CONNEXION.

Our blessed Lord and Saviour having laid aside his Eternal Majesty, wherewith he was clothed as with a garment, and put on the sordid Rags of our Morta­lity, wherein he must satisfie the violated Justice of God, and purchase Eternal Redemption unto man, met with much opposition from Men and Devils. Where­of, though the whole Evangelical Compilement bear­eth ample record, yet shall it suffice to survey this Chapter, from whence the Text doth issue.

Publicans and Sinners repair to Christ, Scribes and Pharisees repine at that; the first came to hear him, but when the other heard that, they murmured. And as the malignant Spider sucketh poyson from the fragrant Rose; no otherwise, they start an accusation against Christ, being in the very act for which he came into the world: He receiveth sinners, and eateth with them, ver. 2. The Charge was grievous, for it com­prehends Impiety and Intemperancy, Profaneness and Gluttony; the Accusers great, Scribes and Pharisees, the most admired for their Learning and Devotion, Knowledge and Practise. Though every false Report is not to be answered with too much diligence; yet Criminations of an high nature, darted from an high hand, are not to be neglected with a Stoical Apathy: The first being in it self not weighty, and supported with feeble Props, will quickly fall to the ground; but the other, when disregarded, is diffused even un­to overflowing prejudice. Our Saviour therefore la­boriously confutes their malicious slander, and de­fends his own act, To receive sinners, penitent sinners, is not sin.

Shall the solicitous Shepherd, who with diligence hath sought, with patience found, and with great com­passion brought home the stray sheep unto its fold, be re­warded with obloquie?

Shall the frugal Houswife be rudely accused for her painful Exploration of her piece of Money that was lost, or for her joy, it being found?

And who will blame a father for his transported joy at the hearty reformation of his Son, whom he had deem'd to be incorrigible?

Wolves they are, and not Sheep, who rejoyce not at the reduction of the wandring Sheep.

Neighbours they may be in place, but Strangers in affection, who are not gladsomely touch'd with the successful search of the thrifty woman for her amitted coyn.

And howsoever they pretend long and duteous at­tendances upon the just commands of their aged fa­ther, yet the truth is, they are children of Morosity, by peevish discontent to cloud the reviving joyes of their tender Sire, at the true amendment of his de­bauched Son. Now look as Jonathan proclaim'd the unjust wroth of his enraged father, and his own un­changeable love to Religious David, by shooting of three arrows, 1 Sam. 20. even so doth our Saviour vindicate his own Piety in receiving true Converts, and chargeth through and through the Impiety of those glorious Hypocrites, by those three Parables; the first, of the lost Sheep, from the third to the eighth Verse; of the lost Piece, from thence to the eleventh; from which Verse to the end of the Chapter, the Parable of the lost Son is most amply deduced. My Meditations are directed upon the second; wherein we have, as in the other two, two general parts, Protasis, and Anta­podosis. First, we have the Parable propounded in the second Verse immediately preceding the Text, What woman having ten pieces of money, if she lose one piece, doth not light the candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently till she finde it? and when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and neighbours, saying, Rejoyce with me, for I have found the piece of money that was lost: And then we have it applied in the words of the Text [Page 6]it self, Likewise I say unto you, There is joy in the pre­sence of the Angels of God over one sinner that re­penteth.

Which to take a pieces (and to take a pieces is an easie piece) we have three particulars: The duty of a sinner; The benignity of Gods Angels; The certainty of both. The first, is to repent; the second, Gods An­gels rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner; the certain­ty of both, Likewise I say unto you. The faithful wit­ness in Heaven, then on Earth, hath spoken it: Con­tradiction must be silent, Hesitation must be satis­fied.

