Goodwill Towards Men, 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 Legis contextus omnem merendi dignitatem excludit: Nihil nisi prorsus gratuitam benig nitatem promittens 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 a right principle, and being directed to a right end, it 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 Dignitatem 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 nunquiddicimus, redde mihi quia dedi tibi? Quid de dimus 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, profectio 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 & liberum Arbitrium, & bonae intentiones, & preparationes fictitiae & merita, & satisfactiones conticescant opportet. Calo.
This Faith upon which Salvation is promised, is the Gift of his Grace, Phil. 1.29. foreign; therefore Salvation, cannot but be of Grace too. Where the Condition is of Grace; the benefit promised cannot but be of Grace. How should that Merit for us, which is the free Gift of God, which he (of special Grace) was pleased to bestow on us?
2. (As we have heard also) Christ hath purchased saving sanctifying Grace for all those, who attain to it as well as Salvation thereupon. And hence it follows, that there is no proper Merit but in Christ. We are to thank Christ, both that we have Faith (any of us) and that Salvation is sure 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 this end, that God might justifie and save them that perform it. Be thou faithful unto death, says Christ, and I will give thee a Crown of Life. And how impossible is it, that our being faithful unto 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 Merited this for us, that our works should Merit? Then 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 thing, we can do. And if it was purchased by Christ for the Faithful, then surely there is no need, that they should purchase it anew. If they must merit Heaven, this would deny Christs having merited it for them: I say, this were a denial of the merit of Christ, or a denial of Gods Justice in not giving Heaven to them, when it was purchased for them, except they will purchase it over again. Or else they must think, that God is behind-hand with them, if Christ hath Merited Heaven for them, and they merit Heaven themselves; one Heaven should not be enough. What enemies are they to the Grace of God, how hard would they make him, to take a double price for the same Possession?
Yea, the Opinion of mens merits would make Jesus Christ the Redeemer indebted to his redeemed ones. O prodigious absurdity. Is it not plain that he hath power to give eternal life, that he gives eternal life, Joh. 17.2. And would it not be a strange mingling of heaven and earth, (horrible confusion) for a believer to come to Christ, and demand of him, Lord give me the life and happiness, which I have merited at thy thy hands? Rather is it not he, that merited for his people, and so hath it put into his hands to give them?
Object. But if salvation was purchased by Christ, for believers, will it not follow, that it is not of Grace?
Answ. No: it is given for no merits of theirs; though for the merits of Christ. Indeed it is of Iustice to Christ, because he hath merited salvation for believers: but of grace to them, because they could no way merit it. But if one supposeth any merit in them; he therein denyeth, and directly opposeth that of the Apostle Paul, That they are saved by grace. If of grace, then not of their own merit; If of their own merit, then not of grace.
3. How utterly impossible it is, and therefore incredible, that the most eminent Saint should merit heaven, who must (with Iacob,) acknowledge himself less than the least of mercies, and for the very least of his sins deserving no less than hell? Though his sins are pardoned, that he is not bound over to hell and condemnation; yet the reatus simplex remaineth, that we must say of such a pardoned sinner; if God should deal with him according to his deserts, he could look for nothing but hell.
If a believing, repenting sinner, if the most humble mortified sinner in the world should merit forgivelife and happiness; then their must be more good ness, necessarily supposed in his faith, repentance, obedience, than there is evil in his sins: But there is more evil in one sin, than there is good in the most perfect obedience of any creature. And if there was more good in a Saints obedience, than evil in his sins; then what need had such of the satisfaction of Christ; Then Christ dyed in vain for them who might have satisfied for themselves.
Again, while the sins of a believer do in their own Nature deserve hell, if he could merit heaven on the other hand by his obedience, then it would follow, that the same person, at the same time should deserve both to be pardoned, and to be condemned, should both deserve heaven and hell, so the penitent should be saved, but the sinner damned.
4. How impossible is it that the condition of the Covenant of Grace should be meritorious, when this is ever necessarily included, indispensible required, as part of the condition, that we do utterly renounce our own righteousness, disclaim all self-merit, self-worthiness, that we see our misery and desperate lost estate without the free grace of God in Christ, that we freely acknowledg our iniquity, and ill deservings at Gods hand, and put no confidence in the flesh. Yea we should be ashamed, and confounded in our selves, even when the Lord is pacified towards us. And Jesus Christ hath told us: Every one that exalteth himself, shall be abased, and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted. And hath taught us, Theologi Reformati meritò vocem meriti repudiant, quia sonat aliquid superbnm. Le Blank Theses. Quomodo fides justificet, Sect. 57. p. 22.when we have done what is commanded, to say, (i. e. to believe and acknowledg seriously) that we are unprofitable servants, and deserve not so much as thanks from our Lord and master. Luk. 17.9, 10.
And could men doe all, 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 Covenant of Grace requires, that is repent of sins past, turn from sin, and set upon a strict course of obedience for time to come, &c. and onelyonly fail in this one point of disclaiming self-righteousness, and self-merit, to abide by the merit and righteousness of Christ alone, to procure their acceptation with God, and salvation; I say, could men do all, that the Covenant of Grace requires, besides this: but in stead of denying, and going out of themselves, should relye and depend on their own righteousness as meritorious of the favour of God, &c. they would find this but a smoother and cleanlier way to hell. I know not how better to express it, than in the words of a late Writer. As Works every way perfect and meritorious (supposing their were any such) would in themselves hinder pardon by Christs death, being essentially (in their own Natures) inconsistent; so a mans conceiting his works meritorious, is by Gods Law of Grace, excluded from any interest in this propitiation, for he hath made it a part of the Condition, that men be sensible of their unworthiness and undone estate without Christ and pardon. Thus let men go never so far, do never so much, yet an opinion of merit were enough to spoil all they doe, and enough to defeat them utterly of all saving benefit by the Covenant of Grace, they not coming up to the condition of it. To stand upon our own worthiness, is to fall from Grace, Gal. 5.4.
5. To hold the best works of the most gracious souls meritorious, is to deny the Covenant of Grace. A Covenant of Grace it cannot be, if it requires and insists upon meritorious works. Grace and merit are foreign inconsistent. Though Grace will stand well enough with Christs merit, yet not with the merit of Saints (as I shewd before.) If Salvation be by meritorious Works of our own, then not of Grace: If it be of Grace, then not by Meritorious works of our own. And to talk of meriting Ratione pacti: Si opera merentur vitam Aeternam ex pacto & ordinatione Dei; non merentur eam inerinseca sua dignitate. Alting. Elenct. p. 801.By virtue of Gods Covenant and Promise, What is it, but clearly to subvert the thing they would establish? What is it but to fall upon their own Swords, to contradict, and confute themselves? That good works are not meritorious of Heaven 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 proof, that they merit not at all by way of Condignity, or in respect of Commutative Justice; but it is of Gods free Grace to promise such a reward, undeserved.
Indeed the Popish Doctors Hobble miserably in their Disputes about the Merit of mens works. Some of them teaching, that good works Merit by virtue of Christs Merits; others, by virtue of Gods promise, and compact. Some holding that they merit ex justitia, of strict Justice; others, that they merit ex gratitudine, as if God was bound, at least in a way of Gratitude to reward them so. Directly contrary to Luke 17.9, 10. But no wonder that these Babel-builders have their Language thus conconfounded.
I know the word [Merit] hath sometimes been used very improperly to signifie no more, than simply to obtain. As in the speech of Cain, [mine Iniquity is greater, (according to the Vulg. Lat.) Quam 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 nothing is more abhorrent from Reason; than that sin, any sin should deserve, or merit forgiveness. What? Both deserve pardon, and deserve punishment? what can be a plainer contradiction? Doth the same Fountain send forth sweet water and bitter, salt water and fresh?
Ʋse. Get a clear apprehension of this certain truth, that there is no merit in what the best of men can do. There is a vast difference betwixt the condition of Salvation, and the Meritorious cause of Salvation. And yet sometimes Antinomians, who are so much against Conditions, seem to befriend Popish Merits, saying, That Christ giveth perfection to our works, and we fulfil the Law in Christ, and our works are perfect, and free from sin, as Christs Actions were. Yea, Eaton hath this senseless saying, Justification is meritorious of all the Favour and Blessings of God.
But let us learn to distinguish betwixt a Conditional and a Meritorious cause. We are Justified and 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 our Repentance, Obedience, for any worth or desert in them, but only for the merit of Christ: They are nece…ary Conditions of salvation therefore; but no Meritorious cause. An Error here, is an Error in the foundation of Salvation. It was the Jews overthrow, their seeking to establish their own Righteousness. As it is enough to ruin any in the world, To build off from Christ, the only Foundation, is Ruinous work, such foolish building would undo any man. There is salvation in no other but Christ. No hopes, that ever we should get to Heaven, if we come not unto Christ: No coming unto Christ, if we go not out of our selves.