14 ON JUSTIFICATION.
generality of men are secure, and do not much question but that they shall come off well enough, one way or other, in the trial they are to undergo. And as such persons are altogether indifferent what doctrine concerning justification is taught and received ; so for the most part, for themselves, they incline unto that declaration of it which best suits their own reason, as influenced with self-conceit and corrupt affections. The sum whereof is, that what they cannot do themselves, what is wanting that they may be saved, be it more or less, shall one way or other be made up by Christ; either the use or the abuse of which persuasion is the greatest fountain of sin in the world, next unto the depravation of our nature. And whatever be, or may be, pretended unto the contrary, persons not convinced of sin, not humbled for it, are in all their ratiocinations about spiritual things, under the conduct of principles so vitiated and corrupted. See Matt, xviii. 3, 4. But when God is pleased by any means to manifest his glory unto sinners, all their prefidences and contrivances do issue in dreadful horror and distress. An account of their temper is given us, Isa. xxxiii. 14, "The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearful- ness hath surprised the hjrpocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burn- ings?" Nor is it thus only with some peculiar sort of sinners. The same will be the thoughts of all guilty persons at some time or other. For those who, through sensuality, security, or superstition, do hide themselves from the vexation of them in this world, will not fail to meet with them when their terror shall be increased, and become remediless. Our " God is a consuming fire;" and men will one day find how vain it is to set their briers and thorns against him in battle aiTay. And we may see what extravagant contrivances con- vinced sinners will put themselves uj)on, under any real view of the majesty and holiness of God, Mic. vi. 6, 7, " Wherewith," saith one of them, " shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the hitrh God? shall I come before him with burnt-offerings, with calves of a year old ? will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil ? shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?" Neither shall I ever think them meet to be contended withal about the doc- trine of justification who take no notice of these things, but rather despise them.
This is the proper effect of the conviction of sin, strengthened and sharpened with the consideration of the terror of the Lord, who is to judge concerning it. And this is that which, in the Papacy, meet- ing ivith an ignorance of the righteousness of God, hath produced innumerable superstitious inventions for the appeasing of the con- sciences of men who by any means fall under the disquietments of
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS, 15
such convictions. For they quickly see that nothing of tlie obedience which God requireth of them, as it is performed by them, will justify them before this high and holy God. Wherefore they seek for shelter in contrivances about things that he hath not commanded, to try if they can put a cheat upon their consciences, and find relief in diversions.
Nor is it thus only with 'profligate sinners upon their convictions; but the best of men, when they have had near and efficacious repre- sentations of the greatness, holiness, and glory of God, have been cast into the deepest self-abasement, and most serious renunciation of all trust or confidence in themselves. So the prophet Isaiah, upon his vision of the glory of the Holy One, cried out, " Woe is me ! for I am undone ; because I am a man of unclean lips," chap. vi. 5 ; — nor was he relieved but by an evidence of the free pardon of sin, verse 7. So holy Job, in all his contests with his friends, who charged him with hypocr'isy, and his being a sinner guilty in a pecu- liar manner above other men, "svith assured confidence and persever- ance therein, justified his sincerity, his faith and trust in God, against then' whole charge, and every parcel of it. And this he doth with such a full satisfaction of his own integrity, as that not only he insists at large on his vindication, but frequently appeals unto God himself as unto the truth of his plea ; for he directly pursues that counsel, with great assurance, which the apostle James so long after gives unto all believers. Nor is the doctrine of that apostle more eminently exemplified in any one instance throughout the whole Scripture than in him; for he showeth his faith by his works, and pleads his justi- fication thereby. As Job justified himself, and was justified by his luorks, so we allow it the duty of every believer to be. His plea for justification by works, in the sense wherein it is so, was the most noble that ever was in the world, nor was ever any controversy managed upon a greater occasion.
At length this Job is called into the immediate presence of God, to plead his own cause ; not now, as stated between him and his friends, whether he were a hypocrite or no, or whether his faith or trust in God was sincere ; but as it was stated between God and him, wherein he seemed to have made some undue assumptions on his OAvn behalf. The question was now reduced unto this, — on what grounds he might or could be justified in the sight of God? To pre- pare his mind unto a right judgment in this case, God manifests his glory unto him, and instructs him in the greatness of his mcijesty and power. And this he doth by a multiplication of instances, be- cause under our temptations we are very slow in admitting right conceptions of God. Here the holy man quickly acknowledged that the state of the case was utterly altered. AW his foimer pleas of