Of the Merit of Christ, with Arguments from Thence

Of the merit of Christ; with arguments Srom thence. ARGUMENT XIV. s

IV. A fourth thing ascribed to the death of Christ, is merit, or that worth and:value of his death, whereby he purchased and procured unto us and for. us, all those good — things which we find.in the Seripture for his death to be bestowed upon us. Of this, much I shall not speak, having considered the thing itself, under the notion of -impetration, already: only-I shall add.some few observations, proper to that particular of the controversy which we have in. hand. The word merit, is not at all to be found in the New Testament, in no translation out of the original that have seen. The vulgar Latin. once reads promeretur, Heb. xiii. 16. and the Rhemists to preserve the sound, have rendered it promertted. But ‘these words, in both languages, are’uncouth and barbarous; besides that they no. way answer. évapeserras, the word in the original which «gives: no colour to merit, — name or thing. Nay, I suppose it will prove a difficult; thing, to find out any one word in either, of the languages — wherein the holy Seripture was written, that doth, properly and immediately in its first native importance, sig — nify merit; so that about the name we shall not trouble ourselves, if the thing itself intended thereby be made apparent; which it is both in the Old and New Testament. - As Isa. liii. 5. “The chastisement of our peace was upon — him, and with his stripes we are healed; the procurement of our peace and healing, was the merit, of his chastisement and stripes: so fed. ix. 12. d10 rg idve atparos Gravvay AUT PwWoLY EVPUMEVOS, obtaining by his» blood eter- — nal redemption, is as much as we intend to-signify by the merit of Christ. The word which. cowes nearest it in signification, we have cts xx. 28, mepsenoryoaro0, purchased — with his own blood; purchase and impetration, merit and — acquisition, being in this business terms equivalent: which latter words is used in divers. other: places, as”

V Thes. v. 9 Ephes.i. 14, 1. Pet. ii.”9. Now that, which

by this name we understand, is the performance of such

anaetion, as whereby the thing aimed at by the agent is

ch. Xx. Universal Redemption. 191

due unto him, according to the equity and equality required in justice, as, to him that worketh: is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt, fom. iv. 4. That there is such a merit attending the death of Christ, is ap- ‘parent from what was said before, neither is the weight of any operees proving of. it imposed on us, by our adversaries seeming to acknowledge it no less themselves: so that we may take it for granted; until our adversaries close with the Socinians in this also.

Scripture are assigned to be the fruits and effects of his death. These are the things purchased and merited, by his blood shedding and death: which may be referred unto.two heads, Ist, Such as are privative; as, 1. Deliverance out of the hands of our enemies, Luke i. 74. From

the wrath to come, 1 Zhes.i.10. 2.The destruction and abolition of death in his power, Hed. ii. 14. 3. Of the works.

of the devil, 1 John iii 8.. 4, Deliverance from the curse of the law, Gal. iii. 13... 5. From our vain conversation, 1 Pet.i.18. 6.From the present evil world, Gai.i.4. 7.From the earth, and from among men, fev. xiv. 3. 4. 8. Purging of our sins, Hed. i. 3.. 2dly, Such.as are positive; as 1. Reconciliation with God, Rom. v.10. Ephes. 11.16. Col. J, 20. 2, Appeasing or atoning of God by propitiation, Rom, iii. 25. 1 John it. 2. 3. Peacemaking, Aphes. ii. 14, 4, Salvation, Matth..i 21.

Albthese hath our Saviour by his death merited and purchased, for all them for whom he died; that is, so procured them of his Father, that they ought in respect of that merit, according to the equity of justice, to be bestowed on them for whom they were so purchased and procured. .It was

Christ to die for any;it was.of free grace, for whom he would send him to die; it is of free grace, that the good things prothose persons on whom they are bestowed: but considering his own appointment and constitution, that Jesus Christ then, by his death, did merit. and purchase, for. all those for whom he died, all those things which in the.

absolutely of free grace, in God, that he would send Jesus

cured by his-death be bestowed on any person in respect of -

az

192 Arguments against Book dIT.

Christ by bis death should merit and procure grace and

glory for those for whom he died; it is of debt in respect.

of Christ that they be communicated to them. Now that

which is thus merited, which is of debt to be bestowed,

we do not say that it may be bestowed, but it ought so to be: and it is injustice, if it be not.

Having said this little of the nature of merit, and of the merit of Christ, the procurement of his death for them in whose stead he died; it will quickly be apparent, how unreconcileable the seneral. ransom’ is therewith. For the demonstration whereof, we need no more but the proposing of this one question, wiz. If Christ hath merited grace and glory, for all those for whom he died; if he died for all, how comes it to pass that these things are not communicated to and bestowed upon all? is the defect in the merit of Christ, or in the justice of God? How vain is it to except, that’ these things are not: bestowed absolutely

upon us, but upon condition, and therefore were so procured: seeing that the very condition itself is also merited and procured, (as Ephes. i. 3. 4. Phil.i. 29.) been aa declared,

ARGUMENT XV.

