VeR. 137.] SERMONS UPON PSALM CXIX. 451
remission and forgiveness. God may give you a long day, and yet reckon with you at last : Rom. ix. 22, ' He enduretli with much long- suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction.' Mark, there is suffering, long-suffering, and much long-suffering ; and yet vessels of wrath fitted for destruction. God suffered Cain to live as a man reprieved ; so you may be reprieved. He deals with ungodly men, as David with Joab and Shimei ; he woukl not acquit them, yet forbare them, and gave order to Solomon to put them to death ; your doom may yet be dreadful. Christians, bethink yourselves; there is a sentence in force, and there is but a slender thread of a frail life be- tween you and execution, but a step between you and death ; and will you add sin to sin, and heap up more wrath and condemnation to yourselves ? Alas ! you are but in the state of condemned male- factors, and will you roar and revel as some desperate wretches in the gaol between condemnation and execution ? There is but cold com- fort in this, to be rescued and to be afterwards executed ; and there- fore remember God may forbear those whom he will not pardon. Ay ! and his anger is most sharp after patience is abused, and most speedy when you begin to reckon the worst is over: Luke xii. 20, ' Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required of thee.'
2. Men please themselves that they shall do well enough because God is merciful ; and so they fancy a God all of honey and sweetness. God is just as well as merciful. Ay ! but his justice may be a friend. Can you claim that justice ? 1 John i. 9, ' If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins.' When we with remorse and humble penitence go and confess them before the Lord, then justice is our friend. It is not your friend until you be in Christ : Eom. viii, 1, * There is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.' Why, but am not I in Christ ? am not I baptized in his name ? Then I say again, there are none in Christ but those that come in in the new covenant way, for him hath God set forth through faith in his blood, Rom. iii. 2, 3. If we hope we believe in Christ ; if we do, then let me say one thing more : There are none come in the new covenant way that do allow themselves in any known sin ; and therefore the justice of God still remains upon you. I prove this latter thus : He that transgresses in one point is guilty of all ; therefore so speak and so do as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty, James ii. 10-12. There are some that have judgment without mercy, and others that shall be judged by the law of liberty. He that allows himself to break with God in any one thing, shall not be judged by the law of liberty, but shall have judgment without mercy. Therefore take heed ; you will have double condemnation if you love darkness rather than light ; that is, if you allow yourselves in sinful courses, and turn your back upon the grace and mercy God offers in Christ.
3. Here is for the comfort of the godly ; God is just ; but to you also he will be merciful ; all his dispensations to you are justice and mercy mingled : Ps. cxvi. 5, ' Gracious is the Lord, and righteous ; yea, our God is merciful.' Not all mercy and no justice, nor all justice and no mercy; but so just that we may not offend, so merciful that we may yet hope in him : Ps. xxv. 8, * Good and upright is the Lord ; therefore will he teach sinners in the way.' He is good, therefore will
452 SKRMONS UrON PSALM CXIX. [Slill. CLIV.
lie direct you ; lie is righteous, therefore wo must take his direction. Nay, justice and mercy are botli for you. You must not apprehend as if mercy were ibr you and justice against you. No, no; the justice of God is made your friend ; that attribute which is most terrible in God is the pawn and pleclci^e of thy salvation.
The grand inquiry of all the great rabbis and sopliists of all the world was this, How justice should be made a friend ? It cannot be put out of our mind but that God is just and an avenger of the sinner ; but he is faithful and just, 1 John i. 9 ; just in justifying those that believe in Christ. You have a double claim and holdfast on God; you may come to either court, before the throne of his grace and tribunal of his justice; for there Christ interposed, and satisfied the justice of God. Here the great scruple of nature is solved ; that is, how the justice of God should be made our friend. Nay, when j'oii are fainting and discouraged with the scorns and neglect of the world, Heb. vi. 10, the just God will reward 'your work and labour of love which ye have showed toward his name.' It may be vain in the world, but not vain in the Lord, 1 Cor, xv. 59. Therefore be cheerful in your service. Men are not paymasters, but God. It is a noble s[)iiit to look for it hereafter, a base spirit to look after it here : ' They have their reward,' saith Christ.