N00620:99
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 › Objections
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.
1. The Ministry of Angels is limited by the Holy Pleasure of God. Psal. 103.21. The Angels that do His Pleasure. And therefore so far as it is the Pleasure of God, to have them to secure, or to deliver his Children from outward Evils, they ⟨p. 54⟩are not wanting to do it. But sometimes it is God's Holy Pleasure to have it otherwise, they must be suffered to fall into great Temptations, for their good, and that God may have Glory thereby. Yea, not only such as truly fear God, but such as fear him above many, that are Eminent Servants and Fearers of the Lord, very sad Temptations and Afflictions in the World▪ may befall them. God sees it meet to have it so. We see this in the Instance of Job, who wa• Eminent for the Fear of God: There was none like him in the Earth, that did Fear God, and Eschew Evil, so much as he: And for a long time the Angels delivered him; they kept of the malice of Satan, from taking any effect upon him. Thence the Devil complained, Th•• there was an Hedge round about. Job. The Hedge of Divine Protection by the Ministry of Holy Angels, the Devil could not break through, not get over: He did therefore get leave of God to fall upon Job; and the Angels were by, when the Devil had that liberty granted to him: those Sons of God were by, and did hear the Devil begging and obtaining leave to fall upon Job: Then they might not oppose. Then Evils came upon him from day to day; not but that the Angels could have diverted those Evils, and delivered Job from them all, if so had been the Pleasure of God; but they knew that God had appointed otherwise. So when any outward Calamity befalls a Child of God in the World, the reason ⟨p. 55⟩of it is not, that the Angels of the Lord are not able to prevent the Calamity, or that they are any way invigilant or negligent in that which is their Charge; they always do what God commands them, as in the Psalm but now, Ye his Angels that do His Commandments. They know, what the Pleasure of God is, and act accordingly.
1. The Ministry of Angels is limited by the Holy Pleasure of God.