his Praescience is but Conjectural and his Will alterable In this Instant then we suppose no kind of Affection in God properly so called No Changable Resolution no Inclinableness and Propensity of Nature to the good of the Creature in General no Frame of being angry with only a not-averseness to the laying down of his anger c. All which and the like are derogatory to the Infinite Perfection of God Nor yet any Act of pitying and pardoning Mercy much less any quiting or cleering of Sinners whereby they should be justified from Eternity the Permission of sin it self in the purpose of it being not presuppos'd but included in this Habitude of Gods Will towards man to make it compleat Neither any Absolute intention of doing good unto man without respect unto Christ and his Merits they refering to the good to be done not to his appointment for by them is this Purpose of his to be accomplished Nor Lastly doth it contain any actual Relaxation Suspension or Abrogation of that Law and it 's Penalties by which it is his Will the Creature shall be Regulated in reference to the Persons concerning whom this Act of his Will is They standing indeed in that Relation thereunto as in the season of their Existence their several Conditions expose them to by vertue of the first Constitution of that Law But it is such an Act of his Will as in the Scripture is termed {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Acts 2. 23. Rom. 8. 29. 1 Pet. 1. 20. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Rom. 8. 28. 9. 11. Eph. 3. 11. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Mat. 11. 26. Eph. 1. 5. 2 Thess. 1. 11. Luke 12. 32. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Eph. 1. 11. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2 Tim. 2 19. {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} Eph. 1. 5. 11. Rom. 8. 29. Ordination or Appointment unto life Act. 13. 48. 1 Thess. 5. 5. 9. All which and divers other expressions point at the same thing Divines commonly in one word call it his Decree of Election and sometimes according to Scripture Election it self Eph. 1. 4. Neither doth the Word hold out any Habitude of God towards man Antecedaneous to all Efficiency of the Death of Christ but only this I speak of them only in this whole DISCOURSE for whom he died That this is an Act of Sovereignty or Supream Dominion and not of Mercy properly so called hath been by others abundantly proved And this I place as the Causa {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} of the Satisfaction of Christ and the whole dispensation of making out Love unto us through various Acts of Mercy This in the Scripture is called the Love of God Rom. 9. 13. and is set out as the most intense Love that ever he beareth to any of his Creatures Joh. 3. 16. Rom. 5. 8. 1 Joh. 4. 9. Being indeed as properly Love as love can be assigned unto God His Love is but an act of his Will whereby {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} And in respect of Effects in which respect chiefly Affections are ascribed unto God it hath the most eminent possible Now this being discriminating can no way be reconciled with the common affection before disprov'd For the Order and Series of the Purposes of God as most natural for our apprehension and agreeable to his own infinite Wisdome tending to the compleating of this Love in all its Issues and Fruits as it is more curious perhaps in the framing then necessary to be known so certainly it would be too long and intricate a work for me to discuss at present in reference to this Intendment Only in general this must be granted that all the Thoughts of God concerning the way of accomplishing this Act of his Will must be subordinate hereunto as comprizing the End and Co-ordinate among themselves as being concerning the Means In Particular the Constitution or appointment of the Covenant of free-Grace for the Recovery and bringing home unto God of fallen man hath immediate dependance thereon I mean in that way of Dependance which their order gives unto them I cannot assent to what Mr Baxter hath asserted in this matter Thess. 14. Expl. p. 90. The Satisfaction of Christ saith he to the Law goes before the new Covenant though not in regard of its payment which was in the fulness of time yet in undertaking acceptance and efficacy there could be no treating on new terms until the old Obligation was satisfied and suspended Had he attempted the proof of this Assertion perhaps he would have found it a more difficult Undertaking then barely to Affirme it Some few REASONS to the contrary that present themselves I shall briefly set down 1 Christ himself with his whole Satisfaction and Merit is included in the Covenant therefore his Satisfaction is not antecedent to the COVENANT The First appeareth in that all Promises of Pardoning Mercy are in and of this new Covenant Heb. 8. 