2 Peter 2:4 (part 1 of 2)

THe Apostle having dogmatically confuted, and prophetically condemned, the depravers of true doctrine: proceeds to an exemplary demonstration of the judgements of God upon sinners. For God cannot be sibi dissimilis, [not] like to himselfe: nor doth tolerate that in one, which he doth punish in another: but hates iniquity wheresoever he finds it, and preserves one immutable tenor of his Iustice. Whensoever sin goes before, punishment shall certainely follow after, no lesse seasonable repentance come betweene. Of this he makes A Relation, to Vers. 8. Illation, Vers. 9.

The Relation considers two generalls; Gods Iustice in punishing offenders, Mercie in sparing his servants. This holds in three Histories. 1. Of the Angels, they that fell, are confounded; there’s his Iustice: they that stood are conserved, there’s his mercie. 2. Of the old world; when the impenitent were swept away with a floud; there’s his Iustice: and righteous Noah with seven more for his sake, were saved in the Arke; there’s his Mercie. 3. Of Sodome and her sister-cities when fire from heaven burnt up the reprobates; there’s his Iustice: and righteous Lot was delivered; there’s his mercie.

Now upon all these premises comes the Illation, Ver. 9. The Lord knowes how to deliver the godly out of temptation, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of Iudgement to be punished. If our faith be as much, his mercie is not lesse: if their rebellion be no lesse, his Iustice is as much. The first Iudgement takes hold on altitude, the second on latitude, the third on plenitude. For height and excellencie the Angels were glorious in heaven, yet some are cast into hell. For breadth and numerous amplitude, no lesse than a whole world were drowned. For fulnesse and opulencie, the Sodomines lived in a second Paradise, yet were they burned. There is no wickednesse so high none so broad, none so rich; but Gods Iustice can overthrow it. Let men be as high as Angels, as many as will make a world, as rich as the Sodomites; yet if they be unrepentant sinners, they shall perish.

Wee begin aloft first, and behold the Angels revolting from heaven, and for their fault turned out of heaven. Wherein we have considerable Their Excellencie; by nature Angels. Apostacie, they Sinned. Penaltie, were not spared.

In the former I will touch upon foure points:

1 Their creation, which though it be not precisely specified by Moses, is most certainely included, Col. 1.16. By him were all things created that are in earth or is heaven. who were created in heaven but the Angels? Whether thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers. Which though some understand of Empires, orders, and governments: others, the Palaces of Gods Majestie, and seates of immortalitie. But the opinion approved of the most, and the most approved opinion; conceives all there spoken of Angels. Creat Angelos spiritus, Psal. 104.4. He maketh his Angels spirits. Some Philosophers conceited that Angels had their beginning of the soules of men. Ex bonorum animabus nasci bonos daemones, ex malorum cacodaemones. That good soules became Angells, and bad soules divells. And some would father this opinion upon Plato but inconsiderately. Plato, indeed thought and taught a metempsychosis, a transmigration of soules into new bodies; morè Pythagorico. Such was that Homerical fiction of Vlisses his companions turned into Hogs and Beares. But he said never, that of soules were made Angels.

But why was this omitted by Moses in his historie of the creation. 1. Some thinke it was to avoid idolatrie in the Israelites; Quibus si innolesceret Angelus; who if they had knowen Angels, would have fallen to their adoration. Chrys. Theodor. But they could not be ignorant of the Angels, which had so often appeared to their Fathers, and done them so many ministeriall kindnesses. 2. Others thus; Moses treated of things that had their beginning with the materiall world, but Angels were created before the visible world. Basil. Damasc. But this is a false supposition; for before the world there was nothing created. 3. Others thus, their creation is comprehended under the names of Heaven and Light; Quia omnibus praesunt coelestibus; because they are set over all heavenly things. Aug. Bed. But this were to leave the literall sense, and to divert it unto Allegorie, which may not be admitted in so plaine a historie. The best opinion is, that their creation is omitted for two reasons. 1. Because Moses applieth himselfe to the simple capacitie of the people, and describeth the creating of visible and sensible things; leaving spirituall as above their understanding. Ieron. Ep. 139. ad Cyprian. 2. Lest men should thinke that God needed the helpe of Angels, in the production or disposition of the other creatures. As if the fabricke of the world had beene too great a businesse for himselfe alone to undertake: and therefore should bee required the ministration of those Angelicall powers.

That they were created is undeniably plaine, now the next Quaere is, when. 1. Some thinke they were made long before the world. Origen. Tract. 35. in Matth. Damascen. lib. 2 cap. 3. de fide. But the Scripture testifies that the evill Angels apostated so soone as ever they were created. Ioh. 8.44. Non mansit in veritate; Hee abode not in the truth. And our Text infers, that so soone as they sinned, they were cast into hell. But before heaven was made there was no hell. Nulla talis distinctio loci, priusquam constitutio mundi. Before the constitution of the world, there could be no distinction of place: for there was nothing but God. 2. Some from the first verse of Genesis would prove, that the Angels were created together with the world; the Heaven comprehending Angels, as the continent doth the content, the house doth the inhabitant. And whereas it is said, Darkenesse was on the face of the deepe; Origen thinkes this deepe to be that place whither the divell and his Angels were cast. But the HOLY GHOST shewing the eternitie of Wisedome, saith: Prov. 8.23. I was from everlasting, from the begining, or ever the earth was. When there was no depthes, before the mountaines were setled, before the hills was I brought forth. The Angels therefore were not before the earth and hills: for then this should be no good argument to prove the antiquitie and eternitie of Wisedome, which is the Son of God. 3. It is most probable, that they were created upon the fourth day, when the starres and other ornaments of heaven were made. Iob, 38.7. When the morning starres sang together, and all the sonnes of God shouted for joy. They are said to rejoyce and praise God together with the starres; therefore then it seemes they tooke their being and beginning: for questionlesse immediatly upon their creation they praised God. Besides, the heavens were that day perfected, the matter of them being only before prepared. It is fitte that the house should bee formed, before the inhabitane be produced. And this may satisfie any honest inquisitor, unlesse hee rather desires to wrangle than to learne. But these be the Lords owne secrets, whereof we may be ignorant without danger. Howsoever, we have proved that the Angell is Condita substantia, a created substance: which confutes that Pythagorean dotage of philosophers with this Duo principia, two beginnings; one of good and another of evill. Together with that Manichean heresie among some Christians, of which ranke were the Archoniticke and Caiane heretickes, of whom we read in Epiphanius; that the Angels were from everlasting, & Deo cooeterni, coeternall with God; whereas it is plaine that they are creatures of his making.

2 Their nature; an incorporeall substance, subtle and powerfull, created after the Image of God, resembling him as they are spirituall and immortall, but especially as they are holy and just, and full of divine created perfections. They are substances, though invisible, that have being, life, sense, understanding; and not meere qualities. Pure qualities can neither sin nor be capable of punishment: but my Text proves both these concurring in the reprobate Angels. But how can an incorporeall substance be capable of punishment? yet who would aske that question, that = a soule within himselfe troubled with passion; even when no offence or distemperance riseth from that grosse and corporall part: yet is his soule vexed with the sense of sin, with sorrow, care, and perturbation of conscience. Though the Angels be spirituall, they are capable of punishment, for the torments of hell are spirituall. This confutes the Sadduces of our times, who thinke Angels to be nothing but motions, and melancholy passions: or, those that take evill spirits to be only evill qualities and dispositions inherent with us: or the Libertines, that thinke good or evill Angels to be nothing els but good or bad fortunes and successes. But quibus non cavent in [peccato], hos sentient in supplicio. Whom they would not beware off in their sins, they shall feele in their torments. As they that live like Angels on earth, shall bee made like Angels in heaven: so they that will not beleeve any devils, yet live like devils, must have their portion with Devills. And Stultus in culpa, will bee made sapiens in paena.

3 Their office: Angel is not a name of nature, but of office. Greg. Ex eo [quod] est, Spiritus: ex eo quod agit, Angelus, Aug. They stand round about the Lord as attendants, and execute his imposed hests like ready servants. A quo dominatio, ab eo denominatio: this name is given them for some supereminent qualitie. Psal. 18.10. Hee rode upon a Cherub, and did flie. They are said to have wings for their speed of obedience. Therefore Gregory sayes, that their titles are according to their messages. They that are sent on businesse of lesse moment, are called Angels: they that of greater importance, Archangels. The Angel sent to contract that sacred match betweene the King of heaven, and the Virgin Mary, was called Gabriel. Luk. 1. Gabriel signifies the power of God: a fit Ambassador for such a message; because the conception of Christ, and by it the redemption of the world; is called the Strength of Gods arme , Luk. 1.51. Gabriel was sent. 1. I doe not thinke with Hierome, because Virgins are as Angels: as Isidor. Caelibatus, quasi coeli beatus. Indeed CHRIST sayes, that in heaven Mat. 22.30. they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as Angels of God. But so all the faithfull are Virgins to CHRIST, and shall bee made as Angels by CHRIST. 2. Nor yet so much to shew that he was a high Angel, because of his high and glorious message. 3 But indeed, as Aquinas in this truely, That our humane nature might be repaired, after the same manner it was ruinated. As a serpent was sent to Eve by the Devill, to worke our woe: so an Angel was sent to Mary by God, to bring newes of our blisse. Ad Evam Angelus malus accessit, ut per cam homo separaretura Deo: Ad Mariam Angelus bonus venit, ut in ea Deus untretur [homini] , Fulgent. By Eve man was separated from God, in Mary God was united to man an evill Angel was the worker of the separation: a good Angell was the messenger of the conjunction. So great is their office, that CHRIST himselfe accepted the name, Mal. 3.1. Angelus faderis, the Angel of the Covenant, Popish writers deny that CHRIST was ever called an Angel in the old Testament. For that, Gen. 48. 16. they would thence prove prayer to Angels. The Angel that redeemed mee from evill, blesse the lads: but no Angel redeemed us, but IESUS CHRIST. They say, if at any time the Sonne of God appeared, it was most likely to bee in mount Sinai, at the giving of the Law; that being the most noble apparition of all. Yet saith Stephen Act. 7.53. Ye received the Law by the disposition of Angels, and have not kept it. Angels then appeared, not CHRIST. But the Angels there were ministring spirits, giving their attendance, and executing their office. It is no good argument; because the Law was given by Angels, therefore not by CHRIST. St Paul cleares it Gal. 3.19. The Lord was ordained by Angels in the hands of a Mediatour. The ministery was of Angels, the authoritie of Christ. They further object; if Christ had appeared at any time before his birth, it was most likely then when word was brought to Mary of the incarnation of Gods Sonne: both for the dignity of the person to whom, and of the Ministery what. But the messenger was Gabriel, not Christ. Answ. 1. Mary was not yet so great a person, as to be preferred before all the Patriarches, Christs Progenitors. Her dignitie came not by her owne worthinesse, but by Gods speciall grace: κεχαριτωμένη, Freely beloved. 2. There was greater reason that the same Angel Gabriel, the first revealer of the prophecie to Daniel concerning the Messiah; should also be the messenger of the accomplishment of it. 3. It was not fit that the Sonne of God himselfe should bee the messenger of his owne comming into the world, Princes send their officers before, to give tydings of their = and should not that great Prince send his Angels before, that it might appeare he was Lord of the Angels?

