The Book of Nature Translated and Epitomized, Chapter 19
Chap. 18.
Section. I.
Concerning Angelical nature.
HAving thus read over the book of the visible creation, and considered of some special and highly concerning instructions unto man, deducible there-from; let us proceed to take notice of a third sort of created nature, which is invisible.
In the three former of the four degrees of creatur's already spoken to, we find meer bodily nature: in the fourth (to wit, man) bodily and intellectual or spiritual nature, joyn'd together. By these things, so manifested and known, may we ascend to the consideration of intellectual nature, as found alone, by itself, in separation from bodily. Bodily nature has two wayes of existing, one by itself, in the three inferiour degrees of created beings; another, in conjunction with intellectual nature, in the fourth; man. Intellectual nature then, being far more excellent then bodily, and much more neer and like to its creatour, will doubtless be found to have the like priviledg of existing also two wayes; first, singly, as a whole being, in angels; secondly, in composition with bodily, as part of a being, in man.
We may farther conclude also, that angels, as the choicer sort of first-created beings, excelling all others in understanding and strength (Psal. 103. 20) were first made. Man, though the most excellent creature in the visible world, lord and master of all the rest, was last created; because, in respect of the bodily part of his constitution, the other visible creatures were a requisite provision for his enterteinment and subsistence. But angels, being meer spirits (unconcern'd in, and independent on the visible or material parts of the creation, for their subsistence and operations) might well be before any of this visible fabrick was set up. These morning stars and sons of God, sang together, and shouted for joy, when the foundations of the earth were fast'ned, and the corner-stone thereof was laid, by the hand of the creatour. Job. 38. 6. 7.
Now forasmuch as angelical nature had the same kind of free-will that man had in his first make, the things above proved concerning the obligation, duty, and true interest of man, may be look'd on as equally proved in reference to angels.
So have we, by ascending natur's ladder, found out the divine nature, uncreated, which is the same numerical nature in three persons; and then, three created natures, meer bodily, meer intellectuall, and mixt.
SECT. II.
The sin of Angels.
ANgels sin'd before men. Sin and depravation were first found in intellectual nature. Angelical nature sin'd without any instigation to evil, by any superiour nature, already fallen. Humane nature sin'd and fell by the instigation of angelical, the highest kind of created nature, already fallen. Sin therefore was first in angelical nature. For, till angels were sinners, they would not tempt man to sin.
Sin was brought into humane nature, differently from the way it entred into angelical. It was first brought into the weaker part, the woman: then, by her into the man; and so, into all mankind. 'T is the right method in the art of tempting, to assault the weaker part, for entrance. When evil is to be introduced by way of instigation, this is the surest course. But the evil of angelical nature, entred first into the stronger part; then, by it, into the weaker; because that nature sin'd and fell of its own proper motion, without any instigation from another. The stronger, more excellent and capacious angel, whose will was of the most flexible, active temper, was most apt to assume unto himself a soveraign and uncontrolled excercise of his own will, in a proud and presumptuous opposition to God's, with an ERO SIMILIS ALTISSIMO, I wilbe like the most high. This was the case of the Luciferian head of the fallen angels.
The evil of sin then may seem to have begun in him that by creation was the most excellent of all the other angels that fell. They fell by freely and instantly complying with his rebellious will. In humane nature, man, the stronger part, became evil, by adhering to and complying with the weaker, the woman's disorder'd will. Angelical nature first fin'd. By that, was the woman tempted: by her, the man. So sin entred upon all mankind:
The chief evil angel, proudly exalted himself and his will, into competition with God and his; and so became the first capital enemy of God. He affected soveraignty: he would not remain subject to any superiour will. He erected a kingdom, empire, and dominion within himself, against the Kingdom, empire, and dominion of God. And he presently became obstinate, resolute, and fixed in this deviation from and enmity against God. He can never return from it, to all eternity. Consequently, will he ever hate and oppose, to the utmost, the will of his creatour, as most opposite to his. Thus came there to be two totally distinct, contrary, and opposite wills; the most absolutely pure and holy will of the omnipotent creatour, and the depraved will of the first angel that sinn'd. And the said leading angel, the devil, does contend, with all his might, for the maintenance and defence of his own will, in opposition to God's. To these two contrary wills of God and the devil, are all other wills of men or angels reducible. Every will truly good, is joyn'd with the will of God; every evil will, with the will of the devil. All the other angels, that adhered unto, joyned with, and took complacency in the will of the devil, became fixedly one with him, so as that they cannot will any thing but what he will's. He is the head, they the members, in opposition to Michael and his angels. Rev. 12. 7. All the wills of of the good angels are bound up in a state of everlasting and unchangable harmony with the will of their head, the head of all principality and power. The evil angels are a compacted army, resolved to fight for the defence of the depraved will of their head, and for the fulfilling thereof, in opposition to the will of God. The good angels are an opposite army, united with the will of their head, and contending for the fulfilling thereof, in opposition to the devil and his followers.
By how much the more high and excellent a creature the first angel that sinn'd was made, so much the more vile and inferiour did he become, by the voluntary corrupting of himself. He is the lowest, basest, and vilest of all creatur's. His will, perverted by pride and self-love, became the root, and fountain of all evils. When once his will was perverted, he resolved to employ the over-reaching subtlety of his understanding, in all possible arts, methods, and wayes of delusion, for the deceiving and drawing of men into the same perdition with himself. So much be spoken concerning the voluntary evil of the fallen angels; sin.
SECT. III.
The punishment of the angels that sinn'd.
THe involuntary evil, or evil of punishment, which the angels that sinn'd, were forc'd to take whether they would or no, was a casting of them down to hel, and a reserving of them in chains of darknes, unto the judgment of the great day. But untill they be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, (Rev. 20. 10.) after the thousand yeers reign of Christ; or rather, untill, with their head, they be shut and seal'd up in the bottomless pit, (Rev. 20. 3. so as to be utterly disabled to exercise any depraving influence upon men, all along the said thousand yeers) they are termed rulers of the darkness of this world. Eph. 6. 12. Their head, Satan, is termed the God of this world, that blind's the minds of men, lest the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ should shine unto them, 2 Cor. 4. 4. The night of this world is now far spent, (Rom. 13; 12.) wherein these rulers of darkness have most wofully blinded mens understandings, and captivated their wills, in and by the ensnaring vanities of this world. The day of the lord is at hand, wherein they shall be utterly disabled, as to any such practices. But they are now laying about them, in extreamity, as knowing they have but a short time. They have great horrour and disturbance in their present aery mansions, from the checks, restraints, and limitations they find themselvs under, from the power of their enemy, who is infinitely stronger then they. They are restless in their inordinate cogitations and desires. They are troubled, that they cannot deceive the very elect; that they cannot touch him that is born of God, (1. Jo. 5. 18.) with their depraving, assimilating influence; that they cannot ruine all mankind, to a man. When a sinner is converted, the eyes of his mind open'd; when he is turned from darkness to light, and from the power of satan unto God, (Act. 26. 18.) there is joy in the presence of the angels of God, and sorrow in the devil and his angels; Luk. 15. 10.