The sum of all this is; man can suffer, but he cannot satisfy; God can satisfy, but he cannot suffer; but Christ being both God and man, can both suffer and satisfy too; and so is perfectly fit both to suffer for man, and to make satisfaction unto God, to reconcile God to man, and man to God. And thus, Christ having assumed my nature into his person, and so satisfied divine justice for my sins, I am reI ceived into grace and favour again with the most high God.

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Upon this principle, I believe, that I, by nature the sou of man, am made by grace the son of God, as really as Christ, by nature the Son of God, was made by office the Son of man: and so, though in myself, "I may say to corruption thou art my mother," yet in Christ I may say to God, "Abba Father." Neither do I believe this to be a metaphorical expression, namely, because he doth that for me, which a father doth for his child, even provide for me whilst young, and give me my portion when come to age; but I believe, that in the same propriety of speech that my earthly father was called the father of my natural self, is God the father of my spiritual self: for, why was my earthly father called my father, but because that I, as to my natural being, was born of what proceeded from him, namely, his seed? Why so, as to my spiritual being, am I born of what proceeds from God, his Spirit: and as I was not born of the very substance of my natural parents, but only of what came from them; so neither is my spiritual self begotten again, quickened and constituted of the very substance of my heavenly Father, God, but of the Spirit and spiritual influ

ences proceeding from him. Thus therefore it is, that I believe that Christ, the Son of God, became the Son of man; and thus it is that I believe myself, the son of man, to be made thereby the son of God. "I believe, O my God and Father, do thou help mine unbelief! and every day more and more increase my faith, till itself shall be done away, and turned into the most perfect vision and fruition of thine own glorious Godhead !"

ARTICLE VI.

I believe that Christ lived to God, and died for sin, that I might die to sin, and live with God.

AND thus, by faith, I follow my Saviour from the womb to the tomb, from his incarnation to his death and passion, believing all that he did or suffered, to be for my sake: for Christ did not only take my nature upon him, but he suffered and obeyed; he underwent miseries, and undertook duties. for me; so that not only his passive, but likewise his active obedience unto God, in that nature, was still for me. Not as if I believed, his duty as man was not God's debt, by the law of creation: yes; I believe that he owed that obedience unto God, that if he had committed but one sin, and that of the lightest tincture, in all his life-time, he would have been so far from being able to satisfy for my sins, that he could not have satisfied for his own; "For such an High Priest became us, who is holy, harmless, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens; who needed not daily, as those

high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's." So that if he had not had these qualifications in their absolute perfection, he could not have been our High Priest, nor by consequence, have made atonement for, nor expiated any sins whatsoever. But now, though both as man, and as God-man or Mediator too, it behoved him to be thus faithful and spotless; yet, as being God, co-equal and co-essential with the Father, it was not out of duty, but merely upon our account, that he thus subjected his neck to the yoke of his own law; himself, as God, being the legislator or lawgiver, and so no more under it, than the Father himself.

And hereupon it is, that I verily believe, that whatsoever Christ either did or suffered in the flesh, was meritorious; not that his life was righteous towards God, only that his death might be meritorious for us (which I believe otherwise it could not have been) but that his life was equally meritorious, as righteous. So that I believe my person is as really accepted, as perfectly righteous, by the righteousness of his life imputed to me, as my sins are pardoned by God, for the bitterness of the death he suffered for them; his righteousness being as really by faith imputed to me, as my sins were laid upon him as those are set upon his, so is that set upon my score; and so every thing he did in his life, as well as every thing he suffered in his death, is mine: by the latter God looks upon me as perfectly innocent, and therefore not to be thrown down to hell; by the former he looks upon me as perfectly righteous, and therefore to be brought up to heaven.

And, as for his death, I believe it was not only as much, but infinitely more, satisfactory to divine justice, than though I should have died to eternity. For, by that means, justice is actually and perfectly satisfied already, which it could never have been, by my suffering for my sins myself; for if justice by that means could ever be satisfied, if it could ever say, "It is enough;" it could not stand with the same justice, now satisfied, still to inflict punishment, nor, by consequence, could the damned justly scorch in the flames of God's wrath for ever. Neither did the death of my Saviour reach only to the condemning, but likewise to the commanding power of sin; it did not only pluck out its sting, but likewise deprive it of its strength; so that he did not only merit by his death, that I should never die for sin, but likewise that I should die to it. Neither did he only merit by his life, that I should be accounted righteous in him before God; but likewise that I should be made righteous in myself by God. Yea, I believe that Christ by his death hath so fully discharged the debt I owe to God, that now, for the remission of my sins, and the accepting of my person (if I perform the condition he requires in his covenant) I may not only appeal to the throne of grace, but likewise to the judgment-seat of God; I may not only cry, mercy, mercy, O gracious Father; but, justice, justice, my righteous God;" I may not only say, Lord, be gracious and merciful, but be just and faithful, to acquit me from that debt, and cancel that bond which my Surety hath paid for me, and which thou hast promised to accept of; being not only gracious and merciful, but just and faith

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ful, to forgive me my sins, and to cleanse me from all unrighteousness."

ARTICLE VII.

I believe that Christ rose from the grave, that I might rise from sin, and that he is ascended into heaven that I may come unto him.

As Christ came from heaven to earth, so I believe he went from earth to heaven, and all for the accomplishment of my salvation; that after he had lived a most holy life, he died a most cruel death; that he was apprehended, arraigned, accused, and condemned, by such as could not pronounce the sentence against him, did not himself, at the same time, vouchsafe them breath to do it; and that he came into the world to take away the sins of it, to bring sinners to the joys of life, was himself by those very sinners brought into the pangs of death. But yet, as it was not in the power of death long to detain the Lord of life; so, though the worms had power to send him to the grave, yet I believe they had not power or time to feed upon him there; for he rose again from the dead the third day:" he lay three days, that I might believe he was not alive, but dead; he rose the third day, that I might believe he is not dead, but lives; he decended down to hell, that he might make full satisfaction to God's justice for my sins; but he is now ascended up into heaven, that he might make intercession to God's mercy for my soul; thither I believe he is gone, and there I believe he is, not as a private person, but as the