have no otherwise fatisfied the Claims of his Juft ce, and the Demands of the Law, than by the baie ce of their Surety; which is really by a gracious Inputation become theirs, and they are on the Account thereof become indeed righteous in God's Sight, although antecedent to that Imputation they were legally condemned Criminals, and though they yet remain inherently imperfect and finful Crea

tures.

We are further to confider, that this Righteouf nefs of Chrift is imputed to none but Believers; but is (as the Apostle expreffes it) revealed from Faith to Futh 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 fuppole; but it is imputed at and upon our believing. 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 therefore it is a receiving his Righteoufnefs, which is one of his Benefits, freely offered in the Gospel, to all that will accept it.

So I am prepared to oblerve to you, that we are to understand our Juftification by the imputed Kighteoufnefs of Chrift, to fignify and imply, a gracious Sentence of God, whereby a Sinner antecedently guilty in his Sight, 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 Chrift has done and fuffered for bim.

Thus, Sir, I have endeavoured, in as few Words as poffible, to give you a just and clear View of the Doctrine before us; and am now ready to confider your Objections.

You

You first object, that "the Imputation of our "Sins to Chrift, or the Imputation of Chrift's "Righteoufnefs to us, are no where mentioned in "the Word of God; that the Terms and Expref"fions used in this Cafe, are certainly of human In"vention; and the Doctrine therefore to be fuf"pected, as having its Original rather from our "fcholaftic Divines, than from the Oracles of God."

Your first Suppofal is, that the Imputation of our Sins to CHRIST, is no where mentioned in the Word of God.-If you mean by this, that we no where in Scripture find that Propofition in fo many exprefs Words, that our Sins are imputed to Christ, this is true: But I hope to fhew you it is altogether impertinent. But if you mean by this, that we can no where find full, clear, and undeniable Evidence from Scripture, 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 represent this comfortable Truth to us. This was the End of all their Sacrifices, and bloody Oblations for the Remiffion of their Sins.-They did not imagine, or at least God did not design they fhould imagine, that their Sin and Guilt was actually, to all Intents and Purposes, transferred from the Offender to the Victim; but they were hereby led to look to Christ, the Antitype of all their Sinofferings, in Faith and Hope, that their Sins fhould all be imputed to him, and themfelves, through the Merit of his Sacrifice, be acquitted from Guilt.This Defign of all their expiatory Sacrifices was more clearly exhibited to them, in the Inftitution of the Scape-goat, where the Imputation of our Sins to Chrift was in the most lively Manner reprefented. And Aaron shall lay both his Hands upon the Head of the live Goat, and confefs over him all the

Iniquities

1

Iniquities of the Children of Ifrael, and all their Tranfgreffions in all their Sins, putting them upon the Head of the Goat; and fhall fend him away by the Hand of a fit Man into the Wilderness; and the Goat fhall bear upon him all their Iniquities, unto the Land not inhabited. Lev. xvi. 21, 22.-Here was a plain and exprefs Commutation, or tranf ferring of Guilt from God's People to the Scapegoat. All the Iniquities of God's People, all their Tranfgreffions in all their Sins, were laid upon his Head. He bore upon him all their Iniquities: Or in other Words, their Sins were imputed to him. Now you cannot fuppofe, that all the Hopes of the Children of Ifrael terminated upon this Goat. You must fuppofe, that they looked to the great Antitype, to whom their Guilt was indeed to be transferred, and their Sins imputed; and from whom they expected their Discharge and Justification -Hence it plainly appears, that all the Hopes which the Church of God, in all the Ages and Difpenfations thereo, have entertained, of the Forgiveness of Sin and Reconciliation to God, was through the Imputation of their Sins to Chrift, the Subftance of all the Levitical Shadows, and the only true Sin-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 Scripture, which cannot, with any Appearance of Propriety, be conftrued in any other Senfe, than that I am pleading for. Thus, Ifai. liii. 6. 11. The Lord hath laid upon him the Iniquity of us all. For he shall bear their Iniquities.2 Cor. v. 21. For he hath made him to be Sin fogo us, who knew no Sin, that we might be made the Righteoufnels of God in him, Gal. iii. 13. Chrift bath redeemed us from the Curfe of the Law, being made a Curfe for us, 1 Pet. ii. 24. Who his ownJelf bare our Sins in his own Body on the Tree.-

Many

Many other Texts, to the like Purpose, might be quoted; but these are every Way fufficient to decide this Point.

If the Iniquity of us all could be laid uponChrift, 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 Sins can be faid to be laid upon Christ, and he be faid to bear Our Iniquities.

If Chrift has been made Sin for us, according to 2 Cor. v. he must be made Sir for us (and treated as a Sinner) either by his own perfonal Fault, or by the Imputation of our Sin to him. I can think of no other poffible Way, in which this can be fup pofed but one of these two. Now the Blafphemy of the former Suppofition 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; otherways the Curfe of it could not, in Justice, have been inflicted upon him. To inflict the Curfe, or Penalty of a Law, upon one noways 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 obnoxi ous to the Curse of it; but through the Imputation of our Sin and Guilt to him.

If our bleffed Saviour bare our Sins in his own Body, and was punished for our Sins upon the Cross, according to 1 Pet. ii. our Sins then must be laid to his Charge, and punished upon him, either by Imputation, or fome other Way.-Here then let

our

our Adverfaries fpeak Senfe, and tell us, if they can, what other Way this could poffibly be done. Pardon me, Sir, if I am forced to tell you, that 'tis too trifling an Evasion to be adopted by Men of Learning and Senfe, to urge against us, that the Word Imputation is not used in this Cafe in Scripture, when so many Expreffions are used in Scripture which fully and neceffarily imply it, and are of the fame Significancy.-True we do not read in exprefs Words, that our Sins were imputed to Chrift: But we do read, in express Words, that our Iniquities were laid upon him; that he bare them that he was made Sin, or legally reputed a Sinner, on the Account of them; that he bare them in his own Body, or was punished for them, upon the Gross; and bore the Curfe of the Law which we had violated.—And if all this do not amount to the fame Thing as the Imputation of our Sins to Chrift, I muft for ever 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 Sins: If these have not been imputed to Chrift, if he hath not born your Sins, if he hath not fatisfied the divine Justice on Account of them, they must yet be imputed to you, and you must bear your Iniquity yourfelf: You must yet be under the Guilt of all your Sins, and under all the Curses of the broken Law. -A Thought which will administer but little Comfort here, and lefs at the Tribunal of Christ, 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 Rightcufness is imputed to Believers, is no where to be

found