"to an exceeding high mountain, and fhowed him "all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of “them; and said unto him, Ail thefe things will I "give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship “me (a).”

You may obferve how artfully the temptation was laid. Our Saviour, he knew, was to have a kingdom, but not of this world: on the contrary, he was to lead a poor, defpifed, and forrowful life among men. Now, fays he, if thou wilt abandon thy defign of faving mankind with fo much pain and difficulty, I will make thee a glorious monarch, and beflow upon thee all this extensive power, this grandeur and greatnefs. The temptation, indeed, could have no effect upon the holy Jefus; but, alas! how often is it fuccefsful on many of his profeffing fol lowers! How many, for the fake of the mammon of unrighteousness, the riches, honours, and preferments of this world, have parted with their best hopes, and made shipwreck of faith and of a good confcience!

4. Satan sometimes tempts, by representing the fin to which he would perfuade us, as fmall and venial. 'This seems likewise included in the fnare he laid for our first parents: "Ye fhall not," fays he, " furely "die;" as if he had faid, "Though God be not fo "gracious as you imagine, yet furely he will not be "fo cruel as to punish you with fuch terrible judg "ments for a trefpafs fo trivial and unimportant: "Fear not, therefore, to touch and tafte of this for"bidden fruit.” Nay, he not only represents the fin to which he would perfuade us, as fmall and venial, but he magnifies the prefent pleasure and fuppofed advantage that is to be enjoyed by the practice of it. Why, fays he, fo nice and fcrupulous? By committing this fin, which is but a fmall one, thou mayst make thyself rich and happy. Thus, by extenuating

(e) Matth. iv. 8, &

tenuating the evil of fin, and magnifying the fuppofed advantage of it, he blinds the finner's mind, and allures him to the commission of it.

5. At other times, he reprefents the fin into which he has deceived the finner, as unpardonable, that by fuch means he may drive him to defpair, and take fome unwarrantable course for ending his own life. The devices of Satan are deeper than we can conceive. He firft tempted Judas to betray his innocent mafter; and then, filling his mind with horror and despair, he prevails on him to become his own executioner. Thus, alfo, he frequently affaults God's own children; and though we have good reafon to think that he fhall never be fo fuccefsful as to drive any of them into abfolute defpair, yet he has been permitted to carry this kind of temptation to an amazing length. When he finds the confcience fo tender, that he cannot prevail with it to think lightly of fin, he then plies it with its exceffive malignity. He represents the fin which fuch a perfon has committed in all its circumftances of aggravation; he even adds to the heinoufnefs of it, till, at last, he makes the poor finner believe that it is unpardonable. This has been a fiery dart to many real Chriftians; a temptation which has filled them with great apprehenfion, and even made them look forward to the termination of their existence as a fa

vour.

6. Satan, at other times, tempts the Christian, by reprefenting to him, that all his labour in religion is in vain, and to no purpofe. He has many ways of doing this. Sometimes he represents the difficulties of religion to be fo great, and the duties so hard, that it is needlefs for fuch weak creatures as we afe to attempt them. At other times, he reprefents God as an auftere and tyrannical mafter, who reaps where he did not fow, and gathers where he did not straw. And, finally, he would make the true Christian believe, that his experiences in religion are but dreams

and

and delusions, the fancies of a diftempered brain, or the mere operation of his animal fpirits.

Laftly, One of Satan's most dangerous devices for tempting even the children of God, is to awaken in them fpiritual pride, on account of their attainments, or the advantages they enjoy above others. By this temptation he produces felf-confidence, and emboldens them to venture upon duties and difficult fervices in their own ftrength; the confequence of which is, that God withholds his reftraining grace, and then they fall into fin. Of this, we have a melancholy inftance, in the cafe of Peter. Our Saviour tells him, That "Satan defired to have him, that he might fift him "`as wheat (b).” And how did he fift him? He filled him with exceffive efteem of himfelf, and of his own ftrength. Hence, with confident affurance, he exclaims, "Though all men fhould deny thee, yet “ will not I.” And the event was, that, being justly left to himself, his refolution, however fincere, failed him, and he denied his Saviour thrice.

