an Alms asked in the Name of Christ but above all the Eternal Father never will Joh. 14.13 14. and 15.16 and 16.23 24. But the Nature the Life the Power of Christianity is a Thing incomparable the highest communication of Divine Goodness issuing from the lowest condescension of infinite grace Christ the God of Wisdom dwelling in our Nature by the Holy Ghost the God of love and in our hearts by Faith to root and ground us in Love Oh the height depth length breadth of the love of Christ an Hyperbole to our knowledge infinitely surpassing shooting above it that we may be FILLED WITH ALL THE FULNESS OF GOD. Oh Mystery above all Mysteries Oh Grace above all Grace The Height of most incomprehensible Majesty in the deepest humility of boundless Mercy exalting poor degenerate man from the lowest Abyss of unspeakable misery to the utmost sublimity of celestial Glory in such an extensive amplitude and fullness of all the richest blessings spread abroad over the whole latitude of humane nature having their spring from that everliving fountain of Eternal Love and streaming in infinite varleties to the length of all eternity with such accommodation and suitableness to every of our particular necessities desires hopes as becomes a fruit of unparallel'd incomparable Wisdom and Grace Oh unfathomable Love thou hast even outdone thy self and undone me a man of an unclean heart and lips for how shall such a poor weak polluted worm be ever able to conceive aright of thy unconceivable plenitude be thankful for and speak well enough of thy unspeakable magnitude with a degree of Love and delight high enough entertain thy unmeasurable sufficiency sweetness and satisfactory Perfection or faithfully improve and walk worthy of thy unmatchably rich and glorious communications The unsuitableness the unanswerableness of my Spirit and practice will ruine me if by another astonishing Miracle of demission thou do not spread abroad thy quickening confirming thy sanctifying and actuating influences throughout all the powers of my Soul that in thine own strength I may rightly glorify thee That is Christianity in its causes the Wisdom Love and Grace of God in Jesus Christ and its general Notion an elevation of Fallen Man to God More particularly Christianity in the Theory is the Doctrine of Faith in Jesus Christ in the Practice 't is covenanting and keeping Covenant with God This is brief inlarge your Thoughts thus Christianity is an undissembled acknowledgement or owning and receiving Jesus Christ as the only Mediator betwixt God and man in a hearty Submission to the terms of the Covenant of Grace Repentance Faith and upright Obedience It supposes Natural Religion in an universal subjection to the Deity as Creator Governour and Owner of all For if God had nothing to do with us nor we with him there would be no need of a Mediator so neither if there were no Sin Hence it also supposes the Obligation of the Law of Nature which is the Rule of Natural Religion and the guide of man in his natural subjection to God It supposes also the Covenant of Nature commonly called Works with the violation of it which none could expiate but God-man And it includes as most essential the Covenant of Grace and in special the New Edition thereof for the old is Judaism i. e. the Gospel exhibiting Jesus Christ as already come God in our Flesh Teaching for our instruction Commanding for our direction Doing for our example and advantage and Suffering in our room and stead and for our Sin All things necessary for our Salvation hereby satisfying Divine Justice and meriting for us the Holy Ghost with his gifts grace pardon peace and eternal glory to be given us upon conditions and terms suitable to his own goodness and our present state viz. Repentance toward God for and from dead works that we might serve him the Living God and Faith in Jesus Christ accepting of submitting and committing our Souls to him in well doing with all the fruits hereof in Love Meekness Humility Self-denial Patience Heavenly-mindedness Watchfulness in Summ Godliness Righteousness and Sobriety to be wrought in us and exercised by us through the Grace and Might of Christ which only makes them sincere and sound and so acceptacle to God through Christ who alone intercedes with God on the behalf of Man for this end as a Saviour 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to all perfection Heb. 7.25 This is the summ of Christianity owned by some Professionally only by others Really also But because the reality of the Heart is only known to God whereof he never made us the Judges We must proceed solely upon the external Profession as far as it renders the other real inward owning credible Now 't is in respect of this credible owning of Christianity manifested by Profession that a Man becomes a member of the Catholick Church Visible has a right to all Ordinances Baptism Fellowship with