and dark apprehensions of things, we may safely place no small portion of divine blessedness. Self-existence in its own immense being, thence self-sufficiency unto itself in all things, and thereon self-satisfaction, is the principal notion we have of divine blessedness.

1. God delighteth in these his eternal counsels in Christ, as they are acts of infinite wisdom, as they are the highest instance wherein it will exert itself. Hence, in the accomplishment of them, Christ is emphatically said to be the 'wisdom of God,' 1 Cor. i. 24. He in whom the counsels of his wisdom were to be fulfilled. And in him is the manifold wisdom of God' made known, Eph. iii. 10. Infinite wisdom being that property of divine nature, whereby all the actings of it are disposed and regulated, suitably unto his own glory, in all his divine excellencies, he cannot but delight in all the acts of it. Even amongst men, whose wisdom, compared with that of God, is folly itself, yet is there nothing wherein they have a real rational complacency, suitable unto the principles of their nature, but in such actings of that wisdom which they have, and such as it is, towards the proper ends of their being and duty. How much more doth God delight himself in the infinite perfection of his own wisdom, and its eternal acting for the representation of all the other glorious excellencies of his nature! Such are his counsels concerning the salvation of the church by Jesus Christ, and because they were all laid in him and with him, therefore is he said to be his 'delight continually before the world was.' This is that which is proposed as the object of our admiration, Rom. xi. 33, 34, 35, 36.

2. They are acts of infinite goodness, whereon the divine nature cannot but be infinitely delighted in them. As wisdom is the directive principle of all divine operations, so goodness is the communicative principle that is effectual in them. He is 'good, and he doth good ;' yea, he doth good because he is good, and for no other reason; not by the necessity of nature, but by the intervention of a free act of his will. His goodness is absolutely infinite, essentially perfect in itself; which it cannot be, if it belonged unto it naturally and necessarily to act and communicate itself unto any thing without God himself. The

divine nature is eternally satisfied in and with its own goodness; but it is that principle which is the immediate fountain of all the communications of good unto others, by a free act of the will of God.' So when Moses desired to see his glory, he tells him, 'that he will cause all his goodness to pass before him, and would be gracious unto whom he would be gracious,' Exod. xxxiii. 19. All divine operations in the gracious communication of God himself, are from his goodness, by the intervention of a free act of his will. And the greatest exercise and emanation of divine goodness, was in these holy counsels of God for the salvation of the church by Jesus Christ. For whereas, in all other effects of his goodness he gives of his own, herein. he gave himself in taking our nature upon him. And thence as he expresseth the design of man in his fall as upbraiding him with folly and ingratitude,' Behold the nan is become one of us,' Gen. iii. 22. We may with all humble thankfulness express the means of our recovery, Behold God is become like one of us,' as the Apostle declares it at large, Phil. ii. 6, 7, 8. It is the nature of sincere goodness, even in its lowest degree, above all other habits or principles of nature, to give a delight and complacency unto the mind in the exercise of itself, and communication of its effects. A good man doth both delight in doing good, and hath an abundant reward for the doing it, in the doing of it. And what shall we conceive concerning eternal, absolute, infinite, perfect, unmixed goodness, acting itself in the highest instance, (in an effect cognate and like unto it), that it can extend unto. So was it in the counsels of God concerning the incarnation of his Son, and the salvation of the church thereby. No heart can conceive, no tongue can express the least portion of that ineffable delight of the holy blessed God, in these counsels wherein he acted, and expressed unto the utmost his own essential goodness. Shall a liberal man devise liberal things, because they are suited unto his inclination? Shall a good man find a secret refreshment and satisfaction in the exercise of that low, weak, imperfect, mixed goodness that his nature is inlaid withal; and shall not he, whose goodness is essential unto him, whose being it is, and in whom is the immediate principle of communicating himself unto

others, be infinitely delighted in the highest exercise of it, which divine wisdom did direct?

The effect of these eternal counsels of God in future glory is reserved for them that do believe; and therein will there be the nearest manifestation of the glory of God himself unto them, when he shall be 'glorified in his saints, and eternally admired in all that believe.' But the blessed delight and satisfaction of God, was and is, in those counsels themselves, as they were acts of his infinite wisdom and goodness. Herein was the Lord Christ his delight continually before the foundation of the world; in that in him were all these counsels laid, and through him were they all to be accomplished. The constitution of his person was the only way whereby divine wisdom and goodness would act and communicate of themselves unto mankind, in which actings are the eternal delight and complacency of the divine Being.

