of the PERSON of CHRIST. 2I there is a regard in them, both unto his future incarnation, and the ac- complishment of the counfels of God thereby. With refpe& thereunto, God poffeffed him in the beginningof his ways, and fet him up from everlafiing. Cod poffeffed him eternally as his effential wifdom, as he was always and is always its the boföm of the Father, in the mutual ineffable love of the Father and Son, in the`eternal bond ofthe Spirit. But he fignallypoffeffèd } ím inthe beginning of his ways, as his wifdom a£ting in the produftionof all the ways and works that are outwardly of him. The beginning ofGod's ways beforehis works, are his counfels concerning'them, even as our coun- fels are the beginning of our ways with refpecl unto future works. And he let i,am upfrom everlafling, as the foundationof all the counfels of his will in and by whom theywere to be executed and accomplished. So it is expreffed, ver. 3o, 31. Iwas by him as one brought up withhim, I was daily his delight, rejoicing before him, rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth, and ny delights were with the fons ofmen. And it is added, that thus it was before thefoundationof the worldwas laid, or the chiefefl part of the dull of the earth was made, that is, man was created. Not only was the delight of the Father in him, but his delight was in thehabi- table parts of the earth, and among the funs of men, before the creation of the world. Wherefore the eternal profpeft of the workhe had to do for the children of men is intended herein. In and with him God laid the foundationof all his counfels concerning his love towards the children of men: And two things may be obferved herein. r. That the perfon of the Son wasfet up, or exalted herein. I wasfet up, faith be, from everlafiing. This cannot be fpoken abfolutely of the perfon of the Son himfelf; the divine nature being not capable of being To fet up. But there was a peculiar glory and honour, belonging unto the perfon of the Son, as defigned by the Father, unto the execution of all the counfels of his will. Hence was that prayer of his upon the accomplish- ment of them ; Johnxvii. q. Andnow, OFather, glorify me with thine own felf, with the glory which I hadwith thee before the world was. To fup- pofe that the Lord Chrift prayeth in thefe words for fuch a real communi- cation of the propertiesof the divine nature unto the humane, as fhould render it immenfe, omnifcienr, and unconfigned unto any (pace, is to think that he prayed for the deftrudion, and not the exaltation of it. For on that fuppofition it muft neceffarily lode all its own esfential properties, and confequently its being. Nor doth he feem to pray only for the manifejla- tion of his divine nature, which was eclipfed in his exinanition or appear- ance in the form of a fervant. There was no need to exprefs this, by the glory which be had with the Father before the world was; for he had it not in any efpecial manner before theworld was; but equally from eternity and in every moment of time. Wherefore he had a peculiar glory of has own with the Father before the world was. And this was no other, but that efpecial exaltation which he had when he was fet up from everlafting as the foundation of the counfels of God, for the falvation of the church. In thofe eternal tranfaftions that were between the Father and the Son, with refpecî unto his incarnation and mediation, or his undertaking to exe- cute and fulfil the eternal counfels of the wifdom and graceof the Father, there was an efpecialglory which the Son hadwithhim. The glory which, he had with the Fatber before theworldwas. For themanifeftation here- of he now prays; and that the glory of his goodnefs, grace and love in his peculiar undertaking of the execution of the counfels of God, might be made to appear. And this is the principal defign of the gofpel. It is the declaration zs of the grace of God the Father, fo of the love, grace, gtod- G nefs
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