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IMI. / / ►'*- -. .^iU* A .ftS& M ' liiiif III' luiifi f r ; !"■ ^ I i * '•.■.„ 1 '' K * 'V ,. DISCOURSE ON THE DEVIL, BY T H E R E y. D A Y 1 D B L A O K, \ MINISTER OF TH« GolsPIL ; ''V WHICH AHE C0.V8IDERED AIX THE LEADING FACTS ACIRCUM8TAMCE8 CONCEI^NINa THE DEVIL, mmm in thsscwptures- THE FIWAL DOOM OP THE DEVIL. TO WHICH ARB ADDID BOMB PRACTICAL REFLECTIONS. Be sober, be vigilant, because your advermrv th. n -i i-oanng lion, walketh about, seekinawZr^A. ^ , ^^*'*'' "'" resist, stedfaitin i^e faith, &c.Tl'^Zz^ylX^ ''"""'.• "'*""* JOHN C. ,«OK.T, ,„„„, „ „„1,, ,^ ^^^^ ^^^^ /• v.- *--^ 1866. i ^i,s-i^:,iis^k'' i »ti,^L&^ '•* *"it-. 1 This of no li holds in Both tostimon He is Satan, th world, tl many oth power he thing res and misol and mcrci race. The th Church in strange as sight of, ai enormous i aro purpotr this undou wherevcril brought to One would recognized useless dogi never intend tiso in those the Bible, il declarations, cvidontthirt'i ..J r«r,,i!^^ .- ... ,J DISCOURSE ON THB DEVIL. INTRODUCTION. of nf,itlfil7rtLr;S^^^ novoxtholcono holds in the ho^gS,,, . ''" ''""^^^ ^'^^ PJ'»«'« which it Both thToM Tx?'' "'^ ''^ P''^*''^°^J faring. many other appellatioDi 'wS "'' f^"^°"' ^"«'^«' «"' P^^c- ^- ilTHl it. In former ages of the Church, Satan was regarded as a formida- ble foe, who had to be resisted, and watched, and guarded against. But in the present day and for a long time back his very existence is doubted, if not altogether denied. His name is seldom or ever mentioned in our pulpits in the way of caution or admonition. The passage of scripture which we have placed at the head of this treatise is one very striking proof of the importance which the Apostle Peter attached, in common with the other Apostles, to the existence and power of the Devil, and there are many others' to the same purpose, which we will have an opportunity of considering in their proper place. The Apostle Peter exhorts hiu converts to watchfulness and sobriety, why? Because their adversary the Devil, like a roaring hon, was continually walking about, seeking whom he might devour Now it is plain if the Devil had no existence or was a mere imaginary being, this exhortation would have no meaning at all. The Apostle might have urged other considerations of undoubted weight, but aU other arguments were swalk)wed up and absorbed in this one, of the tremendous power, untiring energy, profound subtlety, and insatiable malice of their great adversary the Devil, and therefore he gives it superior prominence and enforces his admonition to watchfulness bv this alone. 1 Pet. v. 8, 9. " Be sober, be vigilant ; because your ^^ adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking ^^ whom he may devour ; whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing " that the same afflictions arc accomplished in your brethren that '* are in the world." In the prosecution of our present design, we shall turn our attention m the first place to the facts and circumstances concerning the Devil contained in the scriptures. The Bible, it may be remarked may be said to be the only book, which gives us any information on the subject, and therefore to it we must refer and confine our inqui- ries in the first instance. I. The first noticeable circumstance respecting Satan, which wemeet with in scripture is that he was once an angel of light, and as such was a holy and a happy being, constantly engaged in' the service and worship of God. But from, this high and honorable condition he tcllh^ giving way to pride and ambition, and rebelling against the i'-^, » '. ^->'.- — 'Ay JT r.^W^W|WS35^' s a formida- led against. !ry existence iom or ever nition. head of this * which the )stles, to the thers to the •nsidering in fulness and :e a roaring ght devour, 'e imaginary rhe ApoflUe ?ht, but all one, of the id insatiable he gives it hfulness by Bcause your ut, seeking th, knowing ithren that ! turn our concerning e remarked rmation on ' our inqui- ich wemeet id as such service and )ndition he igainst the Most High, thereby incurring his righteous displeasure, driven out from the celestial abodes and cast down to hell, where he kl hTchTe abode. We have no particular account gi'ven us of the^oH^^^ progn^ss or final devclopement of this war in heaven, or oS upon hira. The fact however is distinctly stated, or to sneak mnr^ correctly is pointedly alluded to in. more Ln one ;:age':f .TrT; but that myriads of angels were implicated in the same offence and shared xa his miserable fate. This we gather from the factt'hat there are innumerable myriads of those fallen spirit, engaged in -carrynig on the Devil's wicked designs, as appears from tho!e°p Ja- ges of scripture,- which speak of thoir deeds of darkness, viz the possessions spoken of in the Gospels and that notable passage in the atl ; "• •. ' " """'^ ""'' '^^^"^^ fl«^'^ -^ »>J-d, but against pnncipahties, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Milton in his Paradise Lost thus graphically describes^he awful rum and swift destruction, which the Devil and the rebel angels brought upon themselves by their own wickedness and rebellion :-! So spake the Son, and into terror changed His countenance, too severe to be beheld And full of wrath bent on his enemies. At once the Pour spread out their starry wings With dreadful shade contiguous, and the orbs Of his fierce chariot rolled, as with the sound 4 O!" torrent floods, or of a numerous host. He on his impious foes right onward drove. Gloomy as night : under his burning wheels The stedfast empyrean shook throughout, All but the throne itself of God/ PuH soon „ n, "?J^"\ *^"'" "^ ^ '"^"'"^ '■°'' ^^** 'Sason Satan and his rebel hosts ZZ Sr^'""* to conspire against God and to attempt His dethronement. ?for iheir designs must have been fully known to his omniscience) why their evU designs were not nipped in the bud and they made to return to (heir allee ance IJifT^^' K^'.'^ know that such 'was the fact, and we may be sure that It was permitted for a wise and gracious purpose, and if for no other ban to show the heavenly hosts even the most exalted of them how ent" X dependent they were upon the graee of God for keeping their first estate, and ^ that there was a possibility of their apostacy. ' ' r . n • V r •»• Among them he arrired'; in Ws righfhknd • . .Grasping ten thouian^ thunders, which he sent Before him, such as in their souls infiz'd Pltiguea. They astonish'd, all resistance lost All courage, do#n their idle weapona dropt • ' O'er shields and helms and helmed heads he 'rode , "f Thrones and mighty Seraphimlprostrale, ' That .wii^hed the mountains now might be again Thrown on them, as a shelter from his ire. ' • Npr less on either 'side tempestuous fell * ..^is arrows, fronr the fourfold visaged four Piatmct with eyes, and fromthe liring wheels , ' Distinct alikowlth multitudes of eyes ; One Spirit in them ruled And ev'ry eye . f""^ "ghtniiig, and shot forth pernicious fire A r°„? ;5^"^'^'««'J. "''^l "^ither'd all their strength, And of their wonted vigour lefHhem drained, '- Exhausted, spiritless, afflicted, fallen Yet half his strength he put not^orth,' but checked His thpnder ,n mid valley ; for he -meant - Not to destroy, but root them out of Heaven. ^ The. overthrown be raised, and as a herd Of goats or timerous flock together thronged. ^ ' Whhl ''T ''"'• *^"°^<«-»trnck pursued - ' With terrors aRd with furies to the bounds H^tr**' ?" '' ^'"^'° •' ^^'^^ '^-^-« wide. Boiled. ^ard, and a spacious gap disclosed ' Into the wasteful deep. The sacred historian introduces the account of thi« mnf*" • very peculiar way. He observes in the t ^Lo o^ th? t' T * " Now the Serpent was more fmhtU fi,' I ^ *'''*?*«'• = " the Lord Gofhad Lade !s7f '°^ ^""^ "^ *^« ^^^^^ ^1^^°^ " follow." He then 't' A . ^?^""' "" "'^'^^ ^°' ^^'^^ « to hew with Eve Ltderr^dV^r*: *^r«^--«- which he forbidden tree And h^ - "i T f *" *^'- "^ *^° ^''"i* of the' ^ tn wee. And he said unto the woman, " Yea hath C^ -7 ye shall not eat of overv tr/.^ Afi i ' ^°° '^^^> " said unto the sernent W ^ ^"■'^'"' ' ^°^ *»>« woman " the garden b^TL fruTtTtlT ' ' " V ^'^ '' ''^ ^^^ «^ 'Hhe garden God ZthllT , n ""^'"^ '' ^" *«« °»id«t of g - ottef kindle onr aSi™ ^- 5 «"''°''- ^'" *" Stoat point, to wyeb rii ? ' '''"°'' "PI""" "I™" f'"" «Ms paeeaj-a, ha. rfa'afi*:."'"'''- ''°"' '' " P^"* '0 ooneeive'tbal^'ialir t.« IS a fiction, a« »o„.e. infidel, have been bold^enongh to affirm^,- JtLT, ''=«'"P«°"'»f a '?«> «oo>.rrenee. Thfn ft^!™':: " tn,lh ,nh,^rj, and all the.aecoo^te, whieh have eon,e dom, to 1 aa sueh an op,n,„n « too monstrone to be ajopled, it f„ll„™ that ■ tt« ,a . ,™ nnvamUhed tale, a plain ..atoment of fee J Id if « *e aetore jn .be aeene n,m Wo iad a real exietonee and Z^,2 ' rr^^ hT^hrhtd t s^,:[r '" ^'"''"' ~* " y i ,^^ ' i ■ "1* *l- ' , lf 0* #» '— ^- — 1^_ '^ . « \ p ■ ■ ■ r#- iSs- a* •#» -fe I . / «> \ I r The next fact concerning the Devil is in the 1st Boole of Kings, (22nd chap.) whore lie is represented as offering himself to become a lying spirit in the mouth of the Prophets, whom King Ahab cOp- Bulted, whether he should go up to Ramoth-Gilead to battle or not. ■ And upon being permitted by God to go forth on this evil errand, he succeeded in persuading the king of Israel to go up thither by the prospect of certain victory, though he was forewarned by Micaiah a Prophet of the Lord, that he would be slain. Now though this passage is to bo taken with certain allowances for the high-flown language of" the ^ast, yet the very circumstance of an evil or the evil Spirit being introduced on this occasion is a decided proof that the existence and agency of the Devil or his angels wa/fully rccog niz^d by the sacred Historian. The next fact respectrng the Devil is contained in that passage in the Book of Jobj(chap. i. G, 12), where Satan is represented as pre- senting himself in the court of heaven, and being questioned by God himself as to his sfcrvant Job, ho appears to liavo doubted Job's sincerity. \ ' The Devil is represented as saying to God upon boiug asked what he thought of his servant Job, " That there was no man. like him in the e^rth, a perfect and an upright man, and one that eschewed evil," replied, (judging of others T)y himself,) it might be so, but he would just ask one question, was Job's goodness quite disinterested. Does Job fear God for nought ? And then he immediately suggests • that if God would put forth his hand and touch all. that he had, he would throw off all restraint and curse him to his face. Upon which God told the Devil that all that Job had was in his power, only ho was not to meddle with himself. Accordingly Satan hi^ving obtained • this fibcrty lost no time in putting Job's integrity to the test, of i>4^'^'^^ ^^ ""^ '" ***° fiiubsequent verses. Here again we would %' remark that in this passage Satan is represented as a \iving, active and independent being, conversing, reasoning and makingkuggestions, .cand moreover carrying out into full effect iiis own wiiced designs upon the Patriarch Job, so far as ho was permitted. | Not con- tent with depriving *Jiim of part of his property, lie sleeps it all a^ay from him in one day, and not only bo but bereaves ^lira of all his family. Now all this plainly demonstrates that thcriis such a ^ Book of Kings, elf to become a ^ing Ahab cOp- ) battle or not. bis evil errand, up thither by icd by Micaiah ow though this the high-flown ' an evil or the led proof that awfully rccog that passage in asentod as pre- qucstioned by doubted Job's ng asked wiiat m like him in schewcd evil," e so, but he disinterested, ately suggests at he had, he Upon which )owor, only he iving obtained » the test, of iln we would living, active g Suggestions, ioccd design!) l.\ Not con- sweeps it all !8 pirn of all icri is Buch a 9. b«w5 aa tVpej^l, who is continually going about «eeking whom he rt*y devot^r and doing all the inischief he can possibly accomplish. Tie next scene where Sat^ appears in a visibl^form is in the Temp. Ufaon in Ae WUdem^. ^ Here^e find him putting forth the utmost extent of his craft and subtlety to tempt Christ to sin. First he en- ' for himse^ in a miraculous manner by commanding two stones which he probably held in h.s hand to become bread, whereby it might appear ■ l^y the Son- of God. and at the same time hiT prJLC nweasibes might be supplied. Then finding that this mode o'f !IS Z!^ /°'i?' ^' ^^ ^^'''^ °P "^ ^ P'«"*«l« of the temple ttfn^^^^u" ;" ?', P-^P^^ty of his casting himself down from thence ; but this also faded. He then took him up to a verv hU Sr^?rt " !? '^ *," *'^ '^"S^--f *he world, and Tffer^d . ZZI ?r L ? *u a ^'"P*'"^" ^^^ "*'* «"°«^^- Now it appears . iTinf-l'S; f "'" '*' ' "'*^« °"""'"e foe to deaf!:^th. Jnj ^ " r'''""'' " '^""S who was possessed of the arts of strategy. These seem to comprise all the facts and ciroum «rc ail descriptive of his character and operations. Dbvil.— This word comes from the^Grcek worrl lli„J^i , • , of fom{T«nA-. K .1. > ' y ''^1^ "^ reconciliation or Job, whom if he had bo.-n - - • '"'" '^'^ ""»"'" I pprmittod, hr woujrj h :ivp ))<( ^^riy d PC V; 10 troycd. He has cast off all allegiance to God, and finds a wioked and malignant pleasure in going contrary to his will apd thwarting ' all his good and benevolent designs. In saying these things we are on^ stating the plain truth, and yet how dreadful it is to think of any being deriving his chief happiness fVom doing everything in his power to provoke the vengeance of the Most High and to compass tho ruin of his creatures. Many sin from ignorance, or want of consideration, or from the strength of temptation, but the Dovil practises iniquity deliberately, knowingly and determinutely, having a fixed purpose of doing evil, nothing but evil, and that conti- nually. Belial — He is likewise balled Belial, which is an Hebrew word, und signifies one who is good for nothing, a libertine, One that is extremely wicked. 2 Cor. vi, 15. What concord hath Christ with Belial ? Well might the Apostle put this question in order to mark this awful distance, the rooted enmity, the decided and ev^r inoroas- ing opposition and contrariety subsisting between Christ and Belial,' and by consequence between him and the children of Boliol or wicked men, who are his willing slaves and obedient servants, being led captive by him at his will, whether they bo open profligates, or cold and formal professors, avowed infidels^ or mere triflers. Satan is another of those epithets which are applied to the Devil. It signifies an adversary or an accuser in a court of justice, Job ii, 1. " Satan came alsb among them." In this latter respect it corresponds with the term Devil. The constant and determined oppositi6n, which subsists between God and the Devil has given rise to the notion, which was entertained by some of the ancient Heathens, that there were two beings in the universe, the one good, and the other bad, who wore possessed of equal power, and wore continually engaged in thwarting and defeating each other's designs. It has also given rise to the different kinds of worship, which obtain among idolatrous nations, at one time see|^g to appease tho wrath of their deities by cruel and bloody rites, such as the sacrificing of human victims, at another by obscene and voluptuous ones. Thb SsapENT. — The Dovil is likewise called " the Serpent " or " the Old Serpent." Gen. iii, 1, Rev. xii, 9. He is so called because ho conveyed hims^f into the serpent, when he tempted Kve, and in respect of his serpentiDe 4iBposition, his poiwn is always -^ \ nd finds a wioked will ai^d thwarting ^heso things we are 111 it is to think of Icing everything in 'igh and to compass oranoe, or want of on, but the Dovil terminately, having 1, and that oonti- I an Hebrew word, rline, One that is rd hath Christ with n in order to mark d and er^r inoroas- i Christ and Belial,^ of Belial or wicked servants, being led profligates, or cold flers. pplied to the Devil. )f justice, Job ii, 1. ispeot it corresponds rmined oppositidn, I given rise to the ient Heathens, that ;ood, and the other i wore continually s designs. It has vbioh obtain among the wrath of their lorificing of human " the Serpent" or He is so called )n he tempted Eve, is poison is always IJ • r^J, and runs. continually as in full streams both against Christ and ugaiust all hip members for His «ke. He is a JcraSy wCI and subtle as a serpent. What this subtlety consists in is menUoned / by natural«te, and several instance.* are given of it, and the reaem-/ blance between the serpent and th^ Devil in this quality is remarkaWir/ because most of his deeds are^^one in a stealthy, cLing mann J and It would appear that 1^ succeeds better by this method than by open violence, besides/ihat it affords him the most unmingled sausfaction. when he s^ his evil designs taking effect by subtle and cov«r( means. //. DaAoo«.~This e|.^et is applied to the Devil in scripture on account of his greM atrength ahd bloody cruelty against the samtu ot (iod. He is spoken of under this appellation in the Book of Revelation, m several passages, Rev. xii, 7, 9, 13, 16, 17. In these verses a fierce and long sustained contest is described between the Devil under the similitude of the Dragon and the woman or the chuKh, which demonstrates that the chief enemy of the church is the Devil, and that all the evils which have come upon her are all owing to his agency and crafty policy. Thi PiiNCi Of TiiK World U another of the epithets which are applied to Satan, chiefly because he exercises a great deal of his power over the kingdoms of the earth by making them subservient to his wicked purposes, and the seats of his authority through the i-apaoy and other false religions, also because he employs the allure- ments of the world as his baits to effect the eternal ruin of mimortal souls. He lays claim to his authority as exclusively and mdisputably as in the temptation in the wilderness, when he proposes to Christ to fall down and worship him, and that for this transient act of homage he would give him the kingdoms of the world in full and free possession. a ?"if"^°'~'^'''' "••"' "^'"^'y "the master orgod of the fly. This i« applied to the Devil by the Jews in the way of deri- sion to show their contempt for idols or false gods. However this may be, this appellation is one that was well known amon^different nauons, with some variations, as another name for SaUn or the DevU He 11 .aid m the New Testament to be the Prince or Chief of the Devil., either becamw he was »o in reality, or was reputed a. each. PBnfOi or TBI Poww or thi Aib, an appdlation thi., wUoh U 12 '} giyen to him from an opinion preval^t among the Jewi thai ther* actnallj are some evil spirits, irho inhabit the air, and under theif ohief, exercise their powers in exciting the \rinds, storms and tempesta or other malignant injQuences sach as destructive diseases or epid mios, when permitted or commissioned so to do. To this t Apostle Paul seems to allude" in the second chapter of Ephesiant, 2l verse. " Wherein in time past ye walked according to the oonneM " this world, according to the Prince of the Power of the Air,|bt " Spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." These are some of the principal epithets applied to the Detil/and surely it is evident that thes^e were not given him without som/good and substantial reason, proving as they do beyond all oontrbveny his real existence and agency. III. Let us next consider the Workt of^the Devil. In j^onsider ing the works of the Devil, we can only select a few of /the most prominent. The flrst that we sjiuU refer to, is the Fall of Man, f>t the great Apcstmy. Man wlien he came f^-om the hand of hi/Creator was au innoosnt and upright creature, his Maker's gloricms image wa? ^-'ustampcd upon his soul ; His law was his only rule/ and His glory lil chief end: lie delighted in the senico 6f God and in commu nion with him and the holy angels. / His understanding was clear and unolouUcd, ^Is will in perfect^ lonformity with the divine will, his afrcctjp^s were pure and heavenly and spiritual, being set upon the thiilgS that are above. , Such was man in his primeval state, he Was a glorious) hi^py ireature, he was, ii" we may so speak his Maker's pride, be&g only a little lower than the angels. But the D)6vil could not behold so fair and beauteous ii scene without envy a|»d hattwl. It^Ued Urn with the direst malice to thint Uiat a |ifreature, that was but of vestcrdny should be so happy and distii^guishod, while he, who h»4 i.noe held so high a place among the hidfarohios of heaven should be oast out from his Maker's presence and regards. Accordingly he loruied the fell purpoSo, the wicked ilesign of putting an end to so much happiness and ilntfoduoing diabord and enmity and confusion,'" where all was jKiaoo and love and porfeot order. When ouco ho prevailed, all wfl^ ehanged for the worse. Th«4lQ ^ra^i I / IS Id J«wa that then r, and under thelt' orms and tempeeta^ I diseases or epide io. To this rof Ephesians,2l fig to the oonne/of er of the Air,|uie ledienoe." 1 to the Detil/ and without somei good id all cont/oTersy wil. In i^nsider- i few of /the most Ma.Q,6t the great of his Creator was ^loricms image wa? uloi and His glory od^^and in coimmu is will in perfect^! J were pure and hat are above. a gloriousj happy pride, be&g only mid not behold so od. ItifiUedfaiin , that was but of while he, who ha4 ' heaven should be Accordingly he itting an end to so lity and oonfusion,'"| e worse. TheJ^ of nn became spirituaUy dead and deformed and anLthw anH for Im and trust and unbounded oonfldence. But Z ^n^^ Heno^^only deprived man of all his original l^,i^^^72S^ ofti^/J?" *^?"*^ "^ *^* '•*«•* «*»'"«^ • vast am«^ of misery, distress and eternal ruin. The reign of death had oommenoed, and God»s fkir oreatkm ».. marred The Devil had triumphed, a;d a. ^mTr^t^f^ , «n ted „ his fiendUh work. If there is jo/in hJ^L^. ll^fr^" o,e dinner that repenteth, ^d mueh more^. number of sinner, brought to repent«ic, ie may e^ily oone«v. what joy and exultation there would be/n heU among the wbd fZiL°''' T ? '"J'*^"""-* - 4, the ruin of man, the tavoured creature of God. / , •«• (2) But not to^dweU too long upon/this theme, let us turn our Jttenion ty another of the works of/ the Devil, vi« : Id<^try. the DevU himself and his numerous associates, whe though f« ^gious homage and regards of n^ankind to themselves. Idola^ was Ihe natural consequence of man's departure from the livinj haunted with the idea of some superior invisible power, and if he is Th S^r ^ . ""^ ''' ?^" ''""'''P •'""'«*'°« to Ws varied fancies, with crue^, voluptuous or obscene rites aS we find from the variZ systems of idolatry, of which wo read. nf?jl"**°** ""l' ?"''"* ^"'"^ °^ •'^^'''''••^' '»°«i that which was (if wo may «, ^peak the purest and most sublime) was the worshin of ho heavenly bodies, the sun, moon and star,. But thblTd 2f jdda ^ was apparently too simple and too unsophisticate?^ ^' ,^ ZTl • ?. '°\'"*^''* ^ •^°'«^ ^°'' 'f 'P'^-dour, the moon or itsbnghtne^, the stars for their beauty, ^nd the heavensT their VMtne-l, but something more wrt r*,uired, to fbrm TZZ *^TLZ?T' "'\'"* -- 1-r^tions're.idbrin^tim which would fit him to wield the, Sceptre of univer^d empire cm ""^ r II' ' '9 1* . alP oA«r ersstures, animate and inanimate. Now, though Mme might suppose the gods to be a set of indolent lu;rorious beings who passed their existence in ease and pleasure, altogether indiffe^ rent to the wants and miseries of inferior creatures, yet there were others and they the majority, who thought it was far more becoming in the gods whom they worshipped to concern themselves with the affairs of their adorers. But I foigot 1 am not writing a treatise upon idolatry which would, I presume fill volumes, but my object is to show that the Devil in cotyunotion with the depraved and corrupt inolinaUons of man has had eveiythbg to do with all the different kinds of idolatry that have prevailed in the worid, and the more absurd and irrational they ware the better. Like a proud Usurper he has endeavo6red, alas I with too much success, to withdraW man's regards from the only true object of divine worship and to divert it all to himself and the rest of the faHea angels. This nofoniy Jninistera to bis Individual exaltation, but affords him the most unbounded satisfaction in detracting as mtfch as possible from the glory of God, who is the only proper object of worship. We have more than hinted that the great cause of idolatry was ignorance of the true God, and this too the Devil managed with great art to extend and prolong, to obscure the knowledge which man once had of the true God, and to mislead and oonftise and obUterate all remains of light, which he might have reUined on the subject of religion, and render the human mind, even the most cultivated, a perfect chaos of doubt and scepticism. The more PhUosophors reasoned, the further they went astray and got into such endless labyrinths, from which they could not by any means extricate themselves. No doubt God had a great design in view, in leaving the greater part of mankind in ignorance respect- ing himself and the method of salvation as the Apostle Paul says in the Book of Acts, « the times of this ignorance God winked at " inasmuch as he wished to nhow how far they might proceed in wandering away from Him, and how easily after being so long led astray from the truth, they might be recalled when the fiikess of Ume was come. But God's purpose had no oonnecUon whatever with the wicked attempts of SaUn, or the depraved inclinations of man, except in so far that they were both overruled for good. Here Uxen was another wicked^design, another work of the Devil, whioh o»n b« clearly traced to bis maobioations. m,.- 15 (3) Another of the work, df the DevD, to which we shUl B«t b^!lln7rtT. '''?"'*^'*'^^*- Fo^whUeithadtheseiD- W«oe of ChrisUamty. it was ^together opposed to it. groat au^r and the «pxr,t of Bi, religion, and m consequence it hlHeen well ^yW ANTI0HR18X. This horrible travest^^or caricature, Tl^j 2 1 r^' °^ ^^""i"»i*y' ««- ''rom small beginnings, chJeflJTm Aat lust of power and of dominion which is inherent in m;n, and wS It rrr.