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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A77614	Precious remedies against Satans devices or, salve for believers and unbelievers sores. Being a companion for those that are in Christ, or out of Christ; that are high, or low, learned, or illiterate, staggering, or wandering; that slight, or neglect ordinances, under a pretence of living above them; that are growing (in spiritualls) or decaying; that are tempted, or deserted, afflicted, or opposed; that have assurance, or that want assurance; that are self-seekers, or the common-wealths caterpillars; that are in love sweetly united, or that yet have their spirits too much imbittered, &c. By Thomas Brookes, a willing servant unto God, and the faith of his people, in the glorious gospel of Christ, at Margarets fish-street hill.	Brooks, Thomas, 1608-1680.	1658 (1658)	Wing B4954; Thomason E1426_1	231,671	413

were once glorious on earth and are now triumphing in Heaven did look upon the mercy of God as the most powerfull argument to preserve them from sin and to fence their souls against sin and not as an encouragement Psal 26. 3 4 5 6. to sin Psal 26. 3 4 5 6. For thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth I have not sat with vaine persons neither will I goe in with dissemblers I have hated the Congregation of evill doers and will not sit with the wicked So Joseph strengthens himselfe against sin from the remembrance of mercy How then can I saith he doe this great Gen. 39. 9. wickednesse and sin against God He had fixt his eye upon mercy and therefore sin could not enter though the irons entred into his soul his soul being taken with mercy was not moved by his Mistrisses impudency Satan knock't oft at the door but the sight of mercy would not suffer him to answer or open Joseph like a Pearle in a Puddle keeps his vertue still So Paul Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound God Rom. 6. 1 2. The stone called P●ntaurus is of that vertue that it preserves him that carries it from taking any harm by poison the mercy of God in Christ to our souls is the most precious stone or Pearle● in the world to preserve us from being poysoned with sin forbid how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein There is nothing in the world that renders a man more unlike to a Saint and more like to Satan then to argue from mercy to sinfull liberty from Divine goodnesse to licentiousnesse this is the Devils Logick and in whom ever you find it you may write This soul is lost A man may a● truly say the Sea burns or fire cools as that free grace and mercy should make a soul truly gracious to doe wickedly So the same Apostle I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service So John These things I write unto you that you sin not What was it that he wrote He wrote that we might have fellowship with the Father and his Son 1 John 2. 1 2. and that the Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin and that if we confesse our sins he is just and faith full to forgive us our sins and that if we doe sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous These choyce favours and mercies the Apostle holds forth as the choycest means to preserve the soul from sin and to keep at the greatest distance from sin and if this won't doe it you may write the man void of Christ and grace and undone for ever The sixt Device that Satan hath to 6 Device draw the soule to sin is by perswading the soul that the work of Repentance is ●n easie work and that therefore the soul need not make such a matter of sin why suppose you do sin saith Satan 't is no such difficult thing to return and confesse and be sorrowfull and beg pardon and cry Lord have mercy upon me and if you doe but this God will cut the score and pardon your sins and save your souls c. By this Device Satan draws many a soul to sin and makes many millions of souls servants or rather slaves to sin c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy is seriously to consider 1 Remedy Fallen man hath lost imperium suum and imperium sui the command of himselfe and the command of the creatures and certainly he that cannot command himselfe cannot repent of himselfe Da poenitentiā postea indulgentiam said dying Fulgentius that Repentance is a mighty work a difficult work a work that is above our power There is no power below that power that raised Christ from the dead and that made the world that can break the heart of a sinner or turn the heart of a sinner thou art as well melt Adamant as to melt thine owne heart to turn a flint into flesh as to turn thine own heart to the Lord to raise the dead and to make a world as to Repent Repentance is a flower that growes not in Natures garden Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may yee also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill Jer. 13. 23. Repentance is a gift that comes down from above men are not born with Repentance in their hearts as they are borne with tongues in their mouths Acts. 5. It was a vain brag of King Cyrus that caused it to be written upon his Tomb-stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I could doe all things So could Paul too but it was through Christ which strengthned him 31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give Repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins So in that 2 Tim. 2. 