MEDITATIONS ON MATTHEW iv,

J-11. NO. 2.

"Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple; and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Matt. iv, 5, 6, 7.

THE tempter, failing in his first attempt, through the confidence of Christ in the Father, now artfully grounds his temptation on that very confidence; and since he had been foiled by Scripture, he would take that, too, to favor his purposes.

Being permitted to place our Lord on a pinnacle of the temple, he urges him, by an imperfect quotation from the xci Psalm, to cast himself down. Such an act would have been tempting God, by a vain and presumptuous reliance on his prom. ise, in a case to which it did not extend. But our Savior promptly defeated this temptation, also, by an appropriate passage of scripture. (Deut. vi, 16.) VOL. XI.

Here we may observe

1. That, through his subtlety, the tempter often endeavors to lead men, who have forsaken certain sins, into sins of an opposite kind. By such a course, he comes on a side where he is not expected, where there is no guard; and consequently, his wiles are too often successful, before they are discovered. It is probably, in no small degree, owing to his influence, that men so frequently pass from one extreme to another, and are so prone to excess.

The prodigal sometimes becomes a miser, the devotee to expensive gratifications a closehanded worshipper of mammon. Let the extravagant and indolent and voluptuous abandon their vices; let them not, howeyer, become parsimoniously cov etous; but by industry, frugality, and temperance, support an hospitable, humane, and pious liberality. The miser, on the other side, seldom turns prodigal; some rapacious and covetous men, however, at the close of life have given large donations, to procure fame, or to obtain the favor of Heaven. Let the unjust and penurious accummulater repent, make reparation where he can, and dispose of his treasures in a wise and pious

manner; but let him never think of purchasing a name with his wealth; nor deceive his soul, by supposing that any appropriation of it can atone for his sins. For pardon let him trust only in the Lamb of God.

How often do persons, who change their opinions on temporal subjects, especially if ardent and unprincipled, go from one extreme to the opposite. Some selfish motive gives a new turn to their views and preju dices, and induces them to exchange their party for another. They now indiscriminately condemn, with great violence, the very men and measures, that they recently approved. When their change is not the result of conviction and conscience, they generally become the most contentious partizans. They endeavor to justify themselves, and to acquire the confidence and favor of their new associates, by uncommon zeal in their cause.

In religion, apostates have ever been the most inveterate opposers of true Christians. Proselytes to a sect, generally lay the most stress on their pe culiar sentiments, and are most warm and bitter in opposing those, which they formerly held. When persons, bred in strict orthodoxy, become unsettled and skeptical, they very often proceed, from step to step, to the very confines of infidelity, if they pass not into its regions. Such persons, also, are general ly more bold and vehement in opposition to the truth, and in exertions to maintain and prop agate error, than those, who have never been orthodox.

Men sometimes, also, pass from loose opinions and latitudimarian principles into the oppo

site extreme, and become too rigid and intolerant. Desirous to get as far as possible from their former errors, they seem not to be aware, that they may err on the right side by carrying some points too far; that they may give some doctrines and duties, because newly embraced, a disproportionate attention; and that they may undervalue other doctrines and duties, from an apprehension, that they approach too near the errors, which they have relinquished.

When a man greatly changes his principles, it often happens also, that the men and books, which he once admired, sink into undue contempt in his esti mation; and others rise from contempt into unqualified repute. How must a person's mind be warped by selfish prejudice, when he can see nothing but strength and excellence in any, who favor his views; and nothing but weakness and error in any, who oppose them. We should learn to discriminate on all sides. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.

Where revivals of religion take place, there is sometimes more than a due proportion of attention paid to social worship, conferences, relation of experi ences, exhortation, and duties of this kind. This is not so often the case, as enemies to revivals would represent; but is it not sometimes the case? These duties appear so useful, and are so agreeable, that some would gladly spend their whole time in them.

Are there not instances therefore, when such directions, as the following, may probably be useful, especially to young converts?

In your social meetings, be

swift to hear, slow to speak. Avoid all intemperate zeal and irregularity, crude and extravagant speeches; and let all things be done in a solemn and decent manner. Let not your meetings be too frequent, nor be continued to an unseasonable hour. Spend more time in secret prayer, in the perusal of the scriptures, in self-examination and meditation, and in domestic duties. Endeavor to understand all your.c duties, and so to adjust the time and order of attending to them, that none may have an undue prominence; that none may be neglected; that your life may be consistent and beautiful in all its parts. Guard against spiritual pride, precipitancy, and false dependences. Avoid scrupulously the appearance of evil, and be exceedingly cautious and circumspect, that the adversary may get no advantage, to prejudice the good cause, which you have at heart; that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

Satan is undoubtedly well pleased, when professors of re-, Jigion take pride in favorite doctrines, and exalt them to the disparagement of other important doctrines; when they set faith and good works at variance, stigmatizing the one, as antinomianism, or the other, as legality and self-righteousness; when they decry some important virtues, through a mistaken fear of their tendency,-zeal, lest it should be censorious and fanatical,--candor, lest it should open the mind to the insinuation of error; when they follow dreams and impulses, or some other false guidance; when they are eccentric and extravagant; or when they settle

down into formality and luke. warmness. It is a malignant gratification to him, whenever they exhibit a dull or distorted portraiture of religion, calculated to obscure or dishonor it in the view of its enemies.

