[It is important to distinguish between a state, and the degree of that state. All holiness upon earth must be very imperfect-but in every regenerate soul the love and desire of holiness is necessarily implanted. In such a soul, though its attainments may be feeble, its steps tottering, the desire after holiness may be strong-the tendency towards it will never But the unregenerate soul has no efficient desire after holiness, no effectual love of heavenly things.]

cease.

Do you perceive that a great change must take place in you, before you can be admitted into heaven?

Must you not have a new heart and dispositions, a heart and mind that can be happy in the presence of God?

Can

66 you see God" without holiness? Matt. v. 8; Heb. xii. 14; 1 Pet. i. 16.

How may you be made holy; how may you be born again?

How may you be raised from the death of sin to newness of life? [John i. 12, 13; iii. 6 -8; v. 21, 24; xii. 24; Rom. vi. 4, 5; viii. 5-9; 2 Cor. v. 17; Eph. ii 1; iv. 24; Col. iii. 10; James i. 18; 1 Pet. i. 23; 1 John iii. 1, 2, 9; v. 4.]

Who is the immediate agent of the great change to be produced? John iii. 5.

Pray for the Holy Spirit, that by His divine power your nature may be renewed. Pray for it daily. [Luke xi. 2-13.]

Is he the creature of God? Could God create

an evil being?

What was Satan?

What do the Scriptures tell us of the fall of the angels?

Compare Isa. xiv. 12; Ezek. xxviii. 13,

Jude 6; Rev. xii. 7-9.*

17;

In what part of Scripture do you first read of Satan? [Though the name of Satan does not occur in Genesis, we identify him with the serpent; Rev. xii. 9. There are passages in the Old Testament in which his agency is expressly declared, see Job, chapters i. and ii; and see 1 Chron. xxi. 1.]

Under what form did he appear to Eve?
Under what character?

To what did he tempt Eve?

*Hence we gather that the rebellious angels sinned in an awful manner.-It has been supposed that they refused to pay homage to the Son of God (Heb. i. 6.) who is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."-From comparing 1 Pet. v. 8, and other passages, with Jude 6; it appears that there are two orders of fallen angels, one of which has a degree of liberty, the other is "reserved in everlasting chains." Of the former, Satan may be considered the chief.

From what did he desire to withdraw mankind?

What characters are given of Satan in the New Testament

What is he called, Matt. xiii, 19? [The wicked one.]

What is he described as doing? [Taking away the good seed, which was sown in the heart.]

And again in the 39th verse?

What two distinct characters are given of him, John viii. 44?

["He was a murderer from the beginning"-. "there is no truth in him-he is a liar."]

What name does our Saviour give him, John xiv, 30.?

What does St. Paul call him, 2 Cor. iv. 4?

What work is attributed to him in the same verse? [That of blinding the mind.]

And what does the Apostle say, Eph. ii. 2? What does St. Peter call Satan, Pet. v. 8?

And what fearful description does he add? Should we not then be continually upon our watch against him?

By what names is this great enemy called, Rev. xii. 9, 10?

Does Satan now take an outward form to seduce man?

What means does he use? [He often makes evil appear good: if he tempted us to evil as evil, he would less frequently succeed-but he is a deceiver.]

How does St. Paul allude to his manner of deceiving, 2 Cor. xi. 3 and 14?

We have said that Satan is a liar and a murderer: do we find in Scripture, any particular instances of his tempting persons to commit the sins of lying and murder?

Who influenced Ananias and Sapphira to lie to the Holy Ghost? Acts v. 3.

Who influenced Cain to murder? 1 John iii. 12.

Observe that it is the great object of Satan, to draw men to partake in his own guilt and misery. There are also other instances in Scripture of these particular sins being committed; and Satan is the common Instigator to these, and to many sins.

Has Satan never tempted you?

Has he tempted you to lie?

May he be the murderer of your soul? What should you do when you are tempted? You should fly at the first approach of temptation, and instantly have recourse to Christ.

Should you for a moment, listen to the Tempter?

Is it easier to resist at the beginning, or afterwards?

What exhortations are given, Mark xiv. 38; Eph. vi. 16-18; 1 Pet. v. 8, 9?

What means are recommended, in these passages, as effectual against the power of Satan?

Faith and Prayer, are the two great weapons by which the Adversary of your souls is to be overcome.

"Watch"-and "pray always." Believe in Jesus Christ, and pray.

II.

Do we read of any holy man in the Old Testament, whom Satan had especial permission to afflict?

Did God restrict his power? Read Job i. 12; ii. 6.

Did Satan attain the end he sought in afflicting Job? Read the last chapter.

Was the Son of God subject to the temptations of Satan?

Do you know why? See Heb. ii. 18.

By what remarkable temptation did Satan try our Saviour? * Read Luke iv. 1—13.

Did Satan overcome Him?

* The temptation in the wilderness is particularly described; but as St. Paul tells us that Jesus was in all points “tempted like as we are "--that " in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren"- --we have reason to believe that He was, as we are, continually subject to the temptations of Satan. Had it not been so, He would not, in this respect, have known the trials of buman nature.