~------~~tb-e~E~P~· ~H~E~S~I~A~N~·~s.~---------~-5~ An~, myBrethren, Thisgath~ri11g of att thiltgs 011 E arth in Chrift, of Mm~ i·o himlelf, it is the great gathenng of all the reft, It ~as the greatefl: work of J'erm.Xll. Chrifl: : that of Angels was but an overflow of It, cafl: m to the. bargam, to con- ~ firm them; but that which did draw forth all that was 10 Chnfl: , to fatislie. h!s Father it was to reconcile Men unto l11m. This was the great fcattermg, for 1 r. divided Heaven from Earth, Angels from Men, Men amongfl: themfelves, as I !hall !hew you by and by: Thcretor~ when ~h1s cometh to be added unto t he other it makes it an V11iver[a! gathermg, It makes Chnfl: a Cathohck Kwg, the o~ly Catholick King, the only Univerfal Head, to aft thj11gs i1l Heavm aiJil' i1l Earth when all come m agam to l11m. 1 fl1all'explairi or prefent unto you this sathering agai11 in o;u of all thi11gs, all forrs of Men on Earth, by rhefe four particulars. i told ) ou lirfl:, it implied a difperjio1l, a{catterit~g; therefore I will briefly lay forth the dcfper:ite, miferab~e,forlorn,fcatrered conditiOn of the ~ons_ of Men; by the fin Of A dam. How all10 Earth and m Heaven were faUen 10 p•eces, divided and at enmity. . . I lhall SecondlyJhew you, the making up of.aU this again; what a complear, full and entiregatheriNg tagether;, ime there, Is, of all that were fcattered, Arid then, T hirdly, Becaufe God:s fecond worf<s ah~ays exc.ced the firfi, with an addition of a more near, and ennre, and more glonous Umon than at firfi; a ·more indiffoluble Union, never to part again. . And, Fourthly, That all this was done in Chrifr, or by Chrifr, as you !hall hear anon; and by whatir was in Chrifi_, tl~at [lflwas thus gathered together, when they were all fcattered and broken 1!1 p1eces. Thefe are the Four Heads,which I lhall riow irilifr upon; arid all are necelfary to open this Te~r. Firfi, t i11all i11ew youthe divifion,the fcattering tha.t was of things on Earth, born frofn what is in Heaven; and from amongfl themfelves. Fir}i, What is i11 He,>vm "! J:here is God there, he is the Chief in Heaven, Why, they were aif cut off from God. It is called a departi11g from God, in _7er.r7.and He6. 3.12. it is called ~goi11g a rtr-v. , like Sheep, after a thouftmd Vrmities,in!{ain.6. ThisPeople, (faithhe,jer-;,23,) hath a revolting and a re6e!liotts heart,they are revofttdm1dgo11e; cfean gonrf rom God, m;dgo11efor ever,i f God rake not the care of them : fo the Phrafe isthcre.AndCot, r.2r, there are three degrees which indeed comprehendeth all; Tott were (faith he) alienated ""d ftratJgers: once they were Friends, God and they were one l now they are Strangers, not only fo, but Enemies in their minds, yea; thirldy in evil works ; all fort of hofiility, not only in outward actions, but in inward d,fpofitions; and by means of this, an eternal wall of Separatio11 is fet up between God and Man, Ifai. ;9.2. . . , · Here now is one divilion, all on Earth cut off from him ; without Goditt thi~ world; it is the expreilion the Apofile ufeth, Eph,2, r i . Stco11d!y, What elfe is there in Heaven? There are AIJgtfs. Men are fcattered utterly from them ; becaufe ( as I told you) though there were not an Alfocia– tion, yet there was a l>eace; though there were two Worlds divided, diflincr; ihough there was no Trade, yet there was no enmity. But through Man's Fall there was; for the Angels cannot but hate where God hateth and they cannot but be ar.gry where God is angry' ·And therefore you read, Gm.3.24, when thnr Man byjifJ was call: out of Parad,fe, then Chn·ubims come with their Swords turned every way to keep Man our, with their Swords drawri upon him. You never read of A 11gtfs till th, n. When Balac11n went on in a perverfe way, Num. 22 ..22. Jt ISfa1d, The A1tgei of the Lord flood i fJ the Wt!;)', as an Adverfary ogamfl h1m. They are Adverfane.s, they are Enemies to men in their evil courfes and ways; and howfoever fome Divines have thought , that all executions of Jodgmehts here below hove been by evil Aogels; yet the Scripture evidently fl1eweth, that they ordinarily and moaiy be good, we have more inflances of the one than the other. Thofe that defiroyed Sodom, they were good AtJge!s, and L ot cnrtrtained them as fuch; A11dGod( fay they) hatb (ellt tts to deflroy Sodom, G"'· ' 9·'l• They were Angels created ; therefore, l-le/;. 13,2. Lot is faid to hrzve
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=