The Retired Mans Meditations, Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
Concerning the Creation, Nature and Miniſtry of Angels.
IT is ſaid Gen. 1. 1. In the beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth. In what ſenſe Chriſt is the beginning, hath been already opened, and how, as the Meſſiah, he is the Miniſter of Gods firſt appearance; in which he is head unto the Angels, the Lord amongst them in Sinai, by whoſe voice the Law or firſt covenant was given: where he was compaſſed about with theſe his fiery Chariots, who receive what is ſpoken by Chriſt, of the mind and will of God, to ſpeak it forth again as the Word they are to publiſh unto men, in the Miniſtry of the firſt covenant, Heb. 2. 2. In this ſenſe it is ſaid, Acts 7. 53. that the Law was given by the diſpoſition of Angels. They therefore do obtain the firſt order and rank of all natural beings, in the firſt creation, and are endued with an inſtrumentalneſs of being and motion, to this uſe and ſervice of their Head: as alſo, to be the ſubordinate means of all converſe, which by Chriſt is maintained between God and the firſt world, unto whom it is put in ſubjection, as Heb. 2. 5. compared with Pſal. 8. 5. do evidence. Theſe in their creation are deſcribed by the light which God made on the firſt day, Gen. 1. 34. when he ſaid let there be light, and there was light; and God ſaw the light that it was good: approving this firſt work of his hands in the beginning of that day: and God by his dividing the light from the darkneſs, ſignified the heavenlineſs of their frame and conſtitution, as they ſtand exalted and ſeparate in their beings from all ſenſual life, in the form of inviſible ſpirits, whereof the material heavens in their creation are the firſt ſhadow; which are called, Prov. 8. 26. the higheſt part of the duſt of the world; as David alſo (giving account of both their creations together) Pſal. 104. ver. 2, 3, 4. ſaith, who covereſt thy ſelf with light as with a garment: who ſtretcheſt out the heavens like a curtain: who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariots, who walketh upon the wings of the wind; who maketh his Angels ſpirits, and his Miniſters a flaming fire: in which poſture and preparation, the Pſalmiſt deſcribes the WORD as he proceeds to the reſt of the creation, ver. 5, 6. &c. intimating, that as man in his bodily ſtate was made duſt of the ground, ſo the Angels were made a flame of fire, in their natural conſtitution.
In this their natural frame they excell in ſtrength and power, Pſal. 103. to execute the commands of their head: and in their motion and actings, are exceeding high and dreadful, comparatively with all other parts of the Creation; and therefore theſe Morning-Stars, conſidered as they are together, in one ſociety and corporation, amongſt whom there is a chief, and prince, called Lucifer the firſt ſon of the morning, are the image and glory of Chriſt, as he is the firſt-born of every creature, in like ſervice, uſe and relation as the woman is to the man, whoſe image and glory ſhe is.
A view of theſe angelical ſpirits in their nature, miniſtry and uſe, is lively ſet forth and repreſented in the viſion Ezekiel had, Chap. 1. compared with Chap. 10. as the body unto Chriſt, who is there deſcribed by the living creature, which the Prophet ſaw, under the God of Iſrael; which living creature is ſaid to have the likeneſs of a man, and is alſo called four living creatures, from its four faces: ſignifying, Chriſt himſelf thereby, as his life is in the WORD, and as in that life he comprehends the very form of the ſon of man, and is the root to the whole firſt creation: unto which, through the Miniſtry of Gods firſt appearance, he gives life, being & motion: & in the exerciſe of this his creating power, he is the head of Angels, and they are the body to him, that he makes uſe of in his ſervice, Ezek. 10. 11. Whoſe voice they hearken unto, as ready to execute all his commands and pleaſure in this his firſt dominion. The ſpirituality of motion in the head and body is ſuch, that they are ſaid to run and return like a flaſh of lightning, and to the place whither the head is to go, they go and turn not, and their likeneſs or appearance was like burning coals of fire: and the workmanſhip of this body was like a wheel within a wheel; four wheels, Chap. 10. 9. that were but one wheel, ver. 13. & Chap. 1. 15. anſwerable to the four living creatures, that were but one living creature: and the rings of the wheels were ſo high, that they were dreadful, and were full of eyes. in which wheels was the ſpirit, or WORD of life riding as in his Chariot, Pſal. 68. Theſe chariots of the Lord are twenty thouſand, even thouſands of Angels, the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. In a like repreſentation they were beheld by Eliſhaes ſervant, 2 Kings 6. 17. when he ſaw the mountain full of horſes, and chariots of fire round about Eliſha, as the inviſible guard and protection, which were with them to defend them from the Syrians.
By what hath been ſaid, we have a little view into the nature and uſe of Angels, in the hand of Chriſt from the beginning, of theſe ſons of the morning that ſhouted for joy at the beholding of Chriſt when he was revealed to them, to be the corner-ſtone of ſtability and fixedneſs, even to the very firſt creation.
