sin to all others as Adam was and so we may say in the case in hand 2 The vertue that is in the head is communicated to all the members and yet it doth not follow that every member is hereby made an head to communicate vertue to all the other members as the head doth so here 3 Though Christs righteousness be sufficient for all the elect universally and for every one in particular yet when it is applyed it is not applyed to every particular person of them as it is a price for all but as it is a price sufficient for himself It behooveth then all the children of God to take heed of such spirits as deny the doctrine of Imputation Popish writers have sometimes made a jest a mock of this doctrine calling imputed righteousness a putative righteousness a new no justice and some others that in profession otherwise are farr from popery yet cannot yield that there is any imputing of our sinns to Christ or of Christs righteousness to us Against all which conceits let that be minded and considered which hath here been said for the clearing of these things And to sober minds it should weigh much that the term of imputing righteousness is frequently found in Scripture and the very word imputing no less then nine or ten times in that one chap of Rom 4. though it be englished sometimes reckoned sometimes accounted and somtimes imputed By this we may see the great grace of God in that we having no righteousness of our own and that yet without righteousness we could not be justified he is graciously pleased to impute unto us the righteousness of Christ that by it we might be justified and that faith should be imputed for righteousness Had we had any works of our own that might have sufficed in this matter then indeed the reward might have been reckned not of grace but of debt but now when righteousness is accounted by faith and is imputed to believers without works this doth exceedingly set forth the riches and freeness of Gods grace Rom 4. 4 15. and therfore it is of faith that it might be by grace Rom 4. 16. And in as much as our sinns were imputed to Christ and the punishment of them imposed upon him therfore the godly have in this respect great cause to be deeply affected with sinn and to grieve for it For it was not Judas nor all the malicious Jewes no nor Herod nor Pilate nor all the rest of the wicked world that could have brought Christ to his painfull passion and death no nor have so much as touched the least hayr of his head had not the sins of Gods people been imputed to him and laid upon him but hee was bruised for our iniquities for the transgression of Gods people was hee smitten Isai 53. 5 8. So that our sinns were the cause of his sufferings which consideration should be a means motive for the awaking of our hearts with godly sorrow as it is written Zach 12. 10. they shall look on him wâ—…om they have peirced and they shall mourn therfore with bitter mourning as a man for hâ—…s only son and for the loss of hâ—…s first born They that do deny that when the Lord Jesus suffered he bare the punishment of our sinns do not a little hinder the exercise of repentance and godly sorrow for sinn in all those in whom this opinion takes place there being no one consideration more effectual available for stirring up the exercise of this grace then this that we are speaking of that our sinns were the cause of Christs sufferings the thought wherof should exceedingly break melt our hearts And if righteousness be imputed to believers for their justification oh then how may this comfort stay the hearts of all poor penitent believers and mourning souls who can see much sinn in themselves for which they might justly be condemned but can see nothing in themselves for which they might be justified and hereupon are vile in their own eyes abhoring themselves looking and lamenting after Christ Be not dismayed all you that are such but be it spoken to the stay comfort of your hearts that though you can not be justified by any inherent righteousness of your own yet you may be justified by the imputed righteousness of another Abram we see believed in the Lord and it was imputed unto him for righteousness do you then believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and righteousness shall be imputed unto you also and therby you shall be justified though you have no inherent righteousness of your own that can any thing availe for this purpose Lastly if righteousness be imputed to believers for their justification let us then all learn highly to prize and earnestly to desire this imputed righteousness Shall we now content our selves with any inhereâ—… righteousness of our own whether inward vertues or outward performances and think to be justified in the sight of God no no all righteousness of ours is but as filthy raggs Isai 64. 6. there is no man living that can be justified before God by that means or in such a way Psal. 143. 2. It is the Lord Jesus who is our righteousness Jer 23. 6. and he it is who is made unto us Wisdom Righteousness and Redemption 1 Cor 1. 