Goodwin - BX9315 G6 v2

108 Of the JV!on:>ledg of (jod the Father, ~ Lift in himfllf; [So J hath he given to the Son to have Life in him/elf) do ~ !hew. He can now fay that which no Creature can fay ; and that which were blafphemy in their Mouths, is now not fo in his : for he holds not his Life, ad vohmtatem Domini; but as the Second Perfon bath a natural Right to his fub– fiftence, fo now bath this Man, being made one Perfon with him : and fo by virtue of that Union, bath the Perfonal Prerogatives of the Son of God made his; yet fo, as itill this Independency of the Humane Nature rifeth not to that abfolntenefs, and infinitenefs, that is in God himfelf ( as was in the like manner faid of the former); for this Manhood fubfifts not by the Power of it felf, but by the Power of the God-head dwelling therein. But God fubfifts meerly, fimply,and abfolutely,of himfelf. Yet there is this fimilitude in it,unto that which is in God ; that this Man can fay, This Power which I fubfift by, is my own, by virtue of his Relation unto the Second Perfon; I being the Son of God, and one in Perfon with him, what is his, is mine, not Originally, or Elfemially, but by Gift ; yet fo, as there I have now an Independent Right to be and to fubfill in that Second Perfon for ever, and can never be depofed. Indeed it was a free Act of Grace in God at firft: But in doing of it, God did a Wonder in the World, of all, the greateft. For he fets up an Independent Creature, a Creature back'd with fuch a Right to his Being, that now himfelf cannot pull him down, nor dilfolve that Umon again. And what a glorious Image of God's Independency is this ? I might !hew the like alfo in Holinef ;· That there is that tranfcendency of Holinefs alfo in him the Man, that is not in all the Creatures pm together ; and fo in that refpecr alfo, he is the Image of the lnvijible God. If it could be fup– pofed that any meer Creature could have as much habitual Holinefs as the Hu– mane Nature bath, (which were too bold a fuppofition) yet notwithftanding there is a Holinefs over and above that habitual Grace in him, there is a Rela– tive Holinefs, that cafts the Shine, the S~tperlative Glory on that Habitu•l. And the Stamp thereof that is upon this Holinefs, is better than all the Coin. It is the Holimf of a MAn 1mited to God, and who is God, and this makes it accep– table. There is a 'J?.elative Holinefl that follows from the Hypojlatical V,ion, that gives all the worth to what he did, and to all the Grace that is in himfelf; and this no Creature is capable of. And this was that that made him able to fa– tisfy. And thisis the Holinefs that God takes the great Contentment in, and could never have been fatisfied out of it ; and by reafon of this, his Righteouf– nefs may be imputed to Sinners, which the Righteoufnefs of a meer Creature could not be; it is the Holiitef of God, as his Blood is laid to be the 'Blood of God. I might {hew the like in all other Attributes, and it is a noble Subjell: to fpend pains upon, to ftt forth, and cut out every Limb of this vall Image of all God's Attributes that are in Chrill:, meerly upon his Perfonal Union. I have limb'd out only thefe two or three parts of it, ut ex pede; that by the like proportion we might infer the vafinefs of all the reO:. CHAP,

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