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fuch Fruits as are hurtful to him, while the Medicine fhould operate; then (tho' of its own nature it. tendeth to cure him, yet) it will prove destructive to him, because of thofe obftructions which it meeteth with. Now, as the Man that should thus undo him- . felf, would certainly be the cause of his own Death; So who will fay, that if cured, he owes not his Health wholly to the Phyfician, and not to any deed =of of his own? feeing his part was not any action, but a paffiveness.

The fecond Example is of diverfe Men lying in a dark pit together, where all their Senfes are so ftupefyed, that they are scarce fenfible of their Mifery. To this I compare Man in his natural, corrupt, fallen Condition. I fuppofe not, that any of these men = wrestling to deliver themselves, do thereby stir up or engage one able to deliver them, to give them help, faying with himself, I fee one of thefe Men willing to be delivered, and doing what in him lies; there1fore he deferves to be affifted; as fay the Socinians, Pelagians, and Semi-Pelagians. Neither do I fuppofe, that this Deliverer comes to the top of the Pit, and puts down a Ladder, defiring them that will to come up; as do the Jefuits and Arminians: yet, as they say, fuch are not delivered without the Grace; feeing the Grace is that Ladder by which they were delivered. But I fuppofe, that the Deliverer comes at certain times, and fully difcovers and informs them of the great Mifery and Hazard they are in, if they Continue in that noifom and peftiferous Place; yea, forces them to a certain fenfe of their Mifery (for the wickedeft Men at times are made fenfible of their Mifery by Gods Vifitation) and not only fo, but laies hold upon them, and gives them a pull, in order to lift them out of their Mifery: which if they refift not, will fave them; only they may refift it. This being applied

applied as the former, doth the same way illustrate

the matter.

Neither is the Grace of God frustrated, tho' the effect of it be diverfe according to its object; being the Miniftration of Mercy and Love in those that reject it not, but receive it, John 1.12. but the Miniftration of Wrath and Condemnation in those that de reject it, John 3.19. Even as the Sun by one act or operation melteth and fofteneth the Wax, and hardeneth the Clay. And the Nature of the Sun is to cherifh the Creation, and therefore the Living are refreshed by it, and the Flowers fend forth a good Savor, as it fines upon them, and the Fruits of the Trees are ripened: yet caft forth a dead Carcafe, a thing without Life, and the fame reflexion of the Sun will caufe it to ftink, and putrify it; yet is not the Sun faid thereby frustrate of its proper effect. So every Man during the day of his Vifitation is shined upon by the Sun of righteousness, and capable of being influenced by it, so as to fend forth good Fruit, and a good Savor, and to be melted by it: but when he has finned out his day, then the fame Sun hardeneth him, as it doth the Clay, and makes his wickedness more to appear, and putrify, and fend forth an evil Savor.

9. Whereas our Adverfaries affert (as has been fhewn, Ch. 10. p. 124, 125.) that God doth in a Special manner work in fome, in whom Grace fo prevaileth, that they neceffarily obtain Salvation, neither doth God fuffer them to refift it; and also, that Such an increase and stability in the truth may in this life be attained, from which there cannot be a total Apoftafy; Ifay, whereas our Adverfaries affert these two Propofitions, for my part, as I shall not affert, fo neither fhall I deny them. That each of 'em may be true, I freely grant; and for fome reasons I think 'em both probable: but I am not af opi

nion, that the Holy Scriptures do plainly teach either of 'em.

