The inseparable communion of a believer with God in his love being the substance of several sermons preached on Rom. VIII 38, 39 / by ... Mr. Thomas Mallery ...

ROM. 8.38, 39.

Nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers.

WE have seen the Ap••stle, as the mighty Champion of believers, encountring, conquering and triumph∣ing over the first Rank or Regiment of enemies that appear in this cause; viz. that either attempt or endanger a sepa∣ration.

The second Rank or Regimeat follow Angels, Principalities, Powers; Life and Death are but certain states and conditi∣ons wherin Saints may be endanger'd & abstractly considered, are unactiver hangs in themselves; but Angels, Principa∣lities and Powers are living. Agents that have a mighty activity in them, to hurt and endanger the welfare of such an they oppos. Interpreters agree not in sta∣ting the quality of these three Agents.

First, some by Angels, Principalities and Powers, understand the whole Host

of good Angels, distinguisht by their orders, degrees and dignities as Cor. 1.16. The good Angels are called Principali∣ties and Powers.

Secondly, by Angels, Principalities and Powers some understand the whole Host of Angels good an bad; those in Hea∣ven are called Principalitie, and Powers, Eph. 3.10. so are those in Hell, Eph. 6.12.

Thirdly, but I rather judge, the A∣postle here intends, three particular and distinct Agents; all the creatures in Hea∣ven, Earth and H••ll; for by his last ex∣pression, And no other Creature it ap∣pears he intended to take in all crea∣tures.

By Angels I understand, the good An∣gell in Heaven; by Principalities, the Rulers, Magistrates. Governours of this world, Tit. 3.1. Luke 12.11. by Powers the Angels of darkness, Eph. 6.12.

Dect. The Point is. That neither An∣gels, who are the Powers and Principalitie of Heaven, nor men, who are the Powers and Principalities of this world, nor Devils wh••

are the Powers and Principalities of Hell, shall ever be able to separate.

I shall consider the first particular, touching Angels.

First, why the Apostle ranketh good Angels among them who attempt or en∣danger to separate— seeing there is no cause of fear, or real danger from them in such a cause.

Answ. 1. Because I answer, first, the good Angels stand not by their own strength, if lest to themselves; and the frai••ty of their own nature, they might fall from their present stati∣on, become Apostates, and turn as bad enemies to believers, as Devils are.

Their stability and unchangeableness, is not from any natural power of inhe∣rent grace in themselves. The Apostle here speaks by suprosition, not as if the good Angels would really at∣tempt to do it, but if they should they could not. It is like that speech, Gal. 1.8. If an Angel—

Saints in the height of their saith and confidence of security in God, have supposed such dangers as never were like to be, and triumphed over them as if they had really been, Psal 46.1.—4.

This wonderfully magnifies the secu∣rity of Saints in Gods love, that it is a∣bove all, real or imaginary, possible or ••upposed dangers.

Thirdly, the Apostle holds forth the greatest Hyperbole of faith, the Elevati∣on of a soul wrapt up in Gods love, a∣bove and beyond every creature of the highest Perfection. Therefore he takes in the latitude of the whole creature, that is below God himself, not only men and devils, but even the Angels, and tri∣umphs over them in this Cause.

Fourthly, the Apostle here speaks, as a man going into the field to meet his enemie, who in the height of his re∣solution, in the confidence of his strength and skill in his weapon, bids his enemy chuse his Weapon, chuse his Ground, chuse his Second to his best advan∣tage.

So the Apostle arm'd with Gods love, enclosed in Gods bosom, and confident nothing shall separate him, bids his ene∣my in this cause, chuse his Weapon, Life or death; Chuse his Ground, Earth, Hell or Heaven; chuse his Second, Men or Devils, or the whole Host of Angels, if these shall appear against him, he fears not to encounter them, be doubts not of victory over them.

By this the Apostle would hold forth the immediate way of Saints, Commu∣nion with God in love, without the least help or assistance of any creature concur∣ring. Even all the Angels had nothing to do in it.

And as no Angel could ever procure Gods love, or bring a Saint into Com∣munion with God, so none shall be able to separate.

Secondly, we are to consider, how the good Angels may be supposed to endan∣ger believers in their Communion with God.

1. The good Angels by their continual Attendance and Watchfulness about

Saints, must needs be privy to all their open sins, in words, actions, duties, and cannot but conceive a holy indignation at the unworthy or unbeseeming carri∣ages of believers, as that text, 1 Cor 11.10. shews. Saints miscarriages and sins grieve, offend the Angels, and hereby may be supposed to endanger their state in Gods love, when they sin against love.

