Such Fruits as are hurtful to him, while the Medicine should operate; then (tho of its own nature it tendeth to cure him, yet) it will prove destructive to him, because of those obstructions which it meeteth with. Now, as the Man that should thus undo himself, would certainly be the cause of his own Death; - so who will say, that if cured, he owes not his Health wholly to the Physician, and not to any deed of his own? seeing his part was not any action, but a passiveness.

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The fecond Example is of diverse Men lying in a dark pit together, where all their Senses are so stupe-.. fyed, that they are scarce sensible of their Misery. To this I compare Man in his natural, corrupt, fallen Condition. I suppose 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, Saying with himself, I fee one of these Men willing to be delivered, and doing what in him lies; therefore he deferves to be assisted; as say the Socinians, Pelagians, and Semi-Pelagians. Neither do I suppose, that this Deliverer comes to the top of the Pit, and pats down a Ladder, defiring them that will to come up; as do the Jefuits and Arminians: yet, as they say, such are not delivered without the Grace; Seeing the Grace is that Ladder by which they were delivered. But I suppose, that the Deliverer comes at certain times, and fully discovers and informs them. of the great Misery and Hazard they are in, if they continue in that noisom and pestiferous Place; yea, forces them to a certain sense of their Misery (for the wickedest Men at times are made sensible of their Misery by Gods Visitation) and not only so, but laies hold upon them, and gives them a pull, in order to lift them out of their Misery: which if they refift not, will save them; only they may resist it. This being applied

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applied as the former, doth the same way illustrate the matter.

Neither is the Grace of God frustrated, tho' the effect of it be diverse according to its object; being the Ministration of Mercy and Love in those that reject it not, but receive it, John 1.12. but the Ministration of Wrath and Condemnation in those that do reject it, John 3.19. Even as the Sun by one act or operation melteth and softeneth the Wax, and hardeneth the Clay. And the Nature of the Sun is to cherish the Creation, and therefore the Living are refreshed by it, and the Flowers fend forth a good Savor, as it shines upon them, and the Fruits of the Trees are ripened: yet caft forth a dead Carcase, a thing without Life, and the same reflexion of the Sun wllcaufe it to stink, and putrify it; yet is not the Sun faid thereby frustrate of its proper effect. So every Man during the day of his Visitation is shined upon by the Sun of righteousness, and capable of being influenced by it, so as to send farth good Fruit, and a good Savor, and to be melted by it: but when he has finned out his day, then the same 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 Adversaries afssert (as has been shewn, Ch. 10. p. 124, 125.) that God doth in a Special manner work in some, in whom Grace so prevaileth, that they necessarily obtain Salvation, neither doth God suffer them to resist 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; I fay, whereas our Adversaries affert these two Propofitions, for my part, as I shall not affert, so neither shall 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 of opi

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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 Adversaries, and partly diffent from them. What they teach concerning this Point, I have already shewn, ch. 10. p. 125, 126. and shall now speak my thoughts of each particular thereof. We profess with our Adversaries, that we firmly believe, it was necessary that Christ 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 otherwise. But then whereas they ascribe a real worth to the Work, Sufferings, and Intercession of Christ in us, we are obliged to differ from them. For we allow all possible merit to what Christ did whilst he conversed upon -earth; but we cannot ascribe any merit to what they call the Work, Sufferings, and Intercession of Christ 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 else befides what he did upon Earth is properly meritorious. And therefore, as we cannot ascribe 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 Intercessor, and such as vile Sinners wanted; fo neither can we ascribe 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 Jesus Christ made to the Justice 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, Justification, and Salvation. But since there is no fuch Light, certainly it cannot operate, much less 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, inafmuch as he purchased 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 same may be faid of the Interceffion of Christ 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 Christ in us, viz. his stirring, 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 such an Interceffion, before they ascribe any merit to it. And as for what they mean by the Sufferings of Chrift in us, they are a mere fable. For whereas they affirm that the fame Light which is immediately united to Chrift, is in us also; and that whatsoever the Saints do fuffer, is to be accounted Christ's Suffering, because the Light in them, from which Christ is never separated, fuffers thereby; and that when wicked Men do refift the Light, Chrift is made to suffer; I say, whereas they affert these things, I defire the Reader to observe, that since I have disproved the being of such a pretended Light, I have consequently shewn that the Sufferings of, or in Man,

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

Now if by real worth they mean such a merit as I have above described; then, since we cannot ascribe any merit to what they call the Work, Sufferings, and Intercession of Christ in us, 'tis plain, that no real Worth can be ascribed to them. And I think, that by real worth they cannot but mean such a merit as I have above described, because they seem to make what they call the Work, Sufferings, and Intercession of Christ in us, a part of our Savior's Satisfaction. This appears from some Words of Mr. Barclay, which have been already quoted, but must now be repeated again. As for the Satisfaction of Christ without us (faies (f) 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 Chrift in us, nor bis present Interceffion, that is, his Interceffion within us, by the Light's stirring, moving, and enabling us to pray unto God. For in the very next words Mr. Barclay diftinguishes this Intercession of our Savior from his Intercession without us in Heaven. I appeal =to any impartial person, whether these words of my Author do not imply, that what they call the Work, Sufferings, and Interceffion of Christ 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 such a measure of goodness as makes a thing acceptable to God, tho not Meritorious; yet even then we are forced

(f) Quakerism confirmed, fect. 4. P.628.

to