Selected quad for the lemma: power_n
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A29923
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The unspotted high-court of justice erected and discovered in three sermons preached in London and other places by Thomas Baker.
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Baker, Thomas, 1624 or 5-1690.
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1657
(1657)
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Wing B523; ESTC R25262
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34,477
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158
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finde they themselves designed for the slaughter-house of Hell Whilst the Righteous in the mean time that are fain to content themselves with no better feeding then the bare commons ofl poverty and all kinde of misery are yet reserved as choise store to remain yea Reign with him for evermore So that then whilst the Righteous even when they are most anxiously groaning under the heaviest pressure of their afflctions shall have no reason to despair of an happy change of chear and therefore in a passionate hastiness of Spirit to cry out as David sometimes Psal. 31.24 We are cast out of the sight of thine Eyes or as Sion Isa. 49 4 The Lord hath forsaken and forgotten us So neither shall the Reprobate in the highest Flux of their brain-intoxicating happiness have reason to promise themselves a perpetual and unchangeable continuance thereof as the same David in his wanton estate Psal. 30.6 I shall never be removed much less as those Rulers courage themselves in mischief and say as it is Isa. 28.15 We have made a Covenant with Death and with Hell we are at an agreement when that overflowing scourge shall pass through it shall not come nigh us we have made lies our refuge and under falshood have we hid our selves Say ye to the Righteous is the Lords own close of that {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} sweet-sowr word of his that it shall be well with him for he shall eat the fruit of his doings but woe unto the wicked it shall be ill with him for the reward of his hand shall be given him Isa. 2.10 11. As it is the same Lords gracious declaration of himself to his Church In a little wrath hid I my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindness will I have Mercy upon thee Isa. 54.8 So is it his no less just then dreadful doom upon Babylon the Churches Maule that as much as she hath glorified her self and fared deliciously so much torment and sorrow shall be given her the 18. of this Book and the 7th As there is a fearful woe thundered out against those that laugh for the present Luke 6.25 So is there a chearful Benedictus carolled out unto those that mourn here for that hereafter they shall be comforted Mat. 5.4 The rich glutton hath first his good things and Lazarus evil and therefore is there a time by either to be expected for their turning of Tables their change of conditions when the one must be comforted and the other Tormented Luke 16.25 It is a just thing with God saith the Apostle enforcing this change with an argument we See drawn from his Justice to render Tribulation unto them that trouble you 2 Thes. 1.6 whilst the Righteous will we hear the Psalmists shall reioyce to see the vengeance Psal. 5.9 Tribulation shall be the just Recompence of those that have troubled the Righteous whilst a principal part of the joy of the Righteous shall be the sight of just vengeance to be executed upon those that have troubled them So that a man shall say will he nill he shall be driven to confess that the Righteous shall not finally go unrewarded verily there is a reward for the Righteous nor shall the wicked for ever escape unpunished doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth Which fitly bringeth me to the consideration of the second particular the Judge that is to pass sentence God I saw the Dead small and great stand up before God Three things there are as one hath well observed which the Lord hath reserved as peculiar to himself The knowledge of things to come It is not for you to know the times and seasons saith our Saviour to his inquisitive Disciples which the Father hath put in his own Power Acts 1.7 The revenge of injuries Vengeance is mine is the Lords own word and I will repay it Deut. 32.35 And the judgement of secrets judge nothing before the time until the Lord come Who shall bring to light the hidden things of darkness and make manifest the counsels of the heart 1 Cor. 4.5 The School yet for the more precise pointing out the Person of this Judge unto us distinguisheth of a threefold manner of Judgement First there is Iudicium Approbationis a judgement of suffrage or Approbation And in this sense shall the Saints act the parts of Judges Know ye not saith the Apostle that the Saints shall judge the world 1. Cor. 2.6 Secondly there is Iudicium Principalis Autoritatis a Judgement of supream Authority And this way of Judgement is peculiar to the Divine Essence Wherein yet Opera Trinitatis ad Extra sunt Indivisa saith the same School every subsistence in the Trinity may justly challenge an equal interest God shall bring every work to judgement saith the Preacher Eccles. 12.14 For which cause I finde the day of this Judgement by St. Peter 2 Epist. 3.12 signally stiled Gods day looking for saith he and hastning unto the Day of God Thirdly there is Iudicium Promulgationis a Judgement of passing sentence And with this power is the second Person in the Trinity exclusively invested and that meerly in regard of his Humane Nature The Father is his own word hath given the Son power to execute judgements because he is the son of man Iohn 5.27 And this whether it be for the making of the equity of his proceedings in this Judgement the more conspicuous upon which ground I meet with Divines that will needs make that word of the Lord Ioel 3.2 matter of an undeniable conclusion that the seat of this Judgement shall be Perpendicularly erected over the valley of Iehosaphat near Ierusalem for that being the center of the earth as by Geographere is unanimously agreed on thither from all parts of the worlds circumference may the lines of all Nations most commodiously be drawn to take the fairer and fuller view of the justice of these his proceedings or whether as we use to help a lame Legge with a Crutch it be for the more eminent Exaltation of this Judge in the condition of his Humane Nature wherein {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} saith the Apostle Phil. 2.8 he made himself of no reputation or as the word more properly importeth he emptied himself and made him nothing becomming obedient unto death even the death of the Cross the eminent reason given by him for our bowing at the Name of Jesus rather then any other name of his I forbear for the present to determine Certainly as the Pillar of the cloud that gave light in the Israelitish was darkness in the Egyptian Camp Exod. 14.20 when the sight of this Iudge in the visible shape of his Humanity shall dart out beams of unspeakable comfort into the souls of his Elect when they shall now see him set upon the Throne of Glorious Majesty whom they have heretofore followed through much Tribulaon and Misery when what the people sometimes passionately petitioned Exod. 20.19 they shall hear
