Chap. 38. AnExpof :Pion upon the Bo<kof Jo a. Verf. 28. 221 Relation F. ker, Goda the Father of all men,bat efpeciallyofthole that believe. The fatherhood which Rands in grace is the higheit and moil excellent fatherhoodwhich God beareth to any of his Creatures M to this h Apo(lle ( jam, r. 8. ) faith, Of hoe own will begat be us by the word of Truth ; that we fhoald 4e a hind offirft fruitsofboo Creatures ; that is, as I conceive, that be- lievers (they only are begotten with the word of truth) confide- red with all other creatures, to whom God is a Father in a com- mon way, (hould have the honour to be called the chief of his creatures. The firft fruits were chief among the fruits of the earth. The firfl born both of min and of beafi were the Lords portion (Exod, t 3, r. ) therefore chief. This honour have all the Saints ; the Birth-right is theirs, and theirs is the Melting They, as all holy things, are dedicated,to God, and gracioufly accepted with him, as a chofen Generation, as a peculiar people. Hewho is Lord over all, and Father of all, both things and per- fons, as they Rand in the whole compafs of Nature, is eminently and with endeared affeaions, a Father to all themwhobelieve and are :dually in a Rate of grace. Fourthly, IfGod be a Father to all crearures,and to manmore than to inferiour creatures, andto true Beleevers more than to other men; then as his fatherhood is extended, fo is his fatherly care. God will not be wanting to any as a Father, to whom he is upon any account a Father. He takes care of the fruits of the earth, and ofthe bean of the field, and of all mankind, he feeds them all, and cloaths them all, andprote&s them all ; but they who are a kind of firfi-fruits of his creatures, and bears the image of his holinefs, or his Image in holinefs,have a fpecial portion and proportion ofhis care over them, and love to them, and provifi- on for them. what can he deny to us as a Father, who highvoucb- fafed to be oar father ? 11ado the Rain afather ? Orwho bath begotten the dropsof Dew ? Perkin `ltif üa This latter part of the verfe is of the fame meaning with the Chal et de vi- former. The word whichwe tranflate bath begotten, is applyable ro etde mutiere toeither Parent, man or woman, in a different Conjugation, as diuOur; et Grammarians (peak : but in the Conjugation here ufed it is pro- 711 gene- Hiphil per only to the man ; and therefore they who tranflate who bath de viro tamum. conceived, weft this Text, and depart from the Original fence of max, the
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