y) even with _Paul_ and
_Timotheus_ themselves, so to give a Kind of Credit and Respect to her
for speaking.

But the _Devil_, who never speaks Truth, but with some sinister End, was
discover'd here and detected; his flattering Recognition not accepted,
and he himself unkennel'd as he deserv'd; there the _Devil_ was
over-shot in his own Bow again.

Here now was a real Possession, and the evil Spirits who possess'd her,
did stoop to sundry little Acts of Servitude, that we could give little
or no Reason for, only that the Girl's Master might get Money by her;
but perhaps this was a particular Case, and, prepar'd to honour the
Authority and Power the Apostles had over evil Spirits.

But we find these Things carried a great Way farther in many Cases, that
is to say, where the Parties are thus really possess'd; namely, the
_Devil_ makes Agents of the possess'd Parties to do many Things for the
propagating his Interest and Kingdom, and particularly for the carrying
on his Dominion in the World: But I am for the present not so much upon
the real Possession as the pretended, and particularly we have had many
that have believed themselves possess'd, when the _Devil_ never believed
it of them, and perhaps knew them better; some of these are really poor
_Devils_ to be pitied, and are what I call _Diables Imaginaire_; these
have notwithstanding done the _Devil_ good Service, and brought their
Masters good Gain by Southsaying.

We find Possessions acknowledg'd in Scripture to be really and
personally the _Devil_, or according to the Text, Legions of _Devils_ in
the Plural. The _Devil_ or _Devils_ rather, which possessed the Man
among the Tombs, is positively affirm'd to be the _Devil_ in the
Scripture; all the Evangelists agree in calling him so, and his very
Works shew it; namely, the Mischief he did, as well to the poor Creature
among the Tombs, who was made so fierce, that he was the Terror of all
the Country, as to the Herd of Swine and to the Country in the Loss of
them.

I might preach you a Lecture here of the _Devil_'s Terror upon the
Approach of our Saviour, the Dread of his Government, and how he
acknowledg'd that there was a Time for his Torment, which was not yet
come: _Art thou come to torment us before our Time?_ It is evident the
Devil apprehended that Christ would chain them up before the Day of
Judgment; and therefore some think the Devil here, being, as it were,
caught out of his due Bounds, possessing the p