Brown - BS2685 B86 1695

3$: Mr, Baxter's Pram' eppofition to Itnput. examined. C x A P. t6,- tute Himfelf in our Law - place, & in fo far fuffered , in the Law - perfon of be- Ieevers, as well as in their Nature. We come next to Sefi 9. pag.73. Where Mr. Baxter propofeth an obje- Elion, that thole of his minde do ufe vil. If we had fulfilled all the Law repu- tatively by Chriff , ar our legal perfon , we could not be bound to further Obedience ;oit. This is founded ( if it be diredted againft the Orthodox., & not meet -' Iy againfl the A;ttinomianr ) upon the mil-take of the true meaning ofthefe 'words , as our legal perfon & Reputatively, When we fpeak of Chrift's being our legal perfon , we mean Hisbecorniog our Surety , and putting His name in our Bond, and fatisfying the Law , as our Surety , in our room & head : and that therefore, all His own , being now united to Him by faith , are dealt with , as if they had fulfilled the Law themfelves ; Chrifl'c fulfilling of it , being now imputed to them , and received by faith , unto the-ends , for which it was ordained ; that is , to be accounted theirs and reckoned on their fcore , in order to the obtaining of the Reward promifed to Adam , on Condition of per fear obedience. This being fo , it is manifcfl , that hence it will not follow , that beleevers are not now bound to obedience to the Law. What faith he we anfwere hereunto ? That we are not bound to obeyto the fig. me ends, asf/,riji; that is , for fìighteoufnefs, or juflification, or Merite : but in gratitude. It is true , Beleevers are not now bound to obey the Law , for that end, that Adams was obliged to , that not being now poffible , and the Lord not requiring it , for that end & purpofe , that we should purchafe the reward of life to ourfelves thereby , & have a Righteoufnefs whereby we may be ,uflified , by the Righteous judge , and purchafe or merite to ourfel- ves the Reward : but among other ends , to declare our Thankfulnefs unto God , & to fet forth His Glory. What faith he to this anfwere ? He;udgethitto be a yeeldingof the Cuufe, & ignorantly todeflroy our own, for 7 o. S reafons. i . This is to fay , that when a Man it reputed to have fill fel /cd all the Lam; yet it it to be reputed unfulfilled , as to certain ends ; as of he fulfilled all the Law , that Jul tilted it not to all due ends. Anf This is , as if one should reafon from our faying, that Chrift bore the whole Curfe, and yet beleevers are not freed from Fatherly chaflifements ; that this is to fay, That he bore all the Curfe , that did not bear it under all Confiderations, as to all effeEts, Coat might paffe under other Confiderations, & accor- dingly be endured for other ends & advantages. (z) Beleevers are reputed in Chrifl to have fufilled the Law , in order to the obtaining of the Crown; and in reference to that, to have fulfilled the Law to all due ends , but not to have done it in themfelves , or in their own Natural perlons. Nor is the fulfilling,ofit by their Surety imputed ro them , to exeem them from under the Authority of God & of His Law;: far lefs particularly to exeem them,. from teftifying their Love & Gratitude , by endeavouring after Obedience to the Law , upon Gofpel- Principles, & Grounds, & upon Gofpel- motives, for Grrfpel- ;ends. z. Or ( faith he ) at if the Law obliged one man to fulfill it twice over, for the fame lifer time;, once fimply, .d1' in all its obligations , 4s mother time for other: ends,

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