A learned and accurate discource concerning the guilt of sin, pardon of that guilt, and prayer for that pardon written many years ago by the Reverend Mr. Thomas Gilbert ; now published from his own manuscript left by him some years before his death with a friend in London.

The Opposite Opinion,

[ 1] Unavoidably exposeth Justifica∣tion to Infinite Intercision: For if any, the Greatest Sin, of a Justified Person bring him under Actual Ob∣ligation to Legal Punishment; eve∣ry, even the least Sin must do so too. And the Answer, by Distinguishing the Act and State of Justification, that the Act of Justification is Sub∣ject to much, but the State to no In∣tercision, will be found altogether incompetent, if we consider,

1. That the Act of Justification (if we'l speak properly) being God's, and the State ours, The Act cannot be rescinded, where the State of Justification remains intire: Because God alway exactly judgeth of things, accordingly as they are in them∣selves.

2. That the State of Justification cannot remain intire, where the Act is rescinded: Because things are al∣wayes exactly in themselves, ac∣cordingly

as God judgeth of them: Insomuch, that whereas the Truth of things is the Measure and Rule of our Judgment, Gods Judgment is the Rule and Measure of the Truth of things.

3. That God's Act of Justificati∣on, as well Conserveth, as Createth, our State of Justification. And therefore so strict and necessary is the Dependance of our Justified State upon his Justifying Act, that the One cannot be more or less, ei∣ther Intire or Rescinded, then the Other.

4. That this Answer provides not any Salvo against the Mischief of such Intercision, as well (if not as much) by our less, as greater Sins: Less Sins indeed do not waste the Conscience, destroy its Peace, and Dead the Sense of Justification (wherein the main of that Peace lyeth) as Greater Sins do. But if the Greatest Sins of a Believer Re∣scind his Justification (as they can∣not but do, if they bring him under

Legal Guilt, or Obligation to Legal Punishment) his Least Sins must do it no less than they. Which, either as to State, or but Act of Justificati∣on, one would think no man should be forward to assert.

[ 2] Plainly destroyeth much of the Essential Difference, not only be∣tween Chastisement and Punish∣ment properly so called; But even between the two Estates in and out of Christ, and the two very Cove∣nants themselves, of Works and of Grace. Preserve but these two States under these two Covenants, both in their due Distinctions, and the following Notion must in its full Strength and Evidence, irresistibly prevail to the Final Decision of this Controversie.

Such as is the Law a Person is under, such is his Transgressi∣on of the Precept of that Law, such the Guilt according to the Threatning of that Law, re∣dounding upon the Person from that Transgression; Such the

Punishment that Guilt bindeth over to; And such the Pardon of that both Guilt and Punish∣ment.

If the Law or Covenant of Works, the Transgression, Guilt, Pu∣nishment, Pardon, all Legal.

If the Law of Faith or Covenant of Grace, The Law made up into Gospel in the Hand of a Mediator (for the Law of Na∣ture, or Moral Law, is one and the same under both these di∣stinct Covenants), The Trans∣gression, Guilt, Punishment, Pardon, all accordingly Evan∣gelical.