Of EleClion. ~politeArmy of fuffering•; under which Temptations are included: (as Ver(. BopK IV. r8. of that Ch"Pter fi1ews:) For in that he himfe!j bath Juffered 6ring Tempt– ~ ed,hr iJ ubte to ]11ccour tbem that are Trmpted. Yea and Chrifi himfelf is made Perfect by it; Confummate in Glory. When one would train up a Perfon of worth, and fit him for great affairs, he gives him all forts of breeding, to make him compleat every way; and (as you ufe to fpeak) r1 Compleut Mtm, a Perfect MatJ, asthe Apofile fpeaks: But when the Great God would give his own So1t an EducatioiJ, worthy ot fuch, and fo great a Perfon, and fit him to rule, and be over a/J things, he choofeth to Tratn lum up throt~gh fuffaings, jo to malle h1m Perfect, throt~gh fufferings. A!hange Educatton, and way of bnngmg up the King of a/J the World; as in that Chapter the Apofik had afore proclaimed him ro b~. Ilut look, as there 'tis fa id, hr WMmade prrfrct through fuff"erings; fo we here after j"e havr fulftred a while, he wilt perftct jolf. ' .And truly the grounds and bottom reafon why God fo ordained for his Son, is refolved by the Apofile into two things. 1. Gods Soveraignty and Will: He would have obedience from him, in the way of fuffering at his command: . . 2. And feconqly I though he might have faved us by him another way, yet he would have our Salvation carried on, and accomplilhed that way; even through Suf]eri11gs andTemptations, For the firfi; God's Will was to teach even him, his fo great a Soo, Obtdi– tttcr, Subnujfion. And to know he was a Son unto fo great aGod, you have it exprefs, Hr6r. 5. 8. Though he were a Son, J'f learned ht o6rditnce 6y tht things which hr fuffrrtd. Though be wrre a Son; that is, though he were ,fo great a Soo; (And how great a Son he was, and is, you may fee in vrrfo 5", Thou art my So11, thu day have I 6egotttn thee: Which Chap. r. vrr{t $. he fays, was never faid to any meer Creature:) And his Father had a wzt/ to this, that he 1hould lhew this Obedience in Suffering; which therefore was ia him the highefi o6edimce a11djubmi!fion. And truly, .in that very place cited, Chap. 2 •• ~. You lee how that God refolves his Will in this matter into his own Greatnrfl , as the reafon why he did fo will and order it; it became him for whom are a/J things, and 6y whom art all things; that is, he being fo Great a God that was his Father, he would be thus regarded, and refped:ed , reveren~ed , and in this way cbeyed, by his Son: And it became God to enjoyn this on him. For the fecond: That however God would have our Salvation fo carried on; is evident ; fo as if Chrifi would undertake to be the leader of us to Glory, he mufi do it by fufferings, and be himfelf our leader and Chieftain ther~in : I will not fay this.was abfolutely necelfary for God to order it fo; (though the word here comes near to this elfewhcre; as Hr6. 7· 2<J. Suchan high Prz41 6ecmnt tu; that is, was necelfarily requifite for us:) But 'tis certam it was comly, and above all things elfe a Glory to God, to have ir fo: Says God, I that am the E11dofall thi11gs, and the A..thor of a/J thi11gs, I have ?ne de– fign tny Heart is in above all , concerns me more than all , and that IS, the bringing of many Sons to Glory, and I will have it done by fufferings_; and though I might accomplilh it Otherwife, yet I think it meet to have it Jo; And both he that is to undertake to be their Captain, to bring them to Glory, (termed the Captai11 of thrir Satvatio11) he in concluding, and leading them on to that Glory, mufi and lh•ll fuffer; and they alfo that are concluded, mufi march and go the fame way, and tliat ofSuff"eri,g. To confirm this, we find a muf/ is put upon Chrifi's Sufferings: So Chrifi fays of himfelf, Tht So11 of Man mufi {ujjrr, Matth. 16, 21. And Luke •7· 25. He mufl ftdfer mm!J thi11gs: And John~· 14. The SotJof Man mujl be !tft up: And an ought is put upon it , Luke 24. 26. Ot•ght not Chrifl to havr fuf– fered theft things; a11d to enter mto hUGlory? And wherein lay the nece!lity, the firength of that mufi, or ought? meerly in Gods fo ordaining it: Actr 4• 28. To do ·whatfotvtr thy hand, and thy counfrl drtermined before to bt do11t. You
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