Defensive Armor Against Four of Satans Most Fiery Darts, Chapter 3
CHAP. III.
Means to prevent Deſpair. Clear and diſtinct Knowledge. Taking heed of inveterate Sinnings. Prodigious Sinnings. All Sinnings againſt Light. Such Sins eſpecially, as come neareſt the unpardonable Sin.
YOu have heard the Nature of this Temptation, you have alſo heard from whence Temptations of this nature come, what ſeeming good enticeth the Soul to liſten to them, and alſo what Arguments the Tempters have alone to uſe to inforce them. Let me now come to ſhew you what is to be done by Chriſtians in order to the repelling and reſiſting of them. And becauſe, as I told you in my Diſcourſe referring to the former; Prevention is the beſt way, let me firſt adviſe what is proper to all of us, upon whom this hour of Temptation is not come, that we may never fall into this ſnare of the Devil.
1. And here let me firſt commend to you all, a ſound and diſtinct Knowledge of the Truths of God. The Devil in an hour of Temptation, hath a great advantage upon an ignorant Perſon, above what he hath upon a knowing Chriſtian. Solomon tells us true, That a Soul ſhould be without Knowledge is not good. He that hath a ſound and diſtinct Knowledge of the Nature of God, the Doctrine of Faith, the Covenant of Grace, and the Promiſes of the Word of God, ſeldom falls into, or lieth long under this Temptation. How eaſie a thing it is for the Devil to fright ignorant Souls, with telling them, They are not Elected, that Chriſt did not die for them, that their Sins are too many or too great, or have been too long continued in to be pardoned; or that they have not truly repented or believed, or that they have ſinned the unpardonable Sin; or an hundred ſuch things. O do not ſlight Knowledge, no not a notional Knowledge of the things of God. You are not able to prophecy of what uſe it will be to your Souls in an hour of Temptation. A knowing Chriſtian may be tempted, and it may be ſome time before he can get his Hand upon the Sword of the Spirit (which is the Word of God) to draw it out for his purpoſe; but if he hath it by his ſide, if he be mighty in the Scriptures, he will have no long work with an Enemy of this kind. I pity ſuch as cannot read, or if they can, yet have loſt their time, and not improved it to learn the Scriptures, be acquainted with Catechiſms, which ſhould ground them in the Doctrine of Faith. Thou that deſpiſeſt Knowledge, neglecteſt, yea, deſpiſeſt thy own Soul, and all its Peace and Comfort, and ſeemeſt to preſume upon a Miracle, to be ſhewed for thee in an hour of Temptation.
2. Secondly, Take heed of going on in a courſe of Sinning, eſpecially againſt thy Light and Checks of Conſcience. Inveterate Sinning, and prodigious Sinnings, and Sinnings againſt Light, and Checks of Conſcience, and particularly ſome Sins, and ſuch eſpecially as come neareſt to the Sin unto Death, give the Devil very high and great advantages, as to this Temptation.
1. I ſay firſt, Inveterate Sinning. When Sin hath grown up with a Man from his youth, he hath lived and walked, and wallowed in it many years, it makes the Devil a great Market. We find it hard to believe that God, who can have from us but the homage of a few days or hours, will forgive us the Sins of ſo many years. It is rare that old Sinners are brought to Repentance and Converted, you ſhall moſt generally obſerve, that if God changeth a Man or Womans Heart, it is either in their Youth, or middle Age, ſeldom in Child-hood, and ſeldom in Old Age; and if in Old Age, they are ordinarily infeſted with great Temptations. Take heed of Sin growing Old in thy Soul: An old habit is hardly put off. How can you that are accuſtomed to do Evil, do Well? An old Ulcer is hardly Cured; beware of growing Old in any Sin.
