much as listen to any sinful proposal, to any doubtful invitation; stay not to reason upon it at all; turn away with holy jealousy; never suffer the eye to dwell upon a forbidden object, to dwell even for a moment; through the eye it may find a passage to the heart, and inflame it with unlawful and hurtful desire: resist at once; the first victory is the easiest, as well as the surest. Say to the temptation, as your Lord said to the tempter, "get thee hence, Satan" "flee from him and he will flee from you"-" escape for thy life."

And here I must add an observation upon the means, by which we may be enabled to follow this momentous advice of the wisest of men. We must "watch and pray, that we enter not into temptation;"* we must go forth into the world in the spirit of watchfulness and prayer; praying, not only that we may have the grace to watch, but also when the trial actually arises, when we are watching. In the presence of temptation,

* Matt. xxvi. 41.

OF EVIL TEMPTATION.

or if we do but perceive or suspect that it is coming, let the soul be lifted up to the "Lord of all power and might;" let the language of the heart, if not of the lips, be poured forth in pious aspiration to God; if it be but a word, a wish, or a thought, it will be clothed with strength, and minister a stedfastness to the mind and heart. We are thus animated by the assurance of divine support, and fixed in our holy determination of resistance to all evil. Much depends, for safety and success, upon this habitual spirit of devotion; it is our buckler and shield in every moment of conflict; without it, we are standing, in the feebleness of nature, before the mighty enemy of our souls; ready to "be taken captive by him at his will."* "Be ye therefore sober (that is, be serious) and watch unto prayer;"† and thus "go forth conquering and to conquer."

* 2 Tim ii. 26.

† 1 Pet. iv. 7.

FROM this, and one or two other passages in the gospels, it has been sometimes imagined, that our blessed Lord set no value on the common relationships, the natural ties, the tender endearments of life; and that He intended to teach His disciples, by His own example, to neglect such considerations altogether; as if all Christians had an equal claim upon our affection; as if the spiritual brother

hood were the only object worthy of our regard; as if parents and brothers and sisters were merely upon a footing with the rest of mankind. This notion is entirely erroneous; it is a mistaken conclusion from the words and conduct of our Lord.

His own example, on several occasions, has afforded a sanction to the feelings of private friendship, as well as of family affection. How deeply was He moved at the death of Lazarus! "Jesus wept, then said the Jews, behold how He loved him!"* And of our Lord's disciples we read, that there was one, treated with peculiar tenderness and regard; one, "who leaned on His bosom ;" one, distinguished by the high and honourable name of the "beloved disciple." And this disciple, the evangelist St. John, has drawn one of the most striking pictures of an affectionate family, ever represented to the eye and the heart of man: "There stood by the cross of Jesus, His mother, and

* John 11. 35, 36. † John xiii. 23; xxi. 20.

His mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple standing by whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith He to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home." Jesus not only loved and protected His mother through life, but was solicitous to provide for her future wellbeing, even amidst the agonies of the cross; commending her to His dearest personal friend; and by way of effectually securing his regard and her confidence, He calls John the son, and Mary the mother: Behave to each other as mother and son; and it is all I can ask or require. This must be admitted as a proof, that Jesus felt most tenderly and peculiarly for His nearest earthly relation and it shews, that those passages, which have been supposed to favour a contrary opinion, have been wrongly interpreted.