The Magistrates Support & Burden: In a SERMON Preached at the LATE ELECTION OF THE LORD MAJOR For the Famous City of London, Sept. 28. 1650 By JOHN CARDELL. Exod. 18.17.18.21. And Moses Father in law said unto him, The thing that thou dost is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this People that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee: Thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the People, able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating Covetousness, and place such over them, to be Rulers of Thousands, and Rulers of Hundreds, Rulers of Fifties, and Rulers of Ten. Magistratus itaque inductus est, ut leges quam diligentissime conserventur, sontes puniantur, & boni juventur ac foveantur: Et sane lex est mutus Magistratus, & vicissim Magistratus est lex animata & loquens. Pet. Martyr. in cap. 19 lib. Jud. London, Printed by Peter Cole, 1650. To the Right Honourable Thomas Foot, Lord Major of the City of LONDON; Thomas Andrews, Lord Major Elect: AND To the Right Worshipful, The Aldermen, and Sheriffs of the same City. My Lords, THE following Discourse presents you, with the Original Copy, of a complete and well Accomplished Magistracy, drawn first by Moses, somewhat more imperfectly, and afterwards corrected by Jethro, unto that Exactness, wherein it now lies before us, in those most Ancient and Authentic Records, The Holy Scriptures of God: A Subject which had it been set out, according to merit of it, would have fallen before you, and entitled itself to you deservedly, who have both had the Honour to sit at the Stern, in the Government of this great City, and that have both 〈…〉 It is not surely, without a special hand both of Power and Providence, that your feet (my Lords) are still standing upon those slippery places, where so many have caught falls: However, That's excellent Counsel which the Apostle gives (and I mention it, not by way of Charge, or Accusation, but merely by way of humble Admonition) b Ro. 11.20. Be not highminded, but fear; for, Blessed is the man that feareth always: But he that hardeneth his heart, shall fall into mischief, Prov. 28.14. The Fear of God lies in the middle of Jethroes qualifications, as the Diamond in the Ring, or the Heart in a man's Body, or as a dram of Musk, to perfume the whole Box of Ointment. And indeed, who among all the People, have more cause to fear God then Magistrates? since if they fear not him, they have Nothing else to fear, or so much as to restrain them from any thing that is evil: The Psalmist having let fall that high expression, concerning Rulers, (I said ye are Gods) he presently adds by way of corrective, for fear of the worst, c Ps. 82.6, 7. Vita in summo, mors in imo. Lactant. But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the Princes: And if there were no other motive but this (my Lords) The consideration of your own Mortality, that should strongly induce and persuade you to fear the Lord your God. The Fear of God being the only Antidote against the Fear of death: He needs fear no danger, no difficulty, no enemy, no death, that does but truly fear God. But besides this, Consider I beseech you, Opus Dei, in die suo. what God is now about to do: and for that, consult but your own Experiences: Seems he not to be in a way of d Isa. 23.9. staining the Pride of all outward glory? Hath he not lately answered us by e 64.3. terrible things in Righteousness, and such as we looked not for? f Job 12.21. Pouring contempt upon Princes, and upon great ones, g Psal. 2.5. Speaking to them in his wrath, and vexing them in his sore displeasure; And the h Isa. 2.17. loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men made low, That the Lord alone may be exalted in this day; And therefore, now says the Psalmist, You that are i Ps. 2.10, 11 12. Rulers, and Judges of the Earth, Be wise, Be instructed, Serve the Lord with Fear, Rejoice with Trembling, Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, etc. Doubtless Christ is now upon his March, towards the taking in of all k Rev. 11.15 Nations, or at least, some of all Nations, and All that he meets with in his way, They must (who ever they be) either bow before him, or else be Broken, and l Psal. 2.9. dashed in pieces by him, like a Potter's vessel: And at m Esth. 4.14 such a time as this, That God would give out abundance of Wisdom and Courage, Abundance of the Fear of his Name, Abundance of Love to Truth and Peace, Abundance of Hatred and Indignation against Covetousness, ( n 1 Tim. 6.10 the root of all our evil) to all in Authority) That the o Jam. 2.1. Lord of Glory would in a special manner thus clothe the Governors of this great City, with his own Spirit, unto a full compliance with Christ, in all the great things that he is now about to bring forth and Accomplish; This is the Prayer, my Lords, of Your Lordship's most humble and obliged Servant, John Cardel. THE MAGISTRATES Support and Burden. Numb. 11.16, 17. And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me Seventy men of the Elders of Israel, whom thou knowest to be of the Elders of the People, and Officers over them: and bring them to the Tabernacle of the Congregation, that they may stand there with thee: And I will come down, and talk with thee there, and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them, and they shall bear the Burden of the People with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. IN the former part of this Chapter, Introducti●● you may see the Spirit of Moses (an holy and gracious Governor) extremely burdened with the sinful Provocations of a discontented People; The sins o● the People Burden to godly Gov●nors Although the man Moses was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth, Numb. 12.3. yet the People's frowardness was too hard for his meekness; neither was he able, any longer to bear, the weight of that Burden, which their iniquities did inevitably cast upon him. And among the rest of the sins of this People, that lay so hard upon the spirit of Moses, There are Two great enormities, Peccata primae magnitudinis, or the sins that ●ay so hard upon the Spirit of Moses, mentioned. or heinous offences of the first magnitude, expressly mentioned here in this Chapter: The First was, Their complaining of an hard journey in the Wilderness, without a sufficient Cause; Complaints are never just, but when the Cause is just; and that the Cause was not just here, the effect shows: For in the first Verse it is said, Verse 1 That when the people complained, it displeased the Lord, and the Lord heard it, and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them: where ye have both the Sin, and the Punishment. The Sin was unjust complaining, or discontented murmuring, because of their long travel in the wilderness: And the Punishment was consumption by fire. The Anger of that God broke out upon them, who is a Heb. 12.29. A consuming fire: and He was at that time, A consuming fire unto them. And (lo) that fire was no sooner quenched, by the Prayer & Intercession of Moses, but presently there was kindled another fire. The fire of the Lord was no sooner quenched without, but the fire of Lust within, that gins to kindle the second time, and speedily breaks out into a greater flame of discontent & murmuring. And from Vers. 4. etc. At the 4th Verse, etc. The mixed multitude which was among them fell alusting, and the Children of Israel also wept again, & said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? we remember the Fish which we did eat in Egypt freely, the Cucumbers, & the Melons, & the Leeks, and the Onions, and the Garlic, But now our soul is dried away, there is nothing at all besides this Manna before our eyes: That Manna which they speak so slightly of, and that they undervalved so much, in saying, b Queruntur nihil praeter Man oculis su● occurrere ac si● in unius opti●● cibi copia fast●● dium penuria esset. Calv. i● Loc. We have Nothing but this Manna: it was as excellent food as ever men were fed with: The Psalmist calls it Angel's food, man did eat Angel's food, Ps. 78.25. If Angels would have been fed, they could not have had daintier food than that same Manna was, and yet they wept throughout their families, every man in the door of his Tent, and spoke as if it had been nothing for God to rain down Manna from Heaven, in a miraculous manner upon them. Which Repetition of their former transgression, did exceeding highly provoke God, and kindle his anger greatly, The Anger of the Lord was kindled Before, at the first onset of their complaining and of their murmuring. But now at the 10th Verse of the Chapter, Verse 10 The Anger of the Lord was kindled greatly, says the text, Moses also was displeased. And upon this occasion of their adding sin to sin, and wrath to wrath, does Moses begin to plead with God about the Burden that was upon him. From the 11th Verse, etc. Moses said unto the Lord, The pleading of Moses w● God about● the Burdens that was up●● him; from● Vers. 11. & ● Whersore hast thou afflicted thy servant? and wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the Burden of all this people upon me? Have I conceived all this people? Have I begotten them, that thou shouldest say unto me, Carry them in thy bosom, as a nursing father beareth the sucking Child? I am not able (says he) to bear all this people alone, because it is too heavy for me: And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight, and let me not see my wretchedness. Which Plead of Moses, though they did arise from a troubled Spirit, or from a Spirit overwhelmed with grief and sorrow, for the sins of the people, and were c Not without some mixtures of humane frailty, Quod Mosi displicuit ●anta perversitas sancti zeli, et ●aude digni fu●t, sed excessus pitio non caruit. ●dem. not without some mixtures of human frailty: yet God He Hearkens and Hears; and overlooking the failings that were in it, He presently signs the Petition of his servant, & grants him what he requested: the thing that Moses desired was, That he might have some Ease in point of Government, and that the whole Burden of it, might not for the future lie upon himself alone: That was the substance of his Request. And this ye see is both fully and fairly granted unto him, in the words now read unto you: And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me Seventy men, etc. The Text contains a new Election of Magistrates foe the Commonwealth of Israel, wherein ye have these particulars notable: 1 The Persons to be Elected, Text divided ●nto 3 Parts: or Chosen. 