but these do boldly resist them, and defend thee continually against those Evil Spirits.
Admiration. Do Angels minister to us?1 then ye Saints wonder! Behold the Angels of God ascending and descending: O what hath Christ done to procure such Guardians, such Helps, such Guides for us poor feeble Travellers? Never fear, tho the Ladder be high, Angels have Wings, they can soon be with us; they descend to bring them up that are given to Christ, and they ascend with such that are going up. You must fly by Faith and Prayer up with them from Step to Step, from Faith to Faith, from Strength to Strength, from Glory to Glory, until you come to the end of your Journey.
O ye Darlings of Heaven! Tho others regard you not, but reproach you, slight you, despise you, yet matter it not; the mighty Angels have you by the Hand; they love you, they know you are the Spouse of their Sovereign, his blessed Bride whom they serve, and therefore they honour you: O what a degree of Glory, ye Princely Ones, are you raised to!
⟨p. 114⟩Moreover, What Love is this? what Grandeur is here conferred upon vile sinful Creatures as we are?2 Have we such a Guard? Doth Christ's chief Courtiers above, wait upon us below? Must we ride in the King's own Chariot to Heaven? Do Angels wait on the Heirs of Salvation, Heirs of Glory?
Come then, ye Holy and High-born Nobles, and take state upon you, and say, We are not for dunghill Earth, not base slaves of Sin, nor of this World, nor of the Devil: We are Princes nobly descended, born from above, and have the Guard of the King of Kings to attend upon us: O! we must live as such who are so born, so honoured, and also as so guarded.
And now, O ye Earthly Muckworms, ye Dunghill-Rakers! what signify your Silks and Satins, your Golden Chains, your Bags of Money and great Possessions! What, alas! are Crowns and Sceptres, or the Guards of haughty Monarchs! What's their Majesties, their Highnesses, their Excellencies! The meanest Saint is higher and greater than you all, and hath a more glorious Attendance. But to return to Believers;
3Prize your Privileges, ye Saints, ye the most excellent ones in all the Earth;4 that are more honourable than your Brethren, 5more excellent than your Neighbours. Angels administer to you at Christ's Command. Are you ignorant of your Honour and blessed Safety?
but these do boldly resist them, and defend thee continually against those Evil Spirits.
Admiration. Do Angels minister to us?1 then ye Saints wonder! Behold the Angels of God ascending and descending: O what hath Christ done to procure such Guardians, such Helps, such Guides for us poor feeble Travellers? Never fear, tho the Ladder be high, Angels have Wings, they can soon be with us; they descend to bring them up that are given to Christ, and they ascend with such that are going up. You must fly by Faith and Prayer up with them from Step to Step, from Fa•th to Faith, from Strength to Strength, from Glory to Glory, until you come to the end of your Journey.
O ye Darlings of Heaven! Tho others regard you not, but reproach you, slight you, despise you, yet matter it not; the mighty Angels have you by the Hand; they love you, they know you are the Spouse of their Sovereign, his blessed Bride whom they serve, and therefore they honour you: O what a degree of Glory, ye Princely Ones, are you raised to!
⟨p. 114⟩Moreover, What Love is this? what Grandure is here conferr'd upon vile sinful Creatures as we are?2 Have we such a Guard? Doth Christ's chief Courtiers above, wait upon us below? Must we ride in the King's own Chariot to Heaven? Do Angels wait on the Heirs of Salvation, Heirs of Glory?
Come then, ye Holy and High-born Nobles, and take state upon you, and say, We are not for dunghil Earth, not base slaves of Sin, nor of this World, nor of the Devil: We are Princes nobly descended, born from above, and have the Guard of the King of Kings to attend upon us: O! we must live as such who are so born, so honoured, and also as so guarded.
And now, O ye Earthly Muckworms, ye Dunghil-Rakers! what signifie your Silks and Sattins, your Golden Chains, your Bags of Money and great Possessions! What, alas! are Crowns and Scepters, or the Guards of haughty Monarchs! What's their Majesties, their Highnesses, their Excellencies! The meanest Saint is higher and greater than you all, and hath a more glorious Attendance. But to return to Believers;
3Prize your Privileges, ye Saints, ye the most excellent ones in all the Earth;4 that are more honourable than your Brethren, 5more excellent than your Neighbours. Angels administer to you at Christ's Command. Are you ignorant of your Honour and blessed Safety?
- 1Use of Admiration.Ʋse of Admiration.
- 2The Saints ride in Chris•'s own C••• ri•ts.
- 3Psal. 16.•.
- 41 C•r. •.9.
- 5Prov. 1•. 26.
