andbu Son /ejus Chrifl. _ l69 ' '..:..__..... We have had a general view prefented t~,us, how ajl things, that is, the "'-A...rl whole Creation do, and did depend upon our Lord Cbn{l, even in God's very ~ purpofing of them. . ·.. · It is therefore meet I lbould next fpeak the like generally to ~his other Part, the Tem~re that the Saints, the EleCl: of God have,, and do hold.,of Chri{l: To the end, that this part of this Str~cture, m,ilY correfpond wit,li that which is foregone; which had but in general treated the dependance that all thi11gs have upon him. . .. . . . .. And it is this latter is infimtely the more emment of the two; and yet both nece!fary to lbew the CompleatnefS ?f Chrifr, as GOd-Man ; as in his Perfon,· fo in his Cubferviency to God, m all h1s Works whatfoever. ---And We by Hins. · 1• The We here, are God's Church of Man-kind, .feletl:ed out of.all '!:J'i"gt which he created, and here feparated from them, as a Company frandmg out a· part by themfelves, and who were feparated and appointed by his Father to be a Bcdy unto him as an Head. Now if we confider them in their firfi Creation– fiate, fo they are to be counted among the all Things ; and as fuch efficiently de– pending on him as one Lord; the Crea~or, _eN. of them : But _when here he adds and We by Him ; this 1mports their bemg a Chofen Generation, a pecuhar Peo~le tO God, the Chofen of God out of all Things elfe ; And his beitig a pe· culiar fpecial Founder unto them of a Supercreation-State, ahd a dependancy upon him for the whole of it, as he is Jefus Chrifr the Lord; which th~y have from him, de novo, and by a ·newer kmd of Tnle, than that of Creatton. A State, and all Things belonging to ir, wholly fupernatural unto that which was by Creation. , And here again, like as was faid in way of Premife, to that former firfr Head, of the dependancy of all Tbi,gs upon Chri{l; Our Thoughts and Contempla– tions mull mount up again to that fupream Age, or highefi Point of Eternity : The top of that vafi Sphere and Circle that comprehended us, and ail Things ; confidered as yet decreeable by God, and but in decreeing : And confidered, that there lay afore our Great God in his Divine Underfianding; a Platform of far higher, and momentous Defigns than thofe, and beyond thofe of the fir!! Creation and Providence towards all Things, together with Man, after his Kind, in common with them,; namely, of calling in, and bringing •. certain ftrjl: Fruit:r; (as the Apofile James s word 1s, Jamu I. 18. Of hnown Wz/1 begat he us, with the Word "f Truth, that we jho11/d be a hjnd of Firfl-FrHits of his·Crealllres); of that his i~tended firfi Creati?n, toconft_crate them to hitnfelf, through a Supe~;· creation-limon, and Commumon With h1mfelf: A !late wh1ch was to be utterly fuperlative in all the Thingsbelonging to it, comparatively unto that State of. and by their firfi Creati<:m; and .all, and every thing whatfoever that apper~ rains thereto : A State, m the ultimate End and Perfetl:ion of it, fuch as in Hea– ven, after the Work of Redemption is finilb'd, the Saints and Angels !ball enjoy to all Eternity : And in bringing us to which, he carries us through va– riety of Means preparatory, or conducing thereunto; and all, and each oftheni fu pernatural alfo. He, in his Infinite Grace and Wifdom, found his only be– gotten Son, ChriPr, God-Man, to be the Perfon: Yea, and in his Perfon as fuch · every way accompli/bed, adapted, and furnilbed, to accomplilb this Defign f~ fully and compleatly, as that whatever be defigned by fuch a gracious Decree proceeding out ofSoveraignty, and fuch a Love that !hould fo far ttanfcend tha~ I .ove, which by Creation he bore to us; (a pure Supercreation-Orace I ftile it) whatever (I fay) !hould enter mto the Tboughtsoffuch an exceeding Riches of Grace, to befiow on them he would fo love ; Th1s great Lord, his Chrifi, was adequately fitted, and enabled to be the Founder of. This God-Man was a Perfon after God's own Heart, to the very utmofi extent of his gracious Purpo– fes, and Counfels; and in his Perfon empowred to accomplilb, at the firfi in– ftant of his undertaking it, of whatever God could think of for them, or had a Mind to give them. z Now
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