of the PERSON Of CHRIST. 23 of God in the fandification and falvation of the church. But it is not with God as it is with men. Let mens counfels be never fo wife, it mutt needs abate of their fatisfaclion in them, becaufe their conjeftures (and snore they have not) of their effects and events are altogether uncertain. But all the counfels of God having their entire accomplifhments through re- volutions perplexing and furpafling all created underffandings, enclofed in them infallibly and immutably, the great fatisfaftion, complacency and delight ofthe divine being is in thefe counfels themfelves. God dothdelight in the actual accomplifhnìent of his works. He made not this world, nor any thing in it for its own fake. Much lefs did he make this earth to be a theatre formen to aft their lulls upon, theufe which it is now put to and groans under. But he made all things for himfelf, Prov. xvi. 4. He made them for his pleafure, Rev. iv. us. that is, not only by an ad of foveraignty, but to his own delight and fatisfaftion. And a double teftimony did he give hereunto with refpeft unto the works ofcreation. (i.) In the approbation which he gave of the whole upon its fitrvey. And God fan, all that he had made, and behold it was good, Gen.i. 3i. There was that imprellion of his divine wifdom, power and goodnefsupon the whole, as manifefted his glory, wherein hewas well plea- fed. For immediately thereon, all creatures capable of the conception and apprehenfion of his glory, fang forth his praife, yob xxxviii. 6, 7. (2.) In that he retiedfrom his works, or in themwhen they were finifhed, Gen. ii. a. It was not a refi ofwearinefs from the labourof his work, but a reff of complacency and delight in what he hadwrought, that God entred into. But theprincipal delight and complacency of God is in his eternal coun- fels. For all his delight in his works, is but in the effects of thofe divine properties whofe primitive and principal exercife is in the counfels them- felves from whencethey proceed. Efpecialiy is it fo as unto thefe counfels oftheFather and the Son, as to the redemption and falvationof the church, wherein they delight, and mutually rejoyce in eachother on their account. They are all eternal ads of God's infinite wifdom, goodnefs and love, a delight and complacency wherein is no fmall part of the divine bleffednefs. Thefe things are ahfolutely unconceivable unto us, and ineffable by us we cannot find the Almighty out untoperfe&ion. However certain it is from the notions we have of the divine being and excellencies, and from the revelation he bath made of himfelf, that there is an infinite delight in God, in the eternal aftings of his wifdom, goodnefs, and love, wherein ac- cording to our weak and dark apprehenfions of things, we may fafelyplace no final). portion of divine bleffednefs. Self-exiftence in its own immenfe being, thence felf-fufiiciency unto it felf in all things, and thereon felf-fatif- faBión is the principal notion we have of divine bleffednefs. I. God delighteth in thefe his eternal counfels in Chrift, as they are ads ofinfinite wifdom, as they are the higheft inffance wherein it will exert it felf. Hence in the accomplifhment of them Chrift is emphatically faid to be the wifdom of God, r Cor. i. 24. He in whom the counfels of his wifdom wereto be fulfilled. And in him is the manifold wifdom of God made known, Ephef. iii. sc. infinite wifdom being that propertyof the divine nature, whereby all theaffings of it are difpofed and regulated fui- tably unto his own glory in all his divine excellencies, hecannot but delight in all the ads of it. Even amongff men, whofewifdom, compared with that of God, is folly it felf, yet is there nothing wherein they have a re- al rational complacency, Eatable unto the principles of their nature, but inLech adings of that wifdomwhich they have, and fuch as it is, towards the proper endsof their being and duty. How much inore doth God de- light r.
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