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Post by Admin on Dec 18, 2023 23:25:43 GMT -5
The first and main observation: That a child of God may walk in darkness
The main proposition and subject of this discourse thence deduced:
That a child of God may walk in darkness.—That thereby distress of
conscience, and desertion in the want of assurance of justification, is meant, proved.
THIS to be the meaning of the words will more fully appear in
opening the several propositions to be delivered out of them, whereof
the first and principally intended is this: That one who truly fears
God, and is obedient to him, may be in a condition of darkness, and
have no light; and he may walk many days and years in that condition.
And herein, further to explain the text, and bottom this great point
well upon it, and more particularly to discover what the condition of
a child of God, thus in darkness, is, we will first inquire what is
meant by walking in darkness here in this place.
First, Walking in darkness is taken in 1 John 1:6, for living in sin and
ungodliness—in the commission of known sins or omission of known
duties, going on in the works of darkness. But so it is not to be taken
here; for Christ would not have encouraged such to trust in God, who
is light, and there can be no fellowship between him and such
darkness, as the Apostle tells us. Nay, the Holy Ghost reproves such
as do 'lean on the Lord' and yet transgress, Mic. 3:11. And besides,
the text speaks of such who for their present condition fear God and
are obedient to him, which if they thus walked in darkness they could
not be said to do. Neither—
Secondly, Is it to be meant of walking in ignorance, as, John 12:35, it
is taken. For one that hath no light, in that sense, can never truly fear
God nor obey him: the 'heart that wanteth knowledge is not good,'
says Solomon, Prov. 19:2; and so to walk in darkness is accompanied
with walking 'in vanity of mind,' Eph. 4:17. But—
Thirdly, He means it of discomfiture and sorrow, as often we find in
Scripture darkness to be taken, as Eccles. 5:17; as, on the contrary,
light, because it is so 'pleasant a thing to behold,' is put for comfort,
Eccles. 11:7. And that so it is taken here is evident by that which is
opposed in the next verse, 'Walk ye in your light, yet ye shall lie down
in sorrow.' But—
Fourthly, Of what kind of sorrow, and for what? Whether from
outward afflictions, or inward distress of mind and conscience; or, to
use Solomon's distinction, whether by reason of man's ordinary
infirmities, or of a wounded spirit? That is yet in question. And—
First, It is not to be restrained to outward afflictions only, which are
called man's infirmities, as being common to man; which arise from
things of this world, or from the men of the world; though to walk in
darkness is so taken, Isa. 59:9, and I will not exclude it here. For, in
them also, a man's best support is to trust in God; and it is the safest
way to interpret Scriptures in the largest sense which the words and
coherence will bear. But yet that cannot be the only or principal
meaning of it; for besides what is further to be said to the contrary,
he adds withal, 'and hath no light,' that is, no comfort. Now, as
philosophers say, there is no pure darkness without some mixture of light;
so we may say, there is not
mere or utter darkness caused by outward afflictions: no outward
affliction can so universally environ the mind, as to shut up all the
crannies of it, so that a man should have no light. And besides, God's
people, when they walk in the greatest outward darkness, may have,
yea, often use to have, most light in their spirits. But here is such an
estate spoken of, such a darkness as hath no light in it. Therefore—
Secondly, It is principally to be understood of the want of inward
comfort in their spirits, from something that is between God and
them; and so meant of that darkness and terrors which accompany
the want of the sense of God's favour. And so darkness is elsewhere
taken for inward affliction of spirit and mind, and want of light, in
point of assurance, that God is a man's God, and of the pardon of a
man's sins; so, Ps. 88:6, Heman useth this word to express his
distress. And the reasons why it is thus to be understood here are—
First, Because the remedy here prescribed is faith; to stay himself
upon God, and that as upon his God; he puts in his God,
emphatically, because that is the point he is troubled about, and
concerning which he is in darkness, and of which he would have such
a one to be persuaded. And that is it which faith, which is
propounded here as the remedy, doth in the first place and
principally look unto, as its primary aim and object.
Secondly, In the foregoing verses he had spoken of justification,
whereby God pardons our sins and accepts our persons; the prophet,
or Christ in the person of his elect, (as some,) having expressed his
assurance of this: 'God is near that justifies me, who shall condemn?'
Which words the Apostle, Rom. 8:32, 33, doth allege in the point of
justification, and to express the triumphing assurance of it; and
applies them in the name and person of true believers too. But
because there might be some poor souls, who, though truly fearing
God, yet might want this assurance; and upon the hearing of this
might be the more troubled, because not able to express that
confidence which he did; therefore he adds, 'Who is among you that
feareth the Lord, and walketh in darkness?' &c.: as if he should have
said to such, Though you want the comfortable sense and assurance
of this, yet be not discouraged; but do you exercise faith, go out of
yourselves, rely upon Christ and that mercy which is to be found in
God: you may fear God and want it, and you are to trust in God in the
want of it.
Thirdly, These words have a relation also to the 4th verse, where he
says, as that God had given him this assurance of his own
justification, for his own particular comfort, in those immediately
foregoing verses to the text, so there, that God had also given him the
'tongue of the learned, to minister a word of comfort in season to him
that is weary and heavy laden:' and thereupon, in this verse, he
accordingly shews the blessed condition of such persons as are most
weary through long walking in darkness; and withal he discovereth
to them the way of getting out of this darkness, and recovering
comfort again. And in all the word of God there is not a more
comfortable and seasonable word to one in such a condition to be
found. All which argues it is spoken of inward darkness and trouble
of spirit, and that in point of applying justification, and God to be a
man's God.
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Post by Admin on Dec 18, 2023 23:33:54 GMT -5
CHAPTER II:
The two phrases, 'walking in darkness,' 'having no light'
The particulars of the distress contained in these two phrases:
walking in darkness; having no light.
THE second thing to be inquired into is, What is the condition of
such a one who is thus in darkness, and who hath no light? Which I
will so far discover, as the phrases used here will give light into, by
the help of other Scriptures.
1. First, he is said to have no light. 'Light,' saith the Apostle, Eph.
5:13, 'is that whereby things are made manifest,' that is, to the sense
of sight, to which light properly belongs; and as light and faith are
here severed, as you see, so sight also is, in 2 Cor. 5:7, distinguished
from faith, which is the evidence of things absent and not seen, Heb.
11:1. When, therefore, here he says he hath no light, the meaning is,
he wants all present sensible testimonies of God's favour to him; he
sees nothing that may give sensible present witness of it to him.
God's favour, and his own graces, and all the sensible tokens and
evidences thereof, which are apprehended by spiritual sight, are
become all as absent things, as if they were not, or never had been;
that light which ordinarily discovers these as present, he is clean
deprived of.
To understand this, we must know that God, to help our faith, which,
as I said before, is distinguished from sight, as we now speak of it,
vouchsafeth a threefold light to his people, to add assurance and joy
to their faith; which is to faith as a back of steel to a bow, to
strengthen it, and made to be taken off or put on to it at God's good
pleasure.
(1.) First, the immediate light of his countenance, which is a clear,
evident beam and revelation of God's favour, immediately testifying
that we are his, which is called the sealing of the Spirit, received after
believing, Eph. 1:13; which David desired, and rejoiced in more than
in all worldly things, Ps. 4:6, 'Lord, lift up the light of thy
countenance;' in which, more or less, in some glimpses of it, some of
God's people have the privilege to walk with joy from day to day: Ps.
89:15, 'They shall walk in the light of thy countenance; in thy name
shall they rejoice all day.' And this is here utterly withdrawn; and it
may thus come to pass, that the soul, in regard of any sense or sight
of this, may be left in that case that Saul really was left in, 1 Sam.
28:15, 'God is departed from me, and answers me not, neither by
prophets nor by dreams;' though with this difference, that God was
really departed from Saul, but to these but in their own
apprehensions: yet so as, for aught they can see of him, God is
departed clean from them; answers them neither by prayer, nor by
word, nor by conference; they cannot get one good look from him.
Such was Jonah's case, chap. 2:4, 'I am cast out of thy sight;' that is,
he could not get a sight of him,—not one smile, not one glance or cast
of his countenance, not a beam of comfort,—and so thought himself
cast out. And so he dealt with David often, and sometimes a long
time together: Ps. 13:1, 'How long wilt thou hide thy face from me?'
and, Ps. 89:46, 'How long,' &c.; even so long as David puts God in
remembrance, and pleads how short a time in all he had to live, and
complains how in much of that time his face had been hid from him,
ver. 47. And the like was Heman's case, and this also long, even from
his youth up, Ps. 88:14, 15. So from Job, chap. 13:24. Yea, and from
Christ himself, 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?'
But concerning this you will ask, How can this dealing of his stand
with his everlasting love, continued notwithstanding to the soul, that
he should deal so with one he loves; but especially how it may stand
with the real influence of his grace, powerfully enabling the soul all
that while to go on to fear and obey him?
For the first; it may stand with his everlasting love, and God may be
his God still, as the text tells us; so, Isa. 54:8, 'For a moment I have
hid my face, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee.'
It is but 'hiding his face,' and concealing his love, as David concealed
his love from Absalom, when his bowels yearned towards him. And
God takes the liberty that other fathers have, to shut his children out
of his presence when he is angry. And it is but 'for a moment,'—that
is, in comparison of eternity,—though haply it should be thus with
him during a man's whole life; and he therefore takes liberty to do it,
because he hath such an eternity of time to reveal his kindness in;
time enough for kisses and embraces, and to pour forth his love in.
And for the second; the real gracious influences and effects of his
favour may be continued, upholding, strengthening, and carrying on
the soul still to obey and fear him, whilst he yet conceals his favour.
For, when Christ complained, 'My God, my God, why hast thou
forsaken me?' when as great an eclipse in regard of the light of God's
countenance was upon his spirit as was upon the earth, yet he never
more obeyed God, was never stronglier supported, than at that time,
for then he was obeying to the death. Like as we see that when the
sun is eclipsed, though the earth wants the light of it, yet not the
influence thereof; for the metals which are engendered in the bottom
of the earth are concocted by the sun; so as though the light of the
sun comes not to them, yet the influence and virtue of it doth, and
altereth and changeth them. So doth God's favour visit men's hearts
in the power, heat, and vigorous influence of his grace, when the
light and comfort of it doth not, but is intercluded. Deus se
communicat, vel quâ beatus, vel quâ sanctus; quâ beatus, gaudium et
gloriam; quâ sanctus, gratiam: utrumque voluntariè, ideoque non
utrumque simul necessario.
(2.) The second light which God vouchsafeth his people ordinarily to
help and eke out their faith, is the sight and comfort of their own
graces, unto which so many promises belong; as, of their love to his
people, fear of his name, desire to obey him. So that often when the
sun is set, yet starlight appears; that is, though that other, the
immediate presence and evidence of his favour, shines not on the
soul, yet his graces therein appear, as tokens of that his love: so as
the soul knows that there is a sun still, that gives light to these stars,
though it sees it not; as in the night we know that there is a sun in
another horizon, because the stars, we see, have their light from it,
and we are sure that it will arise again to us.
