Appetites and pretend they cannot resist the attractiveness and unbind the charms that fasten them to the Objects of their impure Desires let it be considered that a little contempt or coldness of the Person by whom they are charmed a favourable aspect upon a competitor will turn their Love into Disdain and break all society between them And shall one Carnal Passion vanquish another and the Terrors of the Lord the Torments of an Everlasting Hell be ineffectual to restrain them The remembrance of this will cover them with Eternal Confusion in the next World The Traveller complain'd of the roughness of the way when a Thorn in his Foot made it uneasie Carnal Men complain 't is a sad task to obey the Gospel but their Lusts make it so 3. 'T is alledged that the striving after perfect Holiness is unnecessary by the Covenant of Grace a Man may be saved without it Before I discover the falseness of this pretence I shall observe that Carnal Men that they may live easily endeavour to make their Principles correspondent with their Practices they bend the Rule to their depraved Appetites and will not order their Life by the holy Rule The cursed and crafty Serpent will assist them in drawing false Conclusions from true Premisses and in opposing the Grace of the Gospel to its Precepts When the Carnal Affections corrupt the Judgment the Mind will give license to the Affections the case of such is dangerous if not desperate Thus the loose Opinion That Men may be saved without absolute Perfection therefore striving after it is unnecessary makes Men remiss in Religion and produces vain delusive hopes that end in fearful disappointments To undeceive Men the following Considerations may be effectual 1. 'T is true we must distinguish between the Preceptive Moral part of the Covenant of Works and of Grace and the Foederal They agree in the former and differ in the latter The Gospel injoyns perfect Obedience as well as the Law but the first makes it the Condition of the Covenant whereas the second makes provision for our Imperfections According to the tenor of the first the transgressing of one Command was a violation of the Covenant and Death was the unavoidable consequence of Sin for entire Obedience was the Condition of it Adam sin'd once and must dye for ever But to sin against the command of the Gospel and the Covenant is not the same The Mediator interposes between the Righteous Judge and the Sinner and Faith in him notwithstanding the killing Law and the accusing Conscience secures us from revenging Justice Only final Impenitence and Unbelief cut off from the benefit of the Gospel 2. Tho' the Gospel allays the severity and rigor of the Law and pardons our defects yet it as strictly requires our sincere earnest endeavours after Perfection as the Law requir'd exact Obedience We are commanded to grow in Grace 't is direct matter of Duty we are obliged to be holy as God is holy in all manner of Conversation the Rule is inflexible and none can by dispensation or priviledge be exempted from serious and constant endeavours to be intirely like God Those who are pleas'd with the pretence that perfect Holiness is unattainable here and indulge their imperfections are in the state of unrenewed Nature They are sure they shall be bad always and therefore will not labour to be better But the Consideration that we cannot attain to the highest pitch of Holiness is a spur and incitation to the Saints to greater diligence as appears by the example of St. Paul before cited 'T is true there are different ages of the Children of God some are as new born Babes in a state of Infancy and Infirmity others in their Minority others are arrived to more maturity and as the crying of an Infant discovers life as well as active mirth so mourning for our Imperfections discovers the truth of Grace And Saints of different Degrees are receiv'd into Glory but none are who did not aim and endeavour to â—leanse themselves from all pollutions of flesh and spirit and to perfect holiness For without sincerity we are not capable of the present favour of God nor future blessedness and sincerity is inconsistent with the wilful neglect of our Duty Grace is a plant of Heaven productive of Fruits suitable to its quality and 't is proper to its nature to be tending to Perfection A Tree that ceases to grow before 't is come to its perfection and brings not forth Fruit in its season withers and dyes A Christian that is unfruitful has no Life but is expos'd to the just threatning of Excision and the Fire He that limits himself in Religion is in a state of Death I have insâ—sted the longer upon this matter that by clearness and Conviction Men may be dis-enchanted from that pernicious perswasion that without using sincerâ— endeavors to be perfectly Holy they may safely go to Heaven 3. I shall add