he should be favour'd by one he may fall by the rest and there will be no Hope for him to prevail with all and escape in Judgment It is therefore very agreeable to right Reason that a Court of Justice which is to determine of weighty Matters should consist of many Judges For so will the Authority be more August and the Judgment more tremendous But that which should procure the greatest Reverence and Veneration to a Court of Justice is a firm Persuasion of the Divine Presence This comes in the last Place to be consider'd as it is here by the Psalmist plainly exprest GOD standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty He judgeth among the Gods GOD then even the most High GOD is in a speciall manner present in a Court of Judicature where Judges and Magistrates are assembled for the Administration of Justice and Judgment and He not only sees and observes all Things that are there transacted but by approving and ratifying every right Sentence pronounc't by the Judge He judges among the Gods Now as this puts a great Honour upon the Court casts a great Glory upon the Judges there assembled so it layes a mighty Obligation both upon them and all other Persons who have any Concern in the Court or bear any Part in the Administration of Justice to have a very great Care of their Demeanour to take very great heed what they speak what they do as remembring and considering that they are in the speciall Presence of Almighty GOD. When the Judges with attendant Magistrates are set upon the Bench to hear Causes and to do Justice if the King should cause his Royall Throne to be set in the Court and should in his own Person come in his Royall Robes with his Crown glittering on his Head and the Majesty of GOD shining in his Face and sit down amongst them would not this be a great Honour to the Judges Would not his Presence and Appearing in Royall State cast a great Lustre upon the Court Now it is the Glory of the King that he is the Image of GOD and his Vicegerent among men If then the Great GOD Himself Prov 8.15 by whom Kings reign and Princes decree Justice shall be pleased to vouchsafe His Presence in a Court of Judicature in a Convention of Judges and Magistrates if He shall stand amongst the Mighty judge amongst the Gods how great an Honour is this to the Judges How great a Glory is this to the Court Well may a man that enters into the Court say with Jacob Gen. 28.16 17. after his Vision at Bethel Surely the LORD is in this Place and I knew it not How dreadful is this Place This is none other but the Court of GOD His House of Judgment wherein He stands and judges amongst men And then what a mighty Awe should the Presence of GOD east both upon the Judges themselves and the whole Assembly With what a Reverentiall Regard to the Divine Majesty should all Matters be transacted All things should be done as under the Eye of a GOD infinite in Wisdom in Power in Justice a GOD and Judge who infinitely hates Iniquity Acts 17.31 and who has appointed a Day wherein He will judge the World in Righteousness and call all men both Great and Small Eccl. 12.14 Mat. 12.37 to a strict Account for all their Words and Actions Amongst the Arabians there was this ancient Custome In the Court of Justice adjoining to the Chambers of the King there hung a Chain from the Cazement of a Window into the Court. If any man thought himself to be wrong'd by the Judges he drew the Chain and opened the Cazement Hereupon the King took Cognizance of the Cause and if the Judges were found faulty they were presently slain if the Party complaining was found guilty he was put to Death In some Proportion and Correspondency hereunto shall I say there is a Window open in Heaven over the Court of Justice and there is nothing there done by the Judges or others but under the Eye of GOD the Great King and Supreme Judge who from his High Throne looks down upon them This Consideration might be just Ground of great Care and Caution But behold 't is more which is here asserted by the Psalmist The Great GOD does not only look down from Heaven his Holy Habitation upon the Judges of the Court and observe their Proceedings but He is really present with them and stands amongst them For GOD standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty He judgeth among the Gods In a lively Apprehension of the speciall Presence and Superintendency of the Great GOD how well does it become how much does it concern the Judges themselves to manage their great Trust and Power with all Fidelity and Circumspection What can be more fitly and properly spoken to them than what Jehoshaphat spake to the Judges whom he set in the Cities of Judah or what can more concern them in this Case than to attend to the Charge which the King then gave them 2 Chron. 