whole righteousness which is imputed to us arising from thence.

(2dly.) That it may be considered two ways;

[1st.] As it is purely obedience, and so it hath no other state, but that before-mentioned.

[2dly.] As it was accomplished with suffering, and joined with it, as it was part of his humiliation, so it is imputed to us, or is part of that, upon the account whereof, we are justified.

(3dly.) That this obedience of Christ being done for us, is reckoned graciously of God, unto us, and upon the account thereof are we accepted as righteous before him. My intendment is not to handle this difference in the way of a controversy, but to give such an understanding of the whole as may speedily be reduced to the practice of godliness and consolation; and this I shall do in the ensuing observations.

[1st.] That the obedience that Christ yielded to the law in general, is not only to the peculiar law of the Mediator, though he yielded it as mediator, he was incarnate as mediator; Heb. ii. 14. Gal. iv. 4. And all he afterward did, it was as our Mediator: for that cause came he into the world,' and did and suffered, whatever he did or suffered, in this world. So that of this expression, as mediator, there is a twofold sense: for it may be taken strictly, as relating solely to the law of the Mediator, and so Christ may be said to do as mediator, only what he did in obedience to that law; but in the sense now insisted on, whatever Christ did as a man subject to any law, he did it as mediator, because he did it as part of the duty incumbent on him, who undertook so to be.

[2dly.] That whatever Christ did as mediator, he did it for them whose Mediator he was, or in whose stead, and for whose good he executed the office of a mediator before God; this the Holy Ghost witnesseth, Rom. viii. 3. What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us;' because that we could not in that condition of weakness, whereinto we are cast by sin, come to God and be freed from condemnation by the law; God sent Christ, as a mediator to do and suffer whatever the law required at our hands, for that end and purpose,

that we might not be condemned, but accepted of God. It was all to this end, that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us; that is, which the law required of us, consisting in duties of obedience; this Christ performed for us. This expression of the apostle, God sending his own Son, in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin condemning sin in the flesh;' if you will add to it, that of Gal. iv. 4. that he was so sent forth, as that he was ὑπὸ νόμον γενόμενος, made under the law,' that is, obnoxious to it, to yield all the obedience that it doth require, comprises the whole of what Christ did or suffered, and all this the Holy Ghost tells us, was for us; ver. 4.

[3dly.] That the end of this active obedience of Christ, cannot be assigned to be, that he might be fitted for his death and oblation. For he answered all types, and was every way ikavòs fit to be made an offering for sin, by his union and habitual grace; so that if the obedience Christ performed, be not reckoned to us and done upon our account, there is no just cause to be assigned, why he should live here in the world so long as he did, in perfect obedience to all the laws of God. Had he died before, there had been perfect innocence, and perfect holiness, by his habitual grace, and infinite virtue and worth from the dignity of his person; and surely he yielded not that long course of all manner of obedience, but for some great and special purpose in reference to our salvation.

[4thly.] That, had not the obedience of Christ been for us (in what sense we shall see instantly), it might in his life have been required of him to yield obedience to the law of nature, the alone law which he could be liable to as a man; for an innocent man in a covenant of works, as he was, needs no other law; nor did God ever give any other law to any such person (the law of creation is all that an innocent creature is liable to, with what symbols of that law God is pleased to add). And yet to this law also was his subjection voluntary; and that not only consequentially, because he was born upon his own choice, not by any natural course, but also because as mediator, God and man, he was not by the institution of that law obliged unto it, being as it were, exempted, and lifted above that law by the hypostatical union; yet when I say his subjection hereunto was volun

tary, I do not intend that it was merely arbitrary and at choice, whether he would yield obedience unto it or no; but on supposition of his undertaking to be a mediator, it was necessary it should be so; but that he voluntarily and willingly submitted unto, and so became really subject to the commands of it. But now, moreover, Jesus Christ yielded perfect obedience to all those laws, which came upon us by the occasion of sin, as the ceremonial law; yea, those very institutions that signified the washing away of sin, and repentance from sin, as the baptism of John; which he had no need of himself. This therefore must needs be for us.

[5thly.] That the obedience of Christ cannot be reckoned amongst his sufferings, but is clearly distinct from it, as to all formalities. Doing is one thing, suffering another; they are in diverse predicaments, and cannot be coincident.

See then briefly what we have obtained by those considerations; and then I shall intimate what is the stream issuing from this first spring or fountain of purchased grace, with what influence it hath thereinto.

