The way to excel. Meditations, awakened by the death of the Reverend Mr. Joshua…

First, The Angels of God, have many Excellencies, the Imitation whereof cannot by men in this Life, be Reasonably proposed. The Angelical Majesty, as a Mortal Eye would not be able steadily to Behold it, much less, in this Mortal State, may we Affect it. A man may not wish to Shine like Stephen, in this World, and have a Face, that may dazzle the Spectators. Or, what would it avail, if a man could make a Glare on his Face, by smearing it with some of the Noctiluca's invented by the Modern Chemistry? A Devil has before now, pretended unto such a Face. 'Tis not the Face, but the Grace, of an Angel, which is here to be Aspired after. It were a Foolish, and a Faulty Thing, for any man, to be ambitious, of wearing in this World, such a Figure, as that in Dan. 10.6. His Body like the Beryl, and his Face as the Appearance of Lightning, and his Eyes as Lamps of Fire. Immortality it self, is one of the Angelical Excellencies. But, while we are among Mortals here, we must submit unto the Laws of Mortality, and be willing to Die, When, and How, the Sovereign God shall order it. There are also, those Flights of Wisdom, and those Heights of Power among the Angelical Excellencies; wherein, 'tis not for us, to Dream of being Like them, until we are become, The Children of the Resurrection It was the Ruin of our First Parents, to imagine, in Gen. 3.5. They might be as Elohim! No, this cannot be, until our Lord Jesus Christ, has by a New Birth brought us into that World to come, ⟨p. 10⟩where, the Wise Converters of many to Righteousness, will be those, who shall Shine as the Brightness of the Firmament, and as the Stars for ever and ever! Our Lord Jesus Christ, will make us the Angels of the New World. Indeed the Angels now turn and move all the Wheels of the Kingdoms of this World, but we are they that shall Receive the Kingdom that cannot be moved.

First, The Angels of God, have many Excellencies, the Imitation whereof cannot by men in this Life, be Reasonably proposed. The Angelical Majesty, as a Mortal Eye would not be able steadily to Behold it, much less, in this Mortal State, may we Affect it. A man may not wish to Shine like Stephen, in this World, and have a Face, that may dazzle the Spectators. Or, what would it avail, if a man could make a Glare on his Face, by smearing it with some of the Noctiluca's invented by the Modern Chymistry? A Devil has before now, pretended unto such a Face. 'Tis not the Face, but the Grace, of an Angel, which is here to be Aspired after. It were a Foolish, and a Faulty Thing, for any man, to be ambitious, of wearing in this World, such a Figure, as that in