Defensive Armor Against Four of Satans Most Fiery Darts, Chapter 5
CHAP. V.
What is to be done by Chriſtians, to prevent ſuch Impreſſions. The Firſt Direction, To take heed to our ſelves, as to the prevailings of Melancholly. What means to be uſed in order thereto. Natural to be directed by Phyſicians. The Reaſonableneſs of the uſe of them in this Caſe Moral. Avoiding terrible Objects to our Senſes. Solitude. Employing and diverting our ſelves. Gods Practice with Elijah. Religious Means, Reading the Word, Hearing, Prayer, the Efficacy of theſe Means in order to this end.
I come now to what in this Diſcourſe I did chiefly intend: viz. To ſhew what is to be done in the Caſe of this Temptation; either for the Preventing theſe Impreſſions: Or, Secondly, for the Reſiſting of them, if we find they be come to Temptations. I will diſcourſe a little largely upon the Firſt Head, for as we ſay, Preventing Phyſick is the Beſt Phyſick. It doth at leaſt ſave the Patient a great deal of Pain and Trouble. And what we ſay in another Caſe, Turpius ejicitur quam non admittitur hoſpes. It is not ſo eaſie to caſt an Enemy out, who hath once got poſſeſſion, as to keep him out at firſt from ſuch poſſeſſion; it is true here. And here alſo I ſhall ſpeak to all. It is poſſible but one of many that is fallen under the burden of this Temptation; but there is none of us all, but for ought we know, may come under this Burthen, which others have found too heavy for them to bear. The Queſtion therefore is,
Qu. What a Chriſtian ſhould do, that he may never be under this great affliction; that he may never be tempted to this great Evil of Deſtroying himſelf by his own Hands? A thing which it may be you ſtartle at and are now ready to ſay, as Hazael in another Caſe, Am I a dead Dog, that I ſhould do ſuch things. Yet it may ſo fall out, that as Hazael did, what he profeſſed ſo great an abhorrence of; ſo you may do, or entertain thoughts to do, what now your thoughts ſeem to you at furtheſt diſtance; even as to this horrid Temptation. He that yet ſtandeth, had need take heed leſt he falleth. Nor will I promiſe you to give you ſo perfect Directions, as the Practice of them ſhall give you an infallible Security. It is impoſſible to tell you how far the Wiſdom of God, may, or may not, think fit to try any of you; and in order to it, to let looſe Satan againſt you: Nor how far Luſt and Corruption may prevail in any of you. I ſhall onelyonly adviſe the moſt probable means.
1. In the firſt place, Take heed as to your Bodily Health, with reſpect to Melancholy: Experience telleth us, That few Religious Souls are infeſted with theſe Impreſſions, but ſuch as are cloiſtered in Melancholick Bodies. Melancholy prevailing, darkens our Reaſon, that we are not able to make true Concluſions from Goſpel Principles; and the ſame Experience alſo tells us, That there are few, even Religious Perſons, that fall into great Prevailings of Melancholy, if it abideth long upon them, but they have ſome or more Impreſſions of this Nature, although indeed, in ſome they be weaker, in others they be ſtronger. Some have them more often repeated, others more ſeldom. This therefore is highly to be attended by every good Chriſtian, who dreadeth the thoughts of ſo dark an hour of Temptation as this is. For although (as I told you in the former part of my Diſcourſe) I do believe every Child of God hath the Seed of God ſo far abideing in him, as he ſhall never murther himſelf; yet the prevailings of this Diſtemper may ſo far diſtract him (for ought I know) that he may kill himſelf, as well as one in another Diſtraction, by a Feavour, or the like, which taketh away the uſe of his Reaſon. And this is very ſad and uncomfortable. Beſides, if it ſhould not riſe ſo high, yet the beſt of Chriſtians may have a long trouble and diſquietude given him from ſuch motions and ſolicitations, though finally they do not ſo far prevail againſt him. If you therefore love your Souls, the peace, quiet; and comfort of them; if you would avoid the trouble and diſturbance of theſe Temptations and Impreſſions, Take heed of the prevailings of this Humour. You will ſay to me, What can we do in this Caſe? I anſwer, There are Natural and Moral, or Civil, and Religious Means to be uſed, do not neglect them.
