what was beyond their time into the remotest antiquities The Church makes humble confession Psal 106.6 We have erred with our fathers let not any turn this into a stubborn resolution and say We will erre with their fathers if that be an errour which our fathers believed and practised we will erre with them So those rebellious Jews pleaded Jer. 44.17 We will doe as our fathers They who will doe as their fathers may suffer with their fathers they who will needs erre by their fathers copy may goe to hell too by their fathers copy Ierome once desired leave of Austin to erre with seven fathers whom he found of his opinion I should not desire that leave nor envy any one the priviledge The Fathers are but children when they erre and they who will erre with their fathers are worse then children Consider then to what antiquity and to what fathers you appeal Many practices are very old yet very erroneous Many old sayings and old doings must be unsaid and undone or we shall be undone for ever How many old sayings of the Jews doth Christ gain-say Mat. 5. Ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time thus and thus But I say unto you c. And Mat. 19. answering the Question about divorce Moses indeed for the hardnesse of your hearts suffered you to put away your wives but from the beginning it was not so Besides some like the Gibeonites feign antiquity they can put a gray beard upon a green head and their opinions will be found fennowed and mouldy with errour not with age As we must take heed of novelties so we must be cautious about antiquities Some antiquities of old men are no better than old wives fables of which the Apostle bids us beware unlearned old wives fables are as authentick as many learned mens antiquities pleaded for To have an itch after novelties and to dote upon antiquities are alike vain and dangerous Old fables and young fancies are with me at the same rate No man having drunke old wine saith Christ Luk. 5.35 strait way cals for new for he saith the old is better Old is better then new if it be as good as new But any new truth is better then the oldest errour and every errour the elder it is the worser it is Again Bildad advises Job to prepare himself to the search of his fathers Hence observe We must not presume to finde truth with ease or to come sleightly by it Prepare thy self Prov. 2.3 If thou criest after knowledge and liftest up thy voice for understanding if thou dig for it as silver and search for it as for hid treasures then thou shalt finde c. A man that will finde silver must prepare and fit himself to search for silver That lies not upon the surface but in the bosome and bowels of the earth There are four things wherein this preparation consists 1. Humility God doth not teach but resist the proud he gives more grace humility is much grace to the humble A lowly minded man shall know the minde of the most high God 2. Holinesse submitting to and practising the truth we know prepares us for the receiving of more truth He that doth the will of Christ shall know his doctrine Ioh. 7.17 3. Prayer Doth any man want wisdome let him ask of God Jam. 1.5 Truth is the daughter of God and he will not bestow her in marriage upon our mindes unlesse we ask him 4. Love unto truth Truth is a beauty and deserves our love to love truth is not a civility but a duty to search for truth without love to truth is a dishonour to truth and as the not receiving the love of the truth is the cause why many apostatize and fall from it so it is a reason why many are still ignorant and cannot come at it As God the Father of truth must be askt his good will before we can have her So truth the daughter of God shall be loved before we have her Bildad having thus advised Job to search antiquity giveth him a reason of his advice a modest reason reflecting upon himself and upon his friends Verse 9. For we are but of yesterday and know nothing our daies on earth are a shadow As if he had said the reason why we referre thee to the former ages is because we are able to say so little of our selves and from our own experience we are but of yesterday that is the time we have lived is very little our daies have been few upon earth Truth is the daughter of time and we are scarce sons of time we are but of yesterday 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heri dicitur de die praeterito tam de propinquo quam de longinquo quasi diceres antea Rab Dav. Apostolus Hebraizans sâ—c utitur vocaâ—ulo 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Heb 13.8 Yesterday Taken in our common speech signifies only the day immediately going before 2. It is put for the time a little before and is as much as lately 2 King 9.26 Surely I have seen yesterday the bloud of Naboth and the bloud of his sonnes That is It is not long since Naboth and his sons were slain and their bloud is as fresh in my memory as if it were in my eye 3. It is put for all time how long so ever past Heb. 13.8 The Apostle Hebraizing saith Jesus Christ the same yesterday and to day and for ever yesterday is not put for the day immediately before or for many daies before but for all daies before even from the beginning of the world yea not only are all daies past included in yesterday but the eternity which is past Heri nudius tertius dum simul junguntur proverbialem conficivet hyperbolem tempus ruâ—er actuÌ„ significantem Sic