tion I take that for granted, as having proved it elsewhere, beyond what any of his followers are able to contradict. And if we may not build on truths by him denied, we shall scarce have any one principle of evangelical truth left us to prove any thing from. However, I intend them only at present, who concur with him in the matter under debate, but renounce his opinion concerning the person of Christ.

2. As our Lord Jesus Christ owed not in his own person this obedience for himself, by virtue of any authority or power that the law had over him, so he designed and intended it not for himself, but for us. This added unto the former consideration, gives full evidence unto the truth pleaded for: for if he was not obliged unto it for himself, his person that yielded it, not being under the law; and if he intended it not for himself, then it must be for us, or be useless: it was in our human nature, that he performed all this obedience. Now the susception of our nature, was a voluntary act of his own, with reference unto some end and purpose; and that which was the end of the assumption of our nature, was in like manner the end of all that he did therein, Now it was for us, and not for himself, that he assumed our nature; nor was any thing added unto him thereby. Wherefore, in the issue of his work, he proposeth this only unto himself, 'That he may be glorified with that glory which he had with the Father, before the world was,' by the removal of that veil which was put upon it in his exinanition. But that it was for us, that he assumed our nature, is the foundation of Christian religion; as it is asserted by the apostle, Heb. ii. 14. Phil. ii. 5-8.

Some of the ancient schoolmen disputed, That the Son of God should have been incarnate, although man had not sinned and fallen. The same opinion was fiercely pursued by Osiander, as I have elsewhere declared; but none of them once imagined, that he should have been so made man, as to be made under the law, and be obliged thereby unto that obedience which now he hath performed; but they judged that immediately he was to have been a glorious head unto the whole creation. For it is a common notion and presumption of all Christians, but only such as will sacrifice such notions unto their own private conceptions, That the obedience which Christ yielded unto the law on the earth,

in the state and condition wherein he yielded it, was not for himself, but for the church, which was obliged unto perfect obedience, but was not able to accomplish it. That this was his sole end and design in it, is a fundamental article, if I mistake not, of the creed of most Christians in the world; and to deny it, doth consequentially overthrow all the grace and love both of the Father, and Son in his mediation.

It is said, That this obedience was necessary as a qualification of his person, that he might be meet to be a mediator for us; and therefore was for himself. It belongs unto the necessary constitution of his person, with respect unto his mediatory work; but this I positively deny. The Lord Christ was every way meet for the whole work of mediation, by the ineffable union of the human nature with the divine, which exalted it in dignity, honour, and worth, above any thing, or all things that ensued thereon. For hereby he became in his whole person the object of all divine worship and honour; for when he brings the first-begotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.' Again, that which is an effect of the person of the Mediator as constituted such, is not a qualification necessary unto its constitution; that is, what he did as mediator, did not concur to the making of him meet so to be. But of this nature was all the obedience which he yielded unto the law, for as such, It became him to fulfil all righteousness.'

Whereas therefore, he was neither made man, nor of the posterity of Abraham, for himself, but for the church, namely, to become thereby the surety of the covenant, and representative of the whole, his obedience as a man unto the law in general, and as a son of Abraham unto the law of Moses, was for us, and not for himself; so designed, so performed, and without a respect unto the church, was of no use unto himself. He was born to us, and given to us, lived for us, and died for us, obeyed for us, and suffered for us; that by the obedience of one, many might be made righteous.' This was the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ; and this is the faith of the catholic church. And what he did for us, is imputed unto us. This is included in the very notion of his doing it for us, which cannot be spoken in any sense, unless that which he so did, be imputed unto us.

And I think men ought to be wary, that they do not by distinctions and studied evasions, for the defence of their own private opinions, shake the foundations of Christian religion. And I am sure it will be easier for them, as it is in the proverb, to wrest the club out of the hand of Hercules, than to dipossess the minds of true believers of this persuasion : That what the Lord Christ did in obedience unto God according unto the law, he designed in his love and grace to do it for them. He needed no obedience for himself, he came not into a capacity of yielding obedience for himself, but for us; and therefore for us it was, that he fulfilled the law in obedience unto God according unto the terms of it. The obligation that was on him unto obedience, was originally no less for us, no less needful unto us, no more for himself, no more necessary unto him, than the obligation was on him as the surety of the covenant, to suffer the penalty of the law, was either the one or the other.

3. Setting aside the consideration of the grace and love of Christ, and the compact between the Father and the Son, as unto his undertaking for us, which undeniably proves all that he did in the pursuit of them to be done for us, and not for himself; I say, setting aside the consideration of these things, and the human nature of Christ, by virtue of its union with the person of the Son of God, had a right unto, and might have immediately been admitted into the highest glory whereof it was capable, without any antecedent obedience unto the law. And this is apparent from hence, in that from the first instant of that union, the whole person of Christ, with our nature existing therein, was the object of all divine worship from angels and men; wherein consists the highest exaltation of that nature.

