Aquin. 1. p. q. 63. and others. a. 2. Bern. in

c. 14. Ambros, in

in Es. 14. Au

Dei, c. 6.

Aquinas seems strongly to Cant, ser. 22. prove that it could be no other sin Greg.1.31. Moral. but pride. A spiritual nature, and Psal. 37. Hierom such is the angelical, can only, saith he, gust. 1. 1. de civ. affect some spiritual object, as being that which is only agreeable to it: now there can be no sin in affecting spiritual objects, which in themselves are good, unless it be because in affecting them the rule of the superior is therein not obeyed; and this is the sin of pride. For the proper object of pride, saith Cajetan, is something exceeding that measure prefixed and limited by God. Now as spiritual things cannot be excessive, nor can we have too much of them in respect of themselves, because the more of them the better, it follows, that then they are sinfully desired when they begin to exceed, and to become incommensurate to the Divine rule and dispensation; the affecting them in which in- | ordinate measure, namely, beyond the limits prescribed by God, was the sin of pride in the angels. Quid est superbia That this pride, then, or an affecting (as nisi perversæ cel Augustine calls it) of some spiritual tus Aug. de Civ. highness beyond the bounds of God's Dei, 1. 14. cap. 13. will, was the first sin, seems very probable by reason, but more than probable by that of Paul, I Tim. iii. 6, where the apostle gives this reason Ne ob superbiam Why a bishop must be no novice," Lest," incidat in eandem saith he, "being lifted up with pride he nam cum diabolo. fall into the condemnation of the devil:" Est. in loc. in which place I do not understand why the apostle expresses the condemnation or punishment of the devil to deter from pride, unless the devil had fallen into condemnation for that sin, and unless the apostle had intended to show the danger of being proud, by setting down the punishment of Satan for that sin.

situdinis

damnationis pœ

But more particularly, if it be inquired wherein this pride of the angels consisted, and what that highness was which they affected beyond their measure, I think the answer can be but conjectural and uncertain.

Some conceive that it was revealed to the angels soon after their creation, that the human nature should in time be hypostatically united to the Divine; that the Son of God, in human nature, should be the Head of men, yea, of angels; that hereby man's nature was to be exalted above the very angels, and that they were commanded to worship and submit to him, Heb. i. 6. Hereupon, say some, they desired that the dignity of this union with the Divine might be afforded to their own angelical nature. But, say others, they refused to consent and submit to God's pleasure in the former discovery: in this, say they, Vid. Zanch. de stood the pride of angels. And of this opinion is Zanchy, whose chief argument is taken from that deadly hatred which Satan has ever put forth against the doctrines of the person and offices of Christ, and his incessant opposition to believing and affiance in him.

op. Dei.

Others conjecture, for indeed none on this point can do much more, that the angels desired to be equal with God, and that they aspired to the Divinity itself. And here they distinguish between a twofold will in the angels. I. A will of efficacy, which others term a will of intention. 2. A will of delight and complacency. According to the former, they say that the angels did not desire to be equal with God, as if they had intended or used means to attain to Divinity; for this the angels knew was absolutely impossible: but according to the latter will of complacency, they say, the angels might desire to be equal to God; namely, wish it as a pleasing and delightful thing to them as a sick, a dying man, who despairs of recovery, and desires health without using means to

procure it, because he judges it impossible to be obtained, yet as a good and most pleasing benefit; and thus, they say, these angels had this will of delight, or a velle conditionatum, such a will, whereby, if it had been possible to have attained to the Divinity, they would have used means to have Scotus in 1. 2. done it and this was the opinion of Sent. dist. 6. Scotus, and after him of sundry others, stius in dist. 6. who consider the temptation that Satan laid before our first parents, "Ye shall be gods;" and afterward, being blinded with pride, his endeavouring to have Christ worship him, and his propagating the adoration of himself among heathens, under the names of sundry gods.

$6.

Sua potestate dectati, velut, boipsi essent, a su innium beatifico dropria Aug. de Civ. Dei,

num suum sibi

periore communi

defluxerunt.

