386 SERMONS upon Serm,33, Doti. That Chrift did fit himfelf apart to be a Sacrifice for so, that we might be fantlified by the Means appointed thereunto. I (hall explain this Point, by opening the Text. I. I begin with the Meritorious Cade, and for their fakes I fanUlify my fill: .Where, Firft The Agent, 1. Secondly, The Abt, Santáify. Thirdly, The Obje &, my Self. Fourthly, TheJ erfons concerned, for their Sakes. Firft; The Agent, I fantlify my felt In other Places it is afcribed to the Father and the Spirit. To the Father; John so. 36. Him bath the Father fantIified and fens into the World. To the Spirit, Ails ro. 38. How God anointed Jefus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghofl, and with Power : He did not only frame the humane Nature of Chrift out of the Subftance of the Virgin, but adorned it with Gifts and Graces fit for his Office and Work. And here Chrilt faith, I fanelify my felf. All the Perfons in the Divine Nature concur to this Work : The Father fan&ifieth and fets him apart by his Decree and Defrgnation 5 The Son fan&ifieth himfelf, to thew his willingnefs and con - defcenfion ; The Spirit Can &ifieth him by his Operation, furnifhing him with meet Graces and Endowments, that were neceffary for that ftngular Perfon, who fhould redeem the World. Chrift's fan&ifying himfelf falleth under our confideration, and doth thew partly his Original Authority, as a Perfon of the Godhead, coequal with the Father and the Spirit ; Whatfoever the Father doth, the Son doth alfo, John 5. 19. Partly, his voluntary fubmiffion : as the Father did confecrate the Son to the Office of Mediator, and the Spirit qualified him with all fulnefs of Grace ; fo did Chrift confe- crate himfelf, as being a molt willing Agent in this Work, and did really offer himfelf to become Man, and to fuffer all that Mifery, Pain, 'and fhame, that was neceffary for our Expiation. The Scripture often fets it forth to us, Ephef. 5.2. Walk in Love, as Chrift alfa bath loved us, and bath given himfelf for sso, an Offering and a Sacrifice to God far a fweet finelling Savour. He did not do this Work by conftraint, but of a ready mind. When it was firft propounded to him in God's Decree, Heb. no. 9. Then he fold, Lo, l come to do thy Will, 0 God ! And before the Time was come about, when he fhould affume the HumaneNature into the Unity of bis Perfon, he feafted himfelf with the thoughts of that Salvation which he fhould let afoot in the habitable Parts of the Earth : Prov. 8. 31. Rejoicing in the habitable' parts of the Earth, and my Delights were with the Sono of Men. When the Incarnation was paffed, then he longed for the time of his Pafiion ; Luke 12.5o. I have a Baptifm to be baptized with, and how am I jirait- ned till it be accompliflied 1 So willing was he to do and fuffer that whereunto he was fent; Luke 22. 15. With dfire have I d fired to eat this Palaver with you before I die ; that Paffover, becaufe it was the Taft, the Forerunner of his Agonies, his Heart was let upon that Work. His behaviour in his Death, (hewed how willingly he did un- dergo it. John 13. r. Having loved his own that were in the World, he loved them unto the End ; then was his bitter Work, but that did not abate his Love. The Heathens counted it a lucky Sacrifice, that went to the Altar without ftrugling and roaring 5 certainly Chrift did.meekly fuffer what was impofed on him for the expiation of our Sins. Ifs. 53. 7. He is brought as a Lamb to the Slaughter, and as a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb, fa he opened not his Mouth.. A Swine whinefh and maketh a noire, but a Sheep is dumb : this was the Emblem chofen to reprefent Chrift's Meeknefs and Pa- tience. Saltcaft into the Fire, danceth and leapeth with a kind of impatience; but Oil rileth up in a gentle Flame : So Chrift fuffered, not only with patience, but deli ht. He did not lay down his Life by conitraint, but died by content. John to. 18.o Man take,th my Life from me, but l lay it down of my felf; 1 have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. Now this endeareth our Obligation to him, that he would confecrate himfelf to the Work of the Mediatory Office, and to that end affume the Humane Nature into the Unity of his Perlon, and fo willingly condefcend to all that lorrow and pain that he was to endure for our fakes, and offer himfelf up as a Sacrifice for our Sins; being for a while without the a &ual fenfc of his Father's Love ; My God, my God, why haft thou forfaken me? Mat. 27.46. But
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