Sermon X (continued, part 2)
l visible and invisible, here is
are in earth, here is the same enumeration,
angels and men, whether they be thrones or dominions, or principalities or
powers, all things were created by him and for him.
Yea, and, my brethren, they were virtually created by him as supposed to take man s nature; for of him, as supposed to take man s nature, doth the
: who is the image, saith he, of the invisible God, the
Apostle there speak
first-born of every creature, which can be ascribed to Christ no way but as
lie is God-man, and so all the rest likewise ; but I will not stand upon that. In the second place, he is the common principle of their grace, as well as
* filleth all in all, speaking of him as he is a head, and as he hath a body ; it is the same phrase that is used of God after the day of judgment
their being. Eph. i. 23, it is said, that Christ
: 1 Cor. xv. 28, he saith, that God
will be all in all. God is all in angels, and all in men then ; so is Jesus Christ he is that universal principle of all grace. And there is this reason for it ; for whatsoever hath anything by way of
participation, it is reducible to something that hath it per se, of itself. The
angels have grace, but they have it by participation; therefore they are
reduced, as well as men, to something, to some head, to aliguid primum, which hath grace in him per se. That only Christ hath ; he only is of himself beloved ; he only is the sun, the Church is the moon, and the angels are the stars. They are the morning stars, as they are called, Job xxxviii. He cnlighteneth both the moon and stars. But, however, this may be cer
tainly said, that they were kept from falling by virtue of Jesus Christ to come. In the same first of the Colossians, having reckoned up all things in heaven and in earth, as created by him, he addeth, and by him all things consist. Angels and men arc all kept by him ; the station they have is in and through the Lord Jesus Christ.
And there is this great reason for it : because to stand in grace and not to
fall, is a supernatural gift, more than was due to the angels, as creatures, though they were never so excellent. The devils fell, the other angels stood; what put the difference ? It must be some supernatural grace. Now Christ is the fountain of all grace, the great beloved, the universal principle. Job iv. 18, it is said there that God charged his angels with folly; he
put no confidence in his servants. The good angels had a possible folly in
them, though they had not an actual folly ; they might have sinned, yea, it was impossible, being but creatures, but that they should have a possibility to sin of themselves, take them as creatures. They were indeed a house of
stone, whereas man is but a house of clay
: how much less, saith he, ver.
19, we that dwell in houses of clay ? But though they were as a house of stone, yet that stood upon a quagmire, the shocky weak will of a crea
ture. And so they were apt to fall without propping. Now, what hath
underpropped these creatures that they stand? What putteth the diffe rence ? It is because they are united, they are headed in Christ, they belong to him. Only Christ of all creatures could not sin ; for if that man could have sinned, there had been a person in the Trinity wanting. The second Person must have come down from heaven himself, if that man could have sinned, for he was united to it; and as the blood is called the blood of
God, so the sin would have been the sin of God, which would have been bias-
166 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SEEMON X.
pliemy to imagine. He only could not sin. And the angels, as they stand
now, it may be said of them that they are impeccable ; they cannot sin, and
they shall never sin to all eternity, because they are underpropped by this
corner-stone, that is the basis of all parts of the family both in heaven and in earth. It is Jesus Christ that underprops them ; both things visible and
invisible, things in heaven and things in earth.
Now, my brethren, if they had had no grace from him at first, or had none
now, but that which they had only by a covenant of creation ; yet, notwith
standing, to have this privilege annexed to their grace, that they should never fall as the devils did, and be out of all danger of sinning as they did; this is an infinite privilege, it is worth their acknowledging Christ their Head, if they had no more by him. It is said of glass, that if
it could be made a metal that would not break, it were worth all the
gold and silver in the world ; and therefore it is reported of an emperor that
put a man to death for making of glass that could not be broken, as being an invention that would spoil all the gold and silver in the world. My bre
thren, the angels are glorious vessels, but they are as glass. What doth Christ now 1 He makes them that they cannot fall, they cannot be broken, and this is more than all their grace ; and this they have from Christ, as he
is their head, and as they belong unto him.
