A Chap. 29. An Expofition upon the Book of 1 O B. Vrrf : / he knoweth not. This wasj96I confiant courfe, The caufe which I knew not Ifcarcbedout. Hence Note ; Firfi, cl/tag:ffrates s ,a.i know a caufe before theygivefentence or judgmentabout it. That theSeal be without kn,wledge k not good (Pcoy. 19. 2.) That holy proverb is app .:chic to all perlons and cafes,buc cfpe- dally to Judges,and difficult cafes under judgment. How (hall they judge of that which they do not know ? Ignorance is bad enough in all,but wort} in Magifirates and Minifters. Wecannei- ther teach nor determine aright further then we,know many at wrong againlitheir knowledge, but none can a& rightly without it,or if they dn, cisnot in judgemenr,but byaccident; though they hit the right, yet they do not chufe the righr.Magitirates mutt be blind as to perfons,but woe be to thofe Magiftrates that are blind as to caufe :blindMagifiratesare the peli of the Common-wealth and blind Minif>.ers are the peli of Churches,the Magi/irate snuff beafeer as well as tbecilLina/fer;he muff do nothing blindfold,nor blindly.The common pi&ure or Emblem of Jufiice ismade with covered eyes which intimates that jufiice mull take no noticeof perfens,let the men be who theywill,Juliice makes no matter,but Juiiice bath an Eagle-eye upon the marter.Three thingsarc great enemies to Jufiice.Firfl,pafiion; Secondly,precipitancy;Thìrdly, ignorance ; he that is pafsionate hash not the ufe of his know- ledge ; and he that is precipitant will not flay to make ufe of his knowledge ; but he that is ignorant bath no knowledge tomake ufe of, and therefore of what ufe can he be ? Secondly, Note ; A 04-agiffrate muf! be very diligent to get the knowledge of eve- ry caufe which be k togivefentence upon, As he muff not judge till he knowes,ro he mull make diligent fearch that he may know ;Job loth not fay, the cause that I knew not I would not judge,but I fearched it our,thac I might judge it (Dent, 13,. 12,1 3, 14.) If thou (halt bear fay in one ofthy Cities, which the Lord thy God bathgiven thee to dwell there laying, Cer- tain snen, the children ofBelied, are gone out from among you , and have withdrawn the Inhabitants of.their :City, laying, let sir goe and
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