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name and form of a ferpent, or in a real one, in remembrance of that which he had used as an inftrument to ruin mankind. In our Lord's time, Satan fancied he had fuch a power over the world, as to dispose of it at his pleasure; and therefore, in an infolent and audacious manner, offered the kingdoms of this world, and the glory of them, to Chrift, if he would fall down and worfhip him. The facrifices which he instituted, and which were not only impure and trifling, but cruel and barbarous; fuch as the facrifices of human creatures themselves, is a full proof of what power and authority he had over men, and how much they were devoted to him, and infatuated by him: But now his head is bruised and crushed by the feed of the woman; he has not the authority he had in the Gentile world, Chrift having fent his gospel thither, has difpelled the

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↑ Ipfa noviffime facra & ritus initiationis ipfius, quibus Sebadiis nomen eft, testimonio esse poterunt veritati: in quibus aureus coluber in finum dimittitur confecratis, & eximitur rurfus ab inferioribus partibus atque imis, Arnob. adv Gentes, 1. 5. p. 203. Ed. Elmenhorst. Vid. Clement. Alex. admon. ad Gentes, p. 11. Ed. Paris. & Jul. Firmic. de error. Proph. Relig. p. 18. Ed. Oxon. & Juftin. Martyr. Apolog. 2. p. 70, 71. Ed. Paris. The figure of the Egyptian god Typhon, was in this manner: His upper part was human, his lower part was in the form of a ferpent; he was reprefented with ferpents coming out of his hands, and many others wrapping themselves about his body, Chartar. Hift. Deorum, p. 186. Imag. 71. Æfculapius was alfo worshipped in the form of a ferpent, and is called by Ovid, Phœbeius anguis, Metamorph. 1. 15. fab. 50. And by Horace, Serpens Epidaurius, Serm. 1. 1. Satyr. 3. who, in the fhape of a fnake, was brought from Epidaurus to Rome, to free the city from the peftilence. an. U. C. 462. Vid. Liv. c. 11. Brev. & Sext. Aurel. Victor. de illuftr. viris, c. 25. The Genii, which belonged to any place, city, or country, were painted in the fame form. Virgil. Æneid. 1. 5. v. 95. & Servius in ib. p. 896. Vid. Perf. Satyr. 1.

V. 113.

& Colebant enim beftias fere omnes, quas portentorum mater Ægyptus alebat, in his & ferpentes & dracunculos, quos illi Agathodæmonas vocabant. Pignorii menf. Ifiac. Expof. c. 1. p 5. Ofiridis fubfequentis caput ornat facra ferpens in tabula ita frequens, ut in mentem veniat mirari hominum ftoliditatem, qui a Deo opt. max. ita aberrarent, ut fordidum hoc animal venerarentur. Neque vero Ægyptii tantum huic dementiæ affines. Indi enim Phoenices, Arabes, Babylonii, Pœni, Bæotii, Epirota, Sicyonii, Epidaurii, Romani, è noftris hæretici quidam & novi orbis in colæ huic infania manus dedere. Ibid. c. 3. p. 23. 24. Vid. p. 26-28. & Tomafin. Cecropii votum, p. 46, 47, 55. Serpents were facred to Jupiter. Herodot. 1. 2. c. 74. and to Æfculapius, Paufan. 1. 2. p. 106, 136. and to Ceres and Minerva Chartar. Imag. Deorum, p. 100, 162.

h Διονυσον μαινόλην οργιάζεσι Βακχοι, ωμοφαγια τον ιερομανίαν άγοντες, και τελισκωσι τας αξεωνομίας των Φονων, ανεσεμμενοι τοις οφεσιν, επολολύζοντες Ευαν. Ευαν εκείνην, δι ην η πλανη παρηκολέθησε· καὶ σε μείον οςγιων βακχικων, οφις ετι τελελεσμεν. αυτικα γεν κατα την ακρίβη των Εβραιων φωνην, το ονομα το Ευια δασυνόμενον, ερμηνεύεται οφις η θηλεια. Clemens Alexandr. admon. ad Gentes, p. 9. Of the use of the word Eva, and the repetition of it in the Bacchanalian rites, when the idolaters appeared with ferpents platted on their heads, fee Virgil. Æneid. 1. 6. v. 518, 519. l. 7. v. 388. Perf Satyr. 1. v. 101, 102. and Catull. Epithal. Thetidis. Hence Bacchus is called Evius, Horat. Carmin. 1. 2. Ode xi. v. 17.

