Chapter 43. Of the 3rd Assault: on Sanctification.
A GOLDEN CHAIN
Chapter 43. Of the 3rd Assault: on Sanctification.
The third assault concerns Sanctification.
The temptation is to provoke to sin, according to the disposition of every man, and as occasion offers itself.
1Chr 21.1, And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel. Joh 13.2, And when supper was done, the devil had now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon's son, to betray him.
In this temptation, the devil wonderfully diminishes and extenuates those sins which men are about to commit, partly by insinuating the mercy of God, and partly by covering or hiding the punishment which is due for the sin.
Then there are helps to further the devil in this temptation.
First, the flesh which lusts against the spirit, sometimes by begetting evil inclinations and affections, and sometimes by overwhelming and suppressing the good intentions and inclinations. Gal 5.17, For the flesh lusts against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you cannot do the same things that you would. Verses
19-21, Moreover, the works of the flesh are manifest, which are adultery, fornication, uncleanness, wantonness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, debate, emulations, wrath, contentions, seditions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, gluttony, etc., of which I told you before, just as I have also told you that those who do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God. Jas 1.14, But every man is tempted when he is drawn away by his own concupiscence, and is enticed.
Secondly, the world, which brings men to disobedience through pleasure, profit, honour, and evil examples. Eph 2.3, Among whom we also had our conversation in times past, in the lusts of our flesh; in
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fulfilling the will of the flesh, and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, as well as the others. 1Joh
2.16, For all that is in the world, such as the lusts of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
Resistance is made by the desire of the Spirit, who works good inclinations and affections in the faithful, and drives out the evil. Gal 5.22-24, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance — against such there is no law. For those who are Christ's, have crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts. Verse
26, Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, and envying one another.
The preservatives are these, by which men are strengthened in resisting:
I. To account no sin light or small. Gal 5.9, A little leaven leavens the whole lump. Rom 6.23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
II. To avoid all occasions of sin. To these rather agrees the proverb about the plague: aloof, slowly, quickly.
1Th 5.22, Abstain from all appearance of evil. Jude 1.23, And save others with fear, pulling them out of the fire; and hate even the garment spotted by the flesh.
III. To accustom yourself to subdue the lesser sins, so that in the end, you may also overcome the greater.
Rom 13.14.
IV. To apply yourself to your appointed calling, and always to be busily occupied about something in it.
V. To bring the Law, the judgments of God, the Last Judgment, the glorious presence of God, and such like, to bear against the rebellion and looseness of the flesh.
Pro 28.14, Blessed is the man who always fears [God]; but he that hardens his heart shall fall into evil. Gen
39.9, There is no man greater in this house than I; nor has he kept anything from me, except you, because you
A GOLDEN CHAIN
are his wife. How then can I do this great wickedness, and so sin against God?
Here certain remedies take place.
Against unjust anger, or a private desire for revenge. Here meditate [on these]:
Injuries; they happen to us by the Lord's appointment, for our good. 2Sam 16.10.
God, of His great goodness, forgives us far more sins than it is possible for us to forgive men.
It is the duty of Christian love to forgive others.
We must not desire to destroy those whom Christ has redeemed by His precious blood.
We ourselves are in danger of the wrath of God, if we allow our wrath to burn against our brother. Forgive
(he says) and it shall be forgiven.
We do not know the circumstances of the facts, what the mind was, and purpose of those against whom we swell.
Bridles, or external remedies, are these:
In this we should imitate the clemency of the Lord, who often tolerates the wicked for a very long time.
Learn from me, for I am humble and meek.
There must be a pausing and time of delay, between our anger and the execution of it. Atherodorus counseled Augustus, that being angry, he should repeat all the letters of the alphabet, or A-B-C, before he either spoke or did anything against another.
To depart from those places where those are, with whom we are angry.
To avoid contention, both in word and in deed. Do nothing through contention.
Remedies against those bad desires for riches and honour.
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God, even in famine, quickens and revives those who fear Him. Psa 33.18-19, The eye of the Lord is upon those who fear Him, to deliver their souls from death, and to preserve them from famine.
Godliness is great gain, if the mind of man can be content with it. 1Tim 6.6.
We wait and look for the resurrection of the body, and eternal life. Therefore, we should not take such worried care for this present mortal life.
We are servants in our Father's house, therefore look to what is convenient [suitable] for us; He will lovingly bestow that upon us.
The palpable blindness of an ambitious mind desires to be set aloft, that he may have the greater downfall
— and he fears to be humbled, lest he not be exalted.
Adam, when he would be check-mate with God, brought both himself and his posterity headlong to destruction.
He is a very ambitious God-robber, who desires to take that commendation to himself, which is appropriate only to the Lord.
Preservatives against the desires of the flesh:
He that would be Christ's disciple, must take up his cross every day. Luk 9.23.
Those who are according to the Spirit, favour those things that are according to the Spirit. Rom 8.5.
We ought to behave ourselves as citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. Phi 3.20.
We are the temple of God, 1Cor 3.16. Our members are the members of Christ, 1Cor 6.15. And we have dwelling with us the Spirit of Christ, whom we should not grieve, Eph 4.30. Concerning this, look more in the explication of the Seventh Commandment [chap. 26].
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In this temptation [for riches and honour], the fall is when a man, being overtaken, falls into some offence.
Gal 6.1.
Here Satan wonderfully aggravates the offence committed; he accuses and terrifies the offender with the judgments of God. Mat 27.3-5, Then when Judas who betrayed him, saw that he was condemned, repented and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders saying, I have sinned, betraying the innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? See to it. And when he had cast down the silver pieces in the temple, he departed and went and hanged himself.
The remedy is a renewed repentance, the beginning of which is sorrow in regard to God, for that same sin.
There are especially seven fruits of this. 2Cor 7.9-11, Now, I do not rejoice that you were sorry, but that you sorrowed to repentance. For you sorrowed godly, so that you were hurt in nothing by us. For godly sorrow causes repentance unto salvation, which is not to be repented of. But worldly sorrow causes death. For behold, this thing that you have godly sorrow for, what a great care it has worked in you; yes, what cleansing of yourselves; yes, what indignation; yes, what fear; yes, how great a desire; yes, what zeal; yes, what punishment! In all things, you have shown yourselves, that you are pure in this matter.
A desire to do well.
An apology, that is, a confession of the sin before God, with a requesting of pardon for the offence. Psa
32.5, Then I acknowledged my sin to You, nor did I hide my iniquity. For I thought, I will confess against myself, my wickedness to the Lord, and You forgave the punishment of my sin. 2Sam 12.13, Then David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
A man's indignation against himself, for his offense.
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A fear, not so much for the punishment, as for offending the Lord. Psa 130.3, If you strictly marked iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?
A desire to be fully renewed, and to be delivered from sin.
A fervent zeal to love God, and to embrace and keep all His commandments.
Revenge, by which the flesh may be tamed and subdued, lest at any time afterward, such offences might be committed.