fufferings and death of Chrift do, in their own nature, ftrictly and properly, merit that deliverånce. I have, in my previous obfervations, fhewn, that there is nothing which any one can do, or fuffer for the finner, which originally, and in the nature of the thing, can merit his deliverance from condemnation, or give a right to claim a discharge for him at God's hand; confequently, the fufferings and death of Chrift do not, in their own nature, and in this ftrict fenfe of the word, merit that deliverance; and fo the enquiry is answered already. But because this is a truth which the generality of chriftians are, by education, cuftom, and authority of others, ftrongly biafs'd againft, therefore I think it proper to add two or three obfervations, as a farther proof of this point. And accordingly I obferve, first, that what our Lord did and fuffered, was in obedience to his Father's will. Thus, Johniv. 34. My meat is to do the will of him that fent me, and to finish his work. Chap. vi. 38. I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that fent me. Matt. xxvi. 39. He prayed, faying, O my Father, if it be poffible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt. John xviii. 11. Then faid Jefus unto Peter, put up thy fword into the fheath; the cup which my Father hath given me, fhall I not drink it? Phil. ii. 8. He became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Heb.v.8. Though be were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which be fuffered. Chap. x. 9. Then faid he, Lo, I come, to do thy will, O God. John x. 17, 18. Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I may take it again-----This commandment bave I received of my Father. Here we fee that what our Lord did and fuffered, even unto death, was in obedience to his Father's will; confequent→. ly, according to our Lord's own rule, Luke xvii.

o. he did not strictly, and with regard to God, merit any thing by his fufferings and death at God's hand; and therefore God could not be brought under any obligation upon that account. Again, I obferve, fecondly, the fcriptures exprefsly declare, that the finner's deliverance from condemnation is the effect of God's free grace and bounty. Now if it be free bounty, then it will follow, that Chrift's fufferings and death did not originally, and in the nature of the thing, merit that deliverance; because these two, merit and grace, in this cafe, ftand directly oppofite one to the other. To be obtained by merit, and yet to be the effect of bounty and free grace, is a direct contradiction. That God doth exercise his mercy and grace in the forgiveness of fin, fee Matt. vi. 12, 14, 15. Forgive us our debts--- Your beavenly Father will alfo forgive you,----Neither will your Father forgive your trefpaffes. Mark xi. 25. When ye ftand praying, forgive, that your Father alfo which is in heaven may forgive you your tref pales. Luke xxiii. 34. Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Acts xiii. 38. Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of fins. Chap. xxvi. 18. To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness unto light, and from the power of fatan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of fins. Eph. iv. 32. Even as God, for Chrift's fake, bath forgiven you. Col. ii. 13. You bath be quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trefpaffes. 1 John i. 9. If we confefs our fins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our fins. Chap. ii. 12. I write unto you, little children, because your fins are forgiven you, for bis name fake. Rom. iii. 24. Being justified freely by bis grace, through the redemption that is in Jefus Chrift. Eph. ii. 8. For by grace ye are faved, and

that

that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Here we fee, that notwithstanding all that Chrift hath done and fuffer'd for finners, yet the finner is juftified or acquitted from condemnation freely by God's grace; it is the gift of God: God mercy and bounty is exercis'd in the forgiveness of fins, which it could not be if the fufferings and death of Chrift did originally, and in their own nature, merit that deliverance; for then God's difcharging of the finner would be a debt, which, in juftice, he was obliged to, and not an act of grace which he freely and bountifully bestowed upon his creatures. Again, I obferve, thirdly, that there is a material difference betwixt a debt properly fo call'd, and guilt, properly fo call'd. A debt is an obligation which we have been fome way or other brought under tó another, which obligation we are, in ftrict juftice, required to make good. Guilt is an irregular diforderly wicked act, either of the mind fingly, or of the mind and practice in conjunction, by which we chufe to do what, in reafon and juftice, we ought not, or chufe to avoid what, în reafon and juftice, we ought to do. And as debt is an obligation which in ftrict juftice, we are required to make good, fo, in many cafes, we are capable of receiving affiftance from others to enable us to difcharge our debt, by enabling us to make good our obligation; or we are capable of difcharging our debt in the perfon of another, who may make good our obligation in our ftead. Thus, for example, if a man fhould contract a debt to his neighbour of ten pounds to be paid to him at a certain time, if when the time comes he finds himself unable to discharge the debt, because he has but half the fum, if another neighbour is pleas'd to give him five pounds for that purpofe, in this cafe, he receive affiftance from another to maké fatisfaction,

by

by receiving an ability in part to make good his obligation. Thus, again, if one man should contract a debt of labour to another, and the debtor fhould not perform that labour in his own perfon, but should employ fome other who should perform it fully for him according to the obligation, in this cafe the debtor would difcharge his debt in the perfon of an another, who would make good his obligation in his ftead. But with refpect to guilt, it is quite otherways; for as guilt is an irregular wicked act, which deferves a fuitable correction, fo, in the nature of the thing, there can be no other fatisfaction made, to take off the guiltinefs of that act, than any actual perfonal fuffering of that correction by the actor; because as guilt cannot be tranfpofed from one perfon to another, fo if the innocent fhould yoluntarily take upon him to fuffer correction in the guilty's ftead, that guilt would remain as much uncorrected, as if the perfon fubftituted had not been corrected at all; and confequently, there is nothing which Chrift could do or fuffer, which originally, in its own nature, could merit the finner's deliverance from condemnation. Upon the whole, I think it abundantly evident, beyond all rational contradiction, that the finner's deliverance from condemnation was not merited by the fufferings and death of Chrift, when we ufe the word merit in the first and ftricteft fenfe of that term. Indeed, we freely and thankfully own, that, in a fecondary and lefs proper fenfe, the fuffering and death of Christ merited the finner's deliverance from condemnation, that is the obedience which Chrift exercis'd, when he became obedient unto death, was a rewardable confideration with his Father, upon which he exalted him at his right hand, to be the Lord and head of his people, and to be their prevailing interceffor, and that he pardons the believing peni

tent for Chrift fake. But then this benefit, with regard to Chrift himfelf, is the effect of God's freely accepting his fuffering to that end; and with regard to the finner, it is a reward merely of grace and not of debt: it is what God's bounty is pleas'd to bestow, and not what he is, in ftrict juftice, obliged to; which is the cafe of merit, in the firft and ftricteft fenfe of that term.

Secondly, I enquire, whether the fufferings and death of Chrift are a full and equal fatisfaction to God for the fins and offences of all believing penitent finner? Before I return an answer to this enquiry, I premife, that equal fatisfaction is of two kinds, viz. first, fuch as is equal to the damage or demerit of the offence; and Secondly, fuch as is equal to the demand of the damaged of offended. Thus, for example, fuppofe that one man fhould damage another to the value of ten pounds, if the damager makes fatisfaction to the value of ten pounds, then this is fatisfaction of the firft kind. But if the damaged will be pleas'd to demand no more for his fatisfaction than the publick signing of an inftrument, as a witness and memorial of the offender's acknowledging the damage done, and of the free grace and bounty of the offended in pardoning that offence; when the damager hath figned the aforefaid inftrument, according to the full intent and meaning of the of fended, if the offended is fully fatisfied therewith, then this is fatisfaction of the fecond kind. And this latter is as full and equal as the former; for as the former is full and equal to the damage of demerit of the offence, fo the latter is full and equal to the demand of the damaged or offended, This being premifed, I answer, that the fon of God, our Lord Jefus Chrift, did by his fufferings and death make a full and equal fatisfaction to his Father for the fins and offences of all believing