A fourth volume containing one hundred and fifty sermons on several texts of Scripture…

II. To limit the Point. Though it is of Grace, yet not to exclude Christ, not to exclude the Means of Salvation.

II. To limit the Point. Thô it is of Grace, yet not to exclude Christ, not to exclude the Means of Salvation.

1. Not to exclude Christ. The Merit of Christ stands well enough with the Grace of God; Rom. 3.24. Being justified freely by his Grace, through the Redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Freely, you will say, How so, when it was not without so great a Price and Satisfaction as the Blood of the Lord Jesus? Yet however it is freely in respect of us, it is by no Work of ours, it was the exceeding Grace of God to appoint the Merit of Christ, that it might be the greater ground of Confidence to us. We do not look for things with such certainty, which depend upon mere Grace, and Favour, and Good-will, as we do when a thing is established by Merit and Desert. Now Merit in us there could not be without wrong to Grace; and therefore the Wisdom and Love of God hath found out this way of Merit in Christ, that we might be the more confident of the standing of our Privileges, they being bought at so great a Price. There was Grace in this, that God gave Christ, that the Satisfaction is not required of us; and therefore indeed there is nothing doth so gloriously discover the Grace of God, as the free giving up of Jesus Christ. God might require Satisfaction from the Party offending, or the Person that had so sinned might bear the Blame and Punishment; but the Lord hath so loved the World, that he gave his only begotten Son, and that not to Angels but to us. Well then, it is Grace to find out the Merit, and Grace by which we are interested in it: Christ's Merit is most free, both on the part of God: the Father freely sending Christ, and on the part of Christ taking this Office upon him. It was Grace that moved God to give Christ, and Grace that moved Christ to give himself, who loved me, and gave himself for me, Gal. 2.20. Nay, after all this, it is Grace that gives us Faith, that so we may be interested in the Merit of Christ, that we which sinned with both Hands earnestly, might take hold of God with both Hands: And our Salvation is carried on in such a way, that we may confidently expect his Mercy, without any violation of his Justice and Truth. So that it doth not derogate from the Grace of God, but much amplify and enlarge it: This is a great part of the Grace, that he freely sent Christ to make all sure between us and him.