contrary, did not Michael, (one of the feven) contend with Satan about the body of Mofes? Jude 9. And was not Ga briel, who stands in the prefence of God, fent to speak to Zacharias, and to Mary, and to fhew the glad tidings of the gofpel? Luke i. 19, 26. And were not those feven archangels called feven eyes, and the feven fpirits of God fent forth into all the earth? Zech. iv. 10. Rev. V. 6. Surely then neither feraphims, nor cherubims, nor thrones. nor powers, are exempted from this office, they are all miniftring fpirits.

CHA P. V. SECT. I.

Of the fourth Doctrine.

HEY have their commiffion from God and Chrift to execute their office of miniftration; they will not go unless fent forth: As Chrift would not do the office of mediator until he was called, Heb. v. 4, 5. fo neither will the angels execute their office without a call: In this re fpect the angels are faid to wait on Chrift, they ftand be hind him, and receive deputations to their feveral offices: I faw by night, and behold a man, and behind him were three red horfes, Speckled and white, Zech. i. 8. i. e. Miniftring fpirits, prepared for judgment and mercy. When Zachary knew not who they were, the man that flood a mong the myrtle trees, Chrift (the Captain of the Lord's hoft) anfwered and faid, Thefe are they whom the Lord hath fent to walk to and fro thro' the earth, Zech. i. 10. The Lord firft fends them, and then as agents and fpies, they give intelligence of all things done in the world; they will not ftir without a commiffion, but if he fend them, they run, they fly. I faw the Lord fitting on his throne, * faid Micaiah, and all the host of heaven standing by him, on his right hand, and on his left; and the Lord faid, *Who fhall perfuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth Gilead? and one faid on this manner, and ano⚫ther faid on that manner, and there came forth a spirit, ⚫ and stood before the Lord, and faid, I will perfuade him; and the Lord faid unto him, Wherewith? and he faid, 'I will go forth, and I will be a lying fpirit in the mouth of all his prophets; and he faid, Thou shalt perfuade him, and prevail alfo, go forth, and do fo,' 1 Kings

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xxii. 19, 20, 21, 22. All this difcourfe is by way of refemblance, as it is with kings and princes, so it is faid of God, All his hoft (good and bad angels) ftand about him, and receive their commiffions from him: No fooner is any defign agreed on, but he gives out the word of command, Go forth, and do fo. See here the commiffion, Go forth, faith God: Are they not all miniftring Spirits fent forth, faith the apostle.

SECT. II.

A Tranfition of the laft Point.

N these four feveral doctrines I have no mind to infist, and the rather, because they are fo very fpeculative, and fo full of controversy: For my part, I fhall never forget what Graferus faid he had found in his vifiting the fick, and in his own preparation for well dying, That molt of the controverfies in divinity were utterly ufelefs, and did entangle the confciences of the fimple, juft as the human inventions in Popery formerly did, and therefore he began with full bent of mind to fhun and abhor them. and in his public preaching, to propound only thofe things which tended to the kindling of true faith in Christ, and to the exercise of true godlinefs according to the word of God, and to the procuring of true confolation both in life and death. Nor fhall I forget what is wrote of Abraham Buchaltzer, whofe care in his public miniftry was to avoid those questions that do but gender unto ftrife, and to inftruct his auditors how to live well and die well. Some indeed blame him of cowardice, for that being endued by God with fuch excellent abilities, yet he would never enter into the lifts with the fanatic adverfaries of thofe times; but the reafon was, because he always affected peace, having no delight in wrangling, which caufed him to fay to a friend, Defii difputare, cape fupputare, quoni am illud diffipationem, hoc collectionem fignificat. Befides, he faw that the greatest antagonists to the church's peace, had not fo much as one fpark of grace in them, and that there came no profit, but much hurt to the church of Chrift by thofe continual quarrels amongst divines, I will not deny, nay, I dare not but acknowlege, that in our pulpits we may, (and must as occafion is) propound fuch a

