A Scripture-Map of the Wilderness of Sin, Treatise · Part 2 · Chapter 6
CHAP. VI. There are other bewildring Guidances. Profeſsing Hipocrites, Erring Saints, miſtaken duty.
FOurthly, the next guidance that Satan uſeth,4. Guidance profeſſing hypocrites turning aſide. to bewilder ſoules withall, is of profeſſing Hypocrites. This I obſerve, that although Satan will never make uſe of the example of any ſincere heart, thereby to perſwade, or to keepe any in the way, yet will hee conſtantly improve (to lead out of the way) the miſcarriage of any prefeſſor that ſhall turne aſide. You read that the hands of the wicked are ſtrengthned,Note and by whom? but by thoſe that would ſeem to be Prophets, but were not true Prophets? by their Doctrin…s, by their examples in a word, by their guidances were the wicked ſtrengthned, even that they should not return from their wicked way. Ezek. 13.22. Let thoſe that profeſſe take heed unto their waies, for if they goe into, or walk in the Wilderneſſe-waies of ſinne, they will never be alone.Inſtances. You have Balaam making an huge profeſſion. Numb. 22.18. If Balaam would give him an houſe full of Gold, he would not go beyond the word of the Lord more or leſſe. Yet to Balak this great profeſſor did go, and what uſe doth Satan make of his guidance, but to lead poor Iſrael into a ſpirituall Wilderneſſe, that they might ſtumble? Rev. 2.14. It was through profeſſing Balaams means, that Balak made Iſrael to ſtumble. So that 2 Pet 15. Many are ſaid to forſake the right, and to follow the way of Balaam. Men are willing to follow Hypocrites profeſſion, that they may have liberty to follow their ſins too. Now how influential a profeſſing Hypocrites deviation and turning aſide is, I ſhall ſhew but in another inſtance. viz. in Balaams Brother Judas; for I may call Judas the Balaam of the New Teſtament, and Balaam the Judas of the Old. Compare two Scriptures in Mat. 26.8. You have all the Diſcipels in a paſſion of indignation at that good act of Marie's, that Chriſt hath made famous throughout all after-ages: 'Tis ſaid, when the Diſciples ſaw it, they had indignation, ſaying, to what purpoſe is this waſt? 'Tis ſtrange that they, all of them ſhould grudge him a little Oyl, that did not grudge them his heart blood! whence was this? (think you) if a rude man, an open Enemy to Chriſt had gone that way to work, that they would have followed? truly I beleeve they would not: but, now, Ioh. 12.4, 5. One of the Diſciples Judas Iſcariot, ſaid, why was not this Oyntment ſold, &c. Satan had led Judas into the way of Balaam, that loved the bagge; and by Judas, Satan had eaſily led the reſt of the Diſciples into the ſame ſtumbling paths of the Wilderneſſe. Judas was a profeſſing Hypocrite: and the ſincere Diſciples are ſo gull'd thereby, that (I tremble to think on it) they take part with Judas againſt Jeſus. Therefore ſaith the Apoſtle, take heed brethren, leſt you depart from the living God. Heb. 3.12. and leſt any of you be hardned: if ſome depart, others are hardened. ver. 13. And how ſadly, how frequently, do we findt it?
Let profeſſors be warned (for others ſakes) what wayes they walke in;Caveat to profeſſors, and to all. and others (for their owne ſakes) what profeſſors they walk after.
5ly, The next of Satans Guidances to bewilder ſoules is,5th guidance, erring Saints. the erring and turning aſide of the very Saints, knowne and approved Saints. Oh! how many are there that will follow David in his Adultery? Noah in his Drunkenneſſe? Abraham in his Diſſembling? Peter in his denying Chriſt, and curſing and ſwearing? that never mind to follow David in his Repentance, or Noah in his Righteouſneſſe, or Abraham in his Obedience, or Peter in his bitter ſorrow? It grieves mine heart to thinke, there's ſcarce a ſinner but will have ſome treſpaſſe of a Saint, under which he will endeavour to ſhroud his own tranſgreſſion; but as for all their preſidents of Repentance, Holineſſe, Humility, Zeale, Care, Feare, Revenge, Sorrow, Indignation; how few are there that will follow the Saints in theſe paths? This then is Satans great policy, by Saints to bewilder ſinners: yea, to make them inſtrumentall unto the bewildring of one another. When Satan had in perſon tryed to bewilder our Saviour, when he had often tryed by the Scribes and Phariſees to entangle him, then as his laſt ſhift he gets into Peter, and by Peter deſignes to enſnare him; Chriſt ſaid unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, Mat, 16.23. Oh! if hee had not been Chriſt, (the guide) an hundred to one hee had now been bewildred.
