22
nor any other body else, but your own frighted imagination; you had lain with that wench, and being a young sinner of that kind, your conscience terrified you, told you the Devil would fetch you away, and you would be damn'd: and you were so persuaded it would be so, that you at last imagined he was come for you indeed: that you saw him, and heard him; whereas, you may depend upon it, if Jenny---will let you lie with her every night, the Devil will hold the candle, or do any thing to forward it, but will never disturb you; he's too much a friend to your wickedness; it could never be the Devil, Thomas; 'twas only your own guilt frighted you, and that was Devil enough too, if you knew the worst of it, you need no other enemy.
Tho. Why, that's true master; one would think the Devil should not bid me repent, that's true; but certainly 'twas the Devil for all that.
Now Thomas was not the only man that, having committed a flagitous crime, had been deluded by his own imagination, and the power of fancy, to think the Devil was come for him; whereas the Devil, to gave him his due, is too honest to pretend to such things; 'tis his business to persuade men to offend, not to repent; and he professes no other: He may press men to this or that action, by telling them 'tis no sin, no offence no breach of God's law, and the like, when really 'tis both; but to press them to repent, when they have offended, that's quite out of the way; 'tis none of his business, nor does he pretend to it: therefore, let no man charge the Devil with what he is not concerned in.
But to return to his person; he is, as I have said, notwithstanding his lost glory, a mighty,
