But God takes this counsel with him, as he was his eternal wisdom, with respect to his future incarnation. Hereunto regard is also had to his names, wonderful, counsellor, &c. for these titles do not absolutely denote properties of the Divine nature, though they are such Divine titles and attributes, as cannot be ascribed to any, but to him who is God. There is in them a respect to the work which he had to do, as he was to be a child born and given unto us. And on the same account he is called the everlasting Father; a name not proper to the person of the Son, with a mere respect to his personality; there is therefore a regard in it to the work he had to do, which was, to be a father to all the elect of God.

On the same account, God speaking of him, says, "my companion, and the man my fellow," Zech. xiii, 7; with whom he had sweetened, and rejoiced in secret counsel, as Psal. Iv, 14; Prov. viii, 30, 31.

Particularly the will of the Father and Son concurred in this matter, which was necessary, that the covenant might be voluntary, and of choice. The original of the whole is referred to the will of the Father constantly. Hence our Lord Jesus Christ, on all occasions, declared solemnly that he came to do the will of the Father; "Lo I come to do thy will, O God," Psal. xl, 7; Heb. x, 5-10. For in the agreement, the Prescriber and Promiser, whose will, in all things, is to be attended to, is the Father; and his will was naturally at perfect liberty from engaging in that way of salvation, which he accomplished by Christ. He was at liberty to have left all mankind under sin and the curse, as he did all the angels that fell. He was at liberty to have utterly destroyed the race of mankind that sprang from Adam in his fallen state; either in the root of them, or in the branches when

multiplied (as he almost did in the flood) and have created another race of them to his glory. And hence the acting of his will herein is expressed by grace; which is free, or else it is not grace; and it is said to proceed from love, acting by choice, all arguing the highest liberty in the will of the Father, John iii, 16; Ephes. i, 6. Now, he both sent his Son and sealed him, and gave him commands, which are all acts of choice, proceeding from sovereignty. Let none, then once imagine, that this work of entering into covenant about the salvation of mankind was absolutely necessary to God, or that it was required by virtue of any of the essential properties of his nature. God was herein absolutely free, as he was also in his making all things of nothing. And this we maintain in perfect consistency with the necessity of satisfaction, on supposition of this covenant. The will of the Son also is distinctly concerned, to demonstrate that the things he underwent in his human nature, were just and equal; and to manifest that those very acts, which he had in command from his Father, were no less the acts of his own will. Wherefore, as it is said, that the Father loved us, and gave his Son to die for us; so also is said, that the Son loved us, and gave himself for us, and washed us in his blood. And whatever is expressed in scripture, concerning the will of the human nature of Christ, it is but a representation of the will of the Son of God, when he engaged into this work from eternity, Whereas, therefore, he had a sovereign and absolute power over his own human nature when assumed, whatever he submitted to was no injury to him, nor injustice in God to lay it on him.

$26. If it be objected, that the will is a natural property, and therefore in the Divine essence, it is but one; and how, then, can it be said that the will of the

Father, and the will of the Son, did concur distinctly in the making of this covenant? We reply that this difficulty may be solved from what hath been already declared. For, if they subsist distinctly; if such is the distinction of the persons in the unity of the Divine essence, that they act in natural and essential acts reciprocally one towards another, as in understanding, love, and the like; what impropriety to suppose that they act distinctly in those works, which are of external operation? The will of God as to the peculiar actings of the Father in this matter, is the will of the Father; and the will of God, with regard to the peculiar actings of the Son, is the will of the Son; not by a distinction of sundry wills, but by a distinct application of the same will to its distinct acts, in the persons of the Father and Son. And in this respect, the covenant whereof we treat, differeth from a pure decree; and by virtue of it, were all believers saved from the foundation of the world.

And it

$27. Moreover, a covenant must be about the disposal of things in the power of them that enter into it, otherwise it is null or fraudulent. To do good to mankind, to bring them to the enjoyment of himself, was absolutely in the power of the Father. was in the power of the Son to assume human nature, which becoming thereby peculiarly his own, he might dispose of it to what end he pleased, still preserving the indissoluble union. Again, some things are made lawful or good, or suited to the honor, or satisfaction and complacency of them that make the covenant, by virtue of somewhat arising from the covenant itself. Such was the penal suffering of the human nature of Christ, under the sentence and curse of the law. This, absolutely considered, without respect to the ends of the covenant, would neither have been

good in itself, nor have had any tendency to the glory of God. For what excellency of the nature of God could have been demonstrated in the penal sufferings of one absolutely, and in all respects, innocent? Nay, it was utterly impossible, that an innocent person, considered absolutely as such, should suffer pœnally, under the sentence and curse of the law; for the law denounceth punishment to no such person. Guilt and punishment are related, and where the one is not (real, or supposed, or imputed) the other cannot be. But now, in the terms of this covenant, leading to the limitations and use of these sufferings, they are made good, and tend to the glory of God. So the pardoning and saving of sinners, absolutely could have had no tendency to the glory of God; for what evidence of righteousness would there have been herein, that the great Ruler of all the world should pass by the offences of men without animadverting upon them? What justice would have appeared, or what demonstration of the holiness of the nature of God would there have been therein? Besides, it was impossible, seeing "it is the judgment of God, that they who commit sin "are worthy of death." But, through the terms and conditions of this covenant, this is rendered righteous, holy, and good, and eminently conducing to the glory of God.

$28. The matter of this covenant in general is the saving of sinners, by ways and means suited to the manifestation of the Divine glory. To declare this design of God, is the principal design of the whole scripture.

$29. The end, both of the covenant, and the disposal of all things thereby, was the special glory both of the one and the other. God doth all things for himself. He can have no ultimate end in any thing but

himself alone, unless there should be any thing better than himself, or above himself. But yet, in himself, he is not capable of any accession of glory, by any thing he doth, or intendeth; his end thereof must be, not the obtaining of glory to himself, but the manifestation of the glory that is in himself. And those properties of the Divine nature, which are peculiarly engaged in it, are wisdom, justice, and grace. That the covenant sprang from these properties of the Divine nature, that the execution of it is the work and effect of them all, and that it is designed to manifest and glorify God by them to eternity, the scripture fully declares.

The peculiar honor of the Son was two-fold, viz. what he had conjunct with the Father, as he is of the same nature with him, over all, God blessed for ever; and likewise, as the Mediator of the covenant of grace, that peculiar glorious exaltation, which, in his human nature, he received upon the accomplishment of the terms and conditions of this covenant.

$30. This covenant had also its conditions and limitations, as it had a respect to a prescription of personal obedience and promises of reward. The promises made to the Son were various; such as all necessary assistance in his arduous work, as the incarnate Mediator, and the glory which was to ensue upon the accomplishment of it; and particularly the acceptance of his work with God. There was, indeed, in the nature of the things themselves, a proportion between the obedience of Christ the mediator, and the salvation of believers; but this is not the next foundation of merit, though an indispensable condition; for there must not only be a proportion, but a relation also between the things, whereof the one is the merit of the other.

And the relation in this case is not natural, or