N00620:134
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.
1. The Angels take care of the Elect of God, all their lives long, from the beginning to the end of their days. Throughout the whole course of their lives, from the Cradle to the Grave, Angels are charged with them. Not only after they are adult, and have learned to fear and serve the Lord. but before that. If they are ministering Spirits, to them that shall be Heirs of Salvation, then an Heir of Salvation doth no sooner come into the World, but the Angels are charged to look after him. There are many heirs of Salvation, that dye before they come to adult age, whom nevertheless the Angels have a charge over: The Scripture speaks Of Little Ones, that have their Angels. Mat. 18.10. Despise not one of these Little Ones (saith Christ) for their Angels do behold the Face of my Father in Heaven. Although such as are little in their own esteem, and little perhaps in the esteem of the World, may be intended in the Scripture, yet a literal Interpretation must not be excluded. Christ took a little Child into His Arms, and said, These Little Ones have their Angels: As for them that belong to the Election of God, the Devil is set against them to destroy them, as soon as they come into the World, only Angels do prevent it: As one speaks well, The ⟨p. 89⟩Devil doth ramp about the Elect of God, whilst they are in their swaddling clothes: But they have Holy Angels to protect them against the rage of Hell: as we read concerning the Man-child, Rev. 12.4. as soon as he was born, the Dragon would have devoured him. Which words although they are figurative, they allude to that which is really true. An Elect Child is no sooner born into the world, but there are Devils that would destroy it; but God sets his Angels to preserve and deliver it: The Lord Jesus Christ, when in a state of infancy, had his life secured by the Ministry of Angels. Mat. 2.13. and so is it with many of those that belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, as the Heirs of his Salvation: and when they are past their Infancy, in adult age, and when they come to Old Age, still Angels are with them, Encamping round about them, and delivering them from many an unseen evil, which otherwise had proved their destruction: They are with them in all places, where the Hand of God leads them: When they are in this place, Angels are with them; and when they go into another Land, Angels are with them there: