Chapter XIX
Christ s fulness for our justification. His fulfilling the law for us. That
justification doth not consist only in pardon of sin, and therefore it is
not Christ s passive obedience alone which is imputed to us. That the whole righteousness which is in Christ is imputed to usfor righteousness.
Having largely proved and explained how Christ performed that part of our redemption, which consists in freeing us from the guilt, and curse, and
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338 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V
punishment of sin, which he did by himself being made sin and a curse for
us, what remains is to prove that he fulfilled the law, and performed all
righteousness for our justification ; and that he is the Lord our righteous
ness, as well as our sacrifice and ransom. I first lay down this general
proposition.
Prop. That the whole righteousness which is in Christ is imputed to us
for righteousness.
The terms or words of the proposition should he explained by some dis
tinctions, to avoid all ambiguities, and to prevent mistakes ; but instead of
multiplying distinctions, which often confounds instead of clearing the truth, I shall premise two or three things, to shew in what limited sense the pro
position is meant, and to be understood.
1. When I say, the whole righteousness which is in Christ, I do not under stand that essential holiness of the divine nature which is in Christ, who is God ; for I perfectly reject and abhor the dream of Osiander. I mean then
that acquired righteousness of Christ God-man ; for though Jehovah is
called our righteousness, Jer. xxiii. 6, yet that righteousness which is of God is not ours.
2. We must also cautiously discern between the righteousness of the
mediatorial office (from which Christ is deservedly called the alone mediator) and the merits of the righteousness of Christ the mediator. For as God
will not give his glory to another, nor indeed can give it (and therefore I
deny the essential righteousness, by which he is God, to be communicated), so neither will Christ give away the glory of his mediation. That righteous ness of the office, by which he is mediator, cannot be imputed. But as in
logic we say that the whole nature of the genus is communicated to the
species, but not generical natures by which it is a genus, for then the
species would be a genus too ; in like manner I assert the whole righteous ness of Christ the mediator to be communicated, but not the mediatorial
righteousness.
3. We must also make some distinction concerning this righteousness of
Christ, which I assert to be imputed to us. For I do not include in it the
righteousness of Christ the mediator, as now glorified in heaven, which
righteousness yet is continued ; but the alone righteousness of Christ per formed by him in his estate of humiliation on earth is to be understood. For though he is said to be raised for our justification, Bom. iv. 25, viz., that his righteousness and the merit of it might be applied to us, yet he
* It is finished, John xix. 80, and after his death he ceased to merit anything, as he will also cease to make application of his merits to us after the day of judgment, when God shall be all in all. And when he is said to be a priest for ever, Heb. vii. 17, it is to be understood
cried out on the cross,
that he is so in his intercession, not in meriting for us. As also when his
* everlasting righteousness, Dan. xi. 24, it is meant of
righteousness is called
the duration of its value and virtue, not of the continuance of its external acts.
4. Nor do we take in all which he did while he lived here on earth. All
his extraordinary works, as miracles and the like, are not to be included. They rather transcend the predicaments of the ten commandments than are
parts of the righteousness of the law. They were proofs of his divinity, and the signs and badges, rather than the duties, of his office. He indeed
by them shewed himself to be the only mediator, but he did not act the mediator in them. And he did them that men might believe in his righteous ness ; but they were no ingredients of that righteousness on which they were to believe.
CHAP. XIX.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 389
Now to give the right state of the controversy : protestant divines as
serted against the papists, that all our righteousness, by which we are
justified, is the imputed righteousness of Christ ; but what is in question among divines of the reformed religion is, whether the whole righteousness of Christ be imputed.
There is a twofold obedience visible in Christ in his humbled state : one, which consists in the conformity of his life to the law ; the other, in under
going death, and the curse of the law : of which the first is called in the schools active, and the other passive, obedience. To which may and
ought to be added, the holiness of his nature, which is the principle of both the former obediences.
There are some who not only exclude that sanctity of his nature, but all the active righteousness of his life, from that righteousness which is im
puted to us. They say indeed that both the holiness of Christ s nature, and the obedience of his life, are of great advantage to us, and that they concur to the obtaining of our justification, as conditions qualifying the mediator for that work, and as requisite to be in the person who is our
: Heb. vii. 26, For such an high priest became us, who is
high priest
holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens. But yet they deny all this to be, together with his passive obedience, imputed to us in the room of our righteousness ; for they affirm that it all was acted by Christ for his own sake, and on his own personal account ; for Christ was bound to it as a creature and son of Adam, born under the moral law, and as a son of Abraham under the ceremonial law. And one debt (say they) can never be discharged by another. But they believe his passive obedience to be only imputed, both because Christ did undertake and perform it, not for himself, but purely for our sakes, and also because they esteem it an adequate and sufficient matter of our
justification.
But we lay down this contrary assertion, that both the holiness of Christ s
nature, and all that work of humiliation (which the apostle includes in the name of obedience unto death ), was both undertaken and accomplished for our sakes, and that it gives its joint mark with his passive obedience to
our justification ; in a word, that all this righteousness of Christ whatever,
is imputed to us, as proportionate conformity to that righteousness which the law requires from us.
Which assertion I shall both explain and demonstrate by a few con clusions (of which the proposition which I have laid down is the sum) mutually linked together, and which, being rightly applied, will preclude the
chiefest objections of the contrary side.
There are two principles in which both parties agree, and which there fore remain not now to be proved.
