SERMON XXII.
Jon v. 18. Behold, he put no trust in his servants, and his angels he charged with folly. W. celebrate this day, the resurrection of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus, blessed for ever; and in his, ail ours; ail, that the resurrection of a]l persons; ail, that is, the resurrection of ail kinds, whether the resurrection from calamities in this world, Ezekiel's resurrection, where God says to him 1, Son of man, dost thou think, these scattered bones can lire again. Or the resur- seR. xxm] XRACHEV Or EASTER W. 40.9 rection from sin, St. John's resurrection s, Blessed is he that hath lais part in the first resurrection: or of the resurrection to glory, St. Paul's resurrection s, that is, more argued, and more particulady established, by that apostle, than by the test. This resurrection to glory, is the consummation of ail the others; therefore we look especially at this; and in this, out qualification in this state of glory, is thus expressed by out Saviour Christ himself, Erimns slcu an#di', In the resurrection, we shall be as the angels. And that we might not flatter ourselves in better estate, than the angels bave, in this text we bave an intimation, what their state and condition is, Beo/d, in his servants, and his an#els he char#ed itl folly. In out handling of these words, these shall be out two parts; of chom these words are spoken, and then of 'hat; first, is positively aid, and then, what is eonsequently inferred; proposed, and wha eoneluded; what of the angels, and then what of us, who daall be like the angels. In the firs, the persons of whom these words are spoken, beeause, though out interpreters vary in opinions, yet even from their various opinions, there arise good instructions, we shall rather problematically inquire, than dogmatieally establish, first, whether these words were spoken of angels, or no; whether this word angel, in this text, be not (as it is in nmny other places of Scriptures, and in the nature of the world itself) communicable to other servants, and other messengers than those, whom ordinarily we intend, when we ay angels and then second]y, if the vords be spoken of angels, then, whether of good or bad angels, of those which stand no', or those which fell at first; and again, if of those that stand, then what degree of perfection they have, and what that which ve use to call their confirmation, is, how it ccrues to them, and how it vorks in them, if even of them it be said, BIwld, le nt no trust in his servants, and Ms an#els le charyed vcitl folly. In out second part, what was inferred upon these premises, what was eoneluded out of these propositions, what refleeted upon us, by this assimilation of ours fo the angels, beeause if is a marrer of mueh weight, we shall first, in out entranee into that part, conaider the weight of the testimony, in the person that gives it; s Rev. xx. 5. s 1 Cor. 15. 4 Luke x 36.
430 CHEV o ,SE W«o [SS. XXn. for it is net Job himself that eaks these words; it is but one of bis friends; but Eliphaz, but the Temanite, a Gentile, a stranger ïroln the covenant and the church of God, and yet his words are part of the word of God..And tben for the matter that is inferred, frein out assimilation te the state of angels, will be fairly collected, that if those angels stand, but by the support of grace and net by anything inseparably inhering in their nature, when we are at out best, in heaven, we shail de but se neither; much less whilst we are upon earth, bave we in us any impossibility of thiling, by anything already donc for us; our standing is merely frein the grace of God, and thereforo let no man ascribe anything to himself; and Let ki» that standetl take teed lest ke fall; for God llath donc no more for the best of us, here ner hereafter,, than for those angels, and of them we hear here, Ite put o trust i Izls sertants, and kis anel he ckared with folly. First then, for out first disquisition, in out first part, de qtibus, tho persons of whom theso words are spoken. Amongst ail our expositors of this book of Job, (which are very many) and amongst ail authors, ancient and modern, which bave had occasion in their serinons and tractates te reflect upon this text, (which are many more, infinite I haro never observed more than one, that denies those words te bo spoken of angels, or that there is any mention, any intention, any intimation of angels, in theso words. And, (which is the greater wonder) this one single man, who thus departs tom ail, and prefers himself above ail, is no Jesuit neither; it is but a Capuchin, but Bolduc upon this book of Job, and yet ho adventures te say, That that person of whom it is said in this text, He lut o trust.bi his sérrants, ad Ire chared his antls ritlfolly, is net God; and that they of whom it is said, tic trusted tot hs sereatts, and hs anyels ke char.qed with atolly, are net angels; but that ail that Eliphaz intended in all this passage of Job, was no more but this, that no groat perso must trust in any kind of greatness, partictùarly net in great retinues, and dependeneies, of many servants, and poworful instruments, for that was Job's own case, and yet ho lest them ail. The doctrine truly is good; neither should I suddenly condemn his singularity, if it were well grounded. For, though in tho exposition of Scriptures, singularity always carry a suspicion
