An Expojzi:ion of tbe Epifile ~ ?fit is this, becaufe that in Col: 3· 7: which is a paralld Epifllc to this, there it ~ IS, In wh1ch;-e walf<!d, whdjl )C I1Ved m them; rcfcrnng unto Sin,. And fo tl• Syriacft alfo renders it, In which, viz. In which Sil;s ;e alfo 1vali{gd. And it mak~~ the hkenefs between the Jews and Genttles to be more full ; for then his meanin~ is plainly this, We that are Jews had a like condition with the Gentiles; 6,rr, i~ tefpeCl: of Convcrfatton, we all walked m the f.1me Sms, we had a like Co"dition in refpeil of the Lufts of the Flefh, In which "lfo we all h,;d our Converf 1 tio;; ;, the Ltifh of the Flefo :_ And we hac! a likenefs of Condition, in rcfpclt of\ 10 • tural Corruption, whrch Is the ground of all : .And were by N,,tltre theCli!dmz of Wrath, as well as othert. And fo now, having cleared this Interrrctation, that It r_efers to both, yet cfpec~ally to the latter, I come to the Obfervations out of 1t. Obfcrv. There is one great Obfervation, which I will not now infift on but refer it till we come to thofe words, Were b! Nature Childrw of Wr,;th, c;w a; others: namely thts, That ongmal Corru~uon rs uniVerl:11 to all Mankind, both Jew ~nd Genulc. That Obfervauon IS proper to thofc Words, therefo·re I omit 1t here. But here he fpcaks of the Likenefs ofthe Jew to the Gentile, and th~t they are to be reckoned among them·, the Jews all one with the Gentiles, in relpee'c of their Converfation; that is the thing that thefe firft Words hold forth, ANcng whom we alfo had bllr Converfation. Firfr, then, If that the Interpretation be, they are to be reckoned of the t: 1111 e Number with the Gentiles ; then I make thefe two Obfervations upon it. . Obferv. 1. Firfl; Tho there be fcveral Sizes ofunregenerate men, fevcral forts ofthem; yet they that are the bell of them, they are to be reckoned, and they are ta reckon themfelves, and Je!i.rs Chrift at the latter Day will reckon them, even among the worfr.. He had fpoken of the higheft Children of Difobedience, in· the Verfes before, that were mote eminently fitch, (for I take that Inter– pretation alfo in ) and it followeth, __f,"ong whom rve all bad o11r Conver– fation. There may, I fay, be feveral Sizes of unregenerate Men, yet all fi1all be reckoned of one fort. It is a Confideration may mightily Jh_ike us. Let Men be never fo civil ; let Men be temporary Believers, and profe!S Religion with never fo much frriClnefs : if they be unregenerate, they will be reckoned among the Children of Difobedience. Among 1vbom 1ve, ftith P(/fil, putting in himfelf, who had hn Converfation according to the Lnw, b!amelefl; no Man could fay, black was his Eye; he profelfed, that he walked according to his Confcience all his days: yet I am tobe reckoned, faith he, and had my Conver– fation among, and !hall be accounted of that Number, with the higheft Chil– dren of Difobedience. It is an excellent Obfervation, that a late Crititk hath made: That in the Old Teframent, efjoecially in the Book of Proverbs, where Hell is mentioned or fpoken of, as it is often, the word in the Hebrew fignifies the Place of the Giants: They foaU go down i11to Hell, that is; to the Place of the Giants; that was the Term that the Jews did anciently give to HelL What is the meaning ofthat ? You know, that the Giants ofthe old World, they were the eminent, grand wicked Men, Gm. 6. 8. The Wici{gdnejs of .Ma,. ztMs great 11pon Earth: And he faith, There were Gia11ts, that did cormpt their Way before him ; and the Earth was filled with Violence. Now the Flood came, and fwept all thefe Giants away, and carried them all to Hell: And becaule fuch a Clufler of them went there all at once, Hell had its Name from thence ; and whoever went to Hell, tho he were a Jew, tho he were never fo ftrii:l, if unregenerate, he went to the Place of the Giants, he went among wicked Men; and fo they are to be reckoned here. Nay, the Gofpel fpeaks higher words of Hell, as in relation to whom wicked Men !hall be gathered, .Mt~t. 2 5· 16. He fpeaks to all unrege– nerate Men, that !hall be found fo at the latter Day, that died in that Eflarc, tho there be never fo many Sizes of them, Go into tbe Fm, prepared for the Devil a11d hn Angels. They are not only gathered to th~ G1ams, bm thcr arc gathered_
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