proves no such thing-it proves that Jesus saw Satan fall suddenly, as lightning falls from heaven, or the clouds.

Observe critically-the passage does not say that Jesus saw Satan fall from heaven like lightning, but he truly saw Satan, together with his kingdom, falling with rapidity, as lightning descends from the clouds.

One objection more, and we shall have done with this part of the subject.

Obj. "If the word Devil means the carnal mind, the lusts of the flesh, &c. how happens it, that this character is so often spoken of as a being, possessing personality?"

To this we answer: Every person who has even a slight knowledge of the science called rhetoric, knows very well that it is common with all good writers to personify abstruse qualities and principles, such as the virtues and vices, and apply to them the personal pronouns, such as thou, he, she, &c. as "Oh, Virtue! how amiable thou art. TIME, is commonly personified in composition, and represented as carrying a scythe. Death, is generally personified, and styled a king, even the "king of terrors ;" and is described as a ghastly monster, carrying a dreadful dart. The revelator had a vision of this terrific monarch, mounted on a "pale horse, and his name that sat on him was Death; and Hell (or the grave,) followed with him." Indeed the scriptures every where abound with this figure of speech, or form of expression, called prosopopœia, or personification. The sacred writers, in their animated descriptions, give life and personality to almost every thing on earth or in heaven.

In the fifteenth chap. of 1 Cor. Paul thus personifies death and the grave: "Oh death! where is thy sting? Oh Grave! where is thy victory?" Solomon thus personifies wisdom: "Wisdom hath builded her house; she hath hewn out her seven pillars; she hath also mingled her wine."

And he represents wisdom as saying to the sons of men, "Come eat of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have mingled." Thus the evil principle in man, the carnal mind, the moving cause and instigator of sin, or moral evil, is personified, and called the Devil, Satan, the enemy, the adversary, the serpent that beguiled Eve, &c. &c.

We now discover plainly, by the light of revelation, who the enemy is, against whose wiles "the armor of God" will enable the Christian soldier to stand. It is that wicked spirit of disobedience in man which is at war with truth, holiness, and happiness. The grand encampment of this enemy is in human nature ;-here satan and all his legions have entrenched themselves. From this castle the adversary sallies forth, and lays waste the fairest fields of earthly bliss.

Against this strong hold let the soldiers of the cross point their arms and direct their forces. Besiege him closely in his camp, and prevent, if possible, his breaking forth at any avenue. There are innumerable avenues at which he will assuredly sally out, unless a watchful sentinel is placed on every side.

Pride, vanity, scepticism, wrath, hatred, envy, strife, malice, contention, avarice, appetite, ambition, love of worldly glory, &c. These are the gates and doors at which the foe will sally forth, unless prevented by cautious watching. "Watch," therefore, the motions of the enemy.

You now see that the enemy is close to us, within and all around us; therefore, there is great and inconceivable danger. If the foe were, as some suppose, separate from human nature, and at a distance, our situation would be comparatively safe to what it really is. But the truth is, the enemy has surrounded us on every side, and has even penetrated into the secret recesses of our hearts, and there erected his throne. Therefore it is necessary to stand,

having our loins girt about with truth,--the breast plate onthe helmet on the head-and finally having on the whole armor of God, to defend ourselves from his open and secret attacks. This will more strikingly appear, when we come to consider in the

Third, and last place, the wiles of the Devil. The wiles of the Devil are his crafty intrigues, his subtle devices to get us into his power, deprive us of happiness, get us into bondage, where he can lead us "captive at his will." The wiles of the enemy are innumerable, and his "devices are manifold." At present we can point out but two or three of them, and conclude the subject.

One device of Satan is to make people believe that God is their worst enemy. And the Devil has managed with such tunning, that thousands of poor sinners have been led to imagine that their heavenly Father hates them with a perfect and infinite hatred. He palms upon poor deceived creatures this malicious slander against the character of God, and by this means keeps thousands of wretched souls under the bondage of unholy fear.

Another device of Satan, is that by which he constantly tries to convince all classes of people, that a christian, or religious life, is a dull, gloomy, disagreeable and tedious way of living. By this foul stratagem he deceives millions. Yes, the enemy of all righteousness has made multitudes believe, that, in order to be a christian, one must forsake every enjoyment, and always carry a sad, disfigured, and downcast countenance. He makes the youth believe that if they attend to religion, they must quit the company of all their young friends, discard every kind of amusement, and become unsocial and solitary beings. Therefore the youth generally conclude, that if religion must be obtained at the expense of happiness, they had better put it off as long as

possible, until they get so old and decrepid, that they can enjoy themselves in nothing but religion !

But my young friends, we beseech you to pay no attention to what the Devil says. He never speaks the truth.-"He was a liar from the beginning." All his object in telling you this story is to cheat you out of your real happiness, and present enjoyment. You may be assured that the christian religion was never designed to make our pleas ures less. The religion of Jesus Christ requires nothing of us contrary to our highest present enjoyment. "Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace." The religion of Christ forbids no rational or innocent amusement. Pure religion and undefiled before God, and the Father, "is to visit the widow and the fatherless in their afflictions, (i. e. to be charitable,) and keep unspotted from the world, (i. e. to keep uncontaminated by the vices of the world.)

Finally, the religion of Jesus Christ affords the only rational, consistent and substantial enjoyment to be found on earth. Here the youth and blooming fair may find solid bliss, and pleasures springing up in endless succession.-The middle aged may find in religion a support in all the cares and toils and busy scenes of life. Aged matrons and reverend sires, whose locks are silvered o'er by age, will find religion to be a stay and staff to support them in their declining years. Yes, religion makes its possessor happy here; and faith, which is a part of religion, opens the door of hope to the celestial mansions, through the resurrection of the Son of God.

But to sum up all the grand devices of the arch adversary, the most subtle of all the wiles of the Devil, is, to convince sinners that the practice of sin affords more satisfaction than

that of righteousness-that a vicious irreligious course of life is the most delightsome and happy course in the world.

Here the arch fiend has laid so deep a plot, that even many professing christians have been deceived by him.Yes, even some professed preachers of christianity have been so completely deceived by this wile of the Devil, that they have even sometimes undertaken to advocate the cause of the adversary, and have actually proclaimed from the sacred desk, that the wicked enjoy more happiness in the present world than the righteous.

"Oh, full of all subtlety! Who can escape from the wiles of the Devil, if even reverend divines and Doctors of Divinity are thus deceived by him?

Soldiers of Prince Immanuel! draw the sword of the spirit, the word of God and see if you cannot parry off this assault of Satan. "Wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness. "The way of the transgressor is hard." "There is no peace to the wicked saith my God." "The righteous shall be recompensed in the earth; much more the wicked and the sinner." "He that sows to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption." How sure a defence is the sword of the spirit against all the wiles of the Devil!

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Fellow sinners, let us all be persuaded to enlist under the conquering banner of the cross, enter the glorious gospel field, having on the whole armor of God. Put on the girdle of truth, the breast plate of righteousness--the preparation of the gospel of peace-the shield of faith--the helmet of salvation--the sword of the spirit--and by praying with all prayer, and watching with all perseverance, we may prosecute the holy war with abundant success, gain an immortal conquest, and stand against the wiles of the Devil.--AMEN.