Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n
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A25466
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Casuistical morning-exercises the fourth volume / by several ministers in and about London, preached in October, 1689.
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Annesley, Samuel, 1620?-1696.
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1690
(1690)
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Wing A3225; ESTC R614
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480,042
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449
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If Rulers will not take due that is utmost care to suppress prophaneness in a Nation where their power lyeth they take a direct course to pull down the wrath of God upon that whole Nation as well as upon themselves Solomon hath these passages Prov. 9.12 If thou be wise thou shalt be wise for thy self but if thou scornest thou alone shalt bear it But we cannot say if a Magistrate will not discharge his duty but suffer wickedness to pass without controul he alone shall bear it no no the burden may light and lye heavy upon more shouldiers than his own His remissness and neglect may turn to the smart of the Land and people over whom he is set the not shutting the floud-gates of sin which let in a deluge of wickedness below is no other than the opening of the Windows of Heaven above for the letting down Showers and Storms of wrath that shall drown and swallow up all For want of this as you heard under the last particular God did not only with great severity judge the house of Eli but also threatned to do a thing in Israel or unto Israel as some read it at which both the ears of every one that heard it should tingle 1 Sam. 3.11 If any enquire what that terrible thing was I answer it was no less than the delivering of the Army of Israel into the hands of the accursed Philistines so that three thousand of them fell in battel before those their Enemies and which was yet worse the Ark of God was taken before which they worshipt and which was the special and delightful Symbol of the Divine presence with them When the Sword of Magistracy lieth still and dormant in the midst of crying abominations then God thinks it fit and high time to awake himself to the Judgment which he commanded and man neglected and to draw his own and how doth he then lay about him what blows doth he give what stupendous work doth he make When one Jonah that had been disobedient to his God and being sent by him upon a Message to Nineveh took him to his heels and run another way when he I say was in the Ship and lay in peace and at ease the whole was in danger nor did the storm cease though the Heathen Mariners called every one to his God till the guilty Criminal received his deserved punishment in being cast into the Sea That is a notable saying of Solomon Prov. 29.4 The King by Judgment stablisheth the Land When it shakes and totters he shores it up he settles and confirms it again and makes all sure But he that receiveth gifts overthrows it These do blind the eyes of men in place and bind or tie their hands so that they shall not do the things they should And he that receives them that will take bribes to stop the course of Justice doth overthrow the Land he turns it upside down he destroyeth the very foundations of it and when he hath once done that where is the wise man that can tell me what he will do himself I can expect no other but his own being buried in its ruins yea probably he shall go first and not live long enough to be a mourner at its Funeral Whereas on the other side Seventhly Magistrates by a vigorous suppression of prophaneness may most happily both prevent the coming of those Judgments which are impending over a Nation and remove those which are incumbent and heavy upon it They may stay the hand of revenging justice when it is lifted up as Abrahams was and ready to give the fatal stroke and also they may take off the hand of God when it lies heavy upon a people and presseth them sore or to use Davids expression they may remove the stroke away from it and hold his hand when it is about repeating of the blow I shall speak to both these under this head They may prevent a Judgment and dispel that Cloud which threatens a storm Hence it was that when the people had most grievously offended and provoked God by making a Golden Calf and then worshipping it after the manner of Egypt Moses said unto the Sons of Levi who had gathered themselves together unto him as Persons resolved to be on the Lords side Exod. 32.27 Thus saith the Lord God of Israel put every man his Sword by his side and go in and out from Gate to Gate throughout the Camp and slay every man his Brother and every man his Companion and every man his Neighbour And the Children of Levi did according to the word of Moses and there fell of the People that day about three thousand men Observe his temper He was the meekest Man in the Earth of a most sweet and loving Disposition knowing how to bear and forbear but now he was all on a flame the Lamb was turned into a Lion He was nearly and greatly concerned for the Name and Honour of his God and He accordingly set upon the doing of Justice and therefore made many a Sacrifice and when that was done he said unto the People upon the Morrow ver 30. Ye have sinned a great Sin and now I will go up unto the Lord peradventure I shall make an Atonement for your Sin Now that I have done the Duty of my place now that I have vindicated the Honour of God now that there hath been this due Execution of Justice Now I will go up unto the Lord and I will go up in hope now I have a peradventure to encourage me to think that I shall make an Atonement for you And let us not pass over in silence that which you have in ver 29. of the same Chapter Moses had said Consecrate your selves to day to the Lord even every Man upon his Son and upon his Brother that he may bestow upon you a Blessing this day The shedding of Blood of the Blood of Man the Blood of an Israelite by the hand of Justice in a cause deserving Death did not defile them but consecrate them Acts of Justice are as acceptable to God as Sacrifice the Blood of Sinners as the fat of Rams and abundantly more and saith Moses upon your doing this the Lord may bestow a Blessing upon you Levi therefore by using a Sword of Injustice and Cruelty against the Shechemites lost the Blessing When their Father Jacob called all his Sons together speaking of Simeon and Levi Gen. 49.5 He speaks of their instruments of Cruelty calls to mind their Sin cursed their Anger and Wrath divided them in Jacob scattered them in Israel but not a word of Blessing That they had lost Now saith Moses do you quit your selves in this great piece of Justice and you may get a Blessing and so they did for God chose the Tribe of Levi for himself above all the Tribes of Israel and appointed and imployed them about his Sanctuary and Service Numb 3.6 c. Bring the Tribe of Levi near and present them before Aaron the Priest that
