Defensive Armor Against Four of Satans Most Fiery Darts, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
Chriſtians under theſe Temptations, adviſed, To fix upon this, That they are not the Souls guilt. Luther's Advice in the Caſe. 2. To poſſeſs it ſelf with true Notions of God from Scripture, avoiding the taking ſuch Notions from Senſe or Reaſon. Three advantages from that. This one, 3. Not to forbear Reading, and Hearing the Word. 4. Avoiding the Company of Blaſphemers and Atheiſts, or reading their Books. 5. To take all lawful Diverſions. 6. To be much in the company of good Chriſtians. 7. To give ſuch Thoughts no entertainment. 8. To be much in Faſting and Prayer.
HEre are two things: 1. What may be done for Prevention. 2. What for a preſent Support and Relief; but they may both be ſpoken to with the ſame breath: for the ſame Directions, which are proper for the prevention of them, when remote from us, will alſo be found uſeful for the Support and Conſolation of a Chriſtian groaning under the burthen of them.
1. The firſt thing to be done, is for to perſwade the Soul, or for the Soul to prepoſſeſs or perſwade it ſelf, That theſe impreſſions lay it under no guilt before God, and do not render it unlovely in the ſight of God. Luther was an eminent Servant of God, much himſelf exerciſed with temptations and much converſing with thoſe who were ſo exerciſed; It is ſaid of him that he was wont to ſay, That the three things which made a Divine, were Temptation, Meditation and Prayer. In his Commentary upon Pſal. 90. he takes ſpecial notice of this Tenptation to Atheiſtical and Blaſphemous Thoughts, I cannot direct you better than in the words of that great Man of God.
It often hapeneth (Luth. c. 4. p. 4. 34. Jen. in Pſal. 90. 1.) ſaith he, and I have ſeen it in many, that when they have diſcerned themſelves exerciſed with theſe thoughts, they have been as men without life: There is therefore a neceſſity they ſhould be governed; and the True Government of them is this, Ut ſtatuas te non ideo eſſe a Deo abjectum quod iſta ſentis, for you to determine that you are not rejected of God becauſe of them; for altho there be ſome cauſe of them in us, and they are the fruits of Original Sin, yet they are much promoted and augmented by the Tempter the Devil. For it often happeneth that the Soul ſincerely and paſſionately deſires to be delivered from them, but it cannot: there, ſaith he, this advice is to be followed, That the Soul do not, becauſe of them, deſpair. 2. That it oppoſe ſuch thoughts what it can poſſibly, and not approve, nor indulge them—For, ſaith he, theſe thoughts are not therefore ſent, for you to judge your ſelf from them; but that you may oppoſe and withſtand them.—When (ſaith he) the Devil hath Tempted us with theſe Blaſphemous Thoughts, he goes on—See, ſaith he, what an Heart you have, Are you not now a grievous Sinner? This the Soul cannot deny. He groweth upon this, God is therefore, ſaith he, very angry with thee: How can God but be angry with ſuch a Blaſphemer? Here, ſaith he, do but yield a little, and he ſinketh you, and I have known many thus undone.—You muſt therefore govern theſe Thoughts, you muſt oppoſe the Adverſary, and fix your ſelf upon this, That God is not diſpleaſed with you for theſe Impreſſions and Thoughts, if you do not entertain and indulge them. Thus far that great man. And indeed this is the firſt and great thing to be learned by the Soul. The Sin of Atheiſm and Blaſphemy will in an Hour of Temptation (eſpecially) appear ſo great, ſo hainous unto the Soul, that unleſs you can deliver ſuch a Soul from the apprehenſions of ſuch a guilt, all that you can ſay to it will be of little avail. Miniſters and private Chriſtians dealing and treating with Souls in theſe paroxyſmes, ought to lay the great Streſs here, and to make this the Alpha and Omega of their Diſcourſes. What may be ſaid to evince this to the Soul I have largely ſhewed you in the former Chapter: Let the thus troubled Soul meditate of thoſe things, and let Experienced Miniſters and Chriſtians add what they can of that nature, and lay the great Streſs here, and they will find all little enough to induce a Soul thus circumſtanced to be thus perſwaded; and on the other ſide, if this be done, the Cure is wrought, the Soul will then quickly underſtand that Faith and Patience are its work: The more wee can ſhew the Soul of the Devil in the Impreſſion, the more it will be frighted from hearkening to, or complying with him, and the more Valiant will the Chriſtian be in this Spiritual Combate: Mind therefore Chriſtians under theſe circumſtances, that Chriſt himſelf was not without ſuch kind of Sinful Impreſſions, yet without Sin: That our firſt Parents in Innocency had them: That it is contrary to what our Saviour hath Taught us to think, that any thing, That is from without, and entereth into a Man, defileth a Man; That there is no Law prohibits them. That there being nothing of our own will in them, it is Impoſſible they ſhould be our guilt, &c. But theſe things I have further opened, and enlarged upon in the former Chapter.
