your self in the Publick Ordinances because of Angels good and bad for when you come to these good and bad Angels come also the Devil to catch the Word from you that you might not be saved but that he might catch and carry your Soul at Death to Hell Good Angels to promote your Conversion now that they may carry your Souls to Heaven hereafter Because of these Holy Angels in the Assembly watch your Carriage shall they see your Eyes rolling after sinful Objects Shall they see you sleeping under the Word or in time of Prayer Will you so grieve those that you hope shall be imployed in carrying your Soul to Heaven Blush more that Angels see you nodding in Duty than that Men see you IV. Tho' Angels shall be so careful of you to carry your separated Soul to Heaven yet be you careful that you now carry nothing to them that is due to God neither your Prayers nor any part of Religious Worship that properly belongs to God Worshipping of Angels is offensive to God and displeasing to them and they refuse to accept it Tho' you were upon your dying Bed you may not pray to them to come and guard you but you may pray to God that he would send them to defend you and carry you to Glory as in another Case Manoah did Judg. 13. 8. Manoah intreated the Lord and said O my Lord let the Man of God which thou didst send come again unto us 9. And God hearkened to the Voice of Manoah and the Angel of God came again 16. The Angel said If thou wilt offer a Burnt Offering thou must offer it to the Lord. V. This is great Encouragement to dying Believers When such an one perceives the approaching of Death that he must get up and ride upon that Pale Horse that will carry him into the other World he might say Farewell Dear Friends Farewell I am going my time is ended my Course is finished I shall be no more with you and when my Soul is departed there is no more that you can do for it Weep not neither be ye grieved I have those that will take care of me when ye cannot God will take Care of me and Christ will take Care of me and the Holy Angels of God will take Care of me I have God's Promise for my Security God's Power for my Protection God's Angels for my Guard The Angel of the Covenant will charge his Angels with me the Messenger of the Covenant will send his Messengers for me The Surety of the Covenant hath undertaken with God for me and for me with God and I shall reap the benefit of his Suretiship and the Blessings of the Covenant for Ever when carried up into Heaven Death will carry me into Eternity and Angels will carry me into a blessed Eternity of Life and Joy with Christ in Glory The Horsemen of Israel are a coming the Chariot is making ready and as Death hastens so do they and will certainly be here as soon as Death if not before Shall I be afraid of Death or Devils or Hell when Angels will meet me at Death's Door and carry me to Heaven's Gates and others let me in to take up my Lodging in Abraham's Bosom This is Ground of support to a Believer on his dying Bed when he must mount the Pale Horse of Death which will carry him into another World that God will charge his Angels to attend and to be read to receive his separated Soul and carry it into the State and Place of Eternal Happiness in the other World This also might alleviate the Grief of surviving Friends which often loads and burdens the Heart because of the Departure of such that while they lived were their Comfort and Delight when they consider the joyful Company of the Holy Angels they have to convoy them to their Eternal Blessed Home their joyful Entertainment there their happy Rest their holy Imployment their inconceivable Joys in the immediate Presence of their Glorious God and Exalted Redemer and the Eternal Spirit and that all this shall be their Happiness to all Eternity It is no blind Charity to conclude that the Soul of this deceased Friend is safely arrived at Heaven and hath his Mansion there when those that knew him best and conversed with him most and had the longest Acquaintance to observe his Conversation can and do affirm that his whole Life was very Exemplary suitable to his Profession and worthy of others Imitation When I was at his Funeral a grave solid and judicious Christian said to me I have known him from his Begining to his End and think that whatsoever migh be said of an Upright Man might be said concerning him He was very diligent in Redeeming his time Improving it in the Duties of his particular and general Calling cautious and watchful that he might not waste nor mispend the Hours of his Life for tho' he had a considerable Estate yet he was as laborious in his Station as if he had not Bread to eat till he had got it by his Hands not from a covetous Desire of Gain which was manifest in that the same Hands that worked for it were as ready to give it as the Necessities of others called for it For to my Knowledge he gave a considerable Allowance for many Years towards the Education of a poor Scholar whom when he heard preach before he died said to me he thought his Money well bestowed and was a Comfort to him that it had been so rightly placed and that he saw such Fruits of what he had therein done He was more than ordinarily ready to promote the Preaching of the Gospel amongst a People that by reason of their low Circumstances were not able to procure it one Instance I remember when a Friend of mine did but mention the Case of such a People in the Country tho' he did not ask him yet before they parted I saw him give several Pounds to be towards the Maintainance of a Preacher for that Year Another special Friend of mine of his intimate Acquaintance told me since his Death that once he desired some Assistance from him for the Relief of a very fit Object of Charity more than ordinary for which purpose he readily beyond his Expectation gave many Pounds After some considerable time intervening the same Person upon another extraordinary Occasion renewed his Request for his Help and he chearfully gave him upon that Account as much as he did for the other Whereupon my Friend told me that such a Free-giver spoiled him for a Beggar for others as to him for after that he could never prevail with himself to ask him any more who was so easily prevailed with to give so liberally He was an earnest desirer of the Welfare of the Souls of others for I know that he hath often bought many Dozens of Books of several Subjects and given them to Poor Persons and Families asking nothing but that they would take them and