3. Love and grace have the same influence in the counsels of God as wisdom and goodness have. And in the scripture notion of these things, they superadd unto goodness this consideration, that their object is sinners, and those that are unworthy. God doth universally communicate of his goodness unto all his creatures, though there be an especial exercise of it towards them that believe. But as unto his love and grace, as they are peculiar unto his elect, the church chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world, so they respect them primarily in a lost undone condition by sin, Rom. v. 8. 'God commendeth his love unto us, in that whilst we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God is love,' saith the Apostle, his nature is essentially so. And the best conception of the natural internal actings of the holy persons is love. And all the acts of it are full of delight. This is, as it were, the womb of all the eternal counsels of God; which renders his complacency in them ineffable. Hence doth he so wonderfully express his delight and complacency in the actings of his love towards the church, Zeph. iii. 17. 'The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save; he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love; he will rejoice over thee with singing.' The reason why, in the salvation of the church, he rejoiceth with joy, and joyeth with singing, the

highest expression of divine complacency, is because he resteth in his love, and so is pleased in the exercise of its effects.

But we must return to manifest in particular, how all these counsels of God were laid in the person of Christ, to which end the things ensuing may be distinctly considered.

1. God made all things in the beginning good, exceeding good. The whole of his work was disposed into a perfect harmony, beauty, and order, suited unto that manifestation of his own glory which he designed therein. And as all things had their own individual existence, and operations suited unto their being, and capable of an end, a rest, or a blessedness, congruous unto their natures and operations; so in the various respects which they had each to other in their mutual supplies, assistances, and co-operation, they all tended unto that ultimate end, of his eternal glory. For as in their beings and existence they were effects of infinite power, so were their mutual respects and ends disposed in infinite wisdom. Thereon were the eternal power and wisdom of God glorified in them; the one in their production, the other in their disposal into their order and harmony. Man was a creature that God made, that by him he might receive the glory that he aimed at in and by the whole inanimate creation, both that below, which was for his use, and that above, which was for his contemplation. This was the end of our nature in its original constitution. Thereunto are we again restored in Christ, Jam. i. 18. Psal. civ. 24. cxxxvi. 5. Rom. i. 20.

2. God was pleased to permit the entrance of sin, both in heaven above and in earth beneath, whereby this whole order and harmony was disturbed. There are yet characters of divine power, wisdom, and goodness, remaining on the works of creation, and inseparable from their beings. But the primitive glory that was to redound unto God by them, especially as unto all things here below, was from the obedience of man unto whom they were put in subjection. Their good estate depended on their subordination unto him in a way of natural use, as his did on God in the way of moral obedience, Gen. i. 26, 28. Psal. viii. 6, 7, 8. Man, as was said, is a creature which God inade, that by him he might receive the glory that he aimed at, in and

by the whole inanimate creation. This was the end of our nature in its original constitution. Thereunto are we again restored in Christ, Jam. i. 18. But the entrance of sin cast all this order into confusion, and brought the curse on all things here below. Hereby were they deprived of that estate wherein they were declared exceeding good, and cast into that of vanity under the burden whereof they groan, and will do so to the end, Gen. iii. 17, 18. Rom. viii. 20, 21. And these things we must again consider afterwards.

3. Divine wisdom was no way surprised with this disaster. God had from all eternity laid in provisions of counsels for the recovery of all things into a better and more permanent estate than what was lost by sin. This is the αναψύξις, the ἀποκατάτασις Távrov, the revivification, the restitution of all things, Acts iii. 19, 21. The avaкcpaXaiweis, or the gathering all things in heaven and earth into a new head in Christ Jesus, Eph. i. 10. For although it may be, there is more of curiosity than of edification, in a scrupulous inquiry into the method or order of God's eternal decrees or counsels, and the disposal of them into a subserviency one unto another; yet this is necessary from the infinite wisdom, prescience, and immutability of God, that he is surprised with nothing, that he is put unto no new counsels by any events in the works of creation. All things were disposed by him, into those ways and methods, and that from eternity which conduce unto, and certainly issue in that glory which is ultimately intended. For as we are careful to state the eternal decrees of God, and the actual operations of his providence, so as that the liberty of the will of man as the next cause of all his moral actions, be not infringed thereby; so ought we to be careful not to ascribe such a sacrilegious liberty unto the wills of any creatures, as that God should be surprised, imposed on, or changed by any of their actings whatever. For 'known unto him are all his works from the foundation of the world,' and with him there is neither variableness nor shadow of turning.'

4. There were therefore eternal counsels of God whereby he disposed all things into a new order, unto his own glory in the sanctification and salvation of the church. And of them two