This is their office, wherein they are patterns to us. Psal. 103.20. Blesse the Lord ye Angels his, that excell in strength, that doe his commandements, hearkening unto the voice of his word. For this we pray, that the will of God may be done by us on earth, as it is done by the Angels in heaven, Mat. 6.10, Our obedience cannot be like in perfection, must be like in proportion: for qualitie here, for equality hereafter. We must [Parere] sicut Angeli, if we desire Fulgere sicut Angeli. In life we are men, in hope angels: now quamdiu non habemus perfectionem Angeli; non habeamus praesumptionem [Diaboli], Aug. While we want the perfection of Angels, God blesse us from the presumption of Devils, Luk. 12.9. Let us confesse Christ before men, that he may confesse us before the Angels.

4 Their glory: when the Scripture attributes the highest praise to inferior creatures, the comparison is drawen from the glory of Angels. Gen. 33. Iacob commending the countenance of his reconciled brother saies, I have seene thy face, as the face of an Angel, Psal. 78.25. Man did eate Angels food; which was Manna: a most excellent meate, that if the Angels needed sustenance, they could wish no better, 1 Cor. [13.1]. If I spake with the tongues of Angels; Si quae sint Angelorum linguae: if the angels had tongues, they must needs be admirable, Act. 6.15. They looke stedfastly on Stephen, and saw his face as it had beene the face of an Angel. David admiring mans creative glory, with incontained passion breakes forth; Thou hast made him a little lower than the Angels, Psal. 8.5. Man in his greatest glory is inferiour to Angels. Famous men in the Church are called Angels. So Ioh. Bap. Mat. 11.10. I send my Angel before thy face. Esa, 33.7. The Angels of peace. Rev, 2.1. To the angel of the Church. Iudg, 2.1. The Preachet of repentance was called the Angel of the Lord, Hag. 1.13. The Prophet is called the Lords Angel, Mal. 2.7. He is the Angel of the Lord of Hostes, Ezek. 28.14. The King of Tyrus is called an Anointed Cherub. The widow of Tekoah put the terme upon David, 2. Sam. 14.17. My [Lord] is as an Angel of God, to discerne good and bad. This was their happy estate, unto which Nihil defuit, nisi quòd non immutabilis fuit; there was nothing wanting, but the unchangeablenesse of it. But optimi corruptio pessima: they were the best of all creatures, they are the worst of all creatures: being not content to remaine Angels, they became devils.

The Angels that sinned. I come to their Apostacie; wherein consider foure circumstances: the Persons, the Cause, the Manner, and the measure of their fall.

1 The Persons that fell; some of the Angels, not all, They that sinned. For they that sinned not, stand for ever conserved by the mercie of God. Servat [irruptos] aeterna charitas. This is Saint Pauls distinction, 1 Tim. 5.21. I charge thee before God, and the Lord Iesus, and the elect Angels. Some are elected, and because election presupposeth refusall, the rest are rejected. Vpon this falling, they are not properly any more Angels, but divells and spirits of darkenesse. Satan in Hebrew; an enemie, or detractor. Salomon acknowledging his peace saith; Non est mihi [Satan] 1 King. 5.4. I have not an adversary. The Princes of the Philistines put the = upon David; Ne sit nobis Lessatan. 1 Sam. 29.4. Lest he be an adversary to us. So David to the sonnes of Zerviah; Cur estis mihi Lessatan? 2 Sam. 19.22. Why are you adversaries unto me? So Christ to Peter. Matth. 16.23. Get thee benihd me Satan. The Greekes have, Diabolus, διὰ βάλλω, insidiosè capere. His whole exercise is to deceive man, and to reduce him to his owne ruine. Thus he is called The Father of lies, the Prince of darknesse, &c. all corruptive, destructive names. Beelsebub, [Dominus] muscarum; the god of flies, or the master-flie. Flies though beaten off, will [re-] turne againe; so doth Satan after many repulses. The red Dragon; dy’d into that sanguine hew with the bloud of soules. The Tempter; Immundi spiritus, uncleane spirits, Matth. 10. Which discovers their follie that proverbially; Damon [non] adeò niger, ut eum fingunt pictores: the divell is not so blacke as painters make him. . But by their leaves let us not trust him; but endevour by a good life, and a holy faith to keepe our selves out of his clutches.

Proclus, and Psellus a Greeke writer, makes many kindes of divells. Some fiery spirits, Lelurion, conversant about the orbe of the Moone: some acriall, in that part of the aire next us: others watry, earthy, subterrane, metalline spirits, which obsesse the covetous and metall men. And the Scripture in some sort alludes to it which calls them Powers of the aire, and wanderers through the earth, Revel. 12.11. Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, for the divell is come downe among them: Downe, as if before he had beene hovering in the aire. They delight in filthy places, deserts and Sepulchers, and hogs. They drove one into the wildernesse, Luk. 8.29. Another amongst the tombes, Matth. 8.28. From whom being cast they entred the swine, and drove them into the sea; as if they delighted in the waters, sporting like the Leviathan in the Ocean. They make some deafe, other dumbe, other furious, all miserable whom they possesse. They insinuate themselves into men by flie temptations, and therefore are called familiars. The best and blest Angels seeme also to have their distinctions, Col. 1.16. Thrones, dominions, principalities, powers. I doe not speake of those nine orders, as the bold Dyonisius, and the overventurous Papists. But they are so called, because God by them governs the Nations, moves the heavens, restraines divels, workes miracles, conveyes Prophecies, protects his servants and executes judgements upon his enemies. Yet so as these names may be given to all Angels, by occasion of diverse employments; or to some for a time and not for ever.

2 The cause, which was indeed wholly in themselves. For either God or man must be the cause of their sin, or themselves; but neither man, nor God, = themselves. Not man, for had not the Angels falne first, they could not have beene the cause of his fall. That nature continuing good it selfe, would never have [pro-] cured evill to others. But now their whole endevour is spent upon hindring mans Ascent to that glory, from whence they are justly dejected. Man either was not then made, when the Angels revolted: or if he were, how could be living on earth ruine the spirits in heaven? The divell cannot challenge man, but man may thanke the divell, for this perdition. He first tempered the cup for himselfe, and then tempted man to drinke: but he had better never have pledged him.

Not God, for then that were injustice, to condemne them for that which [him- se] caused. It were unrighteous to make them fall, and then punish them for falling. But he did foresee it and would not prevent it: and in not hindring it he seemed to cause it. Indeed, this holds in the creature: who is bound, foreseeing an evill, to doe his best in preventing it; and otherwise is made accessary to it. But God is an absolute Lord of all, and not bound to any of his creatures, further than he bindeth himselfe. In CHRIST he hath bound himselfe to beleevers, and all his Promises are Yea and Amen; and he will keepe his word. But shall any creature chalenge him for not doing that he never promised to doe? But God did not confirme them in their created grace, therefore caused their fall. Answ. GOD did not purpose their confirmation. Dedit potestatem velle, non voluntatem stare: he gave them power of willing, not will of standing. He is not tied to conferre more grace upon his creature, than himselfe pleaseth. It was enough that hee created them righteous, without addition of their confirming. Nec tenetur agere quicquid potest, nec [rationem] reddere quicquid facit. He is not bound to doe whatsoever he can, nor to give account of whatsoever he doth.

In a word, the Angels had in themselves the proper cause and beginning of their = fall: which was a free and flexible will. They might will good, and perseverance in good: and that will being mutable, they might also will evill, and so fall from God. The same kind of will was in innocent Adam. But good trees cannot bring forth bad fruite: therefore the Angels being good, could not sin of themselves, Answ. Those words must be construed Sensu composito, non disjuncto. Indeed a good tree remaining good, cannot produce evill fruite: but being changeable, it may. But God foresaw it, therefore the Angels could not escape it. Answ. Yet is not his prescience any cause of their fall, but only an antecedent. Because we sin, therefore was foreknowen to God: not because it was foreknowen to God, therefore we sinne. God saw Iudas his treason in the glasse of his Prescience before Iudas had member composed, or the world was formed: yet was not this the cause why Iudas betrayed CHRIST. Praescivit, non Praedestinavit, Aug. Vidit non coegit, scivit non ••xit, praedixit non praescripsit, Lip. He foresaw it, he did neither compell it, nor command it, nor allow it. Prescience is to God, as memorie is to us: memorie presents to us things past, prescience to God things to come. Our memorie is not the cause why things past were done: nor is Gods foreknowledge the cause why things to come shall be done. We remember some things we doe, we doe not all the things we remember. So God foresees all he does, he does not all he foresees. We remember an orchyard such a time planted, that now yields good fruites, by nature, not by violence, so God foresaw it. We remember a murther done, by will, not compulsion; so God foresaw it. Neither our memorie, nor Gods prescience caused these: but they come to passe, naturall by nature, voluntary by will, contingent by hap, necessary by necessitie. But did God only foresee it? No, he also decreed it: why then how could they avoid it? Answ. He decreed to leave them to themselves, that they might fall if they will, and then to give them no grace of rising. But then as = hit me, as throw me: it is all one to thrust an old man downe, as to take away his staffe that should keepe him up. Nay, but the old man throwes away his owne staffe and God doth not reach it him: they did forsake their owne grace, and fall by their owne folly. But here let us fall from disputation to admiration. Oh the depth the wisedome of Godhow; unsearchable are his judgements, and his wayes past finding out.

3 The Manner, this was by sin, saith our Apostle. But what was this sin? Though it be no where precisely expressed in the Scripture: yet from two places it. may be collected, that it was a rebellion against God arising from pride. Gen. 3.5. Ye shall be as Gods. He tempted man to this sin; an ambitious pride of bettering his estate. Now it is probable, that he sought to overthrow him by the same way he fell himselfe. Iob 4.18. He charged his Angels with folly. The sin whereof [Eliphas] would accuse Iob, was a justifying or lifting up himselfe before God. From this hypothesis or supposition he reasons: that if God so plagued pride in those Angelicall natures, how will he dissemble it in man, who dwelleth in a house of clay, whose foundation is in the dust! Some say; God subjected the world to man, not to Angels. Psal. 8.6. What is man, that thou hast put all things under his feete! This the reprobate Angels could not endure, therefore rebelled and fell. Yet still the manner and matter of their revolt appeares to be pride. An insinuating sinne: it crept into Paradise, and robbed us of our birthright; we may curse it to this day. It climbed into heaven, and robbed Angels of their glory, they may curse it for ever. It is an impudent and stupid sin, more in sensible than Salomons drunkard. We have not onely thrust thornes, and needles, and goades, but even swords and speares into her heart to make her bleed; and yet she is proud to bee spoken against.

