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to the fymbolical actions whereby the Jewish prophets anciently foretold God's judgments upon rebellious nations. In fuch reprefentations, both Jefus and the prophets acted agreeably to the genius of the Easterns, with whom it was familiar to inftruct their difciples, by actions as well as by words. Farther, in moft tranflations of the Gospels an unfavourable air has been given to this miracle, by a misrepresentation of one of its principal circumftances. For, from the modern sense of the word curfe, infidels have taken occafion to reprefent Jefus as ftorming, raving, and uttering execrations against the tree; an indecency which nothing but the extravagance of paffion could produce. Nevertheless, all that Jefus faid to the tree was, "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforth." And the tree having withered from the root, in confequence of this fentence, the apoftle Peter, who paffed by next day and obferved it, was ftruck with wonder. " Mafter," faid he, behold the fig-tree which thou curfedft, is withered away." But, in the Hebrew language, to curfe the land or the trees is fimply to make or pronounce them unfruitful. Thus Heb. vi. 1. "But "that which beareth thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto "curfing, whofe end is to be burned." The tree therefore which Jefus curfed is no more but the tree which he had pronounced unfruitful. Laftly, though it be faid, in our tranflation, that, when Jefus expected fruit from this tree, the time of figs was not yet; it does not follow, that his expectations were unreasonable, or that the fentence pronounced on the tree was unjuft." The time of figs," in fcripture language, fignifies the time of gathering figs. This every one must acknowledge, who looks to Matth. xxi. 34, 41. where xasp Tv xαpπv fignifies the feafon of gathering the fruits." The circumftance therefore, that" the time of gathering figs was not yet," inftead of fhewing our Lord's expectations to have been unreasonable, proves that he had ground to look for fruit on it; for, if it had been in ufe to bear, it would have had figs ripening, which, though not perfectly ripe, might have been eaten by one who was hungry, as Jefus happened to be at that feason.

2. The miracles faid to have been performed upon the Demoniacs may be defended, though no fuch poffeffions have been obferved either before or fince. Becaufe for wife reafons the devils may have been allowed to exercise efpecial power over the bodies and fouls of men, in the age wherein the Son of God lived on earth, to restrain their malice and to caft them out: among the many important ends which determined the Son of God to come down from heaven, this was one; that he might reveal the real, ftate of the invifible world, fo far as it has a connexion with human affairs. On this fubject, mankind in all ages had been univerfally and grofsly ignorant. The inhabitants of the Weft believed the invisible world to be full of weak capricious divinities, who exercised a partial, oppofite, and often a fruitlefs fuperintendency over human affairs. The power even of Jupiter himself, whom they confidered as fupreme, they fancied to be limited by fome greater inexplicable power, to which they gave the name of Fate. In the Eaft, two fupreme independent principles were acknow

