Demonology : Scripture Doctrine of Devils

Che University of Chicago ^varies

DURRETT COLLECTION

SGRIPTURE DOCTEmB OF DEVILS.

Bf THE

EEV. JOSEPH YOtJNCL

THOMAS GRANT, :

21

GEOEGE STREET,

HOULSTON & STONEMAN*

*V:

PREFACE.

ready always to give an answer to every

man

that asketli

you a reason of the hope that,is m Such is the explicit fear.'

you, with meekness and injunction of

He

an inspired Apostle.

to the Christians in general of his Spirit

own

who moved him, and by whose

spake, caused

Records. for

it

'It

is

Its

all

'

equally proper

obligation

forms

whom is

was primarily universal and perit

it will

remain

and imperative.

make

it

We

of

is

should, as

our study to be able to

hold this or the other tenet:

it is

part

he

to give a reason' for our belief,

rational creatures,

show that

dictation

the professed followers of Christ.

To be ready

why we

The

day.

written for our sakes/ as well as

manent; and, to the end of time, binding on

it

to be inserted in the imperishable

the sake of those to

delivered.

say

addressed

or, to

contained in Holy Scripture, and the

substance

of

Christianity.

Otherwise, our creed, however .orthodox,

o

is

not

PREFACE.

1Y

embraced with sanction of

We -adopt

it

on the

authority, rather than

on the

intelligence.

human

ground of Divine testimony. Our 'faith stands in the wisdom of men, and not in the power of God/ In

this respect, the Protestant differs little

from the

Papist, whose blind credulity and unquestioning \obedience he condemns. Hope is founded on belief; while belief implies

From due many is in

knowledge.

attention to the duty

advantages would follow.

more

Jesus' would be

,-.-

recommended,

'The Truth

distinctly

as

it

apprehended.

bearings and intimate relations; the beauty of its separate parts, and the consistency of Its various

one with another

;

the intrinsic excellence of eaeh,

and the perfect adaptation of the whole these,, appearing in more luminous points of view, would :

.be

more

stood.

and more

clearly perceived,

From

millions

the

fully under-

reproach would be

removed, that 'when for the time they ought to be teachers, .they have need that one teach them again

which be the first principles of the oracles of God and, instead of being always nourished with

'

;'

milk/

'

the proper aliment of babes/ they would be capable of receiving and digesting those of mature age.

be the

sight,

'

strong meat/ suited to

Comparatively rare would

not more unseemly than common, of

PREFACE.

.V

the old in years,^ young in understanding child in Biblical instruction sexagenarian, a

of the

;

;

of the

in the science of Nature, sadly defective

proficient

in the science of Scripture.

There would foe less

also, as

another happy consequence,

danger of infection from heresy or error;

and its disseminators, having smaller hope of success, might ply their vocation with diminished energy* Fewer would he the instances of the religious '

professor

tossed to

every wind

and

fro,

f doctrine:'

and driven about with a

restless

changling,

without judgment or principle, fluttering hither and thither, like

a bird that has wandered from her

nest; ignorant of the true in doctrine or the in

good and the or attracted novel the precept, by

singular

;

embracing

this or that strange opinion,

which some artful deceiver by ingenious fraud, or hair-brained fanatic by incessant iteration, has obtruded on popular attention. But, not only would Christians be thus preserved themselves from gross mistakes, or the adoption of notions contrary, in '

the glorious Gospel

any important :'

to detect the sophisms,

the

gainsayer.

particular, to

they might likewise be able

and expose the

fallacies,

If they did not succeed,

argument, in convincing him, they

by

might &i

of

fair

least,

V to the satisfaction of the candid, rebut his cavils,

and Confute his reasonings. is

Often hopeless, indeed,

the attempt to 'put to silence the ignorance of

foolish

men

:'

in too

many

'eases,

death only, unless

where .sovereign grace intervenes, effects this result. That this may be affirmed concerning most of the broachers or abettors of heterodoxy, whatever be

the distinctive appellations assumed, the past and the present furnish superabundant evidence. Yet, to exhibit to public notice their plague-spotSj-^to

guard others, especially the simple or unsuspicious> from the vile taint of their heresies, to prevent, on the part of the unstable or imperfectly instructed, the perversion of sentiment, or corruption of soundness in the faith : this is a work of no little utility, aiid

those

who perform

with any degree of efficiency

1

it

,

render a service which -entitles to commendation.

To be

convinced of the propriety

f

inculcate, but little reflection is necessary.

what we Consider

the treatment which Christianity has experienced ;

the

spirit of bitter hostility

whether in whole or in detail. 'aided

by

displayed towards

it,

Sometimes ingenuity,

learning, has tried to set aside^ its -claims, ,

or to disprove the inspiration %f its Writers, aud

malignantly represented

ture: sometimes,

it

to

it

as a fraud

labeled

oft

an impos-

PREFACE.

til

severally, its essential elements.

either vindicate its credibility

defend those of

attacked? its

right

its

and

Would

we,

authenticity, or

cardinal doctrines that

may be

such an attempt, in order to

Surely,

thoroughly conversant

we be

requires that

accomplishment,

with

it.

This,

however

many who have undertaken the task, we deem an indispensable qualification. The possession

lacking in

of it, too, or an acquaintance, especially in

its

connec-

with the system of Sacred Truth, might often be of use to the private Christian, in the ordinary

tions,

intercourses of

life.

He

would thus be enabled,

whensoever they were uttered in his hearing, to objections of Infidelity, or correct the

repel the

perversions of the heretic

he would be more

falsity,

himself, if not also

by

his

:

at least, likely to

wisdom

to

seeing their

be preserved

guard

others,

from their contamination.

Among

the revealed verities, which the pride of

Reason ignores or repudiates, is that of Demoniacal and temptation. Its proper place or exact

influence

importance, relatively to

other Articles, in the

economy of Scripture, we presume not Neither in the

is

this necessary:

to determine.

enough that

it is

taught

Word, or incorporated with that scheme

instruction,

oi:

which it has pleased the Father of lights

PREFACE.

Ylll

On this ground, which we account

to communicate.

the highest of

all,

it

No

implicit credence.

commands our other proof

entire

and

obtainable;

is

is any other desired. The testimony of Him 'who cannot lie/ is, on every point respecting which

nor

it is

the firmest assurance.

'

of men, the witness of

God

If

we is

receive the witness greater.'

spoken in reference to any matter ears let

The

him

is

subject,

also

(

?

Has He

He that

hath

hear.'

to the

following Treatise It

and to beget

given, sufficient to preclude doubt,

is

of which the

exposition

devoted,

is,

indeed, mysterious.

a fearful, and, in most of

its

aspects, far

from being an agreeable, theme of contemplation. That, however, is no reason why it should not

engage our frequent or serious in

itself,

unpleasant,,

may,

if

attention.

What

is,

rightly considered, be

Very uninviting, as topics of meditation, profitable. are human guilt and depravity. Yet, how worthy are they of being pondered, and how needful is the study of them! If there are malicious Beings,

endowed with superior power and energy, who, though impalpable to sense, have access to our minds; Beings, whose constant endeavour is to corrupt and

afflict,

and who are capable, in a great

of injuring diversity of ways,

body or

soul, the out-

PREFACE.

ward

condition, or the spiritual state

surely,

may

IX

to

be apprized of the

:

is

it

well,

Appalling as

fact.

it

be, the habitual remembrance and practical

improvement of it may, through co-operating grace, be a mean both of present security against the seduction,

and of

final deliverance

from the annoy-

ance, of fallen Intelligences.

Agency we hold to be a matter so clearly revealed, as to demand the unhesitating assent of all who admit the authority of the Word; Diabolical

Regarding

it,

much

however,

It is disputed

misapprehension/ prevails.

who cannot

reconcile

scepticism, as well as

by some/

with their notions of the

it

equity and benevolence of the Divine government they, therefore, deny

by

others,

its

whose conceptions of

vague or inaccurate. faith in

it, it is

neglected.

it

discussion.

By

It is it

misunderstood

are exceedingly

not a few,

who

Here, then, appears to be a

the

profess

practically overlooked, or purposely

reason for bringing

making

reality.

:

it

prominently into view, by

subject

Hence,

sufficient

also,

of

separate

and formal

the answer, in part, to a

question that has repeatedly been put to us

choose such a theme of discourse ?

.Why The range of :

Theology presents a wide variety of topics, in the> canvassing of which instruction; might easily .be

t

x

PREFACE.

mingled with pleasure f wherefore, then, so intangible and unattractive ?

Our theme

is

select

one

a doctrine of the Bible; and what

the Spirit of truth has seen meet to reveal,

should

it

be our study to know. Nothing, we may be sure, but what is profitable, or subservient to edification, has a place among the Oracles of Heaven. That, in relation to the point of which we treat, this may ;

be safely

is

spicacity

moment

affirmed, but little consideration or per-

:

required to perceive.

indeed, in

some

It is of no inferior

respects,

it is>

with

alleged repulsiveness, of primary interest. it

is

much impugned, not

all its

As, too,

only by the ignorant or

unreflecting,

but also by persons who pass for

Philosophers,

who

style themselves Eeasoners,

who would be esteemed

and

wiser than their teachers

;

may be proper to examine their objections, or the grounds on which they discredit it.

it

Vanity remarks. object

;

may To

take offence at the freedom of our

complacency was not our nor can the expressions of its displeasure, flatter its

which we know how

to estimate, affect us.

In the

opinion of their mental eminence, cherished

by some of our opponents, and entertained by numerous admirers,

we cannot

deplored

is

the

concur.

ungodliness

But, chiefly to be of

their

spirit.

PREFACE.

XI

Whether, in some instances at

does not

least, it

afford proof, presumptive if not demonstrative, of

may be

the fact of Satanic influence, ted.

fairly submit-

Neither, on the other hand, have

careful to gratify the taste of the lovers of

We

things.'

more

far

more

advocates of

Their sentiments we abhor,

but their spiritual welfare this.,

and

certain

addressing

Antichristian tenets.

to

smooth

qualities of vastly superior

excellent in themselves,

in

appropriate

'

would not undervalue the suaviter in

mode: but there are worth,

we been

we

desire

;

and, in order

would have them gained over to soundness a creed in conformity with the doctrine

of belief,

of Scripture.

In the following sheets, a

full exposition

of the-

not be expected. subj ect in debate must

Our design

was, principally, to excite attention to

a doctrine of

deep and universal, though painful, interest: a doctrine but little considered by the generality of Christians,

neglected

and

apt,

by many.

from

its

very nature, to be

It is also, in

common with

other parts of Revealed Truth, scornfully repudiated

by the while

Infidel

it is

irrational

or unphilosophical

;

the Unitarian or the. strongly opposed by

Keologist, who,

attempts

as

by a

to .explode

peculiar it.

mode

of Exegesis,

as a notion of ignorance,

XU

PREFACE.

We

wish to prevent especially the young and the

uninformed,

who

are most in danger, from being,

misled by the dogmatic assertions or sophistical arguments of the former, or perverted by the false Criticism

and misapplied learning of the

Some may

object to the

into

form

observations have been thrown.

latter.

which

Perhaps,

the most logical, or that which, had

we

it is

our.

not

at first

contemplated writing so largely, might have been

When

commencing, we had not the remotest idea of producing a Volume our original adopted.

:

intention was, merely to furnish a short series of Articles,

of a plain

and popular

Scottish Christian Journal. in that Periodical,

from

its

was decided it

in the

on,

form

it

in

The first Part appeared

and has been extracted verbatim

When

pages.

a

Work

like the present

was deemed advisable which

it

to continue

Hence the

was begun.

Parts, with the division of

different

the

for

cast,

each into

Chapters of nearly equal length. The theme, instead of being one of our own choice, was sug-i gested

to

us,

and the discussion of

our attention. .shape, pressed upon singular

in regarding

covert or open attacks

what may be

it,

We

in

some

are not

Demonology as, from the made upon jt, a branch of

fitly called

'

the present Truth.'

In

PREFACE. support of the opinion expressed, easily could we, required, point to Theologians of higk repute.

if

In the

both living and departed saintship, stand second to none for genius,

roll of

names

their

and

learning,

The two

piety.*

last

though not strictly have been added for the

Chapters,

belonging to the subject, reasons

That

stated.

directs attention to

In

errors. *'

On

the

Modern Authorship,

one chief source of doctrinal

other,

this subject, three

gians have written

on

Authority and

entitled

very able and accomplished Theolo-

more or less

fully.

The

first is

the late

Mr

Hall of Bristol, whose remarks, though brief and general, will

repay a careful perusal. The second is Dr John Brown of Edinburgh, who has given two excellent Dissertations 5 the

one in his Exposition of the First Epistle of Peter, the other Commentary on the Sayings of our Lord: both very

in his

instructive

Volumes

Mr

and

satisfactory,

worthy of a place in the admirable The third .is the Rev.

of which they form a part.

Scott of Airedale,

whose Treatise we had not seen

till

own were thrown

off, and nearly either in or in more were fifty manuscript. We deem proof has us to as leisure examine it, exceedingly so far it, permitted

three hundred pages of our

valuable ; as masterly as

it is

lengthened

j

discovering on the

part of the Author, at once superior powers of reasoning, and

an intimate acquaintance with Holy Writ. The disquisitions we would recommend to the thoughtful attention

referred to

of all

who wish

to obtain a Scriptural knowledge of

Demono-

XIV

PREFACE.

Sufficiency of Scripture, the

proper

or elevated to

light,

Word its

due

rank in the economy of Religion. of

human

conception or device

as co-ordinate.

Standard.

By

It

it, all

be tested: with to

is

it,

is set

in the

position^

and

With it, nothing to

is

be considered

the Supreme and Infallible opinions

and

principles are to

our views and sentiments ought

Their agreement or discordance

harmonize.

with the Testimony, determines their soundness heterodoxy.

From

its

averments the Christian

oris-

whole of his Theology and his Ethics. then, in every instance, let the appeal be

to learn the

To

it,

made with becoming reverence mission of understanding.

and sub*

of spirit

Is the inquirer desirous

of instruction on matters of infinite importance and eternal interest

?

Let him apply, not to the philo-

sophies of the day, not to the theories of mortal

wisdom, but to the Writings of Prophets and Apostles. lead,

The former, the

though by manifold and widely-diverging

tracks, to the

'

blackness of darkness

an emanation from

by a

offspring of darkness,

'

'

:

the latter,

the excellent glory,' conduct,

sure and certain path, to the realms of light.

They, they only, 'teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.'

PREFACE.

The

blessing of

Him, who

of the Divine Teacher,

whom Truth came is

;'

who

XV '

is is

'

the

God

of

Truth ;'

the Truth,' and

of the Sacred Paraclete,

'the Spirit of Truth,'

its

'

by who

Revealer to the mind:

The blessing of the Eternal Triune, to whose honour, in connection with the good of souls, dedicated, attend this

neglected and often doctrine

I

it is

humble vindication of a much vilified,

but most momentous

That it may be universally acknowledged

one of the ' faithful sayings' of that Word, which, proceeding from a Being 'who cannot lie,' is all as

Truth whose

holy, sanctifying, saving office

it

is,

may rend

Truth

:

that He,

the veil from the

understanding and the heart, and grant, to the prejudiced or sceptical reader, a right discernment of this as

a

'

great mystery,' disposing him to receive

fact,

and

to act under the belief of

earnest prayer of the Author.

it,

it

is 'the

CONTENTS.

THE DOCTRINE OF DEVILS. Page Introduction, Existence, Disbelievers,

....

13

.

.

* *

.

.

.

DIABOLICAL AGENCY. Reality Reality

:

Moral Influence,

:

Physical Influence,

Extent

:-

Moral Mischief,

Extent

:

Physical Mischief,

Means

:

Means False Religion Means: Miscellaneous, :

Objections

89

.

.

.

.

to Piety,

.

.

.

.

.

.

Infidelity, .

.

.99

...-

Means: Miscellaneous Qbjections,

.

.

Hatred to Truth

^ ^

.

.

continued,

.

continued,

.

.

.

'

112

.125 .139 151

165

1"

CONTENTS.

$nt

flpb.

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.-COLLATERAL TOPICS. Page Diabolical Agency

:

Its Duration,

Diabolical

:

Its

Agency

.

.

205

.

.

217

.

.

.

.

229

continued,

Difficulties Obviated,

Addenda,

241

.

.

Obviated

Difficulties

Addenda

continued,

..... ... .... ....... .....

Summary,

.

Summary

Duration

.191

.

.

254

continued,

270 282

continued,

Mesmerism, Mesmerism continued, .

Mesmerism

.

concluded,

299

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

311

.

324

fart -f

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.- CONCLUSION.

.......

Opponents,

Opponents

continued,

Opponents

concluded,

Believers in Demonology,

Believers in

...

.

.

.

Demonology continued, Source of Disbelief Modern Authorship, :

Conclusion

:

Authority and

348

.

.

358

.

.

369

.

.

.

381

,

.

.

398

.

.

419

.

433

.

Sufficiency of Scripture,

I3octriiu of

THE

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

CHAPTER

OF

I.

both the compass and the varieties of animate

and intelligent Nature, our knowledge meagre. field

How

can

it

be otherwise ?

too vast for the comprehension of

In relation to

it,

however, nothing

direct observation or inquiry, limits.

But

one,

and

is

is

extremely

Here opens a

human

intellect.

ascertainable, 'by

beyond very

eircuinscribecl:

that, in all likelihood, a

compara-

tively insignificant,

department comes within the range

To

the races that people the globe on

of

our notice.

which we, dwell, our cognizance

is

confined.

Concern-

ing the universe of living creatures, external to this" small province, with

but a single exception, for the

partial glimpses of which

we

are indebted

solely to

the disclosures of Eevelation, we' can only conjecture.

This

is

a point, on which the

no light: in regard to are-

it,

toils

of genius can throw

the untaught and the learned

equally ignorant.

A

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

16

must be repressed: they are alike vain and

curiosity

impertinent. .

Perhaps we should not greatly

err,

did

we

suppose a

scale of indefinite extent, along which, in perfect regularity,

At

according to the order of dignity,

a respectable gradation in the scale,

human

race

while, on the one

;

descending

series,

and on the

side,

tion,

we

that

Man

is

intellectual, or

by

all

and the

peal,

among

life,

supposi-

the produc-

compound nature : being either purely

ask, is there for this be-

such cases, the Eecord decisive authority.

express statement or

idea?

much

wholly animal,

But, what foundation, we

In

stand the

The

series.

the solitary specimen,

other creatures endued with

lief?

may

runs far lower a

are aware, conflicts with the vulgar belief,

tions of creative Omnipotence, of a all

are ranged.

other, rises, to a

superior elevation, an ascending

.

all

Without

by

is

our ultimate ap-

Does

it,

then, either

implication, favour such an

fear of contradiction,

we

answer, No.

Like many notions, once prevalent, but exploded by careful examination, destitute of support.

or

by

collateral discovery, it is

It rests

on nothing better than

the mere absence of visible proof, or explicit information

;

while the investigations of natural science, though

not conclusively rebutting, rather, so far -.as they have

an indirect bearing on the

To

subject, discountenance

it.

the doctrine of a plurality of worlds, then,

give our unhesitating assent.

Nor have we a

we

doubfy

1

INTRODUCTION. that

AH

God made of them,

we

due time

believe, if not already, will in

with their respective populations; while

be, furnished

in

them, like our own, 'to be inhabited.'

each may, not improbably, stand in lorldly .pre-

eminence, at the head of organized beings,

'No

eternity.

family groups, an order of

its

gifted

with reason,

and

heirs

of

man,' indeed, resident in this distant

abode, 'hath seen, or can see' them: their remoteness

rendering the vision of the nearest, even with the best

But

telescopic aid, impossible.

that, at present, they,

are not, or cannot be, the objects of sight, hinders not

In thus stating our

our faith in their existence. creed,

we

are

substance at least, that of

have illumined

:

of

to a subject, which,

all

not express, in

whon^ the

lights of Science

can hardly

affords,

more

of their musings.

Thus

their attention,

from the amazing expansion of view

Astronomy or. less

if

who have turned

all

own

we do

much mistaken

fail

to have

engaged

among

the more reflecting, a

general concurrence of opinion.

But, the report has

far there

may

be,

reached us of another description of beings, of simpler constitution,

and superior grade.

Of

their existence, :

no acquaintance, how intimate or extensive soever, with the visible Universe, could have informed us. cernible,

from the

spirituality,. of their nature,

corporeal eye, which

is

formed to perceive us, in

:

'.

by

thje

only: material

numbers,; may encompass own without pur .spirits, potency upon A2 objects, they

Undis-

or act with

our

being

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

18

of their

cognizant

presence,

of their

conscious

or

influence.

But

for authentic intelligence of

it,

we

therefore,

should have had no conception of the entity of these

unembodied not,

is

Whether such creatures

ones.

are, or are

a question, which the most curious and specu-

lating might never have

thought of;

or which,

as

involving a difficulty of hopeless solution, they might

have deemed

useless to entertain.

it

affirmative, not as a

fact,

The

can be adduced?

In favour of the

but a bare probability, .what

research of the inquisitive

to discover a vestige of evidence.

How,

of a leaning on

its

The

it ?

any rational .ground of preference, behalf, might have been held symp-

tomatic of mental aberration or dreaming. ,

fails

in that case,

could any have been inclined to countenance indication, without

:

Here, then,

notwithstanding the attestation of the True Witness,

harmony

The

of sentiment or belief does not obtain.

beings alluded to are represented as composing

two great "'

those

classes,

their first estate/

is given, though

a term of

office,

their qualities.

To

who

kept,

and those who

left,

both, the appellation, 'Angels,'

more commonly to the former. and imports rather It intimates, t^at

It is

their functions than

they are the servants

of the Eternal King, ready to do His pleasure, and

whom He different

commissions, on errands of importance, to provinces

Various designations

of

His

mighty empire.

and expressions, we

learn,

From that

19

INTRODUCTION.

of high intellectual

they are exceedingly numerous, capacity,

that

and perfectly holy

among them

;

while

it

would

also appear^

.

rank in nature,

subsist gradations of

or authority, or both.

The

other

minated Devils ability

and

Adversary,

or Evil Angels, are usually deno-

class,

and one, who

:

energy, receives the

distinguished by.

eminence.

of

by way

is

name

wicked, they are enemies to their

of 'Satan,' or

Consummately

Maker

;

whom

they

both hate and dread, whose righteous authority they resist,

and whose benevolent designs they would thwart.

Rebels against the administration of the Sovereign Lord, they are also leagued in opposition to the virtuous orders of creation; the knowledge of

whose happiness

moves their envy, and aggravates their, misery, and whom, if it were possible, they would seduce from their loyalty,

and subject to the

penalties of disobedience;

But, /they are especially to be feared byinferior in faculty,

Antagonists, so

'

and resource,

MAN

;,

their

as well as in experience.

excelling in strength,' so ingenious in

device, and.. so practised in deception, are truly

able

:

while their deadly

and ever ready to

spite,

formid-

ever seeking expression,

avail .itself of opportunities, renders

them the more dangerous. Indeed, as regards the strategy of these elder tates,

and the

license

concedes to them, the peculiarly situated.

apos.-

which a mysterious Providence

human

.Of the

family would seem to be spiritual

kingdom, but a

20

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

few vague and dubious notices have been granted us/ ,

Apocalypses so definite

partial,

gleams so obscure, afford no

knowledge, only a very faint and indistinct

idea, of the hostile schemes

and movements of the

rebellious against the provinces or ranks of the upright.

But, from what

is

written, perhaps,

though the inference,

it

is

is,

in

infer

admitted, partakes more of

the conjectural than the certain of mankind

we may

the condition,

that

of Demoniacal

respect

including both the manner and the exertion, altogether singular.

By

its

influence^

degree of

its

skilful appliance

they were, through the guilt of their federal head, involved in the consequences of transgression. their

wretchedness, and

determining

Pitying

their salvation,

the Divine Mercy provided for them a restorative

Economy, by virtue of which their lost hopes might be revived, and their forfeited inheritance regained. That Economy the sons of perdition hate, to defeat their malevolent intentions,

unrighteous dominion, by

tions.

and abolish

their

securing deliverance to the

hapless victims of their tyranny.

and unceasing aim,

as calculated

Their, earnest desire,

therefore, is to obstruct its opera*

If they cannot wholly neutralize

they do their utmost to mar

its

frustrate its salutary results

those

:

its

efficacy^

benign tendency, and

whom

they cannot !

retain in perpetual vassalage, they strive, in every practi-

cable way, to distress and injure. ;out

alarm and

They

cannot, with*-

.resistance, see their empire invaded, the

INTRODUCTION.

21

prey wrested from their possession, and the they had thought to hold in bonds of .'

thralled,

iniquity,' disen-

and turned to holy obedience.

singularity

of our case, then,

souls, that

May

account for our being

Of

peculiarly the objects of Satanic attack? rational orders,

be tempted,

because no other

same circumstances. not cast

off.

the

all

however numerous, no others may so assaulted in a similar

similar extent,

not the

We

None may,

alone

may be

mode, or to a

may be in exactly the be

like us,

fallen,

but

the subjects of a reme-

dial system, that provides equally for

pardon and purity

;

embracing a propitiation to atone, and grace to sanctify; exhibiting the means, and tendering the

with

tion,

unconditional

Why

and

freeness

universality, to the children of guilt

offer,

of salva-

unrestricted

and corruption.

have such scope and liberty been granted to

these 'Spiritual Wickednesses?'

whose power could

Why

does a Being,

at once annihilate their opposition",

permit such a varied and continued display of it?

Why,

for thousands of years,

and over the whole

earth,

have they been allowed to exercise so terrible a domination

and

;

to carry on, alternately

by the

violence, their designs of malice

strongholds, and consolidate effectual hindrance, or

their

;

arts of subtlety

to establish their

kingdom, without

with hardly any apparent inter-

ference; to spread the reign of darkness, prolong the

prevalence of superstitution, crimes,

till

and multiply

follies

and

they have gained nearly absolute ascendency

22

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

over mortals, and the world of mind, thoroughly blinded

and depraved, has been arbitrary control

all

These are

?

but subjected to their

'Even

not competent fully to answer. so

it

hath seemed meet in

are patent, and these, cate

the ways

of

it is

Thy to

To

Governor,

do not desire

Father, for

Some

reasons

sufficient to vindi-

evince the wisdom,

the propriety, of His

rectitude,

so,

sight.'

presumed,

God;

which we are

inquiries,

procedure as

us .they are satisfactory, and more

content to

:

elucidation of the plans,

of Providence,

and,

and

the

Moral

we

wait for that complete principles,

especially,

and operations

of the

Economy

of

Redemption, which the light of heaven may be expected to afford.

Besides, touching the

many

be better informed than well

Agency

of Demons,

may

not

of the superior orders of Intelligence, even now,

as

the modes,

With

potency?

we

the

reasons,

in regard to the reasons, as

instrumentalities,

we

of which

and

are

left

the in

ignorance, because the knowledge of them, having no direct bearing on our improvement,

us at present, they

be receiving

may be

is

acquainted.

lessons deeply interesting,

not necessary to

They may thus and of the kind

reserved for ourselves hereafter, but of which

have

little

fection.

conception,

They may be

instruction, wise,

till

we can

arrived at the state of per-,

furnished both with topics of

and sources of enjoyment, to which, other-

no access could have been had; be obtaining,

23

INTRODUCTION. views,

alike

pleasing

and

profitable,

and administration

character

rent delight, evil

made

:

the minister of good, and

its

and overruled,

as

mightiest influences so counteracted to contribute to

'

of the Divine

be beholding, with reve-

the praise of the glory of grace/

Earth

Is it so, that our

is

the theatre of events so

grand in their nature, and so momentous in their issues : of

the scene of the antagonism of opposing principles

the conflict of the Powers of light with the Powers of darkness, of the displays of

Wisdom

in outwitting the

inventions of craft, and the triumphs of efforts

of malignity .

May

?

portance beyond what

it

Love over the

not thus acquire an im-

intrinsically belongs to

it,

and.

wondering attention of distant worlds, to

attract the

whose inhabitants may be conveyed,,by angelic heralds, or by other modes of communication, tidings of what is

transpiring in this small but interesting spot

they not thus be supplied with a plation,

and new matter of song

ardour, pour forth the doxology

new theme ; '

:

Great and marvellous ;

just

Thy ways, Thou King of saints !' By some, we are aWare, the 'doctrine They

and true are

of Devils*

scout the idea, so prevalent

professed believers in Christianity, of the

Evil Spirits or denied, sceptical.

:

is

May

of contem-

and, with increased

are Thy works, Lord Grod Almighty

discredited.

?

nay, that such beings exist,

if

is

among

Agency of not disputed

a matter about which they are extremely

Others,

who admit

the reality of the

Agency

24

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

mentioned, object to our assertion of

We

fulness.

its-.

might and feaiv

are thoroughly persuaded, however, that

the views which

we hold

are supported

by the highest

Those who examine the subject in the light

testimony.

of Scripture, and whose judgments are guided decisions, will,

it

accuracy of the

is

by

presumed, allow the substantial

On

statements to be advanced.

question of this nature, mere

human

authority

is

weight: the opinions and speculations of sages,

bow not less

:

its

to the declarations

.of

a

of no

who

the Becord, are worth-

in so far as they contradict

what

it

teaches,

or

disagree with the evident import of .its language, or the

general bearing of

Here, as on is,

all

its

Truth.

its

they are erroneous.

points of faith and practice, our desire

to consult the Oracle,

credence,

contents,

and

to receive, with implicit

responses, as the utterances of Infallible

25

EXISTENCE.

CHAPTEE

THE

H.

following remarks are brief and cursory.

L>

stead of entering deeply into the subject, they rather, as it were, skini the surface.

They

are submitted to

the dispassionate consideration of those, or

impugn the doctrine, which, in

we

various Sects of the orthodox,

who

dispute

common with advocate.

are thought severe in phrase, or harsh in tone,

the

If they

remem-

ber the reprehensible procedure of the persons against

whom

they are directed.

How

dishonest the methods

by which they 'wrest the Scriptures;' thus striving to compass, along with their

'own

the uninformed or the unstable

destruction/ that of It is not forgotten,

!

that to 'speak the truth in love/

and 'in meekness

to

them that oppose themselves/ are Divine inBut neither should it be forgotten, that the junctions. instruct

same authority commands to 'rebuke sharply:' and, surely, such a style of address, if proper towards any,

cannot be inapplicable to those,

ends by means equally base.

.

who aim

at the basest

Our remarks may,

also,

serve to reprove or admonish some, who, though pro-

B

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

26.

fessing to hold the doctrine stated, practically neglect it.

it

Not

a favourite subject of reflection or discourse, It is allowed in

rarely present to their minds.

is

words, but ignored by deeds

;

exerting as

influence

little

over the tenor of the thoughts, or in the regulation of the conduct, as

if it

formed no

article of

the Christian

creed.

In prosecuting the discussion of

this

theme,

we

shall

arrange our observations under two general divisions: the Existence

the

we

each head,

of Evil Spirits.

Agency

purpose, by

way

Under

of reply, to examine

We

iome of the more popular objections.

begin with

the topic, which has the priority in nature, and which, therefore, is entitled to precedence in the order of disquisition: .

The EXISTENCE

The knowledge

of Evil Spirits.

their Existence is matter of pure Eevelation.

dently of

we

it,

regarding the It lies entirely

Eeason

fact.

affords

no intimation of

beyond her province.

that far transcends her reach,

it is

it.

It is too recondite

It pertains to a sphere It

belongs to a class of

which she cannot penetrate:

which -mysteries,

Indepen-

should have been in utter ignorance

for her to have searched out.

secrets,

of

is

one of many

not given her to unveil.

Nor

is

there the least likelihood, that, in virtue of any improve-

ment

of power, or

the result of 'of inquiry,

any

by any process of

investigation; as

culture, or at any advance in the path

she could ever, by her

own unaided

efforts,

27

EXISTENCE. have obtained cognizance never discerned

Eeason

is

her,

when by

the Existence of Devils

it,

originally,

involves what, to her,

is

an^

Not only did

it.

exceed her

ability,

the

while

it

It likewise

She does not

very unsavoury.

her taste.

unacceptable to

relish it: it is altogether

to its truth, she cannot but feel her incompetence to

decide

on

is

1

must have ever eluded her observation.

As

had

the voice of Inspiration, as a verity,

not hasty to receive

discovery of

vision

it.

Accordingly,

nounced to

The acutest

,of it.

it,

yet, her arrogance leads her to sit in

;

and to pronounce a

verdict.

pears to her

quite unphilosophical.

in which

taught,

it is

is

The

judgment

doctrine ap-

The phraseology

reckoned a flourish of Poetry

Ehetoric, an Eastern trope, or metaphor.

or

called a childish delusion, or

an ingenious

It

fiction.

is

It is

represented as the antiquated offspring of ignorance, or the exploded

which

dogma

priestcraft

weak

:

a bugbear,

had conjured up to awe the vulgar. a notion,

It is discarded as

the

of superstitution

fit

only to be instilled into

any other figment of the imagination, unworthy the credence of an enlighor the uninformed, but, like

tened understanding. But,

why deem

beings as Devils

?

it

incredible,

that there are such

Wherefore should the

possibility, or

even the probability, of their existence be questioned ?

What

principle of sound Philosophy does the supposition

oppose ?

What

dictate of right

Eeason does

it

contra*

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

28 diet

Indeed, to hold the negative, or to deny their

?

entity,

were to

violate the genius of the one.

against the spirit of the other.

untenable

It

is

an opinion, without a

:

and offend

a position, perfectly

particle of evidence

:

an assumption, unwarranted by any rational consideraIt is assertion merely tion. assertion, bold, but rash

;

;

confident, but groundless.

It is

destitute even of the

semblance of foundation, either in what forms the substance of actual intelligence, or in what

falls

within the

On

range of legitimate inquiry, or fair deduction. point of this nature, bare affirmation, will

We

not satisfy us.

but unreasonable pose the

sum

dislikes,

a

by whomsoever,

desiderate something more:

and vain imaginations, com-

of what the objector has to offer.

The Existence

of Evil Spirits,

it is

allowed,

is

one

of those articles of our creed, which cannot be established

by a

train of arguments, such as

in support of

many

may be adduced

of our conclusions, or beliefs.

It

does not admit of logical proof, or direct confirmation.

Our

on the authority of man.

faith of it rests not

It

has a more solid basis than the inferences of sense, or reason, or experience.

deceive us

:

These are

of the tenet in question. sively, less,

fallacious,

and might

not that on which depends our persuasion

This

the Divine Testimony.

in such a case, would not

Jehovah hath spoken 'faithful saying/

it.'

is,

entirely

and exclu-

More we could not have suffice.

*

:

The mouth of

"We therefore accept

it

as a

What, though no 'man hath seen, or

29

EXISTENCE. can see/ those of

whom we discourse ?

Immaterial, they

are necessarily invisible to mortal eye.

That they them, ;

and we

Mention Spirit,

nature,

we

are,

set

are assured

our seal to

it

as indisputable.

made, in particular, of one uneinbodied

is

and malevolent in

of this

once rivalling the brighter of the

but fallen from the sphere coursing, with ceaseless

it

'Morning

.Star/

and

originally adorned,

along devious

which the force of

dread Wanderer has drawn from

engrossed

evil in

celestial luminaries,

impetuosity,

paths, to the peril of a world,

certainty.

but

intellect,

intention, called Satan, or

The Existence

the Devil.

is

research?

by Him, who formed

high in rank, and great in

Existence

What though

human

their being be not ascertainable by

its

proper orbit

this

his

:

not a conjecture, or a probability, but a

Unimpeachable veracity declares

among

It is

it.

the disclosures of the Record.

