himself, John x. 28. And, says the Apostle, He is the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him: Heb. v. 9.

before

Now, as there are two things, that must be done for us, we can be brought unto a state of salvation; namely, a freeing of us from our liableness unto death, and a bestowing upon us a right unto life eternal: so, Jesus Christ, that he might bring us into this state, hath performed both these things for us.

(1) He hath satisfied divine justice for us; snatching us from under the vengeance of God; substituting himself in our room and stead; bearing the load of all that wrath and punishment, that must otherwise have fallen insupportably heavy upon us. His soul, says the Prophet, was made an offering for sin : Isa. liii. 10. And he was made sin for us, says the Apostle, that is, he was punished as a sinner for us, who knew no sin: 2 Cor. v. 21. And,

(2) He hath perfectly fulfilled the commands of the Law, by his active obedience; so that the life, promised by God in the Law to the doers of it, doth now undoubtedly belong to all those, for whom Christ did obey the Law; that is, for all those, that believe in him.

And, by both these, bearing the Penalty of the Law and fulfilling the Duties of the Law, God is atoned, justice is satisfied, vengeance is pacified; and we are reconciled, adopted, and made heirs of glory according to the promise.

"But, what! shall glory and happiness be presently bestowed upon us? Shall we be installed into it, without any more circumstance? Must nothing intervene betwixt Christ's purchase and our actual possession ?"

There must: for,

2. Christ hath purchased Grace, to be bestowed upon them, upon whom he bestows salvation. When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men: Eph. iv. 8. and, among others, especially the gifts of grace. For, of his fulness, says the Apostle, have we all received, and grace for grace:

John i. 16.

And why did Christ make this purchase? why did he merit grace for us? was it not, that we might act it in obedience? And, if Christ merited grace that we might obey, is it sense to object that our obedience is derogatory to Christ's merit? if one end of Christ's doing all that he did for us, was to enable us to do for ourselves, will any man say, "Now I am bound to do

nothing, because Christ hath done all?" How lost are such men, both to reason and religion, who undertake so to argue! No: salvation was purchased and grace was procured, that, by the acting and exercise of that grace, we might attain to that salvation; and both these are to be preserved entirely as things most sacred, ascribing them solely to the merits of our Saviour. So far are we from exhorting men to work out their salvation by way of merit and purchase, as that we conclude them guilty of the highest sacrilege and practical blasphemy against the priestly office of Jesus Christ, who think by their own works to merit the one or the other.

And, therefore, though Jesus Christ hath done thus much for us; yet, that he might leave us also some work to do, I shall now shew what he expects from us in order to the working out of our own salvation.

And, as he hath done Two things for us, so he requires Two things from us.

As,

And,

He requires, that we should put forth all the strength and power of Nature, in labouring after grace.

He requires that we should put forth the power of grace, in labouring for salvation, purchased for us.

(1) He requires, that all those, who are void of grace, should labour for it with that power and strength that they have. And, in so doing, they do not at all intrench upon the work of Christ; neither is it at all derogatory to his merits. See how the Prophet expresseth this, Ezek. xviii. 31. Make you a new heart and a new spirit: he speaks to those, that were in a state of nature; and he bids them make them a new heart and a new spirit; for why will ye die? noting, that, if they did not labour after a new heart and a new spirit, they would certainly die the death. Let every sinner know, that this is it, that he is called upon for this is that, which God expects from him: it is his work, to repent and return that he may live: it is his work, to labour to change his own heart, and to renew his own spirit. It is true, it is God's work also; for he hath promised to give a new heart and a new spirit: Ezek. xi. 19. and it is Christ's work also, as he is God; but yet it is not Christ's work, as a Mediator: and, therefore, to endeavour the working of a new heart in us, is not at all to intrench upon the mediatory office of

Jesus Christ; for, so, his office is not to work grace, but to procure it; not to implant grace, but to purchase it. You cannot, therefore, sit down and say, "What need is there of my working? Christ hath already done all my work for me, to my hands." No: Christ hath done his own work: he hath done the work of a Saviour and a Surety; but he never did the work of a Sinner. If Christ, by meriting grace, had bestowed it upon thee and wrought it in thee, then indeed there was no more required of thee to become holy, but to cast back a lazy look to the purchase of Jesus Christ: then, thy sloth would have had some pretence why thou dost not labour. But this will not do: our Saviour commands all men to seek first the kingdom of God, and the righteousness thereof: Mat. vi. 33. and the Apostle exhorts Simon Magus himself, though in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity, yet pray, says he, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee: Acts viii. 22. do not, therefore, cheat your own souls into perdition, by lazy notions of Christ's merits. What though Christ hath merited, yet God requires that you should work and labour, to change your own hearts, and reform your own lives; but, if you sit still, expecting till the meriting grace of Christ drop down into your souls, of its own accord, and change your hearts; truly, it may be, before that time you yourselves may drop down into hell with your old unchanged hearts.

