long, be hurled from his throne, as the lightning falls from heaven, and all his devices be turned to his own confusion and torment;-yet, he now works in the children of disobedience.-"We wrestle against the rulers of the darkness of this world."-"All that is in the world,-the lust of the flesh,-the lust of the eye, and the pride of life;"-all that "which is not of the Father, but is of the world;"-all is under the sway of Satan. He rules in ignorant and wicked men. Out of all these he selects both his agents and his means. He has them all at his disposal, and under his control. Within the wide range of his permitted power he can use them,-direct them,-combine them,-just as may best contribute to accomplish his settled purpose of seducing and ultimately ruining mankind.

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We are further warned of the spirituality of our enemy. These "principalities and powers" -these "rulers of the darkness of this world,"are spiritual wickedness;" or, wicked spirits, according to the marginal reading ;—“ spiritual wickedness in high, or rather in heavenly places;" they are spirits whose wickedness began in heaven;-who "kept not their first estate," but revolted from God, and are "reserved in everlasting chains, under darkness, unto the judgment of the great day." These enemies thus evil and malignant, thus many and mighty,-are, then, spiritual enemies, incorporeal, and invisible to mortal

eye. This is an attribute of our enemy, which renders him especially formidable. We cannot discern his approach. He can exert his influence unseen and at unawares.-He can communicate thoughts; -he can follow up the means which he employs; -he can prepare the mind for the temptation, and then give that temptation additional force by his suggestions;-and all this time he is unsuspected, because we are unconscious of his presence. He and his subordinate spirits can range up and down in the earth, all unperceived, like the thief in the night; or rather, like the pestilence that walketh in darkness.

But lastly, we are warned of the subtilty of our enemy. It is against "the wiles of the Devil" that we have to stand.-He is as superior in skill as he is in strength.-He has not only temptations of every kind, but he can present them in the most artful methods, and under very fair and specious appearances. He has innumerable devices in order to gain an advantage over us. He can adapt his enticements to every age;-to every disposition;-to every state of mind;-to every stage in the career of sin.-He can so beguile the understanding and blind the heart, that mankind" are taken captives by him at his will ;" or, as it is in the marginal reading, "taken alive." His artifices resemble those of fowlers, to which the word is supposed to allude,-who scatter seeds impregnated with drugs, for the purpose of lay

ing the birds asleep, that the net may be drawn over them with the greater security, and that they might be caught alive. Such is the cruel,

malicious,-powerful,

invisible, and subtil foe against whom, and against whose "wiles" we have to stand;-to whose assaults we are perpetually liable;—whose vigilance never sleeps ;-who keeps us ever in his sight; who is ready to seize any occasion which may present itself, to entice us into sin,-whether through the inlets of our senses, or by more direct communication with our minds.

This enemy gains an occasional advantage even over sincere and established Christians; and it is only by closing, if I may use the expression, every joint of that armour of which the text speaks, and by unceasing watchfulness, and persevering prayer, that even the faithful soldier and servant of Christ is able to withstand in the evil day. But this enemy gains habitual advantage over those who are unconverted, and who mind earthly things. He does this in the common transactions of business and in the ordinary intercourse of society, and in the most innocent pleasures of life. Oh-if he could steal into a sinless paradise, and pervert the pure mind of our first parent in all her primitive innocence;-how readily can he turn into an occasion of falling the very best things of this polluted world; and how successfully can he employ them for the injury of

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our degenerate race, whose natural-inwardvoluntary disposition is already in favour of the tempter, and all on the side of sin. Yes-my dear Brethren-this enemy is present with you in your shops,-in your warehouses,—in all your commercial dealings,-in your leisure hours, and in your social and pleasurable parties; watching how he may avail himself of any circumstances which may arise, to plunge you more deeply into sin, and more effectually to work your ruin.

But, if the power of your enemy be so formidable, and his opportunities so frequent, in things lawful or in things necessary,-how fearfully must that power be aided, and those opportunities increased, by an attendance on such amusements as are presented at a Theatre;

where gratification and pleasure are the professed objects; where serious thought is dismissed; where the mind gives itself up to gaiety, and mirth, and enjoyment; and where, under such feelings of exhilaration, all the avenues of the heart are thrown open. There sentiments are inculcated, and characters exhibited, and language used, and scenes witnessed, just such as the Devil would desire in order to further his purposes and accomplish his objects. The Theatre expressly answers the description of a "wile" of the Devil;-a well-laid artifice; -a skilfullybaited snare. It adapts its representations to the popular taste.-It ever preserves, indeed, its

characteristic licentiousness and indelicacy; but it varies its external form of exhibition just to suit the degree of refinement to which the audience may be supposed to have attained. It furnishes just sufficient of intellectual interest and enjoyment to induce many persons, who would not otherwise be prevailed upon, to gratify their taste, in spite of the evil which it disseminates. It intersperses just enough of moral sentiment to furnish a specious argument to the supporters of the Stage, and a plausible excuse to the half scrupulous attendant upon its amusements. But all this only renders the Theatre a more ready and well adapted and effectual engine of Satan.-By such instrumentality he more successfully gratifies his malice, and carries on his designs.-He can walk to and fro unseen, and with hellish delight witness the readiness with which an audience can listen to erroneous sentiments and false principles, which he knows will work their way with unsuspected insinuation into the heart.-It is to him matter of triumph when indecent and licentious discourse,-filthy jests,-impure allusions,— profane wit can be heard by all, and applauded and encouraged by many; because he well knows that all this is secretly instilling corruption into the soul, and will be remembered another day,-and will have its baneful influence upon the mind, and, in all probability, upon the future character and conduct.