A sermon preached at the minster in Yorke at the assizes there holden, the thirtieth day of March, 1663 / by Thomas Bradley ...

Job 29.14, 15, 16, 17.

I put on righteouſneſſe and it clothed me: my judgment was as a Robe and a Diadem.

I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame.

I was a father to the poor: the cauſe which I knew not, I ſearched out.

I brake the Jawes of the wicked, and pluckt the prey out of his teeth.

HEre's a high teſtimony in this Text of ſome Honorable Perſon, but who that was, this text does not tell us; ſurely he was a perſon of great Authority and power, an eminent Magiſtrate, a Judge at the leaſt, perhaps a King; nay without perhaps, the learned Expoſitors upon the Booke of Job tell us that Job was a King, Non dubito quin Job Rex ſuerit in oriente; (ſaith Didacus) I nothing doubt, but Job was a King in the Eaſt: and if you read over the Inventory of his Goods and ſubſtance, Job 1. you will find that it was ſo great that it might well become the State of one of the Kings in thoſe places, and parts of the world in thoſe times; and as Moſes was a King in Jeſhurun, ſo himſelfe tells us of himſelfe, in the laſt verſe of this Chapter, that he dwelt amongſt them as a King in the Army; and to go no farther then the Text, we ſee him here clothed with his Regalia, his Royall Robes and his Diadem: And yet all this Greatneſſe (& which is more his Goodneſs too, added to it, & joyn'd with it) could not ſecure, nor protect him from the ſtrangeſt change that ye have heard of, and from the ſtate of high Majeſty, to the loweſt eſtate of Miſery that man could be capable of; here you ſee him in the text, in State and Majeſty, ſitting upon the Throne, executing Judgment and Juſtice unto the people, and by and by look upon him in the firſt of Job, and you find him ſitting upon the dunghill, ſtript of all thoſe Robes of royalty and of glory, and ſcraping his ulcerous body with a pot-ſheard, to day the richeſt man in all the Eaſt, and to morrow the pooreſt man in all the world, Irus & eſt ſubitò qui modò Craeſus erat.

This is all the hold we have of the things of this world, all the aſſurance we have of our temporalls, riches, honour, power, glory, all that this world can give, or lend, they take themſelves to the wings and fly away, and leave us in worſe caſe then they found us: you know the ſtory of the rich man in the Goſpell, Luke 15. in the abundance of theſe things he ſings a Requiem to his ſoul, Soul take thy eaſe, thou haſt goods laid up for many years; alas poor man he dreames of many years, and (God know's) he hath not many hours to live, this night (ſaith the Text) they ſhall ſetch away thy ſoul; and then whoſe ſhall theſe things be? nay, whoſe ſhalt thou be?

But howſoever this was Job's comfort in the day of his calamity that when things were better with him, and when he was in his proſperity and power, he carried himſelfe as he ſhould do, and laid them both forth to do good in his generation; the remembrance whereof now is a great comfort to him, and upon which he feeds with much joy, and content. A rare example for all great Ones, yea for the beſt of men in their beſt eſtate, when they are in proſperity, and power, and have time, and opportunity, and ability to doe good, that they improve it, and take the advantage of it, to do all the good they can; to doe good while they have time, as St. Paul admoniſheth us Gal. 6.9, 10. to do ſomething, the remembrance whereof may be a cordiall and a comfort to them, in the day of their diſtreſſe; this was Hezekiah's comfort in the day of his viſitation: Iſaiah 38.3. Remember now O Lord I beſeech thee, how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart; This was his food and his beſt Phyſick, very ſoveraigne for the lightning of his Croſſe, and the ſweetning of the bitterneſſe of affliction; and ſo ſhall wee find it to be too in ſuch a day, Conſcientia benè actae vitae, mul • orum que bene factorum recordatio jucundiſſima eſt; the conſcience of a life well ſpent, and the remembrance of much good done by us in time of our proſperity, (when we had time to do it) is ſweet and precious: Job found it ſo here in the Text, and his minde ranne upon it with much ſatisfaction and content; I put on Juſtice and it clothed me: I was eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame &c.

But admit all this, doth Job well to commend himſelfe for it? Let another man praiſe thee, and not thy ſelfe, a ſtranger, and not thine own lipps: Pro: 27.2. 'Tis true, the praiſe of a man ſounds better out of anothers mouth, then of his own; yet there are ſome caſes wherein it is not expedient only, but neceſſary for a man to ſpeak in his own praiſe; where ſilence againſt fowl and falſe accuſations may be interpreted a confeſſion, then it is but neceſſary that a man ſhould ſtand upon his own juſtification: if another man do a man open wrong, 'tis but reaſon that he ſhould do himſelfe open right, by inſiſting upon his own juſt vindication; and whatſoever ſeeming vanity or oftentation there may appear to be in it, they are juſtly to be charged with it that compell us to it, not we that did it: I am become a fool in boaſting myſelfe, but ye have compelled me. 2 Cor: 12.11. This was Job's caſe at this time, (ſeeing God had turn'd his hand againſt him, and broken down his hedges that he had made about him) wicked and uncharitable men, begin to cenſure him and to charge him with many and fowl and falſe calumnies and aſpertions, that all the fair ſhewes that he had made of. Juſtice and piety, were but hypocriſie; and certainly he was all this while but a wicked man, and now God had found him out, and puniſh't him for it; nay (to lay his accuſation the more cloſe and home) they fall to inſtances, and charge him with particulars, clean contrary to theſe vertues that here he mentions, Thou haſt taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and ſtripped the naked of their cloathing; thou haſt not given water to the weary to drink, and thou haſt witholden bread from the hungry. Job 22.6, 7. In ſuch a caſe of calumny, can any man blame the good man if he do inſiſt more then ordinarily in his juſt vindication, by putting in his juſt defence againſt their unjuſt allegations, for the clearing of his uprightneſſe, innocency and integrity, as in the Text; Where by the way let us take up this Obſervation,

Obſer. That there's not the wiſeſt, the juſteſt, nor the uprighteſt Magiſtrate that can with all his integrity, juſtice, or ſincerity, free himſelfe from the calumnies and obloquies of wicked, and unreaſonable men.

Was there ever a juſter Magiſtrate then Moſes was, that governed the people by immediate direction from God himſelfe, yet how often do we hear that unthankfull people murmuring againſt him and againſt Aaron, many times were ready to ſtone them? what do we thinke of Solomon the wiſeſt of the ſonns of men, Jedidiah, the beloved of the Lord, who had the priviledge to ask at the hand of God what he would, and had what he ask't, a ſpirit of wiſedome and underſtanding that he might wiſely go in and out before the people; 1 Kings 3.5. yet what grumblings, and murmurings of the people were there under his governement? in what a mutinous manner doe they come to Rehoboam the young King, with their ſeditious petition, 1 Kings 12.4. Make our yoke eaſier, and our burthen lighter, thy Father made our yoke grievous, and our burthen heavy: belike the had charged them with ſome Carts and Carriages to fetch home ſome of the materialls that were for the building of the Temple; or required ſome Contribution toward the charge of that great work; and oh what a grievance this was! make thou our yoke eaſier, and burthen lighter. So when Kings, and Princes, and great Magiſtrates have done their beſt, and laid out themſelves with their utmoſt endeavours for the good of their people, and made it their very ſtudy, and their buſineſſe to preſerve their peace, and to guide them with a faithfull and a true heart, and to rule them prudently with all their power; This is the thanks they have from unworthy people, to be clamour'd upon, to be charged with Tyrany, oppreſſion, and cruelty; if any thing be amiſſe in a whole Kingdome, if all parties be not pleaſed (which is impoſſible) preſently they fall upon the Rulers, and Governours, (not ſparing the higheſt) when (God knowes) the cauſe of thoſe diſtempers are in themſelves. 2 Sam: 24.1. we read, that God was angry with Iſraell and he moved David to number the people: here was a great judgement in the Land, it ſwept away in three dayes threeſcore and tenne thouſand of the Subjects: marke how this plague took its riſe, it was in the people; God was angry with Iſraell, and he moved David to muſter the people; his anger was not againſt David, but againſt Iſraell: 'twas the cold of the feet that ſtrucke up to the head, and cauſed that diſtemper. But let not Kings nor Magiſtrates be diſcouraged in the execution of their Offices, and performance of the duties of their High-calling for all this: let them not thinke the worſe of themſelves for the obloquies of thoſe mutinous tongues that ſpeake evill of them; but let them remember, they are under the care of him that is able to deliver them from the ſtrivings of the people, and under the protection of that mighty power which is able to ſtill the raging of the Sea; and the madneſſe of the people (as raging as it is when they ſet a madding) and will ſubdue the people that is under them: Pſal: No man could have greater diſcouragements and affronts then this holy Ruler had; yet the more they oppoſed or reſiſted the greater courage did he take unto himſelfe to ſuppreſſe their inſolencies; for which purpoſe, He put on Juſtice and it clothed him: and his judgement was as a Robe and a Diadem, &c.

