Christ Crucified, Sermon 51
SERMON LI.
ISAIAH LIII.XI.
Verſe 11. —By his knowledge ſhall my righteous ſervant juſtifie many, &c.
THere hath been much ſpoken from this ſweet Scripture of Our Lord Jeſus His Sufferings; and ſomewhat alſo of the Promiſes made to Him, that His Sufferings ſhould not be for nought; in theſe Words, we have a compendiou… explication of the Effects that …ow from them, by which He ſhall be Satisfied for them all; which ye may take up in theſe Four. 1. The great benefit it ſel… that is holden out here, and that is Juſtification. 2. Theſe to whom it ſhall come, it is many, ſo that His having a Seed, ſpoken of, v. 10. Is exponed here by this, that many ſhall be justified. 3. The way how this is derived to them, by his knowledge, which we ſhew is to be underſtood, of Faith in Him. 4. The ground from which this flows, and on which it is built, and that confirms it; For he ſhall bear their iniquities; And as it's in the following v. He bare the ſin of many, And therefore they muſt be Juſtified; it being but reaſon, that theſe many, whoſe iniquities He bears, and whoſe Debt of Sin He payes, ſhould be Juſtified.
We may ſpeak more particularly to the Explication of each of theſe, as we come to them; we ſhall then firſt expone, and give the meaning of this Word, Justification, or to Juſtifie ere we come to the Doctrine, becauſe it will ſerve to clear it, and will make way for it, and ſo much the rather, as it is the very hing of the Goſpel, and that on which our Salvation depends, though yet but very little, and very ill underſtood, there being many that cannot tell what it is, though there be not many Words more frequently mentioned in the Scripture, and though it be that whereby a Perſon is tranſlated from the State of Enmitie, into the State of Friendſhip with God.
As for this Word, To Juſtifie, or Juſtification then; there are three ſenſes given of it; Two whereof are Erronious, and the laſt only is according to the mind of the Spirit of God, ſpeaking in the Scripture, which we ſhall Clear, and Confirm.
1. Some take this Word Phyſically, as if it were to make Juſt, by the infuſing of habitual Grace, or by a Phyſical, and Reall Change; and ſo taken, it is the ſame with that which we call Sanctification; but in all the Scripture we know not one Place, where neceſſarily the Word is ſo to be underſtood. Although this acceptation of the Word, is the great riſe of the Popiſh Error, in that Controverſie concerning Juſtification. 2dly. Others take it for Gods Revealing Manifeſting, or Declaring the way, how a Guilty Perſon comes to be Juſt; and ſo to Juſtifie, is for Miniſters to teach the way to People, how they may live holily; As it is ſaid, Dan. 12.3. They that turn many to Righteouſneſs, &c. By wh…ch ſenſe, ſome Wickedly, and Blaſphemouſly detract from Chriſts Satisfaction; as if His Juſtifying were no more, but a teaching of Sinners the way how to be Ju…fied; to wit, by living holily and juſtly. But the Word that follows in the Text; For he ſhall bear their i…iquities, Cu…s the Throat of that Expoſition; for it is by Chriſts bearing of the puniſhment of the Elects Iniquities, and for paying of their Debt, that they come to be Juſtified; Therefore the one is given for a Reaſon of the other. 3dly. Conſidering the Word according to the meaning of it in Scripture, we take it for a Legal forenſick, or Court Word, borrowed from mens Courts, wherein a Perſon arraigned for ſuch a Cryme is either Condemned, or Abſolved; And when he is Abſolved, and Declared to be acquitted, or made free from that which is laid to his Charge, he is ſaid to be Juſtified; ſo is it before God, and in His Court: Juſtification is the freeing of a Sinner, from the Charge that the Law giveth in againſt Him, and the abſolving and declaring of him to be free from the Guilt of Sin, and from the puniſhment