ceive, that the serpent was at all wiser when he was speaking, than whilst he was dumb. For, as the vibra tions of tongue, which gave the sounds he uttered, were just as involuntary and unconceived by him, as any mechanical or convulsive motions can be; the serpent knew no more what his tongue had uttered, than if the words spoken had been blown across by a wind, which had no connexion with him. 2. That Satan, that spiritual being, who, in the New Testament, is stiled the Prince of the air, may have a power to make in the air, by the tongue of any bird, beast, or animal, sounds of significant words, if God shall permit, does not, as far as I conceive, contradict any principle of true philosophy; any more, than that he might inflict' on Job, or may inflict on any of us, boils, sickness, or many other evils, if permission be given him. But herein the dependance of all powers upon God is preserved and acknowledged; herein we guard against all no

The author of the Book of Samuel had this notion of the agency of the wicked one, that he could do nothing, but under the permission and controul of God; and, accordingly, says of David's numbering the people, that God moved him to do it, 2 Sam. xxiv. 1; when, in fact, the instigation came immediately, not from God, but from Satan. See 1 Chron. xxi. Į. But the author of the Book of Samuel intended to establish it as an universal truth, that God was supreme, and nothing could be done without him. Had not God permitted, Satan herein could have done nothing; and this, and nothing but this, was intended in saying, that he, the Lord, moved David to number the people.

the Dail is het or in domoval Viag

tions of two independent principles, the one good, and the other evil; by shewing, in all that has been done by the great agent of evil, that no one thing was ever done by him, but just so far as God permitted him to go, and no farther. Of the great adversary, who seduced our first parents, let us consider all that was done by him: did he speak to them from heaven, in a voice, as God spake to them? no: Why did he not? He was not permitted to speak in this manner. Did he appear to them in person; in a similitude that might carry dignity, and create himself respect? no: any thing of this sort was not allowed him. Did he cause some noble and respectable creature of the world to propose his insinuation? this he was not suffered to do. he create even a serpent suitable to the intention he designed to serve by it? this can in no wise be pretended. He was allowed, indeed, to use a creature of this very low species, but to use it only at a time, when the persons tempted had not such knowledge of the nature of a serpent, as to think it at all miraculous to hear one speaking. And when he had liberty to use this animal, was he able to make it speak elegantly, what great parts and capacity would have invented upon the subject? not at all. What Milton has intimated, may abundantly shew a field to expatiate in," if the tempter

Did

Milton carries on the temptation in a fine process of reasoning, supposed by him to have been artfully used by the serpent; any part of which must have been infallibly too much for our first parents, in the state of their knowledge of the reason of things, to be able to gainsay or contradict. But all

had been suffered to argue copiously upon the point proposed. But, in fact, the tempter was only permitted to bring, from the mouth of his agent, little more than a bare negation of what had been affirmed by the voice of God. In the event, indeed, little as he said, he said enough; for he succeeded. But all this while, an im partial examiner must allow, that no temptation was suffered to befal our first parents which could have had weight with them, unless they gave up the great principle, without which nothing could be wise or strong in them; namely, that they were to obey God. They had heard Him, who made them, say they should not eat; they heard a serpent, a low and creeping creature, vastly beneath themselves, say they might eat; they apprehended nothing wonderful in this animal's speaking, so that no thought of a miracle had any weight with them; what then determined them? We are told, Adam hearkened to the voice of his wife;" and it is plain, that though the serpent was the occasion of Eve's falling, yet judging for herself, contrary to the direction of God, that as the tree was pleasant to the sight, and good for food, so it was to be desired to make one wise; was what made the temptation too hard for her. But when the apostle tells us, the serpent beguiled Eve by his subtlety; does the expression, here used by him,

this is Milton's fancy; for Moses in no wise represents them as having been thus tempted above what they were able. See Milton, b. ix. ver. 532-722.

" Gen. iii. 17.

• 2 Cor. xi. 3.

absolutely coincide with what I have been now saying? I answer, perfectly so the apostle only represented a plain and real fact, as it was most evidently done; and it is a very proper way, thus to speak of things being done as they are evidently seen to be, without always diving to the bottom, or true springs and causes of them. Moses relates, that the serpent was subtle, and said—; his speaking was the subtlety remarked of him; from his speaking to her, Eve received sentiments by which she was deceived. What now could be said with more propriety of diction, than that the serpent, who really and truly spake to her, beguiled her? The apostle was no more obliged to discuss here, whether the serpent spake sua, or, nicely distinguishing, non sua verba; whether subtlety used by him was of his own natural sagacity, or of another's suggestion; or, whether the persons beguiled by him, did not add sentiments of their own to his intimation; than if his converts had suffered what he was afraid of, namely, their being corrupted from the simplicity of the gospel by any one speaking to them things contrary thereto; he must, if he had charged the persons so speaking with having corrupted them, have strictly determined, whether what such persons said to them was his own contrivance, or only words dictated to him by some other; and whether no improvement of what he said came into the minds of those who were seduced by him. This might be a matter proper to be considered, if the nature of the guilt of him who had deceived them, was the subject enquired into; but was in no wise necessary, if the fact only was to be related, viz. by whom they had been

P

deceived. The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety. The apostle barely recognizes a fact, really done, as Moses had recorded it; the words which Eve had heard from the serpent, were all she knew of the serpent's subtlety. Therefore we carry the apostle's words to a view further than he designed, if we suppose him deciding from whom originally, and by what manner of reasoning, the temptation offered to Eve proceeded; for he only reminds us, from whose mouth the words actually came, which ministered the temptation which proved her ruin. But the next point may have greater difficulties: for let us consider,

II. Whether it can be conceived, that the infinitely good God-, the God, not only of all power, but of all truth, and all rectitude, should admit, as it were, the throne of iniquity to have fellowship with him, to frame mischief by a law 29 Can we think that God would

P 2 Cor. xi. 3.

Psal. xciv. 20.-There

are passages in the Book of Psalms, which, though we may inattentively overlook them, hint at and refute ancient abstruse notions, which obtained amongst the then sages of the world, who were not possessed of the true religion. One of these sentiments, recorded by Theopompus, as being a tenet of the antient magi, that ἀναβιώσεσθαι τως άνθρωπος, καὶ ἔσεσθαι αθανα τὰς, καὶ τα ολα ταις αυτων επίκλησεσι διαμένειν See Diogen. Laert, &c. in Procm. p. 7. seems to be considered and refuted in Psal. xlix. in what the Psalmist offers, for due observation, how wise men die, likewise the fool, and the brutish person, perish, and leave their wealth to others; contrary to what he intimates as the inward thought of some, who seemed to suppose, that their houses should continue for ever, and their