or All Elect Persons are free from the Charge of Sin. The Proposition is universal.

Answ. 1. Election is often put for Selection, or separating by Calling. See Isa. xiv. 1. ch. xlviii. 10. Selectum efficiam te, &c. Jun. and Trem. Ezek. xx. 5. John xv. 19. Thus it well accords with Ver. 30, foregoing, Whom he CALLED, them he justified. There's nothing justly to be laid to the Charge of God's Called ones.

2. Be it so, that all the Elect of God are intended (for I will not contend about it.). It is not merely in that they are elected that their Freedom lies, but in that God justifies them; without determining here the Way or the Time in which he does it. Whenever it is, his Justifying takes off all just Charges of Satan, of Conscience, of the Law, of the World. Election is not Justification, they are distinguished in this Text. The Apostle tells us, that God is justifying, or does justify all his Elect, viz. in their Times; and this takes off all Charges.

3. Be it that all the Elect are justified, as indeed they are, mystically in Christ their Head; it doth not follow they were so by a Non-Imputation of Sin from Eternity. The Apostle not only brings in God's justifying as a Relief against all Charges, but Christ's dying. As it follows, It is Christ that died. And also his Intercession, to shew that our personal Justification is in virtue thereof. The Freedom from the Charge of Sin and Condemnation which the Apostle speaks of, is a Fruit of the Death of Christ, as well as of Election; and therefore is not that Eternal immanent

Act of God's Will, which the Death of Christ did not at all procure.

II. A Second Way of stating Justification from Eternity is to this Purpose: Jesus Christ was a Surety from Everlasting; and his being bound, and becoming charged, was ipso facto our Discharge. For it could not be, that both the Surety, and the Principal, should stand charged at the same Time, for the same Debt.

Ausw. 1. The Covenant of Redemption, or of Grace, as with Christ, is not that whereby Sin was charged, or laid upon Christ by the Father, and therefore is not our Discharge. I own that Christ, as our Surety, undertook on our Behalf in Eternal Covenant Transactions I with the Father. But his being under the Law of Mediation (if it may be called a Law) must be distinguished from his being under the Law of Creation, or Moral Law, which we had transgressed. Christ's Eternal Covenant with the Father (as the Nature of the Thing declares) was, That he would become Man, would be under that Law which Man should transgress. Thus was he a Surety bound in due Time to pay the Debt, engaged by Covenant so to do, tho' not a Surety discharging that Office. The Charge of Sin on Christ was by the Law. And I think none should venture to say, That Christ was made under the Law from Eternity. I am sure the Scripture speaks otherwise, Gal. iv. 4, 5. In the Fulness of TIME God sent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law. Thus the Father laid on him our Iniquities, Isa. liii. 6. So that neither was he charged, or under any Imputa

tion of Sin, neither were we discharged, from Eternity.

2 Suretiship of this Sort, bringing the Charge on Christ from Eternity, would prevent our being under the Law, and the Charge of Sin on us thereby, and consequently Redemption therefrom; for we need not be redeemed from that we were not under. But the Suretiship of Christ is the Foundation of our Redemption from the Law, and Curse thereof. CHRIST's antient Undertaking was not (to be sure) preventive of the Fall, neither of Sin and Misery thereby; but a blessed Provision made to discharge a Debt when legally contracted, and to redeem from the Law in the Threatening and Curse of it. It was only with respect to this that we needed any Redemption.

The Sum is, That which is a Benefit above the Fall, as Acceptation in the Beloved, in CHRIST our Head; again, That which is a Benefit above and before the Consideration of Redemption, as God's Will of non-imputing Sin, can't fairly lay claim to this Name of Justification. That Way which sets it on equal Ground with Sanctification, and other Benefits in Time, answers itself, and makes the Dispute needless and frivolous. That which lays it on Christ's Eternal Suretiship supposes him to be made under the Law from Eternity, which is not Truth; and us to have been discharged from the Law also from Eternity, and so never to have been under it in time, which is a great Mistake.

To conclude, I would hint how far we may

and ought to bear with others in their Thoughts about this Matter.

If any think, God's viewing his Elect in Christ. appointing him to be a Surety, his Thoughts of Mercy and Pardon founded in Infinite Eternal Love, may be called Justification as immanent in God, and do so call it; whiles they own the Imputation and Charge of Sin by the Law in Time, and consequently a true Justification before God in Time, by the Application of Christ's Righteousness, they are to be borne withal, and there is no Danger in thus holding it. Yea, those who, shall deny such Acts of Grace in God from Eternity, are much wider from the Truth than those who thro' Mistake call them by a wrong Name. Let Men enjoy their Thoughts about Eternal immanent Acts in God, provided these Things be held; it should make no Breach in Brotherly Love. But because I find not so much as once the Name of Justification applied to an Eternal Act of God, unless Rom. viii 30. where it is evidently meant of his Purpose and Promise in Christ, I could wish it might be disused, at least in the Concrete, as to say, We were justified from Eternity.

But now when Men think that this is the highest Attainment of Gospel-Light, to believe that we were justified from Eternity, and in consequence thereof believe there was no Charge or Imputation of Sin by the Law in Time, and that there is no real Justification of a Sinner before God, but only a Manifestation of what was actually complete before; really this is a mighty unsafe unwarrantable way of

stating Things: And however good People may be led into it, the Opinion itself is bad. Hence it would follow, that sinners, in believ ing unto Righteousness, are only to persuade themselves, that they were justified before, even from Eternity; which is certainly a wrong and dangerous Way of directing the Exercise of Faith in poor Souls. We must therefore consider how it is that Men hold in this Point.

The Work of the Ministers of the Gospel is not to persuade Men, that their State is good while Unconverted, and that they are justified and pardoned already. We ought not to endeavour to prevent Convictions, Awakenings, fleeing for Refuge, and closing with Christ as miserable condemned Sinners; but to promote them by setting forth the Mis ery and Danger of a fallen State, and of continuing and dying Christless. Howbeit, the Design of the Gospel is to hold forth Hope at first, and not to drive to Despair, but to draw Souls by Cords of Love.

CHAP. II.

Of Justification in Christ, of the immediate
Effects of his Death, &c.

THA
Tin Jesus Christ, their Surety and Repre
HAT all the Elect of God were justified

sentative, when he arose from the Dead, is a Doctrine that gives to Christ the Glory of finishing the Work he came into the World to do, secures the Honour of Grace in its absolute Freeness, and affords no small Consolation to Believers. This Truth is so sweetly and large