Selected quad for the lemma: lord_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
lord_n	david_n	israel_n	king_n	20,093	5	4.5589	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A02057	The iudges scripture, or, Gods charge to charge-givers A sermon preached in St. Nicholas Church of Newcastle upon Tyne, before the judges, justices, and gentlemen of the towne and countrey, at the assises holden there the three and twentieth day of July. 1635. By Francis Gray, Master of Arts, and one of the preachers in the same towne.	Gray, Francis.	1636 (1636)	STC 12202; ESTC S103403	14,475	28

them to learne and learning to know and knowing to acknowledge the Supremacie of the Son of God and To serve the Lord in feare as it follows in the beginning of the next verse whereupon in the Conclusion wee must also touch I hope and presume that I am not in the midst of a Masterlesse and lawlesse Anabaptisticall Auditory a Sect that with might aad maine strives to strike off the head of Government and would frame the body of Men like the body of Polyphemus without an eye or make it like the confused Chaos of old that it be Rudis indigestaque moles So that I should need to stand much to prove the lawfulnes of Kings and Iudges and how that there ought to be a Superiority amongst the Sons of Men. If I should go no further than the words here of the Prophet we find God no way condemning them for being Kings and Iudges neither doth hee wish and will them to leave these the places of their Dignity but only seeks to put them in mind of their Duty Be wise now therefore O yee Kings c. How Lawfull and Laudable it is that there should be Kings and Iudges Counsellors and Magistrates yea and how necessarily it stands with the good of the Common-wealth Scripture confesseth and Experience confirmeth Whilst wee see God in the very first Creation of the World observing order and establishing a Superiority amongst his Creatures willing The greater Light to rule the Day and the lesser to governe the Night And when hee comes to the Creation of Man whom you may be pleased as it were to call the Master-piece of that his Divine Work-manship Giving him command over the Birds of the ayre the Beasts of the field and Fishes of the Sea Whilst we see Noah a Commander in the Arke Abraham to be a chiefe President Moses to be a Ruler Ioshua to be his successour both to persons and places Samuel to be a Iudge to goe from yeare to yeare in Circuit to Bethel Gilgal and Mizpeh and to judge Israel David Salomon Iosia and Iehoshaphat to be Kings who also gave his expresse command to his Iudges Whilst wee behold our blessed Lord and Saviour JESVS CHRIST no way overthrowing but still seeking to establish Christian government paying Tribute bidding to give Caesar his due and content to be brought before Pilate his Iudge Paul also answering submissively before his Iudges giving it in expresse charge that Every soule should be subject to the Higher powers to Kings and all that are in authority and that not onely for feare but for conscience sake for that the powers which were were ordained of God the thrones of heaven and earth being not contrary but subordinate These with many more instances which might be used may serve to stop our mouthes that wee doe not dare with those wicked ones in St. Iudes time To speak evill of Dignities but humbly to acknowledge them to be the breathing Images of the most high God If we cōpare the body Politick to the body Celestiall there wee find an Hyerarchy the Apostle therefore speaks of Principalities and Powers Dominions and Thrones mention wee find made of Cherubins and Seraphins Arch-angels and Angels If to the body Astronomicall the same Apostle sheweth us that One Star differeth from another in glory If to the body Ecclesiasticall you have the same Apostle affirming How that God hath given to some to be Prophets some Apostles some Evangelists and some Pastours and Teachers If to the body Naturall there wee see all the members of the body to be guided by the governance of the head If to a body Occonomicall the Apostle sheweth us and observation may teach us that as there be vessels of gold and vessels of silver so also vessels of inferiour mettall If to the body Military or Martiall if there were not Generalls Captaines and the like Officers to command as well as the common Souldier to obey there were but small hope of victory If to an hive of Bees there this superiority is Ipsius naturae thesis the very instinct of Nature hath taught them to acknowledge a King Et Rege incolumi mens omnibus una If likewise we shall resemble the Common wealth to a Ship the Orator could tell us that Alij sentinam hauriunt alij plumbum inijciunt alius clavam tenet some are ready to pumpe some to sound the depth by casting in of the plummet and some also to sit at the stern If lastly to an Instrument of Musicke there we see the sweetest harmony to arise from differing notes Thus in the Common wealth God will have an higher and a lower some to governe and some to be governed some to command and some to be commanded Vbi est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 ibi est 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 want of Government causeth confusion and equality breeds but contempt where all will rule there is no rule where there is none to rule there is all misrule to rule and to rule well and to be well ruled is the very bond of humane society God we further know hath set such a majestie in the face of lawfull authority that it workes confusion many times in the face of wickednes to dare to approach nigh it and if the visible powers were not often more praevalent with the Sonnes of men than the invisible God the world would soone be overrunne with outrage were not Authoritie ready to curb the insolencies of the stubbourne what Incests what bloodsheds what lamentable outcries and superlative degrees of impiety would not abound and each day would appeare to be that last time whereof the Apostle speaketh Men to become heady high-minded truce-breakers disobedient without naturall affection and every way guilty of the like enormities Kings and Iudges there then are Kings and Iudges there ought to bee the law of God proves it and the good of the Common wealth approves of it Iudges you are and Iudges you are of God you receive your warrant from God as you receive your Commission from the King It well becomes you to be most faithful to both as you are of God so in some sense you are even called Gods I am sure that your judgement is called the Lords judgement Deut. 1. 17. And you are said as Iehosaphat spoke to his Judges to judge not for man but for the Lord and the Lord hath promised to be with you in the judgement Behold then and consider what a neere relation God hath to you and you to God what shall I then in the first place say but as Gods Judges to put on Gods courage not to feare the face of men to learne of God not to have respect of persons in judgement The promise of Gods presence was that which gave boldnesse to Moses to Iosua and to many other godly governors Doe as they did and you may in some measure expect to partake of that favour which they found Christian