30. and in comparison of this Lord Jesus Christ and his righteousness which is by faith even the righteousness which is of God by faith all other righteousness all other things in the matter of justification are but loss and to be esteemed as â—…ung as they were unto the Apostle Paul Phil. 3. 7 8 9. And they that neglect this righteousness without them that it might be imputed to them and content themselves with their own righteousness inherent in them or wrought by them shall one day find that they have been miserably deceived and deluded like those that kindle a fire unto themselves and compass themselves about with their own sparks but in the end do ly down in sorrow Isai 50. 11. Wherfore let all that fear God yea all that desire to walk wisely for their own everlasting comfort seek first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness and then all other things shall bee added to them Math 6. 33. Yea let them hunger and thirst after righteousness for such are blessed and shall be filled Math 5. 6. FINIS THE TABLE A ABram adorned with many good works and yet justified only by faith pag 2 12. Attributes of God the consideration of them a means for the bâ—…getting of faith page 24. B Bear iniquity what is ment thereby page 39 40 41. Believing in the Lord is not only to believe the word to be true but also implyes Relyance on God page 1. Farther confirmation of faith called believing p. 2 To believe on Christ and to believe a mans self to be justified differ p. 17 18 To believe on Christ is not only lawfull but commanded p. 9 25. See
never sinned 2 Faith is said to be imputed Rom 4. 5 9 22 23 24. And how is that meant when faith is said to be imputed There are two wayes how that is understood First of all when faith it self is said to be imputed that is to be imputed reckoned to us as our own though it be not our own any otherwise then as the gift and work of God in us according as it is said to be the gift of God Phil. 1. 29. Ephe. 2. 8. and that no man can come to Christ that is believe in him except he be drawn by the father Ioh. 6. 44. But yet when God hath given faith he then imputes and reckons this faith as ours though himself have wrought it in us And this may seem to be needfull to the end that Christ his righteousness which by faith we possess may be our own and imputed reckned to us as our own For though Christ righteousness be a perfect righteousness and we possess it by faith yet how can it be accounted ours unless faith it self the meanes of possessing it bee counted ours but when faith is accounted ours then the righteousness of Christ possessed by faith is accounted ours also If we take the imputing of faith in this sence then when faith is said to be imputed or counted for righteousness that particle for must not be so understood as if faith it self were in the room and steed of righteousness for it hath been shewed â—…fore that such an apprehention will not stand or agree with truth But the word for doth here only note why or wherfore as if it were rendered faith is impuâ—…a unto righteousness that is to say to the end we may attain unto righteousness And in another-place the same preposition is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 twice in one veâ—… Rom 10. 10. with the heart man believeth unto righteousness with the mouth confession is made unto salvation and so it might be here Rom 4. faith is imputed unto righteousness This exposition of the phrase when faith is said to be accouÌ„ted or imputed for righteousness is given by some very godly judicious and I mention it as worthy consideration But that sense of the word which is more usually given and wherin I should rest is when faith is taken relatively for its object which is Christ his righteousness and so these words faith is accounted for righteousness have this meaning that Christ and his righteousness are so accounted For as hath been shewed afore it is not unusuall that faith should be taken in this sense namely for its object Christ Jesus That which in one verse is called faith in another is called Christ Gal. 2. 16 17. so likewise Gal. 3. 23 25. of which sense more hath been spoken afore 3 There is yet another expression in this matter of imputation and that is the imputing of righteousness which phrase is used Rom 4. 6 11. So then for the form manner of justification there is the not imputing of sinn and the imputing of righteousness and the imputing of faith unto righteousness But for farther opening of this point of Imputation sundry questions may be proposed viz 1 VVhat is that righteousness which God doth impute unto us for our justification It is the righteousness of Jesus Christ our Redeemer Mediatour that which was wrought by him in his own person this righteousness of his is imputed unto us by God and the imputation of it is the formal cause of our justification That this righteousness of Christ is imputed to us such reasons as these may make manifest 1 If righteousness be imputed as the text plainly expressly affirms that it is Rom 4. 6 1â—… then it must either bee our own righteousness that is so imputed or else the righteousness of some other But our own righteousness it can not bee for wee being all sinners have none such of our own as can justifie us Rom 3. 