Secondly, Take heed of any kind of prodigious Sinning. There are degrees in Sin, all Sin is not of the ſame dy or magnitude. There are ſome Sins that more waſte Conſcience than others; now obſerve this, The greater Violence is done to our Conſcience by any Sins, the more Advantage the Devil hath from the guilt of them to raiſe a Temptation to Deſpair. For although it is as eaſie with God to Pardon the greateſt Sins as the ſmalleſt, yet we ſhall not find it ſo eaſie to believe that God will forgive the greateſt Sins as the ſmalleſt, and ſo the Devil hath the greater advantage from the Reflection upon them, to run us out of a Hope of the Divine Mercy. Fear all Sin, but above all take heed of notorious Acts of Impiety againſt God, or Unrighteouſneſs toward Men.
3. Thirdly, Take heed of all Sinning againſt Light; indeed againſt any Light, whether it be that of Nature or Revelation. Take heed of Sinning againſt thoſe common Notions of Piety and Righteouſneſs, which are Planted in all by Nature; againſt the Common Illuminations of the Holy Spirit, by the Preaching of the Word of God; againſt the Admonitions of Parents or Governours, againſt the reflex Light of your own Conſcience. Sins againſt the direct or reflex Light of Conſcience, do often Cauſe a very great Darkneſs, which is felt in the Soul; for though in the heat and madneſs of our Paſnons in our Youth, we ſometimes run down Conſcience, and it keepeth ſilence a while; yet it often recoileth, and reproveth the Senſe, and ſetteth its Sins in order before it; and ſhews them to it, to a very great diſadvantage, and theſe are a kind of Sins which the Tempter often hangs much upon, in order to promove Deſpair, and putting the Soul out of Hope of Mercy.
4. Particularly take heed of ſuch Sinnings as border neareſt upon the Sin unto Death; you know that Chriſt hath told us, That all Sin and Blaſphemy, ſhall be forgiven, onelyonly the Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt ſhall never be forgiven: And the Apoſtle hath told us; That there is a Sin unto Death, for which he did not direct the Chriſtians to Pray, that it might be forgiven their Brethren. Now Divines have much exerciſed themſelves in the finding out what this Unpardonable Sin is, nor is it to this day well determined, nor ſhall I undertake to determine what it is, or whether it be any ſingle Sin yea or no. We find in experience, that the Tempter often maketh uſe of this Suggeſtion to drive a Soul to Deſpair, telling it, that it hath ſinned this Sin, and therefore there is no hope for it: The vanity of which appears from the Souls thus tempted, uſual Ignorance: What the Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt is (as to which indeed the moſt Judicious Divines have been much at lo…s to determine) or what comes neareſt to it, upon the Light we have from Scripture to help us to make a determination of it; but though we cannot punctually determine in the Caſe, and it be much more eaſie to determine what it is not, then what it is; yet we have Light enough from Scripture, to ſhew us what ſinning comes neareſt to it, and it is ill treading upon the brink of ſuch a Pit. That Text, Heb. 6. v. 4, 5, 6. inſtructeth us thus far. That it muſt be the Sin of an Enlightened Soul, one upon whom the Light of the Goſpel hath Shined, and who hath taſted ſomething of the Heavenly Gift, and been in ſome Meaſure made Partaker of the Holy Ghoſt, and Taſted the good Word of God, and the Powers of the World to come, and after this falleth away. From whence theſe things follow, That Heathens who never heard of God nor Chriſt, cannot be Guilty of this Sin, no nor titular Chriſtians, who never made any profeſſion of Religion or Godlineſs, nor had any degrees of Godlineſs: They muſt be ſuch as have been Enlightened, Taſted of the good Word, the Heavenly Gift, and the Powers of the World to come, and after this ſhall fall away: Yet it is plain, that all ſinning againſt Goſpel Light and Spiritual Illumination, all degrees of falling away from the profeſſion of this Truth, is not this Sin. The Apoſtle Heb. 10. 