they abfented at that Time. The Almighty Power of GOD, is the fame then, as at other Times; nothing but that, preferved us continually, and that, will always be able to preferve us. However great may be the Malice of Devils; however defirous of working our Ruin; tho' they watch all Opportunities, and are unwearied in tempting us; yet the loving Kindness of the LORD endureth for Ever, and his Mercy is over all his Works: He will not fuffer our Foot to be moved; he that keepeth us will not fleep: We shall not be afraid of the Sun by Day, nor the Moon by Night: For the Peftilence that walketh in Darkness, nor for the Sicknefs that deftroyeth in the Noon-day.

Are we then afraid of Darknefs and the Prefence of Night? Let us remember the Creator of them, and have but Faith in him, and we fhall find our Night turned into Day. In his Light fhall we fee Light: We fhall be as fecure as if there was no Darkness about us, as well knowing that that GOD which protects us, fees through the thickest Mediums, and the darkest Night: For with him the Darkness is no Darkness, but the Night is as clear as the Day; the Darkness and Light to him are both alike. Or are we afraid of that old Serpent the Devil, that nightly Rambler of the World, who is a Lover of Night and Darkness? Let us truft in GoD, and no Harm fhall happen

to us. If we will but fear no Evil, his Rod and his Staff fhall comfort us, though we walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death: For GOD hath referved the Devil and his Angels in everlafting Chains, under Darkness, unto the Judgment of the great Day. Though therefore he is permitted to wander the World, yet he is fo chain'd up, that without God's particular Order or Permiffion, he is not allowed to touch the Sons of Men; and he is fo referved and kept in Darkness, that it is not in his Power even barely to appear and be visible to them, without the Permiffion of GOD: So little Reafon hath every good Man to fear the Spight and Malice of all the Devils in Hell.

When then the Night pours out her Terrours, covers all Things with Darkness, and ftrikes thee with Horrour; Lift but up thy Eyes to the Hills, from whence cometh thy Help, and thou fhalt clearly fee, that our Lord GOD is a Light and Defence to thee. * For to those who are the Children of the Light, the Day fhineth in the Night: They are never without Light, whofe Hearts are illuminated; never without Sun-fhine, whofe Sun is CHRIST. In fhort then, if thou fear Darkness, look up

*

Quia filiis lucis & in noctibus dies eft. Quando enim fine lumine eft, cui lumen in corde eft? Aut quando fol ei & dies non eft, cui fol & dies Chriftus eft? Cyprian. de Orat. Dom.

to

to CHRIST, and thou haft eternal Day; if the Angels of Darkness, look but up with the Eye of Faith, and thou shalt fee the Mountains full of Chariots and Horfes of Fire : Thou fhalt fee, as did the Servant of the Prophet Elifba, That they who be with us, are more than they who are against us. No Matter then whether the Spirits of the Night go away, or only tremble at the Time of Cock-crowing: For fure we are, that the Angel of the LORD tarrieth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them; nay, That GOD himself will arise and fcatter his Enemies, and make them that hate him to flie before him. And if GOD be for us, who can be against us?

OBSERVATIONS

ON

CHAPTER VI.

MR.

R. Bourne might have ftiled this Chapter, A Sermon on Spirit-walking; and yet I cannot help thinking, that the Nurfe prevails over the Priest in it. The good Man, it must be allowed, has played the Conjurer fo far as to raise us Spirits, but does not feem to have had fo much of the Scholar in him as to have been able to lay them.

The Gay and the Witty will no doubt laugh at every Thing he has advanced: Perhaps it will be granted on all Hands, that he has not thrown any new Lights on the dark Subject. I make no Pretenfions to any Abilities for difcuffing the Question; and am of Opinion, that as we know fo little of the invifible World, we cannot exprefs ourselves with too much Diffidence in speaking of it.—It must however be allowed, that Writers of the highest Character for Probity and Knowledge have tranfmitted to us Accounts of Spirits and Apparitions. Fancy, Imagination, Mifinterpretations of the facred Writings on that Subject, or Credulity, muft have deceived them: For it is impoffible to believe them guilty of the Bafenefs of an Intention to deceive us. The frequent Impoftures (I fhall only inftance the Cock-Lane Ghoft, in our own Times) that are to be met with of this Kind, naturally incline us to believe, that all fuch Relations are either the Forgeries of cunning Men, or the idle Tales of weak ones. It is impoffible to follow our Author through all the "Howbeits, Moreovers, "and Nevertheleffes," of his tedious Discourse; but to one Thing in his Peroration we readily fubfcribe our most unfeigned Affent; it is, "That a good Man has not the leaft Reafon to fear the Spite and Malice of all the Devils in Hell."

Our Divine difcovers every where an Intention of rooting out the old Man from the Hearts of his Readers: I fhall be fparing of my Quotations of Chapter and Verfe, as I do not think this a proper Place to imitate him in, and purpose only on the prefent Occafion to eraze the Veftiges of the old

Woman,

Woman, the Impreffions of which are ftill too vifibly to be traced on human Nature.

It was the Fashion when Mr. Bourne wrote, that Clergymen fhould lard every Compofition with Scripture Phrafes, and nothing feems to have been thought palatable by them, in which every Period was not feasoned with a Spice of Divinity.—These great Textuaries overlooked one Paffage of holy Writ, "To every Thing there is a Seafon."-Religion is one Thing, and the Entertainment of innocent Curiosity another.—If Clergymen take Care not to permit thefe Relaxations from feverer Studies to engrofs too much of their Time, none but narrow-minded Bigots will think the Investigation of antient Manners an improper Amusement for them.

The Spectator*, accounting for the Rife and Progrefs of antient Superftition, tells us, our Forefathers looked upon Nature with more Reverence and Horror, before the World was enlightened by Learning and Philosophy, and loved to aftonish themselves with the Apprehenfions of Witchcraft, Prodigies, Charms, and Enchantments.-There was not a Village in England that had not a Ghost in it the Church-yards were all haunted-every Common had a Circle of Fairies belonging to it

*There is another Paffage in the Spectator, where he introduces the Girls in the Neighbourhood and his Landlady's Daughters telling Stories of Spirits and Apparitions;-how they ftood pale as Afhes at the Foot of a Bed, and walked over Church-yards by Moon Light;-of their being conjured to the Red Sea, &c.— He wittily obferves, "that one Spirit raised another, and at the "End of every Story, the whole Company clofed their Ranks and "crowded about the Fire."

and