It

forms a part, an important and indispensable part, of its

informations.

It

is

taught without ambiguity,

without obscurity, without figure plainness

and

Not only

is it

port;

clearness of

:

taught with

which language

is

the

all

susceptible.

announced in terms of unmistakable im-

but, as necessary to be distinctly

known, and

constantly remembered, and seriously pondered,

it

is

assigned a place of distinguished prominence.

Erom Alpha to Omega of Revelation, for which we contend is introduced. It foreground.

It recurs

the doctrine occupies the

with a painful, yet

.

salutary,.

30

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS. It obtrudes itself

'frequency.

turn :

upon the notice

at every

presented under this other aspect, or in that

is

other connexion.

It is not, indeed, formally proved,

nor ever made the subject of express proposition. the being of Jehovah, which

is

nowhere argued, or

stated as a theorem to be demonstrated,

it is

assumed,

Whenever brought forward, or alluded

or presupposed. to, it is as

Like

a matter taken for granted, not as requiring

either direct affirmation, or the support of evidence. It is always

propounded as

if it

were a

fact,

respecting

the reality of which there could be neither controversy

Such a mode of instruction well

nor hesitancy.

whose simple announcement of

the Divine Majesty;

any

doctrine, or assumption of

a thousand

what

arguments

many

Spirits,

or

any

asserted

truth,

in

is

instead of

Regarding Evil

proofs.

things are stated;

never

is

befits

all

of which imply,

positive

phrase

their

Existence. Is the doctrine maintained thus

communications of the "Word? obvious consequence former,

is

to

is,

embodied in the

What

follows?

One

that to doubt, or deny, the

impugn the truthfulness of the latter.

To

explain the annunciation of the doctrine as a figure of speech, a metaphorical expression, an Oriental diction:

what

Scripture?

meaning

is

It is

or force,

mode

of

but to burlesque, or parody, to divest its solemn utterances of

this

by

daring, at

the license of an

unbridled fancy, or to serve the purposes of impiety,

EXISTENCE.

.3.1

to turn into myth or allegory, what

The

rates.

or humour,

taste

caprices of each,

become

his

breathings of Inspiration.

it

the

teaches or nar-

or

predilections

guide in interpreting the

According as these savour

of insobriety or ungodliness, the contents of the

Book

are wrested: in such degree the value of its instructions

is

and

deteriorated,

genuine sense

is

their efficacy marred.

misapprehended or obscured, and one

constrained and foreign imposed.

muted

is

.spirit

The

literal is trans-

into the figurative; the heavenly,

the earthly.

The

letter

evaporated

may be

and,

:

merged

life, is

into

retained, while the

through the unhallowed

touch of a corrupting Philosophy, what was to

The

'

ordained

found to be unto death.'

Alas! that any, affecting reverence for Holy Writ,

should be guilty of such presumptuous freedoms, either with the text or the interpretation. those,

who, while feigning obeisance to

faith, will

but

Yet, there are as the rule of

not allow that there lives a being

sinful,

whom

Intelligence '

styled, emphatically,

God

Prince of the power of the taught, and often as is

its

a superior,

blessed Author

the Prince of this world/ and one

of His Apostles, 'the

Existence

it

it is

of this world,' air.'

and 'the

Explicitly as

it

urged upon the attention,

questioned or denied.

is

his

It is represented

as an imagination, or a delusion, founded on a misconstruction of the peculiar style of the sacred penmen, or

ignorance of, the idioms of

Hebrew

composition.

That

32

,

DOCTRINE OP DEVILS;

they do, apparently, ascribe to him, in most express terms, and in every conceivable way, the attributes and actions of a moral agent, cannot be gainsayed.

to understand them,

Yet,

by such diction, to intimate his

personality, would, it is contended,

We

sion of their meaning.

be a misapprehen-

are reminded of the dif-

ference between bold metaphor, and plain narrative;

between a

fiction of Poetry,

and a matter of

We

fact.

are told of accommodation, in the phraseology of Scripture, to the superstitious notions prevalent

We

Jews.

are assured, that

by what

among the

their language

naturally leads us to regard as a living being, ject of moral

government

a sub-

as really as ourselves, but far

above us in rank, as well as anterior in

the

origin,

sacred Writers meant only a prosopopeia, or personification,

sometimes of

sin,

sometimes of the

evil agencies,

or hostile authorities, of the world.

Relative to this controverted point, the Record,

have

said, gives a

Instructor heed.'

how

In

;

and this,

'

to

certain sound/ its

voice

we

'

It is

shall

we

our only sure

do well to take

as in all other matters, its teaching,

conflicting soever with

'

the

wisdom of the

wise,'

or contrary to pre-conceived opinions, deserves our

reverent attention and unhesitating assent.

we

!From

it

gather the following informations, which seem to

comprise the substance of before us.

high

in-

There

its

testimony on the question

exist orders of intelligent natures,

the scale of creation, but, not clothed with

S3

EXISTENCE. material frames, invisible to the corporeal eye.

Ori-

and obedient, but yielding to pride and Now, ambition, they became unholy and rebellious.

ginally pure

deposed from their seats in glory, and without the

hope or the means of recovery, they have no prospect but that of unabating and endless woe.

Maddened by

the agonies of despair, and under the dominance of

unchecked depravity, they are the inveterate and concilable enemies of G-od

As

to the

irre-

and man.

number of Evil

Spirits,

we

cannot speak

with aught like precision.

Here, the only competent

silent.

While acquainting us with

authority

is

nearly

their Existence, it leaves us in the dark as to the extent

From some

of their plurality. ever,

how-

they would appear to be very many: in multitude,

perhaps equalling, the aggregate

myriads of

With is

incidental notices,

all

it

may be

vastly exceeding, not only

of one generation, but the ,

the generations, of the

human

respect to their influence, too, our

countless family.

knowledge

almost as scanty, as imperfect, as regarding their

number.

But, that

it is

mighty,

may be

safely inferred,

partly from their native endowment, partly from their lengthened experience, and partly from what Inspired

Testimony

affirms

of them.

Individually,

like

their

unfallen brethren of the same orders, they are strong .collectively,

they must, beyond

in pQwer/

From what

is

all

;

conception, be 'great

written,

may

it

not be fur-

ther concluded, that they compose a compact and well-

;

34

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

organized empire

or consist of skilful

;

and

disciplined

armies, enlisted in a service that accords with their

views and feelings, acting in concert and upon plan, like those

who

are resolutely bent

o'n

a

common

end,

and ruled by a despotism the most vigorous and absolute of which the universe contains an example

are marshalled,

it

?

They

would seem, under the regency of a

Leader, of prodigious capacity, and intense malignity,

whose

will

is

law,

and whose behests compliant hosts This tyrant Chief, or arbitrary

are ready to execute.

Potentate,

we

priate

and

find designated

significant

by a variety of appro-

names, descriptive of his sinful

character, or pernicious agency,

an

and exhibiting him

especially to our feeble

object,

race,

equally

as

of

dread and abhorrence.

The two

last particulars,

branch of the argument. notice afterwards,

comment.

we

indeed

the

Number and

properly belong to another

the Influence of Devils

As

they

may come under

pass them over now without

Their Existence

is

the

fact,

the only fact,

The

to which attention has, at present, been directed.

grounds

sum

for our belief of

it

have been adduced

of what the Scriptures state

with the manner in which they

been shown. tory to us,

fail

by

or the

this head, together

set it before us, has

These grounds, although most

satisfac-

to operate universal conviction.

some, they are wholly others,

on

:

,By and unceremoniously rejected:

misinterpreting their import, or applying to

EXISTENCE.

them

of Exposition, try to evade their

false principles

force,

35

.

and escape the conclusion to which, rightly con-

To

strued, they lead. courses,

we

those

who adopt such unworthy

purpose, in our next Chapter, shortly to

address ourselves.

our

may, through the Divine

guard others from the snares which their guile

prepares for the simple

we

Meanwhile,

and unwary.

close with entreating careful atten-

tion to the subject.

more

error,

of the fallacies and im-

their, unfairness,

pieties of their procedure,

blessing,

not succeed either in

shall

shaming them out of their

reasoning or

exposure of

we

If

we

apprehend, to

the instructions

both of the

It is entitled,

in

prominence,

Pulpit and the Press, than

has generally received.

it

That, surely, cannot be a matter of trifling importance.,

which

God

has presented so often, and in such a variety

of lights and connections, in His holy

must be the pertaining to

interest it possesses it

:

:

Word.

of universal concernment the

ledge and belief of

it.

Deep

awful the solemnity

know-

What, then, must be the guilt and of

of opposing a doctrine at once so divinely true,

such terrible significance

temptuously rejects

even to treat

it

the infatuation that con-

!

it!

How

versy, it merits patient, serious, tion/,

and unwise'

Without contro-

and prayerful examina-

a frequent place both in public discussion, and in

private meditation.

more

'foolish

with indifference !

May

its

professed believers have a

intelligent conviction of its verity,

and a

livelier

36

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

and more

May

its

influential impression of its

momentousness

!

enemies, whether undisguised or secret, while

they read

or. hear,

be prevailed on to ponder and

digest, the inspired statements of it !

purge their mental vision giving them, 'in

Thy

faithless,

wisdom,

of prejudice,

light, to see light' clearly!

the veil from their hearts, '

Spirit of

of the films

but believing

!'

that they be

Eend

no longer

37

DISBELIEVERS.

CHAPTEE

WE

HI.

by 'the disputer of this a wise man, of sober mind, and * slow

are met, at the outset,

He

world/

is

to believe.'

What

others fully credit, he doubts or

He must have

denies.

proof, before he will yield the

assent of his understanding.

He whom we designate

One,

accosts us with

a

requires the reason of our

preliminary question. belief in

He

the Prince of dark-

ness.

That reason we are ready to produce, though

may

not be such as to satisfy our rational inquirer.

It is

derived from a Source, at which he looks with

suspicion or aversion:

it

a Document, which he treats

with disrespect, and whose informations he hesitates or refuses to accept.

How

shall

we

disarm this opponent ?

Great would

be our happiness, to cure him of his incredulity; to dislodge him from the strongholds of his scepticism. But, such a triumph,

reward of our

we

effort:

fear, is

his

prejudices amidst which

not likely to be the

mental condition, and the

he entrenches

preclude the hope of achieving

c

it.

himself, almost

His scruples are

38

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

not so easily overcome as some

Why ? He

calls for

may be

apt to imagine.

a kind of proof, which neither

are competent to give, nor the nature

we

of the case

Otherwise, he demurs to our conclusions, and

admits.

maintains his position with

An

belief.

all

unfair disputant,

the pertinacity of dis-

who

no

sets

upon

price

Truth, and brooks not the confession of error, he a cavil, or a sneer, or

resorts to artifice:

muttered in a tone of contemptuous pride,

weapon of

shall

By what

we frame

line of

mind?

conviction to his

conceits/ he

argument may we carry

How

We

may

can

we

strip

'Wise in

him of his

own

charge us with simplicity or weak-

retort the charge.

lips in folly:

whose judgment

He is

it is,

misled

His supercilious

fulness of the heart. not.

usual

modern Pyr-

for our

'the armour wherein he trusteth?'

ness.

growl,

defence.

What answer rhonist?

a'

is his

who opens by the airs

his

deceit-

daunt us

His 'swelling words of vanity' only move our ff

pity.

of anger dies in us,

when we

of the immortal creature,

who dares

Every emotion

advert to the

doom

Such

guilt he contracts, by His Maker questioning the doctrine under review.

to 'reply against G-od.'

has taught world,

it,

included in the

repudiating of truth

among the

'

a

it,

therefore,

other discoveries of the unseen

Yolume

of Inspiration.

In

he virtually makes the

God

liar/

The demand

of demonstrative evidence,

we

tell

the

39

DISBELIEVERS. Philosopher he

disputer, is unreasonable.

think

may

be styled by a thousand admirers. Proud may be the pinnacle on which eminence in scholarship,

himself, or

or success in interesting paths of inquiry, has placed

him.

But, whoever he

may

whatever be the

be,

splendour of his genius, or the honours of his name,

Our

to us immaterial.

quarrel with him, at present,

confined to the one point under consideration

is is

and we

;

are bold to remind him, though our plainness should offend his vanity, or

move

his choler, that his cavils

objections manifest a spirit very different

sound Philosophy.

They

are based

and

from that of

on grounds, which

she utterly disavows: grounds, too, which, unless the intellect

were misled by some deranging or corrupting

influence, her

genuine cultivators would be ashamed

to adopt.

Our remarks,

in the sequel,

we

shall

shape of friendly remonstrance.

We

we

If

but neither do

wish to

we

dare not

flatter,

is

taken

scorn to apologize.

We

insult.

at the style of our address,

throw into the

umbrage

point to the overweening conceit, the blustering arrogance, the audacious impiety, of not a few

leading opponents.

On

that score,

we

among our

are ready to

defend even a greater severity of language than

have chosen to employ.

what are we,

Besides,

who

we

are they, or

that, in replying to their infidelity,

we

should resort to the apologetic, or discourse in soft

words

?

We give the

vainest

and mightiest of them to

40

DOCTRINE OP DEVILS.

know, that we '

fear

them

of debate

be to meet on

it

care

we

for either '

*

the gods of the hills/ or

The arena

What

not.

the gods of the valleys

open to them, and glad

is

?

we

shall

the most defiant of Philistia's giants,

or famed of Anak's sons.

The Existence

of Satan

is

a doctrine, which

im-

its

pugners have treated with characteristic unfairness.

We

are not aware of their having, in a single instance,

attempted to controvert cule

is

Kidi-

by sober reasoning.

it

the weapon with which they have commonly

assailed

favourite

Indeed, this has, in every age, been a

it.

weapon with many of the more noted enemies,

both of Christianity in general, and of certain of distinguishing statements.

It is one,

its

however, of which

only a weak or disingenuous opponent will avail himself.

It is the artifice of a

the tenableness of

mind, either suspicious of

its position,

inability to defend

or conscious of

own

its

Eidicule disproves nothing.

it.

It affects not the merits of the point, the correctness of

the

belief,

against

which

it

is

directed:

nor exposes the

establishes the true,

it

neither

When

false.

to do

what cannot be accomplished by the employed more legitimate means of sound discussion, or rational argument principles

to bring into discredit

of Revelation,

it is

any of the

facts or

symptomatic of extreme

badness of heart.

As to the

particular doctrine in question,

a subject of mockery.

.

On

those

who

make

resort to

it

it,

not

such

41

DISBELIEVERS. a

mode

of attack reflects no honour.

expedient is

an

It

artful evasion of the point at issue.

unworthy of a candid or earnest

sists is

;

mean

It is a

It con-

inquirer.

not with a sincere desire to ascertain what really

the

fact.

It betrays opposition to a tenet,

merely

from dislike: a determination to support a theory or hypothesis, irrespective of evidence.

Shame on

those,

who can adopt such a base subterfuge; especially. on those, who profess to revere the Book, which propounds the obnoxious doctrine.

It is a serious matter,

deserves to be treated in a

spirit,

and

and a manner,

as

remote as possible from the light or the profane. Here, levity or raillery its

truth doubted,

or

is

peculiarly unbecoming.

Is

reasonableness objected to?

its

Let the grounds of doubt or objection be. stated with the utmost explicitness and force. They can then be thoroughly examined, and calmly weighed. the simple denial of

goes for nothing. all

it,

Whereas,

in ever so confident a tone,

Yain, too,

is

the

endeavour, by

the artillery of ridicule, to unsettle the convic-

tions of those,

who

are firmly persuaded,

by

attention to the language of the Document, of

its

careful

Scrip-

turalness.

The

question

Either there

is,

Some maintain

may be reduced or there

is

to a narrow compass.

not, such a being as Satan.

the negative.

Proof

is

demanded.

That they are clearly bound to produce. But proof they have none. What then ? They flatly contradict

c2

42

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

the doctrine.

Occasionally they try,

by absurd or

away the

inadmissible criticisms, to explain .

which directly intimate, or necessarily imply passages,

it is

by a

These

or speak of

affirmed, only personify evil,

sin in the abstract; while we,

passages,

it.

gross but vulgar

mistake, conceive an intelligent creature to be meant. Oftener, they attempt to bring the doctrine into disfavour,

by presenting

it

in

some ridiculous

It

light.

is

a tale of childhood, or one of the early impressions of a false education. superstitious,

it

With the weak, the gain credit

may

;

ignorant, or the

but

will

it

be

dis-

carded by minds that scorn to be misled by erroneous teaching,

have achieved their freedom from the

or

This

trammels of prejudice.

is

very

doubt, to the pride of self-esteem.

the

conceit

persuaded,

fancy

;

lest it

It

of superior illumination. it

is

only a

pleasing

and those who indulge

it

no

flattering,

may But,

cherish

we

dream, an

are idle

had better take heed,

be found, that 'the light which

is

in

them

is

darkness.'

We, on

the contrary, hold the affirmative.

are 'ready to give, to every reason' of our belief.

man

But we

that asketh us, the

The substance

of that reason

may be embodied in a single sentence, and has already The doctrine advocated, has been been indicated. Divinely revealed: attestation, it is

'Thus

it

is

certified

saith Jehovah.'

by that infallible In other words,

contained in that Volume, which purports to come

43

DISBELIEVEES.

from '< the Faithful and True Witness.

5

The

creden-

Yolume we have minutely investigated as examined, we trust impartially, much that has

of this

tials

well as

:

been written by the abler of those, whose object, whether avowed or concealed, was to disparage or .

invalidate its vouchers.

What

has been the result of

our frequent and laborious inquiries has convinced

us,

Strict scrutiny

?

and each successive repetition of the

process has deepened the conviction, of the justness of claims to a supernatural authorship.

its

It bears, in

our decided judgment, the manifest seal of Inspiration

:

exhibits, in every page, the unmistakable signature of

a Divine hand.

It consists, unquestionably, of a series

of utterances from the rectly from the

Throne

Invisible,

:

communications di-

and of which Prophets and

Apostles were only the vocal organs, or commissioned heralds.

Perfectly satisfied in regard to the heavenly origin of

Word, we

the all

be pure

no

fact

;

or teach

are equally sure, that

truth.

contents must

its

As Omniscience can be

so neither can Veracity declare

what

is

erroneous.

Not more

that, in nature, darkness cannot issue

ignorant of

what

certain are we,

from the fountain

from Him,

of light, than that deception cannot proceed

who

is

truth.'

both

'

a Grod of knowledge/ and

He knows

Hence, whatever His the

announcement

all

things,

lips utter,

and

is false,

He

'

a

must be absolute

corresponding

God

of

'cannot lie/

exactly

verity;

with the

44

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

Now, among

reality.

the Kevelations of His Word, the

Existence of Satan has been assigned a place.

It

is

introduced, not once, but often; not in equivocal or enigmatical, but in explicit phrase

;

not in the style of

figure or metaphor, but in that of simple narrative.

We We

take the statements as they occur in the Eecord.

adopt such methods of determining their import, as

are sanctioned

by

universal approval.

We

apply the

same laws of Exegesis, which are used in other

and apply them

in the

cases

j

We interpret the

same manner.

expressions according to their plain, grammatical construction, the

understood acceptation of the terms, and

the peculiar idiom of the language; ~ Conformably to these ruleiyli' exP siti n? * ne P as sages which discourse of Sa^^fmust be considered as

speaking of a rational being.

The scheme

meneutics, which favours the opposite view,

know by what us

it

appears radically unsound: indeed, so

tion, the proposal of

credible.

To

it

its

false,

To so

actual adop-

might have been thought in-

explain the passages referred to, as some

on doing, of a mere

a creation of the fancy

impious

scarcely

terms of reprobation to characterize.

extravagantly licentious, that, but for

insist

we

of Her-

trifling,

befool alike those

:

abstraction, a personification,

what

is this

but to be guilty of

or wretched sophistry?

who

It

propose, and those who

such constrained or perverted comments.

It

were to receive,

were to

to the torture, in order to extort, subject Scripture

by

45

DISBELIEVERS.

the operation of violence, a meaning different from, or

contrary to, that which,

by

be extracted.

tioning, could

and legitimate ques-

fair

It savours of the very-

essence of blasphemy.

Yet, such are the desperate

shifts,

the dishonest ex-

which 'men of corrupt minds' not seldom

pedients, to

have recourse, in their anxiety to get rid of an unpalatable truth, or with a view to support a favourite theory

We

or opinion.

call

upon such

to act a

more manly

and consistent

part. Try not to disguise, under pretexts too flimsy to deceive any but imbeciles, your un-

Be bold

feigned sentiments.

Make common

the Bible.

in his antipathy, rance,

prejudice,

Scouting the idea of

nounces

it

hostility to

its

openly rejects

Holy

inspiration, he pro-

the composition of fallible or erratic genius

a congeries of effusions, often mistaken little

avow your

an antipathy springing from igno-

and fostered by

Writ.

a

to

cause with the Deist, who,

that

is

men

:

a Volume, which blends, with not

puerile or unsound,

much

that

is

sage or

wholesome; and which, though worthy of perusal its

judicious maxims, or curious and antique lore, has

better claim than the Shaster or the

regarded

as Divine.

:

by well-meaning, perhaps, but

If,

Khoran

for

no

to be

on the other hand, you pre-

tend to venerate Scripture as the treasury of saving

knowledge,

as

comprising, 'not what man's wisdom

teacheth, but

what the Holy Ghost teacheth:' then

we

to

ask vou

embrace, without omission, without

46

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

modification, without reservation, whatever doctrines

it

promulgates.

We prefer

Which horn do you fasten on it, or we

give you the alternative. ?

Make your

choice

:

declare

you the charge of cowardice and duplicity.

you repudiate the Divinity at

except, though

of the Bible

Either, say

in which case,

:

your peril, to those of

that coincide not with your vain conceits.

sing to revere faith,

it as

'

of

God/

statements

its

Or, profes-

accept, with the implicit

and the reverent submission, due to the Holy

Oracle, all its

disclosures;

them

interpreting

in the

sense which they obviously bear, and which the custo-

mary

require. is

and ascertained

use,

The demand seems

tinctly the

reasonable

Do you demur?

imperative.

grounds of objection.

on the score of

:

the obligation State

Why?

dis-

You are not at liberty

either to reject, or qualify, a single

representation,

of language

construction,

announcement or

dislike

;

or,

because of

repugnance to pre-conceived notions, or peculiar This we hold to be an indisputable point partialities. its

;

a principle, as evident as any axiom,

We press

it

upon

your attention. We ask your assent, and we shall have and not humour or prejudice, is to guide it, if reason, If

your judgment. us to hear. believe.

or

may

less,

Some

Jehovah has spoken,

What He

declares,

of His utterances

we

are

it

is

bound

for

to

be

disrelished,

clash with our cherished opinions.

Neverthe-

acquiescence

is

may

ours: in no instance, and on no

DISBELIEVERS.

we

pretence, are

47

permitted to withhold our implicit

and hearty credence.

You

Perhaps, you think otherwise. imagine, to carp

and choose

No

We maintain,

sion.

Book

the

of God, as

erring mortal

one of

its

right to

lie/

one,

no eva-

are not authorized to deal with

you

you may do with the work of an

you suppose you have a

title,

demand.

Where

find

you the

where

that,

may

is

the

we have

a

least intimation

Ah! you deceive yourselves: you 'believe a The averments of the Word all come from the so that

No

in whole.

you must

Though not

assent, or object, to

license is granted

and refuse another, of the

tion.

all

you

discoveries of Kevela-

equally important, they are

are parts of the same scheme

;

each necessary to

perfectness, each holding the place which

signed

much

it.

We

sorrow,

to embrace

all

All are confirmed by the same testimony

equally true. all

we

not authorized to discard or modify any

:

same mouth;

them

no sophistry

quibbling

That you are bound to give:

proof?

you

Here,

sayings,' as reason, or fancy, or taste,

If

suggest.

of it?

'

at pleasure.

"We challenge you to produce

join issue with you.

your warrant.

are entitled,

tell

that, if

of the Eecord,

you with

you and receive

all

Wisdom

:

its

as-

plainness, yet with

subscribe to the Inspiration it

not in the entireness of

its

and according to the manifest import of its you act more inconsistently than the Deist, who

doctrines,

terms

;

avows

his persuasion of its earthly origin.

You

feign

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

48

regard for Sacred Scripture, yet 'do despite to the of

Spirit

grace,

by

rejecting,

or

explaining

away,

such portions of His testimony as offend your pride thus superadding, to

horrid

the

impiety,

guilt

:

of

hypocrisy.

As

to the particular tenet in question,

we

submit, to

the consideration of the sceptical, the following queries.

Allowing a Divine Existence, do you believe Him to be a Spirit ? If so, do you deem it incredible, that He has created an order, or

Does and

it

orders,

of immaterial natures

not appear, a priori, more probable, that a pure

infinite Intelligence

would be the Father, rather of

simple intelligences like Himself, than of creatures such as

we

are

By

?

Angels,

rational beings without corporeal parts.

such unembodied beings,

is

compound

we understand That there are

a proposition, which none

should deny, because none can disprove

it.

Reason

confesses her inability to discover their Existence

neither does she warrant incredulity or disbelief.

existence

we

and

;

but

Their

are enabled to assert on other evidence

;

we

account superior, at once more

satisfactory,

THE INFALLIBLE AUTHORITY

evidence, too, which direct

?

OF THE WORD. Granting the creation of Angels,

them be

evil ?

may

not some of

While the vast majority have ' kept

their

may not a minority, comparatively small, have fallen ? Originally yet actually large, holy, may first estate,'

not the latter have become depraved

;

spoiled,

by some

DISBELIEVERS.

49

melancholy but unexplained departure from rectitude, of trait of

every

the image, which once constituted both

their honour and their

in mental power,

may

;

them, in the beauty of unsullied

they not have acted very differently ?

Capable of retaining,

may

their primordial integrity

pily lapsed their is

and

;

their Brethren

and partaking of the same moral

qualities, shining, like

excellence

Equal to

bliss ?

thus,

by

they not have criminally lost, :

able to stand, have unhap-

their

immortal inheritance ?

own deed, have forfeited '

Yielding to

expressly affirmed to have been

(

pride/ which

the condemnation of

the Devil,' might they not have opposed the will of their

Maker, and thus contracting

guilt,

have been deposed

To

maintain the con-

from their thrones of glory? trary,

Or,

it

were to allege their constitutional

impeccability.

were to charge God with unrighteousness, in not

preventing the possibility of their sinning

;

or in not

establishing them, unchangeably, in a state of unblotted

Like man, they enjoyed a perfect freedom

innocence. of will,

the indispensable privilege of a moral and ac-

countable agent

they

inherit

;

but, like him, abusing that freedom,

shame, the meet recompense

of

diso-

bedience.

What was

the peculiar temptation of those primitive

apostates: how

of

it

sin

was conceived, or the

arose, in their hearts

expression tive deeds,

;

in

what

it first

:

in

what/ora

particular

manifested

D

it

first

motion

found actual

mode, or by what posi-

itself:

when they swerved

50

DOCTRINE OF DEVILS.

how

from their pristine uprightness, creation, or before the

long after their

Adamic period: whether they

revolted all at once, in virtue of some trial to which, as

the test of principle, they were contemporaneously subjected

;

or in succession, and as the consequence of re-

peated failures

:

whether each

fell

of himself, indepen-

dently of any malign influence from without

some

or

;

were permitted to be tempters and seducers of others these are inscrutable mysteries.

knowledge

of which, however

it

They

:

are matters, the

might gratify

curiosity,

could minister no solid benefit, or contribute aught calculated either to instruct or improve.

them no information has been given

;

Eespecting

ancl } therefore, to

speculate or conjecture were alike unprofitable and pre-

sumptuous.

We

speak, not of the time, or the manner,

or the means, but merely of the fact. clearly revealed, that while

We hold it to

some remained

have been confirmed in holiness and

stedfast,

felicitv,

*

be

and

others

.-

proved disobedient, and are 'reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great

day/

The

questions proposed,

our opponents.

We

sideration of them.

we

entreat their calm

We

do

they relate not to points of idle

press on the reflection of

'

it

and serious con-

the more earnestly, as

doubtful disputation,' or of

though amusing theory, which may engage the

contemplations of the ingenious or the inquisitive.

On

the contrary, they involve matters of practical interest;

DISBELIEVERS.

51

subjects that have a direct and an important bearing, in

ways and to a degree not imagined, both on their present and their future well-being. All the motives, in short, that can

be supposed to influence a reasonable

creature, desirous to ascertain the nature, or the evi-

dence, of any article to be admitted into his creed, conspire to

urge to the careful examination, the patient and

dispassionate canvassing, of the topic under review.

IBiafcoUcal

PART SECOND.

CHAPTER

OUR

I.

remarks, in the discussion of the preceding Part,

bore chiefly on the EXISTENCE of Evil Spirits in general,

and of one of

number, named Satan, in par-

know and

It concerns us, however, to

ticular.

sider,

their

con-

not only that such sinful creatures, immaterial,

and, therefore, to us invisible, exist;

but that they

possess

an INFLUENCE very powerful and

To

second point,

this

The two, though

we now proceed

deleterious.

briefly to advert.

intimately related, are quite distinct,

and admit of separate examination. Let us premise, that it is not our design to attempt a laboured dissertation, or to canvass the subject at length,

and under

marks on

its

several aspects.

this head, as well as

pear somewhat loose and general,

The

object

is,

Hence, our re-

on the former, may apif

not

superficial.

rather to direct attention to the question,

than fully and formally to discuss

it.

Believing

it

to

be one which merits a large share of regard, while

56

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

many

are too prone practically to

others treat

deemed

it

overlook

with scepticism or ridicule,

it,

and

we have 1

proper to bring

it

it

under review.

Only

s'^"

"",

plain reflections, or admonitory counsels are offered, &s

a cursory glance seems

fitted to suggest.

More we did

not propose to ourselves, nor will much more be thought

With

necessary.

The EEALITY

may be

contemplated in two

or purely spiritual ture,

us consider

this intention, let

of Diabolical Agency.

:

This Agency

It is partly Moral,

lights.

exerted directly on the rational na-

through the force of representations or persuasives. exerted on the body either imof outward influences, or matemeans by To the that affect its state and comfort.

It is partly Physical

:

mediately, or rial causes,

former of these topics bearing

Diabolical

Agency in its MORAL

our observations, in this

Let

restricted.

Scriptural proof,

us, its

then,

Chapter, shall be

attempt to

establish,

by

EEALITY.

This Moral Agency the

Supreme Ruler, in His

adorable sovereignty, permits Satan, for wise though

mysterious purposes, to exercise.

sented as

'

Hence, he

is

repre-

going to and fro in the earth, and walking

up and down

in it:' language,

which intimates at once

the restlessness of his activity, the celerity of his move-

ments, and the amplitude of his range, as co-extensive

with the diffusion of humanity. testimony,

it

According to inspired was he who, in the form of a serpent, or

entering into one of those reptiles,

and speaking through

REALITY.

its

It

mouth, seduced our

first

57

mother into disobedience.

was he who, on one memorable occasion,

David to number

Israel

:'

a procedure,

'

provoked

by which,

to the

joy no doubt of the Tempter, he incurred the Divine displeasure, the visitation of which,

by pestilence, caused

the swift destruction of 'seventy thousand' of his sub-

was he who, envious of the prosperity of Job, and desirous to harass and distress, if he could not ruin, It

jects.

that eminent saint, sole of his foot

The

'

smote him with sore boils from the

unto his crown.'

fact of the

Agency of Satan

is

also taught, in .;

the clearest manner,

by

the Evangelists.

It is asserted

in the narrative of our Lord's temptation in the wilderIt is intimated in the accounts of the various

ness.

cases of possession, in

which

first

Jesus,

and afterwards

His apostles, put forth a miraculous power to heal. is

It

affirmed in the following address of our Saviour to

'Ye

the unbelieving Jews:

and the

Devil,

of your father the

are

your father ye will do

lusts of

he was

:

a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is

speaketh a

lie,

and the father of it.' disciple declares:

Devil this

;

his

own

To the same

'He

When he

no truth in him.

he speaketh of

:

for

he

liar,

purport, the beloved

that committeth sin

for the Devil sinneth

a

is

is

of the

from the beginning.

purpose was the Son of

God

manifested, that

might destroy the works of the Devil.' Ephesians, too, the Apostle Paul says:

For

He

Writing to the

'We

wrestle

58

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

not against

and blood, but against

flesh

Principalities,

against Powers, against the Rulers of the darkness

of this world, against Spiritual Wickedness in high places.'

In the Old Testament we read, that the Prophet Zechariah,

when shown Joshua the high

priest standing

before the Angel of the Lord, beheld Satan standing

hand to

at his right

unto Satan, The Apocalypse, he

resist

him.

LORD rebuke

is

And

thee,

the

LORD

said

In the

Satan.'

introduced as the chief, though un-

seen, actor in those scenes of iniquity, those

schemes of

persecuting violence, in virtue of which were poured

out such vials of terror on 'the children of disobe-

In the wondrous visions

dience/

and

revelations

granted to the favoured exile of Patmos, he was beheld as

{

coming down, having great wrath, knowing that he

had but a short time :'

as

'

bound a thousand years, and

cast into the bottomless pit:' as again 'loosed out of his prison,

and going out

'

:'

as at

with the- Beast and the False Prophet,

last consigned,

to

to deceive the nations

the lake of

fire

and brimstone, and there tormented

day and night for ever and ever.' In Scripture, geneof God and rally, he is spoken of as the prime enemy man,

'full of all subtilty,'

and the

instigator to 'all

mischief:'

ever seeking to deceive and to destroy,

whether in

his undisguised character as the

devils,'

or as

'

transformed into an angel of

'

Prince of

light.'

In the passages quoted or alluded to, and in

numerous

REALITY.

59

others of equivalent import, a certain

duced

and

and to him are imputed

;

actions,

any

attributes, intentions,

intelligible or consistent

and try if> you can extract from

separately,

excluding the idea of personality, it

is intro-

which are proper and peculiar to a moral

Examine each passage

agent.

Being

meaning

:

rather

if,

at

least in

the great majority of instances, the sentences

are not

reduced to mere

inanities, so

many specimens The exercise is not

of the veriest jargon or babbling.

or laborious.

difficult

conviction to some,

It

may be

who have

profitable,

by carrying

hitherto paid but

little

and whose minds are apt to be Nor need perverted by the sophistries of the heretical. it be tedious, as a few selected cases may suffice. attention to the subject,

Take, asked,

first,

the Temptation in the wilderness.

Where was the scene ? How was the assault made ?

What was

the motive, or the

Adversary

?

They

To

object,

or the hope, of the

such inquiries, our answer

is

silence.

are matters of curiosity, which have not the re-

motest bearing on our present subject. question

is,

How

we

The only

interpret the Evangelical

personification;

conceive

of

a

or an abstraction, instead of a living being:

quality,

what absurdity, involve

shall

Admit a

account?

