The works of the Reverend and learned John Lightfoot D. D., late Master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge such as were, and such as never before were printed : in two volumes : with the authors life and large and useful tables to each volume : also three maps : one of the temple drawn by the author himself, the others of Jervsalem and the Holy Land drawn according to the author's chorography, with a description collected out of his writings.

A SERMON PREACHED AT HERTFORD Assise, March 1660.

REVEL. XX. 4.

And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and Judgment was given unto them.

THIS portion of Scripture out of which I have taken this Text, is as much misconstrued, and as dangerously misconstrued, as any one por∣tion of Scripture in all the Bible. How much, I shall shew you in the unfolding of it: and how dangerously, you may read in the late example, of a handful of unhappy men, who thought to have brought our great City, but indeed brought themselves, to a fatal end and untimely grave, meerly upon the misconstruction of this Scripture.

I must therefore humbly crave your patience a little, whilst I speak something for the discovery of the meaning of the context, that so I may facilitate and plain the way to the understanding of the meaning of the words that I have chosen.

What work the Millinary and Fifth-monarchists make upon this place, I need not tell you, I would that matter were not so well known as it is. To whom, and to whose opinion, I must do as he did in the story; who when a great company of men were met together and wanted a head over them: and had agreed that he should be their chief, that could first espy the Sun rising the next morning; whilst all the rest stood gazing in∣to the East for that purpose, one among them turned the clear contrary way and looked Westward; and he espied the shining of the Sun on the hill tops before him, sooner than they could espy the body of the Sun arising in the East before them. So I to these men and their opinion. They look forward and make account, that the things that are here spoken of their accomplishment and fulfilling, are yet to come. I look backward and fear not to aver that the things here spoken of have received their accomplishment not long ago. They look forward, and expect that the 1000 years that are here mentioned, are yet to begin. I look backward, and make no doubt, that those 1000 years ended and expired above half a thousand years since.

And the reason of this difference between us, is because there is propotionable differ∣ence between us about subjectum quaestionis, the subject and matter that the Apocaiyptick here aimeth at.

He speaks up that great and noble Theme that all the Prophets so divinely and com∣fortably harp upon, namely the calling of the Gentiles: that they should come in out of their dark and deluded estate, to the light and embracing of the Gospel, and to become the Church and People of the living God: This is the Theme of our Apocalyptick here, and he speaks to it in seven particulars.

I. As to the way and manner that God used to bring them in: that Christ the great An∣gel of the Covenant, should by the power of the Gospel chain up the Devil that he should deceive them no more as he had done.

The mistakers I mentioned, do either ignorantly or wilfully err about the subject hand∣led here; and construe it to this sense, that the Devil should be bound by Christ that he should not persecute, disturb and disquiet the Church as he had done: but that all along these thousand years their should be only some time of peace and tranquillity, and not one cloud of disquieture or disturbance by the Devil or his instruments eclipse it. A sense as far from the Holy Ghosts meaning as the East is from the West.

There is not a word here of the Devils binding that He should not disturb the Church: but of the Devils binding that He should not deceive the Nations. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 let a Grecian Read the words and he will render them, that He should not deceive the Hea∣then any more. The Devil had deceived and kept the poor Heathen in deludedness by Idols, Oracles, false Miracles, horrid Mysteries of irreligiousness, and a thousand cousenages for above two thousand years: namely, from their first casting off at the confusion of Babel, till the Gospel was brought in among them by the Apostles. By the Gospel there, Christ dissolves those charms of delusion, brings down Idolatry, silences the Devils Oracles and Miracles, and chains up the Devil from that power and liberty of deceiving all Nations as he had done.

II. He saith, the Devil was chained up in this sense a thousand years: using a known ex∣pression of the Jews and alluding to an opinion of theirs, partly that he might speak the more to be understood, when he useth an expression so well known, and partly that he might face the mistake of the Jews in that opinion.

It was their conceit and fancy, as I might shew you out of their writings, that Messias when he should come should reign among the Jewish Nation a thousand years, but as for the Heathen he should destroy them.

No, saith our Apocalyptick, His reigning a thousand years shall be among the Nations or the Gentiles, and he shall not come to destroy the Gentiles, but to deliver them: To deliver them from the power and delusions of Satan, to chain up Satan that he shall de∣ceive them no more as he had done: but that whereas before for so long a time together they had been only taught of the Devil; now they should all be taught of God, as had been foretold, Esa. LIV. 13. and as our Saviour himself applies it, Joh. VI. 45.

