God more. 0 then among other el!periences of Gods dea.lin~•, make ufe of this, for _llrengthening of your Faith! '1h1u art mylnpe 0 L1rdG,d ; tbou art my trufl from my Pfa!p.56• .Yotttb, by thee have I bw~holdeH up {tom the w•mb. As Satan makes alfault after a!fault againll t'aith, In thould we raife Bulwark after Bulwark, for defence thereof ; Atter we have looked upon other men1 Experiences, we lh0tild recount our own Experiences ofGod care towards us, and make ufe of all Godsdealin11s for our llrengthening. Thut Pfa 22 • 10 Lord tboll didjl for me in myY"'th a•d Chiltlh•od mzd Infancy. 'lhou didjt mzke me bope ' 9 ' • wbw I ,.at "fon my Mothtrl Bre.jt, I wat c.ft upon th<efNm the womb, thoze a>' I my God from my Motlmt Bel'y; yea in the "'omb, bcfwe I WMt hJr•, thou did{ICJver me, and guard me by the AngeiJ, and tbcrefore haw fhoNid 1but believe ? Hon> am I forced to acb.,nowledge tb>t the Lord ne1>cr le.zuct me, cvw whw I leJjl perceive hit preji11cc? Here's mighty encoungetnen~ for raith. +· Let them love God and his Angel1, fo, this early minillration of the Angels. Ancient love is a Load!\one ot Love; were it b!lt a little Love, yet long Love might beget Love again. why, God hath loved us from everla!\ing, and the Angels have_ loved us from our tirtt beginninG, and therefore how thould we but love rhem again? Davidt contideration of Gods mercy towards us in the wcmb, took up his hellt and uvifhed his lpirit; yea he wJS fo exceedingly taken with it,. that he could not olf it. 'fhiJre e;•edidfe• "'Y fub]I•11U, Y" bcin_gultperftCI,and i-n tby Book._aY my membm were writ- Pfa. 139 ,, 6 ,. te 11 , which ih continua'1ce were frJjhio,tJed, whtJt as)'!! tbere w.zJ 11oneoftbem; bowprecio;u J7, 1 g. art·thy tbaughu unto me, 0God, Haw great it the j nm of tlmn ' !f I fhould c 11/lt them , they are mare in number tht•t thef..ul : wl:m I ar"'ks I am fliO witb thee. Oh that _our {oub were awaked, and oh tlut our fplrltual fenfcs were renewed th1t upon a ferwus · confideration of Gods Love, and of the Angels Love to us in the womb, we might love again and in aholy pang cry out, Hon> precioHI are tby tbouglm unto me, 0 God? and botJ> pr<tioul ,:re your tboughu mzto me, 0 )'e Angelt oj God l CHAP, II. SECT:!. Ofthe Miv~{iration of Angels in o1tr Infanry and Childhood. THE Second Paiou; wherein the Angelsm;nit1~r to HtavensHdrs, it is from, their Birth to their youth, or riper years; this takes up the time of Infan– cy and' Childhood. And in profecution of this, firll, fet we the object b<· fore us ar this time, and Secondly, learn and practife we thofe feveral Outies that willnatunlly flow from fuch an object. 1 • For the Object, viz. The Mmillration of Angels in our Jnfancy and Childhood. The Scriptures arc exprds: 'l'•¥ lmd that y• defpife ,. ,, one ofthefe little ones, for 1fay , unto Y"' thRt in hea>tn their A11gelt do a/,..aiet beb•ld the face qf my Fatber which itin Matrh.,S.ro, Heave11. By liztle ones, I do not exclude the adult, whorefemble little Children in in fome imitable .qualities; nor would I exclude little Children, whom our Saviour propounds a.s a pattan for the imitations of rhe adult, v. 2, 3, 4 , 5, 6. But I would rather take all in, and fay, that by little OJift is meant either thofe who are little in feature, as the Child let in midll ofthem, or little in Grace, Parts, Efteem, asfotne of the Oifciples were, er little in their own eyes, as all the EltCl: are or mull De:: All thefe have their Angels, and therefore none at thefc mutt be defpifd, When ·chrill was but aBabe, 'lhe Angel ofthe Lord appeared to}ofephi11 a dream, Jaying, arife, and M . ta~ the J•ung Child imd hit Mother, and flee imo JEgypt, and .bt there, until I bring ar. 2 ' '3· thee ,.or.!. And w~en Herod was dead, the Angel appeared agaiJtto Jo[eph in JEgypt ' v.r9, 2~, faying, ariji, and ta/ls the Y'''"gChild with I>it M"her, aHd goi11to the +-andof J'frad. Thus was Chrill provided for in his Cradle by an Angel. when H4gar bad not wherewithal to feed h~r Child, ]he <>ft the~hild ur.der afh~<rb, and foe wem_a,.tl. fate Gcn.n t6,r 7 ; btr d<nf'n ever agAmjl htm agood way off faytxg, let me not fee the dtath oft he ciJtld; a_nd 18 '9· fh' f•te ever a~ain{l him, and lift npher voice and wept, a.1d God he;rd the wic~ oftbe ' Lad, a;zd whm the A11gcl of tbt Lord called toHagar out afheaven, and fa id unto her, • What ailetiJtlm Hagar l }ear not, j or Godhatbhtard the voi"nf the Lad where be it, Arife lift HP the Lad, andboldhimin thine ba11d, f or I w~ll ma~'bim-a great .Nation ;and · Gad opened hereyu, jhefa<t< aWell of P>aW, and fhe went and filled/m b"ttel with water, , .,d f.a''ethe Lad drink, Here was an An5el c•lling, comforting, aud direCl:inr; H.zgar in' . het
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=