The Godly Mans Journey to Heaven, Treatise 6 – Half title 3
THAT GVARD MERCIfully and happily prepared by that blessed Spirit, that sole carefull keeper and wise leader of the babes of God soiourning here, alwayes to attend, and in eueryevery place to defend them;Psal. 24. 7. is that companie of heauenly spirits and celestiall Angels, pitching their tents round about those who be Gods, and feare his name.
THat same sweetest Spirit of God, who is a very deepe sea of louelove, merciemercy, wisedome, and prouidence; hauing prouided the babes of God, kept and led by him, of a shining Lanterne; for the directing of them in their iourney towards their heauenly home: hauing found out also a fit Carrier to beare this Lanterne before them, and to discouer to them that light inclosed within it, to the end that thereby they might be happily helped homewards: hath also out of his louelove, merciemercy, wisedome, and prouidence found out a most fit strong Guard, aboue and beneath, before and behind, on this side, and on that side; to attend these babes of God while they soiourne here, not onelyonly absent in bodie from their Father and friends, but who besides this, do liue as in the lists amongst many monstrous and irreconcilable foes; to the end that no euill come vntounto them,Psal. 91. 10. or any plague approach their tabernacle. Now this Guard happily appointed by this vncreated Spirit, to attend those babes of God, be not troupes of footmen, or companies of horsemen, nor kings and Princes of the earth, who do greatly brag and boast of their power; nor chariots wherein those Kings and Princes with their great men be carried, but the very chariots of God, for so are they styled by the Psalmist,Psal. 68. 17. yea the verie fierie chariots of God: for so they are stiled by that onelyonly glorious and vncreated Spirit,2. King. 6. 17. who made them and sends them. Now the chariots, yea fierie chariots of God guiding that Chariot wherein the babes of God be carried towards their Father, are those heauenly and holy spirits. Scripture for our confirmation and consolation honors specially with three glorious titles: first, with the title of Angels; hereby acquainting vsus, as with that end wherefore God hath appointed them, so with that office whereunto they are appointed. They are appointed to be Legats and Ambassadours, sent foorth by that great King who hath made them, and their office is to carrie and discharge such commission and message, as shall please his Maiestie to imploy them about. But because that these euill spirits, who be the auowed and irreconcilable aduersaries of Gods babes, hauehave this stile of Angels, and so of messengers giuen to them also; therfore it is, that these Angels who be sent out from God to attend and guard his babes, are honoured by that blessed Spirit who directs them with some glorious epithites and stiles, not onelyonly to the end that they may be discerned from those euill Angels, but specially that the babes of God guarded by them, may for their greatest consolation be informed touching that rare and inexpressible aduantage which they do reape by their attending of them. And so the Angels attending Gods children be called, The Angels of God; Act. 10. 3. 22.the Angels of the Lord, the holy Angels; Act. 5. 19.the Angels of light; the elect Angels, the Angels of the power of God. 2. Cor. 11. 14.This moued Augustine writing on the 104. Psalme thus to speake of them:1. Tim. 5. 21 Quaeris nomen huius naturae? 2. Thes. 27.spiritus est: quaeris officium? August.Angelus est. If thou aske after the name of this nature? it is a spirit: if thou inquire after the office of it? it is an Angell. Secondly, they be called Watchmen & Keepers: Dan. 4. 10.for they be appointed of God to watch ouer and keepe his children, who liuing here, be not onelyonly subiect to securitie and carelesnesse, but also to innumerable bloudie deuouring enemies, who would vndoubtedly euerie minute ouerthrow them, if they were not kept by his Guard, who keeping Israel doth neither sleepe nor slumber; albeit, alas, his Israel doth sleepe and slumber continually. Thirdly, they be called Seruants, according to that,Psal. 104. 4. He maketh the spirits his messengers, and a flaming fire his ministers. And againe,Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all ministring spirits, sent out to minister for their sakes which shall be heires of saluation? whereof it is manifest, that these Angels be stiled Seruants and Ministers, not onelyonly in respect of God their Soueraigne Lord and Maister, by whom they are imployed, but in respect of Gods children whom they do serue, in guarding them and watching ouer them, lest they should be suppressed by their aduersaries, and depriued of that saluation whereunto they are called. But here, ô my soule, I must hauehave thee to vnderstand, that thy blessed, all-sufficient, and Almightie God doth not any wayes vse the seruice and ministerie of these heauenly and holy Angels, either because of necessitie on his part, or of any worthinesse on theirs; for as the Psalmist speaking of that great worke of Creation, and magnifying the vnspeakable power of that great Creator, doth say:Psal. 33. 6. 