N00620:132
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.
II. There is a double Exhortation before us.
1. Let them that Fear the Lord, praise and glorify His Name for this privilege of the Ministry and Guardianship of His Holy Angels. We ought to bless God, because he gives his Angels charge to ⟨p. 87⟩Encamp round about us, and deliver•us. Alas! we are not sensible as we should be, how much we are beholden to God, for the Ministry of his Angels. It is a sad thing, that this is no more thought of by Christians. I remember a Worthy Divine justly complains of it, that although Angels are frequently spoken of in the Scriptures, they are therein expressly mentioned above two hundred and sixty times over; yet it is rare to hear Ministers Preach on such a Subject, or to instruct and inform their people, how much we are beholden to God for His Angels: and it is rare to hear Christians praising the Lord for their Ministry: That which God has promised to every Believer, all Christians ought to praise him for: But the Guardianship of Angels is promised to every one that belongs to Christ. Psal. 91.11. Mat. 18.10. Heb. 1.14. we should praise the Lord for all his benefits. Psal. 103.2. Therefore we may not forget to praise him for so great a benefit as that of his appointing his Angels to Encamp round about us. As long as we know in general that we have Angelical Aids and Assistances, and that ordinarily, though we know not in particular when they are more peculiarly helpful to us, we sin if we express not our Thankfulness to God for so high a favour. And although' men truly pious may be too forgetful of their duty in this, as well as in other matters; nevertheless, as for the person who is so Atheistical in his Principles, as to deny this Honour due to God,