x takes care not to frighten away his prey. Even the
lion, when he is seeking his prey, never roars at that time, but
crouches and hides in the tall grass or thicket until his prey comes
near enough, and then he springs upon it with a single bound. The
reason why Peter calls him a _roaring_ lion is because he roars
furiously after his prey is in his power. His roaring then is but a
note of victory and defiance. The devil knew that he would not
frighten Eve by coming to her in the form he did, because she had
never then, as yet, known anything of evil. But when he comes to men
now in the serpent form, he comes as "_a snake in the grass_."

I sometimes think that age adds shrewdness to the devil's plans. He
comes to men in so many forms and ways, first to delude and then to
destroy, that they may be called _legion_. But, as Paul says, "We
are not ignorant of his devices, for Satan is transformed into an
angel of light."

He learns to know every brother's and sister's weak point. To the
brother who has been fond of ardent spirits he comes behind the
deceitful, covetous smile of the rumseller. In this instance the order
of the fable is reversed. There the ass put on the lion's skin; here
the lion puts on the skin of the ass. To the brother whose weakness is
adultery he comes in the form of a harlot, "jeweled and crowned." To
the brother whose special sin has been covetousness he comes as a
friend. He takes him by the hand, leads him to the top of some high
mountain, there shows him the kingdoms of the world and the glory of
them, and pledges to him the enjoyment of all this glory and power if
he will but fall down and worship him.

Now, Herod was a type of this devil, and the prison in which Peter was
chained is a type of the "horrible pit" into which many a good-meaning
Christian has been cast by him. But even for such there is quite as
much hope as there was for Peter. The Lord is ever nigh to redeem and
to save. But there must be a willing mind. If Peter had said in his
half-asleep state, "Just leave me alone--I'll come after awhile--I'm
too sleepy to go now"--what then? It would have been impossible for
the Lord to rescue him, if he had not been willing to be rescued by
the Lord.

Some, who have "been taken captive by the devil at his will," keep
awake in a certain sense. The pall of darkness and deep sleep has not
yet settled down upon them. They are conscious of their situation.
They know and feel that they are i