A DISCOURSE Concerning the Power and Ministry of Holy Angels.

WE may say of this Psalm, as one of the Ancients speaks of the whole Bible, The of [...]ner a man Reads it, the more sweetness shall he find in it. There is a singular Excellency in it, both as to matter, and manner of Composure. It is an Aerostick, or an [Page 2] Alphabetical Psalm. In the Original, every Verse (except the last) begins with a new Letter, ac [...]cording to the Order of the Hebrew Alphabet ▪ which made it the more easy to be remembred▪ The Author, Time, and Occasion of its being Penned, we see in the Title. It was Penned by David, when he Changed his Behaviour before Abi [...]melech. The History of that matter is Recorded▪ 1 Sam. 21.10. He who in Samuel is called by the name of Achish, the King of Gath, is in the Title of this Psalm called Abimelech. That (it seems) was a common name to all the Kings of the Philistins, as Pharaoh was to the Kings of Egypt and as Caesar is to the Roman Emperors. Dav [...] being Persecuted by Saul, he [...]lies for Safety [...] Abimelech, that is, to Achish, the King of Gat [...] ▪ But when he came there, he found himself to [...] in extream danger: it was quickly known wh [...] he was: and Gath being the Town of Golia [...] whom David had Slain; he was fallen into th [...] Hands of Goliah's Kins-folk; and there he hear [...] them repeat the very words, that had been Sun [...] in Praise of his Victory over Goliah; so that h [...] was in a most hazardous Condition, and now H [...] changeth his Behaviour. The Hebrew word for Behaviour, signifies Discretion: Men are known what they are, by their Behaviour, whether they are wise or foolish. David feigned himself [...] Mope, or a Mad-man, a thing very unbecomin [...] either a wise, or a good [...] to do: Neverthel [...] God was graciously pleased [...] overlook these I [...]firmities, [Page 3] and wonderfully to deliver his Servant. The means of which Deliverance, is noted in this Text and Context.

1. Prayer unto God, was a means thereof: Da­vid himself did Pray. At that time, he could not make any Prayer more than Ejaculatory, such as Jehoshaphat in great Distress did; he listed up his He [...]t, and the Cries of his Soul came before God. Thus in the 4 th. verse, I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears. And in the 6 th. verse, This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles. And not only did David himself Cry unto the Lord, but he had many Godly Friends, who knowing where he was, Prayed earnestly for him, verse. 5. They looked unto him, and were light­ned. Davids Godly Friends, Looked up to Hea­ven on his behalf, and God was pleased to answer them, to their great lightning and consolation.

2. Another means of his Deliverance, is men­tioned in the words before us, which are expres­sive of the benefit David received by the Ministry of Holy Angels: God Commands his Angels to Encamp round about his Servants, and to Deliver them. A man that hath Enemies, if there be [...]n Army round him, may, notwithstanding his Dangers be Delivered. Thus it was with David: and thus 'tis with all that truly fear God: There is an Host, an Army about them. One Angel is [...]ble to defend many against their Enemies: yet such is the Care of God concerning, and such his [Page 4] Love towards his Children, as that he appoints many Angels, on Occasion, no less than an Host, enough to make a Camp, to Save one Servant of his.

There are then two Doctrines before us.

1. That the Great God hath an Army of Holy An­gels at His Disp [...]se.

2. That they who truly Fear the Lord, Receive much Benefit, by the Min [...]stry of Holy Angels.

I have many things in my heart, to speak to you, concerning the Ministry of Holy Angels, (if God permit) but at this time, we sh [...]ll only Discourse on the First of these Doctrines: name­ly,

The SIN and MISERY OF THE FALLEN ANGELS.
Explained and Improved according to SCRIPTURE REVELATION.

THere were in the Primitive Times (as there are in these days) men, who altho' they did call themselves Chri­stians, had apostatized from the great Truths of the Gospel, imbracing Fundamental Errors in Religion. The Apostle in the begin­ning of this Chapter, shews, that such cannot Es­cape the Destroying Judgments of Heaven, which would unavoidably come upon them. And this he proves by an Argument taken from the Ex­ample [Page 105] of what had befallen other Sinners. There are three exceeding awful Instances here menti­oned. The First is that of the Sinning Angels. The Second is that, which befel the Apostate Old World: Notwithstanding, there was a World of them, (the Lord knows how many Thousands, how many Millions there might be) nevertheless they were all destroyed, excepting one small Fa­mily. The Third Instance, is, that Of Sodom and Gomorrah, and those Citie [...] that were Condemned by an Eternal Overthrow. When they sinned against God, he punisht them with the Venge­ance of Eternal Fire. The words at present be­fore us, fall under the first of these Examples, namely, that Of the Angels which sinned. I have spoken many things to you concerning the Holy Angels, who never sinned against God. It may not be unsuitable to discourse something concer­ning the Reprobate Angels, who have sinned, and are damned for it. When it is said, God spared them not, the meaning is, that he did shew them no mercy; that he made them become the Sub­jects of his Wrathful Judgments; that he did not forgive their sin, nor did ever make an offer of mercy to them.

The Doctrine therefore to be insisted on, is, That the Holy God hath made the Angels which sin­ned, Examples of Judgment without mercy.

[Page 106]This Doctrine may be cleared in several Pro­positions.

PROPOSITION I. That although all the An­gels were in their first Creation without sin, neverthe­less, many of them did soon after that, Sin against the Great God their Glorious Creator.

There are divers things contained in this Pro­position.

1. That all the Angels were once without Sin. As for the Angels that sinned, there was a time▪ when They were in the Truth, as it is said of them, Job. 8.44. Their First Estate was a State of In­tegrity. They were once adorned with the Glo­rious Image of God: and on that account they were The Sons of God, Job 38.7. the Sons of God, in respect of their being like unto him, and made after his Image in their First Estate. They did not come sinful out of Gods Hands: that could not possibly be, for then God should be the Author of Sin, which 'tis impossible that he should, as the Apostle James proves. God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempts he any man: Every good and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness nor shadow of turning. Jam. 1.13, 17. All good is from God, saith the Apostle: and therefore evil, moral evil, sin, cannot be from him; for then he should be variable and subject to change, as Creatures are, which the Blessed God is not: and therefore He is not the Author [Page 107] of sin. The Angels then that sinned, were pure and spotless, as they came out of His Hands: Those very Angels, which are now in Hell, were once in Heaven. Hence it is said, That they left their own Habitation. Jude 6. Heaven was their proper place and habitation, their Native Coun­trey, as we may so speak. Those Apostate An­gels who are now blaspheming in Hell, there was a time, when they were praising God in Heaven. When the Foundation of the Earth was laid, All the Sons of God sang and shouted for joy: all the Angels; those that are now Blasphe­mers of him, were then shouting for joy, in ad­miration at the Wisdom and Power of their Cre­ator, whom they did then behold laying the foun­dation of this Earth. Those Angels that are now evil, were once good, and they continued to be so for a few dayes. For on the sixth day God saw every thing that He had made, and behold it was very good. Gen. 1.31. If all the Works that God had made, were good on the sixth day after the Creation began, the Angels that have sinned, were then good.

2. The Rebrobate Angels did not continue in their Sinless state, for any long time. For, although they were most excellent and glorious Creatures, yet they were but Creatures; and being Creatures, they were Mutable, and because mutable, there­fore Peccable, that is, in a possibility of sinning and falling from God. Absolute immutability is a Divine Property: it cannot be affirmed of any, [Page 108] but God alone. Mal. 3.6. I am the Lord, I change not. It cannot be said of any besides the Lord, that he cannot change. Austin gave a judicious Answer to that enquiry, How could Angels, that were such excellent and glorious Creatures in their first estate, not having any one to tempt them as man had, how could they sin, and loose their happiness? His An­swer was, Non sunt Deus, They are not God: and▪ therefore were subject unto change, and in a pos­sibility of falling from Heaven. He chargeth his Angels with folly, Job 4.18. The Angels are char­gable with folly in this respect. It is a Scripture Expression, Wise as an Angel of God. Nevertheless▪ the wise Angels are and alwayes were the Subjects of a [...]mparative folly: compared with the only wise God, they are foolish things. And when once they sinned, they were to be charged with infinite folly. For them to offend and fall out with their Omnipotent Creator, and by loosing his favour to loose their own happiness, was stu­pendous folly in the fallen Angels. As for the particular sin, which the Apostate Angels were guilty o [...], the Scripture is not so clear in revealing what it was; and therefore it is not for us to be positive in the determination of it. Nevertheless, it is very probable, that God might try their O­bedience unto the Moral Law, by some positive Precept o [...] other. As he tryed mans Obedience by that positive Precept respecting the forbidden fruit on the Tree of knowledge of good & evil: so we may conceive, that he tryed the Obedience [Page 109] of the Angels, by some positive Precept. It is also a probable conjecture, that the Lord told them (and Commanded them) that they should all be Ministring Spirits for man, and that this they would not stoop unto, man being far their inferi­our. To be sure there was pride in the sin which the Angels became guilty of, as indeed there is in every sin. Hence it is said, that a Bishop must n [...]t be a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the Devil. 1 Tim. 3.6. The Devil was condemned to eternal fire, because of the sin of pride. But how, and in what particular that pride discovered it self, the Scripture hath not declared unto us. This notwithstanding se­veral things are certain from the Scripture. It is certain, that the Angels, some of them, did sin a­gainst God: So the Apostle expresly declares here. And by the Apostle Jude, it is said, that they kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation. And hence the Scripture speaks not only concern­ing Good Angels, but concerning Evil Spirits. We read in the Gospel of certain Women, who had been healed of Evil Spirits and infirmities. Those Spirits had possessed them and made them sick. In particular and by name [...]here was Mary Magda­len, out of whom went seven Devils. Luke. 8.2. So that there are Angels, who are called Evil Spirits and Devils. We find in the Scripture, that Christ gave his disciples power against unclean Spirits. Mat. 10.1. They are said to be unclean Spirits, not only (though partly on that account) because they [Page 110] excite wretched men unto unclean lusts, but be­cause they themselves are defiled with sin. They are polluted, and have made themselves hateful & abominable in the sight of the holy God, against whom they have sinned. And it is moreover certain, that these Apostate Angels did early cor­rupt themselves. It was within a short time after the world began. John tells us, that the Devil sinned from the beginning, 1 Joh. 3.8. And our Saviour Christ hath told us, that the Devil is a Lyar and a Murderer from the beginning ▪ Joh. 8 44. That is to say, from the first beginning of the World, or within a short time after the Creation. The Jewish Doctors (many of them) [...]ave Conjectured that the fallen Angels sinned on the second day after the Creation began; and they suppose that to be the reason why there is no divine approbation men­tioned concerning the work of that day, as there is of the other. But there is no solidity in that conjecture. For what is spoken Gen. 1.10. relates to the work of the second, and not of the third day only. It seems clear from the Scripture, that there was no sin in the world for six dayes after the beginning. Gen. 1.31. Nevertheless, It is evi­dent, that the Angels fell before man did, for it was the Devil, that did tempt man to disobey the Commandment of God, which could not have been, if he had not himself sinned against God before that. It is yet further clear and evident from the Scripture, that more then a few of the Angels sinned. There were vast multitudes of [Page 111] them that fell down from Heaven to Hell. No doubt but one was the Ringleader in that rebellion, whom the Scripture calls by the name of, the De­vil, and by the name of Satan, and whom the Jews were wont by way of contempt to call by the name of Belzebub: That Lucifer, (as he useth though not so properly to be called) who is be­come the Monarch of Hell, did not fall alone, nor perish alone in his iniquity, there were migh­ty numbers of them that did joyn with the great Devil, in the conspiracy against the most High. Hence the Scripture speaks of the Devil and His Angels, Mat. 25.41. His Angels. So that there were many of them, that were concerned in that first Transgression and Rebellion against the Lord. It is said, Ephes. 2.3. That the Devil is the Prince of the Power of the Air. So that there is a Power, an Host, a vast Army of those Evil Spirits, that did joyn with the Devil, in setting themselves against the Great God. How many, is not for us to say, the Written Word of God not speaking any thing as to the quantity of their number: only it is manifest from the Scripture, that there are far more Angels that have sinned, far more Devils then there are men in all the World. There is not a man in the whole world, but there are Devils to tempt him continually. And if so, they must needs be more in number than men are. We read in the Gospel of no less than a Legion of Devils in one poor misera­ble man. Luk. 8.30. You read there of a posses­ed [Page 112] man, and Christ demanded of the Evil Spirit, what his name was: The chief Devil among them made answer, It is Legion, for we are many. A Legion is six thousand six hundred and sixty six. Now then, if the Devil has such vast num­bers of Infernal Spirits under him; if he has such troops of them, as that he can spare no less than a Legion to afflict, and as it were to keep Garri­son in one poor miserable man: what prodigious numbers of Evil Angels must there needs be.

