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of Babel, and deifying and worſhipping their kings
when dead and rotten; idolizing beaſts, ſtocks, ſtones,
any thing, and even nothing; and in a word, when
he managed mankind juſt as he pleaſed.
Now, and from this time forward, he appeared
a weak, fooliſh, ignorant Devil, compared to what
he was before. He was almoſt upon every occa-
ſion reſiſted, diſappointed, balked, and defeated;
eſpecially in all his attempts to thwart or croſs
the miſſion miniſtry of the Meſſiah while he was
upon earth, and ſometimes upon other and very
mean occaſions too.
And firſt, how fooliſh a project was it, and how
below Satan's celebrated artifices in like caſes, to
put Herod upon ſending to kill the poor inno-
cent children in Bethlehem in hopes to deſtroy
Chriſt? for take it for granted it was the Devil
put it into Herod's thoughts that execution, how
ſimple and fooliſh ſoever now, we muſt allow him
to be very ignorant of the nativity himſelf, or
elſe he might have eaſily guided his friend Herod
to the place where the infant was.
This ſhows, that either the Devil is in general
as ignorant as we are of what is to happen in the
world before it is really come to paſs; and con-
ſequently can foretel nothing, no, not ſo much as
our famous old Merlin or mother Shipton did;
or elſe that great event was hid from him by an im-
mediate power ſuperior to his, which I cannot
think neither, conſidering how much he was con-
cerned in it, and how certainly he knew that it
made to come to paſs.
But be that as it will, it is certain the Devil
knew nothing where Chriſt was born, or when;
nor was he able to direct Herod to find him out;
and therefore put him upon that fooliſh as well as
cruel order, to kill all the children, that he might
deſtroy the Meſſiah among the reſt.
