Featly et. Al. - BV4275 T47 1672

1-74 The great Tribunal, or, fore eyes, that they cannot difcern the right Café, but only by feeling. But it t (hall not be fo here. God is theyudg that is of infinite wifdom and underffanding that is able to difcern right and wro,ng. Of neceffity it muff be fo , becaufe he is Omnifcient, he knoweth all things : he hath the true underftanding of them : it is impofiihle to deceive him. Earthly judges they fometime are blinded in the hearing ofCafes that are brought before them , for what their eyes fee not , they are not able to difcern, there areno glafs windows into the bofoms and breaftsof men, by which theyare able to come into their hearts : all the information they have, is from Evidences and Witneffes, the hear-fayes , and reports of others: where if any thing be concealed or mifold , how eafily may they mifcarry ? But Gods knowlcdg is not fo unfound or uncertain, becaufehe himfelfis an ,car, and an eye-witnefs ofall things that are: he knoweth whatfoever is done, he beholdeth not the atPions only , but the very intentions, he is able to judg of the thoughts and intentions ofthe heart. It is but folly to think to hide any thing from him ; Maven is not fo high, but he can reach : hdl is not fo deep , but hecan fearch it : the earth is not fo wide , but he can fpan it: the night is not fo dark , but he can fee it : the chamber, the bed, the clofet, is not fo dole, but he can peirce it: He that fitteth upon the circle of the heavens, and whofe eyes are as flames offire, Teeth every thing, Heb. 4. There is no creature that is not manifeft in his fight , Heb, q. bat all things are naked and open; like an Anotomized body, ( for thence the Metaphor is drawn) where the bowels are laid open, and every nerve, andmufcle and ligament, everyAtome difcovered, fo that we may takeafull viewof it. In, a word; if it were Davids commendation, that he waa wife, as an Angel of God= how wife mutt Godbe, that infufeth wifdom into the Angels, and in wholefight the e4ogels are foolifh ? That is the firff thing requifit in a Judg , he mutt have G knowlcdgtodifcern. In the fecond place. He mull have power to execute: he mull have authority z . Powerto to command: and not be as an Image fet a ainff a wall, for if hebe fo, Abje&s execute, a g vvill infult over him : though peradventurefame may regard him, becaufe hé hath eyes to fee, yet others vvill contemn him, becaufe he bath nohands to punifh: fo innocency (hall be hopelefs of recompense, and the vvickedof their defect. Again, if he havenotpovvcr, if he have povver only to here, and not todetermine ; or ifhis povver be restrained to fome pettyCafes, and not alto extended to matters ofgrea- ter confequence and moment : Appeals will be made, (as commonly they are) from infertour Courts to the higher. t But itis not fo here: Godis the7udn, vvho as he is infinite in knovvledg, fo he is in povverandauthorir;. We Rile the King Supream head over all perfons, and in all caufes in his Dominions : but God is over all the Dominions ofthe earth, fuprearn over all: not only in all caufcs, and over all perlons, but over all caufes too: even Kings arc fubje& to his regiment: He bindeth kings in chasm, and Nobles in fetters Pfal 14A ofIron, Pfal. 149. The tines ofthe earth ( faith Saint John) and the rich, and the great men, , andthe great Captains, and tbemighty men , they (hall all hide them- Rev. 1 J. felves, in the caves, and rocks, andmountains, Revel 15. crine to the mountains and rocks, to cover them from theface of the ludg , and from the wrath ofthe Lamb, becaufethe the day ofdefolation is come. Nay God, is not only over all theKings of the earth, but he ispotentate of hea. ven and hell too : He bath a commanding power over all , the Angels fear: the Divels tremble, when they come to Rand before God. Ina vvord ( as Saint Paul faith ) all power is ofGod ; then of neceffity follovveth, that God hitnfelf in his povver is molt abfolute. That is the fecondthing belonging to the office ofa ladg; y- as he ,Hutt have knovvledg todifcern, fo he mull have power to execute. ;. Jufhce Thirdly theremuff belufficein theexecution: therefore the greci ns vvere vvont intheExecuti- to place juftice betvveenLibra, and Leo; to fignifie indifferency in vveighingcaufcs.'. on. and ftriélnefs in executing the fetrzence. So the Egyptians fignified as much by their Hierogliphical purtraiéfure ofand Angel vvithout hands,' vvinckingor vvith- out eyes. fuch a one a Judg fhould be , he should have no hands to receive bribes, nor no eyes to refpe& perlons . the perfon ofa ludg mull not take the perfon ofa friend,

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