The Christian Completely Armed, Lecture 4
LECT. 4th. Octob. 31. 1649.
Epheſ. 6. 13.
WE have done with the firſt Doctrine that Chriſtians are liable to an evill day of Temptation. The ſecond Doctrine followeth, which is alſo implyed, viz.
That it is the duty of every Chriſtian, manfully to withſtand and oppoſe Satan in the evill day of Temptation. We muſt foreign As often as the Devill ſhall riſe up againſt us, ſo often muſt we riſe up againſt him, and make reſiſtance; whether he aſſault us immediately by throwing his ſuggeſtions and injections into the ſoul with his own hand, or whether he make uſe of any other Inſtrument to tempt us in his ſtead; whether the Inſtrument be a friend, or an enemy; whatſoever kind of Temptation it be, or whatſoever way of aſſault be uſed, it is the Duty and part of a Chriſtian, to make open and reſolute reſiſtance.
I ſhall 1. Frove the foreign. That it is ſo. 2. Prove the foreign. Why it is ſo.
1. For the Quodſit. Let theſe three things be conſidered, which do ſufficiently make it out.
(1) What ever is poſitively and peremptorily commanded unto Chriſtians, that ought to be performed: The Command of God layes an obligation upon the ſoul, which is indiſpenſible. But God chargeth this upon all, by way of Precept. I ſhall bring two Texts, James 4. 7. Reſiſt the Devill, &c. And again, foreign.1 Pet. 8. 9. Your adverſary the Devill, as a roaring Lyon walketh about, ſeeking whom he may devoure, whom reſiſt ſteadfaſt in the faith. In which place theſe 2. things are to be obſerved. foreign.Firſt, the Devills unwearied diligence in aſſaulting, he goeth about, caſting his darts, and ſpreading his ſnares, that he may ſurprize and catch us. And ſecondly the Chriſtians Duty in reference to theſe aſſaults: He muſt reſiſt ſteadfaſt in the faith. Eph. 4. 27.
(2.) The commendable examples which we have in Scripture, are to be imitated; Now we have very Rare examples of this Duty. We have the example of Chriſt, and of holy men, led by the ſpirit of Chriſt. He reſiſted both the immediate, and the mediate Aſſaults of that Wicked-one. In Matth. 4. we have Satan appearing to Chriſt in a viſible ſhape, tempting him, and fighting with him. He makes a threefold aſſault, If thou be the Son of God, command that theſe ſtones be made bread, v. 3. If thou be the Son of God, caſt thy ſelfe down, v. 6. All theſe will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worſhip me. v. 9. And we finde a threefold oppoſition. It is written, Man ſhall not live by bread alone, but by the word of God. v. 4. It is written, Thou ſhalt not tempt the Lord thy God, v. 7. And again, it is written, Thou ſhalt worſhip the Lord thy God, and him onelyonly ſhalt thou ſerve. v. 10. Though our Saviour was patiently contented to be buffetted by men, yet he would not endure the buffettings of Satan. When the Jews ſmote him with the palms of their hands, and with reeds upon the head, he made no reſiſtance: but when Satan ſmites him with temptations, then he oppoſed. And when he aſſaulted him by an Inſtrument, we finde he made the ſame Oppoſition. In Mat. 16. 22, 23. Our Saviour had there diſcourſed with his Diſciples about his paſſion, verſe 21. The Son of man muſt go up to Jeruſalem, and ſuffer many things of the Elders and chief Prieſts, and Scribes, and be killed, and the third day be raiſed again. The Devill knowing well, that the Death of Chriſt would be the ruine of his kingdom; for he remembred what was threatned in Paradiſe, Gen. 3. 15. The ſeed of the woman ſhall break the Serpents head: Therefore he inſtills this motion into Peter; if it were poſſible, to divert him from the work of Redemption. Our Saviour ſeeing from whence this ſuggeſtion came, makes a violent reſiſtance, Get thee behinde me Satan, thou art an offence unto me. The very ſame words he uttered to Satan, immediately tempting him, Matth. 4. 10. he now uſeth to Peter, the Deputy of Satan in this action, foreign. And as our Saviour, ſo thoſe who were acted by his ſpirit: Job when his Wiſe was made the Devills hand, to convey poyſon into his ſoul, in the evill day of his affliction, he doth reſolutely oppoſe the Temptation: Curſe God, ſaith ſhe, and die, Job 2. 9. Rid thy ſelf of this intolerable burthen, which is heavier then death it ſelfe. Thou ſpeakeſt, ſaith he, as one of the fooliſh women ſpeake, What, ſhall we receive good at the hand of the Lord, and ſhall we not receive evill alſo? verſ. 10. He would not drink of Satans Cup, though his own Wife was made the Cup-bearer, but puts it away from him with indignation, and juſt rebuke.