to Heaven shall be dragged down to Hell they shall have the Recompence of all their Wickedness pour'd into their Bosom and of all their Reproaches wherewith they have reproached the Lord. God now saith That then he will not keep Silence but will recompence into their Bosom and will measure their former Works into their Bosom 5. Whatsoever Soul would be carried up to Abraham's Bosom must be laborious in Religion while he is here He must neither hide his Sins nor his Hand in his Bosom not the one from parting from it nor the other from working with it The slothful Man that hideth his Hands in his Bosom and will not so much as bring it to his Mouth again must starve because he will neither work nor eat And he that hideth his Sin in his Bosom and will not so much as bring it to his Mouth Penitently and with Brokenness of Heart to confess his Sin shall be damned for his Sin Angels will carry no Idle Slothful Souls to Heaven Abraham's Bosom is no Place for Loiterers It is those that Fight and Run and Wrestle and Overcome that shall have Repose and Rest in Abraham's Bosom For The Kingdom of Heaven suffereth Violence and the Violent take it by Force III. Observation A gracious Soul separated from the Body is presently carried by Angels into a State of Happiness in Heaven At Death it is not annihilated nor doth it sleep with the Body neither doth it stay in any other supposed Place but is instantly on its Journey to Glory and immediately passeth into the Celestial Paradise The sure Word of God doth assure us of this and if we believe the one we must grant the other since it is so express and full in the asserting of this Doctrine that is so comfortable to sanctified and prepared Souls Designing Brevity in this I shall only alledge a few Texts that do confirm it Luke 23. 43. Jesus said unto him Verily I say unto thee to day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Where note 1. The Asserter Jesus said unto him the penitent dying Thief 2. The Manner of his Assertion Verily I say unto thee A Word of Asseveration commonly used by Christ in Matters of great undoubted Certainty and Moment 3. The Thing Asserted To Day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Where observe 1. The Place spoken of That is Paradise that is the Third Heaven where God doth manifest his Glorious Presence Thus Paul speaking of a Man caught up to the Third Heaven presently subjoins He was caught up into Paradise by Two Words intending one and the same Place 2 Cor. 12. 2 4. 2. Who should be in that Place of Paradise Thou that art now a dying Man Thou that is thy Soul for of his Body it could not be understood 3. With whom the penitent Thief should be in Paradise With Christ Thou that art with me on the Cross shalt be with me in Heaven 4. When his Soul should be with him in Heaven To day To day thou shalt die and to day thou shalt have Eternal Life To day thou shalt expire on the Cross and to day thou shalt have a Crown of Glory in the Highest Heavens The different Pointing of the Words corrupting the Sense is such a bold Attempt that should it be admitted in other Places as the Opposers of the Soul 's immediate passing into Glory sawcily do in this it would be such a mangling of the Scripture that we should be at a Loss to know the Meaning of many plain Texts What need had Christ to speak the Words thus Verily I say unto thee to day Did not he know Christ then spake to him Did not he hear him And did he hear him that Day and could not he tell that Christ spake to him that day except Christ added to Day I say unto thee What need Christ add his asserting Verily to these Words I say unto thee to day Could not the Thief trust his own Ears that he then heard Christ say to him except Christ add Verily I do asâ—ure thee that it is to day that I say this to thee Which is greater Ground of Support and Comfort to a dying Penitent to acquaint him I say unto thee to Day thou shalt be with me in Paradise but I do not tell thee when nor how many Thousand Years hence this shall be thy Happiness or thus Verily I say to thee to day this very Day thou shalt be with me in Paradise It is but a Dream that the Soul shall sleep when a Man dies A Second Text is 2 Cor. 5. 6. Therefore we are always confident knowing that whilst we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord Ver. 8. We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the Body and to be present with the Lord. Here note 1. While the Soul is in the Body we are in our Earthly Home 2. While the Soul is in its Earthly Home it is absent from its true Home which is in Heaven from the Vision and Fruition of God in Glory 3. When the Soul doth leave its Earthly Home it goeth to its Heavenly Home for when it is absent from the Body it shall be present with the Lord in the Glorious Enjoyment of him to all Eternity 4. The Opposition of these Two is immediate To be present in the Body is to be absent from the Lord To be absent from the Body is to be present with the Lord. 5. The Confidence of the Apostle that there is such a Glorious State which is the reason of our Willingness to leave the Body that from thenceforth we might be with the Lord in Heaven Deny the Souls immediate passing to God in Glory and you take away the Reason of the Choice rather to be absent from the Body than to be present in it The Third Text is Phil. 1. 23. For I am in a Straight betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Note 1. The Apostle's Straight Two things were before him to live or die Reasons swaying him sometimes to the one sometimes to the other For the Good of God's Church it would be better for him to live than die Ver. 22. For his own Advantage it would be better for him to die than to live Ver. 21. This was his Straight 2. His own Inclination and vehement Desire in respect to himself that he would chuse rather to depart than to continue upon Earth 3. The Reason of his Desire and Wilingness to depart that he may be with Christ But there would be no Reason in this Reason if by departing he should be nothing the sooner with Christ 4. The Preference of one State before the other or the comparing of the one with the other It is better to die and be with Christ There is an excellent Gradation in the Text It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 better It is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 far better It
