nature and the divine though hypostatically united And likewise 4. That God hath given us eternall life and that life is in his Sonne this being 〈◊〉 great truth of the Gospell so as a Christian 〈◊〉 beleeves it not maketh God a lyar 1 Joh. 5. 10 11. Therfore Satan being that great lyar John 8. 44. opposeth this great truth and our faith therein above all others His 〈◊〉 at the advancement of our nature in Christ according to that truth is thought by some to have bin his fall and ruine so understanding that in Ioh. 8. He abode not in the truth However he doth now delight to make God a lyar to us in our apprehensions by questioning his promises and especially to enforce the perswasion thereof out of Gods owne dealing with us perverting his righteous wayes And secondly §. 2. as Satan hath such a desire is God may give his childe up into Satans hand for a while thus to afflict and terrifie his Spirit God may and doth give up his childe into Satans hands permit him thus to tempt him His last commission over Iob seemeth to extend thus far for his life only was excepted Iob 2. 6. He is in thy hand only save his life therefore after that leave given we heare Iob although never brought to question his estate yet crying out of terrors and of the sins of his youth for Satan then as he smote his body with boiles so buffetted his spirit And though Satan hath will of himselfe and a desire to it and power physicall enough and abilities to inflict this at all times yet he must further have power morall or leave and commission from God And God somtimes gives to Satan power over the sonnes and daughters of Abraham Luke 13. even as wel as others and as their bodies to be vexed by him so their spirits and as to provoke them unto sinne so much more to terrifie for sinne there being more of punishment then of sinne in that Thus he left David to Satan to provoke him unto sinne aswell as Iudas Therefore that provocation to number the people as it is imputed to Satan and his malice 1 Chron. 21. 1. so also to God and his anger in giving leave first to Satan 2 Sam. 24. 1. And as an evill spirit from the Lord troubled Sauls minde 1 Sam. 16. 14. So a messenger of satan was sent to buffet Pauls spirit 2 Cor. 12. wherein yet God doth no way help Satan with any further power then what as an Angell he furnished him with at his creation nor with any assistance or information of our secret sins against us to enable him the more to assault us this I finde not in Scripture but permissive power only Which is either 1. obtained and given at Satans motion request first made so that phrase Luke 22. 31. Satan hath requested and petitioned to winnow you 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as that also Job 2. 3. Thou movedst me against him doth imply and as it may seeme by singling out and calling forth some one for this combate as he did him more especially to whom therefore Christ addresseth that premonition and the word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 implies as much So also Iob was singled out for this duel both by God and Satan Or else 2. this is done through the ordinance of Excommunication and censures of the Church duely administred clave non errante for grosse and scandalous sinnes The proper inward effect that accompanies that ordinance which casts men out of the Church being inward affliction and distresse of conscience by Satan which of all afflictions is the greatest punishment as the Apostle calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2. 6. thereby to bring a man to repentance Even as on the contrary the speciall worke of baptisme which admits into the Church to such as were fideles adulti and beleevers already was by joy in the holy Ghost to seale up their adoption and regeneration unto them as to the Eunuch Acts 8. 39. This we may see in the excommunication of the incestuous Corinthian whose excommunication is therefore expressed to be a delivering him up unto Satan in the name of the Lord Iesus 1 Cor. 5. 9. that is he was to be cast out by a commission from Christ which going forth in his name when they published it on earth he signed it in heaven Upon which rightly administred doth ensue first that as the Church doth cut them off from communion with them so God cuts them off from communion with himself and hides and withdrawes the light of his countenance the witnesse of his Spirit his comfortable presence and not only so but delivereth them up to satan that being the consequent of it which therefore because it implies the former is put to expresse the whole proceeding which delivery of him unto Satan was not a giving him a commission to cary him on to more sin for the end propounded by the Apostle was to destroy the flesh that is corruption the body of sinne and that the spirit might be saved ver 5. that is that contrary principle of grace which yet remained but was ready to die as it is Rev. 3. 2. might bee saved and kept from death and destruction though that often be indeed the effect of it in hypocrites as in Alexander 1 Tim. 1. 