all they think, or do, or say. Hence they are said to walk no more after the flesh but after the Spirit. God makes himself to be heard by the soul by inward motions, which it perceives and comprehends proportionably as it is emptied of earthly ideas. And the more the faculties of the soul cease their own operations, so much the more sensible and intelligible are the motions of God. These are denied by some. But that the Father of Spirits should have no converse with our spirits, but by the intervention only of foreign and outward objects, may justly seem strange, especially when we are so often told in Holy Scripture that we are the temples of the Holy Ghost. If its operations have not been well considered by any one, he is recommended sedulously to watch the operation and effect of his volitions, both when he does in a suitable manner seek the Divine assistance, and when he is negligent in so doing; His darkness will soon be dispelled, unless he be so depraved as to be unable to discern evil from good. Men are ignorant because, as has been said, they are not taught by the Holy Spirit. 165. "Since," says Payson, "I began to ask God's blessing on my studies, I have done more in one week than in a whole year before." "Think," says Watts, "with yourselves how easily and how insensibly by one turn of thought, He [God,] can lead you into a large scene of useful ideas. He can teach you to lay hold on a clue, which may guide your thoughts with safety and ease through all the difficulties of an intricate subject." Bp. Sanderson says that, " Study without prayer is atheism." "Man's goings are of the Lord; How can a man, then, understand his own way?" The impossibility of duly regulating our trains of thought even for the shortest period, without the assistance of the Holy Spirit, must be abundantly obvious. We are not "sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God." 166. When a man is truly led by the Spirit, our Lord affirms he is "born again:" that is, says Scott, he becomes " possessed of new capacities, perceptions, affections, and dispositions. And is prepared to make a new use of all his organs, senses, and faculties. He enters a new creature,' into the spiritual world," and refers everything either in himself or others to God. (Note on John iii. 3.) 167. Some may consider it impracticable properly to submit to the Divine teaching. Doubtless it is at first, especially the more evil a man's life has been. But our Lord assures all those who truly repent, and submit themselves unreservedly; that they will not find the difficulty great. "Come unto me," says He, "all ye that labour and are heavy laden . . . learn of me, .. I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." The difficulty is not in obeying our Lord's injunction but in subduing our own evil inclinations. 168. A treatise on the mind must obviously be incomplete, if some notice is not taken of all the influences to which it is liable. If these are not attended to, how can that which is evil be avoided, and that which is good be sought? The Sacred writings inform us repeatedly and very distinctly, that our minds are subject not only to the holy influence we have been considering, but to another of an exactly opposite kind, namely, the influence of invisible evil spirits. 169. We venture with deep humility to conjecture that in the moral universe there is but one division, one portion wherein the Divine will is obeyed; the other, wherein it is contemned. And that, though man cannot get beyond the confines of the earth, wicked spirits, of greater than human powers, have access to every part of the theatre of evil. We cannot suppose moral evil to have been originally designed by God. Having arisen, His power will doubtless hereafter be illustriously apparent in making it subservient to the happiness of the good. 170. Prichard remarks, that the whole energies of all the lower animals are directed towards their present safety. But in the "entire history of mankind.... there is nothing more remarkable.... than a reference which is everywhere more or less distinctly perceptible" to a future state; " and to the influence which both civilized and barbarous men," everywhere believe to be exercised over their condition, present and future, by unseen agents." This belief has prevailed from the very earliest ages; thus "the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision.” And we have the following graphic account in Job,— "When deep sleep falleth on men, The hair of my flesh stood up: 66 It stood still, but I could not discern the form thereof; An image was before mine eyes, There was silence, and I heard a voice, saying," (See Job iv. 17.) 171. Milton says,— "Millions of spiritual beings walk the earth." Channing says,- "It is possible that the distance of heaven lies wholly in the veil of flesh, which we now want powers to penetrate. A new sense, a new eye, might show the spiritual world compassing us on every side. ... But suppose heaven to be remote. may not they who have entered a higher state... survey our earth as distinctly as when it was their abode ?" .... 172. The good man should diligently study the Scriptures for information respecting the influence of evil angels, and, remembering their great power, be especially watchful against its effect on his internal state. To enter into an elaborate dissertation on Satanic temptation would here be out of place. One of its modes unquestionably is to inflame and aggravate men's bad propensities. By it the proud become more proud, the avaricious more covetous; and the same as to other wicked inclinations. Of this an example is afforded in Ananias. (Acts v. 3.) Hence Satan is emphatically styled "the tempter," (Matt. iv. 3.) Satanic influence, considered simply as such, differs from human temptation in being invisible, and probably more powerful. To those who are sceptical as to the personality or real existence of Satan, we say that we have the same evidence of that as we have of the existence of the Divine Being Himself (154). "In the