6. The final glorious estate of the saints. Christ shall be admired in them : 2 Thes. i. 10, ' When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe.' For poor dust to shine as stars, and to be admitted with Christ to judge the world, even evil angels. All men shall be at last owned or disowned by Christ, confessed or denied before the angels, as those that look after these things : Luke xii. 8, 9, ' Whosoever shall confess me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God ; but he that denieth me before men, shall be denied before the angels of God ; ' Kev. iii. 5, ' I will confess his name before my Father, and his angels.' We may admire at these things : 1 John iii. 1, 2, ' Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God. Behold, now we are the sons of God ; and it doth not appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.'
III. The manner how ? 'Eiridvfxovcnv irapanv-^aL, they desire to look into.
1. It noteth an accurate inspection, to look towards, so as to look through. They understand more of these mysteries than we do, having no mass of flesh to clog them, and obstruct the operations of these spirits ; as having no secular vanities to divert them, as being so near God, so entirely loving him ; because of the excellency of their
206 SERMON UPON I PETER I. 12.
natures they have more advantage than we ; as the world wherein we dwell is more known to them than to us, yet they are prying ; and should not we ' follow on to know the Lord ? ' Hosea vi. 3.
2. It is earnest and affectionate, iTTLOvfiova-tv ; they desire ; their hearts are in it.
Object. Desire argueth a defect, and the angels, that are in the pre- sence of God, are in statu perfecto, in a perfect state.
Ans. 1. In many things this mystery exceedeth their understand- ings, therefore they desire to know it more and more. There is in the angels understanding, and knowledge natural, supernatural, and experi- mental. Their natural knowledge reacheth to things that are belong- ing to the perfection and happiness of their nature. In supernatural things, that depend upon the mere favour of God, angels know no more than God is pleased to manifest to them, and so are ignorant of those things which God will not reveal, and cannot be found out by any created understanding. Their experimental knowledge is by the accomplishment of prophecies, and what is foretold concerning the state of the church here upon earth ; as Christ ' learned obedience by the things he suffered,' Heb v. 8, so might angels learn more when they saw Christ born, die, and rise again, the Spirit poured out, the devil dispossessed, the gospel kingdom erected.
2. Some defects are perfective ; as hungering and thirsting after righteousness proveth blessedness : Mat. v. 6, * Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.' As Gregory, Et satiantur, et sitiunt ; ne enim sit in desiderio anxietas, desiderantes satiantur ; ne sit in satietaie fastidium, satiati desiderant. They are satisfied with what they desire, to prevent anxiety and trouble ; and they desire that with which they are satisfied, to prevent satiety and loathing. It is a sweet thirst, not a painful dissatisfaction; such as quickens, but not pains. Desire is an act of love ; the object of it is dear and esteemed. So the angels, they are desiring and enjoy- ing. Sitientes satiabimur, et satiati sitiemus ; as in heaven the saints desire more of God, because they are not weary of him.
3. They look upon it so as to be ready to discharge their ministry about it. As the cherubims were figured with outstretched wings over the mercy-seat, as ready to be employed in God's errand, so the angels look into these things. We find them ever ministering about Christ in his temptations and agonies,' in his grave and at his ascension ; so are they ministering about the saints, whom these things do concern : Heb. i. 14, ' Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation ? ' The angels do so look into the things purchased for us by Christ, that they are helpful to us in them, according to the will of God.
IV. The reasons.
1. Negatively.
[1.] Not curiosity ; that cannot be imagined in these blessed spirits. Now curiosity is either — (1.) In the matter, when we pry into secret things, which we cannot, nor ought we to see into : Col. ii. 18, * Intruding into those things which he hath not seen ; ' those things wherein the mind of God is not known or understood. But God revealed himself to the angels concerning the salvation of man, they
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teing so often employed in the prediction and discovery of those things that concerned the coming of Christ and salvation by him. They were the messengers to carry the glad tidings of it to the patriarchs and prophets. Gabriel informed Daniel, and talked with him concern- ing the seventy weeks, Dan. ix. 21-24, after which the Messiah should be cut off. God used their ministry to instruct the church in all the acts of his mediation. The angels comforted Christ in his temptations and agonies ; the angels brought news of his birth : Luke ii. 10, ' And the angel said unto them, Fear not ; I bring you good tidings,' &c. When tempted, they ministered to him : Mat. iv. 11, ' Then the devil leaveth him, and behold angels came and ministered to him." In his agonies they strengthen him : Luke xxii. 43, ' There appeared an angel to him from heaven, strengthening him.' When he was buried, and in his grave, they rolled away the stone : Mat. xxviii. 2, ' The angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and rolled back the stone from the door.' Where he lay in the sepulchre, ' there were two angels in white, sitting, the one at the head, and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been,' John xx. 12. At his ascension. Acts i. 10, 11, ' Two men stood by them in white apparel, which also said, Ye men of Galilee ! why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? ' &c. Therefore this was not a thing which God would keep secret from them. What the church knoweth the angels know in some measure. Or (2.) In the end, only to know. They did not know merely that they might know. To know that we may be know- ing^ is arrogancy ; to know that we may gain by our knowledge is covetousness and self-seeking ; to know that we may know is curiosity ; but to know that we may adore and worship God, this is religion and godliness. This was their end, that they might the more admire God in the discoveries of himself to the creatures.