ployment, of all other the fittest for this employment, to be employed under God for the protection of the saints, fittest in regard of themselves.

But then again, fittest they are for this employment in regard of the saints; for who more fit to be employed in this protection under God, the protection of the saints, than those that are in some respect above the saints, and in some respect beneath them: if a nurse be above the child, she may despise it; if the child be altogether above the nurse, the nurse cannot rule it. Now the angels, they are in some respect beneath and in some respect above the saints; they are above the saints in regard of their nature, as you all know; but in some respects they are beneath the saints and below the saints: for the second person did not come into their nature, as he did into the nature of the saints; he took not on him the nature of angels, but he took on him the seed of Abraham and in that respect the saints are above them; and the saints are clothed with the righteousness of Christ, such a garment as never came upon the back of an angel, herein the saints are above the angels: and the saints and people of God, they are members of Christ, and therein above the angels; Christ is the Lord of angels, but you do not read that the angels are the members of Christ. So that I say, in some respect the angels are beneath the saints, and in some respect above them; and so the more fit for this employment. Ye see how it is with a mean man that sits at dinner at a nobleman's table; he sits down at the table with the nobleman, and the servants of the nobleman, they attend upon him; may be the servants are better men than he, but because he sits down at the nobleman's table, these servants attend upon him, as upon their master. Now the saints and people of God are members of Christ, they have communion with Christ, and sit down at his table: and therefore his followers the angels, they attend upon the saints and people of God and thus now ye see why the angels are in a special manner called to this work of protection of the saints and people of God.

Well, but then, thirdly, Why are the angels called to this work of protection of the saints, especially in the time of plague and pestilence? why doth the Lord give a special charge to his angels to have a special care of his people in

the time of the plague and pestilence, why at that time especially?

First of all, that time is a time of the greatest danger; when should the nurse look unto the child, if not in the greatest danger? Now in the time of the greatest danger, then come the angels to the succour of God's people. In the xxxiind chapter of Genesis, we read of the angels meeting of Jacob, at the 1st verse, "Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him; and when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host;" they met him then; why then? he had a vision when he went out from his country, a promise in the way of a vision, the angels ascending and descending, and now he had the promise accomplished upon his return; why then? then he was in the greatest danger, he was betwixt Laban and Esau; and though he had passed the pikes of Laban, yet now he was to meet an old provoked enemy, a wicked man, Esau; insomuch that he was grievously afraid, and he prayed, "Lord, deliver me from the hand of my brother;" well, and what then? then come the angels; then comes this great danger, and then come the angels, "and he called the name of the place Mahanaim;" it is the same expression that is used in the vith chapter of the Canticles, concerning the Jews returning unto their own country, at the 13th verse, "Return, return, oh Shulamite, return, return, that we may look upon thee:" what will ye see in the Shulamite? in the Jews returning, as it were the company of Mahanaims; Mahanaims; two armies you read it, but it is the same word: why? possibly to show that God will send a host of angels to guard the Jews into their country, as he sent a host of angels to guard their father Jacob into his country. But I bring this to show that when the saints and people of God are in greatest danger, then come the angels to succour them. Now the time of sickness and of the plague is a time of great danger.

2. Look when all visible means and helps fail, then is a fit time for invisible help to come in. Now the help of the angel is invisible, his hands are under his wings; you cannot see his help. When all visible means and helps fail, then comes God's invisible help, then come the angels, a fit time for the angels.

But, 3. Look when the destroying angel is abroad, then

Athangh the same angel may testy and mare is n Dand's time; the testing ange and the profeening se tiven in the ith if Revelation. ur ingeis same int nur aut another ange came nit a are. La the orth of Ezekiel, uz nen tame int with her daughterrapons in their hands, and another came out anark

Another position is his. As me testayng and pmfesting mga may seem de divem, in fnd toth sometimes empung men angels attics and destroy god men, and dora sometimes employ a good angei ta afflies and festry had men. Sometimes God doth employ a good angel to allics and destroy wicked men, as in the case of Sodum: they were good angels that destroyed Sodom. Sometimes on the other ude, God doth empicy evil angais to afflict, and thail I we the word?), destroy good men: the devi visted Jon, and ined als chidren.

