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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
word_n	according_a	good_a	heart_n	2,678	5	4.7567	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A44696	A sermon preach'd Febr. 14, 1698, and now publish'd, at the request of the Societies for reformation of manners in London and Westminster by John Howe ...	Howe, John, 1630-1705.	1698 (1698)	Wing H3041; ESTC R22726	19,125	54

to Evil Works and the Workers of them not to the good V. 3. A fear of Reverence is indeed due from all to their Character and the Dignity of their Station A filial fear that of Children for they are the Fathers of their Country not a Servile or that of Slaves except from such as are so Evil Doers who are Slaves of the vilest and more ignoble sort to their own Lusts that inslave their Minds which might otherwise enjoy the most Generous Liberty under the meanest and more oppressive external Servitude THE Text according to its immediate Reference is but an amplification of the Reason alledg'd Why the Magistrate is not to be look'd upon with Terrour and Affright by any but such as resolve upon a profligately wicked course of Life not by such as intend only a course of well-doing For if thou be such he is the Minister of God to thee for good His Sword is only formidable when it fetches its Blow from above when it is bathed in Heaven as we may borrow the words Isa. 34.5 when it is weilded according to Divine Appointment and God and he concur in the same stroak When it is otherwise 't is true that the Fallible or Unrighteous Humane Ruler may for well doing afflict thee and therein do thee wrong but he can do thee no hurt even tho the Stroak were Mortal Luke 12.4 for our Lord forbids the fear of what is no worse So said Socrates of them that Persecuted him to Death They can kill me but cannot hurt me Who is it that can harm you saith a great Apostle if ye be Followers of that which is good 1 Pet. 3.13 And 't is added V. 14. If ye suffer for Righteousness sake happy are ye And hath any Man reason to be afraid of being happy BUT tho this be the more immediate reference of these words He is the Minister of God to thee for good and is therefore not to be unduly feared they do yet ultimately and more principally respect the grand Precept first laid down of being subject to the Powers over us Which is evident for that upon this very ground and the intervening Considerations which further illustrate it this same Precept is resumed and prest upon Conscience and a necessity is put upon it on the same account viz. that because the Magistrate is the Minister of God for good and is to be a Terror to Evil-doers and hath a Sword put into his Hands for that purpose which he is not to bear in vain but must be the Minister of God in this kind viz. as a Revenger to execute Wrath upon such as do evil That therefore we must needs be Subject and that not only for Wrath but also for Conscience sake THIS is therefore the principal relation of these words viz. as an Argument to prove that he the Magistrate is the Minister of God to us for good that therefore we ought not only not to resist him when he is doing his Duty nor be afraid of him when we are but doing ours but that we also ought to be subject to him and that not only that we may escape Wrath but that we may satisfie Conscience THIS is therefore the Relation according whereto we shall consider these words viz. AS they are an Argument to inforce the required Subjection WHICH Subjection that we may the more fully apprehend 't will be requisite with the more care to consider the Propriety of the word used to express it It is a word that carries Order 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the Bowels of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. 1. and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 V. 4. And with the Preposition 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 it signifies Order under another as of Inferiours under Superiours It imports therefore not to be subject only but Subordinate and Subservient And the form wherein it is here used admitting of its being taken not strictly in the Passive sense but in the middle whereupon it may be indifferently capable of being render'd actively viz. not only to be Subordinate but by your own act and with your own design subordinate your selves to the Magistrate come into order under him as he is God's Minister invested by him with Power for such and such Purposes This without straining carries the sense yet higher AND whereas 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is a word of known Military import and signifies the Order of an Army formed for Battle wherein every one knows his own Rank Place and Station 't is as if it were said Take your Place come into Rank that you may under the Commander's Conduct in acie stare stand in Order of Battle as the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 renderd to resist the Ruler is ex adverso in acie stare to stand in Rank or in Battalia against him You are not only not to resist but you are to assist and in your Place and Station stand by him whom God hath deputed to be his Minister as he is to promote Common Good and be a Terrour to them that do evil This was the just Claim and Demand of that excellent Prince Psal. 94.16 Who will rise up for me against the Evil-doers and stand up for me against the Workers of Iniquity THIS according to Lexicographers of good note is the import of that word which we lay such weight upon and accordingly very valuable Expositors understand this place BY this time therefore you may see what Place and Order these Words I pitch'd upon have in the Series of the Apostles Discourse and thereupon what aspect they have upon the design for which we are met Pursuant whereto they admit of being thus Summ'd up THAT for this Reason and under this Notion as the Magistrate is to be a Terror to them