to what has been discours'd of before some other Arguments and Motives to excite us to be intentive to this great work I shall first consider the perfection of the Rule laid down in the Gospel 1. The Moral Law in its purity and perfection that forbids Sin in every kind and degree Thou shalt not Covet and Commands Holiness in the most Spiritual Sublimeness Thou shalt love the Lord with all thy mind heart soul and strength is the Rule of our Duty prescrib'd in the Gospel 'T is true that Personal perfect Obedience as the Condition of Life is abolish'd as was before observed if that lives we must dye for ever But the command binds without relaxation There is no permission of the least Sin by the Gospel The looking to the Brazen Serpent did not alter the deadly quality of the poison of the Fiery Serpent but stopt its deadly operation Faith in Christ does not change the nature of Sin to make it Lawful but hinders its deadly malignity in Working Our Saviour tells us He came not to destroy the Law but to fulfil it And that heaven and earth should pass away before one tittle of it shall fail that is lose its binding Authority 'T is as unalterable as the Law-giver whose purity it represents Not only the Mysterious and Supernatural Doctrines the Objects of Faith but Moral Duties the matters of Practice are fully reveal'd only in the Gospel The Humane Understanding was Darkness to Supernatural Truths and dim with respect to the Rules of Life Our Saviour has clear'd the Law from the false Glosses of the Pharisees who by favourable Explications and Correctives of its strictness instead of curbing their Lusts did cherish and foment them But the Oracle speaks without ambiguity the Interpretation of our Saviour is clear and decisive that the purifying the Heart as well as the cleansing the Hand is an Indispensable Duty Holiness must be so pure that we must not only abstain from polluting acts but quench all polluting thoughts and desires we must not only
carentur r. irascarentur p. 29. l. 24. for content r. concent p. 34. l. 19. for last 1. worst p. 84. in the Margent dele audeo dicere Aug. p. 103. l. 〈◊〉 dele as p. 135. l. 7. for a 〈◊〉 in p. 164 in the Margent for aequanimitur imperitas r. aequanimiter imperitus for insolentur r. insolenter p. 181. l. 21. for never r. ever 2 COR. VII 1. Having therefore these Promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of Flesh and Spirit perfecting Holiness in the fear of God CHAP. 1. The Coherence opened The inconsistency and danger of the Communion of Christians with Infidels The dignity of Believers prohibits it The Promise of Divine Communion obliges them to separate from contagious Converse with Unbelievers The Inference from those Motives The cleansing from all Pollutions and perfecting Holiness Purifying themselves is the Duty of Christians A Principle of Holiness actuated by the supplies of the Spirit is requite to enable Christians to purifie the 〈◊〉 The Pollutions of the Flesh 〈◊〉 the desiring and the angry Appetiâ—â—â—ey defile and debase Humane 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 difficulâ—… makes an easie entrance into the Soul He seems to devest himself of his Apostolical Commission and in the mildest and most tender manner mixes intreaties with his Authority as in a parallel place I beseech you brethren by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ c. 1 Cor. 1. 10. 2. The matter of the Address The cleansing us from all pollution of Flesh and Spirit and the changing us into the unspotted Image of God's Holiness These are the comprehensive sum of renewing Grace and are inseparable The Holy Spirit works both together in the Saints as the Sun by the same emanation of Light dispels the darkness of the Air and irradiates it But they are not merely different notions but different parts of Sanctification For the corruption of Nature is not a mere privation of Holiness as Darkness is of Light but a contrary inherent quality the Principle of all sinful Evils We are commanded to put off the old man and to put on the new To cease to do evil and to learn to do well We must purifie our selves from the pollutions of Flesh and Spirit The Soul and Body in the state of depraved Nature are like two Malefactors fastened with one Chain and by their strict union infect one another The pollution is intimate and radical diffusive through all the Powers of the Soul and Members of the Body The Spirit of the Mind the supreme Faculty with the Will and Affections want renewing We are commanded to perfect Holiness to aspire and endeavour after our original Holiness and to be always advancing till we arrive at the final consummate state of Holiness in Heaven In the fear of God That Grace has an eminent causality and influence in this Sanctification of Christians It is a powerful