Chap. 5.. Sett. 2 . JLootttng unto jjcfu.$. Book IV. 211 ·ons are of the Angels of God. Bodin tells a fl:ory of one who defired of God ~no~tidancc, and affifbnce of an Angel; and accordingly he had fen!ible manifefiation> f' a fpirit that allified him, and followed htm ttll Ius death; tf 10 company he fpake any ~nwary words, he was fure to be advertifed, and reproved for it by a .dream in the night; or if he read any b~ok that was not good, the Angel woJJid ftnke upon the book eo caufe him to leave It. 3 . 'But how fhould we difcern what is fpoken by the_immediate infpiration of the Spirit and what by the medtatton of the Angels? here mdeed we are at afland ; and therefore my be(\ refolution is that of Calvin, That in Juch Jeerers l1< Jhoteld k§ep o?Je rule of modejly and fobriety; and that we fhould netther fpe~/z., nor thmk_,, nor yet dejire tok!tow any other thing than Juch a,s hathbeen taught m by Gods Word. I know not any great ufe rheremay be of this Q!!eftion, and therefore I /hall not amu~e my felf in ~iving any account of it . only thefe remam as fure truths. r. That the tlungs commumcated 00 our inward ma~ (I mean thofe inward motions, and fuggeftions to holinefs and obedience) arc freguently and uf~ally by the adminiflratio~ ?f Angels. 2: T~at the fame rhinos commumcated to our mward man, are ever ongmally and pnmanly from the Spirlr of Chrift ; and hence it is .that commonly we put them all on·that fcore, we give them all to Chrifts Spirit. 3. That 'tis proper to the Spirit to enlighten the underfianding and to determine the will effecrually; the Angels are bur Qflerns, rhe Spirit is the fountain; the Angels may fpeak and move us to our duties, but the bleJling, the efficacy is of the Spirit; and in this refpecr weJeave to Chrifi and his Spirit the all in fill. Well then, 0 my foul, confider ( efpecially in Church-alfemblies, and in the enjoyment of Ordinances) the efpecial prefence of Chrifi, in the prcfence of his Spirit, and in the prefence of his Angels : ~hat?_ daft thou.feel any _flirrings,. a~ings, m?vings in thy fpirit? doll thou fee_! any qmckem_ng,_ warm_111g, fecd111g, chenOung, heahng, mol– lifying,melting,comforrm~,(lrengthenlllg m thy mward parts? fay_ then, Surely the Lord Gen. 1 s t6, 17 , t5 in thi< placc,- -thu u none other b11t the Houfc of God, thM u the gate of He"ven. 0 here is the Spirit, and here arerhe Angels afcending, and defcending; and therefore avoid Sathan ! avoid all prophane thoughts, and eartbly-mindednefs! avoid dulnefs, _deadnefs, droufinefs! avoid lo?fenefs, lafcivioufnefs, and all irreverence, becaufc of:he 1 Cor: u.io, .Angels; and becaufe of the Spun ; and becaufe of the efpectal prefence of Chn!l: whtch ·· includes them both. , 6. Confider the preaching of Chrifl. 0 the admirable Sermons of this great Pro– phet! the Spoufe tells us, Hi< lips lik! Li/lieJ dropped fweet [me/ling Myrrh, his Doctrine was fweer as the Lillies, and found as the Myrrh; Hi< lips were lik§ Li/lies, as cer-- Can!, ;.t l• rain oderiferous Lillies, that call: forth a fweet fmelling favour ; they were fall of heavenly grace and fweernefs; Grace, faith the Pf~lmift, tv.u poured into hi< lips, a~d they Pfa!. 4 ,, • · dropped fivcet-fmc/ling Myrrh; the nature of thts Herb ts to keep from putrefacrton, as iris found it felf, fo it makes other thing• found. Error is of a putrifying nat.ure, corrupting, and defiling the foul ; but the Docrrine of Chri(\ keeps the foul found· it is the fouls prefervative, it keeps the foul free from all corruption and defilement.' See here the Propherical office of Chri!l: held forth in fimilirudes, his lips were ever dropping, diftilling, publiOting fweet and found truths ..- Read and peruferhofe Sermons he bath left on record; yea ruminate and meditar_e on them, in order to piety· and an bolyltfe : How fweet was the_ fir(\ Sermon of Chnft? Repmt, for the Kingdom of Hea- MJttlt 4. '7· ven " at hand; And how fptntual was that Sermon of Chrift? Except a man be born J h again, he cannot fee the Kingdom of God; It may be thou art a Doctor, aMafter of If 0 n. 3 · 3 • :aet, thou art a learned Scholar, thou art a man of parrs and abilities in other things . It may be thou ha(l read fo long in the Bible, thou haft heard fo many, and fo many Sermons, &c: but ah! miferable foul, it may be all the work is to do (li!J within; Come fay thiS Sermon of Chriftunto thine own foul; Vnlefs I be born again, I cannot enter tnto Heaven; born again? 0 Lord what is thtzt ? lVM ever fl:ch a thing d9ne upon. me-'. w~ ever 1 cajl imo the pangs of a new birth? and continued I in thofe pangs Mntil ChrifiJcfm IVM formed in me? are old things done away, and are all things now become new ? H the o/J man,_ the old ltejls, the old converfation qnite abandoned and left ? are my pmlc.plcs new ? my atms ttnd ends new? my life and converfation new ? . Thus might I pal aphrafe on all the Sermons: but I intend brevity; only conltder 0 my fool, as if this Sermon, and a~! the reJl had been preached to thee : Reallize Chrill fianding by rhee, and opem~g ills mouth , and reaching thee, thus and thus; furely there is a fpeakIOg of Chn(l from Heaven; See that ye refufe not him ( ~aith the Apoftle) that (freak:: Acb: i!. ,,. erh -
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