#72 SERMONS upon Serm.o. laid to pledg, and it did mifcarry, the Party was to make it good : So, Heb. 13. 17. me watch for your Souls, as they that give an Account, that they may do it with joy, and not with Grief. It is an heavy Charge, and a great Truft; the Account of loft Souls will be craved at your hands. So alfo you that are called to a Family, you have a Charge 5 you are not only to provide for them corporally, but fpiritually, that when you die, you may commend them to God upon thefe Terms : Whi Jl I was with theta, I kept them in thy game. 3. Obferve ; God bath many ways of keeping, mediate and immediate : Immediate, by his own Spirit, this Chrift beggeth for them ; mediate, by Chrift's corporal prefence, I have kept them ; by the Guides of the Church ; by Angels, they are a part of our Guard. Heb. 1. 14. Are they not all minifiring Spirits, lint forth to minifier to them that are Heirs of Salvation ? They have a great deal of Employment about God's Children. Pfal. 9r. r i. He (hall give his Angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy Ways. Againft bodily Dangers the Angels watch over us, God againft fpiritual Dangers. So by Grace in the Heart : Prov.4.5, 6. Get Wifdom, and flee (hall keep thee. Thefe are the inward Means of Prefervation. 27fe r. Admire the Providence of God about such a Creature as Man is. It is coca ted a matter of great State, to have at our Heels a long Train of Followers; thefe mighty Peers of Heaven are our Attendants. How many Guards hath he set upon us! His Spirit, his Angels, glorious Angels, they behold God's Face, and watch over our Feet; his Minifters; the outward Supplies of Providence, and Grace in the Heart. If our Prote& ion were vifible, all the Princes in the World would come (bore of it a Guard full of State and Strength. Even little Ones have their Angels 'land by their Cradles. U/ee 2. Learn to wait upon God, tho you want an outward Guard and Vail of Safe- ty. Chrift's corporal Prefence was removed, and fupplied by_the Spirit; and if God can make us amends for Chrifl's Company, certainly for an outward Comfort and Blef- ftng. Do not limit God to one way of keeping; he hangeth the Earth upon nothing, how doth he keep the Earth ? A Feather will not flay in the Air. Man liveth not by Bread alone, but by every Word that proceedeth out of the Mouth of God. Mat. 4. 4. Not only by the outward Supply, but the Promise, and the Suftentation of Providence. God can bring Water out of the Rock, as well as out of the Fountain. When we have outward Supplies, we are many times worfl. Our well-being doth not lie in thefe things, but in God's care, which may be expreffed in leverai ways. Chrift may put that Queftion to us, that he did to the Apoflles, Luke 22. 35. And he faid unto them, When I font you without `Purse, and Scrip, and Shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they faid, 5Vothing. God fendeth abroad his Servantsmany times, to make experiments of the care of his Providence ; they are helplefs and fhiftlefs, but did ye lack any thing ? The Lord canwonderfully incline the Hearts of Men, and difpofe of the Creatures for the Supply of his People ; he cometh in by wonderful and unexpe &ed ways of Sup- ply. It were eafy to give Inflances, if my intended Brevity would permit. Merlin was hid in a Hay-mow, in the Maffacre of Paris, and an Hen came conflantly, and laid anEgg every day for a Fortnight. 4. Obferve; That ChrifIs keeping extendeth to corporal Safety. So it is quoted, john i 8. 8, g. If ye feek me, let theft go their way, that the Saying might be fulfilled, which be hake, Of thofe which thou gave me, have I loll none. God is in Covenant with both Body and Soul, and he looketh after both ; for the Body, as far as it is necefiary for bis Service, and for our Profit and Salvation, as well as for the Soul ; therefore it is but reafon we ( hould depend upon him for both. It is a pretty Quellion, Which is more'difficult, to believe in Chrift for Temporals or Spirituals? The Reafon of doubt- ing is, becaufe Promises for Temporals are not fo exprefs, and fo exahtly accomplished in the Letter, as they are in Spirituals. But certainly Heaven, and Pardon of Sins, are greater Mercies ; and if Confcience were opened, and the Heart ferious, we thould fee the difficulty to obtain them to be greater. There are greater and more plaufible Prejudices againft Pardon of Sins, than againft daily Bread. God feedeth all his Crea- tures, even the young Ravens; but hepardoneth but a few, and bleffeth them with all fpiritual Bleffings. But here is the Mistake : BodilyWants are more prefiing, and here
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