10. Psal. 143. 2. Isai 64 6. And besides this righteousness is said to be imputed without works Rom 4. 6. that is without our own works so that the righteousness of our own works is not imputed It must then be the righteousness of another Now that other can be none else but Christ alone Any other whose righteousness may be imputed for justification besides Christ can not be imagined 2 The text is plain that we are justified by Christ his righteousness Jer 23. 6. Isai 45. 24 25. Rom 5. 9 19 1 Cor 1. 30. And if so then his righteousness is imputed to us because there is no other way how it can be coÌ„municated to us but by imputation And yet communicated it must be else how shall wee be justified by it Riches Pearls of great value can make no man rich till they be applyed and become his own and so it is in this case 3 As we are made sinners by the sin of Adam so are we made righteous by the righteousness of Christ Rom 5. 19. 1 Cor 15. 22. But we are made sinners by the sin of Adam by imputation for the guilt and punishment of that sinn can no otherwise be made ours And therfore we are made righteous by the righteousness of Christ by imputation 4 Look how Christ was made a sinner by our sinn so are wee made righteous by his righteousness 2 Cor 5. 21. Now how was Christ made a sinner by our sinn not inherently as if there were any sin inherent in him either in his heart or life the Scripture is express against that Heb 4. 15. 1 Pet 2. 22. for he knew no sinn in that sence 2 Cor 5. 21. It were a most wicked thing to imagine any such matter of him And therfore it remayneth that he was made a sinner by imputation only he was made sinn for us 2 Cor 5. 21. the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Isai 53. 6. But now this also may be questioned by some Whether our sinns were imputed to Christ and whether he bare any punishment due to us for our sinns There are sundry reasons that may clear this also 1 It may be cleared by all those Scriptures where it is said that Christ suffered and dyed for our sinns Rom 4. 25. 5. 6 8. 1 Cor 15. 3. 1 Pet 3. 18. Isai 53. 5 8. Heb 2. 9. Christ did not dy wâ—…out a cause Gal. 2. last for our sinns were the cause And if our sinns were the cause of his death and that he dyed for them then they were imputed to him so that when he suffered and dyed he bare the punishment of our sinns 2 Christ is said to bear our sinns 1 Pet. 2. 24. Isai 53. 11 12. Now to hear them doth imply that he bare the punishmeÌ„t of them and that they were imputed to him for that end For wheras some do think that to bear our sinns doth signifie no more but that hee bare them away from us without bearing
that they shall ◅y in their sinns and that the Lord will never forget their wicked works Job 20. 11. Iohn 8. 24. Am◅s 8. 7. And Lastly when the Apostle reckons up the inconveniencies mischiefs that must unavoidably follow if Christ be not risen from the dead he names this as one of the worst that then we are yet in our sins If Christ be not risen saith he then is our preaching vain and your faith vain yea and yee are yet in your sinns 1 Cor 15. 14 17. All which do clearly shew that it is a dolefull dreadfull condition to be without the the pardon forgivness of sinns 2 As dolefull dreadfull as it is yet till a man attain this benefit of justification all his sins do remain in Gods sight as fresh clear as the very day when they were first cōmitted therfore they are said to be written with a pen of yron and the point of a diamond Jer 17. 1. to be sowed up as in a bagg sealed Iob 14. 17. that they might not be out of the way or hard to find And our Saviour speaking of such as then were many of them at least dead gone saith not they were but they are theevs and robbers Iohn 10. 8. intimating that the guilt of those sinns did cleave unto them fresh in the sight of God to that day So Judas is a traitor to this day Cain a murtherer to this day and all unbelieving sinners unjustified persons whether alive or dead the guilt of all their sinns doth remain upon them to this day 3 And if so then though conscience may be asleep and benummed for a time yet the time will come when it will awake to the galling and vexing and tormenting of the guilty soul with most dreadfull terrours horrours hence we read of Cain crying out in the anguish of his soul my sin is greater then I can bear Gen 4. 13. and of Judas crying out I have sinned in betraying innocent blood in dispair going to the halter to let out his wretched soul Math 27. 4 5. Yea Josephs brethren apprehending themselves in some danger in Egypt have this dolefull ditty in their mouths wee are verily guilty concerning our brother in that we saw the anguish of his soul when he besought us and wee would not hear and therfore is this evill come upon us Gen 42. 21. So that if sin be unpardoned though conscience for the present may be asleep and quiet yet a time will come when this sleepy Lyon will awake and roar 4 And this is certain that if the guilt of sin remain the punishment therof can not alwayes be avoided though it may bee forborn or with-holden for a time For the Lord is a just God and will by no means clear the guilty Exod 34. 