Page:History of the devil, ancient and modern (3).pdf/9

 (9) who killed 180,000 men in one night, is not able row, without a new commiſſion, to take away the life of one Job, nor touch any thing he had But let us conſider him then limited and reſtrained as he is, yet he remains a mighty a terrible, an im- mortal being; infinitely ſuperior to man, as well in the dignity of his nature, as in the dreadful powers he retains ſtill about him. It is true the brain ſick heads of our enthuſiaſtics paint him blacker than he is; and as I have ſaid, wickedly repreſent him clothed with terrors that do not really belong to him; as if the power of good and evil was wholly veſted in him, and that he was placed in the throne of his Maker, to diſ- tribute both puniſhments and rewards : in this they are very wrong, terrifying and deluding fanciful people about him, till they turn their heads, and fright them into a belief that the Devil will let them alone, if they do ſuch and ſuch good things; or carry them away with him, they know not whither, if they do not; as if the Devil, whoſe proper buſineſs is miſchief, ſeducing and deluding mankind, and drawing them in tn 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 favourable and civil to them, if they did well. On the contrary, we have a clear diſcovery, 1. That he is the vanquiſhed, but implacable ene- my of God, his Creator, who has conquered and ex- pelled him from the habitations of bliſs; on which ac- count he is filled with envy, rage, malice, and all un- charitableneſs ; would dethrone God and overturn the thrones of heaven, if it was in his power. 2 That he is man's irreconcilable enemy; not as he is a man, nor 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 feli- city he is ſuppoſed to enjoy as Satan's rival and as he is appointed to ſucceed Satan and his angels in the poſſeſ- ſion of thoſe glories from which they are fallen.