Page:A Treatise of the Covenant of Grace (John Ball).djvu/75

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just and righteous actions, the imperfections that cleave unto them being freely pardoned. Not that works are able to beare the exact triall of the Law, or can stand as the matter of justification before the Lord: but that God in Christ is pleased to accept of our works as good and pleasant, our persons being accepted in his beloved, and the weaknesse of our works covered by his intercession. Thus Phinehas his executing of judgement was imputed to him for righteousnesse. And thus we reade, This shall be our righteousnesse before the Lord our God, if we take heed to keepe all those Commandements. Thou shalt restore him the pledge, when the Sunne goeth downe, that he may sleepe in his raiment, and blesse thee, and it shall be righteousnesse unto thee before the Lord thy God.

3. Faith or beliefe may truly be imputed for or unto righteousnesse, as it is the sole working instrument and relative action required on our part in the Covenant of grace, unto free justification. For by faith alone in Christ, through the meere grace and mercy of God, we obtaine full pardon and remission of all our sins, and so our works come to be acceptable in Gods sight.

4. The righteousnesse of one being of grace accepted for, or imputed to another, is righteousnesse imputative: but this stands not in a bare opinion, or naked estimation without reality or truth, but in a reall donation and communicating of righteousnesse unto him, that is esteemed just. True it is, righteousnesse imputative is not inherent in them unto whom it is imputed, as in the subject: but it is made theirs by right of donation.

5. It may also be noted, that the word Imputation, hath reference to some other thing, and commonly commeth in betwixt two things, the one the thing which is imputed, the other that whereunto it is imputed, so that imputation hath relation unto both. And to make this manifest, we may consider these three phrases. The first is, The obedience of Christ is imputed unto justification, conformable to that saying of the Apostle, By the obedience of one man many are made righteous. The second phrase is, Faith is imputed unto righteousnesse. The third is, Righteousnesse is imputed unto life. The equivalent whereof we have, Rom. 4. 11. & 5. 17, 18. In the first phrase imputation is betwixt Christs obedience, as the thing which is imputed, and justification as the end whereunto it is imputed, and it hath reference. In the second phrase, imputation commeth in betwixt faith, as the thing which is