Of E/e[Jion. Ill. The declaring the Father was to declare alfo the other two Perfons ; how they are in God, and that himfelf, the Son, proceeded from God the Fa– ther, The Father, as he is the Fountain of the Deity, lo he is [et for the Three. · In a word, all in God, is reduced to thefe, two : r, The perftCl:ion of the Divine Nature of the God- head it {elf: And, 2. the three Pcrfons fubfifiing therein, _and injoying of thofe perfections; and the manifefiation of thtfe Per– fans, and of their joynt Counfels and Offices about our Salvation, are the great Subjects of Chrifi's preaching, efpecially in the Gofpel of Jobn: And I am to /hew how thefe were the original Inducements to him, for God is Pri• mordially moved with nothing out of himfelf. And therefore I have fingled forth thefe Two out of the many other Motives, which Chrifl ufeth in this Prayer, (as namely, that One I mentioned of his own lnterefl as God·man) which yet I here leave.\)ut, and referto another place; becaufe as he is !uch, it is a thing out of God himftlf, and fet up by Election as we are, Thefc things firfl explaining what God's Namt is, I come fecondly, to ih~w how this was a Motive: For which there are thefe 'DtmonjlratioiJs, 1; It's the Nature of PerfeCl:ion to manifefl it felf, and fo it is in·God; And to be brought unto Union with God, is the utmofl perfetlion of the Cr"'– ture :Im tbem, and tbo" inme,tbatthey may bt m.1de P ERFEGT IN ONE, verfe 2 ~· and fo unto the uttermofl, that they were capable of. Now it is the Nature of true Perfection to manifefl it fclf; Our Sa~iour here expreffeth it by the word [m,mife{l] this Nome, which accordingly holds forth the reafon of the thing 1t felf; for it is a known Rule, That it is the N1tttre of trut Pnfe– flm• to be mallifejlatlVttmJt~i, to matzifrfl it fetf: And fo it is in God,and that moved him. Not that by being known any perfeCl:ion could be added to him– felf, but that he might perJect others thereby, as our Saviour here, that they may be made perfect in one, praying for this Union : We fee the Creatures de– fire to manifeft their poor and low perfcCl:ions; but they, becaufe they think themfelves perfected by being known to others; which flile God himfell in– deed condefcends to utter himfelfin, in the manifeflation ofbis perLCl:ion, as in ·thAt Speech, hii power ii ptrfet1td in wtaknejs, 2 (or. 12, 8. but in a clean ' contrary fenfe the Phrafe there imports to be made knol\'n, or manifefled; that is , to be made kown, or manifefled to be mof\ perfect and glorious in and upon occafion of our weaknefs ; For in any other ref'ptct than of givi.1g an occaiion to difcover it feH·, what perfeCl:ion can weaknefs give to power? As for making any fuch manifeflation , there was no nece!Tity or impulie on his part for himfelf to have done; for his Effence being im– menfe, it i$ comprehenfive and big ~nough to have contained his o~ n bleffednefs within himfelf, without flowing over: He i. ro hirnfelf a perpetu– al Spring of Happwefs, and alfo a fuffic~enr Ciflern to receive, and hold, anc,l retain all the f!owings and reflowings thereof, wi~hin him leJf; all falls flill back again into himfelf; wnich i$ from the infinite vaflnefs pf his Being: And there– fore it is a meer act of his Grace and Will, which the Scripture every where fo celebrates and attributes thisunto. ,. . . Befides 1t was farr from any nece!Tity; ot addition to his perfection to have them thus made kno>-' n; for there were three perfon·s that Com·municat•d iti thefe perfeCl:ions , rim kn·. w, and loved, and deliglued as l have fl1ewed elfewhere in each others bleH•,doefs. . Bur then, Secondly , theie his P"fcel:ions being crowned with Goodnefs and Grace; his gnodnefs moved his Will unto this Communication of himfelf; and it is lS known a lVhxim that goodnefs·is jiJi Communicativum, Pfa!. 1I 7• 68, Thou 11rt good (in thy Nature) a11d tbou doef/good, that follows; and the l R. 2] gremft
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