The Third Part from John Baptists Nativity, Part 3
The Epistle,
ACTS 12. 1.
At the same time Herod the King stretched forth his hands to vex certaine of the Congregation, &c.
THis Chapter containeth a relation of Herods
bloody life, in
Killing Iames the brother of Iohn with the sword.
Imprisoning Peter.
terrible death, an Angel of the Lord smote him in the middest of his pride, because he gaue not glory vntounto God, so that hee was eaten vp of wormes, and gaue vp the ghost.
I am to treate of Saint Iames martyrdome vponupon his proper holy day, that which especially concernes our present festiuall is S. Peters imprisonment. Wherein (according to the record of S. Luke) two things are more chiefly remarkable; to wit, his
Durance by Herods cruelty in
apprehending and taking him, aggrauated by circumstances of the
cause why, for that it pleased the Iewes.
time when, in the daies of sweet bread.
holding and keeping him fast
1. Hee put him in prison.
2. He deliuered him to foure quaternions of souldiers to be kept.
3. Hee caused him to bee bound with two chaines.
4. He set keepers and a double watch ouer him.
Deliuerance by Gods mercy, wherein also note the
Motiues, praier with out ceasing of the congregation.
Meane, an Angell of the Lord.
Manner, a light shined, &c.
B…cause he s…w it pleased the Iewes.] Herod persecuted the Saints of God pCaluin & Pelargus in loc.not out of any hatred to Christs gospell, or any louelove to Moses l…w, but only to serue his own turne, namely, to please the people. So Pilat to content the Iewes (as it is apparent in the qMat. 27. Mark. 15. Luk. 23. Ioh. 19.gospels history) quit … a notable prisoner, Math. 27. 16. a notorious murtherer, Mark. 15. 7. but scourged Iesus, and deliuered him into their hands to be crucified, albeit he did openly confesse that he was a iust man, in whom he could finde no fault at all, Iohn 19. 4. So Felix willing to get fauour of the Iewes, left Paul bound Acts 24. 28. It is a base sinne in a subiect to be made his Princes instrument in any wicked designe, as r2. Sam. 11.Ioab was king Dauids agent in murthering Vriah the Hittite, and the s1 Kings 21.nobles of Iezreel Ahabs and Iezebels instruments in killing Naboth for his Vineyard. But it is a most vnworthy thing for a Prince to flatter▪ and to follow his subiects in their giddie courses, for ordinarily the people walke not in the best, but in the beaten way, t…eneca.non qua eundum est, sed qua itur. It is a good uSir Fran. Bacon apolog. pag. 17.obseruation that popular and military dependence in noble men to make them great, are like I…arus two wings, which were ioyned on with waxe, they will happily for a while mount them aloft, and then faile them at the height. It is therefore better to stand vponupon two feet, then to flye vponupon two wings, the two feet are the two kinds of Iustice, Commutati…e and Distributiue, for great men shall grow greater if they will aduance merit, and relieue wrongs.
The scriptures are plentifull in this argument, xProuerb. 1. 10.If sinners entise thee consent not; yExod. 23. 2.thou shalt not follow a multitude to doe euill: zPsalm. 1. 1.Blessed is the man that hath not walked in the counsell of the vngodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, &c. If sayd aGalat. 1. 10.Paul, I should yet please men, I were not the seruant of Christ: and therefore let Princes and Prelats also take heed that they be not too popular in their courses, alway remembring the words of Peter and Iohn Acts 4. 19. Whether it be right in the sight of God to harken vntounto you more then vntounto God, iudge yee.
