Lest they drink, and forget the law
The law of God by Moses, which the kings of Israel were obliged
to write a copy of, and read over daily, to imprint it on their
minds, that they might never forget it, but always govern
according to it, ( Deuteronomy
17:18 Deuteronomy
17:19 ) ; or the law of their ancestors, or what was made by
themselves, which through intemperance may be forgotten; for this
sin stupefies the mind and hurts the memory, and makes men
forgetful; and pervert the judgment of any of the
afflicted;
a king on the throne, or a judge on the bench, drunk, must be
very unfit for his office; since he must be incapable of
attending to the cause before him, of taking in the true state of
the case; and, as he forgets the law, which is his rule of
judgment, so he will mistake the point in debate, and put one
thing for another; and "change" F7 and alter, as the word
signifies, the judgment of the afflicted and injured person, and
give the cause against him which should be for him; and therefore
it is of great consequence that kings and judges should he sober.
A certain woman, being undeservedly condemned by Philip king of
Macedon, when drunk, said,
``I would appeal to Philip, but it shall be when he is sober;''which aroused him; and, more diligently examining the cause, he gave, a more righteous sentence F8.