their leader, ever seeing and directing the sight of men; and deceiveth them such a complicated work. In this instance alone, we have gone beyond the track of Scripture history; but not that of prophecy. The Bible sets forth what should come to pass; and we look at what has occurred, and what will yet occur, before our eyes. The prolonged bondage and wretchedness of Canaan's race, the unbelief, dispersion, and continued degradation of Israel, and the great apostacy from the Christian Church, with its duration and consequences, are all most exactly foretold. And Satan, as "the god of this world," "the prince of the power of the air," "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience," is distinctly shown to be their governor, until, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, they are delivered out of his hand, and translated to the kingdom of God's dear Son. SECTION VII. SATANIC KNOWLEDGE. THERE is a wisdom peculiar to the powers of evil whereof the apostle speaks: "This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish;" James iii. 15; and there is a knowledge gained by close, continued observation, apart from any divine aid whatever, and which fits a man to deceive and defraud his neighbour. In this, we may believe Satan abounds; and we are quite sure that he has the power of communicating it, because the Scriptures distinctly say so. He can enable his servants to prophecy, but not true things: John saw an unclean spirit proceed out of the mouth of the false prophet. Rev. xvi. 13. He can endow them with miraculous powers; as witness Pharaoh's enchanters, and the predicted apostacy of him, "whose coming is after the workings of Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying wonders;" 2 Thess. ii. 9; and who, under another name, is described as he that "doth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth, in that dwell on the earth, by the means of those wonders which he hath power to do in the sight of the beast." Rev. xiii. 13, 14. The heaven here spoken of, is, of course, the upper region of our atmosphere; for to the heaven of God's presence Satan cannot extend his influences; however, he may, by some mysterious mandate, be made to appear there, as we have already noticed. By devilish wisdom he may devise many crafty plans, and by devilish power carry them into most destructive operation; and it is important to consider this point, lest we fall into the very common snare of despising and neg lecting what we are bound most vigilantly to watch and to guard against. Men, by accurate observation of the phenomena of God's works, and tracing effects to their causes, sometimes make marvellous discoveries; and by a judicious application of the knowledge acquired, by analogical reasonings, fit combinations, and often by apparent accidents, occurring in the course of the curious investigations, they produce results that bear the character of amazing inventions. Yet how limited, how clouded, how defective, how utterly insignificant is the widest sphere of man's laborious observation, compared with what Satan can take in at a glance. The painful calculations of the astronomer, arrived at after years of sleepless nights, and requiring probably as many more studious days to render them intelligibly credible to others, are simple matters of common observation to him. Those hidden laboratories, where the elements in mystery and darkness work, are so far open to him as created intelligence is permitted to explore them; and he certainly knows our frame far better than we ourselves know it. We have the direct, explicit, reiterated testimony of God himself, that Satanic influence could quench the sight, close the hearing, fetter the tongue, paralyze the limbs, distort the body, madden the brain, and impart to man the force of a powerful, ferocious beast. Instances of all this have been adduced from Scripture, in the preceding sections; as also the marvels wrought, as in the case of the Egyptian sorcerers, probably by the application of Satanic skill, in what we call chemistry, natural We may doubt, or rather deny his ability to raise a tempest; for the stormy winds fulfil God's word: (Psalm cxlviii. 8;) but he can at least do more than Columbus did, when by calculating and foretelling an eclipse of the moon, he terrified the poor ignorant natives into compliance with all his demands. history, and other branches of science. | po was destroyed. In that advanced stage of the subterranean process, an observant being could doubtless tell that the crisis was at hand-could point the spot where, from circumstances ordered of God, it was evidently to burst: and thus by simply using the tongue of an ungodly man to convey the intimation, he established that man's claim to a prophetic spirit. It was much talked of at the time, and questioned by some who would neither admit that a divine revelation was made to so evil a character, and for no good end, or that Satan has power to discover the yet unrevealed purposes of God. We admit both these objections, yet the tale is true; and on this ground it is perfectly explicable. An instance of his subtlety occurring a few years since, and attested by unimpeachable evidence, may illustrate this. The writer had it from one who was on the spot; and it has also been published. The late Lady Hester Stanhope, it is well known, fell into a snare of the devil, abjured her faith, and lived among the mountains of Djourni as an eastern princess, wholly divorced from all former ties, And on this principle we may account not only to her country, but to her God; for securing revelations of future, or very she affected a knowledge of futurity, pe- distant events, by dreams or otherwise, culiar to those who practise witchcraft. where they often tend to foster a dangerHer house was visited by many strangers, ous superstition, or to strengthen belief in including Englishmen; and they were a false doctrine. Such things have come hospitably entertained. At the time now to pass within the knowledge of some who alluded to, some zealous Christians occa- may read these pages. Intimations have sionally took up their temporary abode been given of a death, or other occurwith her; the Rev. Lewis Way, Joseph rence, and mentioned also by the party Wolff, and others, who earnestly longed receiving the impression, hours before it to lead into the fold this wandering sheep was possible for intelligence to arrive: and her infidel household. This, of course, sometimes at the very moment the circumwould raise Satan's opposition in no com- stance took place; and instances could be mon degree; for the smallest portion of named where Popery has at once been good leaven lodged in that lump might embraced on the strength of such juggling work the ruin of his kingdom in a place devices of Satan. A person apparently in where every inch of territory is an impor- the soundest health may be told by antant possession. Among the members of other, seemingly inspired, that within such her establishment was a Dewish, a pre- a period he should die; and the prediction tender to superior knowledge and sanctity, may be literally accomplished. In many a teacher and worshipper of false gods, cases, aneurism for instance, an organic therefore of devils; held in esteem by disease works its way for a long time Lady Hester, and in great awe and ad- without producing any sensible external miration by her dependants. This man's effect; but Satan marks, and calculates, influence could not co-exist with that of a and confidently pronounces what, when Christian minister; and though it does the event comes to pass, is regarded as an not appear that he took any part in resist- oracle of God. That He can and does ing them, Satan contrived so to establish graciously warn and instruct his servants, his character as to seal up his followers in both " in dreams and visions of the night," deeper darkness than before. A tremen- and in various other ways, we cannot for dous earthquake buried Aleppo in ruins: a moment doubt; neither would we apthe city was overthrown and the inhabi- proach by a single step the awful crime tants perished. Situated many miles dis- of even ignorantly attributing to evil powtant from the scene of devastation, with-ers what may be the gracious intimations out the possibility of any human commu- of the Holy One: we merely notice some nication, and indeed before it took place, illustrations of the Scripture assertion, this Dewish openly proclaimed that Alep-that intercourse may be held with "fa VOL. II. 49 miliar spirits," and witchcraft practised, | heads named by the apostle: the wisdom and supernatural knowledge acquired by diabolical aid. that cometh from above, which is pure and peaceable, or the wisdom that cometh Three score years render a clever man from beneath, which is Satanic. Of the shrewdly experienced and worldly wise, if latter class was Ahithophel's wisdom; in he have passed them in carefully looking a good cause, his plan of carrying on the about him with a view to his own interests. war would have been sound counsel; but What then must be the advantage to Sa- being brought to aid the cause of treason, tan of nearly six thousand years' observa- | rebellion, parricide, it was devilish. Satan tion of all that concerns our race? The suggested it, and God turned it into foolstupendous intellect of an angel, faculties ishness. 2 Sam. xvii. 14. of which we can form no conception except from their mighty effects; enough of daring to brave, and enough of malignity to persecute "the Mighty Father, the Everlasting God, the Prince of Peace," and to aid all of these, an ally already engaged on his side within the bosom of every child of man. Such is our adversary the devil: such is that roaring lion who goeth about seeking whom he may devour; and shall we be lulled into security, despite the awful admonitions which the Holy Ghost hath given, because it has become fashionable to despise his power, disbelieve his interference, and make lightness;" and again, "The Lord knoweth of his name? The wisdom taught by our adversary is always opposed to the truth; it is a knowledge that puffeth up, and makes those who possess it fools-"For my people is foolish, they have not known me: they are sottish children, they have none understanding: they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge." Jer. iv. 22. And this must be unlearned: "If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool that he may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God;" for it is written, "He taketh the wise in their own crafti the thoughts of the wise, that they are But, apart from supernatural knowledge, vain." 1 Cor. iii. 18, 19, 20. The Egypthere is a wisdom which Satan imparts, tians were fully replenished with this inby means of those suggestions that every fernal wisdom, when planning to diminish one among us can testify he has power to the people of Israel by destroying the insinuate into our minds. The apostle male children, they said, "Come on; let was speaking of that external worldly re- us deal wisely with them." Exod. i. 10. ligion which is consistent with "bitter en- These, and similar passages, clearly showvying and strife" in the heart. Where ing that the wisdom of this world emathese are allowed, he bids us "glory not, nates from the god of this world, are caland lie not against the truth," for the wis-culated to prove to us the danger that bedom in which such persons boast them-sets the path of such as are bent on acselves "descendeth not from above, but is quiring knowledge apart from godliness. earthly, sensual, devilish." Some have They have a master at hand, ready and erringly compared the mind of an infant to able to teach them as much as human una clean sheet of paper, on which good orderstanding may grasp, and sure to clothe bad may be written at will; this is wrong; for the paper is impure, and blotted from the very first, and scribbled over with all evil; but, so far as wisdom and knowledge are concerned, the sheet is certainly blank, until reason begins to unfold itself; and Satan is eagerly on the alert with his subordinate fiends, to impart that which cometh from beneath. It is a solemn consideration that every idea conveyed to a child's mind must be from one of these sources: man can originate nothing: he may imbibe the notions of others, but they too must be sought for under one of the with every attraction the bait which he has found to be so efficacious in bringing souls into his net; but the price of his lessons is such, that the man who strikes that bargain is bankrupt forever. SECTION VIII. THE LIMIT OF SATANIC POWER. WHENCE Comes it that, in proportion as men are obviously under the influence of an unrenewed heart they seem disposed ing doubts of the existence of Satan, while they denounce as childish the declarations of others concerning him, who have felt within themselves that mighty conflictthe overcoming of the strong man, taking away the armour wherein he trusted and dividing the spoils, what does it prove but the necessity for increased earnestness on our part, in declaring the reality of what Satan, for his own sake, would represent as a fiction? So long as the na to make light of the solemn reality which | state of disobedience, those who still walk we are considering? Why do they most according to the course of this world, are question or despise the enemy's power, under the dominion of Satan, possessed when giving the plainest proofs of his un- by him, since he works in them until the resisted dominion over themselves? Our finger of God casts him out. When, thereLord has furnished us with a clue to un- fore, we find men of unrenewed spirits ravel the mystery: he says, in direct ref-making light of the power, and even hinterence to it, "When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace; but when a stronger than he shall come upon him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils." Luke xi. 21, 22. Man is born in a state of rebellion against the supreme authority of his sovereign king; and likewise in such a condition of mental and spiritual darkness, that he cannot be brought to see himself as he is, until divinely illuminated. He cannot compre-tural man remains ignorant or incredulous hend the plain meaning of assertions re peated again and again in the volume to which, as a whole, he perhaps yields his assent, but which, in its details and its personal applications, is probably still a sealed book to him. St. Paul describes man as being "carnal, sold under sin ;" Rom. vii. 14; and again he says, "the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be." Rom. viii. 7. This characteristic of disobedience belongs to the whole human race, however reluctant they may be to acknowledge it. Indeed, the scheme of redemption necessarily hinges upon the fact, that man had of fended God, and could not deliver himself. We also know in what way he was originally brought into this condemnation: "By one man's disobedience many were made sinners;" Rom. v. 19; and Satan is expressly set forth as the ruler of the disobedient, in that important passage which should never be out of our minds; "And you, who were dead in trespasses and sins, wherein in times past, ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of DISOBEDIENCE; among whom also we ALL had our conversation in times past, in the lust of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others." Eph. ii. 1-3. Here we have it laid down as an axiom that those who are in their natural of the fact that he is himself a palace of Satan, he will not throw open the door of his heart to the Deliverer who stands and knocks at it: so long as the believer can be induced to forget the strong testimony of God to the enemy's restless designs and efforts, he will leave the door so unguarded as to endanger the re-entrance of its former master, to the clean-swept and garnished habitation. Surely, then, it is a point of great moment with the enemy to lull our minds, and banish as far as he can our salutary dread of him; and hence what some, smarting from