see that the Author's Design is,
that they should do so; and as I am now so near the End of my Book, I
thought it was meet to tell you so, and lead you to it as far as I can.

I say, 'tis a great Part of human Wisdom to know when the _Devil_ is
acting in us and by us, and when not; the next and still greatest Part
would be to prevent him, put a Stop to his Progress, bid him go about
his Business, and let him know he should carry on his Designs no farther
in that manner; that we will be his Tools no longer; in short, to turn
him out of Doors, and bring a stronger Power to take Possession; but
this, indeed, is too solid a Subject, and too great to begin with here.

But now, as to the bare knowing when he is at work with us, I say this,
tho' it is considerable, may be done, nor is it so very difficult; _for
Example_, you have no more to do but look a little into the Microcosm of
the Soul, and see there how the Passions which are the Blood, and the
Affections which are the Spirit, move in their particular Vessels; how
they circulate, and in what Temper the Pulse beats there, and you may
easily see who turns the Wheel; if a perfect Calm possesses the Soul; if
Peace and Temper prevail, and the Mind feels no Tempests rising; if the
Affections are regular and exalted to vertuous and sublime Objects, the
Spirits cool, and the Mind sedate, the Man is in a general Rectitude of
Mind, he may be truly said to be _his own Man_; Heaven shines upon his
Soul with its benign Influences, and he is out of the Reach of the evil
Spirit; for the divine Spirit is an Influence of Peace, all calm and
bright, happy and sweet like it self, and tending to every Thing that is
good both present and future.

But on the other Hand, if at any Time the Mind is ruffled, if Vapours
rise, Clouds gather, if Passions swell the Breast, if Anger, Envy,
Revenge, Hatred, Wrath, Strife; if these, or any of these hover over
you, much more if you feel them within you; if the Affections are
possess'd, and the Soul hurried down the Stream to embrace low and base
Objects; if those Spirits, which are the Life and enlivening Powers of
the Soul, are drawn off to Parties, and to be engag'd in a vicious and
corrupt manner, shooting out wild and wicked Desires, and running the
Man headlong into Crime, the Case is easily resolv'd, the Man is
possess'd, the _Devil_ is in him; and having taken the Fort, or at least
the Counterscarp and Out-Works, is making his Lodgment to cove