316 Of COMMUNION With IQ That whatever was required ofus by virtue of any law, that he did and fulfilled. Whatever was required of us, by the law of nature in our fiate of innocency, whatever kind of duty was added bymorally pofitive, or ceremonial inflitutious, whatever is required of us in way of obedience to righteous judicial laws, he did it all. Hence he is faid to he made un- der the law, Gal. iv. 4. fubje& or obnoxious to it, to all the precepts or commands of it. So Matt. iii. 15. he faid, it became him to fulfil all righteoufrefs, w omv &itviiomísne, all manner of righteoufnefs whatever (a) 3 that is, every thing that God required, as is evident from the application of that general axiom to the baptifm of John. I than not need for this to go to particular inftances, in the duties of the law of nature, to God and his parents, of morally pofitìve in the fabbath, and other alts of worfhip ; the ceremonial law, in circumcifion, and obfervation of all the rites of the Judaical' church, in paying tribute to governours. It will fuffice I prefume that on the one hand he did no fan, neither was guile found in bis mouth, and on the other, that he fulfilled all righteoufnefs, and there- upon the father was always well pleated with him. This was that which he owned of himfelf, that he came to do the will of God, and he did it. z.] There was a peculiar law of the mediator, which refpeeted himfelf merely, and contained all thofe ads and duties of his, which are not for our imitation. So that obedience which he lhewed in dying, was peculiar- ly to this law (b), Joh. x. 18. Ihave power to lay down my life. This com- inandment have I received o f my father. As mediator, he received titis pe- culiar command of his father, that he fhould lay down his life, and take it again, andhe wasobedient thereunto. Hence we fay, he, who is media- tor, did force things merely as a man fubjech to the law of God in general, fohe pray'd for his perfecutors, thofe that put him to death, Luke xxiii. 24. tome things as mediator ; fo he pray'd for his cleft only, Joh. xvü. 9. There were not worfe in the world really and evidently, than many of them that crucified him ; yet as a man fubje& to the law, he forgave them and prayed for them. When he prayed as mediator, his father always heard him, and anfwered him, Joh. xi. 41. and in the other prayers,ihe was accepted as lie éxadly performing his duty. This then is the obedience of Chrift, which was the firft thing propofed to be confidered. Thenext is, [a.] That it hath an influence into the grace of which we fpeak, where- in we hold communion with him, namely our free acceptation with God, what that influence is, mull alto follow in its order. a.) For his habitual righteoufnefs, I !hall only propofe it under there two confiderations, r.] That upon this fuppofition, that it was needful that we Mould have a mediator that was God and man in one perfon, as it could not otherwife be, it mutt needs be, that he mutt be fo holy. For although therei he but one primary neceffary effett of the hypoftatical union, which is the fubfilt- ence of the humane nature in the perfonof the fon of God, yet that he (a) Buia iegis fervi turi fubjeftus, ut eam impiendo nos ab ea redimeret, & ab ejus fevisare f ee r (b) Propriu objettum obedienriæeft preceptum racitum, vet exp eifum, id et, v pe ioris quocunque mods ionoeefcar, Thom. a. x, q. 2. S. Dear. xvüi. ai. Aft, iii. n. Job, XII. 49. chap. naiv. 3i. Joh. vi. 38, Joh. v. 3o. that
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