world, to do the will of God, the will of him that fent him; for which he manifefts his great readiness, Heb. x. 7. all which evince his obedience. But I fuppofe I need not infift on the proof of this, that Chrift in the work of mediation, and as Mediator, was obedient and did what he did, willingly and chearfully in obedience to God.

Now this obedience of Chrift may be confidered two ways,

1. As to the habitual root and fountain of it. 2. As to the actual parts or duties of it. 1. The habitual righteoufnefs of Chrift as Mediator in his human nature, was the abfolute, compleat, exact conformity of the foul of Christ, to the will, mind or law of God; or his perfect habitually inherent righteoufnefs. This he had neceffarily from the grace of union, from whence it is, that, that which was born of the virgin was an holy thing, Luke i. 35. It was, I fay, neceffary confequentially that it should be fo; though the effecting of it were by the free operations of the Spirit, Luke ii. 52. He had an all-fulness of grace on all accounts. This the apostle defèribes, Heb. vii. 26. Such an high Priest became us, holy, harmless, undefiled, feparate from finners. Every way feparate and diftant from fin and finners he was to be. Whence he is called the Lamb of God, without fpot or blemish, 1 Pet. i. 19. This habitual holiness of Christ was inconceivably above that of the angels, He who chargeth his angels with folly, Job. iv. 18. who putteth no truft in his faints, and in whofe fight the heavens (or their inhabitants) are not clean, chap. xv. 15. always embraceth him in his bofome, and is always well pleafed with him, Mat. iii. 17. And the reafon of this is, because every other

creature

creature though never fo holy, hath the Spirit of God by measure; but he was not given to Chrift by meafure, John iii. 34. and that becaufe it pleafed him, that in him all fulness fhould dwell, Col. i. 19. This habitual grace of Christ, though not absolutely infinite, yet in refpect of any other creature, it is as the water of the fea, to the water of a pond or pool. All other creatures are depreffed from perfection by this, that they fubfift in a created, dependent being, and fo have the fountain of what is communicated to them, without them. But the human nature of Chrift fubfifts in the perfon of the Son of God, and fo hath the bottom and fountain of its holiness in the stricteft unity with itself.

2. The actual obedience of Chrift, (as was faid) was his willing, chearful, obediential performance of every thing, duty, or command, that God by virtue of any law, whereto we were fubject and obnoxious, did require, and moreover to the peculiar law of the Mediator. Hereof then are two parts,

1. That whatever was required of us by virtue of any law, that he did and fulfilled. Whatever was required of us, by the law of nature in our ftate of innocency, whatever kind of duty was added by morally pofitive, or ceremonial inftitutions, whatever is required of us in way of obedience to righteous judicial laws, he did it all. Hence he is faid to be made under the law, Gal. iv. 4. fubject or obnoxious to it, to all the precepts or commands of it. So, Matth. iii. 15. He faid, it became him to fulfil all righteoufnefs, peafon dikaiofonen, all manner of righteoufnefs whatever; that is every thing that God required, as is evident from the application of that general axiome to the baptifm of John. I fhall not need for this to go to particular X 3 inflances

inftances, in the duties of the law of nature, to God and his parents: of morally pofitive in the fabbath, and other acts of worfhip; of the ceremonial law, in circumcifion, and obfervation of all the rites of the judaical, church; of the judicial, in paying tribute to governors. It will fuffice I prefume that on the one hand he did no fin, neither was guile found in his mouth, and on the other, that he fulfilled all righteoufnefs, and thereupon the Father was always well pleased with him: this was that which he owned of himself, that he came to do the will of God, and he did it.

2. There was a peculiar law of the Mediator, which refpected himfelf merely, and contained all thofe acts and duties of his, which are not for our imitation. So that obedience which he fhewed in dying, was peculiarly to this law, John x. 18. 1 have power to lay down my life. This commandment have I received of my Father As Mediator, he

received this peculiar command of his Father, that The fhould lay down his life, and take it again, and he was obedient thereunto. Hence we fay, he, who is Mediator, did fome things merely as a man fubject to the law of God in general, fo he prayed for his perfecutors, thofe that put him to death, Luke xxiii. 24. fome things as Mediator; fo he prayed for his elect only, John xvii. 9. There were not worse in the world really and evidently, than many of them that crucified him; yet as a man fubject to the law, he forgave them and prayed forthem. When he prayed as Mediator, his Father always heard him and answered him, John xi. 41. and in the other prayers, he was accepted as one exactly performing his duty.

This then is the obedience of Chrift, which was the first thing propofed to be confidered. The next is, that it hath an influence into the grace of which we speak, wherein we hold communion with him, namely our free acceptation with God: what that influence is, muft alfo follow in its order.

1. For his habitual righteousness, I fhall only propose it under these two confiderations ::

1. That upon this fuppofition, that it was needful that we should have a Mediator that was God and man in one perfon, as it could not otherwife be, it must needs be, that he must be fo holy. For all though there be but one primary neceffary effect of the hypoftatical union, which is the fubfiftance of the human nature in the perfon of the Son of God, yet, that he that was fo united to him, fhould be an holy thing, compleatly holy; was ne ceffary alfo; of which before.

2. That the relation which this righteoufnefs of Christ hath to the grace we receive from him, is only this, that thereby, he was fit to do all that he had to do for us. This is the intendment of theapostle, Heb. vii. 26. fuch an one became us: it was needful he fhould be fuch an one, that he might do what he had to do. And the reafonehereof are two.

1. Had he not been compleatly furnished with habitual grace, he could never have actually fulfilled the righteousness, which was required at his hands. It was therein that he was able to do all that he did. So himfelf lays down the prefence of the Spirit with him as the bottom and foundation of his going forth to his work, Ifa. lxi. 1.

2. He could not have been a compleat and perfect facrifice, nor have anfwered all the types and

figures

figures of him, that were compleat and without blemith: but now Chrift having this habitual righteousness, if he had never yeilded any continued obedience to the law actively, but had fuffered as foon after his incarnation, as Adam finned after his creation, he had been a fit facrifice and offering, and therefore doubtless his following obedience, hath another use besides to fit him for an oblation, for which he was most fit without it.

2. For Chrift's obedience to the law of mediation, wherein it is not coincident with his paffive obedience as they speak (for I know that expreffion is improper) it was that which was requifite for the difcharging of his office, and is not imputed unto us, as though we had done it, though the apotelef mata and fruits of it are; but is of the nature of his interceffion; whereby he provides the good things we ftand in need of, at leaft fubferviently to his oblation and interceffion: of which more afterwards.

3. About his actual fulfilling of the law, or doing all things that of us are required, there is fome doubt and question: and about it there are three feveral opinions.

1. That this active obedience of Chrift, hath no farther influence into our juftification and acceptation with God, but as it was preparatory to his bloodfhedding and oblation, which is the fole caufe of our juftification, the whole righteousness which is imputed to us, arifing from thence.

2. That it may be confidered two ways, 1. As it is purely obedience, and fo it hath no other state, but that before mentioned. 2. As it was accomplished with fuffering, and joined with it, as it was part of his humiliation, fo it is imputed to us, or is

part