Ver. i ó. Fifth Chap.2d Ep. to the C O R I N T H. 95; need to deprecate his ftriét Judgment, Pfa. 1¢3. 2. Rater not into 7udgnreat with th) Servant; he Both not fay with thine enemy, but thy Servant. They that can cóntinue with moll patience in well doing, have nothing to look for at lait but mercy, 3ude 'Tis their bell plea, Revel. i.. io. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee à Crown of Life. When we have done and futfered never fo much for God, we mull at length take Eternal Life, as á gift out of the hands of our Redeemer, but for the grace of the new Covenant, we might have perithed as others do. In fome meafure we fee grace here, but never fo filly and perfeétly as then. Partly becaufe now, we have not to full a view ofour unworthinefs,as when our aEtions are fcanned, and all brought to light. And partly becaufe there is not fo full and large Mahifeflation of Gods favour now, as there is in our fulland final reward. 'Tis grace now, that he is pleated to pats by our offen- ces, and to take us into his family, and give us fome raft of his Love, and a right to the Heavenly Kingdom, but then'eis another manner of grace and favour, then our pardon fhall be pronounced by our Judges own mouth, and he ¡hall not only take us into his . family, but into h's immediate prefence and Heavenly Palace, not only give us right, but pofleflion, Come ye Bided of my Father, Inherit the Kingdom prepared for you. And ¡hall have not only fouie remote fervice and Miniftration, but be .everlafttngly. imployeci in loving and delighting in, and praiúng of God; this is grace indeed. The grace of God, or his free favour to (inners, is never Peen in all its glory or gracioufnefs till then. a. The good which the faithful do, if very imperfetl, and mixed with many weakneffes and infirmities; it may endure the touchftone, but it cannot endure the balance, as we limit find then, when our Righteous Judge !hall compare our bed aétions with his Holy Law. After we repented and believed, and returned to the obedience of God, the Lord know - eth our Righteoufnefs is as filthy rags, and our belt robes needto be waffled in the Blood of the Lamb. Sin is our nakednefs, and graces are our garments. ;. Though it were never to perfe&, yetitmerits nothing by its own intrinfäck worth' at Gods hands, when we havedone all, we are but unprofitable Servants,Luke 1 7. 10. And paying a due debtdeferveth no reward ; 'tis a grace beftowed upon us, that we can do any thing for God, t Cor. 8. i. And fervices, and fufferings,bear no equality with the reward, Rom. 8.18. And all is done by thole that did once deferve Eternal Death, Rom. 6.17, 58. And were redeemed and recovered out of that mifery, by an infinite grace, a Pet. r. r8, t q, And already appointed Heirs of Eternal Life before we ferve him, Rom. 8. 17. by his precedent ele&ive love. In lhart they that continually need to implore the mercy of God, for the pardon of fin, and cannot oblige God by any work of theirs, mutt needs admire grace; and the more grace is difcovered to them, and they difcovered to them - felves, the more they will do fo. a. The other end of the Judgment is to convince the Creature, and that is heft done by bringing our works, whether good or evil, into the Judgment, If only the purpofes of God weremanifefted, the condemned would have a juft exception, and their cavils would be )uftified, that it was long of God they were not laved. Man is apt to charge God wrongfully, Pro. 9. 3. Thefoolillunefs of man perverteth his way, and his heart fret - eth againfl the Lord. What everexceptions men have againfl God now, then all is clear, their works are produced, their own evil choice and courte ; if the grace of the Redeemer were only produced, thofewho are excluded from the benefit, might Teem to tax the proceeding as arbitrary,and the whole bufinefs would feem to be a matter of Favour, and not of Jultice. But when their deftrul ion is of themfelves, there is no caufe of complaint,' if only the good eftate ofmen were coafidered, therewould not be fuch an Open vindica- tion of Gods Righteous dealing. In any Judgment, all things are rightly and convincingly carryed, when the Judge cloth proceed fecundum regulas juris, e.0 fecundum allegata, & probata, according to the Law as a Rule, and according to the things atledged, and proved, as to the application of the rule to the parties Judged. Now the producing of the things done in the Body, whether good or evil, fuiteth with both there, and fo in the day of Judgment there is aright courfe taken for convincing the Creature. r. 7 he Yudge mull keep clofe to the Law as his rule,for the abfolving or acquitting ofthe parties impleaded : So it belongethto Chrift,as a Judge, to determine our cafe, according to the Law, which we are under. We Chriftians are under a double Law ; of Ndtur'e, and Grace ; the Law cf Nature bindeth us to Jove and ferve cur Creator, but becaufe of mans Apoftacy, the Law of Grace, findeth out a remedy of repentance, or returning to our duty after the breach, and Faith, or fueing out the mercy of God in the name of Jefus Chrift. Now thofe who *ill not accept of the Second Covenant, remain' tinder the bond of the fir (t; which exaClethperfeEt obedience' from them, and the Judg' a r N' v clod
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