Thus the Text lies before you in its scattered pieces, which collected together, raise up this Frame or Pro­position:

In the handling whereof, this shall be our easie me­thod. 1. We shall unfold the terms of the Proposi­tion. Next, we shall assign the Reasons of the same. 3. We shall subjoyn two Questions of tendency to the further clearing of the point in hand: (Which is not the Doctrine of Repentance, nor the nature of An­gels, nor the infallibility of Christs sayings; all these have their proper places elswhere, the joynt of this Text lies in the Joy of Angels at the conversion of a sinner.) And last of all, omitting many consectaries and inferences Incidental, we shall conclude this short Exercise with an Exhortation Intentional. I begin with the terms, and they are three, Conversion, Angels, Joy.

CONVERSION.

In general is a change or turning. Now all men know, that in all turnings there is somewhat from whence we turn, and somewhat to which we turn our selves. No otherwise in this conversion, Spiritual con­version: The Negative is the Kingdom of Sin and Sa­tan; the Positive is the Kingdom of Christ, and his Righteousness. In regard of the first, a turning from the evil and errour of our wayes: In regard of the se­cond, a turning to the God of Israel, in the language of the Old Testament, frequently: Both which our Sa­viour hath knit together in that of the New, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, Act. 26.18. And though the whole nature of Conversion or Repentance (for I shall take the free­dome to use them promiscuously; though I am not ignorant, that in exactness and accuracy of speech, there is some difference betwixt them) standeth princi­pally in these two acts: yet more distinctly they must be attended with their several Properties. Sorrow for sin committed, is ever previous unto sin repented. This is that breaking up of the fallow ground, in the Old Testament; Compunction, in the New; and Contrition, in the language of the Schools. And Conversion un­to God (even in its dawnings) is never without hope of pardon through Christ, that the destructive precipices of sin being abandoned, there is made some progress in the wayes of New Obedience, which onely lead un­to eternal life: for, A true penitent mourneth for his sins, and rejoyceth for his mourning. So much for the first word, Conversion, unfeigned Conversion, unfeigned [Page 8]Conversion of a sinner; for sinners onely are the sub­jects of Conversion.

ANGELS.

Spiritual Subsistences, endued with sublime under­standing, great freedom of will, and eximious strength above all creatures whatsoever; of which, some kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, and are now reserved under everlasting chains of darkness, untill the judgement of the great Day, S. Jude ver. 6. Angels of Darkness, Evil Angels, Angels of Satan, in the Scripture. Others persisted in their primitive obe­dience, and are now confirmed in that estate (against the Scepticism of Arminius be it spoken) without any pos­sibility of falling, either from their holiness or hap­piness. In Scripture, Angels of Light, Elect Angels, Holy Angels; and in the Text, Angels of God, whose affection is Joy, the last and darkest word to be ex­plained.

JOY.

Amongst the sinful dotages of the Fathers in the second Councel of Nice, we reade, That in the fifth action thereof, John Bishop of Thessalonica maintain­ed, That Angels were substantially corporeal: no won­der then, if they entertained rude and gross thoughts of their affections, and particularly of their Joy. But we have not so learn'd to speak of Angels, whose na­ture, as we conceive to be spiritual, so their joy Inor­ganical. We have inward and outward Organs or In­struments of letation; the like whereof to ascribe unto those high Spirits, were erroneous in it self, in­jurious unto them: yet are they perfused with such a [Page 9] Joy at the Repentance of a sinner, as doth not dero­gare from the sublimity of their Natures. The mouth of the Lord hath spoken it in the Text, and therefore I said in the Doctrine, their gratulation was undoubt­ed; Undoubted in it self, though the manner is un­known to us, and so shall be untill that time, that Time shall be no more with us, when we shall be translated from these Rudimental forms below, unto the highest form, then fellow-scholars with the Angels. Then we who in this estate believe the Jubilation of these Spirits at our unfeigned Repentance, shall distinctly know the manner thereof in the life to come, when their nature shall be unveiled to us: then the proposi­tion of the Text, with all the Mysteries of that King­dome, shall not escape our comprehension: ‘The unfeigned conversion of a sinner, is the undoubted gratulation of Angels.’

REASONS.

