Bridge's remains, being VIII sermons

Why? But will some say this seems contrary to Scripture, Reason, and our own Judgment; to Scripture, for the Scripture saith, Use the world as if you used it not; To Reason, for the Magistrate is to do Justice, and if he do it with all his might, there will be summum jus, and summum jus, is summa injuria; and to our own Judgment, for according to ⟨p. 144⟩our own principles we are able to do nothing; but according to this Text and Doctrine, there is something in the power of our hand to do. How can this therefore agree either with Scripture, Reason, or our own Judgment and Principles?

Why? But will some say this seems contrary to Scripture, Reason, and our own Judgment; to Scripture, for the Scripture saith, Ʋse the world as if you used it not; To Reason, for the Magistrate is to do Justice, and if he do it with all his might, there will be summum jus, and summum jus, is summa injuria; and to our own Judgment, for according to ⟨p. 144⟩our own principles we are able to do nothing; but according to this Text and Doctrine, there is something in the power of our hand to do. How can this therefore agree either with Scripture, Reason, or our own Judgment and Principles?

Yes, very well, for doth the Scripture say that we are to use the world as if we used it not? and doth it say here, whatever is in the power of thine hand to do, do it withal thy might; Then put these together, and what is the result but this, That we should use all our skill and might, to use the world as if we used it not. And as for the reason about the Magistrate, though the Magistrate is to do justice, yet he is to show mercy also; if he have righteousness in the one hand he is to have mercy in the other; I will sing of mercy and judgment saith David; Seneca tells us, that many punishments are as much disparagement to the Magistrate, as many Funerals are to the Physician. Ye know that Moses was the first Magistrate that Israel had, and did not he do justice? yes, yet he was the meekest man upon earth; Why so? but to show that the dispensations of justice will grow very well upon the disposition of meekness. And as for our own principles and Judgment who doth not say, and say true, That every man hath power to do more then he doth; and what if I should say with some, That God will condemn no man for that sin, which he hath not a power to avoid. The Heathens ye know are judged by the law of nature, but though they are not able to keep the whole law of nature, yet they are able to avoid these sins against nature, for which they are condemned; so under