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A29123
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A sermon preached at the minster in Yorke at the assizes there holden, the thirtieth day of March, 1663 / by Thomas Bradley ...
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Bradley, Thomas, 1597-1670.
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1663
(1663)
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Wing B4138; ESTC R34267
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29,067
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58
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the weather and so they are munimenta for defence thirdly for comelinesse and decency and so they are ornamenta for ornaments and as cloths are all this to the body so are all vertues to the mind and such was justice and judgement to Job and is to every worthy Magistrate from hence arise's this point or Observation Obs 1. That it is the great duty or office of great Princes Rulers and Magistrates to execute Justice and Judgement unto the people Our Lord Jesus Christ the fountaine of Honour and Power from whom all Kings and Princes derive that power which they have accounts it his great honour and office to execute Judgment and Justice for of him doth the Father say Faithfulnesse shall be the cloathing of his reins and righteousnesse the girdle of his loynes and when his titles of Honour are reckoned up Isa 9. this is not the least of them that he shall sitt upon the Throne of David and upon his Kingdom to order to establish it and to execute Justice Judgment for ever w h by these his Deputies Vice-gerents he does to this day and what greater Honour Power and Trust can be committed to them or how can they better lay out themselues then in the faithfull discharge of it it is the very object of their calling the summ and substance of their duty the end why God hath exalted them above other men anoynted them with the oyle of honour above their Fellows put a greater measure of his Spirit upon them stampt a clearer impression of his Image upon them that so they may rule with the greater Authority and the people submit unto them with all that due reverence and obedience that belongs unto them And as it is their great duty to administer Justice and to execute Judgment unto us so it is our great benefit that God hath appointed such an Ordinance among us and given such power unto men for the good of us all without it what would become of us without it what would become of our liberty our property our peace our security which of us could call any thing our own or secure our selves of our lives for one hour it is by the execution of Justice and Judgement that we live it is by the benefit of justice that we enjoy any thing we have that we sit every man quiet under his own Vine and his own Fig-tree and eat the fruit of our labours Oh therefore blesse God for Government for the administration of justice and judgement amongst us Pray for them to whom the power is committed to execute it give them all encouragement that they may do it with chearfulnesse and shew your thankfulnesse to them by yeilding all due reverence and obedience to their just commands And so I passe from the Office to the Honour from the Duty to the Dignity of the Magistrate intimated in those Ensignes of honour which he wore the Robe and the Diadem My judgement was as a Robe and a Diadem It aprears by this expression that in those times and those parts of the world scarce yet throughly civiliz'd yet they had Government they had Magistrates among them not only reason but nature it selfe taught the necessity of them inasmuch as in all Nations though otherwise never so barbarous the use of them was taken up It appears further that when they went forth to fit in the Gate or upon the Bench or the Throne to execute judgement they were clothed with garments of honour and wore such Ensignes of Authority and power as might well become the dignity of their Office and Calling so we read of King Priamus Hoc Priami gest amea erat cum jura vocatis More dabat populis Virgill in the 8. of his Aehids These Robes did Priamus wear when he gave Lawes and administred Justice to the people and when Solomon gave judgement we read that he sate upon a magnificent Throne and was clothed with royall Robes and ornaments answerable to his royal State 1 King And this is necessary first for State and Dignity when God had called Aaron to the honour and office of the high preist he commanded Moses to give direction for the making of him rich garments the richest that could be made both for the materials and the workmanship for the materials they were to be of Purple and fine Linnen Gold and Silver and precious stones and for the workmanship it was of Embroidery and that so curious that the world did not afford men cunning enough to work it but Almighty God did endue two chosen men Bezaleel and Aholiab with a special and extraordinary spirit for that purpose and when all was so done the Lord tells us that this was the speciall use of them they were to be made for Aaron for Beauty and for Glory Exod 28.2 Secondly They were for distinction as for beauty and glory so for distinction God did not make the world levell at the first nor never meant it should be so and although he made all men of one mettle yet he did not cast them all in one mould he hath made some high and some low some rich and some poor some to command and some to obey upon some he hath put a greater measure of his Spirit then upon others some he hath endued with extraordinary gifts above others gists of wisdome understanding and knowledge whereby he hath fitted and enabled them for high Callings Offices and Employments above others and as there is this internal difference between one man and another so it is agreeable to reason that there should be some visible ensigns of it whereby it may outwardly appear to others nature it selfe hath taught a difference and distinction of men one from another and even in this Kingdome before clothes were in use any more then such as the Inhabitants clothed the nether parts of their bodies with and they were the skinns of wild beasts they did visibly declare a distinction among themselves by the painting of the upper parts of their bodies hence those that were acknowledged for Primes among them and great men bore in the painting of their bodies one the Sunn another the Moon another the picture of the Lyon another the Eagle and so of other creatures from whence our great English Antiquary conjectures that this Island took its name to be called Brittania from the ancient Brittish-word Brith which signifies Painted and the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifieth a Region or Country as if he should say Regio pictorum the Region of painted men Upon this account is it that Kings have their Crowns Bishops their Mitres Nobles their Ermins Judges their Robes and we of the University our severall Hoods and Habits according to our Degrees for Dignity and distinction Thirdly That their very presence may strike an awfull reverence in those that are to be governed by them Cultus magnificus addit hominibus authoritatem says Quintillian Institut lib. 1. They speak Majesty Power