10. 12. but now in them as the foundation of that Mercy is Christ himself with his SATISFACTION comprised Gen. 3. 15. Esa. 9. 6 7. 2 He who in all that he is as made unto us was the Mediator of the new Covanant and whose Merit and Satisfaction in all that they are are appointed for the procuring the Mercies of the NEW COVENANT his Satisfaction is not antecedent to the Covenant Heb. 7. 22. Chap. 8. 6. c. 3 The Constitution of the New Covenant as it is in the Purpose of God is the Rise and Fountain of giving Christ with his Satisfaction for us It is in the Purpose of God to save us through Faith by pardoning mercy in the pursute of that Design and for the praise of that glorious Grace is Christ given Joh. 3. 16. Rom. 8. 32. Or thus 4 If the designation of that way of life and salvation which is administred by the Gospel be antecedent to the satisfaction of Christ then the satisfaction of Christ is not antecedent to the New Covenant for nothing can be before and after the same thing Understand the designation of the way of life and the satisfaction of Christ in the same order of Decree or Execution Now the supposal is manifest The satisfaction of Christ being appointed as the means of accomplishing that way of life If Mr Baxter intendeth those latter words There could be no treating on new terms before the OLD OBLIGATION was satisfied or suspended as a proof of his former Assertion he will fail in his intendment as I supose For 1 Treating on new terms denoteth either consilium in eundi foederis or exequendi If the First it is nothing but the Purpose of God to save his Elect by pardoning Mercy for the praise of his glorious Grace This is wholly Antecedent to any Efficiency of the death and Satisfaction of Christ as being of meer and absolute Grace Jer. 31. 3. Hab. 8. 7 8. If the Latter be
spiritual Blessings soever are bestowed on any Soul I mean peculiarly distinguishing Mercies and Graces they are all bestowed and collated for Christs sake That is They are purchased by his Merit and procured by his Intercession thereupon That supernatural Graces cannot be traduced from any natural Faculty or attained by the utmost Endeavour of Nature howsoever affected with outward advantages I now take for granted These things I looked upon as the free-gifts of Love So the Scripture Joh. 15. 5. 2 Cor. 3. 5. Eph. 2. 8. 1 Cor. 4. 7. Eph. 2. 10. Mat. 11. 25 26. Act. 16. 14. c. Now the Dispensation of all these as it is through Christ so they are for Christ On whomsoever they are bestowed it is for Christs sake For Instance Peter and Judas are Unbeleevers Faith is given for Faith is given to Peter not to Judas Whence is this difference Presupposing Gods Sovereign discriminating Purpose the immediate procuring Cause of Faith for Peter is the Merit of Christ To us it is given on the behalf of Christ to beleeve on him Phil. 1. 20. We are blessed with all spiritual Blessings in him Eph. 1. 3. Whatsoever is in the Promise of the Covenant is certainly of his procurement for therefore he is the Surety Heb. 7. 22. And his Bloud the Ransome he paid is the Bloud of the Covevenant Mat. 26. 28. Whereby all the Promises thereof become in him Yea and in him Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. And whether Faith be of the Blessings of the Covenant and Conclude in the Promise thereof or no let the Scripture be Judge Jer. 31. 31 32. Ezek. 36. 26. Heb. 8. 9 10 11. Furthermore What we have through him we have so him All these things being made out on this Condition that he should make his Soul an Offering for sin Isa. 53. 10 3 That all the procurements of the Death of Christ in the behalf of his are to be made out by vertue of a Stipulation sub termino or in respect of their actual collation and bestowing they are to be made out in the season limited and appointed by the Will of the Father Of this before 4 No Blessing can be given us for Christs sake unless in Order of Nature CHRIST be first reckoned unto us Here I must do two things 1 Declare what I mean by reckoning Christ unto us And then 2 Prove the Assertion as laid down Gods reckoning Christ in our present sense is the imputing of Christ unto ungodly unbeleeving Sinners for whom he died so far as to account him theirs to bestow Faith and Grace upon them for his sake This then I say at the Accomplishment of the appointed time the Lord reckons and accounts and makes out his Son Christ to such and such Sinners and for his sake gives them Faith c. Exercising of Love actually in the bestowing of Grace upon any particular soul in a distinguishing manner for Christs sake doth suppose this accounting of Christ to be