(3.) We are commanded to pray, that God would not ſuffer us to be led into temptation, ſo as that we ſhould conſent and yield to it, Matth. 6. 13. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evill. In which Petition we pray, that, if God do ſuffer Satan to break looſe upon us, and to ſhoot his Arrows at us, yet that he would not give us up into his power, but enable us by his grace, that we may never yield with willing conſent, to comply with any of his Temptations. Now its a ſure Rule, That what good we beg by prayer, from the hand of God, we uſe all lawfull means to accompliſh; And whatſoever evill we pray againſt, that we diligently uſe our own endeavour, by all good means, to avoid and eſchew the ſame; otherwiſe our prayers will be but idle, unbelieving Prayers, & meer taking of the name of God in vain: we muſt Work out our ſalvation, as well as Pray that we may be ſaved: yea our very praying for ſalvation, layes this obligation upon us, to work out our ſalvation: Our very praying for our daily bread, bindes us to uſe holy labour and diligence, that we may have bread to eat; and our very praying for remiſſion of ſins, engageth us to joyn Repentance and Faith in Chriſt, that our ſins may be forgiven: ſo doth our praying, that we may not be overcome by temptation, engage us to make reſiſtance againſt aſſayling temptation. When the Children of Iſrael were endangered by the Egyptians behind, and the red Sea before; Moſes cryed unto God by prayer: And when he had done, ſtood ſtill; ſaith God to him, Exod. 14. 14. Wherefore cryeſt thou unto me? Speak unto the Children of Iſrael, that they go forward; but lift thou up thy rod, and ſtretch out thy hand over the Sea, and divide it. As if God ſhould have ſaid: if you pray to be delivered, you muſt work to be delivered: you muſt watch as well as pray. If you would have me to ſave you, you muſt uſe all lawfull means for your own preſervation. And we have the like reaſoning with Joſhuah: When there was ſuch a defeat received before the City of Ai in the Land of Canaan, Joſhuah and the Elders of Iſrael fell down before the Lord, and caſt duſt upon their heads, and make a very patheticall and fervent prayer, Cap. 7. 6. 7, 8. Alas, O Lord God, wherefore haſt thou at all brought this people over Jordan, to deliver us into the hands of the Amonites, to deſtroy us, &c? The Canaanites and all the Inhabitants of the Land, ſhall hear of it, and ſhall environ us round about, and cut off our name from the earth, &c. Saith God, v. 10, 11, 12, 13. wherefore lyeſt thou thus upon thy face? Iſrael hath ſinned and tranſgreſſed my Covenant, &c. Up, ſanctifie the people, &c. As if God ſhould have ſaid, If you do expect to have this breach repayred, you muſt removere prohibens, take away that which hath brought upon your ſelves, and which will continue this ill ſucceſs, if it be not removed. Thus for the Quod ſit, That it is ſo.
2. For the Cur ſit, Why it is ſo. There is very great reaſon for this Oppoſition.
(1.) From the worth and preciouſneſs of that which lieth at ſtake in this controverſie. Satans name is in Hebrew Abaddon, and in Greek Apollyon; and in Engliſh, A Deſtroyer, Rev. 9. 11. And the end of his deſign in all his Aſſaults, is anſwerable to his Name, he comes to rob, kill, and deſtroy; and that not the body and outward man onelyonly, but that which is of more value then all the world beſides, the Immortall Soul.