25. In meeknesse instructing them that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth 'T is not in the power of any mortall to repent at pleasure Some ignorant deluded souls vainly conceit that these five words Lord have mercy upon me are efficacious to send them to Heaven but as many are undone by buying a counterfeit Jewell so many are in Hell by mistake of their Repentance many rest in their Repentance though it be but the shadow of Repentance which caused one to say Repentance damneth more then sin The second Remedy against this Device 2 R●medy of Satan is solemnly to consider of the nature of true Repentance Repentance is some other thing then what vain men conceive Repentance is sometimes taken in a more strict and narrow The Hebrew word for Repentance is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to returne implying a going back from what a man had don it notes a returning or converting from one thing to another from sin to God The Greeks have two words by which they expresse the nature of repentance one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to be carefull anxious solicitous after a thing is done the other word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is resipiscentia after-wit or after-wisdom the minds recovering of wisdome or growing wiser after our folly Ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dementia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 post it being the correction of mens folly and returning ad sanam mentem True repentance is a thorough change both of the mind and manners optima aptissima poenitentia est nova vita saith Luther which saying is an excellent saying Repentance for sin is nothing worth without repentance from sin If thou repent with a contradiction saith Tertullian God will pardon thee with a contradiction thou repentest and yet continuest in

Satan is seriously to consider that sins against mercy will bring the greatest and the sorest judgements upon mens heads and hearts Mercy is Alpha Justice is Omega David speaking of these Attributes placeth Mercy in the foreward and Justice in the rereward saying My Song shall be of Mercy and Judgement Psal 101. 1. when Mercy is despised then Justice takes the Throne God is like a Quantò gradus altior tantò casus gravior the higher we are indignity the more grievous is our fall and misery Prince that sendeth not his Army against Rebels before he hath sent his Pardon and proclaimed it by a Herauld of Arms. He first hangs out the white Flag of Mercy if this wins men in they are happy for ever but if they stand out then God will put forth his red Flag of Justice and Judgement if the one be despised the other shall be felt with a witnesse see this in the Israelites Deus tardus est ad iram sed tarditatem gravitate ●●nae compensat God is slow to anger but he recompenceth his slownesse with grievousnesse of punishment he loved them and chose them when they were in their blood and most unlovely he multiplied them not by means but by miracle for from seventy souls they grew in few years to six hundred thousand the more they were oppressed the more they prospered like Camomile the more you tread it the more you spread it or to a Palme tree the more it is pressed the further it spreadeth or to fire the more it is raked the more it burneth their mercies came in upon them like Job's Messengers one upon the neck of another If we abuse mercy to serve our lusts then in Salvians phrase God will rain hell out of Heaven rather then not visit for such sins He put off their sackcloath and girded them with gladnesse and compassed them about with songs of deliverance he carried them on the wings of Eagles he kept them as the Apple of his eye c. But they abusing his mercy became the greatest objects of his wrath as I know not the man that can reckon up their mercies so I know not the man that can sum up the miseries that are come upon them for their sins for as our Saviour prophesied concerning Jerusalem That a stone Vespasian brake into their City at Cedron where they took Christ on the same Feast day that Christ was taken he whipped them where they whipped Christ he sold twenty Jews for a penny as they sould Christ for 30 pence 8. Andr. cat should not be left upon a stone so it was fulfilled forty years after his Ascension by Vespasian the Emperour and his Son Titus who having besi●ged Jerusalem the Jewes were oppressed with a grievous famine in which their food was old shooes old leather old hay and the dung of Beasts thene died partly of the Sword and partly of the Famine eleven hundred thousand of the poorer sort two thousand in one night were imbowelled six thousand were burned in a porch of the Temple the whole City was sacked and burnt and laid levell to the ground and ninety seven thousand taken Captives and applied to base and miserable service as E●sebius and Josephus saith and to thi● day in all the parts of the world are they not the off-scouring of the world none lesse belov'd and non● more abhor'd then they And so Caparnaum that was lifted up to Heaven was threatned to be Men are therfore the wors because they