456 B)ok. IV. Looking unto :Jefus. Cbap-4- Sett .4 'Luke J. 3;, • - ------- life is d.at whereby a thing aCI:eth and moveth it felfe and it is the caufe and beginning of action &motion: and this Spirit of life, or life it felf being here applied to Chrifr,it is that in Chrifr which is the beginning and caufe of all his holy aCI:ions, and what was that but his Original holineffe, or the holinefs of his humane nature? but why is the holinefs of Chrifts nature, called the Spirit of life ? I anfwer, 1. Becaufe it was infufed into his manhood 'by the Spirit of God, the holy G,hoft /hall come upon theetherefore alfo that holy thing rrhich fh,lll be borne ofthee /hAll be called the SonneofG8d. 2. Becaufeitisamofrex.aCI:,andabfolute and BerfeCI: holinefs; the Scripture-phraze fetting out things in'perfection or fulnefs! ufual!y adds the word spirit unto them ; as the fpirit of pride, the Spirit of truth, and the fpirit oferror; fo then the meaning of the Spirit of life is all one with the mofr abfolute and mofr perfeCI: purity, and bolineffe of the nature ofChrifr. It is briefly as if the Apofile had faid, the law ofthe Spirit oflife, or the power ofthe moft abfolute and perfeCI: holirieffe of the nature ofChrift, hath freed me from the law offin and death; hath - acquitted me from the p·ower of my finful nature, and from the power of death due to me in refpeel: of my finful and corrupt llature. We might draw from hence thiS conclufion, thatthe benefit.ofChrifts habitual righmufmf[e infu/(d at his firft conception, is imputed to beleevers to their jufliftcation. As the obedience ofhis life, and the merit of his death, fo the holineffe infufed at his -very conception,hath its influence into our juftification: it is by, the obedience of his life that we are accounted aCI:ually holy, &)y the purity of his conception (or habitual grace) that we are accounted perfonally holy. But I muft not fray here; Thus much ofthe·holineffe ofChrifts nature. -----..--------A):~..----- SECT. 4· Ofthe ho!inef[e of Chrifts lifr. _ z. fOr the holineffeof Chrifls life, the Apoftletells us, that by the obedience ofone, I?WIJ /hllll be made righteous; here•s the obedience ofChrift, and its infl.uenr;e oa us. 1. The obedi- . - ence
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=