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Pat, again, though the angels may be thus employed, the destroyer and the protector; yet this is certain, that all protection of the saints fals into the hands and the lap of the good anque, “ for he shall give bla angels charge over thee?" his, why ha ? in distinction from the devils, and evil angels, that did not stay by him, but left him in the time of their apostasy: and they shall bear thee in their arms." Ders do not bear the saints in their arms; therefore the business of the saints' protection, this falls wholly upon the good angels to do: but look, I say, when the destroying angel is abroad, then is a fit time for the protecting angel to be abroad too. Now in the time of the plague and pestilence, the destroying angel is abroad; therefore then especially is the good angel to be at work for the protection of the saints.

4. The time of the plague, is a time when the saints and people of God may want outward provision; good people may be shut up and starved for want of victuals, in the time of the plague. Now it is the work of the good angels to provide meat and victuals for the people of God sometimes.

In 1 Kings xix. 5, it is said of Elijah, that "as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat: and he looked, and behold there was a cake baked on the coals, and a cruise of water at his head; and he did eat and drink, and laid him down again. And the angel of the Lord came again the second time, and touched him, and said, Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for thee," &c.

5. The time of the plague and pestilence, as it is a time of want, want of provision, so it is a time when many of God's people are put to go for it, to fly for it, to run for it, to seek abroad for their houses and habitations, do not know which way to go: it is the work of a good angel to go before them, to order and direct their way. In Gen. xxiv. 7, says Abraham to his servant," He shall send his angel before thee." It is the work of a good angel to order, and direct, and guide the people of God in their way.

6. The time of the plague and pestilence is a time when people need physicians and surgeons, surgeons and physicians against their malady. A good angel can do this, and sometimes doth it. In John v. 4, " For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water; whosoever then first after the troubling of the water, stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had." This is the work of an angel, to prepare a medicine; this is the work of an angel.

Aye, but you will say, all these instances are extraordinary; what is this to me in this time of the plague and sickness, what is this to me? these are extraordinary things, does their ministry still continue or no?

Mark, yes, certainly; the Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge: and how God was the God of Jacob, and how his refuge, ye heard even now: in Heb. i. 7, it is said, "And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire;" who maketh, in the present tense, as if it were always a doing; not, who hath made, but, who maketh; "Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire:" it is the present tense, it is continually doing: and if you look into the Old Testament, and compare the cherubims that were in the tabernacle with the cherubims that were in the temple, you shall find

that the cherubims that were in the tabernacle were but two. and the cherubims that were in the temple were four: why? but to shew that their protection shail rather he enlarged than lessened. In the ist chapter of John, says our Saviour Christ there to Nathaniel, at the last verse, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, that hereafter ye shall see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man." Hereafter; this is a gospel truth, and the more you know and see the mystery of the gospel revealed, the more will this mystery be revealed to you; " Hereafter ye shail see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending," &c.: hereafter, in gospel times. And pray mark the words of the text, “ He shall give his angels charge over thee." Over thee: say you, I confess this is a comfortable truth, the protection of angeis in the time of the plague and pestilence especially, but what is this to me? Yes, says he, "He shall give his angels charge over thee," over thee. Now pray tell me, when you read the commandments, "Thou shalt not steal; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt do no murder" do ye think that the thou there doth belong to you? Yes: I dare not steal, I dare not do any murder, I dare not commit adultery; for it is said, "Thou shalt not murder; thou shalt not commit adultery; thou shalt not steal" and this thou belongs to me. And why should not the thee of the promise belong to you, as well as the thou of the commandment? Oh, that those that are afflicted and troubled in conscience would think but of this one thing! If thou concernest thyself in the thou of the commandment, thou art concerned in the thee of the promise; the thee of the promise concerns thee as certainly as the thou of the commandment: and thus now ye see I have gone through the doctrine. The Lord hath a singular care and providence over his people, especially in the time of the plague and pestilence, which is managed by the hands of angels. God will take special order with the angels for the safety of his people in the time of the plague and pestilence. Now I come to the application.

1. If these things be so, great is the dignity of the saints, of the saints here on earth, though never so much despised by the world: they are attended with angels, they have angels for their attendants: is it not an honour to have such attendants as these? The great ones of the earth think it an ho