thereof, which by the Sentence of the Law is due to Him. The former two ſenſes run to the making of a man to be inherently holy, or without a Fault; Which is, as if a Guilty Man, or a Criminal, being ſifted before a civil Court of Judicature, were declared to be Innocent; But this true meaning of the Word, ſets out a Man arraigned before Gods Tribunal, and charged with Guilt, and found Faulty, but Abſolved, and Acquitted, not becauſe he wants Sin, but becauſe his Debt is payed, and his Sins Satisfied for, by a Cautioner; Even as a Man that is called before a Civil Court, for ſuch a Sum of Money, and is found lyable to the Debt; but his Cautioner coming in, and paying the Debt for him, there is both in Reaſon and in Law juſt ground, why that Man ſhould be abſolved, and declared free of the Debt: So is it here, Chriſt Jeſus taking on, and ſatisfying for the Debt of the Elect, and procuring Abſolu…ion for them, for whom He payed the Price; there is Reaſon, and ground in Law, that they ſhould be Juſtified and Abſolved: All theſe Opinions agree in theſe two 1. That Men naturally have Sin, and that they muſt compt for it. 2. That this Juſ…ification whatever it be, where it is, doth fully Abſolve and Acquit the Sinner, and makes him free of Sin, as to the Guilt, the Puniſhment, and Conſequents of it, Death and the Curſe, as if he had never had Sin: But the difference lyeth here, that this laſt acception of the Word, abſolves a Man, though he have Sin in himſelf, by the interpoſing of a Surety, and Cautioner, who payes his D…bt, and procures the Sentence of Abſolution to him; And in this Senſe, Juſtification is, as if a Man were ſtanding at the Bar of Gods Tribunal Guilty, and having a witneſs of his Guilt in himſelf, and God, out of Reſpect to the Mediator His Satisfaction, and Payment of His Debt, which He hath laid hold upon by Faith, does pronunce that ſinfull Perſon to be Free, Abſolved, and Acquitted from the Guilt and Puniſhment of Sin; and doth accordingly Abſolve him upon that accompt: So then Juſtification is not to be conſidered, as Gods Creating, and Infuſing of gracious habits in us; but the declaring of us to be Free, and Acquitted from the Guilt of Sin, upon the account of Chriſts Satisfying for our Debt.
This we will find to be very clear, if we conſider how the Word is taken, both in the Old and new Teſtament, as namely, Iſaiah 5.23. Woe unto them that justifie the wicked for a reward, and take away the righteouſneſſe of the righteous from him. And Prov. 17.15. He that juſtifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the juſt, even they both are abomination to the Lord. Where the plain meaning of the Word can be no other then this, that when a Judge pronounces a man to be Juſt, although he be unjuſt, it is a wicked thing which the Lord abhores. And ſo, Pſal. 51.4. That thou mighteſt be juſtified when thou ſpeakest. That is, that thou might be declared to be ſo. And, Matth. 11.19. Wiſdom is juſtified of her children. 2. We will find this meaning of the Word to be clear, if we conſider Juſtification, as diſtinguiſhed from Sanctification, For in that Popiſh ſenſe, they are both made one and the ſame; but they are diſtinguiſhed in Scripture. As 1 Cor. 6.11. Such were ſome of you, but ye are waſhed, but ye are ſanctified, but ye are juſtified. Where he looks on theſe two Benefits of Juſtification and Sanctification as diſti…ct, and diſtinguiſheth the one of them from the other; now Sanctification being the Grace that renews our nature and makes an inward ſpiritual change; Juſtification muſt needs be that Act of Gods Grace, that takes away the Guilt of Sin, and makes Sinners to be friends with God, through Chriſts Righteouſneſs; and ſo is a relative change of their State. 