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Ephe
/ans,Chap.
i,
v
E
R.3,
Doll.
i.
that
God
and Father
of
our
Lord.
3.
The
arguments,which
are
two;
Fiat,
from
that
which
God
is
to Chrift our Lord
;
for
this
is
ufuall
with the
Apoftle,
thatwhen
he
defcribeth
God
in
petition or thankfgiving,
that
the defcription
conraineth
matter
of
ftrengthning faith,andwhetring
de-
fire
in
the one,and motivesofpraife
in
the other;
The Godofpeace
fanchifte
yeti
throsghout,
I
The
ff.5.
Bleffed
be
God,
the
Father
of
our
Lord
le(us, the
God
(fal
mercies
and
confalations,
a Cor.
1.3.
The
fecond Argument,
is
from that God bath done by
us
in
Chrift,
in
thofe words,
Who
bath
Gleffedroe,
with
all
[irituall
bleßings,
in
heavenly
things in Chrift.
Now
1
before we come
to the
more
particular confideration
of
thefe words
;
1
fome things are
to be
opened for
the
clearing
of
them
:
Firft,
What
is
meant
by
our
blefl'eng
God? vAn`w.
Bleffing, is
fometime operative,
working
and effcéting
the
happineffe
of
him
that
is
bleffed
; Thus God
bleffeth
us
:
Sometime
it
is
declarative, confefling and extolling
the
blelied
effare
of
thofe whom
we bieflè
;
Thus we
bleffe
God,
we ac-
knowledge
him bleffed, praife, and extol!
him,
Pfal.
145. ver.
1,
2,
21.
where
bleffing and praifing
are made equivalent. Secondly
;
it
is
to
be
marked,that there
words;
God,even
the
Father
;
contain
a
defcription
of
God,from two
relations
untoChrift;one
from
this,that
he
is
the God by
covenant
of
Chrift:
The
other from this,that
he
is
the Father;
according
to
that,
/ohm
20.17.
rgoe
tomy
Father, and
your
Father,
to
my
Ged,andyour
God:
for this,the words
beare
better then that
firft
God
indefinitely
,then
limited
to
the perfon
ofthe
Father,fhould be conceived
in
this
fen fe,blef-
fed
be
God,to
wit,God
the
Father
afoul.
Lord
;
for the article
fbould
rather
be prefixedtoaaz,)e,and
the particle
& doth
redound
.The
laft thing
tobe
marked,is
that the word,heavenly,which
may
fignifie
things, or
places,is
fitlieft
taken to
note
the
place
where our
fpiritual bleffings were given us,
for fpirituall bleffing
noteth not the
action
of
God blefling,but the
of
%Qs
proceeding from it
;;
to
this
fenfe,who hath
bleffed
with
fpirituall
things
:
for the Apoftle conítrueth
all
fpirituall
bleflings
by predeftination, vo-
cation
:
Now
to
fay
,Who
bath
blued
tes
with fpirituallthings,
in
heaven-
ly
things,
is
abfurdly fuperfluous. Again, this word
is
in
two other
pla-
ces
of
this Epi/lleufed,
to
note
the circumftance
of
place, and therefore
is
here
in
that fenfeto
beconftrued, without
more urgent reafon to.the
contrary.
The
fummeis,
Praifed
be the
God
of
our
Saviour;
praifed
be
the God
of
our
Lord Chrift
Jefus
,
who
bath
bleffed us,
that
is,
by
his bleffing
made
us
partakers
of
all
fpirituall benefits, fuch
as
take their
beginning from heaven, are kept
in
heaven,
fhall all
have
their
accom-
plifhment
in
heaven
;
and
all
this
in
Chrift,
who
is
the root,
and fecond
,ildam,
whenceevery benefit fupernaturall fpringèth,
and
is
derived
into
us.
To
come then
first
to
the aétion
of
Praife. Obferve thence
in
gene
-
ra11,
that
a
good heart muft be ready,onconfideration
of
Gods
benefits,
ro
break
forth
into
praifes
:
The
Apoftle cannot
fpeak, or think
of
them,
but
that
his
heart
and
mouth
glorifie
God;
the
manifold doxologues
in
Basile
Epiftles,
may give
fufñcient
argument
of
this
truth. Nay,
we
fee
how
David,
amen
after.
Gods
heart, was fo affected,
that
he did not only
flirre