Man and Mediator Jesus Christ: Yet we must learn them of the only Begotten Son, who hath revealed the Father. In him the Glory of God shines forth; and the clearest and only saving Discovery of God in his Persons and Attributes is made. And as to the Divine Decrees, they are all Purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord, Eph. iii. 11. God aimed at the Glory of his Son in All of them. And as to his Works of Creation and Providence, Christ, God-Man, has the Glory of them in Scripture. The God of Jacob, who is the HELP and HOPE of a poor Sinner, must be He who made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that therein is. Psal. cxlvi. 5, 6. Yea, and BY Him and FOR Him (who is GOD's dear Son and our Redeemer) were all things created, Col. i. 13, 14. 16. So that when we know Jesus Christ, we must go over again with all our Knowledge of God, yea and of ourselves, that we may know all more spiritually.

I advance to one Point more in Mr. Hussey, and that is, of Local Motion, or Interpreting the Phrases of Christ's coming down from Heaven, of the Human Nature or Man Christ; together with his Opinion of the subsisting of the Mau in God from Everlasting, and his Pre-existence in the Times of the Old Testament. How he will explain his Subsistence and Preexistence, is best known to himself. I shall content myself with this, Existentia est id quo unaquæque Res stat & reperitur extra Causas producentes. Existence is that whereby every thing stands forth, and is found out of its producing Causes. The producing Causes of Christ's Humanity were the Creation-Work of the Holy Spirit, and the Seed of the Woman. The Man Christ did not stand forth out of these Producing Causes in the Times of the Old Testament. As to the Members of his Body Natural it might be said, as yet there was none of them, Psal. cxxxix. 16. There was not the Substance of his Human Body, according to what He said after his Resurrection, Handle me and see, for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones as ye see me have. Whatever real Existence or Pre-existence short of this may be disputed for, is trifling (especially

to amuse the Vulgar with such things) and contributes nothing to explain those Phrases of Christ's coming down from Heaven; which are more intelligibly explained by the Real Pre-existence of Christ's Human Soul, which the Bishop of Glocester has contended for. I confess I fall in with neither of them.

Christ's coming down from Heaven as Man, which Mr. Hussey, with some Pains, and for so many Pages, maintains, must suppose an Actual Pre-existence of the Man And unless Jesus Christ had a human Nature before his coming into the World, and so came down from Heaven into the Womb of the Virgin by an Elapse, he has carried his Arguing too far upon this Point, and has given Occasion to think, that this is his Opinion.

CHRIST came down from Heaven, (1.) As to the Original of his Humanity. When God had fixed a Law and Course in Nature for Men to come into this World, viz. by Generation; and yet brought his Firstbegotten into the World another Way, beyond all that was in Nature, by the Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven, and over-shadowing the Virgin; He may truly be said to come from Heaven. When others are of the Earth Earthly; He is the Lord from Heaven by his high and glorious Descent, 1. Cor. xv. 47. (2.) As to the Right He had to Heavenly Glory, from the first Moment of his coming into the World. He need not have been under the Law, in a Humbled, Obeying State; but by virtue of the Hypostatical Union, He was the LORD and HEIR of HEAVEN. So that He did truly empty himself, Phil. ii. and lay aside his Glory, as truly as if the Humanity had been a Million of Years in Heaven, and then had come under that Abasement, (3.) When the Father prepared Him a Body, Heb. x. 5. God the SON came down, assumed it into Union with Himself! came down and dwelt in this Tabernacle, which God had pitched for Him, Heb. viii. 2. John i. 14. As truly as GOD is said to come down on Mount Sinai, and on the Tabernacle of old, and in some higher Sense.— O

This I take to be the most famous and eminent Sense. of CHRIST'S coming down from Heaven.