3. It will be clear if we conſider to what it is oppoſed in Scripture; it is not oppoſed to ſinning, as Sanctification is, but to theſe two. 1. To the charging of a Sinner with ſomewhat unto Condemnation. And 2. To the Act of Condemning; now the oppoſit to Condemnation is Abſolution, as is clear, Rom. 8.33. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect? It is God that juſtifies, who ſhall condemn? &c. Gods Juſtifying is put in as oppoſit to the Charging, and Lybelling of the Elect, and to the Condemning of them; therefore none of theſe can be; and ſo Juſtification there, looks both to the part of an Advocat pleading, and declaring a man to be Free, and to the part of a Judge pronouncing him to be Abſolved, and Juſtified; which well agrees to Our Lord Jeſus, who Juſtifies His People both wayes. 4. It may alſo be cleared from parallel Scriptures, where Juſtifying is called Reconciling; As 2 Cor. 5.18, 19, 20. God was in Chriſt reconciling the world to himſelf, not imputing their treſpaſſes unto them, and hath committed to us, &c. And how that comes to paſs, is told in the laſt v. For he made him to be ſin for us, who knew no ſin, that we might be made the righteouſneſs of God in him. So that to be made the Righteouſneſs of God is to be Juſtified, and to be Juſtified is to be made friends with, or to be reconciled to God; and that not by working a moral Change; but upon the account of Chriſt's Satisfact on, bringing us into friendſhip with God. So, Eph. 1.6. Where to be Juſtified, is exponed, to be made accepted in the Beloved▪ And what elſe is that, but to be in good terms with God, to have him paſſing by all quarrels, as having nothing to ſay againſt us, but accepting us through Chriſt as Righteous? So, Acts 13.38, 39. Be it known unto you, that through this man is preached unto you forgiveneſs of ſins, and by him, all that believe are juſtified from all things, from which ye could be justified by the law of Moſes. A place that clearly holds forth, that as all the Elect are naturally chargable by the Law, as being Guilty of the breach thereof, and that they cannot be abſolved from it by ought in themſelves; ſo they are through Faith in Jeſus Chriſt freed from it: As if the Lord had ſaid, ye are fred from the Sentence of the Law, becauſe, through Chriſt is preached unto you Remiſſion of Sins, and there is away laid down for your Abſolution, who believe, from the Guilt of Sin, and from all the conſequents of it. 5ly. It's clear from the Text, becauſe it's ſuch a Juſtifying, as hath in it Chriſts being Sentenced in our Room, as the cauſe of it; now He was Sentenced in our Room, not by having Sin infuſed in Him, which were Blaſphemous to think, but by having our Sin imputed to Him; and therefore our Juſtification muſt be our Abſolution, by having His Righteouſneſſe imputed to us, As is clear throughout this Chapter; Therefore its ſaid, He hath carried our ſorrows, and born our griefs; He was wounded for our tranſgreſſions, He was bruiſed for our iniquities, by his ſtrips we are healed, He laid on him the inquitie of us all, And in theſe words, By his knowledge ſhall my righteous ſervant juſtifie many, for he ſhall bear their iniquities; It's a Juſtification that comes to us by Chriſt's taking on our Debt; And this we cannot imagine to be otherwayes, but by a Legal Change, or by a Change of Law-rooms; He coming as Surety in our Room, and we having Abſolution, by vertue of His Satisfaction; So that the meaning of the Words in ſhort is, As if the Prophet had ſaid, would ye know what we have by Chriſt's Sufferings? Even this, to wit, That many, as many as whoſe iniquities He bore, and ſatisfied for, ſhall be Acquitted, and Abſolved from the Guilt and Puniſhment of their Sin, through His Satisfaction; They ſhall be fred from the Sentence, and Curſe of the Law, which they deſerved; And ſhall be declared Righteous, through the Righteouſneſſe of their Cautioner, which they have laid hold upon by Faith.
