The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 3 · Chapter 9
CHAP. IX. Sathans temptations whereby he aggrauateth our ſinnes in generall, anſwered.
§ Sect. 1 ANd ſo much concerning thoſe temptations of Sathan, How Sathan terrifieth the Chriſtians conſcience by aggrauating his ſinne.which he groundeth vponupon our naturall corruptions and our ſmall meaſure of ſanctification. Now wee are to ſpeake of ſuch as hee ſuggeſteth after we hauehave committed ſome actuall ſinnes: and theſe are either in reſpect of our ſinnes in generall, or els ſome ſpeciall ſinne into which wee hauehave fallen. Concerning the firſt, when the weake Chriſtian (who hath a tender conſcience, and therefore cannot bee perſwaded to lie ſecurely in his ſinne) hath through the ſtrength of his own corruptions, and violence of his temptations, committed any ſinne againſt his knowledge and conſcience, then doth the tempter (who before his fall exceedingly extenuated & minced his ſin, now after that he is fallen into it) out of meaſure aggrauate the grieuouſneſſe and hainouſnes of his offence, partly in reſpect of the nature and qualitie of the ſinne it ſelfe, and partly in reſpect of the circumſtances, as being committed after his calling, againſt his knowledge, in ſuch a time or place, & by ſuch a perſon, as God is therby moſt diſhonoured, and his brethren offended by his bad example. And thus hauing as it were ſtretched out his ſinne vponupon the tentars of his temptations, and with the blaſts of his falſe ſuggeſtions made of eueryevery ſmall drop a great bubble, then doth hee alſo ſet before him the curſe of the law, Gods fearefull iudgements, the plagues and puniſhments of this life, and euerlaſting death and condemnation in the life to come, continually accuſing and terrifying him as being guiltie of all theſe fearefull euils, by reaſon of his ſinnes, to the end that hereby being vtterly diſcouraged, hee may deſperately caſt off all care of continuing in his former courſe of godlineſſe, as if now it were altogether in vaine and to no purpoſe.
§ Sect. 2 The which temptation if wee would withſtand in the day of triall,The meanes to withſtand the former temptation, are renued faith and repentance. it behooueth vsus not to reſt in the remembrance of our former faith and repentance, but as wee hauehave renewed our ſinne, ſo alſo muſt we renew our ſorrow for it, bewailing our corruptions, which hauehave ſo preuailed againſt vsus as to moue vsus to tranſgreſſe Gods commandements, hating and deteſting our ſinne into which wee hauehave fallen, and purpoſing for the time to come to leaue and forſake it, and to ſerue the Lord in holineſſe and newneſſe of life. And this our repentance wee muſt approue to be vnfained by thoſe fruites thereof which the Apoſtle mentioneth, 2. Cor. 7.9, 10, 11. that is, wee muſt ſtudie and endeuour to amend,2. Cor. 7.9.10.11. confeſſe our ſin vntounto God in all humilitie, and moſt earneſtly craue remiſſion both of the fault and puniſhment, hauehave a godly indignation againſt our ſelues becauſe wee hauehave ſinned, and a ſonnelike feare not ſo much in reſpect of the puniſhment, as of offending and diſpleaſing God our moſt gratious louing father; and an earneſt deſire that we may be ſo renued, that we be not againe ſo ouertaken; a more feruent zeale in louing God and keeping his commandements than before our fall; and laſtly, wee muſt take a holy reuenge of our ſelues, that thereby wee may ſo tame our fleſh, that it may not hereafter be ſo powerfull in vsus, as to ouercome and leade vsus captiue vntounto ſinne.
And thus hauing renewed our repentance, wee muſt alſo renew our faith, by applying vntounto our ſelues all the gratious promiſes of the Goſpel, concerning life and ſaluation in Chriſt Ieſus, made vntounto all repentant ſinners; and by calling to our remembrance that Chriſt the iuſt hath borne the puniſhment due vntounto vsus who were vniuſt; that with his death and merits he hath fully ſatisfied Gods iuſtice, appeaſed his wrath, and waſhed away our ſinnes with his bloud; that hee hath fulfilled the law for vsus, and taken vponupon him our curſe, that we in him might be bleſſed; that by ſuffring for vsus, hee hath freed vsus from all puniſhments of this life and the life to come, that hee euer liueth to make interceſſion for vsus; ſo that though we ſinne, yet there is no feare of condemnation, ſeeing wee hauehave an aduocate with the father, Ieſus Chriſt the iuſt, 1. Ioh. 2.1.2.who is the reconciliation for our ſinnes, 1. Ioh. 2.1, 2.
§. Sect. 3 But here the tempter will obiect vntounto the weake Chriſtian, that theſe promiſes of the Goſpell can yeeld vntounto him no ſound comfort,Sathans temptation perſwading vsus that we are ſtill in the fleſh. Rom. 8.1. ſeeing they are reſtrained to thoſe onelyonly who are members of Chriſt Ieſus, in which number are none but thoſe who are regenerate, renewed, and gouerned by Gods ſpirit, according to that Rom. 8.1. There is no condemnation to thoſe which are in Chriſt Ieſus, which walke not after the fleſh but after the ſpirit. But thou (will hee ſay) art not in Chriſt, for being ingrafted in this vine thou wouldeſt bring foorth the grapes of godlineſſe, whereas there ſpringeth nothing from thee but the briars and brambles of iniquitie; neither walkeſt thou after the ſpirit, for then in thy life thou wouldeſt ſhew the fruites thereof, but after the fleſh, which wholy ouerruleth thee and caſteth thee headlong into all ſin and wickedneſſe.
