and all the nations," though there be whole nations of them, " that forget God." Whatever may be their " forms of godliness," however infinitely varied, if they remain destitute of its "power;" power;" if they "have not the fear "of God before their eyes," and his love in their hearts, whatever their other attainments, they will be considered by Him, as "sounding "brass, and a tinkling cymbal;" as whitened Sepulchres, outwardly pleasing to behold, but within full of all uncleanness; the natural man, the old Adam being still unsubdued; the carnal mind which is enmity against God, still flourishing in its full vigour ; —having no true repentance, without which not a single sin can ever be blotted out; ---no living faith, without which it is impossible to please God; --no holiness of heart, the only root of real holiness of lite; and without which no man shall or can see the. Lord.

APPLICATION.

in which

LET US then, my Brethren, be careful to guard against "Satan's devices, since there. are such various and deceitful ways he may get an advantage of us." earnestly beseech our gracious and

Let us merciful

High

High Priest, who can be touched with our infirmities; who, having been tempted himself, knows how to succour them that are tempted. Let us continually apply for the Holy Spirit of God, by whom alone cometh our help.

How this arises, together with a more particular description of the wiles of Satan, in their several stages, to frustrate his benevolent designs in our Salvation, I shall hope to be enabled to point out in my next discourse.

Let us, in the mean time, ask our own hearts, how far we are individually under the power of Satan's devices? Suffer me to assist you in the enquiry. Are you living in the practice of any known sin? Are you living in hatred or malice with any of your brethren of mankind? If so, we have the word of God for it, you are of your father the Devil; for the "lusts of your father you do. " ‡ "In this "the children of God are manifest, and the "children of the Devil. He that doeth not

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righteousness, but committeth sin, is of the "Devil; also he that loveth not his brother." Are you addicted to lying, to any fraud, treachery or deceptions? "He was a liar from the beginning, and the father of lies. " Are you under the power of "the lust of the flesh,

John viii. 24. Iib. iii. 8-10. ib. viii. 44.

the

"the lust of the eyes, or the pride of life? These, you have seen, are Satan's chief instruments for your destruction, and while under their dominion, you are in "the snare of "the Devil, taken captive by him at his will.” The spirit that worketh in all the children of disobedience, worketh also in you. "vants ye are, whom ye obey."

you;

"His ser

O my dear friends, think of the dreadful nature of your situation! However well mankind may speak of however well you think of yourselves; (nay, your thinking well of yourselves, is one of your very worst symp toms) you are at this moment, subjects, worshippers, children of Satan. Your bodies instead of being "temples of the Holy Ghost, are temples of the Devil. It is he that worketh in you "both to will and to do of his "wicked pleasure."

You are performing his lusts. You are assisting him in the damnation of your own souls. You are fighting under his banner, against God, and Christ, and Holy Angels, and all Christ's faithful Disciples. You are occasioning sorrow in heaven, joy and rapture in hell. The spirits of darkness are even now dwelling with delight on the exquisite torments which they hope to see you undergo for ever and

1 Rom. 6-16.

ever,

ever; on the addittion of misery, which your unhappy souls will occasion in their infernal kingdom. You are in their snare, taken captive at their will. Oh! wretched men, who

shall deliver you? There is but one who can deliver you. The Son of God was manifested for this very cause, that he might destroy the. works of the Devil; that he might set at liberty his wretched captives; -might conduct them into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

+

"The strong man armed, keepeth his house "within your soul, and his goods are in peace; "but God in Christ, is stronger than he; can "take away his armour wherein he trusted, "and spoil his goods. " Have you then fled to Christ for refuge? Have you gone to him "weary and heavy laden, and found rest to your soul?" Have you beheld "the glory "of God, in the face of Jesus Christ? ¶ Do you know any thing of "Christ in you the hope of glory? This is the great mystery || of the gospel. " Christ has been manifested to the world; but, has he been manifested to your soul? Without this you can have "neither part nor lot" in his salvation.

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Luke xi. 21 &c. ¶ 2 Cor. iv. 6. Col. i. 27.

Alas!

See John xiv. 21 to 28. Eph. 3—17. 2 Cor. 1-28.

2 Tim. 1-14.

Alas! you know nothing of all this. Your case then is plain. Satan, "the God of this "world, hath blinded your mind, with those "of all who believe not, lest the light of the

glorious Gospel of Christ, who is the image "of God, should shine into them, that you

might be saved." You are, with the whole of the unbelieving world, lying with the wicked one, in the very arms, under the entire power of Satan. All your outward decency of conduct, if you have observed such, cannot save you from the dreadful, eternal portion of unbelievers. *

Remember, he that believeth not with an humble, contrite, loving heart, in Christ, shall be damned. However outwardly moral, he shall eternally "perish; is condemned already; "hath the wrath of God abiding on him. " There is no exception: there is no further trial; no future appeal. All such reject God's offered mercy in his dear Son; and will therefore be most justly condemned to the “everlasting "fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels; "the worm that dieth not; the fire that is "not quenched."

Your

of "

2 Cor. iv.4 1 John v. 19. This is the true tranflation en too poneeroo." * Luke xii. 46. + Mark xvi. 15, 16. ‡‡ John iii. 15, 16, 18, and 36.