devil was dispatched to this son of treachery, whose name was Judas Iscariot, who being a plodding covetous man, in hope of getting a bag of money, took his instructions from Perfidiosus, went and joined himself to the train of Jesus, and obtained a part in the apostolic ministry. In the mean time we and the auxiliary Jews did all in our power to prevent the advancement of his evangelic kingdom, by bringing the person and ministry of Jesus into as much contempt as possible. We represented him as a glutton, a drunkard, a Samaritan, a wizard, and in short every thing that was bad. His doctrine we represented as subversive of the law; notwithstanding we knew him to be holy, harmless and undefiled, separate from sinners; that he came to magnify the law, and make it honourable. Because his works were such as carried their own evidence with them, and which could by no means be contested, we persuaded many of the Jews that they were performed by the power of Belzebub. Others who were better informed, being stirred up by the devil Malevolus, out of pure malice fell in with the common cry, and defamed him as one who had intercourse with Satan; and thus they sealed themselves ours; as we need never fear losing a man after he is capable of such transactions.

IMP. And who were they chiefly, father, who thus acted the devil's part so perfectly as to sin unpardonably?

INFID. Not the vulgar who knew not the law, I assure you; but men of priestly reverence, gentlemen in holy orders, gentlemen venerable for their erudition and literature; the doctors in divinity, the scribes of the law, the religious pharisees were the men, and their descendants have in every age been their humble imitators. It is unknown how much the devil has been obliged to gentlemen of the gown, and to scholiasts in general.

It happened in process of time, our friend Judas found an opportunity to betray him into the hands of the principal priests for the goodly reward of thirty pieces of silver; for even Judas would not serve the devil for nothing. At the same time my son Slavish Fear, who is a spirit of gigantic stature, fell upon and routed all his followers, so that none of them remained with him in his last temptations. As soon as Immanuel was seized and fettered, they led him in triumph to prison and judgment, where our steady friends Hatred and Falsehood were appointed witnesses against him in behalf of the commonwealth. So very hard did they swear against him, that he was brought in guilty, as had been agreed on before hand. As soon as the jury of priests brought in their verdict, the devil Crudelis, and Pilate who sat judge, arose and gave sentence against him; which for its singularity I shall repeat.

1. That the Jewish ploughers should make their furrows long and deep in his devoted flesh.

2. That his face should be marred with shame and spitting. 3. That his cheek should be bruised by the slavish hand of the barbarous smiter.

4. That he should be delivered over for further torment to those who pluck off the hair.

5. That in point of the greatest contempt his temples should be torn with a mock crown of piercing thorns.

6. That he should be crushed to the earth beneath the weight of the cross, to which he was to be nailed for execution.

7. That in his extreme torture he should have no drink but the sourest vinegar mixed with gall.

8. That in the most barbarous manner which devils, priests, and soldiers could devise, his mangled body should be stretched upon and nailed to the accursed wood. And,

9. As unworthy of either, that he should be lifted up betwixt heaven and earth, a spectacle to devils and men, and there hang till he was dead.

As soon as the sentence was denounced, the devil Malevolus cried out, "Away with him,---soldiers, away with him---come, let us crucify him, his sentence is by far too mild---away with the varlet to Calvary." So they led him away to crucifixion.

At the same time our infernal nobility were struck with amazement at the seeming power which man had gained over Immanuel; and great Belzebub, in the midst of his astonishment, thus addressed his senators, "Once was the memorable time, that we made such an attempt to subvert the government of God by resisting the power of Immanuel; but great was our defeat, and dismal our overthrow. Our designs were not only frustrated, but we ourselves in the height of our confusion fiercely hurled from the resplendent summit of primeval glory into the yawning gulph of unfathomable perdition, where we are still reserved in these horrible chains, to the judgment of the great and terrible day. A day, the very thoughts of which make this noble frame of mine to tremble as the quaking asp. But how it comes to pass, I know not, these earthborn sons of ours seem exceedingly to surpass us in power: for I saw Immanuel stand fettered at their bar, dumb as sheep before their shearers, he opened not his mouth. I am much afraid there is some hidden mystery in it.---What is this?---My undaunted mind is not wont to misgive me thus !---What can this unusual tremor which now invades my heart portend? I hate timidity---and yet I cannot help fearing that this commotion of my intellects is ominous of some event fatal to our interest.