I speake not of pride in the huske, but in the heart. Her Taylor, Fashion, is now held an honest man; I am sure a powerfull one. How ridiculous soever a garbe appeares, fashion can perswade men to it. O that our preaching were in fashion too; then we should hope to perswade you. We tell pride, that as the freshest rivers run into the salt sea; so all the honours of the world shall end in basenesse, all the pleasures of the world in bitternesse, all the treasures of the world in emptinesse, all the garments of the world in nakednesse, all the delicates of the world in rottennesse. If Christ bids us cut off, and cast away the offending eye, hand, foote; all which are needfull members tied with joynts and nerves to the body: we may well spare these unnecessary dependants, no parts of our flesh, but flags of our shame, Luk. 18.12. The Pharisie prayes not for supply of defects, nor acknowledgeth a defect of supplies: but tells his owne fulnesse, and that great difference which his mistaken eyes saw betweene himselfe and the Publican; swelling with his owne wind till he burst. They plow with the Oxen of their owne imaginary righteousnesse; and contemplate the Farme which their owne workes have purchased; and Marry themselves to merite as to Wife: therefore in the pride of their peremptory stomachs they scorne the Lambes supper. Therefore Christ refuseth them in his call, but seekes sinners: not sinners in perversenesse, but sinners in sense and conscience, in plea, action, confession, and condemnation of themselves. It is a needy and acknowledged emptynesse, that lies at his gate, who is rich in mercie, like Lazarus with all his ulcers open, and begging the very crummes of commiseration.

Humilitie is the hardest of all vertues: all vices are against it, yea all vertues are against it: men are proud of their wisedome, proud of their beneficence. Yea, humility it selfe is against humility, and by a strange prodigious birth brings forth pride: as Diogenes, and that worse Cisterian, is proud of his very patches. How common is it for men to disclaime vaine glory vainegloriously! making a remonstrate of that within them, whereof they studie a renouncement from them. But the best things are alwayes most humble: the boughes of trees, the more laden with fruites the nearer they hang to the ground. The best gold goes downe in the ballance, the lighter stayes above. Good corne lies in the bottome of the heape, the chase keepes aloft. The good Angell lifts him up that would worship him; Revel. 19.10. See thou doe it not, for I am thy thy fellow servant. The bad Angell affects it, Matth. 4.9. All these 〈…〉 give thee, if thou wilt fall downe and worship mee. Timent boni Angeli adorari ab humana natura, quam vident in Christo sublimatam. Good Angels are fearefull to be worshipped of that nature, which they see exalted in Christ: evill Angels desire to be worshipped of that nature, which they know is made after the Image of God. Satan is Iob 41.34. a King over all the children of pride. Pride turned Angels into divells, humilitie shall turne men into Angels. Of all sins let us blesse our selves, yea the = keepe us from pride; that humbling our selves, we may bee exalted by Its 〈◊〉 CHRIST.

4 The measure; they left their condition totally and wholly: they quite forsooke God, his Image, heaven it selfe, and the office therein assigned them. [Ioh.8]. 44. He abode not in the truth: by this Truth is meant the Image of God; which Paul saies, Ephes. 24. consists in righteousnesse, and the holinesse of truth: It is called Truth. 1. Because it never deceived any man, as unrighteousnesse doth; which promiseth pleasure, profite, content, and performes nothing but griefe and shame. 2. There is no Hypocrisie in it, it makes no shew of other than it is. This originall condition the Angels voluntarily left, forsaking their place, as Saint Iude speaketh. God in the beginning appointed most excellent places for his severall creatures; wherein they were to performe their required homage and service. Heaven was the proper place assigned to the Angels: to man in his innocencie, Paradise: after his fall, the families of the Patriarchs: before and in Christs time, the Temple; now the congregations of the faithfull. These were our appointed places to set forth the praises of our Maker. This place the Angels left, forsaking the presence of God, and their owne office wherein they should have beene for ever employed.

But doe not the divells keepe in the aire? Some doe by Gods permission; but not as in their proper place and first habitation: for that was in the comfortable presence of God in heaven. But wheresoever they are, they carry a hell about them: if they be not in hell, yet hell is in them. As the militant Saints have in them the kingdome of heaven, though the kingdome of heaven doe not yet containe them. And the blessed Angels protecting us on earth, are still in a heaven; by reason of the gracious and glorious presence of the infinite God that is with them. So the divells are never remote from their hell. Ioh. 8.44. He was a murtherer from the [beginning]: whereupon Maniche grounds; Diaboli malitia non habuit initium: the wickednesse of the divell had no beginning: hence came that conceit of two beginings. Ans. 1. He was not so from the beginning, as Christ who had no beginning. The latter confutes it; It is not said, In the beginning; but From the beginning. 2. Neither was he made so in his owne beginning of being: as some sottishly draw that literall Leviathan into an allegorie. Psal. 104.26. There is that Leviathan whom thou hast made to play therein: as if God had made him a divell. 3. Nor yet so from the beginning; that in eodem instanti caepit esse a Deo, & malus esse a se; in the same instant, he tooke of God a being, and of himselfe an evill being. As it is said of our soule, Cum infunditur, inficitur; the infusion and infection meete together. For he as first made good, and therefore must by intervention of space become bad. 4. but Because there was a little time betweene his creation and Apostacie; Hee abode not in the truth, Esa 14.12. How art thou falne from heaven O Lucifer, Son of the morning! He was a son of the morning, not a son of the day; he stood not so long. 5. Especially, Homicida ab initio, non suo, sed generis humani. He was a murtherer from the beginning, not of himselfe, but of mankind. And Saint Austens reason is [good]; Non posset occidi, nisi factus fuisset homo: man could not be murthered before he was made: the divell could not be a murtherer before he had something to kill: = we say, he was Homicida in se, his owne murtherer. But from the beginning he murdered us; and we should never have recovered that wound, unlesse it had beene by a second murder, the killing of Iesus Christ.

But if the Angels in their innocencie and excellencie fell wholly and utterly from God: then much more may weake man rend himselfe from God by sin, yea and also from Christ. Answ. The grace of Creation came far short of the grace Redemption. There was a power to stand or to fall; but that power was in it selfe. Here is a power to stand, none to fall; but this power is not of our selves. The power stands in the promise of God, and gracious covenant in CHRIST. I will make an everlasting covenant with them, and they shall not depart from me. Ier. 32.40. We so stand as never to fall. God doth not trust our salvation in our owne hands: but We are dead, and our life is hid with Christ in God. Col. 3.3. If our portion were in our owne hand, we would quickly spend it, as that Prodigall did his patrimony. We are the foolish children of Adam, and would part with our salvation for an Apple: and by nature the brothers of prophane Esau, that sold his Birth-right for a messe of pottage. But it is there laid up, where we can never spend it, nor the divell find it. There is a difference betweene the state of nature, and that which is above nature: betwixt a Created, and a Regenerated will: not that the latter is not also created; but because the former is in the will by creation, so is not the latter. 1. The created will had a freedome to will that is good; so hath this. 2. The created will had a power to will perseverance in goodnesse, so hath this. 3. The created will had not the will it selfe, nor the act of perseverance; the regenerate will hath both these.

Here the doctrine of the Romish Schoole erres, which teacheth; that in conversion the will hath a freedome to receive grace, or not to receive it: so mans power of faith and salvation should be in his owne hand. But the unconverted will refuseth grace, yea rebelleth against it: and Ioh. 6.44. No man can come unto Christ, unlesse the Father draw him. It is not the will it selfe, but the conversion of the will, that makes it willing to goodnesse. The will of regenerate man is not as the will of created Angels, able to stand or fall: but God hath conformed it, and confirmed it; to will the own standing for ever. True saving grace is never lost: without Christ man could never get it, but when Christ hath given it him, he shall never lose it. Some Schoole-men say, that God doth Creaturis dignitatem causalitatis communicare; and Austen seemes to favour it: but man could as well make himselfe, as make himselfe good. And if he were naturally worthy to have grace, where had he that grace to be naturally worthy? Sure, this makes him little beholding to God, that gives him but the grace whereof he is worthy. As we say, God could doe no = in mercy: so this saies. God could doe no lesse in Iustice. But they for the later object, Revel. 3.11. Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy Crowne. Now Si alius potest accipere, tu potes perdere. If another may take it, then thou mayest lose it; and so fall from grace. Indeed common graces a man may have and lose: bite not that grace which makes him accepted with God: hee can as soone lose the being of Nature, as the being of this grace. The Romists, as they establish a free will to get grace, so they confesse a power to lose it: on both sides they run into grosse errors. As August. contr. Tul. Vt statueret liberum arbitrium, negavit praescientiam futurorum: itaque dum vult facere liberos, facit sacrilegos. But our seed is immortall whereof we are made holy; therefore our holinesse is immortall. Three things can never be lost; the love of God in Christ, the Grace of the Spirit, and our Inheritance in heaven. We are in Christ; and unlesse Christ could be severed from God we cannot be severed from Christ. Indeed for Pagans, that are not in Christo, sed [in] caligine; not in Christ, but in darkenesse. And for Iewes, that are Non in Christo sed in lege; not in Christ, but in the Law. And for Libertines, that are non in Christo, sed in carne; not in Christ, but in the flesh; these all may perish: but they that be united to Christ, never. There is a Cordiall union of friend to friend; a carnall union, of man to wife: a Vitall union, of soule to body: these may bee parted; but a Spirttuall union never. As Christ is in God, and God in Christ; so are we in him. Prove it, Ioh. 17.22. That they may be one, as we are one: I in them, and thou in me. But, Revel. 2.4. Thou hast left thy first love. Not fallen from love, but from such a degree of love. Besides, there is a counterfeit charity, but true can never be lost. To conclude, we stand not of our selves, but by the Grace of Christ, and mercie of God. Psal. 142.4. We may looke on our right hand for comfort, on our left for supportance; and find refuge to faile us, no man caring for our soule. But if we cry unto the Lord; Thou art our refuge; thy mercies faile us not. The sea hath no mercie, the fire hath no mercie, the earth hath no mercie, beasts have no mercie, man hath no mercie, the world hath no mercie, the Divell least of all hath mercie; but The Lord hath mercie. David by experience gives it, the children of God affirme it; and let no man at the perill of his owne soule deny it.

