from the company (who fat all together as close as they could, with children in their laps, to keep one another warm) purpofing to leave her child by him felf, that the might be freed from those heart-piercing fobs and wailings. And here behold the Lord who hath promised to be feen of his fervants in the time of need, appeared even literally in this mount; for as fhe ftooped down with a bleeding heart, and eyes full of tears, there to leave her little one upon the ground, the fpied, or rather felt upon the rock (it being then fomething dark, only the fnow caft fome little light) a fucking-bottle, which the opening, tafted of what was within it, and found it to be full of good milk, which the Irish call bonny clabbo; fhe put it to the child's mouth, with fear, left he never having fucked before out of any bottle besides the breast, would not draw it; but he readily fucked his belly full, and fell asleep. The mother hereat aftonished, returned unto the compa ny, and fhewed them what she had found; who much admired it, how or whence that bottle could come thither, confidering that the place was far from any habitation at all, and the veffel lay upon the top of the fnow lately fallen; but fome of them called to mind Hagar's ftory, and related it to the reft, how that when he was wandring ' in the wilderness of Beersheba, the water was spent in 'the bottle, and fhe caft her child under one of the shrubs, ' and went and fat her down a good way off, for the faid, Let me not fee the death of the child, and the lift up her 'voice and wept; and then God heard the voice of the 'lad, and the angel of the Lord called unto Hagar out of heaven, and God opened her eyes, and fhe faw a well of water, whereat fhe filled the bottle, and gave the lad drink,' Gen. xxi. 15-17. Thele things compared and laid together, afforded them matter of thankfulness to God, for his providence, and of more comfort than any feaft could have done: From whence they concluded (as if the angel had spoke to them as well as Hagar) that they should not fear, and that God who had fo wonderfully preferved the infant, would in like manner preferve them all: Which accordingly came to pafs; for the next day they came to Virginia, where they all found free, unexpected, and plentiful

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plentiful refreshing, even à table in the wilderness, and within two or three days after, they came fafe to Dublin their defired harbour. Dr. Teate.

3. For teaching or tutoring of infants.

A child being very young, much affected his antien and reverend father with his reading of the bible, and with his questions and anfwers; which drew from his fa ther thefe very words, That if the child but lived, he ve rily believed he would fuck in learning, as a child doth milk. This minds me of what was faid of Origen (in whom was certainly much of the angels tutoring) that his father brought him up from his childhood moft ftudiously in all good literature, but especially in the reading and exercife of holy fcripture, wherein he had fuch inward and myftical fpeculation, that many times he would move questions to his father of the meaning of this place or that place in fcripture; in fo much that his father divers times would uncover his breast being afleep, and kiss it, giving thanks to God, who had made him fo happy a father of such an happy child. This Origen being but yet a child, would needs have fuffered martyrdom with his father Leonides, had not his mother privily in the night season conveyed away his cloaths and his fhirt; whereupon more for fhame to be feen, than for fear to die, he was conftrained to remain at home; yet then he wrote a letter to his father with these very words, Gave tibi, ne quid propter nos aliud quam martyrii conftanter faciendi, propofitum cogites, Eufeb. 1.

6. c. 3.

In the primitive perfecutions, we read of one Romanus, who firft being fcourged with whips, with knaps of lead at the end, instead of tears, fighs, and groans, he fung pfalms all the time of his whipping, and after, his face being buffetted, his eye-lids torn with nails, his checks. cut with knives, and his teeth ftruck out, that his pronunciation, at least might be impaired whilft he preached Chrift, he only faid, I thank thee, O perfecutor, that thou haft opened to me many mouths, whereby I may preach my Lord and Saviour: Look how many wounds I have, fo many mouths I have to praife my God. But being reMed that Christ his God was but of yesterday, and that

the

the gods of the gentiles were of great antiquity, he made a long oration of the eternity of Chrift; which done, he faid, Give me, a child but of seven years old, which age is free from malice and other vices, wherewith riper age is commonly infected, and you fhall hear what he will fay: His request was granted, a pretty boy was called out of the multitude, and fet before him: Tell me (quoth the martyr) whether thou thinkeft it reafon that we worship one Chrift, and in Christ one Father, or elfe that we worfhip infinite gods? Unto whom the babe answered, that certainly whatsoever it be that men affirm to be God, he muft needs be one, which one is one and the fame; and in as much as this one is Chrift, of neceffity Chrift must be the true God; for that there be many gods, we children cannot believe. And after this was the babe mafa tyred. Fox martyrology.

SECT. IV.

Of the Duties that concern us in this Refpect.

OR the feveral duties that concern us in this refpect they are fuch as these.

