Part I. METAPHORS FROM ANGELS. 9? brew, that is, if he will afford a new and unheard of, Miracle, fuch as was the Swal– lowing up of the E arth, which then happened to the Seditious. See !fa. xlv. 8. More efpecially it is taken for the Reftauration and Renovation of Men, whether in this Life by the \'lord of Faith; or in the future, by a clear and beatifical Vifion of God, Pfal. li. 1 o. Create in me a clean Heart, the Explication and rmew a right Spirit <oithiu me. Jr is as well the Work of God to create a pure Heart, that is, to convert and regenerate a Man, cleanfe him from Sin, juftify and fave him, as it is to create him. The Impurity therefore, of our Hearts can with no human Strength or Art be purcred away, bCJt we have Need of the Creator's \,York, and the Redeemer's Virtue and''Power to make us new Creatures, John i. I2. But to as many as received him, to them gave he Power to become the Sons of God, evm to them that believe on his Name. Pfal. cii. I8. And the People that jhall be created, jhall praife the Lord, that is; the Church that lhall be re1tored and gathereci by Chrift. For this Pfalm treats of that and his Kingdom of Grace, as is alledged, Heb. i. IO, I I, I2.-lja. lxv. IS. Be youglad and rejoice for ever in that which I create : For behold, I create Jerufalem a Rejoicing and her People a Joy. That he fpeaks of the Glory of Chrift's Kingdom and Church here, is ev1dent by the following Verfes ; for its Reftitution and the whole celeftial Admi– nillrarion is exprelfcd by the Word Creation, to indicate the Omnipotency and moit powerful Operation of Chrift. Verfe I7. There is Mention of the Creation of a new Heavm, and a 11ew Earth, in the fame Senfe, which l:'romife lhall be moft perfeCtly fulfi lled. in eternal Life, as !fa. lxvi. 22. and 2 Pet. iii. q.-Eph. ii. 10. For we are his Workmanjhip, created in Chrift Jefus unto good Works, &c. that is, regenerated a,nd renewed in the Image of God. See Pfa/. c. 3· !fa. xxix. 23, &c. This is that new Creature of whom it is faid, 2Cor. v. I7. If any Man be in Chrift he is a new Creatul'e, that is, he is renewed by the Holy Spirit, to lead a new and holy Life in the Faith of Chrift. Wha< is corrupt in Man by Sin, is reftored and reformed by Re– generation and Renovation ; and fo the Image in which Man was at firft created, but Jolt it becaufe of hi• Sin, begins to be reftored ; very firly therefore is the Regeneration and Renovation of a Man exprelfed by the TermCreation, for God alone is the Author and Caufe of both. Of Metaphors taken from Angels. THE Creatures of God are divided into invijible and vijible. The invilible are Spirits MWf">101, ( afomatoi) without Bodies, and by them we underftand Angels, becaufe being in their own Nature incorporeal, they cannot be feen by human Eyes. The vifible are whatfoever Things have an E xiftence in this whole Univerfe, whether they be limple or mixed Bodies. There are good and bad Angels, and from both; fome, though not many Metaphors are taken. I. From the good Angels, fome think that the Minifters of the Gofpel are by a Me– taphor called A>~gels, Judg. ii. I. Hag. i. '3• Mal. ii. 7· -iii. I. jVfatt. xi. IO. Mark i. 2. L uke vii. 27. 1 Cor. xi. 10. Rev. i. 20. ii. I, 8, 12, I8. and iii. I, 7· 14. and hence not improperly imply an Analogy, from the holy Angels ofGod to the Prophets, and bther Preachers of the Word. But the Hebrew Word 1N'nJ ( Malac) and the Greek "'Y'Y•'-©7', (Angelos) being an indifferent and common Noun, denoting any Mef– fenger or L egate, it ts better to underftand that Term properly, becaufe Minifters of the Gofpel are really, and not metaphorically God's Minifters. Exod. xxviii. I4· '!'he King of Tyrus, is called by a Metaphor, the anointed :l11:J (Cherub) by which Term Angels • are called, Gen. iii. 24. and Ezek. xxviii. I4. the covering Cherub. As if God had faicl, as Angels amongit created Things are by Nature and Minilhy commiffioned by me for the Protection of Men, fo thou, lKingof 'l)nts) d.~d(t in thine own Conceit and Fancy, judge thylelf. This Metaphor alludes to Gen. 111. 24. As Junius and 'l'remellius in their Notes fay. This is a moft elegant • They arc called Chembims, from the Hebrew Word Rahfahh, to ride, becaufe the Lord rid betwixt them, Pjal. x·;iii. to. Defcription
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