III. He speaks of Christs disposal of the Heathen when he should have brought them in from under the deceivings of the Devil, to the knowledge and embracing of the Gospel, viz. That he would platform them into Kingdoms, States, and Civil Governments, and that he would set up Christian Kings, and Magistrates, and Judges among them, and that is the meaning of the words of the Text, And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and Judgment was given unto them: as I shall shew to you by and by.

IV. He relates, That the Souls of those that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, nor had worshipped the beast nor his image, &c. should live and reign with Christ a thousand years.

Where he faceth another erronious opinion of the Jews again: which was that the Kingdom of Messias should be a pompous Kingdom, and of earthly splendor and glory. And that those that should reign with him, should do it in the injoyment of all earthly magnificence and worldly state.

No saith our Apocalyptick, they that suffer with him are those that shall reign with him: as also saith the Apostle, II Tim. II. 12. That howsoever he shall set up Kings and Magistrates to rule for him, and under him, yet his Kingdom is not of this World; but the way to reign with him is by suffering, self denial, induring for him, dying for him.

V. He calls this calling in of the Gentiles, The first Resurrection, vers. 5. And a won∣drous one too: when they that had so long lain dead, in darkness, trespasses and sins, should now be revived to live unto God: as Ephes. II. 1. and our Saviour useth the very same expression of the same persons, Joh. V. 25.

VI. He telleth, that some of those dead should not live again, till the thousand years should be fulfilled, vers. 5. Not that they should live again when the thousand years should be fulfilled, but that they had lost the opportunity of living in those thousand years, when light and life was offered and tendred through the world. For

VII. When those thousand years should be expired Satan should be loosed again, and deceive the World as he had done, vers. 7, 8.

And if you begin to count the thousand years from the time that the Gospel was first brought in among the Gentiles by Paul and Barnabas and other of the Apostles, you will find that the end and expiring of them will fall to be in the very depth and thickness of Popery: and then was the Devil got loose again, and deceived the Nations by as gross and wretched delusions as ever he had done before.

And thus you have a brief account of the meaning of this portion of Scripture, so much mistaken and misconstrued: and by this time you see that the meaning of my Text is, as I gave it you before, namely that in the Church of the Gentiles called in, God

should set up Thrones, and Kings, and Magistrates, and put Judgment into their hands, to govern and judge the World and to administer Justice.

So that they that from this place would argue against Magistracy and Civil Government in the Christian Church, do no less mistake, than they did these words of God in the Pro∣phet Jeremy, Jer. XIII. 12. who when God told them That every bottle should be filled with wine, and his meaning was, that every person should be filled with his indignation▪ as it is explained in the next verse; they so far misconstrued, that they answer, We certainly know that every bottle shall be filled with wine: meaning bottles in the proper sense, and that they should be filled with good liquor to maintain them still in their luxury and jovialty. So the mistakes we spake of, would from this Scripture argue against Magistrates and the Civil Power: whereas there is hardly a place of Scripture that speaks more home and throughly for it than this doth.

And this I shall further clear to you partly out of the words of the Text themselves, and partly from two other places that speak the same thing.

In the Text, it is said, Judgment was given unto them; what can this mean, but power and authority to be Magistrates and Judges? Yes say our mistakers, It means that the Saints ••t the day of Judgment shall sit upon seats with Christ approving and applauding his Judgment. And they misapply other Scriptures as much for the confirmation of this, as they do this to such a construction. And those are Mark XIX. 28. Luke XXII. 30. which speak one and the same thing. Where Christ speaks not at all of the Saints judg∣ing the World in such a sense as they fain to themselves, but only the twelve Apostles [and Judas if you well observe the places, to be reckoned for one] judging the twelve Tribes of Israel. And the meaning is but this, that when Christ should come to reveal himself in his glorious appearing in vengeance against Jerusalem and the Jewish Nation, the Doctrine that they had Preached should condemn the twelve Tribes that had not be∣lieved it, as if they themselves sat on the Thrones to judge and condemn them. And so some of the Ancients have of old well understood it, that it is not spoken of their Per∣sons but of their Doctrine, Judging and Condemning.

