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And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.'

Thus when the nations are rebuked, when the ungodly man is destroyed and his name lost, and when he has fell and confessed his sin, nothing is left but this daily cleansing of sin, and this renewing of the mind day by day, this passing on from grace to grace, and this destruction of the body of sin. All which is wrought either while we are exercised with various sufferings, or while, being kept under a continual sense of our sin, we become more and more dissatisfied with ourselves, and groan and labour in humility. Hence Ezekiel, xx. 43, 44, "And there shall ye remember your ways and your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils which he have committed. And ye shall know that I am the Lord, when I have wrought with you for my name's sake, not according to your wicked ways, nor according to your corrupt doings, O ye house of Israel, saith the Lord God."

But where this theology is omitted and neglected, men become great and high, and doat about questions, as if they had nothing at all to grieve at and bewail in themselves. Concerning whom Isaiah saith, lviii. 1,

Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness." And what did the prophet mean by these words, but that all the curious priers into the works of God should be thrown down into a thought and knowledge of their own sins; that they might be brought to think upon their own sins (as it is described Psalm xxxviii.) and be continually dwelling upon those things which God has commanded them. For this is the judgment of Christ, and it is thus that he exercises them in a terror, and repentance for, and distress on account of, their own sins. And hence, that speculative theology which, forgetful of

itself, rises up into high thoughts upon divine things, seeks after and finds a precipice contrived of Satan.

We have recorded, in the lives of the fathers, a circumstance that took place respecting two junior brethren who were disputing and holding questionings about Melchizedek. They took this question before a senior father; who, smiting upon his breast, exclaimed, 'O miserable sinner that I am, who neglect my own sins, and suffer myself to be carried away into these vain questions!' Then they blushing and confused stood in silence, and then withdrew each to his own cell.--Where then shall all those of our day appear, who do not dispute about Melchizedek, but about Aristotle and Porphyry, and hold the most frivolous questionings concerning them; and thus most unhappily destroy the most precious of all time, and utterly disregard the command of Christ.

Nay, such characters most impiously fight against this judgment of Christ: for they deceive men, and with a most vain and secure promise, lyingly give unto them full remissions (as they call them) of all their sins and crimes: saying, 'Peace, peace,' when there is no peace. And Isaiah saith, they make the people to trust in a lie. And as he saith, chap. iii. 12, "O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths." For this truth ever stands firm,." He hath prepared his seat for judgment." And so we have it also Psalm cxxii. 5, " For there are set the thrones of judgment and thrones of the house of David." For who will thirst after the grace of God, whose sin does not gnaw and torment him? And he that does not thirst after it, how shall he seek after it? And he that does not seek after it, how shall he find it?

It is not in vain said, "The Lord shall sit for ever:" which refers to the time of this llfe: for there will be no sin after this life which God will sit to judge: and even the Son himself will be subject unto him who subjected all things under him, and will deliver up the kingdom to God even the Father, after he shall have put all enemies under his feet: as the apostle teaches, 1 Cor xv.

He sits therefore always, because there is always sin for him to judge in us. He however who has borne this judgment of the Lord, and can say with Micah, chap. vii. 8, 9, "I will bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned against him;" will be in a proper state to be brought forth, like the same Micah, to the light, and to see the righteousness of God. And when such an one sits in darkness the Lord shall be a light unto him. Hence it follows,

Ver. 8.-And he shall judge the world in equity; and judge the people in righteousness.

This same verse in Psalm xcviii. 9, is translated thus, "And shall judge the world in righteousness and the people in equity:" and which also, as we have it in another Psalm, is, "And he shall judge the world in equity and the people in his truth." And, indeed in many other passages of the Scriptures, these two words, equity and righteousness, are rendered the one for the other; and equity is often put for uprightness, and uprightness for equity. But in the present verse, righteousness ought to have been in the first clause, and equity in the last: for the Hebrew runs thus, according to Hieronymus, ‘And he shall judge the world in righteousness, and shall judge the people in equities;,' that is, in uprightnesses: which is called, Psalm xcix. 4, 'right,' or straight things,' "Thou hast prepared straight things."

But by righteousness and equity we are to understand, not that internal righteousness and equity of Christ whereby he is righteous and upright; but the works of Christ, whereby he justifies the people and makes them righteous and upright; and also his grace, whereby he gives unto them righteousness and equity: otherwise, who could stand before his throne, how holy soever he might be, if he should judge men according to his righteousness and equity? In the same way as it may be said of Solomon, that he was a king ruling in riches, glory, and peace; not only because he himself was rich, but because his people were rich under him,

and enjoyed glory and peace under his protection and administration as we have it, 1 Kings iv. 25, "And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all the days of Solomon." Otherwise, if all his subjects were poor, inglorious, inquiet, and ignorant, he might be said to have reigned most miserably and unhappily.

Thus the kingdom of Christ consists in truth; righteousness, equity, peace, and wisdom; not only because he himself is true, righteous, just, peaceful, and wise, but because those that believe in him are so. For his kingdom would be a miserable one indeed if his people were liars, sinners, unrighteous, unquiet, and fools, like the kingdom and the subjects of the devil. Hence Isaiah saith, chap. lii. 1, For henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean."

And moreover, righteousness and equity (not to affect vanity and fulness by a mere indulgence of our own rash whims and too great liberty,) I should consider to be nothing more than the work of the mercy and judgment of God. For it is said, Psalm v. 7, "But as for me, I will come into thine house in the multitude of thy mercy, and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple." And again, ver. 8, "Lead me, O Lord, in thy righteousness, because of mine enemies: make thy way straight before my face."- For he that sets before him the mercy of God, and believes in it with a firm faith, and rests and trusts in it, he is justified: and thus, he enters in the multitude of mercy, is led in righteousness, and is truly directed by Christ sitting and thus judging the world in righteousness. And he that thus walks in this righteousness, meets with many offences in his way, from the flesh, the world, and the devil: according to that of Psalm cxl. "They have laid a stumbling-block in my way, that I might dash my foot against it." For as long as we live in the flesh, the old serpent will be always laying at our heel; that he may destroy our path, and turn us aside from the right way.

Hence, this judgment-throne of God being erected keeps us in a continual fear, preserves us, and causes us to turn aside from evil, that our senses and passions be not seduced by Satan (as Eve was) and drawn aside from the simplicity that is in Christ, but that we may walk on in the high, right, and straight way on which we have entered. And this is what is meant by this equity or straightness.

Wherefore, these two things may be considered to be the same in this spiritual matter, as the two kinds of medicine, sanative and preservative, are among physicians. Or, as the one thing which the sick person takes, and the other from which he abstains. For, in

the same manner, it appears to me, that righteousness is that grace by which we are justified through faith in God and rectitude, or equity, that certain abstinence by which we abstain from all enticements or threats whereby a man may be turned aside, drawn away, and defiled or this may be termed perseverance, or temperance, or any thing else of the kind which any one may wish to call it.

And I consider also, that these same two things are signified by righteousness and judgment, which are generally mentioned together in the Holy Scriptures. As in Psalm cxix. 121, "I have done judgment and justice.' And again," Blessed are they that do judgment and justice at all times." And I understand also in the same way justification, and the mortification of the members after justification. Though rectitude refers more to the feelings and affections than to the powerful work of mortification, which is wrought by judgment and the cross. For he is upright who is of a sound and sincere judgment, and perseveres therein with all the affection of his mind, whatever cause, occasion, or inducement may be presented to him on either side. This uprightness is certainly described very fully, Psalm xci. ; "He that dwelleth in the secret-place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my refuge and my fortress." These things evince the faith. Then it follows, "He 21

VOL. III.