The Christian Completely Armed, Lecture 16
EPHES. 6. 16. foreign Lect. 17. Janu. 30. 1649.foreign.
IN theſe words we have the fourth piece of the ſpiritual Armour, which the Apoſtle recommends unto Chriſtians for their ſafe ſtanding in the day of temptation, viz. The Shield of Faith. In which we have two things. 1. The injunction of the uſe of it, Taking the ſhield of faith. 2. The perſwaſive or motive to it, drawn from the ſingular benefit of it, which is ſet out two wayes. 1. By way of compariſon, Above all: its the moſt excellent part of all the Armour. 2. By the effect of it, Wherewith ye ſhall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. In which we have two things. 1. The nature of Satan, the wicked. 2. The nature of his temptations, the fiery darts—
In the Text you ſee there is ſomething more directly propounded, v…z. That a Chriſtian muſt take the ſhield of faith. Something which is collaterally or more indirectly brought in, viz. the nature of Satan, and the nature of his temptations: I cannot well without injury to the Text, and detriment to the Hearers, ſpeak of them together, and therefore I muſt neceſſarily handle them diſtinctly and apart. And I ſhall firſt begin with that which is laſt in the words, viz. the collateral or more indirect part, which is brought in occaſionally, viz. the fiery darts of the wicked. One expreſſion ſets out what Satan is in himſelf. The other diſcovers the Nature of his temptations againſt the ſervants of God. Theſe two I ſhall open in two propoſitions. viz.
1. That the Devil is a wicked one.
2. The temptations of this wicked one againſt the ſons of men are fiery darts.
And then we ſhall ſpeak of the ſubſtantial part of the Text, viz. the ſhield it ſelf.
I begin with the former.
Satan is a wicked Creature. The wicked one.Doctrine.
Many titles of reproach are given unto Satan in the Scripture. He is called, The accuſer of the brethren, Rev. 12. 10. his work is to ſlander and accuſe God to the Saints, and them to God: Doth Job ſerve God for nought.? The word foreign ſignifieth ſlandering and calumniation; falſe accuſers, 2 Timothy 3. 3. tis in the Greek foreign 1 Tim. 3. 11. its required of the Wives of the Deacons amongſt other things, that they be not ſlanderers, foreign. He is called, The enemy or envious man, Math. 13. 28, 29. foreign. He is called, the Dragon, Rev. 12. 9. And the old Serpent, ibid. Serpent for ſubtilty, and Dragon for cruelty. The roaring Lion, 1 Pet. 5. 8. The Father of lies, John 8. 44. The God of this world, 2 Cor. 4. 4. The Prince of the power of the air, Epheſ. 2. 2. The unclean Spirit, Math. 10. 1. Abaddon, Apollyon, Revel. 9. 11. The Angel of the bottomleſs pit, ibid. The Tempter, Math 4. 3. The Murtherer, John 8. 44. And here in this place he is called, foreign, that wicked one.
This name is given to him in many places of Scripture, Viz: Math. 13. 19. Then commeth the wicked one and catcheth the Word, Math. 13. 38. The tares are the children of the wicked one. 1 John 2. 13. I write unto you young men, becauſe ye have overcome the wicked one. 1 John 5. 18. Whoſoever is born of God keepeth himſelf, and that wicked one toucheth him not. And he is thus called in theſe two reſpects.
1. In regard of his own nature. He is made up of nothing but wickedneſs. God did at firſt create the Divels holy and righteous, as the other Angels which ſtill keep their habitations, but by their fall they have poyſoned their nature, and filled it ful of wickedneſs and impiety. They were by their firſt creation ſpiritual excellencies, but by reaſon of their fall they are ſpiritual wickedneſſes, Epheſ. 6. 12. foreign We uſe to paint the Devils black, to ſhew how black they have made their natures, which when they came out of Gods hand were ſo white, unſpotted and glorious. Yea, the Divels are incorrigibly wicked; they are totally wicked; they are reſtleſly wicked; they are impenitently wicked; they are hopeleſly wicked.
2. In regard of his practiſe upon others. His great deſign is to draw men into ſin, and to keep them in wickedneſs. He goes about unweariedly compaſſing the earth to and fro, and all that he may tempt men to acts of wickedneſs. The Devil is the Author of all the wickedneſs which is committed in the world. He is a Liar, & the father thereof, John 8. 44. He is a Murtherer, and the Father thereof: he is a Blaſphemer, and the father thereof, &c. All ſin hath its riſe from Satan, either in whole or in part. The firſt ſin that ever was committed in the world was by his inſtigation: vide Gen. 3. init. And whatſoever iniquity is conceived to this day in the hearts, and committed by the hands of any creatures, the Devil hath ſome hand in the bringing of it to paſs. Davids ſin in numbring the people 1 Joh. 3. 8. the works of the Devil.was from Satan, 1 Chron. 21, 1. The ſin of Ananias and Saphira in lying and diſſembling was from Satan, Acts 5 3 Why hath Satan filled thy heart to lie to the holy Ghoſt. 1. He ſuggeſts evil motions. 2. He keeps them warm in the heart. 3. He helps the ſoul to opportunities to practiſe evil things. 4. He hinders from the uſe of what might refrein and keep the ſoul from ſinning. 5. He prepares fit inſtruments to bring to paſs the evil that is intended, &c. 6. He helps to harden the heart, and to blind the underſtanding, and to ſtupifie the conſcience, &c. ſome way or other he hath a hand in all the wickedneſs which is done in the world. Tis true, the Devils contriving of ſin doth not excuſe the ſinner, for he doth give his conſent: Satan hath no power to force or compel the will, onelyonly to perſwade by Arguments and temptations, &c. Every man is tempted when he is drawn aſide of his own luſt and enticed, Jam. 1. 14. A wicked heart is the womb, but the Devil is the father that begets all manner of wickedneſs; and therefore worthily called, that wicked one.
Information. 1. This ſhewes the infamy of ſin. Its a thing which is full of diſgrace and diſhonour, Ʋſe 1.the Scripture faſtens reproach upon wickedneſs; it diſhonours Nations and perſons; righteouſneſs exalteth a Nation, but ſin is a reproach to any people, Prov. 14. 34. Omnis foreign is foreign. A wound and diſhonour ſhall he get, and his reproach ſhall never be done away, Prov. 6. 33. Adultery is a ſhameful thing, ſwearing, and lying, and drunkenneſs, and idolatry, and perjury, are ſhameful things, wickedneſs is a ſhame to mens names and to their families: I might ſhew this in many particulars, but I ſhall onelyonly urge it from this Doctrine. It is the Devils name: he hath many names which bear diſgrace in them, but of all his names this in the Text is one of the worſt, if not the worſt of all: He is the wicked one. To be called a wicked one hath more ignominy in it, than to be called a poor one, or a weak one, &c. The Devils have ſome excellencies in them; they are Spirits, they are ſtrong Spirits, they are wiſe Spirits, ah, but they are wicked ſpirits! they are Angels, ah, but they are unclean Angels! The wickedneſs of the Devils doth diſgrace all their excellencies. Call a perſon by what name of excellency you can, call him rich, call him learned, call him noble, call him a prudent man, yet if you ſay wicked, you lay all his excellencies in the duſt: Wickedneſs ſtains and ſoyls all the glory and beauty both of perſons and Nations. Naaman Captain of the Hoaſt of the King of Syria was a great man with his Maſter, &c. but he was a Leper, 2 Reg. 5: 1. this one word marrs all his glory. To ſay, ſuch a one is a man of parts, a man of valour, a man of great eſtate, a man of deep knowledgde, but he is a wicked man, he is a drunkard, a ſwearer, a lyar, a perfidious man, &c. this one word doth unſay all his excellencies, and caſts a cloud upon all his glory.