2 The Manner, or Order of the Election. 3 The main End, or Purpose of God in it. The Persons to be Elected or Chosen, are described Two ways: The Persons ●o be Elected, too ways described, By ●heir Number ●nd Qualifica●●ons. 1 By their Number, Seventy men: 2ly By their Qualifications, Elders of the people, and Officers over them, in the former part; and such as as also had, The Spirit of God upon them, in the latter part of the text. Then the Manner, The manner of ●●e Election. or Order, or whole Proceed of the Election, that follows in the close of the 16th and at the beginning of the 17th Verse, Gather unto me (says God to Moses) such a Number of men, whom thou knowest to be men of Gravity, and men of Experience; Elders of the people, and Officers over them, and bring them to the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and let them stand there with thee, and I will come down, and talk with thee there; that is, I my self will be present at the Election, says God, and see to the managing of it in all things; according to the due Order. And then in the 3d place, The End of God in it. God declares his full End and Purpose, or he opens his whole heart unto Moses in the Business, which comes fully up to the satisfaction of Him in that which he requested. For says he, I will come down and talk with thee there, where thou art appointed to stand with the Elders of the People, and the Officers over them; and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and put it upon them, & they shall bear the Burden of the people with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. I shall but cursorily run over the former parts of the Text, as having mine Eye chief upon that which lies at the bottom of it: The Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me Seventy men of the Elders of Israel] Passing by the Number Seventy, as that which was not intended surely, to be always binding, The Number Seventy not Binding. or perpetually presidential unto Posterity; that there should be continually such a number as seventy sitting upon the Bench, leaving that unto the good will and pleasure of God, in disposing it so at that time, and as not so properly belonging unto our present purpose: I shall first take notice of something by way of Observation, The Rise of the first doctrine, from the former part of the 16 Verse. from the two former Qualifications that lie plainly before us, in the 16th Verse; Gather unto me (says God to Moses) such a Number of men as are upon thy certain knowledge, grave men, and experienced men, Elders of the People, and Officers over them, and says he, Let them appear with thyself at such a place, and there receive each of them a Commission, for Places of Authority; From whence I shall commend this lesson in the first place to you. That it is both an ancient and a laudable Custom, Doct. 1 in all Elections unto Places of Authority, to have respect unto men of Gravity and Experience. Ye see that God Himself does clearly give the Precedency unto such, Unto the Elders of the People, and the Officers over them, Reasons for Gravity in Places of Authority. in this Election or choice of his own making: And great Reason there is for it, That men of Gravity and Experience should be respected and looked after, and that they should be preferred (Caeteris paribus especially) rather than others, unto Places of Authority. Reas. 1 First because of that Honour which is due unto the Aged, or unto the Elders of the People, even as they are such, and that according to all Principles, whether Divine or Moral, Not only d Apud Lacedaemonios' ij qui amplissimum Magistratum gerunt ut sunt, sic etiam apellantur senes. Cicer. de Sen. Heathens, and such as were merely guided, by the Twilight of Nature, have always held it their duty to give respect unto such; But even God Himself hath clearly taught us this lesson, Not only from his own Example, Being called in Scripture e Non quod Deus more hominum consenescat, sed quod non aliter, magis ad mores hominum accomodatè ejus aeternitas declararipossit. Mald. in loc. The ancient of Days, Dan. 7.9. But by a positive express Law of his, among his own People the Jews. The Equity, Morality, and Ground whereof is still in full force, among us Christians, Leu. 19.32. Thou shalt rise up Before the hoary head, Si quaeratur quamobrem su●piciendi & reverendi sint senes? Resp. 〈◊〉 ipsam canitiem & numerose annos, quod annositate Propr●us ad Dei Imaginem accedu● qui antiquus dierum appell●tur. Cartwr. in Prov. 16. 3● and honour the face of the Old man, and fear thy God, says Moses there: As if he should have said, This is no way disonant from, but very consonant or agreeable unto the Principles of Religion, the Piety of those that do truly fear God, to rise up before the hoary head, and to Honour the face of the old man. Secondly, God he threatens it at one time, 2 Reason. as a sore judgement upon Eli, That there should not be f 1 Sam. 2. 3● an old man in his house for ever; And at another time He promises it as a great Blessing unto his People, That there should not be g Is. 65.20. an Infant of days among them, nor an old man that had not filled his days. Thirdly, That which makes a man to be a man, Reas. 3 which is Reason, that comes not unto its 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉, Vid. Aristor Eth. lib. 8. C. or unto its full Perfection. It loses not its verdure, or its greenness: Neither is the rawness of it boiled off, but by Age, and by Experience. Also in the 4th place, Reas. 4 That which makes a man to be more than a man, a Christian, a true Believer, Religion and Age, Gravity and Sincerity; They do mutually Help to Grace and Adorni, and Beautify one another: The hoary head is a Crown of Glory, h Cum inv●●tur in vià j●stitiae, tum ●●plicatur hon●● canitiei debi● Cartw. in 〈◊〉 if it be found in the way of righteousness, Prov. 16.31. As the way of Righteousness, is an Honour unto Age, so Age is no dishonour unto the way of Righteousness, but a good set-off thereto; There is hardly a more graceful sight in all the world, then to see an old man walking in his Integrity, i Act. 21. 1● Mnason an old Disciple: 'Tis like the going of the k Prov. 30. ● Heegoate before the rest of the flock; that Solomon says is comely. Fifthly, Reas. 5 As Gravity and Sincerity, so Gravity and Authority do likewise mutually grace, or well become one another. How apt are men to slight Authority, when it falls upon those, whose years are every way incompetent or unsuitable thereunto? l 1 Tim. 4.12 Let no man despise thy youth, says Paul to Timothy, which implies that men would be ready to do so, to withhold that respect which is due from the very Calling of the Ministry; yea, and upon the same Account, from the very Calling of Magistracy also, in case it should always descend upon the younger sort. Sixthly, and Lastly; God Himself threatens it, not only as an heavy Curse upon a Private Family; but he mentions it as a sore Judgement upon a People in his own Book; when He says, That He would take away from them, the m Is. 3.2.4, 5. Prudent, and the Ancient. Maximas Respub. per adolescentes labefactas à senibus sustentatas & restitutas reperietis. Cicer. ubi Suprà. And (says he) I will give Children to be their Princes, and Babes shall rule over them: And the People shall be oppressed every one by another, and every one by his Neighbour; The Child shall behave himself Proudly against the Ancient, and the Base against the Honourable. Then for matter of Experience to give a little touch upon that also, Men in Authority should be Experienced men, as well as Grave men. The Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me Seventy men, whom thou knowest to be, The Elders of the People, and Officers over them; that is, Men of Experience, aswel as men of Gravity, such as have in some measure felt the weight of Authority already, Experience very Helpful to those that are in Authority. and that