Of the Death of Christ, Discourse · Chapter 10
CAP. X.
Of the Merit of Chriſt, and its immediate Efficacy, what it effecteth in what it reſteth, with the ſtate of thoſe for whom Chriſt died in reference to his Death, & of their Right to the Fruits of his Death before Beleeving.
THAT they for whom Chriſt died, have a right to the things which he Purchaſed thereby, (that is an actual Right, for ſo men may have, to what they have not in actual Poſſeſſion) is no ſingular Conception of mineOur Divines freely expreſs themſelves to this Purpoſe.
Even the Commender, and Publiſher of Grotius his Book of Satisfaction, learned Voſſius himſelf, Affirmeth, That Chriſt by his Death Purchaſed for us a double Right: Firſt, a Right of eſcaping puniſhment, and then a Right of obtaining the Reward.
By the way, I cannot cloſe with his Diſtinction in that place, of ſome things, That Chriſt by his Life, and Death, purchaſed for us, and other, that he daily beſtoweth: for the things he daily beſtoweth, are of them, which by his Death he purchaſed.
My Expreſſions then alone are not ſubject to the Conſequences charged on them, for Aſſerting a right to Life, and Salvation in them for whom Chriſt Died, even before beleeving.
Yea,Omnes illi pro quibus Chriſtus ex intentione Dei ſatis fecit, ſunt Deo reconciliati. i. e. in Favorem ſaluti ferum aliquo modo reſtituti. Ames. ſome have gone farther, and Affirmed, That thoſe for whom Chriſt died, are in ſome manner reſtored into ſaving favour.
Not to mention ſome of them, to whoſe Judgment Mr Baxter ſeems to accede, who aſſert Ʋniverſal Juſtification, and Reſtauration into Grace upon the Death of Chriſt: but I lay no weight on theſe things.
To cleer my Thoughts in this Particular, Two things muſt neceſſarily be enquired into, and made out.
1 Seeing the Satisfaction, and Merit of Chriſt, do tend directly for the Good of them for whom he died, and that there is a diſtance, and ſpace of Time, between that Death, and their Participation of the good things purchaſed therby,Antiſinod. p. 164. wherein lyeth, or in what reſteth the Efficacy of that his Death, with the Principle of the certain Futurition, of the ſpiritual things ſo procured, which thoſe for whom he died, ſhall aſſuredly in due time enjoy.
2 Wherin lies the Obligation unto Death, Hel, & Wrath, which before beleeving the Scripture Affirms to be upon the Elect, ſeeing Chriſt hath actually purchaſed for them freedom from theſe things: and this, without more a-do, will be cleered in the former.
1 For the firſt then, upon the Iſſue of the Death of Chriſt, ſomething being ſuppoſed in God beyond his meer Purpoſe, of which before, ſomethings being actually procured, and purchaſed by it, which yet they for whom they are ſo purchaſed, neither do, nor poſſibly can upon the Purchaſe immediately poſſeſs, and enjoy: It is enquired, Wherein reſteth the Efficacy of his Death, which in due Time cauſeth the making out of all thoſe ſpiritual Bleſſings, which by it are ſo procured.
Now this muſt be either in thoſe for whom he Died, or in Himſelf as Mediator, or in his Father who ſent him.
1 That it is not in them for whom he Died, is apparent: Upon the Death of Chriſt, in Purpoſe, and Promiſe, when firſt its Efficacy took place. they were not: I mean actually Exiſtent: True! They were Potentially in the Purpoſe of God: but will that make them a meet ſubject for the Reſidence of this Right, and Merit whereof we ſpeak? as is the Thing, ſuch are all its Affections, and Adjuncts: but poſſible, if it be no more. This is ſomething actual whereof we ſpeak.
2 That it is not in Chriſt as Mediator, is no leſs evident. He that makes Satisfaction, and he to whom it is made, he who Meriteth any thing, and he at whoſe hands he Meriteth it, muſt be diſtinguiſhed. The ſecond Perſon under the Notion of performing the work of Mediation, receiveth not Satisfaction.
The Power Chriſt receiveth of the Father, becauſe he is the Son of Man, to give eternal Life to thoſe given him of his Father, is of latter Conſideration to that we have in hand, being a Reſult, and Conſequence thereof.
