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<DATE>2011-06-03</DATE>
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<NAME>Louis Goldberg</NAME>
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<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE.</P>
<P>A SERMON Preached before the Judge of ASSISE at <HI>Leice&s;ter,</HI> Julie 30. 1652.</P>
<P>By ANTONIE SCATTERGOOD <HI>Rectour</HI> of <HI>Winwick in North|hampton-&s;hire.</HI></P>
<P>LONDON. Printed by ROGER DANIEL Anno 1652.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2" MS="y">
<P>ORNATISSIMO VIRO D. THOMAE CAVE BARONETTO, ET LECTISSIMAE EJUS CONJUGI PENELOPAE HANC OPELLAM</P>
<P>D. D. D.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>ANTONIUS SCATTERGOOD.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="sermon">
<PB N="1" REF="2">
<HEAD>THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>ROM. XIV. 10.</HI></BIBL>
<P>Wee &s;hall all &s;tand before the judge|ment-&s;eat of Chri&s;t.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_I Know it is u&s;uall in &s;uch a&s;&s;emblies as this to han|dle texts of Scripture pro|per to the pre&s;ent occa|&s;ion: Such as is Jethro's coun&s;el to Mo&s;es concerning the choice of Judges, <HI>Exod.</HI> 18.21. Mo&s;es's charge to the Judges hee had cho|&s;en, <HI>Deut.</HI> 1.16, 17. Samuels example, (that was a Judge itine|rant 1. <HI>Sam.</HI> 7.15-17. in Bethel, and Gilgal, and Mizpeh, and Ra|mah) 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 12.3. King Jeho|&s;haphat's commi&s;&s;ion to the Jud|ges hee &s;et in the cities of Judah,
<PB N="2" REF="3">2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 19.6. Job's profe&s;&s;ion of his own integrity, <HI>Job.</HI> 29.7-17. David's vow, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 101. tho&s;e Proverbs of Solomon, and pa&s;&s;a|ges of the Prophets that either pre&s;s the duties of Magi&s;trates, or prohi|bit Bribery, Cowardi&s;e, Partiality, or &s;ome other vice incident to that honourable calling. Such places as the&s;e are for the mo&s;t part the &s;ub|ject of A&s;&s;i&s;e-&s;ermons: And indeed &s;o worthy they are to bee ever fre&s;h in the memories of all in autority, that I wi&s;h they were written on the walls of their hou&s;es, or rather in the tables of their hearts. Yet my de&s;ire beeing to &s;peak to all here pre&s;ent, and not to one onely, or a few (though tho&s;e few, yea that one, bee more con&s;iderable at this time then many others) I have therefore balked &s;uch texts, &amp; cho|&s;en one of general &amp; perpetual con|cernment; a text that will not &s;o
<PB N="3" REF="3">much mini&s;ter occa&s;ion to the Prea|cher to &s;atis&s;ie the humour of tho&s;e that ex&s;pect a Satyre from the pul|pit, and love to &s;ee the faults of o|thers, great ones e&s;pecially, la&s;hed, while them&s;elves &s;it untouched, as it will force us all, if well and duly weighed, to erect a tribunall every man in his own bo&s;ome, and to be|come Accu&s;ers and Judges of our &s;elves; a text that will not &s;o much give occa&s;ion the Preacher to tell the people what the Informer, and witne&s;s, and Pleader, and Jurer, and Judge &s;hould do, as it will force us all, of what calling or rank &s;oever, &s;eriou&s;ly to bethink our&s;elves, and carefully to enquire of others, as they in the <HI>Acts, chapt.</HI> 2.37. and 9.6. and 16.30. What wee our|&s;elves &s;hould do. All here at Church have not bu&s;ine&s;s at the Court: The Sheriff's men will tell you &s;o anon: Yea, many there are
<PB N="4" REF="4">who never had, and haply never &s;hall have, any quarrel or contro|ver&s;ie to bee tried before an earthly Judge: But the Judge that <HI>cometh in the clouds every eie &s;hall &s;ee him, Rev.</HI> 1.7. every one &s;hall bee &s;um|monned <HI>to appear before him, to re|ceive according to what hee hath done in the body, whether good or bad,</HI> 2 Cor. 5.10. <HI>Wee &s;hal all &s;tand before the judgement-&s;eat of Chri&s;t.</HI> The text, yee &s;ee, is profitable at any time, for any congregation. And meethinketh it is al&s;o &s;ea&s;ona|ble enough at this time, and &s;utable enough to the pre&s;ent auditorie. Wee have a Judge, and an A&s;&s;i&s;es in the Town; and wee have a Judge and an A&s;&s;i&s;es in the Text: and each ought to reflect upon the other. The Trumpet, and Guard, and At|tendance, the Robes, the Tribunall, the Barre, the whole pomp and proceeding of Judges here below
<PB N="5" REF="4">&s;hould mind us of that awfull Judge who will one day <HI>de&s;cend from heaven with a &s;hout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God,</HI> 1 The&s;&s;. 4.16. <HI>and coming in the glorie of his Fa|ther, with his Angels and myriads of Saints,</HI> Mat. 16.27. Jude 14. &s;hall erect his judgement-&s;eat in the clouds, and there &s;it upon the eternall life and death of all man|kind. Thus the affair in hand is an embleme of the Text: for an A&s;&s;i&s;e is a little Dooms-day: And again the Text by Gods ble&s;&s;ing may have great influence upon the affair in hand. For let all that have to do in matters apperteining to Judge|ment but believe and remember the&s;e few words, <HI>Wee &s;hall all &s;tand before the judgement-&s;eat of Chri&s;t,</HI> and I am con&s;ident there will bee no malicious calumnies or fal&s;e ac|cu&s;ations brought into the Court,
<PB N="6" REF="5">no rotten cau&s;e gilded over by bri|bed eloquence, no verdict given-in again&s;t evidence and Oath, no per|verting, no delaying of Ju&s;tice, but all, from him that &s;itteth on the Bench to the meane&s;t Officer, will <HI>by the terrours of the Lord bee per|&s;waded</HI> &s;o to demean them&s;elves as to <HI>have alwayes a con&s;cience void of offen&s;e toward God &amp; toward men,</HI> Acts. 24.16. The Text then is a word &s;poken in fit &s;ea&s;on; as ap|peareth further from our Saviours telling the High Prie&s;t and Councel of the Jews, when he was appre|hended and brought before them, that they &s;hould &s;ee him come in the clouds of heaven, <HI>Mat.</HI> 26.64. and from S. Pauls rea&s;oning be|fore Felix of the judgement to come, <HI>Acts.</HI> 24.25.</P>
<P>My porch is big enough: It is time to walk into the Court. I have hitherto made way for my
<PB N="7" REF="5">Text: Let us now make entrance into it. Therein three things are obvious to our view:
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. A Judgement-&s;eat;</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The Per&s;on that &s;hall &s;it upon it;</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The Per&s;ons that &s;hall &s;tand before it. Whence three points of doctrine:
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>There &s;hal bee a Judgement;</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Christ &s;hall bee the Judge;</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>The Judgement &s;hall be ge|nerall.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">I. That there &s;hal bee a Judge|ment after death, though it bee an article of Chri&s;tian Faith, the pro|perty and privilege whereof is to look beyond the veil, and to be|hold things invi&s;ible; yet was it not wholy hid from the ey of naturall Rea&s;on: for wee find the wi&s;er &s;ort of the Heathen making &s;ome di&s;coveries of it. The Sibylls pro|phe&s;ie of it. Plato and other Phi|lo&s;ophers
<PB N="8" REF="6">prove it, in their di&s;cour|&s;es concerning the Immortality of the &s;oul, and its condition after death. The Poets with their witty fan&s;ies paint it out in their fables of Aeacus and his fellow-Judges, of the Ely&s;ian fields, of Tityus's vul|tur, of Tantalus's hunger &amp; thir&s;t, of the darkne&s;s and fire and furies of the infernall regions. If the&s;e by the glimmering light of Nature could &s;ee &s;o much, how can wee wonder enough at tho&s;e Sadducees and Epicures among&s;t us, that deny this truth now the Sun of the Go|&s;pel &s;hineth &s;o bright about them? what can wee think, but that they are mere Athei&s;ts, and not worthy to bee di&s;puted with, &s;ince they deny our principles, and oppo&s;e both Scripture and Nature? Time will come when they &s;hall feel what they will not now believe, and bewail their errour when it will bee
