ON THE GLORY OF CIIRIST. 53 l outward effects of the divine nature, which being - wrought by infinite power and wisdom do represent unto as the glory of God in the creation of all things. Infinite being in self. subsistence, which is necessary in the first cause and springof all things; infinite goodness to communicate the effects of this being unto that which was not, and infinite wisdom and power in that com- munication, are gloriously manifested therein. 4. In this state, all things that were made, de- pended immediately on God himself, without the inter- position of anyother head of influence or rule. They had the continuance of their being and its preservation, from the immediate actings of these properties of the divine nature whereby they were made; and their de- pendance on God was by virtue of that law, which was implanted on the principles and powersof their several natures by God himself. 5. Thus in the beginning Godcreated theheavens and the earth. He provided himself of two distinct rational families, that should depend on him according to a law of moral obedience, and thereby give glory¡to him; with two distinct habitations for them cognate unto their na- ture and use; heaven above and the earth beneath. The earth he appointed for the habitation of man, which was every way suited unto the constitution of his nature, the preservation of his being, and the end of 'his creation in giving glory to God. Heaven he pre- pared for the habitation of the angels, which was suited unto the constitution of their nature, the preservation of their being, and the end of their creation in giving glory to God. Wherefore as man had power and do- minionover all things here below, and was to use them all unto theglory of God, by which means God received glory from them also, though in themselves brute and inanimate; so the angels had the like dominion over the celestial and etherial bodies, wherewith God had fitted the place of their habitation, that through the contem- plation and use of them, God might have a revenue of glory and praise from them also. To suppose any o- ther race of intellectual creatures, besides angels in heaven, and men on earth, is not only without all coun- tenance from any divine testimony, but it disturbs and disorders the whole representation of the glory of God made unto us in the scripture, and the whole design of his wisdom and grace as declared therein. Intellectual creatures not comprehended inthat government of God, o and his mystery in the wisdom of Christ, which the scripture reveals, are a chimera framed in the imagina- tions of some men, scarce duly sensible of what it is to be wise unto sobriety. 6. This orderbof things was beautiful and comely. Hence were they all said to be exceeding good. For each of these families had their own immediate distinct dependance on God. He was the immediate head of them. There was no other common head interposed between God and them. They were not an head unto one another. There were no communications unto them, but what were immediate from God himself. And their union among themselves was in this alone, that all their obedience did meet and centre in God. So God made the heavens and the earth, and two dis- tinct families in them for himself. 7. This beautiful order in itself, this union between the two families of God, was disturbed, broken, dis- solved by the entrance of sin: for hereby part of the fa- mily above, and the whole family below, fell off from their dependence on God, and ceasing to centre in him as their bead, they fell into variance and enmity among themselves. For the centre of this union and order be- ing removed and lost, nothing but enmity and confu- sion remained among them. Hereon to shew that its goodness was lost, God cursed the earth and all that was in it; for it was put in subjection Onto man, who was now fallen from him: howbeit he cursed not the heavens, which were in subjection unto the angels, be- cause sonic of them only left their habitation; and the habitation of the residue was not to be cursed for their sakes. But mankind was wholly gone off from God. S. The angels that sinned, God utterly rejected for ever, as an example of his severity; the whole race of mankind he would not utterly cast off, but determined to recover and save a remnant according to the election of grace; which how he did it in a way of condescend- ency unto all his divine perfections, I have elsewhere declared. 9. Howbeit he would not restore them into their for- mer state, so as to have again two distinct families, each in an immediate dependence on himself, though he left them in distinct habitations, Ephes. iii. 15.; but he would gather them both into one, and that under a new head, in whom the one part should be preserv- ed from sinning, and the other delivered from sin cotta. milted. li
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