A Key to Open Scripture Metaphors, Book 2 · Part 1
God a Father.
JOHN 20.27.
foreign — I ascend to my Father, and to your Father.
1 JOHN 3.1.
foreign. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Sons of God.
THe Title of Father is attributed to God in a four-fold Respect:
1. As he is the Eternal Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is his only begotten Son, John 1.14. Eph. 1.3.
2. As he is the Father of Adam, and all his Natural Off-spring in respect of Creation, Luk. 3.38.
3. As he is the Father of Mercies, all flowing from his Bountiful Hand to the Creature, 2 Cor. 1.3. Eph. 4.6.
4. The Father of all Good Men in respect of Adoption and Regeneration wrought in them by the Power of his Grace, Rom. 8.15. Gal. 4.6.
The word (Abba) is a Syriack word (foreign) and is derived from the Hebrew foreign Ab, from foreign to will, or acquiesce. It is only found in three places in Scripture; as Mark 14.36. Rom. 8.15. Gal. 4.6. and in all those places the *Voci foreign statim additur vocula foreign quòd fit, ut Scriptura testetur, Deum pertinere ad Graecos. Glass. Phil. Sacra. p. 305.Greek word, foreign, a Father is joyned to it; which intimates (as learned men say) that the Gospel-Grace belongs to the Greeks, who were Gentiles, as well as the Jews. It is observed, that this is the first word that usually Children speak, which carries a Spiritual Allusion.
†Quidam suavi allusione dicum Abba voce, quae retro eodem modo legitur, usum esse Apostolum, hic & aliàs, ut innueret, Deum piorum esse patrem etiamsi ab iis aversus esse videatur in cruce & calamitatibus. Id. ibid.Whether it be read backwards or forwards, it sounds Abba, which by a sweet allusion seems to imply, that God is the Father of the Faithful, even when in their crosses and calamities he seems averse to them.
Others think that the Gemination or doubling of the word in Syriack and Greek, carries an Emphasis, signifying that God is always a Father, and that the Invocations of his Children should be put up with earnest Geminations, and vehemency of desire.
Hierom makes the later an interpretation of the former, as Rev. 1.7. foreign, even so, and Amen; where the first is the explication of the second, being a Hebrew word.
In the ensuing Parallel we take the Title Father in the fourth respect above mentioned; and so it may not unfitly be termed a Metaphor, taken from a Natural or Earthly Father: Because God has the same love to, and care of his Spiritual or Adopted Children, as Worldly Parents have of their Natural Off-spring; and in what degrees of Paternal Eminence God excels them, shall be shew'd in the Disparity.
METAPHOR.
I. A Father gives Being to his Children,Act. 7.8. as Jacob begat the Twelve Patriarchs. Exod. 1.5.—Hence his Posterity are said to proceed out of his Loyns; and are called his Issue, Gen. 48.6.or Off-spring.
II. A Father makes provision for the nursing, nourishment, and bringing up of his Children.
III. Fathers Cloath their Children; Jacob made Joseph a Coat of many colours;Gen. 37.3. they allow, not only for necessity, but also for Ornament, that they may take the more delight in them.
IV. A Father dearly loves, highly esteems, and greatly pities his Children: If they are sick, or under any calamity, his tender and compassionate Bowels yearn with pity and sympathy to them.
V. A loving Father protects and defends his Children from hurts, injuries, and abuses, to the utmost of his power, taking their part, and vindicating their Innocency against all their Enemies, whom he warns not to wrong them at their peril.
VI. The thoughts of a tender Father run out most towards their weakest Children, who are least able to help themselves, giving special charge to such as are intrusted to look after them, to take particular care of them.
VII. A Father provides Food and Physick for his Children:Matth. 7.9, 10. — If they ask Bread, he will not give them a Stone; nor a Serpent, if they ask him a Fish. How ready was the Noble-man to seek Jesus from place to place,Joh. 4.46. that he might heal his sick Son at Capernaum?
