The Saints Convoy to Heaven, Application 3
Uſe III. Exhortation.
From the Miniſtration of Angels attending the Souls of Believers at their Diſſolution, ſeveral Duties might be inferred, ſome of which are theſe:
I. Give Thanks to God, and Praiſe him for his Love to, and Care of you that are his People: That he hath made it the Office of ſuch Holy and Noble Spirits, to be your Attendants to miniſter unto you, for your Good: For if Children ſhould be thankful to God for their good Parents, who have loved them, and took care of them in their Infancy, and provided Neceſſaries for them all along as they grew up, and Orphans for good and careful Guardians, and Pupils for good Tutors, and People for good Miniſters, and Subjects for good Magiſtrates, and for all the Good that theſe have received from them, under God, as his Miniſters to them for Good; then we ſhould alſo for the Good Angels, and for the Good God doth convey to us by them, as his Servants herein, while we live on Earth, in the Place of our Pilgrimage, Angels looking upon us, as Strangers in this World, do us many good Turns; for it is not to be ſuppoſed, that theſe good Angels that are ſo careful of us, when we die, ſhould do no Offices of Love to us, while we live; eſpecially, when Scripture ſets forth more copiouſly, the Miniſtration of Angels for us in this Life, but more ſparingly after Death.
Tho' they do many things for us when we neither ſee them, nor know they are done by them, yet what the Scripture reveals, we might as confidently believe and hope for, as if we viſibly ſaw it: They have been often uſed by God for his People's Good, in many Reſpects, ordinary and extraordinary.
1. To direct them in the Way wherein they were to go, about their Lawful Imployments, that they might not wander, Gen. 24. 7. and 32. 1.
2. To Watch them, to preſerve them from Hurt and Danger, pitching their Camps about their Dwellings, Pſal. 34. 7. and many a Night our Safety hath been more from the watchful Angels, than the Watchmen in the Streets; for except the Lord keep the City, Pſal. 127. 1(which he often doth by Angels) the Watchmen waketh but in vain.
3. To be inſtrumental in healing them when they have been ſick and diſeaſed: We may owe more to Angels herein (under God) than to the Phyſicians, being more skilful than they; and how far godly Phyſicians might be helped in preſcribing their Medicines, by the ſecret, undiſcernible Suggeſtions of knowing, holy Angels, is a thing ſeldom thought of, Joh. 5. 4.
4. To ſupply our outward Wants, when reduced to great Straits, 1 King. 19. 5, 6, 7.
5. To bear them in their Arms, and to ſupport them by their Power, to keep them from pernicious falls: Who knows how often Angels have prevented their Falls from their Horſes, when riding on their Journeys, Pſal. 91. 11, 12.
6. To enlarge their Liberty when they have been confined, and to deliver them out of Priſons, which they may be inſtrumental in more Ways than one, Acts 12. 7, &c.
7. To comfort them in their Fears and Perplexities of Mind, Iſay. 6. 5, 6, 7.
Tho' ſome of theſe mentioned were extraordinary Caſes, yet they are apparent Evidences of their inviſible Services, and of their Ability and Readineſs to ſerve God in ordinary, and extraordinary Caſes, in which God at his Pleaſure, may command them to help us, and we are ſure they will obey. If for theſe ye ſhould bleſs God, ought you not thankfully to acknowledge God's Love to, and Care of your Souls, when ſeparated, in ſending Angels to be their Convoy to Heaven?
1. Becauſe evil Spirits would be too ſtrong for the Soul, without a Guard.
2. Becauſe your deareſt Friends, can no way help your ſeparated Soul.
3. Becauſe there are no other Second Cauſes that your ſeparated Souls can be committed to, beſides the Holy Angels.
4. Becauſe it is your Comfort to have ſuch good Company with you on your Way: Travelling alone is ſolitary in a ſhorter Journey: ſuitable Company is deſirable.
II. Learn your Engagement to Christ, for the Reconciliation he hath procured for you.
1. With God: By the Blood of his Croſs, he hath purchaſed your Peace with him: Without this Peace made, God would have uſed the Miniſtration of Angels for your Deſtruction and Damnation, as he will by them caſt the Ungodly into the Furnace of Fire, at the Second Coming of Chriſt; but the Hoſtility betwixt God and Believers is taken away by Chriſt, and the Breach made up by his Blood, Col. 1. 20.
2. With Holy Angels: Betwixt Men and Devils Chriſt will make no Peace: War betwixt them is proclaimed, and ſhall be continued. Holy Angels that were confirmed, ſtood on God's Side, againſt Angels that apoſtatized, and Mankind that had revolted,Iſa. 37. 36. Act. 12. 23. and were ready to execute God's Judgments at his Pleaſure, upon his Enemies, of which we have many Inſtances in Scripture.
Wherefore that Angels are ſo ready to convey Believers Souls to Heaven, which is ſo great an Office of Love, muſt be attributed to Chriſt, who hath made ſuch Holy Angels to be ſuch great Friends to them, Eph. 1. 10.
III. Learn what Duties are incumbent upon you, while you live, from this Miniſtration of Holy Angels to your Souls, when you die: as they have been God's Meſſengers to make known his Will,Luke 2. 10, 11. Act. 1. 10. 11. and publiſh his good Pleaſure, to inſtruct and teach, to bring glad Tidings of a Saviour for loſt Sinners, and to be Witneſſes of Chriſt's Aſcention into Heaven, and to declare his coming again, by audible Voice; ſo they by their Example in taking the Care and Charge of Holy ſeparated Souls, to conduct them to Heaven, teach us ſeveral Duties.
1. By their Love to Believers ſeparated Souls, we ſhould be excited to great Love to them. Love ſhould be reciprocal, in loving them that love us: Should not we love the Angels in Heaven, who are ſo ready to help us up to Heaven? Should we love every one on Earth, in whom we ſee the Holy Image and Likeneſs of God in ſmalleſt Meaſure, and ſhould not we love theſe Holy Angels that are like to God in higheſt Degrees? Should we love the Miniſters of God, whoſe Preaching God hath made inſtrumental for our Converſion and Preparation for Heaven, and ſhould we not love theſe Meſſengers of God, who are ſent by him to fetch us to the Poſſeſſion of our Manſions in Heaven? Do we love the Company of good Men that travel with us upon Earth, as they are Guides and Guards unto us on our Way, and ſhall we not love theſe Holy Angels of God, that will be our Companions in our Journey to Heaven? If we are to love ſuch as are our Enemies in Life, ſurely we ſhould love theſe that will be ſuch Friends unto us after Death.
2. By their Condeſcention in the carrying the Soul of the meaneſt Believer to Heaven, we ſhould learn Humility, and to condeſcend to Men of low Eſtates, for the Good and Welfare of their Souls. What meer Creatures are more Noble and Excellent than the Holy Angels in Heaven? And what Believer, as to outward Circumſtances, was poorer and more loathſom than Lazarus? Was he not a Beggar that wanted Bread? Was he not a Cripple, that could not go to, but was laid at the Rich Man's Gate? Was he not only ſore, but full of Sores, that a nice and ſqueamiſh Perſon would have diſdained to look upon him, but much more to dreſs his Sores? And yet the Angels of God did not diſdain to carry this Poor Man's Soul into Abraham's Boſom? Did they take him in their Arms, whom the Rich Man would not take and lay in any of his Out-houſes?
Are any of the Sons of Men more Excellent, more Noble, more Knowing, and ſet higher in any Capacity above the Pooreſt and moſt Contemptible Believer upon Earth, than the Angels in Heaven? and yet are they ready to miniſter to the Meaneſt, and ſhall any of us be ſo Great in our own Eyes, and look upon our ſelves in ſuch a Magnifying Glaſs, as to refuſe to help forward the Salvation of the Pooreſt Soul?
3. Let the Miniſtration of Angels, in carrying Souls to Heaven, be a Pattern of our Obedience to God, all the Days of our Life on Earth. As they obey God in this, as in all things elſe, ſo let us write after their Copy,Mat. 6. 10. to do the Will of God, as by them in Heaven it is done: Tho' we cannot do it equally in Degrees, yet let it be our Holy Ambition to come as near to them as we can, in theſe Particulars:
First, They do not ſtir to fetch a Soul to Heaven, without a Warrant from God; they are ſent before they Come: So let us ſee what Warrant we have from God for what we do, before we do it; demanding of our ſelves, hath God commanded this? Hath he ſpoke the Word? Will the Holy Scripture,Pſal. 119. 11. wherein God's Will and my Duty is revealed, bear me out, if I do this or that? What a Multitude of Sins by this would be prevented?
Secondly, Angels come and carry believing Souls to Heaven, with greateſt Alacrity and Cheerfulneſs: As they joy in their Converſion, ſo in carrying them to Eternal Salvation, if they be ſent never ſo often, to fetch never ſo many, they never grudge their Labour, they have not the leaſt Regret nor Repining, but the more they are ſent for the more they are pleaſed and do rejoice. So we ſhould ſerve the Lord with Gladneſs, and and come before his Preſence with Singing, Pſal. 100. 2. We ſhould pray to him with Delight, hear from him and obey him with Cheerfulneſs, and Joy.
