Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	mouth_n	speak_v	word_n	6,196	5	4.5092	3	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A66096	[The character] of a good ruler as it was recommended in a sermon [preached before] His Excellency the Governour, and the honoura[ble] counsellors, and assembly of the representatives of the Province of Massachusetts Bay in New-England : [on] May 30. 1694 : [which was the day] for election of [counsellors] for that province / by Samuel [Willard] ...	Willard, Samuel, 1640-1707.	1694 (1694)	Wing W2270; ESTC R40123	13,355	37

Persons they ought to introduce it they would either Please GOD or Consult their own and their Peoples Welfare Such a Character we find is given in our Text and we may suppose David intended for an Instance of it The words are Introduced with greatest solemnity to give them the deeper impression on the hearts of those that read them and are concerned in them They are the words of David whom God had exalted to the Government over His People Israel and instructed in his Duty who was Gods own Anointed by an Extraordinary calling And they are his Last words Probably not that he ever spake but some of his dying words and the l●st that he uttered by a Peculiar Prophetical Inspiration they were not his own words but such as the Spirit of God dictated to him and spake by him whereof he was only the Instrument of their being committed to record They therfore came out of the Mouth of the God and Rock of Israel and surely there must be unspeakable Importance in words Ushered in with so Majestical a Preface I might here tell you the divers readings occasioned by the curt expression of the Hebrew Text but I shall not spend time in it since the general current of Interpreters runs the same way with our Translation And I need but Briefly acquaint you that the import or sense of the words is variously understood some apply them to God himself and accordingly read the words as a continued description of him he that Ruleth just men that ruleth men to fear God Others apply them to Christ as t●pified by David and take them to be a Prophesy of his Mediatorial Kingdom and then t●ey ●ead it shall be ●ust ruling the fear of God i. e. Divine Instituted worship pointing to the abrogating of the legal and bringing in of the Gospel administrations but then the Type also must be respected at le●st ●nder a shadow and so they suppose that Davids Typical Government is represented Others take them according to the sense of our Transla●ion not to be a predi●●ion but a precept giving us to understand what manner of persons such are required to be by the Divine Mandate and that it was left as a Rule to them who should succeed In the words there are two things to be observed 1 The Subje●t spoken of He that Ruleth over men He that ruleth The word Imports one that hath any Dominion right or authority over either Persons or things and is here applicable to all those degrees of men that have any ma●k of Authority upon them whether the King as Supream or any Ministers under him under what Character or title soever Over men the word Adam is frequently used to express the Commonalty or People that are to be Governed but how●●er there i● or ought to be a vast difference between the Government of Men and Beasts though some Brutish men may deserve to b● treated as Brutes Man is a Reasonable Creature and of the same order of being with them that Gove●n him and ought to be managed accordingly 2. The Duty incumbent on such an one He must be Just Ruling in the Fear of God Some suppose that the double Office of the Civil Magistrate is here pointed at who is Custos utriusque Tab●●ae who is to maintain Justice towards men Piety towards God Others suppose the latter Expression to be Exegetical to the former Just i. e One that makes Conscience to observe and keep to the Rule of Right● ousness in all his Administrations he ought not to Exert his Power Illimitedly and Arbitrarily but in Conformi●y to the Law of God and the Light of Nature for Gods Honour and the prom●●ing of the common benefit of those over whom he bears Authority And hence R●ling in the Fear of God And if he doth not so he cannot be Just and by the Fear of God we may either understand an holy Reverential Fear entertained in his heart which must Govern him or else he will never Rule well For though every good man will not make a good Ruler yet it is s●arce to be believed that a man will Acquit this Office well without Piety Or else it may be taken Metonimically for the Rules of Gods Word and those particular Precepts which direct men how to carry themselves in every Station which are therefore called the Fear of God because they serve rightly to Regulate our Fear of him Where it is said he must it doth not suppose that all who have such Authority with them do so Rule woful experience too frequently proves the contrary but that it is their Duty and a matter of great Importance for them to attend it Hence DOCTRINE It is of highest Consequence that Civil Rulers should be Just Men and such as Rule in the Fear of God Where shall we find any one Text in Scripture U●hered in more remarkably than this I may not ●arry here to draw out this Character in its full dimensions and give it all its Colours but must only make some brief Glances Civil Rulers are all such as are in the exercise of a rightful Authority over others These do not all of them stand in one equal Rank nor are alike influential into Government There are Supream and Subordinate Powers and of these also there are some who have a Legislative others an Executive Power in their Hands which two though they may sometimes meet in the same persons yet are in themselves things of a different Nature There are Superiour Magistrates in Provinces and such as are of Council with them and Assembly men the Representatives of the People There are Judges in Courts Superious and Inferiour Justices of the Peace in their several Precincts and in each of these Orders there Resides a measure of Authority Now that all these may be Just it is firstly req●ired that they have a Principle of Moral Honesty in them and Swaying of them that they Love Righteousness and Hate Iniquity that they be Men of Truth Exod. 18. 21. for every man will act in hi● Relation according to the P●inciple that Ruler in him so that an Unrighteous man will be an Unrighteous Ruler so far as he hath an Opportunity They must also be acquainted with the Rules of Righteousness they must know what is Just and what is Unjust be Abl● m●n Exod. 18. 21. For though men may know and not do yet without Knowledge the Mind cannot be good Ignorance is a Foundation ●or Error and will likely produce it when the man applies himself to act and if he do right at any time it is but by guess which is a very poor Commendation Again he must be one that respects the Cause and not the persons in all ●is Administrations Deut. 1. 17. Ye shall no● respect Persons in Judgment c. i● his Affections Oversway his Judgment at any time they will be a crooked Liass that will turn him ou● of the way and that shall be Justice in one mans case which