or ourselves; and we should not perplex ourselves much in inquiring where they come from: let them come from where they may, if we hate and reject them, they are not imputed unto us; the rule runs thus that only is ours which we accept and assent unto. "When I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it; " therefore, God imputes no more to us than that which we allow what we do not allow, but abhor and reject, is no sin to us, but our

cross.

2. Let us not stop to debate and argue the point with the tempter; but instantly bid him to depart. So did Christ deal with him, when he tempted him to fall down and worship him: Away! Satan! saith Christ. Let us follow this example; for we have no chance to debate with such a subtle sophister. He hath been, for nearly six thousand years, practising his hideous temptations, and his infernal policies. We are mere novices, and know but little of the devices and depths of Satan; if we then stop to debate with him, we are sure to be more and more confounded. Surely, it is far wiser to bid Satan to depart, than parley and dispute with him on any point. When he suggests evil thoughts to our minds, we should loath and abhor them, and cast them away at once, after the example of our Lord and Saviour; then the tempter will for a season depart from us, as he did from Christ. A very pious woman said one day to her minister, "I am so pestered with Satan's vile and blasphemous suggestions, that I have no peace of mind, nor comfort of my life." The minister gave her this advice: "When any of these evil thoughts

are suggested to your mind, take no manner of notice of them, but go on with what you have in hand, whether it be your worldly employment, or religious duties, and care not what Satan says to you; he is doing his work, and you must go on with your's, without ever stopping to listen to his blasphemies; for he was a liar from the beginning." After a few weeks, the said good woman accosted her minister thus: “Sir, the devil is very angry with you.” “What for?" I followed your advice, and the tempter now lets me alone, to my peace and comfort." So let every tempted soul act.

3. During the hour and power of darkness, avoid solitariness and desert places, where Satan hath the greatest advantage for all his assaults. When Christ was to be tempted, the Holy Spirit led him into the wilderness, that Satan might have the utmost advantage against him. He attacked Adam, Lot and David, when he found them alone. He tempts in the public assemblies; yet none so much to his purpose as solitary places. When he possessed individuals, he took them into the wilderness; he is the prince of darkness, and chooses darkness for his work. I shall here give my own experience. I spent my time in very public places, till I was wearied with the envy, jealousy and discord I found among men, which made me go to spend the remainder of my life in solitude. But alas! I soon found that retirement is not free from temptations of another sort, especially Satan's hideous and horrible injections. I soon found that it is a mistaken policy, to leave society for solitude, for there the enemy has more advantage against

us; but if God in his providence lead us there, we may trust in him for protection and deliverance. If it be your lot to be very much in solitude, take care of a wandering heart; the mind, like a mill, will be ever a going, take much pains to give it a right direction. Strive so to spend your time in solitude, that you may say with Scipio, "That you are never less alone, than when alone;" or rather, with Christ, "I am not alone, for the Father is with me." No place so sweet or profitable as retirement, if time and talents are rightly employed; for there we have less interruption to our converse with God about everlasting things, and to our worship of him in spirit and in truth.

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4. We must guard against idleness. Holy exercises, and the duties of our lawful callings, should occupy our whole time. Converse much with wise and pious persons: consult them, and follow their direction. Be often and fervent in prayer, that you may not be led into temptation: say to Christ, Lord, rebuke Satan, and restrain his malice;" suffer him not to harass my mind with his fiery darts, or hellish blasphemies; or, if tempted, save my soul from sinning. Be diligent in thy worldly calling also, so that the enemy may not find thee idle, which is his favourite opportunity to ensnare the soul. Very nervous people, above all others, should have their minds constantly employed; for Satan delights to torment them with wicked thoughts, more than any class of men; because they, of all others, are the most likely to yield to his suggestions, and to think his injections to be their own sins. Good Mr. Gurnal says: that 'Satan lays his brats before their

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doors, and they, in their simplicity, take them in, and nurse them for their own children.' If we give constant employment to our thoughts, we shall have no leisure to listen to Satan's suggestions.

If after all, we cannot get rid of these sad injections, let us not grieve over-much; but look on them as Satan's sins, and not ours. Let them pass as they

come, without any great trouble; say to Satan, Oh, mine enemy, do thy worst, I am safe, having committed myself into the care and keeping of one almighty to save; God is my rock and refuge; and under the shadow of his wings will I hide myself, "till the indignation be overpast."

CHAPTER VII.

ASSAULTS AT THE END OF LIFE.

We have already considered the assaults of our enemies at three different periods of our lives, that is: 1. In childhood. 2. In the time of conversion. 3. In after life. And now we shall notice, the assaults at death, and shew how we are then to act.

I.-Assaults at the END Of life.

1. If God permits, and in some instance, he does permit, some of the best of men to have their fiercest

conflicts at the end of life; the excellent Mr. Bolton says: 'That it is Satan's policy to conceal his most desperate assaults unto the last. He reserves his keenest darts, his most deadly poison, and his sharpest sting, until he finds us on our, death-bed.' Another great divine says: As evil spirits are ever busy and restless in their assaults, so their last conflicts are generally the most vehement, when the soul is about departing for ever out of his reach. Cruel and cowardly enemies always take advantage of the weakness and suffering condition of those they wish to crush.' So does Satan deal with dying men; but the Christian is as safe as Noah in the ark.

some of the saints We see many of any molestation;

2. I have often wondered, why are not most troubled in death. them pass out of the world without but it is not the will of the enemy to let them go free God hath him in a chain, and restrains his malice, so that he is compelled to let them die quietly; God gives his angels charge concerning them, to guard them unmolested through the dark valley of death; otherwise, not one of them all would escape the enemy's fiery darts, while passing from time to eternity. Some of these Christian warriors, after contending with Satan and his angels all the way through life, have the fiercest encounters of all, when they come to leave the world. I shall now proceed to speak of some of these final conflicts. 3. There can be no doubt, that such a subtle enemy as the devil, has an endless variety of temptations for dying men. But our time is too short to fathom the depths of Satan; we can yet only guess at the variety