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and that which hence we intend to prove, is, that in the framing and producing of the things which concern mankind, there were peculiar internal personal transactions between the Father, Son, and Spirit. The scheme of speech here used is (in genere deliberativo) by way of consultation; but as this cannot directly and properly be ascribed to God, an anthropopathy must be allowed in the words. The mutual distinct actings, and concurrence of the several persons in the Trinity, is expressed by way of deliberation, because we can no otherwise determine, or act. And this was peculiar in the work of the creation of man, because of an especial designation of him to the glory of God, as Three in One. This, therefore, I have only laid down and proved, as the general principle which we proceed upon. Man was peculiarly created to the glory of the Trinity; hence, in all things concerning him, there is not only an intimation of those distinct subsistences, but also of their distinct actings, with respect to him. And as his creation was eminently the effect of special counsel, much more shall we find this fully expressed, with respect to his restoration by the Son of God.

§14. The same truth is farther revealed and confirmed, Prov. viii, 22-31; "The Lord possessed me "in the beginning of his way, before his works of old," &c. It is Wisdom that speaks, and is spoken of. This we believe to be He, who is the wisdom of God, even his eternal Son. This the Arians, &c. will not grant, although they are not agreed what it is that is intended. A property, say some, of the Divine nature; the exercise of Divine wisdom in making the world, say others; the wisdom that is in the law, say the Jews; or, as some of them, the wisdom that was given to Solomon; and of their mind have been some of late.

The constant use of the verb (p) is either to acquire and obtain, or to possess and enjoy. That which any one hath, which is with him, which belongs to him, and is his own, he is (P) the possessor of it. So is the Father said to possess wisdom; because it was his, with him, even his eternal Word or Son. No more is intended hereby, but what the apostle more clearly declares, John i, 1, 2; (εν αρχη ο λογος ην προς τον Θεον) in the beginning the Word was with God.

It is an intelligent person that is here intended; for all sorts of personal properties are ascribed to it, as almost every verse in the whole chapter shews. For instance, personal authority and power are assumed by it, ver. 15, 16; "By me kings reign, and princes "decree justice; by me princes rule, and nobles, even "the judges of the earth." Personal promises, upon duties to be performed towards it, due to God himself, ver. 17, "I love them that love me, and those that "seek me early shall find me;" which is our unalienable respect to God. Personal actions, ver. 20, 21; "I lead in the way of righteousness, in the midst of the "paths of judgment; that I may cause them that love "me to inherit substance, and I will fill their treasures;” ver. 30, 31; "I was daily his delight, rejoicing always "before him, and my delights were with the sons of "men." Personal properties, as eternity, ver. 23; "I "was, set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or "ever the earth was," ver. 24, 25. Wisdom, ver. 14. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom, I have understanding and strength. Again, the things here spoken of wisdom are, all of them, or at least the principal, expressly elsewhere attributed to the Son, John i, 2, 3, &c. Col. i, 15-17. Moreover, the relation of this wisdom that speaks to God, declares it to be his eternal Word or Son, "I was daily his delight, rejoic

"ing before him;" as he did in whom his soul is always well pleased. And lastly, as we shall farther see, they are the eternal transactions of the Father and Son that are here described, which are capable of no other fair and solid interpretation.

§15. It is not my design to plead here at large, the eternal existence of the Son of God, antecedent to his incarnation; but because the faith thereof is the foundation of what I shall farther offer, concerning the origin of his priesthood, the testimonies produced to that purpose must be vindicated from the exceptions of the professed adversaries of that fundamental truth.

Eniedinus (who may be deemed the Goliath of the Antitrinitarian cause) contends, "that wisdom is per"sonified by a prosopopeia." This prosopopeia, or fiction of a person, is of great use to the Antitrinitarians. By this one engine they presume they can despoil the Holy Ghost of his deity and personality. Whatever is spoken of him in the scripture, they say, it is by a prosopopeia; those things being assigned to a quality, or an accident, which really belong to a person only. But as to what concerns the Holy Spirit, I have elsewhere taken this engine out of their hands, and cast it to the ground; so that none of them alive will erect it again. Here they make use of it against the deity of Christ; as they do also on other occasions. I acknowledge there is such a scheme of speech used by rhetoricians and orators, whereof some examples occur in scripture. That is sometimes ascribed to a thing, which is, indeed, proper only to a person; or a person who is dead, or absent, may be introduced as present and speaking. But yet Quintilian, the great master of the oratorial art, denies, that by this figure, speech can be ascribed to that

which never had it, (Nam certe sermo fingi non potest, ut non persona sermo fingatur,) "If you feign "speech, you must feign it to be the speech of a per"son;" or one endowed with the power of speaking. A prosopopeia is a figure quite distinct from all sorts of allegories, pure, mixed; apologues, fables, parables; wherein, when the scheme is evident, any thing may be introduced speaking, like the trees in the discourse of Jotham, Judg. ix. The instance of mercy and peace looking down from heaven, and kissing each other, is a mixed figure, the foundation of which is a metonymy of the cause for the effect; or rather of the adjunct for the cause, and the prosopopeia, which is evident. But that a person should be introduced speaking in a continued discourse, ascribing to himself all personal properties, absolute and relative; all sorts of personal actions, and those the very same which, in sundry other places, are ascribed to one certain person, (as all things here mentioned are to the Son of God) who yet is no person, never was a person, nor representeth any person, without the least intimation of any figure therein, or any thing inconsistent with the nature of things and persons treated of, and that, in a discourse didactical and prophetical, is such an enormous monstrous fiction, as nothing, in any author, much less in the Old or New Testament, will give the least countenance to.

There are, in the scripture allegories, apologues, parables; but all of them so plainly and professedly such, and so unavoidably requiring a figurative exposition from the nature of the things themselves (as where stones are said to hear, and trees to speak) that there is no danger of any mistake about them, nor difference concerning their figurative acceptation. And the only safe rule of ascribing a figurative sense, is, when the

nature of things will not bear that which is proper; as where the Lord Jesus calls himself a door, and a vine; and says, that bread is his body. But to make allegories of such discourses as this, founded on the feigning of persons, is a ready way to turn the whole bible into an allegory, which may be done with equal ease and probability of truth, as this passage. Besides, there is a prophetical scheme in the words. It is here declared, not only what Wisdom then did, but especially what it should do in the days of the gospel; for the manner of the prophets is to express things future, as present or past, because of the certainty of their accomplishment. And these things they speak of the coming of Christ in the flesh. See 1 Pet. i, 11, 12.

But utterly to remove this pretence of prosopopeias and figures, it need only to be observed, which none will deny, that the wisdom that speaks here, chap. viii, is the same that speaks chap. i, 20-23. And if wisdom there be not a person, and a Divine person, there seems to me to be none in heaven; for to whom, or what else can these words be ascribed, which wisdom speaks? "Turn ye at my reproof; behold I will "pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my "words unto you; because I called, and ye refused; I "have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; "but ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would "none of my reproof; I also will laugh at your calam"ity, I will mock when your fear cometh. Then shall "they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall "seek me early, but they shall not find me?" If these things express not a person, a Divine Person, the scripture gives us no due apprehension of any thing whatever. Who is it that "pours out the Holy Spirit?". Who is he that "men sin against," in refusing to be obedient? Who is it that in their "distress they call

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