Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	heart_n	lord_n	word_n	16,070	5	4.2011	3	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A94062	Justice justified; or The judges commission opened: in two assize sermons, preached before the judges of assize. The first at Chard, on Prov. 14.34. March 12. the other at Tauton, on Rom. 13.4. Aug.3. 1657. By James Strong, Master of Arts, and minister of the Gospel at Illmister in Sommerset.	Strong, James, 1618 or 19-1694.	1658 (1658)	Wing S5992; Thomason E937_3; ESTC R207741	20,137	35

In this sense the Law troubles not a righteous man but its threatnings are levelled against the lawlesse such as tear the bonds of Government as Sampson did his withes and cry out we will not be be bound To such the Law is intended for terrour excellently Solomon to this purpose Prov. 20. 26. A wise King scattereth the wicked and causeth the wheel to turn over them Quest But what evil is it that falls within the reach of civil justice Answ. Any civil or religious the Magistrate is custos utriusque tabulae all Laws propounded without limitation must be understood in their latitude Two things briefly it lessons us First to observe a difference between the precious and the vile and in drawing the sword of justice alwayes to have a blow at wickednesse the Psalmist deserves to be our president here who having sorted his subjects bestows his favour on the good his frownes on the evil Psal. 101. 6. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful in the land that they may dwell with me These he intended should be to him as Joseph to Pharaoh men of office and honour but v. 8. betimes I will destroy all the wicked of the land that I may cut off the workers of iniquity from the City of the Lord if men in place would study this choice and make such a difference among their inferiours I had almost said they might save the labour of forcing men from evil by their power I am prone to beleeve they would winne so many by their practice It charges Magistrates that they do not do justice by halves take heed you do not punish one for speaking one word against Caesar and let another scape that speaks too against Christ to all evil-doers a Magistrate must be terrible David threatens impartially to weed out the wicked to cut off all the workers of iniquity This is indeed not to beare the sword in vaine the last thing that craves your attention and notes to us is this Doct. That the end why God hath armed authority with the sword is to do execution upon the wicked An allusion sayes Calvin to the Roman Consuls who had axes and swords carried before them as ensignes of their power 'T is not in vaine this sword is committed to them no 't is to give notice that they have potestatem vitae necis Gladium gestant ut impios plectant saith one 't is to cut off the wicked which otherwise like rotten and gangreen'd members would endanger the body But here it must be remembred that the sword of justice must be furbisht with the oyle of mercy The Malefactor in the Law must lie down and be beaten and that before the Judge but with a certaine number of stripes and that too according to the nature of the trespasse Deut. 25. 3. the same punishment is no more fit for all offences then the same physick is for all diseases The Romans had as well rods as axes borne before their Consuls to intimate that some offences were as sufficiently punisht by the whip as others by the block And now that I may not lose the advantage of doing God some service in so sacred a solemnity as this I shall keep me no longer to generals but parcel out the residue of my discourse and addresse my self briefly to all sorts in particular that my doctrine may fall as the dew and though here a little and there a little yet may leave some moisture upon all And first Right Honourable your dignity bespeaks the upmost roome 't is for you there 's none more honourable then your selves that is bidden of it You here authority is no empty word Magistracy implys somewhat more then a title of honour take heed of sparing when God bids you slay let not the sword of justice rust in the scabbard and prove like the sword of Jeth●r which he could not draw nor use Judges had need often to edge the sword of Justice with the file of courage fiat justitiarunt coelum was a good resolution Be champions of justice while you can and when you can no longer serve her as such keep your ground and resolve to die her martyrs As to the case of Religion my Lords though I hope I may say as Paul to his Thessalonians of love I need not speak to you though you know and do this already yet suffer me a little to put you in remembrance for Sions sake I cannot hold my peace Oh help the teeming woman the travelling Church the fruit is come to the birth but there wants strength to bring forth is 't not pity she should miscarry with Ephraim and stay in the place of bringing forth children sure a hand of authority would do much to further her deliverance Christ by the sword hath been paring and pruning his Vine till at last some some young grapes of Reformation did appeare but ah on a sudden the subtle foxes threaten to devoure all the petition that at this time I shall tender to their hands shall be the Churches prayer Cant. 2. 15. Take us the foxes yea the little foxes which destroy the Vines for the Vines have tender Grapes never pity nor spare them for that they are young Happy shall he be that takes the brats of Babel any of her little ones and dasheth them against the stones To Commissioners of peace that are assessours with you I have onely this do not say as Saul all is well in the Countrey if so what means the bleating of sheep and the lowing of oxen that we heare what meanes the roaring in Ale-houses prophanation of Sabbaths with other crying abominations what 's the matter that so many with Malchus have lost their right eare that they cannot hear a complaint nay sometimes the right eye that they cannot see a disorder Is it not woful that many a Magistrate like George on horse-back sits alway with the sword up but never strikes The Lord give you Moses spirit as well as Moses place and write upon your hearts resolution for the Lord As for you Gentlemen of the Gowne I intend no Satyr but a Sermon and therefore 't is but a word of Councel that I would venture to give you looking neither for bribe nor fee save onely a desire to see the fruit of my lips in the consecrating of yours O read often the Law which is both the Law and the Prophets Converse much with heavens Statutes all which like the Lawes of Draco are written in blood death being the penalty that 's threatened to all Take the fatherlesse and the widow for your Clients God owns them for his and alwayes judge your selves most bound to speak when Truth wants an Advocate For the Gentlemen that are Jurors so farre have you honoured your employment of late that without flattery I question not but that like a well-drawn picture you will have your eyes on every corner in the County you are your countreys