a particular Church the Lords Supper and consequently Ministry Ministerial and Fraternal Inspection c. 1. There 's no Vital Union betwixt Jesus Christ and any particular Person merely as a Member of a Particular Church and under that Formality but only as a Member of the Church Universal invisible For There 's no union of Life but by unfeigned Faith uncorrupt Love which are invisible things These make no Man a Member of a Particular Church actually and ipso facto though they give the first and truest right thereto but of the Catholick they actually do Nay the Visible profession of them though it give the right yet does not actually invest in a particular Church but does in the Universal Visible and after it has been own'd by the Church in Baptism we are not only Visible potentially but seen and actually acknowledged Members of the Catholick Church Visible yet not presently of a particular Church Though Baptism be in a particular Church yet 't is not into it but the Universal Consent without actual associating does not constitute any a Member actually but only potentially and virtually That which makes a Man a Member of a particular Church is only Actual Association with its consent explicit or implicit Every one that is truly a Member of the Catholick Church Visible and gives any credible evidence thereof either explicit or implicit as Mr. Tho. Hooker truly observes and essays to joyn himself to a particular Church upon that evidence ought to be receiv'd to a participation of all Ordinances and that particular Church cannot de jure deny its consent but it betrays its trust and sins greatly both against the man and Christ also But then no man is saved under that Formality as a member of a particular Church merely but only as he partakes of that common Christian Nature which constitutes the Members of the Catholick Church Though he sin Grievously and without Repentance general or particular may justly be damn'd for neglect of joining in the Ordinances with some particular Church or other if he have opportunity 2.
horrible Combustion of Conscience or at the least Inquietude and Uneasiness of Mind any thing but Satisfaction Joy and Rest Of such Men I say as Gen. 49.6 Oh my Soul come not thou into their Secret unto their Assembly mine Honour be not thou united And now Oh my Soul what is thy Trouble and Sorrow and Anxiety of Mind Or what are thy Desires Cares Delight Joy Contrivances Counsels Activity concern'd about Canst thou feed upon thy sweet Morsels alone and glory in the Affluence of Personal or Domestick Blessings while the Gates of Sion mourn Are any in Affliction imprisoned persecuted for Righteousness sake and wiltest not thou bear a part in their Dolours Remembring those in Bonds as bound with them and them which suffer Adversity as being thy self also in the Body Heb. 13.3 Dost thou not partake of that common Spirit of Goodness Compassion Charity which as good Blood diffuses it self and circulates through all the Members of that one Body ingenerating an universal Fellow-feeling and Care of mutual and general Concerns in all and every one that lives by the Life of the Head in Heaven Art thou weak with the Weak and with the Offended dost thou burn 2 Cor. 11.29 Canst thou bear every ones burthen and so fulfill the Law of Christ and restore those overtaken with Infirmities considering thy self lest thou also be tempted Gal. 6.1 2. See the Apostle prosecuting this Argument fully 1 Cor. 12.12 to 27. If thou be acted by the private strait-lac'd selfish Spirit of the generality who can neither give a jot of ease to themselves under their Personal Straits and Sorrows by a serious Reflection on the Welfare of the Church of God nor will in the least imbitter their Joys with any Considerations of the Afflictions of Joseph suspect thy self to be an Alien from the Life and the Catholick Body of Jesus Christ which subsists by a Vital Union with him What now are the Measures by which thou actest in thy Station and with respect to the Members of Christ If thou espouse and tenaciously adhere to only the Sentiments of some Particular Party or Sect farewel all publick Spiritedness Thou professest a Belief of the Communion of Saints as in one Catholick Church which is indeed an Invisible Thing as are all Objects of Faith in its distinction from Sense Does this Faith work by Love Thou ownest also one Universal Body seen in its parts visible in its whole extent throughout the World actually by the Eyes of its Head seen in its Unity at once and potentially by Man Which is not a Chaos of every thing in confusion but an Organical Body that in diversity of useful comely Members Parts Congregations the least of the denomination Countries and Kingdoms makes up a lovely Community Not a Rope of Sand but a Golden Chain where every very Link has its Beauty Preciousness Connexion Suitableness A Garden enclosed where variety