c. But above all pray for me that I may more and more finde the power and sweet of those things upon my owne heart that I give out to you and others and that my soule be so visited with strength from on high that I may live up fully and constantly to those truths that I hold forth to the world and that I may be both in Life and Doctrine a burning and a shining light That so when the Lord Jesus shall appear I may receive a crown of glory which he shall give to me in that day and not onely to me but to all that love his appearing c. For a close remember this that your life is short your duties many your assistance great and your reward sure therefore faint not hold on and hold up in wayes of well doing and Heaven shall make amends for all I shall now take leave of you when my heart hath by my hand subscribed that I am Your loving Pastor under Christ according to all Pastor all affections and engagements in our dearest Lord. THOMAS BROOKS A WORD TO THE READER Deare Friend SOLOMON bids us buy the Pro. 23. 23 Truth but doth not tell us what it must cost because we must get it though it be never so deare wee must love it both Multi amaÌ„â— veritatem lucentem o derunt redarguentem shining and scorching every parcell of Truth is precious as the filings of gold wee must either live with it or dye for it As Ruth said to Naomi Whither thou goest I will goe and Ruth 1. 16 17. where thou lodgest I will lodge and nothing but death shall part thee and mee So must gracious spirits say where Truth goes I will goe and where Truth lodges I will Si veritas est causa discordiae mori possum tacere con possum Jâ—rome lodge and nothing but death shall part me and Truth A man may lawfully sell his House Lands and Jewells but Truth is a Jewell that exceeds all price and must not be sould 'T is our Heritage Thy Testimonies have I taken Psal 119. 11â— as an Heritage for ever 't is a Legacie that our fore-fathers have hought with their bloods which should make us willing to lay downe any thing and to lay out any thing that wee may with the wise Merchant in the Gospel purchase this precious Pearle Mâ—t. 5. 18. Veritâ—s vinâ—it Truth at last triumphs which is more worth then Heaven and Earth and which will make a man live happily die comfortably and reign eternally And now if thou pleasest reade the Worke and receive this councell from mee First Thou must know that every man cannot be excellent that yet may be usefull An iron key may unlocke the doore of a golden treasure yea ferrum potest quod aurum non potest Iron can doe some things that gold cannot c. Secondly Remember 't is not hasty reading but serious meditating upon 'T is a Law among the Persees in India to use premeditation in what they are to doe that if it be bad to reject it if good to act it holy and heavenly truths that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soule 'T is not the Bees touching of the Flower that gathers Honey but her abiding for a time upon the Flower that drawes out the sweet 'T is not he that reads most but he that meditates most that will prove the choicest sweetest wisest and strongest Christian c. Thirdly Know that 't is not the knowing nor the talking nor the reading man but the doing man that at last will be found the happiest man If you know these things blessed John 15. 14. Mat. 7. 21. and happie are you if you doe them Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the 'T was a good saying of Justin Martyr Non in verbis sed in factis res nostrae religioniâ— consistunt Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father that is in Heaven Judas called Christ Lord Lord and yet betrayed him and is gone to his place ah How many Judasses have we in these dayes that kisse Christ and yet betray Christ That in their words professe him but in their workes deny him that bow The Heathen Philosopher Seneca liked not such that are semper victuri alwayes about to live better but never begin God loves saith Luther curristâ—â— not quâ—ristas the â—unner not the questioner Pacunius hath an elegant saying I hate saith he the men that are idle in deed and philosophicall in word c. their knee to him and yet in their hearts despise him that call him Jesus and yet will not obey him for their Lord. Reader If it be not strong upon thy heart to practise what thou readest to what end doest thou read to encrease thy owne condemnation If thy light and knowledge be not turn'd into practise the more knowing man thou art the more miserable man thou wilt be in the day of recompence thy light and knowledge will more torment thee then all the Devills in hell Thy knowledge will be that rod that will eternally lash thee and that Scorpion that will for ever bite thee and that worme that will everlastingly gnaw thee therefore reade and labour to know that thou mayest doe or else thou art undone for ever When Demosthenes was asked what was the first part of an Orator what the second what the third he answered action the same may I say if any should aske me what is the first the second the third part of a Christian I must answer action as that man that reades that he may know and that labours to know that he may doe will have two Heavens a Heaven of Joy Peace and Comfort on earth and a Heaven of glory and happinesse after death Fourthly and lastly if in thy reading thou wilt cast a serious eye upon the Margent thou wilt finde many sweet and precious Notes that will oftentimes give light to the things thou readest and pay thee for thy paines with much comfort and profit So desiring that thou mayest finde as much sweetnesse and advantage in reading this Treatise as I have found by the overshadowings of Heaven in the studying and writing of it I commend thee to God and to the word of his grace which is able to Acts 20. 32. build thee up and to give thee an inheritance among them which are sanctified And rest Reader Thy soules Servant in every office of the Gospel THOMAS BROOKS PRECIOUS REMEDIES AGAINST SATANS Devices 2 CORINTH 2. 11. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his Devices IN the fifth Verse the Apostle shews that the incestuous person had by his incest sadded those precious souls that God would not have sadded soules that walk sinfully are Hazaels to the godly and draw many sighes and tears from them Jeremy weepes in secret for Judah's sins and Paul cannot speak of those
as the Apostle speaks Know yee not that the Saints shall judge the world and in that day oh how will the great and the rich the Mr. Fox being once asked whether he knew a certain poor man who had received succour of him in time of trouble he answered I remember him well I tel you I forget Lords Ladies to remember such So will the Lord deale by his poor S t s he will forget the great and mighty ones of the world to remember his few poor despised ones Though Iohn was poore in the world yet the holy ghost calls him the greatest that was born of women ah poor Saints men that know not your worth cannot have such low thoughts of you but the Lord wil have aâ— high learned and the noble wish that they had lived and spent their dayes with these few poor contemptible creatures in the service of the Lord oh how wil this wicked world curse the day that ever they had such base thoughts of the poor meane Saints and that their poverty became a stumbling block to keep them off from the wayes of sanctity I have read of Ingo an ancient King of the Draves who making a stately feast appointed his Nobles at that time Pagans to sit in the Hall below and commanded certaine poore Christians to be brought up into his Presence-chamber to sit with him at his Table to eate and drink of his Kingly cheer at which many wondering he said he accounted Christians though never so poore a greater ornament at his Table and more worthy of his company then the greatest Peers unconverted to the Christian faith for when these might be thrust down to Hell those might be his Consorts and fellow Princes in Heaven you know how to apply it Although you see the stars sometimes by their reflictions in a puddle or in the bottome of a Well I in a stinking ditch yet the stars have their scituation in Heaven So though you see a godly man in a poor miserable low despised condition for the things of this world yet he is fixed in Heaven in the Region of Heaven Who hath raised us up saith the Apostle and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus Oh! therefore say to your owne souls when they begin to decline the wayes of Zion because of the poverty and paucity of those that walke in them the day is at hand when these few poor despised Saints shall shine in glory when they shall judge this world and when all the wicked of the world will wish that they were in their condion would give ten thousand worlds were it in their power that they might but have the honour and happinesse to waite upon those whom for their poverty and paucity they have neglected and despised in this world The sixt and last Remedie against this 6 Remedy device of Satan is solemnly to consider that there will come a time even in this These following Scriptures do abundantly confirm this truth Ier. 31. 12. Isa 30. 23. Isa 62. 8 9. Ioel 2. 23 24. Mica 4. 6. Amos 9. 13 14. Zech. 8. 12. Isa 41. 18 19. Isa 55. 13. Isa 66. 6 7. Isa 65. 21 22. Isa 61. 4. Isa 60. 10. Ezek. 36. 10. life in this world when the reproach and contempt that is now cast upon the wayes of God by reason of the poverty and paucity of those that walk in those wayes shall be quite taken away by his making them the head that have dayes without number been the taile and by his raising them up to much outward riches prosperity and glory who have been as the out-cast because of their poverty and paucity John speaking of the glory of the Church the new Jerusalem that came downe from Heaven in that 21. of the Revelation tells us That the Nations of them which are saved shall walke in the light of it and the Kings of the earth do bring their glory into it So the Prophet Isaiah They shall bring their sons from far and their silver and their gold with Only take these 2 cautions First that in these times the Saints chiefest comforts delights and contents will consist in their more cleer full and constant injoyments of God 2. That they shaâ— have such an abundant â—easure of he spirit poured out â—pon them â—hat their riches and outward glory shall not be sâ—ares to â—hem but golden steps to lead them to a richer living in God them vers 9. For brasse I will bring gold and for iron I will bring silver and for wood brasse and for stones Iron vers 19. And so the Prophet Zechariah speaks Chap. 14. v. 14. And the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together gold and silver and apparell in great abundance The Lord hath promised that the meek shal inherite the earth And heaven and earth shall passe away before one jot or tittle of his word shall pass unfulfilled Ah poor Saints now some thrust sore at you others look a squint upon you others shut the door against you others turne their backs upon you and most of men except it be a few that live much in God and are filled with the riches of Christ do either neglect you or despise you because of your poverty but the day is coming when you shall be lifted up above the dunghil when you shall change pâ—vâ—rty for riches your rags for robes your reproach for a crowne of honour your infamy for glory even in this world And this is not all but God will also mightily increase the number of his chosen ones multitudes shall be converted to him Who hath heard such a Isa 66. 8. thing who hath seen such things shall the earth be made to bring forth in one day or shall a Nation be borne at once for assoone as Zion travelled she brought forth children And they shall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all Nations upon Vers 19 20. horses and in Chariots in Litters and upon Mules upon swift beasts to my holy mountaine Jerusalem saith the Lord as the children of Israel bring an offering in a cleane vessell into the house of the Lord. Doth not the Scripture say that the Kingdomes of Revel 11. 15. this world must become the Kingdomes of our Lord Hath not God given to Christ the heathen and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possessions Hath not the Lord said that in the last dayes the mountaine of the Lords Psal 2. 8. house shall be lifted up above the hills and shall be established in the top of the mountains and all Nations shall flow unto it Pray read Isa 2. 2. Isa 54. 14. Isa 61. 9. and meditate upon the sixty chapter of Isaiah and the sixty sixth chapter and the five first verses of the second chapter of Isaiah and there you shall finde the multitudes that shall be converted to Christ and oh that you
the justifying of beastiality as many have done in these dayes of vertue the more dangerous 't is to the souls of men this we see evident in these days by those very many souls that are turned out of the way that is holy and in which their souls have had sweet and glorious communion with God into wayes of highest vanity and folly by Satans neat colouring over of sin and painting forth vice under the name and colour of vertue this is so notoriously knowne that I need but name it the most dangerous vermine is too often to be found under the fairest and sweetest Flowers and the fairest glove is often drawn upon the foulest hand and the richest robes are often put upon the filthiest bodies so are the fairest and the sweetest names upon the greatest and the most horriblest vices and etrors that be in the world ah that we had not too many sad proofs of this amongst us The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy is to look on sin with that eye Tacitus speaks of Tiberius â—hat when his sins did appâ—ar in their own colours they did so terrifie and torment him that he protested to the Senate that he suffered death daily which within a few hours we shall see it ah souls when you shall lye upon a dying bed and stand before a judgement seat sin shall be unmaskt and its dresse and robes shall then be taken off and then it shall appear more vile filthy and terrible then Hell it self then that which formerly appear'd most sweet will appear most bitter and that which appear'd most beautifull will appear most ugly and that which appear'd most delightful will then appear most dreadfull to the soul ah the shame the paine the gall the bitternes the horrour the hell that the fight of sin when its dress is taken off will raise in poor souls Sin will surely prove evill and bitter to the soul when its robes are taken off A man may have the Stone who feels no fit of it Conscience will work at last though for the present one may feele no fit of accusation Laban Satan that now allures thee to sin will ere long make thee see that Peccatum est deicidium sin is a murthering of God and this will make thee murther two at once thy soule and thy body unlesse the Lord in mercy holds thy hand shewed himself at parting sin will be bitternes in the latter end when it shall appear to the soul in its own filthy nature The Devil deals with men as the Panther doth with Beasts he hides his deformed head till his sweet sent hath drawn them into his danger till we have sinned Satan is a Parasite when we have sinned he is a Tyrant Ah souls the day is at hand when the Devil will pull off the paint and garnish that he hath put upon sin and present that monster sin in such a monstrous shape to your soules that will cause your thoughts to be be troubled your countenance to be changed the joynts of your loines to be loosed and your knees to be dashed one against another and your hearts to be so terrified that you will be ready with Achitophel and Judas to strangle and hang your bodies on earth and your soules in Hell if the Lord hath not more mercy on you then he had on them oh therefore looke upon sin now as you must look upon it to all eternity and as God Conscience and Satan will present it to you another day The fourth Remedie against this device 4. Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that even these very sins that Satan paints and puts new names and colours Vâ—a guttula plus valet quam coelum terra Luther i. e. one little drop speaking of the blood of Christ is more worth then Heaven and Earth upon cost the best blood the noblest blood the life-blood the heart-blood of the Lord Jesus that Christ should come from the eternall bosome of his Father to a Region of sorrow and death that God should be manifested in the flesh the Creator made a Creature that he that was cloathed with glory should be wrapped with raggs of flesh he that filled heaven and earth with his glory should be cradled in a manger that the power of God should flie from weak man the God of Israel into Aegypt that the God of the Law should be subject to the Law One of the Rabbins when he read what bitter torments the Messias should suffer when he came into the world cryed out Veniat Messias at ego non videam i. e. Let the Messias come but let not me see him Dionysius being in Aegypt at the time of Christs suffering and seeing an Eclipse of the Sun and knowing it to be contrary to nature cryed out aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina dissolvitur Either the God of Nature suffered or the frame of the world will be dlssolved the God of Circumcision circumcised the God that made the Heavens working at Josephs homely trade that he that bindes the Devills in chaines should be tempted that he whose is the world and the fulnesse thereof should hunger and thirst that the God of strength should be weary the Judge of all flesh condemned the God of life put to death that he that is one with his Father should cry out of misery my God my God why hast thou forsaken mee that he that had the keyes of Hell and death at his girdle should lie imprison'd in the sepulcher of another having in his life time no where to lay his head nor after death to lay his body that that head before which the Angels doe cast down their Crowns should be crowned with thornes and those eyes purer then the Sun put out by the darknesse of death those eares which hear nothing but Hallelujahs of Saints and Angels to hear the blasphemies of the multitude that face that was fairer then the Sons of men to be spit on by those beastly wretched Jewes that mouth and tongue that spake as never man spake accused for blasphemy those hands that freely swayed the Scepter of Heaven nailed to the Crosse those feet like unto fine brasse nailed to the Crosse for mans sins each sense annoyed his feeling or touching with a speare and nailes 'T is an excellent saying of Bernard quanto pro nobis vilior tanto nobis charior the more vilde Christ made himself for us the more dear he ought to be to us his smell with stinking savour being crucified about Golgatha the place of Skulls his taste with vinegar and gall his hearing with reproaches and sight with his mother and Disciples bemoaning him his soule comfortlesse and forsaken and all this for those very sins that Satan paints and puts fine colours upon oh how should the consideration of this stir up the soule against it and worke the soule to flie from it and to use all holy meanes whereby sin may be
