330 The Righteous Judge, or, felvesas condemnedmen (in truth) by vertue of the Law Tbere is not any word that thou fpeakefl, but as loon as it is fpoken, thou ftandefl in the eftateof a con- demned man,and if thou iuterefl notthy felf in Chri(l,and comenot in, certainly the Lawwill pats upon it. Therefore ferioufly confider of this, that there is no evil or particular fin that y ou go on in, but if the Law condemn it, Chrill will condemn it too at the day ofjudgement.Therefore you muff before-hand condemn your felves that you may not be condemned of the Lord, t Cor. it. 3z. judge your felves, and ye Pall not be judged of the Lord. But yet this remains a truth Bill , that he that Bothnot condemnhimfelf, that doth not takeoffhis fins by unfeigned repentance, he Bands a condemned perfon before the Lord, becaufe he Bands condemned in the Law. Therefore' befeech you beloved plead not any priviledge in Chrill ; (I fpeak this the rather becaufe men ufe the Gofpcl to their own dcftru&ion,I fay plead not pri- viledge by Chrill) if you go on in the allowance ofany fin t fha!lwecontinue infin that gracemay abound 7 Godforbid, faith the Apoffle. So I fay when a man will come and plead, I believe, and I hope to be faved by Faith,yet neverthelcfs it may be thou art a fwearer, a vainfpender of thy time, it may be thou art a negle &er of the duties of the worfhip of God, and of thy duties towards men, tc. thou art a man in force conftant courfe,in force way offin or other : I fay this thews theetoBand as a condemned man,and in the Bate of a condemnedman. I faynot that fuch a man (hall infallibly be damned, becaufe Godmaygive him repentance that hemay comeout ofthe fnare ofthe derail ; but we fay he Bands for the prefent in the Bate of a con- demned perfon,and he is condemned by theLaw,and remains fo tillthis bereverfed by repentance,till behave fued out thispardon by intereffing himfelfin Chrift. Therefore confider this ferioufly, that there is hotthat fin in thought that thou committeff,nor any adof fin whatfoever; but becaufe of that fin thou art condem- ned in Law, therefore thou ffandeff in the Bateofa condemned perfon for that fin a therefore theremuff be fomewhat donenow to take off this. I fay a man may have a pardon, and yet if he fue it not out, it is ofno force, orufe to him ; fo let no man talkhe is ajuflified perfon by Chrif,butthoumull fue out thispardon. Therefore we are taught, upondaily feting, to renewour daily prayers for the pardon offin. There mull be a daily filingout of the pardon, and that upon this ground : fo there muff be a daily condemning of thy fell, andof fn in thy fell. Alas what íhall be- come of a world ofmen and women ? (I fpeak not ofchofe that arewithout, we leavethcm,thcy are condemned in the fight of all tise world, but) we fpeak of thofe that arenow in the Church; of thole that go fomewhatforward in the poffeffion of Religion,and hopeand are perfwaded thatthey are in a good cafe, andyet have little care to let things right between God and themfelves ; but though fuch and filch a&ions be condemned by the Law, yet they hope that there is a general mercy that will pardon ir, though theynever fue out their pardon. I fay the Law (hall patson thee till thoudo that that concerns thee,to be releafed from the rigour and fentence of the Law, he that confeffethandforfakes his fns 'hallfind mercy , Troy. 28.13. This muff be done,and fo in other particulars; the Scripture is large in chele things, and fomewhat mutt be done by us to fue out this pardon : that though there be an ad ofpardon inGod, a free a&, yet there muff fomewhat bedoneby us to fue out thispardon for our felves, or elfe we Band in the fiate of condemned perlons. But thefe things I leave to your meditations, and fo I fall upon the next point, which I will briefly touch, and that is no more but thus : that fence there (hall be a proceeding in the day of judgement by theLaw, wherein mens a&ions and words (hall bebrought to account ; therefore, The confideration ofthe day ofjudgement, f/staid bean efeíiaal infentiveandpro. vocation tofair mento shell, andconfcionablewanting in this life. So fheakand fo do, at thefe thatfball bejudged byfech aLaw. Since the Apoftle makes this ufeof it to dire&us both inour fpeeches,and a&ions ; Hay we may learn hence, that the confiderationofthejudgementto come, whereinChiawill proceed according DoEir. The confide- rationof the dayof Judge- meat fhould move to hot:- nets.
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