The Trial and Triumph of Faith, Sermon 19

The Trial and Triumph of Faith · Sermon 19

p. 235SERMON XIX.

Obj. BVt the Gospel from the Law of love, not the Law it self, Obj. Denne Doctrine of Iohn Baptist. p. 43.forbid…eth the believer to sin, neither teach we (say they) that the Gospel maketh sin to be no sin, but it onelyonly maketh it to be no more my sin, but Christs, and counted on his score, who was wounded for my iniquities, and was my surety, and therefore his payment is my payment, so as we have no more conscience of sins.

Ans. Its true, the Gospel speaketh no contradictions, and maketh not sin to be no sin,Christ is so made the sinner in suffering for sin, as there remaineth no sin in the, sinner once pardoned as Antinomians teach. Crispe, Ser. vol. 2. Ser. 3. p. 91 92 93. or Davids adultery not to be a violation of the seventh Commandement: indeed, it maketh Peters deniall of Christ not to be Peters sin, in a legall and forinsecall way, but that Peter believing in Christ, who justifieth the ungodly, shal not be condemned for that, nor for any other sin, that, and all his other sins with that, are counted upon Christs score. But the deniall of Christ, in another relation, is the sin of Peter only; to wit, according to the Physicall inherencie of it, in that it proceeded from Peters lust, and body of sin dwelling in him, and not any way from Christ Jesus, and in that its against Christs expresse commandement, who charged Peter to confesse his Lord and Master.

But Antinomians, and by name D. Crisp, teach us, that not onelyonly the guilt of sin, but sin it self, really, and inherently, was laid upon p. 236Christ, in regard Christ was not by way of sup…position onelyonly, or imagination counted the sinner, but made sin: And 2. In regard, not onelyonly the guilt of sin, but sin it self was laid upo… Christ, for saith D. Crispe, the guilt of sin an… sin it self are all one. Gen. 42.21. When Josep… brethren were accused for Spies, they say, we ar… guilty concerning our brother, in that we sa… the anguish of his soul, when he besought us and we would not hear. Reuben expoundeth the mea…ning, vers. 22. Did not I say to you, sin not against the lad? But you would not hearken unto me, and therefore, behold, we are guilty. What is that? We did sin against the childe. To be guilty therefore, and to commit a sin, is all one, they are but two words expressing the same thing. 2. Suppose a malefactor be asked, Guilty, or no… guilty? He answers, Not guilty: What doth he mean? He means, he hath not done the fact that was laid to his charge. When the Jurie is asked, Guilty, or not guilty? The Jury saith Guilty. What do they mean? Do they mean any thing in respect of punishment? No: The Jury hath nothing to do with that, but onelyonly in matter of Fact; that is, whether the fact be done or not done—It had been extream unjustice to punish Christ, if sin had not been on him, and if he had been at his Araignment compleat and absolutely innocent, even as if a Iudge should hang a man, though there were nothing found against him. — Man is a broken debter, and p. 237Christ a surety:Ser. 4 p. 108, 109 God is content to take Christs …ngle bond, and looketh for no other pay-master …ut Christ: sin was really translated upon Christ, …lse it was false that the Lord laid on him the …niquities of us all; yea, by this transaction of …in, Christ doth now become, or did become, when …ur sins were laid on him, as really and truely …he person that had all these sins, as those men who did commit them really and truly had themselves—So Christ was made sin it self, we are made righteousnesse in him, this is no imagination: But as we are actuall and reall sinners in Adam, so here is a reall act, God doth really passe over sin upon Christ, still keeping this fast, that Christ acted no sin; so that in respect of the act, not one sin of the believer is Christs: but in respect of transaction, in respect of passing of accompts from one head to another, in respect of that, there is reality of making of Christ to be sin,— If a Iudge will think such a man to be a malefactour, & by reason of his thoughts that he is a malefactor, he will actually hang this man; Is there any justice in such an act? If God will but suppose Christ to have sinne upon him, and knows that he hath it not, but others have the sins upon them: and upon this supposition wil execute Christ: What wil you cal this? Isa. 53. He shall bear the sins of many: Doth a man bear a thing on him in a way of supposition? Or, where there is bearing, is there not reall weight? The Lamb of God taketh away the p. 238sins of the world, Joh. 1.29. Can it sink in a reasonable person, that a thing should be taken a…way, and yet be left behinde? It is a flat contradiction: if a man be to receive money at such … place, and he doth take this money away wit… him, is the money left in the place where it was▪ when he hath taken it away? Although I ha… searched the Scripture as narrowly as possibly I may, yet this I finde, that throughout th… whole Scripture, there is not one Scripture tha… speaketh of imputing our sins to Christ: but still the holy Ghost speaketh of sin not imputed to us, and of righteousnesse imputed to us.

