ances, but repulses from God. How can any one depend upon me for a courtesy, who knows that I am acquainted with his underhand and unkind contrivances against me? Besides, the love of any one sin hinders from yielding to the terms of the promise: it would be loose, and yet have God bound; whereas he never made his promises to gratify lust, but to engage us to holiness. Nor will faith act sinfully. Faith embraces the whole word of God, even precepts as well as promises, and respects the rule prescribed as well as the rewards promised; it works uniformly; and it trusts to God in the way of his commands, not in the precipices of sin: "Trust in him, and do good," Psal. xxxvii. 3. Besides, it acts warily, and in the eye of God, and therefore holily, and tells us, that if we must not tell a lie to promote God's cause, much less to procure our own comforts.

loc.

(4.) Limit not God for the way of accomplishing of his promise. This is the noted sin of Israel; "they limited the Holy One of Israel," Psal. lxxviii. 41; Deum metiri suo they circumscribed him for the way of modulo. Cal. in bestowing mercy within the narrow bounds of their own apprehensions. Whereas, if he will work, who shall hinder him? Faith triumphs over difficulties, and measures not God by the narrow scantling of reason; knowing that things that are impossible with us, are easy with God. This was the excellency of Abraham's so much commended faith, that he considered neither the improbability of performing the promise of having a son when his body and Sarah's womb were both dead, Rom. iv. 19, nor the incongruity of performing the command of sacrificing his son, which seemed to destroy both God's faithfulness and his own expectations, Heb. xi. 17. And this is indeed the duty of believers, only to consider who promises, and who commands, and neither to question what is promised, though never so impossible, nor to forbear what is commanded, though never so unpleasing.

(5.) When God affords thee creature-props, trust not to them. Men would never be distrustful when the creature departs, if they did not confide in it when it stays. If we would not account ourselves the stronger for having worldly helps, we should not esteem ourselves the weaker for wanting them. Could we live upon God alone in the use, we might live upon him alone in the loss of the creature. It is a noble faith that depends upon God in the strength of means; like that of Asa and Jehoshaphat, the former of whom having an army of five hundred and fourscore thousand to rest upon, when Zerah the Ethiopian came against him, adventured not upon so feeble a crutch, but expresses himself thus in his prayer: Lord, we have no power, and we rest on thee, 2 Chron. xiv. 8, 11; and the latter, when his enemies made war upon him, though he had an army of eleven hundred and threescore thousand fighting men, 2 Chron. xvii. 14, 15, professing thus: "Lord, we have no might, neither know we what to do; but our eyes are upon thee," 2 Chron. xx. 12. He who will account God to be all when the creature is at the best and fullest, will surely account him so when the creature proclaims its nothingness.

(6.) Trust God in the serving of his providence, and in the use of such means as he has appointed and sanctified. He that will not do for himself what he can, may not trust that God should do for him what he would. Though man liveth not by bread alone, but by the word (of blessing) which proceedeth out of the mouth of God, yet that word is by God annexed unto bread, not to stones; and that man does not trust God, but tempt him, who expects to have stones turned into bread. If God has provided stairs, it is not faith, but fury, to go down by a

precipice; thus David's trusting in the name of the Lord made him not to throw away his sling when he went against Goliath. Jacob's supplicating God made him not neglect sending a present to his brother. The fast of Esther made her not forget to feast the king. Second causes are to be used in obedience to God's order, not in confidence of their own help: the creature must be the object of our diligence, though not of our trust. Faith, while it causes us to be so diligent in the use of means, as if God did nothing for us, causes us so to withdraw our trust from the means, as if God were to do all for us. He who in observing the other rules has also added this, may quietly rest upon God for promised mercy; lay the matter before God, and humbly put him to the accomplishing part.

VERSE 6.

And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.

In this second example of God's severity, which was expressed against the fallen angels, these two parts are contained.

I. The revolt and defection of the angels.
II. The ruin and downfal of the angels.

I. In the first, these three particulars are principally considerable.

1. By whom this defection was made.
2. From what this defection was made.
3. Wherein this defection was made.
1. It was made by "the angels."

