by the imaginations of men and angels! To all eternity they
should never unwind it and come to the end of that thread of the age of
the Father and the Son, who possessed one another before the hills were,
and before the foundations of the mountains. This is it that maketh
religion the richest and most transcendent subject in the world, that it
presents us with a twofold eternity, and environs the soul before and
behind with an eternity without beginning, only proper to God, and an
eternity without and communicated to angels and men from God. That which
was from the beginning, and before all beginning, either real or imagined,
how much moment and weight is in that, to persuade a soul, and compose it,
beyond all the specious and painted appearances of the world! To consider
that such a Saviour is holden out unto us, to come unto, and lean upon,
that is the Rock of ages, upon whose word this huge frame is bottomed, and
stands firm,--one who infinitely exceeds and prevents all things visible or
invisible, all their mutations and changes,--one who was possessed of the
Father, as his delights, before the foundation of the world, and so most
likely to reconcile him to us, and prevail with him, yea, most certainly,
they must have one will, and one delight, who were undivided from all
eternity, and they then rejoicing in the habitable parts of the earth,
taking complacency in their own thoughts of peace and good will they had
towards us, afterwards to break forth. And if both delighted in their very
projects and plots upon the business, what may we think the accomplishment
of the whole design will add, if it were possible to superadd to their
delight? I would have you upon this, to gather two considerations, for
your edification. One, to think what an incomparably excellent Saviour we
have, one with God, equal to him, yea, one with him from all eternity, and
so how strong a foundation there is for faith and confidence, what a Rock
to establish a tossed soul upon. Man's misery and curse being for all
eternity, there is One to deliver from that, who was from all eternity.
And who could purchase unto us such absolute blessedness throughout all
eternity, who was not himself from all eternity? What marvellous congruity
and beauty is in the ways of God? How is all fitted and framed by infinite
wisdom, to the end that we may have strong consolation? Do you not see the
infinite evil and heinousness of sin, in the giving of such a precious