Salomon bringing in Wisdome thus speaking of herselfe By me Kings raigne and Princes doe decree justice Pythagoras his position runs much in the same straine Tum demum fore rempub beatam cum aut sapientes regere aut reges sapere caepissent then is there hope of happinesse to a common wealth when wisemen governe or governors doe begin to become wise wherfore that which was Salomons prayer may well suite with every superior Cor intelligens da domine servo Lord give unto thy servant an understanding heart But what instruction what learning is it that David here would have Kings to know and Judges to obtaine that he shewes immediately in the next verse which is to serve the Lord with feare For according to the Wisemans assertion it is timor domini that is initium sapientiae The feare of the Lord is the beginning of wisdome Nay more this serving of God in feare it is the tye and knot the very ground-worke of all true faithfullnesse betwixt God and man betwixt soveraigne and subject betwixt pastour and people betwixt the Judge judgeing and such as are to be Judged by him Remove but this and you overthrow the building of goodnesse it selfe Hence St Bernard Omne virtutum adificium illic● vergit in pracipitium si timoris domini amiserit prosidium banish Gods feare and give immediately possession to all follyes It was the ground of Abrahams feare and that most iustly to be slaine comming into Abimelecks land when he considered that there was not Timor Domini in terra The feare of God was not in that Land And assuredly if Gods service and feare be cast behind our backes farewell care and conscience both in Magistrate and Minister farewell the true ground of goodnesse even in all And to what chiefer cause can we ascribe the generality of sinnes now among us and swarming in this Northerne Climate then the dayly blaspheming of Gods name the continuall prophanation of his Sabbath and other Holy-dayes disloyall to Magistrates disrespect of Ministers Murders Depopulations Oppressions Surfettings Riots Drunkennesse dayly Thefts and all the rabell of rebellious sinnes but to this one corrupt Fountaine Men have not learned and which is worse they will not seeke to learne to serve the Lord with feare It then becomes Judges and all others called to places or ●ignity first and principally to looke to this lesson that with godly Ioshuathey may be able to say I and my house will serve the Lord that as they are above others so they may strive to goe before others in this which will really make them to be more glorious then others Prepositi vita est subditorum regula quod facit faciendo jubet Your carriages being Superiours carries a commanding power along with it whether it bee in vice or in vertue your faults as likewise ours of the Ministry are like the Eclipses of the Sunne which helpes to bring Detriment to these sublunary bodies you are as the principle Wheels in a Clock or as the Heart in the Body and therefore as He who hath called yee to these dignities is holy so ought yee to bee holy in all manner of conversation But though this instruction of serving God in feare begin at home yet it must not end there for it most neerly concernes such as are in high places that they endeavour to make their power to serve for the furtherance of Gods true Religion and vertue that men bee brought to serve the Lord with feare this well learned will teach what it is that we owe to you and you to us what wee both owe to our King and what indeed we all owe to God Feare God and depart from evill saith Salomon Gods feare is to sinne as the bankes are to the raging waters of the Sea to keepe them within compasse Feare God saith the Apostle and honour the King the one helpes to bring on the other for make Subiects truely religious and make them all in all wherefore it concernes Iudges and all Christian Magistrates that Ab Ione fit principium that in the first place they have an eye to the honour and service of God to be more tender touching wrongs offered to God his worship and service then to their owne particular persons we dwell and long may wee dwell under the guidance and government of a wise and religious King who labours by all meanes that Gods worship and service may be preserved and his word may be purely preached Your Honours are sent out as eyes to espy out offences and to see to abuses Be faithfull then to God to your King and bee true to Gods feare Let the service of God bee as deare to you as the aple of your eye and be not respectlesse of his honour who hath beene so respective of yours And now Right Honourable good luck have you with your Honours ride on and my hearts desire shall ever be that he who is one day to come riding upon the wings of the wind may ride on with you to assist to direct and to encourage you in the seate of Iudicature and Iudgement that you may so faithfully discharge the same that the Countrey may have cause to blesse you Posterity cause to praise you the Wicked cause to feare you the Righteous cause to commend you the Magistrates about you cause to thanke you we of the Ministery cause to pray for you all cause to love you your Prince at your returne cause to approve of you and the great Iudge of Heaven and Earth in his due time of his infinite mercy cause to welcome you with that Ioyfull Euge Well done thou good and faithfull Servant thou hast beene faithfull in a little come and I will make thee Ruler over more enter into thy Masters Ioy Into the which joy the Lord God in his appointed season bring us all for his Sonne Christ Iesus sake to whom together with the blessed Trinity bee ascribed as is most due all Honour and Glory Praise Power Majesty Might and Dominion both now and for evermore Amen FINIS Levit. 5. 7. 11. Coloss 3. 15. Gen. 1. 16. Gen. 1 28. 1 Sam. 7. 16. 2 Chron. 19. Rom. 13 ● Vers ● Coloss 1. 16. 1 Cor. 15. 41. Ephes 4. 11. 2 Tim. 3 2 ● Iob 29. 19. Exod. 18. 21. Gen. 18. 21. Deut. 1. 17. Ovid de Trist Exod. 18 13. Isai 40. 6. 1 Tim. 6. 15. Coll. 4. 1. Eccles 12. 14. Deut 1. 13. Prov. 8 15. 16 Prov. 9. 10. Gen. 20. 11 Iosu 24. 15. Cyprian 1. Pet. 2. 17.