[4.] God's justice can never be satisfied till the law be satisfied. Why ? because it is the outward rule of his justice, and the visible measure of his dealing with man ; and therefore the satisfaction of his justice must be carried on according to the tenor and terms of the law ; therefore was Christ made under the law. Now this was the great controversy how to salve the authority, power, and worth of the law. Christ professeth he came to fulfil it : Mat. v. 17, 18, ' Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets : I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil,' &c. And the apostle shows plainly the doctrine of justification doth not make void the law : Eom, iii. 31 , ' Do we then make void the law through faith ? God forbid : yea, we establish the law ; ' therefore legal and gospel righteousness differ, because the one is not inherent in us, the other is ; and in the manner of receiving it.
[5.] The law can never be satisfied, as for fallen man, but by an active and passive obedience — that is, by suffering what is imposed, or by doing what is commanded by the law ; for in the law there were two things, the precept and the sanction, the duty and the penalty. The law doth not only say, Do, and live ; but, Sin, and die. To Adam it was proposed in the primitive form, Gen. ii. 17. Now the law must be fulfilled in the threatening and precept, that there may be a freedom from the curse, and a right to eternal life. And indeed Jesus Christ, by being made under the law, by sustaining the penalty and perform- ing the obedience of it, hath done both ; 1 Thes. i. 10, there is one pat't — ' Even Jesus, who delivered us from the wrath to come ; ' and Ephes. i. 6, there is the other part — ' We are accepted in the beloved.' God freeth none from hell but those Christ suffered for ; and accepts none to life but those Christ hath performed obedience for.
[6.] This satisfaction can be performed by none but Jesus Christ ; for, alas ! we could neither bear the penalty nor discharge the duty ; — not bear tlie penalty, for we should have always been satisfying, always paying, but never could be said to have satisfied ; and we could never discharge the duty of it, for the law is ' become weak through the flesh,' Eom.viii. 3 ; that is, as the case stands now with man fallen. Those works that need pardon themselves can never satisfy : Acts iv. 12,
VeR. 4.] SERMONS UPON HEBREWS XI. 11
' Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.'
[7.] There is no having of this righteousness from Christ but by imputation. I know here some boggle and say, Imputation is nowhere found in scripture. I answer, We do not stand upon words and sylla'bles ; but this is most proper, and it may be well gathered, for Christ is said ' to be made righteousness,' 1 Cor. i. 30 ; righteousness is said ' to be imputed without works,' Rom. iv. 6 ; and ' faitli is im- puted for righteousness,' Rom. iv. 22. To clear the proposition, it must needs be by imputation — (1.) Because this righteousness must be in justificato, in the justified person. This righteousness, one way or other, must belong to the person justified, otherwise the Lord cannot look upon us as righteous. The man was cast out ' that had not on' him the wedding garment,' Mat. xxii. 11-13. Now by infusion it can- not be, all inherent righteousness being imperfect ; therefore it must be by imputation. (2.) Consider what imputation is. To impute is to reckon a thing to our score and account ; and those things are said to. be imputed to us which are accounted ours to all intents and pur- poses, as if they were our own. Now in this sense our sins were imputed to Christ, and Christ's righteousness is imputed to us. The apostle makes the parallel : 2 Cor. v. 21, ' For he iiath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin ; that we might be made the righteous- ness of God in him.' Look, as Christ was so dealt with as if he had been a sinner, so we are as if we were righteous. Our iniquities were not infused into Christ, but imputed and laid upon him : Isa. liii. 6, ' The Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all ; ' so is his righteous- ness upon all them that believe. And the apostle usetli another com- parison ; as Adam's guilt is laid upon us, so is Christ's righteousness ; — * As by one man's disobedience many were made sinners ; so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous,' Rom. v, 19. In short, the apo.stle saith, 1 Cor. i. 30, that Christ is 'made unto us of God righteousness ; ' and the whole righteousness is imputed to satisfy the obligation of the law, and to repair Adam's loss ; for we were guilly of death, and we came short of glory: Gal. iv. 4-6. 'When the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,' &c.