do not come rawly to it, without any former insight into the thing itself: Doubtless Experience is always a very great Help, in things that are, Either Divine or Humane. There is a Threefold Advantage, that Experienced men have over others that are of no Experience. First, By Experience, The Benefits of Experience a man comes to weigh his wings as it were, or to feel his own strength, and to n Qui accipit gratiam, per quandam Experientiam dul cedinis novit se illam habere, quam non experitur ille qui no● accipit. Aquin 1.2. Qu. 112 Act. 5. know or understand thereby, Quid valeant humeri, Quid far recusant; what his shoulders are able, or not Able to Bear. Secondly, A man hath hereby an Opportunity administered of discovering his Gifts, and his Parts, His Strength and his Faithfulness unto others, that they may accordingly take notice of him, for one Place or another. And then Thirdly, Experience will also show a man his failings, and how to rectify himself, how to straighten that, which perhaps he himself, and others too, have a long time endeavoured to make exceeding crooked. This is always the fruit of sanctified Experience: A special Excellency in sanctified Experience. It shows a man his own weakness: It lets others aswel as himself see, what strength he hath received from God; And it may at least help, to put a man upon the Amendment, of all his former failings: All and each of which advantages, are utterly wanting, to him that wants Experience. But before I leave these things, that I have thus briefly hinted, about Age, and about Experience; Cautions about Gravity & Experienc● I shall here put you in some certain Cautions concerning both, which may, and shall serve, as so many Uses of the Point. First we must take heed, of confining God, 1 Caution God not to 〈◊〉 confined un●● days & year● unto Days and Years, any otherwise, then as he hath confined Himself. Elihu in Job's Case does modestly show us the vanity of such confinements, The vanity of such confinements from job 32.7.9. v. job, 32.7.9. His words are, I said, Days should speak, and multitude of Years teach wisdom: But says he, I do now in Experience find, That it sometimes falls out otherwise, Since great men are not always wise, neither do the Aged always understand o Vera Dei & nostri cognitio, non est commune aetatis bonum, sed singulare Dei beneficium per communicationem Spiritus, five in juvenibus, sive in senibus. Jun. ●t Trem. in loc Deus mentes magis comprobat quam aetatem. ●vid. Collect. Aug. Marl. in 1 Tim. 4.12. Judgement. Not always, though many times they do. Very certain it is, That God is, Agens liberrimum, The freest Agent of all other, and as he can, so he does fometimes pour out the Gifts and Graces of his Spirit more plentifully upon some in their Youth, then upon others of riper years, or of longer standing in the world. p 2 Chron. 34.1, 2. Josiah was but 8 years old, when he began to reign, and yet he did that which was Right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the ways of David his Father, and declined neither to the right hand, nor to the left. And among all the Kings of Israel and Judah, none lived so desired, or died so lamented as that man did. The greatest q Zach. 12.10 mourning that we read of in Scripture was that of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddor, josiab but 8 years old whē●he began to Reign. for the death of good Josiah. I might also mention our own r Edward the 6 of famous memory, but 9 years old when he began to Reign. See Act. and Mon. de vit. Edw. 6. Edward the sixth, and some others that carried themselves very Nobly and Honourably, in the Places of Supreme Magistracy, even in their tender years: But yet, Though the wise and the holy God be at liberty, and may sometimes vary from the Rule of outward Gravity, which he is no way tied to: yet we see that for the most part he hath respect unto the elder sort, and that he does put this high Honour mostly upon them, to be his own Vicegerents, in Places of Authority. But than it must be with this other Caution or limitation, 2 Caution Seniores must be Saniores, Grave ones Good ones, or else not fit to be Great ones. That Seniores be Saniores, men of known Integrity in their ways and walkings; and every way like, to be true and faithful, to the Trust reposed in them, or else their Places do not grave them so much as they disgrace their Places: Grave men must be Good men, Sin the greatest Blemish unto Age. or else they are not fit to be Great men, since Nothing casts such a blemish upon Age, or makes it so unfit for Government as Sin does; s Prov. 16.13 Quam multi sunt qui multo. annos expetun cum pace conjunctos? Sed quam pauci sunt, qui hos quaerunt in vi● justitiae. Quae runt illos convictu, in Medicinâ in opibus, sed ubi se obviumillis praebent in viâ justitiae non quaerunt. Cartw. in loc. The hoary head is a Crown of glory, if it be found in the way of Righteousness, but if it be found in the way of unrighteousness, than it loses its crown of glory: As the Beauty of Age is Holiness, so the shame of Age is wickedness: And therefore in that very place, where God makes so gracious and so precious a Promise unto his People, about filling up their days, He still leaves the Curse upon the Head and Heart of the wicked, Is. 65.19.20. I will (says he) rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my People, and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying. There shall be no more thence an Infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days, for the Child shall die an hundred years old: But the Sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed: that is, Though he live never so long, yet the Curse that never departs from him, but continueth and grows upon him still more and more: And is it possible think ye, That he should be a Blessing to a City, or a Blessing to a Commonwealth, that is really Accursed, in all that he puts his hand unto? The undoubted Portion of every wicked man: Deut. 28.20. Experience how far to be respected. Then for matter of Experience: Though it be good to have a Christian, and a due respect unto that also; both unto Age, and unto Experience: yet I pray take heed of Idolising either. Such and such have been in Office a long time it may be, but Quam bene se gesserint, How have they carried themselves in their Places, or in their Offices? When do ye mean to make that Enquiry, and to Act accordingly? True it is that the Apostle tells us, and it either does (or should at least) hold true in Temporals, as well as in Spirituals: They that have used the Office of a t Diaconos ad fidelitatem in Ministerio suo cohortatur ab utili effectu quod eo modo bonum sibi gradum acquirant et multam libertatem, nempe apud Deum. Piscat. in loc. Deacon well (which was but a lower Office in the Church) They (says he) Purchase to themselves a good degree, and great Boldness in the Faith, which is in Christ Jesus: 1 Tim. 3.13. It is the Rule that Christ himself goes by, and that He himself puts down for us to go by: u Luk. 16.10. Hortatur suos Discipulos Christus, ut fideliter agentes in rebus parvis, se ad fidem in maximis rebus colendam assue faciant. Calv. in loc. He that is faithful in that which is least (says he) is faithful also in much And he that is unjust in the least, is unjust also in much. And according to this Rule of Proportion, does the King of Saints and Nations, either lift men up, or cast them down: As in the Parable of the Talents; w Mat. 25.21. Adesdum ut fructum percipias benignitatu meae, et reipsa sentias quam gratum sit mihi Officium tuum. Bez. in loc. Old Experienced Officers how to be dealt with. Well done good and faithful servant, Thou hast been faithful in a few things, be thou Ruler over many things. So he said to the two first, that had improved their Talents, and that in experience had been found faithful; but the other that upon trial, had been unfaithful, and that had Napkined up his Talon, and made no good improvement at all of it. He was not to be Credited, or trusted any longer with it. And thus should you deal with your old experienced Officers, ye should either Advance or Cashier, continue, or cast them out, according to the verdict of Experience; according to that faithfulness or unfaithfulness that ye do experimentally find to be in them: If experience tell you, That they have been faithful in a lower Office, ye may the better trust them in an higher. But in case they have been unfaithful in a lower, do not ye lay a temptation before them in an higher, lest ye both deceive yourselves, and destroy them thereby. But I proceed: The Second part of the text containing Gods coming down to confer with Moses about the choice of new Magistrates. It follows in the words— And the Lord said unto Moses, Gather unto me Seventy men, etc. And bring them to the Tabernacle of the Congregation; and let them stand there with thee, and I will come down and talk with thee there. This I call Gods own disposing or managing of the Election in order to his own Glory, and the satisfaction of his servant Moses; And from thence ye may observe further. That in all Affairs of concernment especially, Doct. 2 it's good to be there waiting upon our God, where he Himself is pleased, to come