John Newton's Letters
Temptations
Dear Sir,
What can you expect from me on the subject of temptation, with which
you have been so much more conversant than myself? On this point I am more
disposed to receive information from you, than to offer my advice. You, by
the Lord's appointment, have had much business and exercise on these great
waters; whereas the knowledge I have of what passes there, I have gained
more from observation than from actual experience. I shall not wonder if you
think I write like a novice: however, your request has the force of a
command with me. I shall give you my thoughts; or rather, shall take
occasion to write, not so much to you as to others, who, though they may be
plunged in the depths of temptation, have not yet seen so much of the wisdom
and power of God in these dispensations as yourself. I shall first inquire,
Why the Lord permits some of his people to suffer such violent assaults from
the powers of darkness; and then suggest a few advices to tempted souls.
I. WHY does the Lord allow his people to be tempted?
The temptations of Satan (which, though not the most painful, are in
reality the most dangerous) do not directly belong to my present design. I
mean those by which he is too successful in drawing many professors from the
path of duty, in filling them with spiritual pride, or lulling them into
carnal security. In these attempts he is often most powerful and prevalent
when he is least perceived; he seldom distresses those whom he can deceive.
It is chiefly when these endeavors fail, that he fights against the peace of
the soul. He hates the Lord's people, grudges them all their privileges and
all their comforts; and will do what he can to disquiet them, because he
cannot prevail against them. And though the Lord sets such bounds to his
rage as he cannot pass, and limits him both as to manner and time, he is
often pleased to allow him to vent his malice to a considerable degree; not
to gratify Satan, but to humble and prove them; to show them what is in
their hearts, to make them truly sensible of their immediate and absolute
dependence upon himself, and to quicken them to watchfulness and prayer.
Though temptations, in their own nature, are grievous and
dreadful, yet when, by the grace of God, they are productive of these
effects, they deserve to be numbered among the "all things which are
appointed to work together for the good of those who love him." The light
carriage, vain confidence, and woeful backslidings of many professors, might
perhaps (speaking after the manner of men) have been in some measure
prevented, had they been more acquainted with this spiritual warfare, and
had they drunk of the cup of temptation, which but few of those who walk
humbly and uprightly are exempted from tasting of, though not all in the
same degree.
One gracious end, therefore, that the Lord has in
permitting his people to be tempted, is for the prevention of greater evils,
that they may not grow proud or careless, or be ensnared by the corrupt
customs of the world. In this view, I doubt not, however burdensome your
trials may at some seasons prove, you are enabled, by your composed
judgment, to rejoice in them, and be thankful for them. You know what you
suffer now; but you know not what might have been the consequence, if you
had never smarted by the fiery darts of the wicked one. You might have been
taken in a more fatal snare, and been numbered with those who, by their
grievous declensions and falls, have caused the ways of truth to be evil
spoken of.
Another gracious design is, for the manifestation of his
power, and wisdom, and grace, in supporting the soul under such pressures as
are evidently beyond its own strength to sustain. A bush on fire, and not
consumed, engaged the attention of Moses. This emblem is generally
applicable to the state of a Christian in the present life, but never more
so than when he is in the fire of temptation.
And though his heaviest sufferings of this kind are
usually hidden from the notice of his fellow-creatures, yet there are other
eyes always upon him. "We are," says the Apostle, "a spectacle to the
world;" not only to men, but "to angels" also. Many things probably pass in
the invisible state, in which we have nearer concerns than we are ordinarily
aware of. The beginning of the book of Job throws some light upon this
point, and informs us of that which we would have been otherwise totally
ignorant, of the true cause of his uncommon sufferings. Satan had challenged
him, charged him as a hypocrite, and thought he was able to prove him one,
if he could have permission to attack him. The Lord, for the vindication of
Job's integrity, and for the manifestation of his own faithfulness and power
in favor of his servant, was pleased to give Satan permission to try what he
could do. The experiment answered many good purposes: Job was humbled, yet
approved; his friends were instructed; Satan was confuted, and disappointed;
and the wisdom and mercy of the Lord, in his darkest dispensations towards
his people, were gloriously illustrated. This contest and the event were
recorded for the direction and encouragement of his church to the end of
time.
Satan's malice is not abated; and though he has met with
millions of disappointments, he still, like Goliath of old, defies the
armies of God's Israel: he challenges the stoutest, and "desires to have
them, that he may sift them as wheat." Indeed, he is far an overmatch for
them, considered as in themselves; but though they are weak, their Redeemer
is mighty, and they are forever secured by his love and intercession. "The
Lord knows those who are his, and no weapon formed against them can
prosper." That this may appear with the fullest evidence, Satan is allowed
to assault them.
