1. That the person of the Son " was set up," or exalted herein. " I was set up," saith he, " from everlasting." This cannot be spoken absolutely of the person of the Son himself — the divine nature being not capable of being so set up. But there was a peculiar glory and honour belonging unto the person of the Son, as designed by the Father unto the execution of all the counsels of his will. Hence was that prayer of his upon the accomplishment of them : (John xvii. 5 :) " And now, O Father, glorify me with thine own self, with the glory which I had with thee before the world was." To suppose that the Lord Christ prayeth, in these words, for such a real communication of the properties of the divine nature unto the human as should render it immense, omniscient, and unconfined unto any space — is to think that he prayed for the destruction, and not the exaltation of it. For, on that supposition, it must necessarily lose all its own essential properties, and conse- quently its being. Nor doth he seem to pray only for the manifes- tation of his divine nature, which was eclipsed in his exinanition or appearance in the form of a servant. There was no need to express this by — ^the " glory which he had with the Father before the world was." For he had it not, in any especial manner, before the world was; but equally from eternity, and in every moment of time. Wherefore, he had a peculiar glory of his own, with the Father, before the world was. And this was no other but that especial exaltation which he had when he was " set up from everlasting," as the foundation of the counsels of God, for the salvation of the church. In those eternal transactions that were between the Father and the Son, with respect unto his incarnation and mediation — or his under- taking to execute and fulfil the eternal counsels of the wisdom and grace of the Father — there was an especial glory which the Son had with him — the " glory which he had with the Father before the world was." For the manifestation hereof he now prays, and that the glory of his goodness, grace, and love — in his peculiar undertak-
56 THE PERSON OF CHRIST.
iiig of tlie execution of tlie counsels of God — miglit be made to appear. And this is the principal design of the Gospel. It is the declaration, as of the grace of God the Father, so of the love, grace, goodness, and compassion of the Son, in undertaking from everlasting the accomplishment of God's counsels, in the salvation of the church. And hereby doth he hold up the pillars of the earth, or support this inferior creation, which otherwise, with the inhabitants of it, would by sin have been dissolved. And those by whom the eternal, divine pre-existence, in the form of God — antecedent unto his incarnation — is denied, do what lies in them expressly to despoil him of all that glory which he had with the Father before the world was. So we have herein the whole of our design. " In the beginning of God's ways, before his works of old " — that is, in his eternal counsels with respect unto the children of men, or the sanctiiication and salvation of the church — the Lord possessed, enjoyed the Son, as his eternal wisdom — in and with whom they were laid, in and by whom they were to be accomphshed, wherein his delights were mth the sons of men.
2. That there was an ineffable delight between the Father and the Son in this his setting up or exaltation. " I was," saith he, " daily his delight, rejoicing always before him." It is not absolutely the mutucJ, eternal delight of the Father and the Son — arising from the perfection of the same divine excellencies in each person — that- is intended. But respect is plainly had unto the counsels of God concerning the salvation of mankind by him who is liis power and wisdom unto that end. This counsel of peace was originally between Jehovah and the Branch, (Zech. vi. 13,) or the Father and the Son ■ — as he was to be incarnate. For therein was he " fore-ordained before the foundation of the world ; " (1 Pet. i. 20 ;) viz., to be a Saviour and a deliverer, by whom all the counsels of God were to be accomplished ; and this by his own wiU, and concurrence in counsel with the Father. And such a foundation was laid of the salvation of the church in these counsels of God— as transacted between the Father and the Son — that it is said, that " eternal life was promised before the world began : " Tit. i. 2. For, although the first formal promise was given after the fall, yet was there such a preparation of grace and eternal hfe in these counsels of God, with his unchangeable purpose to communicate them unto us, that aU the faithfulness of God was engaged in them. "God, that cannot he, promised be- fore the world began." There was eternal life with the Father — that is, in his counsel treasured up in Christ, and in him afterwards manifested unto us : 1 John i. 2. And, to show the stability of this purpose and counsel of God, with the infallible consequence of his actual promise, and efficacious accomplishment thereof, " givace " is