Ambrose - Houston-Packer Collection BX5200 .A49 1674

--C-ha-p-.6-.S-e-a:-.6-. --<[=-1 O~n-n-n-uu_i_on_'\l_J\-,tl)_:lt_n_g-el-!3.--B-o-ok-1~ uid; one .,.,bile they /il!.ht for m, as they tlitl for Jofuua, another while tluy pt<rvty for • -us, as they did f"'· Eliph ; 011t while the1 fit us to our hvly vocation, as thty did Jfaiah , another while they difPofe of tbe opportunities of our calling for good, as tbry Jidof Philips to the Eumteh ; one while theyform/ our danger , as to Joffph and Mary, another while they comfort HJ in o:<r aj]liCI:ions, as tfHy did Chri~ and the Apojflu ; vlte.,.,f>ile thry refijl ortr ojfetifive c,~rfes, M thry did Mofe.s, anotlm while tbey f/tcottrag.em i!iour devo– tions, as they dtd Paul; one rvhtie tkey delwcr lllfromduraMCe, as tbtydtdl?eter,anotber while they preferve us frnm death, ar ~;e i hw Cbildrw; "!e while th~y rejlraineurprefump– tion,"' the Cher11b before the f,•tc oj Paradife, anotherwb.le they txclle ow courage, at to Jo– !lma, Gideon, and the other J ttdges ; one while tht)' W"' our badiet, as at the pool ofBethef. da, another robi/e tbcy cm:y up ote>'fi"'ls'to bea•·en, ar they did to Lazarus, It were end/eft 10 i;iflance, in aU the grJcio1tt nf}ico wf,ic/J tbe AuRelsperf'Tnl• And is not here great incou– ragcn:<nt to all the Slints! t!le ch;Jdrcn ~f Princes .arc not withli>Ut their guard, n~ more are Gods cl11ldrcn; as tncy have an .le&vcnly Father, fo thcyhaveagheavenly gnord to wait upon them, and to miniller unto t~m. 0 mighty incouragement. ··• SE.CT. VI. V[e of admir.zti;;it• HOw may this Angcl-aJminil\ration caufr the Saints to admire at the kindnefsof the Lord wwards'them ? You Dnlings of the Almighty, if others regard not, yon have canfc to wonder _ar this rh;t the Angd,, thofe created Clt_izensof glory, ihould Jeceive you tn your lh<llgnrs, mHU\ ;aftc.ryo-.ttn yotu wJys, counkl you m your doubts. deft nd you ·in your dangers; .iu a ward, that God 1hould chuge all his E.led: Angels to (] 1 ew love and rcfp,d unto you, yea, to fcrve a1>d to minifrer unto you ; Stand amazed at this 0 ye Saints! The Au!\cls are themol\ glorious creatmcs in the world, they are the g,liUering Courri~rs of hc:ven, the 6eautitul comp1ni?ns of JJus Chrifi, J obcalls them morfliug .flars, ln that fn.m~ newly crelted theygave glory to the Cre:ltor, even as the birds in fprio:; b::;;u th<ir u~r" , ,,Ji ti11g at break of day: and he calls them Smr nf God, in that he cloth ufe them aschilclrcn, rhoy are very near to him, they do always attend him, and continually ice his tJce. they have the priviledge of fans; 'ibe Job > 8 ·7. llf;rni>tc flars jing t1gctber, and tbe Som of Godj!J.,,.tforj :y. Now that f4ch creatures 1houhl .~vait ontinful wretches, dull. .n1J allies, worm) and not meu,it is enough to cafr :any man in th(: worlJ in.t.o an am:rv.mcnt or afianifhmcuc. A wonder it is, that any creature, though inferior, ihould be lerv iceable to man, that by fin hath lofi his dominion over the creatures; Awonder invas, that the Ravens ihould minifier untoElij•h, but that all the Hoa!l of Heaven 01onld be abafcd (if we may [peak after the manner of men) to Jo low a work, that Angels !l10uld pertorm offices at rcfped: to the mcanell creatures; thJt an Angel cloarhed widi light and glory lhould cOI)lC toZ.1cbary, toMary, and to the Shcpheards > wh.r,"JI.n~;tl; ut Gcd tO 'Vl.it upon thole who a.rc the moll d~fpifed and ,Pfa.s,3,4'P• r<ied:edof men l Stand and "-ondcr at thts! Wlmtl confider t/;e /,eav£'>11 ([a11b Davtd) the ,.r~<_ of thy ji"f,trs, tl>e Maon and the Stars n·hicb tfJOit ball ordained, what i< null that tbo~t .rt mindful of him, andi/;e fm ,of' ma11, that tiJOI~ 1•ifitr(l };im > fo•r t/1011 f>afl made bim Heb 2 , 6, 7,9, a little lower tbait the dHge/I. To1s mdeed JSapp1ycd to C.llill, f-Ieb. 2.6,;;,9,1'. Wb• u. w.fl made a litde lower tiJJn the Angelr, by the fiejfcri,,g of dcar!J, but1tOP) iscmvned witb gl.ry and bo1tour: Yer (faith the Apollle) fie tlm f.mc1ifietb, •nd tl;~y rvbo are[anUijied., are all oHe,fr winchc.m[e be ir n;t aflmroed to call t!Jem bretbrw. Chrill and we Jre of the fame nature, which tllf>c>!',h in {ome rcfpo<'l: it be lower, yet it is but a littk'lower r\oan the Ang•ls, nay, i" fome rdpce\sare we higher than the Angels, for the Angels v•atton the Saints, and the An!\els arc not fo married to Jcfus Chrilt in a myl\ical union, as the Saints and peopleof God rdlared to his!magc are. Admire at thisall ye Saints! verily there i> fomewhat in holinefs more then tllC world feeth or knoweth, there is fome worth, or excellency, er conCmguinity in the Saints toChrif.\, or Icannotthinkthat Ch.rifi wo11ld fer fuch a guard upon them as his own Courtiers. The Angels are indeed ne<r in alliance to Chrifi, but 19 rh.eSaints are ncerer : The Angels are.Gcd; Progeny, ,ihe Sons of Gocl, and fo ChriH is their Brother, but man is allied nearer to C11iil than fn, in that ma11 is of Gods Lineage, ond Cbril\ is of mans Lineage; And hence it is, th:lt the An~els thllft now ftoop, ant! bow, and wait, ar.d ferve~ and miuitkt to the ~a~·.ts. Ate they not nea·rcr a'fid than all .the Angels i nnro which of the Angels · fai<l'

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