“disquieted with worldly troubles.”^231 This introduces the benefits of contemplation
that will shortly be examined. There are surprisingly few references to contemplation
in Communion with Angels where one might expect to find a greater emphasis upon
heavenly-mindedness. However, that is not Ambrose’s focus. Rather this is his most
controversial work and examines the origin and nature of the angels’ ministry and
especially how they might function across the person’s lifespan including declaring
God’s mind and will, protecting a person from the devil’s temptations, restoring
people back to health, encouraging souls, and finally welcoming the saints into
heaven. One interesting use of the term comes in his description of Joseph Hall as
“the contemplative Bishop.”^232
Benefits and Effects of Contemplation
Early in Looking Unto Jesus Ambrose provides two lists of motives, one of
wants, indicating what a person would lose by neglecting to look at Jesus and a
second positive list based upon the benefits gained by looking unto Jesus.^233 In the
second category he states, “[h]ere is a Catalogue, an Inventory of a Christians riches;
have Christ and have all; ... If Christ be yours ... God is yours, the Father is yours,
the Son is yours, the Spirit is yours, all promises are yours, for in Christ they are all
made, and for him they shall be performed.”^234 Not all of these benefits are of equal
weight but the primary effects of contemplation and heavenly-mindedness according
to Ambrose are contemplative understanding and love, protection from temptation
and danger, growing intimacy with Jesus in spiritual marriage, being transformed into
(^231) Ambrose, War with Devils (^) , 146. (^)
(^232) Ambrose, Communion with Angels, 290. Earlier Ambrose referred to one of
Joseph Hall’s writings as “a sweet contemplation of an holy Divine.” Looking Unto
Jesus 233 , 386.
(^234) Ambrose, Ambrose, Looking Unto JesusLooking Unto Jesus, 31, 39.- 46.^