Obedience of Christ Adam's Pofterity is freed from Continuing under Death for ever, and made capable of eternal Life, as if they were actually Righteous in the most perfect Manner. So that this Text in its true Senfe do's not at all make for that Imputation of Chrift's Righteoufnefs which we deny. Part II. XVIII. Another Text pretended to make for the faid Impu- The Objection tation is 2 Cor. 5. ult. He made him to be Sin for us, from 2 Cor. 5. ult. who knew no Sin; that we might be made the Righteouf anfwer'd. nefs of God in him. Now here likewife is not a word of the imputed Righteousness of Chrift, fo as to become really our own. The true meaning of Chrift's being made Sin for us, is the fame as of our being made Sinners by Adam's Difobedience, i. e. that God dealt with Chrift, as if he had been a Sinner, and that the vilest One; which is denoted by the Abstract Sin being put for the Concrete Sinner, this being an Hebraism or the ufual way of expreffing Things in the highest Degree in Hebrew, viz. by putting in fuch a Cafe the Abstract for the Concrete. Thus Ezek. 2. 7. in the Hebrew it is: For they are Rebellion, which we render rightly, For they are moft Rebellious. So in 2 Cor. 5. ult. Chrift is faid to be made Sin, i. e. dealt with as the vileft Sinner, he undergoing the Death of the Crofs, which was then esteem'd the most shameful fort of Death, and inflicted only on the vileft Criminals. In like manner Chrift is faid, Gal. 3. 13. to be made a Curfe for us; where Curfe is put to denote most Accurfed, according to the foremention'd Hebraifm; and being made a Curfe is put to denote Chrift's being dealt with, as if he was most Accurfed by his Death on the Crofs. God forbid any one fhould be fo Ignorant or Wicked, as to imagin that Chrift the ever-bleẞed and belov'd Son of God was really accurfed. Having fhewn the true Sense of the first part of 2 Cor. 5. ult. I proceed to fhew the true Senfe of the laft part, viz. that we might be made the Righteousness of God in him, viz. Chrift. What is to be understood by the Righteoufness of God, we learn (as §. 4. of this Chapter) from Matth. 6. 33. Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and bis Righteoufness, &c. Where by the Righteousness T Part II. Chap. s. XIX. The Objection aníwer'd. teoufness of God is plainly meant fuch Righteousness as God requires of us in the Gofpel. Whence it follows, that to be made the Righteoufnefs of God in Chrift, is no other than to perform fuch Righteousness as God requires thro' Chrift, i. e. that we fhould become Righteous before God, or be efteem'd Righteous by God for Chrift's Sake or Merits. So that the true Meaning of the whole Text is this, viz. that as Chrift for our Sins was dealt with by God as a Sinner, whereas he was really without Sin; fo we for Chrift's Righteousness and Satisfaction are dealt with by God, as if we were perfectly or absolutely Righteous, when in reality we are not fo. Whence it appears, that this Text likewife, in its true Sense, makes nothing for the Imputation of Christ's Righteoufnefs we deny. A third place urg'd for the faid Imputation is 1 Cor. from 1 Cor. 1. 30. 1. 30. Of him are ye in Chrift Jefus, who of God is made unto us Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption. 'Tis furprizing how any one could hence infer the imputed Righteoufpefs we are speaking against. Their Argument ftands thus: Chrift is of God made unto us Righteousness: therefore the Righteousness of Christ is fo imputed unto us, as to become really our own, and that we our felves are thereby counted perfectly Righteous by God. To fhew the Folly as well as Falfenefs of this way of Arguing, I need but apply it to other Particulars in the fame Text. Chrift is by God made unto us Sanctification: therefore the Sanctity or Holiness of Chrift is fo imputed unto us, as to become really our own, and thereby we our felves become Holy. But who ever heard of, who but an Antinomian or Libertin ever dreamt of an imputed Sanctification? So, Chrift is by God made unto us Wisdom: therefore the Wifdom of Chrift is fo imputed unto us, as to become our own, and thereby we our felves are truly denominated Wife. What trifling is this. The true Senfe of the place is plain enough, there being all along us'd a Metonymy of the Effect for the Caufe: Chrift is Wif dom unto us, i. e. by or thro' Chrift alone we are endued with true Heavenly Wisdom: Chrift is Righte oufness oufnefs to us, i. e. thro' Chrift alone we are juftify'd: Christ is to us Sanctification, i. e. thro' Chrift alone we are endued with the Grace of the Holy Spirit: Laftly, Chrift is to us Redemption, i. e. thro' Chrift alone we are freed from Death by the Refurrection of our Bodies, which is ftyl'd Redemption, Rom. 8. 23. Ephef. 4. 30. That the Redemption here mention'd is likewife fo to be understood, viz. of the Redemption of our Bodies from Death, and not of Chrift's Satisfaction, appears hence that Chrift's Satisfaction is included in the Words before, viz. Chrift is to us Righteousness. Part II. Chap. 5. XX. from Phil. 3.9. anfwer'ḍ. A fourth place and the laft I fhall mention is Phil. The Objection 3.9. That I may be found in him, not having my own Righteousness which is of the Law, but that which is thro' the Faith of Christ, the Righteousness which is of God by Faith. What Righteoufnefs it is the Apostle here rejects, and what he wishes for and endeavours after, is plain to any one that will but impartially weigh his Words. The Righteoufnefs which he rejects, he here calls bis own Righteoufnefs, i. e. fuch as he was able to perform meerly of his own Strength. For it can't be reasonably fuppos'd, that the Apoftle would be fo bold, as to call that Righteoufness, which the Grace of Chrift wrought in him, his own Righteoufnefs, but ra ther would thankfully have refer'd it to Chrift its Author, as he exprefly do's 1 Cor. 15. 