24 LA 'Declaration of the Glorious M Y ST ER Y light himfelf in the infinite perfection of his odin wifdom, and its eter- nal aging for the reprefentation of all the other glorious excellencies of his nature. Such are his counfels concerning the falvation of the church by Jefus Chrift, and becaufethey were all laid in him andwith him, therefore is he Paid to be his delights continually before the world was. This is that which is propofed as the objeft of our admiration, Rom. xi. 33, 34,35, 36. 2. They-are alts of infinite goodnefs, whereon the divine nature cannot but be infinitely delighted in them. As wifdom is the direllive principle of all divine operations, fogoodnefs is the communicative principle that is ef- fedual in them. He is good and he Both good; yea he Both good becaufe he is good, and for no other reafon; not by theneceffity ofnature, but by the interventionofa free aft ofhis will. His goodnefs is abfolutely infi- nite, effentiallÿ perfeft in it fell; which it cannot be, if it belonged unto it naturally and neceffarily to act and communuicate it felfunto any thing without God himfelf. The divine nature is eternally fatisfied in andwith its own goodnefs; but it is that principle which is the immediate foun- tain ofall the communications of good unto others, by a free ail of the will of God. So when Mofes defired to fee his glory, he tells him, that be will cattle all his goodnefs to pafs before him, and would be gracious untowhom he would begracious, Exod. xxxiii. 09. All divine operations in thegracious communication of God himfelf, are from his goodnefs, by the intervention of a free ad ofhis will. And the greateft exercife and emanation of divine goodnefs, was in thefe holy counfels of God for the falvationof the church by Jefus Chrift. For whereas in all other effects of his goodnefshe givesofhis own, herein he gave bimfelfin taking our na- ture upon him. And thence as he expreffeththe defign of man in his fall, as upbrading him with folly and ingratitude, behold the man is become as one ofus, Gen. iii. 22. we may with all humble thankfulnefs exprefs the means of our recovery, Behold God is become like one ofus, as the apoftle declares it at large, Phil. ii. 6, 7, 8. It is the nature of fincere goodnefs, even in its loweft degree, above all other habits or principles of nature, to give a delight and complacency unto the mind in the exercife of it felf, and communication of its effects. A good man doth both de- light in doing good, and bathan abundant reward for the doing it, in the doing of it, And what (hall we conceive concerning eternal, abfolute, in- finite, perfeft, immixed goodnefs, ailing it felf in thehigheft inftance, (in an effect cognate and like unto it) that it can extendunto. So was it in the counfel of God concerning the incarnation of bis Son, and the falvati- on of the church thereby. No heart can conceive, no tongue can exprefs the leaftportion of that ineffable delight of the holy bleffed God, in thefe counfels wherein he ailed and expreflèd unto the utmoft his own effential goodnefs. Shall a liberal man devife liberal things, becaufe they are fui- ted unto his inclination? Shall a good man find a fecret refrefhment and fatisfadion in the exercife of that low, weak, imperfeft, mixed good- nefs that his nature is inlaid withal; and (hall not he whole goodne_l} is effential unto him, whore being it is, and in whom is the immediateprinci- ple of communicating himfelf unto others, be infinitely delightedin the higheftexercife ofit, which divine wifdom diddirei ? 'The effeCt of thefe eternal counfels of God in future glory, is refereed for them that do believe; and therein will there be the neareft manifefta- tionof the gloryof God himfelf unto them, when be (hall be glorified in hisfaints, and eternally admired in all that believe. But the bleffed de- light and fatisfadion of God, was and is, in thofe counfels themfelves, as they were alts of his infinite wifdom and goodnefs. Herein was the Lord Chrift
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