ed themselves.

and the law of the king, let judg-,
ment be executed speedily upon
him, whether it be unto death, or
to banishment, or to confiscation
of goods, or to imprisonment.

THEIR DUTY.

of his father-in-law, and did all
that he had said. And Moses
chose able men out of all Israel,
and made them heads over the
people, rulers of thousands, rulers
of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and
And they judged
rulers of tens.
the people at all seasons: the hard
Exod. xviii, 13-15. And it came
causes they brought unto Moses,
to pass on the morrow, that Moses
but every small matter they judg-sat to judge the people: and the
people stood by Moses from the
morning unto the evening. And
when Moses' father-in-law saw all
that he did to the people, he said,
What is this thing that thou doest
to the people? why sittest thou
thyself alone, and all the people
stand by thee from morning unto
even? And Moses said unto his
father-in-law, Because the people
come unto me to enquire of God.

Deut. i, 13, 14. Take you wise men, and understanding, and known among your tribes, and I will make them rulers over yon. And ye answered me, and said, The thing which thou hast spoken is good for us to do.

Deut. xvi, 18. Judges and officers shalt thou make thee in all thy gates, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, throughout thy tribes: and they shall judge the people with just judgment.

Deut. xvii, 10-13. And thou shalt do according to the sentence which they of that place which the LORD shall choose shall show thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee: According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall show thee, to the right hand nor to the left. And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearker. unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel. And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.

2 Sam. xv, 3, 4. And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee. Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice.

2 Chron. xix, 5, 8. And he set judges in the land, throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city; Moreover, in Jerusalem did Jehoshaphat set of the Levites, and of the priests, and of the chief of the fathers of Israel, for the judgment of the LORD, and for controversies, when they returned to Jerusalem.

Ezra vil, 25, 26. And thou Ezra, after the wisdom of thy God that 18 in thine hand, set magistrates and judges, which may judge all the people that are beyond the river, all such as know the laws of thy God; and teach ye them that know them not. And whosoever will not do the law of thy God,

Exod. xxiii, 3, 6, 7. Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of the poor in his cause. Keep thee far from a false matter: and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

Lev. xix, 15. Ye shall do no un-
righteousness in judgment; thou
shalt not respect the person of the
poor, nor honour the person of the
mighty: but in righteousness shalt
thou judge thy neighbour.

Deut. i, 16-18. And I charged
your judges at that time, saying,
Hear the causes between your
brethren, and judge righteously
and his
between every man
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:
and the cause that is too hard for

you, bring it unto me, and I will
hear it. And I commanded you
at that time all the things which
ye should do.

Deut. xxv, 1. If there be a con

troversy between men, and they
come unto judgment, that the
Judges may judge them; then they
shall justify the righteous, and
condemn the wicked.

2 Chron. xix, 6-11. And 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
judgment. Wherefore now let the
fear of the LORD be upon you;
take heed, and do it: for there is
no iniquity with the LORD our
God, nor respect of persons, nor
taking of gitis. Moreover in Je-
rusalem did Jehosaphat set of the
Levites, and of the priests, and of
the chief of the fathers of Israel,
for the judgment of the LORD, and
for controversies, when they re-
And he
turned to Jerusalem.
charged them, saying, Thus shall
ye do in the fear of the LORD,

349

faithfully, and with a perfect heart. And what cause soever shall come to you of your brethren that dwell in their cities, between blood and blood, between law and commandment, statutes and judgments, ye shall even warn them that they trespass not against the LORD, and 80 wrath come upon you, and upon your brethren: this do, and ye shall not trespass. And, behold, Amariah the chief priest is over you in all matters of the LORD; and Zebadiah the son of Ishmael, the ruler of the house of Judah, for all the king's matters: also the Levites shall be officers before you. Deal courageously, and the LORD shall be with the good.

Prov. xvii, 15. He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.

Prov. xviii, 5. It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

Prov. xxiv, 23. These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

UNJUST JUDGES.

Ps. lviii, 1. Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?

Ps. lxxxii, 2-4. How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

Eccles. iii, 16. And, moreover, I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.

Eccles. v, 8. If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest regardeth; and there be higher than they.

Jer. v, 28, 29. They are waxen fat, they shine; yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. Shall I not visit for these things saith the LORD: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?

2-WITNESSES.

Exod. xxiii, 1, 2. Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. Thou shalt

Deut. xix, 16-21. If a false witness rise up against any man, to testify against him that which is Lev. v, 1. And if a soul sin, and wrong, Then both the men, behear the voice of swearing, and is tween whom the controversy is, a witness, whether he hath seen shall stand before the LORD, before or known of it; if he do not utter the priests and the judges which it, then he shall bear his iniquity. shall be in those days: And the Num. xxxv, 30. Whoso killeth ition: and, behold, if the witness judges shall make diligent inquisany person, the murderer shall be be a false witness, and hath testiput to death by the mouth of wit-fied falsely against his brother; nesses: but one witness shall not Then shall ye do unto him as he testify against any person to cause had thought to have done unto his him to die. brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you. And thine eye shall not pity, but life shall go for life, eye for eye, foot for foot. tooth for tooth, hand for hand,

4.-THE TRIBUNAL. Ruth iv, 1. Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there; and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.

