The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 2 · Chapter 43
CHAP. XLIII. Sathans tentations grounded vponupon our want of ſenſe and feeling of faith, anſwered.
§. Sect. 1 ANd theſe are the ſignes by which eueryevery beleeuer may be aſſured that he hath a true & liuely faith:Sathans tentation whereby he perſwadeth vsus tha we hauehave no faith, becauſe we feele it not which howſoeuer they bee to be obſerued in eueryevery faithfull man, yet not at all times, for oftentimes it commeth to paſſe that the beleeuing Chriſtian doth neither feele his faith nor the fruites thereof, eſpecially in the infancie of faith and in the cumbate of tentations, which giueth occaſion vntounto Sathan of ſuggeſting into his mind a daungerous tentation. Thou braggeſt much (will he ſay) of thy faith, and thou confirmeſt, this thy perſwaſion that thou art indued therewith with many ſignes and fruits which hauehave accompanied it; but if now thou examine thy ſelfe a right thou ſhalt find in thee no ſuch matter; and not to ſtand vponupon other arguments, I appeale vntounto the teſtimonie of thine owne conſcience, whether at this preſent thou haſt any ſenſe or liuely feeling of faith, or canſt diſcerne thoſe fruits thereof which before thou haſt ſpoken of; if not, then doe not flatter thy ſelfe in vaine with a fond perſwaſion, for though thou wilt not beleeue mee, yet at leaſt beleeue thine owne ſenſe and feeling which plainely telleth thee that either thou neuer haddeſt any true faith indeed, or if thou haddeſt yet that now it is quite loſt and periſhed.
The anſwere to the former tertations.For the anſwering of which tentation wee muſt diſtinguiſh betweene the habite of faith, and the act of faith; or betweene faith it ſelfe and the worke & function thereof, which is to apprehend and apply Chriſts merits and Gods mercy and louing fauour, with all the gratious promiſes of the goſpell; as it is an habituall facultie of the mind, it alwaies continueth & abideth in Gods children, after it is once wrought in them by the ſpirit of God, but in reſpect of the function act or worke thereof it hath many intermiſſions, and oftentimes ſeemeth to be caſt as it were into a dead ſleepe. Now we are to know that we cannot ſenſibly diſcerne faith, as it is an habituall vertue or facultie of the mind although wee hauehave it in great meaſure in vsus, but onelyonly ſo farre foorth as it manifeſteth it ſelfe in his actions, workes, & fruits; and therefore it is an vnſound and falſe maner of reaſoning, to inferre becauſe we doe not ſenſibly feele and diſcerne that we hauehave faith, therfore we are deſtitute thereof; for the habite of faith or faith it ſelfe may be in vsus, & yet for a time may be ſo hindred by outward accidents, that it cannot ſhew it ſelfe in his actions and fruits, by which alone it is ſenſibly diſcerned.
§. Sect. 2 But I will make this more cleare and manifeſt by ſome familiar ſimilitude and examples,The former anſwere made plaine by ſimilitudes we know that in the ſickneſſes and diſeaſes of the body nature is ſo infeebled and ouercome, that ſometimes the partie affected falleth into a dead ſwoune wherein hee is depriued for a time, not onelyonly of the vſe of the vnderſtanding, reaſon, and memorie, but alſo of his ſenſes, motion, and vitall functions, ſo that in reſpect of ſenſe and outward appearance, hee is quite depriued of all his vitall ſenſitiue and intellectuall faculties, but yet a while after by reaſon of ſome outward meanes vſed, or by the ſecrete power of nature working in him, hee is reſtored to the vſe of all againe, and liueth, feeleth much and vnderſtandeth as in former times, becauſe hee had not loſt theſe faculties but onelyonly by ſome grieuous impediment was hindred of the vſe of them in their actions and functions; ſo that here this manner of reaſoning appeareth abſurd and falſe, theſe faculties of the ſoule cannot be ſenſibly diſcerned, and therefore hee is quite deſtitute of them: And thus alſo it is in reſpect of our faith and other habituall vertues, oftentimes through the ſicknes of the ſoule in ſinne or the outward violence of Sathans tentations, it ſeemeth caſt into a ſwoune & depriued of al the ſpiritual faculties and vertues thereof, faith, louelove, zeale, hope, patience and the reſt, but yet ſoone after by hearing the word, by godly admonitions, inſtructions, reprehenſions, and conſolations made effectuall by the inward operation of Gods ſpirit it is reuiued, and all the ſpirituall graces thereof ſhew themſelues againe in their woonted ſtrength; ſo that this inference is no leſſe falſe then the other, there is no ſenſible appearance of theſe ſanctifying gifts and graces, and therefore they are quite loſt and periſhed, for the graces themſelues remaine thoughe for a time they appeare not in their actions and fruits.
