But some may say, Is there no use of reasou in such principles as this, which are within its sphere? May I not make use of my reason to confirm me in this truth, that there is a God .' It is heyond all doubt that there is ; wherefore else did God set up such a light, if not to guide us ? But it must keep its place, and that is to follow faith, not to be the ground of it, or to give law and measure to it. Our faith must not depend on our reason, but our reason on our faith. I am not to believe what the word saith, merely because it agrees with my reason ; but believe my reason, because it is suitable to the word. The more perfect light is to rule the less. Now the light of the word which faith follows, is more clear and sure than reason is, or can be ; therefore it was written, because man's natural light was so defective. Thou readest in the word, that there is a God, and that he made the world ; thy eye of reasou sees this also, but thou layest the stress of thy faith on the word, not on thy reason ; and so of other truths. The carpenter lays his rule to the timber, and by his eye sees it to be right or crooked ; yet it is not the eye, but the rule, which is the measure, without which his eye might fail him. All that I shall say more to such as are annoyed with atheistical injections, is this : fix thy faith strongly on the word, by which thou shalt be al)le to overcome this Goliath ; and when thou art more free and composed, and the storm is over, thou shalt do well to strengthen thy faith what thou canst with thy reason. Let the word (like David's stone) in the sling of faith, first prostrate the temptation, and then, as lie used Goliath's sword to cut off his head, so mayest thou, with more ease and safety, make use of thy reason to complete the victoiy over these atheistical suggestions.
CHAPTER XVIII.
OF TEMPTATIONS TO BLASPHEMY, AND HOW FAITH QUENCHETH THEM, AND DEFEATS SATAn's DOUBLE DESIGN.
The second fiery dart with which he affrights the Christian, is his temptation to blasphemy. Every sin, in a large sense, is blasphemy ; but here we take it more strictly. When a man does, speaks, or thinks anything derogatory to the holy nature or works of God, with an intent to reproach him or his ways, this properly is blasphemy. Job's wife was the devil's solicitor, to provoke her husband to this sin: ' Curse God,' said she, 'and die.' The devil was so impudent as to assault Christ himself with this sin, when he bade him fall down and worship him ; but he hath an advantage of making a nearer approacli to a saint than he had to Christ. All that he could do to him, was to offend his holy ear with an external motion. It would not stand with the dignity or holi- ness of Christ's jierson to let him come any farther ; but he can shoot this fiery dart into the imagination of a saint, to the great disturbance of his thoughts, endeavouring thereby to stir up some unworthy thoughts of (Jod in him ; though these commonly are no more welcome to a gracious soul, than the frogs which crept into the bed-chamber of Pharaoh were to him. Two things Satan aims at by these injecti(nis:
First, To make the saint defame (>od, which he loves to hear ; but if this fail, then he is content to play a lower game, and intends the Christian's vexation, l)y forcing these unwelcome guests upon him. Now faith, and only faith, can (juench these fire-balls in both respects. Faith is able to defeat Satan's first plot, by keeping the soul from entertaining any unbecoming or blasphemous thoughts of C«od, and none but faith can do this. There is a natural disjiosition in every wicked man to l)laspheme God. Let- God but cross a carnal wretch in his way, and then suffer Satan to edge his corruption, and he will soon fly in (iod's face. If the devil's supposition had been true, that Job was a hypocrite, then that tale whicJi he brought against him to God, would have been true also : ' Put forth now thy iiand, and touch all that he hath, and he will curse thee to thy face,' Job i. 11. Had J0I) been the man he took him for, the devil had not lied; l)ecause it is natural for every wicked man to liave base tlio>ights of (iod; and when provoked, the inward rancour of his heart will ajijiear in (he foulness of his tongue. 'This evil is of tlie I>i)rd ; what should I wait for the Lord any longer.'' 2 Kings vi. .'53 ; a loiul blaspliemy, the seed of which is found in every unbeliever. There is but one spirit of wickedness in sinners, as but one spirit of grace in saints. Peter tells Simon Magus, he was ' in the gall of
49;2 ABOVE ALL, TAKING THE SHIELD OF FAITH.