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glory to thee; even those heavenly troops, that are assembled with thy Israel here below."

Out of the reverend and awful respect therefore, that is due to these glorious, though invisible, beholders, there may no unseemly thing be done or admitted in the Church of God: and, therefore, The women ought to have power on their heads, because of the Angels.

And, surely, my Beloved, were we fully persuaded, that now, at this present, there is within these walls a greater congregation of Angels than of men and women, I suppose it could not but strike such an awe into us, as to make us at once holily, mannerly, and fervently devout.

It is a great fault in us, Christians, that we think of nothing, but what we see whereas that spiritual and intelligible world, which is past the apprehension of these earthly senses, is far greater, far more noble and excellent, than all visible and material substances. Certainly, there is not one angel in heaven, that hath not more glory, than all this sensible world can be capable of. What should I tell you of the excellency of their nature, the height of their offices, the majesty of their persons, their power able to confound a world, their nearness both of place and of essence to that Infinite Deity, their tender love and care of mankind; any of which were able and worthy to take up a whole life's meditation?

And, if there be so much perfection in one, how unconceivable is the concurrent lustre and glory of many! Had we eyes to see these invisible supervisors of our behaviour, we could not, we durst not let fall any so much as indecent gesture, before such a presence.

Quicken then, I beseech you, and sharpen your eyes, Dear and Beloved Christians, to see yourselves seen, even of them, whom ye cannot see; and let your whole carriage be thereafter. He is not worthy to claim more privilege than of a beast, that can see nothing but sensible objects. Brute creatures can see us: if we see nothing but ourselves and them, wherefore serves our understanding? wherefore our faith? And, if we see invisible beholders, why are we not affected accordingly? Certainly, it were better for us not to see then; than, seeing, to neglect their pre

sence.

What is then the honour, what the respect, that we must give to the Angels of God, who are present in our holy assemblies?

I must have leave to complain of two extremities this way. There are some, that give them too much veneration: there are others, that give them no regard at all.

In the First, are those within the Roman Clientele; who are so over-courteous, as that they give them no less than the honour of adoration, of invocation: reviving, herein, the erroneous opinion and practice of them, which Theodoret held confuted by St. Paul, in his Epistle to the Colossians. It is the praise, that Franciscus de Sales Bishop of Genoa gives to Petrus Faber, one of the first associates of Ignatius Loyola, That his manner was, whensoever he

came to any place, he still made suit to the Tutelar Angels, that presided there, for their aid of converting the people from heresy; and found great success in it. This imploration and worship is ordinary wherein they do that to the angels, which the angels themselves have forbidden to be done. And yet, I must needs say, if any creature could be capable of a religious worship, it is they: and, if any creature were fit to be prayed unto, it is they; rather than the highest saints of heaven. For, whereas it is the just ground of our refusing to pray to the saints, that we cannot be sure of their presence and notice, (sure rather of the contrary,) and therefore cannot pray in faith; that ground is here justly removed: we are sure, that the Angels of God are present with us: we are sure, that they hear us pray. But this is an honour reserved as peculiar to the God of Angels; and to that one Mediator betwixt God and man, Jesus Christ. Those spirits hate to be made rivals to their Maker: neither have we learned that unreasonable modesty, to sue to waiters; when we are called up to supplicate the King.

The Other extreme is of careless Christians, that do no more think of angels, than if there were none: suffering their bodily eyes to be taken up with the sight of their assembled neighbours; but never raising their spiritual eyes to behold those spiritual essences, which are no less present. And, certainly I fear, we are all much to blame this way; and may justly tax ourselves of an unthankful, dull, irreligious neglect of these glorious spirits. I find that the Mahometan priests, in their morning and evening prayer, still end their devotion with Macree Kichoon; "Be angels present:" and the people shout out their Amen: and shall our piety, this way, be less than theirs? Surely, the Angels of God are inseparably with us; yea, whole cohorts, yea whole legions of those heavenly soldiery are now viewing and guarding us, in these holy meetings; and we acknowledge them not: we yield not to them such reverent and awful respects, as even flesh and blood, like our own, will expect from us.

Did we think the Angels of God were with us here, durst those of us, which dare not be covered at home, as if the freedom of this holy place gave them privilege of a loose and wild licentiousness affect all saucy postures, and strive to be more unmannerly than their masters?

Did we consider, that the Angels of God are witnesses of our demeanour in God's house, durst we stumble in here, with no other reverence, than we would do into our barn or stable; and sit down, with no other care, than we would in an ale-house or theatre ?

Did we find ourselves in an assembly of Angels, durst we give our eyes leave, to rove abroad in wanton glances? our tongues, to walk in idle and unseasonable chat? our ears, to be taken up with frivolous discourse? Durst we set ourselves to take those naps here, whereof we failed on our pillow at home? Certainly, my Beloved, all these do manifestly convince us, of a palpable unre

spect to the blessed Angels of God, our invisible consorts in these holy services.