<PB N="9" REF="6">too late. As for us, let us not bee deceived. Let not their evil words corrupt either our minds or our manners. Let not us follow &s;wini&s;h Epicures, who profe&s;s our&s;elves Chri&s;ts &s;heep; but let us hear the voice of our Shepherd; &amp; while they deride the Scriptures, let us believe them. And they are as clear in this matter as any. Solomon &s;aith to the voluptuous young&s;ter, <HI>Know thou that for all the&s;e things God will bring thee into judgement,</HI> Eccl. 11.9. and hee endeth that excellent book with that golden &s;entence concerning the end of all things, <HI>God &s;hall bring every work into judgement, with every &s;ecret thing whether it bee good or whe|ther it bee evil,</HI> Eccl. 12.14. Our Saviour in the Go&s;pel doth not one|ly tell us that hee will come at the la&s;t day, and by his powerful voice raile up all unto judgement, <HI>Mat.</HI>
<PB N="10" REF="7">16.27. <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.28, 29. <HI>and</HI> 6.39. but hee al&s;o punctually &s;etteth down the &s;ignes of his coming, <HI>Matth.</HI> 24. and the maner of his proceeding, <HI>Matth.</HI> 25. And &s;ince the re&s;t of his words have proved faithfull and true, let us not make any que&s;tion of this. Hee foretold the particulars of his pa&s;&s;ion, the maner of his death, and the time of his re&s;urrection; Hee promi&s;&s;ed to &s;end the holy Gho&s;t upon his di|&s;ciples; Hee threatned the ruine of the temple, the de&s;olation of Jeru|&s;alem, &amp; the rejection of the Jews. Let the accompli&s;hment of the&s;e predictions confirm our belief of the other. The &s;ame mouth &s;pake all; and the &s;ame hand that hath ful|filled &s;o many, will not fail in one. That this main point might be the more generally believed, he com|manded his Apo&s;tles <HI>to te&s;tifie that it is hee that is ordained of
<PB N="11" REF="7">God to be the Judge of quick and dead,</HI> Acts 10.42. And accor|dingly they almo&s;t in all their Ser|mons and Epi&s;tles do teach and pre&s;s it. It were tedious to cite all the places. S. Paul de&s;cribeth the maner of the Lords coming, 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 4.15-17. And S. John among&s;t his many other Revelati|ons, had the white Throne, the rai|&s;ing of the dead, the opening of the Books, the la&s;t judgement, and the execution of it revealed unto him, <HI>Rev.</HI> 20.11-15. The like vi&s;ion had Daniel, <HI>Dan.</HI> 7.9, 10, 13, 14. Yea, Enoch even in the beginning of the world was &s;o cer|tain of the end of it, that he &s;peak|eth of the day of doom as if he had then &s;een it. And indeed he did &s;ee the day of Chri&s;ts &s;econd coming with the like eye to that wherewith Abraham beheld his fir&s;t. See him as it were pointing
<PB N="12" REF="8">with his finger at the Judge mar|ching in the clouds with all the company of heaven with him, Jude 14. <HI>Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thou&s;ands of his Saints, to execute judgement upon all,</HI> &amp;c. This article of the later Judgement is not onely grounded (as yee &s;ee) upon the word, but we may draw arguments al&s;o to prove it from all the Attributes of God. His Po|wer will then be &s;hewen in rai&s;ing the dead out of the du&s;t, and bring|ing all his rationall creatures before his Tribunall, and with one word of his mouth <HI>turning the wicked in|to hell, and all the people that for|gat God.</HI> His Wi&s;dome will then appear, by <HI>bringing to light the hidden things of darkne&s;s</HI> and lay|ing open all the works and words and thoughts of men. His Truth will then be manife&s;t, by perform|ing the promi&s;es that he made to
<PB N="13" REF="8">his &s;ervants, and by executing the threats denounced again&s;t his ene|mies. La&s;tly, his Ju&s;tice and Mer|cy will then become unque&s;tion|able, which during the time of this life are much que&s;tioned. Here in this world God doth not alwaies reward men according to their works, but for the mo&s;t part &s;uf|fereth his deare&s;t children to lie un|der the cro&s;s, while the wicked are laden with his benefits. Cain build|eth Cities, while Abel &s;leepeth in the du&s;t; E&s;au is a great Lord, while Jacob endureth an hard &s;er|vice; Cha&s;t Jo&s;eph heth by the heels, while his wanton Mi&s;tre&s;s is at liberty; Naboth's vineyard is u&s;urped by Ahab; Lazarus want|eth relief at the gluttons door briefly. <HI>the rod of the ungodly lieth upon the back of the righteous;</HI> the devils goats tread down Gods he|ritage: and all this while though
<PB N="14" REF="9">God <HI>look upon them that deal trea|cherou&s;ly, yet he holdeth his tongue when the wicked devoureth the man that is more righteous then he,</HI> Hab. 1.13. And becau&s;e God thundereth not as oft as men bla|&s;pheme, <HI>becau&s;e &s;entence again&s;t their evil works is not executed &s;peedily, therefore the heart of the &s;ons of men is fully &s;et in them to do evil,</HI> Eccle&s;. 8.11. Nay, be|cau&s;e God keepeth &s;ilence, they take his &s;ilence for con&s;ent, and they <HI>think he is altogether &s;uch an one as them&s;elves,</HI> P&s;a. 50.21. Sure he loveth our per&s;ons (&s;ay they) he owneth our cau&s;e, he is well plea&s;ed with our cour&s;es, otherwi&s;e he would never pour his favours &s;o plentifully on us. And thus they grow more hardened in their &s;ins. On the other &s;ide, the righteous comparing their own affliction with the pro&s;perity of the wicked,
<PB N="15" REF="9">are ready to call into que&s;tion the ju&s;tice of God, and the truth of his promi&s;es. This &s;eeming confu&s;ion that is in Gods dealings with men in this world, made not &s;ome mo|rall Heathens alone to que&s;tion Providence (as we read Lucilius demanded of Seneca, <HI>Quid ita &s;i providentia mundus agatur, tam multa bonis viris accidunt mala?</HI> but it moved the Prophet thus to expo&s;tulate with God him&s;elf, <HI>Righteous art thou, O Lord, when I plead with thee, yet let me talk with thee of thy judgements; Where|fore doth the way of the wicked pro&s;per? wherefore are all they happy that deal very treacherou&s;ly? Jer.</HI> 12.1. Yea, this unevenne&s;s in the wayes of God made the P&s;al|mi&s;t &s;tumble &s;hrewdly, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 73.2, 3. <HI>As for me</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>my feet were almo&s;t gone, my &s;teps had well|nigh &s;lipt; For I was envious at
<PB N="16" REF="10">the fooli&s;h, when I &s;aw the pro&s;pe|rity of the wicked.</HI> And ver. 13, 14. <HI>Verily I have clean&s;ed mine heart in vain, and wa&s;hed mine hands in innocency; For all the day long have I been plagued, and cha&s;tened eve|ry morning.</HI> He began to think it a vam thing to &s;erve God, if God rewarded his &s;ervants with no bet|ter wages then afflictions. And &s;urely Religion were the grande&s;t folly in the world, and we Chri&s;ti|ans <HI>of all men the mo&s;t mi&s;erable,</HI> (as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaketh, 1 Cor. 15.19.) <HI>if in this life onely we had hope in Chri&s;t.</HI> If there were no recompen&s;e of reward to be looked for hereafter, who would <HI>choo&s;e to &s;uffer affliction with the people of God, rather then to enjoy the plea&s;ures of &s;in, and e&s;teem the reproch of Chri&s;t greater riches then the tredjures of a kingdome,</HI> as Mo&s;es did, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 11.25, 26. The
<PB N="17" REF="10">briny tears of repentance, and the bitter pills of mortification would never down with any of us, if not &s;ugred with after-hopes. But ble&s;|&s;ed be God we are a&s;&s;ured, that af|ter all the&s;e gloomy dayes and doubtfull weather, the day of the revelation of the righteous judge|ment of God will appear, when tho&s;e Saints of his whom he had afflicted in this life &s;hall be the more rewarded for their patience, and tho&s;e wicked wretches to whom he had been &s;o bountifull, &s;hall be the more &s;harply puni&s;hed for the abu&s;e of his ble&s;&s;ings. Yea, this very irregular proceeding of God now is <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a manife&s;t token, of his righteous judgement</HI> hereaf|ter, as the Apo&s;tle &s;aith, 2 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 1.5. The Wi&s;e man argueth in like manner, <HI>Eccle&s;.</HI> 3.16, 17. For ob&s;erving the cruelty and inju&s;tice of men in great place and authori|ty,
<PB N="18" REF="11">how in &s;tead of being a &s;helter and &s;anctuary to the oppre&s;&s;ed, they proved unto them <HI>a briar and a thorn-hedge,</HI> in &s;tead of being pa|trones of laws they perverted them, making u&s;e of their power to do mi&s;chief, and turning their Courts of Ju&s;tice into dens of rapine, into meer butcheries and &s;hops of cru|elty, what inferreth he hence? Not what they Ezek. 9.9. <HI>The Lord hath for&s;aken the earth, and the Lord &s;eeth not;</HI> but what his Fa|ther doth in the like ca&s;e, P&s;al. 12.5. <HI>For the oppre&s;&s;ion of the poor, for the &s;ighing of the needy the Lord will ari&s;e,</HI> &amp;c. Solomon from the cruell and unju&s;t cour&s;es of Magi|&s;trates inferreth the ju&s;t judgement of God, and how there &s;hall be a time when he <HI>that is higher then the highe&s;t</HI> will call them to ac|count for all <HI>their oppre&s;sion of the poor, and their violent perverting
