Heb. 12. 22, 23, 2<J. Book 11 ~ntnration ot, mro GrratncjJ; and au a't':'fstl od\!J~wlede,ment, and reverential an:e of tbeil' gluriou; pn{ence ; an holy joj', aud confidmt affi<rana of tbeir vi!(ilant care; and la/Hy, afear to do ougbt th.t might c.m[e them totz<rn away tb:ir faces in diflik! from i<f. All tbefe difpofitiows are caopu· l•tive; f •r certaiJtly, if r:>C b3ve cmceived fo high an Opinion of tbeir Excellency .s we ou<ht, we cannot bm be bold "P"' tluir mutual i"1erc[r, and be afraid to difplea[e them by o11r hej•>tortt a;zd abominable fins. The man that is going out of the W01ld, and within a llrp or ~woof D~ath, fhould methinks be very fearful of neglee{ing the An· gels, or of grieving the Angels: Why alas, if they watch not over bim now, if now they infpire nN the Soul with b!dfed motions, and pious thoughts; if now tbey f•il of their oilicc, when there is more need of it than ever was, or ever will be; oh what will a poor Soul do? ( omc, think me of this e'rc it be too late; yea, the nearer W1! draw to our end, the more tender let us be of onr care and refpcct to thefe blelfed Spirits; and \Vho can tell , but as i'n the .very Agony Chrifi was comforted by an Angel , fo thefe mini!lriog Spirits may at fuch a time mioificr comfvrt and confolation to our Souls l We have ken an Heaven of Joy entr\ng imo (ome, before they entered into the Joy of Heaven. 4- Malic to our fclves friends of the Angels", ihat when we die, they may receive us intoeverlatlin~; habitations. ThusChrifiadvifcd us in refpect of riches, make ufc of them by Y':ur bcndicer.ce to th,e pm.r, that they rnay pray for you, and make your ad– \">ntagc ot b,ing rewarded by God .: this is the mcamn~ of mA_e to your felues frie•dr of tbe Nlenzmou ,{ um:izln~wjiHfi. And if worldly riches, chJt either in g~ttit~g, ufing, or ·keepm~, do arlmmrlhr matter of fi_", (and therefor<: are calleJ ttnrigb:eous M•mmon) may be {o 1mprovcd, how much more m1y \VC Improve the Angels, and gain by the A:1;>,tls, it we make them our friends? Btlt how lhould we nuke them friends? I an– fwer: I· Let us refemble them i1i their purity, pitiy, iunocency. Suitablenefs of fpirit and hie will breed fricud(hip: 1f we ~re but pure in our meafure as they are pure. they will delight to befriend us here, and to lay a f'oundatio1l for a far more familiar ac– quaintatKe in Heaven hereafter. 2. Let us apply our fe.lvcs to them, as defirou; a• 1 d willing of their friei1dfhip: let us co~lVCrfc with them as friends, afieming to what ihty lay, •nd mak ·ng up holy contluftons With them, and rqllies, which th~y will find ways to undettland. 0 the blclfed motio:H that they make continually to our Souls! Is it not their joy to gain us, a11d to win upon us.? and .to that purpoti: are they not fuggetling rhis and that good thought to fave our Souls? 0 theti let us anfwer them in their motions , and r'ccivc whatever they adminifier! ) . Though we go through the va!ley of the fhadow of death, let 11s fear no evil, frr the Angels will be with us. It i' natural for us to fear d-:a.th; and indeed, as it is the denruct10ii bf the creatme, ana parts Eody and Soul·, as it leads the body through a dark, dirty w•y, the Grave; and as it leads the Soul through the D~vils Territories, the Air, it is no wonder if Nature !lartk, and be afraid of it. But the Chrifiian hath m•· ny confiderations to allay his fear, and ro ehear up his fpirit·: As 1. Death is but the fe– paration of Soul and Bodn it is not the annihilation of Soul and Body, but a fair !ha– king hands between two parting frichds: it is as if the Wife fhould rake leave of her Husband to go fee her Father; to whom the Hu!band fays, that he will follow after her, and be with her in the moining: Farervel my Dear, fays the Soul, I nmjl go to my Fa– ther; and farcwcl my Dear, fays the Body, I will come after thee, and be with thee in the · Morning of the l{t{urrcaio>t. lt is true, they caunot part without many a tear, and kiiS 1 llut what needs tear? the mornilzg comes as r)Cil as tbe ltight. z• The Bodies palfage through rhe Grave, though dark and difmal, yet it i; fafe and fecure, and fit for reil and lleep : He fhaU enter into peace, tbey j/-Ja/1 rcjl i11 their beds: When a righteous man diGS, or his body is bmied, he is bur gone to bed; and therefore we call thofe places where the D:ad are laid liP and buried, Dormitories, ar f/ecpi»!, places; they lleep for a time, but they !hall awake, and rife up again at the !all day. 3· The Souls palf•gc through the Air, though full of Devils, ytt is it accompanied with a lafc Convoy: there is a white Regiment of glorious Angels that will firing the Souls of Saints through all pe– rils to Mott!ll Sion, to tbe City of tht Living God, to tht Heavenly Jerufal<m, and to an in– numer"ble company of Angels, to the General AjJembly and Ch~<rcb of tbe Fir]/, bom wbicb arewritteninHc.vw, andtoG ·d tbe Judge of a'l; andta tbefpititt ofjujl men m~de perJW , and to Jcfies the McrJiator of the New Covenant. Now can the Wile fear an E– nemy , when the Husband bath fent a puiffant Army to convey her fately ro him!Cif? flow then fhoul4 we fear the way, or fear peach, or Devils, when the Angels (who . ar"
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