In which words we have a perfect Character of a worthy Magiſtrate, a Prince, a King, any in high place and power, to execute judgement: and it conſiſts of four Parts; 1. His love to Juſtice, with his zeal, care, and conſcience duly to execute it, in the 14 verſe: I put on Juſtice and it cloathed me, and my Judgment was a Robe and as a Diadem upon me. 2. His inclination to mercy & compaſſion, where he found ſtirr Objects for it, in the 15 verſe: I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame; and a father to the poor. 3. His paines and patience, his care and diligence, in examining of the Cauſes that came before him; for finding out of the truth, that ſo he might give judgment in them without error: in the later part of the 16 verſe, The cauſe which I knew not I ſearched out. 4. His courage in executing juſtice and judgment upon offenders, when he had by diligent ſearch found them guilty, though they were never ſo great, or never ſo inſolent, never ſo mighty; I brake the jaws of the wicked, and I pluckt the preyout of his teeth. Firſt, He pluckt the prey out of their teeth, by cauſing them to make reſtitution and ſatisfaction for the wrong they had done: And ſecondly, he break their jaws that they ſhould do ſo no more. Of theſe (ſomething in the order propoſed) as the time and buſineſſe of the day will permit.

And firſt, of the firſt part of his character, in his love, and care, and zeal to execute Juſtice and Judgment, expreſt in the words of the 14 verſe I put on Juſtice, and it cloathed me, and my Judgement was as a Robe and as a Diadem upon me. In which words are expreſt two things concerning the Magiſtrate; firſt, his Office; ſecondly his Honour: his Office, in theſe words, I put on Juſtice and it clothed me; his Honour in theſe words, my Judgment was as a Robe and as a Diadem: in the former we have his duty, and in the latter his dignity: the former is intimated to us by this expreſſion of putting on Juſtice, and being clothed with it; a metaphor which the Scripture much delighteth in: Put ye on the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: Rom: 13.14. Put on bowells of mercy: Coloſſ: 3. Put on the whole armour of God. Epheſ: 6. ſo in the Text here, I put on Juſtice and it clothed me; intimating thereby, that look what clothing is to the body, that was Juſtice unto him. Now we put on clothes for theſe three uſes; firſt, to cover our nakedneſſe, and ſo they are indumenta, for a covering; ſecondly, to protect us from the injury of the weather, and ſo they are munimenta, for defence: thirdly, for comelineſſe and decency, and ſo they are ornamenta, for ornaments: and as cloths are all this to the body, ſo are all vertues to the mind; and ſuch was juſtice and judgement to Job, and is to every worthy Magiſtrate: from hence ariſe's this point or Obſervation.

Obſ: 1. That it is the great duty or office, of great Princes, Rulers, and Magiſtrates to execute Juſtice and Judgement unto the people.

Our Lord Jeſus Chriſt (the fountaine of Honour and Power, from whom all Kings and Princes derive that power which they have) accounts it his great honour and office to execute Judgment and Juſtice; for of him doth the Father ſay, Faithfulneſſe ſhall be the cloathing of his reins, and righteouſneſſe the girdle of his loynes: and when his titles of Honour are reckoned up, Iſa, 9. this is not the leaſt of them, that he ſhall ſitt upon the Throne of David, and upon his Kingdom, to order & to eſtabliſh it; and to execute Juſtice & Judgment for ever; wh (by theſe his Deputies, & Vice-gerents) he does to this day: and what greater Honour, Power, and Truſt can be committed to them? or how can they better lay out themſelues, then in the faithfull diſcharge of it? it is the very object of their calling, the ſumm and ſubſtance of their duty; the end why God hath exalted them above other men, anoynted them with the oyle of honour above their Fellows, put a greater meaſure of his Spirit upon them, ſtampt a clearer impreſſion of his Image upon them, that ſo they may rule with the greater Authority, and the people ſubmit unto them with all that due reverence and obedience, that belongs unto them.

And as it is their great duty to adminiſter Juſtice, and to execute Judgment unto us; ſo it is our great benefit that God hath appointed ſuch an Ordinance among us, and given ſuch power unto men for the good of us all: without, it what would become of us? without it, what would become of our liberty, our property, our peace, our ſecurity? which of us could call any thing our own, or ſecure our ſelves of our lives for one hour? it is by the execution of Juſtice and Judgement that we live; it is by the benefit of juſtice that we enjoy any thing we have, that we ſit every man quiet under his own Vine, and his own Fig-tree, and eat the fruit of our labours. Oh therefore bleſſe God for Government, for the adminiſtration of juſtice and judgement amongſt us: Pray for them to whom the power is committed to execute it; give them all encouragement, that they may do it with chearfulneſſe; and ſhew your thankfulneſſe to them by yeilding all due reverence and obedience to their juſt commands. And ſo I paſſe from the Office to the Honour, from the Duty to the Dignity of the Magiſtrate, intimated in thoſe Enſignes of honour which he wore, the Robe, and the Diadem. —My judgement was as a Robe, and a Diadem.

It aprears by this expreſſion, that in thoſe times, and thoſe parts of the world, (ſcarce yet throughly civiliz'd) yet they had Government, they had Magiſtrates among them: not only reaſon, but nature it ſelfe taught the neceſſity of them, inaſmuch as in all Nations (though otherwiſe never ſo barbarous) the uſe of them was taken up.

It appears further, that when they went forth to fit in the Gate, or upon the Bench, or the Throne to execute judgement, they were clothed with garments of honour, and wore ſuch Enſignes of Authority and power, as might well become the dignity of their Office and Calling: ſo we read of King Priamus, Hoc Priami gest amea erat cum jura vocatis More dabat populis: Virgill, in the 8. of his Aehids. — Theſe Robes did Priamus wear when he gave Lawes and adminiſtred Juſtice to the people: and when Solomon gave judgement; we read that he ſate upon a magnificent Throne, and was clothed with royall Robes and ornaments, anſwerable to his royal State, 1 King: And this is neceſſary; firſt, for State and Dignity, when God had called Aaron to the honour and office of the high preiſt, he commanded Moſes to give direction, for the making of him rich garments, the richeſt that could be made, both for the materials, and the workmanſhip; for the materials, they were to be of Purple, and fine Linnen, Gold, and Silver, and precious ſtones; and for the workmanſhip, it was of Embroidery, and that ſo curious, that the world did not afford men cunning enough to work it, but Almighty God did endue two choſen men, (Bezaleel and Aholiab) with a ſpecial and extraordinary ſpirit for that purpoſe; and when all was ſo done, the Lord tells us, that this was, the ſpeciall uſe of them, they were to be made for Aaron, for Beauty and for Glory. Exod: 28.2.

Secondly, They were for diſtinction; as for beauty and glory, ſo for diſtinction: God did not make the world levell at the firſt, nor never meant it ſhould be ſo, and although he made all men of one mettle, yet he did not caſt them all in one mould; he hath made ſome high, and ſome low, ſome rich, and ſome poor; ſome to command, and ſome to obey; upon ſome he hath put a greater meaſure of his Spirit, then upon others; ſome he hath endued with extraordinary gifts above others, giſts of wiſdome, underſtanding, and knowledge, whereby he hath fitted and enabled them for high Callings, Offices, and Employments above others; and as there is this internal difference between one man and another, ſo it is agreeable to reaſon, that there ſhould be ſome viſible enſigns of it, whereby it may outwardly appear to others: nature it ſelfe hath taught a difference and diſtinction of men, one from another; and even in this Kingdome before clothes were in uſe (any more then ſuch as the Inhabitants clothed the nether parts of their bodies with, and they were the ſkinns of wild beaſts,) they did viſibly declare a diſtinction among themſelves, by the painting of the upper parts of their bodies: hence thoſe that were acknowledged for Primes among them, and great men, bore in the painting of their bodies, one the Sunn, another the Moon, another the picture of the Lyon, another the Eagle, and ſo of other creatures; from whence our great Engliſh Antiquary conjectures that this Iſland took its name to be called Brittania, from the ancient Brittiſh-word Brith, which ſignifies Painted; and the Greek 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 , which ſignifieth a Region or Country: as if he ſhould ſay Regio pictorum, the Region of painted men. Upon this account is it, that Kings have their Crowns, Biſhops their Mitres, Nobles their Ermins, Judges their Robes, and we (of the Univerſity) our ſeverall Hoods and Habits, (according to our Degrees) for Dignity, and diſtinction.

Thirdly, That their very preſence may ſtrike an awfull reverence in thoſe that are to be governed by them: Cultus magnificus addit hominibus authoritatem; ſays Quintillian, Inſtitut: lib. 1. They ſpeak Majeſty, Power and Authority in them that wear them, and adde (in the eſtimation of the people) glory and honour, to thoſe that are clothed with them: And ſtate, and magnificence to the actions that are done in them.

Fourthly, They are documents to them that wear them, and put them in mind what they are, and what they have to do; and admoniſh them to carry in them that ſtate and gravity that becomes them, and ſo to demeane themſelves that they may be a greater honour to their Robes, then their Robes are to them.

