4. The guilt of sin, or obligation to punishment is taken away by pardon. Sin committed doth presently by virtue of the law transgressed bind over the sinner to death: but pardon makes void this obligation, so that God no longer accounts us persons obnoxious to him. Peccatum remitti non aliud est quam non imputari ad poenam*. 'Tis a revoking the sentence of the law against the sinner; and God renouncing upon the account of the Satisfaction made by Christ to his justice, any right to punish a believer, doth actually discharge him upon his believing, from that sentence of the law under which he lay in the state of unbelief; and also as he parts with this right to punish, so he confers a light upon a believer humbly to challenge it, upon the account of the Satisfaction wrought by his surety. God hath not only in his own mind and resolution parted with this right of punishing, but also given an express declaration of his will, 2 Cor. 5.19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, i. e. openly renouncing upon Christs account the right to punish, whence follows the non-imputation of sin. Not imputing their trespasses unto them. The justice of God will not suffer that that sin which is pardoned, should be punished; for can that be justice in a prince to pardon a thief, and yet to bring him to the gallows for that fact? Though the malefactor doth justly deserve it, yet after a pardon and the word passed, it is not justly inflicted. God indeed doth punish for that sin which is pardoned. Though Nathan by Gods Commission had declared Davids sin pardoned, yet the Sword was to stick in the bowels of his family, 2 Sam. 12.10, 15. The Sword shall never depart from thy house, [the Lord hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not dye.] But
4. The guilt of sin, or obligation to punishment is taken away by pardon. Sin committed doth presently by vertue of the law transgressed bind over the sinner to death: but pardon makes void this obligation, so that God no longer accounts us persons obnoxious to him. Peccatum remitti non aliud est quam non imputari ad poenam*. 'Tis a revoking the sentence of the law against the sinner; and God renouncing upon the account of the Satisfaction made by Christ to his justice, any right to punish a believer, doth actually discharge him upon his believing, from that sentence of the law under which he lay in the state of unbelief; and also as he parts with this right to punish, so he confers a light upon a believer humbly to challenge it, upon the account of the Satisfaction wrought by his surety. God hath not only in his own mind and resolution parted with this right of punishing, but also given an express declaration of his will, 2 Cor. 5.19. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto himself, i. e. openly renouncing upon Christs account the right to punish, whence follows the non-imputation of sin. Not imputing their trespasses unto them. The justice of God will not suffer that that sin which is pardoned, should be punished; for can that be justice in a prince to pardon a thief, and yet to bring him to the gallows for that fact? Though the malefactor doth justly deserve it, yet after a pardon and the word passed, it is not justly inflicted. God indeed doth punish for that sin which is pardoned. Though Nathan by Gods Commission had declared Davids sin pardoned, yet the Sword was to stick in the bowels of his family, 2 Sam. 12.10, 15. The Sword shall never depart from thy house, [the Lord hath put away thy sin, thou shalt not dye.] But
- *Durand. lib. 4. dict. 1. q. 7 For sin to be pardoned, is nothing else but not to be imputed in order to punishment.
