"And when they were come unto à place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave him vinegar to drink mixed with gall and when he had tasted thereof, he would not drink. And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots. And set over his head his accusation written, This is Jesus the King of the Jews."

So far, every thing relative to the malignant spirit that degrades mankind is clear and definite. But throughout the Scriptures, it is also revealed, that diseases, infirmities, and death, are caused by them. From our experience, we know that restless depraved characters, whose general actions belong to the preceding catalogue, often bring disease and premature death upon themselves: but it is totally impossible that we could know, in our present state, the malignant influence of this base spirit upon the general frame of our constitutions, in which we all live; and that all

diseases and infirmities of mankind arise from it: yet, the new testament is explicit, and accords with the old upon this subject, and is also consistent with our Saviour's words: "All things that I have heard of my Father, I have made known unto you."

We have now to show it, by relating some of the cases recorded in the new testament. To the impotent man, that our Saviour had restored to health, by the Holy Spirit removing John v. 14. the spirit of malignity that caused his disease: he said, "Behold thou art made whole, sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon thee."*

Again," And behold there came a leper, Matt. viiÏ. 2. and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And Jesus put

* We do not here imply, that diseases are the sole consequences of wilful sin-far from it. Sickness and diseases, the Scriptures inform us, more frequently proceed from the love of God, than from his displeasure. "Despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him, for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son that he receiveth." Hebrews xii. 6. Again, Job vii. 1. "Happy is the man whom God correcteth."

Matt. viii. 5.

forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will, be thou clean and immediately his leprosy was cleansed."

Again," And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, and saying, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously torMatt. viii. 13. mented." "And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the self-same hour,"

Matt. viii. 14.

Matt. viii. 16.

Again," And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother laid, and sick of a fever; and he touched her hand, and the fever left her: and she arose, and ministered to them."

"When the even was come, they Again,brought to him many that were possessed with devils; and he cast out the spirits, with his word, and he healed all that were sick."

Here, then, it is clear that the spirit of malig

nity, called devils, was cast out by the Spirit of God, the Word, which healed all that were sick; and is in accordance with the revelation from the beginning of the world;-that the serpent, or malignant passions brought death and infirmities upon mankind,—that is, death in the malignity of the soul, and all bodily infirmities under which they suffer.

But for further evidence, "Then was brought Matt. xii. 22. unto him, one possessed with a devil, blind and dumb; and he healed him, insomuch that the blind and dumb both spake and saw."

j

We need not repeat the blasphemy of the Pharisees, but give solely the answer of our Saviour to illustrate, in the following occur

rence.

"And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said Mat. xii. 25. unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself, is brought to desolation: and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand: and if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand? but if

Matt. viii. 28,

I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you."

The revelation by St. John, of the final redemption, accords with it: "And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent called the Devil and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

So that throughout the Scriptures, all is in accordance: that the serpent has his angels, or seed of his own nature. But, we will add the following case:

"And when Jesus was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed of devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way: and behold, they cried out, (the spirits of malignity who had possession of the minds of the men) saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? Art thou come hither to torment us before the time? And there was a good