Suretiship The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Those that thou gavest me I have kept All that the Father giveth me shall come to me His Suretyship is that of satisfaction for guilt past in the Covenant of Works and that of caution in the Covenant of Grace Thus Brinsley Where there is a Suretyship there is just ground for legal imputation but Christs Mediatorial Office is a Suretyship therefore it founds a just ground of imputation to them for whom 't was undertaken There are two Questions the solution whereof might contribute a consiberable light in this affair one is What kind of righteousness that is which is imputed and the second is how far it is made ours by imputation and the one contributes light to the other as to the 1. There is righteousness in Christ as he is God his essential Holiness 2. A Righteousness as he is God-man abstractledy taken from the work of Redemption for us 3. There is a Righteousness in his now present glorified estate wherein he applies what he did for us to us which carries a conformity to the Covenant of Redemption and therefore is a righteousness 4. There is a twofold righteousness in his performance of the mediatorial office for us here below one by reason of its conformity to the Mediatorial Law which requir'd the faithful discharge of a King Priest and Prophet at his hand the other in a conformity to the Law that we were under into which place that undertaking put him As there are four kinds of righteousness to be distinguisht in Christ so there are three degrees of imputation One is only for a persons good Profit or Honour and thus all in Christ is 't is an honour to mankind that there is such a glorious person come of the family he is the light that enlightneth every one that comes into the world he came to restore all things that first relation I have before mentioned as head and end of all the Creatures which fitted him and render'd it proper and becoming that he should become our redeemer was much for man's profit and good A 2d Degree of imputation is for our sake for their sakes do I sanctifie my self when we become the end and he the means and thus the whole Mediatorial Office was undertaken by him the whole of that work was the delivery of Mankind especially the elect although we are not made Priest Prophet and King we reap the benefit of these offices all their causality combined in our salvation and so doth his intercession unto this day 3d. There is a nearer degree of imputation when what 's done is done in our name room and place which Brinsley calls the office of an Attorney I shall give my thought of it by these two properties When Christ doth for us what he was not obliged to do for himself as God-man 2. When we who were oblig'd to do it are freed from the obligation by his doing of 't and under this Christs passive righteousness is comprehended but passive righteousness may justly comprehend the whole state of his humiliation from his Conception to his Resurrection He grew up as a root out of a dry ground without form or comeliness he made himself of no reputation and his first likeness to man was in the form of a Servant and in that fashion he became obedient unto death Great glory and dignity was the due of the humane nature from the first minute of union If a King should marry the poorest Beggar she is Queen from that minute and has a right to share with her Husband in his plenty and honour but a deniedness to this a being emptied of it as 't is in the 2d of Phil. was a great part of Humiliation and a birth of this kind was meritorious the throwing such a thick veil over his proper glory the obscuring of his brightness by such a thick cloud All righteousness has necessarily an active obedience accompanying it or rather is it for a passive suffering without it is not righteousness for all righteousness consists in action and habit and has a relation to the preceptive part of the Law so what had been to us meerly a curse was to him obedience and righteousness because he came under a Law to perform it for what was the penalty of the first Adam's Law was obedience to the Mediatorial Law satisfaction to one righteousness to the other 3. Though Christ as man was bound to obey the Moral Law viz. Not to bear false witness not to steal or kill yet his obedience was in such circumstances that rendered it meritorious all his Sermons and his Death too was a bearing witness to the truth and so an obedience to the ninth Command yet not such obedience as he was antecedently oblig'd to his restoring that which he took not away his being denied to that which was his due was obedience he perform'd to the eighth Commandment His praising God in the Church here below his prayers and faith with strong cries and tears was an obedience to the first table that he was not oblig'd to as God-man He might have been man without being the seed of Abraham and therefore he was not obliged to be circumcis'd which was a great part of suffering for 't was