one before another, nor do any thing by partiality, or according to his own inclination as before God, and the Lord. Jefus Chrift, and the elect angels; intimating their prefence, and intereft in our church affairs. The angel of the Lord that defendeth the church, doth perfecute and chafe the wicked enemies. Pfal xxxv 5, 6. they convey departed fouls to bleffedness, which is an ordinary work, Luke xvi 22. they are reapers that at the last shall bun. dle up the tares for burning, and fhall fever the wicked from among the juft, Mat. xiii. 39, 40. and fhall gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other,' Mat. xxiv. 31. And they are part of the fociety, to which we are brought by Christ, Heb. xii. 22, and to whom we shall be made equal, Luke xx. 30. I fhall not mention the extraordinary miniftrations, as their promulgating of the laws, Acts vii. 53. Heb. xxii. 9. Their fhewing John his revelations, Rev. i. 2. And teaching Da niel to understand Dan. viii. 16, 17 and ix. 21, 22, 23. Their miniftring to Christ, Mat. iv. 11. And ftrengthning him Luke xxii. 43. with abundance more fuch in ftances; it being my business only to prove their miniftration in our ordinary concernments, which the fore-cited texts do evidently prove. And how many points are currently received among us, that have not a quarter fo much fcripture evidence as this? Did not greater business call me off, I should ftay to improve fome other argument. As, 2. From the contrary employment of the malignant fpi rits. 3 From the fuitableness of our fuppofition to all God's workings, who hath chofen to glorify his wisdom by do ing things by fuitable inftruments, and concatenated means; and to glorify his goodness by taking his creatures into the work and honour of doing good, in fubordination to him; he could have enlightned and enlivened us without the fun, but he would not. He calleth his minifters co-workers. with Christ, no marvel then if his angels have fuch ho nour. Thefe, and other arguments I must pretermit, and in the conclufion firft lay down fome excellent confequents of 123 this this doctrine; and fecondly defend it against the accufati ons of the contrary. 1. The doctrine of angels miniftration acquainteth us with much of the frame of thofe admirable means by which the providence of God doth work in the governing of the world, and the glorifying of his name. If this be unknown, we shall be ftrange to the wonderful appearances of God's wifdom, and goodness, and power which will be much obfcured by hiding fo excellent a part of the effects. As in a watch, or any excellent engine, to know the parts in themselves is nothing, unlefs we know them in their refpects to other parts, and their place, and ufe, and office in the frame; So is it in this glorious part of the frame of creation and providence; to fay the angels are excellent creatures, and made to glorify their creator, is but to exprefs their nature and their common end, and not their fpecial office and work, as they refpect the whole fociety; and the fingle ftrings will make no melody, but as they are tuned and touch'd in harmony. 2. This doctrine of angels miniftration acquainteth us with much of the unity of the whole family in heaven and earth: When all the parts are fo harmoniously connexed in their refpects and ufe. And it declareth the excellency of holy love, and humility and obedience, which these noble fpirits exercife in their condefcenfion to the meaneft Christian at the command of God; and reproveth us that are fo fcant in love, humility, and obedience, as to be backward to the fervice and benefit of each other. 3. It ferves to take off the inordinate defire of vifible and extraordinary converfe with angels; when it is underflood that they are appointed to be ordinarily, and invifib ly serviceable to us, in a more fafe and suitable way. 4. It very much helps our faith in the point of the immortality of the foul, and the like to come; when we understand, that there is a world of fuch nobler fpirits employed about us, and therefore that we are not creatures fo contemptible, as to be uncapable of another life: And that we shall be made like angels, and have their communion in glory, when we have fuch communion with them in the flate of grace. 7. It fhews the glory of our Redeemer, who as head of the church doth use the ordinary service of such noble spi. rits for the welfare of his body, 6. It is fome relief to our weak and diftant lapfed na tures, that as we have a Mediator between us and the Fa ther, fo there are (though not mediators, yet) a glorified world of bleffed fpirits, poffeffors already of the happiness we feek, and helpers to our falvation; fo that in our meditations of the world to come, we may have fome more low familiar thoughts that are neceffary to our weakness, and are not amazed and deterred by looking only at the infinitely diftant majesty of God; and who knoweth not how great an encouragement familiarity is? and how much fa miliarity is affifted by proximity. Object. 