Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

BookH. ®tnttltatton of, nnb 2. For our felves, let us imitate thus: I• Reverence the Majdly of God as they do Jfai. 6· 2· 2· Stand ~eady prdl •o execute the will of God, as they do, Pfal, 1o3 • , 0 : 3· Let us lludy holmcfs, as they do; they are of a moll holy nature, and therefore are M"·'S·3'· they called boly Angel!. So be we holy, even a> they are holy. lt is bur <qual, ,that we Lokeoo.36. whocxpdl: robe like the Angels in glory ,..,.-;yow, fhould belike them in grace: Ma· ny would 1\rivno be like t!1em for gifts and parts, but not for holinefs, which yet is the fpecial thing propounded to our imitation: When we fay, 1hywill bed ne in earth ar it is itt heavw \ no quellion, this principally is iutended, that we {hould lead he~~ Angelicallivcs \ that as in heaven they are ever doing Go.ds will, there is no fin there, fowe-fhould keep harmony with the Angels of heaven, and do his will here. 1 o. To conclude; in all ourduti.,, as in reference to the Angels, let us look.. unto ]e· fleb.u.,, fui, the Atttbor and Fixijher of oltr Fai-tb: They are as the means and inllruments of our good, but he is the Author and Finiiber, and all the Efficacy flows from him. Hence rfal 146·3· it is that we muft chiefly apply our felves to him; 'fmjlnot in man, no,nor inPrinces {aith the Pfalmifi : So may I go on, trull not in Princ_es, no, nor in Angels, nor Arch~ angels ablolutely , but llill in fubordination un'to }<fus Ghrill. This ufe the Pfalmi!t Pfal.;4.?,8. uachtth us of Angel-.protdlio(l,; 'Ibe Angel of the Lord incamptth roHnd aboutthemJhat fc4r him: And what then 1 0 t4e, audjietbat the Lord i1 good; bleffid if -the m•n that tmfletb -in him 1 not ip them, but in him: our chief confidence mufi be in none that is on this fide God. when Gcd promifed Moji1 that an Angel lbould go before Ijrael, and E>:od. 33 ,,, 3 , yet Withal threatned th< fubdudion of his own pref~nce ( 1will fend an Angel before tbee, but I will not go"Pin the midjl of thee) No marvel if Mofts were no lefs trou– bled , then it they had been left ddjitute , and w;thout a Guud i and that be ceafed not his importunity, till he had won the gracious ingagcment of the Almighty for his V. •S· prefence in that whole expedition: If tby preftna go not r>ith ur, carry"' 1101 "P hence : for what is the greardt Angel in heaven w_ithout ht~ Maker? 0 then let us •ye God, and eye JcfusChrill in all, abvve all, and beyond all Angel-minifiration. It was a fweet faying of one we mentioned b_efdre, Ble[{ed be God for tbe A>:gelr, a1 the AHthor of them and thtir prate[/ion ; ,and ble§ed bethe Angels Nnder Gvd , a! tbe meuJ ufed by_him for our protd:tion, a•do1h.r bleffings: Let the Angels have thetr due, but kt God mChrifi , , _ be our All in All; foras by him the Angels w<rc created, fo were they created for him; CoJor.r.r6,17 antl.he is before all tbi~tgJ, and by him all thing1 confijl. CHAP.lV. SECT,I. Of the Miniflrahon of Angels t1l 011r Dedh. T ', , Hus far have we obferved thc_Angel~ Mini(tration, even until death: Asd yet !hey have 110t d.one, for no fooner Death fcizeth on the Elect, but rhey mini• fier to the.m, and iu Come rcfpeCl:s continue their Minillration till the Rc(ur– reClion-day. In order to this, we !hall firfi obferve their Minifiration , and fecondly our Duties , ' - . - 1 , For their Minillration, that_known place is moll obvious: And it came to p4i, ; - ;hat the Beggardied, and n.as c3rried by the Angel! into Abrahams bofom. And we read ~u~e ' 6 ·"· of Michael the Archangel contending witb the Devil abo~tt the Body of Mofes. · Whei'lce D ut e 9 " , rome ob'erve that- Ang~ls have a care, >tOt old] of the Sottls 1 bttt of the Bodies; yea, cve1< . Ma~rranon H . , l' ' . . jude. of tbe de~d bod?es of the SatJtiJ• SECT. Jr. Of th~ mdn~er of Angel-,;inijlratioJ< at that time. F" Or the manner of their Minifirati_o~ , it relates both to bodies and fouls. I• For the bodies ot rhefatthful.-- , 1 , In the very Agony of Death they help anti eafe them: Thus was Chrill retrdhed in the tnidfi of his Agony by an Angel. , Jn like m_annfr are they fervtc~abk to the ~aints; for if ordinary Phyfitians bavc thetr EJeduancs, how much more can the An· vels miniller Cordi•ls in their way i c "' 2: A•ter

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=