Romans 6. 23. For though that part of it, which was acted upon earth was temporary, yet being connected as above, it drew the whole along with it. It is therefore an eternity of living in righteousness, that by imputation is paffed over from him unto us. And the purpose and decree of this transfer or affignment of a borrowed life or character, was fixed and dated before the world began. 2 Timothy, 1. 9. So that what was done in the fulness of time, was but the manifeftation and execution of that charitable decree, in which we received a holy calling and life by grace or gift, before time began.

Antient faints lived in the faith and affurance of this, under difpenfations far inferior to ours in light and clearnefs.

9. 2. 3.

15.

Job for inftance in chap. 21. 22. chapter 10. 15.

How fhould man be juft with God? If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand. Whom though I were righteous, I would not answer him; I would make fupplications to my judge. Though I were perfect yet would I not know my foul: I would defpife my life. This is one thing, therefore

I faid it, he defroyeth the perfect and the wicked. If I be wicked wo unto me; If I be righteous, yet will. I not lift up my head.

Job, in difputing with his friends, allows that he was a finner; and if he was a wicked, that is, a wilful finner, as they would fain make him, wo be unto him. But if he was, or could be, altogether righteous, yet that he could not look upon it in the fame light as they now feemed to do. Man, though righteous, could not with God be deemed fuch at all. Yea though his righteousness was perfect, carried on and acted as far as a created nature could carry it, yet with God he must not hold up his head nor fhow his face. For if he fits on the throne to examine a man about the nature and extent of justice, to afk him how much he had loved it, how far he understood it, and how he had practised it, and whether he had carried matters as far as even juftice itself deferved: if this fhould be the cafe, a man, though as perfectly juft as his nature is capable of, would be totally filenced and overwhelmed. It would appear, not only that he had not come up to all the

extent

extent of juftice, but that he was

not capable of anfwering queflions relating to it: no not one in a thoufand.

Therefore, fays he, if he called upon me and began to propound the queftions, I would not anfwer him. I would hang down my head, and feal my lips and keep filence. And if he perfifted to prefs me to speak and give my judgment of my life, in point of righteoufnefs, I would fay that I despised it, and would make fupplications to my judge for a perfect character by grace and free gift. Says he, this then is one thing, to wit, of great weight and moment; even the greatest of all things, and therefore have I said it; He deftroyeth the perfect and the wicked. For if he will call a man as above to be examined and tried according to the rules of perfect juftice, he is unavoidably undone, let his character be what it will. And therefore every man must be helped by the Judge to a character by charity, that will bear a fair vindication and defence upon the ftricteft principles of equity and reafon, fuch he nor the Judge can have caufe to blush at.

as neither

And

And that this is done for us and entailed upon us, is abundantly revealed and afferted in the new teftament. In Ephefians the first, it is faid, that God hath bleffed us with all fpiritual bleffings, in heavenly things in Chrift; according to a choice he had made of us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we fhould be holy and without blame before him in love. Having then, predeftinated the human race, unto the adoption of children or high fonship, by Jefus Chrift to himself, after an unutterable meafure of delight and good-will to us; to the praife of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted, or graced us, in the beloved. He then to gratify his love toward us, knew, acknowledged and predeftinated us to a conformity to the image of his fon, and called, juftified and glorified us. This is the benign decree and good news or gospel, which he published by infpiration, commanding all men to believe it. He that does, fhall be faved, yea is faved already; and he that does not, fhall be damned, damned juftly and eternally, because he hates and rejects fo noble a truth, and tramples upon fuch an infinitude of

love. We are graced and adorned, with all the filial ornaments of the only begotten: blameless in holiness and juftice, without fault, without fpot, without a ftain. This was decreed in eternity before the foundation of the executed in the fulness of

earth was laid, and
time,
when every

man's creation was finished, by adding to his existence a character of that glory, which has rendered that existence, a juft matter of praise and boafting in God.

And now the work being carried on as far as it poffibly could be, fo that more, or better, to make man great and honorable was impoffible, he muft ftop and a fabbath came on of neceffity. And as our existence terminated in our juftification which was thus crowned with glory and honor, the fabbath of our first creation naturally comes over into that of the fecond, that in a compleat ftate of exiftence, we may rejoice in God as having finished and perfected his work.

Secondly, the next thing he had to do was, to unfin the world. Of this work, the ceremonial law of types and fhadows was a prophecy and