VIII. A Father takes delight to hear his young Children learn to speak; and is better pleased at their endeavour to express their minds, (though in a lisping, stammering, or inarticulate Language) than in the most florid Rhetorick, or quaint Deliveries of others; and will answer their Requests, before the most perswasive Oratory of Strangers.
IX. A loving and discreet Father proposes himself as a patern and example of good to his Children, and exhorts them to imitate hlm.
X. A Father loves those Children best that are most like him.
XI. A Father takes care to educate his Children, and instruct them in all points of manners and good behaviour in the various circumstances of their lives, at home and abroad; towards Superiours, Inferiours, and Equals, towards Friends and Enemies, and towards each other; giving them Precepts of good learning, and other qualifications suitable to their ranks and qualities.
XII. Fathers are very ready to hear the humble suit and requests of their dear Children, for such things as they stand in need of.Gen. 22.7.— Isaac crys to his Father, and he answered, Here am I my Son.
XIII. If a prudent Father grants not his Childrens request, it is because he knows they ask things that are not good for them, but such as would prove in conclusion hurtful, and prejudicial.
XIV. If a tender Parent sees his Children play with any hurtful thing, or to be fond of that which may wound, kill, or destroy them, he takes it away from them.
XV. Fathers take care of their Children, and are mindful of their welfare, when at the greatest distance.
XVI. A Father overlooks the common weaknesses and infirmities of his Children, and pardons them upon their humble applications for it.
XVII. A loving Father is much griev'd if his Children prove wicked and rebellious, and useth all gentle and mild ways to reclaim them.
XVIII. If a mild Fatherly intreaty, and gentle usage will not reclaim them, the Father uses a Rod, Pro. 22.15. & 23.13.and chastises them, because he loves them.
XIX. A Father corrects his Children, not that he delights in it, but because it is absolutely necessary, he proportions the punishment to the Crime, his Bowels yerning upon them the while; and when the Chastisement has effected its end, he is ready with open Arms to receive them,Luk. 15.20. as in the case of the Prodigal.
XX. A Father provides a Portion for his Children, and takes care of their future maintenance and subsistence, it being his duty to lay up for them.2 Cor. 12.14.
PARALLEL.
I. GOd is the Author of Spiritual Being to his People: Of his own will begat he us with the Word of Truth. Jam. 1.18. 1 Pet. 1.3.— Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, &c. Hence Believers are called his Children, begotten by his holy Word and Spirit.
II. God the Spiritual Father nourishes, and with Parental tenderness brings up his Children: hence 'tis said they are born up by him from the Belly, Esa. 45.and carried from the Womb— To be laid to the Breast like new-born Babes, 1 Pet. 2.2. Isa. 1.2.that they may receive the sincere Milk of the Word.
III. God Cloaths his Saints — He that so Cloaths the grass of the field, Mat. 6.…0. Isa. 6….10.shall he not much more Cloath you, O ye of little Faith? He Cloaths them with the Garments of Salvation, covers them with the Robe of Righteousness, and adorns them with the graces of his Spirit, and Evangelical Holiness, that he might take the more delight in him.
IV. God so loved his children, that he sent his only begotten Son to save them: Joh. 3.16. Isa. 38.17. Isa. 43.4. Psal. 103.13.In love to their Souls he delivers them; they are precious in his sight, and honourable, and therefore he hath loved them, &c. Like as a Father pitieth his Children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him.
V. God saves and defends his Children from their Soul-Enemies, as Sin, Satan, Psal. …9.9, 16. Ps. 62.2. Eph. 6.12. Ps. 94.22. 1 Chron. 20.21, 2…. Ps. 105.19 Gen. 1….17. & 20.….Spiritual Wickedness in high places, which without his help would be too strong for them; therefore he covers them with his wing from the rage and malice of Persecutors: he is always ready to take their part— If it had not been the Lord who was on our side▪ (says David) when men rose up against us, then they had swallowed us up quick, &c. What a strict charge does the Lord give to the Ungodly, touching his Israel? When they went from Nation to Nation, and from one Kingdom to another people, he suffered no man to do them wrong; yea, he reproved Kings for their sakes, saying, Touch not mine Anointed, and do my Prophets no harm.