3 It muſt therefore be in the Father, or God, as receiving Satisfaction.
Of all the Attributes of God where this may be placed (to ſpeak after the manner of men) one of theſe Four muſt needs be the proper ſeat of it:
1 His Power.
2 His Will.
3 His Juſtice.
4 His Truth.
1, His Power, and then it muſt be, not that God hath any addition of Power, for that cannot be to him who is Omnipotent; but that a Way is made for the Exerciſe of his Power, which before by ſomewhat from himſelf was ſhut up.
And as ſome ſuppoſe it is no otherwiſe. That whereas the Lord could not make out Grace, and Favour unto Sinners becauſe of his Juſtice neceſſarily enclining him to their puniſhment, and deſtruction. Now that Juſtice being ſatisfied in Chriſt, he can collate any ſpiritual Bleſſings upon them, as he ſeeth good.
But this I have Diſproved elſewhere, and Manifeſted.
1 That the foundation of this Apprehenſion, (being an impoſſibility in God to forgive ſin, without Satisfaction, becauſe of the contrariety of it to the Properties of his nature) is a groundleſs Aſſertion. And,
2 The foundation of God, in ſending his Son to die for his Elect is oppugned hereby. And it,
3 Is deſtructive to all the proper Fruits, and Effects of the Death of Chriſt, &c. Lib. 2. Cap. 2.
2, In the Will of God, it ſeems that the Merit and Fruits of the Death of Chriſt, whereof we treat ſeem better to be treaſured: and from hence it is, That he can Will, or Willeth to us the Good things purchaſed by it. But,
1 That the Will of God ſhould by the Death of Chriſt be changed into any other Habitude then what it was in before, was before diſproved.
2 That now God can Will Good things to us, holds out the enlargement of his Power as to the acting thereof, mentioned above, rather then any thing properly belonging to the Will of God.
3 Gods Willing Good things to us, it cannot conſiſt in: his willing of a thing is operative of it: it is his Efficacious Energetical Will whereof we ſpeak. When he actually willeth Grace, we have Grace: and when he Willeth Glory, we have Glory: but that concerning which we ſpeak, is Antecedent to the actual making out of Grace, and Glory to us, being the procuring cauſe of them; though not of that Act of the Will of God, whereby they are beſtowed.
His Juſtice, and Truth only remain. For Juſtice, that which is Commutative properly, with one Conſent is removed from God. Who hath given firſt unto him, and it ſhall be rendered unto him again. Si de debitum quaeratur▪ reſpectu creaturae in Deum cadere non poteſt: niſi ex aliqua ſuppoſitione ipſi Deo voluntaria et libera: quae non poteſt eſſe niſi promiſſio aut pactio aliqua, ex quibus fidelitatis aut juſtitiae debitum oriri ſolet: Suares. Relect. de Lib. Div. Volu. Diſp. L. Di. Sec. 2. n. 5.Neither is diſtributive Juſtice to be ſuppoſed in him, antecedent to ſome free engagement of his own. Where no Obligation is, there cannot be ſo much as diſtributive Juſtice properly. All Obligation from God to the Creature, is from his own free engagement: otherwiſe he ſtands in no Relation to it, but of abſolute Dominion, and Sovereignty. All the Juſtice of God then (we conſider not the univerſal Rectitude of his nature, but) in reference to the Creature, is Juſtitia regiminis. Pſal. 33. 4, 5. 1 Joh.Nulla Juſtitia proprie eſſe poteſt, ubi nulla intercedit obligatio: Deus autem nulla obligatione tenetur, antequam ipſe fidem ſuam aſtringat: Ergo ante promiſſionem nulla Juſtitia etiam diſtributiva in Deo reperitur. Vaſ. n. 1. q. 21. a. 1. diſp. 86. 1. 5. and therefore muſt ſuppoſe ſome free Conſtitution of his Will.
This then rightly conſidered, do I Affirm to be affected with the Merit of Chriſt: There I place the procuring Efficacy thereof, whence it is, That all the Fruits of it are made out unto us. But this in due order.
The firſt Thing of immediate Concernment hereunto, is the Covenant of the Father with the Son: the free engagement of God, to do ſuch and ſuch things for Chriſt, upon the performance of ſuch other things to him appointed. This is the foundation of the Merit of Chriſt as was before declared. Hence is diſtributive Juſtice aſcribed to God, as to this thing. It is righteous with him being engaged by his own free Purpoſe and Promiſe, to make out thoſe things, which he appointed to be the Fruit and Procurement of the Death of Chriſt. And from thence it is, that all the things purchaſed by the Death of Chriſt, become due to thoſe for whom he died: even from the Equity attending this Juſtice of God.
