to theE P BE SI A N S. , /;leffid i~ttby duds , as Jainesfays.. Go, ·and for thy comfort carry home with~ thee all the b!e!Tings which Heaven 1t feli affords thee therewah, and fall down Srrm,"l\(:. on thy knees, and. with the Apoflle here blefs thy God, .'\'h? bath thus blelfed 1../"'VV thee with all ( whtlfl thpu hafl thus a pear~ to profer any one that IS truly Spmtual) ble!Tings in heavenly thmgs 1n Chnfl. In Chrifl,] We before obferved that God blelfes us, ~shaving taken upon hi~ to bear the relation of our God, and of a Father unto us. , ~. Thcfe two Relations of God unto us, arc founded originally and firllly up; on his fa id Relations unto Chrifi; vi;:;. of being his God and his Father firfl, an<l that in a tranfcendent manner higher than unto us; but defccnding down, and imparted.to us in a lower, thougli true real degree. . . , .. l· yhri~ his be~ring the title of being Our Lor~, being joyned to the !all: foregowg parttcular, do (both put together) become a JOYnt foundation; both of God the Father, his becoming our God and our Father alfo; and fo upon thofe double Relations of God the Father to us doth bring down a legally formal right, upon which the Father according to that legal right ihould be!l:ow aU forts of ble!Tings upon us, which his grace makes him willing to b~llow. . And this right is harmoniou(]y and rationally grouoded ( though God the Father murt be acknowledged original of all) on the fuper-added con!l:itution lafi me[!– tioned, viz. That God the Father did atfo therewith make, and ordain bis Son Chrifl to 6ear the relation [of our Lord.;] which relation Jefus Chri!l: bath alf<;> taken upon him that he is indeed our Husband, a Lord and [gusband of us th~ Eled:, by the Fatner given·m1to Chrifl to that end,fo to be con!l:ituted his Church un iverfal, of men to be his lawful Spoufe. An.d this is fuch a priviledge as thq . good Anf!,tls have not, although m refped: of (us '1Jomi11io11 and their &rvice to him Chrifi is faid to be their Lord alf?, yet this more near Conjugal relation and band of us to him, i? not commumcate~ unto Angels, but imported in thefe words [Our Lord,) wh1ch ·words have tlus further Emphafis, That God bath made his Chri!l: to be ottr Lord and HM6mtd; that is, he bath made us Sons and Daughters;, L aw by Adoption to himfelf, (which is expre!l: in the next verfe) and Chri!l: alfo doth thereupon ~lefs us. So as in fine, we arc both the leg~l Children of God the Father, and nghtfuiSpoufe of Chri!l:, which is a fen(e and interpretat.ion of the words [Our Lord,] which (as far as I yet know of) haS, not been giVen to any meer Creatures befides our felves. And this is therefore a Confideration of great weight and endearment both of God and Chri!l: to us• belides, that it is one of the Archited:onical Pillars and Buttre!fes <:>f this fabrickl and of all the particulars.of this Model. SER·
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