Sect. 1. — Christ’s fulfilling of the Law in the room of the Elect.
Sect. 1. — Christ’s fulfilling of the Law in the room of the Elect.
Evan. I now perceive that it is time for me to show how God, in the fulness of time, performed what he purposed before all time, and promised in time, concerning the help and delivering of fallen mankind. And touching this point, the Scripture testifies that God “in the fulness of time, sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem those who were under the law,” etc., Gal. 4.4. That is to say, look how mankind is by nature under the law, as it is the Covenant of Works; so Christ was content to be [under the law], as man’s surety. So that now, according to that eternal and mutual agreement between God the Father and him, he put himself in the stead and place of all the faithful; Isa. 53.6, “And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
Then the law came, as it is the Covenant of Works, and said; “I find him a sinner; indeed, he is someone who has taken the sins of all men upon himself, Therefore let him die upon the cross.”
Then Christ said, “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but you have prepared me a body; you take no pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin. Then I said, Behold, I come to do your will, Lord!” Heb. 10.5-7. And so the law proceeding in full scope against him, set upon him, and killed him. And by this means, the justice of God was fully satisfied; his wrath was appeased; and all true believers were acquitted from all their sins, past, present, and to come So that the law, as it is the Covenant of Works, has nothing to say to any true believer, for indeed they are dead to it, and it is dead to them.
Nom. But, sir, how could the sufferings of Christ, which in respect to time were but finite, make full satisfaction to the justice of God, which is infinite?
Evan. Though the sufferings of Christ, in respect to time, were but finite, yet in respect to the person that suffered, his sufferings came to be of infinite value. For Christ was God and man in one person; and therefore his sufferings were a sufficient and full ransom for man’s soul, being of more value than the death and destruction of all creatures.
Nom. But, sir, you know that the Covenant of Works requires man’s own obedience or punishment when it says, “He that does these things shall live in them;” and “Cursed is every one that does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” How then could believers be acquitted from their sins by the death of Christ?
Evan. For the answer, I ask you to consider that, although the Covenant of Works requires a man’s own obedience or punishment, yet it nowhere disallows or excludes what is done or suffered by another in his behalf; nor is it repugnant to the justice of God. For in this way there is a satisfaction performed by man, through a sufficient punishment for the disobedience of man, so that the law is satisfied; and the justice of God permits the offending party to be received into favour as a just man, and not as a transgressor of the law. God acknowledges him so, after such satisfaction is made. And though the satisfaction is made by a surety, yet when it is done, the principal is acquitted by the law. For further proof and confirmation of this point, we are to consider that as Jesus Christ, the second Adam, entered into the same covenant that the first Adam did. So whatever the first Adam had undone, was done by Christ. The case stands thus: that just as whatever the first Adam did, or whatever befell him, was reckoned as done by all mankind, and to have befallen all mankind, even so, whatever Christ did, or whatever befell him, is to be reckoned as to have been done by all believers, and to have befallen them. So that just as sin comes from Adam alone to all mankind, as the one in whom all have sinned; so from Jesus Christ alone comes righteousness to all that are in him, as he is the one in whom they all have satisfied the justice of God. For just as being in Adam, and being one with him, all those who are in him and with him, transgressed the commandment of God; even so, in respect to faith, by which believers are ingrafted into Christ, and spiritually made one with him, they all, in him and with him, satisfied the justice of God in his death and sufferings.
Whoever reckons this way, reckons according to Scripture. For in Rom. 5.12, all are said to have sinned in Adam’s sin; in whom all have sinned, says the text, namely, in Adam, as in a public person. All men’s acts were included in his, because their persons were included in his person. So likewise in the same chapter it is said that “death passed upon all men;” namely for this: that Adam’s sin was reckoned for theirs. Even so, in Rom. 6.10, the apostle speaking of Christ, says, “In that he died, he died to sin; but in that he lives, he lives to God.” So likewise, he says in the next verse, “Reckon yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” And so, as touching the resurrection of Christ, the apostle argues in 1Cor. 15.20, that all believers must and shall arise, because “Christ is risen, and has become the first fruits of those who sleep.” Christ, as the first fruits, arises, and that is in the name and stead of all believers — and so they rise in him and with him. For Christ did not rise as a private person, but he arose as a public head of the church; so that in his arising, all believers virtually arose. And as Christ at his resurrection was justified and acquitted from all the sins of all believers, by God his Father, as having now fully satisfied for them, even so all believers were justified and acquitted. Thus you see the obedience of Christ is imputed to believers by God for their righteousness. It puts them into the same estate and condition, touching righteousness unto life before God, in which they would have been if they had perfectly performed the perfect obedience of the Covenant of Works, “Do this and you shall live.”