XVI. of the Almighty, is removed, we become SER M. naked and exposed to the fiery darts of our wicked adversary. The want of the fear of God is the prime cause of unrighteousness, the other is only subordinate; God suffers us not to be tempted above what we are able to resist, till we have cast off our veneration for him; he does not desert us, until we have first deserted ourselves; great as the envy and malice of our enemy are, he dares not molest us while he sees us subordinate to the authority, and protected by the superintendance of an Almighty leader; it is no wonder that he then commences his attacks so soon as he perceives us defenceless. This grand deceiver may perhaps have it in his power to influence our conduct two ways; he may either lead us into temp tation by bringing us into situations unfavourable to our virtue; or he may represent things in false and deceitful colours: the SERM. scripture gives an account of both; it de XVI. scribes the devil as the author of all those misfortunes which fell on Job, with the express design of tempting him to forsake his integrity; and it tells us that he entered into the heart of Judas to engage him to betray our Saviour, and of Ananias and Sapphira, to incite them to lie to the Holy Ghost; to those who encourage in their hearts sensual ideas, he may administer occasions of carrying their favourite passions into action; the covetous he may mislead with the opportunity of gain, the ambitious with the prospect of honours and of power; he may be permitted to facilitate and forward their access to the darling object of their affection, that they may more easily destroy themselves in making the fatal acquisition. Or, if we should not allow that he is able to take so active a part in the external affairs of men in general, his influence on their internal feelings cannot, I XVI. think, be doubted; perhaps he has it in his SERM. power, if not originally to put in motion our evil passions, at least to administer fuel to them, when we have willingly permitted them to assail us; perhaps he is able to indispose us, to render ús slothful and inactive towards any exertions of virtue and benevolence, or perhaps he has a certain influence on our reason, can make it see objects in false colours, and thus render it inadequate to the office of directing our conduct with that safety for which it was bestowed on us by God. I should suppose that by each of these ways our subtle and powerful enemy ensnares and destroys us; but of these, the last is the most dangerous, and consequently that against which we should be most on our guard, It is probable that the devil is at the bottom of those false ideas which many men entertain of the attributes of God; that, when we are about to fall into any crime, from VOL. II. R XVI. SERM. from which perhaps a thorough conviction. of the presence and observation of the Almighty, and of his strict justice, would restrain us, the adversary of our souls instills into us doubts and hesitations, makes us parley and deliberate, represents to us the infinite greatness of God, and that, removed as he is so far above us, and wrapt up in his transcendent majesty, it is not likely he should attend to the concerns of so insignificant a being as man; or, if this be too stale an argument, he causes us to reason on his goodness and mercy, and tries to persuade us that he will not be so extreme to mark what is done amiss, as the scriptures describe him. If by reason. ing of this kind, he be able to argue a sinner out of his fear of divine punishment, he has other fallacies ready to bring forward to diminish his dread of the punishments of men; in the first place, if the nature of the crime will at all bear it, he flatters XVI. flatters the hesitating sinner with the hope SERM. or the certainty of escaping detection; but if this be impossible, he persuades him that his being discovered will be attended with no ill consequences that, though known to be a culprit, he shall yet, by some circumstance, escape the vengeance of the law. If the crime be not of so deep a die, or one which does not so materially affect the peace of society-if it be one from the commission of which the credit and character chiefly are endangered, our enemy points out the number of those who have been guilty, with impunity-bids us mark how they are still caressed and respected by their fellow creatures, and insinuates that perhaps some of them have found the means of alluring this kindness by their very crimes. Fraud and rapine are frequently the steps to wealth; and wealth, no matter how obtained, rarely fails to procure to its possessor deference and respect; but, let |