1. 12. c. 1.

way for angels to

The most probable opinion is that of Augustine, and after him Aquinas, Cajetan, and others, who think that the pride of the angels was in desiring and resting in their own natural perfection as their ultimate end. That as God is blessed by his own nature, having no superior from whom to draw his blessedness; so these angels desired to be, and would needs rest in the perfection of their own nature, neglecting It seemeth that that rule of their superior, whereby they there was no other were called to desire to attain super- sin, but by reflex natural blessedness by the grace of of their underGod. Or, as some express it, this pride themselves, who stood in staying within themselves, re- admiration of flecting upon their own excellency, ity and honour, and by consequence, affecting an in- their memory of dependence of any superior virtue in tion to God, and being and working, making themselves their dependency the first cause and the last end of their drowned in this own motions; for since next unto God upon their adoraevery reasonable created being is nearest unto itself, we cannot conceive how it should turn from God, and not in the next step turn unto itself.

standing upon

being held with

their own sublim

their subordina

on

conceit; where

tion, love, and could not choose but be also interrupted. Hooker, 1. 1. 14.

imitation of God

Nemo sanæ fidei

credit apostatas at insti correcta aliquan

nam pietatem

do voluntate con107. Prosp. I. I.

c. 3.

III. The degree and measure of the defection of these angels. They fell finally, they "kept not," &c., they "left their," &c., they quite forsook God, his image, heaven itself, and that office verti, Aug, ep. therein assigned unto them. And as de vit, contempt. the holy are confirmed in goodness, so the fallen angels are hardened in the love of that which formerly they chose. This is intended by Christ, in those words, "There is no truth in him," John viii. 44; they cannot so much as will to do well, but immovably cleave to wickedness. These trees, as they have fallen, so they lie. Angels went so far, that they never turn; they fell so low, they never arise. This is proved from their eternal misery, which the Scripture mentions in this verse, and elsewhere frequently; this everlastingness of their punishment including the perpetuity of their sinning; and such an eternal forsaking of them by God, that they shall never have righteousness repaired in them again. The schoolmen are too curious in inquiring into the ground of this total and final fall of the angels into sin. Aquinas and his fol- Dæmones nec lowers hold that their obstinacy pro- maa unqua ceeds from the very nature of the wills possunt carere of angels, according to which (say they) poena. Vid. angels are so inflexible and immovable, Aquin. at 1. p. that they can never hate that which once they have chosen, nor choose that which once they have hated; but, as I conceive, Valentia Angeli boni non overthrows this opinion, by arguing, habent ex sua that if the immutability of the good bilitatem ex bono angels from good to evil be not from sola gratia, qui nature, but from grace only, who with tamen cum plena full deliberation chose that which nun eligerunt,

voluntate, nec

q. 61. a. 2.

natura, immuta

in malum, sed ex

deliberatione, bo

afque ita nec mali sua, immutabili tatem ex malo in

habent natura

bonum, sed ex sola privatione

Valent. Disp. 4. q. 15. punct. 2.

Was good, then the immutability of the evil angels from evil to good comes not from nature, but from the just and total privation of grace. Others of them asgratie. Greg. de sert, that God preserves in the wills of devils a hatred of himself, and that this preservation is an act of punitive justice, and that God causes that wicked habit in the wills of the devils, whereby they are necessarily inclined to sin; and this impious opinion is asserted by Occham, Biel, and Aureolus; which I note by the way, as wishing that while the papists behold a supposed mote in the eye of holy Calvin, they would observe those real beams which are in the eyes of their own most famous schoolmen, as to this point of making God the author of sin. But those who speak more modestly and piously than either of the former, give this reason of the obstinacy of the fallen angels; namely, the total and perfect privation of all holiness: which is considerable, (I.) On their part; and

fectiva.

