A85785:13
The magistrates portraiture drawn from the Word, and preached in a sermon at Stowe-Market…The magistrates pourtraiture drawn from the Word, and preached in a sermon at Stowe-Market…
The magistrates portraiture drawn from the Word, and preached in a sermon at Stowe-Market in Suffolk, upon August, the 20. 1656. before the election of Parliament-men for the same county. / By William Gurnall, M.A. of Eman. Coll. now pastor of the Church of Christ in Lavenham. Suffolk.The magistrates pourtraiture drawn from the Word, and preached in a sermon at Stowe-Market in Suffolk, upon August, the 20. 1656. before the election of Parliament-men for the same county. / By William Gurnall, M.A. of Eman. Coll. now pastor of the Church of Christ in Lavenham. Suffolk.
London: printed for Ralph Smith, 1656
Title page typeset from the transcription.
THE MAGISTRATES Portraiture Drawn from the WORD.THE MAGISTRATES Pourtraiture Drawn from the WORD.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
And all this is not charged upon some petty party, and inconsiderable faction in the Nation, which had not been so much, but the indictment is laid against the whole Nation, ver. 3. Israel doth not know, ver. 4. Ah sinful Nation. The whole head and heart were as sick of sin, as they were of suffering. 'Tis sad when all the house are down together, or those that are well, not enough to look to the sick. There were indeed some gracious ones in that degenerate age, but so few, that their Religion, like a pint of wine in a tun of water, could hardly be tasted amidst such a multitude of ungodly ones.
And all this is not charged upon some petty party, and inconsiderable faction in the Nation, which had not been so much, but the inditement is laid against the whole Nation, ver. 3. Israel doth not know, ver. 4. Ah sinful Nation. The whole head and heart were as sick of sin, as they were of suffering. 'Tis sad when all the house are down together, or those that are well, not enough to look to the sick. There were indeed some gracious ones in that degenerate age, but so few, that their Religion, like a pinte of wine in a tunne of water, could hardly be tasted amidst such a multitude of ungodly ones.
Now as it is in the diseases of the body, when a general distemper hath invaded the whole (as in a Fever or the like,) there is commonly some one principal part, whose disorder affects all the rest, which a wise Physician bestows his chiefest skill to find out, as most conducing to the cure: so here, the sad distemper which the Jewish Nation lay under, both in regard of sin and misery, is observed by the Prophet in a great measure, to have proceeded from one principal rank, and order of men among them, and that was their Rulers and Magistrates, ver. 22, 23. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water, thy Princes are rebellious. Therefore the Lord levels his threatenings at their breast, in an especial manner, ver. 24. Therefore, saith the Lord, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries. That as they had the greatest hand in the sin, so they should have the deepest draught in the judgement. No sins lie heavier on Gods stomach, and make him more heart-sick, then theirs who stand in high and public place of Rule and Government. But lest the godly should be discouraged at the calamities denounced against them,