the law of Moses, are received into a covenant of grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, peace, and union with God: for such is the new covenant, wherein God will remember their iniquities no more. 3. They who are thus justified and received into covenant with God, have passed from death to life, from condemnation to justification, through the law are become dead unto the law, that Christ might live in them; and the life they live, is by the faith of the Son of God, which faith purifies the heart, and the mystery of it is held in a pure conscience. 4. The gospel is preached to them that are dead, (viz. in sin,) "that they might be judged as men in the flesh, but justified after God in the spirit." And God's sending his Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, was that sin might be condemned in the flesh, "that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit." Rom. viii. Therefore justice will not, at the day of judgment, charge us with transgression and imperfection, from the beginning of life to the end.

They that are come into covenant with God, who therein are in a justified condition, have this to plead : "we have known and believed the love that God hath to us; God is love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because as he is, so are we in this world." 1 John iv. 16, 17. And doth not this perfect love and conformity to his image, which gives this boldness in the day of judgment, spring from the life and work of God in us? And is not this our love, (or such conformity,) inherent in us, as we dwell in God, and God in us?

5. "What the law saith, it saith to those that are under the law; but we (true believers) are not under the law, but under grace;" and shall we sin because we are no more under the law but under grace? God forbid; for how can we that are dead unto sin, live any longer therein?"

But, whereas this opposer's main charge is, "You have not, from the beginning of life to the end, perfectly obeyed the law, or been invested with a sinless righteousness, perfection, &c." This is not stated according to his own doctrine and principle, which concludes that there is no such perfection attainable in this life, either in the beginning, middle, or end of life. So that, according to his own doctrine, he should have stated it thus, (and it may justly be charged upon these sin-pleasers,) viz. You have lived in sin and disobedience all your life long, and have preached to others, that perfect freedom from sin and corruption is not attainable in this life by any, either in the beginning or end of life; but have preached many into more looseness and liberty of sinning, by telling them that it is God's

good pleasure not to remove the being of sin in this life, but to suffer corruptions to remain in his saints to keep them humble. So no part of your life is pure or clean, but corrupt and sinful. What have you to plead or say for yourselves, why sentence of *damnation should not pass upon you? The sin-pleasing Presbyter pleads, viz.

"Christ's holy life and suffering, is our only defence or apology against this charge. p. 92. Though I am guilty, yet satisfaction hath been made for that guilt. Because therefore the same fault cannot be twice punished, after satisfaction it is as if it never were. This is the only way of defence we have at God's tribunal. p 90. Christ's sufferings are they for which God will justify us; they have fully satisfied justice for our sins. We may be confident they will secure us from condemnation-it being against justice to punish those sinners a second time that have been punished to the full already." p. 106.

To all which it may be justly replied, and reflected upon you who are thus pleading and making your apology for your sins and unholy life: this will not cover nor excuse you in your sins, if you live and die in sin; your mouths will be stopped; you will not be able to plead Christ's holy life and sufferings, to rescue you from condemnation: "except you repent, ye shall all likewise perish." What influence or effect hath Christ's holy life or sufferings upon you, only that you profess and plead them? So it may be said, Christ was ever holy, but you were never holy. Christ was a sacrifice of a sweet smelling savour to God, which neither your life nor actions smell any thing of; but on the contrary are a bad savour to him. Christ was an holy and perfect example, which you never followed, nor ever intend to follow so long as you live; for you do not believe it is attainable. Christ came to condemn sin in the flesh, which you keep alive (and plead for) in your flesh, as long as you live. Christ also came to fulfil the righteousness of the law in us who walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit; but you do not own nor believe its fulfilling to be in your persons, but only in Christ's person. Christ's blood was not only for remission of sins past, but is to cleanse from all sin, and to purge the conscience, sanctify, &c. But this you reject, and in your sins and defiled consciences, trample the blood of the covenant under foot; and add to the sufferings of Christ, and the sin of his persecutors, by adding sin to sin, and so grieve his spirit all your days, and plead his holy life for your defence therein. The guilt of his blood will be charged upon you in the day of judgment, if you repent not.

And further, you blasphemously charge Divine justice with punishing your sins to the full in Christ, or punishing him that was ever innocent to the full for your sins; so that you account

it against justice to punish your sins again in you, though you live and die in them. And yet you think it an excellent piece of justice to punish the innocent to the full, for the guilty. But your mistake in this is gross, as will further appear, and you will not hereby be acquitted, nor cleared. This will not prove you invested with Christ's everlasting righteousness; nor will this cover your own filthy rags, or hide your shame.

And while you think that you are secured in your sins from the stroke of justice, as having been fully executed, and that by way of revenge, upon the innocent Son of God, in punishing your sins to the full upon him; I say, while you state this as the nature of the satisfaction by Christ's suffering in your stead, the whole world may as well acquit itself thereby from punishment as you; for he died for all, and is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world." And therefore if this must be looked upon as the full punishment of sin, that it was laid upon Christ, and that "the sin cannot be again punished after such satisfaction," this may make a merry world in sin-once punished to the full in Christ, never to be punished again upon the offender, which the law directly takes hold of. Oh soothing doctrine to sinners! the plain effect of which is, to make the wicked world rejoice in a sinful state, and say, "O admirable justice, that was pleased thus to revenge thyself upon an innocent man, that never sinned, and to punish our sin to the full upon him! O transcendent mercy, that hast found out this expedient, that we might be fully acquitted, pardoned, and discharged from the penalty that is just and due to us for all our sins past, present, and to come!" Oh! what glad tidings are these to the hypocrites and drunkards, &c. And how merry they are apt to be in their sins, upon their ministers' proclaiming such an act of indemnity of all offences and injuries past, present, and to come, not only against their neighbours, but against God himself.

