Obj. 2. " If the obedience of the life of Christ be imputed unto us, and that is our righteousness before God, then what need we yield any obedience ourselves? Is not all our praying, labouring, watching, fasting, giving alms, — are not all fruits of holiness, in purity of heart and usefulness of conversation, all in vain and to no purpose? And who, then, will or need take care to be holy, humble, righteous, meek,
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temperate, patient, good, peaceable, or to abound in good works in the world?"
1. I shall, God assisting, briefly remove these two objections, and then proceed to carry on the design in hand, about our communion with Christ: —
(1.) Jesus Christ, in his undertaking of the work of our reconcilia- tion with God,— for which cause he came into the world, — and the accomplishment of it by his death, was constitiited and considered as a common, public person, in the stead of them for whose reconciliation to God he suffered. Hence he is the " mediator between God and man," 1 Tim. ii. 5, — that is, one who undertook to God for us, as the next words manifest, verse 6, "Who gave himself a ransom for all," — ■ and the " surety of the better covenant," Heb< vii. 22; undertaking for and on the behalf of them with whom that covenant was made. Hence he is said to be given " for a covenant of the people," Isa. xlii. 6; and a " leader," Iv. 4. He was the second Adam, 1 Cor. xv. 45, 47, to all ends and purposes of righteousness, to his spiritual seed, as the first Adam was of sin to his natural seed, Rom. v, 15-19.
(2.) His being thus a common person, arose chiefly from these things : — -
[1.] In general, from the covenant entered into by himself with his Father to this purpose. The terms of this covenant are at large insisted on, Isa. liii., summed up, Ps. xl. 7, S" fleb. x. 8-10. Hence the Father became to be his God ; which m a covenant expression, Ps. Ixxxix. 26; Heb. i. 5; Ps. xxii. 1, xl. 8, xlv. 7; Rev. iii. 12; Mic. V. 4. So was he by his Father on this account designed to this work, Isa. xlii. 1, 6, xlix. 9; Mai. iii. 1; Zech. xiii. 7; John iii. 16; 1 Tim. i. 15. Thus the "counsel of peace" became to be "between them both," Zech. vi. 13; that is, the Father and Son. And the Son rejoices from eternity in the thought of this undertaking, Prov. viii. 22-30, The command given him to this purpose, the promises made to him thereon, the assistance afforded to him, I have elsewhere handled.
[2.] In the sovereign grant, appointment, and design of the Father, giving and delivering the elect to Jesus Christ in this covenant, to be redeemed and reconciled to himself John xvii. 6, " Thine they were, and thou gavest them me." They were God's b}^ eternal desig-na- tion and election, and he gave them to Christ to be redeemed. Hence, before their calling or believing, he calls them his " sheep," John x. 15, 16, laying down his life for them as such; and hence are we said to be " chosen in Christ," Eph. i. 4, or designed to obtain all the fruits of the love of God by Christ, and committed into his hand for that end and purpose.
[3.] In his undertaking to suffer what was due to them, and to do what was to be done by them, that they might be delivered, recon- VOL. II. 12
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ciled, and accepted Avith God. And he undertakes to give in to the Father, without loss or miscarriage, what he had so received of the Father as above, John xvii. 2, 12, vi. 37, 39; as Jacob did the cattle he received of Laban, Gen. xxxi. 39, 40. Of both these I have treated somewhat at large elsewhere, in handling the covenant between the Father and the Son ; so that I shall not need to take it up here again.
[4.] They being given unto him, he undertaking for them to do and suffer what was on their part required, he received, on their behalf and for them, all the promises of all the mercies, grace, good things, and privileges, which they were to receive upon the account of his undertaking for them. On this account eternal life is said to be promised of God " before the world began,'' Tit. i. 2; that is, to the Son of God for us, on his undertaking on our behalf And grace, also, is said to be given unto us " before the world began," 2 Tim. i. 9 ; that^- is, in Christ, our appointed head, mediator, and representative.
[5.] Christ ])eing thus a common person, a mediator, surety, and representative, of his church, upon his undertaking, as to efficacy and merit, and upon his actual perforaiance, as to solemn declaration, was as such acquitted, absolved, justified, and freed, from all and every thing that, on the behalf of the elect, as due to them, was charged upon him, or could so be; I say, as to all the efficacy and merit of his undertakings, he was immediately absolved upon his faithfulness, in his first engagement : and thereby all the saints of the Old Testa- ment were saved by his blood no less than we. As to solemn decla- ration, he was so absolved when, the " pains of death being loosed, he was "declared to be the Son of God with power, by the resurrection from the dead;" Rom. i. 4, God saying to him, " Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee," Ps. ii. 7. And this his absolution doth Christ express his confidence of, Isa. 1. 5-9. And he was "justified," 1 Tim. iii. 16. That which I intend by this absolution of Christ as a public person is this : — God having made him under the law, for them who were so, Gal. iv. 4 ; in their stead, obnoxious to the punish- ment due to sin, made him sin, 2 Cor. v. 21 ; and so gave justice, and law, and all the consequents of the curse thereof, power against him, Lsa. liii. 6; — upon his imdergoing of that which was required of him, verse 1 2, God looses the pains and power of death, accepts him, and is well pleased with him, as to the performance and discharge of his work, John xvii. 3-6 ; pronounceth him free from tlie obliga- tion that was on hiin. Acts xiii. ; and gave him a promise of all good things he aimed at, and wluch his soul desired. Hereon are all the promises of God made to Christ, and their accomplishment, — all the encouragements given him to ask and make demand of the things originally engaged for to him, Ps. ii. 8, (which he did accordingly, John