Defensive Armor Against Four of Satans Most Fiery Darts, Chapter 1
CHAP. I.
The Text Gen. 4. 13. conſidered. The Nature of Deſpair. The Efficient Cauſes in Temptations to Deſpair. Our own Luſts, the Devil. The Devil and our own Luſts working jointly, &c.
OUr Tranſlation Readeth the Text, Gen. 4. 13. My Puniſhment is greater then I can bear. In your larger Bibles you will find in the Margent it is Read, Mine Iniquity is greater then that it may be forgiven. This Pareus thinks the moſt proper Reading, That which favoureth our Tranſlation, is what followeth in the next Words: Behold thou haſt driven me this day from the Face of the Earth, &c. where he complaineth onelyonly of his Puniſhment. Either Reading is what the Original will bear, either of them makes the words the Complaint of Cain after he had kill'd his Brother Abel, and God had come down and doomed him for it; telling him, He was Curſed from the Earth, which had epened her Mouth to receive his Brothers Blood. When he tilled the ground, it ſhould not yield unto him her ſtrength: A Fugitive, and a Vagabond ſhalt thou be in the Earth. To which Cain replyeth either thus: My Puniſhment is greater then I can bear. Or, Mine Iniquity is greater then that it can be forgiven. Whether he complaineth of his Sin or of his Puniſhment? That's the onelyonly Queſtion, nor needs it any Deciſion. Both Readings expreſs the Genius of a Reprobate, who either complaineth of his Puniſhment, but not of his Sin, or if at any time, he complains of Sin, it is deſpairing, and without hope of Mercy: OnelyOnly I cannot agree with Chryſoſtome and others, who Interpret theſe Words into a full Confeſſion of Sin, onelyonly they ſay it was too late (but true Repentance is never too late) I ſhall in my Diſcourſe conſider the Words as you have them in the Margents of your Bibles, deſigning onelyonly to make uſe of them to diſcourſe as to the great Temptation to Deſpair. In my Diſcourſe upon which I ſhall firſt Conſider,
1. The Nature of the Temptation in it ſelf. 2. The Tempters inforcing it. 3. The means ordinarily made uſe of, in the inforcing of it. 4. The moſt probable means to be uſed for getting a victory over it. As to the firſt,
I have already told you, That every Evil Temptation is a Motion or Solicitation of the Soul to Sin, which when it is more Importune and Impetuous, we uſually call a Temptation; but let us more particularly inquire into the Nature of this Sin of Deſperation. Deſpair in the general Notion of it, ſignifieth a caſting away of all hope, as to the obtaining of ſome good which we deſire; and ſo the Object of it may be any good thing of which we are not poſſeſt, but may be the Object of our Deſires or Hope. Thus we may Deſpair of Life, as St. Paul did, 2. Cor. 1. 8. of Health, of Succeſs in Buſineſs, &c. but in the Notion I am now ſpeaking to, it muſt he limited to the greateſt Spiritual Good, ſuch as Pardon of Sin, Living with God in Glory another day; &c. And here again we muſt diſtinguiſh betwixt Fear and Deſpair, for although there be no Deſpair without high degrees of Fear, yet there may be Fears, great degrees of Fear (which may produce ſome Phraſes of Deſpair, or Fits, or Paſſions of it, where yet there is no fixed Deſpair: Deſpair (in the Notion of it to which I am now ſpeaking) Is a Souls total, fixed, permanent, Want and Rejection of all Hope, as to the Pardon of Sins in this Life, or any happy Eſtate in the Life to come. When (as the Apoſtle ſpeaks) there remaineth nothing in the Soul, but a certain dreadful locking for, of Judgment, and fiery Indignation to devour them as the Adverſaries of God, Heb. 10. 27. It is an Hell began in the Soul in this Life: It is often attended with D…ſperate Impreſſions, Blaſphemy againſt God, always with intollerable Horrour and Terrour of Conſcience: But we are not at preſent ſo much Conſidering it, in the Effects and Iſſue of it, as in the Nature and firſt Riſe and Beginning of it. The next thing we have to conſider is, the Efficient Cauſes in this great Temptation.
I have ſhewed you that every Temptation to Sin, is from our own Luſt, the Devil, or the World. The Men of the World have rarely any conſiderable Efficiciency in this Temptation; it is not often we hear them telling us, That we have ſinned beyond hope of Mercy. They rather err on the other hand. The two ordinary Efficient Cauſes in this Temptation, are our own Luſt, and our grand Adverſary the Devil.
1. Our own Luſt, Our depraved hearts are enough under ſome circumſtances, which we may be under, to ſuggeſt to us very unworthy thoughts of God, and highly derogatory to his Honour and Glory. For though in a quiet calm ſtate, our Luſt ſuggeſts ordinarily other things to us, yet all the Luſt that is in our Hearts doth not diſcover it ſelf at the ſame hour: We ſhall find Luſts ſtirring in us in an hour of Proſperity, of which we ſhall hear nothing in an hour of great Tribulation and Adverſity: And ſo on the other ſide, we ſhall find thoſe Luſts ſtirring in us in a time of great Affliction and Adverſity, which we diſeerned little of in the halcyon days of our Proſperity. When Men come to be under great preſſures of Afflictions, then thoſe who in Health could think of nothing but their Senſual Satisfactions or Worldly Buſineſs, begin to be at leiſure to think of Dying, and of the Eternal State of Souls; and tho ordinarily our Luſt enclineth us rather to preſume, and groundleſly to prophecy Good rather than Evil to our ſelves; yet I do not know but under ſome circumſtances, our Hearts, that of themſelves are no better diſpoſed to give God the Glory of his Mercy, then of his Juſtice may (though the Devil ſtand by) ſuggeſt to us black and hard thoughts of God, which may produce Deſperation.
2. But where the Impreſſions are fixed ſtrong, and abiding, and the Soul (though out-reaſoned) refuſeth to be comforted, or to entertain any better thoughts of God, but rather is more ſtubborn and pertinacious; and blaſphemeth God, I ſhould ſuſpect a great praedominance of a Praeternatural Cauſe, and the Soul under the Violence of Satan; for we are naturally inclined to hope well for our ſelves, and to lay hold of every good word that looketh that way.
3. Poſſibly, The Devil may alſo in this Temptation joyn with our own Luſts, and the Temptation may be mixt; from one or both theſe Cauſes are theſe Temptations, and this ſinful Habit is begun and perfected in our Souls.