23 2 Of imputedRight.OfFaith,Juß /,and Mans duty ;~ perfeverance and codqueft of theVieth, the World and the Devil; there- fore they have more unanimoufly agreed not only de re, but that the names of Reward and Rewardablenefs or Merit andWorthinefs are herefit; but ufed only in the fore explained fenfe. X I V. And though theScripture ofteft ufe the word t,,4 whichMott properly fignifieth wages, which founds as more than premium a Reward, yet we wholly grant you.that this is figuratively ufed , and that no man deferveth wages or any thing commutatively of God : But every Scri- pture Metaphor bath its reafon ; And the reafon of this is evident. ThoughGod cannot be Profited , he can be Pleated. And his Will or Pleafure is the End of all his Government and Works : And he is Pleafed moti in that whichdoth theWorld, the Church and our felves the moti good, for in that he ismolt glorified : Now he fo maketh his Laws and Promifes, as if our own and other mens good were his, and his Reward for our Pleafing by Order , Juftice and Goodnefs , hecalleth wages meta- phorically, being inftead of profiting him. X V. By all which it is moti obvious that we are not at all the lefs, but the more beholden to God, for the Merit or Rewardablenefs of our a&ions: For as all theBenefit is free Gift, fo it is of his Grace that we do any thing that is good, and that he acceptethit as Rewardable: And if it be any honour toa man tobe good rather than bad,and the Righteous be more excellent than his neighbour, it is an addition of mercy, that God will honour thofe that honour him , and commandeth others fo to do, Ptal.15.4. XV I. And now the cafe isveryplain, both that RewardandRewarda blenefs ( called Merit) there is, and why it is and mutt be fo. 1. How can Godbe a Governour, and have a Law , and be a Judge; and Righteous in all this, if faith and godlinefs be not Rewardable ? It is the fecond Article in our faith, and next believing that There is a God, that He is theRewarder of them that diligently feek him, Heb. x1.6. And when you would extirpate all faith and godlinefs on pretence of crying down Merit, youmay fee what over-doing tends to. z. The very nature of all Gods Laws and Promifes evidently inferr a Reward : Without it there were no fuch thing as Faith, Hope, Defire, toy, Content, forfalting all : Pfal. 19. I I. In keeping them there is great re- ward. 58. 1r. Verily there is a Rewardfor the righteous. 3. There is notorioufly a Reward even in this life, Match. 19..29. Who would change the profit and pleafure of a holy life here, for that of the unholy r 4. Reward and Rewardablenefs are found in thevery Law of Nature it Pelf : In that we are made for Godas our end, and it is God himfelf who is our Reward : And holinefs hath a natural tendency to happinefs, yea, is thebeginning of it it felf : And as God is faid in Nature to make fin pu- nifhable, in that he bath fo formedNature, that fin (hall bring fuffering in and with it (as,poyfon brings pain anddeath) ; fo inNature he bath made our duty andholinefs Rewardable, in forming man fo, that health, peace and happinefs fhall be in andafter it. Prov. 9. I z. If thoube -wife, thou art wife for thy fell. 5.The Light ofNature teacheth Parents, Matters, Princes and all Go- vernours to take Goodnefs to be Rewardable , and Crimes to be punifh- able And nothing is more univerfally approved by the commonnotices of humane nature than Juftice, or abhorred than Injuftice. Nature faith as z Sam. 23.31. He that rulethover menmutt be tuft : And as Wo to thew_ that decree unrighteous decrees : Andas Prov. 17.13. Who= fo
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