etiam apud Graecos 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Bold Yesterday and the day before are often translated before or heretofore Gen. 31.2 5. Exod. 40.10 Ruth 2.11 2 Sam. 5.2 noting time not much past the present In this place by yesterday we are not to understand all time past nor the time immediately past but small time past We are but of yesterday that is we have lived but a while in the world yet they were old men the daies which we have seen are as nothing he expresses their lives by the least compleat time past to shew that they had lived but a little time past So in Scripture this phrase 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 usurpatur inâ—efinitè de tempore praeterito ut cras de futuro Drus to morrow opposite to yesterday signifies not only the day immediately to come but any time to come indefinitely 1 Sam. 28.19 the devil answers Saul To morrow thou and thy sonnes shall be with me he did not know exactly and precisely that it should be the very next day but he useth a word which would save his credit if it should have fallen out many daies or some years after To morrow may be
saw him languishing under such unparallel'd evils of punishment This moved him to pray Lord do not condemn me by making me an object of the worlds condemnation Again The words Doe not condemn me may have this meaning Lord * Permitto reruÌ„ aliarum â—jâ—cturam sed non possum non doâ—ene vehementer laesam meae sanctitatis innocentiae existimationem Pined Do what thou wilt with me only doe not condemn me His earnest deprecation of this may carry in it a willing submission to any thing besides this And 't is very usuall with men to do so we think we could bear any affliction but that or better then that which is upon us Yet Job had great reason to chuse any affliction rather then this He might well say I can through thy grace enabling me bear these or any other pains of my body and losses in my estate but I know not how to bear the losse of mine innocency or the reproach of being thrown out of thy favour The world and these my friends will be confirmed in their misapprehensions of me if thou doest not speedily deliver me and confute their rash jugement by some eminent mercy Condemnation hath three things in it which make it grievous First The penalty of the sentence Secondly The disfavour of the Judge Thirdly The stain of his integrity who is condemned To have but so much as a suspition or jealousie of the displeasure of God afflicts the spirit of a godly man more then all his other afflictions Though Job had a sure interest in the favour of God and was freed from the penalty of condemnation by his union with Christ yet sometimes clouds and darknesse came over him and the terrours of the Lord did fight against him which caused those sad lamentations in the sixth Chapter but here he is chiefly troubled at the stain of his integrity in the eye of the world who beholding his afflictions blotted him as a wicked man and esteemed him forsaken of God even utterly discarded and cast out of his sight Observe hence First That Great afflictions carry a charge of wickednesse upon the afflicted Paul having escaped death in a wreck at sea could not escape a hard censure at land when a viper was seen upon his hand This man say those Barbarians of Melita among themselves is no doubt a murderer whom though he hath escaped the sea yet vengeance suffereth not to live Act. 28.4 We finde also that those exemplary judgements which befell the Galileans whose bloud Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices it seems he caused them to be slain while they offered sacrifice and those upon whom the Tower of Siloe fell left them all under a charge of highest wickednesse else Christ had not taken it off saying Suppose ye that those Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things or those eighteen upon whom the Tower of Siloe fell thinke ye that they were sinners above all that dwelt in Jerusalem As if he had said I who know your thoughts know ye are ready to think so It is a very ill but it is a very common thing to judge both of persons and of causes by successe Doth a man gain and thrive in the world here 's a man sure whom God loves saith the world Though a Jeremy can say Why doth the way of the wicked prosper He can see them to be wicked thorow all their prosperity yet how often are they accounted righteous who prosper and good who enjoy good But doth a man wither and go down the winde in the world He 's a man sure whom God hates saith the world Man is apt to think them the worst who suffer worst and that they have sinned most who have most sorrow The Prophet Isa 53.4 5. fore-tels that Christ himself While he bore our griefs and carried our sorrows should be esteemed stricken smitten of God and afflicted Christ was esteemed a great sinner when God gave him up to be smitten for sinners therefore he adds but he was wounded for our transgressions c. Secondly observe The displeasure of God is more grievous to the Saints then all other pressures and sorrows whatsoever Job saith not Lord do not afflict me do not chasten me lay not thine hand upon me any more but Lord do not condemn me It is infinitely worse to be condemned then to be chastened yea then to be killed Condemnation carries in it an argument of disfavour and that makes it so burdensome As the love of God is better