ought to be better and shall be deeper in Hell because Heaven was offered unto them but they would not Ingentia beneficia flagitia supplicia good turnes aggravate unkindnesses and mens offences are increased by their obligation 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 shift off disregard thrown down to Hell No souls fall so low into Hell if they fall as those souls that by a hand of mercy are lifted up nearest to Heaven you flight souls that are so apt to abuse mercy consider this that in the Gospel dayes the plagues that God inflicts upon the despisers and abusers of mercy are usually spirituall plagues as blindnesse of mind hardnesse of heart benumednesse of conscience which are ten thousand times worse then the worst of outward plagues that can b●fall you and therefore though you may escape temporall Judgements yet you shall not escape spirituall Judgements How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation saith the Apostle Oh! therefore when ever Satan shall present God to the soul as one made up all of mercy that he may draw thee to doe wickedly say unto him that sins against mercy will bring upon the soul the greatest misery and therefore whatever becomes of thee thou wilt not sin against mercy c. The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that though Gods generall mercy be over all his works yet his speciall mercy Augustus in his solemn Feasts gave trifles to some but gold to others that his heart was most set upon so God by a hand of generall mercy gives these poore trifles outward blessings ●o those that he least loves but his gold his speciall mercy is onely towards those that his heart is most set upon is confined to those that are divinely qualified so in Exod. 34. 6 7. And the Lord passed by before him and proclaimed the Lord the Lord God mercifull and gracious long-suffering and abundant in goodnesse and truth keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity transgression and sin and that will by no means clear the guilty Exod. 20. 6. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandements Psal 25. 10. All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth unto such as keep his Covenant and his Testimonies Psal 32. 10. Many sorrows shall be to the wicked but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compasse him about Psal 33. 18. Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy Psal 103. 11. For as the Heaven is high above the earth so great is his mercy to as ard them that feare him Ver. 17. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that feare him When Satan attempts to draw thee to sin by presenting God as a God all made up of mercy oh then reply that tho Gods general mercy extends to all the works of his hand yet his speciall mercy is confined to them that are divinely qualified to them that love h●m and keep his Commandements to them that trust in him that by hope hang upon him and that fear him and that thou must be such a one here or else thou canst never be happy hereafter thou must partake of his speciall mercy or else eternally perish in everlasting misery notwithstanding Gods generall mercy The fifth Remedy against this Device 5 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that those that

not God made 2 Tim. 1. 13. 1 Titus 9. The Priests of Mercurie when they eat their figs and honey cried ou● 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sweet is truth truth sweet to thy soule yea sweeter then the honey or the honey combe and wilt thou not goe on ●o Heaven feeding upon truth that heavenly honey-comb as Samson did of his honey-comb Ah soules have you not found truth sweetning your spirits and cheering your spirits and warming your spirits and raising your spirits and corroborating your spirits have you not found truth a guide to leade you a staffe to uphold you a cordiall to strengthen you and a plaister to heale you and will you not hold fast the truth hath not truth been your best friend in your worst dayes hath not truth stood by you when friends have forsaken you hath not truth done more for you then all the world could doe against you and will you not hold fast the truth is not truth your right eye without which you cannot see for Christ and your right hand without which you cannot doe for Christ and your right foot without which you cannot walke with Christ and will you not hold fast truth oh hold fast the truth in your judgements and understandings in your wills and affections in your profession It is with truth as with some plants which live and thrive not but in warme climates and conversation Truth is more precious then gold or Rub●es and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her Truth is that heavenly glasse wherein we may see the luster and glory of divine wisdome power greatnesse love and mercifulnesse In this glasse you may see the face of Christ the favour of Christ the riches of Christ and the heart of Christ beating and working sweetly towards your soules Oh! let your soules cleave to truth as Ruth Ruth 1. v. 15 16 17. Though I cannot dispute for the truth yet I can die for the truth said that blessed Ma●●yr did to Naomi and say I will not leave truth nor returne from following after truth but where truth goes I will goe and where truth lodgeth I will lodge and nothing but death shall part truth and my soule What John said to the Church of Philadelphia I may say to you Hold th●● fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crowne the Crowne is the top of royalties such a thing is truth let Tit. 1. v. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no man take thy Crown Hold fast the faithfull word as Titus speaks you were better let goe any thing then truth you were better let goe your Hold fast as with tooth and naile against those that would snatch it from us honours and riches your friends and pleasures and the worlds favours yea your nearest and dearest relations I your very lives then to let goe truth Oh! keep the truth and truth will keep you safe and happy for 6. Remedy I have read of one who seeing in a vision many snares of the devill spread upon the earth he sate downe mourning and said within himselfe Quis periransiet ista who shall passe thorough these whereunto he he●d a voice answering humilitas periransiet humility shall passe thorough them ever blessed are those soules that are kept by truth The sixt Remedy against this device of Satan is to keep humble humility will keep the soule free from many darts of Satans casting and erronious snares of his spreading As low trees and shrubs are free from many violent gusts and blasts of winde which shake and rend the taller trees so humble soules are free from those gusts and blasts of errour that rend and teare proud lofty soules Satan and the world hath least power to fasten errours upon humble soules The God of light and truth delights to dwell with the humble and the more light and truth dwells in the soule the further off darknesse and errour will stand from the soule The God of grace poures in grace into humble soules as men poure liquor into empty vessells and the more grace is poured into the soule the lesse errour shall be able to over-power the soule or to infect the soule That 's a sweet word in the Psa 25. v. 9. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnanavim from gnanah which signifies the humble or afflicted The high tide quickly ebs and the highest Sun is presently declining you know how to apply it 25. Psal 9. v. The meek or the humble will he guide in judgement and the meeke will he teach his way and certainly soules guided by God and taught by God are not easily drawn aside into wayes of errour Oh! take heed of spirituall pride pride fills our fancies and weakens our graces and makes roome in our hearts for errour there are no men on earth so soone entangled and so easily conquered by errour as proud soules Oh! 't is dangerous to love to be wise above what is written to be curious and unsober in your desire of knowledge and to The proud soule is like him that gazed upon the Moon but fell into the pit trust to your own capacities and abilities to undertake to prie into all secrets and to be puffed up with a carnall minde soules that are thus a soaring up above the bounds and limits of humility usually fall into the very worst of errours as experience doth daily evidence The seventh Remedy against this device 7. Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider the great evills that errours have produced errour is a fruitfull mother and hath brought forth such monstrous Errours in conscience produce many great evills not onely ad intra in mens own soules but also ad extra in humane affaires children as hath set Towns Cities and Nations on fire Errour is that whorish woman that hath cast down many wounded many yea slaine many strong men and many great men and many learned men and many professing men in former times and in our own time as is too evident to all that are not much left of God destitute of the truth and blinded by Satan Oh the graces that errour hath weakned and the sweet joyes and comforts that errour hath clouded if not buried oh the hands that errour hath weakned the eyes that errour hath blinded the judgements of men that errour hath perverted the mindes that errour hath darkned the hearts that errour hath hardened the affections that errour hath cooled the Consciences that errour hath s●ared and the lives of men that errour hath polluted ah soules can you solemnly consider of this and not tremble more at errour then at hell it selfe c. The twel●th Device that Satan hath 12. Device to draw the soule to sin is to affect wicked company to keep wicked society and oh the horrid impieties and wickednesses that Satan hath drawn men to sin by working them to sit and associate themselves with vaine persons Now the Remedies against this device of