We handle vessels of glass or china with caution, and
endeavor to preserve them from falls and blows, because we know they are
easily broken. But if a man had the art of making glass malleable, and, like
iron, capable of bearing the stroke of a hammer without breaking, it is
probable, that, instead of locking it carefully up, he would rather, for the
commendation of his skill, permit many to attempt to break it, when he knew
their attempts would be in vain. Believers are compared to earthen vessels,
liable in themselves to be destroyed by a small blow; but they are so
strengthened and tempered by the power and supply of Divine grace, that the
fiercest efforts of their fiercest enemies against them may be compared to
the dashing of waves against a rock. And that this may be known and noticed,
they are exposed to many trials; but the united and repeated assaults of the
men of the world, and the powers of darkness, afford but the more
incontestable demonstration, that the Lord is with them of a truth, and that
his strength is made perfect in their weakness. Surely this thought, my
friend, will afford you consolation; and you will be content to suffer, if
God may be glorified by you and in you.
Further: By enduring temptation, you, as a living member
of the body of Christ, have the honor of being conformed to your Head. He
suffered, being tempted; and because he loves you, he calls you to a
participation of his sufferings, and to taste of his cup: not the cup of the
wrath of God; this he drank alone, and he drank it all. But in affliction he
allows his people to have fellowship with him; thus they fill up the measure
of his sufferings, and can say, 'As he was, so are we in the world.' Marvel
not that the world hates you, neither marvel that Satan rages against you.
Should not the disciple be as his Lord? Can the servant expect or desire
peace from the avowed enemies of his Master? We are to follow his steps; and
can we wish, if it were possible, to walk in a path strewed with flowers,
when his was strewed with thorns? Let us not be terrified by the power
of our adversaries; which is to them an evident token of perdition, but to
us of salvation, and that of God. To us it is given, not only to believe in
Christ, but also to suffer for his sake.
If we would make peace with the world—the world would let
us alone; if we could be content to walk in the ways of sin—Satan would give
us no disturbance; but because grace has rescued us from his dominion, and
the love of Jesus constrains us to live to him alone, therefore the enemy,
like a lion robbed of his prey, roars against us. He roars, but he cannot
devour; he plots and rages, but he cannot prevail; he disquiets, but he
cannot destroy. If we suffer with Christ, we shall also reign with him: in
due time he will bruise Satan under our feet, make us more than conquerors,
and place us where we shall hear the voice of war no more, forever.
Again: As by temptations we are conformed to the life of
Christ, so likewise, by the sanctifying power of grace, temptations are made
subservient to advance our conformity to his image; particularly as we
thereby acquire a sympathy and fellow-feeling with our suffering brethren.
This is eminently a branch of the mind which was in Christ. He knows how to
pity and help those who are tempted, because he has been tempted himself. He
knows what temptations mean, not only with that knowledge whereby he knows
all things, but by experience. He well remembers what he endured in the
wilderness, and in the garden; and though it is for his glory and our
comfort that he suffered temptation without sin, yet for that very reason,
and because he was perfectly holy, the temptations of Satan were unspeakably
more bitter to him than they can be to us. The great duty and refuge of the
tempted now is, to apply to him; and they have the highest encouragement to
do so, in that they are assured he is touched with a feeling of our
infirmities. And for the like reason they find some consolation in applying
to those of their brethren who have suffered the same things. None but these
can either understand or pity their complaints. If the Lord has any children
who are not exercised with spiritual temptations, I am sure they are but
poorly qualified to "speak a word in season to those who are weary." In this
school you have acquired the tongue of the learned; and let it not seem a
small thing to you, if the Lord has given you wisdom and ability to comfort
the afflicted ones: if your prayers, your life, and the knowledge they have
of your trials, affords them some relief in a dark hour, this is an honor
and a privilege which, I am persuaded, you will think you have not purchased
too dear, by all that you have endured.
Once more: Temptations, by giving us a painful
sensibility of the weakness of our graces, and the strength of our inward
corruptions, tend to mortify the evil principles of self-dependence
and self-righteousness, which are so deeply rooted in our fallen
nature; to make Christ, in all his relations, offices, and characters, more
precious to us; and to convince us, that without him we can do nothing.
It would be easy to enlarge upon these and other
advantages which the Lord enables his people to derive from the things which
they suffer; so that they may say, with Samson, "Out of the eater comes
forth meat;" and that, what their adversary designs for their overthrow,
contributes to their establishment. But I have already exceeded my limits.
Enough, I hope, has been said to prove, that God has wise and gracious
ends in permitting them for a season to be tossed with tempest, and not
comforted. Before long these designs will be more fully unfolded to us; and
we shall be satisfied that he has done all things well. In the meanwhile it
is our duty, and will be much for our comfort, to believe it upon the
authority of his word.