by why shouldest thou set thine eyes upon that which is not saith Solomon and saith the Apostle the fashion of this world passeth away Heaven 1 Cor. 7. 31. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 intimateth that there is nothing of any firmnesse or solid consistence in the creature onely hath a foundation earth hath none but is hanged upon nothing as Job speaks The Apostle willed Tymothie to charge rich men that they be not high minded nor put their trust in uncertaine riches They are like bad servants whose shooes are made of running leather and will never tarrie long with one Master as a bird hoppeth from tree to tree so doe the honors and riches of this world from man to man let Job and Nebuchadnezzar testifie this truth who fell The most renowned Frederick lost all and sued to be made but Sexton of the Church that himselfe had built I have reâ—d of a poore fisherman who while his nets were adâ—ying slâ—pt upon the Rock and dreamed that he was made a King on a sudden starts up and leaping for joy falls down fâ—oâ— the Rock and in the place of his imaginaâ—y felicities loses his little portion of pleasures from great wealth to great want No man can promise himself to be wealthie till night one storme at Sea one coal of fire one false friend one unadvised word one false witnesse may make thee a begger and a prisoner all at once All the riches and glory of this world is but as smoke and chaff that vanisheth as a dreame and vision in the night that tarrieth not as if an hungrie man dreameth and thinketh that he eateth and when he awaketh his soule is emptie and like a thirstie man which thinketh he drinketh and behold when he is awaked his soule is faint as the Prophet Esay saith Where is the glory of Solomon the sumptuous buildings of Nebuchadnezzar the nine hundred Chariots of Sisera the power of Alexander the authority of Augustus that commanded the whole world to be taxed Those that have been the most glorious in what men generally account glorious and excellent have had inglorious ends As Sampson for strength Absolom for beauty Achitophel for policie Hamon for favour Asael for swiftnesse Alexander for great conquest and yet after twelve yeares poysoned the same you may see in the mighty foure Kingdomes The Caldean Persian Grecian and Romane The pompe of this world Iohn compareth to the Moone which crescit decrescit increaseth and decreaseth Apoc. 12. v. 1. how soone were they gone and forgotten Now rich now poore now full now emptie now in favour anon out of favour now honourable now despised now health now sicknesse now strength now weaknesse Oh! let not these uncertaine things keep thee from those holy services and heavenly imployments that may make thee happy for ever and render thy soule eternally blessed and at ease when all these transitory things shall bid thy soule an everlasting farewell The fourth Remedie against this Device 4. Remedie of Satan is to consider that the great things of this world are very hurtfull and dangerous to the outward and inward man thorough the Henry the second hearing Menz his chiefe City to be taken used this blasphemous speech I shall never saith he love God any more that suffered a City so dear to mee to be taken from me When one presented Antipater King of Macedonia with a book treating of happinesse his answer ou scholazo I have no leasure corruptions that be in the hearts of men oh the rest the peace the comfort the content that the things of this world doe strip many men off Oh the feares the cares the envie the malice the dangers the mischiefs that they subject men to They oftentimes make men carnally confident The rich mans riches are a strong tower in his imagination I said in my prosperity I should never be moved They often swell the heart with pride and make men forget God and neglect God and despise the Rock of their salvation when Jesurum waxed fat and was grown thick and covered with fatnesse then he forgot God and forsooke God that made him and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation as Moses spake ah the time the thoughts the spirits that the things of the world consumes and spends Oh! how doe they hinder the actings of faith upon God how doe they interrupt our sweet communion with God how doe they abate our love to the people of God and coole our love to the things of God and worke us to act like those that are most unlike to God oh the deadnesse the dulnesse the barrennesse that doth attend 〈…〉 n under great outward mercies Oh! the riches of the world chokes That foure good mothers beget foure bad daughters great familiarity begets contempt truth hatred vertue envie riches ignonorance is a french Proverb Gen. 13. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Policrates bestowed five talents for a gift upon one Anacrion who for two nights after was so troubled with care how to keep them and how to bestow them as he carried them back againe to Policrates saying they were not worth the paines which he had already taken for them the word that men live under the most soule-searching and soule in riching meanes with leane soules though they have full purses though their chests are full of silver yet their hearts are emptie of grace In the 13. Gen. 2. It is said that Abraham was very rich in cattell in silver and in gold according to the Hebrew Chabbedh 't is Abraham was very heavie to shew that riches are a heavie burden and a hinderance many times to heaven and happinesse King Henry the fourth asked the Duke of Alva if he had observed the great Ecclipse of the Sun which had lately hapned no said the Duke I have so much to doe on earth that I have no leasure to looke up to Heaven ah that this were not true of most Professors in these dayes 't is very sad to thinke how their hearts and time is so much taken up with earthly things that they have scarce any leasure to looke up to Heaven or to looke after Christ and the things that belong to their everlasting peace Riches though well got yet are but like to Manna those that gathered lesse bad no want and those that gathered more 't was but a trouble and annoyance to them The world is troublesome and yet it is loved what would it be if it were peaceable you imbrace it though it be filthy what would you doe if it were beautifull you cannot keep your hands from the thornes how earnest would you be then in gathering the flowers The world may be fitly likened to the Serpent Scytale whereof it is reported that Sicily is so full of sweet flowers that dogs cannot hunt there and what doe all the sweet contents of this world but make us loose the sent of Heaven when she cannot overtake the flying passengers she
PRECIOUS REMEDIES AGAINST SATANS Devices OR Salve for Believers and Vnbelievers 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 The Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged Put on the whole Armour of God that yee may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil Ephes 6. 11. But unto you I say and unto the rest in Thyatira as many as have not this Doctrine and which have not knowne the Depths of Satan as they spake I will put upon you no other burthen but that which you have already hold fast till I come Rev. 2. 24 25. LONDON Printed by M. Simmons for John Hancock at the first shop in Popes-head Alley next to Corn-hill 1653. THE EPISTLE Dedicatorie TO HIS Most Dear and Precious Ones The Sons and Daughters of the most High God over whom the holy Ghost hath made him a Watchman Beloved in our dearest Lord CHrist the Scripture your owne hearts and Satans Devices are the foure prime things that should be first and most studied searched if any cast off the study of these they cannot be safe here nor happie If a Minister had as many eyes as Argus to watch as many heads as Typheus to dispose and as many hands as Briareus to labour he might finde imployment enough for them all hereafter 'T is my worke as a Christian but much more as I am a watchman to doe my best to discover the fulnesse of Christ the emptinesse of the creature and the snares of the great Deceiver which I have endeavoured to doe in the following discourse according to that measure of grace which I have received from the Lord. God once accepted a handfull of meale for a sacrifice and a gripe of Goats haire for an oblation and I know that you have not so learned the Father as to despise the day of small things Beloved Satan being fallen from light to darknesse from felicity to misery from Heaven to hell from an Angell to a Devill is so full of malice and envy that he will leave no meanes unattempted whereby he may make all others eternaly miserable with himselfe he being shut out of Heaven and shut up under chaines of darknesse till the judgement of the great day makes use of all his power and skill to bring all the sons of men into the same condition and condemnation with himselfe Satan hath cast such sinfull seed into our soules that now he can no sooner tempt but we are ready to assent he can no sooner have a plot upon us but he makes a conquest of us if he doth but shew men a little of the beauty and bravery of the world how ready are they to fall down and worship him What ever sin the heart of man is most prone to that the Devill will help forward If David be proud of 2 Sam. 24. his people Satan wil provoke him to number them that he may be yet prouder If Peter be slavishly Matth. 16. ver 22. 26. ch 69. ult fearfull Satan will put him upon rebuking and denying of Christ to save his owne skin If Ahabs 1 Kings 22. Prophets be given to flatter the Devill will strait way become a lying spirit in the mouthes of foure hundred of them and they shall flatter Ahab to his ruine If Judas will John 13. 2. be a Traitor Satan will quickly enter into his heart and make him sell his Master for money which some Heathens would never have done If Ananias will lye Acts 5. 3. for advantage Satan wil fill his heart that he may lye with a witness to the Holy Ghost Satan loves to saile with the winde and to suite mens temptations to their conditions and inclinations if they be in prosperity he will tempt them to deny God if they be in adversity he will tempt them to distrust Prov. 30. v. 9. God if their knowledge be weak he will tempt them to have low thoughts of God if their conscience be tender he will tempt to scrupulosity if large to carnall security if we be bold-spirited he will tempt to presumption if timerous to desperation if flexible to inconstancie if stiffe to impenitency c. From the power malice and skill of Satan doth proceed all the soule killing plots devices stratagems and machinations that be in the world Severall devices he hath to draw soules to sin and severall plots he hath to keepe soules from all holy and heavenly services and severall stratagems he hath to keep soules in a mourning staggering doubting and questioning condition He hath severall devices to destroy the great and honourable the wise and learned the blinde and ignorant the rich and the poore the reall and the nominall Saints c. One while he will refraine from tempting that we may think our selves secure and neglect our watch another while he will seeme to flie that he may make us proud of the victory one while hee will fix mens eyes more on others sins then their own that he may puffe them another while he will fix their eyes more on others graces then their own that he may overwhelme them c. A man may as well tell the stars and number the sands of the sea as reckon up all the devices of Satan yet those which are most considerable and by which he doth most mischiefe to the precious soules of men are in the following Treatise discovered and the Remedies against them prescribed c. Beloved I think it necessary to give you and the world a faithfull account of the Reasons moving me to appear in Print in these dayes wherein we may say there was never more writing and yet neverlesse practising and they are these that follow c. First because Satan hath a 1. Reason greater influence upon men and higher advantages over men having the winde and the hill as it were then they thinke he hath and the knowledge of his high advantages is the high way to disappoint him and to render the soul strong in resisting and happy in conquering c. Your importunity and the importunity 2. Reason of many other precious sons of Zion hath after much striving with God my own heart and others made a conquest of me and forced me to doe that at last which at first was not a little contrary to my inclination and resolution c. The strange opposition that I 3. Reason Pirates make the strongest and the
hottest oppositions against those vessells that are most richly laden so doth Satan that arch Pirate against those truths that have most of God Christ and Heaven in them met with from Satan in the study of this following discourse hath put an edge upon my spirit knowing that Satan strives mightily to keep those things from seeing the light that tend eminently to shake and break his Kingdome of darknesse and to lift up the Kingdome and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in the soules and lives of the children of men c. Its exceeding usefulnesse to all sorts ranks and conditions of men 4. Reason in the world here you have salve for every sore and a plaister for every wound and a Remedy against every disease especially against those that tend most to the undoing of soules and to the ruine of the State c. I know not of any one or 5. Reason other that have writ of this Subject all that I have ever seen have only toucht upon this string which hath been no small provocation to me to attempt to doe something this way that others that have better heads and hearts may be the more stirred to improve their Talents in a further discovery of Satans Devices and in the making knowne of such choice Remedies as may inable the soules of men to triumph over all his plots and stratagems c. I have many precious friends in 6 Reason severall Countries who are not a little desirous that my pen may reach them now my voice cannot I have formerly been by the help of the mightie God of Jacob a weake instrument of good to them and cannot but hope and beleeve that the Lord will also blesse these labours to them they being in part the fruit of their desires and prayers c. Lastly not knowing how soon 7. Reason my Glasse may be out and how soone I may be cut off by a hand of death from all opportunities of doing further service for Christ or your soules in this world I was willing to sow a little handfull of spirituall seed among you that so when I put off this earthly Tabernacle my love to you and that deare remembrance of you which I have in my soule may strongly engage your minds and spirits to make this Book your Companion and under all externall or internall changes to make use of this heavenly Salve which I hope will by the blessing of the Lord be as effectuall for the healing of all your Wounds as their looking up to the brazen Serpent was effectuall to heale theirs that were bit and stung with fiery Serpents I shall leave this Book with you as a Legacie of my dearest Love desiring the Lord to make it a far greater and sweeter Legacie then all those carnall Legacies are that are left by the high and mighty ones of the earth to their nearest and dearest relations c. Beloved I would not have affection carrie my pen too much beyond my intention therefore onely give me leave to signifie my desires for you and my desires to you and I shall draw to a close My desires for you are That he would grant you according to the riches Ephes 3. of his glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner Vers 17. man That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love May be able to Vers 18. comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth Vers 19. and height And to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge That ye might be filled with all the fullnesse of God And that yee might walke Colos 1. 10. worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good worke and increased in the knowledge of God Strengthned with all might according Vers 11. to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfullnesse That ye doe no evill That 2 Cor. 13. 7. your love may abound yet more and more in Knowledge and in all Judgement Phil. 1. 9. That yee may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere Vers 10. and without offence till the day of Christ And that our God would 2 Thess 1. 11. count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodnesse and the worke of Faith with Vers 12. power That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ And that you may be eminent in Psal 93. 5. Sanctitie Sanctitie being Zions glory that your hearts may be kept upright your judgements sound and your lives unblamable That as you are now my joy so in the day of Christ you may be my Crown That I may see my labours in your lives that your conversation may not be earthly when the things you heare are heavenly but that it may be as becomes the Gospel That as the Fishes which live in the salt Sea yet are fresh so you though you live in an uncharitable world may yet be charitable and loving That ye may like the Bee suck Honey out of every Flower That ye may shine in a sea of troubles as the Pearle shines in the skie though it grows in the Sea That in all your trials you may be like the stone in Thracia that neither burneth in the fire nor sinketh in the water That ye may be like the Heavens excellent in substance and beautifull in appearance that so you may meet me with joy in that day wherein Christ shall say to his Father Loe here am I and the children that thou hast given me My desires to you are That you would make it your businesse to study Christ his Word your own Hearts Satans Plots and Eternity more then ever that ye would endeavour more to be inwardly sincere then outwardly glorious to live then to have a name to live That yee would labour with all your might to be thankfull under Mercies and faithfull in your Places and humble under Divine Appearances and fruitfull under precious Ordinances that as your meanes and mercies are greater then others so your account before God may not prove worse then others That ye would pray for me who am not worthy to be named among the Saints that I may be a precious instrument in the hand of Christ to bring in many soules unto him and to build up those that are brought in in their most holy Faith And that Utterance may be given to me that I may make knowne all the will of God That 2 Cor. 11. 23 24 25 26 27 28. I may be sincere faithfull frequent fervent and constant in the worke of the Lord and that my labour be not in vaine in the Lord That my Labours may be accepted of the Lord and his Saints and I may daily see the travell of my soule