SK'Ro XXII.] PREACHED ON i.ASTER DAYo with it, singularity is bdcium, (s we say in the law) some kind of evidence, it is sei-¥robato, kind of half-proof aainst that man, that holds an opinion, or induces an interpretation different frein ail other men; yet as these v«hieh we eall indicia, in the law, work but se, as thrtt they mrty bring rt man te his oath, or, in oeme ertses, te the raek, and te torture, but are net alone uffieient te eondemn him; se if we find this singularity in any man, we take from thenee just occasion te question and sift him, and his doctrine, the more narrowly, but net only upon that, presently te eondemn hin. For this was St. Augustine's case; St. Augustine indueed new doctrines, in divers very important points, different frein all that had written belote him; but, upon due examination, for ail his singularity, the ehureh hrtth found reason te adhere te him, in those points, ever sinee his reasons prevailed. In out single Capuehin's case here in out text, it is net And therefore here we must continue that eomplaint, whieh we are often put te make, of the iniquity of the Roman ehurch te us; if the fathers seem te agree in any point, wherein we differ from them, they ery out, we depart frein the fathers; if we adhere te the fathers, in any Point, in whieh they differ from them, then they ery out, we forsake the chureh; still they press us with their Trent-eanon, you must interpret Seriptures aecording te the unanimous consent of the fathers, and yet they surfer a single Capuchin of their own, te depa' frein the fathers, and sons, frein the aneient and modern expositors in their own ehurch, and, I nmy add, frein the Holy Ghost too, frein the evident purpose and meaning of the place, in more places, than any author, whom I have seen, and in this, more than in any other place, when he says, with sueh assurance, that in these xvords, 11eFut o trust in his servants, and his anyels he charged with folly, there is no mention, no intentmn of God, or angels, but it is only spoken of men, of the infidelity of servants, and of the inseeurity of masters relying upon such dependeneies. We take this then, as ail de, ail, (for this single Capuchin nmkes no eonsiderable exception, more than a mole-hill te the roundness of the earth) te be spoken of angels, whieh was out first problem and disquisition; and out second is, being spoken of angels, of what angels they are spokcn, good or bad, of those that fell, or th that stooe. Here we meet th the me tub belote, sinlari. For, amongst aH otlr expositors upon this boek, ] bave hot obed any other than Calvin, to intenter this ç]ace, of the good angels, o & tat stand oenfirmed in gce. ot that Caban is to be let alone, in that opinion, thouh he were the only man, that thought that the good angels, considered in themselves, might be defective in the offices committed m them 'by God; for, itis evident that Origen in divers of his homilies un the book of h'umber in his twentieth, and twenty-two, and four, and twenty-sixth, and in his thieenth homily upon St. Luke, and evident that St. Hierome hielf upon the fir veroe of the sixth chapter of Micah, thought and taught, that those good angels whom God apints for the tuition of ceain men, and cein places, in this world, shall ve an account at the day of judent, of the execution of their ooe, whether the men committed to them, bave hOt fallen sometimes by their fat, and their dereliction; for so does he (and hot he only) underand that ploee, Tat we s£all judye t£e açae ; as lso, tse wor in the benning of the Revelation, which St. John is commanded by Chri, to wri to te anye of certain curces, that father, St. Hierome, interprets hot only of fiative, and memphorical angels, the bishops of those churches, but literally of the angels of heaven. So then Calvin is free from any singarity in that, that the d angels considered in themseh-es, may be defective; but because he may be singular in intereting this xt, of good angels, ( for aught I bave obse'ed he is) this singarity of his, may be a just rean of suspenSng o sent, but hot a jt tenon presently to condemn s exposition. The church nmst be ju to him, it was to St. Augustine, that is, to examine his grounds. And ty, his od is fait; his ound is m. It this, that though this seem to derogate from the honour of angels, that being coned, they should be subject to wknes yet, ys he, we must hot peert, nor force any place of Scri te, for the honour of the angeS. For indeed, the perveing, and forcing of Scriptures, for the over-honouring of sain, bath indu a chain of heresies in the Roman chch. And that se. xx.] Pecen os e«sTeR DV. 433 hls is s orcing o Scripure, undersand his ex o allen ngel» Clvin armes rafionall h rhose and« whch re spoen o here, are called he erras " G nd devls are but his slaves, not his seants; they execute his wi, but against their ll; good ange are the rvan of God; nor shM1 we eily final that tifle, Th« serran of God, applied to iH persons in the Scriptures. Therefore, ( he notes uoefuy) God doth hot charge angels in this text, with rebellion, or obstination, or any heinous crime, but only ith folly, weakne, infimfity, from whieh, in all degrees, none but God himself can free. Though therefore there be no such nessity of accepting this exposition, as should produce that confident ameveration whieh he cornes to, çubium non es, It tan admit no doubt, but this place must be th undemod, (for, by his favour, it may adroit doubt) yet neither is there any such neess in it, (because it is grounded upon truth, and all trufli is ancient) but that if may very wdl be reived; and therefore, as the oense that is most fit m advance his ppo at speaks if, (which is one principal thing to be eonsidered in eve ploee) as the sense that most conduces to Elipz's end, and prove tht which he innds to Job, vithout laying obligation upon any to