7. but tribulation anguish indignation and wrath shall one day take hold of every one that doth evill on the Iew first and also on the gentiles Rom 2. 8 9. Sinn makes a man indebted to Gods justice and considering what God is how his wrath is a consuming fire Heb 12. last it must needs therfore be a fearfull thing to fall into the hands of this living God Heb 10. 31. For how can a mans heart endure or his hands bee strong in the day that God shall deal with him Ezek 22. 14. who can dwell with that devouring fyre who can stand with those everlasting burnings Isai 33. 14. Such a dolefull thing it is to have sin unpardoned and to be unjustified But on the other side See what happiness it is to have sinn remitted and the person justified 1 It is acknowledged by David Hezekiah and others as a point of great blessedness Psal. 32. 1 2. Isai 38. 17. Psal. 85. 2. 2 It is also promised as a speciall blessing of the new covenant that God will therin forgive the iniquities of his people and remember their sinns no more Jer 31. 34. 3 The godly have earnestly sought it at Gods hands by prayer which they would not have done had it not been in their esteem a great blessing Hosea 14. 2. Psal. 25. 18. 51. 1 2 9. 4 It is such a blessing as that if it be once graunted it shall never be recalled but shall abide for ever sinns once pardoned are so cast into the depth of the sea Mich. 7. 19. that they can never be found any more Jer 50. 20. nor will God call them to remembrance again Jer 31. 34. 5 It is such a compleat and perfect blessing that God doth not only pardon some of the sinns of his people but even all their sinns trespasses whatsoever 1 Iohn 1. 7. Col 2. 13. Psal. 51. 7. Isai 1. 18. 6 And on this ground they are bidden be of good comfort Math 9. 2. and the Prophets must speak comfortably unto them because their uniquity was pardoned Isai 40. 1 2. 7 It is such a blessing that it shall undoubtedly be followed with eternall life and glory Tit. 3. 7. Rom 8. 30. which may be one reason why it is called justification of life Rom 5. 18. All which things considred both the misery of being still under the guilt of sin as unpardoned the happiness of a justified estate They therfore that have title to such a great blessing as justification is have cause for ever to be comforted to be thankfull to God for so great a blessing And all this is the portion of true believers For they are the men to whom the Lord doth not impute sin but righteousness and whom he justifies freely by his grace in Jesus Christ so that as righteousness was imputed to Abram even so it is and shall be to all that are believers who are the children of Abram righteousness shall be imputed to them also Rom 4. 5 11 23 24. Gal. 3. 7 9. Rom 3. 22 25 26 30. Act 10. 43. 13. 39. Know therfore all you that are true believers in Christ that your sinns are pardoned and your persons justified accepted in Christ Jesus God is now reconciled to you through his dear Son your sins shall never be laid unto your charge for you are justified and cleared in Gods sight and therfore be glad in the Lord and rejoyce yee just and justified persons and shout for joy all yee that are upright in hear◅ Psal. 32. 11. But what need much to be said for the comforting of believers will not they be forward of themselves to take the comfort of their justification Many indeed that are destitute of faith are forward enough too much to apply comfort to themselves when it doth not belong unto them as Currs in the house are ready to snatch at t◅e childrens bread and run away with it as if it were a portion for them as Ham◅n when the King but spake of the man whom the King delighted to honour presently applyed the speech to himself thinking whom will the King honour rather
himself any punishment deserved by them it is manifest that the phrase of bearing sinn or bearing iniquity can have no such meaning but that it signifies to bear the punishment deserved by sinn as where it is said of such such offenders that they shall bear their iniquity Lev 20. 17. 5. 1. that every one shall bear his own burden Gal. 6. 5. 5. 10. and that the sonn shall not bear the iniquity of the father nor the father the iniquity of the sonn Ezek 18. 20. can any man imagin that here to bear iniquity should signifie to bear it away from himself or from another If any could so do there were no evill in such a bearing but that were a lawfull yea a commendable and blessed bearing of another mans sin But the text speaks of bearing iniquity in an other sence wherin no man shall bear the iniquity of another but every man bear his own burden his own sin that is the punishment of his sin Therfore inasmuch as the Lord Jesus bare our sinns he bare the punishment due by them they being imputed to him for that end 3 Christ was made a curse for us Gal. 3. 13. and this implies that he bare the punishment of sin for us for to be made a curse or to be cursed is alwayes used in that sence Math 25. 