Chine, or else half their fhew will be loft. But angels (the faints attendants) enlighten the greatest darkness, Luke ii. 9. Acts xii. 7. Is not their countenance as lightning, ' and their raiment white as fnow?' Mat. xxviii. 3. Oh then how fhould this elevate the fpirits of God's people? Why, think of it, you whom it most concerns. It was an high favour for Mordecai, to have Haman, the great pompous peer of the empire to be his attendant, his lacquey or his footman for an hour: How much more honour is it for you poor worms, to have thofe mighty peers of heaven, thofe celeftial princes, thofe fervants of the most high God to wait upon you continually? King Solomon in all his royalty, in the midst of this two hundred targets, and three hundred fhields of beaten gold, was not like one of the lilies of the field, much lefs like a faint environed and encompaffed with a wall of angels; hence was that faying of Chrift, Defpife not one of thefe little ones; and why fo? because in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father, Mat. xviii. 10. The brighteft angels that look in the face of God, defpife not to attend upon the meaneft faints, and how then fhould any defpife them whem the angels honour? How fhould any think them unworthy of their company or countenance whom the great angels think moft worthy of their fervice and attendance? But efpecially, how fhould any prefume to wrong the faints, or to rush into God's paradife, fuch as every true Chriftian is, where stand the angels of God with a flaming fword which turns every way? It is enough (one would think) to affright all the men in the world from offering any violence to any of God's people. But howfoever they carry, let Chriftians carry as heaven's heirs, let them walk wor thy of God, who hath called them to his kingdom and glory, 1 Theff. ii. 11. Let them confider what fervitors and minifters God hath appointed to wait on them, and in the name of God let them carry themselves anfwerably, and be holily magnanimous. Plutarch tells of Themiftocles that he accounted it not to stand with his state to stoop down to take up the spoils of the enemy whom he had fcattered in flight, but fays to one of his followers, You may, for you are not Themistocles. If others mind th earth and earthly things, and can look no higher, yet let the faints, whom the angels wait on, walk above the world, and above all things that are here below. Citizens of Rome might not accept of any other freedom in any other city; they accounted it a difhonour to the freedom of Rome, to take freedom any where in the world befides: You that are free in the kingdom of heaven, and that have the created citizens of heaven to be your life guards, oh do not intangle yourselves with the things of the earth, feek not to be free here, as if you had no better portion. Surely if you underftand your own privileges, you are fpiritual kings and queens of a better kingdom than this world; you have the privileges of a council, to wit, God's teftimonies, Pfal. cxix. 24. and the privileges of a guard of full ftate and ftrength, to wit, God's angels. Oh how hould this elevate your fpirits! Let the faints be joyful in glory, let them fing aloud upon their beds, let the 'high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two edged (word in their hands, to execute vengeance upon the heathen,' at whofe command is a legion of angels, this bonour have all his faints, Pfal. cèlix. 5, 6, 7, 9. I SECT. VIII. 1 S the miniftring office of the angels for heaven's heirs! then to your duty of communion with them. Oh improve this ordinance! Why, here is an ordinance of Jefus Chrift fcarce thought on; the angels minifter to faints, and the faints almoft, if not altogether, forget their duty which they owe to God and Chrift in that refpect. What! my brethren, are you ignorant of fuch an ordinance? or do you know it, and yet are you negligent? if you are fimply ignorant, and that your ignorance is of pure nega tion, and not of evil difpofition, it is then high time to discover this mystery of godlinefs to you, that you may be in the exercile of fuch duties, yet unknown, or if you know them, and are negligent of them, it is then high time to rouze up your fpirits, and to fir up your pure *minds by way of remembrance, that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandments of the apostles of • our 4 our Lord and Saviour,' 2 Pet. iii. 1, 2. Howfoever the cafe ftands with you, I beseech you hear, learn, practise, and make use of this prefent book and work; it is another meffage that I have from God, another ordinance that I would difcover; therefore fet your hearts unto all the words that I teftify unto you this day, for it is not a ' vain thing, but it is for your lives,' Deut. xxxii. 46. The motives I ufe (hall be only thefe, 1. Angel-miniftration, and our communion with them, is an ordinance of Jefus Chrift, it is an inftitution of Christ, which hath connexed to it fome kind of fpiritual efficacy, to work on fouls. Amongst other interveening mediums, faith Laurence, there is one great ordinance, which we have not fo much confidered of, viz. that the good angels, the chariots and the horfes, fhould relieve us as they did Elisha; nor is there relief only as to outwards, but in relation to our religious walking, and to our inward man. Were it not fad to lofe an ordinance of Jefus Chrift? or if it be not loft in refpect of the living inftruments on their part, yet is it not fad that we should make no ufe of them? minifters are an ordinance of Chrift, they are meffengers, interpreters, (even as the angels, and therefore are called angels, Rev. i. 20.) their office is to declare unto man his righteoufnefs; to pray men in Chrift's ftead to be recon❤ ciled unto God; to gather together the faints to be Chrift's paranymphs, to deal about the getting of a wife for the Lamb, to work for the good of faints, and to help to bring in more fubjects to the King of the universe, job xxxiii. 