An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters…

Others cast it upon the good Angels, that God put no trust, no, not in them. I conceive, from either there may be a good sense, though I incline to the latter. For in the Apostate Angels (take it in the broadest sense) God saw no light, no goodness, no faithfulness at all; they have plainly discovered themselves, and showed, not only weakness and unfaithfulness, but wickedness and utmost folly. But to confine it to the evil Angels, or to understand it chiefly of them, is too narrow for the Text; especially, seeing ¹this is but a light, a too easy charge for those Apostate Spirits to say only thus that God found unfaithfulness in them, and charged them with folly: for in them rebellion was found, and they stand charged to this day with High Treason, against the Crown and dignity of the King of Heaven: and are therefore committed to prison, and reserved in chains of darkness to the judgement of the great day. As for the good Angels, God may be said to charge them with folly without any wrong, either to the holiness of their nature, or the steadfastness of their obedience. For upon examination (or intuition rather) he finds, they have no wisdom, or stability, but by Divine bounty and establishment. As the apostate Angels were positively full of folly and unfaithfulness so the good Angels might be charged with folly, negatively, namely, that they had no faithfulness, but as assisted and propped up.

Others cast it upon the good Angels, that God put no trust, no, not in them. I conceive, from either there may be a good sense, though I incline to the latter. For in the Apostate Angels (take it in the broadest sense) God saw no light, no goodnesse, no faithfulnesse at all; they have plainly discovered themselves, and shewed, not only weaknesse and unfaithfulnesse, but wickednesse and utmost folly. But to confine it to the evill Angels, or to understand it chiefly of them, is too narrow for the Text; especially, seeing ¹this is but a light, a too easie charge for those Apostate Spirits to say onle thus that God found unfaithfulnesse in them, and charged them with folly: for in them rebellion was found, and they stand charged to this day with High Treason, against the Crowne and dignity of the King of Heaven: and are therefore committed to prison, and reserved in chaines of darknesse to the judgement of the great day. As for the good Angels, God may be said to charge them with folly without any wrong, either to the holinesse of their nature, or the stedfastnes of their obedience. For upon examination (or intuition rather) he finds, they have no wisdome, or stability, but by Divine bounty and establishment. As the apostate Angels were positively full of folly and unfaithfulnes so the good Angels might be charged with folly, negatively, namely, that they had no faithfullnesse, but as assisted and propt up.