Eighteen sermons preached in Oxford 1640 of conversion, unto God. Of redemption, & justification,…

Now this obedience is double. Active or Passive.

1. Active, And this was that whereby he did all the Will of his Father. The reason why he came into the world, if we look the place before alleged, will appear, Heb. 10.5. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and burnt-offering thou wouldst not have, but a body hast thou prepared me. In burnt offerings and Sacrifice for sin thou hast no pleasure, then said I, Behold I come, in the volum• of thy book it is written ⟨p. 375⟩of me that I should do thy Will, O God. When he cometh into the world, saith he, Lo, I come, For what? to do thy Will, O God. The reason why he came into the world, was, that he might be obedient unto his Father. Thus it behoveth us (saith he to John) to fulfil all Righteousness. John wondered that he that was pure and spotless, should come to him to be baptized. He knew Baptism presupposed some sin or blot, some stain or corruption to be washed off, and therefore its said. Mark 1.5. That there came unto him all the Land of Judea to be baptized, confessing their sins. And sure if one should come to John, and say, he had no sin, and yet desired to have been baptized by him, he had no right to Baptism: yet our Saviour saith, Let alone, let it be so, that we may fulfil all Righteousness. I have no need indeed in regard of my self: but I have taken upon me the form of a servant, and therefore what the lowest of them must do, that must I do: therefore was I circumcised, and therefore am I baptized. I came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil it. And he fulfilled it to the utmost, both in his active and passive obedience.

1. Active, And this was that whereby he did all the Will of his Father. The reason why he came into the world, if we look the place before alledged, will appear,