A Child of Light Walking in Darkness, Part 1 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX.
How able Satan is to worke upon that third principle; The paſſions, and corrupt affections: and bring home his falſe concluſions with terrours.
THus we have ſeene how able Satan is to work upon thoſe two forementioned principles of carnall reaſon, and abuſe it with falſe Majors; and alſo upon conſcience, in laying our ſinnes to our charge, with miſ-repreſentations of our eſtates. It remaines now onelyonly, that we ſhew, how hee can ſtirre, and worke upon the paſſions, and corrupt affections in us, and make uſe of them: and ſo ſet on all thoſe falſe concluſions [That wee are hypocrites] thence deduced, with hideous, and horrid feares, and terrours.
And hence,§ 1. as hee is called a Serpent, as was ſaid,That Satan can raiſe up terrors. for ſlights, and cunning reaſonings, and wiles: So likewiſe a Lion, of all beaſts the ſtrongeſt. Eſay 38. 13. A roaring Lion, of all the terribleſt, and moſt terrible in his roaring: whoſe roaring is therefore often in Scripture put to expreſſe dreadfulneſſe, and horrour; The Lion roares, who will not tremble. Amos 3. 8. And (as ſome have obſerved, and the Pſalmiſt intimates it) by his roaring, he ſtrikes ſuch horror and amazement into all other beaſts, as they ſtand ſtill as exanimated, and ſo he ſeizeth and preyes upon them as he pleaſeth; and in this reſpect thoſe darts aforemētioned, are principally called fiery; namely, for that dolour, and anguiſh, and inflamation, and combuſtion they cauſe through diſtempering the affections. Thoſe feares which our owne hearts engendred within us, were but as ſmoke; theſe darts of his put a fire into thē, and doe cauſe them to flame and blaze. The alluſion is to the poyſoned darts, which the Scythians of old, and other nations now uſe in warre, dipt in the blood and gall of Aſps, and Vipers; the venemous heat of which, like a fire in their fleſh, killed the wounded by them, with torments the likeſt hell of any other. Which Iob alſo alludes to, Iob 6. 4. The arrowes of the Almighty are within me. The poyſon, or (as others reade it) the heat and fervour (we may uſe both and read) The hot poyſon thereof drinkes up my ſpirit, even as fire preying upon moiſture. And what were thoſe arrowes, but terrours? So it followes, the terrours of God, &c. Thus that Corinthian was in danger to have beene drunke up (as the word ſignifies) with overmuch ſorow,foreign. when Satan had to do with him. 2 Cor. 2. 7. and the ſame word is again uſed of the devil, 1 Pet. 5. 8. Seeking whom to drinke up. So that as Satan inflames other members, and the inordinate luſts in them, with a ſuperadded naturall vehemency and violence; as the tongue which (though of it ſelfe full of poyſon) is ſaid to be ſet on fire from hell: Iames 3. 16.that is, from Satan (who is called hell, as in that ſpeech; the gates of hell,) even as the Angels the nobleſt creatures, are called heavens: Heb. 7. 26.) who inflames mens tongues with an overplus of venome and malice, to wound mens names with; even as on the contrary, the Holy Ghoſt did ſet on fire the Apoſtles tongues with zeale. In like maner he can, and doth put fire into thoſe darts he wounds the conſcience with, and thereby augments our feares and griefes, and ſo cauſeth ſuch diſquietments and pangs, as that hell fire as it were begins to flame in a mans conſcience. As Chriſt is that Brazen Serpent, ſo Satan is that fiery Serpent, that can ſting us by the guilt of ſinne.
And here I muſt bring in the like caution as I uſed in the former Chapter;A Caution. namely, that hee works not theſe terrors by immediate impreſſions upon the conſcience, which in that reſpect is ſubject to Gods ſtroke alone, as to his knowledge alone. Which as I intimated, I take to be that other principall part of the drift of thoſe words; Heb. 4. 11, 12. The word of God is quick and powerfull, &c. For there he ſets forth Chriſt to us (as was ſhewed) as a judge compleatly enabled for vengeance againſt us, not onelyonly in reſpect of an omniſciency to finde us out in all our ſhiftings, but alſo (becauſe a judge would not be much feared, if he had only skill and knowledge though never ſo much, to ſearch, and finde out the guile and guilt of malefactors, if he were not armed with power to avenge, and torture them) therefore withall, the Apoſtles ſcope is to ſtrike terrour into their hearts, in reſpect of that vengeance he can execute, and therefore his aime is to exhort them, not to dally with God, or with his word, in which he had … of thoſe that beleeved not, they ſhould not enter into his reſt, in the former verſes. So as the purport of the words muſt neceſſarily alſo bee ſuppoſed to be, to ſhew the dreadfull power of God, and of his word, in avenging it ſelfe upon the contemners of him and it, and not meerely to deſcribe his omniſcience, and knowing of the heart, but as joyned alſo with power to pierce as deep in wounding of the ſoule, as in knowing of it. Yea, and that ſo large an illuſtration of his knowledge is brought in but as a clearer demonſtration of His power to puniſh, Who can diverſo deep into our hearts. As, frō whence we might argue, and feare the ſtroke of that … in this hād, whoſe eyes are ſo piercing. And accordingly to ſet forth the dreadfulneſſe of this his power, all thoſe his expreſſions doe as fully tend, as to expreſſe the other; and he uſeth ſuch a compariſon, as both in the nature of the things, and according, to the more uſuall phraſe of Scripture, doth more properly and abundanily intimate this ſlaying and wounding of mens ſoules that ſhould be diſobedient, by …, then that other of ſearching the ſoule and ſpirit. This word, ſayes he, is quick and lively, not in reſpect, of duration onelyonly, as abiding ever; but in reſpect to working and e…cution▪ Things that are exceeding operative, though inanimate, we call quick: So quick-ſilver, which runnes through a mans bowels like haile ſhot; and ſo oppoſitely, drugs and drinks that have loſt their vertue, and are ineffectuall, we call dead; and in reſpect to this energy, and power to work upon mens hearts, is that in Iohn 6. 63. The words I ſpeake (ſayes Chriſt) are ſpirit and life: that is, are full of an operative principle; for an active working principle, wee uſe to call Spirit, as the ſpirit of wine, &c. So as in that he ſayes the word is quick, he nores out that that word is inſpired with a principle, moſt quick, ſpiritfull, and active, and fit to work as occaſion is, the holy Spirit, as the internall form of it: and therefore 2. having thus intimated this internall forme of working; he adds by way of explication, foreign powerfull & mighty in operation, as noting out that power which flowes from thence; that ability to produce ſtrange effects upon the ſoule; (theſe expreſſions cary report of more then of a skill, and dexterity to ſearch and know the heart onelyonly.) And then 3. he further inſtanceth in ſuch operations of it, as the effects of that power, which are moſt dreadfull, as the compariſons he uſeth doe import. More piercing then any two edged ſword. Now as elſewhere the word is cōpared to an armory of all ſorts of weapons, and engines for war and vengeance; The weapons of our warfare are mighty, &c. 1 Cor. 10. 4. and this, as, To the pulling down of ſtrong holds, and ſubduing unto Chriſt, thoſe that turn effectually unto duplicate page duplicate page him; So alſo, that they have in a readineſſe to avenge all diſobedience. v. 6. in thē that ſubmit not to him: In like maner here, he reſembles it to a ſword, the moſt uſuall, and moſt terrible of all the inſtruments of death, which were then in uſe. The brandiſhing of which, ſtrikes paleneſſe and horrour into a man, ere the ſtroke comes at him; which is uſually put in Scripture to expreſs vengeance, and more eſpecially in the prophecy of Ezekiel. So alſo, Pſal. 7. 13. If hee turne not, God hath whet his ſword, and prepared his inſtruments of death, that is, to inflict torments, and eternall torments alſo, as Deut. 32. …2. And indeed, whatſoever doth torment, or cauſe dolour, and anguiſh, is in Scripture called a ſword; & the piercing with a ſword, is uſed to expreſſe the moſt exquiſite dolours, as Luke 2. 