may be one in us, I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one (i. e. in God through Chrift) and that the World may know that thou haft loved them, as thou haft loved me, for thou loveft me before the Foundation of the World. I have manifested thy Name unto the Men which thou gavest me out of the World; thine they were, and thou gaveft them to me. I pray for them, I pray not for the World, but for them which thou haft given me, for they are thine, and all mine are thine, and thine are mine, (by eternal Donation). And I am glorified in them, and now come I to thee, and thefe Things I fpeak in the World, that they might have my Joy fulfilled in them," John xvii. 5, 6, 9, 10, 13, 20, 22, 23, 24. Here we might obferve that our Saviour's Petitions in Time, were to ftrengthen the Faith of his People; for his Prayer was granted by the Father, and fettled in Heaven from Eternity, Pfal. cxix. 8, 9. We therefore, by Faith, may hear the Father's Anfwer, faying, "My well-beloved Son, all thy Petitions are granted, for it is alfo my good Pleafure to give them my Kingdom," Luke xii. 32. Now both Parties being agreed, all is Harmony and Love: the Council of Peace between the Father and the Son refpecting Salvation, being ratified for ever. But the Covenant of Man's Redemption must be next recorded in the clofe Rolls of the Divine Decree; that contains Bleffings beftowed on the Redeemed; this Price is to be paid by the Redeemer, which from Scripture Records we may collect as follows: whereas Ifrael, the Church, hath destroyed herself, therefore in God only her Help can be found, Hof. xiii. 9. Then the God-Man Chrift Jefus fore-ordained, freely entered himfelf, and was inrolled as a Surety in the Behalf of his Church, to anfwer all the Demands of the divine

Law

Law and Juftice, confequently to make an Atonement by Death, and therefore called, The Lamb flain (or appointed to be flain) from (or before) the Foundation of the World, Rev. xiii. 8. that he might redeem his Bride from the Curfe fhe had incurred through breaking God's Law; being made a Curfe for her. For it is written, Curfed is every one that bangeth on a Tree, Gal. iii. 13. The Prophet David alfo fpeaking in the Perfon of Chrift to God the Father, faith," Sacrifice and Burnt-offerings for Sin thou didst not defire nor require (but as Types of Chrift the true Sacrifice) then faid I (the Redeemer) Lo I come, as in the Volume of the Book it is written of me: for I delight to do thy Will, O God: yea thy Law is within my Heart," Pfal. xl. 6, 7, 8. Here holy David being infpired by the Holy Ghoft, referred the Church to the Original Foundation of her Redemption, by Virtue of a Covenant made between God the Father and God the Son, and recorded in the great Volume or Book of God's Decrees, before Time began. "For the Secrets of the Lord are with them that fear him, he will fhew them his Covenant," Pfal. xxv. 14. It has been already obferved that Solomon alfo by Inspiration of the Holy Ghoft fpake of Chrift's delighting himself with the Sons of Men before the World began, with those no Doubt whom the Father had given him to redeem, Prov. viii. 31. That the chofen Race was given him is manifeft by Chrift's own Words, viz. "This is the Father's Will that fent me, that of all which the Father hath given me, I fhould lofe nothing, but should raise it up again at the laft Day," John vi 30. Alfo St.. Paul referred the Church to this fame Covenant, between the Father and the Son, before Time began, which is evident as follows: "Paul a Servant of God, and an Apostle of Jefus Chrift, according

to

to the Faith of God's Elect, and the acknowledging of the Truth which is after Godliness. In Hope of eternal Life, which God that cannot lie promised before the World began," Tit. i. 1, 2. To whom did God promise the Church eternal Life before the World began? Answer. To Chrift, the federal Head of his Church, for Grace was given us in Chrift Jefus before the World began, 2 Tim. i. 9. The infpired Prophet alfo fpeaks as confidently as though he heard the Son fay to the Father (when the Covenant was agreed to)" Thy dead Men, O Father, fhall live, together with my dead Body fhall they arife," Ifa. xxvi. 19. They shall be quickened by Faith in the Blood of the Covenant, in this World, who were dead in Trefpaffes and Sins through the Fall, Eph. ii. 1. For by Virtue of this Covenant, God who is rich in Mercy, for his great Love's fake, wherewith he loved them before Time began,, even although they were as dead to God in Sin, as was the dead Body of Christ in the Tomb yet he quickened them, and Chrift together (in Effect) when he arofe from the Dead, for his Life was the Ground and Root of their Life, Eph. ii, 4, 5. And this was foretold by the Spirit of Prophecy, viz. Coma, let us turn to the Lord by Repentance, for he hath torn us (in Chrift our Head) and he will heal us, he hath fmitten, and he will bind us up. After two Days will he revive us, in the third Day he will raife us up, and we shall live together (viz. Chrift and his Members) in God's Sight, Hof. vi. i, 2. But why does God quicken fome, and pafs by others, leaving them in their Sins? Because he hath Mercy on whom he will, they fhall certainly be quickened who belong to the Election of Grace, Rom. xi. 5. and to the general Affembly and Church of the First-born, whose Names are written or inrolled in Heaven,