the Dead were Iudged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works A Sight have you had as of the Prisoners to be Arraigned the Dead Small and Great of the Judge to pass sentence which though for the Judgement of Principal Authority it shall be every Person in the Trinity for which cause we finde this Day Signally stiled Gods Day 2 Pet. 3.12 Looking for saith he and hastening unto the Day of God yet for the Judgement of Promulging and Pronouncing of sentence it shall be the second Person in that Trinity and that in regard of his Humane Nature The Father saith our Apost. hath given Power to the Son to execute Iudgement because he is the Son of Man Iohn 5.27 So of the Evidence to be given in Recorded in Books and those three principals whereof the first is Gods Statute-Book made up of three Tomes in the first whereof is written the Law of Nature in the second the Law from Sinai in the third the Law from Sion the second his Day-book made up of two whereof the first is of that our own Conscience the second of Gods Remembrance the last his Book of Records and that you have seen to be of a two-fold nature the one that wherein the Church Registreth those for the Sons of God that by an outward Confession of their Faith are received into her Bosome notwithstanding that not a few of them prove afterward Impostours and Hypocrites the other that of his Eternal Fore-knowledge whereby from all Eternity he hath and beyond all Tract of time will acknowledge those for his whom he hath Predestinated to the Adoption of Sons and Ordained to be Heirs of Eternal Life The Equal Proceedings of the Court and the Infallible certainty of all remain only for the present to be discussed And first are we to examine the equal Proceedings of the Court whose impartial Judge shall Examine the whole World upon the works whether Good or Evil they have done And the Dead were Judged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works It is the Lords own word to his People Isa. 55.8 My wayes are not as your wayes And this difference of wayes between him and them the same Lord no less justly then precisely may you hear Contesting with them in point of Equity Ezech. 18.29 Are not my wayes Equal saith he and yours Vnequal Betwixt Heaven and Earth there is not so great a Distance as there is Difference between God and more then a good many Men in the exercise of Judiciary Power The Law which the Civilians say is Sanctio Iusta Iubens Honesta Prohibensque Contraria a Just Constitution commanding things that are Honest and Forbidding the Contrary is in the Court of Heaven reputed the only straight Rule whereunto the subjects of that court are to conform their works ways for their Deviation and Declination from its Rectitude are only punishable For which cause our Evangelists description of sin is that it is the Transgression of the Law in the 1. of his Epistle the 3. Chapter and 4. V. And therefore that word of that other Apostle just reason that it obtain with us the Credit of an Oracle Rom. 4.15 where there is no Law there is no Transgression So that then that word of that other Apostle yet 2. Pet. 1.19 for the word of Prophesie our parts it shall be to conceive directed unto every one of us for the Law that we shall do well to take heed thereunto as unto a Light that shineth in a Dark Place No otherwise then you may observe some careful Mariner for the better guidance of his Ship in a Dark Night to heed a Light which from some Eminent watch-towr may discover it self The Conduct of which Light therefore whose Beams every one of us may clearly discern as the Pilot his Light from the Tower darting out from Heaven upon him for the better steering him a course through the surges of this world shall he not heed no marvel if Straying from the right Path of Justice he wander in Darkness and in the shadow of Death The Proceedings of too too many a Man that assumeth unto himself a Power to Execute Justice not seldome runneth a clean contrary Bias to this They say as those in the Wiseman Wisd. 2.11 Our will is the Law of Iustice And therefore take unto themselves a liberty of Proscribing Imprisoning Condemning yea Executing too whom they please though guiltless of the Transgression of any Law Nor shall the Law be the Rule whereby to examine the work of supposed Dilinquents but their causeles fears and Jealousies shall make Delinquents whomsoever they shall please Whilst themselves in the mean time notwithstanding that they are dipped in as deep a Dye of villany as the blackest Fiends of Hell must yet have Precedence of all the Apostles nay the Virgin Mary her self in Saintship as long as did Saul with an Image in stead of David 1 Sam. 19.13 they can impose upon the purblinde World with empty Shadows and semblances in stead of the true and real Body of Religion and what AEschines sometimes objected to Demosthenes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} can New-dip Extortion Oppression Perjury Tyranny Sacriledge Murther yea very Atheisme with the fair and specious Names of Reformation Beloved As this Great Judge is far from being so Sophistical as to impose upon us with a Fallacy of Non causa pro Causa and so not so Rigid as to Condemn us without the least transgression of any of his Laws so neither may we conceive him to be so Facile and Easie as that he shall be wone to accept of a bare Shew and Profession of Saint-Ship for a perfect observation of this Law of his That Rule of this great Judge By their Fruits you shall know them Mat. 7.16 holdeth as true for all manner false Pretenders as Prophets They are the Fruits of good works only and not the Leaves or Blossoms of vain Ostentation or Profession that shall Acquit or condemn us at the last Day And the Dead were Iudged out of those things which were written in the Books according to their works But how The Dead to be Judged according to their works Durus est hic Sermo this is an hard saying and who may abide it What hope of Salvation then shall the most Righteous have to entertain Yea and then as is St. Peters passionate Quaere in the 1. of his Epistle Chapter 4.18 Where shall the Vngodly and the Sinners appear So that then well may David Holy David deprecate this manner of Trial before God Psal. 143.2 Enter not into Iudgement with thy Servant O Lord for in thy sight shall no Man living be Iustified He that hath found no stedfastness in his Servants but hath charged his very Angels with Folly how much more then Man which dwelleth in an House of Clay whose Foundation is in the Dust Alas As the Priest