1. But it will draw down the mind from God. Anfw. Chrift's human nature also, and minifters and all creatures may be so abused; but of themfelves they are helps to lead us to God. Object. 2. This doctrine will introduce the worshipping of angels, and praying to them Anfw. We mult not forbear declaring the excellency of angels, nor their confeffed extraordinary miniftry for fear of fuch abufe; therefore neither their ordinary ministrati on: nor must we deny the ordinary ufe of the fun, left men idolize it, nor of ministers of the gospel that further our falvation, left men should worthip them with that which is not their due. The Holy Ghoft hath exprefly warned us, that no man beguile us of our reward in a vo luntary humility, and worshipping of angels, intruding into thofe things which he hath not fen, vainly puft up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the head,' &c. Col. ii. 18. 19. and fo hath cautioned us against this abule. And we must not deny a great truth in Chriflianity, for fear of giving occafion to popifh misuse of it. Object. 3. It will fill the world again with a multitude of curious, vain enquiries about angels, which the fchools abound in, Anfw. We must not fhut our eyes against plain truths, left wanton wits fhould trouble the world with starting other queflions about unrevealed things: Vain queftions Z 4 are are no where fo perilous as concerning God himself. And yet no knowlege is fo neceffary as the knowlege of him. Pardon, dear brother, that in hafte I can give you but this fhort undigested fcript, inftead of what you defire of me. I reft, London Nov. 29, 1661. I Réverend Sir, Your unworthy RICHARD BAXTER. Have perufed your confiderations of the miniftry of angels, thofe pneumata leitourgika, as the apoftle calls them. I remember Theophilact fpeaking of this point calls it, Polle peri emas tou theou kedemoria, The exceeding goodness and care of God; and chargeth us, Me amelein tes toiautes diakonias, Not to be forgetful of fuch a glorious fervice, which we have for our good from these bleffed angels. In the acknowlegement of this truth (their bleffed miniftration for the good of God's elect) I find the concurrence of all; in the exemplification of it fully and par ticularly few or none; in the depravation and proftituting of it to idolatrous purposes more than many. Bleffed be God, who hath given, as to this point, his fpirit; and that light, and understanding, and an excellent wildom is found in you, as was faid of Daniel; in as much that in this tract we find thefe bleffed fpirits, their fervice, without diminution of their glory; their rule and power, with fubordination to the Father of fpirits; their ministry to man, without reluctancy and difdain; their refpect and ufe from faints without fuperftitious adoration; and indeed the whole confideration of them, fo far as falls within the knowlege of men, pithily, plainly, powerfully, pa thetically, practically, fet before us. When the apoftle Paul was wrapp'd up into the third heaven, he heard and faw glorious things, but they were arreta remata a auk exon anthropo lalefai, they were unfpeakable; but he that giveth wifdom to the wife, and knowlege to them that know understanding, hath not only revealed thefe deep and fecret things, but given you utterance and power to exprefs them. Sir, it was ever efteemed a facred thing among amongst the Jews, as is noted by Paulus Fagius, to preferve the memory of any of their Rabbies, who had done fome remarkable fervice for their law, with this refolution, Let their name be bleffed. If the church in which we live, do not the like for this, and the rest of your divine difcourses, yet you have a God in whom you truft, that will one day acknowlege it, and thefe very angels themfelves thall teftify your ample fervice done to them as inftruments under the great Jehovah, and Lord of hofts. Let me only wish you, that you fmother not this light, nor veil fu-g an advantage in confining it to the darkness of private ufe; for if any perfon do difguft, yet understanding perfons will fay of this, and your other labours, as Alphonfus king of Arragon faid of fome learned perfons, Hi mihi dapes, hi conviva. The Lord fanctify this, and all other helps to our edification and building up in Chrift, till we come to the heavenly Jerufalem, and the innumerable company of angels, to the general affembly, and the church of the firft-born. Prefion, Octob. 8, 1661. Yours, W. COLE FINIS The |