Book II illBiniftcatlon ot, at'li fo they have core of it for its nourifhment and preferv3tion :Art thou_aSaint, and in want ? furtly it conCfrns thee ro fhake Gff idlen• f< . to take rh~ oppertnriity, and ro obkn·e Gods providence in all alfoirs and amidfi thofe fcveral providences of his crdning, forget not the minitlration of the Angels ; For my part, if together wirh the: Word-, my own exp:!riences mJy be any iqc~mngc::ntent: I dp verily chink, tint rathn ihcn thou Omulddl die fnr rhirfi, an Angd will open thy eyes to tee a foLt:1tain, out of which thou maytl till thy bot tle with water, and take and drink. 4 . ln learnin!! the whole eo:mid, wdl, and mind of G0d, let us turn over thofe leaves which fpeak of Ani'\els; rhcfe are the inv;lible attcnJcrs of the b!df:d D:ity, and witho"lt t'vmc knowieJg and apprd:ention uf them, we fhall never attain to CO!l· cciveof thei r God, and ours, as we c.n :ht to do : But in rhi1 kn0wledg let us mind clpccially ti1: ir minifil'ltion to our inward man; herein are nw>y d.prhs, yet arc they fweer, dcbghtfttl, and mol\ profitable truths : They come to o" r phanra(ines ( the lpecies o! k1unds, of ChJpes, <' r wnatfoevrr elle, as they are kept and prcfcrved by thi' inward r; nfcs ) •nd they move them at pleafure, anJ pur together fuch conccpuon~ er' apprthcnlions as arc molr accm11moJare and tirreJ tor the kuowkdge of that truth, which they would f•ggdl to our minds : b not this wurthy our knowlcd~;e 1 fhall the Angels take paincs to fpeak to us, and to acqJaint '" wrrh the knowledge ot fav– ing truths, aud rhall not we willingly hearken eo them? 0 let us !if!en to what they .Lay, a>,d that they nu y have matter to worK upon, and to fpeak to us about; let us be ever ready and prompt to. receive good •mag" an.! i;>p·"ti.m; of things into our fa ncy : le is !lid, that the Angels cannot put iuto our fancies what never was .there bdore, as rhcy cannot m<ke a man b8rn blind to dtCJffi ot colours, aud their ditlcrenccs, but the.y can make many compotirions and dcduCl;ions ot the iiauges they find there, to the fa~ ing nt what ·they will; and therefore let us hear all the good ,·we can, and t>ke heed of receiving ill imprd!ions by our ears, ur eyes, or any orher way: If any one tell us an illllory once, the devil will tell it us a.rho"fand times; it is a great happinef< to this p..rpofe nor to know ill: A•ld on rh~ other tide, if we fee <>r heu good ubjtels, and that our memories (which arc as rreJ{iae, of•ll we fee or hear) be tluff'd and filled wirh m1ny fuch goud thing<, then may we comfortably hope, that the Angels will make ufe of all tho[e imag~s to convtrfe with us, and tell us over and over whar is tlw will and mind of God. 5· In the many motions, infprrations, and holy lug!!,dlion, to tbis or that good, Jet us fiop a while, and t<rioully confidtr wht~'ce thtfc con,e , .ceu ainly tf they are of good, and tend to goo_d thtyco~e either from theSp~rit ot God, or ti·om his holy and bleffed Angels. I contcf< the dli:ae~ous power on the heart, belongs only tO the Spirit of God; it i< the Huly Ghofi that ovtr-rule<, and melts, and new-molds us, that f9 perfwades as to cha.rm, and turn, and captiv.re our fouls; yet the Angels are Or· .Jinanccs, means and helps of GoJds own appointment; thev are miAifhing fpirits, fent trom God tocounkl and per!'wade us to this and that luty: And whether the good mo•ious infii!lcd proceed trom the huly Spirir, or from thcfe rninifiring fpirits, it is g"'od torus to liHco, and hearken tothdemovings, workio~;< , hints, intim•tions. Methinks we 01uuld htarken to the adv& of a fnend, ho'V, much mort to God and his Angels 1 Oh how fad is it for any foul by tin to counret·Work rhe acting• oi An. !!,els, and breathrngs oi the Spirit ! that the Angels (hou!d kno:k at our he·•m, and that the Spirit fhould put in the hand by the hole uf the door, and yet that neither {honld be yielded amto, but both refified; this mull needs grieve the Holy Gholl, and grieve the holy Angds cbat would perfwade us, aod fealus up untu the day ofKo· demption. 6. In the occafions ofevil, or temptations to this ort nat fin, oblerve we the flops and Jets which often are made by the holy and blcffcd Angds: We littk thiwk how bufie the Angels •re for our gond; the Deval, we kuo~, isl•~e arouin~: Lyon, ~nd the day pafferh not over our neads, wherern he olfcrs not thrs or th~t ten.ptatron to wfnare our fouls : And are not the good Angels at counter-work 1 Do not they as often pull us back 1 Or do not thLy at !tall very often hedge .and block up our wayes, by with· fiandi<1g th< occa!ions ofmany a iin.l 0 then fay as Jacab did, Surely the Angel! of tbe Lord were in the f"<V•ntin.~ of thit tem_ptation, And I ~new it not. .It. were enough.to 11rikc us into a dread, and to break torrh Into pratfes ol God, 1f 111 the overcomtng ofany t<mpration , we had fome thoughts of theproted:i~n and minillration ofAugel : Stmlt (hould we (jy, tbt Lord and his Angels have helped and relieved Hr, orS.•1a11 bad pre• 'llailcd, and we bad bew q~<itefuiled. 7• lu
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=