1 Vid Cæfar. Comment. 1. 6. Porphyr. de Abftinent. 1. 2 §. 54-56. Ed. Cantabr. Minut. Fel. Catav. p. 33. Ed. Oxon. Clement. Alex. admon. ad Gentes, p. 27. Tertull. Apol. c.9. Lactant. de falf. relig. 1. 1. c. 21. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dierum, 1. 6. c. 26.

former darkness and ignorance, which has opened their eyes to fee their folly and madness, and has been the means of their shaking off the devil's yoke, of delivering them from the power of Satan, and of turning them from their idols to ferve the living God.

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Another way by which the devil got power and authority in the Gentile world, and which, for fome time, he secured and established, was by fetting up * oracles in many places; the most famous of which were thofe of Jupiter Ammon in Egypt, and of Apollo, the fame with " Apollyon, one of the names of the devil in Rev. ix. 11. at Delphos in Greece. These feem to be fet up in imitation of the oracle of God, at which the people of Ifrael received answers by Urim and Thummim. The responses which the Gentiles received at their oracles, were generally delivered in a dark, intricate", and ambiguous manner, fo as to be fure

* Herodotus takes notice of several oracles among the Egyptians, where, befides that of Jupiter Ammon, were the oracles of Hercules, Apollo, Minerva, Diana and Mars, and what was had in the greatest esteem, the oracle of Latona in the city Butus, 1. 2. c. 83, 152, 155. Ed. Gronov. among the Grecians, befides that of Apollo Pythias at Delphos, were the oracles of Branchide, or Apollo Didymæus at Miletus, of Trophonius in Labadia, and Amphiaraus in Thebes, and others at Abæ and Dodona, 1. 1. c. 46. and 2. 52. and 8. 134. The fame author makes mention of the oracles of Mars and Bacchus among the Thracians, 1. 7. c. 76, 111. and of several among the Ethiopians, 1. 2. c. 139. Paufanias obferves, that there was an oracle of Apollo Thyrkxeus at Cyaneis, upon the borders of Lycia, 1. 7. p. 440. Ed. Hanov. of Mercury at Phare in Achaia, ibid. of Hercules Buraicus at Bura, ibid. p. 449. of Apollo Ptous at mount Ptous, near the city Acræphnium, which Herodotus, 1. 8. c. 135. calls Acræphia, 1. 9. p. 576. and of Bacchus in Thrace, ibid. p. 589. with others. Be fides, there was an oracle at Delos, one of the islands called the Cyclades, and another at Patara in Lycia, which is a place mentioned in Acts xxi. 1. and of Apis in Egypt. Vid. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dierum, 1. 6. c. 2.

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1 Concerning which, Vid. Herodot. 1. 2. c. 55. Pausan. 1. 3. p. 195. Q. Cart. I. 4. c. 7.

. They both have their names from a word which fignifies to deftroy, τον δ' Απόλλωνα, ως απολυονία

Όμως των νόσων, η απελαύνοντα αφ' ημων αυτας, η απολλύντα, ταυτης τελυχηκεναι της προσηγορίας. Phure nutus de natura Deorum, p. 92. Ed. Gale. Macrobius, gives us the several etymologies of the name of Apollo, which, according to him, is the fun, and, among the rest, mentions this: Alii cognominatum Apollinem putant, ως απόλλυντα τα ζωαίο Exanimat enim & perimit animantes, cum peftem intemperie caloris immittit. Saturnal. I. 1. c. 17. Ο Απολλων εκ τε απολλων ονομάζεται.

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Euftathius in Homer. Iliad. a.