2. I shall now proceed to offer some ADVICES to those who
are tempted.
But I am ready to say—To what purpose? When the
enemy comes in like a flood; when the very foundations of hope are attacked;
when suspicions are raised in the mind, not only concerning an interest in
the promises, but concerning the truth of the Scripture itself; when a dark
cloud blots out, not only the sense, but almost the remembrance of past
comforts; when the mind is overwhelmed with torrents of blasphemous,
unclean, or monstrous imaginations, things horrible and unutterable; when
the fiery darts of Satan have set the corruptions of the heart in a flame:
at such a season a person is little disposed or able to listen to advice. I
shall, however, mention some things by which, ordinarily, Satan maintains
his advantage against them in these circumstances, that they may be upon
their guard as much as possible. Satan's principal devices are—
1. To hide from a believer, the Lord's designs in
permitting him thus to rage. Some of these I have noticed; and they should
endeavor to keep them upon their minds. It is hard for them, during the
violence of the storm, to conceive that any good can possibly arise from the
experience of so much evil. But when the storm is over, they find that the
Lord is still mindful of them. Now, though a young soldier may well be
startled at the first onset in the field of battle, it seems possible that
those who have been often engaged should at length gain confidence, from the
recollection of the many instances in which they have formerly found, by the
event, that the Lord was surely with them in the like difficulties, and that
their fears were only groundless and imaginary. When the warfare is hottest,
they have still reason to say, "Hope in God; for I shall yet praise him."
2. To make them utter impatient speeches, which do but
aggravate their distress. It is said of Job, under his first trials, "In all
this he sinned not with his lips, nor charged God foolishly." So long, Satan
was unable to prevail. Afterwards he opened his mouth, as Jeremiah did
likewise, and cursed the day of his birth. When he once began to complain,
his causes of complaint increased. We cannot prevent dreadful thoughts
from arising in our hearts; but we should be cautious of giving them vent,
by speaking unadvisedly. This is like letting in wind upon a smothering
fire, which will make it burn more fiercely.
3. To persuade them that all they feel and tremble at
arises immediately from their own hearts. Indeed it is a most awful proof of
our depravity, that we feel something within ready to comply with the
suggestions of the enemy, in defiance of our better judgment and desires.
But it is not so in all cases. It is not always easy, nor is it needful,
exactly to draw the line between the temptations of Satan and our own
corruptions: but sometimes it is not impossible to distinguish them. When a
child of God is prompted to blaspheme the name that he adores, or to commit
such evils as even unsanctified nature would recoil at; the enemy has done
it, and shall be answerable for the whole guilt. The soul in this case is
passive, and suffers with extreme reluctance what it more dreads than the
greatest evils which can affect the body. Nor do the deepest wounds of this
kind leave a scar upon the conscience, when the storm is over; which is a
proof that they are not our own act.
4. To drive them from the Throne of Grace. Prayer, which
is at all times necessary, is especially so in a time of temptation. But how
hard is it to come boldly, that we may obtain help in this time of need!
but, however hard, it must be attempted. By discontinuing prayer, we give
the enemy the greatest encouragement possible; for then he sees that his
temptations have the effect which he intends by them, to intercept us from
our stronghold. When our Lord was in an agony, he prayed the most earnestly:
the ardor of his prayer increased with the distress of his soul. It would be
happy if we could always imitate him in this; but too often temptations and
difficulties, instead of rousing our application, dishearten and enfeeble
us; so that our cries are the faintest when we stand most in need of
assistance. But so long as prayer is restrained, our burden is increased:
Psalm 32:3, Psalm 32:5.
If Satan cannot make them omit praying, he will
repeatedly endeavor to weary them by working upon the legality which
cleaves so close to the heart. Satan is a hard task-master, when he
interferes in the performance of our spiritual duties. This he does perhaps
more frequently than we think of; for he can, if it serves his purpose,
appear as an angel of light. When the soul is in a tempest, and
attempts to pray, he will suggest, that prayer on these occasions should be
protracted to such a length, and performed with such steadiness, as is found
to be at that season quite impracticable. Such constrained efforts are
wearisome; and from the manner of the performance, he takes occasion to fix
fresh guilt upon the conscience. Short, frequent, and fervent petitions,
which will almost necessarily arise from what is felt when temptation is
violent, are best suited to the case; and we need not add to the burden, by
tasking ourselves beyond our power, as if we expected to be heard for our
much speaking. Blessed be God that we fight with an enemy already vanquished
by our Lord, and that we have a sure promise of victory. The Lord is our
banner.