and h!J Son !fefus [hrifi. 57 as Man, Mat. 2. 6. is fo exprdled, Out of thee fbaU come forth; which, verf 4. ~ is interpreted to beborn. . . . ~ And, 0. As Son of God, his goings ~orth (that is, his Btrtb). are from Ever– lafiing. ,Anp it is termed goings forth, m the plural ; becaufe tt IS .At111! c0ntinu.~ '"• and ha1h been every moment continued from Everlafiing. As the Sun begets Light and Beams every moment ; fo G?d cloth hts Sop., So then we haye two Everlajhngs attnbuted to Chrtlt s Perfon; One to come, Heb. 1. 10. and ait'ot,};ler. pajl, here in Mich. 5· 2. And fo as,of God himfelf it is faid, Pfol. 90. 2. Front 'Everlafling to Everlafling tbou art God; fo alfo of c~~ . . ' . And to confirm this Exiltenc~ ~f bis yet more; Jf you ask where he was ali that while ? ]ohn refolves you,together w!th thi$ his A!fertion,!hat he wm; and tells you with whom he was. At the Cre~tton, or m the Begmntng, he was with God ; when none but God and he were alone,. and no Creature with them ; In the Bofom of the Father, John 1. 18.. And in 'Prov. 8. 30. Then I wm by him m one bro11ght up witb hiflt. And accordmgly, John 'Z· 8. Chrtfi fays, I came forth from thee,lpeaking to his Father: and verf 18. Tbo11, d,id.fl fend me into the World: and ]ohn 16. 28. I am come forth from tbe Father, and am come into the World. ... , ·• Now ask the Manife.flarians; that is, thofe that fay, Chrjfi, as Chrifi, is only a Manirefiation of God. How was it when it is fa id, that he was witb God in the beginning of the Creation, when there was no Creature? when., according to thenr, his foie Being (as Chrifi) is barely a MJnifefiatio9 : I a!k them, to whom he was then a Mnn;fefiation ? Not to God : for, according to them, he is the Manifefiation of God in us ; and to him, he needed not be the Manife– fiation of himfelf in their fenfe, but to us only: Now then we were not, rior any Creature to whom he lhould be manifefied. Vfe I. Let Believers comfort themfelves with this Exiilence of their Head and Redeemer Chrilt, ! John 2.I4.he reckons it up a priviledg to raife up their Hearts withal: Ye have k_11own him that i• from the beginning; namely, Chrifi, of whom, 1 ]olm I. I, 2. he fays, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have feen with our Eyes, which we have loo".!d 11pon, and oJtr hand• have handled of the Word of Life, (for f'he Life was rnanife.fled, and we have feen it, and bear Witnif, and Jbew unto yoJt that Eternal Life which was with the Father; and wa• manife.fled unto us). This was the great Priviledg ]ohn and the Apoilles boailed of; as it follows verf 3· 1hat whicb we have feen and heard, declare ,;e unto yo11, that ye alfo may have fiUowjbip with Jts. When therefore he faith, We have known him that is from the beginning ; it carries a great Privilege, and Confirmation, and Efiablifhment of them in their Faith; and alfo an Exhorta– tion with it. I. A Confirmation of them in their Faith, and to fee and rejoice in their Privilege ; and is, as if he had laid, there cannot be any Cbrifi propofed to them, that is more ancient ; and therefore he is the be!!, the foie or only Chriil. As the Gofpel coming after, could not make void the Law: So no Manifefiati– on can put down, or excel that which is made of God himfelf in Chrifi, for it is he that was from the beginning. And, 2. it bath an Exhortation in it: That therefore they fhould always, and to the end, that is, for ever, cleave to him. It is he that was from the begin– ning. There can be no other Jefus ; The fome to Day, Ye.flerday, and for ever, as Heb. 13. Vfe 2. Embrace him as thy chiefelt Treafure; for he is Being and Exiilence it felf; The World pajfeth away, and the Glory of it : B11t the Worcl of God end11res for ever. If the Truth of this written Word, then much more this fubfiantial Word, the Perfon of Chrifl, in whom all other Truths are, Yett and Amen. He is, I C.1y, Exifience itftlf, By whom aU Things conjjl, Coi.1.I7. and exijl, Heb. I. 13. And in the Text, Through whom are •I/Thing•, and we by him. And I ~
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