Ambrose - BT200 A42 1658

556 Book IV. · Lo~lcJng unto :Jefus. I Chap. 1 .sea.4 Eph t!. u, lam 1· 1 ~ . \ N.hum, 1,6. fell fiercely on him in the wilderneffe, but now all the power and all the malice of hell conjoynes. If we look on the devil in refped. of his evil nature, he is compared to a roaring lyun, not only is he a lyon, but a roari11g lyon, his difpofitionto do mifchief is alwayes wona up to the height: and ifwe look on the devil in refpcCl: of his power, there is no part of our fouls or bodyes that he cannot reach; the Apollle defcribing his power, he gives him names above the higheft comparifons, as, Principalitiet, powers, rulers of the dark_mj{e of thu world, JPiritufll wickedne.ffe above : devils are not ocly ca lled Princes, But Principalities : not only mighty, but porurs; not only rulers of a part, but of ali the darkpeffeof all thi& world ; not only wicked fpirits, but ·!Jiritual wic/zedne.fTes; not only about us, but above m; they hang over. our heads continually ; you know what a difadvantage it is to have your enemy get the hill, the upper ground; and thi5 they have naturally, and alwayes. Oh then what a combate muil: this be when all the power, and all the malice of all the devils in hell, {hould by the permiffion of God, arme themfelves againft theSon ofGod. Surely this was a bitter ingredient in Chriil:s cup• · 6. The wrath of God ,himfelfe ; this above all was the moft bitter dreg, it lay in the bottome, and Chrift mu£1: drink it .alfo ; oh the Lord hath (/ffiirtrd me in theday of his fi erceanger ; God affliels fome in mercy, and fome in anger; this w~n h i ~ anger ; and yet in his anger God IS not alike to all, fome he afflicts in his more gentle and mild, others in his fierce anger ; this was in the very fierceneffe of his anger. It is agreed u·pon by all divines, that now Chri£1: faw himfelfe bearing the fins ofall believers, and ftanding before the judgement feat ofGod; to this end are thofe words, now iJ the judgement of thu wor1d, and thePrince of thu wor!dfba/1 be cajf out . now is the judgement of this world, q. d. Now I fee God fitting in judgement upon the world ; and as a right reprefentative of all the world ofbeleevers, here I il:and before his tribunalread,y to undergo all the.puni!bments due to the.;n for their Gns; why; there is no other way to fave their fouls, and to fatisfi e juHice, but that the fire of thy indignation {hould kindle again£1: me ; q. d. 0 I k_,nolJ' it is a fe,! reful thing to fall intothe hands of . the living Gcd ; Oh I k,now God u a confum· ing fire; who.can ft and before hu indignation? an4 who can akide 1H

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=