The first of which is, that that righteousness by which a sinner may appear righteous, ought to consist in a perfect satisfaction of the law. For
though it cannot be called the righteousness of the law, that is (as the
apostle hath interpreted it, Phil. iii. 8), the proper performance of the sin
ner, who, as being under the law, owes all obedience to it ; yet as this
righteousness is in the person who is our surety, and made under the law
for us, it stands good in law as fully satisfactory ; for God gives a declara tion of his justice in the justification of the sinner, Eom. iii. 24, but
justice is not satisfied unless the law be so too. Whence the apostle con cludes in the last verse of that chapter, We establish the law. And indeed since the righteousness of the law is said to be fulfilled in us, Rom.
340 OF CHEIST THE MEDIATOK. [BOOK V.
viii. 4, though performed only by our sponsor, it shews that by the gospel there is not made any exchange of the righteousness, but only of the
persons.
The second principle that is mutually agreed on is this, that this satis
faction of the law is the proper righteousness of Christ, and that it is ours
only as imputed, since he is our sponsor and surety, Heb. vii. 22, and made under the law for us, Gal. iv. 4.
These two principles, as granted by both, being thus laid down, I shall build upon them some conclusions subordinate to one another. The first
of which will inquire and resolve, what and how much is that righteousness, in the abstract notion of it, which the law requires from the sinner, and how many parts there are of our justification ? Whereby also will be evinced wherein a full conformity unto the law doth consist. The second conclu sion will search out what and how much righteousness and conformity to the law may and ought to be found in Christ our sponsor, and to be im
puted to us ; where it will be demonstrated that this must be no other than the whole righteousness of the law. And both propositions compared to
gether will demonstrate the cause why it must be so.
Conclusion 1. In the covenant of works, or the law, there are two things on our part that occur distinctly to be considered. 1. The fulfilling of the
precept ; which precept is twofold : affirmative, Thou shalt do this, to which alone the promise of life is by God graciously annexed. The other is
negative, Thou shalt not do so and so, lest thou transgress. 2. There is the payment of the penalty if the man transgressed ; Thou shalt surely die.
There is a great and observable, and to our purpose a material, difference between the precepts with the annexed promise and the denounced punish ment. And the difference is this, that those precepts are absolute parts of the law, which by the right of creation simply and externally oblige. But the imposition of the punishment is only added as a conditional appendix, nor are we subject to it any otherwise than on certain conditions. To which
this other thing may be added for the farther confirmation of it, that the mind of the lawgiver, which is indeed the law, primarily, absolutely, and
per se, requires obedience by the precepts, but it threatens and exacts
punishment as it were secondarily, and per accidens.
Conclusion 2. From this follows the second conclusion, That though in the primitive state of innocence we were only obliged to an obedience
purely of the preceptive part of the law, yet being fallen into sin, we now
are subjected absolutely to the precept and punishment together, and unable
to discharge them.
The reason of it is drawn from the former conclusion which I laid down ; because, since the penal payment is only conditional, and not so much
required in the law, as in the appendix of it, it will not, though satisfied, invalidate that absolute and eternal obligation of the law itself. We are held bound by a double debt and by a double right. As creatures we are
obliged by the law of creation to obedience, and that not only for the time
past, but the future : and withal, as offenders, we are obliged by the right of the judge to undergo the punishment. Hence it is also evident, that the mere suffering of the punishment is not sufficient to the satisfaction of the
law, because it doth not adequately answer that primary and absolute
design of the legislator, who would rather have obedience than the death of the sinner. As thrusting the debtor into prison doth not vacate the debt, so neither doth the throwing of a sinner into hell satisfy what he owes ; for
CHAP. XIX.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 341
one debt can never be discharged by the payment of another. Nor was
there ever any law, even among men, either promising or declaring a reward due to the criminal, because he had undergone the punishment of
his crimes. Now then the obligation of thy surety, sinner, who under took for all these thy debts, will not be less than thine. His passive obe dience will not suffice unless joined with his active, nor his active do the
work, if not followed with his death, whether that obedience future is to be
performed, or was now at present owing. The active obedience alone would
suffice if thou hadst not sinned, but then thou wouldst not have needed this
surety ; but now the righteousness required by the law is to be considered as lost by thee for the time past, and now therefore it will not be enough to render the principal debt, when thou hast contracted a new obligation to punishment, for thou wast unable to pay at thy appointed time. But be it so, that the death of thy sponsor, sinner, shall be able to discharge all the past debt, and to cancel thy bond ; yet since the law is an eternal
covenant, and thou art an immortal soul, it will for the future require a new obedience from thee, and that to all eternity. But that penal pay ment of thy sponsor for thee, avails to no more than to restore thee to the same state in which Adam stood at the first moment of his creation ; and
though he had delivered thee eternally from all thy fore-acted sins, and
past omissions, which are in number finite, yet he doth not supply to thee to be imputed that active righteousness which the law exacts from thee for the future. Hence the angel, in Dan. ix. 24, foretold concerning the
Messiah, that when he had made an end of sins, and had expiated iniqui
* bring in everlasting righteousness ; which being put upon thee, and thou being clothed with the Sun of righteousness, thou
ties, he should also
mayest in heaven be accounted righteous before God. For the grace of which thou art partaker, and which inhereth in glorified souls, though it be most perfect, can never attain to the righteousness and justification of the law, since to that, that old covenant must be antiquated and ren dered invalid.
