endeavours to _drive persons to despair_. We observed, under a foregoing
head, that so long as he can persuade any one to take up with a false
peace, and fancy himself secure though going on in a course of rebellion
against God, he gives him but little uneasiness, endeavouring rather to
increase his stupidity, than awaken his fears. Before this, he attempted
to bring ruin upon him, by suggesting those temptations that led to
presumption, and pretended to him, that all things were well, when the
ground was sinking under him, and his hope built on a sandy foundation:
But, when the frame of his spirit is somewhat altered, and he is brought
to a sense of his miserable condition; so that none of those stupifying
medicines that have been used, will heal the wound; then Satan
endeavours to persuade him, that his condition is hopeless, or that
there is no help for him in God. This temptation believers, as well as
the unregenerate, are sometimes liable to; of which, we have many
instances in scripture, besides those that are matter of daily
experience. But it may be observed, that there is this difference
between the one and the other, in that we scarce ever read of a
believer’s despair; but we have, at the same time, something added,
which either argues his faith in God, or, that there was a mixture of
hope, which was like a beam of light shining in darkness: Thus the
Psalmist, in Psal. lxxxviii. expresses himself like one in the depths of
despair; yet it may be observed, that he addresses himself to God, in
ver. 1. as _the Lord God of his salvation_. And when the church is
represented in Lam. iii. 18. as saying, _My hope is perished from the
Lord_; it is considered afterwards as encouraging itself in him, as in
ver. 24. _The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I hope
in him_; and, in ver. 31. _For the Lord will not cast off for ever_. But
when unbelievers are tempted to despair, it is attended with an
obstinate resolution to go on in a course of sin, and a total
withdrawing themselves from the ordinances, or instituted means of
grace. Thus when Cain complains that his _punishment was greater than he
could bear_; it is said concerning him, that _he went out from the
presence of the Lord_, Gen. iv. 13, 16. In this case despair, especially
if it does not proceed from a bodily distemper, as it sometimes does, is
a sad mark of a person’s being under the dominion of Satan, who was
before a tempter, but now proves a tormentor to him.
Here we may take occasion to consider how Satan proceeds against men in
tempting them to despair.
_1st._ He _takes the fittest opportunity_, when we are most like to be
overcome by his temptation; _he observes our constitution when most
addicted to melancholy_, and therefore more easily led to despair: He
also takes notice of some circumstances of providence that we are
brought under, which are more than ordinarily afflictive, and tend to
deject and render us more receptive of this temptation, in which he
endeavours to add weight to our burden, and depress our spirits under
it: He also lays hold on those times, more especially _when we are under
divine desertion_; and, as the consequence hereof, our faith is weak,
and very much indisposed to seek help from God. Moreover, he often takes
occasion, _from some great fall and miscarriage_ which we have been
guilty of, whereby we have grieved the Holy Spirit, and wounded our own
consciences, to aggravate our crime, so far that from hence we may
conclude our state to be altogether hopeless.
_2dly_, He endeavours _to stop all the springs of comfort_, that might
fortify us against, or afford us any relief under this temptation; and
accordingly he turns our thoughts from the promises of the covenant of
grace, and persuades the soul to conclude that they are not made to
himself; therefore he ought not to apply them to himself for his
comfort; and to determine peremptorily against himself, that he is not
elected to salvation; not from any marks of reprobation that he finds in
himself, but by entering into God’s secret counsels, and pretending to
search the records of heaven, which he has no warrant to look into, (in
which respect despair contains in it a mixture of sinful presumption,)
and, at the same time, he has a secret aversion to converse with those
who are able to speak a word in season to him; and if any endeavours are
used to convince him that the mercy of God is infinite, his thoughts are
not as our thoughts, and that the merit of Christ extends itself to the
chief of sinners, it is all to no purpose, for his general reply, to
this and all other arguments of the like nature, is that this belongs
not to him, or his iniquities have excluded him from the divine favour.
_3dly_, Satan endeavours to _hinder a soul at this time, from waiting on
God in ordinances_. As for the Lord’s supper, he not only dissuades him
from attending on it, but endeavours to insinuate, that, in partaking of
it in times past, he has _eat and drunk_ his own _damnation_, giving a
perverse sense of that scripture, 1 Cor. xi. 29. which, as appears from
the context, is not to be applied to weak believers, but to such as
engage in this ordinance, in a profane and irreverent manner, as though
it were not a divine institution, and without any desire of obtaining
spiritual mercies from God therein; and the word which we render
_damnation_, ought to be rendered _judgment_, denoting that they expose
themselves to temporal, as well as spiritual judgments in this world for
this wickedness; not that they are from hence to conclude, that their
eternal damnation will unavoidably ensue hereupon: And therefore the
design of this scripture, is to lead to repentance, and not to despair.
As for the word preached, he concludes, that every thing which is
delivered therein, contains an indictment against him, and there he
cannot endure to hear it: And, as for prayer, Satan discourages him from
it, by pretending that he is not in a right frame for the performance of
this duty, and by giving a false sense of such scriptures as these, in
Prov. xxviii. 9. _He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law,
even his prayer shall be abomination_; and, in chap. xxi. 27. _The
sacrifice of the wicked is abomination_; the meaning of which is, not
that the duty itself is sinful because performed by sinners, or that God
hates them the more for praying, but that he hates the hypocrisy,
formality, and other sins committed by them, when engaged in this duty;
so that they should rather strive and pray against this unbecoming frame
of spirit, than lay aside the duty itself, as they are tempted to do.
_4thly_, Satan also makes use of false reasoning, by which he endeavours
to answer this end; as,
[1.] He puts them upon concluding, that _because they have no grace,
therefore they never shall have it_; which method of reasoning, if it
were just, must be applied to all unregenerate sinners; and then we must
conclude, that the whole work of conversion in this world, is at an end;
which, blessed be God, it is not.
[2.] He farther argues, that because they have lived a great while in a
_course of sin_, and their hearts are _very much hardened thereby_;
therefore they cannot be broken, or their wound is incurable, and there
are no healing medicines; which is to set limits to the almighty power
and grace of God.
[3.] Satan farther induces them to conclude, that there is something
uncommon in their case, that they are greater sinners than ever obtained
mercy, which is more than it is possible for them to know; however, they
are tempted to apply this presumptuous and discouraging suggestion to
themselves to heighten their despair, and hinder the force of any
argument that may be brought to the contrary.
[4.] The most common argument which Satan uses to induce persons to
despair, is, that they have sinned against light, and the convictions of
their own consciences, grieved and quenched the Spirit of God; and
therefore they are inclined to think that they have committed the
unpardonable sin. This is often alleged by persons against themselves,
though, at the same time, they know not what that sin is, and regard not
any thing that is said to convince them, that they have committed it;
and, indeed, their very fears that they have, and the desires they
express that it were otherwise with them, are an undeniable argument
that they are mistaken in the judgment which they pass on themselves, by
adhering to Satan’s suggestions, leading them to despair[126]. Thus we
have given some account of the great variety of temptations which we are
exposed to from the world, the flesh and the Devil. We are now to
consider,
_Secondly_, How we are to pray, that we may not be led into temptation;
or, if we are, by what means we may be delivered from the evil
consequences that will arise from our compliance therewith. An hour of
temptation is not only afflictive, but dangerous, by reason of the
united assaults of those enemies that we have to deal with. The world
continually presents objects that are agreeable to corrupt nature; and
Satan is unwearied in his endeavours, to turn us aside from God thereby,
that he may have us in his own power, and drive us from one degree of
impiety to another: Therefore, though it is not impossible to be tempted
without sin, yet it is exceeding difficult; and therefore, as we are to
take heed, that we do not go in the way of temptation; so we are to
address ourselves to God, that he would keep us from it, if it be his
will.
We are not, indeed, absolutely to pray against it, as we are to pray
against sin, which it is not possible for us to commit, without
contracting guilt; whereas we may be tempted to sin, and yet come off
conquerors over it: But, since the enterprize itself is hazardous, the
conflict difficult, and the event, with respect to us, uncertain, we
should rather desire, that, if God has not some gracious ends to answer
thereby, which are, at present, unknown to us, he would be pleased to
prevent it. The case is the same as though we were apprehensive of an
infectious distemper raging amongst us, which we are to pray against;
though God could, by his power, preserve us, in particular, from the ill
consequences thereof; or, if we were informed, that an enemy laid wait
secretly for our lives, it is possible for God to deliver us out of his
hand; yet if the matter were referred to our own choice, we would rather
desire that he may not be suffered to assault us. Thus we are to pray,
that God would keep us from temptation; though we are not, at the same
time, to question his power, or distrust his providence, as though he
could not carry us safely through it; which we are to hope that he will
do, if he suffers us to be tempted. Neither are we to suppose, that we
can be altogether free from those temptations that arise from the
imperfection of this present state, in which we must expect to be
subject to the perpetual lustings of the flesh against the spirit:
Therefore we are principally to direct our prayers to God, that he would
keep us from falling by the temptation, or else, that he would recover
us, when fallen, prevent the evils, that would otherwise ensue, and
over-rule our sinful compliance therewith, to his own glory, and our
future advantage.
