communion is Jacob's ladder, where you have Christ sweetly coming down into the soul, and the soul by divine influences sweetly ascending up to Christ. Communion with Christ is very inflaming, raising, and strengthening; while Sampson kept up communion with God, no enemy could stand before him, but he goes on conquering and to conquer; but when he grows remiss, he quickly falls before his enemies; it will be so with your souls, so long as your communion with God is maintained, you will be too hard for spiritual wickedness in high places. Communion with God is a shield upon land, as well as an anchor at sea; it is a sword to defend you, as well as a staff to support you; therefore keep up communion.

9. Engage not against Satan in your own strength, but be every day drawing fresh virtue and strength from the Lord Jesus. Certainly, that soul that engages against any old or new temptation, without new strength, new influences from on high, will fall before the power of the temptation. You may see this in Peter, he rested upon some old received strength, (Though all men should deny thee, yet will not I) and therefore he falls sadly before a new temptation; he curses, and swears, and denies him thrice, who had thrice appeared gloriously to him: Ah souls! when the snare is spread, look up to Jesus Christ, who is lifted up in the gospel, as the brazen serpent was in the wilder

ness; and say to him, Dear Lord, here is a new snare laid to catch my soul, and grace formerly received, without fresh supplies from thy blessed bosom, will not deliver me from it: Oh! give me new strength, new power, new influences, new measures of grace, that so I may escape this snare: Ah souls! remember this, that your strength to stand and overcome, must not be expected from graces received, but from the fresh and renewing influences of heaven.

10. Be much in prayer; prayer is a shelter to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge to the devil; David's heart was oft more out of tune than his harp; he prays, and then, in spight of the devil, cries, Return unto thy rest, O my soul!' Christians must do as Dedalus did, when he could not escape by a way upon earth, went by the way of heaven, that is, the way of prayer, which is the only way left to escape Satan's snares, &c.

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11. The next use is thankfulness; those who escape Satan's snares, that are not taken by him at his will, should be thankful. Christians, it is your duty with that princely prophet David, to call upon your souls, and say, Bless the Lord, O our souls, and all that is within us, bless his holy name,' Ps. ciii. 1, 2. who hath not given us to be a prey to Satan, and to be taken by those snares that he hath laid for our souls; the sense of this great favour wrought up David's heart and praises. Ps. cxxiv. 6, 7,

Will you be thankful for escaping the snares that men spread for your lives, or estates, &c.? and will you not be much more thankful for escaping those snares that Satan hath laid for your precious souls?

Remember this, that deliverance from Satan's snares doth carry with it the clearest, and the greatest evidence, that the soul and heart of God are towards us. Many men, by a common hand of Providence, escape many snares that men have laid for them, but yet escape not the snares that Satan lays for them. Saul, and Judas, and Demas, doubtless escaped many snares laid for them by men, but none of them escaped the snares of the devil. Many men are raised above the snares of men, by a common hand of Providence, that are left to fall into the snares of the devil, by a hand of justice; your deliverance from Satan's snares is a fruit of special love. Can you thus look upon it, and not be thankful, oh precious soul? I judge not.

12. The last use of this point is to exhort Christians to long to be at home; oh! long to be in the bosom of Christ, long to be in the land of Canaan; for this world, this wilderness is full of snares, all employments and all enjoyments are full of snares; for Satan is so powerful and subtle, that he will oftentimes make our greatest, nearest, and dearest mercies to become our greatest snares: sometimes he will make the wife that lies in the bosom, to be a snare to a

man, as Job's; sometimes he will make the child to be a snare, as Absalom was, and as Eli's sons were; and sometimes he will make the servant to be a snare, as Joseph was to his mistress. Ah souls, Satan is so cunning and artful, that he can turn your cups, your clothes, your houses, your gardens, and all your recreations into snares, &c. And oh! how should the consideration of these things cause all your souls to say with the church, The servant for his freedom? the captive for his ransom? the traveller for his inn? and the mariner for his harbour? And shall not the people of the Lord long much more to be in the bosom of Christ? Phil. i. 23. 2 Cor. v. 2, 4.

What Paul once spake of bonds and afflictions, that they attended him in every place, that may all the saints say of Satan's snares, that they attend them in every place; which should cause. them to cry out, Let us go hence, Let us go hence;' and to say with Monica, Austin's mother, 'What do we here? Why depart we not hence? Why fly we no swifter?' Ah souls! till you are taken up into the bosom of Christ, your comforts will not be full, pure, and constant; till then, Satan will be beating you, and spreading. snares to entangle you, therefore you should always be crying out with the church, Come Lord Jesus,' Rev. xxii. 20. Is not Christ the star of Jacob, that giveth light to them that are in darkness? That Prince of Peace, who brings

the olive branch of peace to souls that are perplexed? Is not the greatest worth and wealth in him?* Are not the little excellencies and per-. fections of all creatures epitomized in him? Is he not the crown of crowns, the glory of glories, and the heaven of heavens? Oh then! be still longing after a full, clear, and constant enjoyment of Christ in heaven; for till then, Satan will still have schemes and designs against you; he acts by an united power, and will never let you rest, till you are taken to everlasting glory in the bosom of Christ.

* It is as easy to compass the heavens with a span, and contain the sea in a nut shell, as to relate fully Christ's excellencies, or heaven's happiness.