But though he freely me remit, I never can myself acquit. w My Judge condemns me not, I grant; From him I have a pardon got, The more he 's toward me appeas'd, The more I'm with myself displeas'd. a w 2 Sam. xii. 13. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not die. Psalm li. 2, 3. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Rom. viii. 1, 33. See letter u. Job ix. 20. If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me; if I say I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse. y 2 Cor. vii. 11. For behold, this self-same thing that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! z Isa. xxxviii. 15. What shall I say? he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it: I shall go softly all my years in the bitterness of my soul. The more I am absolv'd by him, The more I do myself condemn b. When he in heav'n dooms me to dwell, a Ezek. xvi. 63. That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee, for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord God. b Luke xviii. 13, 14. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself, shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted. Ezek. xxxvi. 31, 32. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel. Jer. xxxi. 19. Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh; I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. c Matt. xxv. 34-39. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, Yet still I to his judgment 'gree, And clear him for absolving me. d and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and we came unto thee? 1 Cor. xi. 31. If we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. Luke xv. 20, 21. And he [the prodigal son] arose and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. Gen. xxxii. 9, 10. And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee: I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan, and now I am become two bands. d Psalm li. 4. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. And xi 7. The righteous Lord loveth righteousness, his countenance doth behold the upright. And cxlv. 16, 17. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works. Rev. xv. 3. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song Thus he clears me, and I him clear, I justify my Justifier: e Let him condemn or justify, From all injustice I him free. ƒ of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. e Rom. iii. 26. To declare, I say, at this time, his righteousness that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Isa. xlv. 21. There is no God else beside me a just God and a Saviour. Ver. 24. Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength. Chap. Ixiii. 1. Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah ? This that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Zech. ix. 9. Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, o daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee; he is just, and having salvation, &c. f Job. xxv. 4, 5, 6. How then can man be justified with God? or, how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not; yea, the stars are not pure in his sight. How much less man that is a worm: and the son of man which is a worm? Psalm lxxxix. 14. Justice and judg ment are the habitation of thy throne: mercy and truth shall go before thy face. And xcvii. 2. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. Rom. iii. 19, 20. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore, by the deeds of the law, there SECTION VIII. THE MYSTERY OF SANCTIFICATION IMPERFECT IN THIS LIFE; OR THE BELIEVER DOING ALL, AND DOING NOTHING. MINE arms embrace my God, a yet I I hold and will not let him go. d shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. Ver. 23, 24, 25. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God. Psalm xxii. 2, 3. O my God, I cry in the day-time, but thou hearest not; and in the nightseason, and am not silent. But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. a Song iii. 4. It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found him whom my soul loveth; I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me. b Psalm lxi. 2. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed lead me to the rock that is higher than I. c Psalm lxiii. 8. My soul followeth hard after thee thy right hand upholdeth thee. Isa. xli. 10. Fear thou not, for I am with |