From the presence of all future things to Christ,1 I speak in proper speech, it is truly said, there is nothing future to Christ: I confess the point is unconceivable to finite capacities, but to God all things to come are present, as if they were in actual being: All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do, Heb. 4. 13. It is an ancient speech, Eternity is like a circumference about a Centre that compasseth it round about, that if you fit on the Centre, you see all the lines: Suppose a great tower as high as the clouds, and one sitting thereupon, he sees one man coming this way, and another another way, he sees they will meet in one place; they know nothing of it, it is future to them, but present to him: So the Lord that sits upon the clouds of eternity (if I may use such a word) he sees all things as if they were present to him: and certain it is, God is not one day older then he was from the beginning; the Angels are older, and Satan, but God is not older, nor is capable of being older; time adds nothing to him, his eternity swallows up all; that which hath been, is, and shall be, it is fresh still to him; that which is past, and that which is to come, whence it is said, Before Abraham was I am, he doth not say I was; but his past time is not lost to him, no time is past with God; Before Abraham was I am: a thousand years are but as yesterday; when it is past, all are one time to God, Psal. 90. 4. So then, if you look at Gods account of things that hath entered into such a Covenant from eternity, hath written so many in the book of life to be brought on to God by the death, and resurrection, and ascension of Christ, he knew the person of the God-head would certainly take the humane nature of Christ; it was present to him, and therefore he doth so elect, and govern, and dispose of creatures as he that had received a ransom before the world began: And therefore Elihu his speech is weighty, in Job 33. 23. That if an interpreter, one of a thousand come to a sick man, and show to a man his righteousness, and that then God is gracious to him, and saith, deliver him, for I have found a ransom (to wit, in the blood of the Lamb) then will he say, deliver him: What, had he received a ransom in Jobs time? Job lived before Abraham? truly ⟨p. 195⟩then he hath a ransom, as a man hath a bond from a good surety:
From the presence of all future things to Christ,1 I speak in proper speech, it is truly said, there is nothing future to Christ: I confesse the point is unconceivable to finite capacities, but to God all things to come are present, as if they were in actuall being: All things are naked and open unto the eyes of him with whom we have to doe, Heb. 4. 13. It is an ancient speech, Eternity is like a circumference about a Center that compasseth it round about, that if you fit on the Center, you see all the lines: Suppose a great tower as high as the clouds, and one sitting thereupon, he sees one man coming this way, and another another way, he sees they will meet in one place; they know nothing of it, it is future to them, but present to him: So the Lord that sits upon the clouds of eternity (if I may use such a word) he sees all things as if they were present to him: and certaine it is, God is not one day older then he was from the beginning; the Angels are older, and Satan, but God is not older, nor is capable of being older; time addes nothing to him, his eternity swallows up all; that which hath been, is, and shall be, it is fresh still to him; that which is past, and that which is to come, whence it is said, Before Abraham was I am, he doth not say I was; but his past time is not lost to him, no time is past with God; Before Abraham was I am: a thousand yeares are but as yesterday; when it is past, all are one time to God, Psal. 90. 4. So then, if you look at Gods account of things that hath entred into such a Covenant from eternity, hath written so many in the book of life to be brought on to God by the death, and resurrection, and ascention of Christ, he knew the person of the God-head would certainly take the humane nature of Christ; it was present to him, and therefore hee doth so elect, and govern, and dispose of creatures as he that had received a ransome before the world began: And therefore Elihu his speech is weighty, in Job 33. 23. That if an interpreter, one of a thousand come to a sicke man, and shew to a man his righteousnesse, and that then God is gracious to him, and saith, deliver him, for I have found a ransome (to wit, in the blood of the Lamb) then will he say, deliver him: What, had he received a ransome in Jobs time? Job lived before Abraham? truly ⟨p. 195⟩then he hath a ransome, as a man hath a bond from a good surety:
- 1Reason 2.
