The Christians in Complete Armor, Religious treatise · Introduction 3 · Chapter 10
CHAP. X. A brief Application of the Point in two Branches.
Ʋſe 1 THis affords a reaſon why God ſuffers his dear children to fall into temptation, becauſe he is able to out-ſhoot Satan in his own bowe, and in the thing wherein he thinks to outwit the Chriſtian to be above him. God will not only be admired by his Saints in glory for his love in their ſalvation, but for his wiſdom in the way to it. The love of God in ſaving them will be the ſweet draught at the marriage-feaſt, and the rare wiſdom of God in effecting this, as the curious workmanſhip with which the cup ſhall be enamel'd. Now wiſdom appears moſt in untying knots, and wading through difficulties. The more croſſe wards there are in a buſineſſe, the more wiſdome to fit a key to the lock, to make choice of ſuch means as ſhall meet with the ſeveral turnings in the ſame. On purpoſe therefore doth God ſuffer ſuch temptations to intervene, that his wiſdom may be the more admired in opening all theſe, and leading his Saints that way to glory, by which Satan thought to have brought them to hell. The Iſraelites are bid remember all the way that God led them in the wilderneſſe for fourty yeares, Deut. 8.2. The Hiſtory of theſe warres (Chriſtian) will be pleaſant to reade in heaven, though bloody to fight on earth. Moſes and Elias talk't with Chriſt on Tabor, (an Embleme of the ſweet communion which ſhall paſſe between Chriſt and his Saints in glory,) and what was their talk, Luke 9.30. but of his death and ſufferings? It ſeems a diſcourſe of our ſufferings and temptations, are not too low a ſubject for that bliſſeful ſtate. Indeed this left out, would make a blemiſh in the faire face of Heavens glory. Could the damned forget the way they went into hell, how oft the Spirit of God was wooing, and how far they were overcome by the conviction of it; in a word, how many turnes and returnes there were in their journey forward and backward, what poſſibilities, yea, probabilities they had for heaven, when on earth; were but ſome hand ſo kinde as to blot theſe tormenting paſſages out of their memories, it would eaſe them wonderfully. So were it poſſible glorified Saints could forget the way, wherein they went to glory, and the ſeveral dangers that interven'd from Satan, and their own back-ſliding hearts, they and their God too would be loſers by it, I mean in regard of his manifeſtative glory. What is the glory wherein God appears at Zions deliverance? thoſe royal garments of ſalvation, that make him ſo admired of men and Angels? but the celebration of all his Attributes, according to what every one hath done towards their ſalvation. Now wiſdom being that which the creature chiefly glories in, (and choſen by Satan for his firſt bait, who made Eve believe ſhe ſhould be like God in knowledge and wiſdome) therefore God, to give Satan the more ſhameful fall, gives him leave to uſe his wits and wiles in tempting and troubling his children, in which lies his great advantage over the Saints, that ſo the way to his own Throne (where his Wiſdome ſhall at laſt, as well as his mercy ſit in all its Royalty) may be paved with the ſculls (as I may ſo ſpeak) of devils.