1. By the obedience of the life of Christ, you see what is intended; his willing submission unto, and perfect complete fulfilling of every law of God, that any of the saints of God were obliged unto. It is true, every act almost of Christ's obedience, from the blood of his circumcision, to the blood of his cross, was attended with suffering; so that his whole life might in that regard, be called a death; but yet, looking upon his willingness and obedience in it, it is distinguished from his sufferings peculiarly so called, and termed his active righteousness. This is then, I say, as was shewed, that complete absolutely perfect accomplishment of the whole law of God by Christ, our Mediator; whereby he not only did no sin, neither was there guile found in his mouth,' but also most perfectly fulfilled all righteousness, as he affirmed it became him to do.

2. That this obedience was performed by Christ, not for himself, but for us, and in our stead. It is true, it must needs be, that whilst he had his conversation in the flesh he

f Obedientia importat necessitatem respectu ejus quod præcipitur, et voluntatem respectu impletionis præcepti. Thom. 3. q. 47. 2. 2.

8 In vita passivam habuit actionem; in morte passionem activam sustinuit ; dum salutem operatur in medio terræ. Bern, Ser. 4.

must be most perfectly and absolutely holy; but yet the prime intendment of his accomplishing of holiness, which consists in the complete obedience of his whole life to any law of God, that was no less for us, than his suffering death; that this is so, the apostle tells us, Gal. iv. 4, 5. God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law;' this Scripture formerly named, must be a little farther insisted on. He was both made of a woman, and made under the law, that is, obedient to it for us. The end here both of the incarnation and obedience of Christ to the law (for that must needs be understood here by the phrase vπò vóμov yevóμevos, that is, disposed of in such a condition, as that he must yield subjection and obedience to the law), was all to redeem us. In those two expressions made of a woman, made under the law,' the apostle doth not knit his incarnation and death together, with an exclusion of the obedience of his life. And he was so made under the law, as those were under the law whom he was to redeem. Now we were under the law, not only as obnoxious to its penalties, but as bound to all the duties of it. That this is our being under the law,' the apostle informs us, Gal. iv. 21. Tell me, ye that desire to be under the law.' It was not the penalty of the law they desired to be under, but to be under it, in respect of obedience. Take away then the end, and you destroy the means; if Christ were not incarnate, nor made under the law for himself, he did not yield obedience for himself; it was all for us, for our good: let us now look forward and see what influence this hath into our acceptation.

3. Then, I say, this perfect, complete obedience of Christ to the law is reckoned unto us. As there is a truth in that, 'the day thou eatest thou shalt die,' death is the reward of sin, and so we cannot be freed from death, but by the death of Christ; Heb. ii. 13, 14. so also is that no less true, 'do this and live,' that life is not to be obtained, unless all be done that the law requires. That is still true, if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments;' Matt. xix. 17. they must then be kept by us, or our surety. Neither is it of any value which by some is objected, that if Christ yielded perfect obedience to the law for us, then are we no more bound to yield obedience; for by his undergoing death, the

penalty of the law, we are freed from it. I answer, How did Christ undergo death? Merely as it was penal. How then are we delivered from death? Merely as it is penal. Yet we must die still, yea, as the last conflict with the effects of sin, as a passage to our Father, we must die. Well then, Christ yielded perfect obedience to the law, but how did he do it? Purely as it stood in that conditional, do this and live; he did it in the strength of the grace he had received; he did it as a means of life, to procure life by it, as the tenor of a covenant. Are we then freed from this obedience? Yes, but how far? From doing it in our own strength, from doing it for this end, that we may obtain life everlasting. It is vain that some say confidently, that we must yet work for life ; it is all one as to say, we are yet under the old covenant, hoc fac et vives:' we are not freed from obedience, as a way of walking with God, but we are, as a way of working to come to him; of which at large afterward.

Rom. v. 18, 19. ' By the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life: by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous,' saith the Holy Ghost. By his obedience to the law, are we made righteous, it is reckoned to us for righteousness. That the passive obedience of Christ is here only intended, is false.

(1.) It is opposed to the disobedience of Adam, which was active. The δικαίωμα, is opposed παραπτώματι, the righteousness to the fault. The fault was an active transgression of the law, and the obedience opposed to it must be an active accomplishment of it. Besides, obedience placed singly in its own nature denotes an action, or actions conformable to the law; and therein came Christ, not to destroy but to fulfil the law; Matt. v. 17. that was the design of his coming; and so for us, he came to fulfil the law for us, Isa. ix. 6. and born to us; Luke ii. 11. This also was in that will of the Father, which out of his infinite love he came to accomplish. It cannot clearly be evinced that there is any such thing in propriety of speech, as passive obedience; obeying is doing, to which passion or suffering cannot belong; I know it is commonly called so, when men obey until they suffer; but properly it is not so.

So also, Phil. iii. 9. And be found in him, not having my my own righteousness which is of the law, but that which