good pleasure, or the sovereign acting of his wisdom and will. But it was all to be effected in Christ, which the Apostle twice repeats; he would gather all things into an head in Christ, even in him;' that is, in him alone.

Thus it is said of him, with respect unto his future incarnation and work of mediation, that the Lord possessed him in the beginning of his ways, before his works of old, that he was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was,' Prov. viii. 22, 23. The eternal personal existence of the Son of God is supposed in these expressions, as I have elsewhere proved. Without it none of these things could be affirmed of it. But there is a regard in them, both unto his future incarnation, and the accomplishment of the counsels of God thereby. With respect thereunto, God possessed him, in the beginning of his ways, and set him up from everlasting.' God possessed him eternally as his essential wisdom, as he was always, and is always in the bosom of the Father, in the mutual ineffable love of the Father and Son, in the eternal bond of the Spirit. But he signally possessed him in the beginning of his ways, as his wisdom acting in the production of all the ways and works that are outwardly of him. The beginning of God's ways before his works, are his counsels concerning them, even as our counsels are the beginning of our ways with respect unto future works. And he set him up from everlasting, as the foundation of all the counsels of his will, in and by whom they were to be executed and accomplished.

So it is expressed, ver. 30, 31. 'I was by him as one brought up with him, I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him, rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth, and my delights were with the sons of men.' And it is added, that thus it was before 'the foundation of the world was laid,' or the chiefest part of the dust of the earth was made; that is, man was created. Not only was the delight of the Father in him, but his delight was in the habitable parts of the earth, and among the sons of men, before the creation of the world. Wherefore the eternal prospect of the work he had to do for the children of men is intended herein. In and with him God laid the foundation of all his

counsels concerning his love towards the children of men; and two things may be observed herein:

1. That the person of the Son was set up, or exalted herein. I was set up, saith he, from everlasting. This cannot be spoken absolutely of the person of the Son himself; the divine nature being not capable of being so set up. But there was a peculiar glory and honour belonging unto the person of the Son, as designed by the Father, unto the execution of all the counsels of his will. Hence was that prayer of his upon the accomplishment of them, John xvii. 5. And now, O Father, glorify me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was.' To suppose that the Lord Christ prayeth in these words for such a real communication of the properties of the divine nature unto the human, as should render it immense, omniscient, and unconfined unto any space, is to think that he prayed for the destruction and not the exaltation of it. For, on that supposition, it must necessarily lose all its own essential properties, and consequently its being. Nor doth he seem to pray only for the manifestation of his divine nature, which was eclipsed in his exinanition or appearance in the form of a servant. There was no need to express this, by the 'glory which he had with the Father before the world was.' For he had it not in any especial manner before the world was; but equally from eternity and in every moment of time. Wherefore he had a peculiar glory of his own with the Father before the world was. And this was no other, but that especial exaltation which he had, when he was set up from everlasting, as the foundation of the counsels of God, for the salvation of the church. In those eternal transactions that were between the Father and the Son, with respect unto his incarnation and mediation, or his undertaking to execute and fulfil the eternal counsels of the wisdom and grace of the Father, there was an especial glory which the Son had with him. The glory which he had with the Father before the world was.' For the manifestation hereof he now prays; and that the glory of his goodness, grace and love, in his peculiar undertaking of the execu tion of the counsels of God, might be made to appear. And this is the principal design of the gospel. It is the declaration

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as of the grace of God the Father, so of the love, grace, goodness and compassion of the Son, in undertaking from everlasting the accomplishment of God's counsels in the salvation of the church. And hereby doth he hold up the pillars of the earth, or support this inferior creation, which otherwise, with the inhabitants of it, would by sin have been dissolved. And those by whom his eternal divine pre-existence in the form of God, antecedent unto his incarnation, is denied, do what lies in them expressly to despoil him of all that glory which he had with the Father before the world was. So we have herein the whole of our design. In the beginning of God's ways, before his works of old;' that is, in his eternal counsels with respect unto the children of men, or the sanctification and salvation of the church, the Lord possessed, enjoyed the Son as his eternal wisdom, in and with whom they were laid, in and by whom they were to be accomplished, wherein his delights were with the sons of men.