so it is that defective and depraved Qualitas de- quality, as Junius calls it, that utter impotency to all good, intended by those words of our Saviour, "There is no truth in him," and flowing from that defection, as its fountain, called by our Saviour a not abiding in the truth; and here by Jude, a not keeping their first estate which defection is so set down by Jude, saith Junius, as that this total impotency to, and privation of, all good in the angels is also comprehended. For (saith he) what they kept not they ceased to have, and were deprived of; and what they were deprived of they lost totally, párak, as he expresses it, once for all, as those who deprived their very nature of it. And since the nature of these angels, though it cannot be holy, yet also cannot be idle, it inclines incessantly to the contrary of that of which it was deprived, there following effects of the same kind with this constant privation. (2.) On God's part, who has determined never to bestow upon the fallen angels relief and assistance for their recovery, which being denied to them, it is impossible that ever they should turn from their sin to God, but to deliver them totally up to the bent of their own depraved nature. God having so laid out their state, and ordered the nature thereof, that their fall should be the term of their being holy; and it is natural for every thing not to move when once arrived at its term, but there to stop; and that as the end of life is the term beyond which God will not casus, quod ho- offer to sinners his grace, so that the minibus mors. fall should even be the same to the angels as death is to man.

Hoc est angelis

Obs. 1. The best of created perfections are of themselves defectible. Every excellency, without the prop of Divine preservation, is but a weight which tends to a fall. The angels in their innocency were but frail without God's sustentation. Even grace itself is but a creature, and therefore purely dependent. It is not from its being and nature, but from the assistance of something without it, that it is kept from annihilation. The strongest is but a weakling, and can of himself neither stand nor go alone: let the least degree of grace make thee thankful, let not the greatest make thee proud. He that stands should "take heed lest he fall," 1 Cor. x. 12. What becomes of the stream, if the fountain supply it not? what continuance has the reflection in the glass, if the man who looks into it turn away his face? The constant supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ are the food, the fuel of all our graces. The best men show themselves but men if God leave them; he who has set them up, must also keep them up. It is safer to be humble with one talent, than proud with

ten; yea, better to be a humble worm than a proud angel.

risiens.

Obs. 2. Nothing is so truly base and vile as sin. It is that which has no proper being, and is below the lowest of all creatures; its very nature stands in the defection of nature, and privation of goodness: what is it but the deflouring and fall, the halting and deformity, of the creature? So obscure is its extract, that there can be no being properly assigned to it as its original cause. It came not from nature as it was, but as it was of nothing. Sin alone debases and disennobles nature. What prodigious folly is it to be patient under it, much more to be proud of it! what generous, princely spirit can contentedly be a servant of servants? A slave to sin is guilty of a more unsuitable condescension; sin alone is the soul's degradation. We never go below ourselves but in sinning against God. They who glory Omnis elongatio in sin, glory in their shame; they who abaissist are ashamed of holiness, are ashamed descensio. Paof their glory. Sin removes from the highest, and therefore it must needs be a descending. Obs. 3. In defection from God there is an imitation of Satan. He was the first who left his "first estate." Every backslider follows Satan, though every one goes not so far as he; all decays in holiness are steps towards his condition. Satan's chiefest industry is to pull others after him; he loves to have followers, and not to be sinful and miserable alone, Luke xxii. 31. If he can make men decline in grace, he can be contented to let them thrive in the world; he cares for no plunder but that of jewels; and being the greatest enemy, he studies to deprive us of our greatest happiness. Christians! of all decays, take heed of those that are spiritual. Better to lose thy gold than to lose thy God; to be turned out of thy house, than to part with holiness and heaven. He that loses all the comforts in the world can but be a beggar, but he who forsakes God becomes a devil. Of this largely before.

Obs. 4. It is difficult to be high, and not to be high-minded; to be adorned with any excellencies, and not unduly to reflect upon them. It is a natural evil to make ourselves the centres of our own perfections, to stay and rest in our excellencies. Men of

militatis mater.

