them invisible. What did that people know of his existence, except by testimony, and the effects of his crafty policy? And as it regards Satan and his legions, have we not evidence as conclusive? The reported history of Europe, and the testimony of men, no more prove the existence of Bonaparte, than the history of this world and the testimony of God, proves the existence of the Devil and his angels.

Those principles of interpretation which lead men to reject evil angels from among the moral beings affecting the destiny of man, would destroy the power of language, to assert or deny any thing with regard to God himself, which could not in like manner be evaded or explained away. These principles tend demonstrably to infidelity. Those who hold them may be prevented by circumstances from carrying them out to their full extent; but diffuse them among the community, and they will produce worse and worse results, until the whole Bible will seem to be a cunningly devised fable. For strike out of the narration of the series of facts recorded in the Bible, so conspicuous an order of moral agents, by the contemptible evasion of saying that they are introduced in accommodation to errors existing when the Bible was written, and it is against the laws of the human mind to expect much faith as it regards the rest of the plan. And results do correspond with these remarks. For the divinity and atonement of Jesus Christ, and the divinity and agency of the Holy Spirit, are generally explained away in the same manner, as is the existence of evil spirits, and by the same kind of sophistry. What more could the worst enemy of the human race desire? Surely he would wish to work in secret, and to remove all moral power which can oppose his

progress.

The Bible also teaches us that the Devil has power to effect changes in the material world; but evidently his chief power lies in the moral world. Milton should not have ascribed his great power to his physical strength. Battles in heaven, such as he has recorded, never took place, and never will. The

symbols of the Bible do not indicate it. The chief power of the Devil lies in the energy of his perverted moral influence, in his snares of error, in his power to flatter and seduce, or to terrify by an opposing array of worldly influence. This influence however does not at all interfere with free agency, nor does it excuse human guilt. For when he appeals to the depraved passions of man, they act freely and wickedly, in view of sinful motives, just as in any case of temptation or seduction, by a perverted human influence. Love to God, and faith in his word, are a safeguard to all who desire to escape satanic influence. For it is written, resist the Devil and he will flee from you. Neither give place to the Devil; and the very God of peace will bruise him under your feet shortly. Hence wicked men have no excuse, if they are deluded by the Devil. They give themselves up to his influence. These things it seemed needful to say, as it regards the principles of the great moral conflict between the kingdom of God, and the kingdom of darkness.

The results of the great conflict between good and evil, will be worthy of the benevolence of God. Stated comprehensively, they are these on earth, a general and entire victory over the kingdom of darkness; in heaven, the final establishment of the kingdom of God in a perfect state; in the material system, a corresponding change, designed to remove all imperfection now existing; in the kingdom of darkness, the entire defeat and eternal punishment of all the enemies of God; in the kingdom of God, an endless increase of numbers, and holiness, and happiness.

The victory of the kingdom of God on earth, will not be miraculous, or the result of physical power; it will be a moral victory, produced by the Holy Spirit, through the instrumentality of holy angels and the church. The weapons of the warfare will be the word of God, interpreted according to his own principles of interpretation, and applied to all departments of life. God will baptize men with the Holy Ghost and with fire; and make them of quick understanding

in the fear of the Lord. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon the church, even the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. Not only will the Holy Spirit increase knowledge, but as the spirit of judgment and as the spirit of burning, he will destroy error, and consume the devices of the wicked one. Restore the human mind to God, and it will be enlarged, the arts and sciences will flourish, systems of education will be reformed, and knowledge will increase. Restore the human heart to God, and selfishness will no more desolate the earth, war and slavery will cease, and the power of intellect enlarged and well directed will develop the resources of the material world, and the arts of peace will flourish. Restore the human body to God, and its structure and design will be understood, lust and impurity, intemperance and sensuality will no more make the members the instruments of sin. Then the fear of the Lord will give wisdom, in whose right hand is length of days, in whose left hand are riches and honor. Restore to God the social affections, and he will purify them, and teach their true design, and make every family an emblem of heaven, in purity and love. Adopt the principles of God in the education of children, and they will no longer be sacrificed as thousands now are, to the god of fashion, or to the principles of systems of education poisoned with worldliness or irreligious influence, or with literature not imbued with the wisdom that is from above, but with that which is earthly, sensual, devilish, producing envying and strife, confusion and every evil work. Instead of this, the infant and youthful mind will be stored with the treasures of a literature replete with the wisdom that is from above, which is pure, peaceable, gentle, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. This seed will produce the fruits of righteousness and peace. Restore business, and the mechanical and agricultural concerns of life to God, and the fever of selfish competition will cease,

and the whirlpools of speculation will not ingulf thousands in ruin; nor will the seeming necessity of adopting dishonest maxims, and calling them principles of trade, longer sear the conscience as with a hot iron. Let magistrates rule in the fear of God, and they will be unto the people as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds. Under their influence, the community will flourish as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Let the church be faithful to God, and God will be faithful to the church. Her Sabbaths will be holy, her ministry pure in heart, and strong in faith, the symbols of a Saviour's dying love shall not be profaned by unholy hands, and lips, and hearts, the ordinance of baptism shall shadow forth the cleansing power of the Holy Spirit, and the spirit himself shall never fail to own and bless the rite. In these days shall "the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. The people shall be all righteous. The light of the moon shall be as that of the sun, and the light of the sun seven-fold, even as the light of seven days. He that is weak shall be as David, and the house of David shall be as the angel of God. Then all nations will be blessed in the Saviour, the Lord God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things, and the whole earth will be full of his glory. Amen, and Amen."

After this a temporary suspension of divine influence will take place. When the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations that are in the four quarters of the earth, to gather them together to battle; this is his last effort, and will be abortive. For the end is come, the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men, with the Devil and his angels, closes the scene. The full disclosure of the character of God, produced by the redemption of the church, consumes the wicked like devouring fire. Their voluntary opposition to God, and of course their punishment, will be eternal, and as the moral power of God will increase forever, so will holi

ness increase, and the numbers of the holy universe. This influence will react upon the wicked. Increase of depravity will produce increasing aversion to the light, and yet the light will wax stronger and stronger. The power of a strong current of air, kindling a furnace, is nothing compared with this. In accordance with this, God asserts that when the righteous inherit the kingdom prepared for them, the wicked depart into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. When the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father, all that do iniquity shall be cast into a furnace of fire.

Thus it appears that this great conflict will terminate at the day of judgment. Then will be put down all rule and all authority and all power of the enemies of God, yea he will put all enemies under his feet.

The final state of the holy universe will be such as to admit of endless progress as it regards numbers, and holiness.

The final state of the opposing and defeated party will be such as to admit of no increase of numbers; but such as to render certain a voluntary increase of sin and misery, corresponding in duration with the holiness and happiness of the friends of God.

The wicked will never be annihilated for the following reason, the public good requires their punishment, inasmuch as it gives stability to the government of God. And the general good must be deemed more important than their individual evil.

The whole system indicates infinite benevolence in God. For in the first place, the entrance of moral evil can be accounted for without at all impeaching his character. It will also appear that he has done all which benevolence would permit to diminish its amount; and that the final victory of good over evil was obtained by infinite sacrifices on his part, so that all the holy universe will feel themselves under increasing obligations to love and serve him forever. Finally, he will diffuse such an amount of good, as to render the amount of evil, an infinitesimal, compared with the amount of good.