Whilst others imprison you close in a center, 'As to offer at fecrets confin'd to the sky; } Poor Phaeton once an example was made, I'll quickly furrender my bags and my charms. Theodóra. 4. What! in terms matrimonial more new propo fitions, And does rich Theodora efpoufe the conditions? Who fcience, wit and policy maintain, And I'll make you as drunk as Effex hogs, Then Then quaff thy bowls with Effex fwine, Fray give me advice in this matter; Young and brisk, which is rare, Or else the whole town does me flatter; I am lov'd by two youths, As is any may-pole, And both young, and both courteous by natures · I am little and short, When compar'd with the fwain that is tall; Like fifter and brother, The difference between us but small. Here defcrib'd in my flrains, I shall chufe, I do beg your folutions. Tho' my felf I involve, To follow your fage refolution? A. Handfome maid, then beware, Of extreams have a care, And be mindful to match your felf wifely; Without farther delay Quit your index of May, And the other will fit you precisely; Since the middle you love, Of this medium approve, JUGUM CONJUGII. Parrbefit Epigram. 72. "O hour in twenty four can steal away, N Nor can one moment pafs throughout the day, Wherein my noify wife her clack with holds, Q. I would know the meaning of the Apoftle in Col.i. 20. efpecially relating to that expreffion of reconciling things in heaven, becaufe in reading a question in the Athenian oracle, Vol. 1. page 128. I found in the answer thefe words, It is not certain that Chrift died not for the Angels; whereas I think we ought to be certain that he died not for the angels, and that none of the fallen angels were capable of repentance, because there was no fatisfaction made for them to the divine juftice. A. Tho' we perfectly agree with you that Chrift died not for the angels, yet we cannot fubfcribe to that argument you ufe, namely, because there was no fatisfaction made for them to the divine justice: for the argument is nothing, elfe than the propofition otherwife expreft, fince to die for the angels, and to make fatisfaction for them to the divine juftice, are terms equivalent. And therefore your reafoning returns to this, Chrift died not for the angels, because he died not for them. We do not a little wonder that those learned Gentlemen of Athens fhould profefs an uncertainty in fuch a matter as is fo plainly reprefented in the Scriptures, that he who runs may read. For that Chrift died not for the angels, is either affirm'd or implied in in the fucceeding texts. 1. We read in 2 Pet. ii. 4. God fpar'd not the angels that fin'd, but caft them down to hell, and deliver'd them into chains of darkness, to be referv'd unto judgment. 2. To this exactly correfponds that paffage in St. Jude, The angels that kept not their firft eftare, but left their own habitation, he hath referv'd in everlasting chains under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day. 3. From Heb. ii. 14. We learn that Chrift was fo far from dying for the angels, that he died on purpose to ruin and deftroy them. He took part of the fame, that through death he might deftroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil. And this we must allow, unless we will fuppofe that there was a diftinction made between the devil and his angels. In Heb. ii. 16, 17. We meet with thefe expreffions: For verily he took not on him the nature of angels. but he took on him the feed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to become like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest, in things. pertaining unto God, to make reconciliation for the fins of the people; where, as the former verfe feems to imply, that as he took not on him the nature of angels, fo neither did he die for angels; fo the import of the latter is, that it was proper for Chrift to be made lika unto those whofe pardon he was to purchase. Whence we gather, that he purchas'd not the pardon of an gels, fince he was not made like unto them. We can no ways imagine that the fallen angels, while in fuch a place of torment, would not all of them have accepted a release upon any terms. Whence it would follow that they were all reftor'd to their first eftate. But whereas the Apoftle fpeaks of reconciling to himself things in heaven, and things on earth, cither this reconciliation must be taken in a more general fense with respect to the angels, and be fuppos'd to imply no more than that, whereas they only were before in amity with Chrift, yet now we and they are united together under him; or heaven and earth, in allufion to an Hebrew idiom, may import the whole world; or heaven may fignify the Jews, who before were were the only citizens of the new Jerufalem, and earth the Gentiles, who were ftrangers to the God of Ifrael. Sirs, which way do you determine Saul died, whether by his own fword, or the fword of the young Amale kite, who brought his crown and his bracelet to David, for which David order'd the Amalekite to be flain; being the 4th verfe of the left chap. of the firft book of Samuel, fays pofitively he fell upon his own fword. And the first fixteen verfes of the first chapter of the 2d book of Samuel feems to give fufficient proof the young Amalekite fes him at his request? A. Tho' it be faid that Saul took a fword and fell upon it, yet were it not for the fucceeding verfe, that relation might very well agree with the young AmaLekite's account; fince Saul might not have receiv'd a mortal wound, or at least not fuch an one as would prefently put an end to his life, from the sword he fell on; and therefore might defire the Amalekite to give him an immediate dispatch. And indeed the ve ry words of the Amalekite imply as much, where he firft relates, that Saul faid unto him, Stand, I pray thee,. upon me, and flay me, for anguish is come upon me, because my life (notwithstanding the wound which I gave my felf) is yet whole in me: and afterwards defends his procedure with this excufe, So I ftood upon him, and flew him, because I was fure that he could not live, after that he was fallen. But fince to thofe foremention'd words Saul took a sword and fell upon it, it is immediately fubjoin'd, And when his armour-bearer faw that Saul was dead; which feems plainly to import, that Saul immediately expir'd upon his falling on his fword, we think it probable at least, that the Amalekite added: part of his relation to the fenfe he had been witness to, with intention to ingratiate himself with David, by pretending to be a fort of acceffory to the death. of him who had purfued him as a partridge on the mountains. But if it be enquir'd why then he did not conceal the truth, and claim the whole action to himself, whereas he extenuates what he had done, and pleads |