Hence, Obſerve, 1. That all Men and Women, even all the Elect themſelves, are by nature lyable to an arraignment before the Juſtice-ſeat of God; That they are Juſtified, ſuppoſes a bringing of them, as it were, before His Tribunal, ere they can be Juſtified, and have the Sentence of Abſolution paſt in their favours; The Apoſtle takes this for granted, Rom. 14.10. We ſhall all ſtand before the judgement ſeat of Chriſt; And, Heb. 9.29. It's appointed for all men once to die, and after that comes the judgement; There is a Solemn Decree paſt, That, as all Men ſhall die, ſo every Man ſhall be brought to a Reckoning, and Judgement; And Act. 17.31. He hath appointed a day in which he ſhall judge the world in righteouſneſs, &c. and that cannot be ranverſed; See, 2 Cor. 5.10. For we muſt all appear before the judgement ſeat of Christ, We muſt, There is an inavoidable neceſſity of it. For further clearing, and confirming of this, ye would know that there are Three Courts, that eſpecially the hearers of the Goſpel are lyable unto, which we would make our ſelves for; They are all put together, Rom. 2.12, 15, 16. There is 1. The Court of the Word, wherein God keeps a Juſtice-ſeat, or Tribunal, Condemning the Wicked, and Abſolving the Righteous: As Chriſt ſayes, John 12. The word Which I ſpeak ſhall judge you in the laſt day; And this is it that the Apoſtle hath in that forecited place, Rom. 2 12. As many as have ſinned in the law ſhall be judged by the law. A 2. Court is the Court of the Conſcience; And this is more broad and extenſive, reaching all Men, without, as well as within the Church; Wherein God hath His own way of Lybelling and Accuſing of, and paſſing Sentence upon Sinners; As v. 14, 15. When the gentles who have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, theſe having not a law, are a law unto themſelves, which ſhew the work of the law written in their hearts, their Conſcience alſo bearing witneſs, and their thoughts the mean while accuſing, or elſe excuſing one another. A 3d. Court, or Judgement-ſeat is that which is more Discernable, Diſtinct and Terrible, And that is the Judgement-ſeat of God, when He ſhall conveen all and every one before Himſelf immediatly, and ſhall Judge and paſs Sentence upon them; Whether this be done to a particular Perſon, or to the whole World, as v, 16. In the day when God ſhall judge the ſecrets of men by Jeſus Chriſt according to my Goſpel.
Uſe, We would have you confirmed in the Faith of this Truth, That there are none of us but we are lyable to all theſe Courts; And therefore ye would live ſo, as ye may be in a poſture fit for this appearing; many of us, alace, live as if we were never to be called to an account. And as if there were no Tribunal that we were to appear before.
2ly. Obſerve, That all Men and Women, even the Elect themſelves, are naturally, and as in themſelves obnoxious to Condemnation, and lyable to the Sentence of it before Gods Tribunal; for Jeſus Chriſt His Juſtifying of them, and procuring their Abſolution, implyes this much, That they, as conſidered in themſelves are lyable to, and cannot receive another Sentence then that of Condemnation; It ſayes that not only they have Sinned, but that becauſe of their Sin, they are lyable and obnoxious to Condemnation; That for their Sin, Gods Curſe is due to them, John 3.18.36. He that believes not is condemned already: And he that believeth not ſhall not ſee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him; The Sentence is ſtanding againſt Him unrepealled; even that Sentence which we have, Gal. 3.10. Curſed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the book of the law to do them; The Sinner comes no ſooner to look to the Court of the Word, nor to the Court of his own Conſcience, but that Sentence is laid before him, And when he comes before God, he can expect no other thing, The Lord proceeding according to the Rule of the Word; So Rom. 3.19. We know that whatever thing the law ſaith, it ſaith to them who are under the law, that every mouth may be ſtopped, and all the world may become guilty before God; Which ſuppons a lyableneſs to His Curſe, and a ſubjection to the Judgement of God, as the Word is rendered on the Margent; There are none, as conſidered in their natural condition, who have a word to ſay againſt it: To clear it a little, ye would conſider two things in the Law, as it is a Covenant of Works, under which all Men are by Nature, 1. The Directive or Commanding