him up with pride f, that so he might bring him into the condemnation of the devil5. And with more suc- cess did he assault Peter immediately after the most exalted honour had been conferred upon him ; whereby he brought upon the unguarded saint that just rebuke, " Get thee behind me, Satan ; for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men11." Above all, Satan is sure to embrace an opportunity when we are alone, withdrawn from those whose eye would intimidate, or whose counsel would restrain, us. He could not prevail on Lot, when in the midst of Sodom, to violate the rights of hospitality; but when he was in a retired cave, he too successfully tempted him to repeated acts of drunkenness and incest. And who amongst us has not found that seasons of privacy, or, at least, of seclusion from those who knew us, have been seasons of more than ordinary temptation ?
The means which Satan uses in order to accomplish his purpose, will afford us a yet further insight into his wiles. Whom will a general so soon employ to betray the enemy into his hands, as one who by his power can command them, or by his professions can deceive them ! And is it not thus with Satan ? If he want to draw down the judgments of God upon the whole nation of the Jews, he will stir up David, in spite of all the expostulations of his courtiers, to number the people1. If he would destroy Ahab, he becomes a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab's pro- phets, to persuade him, and by him to lead Jehoshaphat also and the combined armies into the most immi- nent perilk. Would he have Job to curse his God ? no fitter person to employ on this service than Job's own wife, whom he taught to give this counsel, " Curse God, and die1." Would he prevail on Jesus
f 2 Cor. xii. 7. si Tim. iii. 6, 7.
h Matt. xvi. 16—19, 22, 23. '' Numb. xxi. 1—4.
k 1 Kings xxii. 21, 22. See the instance also of Elymas the sorcerer, who on account of his efforts is called " a child of the devil." Acts xiii. 10.
1 Job ii. 9.