2 From hence we may learne, that the wicked accord in doing mischiefe, though otherwise they be most opposite. The Sadduces, Herodians, and Pharis…es were Sectaries of diuerse and bIosephus antiquit. lib. 18. ca. 2.aduerse factions, all differing one from another, and yet all these ioyned together against Christ, Math. 22. The Libertines, and Cyreneans, and Alexandrians, and C…licians, and Asians disputed against S. Stephen Acts 6. The Macedonians, Arrians, and Eunomians had cSocrates hist. lib. 5. cap. 10.confused language like the Giants in old time, who built the tower of dGen. 11.Babel; and yet in malice they were lincked against the true Catholicks. Herod neither loued the Iewes, nor the Iewes Herod, yet both agree to vex the Church, according to that in the second Psalme, The kings of the earth stand vp, and the rulers take counsell together against the Lord, and against his anointed▪ and therefore that eLuke 7. 35.Wisedome may be iustified of all her children, let vsus which are true Christians fEph…s. 4. 3.endeuour to keepe the vnity of the spirit in the bond of peace, being of gActs 4. 31.one heart, and of one soule, of one hPhilip. 2. 2.accord, and of one iudgement, that as there is a society of Iesuits, a family of Anabaptists, a brotherhood of Scismaticks; euen so to confront all these, let there be still a communion of Saints, and a perpetuall holy league in truth against all such as trouble Gods Israel. See Gospell Sun. 18. & 23. after Trinity.
Then were the dayes of sweet bread] The feast of vnleauened bread was instituted by iExod. 12.Moses according to Gods owne direction, and afterward repeated by Duke kIosua 5. 10.Iosua, and from his time celebrated by Gods people solemnely till this day lAretius, Salmeron.This circumstance then aggrauates the bloody sinne of Herod, who did not abstaine from his mischeuous enterprises on a feast so high and holy. The Iewes obserued their Easter in abstayning from leauened bread, the mystery whereof and morall (as m1. Cor. 5. 7. 8.Paul teacheth) is, that we should purge the old leauen of sinne, nChurch hom. of the resurrection of Christ.that corrupteth and sowreth all the sweetnes of our life before God, and become a new lump voyd of the leauen of malitiousnes and wickednes: but Herod here contrariwise sowred the whole dough with his leauen of mischiefe and malice.
Againe from hence we further obserue Herods oCaluin, Kilius, Arcularius.hypocrisie, who seemed to reuerence the feast in such sort that he would not slay▪ Peter in the dayes of sweet bread, and yet he caught him, and put him in prison, and deliuered him to foure quaternions of souldiers to be kept, intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people: so the chiefe priests who gaue Iudas Iscariot▪ thirty peeces of siluer to betray Christ, afterward sayd, pMatth. 27. 6.it was the price of blood, and therefore not lawfull for vsus to put them into the treasurie: so the Pharisees qMatth. 23. 24.strayned out a gnat, and swallowed vp a camell: so the rSee Epistle Sun. 1. in Lent.popish Monks hold it an honester thing for a priest to be entangled with many concubines in secret, then openly to be ioyned in mariage with one wife.
He put him in prison sLorinus & glossa in loc..] Foure things increase the miseries of a man in custodie, the prison, souldiers, chaines, and keepers, all which Herod vsed in the persecution of S. Peter at this time. 1. He put Peter in prison. 2. tAretius.Doubting that the prison was not strong enough, he deliuered him vntounto foure quaternions, uOecumen. vertit syrus sexdecem militibus.that is, sixteene souldiours: for xLorinus.quaternion is not as centurion a word of office, but of number. Now these sixteene by foure and foure did eueryevery yArius montan.sixe houres thoroughout the whole night and day watch Peter, or else eueryevery zOecumen.three houres in the night only: aAr…tius.or it may be that all the sixteene did watch all the night, two within the prison, and the rest in a guard without. 3. Herod fearing that his prisoner notwithstanding all this might escape, caused him to be bound with two chaines. 4. Least haply chaines and all should faile, the keepers before the dore kept the prison, his intent was to make all sure, that he might after Easter bring him foorth, and expose him vntounto the peoples malice. Poore Peter was bound not only with one, but with two chaines, and he slept betweene two souldiers, and he was guarded by two watches, the first and the second. So bDan. 3. 