1. Christs victory over Sin, Death, and the Law, for it must be extended to all the things mentioned in the context, they are enemies by combination, and knit together in a fast league; the Law giveth strength to sin, and sin giveth a sting to Death; as long as the Law hath power, sin will be strong, and as long as sin hath strength, Death will be terrible: But Christ hath overcome Death, he foiled it in his own person, as I shall show you anon fully; and for Sin, he hath taken away the guilt of it by his own merit, and will destroy it more and more by the power of the Holy Ghost; when he stood before the tribunal of God he stood there, as a surety and undertaker, Heb. 7. 22. A surety of a better restament, now he was a surety mutually Gods and ours, to work Gods work in us, and our work for us; among other things which he undertook there, he undertook the abolition of sin on Gods part, he obliged himself that it should be performed by his Spirit; on our part he obliged us to endeavours of mortification: now because Christ is an able surety, the work is as good as done already, ⟨p. 7⟩Rom. 6. 6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin; mark, 'tis crucified with him, as implying his undertaking upon the cross, that the body of Death might be destroyed: as noting the Work of Gods Spirit, which was engaged and made sure by Christs death upon the cross, that we should not serve sin, as noting the concurrence of our endeavours, to which we are obliged by the same sponsory Act of Christ: thus much Christ hath done for the abolition of sin: now for the Law, that was an enemy that could not be overcome but must be satisfied, and so it was by Christ who both performed the duty, and sustained the penalty of it, chiefly the latter, and therefore tis said, he was made a curse for us, Gal. 3. 13. The sting is lost in Christ, and the honey left for us. But this is matter of another respect and cognisance.
1. Christs victory over Sin, Death, and the Law, for it must be extended to all the things mentioned in the context, they are enemies by combination, and knit together in a fast league; the Law giveth strength to sin, and sin giveth a sting to Death; as long as the Law hath power, sin will be strong, and as long as sin hath strength, Death will bee terrible: But Christ hath overcome Death, he foyled it in his own person, as I shall shew you anon fully; and for Sin, he hath taken away the guilt of it by his own merit, and will destroy it more and more by the power of the Holy Ghost; when he stood before the tribunall of God he stood there, as a surety and undertaker, Heb. 7. 22. A surety of a better restament, now he was a surety mutually Gods and ours, to work Gods work in us, and our work for us; among other things which he undertook there, he undertook the abolition of sin on Gods part, he obliged himself that it should be performed by his Spirit; on our part he obliged us to endeavours of mortification: now because Christ is an able surety, the work is as good as done already, ⟨p. 7⟩Rom. 6. 6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin; mark, 'tis crucified with him, as implying his undertaking upon the crosse, that the body of Death might be destroyed: as noting the Work of Gods Spirit, which was ingaged and made sure by Christs death upon the crosse, that we should not serve sin, as noting the concurrence of our endevours, to which wee are obliged by the same sponsory Act of Christ: thus much Christ hath done for the abolition of sin: now for the Law, that was an enemy that could not be overcome but must be satisfied, and so it was by Christ who both performed the duty, and sustained the penalty of it, chiefly the latter, and therefore tis said, he was made a curse for us, Gal. 3. 13. The sting is lost in Christ, and the honey left for us. But this is matter of another respect and cognisance.
