_Direct._ IV. When your thoughts of heaven are staggering or strange, and when you are tempted to doubt whether indeed there is such a life of glory for the saints, it may be a great help to your faith, to think of the world of angels that already do possess it. That there are such excellent and happy inhabitants of the superior orbs, besides what Scripture saith, even reason will strongly persuade any rational man: 1. When we consider that sea, and land, and air, and all places of this lower, baser part of the world, are replenished with inhabitants suitable to their natures; and therefore that the incomparably more great and excellent orbs and regions should all be uninhabited, is irrational to imagine. 2. And as we see the rational creatures are made to govern the brutes in this inferior world, so reason telleth us it is improbable that the higher reason of the inhabitants of the higher regions should have no hand in the government of man. And yet God hath further condescended to satisfy us herein, by some unquestionable apparitions of good angels, and many more of evil spirits, which puts the matter past all doubt, that there are inhabitants of the unseen world. And when we know that such there are, it maketh it the more easy to us to believe that such we may be, either numbered with the happy or unhappy spirits, considering the affinity which there is between the nature of our souls and them: to conquer senseless Sadducism is a good step to the conquest of irreligiousness; he that is well persuaded that there are angels and spirits, is much better prepared than a Sadducee to believe the immortality of the soul: and because the infinite distance between God and man, is apt to make the thoughts of our approaching his glory either dubious or very terrible, the remembrance of those myriads of blessed spirits that dwell now in the presence of that glory, doth much imbolden and confirm our thoughts; as he that would be afraid whether he should have access to and acceptance with the king, would be much encouraged if he saw a multitude as mean as himself, or not much unlike him, to be familiar attendants on him. I must confess such is my own weakness, that I find a frequent need of remembering the holy hosts of saints and angels, that are with God, to imbolden my soul, and make the thoughts of heaven more familiar and sweet, by abating my strangeness, amazedness, and fears; and thus far to make them the media (that I say not the mediators) of my thoughts, in their approaches to the most high and holy God (though the remembrance of Christ the true Mediator is my chief encouragement). Especially when we consider how fervently those holy spirits do love every holy person upon earth, and so that all those that dwell with God, are dearer friends to us, than our fathers or mothers here on earth are, (as is briefly proved before,) this will imbolden us yet much more.
_Direct._ V. Make use of the thoughts of the angelical hosts, when you would see the glory and majesty of Christ. If you think it a small matter that he is the Head of the church on earth, a handful of people contemned by the satanical party of the world, yet think what it is to be "Head over all things, far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come," (that is, gave him a power, dignity, and name, greater than any power, dignity, or name of men or angels,) "and hath put all things under his feet," Eph. i. 21-23. "Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they;" of him it is said, "Let all the angels of God worship him," Heb. i. 4, 6. Read the whole chapter. Our Head is the Lord of all these hosts.