part of it, that carves out Mans Duty, and ſo it is the Rule of Righteouſneſs to Men and Women, and what is not conform to the Commands, and Directions of it, is Sin, and hath a Guilt with it; This is moſt certain, that the Law, even as to Believers, is a Rule of Righteouſneſſe, according to which they are to walk. 2. There is in it the Sentence of a Curſe, whereby the Perſon that Sins, is not only declared to be Guilty, but lyable to Gods Wrath and Curſe; This may be ſeperated from the former; The Law was no doubt a Law of Righteouſneſs to Man in his Innocency, and is ſo to the Believer ſtill, who is Abſolved from the Curſe of it; but yet the Believer, as conſidered in his Natural Condition, is not only Guilty, but ſtated under the Curſe; And this is the meaning of the Doctrine; That Naturally, not only are all Men Sinfull, but they are ſtated under the Curſe of God; The Law ſayes on the matter, Man and Woman thou haſt not abiden in what is written, and therefore thou muſt die, Thou art lyable to the Curſe, which will light if it be not prevented: If there were any need of Reaſons to prove this, they are not wanting; It is ſo. 1. That the Lord may humble all Fleſh, as the Apoſtle ſayes, Rom. 3.19. That every mouth may be ſtopped, and that all the world may become guilty before God. 2. It is ſo ordered, that His Grace may ſhine the more conſpicuouſly; When the Perſon is found Guilty, and abnoxious to the Curſe by the Law, Grace ſhews it ſelf to be wonderfull, in pulling the Sinner from under the laſh of the Law; As Iſaac was ſet free, and a Sacrifice was accepted in his Room; So the Sinner is ſet free, and the Mediator in His Satisfaction is accepted in His Room; To this purpoſe it is ſaid, Rom. 11.32. God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have have mercy on all; Not that He ſhews mercy on all that ate in unbelief, but this is the meaning, That it might be mercy to all that ſhould get good of the Mediator, and alone mercy to the Elect, both of Jews, and Gentiles, It's on this ground, That Epheſ. 2.3. The Apoſtle not only ſaith, Ye were dead in ſins and treſpaſſes; But alſo turning it over on Himſelf, He adds, And we are all the Children of wrath even as others; Lyable by Sin to the Curſe of God, if it had not been graciouſly prevented.
Uſe, 1: Let all of us take a view hereof our Natural Condition; and indeed it were the better for us that we were more frequently viewing it, What is it, will ye ſay? It is even this, Ye are all lyable to appearing before God's Juſtice-ſeat; Ye are all guilty, and by the Sentence of the Law, under Gods Curſe, and Condemned already; Becauſe God hath ſaid, He that ſins ſhall die; We are, I ſay, all thus by Nature.
Uſe, 2. It gives a great commendation to the Grace of God in Chriſt Jeſus; it makes Grace wonderfully Glorious, That takes the Sinner at this ni…k, and in this pinch; We ſhall not diſpute here; nor is it needfull, nor edifying, whether God might have forgiven Sin freely, without any intervenient Satisfaction to His Juſtice, ſeing He hath declared His mind, concerning that in His Word, Exod. 23.7. I will not juſtifie the wicked; And Chap. 34.7. That will by no means clear the guilty; And Gen. 3. The day thou eats, or Sins, thou ſhalt ſurely die: This is it that puts Man as conſidered, in his Natural Condition, to be as it were in Hell, while he is on Earth, and puts Him in ſuch a near capacity to the Wrath of God, if we may ſo ſpeak, and to the actual undergoing of it; That there needs no more but the blowing out of the Breath, to put him in the pit; yea, while He is living, he is a Priſoner in Chains, till the day of Execution come; If Grace reprive him not; ye would think much of Grace. O! how very much! if ye were ſeriouſly comparing theſe two together; to be ſo near Hell, and yet as it were, to have a Ladder ſet up for you to aſcend to Heaven by; And that in ſuch a way, as, by Chriſt's becoming a Curſe: They will certainly never think much of the Grace of God, and of the Love of Chriſt, they will never think much of their own hazard nor wil they ever in earneſt make uſe of Chriſts Righteouſneſs, who have not ſome quick and lively impreſſion, and ſenſe of this their Condition by Nature; And therefore, when ever ye go to Read, to Hear, to Pray, to Meditat, &c. Take up your ſelves, as naturally arreſted before the Court of God, and obnoxious to His Wrath; This would lay your Pride, and make Chriſts offers in the Goſpel lovely to you.