Thus we have considered the Apostacie and fall of these Angels; a point somewhat what intricate and thorny; and would have beene much more confused, had I = all the perplexfull, barren, and unnecessary questions of the Schoole; which have in them more subtilty than doctrine, more doctrine than use: full of Scholasticall yea Sophisticall doubts. One charged a Painter to draw him Equum volt volitantem, a trotting or pransing horse: and he (mistaking the word) drew him Equum volutantem, a wallowing or a tumbling horse, with his heeles upward. Being brought home, and the bespeaker blaming his errour; I would have had him pransing, and you have made him tumbling: if that be all, quoth the Painter, it is but turning the Picture the wrong side uppermost, and you have your desire. Thus in their quodlibeticall discourses they can but turne the lineaments, and the matter is as they would have it. I speake not this to disgrace all their learning; but their fruitlesse, needlesse disputes and arguments; who findes themselves a tongue, where the Scripture allowes them none. It speakes of the Angels sins generally, without particularising what it was: hereupon say the Papists; it is an insufficient Iudge to decide all doubts and controversies. But because it doth not answer punctually the curiosity of their idle braines, can it not therefore decide all profitable questions, and satisfie all just doubts? Yes, it determines all things that concerne our consciences, and everlasting salvation. In unnecessary things it is silent, as if it forbad us to enquire. For use to our selves.

1. Seeing the fault for which God confounded the Angels, was the leaving of their being and first estate: this should humble us to bewaile the same sin in our selves; for we have also left our beginning. The Image of God was imprinted on us, so well as on them: they defaced it in themselves. Iohn 8.44. When the divell telleth a lye, he telleth it of his owne. A se habet, nullo alio suggerente: no man suggested it to him. To this they also tempted us, so that we lost our beginning: a thing that few of us truly lament; our Originall corruption. Sometimes men sorrow for their actuals, but seldome for their originals: as if that should not trouble them, which they brought into the world along with them; or as if that were their parents fault, none of their owne. But the royall Prophet confessed; Psal. 51.5. I was conceived and borne in sin. Tantillus puer, tantus peccator, August. When a little child, I was a great sinner. I dispute not problemes; whether this comes to us by imitation, which was the Pelagian heresie; for certainly it comes to us by propagation. The good man may generate, cannot regenerate, the children of his flesh. August. Nor is it materiall to bee decided, whether the soule be infected by the contagion of the body, as good unction is by a fusty vessell: for the soule is infected so soone as ever it is infused. Or whether in the very moment of infusion God did forsake it. Onely let our care be, as in a common fire; not to question or examine how it came, till first we have put it out. A Passenger brought to a pit, by the cries of one fallen into it, fell a wondering how hee came there: to whom the poore man replies; forbeare marvelling how I fell in, and doe thy best to helpe me out. Miserable Parents, have brought forth a miserable childe into this miserable world; Nec citius tulerunt natum, quàm damnatum, Bern. We are sure we have it, O that halfe so sure we were all delivered from it! How should this humble us, to looke unto the rock whence wee were hewen, = the pit whence wee were digged. Te maculatum non nega, sed lava. Deny not thy pollution, but cleanse it. All our teares are few enough to wash out our Originall staines: what are left for our actuall and continuall aspersions? Men raile on fortune, challenge the starres, blame bad company, curse the divell, for their sinnes: still they misse the proper cause, their originall apostacie, and corrupt beginning. [Diabolus] te non faceret perversum, nisi tua te origo fecisset pervertibilem. Satan could not make men profane rebellers, unlesse their uncleane nature had first made them sinners. From this impure beginning, comes all iniquity: for naturally the seeds of all sinnes are within us: and it corruption preceed, eruption will easily follow. And God will smite him that sinnes, though (as Saul said) it be my son Ionathan. Indeed he smote his owne son IESUS for our sake, not for Angels. Christs side was launced, to let out our impostume. It is his grace alone that reduceth us to our beginning; yea to a farre better beginning, such an one, as shall never have ending.

2. Seeing the Angels sinned; Let him that thinkes he standeth take heed lest hee fall. No height of man can match the Angels; if justice spared not sin in them, how will it forbeare us? no strength of man can match the Angels: if they were not able to resist the judgement, what can we doe? Heaven is a great way further from hell, than is Earth: if sin could tumble downe Angels, how much more easily the sons of men, from so low and conterminate a place? Adam was excellent in Paradise, yet short of the Angels in heaven; their beauty and glory, was far greater: but if God punished sin in the Angels, how will hee dissemble it in men? The Iewes thought it a high priviledge to say, we are the sons of Abraham; yet Abraham was but a man. Wee goe further, and say, Wee are the sonnes of God: but how? by creation only: so were the lost Angels: we must have a better title than so, or else sin will confound us with the Angels. God forbore not sin in those his selected and eldest sons on earth, the Israelites; not in his celestiall children, the Angels: yea hee is so far from sparing it in any, that to save some he spared not his own Son. What then is our Title? In Christ: indeed there it is onely good; a blessednesse which was not granted to the lost Angels. But then let us walke worthy of this Christ, that we may confirme an argument of comfort to our owne soules.

But cast them downe into hell, and delivered, &c.] I come to their penalty; the first branch whereof is their Dejection; He cast them downe into hell. Herein is Locus a quo implied, the place from which they were cast, Heaven: and Locus ad quem expressed, the place into which they were cast, Hell; there is Poena damni in the former, Poena sensus in the latter. The one privative, a losse of all blessednesse: the other positive, an infliction of all cursednesse.

Cast them downe.] This implies some place from whence they were cast, and that is heaven: the place of their creation, the seate of blessednesse, the palace of glory, the eternall mansion of joy. Lift up your hearts a while, to contemplate that place from whence they fell, and whither we desire to rise.

First take it generally; there is a heaven wheresoever Gods gracious presence shineth. Yea as the Father said; I had rather be out of heaven with Christ, than a heaven without Christ. So we had better be on earth with Gods favour, than in heaven without it. For as the Sunne makes a day, so the countenance of God makes a heaven, wheresoever it shineth. Absence of light causeth darkenesse; if God turne away his face, nothing remaines but wretchednesse. Psa. 16.11. In thy presence is the fulnesse of joy. If the fulnesse of joy be in his presence, then the fulnesse of sorrow is in his absence. Psa. 30.7. Thou didst hide thy face, and I was troubled. For the light of Gods countenance David often praises; nothing was so terrible as the hiding of his face from him: especially if it bee true what the French Nightingale sung; That hell is every where, where God is not. If the Kings favorite be for ever decourted, and banished the royall presence; this more afflicts him than those that never saw it. Ignoti [nulla] amor, an unknowne good is uncared for: many men little affect heaven, because they never apprehended the sweetnesse of it. But that which is retained with great sensible joy, cannot be lost without great sensible griefe. Had these wicked Angels never knowne the delectablenesse of Gods presence; their owne expulsion out of heaven had beene lesse plague unto them. Now they may name all their thoughts, those children of their mindes; Idiabods; For 1 Sam. 4.21. the glory is departed from them. It was Absaloms extreamest discontent to be kept from the Court; therefore in passion he sollicites Ioab; 2 Sam. 14.32. Let mee see the Kings face.

This is their eternall misery, never to see Gods pleased countenance. Darknesse is the more intollerable to them, because they were created children of light: Their dismall plaints, extorted by flames, more irkesome, because they once bore a part in the musick of heaven, the melody of Angels. As Elisha said to that great Lord; 2 Kin. 7.2. Thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not eate thereof. There is good cheere, and they for whom it was provided, must never taste it. Luk. 14.24. None of those men that were bidden, shall taste of my supper. Thus miserable are they that live out of the orbe of mercy, drawing their unhappy breath without repentance; upon whom fury and indignation waites, the length and bredth whereof cannot be measured; with a diligent traine of unsufferable plagues, that will never cease to punish, so long as there is a will of God to bid them. It is a question whether the rich mans owne positive and sensible torments more afflicted him, or the sight of his once despised Lazarus in the bosome of rest. Psal. 112.10, The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away. What so vexeth him? The horne of the = exalted with honour. Luk. 13.28. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you shall see the Saints in the kingdome of God, and your selves thrust out: when you shall See it.

We may also consider this point at home; and thinke how it afflicted our first Parents to see that Paradise, out of which they were cast and kept with a flaming sword. Every earth was not fit for Adam, but a Garden, a Paradise. Excellent pleasures have beene found in Gardens planted by men: yet is the least leafe, twig, or pile of grasse past all mens making. When he that creates the matter, undertakes the forme, this must needs be transcendently perfect. No tree, herbe, flower, was there wanting; that might be for ornament or use, for sight, sent, or taste. The bountie of God extended it selfe further than to necessitie; even to delight and recreation. Yet for all this, if Gods gracious presence had not shone there, no abundance could have made him blessed. Yet behold, God offered him all fruites there, and restrained but one; Satan offered him but one, and forbore all the rest: and man chose rather to be at Satans finding, than at Gods. Then did the Iustice of God turne him out of his gates with a curse: why should he feed a rebell at his own board? That God from whose face he fled with feare in the Garden, now makes him flie with shame out of the Garden. The Angels that should have kept him, now keepe Paradise against him. It was easie to have kept happinesse, easier to lose it, but most hard to recover it. That very cause which drove man out of Paradise, hath also with-drawen Paradise from the world. Now as when man was toiling in the cursed and weedy earth, what a vexation must arise in his conscience, by the sight of his discharged Paradise! So terrible is it to the divells sailing in the aire, to contemplate that heaven from which they are banished for ever.

Secondly more specially, and in a stricter acception; heaven is the locall receptacle of infinite and interminate joy. In thy presence is the fulnesse of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. For qualitie they are Pleasures: for quantitie, Fulnesse: for Dignity, at Gods right hand: for Eternitie, For evermore. There shall be no feare to have the eyes dimmed with teares, or the soule surprised by death, or the heart dejected with sorrow, or the eares disturbed with cries, or the senses distracted with paine. There are possessions without impeachments, = without cares, length of yeares with strength of delights, greatnesse of state without conscience of corruption, love of all without jelousie of any. There men shall be good and not persecuted, happy and not envied, rich and not robbed, kings and not flattered. The Inhabitants are at the same instant ravished with seeing, satisfied with enjoying, and secured for retaining. There is the glory of God whose 〈◊〉 rightnesse they behold: safetie from foes, whose ruine they rejoyce at. Psal. 58.10. (The righteous shall rejoyce when he seeth the vengeance, he shall wash his feete in the bloud of the wicked.) The company of Saints, whose comforts they participate: the receit of a kingdome, and with it the full possession of the Fee-simple of life, the tenure whereof is inviolable. Ioy so tempered, that it shall satisfie and not glut: persons so sublim’d, that what makes them everlastingly happy, shall never make them weary. There is a river, and the Spring, the Throne of God; the water Chrystall, the bankes set with the trees of life. There is a Citie, the gates of it Pearle, the streets of it Gold, the Walls of it precious stones, the Temple in it God, the light of it the Lambe, the vessels to it Kings of the earth. The cheare of joy, the exercise singing, the Citie praise, the subject God, the Quire Angels.

Such is heaven, which alas mans parvitie is as farre from comprehending, as his armes be from compassing. Heaven shall receive us, we cannot conceive heaven. Quid mors est rogitas? si scirem, mortuus essem. Doe you aske what death is, fact one: if I could shew you, I were first dead. Doe you aske what heaven is, when I meet you there I will tell you. Could this eare heare it, or this tongue utter it, or this heart conceive it; it must needs follow, that they were translated already thither. Howsoever what hath beene spoken may remonstrate this; how great an infelicity the privation of heaven is. One spake truly; that the teares of hell are not sufficient to bewaile the losse of heaven. This fully appeares by that judicatory sentence, Mat. 25.41. When the wicked shall haply reply; though we may not ascend with thee unto glory, yet let us have thy presence on earth: let us be any where so thou, O Christ, be with us. No, Depart from mee; from peace, from joy, from comfort, from my presence, from my salvation, from my glory, for ever. O wretchednesse, that disdaines all comparison; if there were no hell, this were enough to wring out everlasting teares.

Applicat. Seeing both these Angels and also men, were cast out of their original and proper residence by sin; and God hath made ours recoverable by Christ, which is not granted to them; let us studiously seeke an entrance into that eternall rest, we transgresse daily, yet the Lord shutteth not heaven against us: we finde more mercy than our forefather. His strength was worthy of severity, our weakenesse findes pitty. We lost a Paradise that cannot be found, but we may find a Paradise that cannot be lost. Here is no fiery sword to keepe us out; we care not to seeke where that Paradise is which we lost; but this we both care to seeke and hope to finde. As man is the Image of God, so was that Paradise the Image of heaven: both the Images are defaced, both the first patterns are eternall. The first Adam was in the first Paradise, and stayed not: the second Adam is in the second Paradise, and there abides. This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise; was his promise to the penitent Malefactor. Paul was there and heard, and saw what he could not utter. By how much the third heaven exceeds the richest earth; by so much doth that Paradise which Christ hath found, exceed that which we have lost. Now if we desire to have our saluation perfected above, we must begin it below. The gate of heaven is opened on earth. The place where God manifested his favour, Iacob called Bethel, heaven gate. Gen. 28.17. This the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. As a man cals that the Court, where he was first brought to the presence of the King. Now this is done by a holy expectance, hearty affection, patient forbearance, prepared assurance, constant perseverance, and ravished exultance.

By a holy expectation, and a life expressive of such hope. He that lookes to weare a Crowne, habituates himselfe to royall affections. Our conversation is to heaven, whence we looke, &c. They that hope to carry earth up to heaven, strive first to bring heaven downe to earth.

By a hearty affection: if we cannot get in, yet let us get so neere as we can; and keep about the gates of the Citie: where the faithfull are congregated, there heaven it selfe is opened. Cain thought it not the least part of his curse, to be cast out from the face of God; from Adams family, where the face of God was seen in his holy worship.

By a patient forbearance and withdrawing our affections from terrene things. This World is but viaticum; and no man seekes for his inheritance in his Inne.

By a prepared assurance armed for all encounters. No Prisoner feares the Gaoler, looke he never so sterne; who knowes that his commission, is but to bring him to the Court safe. To the Saints, Mors non poena, sed remedium, death is not a penalty, but a remedy. Nec tam mors naturae, quàm malitiae, quàm miseriae. It is not so much a death of nature, as of corruption and calamity.

By a constant perseverance, resolving upon the worst disasters not to turne back. Knowing, that if the Gospell takes away riches, it will require them: if it take away life, it will restore it better. Patience shall never be a loser by it.

Lastly, by a ravished exultance and joy, that ariseth from the meditation of heaven. Which so transports us, that for the time we thinke our selves there: and conceive of former sorrowes, as men awaked from a busie dreame. What shall be the possession of that place, whereof the contemplation is so sweet! Dulce est in littore stantem Dicere naufragium. It is a pleasure to sit on the quiet and secure shore, and discourse of escaped wrackes. This is our true Paradise; the lower remaines Quoad locum, non quoad Paradisum; as it is a place, not as it is a Paradise. On earth we lost it, in heaven we shall find it. There faith shall be turned into beatificall vision; expectation lost in possession. There we shall know the truth of things we argue here below. How sweet now would the knowledge of some secrets be unto us; yet are many not worth the knowing: there those deepe and glorious mysteries = be made plaine, and we shall discourse them one to another. Discourse them I say; for now the soules in heaven have the language of intelligence; and when their bodyes are joyned they shall have the language of utterance. And because [Duratio] est affectus entium; the perfection of all shall be a blest everlastingnesse. I will give you the kingdome of heaven, saith CHRIST; this disgraceth all earthly kingdomes. I will give you an incorruptible Crowne, this disgraceth all corruptible crownes. I will give you eternall joy, this disgraceth all momentary pleasures. Eternall life is the gift of God through Iesus Christ.

Downe into hell.] This is Locus ad quem, the next part of their punishment; a sensible paine; the position of intolerable and interminable plagues. In handling whereof consider three circumstances. Quod sit, quid sit, ubi sit. That it is, what it is, where it is.

First, that there is a Hell, is plaine: for they could not be cast into a place that had no being. Yea, it is manifest that it had a being before sin; and God made it before he had present and actuall use of it. It was constituted ere the Angels fell, that it might receive them when they fell. Hell was made before sinne was hatched, as Heaven was formed and fitted before the Inhabitant was produced. For we must observe that God created Angels and men after his owne Image; Ratione sapientes, vita innocentes, dominio potentes; wise, innocent, powerfull. But withall he gave them naturam flexibilem, a mutable condition; which had power of standing, and possibilitie of falling. Power to stand was of God the creator: possibilitie to fall was of themselves the creatures. Immutabiliter esse bonum Dei solius est proprium, Aug. To be unchangeably good is onely proper to God. Augustine in his confessions gives the reason. Because God created man ex nihilo, of nothing: he left in him possibilitie to returne in nihilum, unto nothing. Si Deus dedisset illis naturam immutabilem, deos potius quàm creaturas condidisset, Basil. If God had given them an immutable nature, he had created them gods, not creatures. Now out of the whole hoste of Angels he kept some from falling: and when all mankinde was fallen, he redeemed some by his owne Son. And as he shewes mercie upon some in their salvation, so it is fit he should shew justice upon others in their just damnation. Now because there must be distinct places for the exercise of both these, which are in God equally infinite: by an irrevocable decree from the foundation of the world, a glorious habitation was ordained for the one, and a terrible dungeon for the other. These shall goe into everlasting punishment, and the righteous into life eternall. So certaine are both these places, that they were of old prepared. Matth. 25.34. Inherite the kingdome prepared for you from the foundation of this world, Ver. 41. Depart ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the divell and his Angels. Esa. 30.33. Tophet is ordained of old: non paranda, nec parari certa, sed parata. Of old, for the Lord that beholds all things, past, present, future, Vno actu, uno ictu, at once; simul & [semel]: as he foresaw the different estates of men and Angels, so he provided for them different places. That there is a hell.

First, the Scripture plentifully testifies, Mark. 9.43, &c. I know that many have wrangled against it: Danaeus reckons up 19 severall sorts of heretickes that deny of it. But say what they will, the wicked would give much to be sure that the Scripture was not true. Credere nolunt, & non credere nequeunt: they will not beleeve; and yet they cannot chuse but beleeve; their case is fearefull.

The Heathen affirmed a hell and place of torment for bad men: they retained so much light, as to know of that future darkenesse. Some of them have beene terrified with their owne inventions, and distracted with horror of the torments described by their owne pens. As Pigmalion doted on his owne picture, so were they amazed with their owne comments. How much more, if they had knowen these intolerable horrors, as they are, not as they were described. Par nulla figura Gehennae.

Besides, many wicked men are punished, and many as wicked escape. Now Iustum est, ut qui pariter peccarint, easdem paenas luerent. It is fit that partners in sinne should not be severed in torment. God doth not punish all here, that he may allow some space of repentance: nor doth he forbeare all here, lest the world should deny his providence. Parcit ut puniat, punit ut parcat. He spares that he may punish, and he punisheth that he may spare. He afflicteth some in the suburbes of hell, that they might never come into the citie it selfe. But Quos malos fert incruciatos, refert cruciandos. The evill he now suffers uncorrected, he referres to be condemned. Sinne knowes the doome, it must smart, either here or hereafter.

Further, in all things naturall and supernaturall, there is an opposition and contrarietie. There is good, there is evill: light and darkenesse: sorrow and joy. Now as there be two wayes, so there must be two ends. Heaven, whither the good Angels shall carry the Saints; Hell, whither the blacke and grisly spirits shall hurry the reprobates.

Againe, all men naturally doe honour the good, and punish the evill. The Barbarians themselves have lawes of castigation, and executions to cut off irregular persons. Shall the Lord in his Iustice come short of creatures, of barbarous creatures? The Law of Nations requires that malefactors, if they scape with life, be banished for ever. And shall not God banish rebells on earth, from his glorious presence in heaven, into that fearefull Iland of hell? If this were not, Stabit cum Ne rone Paulus, Nero was as good a man as Paul. Esau should still have his birthright in blisse, and Cain be a Saint as well as Abel. As beleevers say, 1 Cor. 15.19 If in this life only wee have hope in CHRIST, wee are of all men most miserable. So might the wicked say, If in this life only we have sense of sorrow, we are of all men most happy.

Lastly, every Prince is allowed this concurrence to his State: that as he hath a pleasant palace for himself and his servants, so he hath a Gaole and prison for rebels and traitors. That heaven is glorious where the high King keepes his magnificent Court; the outer side of whose pavements we delight to behold, and admire for beautie. So is that hell a dismall dungeon where he puts his enemies, the outside whereof men are not suffered to see, lest they should die with horror of the sight. They that have seene the flames, and heard the roarings of Aetna, now Monte Gibillo, the flashings of Vesuvius, the thundrings and burning flakes evaporating from marine rockes; have not yet seene the very glimmerings of hell. A painted fire is a better shadow of these, than these are of hell torments.

