PLCGLIAR WORI{S obedience unto God, the especial uses and ends for which it was made. In both these sorts we shall in- quire after, and consider the especial works of the Ho- ly Spirit. Sect. 6. The general parts of the creation, are the heavens and the earth, Gen. i. 1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth; and what belongs unto them is called their host. Gen. ü. 1. Thehea- vens and the earth werefinished, -andall their host. The host of heaven is the sun, moon, and stars; and the angels themselves. So arè they called, 1 Kings xxii. 19. I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, n'mmn 505 b., " and all the host of heaven standing by him on his " right hand and on his left." That is, all the holy angels; as Dan. vii. 10. 2 Chron. xviii. 18. And the host ofGod, Gen. xxxii. I, 2. " And Jacob went on " his way, and the angels of God met him; and when Jacob saw them, he said this is God's host." cono; the word he useth signifieth an host encamped; etar,a ata,,,,, Luke ii. 13. The heavenly host or army. The sun, moon, and stars, are also called the host of hea- ven. Deut. iv. 19. " And lest thou shouldest lift up " thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, " and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of hea- "ven." So Isa. xxxiv. 4. Jerem. xxxiii. 22. This was that host of heaven which the Jews idolatrously worshipped; Jerem. viii. 2. " They shall spread them " before the sun and the moon, and all the host of "heaven, whom they have loved, and whom they have " served, after whom they have walked, and whom they "have sought, and whom they haveworshipped." The expressions are multiplied to shew that they usedall ways of ascribing that divine honour unto themwhich was clue to God alone, whom only they ought to have loved, to have served, to have walked after, to have sought and worshipped. So chap. xix. 13. This they called n'umn toss the queen ofheaven; Jerem. xliv. 17. Because of its beauty and adornings. The host of the earth is men and beasts, with all other creatures that either grow out of it, or live upon it, and are nourish- ed by it. And these things are called the host of hea- ven and earth upon a double account. (1.) Becauseof their order and beautiful disposition. An host proper- ly is a number of men put into a certain order, for some certain end or purpose. And all their strength and power, all their terror and beauty consisteth in, and OP THE HOLY SPYRÌT ariseth from that order. Without this they arebut a confused multitude. But an host or army with banners is beautiful and terrible, Cant. vi. 10. Before things were cast into this order, the universe was as it were full of confusion; it had no beauty nor glory, for the earth was void and withoutform, Gen. i. 2. Hence the vulgar Latin in this place renders the word by Ornatus eorum; all their beauty and adorning. For the crea- tion and beautiful disposal of these hosts gave them beauty and ornament; and thence do the Greeks call the world ,,,0-1,4; that is, an adorned thing. (2.) Be- cause all creatures in heaven and earth, are God's ar- mies to accomplish his irresistible will. and pleasure. Hence he often stiles himselfthe Lord ofhosts; of both these hosts, that above, of the heavens, the holy angels, and the celestial bodies; and that of all creatures be- neath in the earth. For all these he useth and applieth at hispleasure, to dohis will and execute hisjudgments. Thus one of those angels slew an whole host of men in one night, Isa. xxxvii. 36. And it is said that the stars in their courses fought against Sises-a, Judg. v. 20. God over-ruled the influences of heaven against them, though it may be angels also are here intended. And among the the meanest creatures of the earth, he calls locusts and caterpillers, when he sends them to destroy a country for sin, his host or army, Joel ii. 11. This by the way. Sect. 7. Now the forming and perfecting of this host of heaven and earth, is that which is assigned pe- culiarly to the Spirit of God. And hereby the work of creation was completed and finished. First, for the heavens; Job. xxvi. 13. " By his Spirit he bath gar- " niched the heavens, his hand bath formed the crook- " ed serpent; or rather, his Spirit path garnished." For mom agrees with m" the Spirit, and not with he; and the word signifies to adorn, to make fair, to ren- der beautiful to the eye. Thus the heavens were gar- nished by the Spirit of God, when by the creation and disposal of the aspectable host of them, he rendered them so glorious and beautiful as we behold. So the Targum; His Spirit beautified the face of the heavens, or gave them that comely beauty and order wherein their face appeareth unto us. Hence the heavens, as adorned with the moon and the stars, are said to be the work of God's fingers, Psal. viii. 3. That is, not only those which were powerfully made, but also curiously
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