Men are gods, or, The dignity of magistracy, and the duty of the magistrate…

3. Their protection is from God. As a King defendeth his inferior officers in the execution of their offices; so the King of Kings defendeth Magistrates in the discharge of their trusts; God standeth ⟨p. 209⟩in the Congregation among the Gods, Psal. 82.1. not only to observe whether they offer injuries to others, but also to take care, that they receive no injuries from others. God is a stronger guard to the Judge then any Sheriff. And were not he a wall of fire about some worthy zealous Justices, many beastly persons (who have been curbed by them, and hindered from leaping over the hedges of divine commands) would have trampled them under feet, if not torn them in pieces.

3. Their protection is from God. As a King defendeth his inferiour officers in the execution of their offices; so the King of Kings defendeth Magistrates in the discharge of their trusts; God standeth ⟨p. 209⟩in the Congregation among the Gods, Psal. 82.1. not only to observe whether they offer injuries to others, but also to take care, that they receive no injuries from others. God is a stronger guard to the Judge then any Sheriff. And were not he a wall of fire about some worthy zealous Justices, many beastly persons (who have been curb'd by them, and hindered from leaping over the hedges of divine commands) would have trampled them under feet, if not torn them in pieces.

It is worthy our observation how exceedingly God manifesteth his power and zeal for the help of Magistrates against all opposition. Korah and his company conspire against Moses and Aaron; Magistracy and Ministry, Numb. 16. and would have brought in Anarchy. (Indeed both those Ordinances have the same adversaries. Those that would level the Ministry, making Preachers Jeroboam-like, of the lowest of the people, and filling the Pulpit as Noah's Ark, with creatures clean and unclean, will at last level the Magistracy too, and make the Throne as low and as common as the Pulpit.) But observe what God saith of these opposers of Magistracy and Ministry, and what God doth to them: for his saying; That they are gathered together against the Lord, vers. 11. They wounded God through the sides of Moses and Aaron. They that murmur and conspire against Gods Delegated servants, murmur and conspire against God himself. And surely God will first or last be too hard for those that thus harden themselves against him: For see what he doth to them; The Earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods; they and all that belonged to them went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed, upon them, vers. 32.33. God hath strange punishments for such strange principles and practices; He will work miraculously,