caution against laying Faults upon Servants which are not theirs They did set over them Task-masters to afflict them with their Burthens And the Egyptians made the Children of Israel to serve with Rigor And they made their Lives bitter with hard Bondage Exod. 1. 11 13. To insult over Servants to overcharge them with Labor to give them a perpetual Uneasiness is not a Christian but the Egyptian Method Thus saith the Lord God of Israel let my People go that they may hold a Feast unto me in the Wilderness Exod. 5. 1. To hinder Servants from the Worship of God and to think all that time lost which for this end is taken from their Work is to follow Pharaoh 's Copy The Wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all Night until the Morning Lev. 19. 13. Six Days shalt thou Labour and do all thy Work But the Seventh Day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God In it thou shalt not do any Work thou nor thy Son nor thy Daughter nor thy Man-servant nor thy Maid-servant nor thine Ox nor thine Ass nor any of thy Cattle nor thy Stranger that is within thy Gates that thy Man-servant and thy Maid-servant may rest as well thou Deut. 5. 13. To keep the Sabbath is the Duty of Servants as well as Masters Thou shalt not oppress an hired Servant that is Poor and Needy whether he be of thy Brethren or of thy Strangers that are in thy Land within thy Gates At this Day thou shalt give him his Hire neither shall the Sun go down upon it for he is Poor and setteth his Heart upon it lest he cry against thee unto the Lord and it be Sin unto thee Deut. 24. 14. If I did despise the Cause of my Man-servant or of my Maid-servant when they contended with me what then shall I do when God riseth up and when he visiteth what shall I answer him Did not he that made me in the Womb make him And did not one fashion us in the Womb Job 31. 13. The just Complaints of Servants to be heard with Patience and Justice to be done them Here are Instructions for all that have the Care of Families and Servants enough to let them see what God expects from them Those who are Solicitous to please God will endeavor to make these their Rule and this is the Duty of all who profess themselves Christians But to follow the Inclinations of Nature and to govern by Passion in cases where God has manifested his Will is not the part of a Disciple of Christ CHAP. XXVIII Of Servants Q. WHAT Directions do's the Gospel give to Christians of this State A. It speaks directly to them and in such a manner that it is their great Concern to know and remember it Who then is a faithful and wise Servant whom his Lord hath made Ruler over his Houshold to give them Meat in due Season Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find so doing Verily I say unto you that he shall make him Ruler over all his Goods But and if that evil Servant shall say in his Heart My Lord delayeth his Coming and shall begin to smite his Fellow-servants and to eat and drink
of two VVitnesses or at the mouth of three VVitnesses shall the matter be established Deut. 19. 15. If there be a Controversie between Men and they come unto Judgment that the Judges may judge them then they shall justifie the Righteous and condemn the VVicked Deut. 25. 1. Cursed be he that perverteth the Judgment of the Stranger Fatherless and VVidow And all the People shall say Amen Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent Person Deut. 27. 19 25. And it came to pass when Samuel was Old that he made his Sons Judges over Israel And his Sons walked not in his VVays but turned aside after Lucre and took Bribes and perswaded Judgment 1 Sam. 8. 1 3. And Samuel said unto all Israel Behold here I am VVitness against me before the Lord and before his Anointed VVhose Ox have I taken Or whose Ass have I taken Or whom have I defrauded VVhom have I oppressed Or of whose Hand have I received any Bribe to blind mine Eyes therewith And I will restore it And they said thou hast not defrauded us nor oppressed us neither hast thou taken ought of any Man's Hand 1 Sam. 12. 1 3. And he Jehoshaphat set Judges in the Land throughout all the fenced Cities of Judah City by City and he said to the Judges take heed what ye do for ye judge not for Man but for the Lord who is with you in the Judgment VVherefore now let the Fear of the Lord be upon you take heed and do it For there is no Iniquity with the Lord our God nor respect of Persons nor taking of Gifts And he charged them saying thus shall ye do in the fear of the Lord faithfully and with a perfect Heart Deal courageously and the Lord shall be with the Good 2 Chron. 19. 5 9 11. VVhoso rewardeth Evil for Good Evil shall not depart from his House Prov. 17. 