"I cannot deem it possible that the God of heaven and earth, would patiently submit to such indignities, had he not some ends to answer by it, to which we at present are strangers. Often have I prophesied true; but O! may my prophetic mind be mistaken in its present timorous forebodings. Mean while let us,

my infernal brethren harden ourselves in despair; for it is now long since Hope took wing and fled from these dreary mansions. Strong in fury and fired with revenge, let us quit ourselves like devils and avowed enemies of righteousness. As for me, I hold it good that instantly we fly to the assistance of our devoted friends the Jews. Having this unexpected opportunity, let us not fail to improve it to the best advantage; let it not be owing to our negligence, if the state of Immanuel be not overturned. Let not us have the hell to reflect, that we omitted any thing which might tend to promote the interest of darkness."

Great Belzebub finishing here, and his motion being universally approved of, all the legions of reprobate angels, a few excepted who were left to look after the affairs of the damned, took wing for earth to assist at so very amazing an execution. Arrived at Calvary, they formed themselves into an invisible ring around the elevated eross, where to their unspeakable astonishment and wonder, hung Immanuel the maker of the world; and you may be assured they did not fail, as far as it was in the power of fallen spirits, to torment his oppressed soul. Aye, aye, so successful were we devils, priests, and soldiers that day, that no less was hoped for than a decisive victory over the Son of God.

But, how shall I speak it? To the everlasting mortification of the infernal peers, just as Immanuel was to all appearance ready to expire, on a sudden he exerted his mighty power, seized old Belzebub and dashed him against the cross, then casting him to the earth he so bruised the head of the serpent with his heel, that there is great reason to believe he will never recover as long as he lives. It would have grieved the heart of the very Crudelis himself to see the abuse which our great and venerable parent received on that occasion.

IMP. Well, sire, I cannot but think how truly the prophetic mind of Belzebub foreboded his misfortune: but what were the rest of the chiefs a-doing? Why did not all the veterans flee to his assistance?

INFID. A pertinent question indeed, considering by whom it is made, my son. But I assure you, we were never so greatly mistaken in our days as at that time. For when we thought ourselves sure of the victory, to our sad experience we learned that Immanuel was strongest in death. For even when he was a-dying, he laid us all under the most perfect arrest: none of us could take one step, either backward or forward, but as he gave permission; so that being spoiled of all our power, we could not help ourselves, much less the afflicted prince. This done, he cried out with a voice which shook the very foundations of both earth and hell, "It is finished;" and was then conveyed by Death into an invisible state.

This done, once more we thought the day our own; but here I cannot omit that fearful stagnation of nature which happened

then, and the set of new preachers which were introduced. For when all under our influences had forsaken Immanuel, who was betrayed by one, denied by another, and forsaken by all his preachers; the indignant sun could not endure that sight, as if angry and ashamed at the proceedings of the sons of men, covered his face with a sable cloud and denied one smiling ray to delinquent earth whilst his Lord was ignominiously crucified. As if it had been seized with uncommon tremor, the earth itself fell into a fit of violent convulsions, the mountains reeled, the rocks rent, the graves opened, the dead arose, and all to preach the sufferings of the God of nature. An invisible hand rent the vail of the temple, that cloth of extraordinary texture, in twain from the top to the bottom, and a voice was heard to say, "The glory is departed from Israel, and now the most holy place is laid open.'