of Walks Beds c. constitute a fair delicious Paradise One Spouse of Christ one Body for one Head Does thy Fancy or Partiality here make Restrictions Can'st thou dar'st thou chop and mangle this Body Tear off a Limb of this Spouse Break the golden Chain for one Link And dote upon these without regard to the rest Can thy Love walk no where but in little Severals and petty Enclosures In this sence I cannot disallow that Saying of a Great Person viz. That the Church of Christ is neither Rome nor a Conventicle There may be some Part of it there but confin'd to either it cannot be exclusively to the rest of the World Art thou a Christian Then must Christianity command the freest Motions of thy Affections the Interest of that thou must and shalt respect honour promote and love not as it is pretended or conceitedly monopolized by any distinct Party but as like the Sun it diffuses its efficiency vertue and influence every where and shines with a lovely radiancy and glory in any Man whatsoever Seest thou one that in the judgment of rational Charity makes Religion his principal Business above all labouring that it may have a prevalent Interest in his Heart Cleave to this Man embrace him in thy most near and intimate Affections be he of what Party soever Dost thou find any diligently searching the Word of God to know him in all his Perfections not meerly for Notion sake but that his inward Soul and outward Conversation may be under the Dominion and Command of what he knows A Man that maintains a high and honourable esteem of the ever blessed Redeemer of the World the only begotten Son of God as the alone Saviour of Mankind taking the greatest care to gain a true and full Understanding of his Excellency Undertaking Offices and Benefits that he may entirely devote himself to him A Man that is daily acquainting himself how much it is his Interest to live under the Conduct of the Holy Ghost and therefore studies his inspired Writings to attain right Apprehensions concerning his Nature Gifts Graces Comforts that he may aspire after them inwardly feel them in their power and accordingly engages his Mind Will Affections Conscience executive Power all within and without him in an universal Subjection to this Holy Trinity in Unity and with a reverend Awefulness minggled with Love demeans himself under the Government of that ever Adoreable Majesty as one that hath present powerful Sensations of its immediate Presence Oversight and perfect Cognizance of the most secret recesses of his Soul A man that understanding his relation to God owns Him pants after Him with insatiable Ardour cleaves unto Him with full purpose of heart in a singular Complacency fears praises glorifies trusts chooses embraces acknowledges Him in all His ways as His chief Good and Happiness and would not willingly displease Him for a World And having with a Holy Religious Veneration observ'd approves of is singularly well pleas'd with that Wonder of all Wonders the Grace of Almighty God revealed by the Gospel in giving His Eternal Son to be the Redeemer of Lost Mankind God in our Flesh manifested in the fulness of time to do and suffer whatever Justice required that our Sins might be pardon'd our Persons accepted sanctified and glorified And Looking unto Jesus doth heartily acquiesce in the Method of Salvation ordain'd by God thro' him intirely yields up himself to him to be and do and suffer whatever he pleases sincerely accepts of him as an All-sufficient Saviour submits to his Government in all things never can be satisfied but is in a restless Agony day and night till he gain some good Evidence that Christ is his and he Christ's spontaneously chearfully with a self-denying humble penitent Heart venturing his All upon him for ever in believing in him hoping for his Sake to obtain the Love and Favour of God in Justification Reconciliation and Eternal Blessedness and therefore deliberately freely with all readiness of mind engages himself to Christ by the Renewal of his Baptismal Covenant with
Tables and bleed a little over poor Sufferers not as accusing Laws of Government but personal darkness and short sightedness Infirmity and Iniquity especially as the meritorious cause whose Intellects and Consciences may seem to be formed under an inauspicious Star not Mercurial enough to be born before the Wind but of a genius too set and Saturnine which exposes to the censure of being morose obstinate Melancholists c. But let 's see whether any place be left for Pity and Commiseration It is acknowledged just and reasonable that all publick Constitutions should be garded with strong impregnable Sanctions that the honour of the Publick Magistrate which must necessarily and in Conscience be upheld and is as highly concerned in his Laws as any thing may not be at the mercy of every wanton Head or waspish Heart 'T is the general and acknowledged sence of all