or dominions, or principalities, or powers; all things were created by him, and for him, Col. i. 16.—And it has been fhewn that fuch declarations as thefe, that all things were created in Chrift, and that they are by him, and of him, and through him, &c. intend that he is the Foundation and Head of the Creation; for, through faith we underfland that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, and that the things which are seen were made of things which do not appear. And having this Revelation of Chrift, as being the perfect Foundation and Head, we come to the certain knowledge of the original uprightness and perfection of all created beings and things; and this fact of the creation has been ever perceived and confessed by all men who have faith; but as this flate of the creation refults wholly from the truth of Chrift, we may come to the knowledge of it only by the revelation or knowledge of Jefus Chrift; for, through faith, and that only, we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God. And it is not ftrange that men, without faith-men who reject the truth of Chriftgreat and learned men! have difputed much, whether it be inconfiftent with the divine perfection for creatures to have originally exifted imperfect, and fubject to fuffering; for without the knowledge of Chrift, as being the Foundation and Head of all Worlds, we are in utter darknefs with respect to the divine fyftem, and can determine nothing refpecting the confiftency or inconfiftency of - any state of the creation with the divine per fections. So far from being able to determine what relations may or may not be fuppofed to fubfift, confiftently with the divine perfections, between God and creatures; what can we determine without the knowledge of Chrift, even with respect to the divine attributes themfelves, or one poffible relation which God can fuftain towards creatures, or they towards him?-Rejecting this ground of divine revelation, that the whole creation was made under a covenant, or framed by a conftitution of union with Chrift; and taking the ground of Deifm, we cannot fhew the impoffibility of creatures exifting originally imperfect, nor, if innocent, why they might not fuffer; nor can we, upon this ground, clear any fubject of inquiry concerning God, and the relations of creatures to him, which things belong wholly to the fyf tem of faith. But, in the light of divine truth it is demonftrable, that no creation could have exifted but through a divine medium, and in perfect agreement with a divine foundation and head; and that, exifting thus, all worlds were neceffarily in the moft exact harmony, and all things continuing in this original glorious ftate, no evil, no fuffering, could poffibly exift in the universe. The exact agreement of the whole fuperftructure with its foundation-the perfect union of all worlds, terreftrial and angelic, with their Divine Head, was the fingle object of the divine pleafure, when God Jaw every thing that he had made, and behold, it was ve ry good. By this union to the creation, Christ was then, as he now is, the excellence, the riches, and the beauty of heaven and earth! Section 3. The Nature and State of the Angels. We understand that the Angels are Spirits, but from this it is not neceffarily inferred that they are immaterial beings; for many material fubftances, which are very pow erful and fubtile, fuch as winds and finer juices, on account of their active and penetrating natures, are called Spirits. It may be concluded that the angels were made on the fifth and fixth days of the creation, by the fame operations which produced the fifth of the fea, and the fowl of the air, and the beaft and cattle and creeping thing of the earth. And from many circumstances it appears, that there was a certain analogy in this work of peopling both worlds. This indeed feems plainly to be inferred from the design of the Creator refpecting this world; for as Adam, as to a realm and dominion which fhould be given to him, was to be the figure of Chrift, it was neceffary that his realm and fubjects fhould be a figure of, or analogous to the world of the angels, where Chrift, in the beginning, erected his throne, and among whom he reigned in his own perfon, as in his natu Bb ral hereditary dominion, and over his proper subjects. But material fubftances are inconceivably diverse from each other.-All flesh is not the fame flefh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beafts, another of fishes, and another of birds. There are alfo celeftial bodies, and bodies terreftrial: but the glory of the celeftial is one, and the glory of the terreftrial is another. We look for the faints to come in the refurrection with a real human body; changed indeed it will be; for this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. And the faying fhall be brought to pass that is written, Death is fwallowed up in victory? Still it will be a body, and be poffeffed of the powers and capacities which diftinguish the human body, as really as in the prefent ftate. And a reference to the angels, in order to give an idea of the ftate of the faints in the refurrection; fuch as that of our Lord in his reply to the queftion of the Sadducees, would fuppofe that the angels have bodies which are, however, of the most pure and celeftial nature. That active and powerful ftate of the air and other fubftances, which we call fpirit, is known to exist from a degree of expanfion of the element; how free, then, from every thing grofs and heavy-how exceedingly pure and fpiritual, quick and commanding, muft the powers of that world be, which took its frame from a flate of the elements juft the oppofite to that which formed the earth, and was conftituted by the fulleft and freeft action of that moft wonderful power, which may be properly called the firength of nature? The doctrine of Chrift, or of one having authority, implies fubjects and fervants; the natural subjects and fervants of God were the angels; this is imported, as has been fhewn by the name of angel.-And the state of fubjects and fervants implies a law, which is that glorious inftitution commonly called the Moral Law; but which, in the fcriptures, is fimply called the law, and is comprehended in the ten commandments, and the bleffings and curfes given at Mount Sinai.-By the law being ordained by angels, and received by the difpofition of angels, it seems to be imported that it was a fyftem derived from them, a state of things properly their own, or an economy conformable to their natural condition. The law is holy, juft and good; it points out precifely the relation which fubfifts between the Prince and his fubjects, the Lord and his fervants; it is molt perfect in all things. It gives to God the throne, for it is his right to reign; it exalts the Lord as the King and rightful Sovereign over all, and places the fubject univerfe at the abfolute difpofal of his will. The creature it claims as a fervant, and requires of him all his heart, and all his foul, and all his mind, and all his ftrength, to be given to the Lord God—all that he is, and all that he has, and all that he can do, to be devoted to him unreservedly, |