And first, This Sanctification of himself to be a Sacrifice for us doth imply the exceeding Purity and Holiness that was in him, and therefore Peter calls him the undefiled and spotless Lamb, 1 Peter 1.9. In the Old Testament The Lamb that was to be offered was to be without blemish,1 not to be defective in any parts, and to be without spot; There was to be no various colour upon it; This was to signify the absolute Purity of Christ in respect of outward and inward sin; And therefore the Apostle presseth the preheminency of Christ our High-Priest above those of the Law, because they had sins of their own, and they were compassed about with their own Infirmities, and so offered for themselves first, Hebr. 7.26. He is there called holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from Sinners; And this Purity and Holiness was not only to qualify his Person to be our Mediator, but it was part of that Righteousness which is communicated to us, Therefore he saith, I sanctify my self for them; And as he was made man for Believers, So also holy and undefiled for them; It's true some Divines distinguish in Christ his Justitia personae, and his Justitia meriti, but the Righteousness of Christ was part of his merit, and so they cannot be opposed to one another; This is the Wedding Garment; This is our Elder Brothers Clothes; This is the fine Linen of the Saints; Therefore thou that complainest of thy want of Holiness, Thou art not sanctified in such a degree and measure as thou desirest, remember Christ hath sanctified himself for thee.
And first, This Sanctification of himself to be a Sacrifice for us doth imply the exceeding Purity and Holinesse that was in him, and therefore Peter cals him the undefiled and spotlesse Lamb, 1 Peter 1.9. In the Old Testament The Lamb that was to be offered was to be without blemish,1 not to be defective in any parts, and to be without spot; There was to be no various colour upon it; This was to signifie the absolute Purity of Christ in respect of outward and inward sinne; And therefore the Apostle presseth the preheminency of Christ our High-Priest above those of the Law, because they had sinnes of their own, and they were compassed about with their own Infirmities, and so offered for themselves first, Hebr. 7.26. He is there called holy, harmlesse, undefiled, and separate from Sinners; And this Purity and Holinesse was not only to qualifie his Person to be our Mediatour, but it was part of that Righteousnesse which is communicated to us, Therefore he saith, I sanctifie my self for them; And as he was made man for Beleevers, So also holy and undefiled for them; It's true some Divines distinguish in Christ his Justitia personae, and his Justitia meriti, but the Righteousnesse of Christ was part of his merit, and so they cannot be opposed to one another; This is the Wedding Garment; This is our Elder Brothers Clothes; This is the fine Linnen of the Saints; Therefore thou that complainest of thy want of Holinesse, Thou art not sanctified in such a degree and measure as thou desirest, remember Christ hath sanctified himself for thee.
- 1I. His purity and holiness.I. His purity and holinesse.