3 4 5. the Devil had malice enough to destroy him yet he had not so much as power to touch him till God gave him a Commission They could not so much as enter into Luke 8. 32. the swine without leave from Christ Satan would faine have combated with Peter but this could not he doe without leave Satan hath desired to have you Luke 22. 13. to winnow you So Satan could never have overthrown Ahab and Saul but by 1 Kings 22. a commission from God Ah! what a cordiall what a comfort should this be to the Saints that their greatest subtilest and watchfullest enemie cannot hurt nor harme them without leave from him who is their sweetest Saviour their dearest husband and their choysest friend And as Satan must have leave from Adversaria po●e 〈…〉 non habet vim c●gendi sed persuadendi Is●do●e God so he must have leave of us when he tempts we must assent when hee makes offers we must hearken when he commands we must obey or else all his labour and temptations will be frustrate and the evill that he tempts us to shall be put down only to his account that 's a remarkable passage of the Apostle in Acts 5. 3. Why hath Satan Acts 5. 3. filled thy heart to lie to the holy Ghost c. He doth not expostulate the matter with Satan he doth not say Satan why They are the wor●● and grossest lyars who pretend Re●igion and the Spirit and yet are acted onley by carnall principles to carnal ends host thou filled Ananias heart to make him lie to the holy Ghost but he expostulates the case with Ananias Peter said Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Ghost Why hast thou given him an advantage to fill thy heart with infidelity hypocrisie and obstinate audacity to lie to the holy Ghost as If he had said Satan could never have done this in thee which will now for ever undoe thee unlesse thou hadst first given him leave If when a temptation comes a man cries out and saith ah Lord here is a temptation that would force me that would deflowr my soul and I have no strength to with-stand it oh help help for thy honours sake for thy Sonnes sake for thy promise sake 't is a signe that Satan hath not gained your consent but committed a rape upon your soules which he shall dearly pay for The fourth Proposition is this That no weapons but spirituall 4 Proposition weapons will be usefull and serviceable to the soule in fighting and combating with the Devill this the Apostle shewes VVherefore take unto you saith Ephes 6. 13. he the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the evill day and having done all to stand So the same Apostle tells you that the weapons of your warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to 2 Cor. 10. 4. the casting downe of strong bolds you have not to do with a weak but with a mighty We read of many that out of greatnesse of spirit could offer violence to nature but were at a loss when they come to deale with a corruption or a temptation enemy and therefore you had need look to it that your weapons are mighty and that they cannot be unlesse they are spirituall carnall weapons have no might nor spirit in them towards the making of a conquest upon Satan 'T was not Davids sling nor stone that gave him the honor advantage of setting his feet upon Goliah but his faith in the name of the Lord of Hosts Thou comest 1 Sam. 17. 45. to me with a sword with a speare and with a shield but I am come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel whom thou hast defied Hee that Heraclius his Motto was a Deo victoria it is God that gives victories and that should be every Christians Motto fights against Satan in the strength of his owne resolutions constitution or education will certainely flie and fall before him Satan will be too hard for such a soule and lead him captive at his pleasure The onely way to stand conquer and triumph is still to plead 't is written as Christ did There is no sword but the two-edged sword of the Mat. 4. 10. Spirit that will be found to be mettle of proofe when a soule comes to engage against Satan Therefore when you are tempted to uncleannesse plead 't is written Be ye holy as I am holy And 1 Pet. 15. 16● 2 Cor. 5. 7. Chap. 1. l●t us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the ●eare of the Lord. If he tempts● you to distrust Gods providence and fatherly care of you plead 't is written They Psal 34. 9. that feare the Lord shall want nothing that is good 'T is written The Lord will give Psal 84. 11. grace and glory and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that purlely live If he tempt you to feare that you shall faint and fall and never be able to run to the end of the race that is set before Iob 17. 9. you plead 't is written The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger 'T is written I will make an everlasting covevenant with them that I will not turne away Ier. 32. 40. from them to doe them good but I wil put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me 'T is written They that wait upon the Lord they shall renew their Isa 40. 31. strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walke and not ●aint If Satan tempt you to think that because your sunne for the present is set in a cloud that therefore 't will rise no more and that the face of God will shine no more upon you that your best days are now at an end and that you must spend all your time in sorrow and fighing plead 't is written He will turn again he Mica 7. 19. will have compassion upon us and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea 'T is written For a small moment have I forsaken Isa 54. 7. thee but with great mercies will I gather Verse 8. thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer 'T is written The mountaines shall depart and the hills be Verse 10. removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercie on thee 'T is written Can a woman Isa 49. 15. forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget