332 SE R MO NS Kpon Serm. XLIII' SERMONXLIII:. R O M. VIII. 33. Who ¡ball lay any thing to the charge of Góds eleo`t ? 'tis God that jufßi- fieth. E have done with the general triumph of believers, and confidered what fupported them againft the fear of evil, and the fear of death, viz. the hope of good : Now the Apoftle defcendeth to particulars ; and the fir(t ground of a believers trouble, is fin ; the guilt of which raifeth many doubts and fears within us , all which are removed by Jollification ; now Juftificatión is oppofite to two things, Accufation and Condemnation ; the one maketh way for the other ; for thofe that are juftly accufed, are alfo condemned ; as 'cis oppo. fite to accufation, fo to jultifie is the part of an advocate ; as to condemnation, fo to jultifie is the part of a Judg: A believer is upon good terms in boys re- fpetls; there are no accufers before God, that we need to be afraid of, and they may with comfortappear before the bar of their Judg ; if we are impleaded, we may ftand in the judgment, as to accufation here, and as to condemnation hereafter ; ac- cufation may feem to infringe our prefent comforts, condemnation make void our future. hopes : But things prefent and to come are both ours. The Apoftle beginneth with the accufation in this verfe, and fpeaketh of condem- nation in the next, Who fhalllay anything, &c. In whichWords obferve, r. A queftion or bold challenge of faith, Who Jhall lay any thing to the charge of 'Gods elea ? 2. The reply or anfwer, '.'is God that jnffifieth. The queftion or interrogation inti- mateth the matter of our trouble,fomethtng that may be laid to our charge; the anfwer, the ground of our fupport and comfort, which is Gods free Ju(tification by Chrift : In the challen»e or queftion, !Phil, What is denied, having any thing laid to our charge. Secondly, The perlons concerned, Gods eleít. Both mutt be explained. a. The queftion implieth a denial, not fimple and ablolute, but in fome refpe &s; not as if no acculer, for the Devil accufeth us, Rev. t 2. 10. He is cared The acculer of the brethren, who accufeth us before God day and night. And the world accufeth us : It ac- cufed yeremiah, ter. 37.13. as a revoker to the Caldeans, Amos 7. 10. as a mover of (edition : Paul as a peftilent fellow, and a mover of fedition : and in general, all Chri- ftians, 2 Cor. 6. 8. As deceivers andyer true. Our own confciences accule us, Rom. a. 15. t John 3. 20. For if our hearts condemn us. And David, Pfal. 25. 7. faith, Re- member Cot the fns of myyrnth. 2. Nor, is it to be under(lood as if there were no ground for the accufation; the De- vil is moilyoa't, not a whifperer or a flanderet,, but an impleader in a Court of Juftice be- fore the Tribunal of God ; ar1tJ uos, That's an adverfary in law; one that joyneth with us in plea of law; he may flander us as he did Yob, that he was a mercenary man, tho perfeEt and uptight, Job L. 8, r r. But too often there is too much ground for the ac -1 fiufation : The world accufeth us, but we often give them too great occafion, 2 Cor. , 1 T. 12. That I mar eut of occafion from them that dere occafion; our hearts accuf us for Com-
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