13. He that justifieth the Wicked and he that condemneth the Just even they both are Abomination to the Lord v. 15. A wicked Man taketh a Gift out of the Bosom to pervert the Ways of Judgment v. 23. Rob not the poor because he is poor Neither oppress the afflicted in the Gate For the Lord will plead their Cause and spoil the Soul of those that spoiled them Prov. 22. 22. To have respect of Persons is not good For for a piece of Bread that Man will transgress Prov. 28. 21. Learn to do Well seek Judgment relieve the Oppressed judge the Fatherless plead for the Widow Isa 1. 17. How is the faithful City become an Harlot It was full of Judgment Righteousness lodged in it but now Murtherers Thy Princes are Rebellious and Companions of Thieves Every one loveth Gifts and followeth after Rewards They judge not the Fatherless neither doth the Cause of the Widow come unto them Therefore saith the Lord I will turn my Hand upon thee Isa 1. 21. Wo unto them that call evil good and good evil VVhich justifie the VVicked for Reward and take away the Righteousness of the Righteous from him Because they have cast away the Law of the Lord of Hosts therefore is the Anger of the Lord kindled against his People Isa 5. 20 23. VVo unto them that decree unrighteous Decrees and that write Grievousness which they have prescribed To turn aside the Needy from Judgment and to take away the Right from the Poor of my People that Widows may be their prey and that they may rob the Fatherless And what will you do in the Day of Visitation and in the Desolation which shall come Isa 10. 1. I know your manifold Transgressions and your mighty Sins They afflict the Just they take a Bribe and they turn aside tbe Poor in the Gate from their Right Hate the Evil and love the Good and establish Judgment in the Gate It may be that the Lord of Hosts will be gracious unto the Remnant of Joseph Amos 5. 12. The Good Man is perished out of the Earth And there is none Vpright among Men They all lye in wait for Blood They hunt every Man his Brother with a Net That they may do Evil with both Hands earnestly the Prince asketh and the Judge asketh for a Reward And the great Man he uttereth his mischievous Desire Mic. 7. 2. Why dost thou shew me Iniquity and cause me to behold Grievance For Spoiling and Violence are before me and there are that raise up Strife and Contention Therefore the Law is slacked and Judgment doth never go forth For the Wicked doth compass about the Righteous Therefore wrong Judgment proceedeth Behold ye among the Heathen and regard and wonder marvelously for I will work a Work in your Days which ye will not believe tho' it be told you Hab. 1. 3. These are the things that ye shall do speak ye every Man the Truth to his Neighbor Execute the Judgment of Truth and Peace in your Gates And let none of you imagin evil in your Hearts against his Neighbor and love no false Oath for all these are things that I hate saith the Lord Zech. 8. 16. CHAP. XXXI Of Subjects Q. WHAT Directions do's the Gospel give to Persons in this Station A. It expresly mentions several Duties belonging to them and gives the Charge with great Strictness When they were come to Capernaum they that received Tribute-money came to Peter and said doth not your Master pay Tribute He saith Yes Mat. 17. 24. Render therefore unto Cesar the things which are Cesar's and unto God the things that are God's Mat. 22. 21. And they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the Name of Jesus But Peter and John answered and said unto them whether it be right in the Sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God judge ye Acts 4. 18. They that stood by said revilest thou God's High-priest Then said Paul I wist not Brethren that he was the High-priest for it is written thou shalt not speak Evil of the Ruler of thy People Acts 23. 4. Let every Soul be subject unto the higher Powers for there is no Power but of God The Powers that be are ordained of God Whosoever therefore resisteth the Power resisteth the Ordinance of God And they that resist shall receive to themselves Damnation For Rulers are not a Terror to good Works but to the Evil. Wilt thou then not he affraid of the Power Do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of the same For he is the Minister of God to thee for good But if thou do that which is evil be affraid for he beareth not the Sword in vain for he is the Minister of God a Revenger to execute Wrath upon him that doeth Evil. Wherefore ye must needs be subject not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake For for this Cause pay you Tribute also For they are God's Ministers attending continually upon this very thing Render therefore to all their Dues Tribute to whom Tribute is due Custom