I 20 cí>' Declaration of the Glorious My S T E RY confider what is the nature of Sin, efpecially of that "first fin, wherein our original apoftafy from God did contit; what was the condition of mankind thereon; what is the concernment of the holy God therein, on the account of the bleffed properties of his nature what way was fuited unto our recovery, that God might be glorified in them all. Without a previous confideration of th.efe things, we can have no due conceptions of the wifdom of God in this glorious work, which we en- quire after. Wherefore I fhall fo far fpeak of them, that if it be the will of God, the minds of thofe who read and confider them, may be opened and prepared to give admittance unto fome rays of that divine wifdom in this glorious work, the luftre of,whofe full light we are not able in this world to behold. When there was a vifible pledge of the prefence of God in the buffs that burned and was not confumed, Mofes Paid, he would turn elide to fee that great. fight, Exod. iii. 3.- And this great reprefentationof the glory of God being made and propofed unto us, it is certainly ur duty to divert from all other occafions unto the contemplation of it. But as Mofes was then commanded to put off his _rises, the lace where on he flood being holy ground; fo it will be the wifdom ofhim that writes, and of them that read, to divert themfelves of all carnal affehions and imaginations, that they may draw nigh unto this great obje& of faith; with due reverence and fear. The first thing we are to confider in order unto the end propofed, is, the nature of our Sin and apoftafy from God. For from thence we mutt learn the concernment of the divine excellencies of God in this work. And there are three things that were eminent therein. t.) A refle&ion on the honour ofthe holinefs and wifdom ofGod, in the reje&ionof his image. He had newly made man in his own image. And this work he fo expreffetlr as to intimate a peculiar effeft of divine wifdom in it, whereby it was diftinguifhed from all other external works of creation whatever, Gen. i. 26, 27. And God faid Let us make man in our own image, after our likenefs; fo Godcreatedman in his own image; in the image of Godcreated be him. No where is there fuch an empia- fis ofexpreffron concerning any work of God. And fundry things are re- prefented as peculiar therein. (s. That the word of confultation and -that of execution are diftind. In all other works of creation, the word of determinationand execution, was the fame. When he created light which feems to be the beauty and glory of the whole creation, he only faid, Let there he light, and there woe light, Gen. i. 3. So was it with all other things. But when'he comes unto the creation of man, another procefs is propofedunto our faith. Thefe feveral words are diftind, not in time, but in nature. God Paid, Let us make man in our image and likenefs; and thereon it.is added diftindly, as the execution of that antecedent counfel; So God wade man in his own image. This puts a fignal eminency on this work of God. (a. Adivin& peculiar concernment of all the perlons of the holy trinity in their confultation and operation is in like manner propofed unto us. And God faid, Let us make man. The truth hereof I have fufficiently evinced elfewhere, and difcoveredthe vanity of all other glofles and expo- fitions. The properties of the divine nature principally and originally confiderable in all external operations, (as we have newly obferved) are goodnefs, wifdom and power. In this great work divinegoodnefs exerted it felf eminently and effedully in the perfon of the Father; the eternal foun- tain and fpring, as of the divine nature, fo ofall divine operations. Di- vine wifdom aced it felf peculiarly in the perfon of the Son, this being the
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