Now a soul that hath true grace in it, and goes on to obey God, may
also want light to see these his graces, and look upon his own heart
as empty of all. And as they in the storm, Acts 27:20, so he in
temptation may come to have 'neither sunlight nor starlight;' no
light, as in the text. Thus, Isa. 63:17, the church there complains that
God had hardened them from his fear; they were afraid, feeling their
hearts so hard, that the fear of God was wanting; which yet was
there, for they complain of the want of it.
(3.) But yet, thirdly, though he want the present light of God's
countenance, and the sight of present grace, yet he may have a
comfortable remembrance of what once before he had still left, and
so long is not utterly left in darkness. Therefore further know, that
the state of one that fears God and obeys him may be such as he may
have no comfortable light or remembrance of what grace, &c.,
formerly he had, 2 Pet. 1:9. One that hath true grace in him only
lacks the exercise of it,—for I take it that place is to be understood of
a regenerate man, because he was 'purged from sin,'—and is now
said to lack grace because he doth not use it; for idem est non habere,
et non uti, a man is said not to have that which he doth not use when
he ought to use it, especially in things whose worth lies wholly in use
and employment, for it is as good as if he had it not. Now, such a
man may fall into such a blindness that he 'cannot see afar off,' and
so forgets his former assurance, 'that he was purged from his old
sins;' yea, it may be, calls all into question. Thus David, in Ps. 30:6, 7,
though his heart was but even now, a little before, 'full of joy' and
assurance of God's favour, yet God did but 'hide his face,' and all was
gone; 'I was troubled,' says he. He was thus blind, and could not see
what was but a little past him, as it is with men in a mist.
And the reason of these two last assertions is as evident as the
experience thereof. For graces in us shine but with a borrowed light,
as the stars do, with a light borrowed from the sun. So that unless
God will shine secretly, and give light to thy graces, and irradiate
them, thy graces will not appear to comfort thee, nor be at all a
witness of God's favour to assure thee. For our spirit, that is, our
graces, never witness alone; but if God's Spirit joineth not in
testimony therewith, it is silent: 'The Spirit of God witnesseth with
our spirits,' Rom. 8:16. Now therefore, when God hath withdrawn his
testimony, then the testimony of our hearts, and of our own graces,
hath no force in it.
But you will say, Can a man have the exercise of grace and not know
it? fear God, &c., and not discern it?
Yes; and some graces may then be as much exercised in the heart as
at any other time. He may fear God as truly and as much as ever, and
yet this fear have no light in it to discover itself to him; it may be in
the heart, in esse et operari, when not in cognosci,—it may have a
being and a working there, when not in thy apprehension.
The reason is, because, as the influence of God's favour may be really
in the heart, when the sense, sight, and light of it is withdrawn, as
was said before; so the power of grace may in like manner be in the
heart when the light and comfort thereof is wanting. And although it
is true that every man having the power of reflecting upon his own
actions, can discern what thoughts are in him and what affections,
and can tell, for the matter of them, what he thinks on, that he puts
his trust, and that he is grieved, &c.: but yet so as he may still
question whether those thoughts be acts of true and unfeigned faith,
and whether those affections of sorrow for sin, &c., be sanctified
affections, holy, and genuine, and spiritual affections; and the reason
of the difference is, because though the natural 'spirit which is in a
man knows the things of a man,' as the apostle hath it, 1 Cor. 2:11
(that is, his own thoughts, &c., understanding them physically, as
they are acts of a man), yet what is the true goodness of them
morally, in discerning this, the 'spirit of a man is deceitful, and
cannot know it,' Jer. 17:9, without the supernatural light of the Spirit
of God, who as he is the giver and actor of that grace in us, so 'is
given of God that we might know the things which are given us of
God,' 1 Cor. 2:12. 'Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the
upright,' says the Psalmist. Grace, and the exercise of it, is the seed
which they continually scatter; but light and joy is the crop that is to
be reaped. The seed often lies hid long, though it will come up in the
end. Thus light or joy may be severed from grace; and the comfort of
it from the power of it.
2. Secondly, let us further consider the other phrase, and what is
intimated thereby to be his condition, when, as it is said, he walks in
darkness:—
(1.) First, to walk in darkness implies to be in doubt whither to go; so
John 12:35, 'He that walks in darkness knows not whither he goes.'
And thus the soul of one that fears God may be filled with doubts
whether God will ever be merciful to him, yea or no, and not know
what God means to do with him, whether he shall go to heaven or
hell. Ps. 77:7–9, 'Will the Lord be merciful?' which speeches are
spoken doubtingly; for, ver. 10, he says, 'this was his infirmity,' to call
this into question. So Heman, Ps. 88:5, 6, 11, 12: he thought himself
as one that was in hell, 'free among the dead,' that is, as one admitted
free into the company of them there, ver. 5; free of that company, as
you use to say, and of the number of those 'whom God no more
remembered:' in such darkness was he, ver. 6. And to raise him out
of that condition was a thing he doubted whether God would ever do,
ver. 10–12: 'Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead? shall thy wonders
be declared in the grave?' that is, Did God ever shew mercy to one
that was in the same state that they in hell are in? which is my state
now; yea, so as to be out of hope. So Lam. 3:18, 'My hope is perished
from the Lord.'
(2.) Secondly, those in darkness are apt to stumble at everything. So
Isa. 59:10; one effect of darkness, mentioned there, is to 'stumble at
noon-day.' So take a soul that is left in darkness, and it will stumble
at all it hears out of the word, either in conference or at sermons; all
it reads, all promises it meets with, it is more discouraged by them.
Oh, think they, that there should be such glorious promises, and not
belong to us! Such a one misapplies and misinterprets all God's
dealings and the Scriptures against himself, and 'refuseth comfort,'
as Ps. 77:2; yea, and, as at the 3d verse, when he 'remembers God, he
is troubled.'
(3.) Thirdly, darkness is exceeding terrible and full of horror. When
children are in the dark, they think they see fearful sights; it is
therefore called the 'horror of darkness,' Gen. 15:12. So his soul here
may be filled with fears and terrors from God's wrath, and of God's
being an enemy to him. Heman was almost distracted and out of his
wits with terrors, Ps. 88:15. So the church thought, Lam. 3; yea, and
concluded it for certain that God was her enemy: 'Surely he is turned
against me,' ver. 3.
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Post by Admin on Dec 18, 2023 23:38:51 GMT -5
CHAPTER III:
The efficient causes of this distress.
First, the Spirit; whether he hath any hand therein, and how far.
HAVING thus explicated and proved this, that this doth and may
befall one who truly fears the Lord, for the more full clearing of it I
will further shew—
I. The efficient causes;
II. The cases wherein;
III. The ends for which, God leaves his children in such distresses.
I. For the efficient causes of this so woeful, desperate, dark condition
of God's child; they are three which have a hand in it:—
1. God's Spirit.
2. A man's own guilty and fearful heart.
3. Satan.
1. For God's Spirit. Although he hath a hand in some part of this
disquiteness, yet we must take heed how we put upon him any of
those doubts and desperate fears and conclusions whereby the child
of God calls his state into question. For the Spirit is not the direct
efficient, or positive cause of them.
And to this end we may consider that known place, Rom. 8:15, 'Ye
have not received the spirit of bondage to fear again, but the spirit of
adoption;' the right understanding of which will also prevent an
objection. For some have alleged this place, as if the child of God,
after he had once the Spirit, sealing adoption to him, could never
after fall into apprehension of bondage—that is, into fears of eternal
damnation—any more, or of being bound over for hell; and that this
can befall him but once, and that at his first conversion.
But if we mark the words well, the Apostle affirmeth not that fears of
bondage can never befall God's child again, but his scope is to shew
that the Spirit which we have received, having been once become the
spirit of adoption, that Spirit is never after again the spirit of
bondage to us, nor the cause of such fears. Indeed, at first
conversion, and before he did witness adoption, he then revealed our
estate to us to be an estate of bondage; which he then doth in love, to
drive us out of it; and then indeed he was a 'spirit of bondage:' to
which he hath reference when he says, 'to fear again,' because he was
once such to them, and such the Holy Ghost then might be, and then
witness to them that their estates were damnable; for then it was a
truth, in that they had lived in an estate of bondage, whereunto
damnation was immediately due; and had they died in it, had
certainly fallen upon them. But when once, by making a man a son,
he hath become the spirit of adoption to him, then if ever he should
put him into such apprehensions and fears again, he should witness
an untruth. Therefore, for the comfort of them and all believers, he
tells them that he never crosseth nor reverseth his testimony of
adoption, but his office is to be ready as a witness to seal to it. But
yet, though the judge doth not condemn any more, yet the jailor may
trouble and affright us, and our own hearts may condemn us, 1 John
3:21. God may give Satan leave to east us into prison, to clap bolts
upon us again, and to become a lying spirit of bondage to us, as he
became a lying spirit in the mouth of Ahab's prophets; and he may
give up our hearts to be fettered with 'the cords of our own sins,'
Prov. 5:22, and to be ensnared with its own inventions, and fears,
and jealousies.
For a more distinct understanding of this, to manifest how it comes
to pass that all this befalls God's child, I will shew how far the Holy
Ghost proceedeth in it, and puts forth his hand towards it; and what
Satan's work is, where he strikes in, and our own hearts, to work
further and deeper distress than the Holy Ghost by himself alone
intended. For unto these three several hands is the whole to be
ascribed, and the works of God's Spirit, and his concurrence therein,
carefully to be severed from Satan's, as light from darkness at the
first.
Thus far, then, the Spirit of God may concur in this darkness that
befalls his Child:—
(1.) Privatively. He may suspend his testimony, and the execution of
his office of witnessing adoption; he may withdraw his comfortable
presence, and hide himself for a moment, and conceal his love, as
other fathers will sometimes do; as David did, when yet his heart was
towards Absalom. He may not admit him to see his face, he may shut
a son out of doors, when yet he doth not cast him off. He may 'retain
their sins,' as Christ's expression is, John 20:23,—that is, call in the
patent of his pardon which he had passed under his hand and seal,
'in earth,' that is, in their own consciences; take it out of their hands
and custody, and call for it homo again into the pardon-office 'in
heaven,' Matt. 18:18, and there keep it. And also when Satan comes
and gives in a false witness and evidence, and our own hearts
thereupon likewise condemn us, the Holy Ghost may stand by, as it
were, silent, and say nothing to the contrary, but forbear to
contradict Satan by any loud testimony or secret rebuking him, as he
doth at other times; as Zech. 3:1, 2.
(2.) Positively. He may further proceed:—
[1.] To reveal and represent God as angry with his child for such and
such sins formerly committed, and make him sensible thereof; not
barely by concealing his love, but by making impressions of his wrath
upon his conscience immediately, and not by outward crosses only.
Thus, Isa. 57:17, 18, God not only 'hid himself and was wroth,'—that
is, expressed his wrath by hiding himself,—but 'I smote him and was
wroth;' and ver. 16, he contended and was wroth,'—that is, fought
against him as an enemy, as Isa. 63:10, and this with his wrath upon
his spirit. For it follows that the spirit was ready to fail, and the soul
which he had made. So as it was the spirit which was the white God
shot at and wounded, and that be deep that it was ready to fail and
come to nothing: which Solomon calls by way of distinction 'a
wounded spirit,' which who can bear? and differenceth it from all
other afflictions upon the outward man, which strike the spirit but
through the clothes of the body mediately; for, says he, 'the spirit of a
man will sustain his infirmity'—that is, all such outward afflictions
wherein it suffers but by way of sympathy and compassion. But when
the spirit itself is laid bare and naked, and wounded immediately by
God's wrath, which only can reach it and wound it, who can bear
this? Thus towards Heman, God did not only hide his face from him,
Ps. 88:14, but 'his fierce wrath went over him,' and 'thy terrors,' says
he, 'cut me off,' ver. 16; not wounded him only, but even cut him off.
And such impressions of immediate wrath, as expressions and effects
of God's anger, the Holy Ghost may make upon the spirit of his child.
For it is a truth that God is angry and wroth with them when they
sin; which anger he may make known, not only by dumb signs in
outward crosses and effects, but by an immediate witnessing, and
plain and express speaking so much to their consciences, and making
them to feel so much, by scalding drops of his hot displeasure let fall
thereon. And as other fathers shew their anger by whipping the
bodies of their children, upon this ground, as says the apostle,
because they are the 'fathers of our flesh,' Heb. 12:9; so, for the like
reason, may God shew his anger and chastise his children by lashing
their spirits: for he is the 'Father of our spirits,' as he speaks in the
same place. And likewise our spirits, and the very 'bones and
marrow' of them, do lie 'open and naked to him with whom we have
to do;' and his word and Spirit being 'quick and powerful, and
sharper than any two-edged sword,' are able 'to divide,' and cut even
to the 'bones and marrow,' as the same author speaks, Heb. 4:12, 13.
Yet withal, so as when he expresseth his wrath thus upon their
consciences, he doth not witness that this is an eternal wrath which
he hath conceived against them; for it is but a temporary displeasure,
'it is but for a moment,' as Isaiah speaks, the indignation of a father;
nor is it a wrath which revenging justice hath stirred in him, but
fatherly affection, Heb. 12:6. And though the Spirit tells them that
God is displeased, yet never that they are accursed; that is a false
collection made out of it. Yet—
[2.] The Holy Ghost may proceed yet further herein; so far as to
bring forth, and shew him, and shake over him the rod of his eternal
wrath, especially when he hath provoked Christ by presumptuous
sins already, and to prevent his going on frowardly in the way of his
heart. And this, both by presenting to them and setting on all those
threatenings, which do hypothetically and conditionally threaten,
even to believers, eternal damnation: such as that which we find,
Rom. 7:13, 'If ye live after the flesh, ye,' even you believers, 'shall die;'
for there is a truth in all such threatenings, so conditionally
propounded, which reacheth God's dearest children, under a
condition, and with relation to going on in sin. To stop him and
prevent him in which, when he is agoing on frowardly in the way of
his heart, the Holy Spirit may bring home such threatenings to him,
with respect to such a course as he is entering into, and accordingly
stir up the fear of that damnation thus threatened, if he should go on
in those sins he hath begun to commit. But to apply threatening of
eternal damnation simply to his person, as that thou shalt die
eternally, this the Holy Ghost doth not speak to the heart of a
believer, when he is a believer. And again also, the Holy Ghost may
represent to him and mind him of all those examples of men in
whom, for their going on in sin, 'his soul hath had no pleasure,' Heb.
10:39; and of God's dealings with them,—as how he sware against
many of the Israelites, for their provocations of him, 'that they
should never enter into his rest;' and how he rejected Esau for the
despisal of his birthright,—and all this with this end, to startle and
awaken him; and with this intimation, that for such and such sins
God might in like manner deal with him. For these and the like
examples doth the Spirit of God set before the believing Hebrews,
Heb. 3:12; and the believing Corinthians, 1 Cor. 10:5–13, to keep
them in fearfulness to offend. But to apply any such examples
absolutely unto them, so as to say, Thus God intends to do with thee
for such and such sins, and that God will never be merciful, this the
Holy Ghost doth not speak to a believer's heart.
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Post by Admin on Dec 18, 2023 23:41:32 GMT -5
CHAPTER IV:
How Satan and our hearts increase this darkness and distress
How Satan and our hearts increase this darkness by false conclusions
from the Spirit's work, illustrated by the like in the illumination of
temporaries.—The Spirit's work in both compared.
AND now the Spirit of God having proceeded thus far himself in
causing such darkness and terrors of conscience in them that fear
him; Satan and their own hearts, unto which he may and doth often
further also leave them, may take occasion from these dispensations
of the Holy Ghost, which are all holy, righteous, and true, to draw
forth false and fearful conclusions against themselves and their
estates, and start amazing doubts and fears of their utter want of
grace, and lying under the curse threatenings of eternal wrath at the
present, yea, and further, of eternal rejection for the future, and that
God will never be merciful; and so lay them lower, and cast them into
a further darkness and bondage than the Holy Ghost was cause of, or
intended: misinterpreting and perverting all these his righteous
proceedings, as interpreting that withdrawing his light and presence,
and hiding himself, to be a casting them off, (thus Heman, Ps.
88:14;) so, likewise, misconstruing that temporary wrath, chastising
and wounding their spirits for the present, to be no other than the
impressions and earnest of God's eternal vengeance; and arguing,
from their being under wrath, themselves to be children of wrath;
and misapplying the application of all those threatenings of eternal
damnation made by the Spirit, but in relation and under a condition
of such and such courses for the future, to be absolute against their
persons, and to speak their present estate. And because such
examples of men cast off are presented to them, to shew them what
advantage God might take against them; they, mistaking, think they
read their own destiny laid before them in them, and conclude that
God will deal so with them. And thus the Apostle says of sin, Rom.
7:11, that 'sin taking occasion by the commandment,'—he
misunderstanding the scope of it when a Pharisee,—'it deceived him,
and therefore slew him;' and yet 'the commandment is holy, just, and
good,' ver. 12. So Satan and our hearts, by occasion of these dealings
of the Spirit, which are righteous and true, as himself is, who is the
Spirit of truth and leads into truth, do deceive believers, and lay
them in their apprehensions 'among the slain, whom God
remembereth no more,' as Heman speaks, Ps. 88:5.
And as in these, so in other works and dispensations of God's Spirit,
it is ordinary for Satan and our hearts to practise the like delusions
and false conclusions upon them. To instance in those more common
and inferior works of the Spirit on the hearts of men, not as yet
savingly regenerated: the Spirit enlightening them, together with
impressions of joy, and a taste of sweetness in the promises of the
gospel, and of salvation revealed therein, which, under a condition of
true repentance and conversion, the Spirit of God doth make the
offer and tender of known unto their hearts. Thus he wrought upon
the stony ground, and in the Jews by John's ministry, John 5:35;
which light, and taste, and revelation of this conditional proffer,
tending in a way unto salvation, by alluring their hearts to seek it,
they often through Satan's abuse of this good work, and the selfflattery of their own hearts, do too hastily take to be that grace which
accompanies salvation, (ἐχόμενα τῆς σωτηρίας,) or which hath
salvation annexed to it; from which the Apostle, by that very
expression, Heb. 6:9, doth difference those enlightenings mentioned
ver. 4. They thus mistaking these works precursory to grace, even as
the Jews mistook John, that was sent but before to prepare the way
for Christ, to be that very true Christ that was to come into the world,
and misunderstanding the intendment of God's most blessed Spirit
in such his dealings, they make up too hasty a conclusion not meant
by the Spirit in those promises.
And I instance in these the rather, because these his dispensations of
desertion, which we have in hand, towards them already
regenerated, and those forementioned visitations towards such as
often attain not to regeneration, are in an opposite way of
comparison exceeding parallel, and much alike in the dispensations
themselves,—as well as in the differing false conclusions which are
drawn from either,—and do therefore exceedingly illustrate the one
the other; God withdrawing himself as much in their sense from
those who are in covenant with him, as he draws near unto and visits
their hearts from on high who are as yet strangers to him. The needle
of God's favour and love varying as much, that I may so allude,
towards hell in their compass who shall be saved, as it doth
heavenward in the other, many of whom arrive not thither. For as
they are brought nigh to the kingdom of heaven, as Christ told him,
Matt. 12:34; so of true believers it may be said, that their souls do
often draw near to hell in their own sense and apprehension, and 'the
pains of hell do take hold upon them.' And as the other are
enlightened, as Balaam was, so they are left to walk in darkness and
see no light; and do taste of that wrath which the law threatens, as
those other taste the goodness of that salvation the gospel offereth.
God, out of a temporary anger, chastising them for a moment, as
with a temporary favour he shineth upon the other. That as they 'for
a season rejoice in that light,' John 5:35, so God's dearest children
'may be for a season in much heaviness,' as the Apostle speaks, 1 Pet.
1:6, and 'walk in darkness.' And as the similitude of the dealings
themselves runs thus far along in a parallel line of comparison, so it
holds in the false apprehensions which Satan and our hearts do make
out of both. And the cause of the mistake in each is also alike. For
God's dealings with those temporary believers being so like to those
dealings towards such as receive a state of adoption from him, they
thence too hastily conclude their acceptance unto life. And, on the
contrary, God's dealings with these temporary despairers, as I may
so call them, being so like in their sense to his proceedings with those
he cuts off for ever, they, in like manner, as hastily conclude ('I said
in my haste,' says David) their eternal rejection. Only in the issue
they prove unlike: these desertions tending but to the present
discomfort of true believers through their frailty; but in the other,
through their own willing neglect, their enlightenings turn to their
destruction.
So as, to conclude, we must warily sever the work of God's Spirit
herein from that of Satan and our own hearts, not attributing such
desperate conclusions to the Spirit. Thus that depth of sorrow
wherewith that humbled Corinthian was well-nigh 'swallowed up,' 2
Cor. 2:7, is ascribed unto Satan, when, ver. 11, it is made and termed
one of his devices, which word doth in part refer to the Corinthian's
sorrow. Thus David also imputes that his questioning, Ps. 77,
'whether God would be merciful' to him, ver. 7, unto his own heart;
'this is my infirmity,' says he, ver. 10. So as the blame herein is to be
divided between Satan and our hearts.—To speak more particularly
of either.
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Post by Admin on Dec 18, 2023 23:43:25 GMT -5
CHAPTER V:
The second efficient cause of this darkness
How our own hearts are the causes of this darkness.—The principles
therein which are the causes of it.
