1Fourthly, The matter of Christs satisfaction, was his active and passive obedience, to all that the Law of God required. I know there are some that doubt whether Christs active obedience have any place here, and so whether it be imputed as any part of our righteousness. It is conf•ssed the Scripture most frequently mentions his passive obedience, as that which made the atonement; and procures our redemption. Matth. 26.28. Matth. 20.28. Rom. 3.24, 25. & alibi, but his passive obedience is never mentioned exclusively, as the sole cause, or matter of satisfaction. But in those places where it's mentioned by it self, it's put for his whole obedience, both active and passive, by an usual Trope; and in other Scriptures, it is ascribed to both, as Gal. 4.4. he is said to be made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law. Now his being made under the Law to this end, cannot be restrained to his subjection to the curse of the Law only, but to the commands of it also. So Rom. 5.19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. It were a manifest injury to this text also, to restrain it to the passive obedience of Christ only. To be short this twofold obedience of Christ stands opposed to a twofold obligation that fallen man is under; the one to do what God requires: the other to suffer what he hath threatened for disobedience. We owe him active obedience as his creatures, 2and passive obedience as his prisoners. Suitably to this double Oblation, Christ comes under the Commandment of the Law to fulfil it actively, Matth. 3.15. and under the malediction of the Law to satisfy it passively. And whereas it is objected by some, if he fulfilled the whole Law for us by his active, what need then of this passive obedience? We reply, great need; because both these make up that one, entire, and complete obedience, by which God is satisfied, and we justified. It's a good rule of Alsted, obedientia Christi est una copulativa: The whole obedience of Christ both active and passive make up one entire perfect obedience: and therefore there is no reason why one particle either of the one, or of the other should be excluded.
1Fourthly, The matter of Christs satisfaction, was his active and passive obedience, to all that the Law of God required. I know there are some that doubt whether Christs active obedience have any place here, and so whether it be imputed as any part of our righteousness. It is conf•ssed the Scripture most frequently mentions his passive obedience, as that which made the attonement; and procures our redemption. Matth. 26.28. Matth. 20.28. Rom. 3.24, 25. & alibi, but his passive obedience is never mentioned exclusively, as the sole cause, or matter of satisfaction. But in those places where it's mentioned by it self, it's put for his whole obedience, both active and passive, by an usual Trope; and in other Scriptures, it is ascribed to both, as Gal. 4.4. he is said to be made under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law. Now his being made under the Law to this end, cannot be restrained to his subj•ction to the curse of the Law only, but to the commands of it also. So Rom. 5.19. As by one mans disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. It were a manifest injury to this text also, to restrain it to the passive obedience of Christ only. To be short this twofold obedience of Christ stands opposed to a twofold obligation that fallen man is under; the one to do what God requires: the other to suffer what he hath threatned for disobedience. We owe him active obedience as his creatures, 2and passive obedience as his prisoners. Suitably to this double Oblation, Christ comes under the Commandment of the Law to fulfil it actively, Matth. 3.15. and under the malediction of the Law to satisfie it passively. And whereas it is objected by some, if he fulfilled the whole Law for us by his active, what need then of this passive obedience? We reply, great need; because both these make up that one, entire, and compleat obedience, by which God is satisfied, and we justified. It's a good rule of Alsted, obedientia Christi est una copulativa: The whole obedience of Christ both active and passive make up one intire perfect obedience: and therefore there is no reason why one particle either of the one, or of the other should be excluded.
- 1Si enim propter Ch•isti ebedientā assiva• solam impu•a•am à peccatis cujusque cujus unque generis siv• commissi ill•d fuerit, sive omissi; •eatu o••i immunes habemur: quo• sum ad justificationem im ute•ur ulterius actua ill• ejusdem ob•dient•a? Bradshaw in Epist. Lib. de justi.Si enim propter Ch•isti ebedientā assiva• solam impu•a•am à peccatis cujusque cujus unque generis siv• commissi ill•d fuerit, sive omissi; •eatu o••i immunes habemur: quo• sum ad justificationem im ute•ur ulterius actua ill• ejusdem ob•dient•a? Bradshaw in Epist. Lib. de justi.
- 2D•• l•x est Christi ob•dientia, d•plici homi•is post laps•m obligationi •••osita; activa, pro culpa; passiva •ro poe•a; seu utraque, pro utraque. Trel. ubi supra.