Nations and has been of all Ages and I think of all Persons that Religion must and ought to be established by Law So is the Protestant Profession with us and our Neighbours And there is not a People upon Earth nor ever was but would have Religious Concerns kept sacred and inviolable Travel through the Protestant World alone and you shall experimentally find that the Church of no Nation no not of New England it self will endure that its Constitution should be disgrac'd its Fellowship disown'd its Worship disavow'd its Ministry disannul'd its Discipline contemn'd its Government condemn'd but will entertain all affronts of this Nature with a severe Indignation No wonder therefore that the like obtains amongst our selves and even those that are most sharp upon the Church of England in that very thing give a Testimony how patient a reception any thing must have that shall depreciate their own particular Models and therefore may in Justice grant liberty to every Mother to be fondest of her own Children For my part I profess ingenuously I like something in all Faces but all in none yet will not spit in any If Men will so far forget their Reason and Religion not to say common Sense as to speak evil of Rulers though unjust Jude 8. Acts 23.5 Despise Dominion Blaspheme Glories or Dignities I will not justifie them but the Law that condemns them Yet there is a Chancery to moderate the rigours which otherwise may be just and reasonable in some cases and this will with a sweet and decorous 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and temper distinguish of Persons and Causes No Man is all Devil no Party all God The Heaven of Heavens only is all Sun The void spaces in the Firmament are larger than those fill'd with Stars Even those that out of a larger Sphere or Church form to themselves a little Epicycle have dark as well as bright matter in it The Sun it self hath spots We therefore must make a difference betwixt the Religious and their mimical Apes the Persons that are in good earnest in their way and such as do but act a part and personate those they are not Men that have throughly imbibed the tincture and others that are but lightly smutted with it 1. Then it shall not be dissembled but bewailed that amongst the Dissenters there are some Venal Souls that upon base Principles and for sinister Ends fall in here as being disgusted by or having a peck against some conformable Man or hoping for a plentiful Trade or bountiful Contributions or to piece again a crack'd Reputation c. Others owe their intromission to the Principles of their Education or customary Converse with others particular Employment amongst such the persuasions of Company c. Some astonish'd by the seeming imminency of Death or awak'd by some dreadful Calamity bring hither an akeing Conscience to be stroak'd with a gentle Hand into a secure but fallacious Peace and conjure down those Terrors which a a form of Godliness is able to deal with Some lastly in the simplicity of their Hearts having tender and scrupulous Consciences finding more of strictness and savour than where 't was their lot to converse before are pleas'd with the agreeableness thereof to their Spirit and Temper though they understand little of the way and might as well have been led by the Heart to the Church as to a Conventicle had it been their hap to have met with the like relish in their Entertainments and Company These are the most innocent of this rank For some of the rest are ordinarily the Hectors of the several Parties from whom all the Libels and Raileries except such as common Enemies forge in their Names have their Origin Better Men have better Work they are not taught the manners of the Court of Heaven who dare bring an Accusation or Judgment of Blasphemy against the Devil himself Jude 9. much less they who do it against Christian Churches and States But 2. There are also a number of serious sober Persons who have no greater design than to be truly good and promote the interest of real Christianity in the main substantials of Faith and Good Life who by their Modesty Gravity Harmlessness Honesty Simplicity Self-denial Loyalty Humility c. do sufficiently distinguish themselves from the other to the Eye of any prudent impartial Observer yet cannot in the use of such means as yet are administred receive satisfaction in the matters of difference therefore are exposed to the severities of Law These I am concern'd that a Court of equity should make relief for 1. They entertain a high Veneration for the Holy Scriptures as a lively Portraicture and Representation of that Eternal Truth and Goodness which is the Nature of God and the Schools make the Hypostasis of the Second and Third Persons in the ever blessed Trinity This with them is the Book of Books which they do not read as other Writings with a liberty to assent and consent as they please but with a full