N00620:92
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
A DISCOURSE Concerning the Power and Ministry of Holy Angels. › Doctrine 2 › Reasons
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.
We proceed to inquire into the Reasons, Why the Ministry of Holy Angels is made use of?
1. The first and great Reason of it is, because it is the Sovereign will and pleasure of God, to have i• so, with respect unto his own Glory. Gods Will is the Reason of all Reasons. We have showed, that He doth not make use of Angels, as though he stood in any need of them, or of their Services. That God, who made the World, without their help, can preserve the World and His People therein, without any of them, if He so pleased: But He doth use them, for the same Reason, for which He did Create them, namely his own pleasure. Rev. 4.11. Thou hast Created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were Created. All things, and therefore all the Angels in Heaven, wer• Created for the Pleasure of the Great God. S• are they, all of them, for the same reason, mad• use of, as Ministering Spirits: and it pleases God to have it so out of respect to his own Glory. That which is the best End, must needs be God's End, in all His Works of Creation and Providence. Now the Glory of His own Name, is the best end. God, who alone is infinitely wise knows, what doth best become his own Greatne•• and Goodness. And if the Lord did not see that it would be most for His Glory, that thing• should be managed by the Hands of His Holy Angels, rather than by His own Immediate Hand on•y; it would not be as it is. The Lord is able to Convert men without sending Ministers t• Preach to them: To heal the Sick without Physicians; to preserve Humane Societies without ⟨p. 49⟩Magistrates, to defend his People from Enemies, without the use of Arms; but it is His Will and Pleasure, that secondary Causes should be made use of. The like is to be said of Angelical Protection: God is the Fountain of all our Mercies and Preservations. Angels and Ordinances are but Cisterns, which it is His Pleasure to make use of.