Satan’s third affrighting temptation —THE FIERY DART OF DESPAIR

 Third Dart of affrighting temptations.  The third fiery dart which Satan lets fly at the Christian is his temptation to despair.  This cursed fiend thinks he can neither revenge himself further on God, nor en­grave his own image deeper on the creature, than by this sin; which at once casteth the greatest scorn upon God, and brings the creature nearest the complexion of devils and damned souls, who, by lying continually under the scorching wrath of God, in hell’s horrid zone, are blacked all over with despair.  This is the sin that of all Satan chiefly aims at.  Other sins are but as previous dispositions to introduce that, and make the creature more receptive for such a tempta­tion.  As the wool hath a tincture of some lighter col­ours given it before it can be dyed into a deep grain, so Satan hath his more lightsome and pleasant sins, which he at first entices to, that he may the better dis­pose the creature to this.  But this is kept by him as a great secret from the creature's knowledge.  The devil is too cunning a fowler to lay his net in the bird’s sight he means to take.  Despair is the net.  Other sins are but the shrap, whereby he covers it, and so flatters them into it, which done, he hath them safe to eternity.  This, above all sins, puts a man into a kind of actual possession of hell. 

 Other sins bind over to wrath, whereby he covers it, but this gives fire to the threatening, and sets the soul on a light flame with horror.  As it is faith’s excellency to give a being to the word of promise; so it is the cruelty of despair that it gives an existence to the torments of hell in the con­science.  This is the arrow that drinks up the spirit, and makes the creature executioner to itself.  Despair puts a soul beyond all relief; the offer of a pardon comes too late to him that hath turned himself off the ladder.  Other temptations have their way to escape. Faith and hope can open a window to let out the smoke that offends the Christian in any condition, be it at present never so sad and sorrowful; but then the soul must needs be choked, when it is shut up within the despairing thoughts of its own sins, and no crevice left to be an outlet to any of that horror with which they fill him.