1. The Natural Means are ſuch Medicines or Preſcriptions as Learned Phyſicians (who are doubtleſs Gods Ordinance in this Caſe) ſhall judge fit to direct and preſcribe. I have not without a great deal of trouble ſometimes obſerved the ſtubbornneſs of ſome (in other things) intelligent Chriſtians, as to this particular. O (they will tell you) Phyſicians can do them no good; God muſt cure, God muſt heal them: and who denieth but that, It is God muſt heal them? But it is every whit as rational, to ſay you will eat no Meat, or drink no Drink; it is God that muſt maintain your Souls in life; as to ſay, when you are under greater and more dangerous Bodily Diſtempers, you will take no Phyſick, uſe no Means, becauſe it is God muſt heal you. Becauſe God muſt heal us, muſt he therefore work a Miracle in doing it for us? Or doth not God do it ordinarily by his Concurrence with Natural Means, in which he hath created a Natural Vertue, in order to that End. It is true ſometimes Phyſicians prove of no value in the Caſe; but it is as true that very often God doth concur with, and bleſs Natural Means; and I have often known, that the uſe of Natural Means, in the beginning eſpecially of theſe Diſtempers, where alſo this Temptation hath commenced with this Bodily Diſtemper, hath both removed the Diſtemper and the Temptation alſo. God will not pleaſe always to work certainly and infallibly with Means, that we may know that our Healings are from him.
There are beſides theſe, Moral and Rational Means to be uſed; which though they do not as the other, purge out the peccant humour, yet hinder the Increaſe and Effects of it. Let me name ſome of them:
1. Take heed about imploying your Senſes about terrible Objects; either ſeeing Objects that are apt to affright and terrifie, or hearing Relations or Diſcourſes of that Nature, or Reading Books upon Subjects apt to affright and terrifie. When Men and Women are under this Diſtemper, Objects very ordinarily make very deep Impreſſions upon our Fancy; and as we ought at all times to avoid Objects that may feed our thoughts inclinable to the obedience of other Luſts, ſo under this Diſtemper we are equally concerned to divert our Senſes from any Objects which may feed our Imaginations, with what may cauſe exceſſive and immoderate fears and terrors in us. Upon the ſame reaſon, that perſons who find in their hearts diſpoſitions to Levity and Wantonneſs, and the Luſts of the Fleſh, ought with Job to make a Covenant with their Eyes, that they will not look upon Objects, that may miniſter Fuel to their Luſts: Yea, and with their Ears too, that they will not hear any Diſcourſes of that Tendency: The Melancholick Perſon, being naturally inclined to an exceſs of Fear and Sorrow, ought to make a Covenant with his or her Exteriour Senſes, that they will not fetch in, or receive any Objects that have an aptitude, or fitneſs in them, to increaſe Fears and Exceſſive Sorrow and Sadneſs, &c.
2. Take heed of Solitude, and delighting too much to be alone. It is uſually ſaid that every one who is alone (much alone) proves either a God or a Devil to himſelf. There is nothing of more advantage to a Man or Woman, if they be in health and under no diſturbances of Mind and Spirit, than to be alone: It was wont to be ſaid by a great Roman, That he was never leſs alone, then when he was alone. A Good Chriſtian in clear Circumſtances, is never more with God then when he is alone, nor doth ordinarily ever enjoy more of God. But the caſe is quite contrary if one be under the prevailings of this Diſtemper, He is never more expoſed to Temptations, he is never mote baited by the Devil then when he is alone: Solitude is by no means adviſable in an hour of Temptation: I obſerve, Matth. 4. 1. That when Chriſt was to be tempted by the Devil, he was by the Spirit carried into the Wilderneſs.