to us then all the good things of this life Psal 4.6 Many will say Who will shew us any good This is the great query of the world but what saith David Lord lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us thou hast put gladnesse in my heart more than in the time that their corn and their wine encreased And as the favour of God is better to us then the good things of this life so then life which is better then all earthly goods Ps 63.3 Thy loving kindenesse is better then life Now I say as the love of God is better to us then the best things in the world so the displeasure of God is worser to us then the worst things that are in the world all the torments and racks all the sicknesses and distempers all the reproaches and contempts of men have not so much evil in them to us as one frown from God Hence as when two sore diseases suppose the gout and the stone both very painfull yet one much exceeding at once afflict the body the patient forgets the lesse so it is when inward and outward sorrows at once ceaze upon one man when the arrows of God are fastned in his spirit he forgets the arrow in his flesh The wounds of the spirit heal all the wounds of the flesh they make them as if they were no wounds or not worth the complaining of Thirdly observe To be accounted wicked is a sore affliction It is an affliction to have an ill name though we deserve it not and to be accounted wicked though we are not it is I grant far better to be censured then to be flattered It is very ill when others count us and worst of all when we account our selves better then we are yet it is no small evil to be accounted worse then we are especially to be accounted evil when we are good A wound in our honour is not a wound to be sleighted It was no small part of the sufferings of Christ that he was numbred with the transgressours in his death and called Beelzebub a friend of Publicans and sinners while he lived Fourthly observe from this Do not condemn me That condemnation is the adjudging of one to be wicked Condemnation supposeth a man guilty and leaveth him under a penalty As Justification is the adjudging and declaring of a person to be righteous or the accepting of him for righteous in another who is not righteous
ye think God would yeeld to me if I should contend with him He multiplieth or He hath multiplied my wounds without cause that is His verbis evidenter exponit quae supra occultè dixerat si venerit adme non video Hoc enim ubique fere in dictis Jobi observanaum quod obscurè dicta per aliqua consequentia exponuntur Aquin. without giving me any account hitherto and do you think that now I shall have liberty to call him to an account or that he will give me one He wounds without cause is * Sine causa manifesta et ab homine afflâ—cto perceptibili Aquin. without cause manifested God hath not told me the reason of his chastenings And I doe not perceive the reason I know not why he contendeth with me And so he expounds what he spake at the 12th verse Loe he passeth by me and I see him not There are mysteries in providence Mans eye is not clear enough to see all that God doth before his eyes Job is his own Expositour This later expression gives us a comment upon the former And it is observable that both in this book and in the whole body of the Scripture easier texts may be found to interpret the harder and clear ones to enlighten those which are darker and more obscure The Word of God is not only a light and a rule to us but to it self Or He multiplieth my wounds without cause is Haec à Job dicta sunt quod intell gat se non tam flagellari quam probari as if Job had said I know the Lord deals not with me as with a guilty person nor doth he judge me as a malefactour mine is a probation not a punishment God doth only try me to see what is in my heart and how I can stand in an evil day He multiplieth my wounds without cause that is without the cause which you have so often objected against me namely that I am an hypocrite and wicked I know God looks upon me as a childe Animus in DeuÌ„ praeclare affectus sed tamen affectus doloribus Sanct. or a friend not as an enemy Therefore I have no cause to multiply words with God though God go on to multiply my wounds without cause To multiply wounds notes numerous and manifold afflictions many in number and many in kinde Iobs were deep deadly wounds and he had many of them he was all over wound body and soul were wounds he was smitten within and without as to multiply to pardon is to pardon abundantly Isa 55.7 So to multiply wounds or to multiply to wound is to wound abundantly Here a Question would be resolved How the justice of God may be acquitted in laying on and multiplying afflictions without cause I shall referre the Reader for further light about this point to the third verse of the second Chapter where those words are opened Thou movedst me against him to destroy him without cause yet take here three considerations more by way of answer to the doubt First Whatsoever the Lord wounds and takes from any man he wounds and takes his own He is Lord over all Our health and strength are his our riches are his The world is his and the fulnesse of it Psal 50. If he be hungry he needs not tell us he can goe to his own store It is no wrong to dispose what is our own wheresoever we finde it That rule is as true in revocations as distributions Friend I doe thee no