35 / 808
V
E
R. 3.
Ephefianf,
Chap.
I.
2;
promifed on
his
part, that
he would be with him
to ftrengthen
him, and
deliver him from
all evill, and
to crown
him with
glory
;
yea, that
all
his feed fhould
be
bleffed
with
righteoufneffe and life,
through
him.
The
Scripture
is
plentifull
to
prove
that
it is all
kinde
of
bleffedneffe,
to
have
God
for
our
God.
Now
then
if
we
be members
with Chrift
our
head, have we
not
caufe
to be thankfull
to God
even
in
this refpeet,
that
he
hath been, and
is
his
God
.
The
ancient
Church
did magnifie
God,
that
he had
made himfelf
the God
of,.,e/
braham, ifaac, and
Taco&
their
forefathers
:
how
much more reafon
is
there for
us
to
glorifie him
in
this regard, that
he
is
the
head
of
Chrift our Lord
f Again,
if
any
man fhould help and deliver
from great
evils
force
of
our fiiends,lhould
doe them many favours, would we
not
return them
in
this confideration
thanks,
and much
commend
them
e
If
Chrift
be deare untous,we muff
needs
bleffe and
praife
the Lord,in
as
much
as
he
hath
been
a
God
affift-
ing,
preferving,
and
is a
God glorifying our Lord
and Saviour.
In the
head
of
Chrift
lay
all
our
happineffe, had
not God
been
a
God
to
him,
and
covered it
in
the day
of
battell, we had
all
of
us
perifhed ; all
our
fupernaturall
happineffe
flood
and fell
in
him.
We
may
make
a
double
pre
i.
Ufe
of
this
;
one
of'
inftrudion
in
Doctrine, the other
refpeEling man
-
ners
;
for
feeing Jefus
Chrift bath God
for his
God,he
hath
as
well
a
cre-
ated
nature within
his
perfon,
as
the increatednature
of
God
;
he could
not
be
a
proper Saviour
of
us,
were
he
not
God
;
he conid
not
have
God
for
his
God,
were he
not
a
creature
:
For
the
Son
of
God,
as
God,
could
not be predeftinated to the perfonall union, which the humane
nature comming from without
wasonely
capable
of. Again, he
did
need no
Protector nor
bleffer, he did need
a
God
in
thefe regards,
as
man.
Secondly, we
muff
hence
be
flirted
up
to
magnifie
God,
for that he
ye
2.
hath been, and
is
unto our Head.
We
fee in
the naturall
body,the
mem.
bers
joy
in
the good
ofthe
head, yea,
they
preferre itbefore their own ;
for hence
it
is
that
if
one ftrike at
the
head, the hand will ward the blow
though
it
be quite cut off:
Thus
if
we were fuchmembers
to
our
Chrift,
as
we fhould
be, we would more rejoyceand
magnifie
God,
for
that
he
hath been,
and
is,
to
his
Chrift,
then for that which
he
worketh for our
felves.
If
we love
not
and extoll
not
the
God
of
Chrift
in
this
refped,
that
he
is a
God tohim,
it
is
a fign
we bear
notthat
love
to Chrift which
wefhould.
c.And
Father
ofour
Lord
Iefue
CbriJi
:
]
Obferve fecondly
:
that
we
are
to
magnifie
God
in
this
regard,
that
he
is
the Father
of
our Lord
:
This
refpeCt is
here placed
in
order
of
nature,duly, for
it
floweth from
the other
;
God
is
not
firft
theFather
of
Chrift,
in
regard
of
his
humane
nature, andthen
his
God
;
but
becaufe he
was
of
his
own
accord
the
God
predeftinating
the humane
nature
in
Chrift
to
the
perfonall union,
therefore he
commeth
to be
theFather
of
his
Son, fo
far as
he fubfifteth
in flefh.
As we are
not
firft
the children
of
God,
and
then come to
have
him for our
God
;
but
becaufe
God
bath
freely
fet
his love upon us,and
been our
God
fo far
as
to
predeftinate our adoption,
Ergo,
he
commeth
to