concerning the sending of his Son to be of the seed of Abraham, and the blessing that should ensue thereon. No alteration could possibly, on any account, be made herein, neither by the sin nor unbelief of them concerned, nor by any thing that might befal them in this world. Such was the counsel of God, and such the immutability of it here intended; as it was absolutely unchangeable in itself, so as to man's concerns and interest in it, it was attended with no condition or reserve.

Thirdly, This immutability God was willing, due, 'to shew, manifest, declare, make known.' It is not his counsel absolutely, but the immutability of his counsel, that God designed to evidence. His counsel he made known in his promise. All the gracious actings of God towards us, are the executing of his holy immutable purposes, Eph. i. 11. and all the promises of God are the declarations of those purposes. And they also in themselves are immutable, for they depend on the essential truth of God, Tit. i. 2. "In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began." God's essential veracity is engaged in his promises. And they are so expressly the declaration of his purposes, that when God had only purposed to give us eternal life in Christ, he is said to have promised it; namely, before the world began. And this declareth the nature of unbelief, "He that believeth not God, hath made him a liar," 1 John v. 10. because his essential truth is engag ed in his promise. And to make God a liar, is to deny his being, which every unbeliever doth as he is able. But whereas God intended not only the confirmation of the faith of the heirs of promise, but also their consolation under all their difficulties and temptations, he would give a peculiar evidence of the immutability of that counsel which they embraced by faith as tendered in the promise. For what was done did not satisfy the fulness of grace and love which he would declare in this matter, no, though it were done so abundantly; but,

Fourthly, He would do it, girigov, more abundantly; that is, beyond what was absolutely necessary in this case. The promise of God, who is the God of truth, is sufficient to give us security. Nor could it be by us discovered how the goodness of God himself should require a further procedure. Yet because something further might be useful, for the reasons and ends before declared, he would add a further confirmation unto his word. And herein, as the divine goodness and condescension are evidently manifested, so it likewise appears what weight God lays upon the assuring of our faith and confidence. For in this case he swears by himself, who hath taught us not so to use his name, but in things of great consequence and moment. This is the sense of the word if it respect the assurance given, which is more abundant than it could be in or by a single pro

mise. But givriga may refer unto God himself, who gives this assurance; and then it is as much as ex abundanti, when God, who is truth itself, might justly have required faith of us on his single promise, yet, ex abundanti, from a superabounding love and care, he would confirm it by his oath. Either sense suits the apostle's design.

It is declared who they were to whom God intended to give this evidence of the immutability of his counsel, and that 15, τοις κληρονόμοις της επαγγελίας, 4 to the heirs of promise, that is, believers, all believers, both under the Old and New Testament. It may be indeed that those of the Hebrews were in the first place intended. For unto them did the promise belong in the first place, as they were the natural seed of Abraham, and unto them was it first to be declared and proposed on its accomplishment, Acts ii. 29. iii. 25. xiii. 46. But it is not they alone who are intended. All the children of the faith of Abraham are heirs also, Gal. iv. 27, 28. It is therefore with respect unto all believers absolutely, that God confirmed his promise with his oath, though the natural seed of Abraham was respected in the first place, until they cut off themselves by their unbelief. See Luke i. 72. Micah vii. 20.

Believers are called heirs of the promise on a double account : 1. With respect unto the promise itself. 2. With respect unto the matter of the promise, or the thing promised. This distinction is evidently founded on Heb. xi. 13. 17. 39. compared. For look in what sense they are said to be heirs of the promise, therein they are not actually possessed of it. For an heir is only in expectancy of that whereof he is an heir. Wherefore take the promise in the first sense formally, and it is the elect of God, as such, who are the heirs of it. God hath designed them unto an interest therein, and a participation thereof; and he confirmed it with his oath, that they might be induced and encouraged to believe it, to mix it with faith, and so come to inherit it, or to be made actual partakers of it. To this purpose our apostle disputeth at large, Rom. ix. 6-12. In the latter sense, taking the promise materially for the thing promiscd, they are heirs of it who have an actual interest in it by faith; and partaking of the present grace and mercy wherewith it is accompanied, as pledges of future glory, have a right unto the whole inheritance. Thus all believers, and they only, are heirs of the promise, Rom. viii. 17. heirs of God, that is, of the whole inheritance that he hath provided for his children. And I take the words in this latter sense; for it is not the first believing of these heirs of the promise that they might be justified which is intended, but their establishment in faith, whereby they may be comforted, or have strong consolation. But . whereas this declaration of the immutability of God's counsel,

is made in the promise of the gospel, which is universal, or at least indefinitely proposed to all, how it comes here to be cast under this limitation, that it is made to elect believers, or the heirs of promise only, shall be immediately declared:

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What God did in this matter for the ends mentioned, is summarily expressed: ign, he interposed himself by an oath,' fidejussit jurejurando. He that confirmeth any thing by an oath, is fidejussor, one that gives security to faith. And fidejussor in the law, is interventor, one who interposeth or cometh between, and engageth himself to give security. This state of things is therefore here supposed. God had given out that promise, whose nature we have before declared. Hereon he required the faith of them unto whom it was given, and that justly. For what could any reasonably require further to give them sufficient ground of assurance? But although all things were clear and satisfactory on the part of God, yet many fears, doubts and objections, would be ready to arise on the part of believers themselves, as there did in Abraham, unto whom the promise was first made, with respect unto that signal pledge of its accomplishment in the birth of Isaac. In this case, though God was no way obliged to give them further caution or security, yet out of his infinite love and condescension, he will give them a higher pledge and evidence of his faithfulness, and interposeth himself by an oath. He mediated by an oath, he interposed himself between the promise and the faith of believers, to undertake under that solemnity for the accomplishment of it; and swearing by himself, he takes it on his life, his holiness, his being, his truth, to make it good. The truths which from these words thus opened we are instructed in, are these that follow.