his and from thence he is so indeed which is the present Thesis and may be proved For 1 Why doth the Lord bestow Faith on Peter not on Judas Because Christ Dying for Peter and purchasing for him the Grace of the Covenant he had a Right unto it and God according to his Promise bestowed it With Judas it was not so But then Why doth the Lord bestow Faith on Peter at the 40th yeer of his Age and not before or after Because then the Term is expired which upon the Purchase was by the Counsel of Gods Will prefixed to the giving in the beginning of the thing Purchased unto him What then doth the Lord do when he thus bestoweth Faith on him For Christs sake his Death procuring the Gift not moving the Will of the Giver he creates Faith in him by the way and means snited to such a work Eph. 1. 18 19. Chap. 2. 1 c. If then this be done for Christs sake then is Christ made ours before we beleeve Else Why is Faith given him at this instant for Christs sake and not to another for whom also he died That it is done then is because the appointed time is come that it is done then for Christ is because Christ is first given to him I cannot conceive how any thing should be made out to me for Christ and Christ himself not be given to me he being made unto us of God Righteousness 1 Cor. 1. 30. 2 The Apostle holds out this very Method of the Dispensation of Grace Rom. 8. 32. He that spared not his Son but delivered him up to Death for us all how shall he not with him freely give us all things First Christ is given for us then to us then with him he having the preheminence in all things all things and this being also for him Phil. 1. 29. he is certainly in the Order of Nature given in the first place He being made ours we receive the Atonement by him Rom. 5. 11. How Christ is said to be received by Faith if he be ours before Beleeving is easily resolved Christ is ours before and after Beleeving in a different sense He who is made ours in an Act of Gods Love that for him we may have Faith may be found and made ours in a Promise of Reconciliation by Beleeving I offer also Whether Absolution from the guilt of sin and obligation unto death though not as terminated in the Conscience for compleat Iustification do not proceed our actual Beleeving For What is that Love of God which through Christ is effectual to bestow Faith upon the Unbeleeving And how can so great Love in the actual exercise of it producing the most distinguishing Mercies consist with any such Act of Gods Will as at the same instant should bind that Person under the Guilt of sin Perhaps also this may be the Iustification of the ungodly mentioned Rom. 4. Gods absolving a Sinner in Heaven by accounting Christ unto him and then bestowing him upon him and for his sake enduing him with Faith to beleeve That we should be blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ and yet Christ not ours in a peculiar manner before the bestowing of those blessings on us is somwhat strange Yea he must be our Christ before it is given to us for him to beleeve Why else is it not given to all others so to do I speak not of the supream distinguishing Cause Mat. 11. 25 26. but of the proximate procuring Cause which is the bloud of Christ Neither yet do I hence assert compleat Justification to be before beleeving Absolution in Heaven and Justification differ as part and whole Again Absolution may be considered either as a pure Act of the Will of God in it self or as it is received beleeved apprehended in and by the soul of the Guilty For Absolution in the first sense it is evident it must proceed beleeving as a discharge from the Effects of Anger naturally proceeds all Collation of any fruits of Love such as is
Faith Object But if God account Christ unto and bestow him upon a Sinner before Beleeving and upon that Account absolve him from the Obligation unto Death and Hell which for sin he lies under what wants this of compleat Justification Answ. Much every way 1 It wants that Act of pardoning Mercy on the part of God which is to be terminated and compleated in the Conscience of the Sinner this lies in the Promise 2 It wants the Hearts perswasion concerning the Truth and Goodness of the Promise and the Mercy held out in the Promise 3 It wants the Souls rolling it self upon Christ and receiving of Christ as the Author and Finisher of that Mercy an Al-sufficient Saviour to them that beleeve So that by Faith alone we obtain and receive the forgiveness of sin for notwithstanding any antecedent Act of God concerning us in and for Christ we do not actually receive a compleat Soul-freeing discharge until we beleeve And thus the Lord Christ hath the preheminence in all things He is the Author and finisher of our Faith This then is that which here we