s'4 Chap.: g. An Expefition upon the Iíaole. o f j o B. Verrí i i thee O Lordbclongeth mercy, for thou rendereff to every sawn ac- cording to his work; And left any fhould hope to efcape the evill which at leaftfome of their evil! worksdeferve by the fecrecy of them, that hope is quite dafhed becaufe God is the fearcher and feer not onl l of our works but of or hearts (Prov. 2,1..1 2.) Doti) not he that pondereth the heart confider it, and be thatkeepeth thefoul, doth not he know it ? ( what followes ? ) and fhall not he render to every man according to his works ? Solomon fpeaks in that -place of fuch as make excufes to fhift themfelves off from aóts of charity ; they will fay, we know not whether it be fo with him or no poflibly he maynot be in fuch want as hepretendeth. Take heed of thefe cloaks of covetoufneffe, and pitiful! pleas to fave your purfes from (hewing pity co the poor, for ( faithSolomon ) will not Godfearch it out, and render to every man according to his worke ? The holy Scriptureabounds in this poynt. Readfer.3 2. 29. Ezek 33. a o. Rom. z. 6. 2 for. 5. r o. z Pet. I. 170 Rev. 22. 12. But force may fay, how loth God render to everyman hits, work ? Is it not Paid Hejuliifietb theungodly (Rom. 4. s.) Are the works ofan ungodly man rendred tohim, when he is jufli- fied? I anfwer, iris one thing what God will do through free grace, end another what he will deale out in ftrietneffe of Juftice. The Apatite fpeaks in that placeof the free grace of God to (inners, not of his Jufliceagainft fnners. Secondly,though God juliifieth theungodly, yet he never juftifieth ungodlinefle ; or, though he juftifieth a man whohath done many evil! works, yea all whofe works are evill, yet henever juftifìethnor rewardeth the work of an evil! man. Thirdly, God aets according to juftìce and righte- oufnefs where he juftifieth the ungodly ; he doth not fhw fa- vour-to the ungodly in his own wrong. Aets of grace fromGod are not oppofite to his Juftice, much leffe doe they conrradiaor overthrow it. He doth not jaflifie an ungodlyman in himfelfe, or treerly confidered in his ungodlineffe,but he juftifieth him in the righteoufnefs ofanother, even of Jefus Chrift, who bath given full fatisfaetionro the Juflice of Godwith refpeet to the ungodly whom he juftifieth. Laftly, we may fay, that God renders the work of anungodly man to him when he juftifieth him; for though thenhe bath not done,. nor evercan doe anyworks which deferve the
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