An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

First, To judge, is to rule or govern. When it is said, such a man judged Israel, the meaning is, he ruled and governed Israel: That's the language of the book of Judges every where, when their Governors are spoken of.

First, To judge, is to rule or govern. When it is said, such a man judged Israel, the meaning is, he ruled and governed Israel: That's the language of the book of Judges every where, when their Governours are spoken of.

Secondly, To Judge, is to determine, or give sentence in a special case (Deut. 25.1.)

Thirdly, To judge is to punish or afflict, and thus often in Scripture, ⟨p. 412⟩when God punisheth any person or people, he is said to judge them (Psal. 51.4. That thou mayest be cleared when thou judgest, that is, when thou afflictest, or layest thine hand upon me (saith David) as God had threatened by Nathan, that the sword should not depart from his house; this moved David to make confession, Against thee, thee only, have I sinned: — that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and cleared when thou judgest. As if he had said, my confession, O Lord, will be thy justification; all may see I have given thee abundant cause to lay thy chastening hand upon me (Heb. 13.4.) Whoremongers and adulterers God will judge; though men let them pass, yet God will not, he will punish them. Again, in that notable place (