Balme from Gilead to recouer conscience In a sermon preached at Pauls-Crosse, Octob. 20. 1616. By Samuel Ward, Bach. of Diuinitie, and preacher of Ipswich.

Fearing God.

Iethro must be vnderstood not of the poore bastardly slauish feare,* 1.1 which depraued nature hath left in all: nor [ 1] of any s••dden flash of feare wrought by word or workes, such as Foelix, Balshazzar & Caligula were not voyd of, and yet neuer the better Magi∣strates: But such a filiall feare, as faith and the assurance of Gods loue and saluation breeds; such as awed Ioseph, Cornelius, Dauid, &c. This is the feare required by Iethro, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 quae parit 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, godlines which breedeth an heedfulnesse in all our wayes and actions.

Without this feare of God, what is [ 2]

ability but the Diuels anuile, wheron he forgeth & hammereth mischiefe? what is wisdome but subtilty? what is courage vnsanctified, but iniustice? wherin is such skill in the lawes com∣monly employed, but in colouring and couering bad causes and persons, & in making the lawes a nose of wax to priuate ends? other men haue o∣ther bits and restraints, but men in authority, if they feare not God, haue nothing else to feare. Wherefore Christ ioynes thē well in the vnrigh∣teous Iudge, that hee feared neither God nor man. If hee be a simple coward, he feares all men, if a man of ability, he feares none at all.

[ 3] What are the nerues and sinewes of all gouernment, the bondes and cōmands of obedience, but an oath? and what are oaths to prophāe men, but as Sampsons cords, which he•• snapt asunder, as fast as they were of∣fered him. The common sort of our people count the oaths that men take

when they take offices, no other then formall: so they distinguish them (a strange distinction) from other oaths of contract, and dally with them ac∣cordingly.

They discerne God no more in [ 4] oaths, then Christ in the Sacramēts: and therefore take them, and breake them rashly and regardlesly, which when they haue done, the Diuell en∣ters into them, as into Iudas; & runs them headlong into all periurd cour∣ses: which makes the land to mourne for the contempt of oathes, and neg∣lect of duties. What is the ground of all fidelity to King & Countrey, but religiō? welfare Constantinus his max∣ime, He cannot be faithfull to mee, that is vnfaithfull to God. Why then, what are oathes for Athests and Papists, o∣ther then collers for monkies neckes, which ••lip thē at their pleasure? such neither are nor can be good subiects: muchlesse good Magistrates.* 1.2 Papists wil keepe no faith with Protestants,

let Protestants giue no trust to papists though they swear vpon al the books in the World.* 1.3

[ 5] Finally, what is the principal scope of Magistracy in Gods intention, whose creature and ordinance it is; but to promote his glory, countenan∣cing the Gospell & the Professours of it, safe-gard of the Church and Common-wealth, the first & second table, & principally the two former. Now for all these, cheefly for the cheefest, what cares a Cato or a Gallio, who beares the sword in vaine for God and his ends; who neuer minds any thing but his owne Cabinet, or the ship of the Common-wealth at the best: for the other, sincke they swim they, all is one to him, he tooke no charge, nor will he take notice of them.

[ 6] Wherefore I conclude, that the feare of God is the principall part, as of my Text, so of a good Magistrate, whom Christ calls a Ruler in Israel,

Paul Gods Minister and sword-bea∣rer:* 1.4 yea, the very forme and soule of such an one: yea, it troubles mee to make it, but a part which Salomon cals the whole of a man,* 1.5 especially such a man who is sent of God,* 1.6 for the praise of the godly, and the punishment of euill doers. In which respect being the maine of my Text, giue me leaue to giue you a short character of such a Magistrate, as this quality will make him, where euer it is found in any good latitude.

Hee is one that came into his place by Gods doore, and not by the Di∣uels [ 1] window: when he is in, he eyes him that is inuisible, euen God in the assembly of Gods: and therefore sits on the Iudgement seat in as great, though not in so slauish a feare of of∣fending, as Olanes vpon the flead skin of his father Sylannes, nayled by Cam∣byses on the Tribunall: or as a Russian Iudge that feares the boiling caldron, or open battocking: or the Turkish Se¦nate,

when they think the great Turke to stand behind the Arras, at the dan∣gerous doore.

[ 2] Who hath alwaies, (as God enioy∣neth, Deutro. 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 18.) a copy of the law of his God before him, and reads it all the dayes of his life, that he may learne to feare the Lord his God, and to keep the Cōmandement without turning aside, either to the right hand or left.

[ 3] If at all he be glad of his place, it is not as a chaire of honour, or frame of commodity, nor sword of reueng: but only as a meane of furthering his reckoning, and pleasuring his Coun∣trey. For his oath, he remembers it, and trembles, lest if carlesly he trans∣gresse it, the winged flying booke o∣uertake him before he get home: if he cut but the skirt or lap of Iustice, his heart smites him with a priuy pinch, till he sets all right againe with God and man. Hee dares not so much as by countenance offend any of Gods

little ones, nor afford a good looke to a varlet, nor yet so to respect their persons, ••s to wrong their cause, for he knowes all these to be abhomina∣tion to his Lord, into whose hands he dreads to fall as knowing him a con∣suming fire, and one that hath proui∣ded Tophet for Princes. When an vn∣lawfull suit is commenced by power or by friendship, his heart answers (if not his tongue) with Iob: How shal I doe this, and answer God when hee comes to iudgement.