2. THAT our own hearts should be the causes and producers of such
distress and darkness, when the Holy Ghost thus deals with us, is at
all no wonder; because—
(1.) As we are creatures, there is such a weakness and infirmity in us,
as David speaks; by reason of which, if God doth but hide himself
and withdraw his presence, which supporteth us in comfort, as in
being, we are ready presently to fall into these fears of ourselves. The
Psalmist saith of all the creatures, 'Thou hidest thy face, and they are
troubled,' Ps. 104:29; and this by reason of their weakness and
dependence upon God. And no less, but far greater, is the
dependence of the new creature upon God's face and presence; that it
cannot be alone and bear up itself, but it fails if God hide himself, as
Isaiah speaks, chap. 57. Especially now in this life, during the infancy
thereof, whilst it is a child, as God speaks of Ephraim, Hos. 11:1; then
it cannot stand or go alone, unless God 'bear it up in his arms, and
teach it to go,' as he speaks there, ver. 1–3. And then also, as children
left alone in the dark are afraid of bugbears, and they know not what,
and are apt to stumble and fall, which is by reason of their weakness;
so is it with the new creature in its childhood here in this life. It was
my infirmity, says David; and again, 'Thou didst hide thy face, and I
was troubled,' Ps. 30:7.
There is not only such a weakness in us as we are creatures; but—
(2.) Also an innate darkness in our spirits as we are sinful creatures.
Since the fall, our hearts of themselves are nothing but darkness, and
therefore no wonder if when God but draws the curtains, and shuts
up the light from us, that our hearts should engender and conceive
such horrid fears and doubts. Thus, in 2 Cor. 4:6, the Apostle
compareth this native darkness of our hearts unto that chaos and
lump of darkness which, at the first creation, covered the face of the
deep, when he says that 'God, who commanded light to shine out of
darkness,'—he referreth to the first creation, Gen. 1:1, 2,—'hath
shined into our hearts,' even of us apostles, 'to give the light of the
knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.' So that no
longer than God continues to shine, either the light of comfort or of
grace, no longer do our hearts, even of us believers, retain light in
them. And if at any time he withhold that light of comfort in his face,
when yet he continueth an influence of grace, then so far do our
hearts presently return to their former darkness; and then doth that
vast womb of darkness conceive and form all those fears and doubts
within itself. Considering withal that our hearts are a great deep also,
so deep in darkness and deceitfulness as no plummet can fathom
them; 'deceitful above all things, who can know it?' Jer. 17:9.
Darkness covereth not the face of this deep only, but it is darkness to
the bottom, throughout darkness. No wonder then, if when the Spirit
ceaseth to move upon this deep with beams of light, it cast us into
such deeps and darkness as Heman, complaining, speaks of, Ps.
88:6, and frameth in itself such hideous apprehensions and
desperate conclusions of a man's own estate.
(3.) Especially seeing there is so much strength of carnal and corrupt
reason in men, ready to forge and invent strong reasons and
arguments to confirm those sad fears and darkened apprehensions;
and those drawn from those dealings of God's Spirit mentioned. For
as it is said of the Gentiles, that when 'their foolish hearts were
darkened,'—that is, when left and given over to their own natural
darkness,—'they became vain in their imaginations,' or (as the
original hath it) in their reasonings, λογισμοῖς, Rom. 1:21; and this
even in those things which God had clearly revealed in his works to
the light of nature, of which that place speaks: so may it be said even
of those who have been most enlightened, that their hearts are apt to
become much more vain in their reasonings about, and in the
judging of their own estates before God, out of his word and dealings
with them if God once leaves them, unto darkness. And this that
great caveat given to professors, James 1:22, gives to understand,
when they are exhorted to take heed that 'in hearing the word' they
be not found 'deceiving themselves by false reasonings.' So the
original, παραλογιζόμενοι ἑαυτούς, renders it; which is as if we
should say, false-reasoning themselves: as we use to say, in a like
phrase of speech, befooling themselves. And this is spoken of judging
of their own estates, concerning which men are more apt, through
the distempers and prejudices of self-love, to make (to speak in that
phrase of the Apostle) false syllogisms, and to misconclude, than
about any other spiritual truth whatever. And as men that want true
faith, the unsound hearers of the word, of whom the Apostle there
speaks, are thus apt, through carnal reason misapplying the word
they hear, to frame and draw from thence, as he insinuates,
multitudes of false reasons to uphold and maintain to themselves a
good opinion of their estates: so, on the contrary, in those who have
true faith, all that carnal reason, which remains in a great measure
unsubdued in them, is as apt to raise and forge as strong objections
against the work of faith begun, and as peremptorily to conclude
against their present estates by the like misapplication of the word,
but especially by misinterpreting God's dealings towards them. And
they being sometimes led by sense and reason, whilst they walk in
darkness, they are apt to misinterpret God's mind towards them
rather by his works and dispensations, which they see and feel, than
by his word, which they are to believe. This we see in Gideon, Judges
6, who, because God wrought not miracles, as he had formerly for his
people, but had delivered them into their enemies' hands, from
thence reasoneth against the message of the angel, (Christ himself,)
who had told him, 'The Lord is with thee,' ver. 12. But he objects, 'Oh,
my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?
Where be all the miracles which our fathers told us of? But now the
Lord hath forsaken us,' &c. This we may also see in Asaph, or what
other holy penman of the 73d Psalm; his heels were well-nigh
tripped up in the dark: 'My feet were almost gone,' says he, ver. 2,—
that is, from keeping his 'standing by faith,' as the apostle speaks,
Rom. 5,—and this by an argument framed by carnal reason, from
God's dispensation of outward prosperity to wicked men, but, on the
contrary, 'chastening of him every morning,' with outward afflictions,
as the opposition doth there import. And how peremptory is he in his
conclusion thence deduced? 'Verily, I have cleansed my heart in
vain,' ver. 13; and what reason hath he? 'For all the day long I have
been plagued,' &c., ver. 14. He thought his reason strong and
irrefragable, else he would not have been so concludent: 'Verily,' &c.
But what would this man have said and thought if he had been in
Heman's condition, or in Job's or David's? If in those shallows of
outward troubles, which are common to man, his faith could not find
footing, but he was well-nigh carried away with the common stream
and error of wicked men, to have condemned himself and the
'generation of the righteous,' ver. 15; how would his faith have been
overborne 'if all God's waves and billows had gone over him?' as
David complains, Psalm 42:7. How would he have sunk in Heman's
deeps, Psalm 88? or in David's, Psalm 69:2, 'I sink in the deep mire,
where there is no standing. I am come into deep waters, where the
floods overflow me?' speaking of such 'waters as came in unto his
soul,' ver. 1, even the floods of God's immediate wrath breaking in
upon his; conscience, overflowing the inward man, and not the
outward only. How much more peremptorily would he have
concluded against himself if this had been his condition? As indeed
they, and many others of the generation of God's children have done,
when they have lain under and walked in such distresses.
And the reason of all this is as evident as the experience of it:—
[1.] In general; reason is of itself a busy principle, that will be prying
into, and making false glosses upon all God's matters as well as our
own, and trying its skill in arguing upon all his dealings with us. Thus
Jeremiah must needs be reasoning with God about his dispensations
towards wicked men, chap. 12:1, 2; and Job, of his dealings with
himself, chap. 13:3. And reason being likewise the supreme principle
in us by nature, and our highest difference as we are men, therefore
no wonder if, when we are left to ourselves to 'walk in darkness,' we
'walk as men,' as the Apostle speaks, 2 Cor. 10:3; and, to use
Solomon's words, do lean to our own wisdom, Prov. 3:5, even
because it is our own, and was brought up with us. It is our great
Ahithophel, and, as David says of him, 'our guide, with whom we
have taken so much sweet counsel' in all our worldly and politic
affairs. In which only we should make use of its advice; but we too
often take it into the sanctuary with us, and 'walk in company with it
into the house of God,' (to allude to what David says there, Psalm
55:13, 14;) that is, we suffer it to meddle in matters that pertain to
the sanctuary, and to debate and conclude of our spiritual and
eternal estates, as well as of our temporal. And, which is worse, we
are opinionative of its judgment therein: 'I thought,' says Asaph, in
that forementioned psalm, 'to know this,' ver. 16,—that is, he thought
to have comprehended and reached God's mind, in those his
dispensation, by the discussions of reason, and so to have concluded
rightly from them; whereas, 'after he had gone into the sanctuary,'
ver. 17, with faith alone, and thereby consulted with the word, he
confesseth his own wisdom and best reason to have been as ignorant
of God's meaning, and of those rules he proceedeth by, in those his
dispensations towards his children, 'even as a beast' (ver. 22) is of
those principles which men walk by, or the intentions they have in
their ways. If reason then, when it is so utterly unskilful and
mistaken in the premises, will yet be exercising and trying its faculty
in reasoning from them, no wonder if the conclusions thence
deduced be so wide and wild; and yet, with Asaph, we think we know
this.
[2.] But more particularly; carnal reason is the most desperate
enemy to faith of all other principles in man. For until faith be
wrought, it is the most supreme principle; but then faith deposeth
and subjecteth it, and afterwards doth often contradict it; yea,
excludes it, as unskilful in its matters, from being of its counsel. And
so deep and desperate is this enmity against faith, that look, what is
the most especial work and business of faith, which is to alter our
estates before God, and put us into a state of justification and to
assure us of it, therein it shews a more peculiar enmity against faith,
by opposing it in that work of it more than in any other. This enmity
shews itself both before and after faith is wrought, and the one
illustrates the other. For as before faith was wrought, carnal reason
shews its opposition, by using the utmost of its strength to persuade
a man of the goodness of his estate, though without faith; thereby to
prevent the entrance of faith and our seeking after it at all, as not
needful to change our estates or to justify us, and thus would keep it
wholly out; and therefore, in the first working of faith, the Holy
Ghost brings faith in by force of open arms, as a conqueror casting
down all those strongholds and reasonings—λογισμοὺς, as the word
is, 2 Cor. 10:5—which carnal reason had been long a-building and a fortifying,
and so erecteth faith a throne upon the ruins of them all:
thus, in like manner, after faith is thus wrought, all that carnal
reason which is left unsubdued doth, out of a further revenge of such
an overthrow, and with a greater degree of enmity, oppose faith still;
only it diverts the war, now mustering up new forces, and turneth all
the great ordnance a clean contrary way; namely, to persuade a man,
by all the objections it can raise, of the badness of his estate now, as
before of the goodness of it; hereby to blaspheme the great work of
faith in justifying of us. And also because that, next to justifying us,
the office and errand of faith is to settle in our hearts peace with God,
and a persuasion of our being in his favour, as Rom. 5:1; therefore
doth carnal reason bend the utmost of its power and acumen to
persuade upon all occasions, by all the most specious and seeming
arguments it can start and suggest, that God is not at peace with us,
nor as yet reconciled to us; merely to contradict faith in what is the
principal point it would persuade us of.