Uſe, 3. This ſhews, That theſe who get any good of Chriſt, are much in Chriſts Debt and Common, and have in themſelves no cauſe to boaſt of it; If this be true, even of the Elect, that they are all once under the Sentence of Condemnation, elſe they could not be Juſtified, and Abſolved by Chriſt; Ye that think your ſelves to be ſomething, what have ye to boaſt of? Who hath made you to differ, and what have ye, but what ye have received? It ſets you well therefore to be humble, and to put a Price upon Chriſt, as the Apoſtle doth on the ſame conſideration, Gal. 2.20. When he ſayes, Who loved me and gave himſelf for me; That makes Him reliſh ſweetly to the Believer; And this is the ground of His Triumph, Rom. 8.33, 34. Who ſhall lay any thing to the charge of Gods Elect? It is God that juſtifieth, who is he that condemneth? It is Chriſt that died, yea, rather that is riſen again, &c. This way of Juſtification makes Chriſts death Wonderous Lovely, and it is on this that the Song of the Redeemed is founded, Rev. 1.5. Unto him that loved us and waſhed us from our ſins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and prieſts unto God, and his Father, To him be glory, and dominion for ever and ever amen; And of that new Song, Revel. 5.9, 10. Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the Seals thereof, for thou waſt ſlain, and haſt redeemed us to God by thy blood, &c. It is an evil token, when folk can talk at a high rate of their hope of being Juſtified, when, in the mean time, they have ſo little eſtimation of Chriſt, and their hearts are ſo little warmed with love to Him, who is ſo Lovely to Believers; And when they can ſo confidently make application of His Purchaſe to themſelves, and yet cannot tell when their heart was ever in the leaſt meaſure raviſhed with the conſideration of Chriſts love, neither did it ever reliſh to them, nor were their hearts ever in the leaſt ingaged to Him on that conſideration.
Uſe, 4. All of you, who are lying in this Natural Condition, and know not what is your hazard, who are living in your Prophanity, or at beſt, in your Hypocriſee, Civility, Formality, not Regenerat, or Born again, but have ſtill the ſame Faith, and Love that ye were born with, and no other, what is your poſture? ye are not in Chriſt, but lying naked, obnoxious to the Wrath and Curſe of God, condemned already; And what if your breath go out in this doleful condition? What if a Palſie, or Appoplexie overtake you ſuddenly? What if a Stone fall upon you, ere ye go home out of this place? There is even but that much betwixt you and Hell; Ye are lyable to be arreſted before the Court of Gods Juſtice, and how will it be with you, when ye come there? And when it ſhall be ſaid, that ſuch a Perſon hath broken the Law, and therefore Gods Curſe is due to him, and therefore away with him; For he judgeth according to mens works; Are there none of you afraid of this? Do ye believe it to be a Truth? O! that ye did, who are lying contentedly, and ſecure in your Natural Condition, and yet it does not trouble you; Will you yet lye ſtill contentedly in this dreadful ſtate? Is it poſſible that ye can be well in this condition? though ye would heap up Riches as the Sand? ye cannot look into the Bible, nor into your own heart, but it curſes you; Ye cannot look to the Bar of Gods Juſtice, but the Sentence meets you, Depart from me ye curſed; This is the Truth of God; And if ye think there be any here lying ſtill in black nature (and we are not ſure all renewed) think then upon your caſe, O! that ye ſaw your poſture; The Hand-writting coming forth on the Wall, did not ſo afright Belſhazzar, as this Curſe would afright you, if it were believed: And, 2ly. If this be your Natural Condition, and