An Expojititm of the Epiftle ~ Now to enlarge this a little; In the Decrees of Ele&ion the l!onfideration of Serm. VI. Chrifr, as to alfume Man's Nature, was not limply or anly founded upon the fup– ......rY"V pofition or the fore-fight of the Fall, as if occafioned only thereupon. For befides what the former Exphcauon of thofe words, that we were [Cbofe~t m him] does afford; this alfo, That we are predeflmated[or him as the End of all, gives a fufficientground again!tfuch an affection. Now mark my exprellion : I fay, not only upon the confideration and fore-fight of the Fall; and that upon this ground, that all things were prede!tinated and created for hjm. Whereas to bring him into the world only upon occafion of Man's fin, and for the work of Re– demption, were to fubjed: Chrifr unto us, as he was to be Incarnate and Hypo– fiatically united to an Human Nature; and to make us the end of that Union, and of his Perfonal dwelling in that Nature: Whereas he, as fo confidered, is the End of us, and of all things elfe. This were alfo to have the •Perfon ordained for the ben.elits, (as Redemption, Heavm, ~c.) which we were to have by him ; which are all far inferiour to the gift of his Perfon unto us , and much more to the glory of his Perfon it felf. His Perfon is of infinite more worth than they all can be of. Neither yet (on the other fide) do I, or dare I affirm, that Chrifr lhould have been Incarnate, and alfumed our Nature, thougl1 man had never fallen; becaufe all things are ordained to fa!) out no otherwife than they do. God therefore ne– ver made fuch a fingle Decree alone, that Chrifr lhould come into the world; but as always having the Fall in his eye, and his coming to redeem alfo. I account ~hat Opinion as great aChimera and fid:ion as many of thofe School-Quefrions and Diiputes, What fhoutd have fat/m o11t if Adam bad flood, ~c. which are cut off with this, That God tuver ordainea bu jlrmdi11g. This is all that I affirm in this Point, That God in ordaining Chri(\ the Second Perfon to affume an Human Nature, had not Chrifr in his eye only or chiefly as a Redeemer; but withallool<t upon that infinite glory of-the Second Perfon to be manife(\ed in that Nature through this affumption. Both thefe ends moved him; and of the rwo, the glory of Chri!t's Perfon in and through that Union had the greatell: fway, ana that fo, as even Redemption it felf was fubordinated to, and ordained for the glory of his Perfon, as the end of all ·fir!t and chiefly intended. I !hall open it unto you thus; When God went about to choafe Chrill: and Men, he had all his Plot before him in his under(\anding, through the vafi Om– nifciency of that his Underfranding, (by Divines called,his Simple lt~tdligmce) which reprefented unto him, as this Plot which his Will pitcht upon, fo infinite more frames of Worlds which he could have made : and all thefe he mull be fuppofed to have had in his view at once, afore ever his Will concluded all that was ordained to come to pafs. Now he having Chrifr, and the work of Re– demption, and Us, and all thus before him; the Q~eflion is, Which of all otbn· Pro;etfs bt badmof/ in his rye, tmd which bu wilt chiefly mJdprim11rily pitcbt upo1Ztoordai1lit? I fay, It was Chrill: and the glory of his Perfon. God's chief end was nor to bring Chri!t into the World for us, but Us for Chri!t. He is worth all Creatures. And God contrived all things that do fall out, and ~ven Redemption it felf, for the fetting forth of Chrifi's glory, more than our fal– vation. And the Reafonsfor this are, 1. (Our of ver.6.) ThatChri!t is God's Beloved, and beloved for himfelf· And 'Dms mlllm.qtwdqtu amat prottt illud ama6ile efl: God loves every thing according to that degree of lovelinefs that is in it. Now Chrj!t or the Second Perfon dwelling in that Human Nature, is, per fe ama/;ilis,' amiable for and of hu":lfelf, and fo IS by God eligi6zlu pu jr, ~propter fe, of, and for h1mfclf, as being an abfolute good ; wh1ch no other Creature is. Whereas the work of Redemption performed by Chri!t, was not per Je amabile, not loved or l''tcht upon for 1t f~lf. But that which gives the lovelinefs unto it, is a remedy tor fin, as Rom.6.1o. and 10 that refped the goodnefs of it is nor abfohite and intrinfecal, bur accidental; but the goodnefs, the lovelinefs that is in Chrifl's Perfor!, is abfolute, and in it felf fuch. And therefore to have ordained it for this work only, had been to have !owned and debafcd it; 2 . Out
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