and brings in his charges against the believing people of God, with the grounds and reasons thereof, and his own design therein.

That Satan the arch-head of the apostacy from God, the first who sinned and fell; who drew an innumerable company of spiritual, intellectual beings to follow him in his revolt from God, is an enemy! the great enemy both of God and man, the scriptures declare, the history of all times proves, and every every man's experience, whether saint or sinner, abundantly confirms. This is instanced and evidenced in the verse which precedes our text, where we read: "And he shewed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan," which word signifies an adversary, "standing at his right hand to resist him;" whom the Lord treats as an adversary, an enemy, both to him, and his: saying, "The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan!" This evil one has an implacable envy, hatred and malice against Christ and his saints, which breaks forth with rage when he perceives them to be seeking after and cleaving with full

purpose of heart to Immanuel, as their Lord and God. He cannot restrain, nor refrain himself from assaulting them when he perceives by them that they begin to think and speak highly of Christ Jesus, which he discovers by the alteration made in them by the grace of God. He knew them before their regeneration and conversion to the Lord, that then serious thoughts, much more heavenly things, were disgustful to them: that since such time as they have heard with peculiar attention about Christ, they have not been as they were before, and he perceives he cannot have that free access to them, and leave his own thoughts in their minds for them to think freely on as heretofore, which causes him to suspect them. Nay, he sometimes hears them speaking with some warmth and vigour, with real pleasure and delight of Christ and his great salvation; of his blessings and benefits; graces and comforts; victories and triumphs; glory and felicity; which fills this foul fiend with rage indeed, and he is determined to assault the soul, and that with the utmost policy. Is it a new con

vert he assaults? one who has been sweetly drawn to Christ by the cords of love, and has tasted in the exercise of faith that the Lord is gracious! he will suggest a thought to the mind, that having so much spiritual comfort and content is a suspicious thing; that there is reason to doubt of the reality of conversion where the soul has not been shook as it were over the mouth of hell; that many young saints turn out old gross sinners. He will further suggest the importance of looking narrowly within, to see for a cause, reason and motive to be found there, why the Lord should love us, glancing at the same time this thought into the mind, that without it, it is vile presumption to expect to be saved by Christ. If the case of the convert differs, and instead of being thus sweetly and irresistibly drawn by the freeness of grace to Jesus, he sees, feels, and has a deep insight into his own heart; sees the full vileness of sin, and has his own mind surrounded with a sight and remembrance of his past transgressions: then this subtle adversary will form his assault accordingly, and aim to get the soul to

look at sin according to his representation of it. And if he can so far prevail, as for the convicted person to view himself and sin, without any views of Christ and his sacrifices, he will endeavour to swallow him up in despair, by bringing all the sin he knows him guilty of, and charging it upon him; telling him he is too vile, loathsome and filthy to have any part in Christ, or so much as any hope in him. Is the person brought by the Holy Ghost revealing Christ in the word, to a receiving of Christ, and to the exercise of faith on him, and is he in believing filled with all joy and peace? Satan will tempt the believer to live upon his joy and peace, or interrupt his enjoyment by suggesting such queries to the mind, or stirring up such corrupt affections in the heart, as shall fill the soul with such conceptions as shall lead him to value himself upon his enjoyments, or damp and chill the affections to heavenly, spiritual, and divine things. As Satan is the avowed adversary and enemy of the children of the Most High, so he watches them most narrowly, considers them personally, studies

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them exactly, and assaults them imperceptibly. He mingles and assimilates with their spirits, and gets within them, suggests his own thoughts to their minds, which look to them like their own. perceives how they are taken or displeased with them; and tries others as the case may require. Yea, he stirs up the juices and blood, works upon the veins and nerves of the body, and carries his cause most successfully when we perceive least of his assaults. He will and does change the form of his attacks on us, as our views, frames, experiences and walks vary. Such a deep politician, so subtle is he, that as we increase from babes to young men, from hence to fathers, and grow more into the knowledge of Christ, and of the Father's love in him, he will choose out new temptations and try new kinds of stratagems on us.

There are two peculiar cases which befal the believer in Jesus continually, which nothing but faith can surmount. The one is the deadness, formality and want of real communion with the Lord, which the child of God has more or less daily expe