Sermons upon the Book of Job

Without this, the thing would happen unto them which is spoken in the hundred and fourth Psalm, which sayeth, when thou withdrawest thy spirit, all decayeth. What is it then that giveth liveliness to the Angels of heaven, but the spirit of God? And so we see they have not that thing of themselves, which is given them of God, neither could they enjoy it for ever, if God should not continue the said grace which §30he hath put into them. And like as we speak of life, so must we speak of righteousness also. The Angels are not steadfast further forth than God holdeth them up by his hand. Rightly are they called Principalities & powers: but that is because God executeth his power by them and guideth them. To be short, the Angels have nothing in themselves whereof to make their boast. For all the power and steadfastness which they have, they hold it of God, and are so much the more indebted to him for it. As touching that which followeth, namely, that God findeth or §40putteth (for the Hebrew word importeth that God putteth) folly or vanity: it implieth not that the vanity which is in the Angels cometh of God: but the meaning of it is, that he putteth it to them [or chargeth them with it] by his judgement: that is to say, that as a judge he giveth sentence that there is folly & vanity, (that is to say, that there is faultiness) in the Angels, yea & that they could not stand before him, if he would deal rigorously with them. Verily this seemeth strange to such as are not exercised in the holy scripture. But if we wist what §50the righteousness of God is: we should not marvel that the Angels themselves are found to be faulty, if he should compare them with himself. For we must always come back to this point, that the good things that are in all creatures, are small in estimation of that which is in God which is utterly infinite. Therefore we must always put a difference between the one & the other. We see the Angels have wonderful power & virtues, specially in respect of us: for notwithstanding that the Angels abide in the degree of creatures, yet may we well glorify them.§60 But when we come to God: the greatness of him must swallow up all the rest, in likewise as we see how the Sun darkeneth all the Stars of the Sky. And what is the Sun? He is a planet as well as the rest:

VVithout this, the thing woulde happen vnto them whiche is spoken in the hundred and fourth Psalme, which sayeth, when thou withdrawest thy spirite, all decayeth. VVhat is it then that gyueth liuelinesse to the Aungelles of heauen, but the spirite of God? And so wee see they haue not that thing of themselues, which is giuen them of God, neyther could they inioy it for euer, if God should not cōtinue the sayd grace which