35. Yea, a ſword ſhall pierce through thy ſoule alſo: Speaking to the bleſſed mother of Chriſt, and of that her anguiſh and griefe, wherewith ſhee ſhould be cut even to the heart, when ſhe ſhould behold her Sonne upon the Croſſe. Of whoſe dolours upon the Croſſe likewiſe, the ſame expreſſion is uſed, Pſal. 22. 21. when he prayes; Deliver my ſoule from the ſword. And in this reſpect the word in Chriſts hand, ſtill when he is ſpoken of as a Iudge, Pſal. 45. 3.is compared to a ſword: and ſo here.Rev. 19. 16. Therefore to ſtrike the more terrour into their hearts in reſpect of the wounds,Iſay 49. 2. and torments it inflicts; he goes further on to exaggerate the dread thereof, hee ſayes not onelyonly that it is as ſharpe, but more ſharpe, not then a ſword of one edge, but then a two-edged ſword, nor then ſome, but then any two-edged ſword; and further, to ſhew that hee ſpeakes it in relation unto wounding, and anguiſh, and torment it cauſeth in the ſoule; hee mentioneth the diviſion of ſuch parts as are not onelyonly moſt hid, and inward, in relation to diſcovery (for ſuch the marrow is being covered with the bones, and the ligaments covered with fleſh) but which are alſo of moſt exquiſite ſenſe, and the wounding of which cauſeth the greateſt dolour. Hee ſaith, it pierceth even through the bones, which it muſt needs bee ſuppoſed to doe, when it is ſaid to reach unto the marrow. Now the breaking of the bones is ſtill put to expreſſe thoſe exquiſite and unſupportable terrours and dolours of conſcience, and woundings of the Spirit which a man cannot beare, or ſuſtaine. For when the bones are broken, a man cannot ſtand nor ſupport himſelfe. And the like is alſo the cutting of the ligaments, the nerves, ſinewes, and arteries, thoſe foreign that knit the joynts, which are the organs of ſenſe and motion. Againe he ſayes, it divideth not onelyonly the Soule, that is, the ſenſuall part, the paſſions of the mind, as wounding them; which creatures, as men and angels, can torment, and excruciate, but foreign, that is, the Spirit alſo, which is with an emphaſis expreſſed: and his meaning is not ſo much that it divideth the ſoule from the ſpirit, (as ſome have underſtood it) but the ſoule and ſpirit alſo. It is a two-edged ſword, and can at one blow ſtrike through both, this axe ſtrikes at the root; at the ſpirit, which, when wounded, it … can beare? ſayes Solomon. And ſo he concludes ver. 13. That as before him all things are … ſo that if hee but ſtrike them with his word, they lye foreign, even with their throats cut, dead and ſpeechleſſe at his feet, as Theoderet expounds that word. Now thus far, that is, to this ſpirit in man, no created ſword can reach; they turne edge at it: but even this, the word reacheth, & that alone. So as the ſummary drift of all herein, is the ſame which Chriſt expreſſed elſewhere in other words, to exhort them to feare that God, whoſe ſword, and powerfull word is able thus to wound, & who is alone able thus to do; and not to feare thoſe who can only wound & kill the body, and but reach to the ſenſuall ſoul that is drencht in it, but cannot wound or kill the Spirit. Which God alone can do, and no meere creature whatſoever. And therefore in all our thoughts & fears of Satans power of knowing our ſins, or troubling, or diſquieting our ſpirits (as alſo through this diſcourſe) we are to ſet ſuch bounds, as that this incommunicable royalty of God, and of his word, may be reſerved unentrencht upon; namely, that he alone knows, and can immediately wound the ſpirit and conſcience,§ 2. both which, at once this place held out unto us,Though hee cannot immediately wound the conſcience; yet, which made me the largelier to inſiſt upon the opening of it.
But yet although Satan cannot immediately wound the conſcience, and make impreſſion; of Gods wrath upon it: (for as no creature can ſhed abroad Gods love, and cauſe the creature to taſt the ſweetneſſe of it, ſo nor the bitterneſſe of his wrath, but God is his owne reporter of both.)
Yet, 1.1. When the Spirit hath wounded it, he can rake in thoſe ſoares. When the holy Ghoſt hath laſht and whipt the conſcience, and made it tender once, and fetcht off the skin; Satan then, may fret it more, and more, and be ſtill rubbing upon the ſoare, by horrid ſuggeſtions.
And 2.From the experience of former terrours, he can amaze the ſoul afreſh. He can by renewing the experimentall remembrance of thoſe laſhes, which the ſoule hath had, amaze the ſoule with feares of an infinitely ſoarer vengeance yet to come, and ſo paint out, and flaſh repreſentations of hell fire in their conſciences, from thoſe reall glimpſes they have already had, as to wilder the ſoule into vaſt and unthought of horrors.
And then 3.3. He can bring home all the threatnings. He can bring home all the threatnings that are thundered forth in the word againſt hypocrites, and men unregenerate, and diſcharge them all with much violence, and noiſe upon a poore doubting ſoule; he can and doth preſent, and ſhew his priſoners thoſe terrible threatnings, chaines, and racks, and other inſtruments of death, Pſal. 7. 13.as the Pſalmiſt calls them, which God hath prepared againſt ſinners, and hath ſtored up in that great armory of his word; Which hath in a readineſſe to revenge all diſobedience. 2 Cor. 10. 6. With the ratling of which chaines, Satan can make a noiſe in the conſcience of a poore ſinner, to affright him. Which hee is the more enabled to doe, out of experience of ſuch terrours in himſelfe: Being bound up in chaines everlaſting, under darknes, to the judgment of the great day. Iude 6. And as a ſon of conſolation, and childe of light is enabled to comfort others the more, by the comfort wherewith hee hath beene comforted of God. So this Prince of darkneſſe is the more powerfull to terrifie weake conſciences that are enſnared with the cords of their owne ſinnes, by reaſon of the terrours which he hath received from the Lord. And therefore in Scripture, as a power in ſin is attributed to him, ſo the power of death. Heb. 2. 14. Where, by death is meant not ſo much that bodily, as that eternall death, to which, as the proper puniſhment of ſin, the guilt of it doth binde us over. Which power of his is not that of the Iudge in ſentencing to death, or caſting men to hell, which is a ſpeciall flower of Chriſts Crowne; who Rev. 1. 18. hath the keyes of hell & death at his girdle; & of Gods, who is therefore onelyonly to be feared, becauſe, he onelyonly can caſt body and ſoule into hell. Nor is it as if he were the main tormenter, and executioner of mens ſouls, after that great day, ſeeing that they are to be tormented by that fire which in common, was prepared for the devills themſelves. And who is it that doth torment them? but it is therefore principally meant 1. of that power and advantage he obtained over ſinners, when he had ſeduced them; ſo, as to come boldly as a pleader againſt them, enabled with authority to urge Gods righteous law and word, and to call upon, and to provoke his juſtice to condemne poore ſinners: till Chriſt that righteous advocate diſpoyled him of his pleas and power, by that ſatisfaction of his; which before, the law had put into his hands; and ſo Hee deſtroyed him that had the power of death; and enervated all his pleas and terrours. And 2. the meaning is, that as he hath this power in Gods court, ſo alſo in our conſciences, to urge the law upon us, and to plead all that the Law ſayes to thē under the Law; and to increaſe in us the feares of that death, by preſenting to us the terrors of the Law, to which in reſpect of naturall conſcience, men of themſelves are ſubject all their life long. And unto this later power, hath that power of death there, eſpeciall reference, for thoſe words follow there, v. 15. And becauſe the children of God, whilſt in this life, as they know but in part, ſo they love but in part; and ſo far as love remaines imperfect, ſo farre feare which hath torment, keepes poſſeſſion. 1 Iohn 4. 18. For it is perfect love (only) that caſts out (all) feare. And hence, ſo far as ſlaviſh feare remaines, ſo farre they may be ſubject to be terrified by him that hath power of death; over thoſe that are in any degree ſubject to the feare of it.