The Reasons whereof, are taken either from their re­lations to God or Man. In the Text, they are his An­gels, not onely by Creation, but Mission; for, Angel is not a Name of their Nature, but Imployment, and signifies Messenger. Now 'tis the glory of a saithful Messenger, to give his own will to be swallowed up in the wise and powerful will of his Lord that sends him. And what Gods will is as to the Repentance of a sin­ner, we reade in that eminent place, Ezek. 33.11. As I live, I desire not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should repent, and live. There's his Protestation. Cast away all your iniquities by which ye have transgressed, lest iniquity be your ruine: Why will ye die, O house of Israel? [Page 10]Ezek 18.30, 31. there's his Obtestation, Thus be­cause God willeth, and so earnestly willeth the Repen­tance of a sinner, these Messengers, Nuncio's, Legates, Ambassadors, even Angels of God, rejoyce over man converted.

Nor doth their imployment from God onely, in a duteous compliance with his will, produce this joy in them, but their relations to Man also considered, do quicken them to this affection, demonstrable in four particulars; In Proximity of Kindred; Family-rela­tions; School-acquaintance; and fourthly, in Society of Arms. The first I call Natural, the second, Oeco­nomical; the third, Paedagogical; and the last, Martial. Of which perspicuously and succinctly in their order; and first, of the first ground Natural, or Proximity of Kindred.

Holy Angels are called The Sons of God, Job 1.6. and true Converts enrobed with the same Title. Now we are the Sons of God, 1 Joh. 3.2. they Sons, and we Sons of one God and Father; therefore Brethren, therefore near in Kindred. Jacobs youngest Son was Benjamin, the son of his right hand; but the eldest was Reuben, unstable as water. But in the filiations now in hand, it is quite otherwise; the confirmed Angels are Gods Benjamins; and converted sinners, whilst they walk by faith, and not by sight, are as Reuben. And though they are the elder brethren, yet their Seniority is not such as Origen fancied, created long before this visible world; for by these words, Before the founda­tion of the world, Scripture denotes Eternity, Eph. 1.4. yea, Moses celebrates the Eternity of God, in that He was before the Mountains were brought forth, ere ever he [Page 11]formed the earth and the world, Psal. 90.2. Nor yet with others, do we think they were created the sixth day, that is to make us Twins, even the productions of one birth: but we hold it most consentaneous unto truth, That together with the supreme Heavens, they were created the first day, so that they were five dayes elder than Adam, who is called the Son of God, S. Luk. 3. ult. To which filiation (having sinned) we are not restored but by Repentance, and then brethren of Angels, they by Creation, we by Conversion, both by Adoption.

Ah silly Cosroes, though the great Monarch of Per­sia, it was thy debasement to instyle thy self Brother to the Sun and Moon!

Ah ridiculous hypocrite, Francis of Assise, in calling the Wolf thy Brother, the Fire thy Brother! We need not emendicate thoughts of humility from such servile prostitutions of our Nature; nor need we court those great Luminaries of Heaven to own us in a Bro­therhood: We are exalted unto a Fraternity with the Angels, by our Repentance from dead works, to serve the living God; the first Motive of their Joy, and that Natural.

I adde a second, taken from Family-relations; they servants, and we servants of the great King: I am thy fellow-servant, and of the Prophets thy brethren, and of them that keep the words of this book, saith the Angel, Rev. 22.9. 'Tis true, S. John was an Apostle of the greatest Magnitude; yet was it no small dignation in the Angel who was perfect, to call him Brother, tending to perfection. Sure I am, it was much greater when the Angel profest himself a fellow-servant to the Pro­phets, men separated to the Ministery, but not assumed [Page 12]to the height of Apostolical Function. And yet he doth not stick there, he comes lower, and of them that keep the sayings of this book, even the meanest of Christs Menial servants.

