In the mean time, be it one way or other, _that is to say_, either that Satan had no Power to have proceeded with Man by Violence, and to have destroy"d him as soon as he was made; or that he had the Power, but chose rather to proceed by other Methods to deceive and debauch him; _I say_, be it which you please, I am still of the Opinion that it really was not the _Devil_"s Business to destroy the Species; that it would have been nothing to the purpose, and no Advantage at all to him, if he had done it; for that, as above, G.o.d could immediately have created another Species to the same end, whom he either could have made invulnerable, and not subject to the Devil"s Power, or remov"d him out of _Satan_"s Reach, plac"d him out of the _Devil_"s Ken, in Heaven or some other Place, where the Devil could not come to hurt him; and that therefore it is infinitely more his Advantage, and more suited to his real Design of defeating the End of Man"s Creation, to debauch him and make a _Devil_ of him, that he may be rejected like himself, and increase the infernal Kingdom and Company in the Lake of Misery _in aeternum_.
It may be true, for ought I know, that Satan has not the Power of Destruction put into his Hand, and that he cannot take away the Life of a Man: and it seems probable to be so, from the Story of _Satan_ and _Job_, when _Satan_ appear"d among the Sons of G.o.d, as the Text says, _Job_ i. 6. Now when G.o.d gave such a Character of _Job_ to him, and ask"d him _if he had consider"d his Servant Job_, ver. 8. why did not the Devil go immediately and exert his Malice against the good Man at once, to let his Maker see what would become of his Servant _Job_ in his Distress? On the contrary, we see he only answers by shewing the Reason of _Job_"s good Behaviour; that it was but common Grat.i.tude for the Blessing and Protection he enjoy"d, ver. 10. and pleading that if his Estate was taken away, and he was expos"d as he (Satan) was, to be a beggar and a Vagabond, going _to and fro in the Earth, and walking up and down therein_, he should be a very Devil too, like himself, and curse G.o.d to his Face.
Upon this, the Text says, that G.o.d answered ver. 11. _Behold all that he hath is in thy Power_; now "tis plain here, that G.o.d gave up _Job_"s Wealth and Estate, nay his Family, and the Lives of his Children and Servants into the Devil"s Power; and accordingly, like a true merciless Devil, _as he is_, he destroy"d them all; he mov"d the _Sabeans_ to fall upon the Oxen and the a.s.ses, and carry them off; he mov"d the _Chaldeans_ to fall upon the Camels and the Servants, to carry off the first, and murther the last; he made Lightning flash upon the poor Sheep, and kill them all; and he blow"d his House down upon his poor Children, and buried them all in the Ruins.
Now here is (1.) a Specimen of Satan"s good Will to Mankind, and what Havock the _Devil_ would make in the World, if he might; and here is a Testimony too, that he could not do this without leave; so that I cannot but be of the Opinion he has some Limitations, some Bounds set to his natural Fury; a certain Number of Links in his Chain, which he cannot exceed, or, in a Word, that he cannot go a Foot beyond his _Tether_.
The same kind of Evidence we have in the Gospel, _Matth._ viii. 31.
where Satan could not so much as possess the filthiest and meanest of all Creatures, _the Swine_, till he had ask"d leave; and that still, to shew his good Will, as soon as he had gotten leave, he hurried them all into the Sea and choak"d them; these, I say, are some of the Reasons why I am not willing to say, the _Devil_ is not restrain"d in Power; but on the other side, we are told of so many mischievous things the Devil has done in the World, by virtue of his Dominion over the Elements, and by other Testimonies of his Power, that I don"t know what to think of it; tho", upon the whole, the first is the safest Opinion; for if we should believe the last, we might, for ought I know, be brought, like the _American Indians_, to worship him _at last_, that he may do us no Harm.
And now I have nam"d those People in _America_, I confess it would go a great way in favour of Satan"s Generosity, as well as in Testimony of his Power, if we might believe all the Accounts, which indeed Authors are pretty well agreed in the Truth of, namely, of the Mischiefs the _Devil_ does in those Countries, where his Dominion seems to be establish"d; how he uses them when they deny him the Homage he claims of them as his Due; what Havock and Combustion he makes among them; and how Beneficent he is (or at least negative in his Mischiefs) when they Appease him by their h.e.l.lish Sacrifices.
Likewise we see a Test of his wicked Subtilty in his Management of those dark Nations, when he was more immediately worship"d by them; namely, the making them believe that all their good Weather, Rains, Dews, and kind Influences upon the Earth, to make it fruitful, was from Him; whereas they really were the common Blessings of a higher Hand, and came not from him, the _Devil_, but from him that made the _Devil_, and made him a Devil or fallen Angel by his Curse.