if ye believe it to be truly ſo, we would expoſtulat with you, and even wonder, 1. How comes it to paſſe, that ſo many of you lye ſtill in your Natural Condition, and endeavour not a change of your State; It will be wondered at by Angels, and by all the Elect; yea, and even by the Reprobat, that never heard of Chriſt, That ſo many heard the Goſpel, and had the offer of Chriſt, and yet did not ſtir up themſelves to make uſe of Him: Is it not a wonder that Folk can ſleep ſecure, under the Curſe of God, And bleſs themſelves, till their iniquities be found to be hatefull? To be in this condition, and to ſleep quietly under it, will have a dolefull wakning. 2dly. How is it that ſo few take pains to try how it is with them? If many of you were lying under a Decreet of an hundreth pound Scots, ye would not be ſo ſecure, till ye knew that ye were fred of it; And if it be true, that this is your Condition by Nature, to be under the ſtanding Sentence of the Law, and the Curſe of God, How is it, ye never try if ye be come out of that Condition? I aſk the moſt Prophane Men among you, were ye never under this Sentence? If ye ſay not, the word of God will ſtand up againſt you, and ſay to you, that ye lie falſly; and if ye be under it, is it not hazardous to be ſo? But I fear, that many of you dream, that the Curſe of God, wears away as ye grow up. 3dly. Think ye never of coming to Judgement, and of Gods proceeding in Judgement againſt you? Think ye never that ye will die, and after death come to Judgement, according to the general appointment paſt upon all Men? How cometh it, that ye are not thinking on it, and what may be the Judges procedour towards you? He will Judge you according to this Word, and all that are out of Chriſt, and not Juſtified by Him, will be caſt into the Pit of Hell; There is no new Sentence to be paſt, or to be executed upon you, but that which was ſtanding over your head before. 4ly. Know ye how long He may treat with you, or how long ye may be in Capacity to get your ſtate changed? Are there not many taken ſuddenly away, of whoſe eſtate we ſhall not Judge, but may it not be ſo with you? why are ye then ſo ſecure, why decline ye the Word, and refuſe to let it ſearch you, while ye know not whether the Curſe be removed, and whether the Sentence be changed, or recalled? Some of you, perhaps will ſay, The Lord knows that, it is not for us to know; And that ſayes, that ye do never ſo much as eſſay to know, and to win to clearneſs about your ſtate: Others of you, will it may be ſay, that ye hope all will be well, and yet that at the beſt is but a gueſſing, and ye would be loath to ſpeak ſo of a Decreet that were paſt againſt you, about a Sum of Money, in any poor Court of Judicature on Earth; and will ye ſuffer this terrible Sentence to ſtand over your head, in the Court of Gods Juſtice, and not ſtudy to be diſtinct, and at a point upon ſolid, and good grounds, that it is repealled? If ye did really believe that it was once ſo with you, and that yet ye are in hazard of this Sentence, ye would not, ye could not, I am ſure, ye ſhould not be at reſt, till ye knew that it were removed; It would put you to make uſe of Chriſt in good earneſt for your Peace, and to ſeek after an extract of the repealled Sentence, and of your Abſolution, Sealed up in your Boſome: And this is the thing that we aim at in all this, even that as ye would not have a terrible meeting with God before the Bar of His Juſtice, that ye would ſeek to have the Curſe that ye are naturally lying under, removed, and to have your peace made with God, and to have ſome well grounded clearneſs about it, that ye might live comfortedly, and die with ſolid confidence, and Chriſtian Courage, without which ye can do neither.