restraint from Sins in thoughts and acts in solitude and society to consider God's pure and flaming Eye that sees Sin wherever it is in order to Judgment Holy Fear excites us to exercise every Grace and perform every Duty in that manner that we may be approv'd and accepted of God 3. The Motive arises from the excellency of the Promises and the qualifications requisite for the obtaining them 'T is promised that God will dwell in us and walk in us whose gracious presence is Heaven upon Earth Strange Condescension that the God of Glory should dwell in Tabernacles of Clay far greater than if a King should dwell in a Cottage with one of his poor Subjects He will adopt us into the Line of Heaven I will be your Father and ye shall be my Sons and Daughters The qualifications are the purifying our selves from all defilements and striving to be entirely holy By the order of God every Leper was to be excluded from the Camp of Israel and will he have Communion with the Souls of Men over-spread with the Leprosie and covered with the Ulcers of Sin There is a special emphasis in the words saith the Lord Almighty Without the cleansing and renewing of Sinners Omnipotence cannot receive them into his Favour and Family There are fatal bars fix'd which the unholy cannot break through The Proposition that arises from the words is this The Promises of the Gospel lay the most powerful obligations on Christians to strive for the attainment of pure and perfect Holiness In the management of this Subject I will first consider the Duty as acted upon our selves 2. The parts of it The cleansing from Sin and perfecting Holiness 3. The force of the Motives the precious and unvaluable Promises of the Gospel And make Application of them 1. We are commanded to cleanse our selves which is our Duty and implies an ability deriv'd from Christ to perform it It may seem strange that Men in their depraved state should be excited to renew themselves Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean not one yet this Duty is frequently inculcated upon us Wash ye make ye clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes O Jerusalem wash thy heart from wickedness how long shall vain thoughts lodge within thee Cleanse your hearts ye sinners purifie your hearts ye double-minded A clear answer may be given to this 1. There is no productive Principle of Holiness in Man's corrupt Nature but strong aversions from it and inclinations to what is contrary to it There is a miserable impotency to all spiritual Good better express'd with tears than words 'T is natural and hereditary more difficultly cur'd than what is accidental God is the sole efficient in the regeneration of the Soul and the first infusion of Grace and the principal in the growth and improvement of it The Holy Spirit does not work Grace in us as the Sun forms Gold in the Earth without any sense in our selves of his operations but we feel them in all our Faculties congruously to their Nature inlightning the Mind exciting the Conscience turning the Will and purifying the Affections 2. After a Principle of Life and Holiness is planted in us we are by a continual supply of strength from Christ assisted to exercise it in all the acts that are proper to the Divine Life There is a resemblance between the Fruits of the Earth and the Graces of a Christian Seed must be first sowed in the Earth before it springs out of it and when 't is sowed the natural qualities of the Earth Coldness and Driness are so contrary to fructifying that without the Influences of the Heavens the heat of the Sun and showers of Rain the Seed would be lost in it Grace is drawn forth into flourishing and fruitfulness by the irradiating and warm influx of the Spirit But we are subordinate agents in carrying on the work of Grace to Perfection The Apostle exhorts us to work out our own Salvation with fear and trembling for 't is God works in us to will and to do
procuring of Wealth to maintain the state and pomp of the vain glorious Now if these vicious Affections are corrected the inordinate desire of Riches will be suddenly cured But Covetousness in its proper sense implies the seeking Riches for the love of them not respectively to their use From hence 't is the most unreasonable Affection and more inexcusable than any that are derived from the carnal Appetites Now Love is the leading Affection and produces 1. Immoderate Desires of Riches For what is loved for it self is desired with an unlimited Appetite Covetousness like the Grave never says it is enough 2. Immoderate Joy in possessing them A covetous Man is raised and ravish'd above himself in the sight of his Treasures He thinks himself happy without Reconciliation and Communion with God wherein Heaven consists It was a convincing evidence of Job's sacred and heavenly temper that he did