The crown & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered…The crovvn & glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the only way to happiness discovered…

Eighthly, In the exercise of justice, you must look that §8justice and mercy, that justice and clemency go hand in hand. Prov. 20.28. ¹Mercy and truth preserve the King: and his Throne is upholden by mercy: Some read the words thus,² Mercy and justice preserve the King, and his Throne is upholden by mercy. All justice will not preserve the King, nor all mercy will not preserve the King; there must be a mixture both of justice and mercy to preserve the King, and to uphold his Throne; and to show that mercy is more requisite then justice, the word Mercy is doubled in the Text. Justice without Mercy turns into rigour, and so becomes hateful; Mercy without Justice turns into fond pity, and so becomes contemptible. Look as the rod of Aaron and the pot of Manna were by Gods command laid up in the same Ark, ⟨image 17⟩so must mercy and justice be preserved entire in the bosom of the same Magistrate,³ Judge, and Justice. Mercy and justice, mildness and righteousness, lenity and fidelity, are a safer and a stronger guard to Princes and People, then rich Mines, munitions of Rocks, mighty Armies, powerful Navies, or any warlike preparations. It is very observable that Christ is called but once the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, in the book of the Revelation, and that is in chap. 5.5. but he is called a Lamb no less then nine and twenty times in that book: and what is this, but to show the transcendent mercy, clemency, lenity, mildness and sweetness that is in Jesus Christ, and to show that he is infinitely more inclined to the exercise of mercy, then he is to the exercise of justice. It is true, Magistrates, Judges and Justices, should be Lions in the execution of justice; and it is as true, that they should be Lambs in the exercise of mercy and clemency, mildness and sweetness: And the more ready and inclinable they are to the exercise of mercy, where mercy is to be showed, the more like to the Lamb they are. Seneca hath long since observed, that the custom of anointing Kings, was to show that Kings should be above all other men of the greatest sweetness and mildness; their anointing being a sign of that Kingly sweetness and mildness that should be in them. Nero's speech hath great praise, who when he was to subscribe to the death of any condemned man, would say, Utinam nescirem literas, I wish I did not know how to write. But,