zoo BookiV. JLootttng unto 'Jjcfu.s. Jchn8. 46. ·,per.'· i9. llcb. 7· t6, 2 Pet. !.'lt. l:lcb. 4· 1). CHAP. IV. SECT. r. Of the f ollrtb year of Chrifi's minifl•y, and gmeralfy of his ailings i;z · tbat year, THis I>) as the !~(\ year of Chrift's mini(\ry in which were thoufands of palfages: The _Evangeh(\ l ohp reia:es more of Chrift this year than in all the former; and rf I fiud15d not brevtty, we might dwell more on his actings for us this year, than hJtherrowe have.done from the beginnrngof his miniftry. Now it was that he was tra~figured ; now tt was that be inftituted that Sacrament called tht Lords Supper; .now 1t was that after fupper he made his farewell Sermon, rarely mixt of fadnefs and )Oyes, an~ fiude~ wtth my(\eries as with Emerals ; now it was, that after Sermon he bleO:ed Ius Dtfctples, and prayed for them, and then having fung an Hymn, he went out tnto the Mount of Olives, where in a Garden he began his futfer– ings. On thefe paffages I had thought to have enlarged, but I fee the Book fwells un– de~ my ba~ds, ~nd now that I am drawing near Chn!t's fufferings, Ilhall only touch one pomt, wlu.ch bttheno I have pretermitted, and is the mo(\ comprehenfive of any paffage I can couch, . Many ~ell:ions are about the holinefs, or righteoufnefs, or obedience of Chrift. ·As whether it belong to us? And whether it be the matter of our ju(\ification? And whe– ther Chrift was bound to obferve 'the law of works as a Medtator, or only asa meer man? And whether we are not juftified by the pa!live righteoufnefs of Chrift only? and feeing now we are difcovering Chri(\s actings in reference to our fouh falvation, we (annot p.afs this main bufinefs, whereof much relates to Chrifi's life, as well as to l1is concepdon, or birth, or death, or fuffedngs. · - S !!: C T. II. Of the diftinElions, or feveral divifiom of Chrift's Rightwif'nefs. FOr the better uodrrfianding of Chrifi's Righteoufnefs, we ufually diftinguifh , that Chrift'6 Righteoufnefs is either that righteoufnefs inherent in him, or performed by him; . the righteoufnefs performed by him, is either hisfulfilling the Commandments, or l1is fatisfying the curfe of the Law. The famr diftinctionis given by others in thefe terms, Chrift's Righteoufnefs is either his original conformity, or his active and pailiveQbedi– cnce unto the Law: his original conformit:._ is that gracious inherent difpolition in Chrift from the firft inftant of his conception, vihereby he was habitually conformable to the Law; and this original righteoufnefs anfwered for our original unrighteoufnefs; his aCtive obedience is his doing of legal obedience unto the command, and IllS pailive obedience is his fuffedng of punifl1menr due unto us for our !ins.- I!hall yet a lmle fur– ther enlarge this diftincti6n of the rightcoufnefs of Chri(\, and giveit in .rhus ; viz.. Tbe righteou_fnefs of Chrift is either n~garive ( if I may fo f~eak) .or polittve; by rl1e ne– gadve I underfiand the abfence. of all fins and ,-ices, forbtdden tn the Law ; by the po– litive, I mean both a prefence of all vermes, and dunes, reqmred to the perfec't fuifil– ling of the Law, as alfo avoluntary fuffering of the penalty, to fausfie the commtnatton and curfe of rhe Law. l. The negativerighteoufnefs is that which we call rhe innocency of Chri(\: we md ofren in Scriptures that he was both blaAldefs and fpotle.fs: I. Blamelefs, free m h!m– felf from all imputation of fin; to thiS purpofe Cbrtft challenged the Jews. IVhtch uf you convinceth me of fin.? In all his life he was unblameable and unreproveable; and there– fore now towards the end of his life he asks rhe people with whom he had conve&d, Which of y 01 econvinceth me of fin ?Spotlefs, free from all infection of lin; Peter ea!Islum a Lamb withollt blemjfh, and .without [pot; and Paul, an high Prieft,. holy, harmlcfs, andundefiled ;one who never d1d evti, nor fpake cvtl; he dtd no fin ( fatth the Apollle) neither IVM guile found in hiJ mouth; one who never offended fo much as Ill rlwughr, but was abfolu1cly and in all refpects %'"!'' i!'~p7!~,, Wtthom ~//fin: z. Tile
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