19. but it was to terrifie and afflict his conscience and to stir up in him the guilt of his sin with terrors for it which God sanctifieth to humble and to mortifie the flesh And thus when that Corinthian was excommunicated did Satan accordingly deale with him for in the next Epistle 2 Cor. 2. 7. we finde him well nigh swallowed up of sorow which was Satans doing for ver 11. We are not ignorant saith the Apostle in reference partly to this of his devices And thus Satan continued still to handle him even now when he began to be truly humbled and was a fit subject to receive forgivenesse and comfort ver 7. when though hee feared God and obeyed him yet hee walked in darknesse till the Church received him Or else 3. when this ordinance is not in the case of such sins administred then God himselfe who workes without an ordinance sometimes the same effects that with it doth excommunicate mens spirits from his presence and gives them up to Satan by terrors to whip them home to himselfe So that God gives him leave to exercise power over both godly men and wicked men onely with this difference Wicked men God gives up unto him as unto their Ruler and their head they are therefore called the rulers of the darknesse of this world Ephes 6. 12. Who therefore work effectually in the children of disobedience Ephes 2. 2. Or else as captives to a Prince he taking them captive at his will 2 Tim. 2. 26. so as they are captived and led away 1 Cor. 12. 2. But his owne God gives up to him but as
us to Satan his drawing nigh so neere as to mingle with our spirits and as it were to become one spirit with us 2. As hereby he hath this advantage of accesse to get within us Of fit matter to work upon so this darknesse in us is also as fit fuell and as tinder to his fiery temptations that presently enkindleth and enflameth so as all those effects of the principles of darknesse mentioned he can both increase and augment and so addes blacknesse to that darknesse in us and darknesse being his dominion therefore so much darknesse as is in us so great a party he hath in us to work upon Hence therefore all the effects that he worketh in unregenerate men who are nothing but darknesse he may worke in regenerate men according to the proportion of the remainder of darknesse in them to a certaine degree and for a limited season as to delude their reason falsely accuse and terrifie their consciences c. Onely small despaire and revenge against God which is that sinne unto death this the Apostle excepteth for having occasionally mentioned that sinne 1 Iohn 5. 16. he addes ver 17. That he that is borne of God sinneth no◠that is not that sinne and he subjoyneth But keep◠himselfe that that evill one touch him not that is with the least infusion of the venome of that sin which is properly his sinne Iohn 8. 44. and which he toucheth their spirits with who become the Serpents seed And therefore all such instances as we finde that shew how hee hath wrought on the spirits of carnall men by reason of their totall darknesse may bee alledged to shew in a proportion what he may also worke on regenerate men for a season by reason of their darknesse in part remaining All things hapning alike to all Thus in generall CHAP. VII More particularly how Satan workes upon those three principles in us First on Carnall reason SEeing therefore the exercise of his power lyes in that darknesse which is in us let us more particularly see how able and powerfull he is to work upon those severall principles of Carnall reason guilt of conscience jealousies and feares First on carnall reason on which he chiefly worketh in this sort of temptations the strength wherof lyes in false reasonings wherein if in any thing he hath the advantage First §. 1. his abilities to forge and invent false reasonings and arguments to overthrow our faith Satans abilities to invent false reasonings are as they must needs be conceived to be exceeding great who for his knowledge is called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 as well as Satan for his malice and for his subtility in out-reaching us a Serpent who when young out-witted our first parents he beguiled Eve through his subtlety sayes the Apostle 2 Cor. 11. 3. then when their reason was not depraved but now hee is growne that Old Serpent increased by so long a time of experience Rev. 17. 9. and we are become children apt to be tossed to and fro Ephes 4. 14. He hath had time enough to improve his knowledge in a student he is of 5000. yeares standing that hath lost no time but as he is said to accuse day and night Rev. 12. 10. so is able to study both day and night and hee hath made it his chiefe if not whole study to enable himselfe to tempt and plead against us It is his trade therefore as men are called Lawyers or Divines from their calling so hee the tempter and the accuser from his imployment by this his long experience abservation he hath his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 2 Cor. 2. 11. his set and composed machinations his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Ephes 6. 11. his methods of temptations which are studied and artificially moulded and ordered even such systemes and methods of them as tutors and professors of arts and sciences have and doe reade over againe and againe to their Auditors The Apostle calls them darts verse 16. and he hath an whole shop and armory of them ready made and forged which for the acutenesse and subtill sophistry that is in them are called depths of Satan Revel 2. 