Secondly, Indeavour to poſſeſs your ſelves with the trueſt apprehenſions of God you can. This is good before the hour of Temptation, it will prepare you for the Spiritual Combate; and if you have neglected this before, yet do not neglect it in the hour of Temptation. Here I ſhall onelyonly give you this caution, Take heed of taking your Notions of God from Senſe, or meerly from Reaſon. 1. Not from Senſe, Spiritual Beings fall under no cogniſance of the External Senſes. None ever ſaw Gods Shape, none ever ſaw his Similitude; and here let me caution you, againſt any Pictures of God, or any Perſon in the God-head. We are ready in our minds to form Idea's in our minds of any Beings according to the repreſentations, which Pictures and Images make of them. It is Impoſſible but all Pictures, Images, or External repreſentations, of the Divine Being, muſt be Teachers of Lyes. It is impoſſible that a Limner ſhould draw the true repreſentation of a man whom he never ſaw. How is it poſſible he ſhould draw any repreſentation of an Inviſible God, a Being which he neither ever ſaw nor can ſee? The faireſt pretence is for the Picture of our Saviour, who aſſumed our nature, and was a man in all things. But all thoſe Pictures muſt be Teachers of lies too: For Chriſt was God-Man, and the repreſentation of a Man is no repreſentation of the Perſon of the Mediatour. Doth any ſay that upon the ſame Argument there ſhould be no Pictures drawn, for a Picture doth but repreſent our Fleſhly Part, the Soul cannot be expreſſed. I anſwer there yet are theſe differences: 1. The Picture of our friend is the repreſentation of a being that we know is or was informed with a reaſonable Soul, ſo as the other eſſential part of the man, is on courſe underſtood; but it is not ſo as to Chriſt. Tho the Picture of an humane Shape hath this advantage, that we may underſtand under it a reaſonable Soul, of which every man is poſſeſſed, yet we cannot under any ſuch Shape underſtand the Divine Nature perſonally united to the Humane Nature. 2. Again, Even the Picture of a man, if it hath no ſimilitude of the man, is but a Teacher of a lie, and doth but help our thoughts with falſe notions and conceptions. And what Limner ever ſaw the Lord in his Humane Shape, to draw a repreſentation of him? What need any Pictures of Chriſt, when every man we ſee, is as true a repreſentation of him, as any Limner can make, who never ſaw him in the fleſh, nor a true Copy to draw him by. I am apt to believe that this was one Reaſon of Gods ſo ſevere prohibition of Images and the Likeneſs of any thing to repreſent God; becauſe he knew that thoſe things would be of this pernicious uſe, to give us falſe notions and Idea's of God: for you ſhall obſerve when you have ſeen the pretended Picture, or reſemblance of a Man, you will fancy him according to that Repreſentation, whether the Picture be any thing like the Perſon for whom it is made, yea or no. 3. To which I might add, That admitting a Picture of a Man, or a Friend, be not like the Perſon, and give our Fancies a falſe Notion of him, yet in this there is no Sin, no Defilement, no Guilt upon the Soul by it; but to Conceive amiſs of God is a thing quite of another Nature and of further danger to the Soul. This hath made me ſometimes wonder, that Luther, tho he abhorred Images, and ſhewed as great a deteſtation of them as any other, as they are uſed in Popery, as they are means or objects of Adoration; yet allowed the uſe and ſtanding of them in Churches. Certainly it is a thing of very dangerous conſequence, whether in Churches or our own private Houſes; for we ſhall find a great proneneſs in us to form out Notions of God according to ſuch repreſentations; and if thoſe repreſentations be lies, and falſe, ſuch will our Notions be: and if this be not a fair way to fill the Soul with Atheiſtical and Blaſphemous Thoughts concerning God and Chriſt, I do not know what is.
