Jesus Christ our Lord And that it s made ours 1. By a gracious gift abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness 2. It still remain'd inherent in him alone for justification of life came upon all men by the righteousness of one If it were ours there must be as many righteousneses as justifications but here by the obedience of one many are made righteous 3. It s convey'd thorough a Law The word made imports a legal constitution and the first Adam's case shews it until the Law sin was in the world sin is not imputed when there is no law wherever imputation is there is a Law the Hostage cannot suffer for his King or Country but by some Law Christ was made sin for us only by Law and we the righteousness of God in him by law The Debtor is reliev'd thorough the Sureties discharge by a Law and this Law is the Law of Faith that we ought daily to study the Law was If thou as sponsor wilt dye for them they shall live if thou wilt go under the curse of their Law take their Law-place for thy sake they shall have the place of Sons It s much harder to me to comprehend how Adam's first offence should be imputed to us for death then Christs righteousness for life and it seems worthy observation that the one imputation is never very clearly reveal'd until the other be set over against it The Apostle thereby tells us we are no losers but gainers by it an imputed righteousness may well free from an imputed guilt and commends that righteousness imputed for it frees from more than that viz. from all guilt This 5th C. gives account of the Original of imputation how it comes that one should be justified by anothers righteousness or condem'd by anothers sin Solomon Eccles 7.24 among his many learned Enquiries in his latter days enquires after the original of sin how a righteous man should become a sinner One thing have I found that God made man upright but we have found out many inventions The Apostles enquiry is of a greater depth how one mans guilt or righteousness should be convey'd to another Adam's sin or Christ's righteousness 6. It s a righteousness made ours as he was sin 2 Cor. 5.21 Isa 53. which did never inhere in him 7. From the very Title of imputed but that will be made clear in the 2d general head to which I now come and whether I refer a considerable Question belonging to this viz. What righteousness of Christ is it that is imputed II. As to the second Question What is meant by Imputation of righteousness I shall begin with the signification of the word which as others is translated from humane use to signifie by similitude some divine thing Putation thinking belongs to the Art of Logic and in the Greek the words are Conjugates branches of the same root and in Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is used for thoughts too The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men that they are vanity Psal 94.11 2. Computation belongs to Arithmetick and Greek Authors explain this word by 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to calculate number or reckon and as the Art of Logick has the name from the Greek the Art of Arithmetick Accompting in Hebrew has its Name from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 see Munster's Lexicon and so the Scripture uses the word Lev. 25.27 Let him count the years of the sale thereof Eccl. 7.26 Counting one by one to find out the accompt 3. Imputation is an applying of Accompts and the things valued and esteemed thereby it is accompt assign or ascribe by way of counting and reckoning to some particular persons We have here then the righteousness of Christ as a rich treasure of Grace in the bank of God it 's one individual Jewel given of God for the redemption of slaves and its value is so great and the way it 's communicated being by Accompts it may be distributed to pay for the redemption of Millions all at various times and places We have God represented as a great Merchant with his rich Fund and his Books of Accompts the Merchandize Prov. 3. Is better than that of silver or gold Rev. 3. the Naked may buy garments of Righteousness and Isa 55. they may buy without Money or Price Among these Books Rev. 20.12 The books were open'd and another book was open'd There is one Book that is call'd The Lambs Book Rev. 13.8 Whose Names are not written in the book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the World There are two Books of Life one for Angels by their own inherent righteousness another for fallen Man who obtain it thorough the Death of the Lamb his passive righteousness In this book Christ has Credit for the redemption of all agreed for between the Father and Son and when a persons Name is put in that Book Christ's righteousness is transferr'd to him for Life for a salvation from all evil Dan. 12.1 Thy People shall be deliver'd every one that shall be found written in the Book Luk. 10.20 Rejoice that your Names are written in Heaven We may then see what the Imputation of Christ's righteousness to us is it was the putting our Names in among the Number for whom Christ dy'd it 's having all Christ did and suffer'd put so to our accompt that we may actually partake of all the Blessings God's goodness and grace design'd for us but the transgress'd Law render'd it inconsistent with the Governour 's Authority Honour and Wisdom to confer it upon us the way this impediment and bar was remov'd was by the sufferings of Immanuel Imputation is either the application of that benefit from Eternity in the Elective Decree of God or the actual investing the Person with it in time It 