Page:History of the Devil, ancient and modern (2).pdf/16

 of Babel, and deifying and worſhipping their kings

when dead and rotten; idolizing beaſts, ſtocks, ſtones,

any thing, and even nothing; and in a word, when

he managed mankind juſt as he pleaſed.

Now, and from this time forward, he appeared

a weak, fooliſh, ignorant Devil, compared to what

he was before. He was almoſt upon every occa-

ſion reſiſted, diſappointed, balked, and defeated;

eſpecially in all his attempts to thwart or croſs

the miſſion miniſtry of the Meſſiah while he was

upon earth, and ſometimes upon other and very

mean occaſions too.

And firſt, how fooliſh a project was it, and how

below Satan's celebrated artifices in like caſes, to

put Herod upon ſending to kill the poor inno-

cent children in Bethlehem in hopes to deſtroy

Chriſt? for take it for granted it was the Devil

put it into Herod's thoughts that execution, how

ſimple and fooliſh ſoever now, we muſt allow him

to be very ignorant of the nativity himſelf, or

elſe he might have eaſily guided his friend Herod

to the place where the infant was.

This ſhows, that either the Devil is in general

as ignorant as we are of what is to happen in the

world before it is really come to paſs; and con-

ſequently can foretel nothing, no, not ſo much as

our famous old Merlin or mother Shipton did;

or elſe that great event was hid from him by an im-

mediate power ſuperior to his, which I cannot

think neither, conſidering how much he was con-

cerned in it, and how certainly he knew that it

made to come to paſs.

But be that as it will, it is certain the Devil

knew nothing where Chriſt was born, or when;

nor was he able to direct Herod to find him out;

and therefore put him upon that fooliſh as well as

cruel order, to kill all the children, that he might

deſtroy the Meſſiah among the reſt.