the sacrificial path of poverty and self-denial; the Mediator has contravened the plan and counsel of God; the Lamb carries a blemish, and it is spotted with the sin of tempting God, and no longer fit to be the Paschal offering. Oh, fateful moment !—but God be praised, Jesus sees through the satanic artifice. He knew indeed, that the angels would bear Him up. But, should He claim the power and faithfulness of God in self-chosen paths of danger? No-no- -on no account; His holy soul shuddered at the satanic proposal. One Bible text was quoted to catch and precipitate Him if possible; another shall serve for a support-a shield and a lance: "It is written again, 'Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." He utters it-and the devil is beaten a second time.

And there are to US SPIRITUAL PRECIPICES.-In the holy city, the spiritual Jerusalem, Satan still employs his most cunning arts, and makes his most wicked proposals; and his most brilliant victories, of however short duration, are usually achieved by these means in the same holy place. There are still temptations and spiritual conditions occasioned by the devil's artifice, which closely resemble this transporting of our Lord to the pinnacle of the Temple. There are Spiritual precipices, I say. The best and happiest condition on earth is indisputably this, to cling like a worm to the feet of Jesus-to dwell in craving poverty of spirit, like Lazarus at the rich man's gate; and with the Canaanitish woman to desire, like a dog, the crumbs which fall from the Lord's table. Then are we blessed; then are we rich-then safe. But certainly this is to spoil the devil's game. No wonder, then, that the impostor is intent on nothing so much as to decoy, by some means, the children of God out of this state of lowliness and spiritual poverty; and he seeks to bring this to pass in various ways.

Let me mention an instance or two.

Clothed in the form of

an angel of light, he accosts you and leads you into the holy city; that is, he spreads out before you all the gifts and graces,

the rights and privileges, of which you, as a member of the heavenly kingdom, have become partaker, so that you think, in fact, some good angel is affording you this blissful prospect. Then the tempter selects from these gifts one-perchance the gift of the Holy Spirit-and begins to unfold to you all that you possess in this gift: how the Holy Spirit sanctifies and enlightens you, how he guides you into all truth, how he searches out the deep things of the Godhead-leads and inspires you speaks and bears witness in you; and so in every other particular unfolds his work just as it is. Then the devil proceeds yet further -and endeavors next to convince you, that the Spirit must also be able to reveal to you something new,-something which the Bible contains only partially, or not at all. From this he goes on-and teaches you to take some thoughts of your own for the suggestions of the Spirit. He then advances another step, and pronounces you an inspired person-one, who no longer needs the outward light in the altar, because he has the inner light ; and alas, before you are aware, you are vanished away to the pinnacle of the tempter, and feel yourself exalted above God's word and testimony, the church, and the sermon. All these objects, together with the entire Jerusalem of the remaining believers, you see lying far below your feet; and if, upon this giddy height, you do not grow dizzy-and finish by plunging headlong into the frighful abyss of insanity, you will owe your preservation to that almighty grace alone, which has saved you. Such were the diabolical snares into which our brethren at S- fell, who would conform to no order, nor suffer themselves to be directed by God's word, but appealed, instead, to the Spirit, who, as they said, had taught them other and higher things. There may be among them some true children of God, who will yet return to right paths, but yet it must ever be regarded as a sad and awful perversion. God preserve us from such delusion! Seize the words, my brethren. "It is written: 'But though we or an angel from heaven preach any other Gospel unto you, than that, which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."" "It is

written Thy word is a lamp unto my feet'"—such an "it is written," spoken in faith, routs the devil.