think so, or imputation upon any that doth hot think so, we accept this inrpretation of these words; that they are spoken of angds, (which was out first) and of g angds, (which was out second disquisition) and now peed to out third, what their confirmation is, and how if wor, if for all at, God ut o trus i, tkos« serrants, but charyed the anyels witk folly. That Mooes did speak nothing of the fall, or of the confirmation of angels, may justly seem a eonvenient reason fo think, &at he meant to speak nothing of the emation of ange neither. If bloses had innded to bave told m of the ereation of angels, he would hnve told us of their fall, and confirmation o; as having told us so paiearly of the making of man, he tells us partieularly of the ffll of man, and the restitution of man, by the promise of a hlessiah in Padise. And therefore, that the angels are wrapped up in that word of 5Ioses, The kearens, and that they were ronde when the heavens VOL. L 2 t34 PREACED ON EA8TEI% DAYo [SR. were made or that they are wrapped up in that word of Moses, Te ligt, and tht they were nmde, when lht was ruade, s aH but conjectural, nd cloudy: neither doth any article of tht creed, which we ca The aostles', direct us upon ny comider tion of angels. That they were created long belote ths world, aH the Groek fathers of the Easrn church d constantlythink; and in the Western church, amont the Latin fathers, St. Jerome himoelf was no clear in it, as y, 'ew llia, orbi, ondm ipl.tur ainsi, Our world in hot yet sLx thousand years old, Et qantas aernitates, çuantas swculom orgies, ys tht father, What infinite revolutions of ages, what inite eternities, did the powers, and pfincipalities, and thrones, and angels of God, 'e God in before$ Theodoret that thinks noE so, thinks it hot against any a]iele of faith, to think tht it wss so. Aquinas, that thinks hot oe, will hot call it an error, to think oe, out of a reverence to Athanius, and Nazianzen, who did think so; for that is n hdelible character, which St. Jerome hath imprinted upon tho two fathers, that no nmn ever durst imputo error to Athnasius, or Nazianzen. Therefore St. Austino says meratdy, and th that discreet and charitable ternir which becomes every man, in tters that are hot fundamenta], Ut volet, usuise a«ipiat; I forbid no man, sys he, either opinion, that the nls were ruade before the world, or with it; Dm on Deo coa¢eros, et de era dicitate securo» on amblgat; Only this I forbid him, that he do hot believe the angels to be coeternal with God; for, if they were nevcr ruade, but subsist of themoelves, en they are God, if they be hot creatures, thcy are creators; and then, this I forbid him too, mys he, that he do hot think the angels now in any danger of falling. So that St. Augustine makes tlfis matter of faith, that the nls cannot fall; nor hath St. Auino any adversaD-in that point; wo only inquire how they acqred this infallibility, and assurance in their station. For, if they were ruade so long before this world, nd fell when this world was ruade, since they that had oed so long, fell then, why may hot they that stand yet, fall now$ They are supoaed and estabfifled by a confiation, says the oehod; and that is our prescrit and ordinary answer; and it is enough; but how, or when was this confirmatioR sealed upon them, or how doth it work in them, if God de no ye trust these servants, but charge these angel8 eith folly? That the angels were ereated viatore#, and net beatl, in a posfibility of everlauting blesuedneuu, but ROt in actual posseuuion of if, admitn no doubt, beeaune ome of them did aetual/y t'al/. Of whom St. Augustine ayu, Beatw itw dulcedinem non guntaverunt, necfantidiverunt acceTtam; The angels had net already fed upon manRa, and then were weary of that; /Vor ex eo quod acceperant, cecid«rttnt, sed ex eo, quod, ni nubdi Deo volMssent, accepissent, They fell net frein that hich they were corne te, but fmm that, te which, if they had applied themnelven te God, they should haro corne. Se that then, they were net created in a state of blesnednens, but in a way te it; and tlaere was in them Pinguedo iritus (as St. Jerome ays e|egantly ) they were mere npirits but if we compare them with God, there was a certain fleshline, mys he, a certain fatnesn, a nlipperiness of falling into a worne state, for anything that mas in their Rature; and thc nature of those that fell, and thone that stood, in all one, neither is their Rature that de stand, changed by ¢he beneflt of their confirmation. Hence in if, that the fathers are both o evident, and oe concurrent in that asnertioR, that an angel is a npirit, Gratla, et non nat:«ra immortalitatem suncipien , that is, immortal, but immortal by additional ace, and Rot by nature. Take it in the eldest ; Imnoetalitas eorum ex aliena vohmtate pendet, Thcy bave an imnmrtality, but dependent upon the will of another. And agreeably te them another , Quia ort«m labuerunt, occidere possunt, Because the anoeln were produced of nothing, they may Le reduced te Rothing; for, çolus Deus zaturaliter irnrnortali, ays that father, Only God in immortal in himself, and by nature. And bring if frein the ehler te later fathers, still we slaall meet that which wan naid before by them, and St. Bernard says after, lon creati, sed facti inmortales, They were net ereated at first, but marie immortal ai'ter. Whieh St. Hierome earrieu even te a npiritual death, the death of sin; Licet 9on yeccent, eccati tamen sut CaTaCeS, says he; Though angels de net fin, if they were left te themoelve, they might sin; an St. Ambrose expresses the In Oseam. Damasc. Just. lIart. Cyriil Alex.
