Of Eleflion. 2 59 --------------~------------------- ~ IV. You have the elegant Similitudes whereby he expreffeth the unchange- Chap. 4 · ablenefs of God'; Love and Dea!tngsWith and towards tills work. The Com- ~ parifon is made between God and this Sun which you fee; He calls bo~h the Father of L ights.; therem they agree but with ad ,ffimditude; 'tis a C ollJparifon from an uohkencfs, as the word [ Wtthout J varw 6le11ejs , \!le, thews. As if he had faid, God tht Father of Lights is not in thefe refpeCts as this Sun : Allo this Comparifoo, with an aofwcrable difference , may be cxtmded unto thofe Grajfj fruit s, ver(. 1 o. which the Suo brings forth out of the Earth, as bearing in this Comparifon the refemblance of that work on Temporary Be!ei– vers, as will appear. And on the other hand, he oppofeth to t9cm, and fets in comparij011 with them, thefe fuper-exce!liflg good and perfeCt fruits, which God the Father of Lights brings lorth in the hearts of found Chriflians, which he likens, not only Unto the befl firfl fruits of the Earth, but of the whole Creation. . . 1. In General, That his Scope is to ioflitute a Comparifon between God and this Sun ; that the Phrafe, Father of Lights, manifefls, which yet fome do Brafm'"• underfland limply and fingly fpoken ofGod, without any Allufion unto the Sun ~"~1 ""• d at all, and interprete it by the like Titles given to God in other places , as '· ammo,, • Fathuoj Glory , I Eph.17.and fo to be all one as to fay ,aFather futt ofLtghts, P attr lnm111o(lj]imus, and fo to import only what e!fewhere is faid , God is Light, and itt him is 110 darktu[s at all --andwho dwt!Js ill light it~acafJible, ~c. But that this Title of Father of Lzghts, is, I. Not fpoken only of what he is in himfelf, but in refpeet to his Ejfefls , that come down from him, (though what he is in himfelf, mufi be underf!ood to be the Foundation of ic) is plain : For he is termed Father in refpeet of his Gifts, as thefe words lhew, Ev ery good and perfefl Gtft comtth down from the Father of Lights, .'lames I . I7• And Fathtr, we know, -is all one as the Author or Creator, as Father of Spirits, Heb. 12. 9• and e!fewhere often; and here in refped: of begetting us, not out of his Nature, but his Will, 'Vtrfe c8. And fecondly, That it is fpoken in Allufioo to the Sun, appears, 1. Not on· ly by this, That this Sun is known to be the Principle and Fountain of Light , both in the Moon, and in the Stars, and in the Air; and fo God is ofall Lights in Angels, who are called .At~gels of Light, 2Cor. II, I4• and his Saints Chil– dren of Light: He is alfo the Author of that Light which is in the univerfali· ty of Mankind, '!'Jho enlighttuth evny man that cometh ifllo the World, Johtl . I. 9· Now then, the meaning is this, ThatGod, He who is the Father of all~~'"i•mmm! Ltght>, in all thefe owns himfelf , to be in a fpecial manner, Father of fuch .J~,;~ ~:: Spiritual Ligh1sasareagoodand perfefl gift, which regenerates and makes<bousnus . men Childre~ to him, as in ve~f. 1 ~- and enlightneth them with the light of t".:::h{;' i':~h; Life, as Chnfl by way of diflmCt10n fpeaks, 1ohn8. I2. 2. Th1s Allufioo a!- which ;, (,"" fo that of firjl fruits confirms : And, jdly, many of thofe Interpreters that k~ '"~- t~i· would have him fiiled thus, in refpeet of being Light i11 himfelj, and fo 9uaji ~~~'a7or~ di~ P ater luminofij]imN4, as Father of Glory, t!ic. yet are fain ro acknowledge the ceurkdof. next words, No jhadow of lt<rnitJg to bear a Comparifon with the Sun in a Pif"'"• way of Di_llimilitude. This as t'? the general import of the Similitude : 'Tis ~;;;;,, a Companfon With the Sun whtch the enfmng Particulars w1ll more fully clear. [Tht Particulars of the Comparifon.] 1 , lte exprcffeth tha difference of the two Works, perfefl and imperfefl, under the Similitudes of the FRUITS which God and this Sun produce. This the Similitude of the firfl fruits of the whole Creation, ver{. 13. on the one part, to which he compares Regeneration, and all perfefl Gifts accompany– ing, doth fi>ew; being fet in comparifon with thofe imperfeCt Grafs fruits, fpo· ken of in verfe I 1. on the other part; which he (\iles but Grafs, and the flower of Grafs, which, though they have an outward Gract i11 the fajhion of them, yet are but Grafs, as his words there are : And by fueh he fcts out the mofl glorious Gifts that are in Temporaries. Ll 2. An~
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