and piety were but hypocrisie and certainly he was all this while but a wicked man and now God had found him out and punish't him for it nay to lay his accusation the more close and home they fall to instances and charge him with particulars clean contrary to these vertues that here he mentions Thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought and stripped the naked of their cloathing thou hast not given water to the weary to drink and thou hast witholden bread from the hungry Job 22.6 7. In such a case of calumny can any man blame the good man if he do insist more then ordinarily in his just vindication by putting in his just defence against their unjust allegations for the clearing of his uprightnesse innocency and integrity as in the Text Where by the way let us take up this Observation Obser That there 's not the wisest the justest nor the uprightest Magistrate that can with all his integrity justice or sincerity free himselfe from the calumnies and obloquies of wicked and unreasonable men Was there ever a juster Magistrate then Moses was that governed the people by immediate direction from God himselfe yet how often do we hear that unthankfull people murmuring against him and against Aaron many times were ready to stone them what do we thinke of Solomon the wisest of the sonns of men Jedidiah the beloved of the Lord who had the priviledge to ask at the hand of God what he would and had what he ask't a spirit of wisedome and understanding that he might wisely go in and out before the people 1 Kings 3.5 yet what grumblings and murmurings of the people were there under his governement in what a mutinous manner doe they come to Rehoboam the young King with their seditious petition 1 Kings 12.4 Make our yoke easier and our burthen lighter thy Father made our yoke grievous and our burthen heavy belike the had charged them with some Carts and Carriages to fetch home some of the materialls that were for the building of the Temple or required some Contribution toward the charge of that great work and oh what a grievance this was make thou our yoke easier and burthen lighter So when Kings and Princes and great Magistrates have done their best and laid out themselves with their utmost endeavours for the good of their people and made it their very study and their businesse to preserve their peace and to guide them with a faithfull and a true heart and to rule them prudently with all their power This is the thanks they have from unworthy people to be clamour'd upon to be charged with Tyrany oppression and cruelty if any thing be amisse in a whole Kingdome if all parties be not pleased which is impossible presently they fall upon the Rulers and Governours not sparing the highest when God knowes the cause of those distempers are in themselves 2 Sam 24.1 we read that God was angry with Israell and he moved David to number the people here was a great judgement in the Land it swept away in three dayes threescore and tenne thousand of the Subjects marke how this plague took its rise it was in the people God was angry with Israell and he moved David to muster the people his anger was not against David but against Israell 't was the cold of the feet that strucke up to the head and caused that distemper But let not Kings nor Magistrates be discouraged in the execution of their Offices and performance of the duties of their High-calling for all this let them not thinke the worse of themselves for the obloquies of those mutinous tongues that speake evill of them but let them remember they are under the care of him that is able to deliver them from the strivings of the people and under the protection of that mighty power which is able to still the raging of the Sea and the madnesse of the people as raging as it is when they set a madding and will subdue the people that is under them Psal No man could have greater discouragements and affronts then this holy Ruler had yet the more they opposed or resisted the greater courage did he take unto himselfe to suppresse their insolencies for which purpose He put on Justice and it clothed him and his judgement was as a Robe and a Diadem c. In which words we have a perfect Character of a worthy Magistrate a Prince a King any in high place and power to execute judgement and it consists of four Parts 1. His love to Justice with his zeal care and conscience duly to execute it in the 14 verse I put on Justice and it cloathed me and my Judgment was a Robe and as a Diadem upon me 2. His inclination to mercy compassion where he found stirr Objects for it in the 15 verse I was eyes to the blind and feet was I to the lame and a father to the poor 3. His paines and patience his care and diligence in examining of the Causes that came before him for finding out of the truth that so he might give judgment in them without error in the later part of the 16 verse The cause which I knew not I searched out 4. His courage in executing justice and judgment upon offenders when he had by diligent search found them guilty though they were never so great or never so insolent never so mighty I brake the jaws of the wicked and I pluckt the preyout of his teeth First He pluckt the prey out of their teeth by causing them to make restitution and satisfaction for the wrong they had done And secondly he break their jaws that they should do so no more Of these something in the order proposed as the time and businesse of the day will permit And first of the first part of his character in his love and care and zeal to execute Justice and Judgment exprest in the words of the 14 verse I put on Justice and it cloathed me and my Judgement was as a Robe and as a Diadem upon me In which words are exprest two things concerning the Magistrate first his Office secondly his Honour his Office in these words I put on Justice and it clothed me his Honour in these words my Judgment was as a Robe and as a Diadem in the former we have his duty and in the latter his dignity the former is intimated to us by this expression of putting on Justice and being clothed with it a metaphor which the Scripture much delighteth in Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ Rom 13.14 Put on bowells of mercy Coloss 3. Put on the whole armour of God Ephes 6. so in the Text here I put on Justice and it clothed me intimating thereby that look what clothing is to the body that was Justice unto him Now we put on clothes for these three uses first to cover our nakednesse and so they are indumenta for a covering secondly to protect us from the injury of