The Spirit of Bondage and Adoption, Treatise 2 · Chapter 39
CHAP. XXXIX. The Caſe of afflictions as it influenceth upon the Doubts of a gracious ſoul concerning his Eſtate, anſwered.
Object. BUt I am under ſad afflictions, and I am haunted with fearful and horrid temptations, ſuch afflictions as (I am told) no child of God can be under; and ſuch temptations as never aſſaulted any Saint.
Anſw. 1. What afflictions are thoſe that any child of God may not fall under?
1 Is not the rod part of the childs portion, whiles under nonage, whiles in the School? Heb. 12. 6, 7, 8. And who art thou, that wilt argue thy ſelf a baſtard, from that which is not only the lot, but the happineſſe of ſons? Pſal. 94. 12.
2 Doth God make any bargain with his ſons, wherein he makes a difference of rods? Is there any place in the Word of God, that ſaith, I will uſe this or that rod only to my ſons?
3 Canſt thou name any affliction which God did not lay upon his own natural Son? And who art thou who deſireſt gentler uſage from the hands of God then Chriſt himſelf?
Obj. Wilt thou ſay, Chriſt ſtood as an enemy under the ſins and curſes of Gods Elect, and his wounds therefore were the wounds of a cruel one, and his chaſtiſements the chaſtiſements of our peace? But all Gods children are Iſai. 53.priviledged from all ſuch ſufferings as Chriſt underwent, becauſe he underwent them: ſo that it is no Argument that any ones afflictions are not beyond the line of fatherly chaſtiſements, that Chriſt underwent the ſame? It will rather follow that they may be the ſtrokes of an enemy, becauſe Gods ſtrokes upon Chriſt, ſtanding in our ſtead, were ſuch.
Anſw. Chriſts ſufferings (it is true) as to the cauſes, were different from thoſe of all Saints. But as to the ſubstance of them, they are common to all others of Gods children: Thence we are ſaid to fill up the ſufferings of Christ, Col. 1. 24. To be conformable to his death, Phil. 3. 10. To drink of the cup of which he drank, and to be baptized with the Baptiſm wherewith he was baptized. Mat. 20. 22, 23. Beſides, ſome of the cauſes of Chriſts ſufferings are the ſame with thoſe of his members, although in all there be not a parity. For our Saviour Chriſt was under the Diſcipline of the rod, and a learner by it. God opened his ear with a rod, as he doth the Saints, Iſai. 50. 5. He was made perfect by ſufferings. Chriſts graces had an additional perfection of degrees, Luke 2. 52. and in them he grew (as other Saints) under the Ordinances, and among other Ordinances under the rod, Heb. 2. 10. 17, 18. He learned obedience by the things which he ſuffered.
2 As for Temptations; conſider
1. The Policy of Satan, who firſt disturbs thy peace, by unlawful and vexatious clamours, and then perſwades thee thou haſt no right to it, becauſe he hath unjuſtly rendered it litigious; which is, as if a vexatious Lawyer ſhould call my Free-hold in queſtion unjuſtly, and then endeavour to perſwade me to quit my Title to him, becauſe he hath made it diſputable.
2 Is it reaſonable for me to conclude that God is not my friend, becauſe the Divel is my enemy? Or rather, is not the Argument more true on the contrary ſide, becauſe [God is my friend, therefore Satan will be my enemy? What is Temptation, but a malicious perſecution of the ſoul by Satan, tending either to foil or defile the ſoul, and in both to work its diſcomfort? And ſhall Satans malice be a ground ſufficient for me to diſpute Gods love upon? If Satan could by temptations render ſuch a diſpute rational, what child of God ſhould ever ſit quiet in the poſſeſſion of Gods favour or countenance, whom he hath either malice or power enough to tempt?
3 Is not Christs example in this caſe of ſufficient weight to carry this concluſion in it, that no child of God is free from the worst of temptations in this life? ſeeing our Savior himſelf had the moſt monſtrous black …uggeſtions that hell could yeild, preſented to him, ſuch as Idolatry, the worſt of Idolatryes, worſhipping the Divel himſelf, Infidelity and diſtrust of Gods providence, and the uſe of unlawful means for neceſſary ſupplies: and laſtly, ſelf-murder, though not in the fore-head, yet in the boſom and inſide of that temptation, Caſt thy ſelf down▪ &c Mat. 43, 6, 9
4 The way to be free from temptation, is not to yeild them the victory in the cauſe they conteſt for, but to reſiſt them ſtedfaſtly in the faith. If they weaken thy faith in the Aſſurance of Gods love, they will quickly lay thee on thy back in more fowle failings & miſcariages. When Satan is winnowing, then a Saints faith ſhould be moſt weighty, that it may not eaſily be blown away. No temptation ever got the field till faith qui…ted its ground. Faith is the Bulwark of all other graces: if Satan batter down or blow up that, or any way can but make a breach in it, he will quickly enter with Legions.