And to the true sense, that I say the Text speaketh, speaketh also that equally abused place, I Cor. VI. 2. Do ye not know that the Saints shall judge the World, i. e. know ye not that there shall be a Christian Magistracy: that Christians shall be Kings and Magistrates to rule and judge the World?

And the very same sense speaketh Dan. VII. 18. 26, 27. from whence both my Text and that passage of Paul are taken; know ye not, saith he, that the Saints shall judge the World? How should they know it? Why? Plainly enough out of that place in Daniel, where in vers. 18. it is foretold, That the Saints of the most High should take the Kingdom, and possess the Kingdom for ever and ever. And in vers. 26, 27. The Judgment shall sit (as in the Text) and the Kingdom, and Dominion, and the greatness of the Kingdom under the whole Heaven should be given to the people of the Saints of the most High.

Two considerations will put the matter out of all question.

I. That the word Saints means not strictly, nor really Sanctified, in opposition to men not really sanctified, but it means Christians in general in opposition to Heathens. And so the Apostle himself clears it in the verse before that I cited. Dare any of you go to Law before the unjust and not before the Saints? What is meant by the unjust there? Heathens or Infidels as he calls them, vers. 6. And then what is meant by Saints? But Christians in opposition to Heathens.

II. Observe the tenor of the contents in Daniel, and that will illustrate the sense of these verses that I produced. He speaks before of the four Heathen Monarchies, the Ba∣bylonian, Mede-Persian, Grecian, and Syrogrecian, that had had the Kingdom and Do∣minion and Rule in the World, and had tyrannized in the World, especially against the Church that was then being: but at last they should be destroyed, and upon their being destroyed Christ should come and set up his Kingdom through the World, and then the Kingdom, and Rule, and Dominion in the World, should be put into the hands of Saints or Christians, and they should Rule and Judge in the World, as those Heathen Monarchies had done all the time before.

And thus you have the words unfolded to you, and I hope according to the meaning of the Holy Ghost.

And now my Lords and Gentlemen, you may see your own picture in the glass of the Text; for you are of the number of those of whom it speaketh. In it you may see your selves, Imbenched, Commissioned and your work put into your hands.

In the first clause, The institution of the Function, the ordaining of Magistracy and Judicature: I saw Thrones set. In the second, The Commissionating of Christians unto that Office and Function, They sat upon them. In the last, The end of this Office, and the employment they are set upon in it, Judgment was given unto them.

Thrones set: by whom? By him that had been the great agent in the verse before, Christ that had bound the Devil and chained him up.

They sat upon them? Who? They that are the persons mentioned in the verse before. Men of the Nations, undeceived from the delusions of Satan, and brought into the truth of the Gospel.

Judgment was given them: for what end? For Judgment sake, that they might execute judgment and righteousness among the Nations.

And so I have my words fairly cut out before me, and the matter and the method of the Text calls upon me to speak unto these three things.

• I. Of the institution of Magistrates, as an ordinance of Christ.
• II. Of Christian Magistracy as a Gospel mercy.
• III. The great work, the all in all of Magistracy, The execution of Judgment.

I. Of all the offices of Christ, he executed only one of them peculiarly and reserved∣ly himself, without the communicating of any acting in it to any other, but as to the execution of the other two, he partly acteth himself, and partly importeth some acting therein by deputation to others.

His Priestly office, that that most concerned, and had the greatest stroke in mans re∣demption, he executed intirely himself, and no other had share, no other could have share in the executing of that with him.

None could be capable of offering any of his all-sufficient Sacrifice with him: none could be capable of offering the incense of mediation with him. But in his Kingly and Prophetick offices he acteth himself and he deputeth others to act for him.

As the great Prophet, he teacheth his Church himself, by giving of the Scriptures, and instructing his holy ones by his Spirit, yet withal hath he deputed Ministers to be her Teachers.

And as the great King of the Church, and of all the World, he ruleth in both him∣self: in the hearts of his people by his Word and Spirit, and amongst his enemies with a rod of Iron: yet withal hath he deputed Kings, Judges and Magistrates to be Rulers for him.

These two great Ordinances you have couched in this very place. In the verse be∣fore the Text, Christ chaineth up the Devil, that he should no more deceive poor men as he had done before. And how did he this? By the Ministry of the Word and Preach∣ing of the Gospel: And in the words of the Text, he setteth up Thrones, and sets men upon them; for what? To execute Magistracy and to administer Judgment.

