And Christ himself hints his own eternity,* I came forth from the Father and am come into the world, again I leave the world and go to the Father. He goes to the Father as he came from the Father; He goes to the Father for everlasting, so he came from the Father from everlasting; there is the same duration in coming forth from the Father, as in returning to the Father. But more plainly;* He speaks of a Glory that he had with the Father before the world was, when there was no Creature in being; this is an actual glory, and not only in Decree: For a decreed glory Believers had, and why may not every one of them say the same words, Father glorify me with that glory which I had with thee before the world was, if it were only a glory in decree? Nay, it may be said of every man, he was before the world was, because he was so in decree. Christ speaks of something peculiar to him, a Glory in actual possession before the world was; glorify me, embrace, honour me as thy Son, whereas I have now been in the eyes of the world handled disgracefully as a Servant: If it were only in decree, why is not the like expression used of others in Scripture as well as of Christ? Why did he not use the same words for his Disciples that were then with him, who had a glory in decree? His Eternity is also mentioned in the Old-Testament:* The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old. If he were the work of God, he existed before himself, if he existed before all the works of God; 'tis so not properly meant of the essential wisdom of God, since the discourse runs in the name of a Person; and several passages there are which belong not so much to the essential wisdom of God, as v. 13. The evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate; which belongs rather to the holiness of God, than to the essential wisdom of God; besides it is distinguished from Jehovah, as possessed by him, and rejoicing before him. Yet plainer,* Out of thee i. e. Bethlehem shall he come forth to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting [Greek or Hebrew] from the ways of Eternity. There are two goings forth of Christ described, one from Bethlehem in the days of his incarnation, and another from Eternity. The Holy-Ghost adds after his prediction of his incarnation, his going out from everlasting, that none should doubt of his Deity:
And Christ himself hints his own eternity,* I came forth from the Father and am come into the world, again I leave the world and go to the Father. He goes to the Father as he came from the Father; He goes to the Father for everlasting, so he came from the Father from everlasting; there is the same duration in coming forth from the Father, as in returning to the Father. But more plainly;* He speaks of a Glory that he had with the Father before the world was, when there was no Creature in being; this is an actual glory, and not only in Decree: For a decreed glory Believers had, and why may not every one of them say the same words, Father glorify me with that glory which I had with thee before the world was, if it were only a glory in decree? Nay, it may be said of every man, he was before the world was, because he was so in decree. Christ speaks of something peculiar to him, a Glory in actual possession before the world was; glorify me, embrace, honour me as thy Son, whereas I have now been in the eyes of the world handled disgracefully as a Servant: If it were only in decree, why is not the like expression used of others in Scripture as well as of Christ? Why did he not use the same words for his Disciples that were then with him, who had a glory in decree? His Eternity is also mentioned in the Old-Testament:* The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way before his works of old. If he were the work of God, he existed before himself, if he existed before all the works of God; 'tis so not properly meant of the essential wisdom of God, since the discourse runs in the name of a Person; and several passages there are which belong not so much to the essential wisdom of God, as v. 13. The evil way, and the froward mouth do I hate; which belongs rather to the holiness of God, than to the essential wisdom of God; besides it is distinguisht from Jehovah, as possessed by him, and rejoycing before him. Yet plainer,* Out of thee i. e. Bethlehem shall he come forth to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 from the wayes of Eternity. There are two goings forth of Christ described, one from Bethlehem in the days of his incarnation, and another from Eternity. The Holy-Ghost adds after his prediction of his incarnation, his going out from everlasting, that none should doubt of his Deity:
- *John 16.28.
- *John 17.5.
- *Prov. 8.22.
- *Mica 5, 2.