Satan ſaith, as the King of Sodom to Abraham, Gen. 14. 21. Give me the Souls, and take the goods to thy ſelfe. He matters not who carry away all other ſpoyl, ſo that he may have the ſoul for his Dividend. He fights againſt them by his Temptations, that he may deprive them of that eternall and exceeding weight of glory. Hold faſt that which thou haſt, that no man take thy Crown. Rev. 3. 11. Satan doth not contend for Counters, but for Crowns; and thoſe not temporall and corruptible, but eternall and incorruptible, 1 Cor. 9. 25. Non controvertitur de limitibus, ſed de ipſâ haereditate. You read of an Inheritance incorruptible, immortall, undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reſerved in Heaven for you. 1 Pet. 1. 4. The end of all Satans Aſſaults, is to wipe you of this Inheritance. He aſſaults you, that he may bring you into bondage to his Common-wealth and Tyranny, the worſt of all Tyrannies. Contentions and oppoſitions for triviall and trifling matters, are not worth taking up; and if they be taken up, every prudent man will ſoon lay them aſleep; but when great things are at ſtake, Cowards will be valiant. Such is the matter of a Chriſtians oppoſition. Ergo.
(2.) From the juſtneſs and lawfulneſs of the Warre. There are two things which make a Warre lawfull and juſt. 1. The Call of a juſt Authority. 2. A juſt cauſe. If either of theſe be wanting, there can be no comfort in undertaking any Warre. To go forth in any publique Warre againſt any, without the Call of lawfull Authority, is to commit murther. I ſay in publique Warre, becauſe in caſe of abſolute neceſſity, when a man is aſſaulted by Theeves and Robbers (pro termino in diviſibili for that very inſtant) he is his own Magiſtrate. Andrews upon the Commandments. p. 741. Exod. 22. 2. Neceſsitas dicit legem Legi. Its obſerved, that when Joſhuah was dead, the Children of Iſrael could not go out to warre though with the Canaanites, whom God had devoted to deſtruction, till they had received Authority from God, they would firſt have a lawfull Guide, Judge 1. 1. After the death of Joſhua, it came to paſſe, that the Children of Iſrael, asked of the Lord, ſaying, Who ſhall goe up for us againſt the Canaanites firſt, to fight againſt them? And David would not fight with Goliah, untill he had a commiſſion from Saul, 1 Sam, 17. 37.
And to undertake a war when the cauſe is not juſt, is no leſſe then a breach of the ſame commandement, Thou ſhalt not kill. Eſpecially in the magiſtrate who makes ſuch a war: for whether the private perſon who is a ſubject, is to diſpute the law fullneſſe of the Princes war; or whether he be not engaged to aſſiſt upon his command, if he know not the war to be abſolutely unrighteous, is a great diſpute; but it is without controverſy that the Authority making an unlawfull war, is guilty of Murther. But now in this matter, there is a concurrence of both theſe, (1) you have a lawfull Authority calling you out to fight. God who is the Supreme Authority, to whomall creatures owe obedience and ſubjection, he calls you to make oppoſition againſt Satan.
And then. (2) The cauſe is very juſt. For Satan in aſſaulting any of the Children of God is a meer uſurper: he hath no right over you, you are not his but the Lords, by creation, by redemption, by ſpeciall dedication, &c. Satan is Tyrannus ſine titulo: you do but defend your own ſouls, and the Territory and Dominion of God and Jeſus Chriſt in you and over you, whoſe Dominion you are bound to preſerve.
3 From the Neceſſity of oppoſing: There's no other meanes which can do us any good, if this be neglected. There are but theſe four things which can be imagined to help an aſſaulted Chriſtian. Flying, Yielding, Compounding, & Oppoſing; now none of theſe beſides the laſt, will be available in this caſe.