It is true, there was a peculiar glory that he was actually to be made partaker of, with respect unto his antecedent obedience and suffering; Phil. ii. 8, 9. The actual possession of this glory was in the ordination of God, to be consequential unto his obeying and suffering, not for himself, but for us. But as unto the right and capacity of the human nature in itself, all the glory whereof it was capable, was due unto it from the instant of its union. For it was therein exalted above the condition that any creature is capable of by mere creation. And it is but a Socinian fiction,

that the first foundation of the divine glory of Christ was laid in his obedience, which was only the way of his actual possession of that part of his glory, which consists in his mediatory power and authority over all. The real foundation of the whole, was laid in the union of his person; whence he prays that the Father would glorify him (as unto manifestation) with that glory which he had with him before the world was.

I will grant, that the Lord Christ was viator' whilst he was in this world, and not absolutely 'professor;' yet I say withal, he was so, not that any such condition was necessary unto him for himself; but he took it upon him by especial dispensation for us. And therefore, the obedience he performed in that condition, was for us, and not for himself.

4. It is granted, therefore, that the human nature of Christ was made vò vóμov, as the apostle affirms, 'That which was made of a woman, was made under the law.' Hereby obedience became necessary unto him, as he was, and whilst he was 'viator.' But this being by especial dispensation, intimated in the expression of it, he was made under the law,' namely, as he was made of a woman, by especial dispensation and condescension expressed, Phil. ii. 6-8. The obedience he yielded thereon, was for us, and not for himself. And this is evident from hence, for he was so made under the law, as that not only he owed obedience unto the precepts of it, but he was made obnoxious unto its But I suppose it will not be said, that he was so for himself, and therefore not for us. We owed obedience unto the law, and were obnoxious unto the curse of it, or væódikoi TO. Obedience was required of us, and was as necessary unto us, if we would enter into life, as the answering of the curse for us was, if we would escape death eternal. Christ as our surety, is 'made under the law' for us, whereby he becomes liable and obliged unto the obedience which the law required, and unto the penalty that it threatened. Who shall now dare to say, that he underwent the penalty of the law for us indeed, but he yielded obedience unto it for himself only? The whole harmony of the work of his mediation, would be disordered by such a supposition.

curse.

Judah, the son of Jacob, undertook to be a bondman instead of Benjamin his brother, that he might go frée; Gen.

xliv. 33. There is no doubt but Joseph might have accepted of the stipulation. Had he done so, the service and bondage he undertook, had been necessary unto Judah, and righteous for him to bear; howbeit, he had undergone it, and performed his duty in it, not for himself, but for his brother Benjamin; and unto Benjamin, it would have been imputed in his liberty. So when the apostle Paul wrote those words unto Philemon concerning Onesimus, 'El déri ndíknot oe, ň ὀφείλει, τοῦτο ἐμοὶ ἐλλόγει, ἐγὼ ἀποτίσω, ver. 18. If he hath wronged thee,' dealt unrighteously or injuriously with thee, 'or oweth thee aught,' wherein thou hast suffered loss by him, 'put it on my account,' or impute it all unto me; I will repay it,' or answer for it all. He supposeth that Philemon might have a double action against Onesimus; the one injuriarum,' and the other damni' or 'debiti,' of wrong and injury, and of loss or debt; which are distinct actions in the law if he hath wronged thee, or oweth the aught.' Hereon he proposeth himself, and obligeth himself by his express obligation, ἐγὼ Παῦλος ἔγραψα τῇ ἑμῇ χείρι. ' I Paul have written it with my own hand,' that he would answer for both, and pay back a valuable consideration if required. Hereby was he obliged in his own person to make satisfaction unto Philemon; but yet he was to do it for Onesimus, and not for himself. Whatever obedience therefore was due from the Lord Christ, as to his human nature whilst in the form of a servant, either as a man, or as an Israelite, seeing he was so not necessarily by the necessity of nature for himself, but by voluntary condescension and stipulation for us; for us it was, and not for himself.

5. The Lord Christ in his obedience was not a private, but a public person. He obeyed as he was the surety of the covenant; as the mediator between God and man. This I suppose will not be denied. He can by no imagination be considered out of that capacity. But what a public person doth as a public person, that is, as a representative of others, and an undertaker for them, whatever may be his own concernment therein, he doth it not for himself, but for others. And if others were not concerned therein, if it were not for them, what he doth would be of no use or signification. Yea, it implies a contradiction that any one should do any thing as a public person, and do it for himself only.