203 / 808
E
R.22.
Epheßian.r,Chap. i.
to have refpe&
:
He
that
bla
fphemeth againfl the
fJirit,
fhall
not
be
forgiven,
neither
in
this world, nor in
the world
to
come.
Now
followeth the
fpeciall foveraignty
;
And bath
given
him a
head over
all
to
his Church, which
is
his
body,
the
f
u1nef
e
of
him
who
frlletb
all
in all.
For
underftanding thefe words we muff
note, that the word Head
is
ufed
fometime for
one
who
in
any kinde
is
before
and above
other
:
and
in
this large
fenfe,
Chrift
is
the head
of
Angels and
all men
:
Man
is
the
head
ofthe Woman, Chrift
of
man,
God
of
Chrift,
r Car.
r
r.He
is the
head
of
all
principalities and
powers;
But here it fignifieth
that Chrift
is
fo over his
Cburch,that
he
is
in a
more
neere and
communicative fort
conjoyned with
ir,
as
the
head
is
with the
body
and
mcmbers,which
are
annexed and
fubjected to ir.
.mss
bead over
all.] This may
be
referred to
the
Church,
as
making
a
comparifon
twixt Chrifts
fuperiority over
his
Church,
and Angels,
in
this fenfe
;
God
gave
Chrift that
he fhould
be
a
head principally and
a-
bove
all
other things,
befide to
his
Church
:
Thus
Ch.6.
Above
411,
put
on
the
fhield
of Faith
;
or
it
may be
referred to
him
who
is
given our
head
in
this
fenfe
;
God
gave him to
bea
head
to us, who
is
over
all
things,
becaufe
the
fpeciall
foveraignty
is
noted
in his
being
a
head:
This word
being taken
in
the
ftriéteft acceptation, and becaufe it affor-
deth matter
of
confideration,we will
take
thelatter
fenfe
; to
his Church.
This word Church, fometime noteth
one
congregation
of
men called
forth
of
the
world,
as
the
Church
at
Corinth,
Cenchrea
;
fometimeiris
taken to lignifie
themultitude
of
them, who
are
foreknowne
of
God
and appointed
to
falvation
;
for
all
who
are
gathered by Gods
eff'e&-
uall calling
in
heaven and
earth, and who
are
in
their time to be made
partakers
of
his
holy
and effel uall calling
:
Thus Heb.I2.a8.
we finde
it taken thus here ;
for,
all
the
body
which
doth
make full andperfect
Chrift myflically confidered,is
here
to be
underftood.
Which
is
his
bedy.]Not
his
naturall,but myfticallbody.
The
fulneffe.]T
hat
is,
which maketh
him full and
compleate
as
he
is
a
head
:
for
a
head
without
a
body
is
maimed
;
though otherwife
fuch
is
his
perfection and
fulneffe,
that
hee filled,
all
inall.
The
fumme
is.
Though God hath
fet
Chrift
over every creature,yet he
hath
given him
that
he
fhould
be
over his
Ithurch
as a
head
,
in
a
more neere
and
communicative
power;him
I fay
bath
be given
to
bea
head to
the whole
multitude
of
beleevers,who
is
in
dignitie
&
power
above every creature.
Now
as he
is
a
head
to the
univerfity
of
true
beleevers, fothe
united
multitude
of
them
are
as a
body
myfticall
to
him, making him
full and
compleat
fo
farre
forth
as
he
is
a
head
;
him I fay,
in
whom dwelleth
all
fulneffe,
fo
that
he
ft./lab
411
4411.
In
the
end
of
the
a
s.verfe, we
are
to
marke firft,
that
Chrift:
is
given
to be
a
head
to
his
Church:
fecond-
ly,
the quality
of
him given
to be our
head,
or
of
our head
that
is
overall.
The
Church
is
defcribed from
the
mutuall
refpel..ì
which it
ftandeth
in
to
Chrift,
as
a
head, which
is
his
body. Secondly, from
the
effe/t
of
it,
to be gathered from thofe
Taft
words, which
is
the
faint"e,
19t
Vaasa
24,,