are to judge the poor and needy Prov. 31.9 Moses gave the same charge to the Judges that Jehosaphat did Deut. 1.16 saith he Hear the causes of your Brethren between brother and brother and judge righteously between every man and his brother and the stranger that is with him The Judges are not to respect persons in judgement vers 17. but are to hear the small as well as the great for the judgement is Gods The Lord himself saith That they that judge the people shall do no unrighteousness in judgement It is a command of God 2. He commands that they do not respect persons for saith he Thou shalt not respect the persons of the poor nor honour the persons of the mighty But 3. He commands them that they judge in righteousness See Lev. 19.15 16. vers 1. They are not to stand against the blood of their neighbour 2. They are not to hate their brother in their heart 3. They are to reprove for sin 4. They must not bear any grudge to the people 5. They are not to be avenged of them 6. They are not to be tale-bearers amongst the people 7. They are not to defraud their neighbour 8. They are not to curse the deaf nor to put a stumbling block before the blind but they are to fear the Lord and lay aside evil 9. They are to keep the Statutes of the Lord that they may judge righteously Lev. 19.13 14 15 16 17 18. 10. The Judges are not to judge according to the outward appearance but they are to judge righteous judgement and it is joy to the Just to do judgement John 7.24 Prov. 21.19 Justices are to be faithful and just men 1. He that ruleth over men must be just 2. He must be one that feareth God 3. He must rule in love and in the fear of the Lord. 4. He must be one that hateth evil and loveth that which is good and he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun ariseth even a morning without clouds 2 Sam. 23.3 4. The path of the just is a shining light they are to be just Prov. 3.18 and shine forth in brightness to be examples for others to walk by The way of the just is uprightness Isa 26.7 thou most upright dost weigh the paths of the just The just man walks in his integrity Prov. 20.7 It is joy to the just to do judgement Prov. 21.15 An unjust man is an abomination to the just Pro. 29.21 and he that is upright in his way is an abomination to the wicked The just shall live by Faith Rom. 1.17 John was a just man and a holy Mark 6.20 To do judgement and justice is more acceptable to the Lord then sacrifice Prov. 21.3 but an high look and a proud heart is sin and it is not for one that is to do justice vers 4. The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them because they refuse to do judgement vers 7. 1. A Justice is to defend the poor and fatherless 2. They are to do justice to the afflicted and needy 3. They are to deliver the poor and needy and rid them out of the hands of the wicked Psal 82.3 4. 4. They are to remove violence and spoil 5. They are to execute judgement and justice 6. They are to take away exactions from the people 7. They are to see that there be just weights and measures saith the Lord see if it be so Ezek. 45.9 10. Justices Thus saith the Lord Keep ye judgement and do justice do judgement and justice and it shall be well with you the Lord requireth that they do justice and be merciful and to walk humbly before the Lord Mic. 6.8 The true Judges was to be men that feared God and hated covetousness and they was to judge righteous judgement without partiality or respect of persons and they were not to take bribes but to do it freely and likewise the Justices was to be the same and to do justice to take off oppression and violence from the people and to see that they had all in equity and justice Now when they did pervert the wayes of the Lord he was displeased with them and sent forth his servants the Prophets to cry out against them They are to do it freely and to let the cause of the poor come before them and to judge without any respect of persons in righteousness but when they did it for money it was odious to the Lord. See what Micah saith Mic. 3.1 in the 3 of Micah Hear saith he I pray-ye O ye heads of Israel It was Israel his owne people that had forgot his Laws It is a dishonour to the Lord to have those that profess love to him and those that had the Statutes and Ordinances committed to them for to break his commands and disobey and cause his name to be evil spoken of by those that made no profession at all well might they be forgetful of him and live in wicked imaginations when those whom he had made himself manifest unto in so large a manner as he did which had the Statutes and Ordinances committed unto them and had a rule given forth of the Lord to walk by and had such large promises given forth that if they did abide and keep in his Statues and Ordinances committed unto them they might enjoy those things promised but they waxed great and rich and then forgot the Lord their God and the lawes and statutes which was committed to them and so the Lord was displeased with them for where much is given much is required but they forgot the Lord and broke his statutes and ordinances and yet professed love to him and called him their Father Mal. 1. but saith he If I be your Father where is my honour and if I be a Master where is my fear for a son honoureth his father and a servant his Master but ye have dishonoured me saith the Lord yet ye say Wherein have ye not dispised thy name saith the Lord in offering polluted bread upon mine Altar They was to bring of the best and that which was clean and pure and they was to bring it freely and the Priests was to offer it up freely in bringing the best they brought their hearts and they was to bring it freely and it was to be offered up a perfect figure of Jesus Christ laying downe his life freely and when they did not bring of the best then the Lord sent his true Prophets to cry out against them saith he Cursed be the deceiver that hath in his flock a male and offereth up that which is unclean and voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord an unclean thing See Mal. 1.14 the curse was upon them for so doing therefore all you professors and all high and low take heed how you do profess love to God and Jesus Christ and let your hearts be from him either in your pride or profits or pleasures or preferments or covetousness or