power are apt to deify their own strength, 2 Kings xviii. 33, 34, 45; men of morality to advance their own righteousness, and to rely on their merits, Rom. x. 3; Phil. iii. 6, 9; men of wisdom to set up their own reason. How just is it with God to hinder the creature from encroaching upon his own prerogative; to make those low, who otherwise would not be lowly; and to let them Humiliatio huknow that they are but men! Psal. ix. 19, 20. God singles out such to be the most notable monuments of his justice, and their own folly, who vie with him in Divine prerogatives, Acts xii. 23. If God has appointed that we should go out of ourselves to things below for a vital subsistence, to bread for food, to clothes for warmth, &c., much more will he have us to go out of ourselves for a blessed and happy subsistence; more being required to blessedness than to life. It is the poor who commits himself to God, Psal. x. 14. Nothing will make us seek for help above ourselves, without an apprehension of weakness in ourselves, Zeph. iii. 12; Hos. ii. 7. The vine, the ivy, the hop, the woodbine, are taught by nature to cling and to wind about stronger trees. Men commit themselves to the sea naked, and do not load themselves with gold, treasure, and rich apparel. How fearful should poor worms be of that sin which God allowed not in angels, and whereby they became devils! Let us "be clothed with humility,” 1 Pet. v. 5. The adorned with this grace are only

meet to attend upon the King of glory; even an archangel, Michael, has humility imprinted on his name. Humility is the ornament of angels, and pride the deformity of devils. If heaven will not keep a proud angel, it will keep out a proud soul. In all conditions of highness, we should take heed of highmindedness. As, (1.) In the highness of worldly advancements: poverty and disgrace are the food of humility; riches and honour are the fuel of pride. I have read of a bird that is so light and feathery, that it always flies with a stone in its mouth, lest otherwise the winds should carry it away. In high conditions we shall be carried away with pride, unless we carefully keep our hearts. David and Asa were both lifted up in their outward greatness. It is hard to walk in slippery places of prosperity, and not to slip by pride: we commonly most forget God and ourselves when he remembers us most. (2.) In the highness of raised endowments, abilities, and performances. It is said of Nazianzen, that he was high in his works, and lowly in his thoughts; a rare temper! our very graces and good works not seldom occasion pride. I have heard of a man who having killed an elephant with his weapon, was himself killed with its fall. And nothing is more ordinary than for high services, possibly the conquest of some corruption or temptation, to usher in that pride which may hurt the performers. We should know our good works as if we knew them not. It is a rare and noble temper, when that worth which all others observe is only hid tuam te solum la- to him in whom it is. How few are tere sanctitatem. there who hide their beautiful endowments by humility, as Moses's parents did their beautiful son for safety; and with Moses, when he spake with God, pull off their shoes, and hide their faces; uncover and acknowledge the lowness, the infirmities, and cover the beauty and comeliness of their services! When Satan spreads our gifts and graces, let us spread our sins, our weaknesses, before our eyes; and so the soul may have its ballast evenly proportioned, and on both sides. There is no poison hurts so dangerously, although delightfully, as the contemplation of and reflection on our seeming deservings. Scotus calls the sin of the Scotus, dist. 6. angels luxuriam spiritualem, a kind of spiritual luxury, whereby they were too much delighted with their own excellencies. It is only a Christian of strong grace that can bear the strong wine of his commendations without the spiritual intoxication of pride. It is as hard humbly to hear thyself praised, as it is patiently to hear thyself reproached. That minister, of whom I have heard, was a rare example of humility, who being highly applauded for a sermon preached in the university, was by a narrow observer soon after found weeping in his study, for fear that he had sought, or his auditors unduly bestowed upon him, applause. How heavenly was the temper of John the Baptist, when he said, Christ shall increase, but I shall decrease! It was a

Magna et rara virtus, manifesfam omnibus,

q. 2. art. 2.

good fear of Luther, namely, lest the Luth, pref. in reading of his books should hinder people from reading the Scriptures. Would we account ourselves nothing, (and indeed in ourselves we are so,) we should think it as ridiculous a thing to be solicitous for our own, as for that man's honour who is not yet created.

Obs. 5. The better the persons are who become wicked, the more obstinate they are in wickedness. When angels fall into sin, they continue in it with pertinacy the hottest water cooled becomes the coldest. They whose light of knowledge is most angelical, sin with highest resolution, and strongest opposition against the truth. The greater the weight

:

ness.

of that thing is which falls, the more violent is its fall, and the greater is the difficulty to raise it up again. They who leave God notwithstanding their clear light, are justly left by God to incurable darkNone should so much tremble at sin as those who are enlightened; obstinacy is most like to follow their impiety. It may be impossible to recover them. Seducers, saith the apostle, wax worse and worse, and do not only show themselves men in erring, but devils in persevering. But of this before, ver. 4.

