[Few, if any, of the Lord's people are altogether strangers to the wiles of Satan. Exceeding powerful are the sugo-es- tions, whereby he tempts and harasses the souls of men. They are j ustly compared to " fiery darts," which penetrate the inmost soul, and which nothing but " the shield of faith can quench ^" Sometimes he insinuates that we have committed the unpav donable sin, the sin against the Holy Ghost ; and that we can never be forgiven. At other times he suggests, that we are not of the number of God's elect ; and that, consequently, it is in vain to seek his face. At other times, he would make us beheve, that we have sinned away our day of grace ; and that therefore our state is remediless and hopeless. Novv thovudi the world at large are " ignorant of these devices," the Lord's people know them by bitter experience' ; and find, that, wliilst this subtle enemy, by accushig them to others, creates to them many " fightings without," so by accusing them to themselves he generates many "fears within ^"]
But, formidable as this enemy is, my text in- forms us,
IL By what means we may be sure to overcome him —
Of the saints in glory we are told, that " they over- came him by the blood of the Lamb :" and we in like manner shall overcome him also, if we regard the blood of the Lamb,
1 . As the ground of our hopes —
[It is " the blood of the Lamb" which has procured our reconciliation with God : and if we be sprinkled with it, as the houses of the Israelites were sprinkled with the blood of the Pasclial Lamb, no enemy whatever can prevail to hurt us. Thousands may fall beside us, and ten thousands at our right hand, but destruction can never come nigh us. There is in that precious blood a sufficient atonement for the sins of the whole world ; so that, if we had the sins of the whole woi'ld upon our own souls alone, we need not despair : we need only to plunge into " the fountain opened for sin and for un- cleanness," and we shall be pure, even as an angel is pure : " our sins of scarlet or of crimson die shall instantly become as wool, yea, and as white as snow itself" In vain will Satan then attempt to accuse us : for God, who seeth our secret re- liance on the blood of Christ, will " behold no iniquity in us:" and in vain will he attempt to distress our minds ; for, " being justified by faith in that blood, we shall have peace with God," and peace in our own conscience. That plea, the death of
Christ
" Eph. vi, 16. * 2Cor. ii. 11. " 2Cor. vii.5.
368 REVELATIOX, xir. 11. [1210.
Christ for us, will be sufficient to silence every accusation, and to defeat every assault of our great adversary.]
2. As the source of our strength —
[That precious blood has purchased for us all the blessings both of grace and glory ; and, relying on it, we may be assured that " our strength shall be according to our day." ^^'hat is there that God will not do for those who are reconciled to him through the sacrifice of his dear Son? Will he not come down to him, and dwell in him, and be a Father unto him ; and deal with him as a Son ? But there is one promise which com- prehends within it every thing that our hearts can wish : "I will be a God unto himV Consider what is implied in this. If it had been said only, I will be a friend, or a father, unto him, it would have been most encouraging ; because it would have secured to us all that might reasonably be expected from persons standing in such relations to us. But, when it is said, " I will be a God unto him," it secures to us the exercise of infinite wisdom, and almighty power, and goodness, and love : and, with these on our side, we may defy all the assaults whether of men or devils.]