of that disobedience of Adam, so could not have been sanctified or reconciled to God but by justification in his blood, which is no less than blásphemy, for if there needed sanctification, there needed reconciliation.

Secondly. Neither needed he to be sanctified as a natural seed of Adam, for the enmity is not derived by generation, else habits of grace would come that way too,

Thirdly. All the sins of Adam would be our's

also,

possible with God, not only with respect to Christ, but also sinners themselves, because infinite purity cannot put forth any act that would render the object of that act morally impure.

If the imputation of sin to the guilty creature doth not pollute him, which is a certain truth, how should the imputation of it to the holy Jesus defile him? Imputation is not transfusion; in the Jatter the person becomes the subject of that which is imputed by the act of imputation; and therefore, though the transfusion of sin, if that could be, which it cannot, would necessarily defile, the imputation of sin doth not pollute the object of that act, and consequently the imputation of sin 10 the blessed Jesus, did not, nor could pollute his holy nature.

This doctrine contains no false or mistaken idea in it, on the part of the Father, who imputed

also, but it is but one offence, therefore imputed; therefore if no sin is imputed, no need of sanctification: but, if it be demanded why Christ was not guilty of Adam's transgression ?. I answer, because Christ was before Adam, and Christ was not in Adam nor in his covenant, but Adam was in Christ and in his covenant, of which Adam and his covenant was a figure.

Now for this great mystery, how sin was laid on Jesus Christ! which chiefly consists in this:

First.

sin to Christ, nor on the part of Christ to whom it was imputed: not on the part of the Father, for he did not consider our criminal actions, which he placed to the account of Christ, as his acts, as perpetrated by him, but as our acts committed by us. Nor does this doctrine, on the part of Christ,. include any mistaken conception in it, for it doth not suppose that he had a consciousness of the perpetration of those criminal actions which were imputed to him; or, that under the charge of them to him, he esteemed them acts that he himself. had committed; therefore this doctrine is attended with no dangerous consequences relating to Christ, nor is any thing contrary to truth supposed therein respecting sin, which he was made. for us. Besides, if guilt was not charged on Christ, his sufferings could not have been of a penal nature, for penal suffering under a charge

First. How sin was his.

Secondly. How the punishment of sin was executed upon him.

First. How sin became his :-I suppose this chiefly respects the suretyship of Christ; therefore let us enquire what he was, and if my light be not darkness, we shall find many besides the saddle in this point also.

Now, I find that suretyship signifieth a bringing or restoring a person again to the place cr person appointed, as in Gen. xliii. 9.

Secondly.

of offence, and without a just imputation of guilt, cannot in equity be equity be inflicted upon any subject; it is a most unrighteous: thing to punish any considered as innocent, and therefore if it was not possible with God to impute sin to the innocent Jesus, neither could he inflict punishment upon him, and if Christ did. not endure proper punishment, his sufferings were not, neither could they be satisfactory to the law and justice of God for our sins: of such necessity and importance is the doctrine of the imputation. of sin to Christ, that we cannot be saved without it."-For this quotation I acknowledge myself inr debted to that excellent publication, called (and that with the strictest propriety) "The Christian's Grand Treasure' Profitable would it be to the church, were all the periodical publications that assume sper

Secondly. When a man is bound to pay an other's debt, Prov. xxii. 26.

Thirdly. Sometimes they are bound for their good behavior, Isaiah ix. 6.

Now, Jesus Christ is a surety in respect of all these in their respective orders.

First. He is a surety in respect of the first; I state this doctrine, that the elect were stated in a covenant of life and death in Adam, through the suretyship of Christ. That Christ is a surety

is.

cious titles, conducted by such men, and embraced the same objects.

From the foregoing considerations, viz. the infinite love of God to his people,-the manifestation of that love in the gift of his Son,-the qualifications he received for the accomplishment of the end of his mission,-in the revelation of Jehovah's will,-in the redemption of the church from the damning power of sin, and the dreadful tyranny of Satan:-and this is effected by our being reconciled to God by the death of his Son.

In the accomplishment of this, the ever blessed Immanuel sacrificed his life, that his offering might flow from a willing mind, however repugnant to the feelings of nature.-We find that a divine joy was set before him, the human nature having a powerful motive to endure sufferings, instantly closed in with the design of the Father.

Re

is not denied; but of what is the mystery? I know it is common in every one's mouth, that Christ is a surety of the New Testament,. but I have some cause to fear, that there are but few that know what, the New Testament means.

Now, if we want sight let us look at the figure Adam, for there was a great difference between, that covenant that God made with Adam, and between Adam and his wife. In that covenant of God with Adam, Adam was her surety, if he

kept

Redemption was the end,—the sufferings of Jesus were to form the divine foundation, the necessity of suffering, if it springs from the coercion of power, possesses no merit,. but if it flows from a voluntary engagement, the necessity arises, not from power as much as from an honorable attention to an existing covenant. -That which induced the Son to come in the flesh, was the eternity of his love, that which induced the visible Jesus, the man in whom the Godhead. resided to die, we have expressed by the prophet Isaiah, thus, When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his doings, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands..

Christ was, in consequence of his sanctifying himself for the sake of his people, to have a pecul liar glory,—and that kind of glory too--which

otherwise