2. God's love and mercy ; that should beget a fear, or an un- willingness to displease God : Hosea iii. 5, ' They shall fear the Lord and his goodness ;' not only abstain from sin (as a dog from the bait, for fear of a cudgel) out of bondage or servile fear, but out of a holy, childlike affection to God, and so do not only forbear sin, but abhor it. It is base and servile when we are moved with no other respects but our own danger. There is a holy fear, which ariseth from grace, and partly of nature : an archangel durst not, that is, the holiness of his nature would not permit him. There is a holy reverent fear, by which we fear to offend our good God as the greatest evil in the Avorld ; and it ariseth partly from the new nature, and partly from thankfulness to God, because of his mercy in Jesus Christ.
I have done with this note when I have told vou that boldness in
256 AN EXPOSITION, WITH NOTES, [YeR. 9.
sinning resembleth the devi], but a holy fear resembleth Michael. It is devil-like to adventure upon sin without fear and shame. Satan had the impudency to seek to defeat the Lord's purpose of burying the body of Moses, but the good angel, in opposing him, ' durst not bring a railing accusation.' Certainly they that * fear neither God nor man,' Luke xviii. 7, have outgrown the heart of a man, and are next to the devils. Many account it a praise to themselves when they are bold to engage in villanous actions and attempts. Oh ! to be ' presump- tuous and self-willed ' is the worst character that can be given to a man, 2 Peter iii. 10 ; a stubborn boldness argueth a seared conscience.
Ohs. 8. Once more from that, ovk iT6\p,7)(T€, he durst not ; that the angels are of a most holy nature, which will not permit them to sin : therefore they are called 'holy angels,' Mat. xxv. 31, and the devils ' unclean spirits.' In their apparitions they usually came in a garb that represented their innocency ; as at Christ's sepulchre there were ' two angels in white, the one at head, the other at feet, where Jesus had lain,' John xx. 12 So to Daniel : chap. x. 5, one appeared, ' having his loins girt with fine gold of Uphaz,' with long white robes ; gold, to show his majesty ; in white robes, as an emblem of purity and holiness : see Acts x. 30. Now this holiness they have partly by the gift of God in their creation. God made them so at the first, which may beget a hope in us men ; the same God must sanctify us that made the holy angels : surely he can wash us, though never so filthy, and ' make us whiter than snow,' Ps. li. 7. Partly by the merit of Christ, which reached to things in heaven as well as irf earth. Col. i. 20, Eph. i. 10. If those places be not cogent, but be thought to intend the glorified saints, yet because they are called ' elect angels,' 1 Tim. v. 21, and all election is carried on in and by Christ, Eph. i. 4, it seemeth probable at least that they have benefit by him ; yea, Heb. xii. 22, 23, they are made a part of that ' general assembly ' of which Christ is the head, and so by consequence they are members of the redeemed society ; which should encourage us the more to come to Christ. Angels have much of their whiteness from being washed in Christ's blood ; they are preserved in Jesus Christ as well as we, and have their confirmation from him, or else they had fallen with the other apostate spirits.
Again, this holiness is the more increased and augmented : —
1. By their constant communion with God, for their always behold- ing his face must needs beget the more holy awe and reverence : Michael durst not, &c. It is a great advantage to holiness to set God before our eyes, and to foresee him in all our ways : Ps. xviii. 23, ' I was upright before thee ; ' that is, the thought of his being before God made him more sincere : ' He that doth evil hath not seen God,' 3 John 11 ; that is, hath no acquaintance with him : the good angels, being so near the chief est good, are at the greater distance from evil,
2. By their continual obedience : ' They do his commandments, hearkening to the voice of his word,' Ps. ciii. 20. Exercise perfecteth and strengtheneth every habit. The angels, the more they do the will of God, the more they hate what is contrary to his will. The evil angels grow worse by frequent acts of spite and malice, and the good angels better by frequent acts of duty. For the first, see 1 John iii. 8,
YeR. 9.] UPON THE EPISTLE OF JUDE. 257
* The devil sianetli from the beginning.' Satan is still a-sinning, and his whole life a continued act of apostasy. So the good angels are always doing ; ' they rest not day and night,' Kev. iv. 8. Surely it will be a matter of great advantage to ' exercise ourselves unto godliness,' the greater wilfbe our hatred of sin, and delight in obedience ; as on the other side the exercising of the heart unto sin doth much strengthen and increase it, 2 Peter ii. 14. In heaven, where there is continual duty, there is no sin.