1. Flying is to no purpoſe: Whither can he Fly? (1) There's no caſtle or place of refuge on earth which can keepe out Satan. The Devils are Spirits, Spirituall wickedneſſes, Eph. 6. 12. and we know no earthly place can keep out a Spirit. Spirits have not fleſh and bones, they can eaſily penetrate into any place: you cannot keep out the ayre out of any cloſe Dungeon; and how then can you keep out Satan who is more ſpirituall then the ayre or the light? (2) The Devill is ſwift of foot, he can eaſily overtake you, if you ſhould fly. And ti's obſervable that in all the ſpirituall Armour there is nothing appointed to cover the backparts. If you once turne your back, you give the Devill a faire marke where his Arrows will preſently faſten.
2. Yielding will not helpe you; the Devill is a very mercileſſe creature: he that ſubmits himſelfe to his fury, puts the Knife into his own bowels. The Devill gives no quarter to any ſinner that ever yeelds ſome. Say of the Lyon, that he will ſpare the prey that lyeth under his feet; but this roaring Lyon the Devill is moſt cruell to them that ſtoope. And then beſides; he that yeelds, puts himſelfe out of the compaſſe of Chriſts prayer. I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile not, Luc. 22. 32. Chriſt doth not make interceſſion for yeelding ſinners, but for oppoſing ſinners; he prayes that the faith of contending ſinners do not faile, but he doth not intercede that ſuch as will not fight, ſhould be defended.
3 Compounding is unavayleable: Satan will never make any compoſition but for his own advantage: and the Devills advantage will be the ſinners detriment if not his deſtruction. And beſides; if he ſhould ſeale to any good termes, yet would he keepe none. He is a perfidious creature, as wel as a mercileſſe creature: when he ſpeaketh a lie, he ſpeaketh of his own; forhe is a lyar, and the Father thereof, Joh. 8. 44. I will be a lying Spirit in the mouth of all his Prophets, ſaith Satan to God, when he had power given him over Ahab. 1. Reg. 22. 22. He is a diſſembler, therefore when he maketh his voyce gracious, believe him not: for there are ſeven abominations in his heart, Pro. 27. 25. The Devill ſomtimes transforms himſelfe into an Angell of light, 2 Cor: 11. 14, but he is never more an Angell of darkneſſe than when he is transformed into an Angell of light. He is never a greater enemy then when he appeares in the ſhape of a friend. When he ſet upon our firſt parents, he came to them as a friend, pretending his griefe that they were debarred from the tree of knowledge, & makes himſelf a greater friend than God was. Hath God ſaid, Ye ſhall not eat of every tree in the Garden? Gen. 3. 1. as if he ſhould ſay, My ſoul is troubled for you, that the deſire of your ſoul ſhould be with-held from you: take but my counſel, your condition ſhall be betterd: But what was at the bottome of that friendſhip, we find by ſad experience. When he ſet upon the ſecond Adam, he pretends the like friendſhip to him; If thou be the Son of God, command that theſe ſtones be made bread, Mat. 4. 3. He ſeemes to be much affected, that a perſon of ſuch worth as Chriſt was, ſhould want bread, after forty dayes faſting; but his intention was to have choked Chriſt, and all his Elect, with his bread. If ever Satan reach out his hand to kiſs you, be ſure there is a dagger under his garment to ſtab you; like Judas, he hath the greateſt prank of Treaſon to act, When he comes with an Hail Maſter.
(4) From the benefit of reſiſting: As there is hazard of ruine in ſubmitting; ſo there is certainty of Victory in oppoſing. When Chriſt had made avaliant reſiſtance, the text ſaith, the Devil gave way, & left him, Mat. 4. 11. And ſo wil he, at leaſt, be inforced to leave, if you continue in your oppoſition. We have not onelyonly a Promiſe for this, Jam. 4. 7. but we have many Experiences: Job, by his conſtancy in oppoſing, over-came the Tempter at laſt: God appeares in the end of the battel, and gives him the garland Cap. 42. 7, 8. Peter was ſifted much, but he overcame at laſt. Paul was long and ſorely buffeting; yet triumphed before his death in that foreign or ſong of Victory, 2 Tim. 4. 7, 8. and is now in deſpight of the Devil a triumphant Saint. And all that glorious Company in Heaven, who are deſcribed with Palms in their hands, and Robes upon their backs, and Crowns upon their heads, Rev. 7. 9. are at this preſent, ſinging the ſong of Victory unto God, and unto the Lamb.
