[1.] The judge must keep close to the law as his rule, for the absolv- ing or acquitting of the parties impleaded. So it belongeth to Christ, as a judge, to determine our case according to the law which we are under. We christians are under a double law, of nature and grace. The law of nature bindeth us to love and serve our creator ; but because of man's apostasy, the law of grace findeth out a remedy, of repentance-^ or returning to our duty after the breach, and faith, or suing out the mercy of God in the name of Jesus Christ. Now those who will not accept of the second covenant, remain under the bond of the first, which exacteth perfect obedience from them, and the judge dioth them no wrong, if he judge them according to their works. But now those who have accepted the second covenant, and devoted themselves to God, taking sanctuary at the mercy of their Redeemer, they indeed have a plea against the first covenant ; they are sinners, but they are repenting sinners, and believing in Christ. Now their claim must be examined by the judge, whether this penitence and acceptance of grace be sincere and real, whether true penitents and sound believers ; that must be seen by our works ; and the judge must examine, whether our repentance, and returning to our duty, be verified by our after obedi- ence, and our thankful acceptance of Christ, and doth engage us to constancy and cheerfulness in that obedience. A double accusation may be bi-ought against man before the tribunal of God : that he is a sinner, and so guilty of the breach of the first covenant ; or that he is no sound believer, having not fulfilled the condition of the second. As to the first accusation we are justified by faith, as to the second by works ; and so James and Paul are reconciled : Rom. iii. 24, ' A man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law ; ' James ii. 24, 'A man is justified by works, and not by faith only.' Every one of us may be considered as a man that liveth in the world, or as a sinner in the state of nature, or as a man called to the grace of Godin Christ, or as a christian professing faith in the Redeemer. According to this double relation, there is a double judgment passed upon us, according
VeR. 10.] SERMONS UPON 2 CORINTHIANS V. 77
to the law, so condemned already ; according to the gospel, so accept- ed in the beloved. To this double judgment there answereth a double justification : of a sinner, by virtue of the satisfaction of Christ, appre- hended by faith, without the works of the law ; of a believer, or one in the state of grace, so justified by works ; for here it is not inquired whether he have satisfied the law, that he may have life by, it but whether, professing himself to be a christian, he be a true believer — and that must be tried by his works ; for as God in the covenant of grace giveth us two benefits, remission of sins and sanctification by the Spirit, so he requireth two duties from us — a thankful acceptance of his grace by faith, and also new obedience, as the fruit of love. Well then, this being so — to wit, that Christ's commission and charge is to give eternal life to true believers, and them only, the only sound mark of true believers is their works of new obedience. These must be tried in the judgment.
[2.] A judge must proceed secundum alligata et probata, not to give sentence bv guess, but upon the evidence of the fact ; therefore Christ, to conv *^'e men that they are sinners by the first covenant, or hypocrites, or sincel-e, by the second, must consider their works. Men's profession must not be taken in the case, but their lives must be con- sidered, for there are christians in the letter, and christians in the spirit, some that have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof, 2 Tim. iii. 5 ; and Grod doth not respect the outward profession, 1 Peter i, 17. There may be a carnal christian, as well as a carnal heathen ; a man may talk well from his convictions, or a mere disciplinary know- ledge; but to do well there needeth a living principle of grace. The scriptures still set forth graces by their operations, works, or fruits ; for a dead sleepy habit is worth nothing. The working faith car- rietli away the prize of justification. Gal. v. 6 ; honoureth Christ, 2 Thes. i. 11, 12. The labouring love is that which God will regard and reward, Heb. vi. 10. The lively hope is the fruit of regeneration, 1 Peter i. 5 ; that which sets a-doing, Acts xxiv. 15, 16 ; and Acts xxvi. 7, 8. Grace otherwise cannot appear in the view of conscience. The apples appear when the sap is not seen. It is the operative and lively graces that will discover themselves, A man may think well, or speak well, but that grace which governeth his conversation showeth itself, God knoweth what is in man, whether faith be sound in the first planting, before any fruit appear. But this judgment is to pro- ceed, not only by the knowledge of the judge, but the evidence of our own consciences, the observation of others, and what openly appeareth in our liv^es.