26. and 29. v. ſeemeth as to this Sin, to inſtruct us further; for he is there ſpeaking of ſome, for whom there remaineth no more Sacrifice for Sin, but a certain fearful looking for of Judgment and fiery Indignation, which ſhall devour the Adverſaries: Now who are theſe? v. 26. Such as Sin wilfully, after they have received the Knowledge of the Truth, v. 29. Such as tread under foot the Son of God, and count the Blood of the Covenant, wherewith he was Sanctified, an unholy thing, and do deſpite to the Spirit of Grace. And this alſo agreeth with that Phraſe, Heb. 6. v. 6. Where the Apoſtle giving a Reaſon why they cannot be renewed by Repentance, aſſigneth this, Seeing they Crucifie to themſelves the Son of God afreſh, and put him to open ſhame; ſo that it ſhould ſeem that to make up this Sin, to Apoſtacy after Illumination, or at leaſt having received ſufficient Means of Illumiation and making ſome Profeſſion, there muſt be added, ſome eminent Affront done to, or Abuſe of the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and the Spirit of Grace, either by Word or Deed; and therefore our Saviour calleth it Blaſphemy againſt the Holy Ghoſt: Conſonant to this is what the Goſpel tells us of this Sin, you have the firſt mention of it, Matth. 12. 31. If you look into v. 24. you ſhall find, That Chriſt having healed one that was poſſeſſed with the Devil, who was both Blind and Dumb, and People upon that recognizing him as the true Meſſias; ſaying, v. 23. Is not this the Son of David? the Phariſes ſaid, This Fellow doth caſt out Devils, by Beelzebub the Prince of Devils. Chriſt confuteth them, and vindicateth himſelf by this Argument, eaſily to be diſerned and made up from v. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. I either caſt out Devils (as you ſay) by the Prince of Devils, or by the Power of God. I will make it out that I do it not by the Prince of Devils, 1. For this were a Ruin to Satans Kingdom; if one Devil could be employed or would be employed in caſting out another, the Devils Kingdome would be quickly at an end, it could not ſtand. 2. Again (ſaith he) not I onelyonly, but your Children in my name caſt them out (for there were ſome Exorciſts amongſt the Jews, who were the Children (that is the Diſciples of the Phariſes) who though they followed not Chriſt, yet uſed his Name to caſt out Devils; as you ſhall find, Mar. 9. 38. where John telleth Chriſt, Maſter, we ſaw one caſting out Devils in thy Name, and he followeth not us, and we forbade him, becauſe he followeth not us; and as you ſhall read, v. 39. Chriſt allowed it, the like you find, Luk. 9. 48, 49. So did the Sons of Sceva, Acts 19. 12. Now the Jews did not accuſe thoſe of acting by the Devil, but from the Power of God; from hence he concludeth, That he did not caſt out Devils, as they malitiouſly charged him, by the help of the Devil, and that they were themſelves otherwiſe convinced in their own Conſciences; therefore he did it by the Spirit of God, and by that they could not but know that the Kingdom of God was come amongſt them; and ſo they ſpake Evil of God, and the Spirit of God, and that out of Malice, contrary to the Conviction of their own Conſciences: Now ſaith he, Take heed what you do, this is a kind of Sin which God will never forgive, though all other Sin and Blaſphemy ſhall be forgiven; yet for you knowing that what I do I do as God, and by the Power and Spirit of God, to Perſecute me, and to Repraoch me, and that you may the better do it to aſcribe that to the Devil, which is, the Work of God done by me; this is a Sin which ſhall never be forgiven: So that according to our Saviours Words, this ſeemeth to be the Sin, That the Phariſes knowing well enough that Chriſt was God, Eternal God, and having ſufficient means to convince them of it, and that from his Caſting out of Devils, and ſeveral other Miraculous Operations which it was in the Power of God onelyonly to do: Notwithſtanding yea againſt this Conviction, Maliciouſly Perſecuted the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, and denied theſe mighty Operations to be from the Spirit of God, but ſaid they were from Beelzebub the Maſter Devil. From hence will appear, though not diſtinctly, what the Specifical Sin againſt the Holy Ghoſt is, yea what Sins border upon it and come neareſt to it.
