Obedient Patience, Chapter 2 · Case 10
CASE X.
Vexatious strong Temptations of Satan, especially to Melancholly persons.
ANother Case that needeth Patience is, Molesting strong Temptations of Satan, especially to afflicted, sad discontented, and Melancholly persons. As to alluring Temptations to sinful Love and pleasure, it is abhorrence and watchfulness, and fear that are more necessary than patience. But vexing Temptations, which would draw Men to murmuring, anger, malice, fear, hurtful grief, and such other sins, must be overcome by patience and watchfulness conjunct. But because against this I have written a Treatise of the Cure of Mellancholly and overmuch sorrow, and another of the true method of Peace of Conscience, I will here only say this little following.
1. God did not think meet to keep Innocent Adam and Eve, no nor Christ himself from being tempted. This life is appointed for Tryal and Conflict in order to a better. Not to be tempted, were not to be Men on Earth; There is no Crown of Glory, but to them that overcome; and no victory, where there is no fight or strife: It is not force but temptations, by which Satan conquereth the world, and which all must conquer, that will be saved. Yea Christ was tempted to the most odious crime, to worship the Devil. But to be tempted is no sin of ours: Resist and conquer and it increaseth our acceptance with God, and (which some call our merit) our fitness for the reward. It may be an advantage to our own confirmed rooted Faith and holiness, and to our greater Glory in Heaven.
2. Satan is a conquered enemy: Christ our Head was tempted that he might overcome him for us: And as he said, Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world; so we may beleive and rejoyce, that he hath overcome the Devil, that we might overcome him. He was tempted, that he might suecour them that are tempted; Heb. 2. 18.
3. All that are in Heaven (that had the use of Reason) came thither by overcoming of temptations on earth. And would you go a way different from them all?
4. The Tempter cannot do what he will, but what God permitteth him; who hath promised to restrain him, that he may not over power us, 1 Cor. 10. 13. There hath no Temptation taken you, but such as a common to man: But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will wlth the Temptation also make away to escape, that he may be able to bear it.
5. God seeth oft-times, that we have need of troubling Temptations to humble us, and to awake us from carnal security, and make us more hate the sin that we are tempted to.
6. But alas! we commonly are guilty of giving the Tempter his advantage against us: We provoke God by sin to turn him loose upon us, and we give him entertainment by long parleys with him, and by thinking over all that he hath against us, and leaving our imaginations open to his access, and oft also our eyes and ears to feed them. In these cases true Repentance is needful to our deliverance from temptations: Yea and our own mistakes, corruptions, discontents, impatience, and sinful passions are the very strength of the Tempter, and he findeth within us, the fire which he bloweth up: In this Case, the Cure must be mostly wrought upon our selves.
7. Strong Love and Resolution rejoyce to conquer strong Temptations: As strong Men love not to be tied to the work of Children and Women, but would have such, as exerciseth their strength. Its the joy of friendship, to undergo much for a friend: Cant. 8. 7. Love is strong as death: Many waters cannot squench it, nor the flouds drown it. If you would give all the substance of your House for Love, it would be utterly contemned. Jacob will serve long and patiently for Love. And when Satan sheweth his malice against Christ and us, strong Love would do as Sampson and David by the Philistims, go out against them in Gods strength and overcome them. And tho we are weak, Gods grace is sufficient for us, and his strength is ma…ifested in weakness.
8. Remember who the Tempter is that you may meet his Temptations with hatred and abhorrence. God did in mercy put an Emnity against Devils into our Natures, as soon as the Devils Enmity had conquered Man, that so we migh… abhor whatever we know to be from them. What if the Devil appeared to you in some shape, and perswaded you to dispair, or to Blaspheme God, or to doubt of the life to come, or to any other sin or mischief? Would it not be a sufficient preservative to know that it is the Devil that makes the motion. I do not think that the present forward Servants of the Devil would obey him as they do, if they saw him to be the Tempter. If he brought the Cup to the Drunkard in a known Apparition and shape, sure it would go down with terrour if at all: If he brought a Harlot to the Whoremongers bed, it would cool his Lust: If he appeared and perswaded the Malignant to hate, deride and persecute Men for obeying God, it would sure abate their rage. And why should it not work alike in troubling Temptations, when you know they come from him; (which the nature and fruit of them may make you know.
9. Let Temptations move you to study their confutation: Know every snare, and the remedy, God hath furnished you in Scripture with Armour against all, if you will use it.
10. Long for the blessed day when the Tempter and Troubler shall be cast out, and never more molest the faithful Soul, with any motion against God or comfort.