Ʋſe 2 Secondly, this gives a ſtrong cordial to our fainting faith, in the behalf of the Church of Chriſt. If all the devils wits and wiles will not ſerve him to overcome one ſingle ſouldier in Chriſts Camp, much leſſe ſhall he ever ruine the whole Army. Theſe are dayes of great confuſions in the Chriſtian world, and the chief feare of a gracious heart is for the Ark, leſt that ſhould fall into the enemies hand, (and when this Palladium is taken, the City of God (his Church,) be trod under the feet of pride,) I confeſſe Satan ſeems to get ground daily; he hath ſtrangely wrigled into the boſomes and principles of many, who by the fame of their Profeſſion and zeal, had obtained in the opinion of others, to be reckoned among the chief of Chriſts Worthies in their generation. He hath ſadly corrupted the truths of Chriſt, brought a diſ-eſteem on Ordinances, (that by this, and as a judgment for this, the wombe of the Goſpel is become in a great meaſure barren, and her children which hang upon her breaſts, thrive not in love and holineſſe as of old, when the milk was not ſo much nor that ſo ſpiritfull) he hath had advantage by the diviſions of the godly, to harden thoſe that are wicked into a further diſdain of Religion, and by the bloody wars of late yeares, to boile up the wrath of the Popiſh and profane crue to a higher pitch of rage and fury againſt Chriſts little remnant then ever: ſo that if ever God ſhould ſuffer the ſword to fall into their hand, they are diſciplin'd and fitted to play the bloody butchers on Chriſts ſheep above their fore-fathers, (neither are they ſo creſt-fallen, but that they can hope for ſuch a day, yea, take up ſome of thoſe joyes upon truſt afore-hand to ſolace themſelves, while the reſt follow.) And now (Chriſtian) may be their confidence, together with the diſtracted ſtate of Chriſts affaires in the world, may diſcompoſe thy Spirit, concerning the iſſue of theſe rolling Providences that are over our heads, but be ſtill, poor heart, and know that the conteſt is not between the Church and Satan, but between Chriſt and him. Theſe are the two Champions. Stand now, O ye Army of Saints, ſtill by faith, to ſee the All-wiſe God wreſtle with a ſubtil devil. If you live not to ſee the period of theſe great confuſions, yet generations after you ſhall behold the Almighty ſmite off this Geliah's head with his own ſword, and take this cunning hunter in the toile of his own policies, that ſaith which aſcribes greatneſſe and wiſdom to God, will ſhrink up Satans ſubtilty into a nigrum nihil, a thing of nothing. Incredulitiment diabolum, quaſi leonem, qui fide fortes deſpiciunt quaſi vermiculum. Bern. Unbelief feares Satan as a Lion, faith trends on him as a worme Behold therefore thy God at work, and promiſe thy ſelf that what he is about, will be an excellent piece. None c…n drive him from his work. The Pilot is beaten from the helme, and can do little in a ſtorme, but lets the ſhip go a drift. The Architect cannot work, when night drawes the curtaine, yea, is driven off the Scaffold with a ſtorme of raine, ſuch Workmen are the wiſeſt Counſellours and mightieſt Princes on earth. A pinch may come, when it is as vain to ſay, Help O King, as, Help O beggar; mans wiſdom may be level'd with folly, but God is never interrupted. All the plots of hell and commotions on earth, have not ſo much as ſhak't Gods hand, to ſpoile one letter or line that he hath been drawing. The myſteriouſneſſe of his Providence may hang a curtain before his work, that we cannot ſee what he is doing, but then when darkneſſe is about him, righteouſneſſe is the ſeat of his Throne for ever. O. where's our faith (Sirs!) let God be wiſe, and all men and devils fools. What though thou ſeeſt a Babel more likely to go up, then a Babylon to be pull'd down, yet believe God is making his ſecret approaches, and will clap his ladders on a ſudden to the walls thereof: Suppoſe truth were Priſoner with Joſeph, and errour the Courtier, to have its head lift up by the favour of the times, yet doeſt not remember that the way to truths preferment lies through the priſon? yea, what though the Church were like Jonah in the Whales belly, ſwallowed up to the eye of reaſon by the fury of men, yet doeſt not remember the Whale had not power to digeſt the Prophet? O be not too quick to bury the Church before ſhe be dead. Stay while Chriſt tries his skill before you give it over: bring Chriſt by your prayers to its grave, to ſpeak a Reſurrection-word. Admirable hath the Saints faith been in ſuch ſtraits: as Joſephs, who pawn'd his bones that God would viſit his brethren, willing them to lay him where he believ'd they ſhould be brought; Jeremiah purchaſeth a field of his Uncle, and payes down the money for it, and this when the Caldean army quartered about Jeruſalem, ready to take the Cisy, and carry him with the reſt into Babylon: And all this by Gods appointment, Jer. 22.6, 7, 8. that he might ſhew the Jewes by this, how undoubtedly he (in that ſad juncture of time) did believe the performance of the Promiſe for their returne out of captivity. Indeed God counts himſelf exceedingly diſparaged in the thoughts of his people, (though at the loweſt ebbe of his Churches affairs) if his naked word, and the ſingle bond of his Promiſe will not be taken as ſufficient ſecurity to their faith for its deliverance.