Looking unto Jesus a view of the everlasting gospel, or, the souls eying of…

3 Consider the fore-knowledge of God; he knew from everlasting whom he would set apart for life and salvation. All the Saints of God from first to last, they were then present to him, and before him, and he did look on them in his Beloved Christ. Before there was a World, or a man, or any creature in it, he fore-knew Adam, and Abraham, and Isaac and Jacob, and all the Patriarchs, and all the Prophets, and all the Apostles, & all the Disciples of Christ, and Believers in Christ; And O my soul, if thou art one of Gods Elect, he foreknew thee with a knowledge of love and approbation, he had thee in his Eye,¹ and Heart: he had thoughts on Jacob, when he was yet unborn, and had done ⟨p. 43⟩neither good nor evil. Assure thy self, the Lord works not without prevision or fore-knowledge of the things effected; that cannot be in God, which is not to be found in a wise and prudent man; he that builds an house hath the frame of it first in himself: and the Psalmist tells thee, that the eyes of God did see thy substance yet being unperfect: ²in this Book of knowledge were all thy members written, when as yet there was none of them! yea, he knew thee with a knowledge of singular love; he embraced thee in his Eternal love, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated▪ • will not say, that this love was actually bestowed on thee till due time, yet it was prepared for thee from all Eternity: and hence it is called, an everlasting love; The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, ³saying, I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee.

1. 1Rom. 9.11
2. 2Psal. 139.16