As for bribes, hee dares not looke [ 4] on them, lest they blinde his eyes be∣fore he beware: such pitch he dares not touch, nor receiue into his bo∣some, lest it defile him in the open sunne, if tendered in closet or cham∣ber, he feares the timber & stones in the wall would be witnesses against him

When he comes in court, he fixeth [ 5] his ey••, neither before him on that person, nor about him on the behol∣ders,

nor behind him for bribes,* 1.7 but vpward on God: generally conside∣ring that Christ is Lord Paramont of all courts of iustice, and that now his father hath resigned all iudgement in∣to his hands. Hee stewards all to his content, promotes his profits with∣out wrong to the Tennant. Looks so to the Church, that the Common-weale receiue no detriment: and so to the Common-wealth, as the Church shall surely flourish: so countenan∣cing the seruants of God, that hee wrong not the worst worldling: maintaines piety, and neglects not e∣quity: keepes his house well, but his Church better: in frequenting whereof, he with his family are presi∣dents to all the hundreds where hee dwells: And in a word, doth as much good by his example, as by his autho∣ritie.

[ 64] This is the godly man, whom the Lord chuseth and guideth, whose praise and reward is of God: which

Dauid hauing found true in his life, a little before his death, recordeth to al ages.* 1.8 The spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel spake to me, the strength of Israel sayd, thou shalt beare rule ouer men, being iust, and ruling in the feare of God. Euen as the morning light when the sunne riseth, the morning, I say, with∣out clowds, so shall mine house be, and not as the grasse of the earth is by the bright raine. For God hath made with mee an euerlasting couenant, perfect in all poynts and sure.

Let the Diuell & the world storm [ 7] and burst with enuy, one of these is worth a thousand of the common sort, though men will see no diffe∣rence, but say; Are not all honest and sufficient men? Let men talke of their quiet and peaceable neighbours, and good house-keepers, good Common-wealths men: though these be good things, yet if religion com not in, as a number to make them of some value,

they are but all as cyphers in Gods account

[ 1] Now if God thinke so meanely of these, who are either meere ciuil and politique men, or idle pleasurable Gentlemen, what reckoning doe we thinke hee makes of such prophane vncircumcised vice-gods (as I may in the worst-sense best terme them) that sell themselues to work wickednesse? that giue themselues to all good fel∣lowship (as they call it) and to all ex∣cesse of riot (as the Apostle calls it) and that hate to be reformed: such I meane as hold religion a disparage∣ment to Gentry, and feare nothing more, then to haue a name that they feare God, who thinke when they haue gotten an office, they may swear by authority, oppresse by licence, drinke and swill without controll.

[ 2] What shall I say of such? are these Gods, and children of the most high, or the charracters of his most holy I∣mage? Diuels are they rather, then

Deputies for him, Imps of his King∣dome, farre better becomming an Ale-bench, then a Shire-bench, and the barre, then •• Iudgement seat.

But what shall I say to such mock-god-like Esau's•• shall I take vp the words of Moses: if thou wilt not feare this glorious name, The Lord thy God, I will make thy plagues wonderfull, and of great continuance: Or those of Dauid, which perhaps will fit them better and these times of imminent changes, They know not, and vnder∣stand nothing, they walke in darknes, albeit the foundations of the earth be mooued: I haue sayd ye are Gods, but yee shall die like men, and fall like o∣thers. Or wil they suffer the Prophets exhortation,* 1.9 who art thou that dread∣est a mortall man, whose breath is in his nostrils, whom the moth shall eat like a garment, and the worme like wooll: And forgettest thy maker, that hath spred the heauens, laid the foun∣dations of the earth, that giueth the

first and latter raine, that hath set the bounds to the sea,* 1.10 &c. Or will they heare Salomons end of all? Feare God, that will bring euery secret to iudge∣ment: or a greater yet then Salomon, Feare him that is able when he hath kil∣led the body, to destroy the soule also in hell fire for euermore.

[ 3] Well, the Lord cause them to heare, that hath planted the eare: and plant his feare in their hearts where it is not, increase it where it is, that there may bee more holy Magistrates, and that the holy may yet be more holy. And then we hope the other two pro∣perties following will more abound, and we shall spend the lesse time and labour about them: For men fearing God truely, will be also

Notes

• * 1.1

  The second Character.
• * 1.2

  〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.
• * 1.3

  Nulla sides ha∣ben da papistis 〈…〉〈…〉
• * 1.4

  Io•••• 3. Rom. 13.
• * 1.5

  Eccles 12. 13.
• * 1.6

  1 Pet. 2.
• * 1.7

  Summ••boni Iudicis est ne•• respicere, ne{que} circumspicere. sed su••picere. Ferus in Iob. 5. 30.
• * 1.8

  1 Sam. 23. 2. 3. 4.
• * 1.9

  Isa. 52. 8. 12. 13.
• * 1.10

  Ier. 5. 22. 24