down, and talk with us. Wait for me, says God to Moses, at the Tabernacle of the Congregation, with the Elders of the People, and the Officers over them, and I will come down and talk with thee there, and tell thee what thou shalt do; Note. where I pray Observe the great and the mighty condescension here spoken of; for indeed there is much, yea, very much in it, much more than can be mentioned, That the great God of Heaven and Earth should x Malumus Deum ad nos huc in terram descendere, quàm ad illum in caelum assurgere. Camer. conc. 2. in cap. 6. Joan. stoop so low, or condescend so far, to any of his poor Creatures, as to say, Wait for me at such a Place, and I will come down and talk with thee there. But ye will peradventure say, That this was indeed a privilege that Moses enjoyed; y Numb. 12.8 with him the Lord spoke mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches, and the similitude of the Lord did he behold, But is there any such privilege as this extant among Believers now? Quest. To that I Answer; Answ. Yes, doubtless God hath his times of coming down, and his ways of talking with his own People still, The privileges of the Believer are no way straightened or diminished, but rather increased exceedingly since the coming of Christ, and there is a Tabernacle still, as well as in the days of Moses; z Rev. 21.3. Indicat manifestationem divinae gloriae non plenam adhuc futuram, quali fruentur sancti post ultimum judicium, aptum est Tabernaculum perigrinan●i Ecclesiae, non illi quae consecuta est fixam sedem in suâ patriâ. Brightm. in loc. Behold the Tabernacle of God is with men, & he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And whersoever this Tabernacle is seated and placed; that is, Wheresoever there are Churches Constituted, and Ordinances Dispensed, according to the mind of Christ, do but wait for the appearances of God in such places, and then undoubtedly, he will at one time or other come down and talk with you there. But I said, It's good (in all Affairs of Concernment especially) to be there waiting upon our God, where he does vouchsafe to come down and talk with us: And surely so it is. In 3 respects it's good to wait where God vouchsafes to come down and talk with us. It's good to be there in 3 Respects: 1 In regard of God. 2 In regard of yourselves. 3 In regard of others. First, In regard of God himself, it's good to be there waiting where he does vouchsafe to come down and talk with us; In regard of God, who does thereby discover This arguing, both greatness of Wisdom, and greatness of Power, and greatness of Love on God's part. 1 It Argues greatness of wisdom, that God is pleased at any time to come down and talk with us: Greatness o● Wisdom. God never speaks to the hearts of his People, or he never brings any savoury message home to their Spirits, but he does always manage it, in the exactest way of wisdom: Men are apt to speak a Psal. 41.6. vainly, and b Prov. 15.2 foolishly, and c Eccles. 5. ● rashly, and d Psal. 106. unadvisedly with their lips, if not worse than so; there is frequently very little, or none of the e Col. 4.6. salt of discretion mingled, with any of their words, or with any of their speeches. But whensoever the wife God comes down to talk with us, there is always a fullness of wisdom in that which he delivers; and there is not so much as any shadow of Vanity, or any appearance of Iniquity, in any thing that he says. 2ly. It Argues Greatness of Power also, Greatness o● Power. as well as Creatness of Wisdom, That God is pleased at any time to come down and talk with us: God never speaks to the hearts of his People, one way or another, but when his words are managed with a great deal of Authority and Power. f Mat. 7.29 He taught them as one having Authority, says the Text of Christ, and not as the Scribes: Men speak weakly, and faintly, and coldly to one another; there is little or no strength in that which they themselves deliver: Their words are but wind, as we say; but when God comes to speak in them, or to speak by them, when he comes g Psal. 18.1 to ride upon the wings of that wind; & to make out spiritual h 1 Cor. 2. demonstrations of his own Almighty Power in the way of an Ordinance: Then there is such a fullness of strength discovered, that there can be no resisting of it; Then 'tis the i 1 Pet. 1.2 Constat imn●●tale esse quod Dei est, hom quoth caduct● Ambros. d● Fil. Divin 〈◊〉 immortal seed of the word, and that which never fades away: Then vain Imaginations, and unclean Affections, and proud Lusts, and corrupt Reasonings must all come down, and every k 2 Cor. 10.5. thought be captivated to the obedience of Jesus Christ. 3ly. Greatness of Love. This Argues Greatness of Love also, that God is pleased at any time to come down and talk with us. God never speaks, Ad ventum di●i, forsan autem ●ic non tam ve●emens ventus vit Eliae visia●e, sed lenior et ●acidior quaeam aura nè ve●ementior aliovi ventus eos ●tis conscientiâ ●ccati consteratos vehemen●ùs terreret. Mercer. in loc but very lovingly, to the hearts of his People, and not so hastily as men use to do in their angry fits and moods: He appeared unto Adam not in the heat, but in the l Gen. 3.8. cool of the day: He was not in the wind, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but in the small still voice, in the Vision of Elijah: He m Isa. 40 11. Mansue tudinem & misericordiam Christi describit. Vatab. hic. shall feed his flock like a Shepherd, says the Prophet, He shall gather the Lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young: A n Mat. 12.20. bruised Reed shall he not break, nor quench the smoking flax, until he send forth Judgement unto victory. Thus in regard of God it's good. Secondly, 〈◊〉 regard of ●ur selves. 〈◊〉 Job, 31.28. ●uid mirum si ●ferioribus & ●eterioribus ●ntentus nonsit, ●ui citra sum●um & opti●um quiescere ●n potest? ●ern. Tract. In regard of yourselves it's also good, to be there waiting upon your God, where he does vouchsafe to come down and talk with you: For otherwise, when ye are in some great distress at any time, and when all the creatures are mute and silent about you, and have not a word to say, either for the supporting, or for the directing, or for the comforting of you: What would ye do at such a time, if o Dilig. Deo ●ag. 950. the God that is above should not come down and talk with you? Alas, the necessities, the inward necessities of the Soul and Spirit are variously such, and very frequently such, that if there should be p Rev. 8.1. silence in heaven but one half hour beyond the appointed time, unbelief would utterly be too hard for faith, and despair too hard for hope: And how uncomfortable a condition that poor creature is left in, that is both faithless and hopeless, that no man can tell you: for it is the very Abstract of all the Creatures misery, to have no Faith, nor no Hope in God: Despair is Hell itself. 3ly. In regard of others, In regard of others. It's good to be there waiting where our God vouchsafes to come down and talk with us: That when at any time, any of you have been spoken to, and received Consolation, ye may go and bear forth this precious seed, and be a means to encourage others to wait upon God, as you have done, that they may also in due time partake of the same refreshments with you: God many times makes the hearts of his People to be not only Cisterns, but Conduits of Consolation: Blessed be God, says the Apostle, who q Apostolical dignitatem d● clarat, ostende● quod solatio 〈◊〉 fectus, ac res● ratione refoc● latus, non se● pinat otioque dat, quemadn● dum nos, se● huc petius intendit studiu● ut alios unga● corroboret, at● erigat. Chry● in loc. comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God: 2 Cor. 1.3, 4. Thus ye see how good it is every way, Both in regard of Himself, Ourselves, and Others, to be there waiting upon our God, where he does vouch safe to come down and talk with us. The Uses of this follow; and First, Since it is thus Profitable or Advantageous for us to do so; let us therefore observe, Use. 1 yea let us take special notice of, the Times, & the Places: The times when, and the places where, our God is pleased to come down and talk with us: And surely look wheresoever the Tabernacle of God is fixed among men, that is, Look where he doth dispense his Ordinances unto his People, in a pure Gospel-way, there he hath Promised, and there he does vouchsafe to come down and talk with them. There's the r 1 Tim. 3.15 Ground and Pillar of Truth; and there's the s 1 Cor. 2.13.16. lunguage of the Holy Ghost; and there's the r Officium est Ecclesiae sustentare atque suffulcire veritatem su● ministerio, et corespectu columna veritatis appellatur. Davenant. Disp. de Jud. et Nor. Fid. Cap. 18. vid. Whitaker de Author. S. Script. Tom-2. Oper. lib. 1. Cap. 3. Pag. 46. Col. 1. mind of Christ. Secondly, Use. 2 Make it your humble request unto God, That He would u Exod. 40.34 fill the Tabernacle with his own presence continually; That he would not leave you without his Company, at any of your w Is. 1.13. solemn meetings; for otherwise, though never so many meet, yet if He be not there, the benefit of the Meeting's lost: Better be x Mat. 18.20. with two or three, where He is present, then in never so great a crowd, where He is absent: Therefore, I say, beg his Presence, y Psal. 105.4. seek his face continually, a Rom. 15.30 strive with him in Prayer, That he would not leave you to the bare z 2 Cor. 3.6. letter of the Word, or to the outward presence of an Ordinance, but that he would thereby, and therein, upon all occasions come down and talk with your souls, and tell you b Act. 9.6. what ye should do. Thirdly, Use. 3 When God does talk with you, or when he does at any time speak to you, be sure to mind what He says; do not neglect, or slight this great Condescension: There is (as you have heard) much of the Wisdom of God, and much of the Power of God, and much of the Love of God to be seen in all that he says to you, and therefore do not undervalue it, or play with it, or look upon it as a vain thing, for it is c Deut. 32● your life as Moses tells you; and Christ He seconds Moses in that, The words that I speak unto you, They are Spirit, and They are Life, says he, Joh. 6.63. Fourthly, Make it appear by this, Use. 4 That all the Teachings, and all the Talk of God with you, are not in vain to you, by your walking suitably and answerably thereunto: Take heed of drowning all the great Gifts that are now vouchsafed unto you in the d Homo qui naturae don● munus animae, rationis bene● 'em, excellentiamsensus, 〈◊〉 cium mentis, artu industr● culturae bonum, persterile● que inopes actus revertit, o● pat, mergit, auctori fruc● cultori gratiam negat, sicu● bor è terrâ, sic iste è vit●● 〈◊〉 tur excidi. P. Chrys. Ser. dead sea of unfruitfulness: There are hardly any People under Heaven, that trade more in Ordinances, than you do; ye are very frequently at those Performances, wherein God does appear, and show Himself; your feet stand often, in the Tabernacle of the Congregation, and ye do pretend, at least, unto a desire, That God would come down, and talk with you there: And therefore when he does so, when he does come down and talk with you, be sure to e Rom. 6.17. e 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉. That form of Do● whereinto ye were deliv● vid. Bez. hic. deliver up yourselves, unto that which he delivers, as a People that are willing to be taught of God, and let both Heart and Life savour, of that which He says to you: f Jam, 1.22. Vult Apostolus ut non ta● simus auditores Sermonis 〈◊〉 etiam effectores, hoc est ta● quibus sermo qui inserit● dices agate, quoth fit dùm● ex verbo concipitur, et 〈◊〉 entia nostra testatur fiden● Heming. in loc. Be doers of the Word (as James says) and not Hearers only, deceiving your own selves. Especially when ye are met (as now) about any Business of Concernment, and the Lord shall then please to come down and talk with you, and cast in g A word in ●eason not to ●e neglected, 〈◊〉 being like apples of gold ●n pictures in elver, grateful ●nd delightful Prov. 25.11. a word in season; when ye come and sit before your God, for a word of Counsel, and He is pleased to come in with a word of Counsel, according to your desires, and according to your expectations: Now take heed of resisting or rejecting, and be sure to close in with that word, that so what ye do may appear to have been done in sincerity, Verbum secun●um suos modos ●u commodè ●ictum nihil a●ud est, quam ●ntentia in se bona observatis locorum, temporum, & personorum circumstantiis, prolata. Cartwr. hic. and not in hypocrisy; and so I shall now fall upon that in the rear of the words which does principally concern the purpose of our present meeting. — I will come down, The third ●art of the Text opened. and talk with thee there, says God to Moses, and I will take of the Spirit which is upon thee, and will put it upon them, etc. By the Spirit here, Seponam de ●piritu qui est ●per te, Spiritu ●uta gratiae: non ●t ideo minus aberet Moses, ●d ut illi tan●um haberent de ●piritu Dei, ●uantum ad●ensurus ipsis ●at Deus voca●or is auctor, ut ●osi adju●ento essent. we must understand the Spirit of Government; And says God to Moses, I will take of that Spirit, or I will divide that Spirit, or I will increase and multiply that Spirit, that is now upon thee, upon these seventy men: The very same Spirit of Government that is now upon thee, says God, it shall rest upon them, even as h 2 Kin. 2.15 the Spirit of Elijah rested upon Elisha; i ●un. et Trem. 〈◊〉 loc. ●ee Ainsw. ●nnot. upon ●e place. Not that Moses himself was to be unspirited, or dispirited, or unclothed, or unpossessed of the Spirit, that's not the meaning of it neither, But says God, the same Spirit that has k 1 Cor. 12.4 diversities of gifts in it, It shall be diversely shared amongst you all, that are to be the Governors of my People, According to the several Exigencies, or Necessities of your Places: And says he, Having thus sitted and prepared these men, By putting my Spirit of Government upon them, They shall then bear the Burden of the People with thee, that thou bear it not thyself alone. Two oth●● Doctrine from thi● ter part o● Text. From whence I shall further commend these two other Notes, or Observations to you, which I shall entreat you to take special Notice of. The First this, That the Burden of the People lies upon the Magistrates. They shall bear the Burden of the People with thee. The Second this, That no man is any way fit or able to bear this Burden, but he that hath a Spirit of Government graciously conferred upon him. To begin first, with the former of these, Namely this, That the Burden of the People lies upon the Magistrates. 1 Do●● For the opening of this, you may please to observe, That the Burden of the People is in 4. The Bur● of the P●● in 4 resp●● upon the gistrates. Respects incumbent, or lying upon the Magistrates. 1 The Burden of the People's Sins. 2 The Burden of the People's Sorrows, or Sufferings. 3 The Burden of the People's Rights, or Privileges. And, 4 The Burden of the People's Discontents. The Bull of the pe●● sins. First, The Burden of the People's Sins, that's incumbent, or lying upon the Magistrate more ways than one; For sometimes Magistrates are the Causes, of the Sins of the People, being like unto l 1 Kin. 1● Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. Ruler's 〈◊〉 of the sin● the People veral wa● There are several ways whereby Rulers may be guilty of the Sins of the Sins of the People, Either By m 1 Sam. 22.18 commanding, or, By n 2 Chr. 19.2 countenancing, or, By o 1 King. 1.6 conniving, or, By p 1 Sam. 3.13. not restraining the sins of the People: And in such Cases as these, If Magistrates will make Rods for their own Backs, or lay Snares for their own Feet to be taken in, Then nothing in the world more righteous, or q— Non est ●ex aequior ulla Quàm necu Ar●ifices Arte pe●ire suâ. equal, then that they themselves should bear the greatest weight, of their own procured Burdens. Or, suppose on the other side, That the Magistrate be like r 2 Ch. 34.37 Josiah, of a tender heart, or of a melting disposition, and no way so much as accessary to the sins of the People, but one that would fain have all things rightly and duly administered, yet this will trouble Him never the less, but burden him so much the more, to see how hard a matter it is, to reduce a rebellious, De exilii sui in●ommoditate, et nolestiâ queri●ur David, ●úam ex com●oratione tali●m barbarorum & malitiosorum ●ominum quo●idiè experieba●ur. Muscul. ● loc. or to bring a gainsaying People into any good order; as ye know what a burden it was unto s 2 Pet. 2.7, 8. Lot, and how his righteous soul was vexed, and grieved from day to day, to see and observe the unclean conversation, of those lewd and wicked Sodomites, among whom he lived. And t Psal. 120.5 woe is me says David, that I sojourn in Mesech, that I dwell in the tents of Kedar, intimating that the lewdness of those places, was a very great burden unto his spirit also. Secondly, The Burden ●f the people's ●orrows or sufferings. The Burden of the People's Sorrows, or Sufferings, that also lies upon the Magistrate: Magistrates ye know are called Patres Patriae, * Senatus no●en dedit aetas ●am ijdem Pa●essunt. Quin. ●●st. orat. lib. ●. Cap. 6. Fathers of their Country; And can a tender-hearted Father see any of his Children lie groaning under heavy Burdens, and not do whatever in him lies to ease their shoulders of those Burdens? How sad was the fruit of Rehoboams refusing to hearken unto the People, Magistratus moribus debe● se gerere ut f● trem reliquo. rum, in offici● ut Patrem. Ames. de c●● lib. 5. cap. 2● when they came in a fair Petitioning way unto him, to ease them of their Burdens? u The peop● Petition to Rehoboam. 