!

if

not blasphemy, does the supposition

That the Tempter cannot denote the

of either Gentile or fact,

Is it

that

Jewish powers,

our Lord was

alone.

is

hostility

evident from the

Neither can the

Tempter be understood of Sin, or the principle of Evil ;

V,

60

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

whom

in

for,

could

have subsisted but Himself?

it

Abhorred be the blasphemous thought, of corruption * or inhering and rankling, though but for forty days/ of a gaining even a momentary lodgement, in the breast

Being who was, emphatically and absolutely, 'the Holy 7 and the Just One: in other words, that the conflict

was

While both hypotheses are untenable,

internal.

equally objectionable

is

the theory of a visionary scene,

a fanciful representation, a pictorial drawing of the

We take

imagination. acceptation,

the expressions in their

relating a veal transaction,

as

It is the strife

contest.

of mighty

the other incarnate

latter impeccable

the

Son

the case

'

of Glod is

;

that the

;

considered in

Head

the

of the rebellious, this

all its particulars,

consummate

dexterity, of the assailant, in

;

the one

:

the former unholy, the

in the likeness of man.'

to be struck at the

an actual

belligerents

resolute encounter of two lofty Intelligences invisible,

literal

Nor, when can

we

fail

matchless ability, the

accommodating

his

temp-

tations so adroitly to the circumstances of the Assailed.

Such

is

tive.

No

the obvious and natural view of the narraother

Hermeneutics

:

warranted by the laws of Sacred

is

nor,

have been sought

we may be

for,

sure,

would another

but from the desire to evade an

unacceptable conclusion.

Next, an Evangelist

relates, that

when

the Seventy,

returning from a missionary tour, reported, with much elation of spirit, their unexpected success in expelling

REALITY. .Jesu$

Joyous event,

'I Beheld jSatan,

sai4,

from heaven/

fall

He

declared, as one grand result of thaj;

figure of being 'lifted up:'

wor!4 be cast out/

He

foreto{4

'Now

Him,

under the

shall the

Prjnce of

Again, in the near prospect of

another encounter with the archfiend, to assault

as ligl$ning,

Afterwards, referring $o the s,ame

approaching crucifixion, which

thjs

6}.

who was about

not, as in the wilderness, with the wiles

of the serpent, but with the fury of the lion,

npt under

:

the guise of a friend, but with the violence of a raging foe:

He

pre-intimated,

'The Prince of

Cometh, and hath nothing in

me/

this

world

Once more, towards when promising

the close of His valedictory address,

the Paraclete, whose agency should soon be so signally displayed in delivering

'

the captives of the Terrible

One;' the Saviour announced, for the comfort of His

The Prince of

sorrowing discjples?

this

world

is

judged/ That, in

all th.ese

instances, the idea of a perspnifica-

It tipn is inadmissible, we presume to be manifest, would represent the Speaker as adopting, intentionally^ a, style unintelligible to those whom He was addressing ; a,nc|. ,as

uttering a sentiment, widely different from that

whiclji

.His

languag e was

understop4? to convey.

fitted,

and must have been

Hardly could the hearers have

Avoided misapprehending 5is meaning, while, contrary i;p

His usual

practice,

He added

not a word, dropped

not a hin& tp correct or prevent their mistake.

E

On

62

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

each of the three last occasions, our Lord employed an

'The Prince of

expression peculiar to Himself, world.'

We

this

submit whether the reader, whose mind

was under no particular perverted by some

bias, or

sinister,

whose views were not

predisposing influence^ would

construe this expression conformably to the theory reject.

Would he

not take

to signify,

it.

what

it

we

seems

a wicked but potent Spirit plainly to import,

?

Whether

considered separately, or in

it

will bear

its

no other sense than that of a

connection,

great, living Intelligence,

exercising an unholy

possessed of high dominion, or

sovereignty

a dominion, a sovereignty, justifying the

:

appropriateness of the description,

and which, whatever

be some of its

means or

characteristics,

its interferences or aims,

is

its

principles,

alike malignant in nature,

vigorous in activity, and fearful in extent.

we read of Satan '

Further,

entering into Judas,' and

of his 'filling the heart of Ananias.'

The former he

prompted, by stimulating his covetousness, to betray his

Master

:

the latter, by working on his avarice and

hypocrisy, to all

'

He unto the Holy

Grhost.'

But, waving

consideration of the manner of the temptation, which

can only be matter of probable conjecture,

we are

led to

conceive of a depraved, moral agent, mysteriously yet to evil. actually, instigating

were

clearly to twist

process of straining, expressions.

Thus,

To repudiate such an idea,

and wrest, by a most reprehensible the natural construction also,

we

of the

interpret the declaration

63

REALITY,

Paul to -the Thessaloiiians

of

'We would

:

have come

unto you once and again, but Satan hindered

The same remark

us.'

with equal force, to such applies, '

Scriptures as these.

The God

Satan under your feet shortly

of peace .shall bruise

' :

suggesting, unquestion-

ably, the notion of a powerful and malicious foe, crafty

and busy in inflicting mischief, but whose should be frustrated, and his hopes finally dis-

in scheming, efforts

What

appointed.

but a very forced and far-

other

fetched sense can be put upon the Apostolical declaration respecting the purpose of the Incarnation

of

its

great ends

is

asserted to have been,

death, Christ might destroy

death, that

is,

the

DEVIL

HIM

counteract the designs

One

That through

had the power of

not annihilate his being, but.

from

his vassalage,

and workings of

and

his enmity.

but a dreamer, unfit to be reasoned with, could

talk of figure or

As it

?

' :

abridge his dominion, deliver

Who

that

'

little

can

metaphor here

we

?

sanction the Exposition, which adopts

in this other inspired statement of the same Writer.

'Having spoiled PRINCIPALITIES and POWERS, and

made it

:'

a

in

show of them openly, triumphing over them in either on the cross, or in Himself. How IT,

unwarrantable the assumption of poetic license, or of an imaginative

plain narration as

what bears so evidently to be a Such the rules of language; as well

flight, in !

the concordant voices of both the Hebrew and

Christian Oracles, require us to view

it.

Consistently

,

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

64

With the principles usually applied to

we

of any Author, but, in

its results,

regard

glorious reality

:

an awful,

the announcement

though

mighty,

invisible,

Potentates of a superior order to those

antagonists,

Adamic descent: intimating the

of

the meaning

as descriptive of

it

of a signal victory over

elicit

the conflict,

so

terrible

the saying, 'This

of

yet decisive, alluded to in

your hour, and

is

issue

final

the powe'ir

of

darkness'

Then, permission,

it

would seem, being granted them

for a season to do their worst, apostate angels, marshalle'd

under Apollyon, attacked, with the energy of desperation, ii:

and when,

there appeared the possibility,

if ever,

not likelihood, of success, the

Jul' Sufferer

;

*

5

amazed and ' sorrow-

intensifying the horrors of th& Agoity,

and adding one of

its bitterest

ingredients to His cup

Incarnate Innocence triumphs, and the

of anguish.

sons of pride are humiliated: theirs

is

the torturing

perplexity, the sore mortification, of repulse, and defeat,

and

disgrace.

years,

Now,

thousand

after the lapse of four

and by evidence

as irrefragable as the

manner

was wonderful, or the circumstances strange, the Divine veracity is attested ; and that first prophecy, in phrase so enigmatic, yet in import so rich and cheering, meets fulfilment to the joy of a jubilant universe

of the

Seed of the

the Serpent

Again,

is

Woman

is

'

The

:

bruised, but the

its

heel

head of

broken.'

it is written,

<

The

angels

who

kejit

ndt

tor

00

REALITY. first

but

estate,

left their

own

habitation,

He

hath re-

served in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the

judgment of the great day.' Such is the statement of Jude and very similar, and of exactly the same import, ;

are the terms in which Peter announces that terrible

whom do

catastrophe. ..Now, of

To

men speak? accountable

by the

creatures,

:

and

appellation,. 'Angels,'

Sin and sinners are cor-

looks like repeating a truism. relates

these two inspired pen-

say that each refers to moral

they are separable neither in fact nor in con-

The former

ception.

implies or presupposes the latter,

as necessarily as the solar

or heat that of a

beam

the presence of the sun,

body emitting

caloric.

As

can have, no independent existence.

It has,

and

a simple ab-

straction, therefore, or an isolated quality,, it neither ,

could' have entered heaven,

from that residence sons ;

whom,

the Creator

'

.of

nor have been expelled

purity.

It

was the act of per-

like the primogenitor of

our inferior race,

made upright/ but who,

like him,

proving

disobedient, were driven forth from the association of

the holy, as he, on his criminal the bowers of Paradise.

fall,

was turned out of

In an exchange of the abodes

of bliss for realms of perdition.^ the former received

the just recompense of their rebellion:

Mercy interposed

for the recovery of lost

not hold of angels apostates

is

;'

and, whereas

man,

it

'took

so that the punishment of these

of interminable duration.

In the righteous

retributions of the Sovereign Ruler, they are reserved^n

JB2

6$

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

' f:

>-

'

dobiiied to

everlasting chains/

the veng'eanc'e

s'uffer

-

of eternal fire/

In the verse cited from the sixth chapter 6f

two

Epistle to the Ephesians, Paul evidently speaks of

,

*

f

saints

The one

class

nave t6

he

styles

'

s

'

'C

flesh

whom

with

distinct classes of opponents,

maintain an arduous struggle.

this

'

<

-{

and blood/

This

a phrase of repeated occur-

is

rence in Scripture, and allowed to be synonymous With

mankind.

it

Here, therefore,

iriust

be construed

human

descriptive of adversaries of the

order ; or tne

and hatred which the pious experience

resistance

partakers of their as distinguished

own

nature.

The

al

;

froin

other class of foes,

from these, and of a superior and more

formidable grade, the Apostle designates 'Principalities,

Powers, Rulers of the darkness df this world, Spiritual

Who

Wickednesses/

ungodly among men to the lovers of

No

noiihe^sS ?

ihem with the witn

whom

"the 'two

of

Personifications

kinds and degrees of hostility, offered by

"ike" various "iiie

are they?

;

whom

former, from

they are contrasted..

members of the

tmt nonsensical.

and

Wh6

As undeniable

'that

they are severed, aiid It

would thus

f^rider

sentence, n6t only tautological, is it,

not piersonificatidns epithets are depravity.

iirtith

such an interpretation would ide'ntify

that the several

of the principle

studied 'propriety of

o'f J

sp'eecli,

6r

!

wished to be understood, would So di sco'urse

Hb'r

lean

we

purpose to

Relieve

s'erve,

tha!t

ati^,

kid whb

Mi

;

^avfe

those

who

'of

1^?

Md

:

k

j

REALITY.

7

would have suggested an Explanation so impro-

eulted,

bable, a solution so ridiculously absurd.

What, '

The

too, shall

we make

I)evil sinneth

of the expression of JoKty

from the beginning ?

nearly parallel expression of our Lord,

"

'

What of the

The Devil was

k murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the

Will

"truth?* 'figurative

it

be gravely maintained, that these are

forms of diction, merely affirming the anti-

quity, or the long continuance of the evil nature

Are they but

.baneful workings, of Sin ? asserting, that

from the early date indicated by 'the all

beginning,' through

the intervening duratibnj Silf

has been, and has done, what to

"the

One representation,

*upt principle has, from

it

in the truth.'

ipeakieth of

own

is

Binj

its

;

for it

.as

an :

a

of

its

been constantly cbr-

has been 'a murderer,

liatj

it

speaketh a

lie,

&

and the father .of it/

from -My

rational agent,

self-generatibh, has

'fiiur&erfng, 'lying, 'consistently

it

j^ccbrding

sinned ;' of, the cbr-

'abstract quality or thing, begat itself,- and,

moment

'Gomment

it

stated?

When

is

'alleged, that, disassociated

from, the

''

its origin,

lad abode not

ft

is

has

Agreeably to the other,

Tiipt.

and

other Ways o

is

superflubus 4

with

What

been mnfaihy,

its 'truthlWs nattir'e?

piie'rilities

!

And

was

an inspired Write!' wno inditSd the fornler ; and the

Great Teacher Himself, Hfe who T spake as never 'man Ipake/ the Wisdom of God,

To

the 'sdn of Jdha

d^sire'd to

btir

have thee^ that

who

;

littered the -latter ?

Lbrd once ^he

may

'

said*,

&ift -Ihee

as 'W

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

68

Of

who accused him

the malignants,

sion with Beelzebub,

of being in collu-

'How

asked,

can Satan cast

If Satan be divided against himself,

out Satan? shall his

He

kingdom stand?'

nates his thorn in the

flesh,

how

The Apostle Paul denomi'the messenger of Satan to

Alluding to his Divine commission to the he represents their conversion as a .being

buffet him.' Grentiles, *

turned from the power of Satan unto God.

had made shipwreck/ he

says,

unto Satan, that they

may how women Shbwing young

'whom

faith

I have delivered

learn not to blaspheme/ '

to avoid

giving occasion

to the adversary to speak reproachfully.,' '

.Speaking

and Alexander, who 'concerning

of JETymeneus

he remarks,

some are already turned aside after Satan' Eeferring member who had been guilty of incest, he com-

to the

manded the

Corinthians immediately, and with

solemnity, to

'

all

due

deliver such an one unto Satan, for the

destruction of the

flesh.'.

Again, when enjoining his

restoration to their fellowship

enforces his -recommendation

and brotherly

by

this

Satan should get an advantage of

love,

argument,

he

'Lest

Prescribing to

us.'

certain parties their mutual duties, he urges attention .to

them by the following consideration,' That Satan

.tempt

you not

We read

of

for '

your incontineney.'

the synagogue of Satan

of 'the seat of

;'

Satan,;' of 'the working of Satan;' of the devices, the wiles, ike' snares, the depths, of Satan, A

beguiling through

his subtilty;' of his

We

read of his

'

walking about,

REALITY.

seeking

whom

he may devour

captive &t his will/ bceurren'c'S

iii

;"'

9 of his

*

siririers

taking

Stfch phraseology

is

of constant

the Inspired Canon^ pervading^ in similar

variety arid distinctness^

Both Testaments.

It naturally

suggests the idea of a Being consummately wicked} y^t

pre-eminently crafty,

and powerful;

active,

against

whbse deceit and violence, therefore, we are so repeatedly put on our guard, and so well provided with the appropriate armour.

Indeed^ so plainly does this

seem to be taught, that we Cannot conceive of its' having been ever doubted of controverted} but for the

idea

jpride

deserves notice, too, as a consideration

weight,

is,

of no

littlS

that the sacred penmen, in their whole line

of succession;,

were perfectly aware, that such was the

idea universally entertained

they communicated

by the

people, td

their Divine instructions:

that appeared so evidently intimated of

What

of reason, or the exigencies of system.

by

whom

an

those instructions, that an unsophisticated

could. hardly avoid adopting

now

After the mariner

idea^

the language'

mind

it.

pursued,

we might examine

each in the long catalogue of passages froin Moses t fohri y in

which Satan, under any of his distinctive

frames, is meritibried;

That, in

intended, might be shown,

it is

all

of them, a person

is

presumed, to the satis-

warped and swayed by We do not say> that iri rid

faction of every reader not

invincible prepossessions. single instance can

an expression be interpreted;

iiitel-

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

70

or plausibly,

ligibly

nowhere, we

words, or the sense

on a

different principle.

But,

is

such the obvious import of the

.that

would most readily occur to an

are sure,

unprejudiced inquirer.

what were two or three

Besides, supposing the opposite, instances, capable of being so

explained, to the thousand, in which another than the

received construction would be, in some very unnatural, in most manifestly absurd?

The theory

of a prosopopeia, then, or personification

:

in other words, the notion, not of an Intelligence, but

of a principle or an abstraction, .we hold to be a wild

and dangerous

who adopt It

is

it,

conceit.

It

seems to argue, in those

an extreme of fatuousness or of impiety,

the product of a criticism, which spurns the re-

straints of sobriety or law.;

a criticism which, in

its

capriciousness, scruples not to violate all exegetieal rule ;

a criticism so arbitrary, so licentious, as to merit the utmost severity of rebuke.

Yet,

its

advocates are

of candour, of reason, of enlightenment

!

of pretension, or so bold in dogmatism ?

they disabuse

us,

and vain

beliefs

dreaming

fancies,

errorists,

and indoctrinate us into

they seem, and even condescendingly us,, fit

as

and

so full

Fain would

of our exploded

sounder and more philosophical creed.

no doubt

Who

men

their

Desirous do

officious, to

school

their peculiar qualifications eminently

entitle them, into a practical acquaintance

with

the elements of a better, a more judicious and consistent,

system of Exposition.

EEALITY.

71

'"~~'~\

The Scheme of

which we are asked

Interpretation,

^

.

embrace, recommends not

to

We have looked Each

care.

at

it,

and

our adoption.

itself to

into

it,

repeatedly and with

successive inspection has led us the

decidedly to oppose and repudiate equally of the false in sentiment,

it,

as

more

savouring

and the ungodly in

It tends, as well as aims, to divest, of point or

spirit.

no small portion of Holy Writ. It renders enigmatical or obscure, what seemed plain and manifest

significance,

'

the clearest annunciation.

as

instructed teachers parables, or riddles. into

'

dark sayings

;'

into

It

putters

degrades Divinelyforth

of myths,

It turns the Oracles of

or

Wisdom

utterances of as hidden a sense, as

dubious a construction, as the responses of Delphian notoriety.

How,

is it

credible, that the 'holy

spake as they were

of old,

who

moved by the Holy Ghost/

clothed their announcements to veil,

men

so

in a garb- of mysticism, as

from the common understanding, the truths

which. they were commissioned to promulgate?

Are

\ve to suppose, that the phraseology of the Bible has

been framed on a principle too strange to be thought of,

or.

too recondite to be apprehended,

by the un-

learned or the simple, whose benefit, no less than that

more erudite or profound, was contemplated by Shall credence be given to the Blessed Author?

of the its

irreverent fiction

insinuation

or

averment,

the

extravagant

of a graceless fancy/ that the style of Prophets

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

73

anut

ae.cpmmpd,a.1;ed to prgyailing, ;

and that

Can

not Designed, to mislead ?

mis-;

such as is calculat.ed, if

it is

it be.

that the Volume,

which professes to 'show the way of salvation/ and

whose contents

it

so concerns

to know, has hitherto

all

been, to the vast majority of humble and serious readers,

Book

so far at least, as a

language of certain of

and sealed

closed

its declarations,

that the

:

touching points

of deep moment, though apparently of easy import, vulgarly imsapprehended,^.not

and

cal:

of

that, for the

we

it,

key

literal,

to the right interpretation

are indebted to

modern

To what

ihat

may be

invite critical, but if

honest,

Divine Truth, like the

never loses by the testing process.

native beauty,

its

we

Indeed, the more rigorous,

$ie examination, the better. ore,

German

?

has been advanced,

candid, attention.

pure

the

ingenuity,

learned research of Anglican Spcinianism anil

Rationalism

and

its

Nay,

worthiness of acceptation,

perceived and appreciated, careful jstudy

The more

peeked.

is

but metaphprir

sifting

the inquiry tp which

is

it is

subjected, whether as a 6oc?y, or complete systenij or in ,a,ny

of

its

detached portions, foe stronger will

eonyictipn produceid of

its

]b.e

the

value and excellence :

it?

accordance with fac^ with reason,

This remark

wi|;h the relatipns of

is applicable,

doctrine under Consideration*

in

its full

To

fo^e, to

establish

it,

the

BEAUTY.

73

induction of particulars, or 'the collection of Scriptures submitted,

may

suffice.

Taken

in the customary sense

of the words, these passages are so

mations of

Easy were

it.

it

many

explicit affir-

greatly to extend the

work of supererwhat has been adduced must be amply

corroborative proof; but this seems a rogation, as

sufficient to operate, or to strengthen, belief in

sophisticated mind.

maintained

is

an un-

In our apprehension, the position

impregnable

;

and

futile

has been the toil

expended, useless every weapon fabricated, to weaken or overthrow

it.

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

CHAPTER JJralitg.

IJfesttHl

H.

|ntaie,

HITHERTO, our remarks have been confined to the

MOBAL Agency the soul.

of Evil Spirits, or their influence

Its Reality

by Divine testimony

we have endeavoured

in other words, to prove,

:

tation of the terms, they teach

were to violate

the laws of interpretation. sense far from obvious

were to

it

as plainly

as it is

To

explain them otherthe proprieties of language, and

capable of being enunciated.

It

is

Understood in the received accep-

actually exerted.

sound.

by a

such an Agency

series of Scripture references, that

wise,

upon

to confirm

It

were to

aifix to

them a

a meaning too ingenious to be

set aside the

common

rules of con-

struction, in order to give scope to the revellings of a

fancy, that can be reined neither

by the

system, nor the dictates of piety.

And wherefore

so overstrained?

Exegesis so unnatural,

By

scheme of Exposition, to get rid of a truth the carnal mind

:

and the more that

Book, whose authority cations are perverted.

is

restraints of

it is

an

such a

distasteful to

contained in a

disowned, or whose communi-

75

BEALITY.

we

Is it conceivable,

of so

many

parts

;

ask, that

a Volume, consisting

penned by such a number of

writers,

differing widely in genius, in station, in pursuit

extending,

from

its

introductory to

its

Agency ?

The

indeed, were contemporaries, so

was

it

was

principle, advocated by modern dis-

believers in Satanic

collusion

and

closing pages,

over a period of about twelve centuries: that

composed on the

;

practicable.

living in successive

last eight

penmen,

in their case,

that,

But most of the

others,

ages, had, with but a very

few

exceptions, no opportunities of personal intercourse or mutual consultation. Is it credible, then, that they

should, whether undesignedly or from purpose, have all

adopted, in relation to one point, a style not calculated, fail,

only

but which they must have known could not

to mislead?

Their language

is

precisely such as

would have been employed, had they been discoursing of an intelligent being or beings: yet, we are told, it is

descriptive of

an abstract thing or

quality,

some-

times of the opposition of Jewish Rulers, or Heathen

Powers

!

Are we required of

whom

as if later,

by

to believe, that nearly forty writers,

the majority flourished at distant eras,

all

concert, or in imitation of the earlier

used,

by the

a diction fitted to convey one idea, while they

meant to convey another totally different ? Is our faith demanded to the doctrine, that, as often as they touched

on a

particular topic, they invariably

had recourse to

76

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

terms and expressions, really figurative, though apparently

and whose import,

literal,

to be misapprehended? phraseology,

which

is

to

them

such

that

Is it conceivable,

common

was sure

therefore,

should

all,

many hundreds of times, unaccompanied

occur

by

any supplementary remark of explanation or caution ? Is

the

supposition

sober garb of Prose,

Poetry

:

is

what looks the

that

the meretricious ornament of

what purports to be the language of simple

narrative, or style

admissible,

doctrinal statement,

of metaphor or

allegory?

the imaginative

is

Is

while, .from Genesis to Eevelation, there

tion of

it

;

the

this is

fact,

no intima-

not a single hint to prevent mistake, where,

without some such caveat or warning, mistake seems unavoidable?

Such a manner of composition, in uninspired men discoursing on ordinary topics,' we should condemn as deceptions and absurd.

Can we imagine,

that

it is

the

very manner adopted, with undeviating uniformity, by the writers of both the Old and New Testaments?

How

could they, on that hypothesis, be acquitted of

imposture, or vindicated from the charge of craftiness?'

Different,

certainly,

is

the

struction, or of presenting truth, which

(

cunning

mode

we

of in-

should

ex-r

pect in teachers possessed of judgment and probity, not to say piety.

may be affirmed, that the of human authorship, if we exclude

Perhaps,

collected productions

it

those which are professedly works of fiction or romance,

REALITY.

77 This, apart from

do not furnish a similar example. other

we view

might, as

considerations,

the matter,

necessitate the persuasion, that, in treating of Diabolical

Agency, they spake, agreeably to the

literal

import of

their words, of the doings of persons : spirits endued

with consciousness and energy, whose nature

is

corrupt,

Of

and whose aim and delight are to corrupt, manifold statements on this head, such standing

the conclusion to which

shut up.

The notion

we

their

our under-

is

feel

ourselves

of our opponents, therefore,

cannot but regard as fabulous

;

we

a vain conceit, a gross

perversion, the very wildness of criticism and extrava-

gance of heresy.

would puzzle us to produce, from

It

the multifarious records of heterodoxy, a viler specimen '

of

handling the

Word

God

of

studied system of disguising

deceitfully;'

a more

sense, or falsifying

its

its

testimony.

But, Diabolical Agency,

In other words,

it is

and 'hurtful, in the outward

estate.

we

said, is also

PHYSICAL.

exerted, in

infliction

At

ways equally various of evils on the body, or

present,

we speak not

of

its

measure or degree: this may afterwards receive particular notice.

to

be

We advert simply to the fact.

revealed as plainly as is that

which attention has been Scripture, the ope can other.

called.

Its reality

Moral

The

seems

influence, to

appeal being to

no more be questioned than the

Though not with the same frequency as the

latter, to

which, owing to

its

-F .2

incomparably greater

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

78 malignity, or

more dreadful and dangerous

corresponding prominence

is

given

;

nature, a

yet often, and in

the former brought under our

very striking

lights, is

observation.

Eepeatedly, in the writings of the Old

Testament,

more

it is

introduced in connection with sufferings

private or public,

as the direct

and on a larger or smaller

and proximate cause of

and the Book of Acts,

:

But, in the

person, the condition, or the relationships. G-ospels

scale

calamities, in the

especially, it is

many

times mentioned; while the explieitness of the terms precludes dubiety, and the historic character

of the

accounts forbids the supposition of figure.

Matthew *

dumb man/ who was but who, when the devil was

relates the case of

possessed with a

*

a

'

devil,'

He

cast put,' recovered the faculty of speech.

a Syrophenician

who was

'

woman

of

interceding for her daughter,

grievously vexed with a

devil,'

the importunity of the supplicant,

who gave his name

but whom, at

our Lord 'made

whole/ by releaving her of the tormentor. a Gadarene,

tells

Concerning

Legion, and

who wan-

dered about :naked, the terror of the neighbourhood, i

lodging in the tombs

;

Luke

says that he

was possessed

who

of 'many devils,' strengthened him to .burst the fetters with which he was occasionally tied, and drove him, in uncontrollable paroxysms of fury, into the wilderness.

He

adds,

that,

obtaining permission to

enter into a numerous herd of swine feeding in. the vicinity,

they caused the whole, as

if

instantaneously

REALITY. '

seized with madness, to

place into the lake,

In support and

79*

run. violently

down a

steep

where they were choked.'

illustration of the doctrine

we

take the following striking incident recorded

hold,

by the

same Evangelist: 'In the synagogue there was a man,

who had a

of an unclean devil,

spirit

a loud voice, saying, Let us alone

with thee, Jesus of Nazareth ? stroy us

I

?

know

And

of G-od.

thrown

'

art

;

the

Jesus rebuked him, saying,

And when

peace, and come out of him.

Mm in the midst,

him not'

what have we to do

;

Art thou come to de-

who thou

thee

and cried out with

Holy One Hold thy had

the devil

he came out of him, and hurt

Well might the people exclaim in astonish-

ment,

What

.power

He

come out/

word

For with authority and commandeth the unclean spirits, and they a

The

is

this

!

incident, so instructive in

some other

-j

respects, is here referred to only for

show the potent

moment

influence, exerted

one purpose

by the demon,

to

at the-

of his expulsion, over the body, as well as the

In a

mind> of the poor maniac.

fit

he suddenly prostrated

his

ground, and, but for a

restraint

of malignant rage,

victim

on the

which he

wanted

helpless

strength to overcome, would, doubtless, have inflicted serious, if

not

fatal, injury.

Three of the Evangelists inform us of a case that was very deplorable, and had, by excited

much

interest.

It

its

peculiar aggravations,

was that of a

father,

who,

having applied for help to the disciples in vain, implored

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

80

the compassion of Jesus for his son.

The

was

latter

sorely by one of the ministers of evil, who, at times, so actuated him, that he 'cried out, and \foamed, afflicted

and was bruised/

As he was

'dumb and sufferer of

and

'tare

Jesus expressed a desire to see him.

coming, the deaf,'

as

'

foul spirit/

who was

also called

having deprived the unhappy

both speech and hearing, threw him down,

him/

Wallowing in the

dust, like a person

and

in violent convulsions, he writhed, and shrieked, frothed, out, is

strength exhausted, and the demon gone

till,

he lay 'as one dead

insomuch that many

;

He

dead/

Luke

describes another very affecting case.

that of a Jewess, who, for

'

It

is

eighteen years,' had laboured

To

under a distressing malady. it

said,

such decrepitude had

reduced her, so bent and disabled was her frame, that

she

'

could in no wise

of standing erect. infirmity/

up

herself,' or

claring, in so

;

while he represents our Saviour as de-

many

words, that

'

Satan had bound her/

of words could have conveyed, more clearly

or emphatically, the truth for which

Not

was incapable

historian calls it 'a spirit of

plainly attributing the latter to the agency

of the former

What form

lift

The

to multiply examples,

we

we contend ?

only add, that the

Apostle Peter, when 'opening the door of faith to the Gentiles/ gave to his auditors the following beautiful

and comprehensive character of Him, whom he preached * who went about doing good, and heal* as a Saviour :

81

'REALITY.

ing

all that

the Grospels,

were oppressed of the

we

Looking into

devil.'

and con-

find this character illustrated

a great variety of delightful and convincing

by Each of these charming Memoirs furnishes a proofs. commentary, rich equally in instruction and comfort, firmed,

upon both parts of public ministry,

Following Jesus throughout His

it.

we

see

like the glorious orb of

Him,

In par-

day, incessantly active in dispensing benefit. ticular,

we behold Him, among

other ways of

'

doing

good/ displaying the union of compassion and power, in granting deliverance to the captives of the mighty. '

The oppressed go

free

health being imparted to the

;'

body, as well as soundness to the soul, over which had tyrannized the sons of cruelty and impurity.

Here,

it

may be

proper to remark, that the period,

embracing the personal ministry of our Lord and that of the Apostles,

Economy was

was altogether

introduced.

Then, a new;

singular.

For

it,

a magnificent system

of preparation, Divinely appointed,

had been carrying

on during the course of four thousand years. the Patriarchal faith

and

lishment of

:

from their relation to

value and utility

all their it,

Law was

l

a shadow

Prophets discoursed.

ment haying

:

:'

of

its

its

arrived, it

'good

coming and

.The time fixed for

it,

in the estab-

they received their completion.

blessed Founder, 'Moses wrote:' of

the

it,

Levitical Dispensations pointed the

and hope of the pious

they, derived

To

its

Of its things,'

glory, the

commence-

was ushered into the world by

82

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

a select body of teachers, spired to reveal

and unfold

by

the Spirit of truth in-

doctrines, prescribe its institutions,

designs

;

while they were also qualified,

extraordinary endowments, to

belief,

as

its

its

whom

*

and enforce

worthy of

To

it

recommend

it

to the

on the observance, of mankind,

all acceptation.'

vindicate the heavenly origin of this

Economy,

to substantiate the obligatoriness of its authority, or

imperativeness of

its claims,

required evidence peculiar

and in degree. Hence the 'divers miracles' that were wrought. Of these, none were more calcuin kind

lated to arrest attention, or to excite inquiry

and ope-

rate conviction, than the expulsion of demons. astonishing,

How

what a proof of supernatural might, the

complete and instantaneous cure of one, whom they had To physically disordered, and mentally infuriated! afford opportunity for such marvels, such displays of

uncontrollable dominion over the hosts of the accursed,

might not the wisdom of

God

have so arranged, that,

at the juncture mentioned, possessions should, especially

within the confines of Judea, have been unprecedentedly

numerous ?

Say

not, that the supposition reflects

Governor.

Unable to

to explain, in

character

:

how

see,

we

what respect it

on the Moral

challenge our opponents

it

is

disparaging to His

impeaches either the benevolence, or

the equity, of His administration.

The

accusation must

proceed from inadvertence or misconception.

By some,

REALITY.

who

83

are slow to adopt our opinion,

not denied,

it is

that, in certain recorded instances, the Adversary

license to

number

vex or annoy.

But, surely, the question of

not the natwe of the fact

affects

had

accor-

its

dance, or incongruity, with the principles of righteous-

What was

ness.

not morally wrong in a few cases,

might have consisted with the

strictest

propriety in

In other words, the permission granted to

,many.

Satan, at an earlier date, might, at a particular era, have

been temporarily extended. justified his receiving, for

Wise reasons might have a season, unwonted liberty

and scope for the exercise of

his malevolent propensi-

Thus important purposes might have been

ties.

served,

and most valuable ends gained, which could not, otherwise,

have been so effectually accomplished.

The

Apostolic age, indeed,

we

regard

as,

in various

Above any that preceded was distinguished, not only by the abundance of both gracious influence and miraculous opera-

respects, quite extraordinary.

or followed,

tions,

it

but by the unexampled energy and virulence of

Demoniacal Agency.

There was thus,

as has

hinted, a corresponding opportunity for one of the

been

more

remarkable species of miracles, and, consequently, for exhibiting

some of the more

and divinity of the Gospel.

striking proofs of the truth

Yet, that the same

was exerted before, and has been exerted precisely similar,

nity or efficacy

;

Agency

since, in

ways

though, perhaps, with inferior malig-

that,

from the beginning to the present

84

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

hour, devils have possessed, and, not improbably, to the

end of time

possess,

press body, as well as position

we

The

Word,

Job

case of

his

power to op-

was

this

by the

to maintain.

supplies an apposite illustration.

unsightly and burning ulcers,

ness of his flesh

and

less

tempt and pollute mind:

conceive ourselves fully authorized,

intimations of the

The

more or

-will

by which the sound-

turned into a mass of loathsomeness,

frame was racked with agonizing pain, are ex-

In Old

pressly stated to have been the doing of Satan.

Testament story, various other instances of offensive and acute disease are related.

So peculiar

is

the account of

the circumstances in which, or of the conduct of the persons upon

whom, they were

inflicted, as to

the visitation of suspicion, that the same instrumentality.

them was

beget the

referrible to

This, however,

we do

not

but suggest merely as a probability.

affirm as fact,

Fairness demands the admission, that of such instrumentality, in the passages alluded to, tion

is

made

:

and

no

distinct

announcement, regarding a point which inspired 1

mony only was competent is

unwarranted.

men-

that, in the absence of an explicit

May

testi-

to decide, positive assertion

not these Scriptural instances,

be but specimens of what is occurring, on a and with no small great diversity,

too,

scale of

frequency, in

countries,

But,

all

and in every age ?

it is

to the fact alone

Diabolical

Agency in the

production, or aggravation, of physical suffering

that

85

REALITY. attention

may

is

now called.

Whatever

difference of opinion

obtain as to the degree, the fact cannot be gain-

sayed, if Eevelation

is

to

'

be judge.

The Holy Ghost

witnesseth/ that, while assiduous in his efforts to blind

and corrupt the inner man, the Adversary, in concert with demons of congenial temper, has, on occasions not

and by ailments not few, afflicted and disabled the outer man. Hence, perhaps, we may conclude, that the rare,

latter,

equally with the former,

is still,

and during the

continuance of this mortal state will be, subject to the baneful operations of his power.

Of these

operations,

multitudes, while ignorant of the instrumental cause,

may be enduring less,

the painful effects: though, doubt-

they are very inferior in force or measure now, to

what they were in the days of our Lord and His Apostles, at least within the sphere of their ministry.

Then, for such gracious purposes as have been

specified,

or .other wise reasons of which the knowledge

with^

is

held from us, Gfod was pleased to permit or appoint,

among the members

of the

Hebrew

race,

more unfet-

tered freedom to the malice. and activity of Evil Spirits.

But, while

we

believe in a Diabolical

Agency

of a

twofold character, or one that partakes both of the

MORAL and

the PHYSICAL

cumscription, or that'

This

is

TJz, as

as evident,

it is

;

we

believe also in its cir-

subject to certain restrictions.

from the case of the Patriarch of

any form of expression could render

it.

Mark

the extent of the permission, or the measure of the

86

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

tolerated infliction

was granted

The Lord

in thy

and the

straitness

far liberty

with which

Again,

What

Behold, he

transgress

is

in thine

is

hand

;

but save

precision in the statement of the boun-

And what

!

he hath

only upon himself put not forth thine

;

'

life'

dary

said unto Satan, Behold, all that

power

hand.' his

to the Fiend,

how

overstepping the specified line was interdicted.

his *

in other words,

:

peremptoriness in the prohibition to

!

The same

truth appears, with no less clearness, from

the Evangelical reports of the expulsion of unclean spirits,

instantaneously, at the

infuriated demoniacs,

whose bodies and

possessed and tortured.

accounts of

it

under superior

Indeed,

and

control.

The

definite,

not upon their

all

of Jesus, from souls alike they

the Scriptural

imply, or declare, that their

own

will,

Agency

by

us, are, nevertheless,

extent of

its

exercise depends,

but on the good pleasure of

the Omnipotent.

Their power or liberty to injure

restrained:

in

and,

desirous, exceed, even

their commission.

is

It is confined within limits,

which, although undefineable fixed

command

is

no instance can they, however

by a

hair's-breadth, the terms of

He, who

'determines the bounds of

our habitations,' has also assigned to fallen angels the

'bounds which they cannot the swelling billows,

when

pass.'

What He

says to

threatening to toss

them-

selves in a desolating flood over the banks appointed

by His 'perpetual

decree,'

is,

in effect, addressed to

REALITY.

87

'Hitherto shalt thou come, but no

each of them: farther/

What ground for thanksgiving and joy, that the Wicked One is thus held in check by a Greater than he

As

!

completely as the feeblest creature,

every instant, and in every machination or subjection to the Almighty.

under

arrest which, at another,

is

abridged or

is

meet in the Divine

the length to which, at one time, he

and the

effort,

he, at

His freedom of action,

whether against a being or a cause, enlarged, as seems

is

is

Hence

sight.

allowed to go,

on

laid

his pro-

Nothing can he accomplish, even with the

cedure.

co-operation of his assistants in iniquity, but what

'

the

hand and the counsel of the Lord determined before to be done.'

Eejoice, ye children of men, that, whatever

be the desires of his malice, whatever the devices of his cunning, whatever the puttings forth of his energy, he

What

cannot, without license, hurt or annoy. fort to earth,

Lion of hell

what a consolation to the

is

pious, that the

like a ferocious savage, or

monster, in chains !

Evil he

may

a com-

an untamable

design or concert

;

but, in opposition to the Sovereign Will, evil he cannot effect.

aims

him

!

often

A Wiser,

in his

Still

we

How

own

is

he foiled in

his

schemes and

as well as a Mightier, than

he 'taketh

craftiness/

more apparent

will

be our cause of gratitude,

suppose the case to have been otherwise.

the Adversary to have been exempt from

all

if

Conceive inhibition

88

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

or control;

fettered

limitation of

In's

by no

faculties

what the

restriction, save

imposes

free to act, without

;

curb or interference, by superior authority ; executing

and

his plans,

and

efficiency

with the promptness

fulfilling his wishes,

of an untrammelled and independent

Potentate; his ability commensurate with his inclination,

and

measure of as

now

and the

his inclination equally the guarantee

Imagine the fact to have been what might have been expected

his success.

described:

speedily to have been the consequence

regarded the posterity of

Adam,

that

So

?

suffering here,

as

consequence

should have been as fearful as inevitable.

and constant

far

Extreme

and utter and hopeless

ruin hereafter, could not have failed to have been the

member

portion of every

Apollyon had, in that

of the race.

case,

been

far

The power

of

more dreadful;

exerted with a determination and a force, of which

each and

all

the bitter

grace/

would, unintermittingly, have been reaping

fruits.

who

Thanks, then, to 'the Glod of

grants him not

accomplishment of his

evil intentions,

cation of his malevolent desires teriously

permitting,

and counteracts,

his

;

mercifully

Agency.

all

his cruel pleasure, in the

and the

gratifi-

but who, while mysrestrains,

overrules,

89

EXTENT.

CHAPTEB

HI.

(Sklwl.

THE

two preceding Chapters was, the REALITY of Diabolical Agency. The grounds on which subject of the

our faith of

it rests,

were succinctly

mitted, as an article of

no

trivial

religious creed; because it

is

stated.

importance, into our

incorporated with that

scheme of doctrine, which the Bible developes. viewed

it

in the double aspect, in which

presented.

It is ad-

One Chapter was devoted

it

We also

seems to be

to the considera-

tion of its Moral, another to that of its Physical bear-

ing

:

the

latter,

though of comparatively minor conse-

quence, being taught as undeniably, and for the same practical purposes, as the former.

The Beality

of this

Agency

suggests, very naturally,

another interesting topic of inquiry,

EXTENT.

Here, especially,

is

need

caution in giving a deliverance.

its

MEASURE

or

for the exercise of

Where

it is

peculiarly

proper that the 'words be well-ordered,' rashness of utterance were very affirm neither

reprehensible.

more nor

less

If desirous

to

than what the Record,

whether by express announcement or legitimate in-

90

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

we

ference, fairly warrants,

care the import of

The

teaches.

over

its

pages

sense which

bow

to

informations

we

due

what

to

implicitly

so

all

being our only

It

testimonies.

its

we ought

instructor,

should weigh with

profusely

it

scattered

should collate, taking each in the

appears to have been intended

writer, and, from the collected

particulars,

by the

form our

judgment.

On

two extremes, against both The one errs requisite to guard.

this point there are

of which

it is

deemed

>

by

excess; the other,

the

first

by

defect.

The

supporters of

exaggerate, while the defenders of the second

depreciate, the potency of Evil Spirits

:

the former re-

presenting them as the authors of most, the latter as the

promoters of but

little,

of the wickedness

The

prevalent in the earth.

truth,

we

and misery

apprehend,

lies

somewhere between these extremes; though exactly In other words, we .where., we presume not to say. confess our inability to fix the precise limit, or ascertain

even the probable degree, of Demoniacal influence: yet, that it is less

than some, and greater than many,

are disposed to admit,

is

the general conclusion which

the inspired accounts, carefully examined and compared, are conceived to indicate.

and the following the plan which was adopted in disChapter, we follow of the two preceding. Agreeably to this cussing that In

illustrating the subject of this

division,

we

propose to consider the Extent,

first,

of the

EXTENT,

91

Moral, and next, of the Physical, mischiefs caused by the

Of

malice and hatred of our invisible foes.

these topics,

the former shall engage our attention in the present

Chapter.

We previously remarked, as matter of thankfulness and comfort, that the is

Agency of Satan and

his accomplices

But, though not absolute, or

subject to restrictions.

correspondent to their depraved inclination, extensive are the bounds

Very

by which

it is terrible.

it is

confined;

while unceasing, within the sphere assigned to them, their activity in exerting

it.

is

Survey the state of the

moral world, throughout the generations of the past

How

and the present.

how

afflicted

!

degenerate, if credit

Here,

only competent authority, not a

hold

is

their

work.

We

how

disorganized,

may be given to the little

of

what you be-

cannot, indeed, condescend on

particulars, or perhaps, with the certainty of knowledge,

The Divine intima-

specify one instance in the million.

the crimes and

tions,

neverthless, assure us, that

follies

which so lamentably abound, cumulative proof

in

is

furnished of their might and malignity.

To what is Are we not

attributed the loss of primeval innocence

instructed to refer

proximate cause, to the

In other words,

it

with

its

as the immediate or

of the great Deceiver

was the mastery of

over the minds of the evil,

Agency

it,

first pair,

?

his

?

temptation

that introduced moral

attendant miseries, into the newly-formed

Dwelling of humanity.

Prevailing

against

them, he

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

92

more

assailed their

easily foiled, because fallen, descen-

Against these he has, ever since, been directing

dants..

the energies of his mighty intellect

ing them into

Nor

it

is

guilt, to involve

own

his

merely

potent soever, that

is

striving,

;

by draw-

them in wretchedness.

individual influence,

how

In concert with

to be dreaded.

him, and ready to do his pleasure, are legions of similar order,

and kindred

as head,

spirit

;

of

and the weakest of

man, whose powers are

whom he

whom

is

is

represented

an overmatch for

while his nature

feebler,

is

deteriorated.

Hitherto, the

every possible mitting

work of corruption has been plied, in way, with unabated vigour, and unreand every clime

success, in every age, ties of tribe state, of

and tongue, of

modes of

how sad

Alas!

constancy.

;

has

been the

amid

all varie-

social condition or political

faith or forms of

worship

!

How

has

the mournful result been witnessed, in the perversion of the judgment, the depravation of the heart,

ungodliness of the the earth been

life

filled,

brood of ignorance,

To what

!

through

all

and the

a fearful extent has

time, with the noxious

superstition,

irreligion,

and im-

'

morality

t

These are the works of the Devil/

indeed, are their direct

and

ostensible authors:

Men, they

are the unholy conception of their darkened understandings,

and accord with the natural sentiments of

their corrupt hearts. his

Agency

is,

We

more or

are assured, however,

less,

that

connected, really though

EXTENT. invisibly,

No

93

both with their contrivance and prosecution.

marvel, since they are the means

empire,

as

'the

god

ascendency over the

What

of this world/

human mind,

resources of his matchless is

his

unhallowed

maintained.

advantages, too, does Satan possess for further-

ing the cause of unrighteousness

His

is

by which his

Vast must be the

!

and long experience.

skill,

a capacity for mischief, of the measure, as well as

no adequate conception can be To the machinations of his craft, and the

the modes, of which,

formed.

operations of his power,

how unequal

ineffectual the resistance, of our

meaner

the devices, faculties

!

how The

aptest expedients for accomplishing the designs of his

malice, his subtilty

is

With

competent to contrive.

the expertness, too, of an astute and practised tactician,

he varies them as occasion requires

;

adroitly suiting

their application to peculiarities of season or place, of

outward

state, or

inferior

either to

Nor

moral temperament. his

energy in executing, schemes of

evil.

cause of irreligion and ungodliness,

employment and his delight:

which

all his

is

a

work

the

in which

It is alike

an employment, to

appliances are devoted,

which ministers, to him and

of

his will

To promote

the arch Deceiver takes special pleasure. his

is

'depths' in concerting, or his

his

and the success foul

associates,

malignant satisfaction.

That in the framing and promoting of Polytheism, 'the

Father of

lies

acted a prominent part,

may be

easily

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

94

To

believed.

service

transfer to the creature the worship

due to the Creator, must have seemed a

invention/ an effectual

witty

means of strengthening and Hence, the vigilance

extending the reign of iniquity.

with which he guards the complex system of ligion.

and

'

false re-

Hence, in some measure, the violence of the

opposition excited against

all

attempts to subvert, or

Nor can

overthrow, established idolatries.

be rea-

it

sonably doubted, that to him also error, heresy, and imposture, in their conception,

their

many

diversities,

owe much of

their

How

far,

phase, and prevalence.

indeed, either the former or the latter

may

have been

the effect of Diabolical Agency, cannot be determined.

No

estimate can be formed,

no conjecture hazarded,

to the degree to which, in their origin

they have been attributable to extent be

be a

unknown

fair

subject

different opinions

as

and progress,

But, although the

it.

or inconceivable, and may, therefore, of debate,

may

respecting which

very

be held, by enlightened sub-

scribers to the general doctrine

;

yet, the fact,

which

is

a distinct question, cannot be gainsayed.

In Scripture, the point for which we contend, stated as plainly as language can intimate

Satan

is

styled 'the spirit that

children of disobedience/

He

minds of them who believe not,

it.

now worketh is

There, in the

said to 'blind the

lest the light

of the

glorious Gospel of Christ should shine into them.' is

is

He

described as spreading 'snares/ to entrap unwary

95

EXTENT.

souls, is

who

are 'taken captive

by him

He

at his will.*

about* with the fury represented, now, as 'walking

of a ravening 'lion:* again, as displaying the craftiness

of the serpent, attacking his prey It is testified, that

stealth.

sinneth from the be-

likewise shows, that he sins without ceasing;

it

perpetually, with this evil intention,

down

dexterity and

by

But, not only does the Eecord affirm the

ginning.' fact:

he

'

'going up and

It teaches, too, that

in the earth.'

he

sins in all

the multiplicity of ways^ of which a rational being

is

capable; whether by personal acts, or the instrumentality of others,

ments of

To

by the

force of intimidation, or the entice-

guile.

intimate

how

extensive

and dangerous

is

his

influence, an inspired Writer portrays Satan as 'de1 ceiving the nations? and 'deceiving the whole world. ' Again, he asserts, that the whole world lieth in wicked-

ness:*

that

is,

we

apprehend, in the Wicked One,

-

under the dominion, the polluting and tyrannical sway, of

this-

formidable Usurper.

Our

blessed Lord, also, in

His Pattern of devotion, teaches us to pray, 'Deliver us from evil;' meaning, most probably, the Evil One,

whose temptations are at once so assiduous and so alluring, as to necessitate daily supplication for habitual

grace.

A sacred penman speaks of not being

of his devices is

likely,

;'

'

ignorant

and earnestly cautions against whatever

the scenes, the objects, the indulgences cal-

eulated,-r-to give

him the 'advantage of

us.*

Alluding

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

96

Man

to 'the

as

'coming' '

energy wonders,' '

resist

of Sin/ the same Apostle pictures his 'after

the

of Satan, with

according to the

working'

power, and signs, and lying

all

The Apostle James

him/ which implies

exhorts believers to

assault

on his part

:

and, for

their encouragement, they are assured, that, if rightly

and perseveringly

The Apostle

Peter, too, urges to

resolute practice of the

and only

effectual

manner of (

from them/

flee

the diligent and

same duty ; and,

Adversary, he prescribes

What

'he will

resisted,

as the proper this

resisting

grand

stedfastness in the faith.'

has been adduced

may

suffice as

a specimen,

though it is only a specimen, of the teaching of Holy Writ on the subject under examination. The passages

numerous others of

referred to, with

clearly establish the position

intimate, that at the tates are

been,

They

partly

medium

by personal

They

of this Prince of aposit is

fearful to con-

also intimate, that these effort,

powers have

partly through the

of subordinate' hosts, exerted, without inter-

mission, and with disastrous

family.

which we maintain,

command

powers of mischief, which

template.

similar import,

result, against the

human

This result appears in ways and forms, as in-

numerable

as the

moral

evils that infest the

world

:

in

the abounding corruptions of the true, and the manifold varieties of false, religion: in the impurities, the

un-

righteousnesses, the impieties, that so blemish the character, defile the nature,

and trouble the

life;-

turning

EXTENT.

man

'97

into a miniature of the fiend,

and

earth,

which

should have otherwise been a scene of attractive beauty, *

into a

waste howling wilderness,' or a theatre for the

display of tumultuous and unholy passion.

As

previously remarked, the

fall

of our primogenitors

from original integrity, with consequent forfeiture of the Divine favour,

and

loss of the

owing to guilty compliance with the the wily Liar. gods,

'

Ye

shall

knowing good and

Divine image, was false suggestion of

not surely die evil/

:

ye

shall

The triumph

in

be as

Eden:

a triumph commencing almost with the existence of our race,

and achieved over a couple, not only possessed of

full ability

to withstand the onset, but laid under an

express prohibition,

and

distinctly

forewarned of the

danger of disobedience; success, gained in such

cir-

cumstances, emboldened, as well as rejoiced, the Tempter.

Animated by the

issue of that encounter, so fatal to

the innoc'ence of his victims, he has, ever since, been

following

it

up by a continual

repetition of assaults.

and the cruelty of a destroyer, has he plotted the ruin, and inflicted more or less actual suffering on each member, of all the

With the

restlessness of a spirit,

1

generations that have, in such long succession, and with

such countless myriads, peopled the earth.

Let these brief and cursory observations be considered attentively, and, unless

we

substantial justness will

be allowed*

are

much

mistaken, their It is rather the

/act, than the extent) of Demoniacal influence that

H

is

re-

98

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

sealed -in ^Scripture. clear

Of the 'former-, this 'discovery as

^to forbid davil or-contottve'rsy':

an indisputable partial,

oefftainty

.

it is

-0the flatter,

fragmentary, and obscure

yet

:

so

presented as

the notices are

^sufficiently plain

to apprize of "the 'evil, 'and, by impressing 'with

its

mag-

nitude, to be'get salutary Apprehension, and lead to 'habitual watchfulness

and prayer.

What

that no -sagacity or ;rsearch can calculate

matters

'its

that Neither 'the instances of its ^operation, -nor

force in each, can be specified ? -minable, save 'by 'Omniscience. is both !

its ^exact

degree is ;u-nd"e'ter'(shoiigh 'limited, it i

ultimately, all

to

'et,

aTnount;

mighty -and constant: while to :the''Mm de'rr

from the beginning^

first

-Its

it,

last,

as their ^originator, "are traceable,

the disorders ?and ^miseries entailed, 'from

on the Amoral

wo'rld.

CHAPTER .-

THAT

pi

jfesicsl

Diabolical Agency, in

very extensive, lished

IT.

in.

Moral bearings,

its

is.

wa& the. position., attempted to* be, estabThe remark applies,

the previous Chapter.

with equal appropriateness, ta

words,, according

to,

seqond aspect,

the.

we proposed

relation, in which

to vie;W

it,,

inspired representation,

or insults

it

the understanding.

This strange theology

from a high antiquity. of the

is

not of yesterday.

It

was taught in

at least

more celebrated Schools of Greece,

embraced, for

many

centuries,

It has

different parts of Asia.

standing in Fatherland ;

have given

it

by

It has

one

been

Pagans in

millions of

been of considerable

some of whose brilliant dreamers

countenance, and, arraying

in a curious

it

drapery of mysticism, have contributed to It is

It dates

its

currency.

but of recent introduction into Britain, whither

was imported by certain admirers of the

and

theory, or the wild

it

startling in

antichristian in speculation.

Already, from the attractions of novelty, combined with pride of intellect

and love of

singularity,

ignorance or dislike of a pure Evangelism, are not few.

But,

it

bids fair to gain a

as well as its

converts

much wider

acceptation, through the proselytizing zeal of daring spirits, .of

whom some

godlessness:

talent,-

proofs appear to us

are in equal repute for talent

of which

many

and

of the vaunted

meagre or equivocal

;

godlessness,

which breathes offensively in almost every page of their writings, but, instead of being abhorred, is relished, sweet,,

by those who have learned and sweet

for bitter/

Pantheism, however, Infidelity,

The

to 'put bitter for

is

but one of the phases of

latter is multiform;

L2

though

all

its

138

DIABOLIQAL AGENCY.

inodincatipns are not alike chargeable with error and inipiety,

Some

partake of these qualities in

degree than

others.

the grosser,

is fatal

Whichever

twd

is

Yet

in its tendency

'embraced,

is

far less

of

little

and consequences.

moment

goodness, or ultimate weal.: the

as to spiri-

adoption of ;any

interposes an insuperable bar to salvationr tible

,a

each, the milder as well as

with a state of acceptance and grace.

is

incompa-

The

false

yie5s and corrupt principles, with which Infidelity,

under any of her names or

varieties,

imbues her $s-

in direct antagonism to ;the doctrines .ciples, are Inspiration.

bands of his

are the chains,

They

iron, the

Tyrant keeps secure possession of

deluded captives,

By

such jneans he so effectually

Blinds the mind, as to prevent ;

by

of

which, as in

'

the light pf the glorious

Gospel of Christ frpm shining into it/

139

J4BANS.

CH4JPTEE VII

OF the Means, by which the Adversary seeks to lish

.and perpetuate his ascendancy over the

we have enumerated

Word; which he

four.

has tried,

There

is

human

to destroy

genuity and

race,

Hostility to the

by every measure of

and severity, to annihilate, but which, failing efforts

estab-

force

in his

he has laboured, with equal

it,

success, to corrupt.

There

is

in-

Enmity

against the

Church; to which he bears a deadly grudge,

and which

it

has been his unceasing aim,

by every pos-

sible expedient, the artful devices of malice and cruelty,

to harass

and injure

:

endeavouring,

by error and heresy,

to violate her soundness in the faith, or to

taint

her purity of practice;

hurtful alike to her comeliness

by

immoralities,

gendering schisms,

and

influence,

by the

rending of her unity, and the impairing of her energies inflicting,

not

rarely,

grievous as policy or

disabilities

power allowed.

in the three Religion, especially, in

and

penalties

There

is

;

as

False

grand forms prevalent

Pagan, Mohammedan, and Papal lands; each of

which

is

a complex system of Delusion an4 impiety,

140

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

There

has Infidelity; which, indeed,

is

but, in

all, '

scheme of

many

diversities,

breathes a spirit of bitter enmity to the

grace and truth/ unfolded in Holy Scrip-

ture.

In our day, perhaps, the greatest danger

prehended from the its

is

to be ap-

Infidelity of every, shade has

last.

complement of teachers, with a host,

numerous, of advocates and

disciples.

more or

less

These, with a

and an industry which, if displayed in a better cause, would merit high commendation, attempt its

zeal

propagation.

In

leading forms, and through the

its

several gradations of each,

more general

cally into

it is

being pressed energeti-

With wonderful

notice.

tact,

too, it suits itself to the diversified tastes, capacities,

and attainments, of those whose attention and acceptance

To

it solicits.

the vulgar,

its-,

and

refined, its style of address is free

gross diction, often polished

wears a garb adapted to the of the sons of factory

and

:

toil, it

again,

of the serpent, seeks

its

superficial,

quently,

it

victims,

rude or

to the educated

from the vices of

and scholarly Now, it and habitudes partialities .

appears in a dress of finer texture

charm it

:

in the field, the workshop, or the

costlier elegance,

tidiousness, or

is-

speech

homely, not seldom offensively coarse

ornaments fashion.

fitted to please fas-

With the

deceitfulness

insinuates itself into every circle; especially,

among the young, the

the volatile, the worldly;

whom, too

fre-

succeeds in fascinating as with the potency

141

MEANS. 0f a spell, and entwining in

both rare and

That

from which escape

toils,

is

difficult.

Infidelity, so

accommodating in

its

spirit,

so

flattering to pride of understanding, so indulgent to

the inclinations of depraved nature, should gress,

of .surprise.

ment,

pro-

we

if

ground will there be for astonishon the undoubted talents and accom-

Still less

reflect

plishments of not a few

on

make

however much to be deplored, cannot be matter

its

not excepting any of

its side,

Deism,

cations,

among

Scepticism,

That

champions.

chief modifica-

its

Pantheism,

Atheism,-^-

genius, learning, and oratory, of no mean order, are it

arrayed,

were

fooljsh or

uncandid to deny.

indeed, a monopoly, or even

dowments

is

we

it,

That,

superiority, of such en-

possessed by the enemies of the faith,

do not grant. admit

a.

How

loath soever vanity

we

may be

to

are confident that, in the loftier attributes

of mind, the foremost will find his equal in the ranks of the orthodox.

But the eminence

of

some in

ability

and literature, joined with the popularity of their names,

them proportionally dangerous

renders of error large,

;

particularly to those, of

who

novel, or

doctrine.

as disseminators

whom

the

number

by a morbid fondness

are actuated

.for

is

the

wanting in intelligent convictions of Christian

While works of

sterling excellence,

embody-

ing .sound instruction and pure morality, and not inferior

in intellectual

neglected or disrelished

power or ;

artistic

beauty,

.are

their productions are perused

142

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

with

avidity,"

and

their loose opinions or wild specula-

tions implicitly received.

That, on the ground mentioned, our alarm

without cause, must be evident from a to

In

little

attention

no inconsiderable portion of the issues of the Press. justification of it, appeal might be made to numerous

Take a few sentences

Publications.

the writings of two Authors,

much

their spirit as

affirmed to be

God.'

whom

By

'

asserts,

random, from

the boldness of

the one, the Universe

'

an Eastern mon-

up by indolence and fear/ As to Eeligion, Our colossal theologies of Judaism, Christism,

Buddhism, Mahometism, are the necessary and tural action of the

thus raves,

*

The prayer

human

As soon

will not beg.

;

is

a remoter and inferior incarnation of

Christianity he represents as

archy, built

he

'

at

as the splendour of their genius,

has gained notoriety.

it

not

is

He

will

Eegarding Prayer he

mind.'

as the

man

struc-

is at

one with Grod, he

then see prayer in

all action.

of the farmer, kneeling in his field to

weed

the prayer of the rower, kneeling with the stroke

of his oar, are true prayers, heard throughout nature,

though for cheap

ends.'

Hear how the other

discourses of the sacred;

great Cathedral of Immensity,'

he worships.

'The Supreme

is

'

The

the temple in which

Silences, the Destinies,

the Immensities, the Eternities,' are the objects of his reverence. bilities,

Christian creeds he pronounces 'unbelieva-

reminiscences,

extinct

traditions,

worn-out

MEANS.

the adoption of them, a 'stealing into

symbolisms:'

ostrich-like our

Heaven by sticking on

143

that way,

mine

is this

:

Church; thy road

in God's name, adieu

'Rituals, Liturgies,

avers,

fallacies

Connection with the community of saints

earth.'

he expressly disclaims: 'Adieu, is

head into

know more

gress, decline,

and

;

the

I

pro-

rise,

Can thunder from

of these.

fall

thunder:

Credos, Sinai

or less the history of these

He

!'

all

the thirty-two azimuths, repeated daily for centuries of

make God's laws more Godlike

years,

no.

Perhaps

lam

grown

to be a

to

me ?

Brother,

man now; and do

not need the thunder and the terror any longer

haps I fear,

am

above being frightened: perhaps

but reverence alone, that

Revelations, Inspirations! creafced soul

We jargon.

;

shall

now

Per-

!

it is

not

me!

lead

Yes: and thy own God-

dost thou not call that a Revelation?'

cannot disfigure our pages with more of this It thickly studs the

Yolumes from which

it is

quoted, and their readers will allow,. that the specimens selected are not the worst.

Whoever doubts our

ment, and can submit to the

state-

crucifixion of feeling, as

well as waste of time, which the unpleasant task inflicts,

may see, on examination,

that the samples

Yet, by

distinguish not the true

from the

the corrupt, these

sublime philosophy theology.

pompous ;

and the stock

tens of thousands,

correspond in quality.

false,

crudities

who

the sound from are accounted

these insane effusions,

rational

Perhaps, the question might draw on us the

144

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

wrathful rebuke of not a few, should we, in our sim-

concerning either of the twin brothers

plicity, inquire,

alluded to, whence those strange discordances that grate

Over the land, mingled with wild voices from Massachussets, float frantic utterances from the

-the ear?

Thames.

But, what

Cisatlantic, screamer

tend not to

if

We

maniac or demoniac ?

:

not indicating aberration of

intellect,

could have proceeded from aught but the Antichrist, or a spirit of Python,

Yet

these,

and such

transcendent genius

dogmas we

pre-

But, whether such rhapsodies and

say.

blasphemies,

the Transatlantic, or what the

call

let others judge. " 1

as these, are the

we

are

men, to whose

asked to

bow

;

whose

are required to accept as the announcements

of Wisdom,!

These are they, who

set themselves

'guides of the blind, lights of them

who

up

have the form of knowledge and of the Truth !

are their followers

:

great

is

as

are in dark-

ness, instructors of the foolish, teachers of babes,

alas

of

spirit

who

' !

Many,

the influence of their

names, and extensive the circulation of their beliefs or disbeliefs.

Much

evil

they have done, and far more

they are likely to do, unless efforts are made, promptly

and

to

vigorously,

counteract their

operations,

guard against the infection of their sentiments. the admired or the worshipped,

but indignation

;

regarding them

we

For

not respect,

as promoters of the

'instruction which causeth to err/ will,

feel,

and

Give them their

and soon would 'the foundations be destroyed/

145

MEANS. and the f

faith

which

sanctifies

and

sure anchor of hope/

tion,

and

unfailing spring of consola-

Towards the ad-

from the earth.

be- banished,

mirers or the worshippers,

the only

saves,

we

cherish pity rather than

esteeming them the dupes of able deceivers,

anger;

daring empirics in Religion or Philosophy their proselytism as

more

their crime

;

yet viewing

than their infe-

licity.

Alas

!

for the country or

community, in which such

be their

talents or attainments, are

teachers, whatever

held in high repute. their writings,

Proportionally to the diffusion of

and the adoption of

the poison instilled into the public

their tenets, will

be

mind; the quantity

of soul-ruining error, the loose opinions, the false principles,

the

*

damnable heresies/ embraced.

fore, the friends of Revelation would not see

rity subverted,

temned;

if

its

there-

its

autho-

oracles discarded, its worship con-

they would grieve to behold the population

gradually imbued with trary to

If,

notions, of all complexions, con-

'good doctrine/ they must

to neutralize, in every legitimate

bestir themselves

mode, and by every

available instrumentality, the activity of those striving with their

might

to realize

who

are

such mischiefs.

While Popery, galled by the remembrance of the past, and terrified at the .foreshadowings of the future, is roused to desperation, and with the convulsive efforts of

one in a spasmodic

fit,

yet with the

artifice

of an expe-

rienced strategist, endeavours partly to hold fast pre-

M

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

'1A6

:

sent possessions, partly to recover lost territory, partly

new

dominion, .by the subjection to her Greed

and -ceremonial

of distant tribes and heathen nations:

to acquire

quickened into

Infidelity,

new

life, toils

equally hard to

gain converts, and, by subtle sophistries .and plausible pretensions, succeeds, in instances too frequent, in en-

uninformed, the

the

the giddy,

trapping

indevout.

Considering the varied learning and perverted ingenuity unlisted in

its

we

advocacy,

.apprehend, from the cold

negations of the latter, at least as

much harm

as

from

the gross superstitions of the former.

Again, then, would of the orthodox. dentials are

we sound

the alarm in the ears

In the name of Religion, whose cre-

impugned, as well as her incorruptness

threatened ; in the

name

of the Saviour,

whose charac-

and His claims repudiated in the name of -humanity, whose dearest interests are imperilled for

ter

is assailed^

;

:

your own friends'

sakes, for

your children's sakes, 'for

and brethren's

.sakes/

who

'

being

spoiled through philosophy

and vain deceit/

we would urge you to earnest, 'appropriate, 'A man sowed good seed in exertion. men

your

are in danger of

energetic his

field;

enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then

but while

slept, his

the tares appeared X

also.'

So

here;:

JL

.hearken to

no warning.

Christians

may w

But, while they fold their

hands in slumber, or look on with

listless indifference.,

'

MEANS. others vigour) to

are

awake

may

the

arid

In

busy.

work be

be remedied, the

147 yet with

silence,

carried on,

evil of inaction

till,

when

may be

in a luxuriant crop of irreligious conceits,

.

too late

witnessed

Then, with

remorse at the thought of their remissness, and grief at the sight of the consequences,

may they stammer out 'An enemy THE 3

the sorrowful acknowledgment:

ENEMY, by his agents, while we slept' hath done this/ There is also, as distinguished from that which is ,

The one

speculative, Practical Infidelity.

is

expressed

embodied in conduct: the one

in speech, the other

The

avowed, the other exemplified-

more common, numbering,

latter is far the

for the thousands of the for-

Many, who disclaim the first and are forward to denounce, as forms,

mer, tens of thousands. in

any of

its

deeply tinctured with

false prophets, its abettors, are *

They hold the Truth

the evils of the second.

Orthodox in

righteousness.' in

life.

They name '

depart from iniquity

the ' :

name of

profess to

Christ,'

but do not

know God, but

They recognise not His

works deny Him.'

in un-

faith; they are heterodox

in

nearness,

and regard not His operations; neither reverence His authority, nor aim at His glory; are not sincere believers of

His doctrines, nor followers of His precepts.

;

rejoice not in His promises, and tremble not at His

threatenings.

no

They

Grod, or that

and

He

will never call

live as if

takes

persuaded that there

no cognizance of

is

their actions;,

them to account; and

that 'the

148

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

and 'the day of judgment/ and the wrath to come/ are mere fictions, the creations of a gloomy fancy. Too often their inconsistencies prove

terrors of the Lord/, *

stumbling-blocks

to-

while the grossness of the

others.;

which

disorders, the foulness of the pollutions, with

they are chargeable, give occasion to the foes of Christianity to 'speak reproachfully.'

There are

others, however, of

can be affirmed,

Their characters are unstained by Their general deportment

offensive blots.

any

whom no such scandals is

cor-

rect,

and their attention to moral duty exemplary. .For

what

is

external in religion, tbo,

or ordinances, they

may

its

positive injunctions

testify regard;

and

rites, fos?

which they themselves are zealous, they may be earnest in recommending to the respect and observance of But, with the exhibition of what

others.

not combined the operation of the genuine,

seemly,

is

and the

essential,

The

vital

'

The mot

and animating

without the

spirit,

a

is

ful,

reality,

is

wanting,.

which

al}

Is the body,

absent.

MAN ? No more

to the appellation, Christians,

without the

of the matter'

principle, without

appearances are worthless,

may

and

is fair

are they entitled

who have

the semblance

Well

profession without grace.

they be compared to sepulchres, outwardly beauti-

but inwardly loathsome

outside, but filled with

ever they selves,

may

they

'

;

or to platters, clean on

extortion and excess.'

the.

How-?

deceive others, or be deceived them-

are, in the

Pivine estimate,

ba.se as

'

repro-?

MEANS. bate

silver,'

valueless as

<

149

withered branches.'

'With

hearers only, not doers of the law.

they its

may show much

love,

but their heart goeth after

While maintaining the/orm, they are

covetousness.'

Their

strangers to the power, of godliness. consist wholly of

(

is

sacrifices

The

the lame and the blind.'

being bad, the fruit speciousness,

They are mouth

their

is vile

is :

The

bad.

character, with

tree

all its

the soul, though apparently alive,

dead.

This Formalism, in whatever

whatever motive proceeding,

not confined to time or

In every age, and through

place.

has

is

more or

less disfigured

all

the Church

;

her sections,

Communions,

been especially prevalent.

It is of the

partakes of the guilt, of Infidelity. illusory,

vain hopes

;

it

though, at cer-

tain periods, or in particular

most

or from

way manifested,

may have

it

essence,

and

In influence,

it is

fostering complacency, and nourishing-

while, in the issue,

it will

prove as

fatal as

That what

the extremest phase of theoretical disbelief.

so inflates with 'high imaginations/ and, of necessity,

genders aversion for the humbling doctrines of grace,

what so tends,

as

through a pleasing dream, or by the

fascination of a charm, to lure to perdition, is one of

the more select and

common,

Agency which

efficient, as it is

of the instrumentalities,

among

by which

the

more

Diabolical

accomplishes, in the moral world, the ends to

it is

perseveringly directed

:

this,

we

should sup-

pose, is a point that scarcely admits of dispute.

M2

150

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

Those

specified are fraught with mischievous results,

which, both in number and amount, exceed tion.

They

which the Wicked One exerts an children of

men

all calcula-

not, however, the only Means, by

are

;

evil influence

over the

blinding the mind, stimulating the

There are passions, and deteriorating the character. and not a few others, of a kind less general comprehensive, but, perhaps,

according to their respective

not

Easy were

less efficient.

it

scales,

greatly to extend our

enumeration: nor might this be unattended, in some instances, with practical benefit.

not be deemed ing,

it

led,

carelessness,

profitless,

if,

The

service

could

'through the Divine bless-

on the part of those who, from culpable had treated it with indifference or neglect,

and prayerful consideration of a subject, which the Holy Ghost has judged of mighty interest and importance a subject, which touches so closely the

to a solemn

;

personal experience, and affects so deeply the spiritual condition and comfort, of every

human

being.