Secondly, the Angels in zeal to God glory, are always in a readiness to re∣venge the injuries that are done against God, Psal. 104.4 and they have ofte•• executed, the righteous displeasure o•• God against his own people, 2 Sam. 2••.16, 17. When David saw the Angel, h•• cried out, O Lord, I have sinned; Whe•• Isaiah saw God on his Throne, with h•• Seraphims about him, the Executione•• of his Justice; upon the Transgression of his own people; he cries out, Wo me I am undone— Isa. 6.1, 2, 5.

Thirdly, the Angels are made servan•• to believers; Man in his first Creatio•• was made a little lower then the An∣gels;

but in Christ he is now exalted to glory and honour above the Angels; Christ hath not taken— Heb. 2.16. our na∣ture is exalted in the Person of Christ, far above all Principalities, — Ephes. 1.20, 21.

That Angels should be servants to them, who by nature are inferiour to them, is ground of a temptation to them, (had not grace over-powered nature) to take all occasions against Saints, to bring God out of love with them, and to bring themselves again into the highest place of Gods favour.

Fourthly, the Angels may be supposed to endanger Saints, not industriously but occasionally, by reason of the corruption that remains in our natures.

What through the excellency of their Natures, their nearness to God, and the many good services they perform to us, Saints have been endangered to commit idolatry with them. See Rev. 19.10. Rev. 22.8. hence that caution of the Apostle, Col. 2.18, 19. hereby some are in danger to quit Jesus Christ the Head.

Thirdly, we are to shew, that Angels shall not be able to separate.—

I. They will not.

First, in regard of their Office; they are all ministring spirits sent forth,— Heb. 1. ult.

Secondly, they will not be enemies to them, but are in a readiness to execute the wrath of God upon all that offend them, Mat. 18.10.

Thirdly, they have a charge to keep them in all their ways, Psal 91.11, 12. not to lead them out of Gods way.

II. They cannot if they would.

First, their subjection to Christ, they are under his dominion and sovereignty, Heb. 1.6, 7, 8.

Secondly, their dependance upon Christ for the execution and performance of all they do; The vision of Jacobs Ladder, compared with Jo. 1. ult. Angels attend∣ed Christ at his Birth, in the Wilderness when tempted, in the Garden at his Re∣surrection and Ascension.

Thirdly, they can do nothing but what God commands them, Psal. 103.20.

III. If they could they dare not.

First, they have their establishment in Christ. They were by nature as mutable as the rest that fell, they are fetled in a state of love in God by Christ, testified by the Cherubims on the Mercy-Seat.

Secondly, they are by Christ brought into the same Fellowship and Commu∣nion with God as we, Eph 1.10. see what the Angel himself declared, Rev. 19.10. Rev. 22.9. and we are said to be brought into Communion with Angels, Heb. 12.22.23. if they should endeavor to sepa∣rate believers from Communion with God in his love, they should also separate themselves.

1. Ʋse. This informs us, that no creature ture in Heaven not the purest Angels, can be any part of our essential blessedness: These Angels may in case of disobedience actually instict the Tokens of Gods dis∣pleasure against us: And occasionally, through our own corruption, prove snares and temptations to us, such as may endanger our state in Gods love;

much less then ca•• any creature on earth, the holiest, the purest Saint, the sweetest and dearest relation, be part of our es∣sential blessedness. This alone consists in our Immediate Communion with God in love, through Iesus Christ our Lord, from which nothing can separate us.

2. Use. This serves to confirm the faith of believers in the assurance of their unchangeable state in Gods love; there is an utter impossibility to separate them from it.

The Angels excel in strength, Psal. 103.20. if they cannot do it, much less can inferiour creatures, Men or Devils what is beyond the power of good An∣gels, is an absolute impossibility to other creatures.

3. Use. By this we are informed, that those things, those Agents sometimes we greatly fear, as enemies that may endanger us in our chiefest concern∣ments, are often our greatest friends, and such as really design our greatest good.

good angels, are but supposed enemies, and are real friends, belo••s of our Ioy, and such as Endeavor to keep us fast in the love of God.

4. Use. This fully convinceth Popery to be Apostacy, an Apostacy of such, who were never truly, or really in a state of Love and Communion with God through Christ.

For though not actively, yet occasi∣onally, through good angels they are utterly fallen from that love of God, that Communion with God in Christ they professed.

They are fallen into the worship of Angels which is flat Idolatry, Rev. 22.9. and they hold not the head, — Col. 1.18, 19.

Had they real Communion with God in Love, they had never been separated, by the means of Angels, from the love of God in Christ Iesus our Lord.