Satan (the Devil)
The chief of the evil spirits in Jewish and Christian belief, who, in the Book of Job, afflicts Job with sores by God's leave.
A Sermon against Inoculation
Edmund Massey, A Sermon against the Dangerous and Sinful Practice of Inoculation (preached in London, 1722), text from the Boston reprint of the third edition (1730) · preached July 8, 1722
The Silence of Scripture hath given Interpreters Occasion of guessing at the Distemper which the Devil here inflicted upon Job: But among them all, it appears not certainly what it was. I will therefore desire to give an Opinion, equally I think true, with any that hath yet been taken Notice of: It is this, That the Devil by some venemous Infusion into the Body of Job, might raise his Blood to such a Ferment, as threw out a Confluence of inflammatory Pustules all over him from Head to Foot: That is, his Distemper might be what is now incident to most Men, and perhaps conveyed to him by some such Way as that of Inoculation.
The silence of Scripture hath given interpreters occasion of guessing at the distemper which the Devil here inflicted upon Job. But among them all, it appears not certainly what it was. I will therefore desire to give an opinion, equally I think true, with any that hath yet been taken notice of. It is this: that the Devil, by some venomous infusion into the body of Job, might raise his blood to such a ferment as threw out a confluence of inflammatory pustules all over him from head to foot. That is, his distemper might be what is now incident to most men, and perhaps conveyed to him by some such way as that of inoculation.