"whom be glory for ever." Amen. 3dly. His design in election was the manifestation of the glory of his GRACE. "Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ "to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise "of the glory of his grace." The second person in the efsence existing was predestinated in his person to be Godman, and absolutely first decreed: for we were chosen in Christ'. Therefore he was chosen first, as the head, in whom the elect were beloved and chosen. "Who verily was fore-ordained, (i. e. "as Christ or God-man) before the "foundation of the world, but was ma"nifested (as the lamb slain) in these "last times for you, who by him do "believe in God'."

He was, in his predestination, ordained to be the Fellow of the Lord of HostsHis elect in whom his soul delighted. Christ saith, "I was daily his delight," and adds, "And my delights were with "the sons of men". We were chosen to be Christ's delight; but Christ was chosen to be, as God-man, the object of the delight of the efsential Three. Christ stands in a two-fold relation to

For

his elect of the human race. He is their HEAD, and also their SAVIOUR. the illustration of grace Jehovah willed, that elect angels should see how much they owed to grace to preserve them immutably in the favour of God. The elect angels saw what mere creatures, and how mutable their wills were, by the fall of those angelic beings, who left their first estate. At which time, it is very easy to conceive, election-grace was made known unto them, and they were led to see that they owed their preservation from falling thereto. Just as man, ruined in his own nature by the fall, was informed that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head.

In the execution of God's decrees the world was created, man made in the image of God, in righteousnefs and true holinefs, and left to the mutability of his own will. In consequence of which, he fell by temptation, and transgrefsed. God's law was broken by his sinning immediately against it: by which means sin entered into the world, and death by sin. When man had sinned, then God displayed his great designs of gracerevealed and promised Christ, by whom life and immortality were to be brought to light. Thus, "Grace reigned through righteousness, unto eternal life by Je

sus Christ our Lord'." The election of grace comprehended Christ and his church, which consists of elect angels and elect men. Jesus Christ, as Godman, is the first born of all God's thoughts, ways, and works. Hence he is styled, The first born of every crea

"ture".

If the essential Son of God had not submitted to become incarnate, God had never condescended to have gone forth into creature-acts. The only begotten Son of God, as God-man, was the object and subject of God's eternal decrees. All was proposed and executed in the intuitive knowledge of him, as "the brightnefs of the Father's glory and "the exprefs image of his person.

The first purpose of God, which was carried into execution, and which was the ground-work of all others that were to follow in succefsive order, was creation; the putting forth of all things out of nothing into being, as the matter which Jehovah's decrees were to work upon. This work of creation is exprefsly attributed to Jesus Christ, as Godman, Col. i. 16. where in the following words, his eternity and omnipotency are afserted. "He is before all things, and "by him all things consist." It was in the virtual influence of our Lord, as God-man, that the worlds were made, v Rom, v. 21. w Col. i. 15,

"Whom he hath appointed heir of all "things, by whom also he made the "worlds." This work of creation is again ascribed to Jesus Christ, as Godman, in the most direct terms, by the apostle Paul, in his epistle to the Ephesians, "God who created all things by "Jesus Christ." The church of the elect, whose names are written in Heaven, has an entire dependence on Christ, as Godman. Their being and everlasting wellbeing are in him. God the Father gave them in election a supercreation-being in him, and he gave them also grace and life in Christ before the world began, As Christ stands in a two-fold relation to us, viz. in that of an Head, and that of a Saviour; so those blefsings which we have from him, as he is Christ our Lord, are founded on our relation to and union with his person. And the blessings, which we have from him as our Saviour, are the fruits of his most precious bloodshedding. JESUS CHRIST, GOD-MAN, IS THE FOUNDATION AND CORNER STONE, THE GLORY AND ORNAMENT OF THE WHOLE CREATION. HE IS THE HEAVEN OF HEAVENS TO HIS SAINTS THEIR ALL IN ALL. ·

Having now given a general plan of the gospel truths and doctrines, that will be interspersed and drawn forth through* Heb. i. 2. y Ch. iii. 9. 2 2 Tim. i. 9.

out the following Treatise, I commit the same to the Reader's own consideration and the Lord's blessing; having no other aim or end in view, but that CHRIST MAY BE EXALTED IN HIS GRACE AND GLORY; and that the THREE IN JEHOVAH may receive from us, through JESUS the GOD-MAN-MEDIATOR, the everlasting honour, glory, and praise of being, throughout the whole display of grace, from everlasting to everlasting, ALL IN ALL. Amen.