men, he now ventured to try them on the Son of God.

Such, Edward, was the last temptation offered to our Lord, and such the price insisted upon; when the tempter was permitted to take Him up into that exceeding high mountain, and exhibit to Him the world with its glory.

E. Then, Mamma, our Saviour was taken up into a mountain? Do you think it was mount Pisgah, from which God shewed Moses all the kingdoms of Canaan?

M. It might have been to this mountain that the devil conveyed our Saviour, when God allowed him for once to exercise his extraordinary power: from that mountain he might certainly have seen all the kingdoms about Judea; "but as to the glory of them," this was no doubt an illusion, as perhaps, the whole scene may have been,-most likely a mere landscape or picture; an airy representation, intended only to last a few moments, such as this great deceiver could easily put together; a bright pageant for a little while, in which he might set forth, in lively colours, the glories and splendours of princes, with their robes, and crowns, and retinues; the pomps of thrones, and courts, stately palaces, sumptuous buildings, smiling gardens and fields." Such a show he might have got up, and madly have thought to dazzle with it even the senses of the blessed Jesus: ignorant, perhaps, all the time that he was only showing Him his own works, addressing himself to the very being whose hand had in fact stretched out the heavens, and laid the foundations of the earth.

Such, in all probability, was the nature of the last

temptation offered to our blessed Lord;-a vain show; a mere delusion! And what else in reality are all the temptations of Satan? all the pomps and vanities of this wicked world, which he makes use of to accomplish the ruin of mankind? What else have they ever been, or are they now? Delusions indeed! shadows and false colours with which he ensnares to destroy the souls of men: for it is this evil spirit, who dresses them up, and makes them appear so dazzling and so desirable; "shows the world and the glory of it, whilst he carefully hides, all the time, the sin, and sorrow, and death which stain the pride of all this glory; the cares and calamities which attend great possessions; the thorns, which crowns themselves are lined with."

E. Is Satan then able, as he says, to give away the power and glory of the world to whomsoever he chooses?

M. There can be no doubt that it is by crimes, as I have just said, and therefore by the help of this wicked one, that great worldly power has generally been accomplished. The famous conquerors, whom we read of in history, have almost always been as famous for their crimes as for their greatness; and their conquests have too often been nothing else than robbery and murder on a large scale; so that we are almost led to suppose, that for once Satan spoke the truth, when he said that these things were his, or, in other words, that he was permitted to use them for the purpose of tempting and trying men; especially when we find him called, even in Scripture, "the prince of this world." At the same time we must not be surprised to hear falsehoods from the father of

lies; and whatever power he may be permitted to use for a time, whether in advancing wicked men to honour, or in afflicting the righteous, as in the case of the patient Job, of this we are sure, that he can do no more either way, than God is pleased in His providence, for wise ends, though unknown to us, to permit. "For the kingdom is the Lord's, and he is the governor among the nations." "He is the Most High, and ruleth supreme in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will;" nay more, we know that He has promised to His Son to give Him the heathen for His inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for His possession; yea, to give Him dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that "all people, nations, and languages should serve him," and "all kingdoms become the kingdoms of God and his Christ."

Nothing, therefore, but a wicked and presumptuous boast was it in Satan to attribute to himself the disposal of the kingdoms of the earth, and thus to offer, as it were, his help in erecting the kingdom of the Son of God: a kingdom not of this world, not to be established by worldly intrigue or conquest, not to be sought in the ways of ambition and crime; but one to be set up in the hearts of men; whose foundations were to be laid in the piety, and obedience, and sufferings of the Son of God, of the Prince of peace.

But this offer on the part of Satan, with which he had thought at last to overcome the Son of God, was accompanied, as we have heard, with a condition, and that of such a kind, as to show at once from whom it came: "All this will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me." If this wicked being could

have known so little of the holy nature of the blessed Jesus, as to flatter himself that he should succeed, how bitterly disappointed must he have been, when he saw the abhorrence and detestation with which his offer was received! How must the tempter have quailed beneath the indignant look and the awful rebuke of our Lord! How confounded and ashamed must he have been at the sound of those words, "Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.' Baffled and defeated, he was obliged to quit the field, and to retire with shame from the presence of that being, who was now to fulfil the prophecy spoken in the garden of Eden, "He shall bruise thy head, but thou shalt bruise his heel."

Gloriously had the Redeemer conquered, and now the temptation was at an end. "The devil leaveth him, and behold angels came and ministered unto him."

The trials of the righteous servants of God, when borne with faith and patience, lead in the end to happiness and glory; how much more of Him, who is called in Scripture "the righteous servant" of God; the only One truly righteous in Himself; Him through whom alone all the righteousness of His saints or holy people is obtained. The Son of God had been dwelling amongst wild beasts, had been tried with hunger, had been tempted by Satan. He resists, and the temptation is at an end; and behold heavenly hands minister to His wants, and the angels of God give Him glory.

And now, my dear Edward, let us not forget that in enduring temptation, our blessed Lord is an example to us, and that what is written concerning His

patience and piety, is written for our instruction. Whenever we are tempted to do anything wrong, let us think of Him, and, in imitation of our divine Master, immediately ask ourselves what the Bible declares to be our duty, and make that the guide of our conduct. Yes, let us set its blessed precepts at all times against the inclinations of our own evil hearts, which are never to be trusted; and against the persuasions of others also, which can never be safely followed, if they are in any way contrary to the words of the Spirit of God. Our Lord has shown us how to resist the calls of our natural wants, how to avoid carrying to excess even that which is good, and how to withstand the allurements of an evil world; and we may remember for our comfort, that He who was tempted in all points like as we are, though without sin, is both able and willing to succour those that are tempted. He is now, my child, reigning in heaven; and He is still present with us by His Spirit. He has not, amidst the glories of His heavenly reign, forgotten what He suffered when He took our nature upon Him; He remembers His own temptation, and can feel for us in ours; so that we may look up to Him with comfort and confidence, and firmly depend upon His sympathy and help. We may be sure, beyond any doubt, that, if we boldly resist the devil, trusting in our Saviour's might, he will flee from us as he did from Him. The evil one shall not be suffered to pluck us out of our Redeemer's hands, but His holy angels shall be sent to minister to our defence, and their approving friendship shall be a part of our reward.

See Matt. vi. 1-11. Mark i. 12, 13. Luke iv. 1—13.