to the t PH E S I AN S. SERMON xxxv.· E P H E S, I. 1.z, ZJ. -and gave him to be the HeaJ [or, a Head] over all thing I to the Church. Which ir his Body, the folnefl of him that ftOetb afJ in aU. FOR the Coherence, fum, and feope of thefe words (which is the only part that remaineth now to be handled,) it is this : It conraineth the moft ex• cellentpartof Chrift'sSupremacy, who is the King of Kings, it treateth .of the Supremacy which he bath over the Church, and over all Churches what– foever, that are his Body. And yet(do butobferve the condefcending ofChrifl .fpeaking by his Spirit, when he fpeaksof the height of his own dignity,) he ex• preffeth his own dignity with thofe terms of relped: to his Church , as it is ap– parent be would thew forth with all her dignity alfo. As he would fet out his own greatnefs, that he is a Head, fo he would fee forth her nearnefs to him, and her advancement with him. It is worth your obferving, that he ca!leth him a Headover aU, here is his dignity; but withal he addeth, to Her, which is his Body. He is not a meer external Head to rule her, as a King is a Head of his Kingdom; but he is a Head to her as to a Body, a Natural body, a Conjugal body, as a Husband is to his Wife, or as the Head is to the Natural body. He bad before expreft his Dignity in other words, he faith, he bath All thilzgs under hisfeet, he had laid the Church it felf as low as at his feet, as low as could be. Now, whereas he might have faid, He is a Head over all the Church, he cloth not fayfo; but he faith he is a Head over aO t• the Chttrch; Over all, but ~o her. Still to exprefs her dignity; if he be over all it is for her, for her good, for her comfort. He expreffeth .again his excellency in another phrafe, he faith, He fi!Jeth aO in alt; but withal ftill heexpreffeth it with terms of refped: to her , be giveth her her due, ;md her utmoft due; for all this, faith he, the is his fulnefs, He in• volveth the Churches dignity together with his own. All which, my Brethren, put together .and opened, there is nothing can afford greater comfort unto us. I divide the words into tbefe Three general parts. Here is Fir!\, The dignity of Chrift, and his relation to his Church; He is tJ Head BVtr allto his Church, and he jilleth all in atJ. Here is in the Second place Iikewife, The Churches relation to Chrifi, and her dignity; Her relation, which is ibis Bot[y; Her dignity, the is his Spo11jr. And then Thirdly, Here is the founder of both, both of the Church and ol Chrift too, as a Head, it is the gift of the Father; .A11d bath givm him, faith lie, or,gave him to 6e a Head to the Chttrch, which is his {ttlnrfs, even of him that fitJeth all itJ all. Even both thefe are founded upon the Father's gift. And do but obferve that too, when he faith, hegave him to 6e ,, Head to the Church, he doth exprefs it fo ambiguouily, as the que!\ion is, whether he meaneth more f~v<;>urtoChri{\ in giving him eo be her Head, or more favour to the Church, in gtvmg htm to be a Head to her. The words will bear both in the Greek, ~ <LiiTav.£&•x~:t>-.~v rJmp .-r-nc.7~ 'Er.xl'.~l1f~~t. It may be tranilatcd as \\'eiJ, Givt1J him 0 o o io ~ &rmo11 XXXV. ~
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