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ferings of this human Soul for us.

And 'tis

evident that the Scripture itfelf leads them plainly to fuch a Representation of things; fo that while they are explaining the tranfcendent Degree of the Love of God and Chrift to Sinners, according to Scripture, they are led by the Force of Truth into fuch Expreffions as are indeed hardly confiftent with their own profeft Opinions, but perfeâly confiftent with the Revelation of Scripture, and the Doctrine of the pre-existent Soul of Chrift.

I was lately looking into the Sermons of that most excellent practical and evangelical Writer, the late Mr. John Flavel, in his Treatife call'd the Fountain of Life opened, or a Difplay of Chrift; where I found the following Expreffions.

Serm. 2d. p. 13. in Quarto, where the excellent Author is defcribing the glorious Condition of the non-incarnate Son of God, he fays, "Chrift was not then abafed to the Con"dition of a Creature, but it was an uncon"ceiveable Abasement to the abfolute inde"pendent Being to come under the Law; yea, "not only under the Obedience, but also un"der the Malediction and Curfe of the Law, Gal. 4. 4. God fent forth his Son, made of a Woman, made under the Law."

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Pag. 14. "He was never pinched with Poverty and Wants while he continued in ," that Bofom, as he was afterwards. Ah " bleffed Jesus! Thou needeft not to have "wanted

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"wanted a Place to have lain thine Head, hadft "thou not left that Bofom for my fake." And here the Author quotes Mr. Anthony Burges, in his Lectures on John. He that was in the Bofom of the Father and had the most intimate, clofe, and fecret Delight and Love from the Father, how unspeakable is it that he should deprive himself of the Sense of it, to put himself, as it were out of Heaven into Hell! Mr. Flavel then proceeds, “He never underwent Reproach and Shame in that Bofom There was nothing but Glory and "Honour reflected upon him by his Father,

tho' afterward he was depifed and rejected i of Men. All the while he lay in that Bo

fom of Peace and Love, he never knew "what it was to be affaulted with Tempta

tions, to be befieged and batter'd upon, by "unclean Spirits as he did afterwards: The "Lord embraced him from Eternity, but never, wounded him till he ftood in our Place and Room. There were no Hidings or Withdrawments of his Father from him, "there was not a Cloud from Eternity upon "the Face of God till Jefus Chrift had left "that Bofom. It was a new thing to Chrift

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to fec Frowns in the Face of his Fa દ ther. There were never any Impreffions of his Father's Wrath upon him, as there were "afterward. There was no Death to which ii he was fubject in that Bofom. All thefe things were new things to Chrift; he was

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above

"above them all, 'till for our fakes he volun"tarily fubjected himself unto them.”

Then, after the Author has fhewn how great was the Intimacy, the Dearness, the Delight, which was between the Father and the Sony confidered in their divine Nature, he draws fome Inferences, p. 17.

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1. Infer. What an aftonishing Act of "Love was this, for the Father to give the Delight, the Darling of his Soul out of his veવ ry Bofom for poor Sinners? Never did any "Child lie fo clofe to a Parent's Heart as Chrift did to his Father's and yet he willingly parts with him, tho' his only one, the Son of his Delight; and that to Death, a "curfed Death for the worst of Sinners. O "matchless Love! a Love paft finding out! if "the Father had not loved thee, he had never parted with fuch a Son for thee."

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2. Infer. Adore, and be for ever aftonish'd t at the Love of Jefus Chrift to poor Sinners, that ever he fhould confent to leave "fuch a Bofom, and the ineffable Delights "that were there, for such poor Worms as we «are. O the Heights, Depths, Lengths, and "Breadths of unmeafurable Love! It is ad"mirable (fays Mr. Burges on John 17.) that Chrift should not only put himself out " of Comfort, but out of that manifefted Ho

nour and Glory he might have retained to "himself. If ever you found by Experience "what it is to be in the Bofom of God by

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divine Communion, would you be perfuaded to leave fuch a Bofom for all the good that " is in the World? And yet Jefus Chrift, who 66 was embraced in that Bofom after another manner than ever you were acquainted with, "freely left it, and laid down the Glory and "Riches he enjoyed there for your fakes. "What manner of Love is this? Who ever "loved as Chrift loves? who ever deny'd him"felf for Chrift, as Chrift deny'd himself for "us" Then, after the third Inference, hè adds:.

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4. Infer. How worthy is Jefus Chrift "of all our Love and Delight! he that left "God's Bofom for you, deferves a Place in your Bofoms."

Exhortation. If Christ lay eternally in "this Bofom of Love, and yet was content to forfake and leave it for your fakes, then "be you ready to forfake and leave all the "Comforts you have on Earth for Chrift."

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Again, Serm. 4. p. 35. "Confider how near and dear Jefus Chrift was to the Father: He was his Son, his only Son, faith "the Text: The Son of his Love: The Darling of his Soul: His other Self; yea, one with himself: The exprefs Image of his Perfon: The Brightness of his Father's Glo« ry: In parting with him, he parted with his "own Heart, with his very Bowels, as I may "fay. Yet to us a Son is given, Ifa. 9. 6. "And fuch a Son as he calls his dear Son."

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Now if we fuppofe the human Soul of our Lord Jefus Chrift to have had a pre-existent State of Joy and Glory in the Bofom of the Father through all former Ages of the World, and even before the World was created, then thefe Expreffions are great and noble, are just and true, and have a happy Aptness and Propriety in them to fet forth the tranfcendent Love of God the Father in fending his Son, and the tranfcendent Love of Chrift, the Son of God, in coming from Heaven, and leaving the Joys and Glories of his Father's immediate Prefence in Heaven, to take on him such Flesh and Blood as ours is, and in that Flesh and Blood to fuftain Shame, Sorrow, Pain, Anguish of Flesh and Spirit, fharp Agonies, and the Pang of Death.

And this Love is exceedingly enhanced, while we confider that this human Soul of Chrift was perfonally united to this divine Nature; fo that hereby God himself is joined to Flesh and Blood, God becomes manifeft in the Flefh.

But on the other hand, if we fuppofe nothing but the pure divine Nature of Chrift to exift before his Incarnation, then all these Expreffions feem to have very little Juftness or Propriety in them: for the divine Nature of Chrift (how diftinct foever it is fupposed to be from God the Father) yet can never leave the Father's Bofom, can never diveft itself of any one Joy or Felicity that it was ever poffefs'd

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