iLL Contribing r an'.6 Minton; 2 1 5 the Dignity of his Perlon, but from the Law of fiib- Chap XII flitution, whereby He put hinifelf in our ftead, and voluntarily obliged Hirnfelf to fuffer the Puniffiment due to us. The efficacy of his Death is by vertue of the Contrad between the Father and Him, of which therecould be no caufe but pure Mercy, and His vo- luntary Condefcention. Now the scripture declares the willingnefs of Chrift, particularly at his entrance into the World, and at his Death. Upon His coming into the World, He begins his Life by the internal Oblation of Him- felf to his Father ; sacrifice and Offering thou didfl Heb. io. 6. not defire mine ears haft thou opened : that is, He entirely refigned himfelf to be Gods Servant, Burnt- Offering and sin-Offeringhaft thou not required. Then faid I, Lo, I come, in thevolume of thy book' tis writ- ten of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God, yea thy Law is within my heart. He law the Divine Decree, and embrac'd it; the Law was in his Heart, and fully polka all his Thoughts and Affeetions , and had a commanding influence upon his Life. And his Wil- lingnefs was fully expreft by Him, when He approacht toHis Taft Sufferings. For although He declín'd Death as Man, having natural and innocent delires of Self- prefervation, yet as Mediator he readily fubmitted to it. Not my Will, but thine be clone, was his voice in the Garden. And this argued the compleatnefs and fixednefs of his Will, that notwithftanding his aver- fation from Death abfolutely conlidered, yet with an unabated eleaion He ffill choie it as the means ofour Salvation. No involuntary Conftraint did force him to that fubmiffion 5 But the foie caufes of it were his free Compliance with his Fathers Will, and his ten- der Compaffion towards Men. He faith, I havepow- joh.m.1% er to lay down my life, and power to take it up: this COIN-
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