whipping Gods corrections are our instructions his lashes our lessons his Psal 94. 12. Pro. 3. 12 13. ch 6. 23. 26. Isaiah 9. scourges our School-masters his chastisements our advertisements and to note this both the Hebrewes and the Greeks expresse chastening and teaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by one and the same word musar paideia because the latter is the true Job 36. 8 9 10. end of the former according to that in the Proverb Smart makes wit and vexation gives understanding whence Luther fitly calls affliction The Christians mans Divinity Theologiam christianorum so saith Job Chap. 33. 16. 19 God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not in a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the Bed then he openeth Afflictiones benedictiones Ber. Afflictions are blessings the ears of men and sealeth their instruction that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man he keepeth back his soule from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword When Satan shall tell thee of other mens sins to draw thee to sin doe thou then think of the same mens sufferings to keep thee from sin lay thy hand upon thy heart and say oh my soul if thou sinnest with David thou must suffer with David c. The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider That there are but two main ends of Gods recording of the fals of his Saints and the one is to keep those from fainting I have known a good man said Bernard who when he heard of any that had committed some notorious sin he was wont to â—ay with himselfe ille bodie ego cras he fell to day so may I to morrow sinking and despaire under the burden of their sins who fall through weaknesse and infirmity and the other is that their falls may be as Land-marks to warn others that stand to take heed lest they fall it never entred into the heart of God to record his Childrens sins that others might be incouraged to sin but that others might be warned to look to their standings and to hang the faster upon the skirts of Christ and avoid all occasions and temptations that may occasion the soul to fall as others have fallen When they have been left by Christ the Lord hath made their sins as Land-marks to warn his people to take heed how they come near those sands and rocks those snares and baites that have been fatal to the choycest treasures to wit the joy peace comfort and glorious enjoyments of the bravest spirits and noblest souls that ever sailed through the ocean of this sinfull troublesome world as you may see in David Job Peter c. There is nothing in the world that can so notoriously crosse the grand end of Gods recording of the sins of his Saints then for any from thence to take incouragement to sin and where ever you find such a soul you may write him Christlesse Gracelesse a soul cast off by God a soule that Satan hath by the hand and the eternall God knowes whether he will lead him The fifth Device that Satan hath to 5 Device draw the soul to sin is to present God to the soul as one made up all of mercy oh saith Satan you need not make such a matter of sin you need not be so fearfull of sin nor so unwilling to sin for God is a God of mercy a God full of mercy a God that delights in mercy a God that is ready to shew mercy a God that is never weary of shewing merey a God more prone to pardon his people then to punish his people and therefore he will not take advantage against the soule and why then saith Satan should you make such a matter of sin Now the Remedies against this Device of Satan are these THe first Remedy is seriously to consider 1 Remedy that 't is the sorest judgement in this world to be left to sin upon any pretence whatsoever oh unhappy man when God leaveth thee to thy Humanum est peccare Diaboli cum perseverare AngelicuÌ„ resurgere Austin i. e. It is a humane thing to fall into sin a diveâ—ish to persevere therein and an Angellcal or supernatural to rise from it self and doth not resist thee in thy sins woe woe to him at whose sins God doth wink when God lets the way to Hell be a smooth and pleasant way that is hell on this side hell and a dreadfull signe of Gods indignation against a man a token of his rejection and that God doth not intend good unto him that is a sad word Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone he will be uncounsellable and uncorrigible he hath made a match with mischiefe he shall have his belly-full of it he falls with open eyes let him fall at his owne perrill and that 's a terrible saying So I gave them up unto their own hearts Psal 81. 12. Hosea 4. 14. lusts and they walked in their owne counsels A soul given up to sin is a soul â—ipe for hell a soul posting to destruction Ah A me me slava Domine Deliver me O Lord from that evil man my self Aug. Lord this mercy I humbly beg that what ever thou givest me up to thou wilt not give me up to the wayes of mine own heart if thou wilt give me up to be afflicted or tempted or reproached c. I will patiently sit down and say 'T is the Lord let him doe with me what seems good in his owne eyes doe any thing with me lay what burden thou wilt upon me so thou doest not give me up to the wayes of my own heart c. The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that God is as just as he is mercifull as the Scriptures speak him out to be a very mercifull God so they speak him 2 Pet 2. 4 5 6. God hang'd them up in Gibbets as it were that others might hear and fear and doe no more so wickedly out to be a very just God witnesse his casting the Angels out of Heaven and his binding them in chains of darknesse till the judgement of the great day and witnesse his turning Adam out of Paradise his drowning of the old world and his raining Hell out of Heaven upon Sodome and witnesse all the crosses losses sicknesses and diseases that be in the world and witnesse Tophet that is prepared of old witnesse his treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath unto the revelation of the just judgements of God but above all witnesse the pouring forth of all his wrath upon his bosome Son when he did bare the sins of his people and cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken-me Mat. 27. 46. The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of
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 â—â—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 besiâ—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 Eâ—sebius and Josephus saith and to thiâ— day in all the parts of the world are they not the off-scouring of the world none lesse belov'd and nonâ— 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 bâ—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 â—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 hâ—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
and companions with thee hast thou not often purposed promised vowed and resolved to enter upon the Repentanceis a work that must be timely done or men are utterly undone for ever Aut poenitendum aut pereundum practice of repentance but to this day couldest never attain it Surely 't is in vain to strive against the streame where it is so impossible to overcome thou art lost and cast for ever to hell thou must to hell thou shalt ah souls he that now tempts you to sin by suggesting to you the easinesse of repentance will at last to work you to despaire present repentance as the hardest work in all the world and a work as far above man as Heaven is above Hell as light is above darknesse Oh! that you were wise to break off your sins by timely repentance Now the seventh Device that Satan 7 Device hath to draw the soul to sin is by making the soul bold to venture upon the occasions of sin Saith Satan you may walk by the Harlots door though you won't goe into the Harlots bed you may sit and sip with the drunkard tho you won't be drunk with the drunkard you may look upon Jezabels beauty and you may play and toy with Daliloh though you doe not commit wickednesse with the one or the other you may with Achan handle the golden wedge though you doe not steale the golden wedge c. Now the Remedies against this Device are these that follow THe first Remedy is solemnly to 1 Remedy dwell upon those Scriptures that doe expressly command us to avoid the occasions of sin and the least appearance of evill 1 Thess 5. 22. Abstaine from all Epiphanius saith that in the old Law when any dead body was carried by any house they were injoyn'd to shut their doors and windows appearance of evill whatsoever is heterodox unsound and unsavory shun it as you would doe a Serpent in your way or poyson in your meats Theodosius tare the Arrians Arguments presented to him in writing because he found them repugnant to the Scriptures and Augustine retracted even Ironies onely because they had the appearance of lying When God had commanded the Jewes to abstain from Swines flesh they would not so much as name it but in their common talk would call a Sow another thing To abstain from all appearance of evill is to doe nothing wherein sin appears or which hath a shadow of sin Bernard glosseth finely Quicquid est male celoratū Whatever is of an ill shew or of ill report that he may neither wound conscience nor credit we must shun and be shie of the very shew and shadow of sinne if either we tender our credit abroad or our comfort at home It was good counsell that Livia gave her Husband Socrates speaketh of two young men that flung away their belts when being in an Idols Temple the lustrating water fell upon them detesting saith the Historian the garment sported by the flesh Augustus it behoveth thee not onely not to doe wrong but not to seeeme to doe so c. So Jude 23. v. And others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh 'T is a phrase taken from legall uncleanesse which was contracted by touching the houses the vessells the garments of uncleane persons Under the Law men might not touch a menstrous cloath nor God would not accept of a spotted peace-offering So we must not onely hate and avoid grosse sins but every thing that may carry a savor or susprition of sin we must abhor the very signes and tokens of sin so in Proverbs 5. ver 8. Remove thy way far from her and come not nigh the doore of her house He that would not be burnt must dread the fire Hee that would not heare the bell must not meddle with the rope To venture upon the occasion of sin and then to pray lead us not into One said as oft as I have been among vaine men I returned home lesse a man then I was before temptation is all one as to thrust thy finger into the fire and then to pray that it might not be burnt So in the 4. Prov. 14. 15. you have another command Enter not in the path of the wicked and goe not in the way of evell men avoid it and passe not by it turne from it and passe away This triple gradation of Solomon sheweth with a great Emphasie how necessary it is for men to flee from all appearance of sin as the Sea-man shuns sands and shelves and as men shun those that have the plague-sores running upon them as weeds doe endanger the corne as bad humor◠doe endanger the bloud or as an infected house doth indanger the neighbourhood so doth the company of the bad endanger those that are good intirenesse with wicked conforts is one of the strongest chaines of hell and bindes us to a participation both of sin and punishment The second Remedie against this device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that ordinarily there is no conquest over sin without the soule turnes from the occasion of sin 't is impossible for that man to get the conquest of sin that playes and sports with the occasions of sin God will not remove the tentation except The Fable saith that the Butterflie asked the Owle how he should deale with the fire which had singed her wings who counsel'd her not to behold so much as its smoak we turne from the occasion It is a just and righteous thing with God that he should fall into the pit that will adventure to dance upon the brink of the pit and that he should be a slave to sin that will not flee from the occasions of sin As long as there is fuell in our hearts for a temptation we cannot be secure he that hath gun-powder about him had need keep far enough off from sparkles to rush upon the occasions of sin is both to tempt our selves and to tempt Satan to tempt our souls 't is very rare that any soule playes with occasions of sin but that soul is insnar'd by sin 't is seldome that God keeps that soul from the acts of sin that will not keep off from the occasions of sin he that adventures upon the occasions of sin is as he that would quench the fire with Oyle which is a fuell to maintaine it and increase it Ah souls often remember how frequently you have been overcome by sin when you have boldly gon upon the occasions of sin look back souls to the days of your vanity wherein you have been as easily conquered as tempted vanquished as assaulted when you have played with the occasions of sin and therefore as you would for the future be kept from the acting of sin and be made victorious over sin oh flee from the occasions of sin The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider
that he might be cast down would be set higher then others when 't is but in order to his being brought downe lower then others There is not a wicked man in the world that is set up with Lucifer as high as Heaven but shall with Lucifer be brought down as low as Hell Canst thou think seriously of this oh soul and not say O Lord I humbly crave that thou wilt let me be little in this world that I may be great in another world and low here that I may be high for ever hereafter Let me be low and feed low and live low so I may live with thee for ever let me now be cloathed with rags so thou wilt cloath me at last with thy Robes let me now be set upon a dunghill so I may at last be advanc'd to sit with theâ— upon thy Throne Lord make me rather gracious then great inwardly holy then outwardly happy and rather turn me into my first nothing yea make me worse then nothing rather then set me up for a time that thou mayest bring me low for ever The seventh Remedy against this Device 7 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that God doth often most plague and punish those whom others think he doth most spare and love that is God do's plague and punish them most with spirituall judgements which are the greatest the sorest and the heaviest whom he least punishes with temporall punishments there are no men on earth Psal 81. 12. Psal 78. 26 27 28 29 30 31. Psal 106. 