VI. God is exceeding tender and thoughtful of the Babes and weak ones among his people, and gives particular charge concerning them unto his Ministers— Strengthen ye the weak hands, Isa. 35.…. Heb. 1….12. 1 Thes. 5.14. Isa. 40.11.and confirm the feeble knees.— And in another place, Comfort the feeble minded, support the weak—He is said to gather the Lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and gently to lead those that are with young.
VII. God provides Food for his people, and whatsoever else they want—The young Lyons do lack and suffer hunger, Psal. 23.1, 2. Psal. 34.8, 9, 10. Psal. 1…2.15. Psal. 103.2, 3.but they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing — There is no want to them that fear him. He abundantly blesses (Sions) provision, and satisfies her poor with bread — Gives meat to them that fear him, for he is ever mindful of his Covenant— He provides Physick for their Soul-Diseases— Bless the Lord, O my Soul (says David) who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases.
VIII. The Lord takes great delight to hear his little Children (his Babes in Christ) learn to pray, Pro. 15.…. Pro. 11.20. and 12.22. Isa 61.1: Luk. 4.18. Isa. 42.3. Rom. 8.… Isa. 38.1…. Pro. 15.….and open their wants to him; and though they stammer out a request or sigh, or lisp out a Petition, he is willing to hear and answer them—His Spirit helps their infirmities, (for they know not what they should pray for as they ought) and maketh intercession for them with unutterable groans: Though (like the Prophet) they chatter like a …rane, yet he will not despise them; but rather lend his Ear to them, than to the vain pomp and empty Ceremonies of Formalists, and the specious performances of the Hypocrite.
IX. God is proposed by Christ as a holy patern and example to his Saints— Be ye perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect—And in another place,Mat. 5.48. Lev. 19.2. Luk. 6.36. Lev. 11.44. and 20.7. Col. 1.11. 1 Pet. 1.1…. 2 Cor. 3.18. Dan. 9.2…. 2 Pet. 1.4. Act. 13.22. 1 John 3.2, 3. Jo…. …1.7. Ps. 25.4. & 27.11. 2 Tim. 3.15. Luk. 11.49 Eph. 4.11. Neh. 9.14. Isa. 28.10. 1 Cor. 10.32. 2 Cor. 6.3 Col. 1.28. Exo. 4.15. Ps. 25.8, …. 2 Sam. 22.35. Ps. 18.24. Col. 2.3. Ps. 34.15. 1 Pet. 3.12 1 John 5.14, 15. Mat. 21.22 & 5 42. 1 Jo. 3.12 Mat. 7.7. Luk. 6.40. Joh. 16.23 Jam. 1.5. Jam. 1.5, 6 Jam. 4.3. Hos. 2.5, 6, 7. See Burroughs on the place. Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful. God is not soon angry, but patient and long-suffering, so should his Children be, &c.
X. The Lord God loves such of his Spiritual Children best, who walk closest with him, who are holy as he is holy, pure as he is pure, who are changed into his Image, made partakers of the Divine Nature.— Daniel was greatly beloved, and David recorded to be a Man after Gods own heart, by way of Eminency; and John is called the beloved Disciple, after the same manner: For it is agreeable to Reason and Equity, that where there is the nearest similitude, there should be the dearest love and Ʋnion.
