Ire. 4. Forfeit tint the birthright by lin. Fireborn, types of Chrz1. untoGod. So Exòd. 4.22. Ifrael zs myfirft borne, that is, deareunto tne, as the fief} borne, commonly are dea- ref} to their Parents. Ifrael,before his receiving into the Covenant, was the wort}ofail people, and (Mallett in it îelfe,and inGods eyes,Deur.7.and 9.4. But afterwards being (in the rightofthe Meflîah) Gods firft borne,be- came deare to him as theapple ofhis eye. Nowwhat a joy is it to the beleeving foule to fee God a father looke towards it as a father to his firft borne ? So fareth it nowwith us, being fo made inChrift. 3. Com- fort. God takes notice, and revengeth all the wrongs done to theSaints, becaufe they are his firft borne. Let h:gypt offer injury ro Gods firft borne, God will fay, Slay every firft borne of man andbeaft in /Egypt; let them fee, in the puni(htnent, their finite. For can a ten- der father fee' an arme or a legge ofhis fir/} borne cut off? Would it not go to his heart to feehimdifinembred? And canthe Lord jefus endure any wrongs and cruelties done to his members, and this not pierce his bowels? Aman may fornetime fee his child in want, and corren his fir/} borne for his farther good, fend him to bee fchooled and trayned in fome courfe under a fharpe difcipline ; but to fee him wounded, to fee him bleed, caft off,troden under fee-, hecannot endure : No more the Lord. Let no man, never fo great, dare to wrong the godly; for he will rebuke Kings for their fakes. I V. Seeing in Chrift the firft borne wee attaine thebirthright; let every Chriftian beware ofprophane- neffe, and pairing away his birthright as Efns, who fold his birthright for pottage, Heb. ì z .16,and therefore called prophase. So doe they that exchange fpirituall things for temporal!, earth for heaven. As many, who pretend a part in Chrift ; but in Efseus language fay : Give me my pottage, my fiver my honour, myprofit, my pleafure, let them take their religion, their preaching, praying, and precifenefte, a bird in hand is worth two in the bulb. er.MuNIINNI
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