ker. I presume every man finds in himself a strong propenfity to evil, and the beft of men, have caufe to complain that it is too often, and too much prefent with them. Whether this proneness to evil, is owing to fome default in our nature, and may be confidered as a corrupt stream iffuing from a poisoned fountain; or the effect of habit and evil custom, is a point that ever has, and yet must remain undetermined, if we attend not to the word of God, as the best and fureft guide to truth. In this perfuafion therefore, that the book of God is the book of truth, and that we are taught therein the otherwife inexplorable mysteries of falvation; I have principally had an eye unto it, in order to conceive aright of fin's nature and malignity, the manner of our deliverance from it, and the means of our reconciliation, and restoration to the divine favour. The brief account following of the imputation of fin and of righteoufnefs, is not fo much intended as an answer to any thing that has been wrote or published on the fubject, as a plain fcriptural account of the reason 1 and manner of our becoming guilty (or being conftituted finners,) by Adam, and our being made, (or conftituted righteous) by Chrift. Rom. v. 19. and I doubt not, but the fubject has fo ftrong a foundation in the holy fcriptures, as to be capable of receiving much greater light and confirmation by fome abler pen.

I hope the reader will excufe me for throwing a few lines into the margin of fome pages, by way of illustration of fome fcriptures, and to confirm my own fentiments by the authority of a few noted writers; this appearing to me more eligible, than to interrupt the thread of difcourfe,

or

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or break into an argument. However this fubjea may be handled by any writer, or regarded by thofe who read thereof, it is certainly in itfelf very important and interefting; to know that we are finners, and bear a conviction in our bofom of our loft and ruined state thereby, is abfolutely neceffary in order to bring us to Chrift, for the whole need not a physician, and there is no other name besides that of Jefus Chrift given under beaven among men whereby we can be faved. And how joyful the found of the gospel is, and how beautiful upon the mountains the feet of those who publish it are, ca poor Magdalene, or a trembling, frighted jailor can beft tell; but happy are the people that know the joyful found.

If what the following fheets contain on this fubject, fhall through a divine bleffing be made ufeful to any who read them, for instruction or edification; the end and design of writing and publishing them will be answered. If the reader is

brought more low and humble in his own eyes, led to depend on Chrift as his only Saviour, to value above all things his blood and righteoufnefs, I doubt not but he will enjoy a happiness while here on earth, which a stranger intermeddleth not with, which a ftranger to himself and the Lord Chrift is neither capable of receiving, nor has any relifh for; and being found at laft" having on "that righteousness which is of God by faith," will appear with boldness in the prefence of God, and be accepted in and through the beloved."

HALIFAX, May 16, 1766.

Titus Knight.

A

TREATISE, &c.

CHA P. I.

O impute, in the holy fcripture, is, ift, To charge to a perfon's account his own facts, good or bad; be that bring

eth not an offering unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord, blood fhall be imputed unto that man, Levit. xvii. 4. and the zeal of Phineas, was imputed to him for righteoufness unto all generations for evermore, Pf. cvi 31. In the former of these instances, disobedience and wickedness (in the hebraism blood) is faid to be imputed to the offender; in the latter, pious zeal is faid to be imputed to the priest of the Lord, for righteousness. Or 2d, To charge to the ac count of one perfon the good or bad actions of another, fo that he to whofe account such actions are placed becomes interested in their confequences good, or bad. So the wickedness of Achan, who tranfgreffed in the accursed thing, was fo imputed

to his whole family as to involve them in the famẹ ruin and destruction with himself. Josh vii. 24. And God promised to be with, to blefs and multiply the feed of Ifaac for Abraham's fake, Gen. xxvi. 24.

Moreover, to impute is ufed, ift, either in an evil fense; as when fome bad action is ascribed to a perfon as done by him, and for which he is efteemed culpable, tho' innocent, as was the case of Ahimelech the priest who being accused of abetting David in the fuppofed confpiracy against his royal master, faid, let not the king impute any thing to his fervant, 1 Sam. xxii. 15. Or 2d, in a good fenfe. Either ift, when the guilt of fome bad action, is not afcribed or imputed to the offender for any reafon, as Shemei befought David, let not my Lord impute iniquity unto me, 2 Sam. xix. 19. or as David describes the man blessed to whom the Lord will not impute fin, Pf. xxxii. 2d. Or 2d, when the benefit and effect of fome laudable action, is afcribed to him that merited it not, for reasons without, and apart from him; fuch is the cafe of him, to whom God imputeth righteousness without works, Rom. iv. 6.

2d, This act of imputation tho' differently expreffed in the english translation of the bible, yet bears the fame import; and in the original tongues both of the old and new teftament, is moftly expreffed by one and the fame word. In these paffages of the old teftament, we read accounted, Deut. ji. 11. 20. Kings x. 21. If. ii. 22. In thefe and fuch like, we read reckoned. Numb. xviii. 27. 23.9. Pf. xl. 5. thy thoughts, imputations, &c. And in thefe we read, imputed, Levit. vii. 18. 17. 4. &c. Yet in all the above places under the different expreffions, accounted,