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　I　say；　nothing　can　set　the　soul　free　from　that　curse　but　the　perfect　obedience　of　Christ；　nor　that　either；　if　it　be　not　imputed　for　that　end　to　the　sinner　by　the　grace　of　God。

Imputed；　that　is；　reckoned　or　accounted　to　him。　　And　why　should　it　not　be　accounted　to　him　for　righteousness？　　What　did　Christ　bring　it　into　the　world　for？　for　the　righteous　or　for　sinners？　　No　doubt　for　sinners。　　And　how　must　it　be　reckoned　to　them？　　Not　in　circumcision；　but　in　uncircumcision；　not　as　righteous；　but　as　sinners。　　And　how　are　they　to　consider　of　themselves；　even　then　when　they　first　are　apprehensive　of　their　need　of　this　righteousness？　　Are　they　to　think　that　they　are　righteous；　or　sinners？

And　again；　How　are　they　to　believe　concerning　themselves；　then　when　they　put　forth　the　first　act　of　faith　towards　this　righteousness　for　justification？　　Are　they　to　think　that　they　are　righteous；　or　sinners？　　Sinners；　doubtless；　they　are　to　reckon　themselves；　and　as　such　to　reckon　themselves　justified　by　this　righteousness。　　And　this　is　according　to　the　sentence　of　God；　as　appeareth　by　such　sayings。

〃For　when　we　were　yet　without　strength；　in　due　time　Christ　died　for　the　ungodly。〃

〃But　God　commendeth　his　love　toward　us；　in　that；　while　we　were　yet　sinners；　Christ　died　for　us。〃

〃For　if；　while　we　were　enemies；　we　were　reconciled　to　God　by　the　death　of　his　Son；〃　&c。；　Rom。　v。

Out　of　these　words　I　gather　these　three　things。

1。　　That　Christ　by　God's　appointment　died　for　us。

2。　　That　by　his　death　he　reconciled　us　to　God。

3。　　That　even　then；　when　the　very　act　of　reconciliation　was　in　performing；　and　also　when　performed；　we　were　ungodly；　sinners；　enemies。

Now；　the　act　by　which　we　are　said　to　be　reconciled　to　God；　while　ungodly；　while　sinners；　and　while　enemies；　was　Christ's　offering　himself　a　sacrifice　for　us；　which　is；　in　the　words　above　mentioned；　called　his　death。　　Christ　died　for　the　ungodly；　Christ　died　for　us　while　sinners；　Christ　reconciled　us　to　God　by　his　death。　　And　as　Christ　is　said　to　die　for　us；　so　the　Father　is　said　to　impute　righteousness　to　us；　to　wit；　as　we　are　without　works；　as　we　are　ungodly。　　〃Now　to　him　that　worketh　not；　but　believeth　on　him　that　justifieth　the　ungodly；　his　faith　is　counted　for　righteousness。〃　　He　worketh　not；　but　is　ungodly；　when　this　gracious　act　of　God；　in　imputing　the　righteousness　of　Christ　to　him；　is　extended；　when　he　shall　believe；　his　faith　is　counted　to　him　for　righteousness。　　And　why　should　we　not　have　the　benefit　of　the　righteousness；　since　it　was　completed　for　us　while　we　were　yet　ungodly？　　Yea；　we　have　the　benefit　of　it：　　〃For　when　we　were　enemies；　we　were　reconciled　to　God　by　the　death　of　his　Son。〃

When　I　say　the　benefit；　I　mean　that　benefit　that　we　are　capable　of；　and　that　is　justification　before　God；　for　that　a　man　may　be　capable　of　while　he　is　in　himself　ungodly；　because　this　comes　to　him　by　the　righteousness　of　another。　　True；　were　it　to　be　his　own　righteousness　by　which　he　was　to　be　justified；　he　could　not：　　but　the　righteousness　is　Christ's；　and　that　imputed　by　God；　not　as　a　reward　for　work；　or　of　debt；　but　freely　by　his　grace；　and　therefore　may　be；　and　is　so；　while　the　person　concerned　is　without　works；　ungodly；　and　a　sinner。

