152 The Nature, Office, and Employment Vol. I. were many eminent Saints under the Imperfeetion of the jewifh Inftitution. What Degrees then ofHolinefs and Virtue may be expe&ed from us, upon whom the Glorious Light of the Gofpel fhineth fo brightly ? I will conclude all, with the Words of the Apoftle, Heb. 2. I, 2, 3, 4. There- fore we ought togive the more earnefi heed to the things which we bave beard, left at any time wefhould let them flip. For ifthe Word fpoken by Angels was /led- fàft, and every Tranfgrefon and Difobedience received a lull Recompence of Re- ward: HowJball we efcape, ifwe negleEl fogreat Salvation, which át the fir/I began to he fpoken by the Lord, andwas confirmed unto us by them that heard him ; God alfo bearing them witnefs, both with Signs and Wonders, and with divers Mira- cles, and Gifts ofthe Holy Ghoft, according to his own Il/ill ? SERMON XXI. on theFea of St. Mi chael. The Nature, Office, and Employment of Good Angels. H E B. 1. 14. Are they not all minifiring Spirits fent forth to minifter for them who Jball be heirs of falvation. His is fpoken of Good Angels, whore Exigence, as well as that of Evil Spirits, the Scriptures both of the Old and New Teftament, do every where take for granted, no lets than they do the Being of God, and the Immortality of the Soul. And well they may, fine they are all founded upon the general Content of all Ages, derived down to us from the 'firft Spring and Original of Mankind; of which general Confent and Tra- dition, it is one of the hardeft things in the World to affign any good Reafon, if the Things theinfelves were not true. Therefore I (hall not go about to force my way into this Argument concerning the ExilIence of Spirits, and Beings ding from Matter, by dint of difpute, (which perhaps would neither be fo proper, nor fò profitable for this Affembly) but (hall take the thing as I find it received by a general Content of Mankind. And to the Books of Divine Revela- tion do; Nor was there Reafon to proceed in any other Method, than to fuppofe thefe things, and take them for granted, as generally affented to by Mankind, with- out either affèrting them for newDifcoveries, or attempting to prove what was fo univerfally believed. The Scriptures indeed have inore particularly declared the Nature of thefe Spirits, as alto their Order and Employment ; as in the Words which I have read to you, where the Office and Employment of Good Angels is more particularly difcovered ; Are they not all (lays the Text) mincing Spirits, fent forth to mini/ler for them who fliall be heirs offalvation ? The Author of this Epiftle to the Hebrews having had occafion of comparing the two Difpenfations of the Law and the Gofpel, to fpeak of the Angels, by whofe Miniftry the Law was given, did not think fit to entertain thofe to whom he wrote, with any nice and curious Speculations (for School Divinity was not then in fafhion) about the Nature and Order of Angels ; but tells us, what it concerns us more to know, namely, what their Office and Employment is in regard to us. Concerning their Nature, he only tells us, that they areSpirits; as to their Office and Employment, he fays in general, that they are Minßring Spirits, that is that they ftand before God to attend upon him, ready to receive his Com- mands, and to execute his Pleafure; more particularly, that they are upon occafi- on
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