1 King. 12. Thy Father made our yoke grievous, say they; now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy Father, and his heavy yoke, which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee. No says he, w His Answer vers. 10.11. compared with 2 Chr●● 10.14. My little finger shall be thicker than my Father's loins; my Father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my Father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with Scorpions. Hereupon the People departed in a mighty discontent, and resolve to have no more to do with Rehoboam, nor with his Government neither; x Their Resolution. v. 1 of both Cha●ters. What Portion have we in David? say they, neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse, every man to your tents o Israel, and let David see to his own house: And not only there, or at that time, but at other times, and in other places also, * Most of t●●● Civil Wars● that ever we● in the world● have had the● Rise from hence. Oh! the woeful Contentions, and bloody Breaches, that have heretofore fallen out between Governors and Governed, when heavy burdens have been either imposed, or continued, without a sufficient cause! y God's goodness and sev●rity towards England. How many Iron yokes of Oppression hath God already freed the People of this Nation from, through a vast expense of Blood and Treasure? And as for those other Burdens and Impositions that some amongst us do so much complain of, Truly for what I know, They might All have been removed by this time, Had we not either drawn, or continued them upon our selves, by our own z What hinders our present prosperity Love would soon heal all our Breached and ease us 〈◊〉 all our Taxe● unthankefulness, and Disobedience, and unworthy walkings one towards another. The Burden of the people Rights, or 〈…〉 Thirdly, The Burden of the People's Rights or Privileges, that also lies upon the Magistrate: I do not say, That the Rights and Privileges of the People, are a Burden in themselves, or A Burden unto them; But this I may, and do say, That the care of upholding and maintaining, The care of vindicating & increasing, all the several Rights & Privileges of the People; That must needs be a Burden to any man, or men, that shall conscientiously undertake the work, and go through with it accordingly: Especially in *— Serò medicina paratur Cùm mala per longas invaluêre moras. corrupt times, when things are mightily out of frame and order, They that shall industriously set upon, and accordingly prosecute this service, The upholding of that which is present, the vindication of that which is stolen, or taken away, The increasing, or adding of that which is wanting in point of Right or Privilege, They shall find it to be one of the hardest pieces of work that ever men enterprised, and that which will prove a Burden too heavy for them, If the Lord Himself do not mightily assist, or wonderfully come in to help: And yet this Magistrates should, and are bound to do, Virtute Officij, by virtue of their Office; For as a 2 Cor. 11.28 Paul had upon him, the care of all the Churches: so have Magistrates upon them the care of all the People, to see that b In istos fines incumbit Magistratui singularis cura legum & judiciorum, ut comomni justitiá et aequitate, tam constituantur, quam executioni mandentur. Ames. ubi suprà. Justice be done impartially for them, & without respect of persons, and that Nothing be withheld from any one that of right belongs unto him, either for fear, or favour, or upon any other terms whatsoever. Fourthly, The Burden of the people's Discontents. The Burden of the People's Discontents, that also lies upon the Magistrate: If ye road over several Chapters in the Books of Exodus, and Numbers, and there view the Passage of the Children of Israel, from Egypt into Canaan, you shall find that nothing all along, was such a Burden to Moses and Aaron, or such an affliction to them, as the Discontents of the People: True it is, that the wants of the People were exceeding great and many, (& yet no other than such, as the wise God thought fit to exercise them by) sometimes they wanted Bread, and sometimes they wanted Water, and sometimes they wanted c Want of Faith the greatest w●● See for th●● job. 13.15. ● 27.13. L● 22.32. Jo● 36. other 〈◊〉 wants nev●● pinch us t●● our Faith 〈◊〉 ns, Fides 〈…〉 man non ti●●. Hier. If 〈…〉 take away 〈…〉 mear, God 〈…〉 take away 〈…〉 hunger, sa●●● the Marty 〈…〉 Faith, and that was the worst want of all: And in the midst of all the straits that they were under hereby, instead of complaining of themselves, and of their own unworthiness, and unbelief, and undue provocations, They would still be murmuring, and complaining against Moses, and against Aaron, as if they had been the Causes, of all their present sufferings. Instances 〈…〉 the People● Burdenm● Moses & 〈…〉 with their 〈…〉 murmuri● in the 11. ● & 16. Cha● of this Bo● of Number ● A remarkable instance of this their unjust and injurious dealing, ye have not only here in the 11th Chapter, and again in the 16th Chapter of this Book of Numbers, in the matter of Korah, and his Company, But more especially in the 14th Chapter of the same Book, where when the false Spies had brought them news of Giants, and sons of Anak, in the land of Canaan, that would in all likelihood be too hard for them, and that might peradventure come upon them, and kill them, Numb. 14.2. It is there said, A special 〈…〉 stance of 〈…〉 doing so, 〈…〉 Numb. 14 〈…〉 vers. 2. &c 〈…〉 That all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses & Aaron: and the whole Congregation said unto them, Would God we had died in the Land of Egypt, or would God we had died in this Wilderness: And wherefore hath the Lord brought us into this Land to fall by the Sword, that our Wives and our Children should be a prey? Were it not better for us, to return into Egypt? And they said one to another, Let us make a Captain, and let us return into Egypt: And albeit d Vers. 5. Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces before them, and entreated them to be quiet, and not thus male-centent or unruly; And withal, though e vers. 6, 7, 8, 9 Caleb and Joshua (the two good Spies) came in to their assistance, and did all that ever they could, Non persuadebus etiam si persuasevus, Verse 10. to persuade them, yet all would not do, but says the Text, All the Congregation bade stone them with stones, at the 10th Verse of that Chapter. Thus ye see, in what Respects, the Burden of the People, lies upon the Magistrates, In the next place I am to show you, Doct. 2 That no man is any way fit, or able to bear this Burden, but he that hath a Spirit of Government graciously conferred upon him. For the Opening of this, Opened in the Resol. of two Queries. Two things to be inquired; 1. Wherein the Spirit of Government lies? 2ly. Why no man is any way fit or able, to bear the Burdens of the People, in all the particulars mentioned, but he that hath such a Spirit graciously conferred upon him, or vouchsafed unto him? To the former Question, Qu. 1 Wherein the Spirit of Government lies? Answ. A Spirit of Government includes I Answer thus, Such a Spirit includes these ensuing Qualifications: First, A Spirit of wisdom and understanding: of all other men, A Spirit of wisdom and understanding Magistrates had need to be wise men, yea f Col. 1.9. filled with the Spirit of wisdom and understanding; wise as g 2 Sam. 14.17 Angels of light, to discern between good and evil, between Party and Party, between Cause and Cause, between that which is Righteous, and Just, and Good, and that which only appears to be so. Their Wisdom lies more especially in 3. Things; 1 In the knowledge of the Rule, The Mag● strats wise in 3. Thi●● of all Equity and Justice. 2 In Applying Things, to that Rule. 3 In making out, a Right Sentence or Judgement from that Application: In each of which particulars, the Magistrate is to be marvellous exact, and careful. First, In the knowledge of his Rule, In the knowledge oph●● Rule. which is the Law of h Deut. 1● God and men, that he must be well versed in, and know the whole compass of it, that so he may not stagger, or be to seek, but understand fully and clearly, what he may do, or what he may not do in any Case that is brought before him. 2ly. In Applying things to the Rule, In applying things to 〈◊〉 Rule. He should always express both a great deal of Tenderness, and a great deal of Faithfulness. First, A great deal of Tenderness, 1 with T● derness. 〈◊〉 Summum 〈◊〉 Summa in●●● not putting the worst, but rather the best interpretation upon things, Especially where there is but any hope of reclaiming the Offender, in a fair, and gentle, and mild way of Proceeding. But withal, 2 with F●●fulness. as a great deal of Tenderness is to be used, so as much Faithfulness, that neither the Majesty of the Rule, nor yet the Authority of him that Judges by it, may be any way wronged, or prejudiced thereby. And then in making out a right Sentence or Judgement, from such an Application, In making a right Sentence or J●●ment fro●● that App●tion. There must be always great store of wariness and circumspection used: The hand must be steady of itself, and there must be Nothing to jog it: All things are to be so carried with so much clearness, in the making up of any Business, that there may be no just complaining afterward, that every thing was not exactly scanned, or not duly enough considered of, before the Sentence passed: These things are so Essential to a Magistrate, in matters of the greatest moment, that the Omission of any one of them cannot but produce, a world of inconveniences, reflecting very much dishonour, even upon the Office itself: So that, Support 1 This is one main Support, under all the former Burdens, A Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding. Secondly, A Spirit of Courage, and of Might, that's also very requisite in a Magistrate, A Spirit of Courage and of might. That