is in heaven :' Hob. i. 14, * Are tliey not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?' The world may deprive us of many outward comforts, but they can never deprive us of the ministry of the angels. i When the servants of God are hated by all men, persecuted by men, and forsaken of men, yet they are tlien visited and attended by angels. Princes have their guards ; but what poor, what weak, what contemptible guards are theirs to those legions of angels that daily guard the saints ! When men can clip the wings of angels, and imprison or pinion these heavenly soldiers, then, and not till then, shall they be able to have their wills upon the poor people of God ! Oh the honour, the dignity, the safety and security of the saints, in a life-guard so full of state and strength ! W^ell may we say, ' Come and taste and see how gracious the Lord is' in affording his children so glorious an attendance ! Now by this argument as well as the rest, it is evident that the people of God stand upon the advantage-ground of their outward preservation and protection above all other people in the world.
[7.] Seventhly, If you consider that they are the only people that do hear up the name and glory of God in the icorld, Deut. iv. 6-9 ; John iv. 23, 24. They are the only people that worship God in spirit and in truth ; and from such worshippers it is that God hath the incomes of his glory. The holy hearts, the holy lives, the holy examples, the holy ways, the holy walkings, and the holy worship that is performed by the saints, are the springs from whence all divine honour rises to the Lord in this world. The people of God are the only people in the world that have chosen him for their God, and that have given themselves up to his service, and thus they honour his goodness, Deut. xxvi. 17, 18 ; Ps. cxvi. IG ; Ps. xxii. 30. The people of God are the only people in the world who, in the times of their fears, doubts, dark- nesses, distresses, straits, trials, dangers, &c., do consult with God as their great counsellor, as their only counsellor; and thus they honour his admirable wisdom and infinite knowledge. Gen. xxiv. 12 ; Ps. xlviii. 14. The people of God are the only people in the world that 4.0 make God their refuge, their strong tower, their shelter, their hid- ing-place, in stormy and tempestuous days ; and thus they honour the power, all-sufficiency, sovereignty, and authority of God, Ps. xlvi. 1, 7, 11 ; Prov, xviii. 10 ; Ps. xxxii. 7, cxix. 114, and xx. 7. Wicked men trust in their chariots and horses, and armies and navies, and revenues and carnal policies, and sinful shifts, devices, and fetches ; when the poor people of God do not dare to trust in their swords nor in their bows, nor in their wealth, nor in their wit, nor in their friends, nor in any arm of flesh, as carnal refuges, but in the Lord alone : Isa. xxvi. 3, 4, ' For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.' The people of God are the only people in the world that do give God the supremacy in their hearts, that do set up God and Christ above them- selves and above all their duties, services, privileges, graces, comforts, communions, spiritual enjoyments, and worldly contentments ; and
^ The heathens had some blind notions concerninj^ the ansjels and their ministry, as may be seen in the writiiiya of Plato and Plutarch. Hesiod the Greek poet could say that there were thirty tliousand of them here on earth, keepers of mortal men, and observers of their works.
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tlius they honour all the excellencies and perfections of God at once, Ps. Ixxiii. 25, 26 ; Phil. iii. 6-9 ; Kev.iv. 10, 11. And do you think that God will not have a special care of such that are the only pro- moters of his honour and glory in this world ? Doubtless he will. Now by this argument, it is fmlher evident that the people of God do stand upon the advantage-ground, as to their outward preservation and protection, above all other people in the world.
[8.] Eighthly, If you do hut seriously consider tvJiat a mighty interest the people of God have in the grand favourite of heaven — viz. , the Lord Jesus, who lies in the bosom of the Father, and who is so near and dear unto him, and so potent and prevalent with him^ that he can do what he pleaseth with the Father, and have what he will of the Father, John i. 18 ; Heb. vii. 25 ; 1 John ii. 1, 2. Now look, what interest the wife hath in the husband, the child in the father, the members in the head, the subject in his prince, the servant in his lord, the branches in the root, the building in the foundation, that the believer hath in Christ, and much more. Christ is not like the bramble, that receives good but yields none ; but he is lil^e the fig-tree, the vine, the olive. All that are interested in him, that pertain to him, are the better for him ; they ' all receive of his fulness grace for grace,' John i. 16; Col. i. 19. Now, doubtless, all that interest that Jesus Christ hath in God the Father, he will improve to the utmost for their good that have an interest in him. Now, by this argument, it is also evident that the people of God do stand Upon the advantage-ground, above all others in the world, as to their outward preservation and pro- tection.
[9.] Ninthly, If you consider God's tender and fatherly care of his people, and his singular indtdgence towards them, of ivhich you may read much in the Messed Scripture. Among the many choice scrip- tures which might be produced, take these as a taste : Ps. ciii. 13, 14, * Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame ; he remembereth that we are dust.' There is an ocean of love and pity in the Father's heart to- wards his children ; but it is but a drop to that which is in God. He hit the mark [Bernard] that said, Tarn pius nemo, tam pater 7iemo, No father is like our Father. God is pater miserationum, He is all bowels. Let God carry it how he pleaseth towards us, yet we must still acknowledge that he is a propitious Father, and say with him, [Augustine,] ' Lord, thou art a Father both when thou strokest and when thou strikest ; thou strikest that we may not jjerish, and thou strokest that we may not faint.' Pity is as essential to God as light is to the sun, or as heat is to the fire. Hence he is called the Father by an eminency, as if there were no father to him, none like him, nor none besides him, as indeed there is not originally and properly, James i. 27. So Exod. xix. 4, ' Ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bare you on eagles' wings, and brought you unto myself It is an elegant expression to set forth God's admirable care over his people. The eagle fears no bird from above to hurt her young, only the arrow from beneath ; therefore she carries them up upon her wings: Dent, xxxii. 9-11, ' The Lord's portion is his people ; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance. He found him in a desert land, and in