The Saints Everlasting Rest, Treatise 1 · Chapter 7 · Section 11
§ 11.SECT. XI.
3From Satans Temptations.3. WE shall rest from all the Temptations of Satan, whereby he continually disturbes our peace. VVhat a grief is it to a Christian, though he yield not to the temptation, yet to be still solicited to deny his Lord? That such a thought should be cast into his heart? That he can set about nothing that is good, but Satan is still disswading him from it, distracting him in it, or discouraging him after it? VVhat a torment, as well as temptation is it, to have such horrid motions made to his soul? such Blasphemous Idea's presented to his fantasie? Sometime cruel thoughts of God; sometime under-valuing thoughts of Christ; sometime unbelieving thoughts of Scripture; sometime injurious thoughts of Providence; to be tempted sometime to turn to present things; sometime to play with the baits of sin; sometime to venture on the delights of flesh; and sometime to flat Atheism it self? Especially, when we know the treachery of our own hearts, that they are as Tinder, or Gunpowder, ready to take fire, as soon as one of these sparks shall fall upon them. O, how the poor Christian lives in continual disquietness, to feel these motions? But more, that his heart should be the soyl for this seed, and the too fruitful mother of such an off-spring? And most of all through fear, least they will at last prevail, and these cursed motions should procure his consent. But here is our comfort; as we now stand not by our own strength, and shall not be charged with any of this; so when the day of our deliverance comes, we shall fully Rest from these Temptations: Satan is then bound up; the time of tempting is then done; the time of torment to himself, and his conquered captives, those deluded souls, is then come; and the victorious Saints shall have Triumph for Temptation. Now we do walk among his snares;1 Tim. 3.7. and are in danger to be circumvented with his methods and wiles;2 Tim. 2.26. but then we are quite above his snares, and out of the hearing of his enticing charms. He hath power here to tempt us in the VVilderness;Ephes. 6.11. but he entereth not the Holy City: He may set us on the pinacle of the Temple in the earthly Jerusalem; but the new Jerusalem he may not approach. Perhaps he may bring us to an exceeding high Mountain; but the Mount Sion, and City of the living God he cannot ascend. Or if he should, yet all the Kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, will be but a poor despised bait to the soul, which is possessed of the Kingdom of our Lord, and the Glory of it. No, no; here is no more work for Satan now. Hopes he might have of deceiving poor Creatures on Earth, who lived out of sight, and onelyonly heard and read of a Kingdom, which they never beheld, and had onelyonly Faith to live upon, and were incompassed with flesh, and drawn aside by sense. But when once they see the Glory they read of, and taste the joyes they heard of and possess that Kingdom which they then believed and hoped for, and have laid aside their fleshly sense: its time then for Satan to have done; its in vain to offer a Temptation more. What? draw them from that glory? draw them from the Arms of Jesus Christ? draw them from the sweet praises of God? draw them from the blessed Society of Saints and Angels? draw them from the bosom of the Fathers Love? and that to a place of Torment among the damned, which their eyes behold? why, what charms, what perswasions can do it? to entice them from an unknown Joy, an unknown God, were somewhat hopeful; but now they have both seen and enjoyed, there is no hope. Surely it must be a very strong temptation, that must draw a blessed Saint from that Rest. We shall have no more need to pray,Matth. 6.13. & 26.41. Lead us not into Temptation; nor to watch and pray, that we enter not into Temptation; nor shall we serve the Lord as Paul did, Acts 20.19. in many tears and Temptations; no: but now they who continued with Christ in Temptation, shall by him be appointed to a Kingdom, even as his Father appointed to him; that they may eat and drink at his Table in his Kingdom, Luke 22.28, 29, 30. Blessed therefore are they that endure temptation; for when they are tryed, they shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him, Jam. 1.12.Revel. 3.10. And then they shall be saved from the hour of temptation. Then the malignant Planet Saturn shall be below us, and loose all its influence, which now is above exercising its enmity: and Satan must be suffering, who would have drawn us into suffering. As Bucholtzer wittily, Vbi Saturnus non supra nos sed infra nos conspicietur, luens poenas pro sua in nos soevitia & malitia.