compels us, therefore, in the ftrongeft poffible manner, to look for fome other meaning of the words, that can be reconciled with our beft fentiments of God, and of his providence and government of the world.

SECTION II.

The Meaning of ", σαγανας and διάβολος, is in Scripture itself pointed out to be, Adversary.

As the commonly-received fenfe of the words Satan and the Devil imply fo many contradictions and abfurdities, let us inquire whether these words have not the true interpretation given to them in fome decifive texts of fcripture.

Now in all the paffages in which , including its derivatives, occurs in the Old Teftament, it is, even in the common English verfion, either translated adversary in the text, or the original word Satan is retained in the text, and the marginal reading is adverfary; except 1 Chron. xxi. 1, where the term Satan is in the text, without this particular explanation. This fhews the precife meaning which the tranflators affixed to the word. Dr. Taylor, in his Hebrew concordance, gives the fame interpretation of the term, retaining in many texts the original word Satan, as in the English bible. The peculiar fense of an accufation, Johny, in the LXX.

Ezra iv. 6, need not be noticed here, as it is irrelevant to our present subject; though the English verfion implies that it is the act of an adverfary. And in Gen. xxvi. 21, it is used as a proper name to denote oppofition. The English tranflation retains the original word fitnah, and the marginal reading is batred. Sept. Expiα. εχθρια.

The word σalavas is derived from the Hebrew. To this, and to dia3cλos, the fenfe of adverfary is alfo given in fome of the paffages in which they occur, by fynonymous words or phrafes, or by the fubject.

Matt. xvi. 23; Mark viii. 335 Luke viii. 12. Get thee behind me σalava, thou adverfary. (Newcome's tranfl.) This is addreffed to Peter, and cannot mean a fallen angel, or a demon. It can only mean, an adversary to his purpose of fuffering death.

Luke x. 18. The phrafe, Satan falling from heaven, in this text, is explained by a parallel phrafe in the 19th verfe, treading on all the power of the enemy, τε εχθρε. It fignifies the diminution of the power of the adverfaries of truth, righteoufnefs, and Chriftianity in general.

1 Tim. v. 14, 15. Give none occafion to the adverfary, Tw axapevw, to fpeak reproachfully, for fome women have already turned afideto τε σάβανα, Satan. Here Satan and adversary are used as fynonymous terms, for human opponents of Christianity. John vi. 70. One of is daßonos, an enemy. (Schleufner.) It is addreffed to Judas Iscariot, and therefore cannot mean a fallen angel, or a demon.

you

Acts xiii. 10. Thou fon of the Devil, ve diaboλs, thou enemy, expe, of all righteoufnefs, &c. Parallel phrafes.

1 Pet. v. 8. Your adverfary the Devil, or calumniator, ο αντίδικος υμων διαβολα, goeth about as a roaring lion, &c. See fec. v. fubd. 1.

Several texts which do not exprefsly determine σαλανας and διαβολος to mean adverfary, do yet require this interpretation, or a fimilar one, as tempter, feducer, calumniator; and are thus explained even by those who believe in the real perfonality of the Devil or Satan. See Taylor's Scripture Divinity, chap. xi. p. 117, 118.

Zalavas. Acts xxvi. 18; Rom. xvi. 20; 2 Cor. ii. 11; 1 Theff. ii. 18; Rev. ii. 9, 13, 24; iii. 9; xii. 9; xx. 1, 2, 7.

AaBoros. Ephef. iv. 26, 27; 1 Tim. iii. 6, 11; Rev. ii. 10; xii. 9; xx. 2, 10; 9; xx. 2, 10;` Tit. ii. 3; 2 Tim.

iii. 3.

Let us enquire, then, whether this plain fenfe of adverfary will accord with all the various fubjects in connexion with which the term is ufed in the Old Testament; and the words σalav, σalavas, and daBoλos, are introduced in the New Teftament. If it do this, and alfo agree with natural and revealed religion, and with truth in general, in every paffage in which any of these terms occur, we may certainly pronounce it to be the true meaning.

SECTION III.

o, with the Greek Septuagint, and the common English, Verfions.

THE word, including its derivatives, occurs fourteen times in the book of Job, and twenty times in the other books of the Old Teftament, in all thirtyfour times. These are very few, if Satan be a real person, and had so large a sphere of action upon this globe as is generally affigned to him, through fo long a period as that to which the feveral books of the Old Testament relate; especially as these books confider the world in the peculiar view of its being governed by God alone. Any interference with his fole direction, therefore, would certainly be noticed frequently and pointedly; as the falfe pretences of idol deities are.

επιβελος.

1. is used for a human adverfary in general. 1 Sam. xxix. 4. The princes of the Philistines faid, let him (David) not go down with us to battle, left in the battle he be an adversary to us. €8λ05. h 2 Sam. xix. 22. David faid, what have we to do with you, ye fons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be in adverfarium, adverfaries unto me? επιβελον.

L

Eleλos, adver

1 Kings v. 4. Jehovah hath given me rest on every fide, fo that there is neither fary, nor evil, occurrent.

xi. 14. And Jehovah ftirred up 1, σalav, an adverfary unto Solomon, Hadad the Edomite. 23. And God stirred him up another adverfary, Rezon the fon of Eliadah.

25. And he was the days of Solomon.

an adversary to Ifrael all

1 Chron. xxi. 1. And i diaBoλ25, Satan ftood up against Ifrael, and provoked David to number Ifrael.

2. is applied to a human adversary to the evil purposes of men.

Pfalm cix. 6. Set thou a wicked man over him,

. and let Satan, (in the margin, an adversary,) Safonos, ftand at his right hand.

3. is employed to denote human adversaries to the good purposes of men.

Pfalm xxxviii. 20. They that render evil for good are mine adversaries. evdießaλov, adverfan

tur mihi.

Ixxi. 13. Let them be confounded and confumed that are avdiaßaλλovjes, adversaries to my foul.

cix. 4.

For my love they are my adverfa

ries, adverfantur mihi. ενδιέβαλον.

20. Let this be the reward of, my adversaries. ενδιαβαλλούζων.