Discourses on various important subjects, nearly concerning the great affair of the soul's eternal…

By the Merit and Righteousness of Christ, such Favour of God towards the Believer may be obtained, as that God may hereby, be already, as it were disposed to make them perfectly and eternally happy: But yet this don't hinder, but that God in his Wisdom, may choose to bestow this perfect and eternal Happiness, in this Way, viz. in some Respect, as a Reward of their Holiness, and Obedience: 'Tis not impossible but that the Blessedness may be bestowed as a Reward for that which ⟨p. 95⟩is done after that an Interest is already obtained in that Favour, which (to speak of God after the Manner of Men) disposes God to bestow the Blessedness. Our heavenly Father may already have that Favour for a Child, whereby he may be thoroughly ready to give the Child an Inheritance, because he is his Child; which he is by the Purchase of Christ's Righteousness; and yet that don't hinder but that it should be possible, that the Father may choose to bestow the Inheritance on the Child, in a Way of Reward for his Dutifulness, and behaving becoming a Child. And so great, and exceeding a Reward, may not be judged more than a meet Reward for his Dutifulness, but that so great a Reward is judged meet, don't arise from the Excellency of the Obedience, absolutely considered, but from his standing in so near, and honourable a Relation to God, as that of a Child, which is obtained only by the Righteousness of Christ. And thus the Reward, and the Greatness of it, arises properly from the Righteousness of Christ; tho' it be indeed in some sort the Reward of their Obedience. As a Father might justly esteem the Inheritance, no more than a meet Reward for the Obedience of his Child, and yet esteem it more than a meet Reward for the Obedience of a Servant. The Favour whence a Believer's heavenly Father bestows the eternal Inheritance, and his Title as an Heir, is founded in that Relation he stands in to him as a Child, purchased by Christ's Righteousness; tho' he in Wisdom, chooses to bestow it in such a Way, as therein to testify his Acceptance of the Amiableness of his Obedience in Christ.

By the Merit and Righteousness of Christ, such Favour of God towards the Believer may be obtained, as that God may hereby, be already, as it were disposed to make them perfectly and eternally happy: But yet this don't hinder, but that God in his Wisdom, may choose to bestow this perfect and eternal Happiness, in this Way, viz. in some Respect, as a Reward of their Holiness, and Obedience: 'Tis not impossible but that the Blessedness may be bestowed as a Reward for that which