's my present Light that the Imputation of Righteousness to Blessedness was the eternal act and the imputation of Faith to Righteousness the temporal the former was 2 Tim. 1.9 a purpose of conferring this grace and gift of Righteousness upon us in Christ before the World began There was a double Gift set down in that Book by him that is God of all grace sovereign Proprietor 1. We were given to Christ Thine they were and thou gavest them me 2. Christ's Righteousness was given to us by his Consent he became surety his Name was put in our Book of Debt and Death and ours in his of Righteousness and Life Two things need proof here 1. That Christ's Righteousness is transferr'd in its Value and Virtue to us in way of accompt 2. That that was from Eternity The first is manifest from the Text for one cannot be justified without an antecedent righteousness the Non-worker and Ungodly person has no righteousness of his own it must then be anothers transferr'd tho' it still inhere in him only yet its value may be transferr'd to us Thus Money may still lye in its old Chests and yet be transferr'd in accompts thorough
twenty several Men as in Amsterdam and now in London's Bank of England Land is never remov'd from its place and yet thoro ' how many hands is it transferr'd and its value is propos'd to be made as Current as Money by ingenious men and imputation is made use of to denote the way The second I shall not treat on but I desire that I may not be misunderstood for it 's not my Opinion that we are justified from Eternity no not until Faith Justification presupposes a righteousness and a righteousness that we have some relation in which is by imputation made or founded 2. This is the common use of the word in Scripture Philem. 18. If he hath wrong'd thee or oweth thee put that The relative comprehends the antecedent that Debt that Injury that Theft on my account impute it to me The Levites are put in the room of the first-born and the Heave-offering for the Corn of the Threshing-floor The three famous Imputations in Scripture are Adam's sin to us our sin to Christ and Christ's righteousness to us Our Faith and Religion are founded on them and who denys one believes not aright any of them The Imputation of our sin to Christ is fairly set out in Lev. 16.21 Aaron shall put all the Iniquities sins and transgressions of the People of Israel upon the head of the live Goat I shall propose it thus If our sin be imputed to Christ his righteousness is to us but our sin is imputed to Christ Ergo. The Proposition is a Majore for it 's more credible that Priviledges be imputed than Penalties a man may give of his own at pleasure but cannot punish another so The assumption is express'd in Scripture The Lord hath laid on him the Iniquity of us all Isa 53. 1 Pet. 2.24 Heb. 9. last Psal 31.10 40.12 69.5 as he groan'd under our sin we may rejoice in his righteousness In 2 Cor. 5.21 we have both Propositions He hath made him to be sin for us who knew no sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him The Question is Whether sin or made be the words that are to bear the Interpretation if sin for sacrifice or made for imputed I am for the latter 1. Else sin would be used equivocally in different senses and the Apostle would bring a So phism instead of an Argument He knew no sin properly Ergo made sin so he never knew any of his own ours he knew 2. Sin is in opposition to righteousness it is not meant the effects of righteousness a pardon a pardon and righteousness are not usually put for one another 3. That righteousness is still imply'd to inhere in him Of God in him and indeed made a pardon is not good sense 4. Made is used for imputed Rom. 5.19 By one mans disobedience many were made sinners and by ones obedience many were made righteous 5. Criticks distinguish between 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and say the latter is used for a Sacrifice not the former and I find this distinction made Heb. 10.2 3 4. Conscience of sin remembrance of sin take away sin there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 but v. 6. Burnt-offering and sacrifice for sin there is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and I find it often in the seventy Indeed the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifieth to sin and to expiate or purifie from sin but that is by an usual rule in that language for the same word to signifie contraries in different conjugations I have observ'd nigh twenty Instances in the Bible the Greek doth not so I shall add to this Argument this explication of it 1. Christ took on him the state and condition of a guilty sinner he was in albo reorum he was taken from prison and judgment he was in their sordid form and dead in Law so the Believers are put in the condition and state of righteous persons so treated 2. He had on him the guilt of a Votee that is by his own consent undertook to suffer Lo I come Psal 40. 