are faid to attend on the faints, and to minifter to them, Heb. i. 14. Mat. xviii. 10. In particular, i. They are ás ftewards to provide for them in their need, 1 Kings xix. 5. 2. As phyficians to cure their maladies, John .4. 3. As nurses to bear up, and to keep them from hurt, Pfal. xci. If, 12. 4. As guides to direct and keep them from wanderings, Gen. xxiv. 7. and xxxii. 1. 5. As foldiers to guard them, Pfal. xxxiv. 7. 2 Kings vi. 17. 6. As refcuers and deliverers to pull them out of dangers, Acts v. 19. and xii. 7, 8. Dan. vi. 22. In reference to their fouls in this life. 1. They are as prophets and teachers to instruct them, Dan. viii. 16, 17. and ix. 22, 23, 24. Luke i. 15, 34, 35. Acts i. 11. 2. They are comforters to them in their fears and perplexities, Gen. xxi. 17. Ifa, vi. 6, 7. Luke xxii. 22, 23. 3. Coadjutors to ftand with them against Satan, Zech. iii. 1, 2. Jade 9. 4. Fellow members to rejoice with them at the converfion of finners, Luke xv. 10. 5. Tutors to enCourage them in duties, 2 Kings i. 15. and to punifh them for their offences, that they may be brought to repentance, 2 Sam. xxiv. 16.Hereafter in the life to come they are, 1. Watchers to carry their fouls at the feparation of them from their bodies into heaven, Luke xvi. 22. 2. As keepers at the last day to gather all the elect together, Matth. xxiv. 31. 3. Fanners or fishers to feparate the evil from the good, Matth. iii. 49. 4. Companions in heaven, to join with them in prailing God, Rev. vii, 9,

10, II,

One objection is raifed, that God's children often fall into inconveniencies, how then are they attended by the angels?

Anfw. 1. They are preferved by the angels from many inconveniencies that they know not of; as we have devils about us continually, fo certainly there is a conflict be tween the good angels and them about us continually. 2. If at any time we fall into inconveniencies, it is because We are out of our way, and then they have no charge over us, Pfal. xci. 11. 3. If we fuffer in the cuftody of angels any inconveniency, it is that we may be tried, exercifed, and made better by it; for if they keep as not from

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4, they keep us in ill, and deliver us out of it at length, fo that there is nothing in the world befals God's children, but they are gainers by it at laft, whatsoever it is, Rom. viii. 28.

This may teach us not to grieve thefe good fpirits; if we commit fins in fecret where no eye of man fees us, yet God and the bleffed angels fee us, and grieve when we fall into fin. 2. To bless that God that hath thus honoured us, not only by taking our nature on him, but by giving us his own guard of angels to attend us. 3. To take an holy fate upon us, and to think ourfelves too good to abafe ourselves to fin, to be flaves to men, feeing we have angels to attend upon us; we are kings, and have a mighty guard, therefore we fhould carry ourfelves anfwerable. 4. Not to defpife the meaneft Chriftian, feeing angels defpife not to attend upon them. 5. To imitate the angels. 1. In rejoicing at the converfion of finners, as they do, Luke xv. 10. 2. In reverencing the majefty of God as they do, by covering their faces, Ifa. vi. 2, 25. 3. In standing ready preft to execute the will of the Lord as they do, Pfal. ciii. 20, 21. 4. To execute for manner as they do, viz. with chearfulness, fincerity, and without weari fomnefs. This is a piece of that marrow of divinity, collected out of the works of our most judicious, experien ced, and orthodox English divines, with fome additionals of his own, as the author confeffeth.

T

SECT. V.

Of the Sayings and Proofs of Dr. Manton.

O thefe I fhall add another of known parts and pi ety. This tutelage of faints is from their first conception in the womb, till the tranflation of body and foul into glory. Survey all the paffages of life from the womb to the grave, nay, after death till the refurrection, the miniftry of angels doth not wholly ceafe: Their care beginneth as foon as the child is quickned in the womb, for then they have another diftinct charge to look after; and as they are fervants of providence, by their help they are born and brought into the world, God's providence taketh date thence, Gal. i. 15. and they, I fay, are inftruments of providence; they watch over us in infancy and childhood

A

childhood; little ones are committed to their cuftody, and babes and fucklings have their angels, Mat. xviii. 10. Jefus was provided for in his cradle by an angel, Mat. ii.j13. The devil rampeth about the elect, while they are yet in their fwaddling cloaths; that expreffion (Rev. xii.) of the dragon feeking to devour the man child as foon as he was born, is figurative, but it alludeth to what is true. gain as we grow up, they rejoice at our converfion, Luke XV. 10. we read of joy in heaven over a finner that repenteth: You cannot gratify the angels more than in yonr converfion to God; the devil feeks to hinder it as much as he can, but they rejoice when a brand is pluck'd out of the burning, Zech. iii. Again, after converfion they watch o ver us in duty, and danger, and temptations in duties, where Satan is most busy to hinder, Zech. iii. 1. they are moft helpful. The angels are in the affemblies of the faithful, 1 Cor. xi. 10. fo in dangers, when Peter was in prifon, God fendeth him an angel to bring him out, A&ts xii. 7. Ruffinus fpeaketh of a young man, a martyr, on the rack, that had his face wiped by an angel, and refreshed by him in the midst of his pains: Nay, in cafual dan` gers, which we cannot foresee nor prevent, Pfal. xci. 12. He shall give his angels charge over thee, that thou dash not thy foot against a ftone; fo in temptations, Mat. iv. II. They miniftred to Chrift when he was tempted by the devil, they came to fhew how God will deal with his people in like cafes. Once more they are with us to comfort us in death; in the midst of his agonies the Lord Jefus was comforted and refreshed by an angel, Luke xxii. 43. fo they are with the faithful, helping and eafing them in their fickneffes. After death they carry our fouls to heaven, as Lazarus was carried into Abraham's bofom, Luke xvi. 22. tho' the body had not the honour of a pompous burial, yet the foul is folemnly conveyed by angels, and gathered up into the communion of the fouls of juft men made perfect; as Chrift himself also afcended into heaven in the company of angels, Acts i. 10. Once more, after death they guard our bodies in the grave, as the angels guarded Chrift's fepulchre, Mát. xxviii. 2, 3, 4. God did fet his guards, as well as the high priests. Their last miniftry