^,^ "°'"' '" ''''' *^ ''^^-^ i*- nati^^endauT which of them should be greatest, for which they incurred his weU mented rebuke, «.d._MWward» 4^^ coDsp.cuou»/orm in the Christian church, poisoning all thTsourT of instruction and discipUne. Some Pastor or EWor L^oTTf preeminence for learning or some other quality assumed a hjher degree of authority than usual. This may have been thought a the time necessary for the suppressing of heresies and maintain ng the unity of the faith. In the course of time it might be thoul? Cto«tian Church and thus the idea of assuming greater powers than what was onginally intended crept in by de^ees tiU Bishops^ overseers came to signify a person or pe^ons invested with hX several churches or congregations, and thus we have the beginning of ■ eZbuir'f^^'J'r'f was overborne and aflast becreTe es^luhed order Indeed, all liberal-minded Episcopalians in the present day admit that it was an innovation upon throririnal oou . itut.on of the Christian Chu.h, and take thelTground ^^e id^ that it was found eipedient. But all this time the Devil was working out his own ends, and gradually leading the Ohuroh of Chris^towards the great Apoatacy, in other words to Popery Sgh It took several centuries before the Papacy arrived at its full deve- lopcment, yet ,t had begun to manifest itself in the days of tie fnZ !; r ,*^"^ '"'P^''^ """^ ^°''^^' °'«"'y ''°^ -'^ their bal asunder, and cast away their cords from us." Tk,- when Ghrk oppose It with all their might, and they willingly and freartily engaged 2)" ''"''n;u ^'* ^"" ^'^^y-^^^^ "- DeviPs. agents t^ df ht Ij«^ue They stoned Stephen to death Who was fhe firTt vLt of their lawless vengeance, and thenJ^es was slain next .nTl^- content with killing all of that name in'^eruLl t «; ; ZZ IT. rV'r '°""' *^ ^'^^ ''^"^^ >'^-«--% of the Serpent against fre^^alLt ^'""'^ '^^' "-»«'* ^^^^ona of revival by stirring up thenrctfano and irreligious to pour contempt r I upon it and wwribing %hat is the effect of thn Spirit's operation to fanaticism and follf . ^uch are some of tb* HHu of the Devil, and in reriewing m*n part of the subject we may see thu vant extent of his power, the subtlety, of his miujhinations ; the wicked nature of his designs, the unscru- pulous nature of his instruments, and the unwearied nature of his efforts. There are rtiany more that might have been mentioned and enlarged upon , but let these suflSce . ,We cannot suppose for a moment that he could have done these works of darkness unless he had been permitted ^y the Almighty Ruler of the universe and far less can we think that he will«escape the righteous judgment of God on account of them. On the contrary we are aSsurcd that God will bruise Satan under our feet shortly, never more to rise again. IV. Let us .next consider the wUes of the Devil. •• The words of the Psalmist in the 10th Psalm 8, 9, 10, may be applied with great propriety to the Devil wh'fen he says speaking of a wicked man.— «' He sitteth in the lurking places of the villages ; in' the secret places doth he murder the innocent ; his eyes arc privily set against the poor. He l^eth in wait secretly as a lion in his den : he liet]j^ij§^ait to tatch the poor : ho doth catch 'the poor when he draweth film into his net. Ho crouchoth and humbelth himself, that the poor may Tall by his strong ones." Nothing can more graphically describe the helplessness and cxposedness to danger of the poor afflicted, ones and the relentless hatred and cruelty of their great Adversary, whose constant endeavour is to harass and perplex the minds of believers, by his evil suggestions, if ho cannot compass their ruin. There are some indeed (and these ^d^titutc the majority) over wbom he exer- cises unbounded sway, for he is spoken of -as the spirit, that now rules in the hearts of all the disobedient, by whiolx latter appellation we are to understand all unrcgenerate persons, who are not subject^lllfti the' law of God, but w»\k according to thpir own lusts, These the Devil is said to lead captive at his will, and to influence in such a manner that he induces thorn in folhwitig after their own inclinations to do his pleasure. It must be acEtti Mfe d they are not all equally prepared to follow his suggestions. -^ Sfe^|^ depends upon their habits, education, tastes, inclinatioi%^|jy|ffut]^yppes''. - And herein lies much of the subtlety and Bkil^|0Hl^gi^^ >" adapting his temp- 1 operation to wing i^Mt part , the subtletj. the uDBcru- lature of his lentioned and I for'a moment .nlesa be had and far less at of God on liat God will ! again. 10, may be speaking of a illages ; in the n\j set a^inst le liet|^^i||^ait weth bim into be poor may y deseribo the ited, ones and Bfsary, whose of believers, . There are , hpm he exer- that now rules illation we are subjectitl^ the' lese the Devil uch a manner lations to do ally prepared their habits, .nd herein lies fing his temp- do as he pleases. ^forflSins he that inspires ule all the time he holds htm Ss vill- Does he run in a 21 , • tations to tfce vw^mii persftos he has „to deal with. Among the thousands that are Ibbjeet to his sway, few are* ensnared in the same way or by the same means. Though Satan is a hard master, and his yoke is a heavy one, yet he succeeds too well in making his servants think it both easy and light till they find out their mistake when.ftis too late. The sinner fondly imj^ines l|h4A«??8 free from all con- trol, that he is his own master and |K Now this Is one of the wiles of ty| him with these false and absurd i^SLsyi in his grasp and leads. hhm||iptive at^ course of licenliousnefs ^pdMBki^^^ He becomes the degraded slave of his appetites andpa^ortsfcntiljio finds it impossible to break loose from their galling chains. ' And this result is just what Satan^ aims at, to render the sinner's return from the paths of sin next to impossible. Nay he makes use of the attempts *id failures at refor- mation on the part of the sinner as an argument to go on in hb feyil courses. Thus ho leads him on step by step until enfeebled in mind and body, ruined in character, deprived oftortune, he falls into the anare of the Devil. > - ' , (2.) Another of the wiles of the Dbvil arc the pomps and vanities of this present world, viz : The kst of the fleshy and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. Under tlicse throe heads are induded every thing that can allure us to sin. , These are the baits,- which the Devil uses and makes effectual either for preventing our getting to heaven' or retarding our progress thither. The very circumstance of their being connected with a high state of civilization and refinement, and in many respects inseparable from our condition in society makes them all the mora dangerous and seductive,. Carnal desires and carnal delights are so congenial to the corrupt state of our hearts that we t^|^|8adMsrgiveway to them, and thus Satan ^cn obtains an ascen- den(^W|m^^Nothing Alp iriore,J&)Bibly illustrate the manner in whyp^HMprescnts W^^^alth and honours of the wor^d to the mirifftiBlPlha^art of the temptation in the wilderness in which besets • the kingdoms of the earth and the glory of them before the eyes of Christ as an inducement to fail down and worship him. And there can be no doubt, though ho was unsuccessful in his wicked design with the great Captain of our Salvation, and could not prevail with him to move from the path of rectitude one hairsbreadth, he succeeds in '\._^m / i_'^ "¥^ ■SBHBlBHa ■> --/ \ / r ^ V \ •et t „ ^^ / ^'^SeJ ti. *■ /^ ^ V^ V # ,.*«■ / / A •/ ■ ..•V"4- . 8Utl \)J -22 ' ' ' huDclWs and thousands of oases i|Q drawing men into sin by in infinitely inferior and ooteparativtly woritli^ reward. (3') Another of the wiles of the Devil is to infuse into 4 en's minds false and' erroneous, views of religion both as to its true katnre and theif personal concern in it. We Jtook occasion in a former part of this work to allude to this subject, and now we return tb it again nnder a different view. First of all he deadens the conscience, and makes it proofagainst all serious impressions, leadhigmen to entertain slight views of the guilt and heinousness of sin. And if evjer they are led io think more seriously of it, he snatches away the W()rd Out of their hearts and they fall again into their fonu^ spiritual! sloth and deadness. The Devil induced professors of the Gospel to r|)st satisfied with outward forms and external ordinances and keeps oat of view that religion is a thing of the heart. ' Consequently all serious god- liness is r^rded by them as cant and hypocrisy. Christ's blessed work of atonement is made to appear in their eyes as laltogether unne^Bsary and supeeffluous. Or if it has any efficacy or i)nportance at all, it serves only to fill up their deficiencies and render tWr other- wise imperfect performances acceptable to God. Sometimes th6 Devil so to speak, goes on another tack and suggests that if their 6wn works cannot^ save theni, it is no use to make the attempt and not to be over Qcrupalous about their walk and conversation, in other words not to be very nuoh concerned <«rhether they obey God's (»mmand- ^ents or not. 'Then as to the last judgment and the final awards of the last day that is accounted a very small matter and all those solemn passages, 'vrherein the process of the last judgment is described and Set forth are mere exaggerations and have little or no truth in them. As to hell, there b no such place, or if there is, it is not so dreadful as it is represented, and as to smners being kept there to all etenityi that is not true; but after a while they will be delivered from it. The joys of HeavecT on the other hand he represents as far from being so desirable as the scriptures hold out. 4. But let us advert now to the wiles which Satan practises upon llfflieven, for although the aroh deceiver is not permitted to go great lengths with them, yet he is allowed to annoy and disturb them, and in this for obvious reasons he takes peculiar delight, '* Satan is too skilfhl to assault established beliovera, (says Soott in his Com.) in the 23 full exerciae of faith and love, at the first, with temptations to eVident and gross iniquities. He is most dangerous to them when most plausible, and presents something profitable without evident criminality. He suggests to the poor or afflicted, ;that if they were indeed the chfldren of God, surely they would not be left to such sufferings, or to experience such straite; thus insinuating hard thoughts of God, as if he were unkind or unfaithful : or he excites them to affect a sort of indepen- dence even of God, by attempting in a sinful manner, to supply their own wants. Sometimes he affrights ther minds with gloomy prospects of still greater difficulties; and represents trusting in the Lord, with scrupulous conscientiousness as leading to distress and ruin. By big emissaries he persuades men, that some compliance must be made and deviations admitted, or else they must starve; or he tries to epibolden them to venture on some convenient or gainful sin, because they are the children of God, and there is no danger of their being oast off for it. In these and memberless ways, he tempts us to impatience* distrust or sinful expedients of deliverance from trouble, and in oppo- sition to our principles, to prefer sin to suffering. And having a party within us, we too Oftian listen to his soothing flatteries, and are induced to dishonour our profession, or at least to ho|id|ir it-less than we ought to do." • '^'-^ '; jrv' At no time does Satan more fiercely assault the believer than oi^ his deathbed, suggesting blasphemous and horrid thoughts to the mind, filling him with gloomy forebodings of coming judgment, and making death appear in unwonted terrors. Young believers, who have but lately entered upon a religious life,>e assails with poignant shafts . of ridicule and scorn tempting them to renounce their allegiance to Christ and return to the world. Such are some of the innumerable wiles of the Devil, but time would fail to speak of them all and to recount all the different ways in which he works out his ends would b« a hopeless task. V. We now proceed to show how Christ destroys the works of the Devil, and we n^rd this as a far more agreeable part of our task than any other, however useful and ncoAssary they may be. The Apostle John tells us in his first epistle, iii. 8. " That the Son * Soott'i OommtnUrj on MfttUw ir. i~ii. 24 i'\ of G«d waa manifested for. the single and express purpose that he might destroy the works of the Devil." 1. o. "for the parpose of destroying, abolishing, or undobg the works of the Devil, He came to deliver his people from that condemnation and slavery, into which the influence and temptation of Satan had reduced them and all mankind ; and to restore them to the favour, image, and service of God.*" l^nd to this testimony agrees that notable paai||e in the zii. chap, of Matthew's Gk>spel, in which our Saviour vindicates his character and work from the aspersions oast upon both by the Jews, f How or in wltat manner this great design of the manifestation of the Son of God upon earth was accomplished shall bo my business to show. (I.) Wo would remark in the first place that Christ destroyed the works of the Devil by his personal ministry in conjunction with the labours of the twelve apostles, and their co-adjutors the seventy dis- iiples. When he entered upon his personal ministry, which was immediately after his fasting and temptation in the wilderness, Christ may be considered as engaged in destroying the works of the Devil, both by his teaching and miracles. Many and direful were the ravages which the greiit enemy of souls had made among the members of the human family, which often drew tears of bitter anguish from the comp^ionatc soul of the Redeemer, and it was no easy matter to repair these ravages. There was need for a power that was altogether divine, and which no power in earth or m hell could withstand or resist. Among the very first miracles, which Christ performed was one upon a man pos- Hossed with a Devil. This was a most appropriate display of his power, for unless he had been fully competent to the task of driving him out of him, ho would have been completely baffled, and he could never have recovered the prestige, so to speak, which he had lost. This then was a notable instance in which he destroyed the works of the Devil. And every successive miracle of the same nature was a fresh conquest, a further inroad into the territories of the great enemy. And wo are made to understand the true nature oftbe conflict, which was going on between the Prince of light and the powers of darkness from the dignified and unasworablojroply,^ which our Saviotir gave to henious ascription on the part' of the Bharisees fiphi iptii I^ Scott's Commentary in locuat. t Mat. 27—30. [>080 that he i purpose of 1. Ho oame , into which lem and all d service of mge in the indicates his J the Jews, f tation of tho business to estroyed the on with the seventy dis- which was mess, Ohrist )f the Devil, B tho ravages mbers of the ih from the y matter to ), and which Among tho I a man pos- splay of his k of driving nd he could id lost. This rorks of tho was a fresh ;reat enemy, nflict, which I of darkness riour gave to les of these i6 wondmAil works to the agency of Satan himself that it was de»dly, and determined and for the mastery, aye for a kingdom, for nothing short of lupremacy. Though in a great measure concealed from mortal eyes, yet it was not the less real, and the less mortal. In one pointof view the whole of Christ's miracles might be said to be all subversive of Satan's kingdom, inasmuch as all the evils removed by them were the fruit of sin, and therefore were the works of the Devil. If tiiere had been no sin, it is clear there would have been no diseaae, nor suffering, nor infirmity, nor defect, nor lunacy, nor death. I repeat it again, all these were the works of the Devil, even though they could not be all traced to his own immediate agency, yet they were all undoubtedly the genuine offspring, the branches from the deadly toqi of sin. Upon these did tj» mighty Kedeemer deal destruction on the right hand and on the^jpj^throughout the length and breadth of the land of Judoa. Bijt^lhia^warfare instead of being attended with noise and shouting, »Gtl garments rolled in blood, was carried on in silence and was accompanied with the most beneficial results, as the numerous cures, and the no less numerous dispossessions which were effected by the power of Christ bear witness.* * Not only however was the irresistible power of the Savionr conspicu- ous in his miracles, but also in his teaching and preaching. With what matehless skill did he elucidate divine truth by his parables, simili- tudes and discourses! With what readiness did he unmask hypocrisy and the specious and soul-destroying errors of the Scribes and Pha- risees and Saducoees ! so that at last none of them, not even the subtlest among them durst ask him a question, far loss dispute with him. Now in all these errors and delusions, the devil had a hand, for he is a liar.f If he can get men to adopt some specious form of error he eventually makes them his prey. Therefore when Christ as the Prophet of his church opposed the dangerous nature of these errors and taught the contrary truths, he might be said to be destroying the worki of the Devil. Thus for instance when he exposed the folly and baaeleMness of the doctrine of the Pharisees about purifying, he wus • NeTi.— Wo may obierre thst there »re great numiMn of cures and dta- pouMilooi, which are not particularly deuHed, but only referred to In a cunocr maaaer, included In long oaUloguea which gire^ ua aom^ iniight into the immsas* namber of wonderhil worki performed by Chriit. t The only troth the Devil ever uttered was that aoUble layiag In the Book of Jeb. •« Skin tot skin, ywt til that a asan hatb, will be give for hU Hflt." P — 2ft in .effect estaUisbing We truth of the contrary dootriae thsl ho' obligatorjr Uieee ezteimal washings were according to the lawof ^spqx; and their own traditions, yet inward parity, of which these irere on^ ; • the emblem was of far more importance. And thus he was puBiog down one of the strongholds of sin and Satan, which had been set n|t in the .hearts of the Pharisees and ^ people whom they had deceired. ' f I i (2.) By the conjunct labours of the twelve apostles and the seyeoty disciples. This great work of destroying the works of the DeVil waik not confined to Christ's own individual exertions, but he called in the assistance of the twelve apostles as well as that of the seventy disciples. There was much work to be done and but a little time, in which to do it The cities and villages had tq be visited and to be apprised that the "kingdom of heaven was at hand". And not only " so, but mighty works had to be performed in proof of their divine mission as well as to serve as earnests and foretaates of the invaluable blessings in store for them. The Apostles were sent beforehand In different directions by two and two, probably in order that they might support and encourage each other. They were commissioned to do the*very same things which their great Lord and Master was engaged in doing. / They were to carry the glad tidings of the Glospel to^he remotest comers oithe land, and to accompany their teaching with miracles as occasion offered, and amqngst other mighty works, which they were to perform, they were expressly enjoined " to oast out devils." ^ere then was a great additional agency set on foot for the same great ei^d, viz : •' destroying the works of the Devil." And we oati perceive by the joy and satisfaction which they express on thisir return from, their missionary tour that they had not laboured in vain,> nor spent their strength for nought. And on© of the chief causesi of their joy bo it remarj^cd was, " the devils being subject to th^ through the name of Christ." Nor does the ^a(Viour think nroper hi the first instance to check their exultation at this ciroumstanoe, for he adds in the next verse that so efficient had their labours beta, he had btheid Sntiin as it wore fulling as lightning from heaven, which Bcenis to intimate tliat though Satan had once held a veiy high place in point of power and authority he was in a great measare 4«pnv«d of it and oast down from his seat; No doubt he cautioned them not to be too much elated at the devils being cast out, (as this might /ho ofJHkgMio irereoD^d I pulling:.: en set u|^ the; had, e seventy [)etil wai led in the I seventj I time, in ad to be [ not only " ir divine nvoTaable rehand in ley might led to do • engaged pel toHhe bing with kj| which it devils." bhe same >d weoan on their id in vain, > oaofles of to th«m proper in itanoe, for sarsbeta, 'en, which ligh place deprived I them not bia mi||bt /-- l«Rd to vain glory and pride) bat he directs them to rejoice rather, iMeaMW their names were written in heaven. But atlU it is evident that he cordially reciprocates thoir joy and that he donsiders it a just eaiise of rejoicing on their part that they had been so far honored to be fellow workers with Him in destroying the works of the Devil. (3.) By Hifl atonement. Nothing has more directly oontaibuted to destroy the works of the Devil than that noble sacrifice which Christ offered up on Calvary inasmaoh as it has delivered those fcom. death, who through fear of death were all their life time subject to bondage, and this as the Apostle says, because Christ has overcome death, and him that had the power of death, that is the Devil. Here is the solution of the first promise, " That the seed of tl^e woman should bruise the head of the Serpent and that he should bruise his heel, i. e. obtain a partial and shortlived triumph over the seed of the woman by bringing him to the dust of death. But eventually the seed of the wqfnan should prevail. This shows us in what close proximity these two have stood to each other, and in what a per- petual struggle they have been engaged > . The truth of this Prophecy has been verified in sever^ ways, but chiefly, as we have already said in the blessed effects, which have flowed from Christ's atonement. Satan tempted our first parents to sin by eating the forbidden fruit, and thereby out th«m off from all hope of Salvation and left them exposed to the righteous judgment of God, even to everlasting exclusion from his faoe and favour, to all that wrath and tribulation and anguish, which is the portion of transgressors. And had justice been permitted toj^e itlt natural course, this would inevitably have taken place. But Christ interposed for their deliverance. " Upon ^ me said he, be the curse, upon me let the pendty fall." And it did fall, and divine justice was completely satisfied and thus the. la%{\il * oaptive was delivered out of the destroyer's hand, and thus was the D«ril baflBled in his evil designs- So that Chrisl'6 atoning sacrifice may be considered as the foundation, or if you will, ' the crowning point, the chief cause of that destruction which Christ efeoted with rsspeet to the works of the Devil. § 4* Christ destroys the works of the Devil by his Pr9videnoe. It nefd warofllj b« remarked that the Dovil like all the other creatures of Qod has a certain degree of freedom q( action, otherwise he would Bot b« responsible for hit actions, fie is permitted so fkr io t>U(W the ,# ■ ♦V-. -l^- 28 bent pf his will. But thon on the other hand, he ia ooQipl^ly nhjact. to the control of the Supreme Being. At no tiioe wm, h» tree from this, uQfr can he by any Uieans shake himself free from it. Great and mighty as he is, he is a creature still. The Divine Being, or rather we should 8ay"'the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the great dis- poser of all events for wise and good reasons permits Satan to exercise ' .; certain degree of influence over the minds and actions of mankind. iJut he still reserves to himself the inalienable right to restrain and <;oi>trol his actions. It is perfectly obvious that these observa- tions would lead us into unprofitable metaphysical discussion, and therefore we would rather direct attention to ^pwoh remarks as are more suitable to the design of this treatise, which is chiefly of a practical nature. We have seen bow Christ destroyed the works of the -Devil during his personal ministry upon earth assittted by the twelve Aposftes and the seventy disciples. , ' But bow we have to take }i more extended view of the subject, and to show how he destroyed the works of the Devil since his resurfection and ascension into heaven, and his exaltation at God's right hand.* The Lion of the Tribe of Judah was more than a match for the old Serpent. No sooner had he ascended his mediatorial throne thun he renewed that spiritual c^onflict with the old enemy, wbioh he had carried on for ages. In consequence, saya Scott of Christ's death, resurrection, aatension, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit, Satan * We might have taken a retrospeotive view of the gianner in which Ohriat destroyed the workB of the DctH in Old Testament times ; but as we have more to do with what be did since he was manifest in tV e flesh, we have throwa a few obserrations on this part of the subject into a foot note. In the eaaa «f Job we Bte when tbe Devil's aim was to drire the Patriarch to curse Qod to his face, the afflictions whiih he was permitted to bring- upon him only made t^Tirtues shine the brighter, especially that of patience, by which hq becama the most illustrious example of that most exoelleut grace. We do not reed of the Devil's agency in the case of Joseph, but there is no doubt that Satan tiad much to do with tbe trials to which that lovely and loving ion and *>l)rotber was sulyected.' It was he that put it into the hearts of his brethren first to take away his life and then to sell him for a slare. And y «t we tee in ihe mysterious workings of Divine Providence, Joseph was not only delivered from that sad condition, but raised to the highest honour. We do not read of the Devil's agency in the case of the Jews, wheq^ captives in Persia ; but who can doubt that he bad a hand in inflaqiing Hamaa that bitter enemy of the Jews with black malic* against them first through mor- ti6ed pride, and then with a strong desire of revenge not only against Mordecai in particular, but againat the whole Jewish nation, and ytt how signally was Satan's evil design! against the People of God defeated, atad ^ what would htfve been an occasion of weeping and lamentation and Bonraing and woe was turned into one of joy and triogiph. <^. c 29 the ruler and prince of this wicked world, whom all idolators worship as their Glod, and all unconverted smners obey as their king wjw to be jadged and condemned with all his subjects, the sentence began to be executed in his expulsion from his usurped dominion by the con- version of sinners, the' subversion of the heathen temples, and the destruction of idolatry. Scott's cnmiuentary on John xii. 31 With these observations we entirely concur. Satan had set up a kiftgdoBfi in the world of the very worst description and it was Christ's business to undermine and destroy it. This may be said to have begun on the day of Pentecost when no less th&ti 3000 souls were converted to the truth as it is in Jesus, expressing their heartfelt con- trition on account of that very sin, which had afforded a short-lived triumph to the Devil ; vie : the having killed the prince"of life and glory. Then afterwards by the successive inroads made upon the territory of ancient heathendom, when the temples were deserted, her orioles silenced, the worship of idols abandoned, and the worship of the living and true God substituted ita its room In consideration of the work that was done, it might truly be said that Satan's kingdom was shaken to its ^ery centre, and that within a very short time the whole then known world was pervaded with the Christian religion through the lealous and unwearied labours of the Apostles and first teachers of Christianity, with the blessing of God upon them, or as it may be differently expressed with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. The Acts of the Apostles, and also the epistles and the Book of Revelation bear ample testimony to the terrible destruction which the works of the Devil underwent in the primitive times of Christian- ity. In the later ages Popery or the man of sin has received some, dreadful shocks in the Reformation under Luther and many other champions of the truth, again at the time of the first French Revo- lution, m^a Nappleon the first reduced the Pope to a mere cipher. The divisions of the church huve been overruled for good and are gradually healing, and a spirit of unity, love and concord prevailing, more and more, so that the breaches of Zion are fast filling up. Infi- delity and Atheism thougli alas ! too prevalent among all classes of sooiety are kept in abeyance and not allowed to assume a bold front. Political revolutions too are still breaking out in Various quarters, but we may fondly hope that they will ere long be brought to an end. And as to religious persecutions, there are none at present existing, k 80 and though they may for wise and good reasons be permitted to return, yet there is every reason to think that as mankind beeome more enlightened, especially rulers, they will see the utter folly of per- secuting and maltreating their fellow-men for their conscientious opinions. " The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice, let the multi- tude of isles be glad thereof." Tea the Lord Gk>d ommipotent reigneth- His kingdom is that which shall never be moved. His ' powef is irresistible and his wisdom unsearchable, and with these two infinite {^rfeotions on his side he can overcome all opposition, ^nd -make every thing bend to his purposes. (V.) Christ destroys the works of the Devil by the preaching of the Gospel and other meajis of spiritual improvement. Jhe great end of preaching, as the Apostle Paul affirms', is to pull down the strongholds of sin and Satan, and to bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Cl^rist* When the Gospel of the kingdom flourishes, the kingdom of Satan is shaken to its very centre. It canqot stand before the truth. Even when the Devil has had the powers of this world on his side and they seemed leagued for the destruction of God's people and cause, yet it has maintained its ground, and has finally triumphed over all opposition. The most efficient weapons against a spiritual and invisible kingdom are of a Spiritual natur^. The outward and material weapons are too unwoildy to do much execution in such a warfare, and this the Devil knows full well. If therefore he can manage to poison the sources of truth with polluted admixtures he does far more harm than when lie raises up the most strenuous opposition to the cause of religion on the part of the*king8 jBind rulers of this world. Indeed, by having recourse to such methods Satan sometimes overreaches himself and ** converts what he intended as a weapon of offence into one of a contrary character. The ministers of the Gospel of every name and denomination who preach the Gospel in all its native purity and power, though many of them may bo men of inferior talents are doing more for the destruction of Satan's kingdom than can be well imagined. We hesitate not to say that under Christ with them rest the whole business of undoing the works of the Devil, and delivering the souls of men from under his despotic sway and investing them with that liberty wherewith Christ makes his people free, Would 31 r tb«t nU invested vith the saored office woulcT keep this in mind as the great «ad of aU their pteMhing, vi« : to destroy the works of the Devil. This would impart a life imd energy to their preaching, whieh perhaps it does not at present possess, the idea that they are appointed to undo what the Devil has done, to build up what he has thrown down, to revive t^hat he has deadened and rendered lifeless, to restore what he has oripfiled and diseased, to bring back to usefulness and honour wh&t ha has made contemptible and unprofitable, in short to be fellow- workers with. Christ in the great work in which hd his engaged, viz : to brbg taien to the acknowledgment of the truth as it is in Jeans. All the diversified forms of error and of sin and consequently the power of Satan disappear before the light of truth. Every Christian effort, that is put fbrihj every sermon that is preached, every mis- sionary enterprise, every benevolent exertion that is made for the good of mankind gives afresh blow to Satan andhis kingdom. If any thing would convince us of this it is not onlyme positive advances which are made by such means, but the strenuous and determined opposition by which all such movements arc met with on thp part of Satan. VI. We now proceed to speak in the sixth and last place of the final doom of the Devil, together with all the rebel angels and damned spirits subject to his control. (I.) Let us speak of the justice of his doom. This arises from the nature of his doings, which have ever been of the most malignant kind, and diametrically opposed to the divine will and which evince a most intense hatred towards him. Whilst the worst and most abandoned sinner amongst mankind can be brought to repentance, there is no place for repentance in Satan's case, for he glories in his shame, and revels in wickedness, and would as soon go out of existence as CQufess himself in the wrong. We have had occasion to mention some of his works and wiles, and even from the imperfect view given of tliese, we inay be able to judgeoftheir character as being altogether and decidedly wicked and injurious. The works of the Devil have not only been evil, but have been so oontinually for a long succession of ages without the smallest admixture of good, and instead of becoming less wicked, have always bt«n increasing in that hateful quality, being more extensive in their V ^ m ■p Vl^Js'gJ*' ^ range, more deatruotive in their eS&fls, and more diabolioai in their character. Has thete been a single scheme of benevolence on the part of the Deity that he has not endeavoured to countervail and to fender nugatory ? God raade man upright and holy at the finit, bat the Devil made him a sinful and guilty creature. The scheme of redemption, intended for the recovery of man from his fallen condition, the Devil in various ways has tried to thwart and to render abortive. The worship of the true and living God, he sought to aboliah, and introduced in its stead various forms of idolatry and superstition thereby as we have shown robbing God of the^lory due unto his holy name and transferring that worship and glory to himself and his base associates. The sources of truth he has corrupted, and introduced floods of error so that the whole of society has been at times infected with infidelity and atheism, the apostles of which have evinced as much zeal and diligence in spreading their doctrines broadcast as ever waa shown by the apostles of the truth. Nor has the enmity of Satan against God and his truth at all abated. But lately we have seen Bishop Colenso contravening the facts of the old Testament history and turning them into ridicule, and Renan denying the miracles and misrepresenting the history of our blessed Lord's life given by the evangelists It is not necessary however that we should pursue this line of argument in order to show the justice of his doom, for it is self evident. If the Devil should go unpunished, after all that he has done, then God's moral government could not subsist, it could not stand, for then all other transgressors must be permitted to go free and to sin with impunity. But God will vindicate his justice in the sight of assembled worlds, and th'e Devil will most justly be punished and made to feel the weight of his almighty arm. (2.) Its certainty. The doom which awaits the Devil is not- a matter of doubtful disputation, but of undoubted certainty. It is only a question of time. This some o'f the evil spirfts that were cast out by the power of Christ freely acknowledged. — And he cried out, saying, '< Let us alone, what have we to do with thee thou Jesus of Nazareth ? art thou come to destroy us ? I know thee who thou art, the Holy one of God. Mark i, 24. And another said " What have wc to do with thee, Jesus thou Son of the most high God? I. adjure thee by God that thou torment me not?" Mark v 7. And a third says, What have we to do with thee, Jesus thou Son coi I V«!