The Portraiture of the Image of God in Man, Part 2 · Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Of Deſpaire.
DEſpaire is contrary to Hope. There are two kindes of oppoſitions in the paſſions of the ſoule; the firſt is found amongſt theſe, that have contrary things for their objects, and that is onelyonly amongſt the paſſions of the concupiſcible part; as betwixt love and hatred, whereof the one regards the good, and the other the evill, which are two contraries and can never be in one ſubject together, at one time in the ſame reſpect. The ſecond oppoſition is obſerved, betwixt theſe that regard the ſame object, but with divers conſiderations, and that is found amongſt the iraſcible paſsions, whereof the one ſeekes the good of the object, & the other flees it, by reaſon of the difficulty which doth inviron it. Example: courage, and feare, doe both regard an imminent danger, which preſents it ſelfe to the imagination: but courage lookes upon it to encounter with it and vanquiſh it. Feare regards it to avoide it, and flee from it; and ſo deſpaire is contrary to hope after this manner: for the object of hope (which is a good, difficult to be obtained) drawes us upon the one ſide ſo farre as we imagine a power to obtaine: but deſpaire doth reſpect it on the other ſide, when we apprehend that by no meanes we can enjoy it, then we give over and deſpaire. This paſſion of deſpaire was neither in the firſt, nor ſecond Adam.
Object. All paines of the damned ought to be ſuffered by Chriſt, but deſpaire is a paine of the damned; therefore it ought to have beene ſuffered by Chriſt.
Anſw. Deſperatio non eſt poena ſed adjunctum peccati.Deſperation is not a paine or a cauſe of the paine properly, but an adjunct or conſequent of the ſinne in the ſinner, that ſuffereth puniſhment, ariſing from an inward cauſe. Chriſt had no griefe of conſcience which is an adjunct of ſinne in the wicked, ſo neither had hee deſpaire.
It is a ſhameleſſe ſlander in thoſe who charge Calvine as though he gave out that theſe words of Chriſt (my God, Comment ſuper Math. cap.my God, why haſt thou for ſaken me,) were words of deſpaire: hee accurſeth ſuch helliſh blaſphemie, and ſheweth that howſoever the fleſh apprehended deſtroying evils, and inferiour reaſon ſheweth no iſſueout of the ſame; yet there was ever a moſt ſure reſolved perſwaſion reſting in his heart, that hee ſhould undoubtedly prevaile againſt them, and overcome them.
Queſt. Whether is infidelity and the hating of God a greater ſinne than deſpaire, or not?
Anſw. Infidelity and hating of God in themſelves, Differentia inter odium & deſperationem.are more hainous ſinnes than deſpaire; for they are directly againſt God, who is in himſelfe truth and goodneſſe: but deſpaire is onelyonly againſt God: becauſe the wretched ſinner cannot perceive his goodneſſe to him, therefore it is not ſo great a ſinne as the former.
Queſt. Whether is preſumption or deſpaire the greater ſinne?
Anſw. Deſpaire is a greater ſinne than preſumption, Differentia inter praeſumptionem, & deſperationem,becauſe it ſins againſt the attribute of Gods mercy, which is Gods moſt glorious attribute towards man; for God inclines more to ſhew mercy than to puniſh: therefore when he puniſheth, he is ſaid facere opus non ſuum, Eſay 28.21. When he puniſheth, he puniſheth to the third and fourth generation; but he ſheweth mercy to the thouſandth generation, Exod. 20.6. therefore it muſt be a greater ſin to contemne his mercy than his juſtice.
Deſpaire makes a man contemne Gods mercy, and preſumption his juſtice. As deſpaire is a turning from God; ſo preſumption is an immoderate converſion to God: preſumption makes a man think to obtaine mercy without repentance; but deſpaire makes him thinke it impoſſible to obtaine mercy though with repentance.
Deſperation in men is either ſudden, or longer ad viſed. Againe, it is either under the ſenſe of Gods wrath as Iudas was; or under the Croſſe as many of the pagans; or under the rage of melancholly or frenſie: therefore men that are to fight with this monſter, let them reſort to the word of God, and take it to be his ſecond, and withall uſe theſe remedies following.
The remedies to cure this paſsion.
That we may cure this paſſion of deſpaire; Firſt, we muſt remember the great mercies of God: if we reſpect the dimenſions in corporall things, and apply them to things ſpirituall, as the Apoſtle doth, Epheſ. 3.18. where he ſpeaketh of the breadth, length, depth, and height of the love of God which paſſeth all knowledge, that we might be filled with all fulneſſe of God. So let us apply theſe dimenſions to the mercy of God, and wee ſhall finde it moſt comfortable. For the latitude and bredth of Gods mercy, let us remember that which David ſaith, miſericordia tua plena eſt terra, Pſal. 33.5. For the length of his mercy, let us remember that which the Virgin Mary ſingeth in her ſong, Luk. 1.50. And his mercy is from one generation to many generations, to them that feare him. For the depthh of his mercy, as it is a fearefull thing to looke into the gulph of our ſinnes as Cain did: So it is a comfortable thing to look into the depth of Gods mercy, that where ſin hath abounded, grace may ſuper abound, Rom. 5.20. Then for the great height of Gods mercy, what can wee ſee next under God higher than the heavens? yet the Prophet ſaith, Pſal. 108. verſe 5. Thy mercies are exalted above the heavens. And for the indurance of his mercy David ſaith, Pſal. 100. verſe 17. that it is ab aeterno in aeternum. Concerning the multitude of his mercies ſome have ſought to reduce them to ſeven, as Peter did, Matthew chapter 18. verſe 2. but ſeeing Chriſt wills us, not onelyonly, to forgive ſeven times, but ſeventy times ſeven times; much more will he, Math. 18.22.
Secondly, remember that although thy ſinnes were red like the ſcarlet, yet hee can make them white as the ſnow, Eſay. 1.18. Scarlet in the He brew it is called foreign twice becauſe it is twice dipped: wee cannot waſh this dye out of the ſcarlet againe: but although wee be dyed once, twice, thrice in ſinne, by recidivations, and falling againe into ſinne, yet the mercy of God is ſuch that he can waſh out all thoſe ſinnes.
Thirdly, when God lookes upon the ſinnes of his Saints through Chriſt; he ſeeth no iniquitie in them, Num. 23.25. he ſeeth no iniquitie in Iacob. There is ſpeculum gibbum, ſive ſphaericum, a glaſſe made like a round ſphere. 2. Speculum concavum, a hollow glaſſe, 3. Speculum planum, a plaine glaſſe. We ſee a thing in a plaine glaſſe, juſt as it is, neither more nor leſſe: we ſee a thing in a hollow glaſſe more then it is, we ſee a thing in a round glaſſe, farre leſſe then it is. When the Lord lookes upon the ſinnes of the wicked, he ſeeth them juſt as they are: when Sathan lookes upon the infirmities of the Saints, he ſeeth them more than they are: but when God lookes upon the ſinnes of his Saints, hee ſeeth them leſſe than they are, or not at all: Ier. 50 20. In thoſe dayes and in that time, the iniquitie of Iſrael ſhall be ſought for, and there ſhall be none; and the ſinnes of Iudah, and they ſhall not be found.