Gods Love to Man and Mans Duty Towards God, Part 2 · Section 11
Ezek. 36.32.
Not for your ſakes do I this, ſaith the Lord God, be it known unto you.
Sect. 11. PROP. XI. There is nothing required in the Covenant of Grace, or that the People of God can perform, which can Merit at Gods Hand, but what the Lord promiſeth upon ſuch or ſuch condition, is as much of Grace, as if it were beſtowed without any Condition.
INdeed a Learned man obſerves, that according to Diſtributive-Governing-Juſtice, ſo Adam might have been ſaid to Merit, doing all that could equally be required of him; that is, keeping the Law of Innocency. Yea, underſtanding Merit, or worthineſs, as nothing elſe but a Moral aptitude for the reward; the Fathers are not to be condemned, that ſpeak of [the Merit of good Works] meaning only according to the Diſtributive, Governing, Paternal Juſtice of God in the Law of Grace. But according to the terms of Commutative Juſtice (which giveth one thing for another, as in Buying and Selling) no Creature can poſſibly Merit at Gods hand, (vid. Mr. Baxt, Chriſtian Directory, p. 129. ſect. 3.1.2, 4. And Preface to Mr. Allain's Diſcourſe, &c. p. 10, 11.) Merit in this laſt ſence… would utterly exclude, and deny Gods Benignity, and Mercy. As Beza in Luke 17.10. Sed & ipſe… Leg is contextus omnem merendi dignitatem excludi… Nihil niſi prorſus gratuitam benignitatem promitten… ipſam obſervantibus: Cum ipſum quoque legale pactum non aliunde quam à mera Dei benignitate proficiſcatur.
But further to cut off occaſion from our Adverſaries here. We grant the Obedience which the Faithful perform by the help of Gods Grace, is not to be reckoned among their ſins. For coming from … right principle, and being directed to a right end, … hath what is Eſſential to an Action Morrally-good; though not coming up to that degree of perfection, which the Law in its Rigour doth require, it is not perfectly good. But this Imperfection is but gradual, and not ſuch as ſpecifieth in an evil action, for the kind of it.
Again, The faithful are worthy, foreign, Rev. 3.4. God accounts them worthy, in his righteous Judgment, accounts them worthy of his Kingdom. But how worthy? Surely not in ſuch a ſence as would Derogate and take off from his Free-Grace, and Chriſts Merits. They are not worthy abſolutely, conſidered ſtrictly in themſelves: But worthy for Chriſts ſake, and worthy comparatively. Of the two, the Saints are more worthy than ſinners. They are rewardable, being in that ſtate, and capacity, to which the reward is graciouſly promiſed. And as there is ſome conveniency betwixt the Seed, and the Fruit, or Crop; betwixt holding out in the Conflict, and wearing the Triumphal Crown; betwixt running out the Race, and bearing away the Prize; betwixt the Means, and the End; ſo betwixt the Obedience of the Faithful, and promiſed Happineſs. We may grant, they have Dignitatem non-repugnantiae, & dignitatem condecentiae. (As Mr. Fenner.) They are not contrarily Affected, and Enclined, but in ſome meaſure diſpoſed and made meet for Heaven. Though they have not Dig…itatem equivalentiae: They can do no ſervice proportionable to ſuch a reward, Rom. 8.17. So they are not worthy in ſtrict Justice, without any thing of Grace or Favour ſhewn them; only it is worthy of God to reward them, not according to their ſlender ſervice, but according to his own Bounty and Munificence.
Note, 1. It is of ſpecial Grace, Vid. Maldonat in John 15.16. collat. cum Gerhard. Har. c. 177. p. 1025. a pr.that any do perform the Condition. And therefore the Creature cannot thus Merit any thing at Gods hand; but rather the contrary, upon this account God merits the greateſt Love, and higheſt praiſes from ſuch of his Creatures. Indeed they are hereby moſt deeply indebted to him, Deo autem nunquid dicimus, redde mihi quia dedi tibi? Quid dedimus Deo, quando totum quod ſumus, & quod habemus boni, ab illo habemus? Nihil ergo ei dedimus. Aug. Cùm duo ſint ad ſe invicem relata, meritum & debitum, profecto meritum eſt ſolius Dei, debitum vero Hominis eſt: licet adverſarii haec invertant, Doceant que debitum eſſe Dei meritum vero Hominis. Rolloc.as they cannot but acknowledg to Eternity, Epheſ. 2.8. By Grace ye are ſaved through Faith, and that not of your ſelves; it is the Gift of God. Nonne hoc modo & liherum Arbitrium, & bonae intentiones, & preparationes fictitiae & meritae, & ſatisfactiones conticeſcant opportet. Calo.
