Sibbes - Houston-Packer Collection BX9318.S45 L5 1638

Of the poverty ofi1rtft, Lit hell , of Angels they became Dive's; but Chrift was God, not by ufurpation, and rob - bery againfl Gods will , but he was God byna- ture, hee was rich by nature, he thought it no I robbery, no difparagment, nor ufurpation to be 1, equal' with God , hee did God no wrong in it. Therefore when he became man, hee wasnot' call into thefe inferiour parts of the world, to punilh him, as ifhee had beene anufurper ; but it was a voluntary taking of our nature on him, being rich he became poorc, andbeing in theformic of God , he made himfëlfe ofno reputation ; Ifhrehad ufurped his Divinity , his abatement had beene violent again ft his will; you fee then that Ghrili . was rich, as God. Therefore before hee tookeour nature upon him, hee was Mediator from the begiinning,hee was yefierday,to day, and to morrow, and thejams for ever, asthe Apoftle faith, flee was,and is,and it to come hee was theLambeflaìne from the begin- ning of the world: For howfoever hee woke our nature upon him, and paid the debt, yet hee un= dertooke the payment before the beginning of the world. A man may let a prifoner look now, upon a prom ire topay the debt a yeareaf- ter : fo Chrift undertooke to take our nature and to pay our debt in thefulnefle of time ; by vertue therefore of his future incarnation , bee was an effeeauall Mediator from the begin-ling of the world . As we have now thefruit ofhis mediation though his death bee pall, thegì is pall, but the fruit remains: fo that hee wasa Media-or Cbrill a Medi- ator from the beginning. .Sim ile.

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