<PB N="19" REF="11">judgement and ju&s;tiee.</HI> For thus he &s;aith, <HI>Moreover, I &s;aw under the &s;un the place of judgement, that wickedne&s;s was there; and the place of righteou&s;ne&s;s, that iniquity was there. I &s;aid in mine heart, God &s;hall judge the righteous and the wicked; for there is a time there for every purpo&s;e and for every work.</HI> Thus Solomon, like Sam|&s;on, found honey in the carca&s;es e|ven of lions. And thus may the children of God do &s;till. The pro|&s;perous wickedne&s;s of profane per|&s;ons, which emboldeneth them in their waies of cruelty and tyrannie, and maketh them <HI>&s;ay in their hearts, God hath forgotten, he hi|deth his face, he will never &s;ee it,</HI> P&s;al. 10.11. even that very &s;ame thing, though it oft wring tears from the eyes of the godly, yet it affordeth them a towell to wipe their cheeks withall, it being a
<PB N="20" REF="12">&s;trong argument to a&s;&s;ure their hearts, that <HI>a time of refre&s;hing will come from the pre&s;ence of the Lord, Acts</HI> 3.19. when there &s;hall be no more place left for tho&s;e &s;illy objections again&s;t Divine Pro|vidence, Why is this villain pro&s;pe|rous? and why that Saint in mife|ry? <HI>Cur &s;celeris pretium ille cru|cem tulit, hic diadema?</HI> Why was that traitour dre&s;&s;ed with an hemp|en halter, and this with a gold chain or a diadem? Then the <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>Rom.</HI> 2.5. the <GAP DESC="foreign">, the exact ju&s;tice of God will be &s;o evident, that even his enemies &s;hall be forced to &s;ay, <HI>Verily there is a reward for the righteous, doubtle&s;s there is a God that judgeth the earth,</HI> P&s;al. 58, 11, A day of judgement then &s;hall come.</P>
<P>But when?</P>
<P>Some profane ones ask the que|&s;tion
<PB N="21" REF="12">2 <HI>Pet.</HI> 3. &s;coffing at Gods &s;lackne&s;s, and thinking, becau&s;e it is not yet, that it will be never. But <HI>the Lord is not &s;lack as they count &s;lackne&s;s.</HI> He doth but &s;tay till his harve&s;t be ripe; then he will &s;end forth his reapers, <HI>Matth.</HI> 13.30. he tarrieth but till his elect be ac|compli&s;hed, and then <HI>he that &s;hall come, will come, and will not tarry,</HI> Hebr. 10.37.</P>
<P>Others too curious have taken on them to calculate the period of the world, both Gentiles, Jews, and Chri&s;tians. Plato and Pytha|goras, among the Heathens, &s;aid all this elementary frame &s;hall be di&s;&s;olved after &s;ix and thirty thou|&s;and yeers. Elias a Jew, but not the Ti&s;hbite, but a cabali&s;ticall Rabbine of a far meaner &s;tamp, al|loweth the world but a &s;ixth part of that term which tho&s;e Philo&s;o|phers do, and &s;aith it &s;hall endure
<PB N="22" REF="13">but &s;ix thou&s;and yeers; which he equally parcelleth out thus, two thou&s;and before the Law, two thou|&s;and under, two thou&s;and after. But he gro&s;ly erreth in the two fir&s;t particulars; for from the creation of the world to the giving of the Law were above five hundred years more then his accompt, and from the Law to Chri&s;t almo&s;t five hundred years le&s;s. There|fore we may well &s;u&s;pect him in the la&s;t particular, which was the furthe&s;t off from his ken. But his totall &s;umme of &s;ix thou&s;and years pa&s;&s;ed for currant with many of the antient Fathers, while&s;t they compared Gods creating the world in &s;ix dayes with that place of S. Peter, <HI>One day is with the Lord as a thou&s;and years, and a thou&s;and years as one day,</HI> 2 Pet. 3.8. It would bee endle&s;s, and indeed it is needle&s;s, to acquaint you with the
<PB N="23" REF="13">&s;everall opinions of Chri&s;tian wri|ters concerning the time of Chri&s;t's &s;econd coming; there having been &s;ome almo&s;t in every age that have ventured to &s;et the year, if not the day, of the&s;e grand A&s;&s;i&s;es: Mo&s;t of which conjectures Time the mother of Truth hath already con|vinced to bee as fal&s;e as they were bold; and &s;o without doubt it will confute the re&s;t. For none know nor can know the end of the world but hee that began it. <HI>Times and &s;ea|&s;ons are in the Fathers power,</HI> Acts 1.7. this e&s;pecially; <HI>Mark</HI> 13.32. <HI>Of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father:</HI> Not the Son, that is, not as man, or not at that time, (for his knowledge was gra|duall, <HI>Luke</HI> 2.52. and mixed with &s;ome ignorance, <HI>Mark</HI> 11.13.) or not as Mediatour, &s;o as to
<PB N="24" REF="14">reveal it to his Church: Thus the Son knew not the day of judge|ment. From 1 <HI>The&s;&s;.</HI> 5.2. <HI>The day of the Lord &s;o cometh as a thief in the night,</HI> &s;ome conclude, but very weakly, that Chri&s;t &s;hall come in the night. The uncertainty of this appeareth from <HI>Mark</HI> 13.35. <HI>Yee know not when the Master of the hou&s;e cometh, at even, or at midnight, orat the cock-crowing, or in the morning.</HI> Be&s;ides, it is called <HI>the day of the Lord,</HI> 1 Cor. 5.5. 2 Cor. 1.14. 2 Pet. 3.10. More|over, when it is night with us, it is day in the other hemi&s;phere. Whe|ther night or day, how near it is wee may not affirm, yet that it is not far off wee may gather from tho&s;e progno&s;ticks that our Sa|viour hath given us, mo&s;t whereof are come to pa&s;&s;e already; as the ari&s;ing of fal&s;e Chri&s;ts and fal&s;e pro|phets, per&s;ecuting of true Chri|&s;tians,
<PB N="25" REF="14">wars and rumours of wars, pe&s;tilences and famines, quakings of the earth, and &s;earfull &s;ignes in heaven, iniquity everywhere aboun|ding, and charity everywhere aba|ting. The&s;e buds plainly tell us that the Sun of righteou&s;ne&s;s draweth nigh. Let us therefore lift up our heads, and gird up our loins, that hee may not come upon us and pa&s;s by us before wee bee aware. Let the &s;ound of the Archangels trumpet bee ever in our ears, as S. Hierome &s;aith it was in his: Let the fear and remembrance of that dreadfull tribunall bee continually in our minds. But how far &s;oever the generall Judgement bee off, this let us know, that our particu|lar judgement is at hand: For this immediately followeth our death. So &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, Heb. 9.27. <HI>It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement.</HI> No
<PB N="26" REF="15">&s;ooner &s;hal thy &s;oul leave her earth|ly tabernacle, but &s;hee &s;hall &s;tand before her Judge, who having pa&s;|&s;ed an unalterable doom upon her, &s;hee &s;hall enter into endle&s;s joyes or pains. This &s;hal bee as the Quar|ter-&s;e&s;&s;ions; that other like the ge|nerall A&s;&s;i&s;es. Thou &s;halt know by this how it will go with thee then. Well, Beloved, this al&s;o is unknown to us. Though wee cannot all &s;ay as I&s;aac, Gen. 27. that <HI>wee are old;</HI> yet wee may all &s;ay as hee did, <HI>Wee know not the day of our death.</HI> Let this con&s;ideration therefore pre&s;s the &s;ame duty of Watchfulne&s;s. <HI>Ideo latet unus dies ut ob&s;erventur omnes:</HI> God hath on purpo&s;e kept the knowledge of this one day from us, that hee might have our &s;ervice every day; that wee &s;hould never bee &s;ecure, but ever ready, ever do|ing our Ma&s;ters bu&s;ine&s;s, ever ca&s;t|ing up our own accompts, ever con|&s;idering our later end; like wi&s;e
<PB N="27" REF="15">virgins, ever trimming our lamps; like faithfull &s;ervants, ever employ|ing and improving our talents; that &s;o when our Ma&s;ter cometh, and findeth us about his work, wee may receive his wages, or rather his gift, eternall life. So much of the fir&s;t point, That there &s;hal bee a Judge|ment. Come we now to the &s;econd,</P>
<P N="2">II. <HI>Christ &s;hall bee the Judge.</HI> To bee a Judge here upon earth (though the Manichees and Dona|ti&s;ts of old did, and the Anabap|ti&s;ts their &s;ucce&s;&s;ours now do cry it down) is an high and honourable calling. To bee an oracle of ju&s;tice, a refuge for wronged innocencie, a mainteiner of Truth and Peace, a prop and pillar of the State; <HI>To give eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame; To break the jaws of op|pre&s;&s;ours, and pluck the &s;poil out of their teeth,</HI> Job 29.15, 17. To drive away wickedne&s;s and wicked
