it before, let him only confider, Suppofe my fpirit was out of the body, could not an angel fee my thoughts? Even without my uttering any words? (if words are used in the world of fpirits.) And cannot that miniftering spirit see them just as well now I am in the body? It seems therefore to be an unquestionable truth, (although perhaps not commonly obferved,) That Angels know not only the words and actions, but also the thoughts of thofe to whom they minifter. And indeed without this knowledge they would be very ill qualified to perform various parts of their ministry.

3. And what an inconceivable degree of wisdom must they have acquired, by the ufe of their amazing faculties, over and above that with which they were originally endued, in the courfe of more than fix thousand years. (That they have exifted fo long, we are affured: for they fang together when the foundations of the earth were laid.) How immenfely muft their wifdom have increafed, during fo long a period, not only by furveying the hearts and ways of men in their fucceffive generations: but by obferving the works of God, his works of Creation, his works of Providence; his works of Grace! And above all, by continually beholding the face of their Father which is in heaven.

4. What measures of Holiness, as well as Wisdom, have they derived from this inexhauflible Ocean!

"A boundless, fathomlefs abyfs,

Without a bottom or a fhore!"

Are they not hence, by way of eminence, ftiled the Holy Angels? What goodness, what philanthrophy, what love to man, have they drawn from those rivers that are at his right hand? Such as we cannot conceive to be exceeded by any but That of God our Saviour. And they are ftill drinking in more love from this fountain of living water.

5. Such is the Knowledge and Wisdom of the Angels of God, as we learn from his own Oracles. Such are their holi

nefs

nefs and goodness! And how astonishing is their firength? Even a fallen Angel is filed by an inspired Writer, The prince of the power of the air. How terrible a proof did he give of this power, in fuddenly roufing the whirlwind, which mote the four corners of the houfe, and deftroyed all the children. of Job at once? (chap. v.) That this was his work, we may eafily learn from the command to fave his life. But he gave a far more terrible proof of his ftrength, (if we fuppofe. that messenger of the Lord to have been an evil Angel, as is not at all improbable) when he fmote with death a hundred fourfcore and five thousand Affyrians, in one night, nay, poffibly in one hour, if not one moment. Yet a firength: abundantly greater than this, must have been exerted by that Angel, (whether he was an Angel of Light or of Darkness, which is not determined by the Text) who mote in one. hour, all the firft-born of Egypt, both of man and beast. For. confidering the extent of the land of Egypt, the, immenfe populousness thereof, and the innumerable cattle fed in their houses, and grazing in their fruitful fields: the men and beasts who were flain in that night, must have amounted to feveral millions! And if this be fuppofed to have been an evil Angel, must not a good Angel be as ftrong, yea, ftronger than him? For furely any good Angel must have more, power than even an "Archangel ruined." And what power muft the four Angels in the Revelation have, who were appointed to keep the four winds of heaven? There feems therefore no extravagance in fuppofing, that if God: were pleased to permit, any of the Angels of light could' heave the Earth, and all the Planets out of their Orbits: yea that he could arm himself with all thefe elements," and crush the whole frame of Nature. Indeed we do not know how to fet any bounds to the frength of thefe first-born children of God.

6. And although none but their great Creator is omni-T presents salthough none befide him can zaik, Dornet. I fill,

heaven and earth? Yet undoubtedly he has given an immenfe fphere of action, (though not unbounded) to created fpirits.. The prince of the kingdom of Perfia, (mentioned Dan. x. 13.) though probably an evil Angel) feems to have had a sphere of action, both of knowledge and power, as extenfive as that vast empire. And the fame, if not greater, we may reasonably ascribe to the good Angel, whom he withftood for one and twenty days.