Thirdly, Angels having a Charge to fetch a Believer's Soul, come ſpeedily, without delay; they make haſte to receive it, that they may be preſent at the very Moment of its Separation: They never come too late. In like manner we ſhould imitate their Obedience in ours, Pſal. 119. 60. I made haſte, and delayed not to keep thy Commandments. God commands you now to repent, but you put it off till hereafter: God enjoins you to Day, whiles it is called to Day,Heb. 3. 7, 8. to hearken to his Voice; but you ſtop your Ears to Day, and ſo you will to morrow, if you ſhall have the ſame hardneſs of Heart to Morrow, as you have to Day. Angels in conveying Souls do not ſo; but when God gives the Word, they obey ſpeedily and fly ſwiftly.
Fourthly, Angels in carrying Souls to Heaven are Faithful in their Service in fetching as many as God ſends them for, and no more, and the very ſame Souls and no other; they never miſtake one for another, and never drop or loſe any by the Way committed to their Charge. We, in Imitation of them, ſhould be faithful in doing what God commands to every Perſon, in what Capacity, Station and Relation we ſtand to them: to one as well as another, and not only to one, neglecting another, when each are equally committed to our Charge.
Fifthly. Holy Angels ſerve God in this Miniſtration with perſevering Conſtancy: They have been imployed in Tranſporting Souls for many Ages already paſt, innumerable Souls have been conveyed from this World to that above, and ſo they do ſtill, as oft as Believers die, and ſo they will to the World's End, till all the Souls, ordained by God for Eternal Life, are lodged in the Heavens. To which Pattern we ſhould conform our ſelves in our Obedience to God, perſevering therein to our Lives End, Pſal. 119. 112. I have inclined my Heart to perform thy Statutes always, even to the End.
4. Let the Care of Angels, in carrying Holy Souls to Heaven, make us careful of our own Souls, that they be ſuch, and ſo qualified with ſpecial Grace, that they may be the Object of their Care, when they ſhall be ſeparated from our Bodies, as you deſire they, and not Devils, ſhould have them, when out of the Body; do you make it your great Concern, to have them Sanctified in the Body: For Holy Angels will not touch an unholy ſeparated Soul, to defend it from the Devil's ſeizing of it. If the Soul be unholy while you live, and leave the Body unholy when you die, it will be unfit for the Glorious Preſence of God, for the Holy Place and Company Above, and it will not be in their Commiſſion to carry it thither, neither will they do it.
5. Grieve not, nor offend the Holy Angels of God, as you expect and hope they ſhould carry your Souls to Heaven when you die. Good and Evil Angels are your Spectators and Obſervers, when you might think little of it: When you do Evil, bad Angels rejoice, good Angels are offended: when you pleaſe God, Devils are diſpleaſed, but good Angels are delighted at it.
Take heed in ſecret what you do, for there may be more Devils and Holy Angels with you, tho' not ſeen by you, than you are aware of.
Be mindful how you behave your ſelf in the Publick Ordinances, becauſe of Angels, good and bad, for when you come to theſe, good and bad Angels come alſo;Mat. 13. 19 the Devil to catch the Word from you, that you might not be ſaved, but that he might catch and carry your Soul at Death, to Hell: Good Angels to promote your Converſion now, that they may carry your Souls to Heaven hereafter. Becauſe of theſe Holy Angels in the Aſſembly watch your Carriage,1 Cor. 11. 10. ſhall they ſee your Eyes rolling after ſinful Objects? Shall they ſee you ſleeping under the Word, or in time of Prayer? Will you ſo grieve thoſe that you hope ſhall be imployed, in carrying your Soul to Heaven? Bluſh more that Angels ſee you nodding in Duty, than that Men ſee you.
IV. Tho' Angels ſhall be ſo careful of you, to carry your ſeparated Soul to Heaven, yet be you careful, that you now carry nothing to them that is due to God; neither your Prayers, nor any part of Religious Worſhip that properly belongs to God.Rev. 22. 8, 9. Worſhipping of Angels is offenſive to God, and diſpleaſing to them, and they refuſe to accept it: Tho' you were upon your dying Bed, you may not pray to them to come and guard you, but you may pray to God that he would ſend them to defend you, and carry you to Glory; as in another Caſe Manoah did, Judg. 13. 8. Manoah intreated the Lord and ſaid, O my Lord, let the Man of God, which thou didſt ſend, come again unto us.—9. And God hearkened to the Voice of Manoah, and the Angel of God came again.—16. The Angel ſaid, If thou wilt offer a Burnt Offering, thou muſt offer it to the Lord.
