born, types of chrp. and inhabitants ofit are his, P/al. 24: r. . By common grace. So all the people oftheJews by reafon of com- mon grace werehis, with whomGod had plightedhis gracious covenant, whichwas made to Abrahamand all his feed, wherefoever they were borne; ofwhomhee made choice as hispeculiar,though all the earth washis. F.xod. 4.22. Ifraelismyfirf borne, that is, not only the firft peopleand nation that tuft profeffed the true wor- íhipofGod, and had priority ofthe Gentiles who were yonger brethren; but the firft borne by a fpeciall ele on and choiceof that from all other people ; whom hee wculd accept as his beloved in the Meffiah the firft born ofall creatures, and among whomhe would ftabli II, his covenant, and raite up his worfhip, thus hee dealt not with other nations. 3 By Q f eciall right. The firf} borne ofIfrael were Gods by a fingular right as noother childréofany other familywere,nar ely by right ofthat fingular deliverance of all the firf} borne when he de- f}rayedall the fiat borne of/Egypt. And therefore pre - fently after that dearuaion hemakes challenge ofthem, Exod r 3. 2. Thus is Jefits Chrifi the Lords firft borne by a fingular right, not common toman or Angell, whe- ther we refpect his nature or office. r. In hi, nature he is fief} born, as forme of God, the /irfi begottenofallcrea- tures, Col. i . t S. begot beforeall Creation. And thus he innot onely thefirft begotten,before whom there was none ; but the onely begottenafter whom is none. John r. 14. the onelybegotten Sonneofthe Father ; the firft borne wi h- our afecond or brother. 2. In his office hee was firft borneby fpeciall prerogative. r . for the kinde. 2. for the undertaking. 3. for the accomplifhing. i . For the kinde, in that he was Mediator, God and man inunity of perfon, and the only redeemer ofhis Church. In this regard, Rom. 8.2 9. he is called thefirft borne among ma- ny brethren. Which phrafenoteth quality, not equality with him, fame fimilitude but no parity betweenehim and s 93 Corrataunis natasr,e. CornrrratniS gratise . hoisftn- gularis. Prinnogcnitus, ante .grsë na-IlMi. Vngenitut, ró,q quer nvllasa.
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