An Expoption of the Epifile ~ , 1im.r.16. (and I !mow them that interpret it as fpoken of the Jews) fpeak– J'er. XIV. ing of his own converfion, He [hewed mercy, faith he, to mefirj/, as one or t'ne ~ Fidt-fruitsof my Nation, as in aType (fo the word is,) as in a patter /I to rhem whojhould hereafter believe, namely to the Jews. They exppund it particu– larly, as being a IJ'Pe of the converfion of his own Narion; yea, and fome have thought, that in the fame extraordinary way that he was called, lhall they be called too. So much now for tbe exp<llmding of this, whojirff lruffed ill Chr:fl. 06{erv. 1. I will give you an Obiervation andfo pafs off from it, and it is this, That 11 i6 agreat priviledge, much to be valuedby everyChrifiia11, to be bifore others m Chrijl. You fee the Apofile here mentioneth it as the only priviledge·, diftinc:t-, that the Jews had lrom the Gmtiles, that they firfl truj/ed i11 Chriff. It is a priviledge either to be before others in time; you ihall find that Rom.16,7. where 'Pattl giveth the upper-hand of fellowlhip to /llldrofliCIIs and Junia upon this ground, Thrywere (faith he)i11 Chr:jl before me. And fo lhould younger Chri– itians give unto elder, which may allay the pride and pertnefs of young ones, who are rather apt to cenfure Old ones. Paul, he giveth it as an honour in that refpec:t-, who were in Chrift before me, as here it is made a priviledge of the Jews, whojirjl trtif/ed in Chrifl. Or, Secondly, it is a priviledge, not only when one is in Chrift before another, but more efpecially when one is the firft– fruits either of a Family, or of a Nation that have bdieved. You !hall read, r Cor.r6,r )• of tbe Hou!hold of Stepha11as, that it was the Firjl-fruits of /f. chaia. Hath God fingled thee out of a Family where never none was converted before? this is thy priviledge, thou didft firjt trtif/ ltl Chrifl, and thou art the Firj/-frtlits that haft fanCI-ified that Family unto God; it is likely he will have the more out of it, for you'1mow the Firft-fruits fanc:t-ified the lump. Certainly there is that Covenant which God makes with Nations, that where he beginneth to convert, there are the Firft-fruits of more to come, and God goeth on to con– tinue that Covenant to that Nation for ever, though felt a while he may caft them off, for they that are converted are the Firft-lruits. You may obferve it,that fcarce ever the Gofpel came to a Nation, but it hath continued more or lefs to this day. TheChrijlia11name is as much over the World as ever it was,thou,gh Tttrks dwell with them,and domineer and tyranize over them, yet the ChrJjliatl name is in all Nations where it firft was; becaufe the firft converted were the Firfl-fmits of thofe Nations that fanCI-ified the whole lump. Therefore was /lbraham called the Fathrr of the Ft~ithful, he was one of the fufl great Believers in a way of diffi– culty; therefore was Eve the Mother of all Ltvittg, !he was the firft Believer; we have a warrant that !he believed, we have not a certain ground that /!dam did ; for the Covenant is made with her,the Promife is made to the Woman, !he is called therefore, the Mothrr of alt Living,becaufe !hejirjl trrifledbtC!mjl. Obferv. 2 , Obferve again in the Second place, That if )'ot! have fill)' priviledge itt Grace above auother, tt depmdeth ttpo" 'Predeflmattou, as welt M your jalvatio11 doth; it dependerh upott an afl of God's etrrnatlove. The Apoftle, as he afcribed their falvarion to Predef/itJatiott, fo this priviledge that they firjl tmfledinChrijl; it was ordered by the counfel of God's everlafting Will, beit~g predejlinated, faith he, whojirfi trtif/edi11 Chrifl. Therefore,not only have recourfe to blefs God and his eternal Decrees, for his love in faving thee, but for any particular priviledge that thou haft before others in point of Grace ; have recourfe to God's eternal Cormfd, for it was the Fountain of it, as well of the degrees of Grace as of glory, they have all their fpring from God's eternal Decree, as well as who !hall be faved and who not. Objerv And, which is a Third Obfervation, It mt!J be made a motive to a11y o11r that '5· bath brmlong ill ChrJf/,rmd in Chrifl befort others, to be more holy thmt they. Why? That we, farth he,jbould be to the prm(e of hu glory, who firjl trtif/ed in (hrzfl, We that were the Ftrft-frurtsof the World, we that were in Chri(l before you,We (faith he) lhould more efpecially be to his praife; as there is a more efpecial favour, which God in his Predejlinatiott !hewed us, fo there is a more cfpecial duty lieth upon us, to be to tbepraijf of bi,glory. Therefore the Apoflle lindcth fault with them, He6.).!2, that whereas for the time they might have been teachers of others;they might have had abundance ofgrace a.nd ktJoW!edgt, t!Jey were dullars, they were dwarfs in refpec:t- of growth in grace. And
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