An Expojition of the Epijlle ------ r--.-"-./"' My Brethren, for certain there are feveral ranks of them; what they are ~e 8trm. XI. cannot define, but that there are feveral ranks of them, that known place, and ~many others might be brought.. C~lojJI.I6 .. By him waealt things created, tbat are ill Heaveu, atJd that are zn Eartb, vifible a11d 11JVijible; whether they /;e Thrones or 'Domi1lio1Zs, or Principalities or Powers. The Angels, they are called Principt~lities and 'Powers, that we have an exprefs place tor in this firll: CI\apter of the Ephejians, ver. 21. Hefet him at his ow11 right btmd ill the hea• vmly plrlces, j~r above aUPrincipalities aTJdPower, and Mzght mzd .'Domi11ioll, and evny N1me that zs 11amed; not only t1l thiS world, bt~t atfo w that whzch u to come. He exprelfeth thefe feveral ranlts of Angels, (for there is /fcies ordinataof them,) by the ranks that are here on Earth, by way of fimi– litude,fo to convey it to our opprehenfions. Some he faith are Throzus; Thrones D•n.1o , 3 . importeth ](illgly power, as we read in 'Dmziel; Hewa• tbt firjl of the Prilrces, fpe•king of one of the /Ingels; and likewife we read of an Arch-Angt!. Some he faith are 'Dominiolls,which are as Vice-Ro,·t;and Prillcipalitits,which among men were GovertJOurs of Provi11cet ; and Powers, which were ordinary lower ]if.rgrpnztes. He exprelfeth it by thefe ranks, not that there are but four, or how many we know n'>t; but he conveyeth what is in Heaven to us, by what is on Earth. Now of all thefe forts of Angels, he hath taken fome, (as perhaps of all thefe Angels, fame fell ; as of all forts of things in Earth, fame are gathered to S,,tan ;) but of all forts of thi11gs on Eartb, he gathcreth fame to Chrifl, and fo in Heaven too, So much for that. Now I mull: come to fhew, That he hathgathered all thitrgs OIJ Em·th to him. That which I handled in the !aft difcourfe,was but the gathering to a Head(as the word fignifieth) of all things in Heaven, with things on Earth. Now God hath taken all forts of Men on Earth, and meaneth to make out of them a Body unto Chrift: And therefore he exprelfeth it by the word -nl mM~, All tbi11gs; becaufe he takes all forts of things and conditions whatfoevcr: therefore he exprelfeth it, I fay,rather by Things than by Perfons, as iniplying all conditions of men, The firfl great divifion upon Eartb,whatis it? lt is both of Jtw and Gwtile.He will take or both tbefe. (I !hall not need to prove it,for I fhall meet with it again and ogam m open:ng of thiS place.) Jn the very next words to my Text.(which thcrclore argueth that to be his meaning,) he fpeaks of the calling of the Jews tirft, at thetllb Verfe, That we j/;ould6e to the praife of bis glory, whojirfl trujled i11 Umfl; there is the JewI: I" whom ) 'e at(o trt~fled, (verfe 1 5.) after thr~t"1•e beard the word of trttth; there is the Gmtile. It is a thing I mull: often fpeak to, therefore I will fpeak little to it now. Come to the Gmtiles; they are divided we know into many Nations, which God hath made here upon Earth. God takes, firll: and Iaft, of all the Nations upon the Earth, to make up a Body to his Son Chrift. In Gm. 18. 18. there is a Promife made to Abraham, that inhis Seed all the Nations of' the Earth /halt /;e 6/e[fed, The like you have, Chap.22. r.epeated again, (for you have two places for it.) And inProv.8. it is faid, the delights of Chrifl wtre i11 the habita– blr parts of' his Earth, (o the expreilion is ver. ji. Whereever God hath Earth inhabited, there Jefus Chrift bath fame from everlafiing, whom he did delight in, and fhall do to everlafimg. Then come to Nations, and there you have feveral Kindreds. Now go, take all rhe Kindreds of Men, that continue from the beginning of the World unto the end, Cod will ukc of all Fumilies and Kindreds too. You !hall find, that the Pro– mife made to Abrabam, as 1t runneth, that at! Natio11s }1;,.;/l be btelfed ill him fo it runneth, that all Families of' the Eartb fhall bt 6/e.lfed 111 him too~ and as Peter interpreteth it, all Fatber-hoods: fothe expreilion is Ac1s 5.25: In Ge11.12.~. !11 tbeejhall all tbe Fam1ltes of the Eartb be blelfed. The like you have Gm.28.1 4. Twice it is faip, that all Natiom !hall be blelfed in Abraham iind in his Seed; and twice it is faid, all Families ihall be blclfed, that is, all Kin: dreds 01all be blelfcd in him and his Seed. Then"there are other Divifions befides: There arc feveral forts and ranks of Sinners. God bath excepted but one; and what i• that one? Thofe that on Earth become the Serpe11ts Seed, and fo joyn ilfucs with Hell; thofe that fin againfi
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