Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

a myftical union; ifGod be not in our perfons as truely, though not as fully as in our nature,we have no particular. comfort from this de6gnc of his perfonal , hypofiatical , and wonderful union. 6. Chrift was borne, fo muft we be new-borne; to this I have fpoken when llaid it down as an evidence that unto us a child is borne, and unto us a f'onne is given ; only one word more; we mufl: be new borne ; as once borne by nature, fo new-borne by g~ace ; there muft be fome refemblances in us of Chrift borne amongfi: us. As, 1. Chrift borne had a Father in heaven and a Mother on earth, fo in our new birth we mufl: look on God as our Father . in heaven, and on the Church as our Mother on earth; it was ' ufually faid , out of the Church no(a lvation; and to this the Apoftle alludes, { erufa!em which is above is free, which is the mother Gal. 4.:6. ofus all; indeed out of the Church there is no means ~f falvatioo, - no Word to teach, no Sacraments to confirme, nothmg at all to bold forth Chrift to a fo ,,l, and without Chrift how fhould there be the falvation of fouls ? fo that we muft look on the Church as our Mother ; and on God as our Father ; not that we deny fome to be as fpiritual lathers unto others, Paul tells the Corinthians, that be was their father-, though ye.have ten thoufrvt~d in- 1 Cor; 4· i~ ftruRersin Chrift,yet haveye not many fathers, for in Chrift Jefus 1 h.1ve begottenyou through the qofPel; but alas fuch fathers are but mimfterial fathers, .and therefore P au! feems to con:ea himfelfe, who is P aut ? and wh~ is Apollo? but miniflers by whom ye r Cor, I• 5 . beleeved, even as the L ord gave to every man ? it.is God only is our Father principally, originally ,fupreamely; God only puts grace and vertue into the womb of the foul ; it is nor poffible that any creature fhoutd be a Cr.eatour of the new creature. 0 then let us look up to hr.aven and fay, 0 Lwd new makf. me, new create me, 0 be thou my Fa.- ther. 2. When Chrift was borne, aH r:·rufalem was troubled · fo when this new birrh is, we mull look for it, that much com~otion, and much divifion of heart wi ll be, the Dive!could not be caft our of the poffe!f~d perfon, but he would exceedingly teare, and torment, and vex the poffeffed perfol'l; the truth is, we · cannot expeel that Chrifl: iliould expel! S<.than from thofe holds and dominions he hath over us, but he will be fure to put us co Z .z 3 great

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