~ BooK Ill. ~ Of the ·K..powledg of (jod the Father~ C H A P. VII. That tjod conflituted from eternity, fefus [ hrift God-Man to be one univerfal Lord, under Him– felf, o'Ver ;ll the Creatures be intended to mak!. 1 Cor. 8. 6. And One Lord Jejiu Cbrift•. I Defire thi~ to be noticed afore-hand, as touching. this part of the Text I am now entnng upon;That though AUThmg1 are fatd to be of God: Both His Creation, &c. ofthem, and our Union with him, to have been firll defign– ed by God; that yet our Apollle cloth evidently withal here declare, That a/1Thing1, both the Creation and Government of the World; as alfo our Union: yea, even all that ever God did, was ordained by him, to depend upon Jefus Chrill, as Lord ; as well as upon God the Father, as God. Hence, at this our beginning to treat of what belongs to Chrill's part, we, mull again climb up to the Supreamell Top, or Pinacle of Eternity, and place our Thoughts in the firll Inllant thereof: And as yet, fuppofe that our God be– ing but about to Purpofe, and Decree AUThingi, or any thing which his WiH fhould pitch upon : that none of thefe Things concerning us and the Creatures, had their determination, without a fuppofition of our Chrill his having been firfl conllituted the Lord, and a dependance ofall Things upon him as Lord, to have been firll ordained alfo. Or thus, That God, in hisDecrees and Purpofes, for the effetl:ing of all thefe, did pre– fuppofe and take.in his Chrill to be the Lord of us and of all Things: Of whom all did and fhould depend, as well as upon Himfelf, though under Himfel£ So as for an Entrance to this Difcourfe about Chrill's lnterell in all thefe, we will make a fiand, or rather go backward again, and make a Recognition, and fet our Thoughts down in this Suppojition, That we confider all thefe Concern– ments ofus, and ofthe whole Creation, in the firll inllant ofEternity, but as yet lying in the Mind of God in a fimple or pure Idea ofthem, or in a bare Contem– plation, and Chart, or Model, in God's meer and jmple IC11orr>ledg, and lnteUi– gence; they lay asaMafsofGold, or Silver in the Oar, without their having a Decree ofhis Will as yet pafled upon them, that they fhould be minted : They had not the conclufive Decree, or Fiat ofhis Will, what they fhould be; al– though he flood ready and propitious to fet that his Seal, or Imprimatur for their coming forth, and publifhing into ACfual Exiflence : But having them, and All in view, or Modd ready afore him; he was plcafed in one and the fame Inllant, or Moment of Eternity, wherein he brought forth thefe, or any other Purpofes ofhis to a Determination conclufive; He was pleafed (I fay) to fet , up as the fidr-born of his Purpofe, chiefly, or afore All, and to lay for a Foundation,and Corner-Stone a midll, or middle Perfon, between his Creatures, and Himfelf; but efpecially between Him, and thofe Firll-Fruits, or choice of his Creatures, he would draw up into a high Union with Himfelf, to fet up his Chrill. A Per– Con who in the Language ofthe Text, fhould be an [One Lord,] who fhould be a joint Compeer with Him; or rather God's Commi!Iionerand Plenepotentiary, in all his Works of Wonder; and that is, 011r Chrifl ;. Not confidered barely, and
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