<!omimmton l1lttb ~ugcts Book IJ. 131 nur , vi I action, hindred by the heavenly Allgels~l~fe werem>t oui prot«2ion equal to our chnger: A good Angd oppofed llalaam in an evil way; and if an heavenly fpirit obflrud the courfe of the evil; and fland in the way of a Sorcerers fin, how mnch more ready art thole fpiritua1powers ro ftop the fpiritnal mifcarri,ges of Godsdearcli c~:il"Jr~n ;> • -1· Th<: An11els guickcn onr dulnefs, encmtrage •cur weakncfs, and comfort us m our forrows : All thcfe we may .read together in one Chapter Iw.,ina dtadf/eep Daft·to.ro,u, (faith Daniel) 011 my free, and my j -'" torrardsthe grnund, and behold an hand wuched.me, 12 , which j'rt nu upuu my k_nees, dnd U)Mthepalms of my hands; ami he{aid tmto me, 0 ?•· nit! , a nun zreatly behvcd , zmderjlancl the rverdstbat I JPeak_zmto thee, a~tdftantiup.rzght, f'lT nnto thee am I 110rv fent; and when he had [pokpt this rvord !<IIlO me, I jlocdtrtmbltng, then [aid be uutome,fe~tr not D.unel.--And ttJc~e camclfgain and touched me, one likJ the v.;s. app!tr:mc;e of "nuu, a~d bejlrwg•hencdmc, and fazd, 0 m:tJt grr:zt01 beloved~ fear not} peace v .. 19 • be ti1w 1 thee, be jlrmf,,J•Ca be {lrong; andJrhfn tJeIJadfPob,en zt;ll • me, I Jvarjirengthened, and jji1 Let my Lord[p.-k•for tbou l>djiJlren,gthentd me In like manner we tind an An- "-el q Jick 1 ing, encouraging, and firengtheuinf, }"lij•b to his work, 2 King '· 3• 1 5· and i[ai>IJ to his work, Ij"ai. o.6,7· and Paul to hrs work, A{lf 27.23,24- But clpecially in rhe fuffcring< of his Saints , how "fual wa; it with God to feud down his Angels tor their camforte~~) ~hen Chrift was in his a~ony'·thereappe;red an Angei to bim from Lllk• 20 , 43 • heaven, j/rengthcnmg /nm: When I rter was m pnfon, Behold the Angel of the Lori c1me up lt1 bim, dnd a li_gb.t ftJined i;t tbe prifon: when Pout was in his dangerous vopg<, Time jlood Ly him tb.r nigh the Angel of G,d, wb<>Je he was'· and wh 0 m he Alt. 12 . 7 , jir~ed, f;J•iu;, Fc;r n"t Paul, A{fs 2·r· 23. In the !ucccedm!l times ot the Church, l;ow f"qatntly <lid the Angels appear to blcffed Martyrs for their comfort and en– .couragcn>Lnt) Thus Tbeodorl<s law and fdt the refreihiug hand ol an Angel: Thus 'J'hropbil .h , A)!.llff, Lucia_, Cuilia, and others, law thegood Angels as their Corn. forters, and Prot,dors ot tl:e" Chatlity. And alth?ug6 they do not appear 10 as now 1n bodily !hapes,as m thole t1mes, yet the fame Offices are performed by them in their fpirituJI and mylltrious woy<; now they quicken our dulnefs, encourage out weaknd5, and comfort us 111 heavlllt[-;. SECT. IV. W.etber tbe Ange!J cmtributeany tbiJig t1 our Converfim· BEfore I pals !his,! would propound a(Jueftion or two: As · 1• whether the 1\n!lels contribute auy thmg to our Convedion l We have heard at Iargc,that devils do what they can ro hi11dcr our our l onverfion : And are the Angels lefs adtve ro good tben they are to evil, I Clnnot think it ? We may beCure that as the b~d A"6els do bad offices , fo the 'good Augels are 10 their way prompt ;nd ready to do all the good offices they c.n ,as to our good; and my reafon is, their will is.coltformed to thew ill of G?d, Jhey _dohis Comm,ndmentf, tbej beark,J11 tothe vryceof his Wordt: Pf.tl.ropo; Whatfocv(f God wtlls they w1ll: Now God wtlls theconverfion ot finn·ers; At I live, Rxck.33-11· I de (Ire not the death ofa !inner, but rather tbat he{hould rtpent a11d live ; and therefore they will it, and a<they will it, Co they reduco that will into ti:veral act; or dCe it were in vain. But what thole ads are, may be another queftion. SECT. v. Wbertin d. tbe Angelscontribute, at to our Convcrjiolt ? THe feveral ads of Angds, as to our Convcrfion, are Cuch as there.- 1• . They inform our judgements.: We have heard before, hGw they invilibly teach us, mllrut} us, ,Jitghten us, and herem do they conttibute to our Convcrfion : for what is the .firft work of Con~erfion,,l>~t !lluminatit:lni As in the iirll Creation. the ~cn. r.3. lirft bGrn ?f Gods ~links wa·s hghr, Gedfazd lettbtre~belight, andtherewas light; ro·in Cor-4· 1 · new CreatiOn tb~ hr!l work IS• ltght; G,d who ""!manded tbe light to jhine out of dark_nefs ~ bath fhzntd znto our _h~artJ , to gwe the ·ltght of tbe knowledge of the glorJ ·"· •f God m tbeface of Jef"ut Cbrij/. Hence the ftate ot nature is called darkneCs, and the . fiate of grace IS called lrght ;·Ye werefometime} dark_nefs; but now are ye light in the Lord: Ephef,s.S• s ., And
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