Answ. But did Christ merit Grace and Holiness conditionally? the Question now is: not about Salvation, or Justification; but about our Sanctification. If you speak of our Salvation in remission of Sin, you speak not to the matter in hand; and if you speak of our Sanctification, what Condition can be performed before that? 1. And if Christ did merit, and intend that our Holiness, and Sanctification should be bestowed on us, upon condition of Faith and Repentance; then a man may repent and believe▪ before he be Sanctified, and before he have any true saving Grace and Holiness. 2. No Condition can be performed before Grace and Holiness, but a work of Nature; and hath Christ merited that Grace shall be bestowed upon a work of Nature? the Apostle speaks directly contrary, 2 Tim. 1.9. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our Works, but according to his own purpose and Grace. And 3. If Christs Merits were thus conditional; then the Will of God the Father must be also conditional, for there is a correspondency between the Merits of Christ, and the Will of the Father; the Father wills that to us, which the Son hath merited for us; and as the Son merited, so doth the Father will the bestowing of the blessing: but the Father doth not will our Grace, Holiness, and Sanctification upon condition; for the Maintainers of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption, say, That Gods secret Will, and his revealed Will, are one and the same, nothing different; if therefore, God doth will our Sanctification, and Holiness, upon Condition, then, when he commands us to believe, repent, and obey, his Commandment ⟨p. 139⟩must be Conditional: and when he commands us to forsake our sins, his Command (for that is Gods Will) must be Conditional; and if those Commandments be conditional, then they cannot be resisted, nor his Will resisted, yea, then it will be no sin not to keep Gods Commandment; for if his Commandment be to be observed upon Condition, then if I do not perform that Condition, I do not transgress his Commandment; as if you command your Servant to do a thing if he will; if he will not, he doth not transgress your Commandment: Surely therefore, the Will of God, and his Commandments are absolute; such therefore is the Merit of Christ.
Answ. But did Christ merit Grace and Holiness cond•tionally? the Question now is: not about Salvation, or Justification; but about our Sanctification. If you speak of our Salvati•n in remission of Sin, you speak not to the matter in hand; and if you speak of our Sanctification, what Condition can be performed before that? 1. And if Christ did merit, and intend that our Holiness, and Sanctification should be bestowed on us, upon condition of Faith and Repentance; then a man may repent and beleeve▪ before he be Sanctified, and before he have any true saving Grace and Holiness. 2. No Condition can be performed before Grace and Holiness, but a work of Nature; and hath Christ •erited that Grace shal be bestowed upon a work of Nature? the Apostle speaks directly contrary, 2 Tim. 1.9. Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our Works, but according to his own purpose and Grace. And 3. If Christs Merits were thus conditional; then the Will of God the Father must be also conditional, for there is a correspondency between the Merits of Christ, and the Wil of the Father; the Father wils that to us, which the Son hath merited for us; and as the Son merited, so doth the Father wil the bestowing of the blessing: but the Father doth not wil our Grace, Holiness, and Sanctification upon condition; for the Maintainers of that Doctrine of Universal Redemption, say, That Gods secret Wil, and his revealed Wil, are one and the same, nothing different; if therefore, God doth wil our Sanctification, and Holiness, upon Condition, then, when he commands us to beleeve, repent, and obey, his Commandement ⟨p. 139⟩must be Conditional: and when he commands us to forsake our sins, his Command (for that is Gods Wil) must be Conditional; and if those Commandements be conditional, then they cannot be resisted, nor his Wil resisted, yea, then it wil be no sin not to keep Gods Commandement; for if his Commandement be to be observed upon Condition, then if I do not perform that Condition, I do not transgress his Commandement; as if you command your Servant to do a thing if he will; if he wil not, he doth not transgress your Commandement: Surely therefore, the Wil of God, and his Commandements are absolute; such therefore is the Merit of Christ.
