Light from Heaven, Part 21
God respects no callings.God respects no callings.
He will confound the pride of men, that set so much by that, that God so little respects, and to comfort men in all conditions.
The Angels appeare to them in their callings.Againe, the Angels appeared to them in the middest of their businesse, and callings; and indeed Gods people, as Moses, and others, have had the sweetest entercourse with God in their affaires; and oft times it is the fittest way to hinder Satans temptations, and to take him off, to be imployed in businesse, rather then to struggle with temptations; we many times meet with comfort in our businesse in our callings, that without it in speculation, and otherwise, wee should never have.
And then they appeared to them in the night.
God discovers himselfe in the night of affliction.
Our sweetest and strongest comforts are in our greatest miseries:God appeares in the night of affliction. Gods children find light in darkenesse, nay God brings light out of darkenesse it selfe, we see the circumstances then of this apparition.
He calls these Angels a heavenly Host,These Angels called an Host. in divers respects, especially in these:
An Host for number,For number. here are a number set downe. A multitude is distinct from an Host, but in that they are an Host, they are multitude, as in Dan. 7.10.Dan. 7.10. Rev. 5.11. Ten thousand times ten thousand Angels attend upon God. And so Rev. 5. 11. There are a world of Angels about the Church; in Heb. 12.22.Heb. 12.22. We are come to have communion with an inumerable company of Angels: he sets not downe the number, and here appeares a multitude of Angels. Worldly sottish men that live here below, they thinke there is no other state of things then they see, they are only taken up with sence, and pleasures, and goodly shews of things; alas, poore soules, there is another manner of state, and frame of things, if they had spirituall eyes to see the glory of God, and of Christ our Saviour, and their attendants there, an Host, a multitude of heavenly Angels.
2For Order.An Host likewise implies order, or else it is a rout, not an Host or Army; God is the God of order, not of confusion. If you would see disorder, goe to hell, surely disordered places, and companies, are rather hells, then any thing else, nay in some respects worse; for there is a kind of order even among the devils themselves, they joyn together to destroy the Church, and the members thereof, I note this by the way: here was an Host of Angels, that is, they are an orderly company: what that order is,August. I confesse with S. Austin, is undetermined in Scripture, we must not rashly presume to looke into these things.
3For consent.Againe here is consent, an Host all joyning together in praising God, Glory to God on high. And sure it is a heaven upon earth, when a company of Christians, led with one Spirit, shall joyne in one worke to praise God, to helpe one another in some spirituall way, when they meet together to heare the Word, and to pray to God, all with one consent, their prayers meet in heaven. Christ commends union, and con…ent: Where two or three are met together in my name, I will be in the middest of them, and whatsoever two or three shall aske in my name, if they agree (if there be no ja…ring, nor schisme, nor breach among them) I will grant it; Agreement in good, is a notable resemblance of that glorious condition we shall enjoy in heaven, this multitude of Angels, they all agree with one consent.
An Host of Angels,4For imployment. it shewes likewise their imployment; an Host is for defence or offence, that is the imployment of Angels here below especially, for the defence of the Church, and for the offence of the enemies of the Church: It is a great comfort to the Church, and children of God; The Church is in the middest of divels here, wee are all strangers in the way to heaven, wee live in the middest of Devils, and Devils incarnate, devillish minded men, that are led with the spirit of the Devill; but here is our comfort, wee have a multitude, an Host of Angels, whose office is to defend the Church, and to offend the enemies of the Church, as wee see in Scripture.
Againe an Host implyes strength,5For strength. we have a strong garrison, and guard, we are Kings in Christ, and we have need of a guard, and God hath appointed us a strong guard, a guard of Angels. Angels severally are strong creatures, we see one of them destroyed all the first borne in Egypt, one of them destroyed the Host of Senacherib the Assyrian in one night: If one Angell destroyed a whole Host, consisting of many thousands, what can a multitude of heavenly Angels doe? Yet all are for the service of Christ, and of his Church; these and such like observations we may gather hence, that they are said to be an Host of Angels.
Beloved,Guard of Angels comfortable. we have need of such comforts, and let it not seeme slight unto us, to heare of Angels, because we see them not; It is a thing forgotten of us, too much, why are we so cold, and dead, and dull, and distrustfull in dangers? wee forget our strength and comfort this way. There is now at this time an earthly Host against the Church, men led with antichristian spirits; Let us comfort our selves, we have an heavenly Host with us, as Elizeus said to his servant, there are more with us then against us. If God see it good, this outward Host of Heaven, the Sun, the Moon, and Starres, hee can make them fight for his Church, as in Sisera's case. But there is another Host, that see the face of God, that is, that observe, and wait on his will, and command, wee have an heavenly Host within the heavens, that having a command from God, can come downe quickly, for the defence of the Church, and for every particular Christian, not onelyonly one Angell, that is but an opinion that every one hath his Angell, but even as God sees good, one or two, or more, a multitude, an Host of Angels.
Why God useth the ministery of Angels.God useth Angels, not for any defect of power in himselfe to doe things, that hee must have such an Host, but for the further demonstration of his goodnesse; he is so diffusive in goodnesse, he will have a multitude of creatures, that they may be a meanes to diffuse his goodnesse, Angels to the Church, and the Church to others, it is for the spreading of his goodnesse, for hee is all in all in himselfe. Let it take impression in us, that we have such glorious creatures for our service.
We see here this Host of heavenly Angels, they attend upon the Lord of Hosts at his birth:Angels attend Christs birth, why, for Christ is the Creator of Angels, the Lord of them, not onelyonly as God, but as Mediator, As God, he is the Creator of Angels, as Mediator, hee is the head of Angels, Col. 1.16.Coloss. 1.16. It was fit therefore, that an Host of Angels should attend upon the Lords of Angels. It was for the honour of Christ. God would let the world know, (although they heeded it not, there was no such thought in Augustus Court at that time) that there was an excellent glorio…s person, borne into the world, God himselfe tooke our nature, Christ, Emanuel, though he were neglected of the world, and faine to lye in a manger; yet God tooke better notice of him then so, heaven tooke notice of him, when earth regarded him not: therefore God, to shew that he had another manner of respect, and regard to Christ, then the world had, he sends a multitude, an Host of heavenly Angels, to celebrate the nativity of Christ.
There is much solemnity at the birth of Princes, and God that is the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, he makes a solemnity likewise at the birth of his Sonne, the greatest solemnity that ever was, an Host of heavenly Angels, but these things I doe but touch.