This word, beside its common acceptation, is taken in Scripture
for grandfather, great-grandfather, or the founder of a family, how
remote soever. So the Jews in our Saviour’s time called Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, their fathers. Jesus Christ is called the Son of David,
though David was many generations distant from him. By father is
likewise understood the institutor of a certain profession. Jabal “was
father of such as dwell in tents, and such as have cattle.” Jubal “was
father of all such as handle the harp and organ,” or flute, &c, Gen. iv,
20, 21. Huram is called father of the king of Tyre, 2 Chron. ii, 13;
and, 2 Chron. iv, 16, even of Solomon, because he was the principal
workman, and chief director of their undertakings. The principal
prophets were considered as fathers of the younger, who were their
disciples, and are called sons of the prophets, 2 Kings ii, 12. Father
is a term of respect given by inferiors to superiors. “My father,” said
Naaman’s attendants to him, “if the prophet had bid thee do some great
thing,” 2 Kings v, 13; and so the king of Israel addresses the prophet
Elisha, 2 Kings vi, 21. Rechab, the founder of the Rechabites, is called
their father, Jer. xxxv, 6. A man is said to be a father to the poor and
orphans, when he supplies their necessities, and sympathizes with their
miseries, as a father would do toward them: “I was a father to the
poor,” says Job, xxix, 16. God declares himself to be the “Father of the
fatherless, and Judge of the widow,” Psalm lxviii, 5. God is frequently
called our heavenly Father, and simply our Father; eminently the Father,
Preserver, and Protector of all, especially of those who invoke him, and
serve him: “Is he not thy Father that bought thee?” says Moses, Deut.
xxxii, 6. Since the coming of Jesus Christ, we have a new right to call
God our Father, by reason of the adoption which our Saviour has merited
for us, by clothing himself in our humanity, and purchasing us by his
death: “Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are
the children of God,” Romans viii, 15. Job entitles God “the Father of
rain,” Job xxxviii, 28; he produces it, and causes it to fall. The devil
is called the father of the wicked and the father of lies, John viii,
44. He deceived Eve and Adam; he introduced sin and falsehood; he
inspires his followers with his spirit and sentiments. The father of
Sichem, the father of Tekoah, the father of Bethlehem, &c, signify the
chief persons who inhabited these cities; he who built or rebuilt them.
Adam is the first father, the father of the living; Abraham is the
father of the faithful, the father of the circumcision; called also the
“father of many nations,” because many people sprung from him; as the
Jews, Ishmaelites, Arabs, &c. God is called “the Father of spirits,”
Heb. xii, 9. He not only creates them, but he justifies, sanctifies, and
glorifies them, and thus confers upon them eternal happiness.
for grandfather, great-grandfather, or the founder of a family, how
remote soever. So the Jews in our Saviour’s time called Abraham, Isaac,
and Jacob, their fathers. Jesus Christ is called the Son of David,
though David was many generations distant from him. By father is
likewise understood the institutor of a certain profession. Jabal “was
father of such as dwell in tents, and such as have cattle.” Jubal “was
father of all such as handle the harp and organ,” or flute, &c, Gen. iv,
20, 21. Huram is called father of the king of Tyre, 2 Chron. ii, 13;
and, 2 Chron. iv, 16, even of Solomon, because he was the principal
workman, and chief director of their undertakings. The principal
prophets were considered as fathers of the younger, who were their
disciples, and are called sons of the prophets, 2 Kings ii, 12. Father
is a term of respect given by inferiors to superiors. “My father,” said
Naaman’s attendants to him, “if the prophet had bid thee do some great
thing,” 2 Kings v, 13; and so the king of Israel addresses the prophet
Elisha, 2 Kings vi, 21. Rechab, the founder of the Rechabites, is called
their father, Jer. xxxv, 6. A man is said to be a father to the poor and
orphans, when he supplies their necessities, and sympathizes with their
miseries, as a father would do toward them: “I was a father to the
poor,” says Job, xxix, 16. God declares himself to be the “Father of the
fatherless, and Judge of the widow,” Psalm lxviii, 5. God is frequently
called our heavenly Father, and simply our Father; eminently the Father,
Preserver, and Protector of all, especially of those who invoke him, and
serve him: “Is he not thy Father that bought thee?” says Moses, Deut.
xxxii, 6. Since the coming of Jesus Christ, we have a new right to call
God our Father, by reason of the adoption which our Saviour has merited
for us, by clothing himself in our humanity, and purchasing us by his
death: “Ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba,
Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are
the children of God,” Romans viii, 15. Job entitles God “the Father of
rain,” Job xxxviii, 28; he produces it, and causes it to fall. The devil
is called the father of the wicked and the father of lies, John viii,
44. He deceived Eve and Adam; he introduced sin and falsehood; he
inspires his followers with his spirit and sentiments. The father of
Sichem, the father of Tekoah, the father of Bethlehem, &c, signify the
chief persons who inhabited these cities; he who built or rebuilt them.
Adam is the first father, the father of the living; Abraham is the
father of the faithful, the father of the circumcision; called also the
“father of many nations,” because many people sprung from him; as the
Jews, Ishmaelites, Arabs, &c. God is called “the Father of spirits,”
Heb. xii, 9. He not only creates them, but he justifies, sanctifies, and
glorifies them, and thus confers upon them eternal happiness.