assign unto the Lord Upon the Accomplishment of the appointed Season for the making out the fruits of the Death of Christ unto them for whom he died he loves them freely sayes to them Live gives them his Son with and for him all things bringing forth the choicest Issue of his being reconciled in the bloud of Jesus whilest we are Enemies and totally alimated from him It will not be requisite at all as to our purpose in hand to make particular enquiry into the State and Condition of them towards whom such are the Actings of God as we before described What it is that gives them the first real alteration of Condition and distinguishment from others I have now no occasion to handle So far as Advantage hath been offered I have laboured to distinguish aright those things whose Confusion and mis-apprehension lies at the bottome of very many dangerous Mistakes How the forgoing Discourse may be accommodated and improved for the Removeal of those Mistakes I shall leave to the Consideration of others CAP. XIII The Removal of sundry Objections to some things formerly taught about the Death of Christ Vpon the Principles now delivered HAving fully declared not only what was my Intendment in the Expressions so exceedingly mistaken by Mr Baxter as hath in part already been made manifest and will instantly more fully appear I shall now take a view of what is Imposed on me as my Judgement and the Opposition made thereunto so far as may be needful for the cleering of the One and removing of the Other at least in what they may really concern what I did deliver in the Treatise impugned In Page 146 of his Apendix Mr Baxter endeavours to vindicate a Thesis of his from some Exceptions that he was by his friend pointed to unto which it seemed liable and Obnoxious The Thesis he layes down is That no man is actually and absolutly Justified upon the meer payment of the debt by Christ till they become beleevers Against this Article as he calls it he produceth some Objections of Maccovius censuring his Assertions to be senseless his Positions strange and abhored his Arguments weak and ineffectual with some other Expressions to the same purpose 1 I am now by the Providence of God in a Condition of Separation from my own small Library neither can I here attain the sight of Maccovius Disputations so that I shall not at all interpose my self in this Contest only I must needs say 1 I did not formerly account Maccovius to be so senseless and weak a Disputant as here he is represented to be 2 That for Mr Baxters Answer to that Argument where the Debt is paid there Discharge must follow by Asserting the Payment made by Christ to be refusable and the Interest of sinners in that Payment to be purely upon the performance of a Condition I have fully before in both parts of it Demonstrated to be weak and inconsistent with it self and Truth That the Interesting of Sinners in the Payment made by Christ at such and such a Season is from the Sovereignty of God and his free Engagement sub Termino for this End hath been also fully manifested But Secondly Mr Baxter Affirms That to these Arguments of Maccovius Mr Owen addes some in the place against Grotius whereunto he was referred To what End you will say doth Mr Owen adde these Arguments Why to prove that men are actually and absolutly Justified upon the meer Payment of the Debt by Christ before beleeving But Fidem tuam Is there any one Argument in my whole Book used to any such purpose Do I labour to prove that which I never Affirmed never thought never beleeved In what Sense I Affirmed that by the Death of Christ we are actually and ipso facto delivered from Death that is {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} we have in due time the time appointed free and full Deliverance thereby without the Intervention of any Condition on our part not absolutly procured for us by his Death I have before declared How much this comes short of actual and absolute Justification I need not now mention I shall therefore only so far Consider the Answers given by Mr Baxter as they may seem to impair or entrench upon the main Truth I Assert and that in the Order by him laid down These saith he Mr Owen layeth down 1 By Death he delivereth us from Death Answ. Not immediatly nor absolutly nor by his Death alone but by that as a Price supposing other Causes on his part and Conditions on ours to concur before the actual Deliverance Reply 1 To what End I mention that place of the Apostle was before declared 2 By the Death of Christ we are immediatly delivered from Death with that Immediation which is proper to the Efficiency of Causes which produce their Effects by the way of Moral procurement that is certainly without the Intervention of any other Cause of the like kind