And so likewise are they closely hinted in that place of the Apostle that I cited, I Cor. VI. Know ye not that the Saints shall iudge the World, or Christians be Magistrates? and in the next verse following, know ye not that we shall judge Angels, or we Apostles and Ministers judge Devils and overthrow their Idols, Oracles, Miracles and Delusions by the Ministry of the Gospel?

And so if I should take Pastors and Teachers, Ephes. IV. 11. for Magistrates and Mi∣nisters, I believe there were no soloecisme in the thing: and I am sure the Jews called their chiefest Magistrates 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 Pastores in their common speech. And if the Apostle may be shewed there to speak in their vulgar dialect, as he doth indeed all along his Epistles, it would save a controversie and question that is raised upon that place.

These two Functions are the two standing Pillars and Ordinances, the Jachin and Boaz, that our great Solomon hath set up in his Temple to stand with the Temple while it standeth.

These are two choice strainings and distillings of the precious ointment that was poured on the head of our great Aaron that runs down upon the skirts of his clothing.

Yours, my Lords and Gentlemen, is a beam of that lustre that shineth in the Royal Crown of Christs Kingly office. It is a coin stamped, with the Image and superscription of the great Cesar of Heaven and Earth sitting in his Empire and Dominion over all.

I remember a Phrase of Pliny in his Epistles, speaking of a vertuous and gallant daugh∣ter that imitated to the life the vertues and gallantry of a noble Father, Filia patreni ex∣scripserat, the daughter had copied out her father to the life. Magistracy is a daughter of that Royal Father, that said, All power is given to me in Heaven and Earth: and it is a copy of her father. He himself hath drawn his own picture in it in little, as he sitteth in his Royal Domination, and given that image of himself to you to wear always about you.

Let me therefore only tell you the story of a King that always wore his Fathers picture, who had been a worthy Prince, about him: and ever and anon would look on it, and say, Ne quid unquam faciam indignum tali patri. O may I never do any thing unworthy such a father. Your wisdom, and worth, will make the Application.

A good Magistrate hath one part of the image of Christ more than other good men: as Adams dominion over the Creatures was part of the image of God upon him as well as holiness and righteousness was the image of God in him: So is his Power and Com∣mission to rule Kingdoms in the World, the very image of Christ ruling and judging, if Righteousness and Holiness be added; and Adam in all his glory was not arraied like such a Person.

I am unwilling to insist and spend time to prove that Magistracy is Christs ordinance, lest I speak but as he did at Rome, who had written a large discourse in praise of Hercules: he was but jeered for his pains and folly, to go about so seriously to commend Hercules, whom none, said they, did ever discommend. What sober man does or can deny, King∣ship and Magistracy to be of Christs ordaining? and I am unwilling by being urgent in the proof of it, so much as to seem to undervalue the judgment of any in the Congregati∣on so far, as to think, this great and important truth needs any proof to him.

Only let me say this, to those that do deny it, That it is a very strange Logick they make, when they conclude thus, Jesus is King Jesus, and he is Lord and Ruler of all, therefore he will endure no Kingship else, no Potentates, no Civil Government. Thou thoughtest me like unto thy self, is the complaint of God against the prophane in Psal. L. 21. Men that would Rule, and would have none to Rule but themselves, would perswade you Christ is of that mind, and so make that perswasion a stalking-horse to their ambition.

I am sure God himself, concludes after another manner in the second Psalm. I have set my King upon my holy hill of Sion: what infers he thereupon? Not, Therefore O ye Kings give up your Kingship, Nor O ye Judges of the Earth, judge the Earth no more. But therefore be wise O ye Kings, &c. and do your duty in your places.

When our Saviour Christ came to set up his Kingdom of the Gospel, as among the Jews, he took away and abolished only that of their Laws and Ordinances that were Ceremonial, and that that related only to them as peculiar people, but let that stand that was Moral, and that that was not of that peculiar relation: so among them Gentiles when he made them his Church, he took away and destroyed only that that was sinful and abominable among them, and which did most properly denominate them Heathenish, as strangers and enemies to all Goodness and Religion: but that that was innocent, useful and necessary, he perpetuated among them.