is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 far better by much But if a Believer die and the Soul is not the sooner with Christ than if he had lived longer it would not have been better but worse for while the Apostle lived he had himself much Communion with God but if he departed and not with Christ he had none While he lived he was useful and profitable to the Church on Earth but after his Departure he could not While he lived he did glorify God on Earth but if he departed and went not to Christ he could not glorify him neither on Earth nor in Heaven While he lived he knew God and loved him and delighted in him and was sensible of God's Love to him but if he departed and went not to Christ he was capable of none of these and so still it was worse far worse far worse by much to depart than live This might be largely improved by way of use which I hope you will practically use in all your Ways though I cannot stay to speak what ye should and I hope you will do if you keep in Remembrance that a pious separated Soul is presently on his Journey to the highest Heavens and who shall be his Convoy thither Which was my first Design in chusing this Text to entertain your thinking Minds upon this Occasion IV. Observation The Holy Angels of God are the Bearers that carry the separated Souls of Believers into Heaven Men take care for the Bearers of the Body when dead God takes care for the Bearers of the Soul when departed Men are Bearers that carry the Body to the Grave Angels are the Bearers that carry the Soul to Glory Men mourning follow the Corpse to the House appointed for all the Living Angels triumphing go along with the Soul to the Mansions prepared for all the Believing The Ministration of Angels for the Good of Believers is asserted in general in Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all ministring Spirits sent forth to minister for them who shall be Heirs of Salvation Where may be noted 1. The Nature of Angels They are Spirits intellectual immaterial immortal and active Creatures the noblest and most refined Part of God's Creation more excellent than Man yet Servants to Christ their Lord. 2. Their Office They are Ministring Spirits 3. Their Number All of them are so if there be Degrees and Orders among them all and every one of them from the highest to the lowest are God's Servants waiting and attending upon him to go and come as he appoints for the Good of the People of God whose Fellow-servants they own themselves to be Rev. 19. 10. and 22. 9. 4. Their Commission Being sent before they go they must have their Warrant from God before they move Psal 103. 20. Bless the Lord ye his Angels that excell in Strength that do his Commandment hearkening to the Voice of his Word tho' they have Power to Act yet they must not nor do they stir without a Command from God 5. Their Execution They are sent and then they Minister They hearken to the Voice of his Word and then they do his Commands 6. The Object of their Ministration or the Persons they are charged with Such as shall be Heirs of Salvation Angel is a Word not so much to signify their Nature as their Office that is to say they are Messengers to go at the Command of their Sovereign Lord upon his Errands from Heaven to Earth and back again from Earth to Heaven Gen. 28. 12. And he dreamed and behold a Ladder set upon the Earth and the Top of it reached to Heaven and behold the Angels of God ascending and descending on it The Ministration of Angels in the Behalf of those that shall be Heirs of Salvation from their Birth to their Death yea and sometimes before their Conception is copiously treated of in Scripture but from their Death to their Passage to Heaven and afterwards is more sparingly mentioned but one Saying of Christ as this concerning the Poor Man's Soul is sufficient Evidence of their conveying of them from the Place where they die to the Place where they shall live for ever It will be needful to more clear Procedings about the Angels conveying the Souls of Believers from their Death to the Place and State of Happiness to premise some Propositions which are 1. That God by his absolute Power is able to do those things which in the ordinary course of Providence he maketh use of second Causes to accomplish and bring to pass What he doth by Means he can do without any Means he hath tied us to the use of Means which he himself is not obliged thro' any need of them to make use of So by his Power he supported Moses and Elias Forty Days without Eating or Drinking yet in the ordinary Way of God's Appointment that we might live we must both Eat and Drink Therefore when we speak of the Conveyance of Souls by the Ministration of Angels to Abraham's Bosom it is not to be thought that he could not do it without them tho' he doth it by them 2. The Good Pleasure of God is the highest and most satisfying Reason why he that could safe-guard Souls to Heaven by his own Almighty Power will have them conveyed thither by the Ministry of his Holy Angels To the Querist that seeks for Reasons in the most sublime Mysteries of Religion as Election Special Redemption Effectual Vocation c. why one and not another is an Instance of God's Grace the Answer That it is God's good Pleasure is and ought to be satisfactory Mat. 11. 25 26. Eph. 1. 5 11. and this good Pleasure of God is extended to the Armies of Heaven as well as to the Inhabitants of the Earth Dan. 4. 35. 3. God's good Pleasure in his Government of Angels and Men is made known not only in his Word but also by the Events of his Providence In our present Case Christ relates it as a Matter of Fact done by the Angels that they did carry the Soul of Lazarus into Abraham's Bosom Now we know what Holy Angels do is God's Pleasure they should do for they do nothing but what doth please him That Angels should convey his Soul to Heaven was God's good Pleasure 4. As it is God's good Pleasure to give the Kingdom not to Men as Men but as believing sanctified Men and so to every one that is such to one as well as another So it is the good Pleasure of God that his Holy Angels should convey Souls to this Kingdom not as Souls but as believing sanctified Souls and so every Soul that is such one as well as another It might be thought by some that from this Particular Instance of Angels carrying Lazarus his Soul to Heaven an universal Conclusion cannot be gathered that they thus Minister to all other godly separared Souls But what may be spoken of one Individual under this Reduplication as such of any Kind may be spoken of every Individual
