Of the Death of Christ, Discourse · Chapter 11
CAP. XI.
More particularly of the State and Right of them for whom Chriſt died, before Beleeving.
THE former Aſſertions about the Merit of Chriſt, being in ſome meaſure cleered, we may hence have light into the State and Condition of thoſe for whom Chriſt died in their ſeveral Generations before Beleeving.
To make this the more fully appear, we muſt diſtinguiſh between their preſent State or Poſſeſſion, and their preſent right. Their State is not changed, becauſe all the procurements of the Death of Chriſt, are to be made out unto them by vertue of a Stipulation ſub Termino, that Term or Seaſon being not come. So that ſtill in preſent actual ſtate, I leave them as before, not Juſtified, not Sanctified, not entred into Covenant.
Right alſo is twofold:
1 In re, as the Father hath a right to his Eſtate. And this Jus in re, holds, though the Eſtate be unjuſtly, or forcibly detained from him.
2 Ad rem, ſo the Son hath a Right to the Eſtate of his Father, being to enjoy it at his Death.
The firſt right is preſently actionable upon any detainment: the latter not ſo. The firſt, we do not aſcribe to the Elect in this Condition, viz. That which is in re, and inſtantly actionable; but that which is ad rem, and ſub termino.
This being That which I Aimed at, and being by Mr Baxter Oppoſed, I will further Conſider it, that it may appear whether any thing in this Aſſertion be juſtly blamable.
I ſaid, That by the Death of Chriſt, we have actual Right to the good things purchaſed by that Death: That Right which is not actual (to ſpeak a word to that Term) is not. The Contradiſtinct Affection hereunto, is Potential. And this is totally deſtructive to the Nature of a Right. All Right is actual, or not at all.
To evince the main Aſſertion; I ſhall,
1, Shew the Nature and Quality of this Right.
2, The Bottome or Foundation of it; And
3, Prove the Theſis.
1 By Right I underſtand, Jus in general, now jus eſt, quod juſtum eſt: Aug. in Pſal. 144. ſub. Fon. That is right, which it is juſt ſhould be. And Quiquid rectum eſt, juſtum eſt: A…ſel. de verit. Cap. 13. it is juſt, all that ſhould be, which hath a Rectitude in it ſelf. Farther; What this juſtum is, Aquinas tells you, 22. ae. q. 57. a. 1. c. juſtum eſt quod reſpondet ſecundum aliquam aequalitatem alteri. Then a thing is juſt when it ſtands in ſome aequality unto thoſe things whereunto it relates. And this Aequality or Adaequation of things is Twofold.
1 That which ariſeth from the Nature of the Things themſelves: As an Eye for an Eye, a Tooth for a Tooth, &c.
2 That which ariſeth from a Proportion condeſcended unto, by Condict, Agreement, Covenant, or Common Conſent. Dupliciter eſt aliquid adaequatum: uno modo ex natura ipſius rei: alio modo cum eſt Commenſuratum ex condicto ſive ex commune placito: Aqui.
In the firſt Senſe, as to a Right that ſhould accrew unto the Creatures in reſpect of God, from the Commenſuration of the things themſelves, we ſhewed before that it cannot be. It muſt be from ſome grant, Compact, Covenant, or the like, from whence a Right in Reference to the Faithfulneſſe or Righteouſneſſe of God, may ariſe.
The Right then whereof we ſpeak, which they for whom Chriſt died, have to the things which by his Death are procured, conſiſts in that Equity, Proportion, and Equality, which upon the free Compact, Conſtitution, and Conſent of God the Father, is, between the Death of Chriſt and their Enjoyment of the Fruits of that Death. It is juſt and equal, that they ſhould enjoy the Fruits of his Death in due time. Neither is the Right of any Man, to any Thing, any more, but ſuch a Frame and Order of things, that it is juſt either from the Nature of the Things themſelves, or from common Conſent and Agreement, That he ſhould enjoy that thing. This is the Right whereof we ſpeak: which in their ſenſe the very Socinians grant. Chriſtus Jus quoddam ad obtinendam remiſſionem peccatorum & ſalutem (morte ſua) nobis dedit. Crellius, adu. Groti. Cap. 1.
2: For the Foundation of this Right: Seeing that before the Conſideration of the Death of Chriſt (as was declared) it is not, from thence it muſt needs be, nothing of any likelihood to be ſuch a Foundation being co-incident therewithal.
Now whereas in the Death of Chriſt Two things are Conſidered: 1 The Satisfaction; And 2dly the Merit thereof; it may be enquired after, under whether Reſpect this right relates thereunto.
1 The Satisfaction of Chriſt tends in all that it is, to the Honor and Reparation of the Juſtice of God. This then in its utmoſt extent and Efficacy, cannot give ground to build ſuch a Right upon. The ultimate Effect of Satisfaction, may be accompliſhed, and yet not the leaſt right to any good thing Communicated to them for whom this Satisfaction is made. The good things attending the Death of Chriſt may be referred unto two heads: The Amotion of Evil, and the Collation of Good. For the Firſt, The Amotion of Evil, the taking that from us, that it may not grieve us, and ſubducting us from the Power and Preſence thereof, it is immediatly aimed at by Satisfaction. That the Curſe of the Law be not executed, That the Wrath to come be not powred out, is the utmoſt reach of the Death of Chriſt conſidered as Satisfactory. Yea in it ſelf, as only ſuch, it proceedeth not ſo far, as to give us a Right to eſcape theſe things, but only preſents that to the Juſtice of God, whereby it may be preſerved in all its Glory, Severity, and exact Purity, though theſe things be not inflicted on us. This I ſay I conceive to be the utmoſt Tendency of the Death of Chriſt as Satisfactory. That Condemnation cannot poſſibly de facto follow where ſuch Satisfaction hath been made, is immediatly from the Equity of Juſtice ſo repaired as above. For Poſitive good things, in Grace and Glory by Satisfaction alone, they are not at all reſpected.