wrong Mat. 20.15 Is it not lawfull for me to doe what I will with mine own Though there were no sinne in man yet there were no injustice in God because he takes nothing from us but what he gave us and hath full power to recall and take away Secondly Suppose man could say that what he had were his own that his riches were his own that health and strength of body were his own yet God may take them away and doe no wrong It is so among men Kings and States call out their Subjects to warre and in that warre their wounds are multiplied without any cause given by them They gave no occasion vvhy they should be appointed to such hazards of life and limb to such hardships of hunger and cold yet there is no injustice in this When God casts man into trouble he cals him out to his service he hath a vvarre some noble enterprize and design to send him upon To you it is given to suffer for his sake saith the Apostle Phil. 1.29 he puts it among the speciall priviledges vvhich some Saints are graced vvith not only above the vvorld but above many of the Saints To whom it is given and that 's a royall gift only to believe Now if in prosecuting this suffering task whether for Christ or from Christ a believer laies out his estate credit liberty or life he is so farre from being wronged that he is honoured Thousands are slain in publike imploiments who have given no cause to be so slain If according to the line of men this be no injustice much lesse is it injustice in God who is without line himself being the only line and rule to himself and to all besides himself Thirdly I may answer it thus Though the Lord multiply wounds without cause yet he doth it without wrong to the wounded because he wounds with an intent to heal and takes away with a purpose to give more as in the present case God made Iob an amends for all the wounds whether of his body or goods good name or spirit Now though it be a truth in respect of man that we may not break anothers head and say vve vvill give him a plaister or take away from a man his possession and say vve vvill give it him again yet God may Man must not be so bold vvith man because he hath no right to take away and vvound nor is he sure that he can restore and heal but it is no boldnesse but a due right in God to doe thus for he as Lord hath power to take away and ability to restore And he restores sometimes in temporals as to Iob but alwaies to his people in spirituals and eternals Hence the Apostle argueth 2 Cor. 4.17 Our light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us an eternall weight of glory Afflictions vvork glory for us not in a vvay of meriting glory but in a tendency to the receiving of glory and in preparations for it There is no wrong in those losses by which we are made gainers Those losses being sent that we may gain and the sender of the losse being able effectually to make us gainers He multiplieth my wounds without cause Hence observe First Afflictions are no argument that God doth not love us As the Lord hath a multitude of mercies in his heart so a multitude of afflictions in his hand and a multitude of afflictions may consist vvith a multitude of mercies At the same time
like men have transgressed the Covenant they have done like themselves When we see men vain and wicked and sinfull and covetous and earthly we may say of them they have done like men and how wonderous and glorious things soever God doth we can but say He hath done like God As a consectary from the whole take this caution If God is not a man as we are then God must never be measured by the rule and line of man Man hath not line enough to measure God by The Lord exceeds man in all he is not only above mans infirmities but he is above all his perfections The Lord is not only not weak as man is weak or unholy as man is unholy but the Lord is not strong as man is strong nor holy as man is holy nor just as man is just nor wise as man is wise Then man must not venture to judge of the wisdome of God by his own wisdome or of the justice holinesse and strength of God by his own strength holinesse and justice Man is not able to measure God in any of his Attributes and in three things especially man should take heed of measuring God in his actings First In the great work of election In this man is very apt to be meddling and to be measuring God by the line of naturall reason or of civil justice the Apostles dispute beats down this presumption Rom. 9. We read there how man begins to bustle and startle at that great conclusion vers 18. Therefore he hath mercy on whom he will have mercy and whom he will he hardeneth If it be thus saith he if every mans state be peremptorily determined by the will of God if he loves and hates before men have done either good or evil Why doth he finde fault for who hath resisted his will What need any trouble themselves about the way when their end is under an unmovable decree Why should any strive to forsake evil and doe good on earth seeing it was resolved in heaven what should become of them before they had done either good or evil Thus the pride and ignorance of man cavils at the decrees of God But stay saith the Apostle O man who art thou that repliest against God! He is not a man as thou art he hath done what he hath done by vertue of his just prerogative and therefore he is not unjust in doing it Besides if ye will needs argue from reason