1. All Sinning againſt Light and Convictions.
2. Apoſtacy from a former Profeſſion and owning of the Goſpel, and the Holy Ways of God.
3. A Malicious Purſuing and Perſecuting of ſuch as our Conſciences tells us are Righteous Perſons.
4. An Aſcribing to the Devil what we are Convinced of to be the Works of God, and ſo reproaching the Operations of the Spirit of God, whatſoever the Blaſphemy againſt the Holy Ghoſt be. Theſe things or the moſt of them, muſt be ingredients into it; and truly if Perſons have been enlightened with the Knowledge of the Truths and Ways of God, and have made ſome Profeſſion of them, and have had ſome Savour of them, if they fall away from that Profeſſion, and that to ſuch a degree, as not onelyonly to diſown what themſelves formerly owned, but to hate thoſe Truths and Ways of God, and to Perſecute ſuch as ſtill Profeſs them, and adhere to them, and charge thoſe Impreſſions and Operations which are from the Holy Spirit of God, to be from the Devil; ſo Blaſpheming the Holy Spirit of God; if there be ſuch an unpardonable Sin to be commited, ſurely theſe are under the guilt of it; nor can I ſee any thing can poſſibly free them from the dreadful Conſequence of it, but a timely Repentance; remembring their firſt profeſſed Love, and turning unto God; which whoſoever can do, or ſhall obtain Grace from God to do, undoubtedly hath not ſinned beyond Pardon; for he that confeſſeth his Sins and forſaketh them, ſhall have Mercy: But (as I ſaid before) theſe Sins comes neareſt this Guilt, and where any Soul hath been, or ſhall be in this kind, and to this degree guilty; the Devil hath a very fair Advantage againſt him, to move him to Deſpair, upon a Suggeſtion that he hath committed that Sin, which according to the Revealed Will of God in Holy Writ, ſhall never be forgiven; nor will he find any way to get out of this Snare, nor any thing to anſwer the Tempter, preſſing hard upon him with a Temptation of this Nature, until he can ſay, I have indeed done this, but God hath given me an Heart to Repent of it, to remember from whence I fell, and to do my firſt Works; and he will find it as hard for him to recover any juſt hopes of Pardon, and Eternal Life and Salvation, as he will find it to be renewed by Repentance; if the latter be found impoſſible to a Soul under theſe Circumſtances, ſo will the former alſo be found. O therefore to prevent Temptations of this nature, take heed of all ſinning of any continuance, and going on in a courſe of Sin, eſpecially of any ſinnings againſt Light and Convictions, or againſt former Profeſſions; and eſpecially of any Malice and Hatred to the ways of God, which you either have formerly owned and acknowledged, or which your Conſciences tell you are the right ways of the Lord.
3. Thirdly, Let me again commend to you an Acquaintance, a through Acquaintance with the Covenant of Grace, and the Diſpenſation of Salvation revealed to us in the Goſpel. The Deſpairing Soul hath ordinarily a Legal Spirit, and ſticks in the Covenant of Works. Remember that we are not under the Law b…t under Grace; in ſome ſenſe, not onelyonly true Believers, but even the whole World, or at leaſt that part of it, to which the glad Tidings of Salvation, through the Goſpel, is publiſhed, is not under the Law but under Grace, not under a Legal Diſpenſation, So as none can be ſaved without a perſonal perfect Obedience to the Law of God; but under a gracious Diſpenſation, wherein (as the Apoſtle ſaith, Rom. 1. 17. The Righteouſneſs of God is revealed from Faith to Faith, that is, wherein it is revealed; that the Righteouſneſs wherein a Man muſt ſtand, Juſt and Righteous before God, is not his own Righteouſneſs made up of his Obedience to the Commandements contained in the Divine Law, but the perfect Righteouſneſs of Chriſt, by God reckoned unto every Soul that repenteth and believeth in the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who walketh not after the Fleſh but after the Spirit, minding and ſavouring the things of the Spirit; which Righteouſneſs of Chriſt is reckoned to the Soul as ſoon as it comes to own, receive, and lay hold upon Chriſt in the Goſpel, exhibited and tendered unto it. The Soul well poſſeſſed of the Doctrine of Free Grace, and Goſpel Juſtification, though it may ſee frequent Cauſes for Heart-ſorrow, and Humiliation, as well for its former as for its renewing Sins, yet cannot eaſily ſee the umbrage of any ground to Deſpair, and caſt away its hope as to Divine Mercy and Forgiveneſs, or Eternal Life and Salvation. But I have elſewhere enlarged upon this Argument.