2. Secondly, Take heed of taking your Notions of God from Reaſon. Reaſon is a power within us, by which we make Concluſions from ſome Principles. Now theſe Principles are either Connatural to us, and bred in, and with us; or ſuch as we have from Revelation. Reaſon working upon Connate Natural Principles, will much convince us, that there is a God, and ſhew us alſo ſomething what manner of Being God muſt be. Nature will tell us that nothing is the cauſe of it ſelf, and will lead us to a Primum Mobile, a firſt Being, a firſt Cauſe, a firſt Mover; and will teach us, That whoſoever is the Cauſe of any Excellency or Perfection in another by his Communication of it, if he loſeth nothing by that Communication, muſt needs have that Perfection and Excellency in a more Eminent Degree in himſelf. But alas the Divine Being is Infinitely above the Fathom and Comprehenſion of Humane Reaſon, concluding only from Connate and Natural Principles. There is an Excellent uſe of Reaſon to give us the true Notion of God: That is by ſetting it on Work, to conclude from Principles of Revelation; Firſt firmly Believing whatever is revealed in Holy Writ, then uſing our Reaſon both to compare Scripture with Scripture, to find out the true Revelation, the true ſenſe and meaning of Holy Writ; and to ſhew us that what the Scripture revealeth concerning God, is but what Reaſon will allow may be.
3. But the Sureſt Way for Perſons to come to a true Notion of God, is to attend to what the Scripture ſaith, to Believe concerning God, whatſoever we find there. No man hath ſeen God at any time, no Reaſon is able to Comprehend an Infinite Being, and the Perfections of it, but the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit of God. They have Revealed God, and thence we muſt take thoſe Meaſures of the Knowledg of God, which we are capable of, till we come to ſee him as he is, and to know him as we are known. Let it be therefore the Care of every Chriſtian from thoſe Sacred Writings to poſeſs himſelf of due Notions and juſt Apprehenſions of the Divine Being. A Chriſtian ſhall find theſe three Eminent Advantages of this Knowledge according to the Meaſure we are Capable of.
1. There is no ſuch Director of our Internal and External Homage to God, as a juſt Notion of the Divine Being. According to our Apprehenſions of his Majeſty, Power, Greatneſs, and Juſtice, ſo ſhall we Adore, Revere, and Fear him: According to our Apprehenſions of his Goodneſs and Mercy, ſo we ſhall Love him, Breath after him, and Delight in him. According to our Apprehenſions of his Truth and Fidelity, ſo ſhall we Confide, and Truſt in him. If we truly Apprehend him as a Spirit, we ſhall Conclude he muſt be Worſhipped with our Spirits, and that all Noiſes and Exteriour pretended Homages (if not expreſly commanded by him) are indeed no Homage to him, but ſome fooliſh Acts of Voluntary Humility, and that all Lip Labour, all Bodily Homage, ſeperated from the Internal Homage, Attention, and Intention of the Soul, and its Stooping before him, are of no avail; being no preportionable Homage to a Spiritual Being in the Eye of Reaſon, nor required by him at all.