and

and service about the faithful, is to gather up their bodies at the last day. They fhall gather up the elect from the four winds, Mat. xxiv. 31. and then their office and charge ceafeth. Thus far this author.

S E. C T. VI.

Of the Sayings and Proofs of Bishop Hall,

N this doctrine I have the content of many others; and

Io this purpose I have cited Dyke, Dingley, Laurence,

in whofe book of communion and war with angels (faith Mr. Baxter in his Saints Everlafting Reft, part 2. chap. 7.) is taught the true end and fpiritual ufe of this doctrine. But I leave him and Mr. Dingley in their controverfies; my meaning is only to hold forth positive, prefuppofed, and on both fides granted, and decided truth. And in that refpect I shall tranfcribe but one more teftimony from a famous divine of our own nation who has wrote upon practical fubjects. It is bishop Hall, who, fpeaking of the Employments and operations of angels, faith, What variety is here of your affiftance? one while ye lead us in our way, as ye did Ifrael, Exod. xxxiii. 2. another while ye inftru&t as ye did Daniel, Dan. viii. 16, 17. one while ye fight for us, as ye did for Joshua, Josh. v. 13. another while ye purvey for us, as ye did for Elias, 1 Kings xix. 5. one while ye fit us for our holy vocation, as ye did Isaiah, Ifa. vi. 7. another while ye difpofe of the opportunities of our calling for good, as ye did of Philip's to the eunuch, Acts viii. 26. one while ye foretel our danger, as to Lot, Gen. xix. 12, 13. another while ye comfort us in our affliction, as to Hagar, Gen. xxi. 17. one while ye oppofe evil projes laid against us, as to Balaam, Numb. xxii. 32. another while ye will be friven with for bleffing, as with Jacob, Hof. xii. 4. one while ye refist our offenfive courses, as to Mofes, Exod. iv. 24, 25, 26. another while courage us in our devotions, as ye did Paul, and Silas, and Cornelius, Acts xii. 25. and x. 3, 4. one while ye deliver from prison, as Peter, Acts xii. 7, 8, 9. another while ye preferve from danger and death, as the three children, Dan. iii. 25. one while ye are ready to refrain our prefumption, as the cherub before the gate of paradise, Gen.

ye en

24. another while to excite our courage, as to Elias,

2 Kings

2Kings i. 15. one while to refresh and chear us in our fofferings, as to the apostles, Acts v. 19, 20, 21. another while to prevent our fufferings, as to Jacob in the purfuit of Laban and Efau, Gen. xxxi. 34. and xxxii. 1. one while you cure our bodies, as at the pool of Bethesda, John v. 4. another while ye carry up our fouls to glory, as ye did to Lazarus, Luke xvi. 22. It were endlefs to inftance in all the gracious offices which ye perform.

I fhall need to transcribe no more out of him, whom I have so often cited in the difcourfe that follows, But if any be offended, that I have fo highly efteemed of this bishop, is there any communion with fuch in name or thing? I fhall answer, 1. I never was offended with the name of bishop, nor will any wife man, that finds the name fo frequently ufed in fcripture, be offended with it. 2. Nor am I offended with the thing, if moderation were ufed and fuch an epifcopacy erected as bishop Hall, and bifhop Ufher did propound as fatisfactory; and fuch men to manage it as were peaceable, godly, and eminent for grace and gifts: Nor do I believe any oath taken by me was against such an epifcopacy. Thus fome affirm, it is not against moderate epifcopacy, but only against the exorbitant fpecies, introducing unavoidably the many mischiefs we have feen and felt. If all exorbitances of power were retrenched by the bishop, and if thofe prefbyteries, which no law hitherto hath forbidden, were reftored to their primitive rights, I know no reason but I might fubmit both to the name and thing. But from the dominion of abfolute prelacy, and from the rigorous impofition of ceremonies by it, and from the extirpation of diffenting brethren, who will not, nor dare not confcientioufly fubmit, fubfcribe, or fwear unto it, the Lord deliver us. 3. I ever looked on bishop Hall as peaceable and moderate. Mr. Baxter cites him in this view; I fhall prove (faith he) from the example of bishop Hall, that moderate men will agree on the foregoing terms;-Bleffed be God (faid the bihop there is no difference in any effential matter betwixt the church of England, and her fifters of the reformatioa; we agree in every point of Chriftian doctrine without 0 2

the