gracious imputation become theirs, and they are on the account thereof become indeed righteous in God's fight: although antecedent to that imputation, they were legally condemned criminals, and though they yet remain inherently imperfect and finful creatures.

We are further to confider, that this righteousness of Christ is imputed to none but believers; but is (as the apostle expreffes it) revealed from faith, to faith. It is not imputed before we have faith, as the Antinomians dream; nor is the imputation delayed, till the fruits and effects of faith in an obedient life appear, as fome others. feem to fuppofe: but it is imputed at and upon our be lieving. It shall be imputed, if we believe, Rom. iv. 24. Faith is the receiving an offered Saviour, John i. 12. in his perfon, his offices, and all his benefits; and there. fore it is a receiving his righteousness, which is one of his benefits, freely offered in the gospel, to all that will accept it.

So I am prepared to obferve to you, that we are to understand our juftification by the imputed righteoufnefs of Christ, to fignify and imply, A gracious fentence of God, whereby a finner antecedently guilty in his fight, is upon his believing in Chrift, acquitted from guilt, accepted as righteous, and intitled to all the benefits of the covenant of grace, on account of • what Christ has done and suffered for him.'

Thus, Sir, I have endeavoured in as few words as poffible, to give you a juft and clear view of the doctrine before us; and am now ready to confider your objections.

You first object, that the imputation of our fins to Chrift, or the imputation of Chrift's righteousness to us, are no where mentioned in the word of God; that ⚫ the terms and expreffions used in this cafe, are cer⚫tainly of human invention; and the doctrine therefore to be suspected, as having its original rather from our fcholaftic divines, than from the oracles of God.'

Your first fuppofal is, that the imputation of our fins to Chrift, is no where mentioned in the word of God. If you mean by this, that we no where in fcripture find that propofition, in fo many exprefs words, that our fins are imputed to Chrift, this is true: but I hope to fhew you it is altogether impertinent. But if you mean by this

Р

that we can no where find full, clear and undeniable evidence from fcripture, of the imputation of the sins of believers to Chrift, I will endeavour immediately to convince you of your mistake.

The whole Levitical difpenfation was purposely defigned to reprefent this comfortable truth to us. This was the end of all their facrifices, and bloody oblations for the remiffion of their fins. They did not imagine, or at least God did not design that they should imagine, that their fin and guilt was actually, to all intents and purposes, transferred from the offender to the victim: but they were hereby led to look to Chrift, the antitype of all their fin offerings, in faith and hope, that their fins fhould all be imputed to him; and themselves through the merit of his facrifice, be acquitted from guilt. This defign of all their expiatory facrifices was more clearly exhibited to them, in the institution of the fcape-goat; where the imputation of our fins to Chrift was in the most lively manner reprefented. And Aaron fball lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat; and confefs over him all the iniquities of the children of Ifrael,and all their tranfgreffions in all their fins, putting them upon the head of the goat; and fball fend him away, by the hand of a fit man, into the wilderness; and the goat frall bear upon him all their iniquities, unto the land not inhabited, Lev. xvi. 21, 22. Here was a plain and exprefs commutation, or transferring of guilt from God's people to the fcape-goat. All the iniquities of God's people, all their tranfgreffions in all their fins, were laid upon his head. He bore upon him all their iniquities: or in other words, their fins were imputed to him. Now you cannot suppose, that all the hopes of the children of Ifrael terminated upon this goat. You must fuppose, that they looked to the great antitype, to whom their guilt was indeed to be transferred, and their fins imputed; and from whom they expected their discharge and juftification. Hence it plainly appears, that all the hopes, which the church of God in all the ages and difpenfations thereof have entertained, of the forgiveness of fin and reconciliation to God, was through the imputation of their fins to Chrift, the fubftance of all the Levitical shadows, and the only true fa-offering.

The fame doctrine, which was fo plainly pointed out by thefe typical rites, is fully and abundantly confirmed, by very many plain and clear paffages of fcripture, which cannot with any appearance of propriety, be conftrued in any other fenfe, than that I am pleading for. Thus, Ifa. liii. 6, 11. The Lord hath laid upon him the iniquity of us all. For he fhall bear their iniquities, 2 Cor. v. 21. For he hath made him to be fin for us, who knew no fin, that we might be made the righteousness of Col in him, Gal. iii. 13. Chrift hath redeemed us from the curfe of the law, being made a curfe for us, 1 Pet. ii. 24. Who his own felf bare our fins in his own body on the tree. Many other texts to the like purpofe might be quoted: but these are every way fufficient to decide this point.

If the iniquity of us all could be laid upon Chrift, and he bear our iniquities, no other way but by imputation, it then appears from Ifa, liii. that our iniquities were imputed to him. And I think, the adverfaries of this doctrine can make no rational pretence to any other way, in which our fins can be faid to be laid upon Chrift, and he be faid to bear our iniquities.