But to go back to the Method the Devil took with the first of Mankind; "tis plain the Policy of h.e.l.l was right, tho" the Execution of the Resolves they took did not fully answer their End neither; For _Satan_ fastening upon poor, proud, ridiculous Mother _Eve_, as I have said before, made presently a true Judgment of her Capacities, and of her Temper; took her by the right Handle, and soothing her Vanity (which is to this Day the softest Place in the Head of all the s.e.x) wheedl"d her out of her Senses, by praising her Beauty, and promising to make her a G.o.ddess.
The foolish Woman yielded presently, and that we are told is the Reason why the same Method so strangely takes with all her Posterity (_viz._) that you are sure to prevail with them, if you can but once persuade them that you believe they are Witty and Handsome; for the Devil, you may observe, never quits any Hold he gets, and having once found a way into the Heart, always takes care to keep the Door open, that any of his Agents may enter after him without any more Difficulty: Hence the same Argument, especially the last, has so bewitching an Influence on the s.e.x, that they rarely deny you any thing, after they are but weak enough and vain enough to accept of the Praises you offer them on that Head; on the other hand you are sure they never forgive you the unpardonable Crime of saying they are Ugly or Disagreeable: It is suggested that the first Method the Devil took to insinuate all those fine things into _Eve_"s giddy Head, was by creeping close to her _one Night_, when she was asleep, and laying his Mouth to her _Ear_, whispering all the fine things to her, which he knew would set her Fancy a Tip-toe, and so made her receive them involuntarily into her Mind; knowing well enough that when she had form"d such Ideas in her Soul, however they came there, she would never be quiet till she had work"d them up to some extraordinary thing or other.
It was evident what the _Devil_ aim"d at, _namely_, that she should break in upon the Command of G.o.d, and so having corrupted her self, bring the Curse upon her self and all her Race, as G.o.d had threatn"d; but why the Pride of _Eve_ should be so easily tickled by the Motion of her exquisite Beauty, when there then was no prospect of the use or want of those Charms? that indeed makes a kind of Difficulty here, which the learn"d have not determined. For,
1. If she had been as Ugly as the _Devil_, she had no body to rival her, so that she need not fear _Adam_ should leave her and get another Mistress.
2. If she had been Bright and Beautiful as an Angel, she had no other Admirer but poor _Adam_, and he could have no room to be jealous of her, or afraid she should cuckold him; so that in short, _Eve_ had no such Occasion for her Beauty, nor could she make any use of it either to a bad purpose or to a good, and therefore I believe the _Devil_, who is too cunning to do any thing that signifies Nothing, rather tempted her by the Hope of encreasing her Wit, than her Beauty.
But to come back to the Method of Satan"s tempting her, _viz._ by whispering to her in her sleep; "twas a cunning Trick, that"s the Truth of it, and by that means he certainly set her Head a madding after _Deism_, and to be made a G.o.ddess, and then back"d it by the subtle talk he had with her afterward.
I am the more particular upon this Part, because, however the Devil may have been the first that ever practised it, yet I can a.s.sure him the Experiment has been tried upon many a Woman since, to the wheedling her out of her Modesty, as well as her Simplicity; and the Cunning Men tell us still, that if you can come at a Woman when she is in a deep sleep, and Whisper to her close to her Ear, she will certainly Dream of the Thing you say to her, and so will a Man too.
Well, be this so to her Race or not, it was it seems so to her; for she wak"d with her Head fill"d with pleasing Ideas, and as some will have it, unlawful Desires; such, as to be sure she never had entertain"d before; These are supposed to be fatally infused in her Dream, and suggested to her waking Soul, when the Organ Ear which convey"d them was doz"d and insensible; strange Fate of sleeping in _Paradise_! that whereas we have Notice but of two Sleeps there, that in one a _Woman_ should go out of him, and in the other, the _Devil_ should come into her.
Certainly, when Satan first made the Attempt upon _Eve_, he did not think he should have so easily conquered her, or have brought his Business about so soon; the _Devil_ himself could not have imagined she should have been so soon brought to forget the Command given, or at least who gave it, and have ventur"d to transgress against him, and made her forget that G.o.d had told her, it should be Death to her to touch it; and above all, that she should aspire to be as wise as him, who was so ignorant before, as to believe it was for fear of her being like himself, that he had forbid it her.
Well might she be said to be the weaker Vessel, tho" _Adam_ himself had little enough to say for his being the stronger of the two, when he was over-persuaded (if it were done by Persuasion) by his Wife to do the same thing.
And mark how wise they were after they had Eaten, and what Fools they both acted like, even to one another; nay, even all the Knowledge they attain"d to by it was, for ought I see, only to know that they were Fools, and to be sensible both of _Sin_ and _Shame_; and see how simply they acted, I say, upon their having committed the Crime, and being detected in it.
"View them to Day conversing with their G.o.d, "His Image both enjoy"d and understood, "_To Morrow_ skulking with a sordid Flight, } "Among the Bushes from the _Infinite_, } "As if that Power _was blind_, which gave them _Sight_; } "With senseless Labour Tagging Fig-Leaf Vests, "To hide their Bodies from the sight of Beasts.
"Hark! how the Fool pleads faint, for forfeit Life, "First he reproaches Heaven, and then his Wife; "_The Woman which thou gav"st_ as if the Gift "Could rob him of the little Reason left, "A weak Pretence to shift his early Crime, "As if accusing her would excuse him; "But thus encroaching Crime dethrones the Sense, "And intercepts the Heavenly Influence, "Debauches Reason, makes the Man a Fool, "And turns his active Light to Ridicule.
It must be confess"d that it was unaccountable Degeneracy, even of their common Reasoning, which _Adam_ and _Eve_ both fell into upon the first committing the Offence of taking the forbidden Fruit: If that was their being made as G.o.ds, it made but a poor Appearance in its first coming, to hide their Nakedness when there was no body to see them, and cover themselves among the Bushes from their Maker; but thus it was, and this the Devil had brought them to, and well might he, and all the Clan of h.e.l.l, as Mr. _Milton_ brings them in, laugh and triumph over the Man after the Blow was given, as having so egregiously abused and deluded them both.
But here, to be sure, began the _Devil_"s new Kingdom; as he had now seduc"d the two first Creatures, he was pretty sure of Success upon all the Race, and therefore prepar"d to attack them also, as soon as they came on; nor was their encreasing Mult.i.tude any Discouragement to his Attempt, but just the contrary; for he had Agents enough to employ, if every Man and Woman that should be born was to want a _Devil_ to wait upon them, separately and singly to seduce them; whereas some whole Nations have been such willing subjects to him, that one of his Seraphic Imps may, _for ought we know_, have been enough to guide a whole Country; the People being entirely subjected to his Government for many Ages; as in _America, for example_, where some will have it, that he convey"d the first Inhabitants, at least if he did not, we don"t well know who did, or how they got thither.
And how came all the Communication to be so entirely cut off between the Nations of _Europe_ and _Africa_, from whence _America_ must certainly have been peopl"d, or else the _Devil_ must have done it indeed? I say, how came the Communication to be so entirely cut off between them, that except the time, _whenever it was_, that People did at first reach from one to the other, none ever came back to give their Friends any account of their Success, or invite them to follow? Nor did they hear of one another afterwards, as we have Reason to think: Did _Satan_ politically keep them thus asunder, lest News from Heaven should reach them, and so they should be recover"d out of his Government? We cannot tell how to give any other rational Account of it, that a Nation, nay a Quarter of the World, or as some will have it be, half the Globe, should be peopled from _Europe_ or _Africa_, or both, and no body ever go after them, or come back from them in above three thousand years after.
Nay, that those Countries should be peopled when there was no Navigation in use in these Parts of the World, no Ships made that could carry Provisions enough to support the People that fail"d in them, but that they must have been starved to death before they could reach the Sh.o.r.e of _America_; the Ferry from _Europe_ or _Africa_, in any Part (which we have known Navigation to be practised in) being at least 1000 Miles, and in most Places much more.
But as to the _Americans_, let the _Devil_ and they alone to account for their coming Thither, this we are certain of, that we knew nothing of them for many hundred Years; and when we did, when the Discovery was made, they that went from Hence found _Satan_ in a full and quiet Possession of them, ruling them with an arbitrary Government, particular to himself; He had led them into a blind Subjection to himself, nay, I might call it Devotion, for it was all of Religion that was to be found among them) worshipping horrible Idols in his Name, to whom he directed human Sacrifices continually to be made, till he deluged the Country with Blood, and ripen"d them up for the Destruction that follow"d, from the Invasion of the _Spaniards_, who he knew would hurry them all out of the World as fast as he (_the Devil_) himself could desire of them.
