SER M. Time even stood their Trial, and been conVIII. firmed in Glory.

For when they were made, they had all of them a Trial, or Probation to go through: For though they were righteous when God made them; yet he left it in their own Choice whether they would continue and persevere so, or not: He designing that their Establishment or Confirmation in Glory, should depend, for a Time, upon their own Behaviour and Conduct in it. For we may fafely conclude from what St Jude tells us, that they were all placed at first in one State or Condition, which fome of them did keep, and others did not; which all of them, might have kept if they would; though fome of them, by falling from it, finned, and for their Punishment are reserved in everlasting Chains under Darkness, unto the Judgment of the great Day, Jude 6. But these I have no Intent to speak of at prefent: I have difcourfed of them formerly, and perhaps, as Opportunity ferves, you may hear of them again. But I fhall confine myself now to those happy Spirits which ftood their Trial, who continued unwavering against the Oppofitions of Lucifer and his Hoft, and for their Reward have ever fince been established in Grace and Glory,

Not

Not that they are glorified for their owns ERM. Merits, but through the Merits of Chrift. VIII. To the fame that created them out of nothing at first, they owe their final Happiness and Blifs. For Chrift is to Angels, as well as Men, the All in All, the firft Cause from whence they are, and the greatest Preserver through whom they stand. Not that the Angels ftood in need of Chrift, as a Saviour, to deliver them from the Guilt or Bondage of Sin: For they perfifted we find in their Obedience to God, and never fwerved from, or declined, the Duty. Neither did. they need him to avert his Father's Anger and Wrath, whom they had never offended, or made their Enemy. But ftill they needed him to mediate with the Father, that they might ever continue confirmed in Righteousnefs; that their Peace with God might be firm and fure, and that they might be deemed worthy of enjoying the glorious Vifion of him for ever. For this fure is beyond the natural Powers, or Merits, of any Creature to obtain: And therefore, on whomfoever conferred, muft be the free and bountiful Effect of Grace. But Chrift, we know is the fole Fountain, and fole Channel of Grace to all. The highest Being that is capable of receiving it, can have

SERM. it only from and through him. Accordingly
VIII. the Angels, becaufe they were made Partakers

of it, St Paul calls the Elect Angels; 1 Tim. v.
21. And there is no Elect, we know, but
in Chrift. And to affure us that the Election
or Salvation of Angels, (as we may properly
call it) is owing to him, the fame Apostle
plainly tells us, that the whole Fullness of the
Godhead, which was pleafed to dwell in him,
was pleafed alfo (having made Peace through
the Blood of his Cross) by him, to reconcile
all Things to himself, by him, I fay, whether
they be Things in Earth, or Things in Heaven,
Col. i. 19, 20. All this God brought about
in Chrift, when he raised him from the Dead,
and fet him at his own Right Hand in the
Heavenly Places: Far above all Principality,
and Power, and Might, and Dominion, and
every Name that is named, not only in this
World, but also in that which is to come. And
hath put all Things under his Feet, and gave
him to be the Head over all Things to the
Church, which is his Body, the Fullness of him
that filleth all in all, Ephef. i. 20-23.
that in all Things he might have the Pre-
eminence, Col. 1. 18. From all which Texts,
we can infer no lefs, than that He, who raised
fallen Man, gave Strength to the Angels that

So

they

they should not fall. The one he deliveredS ER M. out of Captivity, the other he defended VIII. and faved from it. So that in a very good Senfe, he redeemed and reconciled both Natures to his Father, the Human and the Angelick, by loofing the one and preserving the other.

The latter from this Preservation in Holinefs, are called by Way of Eminence, and that even by Chrift himself the Holy Angels, Matt. xxv. 31. And have often appeared in white Apparel, Matt. xxviii. 3. Acts i. 10. Rev. xv. 6. to denote the Purity and Innocence of their Nature. And indeed, in the State which they are now confirmed in, it is impoffible they fhould be otherwife: For they always behold the Face of God, who is in Heaven, Matt. xviii. 10. And fuch Beholding must neceffarily make them like him whom they fee. For St John tells us, that we ourselves fhall hereafter be transformed into the Likeness of God, and that because we shall fee him: We know (faith he) that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall fee him as he is, 1 John iii. 2. If then the Angels fee God now with open Face, i. e. if, with a Face unveiled, they reflect as Mofes did, like a Glafs, the Glory

of

SERM. of the Lord; they must certainly be changed VIII. into the fame Image, from Glory to Glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

2 Cor. iii. 18. And indeed fo perfectly do they all perform the Will of God, that their Obedience is propofed as the Example and Pattern of of ours. And it is is the highest Perfection that Chrift teaches us, to pray that we may obtain, that the Will of our Father which is in Heaven, may be done in Earth, as it is Heaven.

How many there may be of those happy Spirits, that have perfifted in Holiness, it would be ridiculous as well as prefumptuous to fay. In our English Translation of the Epistle to the Hebrews, they are called, we know, an innumerable Company, Heb. -xii. 22. But the Greek Word, there used, fignifies Myriads or Ten Thousands *; and only denotes, that there are many Ten Thoufands of thofe bleffed Spirits in the heavenly Jerufalem, which is hereafter defigned for the Heaven of the Spirits. And fo much as this we may fafely affirm, first from the Pfalmift, who tells us, that the Chariots of God, (for fo they are called from God's being reprefented as riding upon them) are Μυρίασιν Αγγέλων.

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