The divine will considered in its eternal decrees, and holy execution of them. By…

1. Not in existence; for there was passion in his actions, and action in his passions: from first to last, his obedience was with suffering, and his suffering with obedience. There was passion in his actions; 'twas a great suffering for the great Law-giver to be under the Law, for the Lord of the Sabbath to observe it. The noblest and purest piece of the Law is the knowing and loving of God, and yet even in that there was a great suffering; for he who eternally knew the Father in an infinity of light, now knew him as it were by candle-light in a finite reason; ⟨p. 207⟩he who eternally embraced the Father in an infinity of love, now loved him in the narrow compass of a finite will; and therefore even in these [Greek or Hebrew] he emptied himself as the Apostle speaks, Phil. 2. 7. And on the other side, there was action in his passion; his passions were with knowledge, he shut not his eyes when he drunk off the cup of wrath; his passions were free-will offerings, Lo I come, saith he, to do thy will O God, Hebr. 10. 7. Gods will was, that he should suffer, and his will runs before, and as it it were anticipates his sufferings, Lo, I come: nay, in his passage he breaks out [Greek or Hebrew], How am I straitened till it be accomplished? Luke 12. 50. He was as it were in pangs of forward obedience to be baptized in his own blood, and posted on towards an agony of wrath in an agony of love; and when he arrived at his extremest sufferings, his signal willingness turned his suffering into doing, and his Cross into a triumphant Chariot, he triumphed in it, saith the Apostle, Col. 2. 15. even there his obedience and love rode in triumph; triumphant obedience spread out his hands upon the Cross, and triumphant love opened his naked heart to the ⟨p. 208⟩wrath of God. His Soul was not snatched away but poured out, Isai. 53. 12. his life was not merely taken away, but laid down,