x 3 ,Ig Chap. 3 z. An Expifttion upon the Booke of J o s. Verf,6. Hence obferve. $ irfr , A fincere godly man ie willing to have hitnfelfe andall hip majes brought to tryall. He is not afraid of the ballance ; no not of Gods ballance ; Though he cannot fay his fins are fewer then his good deeds ; yet he can,fay ( through grace) his heart is up-ight with God Mall the good which he bath done, or that there is a veine a threadofuprightnes running through the whole web of his life. The Apoft le `Pan/ had no fooner fayd (2 Cor. 5. I o,) we muf# allappeare before the judgement-fate ofChrit,thatevery one may receave the things don in hie body,according to that he bath don whe- ther it bepodor bad;(which is as if he had fayd in ?obi language, we muff all appeare before Chrift tobe weighed in an even bal- lance, that it may appeare what we are, Now (I fay) the Apo- ile had no fooner fpoken of this Generali weighing day,when all men muff appeare, and from the fence of the terror of the Lord againft all thofe who (hall be found too light, perfwaded men to Tooke to it) but he prefently adds with a kindofJoy, But we are tneenïfefi unto God,and I truf alfo aremade manifefl (meaning the Corinthians ) tojour confciences. As if he had fayd, This is my comfort,and the comfort of my Fellow- labourers in the Gofpe), That we are well affured God hath weighed us, and that our weight is manifeft to God ; he knowes not only what we have done,but (which beares the greateft weight with him) with what hearts we have been doing it. They who rejoyce that God bath weighed them, cannot but be willing he fhouid weigh them a- gaine, and they whoare willing to be weighed by God , cannot be unwilling to be weighed by men, if theywill but doe it in an even ballance. Secondly, Note. Perfons and things fbould be weighed before we give fentence and j'dgement upon them. Some are too bailie, they judge others light before theyhave weighed them, at leaft before they have weighed them in an even ballance. To give fentence before tryall is not good, though the fentence given Mould begood. The Apofles rule is, ?rove all things, bold fat that which kgood (aThef. 5. :2I.) Suppofe we hold
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=