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

It will not be amiss (whilst I am endeavouring to draw a Line of Gods love in Christ, from first to last in saving Souls) that here we look back a little, and summarily contract the passages of Love from that eternity before all Worlds, unto this present. 1. God had an eternal design to discover his infinite love to some besides himself; O the wonder of this! was there any need or necessity of such a discovery? Though God was one,¹ and in that respect alone (as we may imagine) yet God was not solitary; in that eternity within his own proper essence or substance, there were three Divine Persons, and betwixt them there was a blessed Communication of Love; Christ on Earth could say, I am not alone, because the Father is with me: and then before the Earth was, might the Father say, I am not alone, for the Son is with me; and the Son might say, I am not alone, ⟨p. 156⟩²for the Father is with me; and the Holy Ghost might say, I am not alone, for both the Father and the Son are with me; though in that eternity there was no Creature to whom these three Persons should communicate their Love; yet was there a glorious communication, and breaking out of Love from one to another; before there was a World, the Father,³ Son, and Holy Ghost did infinitely glorify themselves, Joh. 17.5. Surely they loved one another, and they rejoiced in the fruition of one another, Prov. 8.30.⁴ What need then was there of the discovery of Gods love to any one besides himself? O my soul, I know no necessity for it, only thus was the pleasure of God; Even so Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight: such was the love of God, that it would not contain it self within that infinite Ocean of himself, but it would needs have Rivers and Channels, into which it might run and overflow.

It will not be amiss (whil'st I am endeavouring to draw a Line of Gods love in Christ, from first to last in saving Souls) that here we look back a little, and summarily contract the passages of Love from that eternity before all Worlds, unto this present. 1. God had an eternal design to discover his infinite love to some besides himself; O the wonder of this! was there any need or necessity of such a discovery? Though God was one,