Book II. G o D A ] U D G E. EARTHLY JUDGE. HEAVENLY JUDGE. XVI. A Judge bath power to XVI. God cloth often reprieve and put off the reprieve or fufpend the Executioh Execution of Sentence, fo that Delinquents are of a Sentence. not fpeedily executed, but a Time given them to confider their Ways, Gen. vi. 3· The old World had one hundred and twenty Yeais given them, before Judgment was executed. Judea, Jerufalem, and Samaria, continued a long Time; before the Fury of the Almighty broke out upon them. XVII. It appertains to a Judge to give Orders for Execution, to deliver to the Officers when Sen– tence is paft. XVII. God fometimes gives Orders to Angels to punifb, and execute his Sentence, when Men are out of the reach of human Hands; as in the Cafe ofNebuchadnezzar, the Hoft of the A.Jljrians, and Herod the Kmg; Atls xii. 23. Though great M en join hand in hand for Wickednefs; yet fball they not go unpunifb.ed. · XVIII. It appertains to a Judge XVIII. God will punifb. thofe that himfelf emto punifb Officers, if they exceed ploys; in cafe they exce~d their Commiffion in any their due Bounds in punifbing Cafe that concerns his Act of Juftice. He punifil– others. ed .(ljfj>ria and Baby/on, for going beyond their Bounds in his own Works of judgment againft the XIX. It appertains to a Judge to vindicate his own Honor, and the J uftice of the Law he executes. Jews, Jfa. xlvii. 6. XIX. God, the great Judge, doth vindicate his owr. Honor, and the Juftice of the Laws he executes, by giving Liberty to the People to teftify againft him, if they have wherewith to accufe; and demands of them what Evil their Fathers have feen in him, Jer. ii. 5· re– quires them to teftify to his Face, if his Ways are in any point unequal, Ezek. xviii. 25. XX. It apperta>ns to a Judge XX. God, when he comes forth in a Way of to mix Mercy with Judgment, Judgment, doth not execute the Fiercenefs of his where the Cafe will fairly admit Wrath; he is far from rendering to Men more than of it. t"ey deferve ; he doth nor reward according to their full Demerit, but in the Mtdft of Judgment remembers Mercy, Hab. iii. 2. XXI. A Judge in this World XXI. God harh affigned an Advocate to plead, bath others to plead before him, as before he proceeds to Judgmeot. If any Man/in, Counfel or Advocates for the Priwe have an Advocate with the Father, 1 John foner, to extenuate the Crime, and u. 2. plead the Privileges allowed by Law. XXII. It appertains to a Judge XXII. God hath not only made Laws, and in this World, to have nor only publifbed them, and will judge Men for wilful Rules of Law, bm a Regifter of and reiterated Rebellions; bm keeps a Regtfter by-pall: Actions, that he may know tor the great Day, to be then opened; as tt ts what to do, if like Cafes fall in fuwritten, Some Mens Sms go before-hand to Judg– ture Times. ment, and they that are otherwife cannot be hzd. 'The Judgment jhalljit, and the Booksjhall be opened, and the Deadjhall be judged out of thofe '.Thi11gs which are written in the Books. XXIII. A J udgc ufually bath XXIII. God never judges alone: The Son is great Attendance to bear him Comwith him, the H oly Spirit is with him; the Angels, pany in the Time of J udgmenr. and the whole Court of Heaven do acquiefce in the Judgments that he executes. XXIV. A Judge, when he peXXIV. God, when he peremptorily pronounces remptorily paffeth Sentence, doth Judgment, without rcferve, it ftands, and mufi: not 'recede and go back; the Senabide. If he fay, Phartioh and his Hoft lb. all be tencc pait abtdes. feen no more for ever; Baby/on, the Glory of the Chaldean Kingdom, fball be overthrown,; lfrael fhall be removed ; the Land fhall be forfaken of b oth her Kings: If he publifb the Decree, there is no changing his Determinations; his J udgmenr is like the Laws of the Jv!edes and Perjians, Abraham cannot fave Sodom; nor Noah, Daniel or Job, Judah and Ifrael; but when a Decree ofJudgment is gone forth, they mull: die by the Sword, For the Mouth of the Lord bath JPoken it. GOD
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