And　he　that　denieth　that　we　are　capable　of　this　benefit　while　we　are　sinners　and　ungodly；　may　with　the　like　reason　deny　that　we　are　created　beings：　　for　that　which　is　done　for　a　man　without　him；　may　be　done　for　him　at　any　time　which　they　that　do　it　shall　appoint。　　While　a　man　is　a　beggar；　may　not　I　make　him　worth　ten　thousand　a…year；　if　I　can　and　will：　　and　yet　he　may　not　know　thereof　in　that　moment　that　I　make　him　so？　yet　the　revenue　of　that　estate　shall　really　be　his　from　the　moment　that　I　make　him　so；　and　he　shall　know　it　too　at　the　rent…　day。

This　is　the　case：　　we　are　sinners　and　ungodly；　there　is　a　righteousness　wrought　out　by　Jesus　Christ　which　God　hath　designed　we　shall　be　made　righteous　by：　　and　by　it；　if　he　will　impute　it　to　us；　we　shall　be　righteous　in　his　sight；　even　then　when　we　are　yet　ungodly　in　ourselves：　　for　he　justifies　the　ungodly。

Now；　though　it　is　irregular　and　blameworthy　in　man　to　justify　the　wicked；　because　he　cannot　provide　and　clothe　him　with　a　justifying　righteousness；　yet　it　is　glorious；　and　for　ever　worthy　of　praise；　for　God　to　do　it：　　because　it　is　in　his　power；　not　only　to　forgive；　but　to　make　a　man　righteous；　even　then　when　he　is　a　sinner；　and　to　justify　him　while　he　is　ungodly。

But　it　may　be　yet　objected；　that　though　God　has　received　satisfaction　for　sin；　and　so　sufficient　terms　of　reconciliation　by　the　obedience　and　death　of　his　Son；　yet　he　imputeth　it　not　unto　us；　but　upon　condition　of　our　becoming　good。

Ans。　　This　must　not　be　admitted：　　For；

1。　　The　scripture　saith　not　so；　but　that　we　are　reconciled　to　God　by　the　death　of　his　Son；　and　justified　too；　and　that　while　or　when　we　are　sinners　and　ungodly。

2。　　If　this　objection　carrieth　truth　in　it；　then　it　follows　that　the　Holy　Ghost；　faith；　and　so　all　grace；　may　be　given　to　us；　and　we　may　have　it　dwelling　in　us；　yea；　acting　in　us；　before　we　stand　righteous　in　the　judgment　of　the　law　before　God　（for　nothing　can　make　us　stand　just　before　God　in　the　judgment　of　the　law；　but　the　obedience　of　the　Son　of　God　without　us。）　　And　if　the　Holy　Ghost；　faith；　and　so；　consequently；　the　habit　of　every　grace；　may　be　in　us；　acting　in　us；　before　Christ's　righteousness　be　by　God　imputed　to　us；　then　we　are　not　justified　as　sinners　and　ungodly；　but　as　persons　inherently　holy　and　righteous　before。

But　I　have　shewed　you　that　this　cannot　be；　therefore　righteousness　for　justification　must　be　imputed　first。　　And　here　let　me　present　the　reader　with　two　or　three　things。

1。　　That　justification　before　God　is　one　thing；　and　justification　to　the　understanding　and　conscience　is　another。　　Now；　I　am　treating　of　justification　before　God；　not　of　it　as　to　man's　understanding　and　conscience：　　and　I　say；　a　man　may　be　justified　before　God；　even　then　when　himself　knoweth　nothing　thereof；　Isa。　xl。　2；　Mark　ii。　5；　and　while　he　hath　not　faith　about　it；　but　is　ungodly。

