August 7 AM

I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 1 Cor. 11:3.

By a godly fear in the heart, the Lord keeps his people from totally departing from him. But there is ever danger from Satan, from men, yea and from brethren too, of our minds being corrupted and beguiled, so as to suffer the loss of that singleness of eye and simplicity of heart towards our dear Saviour, by which the soul is only kept happy. If the Lord's prophet had been more jealous over himself, and more simple to his master's voice, the fair speech of his brother had not betrayed him to disobedience and death, by the mouth of the lion. See 1 Kings 13:24.

Could Satan so beguile Eve as to make her an instrument of death to herself, to the dear partner of her life, and to all their posterity? O disciples, "take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother, for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders." Jer. 9:4. But how comes all this? Alas! because "they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth," verse 3. Satan's subtlety hath robbed them of Christ's simplicity. The abiding, comforting presence, the sweet fellowship of Jesus are obscured to their mind. Jesus is not simply and constantly lived upon. The living actings of faith, the constant outgoings of the soul, the continual looking to, and daily hanging upon Jesus for salvation from hour to hour, is not enjoyed in the heart. Corrupted minds grow clouded. Hence they lose sight of our beloved friend; sweet simplicity departs, and other objects too oft become the subjects of converse and meditation. This is an infectious disorder; it rages among the children of God; it is easily caught; simple faith in Jesus is bewildered by perplexing notions; love to Jesus grows cold by keeping at a distance from him; and once humble, simple hearts get into doubting-castle. Satan cries, "There, there, so would I have it." Though Jesus will never forsake them, yet he suffers their own folly to correct them. By their smarting he teaches them to be wiser. Chaste virgins are jealous over their eyes, their tongues, and hearts, lest they give encouragement to unlawful love. We are equally to be on our guard against the corrupt principles of proud self-righteous Pharisees, as against the licentious principles of Antinomians. Both draw from the simplicity that is in Christ. The light of the body is the eye; "if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light." Matt. 6:22.

Satan appears almost divine,

Like innocence and love;

But the old serpent lurks within,

When he assumes the dove.

Fly from the false deceiver's tongue,

Ye sons of Adam, fly;

Our parents found the snare too strong,

Nor should the children try.