N00620:159
Angelographia, or A discourse concerning the nature and power of the holy angels, and…
Angelographia, or A discourse concerning the nature and power of the holy angels, and the great benefit which the true fearers of God receive by their ministry: delivered in several sermons: : to which is added, a sermon concerning the sin and misery of the fallen angels: also, a disquisition concerning angelical-apparitions. / By Increase Mather, president of Harvard College, in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel at Boston, in New-England. ; [Two lines from Hebrews]Angelographia, or A discourse concerning the nature and power of the holy angels, and the great benefit which the true fearers of God receive by their ministry: delivered in several sermons: : to which is added, a sermon concerning the sin and misery of the fallen angels: also, a disquisition concerning angelical-apparitions. / By Increase Mather, praesident of Harvard Colledge, in Cambridge, and preacher of the Gospel at Boston, in New-England. ; [Two lines from Hebrews]
printed by B. Green & J. Allen for Samuel Phillips, 1696
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The Devil was condemned to eternal fire, because of the sin of pride. But how, and in what particular that pride discovered it self, the Scripture hath not declared unto us. This notwithstanding several things are certain from the Scripture. It is certain, that the Angels, some of them, did sin against God: So the Apostle expressly declares here. And by the Apostle Jude, it is said, that they kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation. And hence the Scripture speaks not only concerning Good Angels, but concerning Evil Spirits. We read in the Gospel of certain Women, who had been healed of Evil Spirits and infirmities. Those Spirits had possessed them and made them sick. In particular and by name •here was Mary Magdalen, out of whom went seven Devils. Luke. 8.2. So that there are Angels, who are called Evil Spirits and Devils. We find in the Scripture, that Christ gave his disciples power against unclean Spirits. Mat. 10.1. They are said to be unclean Spirits, not only (though partly on that account) because they ⟨p. 110⟩excite wretched men unto unclean lusts, but because they themselves are defiled with sin. They are polluted, and have made themselves hateful & abominable in the sight of the holy God, against whom they have sinned. And it is moreover certain, that these Apostate Angels did early corrupt themselves. It was within a short time after the world began. John tells us, that the Devil sinned from the beginning, 1 Joh. 3.8. And our Saviour Christ hath told us, that the Devil is a Liar and a Murderer from the beginning ▪ Joh. 8 44. That is to say, from the first beginning of the World, or within a short time after the Creation. The Jewish Doctors (many of them) •ave Conjectured that the fallen Angels sinned on the second day after the Creation began; and they suppose that to be the reason why there is no divine approbation mentioned concerning the work of that day, as there is of the other. But there is no solidity in that conjecture. For what is spoken