A Practical Commentary on the Epistle of Jude

for vision and sight of God is the happiness of rational Creatures, and therefore our happy estate is expressed by beholding him▪ face to face: and David saith, Psal. 16. 11. in thy presence, or in thy face is fullness of joy, in Heaven then did God manifest himself to them, there they were to applaud his Counsels, receive his Commands, to love God with the most perfect embraces of their will, and to fulfil his Commandments, hearkening to the voice of his Word. 3. From this place they are now driven into the lower parts of the World▪ as being a place more fit for sin and misery: that the place into which they are driven is the bottom and centre of the Earth, cannot be shown out of Scripture, rather the contrary; for sometimes they are said to fly up and down in the air, and therefore is Satan ⟨p. 286⟩called the Prince of the power of the air, Eph. 2. 3. and the other Devils, Principalities and spiritual wickednesses in high places, Eph. 6. 12. They aspire to get as high as they can, but they can get no further then the Regions of the •ire; and sometimes they are said to compass the earth to and fro, Job 1. 7. The Earth is Satan's walk and circuit, where he seeks to do mischief, and sometimes they are in the Sea, Matth. 8. 33. for as yet they are not in that prison and place of torments▪ where they shall abide for ever under the wrath of the Lord: therefore when Christ checketh their power in the world, they expostulate with him, Jesus thou Son of David, ar• thou come to torment us before our time, Matth. 8. 29. and besought him that he would not cast them into the great deep; by which some understand the final place of their residence and torments, even the lowest place of the world, most remote from the highest Heavens, which place as yet they have not entered: but how is it said that they are already cast down into Hell,