A Child of Light Walking in Darkness, Part 1 · Chapter 4
CHAP. IV.
How Satan and our hearts increaſe this darkneſſe by falſe concluſions from the Spirits worke, illuſtrated by the like in the illumination of Temporaries. The Spirits work in both compared.
ANd now the Spirit of God having proceeded thus farre himſelfe in cauſing ſuch darkneſſe,From which worke of the Spirit, Satan and our hearts make falſe concluſions. and terrors of conſcience in them that feare him: Sathan and their owne hearts (unto which hee 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 fearefull concluſions againſt themſelves, and their eſtates; and ſtart amazing doubts, and feares of their utter want of Grace and lying under the curſe, and threatnings of eternall wrath at the preſent; yea and further, of eternall rejection for the future, and that God will never be mercifull; and ſo lay them lower, and caſt them into a further darkneſſe and bondage then 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 himſelfe, to be a caſting them off: Thus Heman, Pſal. 88. 14. So likewiſe miſconſtruing that temporary wrath, chaſtiſing and wounding their ſpirits for the preſent, to bee no other, then the impreſſions and earneſt of Gods eternall vengeance: and arguing from their being under wrath, themſelves to be children of wrath; and miſapplying the application of all thoſe threatnings of eternall damnation made by the Spirit but in relation, and under a condition of ſuch and ſuch courſes for the future, to bee abſolute againſt their perſons, and to ſpeake 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, thinke they reade their owne deſtiny laid before them in them; and conclude that God will deale ſo with them: And thus as the Apoſtle ſayes of ſinne, Rom. 7. 11. That ſinne taking occaſion by the Commandement, (he miſunderſtanding the ſcope of it, when a Phariſee) it deceived him, and thereby ſlew him: and yet the Commandement 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 himſelfe is, who is the Spirit of truth and leades into truth,) doe deceive beleevers, and lay them in their apprehenſions among the ſtaine whom God remembreth no more, as Heman ſpeakes, Pſal. 88. 5.
And as in theſe,The like inſtanced in Temporaries. ſo in other workes and diſpenſations of Gods 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 inferiour workes of the Spirit on the hearts of men, not as yet ſavingly regenerated: The Spirit enlightning them, together with impreſſions of joy, and a taſt of ſweetneſſe in the promiſes of the Goſpell, 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 Knowne unto their hearts. Thus hee wrought upon the ſtony ground, and in the Iewes by Iohns miniſtery: Iohn 5. 35. which light, and taſte, and revelation of this conditionall proffer, tending in a way unto ſalvation, by alluring their hearts to ſeeke it, they often through Satans abuſe of this good worke, and the ſelfe-ſlattery of their owne hearts, doe too haſtily take to be that grace which accompanies ſalvation, foreign.on which hath ſalvation annexed to it: from which, the Apoſtle by that very expreſſion, Heb. 6. 9. doth difference thoſe enlightnings, ver. 4. They thus miſtaking theſe workes precurſory to grace, even as the Iewes miſtooke Iohn, that was but ſent before to prepare the way for Chriſt, to bee that very true Chriſt that was to come into the world: and miſunderſtanding the entendment of Gods 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,A compariſon betweene the worke of illumination in them, and of darkneſſe in theſe. becauſe theſe his diſpenſations of deſertion (which wee have in hand) towards men already regenerated, and thoſe formentioned viſitations towards ſuch as often attaine 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 drawne from either, and doe therefore exceedingly illuſtrate the one the other. God withdrawing himſelf as much in their ſenſe, from thoſe who are in covenant with him: as hee drawes neere unto, and viſits their hearts from on high, who are as yet ſtrangers to him: The needle of Gods favour and love varying as much (that I may ſo allude) towards Hell in their Compaſſe who ſhall be ſaved: as it doth heavenward in the other, many of whom arrive not thither:Mar. 12. 34. and as they are brought nigh to the kingdome of heaven, (as Chriſt told him:) ſo of true beleevers, it may be ſaid, that their ſoules doe often draw neere to hell, in their owne ſenſe and apprehenſion; and the paines of hell doe take hold upon them. And as the other are enlightned, as Balaam was; ſo they are left to walke in darkneſſe and ſee … light; and doe taſte of that wrath which the Law threatens; as thoſe other taſte the goodneſſe of that ſalvation the Goſpell 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 rejoyce in that light, John 5. 35. So Gods deareſt children may bee for a ſeaſon in much heavineſſe, (as the Apoſtle ſpeakes, 1 Pet. 1. 6. and walke in darkneſſe. And as the ſimilitude of the dealings themſelves runne along ſo farre in a parallel line of compariſion: So it holds in the falſe apprehenſions which Satan and our hearts doe make out of both: and the cauſe of the miſtake in each, is alſo alike. For Gods dealings with thoſe Temporary beleevers, 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, Gods dealings with theſe Temporary deſpairers, (as I may ſo call them) being ſo like in their ſenſe, to his proceedings with thoſe hee cuts off for ever, they in like maner as haſtily conclude (I ſaid in my haſte ſayes David) their eternall rejection. OnelyOnly in the iſſue they prove unlike; tending but to their preſent diſcomfort, through their frailty: but in the other through their owne willing neglect, their enlightnings turne to their deſtruction.
So as to conclude, wee muſt warily ſever the worke of Gods Spirit herein, from that of Satan, and our owne hearts; not attributing ſuch deſperate concluſions to the Spirit. Thus that depth of ſorow 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 referre to the Corinthians ſorow. Thus David alſo imputes that his queſtioning, Pſal. 77. Whether God would be mercifull to him, ver. 7. unto his owne heart: this is My infirmity ſayes he, ver. 10. So as the blame herein is to be divided betweene Satan and our hearts.