42 The Perfon of Chrifi the Fottndation For ~lthongh the firfl formal Promife was given after the Fall; yet was there fuch a preparation of Grace and Eternal Life in thefe. Counfels ofGod,with his unchangeable purpofe to commumcate them unto us, that all the Faithfulneis of God _was engaged in them. God that cannot ly·e, hath promifed before the Tf"orldbegan. There was eternal Lite with the Fa~ ther, that is in his Counfel treafured up in Chrifr, and in him was afterwards manifefied unto us, I Joh. I 2. · And to fhew the fiability ofthis purpofe _;md Counfel of God, with the infallible confequence of his afrual promife, and efficaCi– ous Ac<zom_Elifhment thereof, Grace is faid to begiven us in Chrifl Jefus -gefore the World /Jegan, 2 Tim. 1. 9· In thefe Counfels did God delight, or in the Perfon of Chrifr, as his Eternal Wif~om in their contrivance, and ·as the means of their Accomplifhment in his future Incarnation. Hence he fo tefrifieth of him, Behold my S:rvant whom I uphold, my Elect in whommyfoul deligbteth, lfa-42. 1. as he alfo proclaims. the fame delight in him from Heaven in the days. of his fle1h, Mattb. j. I7· Chap. 17. 5· He was the delight of God, as he in whom all his Counfels for his own Glory in the Redemption and Salvation of the Church, were laid and founded. lfa. 49· 3· My fervant i~ whom 1 wzll be glorified, that is, 6y raiji;;g, the irihs of Jacob, refl~ring the preferved eflfrael, in being a Lig}3t unto the Gentiles, and the Salva– tion of God uHto the ends ofthe Earth, ver. 6. We conceive not arjght of the Counfels of God, when we think of no~hing but the Effect of them, and the Glory that arifeth from their Accomplilhment. It is certainly true that they f11aH all iflue in his Glol)', and the Demonfiration of it Jhall fill up Eternity. The manifefiative Glory of God un– to Eternity, confifrs in the Effefrs and Accompli1hment of his holy Counfels. Heaven is the fiate of the aB:ual Ac• €omplifhment of a~ the Counfels of God in the Sancrifi_catlOn ,
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