1. The Habitual Righteousness of Christ: as Mediator in his humane nature, was the absolute, complete, exact conformity of the Soul of Christ, to the will, mind or Law of God; or his perfect 1habitually inherent Righteousness. This he had necessarily from the Grace of Union, from whence it is, that, that which was borne of the Virgin was an Holy thing, Luk. 1. 35. It was I say necessary consequentially that it should be so; though the effecting of it were by the free operations of the Spirit. Luk. 2. 52. He had an All-fullness of Grace on all accounts. This the Apostle describes Heb. 7. 26. Such an high Priest became us, Holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners. Every way separate and distant from sin and sinners he was to be. Whence he is called the Lamb of God without spot or blemish, 1 Pet. 1. 19. This habitual Holiness of Christ was inconceivably above that of the Angels. He who chargeth his Angels with folly Job. 4. 18. who putteth no trust in his Saints, and in whose sight the Heavens (or their inhabitants) are not clean, ch. 15. 15. always embraceth him in his bosom, and is always well pleased with him, Math. 3. 17. And the reason of this is, because every other creature though never so holy, hath the spirit of God by measure; but he was not given to Christ by measure, Joh. 3. 34. and that because it pleased him, that in him all fullness should dwell. Col. 1. 19. This habitual grace of Christ, though not absolutely infinite, yet in respect of any other creature, it is as the water of the Sea, to the water of a pond or pool. All other creatures are depressed from perfection by this, that they subsist in a created, dependent being, and so have the fountain of what is communicated to them, without them. But the humane nature of Christ subsists in the person of the Son of God, and so hath the bottom and fountain of its holiness, in the strictest unity with it self.
1. The Habituall Righteousnesse of Christ: as Mediator in his humane nature, was the absolute, compleat, exact conformity of the Soule of Christ, to the will, minde or Law of God; or his perfect 1habitually inherent Righteousnesse. This he had necessarily from the Grace of Union, from whence it is, that, that which was borne of the Uirgin was an Holy thing, Luk. 1. 35. It was I say necessary consequentially that it should be so; though the effecting of it were by the free operations of the Spirit. Luk. 2. 52. He had an All-fullnesse of Grace on all accounts. This the Apostle describes Heb. 7. 26. Such an high Priest became us, Holy, harmelesse, undefiled, separate from sinners. Every way separate and distant from sinne and sinners he was to be. Whence he is called the Lambe of God without spot or blemish, 1 Pet. 1. 19. This habituall Holinesse of Christ was inconceivably above that of the Angells. He who chargeth his Angells with folly Job. 4. 18. who putteth no trust in his Saints, and in whose sight the Heavens (or their inhabitants) are not cleane, ch. 15. 15. allways embraceth him in his bosome, and is allways well pleased with him, Math. 3. 17. And the reason of this is, because every other creature though never so holy, hath the spirit of God by measure; but he was not given to Christ by measure, Joh. 3. 34. and that because it pleased him, that in him all fullnesse should dwell. Col. 1. 19. This habituall grace of Christ, though not absolutely infinite, yet in respect of any other creature, it is as the water of the Sea, to the water of a pond or poole. All other creatures are depressed from perfection by this, that they subsist in a created, dependent being, and so have the fountaine of what is communicated to them, without them. But the humane nature of Christ subsists in the person of the Son of God, and so hath the bottome and fountaine of its holinesse, in the stricktest unity with it selfe.
- 1De Angelis loquitur, qui si cum Deo conferantur, aut si eos secum Deus conferat, non habens rationem eorum quae in illis posuit, & dotium ac donorum quae in illos contulit, & quibus eos exornavit & illustravit, inveniat eos stolidos. Sane quicquid habent Angeli a Deo habent. Mercer. in loc.