436 PREACHED ON EA8TER DAY. [SER, X.XIIo saine thing elegntly, 2Von in prwjudicium tra, You must hot draw that into consequence, nor conclude , on morit«r Gabrlel, Uriel, apael non rit«r, That the angel Gabriel doth hot e, aphael, Uriel doth hot die, therefore an angel, and considered in his om nature, cannot die; for such an impossibility of dying, as in the soul of man, ll agoee to be in angels; for, IlWsall be like te anyels, vhich cannot die, sys Christ. But how thls immortality, and infaHibility accrues to them, nd works in them, is still under o disquisition, since in tese is servants God]»nts o trust, bu ckar9es tke a9els citk lly. We have in the eoelesiastieal StOlT, a story of Alamndurus '", king of the Saroeens, who having been eonveed, and baptized, and eteehized in the true faith, was after attempted by some bishops in his eou, of the Eutyehian heresy. The Eutyehian heresy was, that the divine nature in Christ, the GOoelead, soEfered as well the human; and the good king, providing pket of intelligence to be delivered him, or something to be whispered in his r in the presenee of those heretieal bishops, upon reading thereof he told them, that he had -eeeived news, tht Miehael the ahangel was dead; and when those bishops rejeeted that vith n seorn, alas ir, Gabriel eannot die, angels eamot die, the king replied, if an angel eannot die, if an angel be impaible, why would you make me believe, that the Godhead itself, the divine nature soEered in Christ [ So ve see, that thc piety of a religious king was able to maintain his holy station, even against the real praetiees of heretieal eourt bisllops. A pious nd relious king should hot easily be suspeeted of that levity, to hearken to impio and heretieal motions, though there were goed evidenee, that that were praetised un him; mueh le, when the fea in himself, and in those whieh should praetise upon him, are but imanary, and proeeed, (as by God's aee they do) rather out of zeal that it may not be so, than out of evidenee that it is so. Zeal stempered, (and God knows, zeal is uot always well tempered) will think an Alamanduru consent nd imprenable king, easily shaked; and zeal distempered will think an Athanasius, Nazianzen, an Eutyehian bishop. Voe, when God's swo is in the devil's hand! Zeal is zo An. Clu%ti» 512.
sza. xxa.] PasAcasn os sAsTza n. 437 God's sword; uneharitableness is the devil's. When God gave a flaming sword te the eherubims in Paradise, tley make good that place, but thEt sword killed uo body, wouudcd uo body. (;od give8 good mon zeal; zeal te make good their station, zeal te conserve the integrity and the siueerity of religion, but this zeal should net wound, net defame any man. Faith come by hearin.q, by hearing serinons, and God sends us many of them; eharity goes out by hearing, hy hearing rumeurs, and the devil sends many of them. God continue out faith, and restore out eharity. That angels are impassible, that they cannot sin, that they cannot die, ail say; but that, if they were left te themselves, without the support of additional grace, thcy might de both; net only the ancient fathers, but, both the first school, frein Damascene, and the middle school frein Lombard, and the later school, (if we except only those authors that bave writ since the Lateran Council, I mean the later Lateran Couucil, in our fathers" timcs, under Lco the tenth, in which council, it was first determined, that the seul of man, and consequently angels, was immortal by nature) de weigh down the scale on that side, that God does net se trust in those servants, ner se discharge them of ail weakness, but that they might fall, but for this support of grace, which is their confirmation. New how is this conferred upon them. In Christ certainly; in Christ the Father reconciled te himself all things in earth, and in heaven . IIow. Net as a Redeemer; for those that fell, and thereby needed a redemption, never were, noyer shall be redeemed; but as a mediator, an intercessor in their behalf, that those that de stand, may stand for ever. For, therefore, sa)'s St. Augustine, De the angels refuse sacrifice at our hands, Quia ê iTsis nobiscum sacrificium wrunt, Because they know that there is one sacrifice offered te God, for them, and for us too, that is Christ Jesus, a propitiation for them, and us; for us, by w,y of redemption; for them, by w,y of mediation, and intercession. In such a sense, as St. Augustine confesses that God had ïorgiven him the sins he never did, becuuse, but for his grace, he shotdd bave donc them, the angels are well said te lmve received reconciliation in Christ, because, but for hi mediation, they might bave ïallen into God's displeasure. Upon Colos. i. 12.