that do evil and therein God's Minister for good to them over whom he is set It belongs to every Soul or to all Persons under his Government to be each one in his Station and according to his Capacity actively and with their own design Subordinate and Subservient to him herein IN speaking to this I shall shew I. THAT the Magistrate is God's Minister upon the mention'd account II. THAT therefore such Duty is incumbent upon all that live under Government The former whereof is a Doctrinal Proposition The other the Vse of it 1. THAT the Magistrate is the Minister of God for the Good of them over whom he is set This we are to consider by parts THAT 1. He is God's Minister Hereof none can doubt who doubt or deny not the Being of God His being God's Minister signifies his deriving his Power from him Who else can be the Fountain of Power but he who is the Fountain of all Being 'T is true the Governing Power hath not been always derived the same way but it hath been always from the same Fountain When God was pleased to have a People within a peculiar sort of inclosure more especially appropriate to himself he was very particular in

they have in general to acknowledge him for Lord and Christ. THEY who therefore make it their Business to promote this Design do not herein serve the Interest of a Party but the Interest of the Vniversal Ruler of our Blessed Redeemer and of Mankind AND they who are agreed with sincere minds upon so great and important an End as the serving this most comprehensive Interest are agreed in a greater Thing than they can differ in To differ about a Ceremony or two or a set of words is but a Triffle compar'd with being agreed in absolute devotedness to God and Christ and in a design as far as in them lies of doing good to all An Agreement in Substantial Godliness and Christianity in humility meekness self-denial in singleness of heart benignity charity entire love to sincere Christians as such in universal love to Mankind and in a design of doing all the good we can in the world notwithstanding such go under different denominations and do differ in so Minute Things is the most Valuable Agreement that can be among Christians THEY that are thus agreed are more one and do less differ in the Temper and Complexion of their minds from one another than they who are never so much agreed in being for or against this or that External form or mode of Religion but are full of Envy Wrath Malice Bitterness Falshood do differ from them all and from all good Men. And I doubt not when God's time comes of Favouring Zion we shall have Churches constituted by congregating what is of one kind such as for the main are of one mind spirit character and temper and severing whatsoever is of a different kind and quite alien hereto And cease to have them constituted by what is unnecessary much less by what is inconsistent with their very Being Pride Ambition Vain glory and a Terrene Spirit with carnal Self-design will not always prevent this Heaven will grow too big for this Earth And the Powers of the World to come for those of this present evil World IN the mean time let us draw as near one another as we can And particularly unite in the most Vigorous Endeavour of carrying on this Excellent Design which is now before us And let it be with a Temper of Mind agreeing with God's kind design towards Men in appointing the Magistrate to be his Minister to them i. e. for the doing them good Let it be with minds full of all Goodness in Conformity to the Original First Good from whom as such this Constitution proceeds Despond not as apprehending the stream is too strong and there is no good to be done That is to yield the day to Victorious Wickedness It is to give Vice the Legislature to let it be the Law of the Age and govern the World And it is to give up our selves and our Nation to perish as a lost People Let us not be lost before we are lost MUCH Good hath been done in this kind heretofore There was a time when at Antioch the Severity of the Magistrate was much regretted in the Reign of that great Prince Theodosius and upon an ill Occasion the Contemptuous Subversion of his Statues This cost Chrysostom divers Orations or Sermons to the People while yet Presbyter there In one whereof he asks them What hurt had the Terror of the Magistrate done them It hath Shaken off our sloth made us more honest diligent industrious He had told them above and tells them after They ought to give God thanks for it that now there was not one Drunken Person or one that sang Lascivious Songs to be seen Their City was become as a Chaste Matron where great Wantonness before did generally appear YOUR Exp●●ience hath told you much hath been do●● You are still getting ground God hath we are to hope effectually engag'd the Government in this Blessed Design In Subordination thereto go on with Alacrity LET me finally set before your Eyes the Instructive Practice of that Excellent Prince Jehosaphat in a like Case 2 Chron. 19. when he was bringing back the People to the Lord God of their Fathers V. 4. And had set Judges in the Land warning them to take heed as being to Judge not for Men but for the Lord V. 6. which shew'd they were not mere Matters of Meum and Tuum only they were to Judge in but Matters immediately relating to the Interest and Honour of God for He distinguishes the Judgment of the Lord and Controversies V. 8. He charges all to whom he spake as they were severally concerned and they were not concerned all alike to do their Work V. 9. In the Fear of the Lord Faithfully and with a perfect Heart and concludes as I do with these Words V. 11. Deal couragiously and the Lord shall be with the good FINIS Suar. de Leg. Lib. 3. C. 3 4. * Aquin. Sum. 1 2 dae q. 87. Plato De Leg. Lib. 1. In Protag * Dr. Woodward's Essay Ld. Verulam's Instaur Mag. Plat. de Leg. lib. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Hom. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