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 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