Death having conveyed Immanuel to its lonely mansions, the resolute, though maimed Belzebub, our great prince, recovered himself as much as was possible, his head being incurably broken; mustered his maimed forces, and went to the assistance of Death, if possible, to keep Immanuel fast prisoner in the silent tomb. Nothing doubting, but if this could be, we should render all that he had heretofore done and suffered, null and void. The better to succeed in this important enterprise, we sealed the door of the sepulchre and set a watch of faithful soldiers instructed by the chief of the Jewish priests; and still to make the security stronger, every fiend did his utmost to impose weights on the buried body of Immanuel, to prevent his resurrection from the solitary grave,

But to our eternal confusion, on the third day of his invisible state, he arose, shook himself from the dust, came to the door of the sepulchre, burst it open and laid hold on Death, who stood as sentinel next to the door of the tomb, trampled him under his feet, and by main force wrenched from him his poisonous sting, that sad repository of all his strength. This done he said, "Henceforth, monster, hast thou no power over the people for whom I have died." Then he broke impetuously through all the lines of martial infernals who stood in firm phalanx around the tomb; seized the lately wound chief, who was very ill with a fever in his mind, arising from his disaster upon Mount Calvary. He took the fiend, the great Belzebub, chained him to the axle of his chariot, mounted hi seat, and rode triumphantly through the gathering crowds of joyful saints, who on golden pinions descended from heaven in solemn strains, to hymn their all conquering and triumphant Redeemer.

O my friends! my dear infernals, it must have pierced your hearts with the most poignant sorrow to see him dragged in triumph through all the hosts of saints and angels, who fearless stood in blazing ranks to see the longed-for solemnity; and at the same time to see our beloved friend Death lie gasping for life at the door of the sepulchre. Great was the confusion o

the infernal brigades when they saw their principalities spoiled, and Death and Satan so terribly handled: yea, so tremendous was their amazement, that to escape the avenging hand of risen Immanuel, they retreated even to the nethermost depths of hell, and his scattered disciples again resorted to his erected standard. But the greatest disappointment and consternation was, when we understood that after all our diligence and hazardous exploits, we, with our auxiliary priests, &c. had done nothing but what the hand and council of God had predetermined should be done; that by our seeming victory over Immanuel, he had for ever subdued us under his feet; and that all our hatred, envy, and cruelty, was fully recompensed into our own bosoms; now deeper damned than ever.

AVAR. Ah, father, these were troubles indeed, such as do not happen every day; but it is not for us to desist from tempting when our designs miscarry, then should we not act the part of deperadoes, such as we are.

INFID. Ah, gentlemen, great was the cause of my dismay, for Immanuel gave such demonstration of his Messiahship, that all which was written in the prophets concerning him was exactly fulfilled in his life and death: yea, so very striking was the evidence, that many cried, " Truly this is a just man ;" and others, "Truly this is the Son of God." Therefore I greatly feared that all the world would become believers in him, and consequently shake off my yoke. But I was much obliged to my good friends, the Jewish clergymen; for their reverences greatly befriended me, and warmly espoused my interest; exerted their utmost power to establish the throne of great Infidelis, and to destroy the early seeds of Christianity sown by Immanuel, and now beginning to grow.

Immanuel having in opposition to all the powers of darkness, finished the work for which he came down to the earth; he triumphantly ascended to his native heaven, to the primeval embraces of his eternal Father, and assumed all the ensigns of empyrean glory.

Soon after this the high festival of pentecost drew on, and 1 as formerly attended at Jerusalem in the midst of many thousands, who, according to the law, came up to worship upon that occasion, not only from Judea but from nations very remote. I dreaded no harm at the hands of a few illiterate fishermen, having not been informed that any of the rulers or of the scribes and pharisees had believed in Jesus, and therefore was at no pains to prevent the multitude coming up to the solemnity as usual. But here was another shock my kingdom sustained; for Peter the fisherman, who so very lately like a dastard impiously denied his Lord with profane oaths, now filled with the Holy Ghost, stood up in the midst and clearly proved that Jesus was the very Messiah and upon this occasion played off the heavy artillery of