An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

And is there no mention at all in the Gospel of imputed Righteousness?¹ Are there no footsteps of it? Yes surely, our Saviour tells us, Seek ye first the kingdom of God [Greek or Hebrew], his righteousness, that is, Gods, Matth. 6.33. Inherent Graces are in Scripture ⟨p. 319⟩called our own; but here we have Gods Righteousness, which answers to Jehovah our righteousness in the Prophet, and the righteousness of God in the Epistles. Now the Righteousness of God, that is of Christ, as before hath been noted, is made ours only by Imputation; but where doth Christ speak of his own Righteousness? See Math. 3.15. Thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness, saith he; he fulfilled all righteousness, but was it for himself or for us? Not for himself, his humane Nature was no sooner assumed into his divine Person, but it had a Title to Heaven, and might have ascended up thither; it was for us therefore: Hence the Apostle saith expressly, That he was made under the Law to redeem us, Gal. 4.4. What he did as under the Law was for us; and such was all his righteousness, and therefore that was for us; and what was for us must be applicable to us, and this cannot be without an imputation. It is said that, Christ gave his life. [Greek or Hebrew], a price or ransom for, or instead of many, Math. 20.28. Now a Ransom or Satisfaction implies imputation, and [Greek or Hebrew] properly imports a Subrogation or Substitution of one in the room of another: Christ died in ⟨p. 320⟩our room and satisfied for us; this Satisfaction is made ours particularly by imputation, Hear the French Divines; Hanc satisfactionem loco nostro praestitam à Christo nobis imputari, negari non potest, quis neget solutam à Fidejussore pecuniam imputari Debitori? exhibitam à Vade satifactionem imputari ei cujus nomine facta est? Ea igitur Christi satisfactio, nobis ex gratiâ Dei Patris imputata atque donata, illa demum justitia est, quâ justificamur in Dei judicio. We see therefore in the Gospel Satisfaction owned, and that necessarily infers Imputation: Christs blood was shed for many for the remission of Sins, as himself tells us,