9 By the word of the Lord were the heauens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He spake and it was done, he commanded and it stood. So the Apostles speaking of that no lesse great worke of preseruation, & conseruation of all things thus created, magnifying with the Psalmist the power of the great Gouernour & preseruer doth say:Heb. 13. He beareth vp all things by his mightie word. But this he doth of his own vndeserued fauour, & free grace only, and that for 3. most weightie reasons, which I wil pray thee, ô my soule, grauely to consider: first, this is done by our God for the speciall glory of his owne glorious & blessed name, which all powers in heauen and on earth should adore and reuerence to that:Prou. 16. 4. God made all things for his own selfe. This moued the Psalmist aduancing the glorie of his God to crie out:Psal. 68. 17. The Chariots of God are twentie thousand thousand Angels, and the Lord is among them as in the Sanctuarie of Sinai. This moued Daniel giuing vsus a view of the glorie of our God to say:Dan. 7. 4. 10. I beheld till the thrones were sit vp, and the ancient of dayes did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the haires of his head like the pure wooll. His throne was like the fierie flames, and his wheeles a burning fire; A fierce streame issued and came forth before him: Thousand, thousands ministred vntounto him, and ten thousand thousands stood before him. Reuel. 5. 11Iohn happily saw this when he said: Then I beheld, and I heard the voice of manie Angels round about the Throne, and about the beasts, and the Elders, and they were thousand thousands. Whereof it is manifest, ô my soule, that the first and principall office of the elect Angels is, to magnifie and praise the glorie, the grandor, the power, and the wisedome of God, their glorious and gracious maker. Therefore what wonder that Dauid (knowing this to be true) directs his language vntounto these Angels thus:Psal. 103. 20. 21. Praise the Lord ye his Angels that excell in strength, that do his commandement in obeying the voice of his word: Praise the Lord all ye his hostes, yea his seruants that do his pleasure. Againe, it pleased our louing wise Father, thus to honour these Angels for their owne speciall honour, and benefit. Who among men can denie, that subiect …s much honoured by his King, who he imployes to be his ambassadour to carrie his will to his neighbour Princes, and not onelyonly at home to attend him in his royall Palace? And must not these Angels thinke and confesse themselues to be both happie and honourable, whom that onelyonly soueraigne King of kings hath appointed not onelyonly alwayes to attend the throne of his glorious Maiestie, there to behold him, but also receiuing from him directions as do please him, are sent forth of him to do his will vponupon earth here. O how farre was that Angell Gabriel honoured, when being acquainted with the blessed time of that glorious incarnation of that sweetest Sauiour of the world (long hid vp from the knowledge of Angels and men) he was sent to the Virgine Marie to say to her;Luc. 1. 30. 41. 32. 33. Feare not Marie, for thou hast found fauour with God, for loe thou shall conceiue in thy wombe and beare a Sonne, and shalt call his name Iesus, he shall be great, and shall be called the sonne of the most hie, and the Lord God shall giuegive vntounto him the Throne of his Father Dauid, and he shall reigne ouer the house of Iacob for euer, and of his kingdome shall be no end? O how farre was this Angel Gabriel honoured of God, when he was sent vntounto Ioseph, to whom this Marie was affianced not onelyonly to shew him that that which was conceiued in Maries bosome, was conceiued by the holy Ghost, but with this to bring vntounto Ioseph the name wherewith they should name the child when he should be borne, and the reason wherefore he should be named so, saying to him in a dreame,Mat. 1. 10. 21. 22. Ioseph the sonne of Dauid feare not to take Marie for thy wife, for that which is conceiued in her is of the holy Ghost and she shall bring forth a sonne, and thou shalt call his name Iesus, for he shall saue his people from their sinnes? O how farre were these heauenly Spirits honoured of God, when first one of them being acquainted with the happie birth of this blessed Iesus, was directed towards the shepheards keeping watch by night, because of their flocke about the place where blessed Iesus was borne, to intimate vntounto them with the blessed birth of that holy one, the onelyonly honourable and profitable end wherefore he was borne,Luc. 2. 8. 9. 10. 11. saying vntounto them: Be not affraid, for behold I bring you glad tidings of great ioy that shall be to all the people: that is that vntounto you is borne this day in the Citie of Dauid a Sauiour, which is Christ our Lord? And when after this, there was with this Angell a multitude of heauenly souldiers directed from the Throne of God, to praise the vnsearchable higth, and depth, length, and breadth of his louelove, passing all finding out, manifested towards men in making his onelyonly Sonne, sole solace, and dearest fellow, content to become man, for the safetie of man: saying, Glorie be vntounto God in the high heauens, and peace in earth, and towards men good will? O how farre was that Angel honoured of God who was directed to attend this blessed meeke Lambe, drawing neere the place of expectation, and not onelyonly carrying in his hand,Luke. 22. 42. 43. 44. but conueying to his head that bitterest cup of the Lords wrath (so that his sweat was like drops of bloud trickling downe to the ground) and to comfort him in this his agonie? O how farre were these two Angels honoured of God, who were directed not onelyonly to attend the buriall, and resurrection of this glorious Lambe, sitting one at the head, and the other at the feete where the bodie of Iesus had lien,Ioh. 20. 