How Faith Quenches The ‘Lust of The Flesh.’ 1/2

           Question.  How does faith quench this fiery dart of sensual delights?

           Answer 1. As it undeceives and takes off the mist from the Christian’s eyes, whereby he is now enabled to see sin in its naked being and callow  principles be­fore Satan hath plumed [it].  It gives him the native taste and relish of sin before the devil hath sophis­ticated it with his sugared sauce.  And truly, now sin proves a homely piece, a bitter morsel.  Faith hath a piercing eye; it is ‘the evidence of things not seen.’  It looks behind the curtain of sense, and sees sin, before its fiery was on and it be dressed for the stage, to be a brat that comes from hell, and brings hell with it. Now, let Satan come if he please, and present a lust never so enticing, the Christian’s answer is ready.  ‘Be not cheated, O my soul,’ saith faith, ‘with a lying spirit.’  He shows thee a fair Rachel, but he intends thee a blear-eyed Leah; he promises joy, but he will pay thee sorrow.  The clothes that make this lust so comely are not its own.  The sweetness thou tastest is not native, but borrowed to deceive thee withal. ‘Thou art Saul,’ saith the woman of Endor, ‘why hast thou deceived me?’ Thus, faith can call sin and Satan by their own names when they come in a disguise. ‘Thou art Satan,’ saith faith, ‘why wouldst thou de­ceive me?  God hath said sin is bitter as gall and wormwood, and wouldst thou make me believe I can gather the sweet fruits of true delight from this root of bitterness? grapes from these thorns?’

           Answer 2. Faith doth not only enable the soul to see the nature of sin void of all true pleasure, but also how transient its false pleasures are.  I will not lose, saith faith, sure mercies for transient uncertain pleas­ures.  This made Moses leap out of the pleasures of the Egyptian court into the fire of ‘affliction,’ Heb. 11:25, because he saw them ‘pleasures for a season.’ Should you see a man in a ship throw himself over­board into the sea, you might at first think him out of his wits; but if, a little while after, you should see him stand safe on the shore, and the ship swallowed up of the waves, you should then think he took the wisest course.  Faith sees the world and all the pleasures of sin sinking: there is a leak in them which the wit of man cannot stop.  Now is it not better to swim by faith through a sea of trouble and get safe to heaven at last, than to sin in the lap of sinful pleasures till we drown in hell's gulf?  It is impossible that the pleasure of sin should last long.

           (1.) Because it is not natural.  Whatever is not natural soon decays.  The nature of sugar is to be sweet, and therefore it holds its sweetness; but sweeten beer or wine never so much with sugar, in a few days they will lose their sweetness.  The pleasure of sin is extrinsical to its nature, and therefore will corrupt.  None of that sweetness which now bewitches sinners will be tasted in hell.  The sinner shall have his cup spiced there by his hand that will have it a bitter draught.