I am sure I speake to no Atheists; I could say; doest thou thinke there is no hell? Quis daemonum hoc asseret? What divell will so affirme? they know it, and feele it. Why art thou come to torment us before our time? Shall not men tremble to deny, what the divells confesse? Chrys. What, eate, drinke, and play, Epicure; Post mortem nulla voluptas? no pleasure after death? None indeed to reprobates; there is nothing but hell for them, and they shall find small pleasure in that. [Crede], sed fuge: credendo fugies. Beleeve it, and avoid it: by beleeving thou shalt avoide it. We are sure God hath made it; let us be but halfe so sure that we shall escape it. A good king having ordained positive Lawes by which he would governe; caused = of execution to be made; gibbets, wheeles, rackes, and such torturous [engines]. And being made, he commanded them to be brought forth, and exposed to open view: and upon every one was written, Ne noceat, ne noceat: that it may doe no harme: observe it, that you may never feele it. So God admonisheth us of hell, ne noceat: he doth as it were shew it us, that it may never hurt us. Ostendisti populo [gravia], Psal. 60.3. Thou hast shewed thy people grievous things: but shewed them, not inflicted [them]. Minatur verbis, ne utatur verberibus. By threatning us, he would save the labour of plaguingus.

But shall God menace this, and we not be moved? Is the hand-writing on the wall, and Belshazzar still merry? God loves him that Esa. 66.2. Trembles at his word. Doe we not tremble at it? how should we then escape it? We read of a bird of Paradise, so called for her excellent beautie: that being taken in the fowlers net, she doth grone and weepe night and day, and so languish away. We were once such Birds of Paradise, but by sinne taken in Satans nets; captived in wickednesse, and condemnable to this hell of wretchednesse: O how should we grone and weepe till we get out of this Prison where we are, into the libertie where we would be! Plangite plangenda: Sinne must have sorrow; either hereby attrition legall, and contrition evangelicall, or hereafter by destruction infernall. Estote tam proni ad lamenta, quàm fuistis ad peccata. Isidor. Let us be as ready for repentance, as ever we have beene for disobedience. It is too common for men to put farre away from them the evill day. Procul volunt •e, quod juxta est. They injuriously oppresse others, and luxuriously riot themselves; [why]? Luk. 12.45. My Master deferres his comming. Quasi tardè venturus sit, qui nunquam 〈◊〉 nusquam ab est. As if it would be long before he be present, that is, in no place at no time absent. Whereas the shadow doth not more diligently waite upon the body, than doth confusion upon sin. Therefore so live to day, as if thou wert not to [be] to morow. Seeing for the wicked is prepared a hell, let us seeke for heaven. Corrupt nature prepared us all for the former, let holy grace prepare us for the other. It is said of heaven, Imparatis clauditur janua, paratis patet: it is open to the prepared, shut to the unprepared. The contrary is true of hell: to the prepared it is shut, to the unprepared it is open. God shewed the Prophets many fearefull visions, to their terrror, and astonishment; but withall he encouraged them, that the judgements should light upon others, and he would deliver their soules. Ez••. 12.18. Ezekiels quaking and trembling was but for a signe: Israels should be in sense and anguish of heart. If we tremble at these torments while the wicked laugh and are joviall; we shall put off our feare to them, laugh and bee merry when they tremble. As Daniel said = that Monarch; Dan. 4.19. Let not the dreame trouble thee; the dreame shall be to them that hate the, and the interpretation to thine enemies. Let our hearts repent and beleeve, and let not this terror trouble us: the terror be to the divells that hate God, and to the probates his enemies. Psal 1 32.18. His enemies will I cloth with shame, but upon himselfe shall his crowne flourish. For tormenting cares, we shall have flourishing Crownes, in the communion of Saints and Angels.

The next question is, what is Hell? It is that place where the Iustice of God confineth reprobates to their eternall punishments. The plagues thereof are internall, externall, eternall. Internall, that consists in a plenary desertion of God; so that they are continuall sinners, and continuall sufferers. Two contrarities being reconciled in them; extreme presumption, and extreme desperation. Presumption, for with bitter malice and curst heart they shall perpetually blaspheme, and sinne against the Holy Ghost, Revel. 16.11. Desperation, without all hope of mercie, or admitting one thought of peace. The one being a sinne against Gods Iustice, the other against his mercie. Externall, that consists. 1. In a deprivation of all comfort; that they doe feele, being not more bitter, than the thought of that they cannot feele, Chrys. A privative cause hath a positive effect. Tully banished from Italy though it were into Greece, wept bitterly when he remembred Rome. Exiled Demosthenes, though hee found much kindnesse amongst his enemies, yet would weepe when he looked towards Athens. The captive Iewes hung up their harpes, when they remembred Sion. Another laments that Roma relinquenda est: but when he considers, Scithia est quo mittitur; bursts out into teares it is the most unhappy part of unhappinesse, to remember former welfare. Dura satis miseris memoratio prisca bonorum. 2. In a sensible passion of universall anguish: as a brand in a great fire, no part free from burning. Eternall, not determinable with time, for then Time shall be no more: everlastingnesse shall make absolute their sorrowes: mans arme may be weary of smiting, not Gods: it is fabled of Iupiter, that if he should spend his artillerie as fast as men sinne, Exiguo tempore inermis erit, his quiver would soone be empty: Vulcan could not make his thunderbolts fast enough. But the = are punished in hell, so long as there is a God in heaven.

The Scripture speakes sometimes of hell figuratively; Gehinnon, Tophet. Which was a valley by the Fullers field neare to Aceldama, on the South-side of [Sion]. Call’d Gehinnon, because it was in the tenure of a man named Hinmom, Aret. There the Iewes, after the example of the Ammonites, sacrificed their children to Moloch in the fire. An Idol which they worshipped for Mercury, Montan. Others say for Saturne, whom the Poets faine a devourer of his owne children. It was of brass or coper, with hands stretched out to receive the Infants that were to be sacrificed. His Priests were called Chemmarim, because they were reesed or smoked with the Incense offered to the Idol. It was defaced and defiled by good King Iosiah, 2 King 23.10. and made a draught or common sewre for the filth of Ierusalem. The [Caldeans] cast the slaine Iewes into that place, Ier. 7.32. Therefore it was called Os [Inferni], the mouth of hell, that could not be filled. For further description of hell, the Scripture useth three principall termes; the Worme, outer darkenesse, and [unquenchable] fire, Mark. 9.44.

First the Worme: this we must not understand a corporall Worme, which were terrible enough; for a man to live alwayes dying, and die alwayes living, with an adder sucking and stinging his vitall parts. Eccl. 7.17. The vengeance of the ungodly fire and wormes. But we must know that after the worlds dissolution, there shall remaine no mixt body, but only mans: no generation nor corruption in the [revived] bodies. Therefore the worme cannot be corporall, but spirituall: the stinging of a vexed conscience. As from the corruption of dead bodies breed the wormes that devoure them: so from the corruption of sin riseth this worme of conscience. Some understand it to be the memorie of past sinnes; which shall so long gnaw their soules and bodies; like a vulture preying on their hearts, as the remembrance of committed iniquities continues, which will be for ever. Ob. But if the memorie be so perfected, then the recognition of former joyes shall be some ease. An old souldier after his exhausted strength, glories in the battells he hath wonne. Ans. Nay this shall rather be matter of sorrow: to remember the evills they have done, bitter: the good they once had, more bitter: the good they might have had, most bitter.

Object. The torments of hell are farre beyond any paines of this world: but a man here, lying under some lethargicall and stupefying pressure, cannot consider those intelligible conclusions, as he might being abstracted from his paine. Answ. The soule is here joyned to a corruptible body, straightned by the Organ: so that while the body is afflicted, the consideration of the soule is hindred. But there the soule cannot be inclined by an incorruptible body: but while the flesh suffers according to the capablenesse thereof, the soule is prostrated to all the paines she can endure. Object. But the damned are the subjects of time, and time causeth forgetfulnesse. Answ. Time is the cause of forgetting, but only by accident: because motion which is the measure of time, is the cause of transmutation. But after this world there shall bee no more motion of the heavens: and even the soule that is now separated, is not changed from her disposition by the motion of heaven. Luk. [16.25]. Sonne, remember: this is a gnawing worme: which if it hath made some acknowledge (Infernum in mundo, qualiter sentient in inferno?) a hell on earth, what shall it = to their sense in hell it selfe? Oculos quos culpa claudit, paena aperiet, Greg. The eyes which sin hath shut damnation shall open.

Therefore it is good counsell now; Praevidete mala futura, ne recordemini bona [praeterita]. Foresee with feare the evill that shall be hereafter, lest you remember with griefe the good that hath beene heretofore. O that our foresight were but halfe so sharpe as our sense? let us now consider seriously the paines that shall be, that we never be put to remember grievously the joyes that have beene.

Secondly, Outer darkenesse, Matth. 22.13. Cast him into outer darkenesse. But it is objected, that the sight of their miserie shall aggravate the sense of their miserie; but nothing can be seene without the light, therefore not outer darkenesse. Againe, the damned shall have a visory power after the resumption of their bodies; which were superfluous if they should see nothing with it. They shall see, and without light they cannot see; how then, outer darkenesse? Answ. Though that fire doe not shine to any comfort; tamen ut magis torqueat, ad aliquid lucet; yet for their extremer vexation, it shall give some light. So much, as to shew their fellowes their torments, and them the torments of their fellowes, Greg. Basil in Psal. 29.7. The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire. Gods power shall separate the clarity of fire from the adustive vertue. Vt claritas sit pijs in gaudium, & ustivum damnatis in [tormentum]. That the clearenesse may delight the righteous, and the sharpenesse afflict the wicked. So Theodor in Psal. 96. The shining propertie shall be extracted to comfort the Saints: the burning propertie remaine to punish reprobates. But then vision it selfe is some delight: as Aristot. in his Metaphys. Sensus oculorum maximè [intelligibilis]: the sight of the eyes is pleasant; and to the same purpose Salomon. Yet by accident it becomes afflictive; as when men are forced to see what they would not see. In hell there shall be nothing diaphanous, perspicuous, cleare; but a shady, foggy vision; like a distracted dreame. Erit quod videant, non erit quod videre [cupiunt]. They shall see that, which to avoid they would wish themselves to have no eyes.

Let us therefore decline the workes of darkenesse, as we desire to escape the place of darkenesse. Interior darkenesse must be doomed to inferior darkenesse. What is more just, than that they who refused the light when they might have it, should be denyed the light when they desire it? many now nuzle themselves in ignorance, as if they meant to make their owne beds in hell. Voluntary blindnesse shall be confined to necessary blindnesse: and they that might now see if they would open their eyes, shall there open their eyes and not see. Let us be children of the = not of the night: and as we wish to see that glory without us which may make us happy: so let us strive to see that grace within us which may make us holy. Now the Father of lights defend us from that Prince and place of darkenesse.

Lastly, fire, unquenchable fire. It hath beene much controverted, whether in hell be true substantiall fire, or only fire allegoricall. Calvin is only for the allegory; and so some others, that give this reason. There is mention of Wood and of Worme, as well as of fire: now these are allegoricall, why not therefore the fire? But in Scripture things spoken together are not alwayes taken in the same nature and manner. Christ is called the Rocke of our salvation: the rocke is allegoricall, is our salvation therefore allegoricall? Luk. 22.30. Yee shall eate and drinke at my table in my kingdome. Eating and drinking is allegoricall, is therefore the kingdome allegoricall too? It is then to be concluded that there is true and substantiall fire in hell. Esa. 66.15. The Lord will come with fire, to render his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. Si in igne damnavit reprobos, quare non in igne cruciabit damnatos? If he will judge them in fire, why not condemne them to fire.