The difference betwixt a Subject and a Servant is known to every one. All the people of Spain are the Subjects of their King, but they onely that are enrolled in the Houshold-book are properly his Servants. A­mongst whom, some are of his Bed-chamber, others of his Presence-chamber, in near and dear relations above stairs, yet disdain they not to call them of the Houshold which are below stairs, their fellow-servants. Angels, Apostles, Evangelists, Prophets, Martyrs, Vir­gins, Confessors, even all the Saints departed, are Ser­vants of the King of kings, and their attendance is above stairs, I mean, in Heaven (all in Heaven for qua­lity, not equality of Glory) and yet the most imme­diate and eminent Officers, to wit, Angels, do not scorn to call us penitents below stairs, far removed from the Beatifical Presence of our God, their fellow-servants. 'Tis frequent in the Courts of Princes, some Servant to start up, and plausibly to perswade his Lord to re­trench his family; yet such specious counsels are often forg'd upon the Anvile of Self-interest: but that Ser­vant to whom the honour of his Lord is dear and sa­cred, delights to see him numerously attended. Good Angels (for of them onely we speak all this while) are most zealous of Gods glory, which is most sweetly ma­nifested in the great Court of Converts, who being called out of the state of Subjects at large, to be properly of the Houshold of God, those ancient Courtiers, those prime Servants the Angels, are therewith gladsomely [Page 13]affected. Which is the second ground, viz. Occonomical.

3. They instruct, and men do learn. The Angel Gabriel doth expound the vision of the four Beasts unto the Prophet Dan. 6.16. informs him of the 70 weeks, cap. 9. ver. 21. unto the end; yea, reveals many other great mysteries unto him, in the 10, 11 & 12 Chapters of that book. So in the Old. In the New Testament, the very same Angel doth annunciate to the holy Vir­gin the Incarnation of the Son of God, in her, of her, Luke 1.26. Angels acquaint the Shepherds with the joyful news of his Nativity; the Resurrection of Christ declared by an Angel to the women, Matth. 28.5. the Apostles themselves are instructed in his Ascension, and his return to Judgement, by two Angels, Act. 1.11. yea, the future estate of the Church, until the day of the re­stitution of all things, is revealed by an Angel, I Jesus have sent mine Angel to testifie these things unto you in the Churches, Rev. 22.16.

Some Arminians do teach, That at this day God useth the visible Ministery of Angels for the conversion of Pagans, to whom Christian Pastors are totally want­ing: Of which I will say no more, than what Gabriel Biel hath long ago (following S. Hierom) concluded of such speculations, Whatsoever is not founded upon sa­cred Scripture, either expresly, or by just consequence, (and neither way, in my opinion, is this opinion) is with the same facility rejected as affirmed. When the Gospel of Christ lay hid in a Mystery, when the foundations of the Christian Church were not laid, when the Canon of the sacred Oracles was not completed, it seemed good to the wisdom of God, to relieve the infirmity of man, by sensible and exteriour Revelations of Angels. But [Page 14]now that the light of the Gospel is so clear in it self, and so clearly sealed up and confirmed, such vocal and outward Ministrations under sensible and assumed shapes are not to be expected; and yet well are not they, who deny all power to the holy Angels to act upon the in­ward senses of man. For my part, (with the good leave of my Religious and Learned Brethren be it spoken) I doubt not but good Angels suggest good counsels, tender holy motions, offer pious thoughts, yea refresh the often parched spirits of gracious men with inward joy. Shall wicked Angels steal the Word that was sown in the hearts of men, lest they should believe and be saved, Luke 8.12? Shall the Devil work in the children of dis­obedience, Eph 2.2? Enormously disquiet the affecti­ons, 1 Sam. 16.15? yea, inject wicked thoughts with success in godly men, 1 Chron. 21.1? Tell me, if any man can tell me, with what shadow of truth can the Angels of God be excluded from all actings and opera­tions upon the inward senses of man. To conclude this third Incentive: If Aristotle broke forth in joy, when he did reade the learned Epistles of his Scholar Alexan­der; If it be a Crown of rejoycing to the man of God, to see the people of his charge not children, but men in understanding: How enlarged are the gratulations of Angels, when their motions are attended, and their mo­nitions obeyed, to our further progress in the School of Grace, in which we are admitted, and matriculated by Repentance? This ground is Paedagogical. There re­maineth one, and but one, taken from Society of Arms, which I called Martial.