1…. but also to proclaime his resurrection to the women who came to the graue of Iesus.Mar. 16. 6. Be not affraid, ye seeke Iesus of Nazareth which hath bene crucified, he is risen, he is not heare, behold the place where they hauehave put him? O how farre were these two Angels honoured of God, who were sent not onelyonly to attend the glorious ascension of this mightie God, the Sauiour of the world, but with that to preach and proclaime his comming againe from the heauens to iudgement, saying to his disciples where they were looking stedfastly towards heauen, after that a cloud had taken their most louing kind Maister out of their sight:Act. 1. 11. Ye men of Galilee why stand ye gazing, this Iesus which is taken vp from you into heauen, shall so come as ye hauehave seene him go into heauen. Thirdly, this was done that hereby our God perfectly acquainted with the miseries and distresses of his owne secret ones, lying vnderunder a thousand crosses, and subiect to a world of tentations, might hauehave a verie sea of speciall consolation conueyed to them. Must thou not confesse, ô my soule, that this must necessarily be a verie infallible ground of inexpressable ioy to the child of God, when not onelyonly he knowes (being taught of Scripture) that the Lord his God hath such a care of him,Psal. 34. 15. that not so much as a haire can fall from his head without his prouidence; that he hath alwayes his eares open to heare, and his eyes bended towards him. But that beside this he hath not onelyonly created and furnished most plentiously the aire, the seaes, and the earth for him, but that he hath made these verie celestiall spirits for his preseruation while he liueth here, as is manifested vntounto him by that golden sentence:Psal. 91. 10▪ 1, 12▪ For he shall giuegive his Angels charge ouer thee to keepe thee in all thy wayes, they shall beare thee in their hands that thou hurt not thy foote against a stone. Where the spirit would directly (knowing the nature and office of these Angels the gaurd of Gods babes) compare them to a nurse to whom the children of some great King and Prince, are committed to be fostred, after that they are borne: and besides this vntounto pedagogues, to whom children after they are come to some few yeares are vncredited, to the end they may be conueyed in and out by them, to and from some schoole, there to be instructed, corrected, and brought vp in the knowledge of good letters and honest meanes. Now, ô my soule, I must tell thee, that these holy Angels of God, set ouer Gods babes as their nurses, and pedagogues; discharge three most notable, and profitable duties vntounto them. For first, so soone as we are come into this world, they take vsus as it were by the hand, euer keeping, and defending vsus against the diuell, and all other aduersaries, so that nothing can befall vsus without the speciall prouidence of our God, & as is expedient for his glorie, and our good. This moued our Maister thus to direct vsus:Mat. 18. 10. See that ye despise not one of these little ones, for I say vntounto you that in heauen, their Angels alwayes behold the face of my Father which is in heauen. This moued Dauid to say:Psal. 34. 7. The Angel of the Lord pitcheth about thē that feare him, and deliuereth them. Gen. 19. 22.Lot had a speciall proofe of this, hauing an Angel directed from heauen to send him away from Sodome before the ouerthrow of Sodome. Hagar had a speciall proofe of this, when flying from her mistresse Sarah, and hauing her child Ismael brought vntounto deaths doore through thirst, she had an Angel readie in her greatest strait to comfort her, and deliuer him, saying to her;Gen. 21. 17. 19. 19. What ayleth thee Hagar? feare not, God hath heard the voyce of the child where he is, arise take vp the child and hold him in thy hand, for I will make of him a great people, and God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. Gen. 32. 2.Iacob had proofe of this, when being sore affraid because of his brother Esau; he tooke himselfe no sooner to his iourney, then the Angels of God did meete him, which made Iacob, when he saw them, to say: This is Gods host. Elias had a rare speciall proofe of this when the King of Aram sent horses and chariots and a mightie host to Dathan where he was by night to compasse it, to the end, the poore man of God might no wayes escape; his God from the heauens sent horses and fierie chariots, filling the mountaines round about Elisha, 2. King. 6. 14. 15. 16. 17.so that there was moe with him then there was with his enemies.Act. 5. 16. The Apostles found this, when being imprisoned for preaching in the name of Iesus, they had the Angel of the Lord by night readie to open the prison doore, and to bring them forth. Secondly when death shall approach the child of God by sea, by land, in companie, and alone, in the hands of friends, in the hands of foes; albeit the husband be absent from his wife, and the wife from the husband: the child from the parent, or the parent from the child, and so forth: yet the poorest distressed loathsome Lazarus being Gods child,Luk. 16. 