370 SERMONS upon Serin. 43. TJfe t. See how careful God is to preferve the Honour, and the awe in us of his Juftice, even in his Rewards of Grace. God will be jult ; he is very careful to pre - ferve the Notions which the Creature hath of his own Effence, inviolable. He will not exercife Mercy to the prejudice of his'Jh(tice, there mutt be Come way to repro- lent him hill a Righteous Father. God would give his own Son to the Death, that he might appear Righteous, God will not love that Honour. Therefore -Eland in awe, and fin not, left thou come (hort of the Grace offered in Chrift, left you find him juft in a legal fenfe, while you abufe the Mercy of the Golpe!. Vfe 2. It is to give us a Cure Ground of Hope. Heb. 6. io. For God is not un= righteous to fin-get your Work and Labour of Love : That which is molt terrible in God, is the Pawn and Pledge of our Salvation. ConCcience, which is God's Deputy, is ne- ver fatisfied till God be fatisfied ; for this Thought cannot be plucked out of our Minds, that God is an Avenger. If we had not a fufficient Satisfaltion, we thould. al- ways be troubled; Wherewith (hall he be appeared ? Mic.6.6,7. Wherewith fhall I con {e before the Lord, and bow my felf before the High God? Shall I come before him with Burnt - Ofrings, with Calves of a Tear old ? Will the Lord be pleafed with thoufands of Rams, or with ten thoufands of Rivers of Oil ? Shall I give my Firfi -Born for my Tranfg reffion, the Fruit of my Body for the Sin of my Soul? If a poor Creature were in Debt, and haling to Prifon, and a King thould fay, I will engage my whole Revenue but I will pay it ; how would this comfort him ! Certainly Chrift was refponfible enough, we are not fo chearful in his Service as we thould be, now Juftice is made our Friend. Make ufe of it in great deje &ions and pangs of ConCcience. Job 33. 24. Then he is gracious to him, and faith, Deliver him from going down to the Pit, have found a Ranfom. When the Rain was taken, Ifaac was let go. God will (hew Mercy to our Perfons, for Juftice is fatif- fied in our Surety. You have a double Claim, and hold fall upon him in every Court ; you may come before the Tribunal of Juftice, as well as the Throne of Grace. When you are fainting in Service, encourage your felves ; Verily there is a Reward for the Righteous, Pfal. 58. t 1. One day or another the Saints (hall be rewarded, their La- bour and Service (hall not be loft. Secondly; The Qualification, Saving - Knowledg, Thefe have known that thou hati font me. It is urged as a Reafon, why they thould behold his Glory hereafter, becaufe they make it their Care to know God in Chrift here. Here are two Propofitions. a. The only way to come to Bleffednefs, is by the Knowledg of the True God. 2. There is no Knowledg of the True God, without the Knowledg of Jefus Chrift as Mediator. 1. Propofition ; That the only way to Blef dnefr, is by the Knowledg of the True God. This I prove; r. Becaule the Foundation of the Eternal State mutt be laid in this Life. Now the Foundation and Superftrulture muff carry a proportion. What is the great Happinefs of Heaven, and the Bleffednefs of the Creature ? The Beatifical Vifion; and therefore we mutt begin it here in Knowledg, and in the (tudy of God. John 17.3. This is Life Eternal, to know thee the only True God ; that is, this is the beginning of Life Eter- nal ; when there is a Saving -Light in the Soul, there is a Spark kindled that will ne- ver be quenched. In the Barn Corn doth not grow, but in the Field. Here we la- bour after Knowledg, there we enjoy the Perfe&ion of it; and according to the De- grees of Knowledg and Grace we attain in this Life, fo will be our Happinefs here- after. The State of the Wicked is a growing Darknefs. Mat. 8. 12. The Children of the Kingdom (ball be ca, i out into utter Darknefs, ès Tè ßuó-Ds vò tEwssego. What is that ? A Darknefs beyond a Darknefs, in tenebras ex tenebris info liciter exclufi, they (hall be cáft out from one Darknefs into another. Here they are under the Darknefs of Ignorance and Sin, and there they (hall be under the drknefs of Horror and Ter- ror for evermore. The State of the Wicked in Hell, is a Darknefs that grows out of a Darknefs; here they are dark, and care not to know God, or know his Ways, and the Milts of Darknefs are referved for them for evermore. But now the State of 'the Godly is an Increafing Light. Prov.4.t8. The Path of the tuft is as the Chiming Light that fbineth
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