This Faith upon which Salvation is promiſed, … the Gift of his Grace, Phil. 1.29. foreign; therefore Salvation, cannot but be of Grace too. When the Condition is of Grace; the benefit promiſed … not but be of Grace. How ſhould that Merit … us, which is the free Gift of God, which he (… ſpecial Grace) was pleaſed to beſtow on us?
2. (As we have heard alſo) Chriſt hath purchaſed ſaving ſanctifying Grace for all thoſe, who a… tain to it as well as Salvation thereupon. And hence it follows, that there is no proper Merit … in Chriſt. We are to thank Chriſt, both that … have Faith (any of us) and that Salvation is ſun… to them that believe. And one ſays well: How far is the performance of the condition from Meriting the thing promiſed, Great. prapit. p. 198.when Chriſt Died for th… end, that God might juſtifie and ſave them th… perform it. Be thou faithful unto death, ſay… Chriſt, and I will give thee a Crown of Life. An… how impoſſible is it, that our being faithful un… death ſhould Merit the Crown of Life from Chriſt, ſince it was he that purchaſed our Faith and Perſeverance? Surely Chriſt is before-hand with us here; nor can we come ever even with him.
How abſurd is it to ſay, that Chriſt hath Merite… this for us, that our works ſhould Merit? The… inſtead of being ſaved by Chriſt, we ſhould rather be our own Saviours. So we might ſay, to the works of our own hands, (dipt in Chriſts Blood) ye are our Saviours. And what needed Chriſt to have Merited Heaven for us, if we were to merit it by our own works? ſee Gal. 2. ult. It is called the Purchaſed poſſeſſion, in regard of what Chriſt hath done; not that we could purchaſe it by any …ing, we can do. And if it was purchaſed by Chriſt …r the Faithful, then ſurely there is no need, that …ey ſhould purchaſe it anew. If they muſt merit …eaven, this would deny Chriſts having merited it …r them: I ſay, this were a denial of the merit of Chriſt, or a denial of Gods Justice in not giving …eaven to them, when it was purchaſed for them, …ccept they will purchaſe it over again. Or elſe …ey muſt think, that God is behind-hand with …em, if Chriſt hath Merited Heaven for them, and …ey merit Heaven themſelves; one Heaven ſhould …t be enough. What enemies are they to the …race of God, how hard would they make him, … take a double price for the ſame Poſſeſſion?
Yea, the Opinion of mens merits would make …eſus Chriſt the Redeemer indebted to his redeemed …es. O prodigious abſurdity. Is it not plain that … hath power to give eternal life, that he gives …ernal life, Joh. 17.2. And would it not be a ſtrange …ingling of heaven and earth, (horrible confuſion) … a believer to come to Chriſt, and demand of him, …rd give me the life and happineſs, which I have …rited at thy thy hands? Rather is it not he, that …erited for his people, and ſo hath it put into his …ds to give them?
Object. But if ſalvation was purchaſed by Chriſt, … believers, will it not follow, that it is not of …eace?
Anſw. No: it is given for no merits of theirs; …ough for the merits of Chriſt. Indeed it is of …ſtice to Chriſt, becauſe he hath merited ſalvation … believers: but of grace to them, becauſe they …uld no way merit it. But if one ſuppoſeth any merit in them; he therein denyeth, and directly … poſeth that of the Apoſtle Paul, That they are ſa… by grace. If of grace, then not of their own … rit; If of their own merit, then not of grace.