a great dishonour an acknowledgment and publick confession of Original Sin And if our Original Sin thus on him why not his Original Righteousness not as man but as man in our likeness born of a Woman conceiv'd in a Womb and Beza so expounds Rom. 8.1 2. Now there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus For the law of the spirit of Life in Christ Jesus the Holiness the unspotted Purity and habitural righteousness of Christ as man being imputed to the Believer hath made me free from the Law of sin and death That convinces of the one and binds over to the other viz. Death thus Beza Hemingius Elton Parr Streso Downham As he was the seed of the Woman and our Brother he was bound to obey the moral Law as suited to this estate but there was not a necessity of being born of a Woman he might have become man in a more glorious manner he might have assumed such a Manhood as he now wears there is a great difference to be made between the dues of Christ as Emanuel and as Mediator The Originals are different the one flows from his Actions and Sufferings Function and Investiture the other nakedly from the Union which last remains 1 Cor. 15. when the former is laid down 4. Though the Scriptures point at Christ's Death and Blood principally as the price and satisfaction Acts 20.28 Heb. 9.12 Rev. 1.5 5.9 Eph. 1.7 yet that may well be understood by way of eminence it being the pinnacle of the penalty and doth instruct us that the necessity of the satisfaction was founded in a holy just and good Law and not in the nature of God The satisfaction did not make any
Virgins that have no Oil in their Lamps 2ly The foundations this Opinion are grounded on are not very sure As 1. They say John Baptist's Ministry was to prepare the way to Christ by the doctrine of Repentance Respon The Baptists Ministry is to be consider'd either in general with all Ministers to prepare and make meet for the inheritance Luke 17.6 To prepare his ways to give knowledge of Salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins thorough the tender mercies of our God His Work was to fit for Heaven not to make Hypocrites though he did make many 2. His Ministry was to be consider'd in relation to that peculiar dispensation which was to raise and awaken peoples minds in expectation of the Messias and fulfilment of the great promises about the incarnation of the Son of God his Birth Life Death Resurrection and Constitution of his Church which was peculiar to himself A Second Foundation of these preparatory Works is Christ's Expressions preferring one People to another as such with whom the means that others enjoy'd in vain would have prevail'd for their true Repentance Matth. 11. to this purpose Christ prefers the Tyrians and Sidonians to the People of Chorazin and Bethsaida For Answer I shall give Camero's Sense of these Expressions who counts it a popular Hyperbole to upbraid the Unbelief of these People who had seen so many of his Miracles as if one should say he is as bad or worse than the Devil and these things seem to confirm this sense 1. It would seem to reflect on the Bowels and Mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that he would not walk two or three Miles to work a Miracle among a People who wanted nothing else to secure their Salvation and yet continue to Preach and work Miracles where he knew the event would be only the Aggravation of their Sin and Punishment 2. To attribute the Conversion of a People to any external means and not the efficacy and energy of the Holy Ghost is contrary to the sense of the Holy Ghost for Paul may plant and Apollo may water but God gives the encrease and yet these words taken litterally would imply this if in Tyre and Sidon the Miracles had been done which have been done in thee they would have repented long ago 3. The Letter of this Scripture would arrogate the power of Conversion to Miracles which certainly is not the Sense of the Scripture for Abram in the 16th of Luke is brought in saying in that Conference with the rich man that if they heard not Moses and the Prophets they would not believe one that rose from the dead 4. Such Hyperbolical Language Christ frequently us'd as Matth. 18.8 9. If thy Hand or thy Foot offend thee cut it off if any man smite thee on the right Cheek turn to him the other when thou dost Alms let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth And of this kind seems Moses his Wish to be who pray'd that God would rather blot him out of the Book of Life than destroy that People The import of it was only to express the earnestness of his desire A Third Foundation is Christ's commendation of the young Man Matth. 