So in the time of winter the fruitfull trees are ſo nipped with the cold froſts, and ſo weatherbeaten with tempeſtuous ſtormes that they appeare naked & bare, not only without fruite but alſo leaues, ſo as if wee ſhall iudge according to ſence & outward appearance we ſhould falſely conclude that they are dead; for by experience we know that they liue and ſucke nouriſhment out of the earth, euen when they are moſt ſpoiled of their ſummer beautie, and though they are toſſed with the winds yet hereby they are not hurt but rather take deeper roote and ſo are made capeable of more nouriſhment, and though they bee nipped with cold froſts yet hereby they are not made barren nay rather hereby their wormes and cankers are killed, and they prepared and made fitt to bring forth more fruite in the time of ſommer, when the comfortable ſpring approacheth, and the ſweet ſhowers and warme ſunne beames fall and deſcend vponupon them. And thus it is with the ſpirituall graces in the poor chriſtian, in the winter of affliction they are nipped with the cold froſts of feare and doubting, and weatherbeaten with the boyſterous blaſts of Sathans tentations, ſo as they ſeeme euen dead at the very roote if wee ſhall iudge according to outwarde ſenſe & appearance, but yet by experience we find that it is farre otherwiſe, for hereby they are not ouerturned though they be ſhaken, and this ſhaking maketh them to take more deepe roote in godlineſſe, and though they bee nipped and pinched with feares and doubtings yet they periſh not, only the canker-worme of pride, ſonde preſumption, and ſelfe confidence is mortified and killed; and they hereby are prepared and fitted to bring forth more plentifull fruites of holineſſe and righteouſneſſe, when the ſpring of true comfort commeth, wherein the ſweete ſhowers of Gods holy ſpirit diſtil vponupon them, and the warme ſunſhine of Gods louelove and fauour againe appeareth to them.
The ſire is ſometime ſo couered with aſhes that it ſendeth forth neither light nor heate, and therefore in outward ſenſe and appearance it ſeemeth quite extinguiſhed, but when the aſhes are remooued and more wood added to it, it burſteth out into a great flame, and makes all the ſtanders by to perceiue his heate and light; and ſo the graces of Gods ſpirite are ſometimes ſo couered with the aſhes of our corruptions that there appeareth no ſparke of them nor yet any heate of true comfort, but when our corruptions are remoued with vnfained repentance, and a new ſupplie of grace miniſtred vntounto them by Gods ſpirite, then doth their light appeare vntounto vsus and warme our harts with true cōfort, and not to vsus alone but euen thoſe about vsus ſee our ſhining light and glorifie our heauenly father.
A man hath not alwaies the vſe of his ſenſes, reaſon, and vnderſtanding as in his ſleepe, but becauſe we cannot ſenſibly diſcerne theſe faculties ſhall wee therefore conclude that this man who is a ſleepe is ſenſeleſſe vnreaſonable and without vnderſtanding; it were moſt abſurd; for if wee but expect a while till hee be throughly awakened our argument will appeare manifeſtly falſe: and ſo ſometime the poore chriſtian is ouertaken with the ſleepe of drowſie ſecuritie and is ouerwhelmed for a time with hardneſſe of harte, and dulneſſe of ſpirite, ſo as none of thoſe ſpirituall graces which are in him can ſenſibly be diſcerned by himſelfe or others, but ſhall he or we conclude or beleeue Sathan ſo concluding, that he neuer had them, or now is depriued of them? why it were as abſurd as the other. For when hee is awaked out of his drowſie ſleepe by the voice of the Lorde ſounding in his eares, and by the good motions of his holy ſpirite his faith, louelove, zeale, and all other vertues and graces ſhew themſelues in their fruits and actions, as manifeſtly as in former times.
§. Sect. 3 Seeing then thoſe arguments which are taken from ſenſe and feeling ſo often faile,That we muſt not conclude that we hauehave not faith becauſe we doe not ſenſibly diſcerne it. let vsus not be perſwaded by ſathans tentations to beleeue that we are deſtitute of faith and other ſanctifying graces of Gods holy ſpirit, becauſe at ſometimes we cānot ſenſibly diſcerne them, for though now our ſoules ſeeme ſo ſicke in the ſenſe of ſinne that there appeareth no ſigne of life, yet the Lord wil rayſe vsus vp againe & reſtore vsus to perfect health, though now wee ſee no fruites of faith whileſt wee are nipped with the winter of tentations, yet the Lord will water vsus with his holy ſpirit, & warme our frozen hearts with the liuely beames of his louelove and fauour ſo as we ſhal bring forth aboūdant fruits in due time & ſeaſō; though now there appeare not a ſpark of grace in vsus by reaſō al is couered with the aſhes of our corruptiōs, yet the Lord wil ſurely ad a freſh ſupply & blow vponupon vsus by his holy ſpirit ſo that our light and heate ſhall appeare to our ſelues & others, & though now our ſpirits be oppreſſed with drowſie dulneſſe, yet the Lord in his good time will cauſe vsus to awake by hearing his voice, ſounding in our eares out of his holy word, and will againe quicken and reuiue vsus with his holy ſpirit, ſo as after this ſleepe wee ſhalbe enabled to follow with chearefulneſſe our labours and workes, both which concerne his ſeruice, and thoſe duties alſo which concerne our brethren, onelyonly let vsus not tempt the Lord in preſcribing him a time, but waite his leaſure & he will ſurely helpe vsus.