2 2 CADeclarationofthe Glorious My ST ERY nefs and compaffion of the Son in undertaking from everlafting the accom- plishment of God's counfels in the falvation of the church. And hereby doth he hold up the pillars of the earth, or fupport this inferior creation which otherwife, with the inhabitants of it, would by fin have been diffol- ved. And thofe by whom his eternal divine pre-exilence in tite form of Cod, antecedent unto his incarnation is denied, do what lies in them ex- prefly to defpoil him of all that glory which he had with the Father before the world was. So we have herein the whole of our dcfgn. In the begin- ning ofGod's ways before his works of old; that is, in his eternal counfels with refpe& unto the children of men, or the fan&ification and falvation of the church, the Lord poffeffed, enjoyed the Son as his eternal wifdom, in and with whom they were laid, in and by whom they were to be accons- plitlacd, wherein his delights were with the fons of men. 2. That there was an ineffable delight between the Father and the Son in this lais fetting up or exaltation. I was, faith he, daily his delights, re-. joicing always before him. It is not abfolutely the mutual eternal delight of the Father and the Son, arising from the perfe&ion of the faine divine excellencies in each perfon that is intended; but refpeft is plainly had . unto the counfels of God, concerning the falvation of mankind by him who is his power and wifdomunto that end. This counfel of peace was origi nally between Jehovah and theBranch; Zed,. vi. 13. or the Father and the Son as he was to be incarnate. For therein was hefore-ordained before the, foundation of the world, 1Pet. i. 2e. Namely, to be a Saviour andDeliverer, by whom all the counfels of God were to be accomplished; and this by his own will andconcurrence in counfel with the Father. And fuch a founda- tion was laid of the falvation of the church in theft counfels of God as tranfa&ed between the Father and the Son, that it is faid, that eternal life waspromifed before the worldbegan, Tit. i. 2. For although the firJIformal promife was given after the fall; yet was there fuck a preparation of grace and eternal life in there counfels ofGod, with his unchangeable purpofe to communicate them unto us, that all the faithfulnefs of God was enaged in them. Godthat cannot lye, hash promifed before theworldbegan. There was eternal life with the Father, that is, to lais counfel treafured up in Chril, and in laim was afterwards manifefted unto us, s John xii. And to lam the {lability of this purpofe and counfel of God, with the infallibleconfe- quence of his aftual promife, and efficacious accomplifhment thereof, Grace so faid to be given us in Chri/I Jefus before the world began, 2 Tim. i. 9. In theft counfels did God delight, or in the petfon of Chrift, as his e- ternal wifdom in their contrivance, and as the means of their accomplifh- ment in his future incarnation. Hence he fo telileth of him, behold my fervant whom I uphold, my elefl in whom my foul delighteth, Ifa. as he alfo proclaimsthe fame delight in him from heaven in the days of his flelh, hlatth. iii. 17. chap, xvii. 5. He was the delight of God, as lee in whom all his counfels for his own glory in the redemption and falvation of the church, were laid and founded. Ifa. xlix. 3. My fervent in whom Iwill be glorified, that is, byrailing the Tribes of Jacob, refloring the pre- ferved of Ifrael, in being a light unto the Gentiles andfalvation ofGodunto the ends ofthe earth, v. 6. We conceive not aright of the counfels of God, when we think of no- thing but the effeft of them, and the glory that arifeth from their accom- plifiunent. It is certainly true that they {hall all ilfue in his glory, and the demonf:ration of it (hall fill up eternity: The manifeftative glory of Gad unto eternity, conuls in the effe&s and accomplifhinent of his holy coun- fels. Heaven is the late of the alati accomplifhment of all the counfels of
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