he have appointed it, to evidence our justification before others, and even in his sight, as shall be declared. He accepts of it, approves of it, upon the account of the free justification of the person, in and by whom it is wrought. So he had respect unto Abel and his offering. But we are not acquitted by it from any real charge in the sight of God, nor do receive remission of sins on the account of it.

4. If we are in any sense justified hereby in the sight of God, we have whereof to boast before him. But all boasting is excluded. And it will not relieve to say, that this personal righteousness, is of the free grace and gift of God unto some, and not unto others; for we must plead it as our duty, and not as God's grace.

5. Suppose a person freely justified by the grace of God through faith in the blood of Christ, without respect unto any works, obedience, or righteousness of his own: we do freely grant; (1.) That God doth indispensibly require personal obedienc of him, which may be called his evangelical righteousness; (2.) That God doth approve of, and accept in Christ this righteousness so performed; (3.) That hereby that faith whereby we are justified is evidenced, proved, manifested, in the sight of God and men. (4.) That this righteousness is pleadable against any charge from Satan, the world, or our own consciences; (5.) That upon it, we shall be declared righteous at the last day, and without it none shall so be.

And if any shall think meet from hence to conclude unto an evangelical justification, or call God's acceptance of our righteousness by that name, I shall by no means contend with them. And wherever this inquiry is made, not how a sinner guilty of death and obnoxious unto the curse, shall be pardoned, acquitted and justified, which is by the righteousness of Christ alone imputed unto him; but how a man that professeth evangelical faith, or faith in Christ, shail be tried, judged, and whereon as such he shall be justified, we grant that it is and must be by his own personal sincere obedience.

And these things are spoken, not with a design to con

tend with any, or to oppose the opinions of any; but only to remove from the principal question in hand those things which do not belong unto it.

A very few words will also free our inquiry from any concernment, in that which is called sentential justification, at the day of judgment. For of what nature soever it be, the person concerning whom that sentence is pronounced, was (1.) Actually and completely justified before God in this world; (2.) Made partaker of all the benefits of that justification, even unto a blessed resurrection in glory; (3.) The souls of the most will long before have enjoyed a blessed rest with God, absolutely discharged and acquitted from all their labours, and all their sins; there remains nothing but an actual admission of the whole person into eternal glory. Wherefore this judgment can be no more but declaratory unto the glory of God, and the everlasting refreshment of them that have believed. And without reducing of it unto a new justification, as it is no where called in the Scripture; the ends of that solemn judgment, in the manifestation of the wisdom and righteousness of God, in appointing the way of salvation by Christ, as well as in giving of the law; the public conviction of them, by whom the law hath been transgressed and the gospel despised; the vindication of the righteousness, power and wisdom of God in the rule of the world by his providence, wherein for the most part, his paths unto all in this life are in the deep, and his footsteps are not known; the glory and honor of Jesus Christ, triumphing over all his enemies, then fully made his footstool; and the glorious exaltation of grace in all that do believe, with sundry other things of an alike tendency unto the ultimate manifestation of divine glory in the creation and guidance of all things, are sufficiently manifest.

CHAPTER, VII.

Imputation and the nature of it; with the imputation of the righteousness of Christ in particular.

THE

HE first express record of the justification of any sinner is of Abraham. Others were justified before him from the beginning, and there is that affirmed of them, which sufficiently evidenceth them so to have been. But this prerogative was reserved for the Father of the faithful, that his justification and the express way and manner of it, should be first entered on the sacred record. So it is Gen. xv. 6, he believed in the Lord, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. It was accounted unto him, or imputed unto him for righteousness, It was counted, reckoned, imputed. And it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed unto him, but for us also unto whom it shall be imputed if we believe, Rom. iv. 23, 24. Wherefore the first express declaration of the nature of justification in the scripture, affirms it to be by imputation; the imputation of somewhat unto righteousness. And this done in that place and instance, which is recorded on purpose, as the president and example of all those that shall be justified. As he was justified so are we, and no otherwise. Under the New Testament there was a necessity of a

P

more full and clear declaration of the doctrine of it. For it is among the first and most principal parts of that heavenly mystery of truth which was to be brought to light by the gospel. And besides there was from the first a strong and dangerous opposition made unto it. For this matter of justification, the doctrine of it, and what necessarily belongs thereunto, was that whereon the Jewish Church broke off from God, refused Christ and the gospel, perishing in their sins, as is expressly declared, Rom. ix. 31. x, 3, 4. And in like manner a dislike of it, an opposition unto it, ever was and ever will be a principle and cause of the apostasy of any professing church, from Christ and the gospel, that falls under the power and deceit of them; as it fell out afterwards in the churches of the Galatians. Bnt in this state the doctrine of justification was fully declared, stated, and vindicated by the Apostle Paul in a peculiar manner. And he doth it especially by affirming and proving that we have the righteousness whereby and wherewith we are justified by imputation; or that our justification consists in the nonimputation of sin, and the imputation of righteousness.

The first thing we are therefore to consider is the meaning of these words to impute and imputation. For from a plain declaration thereof, it will appear that sundry things charged on a supposition of the imputation we plead for, are vain and groundless, or the charge itself is so.

CHASHEB. The word first used to this purpose, signifies to think, to esteem, to judge, or to refer a thing or matter unto any; to impute, or to be imputed for good or evil. See Levit. vii. 18. chap. xvii. 4. and Psalm cvi. 31. and it was counted, reckoned, imputed unto him for righteousness, To judge or esteem this or that good or evil, to belong unto him, to be his.

But whereas that may be imputed unto us which is really our own antecedently unto that imputation, the word must peeds have a double sense. And,

1. To impute unto us that which was really ours, antecedently unto that imputation, includes two things in it. (1.)

An acknowledgment or judgment, that the thing so imputed is really and truly ours, or in us. He that imputes wisdom or learning unto any man, doth in the first place acknowledge him to be wise or learned, (2.) A dealing with them according unto it, whether it be good or evil. So when upon a trial a man is acquitted because he is found righteous; first he is judged and esteemed righteous, and then dealt with as a righteous person; his righteousness is imputed unto him, See this exemplified, Gen. xxx. 33.

2. To impute unto us that which is not our own antecedently unto that imputation, includes also in it two things. (1.) A grant or donation of the thing itself unto us to be ours, on some just ground and foundation. For a thing must be made ours, before we can justly be dealt with according unto what is required on the account of it. (2.) A will of dealing with us, or an actual dealing with us according unto that which is so made ours. For in this matter whereof we treat, the most holy and righteous God doth not justify any, that is, absolve them from sin, pronounce them righteous, and thereon grant unto them right and title unte eternal life, but upon the interveniency of a true and complete righteousness, truly and completely made the righteousness of them that are to be justified in order of nature antecedently unto their justification. But these things will be yet made more clear by instances, and it is necessary they should be so.

1. There is an imputation unto us of that which is really our own, inherent in us, performed by us, antecedently unto that imputation, and this whether it be evil or good. The rule and nature hereof is given and expressed, Ezek. xviii. 20. "The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him, Instances we have of both sorts. (1.) In the imputation of sin, when the person guilty of it, is so judged and reckoned a sinner, as to be dealt withal accordingly. This imputation Shimei deprecated, 2 Sam, xix. 19, He said unto the king," Let not my lord impute iniquity unto me," the word used in the ex