First, He presents the object of desire before us in the most impressive and captivating form. The impression produced upon us by any object, depends much on the aspect in which it is beheld by us, just as the effect of a painting on beholders, depends much on the light in which they view it. Eve had, no doubt, frequently beheld the tree of knowledge before the temptation, but it does not appear to have made any impression upon her, more than had the other trees of the garden; but, when the serpent suggested the goodness of the tree, the tree itself seemed to be more beautiful and desirable; "good for food, and pleasant to the eyes." Accordingly, Satan attends much to the manner of presenting objects before us. If he would have us commit any particular sin, he will never exhibit that sin in the light of God's law, but always in the light of our own advantage. He will represent the commission of it as likely to promote our honour, our interest, or our personal gratification. Should a sense of shame in the person he is tempting, intervene between the temptation and the sin to which it is directed, he will ridicule that shame as pusillanimity and cowardice; should the force

of habit intervene, he will decry it as ignomi nious vassallage, which ought to be despised and surmounted; should the fear of God, he will persuade, either that there is no such being in existence as God, or, if there be, that, from ignorance, or incapacity, or the comparative insignificance of man, he takes no cognizance of human actions; or, if he do take cognizance of them, that he is too merciful to punish human transgressions. God, he affirms, knows our frailties,

and pities them ; "knows our frame, and remembers that we are dust;" when, therefore, in consequence of these infirmities and frailties, we go astray from him, he is more ready to pardon us, than we are even to ask his forgiveness. In proof of such a disposition as this existing in God, he will most grossly misconstrue some of the merciful revelations of his character, which are contained in his word; as, "He delighteth in mercy;" and some of his most gracious promises; as, "I will have mercy on their unrighteousness, and their sin and iniquity I will remember no more." He will also bring forth, as examples of it, his repeated acts of forgiveness towards his people Israel in the wilderness, and

his distinguishing favours to them, notwithstanding they so repeatedly and so egregiously sinned against him; also his forgiveness of persons who had committed egregious sins; as David, and Peter, and others.

Secondly, He carefully watches, and readily seizes, the occasion of sin. An occasion has frequently made a man a drunkard, a thief, or a fornicator, when the design or expectation of becoming such was the farthest from his thoughts. When David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the King's house, it is not at all improbable that it was for purposes of devotion, the purposes for which Peter assumed a similar situation at Joppa. But there an occasion of sin presented itself to him, and, instead of resolutely and at once rejecting it, he admitted it, and the sin itself followed; and to cloak that sin, he committed another of a still more heinous character. Thus an evil eye led, at once, to the destruction of his own peace, the peace of his family, and that of his kingdom; and brought reproach upon religion, which it bears even to this day. "Cunningly devised occasions," observes an old divine, “are like the danger of a preci

pice; if a man be so foolish as to take up a stand there, a small push will throw him over, though a far greater might not harm him, if he were upon a level. It is Satan's cunning to draw a

man within the reach of an occasion."

Thirdly, He lays under contribution whatever may prove an auxiliary to him.

1. Evil company is a very powerful auxiliary to the designs of Satan. Even in the case of the believer, whose heart is established with grace, worldly and sinful society has a most pernicious influence in deadening spiritual affections, and thereby leading to worldly conformity. Hence, the urgency with which he is exhorted by the apostle to have none but necessary intercourse with such society. "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing." 2 Cor. vi. 14-17. Moreover, the believer, when acting consistently, is de

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scribed as one that "walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful." Ps. i. 1. And, in common cases, worldly and sinful society leads to the commission of much direct and gross sin. We almost necessarily imitate the actions, whether good or bad, that are constantly being performed in our presence. "He that walketh with wise men," says Solomon, "shall be wise." In like manner, he that walks with vicious men, will, in all probability, in time, become vicious. So true is it that one sinner destroys much good. How, therefore, he may turn evil society to his own account, Satan can be at no loss to know.

2. Bodily afflictions and infirmities are another auxiliary to the designs of Satan. It is only when the grace of God accompanies affliction, and supports under infirmity, that they yield to us the peaceable fruit of righteousness, or lead us to more devoted consecration to the service of God. In themselves they have a contrary tendency, exciting in us, as they often do, some of the worst passions of our nature. As the effect of affliction and bodily infirmities,