Thus you have seen the first Proposition confirm­ed? We proceed to the Second.

PROPOSITION. II. That God hath made the Sinning Angels examples of Judgment without Mercy. Therefore it is here said, God spared them not. He never did make any one tender of Mercy to them. He did not pardon their offence, nor ever will do. The truth of this is evident from several things.

1. In that the fallen Angels are for the present i [...] a miserable condition. They are now at this instan [...] in a state of misery. They have lost their happi­ness for ever, and did so, from the very moment, when they first sinned against God; they were immediately excluded out of Heaven, and the e­verlasting Gates were shut upon them. I do not say, nor do I believe, that the Angels did sin in the highest Heaven: for it is said of that Hea­ven, 1 Pet. 1.4. That it is Undefiled: whereas if the Angels had sinned there, they would have defiled the very Heavens. But when once they sinned▪ they were banished from Heaven, and they never [Page 113] came within the Palace of the great King any more. As soon as ever they sinned, they were cast away from the Presence of God for ever; and they are Excommunicated from the Society of those Holy Angels, that once they had an happy Fellowship with. And they are not only banished out of the Heavenly Kingdom to Eternity, being confined to the low Regions of the World; but they are m [...]reover become the Subjects of positive misery: Therefore are they said to be in Darkness, which notes misery, as the Apostle expresses it in this Context, they are de­livered into Darkness. Darkness of misery is come upon them already, they being excluded from the Presence of God, in whose favour is light and life: they must needs be in darkness. And they are said to be made Prisoners, and to be Cast into Hell, and to be in Chains there: They are delivered into Chains of Darkness. Those expressi­ons are Metaphorical, alluding to what is customa­ry among men. A Malefactor who is a great Criminal, is committed to Prison, and is there to lye in Chains, until the Sessions comes. So hath the Great God dealt by the Angels that sinned against Him, He hath committed them to Pri­son, and hath ordered them to lye in Chains there, until the Judgment of the Great Day shall come. They are not only under a Chain in re­spect of the restraining Power and Providence of God, which does hamper the Evil Angels, that they cannot go where they would, nor can they [Page 114] do many things, that fain they would do, which is a torment to them. But there is the chain of a guilty Conscience, which is a dark chain in­deed, in respect whereof the Devils carry Hell up and down the World with them.

2. The Angels that sinned, shall ere long be in grea­ter misery then at present they are subject unto. They are Prisoners, and have been so from the day of their fall: nevertheless, they are Prisoners at large, and the Devil hath a long chain allowed to him for the present: Therefore when it was said to him, Whence comest thou? saith he, I come from going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. Job 1.7. So that he hath leave to go from one end of the earth to the other. He walks about seeking whom he may devour, 1 Pet. 5.8. For the present he is permitted to range up and down the World, to see if he can prevail over miserable Creatures, and make a prey of the precious Souls of the children of men. But there is a day a coming, when he shall be made a close Prisoner. Satan is to be cast into the Bot­tomless Pit, and shut up there. Rev. 20.4. He cannot then wander up and down as now he doth. Although the Devils now feel something of torment in their guilty Consciences, and there are doubtless some Laws which they are under, being (as some have judiciously observed) awed by a superiour power, and which they are as much afraid of acting against, as a Malefactor is afraid of going against the Laws of men, lest h [...] [Page 115] should be scourged for his so doing: Hence the Devil, though he had a natural power to hurt Job, was afraid to do it without leave. Yet there is a time coming, that they will be in more in­tolerable torment by far, than what they at pre­sent indure. Hence when the Devils saw the Lord Jesus Christ approaching, they cryed out, What have we to do with thee? Art thou come to torment us before the time. Mat. 8.28. So that there is a time yet to come, wherein the Devils shall be subject unto greater torment, than as yet they are made sensible of. And that time will be at the Day of Judgment: Do ye not know, that the Saints shall Judge the World? Know ye not, that we shall judge Angels, 1 Cor. 6.2, 3. that is to say, the Angels that sinned. At the Great Day, all reprobate men, and not only so, but all the repro­bate Angels shall be brought into Judgment, and shall then have a sentence of Eternal Condemna­tion passed upon them. Therefore it is, that the thought of the Day of Judgment is exceeding terrible unto all the Devils in Hell; they all tremble, when ever they think of the Judgment to come. The Devils believe, that there is one God, and they tremble. Jam. 1.19. So they believe, that there is a Day of Judgment, that will be here ere long, and they tremble at the fore thought of it. We read in the Gospel of a Devil in a pos­sessed man, who said to the Lord Jesus Christ, I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. q. d. God has given us leave, as yet to be out of the [Page 116] place of Torment, where we must at last be. Therefore I adjure thee by him not to send me thither. So that the Devils have a fearful expe­ctation of that Day of Wrath. Mar. 5.7.

3. The ruine of the Angels that sinned is irrecovera­ble and eternal. Therefore is it said, that God hath not spared them, because they are without all hopes of ever being restored to their blessed State. They are cast down to Hell: they are not able to re­cover themselves. They are fallen down so deep into that Dungeon of Darkness, which Sin hath brought them into, that they can never rise a­gain, by any power of their own. The Chains which they are in, the mighty Devils cannot break them: and the Holy God will not recover them. He hath not seen meet to do any thing for their being recovered out of the woful mise­ry, which they have sinned themselves into; God has not afforded any means for their Salvation▪ and therefore their ruine must needs be an Eter­nal Ruine. The Chains which the Devils are said to be in, are called, Everlasting Chains, Jude 6. The Fire of the Wrath of God, that they are condemned to endure, is called an Everlasting Fire. Mat. 25.41. It will be said to the Wicked at the last day, Depart with the Devil and his An­gels into Everlasting Fire. So that the Angels that sinned are condemned to Everlasting Fire. God then hath not spared them, but hath made them Examples of Justice without Mercy.

[Page 117]PROPOSITION III. That the Severity of God, manifested on the Angels that sinned, is most just and reasonable. For,

1. Their sin was exceeding hainous. The Devils were the first that ever sinned. And God uses to leave a mark of his indignation on those that are the first Transgressors in any kind. And they sinned without a Tempter; they sinned of themselves: They left their own Habitation; left it of themselves: Their wills were deeply engaged in their sinning against God: and the more of the will there is in any sin, the more Evil is in it. They sinned, I say, and were not tempted by any one to do it: As for man, when he sin­ned, he was tempted, beguiled and deceived by the Devil: And probably Adam knew nothing of the Fall of the Angels, but might think when the Devil spoke to him, that it was a good An­gel, and therefore might be the more easily de­ceived. Man thus sinning through temptation, was an object of pitty, more than the Devils, that had none to tempt them; also the Angels sinned against clear light and knowledge. Their Sin was yet further aggravated, in that God had done more for them, than for any Creature be­sides. God had advanced them above all the Creatures in the World: Their sin therefore was e [...]ding hainous. Now the least sin that can be thought of, deserves Eternal Punishment: Therefore God in not sparing the Angels that sinned, is just and righteous.

[Page 118]2. The Apostate Angels are become the most wick­ed Creatures in all the World: They are set upon [...] They are called by the name of Shedim. Deut. 32.17. which signifies Wasters, or Destroy­ers. Those hateful and rapacious Birds of Hell, are always devouring miserable Creatures. 1 Pet. 5.8. for which cause the Devil has the name of Abaddon and Apollyon given to him. Rev. 9.11. they are wicked in the highest degree: There­fore are they called Spiritual Wickednesses, Ephes. 6.12. because they are most wicked Spirits, wic­ked with all manner of wickedness: there is no good in them in the least. It is said of the De­vil, that there is no truth in him. Joh. 8.44. There is no goodness in him: he hath not so much of common goodness, so much of the relicks of the Image of God, as the sinful children of men have: and therefore he doth not scruple any man­ner of wickedness, let it be never so great. There are some very wicked men in the World, that as for some sins, they are afraid of them. Natural Conscience has that power in them, that as for some sins, they seem so atrocious and horrid, as that they are afraid to commit them. But now the Devil doth not stick at any wickedness, let it be never so great and hainous. The greater any sin is, the more pleasing it is to the Devil: He is always sinning himself, and endeavouring to make others sin to the utmost of his power. He is not only a Tempter, but the Tempter: That is his cursed Trade. Blasphemy is the greatest sin: [Page 119] now that the Devil is continually guilty of. It was Satan that made Jobs Wife say, Blaspheme God and dye. And those sins which they cannot commit, because of their being spiritual natures, yet they stir up others to them: such as Drun­kenness and Uncleanness, they stir up wicked men to live in such abominations: And all this they do out of despight against Heaven, because they know that such things do offend and grieve the blessed God. Out of their desperate hatred of the Glorious and Holy God, against whom they have sinned, they do all they can to cause His Name to be dishonoured: and therefore it is that the Devils do hate those most, that are most like to God, and who above others do Ser­vice for His Name, the Evil Angels do in a pe­culiar manner set themselves against, and are fil­led with all the rage of Hell against such as those are. The Devil is full of wrath and rage, but against whom? against those especially, which Keep the Commandments of God, and the Testimony of Jesus. Rev. 12.17. against such is his malice, his wrath and rage in a peculiar manner bent. His malice is greater than his policy, though he is a great Politician. The Devil hath a great wit, he hath wonderful parts, as to understanding and memory: yet his malice is greater than his wisdom. He knows well enough he shall get no­thing, by setting himself to do mischief to those that belong to God: He knows that he shall but hurt himself, and shall receive the great­er [Page 120] Damnation for it at the last day. He knows this, and yet will go on, because his malice is greater than his understanding. And the Devil, and so all his Evil Angels are come to that height of wickedness, that they would not have the Blessed God to have a Church in the Earth: They would not have Christ to have a Servant in the World. If they could have their wills, the Glorious God should not be worshiped. They hate that which is good: they hate Prayer, and Preaching, and good Books, that have a tenden­cy to promote the Salvation of the Souls of men. The Devils in a special manner hate such Books as those are: They hate this blessed Bible, more than any Book in the World: They hate the Lords day. Because of their malice against Hea­ven, they tempt the children of men on the Sab­bath-day, more than on any day in the week, because they know, that if men sin on the Sab­bath-day, they will then become doubly guilty in the sight of God. The Devil is the oldest Sinner, and the most cursed Creature in all the World. It is said, Isa. 65.20. That the Sinner of an Hundred Years shall be accursed. But then what shall the Sinner be, that is more than five thou­sand years old? The Devil and and all the An­gels that sinned with him, are Sinners of above five thousand years old, and will therefore be­come the most accursed and damned Creatures in the whole universe at the Great Day.

We now proceed to the Uses of this Doctrine.

[Page 121]And in the first place by way of Information, or Instruction in several particulars.

Inference 1. Here we may behold, and let it affect all our hearts, to consider the wonderful Grace of God towards fallen men, in that God hath spared them. Although he did not spare the Angels that sinned against him, he hath spared the fallen sinful chil­dren of men, spared them from Everlasting De­struction. He has manifested more Grace to them then he did to the Angels that sinned, for whom he did not provide a Saviour. God did not send his Son into the World to take the Nature of Angels, and unite that Nature unto his own Sacred Eternal Person. Heb. 2.16. He took not to him the nature of Angels, it is said, but that of Abraham, and so of other men. The Scrip­ture does therefore call Redeeming Grace PHI­LANTHROPY, or the Love of God towards man. Tit. 3.4. The Blessed Angels that never sinned, are affected with the thought of this, they do admire the Grace of God towards the fallen children of men, and they praise his Glorious Name on that account. The Angel said to the Shepherds, Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people: for unto yon is Born a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Luk. 2.10, 11. Unto you (says the Angel) to you sinful children of men, not to Angels that sinned, but to you men. And a multitude of Holy Angels did then praise God, saying, Glory to God in the Highest, on Earth peace, good will towards men. Now Christ is [...], [Page 122] that is come to pass by which God will have glory in the highest, men will have peace and the good will of God towards the children of men is and will be manifested: This all the hosts of Heaven that worship God continually, are af­fected with; and shall not we who are most con­ce [...]ned, have our hearts within us moved with meditations thereon? God did not send Angels from Heaven to Preach a Jesus to the Angels that sinned, no, he never did send any such message from Heaven to them, as unto men he has. Nor did the Lord wait on the Angels that sinned, to see if they would return to him, and repent, and humble themselves before him as he has waited on men. 1 Pet. 3.20. The Long suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah. And how long doth God wait upon many Sinners? With what pati­ence doth God wait on them, before he casts them down to Hell; before he send them to be where the Angels that sinned now are. And when the Angels sinned but once, as soon as ever they had but once transgressed, He spared them not. But now though men have sinned a million times over, God spares them; although they continue sinning from one year to another, God not only spares them out of Hell, but tells them of a Heaven, and sends his Gospel to them, to assure them, that all their sins shall be pardoned, and their Souls saved, if they obey the Gospel: Here now is wonderful Grace, that we may be astonished to consider of. The Angels that sin­ned, [Page 123] never had one offer of a Christ: They ne­ver had a Jesus Preached to them as a Deliverer from the Wrath to come. God himself Preached the Gospel, and promised Salvation to fallen man, on the very day in which he first sinned. Gen. 3.15. What glorious Grace was this!

