done: that is, the words are abfurd, and fignifie juft Chap. 10. nothing. But if the promifes mide to Saints, were thus conditional, what are thofe made to Chrift?Hath not God faid, That Chrift fhould have a feed, nay, and be fatisfied in it, Ifa. 53. 10, 11? Hath he not faid, nay, fworn to Chrift, That his feed (fuch as believers are should endure for ever; that his throne (a chief part of which is in their hearts ) fhould be as the Sun, Pfal. 89. 35, 36? And are thefe promises conditional alfo? It's true, that there was a condition on Christs part, That he should obey and fuffer for us: but was there any on ours? Muft thefe promifes run thus, Chrift fhall have a feed and a throne if man will? No, the promifes are abfolute; no mention at all is made of mans will. But if the Graces of the Saints may fail, fo may thefe promifes alo. Christ might have no feed, at leaft no enduring one, fuch as may fatisfie him. His throne, at leaft that choice part of it which is in the hearts of the Saints, may utterly fail and come to nothing. If the matter be left to the Lottery of mans will, How is God true to his Son Chrift? Poffibly there might be no feed of new-creatures at all; or if there were, they might flie away from the birth in an utter apoftacy. Nay, what if the event did hit right, and anfwer the promife, yet God is never the truer for that; neither can we fay, that he fulfilled his promise in that event, which was never fecured by his grace, but came to pass as it happened by the lucky hit of mans will. To conclude, Upon the whole matter it appears God hath taken believers into his own hand; their Graces fhall not fail, because his Truth and Faithfulness-can

not

Chap. 10. not; their standing is fure, because his promises cannot fall to the ground.

To add no more: We fee here how we ought in all humility to give Grace its due; and this we cannot do, unless we give it all. Non eft devotionis dediffe prope totum Deo, fed fraudis retinuiffe vel minimum, faith Profper: To give Nine hundred ninety nine parts to Grace, and referve one only to mans will, is more than true devotion will bear: it's juft to give the whole unto God. The Jewish Rabbins fay, That he who receives any good thing in this world without a benediction, is a robber of God: but the greatest facriledg of all is, when we own not the Grace of God in fupernatural bleffings which relate to the world to come; Verè humiles totum Deo reddunt, True humble fouls render all to God. Let us then acknowledg with Jacob, We are less than the least of all his mercies. We were naturally undone, unclean creatures, proper objects of wrath. Why did God fend his Son in the flesh to seek that which was loft, wash us in a laver of his own blood, and bring us into favour with him? We might have been born in the dark places of the earth where Chrift is not named, where the Sun of Righteousness shines not in Pardons and Graces. Why did God place us in a Region of Evangelical light, and fet Jefus Chrift with all his beauties and treasures evidently before us? Under the Gospel there are many blind eyes and hard hearts, many poor fouls dead and buried in a grave of fin. Why did he open our eyes upon heavenly myfteries, and melt our hearts into the Divine will? Why did he raife us up out of our fpiritual graves,

and

*

and quicken us unto a Divine life? There is ftill cor- Chap. 10. ruption within, and temptation without us. Our Graces are weak, and in themselves defectible creatures. Why doth he supply us with fresh influences of grace, and maintain the new-creature in us? Why are we not swallowed up in temptations and corruptions, but kept and preferved to the heavenly Kingdom? Here we must glory in our God, and cry out, Grace, Grace. All the good we have, is from that Fountain. Thus St. Paul afcribes all to Grace; I live, yet not I, but Chrift liveth in me. I labour, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. He acknow. ledges no I-nefs, but afcribes all his spiritual being and working to Grace. I will shut up all with that of Bonaventure, Furti reus eft, qui fibi aliquid retinet, cum Deus dicat, gloriam meam alteri non dabo; He is guilty of Theft, who retains any thing to him felf, when God hath faid, My glory I will not give to another. All glory therefore be to him alone.

СНАР.

CHAP. XI.

Touching Juftification,as to the Law. Chrift's Righte oufneß conftitutes us Righteous. A double imputation: One to the proper Agent, another to thofe in Conjunction; the Conjunctions between Chrift and us; how Chrift's Righteousneß is imputed to us; that it is not only the Meritorious, but Material caufe of our Fuftification; this is proved from that phrafe, The Righteousness of God; from the nature of Juftification; from the parallel of the two Adams; from other phrafes in Scripture; from a pardon as not being the fame with Fuftification; from Christ's fuffering in our ftead; the Objections against imputed Righteousneß answered; what justifies us as to the Gofpel terms; the Neceflity and connexion of a twofold Righteousneß; how we are justified by Faith; how Good Works are neceffary. A fhort Conclufion.

HERE remaineth yet behind one Eminent

piece of Grace; I mean Juftification; this in Luther is, Articulus ftantis & cadentis Ecclefiæ, and in Chemnitius, Arx & propugnaculum Religionis Chriftiana; a Sacred thing it is, and difficult to explain; the true measures of it cannot be taken from any thing but the holy Scripture, where this Myftery is revealed. Touching Juftification there are three things confiderable, viz. First we are conftituted righteous; then efteemed or pronounced fuch; and at laft treated as fuch. The firft conferrs a righteousness upon us; the fecond ownes and declares it; the third gives us the confequent reward thereof.

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