If Chrift has been made fin for us, according to 2 Cor. v. he must be made fin for us (and treated as a finner) either by his own perfonal fault, or by the imputation of our fin to him. I can think of no other poilible way, in which this can be fuppofed, but one of thefe two. Now the blafphemy of the former fuppofition obliges us to reject it with abhorrence: and therefore, the

latter must be allowed.

If Chrift hath been made a curfe for us, according to Gal. iii. he must then have the violation of the law imputed to him; otherwise the curfe of it could not in juftice have been inflicted upon him. To inflict the curfe, or penalty of a law, upon one no ways chargeable with the violation of it, is contrary to the juftice both of God and man. And I can imagine no other way, by which our bleffed Saviour could be chargeable with the violation of the law of God, and thereby be obnoxious to the curfe of it; but through the imputation of our fin and guilt to him.

If our bleffed Saviour bare our fins in his own body, and was punished for our fins, upon the crofs, accord

ing to I Pet. ii. Our fins then must be laid to his charge, and punished upon him, either by imputation, or fome other way. Here then let our adverfaries speak sense, and tell us, if they can, what other way this could be done.

Pardon me, Sir, if am forced to tell you, that it is too trifling an evasion to be adopted by men of learning and fenfe, to urge against us, that the word imputation is not used in this cafe in fcripture, when so many expreffions are used in fcripture, which fully and neceffarily imply it, and are of the fame fignificancy. True, we do not read in exprefs words, that our fins were imputed to Chrift but we do read in exprefs words, that our iniquities were laid upon him; that he bare them, that he was made fin, or legally reputed a finner, on the account of them that he bare them in his own body, or was punished for them, upon the cross; and bore the curfe of the law, which we had violated. And if all this does not amount to the fame thing, as the imputation of our fins to Chrift, I muft forever defpair of understanding the meaning of the most plain and familiar expreffions.

Dear Sir, allow me the freedom to obferve to you, that you have been guilty of innumerable fins: if thefe have not been imputed to Chrift, if he hath not borne your fins, if he hath not fatisfied the divine juftice on account of them, they must yet be imputed to you, and you must bear your iniquity yourfelf: you muft yet be under the guilt of all your fins, and under all the cur fes of the broken law. A thought which will administer but little confort here: and lefs at the tribunal of Chrif, if this fhould then be found to be your cafe. A thought big with horror!

I now proceed to confider, whether the imputation of Chrift's righteousness to us, is no where mentioned in the word of God. I must here again acknowledge, that this propofition, Chrift's righteousness is imputed to believers, is no where to be found in the scriptures, in exprefs terms. But then we have so many full and clear teftimonies in fcripture, to the doctrine contained in that propofition, that there can be no reason to call the truth of it into question. Thus Jer. xxiii. 6. This is the name whereby he fhall be called, The Lord our righteousness. Rom. iii. 25, 26, Whom God hath fet forth a propi

tiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteouf nefs for the remiffion of fins,-to declare at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the juftifier of him which believeth in Jefus. Rom. v. 18, 19. Therefore, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation: even fo by the righteoufness of one, the free. gift came upon all men unto juftification of life. For as by one man's disobedience, many were made finners: fo by the obedience of one, fhall many be made righteous. Rom. viii. 3, 4. God fending his own fon, in the likeness of finful flefh, and for fin, condemned fin in the flesh, that, the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. Rom. x.4. For Chrift is the end of the law for righteoufnefs, to every one that believeth. 1 Cor. i. 30. But of him are ye in Chrift Jefus, who of God is made unto us, wifdom and righteousness, and fanctification and redemption. 2 Cor. v. 21. That we might be made the righte oufnefs of God in him.

I might have added very many more texts of fcripture to the fame purpose: but how can more be needful, to fatisfy any man, in the truth of our juftification by the imputation of Chrift's righteoufnefs, who attentively reads, and impartially weighs thefe cited texts, without prejudice against the doctrine, or a bias to fome favourite fcheme? Let it be confidered, here we are exprefly affured, that Chrift is the Lord our righteous. nefs; that 'tis by his righteoufnefs we obtain remiflion of fins; that by his righteoufnels God is the juffifier of him which believeth on Jefus ; that by his righteoufnefs we have juftification of life; and by his obedience we are made righteous; that by his being fent for fin, and condemning fin, the righteoufnefs of the law is fulfilled in us; that he is the end of the law for righteoufnefs to the believer; that he is of God made unto us righteousness; and we are made the righteousness of God in him, Is it poffible, that the doctrine I am pleading for, fhould be expreffed in plainer and ftronger terms? The word impute, or imputation, is not indeed found in these texts; but the thing intended by it, is plainly found there. Let that be allowed; and I fhall-maintain no controverfy with you about the mean