34 MEDITATIONS AND DISCOURSES a woman, and thereby made under the law. In his di- vine person he was Lord of the law, above it, no more obnoxious unto its commands, than its curse. Neither was he afterwards inhimself ou his own account unob- noxious unto its curse, merely because he was innocent, but also because he was every way above the law itself and all its force. This was the original glory of his obedience. The wisdom, the grace, the love, the condescension that was in this choice, animated every act, every duty of his obedience rendering it amiable in the sight of God, and useful unto us. So when he went unto John to be baptized, he who knew he had no need of it on his own account, would have declined the duty of administering that ordinance unto him; but he replied, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us tofulfil all righteousness, Matt. iii. 15. This I have undertaken willinglyof my own accord, without any need of it for myself, and therefore will discharge it. For him who was Lord of all universally, thus to submit himself to universal obe- dience, carrieth along with it an evidence of glorious grace. 2. This obedience, as unto the use and end of it, was not for himself, but for us. We were obligedunto it, and could not perform it; he was not obliged unto it any otherwise but by a freeact of his own will, and did perform it. God gave him this honour, that he should obey for the whole church, that by his obedience we should be made righteous, Rom. v. 19. Herein, I say, did God give him honour and glory, that his obe- dience should stand in the stead of the perfectobedience of the church as unto justification. 3. His obedience being absolutely universal, and ab- solutely perfect, was the great representative of the ho- liness of God in the law. It was represented glorious when the ten words were written by the finger of God in tables of stone: it appears yet more eminently in the spiritual transcription of it in the hearts of believers; but absolutely and perfectly it is exemplified only in the holiness and obedience ofChrist, which answered it unto the utmost. And this is no small part of his glory in obedience, that theholiness of God in the law-was there- in, and therein alone in that one instance, as unto hu- man nature, fully represented. 4. He wrought out this obedience against all difficul- ties and oppressions. For although he was absolutely free from that disorder whichin us bath. invaded our whole natures, which internally renders all obedience difficult untous, and perfect obedience impossible; yet as unto opposition from without, in temptations, suffer. ings, reproaches, contradictions, he met with more thanwe all. Hence is that glorious word, although he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered. Heb. v. 8. See our exposition of this place. But, 5. The glory of. this obedience ariseth principally from the consideration of the person, who thus yielded it unto God. This wasno other but the Son of God made man; God and man in one person. Hewhb was in heaven, above all, Lord of all, at the same time lived in the world in a condition of no reputation, and a course of the strictest obedience unto the whole law of God. He unto, whom prayer was. made, prayed himselfnight and day. He whom all the angels of hea- ven, and all creatures worshipped, was continually con- versant in all the duties of the worship. of God. He who was over the house, diligently observed the mean- est office of the house. He that made all men, in whose hand they are allas clay in the hand of the pot- ter, observed amongst them the strictest rules ofjustice, in giving unto every one his due, and of charity, in givinggood things that were not so due. This is that which renders the obedience of Christ in the discharge of his office, both mysterious and glorious. 2dly. Again, the gloryof Christ is proposed unto us in whathe suffered in the discharge of the office which he had undertaken. There belonged indeed unto his office, victory, success, and triumph with great glory. Ise. lxiii. 1 -5. But there were sufferings also requir- ed of him antecedently thereunto. , Ought not Christ to suffer, and to enter into his glory? But such were these sufferings of Christ, as that in our thoughts about them, our minds quickly recoil in a sense of their insufficiency to conceive aright of them: never anyone launched into this ocean with his medi- tations, but he quickly found himselfunable to fathom the depths of it; nor shall I here undertake an inquiry into them. 1 shall only point at this spring of glory, and leave it under a veil. We might here look on him as under the weight of the wrath of God, and the curse of the law; taking on himself, and on his whole soul, the utmost of evil that
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