24. Which depths and his continuall exercise in this great controversie in all ages if in any point are most to bee found in this for he is more especially versed in this great question and dispute whether a man bee the childe of God or no more then in any other all other controversies hee hath had to deale in but in particular ages as occasionally they were started but this hath beene the standing controversie of all ages since God hath had any children on earth With every one of whom more or lesse he hath at one time or another had solemne disputes about it so as he knowes all the advantages windings and turnings in this debate all the objections and answers and discussions in it And as other controversies the longer they are on foote and the further they have bin caryed along the more they are enlarged improved and grow more subtle So must this needs also especially in this latter knowing age of the world and by reason also of that seeming neere similitude which hypocrisie holds unto the truth and power of grace which hath fazled and entangled this controversie The objections and difficulties which a beleever meets with in beating out a right judgement of his estate which of all controversies is the most subtill and intricate are greater then in any controversie the world ever knew and afford stranger knots and require as acute distinctions to dissolve them as the Schoole knowes any And indeed such as did not the holy Ghost sometimes cut sometimes untie them for beleevers by witnessing with our spirits that wee are the sons of God bare reason alone could never determine in it Now Satan through long experience and observation hath all these at his fingers ends and hath reduced them all to common places long since He hath still observed and laid up what answers have relieved the spirits of beleevers in such and such a doubt cast in by him and then studies a further reply against the next time or for the next beleever he shall have to doe with Secondly §. 2. as he hath thus throughly studied this controversie Satan knowes how best to suit his false reasonings to all sorts of beleevers and knowes all the windings and false reasonings in it So withall by his daily studiing and considering Men he knowes how best to suit and make use of those reasonings both to persons and seasons It is the sole businesse of those evill spirits to study men for this end they goe up and downe the earth and he hath common places of men and their severall frames and temper of spirit as well as of temptations he knowes all the severall rankes and classes of men in the state of grace and according to their rankes with what sort of temptations to encounter them For mens
to restore and to comfort a man again I will restore comfort to him ver 18. Sixtly §. 6. in case of deserting his truth and not professing it 6. Case and appearing for it when he calls us to doe it For deserting his truth when called to professe it In this case hee left many of the Martys many of whom especially untill those in Queen Maries dayes when with the Gospells increase and the light of it God gave more strength also and some then also did desert the truth for a while then God in respect of comfort deserted thē then they recovering Gods favour again upon repētance a new resolution taken to stick to the profession of the truth what ever came of it that their desertion made them the more bold and resolute And this was in part Ionahs case who having a commission sealed him to goe to Niniveh with a message from God he withdrew himselfe and went another way and God in the midst of his security casts him into a whales belly and when hee was there God withdrawes himselfe from him as if hee meant never to owne him more insomuch that Ionah sayes Chap. 2. 4. Then I said I am cast out of thy presence And there is this equity in this dealing of Gods thus with us That as when we are ashamed of Christ the punishment fitted to it is That Christ will be ashamed of us so when we will not witnesse for God there is no reason His Spirit should witnesse to us And so when wee seeme to evade persecution for the Crosse of Christ then it is meet God should meet with us and take us in hand himselfe which is far worse Seaventhly §. 7. in case of unthankfulnesse and too common an esteeme had of the assurance 7. Case and light of Gods countenance Of unthankfulnesse for former comforts and of freedome from those terrours and doubtings which others are in which is a sinne Christians are apt to run into For as the light of the Sunne because it is ordinary is not regarded none minde it or look at the Sunne but as hee said when it is in the eclipse So a continuall sun-shine of Gods favour enjoyed occasioneth but a cōmon esteeme of it And in this case God withdrawes those cōforts and assurance because they are the greatest and sweetest comforts of all other and which to abuse or not to value of all other provokes most therfore in this case God takes them away For as Hos 2. 