here, of the changes which are ever progressing around us, we should conclude that a great while has elapsed from his creation as a holy angel, before he was found in Paradise sporting in the form of a serpent (then one of the most beautiful and lovely creatures of that heavenly place, where sin, enmity, or fear had not been known), around and before Eve, and by his wiles and allurements, in all hypocrisy and deceitfulness, seeking not only her overthrow and ruin, but that of Adam and all their posterity, both for time and eternity.

As indicating the utter depravity to which he had arrived, and the black malice by which he was moved on seeing Eve, "thus early, thus alone," walking in the garden, he is fitly represented as soliloquizing thus:

"Tho'ts, whither have ye led me! with what sweet
Compulsion thus transported to forget

What hither brought us! hate, not love, nor hope
Of Paradise for hell, hope here to taste
Of pleasure, but all pleasure to destroy,
Save what is in destroying; other joy
To me is lost.”—Paradise Lost.

In reference to the insinuating manner in which he approached his unsuspecting victim, the same author, further

on, says:

"So spake the enemy of mankind, inclos'd
In serpent, inmate bad, and toward Eve
Address'd his way, not with indented wave,
Prone on the ground, as since; but on his rear,
Circular base of rising folds, that tower'd,
Fold above fold a surging maze, his head
Crested aloft, and carbuncle his eyes;
With burnish'd neck of verdant gold, erect
Amidst his circling spires, that on the grass
Floated redundant: pleasing was his shape,
And lovely:

*

With tract oblique

At first, as one who sought access, but fear'd
To interrupt, sidelong he works his way;
As when a ship by skillful steersman wrought,
Nigh river's mouth or foreland, where the wind
Veers oft, as oft so steers, and shifts her sail:

So varied he, and of his tortuous train
Curl'd many a wanton wreath in sight of Eve,
To lure her eye; she busied heard the sound
Of rustling leaves, but minded not, as us'd
To such disport before her through the field,
From every beast, more duteous at her call
Than at Circean call the herd disguis'd.
He bolder now, uncall'd before her stood
But as in gaze admiring; oft he bow'd

His turret crest, and sleek enamel'd neck,

Fawning, and lick'd the ground whereon she trod."

If Satan had been made when Adam was, and translated to heaven as his home, is it probable he would have apostatized-been cast out, and so soon found here again, and engaged in such fiendish work on earth? If so, there would seem to be more danger of falling into sin in heaven than on earth, for Adam and Eve had remained pure and spotless, up to that time, as when they were first put here. So to presume would be blasphemy! Would it not, then, be more safe, as well as more consistent with common sense and the Sacred Scriptures to say that Satan was created before Adam? If so, the question recurs, when and where was Satan created? As to the time, revelation gives us no clue, by which we can form any opinion when anything was created except this world and its inhabitants and appurtenances. Our chronology relates to time only, as distinguished from eternity; and time dates with the creation of the world and of man. Things existing and acts done before that are, uniformly, spoken of by the divine penmen as existing from all eternity, or before the foundation of the world, or in some other like general terms.

Reasoning from analogy, we would naturally conclude that Satan, his angels, and all other originally angelic beings were created in heaven. They were made to inhabit those celestial realms. Man, beast, fowl, etc., were intended to occupy this world, and they were made here; it is, therefore, most reasonable to suppose that such creatures as were designed to inhabit heaven were created there.

But again. The holy angels who serve about the throne

of God, and are often employed in errands of mercy to man, were created at some time and somewhere. They are by common consent admitted to be of the proper inhabitants of the upper heaven.

We have no authority from Scripture or reason to say that they ever inhabited this earth as their home. No account of their creation is found in Genesis. They were in heaven warring against Satan and his angels, when the latter were expelled from those sacred precincts. The good and evil angels were all there at that time. In the absence of all authority to the contrary, are we not therefore justified in believing that they were all, at some time and for some purpose, created there? And, having no evidence that Satan is older than either class of angels spoken of, why should we say that he existed before they did? If, then, we are satisfied that Satan was created before this world was, why should we doubt that the angels of light, and those of darkness also, were created before the "Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground?"

Before leaving this branch of the subject, it may be well to make a remark or two on the above quotations from Isa. 14: 12, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning," etc. The name "Lucifer" evidently refers to Satan. We are informed of no other being who could be justly called "son of the morning,' and who has "fallen from heaven," and been "cast down to the ground." He is often represented as having been an angel of high order; having his "hosts" following him. The term "morning" is, by many of the inspired writers, used figuratively; as in Ps. 139: 9, "If I take the wings of the morning," etc. Hos. 6: 3, "His (the Lord's) going forth is prepared as the morning." Amos 5: 8, " Seek him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the MORNING, and maketh the day dark with night." In the text now under consideration, and in Job 38: 7, the expressions "son of the morning" and "morning stars" are understood as emblematical of the antiquity, excellence, and superiority of those to whom

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the terms are applied. The morning is the first and most delightful part of the day, so may the morning, the first of the day, be considered a fit emblem of the first and most excellent works of creation. In that sense, not only the holy angels, who "shouted for joy" at the creation of the world, may be designated as the "morning stars," but Lucifer, the great fallen, as having been a "son of the morning;" meaning thereby one of the first of created beings, both as regards time of creation and exaltation of rank.

These epithets would but poorly fit one of the depraved, fallen, and lost sons of Adam. They can, with propriety, be applied to none but those of an older and better race than we now appear. If so, then there must have been such beings, else all such references are but idle prate— words without meaning. Who will so receive them?

Reader, have you carefully examined the Scriptures bearing upon this subject? Have you reflected on it seriously, and in the light of natural reason? You have, say you.

Will you now, after such investigation, deny that the heavens were created and inhabited by angelic beings before this world was made? If you will, I must consider you as the party named in Hosea 4: 17, and obey that command.

CHAPTER VI.

Third Proposition-All Created Holy-Free-will—Predestination—Christians Persecuting each other-Charity Commended -Temper of Disputants Moderating.

OUR third proposition is, "That all rational creatures were originally created by God 'very good,' and endowed with powers of volition, locomotion, and action, for the glory of God and individual happiness, and were free agents to serve and glorify their Creator, or not, just as they chose.”

The Bible informs us that God created all things in heaven and on earth. "And God saw everything that he had made; and behold, it was very good."-Gen. 1: 31.

It has already been insisted that the Mosaic history of creation applies only to this world, and persons and things here. This was, however, the last creation-of rational creatures at least of which the Scriptures anywhere give an account, and must be understood as applicable to all things by him created up to that time.

We find ourselves here surrounded, nevertheless, by good and evil, and of which the evil quality appears. largely to preponderate. Admitting the truth of the Sacred Word, this state of facts furnishes a problem for solution which deserves and has demanded the attention of the most profound philosophers and learned theologians of all Christian ages and countries.

God is said to possess the powers of omniscience, omnipotence, and omnipresence, without stint or limit, and to be full of love and mercy to his creatures.

That he has all these attributes, in perfection, no one will doubt who will search the Scriptures or observe his works and ways, and who believes there is a God. The