oppression for if you profess love to him in words you which profess him to be your Father and Jesus Christ to be your Saviour if your hearts be not wholly with him your sacrifices are abominable to the Lord all your praying preaching and expounding is but Cains sacrifice which God doth not accept for the prayers of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord take heed of hypocrisie God doth abhor it for saith he If ye love me keep my commandments and againe My Son give me thy heart Now if you make never so great profession in words and do not put it in practice and walk answerably to it in your life and conversation it is but hypocrisie and dissimulation and God doth loath it it stinkes before the Lord your professions in words without actions therefore take heed of deceiving your selves in making a profession profession without possession is but hypocrisie and saith the Lord This people draw near me with their mouth and with their lips do they honour me but their hearts are far from me Oh see where your hearts are are they not in the world and the Scripture saith If any man love the world the love of the Father is not in him for the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but are of the world the works of the Devil and are for the fire The Lord is a consuming fire and he will burn up all his enemies before him Oh therefore take heed of dissembling with him for God cannot endure a dissembler he loves the upright in heart in life and conversation See where you are are you not going on to destruction take heed betime Oh where art thou see art thou not standing by the pits brink take heed thou sall not in canst thou see art thou not blinde thou art abroad running a whoreing and the whoremonges God will judge See art thou not committing adultery under every green tree dost thou know where art thou art thou not a sleep in security take heed art thou canst thou tell See there was one that had forgot the Lord and was going after pride see is not thine Oh thou professor turne againe that is not the way to Sion turn in hither thou hast clear lost thy way wouldst thou go to Sion tell me if thou wouldst thou must not go with thy friends canst thou forsake all It is a narrow way to hit there is no room at all for to take thy friends with thee I would fain go to Sion but I have such a love to my friends that I cannot part with them for if I part with them I shall part with my life do so knowest thou not what Jesus Christ saith He that will lose his life for my names sake shall finde it and he saith He that loves any thing more then me is not worthy of me Art thou willing to forsake thy friends and lay downe thy life tell me if thou be willing it will be such an exchange as thou art not yet acquainted with though thou be great and have many friends and acquaintance they are not to be compared to the life that is in Christ I know thou hast many friends but thou must forsake all if thou follow Jesus Christ for there is no room for them there thou must leave thy friend pride behinde thee when thou enterest into the streight way there is no room at all for it to enter nay thou must not leave thy friend pride onely but thou must forsake thy kinsman covetousness which hath laboured so much for thee among the earth-worms to fetch in provision for thee that did refresh thy friend old pride and thou must leave thy heavy oppression behind that hath so much tyrannized over thy friend simplicity but simplicity shall go on the way with thee but old neighbour guile he cannot come near within a mile he is a wanderer and thy friends envy hatred anger and malice they are murderers and they are for the fire and thy friends pleasures and wantonness they are for the sword and all old acquaintance as lying swearing and foolish talking which was thy companions for pastime thou must leave them also and thy beloved fashions and ancient customes which thou hast been so long breeding and training up they must be left and all thy darlings as thy customary hearing of Sermons and thy old friends thy companions that went along with thee and thou must take thy poor despised friends patience and meekness and long suffering for thy friends thy customary hearers and formal professors and time-servers they will hate thee and persecute thee and old Pharaoh before he be willing to let thee go into the wilderness will oppress thee and set task-masters over thee to cause thee to make brick without straw to be subject to their earthly carnal wills Be of good chear the Lord will send out his servant Moses his servant for he is faithful and he will execute true judgement and justice upon him and pour forth the Vials upon him and there shall be darkness over all Egypt but thou wilt finde light in Goshen and the Lord will send his Angel to go before thee to lead thee through the Egyptian Sea of confusion and troubles and bring thee into the wilderness where thou shalt hear a voice behind thee saying This is the way walk in it and see that thou minde thy guide when thou art in the way of the Wilderness to follow it lest thou by looking about thee there to see the rage and envy of venomous beasts be clouded and lose thy way for there will be great danger of it take heed of looking behinde thee when thou art got into the wilderness lest thou lose thy guide and then cannot finde the way out and so be ready to turne into Egypt again if thou do the curse will come upon thee and thou will finde nothing but torment and trouble there Now that the light is risen among the Israelites they see gross darkness over all Egypt and Pharaoh he fumes and frets and says Who is God that I should obey him to let the people go If I let them go I shall lose my honour and my greatness for they labour for my lust and I have my desire satisfied by them and there are many Egyptians of high blood that have been brought up in pleasures and had great preferments in Egypt by these bondslaves and If I let them go we cannot work and our honour will not be upheld but I will go and give authority to some lofty spirited men that is of an high descent like unto my self and before I will let them go free I will give them the most part of their increase that they labour for and they shall get up into an high place and stand over them and they shall be compelled to be under them for I will take away their straw before and make them labour the harder and before they