And 3 Absolutly no Condition being interposed between the Cause and the Effect Christs Death and our total Deliverance but such as is part of our Deliverance and solely procured by that Death Though that Death of Christ be not considered as alone that is separated from his Obedience Resurrection and Intercession when the Work of Redemption is assigned to it in the Scripture 4 By the Death of Christ as a Price I suppose you understand his Purchase as well as his Payment his Merit as well as his Satisfaction or else this is a false Notion of the Death of CHRIST as the Cause of our Deliverance 5 All other Causes concurring on the Part of Christ for our Deliverance are 1 Either not of the same kind with his Death Or 2 Bottomed on his Death and flowing from thence so that summarily all may be resolved therinto 6 The Conditions on our Part in the Sense intended are often
understand my meaning unless from his own prejudice I know not However I have now so fully delivered my Sense and Meaning as to these things That I hope no place remaineth for Discreptation thereabout But let us look a little into Mr Baxters Enquiry after that which he professeth not well to understand 1 Saith he Whether a man may fitly be said actually and ipso facto to be delivered and discharged who is not at all delivered but only hath a Right to deliverance I doubt Answ. To unriddle this with most of the following Exceptions and to Resolve his Doubt so far as I am concerned as having administred occasion thereunto I shall transcribe the place from whence these Difficulties are pretended to arise The Passage is in Lib. 3. Cap. 7. of that Treatise Page 140 141. as followeth That actual freedom from the Obligation doth not follow the Satisfaction made by Christ cannot be granted For by his Death he did deliver us from Death and that actually so far as that the Elect are said to Die and Rise with him he did actually or ipso facto deliver us from the Curse by being made a Curse for us The hand-writing that was against us even the whole Obligation was taken out of the way and nailed to his Cross It is true all for whom he did this do not instantly actually apprehend and perceive it which is impossible But yet that hinders not but that they have all the Fruits of his Death in actual Right though not in actual Possession which last they cannot have until at least it be made known to them As if a man pay a Ransom for a Prisoner detained in a forreign Country the very day of the Payment and Acceptation of it the Prisoner hath Right to his Liberty though he cannot enjoy it until such time as Tydings of it is brought unto him and a Warrant produced for his Liberty So that that Reason is nothing but a begging {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} 2dly The Satisfaction of Christ by the Payment of the same thing that was in the Obligation is no way prejudicial to that free Gracious Condonation of Sin so often mentioned Gods Gracious Condonation of Sin comprizeth the whole dispensation of Grace towards us in Christ whereof there are Two Parts 1 The laying of our Sin on Christ or making him to be Sin for us which was meerly and purely an act of free Grace 2 The Gracious imputation of the Righteousness of Christ to us or making us the Righteousness of God in him which is no less of Grace and Mercy However that Remission Grace and Pardon which is in God for Sinners is not opposed to Christs Merits but ours He pardoneth all to us but he spareth not his only Son The freedom then of Pardon hath not its Foundation in any defect of the Merit or Satisfaction of Christ but in Three other things 1 The Will of God freely appointing this Satisfaction of Christ Joh. 3. 10. Rom. 5. 8. 2 In a Gracious Acceptation of that decreed Satisfaction in our steads so many no more 3 In a free Application of the Death of Christ unto us Remission then excludes not a full Satisfaction by the solution of the very thing in the Obligation but only the solution or Satisfaction of him to whom Remission is granted c. All that is here Affirmed may be Reduced to these Heads 1 Actual freedom from the Obligation is the immediate Fruit of the Death of Christ understand such an Immediation as I have often described 2 Hence Christ is said actually or ipso facto to deliver us because our Deliverance which is to be accomplished sub Termino is the infallible absolute immediate Issue and Product of what he did for us Actual and ipso facto are opposed to the Intervention of any such thing as should make our Deliverance to be only Potential or Conditional 3 Those for whom Christ doth work this Deliverance are not as to a simulty of time actually delivered They neither enjoy nor are acquainted with any such Deliverance until the appointed