Christs eternal existence, and the dignity of his person asserted and proved in opposition…

1. That he is the builder of the Church. 2. The Lord and Governor of it.

1. That he is the builder of the Church. 2. The Lord and Governour of it.

1. As Founder and Builder of the Church, Matth. 16.18. Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock will I build my Church. Christ challenges it to himself as his own peculiar prerogative to build the Church. More fully the Apostle, Heb. 3.3, 4, 5. For this man was ••unted worthy of more glory than Moses, in as much as he that ⟨p. 136⟩builded the house, hath more honour than the house, for every house is built by some man, but he that buildeth all things is God. And again Moses was faithful in all his house as a servant, but Christ as a Son over his own house. The scope of the Apostle is to prove that Christ must have the preeminence above all others that have been employed in and about Gods House: Moses was one of the chief of that sort, that had greater familiarity with God than others, and entrusted by him in very great and weighty matters; yet Christ was not only equal to Moses, but far above him: he proveth it by a comparison taken from a Builder, and an House; and from a Lord of the House, and a Servant in the House; but Christ is the builder of the House, and Moses but a part of the House: Christ is the Lord, and Moses but the servant; therefore Christ is more excellent and worthy of greater honour. One of the Noblest works of God is the Church of the First-born; none could build, frame and constitute this but the Son of God coming down in our flesh, and so recovering the lost world into an holy society, which might be dedicated to God. For the materials of this house are men sinful and guilty; neither Men nor Angels could raise them up into an holy Temple to ⟨p. 137⟩