- Gods omniftimcy A M6tive to tre;th if Grace. _ this third Chapter and the fecond are very plain, being the matteroffevca Epifiles commanded byChr:ifi to be wriftcn to feven Churches in Ajia; Why to thefe and no other, or • wbether by thcfe is o9t inrended a type ofdl Churches in fu.. tu re ages, is not.my intent to difpute, The Text I have cho– fen is part of the fifth Epifile, w-hich is to the Church in. SardiJ; and in this we may confider the Preface, the Body or fubfhnce of the letter, and the Conclufion. The Preface confitls of th'ofe attributes given eo Chrifi, which declare his Majdly, and futable properties for thofe duties he rcquireth of the Church; becaufe be hath t~ fe,·en Spirits, and t he feven Starrcs, therefpre let the /1.ngel of tke Church difpenfe his duty wit h great vigilancy and indufiry. Whether'by the feven Spirits, be me ant the holy Ghofi, in th~ feverall and · manifdled gi fts and operations t hereof, Seven in the Scri– pture being a number to fignifie plenty , The barren hath born {even : Or wheth-er we ate to under fiand real and true An– gels, thofe celdlial Spirits, which in great multitudes attend God, expeCting his c9mmands,as Chap5 6 . fe~meth t~ im– ply, I {hall n'Ot difpute: So neither will I ~nter into that con– tro,erfie, Whether by Angtl of the Chu·rch, be meant.atrue ~roper Angel_, 0 t one fin;gle Pallor in degree abQve other Mi– nifters: Or wbecher it be taken collectively, for many Pa– fior~;, who joyntly did .govern the Church: Or Jaflly, Whe– ther it be t he Church ic felf ~ Thefe Difpuces I wave, and come to the matter or fnbftance of the letter;. and there we may firft obferve a ·reprehen,on of the Angels finne, which alfo beiongs to the Church; as appeareth, c12p. z, v.7. and that is, lhcy wer~ dead, though they had a name they li– ved. Secondly, Here i~ the evident conviclionof this finne, 1 k.zgow thy ~ork..J_, though ether ~burcbes did highly approve of them, and they had a·f3me over tl:le world for the'ir faith and.p1ety ; yet faith Chrifr,. 1~ow t.hy 'Wo.rk.J, I f~thy Re– ligion and Piety is an empty~dead thing: Now in that <;hrifr ·is faid here to know their works~ we have a plain argumell_t for: the Divine nature of Chrifl, for none but God knoweth all the works, that is, thoughts, counfels, ltudie$ and atli· , - ~ns of all men, at appearcth ?lrtm. 7• I~. Hence we reade ' ·- ~m 3. that
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