The Honor of Gods House, Chapter 5
CHAP. V. Concerning the ſtandards of the people, and the gurd of Angells, that is the place of Lay-Chriſtians, and the attendance of holy Angells in Gods Houſe. Signa Sanctorum.
REv. 4.6, 7, 8, 9. The Standards, Enſignes, Banners, and Badges borne by the Congregation of Iſrael in the Wilderneſſe have ever beene the deſcription of a people gathered together before God to ſerve him, and I conceive the old and new Teſtament, in the accomodation thereof to have no other meaning and myſtery, though I know this is not made of it by many, both Moderne and Ancient Divines. In one Pſalme Beaſts are Emblems of the Campes and Companies both of the godly and ungodly. Pſal. 68.10. the word is Caiath or Caiah, which ſignifies the wild beaſts, Gen. 1.24, 25. becauſe in them is the greateſt life and livelineſſe, and it is applied by David to Gods people, in whom there ought to be in the ſervice of God the greateſt ſpirit and life: Its likewiſe ve. 30. given to ſinners; and the Chaldee tranſlates it Armies of them, and further, 2 Sam. 23. its put for the troopes of the Philiſtins, & 1 Chro 11.15 the word Machanes is uſed for it, which every learned man knows to be a Campe or Leager, Gen. 23.2. Jacob calls the place where the Angells met him Mahanaim, two Hoaſts or Campes, for as Laban in the reare, and Eſau in the front came againſt Gods ſervant; ſo his bleſſed Angells came for him, and made two Campes to croſſe them both. In the ſong of ſongs it is concluded that the Shulamite ſhould convert to God as it were a double Army, tither of Iewes and Gentiles, or as the children of the Iewes converted to their fathers, and the diſobedient to the wiſdome of the juſt. Can. 6.13. Luke 1.17. I may hold my reſolution, and take the foure Beaſts for the congregation of the Gentiles, or all people that come in and encampe about the throne of the Lambe, and ſeates of his Miniſters, wee will conſider their names, number, orders, office, and actions.
Names, Beaſts better as in Ezech. 1.5. living creatures of the moſt vigorous nature; Quatuor ſunt ſuperbi, vel qui emineant in mundo, Leo inter feras, Bos inter Iumenta, Aquila inter volucres, & Homo cui Deus ſupra omnes pulchritudinem largitus eſt, ut omnibus imporaret, Schindler, pag. 266.d. Gods people ſhould be as couragious as Lyons, as patient in bearing their burdens as the Oxe is in labour, and ſubmitting to his maſters yoke. They ſhould quit themſelves as men in their beſt reaſon, and rule and ſubdue their luſts to Gods Spirit. They ſhould like Eagles fore aloaft into the contemplation of divine things, and be ſpeedie in the diſpatch of all their buſineſſe, their number is foure, and that is from their quarters or campes, as they lie Eaſt, Weſt, North, and South. Their Catholicke concord and univerſall conſent in all things is divinely deſcribed by Ezechiel. Their faces, and wings, feete, and ſoles of their feete, wheeles and rings, are nothing elſe but their unanimous conſent in all things. Their faces are foure, and yet but one face in their aſpect, ver. 10. Foure had the face of a man, and the face of a Lyon, &c. They were not as foure hēads looking ſeverall wayes, but it ſeemes as one head faſhioned to forme foure faces, and all looking one way: when they looked Southward, they had all the face of a Man; when they looked Eaſtward, they had all the face of a Lyon; when they looked Weſtward, they had all the face of an Oxe; and when they looked Northward, they had all the face of an Eagle.
Vniverſalitie and unitie in minde and motion is that which ought to be in Gods Saints: Their wings had the hands of a man under them, to ſhew that their high contemplations and foring into divine Myſteries was with humble and heartie readineſſe to doe the things they underſtood. Their wheeles did carry them on all ſides in the ſame courſe, and the rings did unite them as one in motion, and they were full of eyes to direct them to the true end of all their actions: furthermore theſe foure Beaſts thus faſhioned and formed, to expreſſe the faith and fellowſhip of Gods people, and their univerſalitie to looke to all Regions in their Religion, and not Schiſmatically to profeſſe one in a corner, or command all to looke into ſome diviſion or part; the holy Catholike Church is moſt univerſall, and binds us to all places where Ieſus Chriſt hath ſent his Goſpell, and this muſt alſo be added, that the foure beaſts are divided into twelve Tribes, and the order of three is in them all.
To every beaſt three Tribes are allotted, and then the whole number is twelve, and this is a great myſterie and moſt certaine marke of a true Church in the Revelation, Rev. 7. The tribes are ſealed, and two for Idolatry ſeparated from the ſeale, as Dan and Ephraim, yet the number is made up, and twelve tribes are ſealed, and in each tribe twelve thouſand, and twelve times twelve thouſand is the number of Gods people, Rev. 12.1. the crowne upon the head of the Church is 12. ſtars, Rev. 22.12.14. Twelve gates, twelve foundations: on the gates are written the twelve tribes, on the foundations the twelve Apoſtles, and what is all this but a Church conſtant in the Doctrine and Fellowſhip of the Apoſtles. Their order is ſtrangely deſcribed, Rev. 4.6. they are in the middeſt of the throne, and round about it, no circumference, but every point of it reſts upon the center. It was Saint Pauls joy, Col. 2.5. to ſee the order and faith of that Church: faith plants a Church upon the foundation, and thats Chriſt; order keepes all the members from confuſion, and placeth them as members in the body, that all may ſerve for the good of the whole. Their office is in their eyes and wings, and it ſeemes the one is outward, and the other inward, Rev. 8. their wings and their workes are to be ſeene of men, but their eyes that muſt guide therein be within, and ſecret in themſelves, and muſt teach them, that Gods Service muſt be with underſtanding; God loves cheerefulneſſe in our obedience, and wiſedome in all our workes, their actions are to give glory unto God, and not to reſt night nor day in praiſes of his Name.
Castra Angelorum.
The laſt part is the inviſible attendance of Angells, and ſhewes the Majeſtie of God to be exceeding great; Seaven Angells are before the Throne, and theſe I take to be the Princes of Angells, and the millions of the reſt watch and ward, and worſhip with us our gracious Saviour. Our Church hath added; Therefore with Angells and Archangells, and with all the company of Heaven wee laud and magnifie thy glorious Name, and evermore, prayſing thee and ſaying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Hoſts, Heaven and Earth are full of thy glory, Glory be to thee O Lord moſt high.