Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal…

judge me, O Lord, according to my Righteousness, and according to mine Integrity that is in me. O let the Wickedness of the Wicked come to an End; but establish the Just; for the righteous God trieth the Hearts and Reins. Verse 11. God judgeth the Righteous. And many other Places to the like Purpose. And therefore Men can be justified by their Words, no otherwise than as Evidences or Manifestations ⟨p. 118⟩of what is in the Heart. And 'tis thus that Christ speaks of Words in this very Place, as is evident by the Context. Verse 34, 35 Out of the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth speaketh. A good Man out of the good Treasure of the Heart, &c. The Words, or Sounds themselves, are neither Parts of Godliness, nor Evidences of Godliness, but as Signs of what is inward.

God himself when he acts towards Men as Judge, in Order to a declarative Judgment, makes use of Evidences, and so judges Men by their Works. And therefore at the Day of Judgment, God will judge Men according to their Works: For tho' God will stand in no Need of Evidence to inform him what is right, yet 'tis to be considered that he will then sit in Judgment; not as earthly Judges do, to find out what is right in a Cause, but to declare and manifest what is right; and therefore that Day is called by the Apostle, the Day of the Revelation of the righteous Judgment of God, Rom. 2 5.

To be justified is to be approved and accepted: But a Man may be said to be approved and accepted in two Respects; the one is to be approved really, and the other to be approved and accepted declaratively. Justification is twofold; 'tis either the Acceptance and Approbation of the Judge it self, or the Manifestation of that Approbation, by a Sentence or Judgment declared by the Judge, either to our own Consciences, or to the World. If Justification be understood in the former Sense, for the Approbation it self, that is only that by which we become fit to be approved: But if it be understood in the latter Sense, for the Manifestation of this Approbation, it is by whatever is a proper Evidence of that Fitness. In the former, only Faith is concerned; because 'tis by that only in us, that we become fit to be accepted and approved: In the latter, whatever is a Evidence of our Fitness, is alike concerned And therefore take Justification in this Sense, and then Faith, and all other Graces, and good Works, have a common and equal Concern in it: For any other Grace, or holy Act, is equally an Evidence of a Qualification for Acceptance or Approbation, as Faith.