Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification,…

I was given unto death for your sins, but I am risen again for your justification, and I now sit at my fathers right hand; this is the second thing. But is there not a third thing that the work of the Ministry must do? Yes, to convince the world that there is judgment or righteousness inherent. There is a hard place, I shall speak of it; it is usual in Scripture to join righteousness and judgment together. The words of the Lord are righteousness and judgment. And the integrity of a mans heart which is opposed to hypocrisy, is called judgement; ⟨p. 433⟩as God liveth who hath taken away my judgment, Job 27.2. How did God take away his judgment? is it meant that he had taken away his wits? no, but but he hath put his heavy hand on me, that hath put a conceit in the mind of my friends that I am an hypocrite; and therefore he falls on him, ver. 6. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. His judgment was taken away; (i. e.) the opinion they had of his integrity; and this will expound another place in Matth. 12.20. A bruised reed shall he not break, and smoking flax shall he not quench, until he send forth judgment unto victory? what is that, until he send forth judgment? This judgment signifies nothing but those inherent graces, those infused qualities that God sends into the heart of a Christian. In a mans first conversion there are but beginnings of grace; what is faith, hope, patience and fear? it is like a smoking flax; (i. e.) like the smoking wick of a candle made of flax: as when a candle burns in the socket, its now up, now down, you know not whether it be alive or dead; so in the first conversion of a Christian, infidelity and faith, hope and despair mount up and down. There's a conflict in the beginning of conversion, but he will not give it over until he bring forth judgment, until he get the victory of all opposition from the flesh. And what is the reason? Because the god of this world is judged. He shall convince the world of an inherent righteousness in spite of the Devils teeth, because he is condemned. He that before worked in the children of disobedience, is now cast down. The strong man is cast out, and therefore upon that ground you have the third ⟨p. 434⟩point; Besides the grace of justification following upon Christs death, there is another; the Devil shall be dispossessed;