But as the death of thy surety will not restore thee to a state of right eousness, so neither would it ever bring thee to life. For the promise of
life is made only to the doers, Do this, and thou shalt live. And there
fore justification of life, as the apostle calls it, Rom. v. 18, is attributed to the abounding of the gift of righteousness. And hence another corollary flows, which shall be the third conclusion.
Conclusion 3. All that is required to the justification of a sinner, which heretofore was requisite to the justification of Adam, and of the blessed
angels. Nay, something more is required to our justification, because we are held bound by a double debt. For as it is certain that more is required to the sanctification of a sinner, since it is described not only by a mere
simple creation out of nothing, but by the mortification of the old man, and the abolition of the body of sin, to which it is necessary the new crea
ture be added, so the like account is to be stated in the justification of a sinner (of which sanctification is an image) ; the whole of it is not accom
plished in the taking away of sins, as the angel speaks, unless, besides this, an active conformity to the law be added. Also to reconciliation (which is the effect of justification, and bears the likeness of its cause) all that is
required which is requisite to procure a new and simple friendship, and
something more, since it is the receiving of an old enemy into favour. Peace and pardon is first to be acquired ; nor this alone, but also the old favour is to be obtained. This is apparent from the example of Absalom,
842 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V.
who was not satisfied with peace and pardon obtained, 2 Sam. xiii., unless he saw the face of his father, and experienced his former favour. The same
is also evident by the joint testimony of the angels, enumerating peace on
earth, and good will towards men, as distinct parts of reconciliation, Luke
ii. 14. To whom also the apostle doth accord, Col. i. 19, 20, It pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell, viz., of righteousness and
holiness ; but to what end ? That peace being made by his blood (for the merit of his blood extends no farther than peace),
* God, by him might reconcile all things to himself, ver. 20, which declares something farther than mere making of peace, and that to be obtained also by that fulness, which God to this end would have to dwell in him.
That all which was requisite in Adam should be an ingredient into our
righteousness, is also evidently true, unless they will assert that we are constituted less righteous in the second Adam than in the first, when the
apostle on the contrary affirms, that the gift of righteousness doth more
super-abound in Christ, Kom. v. 15, 17. And indeed it is necessary that
it should more super-abound, since more is required to our justification than to Adam s.
Hence at length ariseth the fourth conclusion, and which shall be the
last in this order.
Conclusion 4. As many things as are required from the sinner by the law,
it is necessary that so many concur that he may be restored into a state of justification, as parts of his justification, of which there are two the
chiefest.
(1.) An absolution both from the punishment, and from all crimes and
guilt of the fact, which answers contradistinctly to the negative part of the
* Thou shalt not do this, and to the annexed appendix of it, the denunciation of death. And by this absolution the guilty person is so
precept,
acquitted, that he is freed from the obligation to punishment, and also is
reputed never to have committed such sins.
(2.) There is a pronunciation of the person to be righteous, by which he
is reputed to have done all those things which the law commands, and is
adjudged worthy of eternal life, which is conformable to the affirmative part of the precept, and to the annexed promise.
And we may find so many parts of justification distinctly assigned in the
Scriptures. The first of them is asserted by the apostle, Rom. iv. 7, 8,
* Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Yer. 8, Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not
impute sin. The remission of sin in ver. 7 respects obligation to punish ment. The not-imputation of sin, ver. 8, respects the act of sin itself, of which the person is so acquitted, so as not to be reputed guilty of the fact. For whereas in human courts of judicature there are two things take place : the accusation of the fact, which is the work of a witness, and the condem
nation, or adjudging to punishment, which is the work of the judge ; the
contrary seems to have place in God s court, when the business is there transacted concerning the justification of a sinner. He is judged so free from all punishment, as it is said, Who shall condemn him ? Rom. viii. 34. And he also is absolved from the fact, as it is said, Who shall lay any thing to his charge ? ver. 33. He so imputes not sins, that neither the memory nor mention of them remain, and so that none are found, Jer. 1. 20. And this may be called the state of a believer s innocence, as the condition of the first father Adam when new created, and when he had not acquired
CHAP. XIX.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 348
any righteousness to himself by doing the law, is rather called a state of innocence than of righteousness ; which though to suppose to be a certain middle state (by descending from a state of righteousness to a state of sin), would be a vain and foolish fancy ; and such an one, imagined by the papists, wherein they say man was in his pure naturals, we deride as an absurd
figment. Yet in the justification of a sinner, which is by ascending from a
state of sin to a state of righteousness, such a middle state may at least be
supposed. For there is a great disparity of reason which may be assigned between this case and the other.
1. For, first, whereas righteousness was what by nature ought to be in man, and necessary to him in his primitive state, he must therefore of
necessity, when deprived of this original righteousness, fall into a state of
sin. But that gift of justifying righteousness, all of it freely flows from God, and therefore both in pardoning our sins and in giving us Christ s
righteousness, his grace illustriously shines out, and is to be acknowledged ; and therefore such a middle state is supposable
: that we may the better make a distinction between those two gifts, and to give the greater illustra
tion of them, God, who bestows one benefit, not being bound to confer the
other, Mat. xx. 15.
2. The justification of a man in his primitive state did flow from his own proper righteousness, though there was a justifying act of God con
curring with it. And in man thus considered, a mere want of righteousness, though he had committed no sin, yet could not be called innocence, because
that righteousness was what ought to be in him. But the justification of a
sinner, as it supposeth nothing in the man, so neither doth it expect or wait for something to be in him, but it is a pure act of God, and imports a
respect to the mind of God justifying, who, as he calls those things which
are not as though they were, so he can look on those things as not due which are due, and by pardoning remit them. Therefore a pardoned sinner may be said yet to want that righteousness which ought to be in him ; yet since justification expects nothing in the subject, God of his mere grace may pronounce him to be innocent ; and by his remission he may account
that privative want of what should be in man for a mere negative.