Heb.

Heb. xii. 23. A Priviledge which ought to rejoice the Heart of God's People more than any other Gift or Grace. "Rejoice not (faith Jefus) that evil Spirits are fubject unto you: but rather rejoice because your Names are written in Heaven," Luke x. 20. This, it feems they knew, otherwife they could not rejoice. It is a peculiar Knowledge, which God, through infinite Mercy by Chrift Jefus, hath been graciously pleased to communicate to the true believing Church in all Ages. Holy David knew that in God's Book, all his Members were written, when as yet there was none of them, Pfal. cxxxix. 16. And no Doubt but he saw his Name (through Faith) written in the Book of Life, when God fet him up upon Chrift the Rock, Pfal. xxvii. 5. Saint Paul alfo when writing to a Minifter at Philippi, to make up a Difference among the Brethren, seems to express his Love and Care for them, because their Names were written in the Book of Life; and on this Account (as Chrift had done before) he bids them rejoice in the Lord, not in their Frames or Feelings, but in being the Beloved in Chrift Jefus, Phil. iv. 3, 4. And chofen in him before the Foundation of the World, Eph. i. 4. The Knowledge of this, though not attained by every weak Believer, is attainable to all the People of God, who have received true Faith which works by Love, called The Faith of God's Elect, Tit. i. 1. who know the Truth which makes them free, John viii. 32. Having Chrift in them the Hope of Glory, Col. i. 27. Enabling them by the Spirit of Adoption, to call God their reconciled Father; the Spirit itself bearing witness with their Spirits, that they are the Children of God, and Joint-heirs with Chrift, Rom. viii. 15, 16. As it was prophesied that God's Chofen fhould receive the Knowledge of their Salvation by the Remiffion of their Sins, Luke

Q 2

Luke ii. 77. and overcome the World, and gain. their Victory through Faith, 1 John v. 4. And he that thus overcometh, Chrift promifeth to give him the hidden Manna (inward Abfolution) which none knoweth, but he that receiveth it, Rev. ii. 17. Thus by fearching the Scripture, and by comparing them with their own Experience as fome think, fo others believe, they have eternal Life, John v. 39. Having through Grace given all Diligence to make their Calling and Election fure, 2 Peter i. 10. They by Faith perceive their Names written in the Lamb's Book of Life, Rev. xx. 15. and can truly fay by Heart-felt Experience, that God hath made Chrift unto them Wifdcm, Righteoufnefs, Sanctification and Redemption, 1 Cor. i. 30. And although the World by Wisdom knoweth not God, 1 Cor. i. 2.1. Which makes the mourning Prophet afk, Who hath believed our Report, and to whom is the Arm of the Lord revealed? For there is no Form nor Comeliness in Chrift to the Sight of Unbelievers, neither do they defire him, Ifa. liii. 1, 2. And they fay (in their Hearts) unto God, Depart from us, for we defire not the Knowledge of thy Ways, Job xxi. 14. (Therefore the Prayers specified and offered up to the Father by our adorable Redeemer are not pertinent, nor likely to be of Ufe to Unbelievers continuing fuch): yet to the believing Spouse he is the chiefest among ten Thousand, and altogether lovely, Cant. v. 10, 16. For he daily feeds her in his Garden of Grace with Milk and Honey, faying Eat, O Friends, yea, drink abundantly, O Beloved, Cant. v. I. Therefore the Spouse, like the busy Bee, fucks Honey out of every Flower, i. e. improves by every Premife in holy Writ, and believeth the Words of her Redeemer, who pofitively declares, All that the Father hath given me, hall come unto me, John vi. 37. And the infpired Pro

phet