Obs. I. The purpose of God for the saving of the elect by Jesus Christ, is an act of infinite wisdom, as well as of sovereign grace. Hence it is called the counsel of his will, or an act of his will accompanied with infinite wisdom, which is the counsel of God. And among all the holy properties of his nature, the manifestation of whose glory he designed therein, there is none more expressly and frequently mentioned than his wisdom. And it is declared,

1. As that which no created understanding of men or angels is able perfectly to comprehend, neither in the counsel, nor in the effects of it. Hence our apostle shutteth up his contemplation of the ways, paths, and effects of this wisdom, with that rapture of admiration, Rom. xi. 33-36. "O the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord, or who hath been his counsellor, or who hath first given to him, and it shall be

recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever, Amen." The whole issue of our contemplation of the wisdom of God, in the eternal projection of our salvation by Jesus Christ, is only an admiration of that abyss which we cannot dive into, with a humble ascription of glory to God thereon. And as to the special effects of this wisdom, the angels themselves desire to bow down, with a humble diligence, in their inquiry into them, 1 Pet. i. 12. And on these considerations, our apostle concludes, that without all controversy the work hereof is a great mystery, 1 Tim. iii. 16. which we may adore, but cannot comprehend. See the name of Christ, Isa. ix. 6.

2. As that wherein God hath expressly designed to glorify himself unto eternity. This is the end of all the free acts and purposes of the will of God, neither can they have any other, though all other things may be subordinate thereunto. Now no property of the divine nature is so conspicuous in the disposal of things unto their proper end, as that of wisdom, whose peculiar work and effect it is. Wherefore, the great end which God will ultimately effect, being his own glory in Christ, and the salvation of the elect by him, the wisdom whereby it wascontrived must needs be eminent and glorious. So the apostle tells us, then is the end when Christ shall have delivered up the kingdom unto God, even the Father, and he also in his human nature subjects himself unto him, that God may be all in all, 1 Cor. xv. 24. 28. that is, when the Lord, Christ hath finished the whole work of his mediation, and brought all his elect unto the enjoyment of God, then shall God be all in all; or therein, or thereby, he will be for ever exalted and glorified, when it shall be manifest how all this great work came forth from him, and is issued in him, Jude 25. 1 Tim. i. 17.

3. The whole work is therefore expressly called the wisdom of God, because of those characters and impressions thereof that are upon it, and because it is a peculiar effect thereof. So our apostle tells us, that "Christ crucified is the power of God and wisdom of God," 1 Cor. i. 24. and that the gospel whereby it is declared, is "the Wisdom of God in a mystery," 1 Cor. ii. 7. and the whole intended is both expressly and fully laid down, Eph. iii. 8-11. "Unto me who am less than the least of all saints is this grace given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God who created all things by Jesus Christ. To the intent that now unto the principalities and powers in heavenly places might be known by the church the manifold wisdom of God, according to the eternal purpose which he purposed in Christ Jesus our Lord." The

purpose mentioned in the close of these words, is the same with the counsel of God's will in this place. And this purpose was the fountain, spring, and cause of all those glorious and admirable things, whose declaration was committed unto the apostle, as the great publisher of the gospel unto the Gentiles; by the effects whereof such mysteries were unfolded, as the angels themselves in heaven did not before understand. And what was it, saith the apostle, that was declared, manifested and known thereby ? It was πολυποίκιλος σοφια τ8 Θε8, the manifold wisdom of God,' or the infinite wisdom of God, exerting itself in such wonderful variety of holy, wise operations, as no mind of men nor angels can comprehend. And,

4. On this account are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge said to be hid in Jesus Christ, Col. ii. 3. There is not only in him, and the work of his mediation, the wisdom of God, that is, both exerted and manifested, but all the treasures of it; that is, God will not produce any effects out of the stores of his infinite wisdom, but what is suitable and subservient unto what he hath designed in and by Jesus Christ. And may we not,

First, Hence see the horrible depravation of nature which by sin is befallen the minds, reasons, and understandings of men. For from hence alone it is that this purpose of God, which was an act of infinite wisdom, that the work which he hath wrought pursuant thereof, whereon are impressed the characters of his manifold wisdom, are esteemed folly, or foolish things unto them. So far are men by nature from seeing an excellency of divine wisdom in them, that they cannot suffer them to pass as things tolerably rational, but brand them as foolish, or folly itself. This our apostle declares and at large insisteth on, 1 Cor. i. Had the mind of man fixed on any other reason for the rejec tion of this counsel of God, some excuse might be pretended for it; but to reject that as folly, which God sets forth and declares as the principal instance of his infinite wisdom, this discovereth the horror of its depravation. And those in whom this blindness is prevalent, may be referred unto three sorts.

1. Such as by whom the gospel is absolutely rejected as a foolish thing, unbecoming the wisdom of God to propose, and their own wisdom to receive. As this was the state of the Jews, and of the Pagan world of old, and as it is the condition of the Mahometans and relics of the heathens at this day, so I wish that the poison and contagion of this wickedness were not further diffused. But, alas! we see many every day who, on the account of their outward circumstances, live in some kind of compliance with the name and profession of the gospel, who yet. discover themselves sufficiently to hate, despise and contemn the mystery of it, and the wisdom of God therein.