The sound believer, or, A treatise of evangelical conversion discovering the work of Christs…The sound beleever, or, A treatise of evangelicall conversion discovering the work of Christs…

¹What it is in general, to justify.

¹What it is in generall, to justifie.

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¹Tis to pass sentence of absolution, to pronounce a sinner righteous; tis Gods pardon, remission of sins; this appears from the opposition mentioned it stands in unto condemnation, as a Judge pardons a man when he saith he shall live; or as a man manifestly forgives another when he gives him a promise, or a bill of discharge: so that (note this by the way that) our Justification is not Gods eternal purpose to forgive, but it is Gods sentence published, a sinner is justified intentionally in election, but not actually till this sentence be past and published; The difficulty only here is, where this sentence is pronounced; for answer where of note, that there is but a double Court wherein tis passed: 1. Publicly in the Court of Heaven, or in the Court-rolls of the Word; (for there is no other Court of Heaven where God speaks, but this.) 2. Privately, in the Court of Conscience. By the first we are justified indeed from personal guilt; by the second we feel our selves justified by the removal of conscience guilt. The first is expressly mentioned, Act. 10.43. and Rom. 1.17. the second is expressly set down also, Psal. 32.4. The first is the cause and foundation of this ⟨p. 255⟩second; the second ariseth from the first: otherwise peace of conscience is a mere delusion: the first is sometimes long before the second,