He should not be of a soft effeminate disposition, but of an undaunted Spirit, full of Courage, and Resolution, i Ephes 6.10. Ille enim fortis est qui non in se, sed in Deo fortis est. Aug. Enar. in Ps. 33 strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might: otherwise how shall he be Able to hold up his head against both Wind and Water, against all the whole torrent of Vice, and current of Profaneness, that he shall be sure to meet with, and that he must oppose and cross, in case he would be Faithful: How much k Fortitudo togata, est quâ non tantum in aegritudine etmorbis, in tempestate maris, in Sylvis & incursu la●ronum, sed etiam in ferendis injuijs quibu●nos adversarij afficere conantur, aut afficiunt, illisque non privatâ vindictâ, sed auxilio legum depellendis, animi firmitatem deliberatam retinemus. Polan. Syntag. Theol. lib. 10. cap. 19 fortitude, and valour, and magnanimity ought He to be Possessed of, that shall turn the l Prov. 20.26. wheel over the wicked impartially, and Pluck the Prey out of the Lion's mouth, & rescue the n Isa. 1.17. Oppressed, from the man that is too mighty for him? That shall neglect the frowns, and the fawns, m Job. 29.17. reject the letters and the suits, of this man Rich, and that man Great, and t'other man his Friend, that He may do Justice in his place? He that is sure to go into the Field, and to enter the Lists, with the strongest, and the stoutest, and the subtlest Adversaries, that ever flesh and blood brought forth, shall he be a Coward? He that shall o 1 Cor. 16. ●●. quit himself like a man, in such a service, Had he not need to be an able man? which was the first, and prime Qualification in Jethroes Advice to Moses, Exod. 18.21. The Burden of the work is to heavy for thee, says he to Moses, and p Exo. 18. ●●. thou art not able to perform it thyself alone. Thou shalt therefore provide for thine Assistance out of all the People, Able men, 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 viros virtutis, Vid. Monta●● vers. hic. as Montanus turns it, men of a David-like, or of a Sampson-like Spirit, in the Cause of God, 2 Suppo●● and of all his Faithful people, That's a 2d Support, under all the former Burdens, A Spirit of Courage, and of Might. Thirdly, A Spirit of the fear of the Lord, that's also very requisite in a Magistrate; A Spirit o● the Fear o● Lord. He that Ruleth over men must be just, Ruling in the fear of God, says David, 2 Sam. 23.3. Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the People, Able men, and such as Fear God, says Jethro to Moses, Exod. 18.21. Such as fear God, not with a slavish, but with a filial, not with a vicious, but with a gracious fear: In short take it thus; Quid est qu●● Sapientia C●stiani? Q●●nisi Timor, 〈◊〉 Amer Chri●● Salvian. ad Eccles. Cathol. Lib. 4. Fides facit formidinem, formido facit solic● nem, solicitudo facit perseverantiam. Tertul. contr. Martion. The Consideration of his Presence, who is q 1 Tim. 6.15. King of Kings, & Lord of Lords, the great & the only Potentate, All Eye to see, and All Ear to hear, and All Hand to punish every disobedience; This should awe the Magistrate continually, and make him afraid, to r Exod. 23.3. patronise the Nocent, to s Deut. 24.17 pervert the Cause of the Innocent, to t Prov. 17.15. justify the Wicked, to condemn the Righteous, u 1 Sam. 8.3 to take Bribes, to w Prov. 28.21 accept Persons, to x Mat. 18.6. offend any of the little ones of God: He that truly fears God, dares not do any of these things, and why? But Because he knows all such Practices as these are, to be an Abomination to that God, who is a y Heb. 12.29 consuming fire, and that hath provided z Isa. 30.33. Tophet for Princes, and great ones, aswel as for those of a meaner rank and Quality: This therefore may well go for a 3d Support under all the former Burdens. Support. 3 A Spirit of the Fear of the Lord. Fourthly, A Spirit of Truth and Faithfulness, that's also very requisite in a Magistrate, A Spirit of Truth and Faithfulness. without which, all the other Qualifications that I have mentioned already, are but shadows of Honour, and of no worth at all: Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts. Ps. 51.6. for though a man be reputed never so wise, a man, never so courageous, and stout, and Able a man, yea, never so Pious and Religious a man; Veritatem quam scripfit in cord hominis quia non legebatur in cord, iteravit Deus in Tabulis, ut voce fornisecùs admotâ rediret ad cor, & ibi inveniret, quod extrà legeret. Lombard, Sentent. lib. 3. Distinct. 37. Though his Name be up, and his Credit never so great, for all these things, for Wisdom, for Courage, for Pretty, yet if these things be not in him of a Truth, If there be Nothing to Confide in, or Nothing looked after, but an Appearance, or an outward show of these things: Such a one is but the Picture of a Magistrate. He is no more a Magistrate in Reality, or in propriety of speech, than a painted man's a man: But He that is a Magistrate indeed, God's Vicegerent indeed, He is a a Exo. 18.2 man of Truth, one that knows the truth, and that loves the truth b Non solùm verum opponi● tur falso, et v● ritas mendac●● verùm etiam 〈◊〉 significat sin●● rum et simpl● cem, et oppor●tur fucato et 〈◊〉 mulato. Zan● de Nat. D●● lib. 3. cap. 3 〈◊〉 Both ways, both in opposition to falsehood, and likewise in opposition to hypocrisy; one that hates with a perfect hatred, All those Hiding places of Iniquity, All those dens, and thickets, and coverts of deceitful dealing, that others have to lie down in; And in all particular Cases, Suits, and Controversies whatsoever, He counts it his greatest honour to sift out the truth, to maintain the truth, and to cleave unto it inseparably; still saying, Amicus Pla● Amicus Soc● tes, sed mag● Amica very as He did of old most worthily, Such a one is my Friend, and such a one my Friend, Socrates my Friend, and Plato my Friend, But Truth's my best, and my dearest Friend, and with that in my Bosom, I intent to live and die: This I mention, 4 Supp●●● as a 4th Support, under all the former Burdens: A Spirit of Truth, and Faithfulness. Fifthly, A Spirit of Heavenly-mindedness, A Spirit o● Heavenly-mindedne●● that's also very requisite in a Magistrate, which is the concluding Passage in Jethroes Advice to Moses, Moreover, thou shalt Provide out of all the people, Able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating Covetousness, I pray mark; He does not only say, Let Rulers or Magistrates abstain from Covetousness, or fly from Covetousness, that's not his language; But let them says he, be such as c Exo. 18. ●● Quoniam 〈◊〉 pturimum ● duntur ins● judicibus, ob quaestu, no● 'tis munitie● contra hoc g g●●corruptelae ●●avaritiam ●●professo det●●rentur. Ca●● in loc. Reason's 〈…〉 Magistrat●● should H●●● Covetousness hate Covetousness: Now Hatred that reaches as far as it can, after the Nonbeing of the thing Hated: As Love desires the life, and the preservation, so Hatred the death, and destruction, of that which is the Object of it: And indeed, Great Reason there is for it, why Magistrates above all other men, should be Haters of Covetousness, why they should Hate that evil more than any other evil. First, Reason. 1 Because it is a Sin that God hates, Therefore should they Hate it: It is a Vice that God Abhors, Therefore should they Abhor it: Psal. 10.3. The wicked boasteth of his hearts desire, and blesseth the Covetous whom the Lord Abhorreth: Does the d Ezr. 5.11. God of Heaven abhor the Covetous, and shall not the e Psal. 82.6. gods upon earth abhor to be Covetous? Secondly, Reas. 2 The Magistrate is to Hate the evil, and to love the good, or else He cannot Establish Judgement in the Gate, as ye may see from Am. 5.15. Though He is not to hate the Person of the evil, any where, yet he is to hate the evil of the Person every where: But he is so far from hating every evil, that he does not so much as hate any evil, that does not hate Covetousness, for that is so deep, and so dangerous, and so comprehensive an evil, that it hath all evil at the bottom of it; It is says the Apostle, f 1 Tim. 6.10 Radix excisos semper densius reparat ramos. Evellenda est ergò radix nè rami superfluè excidantur. Hier. in loc. The root of all Evil. And therefore to be g Rev. 14.3. redeemed from the Earth, and from a h 1 Pet. 1.18. vain Conversation, here below, and to have a Spirit set upon i Col. 3.2. Heavenly things, more than upon Earthly: Support. 5 This is another main Support, under all the former Burdens. And thus ye see, what kind of Spirit that is, which God bestows upon those whom he does prepare for Government, A Spirit of Wisdom, and of Courage, and of the Fear of the Lord, and of Truth, and of Heavenly-mindedness: Magistrates must be men of Understanding, and men of Valour, and men of Truth, and men that Fear God, and men that Hate Covetousness. Now for that other Question already propounded, Qu. 2 Why No man is any way fit or able to bear the Burdens that have been mentioned, but He that hath such a Spirit as this, graciously conferred upon him? Answ. The Reasons of it are Two: First, Because of the great weakness, Two Reas● of the Doctrine. of the Creatures own Spirit: And 2ly. Because of the great and mighty strength of a Spirit thus underpropped, or sustained, and upheld, by the Spirit of the living God. The Creatures own Spirit is so weak, and so feeble, and so full of sores naturally, The extre weakness oh the Creatu own Spirit so full of Ignorance and Folly, and Cowardice, and Athiesme, and Hypocrisy, and Earthly-mindedness, that it's able to bear Nothing, just Nothing at all, every small and light Burden is too heavy for it. But the Spirit of God, The invin● strength o● God's Spir● Placitum D● necessitàs se● tur volum●● comitatur ●f●● ctus. Tho●. B●●dward●● de●●lau●● lib. ●. cap. ● hath invincible strength in it, and such as cannot possibly be, either k ●●a. 31. 