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fift and defend them by his mighty Angels, as long as he hath any Employment for them; and when they have done their Business, send those heavenly Meffengers to fetch them to himfelf.

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And so now you fee how all Perfons in the Church, who are the true Difciples of Chrift, have reafon to praife God, and to rejoice in his holy Comfort, to render him their continual Thanks, and to do their Duties with chearfulnefs and gladness; he taking fuch Care of them, to affign them fuch a powerful Guard, fuch mighty Helpers, the principal of the heavenly Hoft, to take the charge of them. As the Pfalmift calls upon the Angels that excel in Strength that do bis Commandments hearkning to the Voice of his Word, to bless the Lord together with him; fo fhould we call upon our own Souls to bless his holy Name for them: And that indeed is part of his meaning, when he bids them praise the Lord, and when he calls upon the Fire, Hail, Snow, Wind, and all other Creatures to do the fame; he intends to ftir up his own Affections to this heavenly Employment, of praifing God in Contemplation of all his great and wonderful Works; which fet forth his Greatnefs, Power, Wisdom and Goodness to the great Joy of all thofe who are in his Favour.

As we therefore praise him for the Meat that nourishes us for the Sun, Moon and Stars that enlighten us: So let us not forget to praise him for the holy Angels, thofe glorious Lights, who are greater Ministers than any of those for our Kk 4 Com

Comfort and Happiness. We know not how oft they caft a beam of Light into our Mind, and let fall a fpark of Fire into our Hearts, and nou rifh and feed fome way or other the good Inclinations and Purposes that are in our Souls; and therefore we fhould thank God for them, more than we do for our Meat and Drink, and Cloathing, or any of the Refreshments of this outward Life: Nay, what if I fay that they make wholefom Seafons, and good Food, and all fuch Things? It was the Opinion, I am fure, of fome of the ancient Chriftians, who thought themfelves beholden to them every way; fo that whatsoever we thank God for, we thould not omit to acknowledge their Service, and the friendly Courtefies which they do us continually.

But I faid fomething of this in the Morning, and there is no time remaining to speak more of it now, unless I, fhould wave two Things which I ought to recommend to your Thoughts and Care, one of which I told you in the beginning, my Text would directly lead unto.

The Firft is this, that we fhould indeavour to imitate them, and become like to them in our Nature and Difpofition. If we have a mind to gratific then, if we would oblige thofe to whom we are already fo much beholden, and invite them to be more kind unto us, it must not be by our Prayers to them, or Praises of them, as fond Superftition thinks; but by studying to réfemble them all we can in their excellent Qualities. It is an Offence no doubt to these holy Beings, to fee us addrefs thofe Services to them,

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which they know to be due to none but God, the Creator of all. But they cannot chuse but take a delight in our Vertue and Goodness; both as by this means we approach nearer to their Nature, and are more fit for their Friendship and Converse; and alfo as they fee herein fome Effect of their Care and Pains, who have been fo long Ministers of God for our Good. Let us imitate them in their Hatred of Wickedness, and their Love to Purity and Holiness of Life. Let us imitate them in their Charity and kind Difpo fition to do Good to others. In their Joy at the Amendment of Sinners, and their Progrefs in Vertue. Let us follow their Humility alfo and Condefcention to those who are inferiour to us. Let us remember withal the Chearfulness and Readiness of their Obedience to the Divine Commands; and bear in mind their Watchfulness and Diligence, fo as to ftir up our felves to conform to that Pattern. And lastly, let us be zealous for the Honour of God, that his Kingdom may be upheld and increased, and the Kingdom of the Devil pulled down. In order to which I must defire you, in the Second Place,

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To take special heed how you do any thing to the Scandal of any of your Chriftian Brethren, and particularly those that are infirm. That is the Thing for which our Saviour alledges this Care of God over his little ones, by the Ministry of his Angels, that every Chriftian might take Care left he gave Offence to those who were fo dear to God, and tender'd fo much by him. That is, left he did any thing which should fay a Block

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a Block in the Way of any of his Christian Neighbours, either to difcourage him, or inake him ftumble, or plainly turn him out of his Christian Course; for that's the Meaning of this Word offend, or give fcandal, in these holy Books; which is done Two Ways.

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First, By defpiling of our Brethren, and setting them at nought. This is apt many times to fink Men of otherwife great Spirits, and therefore may much more deject the Feeble and Weak. It is a great Difcouragement to a Man to fee himself contemned and had in no Efteem at all. It is a Temptation to many Sins. It makes a Man have ill Thoughts of that Religion, which fuch Defpifers profefs: And therefore it is a most Unchristian Quality, and quite contrary to the Angelical Difpofition, which doth not scorn us becaufe we are fo much below them.

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Secondly, There is a greater Scandal than this, by giving of an ill Example; which may lead thofe afide, who mind more what others do, than what they fay. And this especially concerns those who are the Guides of others, that they walk circumfpectly, left they draw many along with them into Destruction, who are fo weak as to follow their Examples, rather than any Rules that they can give them. The antient Chriftians made bold to add, that we should be affraid to give any Offence to our Guardian Angel, which may make him turn afide from us, and leave his Charge. St. Bafil exprefsLib. de Vera Jy ufes thefe Words; We ought to baven Reverence to our Keeper, and

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not defpife the Angel to whom is committed m μέλειαν η σωτηρίας ήμιμ, the Care of our Salvation, But this was, in Effect, faid before: And nothing, we are to think, is more offenfive to them, than to give any Occafion of Offence to those who are under their Care as well as our felves. Of this let us beware: And thus doing we fhall fulfil the Intent of our Saviour's Dif course in this Place; and we fhall do all that which I now exhorted you unto, in Imitation of the Angels. For by having fuch a Regard to our Chriftian Brethren, as not to defpife them, nor offend them; we fhall exprefs our Piety, our Charity, our Humility, our Watchfulness, and our Zeal for the Glory of God, and the Honour of Chrift's Religion, all together..

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A PRAYER.

Great God! the Lord of all the Hofts of Heaven, both visible and invifible, who baft difpofed all things in a moft excellent and admirable Order, for the Service and Benefit of each other, and fendeft thy Bleffings as far as us in this lower World, by the Miniftry of thy Angels; the nobleft of which refufe not to wait upon us, and to bring thy Favours to us: More efpecially I acknowledge thy aftonishing Grace, in committing all thy Authority and Power in Heaven and Earth, unto One in our own Likeness,

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