Let me answer: That in all this you shal find Grace turned unto wantonnesse, in all this man… Sermons there is not one word to stir up to the duties of sanctification and holines, but there i… much in these words, and severall other passages of his two little Volumes of Sermons, to depresse, and cry down holinesse and walking with God. I shall therefore say a little on this, and deliver truth shortly in these positions:

Sin so laid on Christ, as that it leaveth not off to bee our sinne.Posit. 1. No believers sin is so counted upon Christs score, as that it leaveth off to be the believers sin, according to its Physicall and real indwelling: Its true▪ it is Christs sin by Law-imputation, and legall obligation to satisfactory punishment, and onelyonly laid upon Christ in that Notion: yet its so the believers sin, as he is to mourn for this very thing, that Christ was pierced, and crucified, to remove the guilt, and the p. 239obligation to satisfactory punishment. Zac. 12.10. And they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his onelyonly son. Yea, its so the believers sin, even when he believeth that his originall corruption is pardoned, yet it dwelleth in him, having the compleat essence and being of sin; so as if he should say, he had no sin, and nothing in him contrary to the holy Law of God; he should deceive himself, and the truth should not be in him, 1 Joh. 1.8. Yea, let him be a Paul, Not under the Law, but being dead to the Law, Rom. 7.6. as touching all actuall obligation, to eternall death: yet in regard of the reall essence of sin, and proper contrariety that sin hath to Gods righteous Law, he cryeth out, ver. 14. For we know that the Law is spirituall, but I am carnall, and sold under sin, 17. Now it is no more I, (sanctified and pardoned I, who am in Christ, Rom. 8.1. dead to the Law, Rom. 7.6. freed from condemnation) that do sinne, but sin that dwelleth in me. If there were no sinfull I (to speak so) and no corrupt self in Paul, which breaketh out into sin, and this indwelling sin were as really in its essence, and its being removed, and taken close out of Paul, as money taken really out of a place, is no more left in that place, then if it had never been there: surely, then justified Saints were as clean as these, who are up before the Throne, clothed in white: and when Paul saith, It is no more I that do p. 240sin, but sin that dwelleth in me: he should speak contradictions, and say, It is no more I that do sin, but it is I that do sin: there should be in justified Paul, No Law in his members, warring against the Law of his minde: as he saith, Rom. 7.23. No body of death leading him captive to the Law of sin, vers. 2…. and making him wretched, vers. 24. No flesh lusting against the spirit, hindering the regenerated to do the good that they would: as Paul speaketh, Gal. 5.17. There should be no members on earth to be crucified, as it is, Col. 3.5. No old man to be put off, no corruption, no deceitfull lusts in us to bee abated; as we are charged, Eph. 4.22, 23. No fleshly lusts in us, which warreth against the soul: as, 1 Pet. 2.11. No weight, no sin that doth so easily beset us, to be laid aside by the regenerated and justified, who are to run their race with patience, contrary to the Spirit of God, speaking the contrary, Heb. 12.1, 2. Yea, there shall be no originall sin remaining in the justified person which can be named sin, nothing in them lusting against the spirit, nothing to be mortified, crucified, resisted, nothing to …e work for the grace of God, nothing to be a field and plat of ground to be laboured on by the spirit, by faith, nothing to be the seed and rise of humiliation, the sinner may go to heaven, and be nothing in Christs debt, to help him against indwelling sin, for that ghuest is so taken away, as money that was in a place, and is every penny p. 241really removed to another place: yea, its a flat contradiction (say Antinomians) to be a pardoned soul, and yet to have sin dwelling in the soul.

Positi. 2. The guilt of sin, and sin it self, are not one and the same thing,Pos. 2. The guilt of sin, & sin in it self, are not one and the same thing. but far different things; that I may prove the point, let the tearms be considered. There be two things in sin very considerable: 1. Macula, the blot, defilement, and blacknesse of sin; which, I conceive, is nothing but the absence and privation of that moral… rectitude, the want of that whitenesse, innocencie, and righteousnesse which the holy and clean Law of the Lord requireth to be in the actions, inclinations & powers of the soul of a reasonable creature.An inherent sinful blot in sin & the debt & guilt of sin. 2. There is the guilt of sin; that is somewhat which issueth from this blot and blacknesse of sin; according to which the person is liable and obnoxious to eternall punishment: this is the debt of sin, the Law-obligation to satisfaction passive for sin; just as there be two things in debt, so these two are in sin: for when a man borroweth money, and profusely and lavishly spendeth it, this is unjustice against his brother, in matter of his goods, and a breach of the eighth Commandment: Again, this breach in relation to policie to the Magistrate, and the Law of the land, putteth this broken man under another relation, that he is formally a debter, and so it is just, that he either pay the money, or suffer for this act of unjustice, p. 242and satisfie the Law of the fifth Commandment: which is, that he satisfie the Law, and the Magistrate, the publike Father, tutor of a wronged and oppressed brother. Now here be two things in debt:2. things in debt, as in sin. 1. An unjust thing; a hurting of our brother in his goods: this is a blot, and a thing privatively contrary to justice. 2. A just thing, a guilt, a just debt, according to which it is most just, that the broken man either pay or suffer: Now these two, as all contraries do, Faciunt numerum, they make a number; as just and unjust must be two things, and two contrary things: I know there be cavils, and subtilties of School-men, touching the blot, or Macula peccati, and Reatus, the guilt of sin; but this is the naked truth which I have declared. Some say the blot of sin is that uncleannesse of sin which is washed away by the blood of the Lord Jesus, and this is nothing but the very guilt of sin, which is wholly removed in Justification. But I easily answer: The blot of sin hath divers relations, and these contrary one to another: As, 1. There is the blot of sin in relation to the holy Law, as it is a privation of the rectitude and holinesse that the spirituall Law requireth; and it is formally sin, and not the guilt of sin; in which consideration, as nothing removeth blindnesse,The blot of sinne 2. wayes considered, but seeing eyes; or deafnes…e, but hearing ears; so nothing, formally removeth sin, but only the perfect habit of accomplished sanctification; and so the blot p. 243of sin, Macula, is not that which is formally removed in justification, but only in perfected sanctification. 2. The blot of sin in relation to God, as offended and injured, putteth on the habit of guilt, and so it is washed away in the Fountain opened to the house of David, and formally removed in justification, but now it is not formally considered as sin, but according to that which is accidentall in sin; to wit, obligation to punishment, which may be, and is removed from sin, the true essence and nature of sin being saved whole and intire: Hence sin hath divers considerations: 1. As sin is contrary to the righteousnesse and holinesse of the Law, it is formally sin, and this essentiall form, and life of sin remaineth in us while we live sin being in an act of dying, or a passion rather to be crucified, and in the way to its grave and perfect destruction, which shall be, when Glory shall grow up out of the stalk of Grace, and sanctification shall be perfected; for Grace is the bud, Glory the fruit; Grace the Spring and Summer, Glory the Harvest. 2. As sin is a blacknesse contrary to the innocency that the Law requireth, and as it blotteth and defileth the soul, it is a Macula, a spot, a filthy and deformed thing, abasing the creature, making the creature black, crooked, defiled, like the skin of the Ethiopian, or spotted like the Leopard, Jer. 13.23. 