fubject

fubject as this of the angels, and no queftion but out of it we may draw matter for faith, and life, and comfort; but as to thefe particulars of the angels, that they are fpirits, minifters of feveral orders, and all delegated, (as the Lord pleafeth) to this or that office, they are very abftrufe points, wherein we may wrangle, and do as boys in fport, who ftrive to strike moft iparks out of their flints, but never intend to kindle thereby for ufe: So we may difpute and jangle about words, and ftrive to ftrike out the moft fubtile and fine fpun notions that we can invent, but alas! they cannot profit our fouls, nor tend much to practice, which is the life and fpirit of religion: Upon this I verily believe it is, that we have far lefs written in God's word of the nature of angels than of God himself, because the knowlege of God is far more practical, and lefs controverfial, and more neceffary to falvation than the knowlege of angels or archangels; only if there be any thing of angels revealed in fcripture, and moft worthy of our knowlege (as certainly there is) I take that to be it which the schoolmen in all their learning took leaft notice of, and that is of the miniftration of angels in reference to God's people: Ideò apoftolus contentus fuit hunc enim unum explicare,quod fciret bunc effe principuum, dicendo nonne omnes funt adminiftratorii fpiritus in minifterium miffi propter eos qui hereditatem, capiunt falutis? Zanch. With this one ufe could the apostle content himself, as knowing that in the doctrine of angels, this was the most principal, and indeed most practical; and therefore on this point I mean to enlarge, and the other points I fhall leave to others: You may fee to whom, De cuftodia angelorum prefens hic loco, loca quæ fublimioris funt fpeculationis otiofis hominibus relinquamus, Mufcul in Pfalm xci. 12. Are they not all ministring spirits, fent forth to minister to them who shall be heirs of • falvation.

HE chief points yet remain, viz. That this miniftring office of the angels is not for all, but only for heaven's heirs. On this I mean to infift, and to enlarge my difcourfe,

difcourfe, wherein I shall, 1. Confirm. 2. Apply. 1. For confirmation we have fcripture and reason.

SECT.

II.

Scriptures for Augels Miniftration.

E fhall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways; they fhall bear thee up in 'their hands, left thou dafh thy foot against a ftone,' Pfal. Xci. 11, 12.

In this fcripture we may observe these particulars:

1. That the elect are fo precious with God, that for their fakes he gives out commands.

2. That he commands the angels (his choice and chief fervants) for the good of his chofen: He fhall give his angels charge over thee. It is the ufual way of his providence, to command the ftrong in behalf of the weak, and to commend the weak to those that are more strong: Thus it is betwixt children and parents, wives and husbands, the fick and found, the faints and angels; he commands the angels over faints, or he commends the faints unto his angels.

3. That the end or meaning of the command is for the eleft's cuftody, to keep thee: They must not exercise a power or dominion over them, they must not exact adoration or worship from them, as the evil fpirits do from all their followers: But the command is to preserve them, defend them, deliver them, keep them, and protect them:

4. That the keeping of faints is limited to their ways; They fball keep thee in all thy ways; i. e. in all thy neceffary lawful ways, not in thy finful devious wanderings

5. That the obedience of the angels to this command is precife, exact, and diligent; They shall bear thee up in their hands; i. e. they fhail accompany thee, go before thee, wait upon thee, follow thee, as the shadow follows the body, compafs thee round, lead thee, observe thee, and in all ftraits or neceffities lend thee an hand.

6. That the iffue of this obedience is fafety and fecurileft thou dash thy foot against a flone: By this one danger we understand, by a fynechdoche, all other dan gers, q. d. not any hurt, be it never fo little, fhall befal 5. That

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the elect; fo far fhall they be from harm in the head, that it fhall not reach the foot; indeed neither foot nor head, nor an hair of their head fhall perish to their prejudice, Luke xxi. 18.

The fum of all is this, As nurfes and mothers deal with their children, fo must the angels deal with the children of God, that is, they must keep them in their ways, they muft bear them up in their hands; children often stumble and fall, unless they be led and carried in hands and arms; and therefore God hath given his angels a charge over his children, to keep them, and carry them as in arms, left they dash their feet against the stones.

The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them, Pfal. xxxiv. 7. They that fometimes are compared to nurfes and mothers, are otherwife compared to foldiers that incamp themfelves about the faints: Thus when the young man had his eyes opened at Elifha's prayer, he faw, and behold the mountain was full of horfes, and chariots of fire round about Elifba, 2 Kings vi. 17. Many military fervices are they ever and anon pèrforming for the faints; they are watchful centinels, giving a timely alarm to prevent the enemy: Arife, and take ⚫ the babe and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou "there until I bring thee word, for Herod will feek the 'babe to destroy him,' Mat. 2. 13. They are faithful life guards, preferving the faints in the midst of dangers: There fhall no evil befal thee, neither fhall any plague 'come nigh thy dwelling; for he shall give his angels charge over thee,' Pfal. xci. 11. They are fafe convoys, bringing the faints thro' their wilderness to their heavenly Cannan: Jacob had experience hereof, And Jacob went ' on his way, and the angels of God met him, and when Jacob faw them, he faid, this is God's hoft, and he cal'led the name of that place Mahanaim,' Gen. iii, 1.3. i.e. two hofts or camps, the one before, and the other behind, or the one on one fide, and the other on the other fide; or they placed themselves in fuch fort, as to give Ja. cob affurance of safety every way.

SECT