I am enclin'd also to the more charitable Opinion of Satan too, because the Escape of the _Israelites_ was really a Triumph over himself; for the War was certainly his, or at least he was auxiliary to _Pharoah_, it was a Victory over _Hell_ and _Egypt_ together, and he would never have suffer'd the Disgrace, if he had known it beforehand; that is to say, tho' he could not have prevented the Escape of _Israel_, or the dividing the Water, yet he might have warn'd the _Egyptians_, and cautioned them not to venture in after them.
But we shall see a great many weak Steps taken by the Devil in the Affair of this very People and their forty Years Wandring in the Wilderness; and tho' he was in some things successful, and wheedled them into many foolish and miserable Murmurings and Wranglings against God, and Mutinies against poor _Moses_, yet the _Devil_ was oftentimes baulk'd and disappointed; and 'tis for this Reason that I choose to finish the first Part of his History with the particular Relation of his Behaviour among the _Jews_, because also, we do not find any extraordinary Things happening any where else in the World for above one thousand five hundred Years, no Variety, no Revolutions; all the Rest of Mankind lay still under his Yoke, quietly submitted to his Government, did just as he bad them, worship'd every Idol he set up, and in a Word, he had no Difficulty with any Body but the _Jews_, and for this Reason, I say, this Part of his Story will be the more useful and instructing.
To return therefore to _Moses_ and his dividing the _Red Sea_; that the People went over or thro' it, that we have the sacred History for; but how the Devil behav'd, that you must come to me for, or I know not where you will find a true Account of it, at least not in Print.
1. It was in the Night they march'd thro', whether the _Devil_ saw it in the Dark or no, that's not my Business.
But when he had Day-Light for it, and view'd the next Day's Work, I make no Question but _all Hell felt the Surprise_, the Prey being thus snatch'd out of their Hands unexpectedly. 'Tis true the _Egyptians_ Host was sent to him in their Room, but that was not what he aim'd at; for he was sure enough of them his own Way, and if it was not _just at that Time_, yet he knew what and who they were; but as he had devour'd the whole _Israelitish_ Host in his Imagination, to the Tune of at least a Million and a half of Souls; Men, Women and Children; it was, no doubt, a great Disappointment to the Devil to miss of his Prey, and to see them all triumphing on the other Side in Safety.