3. The force of the enunciation. In general it is predicatio adjuncti de suhjecto. But what kind of adjunct is it ? It is either signi de signato, or effectus de medio requisito et necessarw.
[1.] It is a sign or evidence whereby you may really know that you are accepted with God. It is a comfortable thing to know how we shall fare in the judgment hereafter, or whether we shall be accepted to life or no. This cannot be known but by somewhat equivalent to what is asserted in the text. That is a sure note which gives you comfortable access to God for the present, and hopes of fruition of him hereafter : 2 Kings xx. 3, ' Remember, Lord, how I have walked before tliee in truth, and with a perfect heart.' But —
[2.] There is not only necessitas signi, but necessitas medii. A sign is with respect to our own judgment of ourselves, but a means is our qualification before God, and God considereth these things in his judgment : Luke i. 6, ' They were righteous before God, and walked in all the ways and ordinances of God blameless ; ' Rev. xxii. 14, ' Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life.' A sign giveth us comfort, but a necessary means appointed by God giveth us right. The new covenant is certainly the strongest ground of solid comfort to the fallen creature. We can have no other hope of acceptance with God than that alloweth. Now in the new covenant there are three things considerable, all which have a great influence on our comfort and peace —
(1.) The first is the merit and satisfaction of the Lord Jesus. This is necessary to allay the conscience of sin, which is the root of all our trouble : Heb. ix. 14, ' How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God ? ' Heb. x. 22, ' Let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed
VOL. XVIII. 2 D
418 SERMON UPON ACTS X. 34, 35.
with pure water ; ' Heb. xii, 24, ' And to Jesus, the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaks bettei* things than that of Abel'
(2.) The matter of it, or the large privileges we enjoy by it ; for these are the ' hope set before us,' Heb. vi. 18 ; Ps. Ixxxiv. 11, ' He will give grace and glory,' &c. ; Ps. cxix. Ill, ' Thy testimonies have I taken as an heritage for ever ; they are the rejoicing of my heart.*
(3.) The third is a sure claim. Now this is not perfection, but sincerity : Gen. xvii. 1, ' Walk before me, and be thou perfect,' or up- right ; Ps. Ixxxiv. 11, ' No good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.' Here then are the three grounds of comfort — ever- lasting merit, blessed promises, sure title. This last is to walk before God in all holy conversation and godliness ; this keepeth conscience from being offended, Acts xxiv. 16. This accepted with God is next to faith in Christ. So that attain this, and conscience is well settled, and hath a full right to these privileges, and will be matter of everlast- ing comfort to you.
4. It is represented here as a thing evident in God's government : ' Now I perceive of a truth that God is no respecter of persons.' Now God's way of government is either external or internal, and it is seen in both ; as, for instance, there are two acts of judicature — reward and punishment.
[1.] God's government is seen in rewarding ; God's external govern- ment is seen in dispensing outward blessings to his people as the fruit of their obedience : Micah ii. 1, 'Do not my words do good to them that walk uprightly ? ' His promises as declared speak good ; as ful- filled, do good ; that is, yield protection, countenance, and such a degree of outward prosperity as supporteth and encouragetli them in their ser- vice. David owned God's dealing with him in this sort : Ps. cxix. 5Q, ' This I had because I kept thy precepts,' Now, as to his internal government, he giveth his people increase of grace, peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost, Rom. xiv. 17. So God often rewardeth grace with grace : Isa. Iviii. 13, 14, 'If thou call the sabbath a delight, then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord.' So Ps. xxxi. 14, ' Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart.' Proficiency in the same grace is a reward of the several acts and exercise of it. So also God delights to reward his children's obedience with internal comfort.
[2.] God's government is seen in punishing. Sometimes he useth the way of external punishment by visible judgments exercised on his own for the breach of his holy law : Rom. i. 18, ' The wrath of God is re- vealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men;' Heb. ii. 2, ' Every transgression and disobedience receiveth a just recom- pense of reward.' Sometimes the way of internal punishment, by terrors of conscience and punishing sin with sin. Both godly and wicked. For the godly, as to external government : 1 Cor. xi. 32, ' When we are judged we are chastened of the Lord.' Internal ; lesser, penal with- drawings of the Spirit, which God's people find in themselves after some heinous sins and neglects of grace, Ps. Ii. 10-12 ; but the judg- ments of the souls of the ungodly are most dreadful. As when the sinner is terrified : 1 Cor. xv. 56, ' The sting of death is sin.' Stupe- fied : Ps. Ixxxi. 12, ' So I gave them up to their own hearts' lusts ; *