NOTES. No. 1.-Page 26. THAT our sins were imputed unto Christ, is a precious gospel truth: but that they became his by imputation, is not quite so evident, inasmuch as a just imputation always presupposes that that which is imputed was the person's, previous to its imputation. Neither sin nor righteousness can be justly imputed to a man, except he has committed the one, or fulfill. ed the other, viz. either in his own person, or in that of his representative. Thus Adam's first sin wasiours before it was imputed to us, and so likewise is Christ's righteousness. Much after the same manner, our sins were Christ's before they were imputed to him, viz. in virtue of his suretiship for us. By it he became legally one with us, taking our sins upon him, and engaging to make satisfaction for them. So the surety, by his bond of suretiship, comes into the place of the original debtor, making the debt Therefore the creditor, in imputing it to him, does not make it his, but finds and declares that it is his, and treats him accordingly. The application of this to the subject in hand, is obvious. his own. R No. 2.-Page 30. It cannot be denied that the abstract is more than the concrete, as hardness is more than to be hard, blackness than to be black: and thus that sin is more than to be sinful. From this, however, it will not follow, that our blessed Lord can be justly called a sinner. Scripture, at least, never calls him_so. A sinner is one who committeth sin, i. e. who transgresseth the law, 1 John iii. 4. which can by no means be said of him, "who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners," Heb. vii. 26. He was, by way of eminency, "the Holy One and the Just," Psal. xvi. 10. Acts iii. 14. Satan himself acknowledged this, Mark i. 24. True, indeed, God is said to have "made him sin," or a sin-offering, as the word signifies, 2 Cor. v. 22. and it is also written," that he shall appear the second, time without sin," Heb. ix. 28. which implies that he appeared the first time with it, viz. with it, as imputed to him: with it as a burden on him, not as a blemish in him. But remarkable it is, that when the Apostle says, "he was made sin," he immediately adds, "that he knew no sin." Not only so, but observes further, that he was made sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." And hence it is evident, that while he was made sin, he was fulfilling all righteousness, to be imputed to us, as were our sins to him. What though Chrysostom, Luther, and others, have said, that he was a sinner? However honourably we must think concerning these great men of God, we ought not, in this instance, to adopt their style. Their words are far from being wholesome, or ac |