Selected quad for the lemma: justice_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
justice_n	according_a	lord_n	zion_n	42	3	9.0730	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A60543	A patern of free grace, or, The exceeding riches of the free grace and mercy of God in Christ to believing and repenting sinners by the example of that admirable convert, or rather miraculous mirror of Gods wonderful love and mercy in saving the repenting thief on the cross : wherein is excellently handled the doctrine of true repentance, the exceeding sinfulness of sin, with the desperate danger of final impenitency, with the certainty of Salvation to repenting sinners by Christ / by Samuel Smith.	Smith, Samuel, 1588-1665.	1658 (1658)	Wing S4190; ESTC R25767	152,510	534

opposite vnto that pure nature of his the more holy iust and righteous God is the more is he displeased with the sinnes of men and his Iustice calls for vengeance vpon transgressours Though the Lord delighteth not in the punishment of men yet he delighteth in his owne Iustice according to which punishment is due It is not euill in God to punish the wicked for the loue of Iustice but euill in the wicked to deserue punishment for the loue of sin Gen. 18.25 for God forbid but that the Iudge of all the world should do right Secondly it is grounded vpon the prouidence of God he suffereth no disorder to be in the whole vniuerse Now sinne is nothing else but a swaruing from order therefore it is brought into order by punishment The inequalitie and disorder that is in sinne being made equall and orderly thus It is equall and orderly that he that will needs taste of the sweetnesse of sinne against the will of God should be constrained to taste of the bitternesse of punishment against his owne will Aquin. Thirdly in regard of the good of Gods Church it is necessarie that God should thus punish sin for otherwise if God did not cut off and restraine offenders in a course of sinning by his iustice men would liue like Beasts Lyons Wolues and Tygers Yea these ravenous Beasts would not make more hauock then wicked men Exo. 14.25 if God had not met with Pharaoh what had become of Israel if God had not met with Haman Hest 7.6 what had become of the Iewes But wee see that wicked men doe not alwayes come to shame for their sins here in this life Obiect It is their greatest punishment not to be punished Nibil est infoelicius fo●licitate peccantium c. Aug. Secondly wicked men are punished whilest they are spared for what greater punishment then to bee giuen ouer to their owne hearts lusts Thirdly it is a signe that God reserues such for a more fearefull punishment after death Vse 1 Seeing then that shame doth thus accompany sin as an inseparable companion howfoeuer God many times suffereth long This sheweth in the first place the lamentable estate of all wicked and impenitent sinners who lye in sin and wallow in all manner of vngodlinesse their condemnation doth not sleepe Howsoeuer the wicked now are secure and put from them the thoughts of sin the punishment due for the same yet so long as the sinner slands guiltie of sinne before the Lord there is a most certaine expectation of iudgement Indeed such is that euill disposition in the heart of man that as Solomon saith Because sentence against an euill worke is not presently executed Eccl. 8.11 therefore the heart of the Sons of men is fully set in them to doe euill But what followeth ver 12. though a sinner doe euill an hundred times and his dayes be prolonged c. it shall not be well with the wicked And againe Woe to the wicked Esa 3.11 it shall bee ill with him for the reward of his hands shall bee giuen him There is nothing more certaine then punishment to the sinner Secondly this may bee a loud call vnto vs all vnto repentance for those former sinnes we haue committed Sithence sin is so displeasing vnto God and draws after it such a tayle of iudgments And that wee take notice of his patience and long-suffering towards vs who hath spared vs so long a time Indeed if sinne were an indifferent thing with God that he were neither pleased nor displeased with vs for the same then to repent or not to repent were a thing likewise indifferent But sithence sinne brings with it shame and punishment it is time for vs to looke about vs and let vs take heede of securitie and labour to please God with reuerence and feare Rom. 12.29 For our God is a consuming fire Thirdly as this may terrifie all wicked and vngodly men to consider the most vndoubted certaintie of Gods wrath and vengeance against sin so it may minister matter of comfort vnto the godly for their reward is likewise with the Lord and their recompence with their God For can the Lord be more i●alous of his iustice then hee is of his mercy will hee pay tribulation and anguish to euery soul that doth euil and shall the labours of his servants in his seruice be in vaine it is farre from the iudge of all the world to doe vniustly Say ye saith the Lord by his Prophet to the righteous Esay 3.10 it shall be well with him for they shall eate the fruit of their doings The consideration of this comforted