Humane Stories tell us, That the scarce numerable Army of Xerxes, conducted against Greece, was so de­feated [Page 15]by Sea and Land, that very few of them return­ed home: but that was a continued overthrow of many dayes. Aetius the Proconsul, that prodigie of valour, kill'd 20000 Barbarians, led by Attilas the scourge of God, in one day. The like destruction is reported to have faln upon the Moors and Saracens, by the wise Conduct of Charls Martel, in one day. Yet more, five hundred thousand chosen men of Israel fell by the sword of Abijah and his loyal Subjects, in one day. But thou­sands of thousands, millions of millions, myriads of myriads of Angels fell in one hour. When a battel proves more than desperate, by the taking of the Royal Standard, the surprizal of the Canons and Magazine, the destruction of a great part of their Army, yea the death of the General added, What joy is it to the bro­ken limb of that dispersed Army, to see it self vigo­rously recruited? God hath numbred unto himself an Ar­my, like unto the Army that he had lost, (or rather and in­deed onely so, that had wilfully lost it self) hoses for horses, chariots for chariots; The Ranks and Files of lapsed Angels, are fill'd up with new Recruits, men and women penitent for their sins; matter of joy, extati­cal joy unto the holy Angels. And thus they who own us in the womb of the Church Brethren, in the house of God Fellow-servants, in the school of Christ our Monitors, in the field of the Church perform many Military services for us. I will name but two:

1. They are watchful Centinels, in destroying the de­vices of the enemy, and giving a timely alarm to the happy frustration of the same; Arise and take the babe and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there until I bring thee word, for Herod will seek the babe to destroy him, S. Mat. 2.13.

2. They are faithful Life-guards: He shall give his Angels charge over thee in all thy wayes, Psal. 91.11. Ja­cob had experience hereof, whose Convoy they were into the Land of Canaan; This is Gods Host, Gen. 32.2. Such was their diligent custody of Elisha, when the Sy­rian Army came to take him, who in contemplation of his guard, broke forth into that expression of high con­fidence, They that are with us, are more than they that are with them, 2 Kings 6.16. And hitherto of the Rea­sons, the two Reasons of this Proposition, The un­feigned conversion of a sinner, is the undoubted rejoycing of Angels; to wit, their relations unto God, whose An­gels they are, and their relations unto Man, discoursed unto you to be Natural, Paedagogical, Oeconomical, and Martial. It remaineth we come to the Questions, which are two.

The former, How come the Angels of Heaven to know the conversion of a sinner upon earth?

I answer, Conversion is either passive or active. This distinction is necessarily to be maintained against the Flatterers of Nature, Enemies of Grace: The former I call Conversion in the heart, the latter Conversion of the heart. The first is the immediate act of God, hid from the Lyncean eyes of those Spirits, but hid a very little while, Gods act being infrustrably followed with our actings, which makes conversion of the heart; from which effect the Eagle-sighted Angel concludes the an­tecedent cause, to wit, Conversion in the heart.

2 Quest. Is the conversion of every particular sinner made known unto all the Angels of God?

I answer, Whatsoever is of the essential beatitude of Angels, is known unto them all: Now their know­ledge [Page 17]of thy repentance, or my conversion, is acciden­tal, not essential to their bliss. It is enough that some Angels do know it, and rejoyce therein: As for other Angels far removed, at least not definitively present in that Ubi, where the new convert is, when they come to know this holy change, it is either by revelation from God, or he approving it, by communication of the cir­cumstant or concerned Angel, one or more.

