2. Satan not only makes use of our natural wants, but even of our virtues, as means of temptation; urging us to carry them to excess. But virtue consists in moderation, in neither doing too much nor too little. Thus liberality lies between avarice and prodigality, and compunction is the mean betwixt assurance and despair. 3. Satan has no power to cast us down without the consent of our own free wills. He may urge to fall, but he cannot compel man to fall. 4. Satan endeavours to cast down to earth, whilst Christ is ever striving to draw man from earth, to lead man _to seek those things which are above_. (Col. iii. 2.) 5. We are guilty of casting ourselves down from the pinnacle upon which we are placed, whenever— α. We presumptuously neglect the natural means of support with which God has supplied us. β. We deliberately fall into sin, with the purpose of expiating it afterwards by confession. γ. We undertake any unprofitable task. For a Christian should set before him nothing upon which to expend his time and energies but what is of utility. δ. We do evil that good may come. _For it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee: and in their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest at any time Thou dash Thy foot against a stone._ I. Satan placed two dangers before our Lord: that of being dashed to pieces, and that of committing a sin. To remove the fear of either committing the sin, or of exposing Himself to danger, Satan quotes Scripture. He does this on two grounds— 1. To exhibit himself in a favourable light, as though he were the angel of God sent to bear Christ up. 2. To remove the fear of injury, on the authority of Scripture promises. II. Satan endeavours to remove the prospect of danger, so as to make the thought of committing the sin less alarming. For many are deterred from crime by fear of its consequences; and if the fear be removed, then they are ready to commit the sin. Eve was prevented from disobeying God by the fear of the consequences (Gen. iii. 3); Satan removed the fear when he said, _Ye shall not surely die_; and then at once the woman fell. So when Satan removes the fear of death, as something doleful to think upon, when we are in health, we are ready enough to sin. Whereas fear is salutary; as says Scripture, _To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom_. Ecclus. i. 14. 16. Matt. iii. 7. Luke xii. 5. Examples of the fear of the Lord deterring from sin in Gen. xxxix. 9. Hist. Susanna 23.