In a word, though pardon and the consequent imputation of righteous ness are never to be separated (so that the state of innocence, in which I have but made a supposition a pardoned sinner to be, is never really
existent), yet they are not to be confounded ; and therefore, that we might have distinct thoughts both of the one and the other, I made the foregoing supposition.
The same is to be said concerning acquitment from death, and accept ance to life, between which a middle state may be supposed to be, though the subject not existing, viz., a state of annihilation, which if God should vouchsafe to the sinner, it would be a favour, since Christ says of Judas, that it would have been better for him if he had not been born, or if he should be annihilated.
Therefore over and above the man s absolution, there is some other thing to be added, viz., the imputation of righteousness ; to which is annexed,
acceptance to life, of which the apostle speaks distinctly, Rom. v. 19, when he affirms the obedience of one man to constitute many righteous ; which
in the preceding verse he had called justification of life, or to eternal life ; which contains in itself two parts of righteousness, as the law also requires,
viz., a habitual holiness of nature, and active righteousness of life. For
since we are to be constituted no less righteous in the second Adam than
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the first Adam was to be, as we said before ; and since Adam in law
appeared righteous, both by habitual holiness in his created nature which
certainly God approved as conformable to the law, since he approved of all
his works as good and then at length active righteousness, viz., a perfect
fulfilling of the law was to be added to justification of life ; since these, I
say, were requisite in him, it also is necessary that we should be constituted
righteous before God by both these righteousnesses imputed.
And thus we have finished the first part of this discourse ; and you have heard an entire conformity to the law, both active and passive, to be required to the justification of a sinner. We now hasten to the second part, which
is to treat concerning the righteousness which is in Christ ; and here in like manner I will frame four conclusions.
Conclusion 5. That so many parts of righteousness, as completing the whole righteousness of Christ, are in like manner to be seen in him, as you heard them to be required in the law, and to be parts of our justification, and which seem to be a sufficient payment, and proportionated answerably to our debts, as also exactly to agree to the assigned parts of our justifica
tion, as matter adequate, accommodated, and squared to it. There is no need of a long and large enumeration of particulars. Would you have freedom from the curse of the law ? Christ is made a curse, that he might redeem us from the curse of the law, Gal. iii. 13. And he bore our sorrows, Isa. liii. 4. Would you be so acquitted that your sins may not be imputed ? He who knew no sin was made sin for us, 1 Cor. v. 21. Neither in his death alone was he numbered among transgressors, Isa. liii. 11 ; who was separate from sinners, Heb vii ; but also in his life, in his most exact
subjection to the ceremonial law, by which he professed himself to be the
greatest sinner, since those rites were a public confession of sins. And
Christ was circumcised (as Austin rightly observes) as if he had been born
in sins ; and the like may be said of his other observances ; and so both
imputatively and reputatively he was made sin, that it might not be
imputed unto us. Now I place his obedience to the ceremonial law to the account of his passive obedience. For what is more grievous than for him who knew not sin but as the greatest of all evils, to act the part of a sinner
in the likeness of sinful flesh, not only in suffering, but in observing those ceremonies of the law which were required of men as sinners to observe ; what thing I say, more sharp and grievous than this, could so much as be
imagined ?
Do you desire a righteousness of nature to be superadded to all this ? That holy jthing is called the Son of God, Luke i. 35, that by that sancti-
fication of our nature in him, he might condemn sin in the flesh, Rom. viii. 3.
Do you further desire a righteousness of life ? As he came not to dis
solve the law, but to fulfil it, so he did perfectly accomplish it, John viii. 29. And to what end did he this ? The apostle gives an answer, Bom. x.
* For they, being ignorant of God s righteousness, and going about to
3, 4,
establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the
* For Christ is the end of the law for
righteousness of God. Ver. 4,
righteousness to every one that believeth. Christ is the end of the law, not destructive of it, but to perfect it (as Austin says) ; but in what ? In
justification, of which the apostle there speaks, when he says this in opposi
tion to a man s own righteousness, which the Jews endeavoured to establish.
It was, indeed, the part of the law to justify in man s primitive state, and
to that it was ordained ; but Christ only attained the accomplishment of
this design. And for whom ? Not for himself, to justify himself only,
CHAP. XIX.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 345
* he is the end of the law for righteousness to every one icJw believeth. Whenas the end of the law was the righteousness of man, Christ, being now made
but
* the Lord our righteousness, is called the end of the law. But by what obedience to the law is he so ? What ! By his passive only ? No ; for that same righteousness must Christ bring, which if it were not brought, the law would be frustrated of its end, or he could not be said to be the end of the law. But that righteousness is active ; and to put it out of all
dispute that this righteousness is meant, the apostle adds, that the law
says, that by doing a man shall live, ver. 5. Conclusion 6. The sixth conclusion follows, that all this complete right eousness in Christ, and which answers the law, since it is not wholly due from him, but hath the nature of merit in it, therefore it may be imputed to the sinner. Let it be granted, that if some part of his righteousness was due for himself, that could not be imputed ; yet this also must be insinu
ated, that if the obedience of Adam, as well as his sin, by virtue of the covenant made with us as in him, should have been imputed not only to
him, but to us, though all of it was due from him for himself, why is there not the same reason in some respect that the righteousness of the second Adam should be so too ? Let Bernard be heard speaking in this cause. What ! Is it to be feared (says he) lest thy righteousness, Lord, should not be sufficient both for thee and me, when of God thou art made right eousness unto me ? (And he speaks of that which is active.) It is a short cloak indeed which cannot cover two ; it will, Lord, both cover me and thee.
But what though we grant it, that supposing this righteousness of Christ be due from him for himself, that it would not suffice at least for other
sinners ; yet the contrary is proved by instances of its being meritorious, which then it is when it is not wholly due from Christ on his own account.
As to Christ s passive obedience, there is no doubt of its meriting ; and the same will appear to be true of all the rest. I will begin from Christ s
birth.
The sanctification of his human nature is a natural due to him, it is
true ; but since the divine person assuming it was before that assumption free whether he would assume it or no ; and in assuming man s nature, though most holy, he abased himself, and in this yielded obedience to his
Father, Phil. ii. 7, 8 ; and he so assumed it, that after the assumption that
holy thing born is called the Son of God, Luke i. 35 ; hence it will obtain the account of merit, since it was not in all respects due from the divine
person. This holy thing indeed is called the Son of God, as the blood of Christ is called the blood of God ; ^but yet this Son of God did not want that holiness of the human nature, being himself full of the essential holi ness of God, and therefore it was not in all respects due from him. It was for us Christ was holy
* I sanctify myself.
: John xvii. 19, For them, saith he,
But this will be more clearly evident concerning Christ s obedience to the moral law. For, 1. The greatest part of it was not at all due for himself as man, at least not due in that manner as he performed it. For he might have been man, and yet have lived always in heaven, and then he would have been free
(as now glorified he is) from many duties to be performed, both to God and man in this life, which yet he, whilst he lived amongst men, performed for us.
2. Whenas that holy one is called the Son of God, shall he not have
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the prerogative of a son, and not of a servant only? And when he is called
the Lord of the Sabbath, why not also of the rest of the law ?
3. What though we grant him to have been subject as a creature, yet the obedience is of the whole person, and he is called the Lord our
righteousness. What therefore as a work would be entirely due from the human nature, shall be called the merit of the mediator God-man.
4. What though he now, made under the law, and become a servant, is
held bound to the servitude of the law, as other men are kept, under the
punishment of death ? Yet, since the person assuming was before at his own dispose, and it was only to make satisfaction for us that he took upon him that condition of a servant, this service, though due, will be meritorious. For all motions have their specification and denomination from the begin-
ing and end of them. And as the danger is the greater in that condition, wherein now, having made himself a servant, he is bound to perform this
service for himself, so much greater will be the merit, that for our sakes he
exposed himself to that danger.
And this is yet more evident as to Christ s obedience unto the ceremonial law ; for though he was indeed by nation a Jew, and a son of Abraham,
yet unless he had been a sinner, he was not bound to it, as only the
sinners of the Jews were subject to it. And though those rites of the law
at that time were the manner of divine worship, yet they were not to be
observed but by sinners. Since, therefore, this whole obedience was per formed for our sakes, and he was born for us, and made under the law for
us, the whole of it may be imputed to us.
I will also add this: that since there was no need that these things should be done on the sole account of being qualifying conditions of our
high priest, or as conferring merit on his passive obedience, since the alone
dignity of his person brought enough of both these, Heb. ix. 14 ; therefore
all this obedience is performed on our account, and ought to be imputed to
us, since otherwise it would be to no purpose. But this will be more
clearly demonstrated in the following conclusion, which is this :
Conclusion 7. All these single parts of the righteousness of Christ, though they are of an infinite merit intensively, yet extensively they are not so, but
in their imputation unto us for righteousness they are to be limited to that kind of righteousness only to which they belong.
To explain the meaning of the conclusion, and to illustrate it by a parity of reason. Let us consider, that as all the merits of the whole righteous ness of Christ performed in man s nature are not extended to the angels, Heb. ii. 6, 7 though as to mankind they would suffice to save and justify innumerable millions, and therefore they are said to be, though not inten
sively, yet extensively, infinite so there is the same reason in all the several
parts of the same righteousness compared one with another ; so that though the merit of the passive obedience avails to cancel all our debts of suffering or punishment which are within its sphere, nay, and is sufficient to expiate the guilt of the sins of the whole world, yet it cannot stand in the room
of the active righteousness required by the law, because it is out of its
sphere and kind. And so in like manner neither can the active righteous ness of Christ avail to discharge the due parts of the passive ; and there
fore though each of them is intensively infinite, yet not extensively. !