15. He gave them their request but sent leannesse into their soule 'T is a heavy plague to have a fat body and a lean soul a house full of gold and a heart full of sin so internally plagued as those that meet with least externall plagues Oh! the blindnesse of mind the hardnesse of heart the searednesse of Conscience that those souls are given up to who in the eye of the world are reputed the most happy men because they are not outwardly afflicted and plagued as other men Ah souls 't were better that all the temporall plagues that ever befell the children of men since the fall of Adam should at once meet upon your souls then that you should be given up to the least spirituall plague to the least measure of spirituall blindnesse or spirituall hardnesse of heart c. nothing will better that man nor move that man that is given up to spirituall judgements let God smile or frowne stroke or strike cut or kill he minds it 'T is better to have a sore then a seared conscience 'T is better to have no heart then a hard heart no mind then a blind mind not he regards it not let life or death heaven or hell be set before him it stirs him not he is made up on his sin and God is fully set to doe Justice upon his soule this mans preservation is but a reservation unto a greater condemnation This man can set no bounds to himselfe he is become a brat of fathomlesse perdition He hath guilt in his bosome and vengeance at his back where-ever he goes neither ministry nor misery neither miracle nor mercy can mollifie his heart and if this soul be not in hell on this side hell who is who is 8 Remedy The eigth Remedy against this Device of Satan is to dwell more upon that strict account that vain men must make for all that good that they doe injoy In this day men shall give an account De bonis commissis de bonis dimissis de malis commissis de malis permissis of good things committed unto them of good things neglected by them of evils committed by them and of evills suffered by them then upon the outward good they doe injoy Ah! did men dwell more upon that account that they must ere long give for all the mercies that they have injoyed and for all the favours that they have abused and for all the sins they have committed would make their hearts to tremble and their lips to quiver rottennesse to enter into their bones it would cause their soules to cry out and say oh that our mercies had been fewer and lesser that our account might have been easier and our torment and misery for our abuse of so great mercy not greater then we are able to bear O cursed be the day wherein the Crown of honour was set upon our heads and the treasures of this world were cast into our laps O cursed be the day wherein the sun of prosperity shin'd so strong upon us and this flattering world smil'd so much upon us as to occasion us to forget God to slight Jesus Christ to neglect our souls and to put far from us the day of our account Philip the third of Spaine whose life was free from grosse evills professed that he would rather loose all his Kingdome then offend God willingly yet being in the Agony of death and considering more throughly of his In die judicii plus valebit conscientia pura quam marsupia plena Bernard Then shall a good conscience be more worth then all the worlds good account he was to give to God feare struck into him and these words brake from him Oh! would to God I had never reigned oh that those years I have spent in my Kingdome I had lived a life in the wildernesse oh that I had lived a solitary life with God! how much more securely should I now have dyed how much more confidently should I have gone to the Throne of God What doth all my glory profit me but that I have so much the more torment in my death God keeps an exact account of every penny that 's laid out upon him and his and that is laid out against him and his and this in the day of account men shall know and feel though now they wink and Hierome still thought that that voyce was in his ears Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Arise you dead and come to judgement As oft as I think on that day how doth my whole body quake and my heart within me tremble will not understand The sleeping of vengeance causeth the overflowing of sin and the overflow of sin causeth the awaking of vengeance abused mercy will certainly turn into fury Gods forbearance is no quittance the day is at hand when he will pay wicked men for the abuse of new and old mercies if he seem to be slow yet he is sure he hath leaden heels but iron hands the farther he fetcheth his blow or draweth his arrow the deeper he will wound in the day of vengeance Mens actions are all in print in heaven and God will in the day of account read them aloud in the ears of all the world that they may all say amen to that righteous sentence that he shall passe upon all the despisers and abusers of mercy The ninth Device that Satan hath to 9 Device draw the soule to sin
is by presenting to the soule the crosses losses reproaches sorrows and sufferings that doe daily attend those that walk in the wayes of holinesse Saith Satan do not you see that there are none in the world that are so vexed afflicted and tossed as those that walk more circumspectly and holily then their neighbours they are a by-word at home and a reproach abroad their miseries come in upon them like Job's messengers one upon the neck of another and there is no end of their sorrowes and troubles therefore saith Satan you were better walk in wayes that are lesse troublesome and lesse afflicted though they be more sinfull for who but a mad man would spend his dayes in sorrow vexation and affliction when it may be prevented by walking in the wayes that I set before him Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that all the afflictions that doe attend the people of God are such as shall turne to the profit and glorious advantage of the people of God they shall discover that filthinesse and vilenesse in sin that yet the soul hath never seen It was a speech of a Germane Divine in his sicknesse In this Disease Guspar Olevianus I have learned how great God is and what the evill of sin is I never knew to purpose what God was before nor what sin meant till now Afflictions are a christall glasse wherein the soul hath the clearest sight of the ugly face of sin in this glasse the soul comes to see sin to be but a bitter-sweet yea in this glasse the soul comes to see sin not only to be an evill but to be the greatest evill in the world to be an evill far worse then hel Againe they shall contribute to the Isa 1. 25. c. 27. 8 9. mortifying and purging away of their sins afflictions are Gods furnace by which he cleanses his people from their drosse affliction is a fire to purge out In times of peace our Armer is rusty in time of war 't is bright our drosse and to make virtue shine it is a potion to carry away ill humours better then all the Benedicta Medicamentum as Physitians call them Aloes kills worms colds and frosts doe destroy Vermine so doe afflictions the corruptions that be in our hearts The Jewes under all the Prophets thundering retained their Idols but after their babylonish captivity 't is observed there have been no Idols found amongst them Again afflictions are sweet preservatives to keep the Saints from sin which is a greater evill then hell it self as Job spake Surely it is meet to be said unto God Job 34. 31 32 I have borne chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will doe no more Once have I spoken foolishly yea Salt brine preserves from putâ—efaction and salt marshes keep the sheep from the rot so do afflictions the Saints from sin twice but I will doe so no more saith Job The burnt child dreads the fire ah saith the soul under the rod sin is but a bitter-sweet and for the future I intend by the strength of Christ that I will not buy Repentance at so dear a rate The Rabbins to scare their scholars from sin were wont to tell them that sin made Gods head ake and Saints under the rod have found by wofull experience that sin makes not only their heads but their hearts ake also Augustine by wandring out of his way escaped one that lay in weight to mischief him if afflictions did not put us out of our way we should many times meet with some sin or other that would mischief our precious souls Again they will work the Saints to be more fruitfull in holinesse Heb. 12. 10 11. But he afflicts us for our profit that The bâ—ll in the emblemâ— saith Percussa Suâ—go the harder you beat me down in affliction the higher I shall bound in affection towards heaven and heavenly things we might be partakers of his holinesse The flowers smell sweetest after a shower Vines bear the better for bleeding the Walnut-tree is most fruitfull when most beaten Saints spring and thrive most internally when they are most externally afflicted afflictions are called by some the mother of virtue Manasses his chain was more profitable to him then his Crown Luther could not understand some Scriptures till he was in affliction the Chris-crosse is no letter and yet that taught him more then all the letters in the row Gods house of Schola crucis Schola lucis correction is his school of instruction all the stones that came about Stevens â—ars did but knock him closer to Christ the corner-stone The waves did but lift Noah's Ark nearer to Heaven and the higher the waters grew the more near the Ark was lifted up to Heaven afflictions do lift up the soule to more rich clear and full injoyments of God Hosea 2. 14. Behold I will allure her into the wildernesse and speak comfortably to her or rather as the Hebraw hath it I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vedib bartignal-libbab will â—arnestly or vehemently speak to her heart God makes afflictions to be but inlets to the soul more sweet and full injoyment of his blessed self When was it that Steven saw the Heavens open and Christ standing at the right hand of God but when the stones were about It is reported of Tiberius the Emperour that passing by a place where he saw a Crosse lying in the ground upon a marble stone and causing the stone to be â— diâ—ged up â—ound a great deale of treasure under the Crosse So many a precious Saint hath sound much spirituall and heavenly treasure under the crosses â—hey have met withall his ears and there was but a short step betwixt him and eternity and when did God appear in his glory to Jacob but in the day of his troubles when the stones were his pillows and the ground his bed and the hedges his curtaines and the Heavens his Canopie Then he saw the Angels of God ascending and descending in their glistering robes The plant in Nazianzen growes with cutting being cut it flourisheth it contends with the axe it lives by dying and by cutting it growes so doe Saints by their afflictions that doe befall them They gaine more experience of the power of God supporting them of the wisdome of God directing them of the grace of God refreshing and cheering them and of the goodnesse of God quieting and quickning of them to a greater love to holinesse and to a greater delight in holinesse and to a more vehement pursuing after holinesse I have read of a Fountaine that at noon day is cold and at midnight it growes warm so many a precious Saint is cold God-wards and Heaven-wards and Holinesse-wards in the day of prosperity that grow warm God-wards and
'T is not he that receives most of the truth into his head but he that receives most of the truth affectionately into his heart that shall injoy the happinesse of having his judgement sound and clear when others shall be deluded and deceived by them who make it their businesse to infect the judgements and to undoe the souls of men Ah soules as you would not have your judgements polluted and defiled Col. 3. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. indwell in you as an ingrafted word incorporated into your souls so concocted and digested by you as that you turn it into a part of your selves They must needs erre that know not Gods wayâ—s yet can they not wander so wide as to misse of hell Veritas vincit truth at last triumphs with errour let the word of the Lord that is more precious then gold yea then fine gold dwell plenteously in you 'T is not the hearing of truth nor the knowing of truth nor the commending of truth nor the talking of truth but the indwelling of truth in your souls that will keep your judgements chaste and sound in the middest of all those glistering errours that betray many souls into his hands that can easily transforme himselfe into an Angel of light that he may draw others to lye in chaines of darknesse with him for ever Oh! let not the word be a stranger but make it your choicest familiar then will you be able to stand in the day wherein many shall fall on your right hand and on your left by the subtilty of those that shall say loe here is Christ and loe there is Christ There was more wit then grace in his speech that counselled his friend not to come too nigh unto truth least his teeth should be beaten out with its heels Ah souls if truth dwell plenteously in Veritas stat in aperto campo Truth stands in the open fields I and it makes those souls stand in whom it dwels when others â—all as stats from Heaven 3 Remedie you you are happy if not you are unhappy under all your greatest felicity It is with truth saith Melancton as 't is with holy water every one praised it and thought it had some rare vertue in it but offer to sprinkle them with it and they will shut their eyes and turne away their faces from it The third Remedy against this Device of Satan is solemnly to consider that error makes the owner to suffer losse All the paines and labouâ— that men take to defend and maintain their errours to spread abroad and infect the world with their errours shall bring no profit nor no comfort to them in that day wherein every mans Errour as a glass is bright but â—rittle and cannot indâ—râ— the hamâ—er or fire as goâ—d can which though 〈◊〉 or melted remaines 〈◊〉 and oâ—ient work shall be made manifest and the fire shall try it of what sort it is as the Apostle shewes in that remarkable Scripture the 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13 14 15. Ah that all those that rise early and goe to bed late that spend their time their strength their spirits their all to advance spread abroad God-dishonouring and soul undoing opinions would seriously consider of this that they shall loose all the pains cost and charge that they have bin or shall be at for the propagating of errour and if they are ever sâ—ved it shall be by fire as the Apostle there shewes Ah sirs is it nothing to lay out your money for that which is not bread and your strength for that which will not which cannot profit you in the day that you must make up your accounts and all your works must be tried by fire Ah! that such soules would now at last buy the truth and sell it not Remember you can never over buy it whatsoever you give for it you can never sufficiently sell it if you should have all the world in exchange for it It is said of Caesar * Major fuit cura Caesari libellorum quam purpurae that he had greater care of his Bookes then of his royall Robes for swimming thorough the waters to escape his enemies he carried his bookes in his hand above the waters but lost his Robes ah what are Caesars books to Gods bookes well remember this that one day yea one houre spent in the study of truth or spreading abroad of truth will yeeld the soule more comfort and profit then many thousand years spent in the study and spreading abroad of corrupt and vaine opinions that have their rice from Hell and not from Heaven from the God of this world and not from that God that shall at last judge this world and all the corrupt opinions of men The fourth Kemedie against this device 4. Remedy of Satan is to hate reject and abominate all those doctrines and opinions that are contrary to godlinesse and that open a doore to prophanenesse One old peice of Gold is worth a thousand new counters and one old truth of God is mâ—re worth then a thousand new errours True hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the whole kinde 't is sad to frowne upon one errour and smile upon another Gideon had seventy sons and but one â—astard and â—eâ— that â—astard destâ—oyed all the rest Judge 8. 13. one turâ—e may â—riâ—g a man quite out of the 〈…〉 and all such doctrines and opinions that require men to hold forth a strictnesse above what the Scripture requireth And all such Doctrines and opinions that doe advance and lift up corrupted nature to the doing of supernaturall things which none can doe but by that supernaturall power that raised Christ from the grave And all such opinions that doe lift up our own Righteousnesse in the Roome of Christs Righteousnesse that place good works in the Throne of Christ and makes them co-partners with Christ c. And all those opinions and Doctrines that doe so set up and crie up Christ and his Righteousnesse as to cry down all Duties of Holinesse and Righteousnesse And all those Doctrines and opinions that doe make the glorious and blessed priviledges of beleevers in the dayes of the Gospell to be lesser fewer and weaker then they were in the time of the Law Ah! did your soules arise with a holy hatred and a strong indignation against such Doctrines and opinions you would stâ—nd when others fall and you would shine as the Sun in her glory when many that were once as shining stars may goe forth as stinking snufs The fift Remedy against this device 5. Remedy of Satan is to hold fast the truth as men take no hold on the arme of flesh till they have let goe their hold on Jer. 17. 5. v the arme of God so men take no hold on errour till they have let goe their hold of truth therefore hold fast the truth truth is thy Crown hold fast thy Crown and let no man take thy Crown from thee hath
