CXLV expository sermons upon the whole 17th chapter of the Gospel according to St.…

3. Christ finished his work, because he had not only an objective perfection in parts and degrees, but also a subjective perfection, all within him was throughly and perfectly holy; so that whereas we are both originally and actually polluted, he was originally and actually holy, so that the Law had no fault to find with him; for his original and native holiness, it's plain, because he was not born of man in an ordinary way, but the holy Ghost overshadowed the Virgin Mary, and therefore he is called [Greek or Hebrew], that holy thing which was to be born of her, Luke 1.35. and thus the Apostle, It behoved us to have an High Priest, holy and separated from sinners, Heb. 7.26. and indeed this is the foundation and root of all, for the tree must be good, before the fruit can; the fountain must be clean, ere the streams, and so the nature must be holy ere the actions are. Christ then had an holy and pure nature, wherein was not the least spot or wrinkle of sin, and then his actual holiness did fill up the faculties of his soul, as he had a soul and the natural properties thereof, an understanding and a will, so these were sanctified to the highest; we speak not of the holiness of his Divine nature, as he was God, for so it was infinite, even as God himself, but of his humane nature, habitually and actually. Hence the Apostle, He knew no sin, 1 Cor. 5. and he was made like unto us, sin only excepted, Heb. 4.15. Now here also the godly may rejoice, for those relics and remainders of sin are such as prove thorns in the side of the godly: The experimental sense of this made Paul cry out, Oh miserable man that I am! Well though in thee there be the stubs of sin, yet in Christ there are none, and now God dealeth not with us in our persons, but as in Christ, being found in him, saith the Apostle, as the malefactor was in the City of refuge, Phil. 3.

3. Christ finished his work, because he had not only an objective perfection in parts and degrees, but also a subjective perfection, all within him was throughly and perfectly holy; so that whereas we are both originally and actually polluted, he was originally and actually holy, so that the Law had no fault to finde with him; for his originall and native holinesse, it's plain, because he was not born of man in an ordinary way, but the holy Ghost overshadowed the Virgin Mary, and therefore he is called , that holy thing which was to be born of her,