1Secondly, by the destroyers others understand, Angels, who are commissioned and sent of God to cut the thread of life, and to take mortals out of this world by mortal diseases; and so the destroying Angel in this verse stands in opposition to that comforting Angel spoken of in the next verse; if there be a messenger or an Angel, &c. That Angels have such a Ministry, is clear, (2 Sam. 24.16.) Where (David having chosen to fall into the hands of God) an Angel is presently dispatched to do execution upon his people. And when the Angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evil, and said to the Angel that destroyed the people, it is enough, stay now thine hand, &c. That destroyer (so he is called, Exod. 12.23.) who slew all the first borne of the Egyptians (Gods last and greatest plague upon them, his tenth plague) is by most interpreted to be an Angel, yea by some a good Angel, because appointed ⟨p. 363⟩and directed by God to spare his people the Jews, and to pour out his vengeance upon the Egyptians, his and their enemies. For most usually the wicked are plagued by good Angels, and the good, as Job in this book was, are afflicted by evil Angels. Howbeit that text say some (Psal. 78.49.) leadeth us rather to believe that it was an evil Angel; He cast upon them (meaning the Egyptians) the fierceness of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, by sending evil Angels among them. Yet possibly those Angels which destroyed the Egyptians, are called evil Angels, not because they were so in their nature, but because they were Ministers of evil to that hard-hearted people. Which way soever we take it, there is a truth in it applicable to the Scripture here in hand. And so some expound that of Solomon (Prov. 17.11.) An evil man seeketh only rebellion, therefore a cruel Messenger shall be sent against him. The text may be rendered a cruel Angel, that is, an Angel with a Message of wrath and destruction shall be sent unto him; The Apostle (1 Cor. 10.10.) speaking of those dreadful judgments, which God sent upon his people the Jews in the Wilderness (such as we are like to find in these Gospel times, if we provoke him, for all those things are said to have happened unto them for Types or examples (vers. 11.)
1Secondly, by the destroyers others understand, Angells, who are commission'd and sent of God to cut the thread of life, and to take mortalls out of this world by mortall diseases; and so the destroying Angell in this verse stands in opposition to that comforting Angell spoken of in the next verse; if there be a messenger or an Angell, &c. That Angells have such a Ministry, is clear, (2 Sam. 24.16.) Where (David having chosen to fall into the hands of God) an Angell is presently dispatcht to doe execution upon his people. And when the Angell stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, the Lord repented him of the evill, and said to the Angell that destroyed the people, it is enough, stay now thine hand, &c. That destroyer (so he is called, Exod. 12.23.) who slew all the first borne of the Egyptians (Gods last and greatest plague upon them, his tenth plague) is by most interpreted to be an Angell, yea by some a good Angell, because appointed ⟨p. 363⟩and directed by God to spare his people the Jewes, and to poure out his vengeance upon the Egyptians, his and their enemies. For most usually the wicked are plagued by good Angells, and the good, as Job in this book was, are afflicted by evill Angells. Howbeit that text say some (Psal. 78.49.) leadeth us rather to beleeve that it was an evill Angell; He cast upon them (meaning the Egyptians) the fiercenesse of his anger, wrath, indignation, and trouble, by sending evill Angells among them. Yet possibly those Angells which destroyed the Egyptians, are called evill Angells, not because they were so in their nature, but because they were Ministers of evill to that hard-hearted people. Which way soever we take it, there is a truth in it applicable to the Scripture here in hand. And so some expound that of Solomon (Prov. 17.11.) An evill man seeketh only rebellion, therefore a cruell Messenger shall be sent against him. The text may be rendred a cruell Angell, that is, an Angell with a Message of wrath and destruction shall be sent unto him; The Apostle (1 Cor. 10.10.) speaking of those dreadfull judgments, which God sent upon his people the Jewes in the Wildernesse (such as we are like to find in these Gospell times, if we provoke him, for all those things are said to have happened unto them for Types or examples (vers. 11.)
- 1Ad Angelos morti praefectos non incommodè resertur sequentis versiculi ratione habita, ubi Angeli vitam annunciantis unius de mille mentionem facit, ut [Greek or Hebrew] intelligas mortis •umcios. Merc:Ad Angelos morti praefectos non incommodè resertur sequentis versiculi ratione habita, ubi Angeli vitam annunciantis unius de mille mentionem facit, ut 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 intelligas mortis •umcios. Merc: