the devil." He is said to have " given his disciples power over unclean spirits;" and it is added of them, "they returned with joy, saying to him, Even the devils are subject unto us through thy name!"-At the first glimpse of the Son of God, the unclean spirit, in the passage before us, "ran and worshipped him." He acknowledged his Divinity: "Jesus, thou Son of the most high God." He trembled at his power: "I adjure thee by God, that Thou torment me not."-Here, then, is the refuge of the affrighted servant of the Lord, when the powers of darkness break in upon him. Let him not say, "What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God?" but rather, What have I to do with any but thee? my soul.' Thou art all and in all to There appear to be errors of the most opposite nature as to the agency and power of the evil spirit. The most common is, doubtless, the Sadducean error of questioning his existence or influence: of regarding him rather as a principle, than as a being and agent; and thus divesting ourselves of the salutary caution which a more scriptural conception of his nature is calculated to infuse. The opposite error, is that of so exaggerating his power as to conceive it irresistible; and basely to yield to his solicitations, instead of opposing to them the shield of faith and the power of the Redeemer.-To the one class, the language of Scripture is, "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." To the other, "Resist the devil, and he shall flee from you."It is our wisdom and duty to bring into one point of view the evil and the remedy; the enemy and the Deliverer. Then shall we be able to say, "Though I am sometimes afraid, yet put I my trust in thee." Then, although the "enemy" should" come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him." Then, if, as in the case of Job, the accuser of the brethren" be permitted to touch every earthly possession, and even for a time to taint and poison the sources of mental and spiritual happiness; our "latter end shall be more blessed than our beginning" the Lord shall "turn our captivity;" shall unshackle the mind; and give us the " glorious liberty of the children of God." Then, the lowly servant of the Redeemer shall, even here, see those lusts and tempers, which are the direct ministers of the evil one, trampled under foot by the power of the Son of God; and, at length, he shall hear the "loud voice" which says, "Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ; for the accuser of the brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night: and they shall overcome him by the blood of the Lamb." Lord, even this life has its privileges and joys. Even in this wilderness of existence, the rock flows with water, and the manna falls from heaven. Even here, the "Angel of thy pregoes before us, and comforts us. Yet the soul cannot but press forward into the invisible world, and pant, even "as the hart panteth after sence " the water-brooks," for the blessed moment when the final victory shall be ours, and the last enemy be trodden under foot for ever. FREED from the tyrant's power, Ere finally undone, Oh, blessed be the hour That led us to Thy throne, While vengeance threatened o'er our head, Hail to the outstretched Arm That brought the glad reprieve! Which urged us to believe! While vengeance threatened o'er our head, Who now shall dare arraign The justified of God? Burst is the legal chain Which barred the narrow road; Now Jesus reigns in Vengeance stead, E |