3●. resisted, or repelled, or outvyed by all the Power of the creatures, k ●●a. 31. 3●. The Horses of Egypt are flesh, and not Spirit, says the Prophet, that was an Argument of their great weakness, That they were flesh, and not Spirit. And on the other side, l Zach. 4. ●. Who art thou o great Mountain says God? before Zerubbabel thou shalt become a plain, and He shall bring f●rth the head stone of the Building with shootings, and they shall cry, Grace, Grace unto it: yea, But how shall this be done? Not by Might, nor by Power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts; intimating, That what Created Might and Strength could not do, The Spirit of the Lord alone was able to effect. Thus than ye see, the Burdens that are upon Magistrates, the Supports that they have, under those Burdens, and the Necessity of those Supports. The Use of this is Threefold: It serves, 1 By way of Information. 2 By way of Admonition. 3 By way of Direction. By way of Instruction, Use. 1 or Information, This follows from hence, By way of Information shows us three things. in the first place, That there is No calling whatsoever, though never so high, and honourable, but it hath its Burdens; Ever since m Rom. 5.12. Sin entered into the world, That no outward calling is unburdensome. and God said unto man, n Gen. 3.19. In the sweat of thy face, Thou shalt eat thy Bread, o Eccles. 1.8. All things are full of labour, from the Sheephook to the Sceptre, No calling unburdensome, The Crowns of Princes are glistering things, but they are many times lined with Cares, In omni honore est onus, every Dignity hath a Burdensome duty waiting upon it: yea, and the higher, or the more noble, & excellent any outward Employment is, the greater are its Burdens, which hath always made, men of Note and Worth, to shun and decline those Places, all that ever they could, and very unwilling to come at them, as being sensible of their own great weakness, and insufficiency to bear the Burden of them: Perhaps an p Judg. 9.2. Abimelech, or an Absalon, or some such worthless fellows as those were, may covet such Places, and earnestly sue for them, saying as one of them did, q 1 Sam. 15.4. Anon eligendi de toto orbe orbem judicaturi? Sanè huic negotio non se ingerat rogans. Alius pro alio, alius forcè et pro se rogat: Pro quo rogaris, sit suspectus, Qui ipse rogat pro se, jam judicatus est. Nec interest per se, an per alium quis roget. Bern de. consid. lib. 4. cap. 4. o that I were made Judge in the Land, that every one that hath any Cause or Suit might come to me: whereas others that know the weight of Magistracy, & that do withal consider the Burdens that are upon it. They can by no means be persuaded to buckle with it, until they see A clear call from God and men inviting them thereunto, and then they dare not but appear, when the great voice from Heaven says, r Rev. Come up hither, 'tis an evil modesty to draw back, or to s 1 Sam. 1● hid behind the stuff. 2ly. Let us from hence take notice, The g● of Go● that he to any Implo of the loving kindness and tender mercy of our God, in affording such sweet Supports, & comfortable Supplies, unto all that are to bear the weight, of any great Employment, God never lays heavy Burdens upon any, but where he gives shoulders exactly suitable, or fully proportionable to those Burdens: He says to all his, that are under any straight or exigence whatsoever, t Deu● The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are mine everlasting Arms: The God of Wisdom hath provided wisdom, and provided courage, and provided the fear of his Name, and Truth of heart, and Hatred of Covetousness, for every Magistrate that is of his own choosing, and that hath but a mind, to these heavenly Qualifications, He hath laid up all these u Joh. 1● Graces, in his Son, the w Mat. Son of his love, and from thence they are to be issued forth by his Spirit unto all that stand in need of them, & that do withal unfeignedly desire, to be made partakers of them. 3ly. Ye may from hence learn, How ● nor the of Lon● whole mon-W● of Engl how to Honour the City of LONDON, and consequently how to Honour the whole Commonwealth of England, The way lies plainly before you, and it is this, If there were but a strict Course taken to Seclude the Ignorant, and the Timorous, and the Profane and the Falsehearted, and the Covetous, from Bearing any Office: N● If every Justice of Peace in City and Country had but Jethroes Qualifications, were they All such as they should be, Able men, and men that fear God, and men of truth, and men that hate Covetousness, what a blessed Return of things, should we then see immediately? then indeed, our x Isa. 60.17. Officers would be Peace, and our Exactors Righteousness: upon this Account we should certainly be the most famous renowned People, that ever the Sun shined upon. But ye will say to me perhaps, Object. What do you telling us of such an Utopian Commonwealth as this? Alas! where should we have men thus well disposed, or thus highly and nobly Qualified, either in City or Country, though we should search, and inquire, never so diligently after them? To that I Answer Two things, Answ. First it must indeed be acknowledged, Men rightly qualified hard ●o come by. That men thus qualified, were always very hard to come by; heretofore they were very choice Commodities, very rare Creatures, & truly so they are still: ● jer. time, In Jeremy's time they were so, Jer. 5.1. Run ye too and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, & know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth Judgement, And 〈◊〉 Ezek. time, that seeketh the truth, and I will Pardon it, says the Lord: 'Twas so in Ezekiel's time also, Ez. 22.29, 30. The People of the land have used Oppression, says God, and exercised Robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy, yea they have Oppressed the stranger wrongfully, And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the Land, And ●t all other ●imes. that I should not destroy it, but I found none: And so at other times, and in other places: It's a known story concerning the Cynic that came into the Market place, Diog. Laert. at noontide, with a Candle and a Lantern in his hand, And when they asked him what he made there in that posture? I seek for a man says he: A man! They told him, there were men enough to be had, for he was in the midst of a crowd of People; Yea says he, that's true, Homines video, sed virum desidero, Here are men enough, but here's never A such a man as I would have: very certain it is, that men of wisdom, and men of courage, & men that fear God, and men of truth, and men that hate covetousness, as they are the choicest, so they are the rarest Creatures, in all the whole world. But 2ly. Though men rightly Qualified were heretofore, and are still, exceeding hard to come by, yet be not wholly discouraged from entering upon the work of Reforming those who should be A means, to help Reform others, Difficulties must not di● hearten fr● known and necessary ●●ties, rather quicken t●● unto. Do but come as near this Pattern as you can, for the present, and so come up to it by degrees, by little and little, For in corrupt declining times, it cannot be expected, That the y Isa. 66.8. Earth should bring forth such a Blessing as this, in one day, or that a Nation thus blessed, should be born at once: as the Prophet in another case, Do you in the City here, but begin to the several Counties, in the way of this Mercy, Longa per p● cepta via, exempla br● & see whether they would not follow you, who can tell what a powerful effect, such a good example from hence might have, upon all the Nations besides. In the next place, That which hath been said, 2 Use f●● Admoniti●● to Magistral themselves may serve by way of Admonition, to Magistrates themselves: Remember I Beseech you (Right Honourable, and Right Worshipful) the Burdens that are upon you, & upon others in the same condition with better than themselves, By all means take heed of impowering such, unless ye mean to ruin all, For (Alas) how unfit are they to Rule a City, or to Rule in a City, that have no manner of Power, over their own unruly Spirits, I conclude my Advice to you, as m Exo. 18.23 Jethro did his to Moses, If ye shall do all these things, that I have now made known to you from the Word of Truth, God Commanding you so, Then shall ye be Able to endure, and All this People shall go to their place in peace. FINIS. ERRATA. PAG. 9 after the Note out of Aquin. for Act. 5. read Art. 5. Pag. 10. line 21. for Megiddor, read Megiddo. Pag. 31. in the Note out of Calvin. for ee. read ex.