to the E PH E SI AN S. Servm1ts, m1d his Angels htchargeth withfoUy. .The Lord forefaw, that if he ~ kept to the Laws that the condition of Works requtred, and unto the dues of it, Serm. X. he could be fure of none; and he plainly faith, he could put no confidence. And~ indeed he had little reatOn; for you know how all on Earth ferv'd lum, and how great a part of Heaven (in the event) did ferve him; thofe Mor11i11g St'?rs fell. AndthisinJo6isfpoken of the good Angels, h1s Servants and Couruers he had about him; ·and all my Creatures may ferve me fo, if they be left unto their fir!l condition, to the Law of their OniaHon, and ifthey ftand a thoufand years, yet what Grotimdreams may be now, ·up0n thofe words, Galat. r. If mt A11geifrom Heavm, ~c. let him 6e acmrftd; as if Angels might flill fall, though that be falfe now lince their confirmatj0n in grace by Chrifr, yet it was true once; and he chargeth them with folly, becaule he faw their aptnefs to folly. He faw the poiiibility ofit, and there!ore could have no fettled contentment in any of them, in that eftate, nor perfectly love them; but lo\<ed them, tanquam aliqt~mJdo ofimu, as thofe whom he might one day hate, which prejudgeth perfed: love; and therefore upon a fore-light of their Creature condition, he vouchfafed a fecond gathering of them in Chri{\, fo to fix them, And hence a- .rofe qutedam fimultas, I will not fay a grudge againf\ them, for they had no lin, yet a kind of difplicency with them, as mere Creatures, if alone, and apart conlidered. And then, 2. His charging them with folly might, and did arife, becaufe he is fo holy~ God; and he is to infinitely holy, as that though inju{\ice he bath nothing again{\ them, for he knows they are Creatures, and whereofthey are-made; yet !\ill they are not of that holinefs he would be pleafed in, as Cai- ·'YiJJ doth interpret it , upon all thefe grounds his grace fir{\ fixed them in Chrift the R.ock of Ages, as in their Head, and a firm union with him as in that relation· for if he became and undertook to be a head to them, he would not Jofe his' Members. And Secondly, thereby he pleafed himfelf in them through him, in whom only he IS well pleafed; wluch faymg reaches the Angels as well as men, even all intelligent Creatures he is any way pleafed withal ; and he is pleafed with the relatton they bear to his .pe'rfon. Yea,. Thirdly, to take away all difnfle aforefa1d , they needed a kmd of reconc1hauon, rteoucitiatio analogica as learned 'Davenant; it was not a reconciliation by a price, fo as to purchaf~ their peace for fin actually committed, they needed not that, reconciliation is a larger word; there is a reconciliation preventive of them that have any aptnefs, or pollibility to fall out, fo as to make them faf\ friends forever, andtomakethemfureunrohimfelf, and to take away all occafion of. jealoufies, and fo they were, as Bemard faith, Jtto modo redempti, Fourthly I ihall add this further, mercy doth not lie only in pardoning, but in preventing : it coft Chrifr's blood to keep us from the lin we might have committed, as well a; to obtain forgivenefs for the fins we have committed; and therefore the Apo{lle faith he hath redeemed us from our vain converfation, even which we might have fallen into. God knows our thoughts afar off: and what they would be of our felves, A ngelica Natura egebat mJfericordia 'Dei,ne pojfet errare, fo faith Amvroft; fo you have feen the need the Angels had of their fecond gathering, and that by Chrifl. I ihall for the opening of this, do thefe three things. I, Prove it by other Scriptures. 2, Explain it, and that by two things. 1. What fellowihip and affociation Angels and Elect have, and ihall have, one among another, 1.. What communion and fellowihip, and relation Angels have to Chrifl, as to a head. >· Give fame cautions, that you may not be mi{laken in the point. Fir{\, For the proofof it. There are many places brought, but the truth is, I know none come home to it fo much, (and therefore I will but name ir,) as that, Colojf. 2. 10. Iu him dwelteth all the ftt!tuj's of the God-htadbodily,and ) 'Oil ,zre compteat in him who is the head of a/J PriiJCtpatities alld Powers. By Principalities and Powers, in the ufual phrafe of Scripture, is {\ill meant the An· gels.
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