4.8 PRIACHED ON EASTLrR DAY. [SEB. XXIIo those words, that God showed Adam his judgmcnts, Quw judicia as? says that Bishop Catharinus, Vhat judenents did God show Adam . Jndicia pesimorum iritutm, says ho, Tho better te contain Adam in his duty, God declared te him, the judgment [that ho had executed upon those disobcdient angels. Se that, as Adam, if he had ruade a right use of Godes grace, had been immoral in his body, and yet net immortal then, by nature, as out bodies in the state of glory in the resurrection, shall be immoral, and yet net immoral then by nature; se no angel, after this confirmation, (that is, the mediation of Christ applied te him) shall fall: for, Qtds Catholicus iynorat, nnllum noeum diabolum ex bonis anyelis futurura 8? SVho ean pretend te be a Catholie, and believe, that ever there shall be any new devil frein amongst tho good angels . and yet, hy the way, many of the aneient fathers thought that those words, That tke sons of God saw the dauyhters of men te be fait, and fell it love u'itl them, were meant of good angels, who fell in love with thoso women, that were eommitted te their charge, and that they sinned in se doing, and that they never returned te heaven, but fell te the first fallen angels: se that those fathers bave more than implied a possibility of falling into sin, and punishment for sin, in the good angels. But this none says new; ner with any probability ever did. It is enough that they stand eonfirmed, eonfirmed by the grace of God in Christ Jesus; se that new, being in possession of the sight of God, and the light of glory, their understanding is perfcetly illustrated, se that they ean apprehend nothing erroneously, and thereforo their will is perfectly reetified, se that they ean desire nothing irregularly, and therefore they cannot sin, and therefore they cannot die; for all sin is frein the perverseness of the will, and all disorder in the will frein errer in the understanding; in heven they are, and we, by out assimilation te them, shall be free frein both, and impeccable, and impassible, by the eontinual graee of God; though if they, or we were left te ourselves, even there, God eould put no trust in his servants, ner leave lais angels uncharged with folly. Anti se we bave done with the pieces, which constitute out first part, De quibus, Of n Eeelus. xxviî. 12. 8 Auguztine.
wom £ese wor arc sçoen; , ta tey were sçcen of angcls, rcjecting that cingle apuchin, who only dcnies if; an0 then, of gooe angels, acccpting Calvids intcrpretation, bccausc, lough ho bc singular in applying this tcxt te tha doetrine, yc$ in thc doetrinc itsclf, ho bath authority cnough, and fait asons for tho tcxt itsclf; and lasfly, how that which wc caH confirmv tion in thc angcls crucs te thcm, and how i works in thcm. And se wc pass te out second pa, what is inferrcd upon thcso premiscs, what concludcd upon thcsc propositions, what by our assimilation te angels, rcflcets upon us. And bore, bccausc thc marrer is of mueh considcration, wo proposed first te bc eonsidercd, thc wcight and validity dE the tcsfimony, in thc pcmon of him that givcs if; for many rimes thc coedit of thc tcstimony depcnds mueh upon the crcdit of thc witncss. And hcrc, it is net Job himsclf, if is but Eliphaz, Eliphaz thc Tcmanitc, an alicn, a strangcr te thc covcnant, and C}lUoe}l of God. But surcly o catcr a strangcr, than thoso secular pocts, whoso scntcnc St. Pa cites net only in hic Epi- lcs, but in hic Serinons too. Ccainly net se grcat a strangcr, as thc de'l, and yct in how many places of Scripture, are words okcn by thc dcv hie insccd into thc Scripturcs, and Olooeby o far ruade tllo word of God, as that thc word ofGod, thc Bible, wcrc net pcrfcct ner intirc te us, if wc had net thc words of Oloec pocts, thosc words of thc demi himsclf in if How can I doubt but that God tan draw go out of ill, and makc evcn seine aih of mine, seine occasion of my saltion, whcn thc God of tth tan makc ho word of tho fathcr of lies, his word Thcre is but ont place in aH this Book of Job citcd in thc cw Testament; that is, He mketl te ise in their own crafl '; and those wo are hot spoken by Job hilf, but by this ve friend of.lob, this Eliphaz, that ea in o text; and yet they are eitedç in the phase, and manner, in which holy Seripture is ordinarily eited, 1 is irritten, ys tho apostle there, and so the Holy Ghost, that spoke in St. Paul, hath eanonized the wor spoken by Eliphaz. But besides the eret which the words bave, « poiori. that they are dter inseed into tho word of GM, (whieh is Job v. 13. 1 Cor. . 19.