Grant it substantiall fire, then it is questioned whether it bee materiall, corporall, or spirituall. It is not materiall, that is fire nourished with fewell. Etna, and other places of the earth burne continually without fewell: much more that infernall fire. He that makes the damned live without food, is able to maintaine this fire without wood. Not spirituall; indeed Gregory calls it an Incorporeall fire; but it passeth the nature of fire to be spirituall: and he that makes it sprituall onely, goes about to make it no fire at all.

It is therefore a corporall fire: but being so granted, there arise some exception, Object. If it be corporall, how can it diversly torment diverse reprobates? There is but one fire in hel, but it doth not cruciate al after one manner and measure: as every one hath beene more wicked, he shall be more wretched. Answ. But we must know that this fire is the instrument of the Divine Iustice: now no instrument works onely by it owne vertue, and after it owne measure; but is regulated by the vertue of the principall Mover. The fire in a furnace is encreased or quallified according to the will of the kindler: so is this disposed by the power of God; Esa 30.33. the breath of the Lord like a river of brimstone doth kindle it. We know that one and the same fire doth otherwise burne iron, than wood or straw. Secundum duritiem vel durationem [materiae]: according to the nature of the incensed matter is the rage of the fire. All men on earth are under one Sunne, yet doe not all equally feele the burning of that Sun one is hotter than another, a Moore than a Brittaine. So in that one fire there is not one manner of burning: Quod hic diversitas corporum, illic agit diversitas [peccatorum], Greg. dial. lib. 4. That which is here wrought by the diversitie of bodies is there by the diversity of sinnes. There may be a severall degree of paine to every one, and yet one common fire to all.

Object. But if it be corporall fire, it must be maintained with fewell, or else it will goe out: but there is no fewell in hell. Yes, the bodies and soules of the damned shall be Loco carbonum & lignorum, in stead of fewell. And because those materials are everlasting, therefore it followes that hell fire can never goe = for it is against the nature of fire to cease, so long as it hath cumbustible matter to feed it. Object. But if it be corporeall, then is it of the same species with our fire, now man knowes the nature of this, but not of that. Answ. Fire is found in two places and manners: vel in materia propria, vel in materia aliena. Either in the proper matter, as it is in the owne orbe or sphere. Or in another matter, whether earthly as appeares in a coale, or airye as apppeares in the flame. But howsoever or wheresoever it is found, it is alwaies in respect of the nature in specie, fire. In the bodies which are the matter of the fire there may be difference; as lignum igneum & [ferrum] ignitum, burning wood and burning iron differ. Still is it fire, though diverse from ours in certaine proprieties which are unknowne to us, and may wee never know them.

Gregory upon Iob, 20.26. Ignis non succensus, a fire not blowne shall consume him objects, that if it be corporall fire, it needs fomentation. Nec valet esse nisi succe•s••, nec subsistere nisi refotus. Indeed our elementary fire must bee kindled and nourished, because it is brought artificially and by violence upon the combustible subject. But hell fire needs not, because it either subsists in the proper matter, or in an alien subject, not by violence, but by nature a principio intrinseco. Flatus Domini sicut [torrens] sulfuris succendet eum: the wrath of God makes it unquenchable; so that it neither needs feeding, nor wants raging. But our fire is corruptible, that eternall, how then of the same nature? So are the reprobate bodies now corruptible, then made incorruptible: therefore the same nature of fire shall become everlasting, to torment the same bodies become everlasting. Object. But the nature of our fire is to shine and give light, which hell-fire doth not. Iob. 18.5. The light of the wicked shall be put out, and the sparke of his fire shall not shine. Answ. The fire doth not shine in the proper manner of existing: non lucet in propria sphaera, saith the Philosopher; it shines not in the owne orbe. Besides, grosse and foggy smokes, and thicke darknesse may keepe fire from giving lustre; yet still it remaines fire. The conclusion then is for corporeal fire in hell. 1 Because there is not onely the punishment of losse, which answers to the aversion from the Creator: but also the punishment of sense, which answers the conversion to the creature. Now what plague so terrible to the sense as fire? 2. 〈◊〉 Wherewithall a man sinneth, by the same shall he be punished: but by sensible things they sinned, therefore by sensible things punished.

But lastly, if it be corporall fire, then it torments onely the body: for how can a corporall fire worke upon a spirituall substance? Bernard thus; there is a double punishment, the Worme, and Fire. Altero roditur conscientia, altero concremantur [corpora]. The one gnawes the conscience, the other burnes the carcase. The one [exterius] comburens, the other interius corrodens. And Meditat. cap. 4. In carne cruciabuntur per ignem, in spiritu per conscientiae vermem. So Isidor. de sum. Bon. lib. 1. cap. 31. The paine of the damned is double: Mentem urit tristitia, corpus flamma. So Bed. 〈◊〉 Marc. 9. lib. 3. Ignis erit paena extrinsecus saeviens, vermis dolor interius accusans. These seeme to restraine that fire from working on the soule. But it is plain, Mat. [25.41]. The fire is prepared for the divell and his angels. But the divell hath no body, yet hee burnes in fire. Luk. 16.24. The rich man cried out, and shall cry for ever, I am [tormented] in this flame. Yet was his body in the grave, and his soule onely in hell; neither is that altogether a Parable: for then Tacuisset nomen, & solum posuisset [exemplum]. Christ would onely have propounded the example, and concealed the name. Hee that denyeth spirits to be tormented in fire, let him take heed lest his = spirit feele it. But how this corporeall fire shall torment divels and damned spirits, who knowes? I do not doubt but that rich man was in the burning of paines, and the poore man in the refreshing of joyes: but how to apprehend that flame of hell, that bosome of Abraham, that tongue of the rich, and finger of the poore; [Illa] sitis tormenti, illa stilla refrigerij; that thirst of torment, that drop of comfort, shall hardly be found of them that seeke humbly, never of them that seek curiously. Melius est dubitare de ocultis, quàm litigare de incertis. It is more safe to doubt of that is secret, than to dispute of that is uncertaine. It is miserable by seeking what GOD hath secreted, to lose what GOD hath granted. Seeing then this is [substantiall] and corporeall fire; wherein differs it from our elementary fire? In five respects.

1. In regard of heate. The fire in a lantschip which is Ignis pictus, or their purgatory fire, which is Ignis fictus: is a better representation of elementall fire, than elementall is of eternall fire. That furnace whose heate was septupled, and the flames lick’d up them for whom it was not meant; was raging, but not a glowing sparke to hell.

2. In regard of light: our fire comforts in shining, that is oppressed with horrible darkenesse. Cremationem habet, lumen non habet, Greg. Vim comburendi [retinuit], illuminandi amisit, Basil. It retaines the property of burning, it hath lost the property of shining. Therefore it is called Hades sine sole domus: Iude cals it the blacke darkenesse. The darkenesse of Aegypt was strange and fearefull, so thick that it was palpable: yet a meere holy day to hell. The Poets described it by Cimerian darknesse; an Italian territory betwixt Baiae and Cumae, where the Cimerij inhabite: so environed with hils, and over-shadowed with supercilious and hanging promontories, that the Sun never comes at it.

3. Elementall fire burnes the body onely, eternall also the soule. The passion of the body, is but the body of passion; the soule of paine is the paine of the soule: yet if a consumable body be not able to endure burning flames for a day; how will an unwastable soule endure them for ever.

4. Elementall fire as it burnes, so it consumes: hell fire rageth more and wasteth lesse. The reprobate shall have the punishment vri, to bee burned; not the happinesse exuri, to be wasted. Poenae gehennales puniunt, non finiunt corpora, [Prosp]. Iron will hold burning long, yet consumeth: in hell there is neither [cessation] of fire burning nor of matter burned. It is a fire of consummation, not of consumption: Ignis absolvens non disolvens. If it were terminable, it might be tollerable: but being endlesse, it must be easelesse.

5. Our elementall fire may be quenched, that never goes out. This is maintained with wood, and put out with water: that as it hath nothing to maintaine it, so nothing to extinguish it. There shall be weeping of eyes, no mitigation of flames: if there be any teares, they shall rather be like oile to feed and nourish it, than like water to put it out.

These are three principall expressions of hell; but is there nothing of paine besides these? It seemes they suffer nothing else but fire, because CHRIST doomes them only unto fire, Matth. 25.41. Indeed fire is the principall, but there are other accessaries and concomitances. Basil. In the last purgation of the world there shall be a separation made in the elements. Whatsoever is pure, refin’d, sublim’d, and perfect, shall remaine above for the solace of the blessed. Whatsoever is feculent, sordid, and ignoble, shall be cast downe to the punishment of the damned. That as every creature becomes matter of the Saints joy; so every creature be made matter of the reprobates sorrow. Wis. 5.17. God shall make the creature his weapon for the revenge of his enemies: and the world shall fight with him against the unwise. As they have departed from that one God, one good, by sinne in many materiall things, which are variae & vanae: so that one Iustice shall by many materiall things confound them. But Iob 24.19. Ad calorem nimium transibit ab aquis nivium; as the vulgar Latine reads. Now the varietie and vicissitude of passions yields some refreshing. As when a man passeth from extreme cold to extreme heate, there is a mediate intermission: but there is no refreshing admitted in hell. Answ. The damned may passe from extremitie of cold to extremitie of heate, without any = because the passure shall not be by any transmutation of the body from the former naturall disposition, nor by reduction to any equalitie of temper: but sensible paines working upon the sensible parts; secundum esse spirituale, non secundum esse materiale, in organum, Aquin. The summe is this; the torments of hell are comprised under fire, because that is most violent, vehement, and sharply afflictive. Water doth only kill: fire doth vexe also, and torment: yea which is worse, this fire doth never kill. It shall be so extreme, that the damned shall prize a cup of cold water above ten thousand worlds. The use.

