Clarke - BV4500_C46_1659_v1

z7o. II. II. Qaeffion.r,and Cafes ofConfcience Chap. 2.9 and4.lo. Mat.2o.28. i Tim.2.6. Job 33.24. 1 Joh.z.r. Hcb.7. 22. unteall the debt wherewithwe anyway floodchargeable. Quell. What fatirfaCtion didChrift our Surety bindehimfelf toperferr; in our behalf ? Anfw. It was of a double debt, the principal,and theacceffory. Quell. What mat the principald,bt ? Arfw. Obedience to Gods moo holy Law, which man was bound to pay as a perpetual tribute to his Creator , though he had never finned ; butbeing now by his own default become bankrupt , he is not able todifcharge in the ceeft meafure; his Surety therefore being to fatisfie in his (lead, none will be found fit to undertake fuch a payment , but he who is both God and man. Quell. whymuff he be man ? Anfw. Fir(}, becaufe man was the party that .by theArticles ofthe fiat Cove- nant, was tyed to this obedience, and it was requifite that as by the difobedtence of one man , many weremade 'inners,fo by the obedience ofone man,fhould many be maderirhteo s, Rom.5.19. Secondly, if our Mediatorwere only God, he could haveperformed noobe- dience (the God-head being free fromall manner of fubjeelion.) ueff. why mill he be god? Anfw. Becaufe, ifhe were a bare man, though he had been as perfe& as A- dam inhis integrity , or the Angels chemfelves : yet being left untohimfelf a- mid(+ all the tentations ofSatan , and this wicked world , he Ihould havebeen Cub eel to fall as they were ; or had he heldout , as the cleft Angels did , it mull have been afcribed to thegrace, and favour ofanother , whereas the ri- ving of f}rió& fatisfaelion to Gods jullicewas the thing required : but now be- ingGod as well as man, heby his own eternal fpirit preferved himfelf with- out fpot, prefentinga far more fatisfa&ory obedience unto God , then Adam could pollìbly have performed in his integrity. Queo. Howmay that appear ? Anfw. Befides the infinitedifference that was betwixt both their perfons , which makesthe aetions of the one beyond all comparifon to exceed the worth and value ofthe other , we know that Adamwas not able tomakehim- felf holy,but what holineffe he had, he received it from him that created him after his own image, fo that whatfoever obedience Adam had performed , God Ihould have caten but of the fruit of the vineyard which himfelf had 1 planted,( Cor.9.7, and of his ownwould all that have beenwhich could be gi- ven to him , 1 Citron. 29.14,16. But Chrilldid himfelf fanaife that humane nature which he affemed, John 1 7.19. and foout of his own peculiar (}oredid he bring forthchofe precious treafuresofholyobedience,which for the fatisfa&i- onof our debt,he waspleafed CO tender to hisFather. Secondly, if Adamhaddone all things that were commanded him, he mutt for all that have faid ,Iaman unprofitablefervant,l have not donethat which was my duty to do, Luke 17.10. whereas in the voluntary obedience which Chrill fub_ jebled himfelf to , the cafe flood far otherwife. Indeed ifwe refpe& him in his humane nature, hisFather is greater then he, fob: 14. 28. and he is his Fathers fervant , Ifa. 53.11. Mark 12.18. yet in that he moll truly faid , that Godwashis Father, John 5.18. the Jewes did rightly infer from thence that thereby he madehimfelf equal with God, and the Lord hash proclaimed him to be the man that it hitfallow, Zach.13.7. Being therefore fuch a man, andfo highlyborne, by the priviledgeof hisbirth-right, he might have claimed an ex- emption from the ordinary fervice which all other men aretyed to ; and by being the Kings fon, he might have freed himfelf from the payment of that tribute which wasto be enact:of orangers, Match. 17. z 5o 26. when the Father

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