GOD'S JUDGMENT

ON

UNJUST JUDGES.

"Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stran"ger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, "Amen."-DEUT. Chap. 27, V.19.

"That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the "prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap "it up."-MICAH, Chap. 7, V. 3.

"Therefore have I made you contemptible and base before "all the people, according as ye have not kept my ways, but "have been partial in the law."-MALACHI, Chap. 2, V. 9.

TO JUDGE, when we are speaking of our conduct towards our neighbour, means, not only the exercise of the faculties of discernment and discrimination; not only the forming of an opinion, but also the giving of that opinion and, in speaking of judicial matters, it, of course, includes, the acquittal, or condemnation, of any one whose conduct has been submitted to our examination and decision.

From this definition we, at once, perceive, that there are two distinct kinds of judging, and that, in judging, we may, on different occasions, act in two characters, very different from each other in point of importance. In the one character, we are merely the voluntary givers of opinion on the conduct of our neighbour, without having the power to add direct consequences to that opinion; but, in the other character, we are clothed with power to acquit or to condemn, to add, immediately, consequences deeply affecting our neighbour.

Even in the former of these characters we ought to take our steps with great circumspection. An unjust opinion of our neighbour, when we give it utterance, becomes slander; and, in the catalogue of sins, slander is by no means the lowest. "Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off."-PSALM ci, V. 5. We are warned in MATTHEW, Ch. vii, V. 1, not to judge, lest we be judged; and, in numerous other parts of the Scriptures we are most solemnly cautioned against unjust opinions of, and censures on, our neighbour. Christ tells us "not to judge according to appearances; "but judge righteous judgment." JOHN, Ch. vii, V. 24. That is to say, to consider well and patiently the motives, or the temptations, that may have led to our neighbour's conduct, before we condemn that conduct even in our own minds, and more especially before we give

utterance to our censures on it, and thereby expose our neighbour to calamities that may arise out of our cen

sure.

Cases do, indeed, frequently arise, when the evil of withholding our censures would be far greater than that of pronouncing them. In such cases duty calls on us for promulgation. But, when this latter proceeds from a desire to place ourselves in advantageous contrast with our neighbour, or to gratify the selfish feelings of others to whom we may wish to make our court, or, from the still more odious but too frequent motive of finding an excuse for fickleness in friendship, breach of fidelity, or want of active compassion; then the promulgation of censure, even though that censure be founded in truth, is, in itself, an act of injustice, and generally a much greater sin than that to which the censure is applied.

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If, then, we are to be thus scrupulous, and are to guard ourselves with such great care against acting upon conclusions, drawn even from facts which admit of little or no doubt, and in cases where our decision has only a probable and remote effect on the well-being of our neighbour, what ought to be our anxiety in cases where our decision is attended with certain and immediate consequences affecting his life, liberty or property, and where by our erroneous, intemperate, cor

rupt, or partial judgment, he may be bereft of happiness, and plunged into misery all the days of his life!

It is of judging when clothed with such fearful power that I am now to speak; and, first, let us inquire into

the origin of this power. "Who art thou," says the Apostle JAMES," that judgest another?" And, where is the right that man has to take away the goods, enchain the body, or shed the blood, of man? What is it that makes the putting of man to death, in certain cases, by the hands of man, not murder?

The foundation of this right, and of the power that proceeds from it, is, the necessity of such power to the existence of civil society. There must be a common arbiter between man and man, to which arbiter all men must submit. Laws there must be to punish offences; or there can be no secure possession of goods, no peace, no safety of person., Hence arises the right of man to judge man; a right that God has not given to any particular class of persons. He has given it solely for the good of the whole community wherein it is exercised; and not for the benefit of any particular part of that community.

When man sits in judgment on man, he exercises the highest of the functions that man can exercise. The judged party has been deprived of all his own power of acting in the case. He has been compelled to come and

̇submit his property, liberty or life to the judgment of another, or others. He is thus compelled to submit for the good of the whole community. He has had taken - from him all power of resistance to the judgment, be that judgment what it may. He is man subjected to the abso

Tute power of man. But, upon this express condition, laid down with such precision and such emphasis in the laws ' of God, that the judgment shall be just ; that is to say, that it shall rest upon true grounds, that it shall be mixed up with no corrupt motive, and, above all things, that there shall, neither in the judgment itself nor in the degree of punishment, be any respect of persons, any favour or partiality.

Judges, under which appellation are included all persons by whatever name known, that have any thing to do in accusing, in pronouncing, or in condemning, in judicial cases; judges are fully and most awfully warned of the consequences of misconduct, whether arising from negligence or corruption. Judges are to make “diligent inquisition;” (DEUT. Ch. xix, V. 18.) and, in II CHRON. Ch. xix, V. 6. Jehoshaphat" said to the "Judges, Take heed what ye do: for, ye judge not for

man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judg"ment. Wherefore now' let the fear of the Lord be

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upon you; take heed and do it: for, there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no respect of per