ledged,

ledged, the one good, the other evil. These two they supposed to be continually at war together, the one to produce all the good he could, the other all the evil. It was thus they accounted for that mixture of good and evil in the univerfe, fo difficult to be reconciled with juft ideas of God. The moft pernicious effect however of this system was, that it led men to the bafeft fpecies of idolatry, to the worship of the devil, in order that they might efcape the direful effects of his malice. Mankind thus erring in their conceptions concerning the invisible world, the Son of God came from that world, and teftified unto all the things which he had there feen; namely, That there is but one God fupreme; That all beings are abfolutely fubject to him; That he is infinitely powerful and good; and that he is the friend of mankind; That God has an only begotten Son, by whom he made and governs all things; That Jefus himself is this Son of God; That he loves mankind, is their protector, and will be their judge at the laft day; That, befide the Father and the Son, there is the Spirit of God, who alfo loves the human race, affifts them in becoming good, and prepares them for eternal life: Finally, that there are in the invifible world many good angels; that they too bear a friendly regard to the virtuous; and that they are often fent forth to minifter to them who fhall be the heirs of falvation; That Jefus taught men what qu merous, powerful, and benevolent friends they have in the invifible world. On the other hand he taught them, that they have there alfo numerous, powerful, and malicious enemies; namely, the devil and his angels, who go about continually seeking whom they may destroy. At the fame time, against the dread of thofe enemies he has fortified us, by affuring us, that the devils are all abfolutely subject to God, who Allows them no farther than is agreeable to the ends of his own righte ous adminiftration; and that in due time their kingdom he will utterly deftroy. But the Son of God came to inftruct the poor. Therefore he did not content himself with giving a scientific account of the invifible world, for the benefit of the learned. He revealed it in a manner adapted to the comprehenfion of the vulgar, and which at the fame time afforded to all claffes of men a compleat demonstration of the truth of what he taught. He made the inhabitants of the invifible world the actual objects of men's fenfes; reftoring unto us the knowledge of these things, in the very manner wherein, according to the Mofaic hiftory, it had originally been communicated. For, in the firft place, being himself the only begotten Son of God, the bright"nefs of the Father's glory, and the exprefs image of his perfon; yea,

having the fulness of the Godhead dwelling in him bodily;" by ap pearing in our world, he manifefted the character and perfections of the Godhead to the fenfes of men. More especially, he manifested to them the infinite wifdom of God in the fcheme of redemption which he taught. He fhewed them his boundless power in the many and great miracles which he performed, or enabled his apoftles to perform. He difplayed God's unfpeakable goodness, in his own life, which was one continued courfe of beneficence. Hence, in allufion to the fact, that “God was manifested in the flesh," he told his disciples and the people,

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people, John xii. 45. "He that feeth me, feeth him that sent me." In like manner, when Philip faid unto him, John xiv. 8. "Shew "us the Father, and it fufficeth us;" he replied, 9. "Have I been "fo long time with you, and yet haft thou not known me, Philip? "He that hath feen me hath feen the Father; and how fayeft thou "then, Shew us the Father?" 2. Jefus fhewed mankind the maker, governor, and judge of the world. Being himself that great perfonage, by appearing in the human nature, and converfing fo long upon earth, he made himself the object of men's fenfes. By fupplying eyes and limbs to thofe whofe bodies wanted these members, and by raifing the dead, he fhewed men his creating power. By changing the course of nature in all its parts, and by ruling the wills of men, so that they did not lay hold on him till his own time came, he fhewed himself to be the governor of the world. By rifing from the dead, and at the fame time raifing others who were dead, he demonstrated that he will raife all men, and bring them to judgment. 3. The exiftence of the devil, and of evil fpirits his angels, alfo their malice and their power, Jefus fhewed by allowing the devils in that age, not only to afflict mankind with incurable difeafes, but, by means of thofe difeafes, to take poffeffion of their bodies and fouls. Nevertheless, their abfolute subjection to him, and confequently that he is himself the fole governor of the world, he demonftrated by cafting them out. Whatever power therefore the devils exercife in this world, is merely by permiffion from him. 4. By poffeffions of a kind different from thefe juft now mentioned, Jefus fhewed mankind the exiftence of the Spirit of God, their great friend, together with the reality and efficacy of his operation in their falvation. The apoftles and firft converts he filled with the Holy Ghoft; and the reality of that poffeffion he made evident to the fenfes of men, by the miraculous gifts which the perfons filled with the Holy Ghoft exercised. They fpake a variety of languages, which they knew nothing of before; they uttered prophecies, the meaning of which they did not understand; they difcerned spirits; they wrought miracles: fo that no one, who faw thefe men, could doubt that the fpirit of God was in them of a truth. 5. The exiftence of good angels, and their affiduity in miniftering unto those who fhall be heirs of falvation, Jefus made evident to the fenfes of men, by giving the angels frequent occafions of appearing in visible forms to minifter unto him; namely, at his conception, birth, temptation, agony, refurrection, and afcenfion. Thus our Lord may be faid, while on earth, to have made the whole inhabitants of the invisible world, along with himself, the objects of men's fenfes, and by fo doing to have put their existence and their feveral characters beyond doubt, in all fucceeding generations.

These things confidered, the miracles performed upon the Demoniacs in the Gofpels appear credible, though no fuch poffeffions are now obferved among mankind. The poffeffion of devils was peculiar to thofe times; juft as the poffeffions of the Spirit of God, the appearances of angels, nay, and the appearance of the Son of God himself, undoubtedly were. Moreover, as there were reasons for con

fining the poffeffions of the Spirit of God, the appearances of angels, and the prefence of the Son of God on earth, to the firft age of Chriftianity; fo there may have been reafons of great importance determining the poffeffions of devils to that age alfo. It was not agreeable to the wifdom of God to repeat in every age, thofe proofs addreffed to the fenfes of men, by which he was pleafed to reveal to them the state of the invifible world. The age in which his Son ap'peared on earth, he honoured with the miraculous effufion of the Holy Ghoft, and with frequent appearances of angels, because thereby the doctrines of his Son, concerning the friends which mankind have in the invifible world, was made an object of their fenfes. For the fame reason, he confirmed what his Son taught concerning the devil and his angels, by the peculiar power which he allowed the devils to exercife in that age. Of this difpenfation mankind could not then complain; becaufe in that age the Son of God, and the apoftles of his Son, lived on earth, armed with miraculous powers for reftraining and cafting out the devils. Such a difpenfation tended greatly to the inftruction and benefit of mankind, in all future generations. It has made us fenfible of the number, nature, and power of our enemies. And this information, while it ftirs us up to watchfulness, is fo tempered as not to dispirit us. At the very time our enemies were fhewed to us, we were fortified against the exceffive dread of them, by the fenfible demonftrations which were given in their ejections, proving that the devil, though powerful, is not independent and infinitely powerful, but is abfolutely fubject to God and to his Son; fo that he can hurt no man beyond what is permitted him of God. Wherefore, however ftrange it may feem, that evil fpirits were allowed, not only to afflict mankind with diseases, but by means of thofe difeafes to take poffeffion of them, in the age wherein the Son of God appeared on earth, the great importance of the end gained by this difpenfation, renders it every way worthy of the perfections and government of God, and confequently gives fufficient probability to all the poffeffions recorded in the Gofpels*.

3d.

* In the above defence of the miracles wrought upon the Demoniacs, it is allowed that the devils have not now that power over the bodies and fpirits of men, which they exercised in cur Lord's age. From this, however, it is not to be inferred, that they have no power at all over them. The vifible operation of their power, in the age mentioned, proves the contrary; being intended to convince men, that evil spirits often intermeddle in their affairs. Many difeafes, called incurable, may be brought on and continued by the operation of evil spirits. Other mischiefs, of various kinds, they may be inftrumental in producing. For the Scriptures attribute to the devils much more influence in the affairs of the world than most people are willing to allow them. For example, the Apoftie Paul calls the devil, "the prince of the power "of the air," Eph. ii. 2. and his angels "the rulers of the darkness of this world," Eph. Thefe titles mark the influence which evil fpirits have in changing the conftitution of the air, and by that means of bringing difeafes both upon man and beast, and of destroying the fruits of the earth. Farther, we are told that the Apostles delivered over to Satan incorrigible offenders for the deftruction of their flesh and it is to be fuppofed, that, in confequence of this fentence, the devil punished them with mortal diseases. In the moral world also the Scriptures represent the devils as having great power: for, on two different occafions, Jefus 'attributed to them the machinations whereby he was put to death, John xiv. 30. Luke xxvii. 53. In like manner, the evangelift Luke afcribes the treachery of Judas to an especial energy of Satan upon his mind, chap. xxii. 23. and the cowardice of Peter to the fame caufe, chap. xxii. 31. alfo the wickedness of Ananias, Acts v. 3. Hence Peter, taught by experi

vi. 12.

