The combat between Christ and the Devil displayedThe combat betvveene Christ and the Diuell displayed

The use. 1. This teacheth us to admire the endless goodness of God unto his Church and children, not only in bestowing heaven and earth upon them, but even giving his glorious Angels to become ministering spirits for their protection, defence, & comfort. II. This their ministry, must admonish us to carry our selves reverently and holily in all manner of conversation. If we were in the presence of an earthly Prince, oh how careful would we be to our behaviour both for words & actions? Much more then should the presence and attendance of Gods glorious angels, who pitch their tents about us if we be Gods children, make us circumspect to all our ways; and the rather, because their ministry is for our comfort and protection, while we keep our selves in the straight ways of God.

The vse. 1. This teacheth vs to admire the endlesse goodnesse of God vnto his Church and children, not onely in bestowing heauen and earth vpon them, but euen giuing his glorious Angels to become ministring spirits for their protection, defence, & comfort. II. This their ministery, must admonish vs to carry our selues reuerently and holily in all maner of conuersation. If we were in the presence of an earthly Prince, oh how carefull would we be to our behauiour both for words & actions? Much more then should the presence and attendance of Gods glorious angels, who pitch their tents about vs if we be Gods children, make vs circumspect to all our waies; and the rather, because their ministery is for our comfort and protection, while wee keepe our selues in the straight waies of God.

II. point. Their number. It is not said one Angel, but angels came and ministered unto him. Indeed when he was in his Agony in the garden a little before his passion,^a one Angel came and ministered comfort unto him: so that sometime one, sometime moe attended on him; even as the evil spirits come to tempt, sometime one alone, as Satan did here to Christ, and sometimes moe, as they did when he was upon the Cross. And as it befell Christ, so doth it to Gods children, they have sometime one good Angel to attend upon them, and sometime many: so likewise have they sometime one evil spirit to assault them, and sometimes many, as the man in whom the legion was. And hereby falleth to the ground this common opinion, that every man hath one good Angel and one bad attending upon him, the one to protect him, the other to tempt him. But this opinion doth not well stand with the tenor of the scripture, which thus sets out the state of men in regard of his attendance by Angels, that there are sometimes moe about him, and sometime fewer; whether we speak of good Angels, or of evil spirits.