> Apollo was called Λοξίας, from the intricacy and ambiguity of thefe oracles; Λοξων δε και πρισκελών αντων των χρησμών ως δίδωσι, Λοξίας ωνόμαςαι, Phurnutus de natura Deorum, p. 94. Vid Schol. Aristophan. Plut. p. 2. Ed. Genev. fol. Clemen. Alexandr. Strom. 1. 5. p. 556. where the fame reafon is given for this name. The common inftances of these ambiguous refponfes are, that which was given to Cræfus, king of Lydia, Craefus Halyn penetrans magnam pervertet opum vim; which left it uncertain whether he should overcome the great army of the Perfians; or Cyrus, who lay on the other fide of the river Halys, fhould conquer the army of the Lydians; also that which was delivered to Pyrrhus, king of Epirus, Aio te acida Romanos, vincere poffe. From whence it could

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fure to preferve the credit of the oracle, and the good opinion of the votary. Thefe continued in great vogue for a time; but upon the coming of Christ, the feed of the woman, were ftruck dumb; the Gentiles were fenfible of it, but were ignorant of the caufe. The fulleft proof of the ceafing of these oracles, and the reafon of it, is the application of Auguftus Cæfar to the oracle at Delphos, after the birth of Chrift, who, when he had offered fome hundreds of facrifices, urged Apollo to give him an answer, who fhould reign after him, which was the laft, as it is faid, he ever uttered, and was delivered in three Greek verfes to this purpose: "An Hebrew child that rules the bleffed gods, hath commanded "me to leave this dwelling, and go immediately to hell, from henceforward "therefore depart in filence from our altars." It is also said, that Auguftus upon his return to Rome, fet up an altar in the Capitol, with this infcription on it, The altar of the first-born of God. A very considerable instance is this of the feed of the woman's bruifing the ferpent's head, for by filencing his oracles, his power and authority were greatly diminished. Now in fome fenfe may be faid the judgment of the Gentile world, and the prince of it to be caft out, as he was out of his oracle-temples: We have an account of fomething of this kind in the Acts of the apoftles', where we read, that as the apoftles went to prayer, a certain damfel, poffeffed with a spirit of divination; it is in the Greek text a fpirit of Python, the fame with Apollo, met them, which brought her masters much

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not be concluded whether he who was a defcendant of Æacus fhould conquer the Romans, or the Romans conquer him. Much fuch another oracle was that which was given out to another, Ibis, relibis nunquam per bella peribis; where, by placing a comma either before or after nunquam, the words have a different fenfe; and in much fuch a way did the old ferpent impofe on our first parents, when he faid, Ye fhall be as gods, or angels; in which fenfe the word is fometimes used, k. owing good and evil; where it is not certain whether he meant angels of light or darkness; mok probably the latter, and that they fhould be like himself, and the rest of the apoftate angels. See more inftances of this ambiguous way of speaking, used in these oracles of the Gentiles, in Pausa. nias, 1. 8. p. 474, 475.

• Vid. Ciceron. de Divinatione, L. 2. p. 1996. Ed. Gothofred. Porphyr. in Eufeb. Prepar. Evangel. And Plutarch. τε των εκλελοιποίων χρηστηριακ.. p. 204, 205.

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• Apollo was called Pythius, from the coming of the people to him, to inquire of him, and confult with him about difficult matters; his oracle is called fo for the fame reafon; Ka tugeder & Ero Δελφοις μαντείον τῷ Απολλωνι, πρωσονόμασαν Πυθιον, απο το δερο τους ανθρωπος ερχομενες πυνθάνεσθαι τα καθ' εαυτός. Phurnutus de natura Deorum, p. 94. Vid. Schol. Ariftoph. Plut. p. 6. Ed. Genev. This is rejected by Macrobius, Saturnal, 1, 1. c. 17. He is rather called fo from the Hebrew

word

gain by foothfaying; to which spirit Paul turned and faid, I command thee, in the name of Jefus Chrift, to come out of her; and he came out of her the fame hour. The old ferpent not being able to stand before the feed of the woman, Chrift Jefus, in the miniftry of his apoftles.

The power of Satan over the bodies of men in the land of Judea, was very confiderable about the time of Christ's being upon earth: It was a strange and uncommon difpenfation; doubtless, those frequent and numerous poffeffions by devils were fuffered, that the Son of God might have an opportunity of giving full proof both of his Deity and Meffiahship. It is certain, that he went about, and healed all that were poffeffed with devils; they were obliged to quit their habitations at his order; he difpoffeffed them wherever he came; they dreaded him, as their tormentor and deftroyer; he turned out a legion of them at once from one man; the whole poffe of them was not able to ftand before him. Since thofe times, it is remarkable that poffeffions of this kind have been very rare; which fhews that the feed of the woman has bruifed the ferpent's head, and crushed this part of his power. Christ has not only difpoffeffed Satan of the bodies of men by his power, but of the fouls of many by his gospel, both among Jews and Gentiles; has delivered them from the power of darkness, and tranflated them into his own kingdom.