19.5 6 7 9. saying Take heed what ye do for ye judge not for man but for the LORD who is with you in the Judgment Wherefore now let the Fear of the LORD be upon you Take heed and do it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Observe and Do Act with all Circumspection for there is no Iniquity with the LORD our GOD nor Respect of Persons nor taking of Gifts Thus whatever ye do shall ye do in the Pear of the LORD faithfully and with a perfect Heart For let me add from the Psalmist tho' as Gods ye judge men there stands one amongst you whom ye see not who will judge you even the most High GOD * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Phocyl For GOD standeth in the Congregation of the Mighty and he that is in the midst of them as we may render it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 will judge the Judges 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as the LXX render it will judge the Gods So act then in the Administration of Justice that when ye shall stand before the Judgment Seat of GOD ye may stand approved and receive that Crown of Righteousness 2 Tim. 4.8 which GOD the Righteous Judge shall then give to all just and good men even to all them who love His Appearing In a Word so act as ye believe GOD Himself would do were He in your Place in the Nature of man So shall ye reallize that Great Name which GOD hath given you and be indeed as you are stiled Gods whom Justice as an immortal Soul animates to a Divine Life and intitles to an eternal Crown And how well does it become all others who attend the Court of Justice to bear upon their Souls a lively Apprehension of the Divine Presence and so to demean themselves in all Concerns as in the Sight of GOD All those especially who shall be bound by the Religion of an Oath to declare and testify the Truth
in Matters of Fact which shall be lay'd before them are mightily concern'd to take great Heed to themselves that they do faithfully and sincerely acquit themselves in the Answer and Discharge of so sacred and solemn an Obligation Let them remember that the Eye of GOD who discerns the Secrets of all Hearts is upon them Let them remember that That GOD by whose Name they swear in whose Presence they stand and who hears the Words they speak before the Judge Deut. 32. is a GOD of TRVTH who infinitely hates and abhors Lying Prov. 12. Lying Lips saith the Wise man are an Abomination to the LORD but they that deal truly are His Delight Yea Prov. 6. a Lying Tongue is not less hateful to GOD than Hands that shed innocent Bloud both are an Abomination to the LORD The Telling of a Lye is so great a Sin in the Account of GOD that He hath punisht it in some as Ananias and Sapphira with present Death and hath plainly declar'd Acts 5. 5 He will punish it hereafter with Hell fire Rev. 21.8 how much more horrid and abominable is a Perjury even in the Divine Presence With what Indignation did King Nebuchadnezzar charge the Magicians with a Crime of this kind Dan. 2.9 saying Ye have prepar'd lying and corrupt Words to speak before Me But how much greater a Crime is it for men to prepare lying and corrupt Words to speak before Almighty GOD Himself even then when they are bound by a solemn Oath to declare the Truth May not this justly kindle His wrathful Indignation to the utter Destruction of such impious men How great is the Mischief which by a lying Tongue may be done in a Court of Justice The Course of Justice may be obstructed and the Stream of Judgment by this means turn'd into a wrong Chanel By a false Witness a man may be overthrown in a just Cause to his utter Ruine By a Lye a man may be depriv'd of his Life Kin. 21.13 The innocent Naboth by the lying Tongues of two false Witnesses was at once depriv'd of his Life and Estate A lying Tongue is a bloudy Sword and the most unspotted Innocence is not a Shield strong enough to secure a man from its fatal Stroke By means of a lying Tongue the most Innocent may be found Guilty and the most Guilty may be pronounc'd Innocent But let those who shall be concern'd to declare and testify the Truth in those Matters which shall fall under the Cognizance of the Court remember and consider that tho' they may possibly by false Assertions or sundry Artifices and Disguises conceal the Truth from men and their Falshood may not be detected by the most discerning yet 't is utterly impossible they should deceive that GOD before whom they stand and tho' the Punishment of their Perjury be not inflicted by men they cannot possibly escape the Vengeance of Almighty GOD. He has establisht an unchangeable Law against this Sin which He once yea twice wrote with His own Finger with the rest of the Ten Commandments upon Tables of Stone The Law is this Exo. 20.7 Thou shalt not take the Name of the LORD thy GOD in vain for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh His Name in vain Now he that violates a Sacred and solemn Oath administred to him in the Name of GOD does in a high Degree take the Name of GOD in vain How wofull is the State of this man For whether by his false