reality of evil spirits," says Moses Stuart, "I am and must be a full believer.... They are active in doing evil to men. They are permitted to assail and tempt them. Why not as well as that men should in other ways be tempted?" Men in their whole conduct are instruments to each other of evil or good. Possibly each of us may never be without invisible influence. Paul 173. A writer in Kitto's Bible Cyclopædia speaks of Satan's "influence upon the human race as great and mischievous He [Satan] darkens the understandings of men.... He perverts their judgments.... He insinuates evil thoughts, and thereby awakens in them unruly desires.... His efforts are directed against the bodies of men as well as against their souls." speaks of him as "the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience." (Job ii. 7; Matt. iv. 1 to 11; Luke viii. 12; xiii. 16; John viii. 44; Acts xiii. 10; Ephes. vi. 11, 12; 1 Tim. i. 20; 1 Pet. v. 8; 1 John iii. 8; Rev. xii. 9.) The good man, therefore, cannot consider with too much attention the causes and consequences of a human soul being forsaken by God; and what is thence incumbent on him with regard to the wickedness and suffering existing around him. 174. Hence we are led to extend our observations on moral evil. The original plan of social life unquestionably was that men should reciprocate nothing but the highest degree of good (1). The Divine intention obviously is amply to provide both for the temporal and eternal necessities of all righteous persons. And if from the evil doing of others any ill befal those, it is permitted by God that their minds may thereby be the better disciplined for eternity. They may, therefore, say to each other, "Our light affliction which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory." God had governed the Israelites for sixteen centuries. On their establishment in Canaan he assured them if they observed their allegiance to Him they should be prosperous; if not, adversity would be their portion. (Exod. xix. 4, 5; xxiii. 20-33; Lev. xxvi. 3-46; Deut. xxviii. to xxx.) We learn from the whole book of Judges, and the first eight chapters of Samuel, how exactly the result from the days of Joshua to the time of Samuel agreed with these conditions. The same may be affirmed of their subsequent history, and of the whole life of every human being. "Look," says the writer of the book of Ecclesiasticus, "at the generations of old and see, Did ever any trust in the Lord and was confounded? or did any ever abide in His fear and was forsaken? Or whom did He ever despise that called upon Him ?" And the writer of the book of Maccabees also says, "Consider ye throughout all ages, that none that put their trust in Him shall be overcome." (Job iv. 7; Psa. xxxvii. 25.) The New Testament speaks also to the same effect. 175. To each of us the words of Moses apply, "I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you.... life and good and death and evil." Each individual is so constituted as to be determined by his own judgment in the election. If this were otherwise, he would be under the dominion of another, which is want of liberty. The power imparted from above to set our affections on right objects necessarily implies the ability to abuse it; hence arises all the evil in the world. As liberty is the means of all good its abuse is necessarily the means of all evil. Even this renders to it involuntary homage. Without liberty there could be neither vice nor virtue; men would be mere machines; the whole scheme of morals would be at an end. We are only accessible to temp tation from bad habits. That which tempts one man has no influence on another. The good, through Divine assistance, by constantly resisting all evil, at length get beyond temptation consequently, though we are liable to evil invisible influence, and other temptation, it is our own fault if by it we are overcome; therefore let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God. For God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth He any man: but every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust." 66 176. Like every other human ill, insanity appears to result from moral evil in the persons afflicted, or their progenitors, or both. Where," says A. Combe, an individual has the misfortune to be sent into the world with a brain and nervous system, on which the peculiarities of insane, eccentric, or highly excitable parents are strongly imprinted, and especially where injudicious treatment in childhood has aggravated the original defect, the most careful and rational management in after-life will often fail to prevent the invasion of nervous misery, or mental derangement." Assuming these observations to be correct, some may consider it is not consistent with the Divine goodness that the sins of a parent shall be visited on his descendants. All privation of good is evil; the best among men do not do all the good they may. If then the liability to insanity on the part of some were just ground of complaint on the part of others, there is no human being who may not justly be complained of for not doing all the good in his power. These observations as to insanity apply also to imbecility, folly, and bad temper. 177. The endurance of ill by some from the wrong doing of others is a powerful warning to these, and all other wrong doers, to cease from doing evil. The best of men are liable to this endurance. How unspeakably great were the trials of the Lord Jesus. Human suffering may be evincing the malignity of sin to beings not of our world; it may operate beneficially for the redeemed among men to all eternity, i. e. by comparing past suffering with their then state of bliss. It may be connected with the whole universe of created beings in all its extent and all its duration. Though some suffer for the sins of others, God can amply recompense the former when the eternity of their being is considered. 178. To suppose a race of beings who had never sinned, but were liable to a comparatively momentary and trifling extent of |