VeR. 132.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 377
* He shall have judgment without mercy.' When none to mediate for them, they have to do with justice, strict justice. The least sin is enough to ruin you, it will pass by no transgression, remit no part of your punishment, it will have satisfaction to the utmost farthing, ad- mits of no pardon, no advocate, regardeth no tears. What justice can give you, that you may look for. If justice speak no good, promise nO' good, you are to look for none ; for justice doth all in the covenant, under which you stand : Ps. cxxx. 3, ' If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, 0 Lord, who shall stand?' What you may claim as a due debt, that you may look for ; that covenant gives no gift. Oh ! then, give the hand to the Lord : 2 Chron. xxx. 8, ' But be ye not stiff-necked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves to the Lord, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever, and serve the Lord your God.' Receive God's condition : Acts ix. 6, ' Lord, what wilt thou have me to do ? ' You have not leave to choose and refuse.
Use 2. Let us bless God, and admire his grace in bringing about this new covenant.
1. Man irreparably had broken the first covenant, fallen from his state of life ; so that all the world is lost under guilt and a curse : Rom. iii. 19, ' That every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.'
2. Upon this fundamental breach, the Lord was acquitted and ab- solved from the promise of life, in this way of works ; for man could never stand in that court : Rom. viii. 3, ' For Avhat the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,' Arc. Then —
3. God taking occasion by this miserable estate, opened a door of hope by Christ : 2 Cor. v. 19, ' God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them.' God hath set up a new court of righteousness and life, where sinners may appear, where grace taketh the throne, and the judge is Christ, and the gospel the rule, and faith and sincere obedience accepted.
4. Tlie Lord giveth notice to fallen man, and sendeth him word, that if he will come to this court, and put himself under the laws thereof, he shall be delivered from the curse : Luke i. 77-79, ' To give knowledge of salvation to his people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercies of our God, whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide their feet into the way of peace.'
5. Because men are backward, he hunteth and pursueth them by the curse of the law, and the sense men have of it, to take sanctuary at his grace: Heb. vi. 18, ' That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us/
6. When a poor creature cometh, he receiveth him graciously : Jer. iii. 12, 13, ' Return thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord, and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you ; for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever: only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God ; ' 1 John i. 9, 'If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,' If he had not set up another court of righteousness, no tears, no repentance could
378 SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. [SeR. CXLVI.
have helped us ; there had been no lielp that way. Now he is willing to receive yon, he standeth with liis arms open. From first to last he dealetli with us upon terms of grace.
Secondly, Jndgment is pnt for manner and custom or course : Gen. xl. 13, ' Thou shalt deliver Pharaoh his cup after the former manner, ^^pt^3. So Josh. vi. 15, ' They compassed the city after the same manner.' The same word again : 1 Sam. ii. 13, ' The priest's custom with the people was,' &c. ; 1 Sam. viii. 11, JDBVD ■^tiJan ' This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you ; ' 1 Sam. xxvii, 11, 'So did David, and so will be his manner.' So in other ]ilaces.
Doct. 1. That it is God's constant method to encourage all those that serve him, by showing to them all manner of expressions of favour and mercy.
The proposition is often expressed in scripture : Ps. xxv. 10, ' All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth, unto such as keep his covenant and his testimonies ; ' Ps. Ixxxiv. 11, ' For the Lord God is a sun and a shield ; the Lord God will give grace and glory ; no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly ; ' Ps. xxxiv. 10, ' The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger ; but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing.' David presumeth it : Ps. xxiii. 6, ' Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.' And many other places.