to the E PHE S I AN S. i2] which it is unto any or all of Angels aud Men. And what love can be fuppofed ~ greater? Yea, and this is yourprivlledge, robe taken tnt? that l\eneral account Strm. X. and number of that general Alfembly, confllhng of an umverfal t ompany of 1"· l..fi"V"""y gels,f~c. the priviledge of which the Apofile doth focelebrate, He6.12. .'Vnat j]1 all I fay more! Youhavethebottomof God~sheart; the center andc~rcumference of his decrees of Grace, the greatefl b1rth the heart of God was ever big with. fo great· as God having been in travel with it from everlaflmg, as be- . came fo 'great a cleGgn, had alfo app~inted afuluefiof time; a center of time for the delivery or dlfcovt ry of It, which began when Chnfl was lirll: revealed, fim of Angrls, things in Heaven; believed 011 i11 the world, both of .Jew anrl ·Gwt 1 1ts, which /hall be gathered together m that lafl: and general Alfcmbly in Heaven. This is the coherence and general fcope. There are two eminent Phrafes to be opened: Firfl What is meant by r~!J thi11gs i11 He,,vm, i11 Earth. . Seco~dly, What the import and fignification of this word, ( of gr~theri11g tog~ther in one,) .;.,.,.,<M,.h.:>.,, by Which the Apofile undertakes to exprefs the ul– timate and mofl perfectdefign of God towards all h1s Elect. What It figmfies and extends it felf unto, I fhall for a clearer view of what I am to deliver; Firfi, Explain what is meant by A!J thi11gs: And then, Seco11dly, Set fl;>rth the particular Heads I mean to treat on, . Thirdly, Afterthat, I wdl g1ve the Import of that other Phrafc [Gatherwg togtther i11 o11e ;] the re~fon ol domg which latter, after the other, will ealily appear, becaufe the vanety of the figmficauon of that phrafe will be found tO fall in with all thefe Heads. Firfl:, What is meant by a!J thi1tgs. It exprelfeth thofe two forts of intellectual Creatures, wtw are he1 e fet our and di!\inguilhed by their original Countries they belong unto, the places of their habitation, H~ave11 andEarth : The Hebrews are wont thus to exprefs them, as in the Second Commandment, I. Thou/halt 11ot make the tikcnefs of thihgs[itt Heavflt above], wereby are meant Angels, who fometimes took /hapes1 2. Nor of thi11gs [o11 the Earth bmeath,] 3• Nor [ttnder the Earth,] Devils, who appeared in the lhapes of hairy ones, Sr~tyrs,f!Jc. You have the very fame Phi/,2.10. Now of this third Dominion of God's, viz. that of Devils, or of thofe in Hell under the Earth; of this, Sin was the foie founder. But God only took out his original Dominions, Hrave11 and Earth, for the Subjects of this his choice. Thofe under the Earth a-re left out, as they are faid to be without , there is no ga– thering thence. But two Colonies he bath fingled out, of Earth and Heawn. Secondly, Thefe are thofe two forts of Intelligent Creatures, Angels in Hea– ven, and Men on Earth. Beza, and others, would have the So11ls oj Eltft mm that were in Heaven when Chrifl died and afcended, to be the thi11gN" Heaven~ but without any infiance of any Scripture where they are fo termed and alf; that paralltl place, 1 Co/.18. 20. that Chrifl is the Head of the Body, by whom God bath reconciled a!l thi11gs t~ him [et{, wheth~r things i11 Earth, or tlii1Jgs i11 Heavm; the Phrafe IS clearly mterpreted by verfe 16. By him all thit~.e:s were created, that are i11 Heaven, attd that art oiJ Earth; as being di!l:inguifi1ed by thef.laces, which by their Creation they belong unto, I, Secondly, you ask, Why the Perfons of Angels and Men are meant 6j things? . ReJP. It's ordinary in Scripture fo to exprefs it, Gal. ~;u, God hath /hut up all thtng~ under Sm, ?>I m/.,.,.; wluch1s elfewhere exprelfed, Rom.11. 32, 7;, ml.n-.,as meamng Perfons. If, Thirdly,,whya!J? The anfweris, TheApoate intends, all whom God cares for; and tndeed thofe only Are, whom God s favour gives Being unto: Of h!m Y~ are tn Chrifl.7e{M, I Cor. 1. 30. Again, Secondly, All; that is, all forts iri either, (1) In Heavnt, t~ere are feveral ranks of Angels, which 1 ColoU.r6. war– rants; Thrones and 'Domtmons : as you fee among Peers; Dukes, Matquelfes, Earls; althoughthey are all of the fame houfe: So here, here are Archa,gels; A ngels,
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