Light for Them that Sit in Darkness, Book · Part 5
That Christ was made under the Law.
BUt Secondly, Christ was made under the Law. When the fulness of the time was come▪ God sent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law, Gal. 4. 4.
Of right, being found in flesh, he must needs be under the Law, for that there is not any Creature, above or without Law to God, (but this is not to the point in hand) Christ was not therefore under the Law because he was found in flesh, but he took flesh, and designedly put himself, or was made under the Law; wherefore 'tis added, he was made under the Law to Redeem, to redeem them that were under the Law. Wherefore here is a design, an Heavenly contrivance, and device on foot. Christ is made, that is, by design, subjected under the Law, for the sake, and upon the account of others: To redeem them that were under the Law.
Made under the Law; that is, put himself into the Room of Sinners, into the Condition of Sinners; made himself subject to the same pains and penalties we were obnoxious to. We were under the Law, and it had dominion over us, bound us upon pain of Eternal Damnation to do compleatly all things written in the Law. This Condition Christ put himself into, that he might redeem: for assuredly we had else perished.
The Law had dominion over us, and since we had sinned, of right it pronounced the Curse, and made all men subject to the Wrath of God. Christ therefore did not only come into our Flesh, but also into our Condition, into the Valley and Shadow of Death where we were, and where we are as we are Sinners. He that is under the Law, is under the Edge of the Axe. When David was to go visit his Brethren, and to save them from the Hand of Goliah, he was to look how his Brethren fared, and to take their Pledg, 1. Sam. 17. 18. This is true of Jesus Christ, when he came to save us from the Hand of Death and the Law; he looked how his Brethren fared, took to heart their deplorable Condition, and put himself into the same Plight, to wit, under the Law, that he might redeem them that were under the Law.
I told you before, that he came sinless into the World, that he had a miraculous Conception, and wonderful Birth: And here you see a Reason for it, he was to be put, or made under the Law to redeem. He that will be made under the Law to redeem, had need be sinless, and spotless himself; for the Law findeth fault with the least, and condemneth man for the first beginning of Sin.
Without this then there could not have been Redemption, nor any the Sons of God by Adoption; no Redemption, because the Sentence of Death had already past upon all; no Sons by Adoption, because that's the Effect of Redemption. God sent forth his Son made of a Woman, made under the Law to redeem them that were under the Law, That we might receive the Adoption of Sons. Christ then by being made under the Law, hath recovered his from under the Law, and obtained for them the Priviledg of the Adoption of Sons.
For as I told you before, Christ stood a Common Person, presenting in himself the whole Lump of the promised Seed, or the Children of the Promise; wherefore he comes under the Law for them, takes upon him to do what the Law required of them, takes upon him to do it for them.
He began therefore at the first Tittle of the Law, and going in mans Flesh, for man, through the Law, He becomes the End of the Law for righteousness, for every one that believeth. The END of the Law, what is the End of the Law, but perfect and sinless Obedience? that is the End of the Law both with respect to its Nature, and the Cause of its being imposed. God gave the Law, that compleat Righteousness should by that be found upon men, but because sin was got into man's Flesh, therefore this Righteousness, by us, could not be compleated: Now comes Christ the Lord into the World, clothes himself with the Children's Flesh, addresseth himself to the Work of their Redemption, is made under the Law; and going through every part of the Law without Sin, he becometh the End of the Law for Justifying Righteousness to every one that believeth, Rom. 10. 4. For he obeyed not the Law for himself, he needed no obedience thereto: 'Twas we that needed obedience, 'twas we that wanted to answer the Law, we wanted it but could not obtain it, because then the Law was weak through the Flesh; therefore God sent his own Son, and he did our duty for us, even to become the End of the Law to every one that believeth: In this therefore Christ laboured for us, he was made under the Law to redeem. Therefore, as I said before, It behoved him to be sinless, because the Law binds over to answer for sin at the Bar of the Judgment of God. Therefore did his God-Head assume our humane Flesh, in a clean and spotless way that he might come under the Law, to redeem them that were under the Law.