However then it hath been with us hitherto, let us now begin to take up other resolutions; and settle in our hearts a holy awe of that presence, wherein we are. Even at thy home, address thyself for the Church: prepare to come before a dreadful Majesty of God and his powerful Angels. Thou seest them not: no more did Elisha's servant, till his eyes were opened. It is thine ignorant and gross infidelity, that hath filmed up thine eyes; that thou canst discern no spiritual object: were they but anointed with the eye-salve of faith, thou shouldst see God's house full of heavenly glory; and shouldst check thyself, with holy Jacob, when he awaked from his divine vision, Surely the Lord is in this place, and I knew it not: how dreadful is this place! This is no other but the house of God; and this is the gate of heaven; Gen. xxviii, 16, 17. Oh then, when thou settest thy foot over the threshold of God's Temple, tremble to think who is there: lift up thine awful eyes; and bow thine humble knees; and raise up thy devout and faithful soul, to a religious reverence and fear of those Mighty and Majestical Spirits, that are there; and of that Great God of Spirits, whose both they and thou art and study, in all thy carriage, to be approved of so glorious witnesses and overseers: that so, at the last, those Blessed Spirits, with whom we have had an invisible conversation here, may carry up our departing souls into the heaven of heavens; into the presence of that Infinite and Incomprehensibly-Glorious God, both theirs and ours; there to live and reign with them, in the participation of their unconceivable bliss and glory: To the fruition whereof, he, that hath ordained us, gra ciously bring us, by the mediation and for the sake of his Blessed Son Jesus: To whom, with thee, O Father of Heaven, and thy Co-eternal Spirit, Three Persons in One God, be given all praise, honour, immortality, now and for ever.

SERMON XXXVI.

THE DUTY AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF DRAWING NIGH TO GOD:

A SERMON PREACHED AT THE TOWER, MARCH 20, 1642*.

BY JOS. NORVIC.

JAMES iv. 8.

Draw nigh unto God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purge your hearts, ye double-minded.

I HAVE pitched upon this Text, as fit for both the time and the season: both of them sad and penitential; and such, as call us to devotion and humiliation: both which are the subjects of this scrip

ture.

There is no estate so happy, if it could be obtained, as that of perfect obedience. But, since that cannot be had, partly through the weakness and partly through the wickedness of our nature; for there is a rò adúvatov, an impossibility upon it; Rom. viii. 3: the next to it is that of true repentance; which is no other, than a hearty turning from our evil ways, and an endeavour of better obedience.

And this estate is here recommended to us under a double Allegory: the one, of our drawing nigh to God; the other, of our cleansing and purging. In the former whereof, the sinner is represented to us in a remote distance from God: in the other, as foul and nasty, both in his heart and his hands. And the remedy is prescribed for both of his remoteness, drawing nigh to God; of his foulness, cleansing and purging.

The former is enough to take up our thoughts at this time: wherein ye have A DUTY ENJOINED, and AN INDUCEMENT URGED: the

* Printed in the Quarto, 1641: but as it is said to have been preached by the author as Bishop of Norwich, and he was not appointed to that See till Nov. 15, 1641, it is manifestly dated according to that mode of computation, now disased, which made March 25 the beginning of the year. I have therefore akered it to 1642, in order to remove ambiguity. EDITOR.

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Duty, draw nigh to God; the Inducement, God will draw nigh to you.

1. To begin with the former: the DUTY of drawing nigh implies something, and requires something; it Implies a Distance, and Requires an Act of Approach.

1. It IMPLIES A DISTANCE: for we cannot be said to draw near, if we were not afar off.

The sinner, therefore, is in a remote distance from God: and that, in respect of both terms; both as of God, and as of the Sin

ner.

(1.) Of God, first: the sinner then is aloof off from God.

art also.

Not from the presence of his essence and power: so he would be afar off, and cannot; hi her shall I go from thy presence, or whither shall I flee from thy Spirit? If I go up to heaven, thou art there; and if, as our new Translation hath it, I make my bed in hell, (an uneasy bed, God knows, that is made there,) yet there thou Yea, the devils themselves could not have their being but from God; for their being is good, though themselves be wicked: that they are spirits, they have from God; that they are evil spirits, and so devils, is from themselves. And their companions, the woeful reprobate souls, would fain be further off from God, if they could: they shall in vain call to the rocks and mountains to cover them from his presence: he cannot be excluded from any place, that fills and comprehends all things.

How, then, is the sinner aloof off from God? From the Holiness of God; from the Grace and Mercy of God; from the Glory

of God.

From the Holiness of God. He is no less distant, than evil is from good; which is no less than infinitely. There is no local distance, but is capable of a measure: for an actual infinite magnitude is but an atheous paradox in philosophy. If it be to the antipodes themselves, on the other side of the earth, we can have a scale of miles, that can reach them; yea, of furlongs, of paces, of feet, of barley corns: but betwixt good and evil, there is no possible, no imaginable proportion.

And, as from the holiness of God, so from the Grace and Mercy of God. He is no less distant, than guilt is from remission; which is also no less than infinitely: for the sinner, as he is and continues such, is utterly uncapable of remission. It is true, that God's mercy is over all his works; but the sinner is none of them. By him were made all things, that were made; John i. 3: but God never made the sinner. God made the man; but it is the Devil and man's freewill, that made the sinner. Indeed, sin is nothing else, but the marring of that, which God hath made. Sin, therefore, without repentance may never hope for remission: when repentance comes in place, it ceaseth, in God's imputation, to be itself; but, without it, there is no place for mercy. Many sorrows, saith the Psalmist, shall be to the wicked; but he that trusteth in the Lord, mercy shall compass him about; Psalm xxxii. 10. Lo, sorrows and torment are for the wicked; mercy, only for the penitent and faithful.

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