The Angler and the Hunter

“Till we sin Satan is a parasite; but when 07ice we are in the devil’s hands he tin-ns tyrant. As an angler when the fish hath swallowed the bait, discovers himself; or as a himter lies out of sight till the beast is gotten into the toils, a?td then he shouts and tyiumphs over his prey, so the evil one lets not his e7imity be seen till he has deceived his

How often have I seen this. A soul tempted by the pleasures of sin one day, and driven to despair by remorse for it the next! Satan first acts as deceiver and then as accuser. While men can be made to suck down sin he will make it sweet in their mouths; but when the poison is down he makes it bitter in their bowels. At the first he tells them that there is no punishment, and by-and-by that there is no mercy.

Lord, teach us how to baffle Satan’s arts, and rescue men from his wiles. No mere human wisdom can match his subtlety; instruct us, then, by thy Spirit that we may be as wise to win souls as he is crafty to destroy them.