THE IMPUTATION OF CHRIST S OBEDIENCE. 2ol
CHAPTER XII.
The imputation of tlie obedience of Christ unto the lav/ declared and vindicated.
From the foregoing general argument another doth issue in par- cular, with respect unto the imputation of the active obedience or righteousness of Christ unto us, as an essential part of that righteous- ness whereon we are justified before God. And it is as foUoweth : — " If it Avere necessary that the Lord Christ, as our surety, should undergo the penalty of the law for us, or in our stead, because we have all sinned, then it was necessary also that, as our surety, he should yield obedience unto the preceptive part of the law for us also ; and if the imputation of the former be needful for us unto our justi- fication before God, then is the imputation of the latter also necessary unto the same end and purpose." For why was it necessary, or why would God have it so, that the Lord Christ, as the surety of the co- venant, should undergo the curse and penalty of the law, which we had incurred the guilt of by sin, that we may be justified in his sight? Was it not that the glory and honour of his righteousness, as the au- thor of the law, and the supreme governor of all mankind thereby, might not be violated in the aljsolute impunity of the infringers of it? And if it ^veve requisite unto the glory of God that the penalty of the law should be undergone for us, or suffered by our surety in our stead, because we had sinned, wherefore is it not as requisite unto the glory of God that the 2^'^'sceptive imrt of the law lie complied withal for us, inasmuch as obedience thereunto is required of us? And as we are no more able of ourselves to fulfil the law in a way of obedi- ence than to undergo the penalty of it, so as that we may be justified thereby ; so no reason can be given why God is not as much concerned, in honour and glory, that the preceptive power and part of the law be complied withal by perfect obedience, as that the sanction of it be established by undergoing the penalty of it. Upon the same grounds, therefore, that the Lord Christ's suffermg the penalty of the law for us was necessary that we might be justified in the sight of God, and that the satisfaction he made [might] thereby be imputed unto us, as if we ourselves had made satisfaction unto God, as Bellarmine speaks and grants; on the same it was equally necessary, — that is, as unto the gloiy and honour of the Legislator and supreme Governor of all by the law, — that he should fulfil the preceptive part of it, in his per- fect obedience thereunto \ which also is to be imputed unto us for our justification.
Conceniing the first of these, — namely, the satisfaction of Christ,
252 ON JUSTIFICATION.
and the imputation of it unto us, — our principal difference is witli the Socinians. And I have elsewhere written so much in the vindica- tion of the truth therein, that I shall not here again re-assume the same argument; it is here, therefore, taken for granted, although I know that there are some different apprehensions about the notion of Christ's suffering in our stead, and of the imputation of those suffer- ings unto us. But I shall here take no notice of them, seeing I press this argument no farther, but only so far forth that the obedience of Christ unto the law, and the imputation thereof unto us, are no less necessary unto our justification before God, than his suffering of the penalty of the law, and the imputation thereof unto us, unto the same end. The nature of this imputation, and what it is formally that is imputed, we have considered elsewhere.
That the obedience of Christ the mediator is thus imputed to us, shall be afterward proved in particular by testimonies of the Scrip- ture. Here I intend only the vindication of the argument as before laid down, which will take us up a little more time than ordinary. For there is nothing in the whole doctrine of justification which meets with a more fierce and various opposition; but the truth is great, and will prevail.
The things that are usually objected and vehemently urged against the imputation of the obedience of Christ unto our justification, may be reduced rmto three heads: — I. That it is impossible. II. That it is useless. III. That it is pernicious to believe it. And if the arguments used for the enforcement of these objections be as cogent as the charge itself is fierce and severe, they will unavoidably over- throw the persuasions of it in the minds of all sober persons. But there is ofttimes a wide difference between what is said and what is proved, as will appear in the present case: —
I. It is pleaded impossible, on this single ground, — namely, " That the obedience of Christ unto the law was due from him on his own account, and performed by him for himself, as a man made under the law." Now, what was necessary unto himself, and done for himself, cannot be said to be done for us, so as to be imputed unto us.