Paul ouer all his troubles I haue fought a good fight I haue finished the course henceforth there is layd vp for mee a crowne of righteousnesse 2 Tim. 4.7.8 which Christ the righteous Iudge shall giue mee in that day and not to me onely c. Let vs then rest vpon the gratious promises of our God being assured that couenant he hath made with his is surer then the couenant with day and night of the Sun and of the Moone he is Yea and Amen in all his promises as iealous of his Truth with his seruants as of his iustice with the wicked Rayled on him Text. We haue heard before how the sinne of this Malefactor hath brought vpon him shame His behauiour and God in his iustice hath now ouertaken him in a course of sinning and brought vpon him his deserued punishment his sinfull wretched life hath now a miserable and cursed death We are now to come to his behauiour at the time of his death He railed on Christ. First the Euangelist obserueth how this Impenitent at this time of his death fell to raile vpon Christ He is so farre from being humbled in the sense of his sinne or in any penitent maner to make confession of the same consideting that now he was from a temporall to come before an eternall Iudge and from the condemnation of the one to passe vnder the condemnation of the other as that he groweth worse by his punishment and becomes more desperatly sinful He railed on Christ Note hence That when the Lord shall ouertake the wicked with his iudgements Doct. 1 Afflictions make the wicked worse which might bring them to the sense of their sinne and repentance for the same as we shall see heereafter in the Penitent they doe but make the wicked worse Doth this wretched and miserable man now that the Lords hand is vpon him come to see his sinnes and bewaile his former sinfull course confessing and crying downe his owne abominations intreating for mercy at Gods hand in the pardon of the same surely no But his heart is more obstinate Rom. 1.5 and his conscience more hardned and becoms seared as it were with a hot-yron hee hath now a heart that cannot repent but becomes more desperately Gen. 15.16 wretched and sinfull Mat

bee iust Hee rewardeth euery man according to his works Psal 62.12 saith the Psalmist God doth not proceed against any in iudgement vpon malice or vpon suspition but vpon iust ground before whom all things are open and naked And hence is it that the Lord pleads this his integritie and iustice against the people of Israel Are not my wayes equall Eze. 18.2 and are not your wayes vnequall Secondly the conscience of their owne sinne causeth them to iustifie the Lord and to accuse themselues Psal 39.9 I was dumbe saith Dauid and opened not my mouth because thou didst it And againe My soule keepeth silence vnto God The godly cannot but know that they are their sinnes that haue prouoked God to anger and prouoked him to displcasure Lam. 3.39 Man suffereth for his sinne And the consideration hereof doth humble them and cause them to beare with patience the Lords corrections Seeing then in this Penitent Thiefe acknowledging that his punishment to be so iust Vse 1 we haue beene taught the propertie of a true Conuert namely to submit to Gods seuerest corrections without grudging or repining Hereby then we may take good triall of the integritie of our owne hearts and of the truth of our owne repentance Hath the hand of God beene vpon vs at any time in any kinde whether on our bodies by long and tedious sicknesse or any other misery on our goods names estates of what kinde soeuer how haue we behaued our selues and beene affected vnder the same Corrupt nature in this case will be ready to stand vpon tearmes of iustification as if wee were hardly dealt withall But a sanctified spirit and gratious heart can willingly stoope vnto God Isa 39.8 and say with Hezekiah The word of the Lord is good which thou hast spoken Neh. 9.33 And with good Nehemiah Lord thou art iust in all that is come vpon vs. If in times of affliction and aduersitie wee haue behaued our selues in this sort This is a good testimonie vnto our owne hearts of the true humiliation and conuersion of the same vnto God But if on the contrary part vpon triall had we finde that we were neuer yet so sensible of our sinnes nor apprehensiue of our misery to know and acknowledge that we haue deserued at Gods hand his sharpest plagues and seuerest corrections so that in the middest of them all wee could say Lam. 3.39 It is the Lords mercy we are not consumed We can haue no sound comfort in our soules that the true worke of grace conuersion is wrought in vs. Secondly this may teach vs in all our afflictions to labour with our selues to see that sinne is the cause thereof and to learne to profit thereby to amendment of life for such men are farre enough from repentance and true conuersion which goe on sleepily in a course of life and are not humbled when the Lord correcteth And last of all wee are taught here euen in our sharpest afflictions still to iustifie God and to acknowledge that he is euer iust in his iudgements before whom the most holy that are cannot be innocent But this man hath