So that as in men, whilst unregenerate, carnal reason endeavours by
false reasonings to preserve a good opinion of their estates in them;
in like manner, the very same principle of carnal reason, continuing
its opposition to faith, doth as much persuade to a bad opinion of
their estates when they are once regenerated.
[3.] And to conclude this; if in any condition that befalls God's child
carnal reason hath the advantage and upper ground of faith, it is now
when it is in 'the valley of the shadow of death,' as David speaks,
when it walks in darkness, and hath no light. A condition that doth
afford a most complete topic for carnal reason to frame objections
out of; when, in respect of God's dealings with him, there is a
seeming conjunction of all bad aspects threatening perdition and
destruction; when faith is under so great an eclipse, and is left to
fight it out alone in darkness, and hath no second: when, on the
contrary, carnal reason and our dark hearts, which are led by sense,
are possessed with the sense, the deepest and most exquisite sense,
and impressions of (that which the heart is most jealous of) God's
sorest wrath and displeasure, and that felt and argued, not mediately
and afar off, by consequence from outward afflictions, but
immediately from God's own hand. Thou always hast suspected, says
carnal reason, that thou wert a child of wrath, and that thou and God
were enemies, but now thou findest it put out of question, and that
from God's own mouth, 'who speaketh' grievous things 'against thee,'
Jer. 31:20: thou hast it also under his own hand, for, lo, 'he writeth
bitter things against thee,'—that is, in thy conscience,—as Job speaks,
chap. 13:26, and 'holdeth thee for an enemy,' ver. 24; and whips thee
with the same rod of his immediate wrath and displeasure wherewith
he lasheth those that are cut from his hand, and whom he
remembereth no more, but are now in hell, as Heman speaks. A time
also this is when this present sense of wrath so distempers, and, to
use Heman's words, distracts the mind, that it cannot listen to faith,
which speaks of nothing too but of what it sees not; even as the
people of Israel could not attend to Moses's message of deliverance,
through the anguish of their present bondage, Exod. 6:9. So as no
wonder if then carnal reason be most busy, and takes this advantage
to frame and suggest the strongest objections to the soul whilst it is
in this distemper.
(4.) Add unto all this, that as there is such strength of corrupt reason
which is thus opposite to faith, so that there are many other
principles of corrupt affections in the heart which join and take part
with carnal reason in all this its opposition against faith, and which
set it a-work and do back it as much in persuading God's children
that their estates are nought, as in securing men unregenerate that
their estates are good; and the hand of self-love, which bribeth and
biaseth carnal reason, especially in judging of our estates, is found as
deep in the one as in the other;—and this doth yet give further light
to this point in hand. For look, as before faith is wrought, self flattery,
which is one branch of self-love, bribeth and setteth carnal
reason a-work to plead the goodness of their estates to men
unregenerate, and causeth all such false reasons to take with them
which tend to persuade them to think well of themselves: so when
once faith is wrought, jealousy, and suspiciousness, and incredulity,
—which are other as great sprigs of pride and self-love in us as the
former, which do begin to sprout and shew themselves when that
other is lopped off, and which do grow up together with the work of
faith,—these do edge and sharpen the wit of carnal reason to argue
and wrangle against the work of faith and grace begun; and all such
objections as carnal reason doth find out against it are pleasing and
plausible to these corrupt principles, for they are thereby nourished
and strengthened.
And the reason why such jealousies and suspicions, &c.,—which are
such contrary dispositions unto self-flattery, which swayed our
opinions of our estates before,—should thus arise and be started up
in the heart upon the work of faith, and be apt rather to prevail now
after faith, is,
[1.] because that in the work of humiliation, which prepares for faith, all those strongholds of carnal reason being
demolished which upheld self-flattery, and that false good opinion of a man's estate, and those mountainous thoughts of presumption as then laid low,a man is forever put out of conceit with himself, as of himself. At which time also,
[2.] he was so thoroughly and feelingly convinced of the heinousness of sin, which before he slighted, and of
the greatness and multitude of his sins, that he is apt now, instead of presuming as before, to be jealous of God, lest he might have been so provoked as never to pardon him; and is accordingly apt to draw a misinterpretation of all God's dealings with him to strengthen that conceit. And,
[3.] having through the same conviction, the infinite error and deceitfulness of his heart before, in flattering him and judging his estate good when it is most accursed, so clearly discovered and discerned, he thereby becomes exceeding jealous, and afraid of erring on that hand still, and so is apt to lend an ear to any doubt and scruple that is suggested. Especially,
[4.] he being withal made apprehensive both of that infinite danger to his eternal salvation there may be in nourishing a false opinion of the goodness of his estate, if it should prove otherwise; because such a false conceit
keeps a man from saving faith, whereas to cherish the contrary error in judging his estate bad, when it is in truth good, tends but to his present discomfort: so as he thinks it safer to err on that hand than the other. And,
[5.] being also sensible of what transcendent concernment his eternal salvation is of, which he before slighted, this rouseth suspicion, which in all matters of great consequence and moment is always doubting and inquisitive, and also keeps it waking, which before lay asleep. And all these being now startled and stirred up, do not only provoke carnal reason unsatisfiedly to pry into all things that may seem to argue God's disfavour, or the unsoundness of our hearts, but also do give entertainment to, and applaud all such objections as are found out, and makes up too hastily false conclusions from them.
(5.) Last of all, as there are these corrupt principles of carnal reason and suspiciousness in us, to raise and foment these doubts and fears from God's dealing towards us; so there is an abundance of guilt within us, of our false dealings towards him. And we have consciences, which remain in part defiled, which may further join with all those, and increase our fears and doubtings; and as we are dark and weak creatures, so guilty creatures also. And this guilt, like the waves of the sea, or the swellings of Jordan, does begin upon these terrible storms from God to rise, and swell, and overflow in our consciences. As in David, Ps. 38, when God's wrath was sore upon him, ver. 1,2, then also he complains, 'mine iniquities are gone over my head,' ver. 4. There is much guile and falseness of heart, which in those distempers, when our consciences do boil within us, and are stirred and heated to the bottom, doth, like the scum, come up and float aloft. Thus in David, when he was under the rod for his sin of murder, as the guilt of his sin, so the guile of his spirit came up, and he calls for 'truth in the inward parts,' Ps. 51:6. For as his sin, ver. 2, so his falseness of heart was ever before him; and with an eye to this he spake that speech, Ps. 32, Oh, 'blessed is that man in whose spirit is no guile, and to whom the Lord imputeth no sin.' Thus he spake when God had charged upon him the guilt of his sin, and discovered to him the guile of his spirit, ver. 4, 5. And this guile doth oftentimes so appear, that our consciences can hardly discern anything else to be in us; it lies uppermost, and covers our graces from our view: and like as the chaff, when the wheat is tossed in the fan, comes up to the top, so in these commotions and winnowings of spirit do our corruptions float in our consciences, whilst the graces that are in us lie covered under them out of sight; and the dark side of our hearts, as of the cloud, is turned towards us, and the light side from us. And indeed there are in the best of us humours enough, which if they be stirred and congregated in our consciences, may alone cast us into these burning fits of trouble and distress; so as whilst God's Spirit shall withhold from us the light of our own graces, and our own consciences represent to us the guile and corruptions that are in our best performances, our hearts may conclude ourselves hypocrites, as
Mr Bradford in some of his letters doth of himself, and others of the saints have done. Yea, so as even our own consciences—which are the only principle now left in us which should take part with and encourage faith, and witness to us, as the office of it is, the goodness of our estates—in this may join with the former corruptions against us, and bring in a false evidence, and pronounce a false judgment.
Even conscience itself, which is ordained, as the urine of the body, to shew the estate of the whole, and therefore is accordingly called good or evil as the man's state is, this is apt in such distempers to change and turn colour, and look to a man's own view as foul as the state of a very hypocrite.
And the reason of this is also as evident as is the experience of it. Even because conscience remains in part defiled in a man that is regenerate; and though we are 'sprinkled from an evil conscience' in part, yet not wholly: so as though our persons are fully discharged from the guilt of our sins, through the sprinkling of Christ's blood,
before God; yet the sprinkling of that blood upon our consciences, whereby we apprehend this, is imperfect. And the reason is, because this very sprinkling of conscience, whereby it testifies the sprinkling of Christ's blood, and our justification thereby, is but part of the sanctification of conscience, as it is a faculty, whose office and duty is to testify and witness our estates; and therefore, as the sanctification of all other faculties is imperfect,so of conscience also herein. And hence it is that when God's Spirit forbeareth to witness with conscience the goodness of our estates, and ceases to embolden and encourage conscience by his presence, and the sprinkling of Christ's blood upon it against the remaining defilement, that then our consciences are as apt to fall into fears, and doubts, and self condemning's, even as much as, when he withdraws the assistance of his grace, those other faculties are to fall into any other sin. And therefore, as the law of sin in the other members may be up in arms
and prevail so far as to load us captive unto sin; so may the guilt of sin in our consciences remaining in part defiled, by the same reason prevail against us, and get the upper hand, and lead us captive to fears and doubtings, and cast us into bondage.
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Post by Admin on Dec 19, 2023 0:06:08 GMT -5
CHAPTER VI:
The second efficient cause of this darkness
The third efficient cause, Satan.—His special malice in this
temptation, commission.—Access to, and advantage over us in this
temptation, by reason of the darkness in us.
THUS far our own hearts, upon the Holy Ghost's deserting, become
authors unto us of this darkness.
3. But herein believers wrestle not alone with flesh and blood, and
the darkness thereof; but do further conflict also with those spiritual
wickednesses, the princes of darkness, Eph. 6:12, about their interest
in those heavenly privileges, as the phrase there used, ἐν τοῖς
ἐπουρανίοις, may be well interpreted; even with Satan and his
angels, whom the Apostle compares to 'a roaring lion, that seeks
whom he may devour,' 1 Peter 5:8. And like as when 'God makes his
natural darkness, and it is night, then the young lions creep forth,
and roar after their prey,' as the Psalmist says, Ps 104:20, 21; so do
these roaring lions, when God hath withdrawn the light of his
countenance, and night comes on, and those damps and fogs of
jealousies and guilt begin to arise out of a man's own heart; then
come these forth, and say, as David's enemies said in his distress,
'Come let us now take him, for God hath forsaken him;' let us now
devour him, and swallow him up with sorrow and despair. And as
God says of those enemies of his church, Zech. 1:15, 'I was but a little
displeased, and they helped forward the affliction;' so when God is
angry with his child, and but a little, and doth hide his face but our a
moment, yet Satan watcheth that hour of darkness, as Christ calls it,
Luke 22:53, and joins his power of darkness to this our natural
darkness, to cause, if possible, blackness of darkness, even utter
despair, in us.