V. The very phrases of dying for us, bearing’ our sins, being our surety, ‘and the like, whereby the death of Christ for us is expressed, will ‘not stand with the payment ofaransom for all. To die for another, is in Seripture to die in that other’s stead, that he might go free: as Judah besought his brother J oseph to accept of him: for a bond-

-man, in’stead of Benjamin, that he might be set-at liberty, Gen. xliv. 33. and that to make good the engagement wherein he stood bound to his Father, to be a surety for him. He that*is surety for another, (as Christ was for us, Heb. vii. 22.) is to undergo the danger, that the other may be delivered. So David wishing that he had died for his son Absalom, 2 Sam. xviii. 33. intendéd doubtless a commu-

“tation with him, and a substitution of his life for his; so that he might have lived. Paul also Rom. v. 7. intimates the same; supposing that such a thing might be found among men, that one should die for another: no doubt alee

Chap. X. Universal Redemption. 198

luding to the Decizi, Menceceus, Euryotus, and such others, whom we find mentioned in the stories of the heathen, who voluntarily cast themselves unto death, for the deliverance of their country or friends; continuing their liberty and freedom from death who were to undergo it, by taking it upon themselves to whom it was not directly due. And this plainly“is the meaning of that phrase, Christ died for us; that is in the undergoing of death there was a subrogation of his person in the room and stead of ours.

Some indeed except, that where the word ing is used. - in this phrase, as Heb. ii. 9. That he by the grace of God ° should taste death for every man; there only the good and profit of them for whom he died is intended, not enforcing the necessity of any commutation. But why this exception should prevail, I see no great reason; for the same proposition being used in the dike kind in other eases, doth confessedly intimate a commutation, as Rom. ix.4. where Paul affirms that he could wish himself accursed from Christ txép rdv a’Serp4r, for his brethren, that is, in their stead; so also 2Cor, v. 20, imep Xpuss mpecCevowev, We are ambassadors in Christ’s stead. So the same apostle, 1 Cor.i. 13. asking, and strongly denying by way of istercra soapy un Tgvaosés avpasy inép 5ucv, was Paul crucified for you? plainly showeth that the word ézep, used about the erucifying of Christ for his church, doth argue a commutation or change, and not only designs the good of them for whom he died, for plainly Paul might himself have been crucified for the good of the church, but, in the stead - thereof, he-abhorreth the least thought of it.

But concerning the word dvze which also is used, there is no doubt, nor can any.exception be made: it always signifieth a commutation and change, whether. it be applied to things or persons. So Luke xi. 11. 6’quy avec “exOyos, a serpent instead of a fish: Matth. v. 38. Spanos ve dp3aams, an eye for an eye.’ Hed. xii. 16 xmpwrordxra dvze Bpasews, his birth-right for meat. And for persons, - Archelaus i is sald to reign avr: “Hpdds rx HUT POS, Matth. ii. 22. in stead of ‘his father. Now. this word is used of the death of our Saviour, A/atth. xx. 28 The Son of man came Sevae env uxny Gv78 Avepoy a yes MOMAGY, (which words are 194 arguments against Book U1.

repeated again, Mark x. 45.) that is, that is to give his life a ransom in the stead of the lives of many. So that plainly, -Christ’s dying for us as a surety, ed. vil. 22. and thereby and therein bearing our sins in his own body, 1 Pet. ii. 24. being made a curse for us; was an undergoing of death, punishment, curse, wrath, not only for our good, but dis rectly in our stead: a commutation and subrogation of his person in the room and place of ours, being allowed and of God accepted,

This being cleared, I demand, ist, Whether Christ died thus for all? that is, sed iad he ‘Saas in the room and stead of all, so that his person was substituted in the room of theirs? as, whether he died in the stead of Cain and Pha-. raoh and the rest; who long before his death were under the power of the second death, never to be delivered? 2dly, Whether it be justice, that those or any of them in whose stead Christ died, bearing their iniquities, should themselves also die and bear their own sins to eternity? 3dly, What rule of equity is there, or example for it, that when the surety hath answered and made satisfaction, to the utmost of what was required in. the- obligation wherein he was a surety; that they, for whom he was a surety, should afterwards be proceeded against? 4thly, Whether Christ hung upon the cross, in “the: room or,stead of reprobates? Sthly, Whether he underwent all that which was due unto them for whom-he died? if not, how could he be said to die in their stead? if so, why are they not all delivered? I shall add no more but this: that to affirm Christ to die for all men, is the readiest way to prove that he died for no man, in the sense which Christians have hitherto believed, and to hurry poor souls 4 in to the bie of Socinian blasphemies. 4

Chap. XL Universal Redemption. 105.
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