Reproof to two ſorts of perſons:Ʋſe 1.
(1.) Such as, inſtead of withſtanding Satan the evil Spirit, withſtand and oppoſe the Spirit of Chriſt, quenching, and grieving, and reſiſting his bleſſed Motions. Steven ſayes this to the charge of thoſe obſtinate Jews, Act. 7. 51. Ye ſtiff-necked, and uncircumciſed in heart and eares, ye have alwayes reſiſted the Holy Ghoſt; as your Fathers did, ſo do ye. There are many in this way of oppoſition, reſiſting the Spirit in the Miniſtry of the Word, and in the immediate motions and ſuggeſtions put into their hearts. When the Spirit moves them to pray, they oppoſe him: When the Spirit bids them hear, they ſtop their eares; and when the Spirit bids them, Seek ye my face; they anſwer, Thy face will we not ſeek. I would have ſuch men to conſider a few things ſeriouſly: Theſe two things.
1. There's no man knows whether the Spirit will move once more in his heart, or no: That which Solomon ſaith in another caſe, we may as truly ſay in this caſe, Eccleſ. 8. 8. There is no man hath power over the Spirit, to retain the Spirit. The Spirit of God is a free Agent; He workes when, and where, and as long as he pleaſeth; he bloweth where he liſteth, &c. Many a man would now be glad to feel thoſe movings upon his ſoul, which he hath ſtifled formerly by his own ſinful oppoſings, but cannot redeem them.
2. How unable you will be to act in any good, when the Holy Spirit of God is ſilenced. 'Tis the Spirit of God which workes in you, both to will and to do, Phil. 2. 23. And if this Wheel do not turn, there will never be any good motion in the Soul. The Soul without the Holy Spirit, is but as a dead Corps with a living ſoul, not able to act at all: If there be neither Wind nor Tide, the Ship cannot ſayl. The Spirit of God is both the Wind and Tide of all Motions in the ſoul; and if this ſtir not, there is no action. It is with man, in regard of ſpiritual operations, as it was with the Wheeles in Ezekiels Viſion, and the living Creatures, Ezek. 1. 19, 20. 21. When the living Creatures went, the Wheeles went by them; and when the living Creatures ſtood, the Wheeles stood; and when the living Creatures were lifted up, the Wheeles were lifted up &c. The Soul of Man is a Wheel which is fit for motion; but it cannot move when the Spirit of God doth not move: If the Spirit ſtand ſtill, the Wheeles ſtand ſtill; and if the Spirit be lifted up, the Wheeles are lifted up: otherwiſe no motion.
(2.) Such as inſtead of withſtanding the Aſſaults of Satan, do indeed carry on the aſſaults of Satan; uſe all meanes they can, that they may both faſhion, and animate, and give breath to all Satans Conceptions, in their own, and others hearts. They hatch the Cockatrice eggs, and weave the Spiders web, Iſa. 59. 5. They are ready to put Tooles and Inſtruments into the hand of the Devil, and to do his work for him. The Apoſtle ſpeakes of ſome that make proviſion for the fleſh, to fulfill the lusts thereof, Rom. 13. ult. So, many make proviſion for the Devil, that they may accompliſh his temptations: They uſe all means to edge his temptations, that they may pierce to the bottome: they put feathers upon his arrows, that they may fly ſwiftly. Jonadab was guilty of this ſinne towards Ammon; He ſets on the temptation of the Devil, and promotes ſinne, and becomes a Pander to his luſt, 2 Sam. 13. 4, 5. Jezabel ſhe promotes Satans temptation againſt her husband; I wil, ſaith ſhe give thee the vineyard of Naboth, 1 Reg. 21. 7. She became a very Devil to her Husband, ſo do many perſons to themſelves go up and down, ſeeking occaſions and opportunities, to further Satans temptation. If Satan tempt them to drunkenneſs, they go preſently abroad to ſeek Companions; and if he perſwade them to uncleanneſs, they uſe all helpes and incentives to that ſinne, &c. It is a very curſed thing, and a ſacrilegious ſin, to help the Devil againſt Chriſt, either in your ſelves, or others. The Serpent was curſed for being an Inſtrument to the Adverſary, in his aſſaulting of our firſt Parents, Gen. 3. 14. And Jezabel bears this infamous brand; She made Ahab to ſin. Jezabel his wife ſtirred up, &c. Such as blow up Satans ſparks of temptation in their own hearts are Felones de ſe, Self-Murtherers, which of all Murtherers are the moſt bloody, and confiſcate all they have.