^m^^X"^^ ^'^ S-JF" 4r • • ■ 33 of God ? ait thou come hither to torment us befo^re the time ? What time ? The time appointed in the decrees of heaven, viz :. the jadgmeht- day. So we see from ^these passages that though the damnation of the Devil is delayed for a time, yet it slumbereth not. It is sure, it is certain, and this he and the rest of his associates know full well. 'If .hope be the well-spring of life, surely despair must be its oo\interpart. There ar^ innumerable hosts of l^bel angels, as well as the Devil himself, whohave no other prospect bpfore them but a certain fearful looking-for ©f judgment and fiery indignation which shall devour the adversaries. And if they are capable of looking into futurity thhMigh the long vistas of efeimity, which we have reason to suppose, how dismal it must be fi|?hey know full welLfrom their present and past bitter experience J^ vain it is to attempf to resist God's power or to escape from i^ aBtf therefore they remain passive, being kept under chains of darknesl .unto the Judgment of the great da^ with the gloomy prospect ever in their view. When permitted, they may con- tinue in tJieir wicked c&reer, but the time will certainly como when they wai be deprived of all power e cited before the judgment-seat 1! • ■♦ ■ 34 .of Christ and amidst the, universal c^es and execrations of those whom be has deceived and ruined, he will be condemned to endure Huch an accumulated weight of suffering of which all his prcrious sufferings were but a shadow. He will be deprived of all power to do any farther injuries either to the bodies or souls of men and con- sequently his misery will be increased tenfold, he will be made to feel the full thunder of the power of the Almighty's vengeance. But it is in vain for us to attempt to describe the kind and degree of vengeance which will overtake that apostate spirit and therefore here we must drop the curtain and leave it to the imagination of our readers. REFLECTIONS. 1. From all that has been said we may learn in ilio liist place what we ought to do with regard to the Devil, lias he a real existence ? Is -he the powerful, active, cunning and malignant being, which he is represented in scripture to be ? And does he still per- severe in his wicked designs against the human race, both saints and sinners, to annoy the one and ensnare the other ? Then it is clearly our duty to stand on our guard against the Devil. There are several passages which exhort us to resist and withstand him, and also to flee from him. 1 Pet v, 8, — The passage which forms the motto of this discourse, Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the Devil, as a roaring lion, walketh aboutj seeking whom he may devour, whom resist, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same aflSictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. Ephes. iv, 27. " Neither give place to the Devil." Ephes. vi, 16. ♦' Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one." James iv, 7. ♦' Whom resist, stead- fast in the faith." These aclmonitions will have little or no weight with those, who have slight and superficial ideas of Satanic influence. Ahd this is undoubtedly the tendency of the present day. But very different will be the impression which they will make on the minds of the pious and reflective. There is no need in their case to point out the importance and necessity of watchfulness against the wiles of the Devil- For they are persuaded both from scripture and their own experience that their only safety lies in being fully alive to the power «ind subtlety of their. great adversary — in not trusting in their "<:--^ ■ ' ' ' ■^ r ' M • «6 ^ own 'strength and resourcee, but in the. power and might of the Redeemer, in being olad in the panoply of the Gospel^ and above all in taking the shield of faith, wherewith they may be able to withstand the fiery darts of the wicked one. , 2. We may lea^n further from this subject that 9 continual and determined warfare has been going on between Christ and the Devil. This appearstvery distinctly from the many factf, which have been stated and illustrated respecting the Devil's history in thecourse of our enquiries. This warfare has been going on for ages with varied success, sometimes on a large scale, sometimes in a smaller, sometittieB in an open and undisguised manner, sometimes in a secret and invi- sible way, sometimes through human means, sometimes through demoniacal agency, but always followed with important results either for the weal or woe of those who were interested ih the issue. The length of a contest generally arises fron^ the inability or weakness of either one or other of the combatant to decide the matter in dispute, so that though each may ba„able to stand his ground, yet they may lack the ability to bring it to a final issue, as has often been the case in human affairs. But we cannot suppose for a moment t|iat such was the case in the conflict between Christ and the Devil. For if we refer to the fact of Christ being, possessed of infinite power, as being equal with God, and the Devil being possessed only of limited power, as one of his creatures, it follows that the latter can bear no proportion to the former. And then again if we refer to the history of his conduct and take into consideration the numerous defeats with which Satan has met in all his wicked designs, and moreover the perfect ease with which they have been defeated, we must have recourse to a diifer«nt mode of accounting? for the long continuance of this controversy, and the only solution we can find of the difficulty is, that such was the sovereign will of Christ, and that the great end and purpose he had in view was to illustrate his glorious perfections of power and wisdom in this manner. 3. We have seen in a former part of this discourse how Christ destroys the works of the Devil, and in like manner how he destroys his influence over individual believers, believers we say, for he rulep in the hearts of the disobedient with despotic sway. But though Satan (^permitted to tempt and annoy, nay even to hurasB and perplex m 1 !^ ■ ■ . . ' \ ft ■ 1- V - . h f y^ T 1 ^ '§ 1 *■«•«>» a^^ f- ^j^*j.*jjFaJ>V-': .''Mi'- lMJ^^^iiE^ '' V V ^ ^ f \ r-^ V ^ *»' /" iii ^ % J'-: i.: r-S f \ v,,^ '•J » « ^ .r ■V, • jH'.ir. 86 the people' qC God, he is never allowed to prevail agaioat them. He may tempt them to sin in varioop ways, but they are ena^d through grao^^ to resist him. fie may cause them to doubt their intiarwt in Christ and his salvation, but they are not left to siak into despair. In this dark hour of affliction, he instills into their minds hard thoughts of Qod, leading them to doubt his goodness and his 'wisdom, but( tho.nc dte soon put to fl^ht by brighter and more conso- latory consider a uans. When drawing near the gates of death, Satan not unfrequently takes advantage of believers, to obscure their evidences, to darlcen their prosp^ts and to fill thenv^'With groundless apprehensions, but the Captain of their salvation does not leave them long in such afflictive circumstances, but appears for their deliverance and fills them with all joy and peace in believing. Ye tried servants of the Lord ! who have often experienced the baneful effects of the Devil's iafluence, ye know what it is to endure temptation, and ye kuow^ also what relief, what consolation, what peace have been imparted to your souls in these trying moments,* and ye would nqt claim exemption from them, (distressing and painful as they are), that the power of Christ may rest upon 'you in a more sensible man- act. Bo not then discouraged, but rest- in the blessed assurance that he that is for yoffls^eater than idl that can be against you. He will shortly bruise SataB*d love him supremely and devotedly, while the children of the Devil ure at enmity with him. 'They hate him, his people, hin cause, his worship, his law, all which shows the very sama kin J, tbouj^h perhipi not the same degree of enmity as that which the^ovil foels ani eviaoes, and ,i*' 'i i'^t^^p^i^jg^... Z^^^L, 37 therefore they are to all intents and purpo'sea his chUdren. Neutrality^ m this oaae is altogetlier impracticable, we must either belong to one or to the other. This is an unpalatable truth, especially to those who would wish to be thought to belong to the ranks of the true aerranw of God, while they are living altogether inconsistent with their christian profession, yet it is true nev^theless, and t^iU be found wo at that day when God shall call them to judgment. t^*- % >• h ■J t '<::^'^ ^ (I ^4^ 4 ' ^''^