(9) Whether he be loose or no I offer it to every one to consider; but view the world in the clear light, and thou wilt find, that at present the four new sons which the devil generated when he was thrust out of heaven, do govern the world, viz. 1. Pride, 2. Covetousness, 3. Envy, 4. Wrath; these rule the world at present, and are the devil's heart, his animated or soulish spirit.

(29) For the human flesh is very young and tender, and the devil is rough and hard, also dark, hot, bitter, astringent and cold, and so these two are very ill matched.

(3) But you, O ye Daêvas! are all a seed from the Evil Mind . He who offers sacrifice to You the most is of the Lie-demon, and (he is a child) of perversion . In advance (are your) deceits whereby ye are famed in the sevenfold earth!

(25) Now, after that a man hath walked in all the ways that lead him unto the truth, and exercised himself therein, not sparing his labour; now, as often and as long as he dreameth that his work is altogether finished, and he is by this time quite dead to the world, and come out from Self and given up to God alone, behold! the Devil cometh and soweth his seed in the man’s heart. From this seed spring two fruits; the one is spiritual fulness or pride, the other is false, lawless freedom. These are two sisters who love to be together. Now, it beginneth on this wise: the Devil puffeth up the man, till he thinketh himself to have climbed the topmost pinnacle, and to have come so near to heaven, that he no longer needeth Scripture, nor teaching, nor this nor that, but is altogether raised above any need. Whereupon there ariseth a false peace and satisfaction with himself, and then it followeth that he saith or thinketh: “Yea, now I am above all other men, and know and understand more than any one in the world; therefore it is certainly just and reasonable that I should be the lord and commander of all creatures, and that all creatures, and especially all men, should serve me and be subject unto me.” And then he seeketh and desireth the same, and taketh it gladly from all creatures, especially men, and thinketh himself well worthy of all this, and that it is his due, and looketh on men as if they were the beasts of the field, and thinketh himself worthy of all that ministereth to his body and life and nature, in profit, or joy, or pleasure, or even pastime and amusement, and he seeketh and taketh it wherever he findeth opportunity.

(15) But if thou wouldst know what the true faith is, then observe: Thy heart must not qualify or cooperate with the four sons of the devil, in pride, covet-ousness, envy, wrath, extortion, oppression, lying, deceiving, murder, and tearing the bread out of thy neighbours throat, studying day and night to do mischief, in bringing subtle devices and designs to effect, that thou may court and give satisfaction to the fourfold devil of pride, covetousness, envy and wrath, and exercise thyself in worldly pleasures and voluptuousness.

(21) Therefore none should be so presumptuous, as to mock and despise the Children of God, who are in the Combat against the Devil. But think that it will come to thy Turn also; if thou wilt not go about it when thou art well and in Health, thou must come to it at thy Death; when the poor Soul comes to part from the Body, then it must enter into the Combat, there is no Remedy; for it must depart from the Body out of the Spirit of this World, and then two Gates stand open, viz. Heaven and Hell, it must go in at one of them, there is no other Place out of this World.

(6) The devil and his crew continually excuse themselves, and so do all wicked men who are begotten in corruption, saying, God does them wrong in thrusting them out or rejecting them.

(7) For I see, and behold the demons have begun (their) seductions against you and against your children, and now I fear on your behalf, that after my death ye will shed the blood of men upon the earth, and that ye, too, will be destroyed from the face of the earth.

(75) But I find that the most cunning devil is set against me; he will raise scorners and mockers, who will say that I intend by mine own conceit to grope, dig deep, and search out the Deity. Yes, Mr Scorner, thou art an obedient son to the devil, thou hast great cause to mock God's children. As if I were able, in mine own power, to fathom the depth of the Deity! No! but the Deity searcheth the ground in me: Or, dost thou think that I am strong enough to stand against it?

(3) Come on ye jugglers and sorcerers or witches, you that go a wooing and a whoring after the devil: Come to my school: I will shew you how, with your necromancy or art, you are carried into hell.

(63) Here I will shew you exactly the pith, kernel and heart of Lucifer, and then you will see what a devil is, or how he is become a devil. Therefore take heed, and do not invite or entertain him as a guest, for he is the archsworn enemy of God, and of all angels and men, and that in his eternity.

(64) Now if thou understandest and apprehendest this aright, then thou wilt not make of God a devil, as some do, who say, God has created the evil, and that his will is that some men should be lost; which men, that say so, help to increase the devil's lies, and bring upon themselves the severe judgment, by their perverting God's truths, and so turning them into lies. Now observe:

(11) Instil many vain fancies into men's minds. But, on the contrary, 'tis his perverseness and want of faith The philosopher denies the existence of the Devil; At the same time he is the Devil's laughing-stock. If thou hast not seen the Devil, look at thyself, Without demon's aid how came that blue turban on thy brow? Whosoever has a doubt or disquietude in his heart Now and then he displays firm belief, Beware, O believers! That lurks in you too; All the seventy and two heresies lurk in you;

(96) I conceive already that the devil will get many a one to ride upon his proud prancing nag; and many will make themselves ready for the journey before they be well girt [with the girdle of truth]; but I will not bear the blame for that.

(172) O man! alas, O man! why dost thou dance with the devil who is thine enemy? Art thou not afraid that he will thrust thee into hell? Why dost thou go on so securely? Is it not a very narrow stick on which thou dancest? Under that small narrow bridge is hell! Dost thou not see how high thou art, and how dangerously and desperately thou goest? Thou dancest between heaven and hell.

(29) Here I write not without knowledge; but if thou, like an epicure and fatted swine of the devil, from the devil's instigation, shouldst mock at these things and say:

(176) O ye covetous, stiffnecked and drunken roisterers! how do you woo and go a whoring after the covetous devil? Thus saith the LORD, Will ye not feed my people which I have committed to your charge?

(32) This is a high question, on which all those lay hold that justify and plead the cause of the devil; but they are all cited to appear at the court of justice held for trial of criminal malefactors: let them have a care how they plead for their master, else the sentence of judgment will be pronounced against him, and he will lose his crown. The wonderful Revelation.

(150) For that cause I will write according to this knowledge, though the devil should offer to assault and storm the world; which, however, he cannot do. But his hourglass is shewn to him, and set before him.

(36) But what can be said? The Devil will have it no otherwise. When his Kingdom begins to be stormed [battered and assaulted] at one Place, then he blows up the Storm all over, [as well in one as another,] in the Children of God; the Spirit of Punishment [Vengeance or Reproof] is stirred up; and in the worldly bestial Man, the Devil blows up mere scorning and disgracing Mockers; for they have the Kingdom of Christ in the History, and the Devil's Kingdom in themselves, as their own Possession.