will be utterly desolate of livelyhood they will labour night and day and so we shall keep them in subjection to us for if they be not sore oppressed they will not matter for us but come my Task-masters take a command and go I 'll give you authority have not I power in mine hand to enact and give forth Laws for all to be subject to my will Go take with you words and say Thus saith Pharaoh As for this fellow Moses I will not meddle with him he comes to take you off from your work and make you to idle but I 'll not hear him you must fulfil your tale of brick and see that there be none wanting for Pharaoh hath given us authority over you and now that we have got authority for him as for this Moses we care not for him keep to your work and stay and hear us give heed to our words you were idle before and cared not for us because you had your straw provided for you but now must you provide it your selves we will have our wages on you that our master doth allow us for we are men that have spent most of our time in the Egyptian studies and we can speak that language very well and it hath pleased Pharaoh to give us large benefits which are able to maintain us and now we will make you stay at your work for we are men that are set in authority by our master Pharaoh and he doth now allow us our wages before you go into the wilderness we will make you to abide here with us for if we should have let you go with this Moses we should have lost our benefits which we did receive by you but now you must abide the bitterness of it If you had been willing to have letten us been your masters and so have laboured in the earth for us ye might have had a little more liberty then now you are like to have for now we have time enough to speak to you for that is our work but you must labour hard now for Pharaoh is waxen proud and high and he must have a maintenance from you and we are his servants set up by him to keep you to your work and when it is ready reap us the tenth part of the best of your labours and we shall take it into us and then we are to have part of every thing that you make use of besides for we must be something suitable our master that he may have praise by us for you are to be subject to us therefore keep to your work and labour hard that you may make us great and rich for if we had letten you alone you would have followed this Moses but now you must be obedient to our master Pharaoh therefore labour hard So the taskmasters of Egypt kept the Israelites a great bondage after that the Lord had sent his servant Moses to bid Pharaoh let them go free and when they was so sore burdened then he came againe from the Lord to speak to Pharaoh but he would not hearken unto him till the Lord poured forth his plagues upon him and then he called for Moses againe and bad him pray that the Lord might remove the plague from him and then he would let them go but when the plagues was removed he forgot the Lord againe and kept them in great bondage by tasking of them and the cries of the poor oppressed ones came before the Lord and he sent his servant Moses again but Pharaoh would not hearken to him any longer then the plagues were upon him and afterward he hardened his heart and grew exceeding proud and kept the people in great slavery by his proud and pratling taskmasters that he had set over them but when they would not obey the Lord after so many times sending forth his servants to shew them signs and wonders that they might repent and forsake the evill of their doings and let the oppressed go free when nothing would prevaile he then came with his strong hand and streched-out arm and slew all their first born and that did something tender them yet they was so proud and high spirited men and men that had lived in so much pride and pleasures and idleness and was maintained by their labours that when they saw the Lord would have them from under their commands and that they might be likely to lose their honours preferments and high places they was sore moved with envy wrath and malice that if they could not have them to be their slaves they would after them and they would go shew all their valour and fight against the Lord that if they could conquer him they might be Lords over all the earth but the Lord was so full of mercy that he would hove had them to have obeyed him and to have letten the people go with him and that they might have lived in the land where they was but they would strive with their Maker and would not hearken to him till they were all overwhelmed in the water so the Lord made his power known in the deliverance of the Israelites And secondly in the destruction of the Egyptians It is hard for all the proud and lofty spirits in the world to fight against God as dayly they do by seeking to suppress his owne work in the hearts of his poor people It is better for them all to sit still then stand up in the height of pride and envy to seek the Israelites blood to spill for the Lord will make his power knowne and all the crowns of envy pride and oppression and cruelty must be thrown down and