Ottr Communion with the IJoly fi11gels. Van. •· 3f· 9· 8. 6.jn all this Miniftry they perfectly ob<:y the Will of God,and do nothing but by his command P[al. I03· ro. Zech. I· 8, ID· Ma11b. 18.1o. being hisMdfcngcrstoman. - • 1 Kingn. 1• 19 , 9· 9• 7• Much of their work is to oppofc: the malice: of evil {pirits tha.t feck our flurt, and to de. to, :t.J, 12. fend us from them: againft whom they are engaged under Chritt in daily Warr or Conflict, R.ev. l2• 1 'Thdf.,, 18. 7, 9• P[al. 68. r7. & 78. 49• Mallh. 4· II. Luke 1 . 19 , 16 . .9· IO· 8. In this their Minifiration they areordtred into different degrees of fuperioriry and infC'ri· onty, and are not equal among themfelvt!. I Thtf[. 4· 16. Jude 9· Dan. Io. I3, 20, 21. Eph. I. 2 r. Col. 2· ID· Eph. 3· ID· & 6, 12. Col. I· 16. Zech. +· 10. Rev, 4• 5• & 5> 6, ABs 1 , B· 9· I J .. 9· Angels are employed not only about our bodies, but our foul!, by furthering themtans of our falvation: They preached the Gojpel themfclves, (as they dclivmd the Law ) Lt<k.! 2 , 10 , 9 • Luk.._eloll,&c. Heho2·2· _Ga/,3·19• .A/JJI0:4• Dan.7o16. ~8; 15,16,17• &9. 2I,22o Lui(,< I· 29. & 2· '9· Efpemlly they dehver particular meff.gcs, whiCh fuppofe the fufficiency of the Laws of Chnfi, and only help 10 the obedience of it. A[ts ::.7. 24. 9· 12. IO· They arc fometimc Gods infiruments to confirm, and warn, and comfort, and excite the luke 1 • '3 ,)0 • foul, and to work upon the mind, and will, and affections: That they do this perfwafively, and have as t.,1~. ~~: 11 , much acccfs and power to do usgood, as Sa. tan hath to do us evil, is very-clear : Good Angds have 2 KinRs 6.a6. as much pawet and acccfs ro the (Qul, to raove to duff, as Devils have ro tempt to fin. As God hath Gen.16. 9,10. fent them oft upon monitoryam~ confolatory me1Tagcs to his fcnrants in vi(ible !hapes, fa doth he fend Numb.n.p, them on the Iikemeff,ges invifibly, J~tdg. 5· 23· Mat. I· 20. Pfal. I Of· 4• Luke 22·43· An Angel from Heaven is fent to jlrrngthtn Chrifi himfclf in his agony. 1· 13• II· They pcr(ecute and chafe the enemie• of the Church, and fomctimes dellroy them: as Pf•l· 35· 5• 6. 2 Kingt 19· 3 S· Ijit. 37· 36. and hinder them from doing hurt, Numb. 22· 24· 9· I4' I 2. They are aConvoy for the departing fouls of t)le godly, to bring them 10 the place of their felicity, Luke 16. 22· though h.1w they do it we cannot undedhnd. 9· IS· I 3· They are the attendants ofChrill at his coming to judgement, and his Minifiers toga– ther his elt:d, and G:ver the t':'ick,.ed from the jujl, in order to their cndlefs Punifhmcnt or Joy: I Thdf. 4· 16. The lArd him[elfjhaU de[cend from Heaven with aJhout, with the voice ofthe Arch-angel, and with the tmrtJptt ofGod, and the de<Jd in Cbrift }hall rife firft: Then we which ~re alive and rem:tin • Thelf. 1 . 7 • jhaU be caught up,&c. Mat!h. I3· 4I, 49· The Son of manjhaUJend fortb hit Angels, and they jhaUga• MarkS. 3S'. ther r;ut 1jhi1 Kingdom till offence/ (Jr {candals, and them w!1icb do iniquity ; andjhaU caft them into a fUr .. Abtth. a1o31. nact offire. At the end of the world, the Angels jhaU oome forth, and fiver the wick.!d from among the jufl, and lhaU ea}! them into the furnace of ji>'e, &c. · Direl1. 3 • §. 16. Direct. 