commandments. If obedience were meritorious, it were strict justice to reward them. pences. II. The meritorious cause of our obtaining heaven, is the obedience of Jesus Christ, comprehending all that he did and suffered to reconcile God to us. From him as the eternal Word we have all benefits in the order of nature, for all things were made by him,' and for him as the incarnate Word; all good things in the order of grace. What we enjoy in time and expect in eternity is by him. To show what influence his mediation has to make us happy, we must consider; 1. Man by his rebellion justly forfeited his happiness, and the law exacts precisely the forfeiture. Pure justice requires the crime should be punished according to its quality, much less will it suffer the guilty to enjoy the favour of God. Sin is not to be considered as an offence and injury to a private person, but the violation of a law, and a disturbance in the order of government; so that to preserve the honour of governing justice, an equivalent reparation was appointed. Till sin was expiated by a proper sacrifice, the divine goodness CHAP. VII.] Eternal life the gift of God. [HEAVEN. was a sealed spring, and its blessed effects were restrained from guilty creatures. Now the Son of God in our assumed nature offered up himself a sacrifice in our stead, to satisfy divine justice and remove the bar, that mercy might be glorified in our salvation. The apostle gives this account of it; 'We have boldness to enter into the blood of Christ, by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.' Heb. x. 19, 20. holiest by the 2. Such were the most precious merits of his obedience, that it was not only sufficient to free the guilty contaminated race of mankind from hell, but to purchase for them the kingdom of heaven. If we consider his human nature, all graces were born with him as rays with the sun, and shined in the whole course of his life in the excellence of perfection; and the dignity of his divine person derived an immense value to all he performed as Mediator. One act of his obedience was more honourable to God, than all the lives of the saints, the deaths of the martyrs, and the service of the angels. God was more pleased in the obedience of his beloved Son, than he was provoked by the rebellion of his servants. Therefore as the just recompense of it, he constituted him to be universal head of the church, and supreme Judge of the world; invested him with divine glory, and with power to communicate it to his faithful servants. He is the Prince of life. In short, it is as much on account of Christ's sufferings HEAVEN.] Eternal life the gift of God. [CHAP. VII. that we are glorified, as that we are forgiven. The wounds he received in his body, the characters of ignominy and footsteps of death, are the fountains of our glory. exaltation. His abasement is the cause of our If it be said, this seems to lessen the freeness of this gift, the answer is clear; this was due to Christ, but undeserved by us. Besides, the appointing his Son to be our Mediator in the way of our ransom, was the most glorious work of his goodness. CHAP. VIII. The gospel requires qualification in all that shall obtain the kingdom of heaven- The renovation of man according to the likeness of God is indispensably requisite The wisdom and justice of God require that men be sanctified before they are admitted into heaven--Without it there is a moral incapacity of enjoying the beatific vision. THE means of our obtaining heaven are to be ' considered. Though the divine goodness be free in its acts, and there can be nothing in the creature of merit or inducement to prevail upon God in the nature of a cause, yet he requires qualifications in all those who shall enjoy that blessed unchangeable state. The apostle expressly declares that it is not of him that wills, nor of him that runs, but of God that sheweth mercy, Rom. ix. 16. But we must distinguish the effects of this mercy, which are dispensed in that order which the gospel lays down. The first mercy is the powerful calling of the sinner from his corrupt and wretched state; a second mercy is the pardoning his sins; the last and most eminent is the glorifying him in heaven. Now it is clear that in this place, the showing of mercy' signifies the preventing grace of God in conversion; for in the 18th verse it is said, God shows mercy to [CHAP. VIII. whom he will, and whom he will he hardens. Where it is evident that showing mercy is opposed not to condemning, but to hardening; and consequently the intent of the words is this-that divine grace overcomes the rebellions will, softens the stiff and stubborn heart, and makes it pliant to obedience. This flows from his pure good will and pleasure, without the least motive from the inclinations or endeavours of sinful men. But the other effects of God's mercy require conditions in the subjects that receive them; for he pardons only penitent believers, and glorifies none but persevering saints. ? To make this clear we must observe, that the gos ple has several denominations. It is called a law, a covenant, and a testament, Rom. iii. 27. It is called the law of faith, and the law of the spiritual life. As a law' it signifies a new right that God has most freely established in favour of lost man, that commands certain duties, and sets before them eternal life as the reward of obedience, and eternal death the punishment of disobedience. According to this shall be the trial, and decision of men's everlasting states, which is the character of a true law. This law of grace is very different from the law of nature, which required entire innocence, and for the least omission or accusing act, past an irrevocable doom upon the offenders; for that strictness and severity is mollified by the gospel, which accepts of sincere persevering obedience though imperfect ac cordingly it is called the law of liberty, James ii. |