Upon all theſe accounts, how unreaſonable are the exceptions of vain and ſordid men againſt them, who look upon them with an envious, and an evill eye, and charge them with vanity, and oſtentation, and ſuch as might well be ſpared? ſurely had theſe men been in Moſes's time, they would have control'd the wiſedome of God, in appointing ſuch rich Garments to be made for Aaron with an ad quid haec perditio? what needs this waſt? whereto is all this coſt? they would have told us, that God is a ſpirit, and that Aaron ſhould have worſhipped him in ſpirit and in truth; and if he did ſo, it were all one whether he did Miniſter in a pair of linnen, or of letherne Breeches an Ephod, or a Miller's jacket: and ſo I leave this firſt part of the Character, and come to the ſecond, His inclination to mercy & compaſſion where he found fit objects for it, in that he was Eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, and to the poor a Father.

Under theſe three ſorts of people are comprehended all ſuch poor, impotent, helpleſſe people of what ſort or kind ſoever, which ſtand in need of our help and relief. And if I take the words litterally, and ſo plead the cauſe of ſuch, I ſhall therein do the Text no wrong; for how do the ſtreets ſwarme with ſuch? how are the high-wayes and hedges lin'd with them? beſides, how many Hoſpitalls, and Almes-houſes are there full of ſuch, founded by the piety and charity of mercifull men for their releif, yet (what by the cruelty and covetuouſneſs of ſome, what by the negligence and unfaithfulneſſe of others intruſted for them, what through the inabilty of thoſe that are in them to helpe themſelves) ſhamefully wronged and defrauded, and the meanes belonging to them in a ſecond, or third generation (well nigh) quite extinguiſhed: now (in ſuch caſes) for the Magiſtrate to looke upon them with a mercifull eye, and provide for their releife, by reviving wholeſome Lawes made for that purpoſe, by ſetting on foot the Commiſſions for pious and charitable uſes, and taking care to the due execution of them, is certainly a work not only of Juſtice but of mercy too, well worthy the care of a worthy Magiſtrate, by which he ſhall become as Job in the text, Eyes to the Blind, feet to the lame, and to the poor a father.

But Job had a farther meaning in this Expreſſion then this; he ſpeakes Metaphorically; by the blind, doth Job underſtand the ignorant man, by the lame, the impotent man, and by the poor the indigent man: and they all equally ſtand in need of help. The blind man hath leggs good enough to walk with, but he wants eyes to ſee his way; and ſo he muſt neceſſarily fall into one of theſe two miſchiefs, or both, either to erre out of the way, or to ſtumble and fall in it; the lame man hath eyes good enough to ſee his way, but he wants leggs to go in it, and ſo is in as ill caſe as the other: the poor man may have both his eyes, and his limbs, and yet being poor, and wanting a purſe to carry on his buſineſſe, he is in as ill a condition as any of the other: the worthy Magiſtrate is a releif to them all, and ſupplies them with thoſe helps that are moſt ſuitable to their ſeveral neceſſities; Ignorantem dirigendo, impotentem ſupportando, indigentem ſublevando; by directing the ignorant, ſupporting the impotent, and relieving the indigent, and thus make good the Character here in the Text, and becomes Eyes to the blind, feet to the lame, and to the poor a father. The ignorant man hath a good Cauſe, but wants ſkill to mannage it, wants eyes to ſpy out all thoſe niceties which (in his proceedings, and carrying of it on) might deſtroy it; and indeed he had need of good eyes indeed, that can ſpy out all the windings and turnings, the niceties, quirks, quillets, quidities, that a good Cauſe may be ſubiect to, and yet ther's not the leaſt of theſe, (ſuppoſe the miſdateing a Declaration, miſtaking a Name, or mis-ſpelling of it, vitium ſcriptoris, or ſome ſuch ſlight matter) but it ſhall be pleaded to the deſtruction of the whole buſineſſe; and the poor Clyent ſhall be forc't either to looſe his Cauſe, or to put his Cap to daying (as we uſe to ſay) or to fetch it about again, and again upon ſome ſuch other light and ſlight Cauſe, till he become weary of his Suite, and his life too, and chuſe rather to ſit down and to looſe all, then to hazard the recovery of it, by a remedy worſe then the diſeaſe: now in ſuch a caſe for a Magiſtrate to lend an eye to the blind, is certainly on Act not only of Juſtice, but of Mercy too, and of pure charity. And here by the way, let me propoſe it to you nimble-Pleaders as a caſe of conſcience, whether in ſuch a caſe (when you ſee the Cauſe clearly againſt you, truth and equity on the other party,) for the love of a Fee, or to advantage a Clyent you may lawfully undertake in it, and ſet your witts upon the tenters to find out ſome ſuch ſlight errors or miſtakes to overthrow it, and to uſe your cunnings againſt your conſcience to the perverting of judgment. And ſo I paſſe from the blind to the lame, another ſort of impotent People here quartered in the next room of this Spittle in the Text; I was eyes to the blind, and limbs to the lame.

The former ſort of impotent people we ſpake of, wanted eyes to ſee, theſe want limbes to walke; and ſo are in as ill a caſe as they: for though they ſee their way never ſo well, yet if they want leggs and limbs to goe, there may they ſit ſtill and periſh, and without helpe muſt needs do ſo; look what the want of leggs is to an impotent man for walking, ſuch is the want of means to any man to carry on his buſineſſe in any undertaking: for inſtance, In the military way Rabſhakeh ſays truly 2. Kings 18.20. Wiſedome and Counſell are for the warre, they are the eyes; but let thoſe be never ſo good to contrive, yet if they want men, munition and moneys (they are the leggs or ſinewes of warre, as we call them) they will make but ſlow marches or Progreſſe in their undertakings; even ſuch as a man would do in a journey travelling without leggs, or with leggs without ſinewes: Hāniball in his warr againſt the Romans found it ſo; and for this we may (if we pleaſe) multiply inſtances enough in any kind of undertaking: take one in that way which is proper for our diſcourſe at this ſeaſon; in carrying on of a Suit in Law: An honoſt man hath a Cauſe good enough, he hath eyes good enough to ſee it, and knowes the way of the proceedings, and how it ſhould be mannaged, but he wants wherewithall; he wants leggs: firſt, he wants a purſe, that's one legg; and ſecondly, he wants power and friends to countenance his Cauſe, that's another legg, and that muſt needs go hard with him when he wants both leggs; if he had but one of them, yet he would make ſome hard ſhift to hop, or halte along, or help himſelfe with a Crutch, or a wooden-legge, or (rather then fail) a ſilver-legge (I have heard of ſuch) but when a man wants both, that muſt needs go hard with him, and ſuch were the impotent which Job reliev'd in the Text; I was limbes, or leggs to the lame: he ſpeaks in the plurall number: Now in ſuch a caſe for a compaſſionate Magiſtrate, to lend a Hand, a Crutch, a Legg, or any thing to a helpleſſe lame man, is certainly an act of pure mercy, and charity: or if he will not lend a legg to the man, yet to lend a legg to his Cauſe, and to his proceedings in it, that it may goe on with expedition, and be brought to ſome iſſue, in ſome time, and not hang in ſuſpence, and be delayed from time to time, by new motions, and orders, writs of error, devices to carry it out of one Court into another, till they tyre out a man at a long runnning, for want of leggs to maintain his courſe. You know the ſtory of the impotent man in the 5. of John which lay at the Banks of the Bath or Poole of Betheſda, ſo many years; at certain times there came an Angell and moved the waters of the Bath, and then whoſoever ſtept in next, had certain cure of his infirmity whatſoever it was: this poor man had lay'n under his infirmity 38 yeares; how many of theſe he lay at thoſe bankes (expecting cure) we cannot tell; perhaps moſt of them; and yet for want of limbes to help him into the water when it was ſtirred, ſtill he was carried backe as he came without cure: perhaps you would be angry with me (ſome of you) if I ſhould make an allegory of this and apply it by way of alluſion to the method of your proceedings in your courſe, for the relieving of ſuch impotent creatures as come to you for cure in their ſeverall neceſſities; if I ſhould compare that Bath to ſome of your Courts, ſoeveraigne enough for their cure if they could but ſeaſonably get into them, or when they are in, get out again; the ſtirring of the waters to your active proceedings in them; the impotent man lying on the bankes to the poor Clyent; his long lying there, toyour long detaining of him without relief, without diſpatch; it would ſuit but too well in all the parts of it, for there ſhall you have a poor Clyent attend from Term to Term, from year to year, and for well nigh as many years as this impotent man did; and yet (what for want of the Angells to ſtirre the waters, or of limbes to help him in, when they are ſtir'd, or out again when he is in) ſtill he comes back again as he went, without the cure he hoped for: a great diſparagement certainly, though not to the Law, yet to the proceedings in it; and a great grievance to the ſubject, that the Sunne ſhall travail twenty times between the Tropicks too and fro; and he many times twenty as far (as will take in many of the paralells) for relief; and yet can bring his matters to no iſſue; where the tediouſneſſe of the journeyings adds no ſmall aggravation to the tediouſneſſe of the delay and expectation: Certainly this one conſideration is much for the juſtification of thoſe worthy Patriotts in this Kingdome, that lay out themſelves in their endeavours for the reſurrection of that Ancient and Honourable Court of a Preſidentſhip here once eſtabliſhed in theſe Northern-parts; the reaſons for which, are as ſtrong and as many now as ever they were; and that with ſome additions.

