y darts of the wicked.'

Archaeologists tell us that there were in use in ancient warfare javelins
tipped with some kind of combustible, which were set on fire, and flung,
so that they had not only the power of wounding but also of burning; and
that there were others with a hollow head, which was in like manner
filled, kindled, and thrown into the ranks of the enemy. I suppose that
the Apostle's reason for specifying these fiery darts was simply that
they were the most formidable offensive weapons that he had ever heard
of. Probably, if he had lived to-day, he would have spoken of
rifle-bullets or explosive shells, instead of fiery darts. But, though
probably the Apostle had no further meaning in the metaphor than to
suggest that faith was mightier than the mightiest assaults that can be
hurled against it, we may venture to draw attention to two particulars
in which this figure is specially instructive and warning. The one is
the action of certain temptations in setting the soul on fire; the other
is the suddenness with which they assail us.

'The fiery darts.' Now, I do not wish to confine that metaphor too
narrowly to any one department of human nature, for our whole being is
capable of being set on fire, and 'set on fire of hell,' as James says.
But there are things in us all to which the fiery darts do especially
appeal: desires, appetites, passions; or--to use the word which refined
people are so afraid of, although the Bible is not, '_lusts_--which war
against the soul,' and which need only a touch of fire to flare up like
a tar-barrel, in thick foul smoke darkening the heavens. There are fiery
darts that strike these animal natures of ours, and set them all aflame.

But, there are other fiery darts than these. There are plenty of other
desires in us: wishes, cowardices, weaknesses of all sorts, that, once
touched with the devil's dart, will burn fiercely enough. We all know
that.

Then there is the other characteristic of suddenness. The dart comes
without any warning. The arrow is invisible until it is buried in the
man's breast. The pestilence walks in darkness, and the victim does not
know until its poison fang is in him. Ah! yes! brethren, the most
dangerous of our temptations are those that are sprung upon us unawares.
We are going quietly along the course of our daily lives, occupied with
quite other thoughts, and all at once, as if a door had opened, not out
of heaven but out of hell, we are confronted