An exposition with practical observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…An exposition with practicall observations continued upon the fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth chapters of…

Hence Observe:

There is no created holiness sure, stable, and perfect in it self: The glorious Angels which are, and ever shall be Saints in Heaven, and the Saints in Heaven who are like Angels, stand not in that holy and happy estate, by their own sufficiency, but by the decree and grace of God. Those Angels which fell at first were holy, and they who now stand, might have fallen notwithstanding their created holiness, if God had not superadded confirming grace, which establisheth them for ever. Yet this is not all, that the Angels are imperfect, because they might fall if not supported, there is somewhat more in it; for though the Angels are perfectly righteous in reference to the Law, (for the whole bent of their hearts is to God, and they love God with all their hearts, which is the fulfilling of the Law:) So that the obedience of the Angels in Heaven, is made the copy and pattern of our obedience here on earth, as Christ hath taught us to pray, though (I say) the Angels are thus perfectly righteous in reference to the Law) yet there is a higher righteousness and holiness in God. There's but the holiness of obeying a Law, God hath the holiness of being a Law: They have a holiness without spot, yet it is but a finite, a created holiness; now what comparison is there between finite, and infinite, created, and uncreated; therefore though there be no blemish in the obedience ⟨p. 63⟩of Angels, none in their nature, none in their lives, yet God puts no trust in them, he cannot lay the weight of his confidence upon them, because they are creatures.

There is no created holinesse sure, stable, and perfect in it selfe: The glorious Angels which are, and ever shall be Saints in Heaven, and the Saints in Heaven who are like Angels, stand not in that holy and happy estate, by their owne sufficiency, but by the decree and grace of God. Those Angells which fell at first were holy, and they who now stand, might have fallen notwithstanding their created holinesse, if God had not superadded confirming grace, which establisheth them for ever. Yet this is not all, that the Angels are imperfect, because they might fall if not supported, there is somewhat more in it; for though the Angels are perfectly righteous in reference to the Law, (for the whole bent of their hearts is to God, and they love God with all their hearts, which is the fulfilling of the Law:) So that the obedience of the Angels in Heaven, is made the copy and patterne of our obedience here on earth, as Christ hath taught us to pray, though (I say) the Angels are thus perfectly righteous in reference to the Law) yet there is a higher righteousnesse and holinesse in God. There's but the holinesse of obeying a Law, God hath the holinesse of being a Law: They have a holinesse without spot, yet it is but a finite, a created holinesse; now what comparison is there betweene finite, and infinite, created, and uncreated; therefore though there be no blemish in the obedience