XXXII.

SERM. lancholy and despair; when the angel of God calls to and comforts her, supplies them both with food and water, and, in fhort, fupported and maintained them, fo that the child grew, and became an archer, and dwelt in the wilderness of Paran.

Are they not all ministering Spirits, says the apostle, fent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of falvation? that is, to them who in the general tenor of their lives have endeavoured to please and serve God. Such, and fuch only, will his Holy Spirit guide, and his holy angels defend; to fuch they are always prefent, about their path, and about their bed, and spying out all their ways. The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him:-the pious, the beneficent, and the diftreffed, were always the objects of their care: the patriarchs and

prophets

apo- SERM. XXXII.

prophets in the Old Testament, the
ftles and good men celebrated in the new.
Balaam, Jacob, Abraham and Joshua; to all
these they appeared and were of fignal fer-
vice: to Peter, to Philip, and to Cornelius;
all men of distinguished piety and good-
ness. To these heirs of falvation they
will ever be prefent, ever ready to serve,
to cherish and to protect them. It can-
not, indeed, without the utmost folly and
prefumption, be supposed that these glo-
rious beings, the friends of God, will
aid and affift his enemies; that such
faithful fervants will visit and preferve
those who despise and vilify their Master;
or that God, indeed, would ever employ
his beloved ministers in a task so hateful
to them, and withal fo fruitless and un-
neceffary for if they will not believe
Mofes and the prophets, if they will not
be convinced by all thofe glaring truths
which both reafon and revelation con-

SERM. ftantly fuggeft, fo neither will they be XXXII. perfuaded though an angel came down

from heaven to fatisfy and to reclaim them. To fuch indeed they will be fent, though not as bleffings, but as fcourges: for holy fcripture hath informed us, that as these exalted beings were employed to fave and defend the fons of God, fo were they also frequently made use of, as inftruments of the divine vengeance. vengeance. Bebold, fays the Lord, (Exod. xxiii.) I fend an angel before thee, to keep thee in the way: beware of him, and obey his voice provoke him not, for he will not pardon your tranfgreffions: for my name is in him.

The fame angels who came to fave Lot from deftruction, punished the Sodomites with blindness. God, we are told in the book of Chronicles, fent an angel to destroy Jerufalem, as it is witneffed alfo by the prophet Ifaiah. By

an

XXXII,

an angel a hundred eighty and five thou- SERM. fand were flain in the camp of the Affyrians. It is enough, faith the Lord, ftay thine hand; and the Lord commanded the angel, and he put up his fword. By an angel, the proud, felf-fufficient, and cruel Herod was fmitten, because he arrogated to himself that glory which was due to the Supreme Being; and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.

These and many other inftances of the power of angels we meet with in holy fcripture. But it is particularly worthy our observation to remark, with what and more than ordinary zeal, readiness, and alacrity, these bleffed fpirits exerted themselves in the great work of our redemption by Jefus Chrift. A more excellent, and at the fame time a more delightful employment fuch beings could not indeed have been engaged in. To affift

Y 4

XXXII.

SERM. affift in faving a finking world from ruin, a finful and corrupt world from everlafting misery and destruction, was a task worthy the nobleft natures: and accordingly we find them in various scenes of this important transaction.

Gabriel is fent to Zacharias to fhew him glad tidings: to foretel the birth of John, who was to prepare the way before the Saviour of mankind, and turn the bearts of the difobedient to the wisdom of the just. Again, we fee this beloved minister appearing to the blessed virgin, and prophecying the birth of the Meffiah. A little after the nativity, the angel of the Lord appears to the fhepherds, and with him a multitude of the heavenly hoft, finging and praising God. David's prophecy of Chrift was literally fulfilled, where he fays, he shall give his angels charge over thee; they shall bear thee up in their hands, left

thou