The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 2 · Chapter 25
CHAP. XXV. Sathans temptations taken from our vnworthineſſe and vnfitneſſe to heare, anſwered.
§ Sect. 1 ANd ſo much concerning the temptations of Sathan,That our ſins and vnworthineſſe ſhould not hinder vsus from hearing Gods word. which he draweth from the Miniſters, to diſcredit the Goſpel, and to diſwade men from ye hearing thereof; but if he cannot thus preuaile, he will leaue the Miniſters, and come to the parties themſelues, ſuggeſting into their minds that they are vnworthy, in reſpect of the innumerable number of their ſinnes, to be hearers of the Goſpell, which is ſo pure and excellent; and that their corruptions are ſo great, their vnderſtandings ſo blind, their memories ſo ſlippery, their wils ſo peruerſe, their heart and affections ſo wicked and prophane, that it is to be feared in regard of this their vnfitnes to heare, that the word of God, which in it ſelfe is the ſauour of life vntounto life, will become vntounto them the ſauour of death to their more deepe condemnation. For the anſwering of which temptation, wee are to know, firſt, that our ſinnes and vnworthineſſe ſhould be ſo farre from hindring vsus frō the hearing of Gods words, that they ſhould rather ſerue as forcible arguments to moue vsus more attentiuely and diligently to heare it: becauſe it is the meanes ordayned of God to pull vsus out of our ſins, to purge vsus from our corruptions, to worke in vsus true ſanctification, and to make vsus of the ſonnes of wrath the children of God. Moreouer, though we want faith and all other ſanctifying graces, yet we are to heare the word of God: for therefore the Lord hath ordained the miniſtery of the word, not onelyonly to increaſe grace where it is begun, but alſo to beget and begin it where it is wanting; ſo that we muſt not only heare becauſe we are fit, but alſo that we may be made fit, who before were vnfit. Neither are we to imagine that faith and other graces goe before hearing, but follow after as fruits and effects thereof;Rom. 10.14.17. as the Apoſtle plainely ſheweth, Rom. 10.14. But how ſhall they call on him in whom they hauehave not beleeued? And how ſhall they beleeue in him of whom they hauehave not heard? And how ſhall they heare without a Preacher? And verſe 17. Faith commeth by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. If then there be no faith without hearing, nor no grace without faith, it muſt needs follow, that before we heare, we are deſtitute of faith & all ſauing grace, and that by hearing they are wrought in vsus, God preuenting vsus with his grace, and calling vsus vntounto himſelfe, not only when we had no deſerts to merit his mercy, but alſo not ſo much as any grace to deſire it. And hence it is that the Apoſtle ſaith, 2. Tim. 1.9. That God hath called vsus with an holy calling, not according to our works, 2. Tim. 1.9.but according to his own purpoſe and grace, which was giuen vntounto vsus through Christ Ieſus before the world was. The truth hereof may appeare in all the examples of Gods ſaints, who before their calling were ſo far from deſeruing any grace at Gods hand, that rather they deſerued confuſion & vtter deſtruction. For example, what worthines was in Abraham before his conuerſion who liued in groſſe idolatry? what worthines in Rahab ye harlot? in Manaſſes a cruell tirant, a wicked ſorcerer, an horrible idolater? what worthines in Marie Magdalene poſſeſſed by ſeuen diuels? or in Matthew and Zacheus the Publicanes? or in Paul who perſecuted the Church of God? In a word, what worthines is in any of Gods ſaints, before the Lord by the preaching of his word, made effectuall by the inward operation of his ſpirit, hath called and conuerted, and pulled them out of their ſins and corruptions in which they wallowed, and indued them with ſome meaſure of his ſanctifying and ſauing graces?
§. Sect. 2 Secondly,That our vnfitneſſe to heare, ſhould not make vsus neglect hearing. whereas he obiecteth our vnfitnes to heare, becauſe our eares are dull, our eyes blind, our hearts hard, and our wils, affections, and all the powers and faculties of our bodies and ſoules wholy corrupted and diſordered, this muſt not moue vsus to neglect the hearing of Gods word, but to become hearers thereof with more care and diligence: for it is the two-edged ſword of the ſpirit, which will pearce and make way for it ſelfe to enter, and will builde a lodging for it ſelfe to dwell in; it is not onelyonly a light to guide thoſe that ſee, but a precious eye-ſalue to giuegive ſight vntounto thoſe who were borne blinde; it is not onelyonly the heauenly deaw which maketh Gods graces to ſpring in vsus, but alſo that diuine ſeede which giueth them being and rooting in our hearts; it is not onelyonly the foode of our ſoules to preſerue and increaſe that ſtrength which wee alreadie hauehave, but alſo that immortall ſeede by which wee are firſt begotten vntounto God and borne againe, who before were dead in our ſinnes, and that excellent phyſicke of our ſoules by which they are purged from their corruptions and reſtored vntounto health, which before were deadly ſicke in ſinne; it maketh vsus firſt to will that which is good, and then further to deſire it; it giueth vsus life who before were dead in our ſinnes, and then preſerues this life; it begets and begins faith & ſanctification and all other graces in vsus, and being begotten and begun it ſtrengtheneth & increaſeth them: and therefore let not Sathan diſſwade vsus from the hearing of Gods word, becauſe of our ſinnes, vnworthineſſe and vnfitneſſe; for as it is a notable meanes ordained of God for the increaſing of grace where it alreadie is, ſo is it no leſſe effectuall for the begetting of grace where it neuer was. There is no wiſe man that will neglect his trade and liue idely becauſe he is poore, but rather this will moue him to be more painfull therein, as being the meanes whereby hee may become rich; neither doe men refuſe all nouriſhment, becauſe they hauehave emptie and hungrie ſtomackes, but doe more earneſtly deſire meate that they may be filled and ſatisfied; yea euen thoſe whoſe ſtomackes are weake doe not altogether refuſe their foode, but eate ſomething to ſharpen their appetite, and ſo by little and little in vſing their ſtomackes they get ſtomacks: let vsus follow the like practiſe, and when we …rceiue our beggerlineſſe in Gods graces, let vsus more earneſtly …bour after this heauenly treaſure and precious pearle, that we may be made rich; whē we feele our emptines of all vertue a… goodneſſe, let vsus more eagerly hunger after this ſpirituall M…na that we may be filled and ſatisfied; when we finde our appetite weake and our ſtomacks indiſpoſed to eate of this heauenly foode, let vsus a little force our ſelues againſt the appetite, or … all good meanes to quicken and ſharpen it, and ſo wee ſhall finde that the oftner we eate, the oftner we ſhall deſire, the more wee heare the word of God, the more wee ſhall deſire to heare, and the greater benefit wee ſhall receiue by it. Whereas neglect of hearing will make vsus eueryevery day more vnfit to heare, euen as long abſtinence doth quite ſpoyle the ſtomack.