[Vers. 17] VERS. 17. And loe, a voyce from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Sonne, in whom I am well pleased.
§. 1. This is my beloved Sonne.] God hath [Sect. 1] many beloved sonnes; how therfore doth Christ [Quest. 1] differ from the rest: and how is hee Gods Sonne?
I answer, First, wee are the Sonnes of God [Answ. 1] by grace, in and by Christ; but hee is the onely Sonne of God by nature, by himselfe.
[Answ. 2] Secondly, Christ is the Sonne of God according to
- His Deitie alwayes: for there can be no moment of time imagined, when Christ was not thus the Sonne of God: he being in this regard coequall with the Father, and coeternallf 1.1.
- His humane nature, and that either
- By Predestination: and thus Christ was the Sonne of God from the beginning of the world: read for the proofe hereof, 2. Tim. 1.9. Titus 1.1.2. and 1. Pet. 1.20. Or,
- Now in time, both because now
- The mysterie is revealed, Rom. 16.25. Eph. 3.9. Coloss. 1.26.
- He is given unto the world, Ps. 2.7. Act. 13.33
The sense then of these words is, This is the man whom I have begotten, that hee might bee the Sonne which was of old time promised: or this man now by Iohn baptized, is the pro∣mised Sonne of God, which is given for sin∣ners, that they by him might bee adopted into the fellowship of the Sonnes of Godg 1.2.
[Quest. 2] How are we by this onely begotten Sonne of God, made Gods children?
[Answ. 1] I answer, First, by faith, according to Saint Paul, Yee are all the children of God, by faith in Christ Iesus, Gal. 3.26.
[Answ. 2] Secondly, by a spirituall life; For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sonnes of God: and by that spirit are inabled to cry, Abba Father, Rom. 8.14.15. These two are the prin∣cipall wayes, whereby we are made the children of God: but under these, more are included, viz. these which follow.
[Answ. 3] Thirdly, by going out from our sinnes, and wholly leaving them.
[Answ. 4] Fourthly, by sinceritie, puritie, and integritie of life and conversation, according to the Apo∣stles advice unto the Philippians, Bee blamelesse and harmlesse as the sonnes of God, without re∣bukeh 1.3.
[Answ. 5] Fiftly, By love & charitie; thus sayth our Savi∣our, Love your Neighbour, yea your Enemy, that yee may bee the children of your Father which is in heaveni 1.4.
[Sect. 2] §. 2. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, in whom I am well plea∣sed. [Quest.] What signifies 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉?
[Answ. 1] First, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies to thinke, whence 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 is to thinke well of: and thus Cyprian, (lib. 1. Testim. adv. Iud.) expounds these words, Thou art my well-beloved Sonne, whom I think well of: But this interpretation is not so fit, and therefore I leave it.
[Answ. 2] Secondly, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies to approve of.
[Answ. 3] Thirdly, to love, and to be well-affected to∣wards one.
[Answ. 4] Fourthly, it signifies complacere, and acquies∣escere, to please and to delight in: and these sig∣nifications are found in prophane authours, and therefore we must goe a little further.
Fiftly, although this word, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 be a Greek [Answ. 5] word, yet it hath its signification not from the Greeke, but from the Hebrew: for this verse, Matth. 3.17. is taken from Esa. 42.1. Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom (Ratsah naphshi) Ratsah is rendred by the 70. 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, and by Hierom. complacere, to please very well: but properly, it signifies placare, to appease, pacifie, and reconcile, according to the Propheta 1.5, Ratsitha Iehovah artseca, &c. O Lord, thou art pacified and reconciled unto thy people: for thou hast forgiven their iniquitie, and covered their sinne: so here 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 signifies not onely acquies∣cere, to delight in; or unicè amare, to love above all other; or bene sentire, to think wel of; or appro∣bare, to well approve of, or complacere, to please exceedingly: But thou art my dearly beloved Sonne, in quo complacui, & placatus sum, that is, first, in whom I am well pleased with for thy selfe: and secondly, for whose sake I am quieted and attoned unto those that belong unto thee. And this doth agree to the Sacerdotall office of Christ, as a Priest by offering sacrifice for us, to reconcile us unto God, who by sinne were be∣come his enemies, and odious unto him.
It may here be objected, If God were pleased [Obiect. 1] with mankinde in the creation, and angry with him in the fall, & again reconciled unto him by Christ, then God is mutable, which is cōtrary to those Scriptures which affirme, that he is is not like man, that he should repent, or change his mindb 1.6, yea that in him there is no shadow of mutationc 1.7.
I answer, First, the will of God is the same which alwayes it was, to wit, to repaire and re∣store [Answ. 1] those that were fallen by the death of Christ: and this will of God was the cause of the Decree of Election and reconciliation: for these words, Wee are reconciled by the death of Christ, unto God, are not thus to bee understood (quasi jam amare incipiat, quos ante oderat, sed di∣ligenti reconciliamur, cum quo tamen inimicitias priùs habuimusd 1.8;) as though the Lord now be∣gan to love those whom formerly he hated, but that we are reconciled unto God, who lo∣ved us, with whom wee have had farres: for