Our blessed Saviour fetcheth the comfort of our Father from this, that God is his Father first, and so to join both together; that God is our God, because he is his God first. It is a point very considerable, that whatso- ever comfort we look for from God, and in God, we must see it in Christ first before we see it in ourselves, because we be but sons by adoption, and we have all we have from God through Christ. Whatsoever we see in Christ, think this .will belong to us. And whatsoever we look should belong to us, see it first in him. As verily as he ascended, we shall ascend; as verily as he rose, we shall arise ; as verily as he is at God's right hand, we shall be there too ; for by faith we sit now in heavenly places with Christ ; and ' we shall judge the world, and be for ever with the Lord,' 1 Cor. vi. 3. Whatsoever we see in Christ, interest ourselves in it. And therefore we must not conceive of Christ as a severe person, but conceive of ourselves in union and communion with Christ our head ; and to con- ceive of Christ as our head and surety, and • second Adam,' and as a quickening spirit, that communicateth all to us. And therefore when we are to deal with God, be sure to go through Christ ; as we expect all from God through Christ, so give all to God through Christ again. Be sure to take Benjamin with us when we go ; and come clothed with the garments of our elder brother, and do not doubt when we come with Christ, for else we dishonour Christ. Shall I come in the sweet name and mediation of my Saviour, that hath perfected salvation, and not be accepted of God, when God hath ordained him for that purpose ? If we stagger, and doubt to receive anything at God's hand, we wrong not only God's bounty, but Christ the mediator. Carry this therefore all along with us.
4G2 A HEAVENLY CONFERENCE.
Do all in him, aud desire God to pardon all for his sake, and God will regard us.
Use. Let us therefore make use of it, and add this further, that if so he God is Jirst the Father of Christ hcforo he is our Father, and first the God of Christ before he is our God, and that all our good is dependent upon what God is to Christ Jirst, then doth not this folloiv from hence, that ive should not only thank God for ourselves, but thank God for irhatsoever he hath done to Christ ; not onhj comfort ourselves in it, hut let God have the fflory of it ? And this the Spirit of God in the holy apostles Peter and Paul led tliem to. Eph. i. 3., * Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' What, and nothing but so ? Nay, with a reduplication, * Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,' even because he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ ; because out of his infinite depth of wisdom and good- ness he hath found out a way to save us in Christ, to be a Father to him, and in him a Father to us. It is said of the Virgin Mary, ' All generations shall call her blessed,' Luke i. 48. Why ? Because she was the mother of the person that was God ; she was the mother of Christ in human nature, and of God, because we may not sever the persons. And shall we bless the Virgin Mary, as mother of God, and not God as Father of Christ? If she be the mother of Christ-man, then God is the Father of whole Christ; and therefore blessed be God, not only that he is our Father and our God, but that he might be thus with satisfaction to divine justice, he hath found out such a way to be the Father of Christ; and Christ, as man, is an object of God's love and predestination as well as we. We deserved nothing at God's hands, but he found out such a way by taking the nature of man into unit}^ of his second person, and so became a Father of Christ and of us. And therefore bless God, who hath predestinated Christ to be the Lamb of God, that hath freed him from sin, and set him at his right hand, raised him from the dead; that hath carried him into heaven, and ordained him to be Judge of quick and dead. Are these things severed from us ? No. They be favours that be ours in Christ; his first, then ours. And therefore whensoever we think of anything Christ hath of his glory in heaven, as he is king of heaven and earth, and hath all power committed to him, glorify God for it, and think of it, This is mine ; he is mine husband, my head ; he hath taken up that glory, and whatsoever is in heaven, and enjoyeth them, he hath taken it up for me, and therefore we should bless God for it. So the apostle Peter: ' Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, that hath begot us again to an inheritance immortal, undefilcd, that fadcth not away, reserved in the heavens,' 1 Peter i. 3. He hath begot us to a lively hope, ' through the resurrection of Christ from the dead.' So it is from the resurrection of Christ from the dead that Christ saith, ' God is my Father and your Father.' Since God's justice is satisfied by my resurrection ; that is, declared to be satisfied ; ' I ascend to my Father, and j^our Father ; to my God, and your God.' I beseech you, let us not lose the comfort of these things, since our Saviour Christ intended them for comfort.