Obedience as the Security of his Pardon and Glory and he hath the Gospel to plead as what gives him upon his believing a Right to use that Plea What Christ hath done answers all the Benefits Christ's Gospel applies what Christ hath so done and gives the Benefits for it Faith is the Condition of the Person to whom the Gospel applies Christ's Righteousness and gives the Benefits But is not that for which any thing is given or by which it 's purchased It determineth the Legatees in Christ's Testamentary Absolution and Gifts which he bequeaths to Believers and confines to them therein Exh. 1. Be watchful that you set no Grace Duty or Work of yours into the Place of Christ's Righteousness Do not think any thing you do answers the LAw of Works or any way proportioned to governing Justice Dread a Thought that any thing is due to thy best Duty as of Debt Rom. 4.4 5. Whatever seem to be good Works are wholly vain highly provoking to God affronting to Christ and Snares to your selves if you think they are a Christ or instead of a Christ to you And this you are guilty of if you think you hereby attone for your Sins or merit Glory at the Hand of governing Justice will you rob Christ of his Glory who satisfied for all your Sins and purchased all Blessings alone and who freely gives you but the Fruits of his own Purchase whatever Terms he insists on for the dispensing of his Gifts in a Way most honourable to himself and profitable to you Exh. 2. Yet do not thrust your Graces or Duties out of the Place where Christ by the Gospel Promises hath set them He knew what was consistent with his Honour and that it would not be injurious thereto to insist upon Terms of the Application of his Righteousness and the Communication of the Fruits thereof in a way of governing Grace though as Sovereign Proprietor he gave the Power to perform those Terms He thinks not himself debased by giving out his Acquests as a Priest upon his Throne or erecting a Gospel Kingdom as a Redeemer of lost Man which the Gospel Dispensation is generally called as if of purpose to secure the Gospel Law Mat. 4.23 1 Cor. 15.24 Search carefully whether the Spirit of God hath wrought in you the Conditions of the Benefits of the Gospel Covenant These are necessary to your actual obtaining of any Benefit promised to them respectively and you expect those Benefits without God's Promise yea against God's Word if you neglect to act the Grace the Promise is made to On the other hand you distrust God's Promise in not assuredly expecting the Benefit for Christ's Sake when you have the Graces to which the Promise is made The Gospel doth not deceive us when it encourageth to Duty by Benefits as Rev. 22.14 Blessed are they that do his Commandments that they may have Right to the Tree of Life Rom. 10.9 If thou confess with thy Mouth and believe with thy Heart thou shalt be saved Be thou faithful unto Death and I will give thee a Crown of Life Will Christ fail to do what his Mouth hath uttered though he display his Grace in giving us that Assurance upon such Duties Christ's Righteousness will be applied in making good every Gospel Promise How unsavory then is it for any one to say that all your Obedience avails no more to justifie you than your worst Sins It 's true no Duty is our Righteousness for which we are justified but it 's as true that the Obedience and great Duty of Faith signifies more to our Justification than that worst Sin of Unbelief for Christ's Righteousness will never be applied to us for our Justification unless we believe and if we believe we shall certainly be justified by Christ's Righteousness Oh Sirs Woe to us at the last Day if we are found to have nothing but the vilest Sins and no Graces or Duties for then will God judge us by the Gospel whether we are believers or unbelievers Obedient or Disobedient to the Gospel Godly or Wicked Precious or Vile see Rom. 2.6 to 13. And Be not deceived God is not mocked whatsoever a Man soweth that shall he reap Gal. 6.7 We may have Boldness in the Day of Iudgment because as he is so are we in this World 1 Joh. 4.17 Little Children let no Man deceive you He that doth Righteousness is Righteous 1 Joh. 3.7 whatever Christ by his Gospel promiseth upon any Duty we follow after that in being earnest with God in Christ for Ability to do that Duty and if by Grace we are enabled thereto we may rejoyce in God's Truth and be sure that in the Righteousness of Christ he will perform that Promise to us whereas if we neglect the Duty we wickedly presume to expect that Blessing and abuse and prophane the Name of Christ and his Righteousness in thinking that we may have that Blessing by his Righteousness though we impenitently persist in our Neglects The Reason is this Christ in his Gospel-promises hath declared how the Effects of his Righteousness shall be dispensed to Men and designeth thereby to govern our Hopes and Fears now and to judge us at the last Day 2. The second Sense wherein we are made Righteous by Christ's Obedience I should now insist on but I have already declared what may inform you somewhat thereof nor have I room to pursue it only let me hint 1. That Faith Repentance Holiness c. are a Real Righteousness they are oft called so by the Holy Ghost and Men are denominated Righteous thereby Nay these are called Righteousness and Men said to be Righteous with respect to those abundantly oftner than on the account of the imputed Righteousness of Christ 1 Iohn 3.7 1 Tim. 1.9 1 Pet. 4.18 Rom. 6.13 16 c. 2. All our Inherent Righteousness is owing to Christ's Obedience and to effect it was one of the Principal Designs of Redemption The Impunity of Sinners is a lower Design than the Restoration of the Divine Image to depraved Man Tit. 