sense as to be obnoxious unto death and condemnation. For liable unto death they could not be made, unless they were first made sinners or guilty. And this they could not be, but that they are esteemed to have sinned in him, whereon the guilt of his sin was imputed unto them. This therefore he affirms, namely, that the actual sin of Adam was so the sin of all men, as that they were made sinners thereby, obnoxious unto death and condemnation.

That which he opposeth hereunto, is ʼn vπakon 'the obedience of one,' that is, of Jesus Christ. And this was the actual obedience that he yielded unto the whole law of God. For as the disobedience of Adam was his actual transgression of the whole law; so the obedience of Christ was his actual accomplishment or fulfilling of the whole law. This the antithesis doth require.

Hereby many are made righteous. How? By the imputation of that obedience unto them. For so and no otherwise, are men made sinners by the imputation of the disobedience of Adam. And this is that which gives us a right and title unto eternal life; as the apostle declares, ver. 21. That as sin reigned unto death; so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life.' This righteousness is no other but the obedience of one, that is, of Christ, as it is called, ver. 18. And it is said to come upon us, that is, to be imputed unto us; for blessed is the man unto whom God imputeth righteousness. And hereby we have not only deliverance from that death and condemnation, whereunto we were liable by the sin of Adam, but the pardon of many offences, that is, of all our personal sins, and a right unto life eternal through the grace of God; for we are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

And these things are thus plainly and fully delivered by the apostle, unto whose sense and expressions also (so far as may be) it is our duty to accommodate ours. What is offered in opposition hereunto, is so made up of exceptions and evasions, perplexed disputes, and leadeth us so far off from the plain words of the Scripture, that the conscience of a convinced sinner knows not what to fix upon to give it rest and satisfaction, nor what it is that is to be believed unto justification.

Piscator, in his Scholia on this chapter and elsewhere, insisteth much on a specious argument against the imputation of the obedience of Christ unto our justification. But it proceedeth evidently on an open mistake and false supposition, as well as it is contradictory unto the plain words of the text. It is true which he observes and proves, that our redemption, reconciliation, pardon of sin, and justification, are often ascribed unto the death and blood of Christ in a signal manner. The reasons of it have partly been intimated before, and a farther account of them, shall be given immediately. But it doth not thence follow, that the obedience of his life wherein he fulfilled the whole law, being made under it for us, is excluded from any causality therein, or is not imputed unto us. But in opposition thereunto he thus argueth.

Si obedientia vitæ Christi nobis ad justitiam imputaretur, non fuit opus Christum pro nobis mori; mori enim necesse fuit pro nobis injustis; 1 Pet. iii. 18. Quod si ergo justi effecti sumus per vitam illius, causa nulla relicta fuit cur pro nobis moreretur; quia justitia Dei non patitur ut puniat justos. At punivit nos in Christo, seu quod idem valet punivit Christum pro nobis, et loco nostri, posteaquam ille sancte vixisset, ut certum est e Scriptura. Ergo non sumus justi effecti per sanctam vitam Christi. Item, Christus mortuus est ut justitiam illam Dei nobis acquireret; 2 Cor. v. 21. Non igitur illam acquisiverat ante mortem.'

But this whole argument, I say, proceeds upon an evident mistake. For it supposeth such an order of things, as that the obedience of Christ or his righteousness in fulfilling the law, is first imputed unto us, and then the righteousness of his death is afterward to take place, or to be imputed unto us, which on that supposition he says would be of no use. But no such order or divine constitution is pleaded or pretended in our justification. It is true, the life of Christ, and his obedience unto the law did precede his sufferings, and undergoing the curse thereof; neither could it otherwise be. For this order of these things between themselves was made necessary from the law of nature; but it doth not thence follow that it must be observed in the imputation or application of them unto us. For this is an effect of sovereign

wisdom and grace, not respecting the natural order of Christ's obedience and suffering, but the moral order of the things whereunto they are appointed. And although we need not assert, nor do I so do, different acts of the imputation of the obedience of Christ unto the justification of life, or a right and title unto life eternal, and of the suffering of Christ unto the pardon of our sins and freedom from condemnation; but by both we have both according unto the ordinance of God, that Christ may be all in all; yet as unto the effects themselves, in the method of God's bringing sinners unto the justification of life, the application of the death of Christ unto them unto the pardon of sin and freedom from condemnation, is in order of nature, and in the exercise of faith, antecedent unto the application of his obedience unto us, for a right and title unto life eternal.

The state of the person to be justified, is a state of sin and wrath, wherein he is liable unto death and condemnation. This is that which a convinced sinner is sensible of, and which alone in the first place he seeks for deliverance from. 'What shall we do to be saved?' This in the first place is presented unto him in the doctrine and promise of the gospel, which is the rule and instrument of its application. And this is the death of Christ. Without this no actual righteousness imputed unto him, not the obedience of Christ himself, will give him relief. For he is sensible that he hath sinned, and thereby come short of the glory of God, and under the sentence condemnatory of the law. Until he receives a deliverance from hence, it is to no purpose to propose that unto him which should give him right unto life eternal. But upon a supposition hereof, he is no less concerned in what shall yet farther give him title thereunto, that he may reign in life through righteousness. Herein I say, in its order, conscience is no less concerned, than in deliverance from condemnation. And this order is expressed in the declaration of the fruit and effects of the mediation of Christ, Dan. ix. 24. To make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness.' Neither is there any force in the objection against it, that actually the obedience of Christ did precede his suffering. For the method of their application is not prescribed thereby; and the state of sinners to be justified, with the nature of their justifica

tion, requires it should be otherwise, as God also hath ordained. But because the obedience and sufferings of Christ, were concomitant from first to last, both equally belonging unto his state of exaninition, and cannot in any act or instance be separated, but only in notion or imagination, seeing he suffered in all his obedience, and obeyed in all his suffering; Heb. v. 8. And neither part of our justification, in freedom from condemnation, and right unto life eternal, can be supposed to be or exist without the other, according unto the ordinance and constitution of God, the whole effect is jointly to be ascribed unto the whole mediation of Christ, so far as he acted towards God in our behalf, wherein he fulfilled the whole law, both as to the penalty exacted of sinners, and the righteousness it requires unto life as an eternal reward. And there are many reasons, why our justification is in the Scripture by the way of eminency ascribed unto the death and blood-shedding of Christ.

For, 1. The grace and love of God, the principal efficient cause of our justification, are therein made most eminent and conspicuous. For this is most frequently in the Scripture proposed unto us as the highest instance, and undeniable demonstration of divine love and grace. And this is that which principally we are to consider in our justification, the glory of them being the end of God therein. He 'made us accepted in the beloved to the praise of the glory of his grace;' Eph. i. 6. Wherefore, this being the fountain, spring, and sole cause, both of the obedience of Christ, and of the imputation thereof unto us, with the pardon of sin and righteousness thereby, it is every where in the Scripture proposed as the prime object of our faith in our justification, and opposed directly unto all our own works whatever. The whole of God's design herein, is, that Grace may reign through righteousness unto eternal life.' Whereas, therefore, this is made most evident and conspicuous in the death of Christ, our justification is in a peculiar manner assigned thereunto.

2. The love of Christ himself and his grace are peculi arly exalted in our justification; that all men may honour the Son even as they honour the Father.' Frequently are they expressed unto this purpose, 2 Cor. viii. 9. Gal. ii. 20. Phil. iii. 6, 7. Rev. i. 5, 6. And those also are most emi

nently exalted in his death, so as that all the effects and fruits of them are ascribed thereunto in a peculiar manner. As nothing is more ordinary than, among many things that concur to the same effect, to ascribe it unto that which is most eminent among them, especially if it cannot be conceived as separated from the rest.

3. This is the clearest testimony, that what the Lord Christ did and suffered, was for us, and not for himself. For without the consideration hereof, all the obedience which he yielded unto the law, might be looked on as due only on his own account, and himself to have been such a Saviour as the Socinians imagine, who should do all with us from God, and nothing with God for us. But the suffering of the curse of the law by him who was not only an innocent man, but also the Son of God, openly testifies that what he did and suffered was for us, and not for himself. It is no wonder, therefore, if our faith as unto justification be in the first place, and principally directed unto his death and blood-shedding.

4. All the obedience of Christ had still respect unto the sacrifice of himself, which was to ensue, wherein it received its accomplishment, and whereon its efficacy unto our justification did depend. For as no imputation of actual obedience would justify sinners from the condemnation that was passed on them for the sin of Adam; so, although the obedience of Christ was not a mere preparation or qualification of his person for his suffering; yet its efficacy unto our justification did depend on his suffering that was to ensue, when his soul was made an offering for sin.

5. As was before observed, reconciliation and the pardon of sin through the blood of Christ, do directly in the first place respect our relief from the state and condition whereinto we were cast by the sin of Adam, in the loss of the favour of God, and liableness unto death; this therefore is that which principally and in the first place a lost convinced sinner, such as Christ calls unto himself, doth look after. And therefore justification is eminently and frequently proposed as the effect of the blood-shedding and death of Christ, which are the direct cause of our reconciliation and pardon of sin. But yet from none of these considerations, doth it follow that the obedience of the one