In the flouriſhing Kingdome of France, there are eight ſuch Courts, they call them Parliaments, thogh from any of them there may be an Appeal to the grand-Parliament at Paris; yet theſe are eight ſtanding Courts of great Honour and Authority erected (in ſo many ſeverall Provinces of the Kingdome) for the eaſe of the Subjects, that they may not be forc't all (from the remoter parts of the Kingdome upon all occaſions) to come up to Paris, and to travell ſo far for Juſtice, as to make it dear of fetching: for the ſame reaſon, have there bin the like Courts of Juſtice erected here in England, (though not ſo many) one of which is yet in being in the Weſt, and another was here in the North; and why it ſhould not be continued or reſtored, I cannot imagine, except it be this, That as that great City of London (the very belly of the Kingdome) hath engros't unto it ſelfe all the Trading, ſo that other (her ſiſter of Weſtminſter) would do the like by the Law, and ſo make of them both two great Monopolies. And ſo I paſſe from this ſort of impotent people in the Text, (the lame) though it be long firſt: I had been more brief in this diſcourſe, if thoſe whom it concern'd had been ſo in their diſpatches.

The next ſort of helpleſſe people in this Spittle in the Text, and quarter'd in the next room, are the poor; and to them (Job tells us) he was a Father. ver: 17.

Here we are to conſider, firſt, the object of his charity and compaſſion; they were the poor: ſecondly, his charity & cōpaſſion toward them, expreſt under the notion and relation of a Father. As to the firſt, well did the Lord know that (what through the oppreſſion, covetuouſneſſe, and cruelty of ſome, what through the idleneſſe, ill-huſbandry, prodigality, and improvidence of others) there would be allwayes ſome poor in the Land; as our Saviour tells us Math. 26, 11. The poor you ſhall have allways with you; and therefore God hath mercifully provided for their releife. In the Law there was a Tythe provided for them, Deut. 14.29. that ſpeakes home to us that receive Tythes; and tells us, that we are not to receive them all, and altogether for our own ſelves: we are not altogether Proprietaries; but rather, Uſu-fructuaries of them in part: though we have the beſt title to them, and ſhare in them, yet they were not originally ſett a part onely for our ſelves, but partly in truſt; we receive them to have, but not to hold; we muſt diſtribute with one hand, aſwell as receive with the other; by this very Law (the equity whereof remaineth to this day, and ſo far forth is Morall) there is a ſhare due out of them to the poor. Secondly, for the poſſeſſours of Fields and Vineyards, the command was, that they ſhould not reap their Corne clean, nor gather it all into their own Barnes; but they muſt leave a portion of it in the corners, and in the furrowes of the field, for the poor, the fatherleſſe, the widow, and the ſtranger; Levit: 19. and ſo likewiſe, at the gathering in of their Vintage, they muſt not gather them clean; but leave a portion of the grapes, and of the olives, and of their other fruits upon the trees for the ſame uſe, a 40th. part, ſay ſome of the Hebrewes; a 50th. ſay ſome others at the leaſt; and in the times of the Goſpell an Office was erected (cheifly for this purpoſe) to take care of the poor, Acts. 6. the Office of Deaconſhip, much like that of the Overſeers of the poor amongſt us: and in theſe our dayes, and in this Kingdome, the Lawes of the Land (concorning the Poor) are ſo wiſely made and contriv'd, as I think it is a hard thing to deviſe how to amend or better them; only as a divine Lawyer of our times (Sir Francis Bacon I mean) once ſaid of the Lawes of this Kingdome in generall, That no Nation nor Kingdome under heaven had better, only there wanted one to enforce the due execution of all the reſt: ſo may I ſay of theſe Lawes concerning the Poor, They are as good as wiſedome it ſelfe can deviſe, only they are not duely executed: Hence it is that both Townes and Countrey are ſo full of them, that we had need have in every Village an Hoſpitall to put them in; and they do multiply ſo exceedingly upon us, that (as in Pharaoh's time) the lean Kyne are ready to eat up the fat. And here, my Lord Mayor, with the reſt of the Governours of this Honourable and Loyall City, give me leave to turne my ſelfe to you in a word of admonition: I ſee no place where they do more ſwarme, then here amongſt you; ſo numerous, that a Gentleman cannot come to Towne, nor alight at his Inne, or goe into a Shop to lay out his money, but preſently the houſe is beſett with a multitude of theſe diſorderly people; a great ſcandall to your Government: This is not for want of Lawes to remedy it, but for want of due execution of them; for certainly if the Lawes (that are in force concerning theſe) were well executed, not only here, but every where throughout the Kingdome, this diſorder would be remedied; and there would be none found begging amongſt us, but ſuch, as it is either a ſhame for them to begge, or a ſhame for us to ſuffer them ſo to do.

But there are two ſorts of poor; as St. Paul writing of this ſubject, 1 Tim: 5.5. diſtinguiſheth of widowes, tells us there is a widow, and a widow indeed; ſo ſay I of the Poor, there are poor, and there are poor indeed: in the firſt lift of theſe, I ranke all ſturdy Rogues, wandring beggars, that are never out of the way, nor never in it; all drunken, and idle perſons, that will not worke; but finding an eaſe in idleneſſe, goe about from Towne to Town, and take up begging for their Trade; theſe are all poor, but not poor indeed, they are poor, and they will be ſo, and it is a juſt judgement of Almighty God upon their lewd, looſe, and prophane courſes, that they ſhould be ſo: Solomon hath given them their doom, Pro: 23.21. The drunkard and the glutton ſhall be poor, & the ſleeper ſhall be clothed with raggs: theſe are the very ſcorne of the Nation, the reproach of our Government, the ſinke, the kennell of all lewdneſſe, prophaneſſe, and uncleaneſſe; yet to theſe Job was, and the worthy Magiſtrate is a father; but how? not by relieving them, not by protecting them, not by maintaining and encouraging them in theſe their lewd courſes, but by correcting them, by puniſhing them, by putting in execution thoſe wholeſome Lawes, providing for the reſtraining of their lewdneſſe, the ſetting of them on worke, and reducing them into order: and herein ſhall he ſhew himſelfe a father unto theſe, as well as unto the other by his mercy and compaſſion.

But theſe latter are the poor indeed, ſuch as are not only indigent, but inevitably ſuch; many ſicke & weak, and olde, and blind, and lame, and either paſt their worke, or, by reaſon of their infirmities diſabled to worke, eſpecially if they be ſuch as while they had ability were laborious and induſtrious, and either through unavoidable loſſes and croſſes, or the greatneſſe of their charge, where there were many more mouthes to eat, then hands to worke, have fallen into inevitable poverty; theſe are the poor indeed, theſe the true objects of our mercy and compaſſion; here, to give and to diſtribute, forget not, for with ſuch ſacrifices God is well pleaſed; here, caſt thy bread upon the waters, it ſhall not be caſt away, for after many dayes thou ſhalt find it; here, give to ſuch, and lend to the Lord, and thou ſhalt certainly be no looſer by it; put it upon his ſcore, he will repay it ſeaven-fold into thy boſome: if a cup of cold water ſo given to a Diſciple ſhall not looſe his reward, ſurely our charity expreſt in more conſiderable proportions will not be forgotten; it is a ſtrange argument to perſwade to liberallity, to pious and charitable uſes, which St. Paul uſes Philip: 4.17. when he ſay's, that it ſhall redound to our account another day; and ſtronger is that which our Saviour uſes, Luke 16.9. even to prevail with covetous men to make them liberall, when he ſay's, that by laying out the Mammon of iniquity, they ſhall make themſelves friends which may receive them into everlaſting habitations: All this ſpeaks to men as men, perſwading them to workes of piety & mercy, and ſo to become as fathers to the poor. But Job ſpeaks in the perſon of a Magiſtrate, and ſo ſuch a one in that capacity, though as a man he may be ſlacke in theſe workes of mercy, yet as a Magiſtrate he may ſo carry as to be a greater father to the poor then a hundred private men can be; a private man may looke to private perſons and families, and do good to the indigent people in the place where he dwells, but a Magiſtrate (as a more publique perſon) ſtretcheth his armes o're whole Countries, & Counties, and by his prudent care to make good orders for the relief of them, to ſee to the due execution of thoſe that are ſo made, by reſtraining the covetouſneſſe and cruelty of thoſe that oppreſſe them, and make them poor, by reviving the cōmiſſions for pious and charitable uſes: the like Magiſtraticall duties may become the preſerver, protector, and reliever of many thouſands as Job in that capacity was (beſides his perſonall charity as a good man, and ſo he was) and every good Magiſtrate is, and ought to be unto the poor a Father.