2.14 Eph. 4.20.24.13 He purchased our Graces and mainly attends to the Mortifying of Sin and perfecting the Holiness of his Members and will at last present them to the Father fit for his delight Eph. 5.27 3. The Oeconomy of Redemption is such that the Holy Ghost is to have a great hand in Saving Sinners especially in applying Christ's Righteousness to Men and communicating the Effects thereof Hence 1 Cor. 6.11 We are justified in the Name of the Lord Iesus and by the Spirit of our God The Father gives the Redeemer the Redeemer pays the Price of Redemption the Holy Spirit applies the Price The Father gives his Son to obey for Righteousness the Son by Obeying acquireth the Righteousness the Spirit quickens and works Faith in the Sinner whereby he becomes the Person Justified by his Righteousness according to the Gospel-rule of its Application which Rule was joyntly enacted by Father Son and Spirit It 's as
a Saviour ordained to recover and actually save a certain number of these And for this to be in his suffering Nature to be rewarded and eternally exalted receiving the Praises of his saved ones fully answers the Account the Scripture gives of the Oeconomy of Redemption Rev. 1.5 6. Man is supposed thus fallen in all the. Texts which Mr. M. cites for God's Design of a Revenue of Glory to his Son from the Elect Eph. 1.3 4 5 6. We are chosen in Christ in what State You 'll see that by the Nature of the Blessings we are to obtain by him to be holy who were by the Fall unholy To be without Blame before him in Love who were so reproveable and hateful to the Adoption of Children who had by Sin lost our natural Birthright and become Aliens accepted in the Beloved to the Praise of the Glory of his Grace who had made our selves unacceptable and Condemnable in the Eye of Justice Redemption in him and Forgiveness of Sin according to the Riches of his Grace who had enslaved our selves committed Sin and were incapable to redeem our selves make Atonement or merit our Recovery And then he addeth Vers. 8. That in all this he abounded towards us in all Wisdom and Prudence Amazing Wisdom To find a Way to sanctifie the depraved justifie the blamable love the hateful adopt the alien accept the vile and unworthy whom Justice condemned redeem the captive and forgive the guilty Sinner Here 's Work for all Wisdom and Prudence to abound much more than it was to resolve first to glorifie the Son of God and then find out a Way for it by designing to make Men fall into Misery and Death that he might come to this Glory by it Look into Vers. 9. and you 'll see that according to what I have shewen to be the Apostle's Model he concludes this is the Counsel of God's Will and his Purpose in himself even to recover by Christ Sinners thus in his Eye fallen and miserable The same Sense is plain in Rev. 5.11 12.2 Thess. 1.10 Eph. 4.13 I confess when I consider some Mens Temper I am at a Loss whether they are led by what themselves are to think of God as so cruel and far from Goodness or that the strange Representations of God which they believe do form them to what they think is his Resemblance Would any Divine else dare to preach that God took the Sin of Adam and squeezed out the Quintessence of it into the Humane Nature to propagate to the World And God took delight to see the Wicked Sin as one that sets Rats-bane to kill Rats looked through the Key-hole with delight to see the Rats eating the Rats-bane knowing it would kill them so God looked at the Wicked through his Fingers with Pleasure to see them Sinning knowing it would destroy them And the Spirit of God striving with Sinners did Enlighten them Reform them c. But why did he thus strive with many whom he did resolve he would never Save It was that they might be brought to those higher Degrees of Torments in Hell which he had fore-ordained them to As Iudas went to his own place that is to the higher Torments in Hell which God had decreed him to he could not come to this but by falling from his Apostleship he could not fall from his Apostleship if he had not been an Apostle and he could not have been an Apostle if the Spirit of God had not striven with him Mr. M. I suppose hath not forgotten these unsavory Passages which I do not think I have varied a word of at least I am sure this is the Substance and not aggravated at all as I have abundant Witnesses to prove 3. He mistakes what is the Glory of God as to its principal Sense this consists in his Essential Perfections as in himself yea the Manifestative Glory of God Father and Son is not so much in the Creatures Acknowledgments as in the display of his own Perfections in a way commanding their Admiration and Love Mens Hosanna's are a poor-thing comparatively even therewith He made all things for his Glory i. e. To express thereby his Wisdom Goodness Power Justice c. His Glory shines forth more in the Impresses of his Excellencies on any Being than in their Thankful Returns of Gratitude to him or Oral mention of his Praises Men by these do their Duty and contribute to their own Good but add not to his Glory yea his manifestative Glory is not hereby so promoted by those Men as by his Image on them and his Authority acknowledged by their Obedience and Good Works Matt. 5.16 God is glorified by Christ as Redeemer in our Nature as his Government was honoured Justice satisfied his Hatred to Sin expressed his Image restored his Authority among men acknowledged his Blessed Nature exemplified in the Humane Nature and Behaviour of Christ his Love and Mercy to Sinners made manifest by his Death By these I say much more than that some few Men do own him to be the Son of God yea our Redeemer even as in our Nature is more glorified by honouring God vindicating his Government from Contempt opening a way for Mercy to exert it self without Injury to God's Holiness or Justice accomplishing God's Purposes and Promises having all Fullness of Grace in him Authority and Judgment committed to him defeating Satan's Projects and breaking his Strength and Power even by the Humane Nature his giving his Spirit restoring the Image of God to a degenerate World rendring Men subject to the Divine Laws Imitaters of his Example subject to his Authority 2 Thess. 