active in resisting the violent Assaults of Devils in Conjunction with the Holy Angels 3. God's Love to and Care of his People is manifested in the Ministration of Angels in that they are charged to be their Keepers in all their Ways Psal 91. 11 12. Now the Way of Believers is Two-fold and they are to keep them in both or else they do not keep them in all 1. In the Way of their commanded Duty in this Life 2. In the Way to their promised Reward and they are in this Way immediately after Death till they enter into Heaven Is it likely God should charge his Angels with them to keep them from Dangers while they keep in the way of Duty and give them a discharge from keeping them on their way to their Reward especially when they are in Danger of Devils not only in the way of their Duty but also passing thro' their Territories on their Way to their Reward passing from Earth to Heaven Do not the Angels of the Lord encamp round about them that fear him to deliver them Psal 34. 7. Do not separated Souls on their Passage fear God with an holy reverential Fear as well as when they were in their Bodies and much more and so have still the Qualification of such as are the Objects of Angels Ministration Do they now encamp round about them on every side to deliver them from Danger while they are liable thereunto and will they decamp from them on every side to deliver them no more tho' surrounded with Dangers after Death till their Souls enter into Heaven Especially when their dearest Friends that take care of the Burial of the Body can be no help to the separated Soul in its Travel to Heaven Their Friends and Relations that ministred to them when sick and on their dying Beds till the Moment they gave up the Ghost from that Instant have no more that they can do unto or for their Souls no not so much as by their Prayers for them And will Angels then forsake them also and afford them no more Help on their way to Heaven than their Friends whom they have left behind can do 4. Holy Angels promote and rejoice at the Conversion of God's Elect because then they have a Right and Title to Heaven Luke 15. 7 10. And will they not be as careful of their compleat Salvation in watching over them till they are put into the actual Possession of their Mansions in Heaven 5. Christ will use the Ministration of Angels for the Salvation of all the Elect as to their Bodies as well as their Souls united to them at his second Coming and will they neglect the Conveying of the separated Soul while the Body till then is left behind Angels shall be Christ's Servants then 1. In gathering together all the Elect Mat. 24. 31. 2. In separating between the Righteous and the Wicked and severing the one from the other Mat. 13. 49. 3. In catching them up to meet the Lord in the Air 1 Thes 4. 17. All the Elect that shall then be raised and found alive shall be caught up as in the Arms of Angels to such a Meeting with their Saviour as after it shall be no parting for they shall be with the Lord for ever Use I. Terrour Learn hence the woful Case of every impenitent Soul as soon as separated from the Body Every finally-unbelieving Sinner's dying Day will be a doleful dreadful dismal Day His expiring Moment will be the Beginning of such Horror as the Soul was never in before because that very Moment it shall be seized by Devils that stand waiting for it and shall lay hold on it as ravening Wolves as roaring Lions as enraged Tygers leap upon their Prey Luke 12. 20. God said unto him thou Fool this Night 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 they that is Devils shall demand thy Soul of thee The word signifies to require ones own which is his due with Vehemency to call for it and to demand it from one tho' unwilling to give it yea as it were by Force and Violence to wrest it from another as owing to him This Fool sinned all Day and died at Night He served the Devil all Day and at Night the Devils came to reckon with him to pay him his Wages he took care where to lay his Goods and the Devils took care where to lodge his Soul at Night he reckoned of many Years but he had but that Day he was for taking of his Ease but the Devil took him and put him into Little ease yea carried him to a Place where he could have no Ease nor Rest to all Eternity he was for his Cups and Company and Mirth in both but at Night he had such a bitter Cup and frightful Company that spoiled his Mirth and turned it into Mourning If one Devil in some frightful visible Shape should appear to you in the deep and silent Night what Terrour would the sight thereof fill you with Would not such Fear and Trembling come upon you as would make all your Bones to shake and make the Hair of your Head stand up when your Heart and Courage would so fail you that you your self would be ready to fall down as when the Discipes saw Christ walking on the Sea they were troubled Saying it is a Spirit and they cried out for fear Oh then what Horror will the Sinful Soul be filled with next Moment after Death Oh What Fear What Trembling What Amazement shall possess it How may we imagine with what direful Shriekings it will cry out and say Who are all these What Black-Guard is this What is all this Host I am fallen into and am surrounded with I never saw such a sight as this I have often been in wicked Company but I never fell into such Company as this Oh! ye greedy Devils Ye furious Furies Ye hasty unclean Spirits What means your Rage Whither do ye hurry me Whither will ye carry me Carry thee First as Jaylors we will carry thee as our Prisoner to the Seat of Judgment to be Tried and being there condemned next as Executioners we will carry thee to the Place of Punishment Oh! My woful Case Oh! My remediless Misery Oh! My hopeless State Are these the Devils I did please Are these they I did so daily serve so readily yield unto They could not in my Body have forced me to Sin but now just out of the Body they do they do oh what shall I do they do force me to the Place of Torment to suffer for my Sin Wo is me Is there no Hope Alas for me Is there none to help Is there no escaping out of these Hands I am so suddenly fallen into Oh that Death had killed me as it hath my Body from whence now I am turned out Oh that I were without Life and Sense as now my Body is My earthly Friends are mourning weeping and groaning over my Breathless Carcass and these Hellish Fiends are rejoicing that I
