An answer to the discourse of Mr. William Sherlock, touching the knowledge of Christ,…

Christ,¹ when he assumed the humane Nature, was as man subject to the Law of Creation; for his humane Nature was but a Creature, and its will, not being Supreme in it self, was under the Divine Will; but Christ freely and voluntarily became man; and so put himself of his own accord into the state of subjection; and as he was not made man for himself, but for us: So neither was he made under the Law for himself, but for us. Hence the Apostle joining both these together; He was made of a woman, made under the Law, Gal. 4. 4, 5. Superadds as the end common to both, that he might redeem us; he assumed humanity, and with it duty, neither for himself, but both for us, that he might [Greek or Hebrew], fulfil the Law, Matth. 5.17. for us; not only doctrinally, by opening the pure Spirituality of it; but practically too, by fulfilling all the ⟨p. 439⟩Righteousness thereof. Christ as man was bound by the Law; but this hinders not, but that his obedience may be for us, and may be imputed to us in justification: No sooner was that Divine Decree (which put a must upon Christ's sufferings) made known to him as man; but he was bound to dye, and yet his death was a sweet Sacrifice for us, and a propitiation for our sins; And as the Blood of Christ was the Blood of God, so the obedience of Christ was the obedience of God; being stamped with his Deity, it amounted to an infinite sum; enough for himself, and a world besides. Christ was in some sense, as it were, exempted, and lifted up above the Law by the hypostatical Union; he might have carried up the Humane Nature into heaven, in the very first instant of its assumption; he need not have performed the Law, in such a debased manner, for such a space of time, and in such a place as earth; he was not simply and absolutely bound to it in himself; but upon supposition, that he took upon him the Mediatory Office, he was bound to fulfil the Law for us as he did.

Christ,¹ when he assumed the humane Nature, was as man subject to the Law of Creation; for his humane Nature was but a Creature, and its will, not being Supreme in it self, was under the Divine Will; but Christ freely and voluntarily became man; and so put himself of his own accord into the state of subjection; and as he was not made man for himself, but for us: So neither was he made under the Law for himself, but for us. Hence the Apostle joyning both these together; He was made of a woman, made under the Law,