1.10 raising the Dead judging the World his wise equal and effectual Managing his Kingdom c. he is by them honoured I say far more than in a few Persons acknowledging his Sonship and being that his Sonship became obscured by his dwelling in Flesh I admire that Mr. M. would place the Vpshot of Christ's acquired Glory in the Elects Acknowledgment of his Sonship as if he took a Vail to do and suffer so much chiefly if not only to buy off its being a Vail 4. He leaves out the Holy Spirit as to the mention of any Gâ—â—â—y designed to him in the Oeconomy of the Salvation of Sinners Yet sure the Eternal Spirit hath a Glory Superior to Christ's Humane Nature and a Right thereto Superior to Christ's acquired Right Yea we are Baptised as Redeemed ones into or in the Name of the Father Son and Holy Ghost Matt. 28. But with these Men his Honour is little regarded he shall not have a Hand so much as to render some Sinners to be the Persons that shall rather than others be invested in Christ's Right to any Saving Benefits according to a Gospel-Rule Though God hath so wisely contrived the Acknowledgment of Father Son and Spirit in the Saving of Sinners the Father gives and sends his Son to Redeem the Son pays the Price of Redemption the Holy Spirit applies it by rendring Sinners
〈◊〉 tâ—â—â— all hâ—ve 〈…〉 4 Pro. That the Glory of Governing Justice might not suffer by the saving of Sinners there must be a Satisfaction for the Offence they committed and a Meritorious Price for the good to be dispensed to them Gods Government must not be Arraigned before Angels or Men as weak Nor would the Justice of God seem an approver of Rebellion by admitting Sin to pass unpunished nor admit such an occasion of Disobedience to his Government By Satisfaction I mean that which fully vindicates the Reputative Glory of Justice so injur'd by Sin and secures the ends of Government By Merit I intend that which Governing Justice adjudged proportionable to the Benefit to be conferred on the Sinners 5 Pro. Sinners being utterly incapable for this God our Lawgiver did Ordain and Admit Christ with his Consent to be the Redeemer and Saviour of lost Sinners by making Satisfaction for Sin and Meriting the forfeited Blessings and much greater for them Hâ—b 3.2 he was appointed This was an act of the Lawgiver as above the Law but it was not by the Law of Works Yea God dispensed with the Law of Works in admittiâ—g Christs Sufferings and Obedience to be Satisfactory and Meritorious for Offendors That Law knew no vicarious Obedience or Punishment The Soul that Sins must Diâ— â—â—d nâ—â— another for it was the Language of the Law Divine Grace and Sovereignty â—erâ— exert themselves to answer the Eâ—ds of the Law by substituting a Saviour of lost Souls 6 Pro. It was in the Covenant of Redemption wherein it was adjusted and agreed what should be thus Satisfactory and Meritorious and so effectual to save Sinners Is. 53.10 11 12. Ps. 40.6 7 8. Zeâ—h 6.13 Ioh. 17.4 The Parties in this Covenant are the Father and Spirit on the one part and the Son on the other Whatever Christ suffered in time and all the Obedience he yielded were terms proposed to him and accepted by him In that Volume were Recorded what his Work and Rewards were to be and of the later the Salvation of his Members is a part What he herein submitted to he became obliged as an act of Faithfulness to perform Whatever was herein promised him he had a right to receive and did accordingly Claim By this Compact he agreed to be a Subject and Servant and hence the Law of Mediation did Commence as Binding By this Compact his Obedience and Sufferings became a Satisfaction that otherwise had been Uneffectual Satisfaction imports a Refuseableness antecedently to an Agreement And hence we may perceive that though what Christ paid was a â—ull equivalent yet it was not in all things the same in kind as Man was obliged to True Justice took care that all was inserted into this Covenant as Christs Work which was necessary to the Reparation of its Glory And hence the great Essentials of the Law of Works were inserted as Articles to be performed by Christ viz. Sinless Obedience aâ— a Man which is the Sum of the Precept and Death the substance of the Threatning and these to be done and suffered in the Human Nature Nevertheless some things in the Threat were incompetent to him as Spiritual Death the Hatred of God c. Many Precepts were not agreeable to his Circumstances all which were omitted Nay many things which the Law of Works never injoyn'd on Men were necessary to be done by the Redeemer and therefore were superadded From this Covenant ariseth the immediate Obligation of Christ to all his Obedience as well as the Rule and Measure of it And from this his Title to all the Reward much of which the premiant Sanction of the Law of Works never contained and could never give a right to No doubt that in this Covenant were adjusted the terms of the application of Redemption to Men which the Gospel Covenant doth enjoyn which I suppose the Assembly mean when they join the Covenant of Redemption and the Gospel Covenant together and say it was made with Christ as the second Adam But they cannot intend that Christ obliged himself to perform Personally