A Manual of Practical Divinity, Treatise · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. The ways and Temptations, by which many ſouls miſcarry under legal Terrors and a Spirit of Bondage.
WHen a ſoul is awakened with a ſight of ſin, and hath legal terrors and warnings to flee from the wrath to come. Satan ſoon takes the Alarum, and beſtirs himſelf to keep the Soul ſtill in an unregenerate …ate. To find out all the ſtratagems of this cunning and long experienced enemy the devil, is a difficult thing: his ways are like the way of a Serpent upon a rock, or like the way of a ſhip upon the ſea, which leave no fotſteps to trace them by Were it not that our Lord Jeſus knows all his divices and wiles, and is able to prevent all his deſigns, no fleſh would be ſaved, but all by one means or other would be devoured by this roaring Lion; yet by the Light of the word, and by the obſervation that Believers are helped to make of the motions of Satan; we are not wholly ignorant of his divices: not to ſpeak here of the way he taketh to keep them from Chriſt, who are wholly ignorant, and had never any common workings: nor to ſpeak of the innumerable temptations upon Believers and thoſe who are ſealed by the Spirit of God, whereby he endeavoureth to pluck them out of Chriſts hands, only that they are kept by the mighty power of God through faith to Salvation; only here to ſpeak of the ways and temptations by which Satan endeavoureth to ruin them that are awakened with a ſight of ſin, and are under legal terrors and fear of the wrath to come.
1. Satan endeavoureth to keep ſuch as are thus awakened and troubled for ſin, ignorant of the righteouſneſs which is by faith in Chriſt Jeſus; that free Juſtification of a ſinner which is by the blood of Chriſt; inſomuch that Satan, the god of this world doth ſo blind the eyes of many that have been much awakened by the ſight of ſin, that they never underſtand all their days the remedy that is provided for them; no, not ſo much as in a notional way with brain-knowledge, but they ſet themſelves in their own ſtrength to reform their lives, and think that God will accept of their doings for ſatisfaction for the wickedneſs of their former life, and they have a kind of peace and ſatisfaction in their Spirits that God is at peace with them: thus many are everlaſtingly cheated, never knowing the things that belong to their everlaſting peace; and being ignorant of Gods righteouſneſs, under all their zeal of God and legal performances, go about to eſtabliſh their own righteouſneſs, where none but Chriſts will be accepted, and ſo never ſubmit to the Righteouſneſs which is of God by faith, Rom. 10.3,4.
2. Satan endeavoureth to perſwade ſuch that thoſe legal terrors and breakings are true converſion, that they bleſs themſelves in their legal humiliation, as if it were Goſpel-repentance, and the heart of fleſh that is promiſed in the new Covenent.
3. Satan otherwhile puts thoſe that are thus convinced and troubled for ſin, upon ſome way of opinion and Judgement, and there by his deluſion and the deceitfulneſs of their own hearts they find much peace and quiet: their ſore is skinned over, and they are ſo far now from queſtioning their own Salvation as they did a little before, that they now queſtion every bodies Salvation but their own, that do not fall in with that opinion that they are fullen upon.
4. If the Goſpel be preached in the hearing of men under legal terrors, Satan will endeavour to make them reſt in a bare notion of Chriſt, and a faith of their own making, that they will either conclude Chriſt and all his benefits is theirs, becauſe they have been ſo humbled and broken with the Law, and have ſo reformed and amended their ways, or elſe they will reſolve in their own ſtrength to believe in Chriſt: and ſo though it may be they were convinced that they could not keep the Law in their own ſtrength, yet they think that its an eaſie thing to believe in Chriſt, and ſo never ſaw themſelves ſo fully undone; that as they could not keep the Law, ſo they could no more believe in Chriſt then they could raiſe the dead: that now they were undone for ever, if the Lord did not work faith by an Almighty power.
5. It is commonly known and obſerved how Satan doth give eaſe to many in theſe troubles and terrours by turning their thoughts to ſomething elſe, ſending them to company and pleaſures to be cured of their wound, which ſo cures them that they are no more ſad, but will grow as looſe and prophane as ever they were; but if that ſoul belong to God; he will not let the ſoul ſleep thus, as if a man ſhould ſleep upon the top of a Maſt, but will awaken the ſoul and hunt it out of thoſe wayes, that it ſhall find there is no peace and reſt out of Chriſt.