Among the Jews he abolished the worship at the Temple, as purely Ceremonious, but he perpetuated the Worship of the Synagogue, Reading the Scriptures, Praying, Preaching, and Singing of Psalms, &c. transplanted it into the Christian Church as purely Moral. So among the Gentiles, he destroied their ignorance, Idolatry, corruption of manners, delusions of Satan, as purely Heathenish. But he perpetuated Kingship, Magistracy, civil Government as useful and profitable, and taken up upon the very pure light of nature and inevitable necessity,

I may compare what he did in this to what he did about Baptism. He found when he came, that it had been in use among the Jews for admission of Proselytes to their Church, many hundred of years before he himself or John Baptist were born: and hence he was not sollicitous to give rules what persons, and ages were to be baptized, nor in what man∣ner now, for that was known both then and many generations before he came, as well as we know it now: but he took up Baptism as he found it continued in the Christian Church, only he inhanced the dignity of it by Sanctionating it for a Gospel Sacrament.

So when he came among the Gentiles, he found that Magistracy and Civil Government had been among them in all generations, and he takes it up as he found it, and continues in the Christian Church, only he inhanced the dignity of it in Sanctionating it now for a Gospel Ordinance. And I must add for a Gospel Mercy.

II. And that is it that I observe from the second clause in the Text, They sat upon them. A Christian Magistracy is a Gospel Mercy: Christian Kings are Inthroned, and Christian Magistrates are Impoured for a mercy unto Christians. The context for several verses to∣gether speaks of several things, as Gospel mercies: and my Text coming in the midst of them speaks of that that is of the same nature and qualification.

It was a Gospel Mercy that the Devil was chained up that he should deceive the Nations no more as he had done in the verse before the Text.

It is a Gospel Mercy that those that suffer for Christ, and die for Christ, are not lost, but reign with him in glory in this same verse with the Text.

It was a Gospel Mercy that the Heathen that had been so long dead in ignorance and all manner of sinfulness should have a Resurrection and come to the life of grace and glory; in the fifth verse.

And it is a Gospel Mercy, in the Text, that Christians are set up to be Kings, Rulers and Judges among Christians.

We need not go far for proof of this, for the flourishing condition of England, both in Church and State under such Government and Governors, gives evidence and example sufficient in this case. And vox populi, the universal joy and acclamations of all the Na∣tion upon the happy restoring of his Sacred Majesty, speaks the sense and attestation of the whole Nation, nay of the three Nations unto the truth, and their sensibleness of this mercy. The shout of a King, of a most Christian King was among them.

I know your own thoughts prevent me in the proof of this, and read the truth of it in this days occasion; who is here that is a lover of right and honesty, that is a son of peace and order, and deserves indeed the name of a Christian, whose heart rejoyceth not within him to see such occasion as these? Justice looking down upon us from Heaven: Deputies sent us from our great King in Heaven as well as from his Sacred Majesty, and they of our own Nation, Religion, Profession, of the same Body, Church and Na∣tion with our selves, administer Judgment among us to relieve the oppressed, to pull the unjust gotten prey from the jaws of the cruel; to punish the evil, to incourage the good, and to cause Righteousness to run down like a stream, and Judgment like a running brook.

If any desire further proof, I must remit him to such Prophetick prediction as these, Kings shall be thy nursing Fathers, &c. And I will give them Judges of themselves, and Ru∣lers of their own people.

And let them but compare the difference of the Jews condition, when they were un∣der the Government of Heathens in their own Land, Persians, Grecians, Romans, and when they were under the Government of those of their own Blood and Nation. And it deserves more observation than most men bestow upon it, that Paul appealed from the Bench of his own Nation, to a Heathen tribunal, a thing I believe hardly ever paral∣leld in that Nation; but it shews what a wretched condition they were then come unto. Now I call that a Gospel Mercy.

1. That is for the benefit of those that profess the Gospel. And that Christian Magi∣stracy is so, he knows not the meaning of Christianity and Christi•••• Magistracy that can deny it.

2. That is a Gospel Mercy that is dispensed by Christ in a Gospel way of dispensation, and that Christian Magistracy is so I shall evidence to you by this demonstration.