3. As sin is a blot that maketh the creature unpure, unclean, and contrary and hatefull to God, so it is a blot p. 244and unclean thing to God, and that two wayes: 1. As it is contrary to Gods holy Law, its formally sin, as is before said: 2. As it offendeth and injureth God in his honour and glory of supream Authority, to command what is just & holy, it is an offence, and a provocation, Isa. 3.8. Psal. 78.17. A displeasing of God, 1 Cor. 10.5. 2 Sam. 11.27. A grieving of him and his spirit, Eph. 4.30. Gen. 6.6. Psal. 95.10. A tempting of God, Psal. 77.18. Psal. 95.9. Act. 15.10. A wearying of the Lord and a making him to serve, Isa. 43.24. Isa. 7.15. A loading of the Lord, Isa. 1.24. A pressing of the Lord, as a Cart is pressed under a heavy load of sheaves, Amos 2.13. and so is punished with everlasting punishment:A twofold guilt in sin one of the fault▪ & intrisecall another of the punishment and extrinsecall Hence there is a twofold guilt, one Fundamentall, potentiall, reatus culpae; the guilt of sin as sin, this is all one with sin▪ being the very essence, soul, and formall being of sin, and this guilt of sin you cannot remove from sin, so as sin shall remain sin, take this away, and you take away sin it self: But this is removed in sanctification as perfected, not in justification, as all the Arguments of Doctor Crispe go along in their strength to prove that the guilt of sin, Reatus culpae, the fundamentall guilt of sin, and sin it self are all one: so we shall yeeld all to him, but with no gaine to his bad cause:foreign For Josephs brethren say, Gen. 42.22. Truly we sinned, Verè peccantes, nos super fratrem nostrum; or were guilty against our p. 245brother: This is nothing, but we trespassed against our brother; this is not spoken so much of guilt, as of sin it self: and the Malefactor, saying, he is not guilty, meaneth of fundamentall guilt, or the guilt of sin, and that he hath not committed the crime charged upon him. But there is another guilt in sin, called Reatus poenae, reatus personae, reatus actualis, Reasons why sin and the guilt of sin cannot be the same.the guilt or obligation to punishment, the actuall guilt, or actuall obligation of the person, who hath sinned to punishment; and this guilt is a thing far different from sin it self, and is separable from sin, and may be, and is removed from sin without the destruction of the essence of sin, and is fully removed in justification: Now that this guilt is different from sin: I prove, 1. Because, that which our blessed Surety took upon 1him for our cause, without taking to him any thing which is essentiall in sin, such as is, to be a Sinner like us, to do violence, to be justly accused of sin, that is different from sin: But Christ took on him the guilt of our sin; that is, the actuall obligation to be punished for sin, while as he bare our sins in his own body on the Tree, 1 Pet. 2.24. And was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities, and did bear on him the chastisement of our Peace, Isa. 53.5. And died for our offences, Rom. 4.25. Rom. 5.6. And this punishment Christ could not have born except by Law he had obliged himself as our surety to pay our debts, Heb. 10.4.5. p. 2466.7.8. and 7.22. Now that in all his life and sufferings he did no violence, committed no sin, nor touched any contagion of sinne in his own person is evident, because he was holy▪ harmlesse, undefiled, and separated from sinners, Heb. 7.26. Heb. 4.15. Isa. 53.9. The Proposition is sure, for if Christ was so made sin, and punished for sin, and liable to suffer for sin, and yet had not any sinfull or blame-worthy, guilt on him, then that guilt of the person by which any is liable to punishment for sin, is some other thing then sin, and the blame-worthy guilt that is in sin; forasmuch, as they are really separated▪ the one being in Christ and the other not being in him, nay nor could it be in him.

22. The cause cannot be one & the same with the effect, nor the subject and fundament one with the adjunct, and that which resulteth from the fundament. But sin is the cause, fundament and subject, from which, guilt or actuall obligation to punishment issueth, because therefore is the sinner under guilt-personall, and actuall obligation to punishment, because he hath sinned, and is under the guilt of transgression, as he is therefore in Law and justice a guilt-debter to suffer evill of punishment, because against Law and justice he is a bad deserving sinner, in doing against, and so by a (reatus culpae) a sin-guilt, hath transgressed a Law; for all evill of punishment, is a daughter which lay in the womb of the evill of sin; and the guilt of the latter ill of punishment p. 247must flow from the former; to wit, from the ill of sin; so, to be guilty, or obliged to eternall punishment, is a fruit, and result or consequent of the fundamentall and intrinsecall guilt of sin. 3. An unjust and sinfull deviation from the holy will of God revealed in his Law, and hatefull to, and punishable by God, cannot be one and the same thing with that which is just, and agreeable to the just and holy will of God; but sin it self, in its formall being, is a deviation from the holy will of God revealed in his Law; sin being defined by John, A transgression of the Law, and is hatefull to, and punishable by the Lord: But the guilt of sin, of which we now speak, is nothing but the demerit, and actuall obligation to eternall punishment, and is no unjust thing, no transgression of Gods will revealed in his Law: yea, the demerit of sin is a most just thing, and the actuall obligation to punishment is most just, and holy, and agreeable to Gods just will, and obligation to punishment can neither be punishable, nor hatefull to God; yea, it is just with God that the sinner be under Law-obligation, to eat the fruits of the tree of his own planting, to have his teeth set on edge with the sowre grapes that he eat himself. 4. He that borroweth money, and profusely and lavishly spendeth it, is in that a transgressor against the eighth Cōmandement, he committeth an act of unjustice against his brother; now this act of unjustice cannot formally p. 248or intrinsecally be the sin or sinfull guilt of the innocent surety; no Law of God, or man can make actions evill and sinfull, that are Physically, inherently, intrinsecally, really the unjust actions of the doer, the formall sin, or intrinsecall and fundamentall sinfull guilt of another man, who in that action is innocent, and is not a member, an hand or a foot of the man that committed that fault, which I speak for; the sons of Adam, who intrinsecally sinned in Adam, and by Gods Supream will were made a part of Adam: yet the surety is formally made a debter, and by Law obliged to pay the debt, and its an act of justice that he pay the debt, his promise to the creditour maketh him a debter, but his promise to the creditour putteth no act of injustice in lavishly spending his neighbours goods on him, for in that he is innocent, and cannot be charged morally, as a faulty and a broken bankrupt, the fruit and effect of the broken mans unjustice doth only lie upon him, in regard of his promise. There be three brethren born of the same parents, Adam, John, Thomas; suppose we then that the Law of the city or kingdom is so, that one brother may die for his brother, John murdereth Thomas traiterously, under trust; by Law then John ought to die; the elder brother Adam, out of love, interposeth himself to the Judge to die for his younger brother John; in this case Adam by Law ought to die, and he is in Law reputed and counted p. 249the murderer, but truely, not morally, not intrinsecally, for he can be reproached formally, with no act of treacherous dealing, as if under trust he had stabbed his brother, for he did no such act; if shame by accident accompany his publike laying down of his life, its morally no reproach, no intrinsecall blot to him; yea, that Adam dieth for John the murderer, it is through his own free consent an act of extream love, in relation to the judge it is a most just act, and in Law only, in imputation and legall account, he is the murtherer. But poor soul he never thought, nor acted any treachery or cruelty against his brother.