all the Terms of the application of his purchased Benefits to us as he did the Terms of the Impetration of those Benefits He bound not himself to Repent and Believe for us tho' he did to Die for us yea and as Surety of the Gospel Covenant he engaged that the Elect should Repent Believe and Persevere But yet the Benefits should be applied to Men upon their Personal Believing and they are required by the Gospel so to Believe and become themselves federating parties in the Gospel Covenant This runs throughout the Assemblies Confession and Catechisms As when they say Faith is required by the Covenant as a Condition to Interest us in Christ large Catechism Q. 32. And they say Q. 153. That we may escape the Wrath and Curse of God due to us by reason of the Transgression of the Law God requireth of us Repentance towards God and Faith towards our Lord Jesus and the diligent use of outward means whereby Christ communicates to us the Benefits of his Mediation You have the same in the lesser Catechism And they oft tell us of Promises made to Graces c. by which and much more its plain that Conditions are required of Men. 7 Pro. Satisfaction being to be made for innumerable Sins committed and not only forfeited â—â—essings but even greater to be Merited and that for many the Obedience of Christ must exceed what the Law of Works injoyned on Mankind as the condition of its Reward What was necessary from every single Man for himself could not by Legal Justice be sufficient from one Man for all others that omitted it Now the Law required Obedience to its Precepts from every single Man That could not Merit the Reward for Sinners which was but necessary to an Innocent Mans Title to the Reward But what the Law requir'd was necessary to Innocent Mans obtaining the Reward though he had not Sinned before That which was by Governing Justice adjudged but proportionable to a less Reward could not Merie a greater Reward But whatever the Law of Works required was but proportioned to its lesser Rewards Lesser I call them though I allow them to be an Eternal Felicity in another World yet these were not Union with Christ nor such a degree of Conformity to his Glory c. much less did they include the Rewards promised to Christ for his Obedience as a Name above every Name all Iudgment and Authority with many more all which are the Reward of Christs Obedience As to Expiation of Sin by Punishment for Reconciliation with the offended God the Law enjoins no such Duty nor hinted such a thing It s Threatning was Eternal Death As Eternal Eternity was an ingredient into the Misery of every Sinner and can be removed by nothing but the Law-givers dispensing therewith upon Considerations equally Vindicating the Glory of Justice as this Eternity of Sinners Torments would do And it must be equivalent
adjudged just right to the Rewards promised him for performing the foresaid Conditions The dueness of the Reward to Christ in a way of strict Justice is his Righteousness Ius ad premium it was to him a Reward of Justice and not of Grace because Justice proportioned the Conditions to the Reward and the Reward to the Conditions if it were not so governing Justice never glorified or discover'd it self in the dispensing of Rewards To finish this Point consider 1. The Reward to which Christ hath a Right includes all that was promised to Christ or to others on the account of his Satisfaction and Merits Not only that he should be exalted and have a name above every name Pâ—â—â— 2.8 with whatever Glory or Homage which was to be render'd to him as a Saviour But it comprehends all by the Father promised and by himself bequeathed to his Members as Justification Adoption the Sanctifying Spirit Perseverance and Eternal Glory to his Regenerate Seed As also Regeneration and Faith to all the Elect that they may be raised to be a Seed to him and united with him 2. The Lord Jesus was solemnly adjudged to have performed all the Conditions and to have a Legal Right to all this Reward His Righteousness was adjudged he was justified as foretold Is. 50.8 God by Voice declared this but it was more manifest in his Resurrection and yet more in his Solemn Enthroning in the Heavens where he sits at Gods right hand Heb. 8.1 Yea he had Authority given him to execute his own Right Ioh. 5.27 Exh. Rejoyce and Glory in the Perfection of Christs Righteousness You see that in all respects it's compleat The Law of Redemption prescribed as became Gods Essential Justice to propose To these Governing Justice annexed a due Reward upon performing the Conditions the perfectly Holy Jesus had a right to all the Reward and was solemnly adjudged to have performed the Conditions and to have that Right to the Reward His Right is founded in a full performance of the Conditions which includes a full Conformity to the Law of Works yea and what far exceeds it In this then we may glory there 's no blot in his performance there 's no flaw in his right Can Sinners need anymore than this applied for it will serve to all the purposes it 's designed to Oh! Christian honour it by laying the stress of thy Hopes and Comfort on it and clearing thy Interest in it above all good it answers guilt weakness yea thy want of all things except that without which it cannot be applied to thee nor its effects attained viz. a Penitential Faith When thy Body rotteth in the Grave because of Sin thy Spirit will be safe and Eternally live on the account of this Righteousness Rom. 8.10 thou mayest chearfully venture thy Soul upon it 6 Pro. The Lord Jesus is and always will be possessed of this Righteousness in his own Person In the Lord have I Righteousness and Strength Is. 45.14 with respect to this it 's said our Redemption is in Christ by