151

MEANS,

CHAPTER

ON what more

are understood to be

in corrupting the

human mind,

.The enumeration

not to be tedious, ticularize.

we

theories

whether

is far

from complete.

among

the

and

over the

may be

of Superstition,

of

on

carries

such a sovereignty

'workers

The

classed.

of

various

and forms of Heterodoxy,

Pseudo-Philosophy

rite or

But,

his operations,

Suffice it to say generally, that,

iniquity/ the following

systems

a few remarks have been

forbear, at present, farther to par-

Means by which Satan exercises

some of the leading or

modes, which malignant Spirits employ

effective

offered.

YIII.

every

:

imposition,

dogma, of an inventive Priestcraft

:

all

tenets contradictory of sound Theology, or observances at variance with acceptable

Worship

timent or principle, disagrees with

:

*

whatever, in senthe

Law and

'

Testimony/ or consists not with the truth as

it

is

the in

Jesus/

Each, proportionally to lible standard,

its

partakes of the

deviation from the infalfalse,

and, consequently,

becomes, in such degree, a vehicle or engine of error.

152

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

It thus exerts

an influence diffused as the

and

extension,

deleterious as its

affecting the spiritual

man

circuit of its

delusions;

peculiar

as injuriously, as a stupe-

Can

fying potion, or a virulent poison, the physical.

we, then, imagine the

Enemy

tator of its success?

Will

beholding with pleasure, he progress of opinions

dency, as it is

'

the

God

and

strives

idolatries,

plies, ;

that, while

not to promote, the

by which is

believe, that

interest in their spread; that,

adherents

be alleged,

of the world,'

more reasonable to

how, he

be an indifferent spec-

to

it

his ascen-

upheld ?

Surely,

he takes an

active

though we cannot

tell

with apposite' motives, their respective

that the abler of their abettors he counsels

and urges, not only to support, but, by the methods, to enforce and propagate them.

likeliest

To these multitudinous embodiments of error, might be added a vast variety of popular customs or usages, of a more or less exceptionable character.

Of

these,

some, to the reproach and detriment of the communities

among which they have lengthened reign. longing to the tical

prevailed, have

had a wide and

In the same connexion, or as be-

same category, may be mentioned Poli-

Tyrannies, with a host of civil establishments, or

'domestic institutions.'

Based in

selfishness, the con-

trivances of grasping ambition or heartless avarice, they

should have been granted no tolerance, not even for an hour.

where

The very 'thought is

of

them was

sin.'

Yet,

the region of the earth, where the tribe or

153

MEANS. kindred,

barbarous or refined, Pagan

or

Christian,

Popish or Protestant, that has not, from time

been

morial,

afflicted

imme-

with one or other of their diver-

sities ?

Sad

is it

to think, that, in countries blessed with the

purer forms of the G-ospel, some of the worst of these

pregnant equally with shame to their authors,

evils,

and suffering to their victims,

have long existed.

Not

to speak of Feudalism, once of or its cognate Serfdom,

still

European predominance, prevalent in the North :

Under the

take Slavery as an instance.

wing of Britain, the stature,

how

became the

firm

how extended the boughs, of this Upas tree!

In those of her Dependencies, which sence had blighted and cursed, extirpation,

and

accomplished

Union,

protecting

root, how gigantic

!

at

what a

Through

:

its

pestilential pre>-

recent has been

cost of effort

its'

and treasure

a large Section of the Western

how strenuously is this

and cruelty yet defended

how

atrocious

scheme of fraud

sanctioned by public opinion,

guarded by the secular arm, vindicated by the Pulpit and the Press ; none daring, but at his peril, to plead the abolition of the most heinous of legalized wrongs.

Yes! America, claiming precedence among the nar tions,

for the excellence of her legislation,

splendour of her benevolent Institutions

;

and the

famed

for her

Educational system, and her Temperance Societies; unrivalled for the growth of her Churches, the series of

her Revivals, the extent of her

B#me

and Foreign

154

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

Missions

:

America,

noble Daughter

of-

a high-souled

Originator of not a few approved plans of

Mother,

Patroness of every scheme conducive to the

utility,

improvement, physical, intellectual, and moral, of man vying with Britain in the hallowed emulation to eman;

and convert the votaries of idolatry: America,

cipate

whose 'Pilgrim Fathers/ rather than submit vexatious

to the

crossed the stormy

exactions of England,

Atlantic, to seek, in a remote Continent,

and among

the children of the wilderness, a quiet habitation, where,

exempt from the annoyances of

civil

and

ecclesiastical

usurpation, they might freely exercise their holy religion

:

America, the land of Penn and Washington, of

Edwards and Mason, with a goodly array of Patriots and Divines, of liberal views and ardent philanthropy, of

philosophic

cast

and Scriptural theology, whose will be death-

memories are fragrant, as their renown less

:

America, so intolerant of domination, so jealous

of her honour, so sensitive to her interests

America, scouting, as the veriest or aristocracy of birth,

equal

in

title,

in

Enlightened

folly, nobility of

and viewing

law and

:

all

blood

men, as equal by

privilege;

Republican

America, boastful of her admirable Constitution, and, in

the pride of self-esteem and the

exuberance of

youthful ardour, proclaiming her immunity from the vices inherent in the frame,

or connected

working, of the Governments of the Old

with the

World

;

Chris-

tian America, so glowing with zeal, so fruitful in

mea-

MEANS. .sures,

so liberal of resources, for the triumphs of

and

gelization,

and v,..

155

the best of enterprises have

.exploits in

it

which,

.reputation,

the midst of her, 'fair. as

the

America

is

won

like a bright

till,

3

cloud,

and in

full-

orb

digress.

even

:

verily .guilty concerning our brethren

We know we

her

our hope and prayer, will

is

moon without '

toils

and brightening her wide expanse, and the Church in her palladium and her glory, appear

/ continue to increase,

halo, it encircles

Evan-

whose sons and daughters the



the former case,

is

denied,

harmony with the principles of But, on what ground rests the

lies

the mighty difference between

the two cases, to warrant such contrary conclusions?

They appear each, to

to be so' far analagous as to lead, us, in

draw the same

The

inference.

doctrine

we

hold cannot be true in the one case, and false in the other.

In the second, any more than in the

first,

it

cannot be pronounced inconsistent with the Divine rectitude or benevolence.

shown the

least

to be equal

In neither, has there been,

repugnance, but, in both, there seems

and perfect consonance, to the procedure of

holy Sovereignty. Further, the doctrine maintained,

tended,

conflicts

with that of

other words, Diabolical

human

Agency

is

it

has been con-

responsibility.

In

supposed, in a certain,

degree,, to interfere with the liberty,,

and proportionably.

171

OBJECTIONS. to destroy the accountability, of

moral frdedoth,

oil

it

undoubtedly would, so But, that such

or infringe amenableness.

tendency or

effect, is

its

no more weight in

see

jection.

Did

man.

not conceded this

:

trench

it

far,

is

affect

either its

we can

so that

than in the previous ob-

Concerning the Agency of Dein'ons, nothing

beyond what may be affirmed of the corrupting influence, which is known id be' attempted, often, alas! too successfully, to be exercised over men' by

is

asserted

their

entice

one

yet, in spite of every enticement,

how

fellows.

sinful

another to sin

;

They

continually

persuasive or prevailing soever, the seduced are invari-

ably regarded as subjects of moral blame.

Satan and his confederates, are

under

restraint.

was formerly remarked,

it

STot only are they limited,

as

creatures; in their capabilities of mischief; but they are-

moment and

subject, every

control of Omnipotence. therefore,

It

in every instance, to the is

not competent to them,

to do as they please.

However they may

suggest or prompt, they cannot Execute beyond what the will of the Highest permits. unlike that so

In a manner not

common among depraved mortals, though

with the adroitness and the potency of superior Intelligences, their malignant activity in kind, if is

not

also,

is

exerted

perhaps, greater and

the danger to be apprehended from

men, Devils mission of

may evil.

it.

;

and

more

similar

various,

Like wicked

tempt, but cannot compel, to the com-

They may

o2

ply with. suasion, present

DIABOLICAL AGENCY r

174 to

awaken these hope or to fear the objects suited to

by

passions, and,

to deter plausible representations, try

from the pursuit of tice

right,

and to stimulate to the pracall their eraft and might,,

But, with

of wrong.

Those

they cannot necessitate compliance. successfully assail,

quency of

whom

they

whatever be the fury or the fre-

They must

their assaults, are reprehensible.

not seek, to exculpate themselves by laying the blame

upon Satan

:

to

them alone

is

imputable the

and

guilt,

they alone must abide the consequences, of yielding,

Every man is tempted, when he own lust,, and enticed.', '

Moreover, the doctrine

on the ground, that This

presence.

in

it

we

drawn away of

is

hold has been impugned

a sort of omnievidently founded

ascribes to Satan

objection.,

however,

is

How common

misconception.

things as the result of individual

it

to speak of

effort,,

which imply

is

united exertion, or the co-operation of

a superior

is

authorizes,

or

his

many

!

Thus,,

represented as doing what he merely accomplishes

by the

intervention

of

subordinates: a king, by his ministers; a, general, his armies it

;

by by its functionaries. So is the Wicked One. The language of

a government,

in reference to

Scripture with respect to his Agency, must be under-

stood in a sense somewhat similar. devils,'

As

'

the Prince of

the Chief of infernal apostates,, the

principality

of

evil,

Head

of a

he 'has servants under him;, and

he says to one, Go, and he goeth

;

and to another,

OBJECTIONS,

Come, and he

we

phrase,

traceable,

coraeth.'

To

175'

him, therefore, in ordinary

attribute the performance of

more immediately,

to

much

that

the interference

is-

of

because they are instruments executing hi*

others;

orders, or accomplices acting

under

his sanction, or in

allege,

that the doctrine

his policy. pursuance of

It is incorrect,

to

then,

His presence r

advocated invests Satan with ubiquity.

like that of every creature, exalted or mean, immaterial

or corporeal, is necessarily limited to a single place at

Consequently, his personal activity cannot be

once.

exerted, at the

same

instant, in different localities, or i

on separate individuals, as assume.

the

seems to

objection

But, not to mention his consummate ability,

or his untiring energy, consider the celerity of

With an expedition

proper to him as a Spirit.

sembling the quickness of lightning, he himself hither and thither there,

;

motion

assailing

may

some

re-

transport

here, others-

in such rapid succession, and in such a brief

space of time, as exceeds conception.

Think,

also,

of the

numbers^ thousands of thousands, at his command, and ready to do his bidding

:

interests identical with his

their views, inclinations,

own:

and indefatigable in working ness of intention, lessness of effort, their Potentate.

:

all

all,

and

subtile in scheming,

with a like resolute-

and the same promptitude and sleepprosecuting the designs and aims of

The

mischiefs,

they are the direct authors,

are,

therefore, in

strict

of which

propriety

,,

176

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

though in a

qualified

or'

secondary sense, iriiputable

to him.

Such

is

AGENCY, riot,

our interpretation of the phra'seology, SATANIC

DEMONIACAL INFLUENCE.

or

always or

solely,

It

imports

individual operation', but

joint action of a multitude

:

the

the combined or aggregate

force of a mighty Alliance, a formidable phalanx, com-

posed of myriads of fallen

spirits

;

all

owning subjection

to one Despot of pre-eminent rank and capacity, who,

with the arbitrariness of tyrannical rule, compels their ministrations

common

;

and

all

leagued for the promotion of

purposes and projects.

We

merely,

ascribe to the Master, what, in obedience to his dates, or in fulfilment of his wishes,

vassals

or'

associates.

is

then,

man-

done by the

177

OBJECTIONS.

CHAPTEE

FINALLY, our doctrine is

is

us evil thoughts

and

simple but

How can How do

?

they instigate

such inquiries, our answer

explicit

we

cannot

tell.

points, regarding

These are

which our Maker

Instead, therefore, of

wisdom which we do not

possess,

we

frankly

confess our incompetence to solve the difficulty. *

us, as to all the partakers of

profound MYSTERIES remain hidden, in

what

He

till

:

flesh

and

To

blood,' they are

and we are content that they.

He, who consults our good equally

withholds and in what

be pleased to reveal them. the Lord;'

have

they excite in

To

no information.

has given us

How

?

among the thousand aping a

been asked,

?

desires

us to overt wickedness is

charged with teaching what.

It has

incomprehensible.

Devils access to our souls

X.

'

He

communicates,,

Secret things belong unto.

and into them we have

as little wish as

ability to pry, assured that the discovery, though practicable,

But, entitle

would be unattended with that

us to

we cannot

benefit.

explain the mode, does not

discredit the /aci, of Satanic

Agency.,

178

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

Between ignorance of the one, and disbelief of the other, there is DO bond of connexion. To assert the opposite, were to rave.

To

call this sense,

or reason, or philo-

sophy, were an abuse of language, or indicative of a

We

confusion of ideas. necessarily severe

:

would not employ terms un-

what right have such ungodly

but,

we

them of imbeci-

blunderers to take offence,

if

lity or disingenuousness

?

Have they calmly considered,

and do they sincerely

believe,

indict

what they aver ? If so, the answer of our mingled pity and astonishment' to each of them is, ' We know man, great is thy faith '

!

not

be exceeded by that of the veriest weakling, or

if it

the most credulous votary of superstition.

than 'much learning,'

else

ordered thy brain. hip to interpose

We ioay

Something

to be feared, has dis-

It is high time, surely, for friehd-

its

gentle offices of kindly solicitude.

ask the objector,

Mind

it is

operates, for

if

he has ascertained in what

good or

In the ordinary intercourses of

for evil, life,

ujMi Mind.

this is

matter of

daily observation, often of wondering remark, expressive

of painful or agreeable surprise.

of

'

the doctrine of Devils/ give the information deside-

The

rated ? he.

throw the

fact

mentioned he readily concedes

faintest

of what, ?

we

The

are assured

truth

is,

:

can

gleam of light on the manner of

Is not that as inexplicable to him, as is the

it ?

fact

But, can the disputer

by Divine testimony,

the mode, in both cases,

is

manner is

also a

beyond

our cognizance; veiled, equally in the one as in

the'

170

OBJECTIONS.

pjjh-pr, in,

Wherefore, then, the

imp.enejfcrable obscurity.

? credence in, th$ one, and the scepticism ip the other is tb> reasonable,. --the dictate of candour and intelli-

Does

gence?

of irrational

it

not rather appear to be the offspring

Regard

prejudice?

re-

to consistency

quires a very different procedure.

Let

Men

not be said, that the cases are not parallel.

it

are embodied, while spirits are immaterial, beings

:

men have vocal organs, and converse by means of the faculty of speech

whereas

;

spirits possess

no such media,

The

dissimilarity is

or instruments, of communication..

granted most,

it

;

but

it

removes

affects

At

not the point in debate.

tlje difficulty

only a single step.

Is it

forgotten, that sounds, or words, are not thoughts, or

are but their signs, or

motives, or arguments

?

symbols, or vehicles.

In the present

They

stat e, (

according to

the existing constitution of things, they are indispensable the established methpds of correspondence, the

ways of conveying

intelligence,

:

common

and enforcing suasion,

between man and man. But, will

it.

be contended, that modes of intercourse

adapted to the condijtipn of compound creatures, are necessary tp the

May

communion of

incorporeal

not the economies of the visible and invisible

worlds be so oUverse > that what

is

suited to

were totally inapplicable to the other? >

quies

natures?

of beings

clptjied witji physical

tb.e,

In the

pn.e,

cpllo-

organizations,

articulate sounds, with, the.v^r.iety of, external

cpnven-

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

180 tionalities to

which custom has familiarized

absolutely requisite.

But who

seem

us,

imagines/ that, in the

mutual converse of pure Intelligences, who are unprovided with such organisms, they, or others analagous to them, either do their fellowship

or can be

subsist, is

How

employed?

conducted, in the relation of tidings,

the interchange of sentiment, and the reciprocation of feeling, is to us inscrutable

:

more mysterious

yet, not

than how they perceive the presence, or recognise the persons, of one another.

But, whatever be the manner of communing

among

the unseen orders, the fact of their mutually receiving

and imparting knowledge and impressions, cannot be Not more ground is there for reasonably doubted. scepticism

or

as

disbelief,

to

their

having, in ways

appropriate to spirits, though incomprehensible to us,

and constant access to our minds.

direct

then,

does

impugn the it

Wherefore,

credibility of such a doctrine ?

What

appear to teach, either disparaging to the Divine

character, or unsuitable to the

in other words,

human

condition

?

How,

would the permission of the Agency in

question be unrighteous in the Moral Euler, or incompatible

with the freedom and responsibility of His

subjects

?

Is it rational to discard the notion of

.the score of

jecture

Nor if

how

ignorance of it is

exercised

is this all.

May

its

it,

on

mode, or inability to con-

?

not the denial of Demonology,

followed out to the legitimate consequences, be foun4

181

OBJECTIONS. to involve

more than the disputer apprehends

;

to.

ex-

clude the influence of the Creator Himself on the souls that

He

has formed

we

manner,

At

?

How He

how

operates on the minds

how He enlightens, restrains, or quickens how He makes them ' willing in a day of power ;'

of His people ;

He

'

;

worketh in them to

will

and to do of His good

and carrying on, with invincible

pleasure,'; beginning

energy, a process of purification in their hearts, all

the

are as completely in the dark in the one

case as in the other.

them

least, so far ;as respects

and

without violating, the laws of their spiritual con-

stitution, or impairing- their liberty as free

agents

These are

:

Our pretended

can be given.

reply

and voluntary

which no

inquiries, to

though gratifying to vanity, may but

'

satisfactory

explanations,

darken counsel

by words without knowledge/ Let us beware, then, It is presumpof speculating on points of this, nature. ,-

tion,-

which, Instead of profiting, can only bewilder or 3

*

The .language

puff up.

of the Psalmist, in reference

to another of the Divine secrets, .

lips of humble piety

ful for

The

me

:

it is

' :

;

it.

too wonder-

objection, in short, like the others glanced at,

Indeed,

not to deserve a serious answer

How

:

it is

to state

not easy to

reflection,

see.

and in

his sober

so

futile,

to rebut

is

so shallow a fallacy could impose

one capable of is

is

high, I cannot attain to it/

seems utterly destitute of force. as

that which befits 'the

is

Such knowledge

upon any

judgment,

it

Something is propounded as matter

p

DIABOLICAL AGENCY. of fact: but there are mysteries connected

which we are not competent to unravel. is

with

Therefore

it,

it

repudiated as a figment of the imagination, or derided

as a

dogma

of superstition

They,

!

would be thought superior

too,

who thus speak,

to "vulgar prejudice,

men

of

enlightened reason, the disciples of a sound philosophy

We

ask them

if,

!

province of the intellectual

in that

kingdom, to which they more immediately belong, there are not agencies or operations, of a similar kind, per-

petually carrying on, which they themselves acknowledge as

but which

certainties,

attend

:

'the

very same

of which,

whatever

?

it

is

confessed,

they have no cognizance

Why, then, be believers of the

sceptics or infidels as to the former

objection applies to

them

that they be treated attested facts,

the

difficulties

agencies or operations, respecting the manner

mode

;

?

latter,

but

Surely, as the

equally, consistency requires

alike.

Either admit both, as

notwithstanding the mysteriousness of

or, discrediting

on the same ground, or

the one because inexplicable,

for the

same reason, deny

also

the other.

What

are understood to be the principal objections to

the doctrine of Scripture, in reference to fallen Angels, a numerous class of invisible, yet

powerful beings, review

may seem

real,

we have thus reviewed.

To

some, the

too cursory and superficial to be satis-

an examination factory or complete: elaborate, they

malignant, and

may

think desirable.

more

To

sifting

and

others, Jhe

OBJECTIONS.

remarks offered

may appear sufficiently lengthened

the

;

refutation, while successful so far as it goes, quite

as,

needed, and even more extended than

is

full as is

The

deserved.

ment "

is

What it

has

deemed

being our

latter

sophisms,

opinion, enlarge-,

superfluous.

has been said

been

own

may to

penned

\

serve the purpose for which

expose the

description,

we have

so

These, with others of a kindred'

freely animadverted. are, it is

the

fallacies,

or misapprehensions, on which

to be feared, gaining increasing

currency, and insensibly infecting the minds, and unsettling the thoughts, of

those

not a few, especially among

who would be reckoned

wiser than the ancients,

spouters of certain vain philosophies, or smatterers in

*

science falsely so called.'

their

Did such but

exercise

judgments, instead of passively allowing them-

selves to

be blindfolded and duped by

plausible deceiver,

being misled

by

we

cavils,

should have

little

this

or that

dread of thei#

which, with whatever confidence;

advanced, whatever show of learning paraded, whatever attractions or novelties of style clothed, cannot bear close inquiry.

By

those

Agency

is

who

are established in the faith, Diabolical

one of the

In relation to

articles

'most surely believed,'

them, therefore, our

and

strictures

defences are unnecessary, either for conviction or con^ firmation:

though, f even in their case, they

useful for drawing attention to a subject,

may

which

be,

God

184 hias

DIABOLICAL AGENCY. introduced with peculiar frequency into His :Wordr

and which, perhaps, engages too

To

tions of professing Christians.

the young and the

whose views of Sacred

in particular,

inconsiderate,

of the 'medita-

little

,

Truth are often exceedingly partial or confused, it may be of no small advantage to exhibit, in their proper light,, tlie errors and reasonings of those who would prejudice

them

Revelation:

distinctive discoveries of

against the

and

errors

reasonings,

in

which,

the

present instance, wear the twofold stamp of absurdity and impiety. i

,

As

for

who

those

are committed to

a denial of

Deinonology, at least if in the habit of treating it with,

we have

sneer and ridicule,

ing their opinions. ance with

intellect,

little

expectation of chang-

Their hostility has too

and

is

too

much

little alli-

the offspring of

*

a

5

deceived heart, to be subdued by force of argument.

Of 'the i

reverence for Holy Writ, which some of them

.

.

affect,

we make no

cilable

with their repudiation of the doctrine under dis-

cussion.

For,

if

account, as to us

Satanic

it

seems irrecon-

Agency be not there pro-

pounded, in almost every page, and so clearly that

who

runs

may

read'

it,

we

hardly

which the Bible can be regarded ing.

What wonder,

that they

know

it

a single truth,

who

cannot find

the announcement either of

God, or of a personal Christ

!

he

as indisputably teach-

its disclosures that of a personal Devil, should

recognise in

'

a.

among fail

to

personal

OBJECTIONS.

We

185

submit, whether such cavillers

would not

act

more honestly, because more in accordance with their real

notions or private sentiments,

if,

instead of pre-

tending veneration, they expressed disrespect, for the It is difficult to resist the im-

Oracles of Inspiration. pression, that,

however restrained from avowing, they

secretly favour or adopt, the

extreme

infidelity of

two

bold blasphemers, each the representative and leader of

The

a class.

nest of fables

Gospel, according to the one, ;'

is

*

a hornetf

while the conclusion of the other, re-

garding the writings of Prophets and Apostles, '

they are

Hebrew

Whence

lights.'

is,

that

old clothes, or extinguished Jewish

the afflatus

from above, or from be-

:

what comes from heaven, neath? Not savours of heaven, and points to heaven. The tone and the former; for

tendency indicate too plainly a different origin but infernal,

celestial,

:

not

the profaneness, the desperate

wickedness, that breathed forth such revolting effusions ;

'A

ness";

No.

hornet-nest of fables!'

thou revilest/ contains

*

saved.'

be, blessed

What, vain man,

the words of truth and sober-

the words of eternal

may |>e

!

To many

life

has

it

;

words whereby .we been, to thee may, it

asihe instrument of deliverance from comr

panionships,

more to be dreaded, more tormenting, than

As mendacious, as vile a lie, is What are called old clothes, representation.

the stings of hornets. the other

look as

fair

discernible

and comely as ever. on the ' garments of

No

traces of age are

salvation

:'

time ink

.

DIABOLICAL AGENCY. pairs not the beauty ,of the

'

The

robe of righteousness.'

said to be extinguished, shed through all periods, lights

and on

all

lands which their rays

and undecaying

guiding thousands, amid the

lustre;

But, some there

shades of earth, to the realms of day. are

who 'come not

the same clear

visit,

to the light, lest their deeds should

be reproved:' they 'love darkness rather than their deeds being evil.'

Their

own pens

light,

proclaim, that

they themselves are verifications, alike striking and mournful, ness,

.of

the saying

' :

The

light shineth in dark-

and the darkness apprehendettt

it not.'

We are tempted to ask, is there a rivalry between the Saxon and the Scot, which shall excel in the language which

of Ashdod;

shall

eminence in iniquity *

Hebrew

Who

old

clothes

man,

whom

for

palm

pre-

hornet-nest of fables

Extinguished Jewish lights

!' ' 1

the Master?

A

vanity and ungodliness have

in-

the servant,

thus speaks,

veritable

:

receive the

'A

?

or

fatuated; or a 'foul Spirit,' through a hapless mortal,

whom

he

inspires

Who

?

thus

lifts

his

mouth

the heavens, and gives his voice blasphemy

one * beside

himself,'

a phrenzied

rhapsodist

? :

against

Merely only tho

of Anglican infidelity, egotist of the age, the high priest

the apostle and prophet of a refined species of Pantheistic

philosophy?

Or a

great

Unseen, the old

Calumniator, the Prototype and Exemplar of truthlessness, venting,

his spleen

?

-

through a human organ, the boilings of

May

it

not be a question, whether there

ia

OBJECTIONS. here a practical confirmation of our doctrine in the person of this vituperative scribe,

sented with a case of actual possession 'put

:

:

we

whether, are pre-

whether he who

into the heart' of an ancient to betray his

it

modem so

shamelessly to vilify the

production of the Holy Ghost?

Should any incline to

Master, also moves a

the affirmative, on what pretext, or with what

show of

be blamed ? Against proof so presumpand lampoons so base and so gratuitous, be to convict them of a want of charity or

reason, can they tive, slanders

hard will

it

candour.

'What

shall

be done unto thee, thou

false

tongue?

Sharp arrows of the mighty, and burning coals of juniper?'

sown

reap as thou hast folly,

Never mayest thou

No, haughty scorner.

and lamenting

While indignant at thy mad hurtful effects on others, we,

!

its

harbour toward thyself no evil wish, cherish no unkind

We pity

feeling.

a noble intellect to

thee

;

we

grieve for thee.

rank among Mental Peers.

too, personally

discover

unknown

some

fine

impiety

!

May

Our

entitled

art,

we

can

desire

and

He who showed mercy

to a

'heart's

remember with similar favour an

may The Good Lord pardon thy

blaspheming Saul,

is

In thy moral nature,

to us though thou

traits.

prayer' for thee are, that

erring Thomas.

Thine

capable of high achievement

horrible

the Spirit of grace convince thee of thy

heterodoxy, and convert thee to the

acknowledgment of the Truth

!

belief

and the

.

Btal'oltcal

OToUatetal Cojics.

PABT THIRD.

CHAPTEE

THIS topic

scarcely, perhaps,

I.

comes within the scope

But, though not properly be^and component part, to the sub-

of the plan proposed.

longing, as a distinct ject to as

under discussion, neither

On

it.

the contrary,

a complex whole, or

Jispects

and bearings,

also possesses

nature

and

is

deep and

intrinsic

its

is it

altogether unrelated

connection with

viewed in

its

alike intimate

taken

comprehensive

and evident.

terrible interest.

importance entitle

frequent consideration.

it,

it

It refers to the

It

Its peculiar

to serious

and

continuance of

an Agency of matchless efficiency, as well as purely malignant in rious, It

character: subtle, impalpable, myste-

yet alarmingly potent, and unceasingly operative,

thus contains matter both for painful and pleasant

musing; tude, at

its

is

calculated at once to excite anxious

and to

inspire grateful joy.

solici-

It begets solicitude,

the idea of exposure to the antagonism, the stealthi-

ness or

the violence, of an influence so superhuman,

192

DIABOLICAL AGENCY. '

\

and

awakens joy, at the thought that, while subject to Divine control, which restrains and so pernicious:

overrules

it

workings, this influence

its

;

is

of limited dura-

tion.

Though, therefore,

it is,

not meant to enlarge upon

the topic, neither notice of it.

out of place,

is it judged proper wholly to omit the few remarks, in passing, may not be For the reason or foreign to our purpose.

A

however, they shall be both brief and general.

stated,

Here, the testimony of Holy Writ, our sole authority,

and by whose is

sufficiently

To

the

intimations' our belief

and

full

first

human

explicit!

pair,

must be regulated,

.

immediately after the

Fall,

and prior to their expulsion from the bowers of Eden, The Seed of the Woman shall bruise it was announced, '

the head of the Serpent/

An

expresses one grand end

the Incarnation,

which in

too,

quences,

may be :

'Forasmuch blood,

.its

He

,

of;

inspired pemnan> thus ;

wider relations and ulterior conse-

considered as embracing every other

as the children

also himself likewise took part; of the same,

He

power- of death, that

is, the Devil.'

:

might destroy him that had the

The Apostle John,

in ^phraseology of similar import, .

truth: 'For; this purpose the Soniof

He

certain.;

:

were partakers of flesh and

that through death,

that;

an end,

conveys the same

God was.manifested,

might destroy the works of the Demi,'

;

On

a

occasion, also, when, in answer to the prayer,

<

Father, glorify

:

Thy Name/

:a;voice

,

from heaven bore

DURATION. audible attestation to His

193

character

and

mission, our

Lord, with holy exultation, and in prospect of their complete fulfilment, uttered these memorable words, so

and so pregnant with precious meaning:

emphatic,

'Now

is

the judgment of this world:

now

shall the

Prince of this world be cast out/

These Scriptures, in harmony with which are numerous others equally plain and decisive, indicate, without obscurity or ambiguity, the design for which

He who

'

was in the form of God/ condescended to be 'made in the likeness of

both in

its

men/

The

immediate and

dently great and glorious troduced,,

and

object contemplated was,

its

final results,

to counteract the evils in-

:

abolish the dominion exercised,

arch Adversary of Crod and. man.

momentous and so

deem

it fit

potence.

desirable, Divine

to accomplish

Of

transcen-

by

by

the

This object, so

Wisdom

did not

a simple exertion of omni-

the sufficiency of an attribute, indeed,

whose resources are

infinite,

to have terminated instan-

taneously the prevalence of the mischiefs to be corrected, there cannot exist a doubt, any

more than of

its

quacy to have prevented the origination of them.

ade-

Such

a procedure, however, not appearing meet or proper,

it

was decreed in the councils of eternity, to bring about, in a very different manner, the blessed effects mentioned.

Eor its

and

this purpose,

an Economy was devised, which, in

progressive developments, should serve to display illustrate, in

beauteous accord and co-operation, the

Q

DIABOLICAL AG^NCT.

and seemingly conflicting, perfections of the Godhead. At the same time, this arrangement, alike

various,

wise and gracious, furnished

new matter

for the adoring

contemplations, with scope and opportunity, which had

otherwise been wanting for the benevolent

activities,

of superior orders of holy intelligence, whose valuable services are thus laid

Satan

we

are taught to

an atrocious It

potism.

regard in the light of a

His supremacy over mankind

Usurper. as

under contribution.

imaginable

:

as well as the iniquity,

is

represented

most hateful des-

was acquired by one of the

vilest

expedients

a device of mendacity and deception, con-

cocted with an artfulness, and plied with a dexterity,

worthy of the ingenuity and adroitness of the Father of lies while the malice and sagacity of the Tempter were :

further evinced, both selected,

by the

absence of her partner. force,

victim,

and the

season,

the one, the 'weaker vessel/ the other, the

By

every scheme of fraud or

which cunning was competent to contrive, or

power to employ, maintained.

this

supremacy has hitherto been

It is characterized equally

ness and impiety

;

by unrighteousmuch of injustice to

or partakes as

whom it seeks to ruin, as of opposition toAvards It is altogether and G-od, whom it would dethrone.

man,

essentially

bad

:

bad in

means, tendencies, and

its

origin

issues.

and

exercise, in its

It exhibits moral evil

with fearful energy, and on the largest scale ; operating embodied in a stupendous, well-organized system of

195

DURATION. misrule

exemplifying principles, and directed to aims,

;

alike subversive of

human

virtue

Divine authority, and destructive of

and happiness.

To the Head of this direful principality

of sin,

brought into subjection through the Eall. effected,

man was

Planned and

with the basest intentions, by Diabolical

craft,

that mournful catastrophe entirely altered his relations to his

The

Maker.

ful servant, a rebel

;

friend

became an enemy ; the

duti-

the object of coniplacential love, a

Stung with a consciousness of agitated by remorse, and dreading the threatened

victim of displeasure. guilt,

penalty, the newly-formed couple, spoiled of their pri-

mitive integrity, shunned the presence of

whom,

Him, with

had delighted to Hearkening to the temptation, to which

in the day of innocence, they

commune.

they should have turned a deaf ear, or that ought to

have been sternly repelled with a

*

Thus saith the Lord,'

they were thoughtlessly betrayed into transgression, Grod, therefore,

whom

they disobeyed, in spite of the

awful sanction with which the prohibition was enforced, '

delivered

them to Satan/

whose

to

solicitation,

urged

with such deceptious plausibility, they, in an unguarded

moment, had jielded.

Such

the whole posterity of Adam.

Federal Representative, they

with him, in his they are

all,

first

is

the lapsed condition of

connected with him as a

:

'

sinned in him, and

transgression/

Consequently,

in virtue of that transgression,

iato the world,

under the

thrall of the

fell

and

as

born

Wicked On.ey

196

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

Hence, he

is

<

styled

world;' while he

the Prince/ and

is also

as

'

the God, of this

described as '

children of disobedience/ as

devour/ and

*

having the

seeking

'

working in

whom he may

power of death/

Concerning the domination in question, two plainly intimated by the Scriptural account,

marked.

First, it is the

certainly,

on the part of God.

mitting

it

;

may be

very extreme of wrong.

He

is

re-

Not,.

righteous in per-

by eating the fruit of which, as the he had been forbidden to partake,

violated His authoritative

command.

The

transgressor,

up power of his Bereceived the due reward of his deed/ The

therefore, in being given trayer,

things,,

for man,

test of allegiance,

'

the-

to the

seductive influence wielded against him, he possessed full ability, as

to withstand. fault, in

the

he was under most imperative obligation, That influence, however, through his own

not remembering the obligation and exerting

ability, prevailed to allure

him

into sin.

Hence, as

one penal consequence of his criminality, the Destroyer of his innocence is suffered to domineer over him.

But,,

without controversy, this subjection of man to Diabolical '

rule, thoughhis proper desert, or the merited recompense-

of his error/ to right.

is,

as

it

respects Satan, flagrantly contrary

Appointed, in equity, by the Moral Governor,,

for the punishment of disobedience,

in

its

mode and its severity, (

saying,

rule

is,

a punishment, both

strikingly illustrative of the

Thine own wickedness shall correct thee ;' this

notwithstanding, in

itself,,

unjust.

Not only the

197

DURATION.

means by which spirit,

was obtained, but the manner, the

it

and the purposes of

to be cruelly oppressive

its

exercise, clearly

show

it

in fact, a form or specimen of

:

in kind and in degree, the most pettyranny, equally feet conceivable. .

The supremacy

Secondly,

of the infernal Potentate:

over mankind, as already observed, is his

indeed,

is.

restricted.

Great,

natural capacity, intense are the prompt-

ings of his misanthropy, while mightily improved,

many

'

character and condition, must be his skill in the

of unrighteousness/

ceivableness

qnergy, and

any

propensities,

in

exceed,

particular,

Yet,

with

dehis

all

and advantages, he cannot, injuriousness,

bounds, exactly defined though not

sovereignty, ha& prescribed

to,

in?

the precise

made known

to us,

which Almighty Goodness, in the arrangements of wise

by

of experience, amid every variety of

centuries

him,

its*

God, for

reasons consistent with the rectitude of His administration,

but of the propriety of which

we

are not

com-

petent judges, may, on occasions, greatly extend his

So

liberty.

far as the permission, warrants,

he may go

;

not one hair's-breadth farther.

The

Devil,

power of

it

is.,

death.'

nature of the

case,,

true,

It

is

is.

represented as .' having: the;

evident, however,

from the

that such an affirmation' must be

understood in a very qualified or subordinate sense.

Death

is

the curse of the law,

d.Qqm denounced upon. man.

'

the wages of sin/ the>

as.

a sinner,

To

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

198

Maker

yet crowned with uprightness, his

the tree of the knowledge of good and

shall

day that thou

for in the

:

:

but of

thou shalt

1

not eat

'Of

said,

every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat evil,

eatest thereof

thou '

This was the penalty which

smely die'

righteous Lord,

who loveth

transgression.

The

the

righteousness/ annexed to

infliction

of

it,

therefore, in vindi-

cation of His insulted Majesty, belongs exclusively

Him

acceptation, as

comprehending

dissolution

:

whether in

spiritual

is

its

the

wider

and eternal con-

more limited import, as denoting the of the connection between soul and body..

sequences, or in

'

Accordingly, for

His

as His unchallengeable prerogative.

absolute dominion over Death

to,

its

He who

liveth,

and was dead, and is

alive

evermore/ thus expressly asserts His sovereignty '

over

it

* :

I have the keys of Hades and of death.*

It follows;, that the

though formidable, is

is

power attributed to the Devil, circumscribed.

It is only

what

agreeable to the Divine pleasure, and subservient to

the ends of punitive justice.

not unlike that of the

officer,

It

to

is

merely ministerial ;

whom

is

intrusted the

executing on a criminal of the sentence pronounced by

the judge.

Here,

may we

not mark at once the righ-

teous seventy of God, and an aggravating circumstancein the

human

condition ?

We

refer to the instrument

t(Mty9 \y$ which the threatened recompense It is that of him,

was committed.

is inflicted.,

through whose instigation the offence

How humiliating to man

:

yet how gratis

DURATION.

199

Entirely accordant with his feelings

! lying to Satan

the function assigned to him,

and in discharge of

is it,

doubtless, he experiences a malicious delight ; though,

meanwhile, he

is

thereby enhancing his

guilt,

*

however unconsciously or

himself wrath against the day of wrath.'

to

up

treasuring

recklessly,

and,

Great, then>

must be the limitation of the dominion, which Satan has over death.

with

all

For, as to death temporal, the time^

the concomitants,

is

while, as to death eternal, the is

precisely

determined, so

of Divine appointment

:

measure of future woes that

the

'cup of

made

to drink.

into

trembling,' of which the accursed are

Demoniacal Agency cannot infuse a superfluous ingredient,

one drop of bitterness more than

strict

equity

apportions.

To

abolish this terrific usurpation,

object contemplated

by

was the grand

the Remedial Economy.

accomplishment involved a variety of marvels of wisdom, condescension,

and beyond compare.

;

and grace, without

In pursuance of

It

displays parallel,

this design, the

Brightness of the Father's glory veils the splendours of Deity,

and * takes on

Him

the form of a servant.'

Creator allies Himself to the creature

Fellow of Jehovah, to humanity

;

;

the Equal

The and

the Second Person in

The OnlyBegotten becomes the Seed of the Woman; the Son of * the Highest, the The Word Progeny of the Virgin. the Blessed Trinity, to

is

made

flesh/

'

dust and ashes.'

and tabernacles upon

earth,, differing,

in

200

DIABOLICAL AGENCY,

no outward tality,

apparently an ordinary descendent of

'To us a Child even

from the common heirs of mor-

respect,

He who

is

is *

whose name

born,'

the mighty

Adam.

Emmanuel; ' God/ and whose goings

forth were of old, from everlasting.

3

is

How

astonishing

!

Stupendous humiliation, transcending angelic concep-

and

tion,

furnishing, through endless ages, matter of

admiring wonder to

and a theme

loftiest intelligences,

of profoundest adoration and grateful praise to re-

deemed humanity

' !

Without controversy, great

mystery of godliness/ In this assumed nature, union with His

qualified, as

rather, in its personal

God and man

the Daysman,

;

he had undertaken, to

'

ance from perdition.

On

their, behalf,

who

lay His hand

upon both.' As the Substitute of the guilty, and suffered whatever was necessary to their

He

He

He

'

fulfilled all righteousness,'

of His life; and

'made

deliver-

magnified

He was made

^redeem them from the curse;' them, that they might be in Him.'

sions,'

He was

'

made

'stripes'

by

sin for

the righteousness of

wounded

for their transgress

which they are 'healed.'

and a

by

a curse, to

was 'made

and bore 'the chastisement of

self for them,, an. offering

For>

the obedience,

reconciliation for iniquity/

the endurance of death.

God

by

did

'

^he law,' and satisfied the demands of justice.

them

the

original, the Lord Jesus appeared as

Mediator between

was

or,

is

their peace'

He

sacrificed

the

'gave HimSuch, too^

&

201

BURATION.

the sufficiency, the infinite value, of that one oblation, that

it

' has perfected for ever' those to

the application of

its

whom is granted

of the offended Sovereign

tence of condemnation,

is

Here,

expiatory efficacy.

a foundation for the exercise of forgiveness

laid

on the part

and to criminals under sen-

;

dispensed, consistently with

is

the honour of the Divine character, and the rectitude of the Divine government, a free

Thus,

'

and irrevocable pardon. it was weak

what the law could not do, in that

through the

flesh,

own Son

in the

condemned

sin in

Grod sending His

likeness of sinful flesh,

and

for sinj

the flesh/

this

singular expedient, every

Now, by

which justice interposed being removed, and clemency having full and unobstructed scope for its

barrier

visitations

' ;

God

is

in Christ reconciling the world to

Himself, not imputing trespasses to

That

them/

Christ, however, 'bare our sins in his

own

body on the tree,' or 'put them away by the sacrifice of Man is depraved, as well as Himself,' was not enough. guilty as

;

:

fication.

necessities, therefore, are

in other words, his nature, equally with his

to be changed.

state, requires

has been

altogether unclean/ as well

His

obnoxious to wrath.

twofold

c

inherently vile, or

made '

Accordingly, provision

alike for his justification

and

his sancti-

A fountain has been opened for sin

undeanness'

By

'the blood of the Covenant/ the obli-

gation to punishment fluences of the

and for

Holy

is

cancelled; while,

Spirit,

the soul

is

by the

purified from

inits.

202

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

As

native pollution.

the gift of the Saviour's love, the

His death, and the

effect of

fruit of

His intercession, yet

and sovereign Agent, He, the Third

as a voluntary

Person in the Trinity, comes forth to His peculiar

transformation.

office it is to

dark mind, to quicken the dead in unlovely

'',

effect this

moral

enlighten the

to beautify the

sin,

and, through His renovation, the children of

corruption are created anew, impressed with the Divine likeness,

and meetened

for the society

and the

inheri-

Thus, by the subjects of His

tance of the undefiled.

operations, a change as complete as

experienced.

Both

are reversed.

Not only are

their condition

it

and

is

delightful

is.

their character

they, in virtue of the atone-

ment, freed from condemnation

:

they are

also,

by the

'

redeemed from iniquity/ and ' constituted, in newness of heart and of life, a peculiar

grace of the Sanctifier,

people, zealous of

What

good works.'

a total alteration, in a spiritual view, do the

subjects of justifying

Theirs

is

and redeeming grace experience!

the blessed privilege to be 'delivered from

the power of darkness, and translated into the .of

God's dear Son.'

Originally, they

One was

was degrading.

kingdom

were in bondage

as hopeless as

it

even Satan

and to him, with the willingness of con-

;

their Master,

genial natures, they 'yielded themselves servants to

obey.

He, pre-eminently the Evil One, was their -

whose image they bore, whose spirit they Over them cherished, and whose 'lusts they did.'

father;

203

DURATION.

unrenewed

their

in

sway;

exercised

this

verified

is

mighty

shall

the prediction,

be retaken

;

and the

be rescued/

terrible shall

dominion

unholy

actually granted liberty

despotic

pardon and

but, contemporaneously with their

regeneration,

Then

he

state,

terminated.

'The prey of the spoil seized

by the

Then, to the captive,

is

and to the enslaved, enlarge-

;

ment. ' Emancipated from the power of Satan,' these

leged persons

own

another Ruler,

privi-

the 'King

who

and to whose authority sub' proper and reasonable. In them He sees of

reigns in righteousness/

mission

is

the travail of His soul.'

They belong

to 'the election

and 'predestinated/ who were covenant, and whom He ransomed

of grace/ the 'chosen'

given to

Him

in

with His blood.

He, therefore, considers them

'purchased possession;' and when the '

favour,

the year of His redeemed/

is

ing of their minds/ too,

obedience

:

so that the

He

disposes

His law

will is their delight.

is

With

He

is

asserts

the 'renew-

them

homage which He

due, the sacrifice of self-consecration, cordial pleasure.

By

to

holy

claims as His

rendered with

in their hearts

:

to do His

convictions of duty,

bine sentiments of gratitude and love.

His

time for

set

come,

and vindicates His property in them.

as

com-

Through the

joint influence of these, they feel constrained to devote

themselves to the service of Him,

with a price/ and

whom, when

who 'bought them

acting in accordance

204

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

make

with their principles, they '

aim to

glorify in their bodies

To promote and

They

summate wisdom them, by

who

;

its

plenary

while the careful improvement of

possess so distinguished a blessing,

There

its

is

salutary warnings,

and threatenings.

There

the

is

prayer,

is

Word,

excellent precepts,

instructions, its

precious promises, tions,

for sim-

in both respects, con-

matter of imperative obligation.

with

habitual

their souls.'

are admirable alike

fitness, indicating,

all

their

these grand designs, various means have

been appointed. plicity

and

it

its

and admoni-

by which the

child of necessity communicates his wants, his sorrows, his desires, to

to help, cation.

Him

who, while ready to hear, and able

commands and encourages such humble

appli-

There are sacred ordinances, the exercises of

and private devotion, which claim our

social worship

reverent regard, as intended for our benefit, the prescriptions of goodness

no

less

than of authority.

connection with these institutions

is

imparted

Divine influence, when they derive their

and through which

is

assimilated to

efficiency,

carried forward that process of

whereby the

purification,

quickened,

is

In that

soul,

when

illumined and

gradually purged from. corruption, and *

the Perfection of beauty/

DURATION,

CHAPTER iahdxtal

^fitg

its

:

205

II.

xwdmtit.

'gumim

IN the way intimated in the preceding Chapter, is

established, 'to the praise of the

a

new and

spiritual

glory of grace,'

Its

kingdom.

were

subjects

erewhile rebels, leagued in revolt, under the supre-

macy of Beelzebub, against the G-od of heaven disaffection of the heart attested

of the

life.

Its blessed

the

;

by the disobedience

Founder, entertaining towards

them thoughts of peace/ instead of vexing them in His anger, redeemed them by price, and subdued them by '

Each

power.

is

a vassal rescued from the domination

of the Usurper, who, though shall

era from

suffered to harass,

Conversion

which dates the cessation of

glorification places all

still

not henceforth enthral them.

them

future annoyance.

for ever

Thus

is

his reign

;

is

the

while

beyond the reach of

actually accomplishing

the final purpose of our Lord's manifestation in the *

flesh, is

works of

the Devil."

Thus

'the judgment of this world' becoming a palpable

and all

the destruction of the

delightful fact

:

a government

is

being set up, in

particulars the opposite of that which had previously

B

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

206

a government, of which the distinguishing

existed;

characteristics are

'

righteousness, peace,

Holy Ghost/ while the boundaries gressively to enlarge,

Thus

globe.

is

till

and joy in the

are destined pro-

they include the circle of the

'the Prince of this world cast but:'

commencing with through all ages and

dispossessed of the dominion, which,

the conquest in Paradise, he has, all

climes,

rigorously maintained, from their

their latest breath, over the

human

kind.

to

first

Exceptions,

indeed, there have been in every generation,

excep-

tions, too, in the aggregate innumerable, though com-

paratwely few

those

:

and trophies to

whom,

as specimens of its power,

honour, sovereign grace wrested

.its

from the hold of the Tyrant.

Of

this

happy consummation

the subverting, and,

ultimately, the abolishing, of Diabolical ascendancy

the meritorious or procuring cause Christ.

The

reasons have been stated.

a basis for the exercise of pardon for the

:

it

the death of

is,

His death laid

opened a channel

communication of saving influence

:

it

removed

every obstacle to the establishment of a Mediatorial

kingdom.

This kingdom has been actually introduced ; *

by the stone cut out without hands, a became that great mountain, and filled the whole and, as symbolized

earth,'

is,

by Divine

Agency, to increase the

blessed fruits

subsequent to

its

ordination, till it

and through gracious

become

universal.

Nor

are

of that death merely posterior, or

occurrence

:

its

glorious efficacy

is

DURATION.

What

also retrospective,

event, during the

many

207

multitudes, anterior to the

centuries that intervened be-

tween 'righteous Abel' and the ransomed malefactor on the '

were redeemed from

cross,

spiritual slavery, or

turned from the power of Satan unto

asked, why, or

how?

We

God

' !

,

Is it

answer, only in virtue of

'the decease which Jesus -accomplished at Jerusalem

:'

on the ground of the perfect expiation effected by it, and through the application to them of its merits. In other words,

it

was owing to the atonement made by and their prospective and be-

the suffering obedience,

lieving regard to the substitution, of le

'

Him who was

to

stricken for the transgression of His people/ that

they

owed

their deliverance

from the guilt of

and,

sin,

consequently, from the captivity of the Devil.

With

what sublime

satisfaction, then, with what^ triumphant must our joy, Lord, in the near prospect of that Crucifixion, from which were to flow issues of such magnitude, have declared: 'Now shall the Prince of this

world be cast out!'

These remarks, while indicating

the

degree,

term, of that lordship

usurped over man.

illustrating the character,

may

suffice

to

and

ascertain the

which the great Apostate has

It includes the entire race;

not a

child of mortality, while unjustified, being exempted.

In regard to the family of adoption, transition

moment

of

its

it

ceases with the

members from death to

of deliverance from condemnation

life: is,

the

to each

208

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

the commencement of everlasting escape from

Their number, at any period,

trol.

that period, of

its

sphere

:

is

its

con-

the measure, at

the increase or diminution of

the one, determines the extension or contraction "of the other.

Not

.to

speak of former times,

how

nearly universal,

range of the latter

upon the

!

it

earth,

when

Of the thousand

the

is

millions existing

notwithstanding the recent

still,

triumphs of Christianity,

was

it

ample, even at present,

and the frequent accessions to

the faithful from the ranks of Paganism, enchains in willing servitude the vast proportion.

How

greatly,

and with what accelerating rapidity, may we expect it to be abridged, through the fulfilment, in a more remarkable manner, of the promise of the Spirit

!

This

is

the grand promise, the distinctive blessing, of the Evangelical Dispensation.

And

does not prophecy warrant

the hope of larger bestowments of "the heavenly gift'

than are yet witnessed copiousness and

effect,

Pentecostal days?

;

gracious effusions rivalling, in

the plentiful outpourings

of

This sacred influence, of which,

however, the impartation stands connected with prayer, will

be shed forth abundantly

ground.'

Accompanying,

as

as

a

'

floods vital

energy, the use of appointed means,

it

upon the dry and vivifying will evince,

by

the sure evidence of practical proofs, both their apti-

tude and

efficacy.

ders powerful, as

by which

He

(

The Word,

otherwise weak,

it

ren-

the rod of the Redeemer's strength/

'rules in the midst of His enemies;' sub-

209

DURATION.

duing opposition, bowing into submission, and making, 5

of the rebellious, a

Thus

willing people.

shall the Mediator,

and by the instrumentality of the Truth, extend,

Spirit,

quickening process, that kingdom

a gradual yet

by

He came

which those,

to establish.

whom

oppressive conquest,

Its

subjects consist of

He travailed in the greatness whom He gave His life a ransom,' '

on whose behalf

of His strength,' for

and

through the agency of the

'

he freed from a yoke

as debasing as it is

by redemption and by Its Principalities and Powers/

the prey of which,

:

He

'

spoiled

enlargement, so deeply concerning the honour of His

Name, the glory of

Him

afford

and the weal of man, must

G-od,

Indeed, what

delight.

is

this

enlargement

but the application, on an expanded and expanding scale,

of the virtues of His Cross, the omnipotence of

His grace, and the force of His doctrine

Nor

?

is

such

prosperity problematical, or a pleasing probability is

by express

absolutely certain, guaranteed

and inviolable promise.

Thee the heathen

for

'

Ask

it

stipulation

of me, and I shall give

Thine inheritance, and the utter-

most parts of the earth for have dominion from sea to the ends of the earth.

;

Thy

sea,

The

possession.

and from the

isles shall

He

shall

river unto-

wait for His

law..

All the kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee.'

What

{

the

mouth

of the

Lord hath spoken, the

What

zeal of the

Lord' will perform.

whom were

granted visions of the distant

the seer, to future,,

an-

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

210'

nounced, and what, after the revolution is

thirty centuries,

of nearly

but very partially accomplished,,

coining generations shall behold realized in

To

import.

Messiah the Prince 'there

were given

dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that

and

nations,,

dominion

is

pass away,

should

languages,

serve

all

peoples,

Him:

an everlasting dominion, which

and His kingdom

its fullest

shall

His not

that which shall not be

destroyed/ But, this numerical increase of the subjects of, the

Mediator, implies a corresponding decrease of those of

The one

the Usurper.

the obvious and necessary

is

Those composing the con-

consequent of the other.

stituency of the kingdom, of light, are so

many deducted

from the complement of the kingdom of darkness, to which, originally, they, in

They

rate^ belonged.

peculiar happiness

mercy, to

it is,

common with

are

who

;

and, henceforth, he

over' them.

whom

they

will,

no longer commands

His sceptre, in regard to them,

obedience.

broken

He,

claimed them as his vassals, and

used them as ministers of his .their

They

1

as the effect of distinguishing

have exchanged Lords.

formerly served,,

the unregene-

a favoured people, whose

{

shall

is

not have dominion

are 'under grace:' so that

much

as

he may,, in the meantime, entice or disquiet them,, never shall he gratify his malice in tormenting them,, never have the privilege of acting towards one of them

he

'

destroyer..

Neither Angel,, nor Principality,, nor

DURATION. Power,

Our

be able to separate them from the love of

shall

God, which

is

in Christ Jesus our

doctrine, then,

is,

Lord/

whom

that they

grace has

and restored to the

reinstated in the Divine favour,

Divine image, are no longer in bondage of captivity the

Wicked One.

to-

In proportion as they are multiplied,

the sphere of his domination

is

The Oracle

narrowed.

speaks of times, when, in respect of

number

as well as

of dew holy beauty, they will be comparable to the drops in the all

In Zion's King,

morning.

nations shall

call

times distinguished

by

Him

'

men

shall

be blessed

Those

blessed/

will

and among the

is

subjection

from heaven/

'behold Satan fall *

still

his seat

is,'

'

He, whose right

it is,

having taken to

His great power/ will overturn the throne of

quity,

and

'

and

yielded to his yoke, he will be dispossessed

and ejected.

Him

Where

it

all

of humanity.

diversified tribes

Then, wherever the eye turns, will as lightning

be

the communication of the Spirit,

and the prevalence of sacred knowledge, through lands,

:

in

ini-

His majesty ride prosperously, because of

truth, meekness,

and righteousness/

Then, in every

tongue and through every clime, will burst, from exultant voices, the joyful proclamation salvation,

Now

is

come

and strength, and the kingdom of our

and the power of His Christ brethren

' :

is

cast

:

for the

down, who accused them before our

Grod day and night/

That

even,

Grod,.

Accuser of our

at this period,; so conspicuous for

212

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

,

universal diffusion

and the general ex-

of the light,

< perience of the efficacy, of the Gospel of the grace of

God,' every indiwdwl will be a Christian in reality as well as in name, character

not affirmed.

is

But, this being the

immense majority, the domain of

of the

Satanic sovereignty

in consequence, be of compara-

will,

at the

tively diminutive proportions.

Still,

highest Evangelical prosperity,

and throughout

succession of generations, he- will,

'

true,

that which

words, every one

is

subjects.

born of the

flesh is flesh/

therefore, harsh as shall

life

upon it

may

it

twofold

the

will hold

In other

every one has

a depraved creature, and,

sound, a child of the Devil,

an individual ever obtain exemption from

rule, save in the

of

may be presumed,

the end

will hereafter enter, as

hitherto entered,

Nor

it

To

have more or fewer

eras

way

described.

his

These are the

indispensable requisites, and these the actual provisions,

of the Eestorative Dispensation in all ages,

and

collectively,

who are

'

'

all,

severally

predestinated unto the adop-

The person must be justified, through

the righteousness of the Surety

of the

the same substantially

and applying with equal force to

tion of children/

;

and the soul must be

the washing of regeneration, and renewing

by Holy Ghost/

purified,

;

How

numerous, beyond the

reali-

zations of any preceding epoch, the wonders of grace,

the emancipations from Diabolical enthralment, in those auspicious times,

but

when

Christianity, not only in

word

in power, shall have gained her predicted prevalence

;

213

DURATION. her 'glory

filling

the whole earth;' her doctrine en-

lightening docile myriads

abodes of humanity

;

;

her

her disciples found in

all

the

the hearts, spirit animating

her graces beautifying the

her precepts

characters,

kindred regulating the practice, of the most of every lands vocal with the praise, and their dwellers

all

;

bow-

ing in lowly reverence to the authority, of her Great

Teacher

' !

Allelujah

!

The kingdoms

of this world are

become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ/ Bearing upon

this point are

two statements, not with-

out both interest and instruction, in the Apocalypse.

At

present,

we

conclude with merely adverting to them.

The

first

tion

caused by a series of awful judgments,

and desola-

that after the scenes of terror

is,

and the

silencing of the Ealse Prophet,

final

by the pouring out of the last

of Antichrist,

the seat of the Beast

:

after the

overthrow vial,

upon

then commences a season of un-

rivalled illumination, purity,

and peace.

'

The kingdom

and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the

Most High/

exemplified:

men, and

He

The

sacred picture will be

'Behold, the tabernacle of will dwell

God Himself

be their God/

This blissful season

is

spoken of as 'a

literal

we pause not to inquire.

lengthened course,

with

be with them, and

shall

-

thousand years;' but, whether

its

is

with them, and they shall be

His people, and

years are meant,

God

Satan

is

or prophetical

Throughout

denied the liberty^

214

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

previously granted him, to deceive and corrupt. first

immunity from

his temptations ; for

cast into the bottomless pit,

The second statement Millennium

whether

is,

will ply,

his efforts.

'

wax

The

'

bound, and

prophetical

Satan

he will again move to and fro over the it

may

be, of the briefness of

term allowed him

y

Mournful success

will attend

Iniquity abounding, the love of '

works of the

for

with renewed energy and dex-

terity, his seductive arts.

the

*

Then, in company with

his reprieve, the shortness of the

cold/

is

'

or

literal

In anticipation,

mischief, he

he

and shut up, under a seal/ that on the expiry of the

shallbe loosed out of his prison/ his accomplices, earth.

Then,

time since the Fall, mankind enjoy

perhaps for the

many shall

fruits of the Spirit' will give place to

flesh

;'

and

to the prevalence of piety,

will succeed the spread of ungodliness.

Such, indeed,

be the progress of degeneracy, that the question will not be inappropriate, 'When the Son of Man will

eorneth, shall he find faith

be the continuance of not to say

;

on the earth?' -What may

this state of matters,

we pretend

though, without presumption, the conjecture

may be hazarded, that

it

will

not be very long.

One

be terminated suddenly, by the unexpected appearance of the Judge. In scoffing tone ' Where is the promise of His Infidelity may be asking, thing

coming shall

certain, it will

is

?'

be

'

Lo

!

while the words are on the tongue,

He

revealed from heaven,' with a glory befitting

His dignity and function, terrible to His enemies, but

DURATION. gladdening to His friends. ' by the latter, vengeance :

215

On the former, He will take He will be admired/ and in '

'

'

them be

glorified.'

Then

of God,' respecting the

'the mystery

shall

humankind upon

be

earth,

l

The

finished/

righteous

and the wicked, having received their respective sentences, shall enter class in

on

their final allotments; the one

the mansions of unchanging

the regions of unending woe.

bliss,

Then,

the other in

too, will

be 'the

judgment of the great day/ to which the arch Culprit ' Like a condemned malefactor, is said to be reserved.' to

whom

a respite had been given, but whose hour of has arrived, he must meet his

suffering

doom; the

penalty. which justice awarded, but which Providence, for so

No

long a time, had mysteriously suspended.

more reprieve

no more

no more misrule:

license

imprisonment, henceforth and for ever,

is

his portion.

Straightway he goes, under the frown of Omnipotence; '

into the

everlasting fire prepared for himself

and

his

Angels/ Thus,

according to the account of Scripture, will

he annihilated that mischievous Agency, which, from the beginning to the is

It

close of his earthly existence,

exerted, with such baneful efficiency, against

procured

under

'

his liability to

punishment:

the bondage of corruption

and vexation to those effectuated

whom

' :

.it

it

it

man.

brought

Mm

caused annoyance

could not ruin:

the perdition of countless myriads.

it

Its

216

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

entire abolition,

though determined and

event of remote futurity

it is

:

foretold, is an

deferred to 'the end of

the world/ and will be simultaneous with the winding

up of the drama of its

in virtue of 'the blood '

of sprinkling,'

of.

and through

have been recovered from

sanetification of the Spirit,'

the captivity

Thrice happy they, who,

history.

Hereafter, secure from

the Terrible.

the possibility of assault, and grateful for deliverance

from horrors, of which no description, and no comparison, can give

an adequate

the perils of the

'

but faintly imaged by

idea,

lions' den,'

or the

'

mountain of the

leopards:' they shall celebrate, in song ever new, and

with gladness ever swelling, the interpositions and the '

triumphs of Mercy.

Our

of the snare of .the fowler are escaped.'

them,

:

soul

escaped as a bird out

is

broken, and

we

done great things'

for

the snare

To Him who has

'

their rapturous praises, in

doxologies of seraphim, shall be

and without end, Blessed be

He

is

symphony with the

hymned without

pause,

'Hosanna to the Son of David:

that

came in the name of the Lord

;

Hosanna in the highest !' -How is the Mighty fallen Over the Lion of hell the Lion of the tribe of Judah !

has

'

Perfect and everlasting

triumphed gloriously.'

the salvation of the perishing; the Lord,

who remembered

as

its

attestation.

Is it asked,

why ?

grounds which/ bear the

Infidelity has laboured in vain

and which, the more they have been investiwe believe' the Record to gatedj appear the firmer, to impair^

have the

:

Assured of

seal of Divinity. :

arid genuineness^ as 'the

structions,

Word

of

God; we

authenticity 1

regard

its in-^

not as matters of question or ;dubiety$ but the;

announcements of Veracity,

Among

its

these are the

revelations of Infallibility.

two

propositions> in defence:

and elucidation of which the present Tractate' has been penned.

To

strip

them of

Criticism, alike unscrupulous

no device of

unfairness.

Ghost,' it has offered

their significance,, lawless ;

To

and

1

godless, has stuck at

the 'words of the Holy'

extreme violence;

a'

violence,

without parallel among- the grossest- perversions, or

SUMMARY. ..arbitrary 'misconstructions,

'the .words -of

,of.

Jn no department

wisdom/

.5227

of -Classical

would such freedoms be tolerated;

(

literaitur.e

.nor -would ..iany

Commentator, >who valued the reputation for integrity r

saneness, dare, evenjby approximation, to practise

..or

On .passages

,

and, expressions, }too

to .misunderstand, a

,;plain

been irnpqsed, of

.has

meaning

-it.

for the simplest

which no unsophisticated mind could have dreamed ;

,a

.strange, so fanciful, so wanting, in 'veri<

-so

meaning,.

similitude, ,as to partake of .the ludicrous, .and .excite .

,

:

,

the surmise ,that its -authors are in spor,t. :

tion of: it, if -not-

,

.

.of

,

of

-,

symptomatic of

-fatuity,

,The guggesor some

monomania, -betokens a profaneness, an

which deserves ,to be .chastised .without mercy.

.spirit,

;Demonology, or the existence: of living invisible

.-propound.

would seem,

.,Stuch-

;

'!

(

;



indispensable.

superintendence

;

including the

thoughts, the words, the actions, or the heart and the life,

as well as enemies,

The moral frame

whether corporeal or

invisible.

has, for obvious reasons, the

In the unrenewed,

claim to regard.

it is

primary evil:

wholly

Even

every faculty perverted, every attribute unholy. in

the regenerate,

sinfulness

still

against the ,

it is

adheres to

but partially it:

the law

spirit

there

Adam's apostasy, no

*the flesh lusting

Since the fatal hour of

.partaker of humanity, save the

Seed of the Woman, could say in this .world

much

the members warring

in.

against the law of the mind.'

is

.rectified:

hath nothing in me.'

'

truth,

The Prince

of

In the best he finds

materials on which to operate; corruptions, latent but These render unmortified, which he tries to stimulate. his

temptations

likely to

fail,

Hence the

so

dangerous

They

are

thus

less

and,, therefore, the more to be dreaded.

necessity of strict attention to the interior

movements, the workings and tendencies of the inner

man;

Hence the

of the injunction,

propriety, the universal applicableness,. *

Keep

thine heart with all diligence.*

405

BELIEVERS IN DEMONOLOGY. Out of nature

proceeds whatsoever

it

is

the source, to which

A

defiles.

polluted

be traced, in

may

instances, the streams of impurity in the life.

the

then,

not,

Suppress,

in

first

its

forbidden desire

incipiency, ;

lest,

Neglect

depravity within.

of

stirrings

all

'the vile

affection,' it

being cherished,

the

strengthen,

and in an unguarded moment, through the potency of

Crush the

foreign influence, betray into foul offence.

or

egg,

forthwith may,

when

'

Lust,

when

sin,

The

'

it is finished,

it

is '

keep

my mouth

Set a watch,

my

It

is

lips.'

To

government.

with a bridle, while the wicked

the same effect was his petition,

Lord, before

The tongue

is

my mouth

;

keep the door

aptly called our

'

glory.'

a noble organ, constituting one of the chief

characteristics of

him from gift

similiar

was a wise resolution of the Psalmist,

before me.'

of

bringeth forth death/ requires

also,

speech,

I will

sting.

hath conceived, bringeth forth sin ; and

it

Accordingly,

come out a viper to

all

man, and honourably distinguishing

the brutal tribes.

of creative goodness

badge of superiority

is

is

Alas

!

how this

excellent

misused or perverted

made an instrument

!

The

of shame.

Of the bulk of mankind, the ordinary discourse is full and folly, of dissimulation and lying, of slander,

of froth

profaneness, varieties.

and evil-speaking, in

What mournful

illustrations does it afford of

the truthvOf the inspired description a little

conceivable

all their

* !

The tongue

member, and boasteth great things

:

is

an unruly

406

DIABOLICAL AGENCY. of

evil, full it

deadly poison

defileth the

of nature able

and

;

in the

Eminently

a

:

fire,

a world of iniquity

whole body, and setteth on it is set

on

cause of Satan

is it

of hell/

fire

is

fire

:

the course

How

service-

such an instrument!

adapted to promote ungodliness, and

further the interests of the

kingdom of darkness.

May

not be supposed, therefore, that his craft will be

it

displayed in exciting to the employment of

ways calculated

to accomplish,

most directly and

utmost extent, ends so congenial to his malice ? then,

who would not

'

in the

it

to.

the

Those,'

give place to the Devil,' need

scrupulously to avoid, in converse, what savours of the filthy or

the

the 'foolish talking and jesting,

false,

which are not convenient/ exhortations, so salutary

.

With

the

Apostolical

and binding, compliance must

be constantly yielded: 'Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth

with grace, seasoned with

Let your speech be always The law of truth and

:

salt/

love ought, invariably, to regulate the utterance of the '

lips.

The '

God

is

A wholesome tongue is

a tree of life/

sphere of vigilance, too, embraces the conduct. looketh on the heart,' and according to

His estimate of the character.

purged of depraved principle,

passions,

the latter will,

If the former

its state is right,

and governed by gracious

in

its

general aspects, be

'

irreproachable.

appearance

;'

for,

Man, however, looketh on the. outward of what

is

cognizance, except in so far as

within he can have no it is

manifested by

the.

BELIEVERS IN DEMONOLOGY. If this

-life.

free from disorders or irregularities, the

is

verdict is favourable: whereas, if -spots

and blemishes, a

Christians

407

profess,

different

is

acting

Their Keligion,

-exemplify godliness.

disfigured is

judgment

when

and,

it

by

formed.

consistently,

itself

the very

,essence of purity, inculcates excellence perfect as its

nature.

are

They

to

required

be 'blameless and

harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke;' to 'shine as.

Word ,is.

of life

holy

;'

'

luminaries

lights'-

in the world, holding forth the

to be 'holy, as

;'

aiming

He who hath called them

at conformity to the

assimilation to

which

happiness.

however, they greatly

If,

the morality

a

being

equally a duty, an honour, a

is

and piety enjoined

and the practice there palpable

is

;

/before,

on

their

own

the

other;

sad.

They

the thus,

and grieving

souls,

the righteous, throw stumbling-blocks

the wicked, and occasion reproach to the faith,

opening the mouths of also

in cultivating

a marked discrepance, the one

consequences, in every respect, are

-the hearts of

fail

between the creed

if

contradiction to

besides bringing guilt

Divine Pattern,

its

enemies to blaspheme.

gladden the spirit of the Evil One;

rejoice to see his professed

They who must

opponents co-operating to

^execute his pleasure, and, like obedient tools, doing so efficiently his It,

work,

therefore,

sory to such mischiefs the scandal

. .

becomes those who would not be -whether their,

own

acces*-

detriment, 1

of Religion, or the gratification of the

408

v

DIABOLICAL AGENCY,

Adversary

to

cumspection

is

with safety.

t

take heed to their ways/

obligatory

What

:

nor can

it

Such

cir-

ever be neglected

frequent delinquencies, what dis-

graceful lapses, owing in

many

instances to inadver-

would due attention to the deportment prevent will this appear to be needful and proper,

tence,

!

The more

the more the strength of inward corruption, or the force of outward temptation,

is

considered.

Think,

also, of

'the depths of Satan:' with what dexterity he can suit his suggestions to the cases of individuals sities

of temper or character, of mental or moral

of physical condition or social relationship

he can detect, and adroitly points:

be

it

to all diver-

how

skilfully

assail,

:

state,

how quickly

the more vulnerable

he can ply the 'besetting

sin/

pride or vanity, avarice or ambition, love of dis-

tinction

or,

thirst for notoriety, sensual appetite or taste

for refined pleasure, the deceivableness of self-righteous

complacency, or proneness to dejection and despon-

Marvellous indeed, far exceeding

dency*

ception, are the subtilty

in his working.

How

and

human

con-

variety, as well as energy,

appropriate, then, the admoni-

tion, as

regards equally the outer and inner man,

Watch

Inattention or carelessness here may, through

!

the sudden surprises or violent assaults of the Enemy, bring into subjection to his power, and lead to acts or courses prejudicial to peace and purity, to reputation

and

'Godly jealousy/ embracing in its both the nature and demeanour, will prove one

usefulness.

exercise

BELIEVERS IN DEMONOLOGY.

409

means of preventing such injurious conseVigilance, then, unrelaxing and habitual, we

of the best quences.

all

urge upon

who would

avoid the stings of conscience

and the bitterness of regret, or deprive those who watch for their halting, and would exult in their of occasion to triumph over them.

dom than '

:'

Of the .concisely

sober,

its spirit,

by

aims.

sum

thus

is

but forcibly stated by the Apostle Peter

'Be

:

be vigilant ; because your Adversary the Devil,

devour. is

forces it .the

its

precepts, animated

four preceding particulars, the

a roaring

same

compliance with the exhortation,

is

its

regulated by

and directed to

.as

duty

fall,

wis-

less their

your conversation be as becometh the Gos-

let

Only pel

their

Not

lion,

walketh about seeking

Whom

resist,

stedfast

in

whom

Devil,

and he

will flee

manded and encouraged,

let

by whatever

to entice us into sin.'

ultimate victory;

from you.'

f

are stronger than we,

Resist

Thus com-

what-

may

seek

parleying with them, no

cessation of antagonism to them, full

en-

us offer a strenuous and

allurements, they

No

The

who

.constant opposition to Spiritual Wickednesses, in

ever ways, or

may

the faith/

the injunction of the Apostle James,

by the assurance of

he

is

allowable.

They

of 'cunning craftiness/ and

long experienced in the arts of deception; while, in their hostile efforts, ;

they are aided by a traitorous party

we may be aware, to deliver us into Not one moment ought we to hearken to

within, ready, ere their hands.

2L

410

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

these Tempters

of danger. terest,

moment

alike of guilt

and

every consideration of duty and of in-

By

we

that were a

:

are called

upon to

minedly, a deaf ear to

all

turn, at once

and deterand pro-

their solicitations

'Get thee behind me, Satan, thou savourest

posals.

not the things that be of God/ should be our prompt

and indignant

whensoever they accost us in the

reply,

either of terror or persuasion, of threat or

language promise.

It is requisite, too, in contending

the

Word

only lawful means those which Never must we authorizes or prescribes.

attempt to fight him with his recourse to the

hood or

with the Adver-

we employ

sary, that

'

own weapons

:

never have

hidden things of dishonesty,' to

fraud, to

false-

any of the multifarious contrivances by which he and his confederates,

of unrighteousness,

human

as well as diabolical, endeavour to support

propagate the cause of error and impiety. tance

is

to be firm, resolute,

resistance of persons,

from which they

act,

who

Our

and unyielding

;

and

resis-

yet, the

are careful that .the motives

and the expedients which they

adopt, as well as the ends pursued, are agreeable to the

Divine

will.

If

it is

asked,

How,

then, shall

we oppose

the stratagems, or repel the attacks, of Demoniacal

Agency?

by

We

answer,

long-suffering,

by

'By

by knowledge, by the Holy Ghost, by

pureness,

kindness,

by the Word of Truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand

love unfeigned,

411

BELIEVERS IN DEMONOLOGY. and on the

Thus

left.'

resisted, the

Adversary

may be

expected, temporarily at least, to 'flee' disappointed, saint, whom he hoped to inveigle or more than coerce, conqueror.' To the various means specified, PRAYER Finally,

and leave the '

must be superadded. to

Without

be of much advantage

it,

:

they are not likely

this,

whereas, in connection with

they are almost certain to prove

The

efficacious.

separation of the former from the latter, will be our

The whole com-

weakness ; their union, our strength.

bined form a defensive armour so complete, and of quality so superlatively excellent, that the saint, ac-

coutred in

it,

and

skilled in the use of

he will thus be a match for

Assailants.

might, he

Though will

need not be

However

greatly apprehensive of danger. himself,

it,

inferior 'in

his formidable

lacking their native sagacity and

be enabled, nevertheless, to

foil

their

deepest devices, and withstand their utmost force. '

Watch and

pray,' said our

Lord to His

disciples at

a critical juncture, 'that ye enter not into temptation/

The admonition was

salutary

soon the event showed

how good

to

and appropriate ; and it

had been

for

them

have remembered, and practically observed, those

utterances of foreseeing and considerate kindness.

The

same precept, for similar reasons,

and

perpetual application.

Let

themselves individually. as it will

be the

all

is

regard

of universal it

as addressed to

Let compliance be the study,

safety, of each

;

and, especially in the

412

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

contest with unseen, yet real and powerful, Antagonists*

What an

what an impressive warn-

instructive lesson,

ing, is administered

by the culpable

pursued, with the happiest his noble-hearted

neglect, with its

How

opposite the course

effects,

by Nehemiah and

sad results, of the Eleven! '

compatriots,

on

their

return from

hostile

Hear how they acted when apprized of the intentions of conspiring bands, who were mus-

tering

their

exile!

set

forces

'

to

obstruct

the

rebuilding of

We

made our prayer unto our God, and a watch against them day and night/ What a fine

Jerusalem

:

precedent; inculcated

We flict

!

what an edifying example of the duty ' Christian, go thou and do likewise/

are feeble creatures, utterly unequal to the con-

with Principalities and Powers.

With not even

one of our Spiritual Opponents could we hope to maintain a successful struggle, bolical

moths.

Agency, we *

But,

strength/ infinite.

Before the might of Dia-

should instantly be crushed like

with the Lord Jehovah

His arm

is

Aid he can

readily impart, in measure suited

the believer, though but

resists Potentates

everlasting

omnipotent; His -under standing

to the extremest exigency. plies,

is

Invigorated by his sup'

dust and ashes,' steadily

and eventually energy and wiles. These

of superior nature,

gains the victory over their

gracious communications, however, must be the matter of earnest and importunate petition

:

otherwise he has no

warrant to expect, no promise that he shall obtain

BELIEVERS '

them.

Thus

Lord God, I

saith the

be inquired of by the house of

in proportion to

answeredst in

my

me Thou :

do

may Then

strengthenedst

and

receive;'

be

will it

day when I

me

for them.'

it

is

Thou

cried,

with strength

When

the prevalency of prayer.

effectual,' or inwrought

and

'

fervent

energetic, the devout

utterance, not simply of the lip, but of the heart

heart 'full of faith

is

Thrilling

the story of

its

Would you know what it

a

and of the Holy Ghost,' earnestly

desirous of the supplicated

ances

his

soul/

Great

and

his need.

to testify, 'In the

privilege

will yet for this

Israel, to

Let him, therefore, 'ask, that he receive

413

DEMONOLOGY.

IN.

it

good

much/

successes in the sacred page.

has achieved

it

has wrought, the judgments

how

benefits it has secured;

'availeth

it

;

the deliver-

has averted, the

has opened and shut

it

heaven, stayed the destroying Angel, curbed the merci-

chained passions furious as the raging

less oppressor,

billows

or

accounts.

the driving tempest

What

prayer, as a

:

read the inspired

mean of

blessing, or a

Divine institution, was aforetime, the same the, miraculous excepted, as

it

yet possesses,

a throne of grace stands, will retain,

that ever belonged to

it.

Neither

it is

still

:

and so long

all

is there,

the efficacy

nor during

man's continuance upon earth, can there be, the least

abatement of

its

able necessity. so

imperative obligation, or

And

what a

its

indispens-

privilege, that creatures

impotent, and liable any instant to the assaults of

2 L 2

414

DIABOLICAL AGENCY,

the Terrible Ones, are allowed to implore help of Him,

Who

and to them that

"giveth power to the faint,

have no might increaseth strength

' !

Persevere in the diligent use of other appointed

means, especially those

we have recommended;

but,

convinced of their inherent weakness and insufficiency,

on no account omit prayer. In a certain emergency^ ' when Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed ; .and

when he

down

let

his hand,

was this^symbolical action

significant

How suggestive

!

both of instruction and admonition to

Hence

learn

how

it

How

Amalek prevailed/

becomes you to

all

generations

!

you would

strive, if

succeed in the encounter with Diabolical Adversaries.

In the one

case, the tribes

valour than in the other like

;

may have fought with not less yet were they repulsed.

In

manner, forget to invoke the Divine interposition,

and, though employing every prescribed or approved

mean, you will as certainly sustain '

then, that

Him must come

that from to

Him

'

defeat.

the excellency of the power

is

the needed aid,

without ceasing.'

Persuaded*

God/ and make request of

Conscious of your

feebleness, your inferiority to those with

contend, beseech

Him

to clothe

you with vigour, and

arm you with courage, and, through His succour, cient,

your

will

resisted, will

exertions,

however

be crowned with '

flee

own

whom you gracious

seemingly

victory.

Satan,

ineffi-

thus

from you/ abashed and humiliated

:

and He, in whose implored strength you now van-

BELIEVERS IN DEMONOLOGY. quish him, will, in due season,

'

bruise

him under your

feet/

In the Epistle to the Ephesians, a striking passage occurs,

which

in

is

stated,

with singular force and

beauty of expression, the substance of the preceding

To

remarks.

a

comprehensive scheme of doctrinal

the Apostle subjoins a series of apposite

exposition,

practical exhortations.

These he concludes with the as

following advices, which,

worthy of the deepest

we would press upon the serious consideration Ponder them often: they are weighty and ' hide them in Store them in the memory important.

attention,

of

all.

;

the heart

exercise the understanding

;' upon them, and, The observance of them them meditation. digest by will be your wisdom, and ought to be your care.

The neglect of them, while involving the '

refusing

Him

that speaketh from heaven/ will be your

and may be your

loss,

guilt of

ruin.

Entreat that He, from

whose inspiration they proceeded, may dispose you to regard them with the reverence due to supreme authority, and incline you to a cordial and habitual compliance

and import. The Lord Jesus, by His servant Paul, delivered them to the Churches : how it

with their

spirit

concerns His professed followers to hear, believe, and

obey

!

The

injunctions referred to are the following

;

and oh, that they obtained, universally, the consent of the

mind and the conformity of Finally,

my brethren,

the

life

!

be strong in the Lord, and in

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

416

-

Put on the whole .armour of

the power of His might.

God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of Por we wrestle not against flesh and blood,

the Devil.

but against Principalities, against Powers, against the Eulers of the darkness of this world, against Spiritual

Wickedness in high

Wherefore take unto you

places.

the whole armour of God, that ye

withstand in the

evil day,

Stand therefore, having your truth,

loins

feet

of peace

above

shall

;

able to

to stand.

girt about

with

shod with the preparation of the Gospel all,

taking the shield of faith, wherewith

be able to quench

And

Wicked.

all

the fiery darts of the

take the helmet of salvation, and the

sword of the

Spirit,

always with

all

which

is

the

Word of God:

supplication for

praying

prayer and supplication in the

and watching thereunto with

We

all

and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

and your

ye

may be

and having done

all

Spirit,

perseverance and

all saints/

close this Chapter with recalling to

a fact previously adverted

It is here introduced as

to.

a fact admirably calculated

remembrance

to

subserve a twofold

purpose.: a ground of encouragement, and a motive to

gratitude. '

Millions of spiritual creatures

Unseen, both when

we

walk the earth

sleep and when

we wake.'

!

Of

these incorporeal Yisitants, some are

good. '.The former,, prompted

by

malice,

evil,

others

come with

BELIEVERS IN DEMONOLOGY.

41T-

moved by

philanthropy,

wicked intentions: the

latter,

and commissioned by their Gracious Lord, speed on errands

'Are they not all ministering them who shall be

of kindness.

Spirits, sent forth to minister for

heirs

What

of salvation?'

though unperceived, '

our path like

a solemn thought, that,

may

they,

be near

encompassing

;

a cloud of witnesses,' and viewing, with

the anxiousness of interested spectators, our struggles

De-

with equally invisible and powerful Opponents! lightful is the reflection, that those

stumble or overthrow, they raise

up

:

may

whom

the others

be ready to uphold or

without our direct cognizance, they

that,

may

suggest admonition, or enforce resolution, or inspire

with fortitude

!

In a thousand ways, unknown to

us.

but competent to them, these benevolent Ones mayimpart aid in '

'

the hour of temptation,' or animate to

endure hardness,' and to

'

fight the

fight of faith.'

good

Jacob very appropriately named the place, where '

the Angels of G-od

his

met

him,'

Mahanami;

example be often imitated by the

experience

may have been somewhat

by a miracle, full

when,

The

whose though servant

at his Master's request, the Lord,

'

opened

his eyes,'

of horses and chariots of

Were our

saint,

similiar,

the favour was less sensibly manifested? of the Prophet,

Might not

beheld

fire

'

the mountain

round about

Elisha.'

vision supernaturally strengthened to discern,

the realities of the spiritual world, not seldom might a spectacle as gratifying

be presented to our astonished

418

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

gaze.

A

more honourable than was

guard

ever

witnessed in attendance upon royalty, might be seen

encompassing

many

despondent and

from

a despised or persecuted, perhaps

disconsolate,

believer.

Messengers

glory might be found, in no rare instances,

performing to the righteous, in times of need, services not unlike those which they are represented to have

rendered to the Saviour, after both His temptation and

His agony ; or such as they did to Elijah when repose

ing

under the juniper

tree,'

and to various others on

occasions related in Old Testament narrative.

the pious be

much indebted to them,

also, for

May not seasonable

assistance in the strife with 'the Prince of the

the air

;'

interposing their friendly offices for the relief

or deliverance of those, or destroy

?

Yes

:

whom Demons would

deep beyond what

into the heart of man to conceive/ in. these

who

power of

and other respects,

at the bidding, fly 5

Captain of salvation.

it

has

torment '

entered

may be our obligations,

to those

'

ministering Spirits/

and do the pleasure, of * the Thus, in the favours,

many

though unacknowledged, conferred on the saint here,

may

be laid a foundation for most pleasurable fellow-

ships hereafter, when, in the light of heaven,

discovered

how much he owed

it

shall

be

to their kind attentions

;

gratitude strengthening holy attachment, and, to perpetuity, binding in cords of love the benefited

benefactors.

and the

MODERN AUTHORSHIP.

CHAPTER of

Storaece

DENIERS

419

VI.

bfolix!-

we

of the doctrine of Evil Spirits

again

urge to re-examine the reasons of their scepticism.

we would

entreat to

the subject of serious and frequent not to be held as an opinion, or a mere

theoretical

Believers in the

make It is

doctrine, too,

it

tenet: nor can

reflection.

be properly regarded as a

it

fact,

to

which, on the ground of indubitable evidence, credence is

given, but which, as being unpleasant, It

considered.

must be retained in the

The thoughts ought the understanding

to dwell

may

may be

little

recollections.

much upon

it,

that thus

the more distinctly realize

it,

and the heart be the more deeply impressed with salutary fear.

In common with

all

the truths of Re-

velation, it is not a topic of abstract speculation,

practical

question;

a

matter designed,

and,

but a

when

rightly apprehended, fitted to excite to circumspection,

watchfulness,

Terrible also the

is

and prayer. the

Agency

of which

more to be dreaded,

as

it

we

discourse.

It

ia

imparts both stimulus

and potency to the workings of corruption within, and

420

DIABOLICAL AGENCY,

the

of

arts

seducers

without;

and,

consequently,

augments the efficiency and success of the operation of these combined evils.

What

increases the danger,

is,

that while acting with a frequency as inconceivable as it

is

lamentable,

it

seems to be exerted without our

being directly sensible of the

any more than how, an

can

tell

when,

influence purely Diabolical

over his mental powers or volitions?

exercised

what

Who

fact.

or to

occasions,

is

On

what extent, innate depravity

may be quickened and reinforced by the suggestions of invisible

Tempters

:

in other words, -the times, as well

the measures, in which the 'plague' rankling in the

.as

heart, or

deforming the

life, is

traceable,

more imme-

diately, to their vitiating inspiration, or secret prompt-

ings

no

:

these are points, which

no

strictness of scrutiny,

vigilance of inspection, can enable the :

most

careful

observer of what passes within to determine.

Manifold are the Infernal Agency.

evils attributable, partly at least, to

Among

these

is,

ruption, or the 'denial, of 'the faith/

doubtless, the cor-

So that in

'Speci-

fy ing causes of errors in Religion, or of disbelief of

we

doctrines,

omission, did

the 'principal.

its

should be chargeable with a grievous

we

overlook what appears to be one of

Yet, in whatever degree referable, ulti-

mately, to the prime Liar, these various forms of hetero-

doxy or

infidelity are derived, proximately,

depravity

;

from human

the ignorance, the pride, the prejudice, or

other 'base .passions of the ^carnal mind.'

The

heresies

MODERN AUTHORSHIP,

421

concocted, through Satanic instigation or aid,

by pervertdefend, and

ed ingenuity, misapplied learning

toils to

laborious industry to disseminate.

Of prevailing

that to the refutation of

which

this Treatise is

errors,

devoted

the rejection of the Scripture doctrine of Devils

but one

the brood

:

May we

multitudinous..:

is

is

be per-

mitted, in bringing our disquisition to a close, to call

attention to

what we deem not the

ginating causes, sion.

the

,

and a

We refer to the

mom?

able, of

least of their ori-

chief instrument of their diffuquality, not the intellectual

but

stamp, of a proportion, far from inconsider-

Modern Authorship.

;

The

spirit is vile,

and

the tendency pernicious: the tree bad, and the fruit .

corrupt.

.

was a period in the history of OUT, Country, when both instruction and admonition, in relation, to the evils in question, were peculiarly needed .

If ever there

;

that period seems to literature of the

day, not a

with an anti-evangelical in

Of the popular

be the present. little is

spirit.

deeply tinctured

Not only

is this

true,

regard to the large classes of Productions, that are

of a decidedly Deistical, or semi-Deistical, character

directly verities,

others,

impugning the of

Holy

:

denying the Inspiration, or

Productions, either openly

distinctive

Scripture.

It N

may

and fundamental also

be affirmed of

which profess to impart useful or entertaining

knowledge, and whose authors disclaim

all

intention of

opposing, or disparaging, any of the announcements of

2M

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.'

42121

Often, they

Christianity.

embody

some-

sentiments,

times plainly enunciated, sometimes artfully insinuated,

which do not harmonize with the teachings of the Word.

What,

too, renders

the incongruity

The

peril,

is

them the more dangerous,

from

acquaintance that

and

this source, is the greater,

is

authorship.

a growing demand;

more

is

familiar

being cultivated with works of

For

these, there has been, of late,

Indeed, the craving becomes, in

some quarters, morbid:

it is

stimulated into a keenness,

almost resembling a species of mania.; while at -the

that

not always apparent.

continually on the increase, owing to the

German

is,

it

spreads,

same time, with the infectiousness of an epidemic.

Hence a

vastly

augmented and augmenting importation

The consequence has been what might have been expected. The reading part of the British mind of them.

lias

been, to no small extent, indoctrinated into the

opinions,

and even,

as it were, cast into the strange

moulds, or trained to the peculiar modes of thought

and expression, prevalent in Fatherland. cess of assimilation, or mental discipline

which, especially during the last two

This

is

a pro-

and impression,

or three decades,

has been going on, silently yet perceptibly, and at a

quickening

rate.

That Land, no doubt, can boast of most distinguished scholars; men, whose names, in their respective spheres of sacred or profane lore, stand pre-eminent

the ornaments at once of their Country and age.

among From

MODERN AUTHORSHIP. their various learning,

portant benefits have ments, not

deny this,

423

and elaborate performances, im-

been reaped, in

different depart-

excepting that of Biblical Criticism.

were equally ungrateful and uncandid.

much

Treatises contain

that

is

To Their

both valuable and pro-

found; the pregious fruit of deep research, and un-

Eor aught

rivalled attainment.

superior, perhaps equal,

worth and usefulness, we

in solid

the publications,

shall look in vain to

on dogmatic or exegetical Theology,

of our best writers at

home.

under obligations, which their abilities, industry,

we

We

feel,

ourselves laid

willingly acknowledge, to

Nor, even when

and erudition.

compelled to dissent entirely from, their expositions or tenets,

can

we

withold our tribute of gratitude for the

instruction which their prelections afford. It is matter of so solid

the

deep regret, however, that advantages,

and manifold, should, not seldom, be marred by

accompaniment of countervailing

we admit the high a

order of excellence, stamped on not

few Continental Productions, which

privilege to

Keadily do

evils.

examine

:

nor

is

has been our

it

there a wish to dispute the

merits of others, of which report speaks in favourable terms.

At

the same time,

it is

much

to

be deplored,

that numbers, not wanting in talent or zest, are per-

vaded by a

spirit of irreverence, of

of disguised or

others

are

.criticisms,

unmasked

disfigured

or

infidelity

and

ungodly speculation, ;

while the pages of

desecrated

by

licentious

gross .misinterpretations, of the Sacred

424

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

Nor

Text.

is

the remark confined to such as advocate

extreme views: force, to

The

many

it

applies

is

to,

or their rising in popular

not to be hailed as an unmixed good.

circulate, along with

much that may be

or less of an opposite quality.

peculiar poison.

So

deleterious properties

its

unexceptionable,

may

may not be

suspected, nor

may

many

their novelty,

them with an

who have

To

felt.

whether in substance or in form, attractiveness,

neither power nor inclination to resist. tude,

its

be to

be concealed,

injurious operation be immediately

invest

it

it

their

may

They

Each contains

palatable, too,

the vitiated taste, or so skilfully that

inferior

appearance, therefore, in an English garb, of the

favour,

own

though with

which, upon the whole, are admirable.

kind of Works alluded

more

also,

mind

hardly a

which there

To

of .their own,-

is

the multi-

who

are

indisposed, or unqualified, to examine .and decide for

themselves, and who, on points in regard to which an

independent judgment ought to be formed, are guided '

more by

authority, than

by reason

the approval of great names

or evidence : to such,

may be

a sufficient recom-

mendation. Here, then,

is

a quarter, to a considerable degree

new, from which danger

men and

seducers,'

is

to be apprehended.

'

Evil

who, unhappily, abound among

us,

work of deception with unflagging energy and With the godless offspring of German conception,

ply the zeal,

-they

make

it

their study to

be intimately acquainted.

425

MODERN AUTHORSHIP.

.The ingenious, but unhallowed, emanations from the different Schools,

come the themes

engage their earnest musings, and be-

What suits their

of frequent converse.

several purposes, in

any of the strange medleys of

from the extremest Rationalism to less corrupt

doctrine,

forms, these practised adepts in iniquity

and

to exhibit

know

well

Their desire and endeavour,

enforce.

which they seldom try to conceal, obviously

on Anglican

transplant,

how

soil,

are, to

the baneful products of

that prolific hotbed, that extensive nursery, of impieties

and blasphemies cism

:

of Myth, and Neology, and Scepti-

:

of a Christianity, without Christ,:

of a Kevelation, without Inspiration.

without God, Surely,

if

of a Bible,

aught

is fitted

to excite trembling anxiety,

as to the religious aspect of the future, it is the con-

With the concern, and even the

sideration mentioned.

apprehension, entertained

by some, who have

at heart the interests of Truth,

will

High

thizing.

be the

there

is

spirit

our view, bodes

that, to

tion,

and

tries

that

Germanise the

ill.

What an im-

the exercise of vigilant care, and a dis-

criminating judgment '

.efforts

and more Scriptural creed of Albion,

pressive call for

need for the

But, in the

with such industry, to

much

sincerely

cannot help sympa-

satisfaction afforded, should

the event disappoint our fears. are making,

soberer

we

!

Never was there more urgent

godly jealousy/ that begets salutary caubefore

seem but tender

it receives.

Otherwise, what

now

exotics, comparatively rare in appear-

2M2

DIABOLICAL AGENCt, 1

ance,

and feeble in growth, may, by becoming indigenous ,

be too firmly rooted in the national mind, to be 'eradicated.

their

strike

They may

easily

wide and

fibres

with the stealthy activity of creeping under*

deep,

growths, pushing their tangled webs through an unresisting

and kindly

Under

subsoil.

favourable to their development, they rich luxuriance

circumstances

may

shoot up in

overspreading the land as with a pro-

;

fusion of nightshade, and, in the sorrowful experience of

thousands

who might have been *

righteousness/ bringing forth .

We

with

fruits of

unto death.'

as speaking disparag-

.

German

filled

fruit

would not be understood

ingly, of

<

authors; for, as already hinted, not

a few of them occupy, in their respective departments, a

high intellectual position.

.

We

mean not

the value of their performances

;

for

many

to underrate

of

them are

choice elaborations of surpassing ability and learning.

We for

wish not to discourage the study of

numbers contain

so

much

that

is

to minister substantial profit.

would promote the

;.

either curious or

instructive, that the attentive perusal of fail

their. writings

them can hardly

Those, .therefore, who

circulation, in our vernacular tongue,

of a judicious selection from the more masterly and

approved Tractates of Fatherland, we This were

By

to

means, not only of exciting, is fitted

bid

God

speed.'

undertake a work of eminent usefulness.

the faithful prosecution

what

'

of.it, or.

they might be the

stimulating, a taste for

to edify or liberalize; but also

.of

leading:

into

new

MODERN AUTHORSHIP.

427

fields of pleasant expatiation,

and of enriching,

'

with most precious acquisitions, our stores of knowledge. Incalculable

is

the amount of intellectual treasure,

locked up in the mystic signs of a foreign language, and

merest fraction of the com-

as inaccessible, save to the

munity, as

if

no such

collections, literary or theological,

existed.

Let the plan alluded to be pursued on a right

principle ;

and who can

tell

numerous

may

Commonwealth?

conferred on the British

might that

the good that

section,

thus be

Especially

who compose

the rising

hopes of the coming age, derive advantage from the patient

toil,

and sanctified

talent,

and vast

erudition, so

abundant among the natives of Central Europe. the Pulpit might be benefited not a aids

afforded

Dissertations.

by Of

Even

through the

little,

the superior classes of Expository these,

some are mines of mental

wealth, singularly stored with the varied materials of :

deep thought, and sacred lore: while others, not fit to be recommended as a whole, might, by a salutary expurgation, be freed from

what

is

noxious.

These admissions are made with

all

readiness,

from a .conviction that candour demands them.

and

We

cannot, however, shut our eyes to the fact, that of the

Productions of .the

German

School,

Translations of :

.

which are circulating through the Land, many are conceived

and executed

Grospel.

.

Often,

in a spirit of bitter hostility to the

the antipathy of their authors :

vented in. direct vituperation: occasionally,

is

it breathes.:

428

DIABOLICAL

forth in less offensive phraseology.

it

Sometimes,

is

the more harmless from the excess and violence of

its

the very mode of expression abating

its

overflowings effect,

;

by putting upon the guard,

In other

from the cealed

cases, it

artful

by a

is

or creating disgust,

more deceiving and dangerous,

manner in which

it is

insinuated

:

con-

tissue of sophisms, or plausible arguments,

plentifully interspersed

reason or fairness.

with sounding pretensions to

Works

of the kind

now indicated,

penned with such an unholy design, impregnated with the element of ungodliness, and diversified alike in topic and complexion,

are, as well as others of a

better stamp, being rendered, from the speech of the Grernian or the Gaul, into that of the Saxon, andtributed,

in increasing numbers,

among

dis-^

all classes

of

our reading population. scribes there are, ready, for

Hireling

the sake of

lucre, to undertake the task of Translation; heedless

as to the harm,

which they may be the instruments of

doing to the interests of Eeligion.

Nor can

it

be

denied, that there are persons, of professional reputation

and

influence, to

whom

the intrinsic quality of a par-

ticular Publication is matter of indifference, except as it

may

affect the largeness of

or demerits

impression

what they may,

is

if

an

issue.

Be

its

merits

the bringing out of an

likely to prove a good investment, or a gain-

ful speculation, capital will

for the production of

be embarked in

it as

freely, as

any other marketable commodity.

MODERN AUTHORSHIP, Whether the cause of Truth

429

be benefited or in-

will

The whole

jured, enters not into their calculations.

viewed by them as a pecuniary concern

affair is

mere business transaction or Loss.

They

act,

mercantile, principle

:

not on the Christian, but the are guided, not

Gain

duty, but views of emolument. their impelling motive,

datory notices,

a

a question, simply, of Profit

and

their

end

convictions of

by is

1

then object,

while recommen-

:

drawn up by anonymous

eulogists,

whom

their munificence

perchance the niggardly offering of

parsimony

has enlisted in the service, stud the

pitiful

columns, and of Prints

and

circulate extensively through the

Periodicals.

medium,

:

i

All this consists with our knowledge.

But, there are if

not

are they confined to

the

other devices of the Publishing Trade, equally,

more,

reprehensible.

more unscrupulous, in find

an

elasticity

Nor

whom

it

does not surprise us to

of conscience

:

they are practised,

seemingly without misgiving, by others, whose Christian standing and profession warrant the expectation, that a stricter

though not

which they have been, as !

deeLx honour-

How many have to complain of them as a

species of trickery, positive

monies

we

regard would be paid to what

able or right.

it

illegal frauds,

by

were, swindled out of

But, to be thus mulct, irritating as

least: there are other considerations, far

than aught of a pecuniary nature.

it is, is

more

Works

the

serious

that ought

never to have seen the light, and the perusal of which

430 is

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

a waste of time, are foisted into notoriety: some,

bearing the impress of weakness or vanity, are com-

mended

for

their

excellence; some, of a

ability or

doubtful, or even an objectionable, character, are an-

nounced in terms of warm eulogy, if

blemishes,

their defects or

not passed over in silence, but very $

slightly noticed.

Hence

that undeserved,

ephemeral, celebrity,

though

may be

it

only

which various Productions, both of

Continental and Transatlantic origin, have gained in this

Country.

Hence,

also,

of a host of errors, which,

peared under

if

the importation from afar

not strictly novel, have ap-

new names and

phases

:

thus attracting,

especially in the circles of the unenlightened or the superficial,

a degree of attention, which they might hot

nor otherwise have received, and to which neither thev v '

their abettors are entitled.

cannot too deeply deplore coinage,

This

is

an

for, surely,

;

or in actual currency, are

evil,

which we

those of domestic

more than enow,

without the admixture of others of foreign stamp or device.

In a combination of influences, so multiplex, so

deceptious, so unsuspected,

who

sees not just cause for

alarm ?

How

desirable,

then,

that a due sense of danger

prompted to the speedy and energetic application of such correctives, as wisdom might suggest, or the urgency of the case requires!

ground to

fear, that

Otherwise, there

is

the goodly province of our Litera-

MODERN AUTHORSHIP. ture,"

431

already too copiously sprinkled,, shall at length be

the unwholesome distillations

with

saturated,

Pseudo-Philosophy. reason, that the

Nor

is

domain more appropriately belonging

to Theology, will not escape being severely

That

a

of

the apprehension without

scathed.

spirit of disrespect for the sacred, of whose cor-

rupting interference, elsewhere, so

many

exist, may, unless firmly checked

and

invade,

terworked,

with

like

resolutely coun-

pernicious

sooner than most could anticipate, regions.

sad memorials

its fairest

The Rationalistic and Pantheistic

and

effect,

and

holiest

stocks,

which

have thriven with such rapidity and vigour in Q-erman ground,

may be found

of no slow or feeble growth,

if

Mistaken

is

freely allowed to take hold of British

soil.

the policy, that, in the hope of their dying decay,

would

overlook or neglect them.

by natural Criminal

is

the conduct, that forbears: unsparingly to lop, or, if possible, to

uproot them.

Suffered to remain untouched,

the tender shoots, under the training of skilful cultivators,

trees

may, in process of time, be reared into spreading ;

and, extending their ramifications into every de-

partment,

may

cast their blighting shade over the

whole

compass, of Eevealed Truth.

ye who engage in

this

work of

iniquity,

who

spend your time and strength in preparing or diffusing '

the instruction, which causeth to err/

you do. his

One might

service,

consider

what

suppose, from your earnestness in seemed to hear 'the sound of your you

432

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

Master's feet behind you/

you

to

be partakers of

Truly, your conduct shows his spirit,

and hearty in

his

Say whence your pleasure in perverting the

cause.

sentiments of your fellows, weakening their belief in the verities of Scripture, and possessing their minds

with strange and

Think what

false doxies ?

thus accumulate on your

own

guilt you what harm

heads, and

whose ruin may be imputable to your blasphemies, and. whose 'blood may

you

inflict

on the

souls of others,

be required at your hand.' of that Being,

Word

is

whose

Remember

Name you

the object of your

of your impious mockery:

the awfulness

dishonour, and whose

puny .attack,

or the subject

He

could stop, in

how

easily

the very act, the tongue or pen of profaneness: how,

by some terrible visitation, He might glorify His power and justice in the instantaneous destruction of the reviling infidel; giving at onee the

and the '

spirit to the

Mends.

consumed by the blow of

lest

sparing you in

blindness.

*

Be

life,

-His

.

body to the worms, Beware lest you be

hand/

Tremble, too,

He abandon you

to judicial

not mockers, lest your bands be

made

Hear the command and the promise: they from Him, whose majesty you insult, and whose proceed May His grace incline you to authority you despise. strong/

obey the one, and

'Turn you Spirit

you/

at

my

fulfil

in your experience the other

reproof: behold, I will pour out

unto you, I will make known

my

!

my

words unto

433

AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE.

CHAPTER

VII.

mxb

WHERE

any of the errors alluded to have been imwhat antidote would we prescribe? Where' bibed, there

is

danger of infection from them, what would

recommend

what

as a preservative

Our answer,

tions. is

at present, is simply this, Inquire

Consult"* the 'Voices of the Prophets'

written.

and Apostles. and worthy of

Receive their testimony as all

the deepest veneration' for

Cherish feelings of

judice, the

grounds on which

and implicit rity

to

:

Holy

Scripture.

ability or opportunity,

you have

'faithful,

acceptation/ whether in reference to

Demonology or any other matter.

as

we

These are 'serious' ques-

?

belief.

it

claims your unreserved

Be persuaded

a point, on which it

is

Investigate,

and without pre-

of

its

Divine autho-

of the utmost importance

have just views and settled convictions. If the Bible

is

not the

Word

of God,

it is

entitled

only to that measure of respect, which the reader

judge

its

much

that

contents fitted to secure. is

It

may

may

contain

curious in antiquity, or interesting

m his-

tory, lofty in sentiment, or fervent in devotion, grand'

DIABOLICAL AGENCY,

4:34

,

or pathetic in poetry, vigorous or persuasive in

quence

:

it

may abound

with wholesome counsels, wise

But

maxims, and valuable rules of conduct. on a level with the compositions of ligence

and

sagacity,

and

is

it

its

To

clue to

the announcements

of unerring Wisdom, were to violate the

reason and of duty. prove, that, if Grtid tures ever

Nay, is

not

palmed upon

requires

little

Author,

it is,

it

its

dictates

of

argument to of

all

impos-

the world, at once the most

and audacious.