4. Fourthly, If you would avoid Temptations to Deſpair, take heed of preſuming. You ſhall obſerve in the Tempers of thoſe with whom you converſe in the World, That thoſe whoſe hopes are moſt quickly up, find them alſo ſooneſt down: The reaſon is, becauſe they are perſons that uſually have no great depth of judgement, and do not build their hopes upon good and ſufficient bottoms. So that as it is with ſome little Rivolets, whoſe Channel is but a ſmall continent, and which want depth, every good ſhowr of Rain raiſeth them, and cauſeth them to overflow the Banks; but then, the ſame degree of Rain not continuing, they are as quickly down: So it is with theſe Men, a little thing raiſeth their hopes, and a little thing again ſinketh them. Thus it is in the great buſineſs of Hope, as to the Pardon of Sin, and obtaining Eternal Salvation. Some Perſons build up Hopes upon very light and unjuſtifiable Grounds; their Hope is indeed but a Preſumption, like the Graſs that groweth upon the Houſe Tops, which a little Heat of the Sun killeth. But other Souls build up their Hopes upon more ſure and wary Foundations, which are not ſo ſoon ſhaked. We uſe to ſay, that we are certain of nothing more than what we have ſometimes been uncertain of. We are commanded to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling, and to rejoyce with trembling. Thoſe Souls that have gained their Hope by the Conqueſt of many Doubts and Fears, and Jealouſies, do not eaſily loſe it; whereas thoſe who have hatched it up with more eaſe, ſeldom keep it in an hour of Temptation.
5. I know not what more to adviſe beſides Frequent Self-Examination, cloſ… walking with God, and diligent and conſtant Prayer. Let me inlarge a little upon theſe: I ſay Firſt, Frequent Self-Examination. It is the Apoſtles Precepts, Examine your ſelves, prove your ſelves, whether you be in the Faith or no; 2 Cor. 13. 5. Whether we live by Hope or Sight, (I mean Aſſurance) this is highly neceſſary for that Soul, that would maintain the one or the other. Two things I would have Chriſtians much Examine themſelves upon: 1. The Grounds and Reaſons of their Hope. 2. The Abatements and Diſcouragements of them.