V. This is great Encouragement to dying Believers: When ſuch an one perceives the approaching of Death, that he muſt get up and ride upon that Pale Horſe that will carry him into the other World, he might ſay, Farewell, Dear Friends, Farewell; I am going, my time is ended my Courſe is finiſhed; I ſhall be no more with you, and when my Soul is departed, there is no more that you can do for it: Weep not, neither be ye grieved, I have thoſe that will take care of me, when ye cannot; God will take Care of me, and Chriſt will take Care of me, and the Holy Angels of God will take Care of me: I have God's Promiſe for my Security, God's Power for my Protection, God's Angels for my Guard: The Angel of the Covenant will charge his Angels with me; the Meſſenger of the Covenant will ſend his Meſſengers for me: The Surety of the Covenant hath undertaken, with God, for me, and for me with God, and I ſhall reap the benefit of his Suretiſhip, and the Bleſſings of the Covenant for Ever, when carried up into Heaven: Death will carry me into Eternity; and Angels will carry me into a bleſſed Eternity of Life and Joy, with Chriſt in Glory. The Horſemen of Iſrael are a coming, the Chariot is making ready, and as Death haſtens, ſo do they, and will certainly be here as ſoon as Death, if not before. Shall I be afraid of Death, or Devils, or Hell, when Angels will meet me at Death's Door, and carry me to Heaven's Gates, and others let me in to take up my Lodging in Abraham's Boſom?
This is Ground of ſupport to a Believer on his dying Bed, when he muſt mount the Pale Horſe of Death, which will carry him into another World, that God will charge his Angels to attend, and to be read to receive his ſeparated Soul, and carry it into the State and Place of Eternal Happineſs in the other World.
This alſo might alleviate the Grief of ſurviving Friends, which often loads and burdens the Heart, becauſe of the Departure of ſuch, that while they lived, were their Comfort and Delight; when they conſider the joyful Company of the Holy Angels they have to convoy them to their Eternal Bleſſed Home, their joyful Entertainment there, their happy Reſt, their holy Imployment, their inconceivable Joys in the immediate Preſence of their Glorious God and Exalted Redemer, and the Eternal Spirit, and that all this ſhall be their Happineſs to all Eternity.
It is no blind Charity to conclude that the Soul of this deceaſed Friend, is ſafely arrived at Heaven, and hath his Manſion there, when thoſe that knew him beſt, and converſed with him moſt, and had the longeſt Acquaintance to obſerve his Converſation, can, and do affirm, that his whole Life was very Exemplary, ſuitable to his Profeſſion, and worthy of others Imitation.
When I was at his Funeral, a grave, ſolid, and judicious Chriſtian, ſaid to me, I have known him from his Begining to his End, and think, that whatſoever migh be ſaid of an Upright Man, might be ſaid concerning him.
He was very diligent in Redeeming his time, Improving it in the Duties of his particular and general Calling, cautious and watchful that he might not waſte nor miſpend the Hours of his Life, for tho' he had a conſiderable Eſtate, yet he was as laborious in his Station, as if he had not Bread to eat, till he had got it by his Hands; not from a covetous Deſire of Gain, which was manifeſt, in that the ſame Hands that worked for it, were as ready to give it, as the Neceſſities of others called for it: For to my Knowledge, he gave a conſiderable Allowance, for many Years, towards the Education of a poor Scholar, whom, when he heard preach, before he died, ſaid to me, he thought his Money well beſtowed, and was a Comfort to him that it had been ſo rightly placed, and that he ſaw ſuch Fruits of what he had therein done.
He was more than ordinarily ready to promote the Preaching of the Goſpel amongſt a People that, by reaſon of their low Circumſtances, were not able to procure it; one Inſtance I remember, when a Friend of mine did but mention the Caſe of ſuch a People in the Country, tho' he did not ask him, yet before they parted, I ſaw him give ſeveral Pounds to be towards the Maintainance of a Preacher for that Year.
Another ſpecial Friend of mine, of his intimate Acquaintance, told me ſince his Death, that once he deſired ſome Aſſiſtance from him, for the Relief of a very fit Object of Charity, more than ordinary, for which purpoſe he readily (beyond his Expectation) gave many Pounds. After ſome conſiderable time intervening, the ſame Perſon, upon another extraordinary Occaſion, renewed his Requeſt for his Help, and he chearfully gave him upon that Account, as much as he did for the other. Whereupon my Friend told me, that ſuch a Free-giver ſpoiled him for a Beggar for others (as to him) for after that, he could never prevail with himſelf to ask him any more, who was ſo eaſily prevailed with to give ſo liberally.
He was an earneſt deſirer of the Welfare of the Souls of others, for I know that he hath often bought many Dozens of Books of ſeveral Subjects, and given them to Poor Perſons and Families, asking nothing but that they would take them and diligently read them: Alſo if any deſired him to tranſcribe out of his Short Hand into Long, any Sermon under which they were more than uſually affected (tho' he was fully imployed, yet) he would take time from his ſleep, and write it very fair and give them, being ready to promote the Intereſt of Souls, both by his Purſe and Pains.
He was a ſingular Pattern of Dutifulneſs to Parents; being very tender and careful of his very aged Mother, both in reſpect to her Temporal and Spiritual State, liberally aſſiſting her as to both (for tho' ſhe was left a Widow in good Worldly Circumſtances, yet in her Old Age ſhe enjoyed not that Plenty as before). For Temporals, ſhe, by his Care wanted nothing; in Spirituals he was as forward to afford his Help, for being Weak thro' Age, and difficult in hearing, could not attend (as formerly) upon Publick Ordinances, to ſupply the Want whereof, it was his conſtant Practice for many Years, every Lord's Day in the Evening, to go to her Houſe, and laying his Face near her Ear, repeated the Sermons he had taken that Day, to her, and the reſt in the Family.
He was not ſhort in his Relation, as a Brother to his Siſters, Two that by Providence were brought from higher to lower Circumſtances in their outward State, he made comfortable Proviſions for, one of which being diſcompoſed in her Head, and not capable of caring for her ſelf, he (like a loving Brother) was exceeding kind unto her, while he lived, and hath left them what will be a good Stay and Support unto them, now he is taken from his Mother and them.
He never was a talkative Man, but the leſs he ſaid, the more he did; not like many, whoſe Tongues run faſter in ſpeaking Religiouſly, than their Feet in walking Holily: His Works did praiſe him more, to the Obſervers of what he did, than his Words did commend him to the Hearers of what he ſaid; tho' what he ſaid was Savoury, and his Words were weighty, rather than many; ſpeaking but little tho' to good Purpoſe: And as he was ſparing in his Words, when in Health, ſo he ſpake not much when ſick and on his dying Bed: but told me, he had good Hopes of his Spiritual and Eternal State, and tho' he found Satan tempting to ſhake his Reliance on Chriſt, yet there he placed his only Truſt and Dependance for Salvation, having conſented to him, and accepted of him in all his Offices as offered in the Goſpel.
Concerning the laſt Sermon he heard, which was about Love-ſickneſs to Christ, through the abundant Senſe of Chriſt's Love to the Soul, he ſaid, it was an excellent, comfortable Frame of Spirit, in ſuch as have experience of it: and this I thought he ſaid, from his own Experience, as having found and felt how comfortable it was.
His Head being affected with his Diſtemper, and much inclined to Sleep, yet asked me to pray with him, ſaying, tho' I be drowſy, yet will I not ſleep while you pray, but will join in the Prayers with you; and when ſick, kept waking in his Bed, during the time of Prayer, when many in Health, in Family and Congregation, are ſleeping when they ſhould be praying: and tho' he was ſo heavy, yet would not be ſatisfied, except the Duty were performed, and ſtriving againſt his Sleep, that he might ſtrive with God in Prayer, ſaid afterwards, his Soul was refreſhed, and was the better for it.
Within the ſpace of about Fifteen Days, he was well and dead, when Sickneſs did ſeize him, Death made haſte to remove him; but tho' Death prevented him of longer Time, he had prevented Death from hurrying him to Eternal Death, by his timely ſpiritual Birth and Converſion unto God, by his ſound Repentance, and unfeigned Faith in Chriſt, which manifeſted it ſelf by the Fruits thereof, thro' the whole Courſe of his Life, perſevering therein to the End, and when God gave Commiſſion to Death to make ſuch haſte to have his Body carried to the Grave, he gave Commiſſion to his Angels to make as much ſpeed to carry his Soul into Abrahams Boſom; where it is in perfect Reſt, and Love, and Joy; and let us all prepare that our Remove by Death, might be from Earth to Heaven. Amen.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Doolittle, The Saints Convoy to Heaven (1698)