ction, or
conviction, to bring them before the judgment seat, and hear their
accusation read unto them. There the soul stands trembling, and the
conscience witnesseth and approveth all that the word challengeth of, so
that the sinner's mouth is stopped, and can have no excuse to this
accusation. Then the judge pronounces the sentence upon the guilty person,
"Cursed is every one that abideth not in all things, &c." The soul cries,
Guilty, O Lord, guilty, I deserve the curse indeed. Oh! "what shall I do
to be saved?" Then the soul looks about on the right hand, and on the left
hand, to seek some refuge, but there is none. Whither shall he go from
him? He looks within himself, and beholds nothing within, but the accusing
witnessing conscience becomes a tormentor. The fire is kindled within,
which feeds upon the fuel of innumerable sins. Now the soul is almost
overwhelmed, and spies if there be any place to flee to from itself, and
from that wrath, and behold the Lord discovers a city of refuge near hand,
where no condemnation is, even Christ Jesus, who hath sustained the curse,
that he might redeem us from it. The vision of peace is here, and thither
the soul flies out of itself, and from justice, into that discovered
righteousness of Christ, and so the more that the offence abounded, now
the more hath grace super-abounded, so that there is now no more
condemnation to him.

I beseech you consider this, and let it be written on the table of your
hearts. There are two tribunals that God sits upon,--one out of Christ
Jesus, another in Christ Jesus. There is a throne of justice, where no
sentence passes but pure unmixed justice, without any temperament of mercy
and this all men must once compear before. You know what a covenant of
works God once made with us,--if thou do these things thou shalt live, if
not, thou shalt die the death. According to this we must once be judged,
that justice suffer no prejudice. Therefore God speaks out of his law,
upon this throne, the language of mount Sinai, he reads our charge unto
us, and because all the world is guilty, therefore the sentence of death
is once passed upon all. Now, whoever of you come before this tribunal to
be judged, know that it is a subordinate court, there is a higher court of
mercy and judgment, both justice and mercy mixed together. Though mercy be
the predominant, justice and judgment are the habitation of it, but mercy
and truth go before the Judge's face, and come ne