636 THEANGELScoMPAREDTOTHEFACEoFANEAGLE. BooklV. Saints, whofe Neceflity requires prefent Relief, live far afunder. 3· Becaufe the De– vils are fwift to do mifchief, therefore they are fwift to defend, fuccor, and do us good. M ET AP H OR. III. Eagles are frefh and lively always; Age and Sicknefs works not upon them, as upon otherBirds. The Eagle in her Age, faith a great Writer, is ufeful. Plin)' faith, they never die with Age, nor Sicknefs, but by Hunger; her upper Bill groweth fo much over the under, that fhe cannot open her Mouth to take in Suftenance, and fo die;. Her Age is faid to be renewed by often changing of her Feathers. PARALLEL. Ill. Angels never grow old, they are alwayo ftrong and hvely, they know no Sicknefs, their Service cloth not weac them out. TheCherubims before the Mercy-Seat, which reprefented the An– gels, were without Beards, to fhew their Vigor, V1vac1ty, and Youthfulnefs. Men foon decay, their Strength and ACtivity many times on a fud– den is gone. Sin hath brought this upon us; if Man had not finned, he had never decayed, but retained an immortal Vivacity: Angels finned not, and fo retain their firft Livelinefs. N F E R E N C E S. p!RS'f; From hence we may infer, that Angels are fit for publicle and great Service. They have four Faces, a Man's, a Lion's, an Ox's, and an Eagle's; which !hew they have all that is requilite to great Undertakings. They have Wifdom to confult, to contrive and manage the Affairs of the World prudentially; they have the Strength of a Lion, to execute; they have the Willingnefs and Faithfulnefs of the Ox, to rejoice the Heart of the Commander, and Patience to undergo the Difficulties of their Work, and Ufefulnefs of the Publick; they are quick-lighted, to difcern and prevent the Defigns of Enemies, and fpeedily to difpatch much in a little time, and that with Cheerfulnefs. This is meant by their four Faces; which notes their Perfec– tion, and Fitnefs for Service in all Parts of the World; in regard of which they are faid to have one Face before, and another hehind, and one or. each fide. God fets forth their Serviceablenefs by thefe Creatures, both rational and irrational; they have the Shapes of Men, Birds, and Beafts. Secondly; That fuitable Perfons ought to be employed in public and great Service. God employs Angels in the Government of the World, who are wife, trufty, ftrong, and fpeedy; and you know what Men God calls for in the State, Exod. xviii. 21. viz.. Such as fear God, Mm of 'truth, hating Covetoufnefs; and in the Church, 1 Pet. v. Bijhops muft not lord it over God's Clerg)'. They are not Lords, but Servants: They ought not like Princes, to dwell in Hately Palaces, in Pride and Jdlenefs ; but daily to t\udy, and preach God's holy Word, and labor in God's Harveft, like as an Ox is faithful and laborious to his Owner; not inftead of preaching, and ftriving to build up God's Houfe, plot and contrive Ways to pull it down; and inftead of feeding, undo and ruin fuch as are faithfu l in the Land. 'thirdly; Angels are noble and glorious Creatures, and yet difdain not to do fervice to them that are far beneath themldves. Man at firft, when in his Glory, was but a little lower than the Angeh, Pfel. viii. 5· but fince he finned, he is degraded, and fallen as low as Hell; he hath a vile Body, a defiled Confcience, and a polluted Soul: Yet the Angels, tha' are ftiled Gods, holy Ones, eleCt, that are of the Privy– Council of Heaven, thele bleifed Creatures are not afhamed to ferve and wait upon us, rhouoh we have the Scent of the Earth and Hell about us, anti do often grieve and offend them with our Mifcarriages; yet they defpife us not, but cheerfully minifter unto us. What Pride is it then in Men, that h•ve Pans, Places, Honor, Greamefs, ·crace, &c. not to ftoop to thofe that are their Inferiors! They have nor more Worth in them than an Anoel, and Angtls condefcend to ferve us; therefore let us not mind high 'things, but co::dejcend to Men of low Ejlate, and not be wife in our own Conceit, Rom. xii. 16. Fourthly; There is one Thing more remarkable touching their Faces, viz. the Faces -were lhetched upward ; lo Montanus, and orhers read it, 1he)' looked up to him that fat upo11 the 'throne, wbich was Chrijf. The Cherubim's Faces, Exod. xxv. 20, 21. were towards the Mercy-Seat. Fiftbly; Obferve, all Creatures depend upon the Lord J efm Chrift. Thefe Angels have tht Face of Men, Lions, Oxen, E•gles, and look up to him. If there were no3 thmg
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