Ver. 3. Fifth Chap. 2d :gyp. to the C O R I N T H. 29 are Juftified, and San&ified: They that are deftituceof Righteoufnefs cannot look God in the Face, much lefs delire his pretence. Surely a man muff be born again before he can enter into the Kingdom of God, Yoh 3. 1, s. zdly. None have a right temper ofheart to incline them to it, but thofe that are ('laatheif A man is ashamed to be feen in his nakednefs, efpecially before his Superiors ; but being Clothed cometh forth with confidence : So here guilt and fin breed a fhynefs of God; but pardon and fan&ification give an Holy boldnefs, Yoh. z. z8. And now little Children abide in him, that when he fhall appear, we may have confidence, andnot be afhamed before him at his coming. So i Joh. 4. 17. That we may have boldnefs at the day of Yuelgment, becaufe as he is, fo are we in the world. Be Juftified, be SanQified, and walk as Chrift walk- ed ; and why fhould you be afraid to appear in his pretence ! Whereas, others are afham ed to be teen by him. Shame is properly a fear of a rebuke ; a reproof from the Judge of the world is the greateft rebuke of all. Now what maketh theSaints fo bold, and allay- ed] their fear and Shame, lince they are Confcious to themfelves of many infirmities Anfw. Their nakednefs is covered, they have white raiment caft upon them, that all their defe&s and idfirmitiesare hidden. More particularly, t. That which is the matter and casfe of fear 'and fhame is removed. That which makes a man afraid is guilt and fin, which fometimes is reprefented under the notion offilthinefs, and fometimes of nakednefs. Now this filthitters is wafhed away by the Blood of Chrift; This nakednefs is covered by the Righteoufnefs of Chrift. They have put on Chrift and are invefted with his Righteoufnefs, Rom. 8. 1. zdly. The ground of our boldnefs is laid ; fo that we may have a comfortable expecta- tion ofEverlafting Bleffednefs. r. The yufiified and Sanffi)fed, are at peace with God, Rom. S. t. Being Jaflifed by Faith we havepeacewithGod,through our Lord 7efua Chrifl. And for San &ification,Gal. 6. 16. And at many as walk according to this Rule, peace be on them, and mercy, and upon the 'tract ofGod. Our great buftnefs is to be found of God, at peace, in a ftate of amity at the Taft day, : Pet. 3. 14. Since ye look for fuch things, be the diligent, that may be found of him in peace, and without fpot and blame. 'hhe great end of all diligence is to be found of him in peace, and there is no way to be fo, but to be without fpot and blame; without {pot, relateth to the Soul, without blame to the Converfation. The great bufinefs then wherein aChriftian is to be exercifed, is in the getting off our finful fpots, and in putting off our filthy Garments, that we may be Clothed with change of Raiment. Certainly much fweet peace and quietnefs is found in their Spirits, who make it their feriouswork to have the guilt of fin wafhed away by the application of the Blood of Jefus, and their filthy natures changed by the power of his Spirit. On the Contrary,others lye undermuch unquietnefs and bitter anxiety, who are Rill under the burden of unpardoned guilt.; and unrenewed nature : Thefe are not at peace with God. idly. They have a Confcience witneffing of their fincerity, though they have ma- ny failings: And the Teftimony of Confcience giveth great boldnefs and confidence, a Cor. i. 12, r 7oh. 3. as. & i 7oh. 3. 19. Hereby we know that we are of the truth, andfballaffure our hearts before him. Confcience is privy to their confiant, uniform, felf-denying obedience, and this Teftimony is of greateft Read to them at the loft, Ifa. 38. 3. Remember Lord bow I have walked before thee in truth, and with a peyfell Heart. He dareth appeal in a dying hour for his fincerity and care t o pleafe him. A good or a bad Confcience is the beginning of Heaven, or Hell. The checks of an accufingConfcience are the firflbitings of the worm that never dyeth And the approbation ofa fincere Confcience a preface of the Joy of the Bleffed. idly. They know it fhadgo well with them in that day. There are two caufes of fear and Shame ; knowing for certain that it {hall go ill with us or not knowing it {hall go well with us. Now they that are under any of thefe Conditions cannot groan, cannot delire a change of ¡late., Did you everknow a guilty malefa &or long for the Judges ap- pearance, and fend to him to haften his coming? Indeed thofe who are confident it Tall go well with them, they delire the Aflìzes, and are weary of lying in prifon, and long to be delivered Now thole that are abfolved fromguilt,and have fin weakned in their Hearts, they know it fhall go well with them in the other world : Partly by the pro'mife of God, who hath allured the Juftified and the San&ified, of an Heavenly Inheritance. That's the drift of the whole Gofpel. For to this end Chrift dyed, that he might firft reconcile them to God, and then prefent them holy, and unblameable, and irreproveable in his fight, Col. 1. ai. Firft fan&ifie, and eleanfe them, from the ftain and guilt of fin, and then prefent them to himfelf: Clothe them with the fine Linnen which is the Righte- oufnefs
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