9. in case of being unthankful in outward mercies God tooke them away and restored them not againe till they esteemed them better and acknowledged whence they had them So also in spirituall assurance light and comfort doth God in like maner deale CHAP. XIII The third generall head The Ends for which God leaveth his children unto this darknesse First such as are drawne from God and his faithfulnesse c. NOw let us come to those ends which God may have in this his dealing with one that feares and obeyes him which are many and holy ones First to shew his power and faithfulnesse in upholding raising up and healing such a spirit againe as hath been long and deadly wounded with inward terrours which is as great an evidence of his power as any other and therefore saith Heman Psal 88. 10. Wilt thou shew wonders to the dead shall thy faithfulnesse be declared in destruction ver 11. That is in raising my soul up again to joy and comfort which is as much as to raise up a dead man nay more as much as to raise up a soule already in hell for the same terrours sayes hee that destroy them doe in like maner seaze on me in the 1. Ephes 19. it is said That the exceeding greatnesse of Gods power was seene in raising Christ from death to life and wherein lay principally the demōstration of that power not simply in raising his body up againe that was no more then he did to others but in Acts 2. 24. the power is said to be shewen in this that hee having losed the paines of death wherewith it was impossible he should be held he was raised up againe his soule was heavy unto death with terrours and those paines in themselves were deadly though not to him in that hee being God as well as man it was impossible for him to sinke under them now therefore to raise up and glorifie that his soule that was so bruised wounded and pierced through and through herein lay the wonder and such a wonder God shewed in recovering Heman And to shew the greatnesse of this worke let us consider a little the depth and deadlinesse of this kinde of distresse it is compared to the bruising of a reede which when it is bruised who can make it stand upright againe It is called The wounding of the spirit Proverbs 28. which no creature knowes how to come at to heale none but God who is the father of spirits who made them and knowes how to mend them It is not onely called the sicknesse of the spirit as Esa 33. 24. where the want of the assurance of the forgivenesse of sinnes makes poore soules to say I am sick which to heale is made the prerogative of the Sunne of righteousnesse arising with healing in his wings Mal. 4. 2. but also it is called death and destruction for so in that 88. Psalme Heman calls that distresse that he was in And the reason is Gods favour is our life by which wee live and are upheld which therefore being withdrawne the soule is ready to faile and faint and to come to nothing and sinke into destruction Esa 57. 16. And againe the paines of those terrours are more violent and more powerfull to hold us under then are the pangs of death The wounds of the guilt of sinne being as deadly and as strong as the lusts of the power of it and it requires as great a power to dissolve and scatter them For all the strength that the law and Gods justice hath sinne also hath to back it For the strength of sinne is the Law 1 Cor. 15. 56. Secondly § 2. as to know the power of Christ his resurrection 2. End to know the fellowship of Christs sufferings so the fellowship of his sufferings that thereby the soule may be made more conformable to him as it is Phil. 3. 10. As there are the suffering for Christ so the sufferings of Christ and God makes his partakers of both persecutions without and terrours within With which Christs soule was filled then when as the text sayes Hee was heard in what he feared and his soule was heavy to death and My God my God why hast thou forsaken mee and so Esa 53. It pleased God to bruise and wound him Now then to conforme us to his image we that are his brethren and are the persons guilty must suffer somewhat in spirit as well as he and have a portion therein also
and more then hee is for himselfe and I can forbeare no longer I will surely have mercy on him And should he have damned him his bowels would have been troubled for him indeed all his dayes Direction 10. THe tenth and last direction is Rest not in ease but healing that having done all this you would not rest in ease but healing not in ease of conscience but in healing of conscience This I ground upon Isa 57. 