6. But in theſe legal terrors and fears, if true peace do not come from the Lord to ſettle and quiet the troubled and perplexed Conſcience, nor Satans Receipts put by theſe troubles, Satan tempts theſe unto deſpair, and many times to ſelf-murder, and many in this temptation have been wonderfully delivered by mercy: yet O with what violence wil Satan put theſe thoughts upon poor ſouls, yea and ſtrangely anſwer the Objections that ariſe in the heart againſt it! As one that was in great troubles, when Satan tempted her to cut her throat, there was this Objection preſently in her heart: O I have made profeſſion of Religion, and how will this open mens mouthes againſt the good wayes of God? and ſay, This will be the end of them all that are theſe forward profeſſors? Unto this Satan preſently hinted this: that ſhe might put a little penknife down her throat and that would do it, and would remain there and never be ſeen, and ſo no diſhonour would come to religion: but now when the Temptation was ſtrengthened, behold, ſudden and unexpected comfort and Diſcoveries of Gods Love came that brought peace to her ſpirit, and made the Devil go away with ſhame! O a cunning Devil! and O a gracious God that comes many times when there is but a ſtep between the ſoul and deſtruction and makes it to live in his ſight. Many ways might be mentioned whereby God hath delivered poor creatures from murdering themſelves, as ſending ſome to knock at their doors, when they have been going to hang themſelves, ſending ſome providentially to be in thoſe places where they intended to drown themſelves: ſometimes ſending ſome to diſcourſe with them about ſpiritual things whereby they have got ſome light and hope, and ſo have been put by that wicked intention; ſometimes rebuking the Devil and not ſuffering him to tempt them further, when they have been even almoſt overcome. But here it muſt be noted that but few of them that have made away themſelves in the world, have done it from deſpair of mercy, though Judas did ſo: the only man that we read of in Scripture that murderd himſelf under terrours of Conſcience for ſin, which doubtleſs was permitted by God among other ends, for to clear the Innocency of the Lord Jeſus our Mediatour, and to ſhew the greatneſs of that ſin in betraying the Lord of Life. But though ſome few in the world have made away themſelves through inward deſpair of Gods mercy, yet others have done it out of worldly diſcontent and pride, as Ahitophel that the Scripture ſpeaks of, that becauſe his Counſel was not followed, went home in a diſcontent and hanged himſelf; and how did Nero and many of the Heathens, and many of the Jewes horribly murder themſelves when they were in danger becauſe they would not fall into their enemies hands! how many of thoſe Heathens whoſe wiſdom and ſayings many fooliſhly adore, did thus deſtroy themſelves, ſometimes great companies of them together! The greatneſs of this ſin of ſelf-murther might be many wayes made out; It is a breach of the ſixth Commandement: Thou ſhalt do no murther, and ſelf-murder is the greateſt murder; it is an unnatural ſin; for all creatures indeavour ſelf-preſervation: it takes men away from the means of Grace for ever; for there is no work, nor device, nor wiſdom in the grave whether they go, Eccleſ. 9.10. Self-murder refuſeth the common courteſie that is in Gods proceedings, in giving a Reprieve for a time before the day of execution; if men fear they ſhall be damned, yet there is no ground for ſelf-murder; for while a man liveth, there may be mercy for ought he knoweth, God having pardoned ſuch great ſinners; and if a man be damned at laſt, yet ſelf-murder being ſuch a great ſin will make mens damnation greater; and though men in deſpair would fain be dead, yet if they die out of Chriſt, they will wiſh themſelves upon the earth again: for though they have great terrours of Conſcience, yet they will have greater in Hell; Selfemurder exceedingly pleaſes the Devil, and therefore as he is forward to put men upon it, ſo he is forward to be their Executioner; To ſay it is impoſſible for a man to be ſaved that commits this wickedneſs, and thus ſins againſt God, is not ſo clear, but thus to aggravate the ſin, may well be done, it being a ſin ſo great as cannot be expreſt! Yet hath Satan drawn the wicked heart of man many times to it; ſometimes in terrours of Conſcience, but for the moſt part in exceſs of Melancholy, and in worldly ſorrows and diſcontents; though thoſe perſons will many times pretend that ſin is their great trouble; yet the Lord knows, and experienced Chriſtians oftentimes find it out to be but the ſorrow of the world, the diſtractions about earthly things; If God leave a man, he is like a Reed ſhaken with every wind of Temptation and trouble till he be broken in pieces.