' -- 484 An Expojition of the EpijHe ~--~~~~~~--~--- ----------– ~ Or elfe in the fecond place, [Hegave him to /;ea Head over att to the Church,] Sermon hath thts fenfe m tt. le notetl1 out Ills Sovera1gnty and fupenonty over all in re– XXXVI. lation to his Church,that God gave him to be a head to the Church; who is above ~ all, and fo indeed the Synak tranllation readeth it, He thtlt zs above ait, God gave him to be a Head to his Church. Aod this feemeth to be the meaning more properly, for he had fer him out before how he was over all Pri11opa!tttes rmd Powers,Jarabovea!t; yerhere.peatethnagammtlus, He gave him to be a Head over fltl to hu Church; that 1s, he that was Lord of all, God added this·to him, to be a Head to the Chm·ch; Noting our,that nGne was fit to be a Head to rhe Church,but he that was over all; he is over all that bclcngeth to his Churcn for her good; over all that arc againfl: her for ro hurt her : And it was needful for the Church to have fuch a head, for we have enough again!t us; but who ihall . pc again!t us it Clui!t our head be for us? There is a Third meaning yet, and it is for our comfort. It is this, It hath re• lario n ro Head!hip, that is, Above all relations elfe he gave him to be a head and ra ad: rhat parr. He doth not fay, he gave him to be a Lord fimply, nor a Kmg, nor a Brother, but above all thefe, (though be IS all rhefe,) he is a head, God gave him to be above all thmgs elfe a lovmg, and kmd, and natural head to his Church, which is his Body. Every one of rhefe fenfes iny Brethren, how full of comfort arc they ! If you refer [above all J to gift, Hegave above atl him to be a Htad; How full of comfort is it! That this lhould be the greate!t gift that ever God gave,Chri!t, for to be a Head to his Church; and Chri!t recl<?neth it fo. Look into Joh1ll]. read over that Chapter, you !hall fee rhere as it JS a Prayer, fo 11 ts aThanksgi– ving too, it is an acknowledgment of mercies and benefits given him by his Fa– ther. He telleth his Father indeed he had given him glory, faith he verfe r. Gtorifie thy Son, thr1t thy Smz alfo may glor:fie thee, with theglory which I had wdh thee before the World WM; verfe )· which verfe 22, he callerh the glory which thowgavefl me. And this indeed Jefus Chri!t valuerh mo!t therefore be mentioneth it hr!t in the fir!t verfe, for his own perfon being worth more than ours, he hath reafon to value his own glory more than all ours, he lhould nor love himfelf regularly elfe, But next to that what valuerh he? Verfe 2, Thou htljl gwm htm power over aft Fle/b; here is his being over all, but ro what end ? Mark what followeth, That he jhould give etertwl /Jfe to as many M thou haft g1vm him; And verfe 22, Tloe glory which tho11 haft gi· vm. me, I have g:ven them; So that he ruleth this Power that he hath in order to our faivation. And if you read that Chapter, (obferve it,) what is' it that Chri!t mentioneth ofrne!t in that Chapter as the greatefi gift? .It is the giving of his Church to him. He menrionethit ver. 6. I have mr111ife– jledtf!Y nar11t to them which thottgavefl me, thine they were and thougavejlthem me; So again ver, 8. I havegivmthy words to them which thou gavefl me, m1d lhey have received them; ver. 9· I prayfor them which thou haflgivm me; ver. 1o. A/Imine are thme, andthillt are mine; frill he pleadeth his intere!t in them as by way of gift; fo ver. r r. that thofe which thou hafl givm me may beotu;ltill he mentioneth this as the greate!t gift of all the re!t which God hath be!towed up– on him, My Brethren, Jefus Chri!t reckoneth his being a head to the Church more than all his Temporal Dominions, more than his being over all things elfe. What ufe ihall we make of it 1 In a word thus, Let us prize our relation to Chri!l, fee:ng Chri!t prifeth fo much his relation to us, he prizerh it more than his being over all things, than hi& being far above all Principalities and Powers, let us prize it more than all worldly greatnefs and riches,or what elfe foever ; Our being a Member of Chri!t is more than our being all things,as Chri!t's being a head to us is more than being Lord of all theWorld. And then again, Let the Church value this gift ofChri!t being a head together, for it bcareth rhat meaning too; rh~re is an Emphafis in that word [Him] hegave [Him J to be a Head, fo faith the Text. He had fet him forth as So!omotJ in all h:s royalty, fitting at his Farhers right hand over all Prinoipalities and Powers, and he bath givm him (faith he,) to be a headover all to the Church, What fhould rhe Church
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