Report or Testimony an Innocent man be pronounced Guilty or a Guilty man Innocent he becomes Guilty before GOD the Great Judge of all who by a Righteous Sentence will condemn him to the burning Flames For He hath said Rev. 21.8 He will not hold him guiltless he will not acquit him he will certainly condemn him and then most miserable must his State be for ever and ever Now what Folly is it for any man for the Prevention of a just Sentence upon a Guilty man by a plain Perjury to draw such a dreadful Guilt upon his own Soul And the Folly is yet greater and the Guilt more dreadful if an Innocent man by his false Report or Testimony be condemn'd to Death as Guilty For he is then at once Guilty of Perjury and Murder He at once contemns GOD and brings the Bloud of that man upon himself and so justly deserves no less than double Damnation Oh then remember all ye that may be concern'd that when ye come to take an Oath in a Court of Justice ye stand not only before the Judge but before GOD Himself who stands as King and Judge in that Assembly and will certainly avenge upon you the grievous Sin of Perjury if ye should any way be guilty of it Remember O man O woman whosoever thou art who shalt be call'd as a Witness of any Matter in the Court Remember I say that Charge which Almighty GOD hath given thee in that Law which He pronounc't with a Voice of Thunder from the midst of Flames of Fire in Mount Sinai saying Exo. 20.16 Thou shalt not bear false Witness against thy Neighbour The very words which GOD then spake are these 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Thou shalt not answer a lying Testimony concerning thy Neighbour that is Being interrogated by the Judge upon thy Oath thou shalt not in thy Answer give a false or lying Testimony for or against thy Neighbour This Oath among the Jews the Judge was wont to impose after this manner 1 Kin. 22.16 2 Chr. 18.15 Mat. 26.63 Lev. 5.1 I adjure thee by the living GOD that thou tell us the Truth in this Matter Hence it 's said in the Law If a Soul sin that is If a Crime be committed by any Person and one hear the Voice of Swearing that is of the Judge adjuring him and is a Witness whether he hath seen or known of it if he do not utter it then he shall bear his Iniquity that is He shall not only contract the Guilt of the Crime committed but also bear upon his Soul the Guilt of the Sin of Perjury and so incur the manifest Danger of eternal Damnation And therefore all ye that are concern'd as ye tender the Honour of Almighty GOD and the Salvation of your own Souls which you pledge in your Oath deal in all Things sincerely and truly speaking Psal 15.2 as becomes an Heir of Heaven the Truth in your Heart that Justice and Judgment may be rightly executed and you when you shall stand before the Tribunal of GOD may appear with Poldness and give up your Accounts with Joy For thereis a Great Day a coming when all the World shall be summon'd to appear before the Judgment-Seat of GOD. Rom. 14.10 Never was there so Great an Assembly as that and never shall there be any so great after it All the Kings Rulers and Judges of the Earth shall meet together at that Day yea then shall all
to be a constant Circulation of Honour which as it Originally comes from GOD so should it ultimately return to Him Rev. 22.13 who is the First and the Last the Beginning and the Ending the first Cause and last End of all things All the Streams of Excellency and Honour which flow from Him as their first Fountain and Originall should return to Him and empty themselves into the immense Ocean of His Glory Now as GOD by giving these Names to Judges and Magistrates puts a Lustre upon their Persons and incircles them with a Glory to secure them from Contempt so He mightily obliges them hereby to such a Discharge of their Duty as that there may be a visible Correspondency in their Actions to the Excellency of their Titles and the Lustre and Glory of these Great Names may shine forth in the Execution of their Office Those who are stiled Gods should excell in those Virtues which are the lively Images of the Divine Perfections even of those Excellencies which are the Glories of God as the Supreme Lord and Judge of the World Such are Wisdom Justice Mercy Fortitude and Truth These are as the bright Raies of the Sun wherein the eternal Divinity shines forth with an amiable Lustre in the Government of the World And the Gods on Earth should array themselves with these Beams and Beauties and that they may manifest themselves to be what they are call'd they should so demean themselves that these Virtues and Excellencies may appear in their Administrations Wisdom is a Virtue which should never be wanting in Judges and Magistrates Eccles 8.1 'T was the Wisdom of Solomon which made his Face to shine with so bright a Lustre when he sate 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 glittering in his Glory and Majesty upon the