Inference 2. We see here a glorious evidence of the holiness and of the Justice of God. He is an Holy God, He cannot endure sin. He will not suffer sinners to be in his sight. If they be sinners, tho [...] they be Angels, if once they become sinners, out of Gods sight they must go. Such is the Holiness of Gods nature. David being a man after Gods own heart, could say, A Lyar shall not dwell in my house, nor tarry in my sight. Psal. 101.7. But Oh! the Holiness of the blessed God, that when the reprobate Angels did once become Lyars, they might not dwell in Gods house, nor tarry in his sight one moment longer. Such is his Holiness, that he cannot look upon sin with approbation of it. Hab. 1.13. He is of purer eyes, than to behold evil: he cannot look upon iniquity without detestation there­of. 'Tis not only true that he will not, but that he cannot. God can no more approve of sin, then he can cease to be God. Thus glorious is he in Holiness And we see before our eyes a glo­rious and dreadful demonstration of the Justice of God, in that he does punish sinners whoever they be. The truth is, He never spared any sin, there was never any sin committed in the World, nor [Page 124] never shall be, but God hath punished it, or will punish it. As for the Angels that sinned, they are condemned to eternal fire and flames: not any one of them all can escape the stroke of Divine Justice. And as for reprobate men, although God bears with them a long time, and is pleased to ex­ercise infinite Patience towards them, yet they will at last find, that all their sins shall be punish­ed with a Vengeance, Rom. 9.22. What, if God willing to shew his wrath, and make his power known, endured with much long suffering the Vessels of wrath fitted to destruction. At last Gods wrath, his Justice will be made to appear in punishing them for all their Transgressions, Ay, and he will make known his infinite Power at the same time. The infinite Power of God is seen in making one that hath been a sinner, capable of enduring such punish­ment. That a poor Creature should be filled with the wrath of God, and yet be capable, or in a possibility, to indure it to all eternity, this makes known his power as well as his wrath. Thus doth he shew his wrath and make his Power known. And as for the Elect of God, he hath not spared their sins, as appears in that his own Son was not spared, when he became a surety on their behalf, Rom. 8.32. God spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all. The Son of God who never sinned nor could sin, yet was not spared, when he became a Mediator undertaking to answer for sinners. That is the highest demon­stration of the Holiness and Justice of God, that [Page 125] can be thought of. As some Divines have ex­pressed it, If a man would [...]ee the Justice of God set forth to the life, let him go to Golgotha, where Christ was crucified, and behold him on the Cross, and there hear him crying out, when bleeding and dying, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And if a man would see the Justice of God set forth to the life of it, [...]et him go unto the Gar­den, where Jesus Christ was in his Agony, and let him there behold the Son of God sweating drops of Blood, because of the wrath of the Father, due for the Sins of men. So that we see glorious de­monstrations of the Justice and Holiness of God, and of his infinite hatred of Sin.

Inference. 3. Sin makes men to become like unto the Apostate Angels. It turns men into Devils. There are wicked men who are Devils incarnate. And therefore sinners are said to be the Children of the Devil, and to be of the Devil, 1 Joh. 3.8. Namely as Children are of their Father. He is called their Father, Joh. 8.44. Ye are of your Father the Devil, and the lusts of your Father ye will do, saith Christ: Ye do just as the Devil doth, and just as the Devil would have you do, and there­fore ye are his Children, and he is your father. There are Children in respect of Imitation: Sinners imitate the Devil: Yea, they have his Image, the very same evil nature, the same wicked dispo­sition and sinful inclinations which are in the heart of the Devil, are in their hearts and na­tures. [Page 126] Especially, there are some sins that make men exceeding like the Devil, and his Children indeed. As now, that sin of Apostacy from good beginnings: The Devil was the first Apostate. Hence when men have begun to do well, and after that turn from the good ways of God, they make themselves like the Devil. As for the Fal­len Angels, they have left off all Exercises of Re­ligion and Piety. There was a time, when the Devil and his Evil Angels did pray and worship God; when they did joyn with the Holy Angels in praising the great Creator of the World. But they have left praying and praising, and forsaken the Company of Holy Angels. Ah! Lord God, are there not such in this Assembly this day! are there not such here before the Lord this day, who have manifested themselves to be the Devils Children? There was a time when they would pray, and joyn with others the Fearers of the Lord in serving him: but they have forsaken him, they serve him not, neither do they pray unto him: And they have forsaken the Commu­nion of those Fearers of the Lord with whom they did once joyn in Religious Exercises. This is to be and to do just like the Devils: such are his Children, as like him as it is possible for Crea­tures to be out of Hell: So Hypocrites and Dissem­blers are like the sinful Angels. Christ said to his Disciples, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a Devil. Joh. 6.70. That was Judas. Why was Judas a Devil? but because he was an [Page 127] Hypocrite, one that pretend to that in Religion and Devotion which was never in him; one that did seem to be an Angel of light, when he was not so; one that did betray Christ with a kiss, pretending to be his friend, when he was trea­cherous and false to him and to his Interest. Such men there are in the world, as will out of respect to carnal ends and designs make pretenti­ons to Religion: They are like the Devil. There is in the Field of Christ, (in his Church in the World) not only Wheat but Tares, there are not only sincere Professo [...], but Hypocrites. They are the Children of the Wicked One. Mat. 13.38. and all Lyars are so. The Devil is a Lyar, and the Father of it, because he is the Father of them that are so. Lyars joyn with the Devil in sin­ning, and as they partake with him in sinning, so shall they have the Devils punishment. What is the Devils punishment? It is an exclusion out of Heaven: And what is the punishment of all Lyars? They shall in no wise enter into the Heavenly Jerusalem. They shall ba excluded, as the Devil their Father is. What is the Devils punishment? It is said, He shall be cast into the Lake of Fire and Brimstone. Rev. 20.10. and the very same is said concerning all Lyars, that they shall have their part in the Lake that burns with Fire and Brimstone, which is the Second Death. Rev. 21.8.

Inference. 4. This informs us of the Evil which is in Sinning against God. We see what an evil [Page 128] sin is, that it is the worst of evils, and that which of all evils men have the greatest cause to dread. For it doth provoke God: Therefore it is of all evils the most formidable. It was well replied by one of the Antients, when the greatest Person in the Empire sent him a threatning message, Go (said he) carry back this answer, that I am afraid of nothing, but to sin against God. Sin is a most de­structive evil to the Creature. No eminency or priviledge can save sinning Creatures from the strokes or Divine Justice. It brings remediless ruin on those that shall become guilty of it. Angels are eminent ones: If I speak with the tongues of Men and Angels (saith the Apostle) intimating, that Angels were of all Creatures the most excellent and glorious, and yet when they sinned, we see what became of them, of so many of them, as sinned against God. They are reserved under darkness for the Judgement of the great day. Then most certainly there is no eminency in men, that can secure them from the Vengeance of Hea­ven, if they sin: no eminency of Power. Angels are greater in power and might than men are, yet when they sinned, they must go into Everlasting Chains. It is not any Eminency of Parts and Wisdom, that can save sinful Creatures from the killing strokes of revenging Justice. It was said of the King of Tyrus, Thou art full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty: thou hast been in Eden the Garden of God. Ezek. 28.12. For all this he must down to the pit. Wilt thou yet say before him that [Page 129] slayeth thee, I am God. But thou shalt be a [...] and not God, in the hand of him that slayeth thee. The Angels that sinned before their Fall, [...] full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty, and they had been in Eden in the Heaven of God But they are gone down to Hell. Oh▪ th [...]n what an evil is sin! One sin hath destroyed millions of Angels in one moment: what an Evil is Sin then, do you think? One sin hath b [...]ought Death upon the whole World of Mankind in one day, so that all mankind must have perished to Eter­nity, if the Son of God himself had not stept in to save them. Rom. 5.12. By one man Sin entred into the World, and Death by Sin, and so Death pas­sed upon all men, for that all have sinned. What a fearful poison is sin, that hath poisoned all man­kind in one moment! Adam did no sooner eat the forbidden fruit, but he and all his posterity were poisoned to death in that very moment: such an Evil is it. And therefore if men go on sinning against God, it is in vain for them to think they shall escape the hand of that Justice which hath not spared the Angels that sinned. What­ever man shall go on in his Trespasses, will at last find Judgment without Mercy. He that despised Moses's Law, died without mercy, of how much sorer punishment suppose ye shall he be thought worthy, that hath trodden under foot the Son of God. As for Sinners, especially under the Gospel, oh what will become of them! as the Apostle here speaks▪ if God spared not the Angels that sinned, if so, [Page 130] what then? then (saith he) you may be sure, he will not spare men that shall sin, and continue in their sins▪ and least of all, men who have had the offer of the Gospel, and yet have despised it. Men that have the Word of God Preached to them, and who hear Sermons wherein Christ and Salvation by him, is offered to them, and yet for all that continue in unbelief, they sin at such a rate, as the Devils never sinned. Oh! what a Condemnation will they bring upon themselves? Judgment without Mercy, or any hope of mer­cy; because they have sinned against the Redee­ming Blood and Bowels of Jesus Christ the Son of God, which the Angels that sinned have not done.

Wherefore let me conclude with Exhorting you to get your Souls clear of the guilt of sin. They that de [...]ire to experience the sparing, pa [...]doning mercy of God, are concerned to get clear of sin, that God may look on them as without sin: and who is there, whom this Word of the Lord concern­eth not? There is not a man in the whole world whom this Word of the Lord concerneth not, for that all men have sinned. Indeed, all the Angels have not sinned; there are innumerable Holy Angels that never sinned against God; but as for men, they have all sinned. The Scripture (God in his Word) has concluded all under sin, Gal. 3.22. without excepting so much as one. The whole world is become guilty before God: And therefore all men are concerned to consider of [Page 131] this. Know then, that there is a way for men, though not for Angels, to become clear of sin. If a man shall by Faith have the Blood of Christ sprinkled on his Soul, he is clear of sin: They that have that Blood sprinkled upon their Souls, are pure from sin [...]ay, although they have been guilty of never so many, and never so great sins, if the Blood of Christ is sprinkled on them, the Lord looks on them, and deals with them, as if they had never sinned against him: They are then without fault before the Throne of God. Hence David prayed, saying, Purge me with hysop, and I shall be whiter than the Snow. Psal. 51.7. David had by sin made himself blacker than Hell [...]ay, but purge me with hysop, and I shall be clean, yea, whiter than the snow. He means, let the Blood of Christ be sprinkled upon me, which was typified by the Blood sprinkle [...] with hysop, and then all the sins that my soul hath been polluted and made abominable by, shall be taken away, and I shall become whiter than the Snow it self. When there is true Repentance to­ward God, and unfeigned Faith in the Lord Je­sus Christ, his Blood is sprinkled on the Soul. You read in the Gospel of one that had been a notorious infamous Sinner, a vile creature, doubt­less an Harlot, a Strumpet, whose wickedness was known all the Town over. Luk. 7.37. This Sinner came to the Lord Jesus Christ, and did wash his feet in her tears ▪ and (saith Christ) her Sins that were many, are forgiven. Now hear the [Page 132] Gospel. Oh! that sinners would consider of this: What your sins have been I know not: God knows, and Jesus Christ knows, what secret sins any of you have been guilty of before the Lord, he knows. It may be some of you have been guilty of secret scarlet sins, of crimson abo­minations, that the Heavens would blush to hear of. Nevertheless, God hath sent me to Preach the Gospel to you. I say then, Go thy wayes thou sinful Creature, and by Faith in Prayer fall down before God in Jesus Christ, and with a pe­nitent Soul wash the Feet of the Lord Jesus in thy tears: and he will wash thy Soul in His Blood. Oh! give thy self up to the Lord Jesus in a perpetual Covenant, Heart, Body and Soul, and all to be his, his only, and his for ever. Ac­cept of him, as he is offered in the Gospel, and he will accept of thee. And then suppose thy Sins to have been never so many and great, the Lord saith unto thee, as unto that great Sinner and in [...] Name be it spoken to thee, Thy Faith hath saved the [...].

