A practical exposition of the Lord's-Prayer

But now let me distinguish again; God is a Father to Mankind, either, 1. In a more general consideration and respect, by Creation; or, 2. In a more special regard, by Adoption.

First; By Creation God is a Father: At first he gave a Being to all Things; but to Men and Angels he gave Reason; John 1. 4. And this Life was the Light of Man. Other Things had Life; but Man had such a Life as was Light; and so by his original Constitution he became to be the Son of God. To establish the Relation of a Father, there must be a Communication of Life and Likeness. A Painter, that makes an Image or Picture like himself, he is not the Father of it; for tho there be Likeness, yet no Life. The Sun in propriety ⟨p. 79⟩of Speech is not the Father of Frogs, and putrid Creatures, which are quickened by its heat; tho there be Life, yet there is no Likeness. We keep this Relation for univocal Generations, and rational Creatures. Thus by Creation the Angels are said to be the Sons of God; Job 38. 7. When he was laying the Foundations of the Earth, the Sons of God shouted for Joy; that is, the Angels. And thus Adam also was called the Son of God, Luke 3. ult. Thus by our first Creation, and with respect to that, all Men are the Sons of God, Children of God. And (mark it) in respect of God's continual concurrence to our Being, tho we have deformed our selves, and are not the same that we were; when we were first created; yet still in regard of some sorry Remains of God's Image, and the Light of Reason, all are Sons of God, and God in a general Sense is a Father to us; Yea, more a Father than our natural Parents are: For our Parents, they concur to our Being but instrumentally, God originally: We had our Being under God from our Parents: He hath the greatest hand and stroke in forming us in the Belly, and making us to be what we are. Which appeareth by this: Parents, they know not what the Child will be, Male or Female, beautiful or deformed; they cannot tell the Number of Bones, Muscles, Veins, Arteries; and cannot restore any of these, in case they should be lost and spoiled: So that he that framed us in the Womb, and wonderfully fashioned us in the secret Parts, he is our Father,