12, ë/In Expofition of tyre C II A P. I Id But yet this is notfatisfaaory. It istrue indeed, that after the children are reallyfan- aifled, they are ofone and the me f iritualnature with their Head, t Cor. 12. 1[2. and hereby are they differenced from all others. But the.Apoftlehere treats oftheir be- ingfo ofOne, that he might bemeet to fuffer forthem, which is antecedent unto theit being fantiified, as the Caufe is unto the Effect. Neither is it ofany weight thatthe Reprobates are partakers of the fame commonnature with the children,deeing the Lord Chrift partookofit only on the children,' account, as verfe 14. And oftheir nature he could not bepartaker, without beingpartaker ofthat which wascommon to them all, feeing thatofone blood Godmade all Nations under heaven. But the bond ofna- ?tureit felt is in the Covenant, reckoned only unto them that (hall be fanaified. It is then one commonnature that is here intended : He and they are of the fame na- ture, ofonemafl, ofone blood. And hereby he became tobe meet to fairer for them, and they to be in a capacity of enjoying the benefit of his fufferings ; which how it an- fwers the whole deign ofthe Apofile in this place, doth evidently appear. Fitts, He intends to thew that the Lord Chrift as meet tofifer for the children and-this arofe from hence, that he wasof thefamenature with them, as he afterwards at large declares. And he was meet tofanaifie them by his fufferings, as in this verfe he intimates. For as in an Offering made unto the Lord ofthefirft Fruits, ofMear, or ofMeal, aparcel ofthe fame nature with the whole was taken and offered, whereby thewholewasfantiiied Levit. z. So the Lord JefusChrill being taken as the fijfruits ofthe nature ofthechildren, andóffered 'unto God,. the whole lamp, or the whole na- tureofman in the children, that isall the Fled, is feparated unto God, and etttEtu- ally fantlifiedin their feafon. And this gives the ground unto all the tettimonies which the Apoflleproduceth unto his purpofe out ofthe Old Teftament. For being thus of onenature with them, he is not afhamed tocall them brethren, as he proves from Pfal. 22. For althoughit be true, that asbrethren isa term offßiritaal cognation and love, he calls them not fo until they are made partakers ofhis Spirit, and ofthe farnefpiritual na- ture that is in him ; yet the firlt foundationofthis Appellation lies in his participation of thefame nature with them, without which, however he might love them, he could not properly call them Brethren. Alto his participation of their nature, was that which brought him into fucha condition, as wherein it was needful for him toput his. trail inGod, and to look for deliverance from him in a time of danger, which the Aponte proves in the fecond place by a teftimonyout ofPfal. 18. which could not in any fenfe have been faid of Chrift, had he not been partaker (thatnature, which is expofed unto all kind of wants and troubles, with outward ftreights and oppo- liitions, which the nature ofAngels is not. And ashis being thusof One withus made him our Brother, and placed him in that conditionwith us, wherein it was neceffary for him toput his trait in Godfor deliverance, fo being the principal Head andfirfi Fruits ofour nature, and therein the Author andfinifter of oar falvation, he is a Father unto us, andwe are hischildren, which theAponte proveth by his tall tenimonyfrom /fir.B. BeholdIandthe chiIdeenwhich the Lordbathgiven unto me. And further upon theclofe of thefe teftimonies, the Aponle affames again his propoftion, and afferts it unto the fame purpofe,verfe 14. chewing in what fenfe he and the childrenwereolone, namely in their mutual participationofflfh andblood. And thus this interpretationofthe word will fufficiently bear the wholeweight of the Apoftles Argument and Inferences. But ifally one lift toextend the-word farther, and to cotnprize in it the manifoldRelation that is between Chrilt and his Members, I thall not contend about it. There may be in it, r. Their being ofone God, deigning him and themto be ouernnflieal body, one Church, he the Head, they the Members. z. Their taking into one Covenant, madeoriginally with him, and exemplifiedin them. 3. Their being ofone commonprinciple ofhumane nature. .4. Deigned unto a manifildf)i- ritual union in refpe&of that newnature which the children receive from him, with every other thing that concurs to ferve the union and relation between them ; but that which we have infifted on is principally intended, and to be fo conndered byus. And we might teach fromhence, that, III. The agreement ofChrifand the Elea in one common nature, isthefoundation ofhie ftlnefl to be an Vndertaker on their behalf, andof theequity of their being made partakers of the beñefts of his Mediation: But that this will occur unto us again more fully, verfe t4. Andby all this doth theAponle difcover unto thellebrews the unreafonablenefs of their
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