But if it be objected, "that without sound faith, (which is a working faith,) men have not an interest in Christ's obedience, righteousness, or satisfaction; nor are we invested with any thing for which God should pronounce us righteous," &c. p. 93, 94. Hence it follows, then, that if they remain in unbelief they have no interest in Christ's righteousness or satisfaction; and then the consequence is, Christ did not make satisfaction in our stead, nor was punished for the sin of unbelief, nor for the effects of unbelief, to acquit us therein; for what sins then was he punished to the full ?

But above all it appears strange, that God could not remit or pardon past offences, without such a severe payment and satisfaction, as is implied, because, as some say, "he dispenseth not with the act of law." If he could so punish his innocent Son

to the full, who never offended, was not this dispensing with the act of law, when the law was made for offenders, and added because of transgression, and to punish such? For it was not made to punish an innocent or righteous man, against whom there is no law.

But if to pardon former transgression upon true repentance, and to save man from sin and wrath, be not inconsistent with the infinite goodness and mercy of God himself; and to be both a just God and a Saviour, were not inconsistent; then his divine justice consisted not in such severity, as to oblige him from showing mercy without such a rigid satisfaction and payment, as that of "punishing his Son to the full, and pouring out his wrath upon him, for the sins of mankind.” Where remission of sin is obtained, there is both a relaxation of the severity of the law, and a manifest effect of the propitiation, or sweet smelling sacrifice of Christ, as mediator and advocate; and not as the object of wrath, revenge, and full punishment from God, that is due to sin, and that to acquit the sinners continuing therein. And his "not sparing his own Son, but delivering him up for us all," and his being made "a curse" for us, was neither equivalent to that of eternal death, nor to the curse and damnation which sin and sinners have deserved. Nor doth it absolve mau from his obedience to the law of the new covenant or spirit of life in Christ, though it was for a relaxation of the law, as to the bondage thereof, and in order to abolish and end the first covenant and the curse thereof; yet not to pardon or justify men in sin against the second. Nor is it any loosening, but a reinforcing of the terms thereof; for he took away the first, that he might establish the second. He removed, and ended the shadows, that he might exalt the substance that was vailed under them. He blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances, and nailed it to his cross, that he might reinforce the law of the new covenant written in the heart, that we might not be without law to God, but under the law to Christ. He fulfilled the law in his person, and doth fulfil the righteousness of it in them that walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. He not only removed the shadowy part of the law, and the curse thereof, through his sufferings and sacrifice; but he also actually delivers the soul from the inward terrors, condemnation, and wrath of the law, (upon true repentance and contrition of heart,) in remission and pardon, through faith in his blood, being virtuously felt, and efficaciously evidenced, by his holy Spirit, to the soul that hath a part in Christ, as the propitiation for the sins of the whole world; whose blood bears record in the earth, agrees in one with the Spirit, sprinkleth the conscience from dead works, speaketh forth mercy and forgiveness, better things than that of Abel. Besides, Christ was as well exemplary, as propitia

tory or gracious in his sufferings, which had both a blessed acceptance and effect with God, and a spiritual influence upon them that follow him in Spirit, further than the historical faith and relation thereof, as he said, "if any man serve me, let him follow me, and where I am, there shall also my servant be." John xii. 26. And thus far is his example spiritually fulfilled in them that follow him, namely, as Jesus Christ was outwardly circumcised, baptized, crucified, put to death, (as concerning the flesh,) buried, quickened, raised up by the power of God, &c. his followers or servants are spiritually circumcised, baptized into his death, or crucified with him, buried with him by baptism, (as partakers of the fellowship of his sufferings,) quickened by his Spirit, raised up by his power into the likeness of his resurrection, and having suffered with him, shall reign with him.

In opposition to the doctrine of such a rigid and severe satisfaction, as is by divers asserted; I must tell my opposers, that although the chastisement of our peace was upon him," and "by his stripes" we are said to be "healed;" this is neither of "the nature of revenge from God, wrath, or punishment to the full, that is due for sin," nor doth it exempt or free those, who come to be his followers, from being liable to God's chastisement or correction, when there is cause for it: for whom he loves, he also doth correct, which is not revenge, as it is said, "if my children forsake my law, and keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgressions with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes; nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from them," &c. Psa. lxxxix. 30, 31, 32, 33. This concerned David, and his seed, who notwithstanding did so undergo the chastisements of the Lord, that he often went in a bowed down and mournful state, as when he complained, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me," &c. (Psa. xxii.) which were the same words Christ uttered in his deep sufferings, (Mat. xxvii. 46,) plainly intimating, how he took upon him the sufferings and burthen of his people, and his bearing the sins and burthen of many. Wherein it is evident, that those who follow Christ through the work of regeneration, and obtain the new birth, do spiritually pass through the fellowship of Christ's sufferings, and partake of their due shares thereof, both for their remission, and to oblige them to follow him in his own way of light and life, whereby they who are faithful to him, witness the blood of the covenant, that cleanseth from sin, and an interest in that everlasting covenant. This is the way and passage of the ransomed of the Lord, who through his judgment and chastisements have found a ransom, received the atonement and an interest in the everlasting inheritance of life and glory.