Such Texts therefore are more easily and genuinely accounted for in the common Way than in Mr. Hussey's. And other Texts will not admit his Interpretation. For then how is CHRIST of the Seed and Family of Abraham and David? How is He the seed of the Woman? Our near Kinsman ? Partaker of the same Flesh and Blood as we, if he really pre-existed to his Incarnation! I grant, that Christ as Mediator was set up from Everlasting in the Covenant between the Divine Persons; That all things were MADE for Him considered as God-Man, That he sustained Person of God-Man, and was reputed as such by the Father, while as yet he had not taken our Nature; and That he had Secret Glory with the Father before the World began. These Truths contained in Mr. Hussey's Discourse may perhaps have made some farther Discovery of CHRIST to some Believers than they had seen. But a Boundary is wanting, and Occasion is given to Error in this Point of his human Nature. I cannot here but recommend that Discourse of Dr. Goodwin's, Of the Knowledge of God the Father, aud his Son Jesus Christ, vol. II. part 2. From whence, that Mr. Hussey received Light as to what is excellent in his Book about these Eternal Things, and some deep Points in Divinity; I have at least as much Reason to think, as he had to think that Mr. Hunt had stole a good Part of the Rose of Sharon out of his Gospel Feast. In this of Dr. Goodwin, the Glory of CHRIST God-Man before the World was, is excellently set forth. A Glory which has not been seen, nor is seen, but by a few. His Glory as Redeemer is but one Half of his Glory. For by Him and for Him, God-Man, were all Things CREATED, To whom be Glory and Dominion for Ever and Ever. Amen.

But that the Doctor be not misunderstood, let the Reader compare what he saith about Christ's bringing down a Human Nature from Heaven, which he takes Notice of to be the Opinion of some, and whol

ly rejects, and gives a sound Interpretation of those Texts that speak of his coming down from Heaven. -Vol. II. part 3. page 97.

I would not have it understood as if I approved of all the rest of Mr. Hussey's Book which I do not here except against. I was not willing to hint at more Mistakes than my Room and designed Scope will admit me to suggest an Answer to. But it seemed to me necessary to caution the Reader in a few Hints to weigh well what he reads, to pray hard, and search the Scriptures, that he may discern what is to be approved, and what not.

I really love and value the Author, of whom I am speaking, as a Brother in Christ, as a Minister of Christ. But Oh that his Strength had been laid out another Way! That there had been more of the Spirit of Meekness, Humility and Love, in the whole Work! That what is good and excellent had been in a smaller Treatise by itself! That I nor any other had had no Occasion to make unpleasing Remarks thereon! It is my great Grief that it is otherwise. I refer the Reader to the second Section of the ensuing Treatise for what I further offer to Mr. Hussey.

The Third Section treats briefly of some Points of no small Weight. The Heads of Things may be seen in the Contents.

I leave all with God the Father of our Lord Jesus for a Blessing; and conclude with my earnest Desires that the blessed Spirit of Truth may lead his People into all Truth, and the Spirit of Love may influence the Hearts of all (tho' differing in Judgment) who love CHRIST in Sincerety, to love one another Amen.

PART II.

SECTION 1.

OF JUSTIFICATION.

CHAP. I.

Of Justification from Eternity.

EING very sensible, that Professors, that Believers themselves, are slow of Heart to take in the everlasting Love of God, and to believe it in the Glory of it I would be very loth to have any Hand in weakening or holding down the Faith of God's Children therein. Therefore while I think it not proper to define Justification by those Eternal Acts which some speak of, yet I do believe such Acts of Grace to have been towards God's Elect before the the World was. Nor do I hold, that Justification is in no sort before faith; nor can by any means approve when Men in their Arguings drive at this, That We begin with Believing, before God begins with Pardoning and Justifying.

It has been my Study (under Divine Assistance) to avoid Extremes. And because I apprehend an Extreme in Men's pleading for Justification from Eternity, I shall first endeavour to give my own Thoughts in this great Point; and then to shew how far we ought to bear with others in their different Expressions thereof.

There are divers Ways of stating the Doctrine of Justification from Eternity, by those who maintain it. I shall consider, First, That way of stating it which makes it stand upon an