"The rulers of the Egyptians misled the people "by erroneous politics. Ignorant of the designs " of Providence, they formed false conjectures of "the effect of their alliances, of the event of their "wars, and their treaties; and misinterpreted "what Providence brought to pass, at every

step. This is a declaration of the dulness of "the Egyptians to perceive the hand of God in "their affairs, and foresee the impending judg"ment. IN THINGS BROUGHT ABOUT BY "GOD'S PROVIDENCE, THEY WILL HAVE NO APPREHENSION OF ANY SCHEME OR DESIGN,

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66 NO DISCERNMENT OF THE CONNEXION OF 66 ONE THING WITH ANOTHER, AND OF CONSEQUENCE, NO FORECAST OF CALAMITY, TILL IT COME UPON THEM." (Biblical Criticism, vol. ii. p. 189.)

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This sinful practice was not confined to the Jewish dispensation. When "the Son of God "was manifested that he might destroy the "works of the devil," Sorcery was one of them: and it was practised in the first age of Christianity by one who professed to receive the Gospel.

"There was a certain man called Simon, "which before time in the same city used

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sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria,

giving out that himself was some great one. "To whom they all gave heed, from the least to "the greatest; saying, This man is the great "power of God, And to him they had regard, "because that of long time, he had bewitched "them with SORCERIES." (Acts viii. 9-11.)

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The true character of sorcery is summed up in the words of Paul to Elymas :-" O full of "all subtilty, and all mischief, thou child of the "devil, thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt "thou not cease to pervert the right ways of "the Lord ?" These words, and the divine judgment which immediately followed, effected the conversion of a Roman and heathen Governor," Sergius Paulus, a prudent man, who "called for Barnabas and Saul, and desired to "hear the word of God." (Acts xiii. 7-10.)

Happy, my Lords, would it be, for the deputies and governors of the Roman empire, if they had equal prudence NOW. The word of God

remaineth, whether they desire to hear it, or whether they forbear. This abominable delusion of Satan, practised in the first age of the Christian era, will be prevalent in the last. "Now "the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter "times, some should depart from the faith, "giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines

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of devils." (1 Tim. iv. 1.) WITCHCRAFT is expressly enumerated among the works of the flesh, and classed with other crimes already predominant in these latter times-"Adultery, sedi❝tion, heresy, and such like." (Gal. v. 19–21.)

"I will come near to you in judgment, and I "will be a swift witness against the SORCERERS, " and against the adulterers." (Mal. iii. 5.)

"Neither repented they of their murders, nor

" of their SORCERIES, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." (Rev. ix. 21.)

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Of the mystical Babylon, it is written:

Thy merchants were the great men of the "earth; for by thy SORCERIES, were all nations "deceived." (Rev. xviii. 23.)

By this Satanic delusion will the "mystery of

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iniquity" be brought to its consummation, and "that man of sin be revealed, the son of per

"dition, whose coming is after the working of "Satan, with all power, and signs, and lying "wonders, and with all deceivableness of un

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righteousness in them that perish; because

they received not the love of the truth, that "they might be saved; and for this cause God "shall send them strong delusion, that they "should believe a lie." (2 Thess. ii. 3; and 9-11.)

ALL WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY is worship offered to Satan. After the denial of the existence of God, which we have lived to witness upon earth, what like affront can be offered to the Majesty of heaven! and yet it is expressly written and recorded, that such abomination will fill up and finish the mystery of iniquity, and complete the character of ANTICHRIST.

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སྐ

"And they worshipped the Dragon which

gave power unto the beast, and they worship

ped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the "beast? who is able to make war with him?

"And there was given unto him a mouth

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a

speaking great things and blasphemies; and "power was given him to continue forty and "two months. And he opened his mouth in i blasphemy against God to blaspheme his "name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell "in heaven. And it was given unto him to "make war with the Saints, and to overcome "them and power was given him over all "kindreds, and tongues, and nations. And all "that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, "whose names are not written in the book of "life of the Lamb slain from the foundation "of the world." (Rev. xiii. 4-8.)

I shall not presume, my Lords, to offer any construction or interpretation of my own, on these portions of the word of God; but as a commentary upon, and a recapitulation of the whole, I beg permission to recommend to your Lordship's attention, a passage from "The "Critical Disquisition" of Bishop Horsley, on Isaiah xviii. wherein his Lordship has ably summed up his own views of the ANTICHRIS