7. The Angels of God have great power, in particular over the human body; power either to caufe or remove pain and diseases; either to kill or to heal. They perfectly well understand whereof we are made: they know all the fprings of this curious machine; and can doubtlefs, by God's per-miffion, touch any of them, fo as is either to ftop or restore its motion. Of this power even in an evil Angel, we have a clear instance in the cafe of Job, whom he fmote with fore boils all over, from the crown of the head to the fole of the foot. And in that inftant undoubtedly he would have killed him, if God had not faved his life. And on the other hand, of the power of Angels to heal, we have a remarkable instance in the cafe of Daniel. There remained no ftrength in me, faid the prophet; neither was there breath in me. Then one came and touched me and faid, Peace be unto thee: be firong, yea, be strong. And when he had spoken unto me, I was Strengthened, v 17, &c. On the other hand, when they are commiffioned from above, may they not put a period to human life? There is nothing improbable, in what Dr. Parnell supposes the Angel to fay to the Hermit concerning the death of the child,

"To all but thee in fits he feemed to go:

And 'twas my miniftry, to deal the blow."

From this great truth the heathen Poets probably derive their imagination, that Iris ufed to be fent down from heaven, to discharge

difcharge souls out of their bodies. And perhaps the fudden death of many of the children of God, may be owing to the ministry of an Angel.

[To be concluded in our next.]

A Short Account of Mr. SAMPSON STANIFORTH: in a Letter to the Rev. Mr. WESLEY.

Rev. and dear Sir,

"I

Never thought I should be called upon to appear in

print, or to give an account of myself, confidering, how many of my Brethren there are, who have not only deeper Experience, but far greater abilities, and more time than me.. But fince you defire it of me, I think it my duty to obey. thofe that are over me in the Lord. I now therefore caft my mite into the treasury, and pray God it may be profitable to fome foul! I fhall, first, speak of my life from the time of my birth, till I was about twenty-five years old: and, Secondly, from the time that God called me, to the present, time. I am sensible my cafe is peculiar, both in a state of fin and in my conversion to God; and my account of it must be very imperfect, as I never kept any Diary, and can only fet down a few things that I can call to mind, after so many years.

2. I was born at Sheffield, in December 1720. My Father. who was a Cutler, had thirteen children; but only four lived to years of maturity. There was no care taken of my education; none in the family having the form, much less the power of Religion: fo that while I was young, I heard nothing about either Religion or Morality. Hence it was that I had no conviction of any kind, no fear of God before my eyes, no thought of his providence, of his fparing mercy, or indeed of his having any thing to do in the world.

Nay,

1

Nay, I was totally averfe to. all good, and hated the very ap

pearance of Religion.

And in this deplorable ftate I con

tinued, till I was fourteen years of age.

3. I was then put apprentice to a Baker. This was a very good place for my body: but no care at all was taken of my foul only that fometimes my Mafter made me read on Sunday, a chapter in the Bible. But I knew not what it meant, nor why it was called the Word of God, or what people went to Church for? From fourteen to feventeen, I was diligent in my bufinefs, and gave fatisfaction to my Mafter. But all this time, I never once thought, Why was I born into the world? What is my bufmefs in it? Or where fhall I go, when this life is over?

4. I was now faft bound with the chains of fin, filled with unholy defires, and as often as occafion offered, bringing them into practice. And I had not the leaft remorfe, for any of the fins I was daily committing; being as perfectly without God in the world, as the beafts that perifh. I now got into bad company, and by their advice and encouragement ran into open wickedness, gaming in particular, to the great disadvantage of my Mafter, and the great forrow of my Pa-' rents. And yet I ftill had not the leaft compunction, nor any more forrow for fin, than a wild affes colt.

5. I began about this time to get into company with the foldiers that were in the town. And I frequently told my Mother, that I had an inclination to go into the Army. This troubled her much and fhe often with tears expoftulated with me concerning it. To keep me out of it, she used to fupply me with money. But this only enabled me to keep more company, and to run into all manner of fin. Several times the fetched me away from my companions at night; but whenever I could, I ran away from her, and got to them again and in this ungodly courfe I went on, till I was about' nineteen years of age.