10. Gal. 2. 20. Whence it plainly follows, that the Righteousness which St Paul rejects, is not that which we perform by the Grace of the Holy Spirit. On the contrary this is the Righteoufnefs he longs for, and which he calls the Righteoufnefs which is thro' the Faith of Chrift, &c. For what fort of Righteousness this is, he more diftinctly explains in the very next Words: That I may know bim, and the Power of his Refurrection, and the FellowShip of his Sufferings, being made conformable unto his Death. Where the Apoftle exprefly afferts, that the Righteousness so much long'd after by him, was no other than a Conformity to Chrift's Death; whereby, namely one actually dies himself to Sin, and actually rifes himself to Newness and Holiness of Life. But T2 furely Part II. XXI. furely fuch a Righteoufnefs is very far different from that imputed Righteoufnefs we difpute against. The Sum of what has been faid in this Chapter, is The Sum of this: The Righteoufnefs whereby we are properly faid this Chapter. to be justify'd, is the Obedience of Faith, i. e. our Obe dience, or Keeping of all the Commandments of the Gofpel, proceeding of Faith, and fo is an active Righte oufnefs, and inherent in us, as being what we our felves perform by the Grace of the Holy Spirit preventing and affifting us. He who is endued with this Gofpel-Righteousness properly fo call'd, to him according to the Gofpel Covenant God do's impute Christ's Righteouf ness, viz fo far as to his attaining Forgiveness of Sins and eternal Life; that is, the Righteoufnefs of Chrift, and that only is the meritorious Caufe, that he, who now do's himself the Righteoufnefs of the Gofpel properly fo call'd, has alfo his paft Sins and prefent Failings efteem'd by God as not committed, or forgiven him; and alfo that his Gofpel-Righteoufnefs, being fincere indeed, but maim and imperfect, is esteem'd by God as most entire and perfect, and fo worthy to be rewarded with eternal Life. Such as in this Senfe fay that Chrift's Righteoufnefs is imputed to the Faithful, fay what is agreeable to Scripture, and therein fufficiently intimated, tho' not mention'd in exprefs Terms. But fuch as being not content with the forefaid Imputation, go higher and affert the Righteoufnefs of Chrift to be by God fo imputed to the Faithful, as that thereby they themselves are esteem'd by God to be really and abfolutely or most perfectly Righteous, i. e. free not only from all Punishment, but alfo from all Blame of Sin; fuch affert what is contrary to right Reason, and is no where taught in holy Scripture; nay, what is plainly contrary to holy Scripture; what is attended with very many and very great Abfurdities; and laftly, what is the firft Miftake or Spring, from which flow the feveral most vile and deteftable Errors of the Antinomians and Libertins. CHAP 149 I CHAP. VI. Of a Gofpel-Condition in general. obtain Forgive Obferv'd in the Clofe of §. 1. of the last Chapter I. foregoing, that the Gofpel-Righteoufnefs might be reoufnels, as it is Of Gofpel-Righconfider'd in a twofold Refpect, 14, As thereby, as the the Condition to be formal Caufe, we are counted formally Righteous by perform'd, for to God: 2ly, As thereby, as by the Condition perform'd, nefs of Sins and we obtain the Free-gift of Forgiveness of Sins and of eternal Life. eternal Life. Concerning Gofpel-Righteousness in the first respect I treated in general in the foregoing Chapter: I come now to treat in general of Gospel-Righteoufnefs in the second refpect. II. A Gospel-Condi For the better understanding of what is here to be faid, I fhall in the first place explain, What is a Con tion properly fo dition of the Gospel-Covenant properly fo call'd. It is call'd, what. then to be well obferv'd, that by a Condition of the GoSpel-Covenant, which in fhort I call a Gospel-Condition, is properly to be understood, not whatever is commanded or requir'd, but that only which is requir'd at the Peril of ones Soul, i. e. on which a Man's eternal Life and Salvation do's fo depend, that the fame being perform'd, a Man attains Salvation, and not otherwife. We are commanded by the Gospel to abstain from all Sin, as much as can be. But then this is not requir'd at the Peril of our Souls, or under the irrevocable Penalty of eternal Damnation, and fo is not properly a GofpelCondition. Whereas Faith, Repentance, and the other Chriftian Virtues are requir'd at the Peril of our Souls, and fo make a Gofpel-Condition properly fo call'd. III. tion twofold Ab 1 Again, fuch a Condition is twofold, either as being =abfolutely requir'd at the Peril of our Souls, or as necef A Gofpel-Condifary to Salvation, or only on a Suppofition. The in- folute and Suppofiward Works of Faith, Repentance, &c. are abfolutely tional. requir'd unto Salvation. But the Fruits or outward Works of Faith and Repentance (under which are compre |