Ohj. But you will say, God's children fall into inconveniences ; how then are they attended by angels ?
Ans. I answer : First of all, God's angels preserve those that are his, from many inconveniences that they know not of. And certainly we have devils about us continually, and there is a conflict betwixt good angels and devils about us continually. And when we do fall into any inconvenience, it is because we are not in our way. If we go out of our way, they have not the < charge over us ;' they are to keep us ' in our ways.' And if they keep us not from ' dashing our foot against a stone,' if they keep us not from ill, yet they keep us in ill, and deliver us out of ill at length ; for they deUver us not only from evil, that we fall not into it, but they keep us in ill, and deliver us out of ill, nay, and by ill. If we suffer in the cus- tody of angels any inconvenience, it is that we may be tried by it, that we may be exercised and bettered by it. There is nothing that faUs out to God's children in the world, but they gain by it, whatsoever it is. This, therefore, doth not prejudice the attendance of angels.
Therefore let us comfort ourselves in all conditions for ourselves and for
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the state. Put case it be brought to a very small number, that the enemies were thousands more than we, many thousands and millions ; yet, if we be in the covenant of grace, and in good terms with God, we have ' more for us than against us,' we shall have angels fight for us. You know Elisha's servant, when he saw a multitude of enemies, his eyes were opened to see a company of angels ; and saith the prophet, ' There are more for us than against us,' 2 Kings vi. 17, seq. So let us be to the eye of the world never so few and never so weak ; let us but have Elisha's eye, the eye of faith, and we shall have his guard about us alway and about the commonwealth. This should comfort us.
But then we must learn this duty, not to grieve these good spirits. As it is wondrous humility, that they will stoop to be servants to us, that are of a weaker, baser nature than they, so it is wondrous patience, that they will continue still to guard us, notwithstanding we do that that grieves those good spirits : one motive to keep us in the way of obedience, that we do not grieve those blessed spirits that are our guard and attendance. Let us consider when we are alone — it would keep us from many sins — no eye of man seeth ; ay, but God seeth, and conscience within seeth, and angels without are witnesses : they grieve at it, and the devils about us rejoice at it. These meditations, when we are solicited to sin, would withdraw our minds and take up our hearts, if we had a spirit of faith to believe these things.
Let us learn to make this use likewise, to magmfn God, that hath thus honoured iis ; not only to take our nature upon him, to be * manifest in the flesh,' but also to give us his own attendance, his own guard, a guard of angels. Indeed, we are in Christ above angels, advanced higher than angels. What cause have we to praise God ! How are we advanced above them ? We are the spouse of Christ, and so are not angels. They are under Christ as a head of government and a head of influence. They have strength and confirmation from Christ. He is not a head of redemption, but of confir- mation to them. St Paul calls them ' elect angels ' that stand. They stand by Christ, they have good by him. But they are not the spouse of Christ. We are the spouse and members of Christ. He hath honoured our nature more than the angelical : he did not take upon him the nature of angels, but of men ; and as he hath advanced us above angels, so his dispensation is, that those glorious creatures should be our attendants for our good ; and they distaste not this attendance.
And this is that we should know, what care God hath over us, and what love he bears us ; that he hath honoured us so much that creatui^es of a more excellent rank than we are, even the angels, should be serviceable to us in Christ. And all is, that we should be full of thankfulness.
Obj. But you will say, What need the guard or attendance of angels to Christ or to us, to head or members, considering that God is able to guard us with his almighty power ?
Ans. It is true. The creatures that God hath ordained in their several ranks, they are not for any defect in God, to supply his want of power, but further to enlarge and demonstrate his goodness. He is the * Lord of hosts,' therefore he will have hosts of creatures, one under another, and all serviceable to his end. His end is, to bring a company to salvation, to a supernatural end, to happiness in the world to come ; and he being Lord of all, he makes all to serve for that end. He could do it of himself; but, having ordained such ranks of creatures, he makes all to serve for that end, for the manifestation of his power and of his goodness, not for any defect