I. There is something supposed, namely, that there are such creatures as angels. This appears, from the account we have of them in the beginning of the creation of all things, _The morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy_, Job xxxviii. 7. which can be no other than a metaphorical description of them. They are called the _morning stars_, as they exceed other creatures, as much in glory, as the stars do the lower parts of the creation. It would be a very absurd method of expounding scripture to take this in a literal sense, not only because the stars in the firmament do not appear to have been then created, but principally because these are represented, as engaged in a work peculiar to intelligent creatures; and they are called, the _sons of God_, as they were produced by him, and created in his image; whereas men, who are sometimes so called, were not created. They are elsewhere called _spirits_, Psal. civ. 4. to distinguish them from material beings; and _a flame of fire_, to denote their agility and fervency, in executing the divine commands. It is plain, the Psalmist hereby intends the angels; and therefore the words are not to be translated, as some do, _who maketh the winds his angels, and the flame of fire his ministers_, as denoting his making use of those creatures who act without design to fulfil his pleasure; because the apostle, to the Hebrews, chap. i. 7. expressly applies it to them, and renders the text in the same sense as it is in our translation. They are elsewhere styled, _Thrones, dominions, principalities, and powers_, Coloss. i. 16. to denote their being advanced to the highest dignity, and employed in the most honourable services. And that it is not men that the apostle here speaks of, is evident, because he distinguishes the intelligent parts of the creation into visible and invisible; the visible he speaks of in the following words, ver. 18. in which Christ is said to be _the Head of the body, the church_; therefore here he speaks of invisible creatures advanced to these honours, and consequently he means hereby the angels.