by that Power they are indued with from God but also by Commission and Assistance from him and therefore when we read of any Fight and Conflict between the Bad and Holy Angels the Good always overcame because Christ who is that Michael is the Lord General of the Heavenly Host and they fight under his Banner and he that is the Captain of our Salvation is the Captain Leader and Commander in Chief of this Heavenly Army Rev. 12. 7 8. And there was War in Heaven Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon and the Dragon fought and his Angels and prevailed not neither was there Place sound any more in Heaven 9. And the great Dragon was cast out that old Serpent called the Devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole World he was cast out into the Earth and his Angels were cast out with him Rev. 20. 1. I saw an Angel come down from Heaven having the Key of the Bottomless Pit and a great Chain in his Hand 2. And he laid hold on the Dragon that old Serpent which is the Devil and Satan and bound him a Thousand Years 3. And cast him into the bottomless Pit and set a Seal upon him that he should deceive the Nations no more Thus the Holy Angels are celebrated for their Power being mighty Angels 2 Thes 1. 7. and do excel in Strength Psal 103. 20. Their Power under God is the Soul's Safety on its Way from Earth to Heaven Secondly The Soul by this Convoy is safe because conducted by such knowing Angels Evil Angels though they have lost all that Holiness they were at first created with yet they retain great Measures of Knowledge therefore we read of the Subtilty of the Stratagems and Devices of the Devil yet the Holy Holy Angels are more knowing than they for when Devils are cast out the good Angels do always behold the Face of God in Heaven Mat. 18. 10. So that God revealing his Will to them about any Matter Message or Person they readily know and as readily execute what he reveals to them to be his Will to be done by them As to our present Purpose by God's Revelation to them 1. They know those that are sincerely Holy for they rejoice at their Conversion 2. They know when any Believer is dissolved by Death and when his Soul is separated from his Body else how should they know when to come for it 3. They know where any Believer dies at home or abroad on his Bed or in the Field by Land or Sea else how should they know where to come for it 4. They know the Soul separated which is the Soul of a sanctified Man and which of one unholy else how should they know which to take and which to leave which to carry to Heaven and which to leave to Devils to be carried to Hell and here thro' Divine Revelation they never make any Mistake 5. They know the Way from any part of this World to the blessed World above by their often coming and going and never miss their Way All which laid together shews the Safety of Believers Souls wherever they live wherever they die whoever they be that there is no fear that they should not be found by the ministring Angels or that finding them at Death they should lose their Way to Heaven So that the separated Soul at the first Appearance of Angels to it will see the Love and Care of God concerning it and with admiring Thoughts thereof may say hath God made known to you the Place where I did leave my Body and the very Moment when I parted from it and that I was sincere in Heart to God and gave you charge to come and guide me in my Way unto his Glorious Presence how chearfully will I go with you knowing that by your Power under God I shall not be seized by evil Spirits and by your Skill I shall not lose my Way Thirdly The separated Soul by Angels Ministration is safe because convoyed by such faithful Angels that are always true to their Trust If a Man be on a Journey in Company that is able to protect him and skilful to direct him yet if any in the Company be unfaithful they may betray him but here can be no Danger nor Ground of Fear in respect of this Convoy 1. Else Holy Angels would not be faithful to God the Father in betraying any one Soul chosen by him to Eternal Life 2. Nor to God the Son in losing any whom he hath redeemed and purchased by his most precious Blood 3. Nor to the Holy Spirit of God by dropping any by the Way which by the special Operation of his powerful Grace he hath prepared and made meet for Glory and had given to them the Pledge and Earnest thereof 4. Nor to the Soul committed to their Charge to bring to Heaven for wherein could greater Unfaithfulness to it be shewn than in what concerns its Eternal State 5. Nor to their own Office or Commission to them without fail to conduct such an one to the Happiness of Heaven Such Unfaithfulness is inconsistent with the Perfection and spotless Purity of Holy Angels which being confirmed cannot at any time fall into the least Error or Miscarriage for then would they cease to be Holy Angels What Joy then is this to the separated Soul that hath such a Convoy sent for it as shall not indanger it by Weakness or want of Power by Ignorance or want of Skill in the Way or by Unfaithfulness or want of Fidelity to their Trust O how happy am I on my Way to Happiness How sure am I my Way will be prosperous How certain is it I shall get safely thither Fourthly The gracious separated Soul will be safe because transported by such zealous Angels therefore called Seraphims because they have a burning Zeal in executing all that God gives them a Charge to do Devils are furious envious and malicious and are bent to destroy devour and damn as many as they can by watching by walking to and fro throughout the Earth by tempting and at last by dragging Souls to Hell when separated from their Bodies The Holy Angels are more for God's Glory the Interest of Christ the Good of Souls than Devils are against them for I suppose the Holy Angels do more exceed in Goodness than evil Angels as bad as they are are filled with Wickedness For in Devils there is something Materially Good besides their Being tho' it may be Formally or Circumstantially Evil as much of their Knowledge but in Holy Angels there is nothing that is Materially or Circumstantially Evil. Therefore the Holy separated Soul received into the Company of Holy Angels on its Way to Heaven may delight it self and say While in the Body I was assaulted with Satans Temptations Devils did endeavour to persuade me to sin but whatsoever Violence they may now assault me with they shall no more with any Hopes entice me from my God and the good Company I
brought to this Possession to be an Heir and Inheritor of such a Kingdom O God the Holy Ghost my Sanctifier I Praise thee I Praise thee I will for ever Praise thee that by thy Powerful changing of my Heart bowing of my Will renewing of my Nature hast prepared me that I might be and am received into this Glorious State I am but newly entred in and I must begin my joyful Praises and because this Happy State shall never end my Praise shall never end 3. The Holy Angels that are in Heaven shall with Joy receive the Soul that is brought by other Angels to the Gates thereof as some of the Angels were ready to come for it so those that staid Above will be ready to set open the Gates for its Entrance for if they rejoiced when it was converted much more will they when actually saved 4. The Saints that were there before will with Joy welcome the New-comers for if Good Men on Earth are rejoiced when others are made Good much more will saved Souls above rejoice when others with them are actually saved and as Abraham did Lazarus receive them into their Bosoms Use III. Exhortation From the Ministration of Angels attending the Souls of Believers at their Dissolution several Duties might be inferred some of which are these I. Give Thanks to God and Praise him for his Love to and Care of you that are his People That he hath made it the Office of such Holy and Noble Spirits to be your Attendants to minister unto you for your Good For if Children should be thankful to God for their good Parents who have loved them and took care of them in their Infancy and provided Necessaries for them all along as they grew up and Orphans for good and careful Guardians and Pupils for good Tutors and People for good Ministers and Subjects for good Magistrates and for all the Good that these have received from them under God as his Ministers to them for Good then we should also for the Good Angels and for the Good God doth convey to us by them as his Servants herein while we live on Earth in the Place of our Pilgrimage Angels looking upon us as Strangers in this World do us many good Turns for it is not to be supposed that these good Angels that are so careful of us when we die should do no Offices of Love to us while we live especially when Scripture sets forth more copiously the Ministration of Angels for us in this Life but more sparingly after Death Tho' they do many things for us when we neither see them nor know they are done by them yet what the Scripture reveals we might as confidently believe and hope for as if we visibly saw it They have been often used by God for his People's Good in many Respects ordinary and extraordinary 1. To direct them in the Way wherein they were to go about their Lawful Imployments that they might not wander Gen. 24. 7. and 32. 1. 2. To Watch them to preserve them from Hurt and Danger pitching their Camps about their Dwellings Psal 34. 7. and many a Night our Safety hath been more from the watchful Angels than the Watchmen in the Streets for except the Lord keep the City which he often doth by Angels the Watchmen waketh but in vain 3. To be instrumental in healing them when they have been sick and diseased We may owe more to Angels herein under God than to the Physicians being more skilful than they and how far godly Physicians might be helped in prescribing their Medicines by the secret undiscernible Suggestions of knowing holy Angels is a thing seldom thought of Joh. 5. 4. 4. To supply our outward Wants when reduced to great Straits 1 King 19. 5 6 7. 5. To bear them in their Arms and to support them by their Power to keep them from pernicious falls Who knows how often Angels have prevented their Falls from their Horses when riding on their Journeys Psal 91. 11 12. 6. To enlarge their Liberty when they have been confined and to deliver them out of Prisons which they may be instrumental in more Ways than one Acts 12. 7 c. 7. To comfort them in their Fears and Perplexities of Mind Isay 6. 5 6 7. Tho' some of these mentioned were extraordinary Cases yet they are apparent Evidences of their invisible Services and of their Ability and Readiness to serve God in ordinary and extraordinary Cases in which God at his Pleasure may command them to help us and we are sure they will obey If for these ye should bless God ought you not thankfully to acknowledge God's Love to and Care of your Souls when separated in sending Angels to be their Convoy to Heaven 1. Because evil Spirits would be too strong for the Soul without a Guard 2. Because your dearest Friends can no way help your separated Soul 3. Because there are no other Second Causes that your separated Souls can be committed to besides the Holy Angels 4. Because it is your Comfort to have such good Company with you on your Way Travelling alone is solitary in a shorter Journey suitable Company is desirable II. Learn your Engagement to Christ for the Reconciliation he hath procured for you 1. With God By the Blood of his Cross he hath purchased your Peace with him Without this Peace made God would have used the Ministration of Angels for your Destruction and Damnation as he will by them cast the Ungodly into the Furnace of Fire at the Second Coming of Christ but the Hostility betwixt God and Believers is taken away by Christ and the Breach made up by his Blood Col. 1. 20. 