and wishes, that makes God's word despised, and Satan's whispers believed. We are then like men with dark glasses before our eyes. Things do not look as they are, but as our desires would wish them to be. Eve looked up at the tree, and saw how good the fruit looked. She thought how pleasant it would be to be wiser than she was, and while she thus felt, God's words looked quite different from what they were before, for she did not wish them true; and the Serpent's words seemed very good and proper, for she heartily wished they might be true and at last she believes altogether that they are true. She casts God's words, the words of a Gracious and Holy and Loving and Kind Being, behind her back, and takes the Devil's words for her guide, and to be the guide of her husband. Such is the sin of unbelief. And that is the real root of every act of sin.

God's word is plain enough, but men get blinded and deafened in their spiritual understandings, so that Satan's words come with more power to them, telling them they shall not die, than God's words which say that "the soul that sinneth it shall die." It is this that keeps many persons altogether in the path-way of sin, in the broad road of destruction. They acknowledge they are wrong, but some how or

other they think they shall not die, they will turn in time, or God will not be so strict as His word, the door of hell will be shut before they get to it. Thus they go on in a state, the wages of which is death, yet some how they believe the Devil before God, they will not die, but may go on enjoying the "pleasures of sin for a season. And thus, as it was with Eve, so with the many now, Satan succeeds. And as surely as all the evil, that has been in the world ever since that time, was brought about because Eve believed the Serpent rather than God, so certainly will all that evil which is laid up for sinners in the next world be brought to pass on them, unless by God's grace they be turned from the power of Satan unto God, and through faith in the second Adam get pardon and strength against sin, and so live here by faith in every word of God.

Carry away this then from this sad history. That the way to resist sin is to resist it in its first on-set even the first whisper of temptation. Dally not with it. Once like Eve listen to it-think of the pleasures of it-and all is over with you. The eyes and the ears are the inlets of sin. You must close these at once against it. David fell into sin for want of this when on his house-top. Joseph fell not, because he hearkened not to be with the object

of sin.

"Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from

it, and pass away.

(Prov. iv. 15.) Yours is the promise then, "Resist the Devil and he will flee from you."

Remember also, the only safe-guard is the Word of God hid in the heart. As saith the Holy Ghost by David, "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee,” As our Lord over-came the Serpent, so in His strength can His disciples, "It is written," my God hath said, and His word is before all. Read the Bible for this end-to know what sin is, and to have strength against it. Yours then is the promise, "Draw near to God and He will draw near to you."

Moreover, ask much for the good Spirit. Satan shall not blind you then. You shall not be ignorant of his devices, if God's Spirit anoint your eyes. Satan is a spirit, and a subtile one, but God's Spirit knows more, and can glide into the heart, even more quickly than Satan. He can get before him in all his devices. We wrestle against spiritual wickedness, but we have spiritual powers on our side in Christ, who is the stronger man, and “if God be for us, who can be against us.'

Lastly, see here how this Scripture sets forth strikingly your privileges as a believer in Christ the second Adam, "the Lord from heaven." If

you have a living faith in Him, you stand on very different ground from what Adam and Eve did, and therefore are more secure from falling. Theirs was a covenant of works. Yours is of grace. Life with them depended on obedience given by them. Life with us in Christ depends on what Christ has done, the obedience He has given, the curse He has endured. As it is written, "by the obedience of one many shall be made righteous." "Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."

Moreover, we have greater strength than they had. The Captain of our salvation fights for us. The battle is now the Lord's. Through Christ in us we are very strong, far stronger than Satan and all his angels. O believer, rejoice in this strength. Triumph in it. "Sin shall not have dominion over you, you are not under law, but under grace." Seek to be more imbued with the Spirit of Christ's commandments; read, study, and pray over the Word of God for this end; and yours is the gracious encouragement, (Rev. xxii. 14.) "Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city."

PRAYER.

O Lord God! Thy word tells me of a great enemy who is against my soul, I desire to pray against him. Thou, Lord, has made thyself manifest in the flesh, that thou mightest destroy his works, I pray for thy help. Lord, I beseech thee, destroy his power and his works both in my soul and in my path. Open my eyes that I may see his devices. Strengthen my hands that I may resist them. Let thy word be ever uppermost in my heart. May I shrink from every thing contrary to it, as from a viper that bites. May I test every thing by it.

May I see the

Put all thine

hook in every bait of Satan. armour upon me. Let thy good Spirit lead

Give me righteousness on the right-hand, and on the left. Lord, make me more than conqueror over all that Satan does to me. Bruise him under my feet. Give me victory now and in every step I take, until I am beyond the reach of the Wicked One and in glory eternal, through Jesus Christ my Lord and my God. AMEN.