are apt to run after it though they loose God and their soules in the pursuit Ah! how many Professors in these dayes have for a time followed hard after God Christ and The inhabitants of Nilus are deafe by the noise of the waters so the world makes such a noise in mens eares that they cannot heare the things of Heaven The world is like the swallowes dung that put out Tobias eyes Ordinances till the Devill hath set before them the world in all its beauty and bravery which hath so bewitched their soâ—les that they have grown to have low thoughts of holy things and then to be cold in their affections to holy things and then to slight them and at last with the young man in the Gospell to turne their backs upon them ah the time the thoughts the spirits the hearts the soules the duties the services that the inordinate love of this wicked world doth eat up and destroy and hath eat up and destroyed where one thousand is destroyed The champions could â—or wring an Apple out oâ— Mâ—lâ—'s ha 〈◊〉 by strong hand but a faire maid by faire meanes got it presently by the worlds frownes ten thousands are destroyed by the worlds smiles The world Siren-like it sings us and sinks us it kisses us and betraies us like Judas it kisses us and imites us under the fifth rib like Joab The honors splendor and all the glory of this world are but sweet poysons that will much endanger us if they doe not eternally destroy us Ah! the multitude of soules that have surseited of these sweet baites and died for ever Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this device 1 Remedy The Prior in Melancton 〈◊〉 his hands up and down in a baâ—â—n full of â—â—â—ells thinking thereby to have charmed 〈◊〉 gour but 〈◊〉 would not â—oe of Satan is to dwell upon the impotency and weakness of all these things below they are not able to secure you from the least evill They are not able to procure you the least desirable good The Crown of Gold cannot cure the head-ach nor the velvet slipper ease the gout nor the Jewell about the nâ—ck cannot take away the paine of the teeth The Fâ—ogs of Egypt entered into the rich mens houses of Egypt as well as the poore our daily experience doth Nugas the Scythian despiseing the rich presents and ornaments that were sent unto him by the Emperour of Constantinople asked whether those things could drive away calamities diseases or death evidence this that all the honors and riches c. That men enjoy cannot free them from the collick the feaver or lesser diseases Nay that which may seem most strange is that a great deal of wealth cannot keep men from falling into extreame povertie In the first of Judges 6. ver you shall finde seventy Kings with their fingers and toes cut off glad like whelps to lick up crummes under another Kings table and shortly after the same King that brought them to this penury is reduced to the same poverty and misery Why then should that be a bar to keep thee out of Heaven that cannot give thee the least ease on earth The second Remedy against this device 2. Remedy of Satan is to dwell upon the vanity of them as well as upon the impotencie of all worldly good This is the summe of Solomons sermon Vanity of vanity and all is vanity This Gilimex King of Vandaâ—â—s led in triumph by Bellisarius cried out Vanity of vanity all is vanity our first parents found and therefore named their second Abell or vanity Solomon that had tried these things and could best tell the vanity of them he preacheth this sermon over againe and againe Vanity of vanity and all is vanity 'T is sad to think how many thousands there be that can say with the preacher vanity of vanity all is vanity The fancie of Lucian who placeth Charon on the top of an high hill viewing all the affaires of men living and looking on their greatest Cities as little birds nests is very pleasant nay swear it and yet follow after these things as if there were no other glory nor selicity but what 's to be found in those things they call vanity Such men will sell Christ Heaven and their soules for a trifle that call these things vanity but doe not cordially beleeve them to be vanity but set their hearts upon them as if they were their Crown the top of all their Royalty and glory Oh! let your soules dwell upon the vanity of all things here below till your hearts be so thoroughly convinced and perswaded of the vanity of them as to trample upon them and make them a a foot-stoole for Christ to get np and ride in a holy triumph in your hearts Oh the imperfection the ingratitude the leâ—ity the inconstancy the perfidiousnesse of those creatures we most servilly affect Chrysostome said once that if he were the fittest in the world to preach a Sermon to the whole world gathered together in one Congregation and had some high Mountaine for his Pulpit from whence he might have a prospect of all the world in his view and were furnished with a voice of brasse a voice as loud as the Trumpet of the Arch-Angell that all the world might hear him he would chuse to preach upon no other text then that in the Psalnâ—es O mortall men how long will yee love vanity and follow after leasing Ah! did we but weigh mans paine with his paiment his crosses with his mercies his miseries with his pleasures we should then see that there is nothing got by the bargaine and conclude Vanity of vanity all is vanity Tell me you that say all things under the Sun is vanitie if you doe really beleeve what you say why doe you spend more thoughâ—â— and time on the world then you doe on Christ Heaven and your immortall soules Why doe you then neglect your duty towards God to get the world Why doe you then so eagerly pursue after the world and are so cold in your pursuing after God Christ and holinesse Why then are your hearts so exceedingly rais'd when the world comes in and smiles upon you and so much dejected and castdown when the world frownes upon you and with Jonah's Gourd withers before you The third Remedy against this device 3. Remedy of Satan is to dwell much upon the uncertainty the mutabilitie and inconstancie of all things under the Sun Riches were never true to any that trusted to them they have deceived men as Jobs brook did the poore traveller in the Summer season Man himselfe is but the dreame of a dreame but the generation of a fancie but an emptie vanity but the curious picture of nothing a poore feeble dying flash All temporalls are as transitory as a hastie head-long torrent a shadow a ship a bird an arrow a post that passeth
have Christ the Conquerour on our side Isa 40. ult 3. Remedy It is not fit sith the head was crowned with thorns that the members should be crowned with rose-buds saith Zanch. the Horonite and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite and Geshem the Arabian heard it they laughed us to scorn and despised us and said what is this thing that ye do will ye rebell against the King Then answered I them and said unto them the God of heaven he will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build but you have no right nor portion nor memoriall in Jerusalem Ah souls while you are in the very service of the Lord you shall find by experience that the God of Heaven will prosper you and support you and incourage and strengthen you and carry you through the hardest service with the greatest sweetnesse and cheerfulnesse that can be Remember this that God will suit your strength to your worke and in the hardest service you shall have the choisest assistance The third Remedie against this device of Satan is to dwel upon the hard and difficult things that the Lord Jesus Christ hath past through for your temporall spirituall and eternall good Ah! what a sea of blood a sea of wrath of sinne of sorrow and misery did the Lord Jesus wade through for your internal and eternall good Christ did not plead this Crosse is too heavy for me to beare this wrath is too great for me to lie under this Cup which hath in it all the ingredients of divine displeasure is too bitter for me to sip off how much more to drink the very dregs of it no Christ stands not upon this he pleads not the difficulty of the service but resolutely and bravely wades through all as the Prophet Isa shews The Lord God hath opened my ear and I was not rebellious neither turned away back I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire I hid not my face from shame and spitting Christ makes nothing of his Fathers wrath the burden of your sins the malice Godfrey of Bullen first K. of Ierusalem refused to be crowned with a crowne of gold saying it became not a Christian there to wear a crown of gold where Christ for our salvation had sometime were a crown of thorns of Satan and the rage of the world but sweetly and triumphantly passes through all Ah soules if this consideration will not raise up your spirits above all the discouragements that you meet with to owne Christ and his service and to stick and cleave to Christ and his service I am afraid nothing will A soule not stir'd by this not rais'd and lifted up by this to be resolute and brave in the service of God notwithstanding all dangers and difficulties is a soule left of God to much blindnesse and hardnesse The 4. Remedy against this Device of 4. Remedie Satan is to consider that religious duties holy and heavenly exercises are only difficult to the worser to the ignoble part of a Saint they are not to the noble and better part of a Saint to the noble part the soule and the renewed affections of a Saint holy exercises are a heavenly pleasure and recreation as the Apostle speaks I delight in the Law of God after the inward As every flowr hath its sweet savour so every good duty carries meat in the mouth comfort in the performance of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. my yoke is a benigne a gracious a pleasant a good and a gainfull yoke opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 painfull tedious man With my minde I serve the Law of God though with my flesh the law of sinne To the noble part of a Saint Christs yoke is easie and his burden is light all the commands and wayes of Christ even those that tend to the pulling out of right eyes and cutting off of right hands are joyous and not grievous to the noble part of a Saint all the wayes and services of Christ are pleasantnesse in the abstract to the better part of a Saint a Saint so far as he is renewed is alwayes best when he sees most of God when he tasts most of God when he is highest in his injoyments of God and most warme and lively in the service of God oh saith the noble part of a Saint that it might be alwayes thus oh that my strength were the strength of stones and my flesh as brasse that my worser part might be more serviceable to my noble part that I might act by an untired power in that service that is a pleasure a Paradise to me The fifth Remedy against this Device 5 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that great reward and glorious recompence that doth attend those that cleave to the service of the Lord in the Basil speaks of some Martyrs that were cast out all night naked in a cold frosty time were to be burned the next day how they comforted themselves in this manner The winter is sharp but Paradise is sweet here we shiver for cold but the bosome of Abraham will make amends for all face of all difficulties and discouragements though the work be hard yet the wagâ—s is great Heaven will make amends for all I one hours being in heaven will abundantly recompence you for cleaving to the Lord and his wayes in the face of all difficulties This carried the Apostle through the greatest difficulties hee had an eye to the recompence of reward he look't for a house that had foundations whose builder and maker was God and for a heavenly countrey yea this bore up the Spirit of Christ in the face of all difficulties and discouragements Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is set downe at the right hand of the Throne of God Christians that would hold on in the service of the Lord must look more upon the Crown then upon the Crosse more upon their future glory then their present misery more upon their incouragements then upon their discouragements Gods very service is wages his wayes are strewed with roses and paved with joy that is unspeakable This is praemium ante praemium a sure reward of wel doing in doing thereof not only for doing thereof there is great reward Psal 19. v. 11. and ful of glory and with peace that passeth understanding Some degree of comfort follows every good action as heate accompanies fire as beames and influences issue from the Sun Moreover by them is thy servant warned and in keeping of them there is great reward not only for keeping but in keeping of them there is great reward the joy the rest the refreshing the comforts the contents the smiles the incomes that Saints now injoy in the wayes of God are so precious and glorious in their eyes that they would not exchange them for ten
those that are drawn from the consideration of the great and glorious things that Christ hath done for you and if such arguments will not take yee and win upon yee I doâ— think the throwing of hell fire in your faces will never do it The third Remedie against this device 3. Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that those precious souls which Jesus Christ The Saints Motto in all ages hath been Laboremus let 's be doing hath done and suffered as much for as he hath for you have been exceeding active and lively in all religious services and heavenly performances he did as much and suffered as much for David God loves curristas not quaristas the runner not the questioner or disputer saith Luther aâ— for you and yet who more in praying and praysing God then David seven times a day will I praise the Lord who more in the studying and meditating on the word then David Thy law is my meditation day and night The same truth you may run and read in Jacob Moses Job Daniel and in the rest of the holy Prophets and Apostles for whom Christ hath done as much for as for you ah how have all those Worthies abounded in works of righteousnesse and holinesse to the praise of free grace Certainly Satan hath got the upper hand of those souls that do argue thus The day is at hand when God will require of men non quid legerint sed quid egerint nec quid dixerint sed quomodo vixerinâ— He that talks of heaven but doth not the will of God is like him that gazed upon the Moon but fell into the pit Christ hath done such and such glorious things for us therefore wee need not make any care or conscience of dâ—ing such and such religious services as men say the word calls for if this Logick be not from Hell what is ah were the holy Prophets and Apostles alive to heare such Logick come out of the mouths of such as professe themselves to be interested in the great and glorious things that Jesus Christ hath done for his chosen ones how would they blush to look upon such souls and how would their hearts grieve and break within them to heare the language and to observe the actings of such soules The fourth Remedy against this device 4. Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider this that those that doe not walk in ways of righteousnesse and holines that do not wait upon God in the several duties and services that are commanded by him cannot have that evidence to their own soules of their righteousnesse before God of their fellowship and communion Certainly 't is one thing to judg by our graces another thing to rest or put our trust in them There is a great deal of difference betwixt declaring and deserving on with God of their blessednesse here and their happinesse hereafter as those soules have that love and delight in the wayes of the Lord that are always best when they are most in the works and service of the Lord. Little children saith the Apostle let no man deceive you he that doth righteousnesse is righteous even as he is righteous In this saith the same Apostle the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither hee As Davids daughters were known by their garments of divers colours so are Gods children by their piety and sanctity that loveth not his brother If ye know that he is righteous saith the same Apostle ye know that every one that doth righteousnesâ— is born of him He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him But who soever keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himselfe also to walke even as he A Christians embleme should be an house walking towards Heaven High words surely make a man neither holy nor just but a vertuous life a circumspect walking makes him deare to God A tree that is not fruitful is for the fire Christianity is not a talking but a walking with God who will not be put off with words if he misse of fruit he will take up his axe and then the soul is cut off for ever walked If wee say that we have fellowship with him and walk iâ— darknesse we lie and doe not the truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light wee have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin saith the same Apostle So James in his second chapter What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and have no workes can faith save him i. e. it cannot for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead To looke after holy and heavenly works is the best way to preserve the soule from being deceived and deluded by Satans delusions and by sudden flashes of joy and comfort holy works being a more sensible and constant pledge of the precious spirit begetting and maintaining in the soule more solid pure clear strong and lasting joy Ah souls as you would have in your selves a constant and blessed evidence of your fellowship with the Father and the Sonne and of the truth of grace and of your future happinesse look that you cleave close to holy services and that you turne not your backs upon religious duties The fifth Remedy against this device 5 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that 'T is a precious truth never to be forgotten Quod non actibus sed finibus pensantur officia that duties are esteemed not by their acts but by their ends there are other choice and glorious ends for the Saints performance of religious duties then for the justifying of their persons before God or for their satisfying of the Law or justice of God or for the purchasing of the pardon of sin c. viz. to testifie their justification a good tree cannot but bring forth good fruit to testifie their love to God and their sincere obedience to thâ— commands of God to testifie their deliverance from spirituall bondage to evidence the indwellings Finis moveâ— ad agendum the end moves to doing of the spirit to stop the mouths of the worst of men and to glad those righteous souls that God would not have sadded These and abundance of other choise ends there be why those that have an interest in the glorious doings of Christ should notwithstanding that keep close to the holy duties and religious services that are commanded Tene mensuram respice sinem keep thy selfe within compasse and have an eye always to the end of thy life and actions was Maximimilians the Emperours Motto by Christ And if these considerations will not prevail with you to wait upon God in
