2. The goodness of them. The angels are delighted in this study. It is a pleasant, sweet, ravishing frame of truths ; the more we know them aright, the more inquisitive shall we be, and the more diligent to know more. Those know nothing of Christ savourily who are so soon gospel-glutted and Christ-glutted, and look upon these discoveries and discourses of God's grace in Christ as dry chips and withered flowers, and hear them without any joy and thankfulness : Rev. xix. 10, ' The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.' What should we delight in, and busy our heads and hearts about, but with God in Christ reconciling the world to himself ? This takes off our delight from vain trifles. Many of you gentlemen, that leave this study to divines, you lose much of the comfort and sweetness of your lives, because you do no more warm your hearts with these thoughts. Gentlemen, leave off the reading vain books and romances ; they that have found the saving effects of God's love will do so : Eph. iii. 18, 19, ' That ye may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge.' This will be for our comfort : Eom. V. 5, ' Because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost given to us.' It will quicken us to holiness, if ever we feel the love of God : 2 Cor. v, 14, ' The love of Christ constraineth us.'
3. It informeth us of the harmony between the churches, between the old testament church and the christian church : John viii. 56, ' Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad ; ' Luke x. 24, ' I tell you that many prophets and kings have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them, and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.' The times of the gospel would to them have been a sweet sight : they ardently desired to see Christ in the flesh. And between the church militant and the church triumphant ; they join together in admiring Christ. Saints and angels have one beatitude, beholding the face of God ; therefore they join in one duty, looking on Christ. We shall one day meet in one assembly, Heb. xii. 23. We hope to be, Luke XX. 36, lawyyeXoi, ' Like the angels.' We should do as they do if wo would be as they be.
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4. That creatures busy their thoughts as they are affected. Base spirits are busied about light matters; but eagles will not stoop to catch flies, nor angels employ themselves in inferior and mean specu- lations, but thsy have a great delight in acknovirledging the manifold wisdom of God in the work of redemption. Great spirits are taken up with things of great weight and importance: Acts xvii. 11, 'These were more noble than they of Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether these things were so/ Whilst others quench their souls in sensualities, they are for the divine study. These were ev^evearepoL. It is not meant of natural nobility, but spiritual true nobility and excellency, which lieth in a care of salvation ; not in wearing fine clothes or enjoying plentiful revenues or good descent, but in the study of Christ ; not in greatness of birth, but diligence in searching out the mysteries of salvation ; that is nobility indeed, not to enslave ourselves to the opinions of men and their customs : 1 Cor. vii. 23, ' Ye are bought with a price ; be not ye the servants of men.' Not to wallow in earthly pleasure, but seek things above : Col. iii. 1, ' If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God ; ' Phil. iii. 20, ' For our con- versation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ.' Not to be overcome by a man's passions and corrupt affections : Prov. xvi. 32, ' He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he that ruleth his own spirit than he that taketh a city ; ' Prov. xxv. 28, ' He that hath no rule over his own spirit, is like a city that is broken down and without walls.' These noble spirits will not yield to lusts.
Use 2. To reprove —
1. The slightness of men, and to confound us with shame that we do no more take care to look after this happiness, that we do so unwill- ingly think of these things, or set apart ourselves for the study of them. Shall we slight these things which angels wonder at ? Some "will scarce vouchsafe to look into these things, scarce think or talk seriously of them, whilst their minds and discourses are taken up with baubles and trifles. Angels are more noble beings, nearer to God ; they are not the parties interested ; we have particular benefit by them : Mat. xxii. 5, ' But they made light of it.' They would not let it enter into their care and thoughts. We are bound to this under pain of damnation ; it is not a thing arbitrary : Heb. ii. 3, ' How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation ? ' Bewail your stupidness that you have so slight a sense of these things. Meditation I know is painful work ; it is very diffictilt ; but the sweetness of the argu- ment should persuade us to it.