in any thing defective, not needing creature-supplies but incorruptible, glorious bodies, in some sense spiritual bodies; which are described by three characters-incorruptible, (somewhat more than immortal,) glorious, powerful. Neither doth their having bodies any whit abate their perfection or glory, nor render them inferior to the angels; for even the glorious Redeemer of the world hath a body, who is yet superior to the angels; and he shall change the vile bodies of the saints, and make them like unto his glorious body. 3. Neither have we any ground to believe that the saints shall be altogether equal to the angels in dignity and glory; but rather, that as man was at first made a little lower than the angels, so that he shall never come to be exalted altogether so high as they; for it seems that the natural capacity of an angel is greater than of a man, and so shall continue, for they are a distinct kind of creatures. a beast cannot become so wise and intelligent as a man, for then he would cease to be a beast; so neither can a man become so large and capable as an angel, for then he would cease to be a man. II. Affirmatively. As The glorified saints shall be like the angels of God in heaven-First, In their qualities; that is, 1. In being pure and holy. Whether they shall be equal to them in positive holiness or not, I know not; whether they shall understand, and know, and love God, in all degrees, as much as the angels-it seems rather that they shall not; because, as I said before, their capacity shall not be so large. But if in this they be not altogether equal to the angels, yet it impues no imperfection; for they shall be positively holy, as far as their nature is capable, and so shali be perfect in their kind." The spirits of just men made perfect:" they shall in this be like unto the angels, if not equal to them, yea, like unto God himseif in it" Be ye holy, as I am holy." But as to negative holiness, the saints shall be even equal to the angels of God in heaven, that is, they shall have no more sin, no more corruption than they have: they shall be as perfectly freed from all iniquities, imperfections, and infirmities, as the angels. What can be cleaner than that which hath no uncleanness at all in it? Why, so clean shall all the saints be-" No unclean thing shall enter into heaven." They shall be without all kind of spot or blemish, which is a perfect negative holiness: more cannot be said of the angels in this respect. As branches of this: 2. As the holy angels do reverence the divine Majesty; they cover their faces with their wings, erying, " Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts," so shall the glorified saints. You may see what sweet harmony they make, consenting together to give the glory of all to God. The saints stood and cried, " Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the 'hrone, and to the Lamb;" the angels stood round Dout, saying, " Amen, Amen." 3. In their readiness to do the will of God, and 'execute his commands;" therefore the angels are lescribed to have wings-" with twain they did fly." How God shall please to employ angels or saints in the world to come, is not for us to inquire: but they shall be alike ready to do his will, and serve his pleasure, whatever it shall be. Even whilst the saints are imperfect on earth, they can cry, " Here am I, send me:" how much more ready shall they be then, when all their fetters are knocked off? 4. They shall be as the angels in their cheerful and unwearied execution of the will of God. So the angels are, and so shall the saints be. The spirit shall then be more willing, and the flesh shall be no more weak, as it is now; for when it is raised again, it shall be in power. More things of this nature might be added, but I pass lightly over them; because, although they be true, yet they are not principally looked at in this text: therefore I come to the second thing, wherein the glorified saints shall be like unto the angels, and that is, In their way of living. They shall be like the angels; that is, saith one truly, ἰσαγγέλως βιοῦντες, living like the angels. How is that? our Saviour tells us, neither marrying, nor being given in marriage: it is added presently in Luke xx. 36. " For neither can they die any more." If there be no dying, there will be no need of propagation: if no need of propagation, then why should they marry? The angels are single, and know no other conjunction but with God in a spiritual manner: no more shall the saints. But what great matter is that to be like the angels? what perfection is that? Many saints, yea, and sinners too upon earth, are so like the angels, nay, and the devils too. Therefore you must know that our Saviour, under this phrase of not marrying, : doth comprehend all manner of creature-converse, all kind of living upon and delighting in the creature, by a synecdoche of the part, as is ordinary in Scripture: " I have not given upon usury," saith the prophet, "yet the people curse me;" that is, I have had no dealing in the world, no negotiation. By one kind he understands the whole. Ezek. xxv. 41. where, by eating their fruits, and drinking their milk, is understood the possession of all that was theirs; and in many other places the Spirit of God uses this tropical way of speaking. The angels of God neither marry, nor are given in marriage, that is, they live not upon any created good, delight not in any created comfort, but live entirely upon God, converse with him, are everlastingly beholding his glory, and delighting themselves in him. Thus shall the glorified saints live for ever; their bodies shall not need nor use created supplies, food, physic, raiment, &c. which things in this animal state they stand in need of, Matth. vi. 32. But that is not all: for their souls shall not any longer desire, nor hanker after any created thing, but, as the angels, shall be possessed of God, filled with the fulness of God: all their powers and faculties are perfectly refined and spiritualized, abstracted from all created things, eternally rejoicing and delighting themselves in the contemplation and participation of the supreme and infinite Good: for during this earthly and imperfect state, not only the bodies of good men feed upon, and are sustained by the creatures, in common with other men, but even their souls do taste too much of worldly content 1 ments, and drink too deep of earthly pleasures and creature-comforts: even the most refined souls upon earth, though they do not properly feed upon any thing below God, yet do oft dip the end of their rod in this honey that lies upon the earth, (with Jonathan,) do use their earthly enjoyments, and delight in them in a way too unspiritual, having abstracted them from God, and loving them with a distinct love. But in the resurrection it shall not be so; for the holy soul shall be perfectly conformed to the holy God, shall feed upon him singly, live upon him entirely, be wrapt up in him wholly, and be satisfied with him solely and everlastingly, and so shall they be equal to the angels. The creature, although it does not fill any truly sanctified soul upon earth, yet it hath some room there; but then it shall be perfectly cast out, and the soul shall be filled with all the fulness of God. The creature is now much in some godly souls, and something in all of them; but then it shall be nothing at all to them, or in them, but God shall be all in all, all things in all of them; as the way of the saints living, and their glorified state is described" That God may be all in all." "They shall inherit all things:" but how is that? Why, see the explication of it in the following words, " He that overcometh shall inherit all things, and I will be his God." God will be their God; God shall be unto them instead of all things. In that state there shall be no need of sun or moon: by which excellent and useful creatures the whole creation seems to be understood; for they that shall live above the sun and moon, shall cer |