Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

------- l.!'onmmu!ca rt:ttb ~~t.l.S. Book I. room ofthe fallen Angels, and when they r.->cet, 0 the joy that will be betwixt th~m! In the mean time, it is their d,fire and <lelight to attend their patmers in heavens JOY, for they are acquaioHCd wirh Gods defign, and purpofe to fave them, they know what Chrill hath done and lufhed for them, 1 be myjterpfg->dlineji if few of Ange/J, 1 Tim. 3 . 1 6, · it is fo feen , that they take great ddi~ht to behold 1t, yea, they are ravifued in the very beholding of it, as at fame new and ftrangc object E .,19vi'~~IV, thrylook)nto rPet,r,l2: it, faith Peter, thea whole fpi rirs aie ,eaken up with it,. as if it were thebleili:dlt fignt . that ever they could beho!J, and they that arc fo rav1fhed at the work of our Re– demptions, how fuonlJ they but with delight attend the Redeemed Ones of Jefus __../'' ·,,. c~~ · 1 s· · · 3 • It is their honour to wa1te on c1e amts. It rs true, m fame refpects they are of an hi~her fGrm, they come ncncll tO God of all the creatures in the world, and they have kept their Lloth of Gold unl\amcd fix thoufand years : 0 the pttrity, agility, bcausr, glory, lan.ctiry, and excellency ot the _Angel~! Man in his greatefi honour, advanced to the h1gheft p1nack of happwds, ts ycr m many thmgs below the Angels; . Thou hafl made him a little lower then the AngelJ, and yet 'ris noindi5nity for them Pra-8. tv attend the Saints, for herein rhey arc but tdlo~·workas wlth God and Chrifi, My 1 h _ Fathtr worl~!tb hitherto, and I work,: . My F~ther IS benehcent in prcferving Saints: 0 ns.t, . and ! work by the fame power, fmh Chnil, At firfi I created, and frill I prefervc. Now ifGocl and Chri{\thus work and wait, well may the Angd, co work with them. It was Pauls honour that he wrougl)t together with God ; TVe then, as wor~rs to· 2 cor:6.r, get her rrith bim, bcf'cc!J )'"" alfo. Servants of~od ( (uch as men and Angds) cannot but look 011 it as their glory, to put to their hands 111 rhe fame work with their Soveraign Lord, the King of Glory: lfC.hrill himidf came .not to be minijlred unto, but 10 minijler, the Angels may well dun.< lt an honour to Jmttate h1m, and to mini· MatrH. >o,ol llcr alfo. · 3 • There are other rcafcm in refpect of Saints. _A~ r. It is for their confolatJon, a m1ghty comfort 1t IS, that other creatures fhou!d do them fervice, thlt heaven, and earrh, and all therein ihould be made for them, and b: continued and preferved for thea fakes, and yer as if all thi' were not enough, except the Angels a!fo were {ubfervient : Th1t creatures of the nighdl crda , of the finell make, ot the noble(\ fp1rtt s, who b:hold the locc ofGod himfdf, and are ta· ken up with the immedde en)oyments of his fulnc(<, that they, even they fnould be dellined by Chrill the King of Saints, to mini/!er ro his Saints ; Oh Nhat a comfort ts this I If wbJtf1cvcr thing1 were 'A'ritten afore time, were written for our learning, R.om~15•4• tbat we througb patience and comfort of tbe Scriptures nugbt have hope : Surely this that . is written of the Angds, as concerning their otlice. and mimilration, mull be full of comfort : Indeed Rcprobat~ and Unbeliev"s have none of this comfort, alas they are not within the .vergue of this b!dfcd.Text, they have nothing to do with this Scripture of Heavens HC!rs, Ills forthem, and ouly forthem, whojh.zU be hei'J of Sal– v,jtion. . 2 • It is for their benefit, -b0th of body and foul: ' ome obferve, that were it not for the An&els, the devils that are ever {eeking to devour, would quickly rear all the bodies of the Sai~ts ineo atomes. We read, how afore Chriils death, the bodies of many were poifeffi:d of devils, and when they had torn them, by the Command of Mark r.•6: Chrifi they were difpoifcifed: But alter the great work of our Redemption, the de.ils were more reltrained of their Powe~, Now jh.zY tbe prince of t_hiJ world be cajl out. Iohn 12 , 3 ,, Chrill fo bound h1m m Chams by hiS holy Angels fince that ome, that now he hath not his liberty as before to hurt the Saints : It is true, tkat he i, llill in the world, andrules m rhe ayr, but the good Angels fo defend our bodies again(\ the evil An5els, that they cannot touch an hai! to our h'll.t, and as for our fouls, chey are in their fpecral care; it is not to tdl how ma\1y arethJibenetits they adnJiniiler thai way, they reach us truths, they opeu Gods will, they reveal the fecrets an4 mylteries of grace , and by thefc mconcs they r,romote the lalvat10n of our fouls: Thus they did fometimes by dreams in the night, and Come times by conference in the day, when they alfumed bodies ;,but now fiill they odmonilh our minds, and in a !tuct unperceiveable way, they perfwadc us to the reading, hearing and LbeyingofGods Word. But ofthefe aud the likefonl-fervic:s ot the Angel>, we !hall inlarge anothertime. ' ' SECT!

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