2. Secondly, There is no ſuch Antidote as this againſt the P…ſ… of Erroneous Doctrines and Opinions. We have abroad many Erroneous Doctrines relating to the great Truths of God, if they be ſearched to the bottom, you will find them ſpringing up out of a falſe Apprehenſion and Conception of the Nature of God. It were eaſie to ſhew you how a due Knowledg and Conception of God, will fortify the Soul againſt many Errors. But,
3. Laſtly, There is no ſuch Weapon to repel theſe Fiery Darts, of which I am ſpeaking. A Soul is not ſoon diſpoſſeſt of ſuch Notions of God, as it is once well rooted in; and eſpecially when it is rooted in them upon the Authority, the Infallible Authority of a Divine Revelation. It is good therefore for Chriſtians, before any ſuch Temptations come upon them, to be well Inſtructed concerning the Nature and Attributes of God, and to entertain no Notions but ſuch as ſhall be confirmed unto him from Scriptures; nor is any thing of more Advantage to a Soul in an hour of ſuch great Temptations, than to Read, and have Read to him, Diſcourſes of this nature; ſuch eſpecialy as are moſt Scriptural, and indeavour to Eſtabliſh the Faith of Chriſtians, not in or by the wiſdom of men, but the Power of God. Let this be a Second Direction.
3. Thirdly, Let no Soul under theſe Temptations, forbear Reading the Scriptures and waiting upon God in the hearing of his Word. I have often obſerved and lamented the great Conqueſt which the Devil ordinarily getteth over Souls under this as well as other great Temptations, in perſwading them to forbear Reading and Hearing the Word of God. Luther tells us, That it is the Devils great Art,—Ut nos abducat ab oratione et verbo ut ſic nudos aggrediatur ac vincat. To draw us off from the Word, that ſo he may ſet upon us diſarmed, and make a Conqueſt of us. The Word of God is the Sword of the Spirit, if the Devil can get us off from that, he hath taken our Sword from us; the Preaching of the Word (I mean when it is Preached plainly and faithfully, that Chriſtians do not meerly hear foreign, the Words of Men puffed up with the Idle Conceits of their own Rhethorick or Logick) is Gods great Ordinance, with which he concurreth, and where he is preſent. And this I have obſerved in Experience, when any Chriſtians under theſe violences, have been perſwaded to go out and to hear the Word, they have ordinarily found thoſe their freeſt Hours; tho it may be the Temptation hath afterwards returned: I know Chriſtians under theſe Circumſtances find a great ſtrife with themſelves, and go out with ſome difficulty to hear Sermons; but I never but knew a good effect of their going, either for a ſhorter, or a more laſting Relief.
4. Fourthly, Let Chriſtians under theſe Circumſtances, and not then onelyonly, but at all times, avoid any communion or converſe with Atheiſtical and Blaſphemous Perſons, or Reading or looking upon any Atheiſtical and Blaſphemous Books. Thoughts you know engender in us by Reflexion upon what we ſee or hear, or elſe they are bred by the workings of our own Minds, without ſuch Aids and Aſſiſtances. Oh beware of theſe things as the Bane and Poyſon of thy Soul; do what thou canſt, thy Mind will be revolving, thy Thoughts will be roling upon what thou haſt ſeen, read, or heard. Avoid therefore Atheiſtical Perſons, Blaſphemous Company. What knoweſt thou how farr God will leave thee, when thou haſt run thy ſelf into a Temptation.
5. Fifthly, If any ſuch Thoughts ariſe in thy Heart, give them no entertainment. Chide them down, turn thy mind to ſome other Objects, do not give them place for an hour, no if it be poſſible not for a moment; theſe Cockatrices are beſt cruſh'd in the Egg. Allow no parly with no ſtudy or deliberation upon, or with a Thought derogatory to the Majeſty on high, to the Honour and Glory of the great God.
6. Sixthly, If thou beeſt already under the preſſure of theſe Thoughts, give thy ſelf all lawful Diverſion thou canſt. There is a Religious Diverſion, by Reading, Hearing, Prayer, which beſides the Diverſion that is in them, are thy Duties, Ordinances of God; but there are alſo Civil Diverſions of Worldly Buſineſs, Moderate Recreations. Some of the former I have already adviſed, and ſhall by and by ſpeak ſomething to the other: But allow thy ſelf alſo theſe other Diverſions, better it is for thee to be doing any thing that is lawful, than ſitting ſtill and doing nothing but afflicting and tormenting thy ſelf, and yielding up thy ſelf entirely to the Conduct and Governance, and Suggeſtions of thy grand Adverſary.