another manner of credit, and antbenticness, tban that wbich the canonists speak of, tbat when any sentence of a fatber is cited, and inserted into a decretal epistle of a pope, or any part of the canon law, that sentence is thereby ruade authentical, and canonical) these words have their credit a priori, for, belote he spake them to Job, he received them in a vision from God. I had a «ision in the niykt, says he, entd fear, and tremblinç came on me, and a spirit stood before me, and I heard thls «oice leitller is there any neceity, no nor reason, to charge Eliphaz with a false relation, or counterfeiting a revelation from God, which he had hot had, as some expositors have done. For, hovsoever in some argumentations, and applyings of things to Jobs particular case, we may find some errors in Eliphaz, modoprobandi, In the manner of his proceeding, yet we shall hot find him to proceed upon false grounds and therefore, we believe Eliphaz to have received this that he says, from God, in a vision, and for the instruction of a man, more in Godes favour than himself, of Job. Balam had the reputation of a great wizard, and yet God ruade his ass wiser than he, and able to instruct and catechise him. Generally we are to receive our instructions ri'oto Godes established ordinances, from his ordinary means afforded to us, in his church: and where those means, sufficient in themselves, are duly exhibited to us, we are hot to hearken after revelations, nor to believe eveDoEhing, that may bave some such appearance, to be a revelation. But yet, we are hOt so to conclude God in his law, as that he should have no prerogative, nor 8o to bind him up in his ordinances, as that he never can, or never does work by an extraordinary way of revelation. either must the profusion of miracles, the prodigality and prostitution of miracles in the loman church, (where miracles for every natural disease may be had, af some shrine, or miracle-shop, better cheap, than a medicine, a drug, a simple at an apothecal,s) bring us fo deny, or distrust all miracles, done by God upon extraordinary causes, and fo important purposes. Eliphaz was a profane person, and yet received a viiou from God and for the instruction of Job himself. Vhat was it. we see ver. 17.,S'kall mortal man be more ju«t »e Ver. 12.
than God, 8hall a man be more pure than his llaker? Why. Did this doctrine need this solemnity, this preparation, that Eliphaz gives it, ver. 8. That it was a thinff told kim in secret, attd suck a seeret that he was able te eomprehend bt«t a little at once of it? Is there any such incomprehensibleness, any such difllculty in this doctrine, l'bat no mortal ma is more jtst than God, no ma more pttre thau his Maker, but that the shallowest capacity may receive it, and the shortest memory retain it. leeds this a revelation, an extraordinary conveyance. For the general knowledge it does net; every man will say, He knows mortal man canner be more just than God, ner any man purer than his Maker; but, br the particular consideration, it does. Every justif)'ing a sin, is a making mortal man more just than God; when I corne te say, With what justice can God punish a night's, or an hour's sin, with everlasting torments . Every nmrmuring at God's corrections is a making man purcr than God; when I conm te sa)', Does net God depal fhloEhcr om the purity of bis nature, when he is angry, and a vindictive God, than I frein mine, when I am an amorous, or wanton man . Ve that are but mortal men, must net think, says Eliphaz, te make ourselves purer than out Maker; for, they, who in their nature, are much purer than we, the angels, are far short of that, for, God p«t no trt«st iz those servatts, and tkose atels he charged with folly. Se then, though Eliphaz" premises reach te the angels, and their state, his inference and his last purpose falls upon us, who, by God's goodness, become capable of succession into the place of the angels that are fallen, and of an association, and assimilation te those angels that stand. And out assimilation is this, that as they bave in their station, we also shall bave in ours, a faithful certitude, that we shall never fa]] out of the arms and besoin of out gracious God. But then, there arises te us a sweeter relish in considering this stability, this perpetuity, this infallibility te consist in the continual succession, and supply of grace, than in any one act, which God bath done for them, or us. I conceive a more effectual delight, when I consider God te have se wrought the confirmation of angels, that he bath taken them into a state of glory, and a fruition of his sight, and, te perpetuate that state unto theln, perI)ctua]ly superin|'uses upon theln more and more
4' PREA.CHED ON EZTER nA.Y, [SER, XXll, bea of that glo, than if I shod consider God to firmed them, with such a measure of grace, at once, as that he cod not with3w, or they forfeit that ce. For, as there is no doubt me by the fathers, nor by the school, but that that light which the apostles saw at the transfiation of Cist, w th3t very light of glory, which they see now in heaven, and yet thcy lost the sight of that light ain » so is there no viohtion of any article of o faith, if we concur in opinion with them, who y, that St. Paul in his ecstacy, in his r3pture into the third heven, did see tht very liht of glory, which constitutes the beatifical sion, and yet did lose that liht again. Truly to me, this consideration, that his mercy is new every morning, so his ace is renewed to me every minute, that it hot by yesteMafs grace that I lire now, but that qwtidianum, and nem horari«m, My daily bread, my hourly brcad, in a contimml succession of lais gmce, that the eye of God is upon me, though I wink at his light, d çutches over me, though ] sleep, that God makes these returns to my sotd, and so studies me in evew