12. The divine will embraces the glory which Chrift had with the Father, before the world was the wonderful fcene of his humiliation-the present and future glory of his exaltation, and the whole divine exhibition in all the works of God.-And being a matter of fact, and discoverable, it lies before us as the perfect pattern, type, or map of the whole universe.

GIVING A

VIEW THEREOF,

TOGETHER WITH ITS

DIVISIONS,

AND

GENERAL ILLUSTRATIONS.

A VIEW OF THE THEORY.

IN the unfolding and full difplay of the di

vine principle, we fhall behold Chrift, the Sun of the universe, exhibited first in his antecedent, or primitive ftate, as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber:-We shall then behold him in his intermediate or covenant fervice ftate, as a strong man, with cheerful zeal, running a race: Finally, we fhall behold him in his confummate or glorified state, as the fun, full orbited, from whofe heat nothing is hid; or, as the bridegroom rejoicing in his bride.

Now that he afcended, what is it but that he alfo defcended first into the lower parts of the earth? He that defcended is the fame alSo that afcended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things. Eph. iv.-This, his defcending, implies, that, in a primitive state, he was high; and thus we have his glorious

Κ

hiftory, Philp. ii. Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a fervant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.--Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jefus every knee fhould bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth.And that every tongue fhould confefs that Fefus Chrift is Lord, to the glory of God the Fa ther.

A view, therefore, of the whole doctrine of Chrift may be given in three words, high, humbled, and exalted. This threefold glory of our Lord Jefus Chrift forms the all-comprifing circuit of the Sun of Righteoufnefs; and it manifeftly unfolds from the divine will; for, his filial character was the delight of the Father, and he was bleffed as a Son from everlafling; but, the manifeftation of this filial character, which neceffarily implies the manifeftation of the Father's authority, required that he fhould stoop in obedience—and to make fuch a ftoop, as would answer to; and exprefs the infinite authority of the Majefty of Heaven, required that he should defcend to the loweft poffible state of humiliation: and a reward, fuch as the infinite merit of a work giving birth to a manifestation of the glory of God requires, could be nothing less than his exaltation above all heavens.

As we have ftated, the ftipulations of the covenant which Chrift was brought into by the Father, were for substance these, that he fhould come into the world and perform a work of filial duty, which fhould give a full display of the authority and glory of the Fa ther; and, as a reward, he fhould be exalted and exhibited in all the splendour of that difplay.

Alfo, in the full exhibition of the divine principle, we fhall behold three flates of the creation, in perfect conformity to these three ftates of Chrift as the Head and Lord of all. One all dreffed out in the habiliments of innocence and primitive glory-bright and joyful as the morning: another, fhrouded in a cloud and baptifmal waters, groaning and travelling in pain; and the other fhining, glowing and fructifying under the beams of the Sun of Righteoufnefs, or by the light, heat, and blessedness of the Defire of all Nations.

This theory, arifing neceffarily from the divine principle, is the argument exhibited by the apoftle Peter, in his fecond Epiftle, chapter third, against them who deny a future ftate, faying, Where is the promife of his coming? or, where is the evidence of a world to come? for all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.—But the Apoftle replied, This, this fundamental principle they willingly are ignorant of, that the heavens, fuch as were at first, and the earth being conftructed of water and by water, by the word of God; whereby the world that ther