The Doctrine of Justification by Faith

1. To Impute unto us that which was really ours, antecedently unto that Imputation, includes two things in it. (1) An ⟨p. 233⟩Acknowledgement or Judgment, that the thing so imputed is really and truly ours, or in us. He that Imputes Wisdom or Learning unto any man, doth in the first place acknowledge him to be Wise or Learned. (2) A dealing with them according unto it, whether it be Good or Evil. So when upon a Trial a man is acquitted because he is found Righteous; first he is judged and esteemed Righteous, and then dealt with as a Righteous Person; his Righteousness is imputed unto him. See this exemplified, Gen. 30.33.

1. To Impute unto us that which was really ours, antecedently unto that Imputation, includes two things in it. (1) An ⟨p. 233⟩Acknowledgment or Judgment, that the thing so imputed is really and truly ours, or in us. He that Imputes Wisdom or Learning unto any man, doth in the first place acknowledge him to be Wise or Learned. (2) A dealing with them according unto it, whether it be Good or Evil. So when upon a Trial a man is acquitted because he is found Righteous; first he is judged and esteemed Righteous, and then dealt with as a Righteous Person; his Righteousness is imputed unto him. See this exemplified, Gen. 30.33.

2. To Impute unto us that which is not our own antecedently unto that Imputation, includes also in it two things. (1) A Grant or Donation of the thing it self unto us to be ours, on some just Ground and Foundation. For a thing must be made ours, before we can justly be dealt withal according unto what is required on the Account of it. (2) A Will of dealing with us, or an actual dealing with us according unto that which is so made ours. For in this matter whereof we treat, the most Holy and Righteous God doth not justify any, that is, absolve them from sin, pronounce them Righteous, and thereon grant unto them Right and Title unto Eternal Life, but upon the interveniency of a true and complete Righteousness, truly and completely made the Righteousness of them that are to be justified, in order of nature antecedently unto their Justification. But these things will be yet made more clear by Instances, and it is necessary they should be so.