resignation of mind and will to its infallible Dictates intirely to subjugate all to its Doctrines Counsels Mandates as the most perfect indefective guide of Thoughts Words and Actions in the matters of Salvation and to receive from it a sentence of Life and Death This Word of God is their daily Companion Meditation Desire Joy Delight their all From these Divine Oracles they derive all their Sentiments by them regulate all their Worship in them seek their Comfort to them as an Instrument ascribe their Spiritual Life with them arm themselves against all their Spiritual Enemies and adverse Occurrents and for them are ready to sacrifice their Liberties Wealth Ease Honour yea their very Lives 2. From this reverence to the Bible and diligent frequent converses with it arises that awful feeling terrifying sence they have of the exceeding sinfulness of Sin as Paul Rom. 7.13 For being brought to the Scriptures with a mind to yield up all the Powers of their Souls to the Mind and Will of God therein revealed the Holy Ghost effectually sets home the Truths and Laws and Threatnings and Promises
his Children such like Mercy was promised but three Psalms before viz. Psal 91. throughout so Psal 12.7 8. Psal 37. Is 26.20 21 c. and many other Places God reserves some in safety to behold the destruction of Persecutors has a Zoar for a Lot a Pella for the Christians c. If this were not so all Good Men might be extinct and the Gates of Hell prevail against the Church of Christ 'T is also upon good reason For the end of Affliction is Reformation If God meet with so good Proficients under his instructive Discipline as will and do learn every Lesson he teaches there will be no need of the Rod and he who does not afflict willingly will not bring into these Trials except need be 1 Pet. 1.6 But this I will no further insist upon Let the English Translation then obtain and it gives us this Point That in the sense of the Psalmist 't was a blessed thing to be under God's correcting Discipline or instructive Chastenings as a means to prepare for rest when Instruments of Divine Severity were to be destroyed Rest in this World when Judgment returns to Righteousness and the Vpright follow it and especially in the World to come when all the Wicked shall be lodged in the Pit of Hell For the days of Eternity are to the Wicked days of Adversity indeed and to enjoy Everlasting Rest then is a Blessing unutterable This good Man saw nothing in Affliction that could make a Man unhappy He entertain'd such a favourable opinion of God's rigours to his Children that beholding by Faith the good and happy fruit of them he admires the Blessedness of those to whom so great Evils issue so well and therefore we may justly suppose would not be discourag'd by the bitterness of the Cross nor driven by it to an unwillingness to consort himself with the suffering People of God Would not he put in for his share of that Blessedness which descended from Heaven though it cost him a participation of that wretchedness which was the product of the Rage and Fury of the World Chusing rather to suffer Affliction with the People of God than to enjoy the pleasures of Sin for a season as having respect to the Recompence of Reward everlasting Blessedness and Rest with Moses Heb. 11. And indeed this is an admirable Comfort in all Tribulations to consider that there is a reserve of eternal Joy and Peace the sweetest the fullest that there are Blessednesses the Blessedness of this Life the Blessedness of the Life to come laid up in store for the Servants of God though accursed by Men in this World If together with the Rod that we feel he administer a Word that we may hear Mic. 6.9 and under his Corrections seal our Instructions if by his Providences he subdue our Wills to his Precepts and by the sadness of our Countenances make our Hearts better if he discover to us the sunshine of his Favour and Love through the dark cloud of Affliction and bring down a Heaven of Happiness or Blessedness to alleviate the tormenting Purgatory of our Tribulations whether from Men or Devils this sure will bow our Hearts to such a degree of aequanimous submission and resignedness to God that we shall not only sit down in a patient and quiet Contentation but be able to rejoyce in the good pleasure of his Goodness although we smart under it and he that is replenished with Content and Joy is never destitute of Consolation Be not then displeased O my Soul that thy Father in Heaven brings thee under the discipline of his Family on Earth If thy Afflictions be light do not despise or make light of them if they be heavy and grievous do not faint under them Blessedness is a thing of so weighty Consideration so great Moment that 't is madness to forfeit it by slighting an evil of little moment folly to reject all support from it under a burthen more intolerable Let the gracious designs of Heaven reconcile