Thirdly, A well-grounded Assurance is (usually) strongly assaulted by Satan1 on all sides; Satan is such a grand enemy to the Joy and Peace, to the Salvation and Consolation of the Saints, that he cannot but make use of all his devices and stratagems, to amaze and amuse, to disturb and disquiet the peace and rest of their Souls. No sooner had Jesus Christ heard that lovely voice from Heaven, This is my 2beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased, but he is desperately assaulted by Satan in the Wilderness. No sooner was Paul 3dropped out of Heaven, after he had ⟨p. 550⟩seen such visions of glory, that was unutterable, but he was presently assaulted, and buffeted by Satan. Stand up, stand up assured Christians, and tell me whether you have not found the4 blast of the terrible one, to be as a storm against the wall; Since the Lord5 said unto you, be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you. Have not you found Satan to play the part, both of the Lyon and the Woolf, of the Serpent and the Fox, and all to weaken your Assurance; and to work you to question the truth of your Assurance, and to cast water upon your Assurance, and to take off the freshness and sweetness, the beauty and glory of your Assurance? I know you have. His malice, envy, and enmity, is such against6 Gods honour and glory, and your comfort and felicity, that he cannot but be very studious and industrious to make use of all traps, snares, methods, and ways, whereby he may shake the pillars of your Faith, and weaken and overthrow your Assurance▪ Pirates you know do most fiercely assault those ships and vessels that are most richly laden; so doth Satan those precious ⟨p. 551⟩souls that have attained to the riches of full Assurance. Assurance makes a Paradise in Believers Souls, and this makes Satan to roar and rage. Assurance fits a man to do God the greatest service, and Satan the greatest dis-service, and this makes him mad against the Soul. Assurance makes a Saint to be too hard for Satan at all weapons, yea, to7 lead that Sun of the Morning captive, to spoil him of all his hurting power, to bind him in chains, and to triumph over him, and this makes his Hell a great deal hotter; and therefore never8 wonder at Satan's assaulting your Assurance, but expect it, and look for it. The Jailer is quiet, when his prisoner is in Bolts, but if he be escaped, then he pursues him with hugh and cry;
Thirdly, A wel-grounded Assurance is (usually) strongly assaulted by Satan1 on all sides; Satan is such a grand enemy to the Joy and Peace, to the Salvation and Consolation of the Saints, that he cannot but make use of all his devices and stratagems, to amaze and amuse, to disturb and disquiet the peace and rest of their Souls. No sooner had Jesus Christ heard that lovely voice from Heaven, This is my 2beloved Son, in whom I am wel-pleased, but he is desperately assaulted by Satan in the Wilderness. No sooner was Paul 3dropped out of Heaven, after he had ⟨p. 550⟩seen such visions of glory, that was unutterable, but he was presently assaulted, and buffetted by Satan. Stand up, stand up assured Christians, and tell me whether you have not found the4 blast of the terrible one, to be as a storm against the wall; Since the Lord5 said unto you, be of good chear, your sins are forgiven you. Have not you found Satan to play the part, both of the Lyon and the Woolf, of the Serpent and the Fox, and all to weaken your Assurance; and to work you to question the truth of your Assurance, and to cast water upon your Assurance, and to take off the freshness and sweetness, the beauty and glory of your Assurance? I know you have. His malice, envy, and enmity, is such against6 Gods honor and glory, and your comfort and felicity, that he cannot but be very studious and industrious to make use of all traps, snares, methods, and wayes, whereby he may shake the pillars of your Faith, and weaken and overthrow your Assurance▪ Pirates you know do most fiercely assault those ships and vessels that are most richly laden; so doth Satan those precious ⟨p. 551⟩souls that have attained to the riches of full Assurance. Assurance makes a Paradise in Believers Souls, and this makes Satan to roar and rage. Assurance fits a man to do God the greatest service, and Satan the greatest dis-service, and this makes him mad against the Soul. Assurance makes a Saint to be too hard for Satan at all weapons, yea, to
- 1The Devil marcheth well armed, and in good array, saith Luther.
- 2Matth. 3. ult. & 4. 1, 2, &c.
- 32 Cor. 12.
- 4Isa. 25. 4.
- 5I verily think that they have very much cause to question the truth of their assurance, who know not what it is to have their assurance assaulted strongly by Satan.I verily think that they have very much cause to question the truth of their assurance, who know not what it is to have their assurance assaulted strongly by S•tan.
- 6Satan is that old Serpent, as John speaks, Revel. 12. 9. He is as old as the World, and is grown very cunning by experience, he being a spirit of above five thousand years standing.
- 7Rom. 8. 32. ult.
- 8Luther cries out, I am set upon by all the world without and within, by the devil and all his Angels.Luther cryes out, I am set upon by all the world without and within, by the devil and all his Angels.
