N00620:118
Angelographia, or A discourse concerning the nature and power of the holy angels, and…
Angelographia, or A discourse concerning the nature and power of the holy angels, and the great benefit which the true fearers of God receive by their ministry: delivered in several sermons: : to which is added, a sermon concerning the sin and misery of the fallen angels: also, a disquisition concerning angelical-apparitions. / By Increase Mather, president of Harvard College, in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel at Boston, in New-England. ; [Two lines from Hebrews]Angelographia, or A discourse concerning the nature and power of the holy angels, and the great benefit which the true fearers of God receive by their ministry: delivered in several sermons: : to which is added, a sermon concerning the sin and misery of the fallen angels: also, a disquisition concerning angelical-apparitions. / By Increase Mather, praesident of Harvard Colledge, in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel at Boston, in New-England. ; [Two lines from Hebrews]
printed by B. Green & J. Allen for Samuel Phillips, 1696
A DISCOURSE Concerning the Power and Ministry of Holy Angels. › For the USE of it.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
2. There are many of them to befriend us. An host, a whole Army of mighty Angels of the Lord round about them that fear him: Their number is exceeding great: They are a great Company, Psa. 68.11. There are thousands of them, Vers. 17. The Chariots of God (his Angels, by whom he obtains his Victories over the World, are the Chariots of God) they are twenty thousand, even thousands of Angels. Nay, there are Millions of them. Daniel saw Millions of Angels, Chap. 7. v. 10. And so did John, Rev. 5.11. There were many Angels, saith he, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. Nay, they are innumerable, Heb. 12.22. We are come unto an innumerable company of Angels. No man can say, how many Myriads of them there are: Is there any number of these Armies of God? Job 25.2. Al•ho' the Interpretation of one of the Ancients is not solid, that by the lost sheep in the parable mankind is meant, & that by the ninety and nine the Angels are intended, and that therefore there are ninety and nine Times as many Angels as men; Nevertheless, it is most certain, that the Angels of Heaven are more in number by far, then all the men on earth: put all the men on the face of the earth together, they are but a small number, in comparison of the glorious Angels of the most high God. Hence Christ said to Peter, Thinkest thou, that I cannot pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve Legions of Angels, Math. 26.53. A Legion is six thousand six hundred and ⟨p. 73⟩sixty six. Twelve Legions made the Roman Army ▪ What (saith Christ) though all the power of Rome is set against me, I could have more than that at a words speaking: I could have more Legions of Angels, than are men in the Emperors Army, to save me, if I would; or it may be, considering there were Twelve of them together (Christ and the eleven Apostles) when the Lord spoke these words, He would give them to understand, that He could obtain a Legion of Angels to defend each one of them. The Lord hath so many Angels, that he can spare multitudes of them; Armies of them, to attend every one of those that fear him in the World. As for one David, the Lord can send whole Armies to encamp round about him, and deliver him Why then should they that fear God, be afraid of evils in the World?