7. Seventhly, Be much in the company of Faithful Miniſters and Good Chriſtians, ſuch eſpecially as are knowing and experienced; as the Lips of Wicked Men talk of Miſchief; Pro. 24. 2. and as the Preacher ſaith, Swallow up themſelves and others alſo, ſo the Lips of Knowledge are a precious Jewel; Pro. 20. 15. they diſperſe Knowledge; Prov. 15. 7. They feed many; Prov. 10. 21. Yea and they Heal many. It is a Saying of Luther (in the aforementioned place, Ingens eſt pondus in verbo fratris quod tempore periculi ex Scripturâ pronuntiatur: There is a great Weight even in a private Chriſtians Words pronounced from Scripture. The healing is in the Divine Word, let it come to thee through what Vehicle it will; ſometimes it pleaſeth God, that it ſhould come out of the Word as running through the Miniſters Lips. He is Gods Ordinance. Sometimes, as running out of the private Chriſtians Lips: Private Chriſtians, are alſo a more private Ordinance of God, for the Admonition of thoſe that are running into danger, the reſtoring of ſuch as are fallen, the comforting of thoſe that are ſad, and the ſtrengthening of thoſe that are weak.
8. Laſtly, Let all ſuch as are under this Temptation be much in Faſting and Prayer. Prayer is an Univerſal Remedy for all Evils: Our Saviour hath told us there is a kind of Divils, that goeth not out but by Faſting and Prayer; and becauſe for the moſt part Chriſtians under theſe Circumſtances are not ſo fit for Solemn Prayers as others are, let them here call in the help of Miniſters and good Chriſtians, whom they may reaſonably think have an Intereſt in, and a Power with God, and ſhall prevail; who can take hold of the Lords Strength, and ask him with Succeſs concerning the Works of his Hands; and will not let the Lord go until he bleſſeth them. The hand of Joab, the hand of the Devil is in this thing, and the ſtrong man keepeth the houſe until a ſtronger than he cometh; and the Devil hath no Superiour but the Almighty. In this Caſe therefore all Friends of ſuch Perſons are highly concerned to get Prayers for them, Solemn Prayers; for the Affliction is exceeding heavy, none more inaccountable, none more intollerable: My ſelf have known it as to two iſſues, in the deſtroying of themſelves, not able to ſtand under the burthen of it; tho as to ſeveral I have known it have a better Iſſue. I onelyonly tell you this, to mind you to be more careful, more concerned, and to neglect no Natural, Moral, or Spiritual Means.
I muſt Confeſs the Regular Method of Curing Spiritual, as well as Natural Diſtempers, is by removing the Cauſe; but as in ſome Natural Diſtempers it is not eaſie to find out the true Cauſe, which makes the Cure difficult, ſo neither is it eaſie to find out the true cauſe here: Melancholy is one Cauſe of ſeveral Diſtempers of the Soul, diſpoſing a perſon to more Thoughtfulneſs and Seriouſneſs, to more Fears and Jealouſies, &c. and Direful and Black Thoughts concerning our ſelves; whence it is not hard to conceive how Perſons in whom that prevaileth to a great Exceſs (if before they have ever minded their Souls and their Eternal Intereſt) ſhould by it be diſpoſed to Exceſſive Fears and Deſperate Thoughts, as to their Eternal State, but it is hard to underſtand, how the prevalence of that or any other peccant Bodily Humour ſhould diſpoſe Perſons to Atheiſtical, or Blaſphemous Thoughts of, or againſt God; further then that it may run Perſons into a Deliration: ſo as beeing broke looſe from the Conduct and Government of Reaſon, they ſhall think and talk any thing. Nor were it difficult to give ſome account of this Temptation, if we could find that ſuch alone fell under it, as formerly were Perſons of Atheiſtical Principles or Lives. God as to ſuch might be reaſonably thought to give them up to a Reprobate Mind, and Underſtanding: but we upon Experience find, that they are very often the grievences of Pious and Devout Souls, who have lived a life in a daily Dread and Holy Reverence of God; and as to ſuch, what Account further to give of them, then, That they are heavy Trials, with which it pleaſeth the Wiſe God ſometimes to Exerciſe his Deareſt People, I cannot tell.
FINIS.