2. That wicked men are of all Creatures the moſt like to the Devil. They have his image upon them, they have his nature, they bear his name; the Devil is foreign, and ſo is a wicked man. Holy men are like to God, they are called by his Name; God is holy, and they are holy, God is righteous, and they are righteous; but wicked men have the very name and the very nature of Satan; he is unholy, and ſo are they; and the more any perſon abounds in wickedneſs, the more like he grows ſtill to the Devil, who is wicked, and the father of wickedneſs: Its ſaid of Caein, that he was of that wicked one, and ſlew his brother, 1 John 3: 12. We may ſay ſo of every other ſinner: The ſwearer is of that wicked one, the prophane perſon is of that wicked one, &c. He that committeth ſin is of the Devil, 1 Joh. 3. 8. he is of him, not onelyonly as he is tempted by him, but becauſe he doth ſimbolize with him in nature, he hath his character and image printed upon his ſoul.
3, That Hell muſt needs be a wicked place. All the Inhabitants of it are wicked: There are none there but wicked Angels, and wicked men, and all the work which is done there is nothing but wickedneſs, therefore it muſt of neceſſity be a wicked place: Hell is a place of torment as well as of ſin; I am tormented in theſe flames: but the wickedneſs of Hell is worſe than the torments of Hell, its the wickedneſs of the Devils, and of men acted by Devils, that bring them to that place of torments. A Hell of torments is rather to be choſen than a Hell of wickedneſs: It was Anſelms ſpeech; If hell, ſaith he, were on one hand without ſin, and ſin on the other hand without hell, and I muſt needs chuſe one, I would rather chuſe hell than ſin. A hell of torments without ſin, is better than a hell of ſin without torments.
4. That thoſe that are under the Devils power are in a very ſad condition. Its a ſad thing to be under the command of wicked Governours, Prov, 28. 15. As a roaring Lion and a ranging Bear, ſo is a wicked Ruler over the poor people. It were as good to live in the wilderneſs amongſt ravening Lions, as under the Dominion of wicked Rulers: wickedneſs fits them for all acts of oppreſſion, injuſtice and cruelty: When children that want knowledge, and babes which are without underſtanding rule, then the people ſhall be oppreſſed every one by another, Eſay 3. 5. how much more when wicked men rule: when wickedneſs ſits at the helm, there will be no want of miſery in the ſhip. That the hypocrite reign not, leſt the people be inſnared, Job 34: 30. people muſt expect nothing but ſnares, till the reign of the hypocrite be expired: Solomon tell us, that when the wicked bear rule, the people mourn, Prov. 29: 2. All in a Land are mourners in ſuch a time, unleſs it be thoſe that live by wickedneſs. If it be ſo ſad to be under the power of wicked men, how ſad is it to be under the power of Satan? there is more wickedneſs in one Devil than in many wicked men put together: And then he hath more power and policy than men have to bring to paſs the wickedneſs that is in him; therefore is the condition of all to be lamented that are under his juriſdiction; and thus are all wicked and unregenate men, Eph. 1, 2, 3.
5. This ſhewes us why it is, that Satan doth ſo hate God and all his Saints: He is an irreconcileable Adverſary to God and to all that are godly. The reaſon is plain, there is a contrariety of nature between God and Satan, and between Satan and godly ones, and where there is contrariety of nature, there will be enmity and oppoſition. Gal: 5: 17: The righteous is an abomination to the wicked.
Exhortation. 1. Let it be a motive to all Ʋſe 2.men, eſpecially to the holy ones of God, to mortifie and put off all manner of wickedneſs. Let the Devil and his inſtruments be wicked, but be not you wicked. It was Davids Argument, whereby he was ſtayed from laying hands upon King Saul, when he was earneſtly perſwaded to kill him, 1 Sam. 24. 13. Wickedneſs proceedeth from the wicked, but my hand ſhall not be upon thee. Wicked acts are diabolical acts, they proceed from him, and they lead men to him. And it is not fit, that the Children of God ſhould ſymbolize with the Devil. Tis the Apoſtles Argument to take off the people of God from Idol-worſhip, 1 Cor. 10. 20. The things which the Gentiles ſacrifice they ſacrifice to Devils and not to God, and I would not that ye ſhould have fellowſhip with Devils. Swearing, lying, forſwearing, cheating, &c. theſe are works fit for the evil one and his Angels, and not for Saints. Be not therefore partakers with them.