<PB N="28" REF="16">men with a ca&s;t of his ey or with the breath of his mouth, <HI>Pro.</HI> 20.8, 26. To carry the life &amp; livelihood of others on the tip of his tongue; Such actions as the&s;e, &s;o great, &s;o good, lift a man almo&s;t above hu|manity. And indeed as Judges do Gods work, (<HI>The judgement is Gods,</HI> Deut. 1.17. and, <HI>Yee judge not for man, but for the Lord,</HI> 2 Chron. 19.6.) &s;o God giveth Judges his own title, P&s;al. 82.6. <HI>I have &s;aid, Yee are Gods, and all of you are children of the mo&s;t High.</HI> If the&s;e that ride circuits here below, and ex&s;ecute judgement and ju&s;tice but in &s;ome &s;mall province, have &s;o great honour and dignity laid upon them, how unconceiva|ble will the autority and maje&s;ty of that Per&s;on bee that &s;hall bee Lord Chief Ju&s;tice of heaven and earth, that &s;hall bring in his hand the keyes of Hell and Death, and
<PB N="29" REF="16">&s;hall cau&s;e a generall Gaol-deli|very to bee made, that &s;hall exer|ci&s;e Commi&s;&s;ion of <HI>Oyer &amp; Ter|miner</HI> over all both men and an|gels, and &s;hall pa&s;s an unrepeala|ble &s;entence upon both! And to this height is Chri&s;t advanced. <HI>All power is given him in heaven and in earth,</HI> Matth. 28.18. Hee is made not onely <HI>Head of his Church</HI> Ephe&s;. 5.23. but <HI>Lord and Judge of all,</HI> Acts 10.36, 42. <HI>All things are put under his feet; and hee is &s;et far above all principality and power, and might and dominion, and every name that is named not onely in this world, but al&s;o in that which is to come,</HI> Ephe&s;. 1.20.22.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> But doth not Chri&s;t &s;ay, <HI>If any man hear my words, and be|lieve not, I judge him not: for I came not to judge the world, but to &s;ave the world,</HI> John 12.47? And the like wee have John 3.17.</P>
<PB N="30" REF="17">
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> Such places are to bee un|der&s;tood of that coming which is pa&s;t, not of that which is to come. Chri&s;t came not indeed to judge the world, but hee &s;hall come to judge it. Hee came in poverty, but hee &s;hall come in power; Hee came in the form of a &s;ervant, and in the &s;imilitude of &s;infull fle&s;h; but hee &s;hall come in the glorie of his Fa|ther: Hee came to bee judged, but hee &s;hall come to judge even tho&s;e that judged him: Hee came like a Lamb, to bee &s;acrificed for &s;in; but hee &s;hall come like a Lion, to tear all impenitent and unbelieying &s;in|ners in pieces. At his fir&s;t coming &s;uch was his meekne&s;s and humi|lity, that hee hid him&s;elf that hee might not bee a King, <HI>John</HI> 6.15. but &s;uch &s;hall bee the &s;plendour and terrour of his &s;econd coming, that even Kings and Potentates &s;hall &s;eek to hide them&s;elves from
<PB N="31" REF="17">his pre&s;ence, <HI>Rev.</HI> 6.15-17. When hee was upon earth, hee refu&s;ed to bee a Judge of civile matters and a divider of earthly inheritances; <HI>Man, who made mee a Judge or a divider over you?</HI> Luke 12.14. but when hee cometh in the clouds of heaven, hee will bee a Judge and a divider indeed: hee will be&s;tow the man&s;ions of glorie on the ve&s;|&s;els of grace, and, like his type Jo|&s;hua, divide the heavenly Canaan among all the I&s;rael of God, giving to one autority over five cities, to another over ten, <HI>Luke</HI> 19.17, 19.</P>
<P><HI>Qu.</HI> But how and why is Judge|ment attributed to Chri&s;t, &s;ince <HI>God is Judge of all the earth,</HI> Gen. 18.25. Yea, &s;ince <HI>God is Judge him&s;elf,</HI> P&s;al. 50.6?</P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> How and why! Let the Arian and Socinian hear how and why. Chri&s;t is therefore <HI>Judge of all,</HI> Heb. 12.23. becau&s;e hee is
<PB N="32" REF="18"><HI>God over all,</HI> Rom. 9.5. His Di|vinity and his Autority inferre each other. That which in the Text the Apo&s;tle calleth <HI>&s;tanding before the judgement-&s;eat of Chri&s;t,</HI> in the twelfth ver&s;e hee calleth <HI>Giving ac|count to God; So then,</HI> &s;aith hee, <HI>every one of us &s;hall give account of him&s;elf to God.</HI> So then Chri&s;t is God. And indeed the Father com|municateth both his nature and his power unto him. <HI>Hee hath given all things into his hand,</HI> Joh. 3.35. and <HI>hee hath given him autority to ex&s;ecute judgement becau&s;e hee is the Son of man,</HI> Joh. 5.27. But wee mu&s;t not imagin that by in|ve&s;ting the Son with this power the Father hath deve&s;ted him&s;elf of it: For hee &s;till reteineth the power hee hath given. As in re&s;pect of e&s;&s;ence, the Son is in the Father, and the Father in the Son; &s;o in re|&s;pect of action, the Son worketh
<PB N="33" REF="18">from the Father, and the Father by the Son, <HI>John</HI> 17.21-23. Concern|ing the particular in hand; That of our Saviour, <HI>Joh.</HI> 5.22. <HI>The Fa|ther judgeth no man, but hath com|mitted all judgement to the Son,</HI> is excellently expounded by S. Paul, <HI>Acts</HI> 17.31. <HI>God hath appointed a day in the which hee will judge the world in righteou&s;ne&s;s by that man whom hee hath ordained.</HI> Yet &s;hall not Chri&s;t &s;it as a delegate or &s;ubordinate Judge, but as a Judge Paramount, principall and ab&s;olute, from whom there &s;hall bee no ap|peal, who&s;e &s;entence &s;hall not bee traver&s;ed, nor his power re&s;i&s;ted. For hee &s;hall judge not as Man onely, nor as God onely, but as <GAP DESC="foreign">, as both together. As Man, hee &s;hall come in the clouds of heaven, and &s;it on the tribunall; as God, hee &s;hall rai&s;e the dead, and force all to &s;tand before him&punc;
<PB N="34" REF="19">As Man, every ey &s;hall behold him; as God, hee &s;hall behold every thought, and di&s;cover every deed of darkne&s;s: As Man, hee &s;hall pro|nounce the &s;entence; as God, hee &s;hall fulfill and ex&s;ecute it. The Scripture a&s;&s;cribeth the la&s;t Judge|ment to three &s;orts of Judges; to God, to Chri&s;t, to the Saints. God, even the whole Trinity, &s;hall bee the Judge, in re&s;pect of judiciarie power: Chri&s;t &s;hall bee the Judge, in re&s;pect of his vi&s;ible appearance and audible promulgation of the &s;entence: <HI>The Saints &s;hall judge the world,</HI> 1 Cor. 6.2. in re&s;pect of con&s;ent and approbation. God &s;hal judge, as the <HI>King who is &s;upreme;</HI> Chri&s;t &s;hall judge, <HI>as a Judge &s;ent by him for the puni&s;hment of evil|doers &amp; for the prai&s;e of them that do well,</HI> 1 Pet. 2.13, 14. The Saints &s;hall judge, as the hone&s;t Ju&s;tices, and Gentlemen and body
<PB N="35" REF="19">of the County, who <HI>when their ears hear an upright Judge, then they ble&s;s him; and when their eyes &s;ee him, they give witne&s;s to him,</HI> Job 29.11.</P>
<P N="1">I. If Chri&s;t bee Judge, <HI>then the judgement &s;hall bee according to truth,</HI> Rom. 2.2. <HI>The Judge of all the earth will do right,</HI> Gen. 18.25. Judges of but part of the earth oft erre in judgement. <HI>Great men are not alwayes wi&s;e, neither do the aged alwayes under&s;tand judge|ment,</HI> &s;aith Elihu, Job 32.9. Some|times Judges would find out the truth, but cannot: &s;ometimes they can find it out, but will not; &s;ome|times they do find it out, but are driven from it. Truth lieth (as the Philo&s;opher &s;aid) in a pit; and &s;ome Judges have not wherewith to draw it out. It is &s;ometimes &s;o covered with darkne&s;s, and the way to it &s;o intricate &amp; perplexed, &amp; Fal&s;hood
<PB N="36" REF="20">now and then meeteth the Judge in &s;o hand&s;ome a di&s;gui&s;e, that it is no wonder to &s;ee even a good man mi&s;|taken, to &s;ee an I&s;aac think well of an E&s;au, <HI>Gen.</HI> 25.28. a Samuel of an Eliab, 1 <HI>Sam.</HI> 16.6. a whole college of Apo&s;tles of a Judas, <HI>Mat</HI> 26.22. <HI>Joh.</HI> 13.21-26. But er|rour in judgement ari&s;eth oftner from want of will to do right then from want of skill, the Judge ei|ther not having the patience to af|ford the cau&s;e a full hearing and to examin and &s;ift matters to the bot|tome, or el&s;e having his eyes blear|ed with pa&s;&s;ion, or blinded with gifts. And it not &s;eldome happen|eth, that though the Judge find out the truth, and could find in his heart to maintein it, yet hee is dri|ven from it; either &s;ome great mans frown or letter being a Prohibition to him; and then</P>
<P><HI>Contra libertum Cae&s;aris ire ti|met,</HI>
<PB N="37" REF="20">hee is afraid not to &s;eem Cae|&s;ars friend, <HI>John</HI> 19.12, 13. or hee is afraid to anger the bea&s;t with many heads, the multitude; &amp; then Barabbas is relea&s;ed, and Chri&s;t is condemned by Pilate, <HI>Mark</HI> 15.15. <HI>Luke</HI> 23.23, and Paul by Felix is left bound, <HI>Acts</HI> 24.27. La&s;tly, it is a thing too often &s;een, that after the Judge hath worthily done his part, and ju&s;tly doomed a malefa|ctour to death, &s;ome greater power interveneth and re&s;cueth him from the gallows, granting him either a Pardon or a Reprive. Hence it fre|quently happeneth, what the Pro|phet complaineth of, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 59.14. that <HI>judgement is turned away back|ward, &amp; ju&s;tice &s;tandeth afarre off,</HI> that <HI>truth falleth in the &s;treet, and equity cannot enter;</HI> that tho&s;e old &s;cenes are in every age oft acted over, that Jo&s;eph is condemned as a vitious per&s;on, that Mephibo|&s;heth's