But to go back a little to the Original of Things, It is evident that _Satan_ has made a much better Market of Mankind, by thus subtilly attacking them, and bringing them to break with their Maker as he had done before them, than he could have done by fulminating upon them at first, and sending them all out of the World at once; for now he has peopled his own Dominions with them, and tho" a Remnant are s.n.a.t.c.h"d as it were out of his Clutches, by the Agency of Invincible Grace, of which I am not to discourse in this Place; yet this may be said of the _Devil_, without Offence, that he has in some Sense carried his Point, and as it were forc"d his Maker to be satisfied with a Part of Mankind, and the least Part too, instead of the great Glory he would have brought to himself by keeping them all in his Service.
Mr. _Milton_, as I have noted above, brings in the _Devil_ and all h.e.l.l with him, making a _Feu de Joye_ for the Victory _Satan_ obtain"d over one silly Woman; indeed it was a Piece of Success greater in its Consequence than in the immediate Appearance; nor was the Conquest so compleat as Satan himself imagin"d to make, since the Promise of a Redemption out of his Hands, which was immediately made to the Man, in behalf of himself and his believing Posterity, was a great Disappointment to Satan, and as it were s.n.a.t.c.h"d the best Part of his Victory out of his Hands.
It is certain the _Devils_ knew what the meaning of that Promise was, and who was to be the _Seed of the Woman_, namely, the incarnate _Son of G.o.d_, and that it was a second Blow to the whole infernal Body; but as if they had resolved to let that alone, _Satan_ went on with his Business; and as he had introduc"d Crime into the common Parent of Mankind, and thereby secured the Contamination of Blood, and the Descent or Propagation of the corrupt Seed, he had nothing to do but to a.s.sist Nature in time to come, to carry on its own Rebellion, and act it self in the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of _Eve_"s tainted Posterity; and that indeed has been the Devil"s Business ever since his first Victory upon the Kind, to this Day.
His Success in this Part has been such, that we see upon innumerable Occasions a general Defection has follow"d; a kind of a Taint upon Nature, _call it what you will_, a Blast upon the Race of Mankind; and were it not for one thing, he had ruined the whole Family; _I say_, were it not for one thing, namely, a selected Company or Number, which his Maker has resolv"d he shall not be able to corrupt, or if he does, the sending the promis"d Seed shall recover back again from him, by the Power of irresistible Grace; which Number thus selected or elected, call it which we will, are still to supply the Vacancies in Heaven, which _Satan_"s Defection left open; and what was before fill"d up with created Seraphs, is now to be restor"d by recover"d Saints, by whom infinite Glory is to accrue to the Kingdom of the Redeemer.
This glorious Establishment has robb"d Satan of all the Joy of his Victory, and left him just where he was, defeated and disappointed; nor does the Possession of all the Myriads of the Sons of Perdition, who yet some are of the Opinion will be s.n.a.t.c.h"d from him too at last; I say, the Possession of all these makes no amends to him, for he is such a _Devil_ in his Nature, that the Envy at those he cannot seduce, eats out all the Satisfaction of the Mischief he has done in seducing all the rest; but _I must not preach_, so I return to things as much needful to know, tho" less solemn.
CHAP. IX.
_Of the Progress of Satan in carrying on his Conquest over Mankind, from the Fall of_ Eve _to the Deluge._
I doubt if the Devil was ask"d the Question plainly, he would confess, that after he had conquer"d _Eve_ by his own wicked Contrivance, and then by her a.s.sistance had brought _Adam_ too (like a Fool as he was) into the same Gulph of Misery, he thought he had done his Work, compa.s.sed the whole Race, that they were now his own, and that he had put an End to the grand Design of their Creation; namely, of Peopling Heaven with a new Angelic Race of Souls, who when glorify"d, should make up the Defection of the Host of h.e.l.l, that had been expung"d by their Crime; in a Word, that he had gotten a better Conquest than if he had destroy"d them all.
But in the midst of his Conquest, he found a Check put to the Advantages he expected to reap from his Victory, by the immediate Promise of Grace to a Part of the Posterity of _Adam_, who, notwithstanding the Fall, were to be purchased by the _Messiah_, and s.n.a.t.c.h"d out of his (_Satan_"s) Hands, and over whom he could make no final Conquest; so that his Power met with a new Limitation, and that such, as indeed fully disappointed him in the main thing he aim"d at, (_viz._) preventing the Beat.i.tudes of Mankind, which were thus secur"d; (And what if the Numbers of Mankind were upon this account encreased in such a manner, that the selected Number should, by Length of Time, amount to just as many as the whole Race, had they not fallen, would have amounted to in all?) And thus, indeed, the World may be said to be upheld and continued for the Sake of those few, since till their Number can be compleated, the Creation cannot fall, any more than, that without them, or but for them it would not have stood.
But leaving this Speculation, and not having enquir"d of Satan what he has to say on that Subject, let us go back to the Antediluvian World: The _Devil_ to be sure, gain"d his Point upon _Eve_, and in her upon all her Race: He drew her into Sin; got her turn"d out of _Paradise_, and the Man with her: The next Thing was to go to work with her Posterity, and particularly with her two Sons _Cain_ and _Abel_.
_Adam_ having, notwithstanding his Fall, repented very sincerely of his Sin; receiv"d the Promise of Redemption and Pardon, with an humble but believing Heart; Charity bids us suppose that he led a very religious and sober Life ever after; and especially in the first Part of his Time, That he brought up his Children very soberly, and gave them all the necessary Advantages of a Religious Education, and a good Introduction into the World, that he was capable of; and that _Eve_ likewise a.s.sisted to both in her Place and Degree.
Their two eldest Sons _Cain_ and _Abel_; The one Heir apparent to the Patriarchal Empire, and the other Heir presumptive, I suppose also, lived very sober and religious Lives; and as the Principles of natural Religion dictated a Homage and Subjection due to the Almighty Maker, as an Acknowledgment of his Mercies, and a Recognition of their Obedience; so the receiv"d Usage of Religion dictating at that Time that this Homage was to be paid by a Sacrifice, they either of them brought a Free-will-offering to be dedicated to G.o.d respectively for themselves and Families.
How it was, and for what Reason that G.o.d had respect to the Offering of _Abel_, which the Learn"d say, was _a Lamb_ of the Firstlings of the Flock, and did not give any Testimony of the like Respect to _Cain_ and his Offering, which was of the first Fruits of the Earth, the Offerings being equally suited to the respective Employment of the Men, that is not my present Business; but this we find made Heart-burnings, and raised Envy and Jealousy in the Mind of _Cain_; and at that Door the _Devil_ immediately entred; for he, who from the Beginning, was very diligent in his way, never slip"d any Opportunity, or miss"d any Advantages that the Circ.u.mstances of Mankind offered him to do Mischief.
What Shape or Appearance the Devil took up to enter into a Conversation with _Cain_ upon the Subject, that Authors do not take upon them to determine; but "tis generally supposed he personated some of _Cain_"s Sons or Grandsons to begin the Discourse, who attack"d their Father, or perhaps Grandfather, upon this Occasion, in the following manner, or to that Purpose.
_D._ Sir, I perceive _your Majesty_ (for the first Race were certainly all Monarchs as great as Kings, to their immediate Posterity) to be greatly disturb"d of late, your Countenance is chang"d, your n.o.ble Chearfulness (the Glories of your Face) are strangely sunk and gone, and you are not the Man you used to be; please your Majesty to communicate your Griefs to us your Children, you may be sure, that if it be possible, we would procure you Relief, and restore your Delights, the Loss of which, if thus you go on to subject yourself to too much Melancholy, will be very hurtful to you, and in the End destroy you.
_Cain._ It is very kind, my dear Children, to shew your Respect thus to your true Progenitor, and to offer your a.s.sistance: I confess, as you say, my Mind is oppress"d and displeased; but tho" "tis very heavy, yet I know not which way to look for Relief, for the Distemper is above our Reach, no Cure can be found for it on Earth.
_D._ Do not say so, Sir; there can be no Disease sure on Earth but may be cur"d on Earth; if it be a mental Evil, we have heard that your great Ancestor, the first Father of us all, who lives still on the great western Plains towards the Sea, is the Oracle to which all his Children fly for Direction in such Cases as are out of the Reach of the ordinary understanding of Mankind; please you to give leave, we will take a Journey to him, and representing your Case to him, we will hear his Advice, and bring it to you with all Speed, for the Ease of your Mind.
_Cain._ I know not whether he can reach my Case or no.
_D._ Doubtless he may, and if not, the Labour of our Journey is nothing when plac"d in Compet.i.tion with the Ease of your Mind; "tis but a few Days travel lost, and you will not be the worse if we fail of the desired Success.
_Cain._ The offer is filial, and I accept your affectionate Concern for me, with a just Sense of an oblig"d Parent; go then, and my Blessing be upon you; but alas! why do I bless? can he bless whom G.o.d has not bless"d!
_D._ O! Sir, do not say so, has not G.o.d bless"d you? are you not the second Sovereign of the Earth? and does he not converse with you Face to Face? are not you the Oracle to all your growing Posterity, and next after his Sovereign Imperial Majesty Lord _Adam_, Patriarch of the World?