And this is the First thing, which Christ requires.

(2) Christ expects and requires, that those, that have grace should put forth the utmost strength and power thereof, in labouring after that salvation that he hath purchased for them.

He hath merited salvation for them, but it is to be obtained by them through their own labour and industry. Is not that, which Christ hath already done, sufficient for them? Is it not enough, that he hath reconciled them to God by the blood of the covenant? that he hath made their peace and procured their pardon for them? but must Christ repent, and believe, and obey for them? This is not to make him a Saviour, but a Drudge. He hath done what was meet and fit for a Mediator to do: be now requires of us what is meet for Sinners to do; namely, to believe, to repent, to be converted, and to obey: he now bids you wash and be clean. And what would you have more? would you have the Great Prophet come and strike off leprosy, and you only mark the cure, and do nothing thereunto?

your

or, is it indeed enough, that salvation and happiness are purchased, that the way to heaven is made passable, that the bolts and bars of the New Jerusalem by Christ are broken off? Alas! what of all this! thou mayest still be as far from heaven and glory as ever, if thou dost not walk in the way that leads to it : still thou art as far from entering into heaven as ever, if thou dost not strive at the entrance into the strait gate. It is, therefore, in vain that Christ died, it is in vain that thou art justified, it is in vain that thou art adopted, it is in vain that heaven is prepared for thee: Christ may keep heaven, and glory, and his crowns, and robes for ever to himself; unless, as he hath purchased these great things for his people, so also he hath purchased to himself a peculiar people zealous of good works: a people, who, by patient continuance in well doing, seek for glory and......immortality, and by that way obtain it. Thus we see that Christ's doing all for us, is no excuse for our doing nothing: he hath, indeed, done all for us that belongs to him, as a Mediator meriting and procuring grace and salvation; but he never intended to do all for us, as to the conveying of them to us and making them ours: no; that is still to be done by us: and, therefore, though Christ's works alone were meritorious, yet by the actings of faith we must apply his merit, and by the actings of obedience confirm them to our ourselves. I might add also, when Christ is said to obey the Law in our stead, as well as to suffer in our stead: though his bearing the punishment of the Law by death doth excuse and exempt us from suffering; yet his obeying the Law doth not excuse our obedience unto the Law: Christ obeyed the Law, in a far different respect to the obedience which is now required from us: he obeyed as a Covenant of Works; we, only as a Rule of Righteousness: if he had failed in the least tittle, he could not have purchased life that was promised; but we, though we fall infinitely short in our obedience, may yet inherit that life that Christ hath purchased: Christ's obedience was fully perfect, yet ours is not derogatory thereunto, because it proceeds from other grounds than Christ's did.

But I will not proceed further in this, only conclude this answer with Two practical things in reference to this question. First. So work with earnestness, constancy, and unweariedness in well doing, as if thy works alone were able to justify and save thee.

Look, with what affection and fervency you would pray, if now God with a voice from heaven should tell you, that, for the next prayer you make, you should be either saved or damned: look, with what reverence and attention you would hear, with what spiritualness of heart you would meditate, if your eternal state and condition were to be determined and fixed by the next of those duties that in this kind you were to perform: with the same fervency, affection, and spiritualness perform all the obedience that you do. Why should you not do so? are not God's commands as peremptory and as authoritative for obedience under the Covenant of Grace, as they were under the Covenant of Works? is not obedience of as absolute nécessity now as ever, though not to the same end and purpose? and, since the end of our obedience is graciously changed, doth not this change lay a farther obligation of gratitude upon us to obey God, who requires it from us, not as merit, but as duty? Still, there is as great an obligation to obey now under the condition of the Covenant of Grace, as ever there was while mankind stood under the tenor of the Covenant of Works. Certainly, Christ's merit was never given to slacken our obedience: and it is the most unworthy, nay it is the most accursed use, that any Christian can make of it, that therefrom he should take encouragement to grow more remiss and slack in obedience. Would you not thereby turn the grace of God into wantonness? Would you not abuse the infinite mercy of a Mediator? Think with yourselves; "How would I strive and struggle, were I to stand or fall upon the account of my own works and duties!" Use the same diligence, put forth the same endeavours, as indeed in that case you would do. And,

Secondly. So absolutely depend and rely upon the alone merits of Jesus Christ for your justification and salvation, as if you never had performed an act of obedience in all your life.

This is the right gospel-frame of obedience: so to work, as if you were only to be saved by your own merits; and, withal, so to rest on the merits of Christ, as if you had never wrought any thing. It is a difficult thing, to give to each of these its due, in our practice: when we work, we are too apt to neglect Christ; and, when we rely on Christ, we are too apt to neglect working. But, that Christian hath got the right skill and art of obedience, that can mingle these two together: that can, with one hand, work the works of God; and yet, at the same time,