19.Nebuchadnezzar full of indignation and rage cōmanded that the fiery fornace into the middest wherof Shadrach, Meshech and Abednego were to be cast, should at once be made hot seuen times more then it was wont. So the persecutors of cDan. 6. 17.Daniel after he was thrown by them into the Lions den, layd a stone vpō the mouth of the den, least otherwise he might escape their violent iawes and pawes. So the Priests and Pharisees intreated Pilate when Christ was dead, that he would giuegive dMatth. 27. 64.command for the making of his Sepulchre sure, least his disciples should come by night and steale him away. Now the Lord who dwelleth in heauen, & is a present help to his seruants in trouble, ePsalm. 2. 4.laughs them to scorne, for whē the three children were now ready to be cast into the flames of the scorching fornace, they told Nebuchadnezzar vntounto his face, wee are not carefull to answere thee in this matter. And Daniel in the Lions den had an Angel of God for his guard, who stopped the mouthes of the beasts, and so no maner of hurt was found vponupon him: and so S. Peter here, though he were cast into prison, and bound with two chaines, yet (hauing a good cause and a good conscience) securely slept betweene two souldiers euen the night before cruel Herod would hauehave brought him out to the people. The prophane fPlaut. prolog. Amphit.Poet spake diuinely, sat fautorum habet semper qui rectè facit; and therefore Peter in his indurance cast his gPsalm. 55. 23.burden vponupon the Lord, and sayd happily with hPsalm. 4. 9.Dauid, I will lay me downe in peace, and take my rest, for it is thou Lord only that makes me dwell in safety. God either deliuereth his seruants out of persecution, as he did Peter; or else if he crowne them with martyrdome as he did S. Iames, he will in his kingdome of glory giuegive them in stead of this bitter a better inheritance. iAugust. de Ciuit. Dei, lib. 4. cap. 30.Pro veritate morientes, cum veritate viuentes.
Prayer was made without ceasing of the congregation] Prayers and teares are the Churches armour, and therefore when Peter was imprisoned by cruell Herod, the congregation commeth vntounto prayer, and not vntounto pouder for his deliuerance; they did not assault the prison, nor kill the souldiers, nor breake the chaines, only prayer and patience were there weapons, kSalmeren tract. 35. in Act.arma christianorum in aduersis alia esse non debent quàm patientia & precatio: prayer (quoth lChurch hom. concernig Prayer, part. 2.Augustine) is the key of heauen, and as it were that fiery chariot of m2. Kings 2. 11.Eliah whereby we mount vp and hauehave our conuersation with God on high, it is the hand of a christian which is able to reach from earth to heauen, and to take forth eueryevery manner of good gift out of the Lords treasure; so the Scripture speakes in expresse termes, nMat. 7. 7.aske and yee shall hauehave, &c. The prayer of a righteous man auaileth much if it be feruent, Iames 5. 16. Aske in oIames 1. 6.faith, and then all things are possible to him that beleeueth, Marke 9. 23. Many times our Prayers are sent out like to incense made happily according to the Lords direction, but not kindled with fire from his altar; that is, petitions lawfull enough and agreeable to Gods holy word, but not poured out in feruency. We fall into them often without preparation, and vtter a number of wordes without deuotion, and therefore no maruaile if we misse, when as we thus aske amisse. But if our prayer be like the Churches here, made without ceasing, if it be faithfull and feruent the God of all grace will out of the riches of his mercy giuegive vsus either that we desired, as pIames 5. 18.Eliah prayed for raine and the heauen gaue raine: or else that which is better, as God tooke qDeut. 34.Moses into the spirituall Canaan, because he did not enioy that earthly Canaan: or at the least that which is sufficient, as he told Paul, 2. Cor. 12. 9. My grace is sufficient for thee. See Gosp. Sun. 5. after Easter,