John vii, 51. Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

Acts iv, 15. But, when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves.

Acts v. 34. Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space.

Acts xxii, 30. On the morrow, because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brought Paul down, and set him before them.

Acts xxv, 17, 22-24. Therefore,

vant unto his master, lest he curse
thee, and thou be found guilty
Luke xx, 20. And they watched
him, and sent forth spies, which
should feign themselves just men,
that they might take hold of his
words, that so they might deliver
him unto the power and authority
of the governor.

Acts xxiii, 16-22. And when
Paul's sister's son heard of their
lying in wait, he went and entered
into the castle, and told Paul.
Then Paul called one of the cen-
turions unto him, and said, Bring
this young man unto the chief
captain; for he hath a certain
thing to tell him.
So he took
him, and brought him to the chief
captain, and said, Paul the pris-
oner called me unto him, and
prayed me to bring this young
man unto thee, who hath some-
thing to say unto thee. Then the
chief captain took him by the
hand, and went with him aside
privately, and asked him. What is
that thou hast to tell me? And he
said, The Jews have agreed to
bring down Paul to-morrow into
desire thee that thou wouldest
the council, as though they would
enquire somewhat of him more
perfectly. But do not thou yield
unto them: for there lie in wait
for him of them more than forty

thee, suffer me to speak unto the people. And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying,

Acts xxii, 1. Men, brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence which I make now unto you.

Acts xxiii, 1. And Paul, ear nestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God tutil this day.

Acts xxiv, 10-13. Then Paul after that the governor had beckoned unto him to speak, answered, Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer for myself: Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship. And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up gogues, nor in the city: Neither the people, neither in the synacan they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.

when they were come hither, without any delay on the morrow, I sat on the judgment-seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To-morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains and principal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul was brought forth. And Festus said, King Agrippa, and all men which men,which have bound themselves against the temple, nor yet against

are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all the

multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crying that he ought not to live any longer.

Acts xxvi, 30-32. And when he had thus spoken, the king rose up, and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat with them: And when they were gone aside, they talked between themselves, say ing, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at liberty, if he had not appealed

unto Cesar.

Esth. vii, 5, 6. Then the king

Abasuerus answered and said unto Esther the queen, Who is he, and where is he, that durst

with an oath, that they will nei-
ther eat nor drink until they have
killed him: and now are they
ready, looking for a promise from
thee. So the chief captain then
let the young man depart, and
charged him, See thou tell no man
that thou hast showed these
things to me.

found this man a pestilent fellow,
Acts xxiv, 5-9. For we have
and a mover of sedition among all
the Jews throughout the world,
and a ringleader of the sect of the
Nazarenes: Who also hath gone
whom we took, and would have
about to profane the temple;
judged according to our law: But
the chief captain Lysias came
upon us, and with great violence
took him away out of our hands,
Commanding

his

accusers to

come unto thee: by examining of
whom thyself mayest take know-
ledge of all these things whereof
we accuse him. And the Jews
also assented, saying that these
things were 80.

when the accusers stood up, they
Acts xxv, 18. Against whom,
brought none accusation of such
things as I supposed.

THE DEFENCE.

presume in his heart to do so?
And Esther said, The adversary
and enemy is this wicked Haman.
Acts xxi, 39, 40. But Paul said, I
Then Haman was afraid before
am a man which am a Jew of
the king and the queen.
Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a citizen
Prov. xxx, 10. Accuse not a ser- of no mean city: and, I beseech

swered for himself,Neither against Acts xxv, 8, 16. While he anthe law of the Jews, neither

Cesar, have I offended any thing

at all. To whom I answered, It

is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he which is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him.

said unto Paul, Thou art permitActs xxvi, 1-3. Then Agrippa ted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because before thee touching all the things I shall answer for myself this day whereof I am accused of the Jews; Especially because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear me patiently.

APPEAL.

Acts xxiii, 25--30. And he wrote a letter after this mann r: Claudgovernor Felix sendeth greeting. ius Lysias unto the most excellent This man was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them; then came I with an army, and rescued him, having understood that he was a Roman. And when I would have known the cause wherefore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council: Whom I perceived to be

accused of questions of their law. I but to have nothing laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. And when it was told me how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave commandment to his accusers also to say before thee what they had against him. Farewell.