Lastly, They have a happiness in Christ, in seeing of him as well as we. I take that to be part of the meaning of that 1 Tim. iii. 16. I have often wondered at the expression there ; I shall give you what I think to be the meaning of it. Speaking of Christ, and of the great mystery of godliness in
him, saith he, God, who was manifested in the flesh, and there was more of God manifested in the flesh in the person of Christ, than there is in all creatures that were made, or possibly could be made, justified in the
Spirit, which was spoken of his resurrection, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory. Here are two principles, faith and vision. Here is faith attributed to men ; they cleave to Christ their head by faith, believed on in the world. The angels cleave unto him by vision, seen of angels/ admiring him with infinite joy, looking upon him as their Head. They saw more of God manifested in that man Christ Jesus, than they had seen in heaven before. We cleave to him by faith ; they cleave to him by sense : that which we shall have, for we shall see him one day as he is, that the angels do, and are made happy in him the same eternal life that we have, they have, and this is eternal
life, to know God, and to know Jesus Christ, John xvii. 3. Their happiness
lieth, as our happiness, in seeing God incarnate, in seeing God in the flesh, in seeing God face to face, and his Christ for ever. And so much for the association which the angels and the elect have, and shall have, one among another, and what communion arid relation they have with and to Christ, as a Head.
3. I will give you but a caution or two, which is the third thing I am to
do, and so I will conclude.
The first caution is this, That Jesus Christ is only a Head to them, he is not a Eedeemer. The expression here, ver. 7, is not, that he redeemed angels and men. No, saith he, in whom we have redemption, we only ; but both
they and we are gathered to him, as a Head, as the word here signifieth. You know I told you, that there are two sorts of benefits we have by Christ, the one founded upon our relation to his person, the other founded upon his merit and redemption. Now, the benefits that angels have by him are not founded so much upon his redemption, (how far it is, I shall discourse upon
EPH. I. 10.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 167
the third thing when I handle this, hath gathered together all things to
himself ; ) but the benefits they have by him are founded upon their relation
to his person. That is the first caution. The second caution is this, That it is certain that Jesus Christ is so a
head unto men, as he is not unto angels. Though he is a head both to them and to us, and all, both angels and men, are gathered together in one
head in him, yet he is so a head to us as not to them. You shall see a won
derful privilege that we have in this same first of the Ephesians, ver. 21.
This chapter holds forth this unto us ; for there the Apostle telleth us that
God hath advanced Christ far above all principality and power, and might and dominion, meaning angels, and hath put all things under his feet, and
hath given him to be the head over all things to the church. Here the
Church, and his headship of the Church, is a distinct thing from that rela
tion he beareth to angels, as here it is mentioned : he hath a superiority over angels for the good of the Church ; he is so a Head to his Church
as not to angels. I know they are mentioned as well as men in that verse.
But how are they mentioned 1 Not that he is the head of them as he is
of men, that is not the scope of it ; but the scope of this place is only this,
that he that is above principalities and powers is the Head of the Church ; he beareth a more special relation to them than he doth to principalities and
powers, and is above them in order to his headship of the Church. Hence
it is that the angels are not called the members of Christ; you have not such
an expression in the whole Book of God. As God is said to be the head of
Christ, 1 Cor. xi. 3, having an influence into Christ, yet Christ is not a mem
ber of God. So, though the angels are said to come unto Christ as a head, and he is their head, yet members of him nowhere you read it ; for that is
peculiar only to the saints, to the elect here on earth, to the sons of men.
I will give you more things wherein we differ from them. Jesus Christ
is not a Common Person representing them as he represented us, as he did
while he was here below. We obeyed in him, we died with him, we rose
with him. Not so the angels ; he did not act their part, he was not a Com mon Person to them ; therefore they are nowhere said to be elected in him :
but we are said to be elected in him, and he did sustain a Common Person
while he was here below.
Thirdly, We are brethren to Christ, and so not the angels ; you have no
where that said. I will give you a scripture or two for it ; one is that in
Heb. ii., and the scripture is exceeding express. The Apostle there goeth to prove that Jesus Christ took the same nature with us. How doth he prove
it ? Because, saith he, ver. 11, he calleth us brethren, saying, he takes a
place out of Ps. xxii. 22, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the
midst of the church I will sing praise unto thee. And at ver. 14, Forasmuch
then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself
likewise took part of the same. And ver. 16, For verily he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham. So
that the place is clear and express, that therefore we are brethren to Christ, and Christ to us, he having the same nature with us ; therefore the angels are nowhere said to be adopted sons to God, as men are said to be, as not
having relation to Christ, as to a husband, and in that relation being sons
of God. To give you another scripture for this, Rev. xix. 10 ; you shall
find there that the angel indeed calleth himself fellow-servant with John, but he doth not call himself brotlier; nay, he doth not call himself brother,
though he mentioneth the saints as John s brethren, I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren. The like you have, Rev. xxii. 9, I am thy fellow-
168 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON X.
servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the say ings of this book. The saints of God are brethren one to another, and unto Jesus Christ. The angels are but their fellow-servants. Much less are they the spouse of Christ, much less have they the relation of a wife to him as a husband ; this is proper to the headship of Christ over
believers : Eph. v. 23, The husband is the head of the wife, as Christ is the head of the church, and the Saviour of the body. He is not a Saviour of the angels in a way of redemption, for he speaks of the Church which hath
1 spots and wrinkles in it, as ver. 27. The Church is the queen, the angelsare but his guard round about his throne, Rev. v. 11.
I will give you one caution more. Though they have not these relations
to Christ, yet they have the relation of servants, and servants are a part of the family. The family, you know, is usually made up of servants, and
sons, and the wife. Now the relation of sons and the relation of wife, this the sons of men bear unto God and unto Christ, and of being brethren too unto him; but the angels are but servants sent out. They are his angels, and indeed in that respect he is called their father and their head, as the master is called the father of the servants, 2 Kings v. 13. So I have ex
pressed to you what association the angels have with Jesus Christ, and one with another.
I will make some uses of what hath been delivered, and give you some
observations, and so end this great point.
Obs. 1. You heard how that all things are the elect of angels and men, which God summeth up in Christ. The first observation then is this, See what reckoning God putteth upon things he calleth his elect children,
angels and men, all things; he looks upon all things else as nothing, they are of no esteem, they have no value with him. They are God s all that
belong to Christ, both angels and men, and the rest are the devil s, as I said ; therefore you know the Scripture calleth souls that are damned, lost ; they are not : The men whom thou reniemberest no more, Ps. Ixxxviii. 5. God makes no reckoning of them, he accounts them not. The things in heaven and in earth that belong to Christ are the all things ; they are the choice
of all, they are the first-fruits, as they are called, James i. 18. Let us therefore, if we would have a being, get into Christ ; let us gather ourselves to that Head. You are lost else, you are of no reckoning with
God, nor shall not be to all eternity.
Obs. 2. A second observation is this. Have we this association with
angels ? Shall we be as angels hereafter ? Let us live as angels now. We must live with angels for ever, we must be made like to them, we are come with them unto one Head, Christ. Be as angels now. And, my brethren, let it be one motive to you to keep you from sinning. If men were by, you would not sin. Think with yourselves. Angels may be by while I am sinning, whom I am gathered unto, and with whom I must live for ever. 1 Tim. v. 21; what is the meaning there, I charge thee
before God, and his elect angels? He chargeth him that he should not in
the execution and exercise of government in the Church be partial, I charge thee before God, he seeth thee ; and before the Lord Jesus Christ, he sees
thee ; and the elect angels, some or other of them see thee too. What is
the reason of this ? If that angels did not see and were not witnesses, many of them, or some of them, of men s carriages, why should this charge be
laid upon Timothy? I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things, without preferring one
before another, doing nothing by partiality.
EPH. I. 10.] TO THE EPHESIANS. 169*
3. Observe again, in the third place, from what hath been deli
vered, That the saints are nearer unto Christ than angels are, as I told you before ; he is so a head to men as he is not to them. Both their union and ours with God is by Christ ; now, if we be more united to Christ than
they are, then we are more nearly united to God too ; more nearly united to
Christ we are, for he is our brother, he hath our nature, he hath more of
ours, he hath done more for us ; we are sons by adoption in him, he is our
husband. To which of all the angels was it said that Christ is their hus band? Of which of all the angels is it said that Christ is their Saviour ? The Church of God is the queen ; the angels are our guardians. We belongto one family, we are worshippers together ; yet you shall find in Rev. v. 11, where the Church is described, that the angels are farther off from the throne
than the four-and-twenty elders; and the like you have Rev. vii. 9-11.
170 AN EXPOSITION OF THE EPISTLE [SERMON XL