When Satan makes uſe of the erroneous Counſell of a Saint unto a Saint; believe it,If they give wrong counſel. the caſe is very dangerous. If a Peter, a Father, a Friend, that is godly to boote, be uſed by Satan as his ſnare for thee, to draw thee into any ſinfull carnall way, let thy heart look to it ſelf now.Or have falſe apprehenſions. We are ready to ſuſpect counſel to be carnal, from thoſe that are carnal; but if it be a Peter that perſwades us to ſpare our ſelves, we think not ſo then: ſo if godly perſons have, or declare falſe conceptions about any thing, we are ready to take all to be as true that comes from them, as the grace that is in them.
I have have had to doe with ſome poore, I am perſwaded, ſincere hearts, that have had nothing to ſay againſt themſelves, (I meane, as to their ſincerity) but that ſuch a Godly Party told them (in a paſſion) that they might be Hypocrites for all their progreſſe ſo far; and truly I had much adoe to faſten ſatisfaction upon them, but that it muſt needs therefore be, that the work of Grace was counterfeit in them. Godly Miniſters had need take heed that they ſpeake not more or leſſe to diſtreſſed Conſciences, then the Word will warrant, for ſuch poore ſoules are prone to take all for Scripture (eſpecially at ſuch a time) that ſuch an one ſhall ſay, of whom they are perſwaded, that he is Godly, and ſo perhaps by an inconſiderate word, we may make the heart ſad, that God would not have to bee made ſad, as the ſpeech is, Ezek. 13.22. So if Godly perſons undervalue, or miſconſtrue Providences, they ſhall hardly doe it alone. How little due notice is taken of the operations of Gods hands, when any eminent for godlineſſe are either (with reaſon) diſtaſted with the Meanes, or poſſibly (without reaſon) Jonah-like diſpleaſed with the Mercies. So if any eminent for Holineſſe, erre either in judgement or life, how feareleſſe doe others follow? O ſuch a one I know to be godly,Or decline to any evill way. and I am confident he durſt not ſpeake it if it were not ſo, and would never embrace it, if it were not good. You have Peter under a temptation, Gal. 2.14. Paul charges him, that he walked not uprightly, nor according to the truth of the Goſpell: and what comes of it? Why, other Jews diſſembled alſo, and Barnabas (the Saint) was carried away with their diſſimulation, v. 13.
Querie. But you will ſay, How ſhall I doe to know Satans voice from Peters, ſince (it ſeemes) Satan can ſpeake in Peter: or how ſhall I do to walk in the waies of Peter as a Saint, and to keep out of his paths, ſo far forth as ſinfull?
I anſwer, by looking beyond all,Solution. unto that guidance which is one, and which is above all. Thou maiſt, and muſt ſet the cloud of witneſſes before thee, and follow them, but thine eye muſt ſtill be fixt upon the firſt guide, Heb. 12.1, 2. Seeing we are compaſſed about with a Cloud of witneſſes, let us run with patience the race that is ſet before us, verſe 1. Looking to Jeſus the Author and finiſher of our faith, verſe 2. Thus Paul ſaith of thoſe, 1 Theſ. 1.6. Ye became followers of us, and of the Lord. Its good following of the Saints, when in them thou ſee'ſt that thou followeſt the King of Saints. Paul deſires, godly perſons, or Miniſters may deſire no more, but that you ſhould follow them ſo far as they follow Chriſt.
Oh that the Saints would exceedingly feare ſinning upon this accoune. Perhaps the wicked ſees thy ſinning, that never ſees thy ſorrowing: and if God in mercy bring thee out of the Wilderneſſe, yet maiſt thou leave …y thine enſample another there irrecoverably, who though he found thy way in, yet will never be able to find thy way out again, but there muſt periſh to all eternity.
6ly, The next meanes of Satans improvement to bewilder is,6th Guidance, Miſtaken duties to bewilder us in our duty. by the prompting guidance of another duty to lead us out of our now-duty. Oh! 'tis very dangerous, when 'tis our duty (as we miſtake it) that becomes a falſe guidance to us. Untimouſneſſe may unduty our duty, Pſa. 137.4. The Lords ſongs are not at all times to be ſong: Now its Satans policy, when he cannot break us from the duty, then to divert (and diſturbe us from the time: But Solomon tells us, That, God hath appointed a ſeaſon for all things; to rejoyce, Note.and to mourn, &c. To every purpoſe there's a ſeaſon, Eccleſ. 3.1. Now that may be thy duty to day, which would be thy ſinne another time; and it muſt needs be ſo, becauſe the whole nature of ſome duties, lyeth in reference to the ſeaſon, ſo that when the Seaſon ceaſeth, the duty ceaſeth to be then our duty; yea, that which was duty becauſe of that ſeaſon, becomes ſinne becauſe of this; as for inſtance, many civill duties, at ſome ſeaſon, and upon ſome occaſions, It is meet that we ſhould make merry, Luk. 15.32. And it is better to go to the houſe of mourning at another ſeaſon, and upon another occaſion, Eccel. 7.2. Yea, in Religious Duties too; on theſe I ſhall inſiſt, becauſe its Satans great buſineſſe herein, and hereby to bewilder us.