2. It was from "their first estate," and "their own habitation."

3. It was, 1. In not keeping the former; and, 2. In leaving the latter.

II. In the second, are considerable these two parts. 1. The punishment which now they undergo in the prison; they being in that "reserved in everlasting chains under darkness."

2. The punishment which shall hereafter be laid upon them at and after their appearing at the bar; they being reserved, &c. "unto the judgment of the great day.

In the former, their punishment of the prison is twofold.

1. Reservation" in everlasting chains." 2. "Under darkness."

In the latter, their punishment is considerable, 1. In that to which they shall be brought, viz. to "judgment."

2. In the time when they shall be brought to judgment, viz. at "the great day."

I begin with the first part, their defection and revolt; and therein I consider,

I. The persons by whom this defection was made, viz. the angels.

men sacræ scripprofani Scripto

Latini Geniorum,

The word ayyɛλo, angels, is a term peculiar to the Scripture; profane writers Angelorum noamong the Grecians express them by turæ peculiare the word Aaipovec, and those among res Græci per vothe Latins, by the word Genii. It cem Δαιμόνων, properly is a word which intends the fere exprimunt. office of angels, and signifies no more disp. 12. P. 117. than messengers, or those who are sent at the command and by the commission of their superiors. And yet it comprehends and recalls to mind the essence of angels, which is considerable

Synop.pur.Theol.

before the office, and without which the office is but a mere notion. Briefly therefore for the explaining thereof, I shall consider, 1. The nature and essence; 2. The office and employment of angels.

Nomen spiritus

Aug.

רוחות

1. For their essence. Angels are spiritual and incorporeal creatures, subsisting by themselves. (1.) By the name of spirits the Scripture comnomen est naturæ, monly expresses the essence and nature of angels; and it is used both to denote good and bad angels: of the former it is said, "He maketh his angels spirits," Psal. civ. 4; a place cited in the New Testament, Heb. i. 7. Of the latter it is said, There came forth a spirit to persuade Ahab to go to Ramoth Gilead; who afterward proved a "lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets," 1 Kings xxii. 21, 22. And when they brought to Christ many who were possessed with devils, the evangelist immediately subjoins, that "he cast out the spirits with his word," Matt. viii. 16. And our Saviour plainly expresses that such persons who have not flesh and bones, and such are angels, are spirits, Luke xxiv. 39. Nor is it imaginable but that those are spirits, of whom a legion, that is, at least six thousand, according to Hierom, may be in one man; but this is clearly asserted concerning the devils, or evil angels, Luke viii. 30; where it is added, that many devils were entered into the man. Nor can any but spirits get entrance into bodies without moving or hurting them, and into prisons and other places when closely shut up, and most narrowly watched. It is true, angels have often appeared in human bodies and shapes. The Son of God, before his incarnation, as also the Holy Ghost afterward, did so; and yet it follows not hence that their essence is corporeal; as neither can it be evinced that souls are corporeal, because Moses appeared to the disciples in an outward shape. These their bodies might either be such only in show and appearance, or if they were true bodies, they were only joined to them for a time by God's power, and afterward resolved again into their own principles, as also were their garments, which the angels wore while they conversed with men. And whereas sundry of the fathers have ascontra Praxeam, serted that the angels are corporeal, 2. c. 7. lib. 3. c. 1. and have bodies of their own, they are De div. Dæm. to be understood commonly as speaking 23. de Civ. Dei. of them in comparison of God, as if Cant. Greg. Mor. though being compared with us they 1. 2. c. 2. Polan. are spirits, yet compared with God they are bodies.

Tertul. lib. de carne Christi et

Aug. de Trin. lib.

cap. 3. 5. 1. 15. c.

Bern. ser. 5. in

Syntag. 1779. pag.

