Selected quad for the lemma: mercy_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
mercy_n	good_a	sin_n	sinner_n	3,410	5	7.5691	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

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

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 i● 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 wil● 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

Belly Gods with drie eyes Phil. 3. 18. And Lots righteous soule was burdened 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 vexed and racked by the filthy Sodomites 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. Every sinfull Sodomite was a Hazael to his eyes a Hadadrimmon to his heart Gracious soules use to mourne for other mens sins as well as their owne and for their soules 119 Psal 136. 158. and sins who make a mock of sin and a jest of damning their owne soul● Guilt or grief is all that gracious soules get by communion with vain souls In the sixth Verse he shewes that the punishment that was inflicted upon the incestuous person was sufficient and therefore they should not refuse to receive him who had repented and sorrowed for his former faults and follies 'T is not for the honour of Christ the credit of the Gospel nor the good of soules for Professors to be like those Act. and Mon. sol 1392. bloody wretches that burnt some that recanted at the stake saying that they would send them out of the world while they were in a good minde In the 7 8 9 and 10 Verses the Apostle stirres up the Church to forgive him to comfort him and to confirme their love towards him lest he should be swallowed up with over much sorrow Satan going about to mix the detestable darnell of desperation with the godly sorrow of a pure penitent heart It was a sweet saying of one Let a man Doleat de dolore gaudeat Jerome grieve for his sin and then joy for his grief that sorrow for sin that keeps the soule from looking towards the Mercie-Seat and that keeps Christ and the soul asunder or that shall render the soule unfit for the communion of Saints is a sinfull sorrow In the eleventh Verse he layes down another reason to work them to shew pity and mercy to the penitent sinner that was mourning and groaning under his sin and misery i. e. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his Devices A little for the opening of the words Lest Satan should get an advantage of us 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 least Satan over-reach us the Greek word signifieth to have more then belongs to one the comparison is taken from the greedy Merchant that seeketh and taketh all opportunities to beguile and deceive others Satan is that wily Merchant that devoureth not widowes houses but most mens souls For we are not ignorant of Satans devices or plots or machinations or stratagems Non 〈…〉 he is but a titular Christian that hath not personall experience of Satans stratagems his set and composed machinations his artificially-moulded methods his plots darts depths whereby he out-witted our first parents and fits us a penny-worth still as he sees reason The maine Observation that I shall draw from these words is this That Satan hath his severall devices to deceive intangle and undoe the souls of men I shall first prove the point and secondly shew you his severall Devices and thirdly the Remedies against his Devices and fourthly how it comes to passe that he hath so many severall Devices to deceive intangle and undoe the soules of men Fifthly I shall lay downe some Propositions concerning Satan and his Devices For the proofe of the point take these few Scriptures Ephes 6. ver 11. Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the Devil The Greek word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 that is here rendred wiles is a notable emphaticall word 1. It signifies such snares as are laid behind one such treacheries as come upon ones back at unawares It notes the methods or way-layings of that old subtile Serpent who like Pans adder in the path biteth the heels of passengers and thereby transfuseth his venome to the head and heart the word signifies an ambushment or stratagem of War whereby the enemy sets upon a man ex ins●diis at unawares 2. It signifies such snares as are set to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 catch one in ones road a man walks in his road and thinks not of it on the sudden he is Catcht by thieves or falls into a pit c. 3. It signifies such as are purposely artificially and craftily set for the taking the prey at the greatest advantage that can be the Greek 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 being derived from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 signifies properly a way-laying circumvention or going about as they doe which seek after their prey Julian by his craft drew more from the Faith then all his persecuting Predecessors could doe by their cruelty So doth Satan more hurt in his sheepskin then by roaring like a Lyon Take one Scripture more for the proof of the point and that is in the second of Timothy the second chapter and the last verse And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who are taken captive by him at his will The Greek word that is here rendred recover themselves signifies to awake 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 themselves The Apostle alludeth to one that is asleep or drunk who is to be awaked and restored to his senses and the Greek word that is here rendred taken captive signifies to be taken alive 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the word is properly a warlike word and signifies to be taken alive as Souldiers are taken alive in the wars or as Birds are taken alive and insnared in the Fowlers net Satan hath snares for the wise and snares for the simple snares for Hypocrites and snares for the upright snares for generous soules and snares for timerous soules snares for the rich and snares for the poore snares for the aged and snares for youth c. happy are those soules that are not taken and held in the snares that he hath laid Take one proofe more and then I will proceede to the opening of the Point and that is in the 2d Revelations and the 24. v. But unto you I say and unto the rest in Thyatira as many as have not Pareus in loc 1 Tim. 4. 1. this Doctrine and which have not knowne the depths of Satan as they speake I will put upon you no other burden but to hold fast till I come Those poore soules called their opinions the depths of God when indeed they were the depths of Satan you call your opinions depths and so they are but they are such depths as Satan hath brought out of Hell they are the whisperings and hissings of that Serpent not the inspirations of God Now the second thing that I am to shew you is his severall Devices and herein I shall first shew you the severall Devices that he hath to draw the soule to sin I shall instance in these twelve which may bespeake our most serious consideration His first Device to draw the soule to 1 Device sin is to present the bait and hide the hook to present the