2. With Holy Angels Betwixt Men and Devils Christ will make no Peace War betwixt them is proclaimed and shall be continued Holy Angels that were confirmed stood on God's Side against Angels that apostatized and Mankind that had revolted and were ready to execute God's Judgments at his Pleasure upon his Enemies of which we have many Instances in Scripture Wherefore that Angels are so ready to convey Believers Souls to Heaven which is so great an Office of Love must be attributed to Christ who hath made such Holy Angels to be such great Friends to them Eph. 1. 10. III. Learn what Duties are incumbent upon you while you live from this Ministration of Holy Angels to your Souls when you die as they have been God's Messengers to make known his Will and publish his good Pleasure to instruct and teach to bring glad Tidings of a Saviour for lost Sinners and to be Witnesses of Christ's Ascention into Heaven and to declare his coming again by audible Voice so they by their Example in taking the Care and Charge of Holy separated Souls to conduct them to Heaven teach us several Duties 1. By their Love to Believers separated Souls we should be excited to great Love to them Love should be reciprocal in loving them that love us Should not we love the
Angels in Heaven who are so ready to help us up to Heaven Should we love every one on Earth in whom we see the Holy Image and Likeness of God in smallest Measure and should not we love these Holy Angels that are like to God in highest Degrees Should we love the Ministers of God whose Preaching God hath made instrumental for our Conversion and Preparation for Heaven and should we not love these Messengers of God who are sent by him to fetch us to the Possession of our Mansions in Heaven Do we love the Company of good Men that travel with us upon Earth as they are Guides and Guards unto us on our Way and shall we not love these Holy Angels of God that will be our Companions in our Journey to Heaven If we are to love such as are our Enemies in Life surely we should love these that will be such Friends unto us after Death 2. By their Condescention in the carrying the Soul of the meanest Believer to Heaven we should learn Humility and to condescend to Men of low Estates for the Good and Welfare of their Souls What meer Creatures are more Noble and Excellent than the Holy Angels in Heaven And what Believer as to outward Circumstances was poorer and more loathsom than Lazarus Was he not a Beggar that wanted Bread Was he not a Cripple that could not go to but was laid at the Rich Man's Gate Was he not only sore but full of Sores that a nice and squeamish Person would have disdained to look upon him but much more to dress his Sores And yet the Angels of God did not disdain to carry this Poor Man's Soul into Abraham's Bosom Did they take him in their Arms whom the Rich Man would not take and lay in any of his Out-houses Are any of the Sons of Men more Excellent more Noble more Knowing and set higher in any Capacity above the Poorest and most Contemptible Believer upon Earth than the Angels in Heaven and yet are they ready to minister to the Meanest and shall any of us be so Great in our own Eyes and look upon our selves in such a Magnifying Glass as to refuse to help forward the Salvation of the Poorest Soul 3. Let the Ministration of Angels in carrying Souls to Heaven be a Pattern of our Obedience to God all the Days of our Life on Earth As they obey God in this as in all things else so let us write after their Copy to do the Will of God as by them in Heaven it is done Tho' we cannot do it equally in Degrees yet let it be our Holy Ambition to come as near to them as we can in these Particulars First They do not stir to fetch a Soul to Heaven without a Warrant from God they are sent before they Come So let us see what Warrant we have from God for what we do before we do it demanding of our selves hath God commanded this Hath he spoke the Word Will the Holy Scripture wherein God's Will and my Duty is revealed bear me out if I do this or that What a Multitude of Sins by this would be prevented Secondly Angels come and carry believing Souls to Heaven with greatest Alacrity and Cheerfulness As they joy in their Conversion so in carrying them to Eternal Salvation if they be sent never so often to fetch never so many they never grudge their Labour they have not the least Regret nor Repining but the more they are sent for the more they are pleased and do rejoice So we should serve the Lord with Gladness and and come before his Presence with Singing Psal 100. 2. We should pray to him with Delight hear from him and obey him with Cheerfulness and Joy Thirdly Angels having a Charge to fetch a Believer's Soul come speedily without delay they make haste to receive it that they may be present at the very Moment of its Separation They never come too late In like manner we should imitate their Obedience in ours Psal 119. 60. I made haste and delayed not to keep thy Commandments God commands you now to repent but you put it off till hereafter God enjoins you to Day whiles it is called to Day to hearken to his Voice but you stop your Ears to Day and so you will to morrow if you shall have the same hardness of Heart to Morrow as you have to Day Angels in conveying Souls do not so but when God gives the Word they obey speedily and fly swiftly Fourthly Angels in carrying Souls to Heaven are Faithful in their Service in fetching as many as God sends them for and no more and the very same Souls and no other they never mistake one for another and never drop or lose any by the Way committed to their Charge We in Imitation of them should be faithful in doing what God commands to every Person in what Capacity Station and Relation we stand to them to one as well as another and not only to one neglecting another when each are equally committed to our Charge Fifthly Holy Angels serve God in this Ministration with persevering Constancy They have been imployed in Transporting Souls for many Ages already past innumerable Souls have been conveyed from this World to that above and so they do still as oft as Believers die and so they will to the World's End till all the Souls ordained by God for Eternal Life are lodged in the Heavens To which Pattern we should conform our selves in our Obedience to God persevering therein to our Lives End Psal 119. 