XI. None teacheth like the heavenly Father, none more careful to train up and instruct his Children in right ways: he hath given them his holy Word, which is able to make them wise to salvation; Prophets, Evangelists, Apostles, Pastors, and Teachers to instruct them, Rules to walk by, Precepts of behaviour towards Enemies and Friends, high and low, rich and poor: I will teach you (saith the Lord) what ye shall do— He teaches sinners in the way — He teacheth the hand to war— it is he only that teacheth to profit, Isa. 48.17. In a word, he hath given them the Lord Jesus, in whom are hid all the Treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
XII. The Ears of the Lord are ever open to the crys of his Children: Ask, and ye shall receive, &c. whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing ye shall receive.—This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us; and if we know that he heareth us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the Petitions that we have desired of him.
XIII. The Lord God knows what's best for his Children, and never fails to supply them, if they ask in Faith.— He never refuses, but when they ask amiss— Ye ask, and receive not (says the Apostle James) because ye ask amiss, &c.
XIV. The heavenly Father, when Israel would be going on in a course of Idolatry and sin, tells them, he will hedge up their way with thorns, and make a wall, &c. that is, to stop Israels pursuit, insomuch that she shall not overtake her Lovers. As the Lord has a hedge of protection to secure his people from evil, Isa. 5.5. Job 1.10. so he has a hedge of affliction to keep them from evil. — The hedge of thorns is a Metaphor, and signifies much trouble and difficulty of going over it; and the wall, being a thicker substance, keeps them from passing through: his sore and heavy afflictions, are but as hedge, in a way of mercy, to keep his Children from evil, the pursuit of which would ruine them.
XV. The Lord God in seeming absence or distance from his Children, never forgets them, Isa. 49.15. Jer. 31.20but has them in continual remembrance, as in the case of Ephraim.
XVI. The heavenly Father overlooks the frailties and miscarriages of his Children through Christ, 2 Cor. 8.12. Heb. 8.12. 1 Joh. 1.8. Jer. 3.13.for he accepts of a willing mind, &c. and highly prizes sincerity. — He is merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and iniquities will he remember no more: he is free to pardon the penitent and humble Confessor, Psal. 32.5.
XVII. What a lamenting Prosopopoeia does the Lord use by the Prophet — Hear, O Heavens, Esa. 1.2, 3, 4, 5. &c. Jer. 3.7. Mat. 23.37. Rom. 15.5give ear, O Earth— I have nourished and brought up Children, and they have rebelled against me. How great his patience is, and how gently he deals with them, and how frequent his calls to repentance are▪ the Scriptures noted in the Margent clearly evidence.
XVIII. God the heavenly-Father (if his Children be stubborn and perverse) visits their transgressions with a Rod, and their iniquity with stripes, Mic. 6.13. Psal. 89.31, 32. Heb. 12.8. and 5, 6, 7. Rev. 3.19. Pro. 11. Jer. 31.18, 19, 20. Isa. 27.7. Isa. 62.9. Heb. 12.10. Jer. 30.11 Hos. 11.9. Isa. 63.9. Rom. 8.28yet takes not his loving kindness from them.—To be without Chastisement, is a note of Bastardy, and to be corrected, is a certain sign of Gods love, for those whom he loves he chastens.
XIX. God the Great Father does the like; My bowels (saith he) are troubled (for repenting Ephraim) I will surely have mercy upon him — In all their afflictions he was afflicted— he chastens for our profit, and corrects in measure— he executes not the fierceness of his anger to destroy Ephraim, because he is God, and not Man; but in love and pity redeems (his Saints) &c.
XX. God lays up for his Children: he not only distributes plentifully of his good things now, but has much more in store and reversion for them. O how great is thy goodness (says the Psalmist) which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee! Ps. 31.19.Henceforth (saith the Apostle) is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness, &c.2 Tim. 4.8
METAPHOR.
I. EArthly Fathers are men subject to passions, and may sometimes unjustly harden their hearts, and prove cruel to their Children.
II. Earthly Parents, though Kings and Potentates, are men of little Dignity and Grandeur, in comparison of the Greatness and Glory of the Almighty.