then see how common reason confutes this blasphemy Hath not the Potter power over the clay of the same lump to make one vessell unto honour and another unto dishonour What if God hath done thus and what if he will doe thus What hast thou to doe with it Know thy place and keep thy rank art not thou clay in the hand of the Potter Secondly Measure not God by your own line in his providentiall dispensations He may have a method of his own in giving or taking away in pulling down or building up in wounding or healing in abasing man or in raising him because all is his own He who hath a right to all can wrong none and he who possesses all is debtour to none Thirdly Measure not God by your own line in the matter of your ordinary approvings and that two waies First Doe it not in your approving of things And Secondly Doe it not in your approving of persons Take heed first of measuring God by your selves in your approving of things as if because you approve it therefore God surely doth This misconceit hath been the cause of almost all and almost all the cause of all the superstition idolatry and will-worship that ever was in the world Man thinks God must needs like any thing which is done to his honour hence because the adorning and adoring of images bowing to altars using of unwritten Ceremonies are directed to the honour of God therfore man concludes surely God likes them Whereas nothing pleases God but what himself appoints he is never honoured but when he is obeyed As no man hath been his counsellour to direct him what to doe with us So no man can be his counsellour to direct him what to require of us Not that which we commend is approved but that which the Lord commends Secondly Take heed of this in your approbation or estimation of persons Not be whom you commend is approved but he whom the Lord commends We should judge of men as we believe God judges Or to come nearer let no man think himself is approved of God because he is approved by himself Many flatter themselves in their own eyes till their iniquity is found to be hatefull Psal 36.2 Christ intimates this speaking to the Pharisees Luk. 16.15 Ye are they that justifie your selves ye have high thoughts of your own worth and glory in your own excellencies and ye think God hath high thoughts of you that he glories in you too but let me tell you That which is highly esteemed amongst men is an abomination in the sight of God We are the men said the Pharisees ours are excellent gifts thus they admired and doted upon themselves but the Lord found them out and what they highly esteemed he abominated Some write and subscribe their own letters testimoniall and can get no hand to them but their own Not he who commends himself is approved but he whom the Lord commends such shall finde that their own good word would do them no good He is not a man as they are He saith Job is not a man as I am that I should answer him And we should come together in judgement It hath been shewed what judgement is at the 19th verse of this Chapter and at the third verse of the eighth Chapter therefore I shall not now stay upon it only as to the matter in hand Judgement may be taken three waies First For pleading which is but preparatory to judgement 1 Disceptatio mutur◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 rationum 2 Iuris definitio 3 Exactio castigationis debiti Merc. the opening and arguing of the case or fact under triall Secondly For the decision and determination of the case according to law or the award of judgement Thirdly For the inflicting and executing of the sentence according to the judgement awarded Here Job chiefly intends the first He is not a man as I am that I should answer him and we should come together in judgement that is that I should plead argue and debate my matters with him before any other Judge God and man cannot come together to be judged for all man-kinde must receive their judgement from God Vt veniamus pariter in judicium Or nearer the Hebrew which sutes the former clause better He is not a man as I am that we should come alike to judgement No we should be very unlike very unequally matched in judgement Man and man who are upon even terms in their nature may yet be upon such uneven terms in their condition that
before Impositio manâ—um potestatis signum q. d qui utrumque nostruÌ„ valet mano imposita coâ—rcere Merc. Ponere manum est litem companere controversiae authores ad fâ—edus concordeâ—â—que adducere Paâ—â—fi aâ—oris esfigies describitur ad alterutrum litigant um manum alte natim exâ—endens ut junctis dex ris pacis foedus iniretur Qâ—intil were sent away with fasting and praier and the laying on of hands Act. 13.3 3. The hand specially signifies civil power Ps 89.25 I will set his hand also in the sea and his right-hand in the flouds that is I will give him power over them who dwel by the seas And then Laying on of hands implies the authority which one man hath over another to determine or resolve a case or to settle a businesse between them and that is the intendment of it here There is no Daieâ—-man that might lay his hands upon us both that is who may authoritatively decide and make an end of this controversie To impose the hand was to compose the difference I finde a three-fold posture of the Daies-man observed in the action of his hand First He put forth his hand towards the parties desiring them to joyn