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

CHAP. I.

SECT. I. Of Christ Promised by degrees.

IN this period, as in the former, we shall first lay down the Object; and then direct you how to look upon it.

The Object is Jesus, carrying on the work of mans salvation in that dark time before his coming in the flesh.

No sooner is the world made, & the things therein; but man was created, that way might be made for God to show his grace in the salvation of his Elect. And now was it that Gods eternal project, and counsel, & fore-knowledge, and purpose, and decree, and Covenant with Christ was to come into execution. Indeed at the first there was no need of Christ; for man at first was made in holiness, the image of God, and to bear rule over the rest of the visible creatures; though this his state was but of a little standing. It was the received opinion in in former times, that our first parents fell the very same day in which they were created. Augustine amongst the rest writes, that they stood but six hours: but though we cannot describe the certain time, very probable it is, that it was but short: This we find, that Moses having set down the creation of man, without the interposition of any thing else, he comes immediately to the fall; and the Devil no doubt took the first occasion he possibly could, to bring man to the same damnation with himself. Well then, long it was not but Adam by his sin deprived himself, and all his posterity of the image of God: All mankind was in his loins, so by the order and appointment of God all mankind partake with him in the guilt of his sins: Hence is the daily & continual cry, not only of Adam, Abraham, David, Paul, but of every Saint, O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? But sweet souls, stay your complaints, here's Gospel-news.—