41. 2 Pet 2. 14. Gal. 3. 10. 4 Christ was a ransom or a price of redemption for us Math 20. 28. 1 Tim: 2. 6. 1 Cor 6. 20. and this doth imply that the punishment of our sinns was laid upon him 5 Christ was a sacrifice for us or for our sinns Heb 9. 26 28. 10. 12. John 1. 29. Math 26. 28. And inasmuch as all the sinns of the people were put laid upon the sacrifice Lev 16. 15 16 17. vers 21 22. Lev 10. 17. therfore this implies and teacheth that all our sins were imputed to Christ the punishment of them laid upon him 6 What can be more plain then what is written in Isai 53. 6. 2 Cor 5. 21. he was made sinn for us God hath laid on him the iniquity of us all But how can this stand with justice that our sinns should bee imputed to Christ and he be punished for them can it stand with justice that one should be punished for anothers sin and the innocent for the guilty Yes there is no injustice at all in it that the surety be responsible for the debt as Philem 18. Paul becoming surety for Onesimus saith to Philemon put that on my account let it bee imputed to mee let me answer pay it Now Christ was our surety Heb 7. 22. More particularly thus it is no wayes unjust that one be punished for the sin of another when the things here following do all concur 1 When all that are concerned in it are willing and do consent 2 When there is a neer relation and union between the offender and the sufferer 3 When the sufferer hath free dominion over that from which he parteth in his sufferings for another 4 When he hath power to break through and overcome all his sufferings and to reassume his former condition again 5 When this way is not to the dishonour of any but for the greater honour glory of all And so it is in all the particulars when the Lord Jesus did suffer for us But if God do not graunt forgiveness attonement righteousness without the punishment of our sinns laid on Christ and suffered by him where then is there any Grace or Mercy in our salvation For it seems God doth not save us without satisfaction to himself Yet there is much grace mercy in our salvation notwithstanding what is here said for 1 It is mercy to us though it be merited by Christ 2 It was great grace and mercy to accept of satisfaction from another for the rigour of the Law would not allow of this but exacts satisfaction from the sinner himself in his own person And therfore there was in it great grace to us that God by his soveraign power would in this point dispēce with the rigour of the Law 3 It was yet a point of father grace and mercy that he himself would find out this remedy this way of salvation by another For we our selves could never have found out such another nor could any other creature have found it out for us So that though justice be satisfied and punishment be suffered yet our salvation is of free grace and mercy notwithstanding Justice and Mercy most sweetly concurring in our salvation by Christ Jesus If then the righteousness of Christ be imputed to us What was that righteousness of Christ that is imputed Such a righteousness as man now oweth to yeild perform unto God and that is two-fould 1 Passive in a way of suffering penalty or punishment for his transgression this every sinner doth owe to God by the sentence of his just Law which requireth that the sinner be accu◅sed and suffer death for his sinn Gal. 3. 10. Rom 6. 23. 2 A sinner oweth obedience de novo and is still bound to obey the Law though he must when he hath satisfied for former breaches It stands not with reason that paying the penalty threatned for transgression hee should therby becom lawless or free from thenceforth from the debt duty of obedience which the Law requireth And this being the righteousness that a sinner oweth this therfore is the righteousness which Christ performed for us and which is imputed to us for our justification even both his active passive obedience Therfore it is said that he fulfilled all righteousness Math 3. 15. even all that the Law requireth of fallen man whether it bee suffering or doing both which seen to be comprehended in that one saying Phil 2. 8. that Christ humbled himself and became obedient even to death the death of the cross which place implyes that there is an obedience which falls short of death and an obedience in suffering death and that Christ for our sakes in our steed performed both In which respect also it is that he is said to bee the end of the Law for righteousness Rom 10. 4. Now the end of the Law is perfect righteousness in doing what is commanded and in suffering punishment in case of sin transgression and so Christ being the end of the Law hath therfore performed both these things for us which the Law requireth of sinners viz to do what it cōmanded and to suffer what is due for sinn If this righteousness be imputed to us doth it not then follow that we are as righteous as Christ and that every believer is a redeemer and saviour of others for Christ was so This will not follow at all and the reasons are 1 Because the sin of Adam is impated to all the sonn of Adam and yet every son of Adam is not a cause fountain of