rum. Et nunc quæ fupra dixi, dico tibi; Dominus fortis et potens, Dominus potens in prælio, ipfe eft Rex Gloriæ; et ipfe Dominus in cœlo et in terra profpexit, ut audiret gemitus compeditorum, et ut folveret filios interemptoEt nunc, fpurciffime et fœtidiffime princeps inferi, aperi portas tuas, ut intret Rex Gloriæ; quia ipfe Dominus eft coeli et terræ. Hæc dicente David ad principem inferorum, fupervenit in forma hominis Dominus Majeftatis, et æternas tenebras illuftravit, et indiffolubilia vincula difrupit, et invincibili virtute vifitavit fedentes in profundis tenebris delictorum, et in umbrå mortis peccatorum. now, as I have above faid, I fay unto thee, The Lord is ftrong and powerful, the Lord is mighty in battle; he is the King of Glory, and he is the Lord in heaven and in earth; he hath looked down to hear the groans of the prisoners, and to fet loose those that are appointed to death". And now, thou filthy and stinking prince of hell, open thy gates, that the King of Glory may enter in; for he is the Lord of beaven and earth. While David was faying this, the mighty Lord appeared in the form of a man, and enlightened those places which had ever before been in darkness, and broke afunder the fetters which before could not be broken; and with his invincible power vifited those who fat in the deep darkness by iniquity, and the fhadow of death by fin b. XXII. Hæc audiens mors impia cum crudelibus miniftris fuis, expaverunt in propriis regnis, agnita luminis claritate, dum Chriftum in fuis repente fedibus viderunt conftitutum; exclamaverunt, dicentes, Vincti jam fu a Pfal. cii. 19, 20. XXII. Impious death and her cruel officers hearing these things, were seized with fear in their several kingdoms, when they faw the clearness of the light, and Chrift himfelf on a fudden appearing in their habitations; they cried out therefore, and said, We Luke i. 79. are mus a te; ad Dominum dirigis confufionem noftram. Quis es tu, qui fine exitio corruptionis, incorruptum argumentum majeftatis fulgores habes contemnens? Quis es tu, tam potens et impotens, magnus et parvus, humilis et excelfus miles, qui imperare poteft in forma fervi, ut humilis præliator? Et Rex Gloriæ mortuus et vivus, quem crux portavit occifum ? Qui mortuus jacuifti in fepulchro, vivus ad nos defcendifti? Et in tua morte contremuit omnis creatura, et univerfa fidera commota funt; et nunc factus es inter mortuos liber, et legiones noftras perturbas? Quis es tu, qui illos, qui originali peccato adftricti detinentur, abfolvis captivos, et in libertatem priftinam revocas? Quis es tu, qui peccatorum tenebris excæcatos, divina, et splendida, et lucifera luce perfundis? Similiter et omnes legiones dæmonum fimili perterritæ pavore, pavida fubjectione una voce clamaverunt, dicentes, Quomodo et unde tu, Jefu Chrifte, tam fortis homo, et fplendidus in majeftate; tam præclarus fine are bound by thee; thou feemeft to intend our confufion before the Lord. Who art thou, who haft no figns of corruption, but that bright appearance which is a full proof of thy greatness, of which yet thou feemeft to take no notice? Who art thou, fo powerful and fo weak, fa great and fo little, a mean, and yet a foldier of the first rank, who can command in the form of a fervant as a common foldier? The King of Glory, dead and alive, though once flain upon the cross? Whe layeft dead in the grave, and art come down alive to us, and in thy death all the creatures trembled, and all the stars were moved, and now haft thy liberty among the dead, and giveft disturbance to our legions? Who art thou, who doft release the captives that were held in chains by original fin, and bringeft them into their former liberty? Who art thou, who doft spread fo glorious and divine a light over those who were made blind by the darknefs of fin? In like manner all the legions of devils were feized with the like horror, and with the moft fubmiffive fear cried out, and faid, Whence comes it, O thou Jefus Chrift, that thou art a man so powerful and glorious in majesty, fo bright as to have no Spot, macula et mundus a crimine? Spot, and fo pure as to have no Ille enim mundus terrenus, qui nobis fubjectus fuit femper ufque nunc, qui in terris ufibus tributa perfolvebat, nunquam nobis talem mortuum hominem tranfmifit, nunquam talia munia principibus inferorum deftinavit. Quis ergo es tu, qui fic intrepidus noftros fines ingreffus es, et non folum nobis fupplicia magna inferre non vereris, fed infuper de noftris. vinculis omnes auferre conaris? Forfitan tu es ille Jefus, de quo nunc Sathan ad principem noftrum dicebat, quod per mortem tuam crucis totius mortis poteftatem accepturus effes. Tunc Gloriæ Dominus conculcans mortem, et comprehendens principem inferorum, privavit omni fua poteftate, et attraxit patrem noftrum terrenum ad fuam claritatem. crime? For that lower world of earth, which was ever till now fubject to us, and from whence we received tribute, never fent us fuch a dead man before, never before, never fent fuch presents as these to the princes