The author of the epiftle to the Hebrews obferves, that the devil had the power of death formerly; this may be afcribed unto him, because he introduced fin into the world, which brought in death; he tempts to fin, and then accuses of it, and terrifies for it with the fears of death; and, in the Old Teftament-difpenfation, he was fometimes employed by the Lord to inflict death upon offenders; he was God's executioner of it, so we read of some who murmured and were destroyed of the deftroyer; the deftroying angel, the angel of death, as the Jews were used to call the devil; by reason of this multitudes in that day were under a fervile fpirit, and, through fear of death in this way, were all their lifetime fubject to bondage. But now this power of Satan's is crushed, which he

word

Pethen, which fignifies a ferpent; and Apollo is faid to have his name Pythius, from his killing the ferpent Typhon, or Python, as appears from fome verfes in Homer.

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Vid. Ovid Metamorph. 1. 1. fab 8. Hygin. fab. 140. Hence the city of Delphos, where was the oracle of Apollo, was called Pytho, Paufan. 1. 10. p. 619. The fhe prophet that fat on the golden Tripos, and delivered out the oracles, Pythia; the place of the oracle Pythium; and the feafts and plays inftituted to the honour of Apollo, Pythii ludi & fefta Pythia; vid. Alex. ab Alex. Genial. Dierum, 1. 6. c. 2.

t1 Cor. x. 10.
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had either by ufurpation or permiffion; the ferpent's head is bruifed; Chrift the feed of the woman, has took into his own hands the keys of bell and death.

I take no notice of Satan's being called, the prince of the power of the air", because that does not refer to any power he has, or ever had, over the air in raising of winds, and the like; but of his dominion and government over the rest of the devils, who have their dwelling in the territories of the air, until they receive their final doom.

Once more: As the head is the feat of wisdom, by the ferpent's head, and the bruifing of it, may be meant his cunning and crafty fchemes, all which have been, or shall be baffled and confounded by Christ, the feed of the woman. He once formed a fcheme to ruin all mankind, which was drawn with fo much cunning, and managed with fo much craft and fubtilty, that it fucceeded fo far, as that he thought all was fure; when, on a sudden, it was declared, that a Saviour was provided, who, in due time, was fent into the world, and faved his people from fin, law, hell, and death. He forms another scheme to take away the life of Chrift: This was fo craftily laid as to fucceed; but then, through the death of him, Satan, who had the power of death, is destroyed. When the gospel was carried into the Gentile world, he oppofed it with all the cunning he was mafter of: He ftirred up the greatest wits of the age against it, but all in vain; for it pleafed God, by the foolishness of preaching to fave them that believe; and though the apoftles preached Christ crucified, to the Jews, a ftumbling-block; and to the Greeks, foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Chrift the power of God, and the wisdom of God; and maugre all the oppofition made against their doctrines, the weapons of their warfare were not carnal, but mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, cafting down imaginations; and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Chrift. Satan is ftill framing many devices and ftratagems against the faints, and makes use of many artful wiles and methods to enfnare their fouls, diftrefs their minds, and difturb their peace; he lays many fnares and temptations in their way; but Chrift, the feed of the woman, as he has both an ability and a heart to fuccour them that are tempted, fo he will never fuffer them to be tempted above that they are able, but will with the temptation alfo make a way to escape; and, in a little time, as he has bruised the serpent's head under himself, so he will bruise it under the feet of his faints; they fhall never more be hurt or harraffed by that enemy of their fouls.

In a word, the whole empire of Satan is crushed by the Meffiah; he is no more the god of this world, as he was before the Meffiah's coming; the prince of this world is judged, condemned, and caft out, and will still have lefs power than he now has, when the Lord shall be King over all the earth, and his name one; which

Ephes. ii, 2.

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