There is nothing in the world rChrysostom.more strong then a man who giueth himselfe to feruent prayer, his deuotion is so powerfull as that it sEst quaedam omnipotentia praecum, Alstedius system. Theolog. lib. 4. cap. 2.commandeth all things in heauen, earth, and hell; it commandeth all the foure Elements, ayre, fire, water, earth: Ayre, Iames 5. 17. Elias prayed earnestly that it might not raine, and it rained not on the earth for three yeares and sixe moneths, he shut vp heauen as the tEccle. 48. 3.wiseman reportes of him, hee said, u1. Kings 17. 1.as the Lord God of Israel liueth before whom I stand, there shall be neither dew nor raine these yeeres, but according to my word: againe he prayed for raine, and the raine fell, and the earth brought forth her fruite. Fire, the same Prophet Elias by his prayers x1. King. 18. 38. 2. King. 1. 10. 12.three times brought fire from heauen, Ecclesiasticus 48. 3. Water, at the yExod. 14.crying of Moses vntounto the Lord, the red sea runne backe and was made drie land, so that Gods Israel walked vponupon firme ground in the middest of the sea: but whē their enemies pursued them, all the diuided waters returned, and ouerwhelmed them in the deepe; and at the prayer of the same Moses, bitter waters were made sweete, Exod. 15. 25. Earth, vponupon the complaint of Moses vntounto God the zNumb. 16.earth opened her mouth, and swallowed vp Korath, Dathan, and Abiram, and all their families, and all their goods: in so much that they together with all theirs went downe quicke into the pit, and the ground closed vponupon them, and they perished in the sight of Gods people. Nay the prayer of one deuoute man is able to conquer an hoast of enemies in battaile, for in the fight betweene Israel and Amalek, aExod. 17. 11.when Moses held vp his hand, Israel preuailed, but when he let his hand downe, Amalek preuailed. In this present text the prayer of the congregation without ceasing fetched an Angel out of heauen, and brought a shining light into the darke dungeon, and loosed the fetters from Saint Peters feete, and the chaines from his hands, it brake thorough the first and second watch, and opened an iron gate, and so deliuered the seruant of God from the waiting of the Iewes.
What should I say more? prayer is so potent that it raiseth the b1. Kings 17. 21.dead; it ouercommeth cGen. 19 22.Angels, it casteth out dMat. 17. 21.Deuils, and that which is yet more wonderfull, it mastereth euen God himselfe: for when eGen. 32. 16.Iacob wrestled with God, he said, I will not let thee goe, except thou blesse me: when the Lord said let me goe, becommeth it Iacob to say, I will not let thee goe: yea (beloued) there be some things wherein the Lord is very well content that his seruants striue with him, as namely, when they hauehave his word for their warrant, it is a commendable strife to take no refusall at his hand, and in effect it is nothing else but a constant affirmation that his truth is inuiolable. So the woman of fMat. 15.Canaan stroue with Christ, shee would take no denyall of that which he had promised: and blinde gMarke 10. Luke 18.Bartimeus made Christ as he passed in his way to stand still, hee could not for the multitude lay hands on him, and yet his prayers reached vntounto him, and held him fast vntill he receiued a comfortable answere, receiue thy sight, thy faith hath saued thee. So when almighty God would hauehave destroyed his people because they worshipped the golden calse, saying, these be thy Gods O Israel, which hauehave brought thee out of the land of Egypt; Moses fell downe on his face before the Lord, and prayed vntounto his God, he stood (saith the hPsal. 106. 23.Psalmist) in the gap as a mediatour betweene God and his people to turne away his wrathfull indignation, and this prayer was so powerfull, as that it constrained the Lord in the midst of his anger to say vntounto Moses, iExod. 3…. 10.let me alone, that my wrath may waxe hot against them: all the powers of heauen, and the crying of all men on earth are not able to hold the Lord from doing any worke he is about to doe, for he can kEsay 40. 12.measure the waters in his fist; and mete heauen with his spanne; and weigh the mountaines in scales; and the hils in a ballance, lPsalm. 135. 6.what soeuer pleaseth him he doth in heauen, and in earth, and in the sea: yet the prayers of his children are able to binde him hand and foot, and to compell him (as it were) to powre downe an vndeserued blessing, and to turne away a iust deserued punishment: the very crying of an infant that vtters no distinct voyce, moues a mother vntounto compassion, and so the Lord pitying vsus as a mPsalm. 103. 13.father, and comforting vsus as a nEsay 66. 13.mother, heareth our very groanes, and so oPsalm. 145. 19.fulfilleth our desires if we call vponupon him in faith and feare.