of hell. Who therefore art thou, who with fuch courage enterest among our abodes, and art not only not afraid to threaten us with the greatest punishments, but also endeavoureft to rescue all others from the chains in which we hold them? Perhaps thou art that Jefus, of whom Satan just now spake to our prince, that by the death of the cross thou wert about to receive the power of death. Then the King of Glory trampling upon death, seized the prince of hell, deprived him of all his power, and took our earthly father Adam with him to his glory. XXIII. Then the prince of Hell took Satan, and with great indignation faid to him, 0 thou prince of destruction, author of Beelzebub's defeat and banishment, the fcorn of God's angels, and loathed by all righteous perfons! What inclined thee to act thus ? Thou wouldeft crucify the King of gere voluisti, in cujus exitio nobis tanta fpolia promififti, ignorans ut infipiens quid egeris? Ecce enim, jam iste Jefus Nazarenus gloriofæ fuæ divinitatis fulgore fugat omnes horribiles tenebras mortis, ima carcerum et fumma confregit, et cunctos ejecit captivos, et univerfos vinctos folvit, et omnes qui præ tormentis gravibus fufpirare et gemere folebant, infultabant nobis, et deprecationibus eorum expugnamur. Impia regna noftra vincuntur, et nullum jam genus hominum nobis relinquitur; imo potius et nobis fortiter comminantur, quod nobis nunquam fuperbi fuerint mortui, nec aliquando potuerunt læti effe captivi. of Glory, and by his deftru&tion haft made us promises of very large advantages, but as a fool wert ignorant of what thou waft about. For behold now that Jefus of Nazareth, with the brightness of his glorious divinity, puts to flight all the horrid powers of darkness and death; he has broke down our prisons from top to bottom, dismiffed all the captives, releajed all who were bound, and all who were wont formerly to groan under the weight of their torments, have now infulted us, and we are like to be defeated by their prayers. Our impious dominions are fubdued, and no part of mankind is now left (in our subjection), but on the other hand, they all boldly defy us; though before the dead never durft behave themselves infolently towards us, nor, being prisoners, could ever on any occafion be merry. O princeps Sathan, omnium malorum, impiorum et refugarum pater, quid hic fa cere voluifti, quod a principio ufque nunc fuerunt defperati falute et vita? modo nullus eorum perfonat gemitus, nec in alicujus eorum facie lachrymarum veftigium invenitur. O princeps Sathan, poffeffio infernorum, il O Satan, thou prince of all the wicked, father of the impious and abandoned, why wouldst thou attempt this exploit, feeing our prifoners were hitherto always without the least hopes of falvation and life? But now there is not one of them does ever groan, nor is there the least appearance of a tear in any of their faces. O prince Satan, thou great treasure of the infernal regions, las tuas divitias, quas acquifieras per lignum prævaricationis, et Paradifi amiffionem, et nunc per lignum crucis perdidifti, et periit omnis lætitia tua, dum iftum Chriftum Jefum Regem Gloriæ fufpendifti. Adverfum te et adverfum me egifti; a modo cog nofces, quanta tormenta et infinita fupplicia paffurus es. O princeps malorum omnium, Sathan, auctor mortis, et origo omnis fuperbiæ, debueras primum iftius Jefu Nazareni caufam malam inquirere, in quem nullam culpam mortis invenifti. Quare fine ratione injufte eum crucifigere aufus fuifti, et ad noftram regionem innocentem et juftum perduxifti, et totius mundi noxios, impios, et injuftos perdidifti? Et quum loqueretur princeps inferorum ad Sathan, tunc Rex Gloriæ dixit ad ipfum principem inferorum Beelzebub, Erit Sathan princeps fub poteftate tua in perpetua fecula, fubftitutus in locum Adæ, et filiorum ejus juftorum meorum. regions, all thy advantages which thou didst acquire by the forbidden tree, and the loss of Paradife, thou hast now loft by the wood of the crofs; and thy happiness all then expired, when thou didst crucify Jesus Chrift the King of Glory. Thou haft acted against thine own intereft and mine, as thou wilt presently perceive by thofe large torments and infinite punishments which thou art about to fuffer. O Satan, prince of all evil, author of death, and fource of all pride, thou shouldst first have enquired into the evil crimes of Jefus of Nazareth, and then thou wouldeft have found that he was guilty of no fault worthy of death. Why didst thou venture, without either reafon or juftice, to crucify him, and haft brought down to our regions a perfon innocent and righteous, and thereby haft loft all the finners, impious and unrighteous perfons in the whole world? While the prince of hell was (thus) speaking to Satan, the King of Glory faid to Beelzebub, the prince of hell, Satan the prince fhall be fubject to thy dominion for ever, in the room of Adam and his righteous fons, who are mine. XXIV. Et extendens Jefus manum fuam, dixit, Ve XXIV. Then Jefus ftretched forth his hand, and said, Came |