Obs. 6. The happiness of believers by Christ is greater than that of angels merely as in the state of nature. These had a power to stand or fall, we by Christ have a power whereby we shall stand and never fall. By creation, the creature had a power either to abide with God, or to depart from him; but by regeneration, that fear of God is put into the hearts of his people whereby they shall not depart from God, Jer. xxxii. 40. And this power of not falling is in them indeed, but not from them. The faithful 66 are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation," I Pet. i. 5. They are stablished, settled, strengthened, 1 Pet. v. 10. Created will has a power to will to persevere in that which is good, but it hath not the will itself to persevere, neither the act of perseverance, as the regenerate will hath. Of this before, p. 19, 21, 24, 25.

Thus far of the first part of this verse, viz. the defection of these angels. The second follows, namely, their punishment; and herein first, that of the prison is considerable; which is twofold. I. "Everlasting chains." II. "Darkness."

I. For the first, "Everlasting chains." It may here be inquired,

centes, utque fert

sava

in Herc. Fur.

1. What we are to understand by these chains. 2. How and why these chains are everlasting. 1. What is meant by "chains." The word in the original is depois, in bonds, which bonds are not to be taken literally for those material instruments or bonds whereby things are bound, that they may stand firm and steady, or persons are hindered from acting what they would, or drawn whither they would not; but metaphorically, as are also those chains into which Peter saith these fallen angels were delivered, for that condition of punishment and woe wherein they shall remain like prisoners in bonds, 2 Pet. ii. 4. The metaphor being taken from the Certus inclusos estate of malefactors, who in prison are tenet locus nobound with chains to hinder them from famia, implos suprunning away, that so they may be kept picia perpetu to the time of judgment and execution; domant. Senec. or who by the mittimus of a justice are sent to the gaol, there to lie in chains till the sessions. And thus these angels are kept in chains or bonds of three sorts. (1.) They are in the chain of sin, bound by the bond of iniquity, as the phrase Σύνδεσμος ἀδικίας. is, Acts viii. 23; and Prov. v. 22, the wicked are said to be holden with the cords of their sins and deservedly may sins be called bonds or chains, they both holding sinners so strongly, as that without an omnipotent strength they can never be loosed, as also being such prison-bonds as go before their appearing at the bar of the last and dreadful judgment. The bonds of sin wherein wicked men are held, are often by the goodness and power of God loosed; but the bonds of sin wherein wicked angels are held shall be everlasting: there is, and ever shall be, a total inability in those cursed creatures to stir hand or foot in any well-doing; they are in arcta custodia, close prisoners in these chains of iniquity, staked down, wedged, wedded to sin, chained as it were to a block: hence it is said, 1 John iii. 8, that "the devil sinneth from the beginning;" whereby may be noted, not only how early he began, but also

Non dicit apostolus, peccavit

ab initio, sed pecdiabolus peccare

cat: nam ex quo

cœpit, nunquam peccare desinit. Bed.

41.

Quod aufertur nocendi potestas,

mento reputant.

Sent.