THIS Age has abounded with Atheists, not only in Practice but in Opinion. A late Author speaks of many thou­sands of them in one Kingdom, nay in one City in Europe. Sadducism is a degree of Atheism, and commonly ends therein. The Learn­ed Dr. Cudworth (in his Intellectual System, p. 703.) Observes that some who object that the Age wherein we live has n [...] Demoniacks, or possessed persons, do from thence suspect the whole Gospel of Fabulosity or Imposture. That there are in this age Energumens, late recent Examples amongst our selves, (and more than a few of them) are an awful Conviction. Some are willing to phansy all to be a strange natural disease. Plotinus relates that [...]e of the Heterodoxies of the old Gnosticks, was, that they supposed diseases to be Devils, and that therefore the way to cure them was not by Phy­sick, but by words and charms. The Opinion of these men who call Devils, diseases, is not unlike that of the Gnosticks. The lamentable objects which our eyes have beheld are sufficient to Con­vince the most obdurate Sadduces in the World, that there are Evil Angels infesting the Earth. Nor is it to be doubted but that one reason why Providence has permitted such things to be done in the midst of us, is, that so men may be left without excuse for their Atheism, if they will not believe a future state, or that there is any World [Page] [...] that which is visible, when such sensible de­monstrations thereof have been set before them.

It is by some supposed that there are Angelical as well as Diabolical possessions. The Jewish Rab­bis are of Opinion that the Prophets were acted by Angels. The divine influx (they say) came by their Ministry, who ordered and disposed the word in the mouth of the Prophet according to the mind of God. It is a Celebrated saying a­mongst them, That every Prophet received his Pro­phesy by the Ministry of an Angel, Moses only excepted. So Maimon and other of their Masters. They sup­pose the Reason of that expression in Judg. 5.23▪ to be because Deborah being a Prophetess spake according to Angelical Inspiration. They say that the difference between a divine and a deceit­ful dream, is, that the former is by the hand of an Angel, the latter by the hand of an evil Spirit. So do they reconcile, Numb. 12.6. with Zach. 10.2.

We in New-England have lately seen not only miserable Creatures Pinched, Burnt, Wounded, Tortured by Invisible Agents, but some Ecstatical Persons, who have strongly imagined that they have been attended with Caelestial Visitants revealing secret and future things to them which if it should appear to be Diabolical Imposture, or the effect of an hurt Imagination only, or both, it may (if not timely prevented) be of dangerous Consequence to themselves and others; on which Occasion▪

[Page 4]THE seasonable Question or Case of Conscience which I am desi­red to express my Sentiments con­cerning, is, Whether Angelical Ap­paritions may in these Dayes be ex­pected; and if so, how they may be discerned from Sa­tanical Illusions?

We shall endeavour a succinct Answer to the Enquiry proposed in the Conclusions following.

Conclusion I. Although it must be granted, that i [...] the Dayes of the Gospel, Angelical Apparitions are not so frequent as under the Old Testament, neverthe­less; some such there have been, and still may be▪ What can he say that cometh after the King? God has been pleased to speak to us in these last dayes by his Son, who is the Lord of Angels, by whom he has made a sufficient Revelation of His Will in all matters, which he has thought meet to have us acquainted with▪ Heb. 1.1. As the New-Testament Dispensation is more spiritual, so the Ministry of Angels is less visible than in for­mer times. There were ANGELOPHANEIAI, many Appearings of Angels, as also a frequency of Miracles, until such time as the Canon of Scripture was compleated, and the Gospel sufficiently con­firmed; but since that, both the one and the other are in great measure ceased, yet not so ceased as at no time or on no occasion to make themselves visible. That Learned and Worthy Divine, Dr. [Page 5] Owen does (according to his wonted manner) in my apprehension express himself very judici­ously as to the Question before us, in his Exposi­tion on Heb. 1.14. p. 148. His words are these, For as many have pretended unto Revelation by An­gels, which have been meer delusions of Satan, or ima­ginations of their own Brains, so to say, that God does not or may not send his Angels unto any of his Saints, to communicate his mind unto them as to some particu­lars of their own duty according to his Word, or to shew unto them somewhat of his own approaching work, seems in my judgment to be unwarrantably to limit the Holy One of Israel. Howbeit, such things in particular are to be duely weighed with sobriety & Reverence. Thus the Judicious Doctor. It is true, that the World has been imposed on by fictitious and fabulous Relations concerning the Appearances of Angels. Some Writers have made themselves very merry with a comical Sto­ry of a Nobleman in Portugal, who falling into a melancholly despair, phansied his sins were unpar­donable. To care him, some used this Artifice: They privately caused the Tiles to be taken off from the roof of his House, and having clothed a man in white, with a Sword in his right, and a lighted Torch in his Left-hand, at midnight he appeared to him, and bade him be chearful, for he was an happy man, and so extinguishing his Torch departed. The melancholly man overjoy­ed with the Vision, raised his House, who congra­tulating his felicity, he from that time grew [Page 6] well, being thus relieved by an Artificial Angel. See Zacut. Tusit. p. 34. Many pretenders to a con­versation with Angels, and to a Spirit or Gift of Prophesy, have been great cheats. Some would have us believe, the Nostradamus (who was Coun­seller to three of the Kings of France) had An­gelical Apparitions. There are two Learned men▪ viz. Rensardus, and Monlucius, that have written in his Defence. But others (and not upon slight grounds) reckon him an Impostor, and with a little alteration of his name, have given him the Elogy of Monstradamus. There was one that made this ingenious Distick for him.

What more frequent in times of Popery then Miracles and Apparitions of Angels? The Lives of Saints are filled with sables about these things. There were some that gained by the Fable, tho many were impoverished thereby. A place in Cornwall bears the name of St. Michael's Mount, where was a Chappel Erected, because certain Monks affirmed, that Michael the Arch angel did there appear to them. The same is pretended by the French men concerning their Michael's Mount in Normandy. The Italians also challenge the like Apparition to have been in their Hill Garganus. See Cambden's Britannia▪ p. 188. Innumerable are the Instances of this kind: It would not only fill a Volumn but be loss of time to rehearse them. Bishop Hall in his Book of the Invisible World. [Page 7] Sect. 8. has mentioned some of them. The Re­lations published by Gregorius Magnus concerning the Apparitions of Angels to Saints in those times, were either fabulous or satanical illusions. In my opinion, Mr. Isaac Ambrose has wronged his Treatise of Angels (which is otherwise a good and useful Book) by quoting so many passages out of him, which may occasion his Readers to think, that the other Historical Narrations in his Book, are of no more credit than those of Gre­gories. These things notwithstanding, we may not run into the other extream, or conclude, that all reports concerning Appearing Angels have no reality of truth in them. Luther in his Com­mentary on Gen. 37. and Gen. 40. declares, that he was very much moved and offended at the infinite multitude of Satanical Illusions, with which the World was horribly deceived for a long time under the Papacy; and that for his own part he did con­stantly pray to God, that he would not reveal any thing to him by Dreams or Visions, but by his Written Word; and that He would not send An­gels to appear to him, knowing that when he was meditating on the Scriptures, God and His Holy Angels were near to him, who could instill irra­diations on his mind without any visible Appari­tions. Yet, he does acknowledge that some may have that which he never did nor desired to ex­perience. Sint dona sed quae ego nec curo nec deside­ro, says he. And the Truth is, that Authors worthy of Credit have given us an account of [Page 8] very remarkable and memorable Instances here­about. The Church of Smyrna in an Epistle directed to the Church in Philomilium, say, that it was revealed to Polycarp their Pastor by a Dream, that he should be burnt alive for the Name of Christ, that when he came to Dye, he gave thanks to God, not only for honouring him with such a Death, but in that he had been pleased before it came to pass to reveal unto him that he should Dye in that manner. They also say, that when he was brought before the Procon­sul to be tryed for his Life, there was a voice heard from Heaven saying, ISKVE POLUKARPE KA [...] ANDRIZOU, Polycarp be of good courage, and play the man now. What could this be other than the voice of an Angel, which the Christians who were Members of that Church say that they did themselves many of them hear it. v. Euseb. lib. 4 [...] cap. 15. The young man that appeared to Babi­las, when he was tortured with an Engine for several hours, pouring cold water on him, which did wonderfully refresh him, (none but himself seeing the young man) must needs be an Angel. The like is reported concerning Theodorus, who was put to the torture in the dayes of Julian the Apostate. What shall we think of that which our English Historines relate concerning K. Ed­ward the Confessor, that when he was sick of the sickdess of which he Dyed, after he had remain­ed speechless two dayes, lying for a time in a slumber, there appeared two persons standing by [Page 9] him, who protested they were Messengers of God, declaring that because the Bishops and other chief Governours in England were not the Mini­sters of God but of the Devil, the Kingdom should be delivered into the Hands of an Ene­my. The K. awaking, sighed and prayed, say­ing, Lord Almighty, If this be not an Illusion, but a true Vision which I have seen, grant me ability to ut­ter it to them who are here present, else not. Upon which he was perfectly restored to his speech, & told what he had seen and heard: The Archbi­shop made light of it. But when William the Conqueror within the space of a year Landed in England, and made dreadful work among the Clergy of those dayes, it was believed that K. Ed­wards Vision was not the meer phansy of a sick man. Instances of this nature of a far later date may be produced. In Queen Maries time, Mr. Robert Samuel, a faithful Minister of Christ, was by Bloody Bonner, then the Bishop of London, cast into Prison, where he endured grievous hard­ships, being allowed but three mor [...]els of Bread and three spoonfuls of water in a day, but falling asleep, one seemed to stand before him clad in a white Garment, saying to him, Be o [...] good cheer, for after this day thou shalt hunger and thirst no more, which accordingly came to pass, for the next day he ascended to Heaven in a Fiery Chariot. It is related concerning one Mr. Laremouth, who was Chaplain to the Lady Ann of Cleve, that being on account of the Gospel Committed to Prison, [Page 10] he heard a voice, saying, Arise and go thy way ▪ To which he gave no heed the first time, until he heard the same words again, upon which he went to Prayer, half an hour after which he heard the same voice again, immediately upon which part of the Prison Wall fell down, so that he went out at the breach, and meeting with a Beggar, changed his coat with him, and coming to the Sea found a Vessel ready to Sail, by which means he escaped the hands of his Persecutors. In the year 1629. one Adam Po, a Silesian in the City of Sprottavia, had his nerves and sinews so shrunk, that he could make no use of his legs, but for half a year together was confined to his Bed. But that morning when the Emperors Commissi­oners came into the City there appeared by his Bed-side, a young man in white cloathing, who bid him put on his Cloaths, and make ha [...]e from the City, because the day was now come to take vengeance of them for their ingratitude. He called for his cloaths, which he had not done for half a year before; found that he was able to dress himself and to walk, and did that day go on foot eight miles Of this Commenius giveth an account in his History of the Bohemian Pro­phets, or pretended Prophets. In April 1659. Samuel Wallis of Stamford in Lincolnshire, having been sick thirteen years, and given over by the Physitians, a person having a venerable Counte­nance came to him on a Lord's Day (he not being able to attend the Publick Worship of God, [Page 11] spent his time at home as religiously as he could) told him the power of God would restore him to health and strength again, charging him above all things to fear God and serve him: directed him to no other means for his health, besides the use of Blood wort and Red Sage, steeped in small Beer. The report of this famous oure being noised abroad, several Ministers met at Stamford to consider and consult about it, and concluded, that it was effected by the Ministry of a good Angel. But of this I have given a more large account in my Remarkable Providences p. 205. &c. There is in Mr. Glanvils Collections p. 208. &c. a Relation like unto these two last mentioned. No longer since then October 1676. a woman in Am­sterdam, whose name was Jesch Claes, having been [...]ame fourteen years, one of her Legs being dead, there appeared to her a beautiful youth in white Garments, telling her, her Malady should leave her, and she should be made again to walk▪ Two dayes after which she heard a voice saying, It is given you to walk. Immediately upon which she went to the door, her Husband meeting her was affrighted, supposing he had seen a spirit; drew back from he [...], and could not believe that it was his Wife, until his daughter testifyed, that is was her Mother, & that she had seen her walk before he came in. Fr. van Helmont being of a genius not apt to believe such things, made enquiry into the truth of this Relation, and found it to be really so. Limbergius in a Letter to Dr. More sayes, that this [Page 12] person was reputed a very good Woman, & that he believed there was no fraud at all in the mat­ter. This Apparition then must needs be either of a good or of an evil Angel. I see no reason to ascribe it to the latter. To proceed. Amyraldus relates a remarkable passage concerning the Chan­celler of Navar, which he had from Cameron, who received it from the Chancellers own mouth. He being in a Town belonging to Bern, one night as he was a sleep, heard a voice calling him by his name Calignon, whereupon awaking, he soon fell asleep again: a little while after, he heard the same voice, calling to him a second time, which made a greater impression on him, yet fell asleep again. The voice awakened him the third time, then advising him to retire speedily out of the Town, saying, that within a few days the Plague would be there and rage dreadfully: He follow­ed the advice given him, whereby himself and Family were delivered; for within few dayes the Plague began, and a great part of the Town was swept away thereby: Amyrald concludes that this voce was from a good Angel. A decad of Years are not past, since invisible Psalmodists have been heard Singing in the Air, and making most har­monious and ravishing melody there, as has been affirmed by not a few witnesses, of which M. Jurieu in his Pastoral Letters has given a well at­tested account to the World: What ever those voices might be, they put me in mind of the Tar­gumists Exposition of the still voice, 1 King. 19.12. [Page 13] viz. that it was the voice of Angels, Praising God in a gentle Harmony. I have else-where (in my Discourse about the Prevalency of Prayer, p. 16, 17.) mentioned a memorable passage concerning Mr. Patrick Simpson, an Eminent Minister at Sterling in Scotland, unto whom, after he had spent a day alone in Prayer with Fasting, Angels came, and gave him an answer concerning the thing which he had all the day been praying about, of which he never spoke one word to any one, excepting only to one person, who hapned to over-hear something, whom he solemnly obtested, not to say ought of it, until after his Death, thus ex­pressing himself, What am I dust and ashes, that the Holy Ministring Spirits should be sent by the Lord to deliver a Message to me.

All these things considered, I conclude, that it is not impossible, but that Holy Angels may ap­pear to some persons. And in case it should be really so, it would be a daring and dangerous boldness to entertain them with contempt. We should rather say as the Pharisees (who in that had the truth on their side) Act. 23.9. If a Spi­rit or an Angel has spoken to him, let us not fight a­gainst God. If this be taken with what follows, our having conceded thus far will do us no harm.

Conclusion II. Some Circumstances attending ex­traordinary Apparitions pretended to be Angelical, have demonstrated them to be Diabolical, others have ren­dred them justly suspicious. Let the Appearing Spi­rits [Page 14] pretend never so much to be good Angels; if they suggest any thing which is contrary to right reason, or the light of nature, they are cer­tainly Devils. Hence Mahomet's Angel, from whom he pretended to receive his new Religion was a Devil: For in the Alcoron there are contra­dictions, and therefore falshoods which cannot proceed from a good Spirit: No good Angel e­ver told a lye. Hence that Spirit which shall be once found in a Lye, comes not from Heaven. If he [...] say, such a thing shall happen, which yet does not come to pass at the time prefixed, or that he will do or not do such a thing, and yet shall act contrary, or shall in any thing falsify, to be sure that is no good Angel. Or, if it does perswade to any dishonest thing, it is an Evil Spirit. By this it was manifest, that the Spirits which Dr. Dee and Killet were so familiar with, supposing them to be good Angels, were unclean Devils: for although those Spirits did for a long time pretend to great Sanctity, they did at last advise to filthy Nicolaitism. Or, if the seeming Angels shall endeavour to establish any notions in Religion not grounded on the Scripture, they are not from Heaven. This sheweth, that the Apparitions so frequent and so much boasted of amongst the Papists, were in truth Diabolical Il­lusions: For the design of them was to confirm the notion of Purgatory, the worshiping of Ima­ges, praying for the Dead, and such like Doct­rines, which the Scripture condemns: Spirits pre­tending [Page 15] to be Angels, made way for the grossest Idolatries, by exhorting men unto a sinful venera­tion of the Cross, the Relicks of Martyrs, and the like Superstitions. Or, if they shall speak a­ny thing which is not grave and weighty, it is easy to judge what Spirits they are. It is beneath the majesty of an Angel to speak or do any thing which is trivial, mean, or little. Or, if they shall interrupt or divert the persons unto whom they appear, from a due attendance to the Publick Wor­ship of God: Such things as these are infallible demonstrations, that the Appearing Angels are E­vil Ones. There are other things which render the case very suspicious: To instance. If the Apparitions are frequent, and the Spirits that come▪ use familiar converse, it is much to be fea­red, that they are not from Heaven, but from Hell. For if we search the Scriptures, we shall find, that when Holy Angels appeared, they soon delivered the Message which they were sent a­bout, and then disappeared, and came no more. The same Angel seldome came more than two or three times (most commonly but once) to the same person. Twice did the Angel appear to Manoah's Wife, but the Angel of the Lord did no more appear to Manoah, and to his Wife. Judg. 13.21. When therefore Angels shall be daily Visitants▪ and continue so to be from one week, and from one month to another, the persons concerned have just cause to suspect, that they are imposed on by deceitful Daemons, pretending to be Angels of [Page 16] light. Where is there an instance in all the Bible of a good Angel that became a Familiar to any man or wo­man? Again, if what the Spirits reveal, does admit of a double & doubtful interpretation, it is a sign, that they are Spirits of the same nature with those that spoke in the Oracle at Delphos of old This amongst other things gave just ground to suspect, that the pious young Woman Christina Poniatovia (of whom we shall have Occasion to speak more afterwards) was deluded by Satan, when she thought her self favoured with Angelical and Divine Revelations. The Spirit told her, that King F. should be exalted, and F. be made low. But he would not tell, who was meant by F. whether King Frederic or Ferdinand. What was this better then, Ajo te Aeacidae Romanos vincere posse? or then, Ibis, redibis, nunquam, per bella peribis. Good Angels do not hide themselves in the dark under ambiguities, but declare their messages clearly. If therefore the Spirits that appear under the notion of Angels from Heaven, shall leave those that de­sire a Resolution of their doubts from them, just as wise as they found them, it is much to be doubted that they are deceiving Spirits. Again, Ecstasies attended with abreptions of mind, give just cause to suspect the Appari­tions and Revelations. The followers of Montanus, pre­tended to prophesy, but when the spirit of Prophesy came upon ehem they would be in Ecstasies. Now both Jerom and Chrysostom mention that as a sign of their being no Prophets divinely inspired. It is (says Chrysostom) the property of a Diviner to be Ecstatical, but its otherwise with a true Prophet, his understanding is awake and his mind in a sober orderly Temper. No doubt but that some of rhe false Prophets amongst the Jews were impos­ed on by Daemons. They thought that they had Angeli­cal or Divine Revelations, 1 King. 22.24. Jer. 29.8. The Hebrew Doctors say, it is a profound Question, How the true Spirit of Prophesy may be certainly known from [Page 17] that which is false? Nor do they give any satisfactory Resolution concerning it: only they say, that all Prophe­sy makes it self known to the Prophet by the strength & vigour of the perception. And that false Prophesy do's proceed from the too great force of the Imaginative power, and the Imbecillity of the rational. The Pro­phetical Spirit does never alienate the mind, since it seats it self in the rational as well as in the sensitive power. Again, If these White Angels appear to Females only, who are the weaker Sex, and more easy to be imposed on, that renders the case yet the more suspicious. It was part of the Devils subtilty in the first Temptation, which he assaulted mankind with, that he began▪ with the Wo­man; and he hath found such success, as to hold on in the same course. How many Women have been fa­mous in some former dark Ages on account of pretend­ed Angelical Apparitions and Revelations? There was S. Hildegardis, with whose Revelations as wise a man as Bernard was deceived. There was Lutgardis, whose many Apparitions and Revelations are Commemorated by Surius. There was Christina Sirnamed Admirabilis, of whom Ferrarirus has written. There were St. Bridget, Elizabetha (a Q of Hungary) Liduina, Catharina, Raco­nissa, Agnes, Politiana, and I know not how many more such, of whose converses with Angels, Possevinus, Sandeus, Delrio, and other such Authors have Published strange things▪ If ever an Age for Angelical Apparitions shall come, no question but men, and not women only, will be honoured with their Vis [...]s▪ of which I hear little or nothing at present. And this shall bring us to the last particular, which giveth ground of suspicion, that the per­sons who suppose themselves to be attended with Angeli­cal Apparitions, are only so imaginarily, or imposed on with Diabolical illusions, so. if they be diseased Persons. If they have been lately sick, and the disease wherewith they have been attended, has had any influence on the [Page 18] brain, that & Satan together will make them phansy very wonderful matters Dr Casaubon in his Treatise of En­thusiasme as an effect of nature, (which Sir Will Temple in his Miscellanies p. 308. is pleased to call a Curious and Ʋseful Treatise) has some memorable Instances to con­firm this p. 73. He sayes that in September 1655. there was in the Parish where he then dwelt, one John Carpen­ter, who related to him what Visions and Raptures he had experienced the night before: how he had been car­ried to hell, and what fearful things he had seen there; and also to Heaven, and what glorious things he had seen there. He was in transports of joy, not doubting but that thousands would be Converted by his Revelations. Nor could he bear it, that any should call his Revelations into question, which he was certain (as he thought) that they were of Divine Inspiration. But within a while all appeared to be the effect of a natural disease. That Learned man observes that some persons in the World by reason of an Ʋnaccountable Epileptic humour, have been strangely disposed to Enthusiastical raptures & phancies. Paulus Eberus (a Lutheran Divine of great fame in Mis­nia) writes of a Maid in Friburg, who had strange Ec­stasies & Visions. After her fits she was full of Religi­ous Discourse, so that she was generally thought to be inspired, and her Speeches were Printed under the name of Divine Prophesies & Warnings: but Eberus was much against the Publication of them, judging her Ecstasies to be a more gentle kind of Epilepsy, & that her pious dis­courses were a natural effect of her Religious Education, frequent hearing the Word, and having used her self to the exercises of Godlines [...] Joh. Coboldus (a Learned Phy­sician giveth an account concerning a Youth in Alterburg (a Town in Germany) whom his Master upon some great provocation did with his fists beat about his head unmercifully. The Lad fell sick of an Epilepsy, whereof he had diverse terrible fits, and was twelve dayes speech­less. [Page 19] But then instead of them he had Ecstasies, in which he would continue without sence or motion for some houres. As soon as he was out of a fit, he would sing Hymns (though it was not known that he had learned any) very melodiously. When he had left singing, and was come to himself again, he would with much confi­dence maintain, that Angels had carried his Soul to Hea­ven, where he had seen things that he could not express. And when he perceived the fit was coming upon him, he would say, Now the Angels are come to carry me away. Ne­vertheless, not a good Angel, but Satan was in all this. Persons attended with such fits are many times of a Me­lancholy temper. And it is wonderful to see what power imagination has in them that are distempered with Me­lancholy, in which doubtless evil Angels have a great o­peration, that humour being Baelneum diaboli, a water which the Devils love to be dabling in. A certain man in this Country fourteen years ago, came to me in great horror & amazement, declaring that as he was walking in the Woods, he heard a voice say to him, Sword, Fa­mine and Pestilence beginning at New-England will make the Earth desolate. I laboured to perswade him, that it was only a phansy, and that he did not really hear any such words spoken: he told me, he was as certain of it, as he was sure that he was then speaking to me, and that they did at the Time when he heard them, put him into a Trembling fit, and that he came to me, because the first means of good to his Soul (as he said) was a Sermon which diverse years before that he had heard me Preach in Boston, & because he thought I would use my best en­deavours to prevent those evils, which it was revealed to him that without Repentance intervening they would short­ly come to pass. The man then lived above an hundred Miles from Boston. What is since come of him, I know not. But his Trembling fi [...] was a sign of Satanocal Possession Such persons amongst the Gentiles as had a spirit of Diabolical [Page 20] Divination, would when the Daemon came upon them, be put into Shakings & Tremblings, after the very same manner as has been usual amongst that sort of People who of later years have been called Quakers, as is well noted by a late Learned writer. v. Dickinson de origine oraeculor. Cap. 9. p. 96. Men that are Caetera sani, in all other things well, and as rational as any men in the world, yet in some one thing are really distracted by reason of their being under the power of a Melancholy humour. And what will they not then phansy? Examples con­firming this may be seen in Fienus his discourse concerning the power of Imagination, & in Lau­rentius, and Sennertus, and in Burton's Melancholy: some of which are related by Wanley in his won­ders of the little World. Book 2. Chap. 1. That of the noble Argive is an old story mentioned by the Poets,— fait haud ignobilis Argis, who strongly phan­sied, that he saw Theaetrical delights: but when by the care of his friends he was cured of his disease, he complained, that they had wronged him by robbing him of the pleasure, which he had in that sweet error of his mind. This man recovered by the helps of Art.

