A50177:70
The wonders of the invisible world observations as well historical as theological upon the…
The wonders of the invisible world observations as well historical as theological upon the nature, the number and the operations of the devils : accompanied with I. Some accounts of the grievous [sic] molestations by daemons and witchcrafts ... and the trials of some eminent malefactors ... II. Some councils directing a due improvement of the terrible things lately done by the unusual and amazing range of evil spirits ... III. Some conjectures upon the great events likely to befall the world in general and New England in particular ... IV. A short narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of witches in Swedeland ... V. The devil discovered, in a brief discourse upon those temptations which are the more ordinary devices of the wicked one / by Cotton Mather.The wonders of the invisible world observations as well historical as theological upon the nature, the number and the operations of the devils : accompany'd with I. Some accounts of the greievous [sic] molestations by daemons and witchcrafts ... and the trials of some eminent malefactors ... II. Some councils directing a due improvement of the terrible things lately done by the unusual and amazing range of evil spirits ... III. Some conjectures upon the great events likely to befall the world in general and New England in particular ... IV. A short narrative of a late outrage committed by a knot of witches in Swedeland ... V. The devil discovered, in a brief discourse upon those temptations which are the more ordinary devices of the wicked one / by Cotton Mather.
Boston: printed by Benjamin Harris, 1693
A Discourse: ON The Wonders of the Invisible World. › Proposition 3: Proposition III.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
Proposition III.
The Devil, in the prosecution, & for the execution, of His wrath upon them, often gets a Liberty to make a Descent upon the Children of men. When ⟨p. 13⟩the Devil does Hurt unto us, he Comes Down unto us; for the Rendezvous of the Infernal Troops, is indeed in the Supernal Parts of our Air. But as tis said, A. sparrow of the Air does not fall down without the will of God; so I may say, Not a Devil in the Air, can come down without the leave of God. Of this we have a famous Instance in that Arabian Prince, of whom the Devil was unable so much as to Touch any thing, till the most High God gave him a permission, to go down. The Devil stands with all the Instruments of Death, aiming at us, and begging of the Lord, as that King asked for the Hood-winked Syrians of old, Shall I Smite 'em, shall I Smite 'em? He cannot strike a Blow, till the Lord say, Go down and smite, but sometimes He does obtain from the High Possessor of Heaven and Earth, a License for the doing of it. The Devil sometimes does make most rueful Havoc among us; but still we may say to him, as our Lord said unto a great servant of his, Thou couldest have no power against me, except it were given thee from above. The Devil is called in 1 pet. 5. 8. your Adversary. Tis a Law-term; and it notes, An Adversary at Law. The Devil cannot come at us, except in some sense according to Law; but sometimes he does procure sad things to be inflicted, according to that Law of the eternal King, upon us. The Devil First Goes up as an Accuser against us: He is therefore styled The Accuser; and it is on this account, that his proper Name, does belong unto him. There is a Court somewhere kept; a Court of Spirits, where the Devil enters all sorts of Complaints against us ⟨p. 14⟩all; he charges us with manifold sins against the Lord our God: There he loads us with heavy Imputations, of Hypocrisy, Iniquity, Disobedience; where upon he urges, Lord, Let 'em now have the Death, which is their Wages, paid unto 'em! If our Advocate in the Heavens do not now take off his Libels, the Devil then with a Concession of God, Comes down, as a Destroyer upon us. Having first been an Attorney, to bespeak that the Judgments of Heaven may be Ordered for us, he then also pleads that he may be the Executioner of those Judgments;