But more then this; Rulers & Governours, Princes and great Magiſtrates, are not only Fathers of the poor, but of the rich alſo; they are Patriots, and Fathers of the Country and Kingdome, and all the people under their Government; ſo amongſt the Romans when any great Officer (civill or military) had done good ſervice for the Commonwealth, he was honoured with the title of a good Patriot or a Father of his Country; and when men of the beſt ranke amongſt them (the Patricii) came to be liſted among the Senatours, they were ſtiled Patres conſcripti; liſted Fathers: the Kings of the Philiſtines were ſtiled Abimelech, which is as much as to ſay the King my Father; and nothing more frequent nor familiar with Solomon throughout the whole booke of the Proverbs, then (ſpeaking to his Subjects) to call them his ſonnes: and why all this? but to ſhew with what a Fatherly affection Princes and Rulers ought to governe their Subjects, and with what filiall, and ſonnelike duties of honour, reverence and obedience Subjects ought to carry towards them again. In the firſt commandement of the ſecond Table (which St. Paul takes notice of to be the firſt Commandement with promiſe Epheſ: 6.1.) the duty of Subjects to their King and Governours is call'd for under the notion of honour, and the motive perſwading to the duty (that it may come ſweetly and chearfully) is the relation of a Father; Honour thy Father and thy Mother: thy Father the King, and thy Mother the Church; thy Father the Civill Magiſtrate, thy Mother the Eccleſiaſticall: for, that this command doth not only concerne our naturall Parents, nor cheifly them, but principally the Magiſtrate, our Civill Father, and the Church our Holy Mother, the reaſon in the commandment (which is the promiſe annex't to ſuch obedience) doth clearly evince, That thy dayes may be long in the Land which the Lord thy God giveth thee: which clearly declareth, that this command is not principally meant of a family command, but of a Nationall command; nor the promiſe, a perſonall promiſe, but a more generall promiſe to the People; nor the duty, ſo much intended of a family duty, of piety of children toward their Parents; as of ſubjection and obedience of Subjects toward their Civill and Eccleſiaſticall Parents, the King, and the Church; the neglect of which duty toward them, and their undutifull murmurings, mutinings, ſeditions, conſpiracies, treaſons, and rebellions againſt them, is the ruine of Kingdomes, the deſtruction of Monarchies, great States, Cities, Common-wealths, and the ready way to ſhorten the period of them: for by theſe they expoſe themſelves to the Rapine of all their enemies, or of any any Nation (that will take the advantage of their diviſions and diſſentions) to fall in upon them, and to make a prey of them, and ſo throw them (with their Kings and Princes) out of the Land which the Lord their God had given unto them, as it is now with this very People to whom this command was given; as you may read, 2 Kings 17. and 2 Chronicles 36.

The only way for a people to live long in the Land which the Lord their God giveth them, to prolong their dayes in peace and happineſſe, is by honouring and being obedient to their father and their mother, their Rulers and Governours, both Civill and Eccleſiaſticall; yet it pleaſeth the wiſedome of God to commend theſe duties to us under this near and dear relation of Parents and children, that both the termes in it may from this expreſſion learn their duty; that Princes and Rulers may govern with a gentle hand, much tenderneſſe and affection; not as Tyrants, but as Fathers; not as over ſlaves, but as over ſonnes: and on the other hand, that Subjects may know how to obey, not as by compulſion, but of a free & willing minde; not out of a ſlaviſh fear, but out of a filiall affection. Thus while Rulers governe their People as Fathers, and the People honour and obey as ſonnes, it is the only way to prolong our dayes in peace & plenty, happineſſe & ſecurity, and to live long in the Land which the Lord our God giveth unto us and all this is taught us under this ſweet notion and relation in the Text, wherein Job profeſſeth himſelfe to be unto the poor a father. And this was the ſecond Character of a worthy Magiſtrate; we now come to the third in the next words of the Text,

The Cauſe that I knew not, I ſearched out.

Theſe words ſhew the pains and patience, prudence & diligence which Job did, and all other worthy Judges and Magiſtrates do, and ought to uſe in examining Cauſes & Perſons brought before them, for finding out of the truth, that ſo they may judge righteous judgement, all theſe are comprehended in the word [ſearched,] The cauſe, &c. I ſearched out. The righteous Judge of all the world when he came down from heaven to earth (as ſometimes he did) to execute judgement, though he knew the cauſe before he came, yet before he paſt ſentence, or executed judgment, he would examine the Cauſe and find out the truth by diligent enquiry; ſee this in the examination of Adam, Gen: 3. the arraignment of Cain; Gen: 4. the judgement of Sodom, Gen: 19. Adam where art thou? (to the firſt) and haſt thou eaten of the fruits of the tree, of which I commanded thee thou ſhouldſt not eat? as if he knew nothing of it: Cain, where is thy brother Abel? (to the ſecond) thy father hath loſt a ſonne, the world a ſaint, and I a faithfull ſervant and martyr; thou muſt not ſo carry it, thou ſhalt not ſo go away with the murder; ubi eſt Abelfrater tuus? where is thy brother Abel? I will go down & ſee; (to the third) he needed not to go down and ſee for his own information; the cry of the City was come up to him, and might ſave his labour for going down to them, as to his own information; but by this his judiciary proceedings, the Judge of all the world would teach all earthly Judges to know, how warily and orderly they ought to proceed in hearing & determining cauſes that are brought before them, that ſo they may find out the truth, and give ſentence without error: hence it is that Judges were anciently called Cognitores, and to hear a cauſe (in the Roman Orators language) was cognoſcere cauſam, to know a cauſe; and this requires much paines and patience, prudence and diligence, not ſlightly to paſſe it over, but to ſearch into it: It is the honour of a King to ſearch out a matter: ſaith Solomon, Pro: 25.2. a rare example whereof, he was himſelfe in the caſe between the two harlots, in diſcovering the true mother of the child in queſtion; 1 Kings 3. and ſuch is the command in all other caſes; in the caſe caſe of Idolatry, Deut: 17.4. and in the caſe of falſe witneſſe, Deut: 19.17. in the former (ſaith the Text) Thou ſhalt make diligent enquiry: in the latter, Thou ſhalt make diligent ſearch: both made good here in my Text, by this worthy King, Judge, and Magiſtrate, the ſubject of our diſcourſe; the cauſe which I knew not, I ſearched out: and great reaſon is there for all this care, paines, patience, diligence, and Prudence in ſearching out the truth; if you conſider theſe four things.

REASONS.

1. That truth oftentimes lies deep, veritas in profundo; as Democritus: involuta latet & in alto, (as Seneca to the ſame purpoſe) it lyes implicated, inveloped, and perplexed with many foldings, windings, and turnings; clouded with many miſts of error and falſhood; ſo that he had need of Lynceus's eyes to pierce into the bottome of it, or Ariadne's thred to lead him to the ſecret where it lies.

2. Innocency is often charged by falſe and unjuſt accuſations, with crimes which none is guilty of, but the accuſers themſelves, they laid to my charge things that I knew not; how hard a caſe was that of Naboth, that he did ſuffer? and of Suſanna that ſhe ſhould have ſuffered upon ſuch falſe and unjuſt ſuggeſtions, and accuſations?

3. And as innocency is often aſpers't with falſe and foul accuſations, ſo guilt is often painted with a fair face, and coloured with ſpecious pretences of innocency; in either of which caſes, for a man to juſtifie the wicked, or to condemn the juſt, he renders himſelfe equally abominable in the ſight of God.

4. Informations are various, for the moſt part, partiall, ſometimes falſe; that of Ziba, 2 Sam: 16.2. nay, (which is worſe, and fearfull to ſpeak of) oaths themſelves oftentimes not to be truſted to; how many ſuch have ſomtimes been found to croſſe ſhinns, and point-blank to croſſe and thwart one another; inſomuch as it were enough to puzzle the wiſeſt men, and to make them at a ſtand, and not know which way to turne themſelves in giving judgement; when from the evidences themſelves they can take no certain light; in ſuch caſes, how exceedingly doth it ſtand them upon to uſe all diligence, not only by examining witneſſes, but obſerving circumſtances, comparing teſtimonies, caſting in Quaeries upon the by, and by all the wayes and means they can deviſe (in the cauſe that they know not) to ſearch out the matter? but Euphormio was out, when reading Lectures of Philoſophy, and ſeeing brave Hanniball coming into his Schoole; diverted his diſcoutſe, and fell upon reading a Lecture of Martiall Diſcipline, and to ſhew how to martiall an Army, how to draw it up into a body, how to caſt it into ſeverall formes for the better advantaging of it it ſelfe, and diſ-advantaging of the enemy, &c. and ſo ſhould I, if I ſhould take upon me to diſcourſe of ſuch a ſubject as this is in ſuch a Preſence. And therefore I paſſe from this part of the Character, to the next, and laſt part of the Character of a worthy Magiſtrate, and that is, His courage, in executing of Judgement upon the greateſt & ſtouteſt Offenders, in theſe words I brake the jawes of the wicked, and pluck't the prey out of his teeth.

