198 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [VeR. 6.
love and serve God, there are notliing but obstinate purposes to do evil, and endeavours to hinder the glory of God and the good of man, 1 Peter v. 8, lest we should enjoy that happiness which he hath left. Hence those titles given them in scripture, as devil, Rev. xii. 9, which signifieth a slanderer ; Satan, which signifieth an enemy ; the tempter. Mat. iv. 1, because he daily soliciteth us to evil; 6 Trovrjpo^, the evil one, Mat. v., being full of wickedness himself, he maketh it his study and care to propagate it in others; Belial, 2 Cor. vi. 15, unprofitable, as good for nothing ; airoXkiKov the destroyer, because he worketh mis- chief ; the old serpent, Eev. xii. 6, because under the shape of the serpent he poisoned Eve. As to their power, it is much broken and limited ; they are held in the chains of providence ; they could not do hurt to the herd of swine without permission, Luke viii. 26. (5.) Though they have lost much of the glory and power annexed to their habitation, yet many tokens of the divine image do as yet remain in them. Holiness is, as we said, utterly lost — 'he sinneth from the begin- ning,' 1 John iii. 8, that is, doth nothing else but sin ; and Aquinas saitli well, Hoc est angelis cas2is, quod homijiihus mors — their fall into sin to them is as death to us ; but now in other things they have much left ; as man after his fall is like a drifted picture, and had only enough left to show what he once was, so the angels, though they are much fallen from the excellency of their nature, yet there is enough left to show that once they were glorious creatures. That which remaineth may be referred to two heads — their great cunning and active power. (1.) Their knowledge and cunning is great; they have much natural and experimental knowledge, so as they can discern hidden causes and virtues which escape the flight of man's reason and understanding ; they know how to apply active to passive things, can guess notably at future events ; but as for a certain knowledge of them, unless of such things as depend upon necessary causes, that is proper to God, and accordingly he challengeth it : Isa. xii. 23, ' Show the things that are to come, that we may know that ye are gods,' &c. Therefore the devil's oracles were either false or doubtful, as 1 Kings xxii. 16. Great skill in arts and tongues they have, as appeareth by their teaching those things with wonderful facility to those that have familiarity with them. In divine things they know enough of God and his justice to feel a horror impressed upon themselves,^ James ii. 19 ; Luke iv. 34 ; Acts xix. 15. Besides they are of wonderful sagacity to judge of men's hearts by the gestures, the motion of the blood and spirits, and other such external signs, for directly they do not know the thoughts ; that is the privilege of God. (2.) Their power is great still, though limited, so that it cannot be exercised but when and where and as God will. They are able to raise tempests, to bring fire from heaven, as they did to ruin Job's house and children, Job i. ; they can deceive with lying miracles, but true miracles can only be wrought by a divine power. Being of much sagacity and skill in the secrets of nature, they may poison the air, destroy the bodies of men, infest and trouble beasts and cattle ; in short, do all that lieth within the compass of a natural cause where God permitteth. Again, tliey may possess the bodies of men, hinder the godly in the execution of
^ See my notes on James ii. 19.
VeR. 6.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 199
their duty ; overrule the spirits of wicked men, and act and stir them up to wrath, lust, filthiness, Eph. ii. 3, besot them with error, &c. : it ■would require a distinct discourse to open this power to you. They cannot create new beings, nor raise dead bodies, nor compel the will of man ; they can do mira, but not miracula, &c. Let me now come to observe somewhat of practical concernment from what hath been spoken,
1. That God hath proper places where the creatures shall perform their duty and enjoy their happiness. As the angels had heaven, which was cSlov olKr}T7)pcov, their proper place, so Adam had paradise, and the saints the church. It is misery enough to be thrown out of that place where God manifesteth himself ; he that was cast out of the church was ' given up to Satan,' 1 Cor. v. 5. In the church Christ ruleth ; in the world, Satan : it is good to keep to the shepherd's tents. Cant. i. 8. The angels left their ' first estate' at the same time that they lost * their own habitation.' It is dangerous to leave our own place, to be cast out of the congregations of the faithful, where God dwelletli and is glorified : ' He inhabiteth the praises of Israel,' Ps. xxii. 3 ; that is, in the church, where he hath praise and we have benefit : the church is ' the gate of heaven,' Gen. xxviii. 17 ; where God is, there heaven, is. Cain himself could bewail his misery in being turned out from the church ; he had the whole earth before him, but, saith he, ' I shall be hid from thy face,' Gen. iv. 14 ; that is, I am tuined out from the place of thy worship, and where thy name is called upon. It is sad to be banished from the Lord's gracious presence.