Now the reason why the prayers of the faithfull are so powerfull is, because they be not ours, but the intercession of Gods owne spirit in vsus, powred out in the name of Christ his owne sonne, in whom he is euer pMat. 3. 17.well pleased. For as for vsus, qRom. 8. 26.we know not what to pray as wee ought, but the spirit it selfe makes request for vsus with sighes which can not be expressed; it is the spirit whereby we cry abba father, rBernard in festo Pent. ser. 1.as in vsus the spirit makes request for vsus, so with the father he grantes our suites, and forgiues our sinnes, that for which we pray euen he giueth vntounto vsus who giueth vsus this grace to pray: God inuiteth vsus to sMat. 11. 28.come vntounto him, and to tPsalm. 50. 17.call vponupon him in all our troubles, and his holy spirit when as we present our selues before the throne of grace helpeth our infirmities and maketh intercession for vsus: and therefore no maruell if the Lord be bound by deuoute men with his owne promises, as uIudges 16.Sampson was by Dalila with his owne haire. Let these godly meditations strengthen our feeble hearts and weake handes that they faint not in deuotion, but according to the paterne of the Saintes here, and the precept of Paul xEphes. 6. 18. 1. Thess. 5. 17.elsewhere, we may without ceasing alwayes pray, yZinchius in loc. ad Ephes. see Thomas 21ae. quaest. 8…. art. 14.that is, vponupon all occasions offred as well for our selues as other: zNilus in se… tentijs.Omne quod agis …ratione obsignato, id verò maximè de quo mentem vides dubitantem.
Behold the Angel of the Lord was there present] I am occasioned here to treat of two questions especially: The first concerning Angelical protection in generall, as namely, whether Angels helpe and keepe men from euill or noe? The second whether beside the generall protection of many or all Angels in common, eueryevery man hath one peculiar. Angel as his peculiar guard and guide? The doctrine concerning Angelicall protection in generall at the first appearance may seeme strange, because the Scripture teacheth vsus expresly, that aPsalm. 37. 23.the pathes of man are directed by the Lord, and Psalm. 34. 18. Great are the troubles of the righteous, but the Lord deliuereth him out of all: and for this so particular care and prouidence, God is often compared vntounto a bDeut. 32. 6.father, cEsay▪ 49. 15.mother, dPsalm. 23. 1.pastour, eCant. 5.bridegroome, fPsalm. 18. 1.buckler, gExod. 19. 4.Eagle. &c. To shew that he only is to vsus h1. Cor. 15. 28.all in all: Esay 63. 16. Doubtlesse thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of vsus, and Israel know vsus not: yet thou O Lord art our father, and our redeemer. As who would say, those that are fathers according to the flesh, are not worthy of that name if they be compared with thee: can a woman forget her childe? and not hauehave compassion on the sonne of her wombe? though she should forget (saith the Lord, Esay 49. 15.) Yet I will not forget thee; behold, I hauehave grauen thee vponupon the palme of my hands, and thy walkes are euer in my sight. iAmbrose.If thou beest burdened with vnrighteousnes, Christ is thy righteousnes if thou need helpe, he is thy strength: if thou feare death, he is life: if thou desire heauē, he is the way: if thou hate darknes, he is light: if yu seeke for meate he is food: for although he be but one in himselfe, yet he is all things vntounto vsus for the relieuing of our necessities which are without number: and therefore if the rule be true non sunt multiplicanda entia sine necessitate, what need any man expect other side from other powers, though Angelicall and neuer so great, seeing almighty God himselfe is the kPsalm. 111. 4.keeper of Israel, our immediat protectour, lPsalm. 46. 1.strength, hope, and helpe in trouble.