There is a Magistracy in Turkey, China, and Tartary, as well as in England, and there were a Senate at Rome, as well as a Parliament in England, and all disposed by Christ who is made Lord of all: but there is as much difference betwixt the way of dispensa∣tion, as there is betwixt Christs ruling over all the World as he was Creator, and dispen∣sing common bounty, and his ruling in his Church as Mediator, and dispensing peculiar mercy. As much as betwixt his ruling in all Nations as the Conqueror of all Gods ene∣mies, and his ruling in his Church, as the Saviour and Mediator of his people. God hath made him Lord and Christ, Act. II. 36. There is more distinction in the words than many are aware of. He is Lord over all: He is Christ to his own chosen.

3. That is a Gospel Mercy that doth promote and advance the efficacy of the Gospel: And that a Christian Magistracy doth so, if it need any proof I shall shew it by this one instance.

There are great promises in the Prophets, of mercy to be exhibited under the Gospel, which seem incredible, and which some look for still to be accomplished according to the letter, and hence their expectation of such glorious times to come; whereas they are accomplished long ago and accomplishing daily, but never were, nor ever shall be ac∣cording to the letter. Such are

That in Esa. II. 4. They shall beat their swords into plough-shares. And that in Esa. XI. 6. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb. And that in Esa. LXV. 20. There shall be no more thence an Infant of days, &c. What shall we say to these things? Were they ever fulfilled accor∣ding to the letter? No, nor ever shall be.

And yet God is faithful, and hath performed his promise, he hath done his part of what was promised, and his own people partake of the promise: and why should we look for any further?

There will be warrings in the World whilst there are lusts in the World, for warrings come from lusts, Jam. IV. 1. And there will be lusts in the World, while there are men in the World, for every imagination of the thoughts of mens hearts are evil, only evil, and evil continually, Gen. VI. 5. But God hath done his part, he brought the Gospel of peace into the World, that might have taught men and wrought men to better, but it is their own faults and wretchedness that they are not better. And though Saints of God have this promise accomplished in themselves, and they are knit together in the unity of the Spirit and the bond of Peace, and what accomplishment more can be expected?

And so there will be Woolvish and Serpentine affections and actions of men in the World, where there is sin in the World: and there will be ignorance in the World, and men will be infants in understanding, whilst there is Fleshliness and Worldliness in the World; yet God hath done his part, he hath brought the Gospel into the World, that might tame mens brutish affections and curb their actions; and the Saints of God have this effect wrought upon them, but some men will be Wolves and Lions still.

He hath brought the light and knowledge of the Gospel into the World, that men need not to be infants in understanding; and the Saints of God that imbrace the Gospel, come to be aged men in knowledge: but men will be ignorant still.

Hath not God therefore performed his promise? As Esa. V. 4. What could God have done more to this purpose than he hath done, in affording the means for the effecting of this, as much as could be afforded?

And here comes in the work and imployment of the Magistracy: God is so fully a performer of his promise, that he hath left the issue not only to the bare preaching of the Word, but he hath ordained also the Sword and Authority of the Magistracy, to re∣strain men from their fightings and brutishness, and to force them out of their wilful ignorance, when the only preaching of the Word will not perswade them. As when the Priests with the sounding of their Trumpets will not serve the turn to subdue Je∣richo, an host of men of arms must be ready to assist the work and to do it.

It is in mercy to mens Souls that God hath ordained Magistracy, as well as it in mercy to their Estates, and for the securing of their Persons. It is a bond of love, whereby he would draw men from their own ruine and the ruining of others; a holy, tender and loving violence, whereby, when the Ministry of the Gospel cannot perswade them to be good, he would restrain them from being evil, and would constrain them to be better than they are. A holy violence that would make men good whether they will or no.

Such a mercy is a Christian Magistracy: An Ordinance stamped with Christs own King∣ly picture, and sent for a token to his Church of special love and mercy: As Aaron in his brest-plate of Judgment carried Urim and Thummim, Light and Perfection. So Magi∣strates in the Brest-plate of Judgment, they always carry about with them, have writ∣ten there as it were with Christs own finger, Power and Mercy: Power, derived from Christ to them, and mercy derived from Christ by them to the Church.

The Pagans and Infidels Magistracy that is among them, it is true, is an ordinance of Christ, Rom. XIII. 2. The powers that be are ordained of God. But these are but crums that fall from his Table of common providence, as he is the great Ruler of all the World. But Christian Magistracy is a full furnisht Table of mercy from him, as the Father and cherisher of his Church.