3. Also the guilt of a Surety for his Votee's guilt i. e. his own consent put him in our place a Votee's confinement and humiliation is for themselves not others the Covenant of Redemption put him under the Covenant of Works his own consent brought him under the curse and our sin brought us under we enter by different doors but come to the same place the primitive Law In opposition to this stands our freedom from that sanction the sanction of that Law cannot touch a Believer nor debar him from life or any blessing God design'd him Now all this guilt inheres in Christ and this immunity and happy condition inheres in us But 4. Imputed speaks a relation to what inheres not there may be a just foundation of imputation in the imputers Goodness and Grace a man may give to another in his book of Accompts as well as in his Will and make the Title as sure 2. There may be an imputation when the ground of it is neither in the Imputer nor Imputee as in the case of Bail Surety or Hostages who is may be kill'd tormented for the treachery of his King Countrey or General of this kind is the imputation of our sin to Christ and his righteousness to us it supposes them not to inhere thus our sins and iniquities are laid on him imputed to him and his Blood his Death is imputed to us his righteousness this Dr. Tuckney calls cogitative imputation 3ly The foundation this Translation is founded on is a proof for it and that is threefold 1. A contract between the Father and Son about it 2. An union And 3. An office by vertue of that contract In the contract these three steps seems distinguishable First Christs person as God-man it is not acording to the rules of Wisdom that the means should be more noble than the end and that this glorious person that is more excellent than Angels and Men put them altogether should be meerly a mean or a tool to speak with reverence to deliver us from misery and to make us happy he would not in all things have the preheminence if he were Mediator and the Means only and we the end the end is the most noble the end is first design'd he would not be the first born of every creature in the Womb of divine decrees if his existence was only thought on to save us Nor could we be chosen in him Eph. 1.5 If he had not some antecedent foundation in the thoughts of God compar'd with a consulting deliberating man in order antecedent to our Election the ground is presuppos'd to the building Let us then with the School-men conceive of such a person design'd of God as the last most perfect and glorious of all the Creation of God one in whom God glorifies the fulness of his sufficiency and bounty of his goodness to the uttermost and he both by due and fitness becomes Lord
justified by his grace Thus we see the Scripture lays an Emphasis on each of them the gift of Faith the nature of Faith the object of Faith and indeed this Bill would be but a counterfeit one if it wanted any of these Properties or Relations 1. It must be receiv'd from him that hath the power or else it is not valid By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justifie many 2. It must be in true form rightly dictated that is its nature or not valid 3. The divine constitution the Law of Heaven has made it have such a relation to Christ's righteousness the riches of his Grace and the Wisdom of the constitution shines in the fitness of the instrument for our Souls are an open begging hand a vast Appetite It crys daily who will shew us any good some good things I want some more good and this Faith clasps the hand on Christ offer'd determines and centers the desire as on an Object that has all fullness in him full satisfactâ—on and â—o build a relation and union of right upon an union of nature a Communion upon a cement of Union honours the Wisdom of the contriver So we see all these three must be in a valid Bank-bill it is not worth a Farthing in it self a bit of Paper ink'd but relatively to such a Summe suppose 1000 l. it 's worth so much its very form consists in relation to that summe that 's its Object it signally bears it and if rightly drawn and receiv'd from the right owner their Constitution and the Law will make me Possessor in due time If any of these qualifications be wanting it is not worth a Farthing 1. Drawn in true forms 2. Bearing relation to its proper Object 3. Receiv'd from him who has the riches in his power to give And I find our Catechim and Confession insists as much on this as any Conf. c. 11. Nor by imputing it self the act of believing or any other Evangelical Obedience but by imputing the Obedience and Satisfaction of Christ unto them they receiving it by Faith which is the Gift of God 11. Thus it s the alone Instrument of Justification i. e. they are not justified until the Holy Spirit doth in due time actually apply Christ unto them Our lesser Catech. Q. How are we made partakers of the Redemption purchased by Christ R. By the effectual application of it to us by his Holy Spirit for which they quote Tit. 3.5 6 7. Q. How doth the Spirit apply the Redemption c R. By working Faith in us and thereby uniting us to Christ in our effectual calling I may from thence form this Argument Maj. When Christ and his benefits are applyed to us we are justified Min. But when God effectually calls Christ and his benefits are applyed to us Erg. When effectually call'd we are justified It is granted that Faith is the fruit of effectual Calling and it cannot be deny'd that relations viz. Justification Adoption flow as suddenly from their Foundations as effects can from their efficients Or thus Maj. The imputing Faith to Righteousness is an application of Christ and his benefits Min. But the Spirit by working Faith applys Christ and his benefits Erg. The Spirit by working Faith imputes Faith to Righteousness But I need no other Testimony but Scripture that way the Faith of Miracles temporally sav'd that way saving Faith justifies but by the Spirits working the Faith of Miracles when he saw their Faith it was certainly a miraculous Gift distinguishing and characterizing the persons to be heal'd to give him that Faith was to say thou art to live to be cured there was no cooperation of the creature