;;4 Mmh.u,t6. Book Ii . SECT• •~v. Of tht DHtiu th•t concern tiJ i11 this rcffic[l. :.per the Several Duties th2t concerns us. in this refpdt? they ar~fuch asrhefc ;- '. Ltt us know our Pnv1ledges whJCh God mChnfl g•ves us from our Birth : -,he Angels wrre appointed our Guardians in the Wo:nb, and they have guarded, pre– kl veda~1d tutored us in our lnfancy and Childhood: Many a rime were we ingreat dan– ger of hre, and water, and fals, and fulfocations : many a rime have we bten in the ex– tremity of licknefs, and very near ro death: many a Ldlon have we had taught us, and many a motion and holy thought hath been fuggcllt d to us, aud is not all this worthy our. not•ce, knowledl\e a~d underflanding) Did we bet lee little Childre n of poor men watted onby a Guard ol r tch, noble, (lrongand valiant mtll, would llCt all admire? But if we knew this to be our own condition, that when we were Babes and Sucklings, and could not dilcern between our right hand and left, that we had then a guard full of!late and flrength , even of Angels themfelves, would not this till e~s, with the fenfe of the goodnefs of God? Certainly it concerns us to know thus much, that we may better know the goodnefs of out God in thus providmg for us : 'the Angel of tbe Lm:l encampetb rotmd about thmt tbat fe"r him, faith David ; and then, 0 c.mrc, andtaf!, andfee that the Lord if f.ood. God would not have his Fnours unregarded; for if we know them nor, never !hall we attain to conceive of God himfdf, efpccially in his goodnefs, love•nd mercy towards us. But of thcfe more particularly in another Se6tion. . z. l'aufc a while, and to every particular minif\ration in our Infancy, fet we aSelab: "Ihis was the manner ot D:<vicl in hisPfalms; when fome elpecial thmg worthy attend– on or obfervation was delivered, he added Selah; that'by a little flop or pau{e of the breath, the matter, worth or excellency of the thing might be coofidered. Mcthinks it is fad , that the Angels !hould do fuch excellent Officesfor us, as Mothm, Nurfes, Phyli– lians, Tutors, and that eitiler we !hould forget them, or not fcriou!ly confider and paufe upon them ; In other things of ldfer coufi.quence, we can Ipeak with delight, olim me– miniffi juvabit; but are not thefe palfages of Gods Providence, whereof the Angels arc efpecial Jnllrurnents ns to keep us from evil, to prcferve us in health, to teach us God~ will in our Infancy or Childhood)of far more excellency, profit and delight? 0 then let us fet a Star at the Margin of luch Nares, and whil!l weeither read or lir.g them, let us flop a while, that we may dwell upon them, and fee the want of them on all tides: Let us fay with Jacob, when he faw the Ladder on which Angels afcended and dcfcend– <d, Surely the Lord (or the Angel of rhe Lord) wa; i>zthifpl.a (or in this pa!fage) and I It new it not. , 3• Bleff we God for rhis free Love to us in our fid\and ignorant times : whilfi we were Infants, we could neither tlcfervc nor delire fuch a Glorius Guard, and yet even then had the Angels a charge to keep us from evil, to keep t.IS in health,1nd tobe our Tu· tors: 0 adore we this free Grace! Say we as the [weet Singer of Ifrael, 0 Lord, our Lord, how excillent if thy Namein •11 the Earth ' who haflfet thy GIJrJ above the Htavens: 0Ht of the MoNths of B•beJ and St{ckjings haft thor< fotmdtd Pr~>ife. Very Children lhem– felves could lingHofanna to Chrifi, by the help of Angels, which occali_oned him t? cite this Text,U,.tof the moutbsrf B•besand St~c~lings h.jf thsuperfiUed Pr•ife: Moll rtght• ly is it faid, 0Ht of the mo11ths, becaufe they fpake not from their underlhnding; but by his vertuc, and miniflration of the Angels, rheir tender rongucs were led to fpeak thofe words: How much more !hould we, that are adult, and ol capacit yto underfiand our dutr, I fay,how much more !hould we praife him by the hdp ot Angels for the help and n1inillration of his Angels? Come, and ling we anHo{a11na to him; (et we the Crown upon rhc head of free Love, free Grace: Let us joyn with Angel' to blefs God for hrs Angels, and for their Minillration in our Infancy and reuder ycJrs . Is_ there not ~aufc in regard of the freenefs of this Love? It was beflowcd on man unmented, undehred, and placed on him in the Infancy, ye>, even in the dark womb.. . . 4 • Live we up to the Mercies we r:cetved when wcdtfcerned h~tle or nothmg of them. If any friend do me a ltindnels unknown to me, I !hall takc H kindly and ex· cceding kindly, when I know it; and if before, I was unable to r~quite, ye~ when I am able; I fhould think my fell flron~ly ingaged to retaliate : Surely thus tt ts wtrlt the ~eo· pit ot Gcd; our Friends, tl'e heavenly Angels waited on us, in our Infancy and.ChJ!dIJOod,
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