450 RUIN AND RECOVERY; áLC. Adam ; but this sinful nature is really transferred or derived from Adam tous by the laws of generation or propagationwhich were given at first to man, as in question vi. and vii. And thence it comes to pass that original sin is divided by our di- vines into imputed and inherent: the one is relative, and subjects us to the misery threatened, the other is real, and makes us ac- tually sinful. II. -. How far was our Lord Jesus Christ our great surety concerned in the filth or defilement of our sin ? Some pro- nounce it boldly that he took upon him the filth and pollution of our sins, though at the saine time they mistake and suppose it to mean something really distinct from the guilt. Others again renounce and abominate that thought, lest Christ should be represented as defiled with sin ; but at the same time they give no fair account or intelligible notion of the filth. of sin, distinct from the guilt of it, that guilt . which was certainly imputed to Christ, when " he was made sin for us, and when he bore our sins in his body on the cursed tree ;" 2 Cor. v. 21. 1 Pet: ii. 24. ' I think it is evident from many scriptures*, that our legal subjection to punishment and misery by the guilt of sin, which is the relative evil of it, was imputed or transferred to Christ, and he took it away by'-offering himself a sacrifice of atonement or expiation, which bath 'procured pardoning mercy for us; but neither scripture nor reason will allow that the moral disorder of sin, the vicious impurity or criminal pollution, or real evil of it ; was transferred any way to our blessed Saviour,' the " holy one of God who knew no sin." While men of controversy deal much in metaphors they fight in the dark ; butif, we could per- suade them to turn these. metaphors into proper expressions, and bring the disputants into clear and open ligh', they, wouldcon- tend no more. If we would speak more distinctly and accurately, and with- out a figure on this subject, I think we should not indulge our- selves to say the -" guilt of sin cannot be transferred by imputa- tion, or that the defilement of sin may be imputed to another," for either of these will be ready to lead those who hear us into some.mistake ; since, in my opinion, it is evident that the guilt . -of Adam's sin, or its subjection of the sinner to 'punishment, was imputed to us, and thereby weare born in sufferings. -It is also * Several scriptures tell us, " that Christ bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that he was made sin for us, that all our iniquities were laid upon him, that . he bare the sins of many, that his soul -was made as'offering for sin, &c." Now what is it in or of sin that he bare or took upon him, tf not the guilt of it, o"r our obligation to punishment; or suffering thereby, when he willingly became our surety ? there is nothing else of sin that he could be charged or'burdened with, or thst could be imputed to him, or reckoned to his account, and for which he ac- tually made atonement by hissufferings, and so took away this guilt of sin.
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