and from judgment." This was done, that a throne of grace might be erected, without any injury to Law or Juftice. Justice and Judgment are the babitation of his throne; Mercy and Truth fhall go before bis face.

Secondly, Judgment fometimes fignifies God's arraigning an elect finner at the bar of the Law, and appearing (according to the finner's views) in a judicial way against him: "He is convinced of all,' "he is judged of all; and thus are the thoughts of "his heart made manifeft; and fo falling down on "his face, he will report that God is in you of a "truth." Which trial ends in a fatherly chaftifement, and in the juftification of the foul: "But when "we are judged, we are chaftened of the Lord, that "we should not be condemned with the world.”

Thirdly, It fignifies the Law of Faith, or the Gofpel; which, to the believer, is the Saviour's judgment of him, of every body's ftate, and of every thing in doubt about his ftate-which the elect finner receives, in which he believes, to which he yields his obedience, by which he is ruled, by which he lives, by which he walks and worships, and by which he rules all his actions. << Hearken "unto me, my people, and give ear to me, O my "nation; for a Law fhall proceed from me, and I "will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people." Ifa. li. 4.

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Fourthly,

Fourthly, It fignifies the inward and righteous fentence of a person who knows the Scriptures, and the power of God; who JUDGES not according to appearance, but judges righteous JUDGMENT. For the want of which the Saviour rebuked the Jews: "Nor ❝even of your own felves judge ye not what is right?"

Fifthly, It fignifies the knowledge that a faint has of God, of his word and ways, and of his own worfhip, faith and practice; for the want of which the ignorant are complained of: " There is no JUDG"MENT in their goings."

Sixthly, It fignifies fhewing the fentence of Scripture, between any of God's children who may have a doctrine, a practice, or a wrong, in difpute. "What, " is it fo, that there is not one wife man among you, "that is able to judge between his brother? but "brother goeth to law with brother, and that before "the unbelievers?"

Seventhly, It fignifies the judicious proceedings of a juft Judge, who has his eye to God and to juftice, and accepts no man's person in judgment. For the want of which integrity God complains: “How

long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the per"<fons of the wicked? Ye fhall be deftroyed, every "one of you." Hence wrong JUDGMENT proceedeth. By this firft weighty matter of the Law, the Saviour fhews, in a fpiritual fense, that when the finner's mouth is stopped, himself brought in guilty before God by the Law, and he is justified by faith

in his Surety's righteousness; that the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in him, and that all other branches of righteoufnefs fpring from hence: which is, in effect, telling us, that whatfoever is not of faith is fin; and that he that believes not shall be damned, be who he may, or do what he will.I come to the fecond general head, or weighty requirement of the Law, which is

Mercy. Mercy, here, is intended to fhew, that all good to men, all good in men, all good by men, and all good from men, is owing to the fovereign clemency of Heaven. Mercy is a perfection, or attribute, of God, which in a way of providence, or in a way of grace, is exercifed over all his works. Sometimes it fignifies God's kind providence: "God "give you mercy," fays Jacob to his fons, "before the "man." Gen. xliii. 14. And again, Abraham's fervant obferves it, in his fuccefs of taking Rebekah to Ifaac: "God hath not left destitute my master of "his mercy." Gen. xxiv. 27. But, in a spiritual fenfe, God fhews it in the gift of his Son, and in the pardon of fins: "God hath raised us up a horn of "falvation, in the remembrance of his mercy, (Luke, "i. 54.) to give the knowledge of falvation, by the "remiffion of fins, through the tender mercies of "our God." Luke i. lxxvii. 78. Deliverance from the curfe of the Law, from the power of fin, and from the precept, Do, and live, and all this by the Spirit of God, is called Mercy revealed: "But according

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"cording to his mercy he faved us, by the washing "of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.' Tit. iii. 5. Preaching the pure Gospel faithfully; revealing the whole counsel of God, and not fainting in it through oppofition, temptation, and persecution, that may befal us in exercising the mercy (of God received) in the discharge of the ministry, is owing to mercy: Having obtained mercy, we faint not. Receiving courage to be faithful and fingular in an apoftate and degenerate age, is owing to the mercy of God: Having obtained mercy of the Lord to be faithful, I Cor. vii. 25. This is the fure mercies of David given to Chrift, and entailed upon the houfhold of Faith by the decree of God, which fecures the falvation of all the elect; and in their glorification Mercy will be built up for ever. therefore, that is a stranger to the mercy of God in the gift of his Son, and to the knowledge of falvation, by the pardon of fin; a stranger to regeneration, by the gift of the Spirit; is a stranger to, and deftitute of, this weighty matter of the Law. He is in his fin, a wicked man, and the tender mercies of the wicked are cruel, therefore little worth. Such a man fees not the End of the Law, that it was intended to train a finner up to mercy, and to shew him the need of mercy. And he is a ftranger to the door threw open by Mofes, when he prophefied of Christ, and faid, God will be merciful to whom he will be merciful. I go to the next weighty ecu rement, which is-

of hope that God

He,

Faith. For although the Law is not of Faith, nor Faith of the Law, yet the word of Faith, and the righteousness of Faith, are witnessed both by the Law and the Prophets. Befides, the whole Old Teftament is often included in the word Law: "But this cometh to pass, that it might be fulfilled "that is written in their Law, They hated me with

out a caufe." Which words ftand in the Pfalms; and in which it appears plain that Jefus himself is one of the brethren that the Pharifees were angry with without caufe. Furthermore, the Lord brings in Faith as a weighty matter of the Law, because the righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in them that believe, and without Faith it is impoffible to please God; and becaufe Faith goes before Love, and always works by it: which Love is the fulfilling of the Law; for it is the grand hinge upon which hang all the Law and the Prophets, and without which no works can be performed but dead works, no obedience can be given to God, nothing but the eye-service of a bond slave. Faith is a blessed fruit of the Spirit, and is produced under his operation. It generally lays a faft hold of the Law and the Justice of God first; and the finner believes that he is the character defcribed and condemned by the Law: he views it and feels it in all it's fpiritual meaning and dreadful confequences: "I have be«lieved thy commandments," fays the Pfalmift. He believes, and trembles, and calls upon God in his trouble:

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