Exhortation: to perſwade all Chriſtians to Ʋſe 2.this reſolution. Play the men, and ſtand out againſt the Devil and all his Inſtruments. Keep your footing, and yield not in any caſe; though he come upon you, as Goliah did upon David, with open mouth; yet keep your ground, and flinch not at any hand. And for your encouragement, conſider:
(1.) That Satan is but a Creature, though he be ſtrong and cruel; yet his ſtrength is but a created ſtrength: he is potent, but not omnipotent. Omnipotency is incompatible to a Creature. He is the ſtrong man armed; but Jeſus Chriſt is ſtronger then he: and though you cannot, yet he can diſarm him, and take away that wherein he truſteth, Luke 11. 22.
(2.) That he is a Creature under a Curſe: This may take off much from that dreadfulneſs which many look upon him with, vid. Gen. 3. 14. Curſed ſhalt thou be above all the Beasts of the field▪ &c. There is nothing which may more encourage a Child of God in his ſpiritual Encounters, then this, That all he diſpures againſt are under a Divine Execration: Gods Curſe is a weakning thing.
(3) He is a wounded and conquered Creature, Gen. 3. 15. He ſhall break thy head, and thou ſhalt bruiſe his heel. Our Saviour, I remember, encourageth his Diſciples againſt troubles from the World, by this very Argument, I have overcome the World, Joh. 16. 33. He hath overcome the Devil, as well as the World, for he triumphed over Principalities and Powers on the Croſs, Col. 2. 15. Chriſt put Satan to flight in his aſſaults, Matth. 4. 11. and that as our Head. Satan overcame all Mankind in the firſt Adam; but in the ſecond Adam he is overcome by all the Elect in Chriſts Victories, Epheſ. 2. 6. So in this.
(4) He is a chained Creature alſo, Rev. 20. 1, 2. God keeps him faſt in Irons; he was put into Fetters ever ſince his (2 Pet. 2. 4.) firſt Rebellion, and he cannot ſhake them off, Jude 6. And this chain doth ſo confine him, that he cannot ſtir, until God ſlack his Chain. Let me touch his fleſh and bone, and he will curſe thee to thy face; Job 2. 5. And ye know he was not able to enter into the Herd of Swine, till Chriſt had ſlackened his chain, Luk. 8. 32. how much more is a Saint better then a Swine? I ſhall to theſe Encouragements add one more: Remember your Sacramental Oath in Baptiſme made to God: then it was, you took Preſtmoney to ſerve in Gods wars; And that you ſhould oppoſe the Devil, was a part of your engagements: Perjury is a hainous ſinne; the very light of Nature abhors it, and God hath, and will ſeverely avenge it, vid. Zech. 5. 4.
Now if you would Oppoſe to any benefit, you ſhould be carefull of theſe three things:
1. Study his ſtratagems, 2 Cor. 2. 11. This will help you much in Oppoſing. The Apoſtle, in Epheſ. 6. 11. mentions his wiles.
2. Oppoſe him at a diſtance: It's beſt fighting an enemy in his own Territories; prudent Warriours endeavour to do ſo.
3. Uſe the right Armour: Of which, we ſhall ſpeak in the next Doctrine.