they are no longer deceived by specious appear- ances ; they taste and see the real qualities of things : being "brought out of darkness into marvellous light," they view every thing, in a measure, as God himself views it : and the greater their proficiency is in the divine life, the clearer is their perception of the good or evil that exists m, not in their actions only, but in their motives and principles of action. And hence it is that the Apostle exhorts us to " be transformed in the renewing of our minds, that we may prove (and discern, not by theory only, but by actual experiment) what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of Godn."
Righteousness is further necessary, that we may repel the assaults of our enemy.
Sin not only blinds, but debilitates the soul. It is scarcely to be conceived how impotent the natural man is to resist the temptations of Satan. For the most part he makes no resistance at all, but follows the dictates of his imperious master, and yields a willing obedience to his most fatal suggestions. To the ungodly Jews our Lord justly observed, "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do0." Sometimes conscience will make a stand against the wicked one ; but it is soon over- powered, and either bribed into consent, or stunned to silence, or forced, in spite of all its efforts, to give way. It may cause one to tremblep; another to reform in many things'1 ; another to become almost a Christian1"; another to make a profession of reli- gion, and openly to join himself to the Church of Christ8 : but Satan has nothing to fear from its exer- tions, unless it stimulate a man to seek a thorough change of heart : he laughs at the fears of Felix, the reformation of Herod, the acknowledgments of Agrippa, and the professions of Simon Magus : he
m Heb. v. 13, 14.
n Rom. xii. 2. Etc to Soki/j-u^siv refers to the discerning of the qualities of metals by the furnace. See also Phil. i. 9, 10. where the same word is connected with to. cta<pepvvra, things that differ.
0 John viii. 44. P Acts xxiv. 25. i Mark vi. 20.
r Acts xx vi. 28. s Acts viii. 13.