1. Spirits; This Title declares the common nature of them all, which is spiritual.
2. Ministers; This pointeth at their general office, which is to minister to God himself, to the Son of God, and to Sons of men; as we shall hereafter more distinctly show.
3. Men of God; So was the Angel that appeared to Manoah styled, Judg. 13. 6. 9. He is called a man, because he appeared in the shape of a man; and a man of God, ⟨p. 60⟩because he came from God, and was sent by God. Though this Angel were the Son of God, yet the Title is given unto him, as he appeared like an Angel, and may be well reckoned among the Titles given to Angels.
4. Sons of God, Job 1. 6. Thus they are called, not only because they received their being from God, and are sustained by him, but also being once made after the image of God, they still retain that image.
5. aGods; So doth that word signify which we translate Angels, Psal. 8. 5. It is attributed to Angels to set out their excellency: For excellent things are in Canaan's dialect styled Gods, Psa. 82. 1. 6. The same Title is given them, Psa. 97. 7. And translated Gods.
6. Cherubim, Gen. 3. 24. Ezek. 10. 1. Cherub taken indefinitely importeth a Figure2 or Image: Most usually a resemblance of a young man; So were Angels set out, when a resemblance or picture was made of them, and when they appeared in a visible shape; They appeared in the shape of a man, to show they were creatures bof knowledge and understanding (as men endued with reasonable souls are) and of a young man, to set out their beauty, vigour, strength, and other like excellencies appertaining to youth.4
7. Seraphims: This Title is twice and only twice attributed to Angels, Isa. 6. 2, 6. The Title cometh from an Hebrew croot that signifieth to burn: It is attributed6 to those fiery Serpents which in the wilderness bit and stung the people to death, Numb. 21. 6.
Angels are called dSeraphim, either from the particular act of theirs in touching the Prophets lips with a burning coal, Isa. 6. 6. or else more indefinitely from their fervent zeal in executing the will of their Lord: In allusion hereunto it is thus written, He maketh his Angels spirits, his Ministers a flame of fire, Psa. 104. 4.8
8. Watcherse; He that is styled a watcher (Dan. 4. 13.) was an Angel: and by the ancient Greek Translators of the Old Testament is so called; The plural number fWatchers is used, Dan. 4. 17.
1. Spirits; This Title declares the common nature of them all, which is spirituall.
2. Ministers; This pointeth at their generall office, which is to minister to God himself, to the Sonne of God, and to Sonnes of men; as we shall hereafter more distinctly shew.
3. Men of God; So was the Angel that appeared to Manoah stiled, Iudg. 13. 6. 9. He is called a man, because he appeared in the shape of a man; and a man of God, ⟨p. 60⟩because he came from God, and was sent by God. Though this Angel were the Sonne of God, yet the Title is given unto him, as he appeared like an Angel, and may be well reckoned among the Titles given to Angels.
4. Sonnes of God, Job 1. 6. Thus they are called, not only because they received their being from God, and are sustained by him, but also being once made after the image of God, they still retain that image.
5. aGods; So doth that word signifie which we translate Angels, Psal. 8. 5. It is attributed to Angels to set out their excellency: For excellent things are in Canaans dialect stiled Gods, Psa. 82. 1. 6. The same Title is given them, Psa. 97. 7. And translated Gods.
6. Cherubim, Gen. 3. 24. Ezek. 10. 1. Cherub taken indefinitely importeth a Figure2 or Image: Most usually a resemblance of a young man; So were Angels set out, when a resemblance or picture was made of them, and when they appeared in a visible shape; They appeared in the shape of a man, to shew they were creatures bof knowledge and understanding (as men indued with reasonable souls are) and of a young man, to set out their beauty, vigour, strength, and other like excellencies appertaining to youth.4
7. Seraphims: This Title is twice and only twice attributed to Angels,
- a[Greek or Hebrew] In Hebrao pro eo quod est ab Angelis, qui dicuntur〈non-Latin alphabet〉 In Hebrao pro eo quod est ab Angelis, qui dicuntur
- 2[Greek or Hebrew] Deum habet, hoc est, [Greek or Hebrew]〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Deum habet, hoc est, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉
- bCherubim interpretantur scientiae multitudo. Hier.
- 4Comment. in Ezek. 28.
- c[Greek or Hebrew] Seraphim.〈non-Latin alphabet〉 Seraphim.
- 6Ita serè Chrys. de incompr. Dei Nat. Hom. 3. See Cha. 9. v. 4. §. 32.
- dSeraphim interpretantur [Greek or Hebrew], quod nos dicere possumus incedentes, sive comburentes; juxta illud quod alibi legimus, Qui facit Angelos suos Spiritus, & ministros suos ignem urentem. Hier. Comment. in Isa. 6. Sic Chrys. loc. citat.Seraphim interpretantur 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, quod nos dicere possumus incedentes, sive comburentes; juxta illud quod alibi legimus, Qui facit Angelos suos Spiritus, & ministros suos ignem urentem. Hier. Comment. in Isa. 6. Sic Chrys. loc. citat.
- 8Praeter hunc locum in Scripturis canonicis alibi legisse me nescio. Hier. in Isa. 6.
- e[Greek or Hebrew].〈non-Latin alphabet〉.