mThom. part. 1. quaest. 113. …. & 2.Answere is made that Angelical custody doth not extenuate, but rather extoll the greatnes and goodnes of God toward mankind, for as much as it is an execution of his high and holy prouidence. For as by the nChrysost ser. de ascens…m.wisedome of an excellent Emperour, all the Towers, all the Cities, all the Castles, are fortified with men and munition against the common enemies assault, lest by barbarous inuasion they should be destroyed: euen so, because the deuils are in eueryevery corner raging and ranging for our ouerthrow, God hath ordained for our guard that an host of Angels should oPsalm. 34. 7.pitch their tentes about vsus, and pPsalm. 91 11.keepe vsus in all our wayes. Indeed God is able to defend vsus himselfe by himselfe thorough his immediate concourse which he hath in all things, but to manifest his abundant louelove to men which are qIob 25. ….wormes, and rottennes, and mere rPsalm. 39. 6.vanity, he doth inioyne the pages of his honour & princes of his court, euen his glorious Angels to become messengers and Ministers for their sakes, who shal be heires of saluation, & that all the time of this life, in the houre of death, and in the day of iudgement.
The good which Angels procure to the Saints in this life, concerneth either the body or the soule: as for the body, these ministring spirits attend vsus euen from the beginning of our dayes vntounto the end, most carefully performing all manner of offices appertaining necessarilie to the preseruation of our temporall life. When sGen. 16. 7.Agar cast out of Abrahams family wandered in the wildernes, an Angel appeared vntounto her, and aduised her to returne to her mistresse, and to humble her selfe vnderunder her hands: the reuenging Angels caught and carried tGen. 19. 16.Lot out of Sodom and Gomorrha, before they did burne those Cities with fire and brimstone. uGen. 24. 7.Abraham as being assured of the protection of Gods Angels in all his wayes, said vntounto his seruant, the Lord God of heauen who tooke me from my fathers house, &c. will send his Angel before thee: when xGen. 32. 1.Iacob feared his brother Esau, hee met Angels comming vntounto him, and thereupon he did acknowledge that they should be his guard in his iourney, saying▪ this is Gods host: an Angel appeared vntounto Duke yIosua 5. 13.Iosua when he was about to sacke Iericho, with a drawen sword in his hand as a captaine to fight for Israel: an Angel comforted and fed z1. Kings 19.Elias when he fled from Iezebel: an Angel deliuered the three children out of the fierie furnace, Dan. 3. An Angel assisted Daniel in the Lyons denne, and kept him also from all manner of hurt, Dan. 6. An Angel directed aMat. 2. 13.Ioseph, to flie into Egypt. An Angel ministred vntounto bMat. …. 11. Luke 22. 43.Christ in his heauines, and in our present text the Lords Angel brought Peter out of prison, and deliuered him out of the hands of Herod, and from all the waiting of the people of the Iewes.
Angels procure good vntounto the soules of the faithfull illuminando & confortando saith cPart. 1. quaest.Aquine, because they be maintainers and furtherers of the true worship of God, and of all good meanes whereby saluation is attained. The dGalat. 3. 19. Acts 7. 38.law was deliuered in mount Sina by the hands of Angels; an Angel expounded vntounto eDan 9. 21.Daniel the 70. weekes; an Angel forbids fApocalip. 19. 10.Iohn to worship him, and inioyneth him to worship God the creatour of heauen and earth; an Angel declared the will of God vntounto father gGen. 22. 12.Abraham that he should not kill his sonne Isaac; an Angel reuealed the mystery of Christs hLuke 1. 31.conception, vntounto the Virgin his mother; of Christs birth, vntounto certaine shepheards in the field attending their flockes by night, Luke 2. 10. Of Christs resurrection, vntounto Mary Magdalen and other deuout women, Mat. 28. 5. In a word, Angels are pursiuants, harbingers, and Heralds betwixt heauen and earth alwayes in a readines to make knowne the will of God vntounto men.
In the houre of death Angels conuey the soules of the faithfull, as they did the soule of iLuke 16. 22.Lazarus into blessed Abrahams bosome. And in the day of iudgement they shall kMat. 24. 31.gather together all Gods elect from the foure windes, and from the one end of heauen vntounto the other, that they may come before Christ and enter into the fruition of eternall glory both in body and soule.
