cerning an act of kindness performed by Mary the sister of Lazarus towards Jesus in anointing his feet with costly ointment :-"Why was not this ointment sold for three hundred pence, and given to the poor? This he said," adds the historian, "not that he cared for the poor, but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and filched what was put therein." Rather than being poured on his master's feet, he wished it to be given to the disciples, ostensibly to be sold by them, and distributed in charity, but really that he might secrete it, or part of it. Knowing that the chief priests had long wished to apprehend Christ, but that, from his popularity, they had not yet been able to accomplish their purpose with safety to themselves, and supposing that, by serving them in delivering him up to them, he might make considerable gain, he had no doubt frequently meditated delivering him up. He may have thought, indeed, that, in the event of delivering Christ up, he would rescue himself, and thus all the evil that would be sustained would be his own disgrace, which was to him nothing in comparison of thirty pieces of silver. Be this, however, as it may, he no doubt did frequently

think of the project, and it was while thus thinking of it that Satan entered into him, and ripened his thoughts into a purpose. While he was thinking of it, without reference to the result of the act, Satan might himself suggest to him that Christ would, in the event of his being delivered into the hands of the chief priests, escape from them, as he had done heretofore, and this consideration may have determined him. However, from the period of the devil's entering into him, he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money. And he promised, and sought opportunity to betray him unto them, in the absence of the multitude.

Fifthly, That he tempts us to commit such sins as are most congenial to us. By nature all

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men are wholly corrupt: The

whole head is

sick, and the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head, there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores." Again, the apostle declares that in himself and, when describing his own state, he described equally the state of every natural man—

that in himself there is no good thing. Our understanding is darkened-unable to discern the things of the Spirit of God; our judgment is perverted-calls evil good, and good evil; puts darkness for light, and light for darkness; puts bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter; our memory is treacherous of the truth, and retentive chiefly of error; our will is stubborn—says, “Who is the Lord, that I should fear him? and what profit is there if I should pray unto him?"—our affections are polluted-desiring carnal things, when they ought to be set on things above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God: in fact, we are all as an unclean thing. We are wise to do evil, but to do good we have no knowledge.

But while all men are thus totally depraved and corrupt, all men do not exhibit corruption to the same degree, nor in the same form. Some men, from the circumstances in which they are placed, or the education they have received, or the habits that have been formed in them, or the restraining providence of God, will exhibit much less depravity than others; and most men will exhibit a somewhat modified form of it. As one man has not an equal propensity to every species

of vice, neither does the same propensity exist in every man. In every man there is some one propensity which is more prevalent than others, and which is called in the word of God-" his easily besetting sin." In some men this is libidinousness, in others it is covetousness, in others it is malignity, in others it is gluttony or drunkenness, in others it is pride, in others it is love of worldly pomp, in others it is love of domination, in others it is profaneness, in others it is distrust of God, or of the equitable adjustments of his providence. Now it is to the indulgence of this propensity that Satan generally tempts us. He does not tempt a libidinous man to defraud his neighbour of his property, nor a covetous man to indulge in sensual gratifications; a proud man, or a man aspiring after worldly pomp or power, to wallow in the mire of dissipation, nor the man who has a taste for no higher joys than those of the indulgence of his appetites, to attain to preeminence above his fellow-men. Nor does he apply his temptations promiscuously. He tempts every man to that which, by his peculiar constitution or habit, is most agreeable to him. The libidinous man he tempts to gratify his fleshly

lusts; the covetous man, to overreach in his dealings, to defraud, and steal; the ambitious man, to strive after power and distinction; and the intemperate man, to indulge in excesses of eating and drinking. Eve was curious to know what could be the nature or qualities of that fruit which was so peremptorily denied her; he tempted her, therefore, to prove its qualities by plucking and eating it. Judas, as we have seen, was a covetous man, and a thief; him he tempted to lay hold of, by any means, a sum of money. Ahab was ambitious and blood-thirsty; him he stimulated to war. As a rich man, and a man bound by the ties of friendship and of family, he expected, by the carrying off of his riches, and the alienating from him of his friends, and the slaying of his children, to corrupt Job: he attacked him in that way: from the richest man in the East, he made him the poorest! while enjoying the comforts of a numerous family of children, he, by one act, made him childless! and his surviving wife and intimates, instead of pouring into his wounded mind the balm of consolation, he induced to upbraid him! Here, however, Satan was foiled; for instead of inducing Job to curse