2. That there was an ineffable delight between the Father and the Son in this his setting up, or exaltation. I was,' saith he, 'daily his delight, rejoicing always before him.' It is not absolutely the mutual eternal delight of the Father and the Son, arising from the perfection of the same divine excellencies in each person that is intended; but respect is plainly had unto the counsels of God concerning the salvation of mankind by him who is his power and wisdom unto that end. This counsel of peace was originally between Jehovah and the Branch, Zech. vi. 13. or the Father and the Son, as he was to be incarnate. For therein was he 'fore-ordained before the foundation of the world,' 1 Pet. i. 20. namely, to be a Saviour and Deliverer, by whom all the counsels of God were to be accomplished; and this by his own will and concurrence in counsel with the Father. And such a foundation was laid of the salvation of the church in these counsels of God, as transacted between the Father and the Son, that it is said, that 'eternal life was promised before the world began,' Tit. i. 2. For although the first formal promise was given after the fall; yet was there such a preparation of grace and eternal life in these counsels of God, with his unchangeable purpose to communicate them unto us,

that all the faithfulness of God was engaged in them. God that cannot lie, hath promised before the world began.' There was eternal life with the Father, that is, in his counsel treasured up in Christ, and in him was afterwards manifested unto us, 1 John i. 2. And to shew the stability of this purpose and counsel of God, with the infallible consequence of his actual promise, and efficacious accomplishment thereof, 'Grace is' said to be 'given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,' 2 Tim. i. 9.

In these counsels did God delight, or in the person of Christ, as his eternal wisdom in their contrivance, and as the means. of their accomplishment in his future incarnation. Hence he so testifieth of him, 'Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth,' Isa. xlii. 1. as he also proclaims the same delight in him from heaven in the days of his flesh, Matth. iii. 17. chap. xvii. 5. He was the delight of God, as he in whom all his counsels for his own glory in the redemption and salvation of the church, were laid and founded. Isa. xlix. 3. My servant in whom I will be glorified, (that is) by raising the tribes of Jacob, restoring the preserved of Israel, in being a light unto the Gentiles, and the salvation of God unto the ends of the earth,' ver. 6.

We conceive not aright of the counsels of God, when we think of nothing but the effect of them, and the glory that ariseth from their accomplishment. It is certainly true, that they shall all issue in his glory, and the demonstration of it shall fill up eternity. The manifestative glory of God unto eternity, consists in the effects and accomplishment of his holy counsels. Heaven is the state of the actual accomplishment of all the counsels of God in the sanctification and salvation of the church. But it is not with God as it is with men. Let men's counsels be never so wise, it must needs abate of their satisfaction in them, because their conjectures (and more they have not) of their effects and events are altogether uncertain. But all the counsels of God having their entire accomplishment through revolutions perplexing and surpassing all created understandings, inclosed in them infallibly and immutably, the

great satisfaction, complacency and delight of the divine Being is in these counsels themselves.

God doth delight in the actual accomplishment of his works. He made not this world, nor any thing in it, for its own sake. Much less did he make this earth to be a theatre for men to act their lusts upon, the use which it is now put to and groans under. But he made all things for himself,' Prov. xvi. 4. He made them for his pleasure,' Rev. iv. 11. that is, not only by an act of sovereignty, but to his own delight and satisfaction. And a double testimony did he give hereunto with respect unto the works of creation. (1.) In the approbation which he gave of the whole upon its survey. And God saw all that he had made, and behold it was very good,' Gen. i. 31. There was that impression of his divine wisdom, power, and goodness, upon the whole, as manifested his glory, wherein he was well pleased. For immediately thereon, all creatures capable of the conception and apprehension of his glory, 'sang forth his praise,' Job xxxviii. 6, 7. (2.) In that he rested from his works,' or in them, when they were finished, Gen. ii. 2. It was not a rest of weariness from the labour of his work, but a rest of complacency and delight in what he had wrought, that God entered

into.

But the principal delight and complacency of God is in his eternal counsels. For all his delight in his works, is but in the effects of those divine properties whose primitive and principal exercise is in the counsels themselves from whence they proceed. Especially is it so as unto these counsels of the Father and the Son, as to the redemption and salvation of the church, wherein they delight and mutually rejoice in each other on their account. They are all eternal acts of God's infinite wisdom, goodness and love, a delight and complacency wherein is no small part of the divine blessedness. These things are absolutely inconceivable unto us, and ineffable by us; we cannot find the Almighty out unto perfection. However, certain it is, from the notions we have of the divine Being and excellencies, and from the revelation he hath made of himself, that there is an infinite delight in God, in the eternal actings of his wisdom, goodness, and love, wherein, according to our weak