The Third s E R M 0 N On HE B.. I. 1, 2. God who atfondry times , and in divers manners JPa¥ in time pafl unto the Fathers by the Prophets. Bath in thefe /aft days JPo¥n unto m by hi! Son, whom be bath appointed Heir of all things, by whom alfo he made the Worlds. [Whom he bath appoillted Heir of a!J thi11gs.] HAving mentioned Chrifr,he falls into a large E11comittm of him; Firfr,that which was firfr,ns Mediator, to wit his Fathers app0inting him to be Heir ofatlthiiigs;for it is not fpoken of him as the Second perfon in theTrilliiJI but as he is Mediator,becaufe he is faid to be appointed an Heir, but not as God; he needed no appointing,he had it ~Juv, not e[a,,, and as the natural Son ofGod, he could not properly be called an Heir, for anHeir io to fucceed another in a right tranfmitted to him, butfo Chrifr did not as the Son, therefore it is fpoken of him as Med1ator, and fo he isJappointed Heir of all things, himfelf coming within the decree of Prede(\ination. Firfr, One is faid to be an Heir in regard of fame good to poffefs a poor man may be faid to have many Sons, but not an Heir,becaufe he hath nothing to leave them; for PoffeJiions and an Heir are relations,and the greater the Poffe!lions the greater Heir, Secondly, an Heir bath relation to fuccc!lion, therefore we ufe to fay unto him and hisHeirs, another hath the primary right, but the Heir bath it derived to him; thus Chrifr may be faid to be Heir. not as God for fo he hath equal right with his Father, but as Mediator, and fo he may be fa id to fucceed his Father. In the (\nte of innocency, God the Father did govern the World immediate• ly, and the Covenant made with A dam, was made immediately by the hands of no M~diator, and though Chrifr was Lord of all then, yet the Father exercifed jurifdictioo; but Mao falling." Chri(\ comes to be an Heir, the Father lays down the Government, and Chrifr undertakes the fhattered condition of tbe World; and therefore in J oh11). 22. The Father .fudgeth 110 ma11, C!1c. before, the Fat!·er judged and ruled immediately, c~me and preached to Adam himfelf, and judg- . ed him, till he had made the promifeof this Heir; and then Chri(\ cam• to go– vern the World, of which we have a Type, Exod. B· compared with the 23. Chap. and1j. verfe, I wilt 11ot faith God, go ttp in the middle ofthem, for I,fh,tlt dejlroy them; that is, if I go according to my rules which I obferved in my Go– vernment, in the frate of mans innocency having given them a Law, viz, if they tranfgreffed it, I mull of nece!lity defrroy them,but Chap. 2l.~o,faith the Lord, I wt!t fn•d mi11e A11ge! beforeyou, but beware of him a11d obey• bu voice, for my n~me i& i11 him, tbat is rni1le Attributes; according to the rule of his Go– vernment he may fhew mercy, but I cannot; thus Chri(\ i~ an Heir becaufe he governs by fucce!lioo. T2 Thirdly
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