The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 2 · Chapter 38
CHAP. XXXVIII. Sathans tentations obiecting to the weake chriſtian vnrepentancie and hardneſſe of heart anſwered.
§ Sect. 1 ANd ſo much for anſwering that generall temptation of Sathan,How Sathan perſwadeth the weake chriſtan that he hath no repentance. whereby he laboureth to rob and depriue the poore humbled ſinner of all the hope and comfort which hee might reape in applying vntounto himſelfe the gratious promiſes and ſweete comforts contayned in the goſpell, by perſwading him that hee is not effectually called. Wherewith if hee cannot preuaile hee deſcendeth from the generall to the particulars, and hauing as it were a farre off diſcharged his ſhott of dangerous temptations without inflicting deſired hurt and deſtruction, he approcheth neerer, and fighteth againſt the poore chriſtian with handie blowes, that thereby hee may beate him downe into deepe deſperation. Let it bee graunted will bee ſay that thou are called, yet it followeth not hereof that thou art elected and ſhalt bee ſaued; for Chriſt Ieſus himſelfe hath ſaide that many are called but few are choſen and why maieſt not thou bee in the greater number; neither is the calling thou ſpeakeſt of ſufficient to make a chriſtian, vnleſſe it bee accompanied with vnfained repentance and a liuely faith. And the promiſes of the goſpell wherein thou vainely hopeſt are not made vntounto all thoſe who are called, but vntounto thoſe who are indued with a true iuſtifying faith, which is alwaies ioyned with the fruite thereof, vnfained repentance. But if thou examine thy ſelfe aright, thou ſhalt find that both theſe are wanting in thee, for to beginne firſt with repentance which is moſt ſenſible and to be diſcerned with greateſt eaſe if thou ſearch thine hart without any affectionate partialitie or vaine conceipt, thou ſhalt find that thou are altogeather deſtitute thereof. For is not thy hart ſo obſtinately hard, and ſo ſtubbernely rebellious, that thou canſt not bewaile thy ſinnes with any vnfained ſorrow, nor ſcarce with much ſtrayning force one teare, whereas for any worldly loſſe, or temporarie affliction which indeed toucheth thee with true griefe, thou canſt without any difficultie weepe more bitterly then the apoſtle Peter, and ſhed as many teares as Marie Magdalene. Beſides wheras thoſe who repent turne from their ſinnes with a trueand vnreconcilable hatred of them, and ſpend the reſt of their life that remaineth in the ſeruice of God, whereas they hauehave their hard ſtonie harts mollified and turned into harts of fleſhe, which are flexible vntounto holy obedience and full of alacritie and chearefulneſſe in performing ſeruice to God, thou through thy hardneſſe and heart that cannot repent liueſt ſtill in thy ſinnes, and ſpendeſt a great part of thy time in vanitie and worldly delightes, thy heart as hard as the adamāt is ready ſooner to breake then to bowe to Gods will, and when thou forceſt thy ſelfe hereunto, thou canſt not but diſcerne the blindnes of thy vnderſtanding in ſpiritual thinges, which is ſo ſharpe and eagle ſighted in matters concerning the world, thy ſpirits ſo dull & blockiſh, & thine affectiōs ſo glutted & tyred in performing ſeruice vntounto God which are ſo ful of life, & alacritie in following worldly vanities. And therefore it is impoſſible that thou ſhouldeſt hauehave any true repentance, for how can repentance and hardnes of hart, a hart of fleſh & an hart of ſtone be atonce in thee.
