The souls exaltation A treatiseThe soules exaltation A treatise

One man thinks thus, & another thinks thus, & another would be passing sentence, and saith, thus it must be; he cares not what they say, he knows that they are not Judges, but he stays till the Judge comes, and he quakes and trembles till he hears what the sentence of the Judge will be. Now therefore be as wise for your spiritual estates, as you are for your temporal estates: Psalm 85.8. I will hearken what the Lord will say, disputing there of the miseries and troubles which were like to befall the Church of God, and himself too: he looks up to Heaven, and saith, I will hearken what the Lord will say, for he speaks peace to his people: look not what sense and feeling, and fear and suspicion say, for they will speak killing words, and will tell you that your condition is naught and damnable: what, all this vileness, and baseness, and stubbornness, and yet go to heaven? that cannot be: Good brethren hearken not to these, for they are not the Judges of the court, the sentence must come ⟨p. 153⟩from God, and remember that God will speak peace and comfort unto his people, he will comfort your distressed consciences: and therefore let not Satan, nor your own distempered hearts be hearkened unto, for though they speak never so much terror to your consciences, yet God will justify you: it is the liberty which the law allows, and every man will take it to himself, if he know the law, when a man is questioned for his life, he will not cast himself upon every Jury, but he will take the benefit of the law; and if there comes in one that is an ignorant person, or one that is an enemy of his, he may justly except against them, and put them out, and he will say, Good my Lord, do not cast away a poor man for no cause at all, I except against these men of the Jury, they are mine enemies, they have sought my blood, many years, and they have informed against me, and seek to take away my life, and I can prove it, and the rest are ignorant, and cannot understand the matter▪ good my Lord, let me have a good Jury: this the court of justice allows, and every man will be sure to take it to himself, as occasion serves: in Acts 28.19. Paul was constrained to appeal into Cesar, and therefore he saith, Chap. 2•.10.11. I stand a• Caesars judgement seat, where I ought to be judged.