An Appendix to this Premonition. that theGofpel, or the frf Grace, yea the fir(tfpecial Grace begiven us. S. That Chrift by his fuf feritig and meritshash procured to his clad, not only pardon and life if they believe and obey him, but Grace to caufe them effectually and infallibly to believe, repent, obey, and perfevere. y. Thatno man canor willbelieve and repent, but byhis Grace. 1 o.That togive men a promifeof pardon and lifeif theywill believe, repent, and obey 'the Gofpel, is not the whole of Chrif's Grace to any : but Where-ever hegiveth this, he givethalto much means, and gracious help, by which men may do better than they do, andfo be more prepared for his further Grace. r r. That if Gód only gavemen a promife of pardon if they believe, and gave them no Grace to enable or help them to believe, it wouldbe no faving Covenant. 1 a. God did not repeal hisLaw of Innocency, (or as he had rather call it, of Perfe2ion) ; nor did properly difpenfe with, or relax the precep- tive part of it Nor is itabfolutely ceafed, as to a capable fubjed: And therefore Chrift was bound to perfection. 13. God would not have his Law to be without the honour of, the-per- fed performance of mans Mediator, though itbe violated by us all. 14. No man is faved or juftified but by theproper merit of Chrift's perfeil obedience; yea, and his habitual holinefs and. fatisfailoryfuferiugs, advanced in dignity by his divine perfetiion. 15. This merit,as related to us, fuppofeth that Chrift, asa Sponfor, was the fecond Adam, the Root of the juftitied, the recon- ciling Mediator, who obeyed perfectly with that intent, that by his obedience wemight be julti- fied ; and who fuffered for our fins, in our room and Reads and fo was in tantum our Vicariat pcene, as fome phrafe it, orfubJtirute s and was made a curie for us, that we might be healed by his (tripes ; as he was obedient, that his righteoufnefs might be the reafonas ameritorious caufe of our Juftification: which fuppofeth the relationof an undertaking Redeemer, inour nature do- ing this, and in our f ead fofar forth, as that thereforeperfeel obedience fhould not be neceffary to be performed byour felves : And righteoufnefs therefore is imputed tous, that is, we are truly reputed righteous, becaufe we, as believing members of Chrift, have right to impunity and life, as merited by his righteoufnefs, and freely given to all penitent. believers. And Chrif,'s own righteoufnefsmay be faid fo fir to be imputed to us,as to be reckoned or reputed the meritorious caufe of our right or jufification, asaforefaid. Thus far we are agreed de re : Arid then de nomine I willingly leave men to their way of fpeech. r. If he will call God's Decree,his Covenant in Conftitution. 2. If he will call the ex- ecutionof his Decree,. his`Covenant in execution. 3. If he will call nothing elfe the Covenant of Grace, orat lean nothingof narrower extent, but what comprehendeth God's eternal De- crees,and the promife and gift of a Redeemer, (and fo of the reft,) I cannot help it ; his lan- guage is his own. But I Ihall tell you further any thoughts de re ende nomine. 1. De re : I. God'seternal decrees, purpofes, or election, give no one right to Chriu, Pardon or Life ; and fo jufifie noman. 2. The execution of God's Decrees, yea, of Election, bath many Ads betides Jufifica- tion. 3. It muli thereforebe fome tranfient Ad done in time, &adextra, by which God jufifieth men. 4. Thereare divers fuchads concurring in feveral forts of caufality, or refped. 5. Chrif's meritorious righteoufnefsand fatisfadion are the foie, proper, immediate caufe- meritorious of all the Grace or Mercy procured and given by hint ; there being no other meri- torious caufe of the fame kind either more immediate,or at allco- ordinate, and copartner with him. 6. AsChrift givethus Windsqualitative andalive by thereal operationof his Spirit, (though he merited it immediatelyhimfelf;) fo doth he give usright to impunity, to the further Grace of the Spirit,and to Glory, by the inthumentality of his Covenant, as by a Teftament, Deed of Gift, or Law of Grace. Which by fignifying God'sdonative will, doth not ftrJ$ declare us jufißed, or to have the forefaid right to Chrift and Life, but doth firjt give as infrumentally that right ; and fo immediately jufifyus. (And God's wiligiveth us not right as fecret, or of it Pelf, but by fuck infrumental tignification.) 7. Godbath fignifiedhis will to us, partlyby abfolute gifts and promifes, and partly by con- ditional : that fetch there are,he that denieth,mull denymuch of the Scripture. Chrift was ab- folutely given to fallen mankind fora Redeemer ; and fo was the Conditional Law, or Covenant of Grace and manyother mercies But he hath made and recorded a conditional Gift of Chris, as in fpecial Union, (to be our Head,) and of Pardon and Salvation. 8. It is Chrift's Rated Conftitution, that Ehe that believeth, and isbaptized,lhall befared, and he thatbelieveth not(hallbe damned, Mar. 16.16. That if thouconfers with thy mouth the Lord Je- fur, and believe in thy heart that God railed him from the dead, thou (halt be fared: for with the heart man believetb'(Chriti's refurredion) unto righteoufnefs, and with the mouth confrgion is made unto Salvation, Rom, 10. That exceptyou repent you Jhall all perilh, Luke 13.3, 5.That menmuff.. repent, and be baptized, for the remifon of fins, As 2.38. And repent and be converted, that
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