self in the time of trouble! And most
expressly did it foretel the evils which were coming on the offending
inquirer, his family and people! Could an apostate spirit have done
these things? Or would he if he could? God hath sometimes used wicked
men to foretel future events, and compelled them to denounce his
judgments; but have we any account of his making this use of fallen
angels? Of his making known his purposes to them, and enabling
them to give the genuine proof of true prophets? It is further
observable, that part of the message related to taking the kingdom
from Saul, and giving it to David--"The Lord hath done to him as he
spake by me," is his language. God had foretold this by Samuel; not by
Satan, or a messenger of Satan.

There is every reason to believe that Samuel really appeared on this
occasion--that God sent him to deliver the sad message to the
impious rebel, who instead of humbling himself in the time of his
trouble, sinned yet more against the Lord.

If we attribute these divine communications to infernal agency, why
not others? If once we turn aside from the literal sense of scripture,
where shall we stop? But should we doubt whether in this instance, a
departed saint was sent down to visit earth, and transact the business
of HIM who is Lord of all, other instances may certainly be adduced
--if not in the Old Testament, yet beyond a doubt in the New. But this
will be the subject of another discourse.

* * * * * *

SERMON XXVII.

Departed Saints Fellow servants with those yet on Earth.

REVELATION xxii.

"I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets."

That the saints do not remain insensible, while their bodies are in
the dull, but become angels, * see and serve God and bear his
messages, and minister to the heirs of salvation, hath been argued
from several considerations, in the preceding discourse; but we
chiefly depend on revelation. The text and several other scriptures,
we conceive to be our purpose, and sufficient to establish our theory,
and that the same is illustrated and confirmed by sacred history, both
of the Old and New Testament. One instance of a departed saint, sent
as a messenger from heaven to earth, hath been adduced from the Old
Testament: We now advert to the New.

* The term angel signifies a messenger. If glorified saints are used
to carry God's messages, or sent to do his business, they are made
angels, in the proper sense of the word. Such