how constantly he proceedeth in sin: for (as Bede well observes) it is not said he sinned, but he sinneth from the beginning; to note, saith he, that since he began, he never ceased to sin: he keeps no holy-days, makes no cessation from pride and other impieties; and as He sleeps not who keeps, so neither doth he who opposes Israel; he goeth about seeking, &c., 1 Pet. v. 8. To this purpose our Saviour saith, John viii. 44, the devil hath no truth in him, to note his utter impotency, saith Vid. Jun. in Jud. Junius, to any thing of goodness and integrity; and "when he speaks a lie, he speaketh of his own," according to his custom and disposition; and when he speaks truth, he borrows it, to the end he may deceive. Satan cannot lay down his sinful inclination; he is totus in mendaciis deCalv.in Joh. vni. libutus, saith Calvin, stained and soaked in sin. In a word, this chain of sin, which he has put on, he never can or will put off. (2.) These false angels are in and under the chains of God's power; the strong man is bound by a stronger than himself. The old dragon was bound for a thousand years, Rev. xx., and the chain which curbed him was the power of God: this power hinders him both from escaping the evil which he undergoes, and from effecting and causing that evil which he desires. Satan will for ever be miserable in sustaining what he would not, pro maximo tor- and in not obtaining what he would: Esti. p. 60. in 2. the impossibility of his being happy necessarily follows his impotency to be holy, purity being the path to blessedness. All the forces of hell cannot scale the walls of heaven. There is a gulf fixed between fallen angels and happiness which they can never pass over; as they can never return to God so as to love him, so never so as to enjoy him. They are debarred from these joys unavoidably which they forsook voluntarily; nor is it a small matter of their punishment to be curbed against the bent and violent inclination of their own will, from stirring a hair's breadth for hurting any further than God lengthens their chains. How painful a vexation is it to Satan, that he cannot hurt the soul by affrighting, alluring, and seducing, nor our bodies by diseases and pains, nor our estates by losses, nor our names by disgraces, unless our God gives him chain! "Satan hath desired to have you," &c., saith Christ, Luke xxii. 31. And when Satan besought Christ not to torment him, Luke viii. 28, it is by many interpreted, that the torment aboli erat exire ab against which he prayed was his ejection bomine, nec posse out of the possessed, whereby he was to Vid. Est. in Sent. be hindered from doing the hurt which he desired; it being immediately subjoined by the evangelist, "For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man:" and whereas the devils further desired Christ that he "would not command them to go out into the deep," ver. 31, Calvin, with others, refer this petition to the great desire of the devils to continue among men, to annoy and molest them. They grieved, saith aby ssum demer. Calvin, to think of being cast into the gi, in qua ablata deep, wherein they could not have so perdendi facultas. much power and opportunity of doing harm to men, the destruction of men being the delight of the devil. And this seems further to be confirmed by the words of Mark, who saith the devils desired that Christ "would not send them out of the country," Mark v. 10; whereby they would want opportunities of doing harm to the souls and

Tormentum di

ei diutius nocere.

ibid.

Dolet illis in

sit lædendi et Calv.

able part of his torment, whose work is to go about, "seeking whom he may devour."

viii. 29.

(3.) The fallen angels are in and under the chain of their own guilty consciences. These, by the tenor of God's justice, bind them over to destruction; they know they are adjudged to damnation for their sins. Let them be where they will, in the earth or air, these chains of guilty consciences bind them over to judgment; they can no more shake off these than leave themselves. In these the devils are bound like madmen; they must endure what they cannot endure. The devils fear and tremble, James ii. 19: horror is the effect of diabolical assent. How evidently did this guilty trembling appear, when they ask Christ whether he was come to torment them before their time! The sight of the Judge, saith Calvin on the place, made Caly, in Matt. these guilty malefactors tremble at the thoughts of their punishment; their evil conscience told them, Christ being silent, what they deserved. As malefactors, when they are brought to the bar, apprehend their punishment, so did these devils at the sight of their Judge. The fallen angels shall ever contemplate what they have done, and how they have sinned; as also what they shall undergo, and how they shall suffer: and hereby, as God delivers the damned men into the hands of guilty angels, so he delivers guilty angels over to themselves to be their own tormentors. This fiery furnace of a tormenting conscience, which of all others Dæmones quois the most scorching and scalding, every cunque abeant, devil shall carry in his bosom. This in- gant, suum secum ward and silent scourge shall torment fernum. Beda in him, this arrow shall stick in his side, c 3. Jacobi. this vulture shall prey, this worm shall 64. Art. 4. ad ob. gnaw, and this hell shall he carry about 3. Groc ab him wherever he comes though he ternus a semper. may change his place, yet he never upon the place changes his state. As the happiness of mentions a ronthe good angels is not diminished when which ador they come to us, and are not actually in of a and fotos, as the heavenly place because they know the word should themselves blessed; (as the honour of own such chains a king is not impaired, though actually to them by nature, he sits not in his chair of state;) so but were put upneither is the misery of the wicked their sinning as angels lessened, when they are not fren.1.3. c. 33. actually in the very place of the tor- Greg. 1. 4. Mor. mented in hell, because they know that 2. c. 21. Cur eternal woes are due to them; as the Sicut ceciderunt scorching distemper of one in a burn- nullo alio nocening fever is not removed, though he be nullo alio a ju placed in a bed of ivory, or the most debent. Aug refreshing place.

ubicunque decircumferunt in

c.

áci, sicut semptThough Lorinus

ceit, according to should be derived

signify [not their

as belonged not

on them after

a punishment.

cap. 10. Ansel. Deus, homo.

te ut caderent, ita

vante, resurgere

Enchur. c. 29.

2. The second particular to be explained is, How and why these chains are everlasting?

By the word in the original, aidious, which signifies always continuing, perpetual, is intended that the forementioned chains shall never be shaken off; and that these angels shall stand guilty for ever, expecting the last judgment, despairing, and without any hope of recovery and redemption, they having no Saviour, nor any means allowed them by God for their release. And if it be here demanded, why the fallen angels, rather than fallen man, stand guilty for ever without any deliverance or hope of recovery, it is by several differently answered.

1. Some say, Because man was seduced to sin; but the devil sinned merely by his own will, without instigation from any other; he fell alone, and must, if at all, rise alone.

2. Others say, Because in the fall of angels the whole angelical nature of angels perished not; but the first man sinning, the whole human nature had

Ανεπίδεκτος μετ τανοίας ὁ ἄγγε

ματος, ὁ γὰρ

θένειαν, τῆς μετ Taroias ETXE ὅπερ έστι τοῖς ἀνθρώποις ὁ θά

perished, if the goodness of God had not afforded a remedy: "In Adam all die," 1 Cor. xv. 22. 3. Others say, That the nature of the angels being more excellent and subXos, OT Kai uo- lime, their fault was more damnable por dia Thy than that of man; and that so much To the more ungrateful to God were they in their fall than man, by how much the more bountiful in their creation γατος, τούτο, τοῖς God was to them than to man. But I Damas humbly conceive we may more safely Fid, cap. 3 & 4. say with Gerhard, It is better thankGerh. in 2 Pet. ii. fully to acknowledge the love of God to mankind in affording him a recovery, than curiously to search into the depths of Divine judgments without the warrant of the word, Deut. xxix. 29.

ἀγγέλοις ἡ ἔκα

πτώσις.

cen. 1. 2. Orth.

Obs. 1. They whose course and trade of life is in sin most resemble Satan. Sin is a chain to the godly, to weary and trouble them; but it is a chain | to the devil and wicked men, wholly to subdue them to its power and obedience. The holiest may sometimes fall into sin, but the ungodly only live and lie in sin. The godly are like a sheep, which sometimes may slip, and be tumbled into a dirty ditch; but the wicked are as swine, who tumble and wallow in the ditch. The former beat themselves with striving to get out, the latter are ready to beat and hurt any who labour to help them out. The former cry out of sin and sinning, as their torment; the latter, like the devil, when any go about to reform and hinder them from sin, cry out, What have we to do with you? are you come to torment us before our time? The godly sin, but the wicked are ipyalóμtvo, workers of iniquity, witty and skilful practitioners in impiety. Sin is the woe of a saint, and the work of a sinner: to the former, it is a thorn in the eye; to the latter, as a crown upon the head. In the former sin is, but the latter are in sin: a sober man may have drink in him, but the drunkard only is in drink. A saint, when he sins, is as a poor child when he falls into a pond of water; but a wicked man as a fish in the water, sports and swims in sin as his element; his bibere is his vivere, he drinks in sin as the fish drinks in water. A sinner performs good duties by fits and starts, but sin is his course and standing employment; a saint sins by fits, but holiness is his course, and he walks with God, though sometimes he is drawn away by a temptation. Oh that they who live in sin, cannot sleep unless they sin, who are sick, with Amnon, till they have satisfied their lusts; who can walk in sin from morning to night, week after week, year after year; yea, and if they had more lives, they would do so life after life; would consider who is their father, and whom they resemble, and never be at rest till they get from under the cruel slavery of sin into the service of Jesus Christ, which is the true and only liberty! And let them fear lest the Lord at length give them up to final obstinacy, and say in his wrath, Thou that art filthy, be filthy still, Rev. xxii. 11; my Spirit shall never more strive with thee; I will never give one blow more to knock off thy chains, but they shall be like the devil's, everlasting chains; and thou who holdest thy sin so fast here upon earth, shalt be held and bound by that chain for ever in hell.