1. We are to pray, that he would keep us from falling by the temptation,
that it may be like a wave dashing against a rock, which remains unmoved
thereby, or like a dart shot against a breast-plate of steel, which only
blunts the point thereof, and returns it back without doing any
execution. Now God prevents our failing by temptation, either by his
restraining or renewing grace: The former of these is common to the
regenerate and the unregenerate; and where there is nothing more than
this, it chiefly consists in some alteration made in the natural temper,
or present inclinations of men, whereby sin, though it remains
unmortified, is, nevertheless abstained from, like a river that is kept
from overflowing a country, not by ceasing to be fluid in its own
nature, but by being contained within its proper banks. These
restraints, in some, proceed from that change which providence makes in
their outward condition or circumstances in the world; so that those
temptations, which, before this, they were so ready to comply with, are
either discontinued, or offered without success; as when a person is
bowed down with some affliction, that it gives a different turn to his
passions, whereby, as Job speaks, the _heart is made soft_, Job xxiii.
16. in a natural way, by those troubles that tend to depress the
spirits. Sometimes he is unexpectedly surprized with a fit of sickness,
which gives him a near view of death and another world, and then the
violence of the temptation, for the present, ceases, or at least, he is
deterred from complying with it; and it may be, his spirits are decayed,
his constitution weakened, and his natural vigour abated hereby, so that
he has no inclination to commit some sins which he was formerly addicted
to. Others want leisure to pursue those lusts which they are habitually
prone to, being engaged in a hurry of business, or conflicting with many
difficulties for the subsisting of themselves and families: These are
not exposed to those temptations that often attend a slothful and
indolent way of living: Or it may be, they are separated from their
former associates, who have been partners with them in sin, and tempters
to it. And sometimes there is a sudden thought injected into their
minds, which fills them with an inward fear and dread of the consequence
of committing those sins which are more gross and notorious. This is the
result of an awakened conscience; whereby persons are kept from the
commission of many sins, by the restraints of common providence, though
they are, notwithstanding, in a state of unregeneracy, and sin in
general remains unmortified.
But, on the other hand, the believer is preserved from it by the power
of sanctifying grace, whereby an habitual inclination is wrought in him,
to detest the sin that he is tempted to; and the Spirit of God, by his
immediate interposure, internally disposes him to exercise the contrary
graces; which proceed from a principle of filial fear and love to God,
together with a sense of gratitude for all the benefits that he has
received from him; so that in repelling a temptation, he says, with
Joseph, _How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God_, Gen.
xxxix. 9.
2. We are also to pray, that God would prevent those evil consequences,
which very often attend such-like temptations; that our hearts may not
be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, that we may not willingly
yield ourselves bond-slaves to Satan, or take pleasure in those sins
which we have been tempted to commit: and that we may not be exposed
hereby to divine desertion, how much soever we have deserved it.
3. We are likewise to pray, that God would recover, or bring us out of
the pit, into which we are fallen, that hereby Satan may not take
occasion, after he has overcome, to insult us, that we may not be given
to a perpetual backsliding; but that our souls may be _restored_, and we
_led in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake_, Psal. xxiii. 3.
4. If we have fallen by a temptation we are farther to pray, that God
would over-rule it to his own glory, and our spiritual advantage. Though
there be nothing good in sin, yet God can bring good out of it; and this
he does when he humbles the soul for it, and makes him afraid of going
near the brink of the pit, into which he fell, inclines him to be more
watchful, that, by indulging some sins, he may not lay himself open to
those temptations that would lead him to the commission of many others.
This will also induce him to depend on Christ by faith, as being
sensible of his inability to resist the least temptation without him.
And it will excite in him the greatest thankfulness to God, who has
found a way for his escape out of the snare wherein he was entangled, by
which means he will receive abundant advantage, and God will be greatly
glorified.
