[1.] It is one thing to give a reason of the sentence, another to express the cause of the benefit received and adjudged to us by that sentence. A charter may be given to a sort of people out of mere grace, and privileges promised to all such as are under such a qualifi- cation, though that qualification no way meriteth those privileges and that grace promised ; as if a king should offer pardon and preferment to rebels that lay down their arms and return to their duty and allegiance, and live in such bounds ; tlieir returning to their duty doth not merit this pardon, for it was a mere act of grace in the prince ; much less doth their return to their duty, and living peaceably within their ancient bounds, merit the honours and advancement promised ; yet this is pleadable in court, and the judge that taketh knowledge of the cause, taketli the reason of his sentence from their ])eaceable living within their bounds, whereby he judgelh them capable of the honours promised and expected. So here ; God of his mere grace pro- miseth the pardon of our sins, and to bestow upon us eternal life, if we believe and repent, and return to the duty we owed him by our creation. Our obedience is not the cause of our pardon, or of our right to glory, but his free promise ; but yet tliis qualification must be taken notice of by our judge in the great day, as the reason of his sentence. The sprinkling of the door-posts with blood was not a proper cause to move the destroying angel to pass over, but according to that rule he must proceed ; the admitting all that have a ticket to any solemnity
Vers. 35, 36.] sermons upon matthew xxv. 57
is not tlie cause why they are worthy to be received. This is clear, that a person is justified in some other way than a sentence is justified. These works are produced to justify the righteousness of his sentence before the whole world. A sinner is justified by faith ; Christ's sen- tence by the believer's obedience.
[2.] That works merit not the blessings promised and adjudged to us, is evident ; for they are due : Luke xvii. 10, ' So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable serv^ants ; we have done that which was our duty to do.' And they are imperfect : Phil. iii. 12, ' Not as though I had already attained, or were already perfect.' And they are gifts of God, for which we ought to give him thanks, 2 Cor. viii. 1 ; a grace of God bestowed on us ; and gifts have no equality with the reward, Rom. viii. 18. And they are done by servants redeemed by an infinite price : 1 Peter i. 19, ' With the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish, and without spot ; ' being already appointed * heirs of eternal life,' Rom. viii. 17 ; deserving eternal death, Rom. vi. 17 ; and that need continually implore the mercy of God for the pardon of sin. So much as you ascribe to man's merit, so much you detract from the grace of God ; and the more sin is acknowledged, the mom illustrious is grace : Rom. v. 20, ' Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.' You cross the counsel of God, all glorying in himself : 1 Cor. i. 29, That no flesh should glory in his presence ; ' and Deut. ix. 4-6, ' Speak not thou in thy heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from before thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land ; but for the wickedness of these nations the Lord doth drive them out from before thee. Not for thy righteousness, or for the uprightness of thine heart, dost thou go to possess their land ; but for the wicked- ness of these nations, the Lord thy God doth drive them out from before thee, and that he may perform the word which the Lord sware unto thy fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Understand therefore, that the Lord thy God givetli thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness ; for thou art a stift'-necked people.'
[3.] That works are produced as the undoubted evidences and fruits of a true and sound faith. Justification is opposed to accusa- tion before God's tribunal. A double accusation may be brought against us — that we are sinners, or guilty of the breach of the first covenant, and that we are no sound believers, having not fulfilled the conditions of the second. From the first accusation we are justified by faith, from the latter we are justified by works, and that not only iu this woiid, but in the day of judgment. Christ's commission and charge is to give eternal life to true believers, and the mark of true believers is holiness. Therefore, if his judgment be right, by pro- ducing this fruit and effect it must be justified. A judge is to proceed secundum regulas juris, et allegata et 2^^^obata, as to the parties judged ; and because in the day of judgment the covenant of grace hath the force of a law, therefore it belongeth to Christ as a judge to see we have fulfilled the condition of it, which is faith ; and that our faith is true is proved by w^orks. When we are first pressed with sin, because the promise of justification, or remission of sin, requireth