But a more tragical and amazing Instance to the purpose in hand is related by Acosta (de tem­poribus novissimis. lib. 2. c. 11.) concerning a very [Page 21] Learned man in the Kingdom of Peru, in his time the Oracle of that part of the World. But a cer­tain Muliercula (as Acosta's phrase is) there, pre­tending to a conversation with Angels who did frequently visit her, and in her extasies would in­form her of some secret things relating to this person, and told her of great future matters, in which he was to be concerned; he was so be­witched as to believe all that she said; and at last fancied, that an Angel came to himself also, of whom he learned whatsoever he desired. It was revealed to him, that he should be a King and a Pope too; and that the Apostolical See should be translated to America, and that he should be con­stituted a new Law-giver to mankind, with other things more insolent than these mentioned, which I forbear to relate, for they would grate upon pi­ous and tender Ears. This man was in all other things sober and rational: When he was brought upon his Trial, he did plead his cause before the Judges with that liberty and eloquence, that was to their and all mens admiration: Only he won­dred, that they did not believe his Revelations': He was condemned to be bur [...]t to Death. It seems the Angel that appeared to him, assured him, that when he came to the place intended for his Execution, fire would come down from Heaven, and consume his Adversaries, whereby he should be delivered: but he found to his cost, that lying Apparitions had deceived and ruined him. Whether his Judges would not have done [Page 22] better to have sent him to Bedlam, and to have administred Hellebore rather than Fire as a more proper Remedy for his sober distraction, is not my work at present to dispute. To proceed. It seems Jerom had visions of Spirits and sometimes of Angels as he thought. One of which did se­verely chastize him for his delighting to read Ci­cero's Works: but another Angel interceded for mercy to him considering his youth. Now what can we impute this to, but melancholly, and the distempered imagination of a contemplative man that was always in his cell. The like I suppose concerning a later Hierom, viz. Savanarola, whom the Papists burnt to Death at Florence, in the year 1498. for his freedom and faithfulness in testify­ing against some of the evils of those times: Se­veral of his Books discover him to be a man of great Learning; and some of them manifest a pious Spirit. Gesner saith of his Books concerning the simplicity of a Christian Life, that they are wor­thy to be read of every Christian man. But he has a little Book of Prophecies and Revelations, in which there are things vertiginous and fantastical. The same with this may justly be concluded con­cerning diverse Modern Prophets, who were persons piously inclined, but Satan by reason of their Me­lancholy tempers had a great advantage over them. This is the most favourable construction that we can make of Drabiciu [...]'s being so imposed on by pretended Revelations, of which we shall under our next Conclusion speak more. Zeiglerus is an other [Page 23] famous Instance, who was by some cried up for a person divinely inspired. A strange Impetus com­ing upon him at Frankfort, he threw down the Emperors Arms, upon which the Magistrates of the City sent him to the Hospital, supposing (as well they might) that he was out of his wits. It was revealed to him that Rome would be destroy­ed in the year 1627: That Frederic the K. of Bo­ [...]emia, should become a King over thirteen King­doms: That the Jews being converted, one of them should be an universal Monarch over all the World: That a general Council should meet at Constance, and continue sitting twelve years. It was also revealed to him, that he should go over into England, and as being sent from God require King James. I. to assist the Protestant Churches a­broad. In obedience to his divine Mission he came into Holland, but before he could reach Eng­land, he heard of K. James's death. Yet this Ze­igler was Caetera vir probus et non indoctus, as V [...]tius (in his Disput de Prophetia p. 1080.) does acknow­ledge, & does therefo [...]e ascribe these extravagant Phansies and Revelations to the power of Melan­choly, with something of a crazed intellect. I omit to speak of that Phantastical Monk Campanel­la, who in his Metaphysics writes, that the Devil once appeared to him, and held a disputation with him. And ( de sensu rerum & Magia l. 3. cap. 10.) he says, that when ever any danger did attend him, he heard a voice in the Air calling to him by his name, which he believed was an Angel, or such [Page 24] a good Genius as did attend Socrates. It is a dreadful thing, when men & women are given up to Spiritual Possessions by evil Angels acting in their minds, and a great mercy to be kept there-from.

Conclusion III. Men ought to be very cautious of admit­ting or hearkning unto pretended Angelical Revelations. We have an awful Instance in the Scripture, of a good man, and a Minister of God also, who was drawn into a snare to the Loosing of his Life by hearkening to, and being deluded by pretended Angelical Revelations. 2 King. 13▪ 18, 21, 22. If the circumstances attending them do not at present manifest of what nature they are, we ought to wait, until God and time shall make a discovery. Yea, though the person [...] concerned in them should be of pious inclinations, and the messages brought to them should seem to be from Heaven, it is a duty rather to suspend a Judgment in the case, than to give any credit thereunto. And this for several reasons.

1. Because the Written Word of God is sufficient to di­rect us in all [...]ases. If we do but rightly understand what is contained therein, we know enough. The man of God may be perfest and throughly furnished to all good works by the Scripture. 2 Tim. 3.17. It was for this reason that Luther never desired Visions or Angelical Apparitions. Pactus sum cum domino, ne vel visiones, vel etiam Angelos mihi mittat. Contentus sum hoc dono, quod habeo scriptu­ram sanctam, quae abunde docet et suppeditat omnia qua sunt necessaria, cum ad hanc tum ad futuram vitam Thus He. Not to be satisfied with Scripture-Revelation, is curiosity and inquisitiveness justly to be condemned. Tertullan said well, nobis curiositate opus non est post Christum Jesum, nec inquisitione post Evangelium. Advers. Haeres. cap. 4. He has therefore not without cause been blamed by some for his too much minding the Raptures and Revelation [...] [Page 25] of an Ecstatical person in the Congregation where he was Teacher. When persons once begin to listen to a­ny thing, as a ground of their Faith, besides the Scrip­ [...]ures, they know not where they shall stop. The bles­sed God does permit Satan thus to tempt men, that so an occasion of stumbling may be cast before some: & that so he may try the fi [...]lity and sincerity of others, whe­ther they will indee [...] cleave unto him, according to the Revelation, which he has made of his will by the written Word: Therefore does he suffer Dreamers of Dreams, and pretended Prophets to come amongst them. Deut. [...]3.3. Had men no Scriptures to go unto, their listning after Visions and Voices would be more excusable.

2. Since Satan may transform himself into an Angel of [...]ight, men cannot always at first discern of what nature the [...]pirit or Apparition is. The Schoolmen (though fond [...]nough of Apparitions) yet acknowledge that an Evil Spirit cannot always be discerned to be such an one. So Thom. Aquinas who has had the name of D [...]ter Angeli­ [...]us given to him. In 22▪ q. 95. Art. 3. Hence if per­sons who think they are visited by Angels, be not very careful and cautious whom they willingly entertain, they will have woful communion with evil, when they think that they are conversing with good Angels. Cor [...]el a Lapide in 2 Cor. 11.14. mentions one unto whom Sa­tan shewed himself pretending to be Christ: The poor deceived man thereupon adored him: Thus did he wor­ship Satan, thinking he had worshipped Christ. And thus were many of the old Eremites miserably deceived. Hypocrites may be so like unto the Children of God as no man shall be able to distinguish them. So may Evil Angels so transform themselves, as that no person not en­dowed with the extraordinary Gift of discerning Spirits, shall at first know them to be such. Balduinus in his Cases of Conscience (p. 534.) has these words, Cum [Page 26] Diabolus se transformare potest in Angel [...] luci [...], nemo pe [...] omnia certus esse potest, an bonus an mal [...]s Angelus ipsi ap­paruerit Voetius (in disput. de probatione spiritu [...]m p. 1123) has these words, Apparitiones fictae aut Diabolicae aut phan­tasticae, non semper nec per quos [...]vis per ce [...]a et ordinari [...] signa dignoscuntur: and p. 1180. Cert [...] et ind [...]bicata signa assignari non possunt quibus ap [...]entes vel revelantes spiritus semper aut ordinario discern [...]ur. qui [...] quales [...] Th [...]e have sometimes been strange intimations from the Invisible World, which whether they were from good or evil Angels, Wise and Learned men have not been able to determine. I find a very odd passage related by [...] good Author. There was (saith he) a Country-man of Burgundy, that in his sleep heard a certain verse re­peated out of Homer, which though he could not under­stand, he remembred very well, he therefore applied himself to a Learned man still living, who told him that what he recited was a verse in Homer, signifying that his House would shortly fall, which thing came to pass ac­cordingly. Now 'tis disputed what sort of Angel this was. It is beneath a good Angel to come with a verse out of Homer. And what should make an Evil Angel give a kind warning to a poor Country-man.