And certain it is, that angels are not spirits purely and altogether simple, as God is, who only is that most simple Spirit; and yet it is conceived by learned Zanchy, that their bodies are more refined, subtle, and pure than either bodies aerial or celestial, which were created out of the first matter, and that the substance of the bodies of the angels is very like to the substance of the heavens of the Blessed, or the empyrean, wherein (he saith) they were created, and which are of a corporeal substance, but far more excellent for their purity than the other heavens. From this spiritual nature of the angels flows their immortality, incorruptibility, or immutability; for since they are immaterial, and free from all contrary qualities, composition of matter and form, and the contrariety of qualities, being the causes of intrinsical corruption, they are rightly termed incorruptible. Indeed, only God is simply immutable, who is a being of himself, and not by participaΠᾶν κτιστὸν tion; and every creature is mortal, mutable, and may be brought to nothing by Him who made it of nothing, should he only withdraw his sustaining power. But a thing may be said

τρεπτὸν ἔστι.

But

to be mortal and corruptible two ways, either by a passive power which is in itself, or by an active power which is in another, and upon whom it depends: now although in the nature of angels there be no passive power whereby they are corruptible, yet in respect of the active power of God, upon which their being depends, they cannot simply be termed incorruptible, because if God withdraw his power, they would instantly perish, though denomination being from the nearest and internal cause, they may properly be called incorruptible. (2.) Angels are true subsistences, or substances by themselves and separately subsisting. The Sadducees of old, and the libertines of later ages, have held that angels are only certain inspirations, motions, and inclinations of the mind; and that the good of these are the good angels, and the bad of these the bad angels. But that they are vera ipiorάueva, that they are substances, and truly subsist by themselves, is most clearly evinced, 1. From their creation: God created no accidents separately from their substances; accidents were concreated in and with their substances. angels were created by themselves, and not in any subject. 2. From their actions: they praise God, they worship the Son, they are heavenly messengers, they assume bodies, defend the faithful, they have wrestled, eaten, been received as strangers, had their feet washed, &c., they shall gather the elect from the four corners of the earth, they shall come with Christ to judgment; none of which actions could be done, unless they were substances. 3. From their endowments: they have life, power, understanding, wisdom; they are immortal, they excel in strength: some things they know not, as the day of judgment. Some of them sinned, others abide in the truth. 4. From their happiness and misery: some of them behold the face of God, and are blessed and glorious, Matt. xviii. 10; others are punished "in everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," Matt. xxv. 41; Mark xii. 25. 5. From that likeness which we shall have to them in heaven, where we shall be as the angels: shall we there cease to be true substances? This for their essence.

2. The consideration of the office of angels follows, and this the word angels properly denotes, which is not a word expressing the nature, but the office of angels; and the words both in the Hebrew and Greek intend the same, importing messengers, or such as are sent. The word angels or "Ayo, Nuncil, messengers is applied in Scripture both legati. Matt. xi. to good and bad angels, Luke vii. 24.

10.

מלאכים

vara en Ex eo quod est, eo quod agit, an

τουργικά.

spiritus est: ex gelus est. Aug. in Psal. ciii.

(1.) To good angels most frequently, who are those ministering spirits spoken of Heb. i. 14, and are in Scripture more commonly called by a name of office than of nature, because God delights in their service, and they themselves are more glad of obeying God than of their very being. In regard of office, that Christ himself accepted the name, and is called the Angel of the covenant, Mal. iii. 1. They are by God sent forth for the good of his people. Hence they are called watchers, ministering spirits, Dan. iv. 17, &c. And for those who shall be the heirs of salvation they minister three ways.

[1] In their life. 1. By defending them from their enemies. "Their angels," saith Christ, "always behold the face of my Father," Matt. xviii. 10. Michael and his angels fought in defence of the church, Rev. xii. 7; and the prophet Elisha spake of the angels, when he told his fearful servant that there were more with them than against them, 2 Kings vi. 16. The angels of the Lord pitch their tents about them that fear him, Psal. xci. 11; Dan. x. 20; Psal. xxxiv. 7. An angel it was that slew the army