2。　　There　is　justification　by　faith；　by　faith's　applying　of　that　righteousness　to　the　understanding　and　conscience；　which　God　hath　of　his　grace　imputed　for　righteousness　to　the　soul　for　justification　in　his　sight。　　And　this　is　that　by　which　we；　as　to　sense　and　feeling；　have　peace　with　God　〃Being　justified　by　faith；　we　have　peace　with　God；　through　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ；〃　Rom。　v。　1。　　And　these　two　the　apostle　keepeth　distinct　in　the　10th　verse：　　that　〃while　we　were　enemies　we　were　reconciled　to　God　by　the　death　of　his　Son。〃　　He　addeth；　〃And　not　only　so；　but　we　joy　in　God　through　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ；　by　whom　we　have　now　received　the　atonement；〃　verse　11。　　Here　you　see；　that　to　be　reconciled　to　God　by　the　death　of　his　Son　is　one　thing；　and　for　us　actually　to　receive　by　faith　this　reconciliation　is　another：　　and　not　only　so；　but　we　have　〃received　the　atonement。〃

3。　　Men　do　not　gather　their　justification　from　God's　single　act　of　imputing　of　righteousness；　that　we　might　stand　clear　in　his　sight　from　the　curse　and　judgment　of　the　law；　but　from　the　word　of　God；　which　they　understand　not　till　it　is　brought　to　their　understanding　by　the　light　and　glory　of　the　Holy　Ghost。

We　are　not；　therefore；　in　the　ministry　of　the　word　to　pronounce　any　man　justified；　from　a　supposition　that　God　has　imputed　righteousness　to　him　（since　that　act　is　not　known　to　us）；　until　the　fruits　that　follow　thereupon　do　break　out　before　our　eyes；　to　wit；　the　signs　and　effects　of　the　Holy　Ghost　indwelling　in　our　souls。　　And　then　we　may　conclude　it；　that　is；　that　such　a　one　stands　justified　before　God；　yet　not　for　the　sake　of　his　inherent　righteousness；　nor　yet　for　the　fruits　thereof；　and　so　not　for　the　sake　of　the　act　of　faith；　but　for　the　sake　of　Jesus　Christ　his　doing　and　suffering　for　us。

Nor　will　it　avail　to　object；　that　if　at　first　we　stand　justified　before　God　by　his　imputing　of　Christ's　righteousness　unto　us；　though　faith　be　not　in　us　to　act；　we　may　always　stand　justified　so；　and　so　what　need　of　faith？　for　therefore　are　we　justified；　first；　by　the　imputation　of　God；　as　we　are　ungodly；　that　thereby　we　may　be　made　capable　of　receiving　the　Holy　Ghost　and　his　graces　in　a　way　of　righteousness　and　justice。　　Besides；　God　will　have　those　that　he　shall　justify　by　his　grace　through　the　redemption　that　is　in　Jesus　Christ　to　have　the　Holy　Ghost；　and　so　faith；　that　they　may　know　and　believe　the　things　not　only　that　shall　be；　but　that　already　are　freely　given　to　us　of　God。　　〃Now；〃　says　Paul；　〃we　have　received；　not　the　spirit　of　the　world　but　the　Spirit　which　is　of　God；　that　we　might　know　the　things　that　are　freely　given　to　us　of　God；〃　1　Cor。　ii。　12。　To　know；　that　is；　to　believe：　　it　is　given　to　you　to　believe；　who　believe　according　to　the　working　of　his　mighty　power；　〃And　we　have　known　and　believed　the　love　that　God　hath　to　us；〃　preceding　to　our　believing；　John　iv。　16。　　He　then　that　is　justified　by　God's　imputation；　shall　believe　by　the　power　of　the　Holy　Ghost；　for　that　must　come；　and　work　faith；　and　strengthen　the　soul　to　act　it；　because　imputed　righteousness　has　gone　before。　　He　then　that　believeth　shall　be　saved；　for　his　believing　is　a　sign；　not　a　cause；　of　his　being　mad