The Christians engagement for the Gospell opened in foure sermons on part of the third verse of the Epistle of Jude : also, Christ's approbation of Maries choyce, or, A sermon preached at the funerall of Mris Abbott in Saint Stephens Colman-street, London / by Iohn Goodwin ...

§. 3.

3. It is said, Heb. 2. 14.

That Christ suffered death, that by such suffe∣ring, he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the Devill; It is a new or further de∣struction to the Devill to bee throwne out of mens hearts, and lose his inter∣est in the precious soules of men: this is his tum∣bling downe from heaven, like lightning. Luke 10. This was a secōd heavē to him, after he was throwne downe from the third heaven, (and the best hee was now capable of) to bee honoured and served like the most Highest in the hearts of sinfull, blind, and miserable man.

Now, as it was the

power of God to throw him down from the third heaven; so it was the weakenesse of God, the death of God being made man, that fetched him downe from the second heaven, out of the hearts of men. And it is as much against his nature and inclination, as tor∣menting a destruction to him to lose this second heaven, as it was his first; and therefore he is said to fall from this heaven like lightning: That is, fully against his nature and in∣clination with the greatest reluctancie, and torture of spirit; as it is the greatest naturall torment (as wee may say) to fire whose na∣turall

inclination and mo∣tion is constantly up∣wards towards the cir∣cumference, to bee com∣pelled and forced downe∣wards towards the center; and the more pure the fire is (as lightning is of the purest kinde) it includs still the greater repugnan∣cie to the nature of it, to be forced downewards.