done nothing amisse Text. In these words wee haue the third proofe that manifesteth the truth of this Penitents conuersion Iustifieth Christs innocency and that is his iustifying of Christs innocency This man hath done nothing amisse 5 Argument A● innocer 〈◊〉 tia Christi And this is that fift and last Argument that hee vseth to his fellow to disswade him from reproaching of Christ and so to stop him in his course of sin and this is taken from Christs innocency Q.d. Wretched man that thou art thinkest thou that because this man suffereth the like punishment with thee and me that therefore his cause was alike no Wee are iustly punished The most righteous God hath now iustly ouertaken vs in our sinfull and wretched course of life and now wee reape but the iust reward of our owne workes But this man what euill hath he done he suffereth as an innocent he hath done nothing worthy this cursed death And herein as before we see the admirable fruit of his faith and repentance that now at this time when all mocked Christ Pilate condemneth him Iudas betrayeth him the Disciples forsake him and Peter denyeth him that now at this time he should stick thus to Christ and acknowledge his Deity in the lowest degree of his humiliation this was the fruit of an admirable faith indeed whose example may commend vnto all men a most necessary duty That euery faithfull Christian should bee ready at all times to speake for Christ Doct A true Christian must at all times speake for Christ to stand vp in the defence of the truth and not to suffer his name to bee blasphemed nor his word or truth to be dishonoured And surely the circumstance of time makes much for the commendations of the faith of this man that now that Christ was so vilified contemned despised put to this cruell shamefull ignominious and reproachfull death that in this so low a degree of his humiliation he should acknowledge his God-head and stand vp in the defence thereof This must needs be an admirable fruit of a singular faith This made much for the commendations of the Church of Pergamus that shee held fast Christs Name and denyed not the faith Reu. 2.12.13 Euen where Sathan had his throne So when religion is euery where despised then to loue it with Dauid is a blessing of blessings with Noah to bee vpright and of good conuersation when all flesh had corrupted their wayes Gen. 6. this was praise-worthy with God when idolatry and all manner of superstition and prophanenesse doth abound is maintained graced countenanced then to keepe vp the pure worship of God with Eliah where there could not be found that had not bowed the knee to Baal this must needs shew admirable fortitude Thus must all Gods people doe confesse and professe Christ not onely in prosperous times and in times of prosperity whilest religion is graced and countenanced by authoritie but euen at such times also when it seemeth to be most dangerous It is an easie matter to professe the Gospell in prosperous times whilest wee haue winde and tide with vs but then is the truth of our profession manifested in times of aduersitie The field proueth the Souldier the Marriners skill is best seene in a tempest so is the truth of a Christian profession in the times of the hottest persecution Mat. 24. And hence is it that our Sauiour doth acquaint his Disciples aforehand of those troubles that should happen vnto them to the end they should not giue backe but confesse him to the end And how resolute the Apostles were this way we may see afterwards who being conuented before the Councell and commanded to Preach no more in the name of Iesus answered thus Whether it bee right in the sight of God Acts 4.18.19 to

profit me he will deliuer his soule from going into the pit and his life shall see the light Yea this is the thing that Salomon prayeth for in that excellent prayer of his at the dedication of the Temple If they turne vnto thee with all their hearts 1 Reg. 8 47 in the land to the which they be carried captiues and returne and prey vnto thee saying We haue sinned wee haue transgressed and done wickedly then heare thou their prayer in heauen c. Consider the example of Manasses 2 Chro. 33.12.13 how desperately wretched and sinfull soeuer hee had beene yet in his captiuity returning vnto the Lord with all his heart found mercy with him Luk. 17 48 Act. 16.26 Of Peter that denyed his Master of Paul that persecuted the Church of Dauid that committed Adultery and Murther of Salomon that fell to idolatry of Mary Magdalene out of whom were cast seuen deuils of the Iewes that crucified the Lord of life Act. 2.37 of the Iaylour c. All which repenting of their sinnes and returning from their iniquities had their sinnes pardoned and were themselues receiued into fauour neither is this a thing to be wondred at for First Reas 1 consider that it is a thing agreeable to Gods iustice that he should be gratious and mercifull to those that truely repent for so saith the Apostle If wee confesse our sinnes he is faithfull and iust to forgiue vs our sinnes and to cleanse vs from all vnrighteousnesse Vpon this ground the holy Apostle tearmes that which God will