-~ Book i £'D9inifttatt0tl Of, fml'l Chap.6.Sect.li, --~----------------------------------~----~ rob :;~ : -;;. 2 Cor. S 2o, Ephd. 4 12. ' inllwmolts on thtirpans, yet isitnot[ad that we O·ould make no ufeot thnr.? Minilkrs are an O rdinl nce of Chrill, t~ey are Me!fcngers, lnrerprctns, (even as the Ang...l'i) and tillrefore arc called Angc.ls, Rev. y. 20. ) tbc.ir rfficc is tu declare mtton{ovz l,it ri_(,hteq.ufncfl; to pr ty mm iu Cbri.:is jiead to be rccuuciled unto God; tugatber tliP,etbct tbcS.i,;tJ, tobe CltritiJ Para;~ymp/u, te deal about t~e gcttinf!. of a Wijefor tbe Lan:b, to CJtcr f r bcave;;, to bring in w jlome for tht Kingdomc of God. Minilltrs and Angels " re in the very fame in:ploymwt: Now were it not fad, that the Minilltrs of Chrilt !hould b·: negleehd or defrifed) What if you have M:nilltrs) Is their no ufe to be mode of Etch an O_rdinance ?the Apoltle tells you, you cannot have laving knowledge, rcgtncrati,m, or faith , without their ufe: ldonoc fpejk what God may ddrxtraordi– uJrily, but thi s is Gods O!rdinny way: Horf tilH tht.Y believe on him ofrrham #be;rhave nllt Rom • "··~ /;eardi aJtd luwc.m tbc;:!>cJr withcuta l'rMcher?lmay fay the fame of Angels in ~heir way, tor they arc rati onal and livinr, inftrumcnts, they : re Miniflers of God, and thev adminillcr to us faving truths : An Angel told thot tirlt news of the Gofpcl , HeLuke •· 10 • hold I bri11g y "' !(•nd tidinll of g.re 11 j'Y, whicb /hall be to all peeple. And !hall this Ordio•nce of 01rifl bt wirhmtt any confideration how we tnJY receive good from iti God forbid. 2. The Angels arc an Ordinance ever prefcnt; [omc other Ordinances may be takeh fiom us : Men may take horn :IS our Bibles, Teachers, Pa(\ors, or they may impri– lon us where we canooc rnjoy them, but they cannot take ·from us the holy Angds: All. ~.18, 19, Wbcn the Hi~b· Priejl, ami all that were wirh him, laid har.dr •n tbt Apc:JIIu, andput 20 • them in tbe camm•t•• prifm, thw the Angel •f the L..-d by 11if.ht opeHe..l theprifon doorJ, and brought thnn fiortb, ""d faii, Gojland and fpe.k_in the I tmple tothe people all the nmd10[ thiJ lijf. A.nd whe11 Peter wM iJ, pnfm 1 Jlecping hm~een two SouldierJ bound with two Ch•inJ, a1tdtbc lzccpcrJ befvre the danr lzcpt the Prifm, ~ehold the .Hngel rf the Lord came Alts n ,6, 7· upon bim, and • li,giJt (hined in tl•e prifm, and ht fnme Peter an the jiJe, and raifcd bim up, fayi.zg, Arife"/' q~<iciljy. No prtlon is fo dole, no Keepers are fo VJgtlant as to keep out Angels: though $ cwant and may want other ordinances, yet we have the Angels as an ordinance to walk up and dewn with us, wh<rdoever "care, or whirherfoever we Bifhop H•ll go. I cannot but remember that fpeech of a great Divine, which ot lirll reading ex– oftheinvifibtc cerdingl) lluck with me: Tht good Lord forgivemt, for that among{! my otberolfencer, ~vorld. I have fulfcred my jilf fo mud; ta forget, aJ hu Divim prrfeu<r, fo the prrftnce of bi1 holy A•geli: It i1 I conjifs my t,rtat fin that I have filled "P my cyu witb other obje/11, 011d h•vt bwt flack,. in ret<trning pr•ifeJ to my G•d for the continual af!iftance of tbofe b!iffidaud beneficent JPiritJ, ..,bicb have ever gracioufly attwded me witiMtt imermiffion, frcm the firft h,Hroj 11lycancc]lliOJt to rhiJ prt{tnt mnmtnt, neither jhall ever, I hope, abjent thcmfrlvtJ from my tmelage and protc[/ion, till tbcy_JhaO h•ve prcjiwd »ry p•or foul 18 hrr final glory. Va good man of an holy gractous lptrtt was foforgctful ot them, that he was fain to cry peccavi, I co~tfefs my grc.t ]i11, and the good Lordforgive ""' Methinks it !hould be a preyailing motive to work on us, [o to converle with them, and to pertorm our'rdpecbve duties to them, as bciog ever prelent, without inrqmilfion 'they wait on us, how is it that daies without number we !hould forget them, and their mini!lration) 3 • The Angels are an Ordinance improving other Ordinances of Jdits Chrifi : ln this refped: ther< is no fear ofcla!hing with other ordinances: lt is true that the Lord ne• ver calls any A!fembly to two divers imploymcnts at one and the fame time, un• Jc[s th(y be fubfcrvient the one to the other. Hence it is, we blame them, who com· ing into our Congregations w~eo G:>rnc p~blick Ordinances is in hand, they betake thcmfelves to their private devotions, and wtll not reverently rwtthollt more ado) corn· pofe themfclvcs to joyn with the a{Jembly in that OrdinJnce of God which is in hand: we would not bave Ordinances cla!h, only An~el - mini!tration in religious affairs will not hinder, buc further our religious fervicts; agd Angel miniOration in ci•il affairs will not hinder, but further our civil bufindfcs. r. In 'religious [ervices the Angels are allillant ·, it is fa id, that they fuggd! fuitablt, fioa[onable, and pious thoughts at [uch a time: Whm Cornclius ·was praying, hefaw an Angel fayiug Hnto him, thy prayA<l. 10 • 4, S· erJ and thy almJ arc come up for a memorial before God : And while Zacharias wa sexecut• LuicLB,9,••· ing the Pritjlf office befcre God, thcrt appeared tmto him •n Angtl of:he Lord 01i the right P(a. 9'· jiie of the .Altar of Incwfe, [.ying, thy pra)•er i1 heard. 2• In Ct_vil affairs the Angels are ail!llant ; 'fhey jha/1 ~etp tlm in all wy wayu, 111 rhy vocation, or puncular cai– IJing Now herein1s the excellency of [uch an Ordtnance, that it is an addttion and im– provement
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