A Sermon of Judgment, Sermon · Part 7
VII. FOR the ſeventh Head, VVhat will be the cauſe of the day to be enquired after? VVhat the Accuſation, and what the Defence?
Anſw. This may be gathered from what was laſt ſaid. The great Cauſe of the Day will be to enquire and determine, who ſhall dye and who ſhall live; who ought to go to heaven, and who to hell for ever, according to the Law by which they muſt then be Iudged.
1. As there is a twofold Law by which they muſt be Iudged, ſo will there then be a twofold Accuſation. The firſt will be, that they were ſinners, and ſo having violated the Law of God, they Deſerve Everlaſting Death according to that Law; If no defence could be made, this one Accuſation would condemn all the wo…ld; for it is moſt certain that all are ſinners, and as certain that all ſin deſerveth Death. The only defence againſt this Accuſation lyeth in this Plea: Confeſſing the charge, we muſt plead that Chriſt hath ſatisfied for ſins, and upon that conſideration God hath forgiven us; and therefore being forgiven, we ought not to be puniſhed; To prove this we muſt ſhew the pardon under Gods hand in the Goſpel. But becauſe this pardoning Act of the Goſpel doth forgive none but thoſe that Repent and Believe, and ſo return to God, and to ſincere Obedience for the time to come; therefore the next Accuſation will be, that we did not perform theſe Conditions of forgiveneſs; and therefore being Ʋnbelievers, Impenitent and Rebels againſt the Redeemer we have no right to pardon, but by the ſentence of the Goſpel, are lyable to a greater puniſhment, for this contempt of Chriſt and Grace. This Accuſation is either true or falſe; where it is true, God and Conſcience who ſpeak the truth may well be ſaid to be the Accuſers: Where it is falſe, it can be only the work of Satan the malitious adverſary; who, as we may ſee in Iobs caſe, will not ſtick to bring a falſe Accuſation.
If any think that the Accuſer will not do ſo vain a work, at leaſt they may ſee that potentially, this is the Accuſation that lyeth againſt us and which we muſt be juſtified againſt. For all Iuſtification implyeth an Actual or Potential Accuſation.
He that is truly accuſed of final Impenitency, or Unbelief, or Rebellion, hath no other Defence to make, but muſt needs be condemned.
He that is falſly accuſed of ſuch non-performance of the condition of Grace▪ muſt deny the Accuſation, and plead his own perſonal Righteouſneſs as againſt that Accuſation, and produce that Faith, Repentance and ſincere Obedience and Perſeverance by which he fulfilled that Condition, and ſo is Evangelically Righteous in himſelf, and therefore hath part in the blood of Chriſt which is inſtead of a Legal righteouſneſs to him▪ in all things elſe, as having procured him a pardon of all his ſin, and a right to everlaſting glory.
And thus we muſt then be Juſtified by Chriſts ſatisfaction only, againſt the accuſation of being ſinners in general, and of deſerveing Gods wrath for the Breach of the Law of works: But we muſt be juſtified by our faith, repentance and ſincere Obedience it ſelf, againſt the accuſation of being Impenitent, Ʋnbelievers, and Rebels againſt Chriſt, and having not performed the Condition of the promiſe, and ſo having no part in Chriſt and his Benefits.
So that in ſumm you ſee, that the cauſe of the day will be to enquire, whether being all known ſinners, we have accepted of Chriſt upon his terms, and ſo have right in him and his benefits, or not? Whether they have forſaken this vain world for him, and loved him ſo faithfully, that they have manifeſted it, in parting with theſe things at his Command. And this is the meaning of Mat. 25. Where the enquiry is made to be, whether they have fed and viſited him in his members, or not? That is, whether they have ſo far loved him as their Redeemer, and God by him, as that they have manifeſted this to his members according to Opportunity▪ though it coſt them the hazard or loſs of all: Seeing danger, and labor, and coſt, are fitter to expreſs Love by, then empty Complements and bare Profeſſions.
Whether it be particularly enquired after, or only taken for granted that men are ſinners, and have deſerved Death according to the Law of works, and that Chriſt hath ſatisfied by his death, is all one as to the matter in hand, ſeeing Gods enquiry is but the Diſcovery and Conviction of us. But the laſt Queſtion which muſt decide the Controverſie will be, whether we have performed the condition of the Goſpel?
I have the rather alſo ſaid all this, to ſhew you in what ſenſe duplicate page duplicate page theſe words are taken in the text, that Every man ſhall be Judged according to what he hath done in the fleſh, whether it be good or bad. Though every man be Judged worthy of Death for ſinning, yet every man ſhall not be Judged to dye for it: and no man ſhall be Judged worthy of Life for his good works: It is therefore according to the Goſpel, as the rule of judgement, that this is meant. They that have Repented and Believed, and returned to true, though imperfect Obedience, ſhall be Iudged to everlaſting Life, according to theſe works; not becauſe theſe works Deſerve it, but becauſe the free Gift in the Goſpel, through the blood of Chriſt, doth make theſe things the condition of our poſſeſſing it: They that have lived and dyed Impenitent, Unbelievers and Rebels againſt Chriſt, ſhall be judged to everlaſting puniſhment, becauſe they have deſerved it, both by their ſin in general againſt the Law, and by theſe ſins in ſpecial againſt the Goſpel. This is called the Merit of the Cauſe, that is, what is a mans due according to the true meaning of the Law; Though the due may be by free gift. And thus you ſee what will be the cavil of the Day, and the matter to be enquired after and decided, as to our Life or Death.