Secondly, If that which is obtained by any do, by virtue of that action whereby it is obtained, become his in right for whom it is obtained, then for whomsoever any thing is by Christ obtained, it is to them applied; for that must be made theirs in fact which is theirs
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in right. Bat it is most certain that whatsoever is obtained for any is theirs by right for whom it is obtained. The very sense of the word, wliether you call it rtiei^it, impetration, jmrchase, acquisition, or obtaining, doth bespeak a right in them for whose good the merit is effected and the purchase made. Can that be said to be obtained for me which is no wise mine? When I obtain any thing by prayer or entreaty of any one, it being obtained, it is mine own. That which is obtained by one is granted by him of whom it is obtained; and if granted, it is granted by him to them for whom it is obtained. But they will say, " It is obtained upon condition ; and until the con- dition be fulfilled no right doth accrue." I answer, If this condition be equally purchased and obtained, with other things that are to be bestowed on that condition, then this hinders not but that every thing is to be applied that is procured. But if it be uncertain whe- ther this condition will be fulfilled or not, then, — first, This makes God uncertain what end the death of his Son will have; secondly, This doth not answer but deny the thing we are are in proving, which is confirmed.
Thirdly, Because the Scripture, perpetually conjoining these two things together, will not suffer us so to sever them as that the one should belong to some and not to others, as though they could have several persons for their objects: as Isa. liii. 11, " By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many," — there is the application of all good things ; " for he shall bear their iniquities," — there is the im- petration. He justifieth all whose iniquities he bore. As also verse 5 of that chapter, " But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him ; and by his stripes we are healed." His wounding and our heal- ing, impetration and application, his chastisement and our peace, are inseparably associated. So Rom. iv. 25, " He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." So chap. v. 18, " By the righteousness of one" (that is, his impetration), " the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life," in the application. See there who are called "All men," most clearly. Chap. viii. 82-34, " He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Clirist that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." From which words we have these several rea- sons of our assertion : — First, That for whom God gives his Son, to them, in him, he freely gives all things ; therefore, all things obtained by his death must be bestowed, and are, on them for whom he died, verse 32. Secondly, They for whom Christ died are justified, are God's elect, cannot be condemned, nor can any thing be laid to their
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charge; all that he hath purchased for them must be applied to them, for by virtue, thereof it is that they are so saved, verses 33, 34. Thirdly, For whom Christ died, for them he maketh intercession. Now, his intercession is for the application of those things, as is con- fessed, and therein he is always heard. Those to whom the one be- longs, tlieirs also is the other. So, John x. 10, the coming of Christ is, that "his might have life, and have it abundantly ;" as also iJohn iv. 9. Heb. X. 10, " By the which will we are sanctified," — that is the appli- cation ; "through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ," — that is the means of impetration : " for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified," verse 14. In brief, it is proved by all those places which we produced rightly to assign the end of the death of Christ. So that this may be rested on, as I conceive, as firm and immovable, that the impetration of good things by Christ, and the application of them, respect the same individual persons.
Secondly, We may consider the meaning of those who seek to maintain universal redemption by this distinction in it, and to what use they do apply it. " Christ," say they, " died for all men, and by his death purchased reconciliation with God for them and forgiveness of sins : which to some is applied, and they become actually recon- ciled to God, and have their sins forgiven them; but to others not, who, therefore, perish in the state of irreconciliation and enmity, under the guilt of their sins. This application," say they, " is not pro- cured nor purchased by Christ, — for then, he dying for all, all must be actually reconciled and have their sins forgiven them and be saved, — jjut it attends the fulfilling of the condition which God is pleased to prescribe unto them, that is, believing :" which, say some, they can do by their own strength, though not in terms, yet by direct consequence; others not, but God must give it. So that when it is said in the Scripture, Christ hath reconciled us to God, redeemed us, saved us by his blood, underwent the punishment of our sins, and so made satisfaction for us, they assert that no more is meant but that Christ did that which upon the fulfilling of the condition that is of us re- quired, these things will follow. To the death of Christ, indeed, they assign many glorious things; but Avhat they give on the one liand they take away with the other, by suspending the enjoyment of them on a condition by us to be fulfilled, not by him procured ; and in terms assert that the proper and full end of the death of Christ was the doing of that whereby God, his justice being satisfied, might save sinners if he would, and on what condition it pleased him, — that a door of grace might be opened to all that would come in, and not that actual justification and remission of sins, life, and immortality were procured by him, but only a possibility of those things, that so it might be. Now, that all the venom that lies under this exposition and abuse of this distinction may the better appear, I shall set down