Thus we have considered God’s people as exposed to various temptations,
and how they are to direct their prayers to him, agreeably thereunto,
pursuant to what our Saviour has taught us in this petition; which, that
we may farther enlarge upon in our meditations, we may express ourselves
to God in prayer to this purpose; “We draw nigh to thee, O our God and
Father, as those who are exposed to many difficulties, by reason of the
snares and temptations that attend us. We find it hard to pass through
the world without being allured and drawn aside from thee, by the
vanities thereof, or discouraged and made uneasy by those afflictions
which are inseparable from this present state: But that which gives us
the greatest ground of distress and trouble, and makes us an easy prey
to our spiritual enemies, is, the deceitfulness and treachery of our own
hearts, whereby we are prone to yield ourselves the servants of sin and
Satan. Every age and condition of life has been filled with temptations,
which we have been very often overcome by. We therefore implore the
powerful aids of thy grace, that we may be kept in the hour of
temptation. Enable us to overcome the world, to mortify and subdue our
corrupt inclinations, and to stand against all the wiles and fiery darts
of the Devil. Let us not be tempted to presume of being happy without
holiness, or enjoying the benefits that are purchased by Christ, without
faith in him. May we also be freed from all unbecoming thoughts of thy
divine perfections, and not give way to any temptations that may lead us
to despair of thy mercy, which thou art pleased to extend to the chief
of sinners. We farther beg, though with submission to thy will, that we
may be kept from the temptations of our grand adversary, because we are
sensible of our own weakness and inability to resist him; nevertheless,
we are confident that we can do all things by thine assistance:
Therefore, if thou sufferest us to be tempted, appear in our behalf at
that time, that we may be made more than conquerors; and when we fall by
temptation, let us not be utterly cast down, but upheld with thine hand,
and let thy strength be made perfect in our weakness; and, in the end,
bring us safely to that happy state, where there is neither sin nor
temptation; when we shall be delivered from all the evils of this
present state, that thou mayest have the glory, and we may praise thee
throughout the ages of eternity.”
Footnote 123:
In our day and country there are some worthy men, who without fear, or
scruple, affirm, that God is the _author_, and _cause_ of sin; which
words they soften to avoid the blasphemy, which they contain. We have
in a note, I. vol. p. 530, given the sentiments of the late Dr.
Williams, on the origination of sin. Being a proficient in the study
of the human mind, he has philosophized a little on, but not
essentially differed from the representation of the subject, as it is
found in the writings of sound protestant divines. As some American
writers advocate with considerable address, such divine causality, and
publicly affirm it to have been taught by Luther, Calvin, &c. and to
have found its place in our standards in the words—“foreordained
whatsoever comes to pass;” it is proper to resort to the ipsissima
verba of some of the European protestant theologians, as a test of
such allegations.
The Westminster divines, no doubt, entertained the same views of sin,
which will be found in the following extracts. In their definition of
sin, they not obscurely shew, that they did consider it not more a
_transgression of_, than _a want of conformity unto, the law_. The
former is the translation of ανομια in I. John iii. 4. which is rather
_privatio_, _defectus_, or _declinatio_ than _transgressio legis_.
Also the Greek word αμαρτια, and the Hebrew חטא signify _non
consecutio scopi_. If they viewed sin as a _qualitas adventitia_, a
_quiddam non positivum_, a _simplex privatio_, a _quiddam actioni
inhærens_, they could not have viewed it the proper subject of a
decree or purpose, but only as foreseen and permitted.
The following quotations are given in the authors’ own words, for the
satisfaction of those who may not possess the works from which they
are taken.
“Natura peccato corrupta est...—Aversio quædam voluntatis secuta est,
ut homo nihil eorum velit aut faciat, quæ Deus vult et præcipit. Item
quod nescimus, quid Deus, quid gratia, quid justitia, denique quid
ipsum peccatum sit. Hi sunt profecto horribiles DEFECTUS, quos, qui
non intelligunt; nec vident, talpa cœciores sunt.” Mart. Lutheri Loc.
Com. p. 23.
“Hæc Regula certa et vera est; Deum esse natura bonum, ideo nihil a
Deo proficisci, nisi quod bonum est, mors autem est mala, peccatum
etiam est malum, &c. Non igitur a Deo proficiscuntur mala hæc, &c.
Peccati porro quæ causa sit, si roges, sacræ literæ ostendunt, id ex
Sathana esse, cui contra verbum Dei assenserunt nostri parentes, a Deo
inobedientes facti, incurrerunt in horribiles pænas. Nam per peccatum
illud non solum corpora nostra sic infirmata sunt, ut ex immortalibus
mortalia fierent, sed etiam mens depravata est. Amisit enim homo veram
Dei notitiam, et voluntas quoque tum admodum est depravata, ut nihil
quam malum appetat.” Mart. Lutheri Loci Com. p. 22.
“Eant nunc qui Deum suis vitiis inscribere audent, quia dicimus
naturaliter vitiosos esse homines. Opus Dei perperam in sua pollutione
scrutantur, quod in integra adhuc et incorrupta Adæ natura requirere
debuerant. A carnis ergo nostræ culpa, non a Deo nostra perditio est,
quando non alia ratione periimus, nisi quia degeneravimus a prima
nostra conditione.”—“Dicimus ergo naturali hominem vitiositate
corruptum, sed quæ a natura non fluxerit. A natura fluxisse negamus,
ut significemus adventitiam magis esse qualitatem quæ homini
acciderit, quam substantialem proprietatem quæ ab initio indita
fuerit. Vocamus tamen naturalem, nequis ab unoquoque prava
consuetudine comparari putet, quum hæreditario jure universos
comprehensos teneat.” _Calvini Institut._ _lib._ II. _cap._ 1. _sect._
10, 11.