2. Many have been miserably imposed on by deceitful Daemons, pretending to be good Angels. Thus it has been with not a few hererodox persons as a Judgment of God upon them for their Errors: Strong Delusions have bin sent upon them. 2 Thes. 2.11. The Montanists and o­ther primitive Hereticks were high pretenders to rare communion with Spirits; and no doubt but that many of them did really think that Angels had appeared to them, when it was all Diabolical Illusion. See Eusebius Hist. l 5. cap. 15. When Monkery and Popery crept into the World, Angels of Darkness clothed like Angels of Light were the cause of that misery to the World. Sin [...] [Page 27] the Reformation the Devil has play'd the old game over again. Balduinus speaks of them in his time, who from the visions and conferences which they had with Angels, predicted mutations and eversions of several States and Kingdoms, and that the destruction of Antichrist, and the seculum spiritus sansti was then at hand. How some in the former Ce [...]ury, who went under the name of A­nabaptists, have been after the like manner imposed on, [...]ornbeck Spa [...]eimius, and Cloppenburgius have given ac­counts large enough. But it is awful to consider that persons truly pious have been thus deceived by the old Serpent. He that crept into Paradise, will creep into Churches. Tertullian in his Book De Anima (p. mihi. 265) which was written before his lapse into Monta­nism, relates, ‘That there was in the Church unto which he did officiate, a Soror, who had the Gift of Revelati­ons; That in the Church whilst they were solemniz­ing the Worship of God, she would be in Extasies, et conversatur cum Angelis, she had conferences with An­gels. After the Publick Worship was over, and the Congregation dismissed, she would declare to Tertullian and the other Officers of the Church what she had seen and heard; who kept an account of what she declared, that so they might observe whether the things were true or no.’ But thus not only a Member, but she Pastor and Officers of the Church suffered themselves to be imposed on by pretended Angels. Junius his note on this passage in Tertullian is, Inepta revelatio; phantas­ma laborantis melancholiae, non indita a caelis revelatio. It is reported concerning Gertrude, who was accounted a very religious woman, that she was frequently visited with Angels, who used to appear to her in a glorious form, and would predict future things, and reveal some matters that were secret. Nevertheless, these Visitants were (as Cesarius has noted) Devils transforming them [Page 28] selves into Angels of Light. But I have not met with any Examples more astonishing than some that have hapned in our dayes. I pretermit the Revelations which some amongst the persecuted Protestants in France have lately been attended with, because I do not understand what those things are come to, so that whether they are Angelical or Diabolical, sub judice lis [...]st, is as yet unde­termined. Nevertheless, there are several things which make me suspect that the French Prophets are imposed on. e. g. Their Prophesying that the K. of England, & the K. of France shall come to an agreement, and that the French K shall be converted; their having sad looks, Fasting four or five dayes before they Prophesy: Their being in Torments until the Sinners by them impeached come to them. Their feeling something come from their [...]eet to their throat before the fit takes them. One of them had his Leg broke by the Spirit which acted him, of which he felt nothing, till out of his fit. These things seem not to be the work of Holy Angels: Time will discover what they are▪ But amongst them of the Reformed and Persecuted Religion in Bohemia and Ger­many, there have lately been no less than sixteen persons who have had Visions and Revelations. See the General Table of Europe. p. 205, 206. I shall here take notice of only two of them who have made a great noise in the World, and of whom Commenius has published a large and true account. One is Nicholas Drabicius, a Prote­stant Minister of Moravia. Commenius did at first sus­pect, that Drabicius's Visions were either feigned or ima­ginary, and did with much severity reprove him: Yet afterwards that very learned and pious man inclined to think, that Drabicius his Spirits were good Angels. And the only wise God saw meet in his Holy Providence to suffer such things to happen as did both harden Drabici­us in his Errors, and occasion others to give credit to [Page 29] him. For Felinus the Pastor of the Church of Exiles in Puchow wrote a Book, endeavouring to prove that the Visions of Drabicius were an Ignis fatuus, no better than Satanical Delusions, and that therefore the Protestant Churches should be careful how they gave any heed to them. Hereupon Drabicius had a Revelation, that that Pastor should speedily dye. Now this sign came to pass; that Pastor dyed suddenly, and so did one Effron, Sapo [...], and other of his Adversaries, and afterwards Paul Lau­rin a Minister that was young in years, and of a strong constitution of Body, which induced many to believe, that Drabicius was a real Prophet. Tho' had they con­sidered Deut. 13.1, 2. they would not have taken such accidents for an infallible demonstration of a Prophet sent from God. Veterinus, another of the Reformed Pa­stors was much dissatisfyed about Drabicius's Visions, as Felinus had been: Nor did any Judgment overtake him, notwithstanding he persisted in his opposition to them. It was therefore thought necessary, that Drabicius should by an Oath and Execration clear himself from all suspici­on of forgery in his p [...]e [...]ended Revelations, which he did readily comply with, saying, there was no need for him to deliberate about it. The Oath was most solemnly administred to him, in the presence of nine or ten Mini­sters, of whom Veterinus was one. Considering how fearfully he did in that Oath imprecate himself, they trem­bled, and some of them we [...]t when the Oath was admi­nistred to him: And so did he himself, when he came to that pass [...]ge in the Oath, wherein there is an imprecation against his Adversaries; but as to the Execrations on himself in case he had feigned any thing, he did pronounce them with a chearful countenance. Looking forth at the Window which was at that time open, he said, Do you not see, Friends, Do you not see! They being astonish­ed, did not then ask him what he saw, but afterwards he [Page 30] told one of the Ministers that enquired of him concern­ing it, that He saw Angels. It would be too uncharitable for us to think, that Drabicius who suffered Persecution for the Gospels sake, and who was esteemed a pious well-meaning man, did counterfeit Visions and Reve­lations. And yet it is now evident, that he was deceiv­ed, and that he did very sinfully give way to Satanical Illusions, supposing them to be Divine Revelations. He declared that he was commanded to publish his Revela­tions to all the Nations on the Earth, as the last will of God, which is contrary to Rev. 22.18, 19 some of the things which were revealed to him, were lies which never were, nor ever will be true. Yet he protested and swore, that although Angels appeared to him, his Revelations were from Christ Himself, who once shewed his hand pierced [...]hrough with a nail, and made him to see both the Tor­ [...]ents of the Damned in Hell, and the Joyes of the Elect [...] Heaven. He promised great Victories to Prince Ra­g [...]tzi, and would have had the Princess been at the char­ges of Printing some Books which he pretended a Com­mand from Heaven that it should be done. But when his demands were not complied with, the mother with the father, the Son and the Uncle in that great Family being all taken away by death, he said the reason thereof was, because they had not complied with what he (as being sent from God) required them to do. These things are to be seen in his Protestation and Prayer writ­ten July 5 1664 Twenty years before that, viz. April 12. 1644. it was revealed to him that the Lord was a­bout so do to the House of Austria, as he did to the House of Ahab, and to his Counsellers and Prophets as E [...]ias did to the Baalites. That the tenth Emperour of the House of Austria should be the last, whereas the pre­sent Leopoldus who has been Reigning above thirty years, is the eleventh. It was also revealed to him, that Lewis 14 the present King of France should be Emperour of [Page 31] Germany, and that the Persecuted Protestants of Bohemia, and Moravia should [...]y [...]im be delivered Concerning himself, the Spirit revealed to him, that he should be re­called out of his Banishment, and that he should not dye until he had seen the Glory of God spread upon all the Nations of the Earth. In reading the Narrative emi [...] ­ted by Commenius relating to this Drabicius, I could not but take notice of one vanity in him, which I am unwil­ling to pass by without a Remark, viz. that he would snatch up the Bible, resolving that the first place which he light upon, should be the answer to his doubt. Thus to make a Fortune-Book of the Blessed Bible, is a very un­warrantable Custome, however practised by many. It is indeed a paganish custome: The Heathen did in that way use Divinations. When Septimius Severus was in doubt concerning his obtaining the Empire, he would know his Fortune by trying what verse in Virgil he should first light upon, which hapned to be that in Aenead. 6. Tu regere imperio populos Romane memento. Such persons imitate that sort of Witchcraft which of old was known by the name of Sortilegium, more than becomes Christians to do. But this is a parenthesis. To proceed. Ex non eventu cognoscitur non propheta. The Event not answer­ing the predictions▪ i [...] an indubitable sign, that they were not of a Divine inspiration. Deut. 18.21. Isa. 44.26. Jer. 28.9. Nor may the unhappy end of this poor man be reflected on without trembling at the awful Judgments of God which are a great deep. In the Oath of Execra­tion which he submitted unto, are these words, I N. B. agrieved with the suspicion of some, as if I did utter in the Name of God words not commanded from God, but rashly de­vised by my self, &c. If this iniquity be found in my hands, let the Enemy pursue my Soul, and overtake it, and tread down my life in the Earth, and bring my glory into the dust. If my heart has declined from God, and the words of his [Page] Law to a strange voice, that my mouth should arrogantly speak in the name of God, the words of him that is not God, and my hands should w [...]ite my own Imaginations, let the Lord give me for a curse and an execration in the midst of my people, making my tongue to rot in my mouth, and my hand to gangreene and perish in my Body. Now the end which this well-meaning man, deluded by visions and voices came unto at last, was very tragical. For his E­nemies the Jesuites did pursue his soul and overtake it, & being charged with Treason against the Imperial Ma [...]e­sty, because his visions animated the French against Ger­many, his Life was taken from him, but first that hand which had written those Prophesies, was cut off, & that tongue which had uttered them, was cut out of his head. A warning to all persons hereafter to take he [...]d, how they believe Visions and Apparitions. I shall mention but one Instance more here, which likewise happened in our dayes. There was Christina Peniatovia, she was the pious Daughter of a pious Minister, who was of a noble Family in Prussia. This her Father was a [...] and judicious Divine, and a great opposer of Revelations and Visions, who when he understood, that his Daughter pretended to them, he did with great solemnity and seve­rity, lay obtesta [...]ions on her, that she should not regard them. Nevertheless, he himself did at last think, that they were Angelical and Divine. Those super-eminent Di­vines, Ve [...]e [...]ius and Die [...]l [...]t, and other learned men in Ge­neva had a favourable opinion of them. Commenius who was her Tutor and Spiritual Father, has related such things of her as are marvellous and unaccountable. Once when an aged Minister came to visit and comfort her being sick, as soon as he was gone she said to her Tutor, That good old man little thinks that he must be the first of all the Pastors that shall go into the Eternal Country. Her Tutor asked her, how she knew that. To whom she [Page 33] replied, I was with the Lord, and I saw the Pastors that live here coming one after another, of whom he was the first. She likewise told him, that she saw Stadius who was a young and a strong healthy man, come after him: And that because she did not see Comm [...]nius with them, she asked the reason. It was told her, that God had work for him to do on the Earth, and therefore he must not go to Heaven as yet. Th [...]se things happened accor­dingly. That Pastor dyed first, and then the rest; and Stadius when he was but in the fortieth year of his Age. But Comm [...]nius lived above fourty years after. An Angel appeared to her, and told her she should speedily dy of an Apoplexy: She was that night smi [...]ten with that disease. She made her will, and took her leave of all her friends: was for some time thought to be really dead: there was no breath perceived in her, but she was grown quite cold her hands & feet were become stiff like a dead persons; All persons went out of the Room, leaving only two. Nurses to lay her out: But on a sudden she rose up in her bed, and called for her Clothes, and was in such per­fect health as before she had not been in, her lame hand & foot being made whole & perfect, to the astonishment of all about her. The account which she her self giveth of this matter, is, that on the day before, there was a knocking or striking on the Table, first one stroke, and after that five, whence she concluded, that the next day she should dye at five a Clock in the afternoon: That she heard a voice saying, Come, come, come. When that evening came, her sight & spe [...]ch failed, and (says she) I felt my self go forth with my Spirit, and be ca [...]ried into hea­ven, where surrounded with a great shining, I saw an huge company clothed in white: And the Lord stepping forth took me in his embrace. She added, [...]h [...]t the Lord told her, she should return again, and behold his goodness in the land of the living, that her disease should leave her. She [Page 34] then desired to know how many the dayes of her life should be. But that the Lord told her, that should be hid from her, commanding her to live righteously, & that He would no more visit her as formerly. Whereupon she worshipped him, and was restored to Life, & to full vigor, health, and strength in that very moment. This surely is a strange Relation; yet reported as credible, by as grave & learned a man as Comm [...]nius, who was an eye and ear witness of these things; Now I must confess, I am not easy to believe, that Christinas death or her Ascension into Heaven was real, but that they were both Phantasti­cal. Nor do I know any cogent reason, why the Visions of one diseased with an Apoplexy should be thought to be of greater weight then the Visions of one diseased with a Fever or Calenture. Voetius (de Prophetia p. 1080, 1081) concludes that her Visions could not be Divine, because of some jocose passages attending some of them, trivial matters, and things inexplicable as to others of them. Besides, although what she did predict as to her self, usually hapned, her Revelations as to the publick and great concerns of the Church & World were never fulfilled, but the contrary. Our Lord said to his Disci­ples, You know not what manner of Spirit you are of. Luk. 9.55. Persons truly pious may think they are acted by a good, when it is by an evil Spirit. When they have Vi­sions, they know not what manner of spirit it is that does appear to them. For which reason they ought to be very cautious and careful, how they hearken to them, least haply they be deceived as Eve was, when she conversed with the Devil in the Serpent, whom probably (as Dr. Lightfoot, and others have observed) she took to be a good Angel, and was thence the more easily seduced in­to Error.

4 All those TEKMERIA or signs to judge by, which are found in the Writings of some Learned men, are fa [...]lible. [Page 35] There are many things mentioned by Carthusianus, Gerson, Tyraeus, Malderus, & others, by which they suppose that Angelical Apparitions may be discern­ed from those that are Diabolical. But I have met with no marks to judge by, either in them or in any other Authors, that are infallible. To instance here in some particulars.

1. Some say, That the Devil cannot appear without some deformity or other. That as he could not appear in the shape of a man before man had sinned, and therefore came to our First Parents in the shape of a Serpent; so now though he can put on Humane Shape, yet that it must be with some defect or other, a cloven foot, an ug­ly countenance, or the like. See Mr. Mede's Works▪ fol. 282. Psellus supposeth not only that Angels have a [...]ery or fiery Bodies so subtile as that they are to us invisible (of which opinion were many of the Ancients) but moreover, that the Angelical Body sends forth rayes and splendors which would dazle mortal eyes, but that the Bo­dy of an Evil Angel is obscure and squalid. But the notion of Evil Angels always appearing with some deformity in their shape is a vulgar error con­trary to the Scripture, which says expresly, that Satan can transform himself into an Angel of light. 2 Cor. 11.14. That he can appear like a venerable Samuel, who was an honourable man of God. 1 Sam. 9.6. & 28.12. We may gather from the 13. Verse of that Chapter, that the Devil seemed both to the Witch of Endor & to Saul, to be a person clothed [Page 36] with a Divine Majesty & Brightness: he appeared like Elohim. This opinion has been often confu­ted by experience. What were those Nymphes that the Gentiles of old were deceived with, but Devils appearing in a beautiful form? Do not Ec­clesiastical Writers tell us of his appearing to Ana­tolius, and to St. Martin in most glorious array? That instance of Mr. Edwards a Mr. of Art of Trin Colledge in Cambridge is remarkable. He had been a Magician & a Conjurer: But God gave him repentance, and after he was reclaimed from the error of his way, he declared▪ that the Daemon whom he had been wont to converse with, always appeared to him in the form of a man of good fashion: nor did he [...]ver require or propose the making of any Covenant with him. See Glanvils Philosophical Considerations p. 42.

2. It has been said, that Good Angels are terri­ble at their first appearance, but not at their de­parture, whenas evil Angels do not appear fright fully at first but at last. This is no infallible rule to judge by; nor does it agree with the Scripture. When three Angels appeared to Abraham, & two came to Lot, they were not at first terrifyed with the sight of them. Gen. 18.3. & 19.1, 2. The An­gel that visited Manoah and his Wife, was not at his first appearance terrible, but at his departure he was dreadful to them. Judg. 13.22. The Devils first appearance to Saul as well as his last was a­mazing to him. The Scripture calls the Devil by the name of Seyir, whence the name of Sa [...]yr [Page 37] seems to be derived. Lev. 17.7. Isa. 13.21. because Daemons have oft appeared to men in that horrid Shape. The Hebrew word which is translated Satyr the Seventy Greek interpreters express by Daimonia, i. e. Devils: the word in its original signification notes such an horror as does make the hai [...] of a mans head to stand upright. For the most part there is an horror attending Diabolical Apparitions: but it is not alwayes so.

