my Son
called him to it." If a man had never so great ability to plead in the
law, yet, except he be licentiate and graduate, he may not take upon him
to plead a cause. But our Lord Jesus hath both skill and authority, he
hath both the ability and the office, was not a self intruder or usurper,
but the council of heaven did licentiate him, and graduate him for the
whole office of mediatorship: in which there is the greatest stay and
support for a sinking soul, to know that all this frame and fabric of the
gospel was contrived by God the Father, and that he is master builder in
it. Since it is so, there can nothing control it or shake it, since it is
the very will of God, "with whom we have to do," that a mediator should
stand between him and us, and since he hath such a mind to clear poor
souls, that he freely chooseth and giveth them an able Advocate, it is a
great token that he hath a mind to save as many as come and submit to him
and that he is ready to pardon, when he prepares so fit an Advocate for
us, and hath not left us alone to plead our own cause.

But the anointing of Christ for it, implies both {~GREEK SMALL LETTER DELTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER MU~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~} and {~GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER XI~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER UPSILON~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER IOTA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER ALPHA~}{~GREEK SMALL LETTER NU~}
_potentiam et potestatem_, the gifts for it as well as the authority, and
the ability as well as the office, for God hath singularly qualified him
for it,--given him the Spirit above measure, Isa. lxi. 1. He received gifts
not only to distribute to men, but to exercise for men, and their
advantage, Psal. lxviii. 18. And therefore the Father seems to interest
himself in the cause as it were his own. He furnisheth our Advocate as if
it were to plead the cause of his own justice against us, he upholds and
strengthens Christ in our cause, as really as if it were his own, Isa.
xlii. 1, 6, which expresseth to us the admirable harmony and consent of
heaven to the salvation of as many as make Christ their refuge, and desire
not to live in sin. Though they be often foiled, yet there is no hazard of
the failing of their cause above, because our Advocate hath both excellent
skill, and undoubtable authority.

Yea, he is so f