not rejoice because his Wealth was great and his Hand had gotten much 3. Anxious Fears of losing them The Covetous suspect every shadow are fearful of every fancy wherein their Interest is concerned They are vex'd with the apprehensions lest they should be oppress'd by the Rich rob'd by the Poor circumvented by the Crafty or suffer loss by innumerable unforeseen and inevitable Accidents Content is the Poor Man's Riches when Possession is the Rich Man's Torment 4. Heart-breaking Sorrow in being deprived of them If you touch their Treasure you wound their Hearts According to the Rule in Nature what is possess'd with Joy is lost with Grief and according to the degree of the Desires such will be the Despair when they are frustrate Poverty in the account of the Covetous is the last of Evils that makes Men absolutely desolate Blind unhappy wretches Eternal Damnation is the extreamest Evil. 'T is infinitely better to be deprived of all their Treasures and go naked into Paradise than to fall laden with Gold into the Pit of Perdition 〈◊〉 Covetousness is vertually in the Actions which are to be considered either in the getting saving or using an Estate 1. The Covetous are inordinate and eager in their endeavours to get an Estate They rise early lye down late and eat the bread of carefulness They rack their Brains waste their Strength consume their Time they toil and tire themselves to gain the present World For when Lust counsels and commands Violence executes Their Eyes and Hearts their Aims and Endeavours are concentered in the Earth Who will shew us any good is their unsatisfied inquiry 1. They are greedy and earnest to obtain great Riches for they measure their Estates by their Desires 2. They will use all means fair or fraudulent to amass Wealth The lucre of Gain is so ravishing they will not make a stand but venture into a House infected with the Plague to get Treasure 2. They are sordid in saving and contradict all Divine and Humane Rights by robbing God their Neighbours and themselves of what is due to them A covetous Man robs God the Proprietor in neglecting to pay what he has reserv'd for works of Piety and Charity as an acknowledgment that all is from his Bounty He robs the Poor his deputed receivers He defrauds himself for God bestows Riches for the support and comfort of our Lives that we may with Temperance and Thanksgiving enjoy his Benefits He wants what he has as well as that he has not 3. They are defective in using Riches If they do Works externally good the spring and motive is vicious and the Ends more surely discover Men than their Actions They do not acts of Piety and Charity in Obedience and Thankfulness to imitate and honour God but sometimes for Reputation and Fame as the Pharisees whose inseparable properties were Pride and Covetousness dispens'd their Alms with the sound of a Trumpet to call the Poor together Other Sins require shades and retirements but Pride to be conspicuously distinguish'd from others 2. Sometimes they do Good to compound with God and appease Conscience for their unrighteous procuring Riches Their Gifts are Sin-offerings to expiate the Guilt contracted by ill-gotten Goods not Thank-offerings for God's free Favours and Benefits To countenance their Opinion and Practice they alledge our Saviour's Counsel Make to your selves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations As if bestowing part of their unrighteous Gains would purchase a discharge from the arrears due to Divine Justice Can there be a more monstrous perverting the rectitude of Truth to conform it to the crooked Lusts of Men St. Austin speaking of this vain and impious Presumption of some in his time advises them Do not form such an unworthy conception of God as were very unbecoming a good Man He is not to be brid'd by offerings of Robbery as if he were a party in the Robbery Such Alms and Legacies are so far from propitiating him that they cry for Vengeance against those that offer them Yet how many who have raised great Estates by Unrighteousness quiet their accusing Thoughts by resolving to bequeath some pious Legacies when they shall leave the World And how often when a Rich Man dyes his last Will dyes with him and is buried in oblivion How can an unrighteous Man confide in the Conscience of another when his own has been so unfaithful Besides that is only ours that remains when all our Debts are paid and till there be restitution of what by Deceit or Force was unjustly got there is nothing to give 2. A covetous Man is very defective in the manner of giving There are internal Affections to be mix'd with the acts of Charity They must be done with readiness and alacrity and no◠wrung out as a Man presses soure Grapes For there is no moral value in Benefits so obtain'd God loves a chearful giver Charity must be unconstrain'd