him by his rather; they were imputed to him, they were "reckoited as his, and placed to his account, and CHRIST "voluntarily took them upon himfelf, he took them to him"felf, as one may take the debt of another, and make himself anfwerable for it; or as a man takes up a burthen and lays it "upon his fhoulders, to CHRIST took up our fins, and carried them up, as the word here ufed fignifies, alluding to the "Prieft's carrying up the facrifice to the altar; and to his "bearing the fins of the holy things of the children of Ifrael, "and the fcape-goat bearing the iniquities of the people to a "land not inhabited-referring to the lifting up of CHRIST upon the crois; whither he carried the fins of his people, and "bore them, and did not fink under the weight of them, being "the mighty GoD, and the man of God's right hand, made ftrong for himself, and fo made an entire fatisfaction for them, by enduring the wrath of GOD, the curfe of the law, «and all that puhinment that was due unto them; and thereby bare them away, both from his people, and out of the fight of GoDy and vindictive juftice."

1. The Third, is that nervous writer, Mr. John Brine, whole writings are eminently great, ftrong, and argumentative against the Socinians; a rich vein of gospel grace runs through the whole, but that which I have an immediate refpect to, is, a fermon entitled, The imputation of fin to Chrift; wherein he fays, page 119 The act of making him fin for us, or how he "was made fin, is to be confidered, which he undertakes to "do negatively and pofitively."

First, Negatively: It was not inherently; that was abfolutely impofible; for that would have been contrary to "the infinite purity of GoD and ruinous to his defign of our falvation by CHRIST. Befides, the miraculous conception "of our LORD, and the faper-addition of the gifts and graces "of the Holy Spirit, unto the purity of his human nature, and its fubfiftence in his divine perion, rendered it impoffible that any mortal taint or impurity fhould take place in him. This act therefore of m: king him to be fin, effected no internal change in him: His nature remained ptire and fpotlefs notwithstanding, and all his actions correfponded with the "finless perfections of his nature.

Second, I am to fhew, a pofitive fenfe, how Christ was made fin: He was made in the fame manner as we are "made the righteousness of God in him; that is, imputatively; bleed is the man to whom the Lord'imputeth righteousness with"out works. Imputation, is reckoning, accounting, or plac

"ing to account, and efteeming thereupon. The act of im"putation therefore, whether of fin or righteouihefs, makes "no internal change in the object of the act. For it is not a "tranfient act, but it is an inward act of the mind, which cannot produce a physical change in the object upon whom "it paffes; and, confequently, the im utation of fin to "CHRIST, was not, nor could be, productive of any internal "change in him; notwithstanding the placing to his account in the divine mind, our guilt, or criminal actions, he remained "innocent, pure, and fpoticis, in himicit. This one thing "being duly attended to, will enable us to anfwer various trifl"ing objections, which are raifed against the doctrine of the imputation of our fins to him, beyond any folid reply. Some "have objected, that if fin itfelf be imputed to CHRIST, he "muft be defiled by it. But that is a great miftake; for fin, "as imputed, defiles not. If it did the imputation would be "impoffible with GOD, not only with refpect to CHRIST, but "alfo finners themfelves; becaufe infinite purity cannot put "forth any act, that would render the object of that act "morally impure. If the imputation of fin to the guilty crea"ture doth not pollute him, which is a certain truth, how "fhould the imputation of it to the HOLY JESUS defile him? Imputation is not transfufion; in the latter a perfon be"comes the fubject of that which is transfufed; but in the "former no one becomes the fubject of that which is imputed "by the act of imputation. And therefore, though the trans"fufion of fin, if that could be, which it cannot, would "neceffarily defie, the imputation of fin doth not pollute the object of that act; and confequently, the imputation of fin the bleffed Jesus, did not, nor could pollute his holy nature. He adds, This doctrine contains no falfe or miftaken "ilea in it, on the part of the FATHER, who imputed fin to "CHRIST; nor on the part of CHRIST, to whom it was "imputed: not on the part of the FATHER, for he did not "confider our criminal actions, which he placed to the account "of CHRIST, as his acts, as perpetrated by him, but as our "acts, as committed by us; fo his judgment in this is, accord"ing to truth and fact. Nor does this doctrine, on the part "of CHRIST, include any mistaken conception in it! for it "doth not fuppofe that he had a confcioufrets of the perpetra"tion of thofe criminal actions, which were imputed to him; or, thai under the charge of them to him he eiteemed them "acts which he himself had committed. Therefore this doc"trine is attended with no dangerous confequences, relating

แ

το

"to CHRIST, nor is any thing contrary to truth fuppofed
"therein, refpecting fin, which he was made for us.

८८

"Befides, If guilt was not charged on CHRIST, his fufferings could not be of a penal nature; for penalty is fuffering "under a charge of offence, and without a juft imputation of guilt, punishment cannot in equity be inflicted on any fubject. It is a most unrighteous thing to punish any one con"fidered as innocent; and therefore if it was not poffible with "GOD to impute fin to the innocent JESUS, neither could he "inflict punishment on him; and if CHRIST did not endure k proper punishment, his fufferings were not, nor could be, "fatisfactory to the law and juftice of GoD for our fins; of "fuch neceffity and importance is the doctrine of the imputa "tion of fin to CHRIST, that we cannot be faved without it." Friendly. I have only one objection, which is guilt, is my doing wrong, whereby I become obnoxious to punishment, and therefore guilt, in its own nature, cannot be transferred.

Truth. It is true, my actions, good or bad, cannot become another's perfonal actions; yet my acts, relatively confidered, may become another's, when there is a proper foundation for it; as for inftance, fuppofe I contract a debt, this debt of mine may become another's, upon his engaging to become my furetv, and thereby my act is transferred to another. Though amongst men it is allowed that guilt cannot be imputed justly to the innocent; as if a man be guilty of murder, or theft, it cannot, in juftice be charged upon another. Rulers and fubjects are equally bound by natural juftice, and The reason is plain, therefore law-givers have no power to require, or accept of the engagement of an innocent perfon for the guilty, in criminal cares; nor hath any innocent perfon power over himfelf, or a right to put himself under the obligation of any criminal, if he would. This is allowed between man and man: but the cafe of CHRIST's bearing guilt is quite different, as he affumed the human nature on purpose to bear fin. And as GOD could not but will the punishment of fin, he might impute it to CHRIST, upon his engaging to bear it, and fuffer for it without any act of injuftice. For I am well fatisfied, that the judicial procedures of GOD, in the imputation of fin to CHRIST, and punishing it in him, and his pardoning the guilty, are not to be measured by, and compared to the judicial proceedings of men in criminal cafes. And herein confifteth much of the glory, grandeur, and majefty of our falvation from fin, by the fufferings of CHRIST. If there was not fomething unparalleled

In the cafe, there would not be that mystery and glory in it, that the Gospel fpeaks of; Hereby we perceive the love of God, in that be laid down his life for us.

Friendly. If CHRIST bore fin, guilt, and punishment, may not fome make a bad ufe of this matchlefs grace?

Truth. There is no doctrine in the bible but what is liable to be abused by our corrupt nature; of which pious John Bunyan, fays, "Though dogs catch the children's bread from "off the table, pins in it may choke them." However, the doctrine of the imputation of fin to CHRIST, and his suffering for it, is fo far from giving liberty to licentioufnefs, that it is the most powerful motive to holinefs and obedience; for we will never efteem them Chriftians, that dare to fin, because grace abounds, God forbid; for nothing can be more diametrically oppofite to the grand defign of the death of CHRIST, which was to purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Befides, the imputation of our fins to CHRIST, and CHRIST'S fuffering for them, fhews us how hateful fin is to GOD, and what a malignant evil is contained therein; it dif covers the holinefs of his nature, the purity of his perfections, and is a strong and perfuafive motive for us to hate fin, and abbor the very appearance of evil. It was likewife an act of rich and unparalleled grace in the FATHER, to impute the guilt, filth and punishment of our fins to CHRIST, that they might be eternally removed from us. It also fhews that God will by no means juftify a finner, without a fatisfaction to his juftice, the difplays of his holiness, and the removation of fin by an infinite atonement. For could GOD have difpenfed of his grace in any other way, confiftent with the perfections of his nature, he would never (by the fword of divine juftice) have pierced CHRIST's foul with forrow, his heart with grief, or his mind with agony, to make a paffage-way for his love. But, oh this was the cafe! no other way would glorify the perfections of his nature, fecure the falvation of his people, magnify his law, and fatisfy his juftice, but an imputation of fin to CHRIST, his fuffering for it, and making an atonement thereby; and the reafon of all this was, becaufe CHRIST WAS from everlasting the channel of his thoughts, the center of his love, the grand repofitory of all grace and glory to his people, Eph. i. 5. Having predeftinated us unto the adoption of children, by Jefus Chrift to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. might likewife add, that CHRIST's bearing fin, and making atonement by his death, is fo far from rendering holiness unacceffary, as our divine meetnefs for Heaven and happiness,

that it lays a fue foundation for the participation of holiness in heart and life; for as fin is meritorioufly removed by the death OF CHRIST, it makes way for the purification of his blood to our fouls, to purge our confciences from dead works, to perfect belings in the fear of the Lord. A judicious author obferves, "A title to eternal life, realers not a meetnefs for it un

neceflary; juftification by CHRIST's righteoufnefs, diffolves "not our obligation to duty; for though we are not under the "law, as a covenant, to obtain life by our obedience to it, yet we are as much as ever, and in its full extent under it, in "its precept."

Friendly. I am obliged to you for your elaborate elucidation of CHRIST's bearing fin, by which means I fee more of the importance, glory, and confolation that arifeth from CHRIST'S death, and furetyfhip engagement. But what might I apprehend by fending away the goat by the band of a fit man into the wilderness. And the goat fhall bear upon him all their iniquities, unto a land not inhabited; and he shall let go the goat into the wil derness? Lev. xvi. 21, 22.

Truth. As Aaron was to put all the iniquities of the chil dren of Ifrael, upon the head of the live-goat, fo he was likewife to fend the goat away to a land not inhabited. The manner in which the goat was fent away, the text faith, by a fit man; the Hebrew, a man of pportunity; the Greek, a ready mm; the Challee, a man prepared; which, as the Jews fay, was as follows, "The live-goat was led away by one of the Pri's, unto a rock in the wilderness, twelve miles (that "is tiltety furlongs) diftant from Jerufalem. Every mile, "they fay, was feven' furlongs and a half. They made ten booths between Jerufalem and the rock in the wilderneis, between every booth there was a mile fpace; and in every « booth one man or more, that fome might accompany him *that led the goat from one booth to the next. So there being "a nile (that is two thoufand cubits) between booth and "booth, that was a fabbath day's journey; and fo far they might accompany him, and there remained between the lat booth and the rock in the wildernefs, two miles: At every "booth they faid unto the man, Lo here is meat, and here is "weter, if his ftrength failed him, he might eat, but there never "was a man, (they fay) that needed fo to do. And without ne"cefity no man might eat, for it was their folemn faft. From "the last booth they went not with him to the rock, but half"way (one mile, their fabbath day's journey) and stood afar off, to fee what he did with the goat. When he had put