The harmony of the Gospels, in the holy history of the humiliation and sufferings…

In this work some considerations are necessary to be premised. The sufferings of Jesus Christ are a wonderful part of the deep counsels of God, touching ma•• Gods great design is to glorify himself, chiefly in those great Attributes of his justice and mercy, and to glorify Jesus Christ to be the great Agent, to bring all the glory thereof unto God, according to the holy Covenant and agreement betwixt the Father and the Son, Joh. 17.6, &c ▪ To that end he purposed to make the whole mass of mankind to glorify his justice, an high and honourable service for a creature to perform. And he purposed and chose out a certain number, a scattering out of mankind in all Ages to be vessels of mercy, in whom he would glorify his free grace and mercy, and all this, by and through Jesus Christ, Eph. 1.4, 5, 6. according as he hath chosen us in him before the Foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love, having predestinated us unto the Adoption of children by Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his wil• to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. Hence Gods Elect were in Christ before they were in Adam. When God executed his decrees, he made man in his own image and likeness [a blessed estate] gave him an holy just and good law, and power to perform it, brought him under an holy and just covenant, with encouragement and promise of immutable and eternal glory upon his keeping of it, Gal. 3.12. Do and live, set him in the highest dignity of his creatures, to be Lord over the works of Gods own hands in this low world, gave him power to act by free choice of his will, and thereby to act meritoriously [an high dignity.] fenced him from offending and miscarriage by a just and severe threatening, Gen. 2.17 in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die: & thus was mankind, made to glorify justice, and be eternally happy in so doing, in this state, man had but one thing to do to obtain happiness, viz. to keep Gods law and covenant, to which he was fully accomplished with sufficient ability, assistance and encouragement, but he fell short of the glory of God,