which we are justified Rom. 3.24 The Meriting Acts are over as Acts but the Merit never ceaseth His Sufferings are past but the Righteousness acquired thereby remains it 's not only their Vertue simply that continues but the Righteousness or Right founded thereon abideth He hath a Right to Faith for all the Elect who are yet uncalled he hath a Title to Pardon for all True Believers he hath a Right to Eternal Glory for all Persevering Saints There is our Right best secured It is for the Righteousness that is in Christ that we are acquitted and adopted and on it as in him we must still depend Exh. Sinners and Saints look to Christ as having in him a full Righteousness Let this Commend him to thy Acceptance and Trust. Sinners you need him on this very account to answer for your Unrighteousness all his Offers and Calls should have power with you from this very motive he hath a perfect Righteousness it were else in vain to believe in him it were to no purpose to repent and turn to him were not he by this Righteousness mighty to save thee an answer to his Call might not be expected But know with assurance that he is a Fountain deep enough for thy Uncleanness Zech. 13.1 The Son of Righteousness hath healing under his Wings Mal. 4.1 and peace and glory in his power You may trust the Promises by which the Gospel allureth you to Christ for as amazing as the Good is which they contain they are by his Righteousness Yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1.20 but take care of separating his Person from his Righteousness you must accept of him as a whole Christ if you hope for good by his Righteousness and your Faith must be directed to him in a firm dependance and entire subjection or he 'll be to you as unuseful as if he had not this fullness of Righteousness 7 Pro. All Graces and Saving Benefits are dispensed to Men in the Righteousness of Christ. By his Satisfaction he render'd it consistent with the Perfections of God to visit blind Souls with his light and surprize the dead with spiritual life on Christs account the Spirit descends to strive with the rebellious and awake the sleepy His Regenerating Influences are the effects of Christs Merits he acts as the Spirit of Christ. I do not mean that Christ's Righteousness is imputed to Men in order to the working of Faith in them as it is in order to Pardon you may as well say it 's imputed to Men in order to the preaching of the Gospel to them for that 's an effect of Christ's Righteousness but these are the result of a Divine Constitution wherein Christ is acknowledged but no right in Men supposed The first Grace is absolute and an arbitrary act as to any claim the Sinners hath Though Christ hath a right to the Elects being brought to believe yet he transfers not his right to the Elect who till they believe are not united to him and so are Aliens to his Righteousness But God hath an Eye to the Merits of Jesus in all his Grants and Gifts from first to last from the least to the greatest When he forgives Sin it is a rendring to us what is purchas'd by Christ's Blood Eph. 4.32 It is a giving forth of what he hath bought We are made Kings and Priests as a proper Reward to Christ and a Testimony to his Righteousness Exh. Say of every Saving Benefit and of all Graces This I receive because the Lord Iesus hath a full Righteousness The Heavens had been Brass as to Vital Influences but for this The Word had been a dead condemning Letter but for this My Sins had been eternally sealed up among his Treasures Pledges of his Love to my Soul I had never found my Prayers would have been excluded audience Christian Hopes and Comforts I had not intermeddled with but that Christ is Righteous yea perfectly so But because his Righteousness
do his Commands that they may have right to the Tree of Life Mr. M. saith you are gone if you expect it Christ saith Luke 21.36 Watch and Pray always that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man Mr. M. tells you he thinks it Inconsistent with Faith to do so 11. They effectually strike at Christ's Government in one of the Principal Means he hath pitched on to administer it by in our present State for with them it 's Damnable to be excited to Duty by hope of any good upon Obedience or by fear of missing that Good if we obey not And so in Truth Promises and Threats are Nullities as to God's Government Hence Mr. M. resolves all the Reasons of Obedience into Motives of what God hath done for us Page 70. Indeed they are Motives but they are not the only Motives nor the chief Motives that God makes use of nor what are fittest to impress Mankind yea or Christians whilst they be so Imperfect and encompassed with Sâ—ares We see they restrain not Wrath Malice Faction c. in too many How dare Men say Is it Damning to submit to such Arguments which God so often useth from future Rewards and Punishments because he sometimes moves us from past Privileges or present Decencies Yea though you should add the Authority of the Precepts whilst you divest them of all Promises and Threatnings to invigorate Mens Compliances therewith We say Frustra est praecipere quod impune potest negligi Christ saith Iohn 13.17 If you know these things happy are you if you do them John 12 48 He that rejecteth me and receives not my words hath one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken that shall judge him Gal. 6.7 8. Be not deceived God is not mocked what a Man soweth that shall he reap For he that soweth to the Flesh shall of the Flesh reap Corruption but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life Everlasting I might transcribe the greatest part of the Bible to prove this 12. They dreadfully Contradict themselves in all the profitable Sermons