they may Minister unto him And ver 41. Thou shalt take the Levites for me I am the Lord instead of all the first-born among the Children of Israel And as this is the way to prevent Judgments when upon their way so to remove them when they are already come For the proof hereof you have a famous instance in Numb 25. The Case was this The People did double their Transgression in committing Idolatry and Whoredom at once It is indeed no cause of wonder to see Spiritual and Corporal Uncleanness going together in Company This kindled the Wrath of God against them which rose to that height that it brake out into a Plague The Plague did not stop the Sin wicked men will harden themselves against God and run upon the mouth of the Cannon on the bosses of his Buckler Notwithstanding the Judgment Zimri one of the Children of Israel a Prince too that should have set a better Example impudently and daringly brought a Midianitish Woman in the sight of Moses and of all the Congregation of Israel while they were weeping before the door of the Tabernacle While the Congregation was drown'd in Tears these two Wretches burned in Lust Phinehas was an eye-witness of it and his Heart was hot within him upon the sight thereof he took a Javelin in his hand entred their Tent and ran both of them thorow With this remarkable Act of Justice and holy revenge God was exceedingly pleased As appeared by the happy consequences which were two healing Mercy upon Israel with a Blessing upon himself and his Posterity You may read what God himself said upon this occasion Numb 25.10 11 12. The Lord spake unto Moses saying Phinehas the Son of Eleazer the Son of Aaron the Priest hath turned away my wrath from the Children of Israel while he was zealous for my sake among them that I consumed not the Children of Israel in my Jealousie Wherefore say Behold I give unto him my Covenant of Peace and he shall have it and his Seed after him even the Covenant of an Everlasting Priesthood because he was zealous for his God and made an atonement for the Children of Israel Do you stem the Tide of prophaneness and in so doing you will stop the Bottles of Divine Wrath. And then hereupon it followeth Eighthly The Suppression of prophaneness is an excellent way for the making Rulers an eminent and choice Blessing unto the People over whom the Providence of God hath set them By this means they will indeed prove as our holy Apostle speaks in the verse immediately following our Text 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ministers of God to them for good For it is a great deal of good that is ministred and conveyed by them golden Oil that is communicated by and through these golden Pipes the whole Land is the better for them every Mothers Child hath reason to rise up and call them blessed Briefly thus By this means they confirm and establish it They are strong supporters while others are wicked and cursed underminers Psalm 75.2 3. When I shall receive the Congregation i. e. The Government of it when I shall be once seated upon the Throne I will judge uprightly or Righteousness a vein of Righteousness shall run through every one of my Actions they shall be done according to the Rule of Equity The Earth and all the Inhabitants of it are dissolved The Reins are now let loose there is a visible apparent disorder both in Church and State all things are for the present in Confusion and therefore running apace to Ruine and Dissolution I bear up the Pillars thereof Some do look upon Religion and Righteousness as the Jachin and Boaz those great and mighty Pillars which uphold a Nation and Magistrates are the Persons appointed to bear up those Pillars if those be the Pillars these are the Basis upon which they stand and these bear up them by judging uprightly In this way it is they bear up the Fabrick and keep it from crumbling into pieces and falling to nothing And further as by this means they bring unto a Nation the Blessing of Stability so they also yield that other lovely and very desireable Blessing of Peace So that all good men shall sit under their own Vines and Fig-trees without others making them afraid they shall have a quiet and comfortable enjoyment of themselves and the good things which God hath graciously vouchsafed to them Unto this I say Magistrates both supreme and subordinate the higher and inferiour Officers in a Kingdom do very much contribute by the Diligent and Faithful discharge of the Work and Duty of their several places This is evident from that Psalm 72.3 The Mountains shall bring Peace to the People and the little hills by Righteousness That Word Peace is very comprehensive carrying in it not only a freedom from War Commotions Quarrels and Disturbances but Prosperity too and Happiness Plenty and Abundance of all good things so that there shall be no complaining in our Streets This is to be brought to a People and sure when it is they will bid it welcome but who shall bring it The Mountains and little Hills i. e. The Metaphorical Ones the Magistrates the King and all that are in Authority under him but it will come only in a way of Righteousness Gods Peace always keeps Gods Way This you learn from that of the Prophet Psalm 85.10 Righteousness and Peace kiss each other They meet and embrace and so go hand in hand Righteousness in the Throne in the Senate and Courts of Judicature is accompanied with Peace in the City yea and all the Countrey over Lastly A Conscientious care for the Suppression of prophaneness in a Land is the way to engage the great and Holy God on the behalf and for the good of those Rulers in whom that care is found And this Argument will I am sure signifie much with all those with whom God signifieth any thing As the place of Rulers is high so the work of their place is hard It carrieth a great deal of difficulty and of danger along with it As wicked men are very filthy so the Psalmist tells us they are always grievous They are like the raging Sea which is continually casting up Mire and Dirt specially when there is a Storm upon it Let there be endeavours used to put a stop to them in their sinful course by a vigorous Execution of Righteous Laws their Hearts do presently swell against those that restrain and punish them and they break out into a rage whereupon they often study to avenge the quarrel of their sordid and impetuous Lusts upon those Worthies who would promote the cleanness of their Lives and the welfare of their Souls Upon this account it is no more than necessary for the Omnipotent God to stand at their right hand for the encouragement of their Hearts and the preservation of their Persons Now see Psalm 7.10 My defence is of God who saveth the upright in Heart