freely, and on identically the same terms as the remission of sins itself. (5.) The Scriptures everywhere set forth the truth that the adoption of sons, eternal life, &c., are given to the believer freely for Christ’s sake, as elements of that purchased possession of which the Holy Spirit is the earnest or first instalment: “J whom also we have obtained an inheritance. .... In whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise” (Eph. i. 11-13). The Spirit of the Son is called “the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father... .. | And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ” (Rom. viil. 15, 17). ‘Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world” (Gal. i. 4). “Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law...... that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith” (Gal. 11. 13, 14). “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear” (Acts 11. 33). We are said to be “blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ” (Eph. i. 3). “He gave himself for the church, that he might sanctify and cleanse it ; that he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing ; but that it should be holy and without blemish” (Eph. v. 25-27). “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ owr Saviour” (Titus iii. 5, 6). “God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that (iva) he might redeem them that were under the law, that (va) we might receive the adoption of sons” (Gal. iv. 4, 5). We are told to ask for everything we de- sire for Christs sake alone (John xiv. 13, 14, and
ACTIVE AND PASSIVE OBEDIENCE. 241
gov LG); :axid’ im heaven all the redeemed Say CON- cHarrmr tinually, “Unto him that loved us, and washed us ~~ from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever’ (Rev. 1. 5, 6, and v. 9, 10).
II. The Scriptures expressly declare that Christ saves the doc- by his obedience as well as by his sufferings: ‘'There- °°"
tended for fore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all shown to
, be ex- men to condemnation ; even so by the righteousness of pressly one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of pra life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made rvyhteous.” This is an explicit affirmation of the prin- ciple for which we are contending. The phrase ‘“ obe- dience’” of Christ is evidently to be interpreted in its natural sense, because it is directly set in contrast with the “‘ disobedience” of Adam. In the same sense in which the disobedience of the one is the ground of our condemnation, is the obedience of the other thé ground of our justification.
Til. Christ was a divine and eternal person, and as christ’s such he was under no obligation to obey the law. He obedience
: shown to was himself, in the essential ground of his being, a law have been
‘ vicarious,
unto the whole moral universe ; and therefore could not from the A te : fact that
be, as concerns himself, conditioned by any law exterior jis person
to himself. The divine natwre is the norm of all moral *@™* principle ; and the divine will is the ground and measure theclaims of all those relations from which many of the obligations pes of his creatures result. Therefore the Divine Being cannot be himself subject to any law except the spon- taneous law of his own being. And Christ, who, though embracing a human nature, was always a divine person,
of course always transcended the claims of law, because
these claims necessarily terminate upon persons, and not
‘OHAPTER XVIII.
242 THE NATURE OF THE ATONEMENT.