The Wonders of the Invisible World, Proposition 1 – Proposition 2
Proposition I.
That there is a Devil, is a Thing Doubted by none but such as are under the Influence of the Devil. For any to Deny the Being of a Devil must be from an Ignorance or Profaneness, worse than Diabolical. A Devil! What is that? We have a Definition of the Monster, in Eph. 6. 12. A Spiritual Wickedness, that is, A wicked Spirit. A Devil is a Fall…n Angel, an Angel Fallen from the Fear and Love of God, and from all Celestial Glories; but Fallen to all manner of Wretchedness and Cursedness. He was once in that Order of Heavenly Creatures, which God in the Beginning made Ministring Spirits, for his own peculiar Service and Honour, in the management of the Universe; but we may now write that Epitaph upon him, How art thou fall…n from Heaven! thou hast said in thine Heart, I will Exalt my Thr…ne above the Stars of God; but thou art brought down to Hell! A Devil is a Spiritual and a Rational Substance, by his Apostasy from God, Inclined unto all that is Vicious, and for that Apostasy confin'd unto the Atmosphere of this Earth; in Chains under Darkness, unto the Iudgment of the Great Day. This is a Devil; and the Experience of Mankind as well as the Testimony of Scriptu…e, does abundantly prove the Existence of such a Devil.
About this Devil, there are many Things, whereof we may reasonably and profitably be Inqusitive; such things, I mean, as are in our Bibles Reveal'd unto us; according to which if we do not speak, on so Dark a Subject, but according to our own uncertain, and perhaps humoursome Conjectures, There is no Light in us. I will carry you with me, but unto one Paragraph of the Bible, to be informed of three Things, relating to the Devil; 'tis the Story of the Gadaren Energumen, in the fifth Chapter of Mark.
First, then; 'Tis to be granted; The Devils are so many, that some Thousands, can sometimes at once apply themselves to vex one Child of Man. It is said, in Marc. 5. 15. He that was Possessed with the Devil, had the Legion. Dreadful to be spoken! A Legion consisted of Twelve Thousand Five Hundred people: and we see that in one man or two, so many Devils can be spared for a Garrison. As the Prophet cry'd out, Multitudes, Multitudes, in the Valley of Decision! So I say, There are multi…udes, multitudes, in the valley of Destruction, where the Devils are! When we speak of, The Devil, 'tis, A Name of Multitude; it means not One Individual Devil, so Potent and Scient, as perhaps a Man chee would imagine; but it means a Kind, which a Multitude belongs unto. Alas, The Devils, they swarm about us, like the Frogs of Egypt, in the most Retired of our Chambers Are we at our Boards? There will be Devils to Tempt us unto Sensuality: Are we in our Beds? There will be Devils to Tempt us unto Carnality; Are we in our Shops? There will be Devils to Tempt us unto Dishonesty. Yea, Tho' we get into the Church of God, there will be Devils to Haunt us in the very Temple it self, and there Tempt us to manifold Misbehaviours. I am verily perswaded, That there are very few Humane Affayrs, whereinto some Devils are not Insinuated; There is not so much as a Iourney intended, but Satan will have an Hand in Hindering or Furthering of it.
Secondly, 'Tis to be supposed, That there is a sort of Arbitrary, even Military Government, among the Devils. This is intimated, when in Mar. 5. 9. The Unclean Spirit said, My Name is Legion: they are under such a Discipline as Legions use to be. Hence we read about, The Prince of the Power of the Air: Our Air has a Power! or an Army, of Devils in the High Plac…s of it; and these Devils have a Prince over them, who is, King over the Children of Pride. 'Tis probable, That the Devil, who was the Ring-leader of that mutinous and rebellious Crew, which first shook off the Authority of God, is now the General of those Hellish Armies; Our Lord, that Conquer'd him, has told us the Name of him; 'tis Belzebub; 'tis he that is, the Devil, and the rest are, his Angels, or his Souldiers. Think on, vast Regiments, of cruel, and bloody French Dragoons, with an Intendant over them, over-running a pillaged Neighbourhood, and you will think a little, what the Constitution among the Devils is.
Thirdly, Tis to be supposed, That some Divels are more peculiarly Commission'd, and perhaps Qualify'd, for some Countreys, while others are for others. This is intimated, when in Mar. 5. 10. The Devils besought Our Lord, Much, that he would not send them away out of the Countrey. Why was that? But in all probability, Because These Divels were more Able, to, Do the Works of the Divel, in such a Countrey, than in another. It is not likely that every Divel do's know every Language; or that every Divel can do every Mischief. Tis possible that the Experience, or, if I may call it so, the Education, of all Divels, is not alike, and that there may be some Difference in their Abilities. If one might make an Inference from what the Divels Do, to what they are, One cannot forbear Dreaming, that there are Degrees of Divels. Who can allow that such Tri…ing Daemons, as that of Mascon, or those that once infested our New berry, are of so much Grandeur, as those Daemons, whose Games are mighty Kingdomes? Yea, Tis Certain, that all Divels do not make a like Figure, in the Invisible World. Nor do's it look agreeably, That the Daemons, which were the Familiars of such a Man as the Old Apoll…nius, differ not from those Baser Goblins that chuse to Nest in the filthy and loathsome Rags, of a Beastly Sorceress. Accordingly, why may not some Divels, be more Accomplished for what is to be done in such and such places: when others must be Detachd for other Terri…ories? Each Divel as he sees his advantage, Cries out, Let me be in this Countrey, rather than another. But Enough, if not Too much, o… these Things.
Proposition II.
There is a Divellish Wrath against Mankind, with which the Divel is, for Gods Sake Inspired. The Divel is himself broiling under the intollerable and interminable Wrath of God; and a fiery Wrath at God, is that with which the Divel is for that cause Enflamed. Methinks I see the posture of the Divels in Isa. 8. 21. They fret themselves, and Curse their God, and look upward. The first and chief Wrath of the Divel, is at the Almighty God Himself; He knows, The God that made him, will not have mercy on him, and the God that formed him, will shew him no favour; and so he can have no Kindness for that God, who has no Mercy, nor Favour for him. Hence tis, that he cannot bear the Name of God should be Acknowledged in the World; Every Acknowledgment paid unto God, is a fresh Drop of Burning Brimstone falling upon the Divel; He do's make his Insolent, tho' Impotent Batteries, even upon the Throne of God Himsel…: and soolishly affects to have hims…lf exalted unto that Glorious High Throne, by all people, as he sometimes is, by Ex…rcable Witches. This ho…ible Dragon do's not only wi…h …, Tayl st…ike at the Stars of God, but at the God …, wh… made the Stars, being desirous to … them all. God and the Divel are swo…n Enemi…s to each other; the Terms between them, are those, in Zech. 11. 18. My Soul … them, and their Soul also Abb…rred me. And from this Furious Wrath, or Displeasure and Prejudice at God, proceeds the Divels Wrath at us, the poor Children of Men. Our doing the Service of God, is one thing that Exposes us to the Wrath of the Divel. We are the High-Priests of the World; when all Creatures are call'd upon, Praise ye the Lord, they bring to us those demanded Praises of God, saying, Do you Offer them for us. Hence 'tis, that the Divel has a a Quarrel with us, as he had with the High-Priest in the Vision of Old. Our bearing the Image of God, is another thing that brings the Wrath of the Divel upon us. As a Tygre, thro' his Hatred at a man, will tear the very Picture of him, if it come in his way; such a Tygre the Devil is; because God said of old, Let us make Man in our Image, the Devil is ever saying, Let us p…ll this man to pieces. But the envious Pride of the Devil, is one thing more that gives an Edge unto his Furious Wrath against us. The Apostle has given us an hint, as if Pride had been the Condemnation of the Devil. 'Tis not unlikely, that the Devils Affectation to be above that Condition which he might learn that Mankind was to be preferr'd unto, might be the occasion of his taking up Arms against the Immortal King. However, the Devil now sees Man lying in the Bosome of God, but Himself damned in the Bottom of Hell; and this Enrages him exceedingly; O, says he, I cannot bear it, that man should not be as miserable as myself.