he will rule as King above because they will not do their word as by their works they do profess to take the burdens off from all that are opprest they that profess to love the Lord must let their mercies run abroad that he may be set up and honoured and take the burdens off from all the people and love their enemies and feed the hungry and cloath the naked ones as Christ himself did teach all those that followed him and for to live in love one with another but saith he See that you bring forth much fruit and glorifie my Father the Lord doth look to have all those that profess love to his name to be as he is that his name be not evil spoken of he is just merciful and exceeding loving and he would have those that do profess him in words to be the same in actions else they do mightily dishonour him and cause his name to be evil spoken of he looks that they should be fruitful loving and merciful and not to say they do love him and profess to be his people by their words and by their actions deny him for he doth not say one thing and do another he loves faithfulness and uprightness in heart life and conversation he hath shewed man what is good and what he requireth of him to do justly to love mercy and to
walk humbly before him and to live in love with one another to do justly and take off oppression and to shew mercy towards all people and to walk in humbleness of heart before him and to do freely for all the gifts of God are free and large and he is very loving and bountiful and now he looks for fruits not in words but in actions but it is not so among them that profess to be the people of the Lord yet in their actions deny him for the true Church of Christ was loving and tender one to another there was not any among them that lacked any thing they was of one heart and one minde there was no cruelty executed amongst them the true Church of Christ is to be as he is holy and harmless pure and peaceable and to be in subjection to him that is head even to Christ and to keep his commands they that love him do obey him and abide in his doctrine Jesus Christ and his Spouse are both one he is the head and his Saints are the body and the Spouse must be in subjection to him and obedient to him in all things as Sarah obeyed Abraham and called him Lord the wife is subject to her husband so the Church is to Christ Christ is the head they are the body and the body is guided by the head Christ is the head in all things and the Church is subject to Christ for he is not without the body and they are not without the head so Christ and the Saints are one and as he is so are they they are bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh the Church is the love of Christ and Christ is the love of the Church as he is so are they all love united together into one even into the Law of the Father the Father Son and Saints make but one perfect Christ I in them and they in me as thou Father art in me Christ gave himself for the Church that he might present it to his Father without any spot or wrInkle or any such thing but that it should be holy and without blemish and the Church of Christ is sanctified and cleansed with the blood of the Lamb and it is covered with the robes of righteousness and made perfect through his holiness being all glorious within and the head of it is love and Christ and the Church is all one But the Church of Babylon is an Harlot and rides upon the scarlet coloured Beast and professeth love to Christ but lives like a Whore for she is committing fornication under every green tree and playing the Harlot with many lovers The Church of Christ is glorious within and so the Whore of Babylon is glorious without rideing upon a painted Beast a Beast is that which is not in the truth and yet professeth to be by words but in actions walk contrary satisfying the flesh with the affections and lusts thereof lusting after pride and lusting after covetousness and lusting after honours and after pleasures and wantonness and yet profess love to Christ and can speak fine words painted with the words of Christ and with the words of the Prophets and Apostles but lives in the wicked Imaginations of their hearts and the Beast and the Whore is one and are united together to live in pleasures and wantonness upon earth being marryed to pride and profits covetousness and oppression and grinding the faces of the poor and the head of them is envy wrath and malice and if any speak of the love of Christ among them they are so full of envie and wrath that they persecute them to death and yet profess to be the Spouse of Christ too but Christ and his Spouse is one in love and tenderness and pity and compassion and they are united both into the divine being of the Father and as the harlot is out of the divine nature marryed to the lusts and pleasures of the world so Christ and his are taken up into the full enjoyment of the Fathers love and they loath pride and covetousness malice and envie wrath and deceit and oppression knowing that all unrighteousness is of the devil And as the Church of Christ is all glorious within and covered with the righteousness of Christ and contends for the faith that was once given to the Saints so the Church of Babylon is all glorious without but the inside is full of rottenness and filthy hypocrisie and secret envie and hatred and secret subtilty and dissimulation and yet makes a profession of God and of Christ but their folly doth appear dayly more and more and their secret abominations are discovering dayly and as the Saints are covered with the righteousness of Christ the worlds Church they are covered with unrighteousness and in stead of contending for the faith in his purity they contend altogether for the deceit that they may uphold the kingdome of sin and Satan and live altogether in pride and oppression and lust and excess and so makes themselves manifest by their fruits that they do not live in what they do profess