found presented at the season and in the circumstances best adapted to seduce. Witness his timing of the first temptation. He assaulted the woman when alone, and not in the assisting company of her husband; early, before her habits were confirmed and her experience extended. He tempted Christ to convert the stone into bread, not at the commencement, but termination of the forty days' fast, when hunger solicited him to compliance.Attend also, and you will perceive his cunning, not only in the time, but also in the manner in which he presents his temptations. He does not present sin in all its hideous deformity, but clothed with all its attractions, carefully conceals its attendant train, and openly displays its promising advantages. He does not generally tempt at first to gross sins, but only to the lesser violations of the divine law; and even these are so well glossed, that the most scrupulous and discerning can hardly perceive the iniquity of compliance. Thus he did not all at once tempt Eve bluntly to curse God, and desist from his worship. No. He begins with insinuating hard thoughts of Jehovah, calls in question the meaning of the prohibition, carefully conceals the result of transgression, and preaches like an angel of light the beneficial effect of eating the forbidden fruit. Similar also was his conduct with the Saviour. At first, there is no requisition of divine worship; the cloven foot is altogether kept from view. He approaches as a benevolent, sympathizing friend, and proposes apparently a very harmless expedient for relieving the pressure of present want. The evil of compliance is scarcely discernible. Attend also, and you will find his cunning in suiting his temptations to your humours, inclinations, and conditions. Are you disposed to religion, he will favour the disposition by leading you into false modes of worship, and to resting in your performances. Are you enjoying eminent manifestations of the light of God's countenance, you will hear of no surmise about your happy state, but beware of spiritual pride and presumption. His hand will be in, and you will be heard vauntingly exclaiming in vain confidence, "my mountain standeth strong." Have you fallen into some gross sin, and are external afflictions combining with unbelief in the soul, till you are disposed to raze the foundation of your hope, he will not be distant, insinuations will arise in your minds concerning the forgetfulness of Jehovah, the failure of his word of promise, and that your sin is unpardonable.

5. He is an exceedingly powerful enemy. Hence the names, principalities and powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, the prince of the power of the air, and the god of this world."The same idea is forcibly represented by Peter calling him a

roaring lion, the most magnanimous and powerful of the beasts of the forest.

His power over the material world is great, and justly alarming. It extends over the regions of the air: for he raised the whirlwind which came from the wilderness and smote the four corners of the house that fell and destroyed Job's seven sons and three daughters. He has the power of death. He has power: also over the bodies of both beasts and men. He entered into the body of the serpent in paradise, smote Job with sore boils.. from the soles of the feet to the crown of the head; and we read of many in the gospels that were possessed of the Devil. Hence, however much the existence of spectres and apparitions has been ridiculed, it is obviously possible, though doubtless imagination and terror have given birth to most of the ridiculous stories bandied about concerning them. Great, however, as is Satan's power in natural operations, it is finite, and extends not beyond the permission of Deity. Though he can perform the semblance of a miracle, the suspension of the established order of nature is beyond his control, and without leave granted he cannot touch the smallest insect.

The

But what is most interesting, is his extensive and inexplicable power over the human mind-a power, not of compulsion, but persuasion-a power, not of constraint, but seduction. scriptures hold forth his power over the human mind, in multiplicity of language and variety of example. He works in the hearts of the children of disobedience, blinds the minds of them that believe not, deceives the nations, and catcheth away the seed of the word out of the heart of the way side hearer. Eve he deceived, David he tempted to number the people, Judas to betray his master, and Annanias and Sapphira to lie unto the Holy Ghost. In no assembly, in no heart, is the good seed of the word sown, but he is ready to mingle his tares, or to take away the seed of the word ere it has even taken root. This he accomplishes, sometimes by prejudicing the mind previous to hearing, sometimes by dissipating the attention in the time of it, and sometimes by preventing the recollection of it and meditation on it. The modes are various; but the fact, however inexplicable, is certain, and calls us to keep the heart with all keeping.

6. He is an enemy unweariedly diligent in the perpetration of mischief, and but too successful in his reiterated attacks upon us.. To excite us to persevering diligence, we need line upon line and precept upon precept. A little exertion fatigues us, a little spiritual success satisfies us, and a slight repulse dispirits and sinks us into inactivity. Our enemy, on the contrary, with all the ac

His

tivity of an infernal spirit, goeth about seeking whom he may devour. Though repulsed again and again, he renews and diversifies his attack, and desists not till hope has altogether vanished, or success has crowned his persevering exertions. temptation of the Saviour is a sample of his present conduct.He tries the temptation of bread suited to animal gratification, meets a repulse, but renews and changes the attack. He tries next the side of vanity, brings him to a pinnacle of the temple, is again repulsed, but again diversifies and renews the attack.Though the Saviour be invulnerable on the side of sense and vanity, ambition is the passion of noble souls. The kingdoms of the world, and all their glory, are therefore offered; and it is only when the imperious command is heard, "get thee behind me, Satan," that he desists and departs from him. Think not, therefore, that when he departs for a little season, that he will return no more; that when he ceases to present the same temptation he has desisted to seek your destruction. If he has left you, it is to return with advantage: if he has changed his mode of assault, it is that he may adopt another, and attack you in a quarter less defended, and promising an easier victory.

7. He is an enemy consummately miserable, and whose sole delight and pursuit is to reduce others to the same condition.Not one ingredient, even the least, of felicity, is ever tasted by him. His once full cup of bliss, is now empty, and his vast desires remain ever ungratified, and ever torment him. Wherever he moves, he carries with him his sentence and punishment.~ The past recalls no pleasing recollections-the present is worse than a blank, the most exquisite wretchedness-and the future reveals only the blackness of eternal despair. Hope of deliverance he has none. The unalterable purpose of Jehovah is to dismiss him into "everlasting fire." Goaded on by his own torments, he envies the felicity of others, and exerts all his power to destroy it, to involve all in the same wretchedness with himself,

"But of this be sure,

To do ought good never will be our task,

But ever to do ill our sole delight,

As being contrary to his high will
Whom we resist."

Such is our formidable foe, and well may we ask how are we to contend with him, so as to guard against his attacks, and overcome him. Let us, for this purpose, keep the strictest guard over the corruptions of our own hearts, to prevent them from communicating and co-operating with him, and giving him advantage While the citadel of the heart is kept, and every internal enemy strictly watched, the beseiging foe will have the less

over us.

advantage. Let us enter into no truce, no parley, with him. He is the true Amalekite, with whom no peace, but war, is to be made from generation to generation. All his proposals of friendship and suspension of hostility, are insidious, and more to be dreaded than his most violent, open attacks. We are to hold no intercourse with him, and to seek no assistance from him by charms, divination, or imprecations of vengeance on others. Be sober, be vigilant, for our adversary, the Devil, goeth about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Let us carefully avoid giving him advantage against us by our quarrels. The sun must not go down on our wrath, else we give place to the Devil. An offending brother, on suitable expression of sorrow, must be restored, lest Satan gain advantage of us. We are never to forget, that though a potent, he is a vanquished foe; nor the glorious promises made to those that overcome him. If we resist his attacks he will flee from us. We are to put on the whole armour of God, that we may stand against his power and wiles. Against him we are never to venture in our own strength, but to range under the Captain of salvation, and fight according to his direction. And finally, let us be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. And may the God of peace bruise Satan under our feet shortly, and make us more than conquerors through him that loved us. CORRODIE.

Selections.

LETTERS ON THE ATONEMENT.—No. VI.

MY DEAR BROTHER,

Agreeably to promise, I am to show, in this letter,

III. That Christ, as our Redeemer, bore the penalty of the law, or endured the punishment of our sins.

It is admitted hy the new school, that one person may suffer for another, but not that one can suffer the punishment due to another; and accordingly, while they affirm that Christ died and suffered for us, they strenuously deny that he was punished for us. If," says one," another person, of his own accord, offers to bear the sufferings, which was due to me for my offences, he may do so, but it cannot be punishment to him. Punishment supposes guilt. He cannot take my actions upon himself, so that they shall become his own actions, and cease to be mine. He cannot become guilty without his own personal transgression. If he suffers in my place, therefore, his sufferings are not punishment to him.' This reminds me of the manner in which Dr. Fuller at

* Dialogues on Atonement, p. 20.

tempts to prove that the sufferings of our blessed Redeemer were not the punishment of our sins. It was done by the magic of a definition. His definition is this: "Punishment is natural evil inflicted for PERSONAL guilt." Admitting the definition to be correct, his point was gained. But suppose his definition to be altered so as to suit our taste, and read thus: Punishment is natural evil inflicted for personal, or IMPUTED sin: and what then becomes of his argument? To the author of the argument in the above quotation we readily concede that punishment supposes sin; but we deny what he maintains, that it always supposes personal transgression. Jesus Christ, it has been proved, had the sins of his people imputed to him, and thus became subject to the punishment of them. By this we do not mean, that he took their ac tions upon himself so that they became his own personal actions, and no longer the actions of his people. The absurdity of such a supposition has already been exposed. He consented to have them so charged to his account, that the punishment of them might be justly required of him. To maintain that punishment, in all cases, supposes personal guilt, is as unreasonable as to maintain that a person can never become responsible for any actions but his own personal actions. This, however, the common occurrences of civil life will prove unfounded. It is well known, that when a citizen has incurred the penalty of a violated law, and being unable to pay the fine, is liable to imprisonment, a friend may release him by assuming his obligation and paying his fine. When this is done there is no transfer of moral character; and no one is so absurd as to imagine the transaction implies that the offender's friend committed the trespass.

A man is apprehended as a murderer. He is tried, convicted, condemned to death, and finally executed. It cannot be denied that this man has suffered the punishment due to murder. Afterwards his innocence is proved beyond dispute: what will result? Will you say he suffered no punishment? No punishment! What greater punishment could he have suffered? He certainly did die under the imputation of murder; and to expiate the guilt of that horrible crime he was condemned. Surely then he suffered punishment. You may affirm, he suffered unrighteously; you may affirm, he was unjustly punished; but you cannot in truth say he was not punished; because it will for ever remain a fact that he did suffer death as the punishment of a crime. The language of inspiration confirms this reasoning. (See Acts, xxvi. 11. Prov. xvii. 26.)

The king of the Locrians enacted a law, that an adulterer should suffer, as the punishment of his crime, the loss of both his