to the E PHESIAN S. I fay, in the Greek it is, Children of Obedience, (as here in v. 2. it is, Children of S'-'\.117 Difobedience,) that is, addiCl: your felves, as Children to fuch a Father, to do the ~ -Will of God. , 2. Pajfively ; thm, a Child of the Captivity, that is, one led into Captivity : So Jefus Chrifl is called, the Son of God's Love, or, the Chi/el of his Love, Col. I. 13. We tranOateit, HisbelovedSon; butintheOriginal it is, the Son of his Love, becaufe that God bath cafl his Love upon him. So in 2 Pet. 2. 14·· one that is accurfed to Death, he is called, (we tranOate it, Curfed Children, but it is) Children of the Curfe, as here, Children ofWrath. So in Mat. 2 3· I 5· he is made a Son of Hell, worfe than he was before; that is, one whofe due Hell is : As we ufe to fay, fuch an one the Gallows is his due; thatis, if we !hould fpeak ac· cording to the Hebrew Language, one that ts the Chtld of the Gallows ; fo a Son of Hell, a Son of Wrath, a Son of the Curie. You have it alfo in I Sam. 2o. 31. and in 2 Sam. 12. 5· So now, as before it is taken al.tively, a Child of Difobedience; [o here, a Child of Wrath is taken paffively : and both according to the Analogy of the Hebrew Phrafe. It doth fometimes imply one, that is defigned by God's decree to Death and Damnation ; as in john 1 7· I2. j11das is called, a Smt of 'Perdition; that is, one who is ordained by God to perdition ; as Chri!l: was called, the Son of his Love, becaule he was ordained to be the ObjeCl: of his Love. But fo it is not here meant, that they were the Children ofWrath by God's decree, becaufe he (peaks of Men that were converted. Therefore the meaning is plainly this, That they were in a f.l:ate, in which they were not only worthy of Wrath, but Wrath was due to them, yea, according to a juf.l: lentence, Wrath was pronounced again!l: them ; it was not on!y their delert, but they were in that flate wherein Wrath went out againfl them, they flood under the Sentence of Wrath, and were fo adjudged. You have the Phrale plain and exprefs, in Deut. 25. 2. If there be a Controverjj between Men, and. they come unto judgment, that the judge 1114J judg ·them; then they fba/1 jujlify the righteous, and condemn the wicl;sd: And it foal/ be, if the wicl;sd MAn be worth} to be beaten, the Judg jbaU ca.if'e him to lie down, &c. In the Original it is, If he be a Son, or a Child of beating ; that is, if he be one that is found, that it is his due to be beaten, and that the Judges have condemned -hinl. So now t'o be a Child of Wrath, it is one not only to whom Wrath is due; but one, that according to the lentence of the great Judg Wrath is pro– nounced againfl, Sentence is given forth. So in that place I mentioned before 2 Sam. 12. 5· faith Solomon there, He fball .Jitrely die ; in the Original it-i$, -He is a Son of Death: It was a Sentence pronounced by_ the King, as of a Judgthat gave out a Sentence, therefore we tranOate it, He fba/1 fiu·ely die ; he was not ·only one th~t deferved Death; but onerthat was ap:pciinted and lent~nced thereunto. · :.. So now you have what is meant by a Child of Wr<tlb :, ;·It is one, thatris paf– fively under, and obnoxious unto, and over whom the Wrath of God hangeth, unto whom, and to which Eflate the Sentence of Wrath and Condemnation is gone out fromcthe great King ; [o that he rimft alter his ,efrate,. if he will g<'t out of Wrath. · . · If you ask me, whole Wrath it is? I anlwer: It is ncit indeed in the Text, but as I !hall !hew you afterward, it is the Wra!h of God, working eternal Pu– ni!hment. Wrath in Scripture.ligQifies Puoifument, as from a Judg ; as for ex– ample,Rom. 13. 1,2. Be fobjefJ to the higher Powers, 110t for Wratb, that i•, not for Puni!hment fake, which conies from the Wrath of the Pri'nce, or the Magiflrate, b11t forConfciencefol;s. So that to be Children of Wrath, istobeChildrenof the Puni!hment, which the great Judg ofBeaven and EartH bath ordained; and it noteth out, that the Wrath of God is !he Author of that Puni!hment, as I !hall !hew you, when I come to make Obfervations. In Eph. 5· 6. that which is here the Children of Wrath;. is there called the Wrath of God: Th~ Wrath of G~d,_ fa~thhe, cometh11pon the Children of Difobedience; for theWrathofGoJ, as tt tmphes Puni!hment, fo it imports al!O, that he JS as the Author and Executi– ;oner of that Puni!hment. So that in a ·wo.rd, whilfl that Men are in this con– dition, or take Men fimply confidered, as they are by Nature, in their very firft . * 0 birth,
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