The Death of Death in the Death of Christ, Book 1 · Chapter 5
CHAP. V. § I
The peculiar actions of the holy Spirit in this businesse.The third Agent is the blessed spirit concurring in the
IN few words we may consider, the actions of that Agent, who in order is the third in that blessed one, whose all is the whole, the holy Spirit, who is evidently concurring in his own distinct operation, to all the severall chief or grand parts of this work, we may referre them to three heads.
First, the Incarnation of the Son, with his plenary assistance in § I the course of his conversation whilst he dwelt amongst us; for his 1 Incarnation.mother was found foreign to have conceived in her wombe of the holy Ghost, Matth. 18. It you ask with Mary, how that could be, the angell resolves both her and us, as farre as it is lawfull for us to be acquainted with these mysterious things, Luk. 1. 35. the holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee, therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee, shall be called the sonne of God: it was an overshadowing power in the Spirit, so called by an allusion taken from fowles that coverr their egges, that so by their warmth yong may be hatched for by the sole power of the Spirit was this conception, who did incubare foetui, as in the beginning of the world. Now in processe as this child was conceived by the power, so he was filled with the Spirit, and waxed stronger in it, Luk. 1. 80. untill having received a fulnesse thereof, and not by any limited measure in the gifts and graces of it, he was throughly furnished and fitted for his great undertaking.
Secondly in his oblation or passion, for they are both the same, § II with severall respects, one to what he suffered, the other to what 2 Oblationhe did with, by, and under those sufferings, how by the eternall Spirit he offered himself without spot unto God, Heb. 9. 14. whether it be meant of the offering himself a bloody sacrifice on the Crosse, or his presentation of himself continually before his Father, it is by the eternall Spirit. The willing offering himselfe through that Spirit, was the eternall fire under this sacrifice, which made it acceptable unto God. That which some contend, that by the eternall Spirit is here meant our Saviours own deity, I see no great ground for; some Greek and Latine copies read, not as we commonly, foreign but foreign, and so the doubt is quite removed: and I see no reason, why he may not as well be said to offer himself, through the holy Spirit, as to be decreed to be the sonne of God, according to the Spirit of holinesse by the resurrection from the dead, as Rom. 1. 3. as also to be quickened by the Spirit, 1. Pet. 3. 18. the working of the spirit was required as well in in his oblation as resurrection, in his dying, as quickening.
Thirdly, In his resurrection of which the Apostle, Rom. 8. 11. § VI but if the spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwelleth in you, 3. The resurrection of Jesus Christ.he that raised Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortall bodies by his spirit that dwelleth in you, and thus have we discovered the blessed agents, and undertakers in this work, their severall actions and orderly concurrence unto the whole, which though they may be thus distinguished, yet they are not so divided, but that every one must be ascribed to the whole nature, whereof each person is in solidum partaker. And as they begin it, so they will joyntly carry along the application of it unto its ultimate issue, and accomplishment, for we must give thanks to the father who hath made us meet (that is by his spirit) to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, who hath delivered us from the power of darknesse, and hath translated us into the Kingdome of his deare sonne, in whom we have redemption through his blood even the forgivenesse of sinnes. Col. 1. 11. 12. 13.