C x A P. .16. Mr. Baxter's further oppofitian to Impute examined. 237 Chrift is the way to the Father Job. 14: 6. God was in Chrifi reconciling the world to Hirnfelf 2 Cor. S' 19. Yet it is true , that Chrift is now exalted as King and Prince , and giveth the Crown of life, Revel. 2; 1o. as the great Adminittra- tor and Executor of His own Teftament; yet not as if He had purchafed all thefe things firftly , or primarily to Hitnfelf, and were now become the So- le or Principal Donor : for this doth overturn the tenor & forme of the Co.. venant of Redemption. He tels us ( n. 14t. ) That Chrifl's Itiohteoufnefs it made ours, as our finnes were made his. Which is all that we defre. We grant that Chrift never had the R.eatumculpoe, in it felf : & he faith that fin ryas Imputed to Him, as to the punishment deferved , that is , He a.furned the Reatum pcenue. But lure, the Reatur pcense, being a duenefs of punifhment, becaufe of fin , He could not come under this Obligation , unlefs the Reaturculpe had been Imputed to Him, not in it felf phyficaily , but juridically , in ordine ad peenam. And ac- cordingly we mutt have the Righteoufnefs of Chrift , in order to its Effects; and this is more , than to have the meer Effects themfelves , as he faith : & we shall grant to him , that we have it not , in the relation ofa Meritorious catt- feto all lifer; if he will grant to us , that we have it in the relation of a me-. ritorious Caufe , to thofe ufes , which God accepted it for; & bath a1 signed to it in the Gofpel; as he feemeth ro grant ibid. Though we do not affert fuch an Imputation , as he calleth the rigide fen - fe thereof ( n. 14 %. ) whereby God is fuppofed to repute us to have done that in & by Chritt, which we never did by Him : yet we fee no reafon 3 why we may not fay , that God judged Chrift , to be the publick legal perfon : yea himfelfin the appendix to his Premonition , yeeldeth that Chrilt may be cal - lei , our Ihcarius pxn.e, or Subthtute; And when we fay, He is a Publick le- gal perfon, we fay not , that He is as many perlons, as there be redeemed (inners in the world , as Mr. Baxter fpeaketh ; but that He was fuch a pu- blick legal perfon , as did reprefent in Law all that were given to Him , as their publick Head & Surety. And what he faith ( n.143.) of the various forts ofSureties (fome of which are very Impertinent 3 as the 3: for noman calleth an Agent a Surety ; & the r, for no man calleth a pay - matter, who is the debtors Iuftrurnent, fervant , or delegat, a Surety) doth not much help him , feing there are no fuch Sureties among Men , nor no manner of Suretyship , that can quadratrwith Chrift's Suretiship, in all things : and therefore it is to no purpofe to fay , Chrift is not fuch a Surety , as is among men, in this , or that, or in the other refpea; therefore He is no Surety at all. He is fuch a Surety , as is not in all things like Sureties among men ; & yet in force things , every fort of Surety among men , may carry Tome refemblance to Him. See for this Mr. Gillefpie's late piece on the Covenant of Pedetnption ; where the Reader will finde much Satisfaéti-ou in this matter. I finde no more fpoken to the Do ±rine oflmputation , in this place, by M. Baxter, that calleth for °any particular Notice for we fay not , as He hinteth ibid. that Chrift was our Inftrument, or Delegate ; yet we may fay, He was our Surety , that did all in our legal perfon : for He did fubfti- F f z tute
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