<PB N="38" REF="21">e&s;tate is be&s;towed upon a &s;ycophant, that Naboth fareth the wor&s;e for having a good vineyard, and Micaiah lo&s;eth his liberty for not empri&s;oning the truth; that, as Cyprian &s;aith, <HI>inter leges ip&s;as de|linquitur,</HI> that JUS is turned into VIS, Right overturned by Might. Certain it is, that while darkne&s;s is in the minds of men, and the Prince of darkne&s;s is &s;uffered to tempt, a|mong&s;t other Vanities that are un|der the Sun, that will &s;till bee one that yee heard Solomon complain|ing of <HI>Eccl.</HI> 3.16. that <HI>in the place of judgement wickedne&s;s is there, &amp; in the place of righteou&s;ne&s;s iniquity is there.</HI> Under the Sun it will bee &s;o: But when the Sun in the firma|ment &s;hal bee put out, then the Sun of righteou&s;ne&s;s will &s;hine forth, then a <HI>Judge will &s;it in the throne that will judge right,</HI> P&s;al. 9.4. and <HI>there &s;hall bee no unrighteou&s;|ne&s;s
<PB N="39" REF="21">in him,</HI> P&s;al. 92.15. For hee hath all the properties of a complete Judge, Wi&s;dome, Power, Ju&s;tice, all infinite.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, his Wi&s;dome is &s;uch, that his eyes cannot bee blinded. <HI>The darkne&s;s is no darkne&s;s to him,</HI> P&s;al. 139. Hee prieth into the clo&s;e&s;t corners, even into tho&s;e of the heart. <GAP DESC="foreign"> is his peculiar title, <HI>Acts</HI> 1.24. <HI>All things are</HI> <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>&s;tipped naked, ripped open before him,</HI> Heb. 4.13. Tho&s;e that have gone in the dark, and &s;ought deep to hide their coun&s;el from the Lord, &s;hall at the day of judgement find their cunning con|trivances to have been to no pur|po&s;e. All clo&s;e plots, all &s;ecret cham|berings, all curtain-&s;ins &s;hall then bee brought to light; all hypocri&s;y &s;hall bee unveiled, and every mask pulled off. Even in the dayes of his fle&s;h Chri&s;t <HI>knew what was in man,</HI>
<PB N="40" REF="22">John 2.25. hee knew Nathanael to bee a true I&s;raelite, <HI>John</HI> 1.47. and Judas to bee a devil, <HI>John</HI> 6.70. how much more then in the day of his glorie &s;hall hee <HI>bring to light the hidden things of darkne&s;s, and make manife&s;t the coun&s;els of the hearts?</HI> 1 Cor. 4.5. The wicked &s;hall at that day call to the moun|tains and rocks to cover them, <HI>Rev.</HI> 6.16. but in vain. For impo&s;&s;ible it will bee for thee to bee hid. For be&s;ides the omni&s;cience of the Judge a whole cloud of witne&s;&s;es wil ap|pear again&s;t thee. I. Every &s;in thou ha&s;t committed, if thou &s;uffer it to lie down in the du&s;t with thee, will bee &s;ure to ri&s;e up in judgement again&s;t thee. Many &s;ins are &s;aid to cry now, as Murder, <HI>Gen.</HI> 4.10. Uncleanne&s;s, <HI>Gen.</HI> 18.20. Oppre&s;|&s;ion, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 5.7. Keeping-back the labourers hire, <HI>Jam.</HI> 5.4. but e|very &s;in will have a voice at that
<PB N="41" REF="22">day to cry for vengeance, if its mouth bee not &s;topped in the mean time with that bloud which &s;peak|eth better things, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 12.24. II. Every creature which thou ha&s;t abuled will put up a bill of en|dictment. The lands or livings that by fraud or violence thou ha&s;t u|&s;urped, and deteine&s;t from the right owners, even the&s;e <HI>will cry again&s;t thee, and the furrows thereof will complain,</HI> Job 31.38. If <HI>thou builde&s;t thy hou&s;e by unrighteou&s;ne&s;s, and thy chambers by wrong, wo unto thee,</HI> Jer. 22.13. <HI>for the &s;tone &s;hall cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the timber &s;hall an&s;wer it,</HI> Hab. 2.11. The gold and &s;ilver that thou ha&s;t either ill got, or ill kept, or ill &s;pent, will prove an ill trea&s;ure, even a trea&s;ure of wrath, at the la&s;t day, <HI>Jam.</HI> 5.3, 4. III. Satan, <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>that adver&s;arie in judgement,</HI> as S. Peter calleth him, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5.8.
<PB N="42" REF="23">who hath all thy life-time been <GAP DESC="foreign">, <HI>a Tempter,</HI> will at the day of judgement e&s;pecially make good his name <GAP DESC="foreign">, and play the <HI>Devil</HI> indeed, accu&s;ing thee of tho&s;e &s;ins to which he tempted thee. IV. But if all el&s;e &s;hould bee &s;ilent, thou ha&s;t that in thy bo&s;ome that will &s;peak loud enough, a book wherein all thy works, &amp; words, &amp; thoughts are written. This though now perhaps &s;eldome looked into, but clo&s;ed and fa&s;t &s;ealed, &s;hall then bee &s;pread wide open, &amp; bee as bad as a thou&s;and witne&s;&s;es again&s;t thee, It wil bee a te&s;timonie beyond all exception: for it was written all with thine own hand, &amp; kept alway in thine own cabinet. This is one of tho&s;e books mentioned <HI>Rev.</HI> 20.12. even the book of thy Con&s;cience, which &s;hall <HI>bear witne&s;s, and either accu&s;e or excu&s;e</HI> thee before thy Judge, <HI>Rom.</HI> 2.16. But indeed
<PB N="43" REF="23">the Judge &s;hall need no proof or evidence, for hee knoweth all things of him&s;elf, and <HI>needeth not that any &s;hould te&s;tifie of man,</HI> John 2.25. In the va&s;t volume of his Omni|&s;cience <HI>all our membres were writ|ten before they were fa&s;hioned.</HI> Hee is not onely <HI>acquainted with all our wayes,</HI> but <HI>there is not a word in our tongue that hee knoweth not altogether:</HI> yea, <HI>hee under&s;tandeth our thoughts afarre off,</HI> as the P&s;al|mi&s;t mo&s;t excellently, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 139. As hee <HI>putteth tears into a bottle,</HI> P&s;al. 58.8. &s;o hee <HI>&s;oweth and &s;eal|eth up tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions in a bag,</HI> Job 14.17. Hee now <HI>&s;etteth thine ini|quities before him, even thy &s;ecret &s;ins in the light of his countenance,</HI> P&s;al. 90.8. and time will come (though thou thinke&s;t otherwi&s;e) <HI>when hee will &s;et all in order before thine eyes,</HI> P&s;al. 50.21.</P>
<P>Secondly, as in re&s;pect of his
<PB N="44" REF="24">Wi&s;dome the Judge may be &s;aid to be <HI>Totus oculus,</HI> &s;o in re&s;pect of his power hee may bee &s;aid to bee <HI>Totus manus.</HI> Other Judges are oft hindred (as I &s;aid) in the ex&s;e|cution of Ju&s;tice: But there will bee no &s;tanding again&s;t this Judge, no appealing from him. Hee is <HI>high|er then the highe&s;t,</HI> Eccl. 5.8. <HI>And his Kingdome ruleth over all,</HI> P&s;al. 103.19. His hand will bee found no &s;horter at the la&s;t day then it was at the fir&s;t; but as at the begin|ning of the world &s;o at the end his Word will bee his Work. <HI>He &s;pake the word and we were made</HI> at fir&s;t: <HI>P&s;.</HI> 33.9. &amp; when hee &s;aith, <HI>Return yee children of men,</HI> P&s;al. 90.3. wee &s;hall be made anew. With his word hee drew us all out of that old <HI>Cha|os</HI> (if I may &s;o &s;peak) and placed us here on earth; and with his word hee will people both heaven and hell, and fix that <GAP DESC="foreign">, that
<PB N="45" REF="24"><HI>great gulf,</HI> Luke 16.26. betwixt them.</P>
<P>Thirdly, his Ju&s;tice is of equall dimen&s;ions with his Wi&s;dome and Power. And indeed where this is wanting in a Judge, the other two &s;erve but to arm Iniquity, and to make it &s;o much the more mi&s;chie|vous. But this great Judge is good as well as great. Hee is Ju&s;tice it &s;elf; the true Melchi&s;edech, <HI>the King of righteou&s;ne&s;s.</HI> His name is, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUS|NESS, <HI>Jer.</HI> 23.6. and his nature is, <HI>to love righteou&s;ne&s;s, and to hate wickedne&s;s,</HI> P&s;al. 45.7. <HI>Righteou&s;|ne&s;s &s;hall go before him,</HI> P&s;al. 85.13. Righteou&s;ne&s;s &s;hall bee under him: <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s &amp; judgement are the habitation of his throne.</HI> P&s;al. 97.2. Righteou&s;ne&s;s &s;hall bee round about him: <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s &s;hall bee the girdle of his loins, and faithful|ne&s;s the girdle of his reins,</HI> I&s;a. 11.7.