3. Hence this Position: Christ was made sin,3. Pos. or imputed the sinner, and died for us sinners: The second Adam, the first begotten amongst many brethren suffered for his younger brethren, and so, by free consenting to be our Surety and die for us, Psal. 40.6, 7, 8. Heb. 10.5, 6, 7. Joh. 10.17, 18. Joh. 14.31. Matth 26.46. Mark 14.42. Ioh. 18.7, 8. He was made by Law account, sin for us, as the sinner, Ioh. 15.13. 2 Cor. 5.21. to die for us. Rom. 4.25. And the Lord said upon him the iniquities of us all, Isa. 53.6. 1 Pet. 2.24, 25. But I judge it blasphemy to say: By this transaction of sin upon Christ, Christ doth now become, or did become, when our sins were laid on him, as really and truely the person that did all these sins, as these men who did commit them really, and truely had these p. 250sins on themselves:Christ not intrinsecally the sinner. For the Elect Believers i… Christ were intrinsecally, formally, inherently adulterers, murtherers, disobedient, serving divers lusts. Tit. 3.3. Dead in sins and trespasses, by nature the children of wrath. Eph. 2.1. And in their own persons acted all these Acts of wickednesse, so as sin doth formally denominate them sinners; as whitenesse in snow, in milke, in the wall denominateth all these white: But Christ never is, never was intrinsecally, formally, inherently the Adulterer, a disobedient person, nor is sin personally in Christ, to denominate him as really and intrinsecally a sinner as David, Isaiah, Peter, Paul for whom he died, for He did never violence, neither was there any deceit in his mouth, Isa. 53.9. There was no fundamentall guilt, nor any bad deserving in him: How then was he a sinner, or made sin for us? I answer, by meer imputation, and Law-account, and no other way: But the Libertine saith, it were the greatest unjustice in the world to punish Christ, If sin had not been on him really; If he had been at his Arraignment compleat and absolutely Innocent; and if only in Imagination, and by a lying supposition, which wanteth all reality in the thing, God should put Christ to death for these sins, that he knoweth Christ to be free of; this were, as if a Iudge should hang a Malefactor, whom in conscience he knew to be free from all sin, and could find nothing against him. But p. 251I answer, Law-imputation is a most reall thing, and no imagion, nor any lying supposition,Imputation of sin no imagination nor lie. as a mam that is surety for his broken brother who hath wasted the creditors goods, is truely su…ety and really the debter, and his obligation to pay for his broken friend is reall, and most just upon two grounds: 1. That he gave faith and promise, and Writ and Seal, that his friend failing, he should pay: 2. The Creditor accepted him as a reall Law-debtor and Pay-master in that case, …nd yet the surety in his person did neither borrow the money, nor lavishly wast it, and he hath in his person neither conscience nor guilt of unjustice toward his brother, and in regard of personall contagion of sinfull guilt, Christ was compleatly and absolutely innocent in his Arraignment, as one that neither acted sin, nor could be the formall subject of sin, in whom the blot of it was intrinsecally, or really inherent: But in regard that Christ was willing to strike hands with God, and to plight his faith and soul in pawn, and did willingly signe with his hand, an act of cautionary as our surety, Psa. 40. v. 6, 7, 8. Heb. 10 3 4.5.6.7, 8.9.10. And the Lord accepted him as Surety, and laid our sins on him, Isa. 56.6. 2 Cor. 5.21. Joh. 3.19. Rom. 3.2. He was made sin, that is, he was made a debtor, and a Law-paymaster so constituted by his own & his Fathers will; so that God did no act of unjustice in punishing Christ nor was he in law absolutely innocent, but nocent and guilty▪ that p. 252is to say, in regard of his Law place, or Law-condition, he was by imputation liable and obnoxious to actual satisfaction & punishment for our sins; yet he was Debitor factus, non intrinsecè, debitor legaliter, non personaliter, debitor ratione conditionis & officii, non ratione personae, A sinner, a debtor by imputation, a debtor by Law, by place, by office, and served himself Heir to our sins, and the miseries following sin; Now he was not in imagination, and in a false and a lying supposition, made sin, imputation is not a lye; But as Truely and Really, a Reall Law-deed, as Iudah offered himself Surety for Benjamin, and was in Law, and really a Bondman to Ioseph, and might have so been dealt with as a reall slave, if he had plighted himself in stead of Benjamin; and the Surety by the words of his own mouth, and by his Covenant and Promise is really and truely insnared, as a true and reall debtor in Law; as a Roe is really in the hand of the Hunter; and a Bird in the Fowlers Net, being once caught and in hands, Prov. 6.1, 2, 3, 4, 5. He is no debtor by imagination, he is not supposed to be what he is not indeed by the Law of God and nature and all Lawes, Promissum cadit in reale debitum, A mans promise fetcheth him within the Law-compasse of a reall debtor: So Christ was under Baile and a Law. Act of Surety by his own Act, his own word of Promise and Covenant: Thou hast given me a body, I have taken the p. 253debts & sins of my poor brethren on me; crave me Lord, as only paymaster, Lo here am I, to do thy will, Psal. 40.6, 7, 8. Heb. 10.4, 5, 6, 7, 8. Ioh. 10.18. Now there are but these two in sin, 1. The Act committed against the Law of God: 2. The debt and obligation to punishment is clear; and though Doctor Crispe deny that sin was imputed to Christ at least; he cannot see, or read it in all the Scripture, yet he granteth the thing it self: But I prove both the one and the other: And 1. That Christ committed and did no Act, nor deed against Law, for which he should be 1intrinsecally and inherently the sinner, is clear;Reasons proving that Christ was not intrinsecally and formally the sinner. because that holy thing Iesus being God-man could not sin, nor did he ever any violence or deceit, Isa. 53.9. Heb. 4.15. and chap. 8. ver. 26.2. The inherent vitiositie, and sinfull blot of sin, which followeth upon the Physicall Act of sin, being once done and committed by David, Peter, and all the Elect of God, cannot come out by a reall