The vse of this doctrine is manifold. 1. It serues to terrifie the wicked who despise Gods children, for so Christ himselfe reasoneth, Mat. 18. 10. Despise not one of these little ones, because I say vntounto you, that in heauen their Angels alway behold the face of my father. It behoues reuiling scoffers therfore to take heed whō they mocke, for though happily good men (called little ones in respect of their innocency and humility) for their parts are content to put vp abuses and iniuries; yet their Angels may take iust reuenge by smiting them (as they did Herod in this Chapter) with heauy punishments for their offences.
2. This may teach vsus humility; for if Angels high and holy serue vsus, let vsus not thinke it any bad or base dutie to lGalat. 5. 13.serue one another in louelove.
3. Wee may learne from hence to behaue our selues in open and in secret places after a reuerent and seemely manner, as being spectacles vntounto glorious Angels, which are mBucan loc. com. tit. Angel. quaest. 34.witnesses and obseruers of all our words and deeds. To this purpose n1. Cor. 11. 10.Paul saith, that the woman ought to hauehave power on her head, because of the Angels. oPerkins expos. Creed tit. creation of Angels.That is, not onelyonly the Ministers of the Church, but Gods heauenly Angels, which daily wait vponupon his children and guard them in all their waies.
4. This ought to stirre vsus vp vntounto the Lords praise, saying with pPsalm. 144. 3.Dauid, Lord, what is man, that thou hast such respect vntounto him, or the sonne of man that thou shouldest so regard and guard him? Alas all flesh is grasse, and man is like a thing of nought; yet behold if hee truely louelove God, qRom. 8. 28.all things are for his good, for God is his father, the Church his mother, Christ his brother, the holy Ghost his comforter, Angels his attendants, all other creatures his rPsalm. 8. 6.subiects, the whole world his s1. Pet. 2. 11.Inne, and heauen his tIohn 14. 2.home. I will end this obseruation with a meditation of S. uSoliloqui. cap. 27.Augustine.
O Lord, thou makest thy spirits messengers for my sake, to whom thou hast giuen charge ouer me to keepe me in all my waies, that I hurt not my foote against a stone. For these are the watchmen ouer the xEsay 62. 2.walles of the new Hierusalem, and of the mountaines about the same, which attend and keepe watch ouer the flocke, lest he as a Lion make a prey of our soules, while there is none to deliuer; he, I meane that old yReuelat. 12. 9.serpent, our aduersary the diuell, who walketh about as a z1. Pet. 5. 8.roaring Lion seeking whom he may deuoure. These Citizens of Hierusalem aboue walke with vsus in all our wayes, they goe in and out with vsus, diligently considering how godly and how honestly we doe walke in the aPhilip. 2. 15.midst of a naughty and crooked generation, how earnestly wee seeke the bMat. 6. 33.kingdome of God and the righteousnes. … of; with what cPsalm. 2. 11.feare and trembling we doe serue …hee, and how our hearts dZacha. 10. 7.reioyce in thee O Lord: those which labour they strengthen, those which rest they protect, such as fight they encourage, they crowne such as ouercome, they reioyce with such as eRom. 12. 15.reioyce, such I meane as reioyce in thee; and they suffer with such as suffer, I say with such as suffer f1. Pet. 4. 14.for thy names sake: great is the care which they hauehave of vsus, and great is the affection of their louelove toward vsus, and all this for the honour of thine inestimable good will, wherewith thou hast loued vsus: for they louelove those, whom thou doest louelove: they keep those, whom thou doest keep: they forsake those, whom thou doest forsake: neither can they abide such as worke iniquity, because thou also gPsalm. 5. 5.hatest all them that worke iniquity. When we doe well the Angels reioyce, but the deuils are sad: when we doe ill the deuils reioyce, but the Angels are sad: grant therefore good Lord, that they may alwayes reioyce ouer vsus, that both thou alwayes mayest be glorified in vsus, and we may be brought with them into thy fold, that together we may praise thy name O creator both of men and Angels.