22. shall hauehave these blessed Angels to attend him, who shall not be wearie night and day to stand by his bed till his soule leaue his body, to the effect by them it may be conueyed to his fathers house. Thirdly, in the end of the world these blessed spirits, shall not refuse to gather the verie dead bones of the dead bodies of Gods children to the end that their bodies being ioyned with their soules; they may in bodie and soule raigne and rest with these Angels before God for euermore; according to that, sweetly sounded by our Maister: The sonne of man shall come in the cloudes of heauen with power and great glorie, Mat. 24. 30. 31.and he shall send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the foure winds, and from the one end of the heauen to the other. Oh, ô my soule, when shall my heart begin to separate it selfe from earthly and sensuall thoughts, and meditate a little vponupon these things? Surely, surely, couldst thou, ô my soule, consider rightly that thy God would offer by them to thy consideration, sure I am thou wouldst draw foure seueral & soueraigne lessons out of this discourse hath bene brought to thy eares, by him who made thee, and loueth thee deerely. And first, thou wilt see that great care the Lord thy God hath of thee, out of that great louelove wherewith he loued thee, which moued him to make and appoint so heauenly a hoast to attend thee, for the gaurding and keeping of thee. Secondly, this would stirre thee vp iointly to feare and louelove this God, to feare him, who alwayes hath in readinesse such a great armie of spirits to execute his will and to take his part against all such dare abuse him or his children in any sort. Knowest thou not, ô my soule, that thy God in one night, by an Angel, smote in the the campe of Ashur an hundredth fourescore and fiue thousand,Esay 37. 36. who durst rise vp against him and against his people? Let this stirre thee vp, ô my soule, …o louelove this God who hath them all in his hands readie to be imployed to saue, to comfort, and to deliuer thee. Thirdly, let the sense hereof make vsus ashamed to speake that, to do that, either priuately out of companie, or publickely before others, which is repugnant to the good will of God, and which thou wilt be ashamed to speake before any religious honest man: seeing thy words, speake them where thou canst; thy deedes, do them where thou wilt; are heard or seene by those Angels who alwayes attends thee. It were good that both men and women did hearken to that watch-word vsed by the Apostle.1. Cor. 11. 16. Therefore ought the woman to hauehave power on her head, because of the Angels. For as these Angels, being beholders and markers of our carriage, and actions, are reioyced and incouraged as it were by our good behauiour; so are they greeued by our leud life, and prophane carriage. Finally and lastly, this would comfort thee, ô my soule, vnderunder, and against all our troubles, considering that our Father, redeemer, and comforter; hath appointed these heauenly spirits his messengers, to be our painfull nurses, and faithfull pedagogues, whatsoeuer our estate be here to the iudgement of blind men; but specially this should strengthen vsus against that fearefull day of death, in the which this dustie tabernacle must be layed downe, making thee, ô my soule, thus triumphing ouer death, to speake to thy selfe; let me not be cast downe, because death approacheth me, because these my eares shall be closed from hearing any more among men here, because my eyes shall be stopped, frō seeing any more among men here, from henceforth neuer shall I heare that, see that, or do that which may offend my God, and beside that I shall heare such things (in that palace to the which I am going) see such things, feele, and possesse such things; which in sweetnesse and excellence, shall farre surmount all heretofore seene, felt, and possessed by me; yea, let it not trouble me, that this my clay bodie, which lieth here vnderunder sicknesse, pined sore in euerie member of it, destitute of father, mother, husband, wife, brother, sister, or any liuing whatsoeuer, to care for it; seeing that blessed Spirit the comforter of Gods elect lodgeth within me, assuring me that God is mine, and I am his; and considering these heauenly spirits, attendeth my sicke and pained bodie which they shall not forsake, till breath forsake it; for howbeit these spirits my attendants, be nor seene by these my corporall dimme eyes, yet I am clearely seene of them, and assuredly granted by them, acorrding to that charge they hauehave receiued of that great Angel of the couenant who gaue himselfe for me, and who hath ordained to attend me, till they bring me where he is.
SIXE CVNNING AND CRVELL Robbers, hauing the heads of Doues, but the tailes of Scorpions: sent from the bottomlesse pit, by the arch-enemie of Gods babes, to withdraw them from the path-way which leadeth to the paradise of God; and for drawing them towards and holding them on, in that by-way which tendeth downewards vntounto that lake, out of the which there is no redemption.
MAT. 10. 16.
Behold I send you as sheepe in the midst of woolues, be ye therefore wise as serpents, and simple as doues.
REVEL. 12. 7. 8.
And there was a battell in heauen, Michael and his Angels fought against the Dragon; and the Dragon and his Angels fought, but they preuailed not.
BERN.
Hic mundus, non est nisi nemus, plenum latronibus, ideo per illud est cautè ambulandum. This world, is nothing but a wood, layed full of Robbers; and therefore it is needfull that we walke circumspectly through it.