And the words follow upon the laſt going before, in a very good method, thus; He ſaw the poor oppreſſed, wrong'd, and injured by thoſe that were great, and mighty, and ſtronger then they; from whoſe violence they could no way defend themſelves; and ſo neither ſave themſelves from wrong, nor right themſelves being wronged; here Joh. as a worthy Magiſtrate 〈…〉 on juſtice, & cloath's himſelfe with judgement as with a Robe and a Diadem; ſits him down upon the Throne or Seat of juſtice; calls the Parties before him, hears their complaint, examines the buſineſſe, and the cauſe that he knew not, he ſearches out; and having found the truth of it, and their complaints to be juſt; with great courage and magnanimity (well becoming his place) he falls upon Offenders, the ſtouteſt of them, and executes judgement upon them: firſt, by plucking the prey out of their teeth, and cauſing them to make reſtitution and ſatisfaction for the wrong they had done; and ſecondly, by breaking their jawes that they ſhould doe ſo no more, and ſo he became a father to the poor; here take up this Obſervation.

That 'tis execution of Juſtice and Judgement, that is the protection of the innocent, terror to the nocent and offenders, and that keeps the ſubjects in order and in peace: He ſhall ſit upon the Throne of David, ſaith the Lord, Iſa. 9.7. What to doe? not to ſit there in ſtate and majeſty for the ſubjects to looke at him, and no more; but to execute juſtice and judgement, that's the end of his power and greatneſſe: 'Tis not the making of good Laws, but the putting of them into execution, that muſt preſerve the peace of the Lands without this, what are the Lawes, though never ſo good? but dead Letters, Inke and Paper, inanes bullae, vaine ſcarr-crowes which ſoon come to be deſpiſed and troden under foot, and render the makers of them ridiculous; 'tis execution that is the life of the Law; without it the Magiſtrate bears the ſword in vain.

But we come to the Offenders, upon whom he executed this judgement, and the crimes for which: The offenders were great Ones, great Oppreſſors, men of power, which notwithſtanding they did abuſe to the cruſhing of thoſe that were under them, and therefore compar'd to wild beaſts, ravenous beaſts, beaſts of prey, Lyons, Bears, Wolves, Tygres, which teare and devour the ſmaller Cattle that they ſeize upon; and ſuch cruell devourers indeed there are amongſt bruitiſh and unreaſonable creatures, the Fiſhes, the Fowles, and the wild beaſts; but amongſt men and reaſonable creatures, tis ſtrange that any ſhould be found ſo unreaſonable, ſo bruitiſh; yet, as ſtrange as it is, it is too true, and too cōmon, Homo homini Lupus, Leo, Tygris, Daemon, one man is even a divell to another, more cruell then thoſe favage creatures, biting and devouring one another, at St. Paul expreſſes it: Gal. 5.15. Eating up my people as they would eat bread: as God himſelfe ſpeaketh of them; and therefore in executing juſtice upon them, he is ſaid to break their teeth, and to ſmite the jaw-bones of them: Pſal: 3.7. Thou haſt ſmitten all mine enemies upon the jaw-bone; thou haſt broken the teeth of the ungodly: juſt in the language of the Text here, I brake the jawes of the wicked, and pluck't the prey out of their teeth. Where, he maketh mention of two ſorts of inſtruments of cruelty, and oppreſſion, teeth & jawes; by the teeth, meaning thoſe fore-teeh, with which they lay hold, bite, and tear off the fleſh; and by the jawes, the double-teeth that are in the innermoſt part of the jaw-bone, with which they grinde what they have gotten into them, that ſo they may devour it [called here molares, grinders:] by which Job ſeems to diſcover two ſorts of Offenders, firſt Biters, ſecondly Grinders; by the teeth he intimates unto us the Biters; and by the molares in the jawes, the Grioders; and there are of both ſorts but too many: to inſtance in ſome of each ſort.

Firſt, The Uſurer he is a Biter; from it he hath his very name, [Neſhek] in the learned Language ſignifieth Uſury, and it is derived from Naſhak, which ſignifieth to bite: ſo he is moſt properly a Biter, where he layes hold, he bites fore.

Secondly, Your Under-Exciſe-man, that farms the Exciſe at the ſecond, third, or fourth hand; he is a Biter, a ſorer Biter then the former; for, let it come through as many hands as it will, they will all gaine, let it fall never ſo heavy upon the ſubject; and very heavy it muſt needs fall; for theſe two reaſons, firſt, becauſe there are ſo many Chapmen one under another, all which muſt and will make up their markets, make themſelves gainers. Secondly, becauſe there are ſo many under-Officers belonging to them; Informers, Gagers, Spies, Collectors, Clarks, and I know not how many more ſubſervient to the Farmers; all which will have a living out of it, and ſome of them more then every man ſhall know off, or that any man can take account of them for: all which muſt be ſqueezed out of the poor ſubject; yet never comes home to the place, or uſe for which it was intended; whereas, if it were aſſeſſ't as now it ſtands, and collected [Villatim] as ſome other of his Majeſties Revenues are, by Officers of Truſt in every Pariſh; and ſo tranſmitted to other higher Officers, till it, were landed where it ſhould be, the Revenue would be greater, and the Clamour leſſe: but where there are ſo many Biters on worke at once; and with ſuch long teeth too, dayly and hourly tearing of by ſuch full bitts as they do; no marvail, if the poor people ſhrinke under their teeth, and complain ſo ſore; no marvail, if they grow ſo fatt, and the people ſo lean, upon whom they prey: theſe long teeth of theirs would be filed at leaſt, if not broken off; they are both too ſharpe and to long: the Government of this Kingdome is in no particular Arbitrary, but in this Male-adminiſtration of the Exciſe: the Exciſe-man is a Biter.

3. A third ſort of biters, are your cunning and unconſcionable Barterers in buying & ſelling, bargaining or exchanging, Thou ſhalt not defraud thy brother, nor go beyond him in bargaining; ſay's the Apoſtle 1 Theſ 4.6. and that with an intimation too, for the Lord is the avenger of all ſuch things. (in the ſame text) there is a great deal of fraud in buying and ſelling; by which men goe beyond their brethren; by lying and ſwearing, falſe weights, falſe meaſures, falſe gloſes, upon counterfeit wares; to ſet them forth to the eye, to make them the more vendable; by asking ſo far above the worth, that if a man bid but to the halfe or ſometimes to the fift part, he is ſure to be catch't; by recommending things by perſwafive arguments above the worth, thus much it coſt me, thus much it is worth, thus much I have been offer'd, and never a word true; by truſting at too great an advantage, and a hundred more ſuch frandes, which it is no wiſedome ſo much as to mention: ne magis admonere quam prohibere viderer; neither is the buyer free from his frauds too; It is naught, it is naught, ſaith the buyer; but when he is gone he boaſteth: and therefore our Saviour takes them both in, when ſpeaking of buyers & ſellers even in the Temple, he calls them both thieves Mat: 21.19. It is written, my houſe ſhall he called the houſe of prayer, but you have made it a denne of thieves. the cunning and unconſcionable bargainer, whether it be in buying or ſelling, is a biter, & in the Scripture language a thief, though the Law do not call him ſo: under this head, I may ranke all Engroſſers, Foreſtallers, Regrators, Monopolizers, and a hundred more; but what need I go ſo far as to the ſhops and markets to looke after them? I doubt they may be found nearer home.

4. What thinke you of a driving Lawyer? that is not willing to bring his Clyents Cauſe to an iſſue too ſoon; but, having diſcovered a good purſe to follow it, makes it his ſtudy to ſpinne it out with as long a thred as he can. I heard a ſoldier of fortune ſay in the beginning of theſe late unhappy warrs (a great Officer he was) that if they did husband it wel, he did not doubt but they might ſo mannage their buſineſſe as to make thoſe warrs laſt ſeaven years: I wiſh he had had his wiſh, ſo he had had no more; and I the next, he ſhould have been but little better for them: I doubt there are ſome other profeſſions of his mind in theſe driving and protracting wayes; and I ſhould have told you ſomething more of your proceedings in this kind, but that you heard ſomthing of it already.

5. For a ſmall Officer to grope for a ſmall Bribe, perhaps to excuſe a Jury-man; or, to helpe a friend or two to be put upon the taly; to help a verdict; is but a ſmall matter: he is ſcarce worth the name of a biter, he doth but ſnap and away; let him paſſe.

6. But what think you of a Martiall; he is an Officer (I think) that hath the ordering of Cauſes, to put them into ranke and file, and to diſpoſe of them in ſuch a method, and order, as they are to be call'd on; which, being oft' times numerous, are enough to make up a pretty Army: he had need be honeſt, for great is his power, and much to the advantage or diſ-advantage of thoſe, for, or againſt whom he will pleaſe to uſe it: he can alter his rankes and files as heliſteth; cut off his files by the middle; and by a word of command and a motion (not of his pike, but of his pen) diſpoſe of each of the diviſions when he pleaſe; make the whole body of the Cauſes wheel to the right or to the left, and ſo alter the ground, or by a countermarch bring the front into the rear, and the rear into the front; he had need be honeſt, he ſhall have temptations enough to uſe this his power and skill for the ſpeeding of Trialls, and too often doth ſo, but he cannot herein gratify one but he muſt injure another aſmuch; and that bites fore but, that's no matter; ſo he have a morſell from the one, hee'll make no bones to ſnap at the others good; he may well go for a Biter.