For consisting of two Natures, and the Personality lieing in the God-Head, which gave value and worth to all things done for us by the Man-hood, the Obedience takes denomination from thence, to be the Obedience of God. The Sons Righteousness, the Sons Blood; the Righteousness of God, the Blood of God, Heb. 5. 8, 9. Phil. 3. 7, 8. Acts 20. 28. 1 John 3. 16.
Thus Jesus Christ came into the World under the Law to redeem; not simply as God, but God-Man, both natures making one Christ. The God-head therefore did influence and give value to the human Flesh of Christ in all its Obedience to the Law; else there would have been wanting that Perfection of Righteousness which only could answer the Demands and Expectation of the Justice of God, to wit, Perfect Righteousness by Flesh.
But the Second Person in the God-head, the Son, the Word, coming under the Law for men in their Flesh, and subjecting himself by that Flesh to every tittle, and demand of the Law; all, and every whit of what was acted, and done by Jesus Christ God-man for us, it was, and is the Righteousness of God: and since it was not done for himself, but for us (as he saith in the Text, to redeem.) The Righteousness by which we are set free from the Law, is none other but the Righteousness that alone resideth in the Person of the Son of God.
And that it is absolutely necessary thus it should be, is evident, both with respect to God, and also with respect to Man.
1. With respect to God. The Righteousness is demanded by God: therefore he that comes to redeem, must present before God a Righteousness absolutely perfect; this can be done by none but God.
2. With respect to Man. Man was to present this Righteousness to God, therefore must the Undertaker be man. Man for Man, and God for God, God-Man between God and Men. This Days-man can lay his Hand upon us both, and bring God and Man together in peace, Job. 9. 33.
Quest. But some may say, What need of the Righteousness of one that is naturally God? had Adam who was but a mean Man stood in his Innocency, and done his duty, he had saved himself and all his Posterity.
Ans. Had Adam stood he had so long secured himself (from the Wages of Sin) and Posterity so long as they were in him. But had Adam sinned, yea, although he had not defiled his Nature with filth, he could never after that have redeemed himself from the Curse of the Law; because he was not equal with God: for the Curse of the Law is the Curse of God, but no man can deliver himself from the Curse of God, having first transgressed. This is evident because Angels, for sin, lie bound in Chains, and can never deliver themselves.
He therefore that redeemeth man from under the Law, must, not only do all the good that the Law requireth, but bear all the Penalty that is due by the Law for sin.
Should an Angel assume human Flesh, and in that Flesh do the Law, this Righteousness would not redeem a Sinner, it would be but the Righteousness of an Angel, and so, far short of such a Righteousness as can secure a Sinner from the Wrath of God. But thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy Soul, with all thy Heart, with all thy Mind, with all thy Strength. If there was no more required of us, now to redeem our selves, it would be utterly impossible for us to do it, because in the best there is sin, which will intermix it self with every duty of Man. This being so, all the Heart, all the Soul, all the Strength, and all the Mind, to the exact requirement of the Justice of the Law, can never be found in a Natural Man.
Besides, For this Work there is required a perfect Memory, always to keep in mind the whole Duty of Man, the whole of every tittle of all the Law, lest sin come in by forgetfulness.
2. A perfect Knowledg and Judgment, lest sin come in by ignorance.
3. An everlasting Unweariedness in all, lest sin and continual Temptations tire the Soul, & cause it to fail before the whole be done.
For the Accomplishing this last, he must have,
1. A Perfect Willingness, without the least thought to the contrary.
2. Such an hatred of sin, as is not to be found, but in the Heart of God.
3. A full delight in every Duty, and that in the midst of all temptations.
4. A continuing in all things to the well-pleasing of the Justice of God.
I say, should the penalty of the Law be taken off, should God forgive the Penalty and Punishment due to sins that are past, and only demand good works now, according to the Tenour of the Law, no man could be saved: there would not be found that Heart, that Soul, that Mind and that Strength any-where in the World.
This therefore must cease for ever unless the Son of God will put his Shoulder to the Work; but blessed be God he hath done it: When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law, to redeem them that are under the Law.