Some persons are always too ardent or too cold, too precipitant or too dilatory. Both individuals and communities are prone to run into extremes in many respects. We should endeavour to avoid them, as always more or less prejudicial. We should seek the proper medium, which is the straight and narrow path of duty. Our Christian charac. ter ought to be a well proportion. ed whole, unde formed by redundancies or defects, embracing all the duties of piety and morality in their proper place. Our religion should be a patient continuance in well doing. It should resemble a perennial stream, uniformly affoiding refreshment and fertility; and not a mountain torrent, pouring down with great noise and impetuosity, but shortly evaporating. We should shine like the regular lights of heaven; and not resemble a wandering

people, while we refuse to live as his people. Let us beware of such fatal presumption, though tempted to indulge it by plausible quotations from Scripture. We deceive ourselves, as well as tempt God, when we thus expect his promised favors.

To run into dangers unneces satily, expecting divine interpo. sitions to preserve vs from sin and injury, is tempting God. So it is also, to engage ir improper works and enterprises, expect ing his assistance and blessing. In such cases, persons never truly trust in God For, true dependence implies some warrant or authority for its foundation. But they presume, to try his protection and favor, without following his directions We should implicitly confide in the promises of God in every case, to which they fairly extend; but to rely on them in cases, in which we have no authority for their application, is tempting, unwarrantably, the protection of We should equally avoid all distrust and suspicion, where we have the warrant of God's word, and all groundless expectations, where we have not. It is therefore of the highest importance, that we accurately understand, when and how far we are authorized to appropriate the promises of God to ourselves.

God.

To be dissatisfied with the assurances, which God has given, of his truth, power, goodness, and mercy, and out of distrust and unbelief to demand farther proo of them, is also tempting him Thus the Israelites tempt ed him in the wilderness, when in every extremity they mani

lested their unbelief in murmuring complaints and clamorous demands. Would we avoid

tempting God in any way, we must with an honest heart seek his guidance, believe his word, obey his commands, and confide in his providence and mercy. Let us do all these, and we shall be safe.

3. The Holy Scriptures may be employed to seduce men into error and sin. Texts merely suggested, are no guide. We must see, that they are not mutilated, that they are understood, and that they are clearly applicable, before we draw any conclusion from them. Satan can use Scripture freely; and so can wicked men of every description. It may therefore be profitable, briefly to state some of the methods, in which many wrest the Scriptures.

Passages of Scripture are often incorrectly quoted, by leaving out or altering some important words, so that the meaning is essentially changed. Heedless and unprincipled men not unfrequently make such quotations. Hence it is highly neces sary to examine the texts, which they produce in support of their opinions. This is adviseable, as it will not only prevent us from being misled, but also render our acquaintance with the Scriptures more accurate and extensive.

Passages, by being used in connexions different from what they are in the Bible, are often made to convey erroneous sentiments. Many in support of their opinions quote passages, where the sound or phraseology seems favorable, without any regard to their connexion and applica tion, as they stand in the Bible. Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind, is a passage for instance, often quoted, as if

it meant, that a person, who is sincere in the belief of error, the practice of sin, or the neglect of duties, is innocent and safe; that if he is fully persuaded he is right, it is right for him to do as he does, whatever his conduct may be. The Scriptures inculcate no such doctrine; but deelare that there is a way which seemeth right unto a man; but the end thereof are the ways of death: Το understand this wrested passage, we should examine it, in its connexion. Look at it in the Epistle of Paul, and you will perceive that it has reference to certain Jewish solemnities, in regard to the observance of which, they being neither commanded nor forbid. den, every man, regarding the glory of God and the edification of the church, might act according to the persuasion of his own mind.

The Scriptures are often wrested, by a strained and fanciful interpretation; and by drawing unwarrantable inferences from them. No interpretation of a passage, or inference from it, which renders it contradictory to other plainer texts, or to the general instructions of Scripture, can be correct and true. But many appear to be regardless of this, when resolved to maintain a favorite opinion.

The word of God is often handled deceitfully, by endeavors to explain away the obvious signification of plain and direct passages, and to maintain opinions by those, which are obscure and indirect.. An instance will explain my meaning. Suppose a person honestly desires to as certain, what the Scriptures teach respecting the future state of those, who die in impenitence

and unbelief; he will undoubtedly turn to those passages, which speak expressly and directly on that point, and conclude, that they teach the true doctrine of the Scriptures. Is not this the

only fair and legitimate way of making them the rule of our faith? Yet there are not a few, who endeavour to explain away the obvious meaning of all such passages, and to support the doctrine of universal salvation by others, which by no means treat directly of the future destiny of those, who die in their sins; but are capable by the manner of their expression, or by their ob scurity, of being warped with a little ingenuity to their purpose. Is it fair, is it safe, thus to treat the oracles of God?

Many, instead of submitting to the authority of revelation, and being taught and guided by it, sit as judges over it; and receive what is agreeable, and reject the rest. By philosophy and reason, falsely so called, they corrupt the word of truth. All the doctrines of revelation are perfectly reasonable; but they may not always appear so, to persons under the influence of divers sins and prejudices. They contain depths, which reason cannot fathom, and heights, above the reach of her eye.

The office of reason is to direct us in ascertaining what God has revealed; and not to de cide on the propriety of his measures and laws. We are not competent to such a task, who are of yesterday, and know so little, and are so fallible. not some doctrines in Scripture questioned or denied, because they are not deemed reasonabic, rather than because they are not revealed with sufficient plainess? Would not those, who disbelieve

But arc