The Soul of Man, Part 8 · Doctrine · Proposition 4
PROP. IV. The Souls of the Righteous, at the instant of their Separation, are received by the blessed Angels, and by them transferred unto the place of Blessedness.
THough Angels are by nature a superiour order of Spirits, differing from men in Dignity, as the Nobles and Barons in the Kingdoms of this World, differ from inferiour Subjects; yet are they made ministring Spirits, (i.e.) serviceable Creatures in the Kingdom of Providence, to the meanest of the Saints, Heb. 1.14. and herein the Lord puts a singular honour upon his people, in making such excellent Creatures, as Angels, serviceable to them. Luther assigns to them a double office, sc. to sing the praises of God on high, and to watch over his Saints here below. Their Ministry is distinguished into three Branches; foreign, for Admonition or warning: foreign, for Protection and defence: foreign, for succour, help, and comfort. This last office they perform, more especially, at the Souls departure. Like tender Nurses, they keep us whilst we live, and bring us home in their arms to our Fathers house when we die.
They are about our death-beds, waiting to receive their precious charge into their arms and bosomes. When Lazarus breathed out his Soul, the Text saith, it was carried by Angels into Abraham's bosome, Luke 10.22. And upon this account, Tertullian calls them Evocatores animarum, the Callers forth of Souls. At the Translation of Elijah, they appeared in the form of Horses and Chariots of fire, 2 Kings 2. 11. Horses and Chariots are not only design'd for conveyance, but for conveyance in State; and truly it is no small honour to have such a noble Convoy and Guard to attend our Souls to Heaven.
If it be demanded, Object.What need is there of their help or company? Cannot God by his immediate hand and power gather home the Souls of his people to himself at death? He inspired them into our Bodies without their help, and can receive them again when we expire them, without their aid.
True,S…l…t. he can do so; but it hath pleased him to appoint this method of our Translation, not out of meer necessity, but bounty. Souls ascend not to God in the vertue of the Angels wings or arms, but of Christ's Ascension. Had not he ascended as our head and representative, all the Angels in Heaven could not have brought our Souls thither. He ascended by his own power, and we ascend by the virtue of his Ascension. 'Tis therefore rather for the State and Decorum, than any absolute necessity that they attend us, in our Ascension.
God will not only have his people brought home to him safely, but honourably. They shall come to their Fathers house in a becoming Equipage, as the Children of a King. This puts honour upon our Ascension day, that day is adorned by the attendance of such illustrious Creatures upon us. 'Tis no small honour which God herein designes for us, that Creatures of greater dignity than our selves, shall be sent from Heaven to attend and wait upon us thither.
Yea, That our Ascension day should in this resemble Christ's Ascension, is an honour indeed. When he ascended, there were multitudes of these heavenly Creatures to wait upon him, Psal. 68.17, 18. The Chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of Angels; the Lord is among them as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou hast ascended on high, &c. A Cloud was prepared as a Royal Chariot to carry up the King of Glory to his Princely Pavillion, and then a Royal Guard of mighty Angels to wait upon his Chariot, if not for support, yet for the greater State and Solemnity of their Lords Ascension. And Oh what Jubilations of blessed Angels were heard that day in Heaven! How was the whole City of God moved at his coming! the Triumph is not ended to this day, no, nor ever shall.
Now, herein God greatly honours his people, that there shall be some resemblance and conformity betwixt their Ascension and Christs; *Quomodo inservierunt capiti, eo modo inserviunt etiam membris. Gaudent inservi… i…lis in terris, quosaliquando socios habebunt in coelis. Gerhard.they rejoice to attend those to Heaven, who must be their fellow Citizens for ever in Heaven! It is convenient also, that those who had the charge of us all our life, should attend us to our Fathers house at our death. In the one they finish their ministry, in the other, they begin their more intimate Society.
Moreover, the Angels are they whom God will imploy to gather together his Elect from the four winds of Heaven at the great day, Matth. 24.31. and who more fit to attend their Spirits to Heaven singly, than those who must collect them into one Body at last, and wait upon that collective Body, when they shall be brought to Christ? Psal. 45.14.
Object.But the sight and presence of Angels is exceeding awful, and overwhelming to humane nature: it will rather astonish and terrifie, than refresh and chear us to find our selves all on a suddain surrounded and beset with such Majestick Creatures. We see what effects the appearance of an Angel hath had upon good men in this World. We shall die (said Manoah) for we have seen God, Judg. 13.22. So Eliphaz, a Spirit passed before my face, the hair of my flesh stood up, Iob 4.15.
Sol.True, whilst our Souls inhabit these mortal and sinful Bodies, the appearance of Angels is terrible to them, and cannot be otherwise, partly upon a natural, and partly upon a moral account. The dread of Angels naturally falls upon our Animal Spirits: They shrink and tremble at the approach of Spirits; not only the Spirits of Men, but of Beasts, quail at it. A Dog or an Horse is terrified at it, as well as a Man, Numb. 22.25. The dread of Spirits strikes the Animal, or natural Spirits, primarily; and the mind or rational Soul by consent. There is also another cause of fear in man, upon the sight or presence of Angels, viz. A Consciousness of guilt. Whereever there is guilt, there will be fear, especially upon any extraordinary appearance of God to us, though it be but imediately, by an Angel.
But when the Soul is freed both from flesh, and sin; and shall enjoy it self in a nature like to these pure and holy Spirits, the dread of Angels is then vanished, and the Soul will take great content and satisfaction in their Company and Communion. The Soul then finds it self a fit Companion for them, looks upon them as its fellow Servants, for so they are, Revel. 19.10. and the Angels look upon the Spirits of just men, not as Inferiours and Underlings, but with great respect, as Spirits in some sense nearer to Christ than themselves. So that henceforth no dread falls upon us from the presence of these excellent Creatures; but each enjoyeth singular delight in each others Society. And thus we see in what honourable and pleasing Company the souls of the just go hence to their Father's house and bosome.