3. How utterly impoſſible it is, and there… incredible, that the moſt eminent Saint ſhould … heaven, who muſt (with Iacob,) acknowledge … ſelf leſs than the leaſt of mercies, and for the ve… leaſt of his ſins deſerving no leſs than hell? Tho… his ſins are pardoned, that he is not bound over … hell and condemnation; yet the reatus ſimplex … maineth, that we muſt ſay of ſuch a pardoned ſinner; if God ſhould deal with him according to … deſerts, he could look for nothing but hell.
If a believing, repenting ſinner, if the moſt hum… mortified ſinner in the world ſhould merit forgi… life and happineſs; then their muſt be more g… neſs, neceſſarily ſuppoſed in his faith, repentance obedience, than there is evil in his ſins: But there more evil in one ſin, than there is good in them perfect obedience of any creature. And if the was more good in a Saints obedience, than evil his ſins; then what need had ſuch of the ſatisfacting of Chriſt; Then Chriſt dyed in vain for them w… might have ſatisfied for themſelves.
Again, while the ſins of a believer do in the own Nature deſerve hell, if he could merit hea… on the other hand by his obedience, then it would … low, that the ſame perſon, at the ſame time ſho… deſerve both to be pardoned, and to be condemne… ſhould both deſerve heaven and hell, ſo the penite ſhould be ſaved, but the ſinner damned.
4. How impoſſible is it that the condition of … Covenant of Grace ſhould be meritorious, when this …ever neceſſarily included, indiſpenſible required, is part of the condition, that we do utterly renounce …ur own righteouſneſs, diſclaim all ſelf-merit, …elf-worthineſs, that we ſee our miſery and deſpe…ate loſt eſtate without the free grace of God in Chriſt, that we freely acknowledg our iniquity, and …deſervings at Gods hand, and put no confidence … the fleſh. Yea we ſhould be aſhamed, and con…ounded in our ſelves, even when the Lord is pacifi…d towards us. And Jeſus Chriſt hath told us: Eve…y one that exalteth himſelf, ſhall be abaſed, and he …hat humbleth himſelf, Theologi Reformati meritò vocem meriti repudiant, quia ſonat aliquid ſuperbum. Le Blank Theſes. Quomodo fides juſtificet, Sect. 57. p. 22.ſhall be …xalted. And hath taught us, when we have done what is com…anded, to ſay, (i. e. to believe …d acknowledg ſeriouſly) that …e are unprofitable ſervants, …nd deſerve not ſo much as …hanks from our Lord and maſter. Luk. 17.9, 10.
And could men doe all, the Co…enant of Grace requires, Si quis devotus, ſi quis ſolicitus, ſi quis ſpiritu fervens, caveat ſibi ne ſuis fidat maritis, ne ſuis in nitatur operibus, alioqui nec hujuſcemodi quidem animum intrat gratia. Bernard. In Annum Dom. ſer. 3.the Co…enant of Grace requires, that is …epent of ſins paſt, turn from ſin, …d ſet upon a ſtrict courſe of obe…ience for time to come, &c. …nd onelyonly fail in this one point of ſaclaiming ſelf-righteouſneſs, and …elf-merit, to abide by the merit …d righteouſneſs of Chriſt alone, …procure their acceptation with God, and ſalvation; I ſay, could men do all, that …e Covenant of Grace requires, beſides this: but … ſtead of denying, and going out of themſelves, …ould relye and depend on their own righteouſneſs as meritorious of the favour of God, &c. they wo… find this but a ſmoother and cleanlier way to hell … know not how better to expreſs it, than in the wo… of a late Writer. As Works every way per… and meritorious (ſuppoſing their were any … would in themſelves hinder pardon by Chr… death, being eſſentially (in their own Natures) … conſiſtent; ſo a mans conceiting his works me… rious, is by Gods Law of Grace, excluded … any intereſt in this propitiation, for he hath … it a part of the Condition, that men be ſenſible their unworthineſs and undone eſtate with Chriſt and pardon. Thus let men go never ſo … do never ſo much, yet an opinion of merit were nough to ſpoil all they doe, and enough to de… them utterly of all ſaving benefit by the Cove… of Grace, they not coming up to the condition o… To ſtand upon our own worthineſs, is to fall … Grace, Gal. 5.4.