the imagined profit or seeming sensuall pleasure can be worth What fruit had you in those things whereof you are now ashamed If I never repent oh then my sinfull Inward bleeding kils many a man so will sinfull thoughts if not repented of thoughts will be the Scorpions that wil eternally vex me the rods that will eternally lash me the thorns that will everlastingly prick me the dagger that will be eternally a stabbing mee the worme that will be for ever a gnawing me oh therefore watch against them be constant in resisting them anâ— in lamenting and weeping over them and then they shall not hurt thee though they may for a time trouble thee and remember this he that doth this doth more then the most glistering and blustering Hypocrite in the world doth The fifth Remedie against this device 5. Remedy Ephes 3. 19. The words are an hebraisme the Hebrews when they would set out many excellent things they add the name of God to it City of God Cedars of God wrestlings of God so here that ye may be filled with the fulnesse of God of Satan is to labour more and more to be filled with the fulnesse of God and to be inriched with all spirituall and heavenly things what 's the reason that the Angells in heaven have not so much as an idle thought 't is because they are filled with the fulnesse of God take it for an experienced truth the more the soule is filled with the fulnesse of God and inriched with spirituall and heavenly things the lesse room there is in that soule for vaine thoughts The fuller the vessel is of wine the lesse room there is for water Oh! lay up much of God of Christ of precious promises and choise experiences in your hearts and then you wil be lesse troubled with vain thoughts A good man out of the good treasure Mat. 12. 3. of his heart bringeth forth good things 6. Remedy The sixth Remedie against this device of Satan is to keep up holy and spirituall affections for such as your affections are such will be your thoughts Oh! Psal 119. 97. Psal 139. 8. how I love thy law 't is my meditation all the day what we love most we most muse upon when I awake I am still with thee That which wee much like wee shall much mind them that are frequent in their love to God and his law wil be frequent in thinking of God and his Simile law a childe will not forget his mother The seventh Remedie against this device 7. Remedie 2 Tim. 2. 4. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is entangled it is a comparison which St Paul borroweth from the custome of the Roman Empire wherein soldiers were forbidden to be proctors of other mens causes to undertake husbandry or Merchandize of Satan is to avoid multiplicity of wordly businesse oh let not the world take up your hearts thoughts at other times soules that are torne In pieces with the cares of the world will be alwayes vexed and tormented with vain thoughts in all their approaches to God vain thoughts will be still crouding in upon him that lives in a croud of businesse The stars which have least circuit are neerest the Pole and men that are least perplexed with businesse are commonly nearest to God The eighth Device that Satan 8 Device hath to keepe soules from religious services from holy performances is BY working them to rest in their performances to rest in prayer and to rest in hearing reading and the communion Isa 58. 1 2 3. Zech. 7. 4 5 6. Mat 6. 2. Rom. 17. of Saints c. and when Satan hath drawn the soul to rest upon the service done then he will help the soul to reason thus why thou wert as good never pray as to pray and rest in prayer as good never heare as to heare and rest in hearing as good never be in the communion of Saints as to rest in the communion of Saints and by this device he stops many soules in their heavenly race and takes off poor soules from those services that should be their joy and Crown Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this device 1 Remedie of Satan is to dwell much upon the imperfections and weaknesses that Pride and high confidence is most apt to creep in upon duties wel done saith one doe attend your choisest services oh the spots the blots the blemishes that are to be seen upon the face of our fairest duties when thou hast done all thou canst thou hast need to close up all with this Oh! enter not into judgement with thy servant oh Lord for the weaknesses that cleave to my best services we may all Isa 64. 6. say with the Church All our righteousnesses are as a menstruous cloath If God should be strict to marke what is done amisse in our best actions wee were undone Oh! the water that is mingled with our wine the drosse that cleaves unto our Gold The second Remedie against this device 2 Remedie of Satan is to consider the impotency and inability of any of your bâ—st services divinely to comfort refresh and beare your soules up from fainting and sinking in the dayes of troubles when darkenesse is round about you when God shall say to you as he did 10. 14. once to the Israelites Goe and cry unto the gods that you have chosen let them save you in the time of your tribulation So when God shall say in the day of your troubles goe to your prayers to your hearing and to your fasting c. and see if they can help you if they can support you if they can deliver you if God in that day doth but with-hold the influence of his grace from thee thy former services will be but poore cordiallâ— to comfort thee and then thou must and wilt cry out oh none but Christ none Omne bonum in summo bono all good is in the chiefest good Nec Christus nec coelum patitur hyperbolen but Christ oh my prayers are not Christ my hearing is not Christ my fasting is not Christ c. oh one smile of Christ one glimps of Christ one good word from Christ on nod of love from Christ in the day of trouble and darknesse will more revive and refresh the soule then all your former services in which your soules rested as if they were the bosome of Christ which should be the only center of our soules Christ is the Crowne of Crownes the glory of glories and the heaven of heaven The third Remedie against this device 3 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that good things rested upon will as certainly undoe us and everlastingly destroy us as the greatest enormities that can be committed by us those soules that after they have done all doe not look up so high as a Christ and rest and center alone in Christ laying
Christ hath given sinne its deaths wound by his power spirit death and resurrection yet it will die but a lingring death As a man that is mortally wounded dies by little and little so doth sin in the heart of a Saint The death of Christ on the Crosse was a lingring death so the death of sin in the soule is a lingering death now it dies a little and anon it dies a little c. as the Psalmist speaks Slay them not least my people forget scatter them by thy power and bring them downe oh Lord our shield He would not have them utterly destroyed but some reliques preserved as a memoriall so God dealeth in respect of sin 't is wounded and brought downe but not wholly slaine something is still left as a monument of the Divine grace and to keep us humble wakefull and watchfull and that our armour may be still kept on and our weapons alwayes in our hands The best mens soules in this life hangs between the flesh and the spirit as it were like Mahomets Tomb at Aleppo between two load-stones like Erasmus as the Papists paint him betwixt The Romanes lost many a battel â—nd yet in the issue were Conquerors in all their wars 't is just so with the Saints Heaven and Hell like the Tribe of Manasseh halfe on this side Jordan in the Land of the Amorites and halfe on that side in the Holy Land yet in the issue they shall overcome the flesh and trample upon the necks of their spirituall enemies The Sixth Device that Satan hath to keep a poor soule in a sad doubting and questioning condition is BY suggesting to the soule that surely 6 Device his estate is not good because he cannot joy and rejoyce in Christ as once he could because he hath lost that comfort and joy that once was in his spirit Saith Satan thou knowest the time was when thy heart was much carried out to joying and rejoycing in Christ thou doest not forget the time when thy heart used to be full of joy and comfort but now how art thou fallen in thy joyes and comforts Therefore thy estate is not good thou doest but deceive thy selfe to think that ever it was good for surely if it had thy joy and comfort would have continued And hereupon the soule is apt to take part with Satan and say 't is even so I see all is naught and I have but deceived my owne soule c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is to consider that the losse of comfort is a separable adjunct from grace the soul may be fâ—ll of holy affections when 't is empty of Divine consolations There may be and often Ps 63. 1 2 8. Isa 50. 10. 7. Mic. 7. 8 9. Psal 42. 5 is true grace yea much grace where there is not a drop of comfort nor a dram of joy Comfort is not of the being but of the wel-being of a Christian God hath not so linked these 2 choice lovers together but that they may be Spirituall joy is a Sun that is often clouded though it be as precious a flower as most Paradise affords yeâ— 't is subject to side and wâ—â—ther put asunder That wisdome that is from above will never work a man to reason thus I have no comfort therefore I have no grace I have lost that joy that once I had therefore my condition is not good was never good c. but 't will inable a man to reason thus tho my comfort is gone yet the God of my comfort abides though my joy is lost yet the seeds of grace remaine The best mens joyes are as glasse bright and brittle and evermore in danger of breaking The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that the precious things that thou still injoyest are far better then the joyes and comforts that thou hast lost Thy union with Christ thy communion with Christ thy son-ship thy saint-ship thy heir-ship thou still injoyest by Christ is far better then the comforts thou hast lost by sin what though thy comforts be gone yet thy union and communion with Christ remaines though thy comforts be gone yet thou art a Son tho Jer. 31. 18 19 20. a comfortlesse Son an heir though a comfortlesse heir a Saint though a comfortlesse Saint Though the bag of silver thy comforts be lost yet the When one objected to Faninus his chearfullnesse to Christs Agony and sadnesse he answered Christ was sad that I might bemerry he had my sins and I have his righteousnesse box of Jewels thy union with Christ thy communion with Christ thy Sonship thy Saint-ship thy Heir-ship which thou still injoyest is far better then the bag of silver thou hast lost yea the least of those precious Jewels is more worth then all the comforts in the world well let this be a cordiall to comfort thee a star to lead thee and a staffe to support thee that thy box of Jewels are safe though thy bag of silver be lost The third Remedie against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is to consider that thy condition is no other then what hath been the condition of those precious Psal 51. 12. Psal 30. 6 7. Job 23. 6 8 9. 30. 31. Lam. 1. 16. Mat. 27. 46. soules whose names were written upon the heart of Christ and who are now at rest in the bosome of Christ One day you shall have them praising and rejoycing the next day a mourning weeping one day you shall have them a singing Psal 42. 5. The Lord is our portion the next day a sighing and expostulating with themselves Lam. 5. 15. Why are yee cast downe oh our souls Why is our Harp turned to mourning And our Organ into the voice of them that weep c. The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that the causes of joy and comfort are not alwayes the same Happily thy former joy and comfort did spring from The spirit doth not every day make a feast in the soul he doth not make every day to be a day of wearing the wedding robes the witnesse of the spirit he bearing witnesse to thy soule that thy nature was changed thy sins pardoned thy soule reconciled c. Now the Spirit may upon some speciall occasion bear witnesse to the soul that the heart of God is dearly set upon him that he loves him with an everlasting love c. and yet the soule may never injoy such a testimony all the dayes of his life again Though the spirit be a witnessing spirit it 's not his office every day to witnesse to believers their interest in God Christ Heaven c. Or happily thy former joy and comfort did spring from the newnesse and suddennesse of the change of thy condition for a man in one
houre to have A pardon given unexpectedly into the hand of a malefactor when he is on the last stâ—p of the ladder ready to be turn'd off will cause muâ—h joy rejoycing the newnesse and suddennesse of the change of his condition will cause his heart to leap and rejoyce yet in proces of time much of his joy will â—e abaâ—ed tho his liâ—e be as dâ—aâ— to him still as ever it was his night turn'd into day his darknesse turn'd into light his bitter into sweet Gods frownes into smiles his hatred into love his hell into a Heaven must greatly joy and comfort him It cannot but make his heart to leap and dance in him who in one houre shall see Satan accusing him his owne heart condemning him the eternall God frowning upon him the gates of Heaven bar'd against him all the creation standing armed at the least beck of God to execute vengeance on him and the mouth of the infernall pit open to receive him Now in this hour for Christ to come to the amazed soule and say to it I have trod the Winâ—-presse of my Fathers wrath for thee I have laid down my life a ransome for thee by my blood I have satisfied my Fathers Justice and pacified his anger and procured his love for thee by my blood I have purchased the pardon of thy sins thy freedom from hell and thy right to Heaven c. Oh! how wonderfully will this cause the soule to leap for joy The fifth Remedy against this Device 5 Remedie of Satan is to consider that God will restore and make up the comforts of his people though thy candle be put out Hudson the Martyr deserted at the stake went from under his chain and having prayed earnestly was comforted immediately and suffered valiantly So Mr. Glover when he was within sight of the stake cryed out to his friend he is come he is come meaning the comforter that Christ promised to send yet God will light it againe and make it burn more light then ever though thy sun for the present be clouded yet he that rides upon the clouds shall scatter those clouds and cause the sun to shine and warm thy heart as in formâ—r dayes as the Psalmist speakes a Ps 71. 20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sâ—re troubles shalt quicken me againe and shalt bring me up againe from the depths of the earth Thou shalt increase my greatnesse and comfort me on every side God takes away a little comfort that he may make room in the soule for a greater degree of comfort This the Prophet Isaiah sweetly shewes b Isa 57. 18. I have seen his wayes and will heale him I will lead him also and restâ—re comforts unto him and to his mourners Bear up sweetly oh precious soule thy storme shall end in a calm and thy dark night in a sun-shine day thy mourning shall be turn'd into rejoycing and the waters of consolation shall be sweeter and higher in thy soule then See also the 126 Psal 6. v. and the 42 Psal 7 8. ever the mâ—rcy is surely thine but the time of giving it is the Lords wait but a litâ—le and thou shalt find the Lord comforting thee on every side The seventh Device that Satan hath to keep souls in a doubting and questioning condition is BY suggesting to the soule his often 7 Device relapses into the same sin which formerly he hath pursued with particular sorrow grief shame and tears and prayed complained and resolved against Saith Satan thy heart is not right with God surely thy estate is not good thou dost but flatter thy selfe to think that ever God will eternally owne and embrace such a one as thou art who complainest against sin and yet relapsest into the same sin who with teares and groanes confessest thy sin and yet ever and anon art fallen into the same sin c. I confesse this is a very sad condition for a soule after he hath obtained mercy and pity from the Lord after God hath spoken peace and pardon to him and wip't the tears from his eyes and set him upon his legs to returne to folly ah how doe relapses lay men open to the greatest afflictions and worst A backslider may say opera impensa periit all my paines and charge is lost temptations How doe they make the wound to bleed afresh How doe they darken and cloud former assurances and evidenceâ— for Heaven How doe they put a sword into the hand of conscience to cut and slash the soule They raise such feares terrours horrours and doubts in the soule that the soule cannot be so frequent in duty as formerly nor so fervent in duty as formerly nor so confident in duty as formerly nor so bold familiar and delightfull with God in duty as formerly nor so constant in duty as formerly they give Satan an advantage to triumph over Christ they make the work of repentance moâ—e difficult they make a mans life a burden and they render death to be very terrible unto the soule c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this device 1 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that there are many Scriptures that doe clearly evidence a possibility of the St. falling into the same sins whereof they have formerly repented c Hos 14. 4. I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from them saith the Lord by the Prophet Hosea so the Prophet Jeremiah speaks d Ier. 3. 12. 14. Goe and proclaime these words towards the North and say returne thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am mercifull saith the The sin of backsliding is a soul-wounding sin I will heale their backsliding you read of no arms for the back though you doe for the breast Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Turne oh backsliding Israel saith the Lord for I am married unto you And I will take you one of a City and two of a family and I will bring you to Zion So the Psalmist They turned back and dealt unfaithfully like their Fathers they were turned aside like a deceitfull bow And no wonder for tho their repentance be never so sincere and sound yet their graces are but weak and their mortification imperfect in When a souldier bragged too much of a great scar in his forehead Augustus Caesar in whose time Christ was borne asked him if he did not get it when he looked back as he fled this life though by grace they are freed from the dominion of sin and from the damnatory power of every sin and from the love of all sin yet grace doth not free them from the seed of any one sin and therefore 't is possible for a soule to fall againe and againe into the same sin if the fire be not wholly
