' ! ·. • •\,i , . Book IV. Lsoking r~nts 1efw. this original rigbteoufgeffe anfwered for our original unrighteoufne!fe, his active obedienee is his doing of legal obedience unto the command; and his paffive obedience is his fuffering of puni{hment due unto us for our fins.- I {hall yet a little further enlarge this difiinction of the righteoufne!fe of ( brifi, and give it in thus; viz.. The righteoufne!fe of c;_brift is either negative (tfl may fo {peak) Qr po!ittve ; by the negative I underftand the abfence cf all ·fins and vices, forbidden 111 the law; by the pofitive, 1 meane both a prefence of all vertues, and duties, re~ quired to the perfect fulfilling of the law, as alfo a voluntary fuffering of the penalty, to fatisfie the commination and curfe of the law. ' 1. The negative righteoufne!fe is that which we call the in, nocency ofChrift: we read often in Scriptures that he was both blamelefs and fpotlefs ; I. Blamelefs, free in himfelfe from all imputation offin ; to this purpofe Cbrift challenged the Jews, Job. S. -t6. -which of ;au convi1f(:r.th me ofJinne ? .in all his life he was unblame. able and unreproveable; and therefore now towards the end of his life, he askes the people with whom he had converfed, -which of 1ou.convinceth rne offin ? 2 . Spotle!fe, free from all in.fection 1 t>et -. I . 9• offin; Peter calls him a Lamb without blemifo, ar~d without JPot; Htb, 7 • t6 . and Paul an highPrieft, holy , harme!ef[e, and Hndefiled; one who never did evil)norfpakeevil; he did no {inm (faith the Apoftle) :t Pee. :. ~ :&• neither wM guile found m hu mouth, one who never offended fo much as in thought, but was abfolutely and in all refped:s Hcb. of· I f· 'X.f"fl~tt't-tet.pTlat~ without allfin. ( _:. 2 . The pofitive righteoufnefs ofChritl is twofold, his perfeCt fulfilling of all things commanded, and his perfed: fat isfying of the puniihmen t threatned; The former is the holine!fe ofChrift; this alfo is twofold, the holinetfe of his nature, and the holinefs of his life and converfation ; the former is tQat we call bis habitual righteoufne!fe , the latter is that we call his ad:ual obedience. And thus much ofthe difiind:ion of the righteoufoefs ofChdft. ... : ~. \ SECT. '
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