A39663:714
The Fountain of Life Opened
The fountain of life opened, or, A display of Christ in his essential and mediatorial glory wherein the impetration of our redemption by Jesus Christ is orderly unfolded as it was begun, carried on, and finished by his covenant-transaction, mysterious incarnation, solemn call and dedication ... / by John Flavell ...The fountain of life opened, or, A display of Christ in his essential and mediatorial glory wherein the impetration of our redemption by Jesus Christ is orderly unfolded as it was begun, carryed on, and finished by his covenant-transaction, mysterious incarnation, solemn call and dedication ... / by John Flavell ...
London: printed for Rob. White, 1673
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
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.