3. Some have thought, that the Appa [...]ition of a good Angel leaveth no room for doubting. That persons visited by holy Angels cannot possibly have any hesitation in their minds, whether they are such o [...] no But this also is a mistake. Men may con­verse with Angels, & yet not be aware of it Heb. 13.2. Neither Abraham, nor Lot, nor Gideon, nor Mano­ah's Wife, nor he himself did at first know that the persons who came and discoursed with them, were Angels Judg. 13.16. When the Angel Gabriel came to the Mother of our Lord, she was at first at a loss about what was spoken to her: She was troubled at his saying, & cast in her mind, what manner of Salutation this should be. Luk. 1.29. As for the holy Prophets, they it is true neither did nor could doubt whether they were divinely inspired. For that Divine light which was implanted in their understandings, did shine with that power as made them certain that God spoke to them. There was an IDIOTES ARRETOS, an inexpressible peculiarity in them. No man that was a subject of that Irra­diation, could be ignorant of it: nor could any [Page 38] persons be deceived besides such as had it not: which is more than can be affirmed of all Visions or Apparitions of Angels.

4. No infallible Judgment can be made by the words which they speak, or the counsel which they give, whether the appearing Spirits are good or evil Angels. Jacobus Vitriacus speaks of one who was frequently visited in his sleep by a Daemon, that did reprehend him for some of his faults, and also excite him to acts of piety & devotion: but the Daemon used this fraud with a design to instill some poysonous notions into his mind. Delrio writes of a Monk unto whom the Devil appeared in the likeness of St. Paul, exhorting him to read the Scriptures. The Daemon that acted Robert Church­man (a deluded Quaker at Balsham in Cambridge­shire, whom the Lord was graciously pleased to Convert from the error of his way) told him, that the Doctrine of the Trinity was true, and that God had an Elect People; that those whom the Father had Elected, the Son had Redeemed, and whom Christ Redeems, the holy Spirit Sanctifies; and directed him to go to a Minister for further In­struction. Have not cursed Magicians pretended, that the Caelestial Spirits would communicate their secrets to none but Sanctified ones? That men who would have a familiar conversation with those Spirits to reveal secrets to them, must be careful to keep themselves from enormous sins, and pray daily to the most High, v. Boissard de secretis Ma­giae Cap. 1. p. 30. We read in the Scripture of Ma­gicians, [Page 39] who have advised such as come to them, to give glory to God, and to beware of hardning their hearts as Pharaoh did. 1 Sam. 6.5, 6. How long did the Daemon, which appeared to Dr. D [...]e & Kil­let continue to give them good counsil in many things, before they advised them to that which was apparently wicked & vile? Carthusianus does great­ly mistake, when he supposeth, that those Revela­tions must needs be Divine, which incite men to devotion and spirituality. The Devil has often taken that course, that so he might the more effe­ctually deceive. Fallit di [...]bol [...]s fuadendo bo [...]m, prop­ter majus malum inde o [...]i [...]rum. That so he may in­sinuate himself into those whom he cannot other­wise prevail with, he will exhort them unto acts of Piety & Charity. There are some that will give no credit unto what Bodinus writes, because they say he was a Papist. Yet others say of him, that he was o [...]m Protestanti [...]m doctrinae addictus, nec ab ea multum unquam poste [...] alienus. v. Thua [...]. Hist. Tom. 4. l▪ 94. He was such an other Papist as Erasmus was, whom the Papists are wont to picture hang­ing between heaven & hell. Papists have accused Bodinus for an Heretick, because he makes an ho­nourable mention of Luther, Calvin, & Melancthon. v. Possevin. Bibliothec. sel. l. 16. [...].9. He was an ingenu­ous & judicious writer: Now in his Daemonomania, there are strange instances recorded which confirm what we assert. Remigius also speaks of a young man whose name was Theodore M [...]illot unto whom a Daemon appearing, exhorted him not only to abstain [Page 40] from drunkenness, uncleanness, theft, and the like evils, but to be constant in his attendance on the Publick worship of God▪ to be very charitable to the poor, and to be frequent in fasting. Would not any man have taken this counseller for a good An­gel? Let me here take notice of another Example, which many still alive do remember. In the Islands of Fer [...]e which are subject to the King of Denmark, there was in the year 1667. a young man whose name is Jacob Oluffso [...]: he on January 7 th. in that year, was afflicted with a disease that made him keep within doors a fortnight: on January 20 th. be­ing Lords day there appeared to him one in shining garments, and made the room where he was, full of splendor. He gave a kind Salutation to the young man, asking him about his pain, and then stroking him with his hand, the young man was presently healed. This shining Spirit used those words to him, Be thou whole and si [...] no more. He exhorted him to pray three times every day, and that he should admonish the people where he lived, that they should pray also, and that they should leave off their Cursing & Swearing, & desist from all other sins, that so the anger of God may be ap­peased: So did the Spirit depart from him. But five dayes after he appeared again, and did then sing the 23. Psalm. The young man had a strong impulse on his Spirit to go abroad, where he saw in the Southwest the heavens opened, & one com­ing down thence, who at length came & stood by him, habited like a Minister, & told him he should [Page 41] not at all doubt, but that he came from God. The next Lords-day, being January 27, the glittering spirit appeared to him the third time, asking whether he had performed, what he was commanded. He said, Yes, he had. But this Spirit replied, You have not done it so ear­nestly as ought to have been. He appeared several times after this. But at his third appearing, he told the young man that they must change the day of their keeping the Sabbath, from the first day to the last day of the week, withal adding, that whereas there had been on Saturday two Suns seen in the Heavens, that was sent as a sign that Saturday should be kept as an Holy Day. The news of these Apparitions became publick all [...]he Country o­ver, and many ignorant people (notwithstanding they were Protestants) put great faith in them, especially as to that of the new Holy-day. But the Ministers char­ging their people to adhere to the infallible Word of God, and not to regard visions, in a while all vanished, and every one was satisfied, that this Shining Spirit was no other than a White Devil. The account of this mat­ter was published by Lucas Jacobson Provost of the Churches in those Islands. Also R. B. has inserted [...]t in his Book, Entituled, The Kingdom of Darkness, p. [...] ▪11. &c. It is moreover certain▪ that Evil Angels may pr [...]tend a great kindness for those who are the faithful and eminent Servants of God, that so they may either draw them in­to the snares of temptation, or bring a blast o [...] their re­putation. There was a Maid possessed with a Spirit, which would discover hidden things, and yet this Spirit did cry up the most Eminent Ministers in the World, as the true Servants of God. He said concerning Paul & Silas, These men are the Servants of the most [...]igh God, which shew unto us the way of Salvation. Act. 16.17. some have thought, that Evil Spirits cannot exalt Christ. It is true, that the Blessed Name of Jesus is [Page 42] hateful and dreadful to them. Nevertheless, to serve a design of their own, they will extol him. Some Authors write of those who having had familiar Spirits, would speak highly of Christ, whenas thereby they intended him whom they had devoted themselves unto, who (not without the highest Blasphemy) called himself Christ, and would be worshipped above all that is called God. We know from the sacred and infallible Oracle, that a man who was possessed with many unclean Spirits, when the Master-devil in him beheld Christ, he fell down before him, & said, Jesus thou Son of God most high, I beseech thee torment me not. Luk. 8.28. Another of them said, Thou Jesus of Nazareth, art thou come to destroy us, I know thee who thou art, the ho [...]y one of God. Mar. 1.24. The Devils know & con [...]ess that Christ has power over them. Act. 19.15.

5▪ In case they predict some future events, which hap­pen to come to pass accordingly, we may not from that sole consideration conclude them to be good Angels. Deut. 13.1, 2, 3. Cicero in his Book of divination, relates that the Oracle of Apollo predicted that Cypsalus the Tyrant should reign at Corinth hundreds of years before it came to pass. An Augur when Rome was in building, from the flying of Twelve Vultars, presaged the continuance of that City would be 1200. years, which some learned men suppose was accomplished A. D▪ 455. When Gensericus burnt the City of Room 1200. years after it was first built. What shall we think of Thomas Lermouth the fa­mous Scotch Wizard, who predicted Bruce his succession to the Crown, and the union of the two Kingdoms of England & Scotland in the ninth degree of the Bruces blood? Daemon [...] have seldom (though sometim [...]s) ventured to foretell events remotely distant: but very often they have p [...]ed [...]cted things near at hand, which they might easily do [...] a greater insight into the immediate causes of [Page 43] things then men have. It was no difficult thing for the Daemon that appeared in the likeness of Samuel to Prophe­sy the ruin of Sauls Family. All these things considered it is evident that when an Angel appears, the best Saint on earth may easily be mistaken as to some circumstan­ces attending that Apparition. We see this in the Apostle John who thought the Angel that came to him, had bin the Lord himself, otherwise he would not have fallen down at his feet to have worshipped him, for which his Error that Holy Angel reproved him, Rev. 22.8, 9. Of which see Mr. Phillipot in his new System of the Revela­tion. p. 281. &c.

Conclusion IV. The best and the only way to prevent de­ception in this case, is to keep close to the Scripture, and when thus tempted, by earnest Prayer with Fasting to seek unto God, that we may not be imposed on with Satanical Il­lusions. The Scripture directs us to fight against Satan with spiritual weapons; and in so doing we shall at last be too hard for him. 2 Cor. 10.4. Extraordinary Temptations call for more than ordinary supplications before that God who has styled himself, The Hearer of Prayer. Because of this thing, we must beseech the Lord thrice. When the Holy Apostle did so, God would not permit Satan to have his will over him. 2 Cor. 12.7. Oratio est flagellum Diaboli. The Devil dreads Prayer▪ and whole Armies of them have fled before the power of it. When Evil Angels pretending to be good one [...], are in respect of bodily possessions or of Apparitions let loose upon men and women after such a rate as is truly prodigious, there ought to be Humiliation by Fasting with Prayer before the Lord; and it may be an happy deliverance from them will be obtained in no other way. Mat. 17.21. There was in Geneva a Senators Son, whom a pretended good spirit accosted with strange Visions and Revelations, saying, that he was the Angel that had shew­ed [Page 44] unto Christina the Virgin of Poland, things that were to come. Some Divines in that City did at first incline to think, that it was indeed a good Angel. But after a while one of them saying, he perceived the [...]ger of Sa­tan in the business, the spirit who acted that youth, utter­ed these words, They will not believe that I am a good Angel sent of God, but I will prove it by a miracle, and snatching some way or other a knife, thrust i [...] into his breast, and drew it out again without hurt, crying▪ behold a miracle ▪ Senators with Ministers there [...] by Fa [...]ing and Prayer se [...]k unto God i [...] a case so solemn. They were answered with a speedy deliverance. Indeed, if persons under such circumstances come before the Lord with an Idol in their hearts, He does som [...]times in Judgment answer them accor­ding to that Idol. But when with a true heart they draw nigh [...] unto him, he is not wont, i [...] they [...] a fish, to give them a Ser­pent, but all ends w [...]ll [...] [...]ast▪ If we would have God hear us, we must hear him speaking to us in those bl [...]ssed Scriptures, which are a mo [...] s [...]re word of Prophesy than a voice from Heaven. 2 Pet. 1.13, 19. They that wi [...]l be hearkening to extraordinary voices, know not the danger which they expose themselves unto. Jew­ish Writer [...] pretend, that [...] under the Second Temple Pro­phesy [...], that some of their Doctors were favou­red with [...], succeeding the Oracle of Urim and Th [...]mmim, b [...]ng a more in [...]eriour sort of Revelation, that they heard▪ voices from Heaven which were instructive to them. But Dr. [...]ightfoot and others have noted, that there was Diabolica [...] Illusion in those voices which they built their Faith upon. It was well said by Luther, that in [...]tead of Visions, Dreams, Voices, or Appearances of Angels, he did believe and rest sa­ti [...]fied in his having the Scriptures, A [...] c [...]rtus sum me posse salii, as long as I keep to them, I am certain that I can­not be deceived. All Scripture is given by Inspiration of God. If a [...] Angel from Heaven shall speak any thing con­trary thereunto, let him be accursed.

Glory be to God in the Highest.