Briefly, though the wisdom of Angels is exceeding great, yet it is finite; very large, yet limited: for nei­ther by their Matutine or Vespertine knowledge in the language of the Schools, borrowed from S. Austine; neither by their natural or experimental, infused or ac­quired knowledge in the expression of Moderns, have they a distinct and intuitive inspection of future contin­gencies, depending upon the singular providence of God, or mutability and indeterminateness of mans will, without particular revelation from God; and consequently, reade not the inmost thoughts of men, but when they are rendred legible by omanations and signs; for, God onely knows the thoughts of the hearts of all the children of men, as it is in the dedication-prayer of Solomon, 1 King. 8.39. In a word, God sees our thoughts afar off, even before they are formed; Angels, near at hand, when they are performed, which is abundant matter of their joy at the conversion of a sinner: Likewise I say unto you, There is joy in the presence, &c. And now suffer the word of Ex­hortation.

Man is a Creature, not more remarkable for Inven­tion, than Imitation; of things worthy, very seldome; but of things to be abhorred, too often. Natural de­formities in the body, have been copied out as singular [Page 18]beauties, and Moral infirmities of the soul of some, have past into vices, National and Epidemical. Have we not read and seen unsound Opinions onely sipt by great ones, taken down in great draughts by the injudicious multitude? The calumniating superciliousness of those Demagogues, Scribes and Pharisees, had empoysoned the fillier people, had not our Saviour prepared this Antidote; and the iron-like austerity of the Novatians denying Repentance to such as sinned after Baptism, and excluding all relapsers, how penitent soever, from Church-Communion, had over-spred the Primitive Church, even unto precipitating desperation, had not the holy Fathers, burning with the zeal of Christs truth, maturely and vigorously opposed the same. These certainly are not for us to imitate, unless we chuse ra­ther to contesserate with Hereticks, than Orthodox Pro­fessors: All the Reformed Churches, and that of Rome also, condemning, as those painted Perfectionists of old, so them likewise who tread in their steps at this day. What, did I mention the Reformed, the Roman Churches? To congratulate the salvation of the Gentiles, was the practice of the Christian Church of the Jews; for when they heard Peters Apologie, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also given unto the Gentiles repentance unto life, Act. 11.18. 'Tis the pecu­liar character of good Angels in the Text.

Nay, yet higher, this sacred affection is in God the Father, under the tegument of the Prodigals father; in God the Son, under the emblem of a Shepherd; and who can doubt at the delight of the holy Ghost herein, since Repentance of a sinner is signally his work?

But will not you, the Angels of the Churches, law­ful Ministers of the Word and Sacraments, upbraid us with our aberration, if we return unto the Truth, from whence in wandring we have even wearied our selves? Far be it from us: fear it not, that meek man having found the lost Sheep, doth not spurn it with his disdainful foot, nor bruise it with his weighty staff, nor rend it with his cruel dogs, but layes it upon his shoul­ders with rejoycing. This affection is in us, the Angels of the Churches. The compassionate father hearing of his Prodigals return, doth not permit the surly Porter for to shut the gate against him, nor the hired Servants to arm themselves, opposing his admittance; but he comes forth and meets his Son, whom he ob­serv'd to be reform'd; he runs to him, falls upon his neck, and kisseth him; Necessaries, shoes for his feet, clothes for his back; Ornaments, the best Robe, and a Gold Ring, frankly, freely bestowed; yea, the fatted Calf is kill'd; and the harmonious Musick proclaims aloud his hearty welcome to his fathers house: No objecting his former wayes, no twitting him by his fa­ther with his fore-going courses. This affection is in us, the Angels of the Churches. The diligent wo­man, who having lighted a candle, and swept the house, and gave not over seeking, till she had found the piece of Money which was lost, doth not dis­charge her enflamed choler upon it; nor doth she take it up with wrathful chafing, saying, Thou art an unfortunate piece, which hath brought me more trouble in thy quest, than I shall have comfort in thy use: No, but having found it, she calleth her neigh­bours [Page 20]and friends together, saying, Rejoyce with me, for I have found the piece of money that was lost. Like­wise I say unto you, There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.