342 SERMONSupon Serm. XLIV. on, there is guilt, law, confcience againth us; the law condemneth, hearts condemn, and God himfelf feems to condemn us; aier juftification, imperfeáion of grace, (harp aflliáions, and fad thoughts about pact fins , thefe feem to condemn us. 3. The fire and folid grounds of a believers peace. before our confcience can be efla- blilhed, thefe three things mull be done. r. Gods Honour fecured. 2. The Law fatisfied. 3. The conditions of the GoCpel fulfilled. 1. Gods honour fecured, by a fit demonitration of his Ju(lice, and Holinefs ; which are the two Attributes which do revive our guilty fears: His jnftice concérneth the rewarding of the obedient, and punhfhing the tranfgreffors according to his law. The government of the world is fecured by keeping up the honour of his jullice, Gen. 18. 2 5. Shall not the fudge of all the earth do right ? And Rom. 3. 5, 6. Is God unrighteous, robs taketh vengeance s? God forbid ; How then (hall Godjudge the world? Certainly the government of the world is not provided for, if there be not a means to keep up the honour of his jultice; for God is not to be looked upon as a private party wronged, but the Governor and Judge of the world, who mull have fatisfa &ion, or declare his righteoufnefs: His holinefs mull be demonítrated alto, or his difpleafure againft fin, which is fufficiently done by the fufferings of Chrift, which put an everlafting brand upon Pia, Rom. 8. 3. God fending his own Son in the likenefs of tinfoil flefb, and for tin condemned fin in the flefli. At Golgotha we have the trueft fight of fin. 2. His law fatisfied, and the authority thereof kept up, Gal. 4. 5, 6. Chrifi was made .under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of Sons. Chrift was made under the law moral, which all are fubjeá unto;, as obedience unto natural parents, Luke a. 5 I. Pofitive and Ceremonial, which the yews were bound to obey, Match. 3.15. More particularly, the law of a Redeemer and Saviour; fo he was obliged to die for us, Pfal. 40. 6, 7, 8. Sacrifice, and offering those didil not delire; my ears haft thou opened : burnt - offering and tin ofering hall thou not required. Then faid I, Lo I come; in the volume of the book'tis written of me, I delight to do thy will, 0 my God; yea, thy law is in my heart. This was the nobleft piece of fervice, or the higheft degree of obedience, that ever could be performed to God, Rom. 5..19. By the obedi- encc of one, (hall many be made righteous. Phil. 2. 8. And being found in fafhion as aman, he humbled himfelf, and became obedient unto death, the death of the Groff. And Heb. 5. 8, 9. Though he was a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he fuffered 5 and be- ing made perfell, he is become the author of eternal falvation unto all that obey him : And was carried on with fuch Humility, Patience, and felfdenyal, Refignation of himfelf to God, faith on him, and charity and pity to men, that fuch an a& of love, and fuch a piece of fèrvice or obedience, cannot be done by Men or Angels. Then for the penalty and curfe,He was made a curfe for us, Gal. 3. 13. Our curfe and condemnation is legible in what Chrift endured for us ; The lofs in his defertion, Pain in his Agonies and bloody - fweat,and painful and fbameful death : they were not light things which Chrift induced, but fuch as extorted prayers, tears, and throng cryes. 3. The conditions of the Gofpel are fulfilled. Firft, I take it for granted, that the Gof- pel maketh fufficient provifion againfl the condemnation of believers, John 5. 24. Ve- rily, verily, I fay unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth in him that tint me, bath everlafling life, and /hall not come into condemnation; but bath paffed from death to life. This being the great refult of the Gofpel, Chrift prefixeth his Amen, Amen 5 implying that it is a truth worthy to be refpeáed and credited; and this is the truth, that the pe- nitent believer, when God cometh to judge of men, (ball not fare ill in the judgment. Secondly, That this is done upon condition, that we take Gods remedy ; fo it is pro - pounded, Mark 16. t6. He that believeth and is baptized, (hall be Paved; and bé that believeth not, ¡hall be damned. The Gofpel bath a fanáion, as well as the law ; both promife and threatning ; and all upon the condition which God bath impofed. 3. That the promife doth confift of fomething the party is willing of and the condi- tion of what the promifer will bave, but the receiver is not fo ready to perform. The accepting the benefit promifed, is not fo great a matter in ordinary contraûs; but in Gods Covenant, being not a matter of fenfe, 'cis fomewhat to be willing to accept,' Ifa. 55 I. Ho, every one that thirtieth, come ye to the waters, and he that bath no money : conic ye, buy and eat, yea, come, buy wine and milk withiut money, and without price. Revel.
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