growth of plants, which we perceive rather creviffe, quam crefcere; to have grown, than to grow. And as it thrives in the foul, by deeper radications of the habits, and more promptitude and fpirituality in the actings; fo Chrift, and the foul, proportionably, clofe more and more inwardly, and efficaciously, till at last it is wholly iwallowed up in Chrift's full and perfect enjoyment. Propof. 8. Lastly, Although the feveral privileges and benefits forementioned are all truly and really bestowed with Christ upon believers, yet they are not communicated to them in one and the fame way and manner; but differently, and diverfly, as their respective natures do require.

Thefe four illuftrious benefits are conveyed from Chrift to us in three different ways and methods: his righteoutnefs is made ours by imputation: his wifdom and fanctification by renovation: his redemption by our glorification,

I know the communication of Chrift's righteoufaefs to us by imputation, is not only denied, but + fcoffed at by Papifts; who own no righteousnefs, but what is (at leaft) confounded with that which is inherent in us; and for imputative (blafphemously filed by them putative) righteoufnefs; they flatly deny it, and look upon it as a moft abfurd doctrine, every where en. deavouring to load it with thefe and fuch like abfurdities. That if God imputes Chrift's righteousness to the believer, and accepts what Chrift hath performed for him, as if he had perfor med it himself; then we may be accounted as righteous as Chrift. Then we may be the redeemers of the world. Falfe and groundJefs confequences; as if a man should say, my debt is paid by by furety, therefore I am as rich as he. "When we say the "righteoufnefs of Chrift is made ours by imputation ‡, we think "not it is made ours according to its univerfal value, but accord"ing to our particular neceffity: not to make others righteous "but to make us fo: not that we have formal intrinsical righ"teoufnefs of Chrift in us, as it is in him, but a relative righte "oufnefs, which makes us righteous, even as he is righteous, ་ not as to the quantity, but as to the truth of it: nor is it im"puted to us, as though Chrift defigned to make us the causes

† A phantom sprung of Luther's brain. Stapleton.

Non formali intrinfeca juftitia, fed relativa: non quoad quantitatem fed veritatem; fit enim finita applicatio infinitae juftitiae; fi aliter, aeque jufti effemus ut Chriftus, at non : juftitia Chrifti fit nofira, non quoad univerfalem valorem, fed particularem neceffitatem; et imputatur nobis, non ut caufis falvationis, fed ut fubjectis falvandis. Bradh. de Juftificat.

"of falvation to others, but the fubjects of falvation ourselves;" it is inhefively in him, communicatively it becomes ours; by imputation, the fin of the first Adam becomes ours, and the fame way the righteoufnefs of the fecond Adam becomes ours, Rom. v. 17. This way the Redeemer became fin for us, and this way we are made the righteousness of God in him, 2 Cor. V. 21. This way Abraham the Father of believers was justified, therefore this way all believers, the children of Abraham, muft be justified alfo, Rom. iv. 22, 23. And thus is Christ's righteoufnefs made ours.

But in conveying and communicating his wisdom, and sanctification, he takes another method, for this is not imputed, but really imparted, to us, by the illuminating and regenerating work of the Spirit: thefe are graces really inherent in us: our righteousness comes from Chrift, as a furety, but our holiness comes from him, as a quickening head, fending vital influences into all his members.

Now thefe gracious habits being fubjected and feated in the fouls of poor imperfect creatures, whofe corruptions abide and work in the very fame faculties where grace hath its refidence, it cannot be, that our fanctification fhould be fo perfect and complete, as our juftification is, which inheres only in Chrift. See Gal. v. 17. Thus are righteousness, and fanctification, communicated and made ours: but then,

For redemption, that is to fay, abfolute and plenary deliverance from all the fad remains, effects, and confequents of fin, both upon foul and body; this is made ours, (or, to keep to the terms) Chrift is made redemption to us by glorification; then, and not before, are thefe miferable effects removed; we put off thefe together with the body. So that look, as juftification cures the guilt of fin, and fanctification the dominion and power of fin, fo glorification removes, together with its existence and being, all thofe miferies which it let in (as at a flood-gate) upon our whole man, Eph. v. 26, 27.

And thus of God, Chrift is made unto us wisdom and righteoufiefs, fanctification and redemption; namely, by imputation, regeneration, and glorification.

I shall next improve the point in fome useful inferences. Inference 1. Learn from hence what a naked, deftitute, and

But it is faid he is made unto us, wisdom, righteousness, sanc tification and redemption, therefore any worth or merit in us excluded. Whence it likewife follows, that we were foolish, unrighteous, unholy, and flaves of the Devil.

empty thing, a poor finner is, in his natural and unregenerate ftate.

He is one that naturally, and inherently, hath neither wifdom, nor righteousness, fanctification, nor redemption; all thefe must come from without himself, even from Chrift; who is made all this to a finner, or else he must eternally perish.

As no creature (in respect of external abilities) comes under more natural weakness into the world than man, naked, and empty, and more shiftlefs and helpless than any other creature: fo it is with his foul, yea, much more than fo: all our excellencies are borrowed excellencies, no reafon therefore to be proud of any of them; 1 Cor. iv. 7. "What haft thou that thou haft not "received? Now, if thou didst receive it, why doft thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?" q. d. What intolerable infolence, and vanity, would it be for a man that wears the rich and coftly robe of Chrift's righteoufnefs, in which there is not one thread of his own fpinning; but all made by free-grace, and not by free-will; to jet proudly up and down the world in it, as if himself had made it; and he were beholden to none for it? O man! thine excellencies, whatever they are, are borrowed from Chrift, they oblige thee to him, but he can be no more obliged to thee, who weareft them, than the fun is obliged to him that borrows its light, or the fountain to him that draws its water for his use and benefit.

And it hath ever been the care of holy men, when they have viewed their own gracious principles, or best performances, still to disclaim themselves, and own free-grace, as the fole author of all. Thus holy Paul viewing the principles of divine life in himfelf, (the richest gift bestowed upon man in this world by Jefus Chrift) how doth he renounce himself, and deny the least part of the praise and glory as belonging to him, Gal. ii. 20. “Now "I live, yet not I; but Chrift liveth in me:" and fo for the best duties that ever he performed for God; (and what mere man ever did more for God?) Yet when, in a just and neceffary defence, he was conftrained to mention them, 1 Cor. xv. 10. how carefully is the like [Yet not I] presently added? "I la"boured more abundantly than they all, yet not I; but the grace of God which was with me."

Well then, let the fenfe of your own emptiness by nature, humble, and oblige you the more to Christ, from whom you receive all you have.

婿

Infer. 2. Hence we are informed, that none can claim benefit by imputed righteousness, but those only that live in the power of

inherent holiness to whomsoever Christ is made righteousness, to him he alfo is made fanctification.

The gospel hath not the least favour for licentioufness. It is every way as careful to press men to their duties as to instruct them in their privileges, Tit. iii. 3. "This is a faithful faying; • "and thefe things I will that you affirm conftantly; that they "which have believed in God, might be careful to maintain good works." It is a loose principle, divulged by libertines, to the reproach of Chrift, and his gofpel, that fanctification is not the evidence of our juftification. And Chrift is as much wronged by them who separate holiness from righteoufnefs (as if a fenfual vile life were confiftent with a justified state) as he is in the contrary extreme, by those who confound Christ's righte oufnefs with man's holinefs, in the point of juftification; or that own no other righteousness, but what is inherent in themfelves. The former opinion makes him a cloak for fin, the latter a needlefs facrifice for fin.

It is true, our fanctification cannot justify us before God; but what then, cannot it evidence our juftification before men? Is there no neceffity, or use for holiness, because it hath no hand in our justification? Is the preparation of the foul for heaven, by altering its frame and temper, nothing? Is the glorifying of our Redeemer, by the exercises of grace in the world, nothing? Doth the work of Christ render the work of the Spirit needleís? God forbid: "He came not by blood only, but by water alfo,” 1 John v. 6. And when the apoftle faith, in Rom. iv. 5. “But "unto him that worketh not, but believeth on him that jufti"fieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteoufnefs:" the scope of it is neither to characterize and defcribe the juftified perfon, as one that is lazy, and flothful, and hath no mind to work, or rebellious and refractory, refusing obedience to the commands of God; but to reprefent him as an humbled finner, who is convinced of his inability to work out his own righteousness by the law, and fees all his endeavours to obey the law fall short of righteousness, and therefore is faid, in a law-fenfe, not to work, because he doth not work fo as to anfwer the purpose, and end of the law, which accepts of nothing beneath perfect obedience.

And when (in the fame text) the ungodly are faid to be juftified, that character defcribes not the temper and frame of their hearts and lives, after their justificaton, but what it was before, not as it leaves, but as it found them *.

* God juftifies the ungodly antecedently not confequently. Par.

Infer. 3. How unreasonable, and worse than brutish, is the fin of infidelity; by which the finner rejects Christ, and with him all thofe mercies, and benefits, which alone can relieve and cure his mifery!

He is by nature blind and ignorant, and yet refufes Christ, who comes to him with heavenly light and wisdom: he is condemned by the terrible sentence of the law to eternal wrath, and yet rejects Christ, who renders to him complete and perfect righteoufnels: he is wholly polluted and plunged into original and actual pollutions of nature and practice, yet will have none of Chrift, who would become fanctification to him. He is oppreffed in foul and body, with the deplorable effects and miferies fin hath brought upon him, and yet is so in love with his bondage, that he will neither accept Chrift, nor the redemption he brings with him to finners.

O! what monfters, what beafts, hath fin turned its fubjects into!" You will not come to me, that ye may have life," John v. 40. Sin hath ftabbed the finner to the heart, the wounds are all mortal, eternal death is in his face; Chrift hath prepared the only plaitter that can cure his wounds, but he will not fuffer him to apply it +. He acts like one in love with death, and that judges it fweet to perish. So Chrift tells us, Prov. viii. 36." All they that hate me, love death :" not in itself, but in its caufes; with which it is infeparably connected. They are loth to burn, yet willing to fin; though fin kindle thofe everlafting flames. So that in two things the unbeliever shews himself worse than brutish, he cannot think of damnation, the effect of fin, without horror; and cannot yet think of fin, the cause of damnation, without pleafure; he is loth to perish to all eternity without remedy, and yet refufes and declines Chrift as if he were an enemy, who only can and would deliver him from that eternal perdition.

How do men act therefore, as if they were in love with their own ruin! Many poor wretches now in the way to hell, what an hard shift do they make to caft themselves away! Chrift meets them many times in the ordinances, where they ftudioufly fhun him: many times checks them in their way by convictions, which they make an hard shift to overcome and conquer.

Not that any one is fo mad, as willingly and knowingly to love death, which we all naturally abhor; but because that is the fruit of despising the wisdom of God, which at length brings death on us. Lavat. on the place.

VOL. II.

R