Of our [ommunion with the holy .Atlgels. Dirtll. 9· §: 22· Dired:~ 9· Whm you are temp~ed to dejire •ny in~rdinate eommwnion rrith .Angtls, a1 vifibly ap· pearmg or afftllmg your finfer, or to g<vt tbtm any part •f tht Office or honour of ]tfos Cbrift, thtn T;mer An~•- thi11/t how fuitablt that Offict ir to yourf.if'ety and bentjit li>hich God bath affigntd them, IIJtdhow much ~~~,~~:a~a~b thty the~felvu abborr afpiring o~ uf".r~ation '{~he OJ!ice or honour of tll.eir Lo.rd :_ And c!Jnjider bO'R' much mrl, quam more fiutablc to you~ be?efit thu {ptrlllt~l mrnifirauon of tkt Angels'!' th_a~ if they appeared to xs in videt in Deo bodily jhapes. In th1s fpmtual comrnumon they act accordmg to then fpmcual nature, wjrhout dc– fublim:nam. ceit: And they ferve us without any terrible appearances; and without any danger of drawing us to Gugor, fenfitive grofs apprehenfions of them, or cntifing us to an unrneet adhefion to them, or honouring of .them : wh<reas if they appeared to us in vifible !hapes, we might eafily be atfrighted, confounded and left in doubt, whtrher they were good Angels indeed or.not. It is our communion withGod himfelf that is our Happinefs. And communion with Angels or Saints is defirable but in 'order unto this: That kind of communion with Angels therefore is the befi, which moll: advanceth us tocommunion with God: And that reception of his mercy by infiruments is befl, which leafi endangereth our inor– dinate adhcfion to the Inflrurnents, and our negled: of God. We know not fo well as God, what way is befi and fafei\ for us : As it is dangerous dcfiring to mend his Word by any fancies of our own, which we fuppofc more fit ; fo it is dangerous to dc:fire to amend his Government and Pro– vidtnce, and Order, and to think that.another way than that which in aature he hath fiated and ap– pointed, is more to our benefit. It is dangerous wifuing God to go out of his way, and to deal with us, and conduct us in by-wayes ofour own; in which we arc our fclves unskilled, and of which we little know the iffue. Dirr/1. IO· ~· 2 3. Direct. 10· Whenyou art •pt to be terrified with tht [tar of Devils, thinJt then of the guard ofAngtli, and bow much greater jlre•gth ir for you than •gainftyou. Though God be our 0\lly fun– damental fecurity, and our chiefcft confidence mull be in h1m, yet experience teUeth us how apt we are to look to inHruments, and to be affected as fec.ond caufes do appear tomake for us or againfi us: Therefore when appearing dangers terrific us, appcailng or fecondary helps ihould be obfervcd to corn• fort and encourageus. Diret1. 1 ,. ~· 2+· Dire&. 11- Labour to anfwer the grw and holy Lo•• ofAngtlr with {Nch great andholy Lwe . d _ to thtm, aJ may help you againft your unwiUingne{s , to dye, And mak.! you long for the comp•ny of them ~~~u~s gr~~r1 ' whom you fa much Love.. And whtHd~ath feemeth terri!tle to you be~au{t t~e world to come {etnJI jlr 11 nge, ramis cufiodj. remember that you are goutg to the focuty of tbofe Angel1, that rt)Oyced Jn your crmver{ton, and mini· bus: r~dame- fired for you here on earth, and are ready to convoy yo_ur foult 111 Cbrift. Though the thoughts of mus eos God and our bleffed Mediator !hould be the only final obj<ct to attract our Love,and make us long to be a"'"'"m pof- in Heaven, yet under Chrill, the Love and company of Saints and Angels mufi be thought on to fur– [~~u~eb~~~ thc:r our defire and delight : For even in HeavenGod will not fa be All tous, as to ufeno crtature for eff•lluofe,&c. our comfort : Othcrwife the glorified humanity of Chri!l would be no means of our comfort there: B.,·..,d.. And the heavenly ]trHfalemwould not then have been fet out to us by its crea<cd excellencies as it is Vz "r" fi Rev. 2 r- & 22. Nor would it be any comfort to us in the Kingdom of God, that we ihall be with ;~c~ti 0 s!:fri Abraham, Ifaac and Jacob, Luke 13· 28. Matth.S. II· ~;g~i:;li~~ntiis, indienos nos judicaverint prxfentia & vilit2tione fua, &,. Cavcmda efi nobis eOIUiii olfcD(3,. Be ia his mjximeCx~ ercendum, quibus cos novimus ob!e1~bri : Ha!c autem placent eis qu<£ in Aohis inYenire deleCht, ut eft fobnctu, cafii!as, &c. In quovis angulo revewniam exbibc Angelo, ne audeas ill• praefente, quod me 11identc non auderes. BcrnarR. Dirt/1. 12· Dire/1.13• ~· 25- Direct. 12• Pray for the prottfrion atd help of Angelr, ar p~~rt .oftLt btntjits procurtdfor tht Saints by Chrijl: and bt tbankful for it ar a Privileclge of believm, exceUm& all tht dignities ofthe 1111 • godly. And .,a/~ with a reverence of lheir prefcncc ; efPcciaDy in the worjhipfing of God. It is not fit fuch a mercy ibould be undervalued or unthankfully received: Nor that to ordinary a means ef our prefervation ibould be over-looked, and not be fought of God by prayer. But the way to keep the Love of Angels, is to keep up the Love of Gd : And the way to pleafe them, is to pleafchim : t'or Hil will is theirs. ~· 26. Dire&, I3· In aV the Worjhip you perform to God, remember th., you joyn witb theAngelsof Htaven, and bearJDHr part. t.o mak.! up the Confort: Do it therefore with that holinefs, and reverence and affection, as remcmbringnot only to whom you fpeak, but alfo what companions you have: And let th,erc not be too great a difcord either in your hearts O'. praifes. 0 think .with what lively joyful minds they praife their glonous Creator: and how unwcaned they are 111 thm mofi blcffcd work ! And labour to be li~e them in Love and Praife, that you may come to be equal with them in their Glory, LukJ 20. 36. · Cafe~
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