Mercy to our Estates for their preservation, mercy to our Lives for their security, mercy to the Nation for its peace, mercy to Widows for their incouragement, mercy to the Gospel for its maintaining, mercy to Souls for their reducing. Such a mercy is a Chri∣stian Magistracy, and so is the end, and such the fruit of the execution of their Office, the execution of Judgment, which is the third thing I have to speak to from the third clause in the Text, and Judgment was given unto them.

III. He saith not Power, for that would not have included Judgment, but he saith Judgment which includeth also lawful power, yea and something else, Righteousness and Justice.

I am assured there is none that hear me this day, is so little acquainted with the stile of Scripture, but he knoweth that when it speaketh of Judgment as the work of the Magi∣strate, it meaneth the execution of Justice or of right Judgment: Shall not the Judge of all the World do right? Gen. XVIII. 25. The very title of Judge speaketh doing right, as it was with the Judge of all the World, so with the Judges of any part of it.

This, my Lords and Gentlemen, is your work and imployment to judge righteous Judgment, to plead the cause of the oppressed, to relieve the fatherless and widow, and him that hath no helper, to reward every one according to the Justice of his cause before you.

As you carry the stamp of Christs own image in your Power, so it is no whit to the life, if Justice be not stamped there also. And your being a mercy to the people, is by doing Justice to the people.

I shall not here go about to teach you what you have to do in your Imployment and Function. I am far from supposing that either you know not your duty, or that I know it better than your selves. Only give me leave to be your remembrancer a little of what is the charge that lies upon you: and that not by setting any rules before you, but by setting some Divine copies before you, most fairly written, upon which to look with a single eye may be enough to stir you up to your duty: and that the more be∣cause

we are commonly more wrought upon men by example than by precept: I shall only propose three: two copied out by God in his own example; and the third, a singu∣lar copy set out in his Word. The first, I shall be bold, to offer to you of the Magistra∣cy. The second, to all that have to do with you at the present occasion, Counsel, Jurors and Witnesses; and the third, before all that hear me.

The first is this, You know Gods Attributes, Power, Mercy and Justice. Now God acteth not any of his Attributes according to the utmost extent of the infiniteness of it, but according to the most wise and most holy counsel and disposal of his own Will. God never acted his Power according to the utmost infinity of his Power: for else where∣as he made one World, he might have made a Thousand.

He never acted his Mercy according to the utmost infinity of his Mercy, for then whereas he saveth but a little flock, he might have saved all Men and Devils.

Nor did he ever act his Justice according to the utmost infinity of his Justice, for then all flesh would fail before him and the Spirits that he hath Created.

But his Will as I may speak it, acts as Queen Regent in the midst of his Attributes, and limits and confines their acting according to the sacred disposal of that.

So that he sheweth his Power, not when and where he can, but when and where and how he will shew his Power: He sheweth his Justice not when and where he can, but when and where he will shew his Justice: And he will shew Mercy, not on whom he can, but on whom he will shew Mercy, Rom. IX. 18.

Look upon this copy and then reflect upon your selves and your Function. You have your Attributes, let me so call them, of Power, Mercy, Interest in the people, and the like; now how are these to be acted by you? An unjust Magistrate, like him Luke XVIII. would be ready to miswrite after the copy, and say, I will act these after mine own will, as God acteth his after his own will. No, he is mistaken: let him look better on his Commission. The Judgment that is put into his hand, is the Will of God put into his hand. As the Apostle saith, This is the Will of God, even your Sanctification: so This is the Will of God, even the Judgment that is given him; his Commission carries it not, sic velis sic jubeas, do not thou with thy Power what thou wilt, but sic volo sic jubeo, Do in thine Office as it is my Will and as I Command.

The Sun in Heaven sends down his shine upon the Earth, and we are to set all our dials by that light, and not by any candle of our own.

The Will of God as it is the rule of all his own actions, so he sends down the beams of it in his Word to men to be the rule of theirs. By the Ministry, God puts his Will re∣vealed in his Word into the hands of men, to do according to that rule, and not by any rule of their own Will. So the Commission that he puts into the hands of the Magistracy, is the Will of God to act by, as he hath revealed in his Word, not to act according to their own mind. Not to shew Mercy, Justice, Power, and Favour as they please, but as Gods Will appears in their Commission.

