¡' 1 a 56 1 he Natasre, Office, and Lmployment Vol. L and wings. Evil Spirits are believed by Chriians to be as alive now, to all pur- ' pores of harm andmifchief, as ever : And why (hould any Man imagine, that Good Spirits are not as intent and bufie to do good ? The Apoftle (I am lure) tells us in the Text, that the Angels in common, (all of them) do employ their Service about us, and wait to do good Offices to us ; are they not all (fiys he) min/ring Spirits, Pent forth to mini/ler for them that 'hall be heirs of Sal- vation? And our Saviour, Matth. 18. so. feems to approve and confirm the Tradition of the Yews, concerning particular Guardian Angels belonging to every one that believed inhim ; that is, to every Chriftian ; Take heed (layshe) that ye defpife not one of there little ones; for I fey untoyou, that in Heaven, their Angels always behold the face of my Father which is in Heaven. And this feems like- wife to have been a received Opinion among the firft Chrians ; for we find, Ac's t 2. 15. that when Peter, was miraculoufly'releafed out of Prifon by an An- gel, and came to the Houle where the Chrians were affembled to pray for him, and one told them, that Peter was at the door, they laid it was his An- gel ; thinking that he himfelf was fait in Prifon : For which faying there could be no Reafon, had there not been a current Opinion among them of Guardian Angels. And becaufe the Providence of God is more peculiarly concerned, in conclud- ing Men to Eternal Happinefs ; it is very credible, that God fhould more efpe- cially ordain the Miniffry of Angels about good Men, for the furtherance of their Salvation. And fo the Apoflle tells us in the Text ; are they not all mi- niliring Spirits, fent forth to miner for them that jhall be heirs offalvation Nay, our Saviour, in that remarkable place I mentioned before, Matth. 18. to. feems to intimate, that, Angels of a higher Rank and .quality, are afligned Guardians and Guides to thofe that believed on him ; but Ifay untoyou, that in Heaven, their Angels do always behold theface ofmy Father, which isin Heaven : An Allufion to the manner of earthly Kings, upon whom not all the Ser- vants, but the chief of their Nobilitydo more immediately attend, and (land con- tinually in their Prefence ; for to behold the face of the King, and to ¡land in bis Pretence, are Phrafes ufed in Scripture to fignifie immediate Attendance upon his Perfon. So that by this manner of Exprefï'ion, our Saviour Both molt fignifi- cantly intimate, in what Efteem good Men are with God, whofe Care and Pro- te&ion he commits to the Chief of the Angels, to thofe who are nearefl to him, and in higheft Favour and Honour with him ; as ifhe had faid, their Angels, are not of the ordinary Rank, but fuch 'as are admitted to a more immediate Atten- dance upon the great King and Governour of the World. And no doubt it is for no mean End, that fuch high and glorious Spirits are employ'd about us ; it is chiefly for the furtherance of our Salvation; for the purchafing whereof, the Son of God himfelf (whom all the Angels of Heaven warjhip) came down fromHeaven, and appeared and fuffered in our Nature, that we may one day be made like to the Anggels, and dwell where they are, and may continually behold the face of our Father which is in Heaven, as they do. And in order to this End, it is very probable, that Good Angels are ready to do good Offices, juft contrary to thofe of Evil Spirits ; that is, to employ their belt Dili- gence and endeavour for the Salvation ofMen; and that they are very fedulous and officious to reflrain and pull them back from Sin, and to excite and folicite them to that which is Good ; and, in a Word, to do all they can to help forward the Repentance and Converfion of Sinners. And this may reafonably be colle&ed from that Paffage of our Saviour, Luke 55. so. where he tells us, That there is joy in the pretence of the Angels of God, over one Sinner that repent- eth. And if they be fo glad of the Repentance of a Sinner ; we may eafily imagine how forward they are, to further and promote fo good a Work. And when Sinners are brought to Repentance ; we have no Reafon to doubt, but that the Angels are as ready to aflilt their Progrefs in Goodnefs. It bath been a general, and, !think, not ill-grounded Opinion, both ofthe yews and Heathens., that Good Angels are more efpecially prefent with us, and obfervant of
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