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

Although', on the Account of Faith in the Believer, it is, in the Sight of God, fit and congruous, both that he that believes should be looked upon as in Christ, and also as having an Interest in his Merits, in the way that has been now explained, yet it appears that this is very wide from a merit of Congruity, or indeed any moral Congruity at all to either. There is a twofold Fitness to a State; I know not how to give them distinguishing Names otherwise than by calling the one a moral, and the other a natural Fitness: A Person has a moral Fitness for a State, when his moral Excellency commends him to it, or when his being put into such a good State, is but a fit or suitable ⟨p. 18⟩Testimony of Regard or Love to the moral Excellency, or Value, or Amiableness of any of his Qualifications or Acts. A Person has a natural Fitness for a State when it appears meet and condecent that he should be in such a State or Circumstances, only from the natural concord or agreeableness there is between such Qualifications and such Circumstances; not because the Qualifications are lovely or unlovely, but only because the Qualifications, and the Circumstances are like one another, or do in their nature suit and agree or unite one to another. And 'tis on this latter Account only that God looks on it fit by a natural Fitness, that he whose Heart sincerely unites it self to Christ as his Saviour, should be looked upon as united to that Saviour, and so having an Interest in him; and not from any moral Fitness there is between the excellency of such a Qualification as Faith, and such a glorious Blessedness as the having an Interest in Christ. God's bestowing Christ and his Benefits on a Soul in consequence of Faith, out of Regard only to the natural Concord there is between such a Qualification of a Soul, and such an union with Christ, and Interest in him, makes the Case very widely different from what would be; if he bestowed this from regard to any moral Suitableness; for in the former Case, 'tis only from God's Love of order that he bestows these Things on the account of Faith. In the latter God doth it out of Love to the Grace of Faith it self. God will neither look on Christ's Merits as ours, nor adjudge his Benefits to us, till we be in Christ: nor will he look upon us as being in him, without an active unition of our Hearts and Souls to him;

Altho', on the Account of Faith in the Believer, it is, in the Sight of God, fit and congruous, both that he that believes should be looked upon as in Christ, and also as having an Interest in his Merits, in the way that has been now explain'd, yet it appears that this is very wide from a merit of Congruity, or indeed any moral Congruity at all to either. There is a twofold Fitness to a State; I know not how to give them distinguishing Names otherwise than by calling the one a moral, and the other a natural Fitness: A Person has a moral Fitness for a State, when his moral Excellency commends him to it, or when his being put into such a good State, is but a fit or suitable