Herein alſo his Truth hath a ſhare: By his Truth, I underſtand his Fidelity and Veracity in the performance of all his engagements. This immediately attends every Obligation that by any free Act of his Will, God is pleaſed in his Wiſdom to put upon himſelf: and is naturally under Conſideration before that distributive Juſtice whereby he is inclined to the Performance it ſelf of them.
This then is that I ſay;
God by free Purpoſe and Compact, making way for the Merit of Chriſt, which abſolutely could be none, is obliged from the Veracity and Juſtice, which attends all his Engagements, to make out as in his infinite Wiſdom ſhall ſeem meet; all thoſe things which he hath ſet, appointed, and propoſed as the Fruit and Purchaſe of his Death, unto all them for whom he died. And in This, reſts the Merit of Chriſt.
Here Two things may be obſerved;
1 What we aſcribe to the Merit of Chriſt: viz. The Accompliſhment of that Condition, which God required to make way, that the Obligation which he had freely put upon himſelf, might be in actual force. And ſo much, (how rightly, I leave to himſelf to Conſider) doth Mr Baxter aſſign to our own works: Theſ. 26. p. 140.
2 The miſtake of thoſe who wind up the MERIT of Chriſt, as affecting God (if I may ſo ſpeak) unto a Conditional Engagement, viz. That we ſhall be made Partakers of the Fruits of it, upon ſuch and ſuch Conditions, to be by us fulfilled. For,
1 All ſuch Conditions (if ſpiritual Bleſſings) are part of the Purchaſe of the Death of Chriſt: and if not, are no way fit to be Conditions of ſuch an Attainment.
2 It cannot be made apparent how any ſuch Conditional ſtipulation can be aſcribed unto God. That God ſhould engage upon the Death of Chriſt, to make out Grace and Glory, Liberty and Beauty, unto thoſe for whom he died, upon CONDITION they do ſo, or ſo.
1 Leaves no proper place for the Merit of Chriſt.
2 Is very improperly aſcribed unto God. Lawyers tell us, That all ſtipulations about things future, are either ſub Conditione, or ſub Termino. Stipulations or Engagements upon CONDITION. that are properly ſo, do ſuppoſe him that makes the Engagement to be altogether uncertain of the Event thereof.
Stipulations ſub Termino, are abſolute to make out the things engaged about, at ſuch a Seaſon. Upon the very Inſtant of ſuch a Stipulation as this, an Obligation follows as to the thing, though no Action be allowed to him to whom it is made, until the Term and Time appointed be come.
In thoſe Stipulations that are under CONDITION, no Obligation ariſeth at all from them, it being wholly uncertain whether the Condition will be fulfilled or no. Only in Two Caſes doth ſuch an Engagement bring on an immediate Obligation.
1 If the Condition required be in things neceſſary and unalterable: As if Cajus ſhould engage himſelf into Tilius to give him an 100. l. for his Houſe on the morrow if the Sun ſhine: here ariſeth an immediate Obligation▪ and it is the ſame as if it had been conceived only ſub Termino, without Condition at all.
2 If by any means, he that makes the Stipulation, knows infallibly, that the Condition will be fulfilled, though he to whom it is made, knows it not. In this Reſpect alſo, the Stipulation ſub Conditione, introduceth an immediate Obligation, and in that regard, is co-incident with that which is only ſub Termino.
Wheither an Engagement upon Condition properly, without the former Reſpects, that is a Stipulation to an Event dubious and uncertain, can be aſcribed unto God, is eaſie to determine. To Aſſert it, oppugnes the whole nature of the Deity, and over-throws the Properties thereof, immediatly and directly. All other Stipulations under Condition are co-incident (as I ſaid before) with that which is ſub Termino only, from whence ariſeth an immediate Obligation for the performance of the thing ſtipulated about; though there be not an immediate Action granted him unto whom it is made.
Surely they are wide, (if not very wild) who Affirm, That all the Stipulations on the part of God upon the Death of Chriſt are upon a Condition, which himſelf knows to be impoſſible for them to perform to whom they are made, which amongſt wiſe men are alwayes accounted Nugatory and Null.
This being then ſo vain, I ſay that the Merit of Chriſt flowing from the free purpoſe and Compact of God, reſteth on his Juſtice thence alſo ariſing, fixing thereon an Obligation to make out all the Fruits of it, unto them for whom he died, ſub Termino only; whereby a preſent right is granted them thereunto, though they cannot plead for preſent Enjoyment.