what greater madnesse then for weaknesse it selfe to engage against an almighty strength the neer union that is between the Lord and Beleevers is set forth by that neer union that is betwixt a husband and his Wife The soules happinesse consists not in any thing but in its union with God nor its misery lies not so much in any thing as in its disunion from God They two shall be one flesh This is a great Mistery but I speake concerning Christ the Church We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones saith the Apostle This neer union is set forth by that union that is between the head and the members which make up one body and by that union that is betwixt the graft and the stock which are made one by inscition The union between the Lord and a Beleever is so neer that you cannot strike a Beleever but the Lord is sensible of it and takes it as done to himself Saul Saul why persecutest thou Acts 9. 4. Isa 63. 9. me And in all their afflictions he was afflicted c. Ah soules who ever engaged against God and prospered who ever took up the sword against him but perisht by it God can speak you to hell and nod you to hell at pleasure 't is your greatest concernment to lay downe your weapons at his feet and to Psal 2. 12. kisse the sonne lest he be angry and you perish in the mid-way The 4th Remedie against this Device 4 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that Hic homo potuit apud Deum quod voluit Said one concerning Luther he could have what hee would of God you are much engaged to the Saints as instruments for the mercies that you do enjoy and for the preventing and removing of many a judgment that otherwise might have been your ruine before this day were it not for the Saints sake God would quickly make the Heavens to be as brasse and the Earth as iron God would quickly strip thee of thy Robes and glory and set thee upon the dunghill with Job They are the props that bear the world from falling about thy eares and that keep the iron rod from breaking of thy bones Therefore he said that hee would Psal 106. 23. destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turn away Prayer is porta coeli clavis Paradisi the gate of Heaven a key to let us into Paradise his wrath lest he should destroy them Ah! had not the Saints many a time cast themselves into the breach betwixt Gods wrath and you you had been cut off from the land of the living and have had your portion with those whose names are written in the dust When the danger is over the Saint is forgotten is a French Proverb and that which many Saints in England have found by experience many a Nation many a City and many a Family is surrounded with blessings for the Josephs sakes that live therein and are preserved from many calamities and miseries for the Moseses the Daniels the Noahs and the Jobs sakes that dwell amongst them That 's a sweet word Prov. 10. 25. As the whirlewinde passeth so is the wicked no more but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesodh gnolam from Josadh righteous is an everlasting foundation or is the foundation of the world the righteous is the foundation of the world which but for their sakes would soon shatter and fall to ruine so the Psalmist Psal 75. 3. The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved I bear up the pillars of it Selah Mary Queen of Scots that was Mother to King James was wont to say that she feared Mr. Knoxes prayer more then an Army of ten thousand men The Emperour Marcus Antonius being in Almany with his Army was inclosed in a dry Countrey by his enemies who so stopped all the passages that he and his Army were like to perish for want of water the Emperours Lievtenant seeing him so distressed told him that he had heard that the Christians could obtaine any thing of their God by their prayers whereupon the Emperour having a legion of Christians in his Army desired them to pray to their God for his and the Armies delivery out of that danger which they presently did presently a great Thunder fell amongst the enemies and abundance of water upon the Romanes whereby their thirst was quenched and the enemies overthrowne without any fight I shall close up this last Remedy with those sweet words of the Psalmist In Judah is God knowne his name is great Ps 76. 1 2 3. in Israel In Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion There brake he the arrowes of the bow the shield and the sword and the bettell Selah Secondly Satan hath his Devices to ensnare and destroy the Learned and the Wise and that sometimes BY working them to pride themselves John 5. â—4 in their parts and abilities 1 Kings 22. 22 23 24 25. 1 Cor. 1. 18. to 29. and sometimes by drawing them to rest upon their parts and abilities sometimes by causing them to make light and slight of those that want their parts The truth of this you may see i' the learned Scribes and Pharisees and abilities though they excell them in grace and holinesse and sometimes by drawing them to ingage their parts and abilities in those wayes and things that make against the honour of Christ the joy of the spirit the advancement of the Gospel and the liberty of the Saints c. Now the Remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider that you have nothing but what you have received Christ being as well the fountaine of common gifts as of saving 1 Cor. 4. 7. Quicquid es debes creanti Quicquid potes debes redimenti said Bern. Whatsoever thou art thou owest to him that made thee whatever thou hast thou owest to him that redeemed thee grace What hast thou saith the Apostle that thou hast not received And if thou hast received it why dost thou glory as though thou hadst not received it There are those that would hammer out their owne happinesse like the Spider climbing up by the thread of her owne weaving of all the parts and abilities that be in you you may well say as the young man did of his Hatchet Alas Master it was but borrowed Alas Lord all I have is but borrowed from that Fountaine that fills all the Vessel in Heaven and on Earth and it overflowes my gifts are not so much mine 1 Chro. 29. 14. as thine Of thine owne have we offered unto thee said that Princely Prophet c. The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that mens leaning and trusting to their own wits parts and
deadly consumption to fall upon some Now the remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is to dwell more upon one anothers graces then upon one anothers weaknesses and infirmities 't is sad to consider that Saints should have Flavius Vespasianus the Emperour was more ready to conceal the vices of his friends then their virtues can you think seriously of this Christians that a Heathen should excell you not blush 2 Cor. 2. 7 8. many eyes to behold one anothers infirmities and not one eye to see each others graces that they should use spectacles to behold one anothers weaknesses rather then looking glasses to behold one anothers graces Erasmus tels of one who collected all the lame and defective Verses in Homers works but passed over all that were excellent ah that this were not the practice of many that shall at last meet in Heaven that they were not carefull and skillfull to collect all the weaknesses of others and to passe over all those things that are excellent in them The Corinthians did eye more the incestuous persons sinne then his sorrow which was like to have drown'd him in sorrow Tell me Saints is it not a more sweet comfortable and delightfull thing to look more upon one anothers graces then upon one anothers infirmities Tell me what pleasure what delight what comfort is there in looking upon the enemies the wounds the sores the sicknesses the diseases the nakednesse of our friends Now sin you know is the souls enemy the souls wound the souls sores the souls sicknesse the souls Non Gens sed mens non Genus sed Genius Not race or place but grace truly sets forth a mâ—n disease the souls nakednesse and ah what a heart hath that man that loves thus to look Grace is the choicest flower in all a Christians garden 't is the richest Jewell in all his Crown 't is his Princely Robes 't is the top of Royalty and therefore must needs be the most pleasing sweet and delightfull object for a gracious eye to be fixt upon Sin is darknesse grace is light sin is hell grace is Heaven and what madnesse is it to look more at darknesse then at light more at hell then at Heaven Jam. 5. 11. 2. 25. 1 Pet. 2. 6. vide Sin is Satans work Grace is Gods workâ— is it not most â—â—â—et that the child should eye most and mind most his Fathers work c. Tâ—ll me Saints doth not God look more upon his people graces then upon their weaknesses surely he doth he looks more at Davids and Asa's uprightnesse then upon their infirmities though they were great and many he eyes more Job's patience then his passion Remember the patience of Job not a word of his impatience c. He that drew Alexander whilest he had a scar upon his face drew him with his finger upon the scar God puts his finger upon his peoples scars that no blemish may appear ah Saints that you would make it the top of your glory in this to be like your heavenly Father by so doing much sin would be prevented the designes of wicked men frustrated Satan out-witted many wounds healed many sad hearts cheared and God more aboundantly honored c. The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan iâ— solemnly to consider that love and unity makes most for your own safety and security We shall There was a Temple of Concord amongst the Heathens and shall it not be found among Christians that are Temples of the holy Ghost be insuperabiles if we be inseperabiles invincible if wee be inseperable The world may frowne upon you and plot against you but they cannot hurt you unity is the best bond of safety in every Church and Common-wealth And this did that Scythian King in Plutark represent lively to his 80 Sons when being ready to dye he commanded a bundle of Arrowes fast bound together to be given to his Sons to break they all tried to break them but being bound fast together they could not then he caused the band to be cut then they Pancirollus saith that the most precious pearle among the Romans was call'd unio union broke them with ease he applyed it thus My Sons so long as you keepe together you will be invincible but if the band of union be broke betwixt you you will easily be broken in â—ieces Plinie writes of a stone in the Island of Scyrus that if it be whole though a large and heavy one it swims above water but being broken it sinks so long as Saints keep whole nothing shall sink them but if they break they are in danger of sinking and drowning c. The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is to dwell upon those commands of God that doe require you To act or run crosse to Gods expresse command though under pretence of Revelation from God is as much as a mans life is worth as you may see in that sad story 1 Kings 13. 24. to love one another oh when your hearts begin to rise against each other charge the Commands of God upon your hearts and say to your souls oh our souls hath not the eternall God commanded you to love them that love the Lord And is it not life to obey and death to rebell Therefore looke that you fulfill the commands of the Lord for his commands are not like those that are easily reversed but they are like those of the Medes that cannot be changed Oh! be much in pondering upon these Commands of God A new Commandement I give unto you that yee John 13. 34. love one another as I have loved you that yee also love one another 'T is called a new Some conceive it to be an Hebraisme in which language new rare and most excellent are Synonima's John 15. 12. 17. commandement because 't is renewed in the Gospel and set home by Christs example and because 't is rare choise speciall and remarkable above all others This is my commandement that ye love one another as I have loved you These things I command you that ye love one another Owe no man any thing but love one another for he that loveth another hath Rom. 13. 8. fulfilled the Law Let brotherly love continue Heb. 13. 1. Love one another for love is of 1 Iohn 4. 7. God And every one that loveth is borne of 1 Pet. 1. 22. God and knoweth God See that ye love Chap. 3. v. 8. one another with a pure heart fervently Finally be ye all of one minde having compassion one of another Love as brethren be pittifull be courteous For this is the message 1 Iohn 3. 11. that ye heard from the beginning that we should love one another And this is his Verse 23. Commandement that wee should beleeve on the name of his sonne Jesus Christ and
our graces the preserver of our mercies and the great promoter of holy duties Humility cannot finde three things on this side Heaven it cannot find fulnesse in the creature nor sweetnesse in sinne nor life in an Ordinance without Christ An humble soule always finds three things on this side Heaven the soule to be empty Christ to be full and every mercy and duty to be sweet wherein God is injoyed Humility can weep over other mens weaknesses and joy and rejoyce over their graces Humility will make a man 1 Thes 1. 2 3. quiet and contented in the meanest condition and 't will preserve a man from envying others prosperous condition Humility honours those that are strong in grace and puts two hands Ephes 3. 8. under those that are weak in grace Humility makes a man richer then other men and it makes a man judge himselfe the poorest among men Humility will see much good abroad when it can see but little at home Ah Christians though faith be the champion of grace and love thee nurse of grace yet humility is the beautifier of grace it casts a generall glory upon all the graces in the soule ah did Christians more abound in humility The humble soul is like the violet which grows low hangs the head downwards and hides it selfe with his own leaves and were it not that the fragrant smel of his many vertues discover him to the world he would choose to live and die in his self contenting secresie they would be lesse bitter froward and sower and they would be more gentle meek and sweet in their spirits and practises Humility will make a man have high thoughts of others and low thoughts of a mans selfe it will make a man see much glory and excellency in others and much basenesse and sinfulnesse in a mans selfe it will make a man see others rich and himself poor others strong and himself weak others wise and himself foolish Humility will make a man excellent at covering others infirmities and at recording their gracious services and at delighting in theâ—â— graces it makes a man joy in every light that out-shines his owne and in every winde that blowes others good Humility is better at beleeving then 't is at questioning other mens happinesse I judge saith an humble soul 't is well with these Christians now but it will be far better with them hereafter they are now upon the borders of the new Ierusalem and 't will be but as a day before they slide into Ierusalem An humble soule is willinger to say Heaven is that mans then mine and Christ is that Christians then mine and God is their God in Covenant then mine ah were Christians more humble there would be lesse fire and more love among them then now is c. Lastly as Satan hath his Devices Last Device to destroy gracious soules so he hath his devices to destroy poore ignorant soules and that sometimes BY drawing them to affect ignorance and to neglect slight and Hos 4. 6. Prov. 22. 29. despise the means of knowledg ignorance is the mother of mistake the of trouble error and of terrour Mat. 22. 29. 't is the high way to hell and it makes a man both a prisoner and a slave to the Devill at once Ignorance unmans a Ignorants have this advantage ut mitius ardeant they have a cooler hell man it makes a man a beast yea it makes him more miserable then the beast that perisheth there are none so easily nor so frequently taken in Satans snare as ignorant souls they are easily drawn to dance with the Devill all day and to dreame of supping with Christ at night c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that an ignorant heart is an evill heart without knowledge the minde is not good Prov. 19. 2. As an ignorant heart is a naughty heart 't is a heart in the dark and no Ignâ—â—at sane improbus omnis saith Aririsâ—otle Mâ—â— 6. 22. good can come into a dark heart but it must passe through the understanding and if the eye be darke all the body is dark A leprous head and a leprous heart are inseparable companions ignorant hearts are so evill that they let flye on all hands and spare not to spit their venone in the very face of God as Pharaoh did when thick darknesse was upon him The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedie of Satan is to consider that ignorance is the deformity of the soule As blindnesse is the deformity of the face so is ignorance the deformity of the soule as the want of fleshly eyes spoils the beauty of the face so the want of spirituall eyes spoils the beauty of the soule A man without knowledg is as a work-man without his hands as a painter without his eyes as a traveller without his legs or as a ship without sailes or a bird without Wings or like a body without a soule The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that ignorance makes men the objects of Gods hatred and wrath It is a people Heb. 3. 10 11. They must needs eâ—re that know not Gods wayes yet cannot they wander so wide as to misse of hell Isa 27. 11. 2 Thes 1. 8. that do erre in their hearts and have not knowne my wayes Wherefore I sware in my wrath they should never enter into my rest My people are a people of no understanding therefore he that made them will have no mercy on them Christ hath said that he will come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God Ignorance will end in vengeance When you see a poor blind man here you doe not loath him nor hate him but you pity him oh but soul-blindness makes you abhominable in the sight of God God hath sworn that ignorant persons shall never come into Heaven Heaven Hos 4. 6. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 cut off Rome saith Ignorance is the mother of devotion but the Scripture faith 't is the mother of destruction 4 Remedy it selfe would be a hell to ignorant soules My people are destroyed for want of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge I will reject thee Chilo one of the seven Sages being asked what God had done answered he exalted humble men and suppressed proud ignorant fooles The fourth Remedie against this device of Satan is to consider that ignorance is a sin that leads to all sins All sins are seminally in ignorance You doe Mat. 22. 29. erre not knowing the Scriptures It puts men upon hating and persecuting the Saints They shall hate you and put you Iohn 16. 2 3. out of the Synagogues yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that Aristotle makes ignorance the mother of all the misrule in the world 1 Tim. 1.