transmigration, and true and Physical 2derivation or removall from one Agent & Subject to another, to inhere in, and denominate another subject, the same whitenesse in number that was in milk cannot remove out of it, and reside and dwell in another subject; its a principle of nature, Idem numero accidens non migrat è subjecto in subjectum: No Law in the world▪ no Covenant, no transaction imaginable can effectuate this, that the reall wickednesse once committed by David should really and p. 254truly remove out of him, and go in, and reside in, and denominate the man Christ a wicked person; its an everlasting contradiction, That the treacherous murthering of innocent Vriah, should remove out of him into the son of David, Iesus Christ, and denominate him the murtherer of Vriah, so as the same murther can be said to be committed by David only, and not by David onelyonly, but by the man Christ: It must then be a lie, a dream, and palpable untruth to make Iesus Christ intrinsecally the sinner, and murtherer; Judge then if this Doctrine be of God, which Dr. Crispe right down hath asserted to the world in Print, Ser. 3. Vol. 2. pag. 84. God made Christ a transgressor — No transgressor in the world, was such a transgressor as Christ was, pag. 88. You will never have quietnesse of Spirit in respect of sin, till you have received this principle, That it is iniquity it self, that the Lord hath laid on Christ: Now when I say with the Prophet, It is iniquity it self that the Lord hath laid on Christ, I mean as the Prophet doth, it is the fault or the transgression it self; and to speak more fully, that erring, and straying like sheep: that very erring, and straying, and transgressing is passed off from thee, and laid upon Christ: To speak it more plainly, Hast thou been an Idolater? Hast thou been a blasphemer? Hast thou been a despiser of Gods word, and a trampler upon him? Hast thou been a prophaner of his Name and p. 255Ordinances? Hast thou been a murtherer, an adulterer, a theefe, a Liar, a drunkard? Reckon up what thou canst against thy self: if thou h…st part in the Lord Christ, all these transgressions of thine, become actually the transgressions of Christ, and so cease to be thine, and thou ceasest to be a transgressour from that time they were laid upon Christ, to the last hour of thy life— Mark it well, Christ himself is not so compleatly Righteous, but we are as Righteous as he was, nor we so compleatly sinfull, but Christ became, being made sin, as compleatly sinfull as we: Nay more, the Righteousnes that Christ hath with the Father, we are the same Righteousnesse, for we are made the Righteousnesse of God: that very sinfulnesse that wee were, Christ is made that very sinfulnes before God. Ans. 1. No Scripture calleth Christ the Thief, the Murtherer, the Adulterer, the Idolater, God avert from pious hearts, such blasphemies; he may by a figure be called sin, and be said to be made sin for us: but that is by meer imputation: as if you would say, The surety is the broken and riotous waster: all that have com, mon sense know this to be a figurative & unproper speech, that is, he is in Law liable to pay the debts of the broken waster; and the Law-guilt, and Law-obligation, that was in the broken man is transferred on him by his own promise: But no man in his right wits can say, that the broken man is as intrinsecally just, as sober a manager p. 256of his goods, as free from all intrinsecall fault and sin of unjustice and breach of the eighth Commandement, as the innocent surety; no sober wit can say, that the unjustice and injury done by the broken man to his brother, and against the eighth Commandement, Thou shalt not steal, Is nothing formally, but the very just and reall deed that the surety hath taken upon him; and that the surety is as guilty with the same very fault and sin of wastry, that is inherent in the broken bankrupt, as the bankrupt himself; and it is as great blasphemy to say Christ is as guilty, and as inherently faulty, and no lesse a transgressour of the sixth and seventh Commandement, by killing Vriah, and deflouring Bathsheba, then ever David was, and that David was as free from the inherent Fundamental guilt of these sins from Eternity (for Libertines will needs have our sins from Eternity to lie on Christ, and our persons before all time justified) as Christ himself is. 1. God made Christ sin, God made not David to murther Vriah: Then Christ must be one way a sinner, David another way, the one by imputation, the other by real inherency. 2. David was intrinsecally a transgressour of a Law: Christ not so. 3. David was washed and pardoned in the blood of Christ, Christ not so:What righteousnes of Christ is made ours. Then Davids Righteousnesse is but borrowed, and Christs Righteousnesse his own: 2. There is an essentiall Righteousnesse that Christ hath with the Father, and it is p. 257communicable neither to men nor Angell, no more then God can communicate with the creature any other of his essentiall attributes, such as are infinite Justice, infinite Mercy, infinit Grace, Holinesse, Goodnesse, Omnipotency, Eternity, Immensity. It is only the cautionary, the surety R…ghteousnesse of Christ God that is made ours,The believer how Righteous as Christ, how not. and that we are as compleatly righteous as Christ, is Divinity not borrowed from the Fountain of the holy Scriptures; But the mans own dream, for the broken debtor is never so righteous as the surety, except in this sense, he is aequè, but not aequaliter, he is righteous as the surety who has payed the sum for him, in regard that the Creditor can no more in Law, charge him with the sum, then he can in Law, charge the surety, who hath compleatly paid it; so are we in Christ freed from the guilt of eternall wrath, in that the Lord can no more in Law charge sin to actuall condemnation on the Believer, then he can put Christ to death again, or give a new ransom for us, but this is but formally a righteousnesse, in regard of freedom from the punishment of sin: But as I have said, the surety is more righteous simply, in regard the Surety never broke faith to the Creditor; the broken debtor hath broken to him: 2. The Surety never injured the Creditor by unjustice done against the eighth Commandement, but the broken man hath failed in this: But I would be resolved what truth can p. 258be in those, Prov. 20.9. Who can say I have made my heart clean? Job. 14.5. Who can bring a clean thing out of an un clean? No not one, Eccl. 7.20. There is not a just man upon earth, that doth good and sinneth not, Joh. 1.8. If we say we have no sin, we deceive our selves, and the truth is not in us: If we be compleatly as righteous as Christ; and if, as Crispe divines, all the Idolatry, Thefts, murthers of the Redeemed: Become actually the transgressions of Christ…, and so cease to be the transgressions of the sinners, from that time they were laid upon Christ to the hour of their death: Can he determine the time when persecuting Sauls blasphemies, and bloody outrages to the Saints were laid upon Christ? I conceive he will say from Eternity, they were laid upon Christ, and ere he believed; certainly this was an untruth then: Saul made havock of the Church, even when he did make havock of the Church, and ere he believed; for if Saul persecuting, and all the Elect unconverted, yet disobedient, and boiling in their lusts, be as righteous as Christ all their life; It is most false that ever they were dead in sin, or some times disobedient: If it be said, The Elect considered in themselves and in nature are sinners, but considered as men in Christ, they are as righteous as Christ: it helpeth not, for we must not dream of, and fancy considerations, that hath no reality and truth in them; for all now born since our Lord p. 259died, I am perswaded, by the Doctrine of Antinomians, were never, nor can they be reall and true objects of this consideration; For from that time that their sins were laid upon Christ to the last hour of their life, they are as righteous as Christ, and so washed and justified; Now their sins were laid upon Christ, as some Libertines say, from eternity, as others, from that day that he died on the Crosse: 2. Sins taken away by Christs blood, saith Dr. Crispe, are no sins of the Saints: Christ did take them away, and bear their weight, even in the fault and sin it self, and not the guilt only, and not by supposition or meer imputation only, and that from eternity: But when Antinomians confesse, that Christ acted no sin, so that in respect of the Act (the sinfull act against the Law of God must be here understood) not one sin of the Believers is Christs, but only in respect of passing accounts from one head to another: This is all the truth we here plead for; because the Act (or somewhat answerable to that) done against the Spirituall Law of God is sin it self, and essentially sin; if this was never upon Christ, then sin it self was never upon Christ: now there is no other thing remaining in sin but the debt, guilt or obligation of sin that can be laid on Christ, and the truth is, the Scripture expoundeth the laying our sins upon Christ, to be nothing but God punishing Christ for our sins, as Isa. 5 3.4. The cause and formall reason, why Christ did bear our griefs, p. 260and carry our sorrowes is ver. 6. Because the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all, and is so expounded, 1 Pet. 2. Whereas it is said, ver. 21. that Christ suffered for us, and an objection is removed, vers. 22. Why should he suffer? Did he sin? the Apostle answereth by concession of the Antecedent, and by denying the consequence, vers. 22. He did no sin (personally) neither was guile found in his mouth: But it followeth not that he should not suffer legally, and for others the punishment due to them; so his sufferings is expounded, v. 24. Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the Tree: Now how did Christ bear our sins? On the Tree; that is, by suffering, and Gal. 3. Paul evidently distinguisheth between two sorts of persons that are cursed; the sinners that abide not in all that is written in the Law to do them, v. 10. These are intrinsecally, and in their person cursed, as being sinners in their person; and so the intrinsecall objects of divine hatred, and a curse and abominable to God. Yea, but Christ was also cursed▪ But how? Not intrinsecally; God is never said to hate his Son Christ, nor to abhor him, as he doth sin which personally resideth in the man who acteth sin in his own person: Therefore the Lords forsaking of Christ his Son, is not an intrinsecall detesting, or a morall abhorring of Christ; but an extrinsecall, a penall, or a judiciall suspending of the beams and rayes (as Cyrill saith) p. 261or the overclouding of his favour, in the comfortable shining on the soul of his own sin: and it is not said that Christ was cursed, but only, vers. 13. foreign, He was made a curse for us, that is, the fruits and effects of Gods curse, the punishment due to sinners, even that satisfactory, and penall curse and punishment, which infinit Justice requireth, was laid upon Christ, while as he died upon the Crosse, and suffered the effects of Gods wrath upon his soul for our sins: Then he must be the sinner, only by Imputation, except Antinomians show to us, how a person is made sin, or accounted the sinner? And yet is neither a sinner by inherent and personall acting of sin: nor yet by Law-imputation: And truely, its bad Divinity for Dr. Crispe to say, as we are actuall and reall sinners in Adam, so here God passeth really sin over upon Christ, for we sinned intrinsecally in Adam, as parts, as members, as being in his loynes, and we are thence, by nature the children of wrath, Eph. 2. But it is blasphemy to say, that our blessed Saviour sinned intrinsecally in us, as part or member of the Redeemed, or that he is a son of Gods wrath for sin intrinsecally inherent in him, as it is in us.

Farther, Christs bearing of our iniquities is an obvious Hebraisme, and all one with the bearing, not of the intrinsecall and fundamentall guilt of sin; but of the extrinsecall guilt, or debt and punishment of sin: So, Exod. 28.38. A p. 262Mitre shall be on Aarons forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things, Heb. foreign, Venasa signifieth to carry, or as the 70. turn it, foreign, Aaron shall take away, or, bear the punishment of the violation of the holy things: Moses saith to Aarons sons, Lev. 10.17. God hath given you the sin offering, to bear the iniquity of the congregation.

foreign, Aaron and his sonnes did bear the sins of the people as types of Christ, not by an intrinsecall guilt put on them, but by meer imputation, Lev. 16.22. And the Goat shal bear upon him all the iniquities of the children of Israel unto a Land not inhabited. The Priest prayed that the sins, that is, the punishment of the sins of the people might be laid on the Goat, Numb. 18.1. Aaron and his sons are to bear the iniquity of the Sanctuary, that is, the punishment of their iniquity, in that they were punished, if any of the Sanctuary polluted the holy things of God, Lev. 5.1. The witness who seeth and heareth a swearing, and doth not utter it, he shall bear his iniquity; that is, saith Vatablus, and all the interpreters, The punishment of his iniquity, Ezech. 18.19. Yet say ye Why doth not the Son bear the iniquity of the Father, ver. 20. The soul that sinneth shall die, the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father? Ezech. 23.35. Because thou hast forgotten me —bear thou also thy lewdnesse and thy whoredome: In the same very sense, Christ, p. 263Heb. 9.28. was once offered to bear the sins of many, 1 Pet. 2.24. He did bear our sins on his body on the Tree, Isa. 53.12. He did bear the sins of many; he did bear heavy punishment, death and the wrath of God, for the sins of many: the word foreign Sabal, is to bear a burden as a Porter, v. 6. The Lord laid the iniquity of us all on him. Heb. foreign Hifgang, The word signifieth to fall on any with violence, and to kill him; as Gideon fell on the Princes of Midian, and ver. 7. He was oppressed, he was afflicted, yet opened he not his mouth. foreign Niggas its not in the Hebrew. foreign Niggash, per foreign Adductus oblatus. Arias Mont. readeth it foreign Niggas, with the point on the left side of foreign not foreign. So Cyrillus, and it is, he was exacted, or payment of violence sought of him: Pagnan, multatus, Christ was put to a fine, condemned to pay an amercement, or forfeit, or Christ was pursued as pay-master and surety for us: The Father pursued Christs band, that he should now at the appointed day, tell down the sum, the great ransom-money of his life for sinners who were broken men. Justice gave in a broad and large claim against Jesus Christ, in which were written all the sins of the elect; And Christ opened not his mouth, but was dumb as a Lamb, led to the shambles, and his silence was as much, as Lord, I grant, I yeeld to all the accounts in this sad claim: you will not confesse your guiltinesse, O sinners in Christ! Nor p. 264take with riots, murthers, oaths, and all your sins: But the surety Christ was craved, and all your accompts demanded of him, and he confessed debt, and granted all, v. 12. He was numbred: So foreign Minna, he was reputed, and written up in the compt amongst theeves: this was meer imputation, he was not a wicked man indeed: And consider how; v. 3. He is called, despised and rejected of men, Christ in himself and intrinsecally was the glory, the flower, the Prince of men, even at his lowest, he must then be abased below all men, in regard of imputation, and that penall degrading of Christ; so as it is said of him, he was foreign Chadal ishim, which is, as Vatablus expoundeth it, so contemptible a man, that men would not admit him in company of men, Aria. Mont. desiit viris; others expound it, Cessatio virorum: Jerome novissimus virorum. Sanctius saith, he was not numbred amongst men, he was so despised, that he was the lowest among the lowest of men, or the minimum quod sic of men, as it is, Ps. 22.6. A worm, no man, no body, not in the classe or rank of men: He was in himself, the mighty God, the Prince of peace, more then above men and Angels, the chief of the kindred of men, the fairest among the sons of men, even at his lowest; but in regard of his low condition, he was made the off-scouring or the drosse or refuse of all men, as if not a Christianed creature. When our Divines say, Christ p. 265took our place, & we have his condition,How Christ is to our place. Christ was made us, and made the sinner; It is true, only in a legall sense, as we say, the advocate is the client, or the guilty man; Because the advocate beareth his name and person, and what the accused man could in Law say before the Judge in his own defence, that the advocate saith for him; the advocate saith, I cannot in Law die for this crime, for such Reasons: So the surety in Law or in a legall substitution, is the broken man: the surety saith, The debt is mine, all the wants, all the poverty, all the debts and burdens of my broken friend, be on me, and the rich surety having paid all, can say, I have paid all, I am in Law free, my friend and surety hath done all, and paid all for me; and that is as good in foro, in the Court of justice, as if I had paid in my own person all; for the truth is, there be not two debts and two bonds, and two sums, nor two debtors, the broken man, and the Surety are in Law but one person, one party adebted, which of them pay, it is all one to Law and justice: it is all one sum they owe: The Beleever in Christ is put in Christs Law-place, and Christ by Law is put in his place; Christ made Surety, saith: I am the sinner, O justice, all my broken friends wants, all their debts be upon me, my life for their life, my soul for my brethrens souls, my glory, my heaven for my kinsmens glory and heaven: The Lawes bloody Band was the curse of God p. 266upon the sinner, upon the debtor: Christ changed bands and obligations with us, and putteth out our name, and putteth in his own name in the bloody Band; and where the Law readeth, the curse of God upon the debtor: Christ is Assigned to this Band, and the Gospel readeth it, the curse of God upon the rich Surety, Gal. 3.13. Hear then the boldnesse of Faith: Now then there's no condemnation to those that are in Jesus Christ: What challenges Satan or conscience can make against the Believer (for justice being put to silence by Christ, maketh none) hear an answer: I was condemned, I was judged, I was crucified for sin, when my Surety Christ was condemned, judged and crucified for my sins: and what would you have more of a man then his life? it was a mans life and soul, my life that my surety offered up to God for sin, and I have payed all, because my surety hath payed all. And the truth is, it is not two debts, one that the believer owes to Gods justice, & another that Christ paid: But the debt that Christ payed is our very debt & sins which he did bear on his own body on the tree, 1 Pet. 2.24. But though it be true in a legal sense, that the surety is the broken man; yet it is true, only in regard of the Law punishment, or Malum poenae, the ill of punishment, that is laid upon him: For I take Dr Crisps words from his own pen; Suppose (saith he) a Malefactor should be asked, Guilty, or not guilty? He answereth, Not p. 267guilty. What doth he mean? He meaneth he hath not done the Fact that was laid to his charge: Then not to do the Fact of sin, to Dr. Crispe, is not to be guilty: Now I assume, But Jesus Christ did never any sinfull fact, as he also confesseth, then Christ was punished for sin, and yet was never guilty of sin, this must be the greatest unjustice in the world to punish a man for sin, altogether free of the guilt of sin; except Antinomians distinguish with us, between sinfull guilt, and penall guilt, called Reatus culpae, and Reatus poenae, or Reatus personae, seu potentialis, and Reatus formalis, seu actualis, they shall never expede themselves.

Now though it be true, that in Law the Debtor and the Surety be both one Legall person,How the Debtor and the Surety be one in Law, & not intrinsecally one. yet intrinsecally they are not one, the broken Debtor as such may be an unjust man, and the Surety a faithfull and just man; so that the surety, as a satisfying Surety, removeth only the punishment due to the Debtor for his unjustice; but he removeth not formally unjustice, except he be such a Surety as Christ, who can both pay the debt, & so remove the ill of punishment, and also infuse holinesse, and sanctifie and remove the evill of sin; hence in justification formally, Christ only taketh away the punishment of everlasting fire, and eternall condemnation due to sin; but he removeth not sin it self; sin it self is removed in sanctification, and by degrees; justification taketh the sting out p. 268of the Serpent, but doth not formally kill the Serpent; the Serpent is killed by another act of Grace, by infused and perfected sanctification; justification is a forinsecall and a Legall Act, and removeth the power of the Law, which involveth the sinner in a curse: Now the strength or the Legall sting of sin is the Law, 1 Cor. 15.56. So we may judge how false this divinity is, which Dr. Crispe asserteth: You will never (saith he) have quietnesse of spirit in respect of sinne, till you have received this principle, that it is not the guilt of Iniquitie only, but Iniquity it self that the Lord laid on Christ; For it is true, quietnesse and Peace of Faith with God floweth from justification, Romanes 5.1. And the assurance that Christ hath pardoned sin, and hath removed the penall guilt, the punishment of Eternall condemnation from sin, but that the conscience should be quiet; that is, that it should not have also a care to believe that Christ wil sanctifie throughly, and perfect his good work in us, is most false; for though a soul be justified and freed from the guilt of Eternall punishment, and so the spirit is no more to be afraid and disquieted for Eternall wrath and Hell, which should never have been feared as the greatest evill, in regard that sin as sin is more to be feared then Hell as Hell; yet there be two other acts of disquietnesse of spirit laudable and commendable, even in the Saints after they are justified; and the guilt of p. 269…ternall punishment removed; as, 1. The believer is to have a holy Anxiety and care of spirit (I do not call it a troubled conscience) to improve his faith in believing that Christ will perfect what he hath begun. 2. He is to bee grieved that sin dwelleth in him, and to groan and cry as a captive in fetters, out of the sense of his wretched estate, as Paul doth, Rom. 7.23, 24. Antinomians will have the justified to be so quiet in spirit, as if Christ had removed sin in root and branch, buds and stump; whereas only the Eternall punishment and fear of Eternall condemnation is removed in justification: But there is a worse thing remaining in sin after this, and more to be feared, and a more reall and rationall ground of disquietnesse of spirit; and that is the fundamentall, intrinsecall, and sinfull guilt of sin, which Christ never took on him, and is not removed in justification; but only in the graduall and successive perfection of sanctification, and so being justified, I am to be secure and to enjoy a sound Peace, and quietnesse of spirit,A perplexed conscienc is lawfully consistent with a justified sinners condition in freedome from Eternall wrath: But yet am I to be disquieted, grieved, yea, to sorrow that such a Ghuest as sin lodgeth in me, and with me; even as an ingenuous and honest hearted debtor, is to rejoyce and be glad in the goodnesse and grace of his gracious surety who hath payed his debt, and never to fear that the Law or Justice can go against him to Arrest and imprison him, for that debt which p. 270is now compleatly paid by his surety: But if the surety gave his back-bond to pay him service of love, and service of sorrow, and remorse for his unjustice and sinfull lavishing of his Neighbours goods, which did necessitate his loving surety to hurt himself, and be at a great losse for him▪ he owes to his surety the debt of love, and disquietnesse of spirit, in so far, as the blot of his wastry, and the shame of his riotous youth, lyeth on him all his dayes: Antinomians conceive, that there ought to be no disquietnesse of spirit, no remorse, no trouble of minde, but that which hath its rise and spring from sins apprehended as not pardoned, and from the fear of Eternall punishment, to be inflicted for these sins: and it is true, that such a troubled and perplexed soul which is once in the state of justification, is but the issue and brood of unbelief, and ariseth from the flesh prevailing over the spirit in such sorrow: yea, or if confession of sinne arise from this spring of servile and slavish fear, it is not a work of Faith, except that a conditionall fear of Eternall wrath;A conditionall fear of wrath eternal in the justified. If a David fallen in Adultery and treacherous murther, or a Peter overtaken with a denying of his Saviour before men, shall not renew his Repentance and Faith in CHRIST, is required in all the justified for the perfecting of their salvation, and finall perseverance: But there is another remorse and sorrow according to God, required in all the justified; and it is this, that p. 271though they are not to fear condemation with a legall fear, so as to distrust God,An absolute fear of Eternall wrath, not required in the justified; yet sorrow, grief & trouble of mind for the indwelling of sin is required. and be afraid of Eternall wrath; yet he who is ransomed by Christ, though he can never recompense the Free-grace, nor pay a satisfactory ransome for so great and rich a love, he is under a back-bond, or a re-obligation of love, service, and obedience to him that ransomed him: And this Law of love and thankfulnesse is not, as Libert…es, and others conceive, a Positive and simply supernaturall Gospel-obligation; for the Law of both nature and Nations, require that the Captive be thankfull to the ransom payer: I grant that the particular Commandments are Positive and supernaturall; so the justified is obliged by this back-Bond, and Gospel re-obligation to confesse sin dwelling in him, to groan, and sigh and sorrow under it, to be troubled and grieved in spirit, for sin as sin dwelling in his members, and rebelling against the Law of his mind; and keeping him in bondage, to walk humbly, and softly all his days; by reason of the running Issue of sin, and to strive by all means to walk worthy of Christ; and this in the generall is the Law of Nature, from which Christ hath in no sort exempted us, Matth. 7.12. 1 Cor. 11.14. Eph. 5.28, 29. Now as a man having fallen from a high place upon a Rock, and hath broken bones of Thighs and Legs though he be cured and can walk abroad, yet all his days he halt…th in his walking; or like one that is cured of p. 272an extream Feaver, Tertian, at such and such seasons, some fits of the disease recurreth: yet is he not to doubt of the fidelity and love of the Chirurgion and Physician, who have really cured him, in so far as he is in capacity in this life to be cured, and therefore as he is to walk warily, and with circumspection all his days, caring for his crazed body, so is he to be thankfull to those who recovered him, and may be sad and heavy now and then; that by his own folly and temerity, he hurt his body: for even sins pardoned, as concerning their eternall guilt, by our Soveraign Physician Christ in justification, lay a law on us to serve our Physician Christ in these Positive Commandments of obedience, love, sorrow, softnesse of spirit, with a care to sin no more, though we must needs halt, and slip all our days, yet not so to sorrow, as to cal in doubt the reality of Pardoning Grace.