7. There is one ſort of beaſts amongſt you, I know nor whether I may place hī amōg the wild beaſts or tame but a deadly biter he is; they call him a Barrater, a Common-barrater; he is made up of many ingredients, all ſtarke naught; this is one that makes it his buſineſſe to create ſuits of Law, and to foment them, vexatious ſuits, and then to imploy himſelfe in them with all treachery, falſhood and unfaithfullneſſe that may be, that out of the troubled waters he may fiſh to himſelfe advantage: is not this one of his tricks, to ſue a Neighbour unto an outlawry: and he never hear of it, nor know who hurt him till he ſee it come out againſt him? is not this another? for ſome ſlight? reſpaſſe to ſue a man that dwells the next door by him, a man that keeps Church and market, and which he ſees and converſes with every day, yet for vexationſake ſends out his writs into Kent, or Cornwall, or ſome other the remoteſt Counties in the Kingdome to ſeek him; where God knowes he never was: this writ in Latine you call a latitat; and yet the charge of this and all theſe indirect proceſſes, and proceedings, muſt come in the bill of charges againſt him; as if he were a man that hid his head. This other that I mention is but a poor one, but yet it is common, for a man that hath ſome ſlight matter againſt his neighbour to ſend for a proceſſe for him, in the ſame proceſſe to put in four ſeverall men, and all for trifles not worth the defending: the deſigne is to call them all ſeverally to cōpoſition, this is eaſily made; but then every one of them payes the whole charges of the writ & proceedings; whereas the payment of one diſcharges all, and ſo the other three are put up for clear gain: this is a Biter too, a paltry curr, yet of an ill mouth, his teeth wrankle where they bite; 'twere good they were knockt out they ſnap at ſo many: theſe are not the tyth of tricks of this curriſh biter: but I am weary of purſuing him, and many more; and therefore turne me from them to thoſe grand Oppreſſors in the text, the Grinders, whoſe jaws (Job tells us) he brake, that they might grind no more, I brake the jaws of the wicked.

As there are Biters amongſt men, ſo there are Grinders too; of theſe the Lord complaines, Iſa: 3.15. What mean you that you break my people in pieces and grind the faces of the poor? and in the Pſalmes they eat up my people as they would eat bread. our Saviour goes further in the reproof of ſome of them, and tells them they are ſuch inſatiable Helluo's; that they devour whole houſes, as well as thoſe that are in them; Mat: 23. Of theſe Grinders and Devourers, take notice of theſe four ſorts.

Firſt, The cruell Extortioners; who (where he can lay hold and faſten his teeth) will never let goe till he conſume all that a man hath: Pſal, 109.11. ſuch are they that lay hold of men and their eſtates by Bills, Bonds, Mortgages, that take the advantages of all forfeitures; that deal upon mens neceſſities; and purſue them with all rigour and extremity, till they break their backs and their bones; theſe are the Grinders, which the Lord complaines of, [Iſa: 3.15.] which beat his people in pieces: and then the unmercifull Opreſſour, which with-holds from the hireling his wages, or making him worke for nought, lives by the ſweat of the poor mans browes; ſuch as Job ſpeaks of, Job 22.6. which take the pledge from a man for nought, and ſtrip the naked of their cloathing; ſuch as with-hold bread from the hungry, and break the armes of the fatherleſſe; that take away the widowes bed from under her; and ſell the poor for ſhooes: (as the Prophet ſpeakes) theſe are thoſe which God complaines of, in the latter part of that verſe, which grinde the face of the poor: all theſe are crying ſinns, they make the poor cry; but theſe ſinns of oppreſſion and cruelty, make a greater cry againſt them, and ſuch as entereth into the eares of the Lord Almighty, & will not be ſtill'd till it brings down judgement and vengeance upon them: if the ſentence of condemnation be pronuone't againſt all thoſe which when Chriſt in theſe was hungry, gave him no meate, and when he was thirſty gave him not to drink; what ſhall become of thoſe that take from them the bread that they ſhould eat, and the water that they ſhould drinke? if thoſe be guilty that doe not viſit the members of Chriſt in priſon; what ſhall become of thoſe that caſt them there? Mat: 25. theſe may well be rank't among the Grinders: but there is a mill-ſtone which our Saviour Chriſt ſpeaks of in the Goſpell; which though it be not hang'd about their necks here, and they caſt into the Sea with it; yet will one day be caſt upon them and grinde them to powder.

2. The Second ſort of Grinders are your great Depopulators, that lay whole Townes even with the ground; fair Churches wherein God had been worſhipped; ancient houſes wherein had been kept by their Anceſtors good hoſpitallity; all laid waſt: ante oſtia ſolitudo; they ſtand onely as emblems of deſolation places for Zim to lodge in, the houſes full of Ohim; for Oſtriches to dwell in, and the ſatyrs to dance: Iſa: 34. theſe throw out whole families, and turne them out of doors by whole ſale, by droves, without houſe and harbour, making them to wander up and down, ſcattered about the Country (as once the Iſraelites did) to gather ſtubble inſtead of ſtraw) and forc't to embrace the Rocke for a ſhelter, and all this to make roome for their Cattell, or wild beaſts, doggs and horſes; either for their pleaſure, or perſonall profit; when to make roome for them, ſo many hundred Chriſtian ſouls are turn'd a grazing: theſe are the Nimrods of the world; mighty hunters before the Lord: Nimrod was a mighty hunter before the Lord; what did he hunt? not ſo much wild beaſts, as men; he hunted them out of their habitations, & drave them up into corners, that he might enlarge his Territories and Dominions: ſuch are theſe depopulators, mighty hunters, that drive men out of their harbours and habitations to make them roome for them, and for their pleaſures, profits, and diſports; but let ſuch remember the woe pronounc't againſt the Aſſyrian for the like crime, Iſa: 33.1. Woe unto thee that ſpoileſt, and thou waſt not ſpoiled; when thou haſt done ſpoiling, thou ſhalt be ſpoiled thy ſelfe: the firſt great depopulator of this Kingdome was a terrible exāple of Gods ſevere wrath & vengeance againſt ſuch unreaſonable, ſuch unmercifull, and deſtroying Oppreſſors the depopulator is a grinder.

3. A third ſort of grinders are the inſatiable purchaſers: [Poor-chaſers] you may call them, that joyne houſe to houſe, and land to land, till there be no more roome, that they may dwell alone in the earth: to theſe I may ſay by way of alluſion as Bildad to Job, (Job: 18.4.) Shall the earth be removed for thee? ſo, was the earth made for theſe alone, that they will not allow others a ſmall roome in it, or a corner of it to dwell in? and when they have done all they can doe in this kind, what have they done? but loadened themſelves with thicke clay? and when they have purchaſed what they can, what have they purchaſed? but a lump of earth; and let that lump be never ſo bigge, ſtill tis but earth? tis an inheritance in heaven that muſt inrich us, and make us happy: what profit is it for a man to have a ſhare of the earth, and none of heaven? to have great ſtore of lands and livings, and not one foot in the land of the living? and when all is done, had one man the whole earth to himſelfe, or that which now ſerves manythouſads, to his own uſe; he can uſe no more of it while he is living, then will ſerve one man; and when he is dead, and box't up in his Coffin, as litle roome in it ſhall ſerve his turne, as ſhall do the meaneſt of thoſe whom he oppreſſ't, and from whom he hath taken that which he had to augment his portion. The royall Prophet rightly apprehended this vain humour of earthly-minded men; Pſal: 46.11. where he tells them their very thoughts thus, Their inward thought is, that their houſes ſhall continue for ever. and their dwelling places to all generations; and therefore they call their lands after their owne names: this is the way of them: (ſaith the Prophet) withall it is their folly too, for ver: 14. They lye in the grave like ſheep, death gnoweth upon them; and more then ſo, the righteous ſhall have dominion over them in the morning: and this is the end of their purchaſe; but in the meane time, while their teeth are in their head, they bite ſore, & devoure whole multitudes; and therefore are rightly liſted amongſt the Grinders.

4. A fourth ſort of Grinders, I ſhall acquaint you with, and I ſhall mention no more; and that is the Rack-renting Landlord: which, though he cannot mannage his lands himſelfe, and hath as much need of the Tenant's labour, as the Tennant hath of his Land; yet is not willing that a poor Tennant ſhould live upon his labour: he will have rent not only for his Land, but for his Tennant's labour too, and ſo live by the ſweat of other mens brows; peeping into every corner, every Cottage, to ſee whether he can ſpy any advantage, out of which he may ſqueeze if it be but the other crowne, to mend his Rencall; though it come ſo hard, that he is fain to preſſe blood in ſtead of ſweat to make it up. And among all your Rack-renters, take heede of your City-purchaſer, that hath raiſ'd himſelfe into an Eſtate out of ſmall wares; as for your Nobility, and Gentry, whoſe Eſtates deſcende unto them from their Anceſtors, they have ſome ſence of honour in them, and a care to uphold the reputation of the Noble Families they ſpringe from, by keeping up the Ancient hoſpitality of their houſes, and by preſerving the honour of their fore-Fathers, which (among other things) conſiſted much in this, that they were good Maſters to their ſervants, and good Land-Lords to their Tennants: but theſe new Upſtarts, that have raiſed themſelves out of pinns and points, or ſome ſuch ſmall matters, did ſo value a farthing when they were not worth it, that they thinke it now very ill husbandry in them, that any man ſhould get penny under them; hence is it, that they doe ſo exactly diſpute the value of every Cottage, every corner, every foot of Land within their purchaſe, in which in ſhort time (by the helpe of ſome officious Informers) they become as ſkilfull and expert as ever they were in their trade: of all kind of Land-lords, take heed of ſuch, they bite ſore, and there is no bit ſo little, but they will faſten their teeth in it, and never let goe till they tear away their hold at the leaſt.

