C 0 D jUDGfL Book If. G 0 D A JUDGE. Sball not the Judge of all the Earth do right, Gen. xviii. 1. Verily be is a God that judgeth in the Earth, Pfal. lviii. 11. Godjlandeth in the Congregation ofthe Righteous, hejudgeth among the Gods, Pfal.lxxxii. 1 . GOD is really and properly a Judge, for heis the Judge of all the World, and therefore he IS not brought here under the Notion of a metapboncal Judge: But in re– gard thiS Term feems to be alluove to earthly Judges, we think it may not be unprofit– able to draw a Parallel, for the Edification of the Rea~er. As there is nothing more frequently attributed to Almighty God in the Holy Scrip– tures, than the Title of Judge; fo there is fcarce any Attribute or Action of the Malt High grounded upon more Reafon : Of which take this following Account. x. There is in the ~orld, viz. on the whole Earth, a great and mighty People, for Number hke to the Stars of Heaven, or Sands bv the Sea.fhore. 2. There this numerous People are almoft as va'rious in their Humors, as they are in their Numbers, Ages, Sizes, and CompleCI:ions: It is very rare, if not impoflible, to find two that m all Pomts do exaCI:Iy accord. 3· That this numberlefs Multitude are all addiCI:ed to run biafs to a particular Thina called Self-love; and this too from an indilfoluble Principle or Impreflion of Nature~ It is natural for all Men to love themfelves. 4· That after they are grown up to fome Degree of Ripenefs and Maturity, they have ready prepared to their Eyes the bad Examples of ill-living Souls, which too often have too great an Influence upon green and tender Plants, to wind them imo extreme and irregular Defigns and Motions. 5· There is, by Divine Permifl'10n, a moft troublefome and pernicious Adverfary, fuffered ro range up and down the whole Earth, to try his Art and Skill, ,how far he can prevail to bring this vaft Body into Tumult and Diforder. And it is not fddom that he doth prevail, to divide not <!nly Emperors, Kings, Princes, Judges, Nobles, and Peafants; but Dukedoms, Principalities, Cities, Corporations, Villages, Fa– milies, Brothers, Sifters, Hufbands, Wives, Fathers, and their own Children. Now thefe Things being premlfed, what unfpeakable need is there of one fupreme and univerfal Judge, to curb Exorbitancies, to umpire, decide, and put a Period to Dilfenrions. Without whofe Moderation, the World would be intolerably perplexed, harraffed and plagued with perpetual and endlefs Wars, Broils, Diforders and Confu– fions ; and would hardly keep irs Station for any long Period of Time. For the mo– derating and preventing of all which, the God of the whole Earth hath undertaken to o:§ociate with the Rulel's, and to judge amongflthe Gods: In which Palfage he is reprefent– ed to us by the Similitude of a Judge, which carries a lively Figure and Refemblance ofthefupreme Lord of the whole Earth, and that in thefe divers Refpe<'ts following. EARTHLY JUDGE. I. JT appertains to a Judge to be good, and the beft of Judges are fo. Mofes was advifed to chufe thus by his Father-in.Law Jethro. 'l'he Defzre and Fruit of the Righ– teous is good, Prov. xi. 23, 30. HEAVENLY JUDGE. I. THIS God is by Way of Eminency, he is elfentially good, good without any Mix– ture of Evil. He is originally good ; there is no Good in the whole Univerfe, but what he is the Root, Spring, and Fountain of. There is no Evil to be found in him ; and as Seneca, he can do no evil nor hurtful Thing. He is Good in the AbftraCI: Goodnefs itfelf, I Chron. xvi. 24. Pfal. xxv. 8. and cxix. 68. H. It 'appertains to a Judge to II. This God is, beyond Comprehenfion ?r be wife and prudent, or, as Jethro Expreflion; for all the Angels rece~ve their Wlf– words it, to be able, Exod. xviii. 2 I. dom from him, all the Emperors, Kings, Princes, A fooliil1 Ruler is a Shame and ReNobles, and Judges of the Earth : In him are all proach to any Nation or People; the Treafures of Wifdom, and therefore called, and there is not a more uncomely Wifdom pajl findmg out. Sight in the World, than to f:e a Fool upon the Throne of a Kmg– ~om, or Judgment-Seat. Ill. God,
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