§ Sect. 2 Againſt which tentation of Sathan if we would arme our ſelues,For the anſwering that former tentation 2. extreames to be avoyded. it behoueth vsus to bee verie carefull that wee doe not runne into two dangerous extreames; the one whereof is ſecurely to flatter our ſelues with an opinion of our good eſtate when as in turth it is moſt dangerous and damnable, the other that we doe not too much ſuffer our ſelues to bee deiected and caſt downe, thoughe wee hauehave not as yet attained to ſo greate perfection as our hearte deſireth.Two ſortes of hardneſſe of hart. 1. that which is inſenſible. And to this purpoſe we are to know that hardneſſe of heart is of two ſortes, the firſt is of them who being moſt hard harted, notwithſtanding doe not feele nor perceiue it; the other of thoſe who feeling their hardneſſe of heart are greeued therewith, and deſire to hauehave it mollified, ſoftened, and euen reſolued into teares of vnfained repentance. The firſt ſort is damnable or at leaſt moſt daungerous, for it lulleth vsus aſleepe in carnall ſecuritie, it taketh away all ſenſe of ſinne, and conſequently all ſorrow whereby we ſhould bewaile it; it ſcareth and brawneth the conſcience, couering it as it were on all ſides with a thicke hard skinne, which will neuer or moſt hardly be pearced, either by Gods iuſtice and threatnings to cauſe vsus to fear leaſt we incurre his wrathful diſpleaſure, or by his mercies and gratious promiſes to moue vsus to louelove him, and to bring forth the fruits of our louelove in acceptable obediencd, it repelleth all the good motions of Gods ſpirit & filleth the ſoule with ſuch drowſie dulnes and blockiſh deadneſſe, that it is altogether vnfit to perfourme any ſeruice vntounto God, and moſt apoto entertaine any of Sathans tentations. And this inſenſible hardneſſe of heart which is the ſpirituall lethurgie of the ſoule is of two kindes;The inſenſible hardneſſe of hart is of two ſortes. The firſt ioyned with obſtinacie. the firſt is ioyned with wilfull obſtinacie and affected rebellion, whereby men aduiſedly and contemptuouſly withſtand the outward miniſterie of the word, and the inward motions of Gods ſpirit, with all other meanes which might mooue and muite them to ſerious repentance; an example whereof wee hauehave in Pharaoh who hardened his heart againſt the Lord, oppoſing himſelfe againſt his ambaſſage deliuered vntounto him by Moyſos, and confirmed by ſo many miracles, and alſo obſtimately and with an high hand of rebellion checked, and quenchen the good motions of Gods ſpirit, whereby he was ſometimes moued to confeſſe his ſinne, and to acknowledge the Lord righteous. As alſo in Saul who againſt his conſcience perſecuted Dauid becauſe the Lord loued & had made choiſe of him to ſucceed in his place, and howſoeuer ſometimes by occaſion of ſome notable fruite of Dauids innocencie hee was moued to condemne himſelfe and to iuſtifie him, yet preſently hee hardned his heart againe and raged againſt him with wonted malice. And thus likewiſe were thoſe Iſraelites hardened and frozen ſtiffe in the dregs of their ſinnes,Eſay 28.15. of whom the Prophet Eſay ſpeaketh Eſay. 28.15 Yee hauehave ſaid (ſaith he) wee hauehave made a couenam with death and with hell wee are at agreement: though aſcourge runne ouer and paſſe through, it ſhall not come at vsus: for we hauehave made falſehood our refuge and vnderunder vanitie are we hid. And thoſe alſo of whom the Prophet Zacharie complaineth Zach. 7.11. who (obſtinately) refuſed to harken, Zach. 7.11and pulled away the ſhoulder and ſtopped their eares that they ſhould not heare, yea, and made their hearts as an Adamant ſtone, leaſt they ſhould heare the law and the words which the Lord of hoſtes ſent in his ſpirit by the miniſterie of the Prophets. And ſo alſo many of the Scribes and Phariſies hardened their hearts againſt our Sauiour Chriſt obſtinately contemning the gratious and powerfull words, which proceeded out of his mouth, and quenched the good motions of Gods ſpirit, occaſioned by his wonderfull miracles and admirable workes which none could performe, but he who was the very true and only begotten ſonne of God. Now we are to know that this hardneſſe of hart is moſt damnable, and whoſoeuer are poſſeſſed therewith they can neuer eſcape Gods fearefull iudgements and euerlaſting condemnation in the life to come.
