An Expojition of the Epiflle r-.J\.../' The Anfwcr to that is eafy, and it is this; He was their head by creation; Set m. XL but in a common Relation, but by way of Eminency , as being the chief of the ~Creation of God, and as the Lord and Heir of all, in a natural way, by a natural due ; and therefore notwithfianding it was his due, thus to be thetr head, it went no further; he left them to the courfe of Nature. But now his being a head a fecond time, in this fecond gathering, it is by a fpecial Protection, un– dertakina to preferve them in a more peculiar manner, and that in a fupernatu– ral way,"' to bef\ow fupernatural glory, and if they fall, to Redeem them, as he did the Sons of men. So that now, by a natural due of his, he was the head in Creation; by a fpecial undertaking, by a fpecial Protection, (as I may fo ex– prefs it,) he becometh a head in the fecond gathering: and therefore he will be lure now to hold them faf\ enough. Thus you fee, what this fidl gathering in Chri(t was; you have that explained, as briefly and as plainly as poillble f could. We come now to the necelllty ofa fecond gathering. both of Angels and men. Still the difficulty will be on the Angels part, of men (you know they falling,) there is no difficulty at all about them: To reprefcnt this neceility unto you, my Brethren, it is thus in a word. All things, Angels and men, though they were by the common tie of Creation be– ing made holy, knit unto God; yet only by no otherterm of Ju!lice or Union, no !lronger tllan what was !imply due to the Creature as the Creature, and as it was meet for God as a Creator, to carry himfelf towards the Creature. It was not uttra debitttm, beyond the due ofthe Creature, as the School-men exprefs it. Now, theretore 1t was not a due to the Creature, nor no Obligation by the Law of Creation, that was between God and the Creature, that he muf\ uphold it; but that be might leave it to fhew itfelf, what it was 'to be a Creature. What therefore ailif\ance he giveth to uphold and to confirm in grace and perpe– tually to f\and, it is above the bargain, above the Covenant of Creation, above the Obligation of-Nature; it is whollyfupernatural, and it is ofgrace, it is more than Natures due. So that (as I faid before,) though the Angels themfelves were created in Heaven, as man upon Earth; yet they flood by the fame com– mon Law, and no otbcrwife, that man did upon Earth. It is true indeed, this of the Angels, they had !\ranger Natures, and werebuiltoff\rongermatter; and fo were lefs fubjeCl: to fall, they were more able to f\and; yet !!ill, if left but to the meer alhf\ance, that by the Covenant of Nature God was to give them, though in Heaven , they would fall as well as man. See a Scripture for this, wherein Angels and men are compared together; Job. 4• 18. It is a Scripture, which in this Argument Divines have recourfe unto, and I fhall have recourfe unto it afterward. Behold (faith he,) he ptit 110 trufl i1t hi& Servants, hi& A11gels he charged with folly, how much !e{s o111hem that dwet i11 Houfts of c!aJ? Com– I>aring men and Angels together, faith he, the Angels had two advantages, they were 11rf\ by nature made of !\ranger !luff; alas, man he dwels in a Houfe of Clay, a Houfe of Cards, that is eafily tumbled or blown down, ·but they are built ofa Houfe of Marble, that is !lronger and ·abler to f\and. Secondly, they had this advantage, that they were God's fervants in a more peculiar manner; fa they are called his, becaufe they were his Servants about his Throne, at Court; Man was his SubjeCt, but they were his Houfi10ld Servants then in a more peculi– ar manner, and therefore nearer God, Yet notwith!landing thefe Advantages, faith he, God could put no confidence in them, he could put no trull in them, and be had a great deal of reafon not to truf\ them, for you know how a great part of things on Earth ferved him when they fell. He chargeth them that fell · with folly, with damnable folly, he fpared them not, for he laid the gudt offin upon them, and thr~w them down to Hell, as Peter faith, and he chargcth the other with polllble lolly, as I fi1all fhewanon, . So that you fee by the Law of Creation, (fat it is that Law which he difpu– tet h there; jhall a mmt be more pure thmt hu maker? It 1s the words Immediate– ly before, in the 17th. verfe: He bringeth it in indeed to another purpofe ; yea, but take God as he is a Maker, the one as the Clay, the other as the Potter,) he is rul way obliged to make them f\and as they are of themfelvcs , but they are Creatures
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