is put first, because it opens the way for the other two. When once we come to have a due sense that we are sinners, as all men are, and perceive the baseness, the guilt, the mischief of ́sin, we shall fly from it, with sincere penitence, to the remedy which God hath appointed. And, when we in earnest resolve to forsake whatever is wrong, we shall gladly embrace all such truths as will direct us right, and do what they require. But, whilst we retain a love to any wickedness, it will make us, with respect to the doctrines of religion, backward to receive them,' or unwilling to think of them, or desirous to interpret them unfairly; and with respect to the duties of religion, it will make our conduct unequal and inconsistent; perplexing us with silly attempts to reconcile vice and virtue, and to atone perhaps by zeal in little duties for indulgence of great faults; till at last, we shall either fall into an open course of transgression, or, which is equally fatal, contrive to make ourselves easy in a secret one. The only effectual method therefore is, to form a general resolution at once, though we shall execute it but imperfectly and by degrees, of following in every thing the Scripture rule, "Cease "to do evil, learn to do well."

Now, the evil from which we are required to cease, is also ranged in our Catechism under three heads. For, whatever we do amiss, proceeds either from the secret suggestions of an invisible enemy, from the temptations thrown in our way by the visible objects around us, or from the bad disposition of our own nature; that is, from the devil, the world, or the flesh. And, though every one of these, in their turns, may incline us to every kind of sin, and it is not always either easy or material to know from which the inclination proceeded

(1) Hence our Saviour, speaking of John Baptist, tells the Jews, "Ye-repented not, that ye might believe him." Matt. xxi. 38. (2) Isa. i. 16, 17.

originally; yet, some sins may more usually flow from one source, and some from another; and it will give us a more comprehensive, and so far, at least, a more useful view of them, if we consider them each distinctly.

1. First, then, we renounce in Baptism," the "devil and all his works." This, in the primitive ages, was the only renunciation made; the works of the devil being understood to signify, as they do in Scripture, every sort of wickedness; which being often suggested by him, always acceptable to him, and an imitation of him, was justly considered as so much service done him, and obedience paid him. But the method now taken, of renouncing the devil, the world, and the flesh separately, is more convenient, as it gives us a more particular account of our several enemies.

What we are taught concerning the devil, and demons or wicked spirits, in the word of God, is, that a number of angels, having sinned against their Maker, (from what motives, or in what instances, we are not, as we need not be, clearly told, but) so as to be utterly unfit for pardon, were cast out of heaven, and are kept under such confinement as God sees proper, till the day comes when the final sentence, which they have deserved, shall be executed upon them; but that, in the mean time, being full of all evil, and void of all hope, they maliciously endeavour to make those, whom they can, wicked and miserable like themselves. And being all united under one head, and actuated by one and the same spirit of ill-will against us, we are concerned to look upon them as one enemy; and therefore the Catechism speaks of them as such.

What means they use to tempt us, we are not distinctly informed; and it is great folly, either, on the one hand, to doubt of the reality of the fact, because we know not the manner; or, on the other, in certain groundless imaginations, to believe idle

stories ; and ascribe more to evil spirits, than we have any sufficient cause. For there is no religion in favouring such fancies, or giving credit to such tales; and there hath frequently arisen a great deal of hurtful superstition from them. This we are sure of, and it is enough, that neither Satan, nor all his angels, have power, either to force any one of us into sin, or to hinder us from repenting; or, without God's especial leave, to do any one of us the least hurt in any other way. And we have no cause to think, that leave to do hurt is ever granted them, but on such extraordinary occasions as are mentioned in Scripture. They are, indeed, often permitted to entice us to sin, ás we often entice one another. But these enticements of evil spirits may be withstood by us just as effectually, and nearly by just the same methods, as those of evil men. "Resist the devil, and he will flee from you; draw "nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you." Unquestionably our danger is the greater, as we have not only flesh and blood, our own bad inclinations, and the allurements of other bad persons to encounter, but the efforts of an invisible enemy likewise. And, therefore, it was great mercy in God, to grant us the knowledge of this interesting, and otherwise undiscoverable circumstance of our condition, that we may increase our watchfulness in proportion. And if we do, "Greater is he that is

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in us, than he that is in the world:"4 and " he "will not suffer us to be tempted above what we 66 are able to bear."5

But, though the devil hath no power of his own over us, we may give him as much as we will, and become slaves and vassals to him as long as we please. In this sense, his empire is very large, and, on account of it, the Scripture calls him the prince

(3) James iv. 7, 8. (4) 1 John iv. 4. (5) 1 Cor. x. 13.

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of the power of darkness, and even the god of this world. For he was, and is still, in great propriety of speech, the god of many heathen nations; who, instead of the righteous and good Maker of heaven and earth, worship deities of such vile and mischievous characters, as we justly ascribe to the evil one. And even where faith in the true Deity is professed, yet pretended arts of magic, witchcraft, conjuring, fortune-telling, and such like wicked follies, approach more or less to the same crime. For, if any of the wretches, guilty of these things, either have, or imagine they have, any communication with the devil, they plainly rebel against God, and endeavour, at least, to confederate with his enemy. Or, if they only pretend a communication with him, as indeed usually, if not always, it is mere pretence; yet, this is very inconsistent with renouncing him. And, even when they do not so much as pretend it, and would make us believe, that they have such extraordinary skill and power derived from more innocent sources, though they profess no respect to his person, they imitate him in one of his worst qualities, as he is the father of lies. And the lies of this kind are very pernicious ones. They corrupt the notions of religion; give persons unworthy opinions of God; and lead them to imagine, that other beings, as the stars, or even mere names, as Chance and Fate, share with him in the government of the world. But, indeed, lies of all sorts are peculiarly the works of him, who was a liar as well as a murderer from the beginning. And other sins mentioned in Scripture, as more especially diabolical, are pride, envy, malice, false accusations. Whosoever, therefore, allows himself in any of these things, "is of his "father the devil, and the lusts of his father he "doth." But whosoever is by baptism “delivered (6) Ephes. ii. 2. Col. i. 13. (7) 2 Cor. iv. 4. (8) John vini. 44. (9) Ibid.

"from the power of darkness, and translated into "the kingdom of God's dear Son," renounces them all.

Ask yourselves then: Do you renounce them all in fact? For mere words are nothing. Do you carefully avoid them, and labour to preserve yourselves free from them; or do you live in any of them, and love them? That is, are you children of God, or of Satan? and whose are you willing to remain? Make us thine, good Lord, and keep

us for ever.

2. We renounce in Baptism, "all the pomps "and vanities of this wicked world." The world, which God created, was good: and so far as it continues good, we renounce it not. Therefore, the innocent gratifications, which he hath provided for us in it, we ought not to condemn, but to partake of them with moderation and thankfulness; the difference of rank and stations, which is requisite for the due order of society, we ought to maintain with prudent humility; and every one should take his proper part, as Providence directs him, in the various employments which furnish to us the necessaries and conveniencies of life. Labouring to procure such a competency for ourselves and ours, as will support us comfortably in our present condition, is what we are bound to. And if, by lawful methods and reasonable care, we can rise higher, we may allowably do it, and justly consider it as the promised blessing of God upon our industry. In these respects then we do not renounce the world; for in these it is not wicked. And we should not affect to detach ourselves too much from the state of things, in which heaven hath placed us; but, ordinarily speaking, take our share, (whatever it happens to be) and that contentedly, of such employments as contribute to

(1) Col. i. 13.