Acts xxv, 1-7,9-15, 20, 21, 25--27. Now, when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Cesarea to Jerusalem. Then the high priest, and the chief of the Jews, informed him against Paul, and besought him, And desired favour against him, that he would send for him to Jerusalem, laying wait in the way to kill him. But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Cesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Cesarea; and the next day, sitting on the judgment-seat, commanded Paul to be brought. And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which they could not prove: But Festns, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul, and said, Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these things before me? Then said Paul, I stand at Cesar's judg. ment-seat, where I ought to be

judged: to the Jews have I done

send him to Cesar. But when I
found that he had committed no-
thing worthy of death, and that
he himself hath appealed to
Augustus, I have determined to
send him. Of whom I have no
certain thing to write unto my
lord. Wherefore I have brought
him forth before you, and spe-
cially before thee, O king Agrippa,
that, after examination had, I
might have somewhat to write.
For it seemeth to me unreasonable
to send a prisoner, and not withal
to signify the crimes laid against
him.

Acts xxviii, 17-20. And it came
to pass, that, after three days,
Paul called the chief of the Jews
together: and when they were
come together, he said unto them,
Men and brethren, though I have
committed nothing against the
people or customs of our fathers,
yet was I delivered prisoner from
Jerusalem into the hands of the
Romans: Who, when they had
examined me, would have let me
go, because there was no cause of
death in me. But when the Jews
spake against it, I was constrained
toappeal unto Cesar; not that I had
ought to accuse my nation of.
For this cause therefore have I
called for you, to see you, and to
speak with you: because that for
the hope of Israel I am bound with
this chain.

RIOTS.

Acts xviii, 15-17. But if it be a
question of words, and names,
and of your law, look ye to it,
for I will be no judge of such

matters. And he drave them
from the
Then all the Greeks took Sos-
judgment seat.
thenes, the chief ruler of the
synagogue, and beat him before
the judgment-seat: and Gallio
cared for none of those things,

no wrong, as thou very well
knowest. For if I be an offender,
or have committed any thing
worthy of death, I refuse not to
die: but if there be none of these
things whereof these accuse me, Acts xix, 29. 30, 32, 33, 39-41.
no man may deliver me uuto And the whole city was filled
them. I appeal unto Cesar. Then with confusion: and having caught
Festus, when he had conferred Gaius and Aristarchus, men of
with the council, answered, Hast Macedonia, Paul's companions in
thou appealed unto Cesar? unto travel, they rushed with one
Cesar shalt thou go. And after accord into the theatre. And
certain days king Agrippa and when Paul would have entered in
Bernice came unto Cesarea to unto the people, the disciples
salute Festus. And when they suffered him not. Some there-
had been there many days, Festus fore cried one thing, and some
declared Paul's cause unto the another: for the assembly was
king, saying, There is a certain confused; and the more part
man left in bonds by Felix; About knew not wherefore they were
whom, when I was at Jerusalem, come together. And they drew
the chief priests and the elders of Alexander out of the multitude,
the Jews informed me, desiring to the Jews putting him forward.
have judgment against him. And And Alexander beckoned with
because I doubted of such man- the hand, and would have made
ner of questions, I asked him his defence unto the people. But
whether he would go to Jerusa- if ye inquire any thing concerning
lem, and there be judged of these other matters, it shall be deter-
matters. But when Paul had ap-mined in a lawful assembly. For
pealed to be reserved unto the
hearing of Augustus, I command-
ed him to be kept till I might

we are in danger to be called in
question for this day's uproar,
there being no cause whereby wel

may give an account of this con-
course. And when he had thus
spoken, he dismissed
the as-
sembly.

Acts xxi, 34-36. And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude; and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle. And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people. For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away with him.

LAW SUITS TO BE AVOIDED.

Prov. xviii, 17. He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.

Matth. v, 25, 26. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, andthou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

goest with thine adversary to the Luke xii, 58, 59. When thou magistrate, as thou art in the way give diligence that thou mayest be delivered from him; lest he hale thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and the officer cast thee into prison. I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou hast paid the very last mite.

1 Cor. vi, 1-7. Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not

know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. I speak to your shame. 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. Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another: why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye do not rather sufer yourselves to be defrauded?

IX. PUNISHMENTS. CONFINEMENT.

Acts xxiv, 23. And he com

Jer. xxxvii,4,15-20. Now Jeremiah came in and went out among the people; for they had not put him into prison. Wherefore the P3. cvil, 10-12. Snch as sat in princes were wroth with Jere- darkness, and in the shadow of miah, and smote him, and put death, being bound in affliction him in prison, in the house of and iron; Because they rebelled Jonathan the scribe; for they had against the words of God, and conmade that the prison. When temned the counsel of the most Jeremiah was entered into the High: Therefore he brought dungeon, and into the cabins, and I down their heart with labour: