A SERMON preached before the Univerfity at St Mary's Church in Oxford, on an A&t-Sunday.

2 CORINTH. XI. 14.

And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an Angel of Light.

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E who has arrived to that Pitch of Infidelity, as to deny that there is a Devil, gives a fhrewd Proof, that he is deluded by Him; and fo by this very Denyal does unawares inferr the Thing, which he would deny. There have indeed been fome in all Ages, Sects, and Religions, who have promoted the Devil's Interefts, by argu ing against his Being. For that, which Men generally most defire, is to go on in their Sin without Controul; and it cannot be more their Defire, than the Devil accounts it his Intere that they fhould do fo. But when they are told withall, that he who tempts to Sin now, is to execute God's Wrath for our Sin

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hereafter; the Belief of a Spirit, appointed to fo terrible an Office, ftanding fo directly between them and their Sins, they can never proceed fmoothly in them, till fuch a Belief be first taken out of the way; and therefore, no wonder if Men argue against the Thing they hate; and for the freer Enjoyment of their Lufts, do all they can to baffle and throw off a Perfuafion, which does but torment them before their Time: This undoubtedly being the true, if not only Ground of all the Dif putes Men raise against Damons, or Evil Spirits; that their Guilt has made it their Concern, that there fhould be none.

Nevertheless, on the other fide, it must be confidered, that the proving of Spirits, and Immaterial Subftances, from the common Dif courses of the World upon this Subject, has not hitherto proved fo fuccessful, as might be wifhed. For that there are fuch Finité, Incorporeal Beings, as we call Spirits, I take to be a Point of that Moment, that the Belief of it ought to be established upon much furer Proofs, than fuch as are commonly taken from Vifions, and Apparitions, and the Reports which ufe to go of them; it having never hitherto been held for folid Reasoning, to argue from what feems, to what exifts; or, in other Wds, from Appearances to Things; efpecially fince it has been found fo frequent, for the Work

ing of a frong Fancy, and a weak Judgment, to pafs with many for Apparitions. Nor yet can I think the fame fufficiently proved, from feveral ftrange Effects, Chances, and Alterations, which (as Hiftorians tell us) having fometimes happened in the World, and carrying in them the Marks of a Rational Efficiency, (but manifeftly above all Human Power) have therefore by fome been afcribed to Spirits, as the proper and immediate Caufes thereof, For fuch a Conclufion, I conceive, cannot be certainly drawn from thence, unless we were able to comprehend the full Force and Activity of all Corporeal Subftances, especially the Celestial; fo as to affign the utmoft Term, which their Activity can reach to, and beyond which it cannot go'; which, I fuppofe, no fober Reafoner, or true Philofopher will pretend to.

And therefore in the prefent Cafe, allow ing the forementioned common Arguments all the Advantage of Probability they can justly lay claim to; yet if we would have a certain Proof of the Existence of Finite Spirits, good or bad, we ought, no doubt, to fetch it from that Infallible Word of Revelation, held forth to us in the Scriptures; and fo employ Faith to piece up the shortness and defects of Science; which, as nothing but Faith can do, so that Man muft by no means pretend

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pretend to Faith, who will not fell his Affent under a Demonftration; nor indeed to so much as Prudence, who will be convinced by nothing but Experience, when perhaps the Experiment may prove his Destruction. He who believes that there is a Devil, puts himself into the ready way to escape him. But as for those Modern Sadducees, who will believe neither Angel nor Spirit, because they cannot see them; and with whom Invisible and Incredible pafs for Terms perfectly Equipollent; they would do wifely to confider, that as the Fowler would certainly spoil his own Game, fhould he not, as much as poffible, keep out of fight; fo the Devil never plants his Snares fo skilfully and fuccessfully, as when he conceals his Perfon; nor tempts fo dangerously, as when he can perfuade Men that there is no Tempter.

But I fear I have argued too far upon this Point already; fince it may feem fomething inartificial for the Sermon to prove, what the, Text had fuppofed. But fince the Infidelity of the present Age has made the Proof of that neceffary, which former Ages took for granted; I hope the Usefulness of the Subject will atone for what may feem less regular in the Profecution. It must therefore be allowed (and that not only from the foregoing probable Arguments, but much more from

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an Infallible and Divine Teftimony) That there is a Devil, a Satan, and a Tempter. And we have him here prefented to us, under such a strange kind of Mask or Vizard, that we cannot see him for Light; and then furely he must needs walk undiscovered, who can make that, which discovers all things elfe, bis Difguife. But the Wonder ought to abate, if we confider, that there is a Light, which dazzles and deludes, as well as one which informs and directs; and that it is the former of thefe, which Satan cloathes himself with, as with a Garment. A Light fo far refembling that of the Stars, that it ftill rules by Night, and has always Darkness both for its Occalion and Companion. The Badge of Truth is Unity, and the Property of Falfhood Variety; and accordingly the Devil appears all Things, as he has Occafion; the Priest, the Cafuift, the Reformer, the Reconciler; and in a word, any thing but Himfelf. He can change his Voice, his Drefs, and the whole Scene of his Fallacies; and by a dextrous Management of the Fraud, prefent you with an Efau under the Form of a Jacob; for the Old Serpent can fhift his Skin, as often as he has a turn to ferve by his doing fo. For it is a short and easy Transition from Darkness to Light; even as near as the Confines of Night and Day. So that this active Spirit can quickly

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