§. Sect. 4 For the anſwering of which temptation we are to know,VVhat it is to walke after the fleſh and after the ſpirit. that it is not the committing of a ſinne or of many ſinnes, which prooueth that wee walke not after the ſpirit but after the fleſh, (for ſo ſhould all the children of God bee carnall and not ſpirituall, yea euen the Apoſtle Paul himſelfe who complained that he did the euill which he hated, and found no meanes to doe that which was good, but when he would doe good, euill was preſent with him: and that there was a law in his members rebelling againſt the law of his minde, which led him captiue vntounto the law of ſinne) but to walke after the fleſh is willingly to obey it in the luſts thereof; to commit ſinne with pleaſure and delight; to embrace that which is euill with full conſent of will cheerefully and with all readineſſe; to runne headlong into wickedneſſe ſtubbornly, preſumptuouſly and ſecurely; to hauehave ſinne not onelyonly dwelling but alſo raigning in our mortall bodies; to liue therein without repentance, neuer grieuing for it, nor endeuouring to forſake it, nay rather greatly louing and making ſuch high account of it, that wee had rather part with our liues than bee diuorced from our ſinnes. Whoſoeuer therefore through his weakneſſe and infirmitie is led captiue vntounto ſinne, and being enthralled by this tyrant earneſtly deſireth libertie, and doth not willingly run, but is violently drawne by Sathans temptations and his owne corruptions, and hauing ſinned is not therewith delighted, but exceedingly grieued that by his ſinne hee hath diſpleaſed God; and ſeeing his owne weakneſſe and infirmities doth bewaile them, and fleeth vntounto God by feruent prayer, deſiring the aſſiſtance of his holy ſpirit, whereby hee may be enabled to mortifie his fleſh and the corruptions thereof which hee deadly hateth, and to ſerue God in holineſſe and newneſſe of life; ſuch a one may aſſure himſelfe that hee walketh not after the fleſh but after the ſpirit, and that hee is in Chriſt Ieſus, and hath eſcaped condemnation, though through his infirmitie and ſtrength of his inbred corruptions hee falleth often into ſinne.
§. Sect. 5 The differences betweene the ſinnes of the regenerate man and the vnregenerate.Though therefore the ſanctified man ſinneth, yet this doth not prooue that he is ſtill in the fleſh and vnregenerate; ſeeing there is great difference betweene his ſinnes into which he now falleth, and thoſe which hee committed before hee was ſanctified, or thoſe which they commit which ſtill liue in the fleſh. For firſt the vnregenerate man doth continuallie ſinne, heaping vp one wickedneſſe vponupon another, the man regenerate but ſometimes, when hee is ouercome by his corruptions; the wicked man committeth ſinne with greedineſſe, the godly man with ſome kinde of irkſomneſſe and after a ſort vnwillingly; the one drawes ſinne vntounto him as it were with cartropes, Eſa. 5.18.the other is violently drawne to ſinne with the ſtrength of his corruptions; the one hunteth after ſinne and the occaſions thereof, the other is hunted by ſinne and Sathans temptations, till being out of breath and fainting for wearineſſe hee is ouertaken and led priſoner. The carnall man ſinneth with full conſent of will, and with pleaſure and delight, the ſpirituall man doth not yeeld without ſome reſiſtance of the regenerate part, and as it were grudgingly and with the miſliking of the ſpirit; he that is vnregenerate ſuffreth ſinne to raigne in him, and yeeldeth vntounto it ſuch willing and heartie obedience as the loyall ſubiect doth to his lawfull King, but the ſanctified man obeyeth it as though it were an vſurping tyrant, repiningly and by cō ſtraint, rather drawne with force than moued by any louelove or liking. The wicked man committeth ſinne vponupon deliberation, aduiſedly and of ſet purpoſe; but the regenerate man for the moſt part ſuddenly, beſides his purpoſe and contrary to his reſolution. The vngodly mans heart and conſcience ſeldome or neuer controules him for his ſinne, or if it doe, yet it ſuddenly vaniſheth like a flaſh of lightning; but there is a fight in the hart of the godly man, the carnall part drawing one way and the ſpirituall part another. When the carnall worldling offendeth hee is in his common way, for hee maketh an occupation of committing ſinne; but when the regenerate man ſinneth hee is out of his courſe, and is neuer at reſt till he commeth into his way of righteouſneſſe again: when the wicked man hath committed one ſinne, that is an argument to moue him to commit another,Eccl. 8.11. becauſe iudgement is deferred, and hee hath eſcaped puniſhment; but the true Chriſtian (like one who runneth a race for ſome great wager) if he ſtumble and fall, when he riſeth againe he doth more carefully looke to his feete, and ſtriueth to runne the more ſwiftly in the way of righteouſneſſe, that ſo he may redeeme with more than vſuall ſpeed the loſt time wherein he was hindred by his fall. Finally, the vnregenerate man being fallen into the puddle of ſinne, doth wallow therein with pleaſure and delight, and neuer ſtriues to riſe againe by amendment of life, but the man regenerate though hee fall, yet he riſeth vp againe by true repentance, and neuer reſteth till hee hauehave throughly waſhed his polluted ſoule with the bloud of Chriſt applied vntounto him by a liuely faith. The one remembreth his ſinnes which he hath committed, with gladneſſe and reioycing, yea bragging and boaſting of his outragious wickedneſſe; the other neuer thinketh vponupon them but with griefe and ſorrow, neither is there any thing in the world whereof he is more aſhamed than of his ſinnes. Seeing therefore there is ſuch great and manifold differences, betweene the ſinnes of the ſanctified and thoſe who are vnſanctified, let not Sathan perſwade vsus that wee are ſtill in the fleſh and vnregenerate, becauſe will we nill we, we often fall into ſinne, if in our manner of ſinning wee can finde theſe differences which we neuer diſcerned in former times.