1. As to the Grounds of their Hope, which (if good) muſt always be bottomed in ſome Piece of Divine Revelation; for Pardon of Sin, and Eternal Life, being both of them the free Gift of God; it is unreaſonable to hope for either, but upon the Revelation of the will of him in whoſe Gift they are. In examining therefore the Truth and Ground of your Hope, truſt to nothing but ſome portions of the Word of God, which though it doth not tell you by name whoſe Sins are pardoned, and whoſe are not, who ſhall be ſaved and who ſhall periſh, it doth tell you, what muſt be wrought in the Hearts of thoſe whoſe Sins are Pardoned, and how they muſt live that ſhall ever ſee the Face of God in Heaven; there's no truſting to your Intereſt in God, as he that made you, nor yet to Chriſt dying for all Men; no nor yet to any Merits or Works of your own. God hath no where ſaid, that he will ſave all thoſe whom he hath Created, nor all thoſe who believe Chriſt died for all Men; no, nor yet all thoſe that do ſome things, that are as to the Matter of them good, and ſuch, as if Men do not, they cannot ſee God. I ſhall not here run into particulars, but in the general I ſhall tell you, that there is nothing but the Revelation of the Will of God in his Word, and the experimental finding that God hath wrought thoſe things in your Souls, which he in his Word hath made neceſſary, in order to obtaining Pardon and Eternal Salvation, that is in this Caſe to be truſted to. Often therefore examine your ſelves upon theſe Points, 1. What God in his Word hath made neceſſary to the obtaining of Pardon and Salvation. 2. The Work of God upon your Hearts, Creating and Working, and Maintaining, theſe Habits and Exerciſes in your Souls. Nay, do not onelyonly this, but examine your ſelves alſo about the holding or abating of your Hopes; the Increaſe or Decreaſe, and Diſcouragements of them in your Souls. A faint decaying, weakening Hope, if not lookt to, will grow more and more faint and weak every day than other, till it putriſieth into Deſpair. Now the force of this lies here, The decays and abatements of our Hope, are cauſed either from ſome Relapſes into Sin, or from ſome eminent with-drawings of the Holy Spirit of God, which uphold and maintaineth it in a Soul. And a daily examination or frequent examination of our ſelves how it is with us, as to our Spiritual hope, will put the Soul both upon frequent Acts of Repentance, as it diſcerneth that its hope is abated by the prevailings of its Luſts, and alſo upon frequent Prayers, begging the revivings and upholdings of it from the Spirit of God.
2. Live in cloſe Communion with God. I propounded to you before the avoiding of Sin, all Sin, but ſome eſpecially, to prevent Temptations to Deſpair. But this is ſomething more, we are at firſt begotten to a lively Hope, by the Word upon fervent Prayer, &c. and this Hope is maintained in the Soul, by the ſame means by which it is firſt begotten and bred in the Soul. I told you before that we muſt find the ground and bottom of our Hope in the Word of God. Now Preaching (where it is done ſincerely and faithfully) is nothing elſe but an Explication and Application of the Word of God, an Interpretation of the Word to our Souls, and a whetting of it upon our Souls; and therefore in reaſon a conſciencious Attendance upon it, muſt neceſſarily be a means to confirm and ſtrengthen our Hopes, and to antidote Deſpair: Nor certainly can often Communion in the Lords Supper be uſeleſs, but contrariwiſe of very great uſe; for the Lord in that Ordinance having added a Sign to his Word for the confirmation of our Faith, it muſt needs be a proper means to ſtrengthen and increaſe our Hope. In ſhort, All Communion with God, whether it be more Internal by Meditation, and the ſecret Exerciſes of the Power of our Souls upon God, or more External, in ſuch Duties as God hath preſcribed us to perform an Homage to him by, muſt be of great uſe to our Souls in this caſe. For the more Freedom and Acquaintance we have with God, the more we be with him; the truer and more juſt Apprehenſions we ſhall have of him, and the more we ſhall underſtand the loving Kindneſs of God. Now all Deſpair floweth from unjuſt and unkind Apprehenſions and Impreſſions of God, and from a too great an eſtrangement from him. It is true, thoſe that know the Lords Name, will truſt in him, and hope in his Mercy.
But above all, be much in Prayer, that obtaineth all Grace, all Mercy from God; the beginnings of it, the growth and encreaſe of it, &c. But I ſhall add no more upon this Subject, directing you to what I judge moſt proper to prevent in the Soul Fits, or more ſettled Habits of Deſpair; and certainly, it is moſt adviſable to keep Satan at a diſtance, and more eaſie to oppoſe the firſt Aſſaults, or avoid giving him advantages to it, than to grapple with it.