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was this that lulled the mighty Sampson in the arms of Delilah, and despoiled him of his strength, his liberty, and finally of his life. It was this that caused David's fall, drew him into adultery and murder, and subsequently plunged him in all those miseries, both temporal and spiritual, by which he was taught that it is “ an evil thing and a bitter to sin against God.” It was the temptation of the love of the world that induced Ananias and Sapphira to keep back a part of the price of their land, and lie to the Holy Ghost. It was this also that induced Demas to forsake the service of the Lord, because he “loved this present world.” It was to the same temptation that Asaph was in danger of yielding, when, as he tells us, “ his feet were almost gone ; his steps had well nigh slipped ; for he was envious at the foolish when he saw the prosperity of the wicked. Behold,” said he, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency ; for all the day long have I been plagued and chastened every morning.” Nevertheless when Asaph came out of that temptation, he acknowledged that when his heart was thus grieved," he was “foolish, and ignorant, and as a beast before God.” Ps. lxxiii. 1-22.

My brethren, be on your guard against this temptation. Remember that Asaph, who, as to the prevailing disposition of his heart, could say, “whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee,” confessed that there was a moment when he was as a beast before God," judging of happiness only by the pleasures of sense, and envying the prosperity of the wicked. Remember, that this is a temptation to which we may apply the words of Solomon, in speaking of the wicked woman,

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“ It hath cast down many wounded, yea, many strong men have been slain by it.” Prov.vii.26. Remember that the word of God addresses to all classes of believers, even to those who strong and have overcome the wicked one,” this impressive exhortation, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world ; if

any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” 1 John ii. 14, 15. Watch, then, and pray, lest ye enter into temptation, for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Be prepared for the time when the enemy

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array before you, on the one hand, all the difficulties of your Christian course, and on the other hand, exhibit to your view all the attractions of the world and its lusts. He will say to you, as Jeroboam did to his people, when he would persuade them to renounce the worship of the true God, “ It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem.” He will say to you, like the wicked woman of whom Solomon speaks, come, let us take our fill of love; stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant.” Thus “ with . much fair speech will he cause you to yield, with the flattering of his lips will he force you." If he finds that you are shocked at the thought of renouncing the faith, and abandoning your God, and that you are thereby kept back, he will have recourse to the artful proposal of Rab-shakeh, “Make an agreement with me.” “ It is possible,” he will tell you, “ to come to an accommodation ; others have tried the experiment and found it to succeed ; without altogether leaving the ground which you occupy, you may find a position, where the service of God and the enjoyments of this world may be made in some degree to meet. By being a little less strict in your principles, you will avoid much opposition, reproach, and difficulty; you will be able to retain many of your

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earthly enjoyments, and at the same time you need not renounce the grace of God, who in the end will wash you from all your iniquities ; you will enjoy the repose of a child of God “ under your own vine and under your own fig-tree ; you will drink the waters of your own cistern;" you will hear the faithful preaching of the Gospel, read good books, engage in pious conversation, continue to possess those means of grace to which

you have been accustomed, but, at the same time, I will come and take you away to enjoy, in an honest way, the pleasures of a country like your own, where you will find all that temporal happiness which is consistent with sober and rational religion.”

Ah, it is when you hear such language as this, that, with feelings of horror, you must exclaim, “ Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve ;" it is then you must stop your ears, and turn away abruptly from the enemy. It is then you must fall upon your knees, and cry, 66 Lord lead me not into temptation; but deliver me from the evil one! Take hold of shield and buckler, and stand up for mine help, and stop the way against them that persecute

It is then you must open the word of God, and search for some of those passages which are like

sharp two-edged swords, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow;"-passages full of the power of the Holy Spirit, which penetrate the soul with the fear of God. It is then you must answer the enemy with a tone of decision, and say, "No compromise ; no compromise. : What concord hath Christ with Belial ? and what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness ?' Is it not written, " The love of the world is enmity

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against God?' Wretched enemy of my soul! were I to enter into a compact with thee, what would become of me? Were I for a little carnal enjoyment, a little of the glory, the pleasure, the riches of this world, to become one of those fearful whom the Lord rejects, one of those lukewarm whom he will spue out of his mouth, what would be my misery when I come to my last hour! What peace could I then enjoy if I had divided myself between the world and Christ; with what confidence could I think of presenting myself before the Lord after having followed the example of the double-minded man, who, seeking the friendship of the world, becomes the enemy of God. Oh, no! there must be no agreement, no compromise.

can serve two masters. Get thee behind me, Satan, for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.”

We now come to the last argument of Rab-shakehan argument which doubtless he regarded as the most powerful of all, because it was based upon facts. “ Hearken not unto Hezekiah, when he persuadeth you, saying, The Lord will deliver us.

Hath any of the gods of the nations delivered at all his land out of the hand of the king of Assyria ? Where are the gods of Hamath and of Arpad? Where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah? have they delivered Samaria out of my hand? Who are they among all the gods of the countries, that have delivered their country out of mine hand, that the Lord should deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand.”

In the preceding argument, he had endeavoured to gain over the people, by describing to them the delights of the country, to which he promised to transport them, in case of their surrendering themselves into his hands, but he was well aware that the whole

force of this argument depended upon the supposition that Jerusalem could not possibly hold out against him, and that, consequently, it was better for them to surrender at discretion, and be removed to a pleasant country, than to perish in a brave but ineffectual effort to defend themselves. Rab-shakeh, therefore, felt the necessity of taking away from the Jews all hopes of being able to resist him with success, as otherwise, they might still say, “ If, notwithstanding our weakness, the Lord should be pleased to deliver us, it would be better for us to remain in our own country which we know, to which we are attached, which the Lord hath given us, and where he hath blessed us, than to surrender ourselves to be transported to a distant land of which we know nothing, save by the glowing descriptions of those who seek our ruin.” Fearing, therefore, lest this idea of trusting in the Lord should still be cherished, and frustrate the success of his preceding argument, he terminates his discourse by an appeal to facts, which seemed to prove, beyond contradiction, the hopelessness of their condition. As if he had said, “ Profit by the example of others. Among all the nations which I have invaded, is there one whose gods have been able to save it? Have the gods even of Samaria delivered it out of mine hand ? Have I not overturned the kingdom of Israel, which formerly made a part of the chosen people of God, and consequently was entitled to his protection? How then can you flatter yourselves that the Lord will deliver Jerusalem out of mine hand ? Your strong holds are all taken; Jerusalem alone holds out against me; my armies are at the gates ; and do you still expect to escape ?"

And thus it is, that Satan endeavours to shake the faith of the people of God, saying unto them, Can

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