they preach Mr. M. saith it 's a Damnable Error in me to say that God gives any Benefit in a way of Reward or Encouragement upon Believing though not as a Debt or as if Faith merited ought yea and it 's in and for Christ's Righteousness that it is given Yet hear himself Page 68. Oh get Faith see that you Believe for in this way it will come to pass that the Righteousness of Christ shall be upon you If a Man should ask him Doth God command me to believe Ans. Yes But doth God by you perswade me to believe by this Argument That Christ's Righteousness shall be upon me Ans. Yes sure or it 's a meer Delusion Q. Well but shall I have it upon my Believing A. Yes it is in this way But will it be upon me if I believe not Ans. No I have told you Page 66. Your Souls shall go down into Hell Qu. Do you intend that I may tell my own backward Heart If thou wilt believe thou shalt have an Interest in this Blessed Righteousness and so urge the Worth of this and the Necessity of Believing upon my Soul I suppose Mr. M. must here suspend But if I ask may I expect assuredly when I am through Grace enabled to believe that upon this God will put the Righteousness of Christ upon me and make good the word wherein he caused me to hope viz. That if I did Believe the Righteousness of Christ should be upon me Here Mr. M. by his Principle must cry out O No this is to follow a Soul-destroying Error if there be any in the World Page 46. But Sir I will not plead my Faith as any Merit but only plead the Promise God is pleased to make to my Faith and rely on that word now that I have Faith Mr. M. yet that 's Damnable for then it comes in a way of Reward Then I ask again If that be Damnable Pray why did you use this Motive in the name of Christ to perswade me to believe How could it be a Motive to Faith if I was not to expect it upon believing And if I was to expect it before I believed in case that I would believe Why may not I expect it now that I do believe I know not what Answer Mr. M. will make unless 1. It 's something done by Man Or 2. God will be still at liberty to perform or not perform the Benefit though he did promise it Or 3. He will not perform it in the way he promised it that is He promised it as an Encouragement to you if you would believe but he will not accomplish it as an Encouragement now thaâ— you do believe nor seem so much to approve of your Faith The first were Silly because it was a Man was perswaded to do this eveâ— to believe for I hope it 's a Humane Act though by the Spirits Power The second is to impeach the Truth of God's Word The third is a weak Foppery as if it were a Dishonour to God to give the Benefit in the way he chose to use it as a Motive to the Duty especially when as Mr. M. owneth it 's by the Gospel-word that God puts this Righteousness on us which is the very same Word whereby he urgeth this Benefit as a Motive to Man's Believing If I again ask Why Mr. M. would by this Motive thus perswade Sinners to Believe He would I hope say This is the way God hath ordained to convert them to the Faith But why dare he Preach thus when it implies what he calls a Damning Error or else it 's a meer Mockery I 'll answer for him He had a mind to venture a Contradiction rather than be wholly useless to those People whom he designed to frighten from the Ministry of others as Damnable that he and his Party might be more considerable Reader Would'st thou know whence comes this Confusion I 'll tell thee it is Because they consider not 1. That though the Gospel be not a Law wherein Governing Justice displays it self in the Adjustment of Benefits to the Duty yet therein there is a Governing Authority in a way of Grace suitable to the State of Men in the dispensing of the Fruits of Christ's Death 2. That a Reward of Grace is quite another thing than a Reward of Debt 3. That all Gospel-Benefits are given in Christ's Right and are the Effects of his Righteousness applied to all that partake of them 4. That all Gospel-Precepts and Promises do Authoritatively appoint and describe the Persons that are Parâ—â—kers of Benefits for the sake of Christ's Righteousness but not their own and not put Men on purchasing these Benefits 5. Yet these do fully distinguish them that shall partake of the Benefits from others that shall not partake of them The Gospel doth hereby fix a
render us the Persons whom it so entitleth thereto And is this nothing though it be not the Righteousness for which we are Justified as legal Obedience was to be 7. He ventures too far in making the Crown of Glory and Justification to be Effects of Remunerative strict Iustice as to us which is untrue notwithstanding Christ's Righteousness is imputed to us P. 12 13 15. Among many other Expressions of this kind he saith It is the Constitution of God that all the Saving Good and Blessing which shall be given us shall be given not only by Free Grace but by the Hand of Justice Reply If he mean only that the Consideration upon which all Saving Good was granted is a Righteousness that answered strict Justice I grant it But to say which he seems fully to intend that the Righteousness of Christ is so impured to us as that Benefits are actually conferred on us in a way of Remunerative Justice as to us I deny and say it is a Thousand Fold worse than they whom he Condemns durst ever have a thought of I own also it 's a Reward of Justice to Christ that Believers should be Justified and Glorified But Justification and Glory are given of meer Grace to those Believers though in a Gospel way of Government They cannot plead Now Lord I have Christ's Righteousness on me I have a Claim to these as a Debt or Reward due to me from Remunerative Justice For though Christ give the Crown in his own