Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

Against this are divers exceptions: As, 1. That Christ obeyed the Law, or conformed to the Law (as need was) for himself, Christ (say they) as he was a man, was bound to obey the Law for himself. Answ. This Assertion detracts from the merit of his obedience, and from the dignity of his Person. 1. From his merit, for if his obedience were of duty, then it were not^† meritorious, Luke 17.10. and if this be true, then have we no title to Heaven. 2. From the dignity of his Person, as if he needed either to obey for himself, or by his obedience were any way bettered in himself. O that these men would remember that the Person who did obey the Law was, and is, not only man, but God also; Christ fulfilled the Law not only as man, but as God-man, Mediator; and therefore as his blood was Gods blood, so his obedience was the obedience of God, Who being in the form of God, thought it no robbery to be equal with God—And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, ²or until death. We find him here God-man; and from hence we conclude, that all the legal actions of Christ from his Incarnation to his Passion inclusively, were the actions of Christ God-man, Mediator, and Surety for us in a way of covenant; and consequently they were not performed of duty, nor for himself. 2. They except, that if Christ obeyed the Law for us, that by his obedience we might be justified, then shall not we our selves need to obey the Law; but the Consequent is absurd, therefore the Antecedent. Answ. We need not to obey the Law to that end, that we may be justified thereby, for this is impossible to us by reason of the flesh, and therefore our Saviour fulfilled it for us; and yet it follows not but that we may endeavour to obey the Law for other ends; as to glorify God, to obey his Will, to testify our thankfulness, to edify our Brethren, to assure our selves of our justification, and so to make our calling and election sure: in this Study and Practice of Piety consisteth our new obedience, which we must therefore be careful to perform, though Christ as to justification hath performed it for us. 3. They except, that if Christ by his active obedience fulfilled the Law for us, and that so we are ⟨p. 206⟩justified from all kind of sin both original and actual, then Christ's suffering was in vain. Answ.