constructs so of the most part, because they do more consider
the wrongs done to them, than their own wrongs done to God. All men
confess the general, that they are sinners, but who searches and tries his
way to find out particulars? And in as far as ye do not charge yourselves
with particular guiltiness, until ye be afraid of his anger, as long as
the consideration or your sins is so superficial and shallow, that ye
apprehend no danger of wrath, or immunity from it, certainly God will
plead with you. Justice must so far be glorified, as once to conclude you
under the sentence of death; if ye do it not now, then ye leave God to be
your judge and party. But if any man shall take with his guiltiness, till
his mouth be stopped, and condemn himself in God's sight, I say, mercy and
grace in God must not be wronged, he that judges himself shall not be
judged of the Lord. What a fair offer is this to you all the Lord offers
to you! If ye will in time be your own judges, I will resign my judgment
to you. If you will in earnest pass the sentence, I will neither pass it
nor execute it. If ye come to the Mediator, Christ Jesus, to escape from
the wrath of a judge, you shall meet with a reconciled Father, and with
such love in him as shall hide a multitude of offences. O the depth, and
height, and breadth of that love! Well then, it shall be a sea to cast
your offences into, that shall drown them. Had not his people many spots?
Is there any man can say, I have cleansed my heart from iniquity? No, not
one. Yet behold, he sees no spots in his people. He doth not make them his
people because spotless, but he seeth them spotless, because he makes them
his people. There is no covering that can hide men's uncleanness from his
piercing eye, but one even Jesus Christ his righteousness, and "Blessed is
he whose sins are covered." If this covering were spread over the mouth of
all hell, then hell should have a covering from his eyes. If ye therefore
strip yourselves naked of your own pretences and leaves, and think not
yourselves secure under any created shelter. If ye hide not your iniquity,
then it shall be hid indeed, here is a covering that shall hide it from
his eyes. There is no spot so heinous, none so ingrained, but the blood of
Jesus can wash it as perfectly out, as if it had never been, Isa. i. 16,
17. Though your spots were such as are not incident to his children, yet
this blood cleanses from one and all, it is of an infinite nature