1 ~6 An Expofttion of the Epiftle ~~-------------------- ----~------- ~ gels. Epbrf. 1. 21. He bath raifed bimr1p, (fpeokingof Chrifi, j andJet bim Serm, X. at bis own right haud m the heave11lyplt~ces, far above all Prmcrpa/itl(s and ~Powers, andmightanddomitztoll, .a11devay11amethatis named, 11ot only i11 thu world /mt alfo m that wbrcb rs to come, Now,fatth he, what noed you go out of Ch;i!ll you are compleot in him ; why are we compleat in him? Here is his reofon, If the Angels are compleat in him, that are the highefi Creatures, that !land at God's right hand, and in his prefence, if he be their head, then you may very well be compleat in him, you poor. men that live on Earth. To" are compleat in him wbo is the bead <if all Priucip,•lities and Tow· ers. I will give you fome general exprellions that will prove it and explain it. Firfi, the Angels and men they do make up one femily unto God,whereofChri!l is the head,or theP,•ter-FamiliM,as you know it is the ordinary exprellion in all langu– ages, to call the Mafier of the Familythe head ofthe family; fo is Jefus Chrifl to Angels and men, that make up one family to God. And,my Brethren,fo it falleth out,that the very Text hinteth this to be the Apofile's meaning,for that which we tranflate, i1rtbt difpmjatio11 ofthe fulnefs oftimt,is in the Origina].;,;,,,,w.,,the hou{hold difpeofation, the family difpenfation, (as many read the words,) that is, hehathgathcredthemallinone fora family difpenfation, for a family go– vernment ot them, into one family, fo to order and govern them, and d1fpenfe to both, to Angels and men, as to one family, now to be difpenfed in thefe !all times. That which fittetl1 this Interpretation, is that in the third of the Ephe(i.ans v er. If· Of wbom (faith he) the wholefamily i11 Heavm a11d Earth u 1zam: ed. He had named Chrifi ju!l i>efore, faith he ver. I 4· Vutotht R•tha o{om· Lord ."fe(tts Cbrifl, of whom (of Jefus Chrifi, namely) the wholefamily, (he taks all in, both Angels and men,) !" Hea'l{en mrd i11 Eartb is 11amed. They all hold ot htm. You know he that ts the head of a famtly, they have all their name from him, as that of the Tttrks, they call the Ottammr family, becaufe Ottamatz was the firfiof them. It is fpoken there by the Apo!lle in oppofition to the ."fews, forthe .!ews, they boa!led, that all God's family was in Abraham's Houfe, in Abraham's Children; no,faith he, not only is the family of God re– . flr~iqed untoA6rabam's Children,but it is diffufed and difperfi over all the Earth, .and not only fo, but it reacheth to Heaven too; and all on Earth, and all in Hea– ven, make but one family to God, Angels and all; for otherwife, when the · Apofile wrote this, there were few in Heaven but Jew s, and fo he had not fpo· ken fo appofitely to what the .!ews intended, who would arrogate all to them– felves: No,faith he, though God bath alpointed Abrahcrm, and erected a fami– ly in him, peculiar to the .!ews, yet al in Earth hold of Chrifi, and all in Hea– ven too, and all are named of him, he is the foundation of both families, and they make all but one family. Tbe wbolefamily i11 Heavm and i11 E<J'i·tb. I will not fiand to open to you the meaning of the word [ 11amed J any further, his meaning is ~eneral, univerfal. He had faid two great things of Chrifi jufi before, he had fatd m the 9th. verfe, That God create a all thmgs by ."fefus Chrifl; he had faid in the 11 tb,verfe, that Godptwpoftd all things in ]efiu Chrij/; now he telleth you, thatthmgsJ•?tbm Heaven mrdEarth, that wbotef amily, Angels mtd mm, (he bnngeth It mhere at the I )tb. verfe, to honour Chrifi,) thry art all 11amedofhim, tbey alt boldof bim, he ow11etb tbtm alt, mrd ther all owll him a11d thry bave thtir being of bim, (as the word ttamed often' times fignifi: eth.) Again, another expreilion is, as they are called one family, whereof he is the head, fo they are one City, both Angels and men, they make one ."femfatem, Saints on Earth, and Angels mHeaven, whereofJefus Chrifl is the Governour and the King and Head, a l'olitical head. For this, fee He6. u. 22. Totl ar; come 11f!to Mo1111t Sion, (which was the place of wodhip before,) and tm– to the City of the Living God, the Heavenly Jerufalem. Here are the gene– rals, Now who are the Inhabitants of this City ? Who are the Citizens? Who are the Wodhippers in Mottnt Sioil together? It followeth, To mt ittntlmerabte fompa11y of A11gels, to tbegmerat ajjembly and compmry of tbe firfl bor11. All thefe makeup one City to God, they make up one Heavenly ]er~<Jalem , they make
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