“Sed cum nihil contingat in mundo, aut contingere possit sine
justissima et sapientissima Dei providentia, annon, peccati author et
causa dici potest? Absit, quippe qui illud odit, vetat, & punit, ut
quod cum summâ ipsius bonitate pugnet.” _Bucani Theolog. p. 165._
“Deus non infundit malitiam in volentates malorum, sicut infundit
bonitatem in corda piorum, nec impellit aut allicit voluntates ad
peccandum; sed tantum malas voluntates, seu peccantes, quales invenit
ex corruptione quæ sequuta est aversionem diabolorum et hominum a Deo,
movet, ciet, flectit, inclinat, dirigit, sapienter, juste, potenter,
ubi, quando, quomodo, et quousque vult, sive mediate, sive immediate,
ad objecta vel persequenda, vel fugienda, ut impleant (quibus tale
nihil propositum est) quod manus et consilium Domini decrevit. _Bucani
Theol. p. 153._
“Estne peccatum originis Substantia an accidens?—Non est substantia;
esset enim anima vel corpus. Jam vero corpus et anima quoad
substantiam, sunt bonæ Dei creaturæ, quæ etiamnum creantur a Deo. Ergo
non sunt peccatum. Nec substantialis est proprietas, aut aliquid
substantiale in homine: sed est adventitia qualitas, quæ tamen
naturalis dicitur, non quod à natura fluxerit (quatenus creata est)
sed quia hæreditario jure ut dicitur, suos comprehensos tenet, et in
ipsa hominis natura, viribus, et facultatibus naturalibus inhæret, et
ipsi homini innata est.”
_Bucani Theol._ p. 174.
“Estne peccatum aliquid Positivum an Privativum?—Peccatum non est
positivum, id est, quiddam subsistens a Deo conditum, nec est
simpliciter et pura privatio, sicut mors est privatio vitæ, aut
tenebræ sunt privatio lucis; sed est defectus seu destructio rei
positivæ, videlicit operis et ordinis divini in subjecto, quod culpam
sustinet suæ depravationis, aversionis a Deo, ut ruina in domo,
cœcitas et amissio visus in oculis.” _Bucani Theol._ p. 167.
“Permissio est gubernatio Dei, quâ homines vel diabolos, ad peccandum
pronos, a peccato non retrahit, sed gratiæ suæ auxilio negato vel
subtracto, in peccata ruere sinit, ita tamen ut ipsorum impetum ad
judiciorum suorum executionem flectat, et quæ pessimo ab ipsis
concilio suscipiuntur, in fines optimos dirigat.”
EXPLICATIO.
1. Deus in permissione mali culpœ seu peccati, non est otiosus
spectator, sed potens, justus, et sapiens judex: Itaque.
(1.) Efficax gratiæ suæ auxilium, sine quo non possunt non peccare in
peccatis mortui homines, negat vel subtrahit.
(2.) Homines vel diabolos ad peccandum natura et consuetudine pronos,
sæpissimè a peccatis non retrahit, quos tamen facillimè posset
retrahere: sed in peccata ruere sinit.
(3.) Peccatum animis ipsorum susceptum, seu peccandi impetum ita
moderatur, ut non in quævis objecta eum ferri patiatur, sed flectat et
dirigat ad ejus modi objecta, vel homines, quos punire, castigare, vel
explorare vult.
(4.) Quæ ab impiis hominibus, vel diabolis, malo fine, perpetrantur,
in fines optimos dirigit.
EXEMPLI GRATIA.
Si viator aliquis a latrone in via occidatur, homicidium permississe
Deus dicitur:
(1.) Quia efficax gratiæ suæ auxilium ei subtraxit vel negavit, sine
quo infallibiliter homicidium erat perpetraturus.
(2.) Quia animum latronis, naturâ vel consuetudine ad homicidia
pronum, ab homicidio non retraxit; quem tamen facillimè potuisset
retrahere: sed in hoc facinus ipsum ruere permisit.
(3.) Quia concilium homicidii perpetrandi, ipsumque latronis impetum
ita rexit et flexit, ut non quemvis promiscue hominem voluerit aut
potuerit interficere: sed hunc potius, quam alium interfecerit; Unde
furori latronis hunc potius viatorem, quam alium hominem objecit:
justo quodam judicio: cujus ratio plerumque homines latet.