10. As for the Doctrine of Christ's Satisfaction, we do therein partly agree with our Adverfaries, and partly diffent from them. What they teach concerning this Point, I have already fhewn, ch. 10. p. 125, 126. and fhall now fpeak my thoughts of each particular thereof. We profefs with our Adverfaries, that we firmly believe, it was neceffary that Chrift should come, that by his Death and Sufferings he might offer up himself a facrifice to God for our Sins; and that the remiffion of Sins which any partake of, is only in and by the Virtue of that fatisfactory Sacrifice, and not otherwife. But then whereas they afcribe a real worth to the Work, Sufferings, and Interceffion of Chrift in us, we are obliged to differ from them. For we allow all poffible merit to what Chrift did whilft he converfed upon earth; but we cannot afcribe any merit to what they call the Work, Sufferings, and Interceffion of Chrift in us. That is, we believe, that what our Savior did whilft he was upon Earth, was the only Satisfaction which he made to the Justice of God; that it was all which he paid for our Ranfom, and as the price of our Salvation; and confequently that nothing elfe befides what he did upon Earth is properly meritorious. And therefore, as we cannot afcribe any proper merit even to his Interceffion in Heaven, but rather attribute the prevalency thereof to what he did upon Earth, by the alone virtue of which he is, and without the virtue of which he could not have been, a powerful Interceffor, and fuch as vile Sinners wanted; fo neither can we afcribe any merit to what they call the Work, Sufferings, and Interceffion of Chrift in us, that is, we cannot account them to be any

part

part of that Satisfaction which Jefus Christ made to the Juftice of God, or of what He paid for our Ranfom, and as the price of our Salvation.

For what they mean by the Work of Christ in us, is the Operation of the Light in us, in order to our Regeneration, Sanctification, Juftification, and Salvation. But fince there is no fuch Light, certainly it cannot operate, much lefs can its Operation be meritorious. Nay, tho' by the Work of Chrift in us they meant the Operation, not of the Light, but of the gracious influences of the Holy Ghoft, which may be called Chrift's Work, inaf much as he purchafed them for us; yet even this Work in us is not part of the price which Chrift paid, but part of that which was purchased therewith. The fame may be faid of the Interceffion of Chrift in us, if they meant thereby nothing more than his Spirits affifting us to pray acceptably unto God. But if they mean any other Interceffion of Chrift in us, viz. his ftirring, and moving, and enabling Men to pray by particular impulfes of a pretended Light, as 'tis plain they do; we defire 'em to prove that there is fuch an Interceffion, before they afcribe any merit to it. And as for what they mean by the Sufferings of Christ in us, they are a mere fable. For whereas they affirm that the fame Light which is immediately united to Chrift, is in us alfo; and that whatsoever the Saints do fuffer, is to be accounted Chrift's Suffering, because the Light in them, from which Christ is never feparated, fuffers thereby; and that when wicked Men do refift the Light, Chrift is made to fuffer; I fay, whereas they affert thefe things, I defire the Reader to obferve, that fince I have difproved the being of fuch a pretended Light, I have confequently fhewn that the Sufferings of, or in Man,

cannot

cannot be accounted the Sufferings of Chrift upon any fuch account; and therefore no merit can be afcribed to the Sufferings of, or in Men, or what they call the Sufferings of Chrift in Men.

Now if by real worth they mean fuch a merit as I have above defcribed; then, fince we cannot ascribe any merit to what they call the Work, Sufferings, and Interceffion of Chrift in us, 'tis plain, that no real Worth can be afcribed to them.

And

I think, that by real worth they cannot but mean fuch a merit as I have above defcribed, because they seem to make what they call the Work, Sufferings, and Interceffion of Chrift in us, a part of our Savior's Satisfaction. This appears from fome Words of Mr. Barclay, which have been already quoted, but must now be repeated again. As for the Satisfaction of Chrift without us (faies (ƒ) he) we own it against the Socinians, and that it was full and complete in its kind: yet not so as to exclude the worth of the Work and Sufferings of Christ in us, nor bis prefent Interceffion, that is, his Interceffion within us, by the Light's ftirring, moving, and enabling us to pray unto God. For in the very next words Mr. = Barclay diftinguishes this Interceffion of our Savior from his Interceffion without us in Heaven. I appeal to any impartial perfon, whether these words of my Author do not imply, that what they call the Work, Sufferings, and Interceffion of Chrift in us, are a part of our Savior's Satisfaction. And if fo, they are certainly mistaken, as has been shewn.

But if by real worth they mean fuch a measure of goodness as makes a thing acceptable to God, tho not Meritorious; yet even then we are forced

(f) Quakerifm confirmed, fect. 4. p.628.

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