So then, whereas there is a double debt of punishment and obedience
required in the law from us sinners, the passive righteousness, though in
itself of infinite merit, will not suffice for both of them ; and therefore, since an entire satisfaction of the law is exacted from us, the whole righteousness
CHAP. XIX.] OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 347
of Christ, active and passive, ought to be imputed. And God will require obedience as a satisfaction to the law, not only redundant in a singular kind of merit, but as accomplished in its own particular way and kind. And for this he would have all fulness which denotes perfection of degrees, and all fulness as denoting a perfection of parts, to dwell in Christ, in order
to our reconciliation, Col. i. 19, 20, that we might be complete in him, Col. ii. 10. As it is thus in other parts of our salvation, so in justification
* wisdom,
also, since Christ is all in all, and is made all things to us,
righteousness, sanctification, and redemption, 1 Cor. i. 30 ; where, since
by wisdom may accommodately be understood inherent righteousness, in which sense it is often taken by a synecdoche, and by its redundancy there
it ought so to be understood, Christ is made all the other things to us by the imputation of his righteousness, sanctification by the merit of the sancti
fication of his nature, righteousness by the merit of his active obedience, and
redemption by his passive. And in the same order, though inverted, he doth in the like manner enumerate the parts of justification in his epistle to the Romans, as remission of sins by Christ s death, chap, iv.* And in the beginning of chap, v.,* he says that Christ is made redemption; and then in the end of that chapter he says, that he constitutes us righteous by his active righteousness, which to be meant there is certain, both in that he calls it obedience, and not only so, but righteousness, and also that he
calls the effect proportionate to in-jjustification of life. And it is more
clearly manifest from ver. 17, where, comparing it with the alone disobe dience of Adam, he says,
* If by one offence death reigned by one, much more shall life reign by one, in them who receive that abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness. The comparison is so made, that the gift of righteousness is said to be abundant, not in merit only, but in quantity and number, for the multitude of the acts of righteousness seem to be
opposed to the one disobedience of Adam ; therefore the alone passive right eousness is not understood ; therefore his active is also imputed to us, and
in respect of that too he is made righteousness to us. But when at last, in chap, vii., he had complained of the inherent remainders of sin, which he calls the law of the members of the flesh and of death, he comforts him
self at the first and second verses of chap, viii, in the justification obtained
for him by the sanctification of Christ s human nature, which, therefore, in
opposition to the other law of death, he calls a law of the spirit and of life ; that is, a spiritual and inward law and principle of life*, which he also affirms
to be inherent in Christ ; and this (saith he) hath freed me from the law of
sin and death ; and ver. 3, he affirms Christ sent in the likeness of flesh obnoxious to sin, and yet free from it, to have condemned in his flesh sin which was in ours. Which parts of justification, when the apostle had
perfectly enumerated, he adds this as a conclusion in ver. 4, That the
righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us; that is, that that absolute,
complete, and universal conformity and satisfaction to the law, in suffer
ing the punishment and death, or obedience of life, and holiness of nature,
required of sinners, being found in Christ, and communicated unto us by imputation, is said to be fulfilled in us, as if we had accomplished it. The whole righteousness therefore of Christ, as it ought to be imputed, so de
facto it is imputed unto us.
* These references do not seem to be correct. The former would appear to be to Rom. iii. 25 ; but the statement that Christ is made redemption occurs nowhere but in 1 Cor. i. 30 quoted above. ED. t Qu. it ? ED.
348 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V.
Let me, to conclude all, add an eighth and last proposition, with which
I would not farther lengthen out the discourse, if it were not necessary to
clear up the truth asserted.
Conclusion 8. Though these parts may be considered divisively, as com
posing the merit of our imputed righteousness, yet in the imputation itself
they coalesce into one entire and undivided righteousness ; nor is one" part to be considered separate from the other. The conclusion is thus to be
understood, that though, in the execution or performance of this righteous ness, the parts of Christ s obedience were accomplished, one distinct from
another, and successively, and at length completed by various acts, his
passive obedience after the active, and the active after the sanctification of
his nature ; and though, secondly, an afflicted conscience meditating on its whole misery, and considering by piecemeal the several parts both of the
sin and of the punishment, can therefore in that very righteousness of Christ, apprehended by faith, and therefore imputed, run over all the several parts
of it as a proportionate remedy, and applicable to every one of his distem
pers ; yet such a division is not to be thought of in the imputation, as
though that was successive, or that one part of Christ s righteeousness was
applied to us after another. And the reason is this : the law, since it is
a handwriting, is not to be cancelled, till it be satisfied to the last farthing. Therefore no part of the debt can be said to be paid, unless it be all con
sidered as paid, and the bond cancelled. Therefore the active righteous ness of Christ cannot be said to be imputed, unless also at the same time
his passive righteousness be supposed to be imputed ; and on the contrary, not his passive without the active. For though the merit of one part (suppose it the passive righteousness) doth not depend on the other, viz., the active, *yet the imputation of the merit of each part depends upon the
other. Hence the apostle, 2 Cor. v. 21, says Christ is made sin, and hath taken away the guilt and punishment of it, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Not as if that passive righteousness was
that by which we appear just before God ; but this active righteousness would not be imputed, but upon supposition of the other. Hence therefore
it comes to pass that, the whole work of justification is attributed to one
part of this righteousness, and of right may be so, as it is often attributed
to the death of Christ; which is often inculcated by the assertors of justifi cation by Christ s passive righteousness alone. Thus we are said to be
reconciled by Christ s death, and the like ; and thus also the sanctification of Christ s nature is said to condemn sin in the flesh : which expressions are not to be taken in such a sense, as if the whole merit of imputed right eousness might be found in Christ s death (and so likewise as to the other), but because the imputation of his other righteousness depends upon this, as this also on the other. But it is attributed most often, and chiefly, to Christ s death, for several reasons, the principal of which is this : because
it was the last part paid which cancelled the law s whole handwriting, and was as it were the completing of all the rest.
