C 0 L 0 SS. I. :2o~ Now, If another power than his own had done it, that party had been Media; tor and not he. But now he being God, he is able to do all this; and to do it himfelf alfo. For being G~d, that power was able to raife him up, and to loofe the pains ofdeath; and it was impoilible he lhould be held of them; they were \he pains of death, namely the wr.ath ol God which would have fpedall theCrea: tures in the world; and which paws would not have let h1m go, t1ll they were loofened and overcome; for if poilible,they would have held him; but being God, it was not po!Ii~le. He w!ll take He!lcgates, as another Sampjo11, ~nd throw them offthe Hwges and carry them away, and fwallow up Death 1n vu1ory, Veflroy thiJ Ttmp!e ( fays he,. . !ohn 19.) mtd I have power. to raife it up; I myfe!f. The Body could not ra1fe tt felf mde~d; therefore tf he had been meer Man he could not have done 1t; but that Spmt, the Eternal Godhead could, 1 Pet. l· 18. He was able you fee, to this work of Mediation. Thirdly, Chrifi had faithfulnefs in him, hot to fail in the performance, He6: ~. 2. It is faid, He wtUfaithful to him that appoimed him; God did appoint (.as ye heard,) and trufi him, and therefore he failed not his Expectation; for God otherwife had not pitcht upon him. Arid the Reafons which may evince he would be fo, Are, Firfi,Hebeiog God,and having pafi his word to his F.ather,he could not but be faithful and true in it; For with God iJ 110 variab!enefJ, 11or j/uidow of tur11i11g. .'fameJ 1. '7· and plead uhability.he could not; and his Father that had appoint~ ed him wou,ld not releafe him, Heb. 7. u. He ]wore; and woi1Jd not rep'e11t; that he fhould be a Priejl. Secondly, It concerned himfelf to be Faithful iil the pedbrmani:es, for other. Wife, as the cafe fiood, he himfelf mufi havelayen by it ; as a Man that is fure~ tyfor another, (as Heb. 7· u. He wtUmade a Sttre0';) he made it his ow~ debt; and we could not, nor were able; and he therefore undertook it; and thnefore it concern'd him to difcharge it, and to pay the iitmofr Farthing. Thirdly, God, upori this ground, todk his Word ahd Bbnd,and had let Thou~ fands of Debtors go free; and faved Millions under the Old Teframenr, upon his bare word; ere ever he came td do it, Htb.g,'5• he is there called, The Media– tor of .the New Teflammt, that bymeans of 'Deathfor the Tranjgr~/Jiotu tmder theOtdTef/ammt, ~c. Many a Man's fins then, were put upon his !core, and God lhould be a great loafer by him; and th~refore it. was necetfary h,e lhould difcharge thofe debts.. R om. $:2~. he fays, That God h,zdJet him forth to be ti Propitiation, to dtc!rzre his Righteou[1le{J, (or Faithfu!nt{s;) for the R~mif jio11 of jinJ that are pafl, through theforbearance·ofGod. There feem to be twd Arguments• . t. That God had pardoned and forbi:irn many fins, before hecame into the Worlol, he had been at great experices of Mercy; and he lhould be a loo. fer, if he came not to be a Propitiation for them. 2, Upon Chrifi's promife tci him, he had made a promife of Chrifi to the World, and therefore ii:i lhew his Faithfulnefs and Truth, he fent him, to make good his Fathers faithfalnefs, he mufi needs be faithJul. Fourthly, When he came down froin Heaven, aiid took our Nature upon himi he left Ius glory as a Mortgage or Pawn, for to make his Promife arid Bond goodi never to take ir up again and loolt his Father in the face in glory, till lie had per– formed 1t; for fo much that fpeech of his implies, Jqh" t;1.ver.!f. and 5. Now glorifY mt wdh theglory I had with thee btfore the world WM; that fame [Now,] havwg reference to [ Fitzijhing the work,] in the 4th. vi'rfe implies, that ull then he was ilot to'reatfume .t. Therefore Fourthly; He bath done it, and fully performep it i fo his ow~ 1vords are in the farria;, '7· Joh"'!r· I havefinifhttheworkwbich thot~ gavejf me to do, a11.d hath a!t fu!nefJ of Rtghteotifites dwe!lmg tit htm 1 to make peace a11dreco11cile uJ, Colofl 1lver. :z.o..for 1 . Firll; IJI
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