Tribunal In his clear Decision of the doubtful Case betwixt the two Harlots 1 King 3.28 both pleading for one living Child all the World admir'd his Wisdom This was an early Glory of his Government which render'd him truly Great in the Eyes of his Subjects Wisdom in a King or a Judge is an Angelicall Excellency a Ray of Divinity So it was said of David As an Angel of GOD so is my Lord the King 2 Sam. 14.19 to discern good and bad This discerning Faculty is a necessary Virtue in a Judge or Magistrate without which he cannot rightly administer Justice and Judgment * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Isid Pelus l. 3 Ep. 9. He must have a piercing Eye to look through the Disguises wherewith guilty men are wont to hide the Truth and palliate their Crimes Truth is oft hudled up in Darkness and hidden from the Eyes of men A strict Scrutiny is then necessary to a right Judgment This was the Practice of Patient Job in his Prosperous State Job 29.16 The Cause which I knew not I searched out Politicall Wisdom which stands in the Knowledge of Laws and an Ability to apply that Knowledge to Practice in all emergent Cases and to make a right Judgment of Things in various Circumstances is a Virtue without which it is not imaginable the Office of a Judge or Magistrate should be rightly executed For as Justice is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Plato the prop of Cities the strength of Societies the Support of Kingdoms so Wisdom is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Orpheus the Eye of Justice Without this Justice is blind and that Sword oft wounds the Innocent which should Defend them and slay the Guilty But Justice thus guided by Wisdom is an essential Excellency of a Good Ruler a God like Judge For He that ruleth over men must be just 2 Sam. 23.3 ruling in the Fear of GOD. And 't is impartiall Justice which Moses the Great Law giver requires in Judges in the Charge which he gave them Deut. 1.16 17. saying Hear the Causes between your Brethren and judge righteously between every man and his Brother and the Stranger that is with him Ye shall not respect Persons in Judgment but ye shall hear the small as well as the Great ye shall not be afraid of the Face of man for the Judgment is GOD's For when Judges proceed according to the Divine Law which is the most exact Rule of Justice the Sentence they pronounce either when they absolve the Innocent or condemn the Guilty is none other than that which GOD Himself the Supreme Judge hath already pronounc't in his Law A Judge therefore making the Divine Law his Rule in Judgment must not acquit the Guilty nor condemn the Righteous Prov. 17.15 For he that justifieth the wicked and he that condemneth the just even they both are an Abomination to the LORD And he that either for Fear or Favour acquits a Great Offendour shall not only be hated of God but also abhorr'd of men For Prov. 24.23 24. He that saith to the Wicked Thou art Righteous him shall the people curse Nations shall abhor him He that against the Light of his own Conscience either acquits the Guilty or condemns the Innocent draws a woful Guilt upon his own Soul the Guilt of the Crime committed or the Bloud shed and GOD will require it at his Hand Justice is the Glory of the King and therefore should be the Care of the Judge When Sisamnes Herod l. 5. one of the chiefest of the Persian Judges had given an unjust Judgment Cambyses the King caused him to be flay'd alive and his Skin as a bloudy Trophee of the Triumph of Justice over an unjust Judge to be hung up over the Judgment-Seat for a Warning to all others Judges stand in the stead of GOD and therefore they should depose all Humane Respects and as Divine Persons do what may be rationally conceiv'd GOD Himself who is essentially Just in the like Case would do A Judge should so act in all Administrations as if he was nothing else but Justice incarnate So exactly impartially Just should Judges be as if they were what St. Acts 14.11 Paul and Barnabas were thought to be Gods come down from Heaven in the Likeness of men And therefore they must be such whose Eyes are not dazled with the Lustre of Gold nor Hands open'd to receive Gifts For how absurd is it that as it is in the ancient Proverb * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Deut. 16.18 19 20. The Hare should draw the Lyon with a golden Snare Judges and Officers saies Moses shalt thou make thee in all thy Gates which the LORD thy GOD giveth thee throughout all thy Tribes and they shall judge the People with just Judgment Thou shalt not wrest Judgment thou shalt not respect Persons neither take a Gift for a Gift doth blind the Eyes of the Wise and pervert the Words of the Righteous * 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Justice Justice or that which is altogether just shalt thou follow It should be as easy to turn the Sun from his Course as to divert a Judge from the