And 4.4. He can excite the paſſions of feare, and trembling of ſpirit. Hee can immediately, by his owne power, ſtirre the paſſions of feare and griefe, &c. Excite them beyond nature, as the windes can raiſe the billowes in the ſea, and make the floods to make a noiſe; ſo can hee a tumult in the affections, and put all the ſoule into an hurry and violent perturbation. He is the Prince of the aiery part of the little world in man, as well as of that elementary region in the great world; and ſo can raiſe unnaturall ſtormes, and vapours that ſhall darken reaſon; and cauſe ſuch thunders and lightnings, as ſhall hurle all into a black confuſion; ſuch, as if hell and the ſoule would preſently come together. And though it is true, that he cannot turne the ſtreame and current of our affections back (God onelyonly can turne this Iordan back) yet he can drive them faſter, and cauſe them to ſwell above their naturall channels; that as a man poſſeſt hath the ſtrēgth of ten men in him; as that man, Luke 8. 19. So ſhall the affections have, that are blowne up by him. As we may ſee in David, what a ſtrong minde doe we finde in him, ſo needleſly to number the people. 2 Sam. 24? againſt all reaſon, as well as religion, and the perſwaſion, yea oppoſition, not of Ioab onelyonly, but others alſo of his Counſellors, the Captaines of the hoſt; a man would wonder, that a man ſo holy and wiſe ſhould bee ſo tranſported to doe an act ſo fooliſh, (as himſelfe ſaw afterwards, I have done very fooliſhly, ſayes hee, ver. 10.) yea, and ſo groſſely ſinfull, as that it was abominable in the eyes of Ioab, 1 Chron. 21. 6. (one that ſeemeth by his other cariages to have had but nature in him.) But the devil was in it. So verſe the 1. Satan provoked David to number the people, by raiſing up ſuch an affection and inclination in him. The like appeares in the affection of love, which how ſtrongly hath Satan drawne forth in ſome, even to madneſſe, towards ſuch, as before, and alſo after his faſcination was overpaſt, they have loathed and hated above all others, is evident in ſtories by many inſtances. And as he can raiſe up other paſsions in us, ſo alſo feares and terrours, jealouſies, and diſtruſts. To feare where no feare is. And thus he handled Saul (when God left him to him) An evill ſpirit from the Lord troubled him; or (as moſt reade it, and our margent varies it) terrified him. 1 Sam. 16. 15. And in the raiſing up of theſe affections of feare, and the like; hee workes more then ſimply morally, that is, then by bare propounding ſuch objects as ſhall move them; (which men onelyonly can doe) but further alſo, Phyſically, by ſtirring ſuch humours in the body, which ſuch paſſions doe act and ſtirre in. And ſo thoſe humors in the body, which ſhal put a man into a timorous, and trembling diſpoſition, he can electively worke upon, as he pleaſeth. And then alſo he can diſturbe the phantaſmes in the head, the organs of the underſtanding; as in him, Luke 8. 35. Who through Satans working is intimated, not to have beene in his right minde. And when he hath thus diſtempered, and diſordered all in a man, and put a man into ſuch diſpoſitions to feares, &c. then he comes with his ſuggeſtions, and ſpeakes nothing but of wrath, and terrours, and of the threatnings, and of the hainouſneſſe of a mans ſinnes, the fearefulneſſe of Gods wrath, &c. to the conſcience that is troubled; and then (looke as when a mans choller is up, every ſmall thing provokes him; ſo now when feare and melancholy are encited, every ſuggeſtion, every ſurmiſe doth ſtriketh: ſoule through and through, with horrid feares and jealouſies. And thus, though not immediatly, yet through the meanes of theſe miſts and vapours, and fogges raiſed, which environ and darken this ſunne, he workes upon the conſcience; and therefore we ſee by experience, that he prevailes moſt in this ſort of temptations, with melancholly tēpers; who dwelling in dark ſhops, he much deceives with falſe colours and gloſſes. And when affections are up, and doe cloud the minde, then multitudes of troubleſome thoughts ariſe, and every ſuggeſtion ſutable to that paſſion takes, and prevailes with a mans ſpirit; as appeares by that ſpeech of Chriſt Luke 24. 38. Why are you troubled (or afraid) and why doe thoughts ariſe in your hearts? Paſſions like to heavy weights hung upon a clock, do not onelyonly make the wheeles, the thoughts move faſter; but alſo perverts them, & wreſts them the wrong way; ſo as to a heart thus diſtempered, all things come to be preſented amiſſe; even as to a bloodſhot eye all things ſeeme red. In a word, as he deludes his Enthuſiaſts by ſetting on, and backing thier falſe opinions, and illuſions, with joyes and raviſhments of ſpirit (which differ as much from the joyes of the holy Ghoſt which are unſpeakable and glorious, as heaven from earth.) So he can, and doth back his falſe reaſonings, and accuſations to holy men about their eſtates, with abundance of terrour and diſturbance; which alſo differs as much from the impreſſions of Gods wrath made immediately by the ſpirit upon the conſcience, as thoſe joyes are found to doe.