III. Earthly Fathers may not know the condition of their remote Children, or may be unable to help them in straits, &c. or send seasonable supplies.
IV. Earthly Parents maybe in a moment made poor, and their Children brought to Beggery; or by giving may impoverish themselves.
V. Earthly Parents (though they instruct their Children, yet) cannot convert the heart.
VI. An Earthly Parent cannot so give his Estate, as that all his Children (collectively consider'd) may possess all, and yet every one possess the whole, as if no other had a share in it.
VII. Fathers are mortal, they are Children of yesterday, they pass away, and leave their Children Fatherless.
VIII. The best of Fathers, are no perfect examples or paterns of goodness, for their Children may not only equal, but excel them.
DISPARITY.
I. OUr heavenly Father is God, and not Man, and therefore doth whatsoever is good and right, Jer. 31.3.never wronging any of his Children: In righteousness hast thou afflicted me.
II. But our heavenly Father has no Superiour in Quality, nor Equal in Dignity: his Majesty is infinite, and his Glory unspeakable; ten thousand times ten thousand, Rev. 5.11.and thousands of thousands of Angels wait upon his Throne, the least of which excels all the Kings of the Earth.
III. God knows all the wants of his Children, in what place or condition soever they are in,Phil. 4.19. Isa. 49.8. and can give them sufficient, suitable, and seasonable relief, though the powers of Hell and wicked men should be set against them.
IV. God can never be made poor, Esa. 54.10 Psal. 34.8, 9, 10.nor is his store the less for distribution— his Spiritual Children are beyond all possibility of want.
V. God speaks to the heart, and fastens his Word as a Nail in a sure place:Hos. 2.14. Ezek. 36.26. Jer. 24.7. he makes the heart of stone to be a heart of flesh; he speaks the Word of Grace to them, and gives them the Grace of the Word.
VI. God makes every one of his Children joynt Heirs of the Eternal Inheritance; and yet 'tis so, that every one hath the whole propriety, they shall all possess a Crown and Kingdom of joy and glory joyntly, 2 Tim. 4.8. Rom. 8.17 Ps. 73.26. Lam. 3.23and yet so that every one shall have it wholly to himself, a whole God to himself, a whole Christ to himself, a whole Heaven to himself, every one has God for his Portion particularly, and Christ for a Husband, and yet all of them joyntly do enjoy them together.
VII. God is immortal, from everlasting to everlasting; he is called the living Father, the Father of Eternity, and so uncapable of any change: he is a Spirit, and the Father of Spirits and Life.
VIII. But God is a perfect patern to all his Children; those Perfections and Excellencies of the Divine Being that are communicable are set before us for our imitation, and though we should do our best to be as like him as we can, yet when we have done all, and gone as high as we are capable to go by the assistance of Grace, we shall notwithstanding infinitely fall short of that perfect Copy.
COROLLARIES.
1. FRom the foregoing Parallels we may infer, that Believers (as such) are of the most glorious and Illustrious Extraction in the world; for the Almighty God is their Father.
2. That this Spiritual Sonship is the greatest and chiefest of Blessings and Priviledges, because it gives a Title to an Everlasting Kingdom in Heaven.
3. That Saints should be incouraged against doubts, dejectedness, and dispondency inaffliction, because their Father has provided so glorious an Estate in reversion for them, and which they shall shortly possess.
4. That Saints have cause to be comforted, for they have a gracious Father ready to receive all their Applications; and in all cases help, relieve, and defend them.
5. That it is the duty of Saints to behave themselves suitable to their quality, and not debase their Birth and Pedigree, nor stain the glory of their Fathers House by sinful, base, reproachful actions. A sordid imploy, and base Society, do not become a Kings Son.
6. As God is the best of Fathers, so let Christians labour to be the best of Children.
7. Let them beware how they grieve his Spirit, or provoke him to take the Rod.
8. This may support us under the loss of our nearest and best Relations.