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Life, Chap. 3. p. 57, 58. fave only in the delicacy of his Phrafe; whofe elegant words are thefe ; Though the coming into the other World will queftionlefs improve thofe "Souls which are really good before; yet it is not to be imagined how it fhould create "thofe good who are habitually bad, and if we retain in the other World that prevail

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ing affection to these fenfitive Goods which "we contracted in this, it must neceffarily "render us unfpeakably miferable there. For every Luft the Soul carries into the other "World, will by being eternally feparated "from its Pleafures, convert into a hopeless defire, and upon that account grow more furious & impatient. For of all the torments "of the Mind, I know none that is comparable to that of an outragious defire joyn'd "with despair of fatisfaction;which is just the "cafe of fenfual & worldly-minded Souls in "the other Life, where they are full of sharp

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and unrebated defires, and like ftarved men "that are shut up between two dead Walls, are tormented with a fierce but hopeless "hunger, which having nothing else to feed on, preys and quarries on themselves, and "in this defolate condition they are forced GC to wander to and fro tormented with a "reftlefs Rage, and Hunger, and unfatisfied

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defire, craving Food, but neither finding 66 nor expecting any, and fo in unexpreffible Anguish, they pine away a long Eternity. And though they might find Content and "Satisfaction,could they but divert their af fections another way, and reconcile them ૦૬ to the heavenly Enjoyments, yet being "irrecoverably pre-engaged to fenfual Goods, they have no Savour nor Relish "of any thing elfe, but are like Feverish "Tongues that difguft and naufeate the most grateful Liquors by reafon of their own "overflowing Gall.

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Laftly, if in any thing I have writ about Christ's meritorious Satisfaction, I peradventure fully accord not with fome Divines, the difference, when the Matter is duly weigh', will prove, I hope, to be only verbal. For affert, (fect. 11.) First, That "Chrift's death on the Crofs was of infinite va lue and merit. Secondly, That by and through the fame, Remiffion of Sin, Juftification, and every other Good, whether of Grace or Glory, are obtain'd. Thirdly, That Christ's Crucifixion was as real and proper an expiatory Sacrifice for Sin, as any under the Law of Mofes (but of infinitely more value) ever was. Fourthly, That God's Justice is de jure prevented thereby from being exerted Z.3

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agaist Sinners in their everlasting Destruction. The only difference then (if any) remaining is in this, That I cannot apprehend, what fome others perchance think, viz. That Chrift's Merits operate upon God, and work an Effect of Mercy and Favour in his Will, whereas I humbly conceive them to be a fecondary efficient Caufe fubfervient to God's Love to Man, for conveying and applying the fame unto him, by being an effectual Means of converting his Affections from the Vanities of the World unto God, that he may be eternally fayed; for which I offer to serious confideration these following Reafons inducing me thereto. 1. That Chrift's most gracious doings and fufferings for Man, are held by all Chriftians to be a Meritorious Caufe 2ly. That a Meritorious Caufe is an efficient Caufe. 3ly. That it is the Property of an Efficient Caufe to work fome real Effer. 4ly. That it feems plainly impoffible that any real Effect fhould be wrought in God, who is impaffible and immutable (fect. 1. par. 8,9.) for otherwise feeing whatsoever is in God is God (fect. 1. par. 11.) fuch an Effect would be God himself, and fothe Merits of Chrift would be the effici ent Caufe of the Deity. 5ly. That Chrift's Merits therefore are not an antecedent, but

a fubfequent Caufe to the merciful-lovingkindness of God to Man, by which the eternal Goodness actually confers all the happy. Effects of divine Favour and Grace on him, whereby he is delivered from Sathan, Sin, and Damnation, and brought to everlasting Blifs.

If it be replied, that however plaufible, yea, certainly true, this arguing bẹ, yet there is fomething more in Chrift's Suffering for the Sin of Man, than what hath hitherto been faid, namely, the fatisfying Divine Justice; I answer, that ftrictly fpeaking, neither Justice nor Mercy, nor other Attributes of God are formally distinct, either from one another, or from the, very Effence of the Deity (Sec. 1. Par. 11.) and therefore albeit I willingly grant, that Chrift died for all men, even the Reprobate, as to me feems plain from thefe Words of the Apoftle, But there were falfe Prophets also among the People, even as there fall be falfe Teachers among you, who privily fhall bring in damnable Hereftes, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves Swift Damnation, 2 Pet. 2. 1. yet it was not to this very intent and purpose, that he fhould undergo thofe Pains and Punishments which were allotted for Sin, the everlafting Tor74

ments of Hell; (but to put Mankind thereby into a Way, State and Condition, that not any one fhould finally perish, fave only fuch as embraced not the Mercy of God in Chrift, manifested to the World in his Holy Gospel) for what Justice is it, that the Damned fhould fuffer the Pains of Hell, in cafe Christ had as. truly and fully fatisfied for them, as if they had already undergone them themfelves? If it be answered, that the actu al Benefit of Christ's Satisfaction only reaches to those who believe in him, and obey his Word, fo as that they fhall not perish, but have everlasting Life, I readily own that Chrift's Merits and more efpecially his bloody Death and Paffion, did in this fenfe abundantly fatisfie Divine Justice, for by these he really affected, that none can justly be damned, to whom they are applied by a lively and efficacious Faith, (Sect. 11.) fo that at the last day it will be equally just for God to render fome for and through the Merits of Christ eternally blessed, as it will be to give up others for their Sins to be for ever miferably afflicted; and contrariwife, it would be alike unjust to fave the Wicked in that day, who do not believe in Chrift and obey him, as to deftroy the Godly, who believe and put their Truft and Confidence

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