•632 THE HOLY ANGEI.:S COMPARED To AN HOST oR ARMY.BooklV. Others account but feven Orders of Angels, and fome but three. The holy Scrip– ture cloth not fully open and unfold the My!lery of Angels to us in this refpeCl:, there– fore it is good f<>r· us, <~s I faid b•fere, not to be wife above what is written; thou<>h no doubt but there is a moll excellent Order among(t them. And probably rhere ,:;.e different Ranks and Degrees of rhem, and yet all are in ·fubjeCl:ion to our Lord Jefus Chrilt, who is their Pnnce, and f4preme Head, whom they all reverence, worlbip and adore. METAPHOR. ,I!J. An Holt or Army is raifed to make War, and fight under the Banner of their Prince and Sove– reign, and many times do dr.eadful Execution, and make great DdO– .lltion in the Earth. PARALLEL. Ill. The holy Angels, God's mighty Hofr, ~-re employed to fight his Battles, and.at his Command to fall upon his Enemies, ·when all Terms of Peace and Reconciliation are rejeCted, and Sinners are grown incorrigible, &c. \Vhat fearful Execution and Defolation h:we they made in the \'Vorld, when they have ·had Commi!lion from the Al– mighty! Was it not this Hall: that came againlt Sodom and Gomorrah, and the Cities about them, We will dej/roy this Place, Gen.-xix. 13· 2 Ki11gs xix. 35· One of thefe Soldiers dell:royed no lefs than an hundred fourfcore and five thoufand Men in the Camp of the .I!.JJ5'rians. V\1hat Caufe have the Enemies of the Church to tremble, when they confider what a mighty and powerful Army is raifed, and always in readi– nels at God's .Command to fall upon them ! What is the Power of the proudelt Mo– narch here below, when compared to the Strength of the Lord's Hofl:, or Chrill's heaver.ly Army! iV. An Hall: or great Army fometimes breaks in upon a People that are fecure, utterly dellroying and fpoiling them on a fudden. 'V. An Holt or mighty Army hath many fl:aughtering Weapons; .if one cloth not Execution, another .will. VI. An Hail:, or vi[i:orious Army, fometimes meet with great Oppofition, and are fiercely en– gaged by il:out and fl:urdy Enemies, that will not quickly yield, though at !all: they be forced to fly, bei11g vanquiil1ed. METAPHOR. 1. AN earthly Holt or Ar~1y, though ever fO. viCtorious at other times, may yet meet \\-ith their Match, nay, be fometimes worlted. II. Soldiers of an earthly Holt are mortal Men, and may be put to the Sword, or lofe their Lives by the Hands of their Enemies. IV. The Angels of God come.upon the wicked Enemies of Jefus Chrill, and his 'Church, feme– times on a fudden; in one Night was that great Holl: of rhe .I!Jjjrimts dell:royed . .When he cometh t!p u11to the People, he will im•ade them with his 'l'rcops. f-lab. iii. 16. V. So the Angels of God have many fl:augh– tenng Weapons, or \"'ays to deltroy, fometimes by.Famine, .fometimes by Plague, fometimes by the'Sword, and fometimes make ufe of all thefe three together, againil: a People that God refolves utterly to dell:roy, Ezek. ix. 2. VI. The holy Angels of God are fometimes oppofed by evil Angels, who are fierce, il:urdy, and ,·cruel Enemies w them. .l!nd there was War in Heaven: Michael, and his Angels, fought againft the Dragon, and the Dragon fought, and his Angels, and prevailed not, &c. Rev. xii. 7· D IS PAR IT Y. I. THELord's Holl: was never worlted. Though the evil Angels are mighty in Power, and have been oftentimes too hard for the Saints; yet they are not able to ftand before the holy Angels of God. Il. The Angels of God are immortal Spirits, and canr.ot fufl:a1n the Jealt Hurt or Wound, much kfs be !lain, in any Wars they are engaged in againft their Enetpies. I N F E R E N C E S. ·1. '"'HAT Comfort may thi~ adminilter to. the Godly! May I not fay, with the Prophet, Fear ~Jot; for they that be wtth us, are more than they that be wzth them, 2 Ki11gs vi. t6. . . . . . I!. And as it affords Comfort to tbo Samts, lt may ferve to terrrfy Smners, and fuch efpecially as arc Pcrfecutori of the Church of God. How fad i~ t!1eir Condition, con– fidering
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