N00620:170
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.
against those especially, which Keep the Commandments of God, and the Testimony of Jesus. Rev. 12.17. against such is his malice, his wrath and rage in a peculiar manner bent. His malice is greater than his policy, though he is a great Politician. The Devil hath a great wit, he hath wonderful parts, as to understanding and memory: yet his malice is greater than his wisdom. He knows well enough he shall get nothing, by setting himself to do mischief to those that belong to God: He knows that he shall but hurt himself, and shall receive the greater ⟨p. 120⟩Damnation for it at the last day. He knows this, and yet will go on, because his malice is greater than his understanding. And the Devil, and so all his Evil Angels are come to that height of wickedness, that they would not have the Blessed God to have a Church in the Earth: They would not have Christ to have a Servant in the World. If they could have their wills, the Glorious God should not be worshipped. They hate that which is good: they hate Prayer, and Preaching, and good Books, that have a tendency to promote the Salvation of the Souls of men. The Devils in a special manner hate such Books as those are: They hate this blessed Bible, more than any Book in the World: They hate the Lords day. Because of their malice against Heaven, they tempt the children of men on the Sabbath-day, more than on any day in the week, because they know, that if men sin on the Sabbath-day, they will then become doubly guilty in the sight of God. The Devil is the oldest Sinner, and the most cursed Creature in all the World. It is said, Isa. 65.20. That the Sinner of an Hundred Years shall be accursed. But then what shall the Sinner be, that is more than five thousand years old? The Devil and and all the Angels that sinned with him, are Sinners of above five thousand years old, and will therefore become the most accursed and damned Creatures in the whole universe at the Great Day.
against those especially, which Keep the Commandments of God, and the Testimony of Jesus. Rev. 12.17. against such is his malice, his wrath and rage in a peculiar manner bent. His malice is greater than his policy, though he is a great Politician. The Devil hath a great wit, he hath wonderful parts, as to understanding and memory: yet his malice is greater than his wisdom. He knows well enough he shall get nothing, by setting himself to do mischief to those that belong to God: He knows that he shall but hurt himself, and shall receive the greater