N00620:175
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.
Inference 2. We see here a glorious evidence of the holiness and of the Justice of God. He is an Holy God, He cannot endure sin. He will not suffer sinners to be in his sight. If they be sinners, tho• they be Angels, if once they become sinners, out of Gods sight they must go. Such is the Holiness of Gods nature. David being a man after Gods own heart, could say, A Liar shall not dwell in my house, nor tarry in my sight. Psal. 101.7. But Oh! the Holiness of the blessed God, that when the reprobate Angels did once become Liars, they might not dwell in Gods house, nor tarry in his sight one moment longer. Such is his Holiness, that he cannot look upon sin with approbation of it. Hab. 1.13. He is of purer eyes, than to behold evil: he cannot look upon iniquity without detestation thereof. 'Tis not only true that he will not, but that he cannot. God can no more approve of sin, then he can cease to be God. Thus glorious is he in Holiness And we see before our eyes a glorious and dreadful demonstration of the Justice of God, in that he does punish sinners whoever they be. The truth is, He never spared any sin, there was never any sin committed in the World, nor ⟨p. 124⟩never shall be, but God hath punished it, or will punish it. As for the Angels that sinned, they are condemned to eternal fire and flames: not any one of them all can escape the stroke of Divine Justice. And as for reprobate men, although God bears with them a long time, and is pleased to exercise infinite Patience towards them, yet they will at last find, that all their sins shall be punished with a Vengeance, Rom. 9.22. What, if God willing to show his wrath, and make his power known, endured with much long suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. At last Gods wrath, his Justice will be made to appear in punishing them for all their Transgressions, Ay, and he will make known his infinite Power at the same time. The infinite Power of God is seen in making one that hath been a sinner, capable of enduring such punishment. That a poor Creature should be filled with the wrath of God, and yet be capable, or in a possibility, to endure it to all eternity, this makes known his power as well as his wrath. Thus doth he show his wrath and make his Power known.