I ſhall for inſtance pitch upon our two great and ſolemne occaſionall duties, Humiliation and Thanſgiving (although ſome proportion of theſe are as blood and water that runne through all our veynes, and muſt runne through all our ſpirituall exerciſes:Inſtance.) you ſhall too often find
1. That when God calls us to ſoul-humbling, our ſpirits are for rejoycing and refreſhing: for this God challengeth Iſrael, Iſa. 58.3. In the day of your faſt you find pleaſure.
2ly, When God calls us to ſoul-rejoycing, our Spirits are then for ſoul-humbling. This God reproveth alſo in the ſame people at another time, Nehem. 8.9. This day is holy to the Lord, weep not, neither mourn, for all the people wept, and verſe 10. Goe your way, eat the fat; and drink the ſweet, and ſend portions, &c. neither be ye ſorry, for the joy of the Lord is your ſtrength, verſe 10.
Now Satan hath great advantage hereunto through our ignorance: for ſurely the the people thought they did dwell in weeping: Why? 'twas for their ſinnes when they heard the Law read: 'twas for offending God that they wept; could this at any time be unſeaſonable? Yes, that meaſure of it now was, and to bee reproved, as Nehemiah and Ezrah did. And thus doth Satan by the guidance of ſome other miſtaken duty, turne us aſide from that frame of ſpirit, that wee ought to have in the preſent duty. When God bids them mourne, they find pleaſure; when he cals them to find pleaſure, and to rejoyce before him,Note. they mourn bitterly. Thou maiſt be affectionate in a ſin, thinking it verily to be a dutie.
Querie. But now here lies the difficulty, Pſal. 2.11. We are commanded to rejoyce with trembling; how then can Satan be ſaid to leade us out of the way by the one, from the other, when both together are our duty? and if ſo, how could Iſrael be reproved for their mourning, in the day of their rejoycing? ſince rejoycing is not as it ſhould be without trembling; nor (by the ſame Rule, and Scripture) muſt trembling be without rejoycing: rejoyce with your trembling.
Anſ. I anſwer, I apprehend it true, that there muſt be ſomething of an Humiliation day in every Thanſgiving, if rightly managed; and ſomething of a Thanſgiving in every ſoul-afflicting day, elſe may wee mourne our ſelves into deſpaire, or joy our ſelves into preſumption. Surely there's no contrariety in Chriſtian duty, therefore two different duties may be incumbent on the ſame ſubject, at the ſame time; and one frame of ſpirit made up of both, fit for either: but withall, the duty of the day muſt (as we ſay) carry the day, or elſe we ſinne. In a Thankſgiving day we muſt rejoyce with trembling: in an Humiliation, we muſt tremble with rejoycing. Now Satans buſineſſe is, to tranſport us beyond due bounds, by poyſing our ſpirits moſt unto that whereof ſhould be leaſt, as was clear in thoſe inſtances, and is too often in our expriences, and ſo to bewilder us in duty by duty. If you'l aske how much muſt there then be of trembling in our holy Feaſts? or of rejoycing in our Faſts? I anſwer, juſt ſo much as makes us fitter for the due management of the preſent duty. A little of ſpiriuall joy gives advantage, as your experiences can ſpeak, unto the due guidance of godly ſorrow. And a little trembling rightly attempers holy rejoycing, and whatſoever is more then thus commeth of evill. Now Satans buſineſſe is to make us loſe our ſorrowes in rejoycing, or our joy in ſorrowes, and our ſelves into both, and ever moſt of that whereof the preſent day and duty calls for leaſt; and thus may not onelyonly a Felix want a convenient ſeaſon, but you Saints may find it difficult to redeeme a ſeaſon for ſoule-ſearching from prayer, or for reſolving upon Reformation afterward in a ſerious ſort from ſoul-ſearching: You may enlarge it in other inſtances, as his bewildring our Meditations, by enclining us then to pray, or to break us off from prayer, by injecting uſefull Meditations (as formerly I have hinted) and the like to theſe.