4. Yet, if we may credit Historians, there are countries even now, where he works as openly as aforetime. “But why in savage and barbarous countries only? Why not in _Italy_, _France_ or _England_?” For a very plain reason: he knows his men. And he knows what he hath to do with each. To _Laplanders_, he appears barefaced: because he is to fix them in superstition and gross idolatry. But with you he is pursuing a different point. He is to make you idolize yourselves: to make you wiser in your own eyes than God himself, than all the oracles of God. Now in order to this, he must not appear in his own shape: that would frustrate his design. No: he uses all his art, to make you deny his being, till he has you safe in his own place.
5. *He reigns therefore, altho’ in a different way, yet as absolute in one land as in the other. He has the gay _Italian_ infidel in his teeth, as sure as the wild _Tartar_. But he is fast asleep in the mouth of the lion, who is too wise to wake him out of sleep. So he only plays with him for the present, and when he pleases swallows him up.
*The God of this world holds his _English_ worshippers full as fast as those in _Lapland_. But it is not his business to affright them, lest they should fly to the God of heaven. The prince of darkness therefore does not appear, while he rules over these his willing subjects. The conqueror holds his captives so much the safer, because they imagine themselves at liberty. Thus the _strong one armed keepeth his house, and his goods are in peace_: neither the deist nor nominal Christian suspects he is there; so he and they are perfectly at peace with each other.
6. All this while he works with energy in them. He blinds the eyes of their understanding, so that the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, cannot shine upon them. He chains their souls down to earth and hell, with the chains of their own vile affections. He binds them down to the earth, by love of the world, love of money, of pleasure, of praise. And by pride, envy, anger, hate, revenge, he causes their souls to draw nigh unto hell: acting the more secure and uncontrolled, because they know not that he acts at all.
7. But how easily may we know the cause from its effects? These are sometimes gross and palpable. So they were in the most refined of the Heathen nations. Go no farther than the admired, the virtuous _Romans_. And you will find these, when at the height of their learning and glory, _filled with all unrighteousness; fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity: whisperers, backbiters, despiteful, proud boasters, disobedient to parents: covenant-breakers, without natural affection; implacable, unmerciful_.
8. The strongest parts of this description are confirmed by one, whom some may think a more unexceptionable witness. I mean, their brother Heathen, _Dion Cassius_: who observes, that before _Cæsar_’s return from _Gaul_, not only gluttony and lewdness of every kind, were open and barefaced; not only falshood, injustice and unmercifulness abounded, in public courts as well as private families: but the most outrageous robberies, rapine and murders, were so frequent in all parts of _Rome_, that few men went out of doors without making their wills, as not knowing if they should return alive.
9. *As gross and palpable are the works of the devil, among many (if not all) the modern Heathens. The _natural religion_ of the _Greeks_, _Cherokees_, _Chicasaws_, and all other _Indians_, bordering on our southern settlements (not of a few single men, but of entire nations) is, to torture all their prisoners from morning to night, till at length they roast them to death; and upon the slightest, undesigned provocation, to come behind and shoot any of their own countrymen. Yea, it is a common thing among them, for the son, if he thinks his father lives too long, to knock out his brains: and for a mother, if she is tired of her children, to fasten stones about their necks, and throw three or four of them into the river, one after another.
10. It were to be wished that none but Heathens had practised such gross, palpable works of the devil. But we dare not say so. Even in cruelty and bloodshed, how little have the Christians come behind them? And not the _Spaniards_ or _Portuguese_ alone, butchering thousands in _South-America_. Not the _Dutch_ only in the _East-Indies_, or the _French_ in _North-America_, following the _Spaniards_ step by step. Our own countrymen too have wantoned in blood, and exterminated whole nations: plainly proving thereby, what spirit it is, that dwells and works in the children of disobedience.