3. Divert thy ſelf by Imployment what thou canſt. The great Evils which hazard the Soul under this Diſtemper, ariſe from the too much fixation of the thoughts upon ſome particular terrible Objects. Hence whatſoever is proper to divert the thoughts, that they pore not too much upon ſuch terrible things which are moſt obvious to them, is a very rational mean to be uſed in order, if not to the rooting out of the Cauſe, yet to the preventing the ſad Effects of this Diſtemper. Hence you ſhall obſerve in that Story of Elijah, 1 Kings. 19. That God would neither ſuffer him to be Alone; nor to be out of Imployment; both which he ſeemed to ſeek: v. 4. He goeth a days Journey into the Wilderneſs, and ſitteth under a Juniper Tree; there he beggs of God to take away his Life, and lyes down and ſleepeth; v. 5. God ſends an Angel, which cometh and toucheth him, and bids him, Ariſe and Eat; v. 7. He ſends an Angel the ſecond time, and bids him Ariſe and Eat; and ſends him to Horeb. Still he was in his Melancholick Fit and goeth into a Cave. God, v. 9. comes to him a third time, and ſaith to him, What doeſt thou here Elijah? v. 13. he lingers ſtill, and ſtandeth in the Mouth of the Cave. There cometh a Voice to him again, ſaying, What doeſt thou here Elijah? Methinks God himſelf in that Chapter preſcribes unto perſons under theſe Diſtempers what to do, and to their friends and relations what they ſhould do, as to them and for them, by all means to avoid Solitude and to drive them out from their pleaſing Solititudes; and to imploy them and divert them: God ſends Elijah a Journey, v. 15. to Damaſcus, to anoint Hazael King of Syria; and to anoint Jehu King of Iſrael: Other directions of this Nature I leave to Phyſicians.
3. Laſtly, Religious Means is by no means to be neglected; for as the bleſſing of all Means, by which Remedy is given us for any Diſeaſes, even thoſe which are moſt obvious in their Cauſes, Effects and Cures, depend upon him, whoſe name is, The Lord that healeth us: So more eſpecially as to this, the Cauſes of which are ſo various, the Effects ſo uncertain, and the Cure ſo difficult; that I doubt whether any yet have wrote ſatisfactorily (to more conſiderate perſons) in the Caſe. There ſeems to be much hidden even from the Wiſeſt Naturaliſts; and to be foreign, ſomething Divine; beyond what the Accuteſt Wits and Reaſons have diſcovered. I would therefore have ſuch perſons by no means omit Reading and Hearing the Word of God. Sorrow maketh an heart to ſtoop, (ſaith Solomon) but a good word makes it better. I have heard a Story of a Good Woman under a great Temptation to deſtroy her ſelf, and going about to drown her ſelf, firſt taking her Bible, and caſually opening it, and caſting her Eye on a Text declaring the great Mercy of God to Sinners, ſhe preſently ſaith, to her ſelf, Nay, if it be ſo, I will not drown my ſelf yet.
And if there were nothing (as certainly there is very much) by perſons to be expected upon the Promiſe of God, to perſons performing their Duty, in Reading and Waiting upon God in his Ordinances; yet I know no Reaſon but the thoughts of perſons may be diverted by what they Read and Hear in Sacred and Holy things, as well as other things which have not ſuch a Stamp and Impreſs of God upon them. Prayer is the general way of Application and Addreſs unto God in all Caſes, if we know no due Means, Prayer obtains Wiſdom and Direction from God; if we uſe due Means, Prayer obtaineth a Bleſſing from God upon the uſe of them: If ſomething muſt be done for us beyond the Natural Force and Vertue of Means, Prayer obtaineth that from God. But I ſhall add no more to this firſt Direction, upon which I had not inlarged ſo far, but that I find it ſo hard to perſwade perſons under this Temptation that it is advantaged by this Natural Diſtemper; than which there is nothing more evident upon all Experience, that both this and another Sore Temptation, as to which I ſhall ſpeak ſomething in my following Diſcourſe, are all highly advantaged and promoved by it; and therefore a taking heed to our ſelves in this Caſe, is alſo very neceſſary to prevent them: and I intend when I ſpeak to them, to add little more upon this Argument, but onelyonly refer to what I have ſaid in this Chapter; which hath made me willing once for all to diſcourſe it more largely. Now I proceed.