1. From what hath been discoursed, it is manifest that the counsel of God concerning the priesthood and sacrifice of his Son; to be in- carnate for that purpose, had respect unto sin, and the deliverance of the elect from it, with all the consequents thereof; and the same truth hath also been particularly discussed and confirmed in our exposition of the second chapter of this Epistle. That which now lies before us is to inquire more expressly into the nature of the counsels of God in this matter, and their progress in execution,
SECT. 1-3.] IN THE COUNSEL OF GOD. 43
And as in this endeavour we shall carefully avoid all curiosity, or vain attempts to be wise above what is written, so, on the other hand, we shall study with sober diligence to declare and give light unto what is revealed herein, to the end that we should so increase in knowledge as to be established in faith and obedience. To this end are our ensuing discourses designed.
2. God, in the creation of all things, intended to manifest his na- ture, in its being, existence, and essential properties; and therein to satisfy his wisdom and goodness. Accordingly, we find his expres- sions of and concerning himself in the work of creation suited to declare these things. See Isa. xl. 12-17. Also, that the things themselves that were made had in their nature and order such an impress of diyine wisdom, goodness, and power upon them, as made manifest the original cause from whence they did proceed. To this purpose discourseth our apostle, Rom. i. 19-21, Td yrwordy rot Oeod Quvepév gor &v wdroiss and the psalmist, Ps. xix. 1, 2; as do sundry other divine writers also. Wherefore the visible works of God, man only excepted, were designed for no other end but to declare in general the nature, being, and existence of God. But in this nature there are three persons distinctly subsisting; and herein consists the most incomprehensible and sublime perfection of the divine being. This, therefore, was designed unto manifestation and glory in the creation of man; for therein God would glorify himself as subsisting in three distinct persons, and himself in each of those per- sons distinctly. This was not designed immediately in other parts of the visible creation, but in this, which was the complement and perfection of them. And therefore the first express mention of a plurality of persons in the divine nature is in the creation of man; and therein also are personal transactions intimated concerning his present and future condition. This, therefore, is that which in the first place we shall evince, namely, “That there were from all eternity personal transactions in the holy Trinity concerning mankind in their temporal and eternal condition, which first manifested them- selves in our creation.”
3. The first revelation of the counsels of God concerning the glo- rifying of himself in the making and disposal of man is declared Gen. i. 26; 039 NI72 FN} PTS DpOYa DIN iy Dios ONY ;—“And God said, Let us make man in our image, according unto our like- ness, and let them have dominion.”: This was the counsel of God concerning the making of O78; that is, not of that particular indi- vidual person who was first created and so called, but of the species or kind of creature which in him he now proceeded to create. For the word Adam is used in this and the next chapter in a three-- fold sense:—First, For the name of the individual man who was
44, ORIGINAL OF THE PRIESTHOOD OF CHRIST [EXERC. XXVII.
first created. He was called Adam from adamah, “the ground,” from whence he was taken, chap. 11. 19-21; dvdpwarog ex vis, xornés, 1 Cor. xv. 47, “of the earth, earthy.” Secondly, It is taken inde- finitely for the man spoken of, chap. ii. 7, DISTNS pijox mint ys AQIS} WY;—“ And the Lorp God created man;” not him whose name was Adam, for “ He hajediah” [He emphatic] is never prefixed unto any proper name, but the man indefinitely of whom he speaks: Thirdly, It denotes the species of mankind. So is it used m this place, for the reddition is in the plural number, “ And let them have dominion,” the multitude of individuals bemg included in the ex- pression of the species. Hence it is added, chap. i. 27, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him, male and female created he them ;” which is not spoken with respect unto Eve, who was not then made, but unto the kind or race, wherein both sexes were included.
4. Concerning them God saith, 7#2, “Let us make,” in the plural number; and so are the following expressions of God in the same work: 13!22¥2, “In ouR image;” M273, “ According to OUR likeness.” This is the first time that God so expresseth himself, and the only occasion whereon he doth so in the story of the crea- tion. As unto all other things, we hear no more but D}28 TN, “ And God said;” in which word also J will not deny but respect may be had unto the plurality of persons in the divine essence, as the Spirit is expressly mentioned, chap.i 2. But here the mystery of it is clearly revealed. The Jews constantly affirm that the elders, who translated the Law on the request of Ptolemy king of Egypt, changed or corrupted the text in thirteen places, whereof this was the first; for "¥Y2, “Let us make,” they rendered by Momjow, “1 will make,” and not TWojowuev, in the plural number. And this, they say, they did lest they should give occasion unto the king or others to imagine that their law allowed of any more Gods than one, or on any account departed from the singularity of the divine nature. Whether this were so or no I know not, and have suffi- cient reason not to be too forward in giving credit unto their testi- mony, if nothing else be given in evidence of what they affirm; for no footsteps or impressions of any such corruptions remain in any copies or memorials of the translation intended by them which are come down unto us. But this is sufficiently evident, that the re- porter of this story apprehended an unanswerable appearance of a plurality of subsistences in the Deity, which they by whom the Trinity is denied, as we shall see immediately, know not what to make of or how to solve.