II. We may hence observe, that the glory, honour, and exalta- tion of angels lies in their subserviency to the providence of God, _ It lies not so. much in their nature as in their work and service.
The intention of the apostle is to show the glory of angels and their exaltation; which he doth by the induction of this testi- mony, reporting their serviceableness in the works wherein of God they are employed. God hath endowed the angels with a very excellent nature,—furnished them with many eminent properties, of wisdom, power, agility, perpetuity: but yet what is glorious
176 AN EXPOSITION OF THE [CHAP. L
and honourable herein consists not merely in their nature itself and its essential properties, all which abide in the horridest and most- to-be-detested part of the whole creation, namely, the devils; but in their conformity and answerableness unto the mind and will of God, —that is, in their°moral, not merely natural endowments. These make them amiable, glorious, excellent. Unto this their readiness for and compliance with the will of God,—that God having made them for his service, and employing them in his work,—their dis- charge of their duty therein with cheerfulness, alacrity, readiness, and ability, is that which renders them truly honourable and glo- rious. Their readiness and ability to serve the providence of God is their glory; for,—
1. The greatest glory that any creature can be made partaker of, is to serve the will and set forth the praise of its Creator. That is its order and tendency towards its principal end; in which two all true honour consists. It is glorious even in the angels to serve the God of glory. What is there above this for a creature to aspire unto? what that its nature is capable of? Those among the angels who, as it seems, attempted somewhat further, somewhat higher, attained nothing but an endless ruin in shame and misery. Men are ready to fancy strange things about the glory of angels, and do little consider that all the difference in glory that is in any parts of God’s creation lies merely in willingness, ability, and readiness to serve God their Creator.
2. The works wherein God employs them, in a subservience unto his providence, are in an especial manner glorious works. As for the service of angels, as it is intimated unto us in the Scripture, it may be reduced unto two heads; for they are employed either in the communication of protection and blessings to the church, or in the execution of the vengeance and judgments of God against his enemies, Instances to both these purposes may be multiplied, but they are commonly known. Now these are glorious works, God in them eminently exalts his mercy and justice,—the two properties of his nature in the execution whereof he is most eminently ex- alted: and from these works ariseth all that revenue of glory and praise which God is pleased to reserve to himself from the world : so that it must needs be very honourable to be employed in these works,
3. They perform their duty in their service in a very glorious man- ner, with great power, wisdom, and uncontrollable efficacy. Thus, one of them slew one hundred and eighty-five thousand of the enemies of God in a night; another set fire on Sodom and Gomorrah from heaven. Of the like power and expedition are they in all their ser- vices, in all things to the utmost capacity of creatures answering the will of God. God himself, it is true, sees that in them and their
VER. 8, 9. EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS. 177 >
works which keeps them short of absolute purity and perfection, which are his own properties; but as to the capacity of mere crea- tures, and for their state and condition, there is a perfection in their obedience, and that is their glory.
Now, if this be the great glory of angels, and we poor worms of the earth are invited, as we are, unto a participation with them therein, what unspeakable folly will it be in us if we be found negligent in labouring to attain thereunto! Our future glory con- sists in this, that we shall be made like wnto angels; and our way towards it is, to do the will of our Father on earth as it is done by them in heaven. Oh, in how many vanities doth vain man place his glory! Nothing so shameful that one or other hath not gloried in; whilst the true and only glory, of doing the will of God, is ne- glected by almost all! But we must treat again of these things upon the last verse of this chapter.
VERSES 8, 9.
Having given an account of what the Scripture teacheth and testifieth concerning angels, in the following verses he showeth how much other things, and far more glorious, are spoken to and of the Son, by whom God revealed his will in the gospel.
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Tipés 02 rév Yidv, “But unto the Son.” Syr., “8 PI N82 >, “but of the Son he saith;” which is necessarily supplied as to the apostle’s design. In the psalm the words are spoken by way of apostrophe to the Son, and they are re- cited by the apostle as spoken of him; that is, so spoken to him as to contain a description of him and his state or kingdom.