quence of which she becomes rich and honourable, by the interest she has in her husband's riches and honours. So, no sinner can obtain an interest in the atonement and righteousness of Christ, unless there be a re al consent of heart, either explicit or implied, to receive him as he offers himself, by which a moral union, or union of heart, exists between him and the Saviour, by which they are, in such a sense and degree ONE, that it is proper to reckon or impute the righteousness of the Redeemer to the sinner, so that he shall have as much benefit by it, as if it were personally his righteousness. It has been thought by some, that if the sin of Adam be not imputed to his posterity, and they considered as guilty and condemned, antecedent to their union to him, by consenting to his sin, there is no parallel between the imputation of the sin of Adam to his children, and of the righteousness of Christ to them who believe in him, which the apostle Paul supposes there is, and asserts in the fifth chapter of his letter to the Romans. But the above representation of this point may serve to show, that this objection is groundless. As the posterity of Adam become guilty, and fall under condemnation, by consenting to his sin, and a union of heart to him, as a transgressor; that is, by sinning themselves: so the righteousness of the Mediator comes upon men, or is imputed to them, for their justification, by their uniting themselves to him in a cordial approbation of his righteousness, and his holy character. It is true there is a necessary difference in many respects, but in this there is a parallel. One great and remarkable difference, besides those mentioned in that chapter by St. Paul, is, that the first Adam, was constituted the public head and repre sentative of all the human race, of whom he was the natural head and father, so that they should be holy or sinful, and consequently justified or condemned, according to his conduct in a state of trial, as he should persevere in obedience, or fall by transgression. The constitution or covenant with the first Adam secured the obedience and holiness of all his children, that they should be united in their hearts to him, by a cordial, voluntary approbation of his character and righteous ness, if he should persevere in obedience through the time of his trial, and consequently have eternal life. And, on the contrary, if he should be guilty of disobedience, all his children should join with him in his rebellion, as soon as they existed capable of moral agency, and have that in their hearts, which, at least, would imply a full consent to his transgression, and in their hearts unite with him in it, and consequently fall under condemnation with him. Thus, by one man sin entered into the world, and has spread, and taken hold of all the children of Adam; and by sin they are involved in condemnation and the curse.* The last Adam, the Redeemer of men, has no such particular relation and union to all the human race, either by nature, or divine constitution, as the first Adam had. He has indeed become a man, and united himself to the human nature, and in consequence of what he has done and suffered, he has obtained a righteousness as sufficient for the salvation of one as of another, of all as well as of one, or of any part: He is able to save to the uttermost, all them who believe in him, and come to God by him. And consequently invites all to come unto him, and be saved; and has ordered his gospel to be preached to all nations, to every son and daughter of Adam. But there is no provision or security in any divine constitution, or the covenant of redemption between the Father and the Mediator, that all shall believe on him and unite themselves to him, by a cordial approbation of his character and righteousness; so as to render it fit and proper that they should be justified and saved by him. But in this constitution, or covenant between the Father and the Son, only a certain number, a part of mankind, are given to the Redeemer, and the voluntary union of these to him by faith, by which the church, the body, of which he is the constituted head, shall be formed, is secured and made certain. This is declared by Christ in the most express, unequivocal words, All that the Father giveth me, shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out. And this is the Father's will who hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me, I should lose nothing, but † Heb. vii, 25. • Rom, v. 12, 19. should raise it up again at the last day. Father, I will that they also whom thou hast given me, be with me, where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me."* That Christ means by those who were given to him, not only his present disciples, but all that should be finally saved by him; and that these are not all mankind, but a part, who are taken out of the rest of the world, and to be united to him, and made one with him, as others are not, is evident from the following words of his "I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they are thine-And all mine are thine, and thine are mine. Neither pray I for those alone (my present disciples, whom I have been particularly mentioning) but for them also which shall believe on me, through their word: That they all may be one ; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they may be one in us."