It was the custom in Israel that when the King was Crowned, the book of the Law was put into his hand, the Will of God to be his rule, and not his own. So when Joshua is made chief Magistrate, God instates him in his Power, and with all put the Law into his hand, Josh. I. 8. This book of the Law shall not depart out of thy mouth, &c. And so at the Crowning of young Joash, I King. XI. 12. They put the Crown upon him and gave him the Testimony.

Look then upon the Copy that is before you, and look upon the Commission he hath given you. His Will in Heaven acts all his glorious Attributes, and as I may speak it with reverence, his Will rules them. He hath transcribed his Will in little in your Com∣mission, to act all yours: Now his Will be done by you upon Earth, as it is done by himself in Heaven.

A second Copy, that I would present before you, and before all that have any thing to do with you at present about Judicature, Counsel, Witnesses and Jurors, is Gods own righteousness, and that especially in one particular example. It is needless to tell you from Scripture, that the righteous God loves righteousness, delights in righteousness, practises righteousness, commands righteousness. That one acting of his does demonstrate all these to admiration, and that is his Justice in justifying a sinner. Much is spoken in Scrip∣ture of this righteousness of God, and indeed never enough. My righteousness is never to be revealed: To bring in everlasting righteousness: New Heavens and a new Earth wherein dwelleth righteousness, &c. Never enough spoken, never enough conceived of this Righ∣teousness: the most mysterious acting of Heaven, the wonder of wonders among men, the Justice of God in justifying a sinner: A Divine Justice that exceeds divine Justice, Di∣vine Justice turned into Mercy. You may think I speak strangely: if I do it, I am some∣thing excusable, with Peter ravished with the Transfiguration. I am upon a subject that may swallow up all minds with amazement; but I clear my meaning.

In Rom. I. 17. It is said, Therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. Revealed in the Gospel, not in the Law. Was there no revelation of Justice till the Go∣spel came? Yes, the Law revealed Justice, but it was condemning Justice; as that Text speaks, From faith to faith, so from righteousness to righteousness. Gods Justice was most divine that appeared in the Law to condemn, but that Justice exceeded in the Gospel to justifie. Where are they that talk of being justified by their own works? Then must they have a righteousness of their own, that must out-vy Gods condemning justice, which is infinitely just. But his own justifying justice doth out-vy it. As it is said, Where sin abounded, Grace did superabound: So where condemning Justice was glorious, justifying Justice was much more glorious.

I said, Justice was turned into mercy; I say, the greatest Justice into the greatest mercy. How are we justified and saved? By Mercy? True, and yet by Justice become mercy, not ceasing to be Justice, what it was, but becoming Mercy, what it was not. Here is a lively Copy before you; God so loveth, so acteth justice, that he will satisfie it upon his own Son, that he might glorifie it by way of mercy on all justified. His greatest mercy appeareth in this acting of his justice; and you are the greatest Mercy to a people when you do them the most Justice.

A third and last Copy that I would set before you all, that hear me this day, is fairly, yet seems strangly written with Gods own hand in the Gospel. In divers places of the New Testament, where mention is made of the Law, and where you would think it meant both the Tables, it comes off only with mention of the Second, Matth. XIX. 17. If thou wilt enter into life, keep the Commandments. You would look for all the Ten, but look forward, and he pitcheth only upon the second Table. So Rom. XIII. 8. He that loveth another hath fulfilled the Law. You would look for the whole Law to be mentioned there, but look forward in vers. 9. and only the second Table is mentioned. So Jam. II. 8. If you fulfil the Royal Law according to the Scripture, &c. you would look for the whole Law, but he concludes all under this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thy self. Why, where are the Duties of the first Table? See, how God put even all religion in the second Table. As it is said, Behold! how he saved Lazarus; so, Behold! how God loveth ho∣nest, upright, charitable dealing 'twixt man and man.

I shall not insist, to shew you the reason of this strange passage. I might tell you it is, because whatsoever men pretend of Religion towards the Commands of the first Ta∣ble, it is nothing, if it appear not in our obedience to the second. I might tell you, God puts you to that that is more in your own power, as to obey the second Table, is more so than the first. But I leave the Copy in your own hands to read and comment on. And when you have studied it the most, you will find this to be the result, how God requires, how God delights in our righteous, upright, charitable dealings one with ano∣ther.