3• Vnderftand.our near affiniiy 1r rtl.2tion to tbe Angrls, and how they an4 we are COII• cerncd in each others condition an'd ajfair1. As tO our Nature our Immortal fouls are kJn or lilt..! unto the Angels, theugh our Bodies are but like the Brutes. Thofe fouls that are created afc~:r the image ofGod, in their very Natural EtTence (as Rational and Free agent/) befides his Moral Inuge of fanctity, Geu. 9· 6. may well be faid to be lilr.! the Angelt: He madt "'little lon>cr than the Angelt, Pfo!. S. 5• And God hath made us their charge and care; and therefore no doubt hath given them a fpecial Love unto u1, to fir them to the due performance of their trufi. As Minijlers have a tpecial paternal Love to their flocks, and as Cbriflians are to have a [pecial Love to one another to tnable and eng:zge. them to the duties appointed them by G9d towards each orher; fa thefe rxcellenc Spirits have no doubt a far purer and greater· love, to the Image of God upon the Saints, and to the S•inrs for the Image and. fake of God; than the dearefi friends and holieft perfons on eauh can have; For they are more holy, and they are more prrtectly conformed to the mind ofGod, and they love God bimfelfmorc per– fectly than we, and therefore for his fake do love his people much more perfectly than we. And therefore they arc more to be loved by us·than any morrals are ; both becaufe rhey art: more excel~ 1ent 1 pure and amiable, and becaufc they have more Love to us. Moreover the Angels afe fervants of the lame God, and members of the fame fociety which we belong to. They arc the Inh>.birants of the heavenly Jtrufalcm 1 of which we are heirs: <fbey have pnffrffion, .tnd we have title, and fhall in time poJ[cJj it. We are called to much of the fame employment with them: we mull lovt the fame God, and glorifie him by obedience, thanks and praife, and fo do they. Therefore they are Minillcrs for our good, and rejoyce in the fucccfs of their labours, as rhc Minifiers of Chrifi on earth do, Heb. I· 14• There iS not a finner £onverted, but it is tht AngelsJoy, Luke r5· ro. which lheweth how much they attt'nd that work. I:Yc are come to Mount Zion, and 'mto the City oftbt Jiving God, tbeheii.vtnly Jc:rufalc:m, and to myri~Jds ofAngelJ, &c. Hcb. 12. 22, 23. 24· Tiu:y arc: tfpecially prefent and attendant on us inour holy Afrcmblies and {ervices ofGod; and theretore we are adrno– ni{hed to reverence their prefencc, and do nothing before them that is finful or unfeemly, I Cor. zr.zo. Eccle{. 5· 6, The pr&nce of God, and the Lord Jefu; Cbrift, and the c/e{J Angel1, rnufi continually awe us into exact obedience, 1 1im. 5· 2 I. With the Church they pry into the m)fierie of the difpenfari~ ons of the Spirit to the Church, I Ptt. r. 12. And fa by tht Church, rhat is, by Gods dea~ings wirh the Church, ismade J:..nown the manifold wifdom ofGod, even to thde heavenly principali.tier and power!, £ph•.3. w. In conclufion, Chrifl telleth us that in our flare of blcffednefs we lh•II be tqu•l to the An· gels, Luk~ 20· 36. and fo !hall Jive with them for ever. 7Jjrel1. +• 9· 17. D irect. 4• fP'henyour thougbu of Htaven arc floiggering or jlr11ttge, and w!Jtn you art tempted to doubt whether indeed there i1 [r1cb a life of glory frJr the Saintr, it may be a greott help toyour faith, to thin~(, of the world ofAngtlt that already do poJ!t[t it. That there are fuch excellent and happy inhabi– tants of the fuperiour Orbs, befides what Scripture faith, c:vcn reafon will firongly perfwade any ratio~ nal man: r. When we confider that Sea, and Land, and Air, aod all places of this lower bafer part of the
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