+ To the first Adam, all the human race were given, to be justified or ruined by him, in the manner explained above. To the last Adam, only a part of mankind are given, to be redeemed and saved by him; and their actual and everlasting union with him is made sure, without which union they could not be justified and saved by him. They shall come unto him, and shall never be cast out, or separated from him. These who are given to Christ, the elect, are his seed. "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, and shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hands. A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation." They are his adopted children. "Be Ac hold, I and the children which God hath given me. cording as he hath chosen us in him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy, and without blame before him in love; having predestinated us unto the adoption of children, by Jesus Christ, to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will." All mankind were the first Adam's seed, his children. The John vi. 37, 39. xvii. 24. # Psalms xxii, 30. John xvii. 9, 10, 20, 21. Isaiah liii, 10. § Eph. i. 4, 5, elect only, who were chosen and given to Christ, before the foundation of the world, are his seed, his children.* V. Sinners are thus united to Christ by faith, or believing in him. It has been shewn, in the preceding section, that saving faith consists in a cordial approbation of Christ, and receiving him in the character he sustains, as the Redeemer of sinners, by which the sinner unites himself to Christ, and becomes one heart, and one soul with him. It is by this faith, according to scripture, that the heart is so united to Christ, that he dwells in the heart; and by faith they come into the relation of children of God, and put on Christ. "Ye are the children of God, by faith in Christ Jesus: For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ, have put on Christ. That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith."† "As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on his name." "He that hath the Son, hath life." Faith so unites the believer to Christ, that it is fit and proper that he should be considered and treated as so far one with him, as to pardon and justify him for the sake of Christ, out of respect to his sufferings and obedience, by which he has merited such favour for all his; for all who are thus united to him. Therefore, it is abundantly declared in scripture, that men are justified by faith, or through faith; that faith is counted for righteousness, and imputed to the believer for righteousness: and the righteousness by which they are justified is called, "The righteousness of faith," From this scriptural view of the matter, we see how contrary to the scripture, how unreasonable, as well as whimsical their notion is, who advance, that Christ is originally so united to all mankind, that he and they are so one, that whatever one is and does, the other is and does also: so that the sins of men are the sins of Christ, and mankind did and suffered what was done and suffered by Christ. This they imagine is implied in the representation of the union of Christ with his people; by the union of the head and members of the human body; of the husband and wife; the vine and the branches, &c. And that on this supposition only, there can be any justice or propriety, in the suffering of Christ for the sins of men, or in the justification or salvation of men, by the righteousness of Christ. And they hence infer, as a certain consequence, that all mankind shall be saved. This consequence is contrary to numerous express declarations in divine revelation, and is built on a precarious sandy foundation indeed. See Relly's Doctrine of Union, Gal. iii. 26, 27. Eph. iii. 17. # John i. 12. § 1 John v. 12. not because there is any righteousness in faith to justify the sinner, or do any thing towards it; but because faith receives the righteousness of Christ, and so unites the believer to the Redeemer, that by divine constitution and promise, the righteousness of Christ is reckoned in his favour, and avails for his justification. Faith is not connected with justification, because of any moral excellency or worthiness, which is, or can be supposed to be in it; for the believing sinner cannot have any such worthiness in himself, or in any of his exercises, as in the least degree to recommend him to favour on that account, which is to be more particularly considered before this section is concluded; but men are justified by faith, because it is connected with the righteousness of Christ, and the believer is so united to him, that it is proper and fit that his righteousness should be improved in the sinner's favour, and he be justified on that account. Therefore, justification by faith, is always opposed to justification by works; the works of the law, especially in the writings of the apostle Paul, as has been particularly observed in the foregoing section, and the reason of it given. It will be sufficient to mention the following passages of his, omitting a great number of others to the same purpose. "But now the righteousness of God, without the law, is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the Prophets; even the righteousness of God, which is by faith of Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all them that believe. Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith, without the deeds of the law."* Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ: even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: For by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. "That I may be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God, through faith."‡ • Rom. iii. 22, 28. † Gal. ii. 16. Phil. iii. 9. Some have supposed that by the faith of Christ, mentioned several times in the passages quoted, and in one or two other places, is meant Christ's faith, which intends the whole of the righteous VOL. II. 9 |