prelfeth it, Theidins have feperated between him and them, and he would lain feperate their fins as far from them that fo 11e m1ght drawm~h to them and communicate himfelf. And becaufe fin is a burthen they can neuher lland under nor throw offthemfelves; A woullded Spirit who can 6ear? They can never give thanks enough for his benefits received, much lefsto fa tisfy for fins, there– tore he refolves to have them taken off, il~·lruv. as the word feems to fign1fy; and not to take away fins only that is but one•half of the project, the 4th. wr. men– tioneth no more, becaufe the Blood of But!sa11dGoats, could not.do fo much; yet the Will of God mentioned in the 7th. wr. had a further aim, not only to take awayfins that he might not hate us,but to give us fuch arighteoujitejs again for which he might have more caufe to love us than ever, and loving, to delight in us. His will meant not Peace to us only, or Pardon; Butgood will towards mm as well as peace 011 Earth; his Will is to have us adopted, accepted graci• oully as well as pardoned. . · Secondly, The Text refolves us whence the firll motion of this bufinefs came, and from whom, who fct it firll a foot, and it is behoofful for thofe whom it con– cerns to know this; He who makes the firll motion in a matter offavour expects moll thanks. It wM thy WiO0 God;Chrill fpeaks unto a perfon dillinct from him– fclf, This is not the firll time that the name of God a11d Lord is taken perronal• ly and not e!Tentially, erpecially when the perfons are fpeaking one to another, Matt.u. 44.TheLordfaiduntomy Lord;neither was this here the Holj Ghojl,for the Spirit works from the Son, he fends him, Joh11 I 5. 26. Andhe takes of hu, ~c. Ch.1p. r6. I5· and that it was the Father it is faid, Cot. 1. 19. It pleafed the Fathtr by him to reconcile; and indeed he harh the honour and prerogative to be the only firll propounder of all bufinelfes that pafs in the great regent houfe of Heaven, 2 Cor. 5· r8, AY thi11gs are of God, who hath rtconctledm tohimje![; no Graces pafs without him,efpecially this ofReconciliation. The Son dos nothing without him,.7o h.pg.The So11 dos nothing of him(elf6ut what heJus the Father do ailht Spirit doth11othing without the So11, John r6. •5· As they have all th; fame common effence, Jo thty at! COII(ttr ill the{itme works. And look what order there is in their manner of fubfilling_, the fa1_11e is in their order of work– ing, The Father fubfills firll, and the Son from htm, and therefore all thtngs are from him, and particularly the taking away of fin, for he is the firll and chtef perfon offended, and theretore reconciliation is made to him in his name, for all the reil. It pteafed the Father toreconcilt to himfelf, Chriff goes 6ut about hi& Fathers 6tifi11t[s, Lllke'1.. .,s. I Joh11 1. 7· Wt have all Advocate with the Fa· thtr. Thirdly, Chri£1 tells us what it was in his Father thatfet him firll a work, it wM his wilt, To do thy wilt, which I therefore take notice of. For this act of Will expreifeth more particularly that act, which in working is mo£1 proper and peculiar to rhe Father, and eminently attributed to him. I. For as in Man Three things h•Ve a llroak in every bulinefs he goes about, WtO,which is the firll movcr,and fpr ing to all the reil; Wr{dom,by which he plot~ and orders all the Wheels, and Power by which he turns them, which anfwers to the manner of the Three Perfons working worl<s, ad extra, (for of thofe we fpeak,) in thefe Three. Will, is more ufually given to the Father, as Mtltt. 1t. 16. Ephef. 1. 3• I r. compared. The Fathtr it is that works all accordi11g to thecotm[tt of his will. So Wifdom is more eminently attributed to the Son, who is the Wifdom of tht Father, 'Prov. 8. Power to tht Holy GhojJ, as Lukt . 1. 35• he is called, thePo·werof themofthigh. If. As alfo to enquire no further in many of the llrange courfes he bath in this bufinefs of all clfe, if he doth not give a reafon, Then reil in this, It waf his }f'•ll, though he w•·ought at! in it according t" the cozmfd of his ow11 Will; Eph. '· 1 t. Tet who hM been his Coti/Jfellor, Rom, 11. 34· and yet becaufe one of the main Attributes that l11ine in the work of Redemption is his W,fdom, and is therefore called the Wljdorn of the FtJther; I Cor. 1. 24. It is not fpoken of him there 93
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