thee to the very Antipathies of thy Nature and render all those divine Methods not only supportable but easie and amiable which have a tendency to endear God and Holiness although for the present they do not administer matter of Joy but Sorrow Heb. 12.11 The peaceable Fruits of Righteousness will abundantly compensate the grievousness of all Calamities wherefore 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 lift up straight right the Hands that hang down and the feeble Knees Stretch out thy self Heaven-ward to apprehend and reach by Faith those unconceivable Pleasures and Joys wherein the Miseries of this Life will issue if thou makest not visible but invisible things thy scope in this World Thy Sin or Guilt which merits thy Sufferings is indeed sinful 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. beyond all bounds of Thought and Imagination that thy highest Conceptions cannot overshoot in their Notions of its real evil in it self Let it be to thee proportionably grievous But these Fruits of thy Sins viz. thy Sufferings if thou live by Faith upon Invisibles will work for thee an eternal weight of Glory 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from hyperbole even unto hyperbole that the glory in its superlative excellency does doubly transcend the unfathomable malignity that is in Sin and infinitely overshoot the bitterness in the Affliction the weight of Glory being commensurate to its Eternity 2 Cor. 4.17 The transient momentany lightness of our Affliction worketh out for us an above all expression conception comparison eternal weight of Glory Will not the reviews hereof engage thee O my Soul with a kind and dutiful resentment to accept of the punishment of thy Sin and exterminate all harsh and unbecoming Conceptions of that God whose hatred to thy Sin evidenced in his severe Providences is alway accompanied with a singular love to thy Person whose Eternal Salvation he would compass by the everlasting destruction of thy Sin Oh be thou ambitious to demonstrate thy self a good disposition'd Child under that nurture of Love wherein he evidences himself to be a tender hearted Father Is it only a gentle Correction not eternal Damnation the desert of thy Sin Is it only a profitable Medicine though it might have been Poyson thy final bane and ruin Is it only the scarifying a gangrenated Limb which might have been the scalding and burning for ever of both Body and Soul in unquenchable Fire unappeasable Wrath Oh love the Lord for the mitigation for the transmutation of thy Penance That thou art in a state where thy Sufferings may be sanctified therefore are in Mercy where they may be terminated therefore are no ground of Desperation where they may be recompenced and shall undoubtedly issue in endless Blessedness if thy stubbornness and non-improvement hinder not Take it well and kindly at those gracious Hands that draw the flaming Sword and turn it every way against thy Corruptions which shut thee out and this on purpose that thou mayst be received by the Lord Pure and Innocent into
deal fraudulently that is unrighteously If thou be good and holy 't is only because God is Just and Righteous He cannot pass away a Right by Deed Hand and Seal and afterward resume it If we have thus made a Mercy thine he will not defraud thee of it Lastly and under all Power actually confers upon thee all that goodness that adorns thy Conscience Oh sweet Combination and Harmony of Love in all concurring to create thy Peace Oh how valuable is it that Love must unite so many Perfections in so strong an Engagement to qualifie thee for it and then enrich thee with it and the sense of it Here 's the Glory and Crown of free Grace Grace is free thus 1. As nothing but God's free Will and Goodness mov'd him to design so great unmerited Mercies upon so mean and inconsiderable terms 2. As nothing but his free Grace without all desert in us prevails with him to work the Conditions themselves and terms in us But now when free Grace has proceeded thus far then Pardon and Holyness and Peace are not any longer free in this sense viz. reserved wholly still in his Power to withold but by the Motion and under the Conduct of free Grace as its Ministers Fidelity and Justice take up the Administration where free Grace left it so that God cannot deny these Mercies his Word being past because he cannot deny himself and cease to be faithful and just that is to be God Thus what is free Grace in the Original Rise and whole process mediately is in the closing and compleating Acts thereof immediately Justice and Righteousness Thou Repentance and Faith be not claimable upon any account but mere free Love yet when this admirable Goodness has conferr'd Repentance and Faith it makes Pardon Peace Comfort and Heaven challengable even in Justice though not as merited yet as Conditionate Mercies Whence the Apostle speaks roundly