But yet of this we are to be advised, that though the whole force of the
imputation flows from each part, and in the imputation a one, entire, and undivided righteousness is to be considered as resulting from all the parts
together, yet this doth not hinder but that one part of your justification may be more attributed to one part of the righteousness than to another
(as remission of sins to the death of Christ, and justification of life to his
active obedience). For the like is found in sanctification ; though the whole
sanctifying virtue and energy flow together from his death and resurrection,
CHAP. XX.J OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. 349
yet mortification is rather ascribed to the virtue and power of Christ s death,
as quickening or vivification to his resurrection ; because mortification hath
a greater similitude with his death, as the effect useth to have with its
cause. So likewise remission of sins is rather attributed to Christ s death ;
justification of life to his active obedience, because of the greater congruity
and correspondent proportion. As a whole, Christ is made mediator ; and
that he might be a fit one, it was requisite that he should partake of the
natures of the persons between whom he was constituted mediator, and yet both of them should coalesce into one person, but without confounding them
together ; so that the whole mediatorial work should proceed from both
natures, should reside in both, and should be ascribed to both, both of them concurring to every work of the mediator ; and the whole Christ is
mediator. In like manner it is as to the work of this mediation ; and so
the matter is, that both the active and passive obedience in our one entire
justification bears some resemblance to the two natures of Christ in one
person. For since we owed both of them to the law, he performed them both ; and yet in the performance they were not divided one from the other
(that I may allude to that of David concerning Saul and Jonathan), but were
joined with a most strait and indissoluble bond. For Christ in his life had
suffering actions, and he sustained in his death active passions, as Bernard
speaks. But in the imputation and application of them to us, they coalesce with almost a hypostatical union into one entire righteousness ; so that our whole righteousness proceeds from both, and resides in both, and it may be attributed to both, that the whole righteousness is imputed to us.
CHAPTER XX.*
That the perfect holiness of Christ s nature is imputed to a believer, to justify him against the condemnation of original sin.
The right context of Scripture is half the interpretation ; and therefore I
will shew the coherence of this with the foregoing chapter.
Now. These words refer to the former chapter, and it is as if he had
thus spoken, It therefore follows from what I have said. What had he
said ? He had made in his own person the lamentable complaint of a poor
regenerate soul in his constant conflict ; often foiled, and somewhat pre vailed upon, as in ver. 23, The law in my members brings me into cap
tivity to the law of sin. But it is but the captivity of a prince, one of a
prince-like spirit, though put upon drudgery to do what he hates : What
* but
I hate, that do I. And for holy duties : I would do good, says he,
find no strength for it.
He describes here a regenerate man at his worst. It is evident he speaks of a godly man, one in Christ : wretched man that I am, who shall de
liver me ? I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord, says this man. Therefore he is a man in Christ. It is the greatest misery in the world to such a one to be thus beset with sin. There is no cross like it, and there
* wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death ? Ver. 25, I thank God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God ; but with the flesh the law of sin. He gives thanks for that deliverance he had in his eye ; that he should be delivered from the power of sin at last, * This chapter should evidently have had prefixed to it the text, Horn. viii. 1-4. ED.
fore, says he, ver. 24, 25,
350 OF CHKIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V.
and that lie was freed from the guilt of it at present. And in the 25th verse he makes it clear he intends such a one (viz., a godly man)
: So
* I myself with the mind do serve the law of God. Mark then the scope
then, says he,
: There is therefore now, &c. As if he should
say, If it be the case of a man in Christ, to be as I have said : if he that
yet serves the law of sin in a great measure, is yet a man in Christ, because
in his mind he serves the law of God ; then plainly there is no condem nation to such a one ; for here is the worst case you can suppose him in. I will premise two or three things.
1. That what is said between ver. 1 and ver. 5 is meant of justification. 2. That there is yet a conflict between grace and corrupt nature ; and
yet no condemnation. It is meant of non-condemnation for the corruption of our nature. It might have been said, So far as a regenerate man is
sinful, so far he is liable to condemnation. No, saith he, There is no condem nation to such a man ; for he is
* in Christ, and shall be preserved in him. There is no condemnation to them who walk, &c. 1. They are in Christ
Jesus. 2. They walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. These two
restrain non-condemnation to such. Their being in Christ is the true
original ground why there is no condemnation to them. Though their
conflict be great, and corruptions strong ; yet being in Christ, and flying to him for help, there is no condemnation to them who walk not after the
flesh, but after the Spirit. This is a description who these are. But does he mean it of such as are led captive by sin ? Is there no con demnation of them ? He must intend it of such, or he had said nothing. He is led captive ; but there is a spirit of regeneration in him that works
against his lusts, even in the midst of his captivity. A poor soul hath some weak resistances against sin, even whiles he commits it. There is a thread of the renewed nature still runs through him ; he hath a pulse still, though
it be but weak, and Jesus Christ knows it. There is a stream of spirit runs out against sin, and that is his walk. For otherwise, when a man has but weak resistances against sin, and is overcome, he would be out of Christ, and be in a state of condemnation.
Obs. 1. That our being in Christ, and united to him, is the fundamental
constitution of a Christian. The state of a Christian is expressed so : Rom.
xvi. 7, He was in Christ afore me ; that is, he was converted afore me.
Obs. 2. That union with Christ is the first fundamental thing of justifi
cation, and sanctification, and all. Christ first takes us, and then sends his
Spirit. He apprehends us first. It is not my being regenerate that puts me into a right of all those privileges, but it is Christ takes me, and then
gives me his Spirit, faith, holiness, &c. It is through our union with Christ, and the perfect holiness of his nature, to whom we are united, that we par take of the privileges of the covenant of grace.