Right and his Right to secure that Crown yet he reserves the Claim of Justice to his own Person and we must accept of all even at God's Hand of Gift Sinners shall not have the Saviour's Plea in themselves though he will plead it for their Good There is more Spiritual Pride in this kind of Talk than many imagine â—he Gift of God is Eternal Life even when he gives it and not only as to antecedent Causes we look for the Mercy of Christ to Eternal Life Iude 21. and it 's still for Christ's sake we must intreat and expect and not for our own nor for any thing as it 's ours whatever be the Effect of the Imputation of Christ's Righteousness on us 8. That which he calls telling a Story to us of the deep Counsels of the Wisdom and Grace of God how this Righteousness is upon us from its first and highest Original is in several things an unsafe Account and greatly to the Dishonour of Father Son and Spirit Some parts of it I have already considered I now shall briefly observe these things 1. He strikes at the Essential Glory of the Son of God 2. He describes the Fall of Man very Dishonourable to God 3. He much mistakes what is most properly the Glory of God 4. He leaves out Man's Acknowledgment of the Holy Spirit in the Work of Salvation 1. Mr. M. strikes at the Essential Glory of the Son of God Before I prove this I would premise 1. The Son of God as second Person in the Trinity is equal to the Father in Essence and Glory though he be of the Father as to the Mode and Manner of Subsistence Hence he hath the same Divine Perfections and Glory 2. Whatever is ascribed to Christ before he assumed the Humane Nature must be such as is consistent with his Divine Nature as the Son of God and proper thereto 3. Nothing is added to the Divine Nature as in Christ by its Union to the Humane Nature besides relation to that Humane Nature 4. The Person of the Son of God was compleat before he assumed the Humane Nature and therefore the Humane Nature is no Constitutive part of the Second Person but as Dr. Ameswell saith is only as an Adjunct If Mr. M. mean more it 's horridly Dangerous when he saith P. 8. The Humane Nature belongs to the Constitution of Christ's Person as he now is And looks the worse for his words P. 7. Christ's dwelling in our Nature is no part of the Punishment of Sin for then the Divine Nature only is punished and not the Humane at all nor the Person As if what terminated on one Nature only did not terminate on Christ's Person and by the same Rule the Acts confined to one Nature as their Principle are not the Acts of his Person unless they be the Acts of both Natures 5. Since the Incarnation we frequently meet with a Personal Communication of Properties what is proper to either of the two Natures is ascribed to Christ as God-Man as Christ died c. 6. Yet there is neither a Transfusion or Communication of the Properties of one Nature to the other nor must we ascribe to his Person any thing in any manner that would tend to the Confusion of the two Natures 7. All the Glory or Humiliation that can be justly ascribed to the Son of God as such cannot infer any Change in or Addition to him and must be confined to what is Manifestative and Relative His Glory may appear more but cannot be added to it may be obscured but it cannot be really diminished 8. Hence whatever Addition of real Glory or Afflictive Suffering belongs to Christ it is with respect to his Humane Nature This was only capable of Rewards of being Exalted of being Deferred of God's hiding his Face and Dying I shall now evidence that Mr. M. strikes at the Essential Glory of Christ as the Eternal Son of God 1. He makes Christ as the Eternal Son of God capable of an Addition to his real Glory as God P. 56. God the Father from Eternity begat his Son the Second Person in the Trinity and loving him with an infinite Love designed a special Revenue of Glory and Honour and Praise unto him as from all his Creatures in their Kind and Way so more eminently from and in a certain Number of Mankind c. The End and Vpshot and last Issue that all his Counsels about them comes to is this That they may be brought to the Acknowledgment of the Son of God c. P. 61. You see how the grand Original Design of God to bring in a Revenue of singular Honour and Praise and Glory to his Son Christ is brought about c. I shall presently repeat more Let 's consider 1. It 's plain he intends the Son of God as such It 's he as begotten from Eternity he as the Second Person in the Trinity it 's he as loved with an infinite Love yea from being so infinitely beloved as God's Eternal Son the Contrivance had its Rise The Design in the Vpshot is That he might be acknowledged to be that Son of God It cannot be meant that this Additional Glory might be designed for him as foreseen Mediator or as in Flesh for this Design is the first step and this Glory of the Son is the Original of all the Contrivance He was pursuant to this purpose made a Mediator and legal Head and he tells us to confirm this That for this end of bringing a
