to tbe E P H E SI AN S.· (how they ali hold of Chrift,) that on; place afore cited, where Chrift at once~ calls him bothhis GodmJd bts Father, .7oh. 20. 17. more fully and pertmently Serm. If. holds forth this to us; I afcmd to my Father and your Father, to my God mtd ~ your God. He fpeaks at once, as that God ts our God, &c. fo that our relation of his being our God, is founded-upon Gods bemg the God of Chnft. And our Father becaufe his firft. He fays not, as Auflmobferves; I afcend toottr Father, or to oz:r God as cafting his own proper relation into the fame common rank with ours, No, but apart, firft mine and then_Y?U(~. Mi11e primatively, naturally, and originally;. )'OUrs denvauvely by l'arncipauon, or as verfe ) . here exl'ref. feth it; So11s of Adopttou by JefzM Chriji, or as Gal, 4+ he.Jmt hts So" ( hts 0 w 11 So11 as elfewhere;) that we mtght recetve the AdopttOnof So1JS. · 2 • But'fecondly, if you will fee how this.doth fpring from that fpecial relation of Chrifts being our Lord, that ts, our Head, ~usband, Redeemer, confult that PfaJ. 4)· which is an Epithalamium ,or marnagc-Song of Chrift, and his Church. God the Father, who gives all that good Counfel there to the Church; (for all that come to Chrift, are taught of God, as Chrift fays,) in the I I verfe he teacheth her to call him her Lord, and in the 10 verfe, to forfake her Fathers Houfe, as Spoufes married ufe to do, and to cleave unto their Husbands ; and upon all this account, God himfelf there calls her h1s Daughter. Hearkm, Oh Vaughter &c. That's his compellation (and parallel to this of a Wife to her Husband, 'my Lord here,) God the Father, in the b_eginning of his rreech to her, [peaking as a Father in Law ufeth to do,who IS g1vmg co~nfel to Jus Daugh– ter new married unto Ius natural Son. So then from thence I mfer, that thus 1t is ; that we become Sons and Daughters to God, even by marriage with his na– tural Son, (who in that conjugal refpeCl: doth become <;mr Lord) an_d thereby alfo receive the Adoption of Sons, andfo God takes on lum the relatiOn of Father. ThusRom. 8. 17. Heirs of God, ;oymHors wtth Chnjl. r. Meditation. I, Let him then be Lordand King of Saints, and level him not with Saints· (as fome mo"ft curfedly in this Age have done,) even then when we are enjoy: ing the higheft advancement even o~ God himfelf in Heaven;. yet ftill Chrift is •ur Lord, by means of whom God IS our God. The Pfalmijl mdeed fays, that we arc fellows in all with him: Godthy God bath a11oi11t'ed thee above thy fei• lows, ver. 7· But if you would kriow ofthe Pjalmifl how far above his fellows? The Pfalmifl refolves you, He is thy Lord, worfhip thott him, ver; I r, So as though we are his fellows, yet he hath the deferved honour,this title; ( ahd he a· lone,) of being your Lord, yea and of the mmt Gods fellow, given him by God himfelfin the Prophet. Wot~ld;•ott6e all Chrifls?Set your hearts at reft;There is but o1te Chrift perfonally, as certainly as that God is but o11e. It is uttered as a fu_ndamental Maxime of Chriftian profeilion, univerfally received. To us (Chri- " '"· s. 6 , {bans ttamely, ) there ts bttt o11e God mtd o11e Lord JejtM Chrijl, and becaufe there is but one God, therefore God hath ordeined but this one Lord; bec~ufe he therein bears th~ Image of Gods ~overaignty and onenefs,bei11g the 6rightnefs colofs. ,; •f hts Glory. Ne1ther are wc the Samts confidered as lharing with him herein, Heb. ' · but himfclfis that one Lord alone. For it follow~, _And we i11 him, we are all Non dicieP•· we.are,mhtm; and therefore not only r_eckoned dtfhnct and apart from him, (as m mnofl"'"'· he IS that one Lord) but dependent on lnm , and not Lords or Chrifts with him, /id Patren• mt– but infin_itely di(lant from hi~. 'Iis true,we have all that Chri~ bath derivatively, ~~:';;~;";7;, but not m that kmd he bath It,God he IS ourFather as well as hts Father,f!lc. but as "'' "''""'• oli· Augujlinwell obferves, commenting Uj>On this paffage, heJays not,!a(cmd to our mvejlr.m,n•· Fathtr, but "!Y Father andyour Eather, therefore he is i1l a11other rejpefl tl!Y ~;:a::p~:m~ra. Father, a11d m a11other rejpe£t )'Ottr Father ; my Fatherf:y11atttre, younf:y "f,.a. ,.,,;. ~~ ~ 2. Medi-
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=