14. THE third of these Relations, and the next point in the Knowledge of God to be spoken of, is, that he is [Our must Loving Father, or Bountiful Benefactor] As he is Good, so he doth Good, Psal. 119. 68. And as he is the chiefest Good, so he bestoweth the greatest Benefits: and therefore is thence by a Necessary Resultancy, our Most Bountiful Benefactor. The term [Father] comprehendeth in it all his three great Relations to us▪ 1. A Father gives Being to his Children, and therefore hath some Propriety in them; and God is the first cause▪ o• our whole Being, and therefore we are his Own. 2. A Father is the Governor of his Children: and God is our Chief Governor. 3. A Father tenderly Loveth his Children that are childlike, loving and obedient to him; and seeketh their felicity: and so doth God Love, and will make Happy his loving and obedient children, who have not only their Being from him as their Maker, but their New being or Holy nature from him as their Sanctifier. And this last being the end and perfection of the rest, doth communicate its nature to the rest as the ⟨p. 125⟩Means. And so, 1. The new nature that God thus giveth us in our Regeneration, is not from his common Love, but is an act of special Grace, proceeding from his special Fatherly Love. 2. The Government that he exerciseth over them as his Regenerate children, is not a Common Government, such as is that of the mere Law of Nature or of works; but it is a special Government by a Law of Grace, a Justifying, Remedying, Saving Law, or Covenant; together with an internal illuminating, quickening, guiding spirit, with Church-state, and Officers and Ordinance▪ all suited to this way of Grace▪ Even as his Dominion or Propriety by Redemption, and our Sanctification and Resignation, is not a Common Propriety, but a gracious Relation to us as Our Own Father, who have the endeared Relation to him of being his Own Children. All is from Love▪ and in a way of Love, and for the exercise and demonstration of Love: so that when I call God [Our Benefactor] I precisely distinguish this last part of his Relations to us, from the rest: But when I call him [a Father] I mean the same thing, or Relation which a Benefactor signifieth; but with fuller aspect on the foregoing Relations, and connotation of them as they are perfected all in this.
14. THE third of these Relations, and the next point in the Knowledge of God to be spoken of, is, that he is [Our must Loving Father, or Bountiful Benefactor] As he is Good, so he doth Good, Psal. 119. 68. And as he is the chiefest Good, so he bestoweth the greatest Benefits: and therefore is thence by a Necessary Resultancy, our Most Bountiful Benefactor. The term [Father] comprehendeth in it all his three great Relations to us▪ 1. A Father gives Being to his Children, and therefore hath some Propriety in them; and God is the first cause▪ o• our whole Being, and therefore we are his Own. 2. A Father is the Governour of his Children: and God is our Chief Governour. 3. A Father tenderly Loveth his Children that are childlike, loving and obedient to him; and seeketh their felicity: and so doth God Love, and will make Happy his loving and obedient children, who have not only their Being from him as their Maker, but their New being or Holy nature from him as their Sanctifier. And this last being the end and perfection of the rest, doth communicate its nature to the rest as the ⟨p. 125⟩Means. And so, 1. The new nature that God thus giveth us in our Regeneration, is not from his common Love, but is an act of special Grace, proceeding from his special Fatherly Love. 2. The Government that he exerciseth over them as his Regenerate children, is not a Common Government, such as is that of the meer Law of Nature or of works; but it is a special Government by a Law of Grace, a Justifying, Remedying, Saving Law, or Covenant; together with an internal illuminating, quickning, guiding spirit, with Church-state, and Officers and Ordinance▪ all suited to this way of Grace▪ Even as his Dominion or Propriety by Redemption, and our Sanctification and Resignation, is not a Common Propriety, but a gracious Relation to us as Our Own Father, who have the endeared Relation to him of being his Own Children. All is from Love▪ and in a way of Love, and for the exercise and demonstration of Love: so that when I call God [Our Benefactor] I precisely distinguish this last part of his Relations to us, from the rest: But when I call him [a Father] I mean the same thing, or Relation which a Benefactor signifieth; but with fuller aspect on the foregoing Relations, and connotation of them as they are perfected all in this.