dangerous to exclude the Holy Ghost from an Efficiency in framing Sinners for the participating of Blessings in Christ's Right as it is to exclude Christ from the sole Impetration Many little think what a Dishonour and Offence they are to the Holy Ghost in denying an Authoritative Connexion between Duties and Benefits and allowing him no hand in making them the Objects to whom Gospel Benefits are appropriated by its Sanction The Language of such to the Spirit is We are without any Operation of thine on us the Persons entitled to all Benefits Christ hath not only a Right to all these Blessings but we also are fully and constantly invested in that Right without any dependance on thee or Obligation to thee though we own thou workest some of those things after we have a full Right to them and because we have that full Right yet we are at no time indebted to thee for any ways rendring us the Persons to whom that Right is applied or belongs the vilest Wretch in Hell oweth thee as much Thanks on that account I would tremble to hold a Principle whereof this is the Native Language when I see that though the Promises are made in Christ's Right and the Benefits contained in them are his Purchase yet as they require Conditions in such as shall be Partakers of Christ's Right to those Benefits to the Glory of the Son and of the Father who gave his Son so there is a wise Contrivance for the Honour of the Holy Ghost also as it is he who enableth Men to perform those Conditions for a Gospel-Interest in those Benefits A REPLY TO Mr. Mather's Postscript I Shall first consider the Errors Mr. M. chargeth me with and then his Defence of his own The Errors he loads with no lighter Epithets than Damning and Blasphemouâ— Terms agreeable to his long known Temper and Charity He introduceth his Charge with an Ecee This is he he is the Man Would he infer that I am the only Man No the body of Divines except Antinomians affirm as I do And in his Preface it 's his Moan the Number is so great Is it that I am the Man that eminently defend these Alas I can shew him Volumes of the Dead and many are yet Alive whose Defence of my Positions is so Nervous as renders mine truly Inconsiderable as his Opposition thereto Contemptible Sure then it 's either to leave a Mark that his Factious Design may more succeed or to point me the Person designed by him in his Sermons Page 22.64 in words indeed too blunt for a Man of his own Sagacity to need another Comment Yet after all his labour to make the Man sure he hath assigned the Charge so falsly that an Ingenuous Reader will sooner charge him for a base Trick in his Insinuations than me the Patron of the Opinions he would ascribe 1 Charge He is one that makes Vnion to Christ our having this Righteousness upon us and our being Iustified by it to be given us in way of Reward of something done by us Reply My words which he refers to here and Page 46. are these Gospel-Benefits are no Reward of Debt and yet they are given in a way of Reward The Benefits are given not for our Faith yet upon Believing not upon it as a Meriting Consideration yet upon it as that the Presence whereof is made necessary by the Gospel this having required Faith and confined the Benefit to him that believes If a Man saith I 'll give you a Thousand Pounds if you will come to my House and fetch it It is not a Free Gift though the Poor Man must come if he will have it and the Giver is yet bound by his Promise to give it if he come and not bound to give it if he refuse to come Defence of Gospel-Truth P. 25. These are my very words he pretends to mention and no where in my Books can he find the least shadow for more You see 1. I mention only Gospel-Benefits and not Union with Christ or Justification 2. It 's Faith only which I mention and not something done by us by which he would insinuate that other good Works are meant 3. I say it 's upon Believing and not for Faith upon it not as a Meriting Consideration but upon it as that the Presence whereof is made necessary by the Gospel Doth not this sound lower than his Reward of something done by us Vpon it as a thing present and of it as a thing Meriting are very different 4. The occasion of my using these words was this to prove that God by the Gospel injoyns Faith as a Condition of our having those good things which yet he freely gives and that Christ shews his governing Authority in his displays of Grace and excites to Duties by Motives from Benefits freely given and that Gospel-Conditions have no Merit of Condignity or Congruity And 5. I laid the Vmbrage of the way of Reward wholly on the Gospel-Promise and not upon the least Dignity of the Act done God who is our Ruler commands Faith and promiseth as a Motive to Faith the Benefits purchased by Christ as good things Here 's the whole of this Damning Error as far as he could justly call it mine And by this time you 'll discern as little Danger to me by my Opinion as to him by his False and Malicious Attempt to expose my Ministry and Person not to say truth it self yea and the generality of Ministers and Christians who will not stoop to him as Dictator 2. I shall descend into the Merit of the Cause truly stated which is resolved into two Questions 1 Q. When may a Benefit be said to be given in a way of Reward when yet it is not in a way of Debt or Merit or a Reward for the thing done Ans. A thing is thus given in a way of Reward when a Benefit is given in a way of Encouragement of something required yea or desired to be done however small or unvaluable the thing done is or however great the Benefit is If you say to your Child If you 'll make a Bow and Thank me I 'll give you such an Estate When you give him such an Estate upon his so Bowing and Thanking you do give it him in a way of Reward It 's a Gift because that Bow and Thanks deserve not that Estate it 's yet given in a way of Reward since you promised it in a way of Encouragement to his Bow and Thanks Indeed all Gospel-Conditions are but a meet receiving of the Benefits 2 Quest. Whether God doth give Gospel-Benefits in a way of Encouragement to our performing of any Gospel-Duties Ans. Can any one read the Bible and not cease to doubt that the Scope of it were vain in its Proposals and Promises if the thing be otherwise For 1. Are not the Promises of the Gospel Motives to Duty Acts 13.19 Repent and be converted that your Iniquities may be blotted out Matt. 11.28 Come unto me and I