484 The nature of yu f1ification, -as declared often afcribed unto the Death and Blood of Chritt in a lignai manner. The reafons of it have partly been intimated before, and a further account of them, (hall be given immediately. But it doth not thence follow, that the Obedience of hic life wherein he fulfilled the whole Law being made under it for us, is excluded from any caufality therein, or is not 'imputed unto us. But in oppofition thereunto he thus argueth. Si obedientia vite Chrifli nobis ad juflitiam imp utaretur,non fuit opus ChrifIum pro nobis mori; mori enim necefje fuit -pro nobis injufiis, I Pet. 3. 18. f ergo ju fti effec`i`i fumas per vitam illius, eaufa nulla fa fuit cur pro nabis moreretur 5 quia juflitia Dei non patitur ut puniatjuftor. At punivit nos in Chr flo, feu quod idem valet punivit chrif1um pro nobis., & loco uoftri, pofteaquam ilk fanCie vixiffet, ut certum eft è Scriptura. Ergo non fumas jufti effecli per fane`fam vitam Chrifti. Item, Chriftus mortuus eft ut juftitiam illam Dei nobis aequireret. 2 Cor. 5. 21. Non igitur illdm acquifiverat ante mortem. But this whole Argument, I fay, proceeds upon an evi- dent mi(lake. For it fuppofeth finch an order of things, as that the Obedience of Chrift or his Righteoufnefs in fulfilling the Law, is frrft imputed unto us, and then the Righteoufnef ofhis death is afterwards to take place, or to be imputed unto us, which on that fuppofition he Pays would be of no ufe. But no fuck order or Divine conftitutíon is pleaded or pre- tended in our Ju(tification. It is true, the life of chrift, and his Obedience unto the Late did precede his Sufferings , and undergoing the curie thereof; neither could it otherwife be. For this order of thefe things between themfelves was made neceffary from the Law of Nature ; But it dock not thence fbllow that it mutt be obferved in the Imputation or Appli- cation of them unto us. For this is an effet. of Soveraign W3fdom and Grace,not refpeéing the natural order of Ch rifts Obedience and Suffering;, but the moral order of the `things where-
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