tlse 1. Let us apply it now.
First, It serveth to humble us. We are the next rank of reasonable creatures, but how do we diflt'er from them? Their natures engage them to holiness, and ours, being corrupted, engage us to sin ; their nature will not permit them to sin, and our nature will not permit us to do that which is good, Kom. vii. 21. And yet the angels are ashamed of this their nature ; they cover their faces when they behold God's : Job XV. 14, 15, ' What is man, that he should be clean ? and he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous? Behold, he putteth no trust in his saints ; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.' These holy angels, when they compare themselves with God, are abased ; and should not we much more ? See also Job iv. 19.
Secondly, It serveth to stir us up to holiness. You will say. Where lieth the motive ? I answer : —
1. AVe are bound as well as they. They 'behold his face,' and we
* behold his face in a glass ;' we are under a law as well as they, yea, commanded to observe their pattern : Mat. vi. 10, ' Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.' The examples of the saints on earth are no fit copy for us to write after, for there we shall find many of the letters set awry. In their lives corruption is more visible than grace. Therefore Christ giveth us a copy from heaven, that we might aim at the holiness and perfection of the angels. It is but equal that we, who expect to be ' like the angels' in glory, Luke xx. 36, ladyyeXoc, should be like them in grace now. Many would strive to be as angels for gifts and parts, but not for holiness, for exact purity and cheerful- ness and readiness in service, which yet are the things propounded to our imitation. The devil retaineth cunning since his apostasy. To be wise to do evil is to be like the bad angels, not the good. If you would not be cast out with them hereafter, you should not take their copy and example for imitation, but that of the holy angels.
2. We are bound more than they, as being of an inferior rank ; and acts of submission and obedience do chiefly obhge inferiors. The angels themselves are inferior to God ; but ' dwellers in houses of clay' much more. That passage of the psalmist is emphatical, Ps. ciii. 20, ' The angels, that excel in strength, do his commandments.' Shall the peasant scorn that work in which the prince himself is engaged ? If the glorious mighty angels durst not sin against God, we should pot much more. When John would have worshipped the angel, he saith, Kev. xxii. 9, ' See thou do it not, for I am ihy fellow-servant.' Ah ! who would decline the work when an angel is our fellow-servant? When these mighty spirits put their necks to the work of the Lord, shall sorry man be excused ?
3. We are the more bound for their sakes, because of their tutelage, VOL. V. s
258 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 9.
They are present with us. We are awed by a man of gravity, ranch more should we be by the presence of an angel. When Cato was upon the stage, they durst not call for their obscene sports. There is an angel always by you. What reports, think you, will they carry to Christ, if they should see anything that is unseemly ? 1 Tim. v. 21, ' I charge you before God, and our Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels,' &c. The holy angels are, as it were, the spies and intelli- gencers of heaven, and do acquaint Christ, not only with our miseries, but our sins. God's omnipresency is a great depth, we cannot fathom it with our thoughts, and therefore it worketh but little with us. The nearer things come to the manner of our presence, the more do they affect us. Consider the angels are present with you in the room where, it may be, you are acting your privy wickedness.
Again, we had need be holy, the rather for the angels' sake, because else we shall lose their tutelage. They care not to take notice of an impure, obstinate sinner : Ps. xxxiv. 7, ' The angel of the Lord en- campeth round about them that fear him.' They that fear God them- selves delight most in them that do likewise. Suitableness of spirit and life breedeth a holy and sweet familiarity between us. They delight to keep us, and go with us here, that they may lay a foundation for a more familiar acquaintance in heaven. Now, shall we grieve such blessed companions ? When Balaam went to curse the people of God, a good angel resisteth him, Num. xxii. 22. If an angel stood in the way of a sorcerer, much more do they seek to stop and prevent the miscarriages and offences of God's children. Will you break forth or go on violently when an angel standeth in the way, and leave their tutelage for a lust? They are holy, and disallow all carnal enter- prises, and would withstand the execution of them. Will you con- strain them to forsake you? You know how it sped with Josiah, when he would not turn his face, but go out without the defence of God and his angels. See 2 Chron. xxxv. 22 ; he was wounded in the battle, and goeth home and dieth.