11. What we may expect from God, being a Father? We may expect whatsoever ⟨p. 115⟩a Child may expect from a Father. God taketh not upon him empty names. He saith, he will be a Father, not only called a Father; but I will be your Father, and you shall be 2my Sons, 2 Cor. 6. ult. All the Fatherhood, and all the kindred in heaven and earth, that is spiritual: the comfort of it cometh from God the Father, reconciled to us in Christ. The word in the original is so strong, that we cannot express it in English. Fathers on earth are but poor Fathers, and they be but beams of the Fatherly affection that is in God. God will let us see by these beams of compassion, that is in a Father to a Child, what real compassion he beareth to us. The true reality of Fatherhood is in God. And therefore when we hear of the name of Father, think of whatsoever lieth in the bowels of a Father to a Child, and that we may expect from God our Father, and infinite more. It is a great indulgence; 3as a Father pitieth his Child, Malac. 3. so God will pity us. Will a Father cast off his Child? Indeed he will cleanse the Child. So God will ⟨p. 116⟩4take away our abominations, and purge us when we defile our selves: it is because of an eternal relation he casteth us not off; we may expect from him indulgence, and it is an indulgence of indulgence. God needed no Son, when he made us Sons; yet he had his Son, and angels to praise himself withal. Can we pity and pardon a Child, and will not God pardon and pity us? why should we conceive worse of him then of our selves? will we give pity to a Father? and not pity to the Father of all bowels and compassion? and therefore think not that God will cast us off. God pardons us, and healeth our infirmities, and pitieth us, as a Father pitieth his own Child, Psal. 103. It is a name under which no man must despair. What? despair under the name of a Father? despair of mercy when we have a Father to go to? The poor prodigal when he had spent his patrimony, his body, his good name, had lost all, and nothing 5left, yet he had a Father, and I will go to him. And so when we be at the last cast, and have spent all, we have a ⟨p. 117⟩Father: therefore go to him. What saith the Church, Isaiah 63. 64. Doubtless, thou art our Father:
11. What we may expect from God, being a Father? We may expect whatsoever ⟨p. 115⟩a Child may expect from a Father. God taketh not upon him empty names. He saith, he will be a Father, not only called a Father; but I will be your Father, and you shall be 2my Sonnes, 2 Cor. 6. ult. All the Fatherhood, and all the kindred in heaven and earth, that is spiritual: the comfort of it cometh from God the Father, reconciled to us in Christ. The word in the original is so strong, that we cannot express it in English. Fathers on earth are but poor Fathers, and they be but beams of the Fatherly affection that is in God. God will let us see by these beams of compassion, that is in a Father to a Child, what real compassion he beareth to us. The true reality of Fatherhood is in God. And therefore when we hear of the name of Father, think of whatsoever lieth in the bowels of a Father to a Child, and that we may expect from God our Father, and infinite more. It is a great indulgence; 3as a Father pittieth his Child, Malac. 3. so God will pitty us. Will a Father cast off his Child? Indeed he will cleanse the Child. So God will ⟨p. 116⟩4take away our abominations, and purge us when we defile our selves: it is because of an eternal relation he casteth us not off; we may expect from him indulgence, and it is an indulgence of indulgence. God needed no Sonne, when he made us Sonnes; yet he had his Sonne, and angels to praise himself withall. Can we pitty and pardon a Child, and will not God pardon and pitty us? why should we conceive worse of him then of our selves? will we give pitty to a Father? and not pitty to the Father of all bowels and compassion? and therefore think not that God will cast us off. God pardons us, and healeth our infirmities, and pittieth us, as a Father pittieth his own Child, Psal. 103. It is a name under which no man must despair. What? despair under the name of a Father? despair of mercy when we have a Father to go to? The poor prodigal when he had spent his patrimony, his body, his good name, had lost all, and nothing 5
- 1God a Father.
- 2All comfort is from God reconciled to us in Christ.
- 3Mal. 3. 17.
- 4Father is a term of indulgence.Father is a tearm of indulgence.
- 5Luk. 15. 18