2. Bleſs God for delivering you from under the power and dominion of Satan. Vide Col. 1. 13. You were once at the command of that wicked one as well as others, and you ſhould have continued for ever in that condition, if God had not freed you from his tyranny. David praiſeth God for cutting aſunder the cords of wicked men, in which he was ſometimes holden, Pſalm 129. 4. The plowers plowed upon my back, and made long their furrows: but the righteous Lord, &c. How much more cauſe have you to praiſe God for deliverance from wicked Devils, who had power, not onelyonly to miſchief your bodies, but your ſouls alſo?
3. Do not truſt the Devll when he pretends to ſanctifie. He is ſo politique, that he can ſometimes for his advantage transform himſelf into an Angel of light, 2 Cor. 11. 14. Myſtery Babylon hath in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and filthineſs of her fornication. Rev. 17. 4. The Devil, the grand Impoſter of all, doth oftentimes carry his worſt poyſon in a golden cup, he can ſpeak Scripture to draw you from Scripture, he can tempt you to be irreligious, by religious Arguments falſly and deceitfully applied; he can tempt men to prophane Sabbaths, upon a pretence of ſtanding for Chriſtian liberty, &c. he can argue men from waiting upon Ordinances, becauſe the Spirit is able to teach them, &c. This is his great maſter-piece that he is now acting in the world, his wine is now carried in a golden cup. But let all the godly know, that he is ſtill the wicked one, and though he ſpeak divinely, yet he alwayes acts diabolically; though the voice be Jacobs voice, yet the hands are the hands of Eſau; he never works more wickedly, than when he ſeems to act moſt holily.
Thus much for the firſt propoſition.
2. That the temptations of Satan are fiery darts. He ſhoots arrows of fire at the Servants of God. Its ſometimes true in the very letter; the Devil uſeth fire to deſtroy the Servants of God. The Apoſtle mentions the fiery tryal, 1 Peter 4: 12. Think it not ſtrange concerning the fiery tryal, as if ſome ſtrange thing happened to you: i. e. fiery perſecutions. The Devil ſometimes ſtirreth up Tyrants by material fire to devour the bodies of Gods Saints. The three Children were caſt in a fiery furnace, Dan. 3. 21. And we read of ſome Chriſtians, Heb. 11: 34. that quenched the violence of the fire. In the primitive time fiery perſecutions were raiſed againſt the Chriſtians. And in the Marian dayes, many of Gods Witneſſes went to Heaven in fiery Chariots, they gave their bodies to be burned, that they might not worſhip any God but their own God. And we do not know whether the ſame kind of perſecutions may not yet ariſe amongſt us in our dayes; we dwell amongſt the children of men, who are ſet on fire, whoſe teeth are ſpears and arrows, and their tongue a ſharp ſword, Pſalm 37: 4. And if theſe fiery perſecutions ſhould return, God would deal no otherwiſe with us than he hath done with his former Servants, who through faith have triumphed in theſe flames. But the Apoſtle, I ſuppoſe, doth not here ſpeak of perſecutions, but of other temptations. He alludes to the cuſtom of Souldiers in former times, who uſed to dip the heads of their Arrows in poyſon, and ſo ſhooting them at their enemies fired their fleſh. Satans temptations are here compared to theſe fiery darts.
In the handling of it I ſhall firſt ſhew you, why his temptations are called fiery Arrows. Secondly, I ſhall make ſome inferences from it by way of uſe.
