(1.) The evil works of the faithful show that every one is worthy of
VeR. 10.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 75
death for sinning, though we do not die and perish everlastingly for it as others do. God's best saints have need to deprecate his strict judg- ment: Ps. cxliii. 2, 'Enter not into judgment with thy servant;' he dolh not say with thine enemy, but thy servant. Tliey that can con- tinue with most patience in well-doing, have nothing to look for at last but mercy, Jude21. It is their best plea : Rev. ii. 10, ' Be thou faith- ful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.' When we have done and suffered ever so much for Grod, we must at length take eternal life as a gift out of the hands of our Redeemer ; but for the grace of the new covenant, we migiit have perished as others do. In some measure we see grace here, but never so fully and perfectly as then. Partly, because now we have not so full a view of our unworthiness as when our actions are scanned and all brought to light. And partly, because there is not so full and large manifestation of God's favour now, as there is in our full and final reward. It is grace now, that he is pleased to pass by our offences, and to take us into his family, and give us some taste of his love, and a right to the heavenly kingdom ; but then it is another manner of grace and favour ; then our pardon shall be pronounced by our judge's own mouth, and he shall not only take us into his family, but into his immediate presence and heavenly palace ; not only give us right, but possession, ' Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you ; ' and shall have not only some remote service and ministration, but be everlastingly employed in loving and delighting in, and praising of God ; this is gi'ace indeed. The grace of God, or his free favour to sinners, is never seen in all its glory or graciousness till then.
(2.) The good which the faithful do is very imperfect, and mixed with many weaknesses and infirmities ; it may endure the touchstone, but it cannot endure the balance, as we shall find then, when our right- eous judge shall compare our best actions with his holy law. Alter we repented and believed, and returned to the obedience of God, the Lord knoweth our righteousness is as filthy rags, and our best robes need to be washed in the blood of the Lamb. Sin is our nakedness, and graces are our garments.
(3.) Though it were never so perfect, yet it merits nothing by its own intrinsic worth at Gods hands : ' When we have done all, we are but unprofitable servants,' Luke xvii. 10. And paying a due debt deserveth no reward ; it is a grace bestowed upon us, that we can do anything for God, 2 Cor. viii. 1 ; and services and sufferings bear no equality with the reward, Rom. viii. 18 ; and all is done by those that did once deserve eternal death, Rom. vi. 17, 18 ; and were redeemed and recovered out of that misery by an infinite grace, 1 Peter i. 18, 19 ; and already appointed heirs of eternal life before we serve him, Rom. viii. 17, by his precedent elective love. In short, they that continu- ally need to implore the mercy of God for the pardon of sin, and can- not oblige God by any work of theirs, must needs admire grace ; and the more grace is discovered to them, and they discovered to them- selves, the more they will do so.
2. The other end of the judgment is to convince the creature, and that is best done by bringing our works, whether good or evil, into the judgment. If only the purposes of God were manifested, the con-
76 SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. [SeR. XVI.
demned would bave a just exception, and their cavils would be justified, that it was long of God they were not saved. Man is apt to charge God wrongfully : Prov. ix. 3, ' The foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his heart fretteth against the Lord.' Whatever exceptions men have against God now, then all is clear, their works are produced, their own evil choice and course. If the grace of the Redeemer were only produced, those who are excluded from the benefit might seem to tax the proceeding as arbitrary, and the whole business would seem to be a matter of favour, and not of justice. But when their destruc- tion is of themselves, there is no cause of complaint ; if only the good estate of men were considered, there would not be such an open vindica- tion of God's righteous dealing. In any judgment, all things are rightly and convincingly carried, when the judge doth proceed secun- dum regulas juris, et secundum allegata et probata — according to the law as a rule, and according to the things alleged and proved, as to the application of the rule to the parties judged. Now the producing of the things done in the body, whether good or evil, suiteth with both these, and so in the day of judgment there is a right course taken for convincing the creature.