Resist Satan and Cry to Your LORD JESUS

"There was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan, to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure." -II Corinthians 12:7 [KJV]

I dearly love St. Paul’s experience. For there is so much of the artless simplicity of the poor humble sinner; such a dread of self-glorying, while it ever exalts the rich grace of the dear Saviour. Let us make a few remarks on it, and pray our gracious Lord to bless them. 

(1st.) Here is a painful experience, a thorn in his flesh. What was that? Fanciful men have entertained strange ideas. Some have said the cholic: others the ear-ache, others the head-ache, etc. If it were a bodily pain, we might as well guess, the gout in his great toe. But would the apostle have been thus anxious to have a bodily pain removed? Would the most excruciating pain prevent soul exalting? Surely it was something more. 

It was the heart-ache. He plainly tells it was, “the messenger of Satan to buffet him.” His very soul was harassed and sore distressed, by some violent temptation, injection, or suggestion from the devil: either concerning his own state, or the truth as it is in Jesus. This was teasing, painful, and tormenting to him, as a thorn in the flesh. This brought him to a proper feeling of himself, after his abundant revelations. He found that he was the subject of corruption like another sinner. 

He had the irksome feeling of the “flesh,” in which, he says, “dwelleth no good thing,” (Romans 7:18.) He could not say as his Lord once said, “Satan cometh and hath nothing in Me,” (John 14:30.) For he found in him an evil and corrupt nature to work upon. Therefore he buffeted him from day to day. If you experience somewhat of this, be not dejected. Call not your state in question. Resist Satan, and cry to your Lord. 

For know with St. Paul, (2d.) “It was given to me.” The Lord, for wise and good ends, in love to our souls, permits these buffetings. Satan thinks to destroy us, but the Lord hereby profits us. He suffers His dearest children and holiest saints to be vexed by Satan, and all kinds of temptations. To what end? 

(3d.) “Lest I should be exalted above measure.” Could not so holy a saint as Paul, be favoured with rich experience of heavenly visions, without danger of being puffed up with pride by them? See hence, O believer, your danger. These pungent feelings bring us down from our altitudes into the valley of humility. 

Then (4th.) prize the throne of grace. Flee to your precious Lord as St. Paul did. Lay all your distress before Him. 

(5th.) Remember the precious answer he obtained from Christ, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” As though He had said, You are not to live upon your self-exalting frames and feelings; but as a poor sinner, upon the all-sufficient grace of Me, your precious Saviour. Thus self was laid low, and the Lord alone exalted in that day. -Isaiah 2:11.

 

-preacher Wm. Mason (1724-1797 A.D.)