3. AU which I prove as followeth : —
(1.) The very terms before mentioned enforce no less. If It be justimiheiove their believing that those for whom Christ died should enjoy the fruits of his death, then have they, even before believing, 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. liii. 10-12.
[2.] In that undertaking he accomplished all that was of him required, John xvii. 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 ob- tained. 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 pos- session, 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. ix. 12; purchasing them with his own blood. Acts XX. 28 ; Heb. 11. 14, 15 ; 1 Pet. I. 18, 19 ; Gal. i. 4 ; Rev. xiv. 3, 4. Tlie very 1 " Jus est operatic ilia qua sit sequalitas." — Pesant. in Thorn. 22, se. q. 57.
468 OF THE DEATH OF CHRIST.
nature of merit described by the apostle, Rom. iv. 4, infers no less. Where merit intercedes, the effect is reckoned as of debt; that which is my due debt I have right unto. The fruits of the death of Christ are the issues of merit, bottomed on God's gracious acceptation, and reckoned as of debt. He for whom a ransom is paid hath a right unto his hberty by virtue of that payment.
(3.) 2Pet. i. 1, the saints are said to obtain '"precious faith, through the righteous- ness 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 virtue thereof becometh their due for whom he died.
(4.) The condition of persons under merit and demerit, in respect of good or evil, is alike ; the proportion of things requires it. Now, men under demerit are under an obligation unto punishment, and " it is a righteous thing with God to recom- pense tiibulation to them," 2 Thess. i. 6 ; it being " the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death," Rom. i. 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, first, false ; secondly, 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 mere 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 completely fulfilled (as it was in the death of Christ), claim being made of the promise, according to the tenor of the compact, and the persons presented for the enjojonent of it, surely those persons have an actual right unto it. That all this is so, see Isa. xlix. 1-G, etc. ; Ps. ii. 2-8; Isa. liii. 10-12; John xvii. 2, 4, 11, 21 ; Heb. ii.
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 believing.
CHAPTER XII.
Of the way whereby they actually attain and enjoy faith and grace who have a right thereunto by
the death of Christ.
The way and causes of bestowing faith on them who are under the condition before described is the next thing to be inquired after.
What arc the thoughts of God from eternity concerning those for whom Christ was to die, with the state they are left in, in relation to those thoughts, as also what is the \\\\\ of God towards them immediately upon the consideration of the death of Christ, with the right which to them accrues thereby, being considered, it remaineth, I say, that we declare the way and method whereby they obtain faith through the righteousness of God.
And here we must lay down certain positions ; as, —