change, this consideration, infuses a sweeter verde, and imprints a more chee tilmture upon my sotd, than any tte of any one act, done at once, can minlster unto me. God ruade the angels all of one natural condition, in natte ail alike; and God gave them all such ace, as that thercby they might bave stoed; and to them that ted that grace aright, he gave a faher, a continual succession of grace, and that is their conmation; hot that they cannot, but that they shall hot fall hot that they are sale in themselves, but by God preservation sale; for, otherwise, He purs no tr«st lu those servants, a the atgels he charges with folly. This o case too; oum that e undèr the blessed election, and od purpe of God upon ; if we do hot rail from him, it is hot of ourselves; for left to ourselves, we should: for, so St. Austine terpre those wor of out Saviour, Pater oeratur, 3ly Father worketh still; God hath hot accomplished work upon , in one act, tlmugh an election; but he works in out vocation, and ho works in out justcation, and out uanctcation ha woks stiB. And, if God mseff be hot
SES. XXn.] rR.ACnEn OS «SrE n'. 3 S0 corne to his Sabbath, and his rest in us, but that he works upon us st|il for ail that clcction, shil any man think to h'e such a Sbbath, such a rest, in that clcction, as shaL1 slacken our endca'our, to me sure out sa|vtion, nd hot work as God works, to his ends in us. Hcnce then we hanish a|l self-subsistcncc, 1 attributin of any power, to ny facu|ty of our own; cither by pre-operation, in any natura| or moral disposin of oursc|'es, bcfore Godes preventîn. race dispose us, or by such co-operation, as shou]d put God and nmu in commission together, or make race and nature co|lcagues in the work, or tiret God shou|d do one ha|f, and man the other; or any such post-operation, tiret I shou|d think to proceed in the ways of ooeinc, by virtue of Godes former race, withottt implorin, and obtaining more, in a continu| succession of his concomitant rce, for exery prticu]ar action; in Christ I can do a|l thins; I need no more but him; without Christ, I can do nothin; hot only hot h'e him, but hot know that I nccd him; for I ara hOt bettcr than those angcls, of whom it is said, He ptt o trust in tlws serrats, and tlos azyels le claryed witlt folly. And as we banish from henee ail self-subsistenee, ail opinion of standing by ourselves, so do we also ail impeceability, and ail impossibility of fhiling in ourselves, or in anything, that God bath already donc for us, if he should diontinuo his /kture grace, and leave us to out former stock. They that were raised from death to lire again, Dorcas, Lazarus, and the rest, were subject to sin, in that new life, which was given them. They that are quickened by the soul of the soul, election itself, are subject to sin, for ail that. God secs the sins of the elect, and secs their sins to be sins; and in his Ephemerides, his journals, he writes thcm down, under that title, sins, and he reads them every day, in that book, as such; and they grow greater and greater in his sight, till ottr repentauce hae washed them out of his sight. Casuists wiil say, That though a dead man raised to lire again, be hot bouud to his tbrnler nlarriage, yet he is bound fo that relion, that he had invested in baptism, and bound to his former religious vows, and the same obedience to superiors as before. We were ail dead in Adam; and he that is raised again, even by election, though he be not so married fo the world, as
4" IRE..CnED Ol EASTER DAYo [SERo XXll. others are, not so in ]ove with sin, hot so under the dominion of sin, yet he is as much bound to an obedience to the will of God declared in his law, and may no more presume of a liberty of sinning before, nor of an impunity of sin after, than he that pretends no such election, to confide in. For this is excellently said to be the working of out dection, by Prosper, the disciple of St. Aummtine's doctrines, and the echo of his words, Utfiat lêrmanendi ¢oluntaria, felixEEue ecessitas, That out assurance of mlvation by perseveranc¢, is necessary, and yet voluntary; consider it in God's purpose, easily it cannot, consider it in ourselves, it might be resisted. For we are no better than those angds, and, I tkose serrants he put no trust, and tkose anyels he ckaryed But such as they are, we shall be: and, sinee with the Lord there is Copiosa redemTtlo, Ploteous redemTtion , that overflowing mercy of out God, those super-superlative merits of out Saviour, that plenteous redemption, may hold even in this particular blessedness, in our assinfilation to them, that as. though there fell great numbers of angels, yet great, and greater than they that fell, stood, so though Tke watt to hearen be mrrow, and the.qate strait, (which is said by Christ, to excite our'industry, and are rather an expression arising out of his mercy, lest we should slacken our holy endeavours, than any intimidation, or commination, for though the way be narrow, and the gate strait, yet the room is spacious enough within) why, by this plenteous redemption, may we not hope, that many more than are excluded, shal] enter there! Those words, The drayon's tail drew the tkird yart of the stars from heaen », the fathers generally interpret of the fall of angels with Lucifer; and it was but a third part; and by God's grace, whose mercy is overflowing, whose merits are superabundant, with whom there is plenteous redemption, the serpent gets no farther upon us. I know some say, that this third Tart of the stars, is meant of eminent persons, illustrated and assisted with the best means of salvation, and, ff a third of them, how many meanlier furnished, fall . But, those that we can conider to be best provided of means of salvation, next to these, are Christians in general; and so nmy this plenteous s Psalm cxxx. 7. Ç Rev..xii. 4.
s. xxn.] wZXClm» ON XST W. 445 redemption be well hoped to work, that but a third part of them, of Christians, shall perish; and thon the God of this plenteous redemption having promised us, that the Christian religion shall be carried over ail the world, still the number of those that shall be saved is enlarged. Apply to thyself that which St. Cyril says of the angels, Tristaris, quia aliqui :itara amiserut? Does it grieve thee, that any are fallen. At plures meliorera stature apud Deum obtinent, Let this comfor thee, even in the application thereof to thyself, that more stood than fell. As Elisha said fo his servant, in a danger of suqrisal, Fear hot, for thei/ tlat be witlt us, are more tkan tley tltat are witlt them "°, so, if a suspicion of the paucity of them that shall be saved, make thee afraid, look up upon this overflowing mercy of thy God, this superabundant merit of thy Saviour, this plenteous redemption, and thou mayest find, find in a fuir credulity, and in a well-regulated hope, more with thee, than with them that perish. Lire so, in such a warfare with tentations, in such a colluctation with thy concupiscences, in such a jealousy, and suspicion of thine indifferent, nay, of thy best actims, as though there were but one man tobe saved, and thou wouldst be that one; but lire and die in sueh a sense of this plenteous redemption of thy God, as though neither thou, nor any could lose salvation, except he doubted of it. I doubt not of mine own salvation; and in whom can I have so much occasion of doubt, as in myselï! When I cone to hcaven, shall I be able to say to any there, Lord! how got you hither . Was any man less likely to corne thither than I. There is not only an only God in heaven; but a Father, a Son, a Holy Ghost in that God; which are humes of a plurality, and sociable relations, conversable notions. There is hot only one angel, a Gabriel; but to thee all at.qels criA alottd; and cherubim, and seraphim, are plural terminations; many cherubs, nmny seraphs in heaven. There is hot only one monarchal apostle, a Peter, but Theylorious compay of the apostlês praise tkee. There is hot only a protomartyr, a Stephen, but The noble arm of martrs praise tkee. Who ever amongst out fathers, thought of any other way to the ' 2 Kin vi. 16.
46 PREACHED ON' EASTER DAYo [SERo XXIL Moluccas, or to China, than by the promontory of Good ttope Yet another way opened itse|f to llagellan; a strait, it is true; but yet a way thither; and who knows yet, whether there may not be a north-east, and a north-west way thither, besides. Go thou to heaven, in an humble thanldulness to God, and holy cheerfulness, in that way that Gcd bath manifested to thee; and do not prcnotmce too bitterly, too desperately, that every man in an en'or, that thinks not just as thou thinkest, or in no way, that is hOt in thy way. God round fol|y, weakness in his angels, yet more stood than fell; God finds weakness, wickedness in us, yet he caw to call, ot the riyhteous, but siners to repentance: and who, that cornes in tlmt capacity, a repentant sinner can be shut out, or denied his part in this resurrection The key of Darid opens, and no mn ehuts. Tho Son of David, is the key of David, Christ Jesus; he bath opened heaven for us all: let no man shut out himself, by diffidencc in God's mcrey, nor shut out any other man, by overvaluing his own purity, in respect of others. But forbearing ail lacerations, and tearings, and woundings of one another, with bitter invectives, all exasperations by odious names of subdivision, let us all study, [first tho redintegPation of that body, of wh|ch Christ Jesus bath declared himself fo be the head, the whole Christ|an church, and pray that he would, and hopo that he will enlarge the means of salration to those, who bave hot yet been ruade partakers of it. That so, ho that called the gares of heaven strait, may say to those gares, Eleamii portce wternales, Be ye ll.fed ftp,.ve eternal yates ', and be ye enlarged, that as the King of Glory hmaself is entered into you, for the farther glory of the King of Glory, hot only that hundred and font ad forty tkousand of the tribes of tke ekildren of Israel, but that mdtitude wh|ch is spoken of in that place , wkick no man cm umber, o.f ail nations, ad kidreds, ad lOeolole, and frieds, may enter with that acclamation, :ation to out God, t«Mch sitteth on tke throne, and to the Lanb for ever. And nnto tkis clty of tke liriny God, the keaenly Jeru- alem, and fo the innumerable conaty of anyels, to the.qeneral assembly, «td cknrch of the flrs born, Çchich are written in hearen, Psal. xxiv. 7. lev. vil 19.