You fee, then, in thefe few instances, and many others might have been mentioned, how dangerous an adversary Satan is to the fouls of men. We "wrestle not," fays the apostle in the verfe following our text, " againft flesh and blood, but againft principalities, against powers, against the rulers of "the darkness of this world, against fpiritual wick"ednefs in high places." Great and formidable

names, indeed; which imply, at once, the number, power, and malice of thofe wicked fpirits; and, fo u- nited are they in their curfed endeavours to ensnare and destroy our fouls, that they are, for the most part, fpoken of in fcripture as but one perfon; becaufe, however various their ranks and orders may be, they are all the confederates and fubjects of one fupreme head and ruler, who is ftyled Satan, or the Devil, and is exprefsly faid to be the Prince of the

(6) Luke xxii. 31.

devils.

devils. Beware, therefore, of entertaining flight and fuperficial thoughts of the power of this enemy; for this conduct has often proved dangerous and fatal, in cafes where the enemy was feemingly infignificant and weak. But, at the fame time, we are not to be afraid of him; we are not to prove cowards, and turn our back in the hour of danger. No; we are calied to refift his machinations, to be ftedfaft in the faith, and to put on the whole armour of God, that we may be able to withstand in the evil day, in the time of temptation and trial. And this brings me,

II. To explain to you the method of defence and refiftance, to which we are directed'in the text: "Put "on," fays the apoftle, "the whole armour of God."

The Chriftian, in his journey towards the heavenly ftate, is called to contend with the powers of darknefs, and exhorted to behave as a good foldier of Jefus Chrift; but he is not left naked and unfurnished for the combat. The graces of the Spirit are abundantly fufficient for his defence. And these are here called the armour of God. This, therefore, we muft put on. We must not only have grace, the prin ciples of holiness implanted in our fouls, but we must have them in lively exercife. It is not enough that a foldier, in time of battle, have his arms ready for fervice, unless he have them on, and make a proper and vigorous ufe of them. In like manner, the Chriftian, who is in a state of continual warfare, must always have his fpiritual arms in readinefs, and carefully employ them, both for defending himself, and repelling the attacks of his enemies.

The apoftle, in the 14th, and fome of the verfes following, gives a particular defcription of this armour of God, which we are exhorted to put on.

1. "Stand," fays he, "having your loins girt a"bout with truth." Truth or fincerity, is here com

pared

pared to the foldier's belt or girdle; becaufe, as the belt ftrengthens his loins, and gives him vigour in action; fo, truth in the inward parts, a real love to God, and hatred of fin, is the great principle that, ftrengthens the Christian's heart, and animates his refiftance. Hypocrites may perhaps withftand fome flight temptations, but they will never refift the fiery darts of the wicked one. Let it then be your firft and principal concern, to procure and maintain the truth of grace in your hearts, the love of God, and the hatred of all iniquity. This must be the girdle of your loins. It is integrity and uprightnefs that muft preferve you.

2. You must alfo have on the breaft-plate of righ teoufnefs, or, as the apostle elsewhere explains it, the breaft-plate of faith and love; by which we are to understand the practice of univerfal holiness, flowing from faith in God, and love to his righteous law, And this is compared to a breaft-plate; because, as the breaft-plate defends the heart and vitals, which are the principal parts of the body, holiness preferves the foul from the wounds that Satan would inflict upon it. If, then, you would be secured against the errors of Satan's temptations, put on the breaft-plate of righteousness, by denying all ungodlinefs and worldly lufts, and living foberly, righteously, and godly, in the present world.

3. You must have your feet fhod with the preparation of the gofpel of peace. Shoes of brafs were anciently part of the military drefs, and the use of them was to defend the foldier's feet against the sharp ftones or flakes that were privily laid in the way to obftruct his march. The Chriftian foldier muft in like manner be fhod; and he must have for fhoes, the preparation of the gofpel of peace; that is, a prepared and refolved frame of mind, to adhere to the gofpel, and abide by it in spite of all oppofition and danger for this will enable him to walk with a firm and steady pace in the way of religion. Would you

then