154 1he Nature, Office, and Employment V Ul l'. peaing his Commands, and in a conftant readinefs tò dohis Will. For too' die Omnipotence. ofGod, and his perfe t Power of acing be fuch, that he can do all things immediately by himfelf, whatever he pleafeth in Heaven and in Earth ; can govern the World, and fieer the Affairs of it, and turn them which way he thinks belt; by the leafs nod and beck of his Will, without any Inftruments or Minihers of his Pleafure ; yet his Wifdom and Goodnefs has thought fit to ho- nour his Creatures, efpeciallythis higher and more perfe& Rank of Beings, with hisCommands, andto make them, according to their feveral Degrees and Capacities, the ordinary Minifters of his Affairs, in the Rule, and Government of this in- feriour World ; and this not for his own eafe (for to Infinite Power nothing can be difficult or troublefom) but for their happinefs ; and he therefore employs them in his Work and Service, that they may be capable of his Favour and Re- wards. And that the Angels of Cod are the great Minihers of his Providence here in the World, hathnot only been the confront Tradition of all Ages ; but is very frequently and plainly afferted in Scripture. In the Old Teflament we of- I ten read that God employed his Angels to be.the Meffengers ofhis Will and Plea- fure to Men ; and to carry good Tidings and comfortable News to them upon feveral Occafions : As to Abraham, to foretel the miraculous Birth of his Son Ifaac; and afterwards to refcuehim from being facrificed : To 7acob, when he was fo afraid of his Brother Efau : To _Manoah and his Wife, to foretel the Birth of Sampfon, the great Deliverer of Ifrael from the Phili/lines And upon that great Occafion of bringing the People of Ifrael out of Eygpt, and condu&ing them through the Wildernefs, he fent a great and mighty Angel (called the Angel of his Prefence) to go before them, and guide them in their way : And the Apoftle tells us, that the Law was delivered to them upon Mount Sinai by the Difpofition of Angels. On the other hand, God frequently made them the Meffengers of his Wrath, and Inftruments of his Vengeance. Thus he fent them to formel, and to execute that terrible Deftrufrion upon Sodom and Gomorah. And he fent a Deftroying Angel to brandifh hisSword in a vifible manner over 7erufalem, and to fmite them with the Peftilence, for David's Sin in Numbring the People. And by the Minihey of an Angel he flew in the Camp of the Affrians in one Night, au Hundred and eighty five thoufand. And Ads ra. 23. it is Paid, that the Angel of the Lord (mote Herod, for receiving the blafphemous Acclamations of the People. Nay, the Angels (hall be the Inftruments and Executioners of God's Venge- ance upon the Wicked at the Judgment of the great Day. So the Judge himfelf tells us, Matto. 53. 49, 50. So fhall it be at the End ofthe World; the Angels (hall come forth and fever the wicked from among the full, andThall call them in to the furnace of fire ; there (hall be wailing, àndgnafhing of teeth. And that particular Angels do prefide over Empires and Kingdoms, and foray the weighty affairsof them ; and by a fecret and invifible Hand manage and bring about great Changes and Revolutions, both Jews andChriflians have colIe&ed with great Probability and Confent from Daniel To. where there is mention made of the Prince of the Kingdom of Perfia witbflanding the Angel that was feat to Daniel, and of Michael a Chief Prince ailing him. And of this Miniltry of Angels, in the Government of Kingdoms, Clemens Alexandrinue fpeaks, as of a thing out of all Controverfie, I proceed to the Third Thing, which I principally intended, and feems to he chiefly defigned in theText; and this is the fpecial Office andEmployment of good Angels, in to goodMen ; and for this the Apoftle exprefly tells us, that they are fent forth to miner for them (that is, in their behalf, and for their benefit) who ¡hall be heirs of Salvation. In which Words there are Three things very confide Table for our Inftru&ion and Comfort. s. Their particular Defignation and Appointment for this Employment, expreh in thefe Words, fent forth, ámoç-E» c airor, as if they were particularly Commiffi- oned and Appointed by God for this very End. God himfelf loth fuperintend' all
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