as well as unconfin'd free and respecting all in their Wants and Miseries Now Covetousness makes one as unwilling to part with his Money as to have Blood the treasure of Life drawn from his Veins We are directed to put on bowels of Compassion and to remember them in bonds as bound with them Covetousness infuses an unrelenting frame into the Breast hardens the Bowels and makes them incapable of melting impressions The languishing Looks the pleading Eyes the Complaints and Calamities of the miserable do not affect those in whom Covetousness reigns The tender inclinations of Humanity are quench'd by it 3. The Covetous will not give in proportion to their abilities and the exigencies of others 'T is true an Estate is often more in reputation than in reality and there cannot be a visible convincing proof of Covetousness from the meanness of the Gift but there is a secret proof from the Conscience of the giver and known to God The Widow that gave two Mites to the sacred Treasury was more liberal than those who threw into it richer Gifts God accepts according
Face of God himself I do well to be angry even unto death We read of Moses that he was the meekest man upon the face of the earth Of this there is recorded a very Eminent Effect and Evidence When Aaron and Miriam had contumeliously and seditiously spoke against him as if he had Usurp'd undue Authority Hath the Lord onely spoken by Moses hath he not also spoken by us He might by a sharp reply have confounded them but he was silent Several Circumstances concur to heighten the value of his Victory over himself There was a double offence and violation of the respects due to the dignity of his Person and the nearness of the Relation This Accusation was publick before the Congregation of Israel in the heat of the Contention when there is a great disposition to be fir'd by Anger when the silent and patient bearing the Indignity might be interpreted as a Conviction of his Guilt yet he calmly endur'd their false Charge How great is the disparity between Moses and Jonah 3. In comparing some raised acts of Grace with lower in the same kind there is a perfection attributed to them As 't is in Diamonds many small ones are not of equal value with one great one though of equal weight with it so one act of Piety of Faith of Charity of Self-denial may for its rareness exemplariness and efficacy have such a Divine degree of worth in it that it far excells many less illustrious effects of those Graces As a single act of Wickedness may be so extremely evil so enormously vicious as to exceed many Crimes in its pollution and guilt of the same kind There are some instances of this in Scripture Ahaz in the time of his distress did yet trespass more against the Lord. Judgments in their nature and Gods design are fit means to soften the obdurate as Iron is made malleable by the Fire but to kick against the pricks to be more stubborn by the infliction of Wrath that should Correct Men into their Duty is a wickedness so unnatural and prodigious that it has left a brand of Infamy on him for ever This is that King Ahaz that desperate Rebel against God The Idolatry of Manasses was aggravated with such open Contempt of God that made it infinitely more provoking than the secret Idolatry of others 'T is related he set a carved image that he had made in the house of God of which God had said to David and to Solomon his Son in this house will I put my name for ever He deposed God and with the boldest Defiance set an Idol in his Throne before his Face I will produce some Instances of the Exercise of Grace in its Radiancy and Power both in Doing and Suffering Abraham received a Command Take now thy Son thy only Son Isaac whom thou lovest and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt-offering How many Circumstances with respect to Nature and Grace increass'd the difficulty of his Obedience The Command was so hard God would not permit the fulfilling it Isaac was the Object of his most ardent desires in whom he lived more dearly than in himself When his own Life was almost expir'd and was Miraculously renewed in his Son the Heir of the Promise in whose seed all the nations of the world were to be blessed how grievous to Humane Affections not only to be a Spectator but Actor the Priest to offer the Sacrifice Yet he rose early and went to the place of which God had told him He applied himself without relenting or delay that would have argu'd unwillingness in such a severe Tryal He built an Altar bound Isaac and laid him on the Altar and stretcht out his hand to slay him if he had not been countermanded by a Call from Heaven In this Work was his Faith made perfect and appears in its exaltation This was an Act so pleasing to God that he declar'd his approving and accepting it by a Voice from Heaven His