To the second quaere, whether beside the generall protection of all Angels in common, eueryevery particular man hath one peculiar Angel for his guard; I finde that many learned and ancient doctours hold the affirmatiue part. So S. hIn Psalm. 33. & 48.Basile categorically, to eueryevery one that beleeueth in Christ an assistant Angell is appointed, vnlesse we driue him away from vsus by our wicked actions; for as smoake driueth away bees, and stinch doues: so filthy sinne the Angel the keeper of our life. The which assertion he confirmes iLib. 3. contra Eunomium cir. prin.elsewhere more at large by diuers testimonies of holy writ: so S. kCom. in Esaiae 66.Hierome, that eueryevery one of vsus hath his Angel, many places of Scripture teach, as namely that of Christ, Mat. 18. 10. See that ye despise not one of these little ones, for I say vntounto you, that in heauen their Angels alway behold the face of my father, &c. As also that which is recorded, Acts 12. 15. It is Peters Angel: So lHom. 3. in 1. Coloss.Chrysostome, eueryevery faithfull one hath his Angel, in deede at the first holy Angels were according to the number of the nations, but now not so, but according to the number of the faithfull. So mIn Mat. 18.Theophylact, all men, especially the faithfull hauehave their Angels. So nIn vita Moseos.Gregory Nyssen speaking of this argument insinuates that it was ordinarily duplicate page duplicate page holden of the fathers, a true speech hath descended vntounto vsus, by which we beleeue that our nature since our fall into sinne, is not altogether forlorne of the diuine clemencie, neither left without his succour, but that then also there is giuen to eueryevery man one of the Angels as an helper and protector. So oIn Heb. …. 14.Primasius, vntounto eueryevery man (as the Doctours say) there is generally giuen an Angel for his custody, and this either from his birth, or rather▪ from his baptisme. VntoUnto these fathers I might adde p…om. 8. in Gen.Origine, q…. 30.Iustine Martyr, rStrom. 6.Clemens Alexandrinus, sSoliloq. cap. 27.Augustine, tDe praeparat. Euang. lib. 13. cap. 7.Eusebius, &c. As also most of the uI… 2. sent. dist. 11.schoolemen, and xSalkeld treat. of Angels cap 44.many protestant diuines.
Yet for mine owne part I say (saluo semper meliore iudicio) with Caluin institut. lib. 1. cap. 14. §. 7. An singulis sidelibus singuli angeli sint ad eorum defensionem attributi pro certo asserere non ausim: and my reason is, for that I see not any cleare ground in holy Bible for such an assertion. The two chiefe places in the iudgement of all diuines aswell ancient as moderne are Mat. 18. 10. and Acts 12. 15. The first whereof (as yCom. in loc.Caietan and zAmbros. Comps… Epis. apud S. sen…n. Bibliothec. lib. 6. annot. 77.other popish expositours obserue) proues not euidently, that eueryevery little one hath one peculiar Angel for his guardian in particular, but only that all are appointed ouer all in generall, as the Scripture construeth it selfe Luke 15 10. Saying of eueryevery one of those little ones which turne from their sinnes, that all Gods holy▪ Angels reioyce at it: and as for the wordes of the disciples astonished at the sudden newes of Peters comming, it is not he, but his Angel; aD…ering lect. 6. in Heb.answere is made, that this allegation is a very slender proofe, because the disciples in Maries house being amazed vponupon the strange report of Rhode, spake they knew not what: so we might proue that the Saints departed may dwell in tabernacles, because bMat. 17. 4. Marke 9. 5.Peter said, Lord, let vsus make tabernacles, one for Moses, another for Elias: and whereas it is further obiected that they spake after the common opinion of men in that age; we reply that in those dayes it was a receiued opinion that dead men did walke, as it appeares by cMat. 14. 2.Herod, who thought our Sauiour was Iohn Baptist risen againe from the dead. Vox populi is not alway vox dei, common errours are no certaine rules of truth: and what if that place were so manifest as they could wish it, why might it not be construed thus, it is his Angel, dCaluin instit. lib. 1. cap. 14. §. 7. & com. in loc.that is, some Angel which almighty God hath sent for his deliuerance, this being according to the Scripture more then that, to hauehave it his particular Angel; so the present text here, behold the Angel of the Lord was their present, and a light shined in the prison, and he smote Peter on the side, and stirred him vp, saying, arise vp quickly, and his chaines fell from his hands, &c.