5. To hold the beſt works of the moſt grace ſouls meritorious, is to deny the Covenant of Gr… A Covenant of Grace it cannot be, if it requ… and inſiſts upon meritorious works. Grace and … are foreign inconſiſtent. Though Grace will … well enough with Chriſts merit, yet not with … merit of Saints (as I ſhewd before.) If Salvation… by meritorious Works of our own, then not of G… If it be of Grace, then not by Meritorious w… of our own. And to talk of meriting Ratione … ti: Si opera merentur vitam Aeternam ex pacto & ordinatione Dei; non merentur eam inerinſecaſua dignitate. Alting. Elenct. p. 801.By virtue of Gods … venant and Promiſe, W… is it, but clearly to ſub… the thing they would word… bliſh? What is it but to … upon their own Swords, to contradict, and confute themſelves? That good works are not meritorious of deaven and Happineſs of themſelves, but only the Lord hath promiſed Life and Happineſs in that way, (let them talk what they will,) this is a plain …roof, that they merit not at all by way of Condigity, or in reſpect of Commutative Juſtice; but … is of Gods free Grace to promiſe ſuch a reward, …ndeſerved.
Indeed the Popiſh Doctors Hobble miſerably in …heir Diſputes about the Merit of mens works. …ome of them teaching, that good works Merit by …irtue of Chriſts Merits; others, by virtue of Gods …romiſe, and compact. Some holding that they me…it ex juſtitia, of ſtrict Juſtice; others, that they …erit ex gratitudine, as if God was bound, at leaſt … a way of Gratitude to reward them ſo. Direct… contrary to Luke 17.9, 10. But no wonder that …heſe Babel-builders have their Language thus con…onfounded.
I know the word [Merit] hath ſometimes been …ed very improperly to ſignifie no more, than ſim…ly to obtain. As in the ſpeech of Cain, [mine Ini…ity is greater, (according to the Vulg. Lat.) …am ut veniam merear. †See more in Biſhop Mortons Appeal for Proteſtants, l. 2. c. 2. ſect. 3, 4. & Antidot. contra merita. c. 3. ſect. 3.] When …thing is more abhorrent from …eaſon; than that ſin, any ſin …ould deſerve, or merit forgive…ſs. What? Both deſerve par…on, and deſerve puniſhment? what …n be a plainer contradiction? Doth the ſame …ountain ſend forth ſweet water and bitter, ſalt wa…r and freſh?
Ʋſe. Get a clear apprehenſion of this certain truth, that there is no merit in what the beſt of m… can do. There is a vaſt difference betwixt the co… dition of Salvation, and the Meritorious cauſe … Salvation. ANd yet ſometimes Antinomians, … are ſo much againſt Conditions, ſeem to befrie… Popiſh Merits, ſaying, That Chriſt giveth perfection to our works, and we fulfil the Law in Chri… and our works are perfect, and free from ſin, … Chriſts Actions were. Yea, Eaton hath this ſenſe leſs ſaying, Juſtification is meritorious of all th… Favour and Bleſſings of God.
But let us learn to diſtinguiſh betwixt a Condi… onal and a Meritorious cauſe. We are Juſtified … Saved by Faith, ſaved in the way of Repentance, Obedience. We are not ſaved without them (Chriſt is the Author of Salvation only to thoſe that believe in him, and obey him) that theſe are neceſſary Conditions. Yet we are not ſaved for Faith, or for … Repentance, Obedience, for any worth or deſe… in them, but only for the merit of Chriſt: The… are neceſſary Conditions of ſalvation therefore but no Meritorious cauſe. An Error here, is … Error in the foundation of Salvation. It was th… Jews overthrow, their ſeeking to eſtabliſh their … Righteouſneſs. As it is enough to ruin any in th… world, To build off from Chriſt, the only Foundation, is Ruinous work, ſuch fooliſh building won… undo any man. There is ſalvation in no other … Chriſt. No hopes, that ever we ſhould get to He… ven, if we come not unto Chriſt: No coming … Chriſt, if we go not out of our ſelves.