As we desire to escape the fire of hell, let us avoid the fire of sin. Praeparant [ignita] peccata in ignita supplicia. There be certaine fiery sins, which shall find fiery punishments; as Nadab both offered and suffered strange fire. There is Ignis nec ardeus [nec] lucens: Ignis & ardens & lucens: ignis lucens non ardens: ignis ardens non lucens. There fire is properly neither burning nor shining, but only stinkes and makes a smother sin, a spirituall fire. There is fire both burning and shining; that we call elemental fire. There is fire burning and not burning, as the Sun. There is fire burning and not shining, and that’s the fire of hell. Thus Paul calls lust a burning: It is better to marry than to burne. Who then would burne in lust, that feares to burne in hell? I read of a man, that when he was tempted to lust, would lay his hand on burning coales, concluding; If I cannot endure this for a while, how should I endure [hell-] fire for ever? Rage and malice are burning sinnes. Iratus non vides legem, sed lex [videt] iratum. The angry man beholds not the Law, but the Law beholds the angry man. Therefore is anger called Excandescentia. They that nourish that fire within them, are nourished for a worse fire without them. Blasphemie is a burning sin. Iam. 3 6. The tongue is a fire, that fireth the whole course of nature, and is fired of hell. Let them whose mouthes flame with oaths, feare these flaming torments. The rich mans tongue was tormented in fire, because it was used to spit fire against heaven. Drunkennesse is a burning sinne: V•itur igresuo. Esa. 26.11. too much wine is the oile of hells owne Lampe. They inflame the reckoning, till they inflame their braines, inflame their blouds, inflame their bodies: buy as much sicknesse, as will make up a burning fever; and as much sinne as will serve to inflame their owne hell. In the German proverbe, Fire is of all the genders. Hic ignis, that’s fire: Haec ignis, that’s a• whore: Hoc ignis, that’s wine. the first Chapter of Iohn Verse 5. Mundus positus est in maligno, that is in igne malo: all the world is on fire with sin, to make worke for the fire of hell. Deut. 32.22. A fire is kindled in mine anger, and it shall burne unto the lowest hell. Psal. 2.12. If his wrath bee kindled but a little, Blessed are all they that trust in him. Cant. 8.6. The Coales thereof are coales of fire, which have a most vehement flame. Wildfire may bee tamed, streames of fire have beene quenched: onely that fire can never be extinguished in the subject it hath possessed. One thing onely now can put it out; the water and bloud that came out of CHRISTS owne side. Onely that water can quench the fire of lust in us, and that bloud quench the = of hell against us.

Downe into hell.] Let me a little further enlarge this discourse of hell: wherein you do not finde a due method, know that the nature of the place denies it. Who can speake methodically and orderly of that; Quod nec modum nec methodum novit; that knowes no method, no order. Ibi ordo nullus, horror sempiternus. Hugo. If any expect an absolute description; I excuse my selfe; Non mihi si centum linguae. But as Pithagoras ghest at the stature and pitch of Hercules, by the length of his foote; and we say in the proverbe, Ex ungue leonem: so by shaddow and resemblance, we may a little conceive what it is in sufferance. This is a cup of the deadliest wine that ever was tasted: those deepe graves in the Psalme, from whence there is no rising againe. The gates of that infernall prison being kept from egresse, as the gates of Paradise were rewarded from entrance: not by Cherubins with a flaming sword, but by the angels of Satan, with all the instruments of death, and the seale of Gods eternall decree set upon them. This is that outer darkenesse, to comprehend and wrap up the damned. Outer, because in extremity, without the limits of any mercy to be extended: where no light of Sun, Moone, or Starre, much lesse the face of GOD shall ever shine. Where the eyes shall distill like fountaines, and the teeth clatter like armed men, and the minde muse on nothing but sad desperation. Many and fearefull agonies have wrung and wrested the spirit of man, since the spirit of life was first breathed into him: yet if all were put together, to answer the measure of hell [torments] amongst them; the hand of Tophet hath an unmeasurable portion left behind to destribute to her children, and enlesse patrimony of howling and gnashing of teeth. Balance them together, and the least paine of hell is greater than the greatest of this world, Aquin. Horrible torments have bin inflicted on mortall dilinquents; they are all but ticklings to those torturings. Rev. 8.13. There is a threefold woe: Woe for the bitternesse; Woe for the multitude; Woe for the everlastingnesse of those paines. Mat. 26.34. It had beene better for that man never to have beene borne. A woe, ten thousand times more than can be imagined by any heart as deep as the Sea. These are those waters of gall, viols of unmercifull plagues; pestilence and bloud, and huge hailestones, fire and brimstone. Not such as fell upon Sodome, the [witnesses] whereof, for many succeding ages, were heaps of ashes, and clouds of pitch. = fire and brimstone from a bottomelesse minde, which burneth in the lake of death, and shall never be quenced.

Of all these torments there are two dire and dismall effects. Mat. 8.12. [Weeping] and gnashing of teeth. Fletus de ardore, stridor dentium de frigore. Raban, Fletus ob ignem qui non extingitur, stridor ob vermem qui non moritur. Fletus ex dolore, Fletus a causa intrinseca, stridor a causa ex trinseca. stridor ex furore, Bern. They are cast into darkenesse, for the inordinatenesse of their concupiscible: weepe, for the inordinatenesse of their Irascible? gnash their teeth, for the inordinatenesse of their irrationall part, Corrh. This manifesteth two extremities in hell; incomparable cold, and intollerable heate, Greg. in Mat. 8.

Weeping: here are some questions moved, whether this be a corporall weeping. Some affirme it; because the sorrow which is in paine shall answer the pleasure that was in sinne. Revel. 18.7. As shee hath lived deliciously, give her so much torment and sorrow. But reprobates in their sinning had both an inward pleasure, and an outward delighting: therefore they must have in punishment both an inward grief and an outward weeping. [Answ]. But then damnation being eternall, this effusion would also be eternall: and so the teares would make an inundation larger thn thae ocean, able in time to put out the fire of hell. Therefore we must distinguish; In corporall weeping there are two things: a resolution of teares, and a commotion or perturbation of the head and eyes. This weeping is not the resolution of teares, because then the motion of the first mover ceasing, there is no generation, nor corruption, nor alteration of the body. But there must bee a generation of that moisture which distills it selfe into teares, if that weeping were corporall. Yet there shall remaine a weeping, which ariseth from the perturbation of the soule, and anguish of the body. There may be here a howling like dragons, when as yet no teares fall. It is observable that the expence of teares outwardly mitigates the sorrow within, and easeth the heart the burden of indigestible griefe emptying and venting it selfe at the eyes: but hell by eternall teares could never qualifie eternall paines.

It is further objected; weeping is the effect of sorrowing, and sorrow of reputing: therefore it seemes if the damned weepe in hell, that they repent in hell. [Wisd]. 5.3, And they repenting, and groaning for anguish of spirit, So Aristot. They shall be grieved for that wherein they were delighted. Answ. To repent may bee understood two waies: either ratione peccati, or peccato adjuncti: in respect of sinne, and the punishment annexed to sinne. To repent of sinne for it selfe, is to hate it for no other cause but because it is sinne and displeasing to God: thus they doe not sorrow. To repent of it for the punishment bound to it, Bern. is a sorrow by accident; that ariseth not from their evill doing, but from their evill suffering. The will of the damned is never bettered by their torment. To wish they had not sinned, without further relation, were a good will: but a good will and they are everlasting strangers. The will of the Devill is still invertible: nor doth hee grieve for his pride, but for the punishment of his pride. Agains, there shall bee a greater perv ersnesse of the damned in hell, than is of sinners on earth: but diverse sinners here, through blindnesse of minde, and hardnesse of heart, doe not repent of their sinnes: though the most savage beasts through griefe and paine are restrained from their sensuall pleasure. On earth there may be repenting without weeping, in hell there shall bee weeping, without repenting.

But is their no recoverie of originall good in hell? If the damned are sorry for their sinnes, this argues repentance. If they were re-admitted to life, they would spend their life in obedience; this argues a will to goodnesse. That rich man had some care of his living brethren; this argues charitie. No, there is no repentance, no rectified will, no charitie. Haply some remanents of naturall light, none of supernaturall naturall grace.

There is no repentance, Revel. 16.9. They are scorched with heate, and blaspheme Gods name: but repent not to give him glory. Ver. 11. They curse him for their paines and sores, but repent not of their deeds. True repentance ariseth from faith and hope: but there can be no faith of releasement, where is certaine knowledge of eternall punishment: knowledge and sense exclude faith. There can be no hope of termination, where be chaines of desperation. There shall be a desperate sorrow for paine, no penitent sorrow for sinne. None are now saved but by the bloud of the Lambe: but when the world is ended, that fountaine is dried up. The worme of conscience shall gnaw them with this remorse, bringing to their = the cause of their present calamities. How often they have beene invited to heaven, how easily they might have escaped hell. They shall weepe for the losse of the one and gaine of the other, not for the cause of either, which were repentance.

There is no will to good, or at least no good will. As the will of the blessed is wholly set upon good: so the will of the damned is wholly set upon evill. Neither can the Saints in heaven will that which is evill, nor the reprobates in hell will that which is good. This we perceive in the divels, who have bene so long damned, yet even to this day their unchangeable will is totally bent to wickednesse. But evill est omnio involuntarium, Dionys. Evill is altogether against the will: if therefore they will any thing, it is good either in existence, or in appearance. Ans. There is a double will in them: Naturall, which is not of themselves, but of the founder of nature: Deliberative, that is of themselves; which being wholly averted from the supreme end of goodnesse, cannot be but evill. So that if naturally they could will good, yet the forme of that will being so corrupted, it must necessarily be bad. Indeed evill as it is properly evill, moves not the will: but as it is an estimative good. Such is their malice, that they never will any thing but evill, though they esteeme it good. So that if they were now repealed againe to this world; they would neither repent their sins, nor amend their lives, nor glorifie God, nor seeke IESUS. Let us now labour to rectifie our wills, and order them to the seeking of good: lest we there lose both the good it selfe, and the very will unto it. For In Inferno erit stimulus paenitudinis, nulla tamen correctio voluntatis: ita culpabitur iniquitas sua, ut nullatenus possit diligi vel desiderari Iustitia, Aug. They shall curse their owne wickednesse, yet neither love nor desire righteousnesse.

There is no charitie; not so much as any love to God, the infinite good; much lesse to man. None to God. But Omnibus diligibile est pulchrum & bonum: goodnesse and beautie is every ones love: therefore much more God, the cause and fountaine of it. Nay, they shall hate God, Ps. 139.21. Doe not I hate them that hate thee? Indeed if God could be seene of them in his goodnesse, mercie, bountie, they could not hate him: but they no further apprehend him but by the sense of their owne torments, the effects of his Iustice, and so hate him, Revel. 16.9.11.21. They suffer, and they blaspheme: there is in them a furious malice against him: being cursed of him, they recurse him. They curse him for making them, curse him for condeming them, curse him because being adjudged to death, they can never find death. They curse his punishments, because they are so unsufferable: curse his mercies, because they may never tast them: curse the bloud of CHRIST shed on the Crosse; because it hath satisfied for thousands, and done their unbeleeving soules no good: curse the Angels and Saints in heaven, because they see them in joy, and themselves in torment. Cursings shall be their sins, blasphemies their prayers, Lacrimae their notes, lamentation all their harmonie. These shall be their evening songs, their morning songs, their mourning songs for ever.