The Portraiture of the Image of God in Man, Part 2 · Chapter 18
CHAP. XVIII. Of the conſequents of Gods image in man; in his ſocietie with the Angels.
THe third conſequent that followeth upon the image of God being placed in man in his creation, is concerning the ſocietie and fellowſhip that he had with the Angels ſo long as hee ſtood in innocency.
Adam in his firſt eſtate was little inferiour to the Angels. Prop.
It ſhall bee the greateſt perfection of man in glory, Illuſt. that hee ſhall bee like the Angels of God, and bee loved of them, as they love one another. So it was mans great happineſſe before the fall, that hee converſed with the Angels, and they loved him.
The Angels did neither miniſter unto, A collation betwixt the innocent, ſecond, renewed, and old Adam.nor keepe the firſt Adam before his fall, they onelyonly loved him. The Angels miniſtred to Chriſt the ſecond Adam, and loved him, but did not keepe him. The Angels miniſter now to the renewed Adam, they love him and keepe him; but they neither miniſter to the wicked, love them, nor keepe them.
Firſt, the Angels neither did miniſter to Adam before his fall, nor did they keepe him, becauſe hee was in no danger, onelyonly they loved him: they miniſtred to Ieſus Chriſt, but they did not keep him, for he was comprehenſor, as well as viator. Chriſt is the head of the Angels, therefore hee is not kept by them: but they miniſter to the elect, and keepe them by Chriſt; which priviledge Adam had not of them before his fall.
Object. It may ſeeme that they did keepe Chriſt, Pſal. 91. they ſhall keepe thee in all thy wayes.
Anſw. This is to be underſtood de Chriſto myſtico, of Chriſt in his members; that is, they ſhall keepe thy members in all their wayes. But this part of the Pſalme was miſapplyed by the Divell to Chriſt in proper perſon, Matth. 4. for the Angels keepe not Chriſt, but miniſter to him: but they both keepe and miniſter to his members the elect.
Object. But it may be ſayd, that the elect have greater priviledges then, than Chriſt hath, ſeeing they both keepe them, and miniſter to them.
Anſw. This argueth not any prerogative that the Saints have above Chriſt, but onelyonly their weakeneſſe and wants, that they have need of the Angels to preſerve them, as young children ſtand in need of nurſes to waite upon them.
Object. It may ſeeme that Angels are not miniſtring ſpirits in reſpect of the elect, but in reſpect of Chriſt; becauſe the Angell, Revel. 19.22. calls himſelfe, not our ſervant, but, our fellow ſervant. So the Angels are not called the ſervants of the kingdomes, but, The Princes of the Kingdomes, Dan. 12. Thirdly, the Apoſtle proves Chriſt to be God, Heb. 2. becauſe the Angels are ſervants to him. A ſhepheard is not the ſervant of his ſheepe, although hee keepes them; but his Maſters ſervant. So although the Angels keepe us, yet they ſeeme not to be our miniſters but Chriſts.
Anſw. The Scripture, Heb. 1. calls them miniſtring ſpirits, ſent for them that are elect; and although they be more excellent creatures in themſelves, than the elect; yet in Chriſt, and by Chriſt, they become miniſtring ſpirits to us. Chriſt himſelfe is not aſhamed to call himſelfe a ſervant to the elect, Mat. 20. I came not to bee ſerved, but to ſerve: why may not then the Angels be ſayd, to be miniſters to the elect?
Object. It is a Maxime in Phyloſophy, that the end is more excellent than the meanes tending to the end: but the ſafety of man is the end: and the Angels are the meanes, therefore it may ſeeme that man is more excellent than the Angels.
Anſw. The end conſidered as the end, is alwayes more excellent than the meanes tending to the end, but not abſolutely, touching the eſſence of the meanes; for theſe things that are the meanes may be more excellent in themſelves. Example: The incarnation of Chriſt is more excellent than the redemption of man in it ſelfe, and yet it is inſtitute for another end; ſo the Sun, Moon, and ſtarres were inſtitute to give influence to the inferiour bodies, herbes, trees and plants, and yet they are more excellent in themſelves; but conſider them as meanes tending to that end, they are inferiour to them.
The Angels neither love the wicked, nor miniſter to them, nor preſerve them. But here we muſt marke, when we ſay they miniſter not to them, this is to bee underſtood of their ſpeciall and particular miniſtring, they attend them not, as they doe the elect; it is true, as God makes his Sunne to ſhine as well upon the unjuſt as the juſt, Mat. 5.45. ſo the Angels may be miniſters ſometimes of outward things even to the wicked. Whoſoever ſtept downe firſt into the poole of Siloam, Ioh. 5.8. was cured whether good or bad: and the Angels brought downe Manna in the wilderneſſe, Pſal. 78.25. to the bad Iſraelites, as well as to the good: but they have not a particular care of the wicked as they have of the elect of God; they come not up and downe upon the Ladder, Chriſt, Ioh. 1.52. to miniſter to them as they doe to the elect.