ence,

3d. "The deftruction of the herd of fwine," which happened in confequence of the difpoffeffion of the Demons of Gadara, may be defended upon the foundeft principles of reafon, if the foregoing vindication of poffeffions in general is admitted. Impoftors have pretended by exorcifms to expel devils; for the idea of demons and their power is not only of ancient original, but hath widely prevailed. These exorcifts, however, have never fucceeded, unlefs by compact with impoftors like themselves, who have counterfeited poffeffions, in order to bestow upon their accomplices the honour of miracles. Wherefore, to prevent every fufpicion, even the most diftant, that this was the cafe with Jefus in the miracles which he performed upon the poffeffed, it became both his wisdom and his goodness, in one inftance at leaft, to order matters fo that the miracle fhould be raised above all doubt. This happened in the difpoffeffion of the demons of Gadara. For the devils, who were expelled, being permitted to enter into a herd of fwine on the neighbouring mountain, they drave them into the fea, where they perifhed, to the number of two thousand. This extraordinary circumftance very happily answered the end defigned by it; becaufe both the learned and the ignorant must be fenfible, that, whatever bargain our Lord may have made with the Demoniacs, he could make none with the fwine. In this illuftrious miracle, therefore, by a proof addreffed to the fenfes of men, a proof which, if it had not been found in the Gofpels, the enemies of revelation very probably would have exprefly required, Jefus has taught men that there are really evil fpirits exifting in the world, enemies to mankind, and authors of all evil; that thefe wicked fpirits are many in number; that a multitude of them are often employed in hurting particular perfons; that their power and malice are very great; but that they are abfolutely fubject to God and to his Son; and that God actually reftrains them from doing all the mifchief they incline. Finally, by this undeniable miracle, Jefus has given crediVOL. V. bility

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ence, earnestly cautions his difciples to beware of the devil, who, he tells them, 1 Eph. v. 3. "goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." To thefe reprefentations. the Apostle Paul agrees; for he tells us, 2 Cor. iv. 4. that "the devil blindeth the minds of "thofe who believe not. Befides, it is on account of the power which the devil exercifes both in the natural and moral world, that our Lord has styled him, in three different places, THE PRINCE OF THIS WORLD (John xii. 13. xiv. 30. xvi. 11); and the Apostle Paul, THE GOD OF THIS WORLD, 2 Cor. iv. 4. Finally, to imprefs mankind with a fense of their danger from evil fpirits, our Lord, in the form of prayer which he taught his difciples, hath commanded us to befeech God to deliver us (ano Te Tovage) from the evil one," the Devil.---Such are the reprefentations which Jefus and his Apoftles have given, of the power exercised by evil fpirits in the natural and moral world. If any one takes upon him to difbelieve thofe things, he ought to remember that they are matters of fact which he cannot reafon upon, because he knows nothing of the invifible world at all; and that Jefus, having come from that world, deferves to be credited in the account which he has given of it. The reader, no doubt, obferves, that I have not produced our Lord's temptation in the wildernefs as an example of the agency of evil fpirits in the moral world. The reason is, Le Clerc affirms, it was tranfacted in a vifion; and the ingenious Mr. Farmer, in his "Inquiry" &c. that it happened in a " Divine Vision." But I now mention it after the other proofs from Scripture, relative to the agency of the Devil in human affairs, not doubting but the whole taken together, will convince impartial judges, that the literal fenfe of the hiftory of the temptation is agreeable to the reprefentation which the Scriptures have given us of the agency of evil fpirits; and the rather, that all the objections which have heen raifed against the literal fenfe may cafily be removed, by attending to the circumstances of the transaction, and to the true meaning of the phrafes which the Evangelis have made ufe of in that part of their narration,

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