truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own, for he is a liar and the father of it. Pride, falsity, and ingratitude, occasioned his own fall from his first bright station. Sensible of the power and pre-eminence to which the good pleasure of God had raised him, he turned the will which should have submitted to the Almighty in love and obedience, to the admission of pride. Though a creature, he wished to be equal with the Creator, and thus deservedly effected his own destruction; for what can any creature be but miserable, who rebels against the power that made, and can alone protect it? Thus was this once bright angel, through abuse of his free will, deprived of all his glory in an instant-I saw Satan (saith our blessed Lord) like lightning fall from heaven. Having separated himself from God, the only source of all happiness, he necessarily became a prey to his own tormenting thoughts. Hatred, revenge, and cruelty, took place of love, subjection, and heavenly sensations. Being an immortal spirit, he must be for ever miserable, and continue the promoter, as he was the author, of all evil. It is the very nature of sin to contrive all manner of mischief, and to ensnare others into the same misfortune. So Satan availed himself of his high rank and delegated honours, to deceive and draw over to his side numbers of inferior spirits, equally free to have

preserved their happy state, or to submit their will to the lying promises of the tempter. Become now the declared enemy of God, it is his chief study to oppose and injure, to the utmost of his power, every thing that gives God delight, or that is in the way to partake of that blessed happiness he once possessed, and basely forfeited. Envious of the state of innocence, in which God graciously created our first parents, he vainly hoped to prevent God's merciful design towards them, by depriving them of his favour through the transgression that had ruined himself. By treachery, lies, and slander, he partly effected his purpose; and by seducing their will to a desire to know what God had forbidden, from the tenderest regard to their best happiness, he artfully betrayed them to disobey their Maker, whereby they forfeited his further favour and protection; for, when their eyes were open to sin, of course they could no longer please God.

You cannot avoid perceiving, my brethren, how greatly it is your interest to renounce such a subtle and inveterate enemy as this. And, indeed, as God's first creatures, made innocent and upright, did not escape the wiles of this enemy, because they forgot God, and yielded to their own will, we should have great reason to dread the effect of his snares, had we not every proof, that HE whom we serve is greater than he who is against us; for God, who knoweth

all things, and by the power of whose will they are preserved, foresaw the utmost malice of the devil, and provided in the eternal counsel of his love a remedy against the mischief he would have wrought, had not his degenerated nature been controlled. We must, therefore, resist his attacks, with the armour procured for us by HIM who was tempted like as we are; i. e, by faith, or trust in God, who is mighty to save all that come unto him through Jesus Christ. Our blessed Lord has left us the history of the devil's attempts even upon himself, to show that he is busy with the very best; but Christ at the same time hath bequeathed us a weapon by which we may always put him to flight, as He did; Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.-Resist the devil, and he will flee from you, saith St. James (chap. iv. ver. 7); and St. Peter (1 Ep. v. 8, 9), after cautioning us against this dangerous adversary, who goeth about as a lion, seeking whom he may devour, applies this defence: Whom resist, steadfast in the faith: so that, though he may be permitted to tempt, he hath no power to conquer, unless we desert our strong hold. But faith in God, Christ points out to us as the means, in his own person, by which we may escape temptation. It was by long abstinence and the supreme power of the Father, that he prepared himself

to meet all the renewed attacks of the grand deceiver; and his Apostle repeats the same advice in these words: We must be sober and watch. As Christ was upheld by his dependence on the Father, so we must arm ourselves with faith in HIм, by whom alone we can approach the Father he hath conquered Satan, and will make us conquerors, if we apply to him for help.

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But we must be equally careful to renounce the works of Satan, no less than himself: for this likewise is promised for us, and we are bound to perform it. Now, the works of the devil are, generally speaking, every thing that is sinful and contrary to the will of God, which it is the endeavour of the enemy to establish in the world, to the utmost of his power, by taking advantage of the opportunities afforded him by wicked men, who will not apply to God for help. But his works may particularly be reduced to such as more immediately describe his malignity; such as proceed from his suggestions, as an evil spirit, instilling his wicked thoughts into those he would destroy; such, for instance, are pride (which I shall dwell upon more fully in its place), malice, envy, revenge, murder, and lying. And where the sound of the Gospel has not reached, nor any positive revelation of it been given, the sins of withcraft and idolatry belong peculiarly to his influence. It is this crafty, deadly

foe, that often disturbs us even in our devotions ; who oppresses our souls with black and horrid thoughts; whose intrusion we can no otherwise account for at such solemn seasons, but, knowing the effect of prayer, and humble submission to the will of God, and that humility is likely to defend every attack upon our weakness, he makes choice of these seasons to cause the mind to wander from its main object of defence and security. Still, though these assaults may distress and alarm us, as they are not wilful, we must not fear them-we must be more earnest in our petitions for power to resist them; they cannot materially hurt us, unless we yield to them; which the Captain of our salvation will surely prevent, if we fight manfully under his banner, and oppose them. The more furious and artful an enemy is, the more resolutely and watchfully it concerns us to behave ourselves in the contest. All these works, then, we must abhor, and strive against, and be ever on our guard not to be deceived by them. And this must be done, not only in respect to those particular works of his, which appear so very shocking in their names and qualities, but with regard to all; for the depth of Satan's hatred, and his strong desire to ruin us for ever, set him upon using such arts, and putting on such appearances, as may deceive the very best when off their guard. He has transformed himself nto an angel of light more than once, to effect