Obs. 2. Torments cannot reform devils. Hellish horrors cannot change hellish hearts. Sinners will not be persuaded, either by the rising of one from the dead, or their own remaining among the damned. The braying of sinners in a mortar cannot make their folly depart from them. Outward troubles may break the back; only God, by his supernatural working, can melt the heart. Notwithstanding_smiting, people may revolt more and more, Isa. i. 5. After

all the repeated plagues upon Pharaoh and Egypt, their hearts were hard. And though God battered the Israelites with successive judgments, yet he testifies, they returned not to him, Amos iv. 8. Judgments move only by way of outward and objective persuasion, they cannot reach, really work upon, or turn the heart. The smartest outward poverty cannot make a man poor in spirit. The glorified angels are humble in the joys of heaven, the devils are proud in the torments of hell. It is not the inflicting, but the sanctifying of troubles that can benefit us. Whenever the Lord chastens us, let us beseech him likewise to teach us, Psal. xciv. 12; otherwise we shall continue unreformed.

Obs. 3. Restraint much differs from reformation. Devils may have a chain upon them, and yet no change within them. A necessitated forbearance of sin may accompany a devilish nature; Divine chastisements and human laws may hide sin, and hinder sinning; but it is only a principle of renovation whereby we hate sin. Let none please himself with such a conversion as that to which he is forced by his earthly superiors. They who only leave sin because men forbid it, will, upon the same ground, be brought to forsake any way of holiness. And yet what is the religion of the most, but a mere restraint? and hence it is that so many have proved apostates: constrained goodness is never constant. The fear of man's laws may make a good subject, it is only the fear of God in the heart that makes a good Christian. Obs. 4. Satan can do nothing but by God's permission. God keeps him in a powerful chain. Wicked angels are potent, only a good God is omnipotent. When God gives way, one devil may overthrow a legion, a million of men; but till God lengthens out his chain, a legion of devils cannot hurt one man, nay, not a silly beast, Matt. viii. 31. God who made can ruin them; and would do so, were he not able to overrule them, and to advance his own glory against, nay, by all their endeavours, 1 Kings xxii. 21; Job i. 12. The consideration of this should both quiet and counsel us. (1.) Quiet us, because our worst enemy is wholly in the power of our best Friend. Satan takes out a new commission from God for every undertaking against us; and, as Christ told Pilate, he could have no power over us, unless it were given him from above. It was in the power of Satan to carry Christ up, but not to cast him down: he that fears God neither need nor will fear Satan. As the rage of men, so that of devils, shall also praise God, and the residue thereof will he restrain. (2.) Counsel us, to take heed of that heathenish error whereby men commonly give the honour due to God to conjurers and impostors; and of that common fault among Christians, in being more angry with the instrument than patient under the hand that smites them.

Non extorquet a

Non potest vin

tem. Hierom.

Obs. 5. Satan cannot hurt us, unless he gets us within the compass of his chain. If we go not to him, he cannot come to us. All the ways of Satan are deviations and swervings from the way and rule of the word. He who keeps in this way, and walks according to this rule, nobis consensum, keeps himself from the destroyer, and sed petit. Aug. peace shall be upon him. Satan was cere nisi volenfain to beg of Christ to cast down himself; he cannot cast us down, unless we cast down ourselves; he can suggest sin to us, he cannot force us to sin. No man is hurt but from himself, and out of the voluntary inclination of his own mind to evil. The devil cannot infuse wickedness into us, but only stir up wickedness in us; he cannot bend the will as God does, who by his own absolute power works in a way of creation in us; who without ourselves, and