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

God is the good mans Keeper; but how? not immediately (in an ordinary way) but mediately. As trust in God doth not consist with trust in means, neither without use of means where God doth afford them: for then Christ might have taken the Devils Counsel, and have thrown himself down from the Pinnacle of the Temple when God had afforded him stairs for his safe going down. Saints are under the shadow of Gods wings principally. He is their chief Sun and Shield, Gen. 17.1. but they are under the shadow of the Gods wings subordinately, they are the instrumental shields of the earth, Psal. 47.9.

God is the good mans Keeper; but how? not immediately (in an ordinary way) but mediately. As trust in God doth not consist with trust in means, neither without use of means where God doth afford them: for then Christ might have taken the Devils Counsel, and have thrown himself down from the Pinacle of the Temple when God had afforded him stairs for his safe going down. Saints are under the shadow of Gods wings principally. He is their chief Sun and Shield, Gen. 17.1. but they are under the shadow of the Gods wings subordinately, they are the instrumentall shields of the earth, Psal. 47.9.

God can in regard of his absolute power protect his people without the shields of the earth, against all the opposition from men: as he can defend immediately from all the fiery darts of the Devil without the shield of faith, or the sword of the spirit. He needeth not the agency either of Magistrates in civil things, nor Ministers in spiritual things but he ⟨p. 217⟩hath ordained both. It is his pleasure that both should in subordination to him be used, and therefore neither can without sinning against him be neglected.