Justice Justified, Title page – Dedication
JUSTICE JUSTIFIED; OR THE Judges Commiſſion Opened: IN TWO ASSIZE SERMONS, Preached before the JUDGES of ASSIZE. The firſt at Chard, on Prov. 14. 34. March 12. the other at Taunton, on Rom. 13. 4. Aug. 3. 1657.
By James Strong, Maſter of Arts, and Miniſter of the Goſpel at Illmiſter in SOMMERSET.
Juſtitia immota res publica floret, illa ſublata, flacceſſet ac deficit. Caſper Sibelius. Tom. 3. page 389.
And I will reſtore thy Judges as at firſt; and thy Councellors as at the beginning; afterward ſhalt thou be called a City of Righteouſneſſe, and a faithful City, Iſa. 1. 26.
LONDON, Printed for John Stafford, and are to be ſold at his houſe, neer the George, at FLEET-BRIDGE, 1658.
To the Right Honourable Robert Nicholas, one of the Barons of the Exchequer, and Richard Newdigate, one of the Juſtices of the Ʋpper Bench, Judges of the Weſtern Circuit: As alſo to the Right Worſhipful William Hillyard, Eſq High-Sheriff of the County of Somerſet; together with the Gentlemen of the Grand Inqueſt, and others, at whoſe requeſt theſe Sermons were made publike.
My Lords and Gentlemen;
TWas a ſad preſage of Iſraels ruine, when the Lord in anger threatened to break theſe two Staves of his beauty and bonds: if ReligionZac. 11. be the one of theſe two Staves, the Law ſhall be the other; theſe are ſemper gemella nunquam ſingula in foetu, two Twins, mercies that live and die together, Iſrael at once loſt them both, Hoſ. 3. 4. The Children of Iſrael ſhall be many dayes without a King, & without a Prince, & without an offering, and without an Ephod, &c. corruption is the mother of confuſion, Dan and Bethel, the place of Judgement, and the houſe of God, had been corrupted together, and therefore 'twas just they ſhould be deſtroyed together: wickedneſſe had uſurped the ſeat of Juſtice at Dan, and Bethel, the houſe of God, was become a Bethanes, the houſe of lies. What violent adventures have been made by many of this Nations own degenerate Sons to break the ſtaffe of beanty, I need not tell you; I fear the next generation will ſcarce live to ſee Religion healed of ſome of theſe ſcars and wounds ſhe hath received in our late unhappy wars, of which, oh may ſhe not complain in the Prophets words, that ſhe hath been wounded in the houſe of her friends: The quarrel begun with Religion, but ended againſt policy:Zac. 13. 6. Thoſe that are burthened by the Goſpel, can live without the Law; Sine Fide, ſine Rege, ſine Lege. The ſtaff of bonds hath of late had its turn, and had not both been held in the hand of a ſtrong God, ſure the iſſue ere this had been confuſion.
My Lords, That both Juſtice and Religion finds yet the countenance of ſo egregious Patrons as your ſelves, is a Valley of Achor, a door of hope to our Iſrael, that we ſhall once more ſee Jeruſalem in Jeruſalem, when truth buds out of the earth, and righteouſneſſe looks down from heaven, thenPſa 85. 11, 12. have we ground to hope that our Land alſo ſhall give her encreaſe.
What evidence have you given the world, not only of your integrity in doing Juſtice, but alſo of your zeal to Religion? This makes your name which you have left behind you, like a ſweet perfume. Not to flatter you ('twas but your duty) how often to provoke others of quality to imitate your Religious practiſe, have I mentioned, that joy that poſſeſt me to ſee a Judge ſo conſtant and ſerious in writing Sermon notes; like thoſe Noble Berians, Acts 17.
The two ſhort Sermons following, however eſteemed by your Honors, and others, had never ſeen more light then came into my Study window, had I known how elſe to have ſatisfied the earneſt importunities of many Gentlemen, and others, that were my Auditors; but beyond all, the joynt deſire of your Lordſhips, was of ſufficient authority to make me conſent; this liberty only I muſt crave, when there was one only deſired, to preſent you with two: They are both of the ſame mould, and like Ruth and Naomi, they are reſolved to go together. What may be the cenſure of others (though I am ſure to have my back-burden) doth very little trouble me: The Smith's Dog (they ſay) doth not fear the fire; it hath been my lot for ſome years, beyond many of my place, to be exerciſed by a generation, whoſe inward parts is very wickedneſſe, and their throat an open Sepulchre; ſo that experienceAnabapt. Quakers. Senſualiſts. hath ſufficiently ſteel'd me against reproaches. What ever be the welcome that this weak Eſſay finds among others, yet I am ſure wiſdome is ſtill juſtified by all her children.
To your Honors then, and the reſt of the Gentlemen, whoſe deſire I have gratified by this impreſſion, I humbly inſcribe theſe weak conceptions of mine. And oh that God would once more make another impreſsion of them upon their hearts; and as he hath honoured you among his people, and advanced you above others in place, ſo may he make you all more eminent in piety; that having ſerved your generation in the ſeveral truſts committed to you awhile, you may cheerfully reſign your Offices, together with your Souls, and give up your accounts to him who ſhall come to judge quick and dead, at that laſt and great day. So doth he promiſe to pray, that is
Your moſt zealous and affectionate Servant in the Goſpel, Ja. Strong.