19.15 Mark 10.21 Luke 18.18 where 't is said Jesus lov'd him and that he lack'd but one thing of the Kingdom of Heaven Resp 1. The same Scripture gives no account of his coming there but rather of the impossibility of it and that 't was easier for a Camel to go through the Eye of a Needle than for such a Man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven and farther that 't was a thing only possible to God And in more plain terms he describes him to be one who trusted in his riches and what can more unfit Man for Heaven God and Mammon are at greatest distance As to that Expression of his loving him I think it may be best explain'd by that distinction that is us'd about Christ's Tears when he wept over a dead Lazarus or sympathiz'd with his Sisters that they were expressions of his Humanity and that tho' he had not the like Passions yet the like Affections with us and could love what 's useful and in its kind beautiful amongst men and such are all these Moral Virtues that renders a Man amiable and useful in the Society where he lives A Fourth Foundation is that an Appetite and desire is antecedent unto enjoying Christ or his Benefits Isa 55.1 Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the Waters Resp That is every one there is a great difference between a desire and the determination of it Psal 4. many say i. e. all or all unconverted Who will shew us any good but Lord lift thou up on me the light of thy countenance It is the termination of their desires on Christ on stable lasting heavenly spiritual good things the Prophet exhorts to he blames them for terminating their desires on what did not profit A 3. Argument against preparatory Works seems to be their inconsistence with the Nature of Conversion for Creation Regeneration Resurrection and Victory have no antecedent predispositions all the preparation in order to be conquer'd and overcome is to oppose with the greater force to prevent it the others imply a Divine Omnipotency working upon nothing or what 's unfit for the produc'd effect 4. It being granted that there 's no necessary Connection between preparatory Works and Pardon I see no reason why some may not be pardon'd without it as well as some have it and not pardoned 5. The design of the Gospel being to exalt pardoning Grace Ver. 15 16. It 's of Faith that it might be of Grace The less the Preparation appear the more Grace is exalted and manifested Obj. Should then a Man do nothing until he be justified Resp 1. Many are justified who know it not 2. Our Priviledges are not the Rule of our Duty but God's Command 3. That is without doubt we should do all we can few if any do what they may be always trying whether God gives ability or not 4. To all under the means of Grace at least God gives common Grace and by that they may live a sober just and honest Life among men and they may and ought to attend on Ordinances Phil. 2.12 Work in and about your own Salvation as Camero excellently translates it wait there until God works effectually he doth it of his own good pleasure where and when he will Let fear and trembling therefore accompany thy attendance lest thou miss the gale of that Wind that blows where it listeth Here is no room for Idleness to a Non converted and unpardoned Soul Faith comes by hearing be thou a diligent hearer 5. God gives Life thorough the Command of the Law he speaks a Pardon thorough the Precept it 's that makes the Law evangelical when he commands the dead to arise Lazarus come forth Lame Cripple rise and walk Bed rid man carry home thy bed thy sins are
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
whom he justifies its relative Language should be I justifie thee I pardon or absolve thee for the same Gift may have two Uses as a Ring in Marriage it enriches and it marries the one by its own Inherent value the other by constitution so Faith sanctifies by its own inherent vertue and justifies by impuration 3. It shews us what influence the Holy Ghost has in our justification all the three Person concur in all transient and external Acts and in particular this act is ascrib'd to the Spirit 1 Cor. 6.11 But ye are wash'd but you are sanctifi'd but you are justifi'd in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God There 's no more reason for derogating justification from the Spirit of God then from derogating sanctification from the Name of the Lord Jesus The verse contains two Blessings Sanctification and Justification two Authors of them the Lord Jesus and the Spirit two ways of Application of their vertue the Merit of the one and the Spiritual Efficiency of the other in name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God Some think the Spirits Efficiency in Justification is to give the comfort and the knowledge of it but that 's no causality that may come forty years after the effect but this gives an easie solution to the Text the Spirit of God works Faith which entitles to Christ's Righteousness therefore we are justifi'd by the Spirit and may be is called the Spirit of Adoption upon the same account for the Spirit of Faith and Spirit of Prayer are one and the Spirit of Adoption Rom. 8.15 is that whereby we call Abba Father so he may be also call'd the Spirit of Justification by his working justifying faith and this seems to be pointed at 1 Tim. 1.14 The grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love There are two Blessings mention'd and both Preventive exceeding grace with faith and love It is not said and Faith and Love to import barely the contemporariness of the Gift of Pardon and Faith but the way of conveyance thus God gave me Faith and Love when I was a Blasphemer and a Persecutor and with Faith or thorough Faith I obtain'd mercy the Grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant in this blessing in giving faith and a pardon thorough faith 4. Christ's justification is a pattern of ours Rom. 4.24 He rose again for our justification 1 Tim. 3.16 He was justifi'd in the Spirit the work of the Spirit in raising him from the Dead was a justifying act upon him in the World he was condemn'd as a meer man and thereby a deceiver saying he was God but Rom. 1.3 He was declar'd to be the Son of God with power by the spirit of holiness in his resurrection His state of Humiliation was status reorum he was in the condition of a guilty man in prisonand judgment Isa 53. He was condemn'd that he might condemn sin in the flesh and that there might be no condemnation to them that are in him he could not be punish'd under God's Government without sin inherent or imputed Isa 50.8 He is near that justifieth me he justified him in his raising him from the dead and setting him at his right hand so condemn'd him in humbling him at the resurrection his justification and vivification was one and the same thing in different relations 1 Pet. 3.18 He was put to death in the flesh but quicken'd by the Spirit when the Spirit quicken'd him he justified him his death was consequently a condemnation not only by man but God as by his determinate counsel under his Government Sydenham and Brinsley say in his resurrection as Attorney he took up the bond of the old Covenant in Court for his Clients John 16. The spirit now in the Gospel bears witness to his righteousness as our Head and Surety because he goes to his Father i. e. witnesses he was justified as our Surety and therefore his resurrection is our acquittance or solution he had never gone to Heaven else 5. No punishment can be justly removed before the Person be justifi'd or absolv'd the removal of our Spiritual Death by the gift of his Spirit is a removal of our greatest punishment therefore it carries absolution in its bosome and by it we may easily answer the Papists who argue our justification and sanctification to be one because the Scripture mentions a relation certainly above a bare connexion of time Rom. 8.1 2. in v. 1. a connexion but in v. 2. some causality This place says Stapleton Ant. p. 625. is a torment to Beza and Calvin but Calvin's Comment frees himself for though he yields inherent holiness to be the sense of the 2d v. the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or for the influence it has on no condemnation in the v. 1. is thus Non assignari caasam à paulo sed modum quo soâ—vimur à reatu Sanctification contains a way of our being freed from guilt as well as filth of sin I argue against the Papists thus there could be no Argument to prove the one from the other if both were one 2ly This interprets the relation such texts as this and more evidently Tit. 3. 1 Cor. 6. implys between these two twins viz. the same grace sanctifies as a principle of efficiency in the Believer and justifies as a foundation of relation it raises between the Believer and God now let the Papists find one Scripture to torment a Protestant Interpreter with this key in his hand or any advantage to their side who say justification is justification is the ornamental or enriching value of the Ring its marriage vertue or the relation between man and wife 6. The being put in Covenant is also a relative blessing and we are brought thereinto by God's pouring out his spirit on us This is my covenant Heb. 8. There is a very obvious objection against this viz. The Scripture commonly attributes Justification and Pardon to the exercise of Faith Abraham believ'd in God and 't was counted to him for righteousness but this Doctrine about it lays the stress of its justifying vertue on the gift of it and the same objection may be otherways propos'd the Scripture lays the justifying vertue of faith on the object of it it is not a miraculous faith believing I shall be cur'd nor an Historical Faith believing the truth of a particular relation in the Scripture but a Believing on him that justifies the ungodly for justification a believing on him that rais'd up Jesus our Lord from the dead thorough the belief of his being deliver'd for our offences and rais'd again for our justification And 3. The like objections may be rais'd against these Eph. 2.8 That we are sav'd by grace thorough faith and that not of our selves but as the gift of God For we are his Workmanship Tit. 3.5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done but according to his mercy he sav'd us by the washing of regeneration that being