gods Scrutiny of MansSecrets; (hall fit upon his Throne as ludg ; the Saints they fhall joyn as Commiffioners : thrift he alone pronounceth the fentence uponevery one that is fummoncd there . to thetryal, but then his Apoftfesand Saints, that arejovned in commiifion with him ( forfnch bonour have all his Saints ) they fhall ratifie and approve, and give atteftation to the fentence that be pronounceth, andfay Amento the condemnation of the wicked. So that the difference is eafily reconciled, and we fee how God, and Chrift, and the Saints are faid to judg. The Authòrity is Gods. The Execution , Chrifts. The approbation, the Saints. The Apoftle inRom. a i6. makes the point plain, he 'Rom, ia. tenethus thatGodWish judgby Cbriji; In that day ClodAid!judg thefecrets ofallhearts by Iefus Chriff: So Chrift himfelf, lob. 5. The Farberjudgetb no man, but bath corn- mittedall power to the Son. Hepath given himpower to execute judgment, Ioh, as he is S the Sonofman.. Why to him? wh Godhach For this R.eafon; Thathis fecond coming, maybe in glory,tomakeamends forhis en m1ted firft coming in humility; Chrift at his fiat coming into the world, he came meanly, the mnt of and.homely : at hisfecónd coming, he fhall come triumphantly and glorioufly. the ex<uúon Before he came like a Lamb, then he (Wall comelikeaLyon. Before in theforme ofLuegmenr ofafervant, then in the form of a Lord. Before Pilate fate upon the Bench, and toCh,¡R Chrift ftood as a malefattour , but then Pilate (hall ftand atthe Bar as a Maleta&our, andChrift 'hall fiton the BenchasJudg. He (hall then openly come to Phew him- fclf a 2ufthedg amongft men, as before he came to beJudged , when he came pri- vately he was Judgedof them thatwere unjn(t: It was once afrom that he the Son ofman, Ibould beludg of the world thereforeGod willhavehim comeandappea in that very form he was (corned in, thatnow they may behold himin hisMajefty, that before wouldnot take notice of him, when he appeared in humility : tha they who the more contemptuoufly before ffeemedhim in hisbafenefs, maynow more feverely tafleof his juftice. todibenishedge. Notmen. Not Angels, but God himfelf. Had men been burJudges, we might not fear the face ofmen, becaufethey areveffels ofthe fame earth as we, "took out of the fame pit, hewen out of the fame rock. If Angels hadbeen ourJudges, we shouldnot have flood info much fear, becaufe (though they be Spirits more glorious then we yet by their own confeffion) they are our fellow creatures, and our fellow fervants ; therefore we after a fort participate With them infome degree ofnature. But neither men, nor Angels shall beJudges then, but Almighty God, that as much excellcth men and Angels, as the heavens do the earth. And look what isneceffatily required to the office ofa ¡udg, it is incomparably oundinhim: Three proper- Tothe officeof a rudg, thereare three properties fpecially required. e ¡es in Knowledge todifcern. kind Power to determine. juftice to execute. lo God, theft are all of themtranfcendent and eminent. ForKnowledge, he isthe molt wife. For Power, moft abfolute. For Executionmoftjuts. Knowledg to difcern, that is the firlt. He that affumeth the perfonofa rudg, muff Knowledg needsbe one ofwifdomandunderfLanding. Though behave the Scepter ofauthority diketm inhishand,if he have not the eyeof wifdom in his head,if he benot able whenmen plead their cafe before him, as the two Harlots before Solomon, to decide to whom the right of thecafe belongeth, as he, to whomthe livingchild pertained, he is as unfit to be a uidg, as an illiterate Ignorant is to be a Prieft. The Judges ignorance isthe honeft mans overthrow. We commonly paint Juftice blind,not becaufe he should befo that fits inGods feat ofjuftice to decide Cafes, but only in refpea of perfons. Blind ¡faac was fain to put forth his hands to feelwhether it Were Efate or nothat came toaskthe bleffing: it isa hard cafe, whenJudges fore 1 3
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