In general then, we may perceive that the office and uſe of Angels is, to be miniſtring ſpirits principally ſent forth to Miniſter unto them that ſhall be heirs of ſalvation: in which miniſtry they are perfected, by being made immutable and brought into the beſt and higheſt rank of ſervants, transformed into a likeneſs in life and principles with that which is found in the glorified natural man of the Saint, whoſe ſervice and ſubjection is made perfect in love, as the tongue that readily confeſſes, and the knee that willingly bows, to the glory of the Father in the Sons new name, in which glory the Saints are co-heirs, and ſo obtain by inheritance a more excellent name then the Angels, Heb. 1. 4. who therefore confeſs that they are not the Son, nor the true Bridegroom, or Bride: but ſervants and friends to the marriage union: eſteeming it a poſture becoming them, to hide their faces before the unveiled glory of the Son: to ſtand ſtill in ſilence, and to let down their wings, Ezek. 1. 24. that the glory of the Son ſitting on the Throne may ſhine forth, from the firmament that is above, over their heads: and the heavenly voice of his ſecond appearance may be heard, & obeyed: accounting it their bleſſedneſs to be neer the Bridegroom, and to be ſervants and friends to the marriage of the Lamb, as a guard of fire round about the Throne, on which the Lamb and his Bride ſits; ſwift executioners of vengeance, 2 Theſſ. 1. 7, 8. upon all thoſe which ſhall endeavour to put thoſe aſunder, whom God hath thus joyned together. Theſe are deſcribed, Rev. 4. 8. to be they that reſt not day and night, ſaying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty, which was, and is, and is to come, giving glory, and honour, and thanks to him that ſitteth on the Throne, and lives for ever and ever.
As thus they are this heavenly building, they are the firſt heavens, the Tabernacle and clouds of heaven, or the air, for the day-break and glorious ſun of Gods firſt appearance, to run his race and finiſh his courſe in; whereby to enlighten the ends of the earth, and all things under heaven. Theſe ſons of this morning are the firſt light-bearers to the Inhabitants of the firſt world, & therein are covering Cherubs unto the Son in his own proper glory; & that they may be enabled to bear light, or the ſimilitude of Chriſt in his firſt appearance, unto others, they are firſt the receivers of that light in themſelves, in a ſpirituality of being and form, fitted and ſuited thereunto, which accommodates them with the exerciſe of ſenſes meerly ſpiritual and inward, exceeding high, intuitive and comprehenſive: a manner of life, ſhadowing out the divine life in the name of the Father, whoſe voice is net heard at any time, nor ſhape ſeen, but is like a conſuming fire, to burn up and ſlay whatever natural Organ is coverſant about it, or ſtands before the beams and raies of its moſt pure and inviſible glory.
In a ſhadowy imitation of this the angelical ſpirits, when they come forth in the nakedneſs of their own inviſible ſubſtance, and glory of their own being, they are flames of fire, conſuming and diſſolving all objects of outward ſenſe, to the very diſinabling as to the exerciſe of all ſuch life of ſenſe, any living creatures whoſe life conſiſts therein; whereof the whole fabrick of this viſible world, in all the parts of it, which is reſerved to be deſtroyed by the flames of this fire, will be a moſt undeniable demonſtration: and death it ſelf is a daily witneſs hereof in every man; who no ſooner is deprived of the exerciſe of his bodily life, and departs this world, but is brought into a ſtate of life, wherein he is an equal and aſſociate to Angels, good or bad: for in the world to come, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, ſaith our Saviour, but are equal with the Angels.
And as thus Chriſt, by the angelieal miniſtry, doth gather in mans breath, and leave his body to the duſt, whilſt they return with his ſpirit to God that gave it (in which ſervice they are employed by Chriſt at mans diſſolution, Luke 16. 22.) ſo alſo they have ſervice to perform, in their place under Chriſt, in bringing in and continuing the exerciſe of all bodily life throughout the whole fabrick of the firſt creation: yea, even in man himſelf, the abridgement thereof: in which operation of theirs, they ſeem not unfitly to be compared to the influence and generating power of the Sun: that is it ſelf but a creature, and yet effectually co-operates to the production and conſervation of bodily life, in purſuance of thoſe orders and laws of ſecond cauſes, eſtabliſhed by God himſelf, reſpecting his creation, and continuance of the firſt world.
The Angels then, in their receivings of light and life from Chriſt, have for object, the brightneſs of Gods firſt appearance, ſhining forth through him, as the root of all natural perfection, and ſo are hearers and receivers of this voice of Gods WORD, in the beſt and higheſt capacity of any particular natural beings whatſoever. And as their natural capacities are high and vaſt in their receivings from Chriſt: ſo their readineſs and exactneſs in conforming themſelves to the will of Chriſt, is unimaginable; and their power to execute is moſt ſtrong and mighty, nothing under Chriſt being able to reſiſt them, or ſtand out againſt them in their miniſtry, that is according to the will of Chriſt. And as thus conſidered, they are thoſe that in the hand of Chriſt are made uſe of to bear the light or image of Gods firſt appearance unto all the inhabitants of the firſt creation: ſo as not only man himſelf is made lower then they, but with the whole world is put into ſubjection to them and their miniſtry, as we have before expreſſed.
Thus in the beginning, when God created the heavens and the earth, he firſt ſet up the heavenly fabrick of the angelical nature: and in that, as in a ſubordinate head under Chriſt, comprehended the whole earth and viſible world, as a maſs without form, and void through the darkneſs which was as yet upon the face of this great deep, as it ſtood in the waters, untill by the brooding of the ſpirit of life in the Word upon them, (making his Angels chariots, and flying upon thoſe wings of the wind) he cauſed the earth to ſtand out of the waters and become a glorious viſible fabrick, adorned and beautified by the remaning works and products of the ſix daies, as is at large deſcribed in the firſt of Geneſis.