The penmen of the Bible

-

give

statements the entire credit, that unqualified sur-

render of the understanding,

artful

intel-

no more worthy than they

of profound deference, or cordial acceptance. to

stands

men noted for

laid

claim, without

biguity or disguise, to the gift of Inspiration.

am-

Their

possession of this gift was the ground, on which they

demanded, for the messages which they were respec^ tively

commissioned to deliver, the most reverential and

obedient regard.

If,

then, they did not

'

speak as they

were moved by the Holy Ghost/ what follows ?

Either

they themselves laboured under the strangest infatuation, or

no

they were wilful deceivers.

possibility

There seems to be

of evading this alternative conclusion.

But, that they were not the victims of mental delusion, is

evident from the sobriety of judgment, the regulation

of feeling, the soundness

we

discover throughout

sition

that they were

and vigour of

their Writings.

intellect,

On

which

the suppo-

designing men, prompted by

AUTHORITY OP SCRIPTUBE. c

cunning

immediate, filled

the charge of extreme impiety

craftiness,'

against them.

alleged, that they

They

supernatural

influence

and actuated by a Divine

they were

that

;

whom

lies

were under an

afflatus; that they. en-

joyed a peculiar intercourse with the Father of

from

435

,

spirits,

they received special revelations, which

they were enjoined to publish for the benefit of manYet, with the utmost solemnity they gave forth

kind.

what they knew to be sayings of their own, for the utterances of the Oracle ; the effusions of fancy, for inspirations

In that

of the Almighty.'

'

the

their

case,

names would deserve to be branded with infamy and language supplies no terms too strong, in which to ;

our

express

abhorrence

of

their

presumption

and

blasphemy. But, that they were not guilty of such arrogant pretension

;

that they did not impose

upon the credulity of

by assuming a character that belonged not to them, and exercising a commission with which they others,

were not intrusted

;

that they did not deliver, as com-

munications from heaven, what proceeded only from an earthly origin, rity

than their

vertible point.

and were sanctioned by no higher autho-

own

:

this

we hold

Of such daring

to be an incontro-

falsehood,

to excite the remotest suspicion ?

peachment of their veracity, not the can be found.

The books

indubitable marks

what

is

there

To warrant an im-

ascribed to

of their honesty.

slightest pretext

them bear

They

clear,

appear,.

436

DIABOLICAL AGENCY

from every view^ of

their characters,, to -have been- -men,

ot high and unswerving principle, as

much distinguished:

from designing impostors on the

one.

luded enthusiasts on the other.

The more

hand, as -from decareful, too,

the investigation of what they said and did, the deeper will the conviction of their: integrity

not, therefore, admit of dispute,

become.

It does

,

that, in affirming that ;

they 'had the mind of the Spirit/ they declared wliat <

they

This remark applies, with

most surely believed/

1

equal justne'ss

and

force, to the

.

Prophets of the Old

\

Testament, and to the Apostles and Evangelists of the

.

New. what the sacred penmen wrote bears the strongest internal 'evidence, that it was not x)f -their ownBesides,

suggestion.

.

;

The

conclusion

is

unavoidable,

that

it

emanated from another, who both supplied the sentiments, and directed the form of expression they were :

merely amanuenses, recording what structed

them

to indite,

thought, to which

we find no

There

is,

parallel,

the

in-

Spirit

an elevation

of;

no approximation,

,

in the noblest, conceptions of |the finest geniuses.,, There/, is

a code of precept, too puce and spiritual for depraved

beings to have framed,, differing, widely

from

maxims which corrupt nature approves, and

far excel-

,

ling, in

kind

as well as in degree,

the

There

is

a.

deeper insight into the constitution of the mind, and

workings

of, the hear.t.;,a

.

aught that the most

famed of heathen moralists ever taught.

t^ie

'

more intimate acquain-

37

AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE.'

tance with the properties of the inner man, those latent springs of action,

whence the

life

receives its particular

human

bent and direction, than the closest study of t

nature can give, or the subtlest metaphysician ever

From

attained.

a short selection of the Proverbs of

Solomon, carefully pondered,

may be

know-

acquired a

ledge of the intellectual and spiritual mechanism, not to

be gained by a studious perusal of the choicest productions of Philosophy

:

while a few concise sentences from

the twelfth Chapter of the Epistle to the

Romans,

will

place in a clearer light the science of duty, afford both

a

more accurate and a more enlarged acquaintance with

this interesting subject,

together. vision

distinct

scenes

all

the elaborate disquisi-

lauded aphorisms of ancient and modern wis-

tions or

dom

than

and

There are proofs of prescience, or a of the future;

disclosures

of distant

events, improbable in themselves,

complex

in their relations, and dependent upon manifold contingencies, but

which Providence

realizes at the time,

and in the manner, foretold; prophetic revelations so clear, so

minute, so certain, which defy the utmost, pene-

tration of creatures,

and competent only to Him, whose l it is to declare the end from the

exclusive prerogative

beginning/

Whence, Writers

;

then,

the

pre-eminence of

their incomparable superiority,

the

Sacred

on these and

kindred topics, to the greatest names of antiquity?

By

Jews, so

little

in repute for learning, .the

2N2

famed

DIABOLICAL AGENCY. ,sages of

Of

Rome were immensely

Greece and

surpassed.

Religion and Ethics,: the herdsman of Tekoa and,

the fishermen of Galilee discourse -more sublimely than

,

'

the dimne Plato,, or the philosophic: Tully. publish a system

of,

dictates of enlightened reason,,. and

unaided reason to produce excellent

alike

in

its

Among

.

-

succession,

who

and salutary in range and minutean

;

.

Hebrews

,

,

arose,

in long

Teachers

illustrated subjects on< which, the. wisest of other

nations were totally uninformed.

How

.

,

puerile, the, notions of /the latter!

of the

first

the, definite

embody

profound,

How.

rational, the views of the former!

how

its

its

series of centuries,

the

.

how

speculations,

the

of

ideas,-,

the vague

,

conjectures,

On

dogmas of ignorance,; perfection, .His

a

,

:

;

crude,

the, incoherent His*,

Supreme Being,

his.. destiny;

,

the explicit

His government; .on man,

law,

origin, his ^condition,

.

grovelling,

express the

second,

,

;

The, statements

intimations, the harmonious instructions of intelligence

the dissertations

'

-and a scheme of duty,

-in its

and through a

.

beyond the efforts of

principles

tendency, comprehensive requirements.

;

They

consonant to the

at; -once

Theology,

,

.on the

soul,

his

,

r-the

spirituality of, its. .essence, .and the immortality of its

existence; on moral itjs

consequences

mode,

its

certainty,

;

obligations its

its

evil,

;on

grounds,

introduction,, its

demerit^

Divine wor^hip,-^rits .nature, ;

on human,

its

extent

tiQn,,and a futurity of,weal

or,

;

;

responsibility,

on a

of woe,

:

its, its .,

state of retribu- ,

on thesQ,

;

the,mqs,,,

AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE, so high

there

and

was

439

yet so important and interesting,

difficult,

light in the land of Judea, while in every

other country darkness prevailed.

,That the fact

Hdw

to

is it

such as has been stated,

is

be accounted

To

for ?

is

undeniable.

this question, it is

impossible to give, a satisfactory answer, without referring immediately to the Great Fountain of illumination.

But, admitting that the

penmen

of Scripture enjoyed

extraordinary discoveries, and wrote under the guidance o

Wisdom,, the

infallible

Granting

One;' that,

is.

explained.

a way. possible to Him, .though incom-

in.

to

prehensible

mystery

had 'an unction from the Holy

that they

He

us.

-.

conveyed to their nrinds just .

r

apprehensions of the Truth: the secret of their singular

and unapproachable excellence, as (

is.

That peculiar knowledge which,

easily understood.

iljey

possessed, no

,

ac.uteness. of. natural

diligence of .research, of,

improvement

them

to

matters of

faith

own reason was

powers, no

no advantages of education, no ,

This

N

correct

and obedienqe,

'inspiration of. God.'

elucidation o

:

outward means,,

acquire.

,

spiritual instructors,

On

could,

have enabled

acquaintance with they, o*ained

by

these subjects, which their

incapable, of investigating {

;

for the v

which, the greatest intellects have shown

an utter incompetence,; ,.ancj, in regard to wjiich mankind must, without a Divine Revelation, have ever icontinued

unenlightened, like the blind or benighted, '

tljie

dark,

,

feeling after them, if haply tl^ey

groping in

might fiu4

.

,

s

-i

440

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

them/ yet invariably failing in the attempt on these subjects, they were favoured with the teaching of the :

Having, in His adorable sovereignty, selected

Spirit.

them

.

as the bearers of

His messages to the world, the

vehicles of whatever portions of His will '

at

sundry times/ to announce

sudden

and

illapses,

or a voice

spake to

of His presence.

;

it

pleased Him,

He came upon them in

whether in a dream, or a

them

in a

way

From Him,

vision,

that convinced

them

at these seasons of high

received converse and remarkable manifestation,7 they "

Hence the penmen

their lessons.

of Scripture eclipsed

-and threw into the shade those, of whatever nation, or

however renowned, who professed to treat of Religion and Morals. Thus it was that, while the Schools most celebrated for wisdom, as Oracles, as

and

whose Masters were listened to

their sayings preserved

undoubted and precious

twilight, tending rather,

verities,

by

its

with reverence

emitted but a feeble

dim and dubious glim-

mer, to bewilder and mislead, than to direct the anxious inquirer

;

the

'

the entire' sphere of their

'

holy Apostles and Prophets illustrated

human

belief

and

By

practice.

sound and luminous doctrines, they shed over

radiance, dissipating the obscurity that enveloped

it

a

it,

and unveiling objects of surpassing interest and value, which had otherwise remained in concealment: a radiance, that enables the weakest to apprehend,

what

most penetrating to ascertain or explore: a radiance, in which saying and it

had

baffled the sagacity of the

AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE, sanctifying Truth, unfolded so far as

proper or re-

necessary to just conceptions of the nature

quisite,

and

is

4"41

and cha-

attributes of the. Almighty, of the state

racter of

man, of the scheme of pardoning mercy and

redeeming grace, of the conception between the pre-

and the

sent

and the -bearings of the one

future,

on the condition and; prospects of the other; Truth

may 'be ;

tions,

discerned in, its beauties, examined in

and contemplated in

serving as

'

a lamp to the

harmonies

its

feet,

and .a

:

its rela-

a radiance, =

.

light to the path/

by which we may walk without fear or mistake ; and under whose guidance, as by the ( pillar of cloud by day, and the pillar of fire by night/ the pious .of all. ages .have, with assured confidence, pursued their -way :

<

through a region of shadows and gloom, to those realms

on which beams the Sun of Righteousness with perfect

and everlasting effulgence. Let these Inspired Instructors, then, qualified

and empowered td reveal His

teachers in Theology.

own

voice, speaking

organs. rities

,

will,

whom God be our only

To them let us hearken

as to

His

through those accredited human

Their writings, let us

deem the

sole autho-

them

as the stan-

in matters of faith; regarding

dard with ,which oui'-creed should correspond, to which alone, in cases of

be made,

doubt or disputation, appeal should

and by which

should be decided..

agreement with

it,

all;

controverted questions

Yiews and

are sound

:

principles, in exact

the discordance of those

1

442

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

that differ from

it, is

both the proof and the measure of

What

their erroneousness.

is

Canon, however mysterious, true; assured that

though

it

us receive as strictly

let

never contradictory to Eeason,

it is

transcend her

often

may

contained in the Sacred

comprehension.

Diligent study of the Scriptures, with a judicous use of expository helps, scurities

;

plain

rendered

many

ob-

the solution of one difficulty facilitating the

Much

explication of others.

come

serve to illustrate

may

much

;

that

intelligible.

illuminating grace,

'

is

dark

especially,

If,

may

thus be-

hard to be understood,' be

is

we may

that

the subjects of

expect, as the

reward of per-

severing research, to receive constant increases of light

and what we know not now, we '

The and

Spirit, too, is

promised

Let

revelation.'

shall

truth:'

with

fill

'

:

Would we

and our

lives

its

with

assist-

take of the things

Holy Spirit, show them to us guide us

our minds with

its love,

wisdom

implore the

us, therefore,

:

hereafter.'

as 'the Spirit of

ance of His teaching. of Christ, and

know

into all

knowledge, our hearts its beauties.

ascertain the sense of Scripture, or receive,

in their purity

and

process adopted be

entireness, its doctrines fair,

?

Let the

consistent with the approved

rules of Sacred Criticism,

and such

as is fitted, in all

instances, to determine the precise import of the state-

ments.

We

shall thus

interpretation of

be

what we

led, in general, to the right

read.

The honest

inquirer,

too, the stricter his investigation and the fuller his

dis-*

AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE. covery, will be the

more confirmed in the persuasion,

that the Record contains a

monious in

its

443

instructions, har-

body of

various parts, each bearing the impress

of truth, the whole worthy of the a system which, in

Supreme Intelligence

:

admirably suits the

its principles,

rational nature, and, in its provisions, completely

meets

the necessitous condition, of the guilty and depraved creature

displaying throughout, the perfection of wis-*

;

dom, and applicable, in every particular, to the gracious purposes contemplated by

The comes

We.

when we engage

us,

Blessed Author.

its

docility of children

the disposition which be-

is

in the perusal of

Holy Writ*

are to consider ourselves as learners, hearkening,

with humility and submission of

We

Teacher. lights

who

are to

spirit,

remember that

speaks to us, through, the

it is

to a Divine

the Father of

medium

of inspired

servants.:

they were His mouth to mankind, declaring

only what

He

to

bade them

sume to judge of the is

;

and

their

be revered as His utterances.

revealed

cause

:

fitness or propriety of

never impugn

poses the -opinions of :'

men who

never dare, in one

or alter the contents, of the

ing

its

(

profess themselves to

iota, to vitiate

the matter,,

Communication.

Accept-

substance as delivered to us, unmoclified

dition or abbreviation, unperverted

ment,

aught that

or discard a doctrine, be-

involves mystery, or humiliates pride, or op-

it

be wise

announcements are

Never may we pre^

we

are simply to endeavour,

by ad-

by

gloss or com-

by

the, legitimate;

444

'DIABOLICAL AGENCY, *

'

methods, to expiscate the genuine

meaning.

';

'letter or text -must

to be determined

remain inviolate

by the

:

the signification

is

established laws of Exegesis.

Any departure from these we condemn as arbitrary and unwarrantable. 'It proceeds from ignorance or misconception, if not direct antipathy to the sacred

whither

it

may

ultimately lead, into

or to what fearful lengths,

Of

who can

what devious

'and

:

paths,

tell?

the justness of these remarks, a 'very 'moderate

acquaintance with the history of heterodoxy may suffice to convince.

'From 'the source alluded to

corruption

of the phraseology, or distortion and torture of the :

spirit,

of Scripture

have sprung a large ^proportion of

the heresies with which the 'Church has been flooded.

'How

often,

by

false theories of Exposition,

has a sense,

'altogether defective or foreign, been elicited!

How

'sad, too, the manglings of a licentious Criticism, which,

spurning the restraint ofrule, repudiates

all

fixed prin-

;

and interprets, not by fair construc'Ciples or system, tion, but in accommodation to ..predilectioivor conceit, the voices of -the-Oracle

!

Hence, to no inconsiderable

extent, the origin, the progress, and the multiplication i

of errors in religion. of

Hence

the' denial of the

Trinity

the Gbdhead of the-'Saviouiv-of the Personality

the Spirit reality

of

of the necessity of ^an atonement*

the

new

birth-~of hitman

of

of the

inability

of

-gracious influence, with the other cardinal truths of

Kevelation,

Hence, als, >the

discredit, so .prevalent, of

AUTHORITY OF SCSlPlDRE.

44-5

the doctrine of Diabolical Agency, especially as taught in the

Word.

men;

as

There that Agency is represented as the primary cause of all evil, moral and physical, among still,

in a diversity of modes,

by manifold

in-

strumentalities, and. to an incalculable degree, operative

of sin its

and

suffering; as

exertion,

tors of

and

mighty in

The

our fallen nature.

not comporting with the notions of

'

its

energy, ceaseless in

as universal in its range as the inheri-

carnal

wisdom/

representation, however,

whims is

of prejudice or the

To

considered fabulous.

give plausibility to this view, a device, revolting alike .

to

reason and piety,

taken

literally, is

is

What ought

adopted*

to

be

explained on a fanciful hypothesis:

and Inspired Instructors, by a kind of metamorphosis^ are

degraded into babblers,

as

or,

they have been

writers of fiction

profanely denominated, screamers,

or,

and godliness. On interpreters of the stamp mentioned, remonTo address to them strance,, we fear, would be wasted*

romance, rather than teachers of truth

words: of expostulation or admonition, coursing: music to the deaf adder. for

Scripture, yet treat it in a

to mutilate the expression, or,

much

orator, or.

feign reverence

so disrespectful

;

penmen

to have been

in the same sense in which the poet, the

the philosopher

is

said to be inspired,

then deal as freely with the compositions r

as with, those

like dis-

by unsound Hermeneutics,

pervert the import; to allow its inspired

To

manner

were

of-

of the latter; nay, use liberties

2o

and

the; former ;

in> the

one

446

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

,

case,

which none venture to take in the other : what

shall

we

say of those

who

so reckless, so audacious least a .

more

?

are chargeable with conduct

Surely, they act a worse, at

inconsistent part, than

with the Deist,

if,

they openly rejected the authority of the Bible. it

your persuasion,

is

be bold to avow the

the offspring of

human

sentiment

infidel

the mask, and appear in your real character. ever,

you hold

it

to be

'

of

God/

in

intellect,

throw

:

If,

off the

If,

how-

dare not, with profane

hand, to disfigure what, on the admission, bears the

'image and superscription' of Divinity.

This

height of presumption, the climax of impiety

repentance and pardon prevent not, a

'

;

is

the

and,

if

sorer punishr

ment' than leprosy will certainly befall its perpetrators. But, turning from heretical teachers, we address our speech to those

by

who

their subtilty.'

upon

are in danger of being

beguiled

Such we are most desirous to put ye simple ones, hearken to the

their guard.

voice of warning.

'

You need

to

be admonished

as well

and equally requisite and salutary is the Beware lest any man spoil you through caution: philosophy and vain deceit.' Take heed that you be directed,

'

not seduced, by the sophisms of ingenious disbelief,

other article of the Christian Faith. rilous declaimers, <

gion,

folly, into

a

whether of Demoniacal Agency, or of any

speaking

who

assail

Leave those scur-

with abuse our holy

evil of things

which they know

reli-

not,' to

rave to the winds, or to pour forth their vile effusions

to

AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE.

447

the lovers of foulness and venom:

be not you

among

their

perusal of

Abstain

auditors.

Works

from

of an infidel cast

:

the

often

frequent

may

the in-

consequentness of the reasoning, or the falsity of the

be unperceived, while the dogmatic tone and confident assertion or bold

conclusion,

may

pass for oracular,

Be suspicious

interrogation for solid argument.

companions

you

by avoiding

;

will consult

much *

your

safety.

Can a man take

go upon hot less,

coals,

and

the better

too,

his feet not

it

;

in

The

be burnt?'

you pore over Writings

politely ignore Christianity

ing

fire

Can one

bosom, and his clothes not be burnt?

his

of such

intercourse with them,

.that

occasionally, perhaps, pay^

a constrained compliment, but indicating a dis-

relish for its peculiar

and

Some

distinctive verities.

of

them, no doubt, possess literary excellencies, charms of imagination or beauties of composition, while they furnish both instruction

and entertainment

:

but

it

may be

a question, whether the beneficial or hurtful influences

preponderate terbalanced

by

This advice affection

whether the mental good be not coun-

;

and

spiritual evil.

we

tender with

faithfulness.

all

the earnestness of

Disregard

it,

and

bitter^

Is there no hazard, afterwards, may be your regrets. no likelihood, of your conversion to the views of those

Ah by degrees to make a prey of you ? At embrace their you may length you may opinions. be found, like the fly in the web of the spider, entangled who wish

!

448

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

inextricably in the meshes of nationalism or Infidelity,

Such has been the

many

career of

a hopeful youth,

many a conceited simpleton,

many

a once promising but un-

But what of the

stable professor.

closing scene

?

Not

rare have been the instances in which incorrigible foly

has 'mourned at the

consumed/

last,

when its

flesh

and its body were

See that your case swells not the number

of those, in which

exemplified the forewarning of the

is

Royal Preacher. Otherwise, at the end of a course marked by criminal departure from the Truth, you may be heard, as our ears have heard and our eyes have seen the victim of such infatuation, giving utterance, in sor-

rowful accents, to the feelings and reflections of agoniz*

ing remorse.

How have

heart despised reproof? voice of

my

moth wheeling

me?'

it

You may

have observed the After a few

rushes nearer the glowing centre,

in pain.

What an emblem

duct and the doom of giddy, 'Blessed

mine ear to them

wings are scorched, and losing the

flight, it expires

is

the

my

have not obeyed the

rapidly round the flame.

distant circlings, its

And

teachers, nor inclined

that instructed

when

I hated instruction, and

man

power of

of the con-

self-sufficient errorists

!

that walketh not in the counsel of

the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the chair of the scornful.

But

his delight

is

in the law of the Lord, and in His law doth he meditate

day and

night.'

What an

Apostle foretold

is,

at present, a notorious

449

AUTHORITY OP SCRIPTURE. '

fact.

There

be

shall

shall

be

evil

heresies.

by reason

follow their pernicious ways,

way of Truth

among you, who

false teachers

damnable

privily shall bring in

spoken

of.'

Many shall of whom the Hence, in our

day, the injunction of the Beloved Disciple sary

and

as suitable as

lieve not every

spirit

in these words, '

is

as neces-r

was in primitive times * Bebut try the spirits whether they it

:

The probation,

are of G-od/

not be

:

is

so peremptorily inculcated if

we would

and strange

doctrines.'

indispensably requisite,

carried about with divers

These their respective abettors attempt, with no dexterity, to force sire

upon the acceptance of

little

who

de-

freedom from the trammels of educational prejudices

or antiquated superstitions.

and

all

They

are

men

of renown,

how

entitled, forsooth, to speak with authority.

complacent,

how

assuming,

how

dictatorial!

Despite,

and superciliousness of however, to bearing, we crave leave to dissent from their views tell them all their We with reject plainness, dogmas. this

arrogance of spirit

and their own writings are appealed to for proof, that they are not qualified to be instructors in Theology. Surely, silence

mentary

becomes them

lessons,

and master

having abjured modesty license, it

would seem,

till

they study

its

its first principles.

as a virtue,

rudi-

But,

they must have

to use the tongue or the pen,

though only to publish their

own

shame.

Personal

knowledge, too, enables us to add, that, in not a few cases,

the haughtiness of mien, and loftiness of preten-

2o2

450

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

sion, are in ludicrous contrast

The

portions.

with the intellectual pro*

spectacle amuses, rather than offends.

It forcibly reminds of the fable of the frog swelling into

the dimensions of the ox.

pigmy aping the giant

;

It is the unseemliness of a

the swagger of shallowness

affecting the profound, or of folly mimicking wisdom.

Verily, there are

men who

can trade largely on small

capital.

Say not our language is harsh or intemperate. What! Is our 'spirit not to be stirred within us/ at

wood

the sight of 'the boar out of the

wild beast of the

field

devouring?'

wasting, or the

Are we not

to

grieve over the ravages, or express indignation at the viciousness, of the 'little foxes that spoil the vines ?*

To

creatures of such nature, soft words were unsuited.

The

'

are

'

void of understanding

;

and the

safety, the

eternal weal, of millions requires, that their mischievous propensities be checked.

in

love,'

and we would

oppose themselves/ speech

:

we

like

it'

'

We

would ' speak the truth

in meekness instruct those that

But fidelity is preferable even when

may have

it

to

smooth

the appear-

ance of severity, or expose to the charge of bitterness,

and be repaid with slander. Our feelings towards the men, whose blasphemies call forth our unqualified reprobation,

have no alliance with

more of sorrow than of anger.

when we

ill-will;

think of the numbers,

whom their

they partake

But we speak

known

strongly

to ourselves,

ungodly productions have been the means

AUTHORITY

Otf

SCEIPTUEE.

Of

of inoculating with deadly error.

some are

fatuates,

not, having,

it is

to the pit with a lie in their right survive, having acquired

these poor in'

feared,

hand

gone down

' :

others,

who

a taste for the moral poison,

persist, in spite of counsel or remonstrance, to imbibe its fatal virus,

as

we have

by the

supplied so copiously

multiform heterodoxy.

Would

Presses of

that the Authors saw,

seen, the pernicious effects of their

Works

!

Their hearts, unless incapable of relenting, would throb If to perdition they are deter-

with painful emotion.

mined to go, why,

whom

why not go

alone

?

What if those

they unhappily succeed in drawing after them,

should be their upbraiders in the regions of

woe ?

Never to be compared are physical and spiritual harm ; the destruction of the body, and the destruction Wherefore, then, are execrations heaped

of the soul.

on the miscreant who doses while censure

is

his victim

with strychnia,

dealt in spare measure to him, who,

the instilling of noxious tenets, ruins the

principles

immortal mind

?

by

or antiscriptural

The consequences,

in the one case, are infinitely worse than in the other

why

:

then, should the guilty agents be blamed, in the

latter so severely,

phrase

?

and

in the former in mild

We reverse this

order,

and gentle

and administer

to false

teachers or lying prophets our sharpest reproofs,

address to them, however,

Oh, that

we

alarm their

Our

not in wrath, but in pity.

by some impressive representation, and awaken them to a sense of dan-

could, fears,

is

452 ger

DIABOLICAL AGENCY. Let us remind them of utterances of awful signi-

!

which,

ficance,

Speaker of

all

is

*

we

believe, will, as certainly as

holy and true/ be realized in the experience

who deny

or subvert the faith.

is,

that they

may

May

the living

and our .prayer to

lay to heart these fearful threats;

G-od

the

escape the execution of them.

/Because I have called, and ye refused, I have stretched .out

my

nought

hand, and no all

my

man regarded

counsel,

but ye have set at and would none of my reproof: ;

I also will laugh at your calamity, I will

your

fear

cometh; when your

fear

mock when

cometh

as desola-

and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind, when Then shall they distress and anguish come upon you. tion,

.call

upon me, but I

.early,

but they

will not

shall

answer ; they

fine,

let

Holy

.kept from the paths, and

Scripture.

all

Lord/

a devout and

You will thus be

fortified against the influence,

of destroyers: .whether evil men,

.

fear of the

us again urge upon

habitual attention to

me

not find me: for that they hated

.knowledge, and did not choose the

In

shall seek

who

labour, with

' equal assiduity and perseverance, to corrupt the Word of God,' or undermine its authority, and to indoctrinate

the minds of their fellows with noxious errors,

the

heresies of Unitarian or Geological pestilent conception,

of Scepticism, Secularism,

or Pantheism,

with, their

various and hateful cognates ; or the grand Adversary,

AUTHORITY OF whose

craft is

superhuman, whose wiles are manifold,

and whose temptations his experience and sagacity enable him to adapt to peculiar cases, occasions, tind in-

What

dividuals.

though, being a Spirit, he

to the corporeal eye

Of him,

?

indeed,

is invisible

we may

say, in

a qualified sense, what Job affirms of the Divine Intelligence, 'Behold, I

go forward, but he

is

not there;

and backward, but I cannot perceive him : on the left hand where he doth work, but I cannot behold him ; he hideth himself on the right hand, that 1 cannot see

Yet may not

him.'

his presence

power and stratagems the

his

Venerate the Bible. the its

Holy Ghost,

be the

less to

Eegard

it

less real,

nor

be apprehended.

as the production of

a Kevelation from heaven.

statements as the Oracles of Yeracity

:

Eeceive

they are

*

the

Acquaint yourselves with the

true sayings of God.'

of its Inspiration. Let your faith in its be Keject, as intelligent, as well as sincere. Divinity false and pernicious, any dogmas, by whomsoever evidences

propounded, or with whatever plausibility recommended, that clash with its teachings.

Blind credulity, or pride

of understanding,

them

of superior

may

accept

as the informations

enlightenment: they are, in reality, the

offspring of ignorance or folly.

Make Apply

this

to

it

blessed

it

chosen companion.

only for knowledge, in relation to *the

things pertaining consult

Word your

to

frequently:

godliness.'

For

this

purpose,

here are sound wisdom and

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

4:54:

sublime morality.

Rejoice in its fulness,

for all the ends of spiritual felicity.

This

glorious

attributes,

one chief

is

its sufficiency

improvement and eternal characteristic,

Embrace

a whole; avoiding, in your professed respect

'partiality*

'aK

as well

as

profitable;' useful

correction,

its

whether viewed as a system of

instruction, of holiness, or of consolation.

as

one of

'hypocrisy.'

doctrine,

and instruction in

it,

Its contents are

t

for

for

it

or reproof,

or.

righteousness.'

Seek the ' demonstration of the

Spirit,'

that

you may

have a right discernment of the mysteries of Holy Writ.

The

them to

revelation of

illumination of the revelation of

them

Holy

the

mind, or the internal

Grhost, is as necessary as the

in the Book.

Pray, then, for His

enlightenment, to enable you so to see their beauty

and

excellence, to perceive their fitness

and worth,

as

you to love them. Thus will the Word come to you in power, and in much assurance.' No

to incline '

reasoning will be needed to convince you, that

God

for

;'

you

shall

Enemy, by

belief of

your not be

'

Take heed

insinuating doubts, should shake

any of

carried about

ware of 'the

sleight

whereby they

lie

fastness, caution

was

'

'of

have a witness in yourselves,' more

satisfactory than a thousand arguments. lest the

it is

'

its verities.

That, too, you may wind of doctrine,' beby every of men, and cunning craftiness

in wait to deceive.'

and prayer are

To your

requisite

;

for he

sted-

who

a lying spirit in the mouths of Ahab's prophets/

AUTHOBITY OP SCRIPTURE. seems

still

to act as 'a lying spirit' in certain

the Apostles

prophets,

phased

455

of

Rationalism

modern

and many-

Infidelity.

Christian parents, explain to your offspring, as

may be 'of.

able,

and

you

can receive, the precious truths

as they

Endeavour, betimes, to furnish their

Scripture.

understandings and memories with its wholesome lessons.

Make them

the subject of familiar discourse in their

and of frequent examination

hearing,

What

with them. edifying

as to acquaintance

appropriate themes for pleasant and

conversation,

in the domestic circle,

do the

narratives and biographies, the doctrines and precepts, of the Sacred

Yolume supply

ye fathers and mothers, to the injunction of Jehovah, by His servant Moses, 'to parents in Israel, and remember that it still '

remains in

full force

:

!

its

Listen, then,

obligation

These words that I command thee

thine heart

;

and thou

shalt teach

this

them

is

day

perpetual. shall

be in

diligently unto

thy children, and thou shalt talk of them

when thou

and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up/ Youth we exhort to give themselves to the regular

sittest

in thine house,

and devotional reading of the Bible.

Let

preference in your regards to every other

the study of

its

pages you

will reap

more

it

have the

book

:

from

solid benefit

than from the perusal of |he finest compositions

human

genius.

temptation,

It will

of

both preserve from the snares of

and furnish an antidote to the

cavils

of

,

DIABOLICAL AGENCY.

'Wherewith

Infidelity.

shall

a young man cleanse

his

way?, by taking heed thereto according to Thy;Word,' How suitable and important, then, the, advice of Solo-

mon! 'My Let.

thine

son, incline

unto

ear

them not depart from thine eyes

midst of thine heart; for they are

:

my

sayings.

keep them in the

life

unto those that

In the Bible you have a sure guide, a 'When guardian, and an edifying companion.

find them.' faithful

thou goest, shall

shall lead thee;

when thou

keep thee; and when thou awakest,,

Kor the commandment

with thee.

law

it

is.

is

sleepest, it

shall talk

it

a lamp

;

and the

and reproofs of instruction are the ways

light;

of life.'

On.

would inculcate supreme reverence and the Bible. Let it be enshrined in the affec-

we,

all

esteem for

tions: its verities received with cordial faith,

precepts obeyed from love.

Yalue

it as

salvation, the Charter of immortality. ,

tions, as the all. the.

life's

its

the Record of

Follow its direc-

given to trace out your path: through

Take

intricacies of this earthly pilgrimage.

as the chart

over

map

and

and compass, by which to ;

steer

it

your course

troubled sea to the peaceful shores of the

better Country.

Look

careful observation of

to

it as

the pole-star,

which you

by the know to how may

bend your way, and be conducted safely, amid darkness and storm, to the desired destination. From this infallible guide, allow

tion

;

no object or pursuit to divert

but, with an eye steadily fixed upon

it,,

atten-

go, for*

AUTHORITY OP SCRIPTURE. ward,

your

,457

reaching the goal, you obtain the end of

till,

faith,'

and the consummation* of your hope, the even that perfection of nature points the views and aspirations

salvation of the. soul:

and of bliss, to which

it

and which a gracious God

of the regenerate,

assuredly bestow on

every believer in His "Wor.d,

will

and

every follower of His Son.

Would we,

then, baffle the devices,

the power, of Satan of

"

men and

evil

and triumph over

Would we resist the

?

seducers/

who attempt

enticements

to poison our

one excellent:

minds with heresy or error? Let mean, cultivate an intimate and growing acquaintance us, as

with the Bible

more of

To

its

this let

studying, at the same time, to imbibe

spirit,

'

Good and

He teach

desire

of

How

:

the Lord

and the meek

will

all

purity.

:

therefore

He

will

He

teach His

Be

it

the

to have experimental proof

'If thou criest after knowledge,

thy voice for understanding

up

its

The meek

encouraging the .declaration!

and endeavour of

its faithfulness.

liffcest

is

upright

sinners in the way.

guide in judgment way/.

and to exhibit more of

us be incited by precious promises of Divine

assistance. will

;

;

if

and

thou seekest

her as silver, and searehest for her as for hid treasures

:

then shalt thou, understand the fear of the Lord, and. find the

For the Lord giveth of His mouth come knowledge and

knowledge of God.

wisdom:

out

understanding. righteous.'

He

layeth

up sound wisdom ,

.

2p

.

for the.

-DIABOLICAL AGENCY, "\

May

our minds be enlightened with correct; Scrip*

and tremendous Agency

tural views of the mysterious

that has engaged our contemplations.

suasion of

dread of

and

might and

its

as will

it,

.May

the' -per*

subtilty excite such a salutary

keep us habitually on our guard,

.bring us often, in the frame and the attitude; of

importunate petitioners, to

Impressed with

its

excellence

and

elad in that panoply which Divine

ably provided

ness in

may we

be-

has so suuv

may we it

:

train ourselves,

never

may

and the helmet of

by

daily

the Adversary

unarmed with 'the sword of the

shield of faith,

Spirit,

the

Con-

salvation.'

of utter impotency, and of the need of

scious, too,

superior aid, let interposition

Hope

utility,

Wisdom

convinced of the importance of skilful-

:

its exercise,

practice, to the use of

find us

of mercy*

footstool

.the

its

humbly and

fervently implore the

whose help alone

of Him,

can

avail.

of Israel, and Saviour thereof in time of trouble

hear our suppliant cry. trouble

is

near/

'Be not

from

far

Lion of the Tribe of Judah! curb

the rage and violence of the Bearing Lion, to devour.

the weak

t

us, for

give courage to the fearful

hands,

and

Through, almighty grace,

confirm

the

may we be

who

seeks-

< :

strengthen

feeble

knees.'

enabled both

.*

to

stand against the wiles of the Devil/ and to resistihe assaults of his fury.