Obedience to the Divine Command to leave his Countrey and go into a strange Land was the excellent effect of his Faith in the Promise of God but less Illustrious than the Offering of his Son The Self-denial of Moses was as perfect and admirable in its kind When he was come to years he refused to be call'd the son of Pharoahs daughter When he understood the value of a Crown with the Honours and Riches annext to iâ— in the Age of Youth and strength whâ—n the Carnal Appetites are vehemently inclin'd to Pleasures and there was an opportunity of the freest fruition then he chose to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season 'T is prudent advice not to choose when the Passions are in a ferment and disorder 't is like eating Meat in a Fever that increases the feverish heat and destroys the Vital A terrible Temptation hinders deliberation and a free judgment of what is our Duty to choose a pleasant Temptation Corrupts the Mind that we do not discern the true from the false Good Yet Moses in that time of his Life when the sensual Passions are most inflam'd and urgent had his Mind so clear and calm that he deliberately and with a full choice preferr'd Disgrace Poverty and Persecution before the variety of attractive Delights that ravish the Carnal Senses Such was the Soveraignty of his Faith that it Compos'd the unruly passions and kept them in Obedience The Patience of Job is as rare an Instance who was expos'd to all the Cruelty and Arts of the Tempter to overcome him If we consider the nature of his Afflictions and their immediate succession like Waves of the Sea that he was suddenly and unexpectedly strip't of his Estate depriv'd of his Children and his Body was cover'd with loathsom and painful Ulcers that Satan was Confident his Misery would so exasperate his Spirit that he would blaspheme God to his Face yet he blest him with the most humble Reverence and resign'd Submission to his Soveraign Will Add another Consideration when his Wife that should have been a Comforter insulted over him and became a Tempter he repell'd her with a Holy Zeal and Constancy The Tempter neither by Assaults on his Body nor by Treachery in his Wise could prevail In him Patience had its perfect work 'T is recorded as the most celebrated Instance in that kind you have heard of the patience of Job and seen the end of the Lord. I shall only add the Example of the three Hebrew Martyrs who when the proud and cruel King commanded them to bow to the Golden Idol or threatned to cast them into the burning Furnace with unshaken Courage expos'd themselves to his Fury to preserve their Integrity In them perfect Love cast out Fear 4. There is a relative Perfection of Holiness according to the several Conditions of the Saints in this Life As in a Garden there are Trees that produce different Fruits
his Sufferings He suffered for us leaving an Example that we may follow his steps He levels the way and makes it like a Carpet by going before us Those Duties which are very harsh to sensible Nature he instructs us in by his Preaching and by his Passion How can we decline them when perform'd by him in whom the glorious Deity was personally united to the tender Humanity His Life was a continual Lecture of Mortification 'T is the Observation of the Natural Historian that the tender Providence of Nature is admirable in preparing Medicines for us in beautiful fragrant Flowers that we might not refuse the Remedy as more distastful than our Diseases But how astonishing is the Love of God who sent his Son for our Redemption from Eternal Death and in his Example has sweeten'd those Remedies that are requisite for the Cure of our distemper'd Passions the taking up the Cross submitting to Poverty and Persecution are made tolerable by considering that in enduring them we follow our Redeemer Can any Motive more ingage and incourage our Obedience than the perswasive Paâ—tern and commandingly Exemplary of our Soveraign and Saviour Can we be averse from our Duty when our Law-giver teaches us Obedience by his own practice Can any Invitation be more attractive than to do that for Love to him which he did for Love to us and our Salvation We are his Subjects by the dearest Titles and our own Consenâ— we are dedicated to his Honour and as the Apostle tells the Galathians If you are circumcised you are debtors to keep the whole Law by the same Reason if we are baptized we are obliged to obey the Law of Faith to order our Lives according to the Doctrine and Example of Christ. An unholy Christian is a Contradiction so direct and palpable that one word destroys another as if one should say a living Carcass or a cold Calenture We must adorn the Gospel of Christ by the sacred splendour of our Actions An innocent Life from gross notorious Sins is a poor Perfection we must shew forth the