Page:History of the Devil, ancient and modern (2).pdf/10

 fright them into belief that the Devil will let

them alone if they do ſuch and ſuch good things,

or carry them away with him they knew not whi-

ther, if they do not, as if the Devil whoſe proper

buſineſs is miſchief, ſeducing and deluding mankind,

and drawing them in to be rebels like himſelf,

ſhould threaten to ſeize upon them, carry them

away, and in a word fall upon them to hurt them

if they did evil, and on the contrary be favour-

able and civil to them if they did well. On

the contrary we have a clear diſcovery,

1. That he is the vanquiſhed, but implacable

enemy of God, his Creator, who has conquered

and expelled him from the habitations of bliſs;

on which account he is filled with envy, rage,

malice, and all uncharitableneſs; would dethrone

God and overturn the thrones of heaven, if it

was in his power.

2. That he is man's irreconciliable enemy; not

as he is man, not on his own account ſimply, not

for any advantage he (the Devil) can make by

the ruin and deſtruction of man; but in mere

envy at the felicity he is ſuppoſed to enjoy as

Satan's rival, and as he is appointed to ſucceed

Satan and his angels in the poſſeſſion of thoſe glo-

ries from which they are fallen.

So Satan looking narrowly into the nature and

frame of our firſt parents; from the nature of

Eve, he had room to conclude, that ſhe was of a

conſtitution eaſy to be ſeduced, and eſpecially by

flattering her; raiſing a commotion in her ſoul,

and a diſturbance among her paſſions; and according-

ly he ſet himſelf to work, to diſturb her re-

poſe, and put dreams of great things into her

head; together with ſomething of a nameleſs

kind, which (however ſome have been ill natured

enough to ſuggeſt) I ſhall not injure the Devil

ſo much as to mention without better evidence.