112. I have inclined my Heart to perform thy Statutes always even to the End 4. Let the Care of Angels in carrying Holy Souls to Heaven make us careful of our own Souls that they be such and so qualified with special Grace that they may be the Object of their Care when they shall be separated from our Bodies as you desire they and not Devils should have them when out of the Body do you make it your great Concern to have them Sanctified in the Body For Holy Angels will not touch an unholy separated Soul to defend it from the Devil 's seizing of it If the Soul be unholy while you live and leave the Body unholy when you die it will be unfit for the Glorious Presence of God for the Holy Place and Company Above and it will not be in their Commission to carry it thither neither will they do it 5. Grieve not nor offend the Holy Angels of God as you expect and hope they should carry your Souls to Heaven when you die Good and Evil Angels are your Spectators and Observers when you might think little of it When you do Evil bad Angels rejoice good Angels are offended when you please God Devils are displeased but good Angels are delighted at it Take heed in secret what you do for there may be more Devils and Holy Angels with you tho' not seen by you than you are aware of Be mindful how you behave
diligently read them Also if any desired him to transcribe out of his Short Hand into Long any Sermon under which they were more than usually affected tho' he was fully imployed yet he would take time from his sleep and write it very fair and give them being ready to promote the Interest of Souls both by his Purse and Pains He was a singular Pattern of Dutifulness to Parents being very tender and careful of his very aged Mother both in respect to her Temporal and Spiritual State liberally assisting her as to both for tho' she was left a Widow in good Worldly Circumstances yet in her Old Age she enjoyed not that Plenty as before For Temporals she by his Care wanted nothing in Spirituals he was as forward to afford his Help for being Weak thro' Age and difficult in hearing could not attend as formerly upon Publick Ordinances to supply the Want whereof it was his constant Practice for many Years every Lord's Day in the Evening to go to her House and laying his Face near her Ear repeated the Sermons he had taken that Day to her and the rest in the Family He was not short in his Relation as a Brother to his Sisters Two that by Providence were brought from higher to lower Circumstances in their outward State he made comfortable Provisions for one of which being discomposed in her Head and not capable of caring for her self he like a loving Brother was exceeding kind unto her while he lived and hath left them what will be a good Stay and Support unto them now he is taken from his Mother and them He never was a talkative Man but the less he said the more he did not like many whose Tongues run faster in speaking Religiously than their Feet in walking Holily His Works did praise him more to the Observers of what he did than his Words did commend him to the Hearers of what he said tho' what he said was Savoury and his Words were weighty rather than many speaking but little tho' to good Purpose And as he was sparing in his Words when in Health so he spake not much when sick and on his dying Bed but told me he had good Hopes of his Spiritual and Eternal State and tho' he found Satan tempting to shake his Reliance on Christ yet there he placed his only Trust and Dependance for Salvation having consented to him and accepted of him in all his Offices as offered in the Gospel Concerning the last Sermon he heard which was about Love-sickness to Christ through the abundant Sense of Christ's Love to the Soul he said it was an excellent comfortable Frame of Spirit in such as have experience of it and this I thought he said from his own Experience as having found and felt how comfortable it was His Head being affected with his Distemper and much inclined to Sleep yet asked me to pray with him saying tho' I be drowsy yet will I not sleep while you pray but will join in the Prayers with you and when sick kept waking in his Bed during the time of Prayer when many in Health in Family and Congregation are sleeping when they should be praying and tho' he was so heavy yet would not be satisfied except the Duty were performed and striving against his Sleep that he might strive with God in Prayer said afterwards his Soul was refreshed and was the better for it Within the space of about Fifteen Days he was well and dead when Sickness did seize him Death made haste to remove him but tho' Death prevented him of longer Time he had prevented Death from hurrying him to Eternal Death by his timely spiritual Birth and Conversion unto God by his sound Repentance and unfeigned Faith in Christ which manifested it self by the Fruits thereof thro' the whole Course of his Life persevering therein to the End and when God gave Commission to Death to make such haste to have his Body carried to the Grave he gave Commission to his Angels to make as much speed to carry his Soul into Abrahams Bosom where it is in perfect Rest and Love and Joy and let us all prepare that our Remove by Death might be from Earth to Heaven Amen FINIS Luk. 16. 25 Gen. 2. 7. Eccl. 12. 7. Use Job 4. 19. Rom. 7. 17 33. 24. Psal 77. 7 8 9. Psal 16. 11. Mat. 6. 25. Rev. 7. 16. Mar. 9. 44. Heb. 11. 25. Mat. 16. 26 Luke 15. 16. Luke 16. 24 25. Heb. 10. 34. Mat. 26. 41. Rev. 4. 8. Job 31. 33. Deut. 13. 6 8. Psal 79. 12. Isa 65. 6 7. Prov. 19. 24 Mat. 11. 12. Gen. 18. 10. Judg. 13. 3 4 5. Luke 1. 11 13 to 18. Exod. 34. 28. 1 King 19. 8. Rom. 4. 23 24. Exod. 14. 9 28 29. Jude V. 9. Job 4. 14 15. Mat. 14. 26 Mar. 5. 9. Isay 6. 2. 6. Luke 16. 24 25 Psal 49. 7 8. Mat. 5. 25 26. Gen. 3. 24. Mat. 13. 41 42. 1 Cor. 2. 9. Mat. 25. 34 Jam. 1. 12. Col. 1. 12. John 14. 2. 2 Cor. 5. 1. 2 Cor. 4. 17. Mat. 28. 2 3 4. Luke 1. 12. Gen. 3. 24. Col. 1. 16. 2 Cor. 11. 3. 2 Cor. 2. 11. Eph. 6. 11. Isay 6. 2 6. Job 1. 7. 1 Pet. 5. 8. 2. King 6. 16. 17. Gen. 45. 27. Isay 6. 2. Dan. 9. 21. Psal 127. 1 Isa 37. 36. Act. 12. 23. Luke 2. 10 11. Act. 1. 10. 11. Mat. 6. 10. Psal 119. 11. Heb. 3. 7 8. Mat. 13. 19 1 Cor. 11. 10. Rev. 22. 8 9.