Meditations and Discourses on the Glory of Christ

THE Foundation of the whole is laid in a Sovereign Act of the Will, the Pleasure, the Grace of the Father. And this is the Order and Method of all divine Operations in the Way and Work of Grace. They originally proceed all from him; and having effected their Ends, do return, rest, and centre in him again, see Ephes. 1. 4, 5, 6. Wherefore that Christ is made ours, that he is communicated unto us, is originally from the free Act, Grant and Donation of the Father, 1 Cor. 1. 30. Rom. 5. 15, 16, 17. And hereunto sundry things do concur. As (1.) His Eternal Purpose which he purposed in himself to glorify his Grace in all his Elect, by this Communication of Christ, and the Benefits of his Mediation unto them, which the Apostle declares at large, Ephes. 1. (2.) His granting all the Elect unto Christ to be his own: so to do and suffer for them what was antecedaneously necessary unto the actual Communication of himself unto them. Thine they were, and thou gavest them to me, Joh. 17. (3.) The giving of the Promise, or the Constitution of the Rule and Law of the Gospel, whereby a participation of Christ, an Interest in him and all that he is, is made over and assured unto Believers, Joh. 1. 12. 1 Joh. 1. 1, 2, 3, 4. ⟨p. 124⟩(4.) An Act of Almighty Power, working and creating Faith in the Souls of the Elect, enabling them to receive Christ so exhibited and communicated unto them by the Gospel, Ephes. 1. 19, 20. Chap. 2. 5, 6, 7, 8.

THE Foundation of the whole is laid in a Soveraign Act of the Will, the Pleasure, the Grace of the Father. And this is the Order and Method of all divine Operations in the Way and Work of Grace. They originally proceed all from him; and having effected their Ends, do return, rest, and center in him again, see