------------------~----------------------- Book JI. Looking unto :Jef~N,&c. C~ap.r.Sect, r I. 2. Now Chrit:l: may be called a beginner, in refpeel: of the Decree, or execurion. I fhall begin with the Decree , wherein he begun before the beginning of time to defignc our happipetre, for the .praife of the glory ofhis grace, Ephef. r. 6 ; Many depths are in ~his paffage. To this purpofe we told you that Jef111 is Gods So17ne, and our 'fefus, erernd!y begotten 6efwe 4!! world.r. In this firt:l: period we fhall lock M him, I. In relatiuu co God. 2. In relation ro us. · Fa· 53 8, I. In his relation to God, Who foal{ declare his gmeration? He is Gods Sonne, having his.fubGfience from the Father alone, of which Farber by communication of his effence he is begotten from all eternity. . For the opening of this eternal generation of our 'fefus, we fball confider, I. The thing begotcen. 2. The time. 3. The manner ofbegetting. 4· .The mutual kindneffe and Jove of him that begets, and of him tliat is begotten, which bnngs forth a thi~sf,perfon, orfubflfience, which we call the holy Ghofr. I . For the thing it felf, it is [e[111 ChriH, who muft be conli. dered two wayes , as he i; a Sonne, and as he is a God. Now as he is a Sonne , he is the thing begotten, but n~?t as he is a God. As he is God, he is ofhimfelf, neither beg~tten, nor proceeding; .,. . .. the God-head of the Father, and the God-head of the Sonne is .f~~~{.fi;m but one.and the fame thing, ·and- therefore* the Sonne M he u bJc~J~iouac~dici God~he is God ofhimfelf, wit-hout begining even as the Father, bHt porcft ,£ U77J' M he i;· -a s anne., he i> not of himfeif, but the Sonne of the Fa~ -iT~i§l-. ther , begotten ofhih1; . and hereupon it foilowes, that the Sonne -t:Oe.mra tamcn is beootten of the Father as he is a Sonne but not as he is a jilllS 11on eft a G db ' feipfo ideo fie 0 • non eft a·~ . 2. For the time ?fthis generat!o~, ,it hath neither beginning, lM~-. nuddle, nor end, and ,therefore tt ts e,ternal befo.re all worlds: this is one ofthe wonders of our 'I if us, that the Father begetting, and the Sonne begotten are coeter~al. Wifdome in the book of Proverbs (which with one confent of all Divines is faid to be Prov.8. 14,1), Chrifi) affirmeth thus, When there ~M no depths I wM brought 2.6.2.7 forth;When there ·were no fountains aboun4ing with water; before the )11ounttiins wereJetled,before the hills w;~sJ was brought forth; while as yet he had not made the earth, nor the fields, nor the higheft part of the duf! &j the world, when he prepared the heavens I wa1 there, when hefetacornpaf[e .upontheft~ceoj the depth hMrthere, And.a . little
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