§. Sect. 3 Of that hard neſſe of hart which proceedeth from careleſſe retchleſneſſe.The other kind of inſēſible hardneſſe of heart proceedeth from careleſſe retchleſneſſe and carnall worldlineſſe, when as men hauing their vnderſtādings blinded doe not perceiue their filthie corruptions, prophane wickedneſſe, & extreame miſery, nor feele the burthen of their ſinnes though they be growne to an intollerable waight, but flatter themſelues with a vaine opinion of their good eſtate in themſelues, without any other helpe, as though they needed not the meanes appointed of God for their conuerſion which others vſe. And therefore they neglect the miniſterie of the word, as knowing and practizing inough already, or if they heare it they remoue farre from them the threatnings of the law denounced againſt impaenitent ſinners as not appertaining to them, and checke all the good motions of Gods ſpirit which are commonly ioyned with the publike miniſterie of the word, and the priuate admonitions of godly men, or with the example of Gods iudgement on others, or with the ſenſe of their owne afflictions; and ſo returne to their old prophaneſſe and lie wallowing in the dregs of their ſinnes without any remorſe or hatred of euill, or any true louelove of that which is good. Vntill at length their harts are ſo hardned and their conſciences ſo ſcared with cuſtomable ſinning, and by often repelling and beating backe the meanes of their conuerſion the outward miniſtery of the word, and the inward motions of Gods ſpirit, that they proceed from careleſſe ſenſeleſneſſe, and negligent ſecuritie, to wilfull prophaneſſe and obſtinate rebellion. And this hardneſſe of heart is moſt commonly incident vntounto worldings and is nothing els but carnall ſecuritie, whereby they reſt contented with their miſerable and wretched eſtate, neither louing that which is good, nor hating that which is euill, nor vſing any means to better themſelues, becauſe they either thinke they are good inough or at leaſt neuer enter into conſideration of their eſtate, nor come to the ſenſe and feeling of their euill corruptions, in which they are wholy plunged & ouerwhelmed. Yea ſometimes and in ſome meaſure this befalleth the deare children of God through their careleſſe negligence, and want of the due examination of themſelues (as may appeare in the example of Dauid, who many moneths together liued in his ſinne of adulterie and murther, without any ſerious and ſound repentance, till it pleaſed the Lord to rouze him out of this ſpirituall lethurgie by the miniſterie of the Prophet Nathan) but yet the Lord doth not finally leaue them, but by the preaching of the word, godly admonitions and reprehenſions, and alſo with the inward motions and ſecrete operation of his holy ſpirit he pulleth them out of this wretched eſtate, giuing vntounto them a ſight or feeling of their ſins, and mollifying their hard hearts, working in them an hatred and deteſtation of their ſinnes, and an earneſt deſire to be vnburthened of them. But howſoeuer this may befall the children of God, yet this can be no incouragement vntounto any to continue ſtill in this wretched caſe, for howſoeuer they may be indeed the children of God, yet aſſuredly they can neuer hauehave any true aſſurance in their conſciences that they are his children and in his fauour, till their harts be mollified and reſolued, into the teares of vnfained repentance at leaſt in ſome meaſure. And therefore let eueryevery one beware of carnall ſecurity and of hardening their harts through careleſſe negligence, and by committing ſinnes againſt their knowledge and conſcience, let them beware of reſiſting the miniſterie of the word, and of quenching the good motions of Gods ſpirit, for though the conſcience at the firſt be moſt tender and the hart ſo ſoft, that eueryevery ſinne will pricke and pearce it, and eueryevery gentle admonition will make it relent, yet in continuance of time through cuſtomable ſinning, and reſiſting the meanes of our conuerſion and ſaluation, the conſcience is ſo ſeared that it becommeth ſenſeleſſe though it be oppreſſed and ſurcharged with a heauy maſſe of outragious wickedneſſe, and the heart groweth to ſuch Adamantiue hardneſſe, that the thundring Canon threatnings of the law, and of Gods fearefull and imminent iudgements cannot batter or bruiſe it, nor make any breach whereby true repentance may enter. In which reſpect the conſcience is not vnfitly compared to the eye, which of all other partes of mans body is moſt tender & impatient of the lighteſt touch, ſo that the ſmalleſt mote vexeth it, and the leaſt pricke cauſeth incredible torment: but if once it be affected with a diſeaſe called of Oculiſts, ſcirrhoſis oculi which ouercouereth it, but a hard fleſhy skinne, it becommeth of all other partes moſt inſenſible, ſo the conſcience of man is moſt tender of all other partes, and at the firſt ſmall ſinnes vexe & torment it, but if through cuſtome in ſinning it be ouerſpread with a Callum or thicke skinne, it becōmeth inſenſible and nothing will wound it.