Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

1. The Agent or Efficient Cause of Christ's Conception, is the Holy-Ghost. This agrees with that Speech of the Angel to Joseph; ¹That which is Conceived in her, is of the Holy-Ghost. Here it may be demanded, why the Conception of Christ should be ascribed to the Holy-Ghost, which is common to all the Actions in the Trinity? I answer, Not to exclude the rest; but first, to show it was the free Grace of God, which is often termed the Holy-Ghost. 2. Because the Father and the Son effected it by the Holy-Ghost, so was it his Work immediately, and in a special manner: Good reason have we to be thankful to all the Three Persons; to the Father, for ordaining this Garment; to the Holy-Ghost, for weaving it; to the Son, for wearing it; to the whole Deity, for clothing us with it, and making us Righteous by it —Neither yet is the Holy-Ghost Christ's Father; he did not beget Him, he did not form Him, he did not minister Matter from his own Substance whereof Christ was made; but took a part of Humane Nature from the Virgin, and of that he made the Body of Christ within her. Away with all gross Opinions, and old Heresies! This Conception of Christ was not by any Carnal Effusion of Seminal Humour; but by way of Manufacture, (i.) by Handy-work, or Operation, or Virtue of the Holy-Ghost; or else by the Energetical Command and Ordination of the Holy-Ghost, whereby that part of the Virgin's Blood, or Seed, whereof the Body of Christ was to be framed, was so cleansed and sanctified, that in it there should be neither Spot nor Stain of Original Pollution.

1. The Agent or Efficient Cause of Christ's Conception, is the Holy-Ghost. This agrees with that Speech of the Angel to Joseph; ¹That which is Conceived in her, is of the Holy-Ghost. Here it may be demanded, why the Conception of Christ should be ascribed to the Holy-Ghost, which is common to all the Actions in the Trinity? I answer, Not to exclude the rest; but first, to shew it was the free Grace of God, which is often termed the Holy-Ghost. 2. Because the Father and the Son effected it by the Holy-Ghost, so was it his Work immediately, and in a special manner: Good reason have we to be thankful to all the Three Persons; to the Father, for ordaining this Garment; to the Holy-Ghost, for weaving it; to the Son, for wearing it; to the whole Deity, for cloathing us with it, and making us Righteous by it —Neither yet is the Holy-Ghost Christ's Father; he did not beget Him, he did not form Him, he did not minister Matter from his own Substance whereof Christ was made; but took a part of Humane Nature from the Virgin, and of that he made the Body of Christ within her. Away with all gross Opinions, and old Heresies! This Conception of Christ was not by any Carnal Effusion of Seminal Humour; but by way of Manufacture, (i.) by Handy-work, or Operation, or Virtue of the Holy-Ghost; or else by the Energetical Command and Ordination of the Holy-Ghost, whereby that part of the Virgin's Blood, or Seed, whereof the Body of Christ was to be framed, was so cleansed and sanctified, that in it there should be neither Spot nor Stain of Original Pollution.