Now, concerning Satan's working herein, we will, as in the former,
more distinctly treat thereof by way of explication of it, (1.) more
generally; (2.) more particularly:—
First, in general;
(1.) Satan, he hath a special inclination, and a more
peculiar malicious desire, to vex and molest the saints with this sort
of temptations, of doubts and disquietness that God is not their God;
so as all his other temptations unto sin are but as the laying in and
barrelling up the gunpowder, and making of the train, for this great
plot of blowing up all. He tempteth Peter to deny his Master,—'Satan
desires to winnow you,'—but he hath a further reach, a design upon
his faith, which Christ foresaw, and therefore did mainly bend his
prayer against it; 'but I have prayed that thy faith fail not.' Satan
hoped by that gross sin to have drawn him into despair. We may
likewise observe how he did place this temptation in the forefront of
those three assaults which he made upon Christ; who as in his
obedience, so in his temptations, is made a complete example unto
us; for he was tempted in all things, that is, with all sorts of
temptations, and also like us for the manner, only without sin, Heb.
4:15. Now he tempted him not only to vain hopes, when he shewed
him the glory of the whole world, and to presumption, to throw
himself down headlong from an unwarrantable ground; but first and
primarily, to jealousies and distrusts between him and his Father,
and between his human nature and the divine. For when Christ had
newly received that testimony from all the three Persons,—the Father
proclaiming him to be his Son from heaven; the Spirit descending on
him at his baptism, it being the special grace and institution of that
ordinance to seal up adoption and regeneration,—then comes Satan
and tempts him to question that voice, that it might be but a
delusion. And Christ's human nature never having done any outward
miracle as yet, as appears John 2:11, he would now have had him
take this occasion, in the extremity of his hunger, by commanding
stones to become bread, to make trial whether he was the Son of God
or no, and hypostatically united to the second Person; which if God
should not do for him, then to question his sonship, and think all this
to be but a delusion. This was the meaning of it, 'If thou be the Son of
God, command these stones to be made bread,' &c.; withal
insinuating that God, leaving him oven destitute of daily bread,
which parents that are evil give unto their children, and not a stone
instead of bread, might seem to occasion an if whether he was the
Son of God or no. The reasons of this are—
[1.] Above all graces in us, he is the greatest enemy to faith;
therefore, 1 Thess. 3:5, the apostle was jealous of Satan in nothing
more than in this, lest he had been dealing and tampering with, and
perverting their faith: 'I sent to know of your faith, lest by some
means the tempter hath tempted you;' for faith in God is the greatest
enemy unto Satan, it 'quencheth all his darts,' Eph. 6:16. By 'standing
stedfast in which' we 'resist him, so that he flies from us,' 1 Pet. 5:9.
As therefore faith is that τὸ ἔργον, that work of God and the master grace,
John 6:29; so despair and doubting is the masterpiece of
Satan. And in faith he is envious especially at the joy of our faith,
Rom. 15:13. And as comfort is the most proper work of the Spirit,
and most pleasing work to him, so is discomfort and distress the
proper work of this evil spirit. And again—
[2.] As he is most opposite to the Holy Spirit, so he delights to
blaspheme his work in our hearts to us, by persuading us that all is
counterfeit.
[3.] He is called ἐχθρὸς, that envious one, and the main object and
mark of his envy is this, that God should be our God, who hath cast
off him; and therefore, when he sees he cannot separate between
God and us really, he will endeavour to cast and raise up jealousies
that he is not our God in our apprehensions. He endeavoured to raise
jealousies between God and our first parents,—'God knows ye shall
be gods,' &c.,—as if God had forbidden them that fruit out of envy
towards them of a better condition. And the like he endeavoured
between Christ's human nature and the divine, though hypostatically
united. And likewise—
[4.] That God hath given us eternal life, and that life is in his Son.
This being that great truth of the gospel, so as a Christian that
believes it not makes God a liar, 1 John 5:10, 11; therefore Satan,
being that great liar, opposeth this great truth and our faith therein
above all other. His envy at the advancement of our nature in Christ,
according to that truth, is thought by some to have been his fall and
ruin, so understanding that in John 8:44, 'He abode not in the truth'
However, he doth now delight to make God a liar to us in our
apprehensions, by questioning his promises, and especially to
enforce the persuasion thereof out of God's own dealing with us,
'perverting his righteous ways.'
(2.) And secondly, as Satan hath such a desire, so God may give his
child up into Satan's hand for a while thus to afflict and terrify his
spirit. His last commission over Job seemeth to extend thus far, for
his life only was excepted, Job 2:6, 'He is in thy hand, only save his
life:' and therefore, after that leave given, we hear Job, although
never brought to question his estate, yet crying out of terrors, and of
the sins of his youth; for Satan then, as he smote his body with boils,
so buffeted his spirit. And though Satan hath will of himself, and a
desire to it, and power physical enough, and abilities, to inflict this at
all times, yet he must further have power moral, or leave and
commission from God. And God sometimes gives to Satan power
over the sons and daughters of Abraham, Luke 13:16, even as well as
others; and as their bodies to be vexed by him, so their spirits; and as
to provoke them unto sin, so much more to terrify for sin, there
being more of punishment than of sin in that. Thus he left David to
Satan, to provoke him unto sin, as well as Judas. Therefore that
provocation to number the people, as it is imputed to Satan and his
malice, 1 Chron. 21:1; so also to God and his anger, in given leave
first to Satan, 2 Sam. 24:1. And as an 'evil spirit from the Lord'
troubled Saul's mind, 1 Sam. 16:14; so a 'messenger of Satan was sent
to buffet' Paul's spirit, 2 Cor. 12:7. Wherein yet God doth no way help
Satan with any further power than what as an angel he furnished him
with at his creation; nor with any assistance or information of our
secret sins against us, to enable him the more to assault us,—this I
find not in Scripture,—but permissive power only. Which is either—
[1.] Obtained and given at Satan's motion and request first made; so
that phrase, Luke 22:31, 'Satan hath requested and petitioned to
winnow you,' as that also, Job 2:3, 'Thou movedst me against him,'
doth imply; and as it may seem by singling out and calling forth
some one for this combat; as he did him more especially, to whom
therefore Christ addresseth that premonition, and the word
ἐξῃτήσατο implies as much. So also Job was singled out for this duel
both by God and Satan. Or else—
[2.] This is done through the ordinance of excommunication and
censures of the church duly administered, clave non errante, for
gross and scandalous sins. The proper inward effect that
accompanies that ordinance which casts men out of the church,
being inward affliction and distress of conscience by Satan,—which
of all afflictions is the greatest punishment, ἐπιτιμία, as the Apostle
calls it, 2 Cor. 2:6,—thereby to bring a man to repentance. Even as,
on the contrary, the special work of baptism, to such as were fideles
adulti and believers already, was by joy in the Holy Ghost to seal up
their adoption and regeneration unto him; as to the eunuch, Acts
8:39. This we may see in the excommunication of the incestuous
Corinthian; whose excommunication is therefore expressed to be 'a
delivering him up unto Satan, in the name of the Lord Jesus,' 1 Cor.
5:4, 5; that is, he was to be cast out by a commission from Christ,
which going forth in his name, when they published it on earth, he
signed it in heaven. Upon which, rightly administered, doth ensue,
first, that as the church doth cut them off from communion with
them, so God cuts them off from communion with himself, and hides
and withdraws the light of his countenance, the witness of his Spirit,
and his comfortable presence. And not only so, but 'delivereth them
up to Satan,' that being the consequent of it; which therefore,
because it implies the former, is put to express the whole proceeding.
Which delivery of him unto Satan was not a giving him a commission
to carry him on to more sin,—though that often be indeed the effect
of it in hypocrites, as in Alexander, 1 Tim. 1:19,—for the end
propounded by the Apostle was to 'destroy the flesh,' that is,
corruption and the body of sin; and that 'the spirit might be saved,'
ver. 5, that is, that contrary principle of grace which yet remained,
but was ready to die, as it is Rev. 3:2, might be saved and kept from
death and destruction: but it was to terrify and afflict his conscience,
and to stir up in him the guilt of his sin, with terrors for it, which God
sanctifieth to humble and to mortify the flesh. And thus, when that
Corinthian was excommunicated, did Satan accordingly deal with
him; for in the next epistle, 2 Cor. 2:7, we find him well-nigh
'swallowed up of sorrow,' which was Satan's doing; for, ver. 11, 'We
are not ignorant,' saith the Apostle, in reference partly to this, 'of this
devices.' And thus Satan continued still to handle him, even now
when he began to be truly humbled, and was a fit subject to receive
forgiveness and comfort, ver. 7; when, though, he feared God and
obeyed him, yet he walked in darkness till the church received him.
Or else—
[3.] When this ordinance is not in the case of such sins administered,
then God himself, who works without an ordinance sometimes the
same effects that with it, doth excommunicate men's spirits from his
presence, and gives them up to Satan, by terrors to whip them home
to himself. So that God gives him leave to exercise power over both
godly men and wicked men, only with this difference: wicked men
God gives up unto him as unto their ruler and their head; they are
therefore called the 'rulers of the darkness of this world,' Eph. 6:12,
who therefore 'work effectually in the children of disobedience,' Eph.
2:2; or else as captives to a prince, he taking them 'captive at his will,'
2 Tim. 2:26, so as they are captived and 'led away,' 1 Cor. 12:2. But
his own, God gives up to him but as prisoners to a jailor, as a
magistrate may do his child, to commit him; who hath not a power
over his prisoner to do anything with him, but only by appointment
for a time, with a limited commission, and therefore cannot put him
on the rack or into the dungeon, but when and how far God pleaseth:
even as when Satan is said to have 'cast them into prison,' Rev. 2:10,
his commission was but for ten days, and then God rebukes him.
(3.) Satan having thus obtained leave, now to shew how able and
powerful he is to work darkness in us, I need not much insist on. His
physical and natural power to work upon our spirits, by his creation
as he is an angel, is exceeding great. We are a middle sort of
creatures between them and beasts; beasts being merely corporeal,
they merely spiritual, man between both. 'He made us a little inferior
to the angels,' Heb. 2; though but a little, yet inferior; and in respect
of that inferiority, we are exposed to their working and crafty wiles.
The great advantage they have hereby over us, the Apostle insinuates
when he says, 'We have not to do with flesh and blood, but spiritual
wickednesses,' Eph. 6:12; that is, with spirits, in abilities
transcending the power of the flesh and blood; for flesh is used to
express weakness when it is thus compared, as here, with spirit: so
Isa. 31:3. Therefore they are there also called, as principalities for
their authority, so powers for their natural abilities; and that to work
upon us, for it is spoken in that relation. All which power, how great
soever in him at his first creation, is now become the power of
darkness; and so called because most powerful that way; namely, to
cause and work darkness in us. And though he can for a need
'transform himself into an angel of light,' by deluding his deceived
enthusiasts with false joys, yet therein he doth but act a part, it is but
forced. But to shew himself an angel of darkness, by terrifying and
affrighting weak consciences, this is natural now to him; his power
lies most in this. Therefore his title further is the 'ruler of darkness;'
and also he is called 'that strong man,'—strong, as to keep peace,
Luke 11:21, in those he deceives with a false peace, so to make war
and commotions in us when he is cast out. We are bidden, therefore,
to stand upon our guard, and to look that 'we have on the whole
armour of God, that we may be able to stand against his wiles,' Eph.