bestow at the day of account vpon the elect a Crowne of righteousnesse and that which shall be conferred vpon them by that righteous Iudge not because the workes of the faithfull are meritorious as the glosse of the Papists is vpon that place but because of the Lords mercifull promise made vnto euery true beleeuer in Christ and hauing made himself a debtor by promise saith an Antient it is agreeable to iustice that he should performe the same Secondly to haue sinne pardoned is a speciall priuiledge of the Church and the members of it onely Esa 33.24 Thy people that dwell there shall haue their iniquities forgiuen Yea it is part of that promise God hath made to those that are within the couenant The dayes come saith the Lord that I will make a new couenant for I will forgiue their iniquitie and remember their sinnes no more A third reason may bee taken from the nature of true repentance which doth as fully blot out sinne out of Gods account as if the same had neuer beene committed for whereas sinne is a debt forigue vs our debts Repentance is a cancelling of that band and a discharging of that debt Seing then that the sinnes of the penitent cannot hinder their saluation Vse 1 this Doctrine may bee a Noahs Doue a messenger of glad tydings vnto the godly and that which may yeeld singular comfort to euery penitent sinner Is thy heart truely humbled in the sence of thy sinnes is it thy chiefest griefe and sorrow that thou hast offended so good and so gratious a God and Father in Iesus Christ doth thy spirit droope and groane vnder the burthen of thy transgressions so as thou abhorrest thy selfe with Iob Iob 42.6 and repentest in dust and ashes Thou canst passe the sentence of condemnation against thy selfe acknowledging that if the Lord should doe thee iustice he might iustly condemne thee for euer Consider then for thy comfort this being thy case God cannot with-hold from thee comfort it cannot stand with the rule of iustice to deny thee mercy Nay more thou mayst in a holy boldnesse challenge God of his word and promise which it cannot stand with his honour and iustice not to performe God should not be iust in his promises if he should not pardon the sinnes of the penitent O how may this comfort the hearts of such as mourne in Sion that hang downe their heads as being ashamed to lift vp the same to heauen that goe mourning all the day long let such comfortably apply this doctrine vnto themselues Thou desirest nothing more in all the world then Gods fauour his countenance grace and it is thy greatest griefe that thou inioyest it not Remember to thy comfort Christ will not quench the smoaking flaxe Mat 12.20 nor breake asunder the bruised reede he can as well deny himselfe and cease to be God as to deny mercy to those that truely see their sins are humbled for them and sue vnto him for the pardon of the same And for thy further comfort herein consider that thy sins whatsoeuer they haue beene haue beene but the sinnes of a poore weake and fraile man and the mercy thou shalt haue in the pardon of them is the mercy of a God euen of a God of mercy betwixt which there is no comparison But doth not God without repentance grant remission of sins Quest how then is remission of sinnes saluation and eternall life his free gift I answer that remission of sins Answ and eternall life is his free gift First because howsoeuer they are not giuen without repentance and faith yet they are not giuen for these things sake Secondly euen these gifts and graces truely to repent and to beleeuc are not of our selues neither are they common to all but they come from God prouing saith the Apostle if at any time God will giue them repentance vnto life 1 Tim. Thirdly repentance and faith are requisite not to shew for what but rather to shew to whom remission of sinnes and eternall life doth belong and appertaine and serue to qualifie Gods people for the promises of life and saluation Secondly Vse 2 seeing that repentance for sinne doth thus qualifie a man for remission of sinnes and so for life and saluation it shall then bee our wisedome to labour for repentance aboue all things in the world to lay hold vpon the opportunitie of grace offered and speedily to returne not to deferre the same from day to day lest our hearts come to bee hardened through the deceitfulnesse of sin take wee heed that wee doe not abuse his patience and forbearance or take occasion of libertie to turne this grace of his into wantonnesse Rom. 2.4 Rom. 6.1.2 Shall we sinne saith the Apostle because grace should abound God forbid Nay rather let vs know that they that wait vpon lying vanities Ion. 2.8 forsake their owne mercy The longer that any remaine in the mire of sinne the faster they sticke therein Reu. 3. God will not at all times offer the like mercy neither will he euer stand and knocke at the dore of our hearts let vs then lay hold vpon the opportunitie offered lest our repentance at last come too late Thirdly Vse 3 seeing wee haue such a mercifull God louing Father that is so ready to shew mercy and to receiue vt into fauour vpon our true repentance Let vs labour to bee like vnto God