Vertues of him who has called us to his Kingdom and Glory Men usually observe what is â—minently better or extreamly worse in any kind The excellent Goodness of Christians recommends the Goodness of the Gospel and convinces Infidels that it came from the Fountain of Goodness The Primitive Christians endur'd the Fiery Tryal with insuperable Constancy and the most powerful Argument that inspir'd their Courage despising Life and Death was that Christ was their Leader in those terrible Conflicts he was their Spectator when they incounter'd fierce Beasts and fiercer Tyrants for the defence of his Truth and Glory of his Name and while they were suffering for him he was preparing Immortal Crowns for them This St. Cyprian in his Pastoral Letters to the Christians in Africa represents with such powerful Eloquence that kindled in their Breasts a Love to Christ stronger than Death 3. The Angels are propounded to us as a Pattern for our Imitation Our Saviour directs our desires that the Will of God may be done in Earth as 't is done in Heaven The Will of God is either Decretive or Preceptive The Decretive extends to all Events nothing falls out at Random nothing by rash Chance and Casualty but all things come to pass according to the Counsel of his Will by his Efficiency or Pormission The Preceptive Will of God is the Rule of our Duty This is the Will of God even yoâ—r Sanctification This is intended here for 't is to be performed in conformity to the Obedience of the Angels But â—â—s comprehensive of our resign'd submission to the Will and Wisdom of God in the disposals of Providence as well as to our active subjection to his Commands We are equally obliged to acknowledge and honour his Sovereignty and Doâ—inion in ordering all things as to yiâ—â—d Obedience to his Sovereignty declar'd in his Laws The Psalmist addresses himself to the Angels as our Pattern Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excel in strength that do his Commandments hearkening to the voice of his Wordâ— The Angels are the eldest off-spring of God's Power Glorious Heavenly and Immortal Spirits The Title of Angels signifies their Office their Nature we do not fully know We can tell what they are not not Flâ—sh nor Blood but negatives do not afford Knowledge 'T is not Knowledge to declare what things are not but what they are Their excellency is discovered in Scripture in that the highest degree of our Perfection is express'd by likeness to the Angels The Perfection of Beauty in Stephen is set forth They saw his Face as the Face of an Angel Excellent Wisdom in David My Lord the King is wise as an Angel of God Perfect Eloquence Tho' I speak with the Tongues of Men and Angels And the Apostle in asserting the infinite dignity of the Mediator proves it by this Argument that he is above the Angels To whiâ—h of the Angels did he sâ—y thou â—â—t my Son that is in a high and peculiar manner Now if they had not been in the highest order of Creatures the Argument had not been conclusive yet they are infinite descents below God The Heavens are not clean in his sight the Stars are not pure beforâ— him The Seraphims vâ—il their Faces and their Feet in his glorious presence and cry one to another Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts the whole Earth is full of thy Glory His separate and transcendent Attributes are the Foundation of their Humility and Subjection 2. They received their Being from his meer Pleasure This most free Favour infinitely binds them to his Service A derived Being has dependant operations 3. They are confirm'd in their state of ever-flourishing Feâ—â—city by pecullar Grace In the morning of the Creation Heaven shin'd with innumerable Staâ—â— the Angels of Light of whom a vast number are by their Rebellion become wandering Stars to whom is reserv'd the blackness of darkness for ever How dreadful was their Fall From what Felicity into what Woe Now the good Angels are in a supernatural state without the least danger of Change and Separation from the blessed Presence of God The Grace of Confirmation renews their obligation to the Divine Goodness they are not safe in themselves but their fidelity is secur'd by the continual influence of the Holy Spirit In them is perfect Light and perfect Love the fountains of their Obedience The matter wherein their Obedience is exercis'd is secret to us the Laws and admirable Order in Heaven are not fully discovered But we are assur'd they continually magnifie and celebrate the Perfections of God In this lower World they are ministring Spirits to the Heirs of Salvation the adopted Children of God The highest Angels are not exempted from this Service nor the lowest Saints excluded from the Benefit of it How many unforeseen and inevitable dangers as to Humane prevention do they prevent The evil Angels would