APPENDIX. 243 4. At last to beÿudged such bypublic sentence. 5. And to be used as such. Not justified by the law of innocency, or of Moses, but by Christ's law of grace. Not justified perfectly till the time of perfection. Much pun- ishment on soul and body is yet to be taken off, and more sins dal- ' ly to be pardoned, and we, before the world, to be sentenced as just 'to life everlasting. III. The justified have peace with God. They are reconciled, and in a state of love and friendship. It signifiethmutual peace, but with gre'at inequality. God's love and favor to usis the stable, constant part. Our consent also, and acceptance of his terms of peace, is constant in its truth; but our sense of God's love, which is the peace possessed by the soul, is,weak and inconstant, and too oft quite lost or obscured by ignorance, mistake, and fear. But it must be known that this is a diseased state, unnatural to the be- liever, as such; as it is unnatural for a woman married to a faithful husband, to lie in terror thinking that he will kill -her, or doth not love her; or for a child to think the same of a loving father. Faith, of its own nature, tendeth to the soul's peace and joy, in the sense of God's love. And how is Christ offered to us, but asa Savior, . to bring us by grace to glory ? And he that accepteth him as such, whereby he is justified, doth sure believe that he is offered as such; for none can accept what he thinks not to be . of- fered. And this implieth some hope, at least that Christ will be such to us : and did faith work strongly and kindly, its ectwould be a constant, joyful state of soul, as pleasant health and mirth is to our natures. All our distrustful.fears and griefs, and disquiet- ness ofsoul, are for want of more faith, as sickness and pain is for the want of vital causes of health. IV. This peace with God is' only t' thrdugh our Lord Jesus Christ." Though it be a.vain dream to think by justifying faith is meant Christ only, and not .faith ; yet it is no other faith but the foresaid believing trust on Christ. Therefore as faith is our part, so it supposeth Christ, and all the works of his office, and righte- ousness, on his part, as its object. Christ is the purchasingcause ; but our trust and acceptance is that which js pleasing to God, mill chosen by him to be our part, without innocency or keeping the Jewish law. Since man once sinned, God's justice and man's conscience tell us that we are unfit for God's acceptance or communion immedi- ately, but must have a suitable Mediator. O, blessed be God for this suitable Mediator. Without him I dare not pray, I cannot. hope, I dare not die ; God would else -. frown me away to misery. All the hope of pardon and salvation that I have ; all the access
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