time be come but have actual right thereunto to possess it in due Season This being the sum and plain Intendment of that place I suppose there will not need any operous Endeavour to remove the Objections that are laid against it And therefore to that before expressed I say Christ hath actually and ipso facto procured our Deliverance Hence we have actual right unto it but not actual possession of it And where the difficulty of this should rest I know not Men may as oft as they please create Contradictions in their own minds and entangle themselves with Doubts in the Knots which themselves have tyed But 2 Saith he Knowledge and Possession of a Deliverance are far different things Answ. 1 He maketh them so who plainly intimates That the Reason why it is not apprehended is Because it is not possessed and alwayes speaks disjunctively of them 2 Besides This Proposition of the distance of these Two is not universally true as I could easily demonstrate 3 Our Knowledge therefore he ads doth not give us Possession so that the Similitude sails for it is the Creditors Knowledge and Satisfaction that is requisite to Deliverance and our Creditor was not in a far and strange Country but knew immediatly and could either have made us quickly know or turned us free before we had known the Cause Answ. 1 Whether or no or how far Knowledge gives us Possession I shall not now Dispute only considering in what sense Knowledge is here used and often in the Scripture the Deliverance also spoken of being such as no small part thereof consists in this Knowledge and without it in the seed at least is not I cannot but say That such kind of Affirmations in things of this weight are very slender proofs Yea further Whereas the Enjoyment of this Deliverance is either as to the Being of it or to the Comfort of it the Latter is given us by this Knowledge meerly the Former consists therein mainly Joh. 17. 3. 2 Similitudes are allowed their Grains to make them Current But yet as our Creditors Knowledge and Satisfaction is required to our Deliverance so not that only but ours also as to our actual Enjoyment of it It is true he could have made us quickly know it but who hath been his Counsellour this is left to his Sovereign and free disposal our Deliverance being Purchased to be made out in the season thereby appointed But That God could have made us free before we knew the Cause supposing his Constitution of the way of Salvation revealed in the Bloud of Jesus which lies at the bottome of all these Disputes is a most Anti-Evangelical Assertion and diametrally opposed to the whole way of Gods dealing with Sinners But he addes 4 Neither can it be understood how God can so long deny us the Possession of Heaven if we had such actual absolute Right so long
intended or the actual taking of Sinners into Covenant by working an acceptance of it upon their Spirits and obedience to the Condition of it in their hearts then though the satisfaction of Christ be antecedent here unto yet it is not thence antecedent to the new Covenant For the new Covenant and taking into Covenant are distinct This then being assigned unto God after our manner of Apprehension the next Enquiry is into the State and Condition of those Persons who are the peculiar Object of the act of Gods Will before described in reference thereunto antecedaneous to all Consideration of the Death of Christ and all Efficacy thereof The Scripture speaking of them in this Condition saith That they are beloved Rom. 9. 13. Rom. 11. 28. Elected Eph. 14. Ordained unto eternal life Acts 13. 48. 2 Thess. 2 13. Whether only the Eternal Actings of the Will of God towards them or also their own change either Actual in respect of real State and Condition or Relative in reference to the Purpose of GOD is not certainly evident Hereunto then I Propose these Two Things 1 By the Eternal Love Purpose and Act of Gods Will towards them that shall be saved who are so from thence they are not actually changed from that Condition which is common to them with all the Sons of men after the fall 2 By vertue of that Love alone they have not so much as Personal Right unto any of those things which are the proper Effects of that LOVE and which it produceth in due season beseemingly to the Wisdome and Justice of God Either of these ASSERTIONS shall be briefly proved For the First it is manifest 1 From that Act of Gods Will which to this Love is Contradistinct What change is wrought in the Loved or Elected by the Purpose of God according to Election an answerable Change must be wrought in the hated and appointed to condemnation by the Decree of Reprobation Now that this should really alter the Condition of men and actually dispose them under the Consequences of that Purpose cannot be granted 2 Anallogie from other Eternal Purposes of God gives a Demonstration hereof The Eternal Purposes of the divine Will for the Creation of the World out of Nothing left that Nothing as very nothing as ever until an Act of Almighty Power gave in the beginning Existence and Being to the things that are seen Things have their certain Fructurition not instant actual Existence from the Eternal Purposes of God concerning them 3 The Scripture plainly placeth all men in the same State and Condition before Conversion and Reconciliation We have proved That Jews and Gentiles are all under sin Rom. 3. 