17 18. What was the true issue of that his trouble there whom God contended with It was healing and guiding I will guide him and I will heale him You that are troubled in minde thinke not your estates to bee good simply because you begin to cease to be troubled but onely then when the issue of your trouble is healing your spirits by some sound ground of comfort and when guidance in Gods wayes and more close walking with God is the issue of it For God may slack the cords and take you off the rack when yet hee hath not pardoned you A traitour who was cast into the dungeon and had many irons on him may be let out of the dungeon and have his irons taken off and have the liberty of the Tower and walke abroad againe with his keeper with him and yet not have his pardon nay usually before execution they use to take their irons off and let them have more freedome Thus it is with many I thanke God sayes one I have had much trouble of minde distresse of conscience such and such sinnes terrified me and I could not sleep for them but now I am well again and now they do not trouble me Yea but is this all Thou hast cause to feare that thy irons are but taken off against execution It is with men in point of trouble of minde in the guilt of sinne as in the power of it in justification as in sanctification A man who hath had a strong lust stirring in him if he hath gone a yeare or two and findeth it not to stirre he therefore thinkes hee is utterly freed from it which yet may be but a restraint of it not killing of it a cessation not mortification So it is often in this trouble of minde which ariseth from the guilt of sinne because a man findes not those doubts and feares and terrours in his heart which he had wont therefore presently he thinkes all is well when as it may be but meerly a truce not a peace a laying downe of armes onely for a while to make greater preparation against the soule afterwards a reprivall and a little enlargement in prison not a pardon if this be all the issue of it That you may further conceive the meaning of this in one that is Gods child and in a wicked man though both may be and are troubled in minde and conscience yet there is a maine difference both in the maine cause of their trouble and also in the issue and removall of their trouble A wicked mans trouble is for the anguish and present smart he feeles in sinne and in Gods wrath lashing his conscience and out of feares that his sinne will not be pardoned but that he shal endure these tortures for ever in hell So it was in Iudas Cain and many others but a godly mans trouble though it hath often all this in it yet the chiefest of his trouble is a further thing it is not onely the smart the sting of sinne but also the filth the fowlnesse the offence of it done to God that wounds him for he hath an heart after Gods heart and therefore lookes on sin with the same kinde of eye that God doth and as God accounts the offence done to him the greatest evill in sinne so doth a godly heart also It is not the sting of this serpent only but the poison of it that disquiets him neither is it onely the want of pardon of sinne and the feare of Gods everlasting wrath which mainly troubleth him but the want of Gods favour the parting with him whom he sees so excellent and glorious the want of seeing his face his desire is to live in his sight and to have God to be his God Now such as the woūd is such also is the remedy Therfore the one being but troubled with the sting the smart of sin pull but that sting out take that loade off and he is well enough as jocund as pleasant as ever it being present ease that he seekes and to that end confesseth his sinne and doth any thing for the present to come out of it As Pharaoh Exod. 10. 17. Take away this death onely or at the utmost his aime is but pardon of sinne and peace with God that hee may be freed from the feares of undergoing that for ever the earnest whereof he feeles in his conscience now And hence therfore the remedies they often have recourse unto are suitable they are but like rattles to still childrē with they run to merry company and to musick c. as Cain fell a building Cities and so they put off the terrours of their consciences It is ease they seeke and no more or they runne to a formall performance of duties even as poore soules under Popery when they were stung by the Friars Sermons they set them penances and good deeds to be done which stilled them awhile for them they thought they should have pardon So men run now to holy duties but with the same opinion that they did then as bribes for a pardon what shall I give sayes he in Micah for the sinne of my soule Micah 6. 7. But now the wound of Gods childe being deeper not the sting of sinne onely but the poison of it not the smart but the offence done to God nor the feare of his wrath but want of his favour therfore accordingly ease from those terrours pacifie not him no not simply peace with God will content him or a pardon He sayes not onely Oh miserable man that I am who shall deliver me from this death onely but who shall deliver me from this body of death If newes were brought him that God would pardon him and not call him to reckoning for any sinne and no more were spoken to his conscience he would still be troubled till hee had assurance of his good will also if it were said God will indeed pardon thee but he will never love thee as hee did he will not looke on thee thou must not come into his sight This would grieve the soule more then the other would content it and he would be everlastingly troubled I may allude to that which Absolom said in cōplement of his Father when he was banished from him to expresse the true desire greatest trouble of a soul in this case as you have it 2 Sam. 14. 32. Absolom was pardoned the fault but it contented him not Let mee see his face or let him kill me So it is with a poore soule ease pardon knocking off