An ExpoJition of tbe Epiftle ~ Well, there was one divifion more that I named, as great a fcattering as any Serm.XII. of the former, is not yet made up; and it is of things that are yet both in Hea1../TY""'!Wven and Earth,and remain divided one from another; and it is of the Saints from the very beginning of the World, and will continue fo to the very end. For Death and the Grave hold and keep the Bodies of them, remaining £\ill in the Earth,whilfr their Souls,being Spirtts madeper/efl,are lodged together in Hea– ven. Here is a greatfcattering. All the Patriarchs that did die before Chrifr came, all that have died fince, their Bodies are in one place, and their Souls in another; one is in Heaven, and the other is laid in the Grave, and there refieth. Death hath fcattered all the Saints into two Worlds, it bath reigned over all; and though he will be the God of all the Earth, and joyn all Nations together, yet. Soul> and Bodies are frill divided of all that are dead, and of all the Saints from the beginning of the World, and that lhall be the end. Now, what will Jefus Chri£\ do? He will raife up all, and bring them all together, mal<e up that clivi– lien too, 1 Thef!.4.16. compared with Matt,24·3'· He faith there, the Angels (ha/Jgointoa!t the four Cor11ers of tht World, (when the great found of the Trumpet cometh) he (peaks of the latter-day, and thf)l jha/J gather together . his Elrfi from the [1111r Winds, from one md of HetnJm to the other. My Brethren, the Bodies of the Elect, where are they.! Some burnt and turn'd to Alhes, all difperfr into the Elements; who knoweth where every man's Body is,and all the parts of it? All thofe Atomes,all thofe Bones will God bring together again, and gather them all in one,and joyn their Souls to them, ami faith he, we fl~all ever be with the Lord. There will be then, a gathering together that lhall never be dilfolved. Thus I fay he hath gathered together all in one that were all/battered and fallen to pieces. The Third Head ( as I told you,) was this, That this Second gathering lhall exoeed the firfr infinitely. .I mentioned Four particulars you know to explain. Firfr, That all were fallen m pteces. Secondly, that all lhall be gathered toge– ther again : And that this Second gathering lhall exceed the Firfr, It exceedeth it in two thiogs, I will name no more. It exceedeth, Firfr, in furenefs and fia– bility, That fame firfi union with God by Creation, was upon flippery grounds. Ht pttttetb (faith he) ltotruj/ i11hi& Sailllt, Job. 15. 15. Hecot;ldtrtiflnoneof them. He could not fend an Angel down, ( f<?r he fpeaks of A.ngels there, as I /hewed before,) he could not fend them on an Arrant to Earth, but they might have fallen and been in Hell, afore they came up again. It was a flipery knot, that of Creation, But now they are headed in Chrifr. God would never trufr Creature more, he will make fure work; and what cloth he? He headeth them all in Chrifr; and what faith Chrifi? lVfyj/mp jha!t 110 man takt out ofmy ha11d. If Angels and Men be once bottomed on .Chrift, they c~n never be parted ~gain. Who lhall feperate us, (now we are agam the Second ttme gathered, ) from the love of God in Chrifr ? l t exceedeth in furenefs, you fee. It exceedeth in nearnefs of the union too. We have a more near union with God, and one with another, than we had. Firfr, A nearer union one with ano– ther, for in the firfr gathering by Creation, (as I told you at firfi,) men and An– gels were at peace indeed , bur· they lhould have lived in two Worlds · Man lhould have lived upon the Earth, and they in Heaven: they lhould no~ have come one at another, that is certaio; Man was an earthly Creature, and he mull: have continued upon Earth, (as I have often hinted out of 1Cor.) But when we aregathertdt~~~;etherthe fecond time,, A>(gdsand Men live together in one World, Mmj/Ja!JlJeiJ!u Angels, M;!t,22. '3· They lhall Gear the Image of the Heavmly mcm, 1 Cor. I)• And WliWt<ometoA,~ts; Hebr.12,2Z. And we lhall !Jaye·places where.the}' are, as 'I lh_ewed out o(J5.mh.3.7· There is a nearer umon now one amongft another, than was before.'_{lnd a·11earer umon W1th God too: For, my Brethren, let me tell you thts, rha~ men tha't 'were thus /battered fr~m G?d, and fall~n i~to this great mifery, ll)all b'e railed up ·to the neare!l: union With God that ca'n be·; for ought I .know, nearer t'hdn·rhe Angels, Rev, 7·''· There·is the Thro1k, :rhefot~r Beajls hext that•, th&feur and'tweitty Elders next them, and the An;;ets round about the Thr01ze ·and •the Elders. They are more rcrr.ote from the Throne than the Beafls are, than the Mm are ; Therefore (as I ' fl1ewed
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