<PB N="46" REF="25">So righteous hee was here upon earth, that none of his enemies could convince him of &s;in, <HI>John</HI> 8.46, Neither Herode nor Pilate could find any fault in him, <HI>Luke</HI> 23.14, 15. Yea, the very devil cried out, <HI>Mark</HI> 1.24. <HI>I know thee who thou art, the Holy one of God.</HI> But though this Judge were ever <HI>righteous in all his wayes, and holy in all his works,</HI> P&s;al. 145.17. yet then e&s;pe|cially will his righteou&s;ne&s;s appear, <HI>when hee cometh, when hee cometh to judge the earth, when hee &s;hall judge the world with righteou&s;ne&s;s, and the people with his truth,</HI> P&s;al. 96.13. His judgements now though ever ju&s;t yet are often &s;ecret, his fa|vours and his puni&s;hments beeing &s;o promi&s;cuou&s;ly dealt, and all things coming &s;o alike to all, that there is no judging of love or ha|tred by outward events, <HI>Eccl.</HI> 9.1, 2. But at the la&s;t day his judgement
<PB N="47" REF="25">will bee manife&s;t as well as ju&s;t. Now hee loveth to &s;it upon his mer|cie-&s;eat and his throne of grace, to encline his ear to prayers, to bee mollified with tears, to bee &s;wayed with &s;ighs, to receive &s;uits, and to grant Reprives and Pardons: But at the day of Judgement his Pati|ence and Long-&s;uffering will bee at an end: Then no entreaties, no tears, no promi&s;&s;es, no friends, no media|tion &s;hall further prevail with him; <HI>but putting-on righteou&s;ne&s;s as a breastplate, and an helmet of &s;alva|tion upon his head, and putting-on the garments of vengeance for cloth|ing, and beeing clad with zele as a cloak, according to their deeds ac|cordingly hee will repay furie to his adver&s;aries and recompen&s;e to his enemies,</HI> I&s;a. 59.17, 18.</P>
<P N="2">II. If Chri&s;t &s;hall bee the Judge, oh how &s;hall Pilate tremble that condemned him, and Judas that be|trayed
<PB N="48" REF="26">him, and the Jews that thir&s;t|ed for his bloud, and all that any wayes were con&s;enting to his death! And that (let mee tell you) many thou&s;ands are that think them&s;elves far enough from &s;uch horrid impie|ty. They that now de&s;pi&s;e his Mini|&s;ters, reject the offers of grace, di&s;o|bey the Go&s;pel, profane the Sacra|ment, count the Cro&s;s fooli&s;hne&s;s, &amp; will not relie on a crucified Saviour, &s;uch, how well &s;oever conceited of them&s;elves, allow the fact of the Jews in crucifying of Chri&s;t; and, had they lived in that place and at that time, they would have had an hand in that bloud which they now <HI>trample under foot and account as a commonthing,</HI> Hebr. 10.29. Yea, they do even now in &s;ome &s;ort <HI>cru|cifie the Son of God afre&s;h, and put him to open &s;hame,</HI> &amp; pierce him again &amp; again with their &s;innes, <HI>Heb.</HI> 6.6. When &s;uch as the&s;e &s;hall <HI>behold him
<PB N="49" REF="26">whom they have pierced,</HI> how &s;hall their <HI>faces gather blackne&s;s, rotten|ne&s;s enter into their bones,</HI> and their hearts bee overwhelmed with fear and a&s;toni&s;hment! They were here offended at Chri&s;ts humility: they &s;hall bee much more offended at his glorie: They were here a&s;hamed of him: then hee will bee a&s;hamed of them: They would not hear his gentle &amp; mild voice to their conver|&s;ion; they &s;hall therefore hear his terrible and dreadfull voice to their confu&s;ion: They would not come to him for ea&s;e and refre&s;hment, <HI>Mat.</HI> 11.29. they &s;hall therefore depart from him into everla&s;ting fire, <HI>Mat.</HI> 25.41. If in the &s;tate of his humi|liation hee was able with a word to throw his apprehenders on their backs, <HI>Joh.</HI> 18.6. how ca&s;ily then, when hee <HI>ari&s;eth to judgement, &s;hall his enemies</HI> (that would not appre|hend him by faith) <HI>bee &s;cattered,
<PB N="50" REF="27">and they that hate him, flee before him!</HI> P&s;al. 68.1. Now <HI>con&s;ider this, yee that forget God, le&s;t hee then tear you in pieces, &amp; there bee none to deliver,</HI> P&s;al. 50.22. Knowing the terrour of the Lord, let us bee per|&s;waded to look about us while wee have time &amp; place, before <HI>that great and notable day of the Lord come,</HI> Acts 2.20. That will bee the Lords day, a day of glorie: In this our day, the day of grace, <HI>while it is called To day,</HI> let us hearken to his voice, <HI>and con&s;ider the things that belong to our peace, le&s;t hereafter they bee hid from our eyes,</HI> Luke 19.41. Let us now curb our lu&s;ts, &amp; break off our &s;inful cour&s;es, &amp; <HI>live in all holy conver&s;a|tion &amp; godline&s;s,</HI> 2 Pet. 3.11. <HI>Let us ki&s;s the Son, le&s;t he bee angry, &amp; wee peri&s;h when his wrath is kindled:</HI> Then <HI>ble&s;&s;ed are they</HI> and onely they <HI>that put their tru&s;t in him,</HI> P&s;al. 2.12. I am fallen on a third U&s;e.</P>
<PB N="51" REF="27">
<P N="3">III. If Chri&s;t be Judge, then lift up your heads, &amp; comfort your hearts, all true Chri&s;tians. Though <HI>his eyes bee as a flame of fire, &amp; his voice as the &s;ound of many waters,</HI> Rev. 1.14, 15. though <HI>a fiery &s;tream i&s;&s;ue &amp; come forth from before him,</HI> Dan. 7.10. though at his coming <HI>the heavens &s;hall pa&s;s away with a great noi&s;e, &amp; the elements &s;hall melt with fervent heat, &amp; the earth &amp; the works that are therein &s;hall bee burnt up.</HI> 2 Pet. 3.10. though <HI>as wax melteth before the fire, the wicked peri&s;h at the pre|&s;ence of the Judge, yet let the righte|ous bee glad, let them rejoyce yea let them exceedingly rejoice,</HI> P&s;al. 68.2, 3. That great flame, that &s;hall de|vour all things el&s;e, &s;hall not touch them. Let them not fear any thing, neither Sin, nor Satan, nor Hell. They have a Friend in the Court, <HI>that is able to &s;ave them to the ut|termo&s;t,</HI> Heb. 7.25. The Judge him|&s;elf
<PB N="52" REF="28">that &s;itteth on the bench will bee their Advocate, &amp; plead their cau&s;e. Hee is their <HI>Brother,</HI> Heb. 2.11. their <HI>Husband,</HI> 2 Cor. 11.2. their <HI>Head,</HI> Col. 1.18. their <HI>Redeemer,</HI> Rev. 5.9. Hee &s;hed his bloud for them on the Cro&s;s; &s;hall he not then &s;peak a word for them on the tribunall? Hee ap|peared at his fir&s;t coming like us, ta|king not onely our infirmities but our iniquities upon him, that at his &s;econd coming wee might bee <HI>like him,</HI> and <HI>appear with him in glorie,</HI> Col. 3.4. 1 Joh. 3.2. How &s;hould the con&s;ideration of this make us w^t^h patience bear the Cro&s;s, &amp; run to the Crown, make us w^t^h care to prepare for Chri&s;ts coming &amp; with an earne&s;t de&s;ire &amp; <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Rom.</HI> 8.19. to wi&s;h and long &amp; look for it, &s;till cry|ing, <HI>Come, Lord Je&s;us, come quickly!</HI> Rev. 22.20. It remaineth now that wee &s;peak of the third ob&s;ervable in the text, the Per&s;ons to bee judged,
<PB N="53" REF="28"><HI>Wee all:</HI> Whence this doctrine,</P>
<P N="3">III. <HI>The la&s;t Judgement &s;hall bee generall.</HI> It &s;hall bee more general then Death. Some have already e|&s;caped death as Enoch &amp; Elijah: ma|ny &s;hall e&s;cape it, even all <HI>that &s;hall bee found alive at Chri&s;ts coming,</HI> 1 Cor. 15.51. 1 The&s;&s;. 4.17. But none &s;hall e&s;cape judgement. <HI>All that are in the graves &s;hall hear Chri&s;ts voice,</HI> Joh. 5.28. <HI>All &s;hall appear before his judgement-&s;eat,</HI> 2 Cor. 5.10. whether Smal or Great, <HI>Rev.</HI> 20.12. whether Quick or Dead, <HI>Acts</HI> 10.42. whether Ju&s;t or Un|ju&s;t, <HI>Acts</HI> 24.15. So that the Pro|phets <HI>Many,</HI> Dan. 12.2. is to be ex|pounded by the Apo&s;tles <HI>All</HI> here; All &s;hall awake out of the du&s;t, for All &s;hall &s;tand before the tribunall; high &amp; low, rich and poor, one with another, from him that &s;itteth on the throne to her that grindeth at the mill. There &s;hall bee no acception or
<PB N="54" REF="29">exception of per&s;ons no &s;anctuarie or hiding place, no bribe, no appeal, no appearing by Proxy or Atturney, no pleading by Coun&s;el, but every man &s;hall &s;tand at the barre in his own per&s;on to give account of him&s;elf to the Judge. Every mans actions &s;hall bee &s;canned, and &s;ifted &amp; weighed in the balance of the Sanctuarie: Every one &s;hal be tried &amp; judged by Gods Law concerning <HI>every thing that hee hath done in his body whether good or bad,</HI> 2 Cor. 5.10. Yea, not onely deeds, but words &s;hall bee accounted for, <HI>Matth.</HI> 12.36. yea, thoughts, <HI>Acts</HI> 8.22. <HI>Ro.</HI> 2.16. yea, not onely commi&s;&s;ions of evil, but omi&s;&s;ions of good; not onely the wa&s;ting of our &s;ub&s;tance with the Prodigall, but the not employing of our talent with the &s;lothfull &s;ervant. Thou mu&s;t bee rec|koned with for all that God hath be|&s;towed on thee, for all the gifts of na|ture, for all the means of grace, for e|very
