Luke 4:9-13 And in their hands they shall bear you up, lest at any time you dash your foot against a stone.… I shall show to what base designs he makes it subserve. 1. He useth this artifice to beget and propagate erroneous doctrines. Hence no opinion is so vile, but pretends to Scripture as its patron. 2. He makes abused Scripture to encourage sinful actions. 3. By this imitation of the commands and promises of God, he doth strangely engage such as he can thus delude unto desperate undertakings. 4. He sometimes procures groundless peace and assurance in the hearts of careless ones by Scripture misapplied. Lastly: This way of Satan's setting home scriptures proves sadly effectual to beget or heighten the inward distresses and fears of the children of God. It is a wonder to hear some dispute against themselves, so nimble they be to object a scripture against their peace, above their reading or ability, that you would easily conclude there is one at hand that prompts them, and suggests these things to their own prejudice. And sometime a scripture will be set so cross or edgeway to their good and comfort, that many pleadings, much time, prayers, and discourses cannot remove it. I have known some that have seriously professed scriptures have been thrown into their hearts like arrows, and have with such violence fixed a false apprehension upon their minds, as that God had cut them off, that they were reprobate, damned, &c., that they have borne the tedious, restless affrightments of it for many days, and yet the thing itself, as well as the issue of it, doth declare that this was not the fruit of the Spirit of God, which is a spirit of truth, and cannot suggest a falsehood, but of Satan, who hath been a liar from the beginning. (R. Gilpin.) Parallel Verses KJV: And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.WEB: and, 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.'" |
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