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rejected the Warning which was given him, and gave himself up to the Delufions of the falfe Prophets, whom he himself maintained to footh and flatter him; because what they fpake, and the Advice they gave, was agreeable to his own Inclinations and Views.

It may reasonably be fuppofed, that God makes use of evil Angels in fome of those Plagues and Calamities, which are from Time to Time laid upon the human Race, and especially in inflicting Punishments upon the wicked. Thus particularly with regard to the Egyptians we are told, that he caft upon them the Fierceness of his Anger, Wrath and Indignation and Trouble, by fending evil Angels among them. Pfal. lxxviii. 49. And they are alfo fuffered to affault and harass good Men, which they do feveral Ways; though God, in his wife Providence, over-rules their pernicious Counfels and Attempts to the real Advantage of his chofen.

Any one that is acquainted with the facred Writings both of the Old Testament and the New, must be fenfible, that evil Spirits are frequently reprefented there as tempting, moving, and inciting Men to Sin. Thus it is obferved concerning Judas Ifcariot, that the Devil put it into his Heart to betray Jefus. John xiii. 2. And concerning Ananias and Sapphira, that Sa

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tan filled their Hearts, that they should lie against the Holy Ghost. Acts v. 3. This is not to be understood as if the one or the other were compelled by Satan to do what they did. It was really and properly their own Fault, and was originally owing to their covetous Difpofition; and Satan took Advantage from it to urge them forward for executing his malicious Purposes. Yet Providence ordered it fo, that Good was brought out of thefe Evils. For, in the Cafe of Ananias and Sapphira, their Sin, and the Punishment inflicted on them for it, was over-ruled to the better Establishment of the Gospel, and the procuring a greater Reverence and Sanction to the apoftolical Authority, which was of mighty Importance at the first founding of the Chriftian Church: And, in the other Cafe, Satan's Malice and Subtilty in tempting Judas to betray Jefus, was over-ruled, contrary to his Intention, to the Overthrow of his Kingdom, and to the promoting the Salvation of Mankind.

It hath been frequently urged as an Objection against the holy Scriptures, that the weak and helpless human Race is there represented as expofed a Prey to evil Spirits, Adverfaries mighty and powerful, fubtile and malicious, ever feeking to deftroy; and that this can scarce be reconciled to the Notion of a wife and good Providence,

dence, prefiding over the World, and must needs give a strange Idea of God, and fill the Minds of Men with continual Anxieties and Terrors. But if the Matter be fairly confidered, it will appear that there is no juft Foundation for fuch an Objection, and the Clamours which have been raised upon it.

That there are Spirits of a fuperior Order to Man, not tied down to fuch grofs fleshly Bodies as ours are, is, as hath been already hinted, agreeable to Reafon and to the common Sentiments of Mankind. And that some of these Angels or Spirits are evil and wicked, is as fuppofable, as that by an Abuse of their Liberty many of the human Race are fo. And fuppofing that there are fuch evil Angels or Spirits, it may be expected that they will exert their bad Difpofitions in fuitable Actions; and that if they have Accefs and Intercourse with our World, they will endeavour to employ their Powers and Abilities in doing what Mischief they can among Mankind. Nor is it any more inconfiftent with the Wisdom and Goodness of God to permit fuch evil Spirits to act according to their wicked Purposes and Inclinations in endeavouring to tempt Men to fin, than it is inconfiftent with his Wisdom and Goodness, to suffer wicked Men to tempt, harafs, perfecute their Fellow-creatures in this State of VOL. I.

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Trial; provided that he still takes Care, that those evil Spirits be not fuffered to tempt Men above what the human Nature is able to bear; and that there are fufficient Helps afforded, by which, if duly improved, they may be enabled to refift their Temptations. Now this is the Representation which is given us in the holy Scriptures. It is there plainly fignified, that those evil Spirits, however formidable in themselves, are all under the fovereign Control of the wife and almighty God and Father of Mankind, and cannot tempt or affault farther than for wife Ends he feeth fit to permit. We are there likewise affured, that he is ever ready to communicate his Holy Spirit, with his divine Influences and Aids, to affift and ftrengthen us; and that there are alfo Numbers of good Angels that minister to good Men, and who are equal or fuperior to the evil Angels in Power and Sagacity, and are as full of Love and beneficent Goodness, as the others are of Malice and Envy. And laftly, it is to be confidered, that Satan can only tempt, or endeavour to feduce us to fin, but is not fuffered to compel or neceffitate us; nor can he destroy us but by our own Confent. We are furnished with fufficient Means and Helps for repelling his Affaults, if it be not our own Fault.

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Fault. Hence we are exhorted to refift the Devil, fedfaft in the Faith. 1 Pet. v. 9. and are affured, that if we refift him, he will flee from us. James iv. 7. It appears then, that there is nothing in the Doctrine of the holy Scriptures, on this Head, that is contrary to Reason, and inconfiftent with the Conduct of a wife and good Providence. On the contrary, this

Part of the divine Adminiftrations answereth many valuable Ends, and the Confideration of it may be of no fmall Ufe to Mankind. It giveth us an enlarged View of the Divine Providence, as permitting evil Angels, as well as wicked Men, to act according to their Natures; and, at the same Time, over-ruling their Subtilty and Malice in a Subferviency to the wife Designs of his Government. It reprefenteth the Christian Life in a noble Light, as an important Warfare, carried on not merely against Flesh and Blood, but against the Powers of Darkness, and lets us fee what great Need we have of exercifing a conftant Vigilance and Care over ourselves, and of applying to God for the Aids of his Spirit, which, in that Cafe, he is always ready to bestow. And, in the Iffue, it will contribute very much to the Honour and Advantage of good Men, and will render their Reward more glorious, as well as mightily I 2 heighten

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