6:11.
(4.) Only, in the fourth place, though Satan hath never so much
power, yet the advantage and exercise of this his power to work those
disquietments in us is by reason of that sinful darkness which is in
us. We may say, that as unless he had power from above,—that is,
from God,—so nor unless he had furtherance from beneath, even
from those principles of guilt and darkness in us before-mentioned,
he could not disquiet us. 'Satan cometh,' saith Christ, 'but hath
nothing in me.' A commission he had, and therefore came; but he
had nothing of his image, or of the guilt of any of his works, to work
upon in Christ; and therefore could effect nothing at all upon his
spirit. That, therefore, which gives him privilege, scope, and matter
to work thus upon us is something within us; there being, even in the
best, something which doth belong to his jurisdiction, which maketh
their spirits fit subjects for his temptations to take upon. In Eph.
6:12, they are called the 'rulers of the darkness of this world;' and,
Col. 1:12, 13, their power is called 'the power of darkness;' so as
darkness is his territories, dominion, and jurisdiction: for it is his
work and his image, without which he could have no power at all
with us.
(5.) But by reason of this remaining darkness he hath a double
advantage over us:—
[1.] An advantage of more near, intimate, and immediate access to
our spirits, to close with them, to suggest unto them, and to work
upon them; and to tempt not only, as one man tempts another, by
the outward senses, but by the inward also, which is an exceeding
great advantage. And though it is true that, as he is an angel, he hath
naturally by creation ability thus to do; yet as he is now a devil and
an unclean spirit, were we but perfectly holy, as in innocency, he
should be debarred all such near communication to us. To this
purpose it may be observed, that in that his temptation of Adam in
innocency, he was not permitted, in his first assault, till he had
sinned, to come within him to work upon his fancy and affections
indiscernibly; but only mediately and externally, by an audible voice
in the body of a serpent. And likewise, as touching the second Adam,
we read not that he had access to his inward, senses and spirit; but
only by an external suggestion by voice and by visible
representations; as when he shewed him the glory of the world in
visible landscapes of his own making, which were represented to the
eye. What else was the reason why he took the advantage of a
mountain? If it had been by working on his inward senses, any place
would have served for that. But the devil then appeared in a visible
shape, and so tempted him, for he would have had him fall down to
worship him. Cæterum malus ille extrinsecus, ac non per
cogitationes, Christum adortus est, quemadmodum et Adamum.
Nam ne illum quidem per immissas cogitationes, sed per serpentem
impetivit.* Another time we find him crept into one of his apostles,
to assault our Saviour by him, Matt. 16:23, 'Master, spare thyself,'
says he; when therefore Christ says to him, 'Get thee behind me,
Satan; thou art an offence to me.' So as still Satan was kept at a
distance, and could come no nearer. And that he should yet come
thus near to him, made Christ also, in that great temptation in the
wilderness, with so much vehemency and indignation at last say to
him, 'Avoid, Satan,' Matt. 4:10, as loathing the nearness of so foul a
spirit. For what fellowship,—that is, such thus near,—should light
have with this angel of darkness? Nor should he have such more near
and inward access to our spirits, but for that darkness in us, by
reason of which he thus comes within us; and as darkness mingleth
with darkness, so he with our spirits. So that as the light of grace in
us begun doth fit us for God's drawing nigh to us, so this darkness,
remaining in part unexpelled, exposeth us to Satan's drawing nigh so
near as to mingle with our spirits, and, as it were, to become one
spirit with us.
[2.] As hereby he hath this advantage of access to get within us, so
this darkness in us is also as fit fuel and as tinder to his fiery
temptations, that presently enkindleth and inflameth. So as all those
effects of the principles of darkness mentioned he can both increase
and augment, and so add blackness to that darkness in us. And
darkness being his dominion, therefore so much darkness as is in us,
so great a party he hath in us to work upon. Hence, therefore, all the
effects that he worketh in unregenerate men, who are nothing but
darkness, he may work in regenerate men, according to the
proportion of the remainder of darkness in them, to a certain degree,
and for a limited season; as to delude their reason, falsely accuse and
terrify their consciences, &c. Only final despair and revenge against
God, which is that sin unto death, this the Apostle excepteth; for
having occasionally mentioned that sin, 1 John 5:16, he adds, ver. 18,
that 'he that is born of God sinneth not,' that is, not that sin; and he
subjoineth, 'but keeps himself that that evil one touch him not,' that
is, not with the least infusion of the venom of that sin which is
properly his sin, John 8:44, and which he toucheth their spirits with
who become the serpent's seed. And therefore all such instances as
we find, that shew how he hath wrought on the spirits of carnal men
by reason of their total darkness, may be alleged to shew in a
proportion what he may also work on regenerate men for a season by
reason of their darkness in part remaining: all things happening alike
to all.—Thus in general.
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Post by Admin on Dec 19, 2023 21:40:10 GMT -5
CHAPTER VII:
More particularly how Satan works upon those three principles in us: first, on carnal reason
SEEING therefore the exercise of his power lies in that darkness which is in us, let us more particularly see how able and powerful he is to work upon those several principles of carnal reason, guilt of conscience, jealousies and fears.
First, on carnal reason; on which he chiefly worketh in this sort of temptations, the strength whereof lies in false reasonings, wherein, if in anything, he hath the advantage.
1. First, his abilities to forge and invent false reasonings and arguments to overthrow our faith, are, as they must needs be conceived to be, exceeding great: who for this knowledge is called δαίμων; as well as Satan for his malice; and for his subtlety in outreaching us, a serpent: who when young, outwitted our first parents; 'he beguiled Eve through his subtlety,' says the Apostle, 2 Cor. 11:3, then when their reason was not depraved; but now he is
grown 'that old serpent,' Rev. 12:9: and we are become 'children, apt to be tossed to and fro,' Eph. 4:14. He hath had time enough to improve his knowledge in; a student he is of five thousand years' standing, that hath lost no time, but as he is said to 'accuse day and night,' Rev. 12:10, so is able to study both day and night; and he hath
made it his chief, if not whole study, to enable himself to tempt, and plead against us. It is his trade. Therefore as men are called lawyers or divines from their callings, so he the tempter and the accuser from his employment. And by this his long experience and observation he hath his νοήματα, 2 Cor. 2:11, his set and composed machinations;
his μεθοδείας, Eph. 6:11, his methods of temptations, which are studied and artificially moulded and ordered; even such systems and methods of them as tutors and professors of arts and sciences have,and do read over again and again to their auditors. The Apostle calls them 'darts,' ver. 16,—and he hath a whole shop and armoury of them ready made and forged,—which, for the acuteness and subtle sophistry that is in them, are called 'depths of Satan,' Rev. 2:24;
which depths, if in any point, are most to be found in this: for he is more especially versed in this great question and dispute, Whether a man be the child of God or no? more than in any other. All other controversies he hath had to deal in but in particular ages, as occasionally they were started; but this hath been the standing controversy of all ages, since God hath had any children on earth: with every one of whom, more or less, he hath at one time or another had solemn disputes about it; so as he knows all the advantages, windings, and turnings in this debate, all the objections and answers, and discussions in it. And as other controversies, the longer they are on foot, and the
further they have been carried along, the more they are enlarged, improved, and grow more subtle; so must this needs also, especially in this latter knowing age of the world, and by reason also of that seeming near similitude which hypocrisy holds unto the truth and power of grace, which hath fazzled* and entangled this controversy.
The objections and difficulties which a believer meets with in beating out a right judgment of his estate, are greater than in any controversy the world ever knew, and afford stranger knots, and require as acute distinctions to dissolve them as the school knows any; and indeed such as, did not the Holy Ghost sometimes cut, sometimes untie them for believers, by witnessing with our spirits that we are the sons of God, bare reason alone could never determine in it. Now Satan, through long experience and observation, hath all these at his fingers' ends, and hath reduced them all to commonplaces long since. He hath still observed and laid up what answers have relieved the spirits of believers in such and such a doubt cast in by him, and then studies a further reply against the next time, or for the next believer he shall have to do with.
2. Secondly, as he hath thus thoroughly studied this controversy, and knows all the windings and false reasonings in it; so withal, by his daily studying and considering men, he knows how best to suit and make use of those reasonings, both to persons and seasons. It is the sole business of those evil spirits to study men; for this end they 'go up and down the earth.' And he hath commonplaces of men, and their several frames and temper of spirit, as well as of temptations; he knows all the several ranks and classes of men in the state of grace; and according to their ranks, with what sort of temptations to encounter them. For men's temptations are 'various and manifold,'
1 Pet. 1:6; even as the gifts and operations of the Spirit are, 1 Cor. 12:4,5. Now, he having beaten out this controversy with all sorts, knows how to lay the dispute, how to order, and marshal, and apply objections, and wield his blows with most success and advantage.
That as physicians, having observed the several workings of medicines of all sorts, upon several ages and constitutions, and what several issues and effects they have had, do therefore accordingly prescribe and apply several medicines according to the several and differing conditions of their patients, though sick of the same
disease. Thus Satan, he by observation finding the hearts of some men 'answering' to some others, 'as face to face in water,' as Solomon says; and withal remembering what reasonings have always taken most with such a sort or strain of Christians, whose corruptions and whose graces were much alike unto those in this or that man he hath now to deal with; accordingly he makes use and application of these reasonings again. The tempers of men's spirits we know are diverse, and so are capable of diversity of suggestions. And again, the operations of grace, as of sin, are various in those several tempers.
And God's dealings with and workings upon his children are as various as either. Some he humbleth much, some are led on with comfort; some he works on with a sudden and marvellous light, as if the sun should rise on the sudden at midnight, and on others insensibly and by degrees, as when the dawning steals upon the day; some have had a false and counterfeit work before, some were never enlightened until savingly; and this variety affords rise and occasion
for several temptations. So as what kind of work any other Christian hath had is apt to be made an exception to another that wants it. I was never thus humbled, says one; nor I thus comforted, says another; I had a sudden violent work indeed, which came in like a spring-tide, but now the tide is fallen, and my first love abated, says a
third; I had some workings and enlightenings heretofore, says another, and I was deceived then, and I may be so now also: and so he hath that vast task set him, to compare a counterfeit work with a true. Thus every several way of working lies open to several exceptions; and as we say that every calling earthly hath its several and proper temptations, so the several ways and manners of effecting this calling heavenly have their several veins and currents of temptations. All which Satan knows, and hath often traced; and accordingly knows how to fit them to men, and to prosecute them the most advantageous way. So in like manner he takes the compass of every man's knowledge,
notions, and apprehensions; according unto which, as our knowledge is more or less, we are also capable of several temptations. Many reasonings and objections, which, like small hail-shot, could not reach or make any dint at all upon men of parts and knowledge, both because they by reason of their knowledge do soar high out of the gun-shot of them, and have also on the 'whole armour of God,' as the apostle speaks, Eph. 6—that is, are in complete armour, abounding in all faith and knowledge,—yet such reasonings may be fittest to level with at such as are more ignorant, and fly low, and have but some few broken pieces of that armour to defend some parts with.
But on the contrary, those other of his great-shot, which he dischargeth on men of knowledge, they would clean fly over the others' heads, and not come near such smaller vessels. All in Thyatira knew not Satan's depths, nor were capable of them, Rev. 2:24. Thus the ignorance and the want of knowledge of the meaning of the Scriptures, and of the ways of grace chalked forth therein, how doth Satan abuse, to the disquietment of many poor and good souls that
want much knowledge, by putting false glosses upon them! How many weak souls do stick in shallows, and are sometimes a long while terrified with gross mistakes, and like small birds are held long under with limed straws of frivolous objections, which great ones fly away with! That great apostle, being a man of knowledge, was not easily taken with such chaff. 'We are not ignorant of his devices.' sayn she, 2 Cor. 2:11; and therefore Satan takes another course with him,and comes with downright blows, and falls a-buffeting him, 2 Cor. 12:7. Thus doth Satan take measure of the bore, as I may so speak, of every man's understanding, and fits them with objections proportionable, in several sizes. And as the Apostle in his sermons prepared milk for babes, but strong meat for strong men, so doth Satan in his temptations apply and suit them to men's notions and apprehensions, still framing objections according to their reading.
3. Thirdly, he is able undiscernibly to communicate all his false reasonings, though never so spiritual, which he doth forge and invent, and that in such a manner as to deceive us by them, and to make them take with us.
(1.)First, he is able not only to put into the heart suggestions and solicitations unto sensual and worldly objects; such as that into Judas's heart, to betray his Master for money, John 13:2, and to tempt married couples severed to incontinency, 1 Cor. 7:5; but also the most subtle and abstracted reasonings concerning things spiritual, which are utterly remote from sense, he can insinuate and impart according to the measure and capacity of men's apprehensions. Therefore we are said to wrestle with them about things heavenly, and our interest therein is often made the matter of contention and the subject of the question. So that phrase, Eph. 6:12,ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις, when it in said, 'We wrestle with spiritual wickedness's in heavenly,' is rather to be understood of heavenly things than of heavenly places; the word signifying rather supercelestial, in the highest heavens, whither, if rendered of places, the devils never came since their fall. And it being used elsewhere for heavenly things, as Heb. 8:5, and the preposition ἐν, or in, being likewise sometimes put to express the object-matter about which a thing is conversant, as Matt. 11:6, 'Blessed is he that is not offended in me,'—that is, with or about me, and for my sake,—it may
congruously be so here meant, as noting to us, that the price, the stake, about which we wrestle with Satan are not things worldly, as honors, riches, and the like, but things heavenly, which concern our souls and estates hereafter.
Now the contention being about heavenly things and spiritual blessings, it cannot be transacted but by reasonings suitable; that is, spiritual false reasonings, abstracted from sense and fancy. And in this respect they are termed spiritual wickedness's, because in such wickedness's they deal and trade in especially, or as much as in those that are sensual; as tempting to unbelief, despair blasphemy against God, of which sort are all those temptations we have now in hand. And that he is able to convey and suggest such spiritual thoughts and reasonings of what sort soever, appeared many ways: as by injecting blasphemous thoughts against God, such as do sometimes transcend the wit and capacity of the receiver of them; and is manifest likewise by Saul's prophesying even from the immediate dictating and suggestion of an evil spirit, as is expressly said, 1 Sam. 18:10; in the like manner to which haply the Sibyls also prophesied. But more evident it is in all those damnable heresies which have been broached in all ages, as in the primitive times among the Romans, the broachers whereof are made the emissaries of Satan; therefore, Rom. 16:18, he having branded them, unto the Romans, that taught false doctrines among them, and having instructed them against them, he gives this encouragement about them, ver. 20, 'that God should tread down Satan under their feet shortly,' having respect to Satan's work in those errors mentioned, ver. 18, Satan being the main author of them. Thus in the church of Thyatira, those cursed heretics who applauded themselves, and were admired by their followers for the depths and profoundness of their learning, shewn in those heresies they broached: 'depths, as they speak,' Rev.
2:24. But if they call them depths, says the Apostle, I will call them depths of Satan,—'depths of Satan, as they speak,'—for the devil was the master and the author and suggester of them. So, in after-times,
apostasy is ascribed to spirits of error,—that is, devils, which he foretells men should give heed unto, 1 Tim. 4:1,—and to the working of Satan, 2 Thess. 2:9. It was he that sharpened their wits and pens. Now then, by the same reason, there is no reasoning about our estates, though never so spiritual, but he can suggest it, as well as he did those depths of the heresies to the broachers of them. So as Satan can not only make those false reasonings, which our own hearts forge, more specious and probable, and suggest further confirmations of them, which are enough to add unto this darkness; but he is also able to put in new, which himself invents, of what kind soever they be.
(2.) Secondly, he is not simply able to suggest them, but to insinuate them in such a manner as to take with us and deceive us; yea, and often to set them on with a deep impression. Therefore, in those places forementioned, it is not simply said that there should be spirits which shall suggest errors, but so suggest them as that 'men should give heed unto them.' Thus, 1 Tim. 4:1, and 2 Thess. 2, where the working of those very same spirits is set forth, ver. 9, it is not only said that they were sent as from God to delude, but with 'strong delusions;' such as should have a strength put into them to prevail, so as that men should believe them. So also, that lying spirit which God sent, and who persuaded Ahab by a lie in the mouths of his false prophets, commission was not simply given to him to suggest a lie, but so as it should prevail with Ahab; so 2 Chron. 18:21, 'And the Lord said, Thou shalt entice him, and thou shalt also prevail.' And as he is thus able, when God gives leave, to delude wicked men's understandings with false reasonings in matters of heresy and false doctrine, by reason of that total darkness that is in them: so he is able, if God give leave, as sometimes he doth, to bring strong delusions upon the minds of God's children also, through false reasonings about their own estates, by reason of that darkness which in part remains in them; by means of which he may work the same effects for a time, and in a certain degree, in a godly man, which in another, as was before observed. Thus the believing Galatians, especially some of them, were so far 'bewitched,' as his word is, as for a time to assent to that great error in point of justification; and this by reason of that folly and darkness which remained in them, as he intimates, when he says, 'O ye foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched, you, that you should not obey the truth?' Gal. 3:1. And if in the very doctrine of justification itself believers were thus for a time deluded,m which is rare, then much more may they, and ordinarily are they, misled in the application of faith, in the believing their own personal justification, which is the point in hand.
Only this is to be added here for caution's sake: that it is true that Satan cannot enforce an act of assent to any falsehood upon the understanding of any man. For how then should they 'all have been ned for believing that lie?' 2 Thess. 2:11, 12; which should not have been unless it were their own sin; which is as true of all other temptations as that. Though Satan put the thought into Judas's heart, John 13:2, yet his own conscience owns it wholly as his own act, Matt. 27:4, 'I have sinned,' &c.
Neither yet doth he so immediately concur to produce such an act of assent in us, as God doth when he worketh faith in us; for then God's power and assistance in working good should be no more than Satan's in working evil.
And yet the Scripture phrases go far in ascribing unto Satan herein,when it says of those that believed not the gospel, that 'the god of this world hath blinded their minds that believe not,' 2 Cor. 4:4; which notes out a superadded working of blindness unto their own natural blindness. As also when he says that 'the prince of the air is ἐνεργῶν, that works effectually,' &c., Eph. 2:2. And also that of the Corinthians whilst unregenerate, who as then are said to be 'carried and led away after dumb idols,' 1 Cor. 12:2. All which phrases would seem to argue,
not only a further power of working upon men's judgments than when one man doth endeavour to corrupt and persuade another man in a moral way, (because he suggested indiscernibly, and with more frequency and importunity, and holdeth the mind more to the object, and presented an army of confirmations at once, and is able so to marshal them as the mind can scarce resist; and puts all these upon the spirit with a violent and imperious affirmation,) but further, also, they would seem to imply some kind of physical working, though not immediately on the spring of the clock, yet upon the wheels and weights of it—I mean the passions in the body and the images in the fancy, though not upon the understanding immediately; all which,what influence they have to sway the judgment and pervert it,
experience shews.
4. Fourthly, he is further able to follow and continue his reasonings as occasion is, and to keep up the dispute, and hold out arguments with us, and out-reason us, by putting in new replies to our answers, and so to maintain and manage and carry along the dispute, and to come up with fresh supplies: which in this respect is called wrestling,
Eph. 6:12, 'We wrestle not with flesh and blood, but principalities and powers;' it being, as the bodily wrestling, transacted by reiterated assaults, and attempts to overcome and get the victory; he, as it were, going about to strike up our heels, as wrestlers do—that is, to take away from under us those reasonings which supported us, by
cavilling objections; which kind of spiritual wrestlings how often have we experience of in spiritual agonies! In the hour of temptation believers find conflicts and bandying of disputes, rationally carried along, and pertinent objections brought in against those answers which they secretly meditate of. In which cause, therefore, divines
bid men not to dispute with that cunning sophister. Thus many,when death hath approached, have found that they have had their reasonings for their estates, and those evidences they have had recourse unto, taken away and confuted as fast as they have thought of them.
And that Satan hath this dexterity and skill thus to manage such kind of disputes with us, is further evident in the framing of heresies, wherein he assists the contrivers of them with pertinent considerations to back and confirm their notions, in their private meditations, studies, and contrivements. And indeed, if Satan were not able and skilful thus to oppose and reply, these kind of temptations which consist in disputes could not be managed; for
otherwise in them Satan disputed with us but as if one of us should reason with a dumb man that can hear, but his answers cannot be known, and so he knows no way what reply to make. Therefore surely Satan hath often some way, more or less, a guess and inkling what may be the answers of the heart again: which, were it otherwise, the glory also which God hath by the victory gotten over Satan in these temptations were much obscured, and Satan's confusion less; for the victory of our faith in these disputes, and the resistance it makes, lies chiefly in those replies which are made, whereby it quenches all his darts: whereof the devil, when he is once sensible and perceives it, he is confounded; for then, when he is once sensible and apprehensive that he is resisted, doth he fly from us, as the Apostle speaks, James 4:7, and that of his own accord, as the expression there imports; even as a foiled and disgraced soldier. And this we may see in his carriage in those his temptations of Christ, which were managed by mutual disputes, and wherein the foiling of Satan was by the answers out of Scripture which Christ gave; by which being confounded, 'he left him,' as the text says, Matt. 4:11, as out of pride, ashamed that he was foiled. So that Satan, some way or other, is able to guess at, and discerns the replies in our hearts to his , as well as to make and cast in objections
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