For the law of tlie Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. What is the law of the
spirit of life ? It is known by its opposite, sin and death, that is, inherent
corruption. So then the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus is the
holiness of his nature. It is called, the Spirit of life, because it is the same that is in Christ. It is born of him, and this quickens us. Why called a law ? For two reasons. 1. The inherent holiness of
* Thy law is within my heart. His delight to do God s will flowed from the writing of
Christ s nature is called a law in Ps. xl. 8 (which is of Christ),
the law in his heart. 2. Because being in him, it had a right and authority to free us. A law has power to justify or condemn ; and this law, being in
Christ, has power and authority to free us, by virtue of our union with
CHAP. XX.] OF CHEIST THE MEDIATOR. 351
him. And if you would know what is the reason that there is no condem
nation to those in Christ, notwithstanding all the remaining corruptions that are in them, it is because there is such a perfect holiness in Christ, which being mine by my union with him, frees me from the law and power of sin and death.
Hath made me free, &c. As if he should say, It is the case of all the
saints ; what belongs to me as a Christian, belongs to every one that is such,
though ever so weak and small.
For what the law could not do. There was no remedy else. Had God made
us new creatures, yet so far as corruption goes, so far had we been liable
to condemnation. The law was too weak for that work, to free us from the condemnation of indwelling sin. I have a corrupt nature, and I am but
flesh, and therefore can do no good upon it. A man is dead, and you will
give him physic ; but though it be the strongest in the world, it works not. The man is dead ; that renders the strongest physic perfectly weak. And
thus all the helps that are, if given to corrupt nature, could do nothing as
to the freeing you from the power of sin ; but Christ is the only universal
remedy, Acts xiii. 39.
What did God therefore do ? He sent his own Son in the likeness of
sinful flesh, and for sin condemned sin in the flesh. The holiness that is
in Christ s nature takes away the condemning power of original corruption in us. In the likeness of sinful flesh, that is, with all the frailties that for sin were brought upon the flesh of man. Nay, he came into the world as one
that was born in sin. He took upon him the personage of one born
in sin. He was circumcised ; which signified the cutting ofi of origi nal corruption. And his mother must be purified, as being defiled by the bearing of a sinful child. He bore our likeness every way. And the end of this was, to condemn sin in our nature. He was but the likeness of
sinful flesh, yet had power to condemn that sin which is in us.
Condemned sin in the flesh. That is, he put it out of commission. If sin had its full power and authority, as by Moses law it would have, it would condemn us ; but being put out of office, it is to be executed. It is con demned by the holiness of Christ s nature ; and being condemned itself, it cannot condemn you. This is in respect of corruption yet remaining, than which nothing can be more comfortable to a poor soul.
What is the ground of this assertion ? There are two reasons for it. One is, that whatever Jesus Christ did or suffered in this world for us, it hath an efficacy to free us ; it is as good law as ever was. The law says,
* Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things written in the law
to do them. And it speaks it to all that are under the law, Gal. iii. 10. How is this curse removed ? By as good law as that it came in by ; ver. 13,
* Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for
us. He took sin upon himself, and so freed us. Everything that Jesus Christ did, it was for us. He was circumcised, and this by a just law pro cures for us the circumcision of our corrupt nature : Col. ii. 11, In whom
also you are circumcised. You were circumcised with him, because you you were in him, and so this his circumcision is yours, and made good upon you. This condemned sin in your flesh. There is never a sore we have, but Christ has a plaster for it. The other reason of it is, the ordination of the Father. God sent his own Son, and he sent him for that very purpose, for sin. What came Christ into the world for ? For sin ; not to sin himself. He had not come
into the world but for sin, namely, to take it away. He took away actual
352 OF CHRIST THE MEDIATOR. [BOOK V.
sin by his suffering ; and original sin, by his taking on him the likeness of
sinful flesh, which in him was perfectly sanctified.
And he was the Son of God. Had God created a man holy, and only put him into the world in the likeness of sinful flesh, that would not have taken away our sins. But for the Son of God to take on him our nature, that
only could do it, 1 John i. 7, The blood of Jesus Christ his Son, cleanseth us from all sin. The blood of angels could not have done it, but from the Son of God in our nature comes this virtue.
That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us. The law had a
righteousness against us ; and whatever the law saith, it saith to them
that are under the law ; and what the law saith, it saith it to sinners. Well,
let the law say what it will, Christ answers it. It says, You are a sinner.
Well, but Jesus Christ was made sin for me. You are under the curse.
True, but Jesus Christ was made a curse for me, that I might be made the
righteousness of God in him. The law is answered here again. There be three parts of justification. First, The taking away of actual sin; this is handled in chap. iii. ver 24, All have sinned, &c. His passive obedience takes away the guilt of actual sin. But, secondly, we ought to have an
actual righteousness reckoned to us. This is handled in Eom. v. 18, As
by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation ; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift came upon all unto justification of life. The active obedience of Jesus Christ made many righteous. Justi
fication lies not only in pardon of sin, but in the righteousness of Christ
imputed to us, and imputed to us as Adam s sin was.
But the law is not fulfilled yet ; for we have corruption of nature in us. The apostle therefore in this Rom. viii. 4, he brings in the third part of
justification, viz., That Christ came into the world in our nature, and ful
filled the righteousness of the law, in having that nature perfectly holy. And now the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in all parts of it ; here is a
perfect justification, and we desire no more.