8o An Expojition of the Epiftle ~--~--- r---/'-__....., Strm. VT, I come now to fome Obfervations; the lirfl: of which fl1all be a General one, ~(there being three following more particular,to m~ke up this General one,)whicb is this. . Obferv. 1 , I. See here the fulnefs of Jefus Chrifl; We are Eldled ir~ him (fo fays v.4.) as a Common Head: la we are l'redef/inatedto Adoption [6J•]or [through btm :] [o faith the fifth Verfe; and we are predeflinated likewife for htm, .(as it fol– lows in the fame Vcrfe.) He is made in God's aim the end fer wh1clt he did predeflinate us, as well as the gloryof his own Grace. Take notice of Chrifls Fulnefs; thefe three things being attributed unto him, [i11 hmz,] [throilgh htm,] and [for him;] that's his honour : But the father hath this peculiar honour above him, That all things are faid tobe [of him,] fo Rom.f t.tllt. [Of him] mtd throztgh htm, mrd to htmare all things. Now in c'hnjl, and throughChrrfl, and for Chrif/ are all things; but not of Chrij/. God the Father, as he is Fons Per– (o1tarttm, the fountam of the other two Perfons: fo he is the Fountain and firfl: Mover of all the works of the other Perfons; their motion comes from him, You have the fame thing exprefTcd by way of difference between God the I'ather, and Chrifl. 1 Cor.8.6.There is 611t 011e God, the R1ther, [of whom] are all things, andwe m hm1; a11done Lord JefiJS Chnjl ['6y whom] are all thtngs, a11d we 6y him. Soalfo 2Co•··)·I8. All thiugsr1re (of God] who bath reco11ctledm to himfelf [6y Jefus Chrifl]. · I will only call in this further Obfervation, That as here in the matter of Election, about our falvation, the honour of thcfe three are given Chrifl, [i11 him,] [through him,] and [for him:] So the fame three are lil<ewife amibuted to him to exprefs h1s influence into the matter of Creation and common Providence towards all Creatures. In that 1 Coloj[. (an Epiflle of I<in unto tl1is,) vJr. J 6. :E" v.v'TiJ,Ji c:tthrt', ckttUTal' 71Uv~·~ In kim, for htm, mu/ through htm all tbings ,,re fud to be _created: ( 0! wh1ch I have fpoken clfe– where. This General being premifed, I come to the Particulars that here make up Chrifl'> Fulncfs. I have before explained to you, How we are Chofm i11 him; and fhall now fur– ther open what thefe two hold forth of Glory unro Chrifl, that we are predejlinated to AdoptioiJ [thrO!!J!,hbJm,] and Cjor h1m] . . , Thefe words [,;,.,.Ta,] Will firfl of all bear thts fenfe [ad tllirts exemplum] [after his example or pattem,] And if that Phrafe fhould not bear fo much, yet this will, 6eit;gprede{li11atedto Adoptiott [throt~gh him,] the meaning is, Thot Chrifl being the Natunl Son,we are made Sons like him; even as in many other things, in that which he is in himfelf; we are made the like in him, and con– formed therein to him. Is he Chofen ! fo are we; thus ver-4Is he Beloved ! fo are we, ver.6. He firfl, and then we in a conformity to him; even as is he a Son, fo are we in him, ver.). 1.The firfi Particular then is,That Jefus Chrifl was fet up by God,as the Exem– p_larycau[c of us in our Predeflination. The meaning whereof is this; I wi/J (fays God) make thofo whom I choofe itt Chrifl, to 6e hkt mrto him ; he/hall be their Patttrn.He i& my Nt;tttral So11,and I will rDake them"')' So11s througb him. To prove that tlus IS mtended m th1s our bemg predeflwated to Adoption through him, I will only give that place in Rom.8.29. Whom he forek11ew, he alfo predejlittated to 6e Co1iformed to the Image of his So11; That is God did fet up Chrifl as the Proto-type and principal Mafler,piece, and made ~s as little Copies and Models of him. That Chrifl came, and took frail flefh in this world and fuffered unto death (as he did) therein we were his Patterns, he was con~ formed unto us in that. He had never come into this world, had we not fir(\ fallen into fin, and brought a frailty upon our Nature. Heb. 2. 14 . Forafmuch ao the Chltdrm are partakers of f/e(h a11d 61ood; (that is, of the frailty of Man's Nature ; [Ftejh and Blood camwt mhent the Kwgdom of God]) he himfo!f likewife took part of the j:1me. Here now our frailty is made the· Pattern of his: So likewife Rom.8·l· He fent hu Son :11 the likenefs of jill{111 f/ejh. Becaufe we finned, and fo fubjected our felves to frailty, therefore God made his Son like us. Mark the Phrafc there ufed, God fent him [itt the likmefs of jtnjitl flejh.] But though we were Patterns to Jefus Chrifl himfelf in all matters of frailty
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