9 10. So every mouth is stopped and all the World is become guilty before God verse 19. All being by nature Children of wrath Eph. 2. 3. The Condition of all in Vnregeneracy is really one and the same Those who think it is a mistaken Apprehension in the Elect to think so are certainly too much mistaken in that Apprehension He that believeth not the Son the wrath of God abideth on him Joh. 3. 36. If the mis-apprehension be as as they say it is Unbelief it leaves them in whom it is under the wrath of God He that would see this further cleered and confirmed may consult my Treatise of REDEMPTION Lib. 3. Cap. 8. where it is purposely and expresly handled at large Hence Mr Baxter may have some directions how to dispose of that Censure concerning me which yet he is pleased to say That he suspendeth page 158. viz. That I should affirm Justification to be nothing but the manifestation of Eternal Love which I have more then in one place or two Expresly opposed That any one should but here and there consult a few Lines or Leaves of my Treatise I no way blame In such things we all use our Liberty but that upon so sleight a view as cannot possibly represent the Frame Structure and Coherence of my Judgment in any particular to undertake a Confutation and Censure of it cannot well be done without some regreet to candid Ingenuity For the Second Assertion laid down which goeth somthing farther then the former it is easily deduced from the same Principles therewithal I shall therefore adde only one ARGUMENT for the Confirmation thereof God having appointed that his Eternal Love in the Fruits thereof should be no otherwayes Communicated but only in and by Christ all right thereunto must of necessity be of his procurement and Purchasing Yea the End of the Mediation of the Lord Jesus is To give Right Title and Possession in their several Order and seasons unto and in all the Fruits Issues and Tendency's of that Love unto them whose Mediator he is appointed to be Thus far then all is seated in the bosome of the Almighty All differencing Acts of Grace flowing from hence being to be made out as seems Good unto him in his Infinite wise Sovereignty from whence alone is the disposal of all these things as to that Order which may most conduce to his Glory And this also writes vanity upon the Objection insisted on by Mr Baxter page 157. that when we have a Right we must presently have a Possession All these things being to be moderated according to his free Sovereign disposal And this concerneth the FIRST INSTANT proposed CAP. VIII Of the Will of God in Reference to them for whom Christ died immediately upon the Consideration of his Death and their State and Condition before actual Believing in Relation thereunto THE Second Instant Proposed to be Considered is In the immediate Issue of the Death of Christ as Purposed and accomplished Purpose and Accomplishment are indeed different but their Effects in respect of God are the same In reference to us also the Death of Christ hath the same Efficacy as promised and as performed What Acts the Scripture ascribes unto God antecedent unto any Consideration of the Death of Christ or at least such as are absolutely free and of Sovereignty without any influence of causality from thence we saw before for as for the order of Gods Decrees compared among themselves I will not with any one Contend Here we enquire what it holdeth out of him that being in all its Efficacy supposed And we Affirme 1 That the Will of God is not moved to any thing thereby nor changed into any other Respect towards those for whom Christ died then what it had before This was formerly proved and must again be touched on But 2 The Death of Christ purposed and accounted effectual as before God can agreeable to his infinite Justice Wisdome Truth and appointment make out unto sinners for whom Christ died or was to die all those good things which he before purposed and Willed by such means to them those things being purchased and procured and all hinderances of bestowing them being removed by that Satisfaction and Merit which by free Compact he Agreed and Consented should be in that Death of Christ