made; but it may be said, why then is he called the second Adam, that is, in appearances or manifestation; yet 1 Cor. 15. 47. The second man is the lord from heaven. It is endless to consider all things, but however I say this, that to say Christ took human nature in the virgin's womb, is but to make that glorious person the son of God, from all eternity, to the time of Mary, but an imaginary person or phantasm, so all that was attributed to the manhood to be but by imputation, not personal.

Fifthly, If he was a substantial person before time, then he took not his humanity from Mary; so I say, if he was not a substantial person before time the covenant was not substantial before time, so neither covenant nor person was real.

Sixthly, If Jesus Christ was the same yesterday that he is to day, then he was a substantial person yesterday; but the former is true. Heb. 13. 8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Besides, Christ has been often seen in human shapes, often from Adam to Mary. Now he must either transform himself in a human shape, or he must assume some human body, but I can believe neither; I believe he appeared in his own humanity, Gen. 18. John 8.56, 57. Before Abraham was I am. I am what I am. You will say then, what think you then after all this; what do you think he was before his incarnation or conception? I answer, he was that which he was when the thief and he was in paradise Luke 23. 43. To day shalt thou be with me in paradise. I retort; what was that me that was in paradise? his body was in the grave the three days, his humanity in the grave or in the heavens? Was his person in the grave or in the heavens? C

was

Psal. 16. 19. For thou wilt not leave my soul in helf, neither wilt though suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Here is the sensual soul or life in hell, the holy one entering into corruption, yet this me is in paradise.

Now for our better understanding, let us consider what humanity is, thus I distinguish there is the soul, the life, or spirit, and the body, humanity is in the soul consisting in its powers, viz.-will, reason, knowledge, understanding, judgment, memory. The sensual life of the body consists of hearing, seeing, feeling, tasting, smelling; but it is the soul that makes this life human; so this reasonable soul and sensual body being joined together in an hylopathy makes up the man, but yet the humanity consists in the soul. Job 4. 19. 2 Čor. 5. 1. Job 10. 11. Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. John 2. 19. Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Was his humanity destroyed? No, it was yet when his body was destroyed; so it was but that he took of Mary that they could destroy, not his soul, so conse quently not bis humanity, his human life they took, but his humanity they could not; so this me was in paradise when this holy one was in the hell, that is, in the grave, with the promise of the resurrection; so I believe that his soul was personally united to the Godhead before the world was, and this makes up a complete person; so the human body was sustained, but not the humanity itself, till it was conceived by the Holy Ghost, in the virgin's womb, and so beheld.

Secondly, He was revealed in the creation of the world, though not as a mediator till after the fall, and

more and more to that of his flesh, as shall be made manifest in its order, if the Lord permits.

Thirdly, This reconciliation was perfected in Christ, in his life and death, and at that time, as has been proved before; but more particularly, God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself. Let us consider how God is said to be reconciled, or to reconcile the world unto himself. First, What was they reconciled to? They was reconciled to God. Was God then unreconciled? The Lord help me here in this depth, I know I shall cross the judgments of many in this also, but I cannot help it.

First, Let us consider God's end in sending of his son, which as his end was diverse in Adam's fall so his end in Christ's dying. John 9. 39. For judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see, and they that see might be made blind. Yet John 8. 16. For God so loved the world, that he sent his only begotten son. Rom. 5. 8. But God commended his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. 1. John 3. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us. By all these we may perceive that God's end was diverse, however towards that world he reconciled to himself, it was his love that sent out his own son: Who then can judge that God was at enmity with this world signified in the text, and so loved them that he sent the darling of his soul for them? No, the doctrine is this, that God never had any anger against this world, signified in the text, but it was an effect of his love to this world, which was his elect.

First. It will appear if we consider their relation to him, I mean before the fall, and so consequently

without the fall, for the fall was a consequence of his love to his son Jesus Christ. I need not prove it farther, for there are so many universal affirmatives, that I am easy in it, for nothing can be denied of all these, but it must derogate from the glory of Christ; so that if none can deny the doctrine without robbing of Christ, I shall be content to be robbed of mine till that time that my Lord will recover my honour in recovering his own glory, Rom. 11. 86. 1 Cor. 8. 6. Col. 1. 15, 16, 17, 18. 2 Cor. 5. 18. John 1.3. Eph. 1. 9, 11. I say, the fall was a consequence of his love to his son, therefore not likely to enkindle an enmity in hin, for without it the vessels could not have held that mercy unto which they was predestinated, neither can this love be by vir tue of covenant, the covenant might bind God's faithfulness, but it could not be the cause of his love, for it looks to me rather the effect of his love than the cause of it; I am bold in the Lord to say that there was something beyond the covenant, and that was the relation of his son to him, of whom they were flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, Eph. 5.30, 31. For we are members of his body, flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. So we see plainly that the covenant is an effect of his love of relation in Christ, and so in God; for if the love that God bears to his son be the same love to his body, then the fall could never anger God so; but all his dealings with his son and his body was all effects of his love; but the former is true, John 17. 26. Rom. 8. 38. 39. All the sentence of death, the practice of an evil life can never

be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. I say, this was the apostle's judgment, persuasion, faith, and confidence that death nor life, he had as good said Adam's disobedience, nor actual sin, nor all the temptations of the devil, could not separate us from the love of God, which he has to Christ Jesus our Lord. If all things has been for Jesus Christ, it must be so, this will stand the test against all opposition. I cannot say as many do, as though the fall had happened unawares to God, or through ignorance or carelessness. Now if the fall was not ordained of God, it must then have happened to God as a thing unexpected, through negligence or ignorance. But I return: I say, the first sight that Eve had of Adam he was already in covenant with God, and the first sight that Adam had of Eve, she was flesh of his flesh, the covenant being made with Adam before she was taken out of him; the first sight she has of him, he is her head in covenant, he is her wis dom, he is her law-keeper, he is her minister, he is her strength. Now we have seen the shadow, so was Christ made to us, 1 Cor. 1. 30. wisdom, righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. I say that the covenant between Adam and Eve was not the cause of his love to her. Let us now examine their unions. First, radical, as one nature. Secondly, vital, one life. Thirdly, corporal, one body. Fourthly, foederally, or covenant; all these relations she had to Adam at first sight; thus was she made meet for him, and prepared for him and him for her; now follows a conjugal union by marriage, in order to a lawful possession. So Christ's body being human God creating of Adam (or the elect in