sweetly coming down into the soul and the soul by divine influences sweetly ascending up to Christ Communion with Christ is very inflaming raising and strengthning while Sampson kept up his communion The sea ebbs and flows the Moon encreases and decreases so 't is with Saints in their communion with God with God no enemy could stand before him but he goes on conquering and to conquer but when he was fallen in his communion with God he quickly falls before the plots of his enemies 't wil be so with your soules so long as your communion with God is kept up you wil be too hard for spiritual wickednesses in high places but if you fall from your Plutarch tells of Eudoxus that he would be willing to be burnt up presently by the Sun so he might be admitted to come so near it as to learne the nature of it what should not wee be content to suffer for the keeping up of commuion with Christ communion with God you will fall as others before the face of every temptation David so long as he kept up his communion with God he stands and triumphs over all his enemies but when he was fallen in his communion with God then he falls before the enemies that were in his own bosom flies before those that pursued after his life 'T wil be so with your souls if you doe not keepe up your communion with God Iob keeps up his communion with God and conquers Satan upon the dunghill Adam looses his communion with God and is conquered by Satan in Paradise Communion with God is a shield upon land as well as an anchor at sea 't is a sword to defend you as well as a staffe to support you therefore keep up your communion 9. If you would not be taken in any of Satans snares then engage not against Satan in your own strength but That is a remarkable saying of Moses Exod. 15. God is fortitudo mea and Laus mea and salus mea my strength and my praise and my salvation all in the abstract be every day drawing new vertue and strength from the Lord Jesus certainly that soule that engages against any old or new temptation without new strength new influences from on high will fall before the power of the temptation you may see this in Peter hee rested upon some old received strength Though all men should deny thee yet will not I and therefore he falls sadly before a new temptation he curses and Mat. 26. swears and denies him thrice that had thrice appeared gloriously to him ah soules when the snare is spread look up to Jesus Christ who is lifted up in the Gospell as the brazen Serpent was 'T is but look up and live look unto me and be saved from the ends of the earth 〈◊〉 45. 2â— in the wildernesse and say to him Dear Lord here is a new snare laid to catch my soule and grace formerly received wiâ—hout fresh supplies from thy blessed bosome will not deliver me from this snare oh give me new strength new power new influences new measures of grace that so I may escape this snare Ah soules remember this that your John 15. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is seorsim a me separat from me or apart from me ye can doe nothing strength to stand and overcome must not be expected from graces received but from the fresh and renewed influences of Heaven you must leane more upon Christ then upon your duties you must leane more upon Christ then upon spirituall taftâ— and discoveries you must leane more upon Christ then upon your graces or else Satan will lead you into captivity c. Tenthly and lastly If you would not be taken in any of Satans snares then be much in prayer prayer is a shelter to the soule a sacrifice to God and a scourge to the Devill Davids heart was oft more out of tune then his Harp he prays and then in spight Of Carolus Magnus it was spoken Carolus plus cum Deo quam cum hominibus loquitur that he spake more with God then with men ah that I could say so of the Christians in our dayes of the Devill cries returne unto thy rest oh my soule Prayer is Porta coeli clavis Paradisi the gate of Heaven a key to let us into Paradise there is nothing that renders plots fruitlesse like prayer therefore saith Christ watch and pray that yee enter not into temptation you must watch and pray and pray and watch if you would not enter into temptation When Sennacherib and Haman had laid plots and snares to have destroyed the Jewes they prayed and their souls were delivered Sennacherib and Hâ—man destroyed David had many snares laid for him and this putâ— him upon prayer Keep me saith hee from the snare which they have laid for me Psal 141. 9 10. and the grins of the workers of iniquity Let the wicked fall into their owne nets whilst that I escape The proud saith he hath hid a snare for me and cords they have spread a net by the way side they have set grins Psal 140. 5 6. for me Selab I said unto the Lord thou art my God heare the voyce of my supplication Nunquam abs te absque te recedo Bern. Oh Lord saith he I never go away from thee without thee oh Lord. Saul and many others had laid snares for David and this puts him upon prayer and so the snares are broken and he is dâ—lived ah souls take words to your selves and tell God that Satan hath spread his snares in all places and in all companies tell God that he digs deep and that he hath plot upon plot and device upon device and all to Let us saith Basil with a holy impudence make God ashamed that he cannot looke us in the face if he do deny our importunity Jacob like I wil not let thee go unlesse thou blesse me undo you tell God that you have neither skill nor power to escape his snares tell God that 't is a work too high and too hard for any created creature to work your deliverance unlesse he puts under his own everlasting arms tell God how his honour is engaged to stand by you and to bring you off that you be not ruin'd by his plots tell God how the wicked would triumph if you should fall into Satans snares tell God of the love of Christ of the blood of Christ and of the intercession of Christ for you that away may be found for your escape tell God if he will make it his honour to save you from falling into Satans snares you will make it your glory to speak of his goodnesse and to live out his kindenesse Christians must do aâ— Dedâ—lus that when hee could not escape by a way upon earth went by a way of heaven and that is the way of prayer which is the only way left to escape Satans snares c. The next Use is a
makes Proclamation that who-ever could bring the Rebell dead or alive he should have such a great summe of money The Rebell hearing of this comes and presents himself before the Emperour and demands the summ of money now saith the Emperour if I should put him to death the world would say I did it to save my money and so he pardons the Rebell and gives him the money Ah sinners shall a Heathen do this that had but a drop of mercy and compassion in him and will not Christ do much more Coloss 1. 19. Chap. 2 3 4. that hath all fulnesse of grace mercy and glory in himselfe Surely his bowels doe yerne towards the worst of Rebels Ah! if you will but come in you will find him ready to pardon yea one Nehem. 9. 17. Heb. but thou a god of pardons made up of pardoning mercy Oh! the readinesse and willingnesse of Jesus Christ to receive to favour the greatest Rebels The father of mercies did meet embrace and kisse that prodigall mouth which came from feeding with swine and kissing of Harlots Ephraim had Hos 4. 17. 5. 3. 6. 8. 11 12. 12. 14. 13. 12. vide committed Idolatry and was backsliden from God he was guilty of lukewarmnesse and unbelief c. yet saith God Ephraim is my deare sonne hee is a Jer. 31. 20. pleasant child my bowels are troubled for him I will have mercy or rather as 't is in the Originall I will have mercy mercy upon him saith the Lord. Well saith God Though Ephraim be guilty of crimson sinnes yet he is a sonne a deare sonne a precious sonne a pleasant childe Though he be blacke with filth and red with guilt yet my bowels are troubled for him I will have mercy mercy upon him Ah sinners if these bowels of mercy doe not melt win and draw you Justice will be a swift witnesse against you and make you lye downe in eternall misery for kicking against the bowels of mercy Christ hangs out still as once that warlike Seythian did a white flag of grace and mercy to returning sinners that humble themselves at his feete for favour but if sinners stand out Christ will put forth his red flag his bloody flag and then they shall dye for ever by a hand of Justice Sinners there is no way to avoid perishing by Christs iron rod but by kissing his golden Scepter The fourth Remedie against this Device 4 Remedie of Satan iâ— to consider that Iesus Christ has no where in all the Scripture excepted against the worst of sinners that are willing to receive him to belive in him and to rest upon him for happinesse and blessedness Ah sinners why should you be more cruell and unmercifull to your own soules then Christ is Christ hath not excluded you from mercy why should you exclude your owne soules from mercy Oh that you would dwell often upon that choise Scripture John 6. 37. All Iohn 6. 37. that the Father giveth me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out or as the Originall hath it I will not cast out Well saith Christ if any man will come or is coming to me let him be more sinfull or lesse more unworthy or lesse let him be never so guilty never so filthy never so rebellious never so leprous c. yet if hee will but come I will not not not cast him off So much is held forth in that 1 Cor. 6. 9 10 11. Know ye not that the unrighteous 1 Cor 6. 9. 10 11. shall not inherite the Kingdome of God Be not deceived Neither fornicators nor idolaters nor adulterers nor effeminate nor abusers of themselves with man-kinde Nor theeves nor covetous nor drunkards nor revilers nor extortioners shall inherite the Kingdome of God And such were some of you but ye are washed but ye are sanctified but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the spirit of our God Ah sinners do not thinke that hee that hath received such notorious sinners to mercy will reject you Hee is Heb. 13. 8. yesterday and to day and the same for ever Christ was borne in an Inne to shew that he receives all commers his garments were divided into four parts to shew that out of what part of the world soever we come we shall be received If we be naked Christ hath Robes to cloth us if we be harbourless Christ hath room to lodg us That is a choise Scripture Acts 10. 34 35. Acts 10. 34 35. Then Peter opened his mouth and said of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons But in every Nation he that feareth him and worketh righteousnesse is accepted with him The three Tongues that were written upon the Crosse in Greeke Latine and Hebrew to witnesse Christ to be Iohn 19. 19 20. the King of the Jewes do each of them in their severall Idiom avouch this singular Axiome that Christ is an all sufficient Saviour and a three-fold cord is not easily broken The Apostle puts this out of doubt in that Heb. 7. v. 25. Heb. 7. 25. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the vttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Now he were not an Al-sufficient Saviour if he were not as able to save the greatest as the least of sinners Ah sinners tell Jesus Christ that he hath not excluded you from mercy and therefore you are resolved that you will sit waite weep and knock at the doore of mercy til he shall say souls be of good cheer your sins are forgiven your persons are justified and your soules shall be saved The fifth Remedie against this Device 5 Remedy of Satan is to consider that the greater sinner thou art the dearer thou wilâ— be to Christ when he shall behold thee as the travel of his soule Isa 53. 11. Isa 53. 11. He shall see of the travell of his soule and be satisfied The dearer we pay for any thing the dearer that thing is to us Christ hath paid most and prayed most and sighed most and wept most and bled most for the greatest sinners and therefore they are dearer to Christ then others that are lesse sinful Rachel was Gen. 29. 30. dearer to Jacob then Leah because shee cost him more he obeyed endured and suffered more by day and by night for her then for Leah Ah sinners the greatnesse of your sinns does but set off the freenesse and riches of Christs grace and the freenesse of his love this maketh Heaven and Earth to ring of his praise that he loves those that are most unlovely that hee shewes most favour to them that hath sinned most highly against him as might be shewed by severall instances in Scripture as Paul Mary Magdalene and others who sinned more against Christ then these and who had sweeter and choicer manifestations of divine love and favour then these The sixth Remedy against this Device 6 Remedie of Satan