to a Miracle Further compare C. 4 5. and we find imputing Faith to Righteousness and giving a Righteousness are the same but Objections are not to be answer'd as Bullets in war with the like but explication and distinction For the 1. The reason the nature or exercise of faith is insisted on in Scripture so much is for our instruction if the faith that God has given be that which entitles to Heaven and Happiness 2. The reason the object is so much intimated is to prevent a most dangerous error that the World is most liable to viz Leaning on our own righteousness such fools to take the Bill for the Summ But its certain the owner and proprietor must be the conveyer I challenge to show what he doth else that looks like it For the 2d I propose these two Distinctions 1. Between the state of justification and particular acts of pardon or between the state of adoption and particular blessings in possession the former is convey'd thorough the gift of faith the latter thorough the exercise of faith a man gets right by the receiving of a Bill from the Proprietor but when he comes for such a part of it he brings his Bill and shows it and writes a receipt on the back of it Tho' we are but once justified we daily pray Lord forgive my debts and once adopted we daily pray for more enjoyment of what is due to that title 2ly With Mr. Frost I propose a double instrumentality of Faith one on the givers part another on the receivers so it is with Bills too the Proprietor conveys his right and the Receiver afterward pleads his right so it is with faith God conveys Christ and his Righteousness thorough it and we plead for the benefit and use of it as we need daily But this I shall retain that from the first gift of saving Faith which turns us from ungodly to godly we are justified and adopted persons which entirely throws out that legal conditionality that among Socinians has thrown out Christ's satisfaction and among Arminians has impair'd and delay'd its vertue toward sinners until they come with something in themselves a conformity to a new Law And also Antinomianism which is a denomination that comprehends all Errors dishonourable to the Law or Law giver and whatever Doctrine is against the necessity stability and perfection of the Law of God is of this kind whatever Doctrine removes the necessity of the Law removes the necessity of Christ's satisfaction and what Doctrine removes perfection from the Law of God removes the Glory from God's Holiness but to suppose one under the Law sav'd and that Law neither fulfill'd nor satisfied by the personor his Surety is to suppose the Law changeable not necessary if Christ only fulfill'd the mediatorial Law and not that we were under then that Law and Government bult on it was remov'd and chang'd without satisfaction If the grand influence of Christ's righteousness by the Mediatorial Law was to get it chang'd for an easier and less perfect we must either say the influence of Christ's satisfaction did terminate on the nature of God and make a change in his temper from anger to mercy and perfection of holiness to indulgence in carnality or say that the Father and Son were of two different minds but the latter thorough his obedience gain'd him to his mind for what has influence on God as Govenrour has influence on the Law Administrations of Government must be rul'd by the Law and what has influence on the Law for our good must fulfill its precepts or satisfie its sanction The Law has no other Language and if Christ did neither the influence must not terminate on the Government but on the nature God or Fathers person in the Godhead But the Scripture informs us That God sent his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh that the righteousness of the Law might be fulfill'd in us In us says Vastius by application but in Christ by inhesion in us by imputation but in Christ personally says Calvin Muscus Beza Rollock Fulke Cartwright Elton says Dr. Jacomb all Protestants he adds his active and has passive as if they had obey'd it in their own Persons the Law is wholly fulfill'd in him and that very righteousness is ours in a Law sense and so fulfill'd in us 3ly It overthrows Libertinism for if the same grace sanctifies that justifies they can never pretend to the one that want the other 4ly Popery that makes justification and sanctification one that differ as far as the Category of Quality and Relation I have no place for futher use than to intreat every one as they love their own souls and long for pardon of sin not to quench or provoke the Holy Spirit of God for that is his Errand as well as sanctification 2. As ever they would enjoy this free spirit be diligent and conscientious in all Ordinances that are ministrations of the Spirit he is to be reciev'd in the bearing of Faith 3. Study this imputed righteousness of Christ until thou experience most deep humility and most sweet comfort from it Rom. 11.19 Thou standest by faith be not high minded but fear thou depends entirely for faith and righteousness on another thou wast prevented in thy ungodliness when thou receiv'd that gift 2. How much will God do for thee when thou art his Son and Servant if he did so much for thee when an eremy Rom. 5.9 Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be sav'd thou hast now given to thee at once a perfect and an everlasting righteousness a total forgiveness of all thy sins a work of holiness God has engaged to perfect Vale. FINIS Grant me this there was never any thing so well done by man wherein there is not room for further industry Calv.