And thus I have given you an account of the Delinquents in the text both the biters and the grinders: there is nothing remaines now, but the breaking of their jawes, and plucking the prey out of their teeth: herein Job ſhewed both his juſtice and his courage; and in both of thē declar'd himſelfe a worthy Magiſtrate in breaking their jawes, andplucking the prey out of their teeth: and this will be the honour of all Judges and Magiſtrates even to the higheſt, ſeeing there are ſo many Lyons and Bears, and Wolves and Tygres amongſt men, aſwell as among beaſts; that tear and devour thoſe ſmaller helples creatures which they can over-power: what can be more juſt, or more honourable, then for the worthy Magiſtrates, the Rulers, and Governours of the Land, to cloth themſelves with juſtice as with a Rohe and Diadem? to ſit in judgment upon them? to reach the head of ſuch inſolent offenders? to plucke the prey out of their teeth, by cauſing them to make reſtitution and ſatisfaction for all the wrongs, injuries and oppreſſions, by which they have endammaged innocent and harmleſſe men; and then to break their jaws by ſuch ſevere and wholeſome Lawes, and paenall Statutes, that they ſhall not dare to do ſo any more. And this is an Act that will require courage & magnanimity, of all other vertues moſt neceſſary in a Magiſtrate, in theſe four reſpects;

Firſt, for preſerving the Authority of the Lawes which without due execution will become ridiculous, and render them ſo that made them; it is a reproach to Laws, when they ſhall be compar'd but to cobwebs which entangle the ſmaller Flyes, but the great humming Bees break through them.

Secondly, for the maintaining and upholding the honour of their perſons and places, and the high Offices they bear, that they fall not into contempt.

Thirdly, in reſpect of the Offenders themſelves, eſpecially ſuch as the Text ſpeaks of, Biters and Grinders of the people; they are the Lyons, and Bears, and Wolves, and Tygers, among the ſmaller Cattell; ſtrong, inſolent, and ſtubborne, ſuch as hate to be reformed, and ſcorne to be reproved; here, it is neceſſary that a Magiſtrate cloth himſelfe with zeal, courage, and magnanimity, to let the proudeſt of them know; that he bears not the ſword in vain.

Fourthly, in [terrorem] to terrify others, that they may ſee, and hear, and fear, and not dare to Act preſumptuouſly: ſevere execution of Juſtice upon a few of thoſe great, and inſolent Offenders, ſhall be of more force to keep the Country in awe and in order, then upon a 100. petty delinquents of a leſſer ſize.

Fifthly, it declares the integrity of the Magiſtrate and that he doth juſtice without reſpect of perſons. Upon all theſe accounts of all the Magiſtraticall vertues, there's none more neceſſary then courage, and magnanimity; to take down the inſolency of great Offenders: we whip beggars when they goe about the Country begging; we hang up ſheep-ſtealers, and petty thieves; but, what do we to thoſe great Robbers we have ſpoken of? that rob by wholeſale, rob whole Townes and Families in them? oh for the courage of Phineas, in ſuch caſes, or of Job in the Text, to break the jaws of ſuch, and to pluck the prey out of their teeth! And ſo I have done with all the parts of the Character of a worthy Magiſtrate, ſet forth in the Text: there are three concluſions to be gathered out of them all (conſidered together) by good conſcequence; which I would have acquainted you with, if the time would have ſerved for it, as well as the Text; I will only name them, and ſo I have done.

1. The firſt is this, the great neceſſity of this great Ordinance of Magiſtracy and Government: it is the very ſtay of the world; the pillars and ſupporters, not only of the Kingdome, but of the Societies in it; the mother of our peace and joy. When there are ſo many poor, and blind, and lame amongſt us; what would become of them, if there were none to be eyes to the one, limbes to the other, and to the third as Faethers? While there are ſo many Lyons, and Bears, and Wolves, and Tygers amongſt us, ready to bite, and to tear, and to devour thoſe that are not able to reſiſt them: what would become of us, if we had not amongſt us, ſuch men of wiſedome and courage, power and authority, to break their jawes, and to pluck the prey out of their teeth?

2. The ſecond thing is this, the great happineſſe of this Nation, in the full fruition of this ſo bleſſed an Ordinance; where we have ſo many Courts of Juſtice of all ſorts erected amongſt us, and men of choiſe wiſedome, courage, learning, uprightneſſe, and integrity, ſitting in them; unto which we may have reſort at all times, for juſtice and judgement, upon all occaſions; where, that promiſe made to the people of God upon their turning to him, is made good to us: Iſa: 1.25.26. And I will turne my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy droſſe, and take away all thy tinne. And I will reſtore thy Judges as at the firſt, and thy Counſellors as at the beginning, the Lord hath thus graciouſſy dealt with us, and made this word good unto us; he hath turn'd his hand upon us, and purg'd away our droſſe, and taken away all our tinne; and he hath reſtored our Judges as at the firſt, and our Counſellors as at the beginning: Bleſſed be God, this day is this Scripture fulfilled in our ears; this day, doe we ſee it with our eyes. That of Amos, (whether precept, or promiſe, or prophecy, or what you will call it) [Amos 5:24.] is this day the joy and rejoycing of our hearts; where Judgment doth runn downlike water; and righteouſneſſe as a mighty ſtreame; as water, for the plenty of it, and freedome to it; and as a mighty ſtream, for the conveyance of it through the land; 'tis true the fountain of it is at Weſtminſter; there's the ſpring, the well head; but, here's the comfort of it, it is not ſtagrum, a ſtanding pool: Juſtice doth not contain it ſelfe within thoſe bankes, but it runns down as a ſtream, as a mighty river like that of Nilus watering the whole Kingdome, branching it ſelfe into many ſtreams, running Eaſt, Weſt, North, and South through all the Counties, all the Countries, all the quarters of the Land in the ſeverall Circuits, allotted unto ſeverall learned Judges of the Land, in which they with their Counſellors, and Officers riding from County to County, from City to City, as ſo many ſtreames convey juſtice unto us; bring home Juſtice to our houſes, carry it to our very doors: That which Moſes ſpeaks in the in the honor of the Iſralites, [Deut: 4.8.] may truly be ſaid in the honour of our Nation, in the ſame reſpect, What Nation is there ſo great, which hath Statutes and Judgements ſo righteous, as is all the Law that I ſet before you this day? ſo, what Nation is there under Heaven, ſo happy as England, is this day, which hath Statutes, and Judgemenst, and Laws, ſo righteous as we have; and ſuch choyce men for wiſdome, learning, uprightneſſe, and integrity, to adminiſter Juſtice and Judgement unto the people according to them? And this brings on the third Concluſion, and that followes, ex congrue.

3. What thanks do we ow to God, to the King, to the Parliament, and to all our Rulers and Governours, for ſo great mercy, bleſſings, and benefits, which under their Government, and by the means of it, we do dayly receive? we owe to them our peace, our liberty, our ſecurity, our property, all the enjoyment of the good things we have here; yea, even our very lives: 'tis by Government, and by the due execucution of juſtice and judgement, that we live ſecurely, that we enjoy our peace and plenty, that we ſit every man quietly under his own vine, and fig-tree, and enjoy the fruit of our labours: without it, how ſoon would the Biters and the Grinders fall in upon us, tear us in pieces, and devour us when there was none to helpe. Oh, bleſſe God for Government; cartainly of all the bleſſings that God hath ſent down down from heaven to earth, (as to the things of this life) there is none ſo great as this of Government; therefore, bleſſed be God that hath eaſtbliſh't Government amongſt us; and bleſſed be the King, which (with good Jeh ſhaphat) hath taken care to ſend forth Judges and Officers to adminiſter juſtice and judgement unto the people; and bleſſed be the Parliament, which hath made us Statutes, Judgements, and Laws, ſo juſt, ſo good, ſo righteous, to be govern'd by; and bleſt be all the Miniſters of true Juſtice amongſt us, which lay out themſelves in their utmoſt endeavours, to preſerve our peace and protect us, from wrong and voilence; from the fury of the Biters, and the Grinders, that would devour us: and now how ſhall we ſhew our thankefulneſſe to them all? but by praying for them, by paying tribute unto them, where tribute is due; by yeilding all due honour and reverence to their perſons, all Subjection and due obedience to their Orders, Injunctions, and Commands, which they lay upon us for our good this is the way to preſerve our peace; this is the way to continue our happineſſe; and to make our dayes long in this good Land which the Lord our God hath given unto us; AMEN.

FINIS.