FOR

1. Let us know our privileges which God in Chrift gives us from our birth: The angels were appointed our guardians in the womb, and they have guarded, preferved and tutored us in our infancy and childhood. Many a time were we in great danger of fire, and water, and fails, and fuffocations; many a time have we been in the extremity of fickneffes, and very near to death. Many a leffon have we had taught us, and many a motion and holy thought hath been fuggefted to us, and is not all this worth our notice, knowlege and understanding? Did we but fee little children of poor men waited on by a guard of rich, noble, ftrong and valiant men, would not all admire? But if we knew this to be our own condition, that when we were babes and fucklings, and could not difcern between our right hand and left, that we had then a guard full of Aate and ftrength, even of angels themselves, would not this fill us with the fenfe of the goodness of God? Certainly it concerns us to know thus much, that we may better know the goodnefs of our God in thus providing for s: The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that

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that fear him, faith David,' Pfal. xxxiv. 7, 8. O come, and tafte, and fee that the Lord is good. God would not have his favours unregarded: For if we know them not, never shall we attain to conceive of God himself, especially in his goodness love and mercy towards us. But of these

more particularly in another fection.

2. Paufe a while, and to every particular ministration in our infancy, fet we a Selah. This was the manner of David in his Pfalms; when fome efpecial thing worthy attention or obfervation was delivered, he added Selah, that by a little stop or pause of the breath, the matter, worth or excellency of the thing might be confidered. Methinks it is fad, that the angels fhould do fuch excellent offices for us, as mothers, nurfes, phyficians, tutors, and that either we should forget them, or not seriously confider and paufe upon them. In other things of leffer confequence, we can fpeak with delight, olim meminiffe juvabit; but are not thefe paffages of God's providence, whereof the angels are especial inftruments (as to keep us from evil, to preferve us in health, to teach us God's will in our infancy or childhood) of far more excellency, profit and delight? O then let us fet a ftar at the margin of fuch notes, and whilft we either read or fing them, yet let us ftop a while, that we may dwell upon them, and fee the want of them on all fides: Let us fay with Jacob when he faw the ladder on which angels afcended and defcended, Surely the Lord (or the angel of the Lord) was in this place (or in this paffage) and I knew it not, Gen. xxvii. 16.

3. Blefs we our God for his free love to us in our first and ignorant times: Whilft we were infants, we could neither deferve nor defire fuch a glorious guard, and yet even then had the angels a charge to keep us from evil, to keep us in health, and to be our tutors: O adore we this free grace! Say we as the fweet finger of Ifrael, O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who haft fet thy glory above the heavens: Out of the • mouths of babes and fucklings haft thou founded praile,' Pfal. vii. 1, 2. Very children themselves could fing Hofanto Chrift by the help of angels, which occafioned him

to

to cite this text, Out of the mouths of babes and fuck. 'lings haft thou perfected praife,' Mat. xii. 16. Most rightly it is faid, Out of the mouths, because they spake not from their understanding, but by his virtue, and ministration of the angels, their tender tongues were led to fpeak those words. How much more fhould we that are adult, and of capacity to understand our duty; I fay, how much more should we praise him by the help of angels? for the help and ministration of his angels? Come, and fing we an Hofanna to him; fet we the crown upon the head of free love, free grace. Let us join with angels to blefs God for his angels, and for their ministration in our infancy and tender years. Is there no cause in regard of the freeness of this love? It was bestowed on men unmerited, undefired, and placed on him in infancy, yea even in the dark womb,

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4. Live up to the mercies we received when we discerned little or nothing of them. If any friend do me a kindnels unknown to me, I fhall take it kindly and exceeding kindly, when I know it; and if before I was unable to requite, yet when I am able, I should think myfelf ftrongly engaged to retaliate. Surely thus it is with the people of God; our friends, the heavenly angels waited on us, in infancy and childhood, but we neither faw them, nor had them in our thoughts; notwithstanding they went on in the discharge of their office, and fometimes they were as nurfes, other whiles as tutors and fchool-masters to us, And now that we know this, now that the light of the knowlege of the glory of God, and of his angels fines in our hearts, oh, how should we live up to those mercies? How fhould we gratify the angels, who have been thus to us, and have done all this for us? The angel that appeared to Gideon under an oak, was for the prefent unknown, but when he had caufed fire to rife up out of the rock, and to confume the flesh, and the unleavened cakes, then Gideon perceived that he was an angel and faid, Alas! O Lord God, for because I have feen an angel of the Lord face to face: Upon this, God was pleafed to encourage him, faying, Peace be unto thee, fear not, thou shalt not die: And then Gideon built an altar there unto the Lord,