their feveralparts to a Ehrifisans Comfort. P. Doyou mean our Natural fitnefs or our Moral ? A man is Nam- -rally fir for his food, when he is hungry : Will you fay therefore that his food is his Reward for being hungry Lib. well; Let it be then his Moral, or rather his Spiritual fitnefs. P. Your explications are but darkning: Spiritual is either Natural or moral as well as corporal. The foul as aspirit is in its nature fit to ún= derftand common things here in the body ; Is this renderflanding its Re- ward for being a Spirit ? But Heaven is a Reward. Lib. well: call it a Moral fitnefs ifyou will : but What is that to Merit ? P. It is fomuch to it ás to tell the world that fuck as you, do revile others for holding the fame which you are forced to profefs your felf, and wrangle about meer words, andknow it not. For by [merit ] is meant nothing elfe but Ed moral aptitude for Reward] or that Rewar- dablenefs which confiffeth in moralGood or Evil, asfreely done and ha'2, and fo acceptable to Godas our Governour. But tell the next what wordwill you choofe to ferve inftead ofMerit, that we may agree in it Lib. Iknow notwhat words to life thatpleare yeti, when*e are totagreed about the thing fignified : I hold not any Reward in properferefe, but only free gift, and thereforehow can I tellyou what word to Uri' inJlead ofme- rit ? I think the wordReward is ufed but figuratively. P. Chrift faith, [Moth. 6. 4, 6. Your Father which feeth in feeret fhall Reward you openly :col. 3.24. Ye 1hò11 receive the reward of the inheritance: Heb. ro. 35. Caft not away your confidence which hath great recompence of reward : Heb. t t. i6. He had refpect to the teem- pence of reward : v. 6. Hethat cometli toGod muli believe that God is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently feek him: Mat,i6.z7. He shall reward every man according tohis works.] I askyou again, What is meant here byRewarding? Lib. t tellyou again, the meaning is, that as menPhew their liking of a thing that pleaféth them, by a proper Reward, fo Godfbeweth his liking ofour duty by a free gift of rornegreater good, which therefore after the manner Of men he calleth aReward. P. If it bea Metaphor, I askyou but the Meaning and Reafon of the name. If it be becauCe it followeth our duty, then every gift that fol- loweth our duty, is a reward, without any further refpeét CO that duty, but theorder of time : but that you denyed before ; Elfe Chrifts Lear- nation, and the Apoftles, and theGofpel, and all that ever foiloweth our duty, fhäuld be a Reward. But if you mean, that it is called a Reward, as it is a fign ofGods approbation of our duty only, then ifGod fhould tell men that heApproved/ of their duty, it would be a reward, though, he immediately annihilate them, or fhould never do them any good : which l think you will not fay. If you fay, that all threemuff concurs, viz. that it be f . A Benefit or Gift, z. Following duty; 3. Signifying an Approba- tion 4 it, you come almoft up to all that is afferted by them that yon quarrell with: If God fhould by Come benefit to one man lignifie thathé approved the dutyof another, or ofa thoufand more, and fhould annihi- late them all ; this were no reward to them. Therefore when you have talkt all that you can devife to fay, you mutt fay, that there is fome Airier! in the duty for that approbation and benefit, and that the Relation of the Gift to that . Fitters, is it that denomináteth it a Reward i And that though there beno Caufe in man of any Aéts of God exparte agen- tis, yet are there Coules in man ofour Reception and Of the effeéfs; ex 1___-9--
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