hands or as we speak to shake hands and be friends Joyning hands signifies consent Exod. 23.1 Thou shalt not put thy hand with the wicked that is thou shalt make no agreement with him Some of the Ancients describe the Pacificatour or Daies-man having his hands closed into the hands of those between whom he was to make peace Hence they who are unfaithfull in Covenant are said to have a lying or a deceitfull right-hand Quibus nulla foederis servati fides mendacem dextram habere dicuntur The Prophet Isaiah speaking of a false worshipper who had engaged his faith to serve Idols concludes He feedeth of ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say Is there not a lie in my right-hand Isa 44.20 or as others translate Is there not a lie at my right-hand noting that the Idol to which he had given his heart and hand would deceive him most when he trusted most to it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Cum qualâ—m attentione studio industria ponâ—re Arbiter medius inter litigantes benignè manum nunc super hunc nunc super illam ponere selâ—bat dicenâ— Tum hoc hallucinariâ— tu veno bene egisti sed hoc hoc sacere non debuisti Bold Secondly The Daies-man eying the temper or distemper both of the complainant and defendant laid his hand gently now upon one and then upon another using his best Rhetorick to perswade yea to conjure them to peace and quietnesse Sir said he to one I beseech you to accept of these terms and conditions 't is you that have done the wrong and trespassed against your neighbour and presently he bespake the other that he would passe by the offence heal the breach forget the injury or take reasonable satisfaction for his damage Thirdly The Daies-man giving sentence laid his hand upon the head of him whom he found faulty and to have done the wrong in token of condemnation Among the Ceremonies of consecrating the Leviticall Priests this is given in command Exod. 29.10 Thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the Tabernacle of the Congregation and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock And in the rules given concerning the burnt offerings of the people it is directed that the bringer shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering c. Levit. 1.4 Now this laying of their hands upon the head of the Sacrifice implied the laying of their sins upon the head of the Sacrifice and that the laying of their sins upon the head of Christ on whom the Prophet assures us The Lord laid the iniquity of us all Isa 53.6 And as the laying on of the hand upon the head of the beast transfer'd their sins upon him so likewise that sentence of death and condemnation which was due to their sin and was presently executed by slaying of the beast which was a lively type of Christ the Lamb slain from the beginning of the world dying under a sentence of condemnation in the stead of sinners Lastly The laying on of the hand notes the keeping of the parties in compasse for contenders use to be very violent one against another Thus to the present text The laying on of the hand signifies only the composing or compounding of a difference When Job complained or affirmed only There is no Daies-man betwixt us his meaning was that there was no man who could take up the matter betwixt God and him there was none such to be found Non potest dari Deo mihique simul litigantibus arbiter quasi in Deum aequè ac in me potestateÌ„ exercendo for he speaks not only De facto that there was no Daies-man but de impossibili as of a thing which was impossible to be As if he had said I would gladly referre this matter to arbitration but the Lord who is engaged with me is above the arbitration of men or Angels Creatures may not meddle with any of his matters further then they are called and I know not of any whom God hath called to or appointed over this matter Hence observe First When controversies arise the rule of love bids us refer our differences to the determination of brethren Job speaks according to the usage of those daies men did not presently run to law and call one another before the Judge they had daies-men and umpires to determine matters between them Thus Jacob bespeaks Laban Gen. 31.37 Whereas thou hast searched all my stuff what hast thou found of all thy housholdstuff set it here before my brethren and thy brethren that they may judge betwixt us both The Apostle 1 Cor. 6.1 5. is very angry with the Corinthians because they were so hasty to go to Law Verily there is utterly a fault among you because you go to law one with another What is there not a Daies-man among you Is there not a man among you fit to be an Arbitratour I speak to your shame saith Paul Is it so that there is not a wise man among you no not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren But brother goeth to law with brother and that before the unbelievers The sin of these Corinthians was the greater because the Judges were Heathen yet such contendings bear a proportion of sinfulnesse though Judges be Christians To bring every matter to the judgment seat when possibly a brother or a friend might take up the matter is a transgression against the law of love We should rather labour after reconcilements then sutes in Law which are a cause not only of trouble and expence In proverbio est portores esse iniquas pacis conditiones optiâ— a judicis sententia but of great breaches and