Almighty's decree, that he should not find enough among the whole Race, to be proper subjects of his clemency, and qualified to succeed the Devil and his host, or fill up the places vacant by the Fall. It is true indeed, the Devil, who we have reason to say is no fool, ought to know better than to suppose that if he could seduce the whole race of mankind and make them as bad as himself, he could, by the success of his wickedness, thwart or disappoint the determined purposes of heaven; but that those which are appointed to inherit the thrones, which he and his followers abdicated and were deposed from, shall certainly be preserv'd in spite of all his Devices for that inheritance, and shall have the possession secur'd to them, notwithstanding all that the Devil and all the Host of Hell can do to prevent it.
But, however he knows the certainty of this, and that when he endeavours the seducing the chosen servants of the most High, he fights against God himself, struggles with irresistible grace, and makes war with infinite power, undermining the church of God and that faith in him which are fortified with the eternal promises of Jesus Christ, that the gates of Hell, that is to say, the Devil and all his power shall not prevail against them; I say, however he knows how impossible it is that he should obtain his ends, yet so blind is his rage, so infatuate is his wisdom, that he cannot refrain breaking himself to pieces against this mountain, and splitting against this rock. qui Jupiter vult perdere hos dementat.
But to leave this serious part, which is a little too solemn, for the account of this rebel; seeing we are not to expect he will write his own History for our information and diversion, I shall see if I cannot write it for him: In order to this, Ishall