the bitter conflict, have recorded for the warning and encouragement of others, is stigmatized as weakness or insanity. Assuredly he who dared to face, to taunt, and to tempt the Lord Jehovah himself, deserves a higher rank than that assigned to him by such deceived commentators-the rank of a nursery hobgoblin! Another very important fact bears upon the same point: Satan has no compulsory power over man. Let him do his utmost, he cannot compel any human being to transgress; he can only suggest, stimulate, provide occasion, and work in the children of disobedience to accomplish their own ruin. If we were helpless machines it would be different; but an act of volition on our part is necessary to constitute actual sin against God. Eve thought to cast the whole burden of guilt from herself upon the serpent; and if he had forced the fruit down her throat, contrary to her will, no doubt she would have stood guiltless; but she was a consenting party, | instead of obeying the unauthorized comand so are we in every advantage that mand to come out of the man, he gave the devil obtains over us. Even the hea- him strength to leap upon and overcome then Gentiles who never heard of a divine revelation, have a law written in their hearts; a conscience accusing or else excusing them; (Rom. ii. 15;) and among us who is there able to plead actual compulsion or anything beyond a temptation so strong perhaps as to appear irresistible, because he did not at the moment lay hold of the promise annexed to a precept that none ever followed in vain. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." James iv. 7. It is our resistance that Satan dreads; he knows we can put him to flight if we detect and face him: therefore his step is noiseless, his movement stealthy, and his battery masked. all the seven pretenders, so that they fled from the house, naked and wounded. But though we cannot define either the precise nature or extent of the curb laid down upon the enemy by the first advent of our Lord, it is certain that a great change took place shortly after in the manifestation of Satanic influences, which assumed more of a spiritual and less of a physical character, so that cases of obvious possession and witchcraft became less frequent, gradually disappearing before the advancing light of the Gospel. In our day they have apparently ceased, and with them, in a great measure, the belief in their having ever existed, while doubts It is evident that our Lord's incarnation that give the direct lie to the inspired shook the kingdom of Satan upon earth Scriptures are started, listened to and in a peculiar manner; but without leav- canvassed with a grievous insensibility of ing the direct testimony of Scripture, and the gross insult thus put upon the divine hazarding conjectures where the least er- Author of that Book. Satan knows betror may lead to very dangerous results, ter than we do the extent of our power we cannot say much on that subject. This over him: the weakest believer is more we know, that the evil spirits expressed than a match for him and all his angels, great terror at his approach, deprecating and would be able to prove it if brought his interference, and crying out against to the test in the sight of men: therefore the exercise of a power which they with Satan lurks in ambush, forbearing to one voice acknowledged. The seventy show himself openly as of old, lest he disciples, also, having been sent forth, re- should draw forth the dormant energy of turned again with joy, saying, "Lord, the Christian, inducing him to unsheath even the devils are subject unto us the sword that has slumbered in the scabthrough thy name. And he said unto bard until its master forgets that he holds them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall such a weapon. The enemy indeed seems from heaven. Behold, I give you power to be preparing for his last campaign to tread on serpents and scorpions, and against the church, by inducing such an over all the power of the enemy: and no-oblivion of his history and features, that thing shall by any means hurt you. Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven." Luke x. 17-20. This certainly implies a great blow inflicted on the visible kingdom of Satan among men; but that its extent was limited by the area to which the Gospel spread, seems also clear from the case of the seven sons of Sceva, (Acts xix. 13-16,) who took upon themselves like some others, to exercise in the name of the Lord in whom they did not themselves believe. "We adjure you by Jesus whom Paul preacheth." To which the unclean spirit replied, "Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who are ye?" and when he advances again she will not recognise him as the old serpent; while among the ungodly he prevails to have his existence so utterly disbelieved, and his name converted into a jest, that he may work in them to any extent. They will obey his worst impulses as the dictates of their own wisdom, and exhibit as honourable trophies of liberty and independence, the heaviest fetters that he can rivet on their enslaved minds. We may then safely assert that a limit exists, beyond which the power of Satan and his crew cannot pass; and that it is known to us where that limit lies. Our blessed Lord disclosed it, when he said to Peter, "Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath |