on, than can be made by the Act of another. By the
_Justice_ of God, I repeat it again, is meant, that he will not
punish the innocent, and not that he cannot shew Mercy to an
offending, repenting, penitent Creature, unless another sheds his
Blood for an Atonement. Nor is the Righteousness of Christ,
_strictly speaking_, imputable to any one. The Terms of the Gospel
are, _Repent, and be converted, and your Sins shall be blotted out:_
Be _sorry_ and _amend_, and I will _forgive_ you. _The Prayer of a
Righteous Man availeth much;_ and God, in some Cases, to shew his
Regard to the Righteous, and to excite others to become righteous
also, may possibly grant _that_, at the Request of such a righteous
Person, which without, it might be improper to grant; and Christ
being our holy and righteous Mediator, God may do more at his
Request, on our Behalf, than he would do without it. Not but that
(_independent of_ and previous to the Intercession of Christ, at
least to the Account we have of it, in the New Testament) God was
_ever disposed_ to be favourable to Man, and always ready to receive
him, coming to him in a proper and becoming Manner: For even this
very Christ, and his Intercession, &_c_. is all ultimately the Act
of God, and flows from his unbounded Love and Goodness to Man. So
that _imputed Righteousness_ can mean no more, than God's forgiving
us, at the Request of Jesus Christ (whom he sent on purpose to make
that Request, and to do every thing for the Benefit and Happiness of
Man) and not a _real Transfer_ of Christ's _personal_ Righteousness,
which is not only in itself impossible, but would, if true, take
away all Necessity of our becoming holy. The Righteousness of Christ
is altogether different to what these Men take it to be; it is a
real State of Righteousness, wrought in the Soul by the Operation of
Christ's _Spirit_, Man submitting thereto. I know there are some
Expressions in the _New Testament_, which (if precipitantly
understood, without Regard had to the Nature of the Thing, and to
other plain Texts) seem _a little_ to favour these Doctrines. I
can't say, by what Means _precisely_ the _Bible_ came into its
present Condition; many Things might concur to give us wrong
Apprehensions of its true Sense and Meaning, He that understands
human Nature will find, that Men, who have been _great Bigots_ in
any Way of Religion, _will generally retain_ some of their former
Prejudices, even after, in the main, they may ha