of the Assyrians, Isa. xxxvii. 36; that delivered Peter out of prison, Acts xii. 7; as also preserved Lot, Gen. xix. 15. 2. By comforting them. Thus an angel encouraged Jacob when he feared his brother Esau, Gen. xxxii. 1, 2; an angel it was who bid Mary not to fear, Luke i. 30; and who stood by Paul, and bid him be of good cheer, Acts xxvii. 24: when Daniel had fasted and prayed, an angel it was who said, "O Daniel, greatly beloved," &c.; and afterward, "Fear not," Dan. x. 19. The women at the sepulchre met with an angel, who comforted them, Matt. xxviii. 5. Yea, an angel appeared unto Christ, and strengthened him, Luke xxii. 43; the servant comforted the Master. 3. By inciting and stirring them up to holiness, and in furthering their salvation: they suggest nothing but what is agreeable to the will of God; they can no more suggest a doctrine contrary to that which is revealed in the Scripture, than they can be accursed, Gal. i. 8. The law was revealed by the disposition of angels, in respect of their service and attendance in the giving thereof, Acts vii. 53; Gal. iii. 19: by an angel was the incarnation of Christ foretold to the virgin, and by a multitude of angels was it proclaimed afterward, Luke i. 30; ii. 8, 13. These instruct the apostles concerning the coming of Christ to judgment, Acts i. 11, and forbid the worshipping of themselves as idolatrous, Rev. xix. 10. An angel leads Philip to expound the Scripture to the eunuch, Acts viii. 26; sets Peter at liberty to preach the gospel, Acts xii. 7; bids Cornelius send for Peter, to be instructed by him, Acts x. 3-6; and prays Paul to come over to Macedonia to help them, namely, by preaching the gospel, Acts xvi. 9.

[2.] In and after their death. An angel strengthened Christ when he was in his great heaviness of soul. Angels conveyed the soul of Lazarus into Abraham's bosom, Luke xvi. 22: he who, living, was licked by dogs, is, now dead, attended by angels. The glorious angels are as forward to carry the souls of the faithful to heaven, as every one is to share in the bearing the body of a great prince to the grave. The good angels, in this work of conveying souls, are thought to watch, for prevention of the bad, who always seek to devour the saints, living and dying. At the end of the world the angels shall be the glorious attendants of the great Judge, shall cite all to appear, and shall separate between the good and the bad; gathering the elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to the other; so that there shall not one be lost, Matt. xxiv. 31.

(2.) The term angels or messengers is also in Scripture bestowed upon the wicked and unclean spirits. Thus it is said that God sent Diodat. Annot. evil angels among the Egyptians, Psal. lxxviii. 49; and of this the apostle speaks in that scripture, "Know ye not that we shall judge the angels?" I Cor. vi. 3; and 2 Pet. ii. 4, "He spared not the angels that sinned." And these evil angels are employed, [1.] In exercising the faithful with temptations, Jobi.; Luke xxii. 31, which God always turns to their good: these angels stir up terrors against the faithful inwardly, and troubles outwardly. Satan sent his messenger to buffet Paul, 2 Cor. xii. 7. He casts the faithful into prison, Rev. ii. 10. He casts his fiery darts, sometimes tempting and alluring, at other times affrighting and dismaying. [2.] In being the executioners of God's displeasure against the wicked, whom, for their wickedness, God delivers up to these wicked angels, to blind, harden, and bewitch them with sin, 2 Cor. iv. 4; Gal. iii. 1, and then to drive them to despair for sin, Matt. xxvii. 5. Satan employs them as slaves in the basest work, and rewards them as slaves, with the smartest stripes; often

in this life, as in the case of Saul, and Judas, and Abimelech; always after it, both by dragging away those souls to punishment who have followed him in sin, and by being a tormentor afterward of those of whom first he was the tempter.

Obs. 1. How glorious a majesty is the God of angels! If the lowest of earthly creatures, if a blade of grass, a worm, an ant, speak his wisdom and power, how much more those glorious spirits who excel in strength and understanding! How pure and simple a being is that God who is the Father of all these spirits! How glorious he whom angels adore, and before whom principalities fall down! How strong is he who, with one word of his mouth, made so many thousands of those angels, one of whom overthrew a hundred fourscore and five thousand men in one night! How wise he who is the Father of all that light which angels have, and which is but one ray of his sun! Infinitely greater is the disproportion between one God and all the angels, than between all those glorious hosts and the least ant upon the molehill. How can that King of glory want forces, who has such a militia, so many thousands of such chariots to ride upon, such a heavenly host as all the millions of angels? Psal. lxviii. 7, 8. Wonder, O man, that this Majesty, who is furnished with the attendance of angels, should accept of the services of worms! that he, the beholding of whose face is the heaven of those blessed spirits, and who has their beauties constantly before him to look upon, and the sweetness of the exactly skilful and melodious music of a concert, a choir of angels to delight him, that this God should accept of the chatterings of cranes, the blackness of Ethiopians, the stammerings, the lispings of infants, the jarrings of our poor broken instruments, the bungling services of which even poor we ourselves are ashamed! What a word of condescension is that of Cant. ii. 14, "Let me see thy countenance, let me hear thy voice; for sweet is thy voice, and thy countenance is comely;" and John iv. 23, “The Father seeketh such to worship him!” Lord! thou dost not seek thus because thou wantest servants, but because we want work; not because thou art defective in attendants, but abundant in grace and rewards, and delighted with that of thyself which thou seest, wherever thou findest it.

Obs. 2. How highly advanced is he who is God and man! The excellency of angels speaks the greater excellency of him, who is above all principalities, and power, and might, and dominion, who hath a name above every name, Eph. i. 21; Phil. ii. 9, who is made better than the angels, whom all the angels are to worship, Heb. i. 4, 6, and unto whom angels, and authorities, and powers are made subject, 1 Pet. iii. 23. When Christ was upon earth, the angels were his ministers, Matt. iv. 11: angels proclaimed his entrance into the world. Yea, not only at his incarnation, but at his temptations, resurrection, ascension, angels attend him, serve him, worship him. Our King has not a guard of men, as the great princes of the earth, but a guard of princes; and not of princes only, but even of principalities and powers. Christ is the Lord of the holy angels. The eyes of the cherubim are fixed upon the mercyseat, Exod. xxv. 20; the angels look upon Christ as their Master, expecting his commands. The vail of the tabernacle which covered the most holy, expressly signifying the flesh of Christ, which, hiding his Divinity, made way for us to heaven, was made of broidered work with cherubim, Exod. xxvi. 31; there being hereby noted unto us the service which the angels give to Christ as man. They are called the angels of the Son of man, Matt. xvi. 27. Christ took not upon him the nature of angels, and

all their parts; and, like unsavoury salt, been good for nothing but the dunghill!

Obs. 6. Greatly is that God to be feared who has all the angels at his command. Sinners are never safe when most securely sinning. If God speaks the word, angels will execute his pleasure upon them. Who dares to provoke a general who is at the head of a powerful army? The heavenly hosts only wait for the word, to destroy the enemies of their Master and Commander-in-chief. An angel smote proud Herod, who robbed God of his glory. How foolishly bold is that sinner who thinks to prevail against God by rebellion! The best policy is for us to cast down the weapons of sin, and to make him our Friend in Christ who is the Lord of all those glorious hosts; and if a king should consider whether he be able with ten thousand to meet another king coming with twenty, how should we consider whether our hearts can be strong in contending with that God, between whom and us there is an infinite disproportion, and as we are sinners, an infinite opposition!

Obs. 7. God's people are always safe. The angel of the Lord pitcheth his tents about them that fear him, Psal. xxxiv. 7. None are so nobly attended as saints; they have a life-guard of angels to encompass them about: angels are as careful of the faithful as a nurse of her sucking child; they bear them up in their arms, that they dash not their feet against a stone, Psal. xci. 11, 12. God at the birth of the faithful puts them, as it were, out to these to nurse; and at their death he makes these nurses bring home his children again. They keep them from receiving hurt from others, and offering hurt to themselves. The faithful are not to be judged by what we see of their danger, but what we read of their safety. Could they but open the eyes of their faith, they might see the mountains full of horses and chariots in all dangers, and more with them than against them.

Obs. 8. It is our duty to take the care of those who are below us. None can be so much under us as we are under angels. If those heavenly spirits attend upon a lump of earth, how regardful should we be one of another, as being in the body! Heb. xiii. 3. How unsuitable is it to hide our eyes from our own flesh! Isa. lviii. 7. The angels are not ashamed to serve us, though we smell of the earth and the dungeon; and more condescend than a prince in attending upon a man full of sores and vermin let us "condescend to men of low estate," Rom. xii. 16, and account no work too low for us but sin.

Obs. 9. The higher the privileges are which any abuse, the greater shall be the punishment for abusing them. Angels were creatures placed in the highest form of the creation: for their nature, they are spirits; for their dignity, they are principalities and powers; for their employment, the messengers of the Most High, Rev. x. 1; in strength they excel, Psal. ciii. 20: the devil is called the strong one, Matt. xii. 29. Angels can break iron chains, open prison doors and iron gates; one can destroy whole armies, 2 Kings xix. 35. They are the hosts of heaven, God's militia, his chariots, Psal. Ixviii. 17. For their wisdom, Dan. viii. 16; x. 14, they are termed by philosophers demons and intelligences: admirable is their knowledge, natural, experimental, revealed. The widow of Tekoah told David that he was wise according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things on the earth, 2 Sam. xiv. 17; xix. 27. And when the Scripture attributes the highest praise to inferior creatures, the comparisons are borrowed from the angels. The king

K

Videtur hæc apud

Lorin. in Acts vi.

of Tyre is called an anointed cherub, Ezek. xxviii. 14. The most eminent among men are called angels, Matt. xi. 10; Rev. ii. 1. David admiring man's glory breaks forth thus, "Thou hast made him little lower than the angels," Psal. viii. 5. They saw the face of Stephen as if it had been the face of an angel, Acts vi. 15. If I speak, Judeos pa saith Paul, with the tongues of angels, mialis locutio. 1 Cor. xiii. 1. If they had tongues, they would speak incomparably better than the most eloquent orator. "Man did eat angels' food," Psal. lxxviii. 25. But the higher the created excellencies of angels were, the lower sin pulled them down. Sin will make one who is an angel for perfections and privileges, become a devil for impiety and punishment. If an angel sins, he makes himself a devil; if he falls, he falls as low as hell. The more accomplished any one is with abilities, when that is wanting which should sanctify and season them, the more destructive their abilities become to themselves and others. The better the weapon is which a madman holds, the more dangerous is his company. Nothing more precious and beneficial than a unicorn's horn in the apothecary's shop, but nothing more deadly than it when used by the fierce creature to wound men. None have done the church of God so much hurt, or tempted so many to sin, as some whom we may call fallen angels; who, by their places, were the Lord's messengers, and for their knowledge, as the woman of Tekoah said of David, like an angel

of God, 2 Sam. xiv. 17. Great pity Ingenium Galbe that their abilities had so bad a lodg- male habitat. ing; and that either their heads should be so good, or their hearts no better. Whom has the devil used in all ages for heresiarchs, and ringleaders into heresy and profaneness, but fallen angels, popes, popish prelates, Jesuits, and men reputed, at least for subtlety, and often for piety? But the eminency of their abused parts and places makes a dismal addition to their wretchedness. None has God left to fall so irrecoverably; nor is the lost savour of this salt again to be restored; for what salt is there that shall season unsavoury salt? Nor hath God spared to throw some of them, the popish apostates, already on a dunghill of disgrace, and made them trampled on by all; and, without repentance, the present seducers must look for the same reward. In a public minister of church or state smallest sins are abominations, blasphemies. God will be sanctified in those who draw near to him in any eminence of employment. If a prince have servants in places remote from his person, he expects that they should not disgrace him by their carriage; but if they wait upon him at his table, then he expects more exactness of deportment from them. God looks for holiness in all his servants, but most of all in his angels, those whom he prefers to places of ministry and nearest service about himself.

The second particular considerable in the revolt of the angels is, from what they made their defection. I. From "their first estate."

II. From "their own habitation."

I. For the explication of the former. These words "first estate" are in the Greek contained in one word, apxn, which sometimes signifies principality; sometimes, and most properly, beginning. And hence it is that Ecumenius and some others conceive that the angels are here said to leave their principality, height, eminency, principal dignity which they had by creation above all the creatures; angels being by Paul called, Col. i. 16, principalities, doxai. This interpretation, saith Junius, seems too narrow, though not altogether, as Beza thinks, to be excluded. Others by this beginning understand God himself, who was