2, There is the Merit of the Death of Chriſt, and that Principally intendeth the Glory of God in our enjoying thoſe good things whereof it is the Merit or deſert. And this is the Foundation of that Right whereof we treat. What Chriſt hath Merited for us, it is juſt and equal we ſhould have; that is, We have Right unto it: and this before Beleeving. Faith gives us actual Poſſeſſion as to ſome Part, and a new Pactional right, as to the whole; but this Right, or that equalling of things upon divine Conſtitution (Jus eſt operatio illa qua ſit aequalitas: Peſant. in Tom. 22. ae. q. 57.) whereby it becomes Juſt and Right that we ſhould obtain the things Purchaſed by it, is from the Merit of Christ alone. What Chriſt hath Merited is ſo far granted, as that they for whom it is ſo Merited have a Right unto it.
The Sum then of what we have to prove, is,
That the Merit of the Death of the Lord Jeſus, hath according to the Conſtitution of the Father, ſo procured of him the good things aimed at, and intended therby, that it is Juſt, Right, and Equal, that they for whom they are ſo procured, ſhould certainly and infallibly enjoy them at the appointed Seaſon; and therefore unto them they have an actual Right even before Beleeving; Faith it ſelf being of the number of thoſe things ſo procured.
All which I prove as followeth;
1, The very Terms before mentioned, enforce no leſs. If it be juſtum before their Beleeving, that thoſe for whom Chriſt Died, ſhould enjoy the Fruits of his Death; then have they even before Beleeving, jus, or a right thereunto: for jus eſt quod juſtum eſt: That it is right and equal that they ſhould enjoy thoſe Fruits is manifeſt. For.
1: It was the Engagement of the Father to the Son upon his undertaking to die for them, that they ſhould ſo do. Iſa. 53. 10, 11, 12.
2: In that Undertaking, he Accompliſhed all that was of him required. Joh. 17. 4.
2; That which is Merited and Procured for any one, thereunto he for whom it is procured, certainly hath a Right. That which is obtained for me is mine in actual right, though not perhaps in actual Poſſeſſion. The thing that is obtained, is granted by him of whom it is obtained, and that unto them for whom it is obtained. In ſome ſenſe or other, that is a man's, which is procured for him. In ſaying it is procured for him, we ſay no leſs. If this then be not in Reſpect of Poſſeſſion, it muſt be in Reſpect of Right. Now all the Fruits of the Death of Chriſt are obtained and procured by his Merit for them, for whom he died. He OBTAINS for them eternal Redemption. Heb. 9. 12. purchaſing them with his own Blood. Act. 20. 28. Heb. 2. 14. 1 Pet. 1. 18. Gal. 1. 4. Rev. 14. 3, 4.
The very Nature of Merit deſcribed by the Apoſtle, Rom. 4. 4. infers no leſs. Where Merit intercedes, the Effect is reckoned as of debt: That which is my due debt, I have a Right unto. The Fruits of the Death of Chriſt, are the Iſſues of Merit, (bottomed on Gods gracious Acceptation) and reckoned as of debt.
He for whom a Ranſome is paid, hath a Right unto his Liberty by vertue of that Payment.
3: 2 Pet. 1. 1. The Saints are ſaid to obtain precious Faith through the reghteouſneſs of God. It is a righteous thing with God, to give Faith to them for whom Chriſt died; becauſe thereby they have a Right unto it: Faith being amongſt the moſt precious Fruits of the Death of Chriſt, by vertue thereof, becometh their due for whom he died.
4: The Condition of Perſons under Merit, and de-Merit, in reſpect of Good or Evill is alike. The Proportion of things requires it. Now men under de-Merit are under an Obligation unto Puniſhment: and it is a righteous thing with God, to recompence tribulation unto them: 2 Theſſ. 1. 6. It being the judgement of God that they who do ſuch things are worthy of death: Rom. 1. 32. They then who are under Merit, have alſo a Right unto that whereof it is the Merit. It is not of any force to ſay, That they are not under that Merit, but only upon Condition. For this is, 1, Falſe: 2, With God this is all one as if there were no Condition at the Seaſon and Term appointed; for the making out the Fruit of that Merit, as hath been declared. Neither yet to Object, That it is not their own Merit, but of another which Reſpects them: That Other being their Surety, doing that whereby he Merited only on their behalf; yea in their ſtead, they dying with him: though the ſame in them could not have been Meritorious: they being at beſt, meer men; and at worſt, very ſinful men.
5: A Compact or Covenant being made of giving Life and Salvation upon the Condition of Obedience to certain Perſons, that Condition being compleatly fulfilled as it was in the Death of Chriſt, Claim being made of the Promiſe, according to the Tenure of the Compact, and the Perſons preſented for the Enjoyment of it, ſurely thoſe Perſons have an Actual Right unto it: That all this is ſo, ſee Iſa. 49. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, &c. Pſal. 2. 2. 4, 5. Iſa. 53. 10, 11, 12. Joh. 17. 3. & 2. 21. Heb. 2.
And ſo much for this alſo, concerning the Iſſue of the Death of Chriſt, and the Right of the Elect to the Fruits of it before Beleeving.