The Power of Godliness, Treatise · Part 3 · Chapter 7
CHAP. VII. Of the ſecond great advantage that wee may gain from our converſe with the people of God, in reference to temptations.
THe next great advantage that wee get from our acquaintance with Chriſtians (though wee cannot enjoy theſe ſolemn conferences with them) is, in reference to temptations, and four advantages wee may gain, as to them.
1. Wee may know how to judge of our ſelves under temptations.
2. Wee may learn the cure of temptations.
3. How to improve them.
4. How to diſcover divers things to bee temptations, which otherwiſe wee ſhould take to bee motions of the holy Spirit.
1. For the judging of our condition under temptations, for weak Chriſtians that are not acquainted with the Wiles of Satan, nor know how active and fruitful their own hearts are in evil, think, that if they are much tempted, they are none of Gods children; nay, if they are much afflicted, they have no intereſt in God, and that they have no faith, if troubled with doubtings. There are very few, but (when they were firſt troubled with blaſphemous thoughts) have been fill'd with ſuch horrour, that they have judg'd themſelves Reprobates, becauſe theſe thoughts have been injected by Satan, for they have laid them wholly to their own charge, and ſo have even ſunk under the burthen and guilt of them; but when once they come to bee acquainted with the Saints, they will finde that it is the ſpot of Gods people: And in many other kindes of temptations, they will finde, that as face anſwereth face in a glaſs, ſo heart anſwers heart.
2. For the cure of temptations: As for example, theſe blaſphemous thoughts, they will tell them what they do in this caſe, viz. that theſe temptations have more horrour in them than guilt, and it is Satans ſin, and not theirs, ſince they abhor ſuch thoughts, as they do he…l; as a chaſte woman that's raviſht, it is look'd upon as her affliction, and not her crime, and that they uſe (when blaſphemous thoughts aſſault them) to do as a chaſte matron doth, when a baſe wretch ſpeaks filthy things to her, ſhee will take no notice of his words, as neer as ſhee can, and get her out of his company; ſo divert thy thoughts, and think not over thoſe thoughts again, though to abhor them; and many other ſuch directions they will give thee from their own experience; that poor ſoul is in a ſad condition, that hath no Chriſtian acquaintance to communicate its doubts and temptations to, but thoſe that have Chriſtian friends to communicate with, as thoſe that have chearful company and diſcourſe in their journey, that know the way, their journey to heaven will bee with far fewer miſtakes, fears, and far more delightful.
3. By our Chriſtian acquaintance, wee ſhall learn how to improve temptations, and how to bee gainers by them. As for example, we may bee gainers by blaſphemous thoughts, for one way of cure is, the way to get advantage by them, viz. when Satan caſts in theſe blaſphemous thoughts into thee, do as they did, Acts 19.34. when they thought that Alexander would ſpeak againſt Diana, they cried out for the ſpace of two hours, Great is Diana of the Epheſians; ſo when Satan blaſphemes God, by caſting in theſe blaſphemous thoughts (for it is Satan that blaſphemes God, and not thou) break forth in the praiſes of God, and read, or ſing; Pſalm 103.116, 14…, 148. or ſome other Pſalm that is filled with the praiſes of God; and as if Alexander had ſpoken againſt Diana, that general out-cry would have kept him from being heard, ſo ſhalt thou by this means drownd the noyſe of theſe temptations, and bee a gainer by them, ſince thy praiſes of God ſhall bee far more than thoſe blaſphemous thoughts amount to, and have more holineſs in them, than they have guilt, as to thee, and when Satan ſees, hee is a loſer by his temptations, hee will bee weary of tempting of thee. I remember there is a ſtory of one that made an advantage of a temptation that aſſaulted him, a poor man ask'd an almes of him, and hee gave him ſomething, but his heart grudging that hee had given ſo much, hee called the poor man, and gave him as much more: I will teach thee, ſaith hee to his heart, to bee ſo wicked, and hee took an holy revenge of himſelf and Satan.
4. By our acquaintance with Gods people, wee ſhall bee able to diſcover divers things to bee temptations, which otherwiſe wee ſhould have thought to bee the motions of Gods Spirit: As for example, as I have written in another Treatiſe, the making of perpetual vowes and reſolutions, for abſtaining from things indifferent in themſelves, though at that time, when they made thoſe vowes, they were ſnares to them; and ſo there are ſome that are put upon prayer, and hearing Sermons ſo often, that they neglect their particular calling; ſo divers in deſertion, think that they ought not to go to the Ordinances, nor perform holy duties, nor that any one ſhould pray with them, for they ſay, it doth but encreaſe their guilt, and that they have mercies enough already to anſwer for: Divers things wherein ſome place Religion, are but ſuperſtition, ſo that many things bee diſcover'd to bee ſins by our acquaintance with the people of God, which wee ſhould have thought to bee duties.