When Satan is baffled in one attempt, he tries another, and ceases not, until every means has been exhausted. We have seen people of all descriptions, standing on dizzy temple-roofs, transported thither by various methods. One is elated by the pleasing fancy, that for him there is no more any mystery, and it seems as if he had been specially enlightened of God, and carried the key of David in his pocket. In the midst of his superabundant knowledge, the devil catches him, and according to his infernal exegesis, explains to him the clause, "Ye have an unction from the Holy One, and know all things." Another fancies himself to be the man who shall smite the earth with the sword of his mouth, and rule spirits with the sceptre of his words, and after whom none may speak. His gifts for teaching and preaching have, through the cunning of the devil, been turned into a gin and a snare. A third is inflated with the thought, that there is something peculiar in his relation to God, as if he were seated in the kingdom of God a couple of benches higher than the rest of us poor sinners; and perhaps it was from some answers to prayers he had received, that the devil prepared for him the sweet intoxication. A fourth has a fixed idea that without him the kingdom of God could not exist—that he, apart from his fellows, is a pillar there-an apostle-the Elias of his day. In his case the blessings which God had bestowed upon his word and testimony, has been converted by the devil's art into a lime-twig whereby he has been caught. A fifth is deluded into the belief, that all his dreams and fancies are genuine divine visions and revelations; and the poor man deems himself a seer-a prophet—a beholder of visions. To a sixth, the devil presents some magic mirror-and the poor man beholds himself therein, with a halo round his head; or the devil sends him friends who laud, admire, and deify his meekness, patience, faith, and love; and thus the deluded spirit is beguiled by degrees, into the notion that God must have set him up as an example of saintliness among men.

So these are precipices; thus it is to be set on the pinnacle of the temple. And well would it be if it ended only here; if these poor deluded men would stop with regarding themselves as apostles, saints, and martyrs. But let them only reach such a height, and they not seldom mount yet higher. It is not all who are brought from thence safely down a stairway to their true place again in the plain below. Many plunge themselves down from these giddy heights into the lowest depths of insanity. Unhappy instances of this sort have existed at all times-persons who have at last given themselves out to be God, or Christ himself, or the Holy Ghost; and this too, in the very midst of the holy city.

Brethren abide in your refuge; keep in the dust: above all, ye who are rich in gifts, and apt to teach-who are respected among your fellows, and speak publicly in assemblies-who lead the devotions of the church and whose light shines brightly in Zion. Among such, the devil readily finds a handle by which to lay hold, and spirit them away to lofty eminences. Gird around. you for a breast-plate, the text: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven." Set as a helmet on your head the truth: Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein." Take as a sword into your hand the word: "God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." And hold fast to the belief that the golden rose, Jesus, bloomed, not on lofty heights, but in lowly vales. And if the devil is seeking to urge you into presumptions and bewildering speculations upon unfathomable mysteries-if he is alluring you into vain refinements, whether it be regarding the Trinity or the idea of Eternity-or the two natures in Christor regarding any other unsearchable problem, then rally yourself and exclaim, "It is written, 'We know in part and prophesy in part; but when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away." Tell him in the name of Jesus, that you desire to know no more than is needful for your salvation. So will you expel the Wicked One.

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DISCOURSE XI.

THE DEMAND AND THE PROMISED REWARD.

"Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil," etc., etc.-MATT. iv. 1-11.

THAT the devil gladly uses our heavenly sonship for the purpose of urging us the more easily to all sorts of ungodly steps, is a well known fact. For instance, he may have learned that there yet lurks in your members some bosom sin, which you have not yet mastered. In this case he leads you into circumstances, which not only excite your lust, but also give you the means of gratifying it. There you stand on the verge of an abyss. 'Cast thyself down," whispers the devil. You attempt to escape. "Stay, stay," he adds, again, "it is so pleasant below." You resist. "Cast thyself down," he shouts yet louder. You tremble at the danger, but nevertheless cannot break away. You are charmed to the spot. "Cast thyself down," once more cries Satan. "Thou art a child of God. Thou certainly wilt be pardoned." He speaks, and if God do not hold you back, you are gone. You are, say, of an irritable temperament, and the inmates of your home thwart your plans and set all your heart in a foam. You would gladly retaliate, but you know not whether you dare do it. You are standing over an abyss. "Cast thyself down," the devil cries. "Thou art a child of God, and between God's children and the world there should be no peace, but only a sword, and separation-gratify thy zeal." He

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