VERS.r8. _~~Expojitirm,withNotes CHAp,j~ mercy he hath begotten m to a lively hope : in other places, the pleafure ofthe Father. . Begat he m,] Aword that properly tmporteth natural genera. tion, imd fometimts 'cis pu't for Creation; and {CJ as we are men we are faid to be his ;-~v@-,. his off-jpring, AEt.17. 28. and indeed fo fome take it here, applying thefe words toGods creating and forming 'us, and making men to be his ftrft fruits, or the cheicefl: piece in the whole Crc:acion; or, as Zoroaftres called him, To¥n· .~w1dm7~ Tn~ qJv~=& Zl.)tct.A.p.a, the mafter-piece of _over-daringNa. tu-re: but this is befides the fcope; for he fpeaketh offuch abeget– ing as is by the Word of Truth, which, in the next yerfe, he maketh t-o -beanargument of more cenfcience and fenfe Gt the duty of hearing ; therefore b~:getting i~ put to imply the work of GrlftCe ·upon our Souls : the fam~ metaphor is elfewhere ufed, 1 Pet. r. 2 3• Being b.orn again, not pfcorruptible feea,but ofincorruptible, by the Worrj of G:od, Which liv-eth for evtr: So I Pet. I, 3• Be– gotten to a lively hope. J ,havebrought chefe two places to lhew you the two-parts in the workof grace, the ends qua r,ege-JUra– mur, by which We ar.e bega,tten, the other 6jU/t rcnaf'cimur, ·by , whi~h we are bor_n again; th~ one is Go,ds ad .p1:1rely, the other implieth the manifefiation of life in our felves; a difiinCl:ion that fervd·hJo clear feme Controverfies in Religion : but I go on wlich mywork. · · . · BJ the W~rdof Truth,]~ Her~ is the inflmm~nt noted: .Th?fe that ~:efer dus Verfe to the Cr~at'IOn, underfraad It of I efus Chl'ifr, who is the Eternal uncreated W·ord of rae Fathe-r, and by him wereallrhingsmade, fee Joh.r.I,z. Heb.r.3,&c. but clearly 'cis meant of the Gof}el, which is often called the Word of Truth, and is the or~inary means whereby God begetteth us to himfeff. Tha't we fl;ould Ge a kJnde of firfl fruits of his Creatures.] Thofe that apply the Verfe to the Creation fay, the Apof.Ue meaneth here, that man·was 'the choyce!t chiefefl part of it .; ,for all things were fubjeCl:ed tohim, andput under hi'S feet, Pj~tl. 8. But I conceivre it not~th rather th~ ~ignity and. prerogar.ive of the Regenerate; fo'r as cwas the prtvlledg of the firfi frutcs ·ofall the lheavestQ · be confecrated: fo Beleevers and Converts, aawng a-ll men, w.er.e fet aflde for l:he ufes and pmpofes of God : the firM: ~ruirs C1>f ·all things-were _the ~r:ds, I • . ~arely to tcfiifie his -right ia ·thrt.people. ?-• ~artly .
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