Having thus, as I imagine, made it clear that all Sin is infinitely heinous, and consequently that the Sinner, before he is justified, is under infinite Guilt in God's Sight, it now remains that I show the Consequence, or how it follows from hence, that it is not suitable that God should give the Sinner an Interest in Christ's Merits, and so a title to his Benefits, from regard to any Qualification, or Act, or course of Acts, in him, on the Account of any Excellency or Goodness whatsoever therein, but only as uniting to Christ; or (which fully implies it) that it is not suitable that God by any Act, should in any Manner or Degree, testify any acceptance of, or pleasedness with any Thing, as any Virtue, or Excellency, or any part of loveliness, or valuableness, in his Person, until he is actually already interested in Christ's Merits; which appears by this, that from the Premisses it follows, that before the Sinner is already interested in Christ, & justified, 'tis impossible God should have any acceptance of, or pleasedness with the Person ⟨p. 24⟩of the Sinner, as in any Degree lovely in his Sight, or indeed less the Object of his Displeasure and Wrath: For, by the Supposition, the Sinner still remains infinitely guilty in the Sight of God; for Guilt is not removed but by Pardon; but to suppose the Sinner already pardoned, is to suppose him already justified; which is contrary to the Supposition: But if the Sinner still remains infinitely guilty in God's Sight, that is the same Thing as still to be beheld of God as infinitely the Object of his Displeasure and Wrath, or infinitely hateful in his Eyes; and if so, where is any room for any Thing in him, to be accepted as some valuableness or acceptableness of him in God's Sight, or for any Act of Favour, of any Kind towards him, or any Gift whatsoever to him, in Testimony of God's Respect to and Acceptance of something of him lovely and pleasing? If we should suppose that it could be so, that a Sinner could have Faith, or some other Grace in his Heart, and yet remain separate from Christ; and it should continue still to be so, that he is not looked upon as being in Christ, or having any relation to him, it would not be meet that that true Grace should be accepted of God as any loveliness of his Person in the Sight of God:
Having thus, as I imagine, made it clear that all Sin is infinitely heinous, and consequently that the Sinner, before he is justified, is under infinite Guilt in God's Sight, it now remains that I shew the Consequence, or how it follows from hence, that it is not suitable that God should give the Sinner an Interest in Christ's Merits, and so a title to his Benefits, from regard to any Qualification, or Act, or course of Acts, in him, on the Account of any Excellency or Goodness whatsoever therein, but only as uniting to Christ; or (which fully implies it) that it is not suitable that God by any Act, should in any Manner or Degree, testify any acceptance of, or pleasedness with any Thing, as any Vertue, or Excellency, or any part of loveliness, or valuableness, in his Person, until he is actually already interested in Christ's Merits; which appears by this, that from the Premisses it follows, that before the Sinner is already interested in Christ, & justified, 'tis impossible God should have any acceptance of, or pleasedness with the Person ⟨p. 24⟩of the Sinner, as in any Degree lovely in his Sight, or indeed less the Object of his Displeasure and Wrath: For, by the Supposition, the Sinner still remains infinitely guilty in the Sight of God; for Guilt is not removed but by Pardon; but to suppose the Sinner already pardoned, is to suppose him already justified; which is contrary to the Supposition: But if the Sinner still remains infinitely guilty in God's Sight, that is the same Thing as still to be beheld of God as infinitely the Object of his Displeasure and Wrath, or infinitely hateful in his Eyes; and if so, where is any room for any Thing in him, to be accepted as some valuableness or acceptableness of him in God's Sight, or for any Act of Favour, of any Kind towards him, or any Gift whatsoever to him, in Testimony of God's Respect to and Acceptance of something of him lovely and pleasing? If we should suppose that it could be so, that a Sinner could have Faith, or some other Grace in his Heart, and yet remain separate from Christ; and it should continue still to be so, that he is not looked upon as being in Christ, or having any relation to him, it would not be meet that that true Grace should be accepted of God as any loveliness of his Person in the Sight of God:
