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done, without intermission, the will of my heavenly Father? Has the enemy never surprised me? Has no accident ruffled the even tenor of my righteousness? Have I walked so invariably in the regions of the Spirit, as to be beyond all influence of the things of the flesh; armed in the breastplate of faith so completely, as to leave no naked spot which the arrows of the evil one might pierce? Have I held no tempter? Have I had no givings, no covetous desires, no forbidden longings?

parley with the doubts, no mis

O boast not thyself, but remember

The holy David gazed from the towers of his house upon the wife of Uriah; and because she was beautiful to look upon, he was tempted, holy and righteous as was his general character, by that forbidden and accidental gaze, to forget all his former righteousness. Blind and infatuated, the tempter led him at his will from the sin of thought to the sin of action, until he became an adulterer, a traitor, and a murderer.

Have I never, with unholy gaze, forgotten the resolutions of my purity? If not in action, yet in will. Pure and good as I seem, have I never failed; have I never yielded to the "lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye,

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and the pride of life?"a O let me remember that "when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin." That "whosoever looketh upon a woman to lust after her, hath committed adultery already with her in his heart."

d

Achan, of the tribe of Judah, beheld the spoil of the enemy, the silver and the gold, and the Babylonish vest, and he could not withstand the desire of his heart: but the tempter led him from the sight to the action and against the commandment of the Lord, he took the accursed thing.

treasures.

Have I never set my heart on forbidden. Has the sight of silver and of gold, the riches and the splendour, the fair dwellings and the mighty possessions of my brother, stirred up no feeling of envy? If they have not provoked to violence or to stealth, yet have I not coveted? Can I safely say with the apostle Paul, "I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel ?"e O let me remember the commandments of my God; "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his."

Peter, the confident, the bold. Did his confidence endure?

We have

seen him

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stretching forth to walk upon the sea, and yet sinking. We have seen him crying aloud, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God:" and yet, in the time of adversity, in spite of all his boasting, "He began to curse and to swear, saying, I know not this man of whom ye speak."

Have I never been tempted amid the scoffs of the unbeliever, and the ridicule of the sceptic, to deny my Lord and Master? Was there no moment when bodily danger, or worldly favour, the applause of the wicked, or the friendship of the world, have induced me to forego the love and approbation of my God, and to say of my blessed Redeemer and Lord, "I know not this man of whom ye speak?"

O let me remember that if I cannot give up houses, and lands, and children, and wife, yea, and life also, for the kingdom of God, I cannot be Christ's disciple.

Then, O my soul, how great are thy temptations. How manifold the falls of him who thinketh he standeth. Thou canst turn neither to the right nor to the left; thou canst look no where, touch nothing, hear nothing, taste nothing, but that the subtle enemy shall be disguised beneath it, lying in wait for thy

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peril. The senses, the intellect, thy social duties, thy religious duties; hearing the word, preaching the word-even that which puts on the semblance of good,-yet shall hide beneath it a danger. Even that which shall seem to men laudable and righteous, yet shall carry a sting beneath its external beauty, filled with the venom of the evil one.

Then boast not thyself; but remember the many occasions of sin to which thou hast yielded; the snares of the enemy into which thou hast fallen. Trust not in thyself that thou art righteous above other men, but be like that humble publican, who smote upon his breast, saying, "God be merciful to me a sinner."a Thou mayest be even a man after God's own heart, like David, yet some accident shall have overcome thee; and like David, thou hast fallen. One only was tempted like as we are, and yet without sin-and that the Lord our righteousness. One only did resist the devil, and he fled-and that the Anointed of the Lord.

I am

Then I will get me to my Lord right humbly. a poor, weak, deceived creature. I cannot do the thing that I would. "I will acknowledge my transgression, and my sin shall be ever before me. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy

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sight, that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest."

THE REMEDY.

"But why art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me. Hope thou in God."

True that I am surrounded by many dangers, that I cannot look, cannot speak, cannot think, without the great enemy of souls at hand to turn the good which God intended into evil; but have I not as great and certain helps, as I have fearful and treacherous enemies?

I have the example of the righteous-I behold Abraham.

"It came to pass that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and offer him for a burnt offering." And faithful Abraham was proof to this heavy trial, and his obedience gave not way: "My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering," and he went forth, and Satan standing by in expectation of his victory saw, for once, man triumphant; and the Lord said: "Now I know that thou fearest

a

Psalm li. 4. b Psalm xlii. 5.

c Gen. xxii. 1.

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