1. They are called fiery darts in theſe two reſpects.
1. For the dreadfulneſs and terrour of them. Fire is a very terrifying thing, it works much aſtoniſhment and fear upon the hearts of men that behold it. To ſee Houſes or Cities ſet on fire works great amazement upon the Spirits of men. the temptations of Satan are dreadful temptations to ſuch as have the right apprehenſion of them. Sometimes he tempts men to deny Jeſus Chriſt that bought them. Sometimes he tempts them to blaſpheme God: Sometimes to ſelf-murther, Math. 26. 70. Job 2. 9.Math. 4. 6. Sometimes to caſt off Religion as a vain thing. Pſalm 73: 13. Theſe temptations, as they are dreadful in their own nature, ſo they work much trouble and amazement in the Spirits of them that are thus aſſaulted, tis a dreadful thing to have ſuch a ſuggeſtion, though it be never conſented unto by the heart.
2. For the deſtructiveneſs of them. Fire is a very devouring creature: Sodom and Gomorrah, and the adjoyning Cities were in a few houres conſumed to aſhes by the violence of fire, Gen. 19. 24, 25. The temptations of Satan are waſting things. All the comfort of a Chriſtian is preſently devoured by them. The ſtrength of the body is decayed, the ſtrength of the ſpirits is waſted, and the whole man is brought very low, and made like withered graſs by the violent ſcorching of theſe flames. The temptations of probation, which God ſends upon his people for their trial, do much waſt both ſoul and body: Job 6: 4. The arrows of the Almighty are within me, the poiſon wherof drinketh up my ſpirits. And ſo do the temptations of Satan: One hours temptation drinks up more ſpirits than many weeks ſickneſſes. Pſalm 88: 15.
2. The Inferences by way of uſe are theſe.
1. Such as are under theſe burning flames ſtand in much need of your pitty and prayers. Perſons that are in a houſe ſet on fire are objects of pitty in all mens thoughts, every one is ſenſible of ſuch a ſad condition. Such as lie under temptations are in a worſe condition, their ſouls are ſet on fire, did you but feel their burnings, you would pitty them. The caſe of the Iſraelites was ſad, when God ſent fiery Serpents to bite them, Exod 21: 6. Tempted Chriſtians are haunted with fiery Serpents worſe than thoſe, let them be releived with your counſel and Prayers.
2. Be not too cenſorious againſt thoſe that are overcome by Satans temptations. Be not over ſevere againſt ſuch. Temptations are fiery darts, and if theſe darts faſten upon any of your brethren, and pierce ſomewhat deep, do not uſe too much ſharpneſs againſt them. Its an eaſie thing for ſuch combuſtible matter as fleſh and blood to be overcome by fiery arrowes, eſpecially if God be pleaſed to withdraw preſent help, Vide Gall. 6. 1. 2.
3. Let it be a Caution to us all that we do not dally and play with Temptations. Do not by careleſneſs Dangerous for children to play with fire.and looſeneſs lay your breaſts open to theſe fiery darts. Can a man take fire in his boſom and his cloths not be burnt? Can one walk upon coales and his feet not be burnt? Prov. 6. 27. Its an eaſie matter to betray your ſelves into the hand of Satan, but not ſo eaſie to deliver your ſelves. A houſe is ſoon ſet on fire, but not ſo ſoon quenched.
4. Thoſe who are enabled to ſtand under the Temptations of Satan, have cauſe to be very thankful. Though you be afrighted by this fire, yet have you cauſe to magnifie God that you are not devoured, that you can dwell with theſe burnings, here's great mercy.
5. Let all who are under Temptations make what haſt they can to quench them. A ſpark may ſuddenly grow to a flame, if great care be not taken to get it out. Now this may be done, 1. By fervent prayer. The prayer of Moſes quenched the fire at Tabirah Numb. 11. 2. 2. By withdrawing all combuſtible matter. Sin makes Temptations burn violently. 3. By the ſprinkling of Chriſts blood. A drop of that quencheth this Wildfire. 4. By the Shield of faith, of which more in the next Doctrine. Thus much for the firſt part of the verſe.