23. 2 Cor. v. 20. Eph. iv. 12. Minifters and angels are in the very fame employment: Now, were it not fad that the minifters of Chrift fhould be neglected or defpifed? What if you have minifters? Is there no ufe to be made of fuch an ordinance? The apoftle tells you, you cannot have faving knowlege, regeneration, or faith, without their ufe. I do not fpeak what God may do extraordina rily, but this is God's ordinary way: How can they be 'lieve on him of whom they have not heard? and how can they hear without a preacher?' Rom. xix. 4. I may fay the fame of angels in their way, for they are rational and living inftruments, they are minifters of God, and they they adminifter to us faving truths: An angel told the first news of the gospel, Behold I bring you glad tidings of "great joy, which fhall be to all people,' Luke ii. 10, And hall this ordinance of Christ be without any confideration how we may receive good from it? God forbid. 2. The angels are an ordinance ever present; some o ther ordinances may be taken from us. Men may take from us our Bibles, teachers, paftors, or they may imprifon us where we cannot enjoy them, but they cannot take from us the holy angels. When the high priest, and all that were with him, laid hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prifon, then the angel of the Lord by night opened the prifon doors, and brought them forth, and faid, Go and stand and fpeak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.' And 'when Peter was in prifon fleeping between two foldiers 'bound with two chains, and the keepers before the door kept the prison, behold the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light fhined in the prifon, and he fmote Peter on the fide, and raised him up, faying, Arise up quickly,' Acts v. 18, 19, 20. and xii. 6, 7. No prifon is fo clofe, no keepers are fo vigilant as to keep out angels: Tho' we want, and may want other ordinances, yet we have the angels as an ordinance to walk up and down with us, wherefoever we are, or whitherforver we go. I cannot but remember that speech of a great divine, (Bp. Hall) which at first reading exceedingly ftuck with me: The good Lord forgive me, for that amongst my other offences, I have fuffered myself so much to forget, as his divine presence, fo the prefence of his holy angels: It is, I confefs, my great fin that I have filled up my eyes with other objects, and have been flack in returning praises to my God for the conutinual affiftance of those bleffed and beneficent fpirits, which have ever graciously attended me without intermiffion, from the firft year of my conception to this prefent moment, neither fhall ever, I hope, abíent themselves from my tutelage and protection, till they shall have presented my poor foul to her final glory. If a good man of an holy gracious fpirit was fo forgetful of them, that he was fain to cry, Peccavi, I confefs my great fin, and and the good Lord forgive me. Methinks it should be a prevailing motive to work on us, fo to converfe with them. and to perform our refpective duties to them, as being ever prefent; without intermiffion they wait on us, how is it that days without number we should forget them and their miniftration? 3. The angels are an ordinance improving other ordinances of Jefus Chrift: In this refpect there is no fear of clashing with other ordinances: It is true, that the Lord never calls an affembly to two divers employments at one and the fame time, unless they be fubfervient the one to the other. Hence it is we blame them, who coming into our congregations when fome public ordinances are in hand, they betake themselves to their private devotions, and will not reverently (without more ado) compofe themselves to join with the affembly in that ordinance of God which is in hand: We would not have ordinances clafh, only angelminiftration in religious affairs will not hinder, but further our religious fervices; and angel-ministration in civil affairs will not hinder but further our civil bufineffes. 1. In religious fervices the angels are affiftant; it is faid that they fuggeft fuitable, feafonable, and pious thoughts at fuch a time: When Cornelius was praying, he faw an angel faying unto him, Thy prayers and thy alms are come up as a memorial before God, Acts x. 4, 5. And while Zecharias was executing the priest's office before God, there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord on the right fide of the altar of incenfe, faying, Thy prayer is heard, Luke i. 8, 9, 12. 2. In civil affairs the angels are affiftant, Pfal. ix. They hall keep thee in all thy ways, in thy vocation or particular calling. Now herein is the excellency of fuch an ordinance, that it is an addition and improvement to all other ordinances, an argument fufficient to bind us to our duties in reference to it. 4. Angel-miniftration, and our communion with them, is an ordinance in oppofition to Satan's temptations, and our communion with them; it were enough to amaze poor fouls to confider the po" s and principalities that are againft them; were the weak, they were lefs confiderable; but we wrestle not against flesh and blood, faith the |