Heb. 6.10 God is not UNRIGHTEOUS to forget your work and labour of Love In some the Gift of the Conditions Qualifications Dispositions for Blessings is only from free Mercy and Grace in God whence those Conditions in us are called Graces the name of the Cause Metonymically given to the effect Grace within us from Grace without us in God But the gift of the Blessings and Privileges themselves upon performance of the Condition is really Justice Our absolute positive State is from Grace our relative from Righteousness yet such Justice is also Originally free Grace because 't is not a natural Act of Justice but Voluntary I mean such Justice is not a thing which God of himself by necessity of Nature was ty'd to antecedently to the free Engagement of his own Will but his free Mercy without any other Motive than its own Generosity and Nobleness of Disposition and Ingenuous Freedom did pitch upon such a Series of Dispensations in boundless Wisdom and Goodness that these Acts of Liberty interposing Justice must needs be obliged to prosecute the beginnings of Love and do such things in order to our Happiness as before those Acts of Grace it was not ty'd to at all and this is chiefly done by the Interposition of Faithfulness An instance will render all more plain it shall be that which we Discourse of Comfort Justice of its own Nature is not at all obliged to comfort a Sinner though Penitent but contrarily the natural state of Justice engages it to punish Sin not only with the Pains of Penitence but Wrath and Vengeance although a threatning should never intervene For I suppose the threats to be in this different from Promises that the former declare the natural both right of the Law-giver and dueness of the Penalty and desert of the Crime which the reason and nature of the thing had fixed before only since the Right was invested in the Law-giver it was in his Power upon just and valuable Considerations to make a Relaxation or Commutation But Promises do not declare but give a Right not to the Promiser but him to whom the promise is made either absolutely or upon Condition whereby things are put out of his own Power either absolutely or conditionally Now therefore God by his Son has freely made this Declaration Matth. 5.4 Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted God cannot utter Falshood nor break Promise nor withhold Right hence 't is that the Administration here falls into the hands of Justice upon the Interposal of this free act of Mercy in making the Promise Threats proceed according to the natural right of the case in the substance of it though they may vary from it in Circumstances in which the Punishment may be alleviated or heightened at the Discretion of the Judge or Solemnity Pomp Grandeur of the Matter and Process So Promises proceed according to the will of the Promiser as to the matter or thing promised which he may pitch upon and chuse at his own Arbitrement But when the Bond is once out of his hands it may be Sued at the Bar of Justice only he retains a liberty to Circumstantiate his own grants when he cannot recede from them in substance the Right to which is not invested now in him but the Persons to whom the Promise is made Comfort then he must in Justice give 't is the Mourners Right if they be right Mourners Mercy and Fidelity gave the Right and Justice cannot disannul it although it be not a natural but adventitious Right and although this Justice be not the Original necessity of his Nature but the free Dispensation of his Grace For Gon. 18.25 shall not the Judge of all the Earth do right His Love has made this Just and his Justice will give its due to his Love That Eternal invariable Righteousness which is a steady fixed Propension to render and distribute Right in all possible Cases and give all imaginable dues is no changling in this Case where the right and due is not any natural Resultancy from the condition of the Creature but a mere Condescention of undeserved Grace Justice may suspend but cannot overthrow the Right of Mercy but is obliged to own and observe it upon account of the Sacrifice and Merit of Our Lord Jesus Christ Indeed this is all the Foundation of a Believers hope in Judgment For Judgment is a Work of Justice which distributes Dues and particularly Rewards and Punishments according to Works Therefore the Reward of Believers is attributed to the same Justice that punishes Unbelievers 2 Thes 1.4 5 6 7. We our selves glory in the Churches of God for your Patience and Faith in all your Persccutions and Tribulations which ye endure a manifest token of the Righteous Judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which ye also suffer Seeing 't is a Righteous thing with God to recompence 1. Tribulation to them that trouble you 2. and rest with us to you who are troubled c. This as well as the other is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