( 89 ) WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WITH RESPECT UNTO THE HEAD OF THE NEW CREATION, THE HUMAN NATURE OF CHRIST. CHAP. III. 0..) The especial works ofthe Holy Spirit in the new creation.(2.) His work on Me human nature of Christ.- - (3.) How this work couldbe considering the union ofthe human nature unto and in the person of the Son. ofGod.. (4.) Assumption ofthe human nature into union, the only act ofMe person ofthe Son towards it. (5.) Per- sonal sinon, the only necessary.consequent of this assumption. (6.) All other .actings of the person ofthe Son in, and on the human nature, voluntary.(7.) The Holy Spirit the immediate efficient cause ofall divine operations. (E.) He is the Spirit ofthe Son, or of the .Father. (9.) How all the works ofthe Trinity areundivided. (to.) The body of Christ formed in thewomb by the Holy Ghost; but of the substance of the blessed Virgin; why this was necessary. (11.) Christ not hencethe Son of the Holy Ghost, according to the human nature. (12.) Werencebetween the assumption of Me human nature by the Son, and the creation of it by theHoly Ghost.(13.) The conception ofChrist, how ascribed to the Holy Ghost, andhow to the blessed Virgin. Rea- ions ofthe espousal ofthe blessed Virgin to Joseph before the conception of Christ.(14.) The actual purity and holiness of the soul and body of Christfromhis miraculous conception. THE dispensation and work of the Holy Ghost, in this new creation, respect, first thehead of the church, the Lord Jesus Christ in his human nature, as it was to be, and was united unto the person of the Son of God. Secondly, it concerns the members of that mys- tical body in all that belongs unto them as such. And under these two heads we shall consider them. Sect. 2.First; Therefore we are to inquire what are the operations of the Holy Ghost in reference un- to Jesus Christ the head of the church. And these were of two sorts. (t.) Such as whereof the person of Christ, in his human nature, was the immediate ob- ject. (2.) Such as he performs towards others on his behalf; that is, with direct respect unto his person and office. Sect. S.But yet, beforewe enter upon the first sort of his works, which we shall begin withal, an objection ofseeming weight and difficulty must be removed out of our way; which I shall the rather do, because our answer unto it will make the whole matter treated. of the more plain and familiar ontous. It may therefore be, and it is objected, That whereas the human nature of Christ is assigned as the immediate object of these oper- ations of the Holy Ghost, and that nature was imme- diately, inseparably, and undividedly, united unto the person of the Son of God, there dotb not seem to be any need, nor, indeed, room for any such operations of the Spirit. For could not the Sonof God himself, in . his own person, perform all things requisite both for the forming, supporting, sanctifying, and preserving of his own nature, without the especial assistance of the Holy Ghost? Nor is it easy to be understood how an immediate work of the Holy Ghost should be inter- posed in the same person, between the one nature and the other. And this seeming difficulty is vehemently pressed by the Soeinians, who think to entangle our whole doctrine of the blessed Trinity, and incarnation of the Son of God thereby. But express testimoniesof scripture, with the clear and evident analogy of faith, will carry us easily and safely through this seemingdif- ficulty. To which end- we may observe; That, Sect. 4. -1. The only singular immediate act of the Son on the human nature, was the assumption of it in- to subsistence with himself: Herein the Father and the Spirit had no interest nor concurrence, tin sa is a.mas ßs,,,r, but by approbation and consent, as Hama,. cen speaks. For the Father did not assume the human nature; he was not incarnate; neither did the Holy Spirit do so. But this was the peculiar act and work of the Son. See John. i. 14. Rom, i. $. Gal. iv. 4.
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