Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

----.- --------- .------------ 664 Book. IV Part.J. Looking ut;to 1efuJ. Chap.3.Secr.1 I have offended juftice , and wh11t fball I appea!c from the [e11t vf juffice, to the throne of grace ? my ftnnes are gone before,and they 11re {znockj11g at heaven gi!lter, and crying,juftice Lord on this ftn· mr; 1 ~ow not what will be the if[ur~ but either free,grace mufl [ave me,<r I am gone. Say not fo, for by this death ofChriil ,free-grace , and jull:ice arc both thy friend~. How e're fome do , yet certainly thou needs not to appeale from the courtpf juil:ice to the mercy-feat; in this myll:ery of godlinefi'e there may be as much comfort in franding before the barre of jull:ice, as at the mercy-fea~ , ( i,) by ll:anding therein, and through the Lord Jefus Chrift; yea , this is the Gofpel-way, to go to God the·Father, and to tender up to him the active and the paffi ve righteoufnelfe ofChrift his Sonne for an attonement , and fatisfadion for our fimies , in this way is the comfort of jull:ification brought; if we go to God in any other way than this, it is but in a natural way, and not in a true Evangelical way. A man by nature may know thus much, that when he hath finned, be mull feek unto God for mercy, but to feek unto God for pard~n with a price in our · hands, to tender up the · ,merits of Jefus Chrill: for afarisfacbon to divine juftice, here isthe myfiery of faith ; and yet I fpeak not againft relying on Gods mercyJor pardon, but what need we toappeal from jufl:ic~ to mer.. cy, when by faith we may tender the death of Chri£1:, and fo finde acceptance with the jullice ofGod it felfe? come foule, and let me tell thee for thy comfort, iftbou haft any lhare in the death ofChri£1: , thou bail:two tenures to hold thy pardon and {alvation by, mercy,andju(Jice ;[ree-gracr, and righteoufoefs; mercy in refpeCl: ofthee, and jufl:ice in refpetl: ofChrill; -not only is free- grace ready to acquit thee, but afull price is laid - down to difcbarge ~bee ofall thy llnnes ; So that now.__when the Prince ofthis world comes againil: thee , thou mayell-fay in fome fenfe as Chrifl: did, He can fit:~de nothing in me , for how can he accufe me,[eein14 Chrift u my Surety.? feeing the bond hath been[~ted, and Chrift {efm would not leave one farthing unpaid? as Paul faid to Philemon concerning Ontftmm, if be have wrovged thee, or owe thee an} thing , put it on my llccount, fo doth Chrifr fay to God , if thefe have wronged thy Majefty, or Dwe thee an] thing , pP1t it on 1m. P aut indeeq added, I

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