<PB N="55" REF="29">Sabbath thou ha&s;t enjoyed, for every Sermon thou ha&s;t heard, for e|very ble&s;&s;ing received, for every cor|rection inflicted, for the time that God hath lent thee, &amp; the opportu|nitles of well-doing. Thou &s;halt bee que&s;tioned how thou ha&s;t u&s;ed the membres of thy body, how thou ha&s;t employed the faculties of thy &s;oul, how thou ha&s;t gotten and how thou ha&s;t &s;pent thine e&s;tate, how thou ca|me&s;t into and how thou ha&s;t di&s;char|ged thy calling. Every man &s;hall bee &s;ummoned in particular to give an account of his &s;teward&s;hip, <HI>Luke</HI> 16.2. An exact and &s;trict &s;urvey &s;hall bee taken of all that wee have done, &s;poken, thought; of every ro|ving cogitation idle word, unadvi&s;ed action; of every duty omitted, &s;inne committed, creature abu&s;ed, means neglected, time mis&s;pent. Here wee take notice but of a few matters a|mi&s;s in our lives; but at that day the
<PB N="56" REF="30">lea&s;t &s;innes &s;hall bee made to appear before all the world. For as in the beams of the Sun the lea&s;t motes are di&s;cerned, &s;o &s;hall the &s;malle&s;t <HI>pecca|dillos</HI> bee di&s;covered by the bright|ne&s;s of Chri&s;ts coming. And if the lea&s;t, how much more the greate&s;t? If <HI>for every idle word that men &s;peak they &s;hall give account in the day of judgement,</HI> Matth. 12.36. how much more for Lying, Swearing, For&s;wearing, Cur&s;ing, Bla&s;phem|ing? If wee mu&s;t bee an&s;werable for the utmo&s;t farthing, how much more for Covetou&s;ne&s;s Oppre&s;&s;ion, Glut|tony, Drunkenne&s;s, Theft, Adul|terie, Murder, Rebellion? The con|&s;ideration of this &s;trict tribunall ma|keth the godly them&s;elves oft to tremble and quake. <HI>Quoties diem illum con&s;idero, toto corde contremi|&s;co,</HI> &s;aith Hierome. And if holy men bee afraid, oh what cau&s;e have pro|fane ones to bee a&s;toni&s;hed! <HI>If the
<PB N="57" REF="30">righteous &s;earcely bee &s;aved, where &s;hall the ungodly and &s;inner appear?</HI> 1 Pet. 4.18. How will the faces of all wicked wretches bee covered with &s;hame, when tho&s;e abominable &s;innes which they now dig deep to hide from the ey of the world, &s;hall all bee made manife&s;t to men and angels! If yee ask mee now, as they <HI>Acts</HI> 2.37. What &s;hall wee do, that wee may &s;tand with comfort before the judgement-&s;eat of Chri&s;t? I an&s;wer;
<LIST>
<ITEM>I. Let us all judge our &s;elves un|partially.</ITEM>
<ITEM>II. Let none judge others ra&s;h|ly.</ITEM>
<ITEM>III. Let Magi&s;trates judge ju&s;tly.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P N="1">I. Such is the Knowledge and Power of the Judge (as yee have heard) that it will bee altogether impo&s;&s;ible for any man to hide him|&s;elf from him. Neither the moun|tains
<PB N="58" REF="31">nor the waves will bee able to cover thee from him that will com|mand the Sea, the Earth, Death and Hell to give-up their dead, <HI>Rev.</HI> 20.13. But though thou can&s;t not con|ceal thy per&s;on, yet (which is far better) thou maye&s;t conceal thy &s;ins from the ey of the Judge, by confe&s;|&s;ing and for&s;aking them now: 1 Joh. 1.9. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 32.5. If thou di&s;cover them now, they will bee covered then. If in the petite Court of thine own Con&s;cience thou call thy &s;elf to accompt, and condemn thy &s;elf for thy tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, thou &s;halt bee acquitted at the generall A&s;&s;i&s;es. Hear the Wi&s;e mans words: <HI>Prov.</HI> 28, 13. <HI>Hee that hideth his &s;ins, &s;hall not pro&s;per; but hee that con|fe&s;&s;eth and for&s;aketh them, &s;hall have mercie.</HI> So S. Peter, <HI>Acts</HI> 3.19. <HI>Repent yee, and bee converted, that your &s;ins may bee blotted out when the times of refre&s;hing &s;hall
<PB N="59" REF="31">come from the pre&s;ence of the Lord.</HI> Every &s;in wee committ, God &s;etteth it on our &s;core, till wee repent: but penitent tears wa&s;h all out. This Peter having found true by expe|rience, <HI>Mark</HI> 14.72. <HI>&amp;</HI> 16.7. commendeth a Remedie with a <HI>Pro|batum e&s;t.</HI> David, Mana&s;&s;eh, Ma|rie Magdalene, all Gods Saints, have proved this cour&s;e effectuall. Let us take it. Let us arraign our|&s;elves at the barre of our own con|&s;cience, rip-up our hearts and lives, confe&s;s our &s;ins with &s;orrow and &s;hame, condemn our&s;elves for them, repent unfeignedly of them, and turn from them, and then wee &s;hall find all blotted out at that day. The Judge will take all on him&s;elf, will plead for us, and di&s;charge us. But if wee <HI>cover our tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, as Adam, by hiding our iniquity in our bo&s;ome,</HI> Job 31.33. wee &s;hall find that as the bu&s;hes could not
<PB N="60" REF="32">hide him, &s;o neither &s;hall the hills hide us. For if wee neglect this du|ty, a&s;&s;ure wee our&s;elves the Judge will not; but if wee forget our &s;ins, hee will remember them; and if wee ca&s;t them behind our backs, hee will <HI>&s;et them in order before our faces,</HI> P&s;al. 50.21. Oh let us not put the Judge to this, but let us &s;ave him the labour of judging by judging our&s;elves. His judgement (as yee have heard) is terrible; <HI>It is a fear|full thing to fall into the hands of the living God,</HI> Hebr. 10.31. <HI>and who may stand in his &s;ight when once hee is angry?</HI> P&s;al. 76.7. but our judging of our&s;elves is pro&s;i|table. For though haply <HI>for the pre|&s;ent</HI> (as Correction, <HI>Hebr.</HI> 12.11.) <HI>it bee not joyous but grievous, yet afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteou&s;ne&s;s to tho&s;e that are exerci&s;ed thereby.</HI> For &s;o &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>If wee would judge
<PB N="61" REF="32">our&s;elves, wee &s;hould not bee judged,</HI> that is, <HI>wee &s;hould not bee condemn|ed with the world,</HI> 1 Cor. 11.31, 32, This is one U&s;e.</P>
<P N="2">II. If yee would not bee judged your&s;elves, then judge not others. It is our Saviours caveat, <HI>Matth.</HI> 7.1. <HI>Judge not, that yee bee not judged;</HI> yea, and the Apo&s;tles argu|ment in this very place, <HI>Why do&s;t thou judge thy brother? or why do&s;t thou &s;et at naught thy brother? for wee &s;hall all stand before the judge|ment-&s;eat of Christ.</HI> So it &s;hould bee read: for there is an illative par|ticle, <GAP DESC="foreign">, in the Originall, which &s;hould not have been left out in the Tran&s;lation. This <HI>For</HI> u&s;hereth-in a double argument again&s;t proud and Phari&s;aicall judging, again&s;t bu&s;y and uncharitable cen&s;uring of other men, one from the per&s;ons to bee judged at the la&s;t day, ano|ther from the Judge: 1. Wee &s;hall
<PB N="62" REF="33">all bee judged: therefore leave med|dling with thy brothers affairs, and look well to thy &s;elf. 2. Chri&s;t is the Judge of all: therefore u&s;urp not his office; &s;tep not from the barre to the bench. This would bee pre&s;umption and &s;acrilege; the o|ther, folly and uncharitablene&s;s. S. James argueth after the &s;ame ma|ner, <HI>Jam.</HI> 4.11, 12. <HI>Speak not evill one of another, brethren: Hee that &s;peaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, &s;peaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge. There is one Lawgiver, who is able to &s;ave and to de&s;troy: who art thou that judgest another?</HI> What ab&s;urd and &s;awcy impudence would it bee for pri&s;oners, who are all in the &s;ame condemnation, to doom and damne one another? Yet how common is this &s;in, this <GAP DESC="foreign">,
<PB N="63" REF="33">this putting an oar into other mens boats? Who is there al|mo&s;t that is not more curious to en|quire after others, then carefull to mind his own duty? more ready to &s;ay as Peter concerning John, <HI>John</HI> 21.21. <HI>What &s;hall this man do?</HI> then, as they to him, <HI>Acts</HI> 2.37. <HI>What &s;hall I do?</HI> How u&s;uall a thing is it to hear the Countrey-man blame the Citizen, and the Citizen the Countrey-man, and both the Clergy-man? how ordinarie, even among tho&s;e that profe&s;s religion, to find men &s;pying motes and &s;train|ing gnats in their brethren, and yet bearing beams and &s;wallowing ca|mels in them&s;elves! <HI>Matth.</HI> 7.3. <HI>&amp;</HI> 23.24. And truly for the mo&s;t part &s;uch as are &s;o quick-&s;ighted a|broad, are, as the <HI>Lamiae,</HI> blind at home. It is a good ob&s;ervation of Plutarch's, that as it is a &s;hrewd &s;igne that they have a durty and an
<PB N="64" REF="34">ill-ordered hou&s;e of their own, who love to gad much abroad, &s;o it is probable that they have foul con|&s;ciences in their bo&s;omes that love to peep much into other mens mat|ters. This wee gather from <HI>Matth.</HI> 7.3. No ey &s;o good at &s;pying a mote as that which hath a beam in it. None &s;o ready to find fault with the wa&s;t of the ointment as hee that was about to &s;ell his Ma&s;ters bloud, <HI>John</HI> 12.4, 5. Know this, who|ever thou art that bu&s;ie&s;t thy &s;elf with thy brothers accounts and thy Ma&s;ters office, that thy condemning of others will not excu&s;e thy &s;elf. I have heard it hath been &s;o &s;ome|times in Courts below, that an of|fender hath e&s;caped by impeaching his fellows: but it will bee &s;o far from &s;tanding thee in &s;tead at the barre above, that it will bee added to the bill of thy &s;innes, and enflame thy rekoning. See what the Apo&s;tle
<PB N="65" REF="34">&s;aith, <HI>Rom.</HI> 2.1. <HI>Thou art inexcu|&s;able, O man, who&s;oever thou art that judgest.</HI> Leave prying there|fore into other mens actions and pa&s;&s;ing thy &s;entence upon them, and turn thine ey inward, and examin thine own con&s;cience, and I war|rant thee thou &s;halt find matter enough at home to find fault with, and bu&s;ine&s;s enough to ca&s;t-up thine own accounts, and no lei&s;ure or li&s;t at all to ca&s;t &s;tones at others, <HI>John</HI> 8.7.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> Doth not our Saviour &s;ay, <HI>Matth.</HI> 7.16, 20. <HI>By their fruits yee &s;hall know them?</HI> therefore jud|ging his lawfull. Or, if judging bee not lawfull, down with the Magi|&s;trate.</P>
<P><HI>Re&s;p.</HI> When actions are notori|ou&s;ly evil, we may reprove and cen|&s;ure them, we ought to beware of the per&s;ons that committ them, yea wee may &s;afely judge the tree to be yet
<PB N="66" REF="35">evill that is wont to bear &s;uch fruit: But to determin the finall condition of &s;uch a tree, and to &s;ay it &s;hall bee feuell for hell, is high and dangerous pre&s;umption. For ought thou know|e&s;t God may better the nature of it, and make it a plant of Paradi&s;e. <HI>Judge nothing</HI> therefore <HI>before the time,</HI> 1 Cor. 4.5. nothing ra&s;hly, nothing har&s;hly, nothing without ground, nothing again&s;t charity. Such judging it is that the Scripture forbiddeth.</P>
<P>But this maketh nothing again&s;t publick judging, nothing again&s;t the civile Magi&s;trate, who&s;e calling is as clearly warranted by Gods Word as the ex&s;ecution thereof is profitable to humane &s;ociety. <HI>By mee Kings reigne, and Princes decree justice: By mee Princes rule and nobles, even all the Judges of the earth,</HI> Pro. 8.15 16. The Judge here in the text would not invade the Judges office, <HI>Luke</HI>
<PB N="67" REF="35">12.14. and commandeth that Ce|&s;ar have his due as well as God, <HI>Matth.</HI> 22.21. The Apo&s;tles agree with their Ma&s;ter: S. Paul, <HI>Rom.</HI> 13. telleth us that the Magi&s;trate <HI>is or|dained of God</HI> and that <HI>hee is the Mini&s;ter of God for our good;</HI> &amp; that wee mu&s;t afford him <HI>&s;ubjection tri|bute, fear, honour.</HI> S. Peter &s;aith the like, 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 11.13-17. And S. Jude &s;harply inveigheth again&s;t &s;uch as <HI>de&s;pi&s;e dominion, &amp; &s;peak evil of dignities,</HI> ver&s;. 8. Since the Scripture is &s;o clear for this point, how into|lerably too blame are they that abu&s;e this &s;pirituall &s;word to blunt the edge of the temporall, &amp; &s;lander Magi&s;tracy and civile Ju&s;tice, as if it could not &s;tand with Religion &amp; Chri&s;tianity! Such affronts as the&s;e that are put upon the Judgement|&s;eat it &s;elf mee thinketh &s;hould rou&s;e up the &s;pirit even of a Gallio, and make him, how carele&s;&s;e &s;oever of
<PB N="68" REF="36">other things, to take care of him&s;elf and his freehold. God put true zele and courage into the hearts of all Magi&s;trates, that they may magni|fie their office by doing ju&s;tice and judgement. That is the third U&s;e of the Text, That</P>
<P N="3">III. Judges &s;hould judge ju&s;tly. Of this but a word; <HI>Verbum &s;api|enti.</HI> The Apo&s;tle &s;aith, <HI>Wee &s;hall all &s;tand before the judgement-&s;eat of Chri&s;t:</HI> Let mee a little alter the words, &amp; tell all Judges and Magi|&s;trates, That Chri&s;t &s;tandeth before their judgement-&s;eats. The Aethio|pians (as Franci&s;cus Alvarez report|eth) u&s;ed to &s;et many chairs about the tribunalls of Judges, imagin|ing their Gods would come and &s;it down in them. That which they did but imagin, the Scripture a&s;&s;u|reth us of, That <HI>the Lord is with Judges in the judgement,</HI> 2 Chron. 19.6. That <HI>God &s;tandeth in the con|gregation
<PB N="69" REF="36">of the mighty, and jud|geth among the Gods,</HI> P&s;. 82.1. The Turki&s;h Ju&s;ticers in the Divan (they &s;ay) dare at no time tran&s;gre&s;s the Law, becau&s;e &s;ometimes the Empe|rour is wont to &s;tand behind the hangings, and they know not when hee is ab&s;ent: How much more &s;hould Chri&s;tian Magi&s;trates, and all that have to do in Courts of judicature, &s;tand in aw, and &s;inne not, when they con&s;ider that the Lord is ever among&s;t them, and though they &s;ee him not, yet hee ta|keth notice of every per&s;on, and ob|&s;erveth every particular; the ground and menaging, and i&s;sue of every &s;uit; what con&s;cience the Jury make of their oath; the maner and mo|tives of the Lawyers pleading, and of the Judges giving &s;entence! How &s;hould this make them all (as Jeho&s;haphat enjoyneth, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 19.6.) <HI>take heed what they do;</HI> e&s;pe|cially
<PB N="70" REF="37">the Judge, who beeing Super|intendent over the whole affair, is accountable not onely for his own actions, but for what&s;oever mi&s;car|riages hee might have hindred, or &s;hould have puni&s;hed, and did not. Let every one therefore that &s;itteth on the Bench think of that dreadfull Tribunall in the Text, and let him not &s;o much look about him, or be|low him, to con&s;ider his power, as above him, to con&s;ider him that gave him his commi&s;sion, and to whom hee mu&s;t render an account. In &s;ome countreyes Judges were pictured without eyes, and Ju&s;tice commonly is &s;o: But God grant our Judges and Ju&s;tices may have their eyes in their heads, and fix one on him that &s;eeth in &s;ecret, and the other on the cau&s;e that is brought before them. And indeed let them but bethink and be&s;peak them&s;elves with Job, <HI>What &s;hall wee do when
<PB N="71" REF="37">God ri&s;eth up? and when hee vi&s;it|eth, what &s;hall wee an&s;wer him?</HI> Job 31.14. and they will readily follow Jobs practice, and <HI>not with|hold the poor from their de&s;ire, nor cau&s;e the eyes of the widow to fail, nor lift up their hand again&s;t the fatherle&s;s, though they &s;ee their help in the gate,</HI> ver&s;. 16, 21. They will follow the Prophets coun&s;el, <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 33.15. They will <HI>walk righteou&s;ly, &s;peak uprightly, de&s;pi&s;e the gain of oppre&s;&s;ions, and &s;hake their hands from holding of bribes;</HI> They will neither &s;uffer the golden eloquence of Advocates that plead in publick, nor the eloquent gold of &s;uch as would bribe in pri|vate, to blind their eyes, and cau&s;e them to pervert or deny or delay ju&s;tice; They will contemne the favours, and frowns, and threats of men, though never &s;o mighty or many; They will not bee charmed
<PB N="72" REF="38">by letters, or &s;uits; they will not bee led by pa&s;&s;ion, or prejudice, or par|tiality; but they will <HI>hear the &s;mall as well as the great,</HI> Deut. 1.17. and puni&s;h the great as well as the &s;mall, and admini&s;ter ju&s;tice with|out re&s;pect of per&s;ons. Thus righ|teous will Judges bee in their judge|ments, if they will &s;adly and fre|quently fix their thoughts on the judgement-&s;eat of Chri&s;t. They will <HI>&s;erve the Lord with fear, and rejoyce with trembling,</HI> P&s;al. 2.11. they will fear to offend him, and bee carefull to plea&s;e and imitate him: And &s;o doing, (be&s;ides the many po&s;itive ble&s;&s;ings that &s;hall flow from their judgement-&s;eats) they &s;hall bee a means to prevent and remove temporall judgements from the places where they live; and when Death &s;hall &s;ummon them hence, they &s;hall bee able to &s;tand in the judgement at the generall A&s;&s;i&s;es;
<PB N="73" REF="38">and when unrighteous Judges and mighty &s;inners &s;hall bee doom|ed to mighty torments, they &s;hall receive <HI>a crown of righteou&s;ne&s;s, which the Lord the righteous Judge &s;hall give them at that day; and not to them onely, but to all them al&s;o that love his ap|pearing,</HI> 2 Tim. 4.8. To whom with the Fa|ther and the holy Gho&s;t be all ho|nour and glorie now and for ever. Amen.</P>
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