Christ from receiving of Christ from embracing of Christ from resting leaning or relying upon Christ for everlasting happinesse and blessedness according to the Gospel and Remedies against those Devices Now the first Device that Satan hath to keep the soule off from believing in Christ from closing with Christ c. is BY suggesting to the soule the 1 Device greatnesse and vilenesse of his sinnes what saith Satan dost thou think that thou shalt ever obtain mercy by Christ that hast sinned with so high a hand against Christ that hast slighted the tenders of grace that hast grieved the spirit of grace that hast despised the word of grace that hast trampled under feet the blood of the Covenant by which thou might'st have been pardoned purged justified and saved that hast spoken and done all the evill that thou couldst No no saith Satan he hath mercy for others Ierem. 3. 5. but not for thee pardon for others but not for thee righteousnesse for others but not for thee c. therefore 't is in vaine for thee to think of beleeving in Christ or resting and leaning thy guilty soule upon Christ Now the remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this Device Remedy of Satan is to consider that the greater your sinnes are the more you stand in need of a Saviour the greater your burthen is the more you stand in need of one to help to beare it the deeper the wound is the more need there is of the Surgeon the more dangerous the disease is the more need there is of the Physitian Who but mad men will argue thus my burden is great there-I'le not call out for help my wound is Mad Logick deepe therefore I 'le not call out for balm my disease is dangerous therefore I 'le not goe to the Physitian Ah! 't is spiritua●●adnesse 't is the Devills Logick to argue thus My sinnes are great therefore I 'le not goe to Christ I dare not rest nor leane on Christ c. whereas the soule should reason thus the greater my sins are the more I stand in need of mercy of pardon and therefore I will goe to Christ who delights Mica 7. 18. in mercy who pardons sinne for his owne name sake who is as able and as Isa 43. 25. willing to forgive pounds as pence thousands as hundreds The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that the promise of grace and mercy is to returning soules and therefore though thou art never so wicked yet if thou wilt returne God will be thine mercy shall be thine pardon thine c. 2 Chron. 30. 9. For if you turn again 2 Chron. 30. 9. unto the Lord your brethren and your children shall finde compassion before them that lead them captive so that they shall come againe into this land for the Lord your God is gracious and mercifull and will not turne away his face from you if ye returne unto him So Jer. 3. 12. Goe and proclaime Jer. 3. 12. these words towards the North and say returne thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause my anger to fall upon you for I am mercifull saith the Lord and I will not keepe ang 〈…〉 for ever So Joel 2. 13. And rent you●●●rts and not Ioel 2. 13. your garments and turne unto the Lord your God for he is gracious and mercifull slow to anger and of great kindnesse and repenteth him of the evill So Isa 55. 7. Let the wicked forsake his wayes and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon or as the Hebrew read● it he will multiply pardons So Ezek. Ezek. ch 18. Chap. 18. Ah sinner 't is not thy great transgressions that shall exclude thee from mercy if thou wilt break off thy sins by repentance and return to the fountaine of mercy Christs heart Christs armes are wide open to embrace the returning Prodigall 'T is not simply the greatest of thy sins but thy peremptory persisting in sinne that will be thy eternall overthrow The third Remedie against this Device 3 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider that the greatest sinners have obtained mercy and therefore all the Angells in heaven all the men on earth and all the Devils in hell cannot tell to the contrary but that thou mayest obtain mercy Manasseh was a notorious sinner 2 King Chap. 21. he erected Altars for Baal he worshipped and served all the hoast of Heaven He caused his sonnes to passe through the fire he gave himselfe to witchcraft and sorcerie he made Judah to sinn more wickedly then the heathen did whom the Lord destroyed before the children of Israel hee The Hebrew Doctors write that he slew Isaiah the Prophet who was his father in law caused the streets of Jerusalem to run downe with innocent blood c. Ah! what a devill incarnate was he in his actings and yet when he humbled himselfe and sought the Lord the Lord was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him to Jerusalem and made himselfe known unto him and crowned him with mercy and loving kindnesse as you may see in 2 Chron. 2 Chron. chap. 33. chap. 33. So Paul was once a blasphemer a persecutor and injurious yet he obtained 1 Tim. 1. 13. mercy So Mary Magdalen was a Luke 7. notorious strumpet a common whore one out of whom Christ cast seaven Devills yet she is pardoned by Christ and dearly beloved of Christ Luke 7. So Mar. 16. 9. in Mar. 16. v. 9. Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week he appeared first to Mary Magdalene out of whom he had cast seaven Devills Jansenius on the place saith 't is very observable that our Saviour after his resurrection first appeared to Mary Magdalen and Peter that had been grievous sinners that even the worst of sinners may be comforted and encouraged to come to Christ to believe in Christ to rest and stay their soules upon Christ for mercy here and glory hereafter that is a very precious word for the worst of sinners to hang upon Psal 68. v. 18. The Psal 68. 18. Psalmist speaking of Christ saith Thou hast ascended on high thou hast led captivity captive thou hast received gifts for men yea for the rebellious also that the Lord God might dwell among them What though thou art a rebellious child or a rebellious servant what though thou art a rebellious swearer a rebellious drunkard a rebellious Sabbath-breaker c. yet Christ hath received gifts for thee even for the rebellious He hath received the gift of pardon the gift of righteousnesse yea all the gifts of the spirit for thee that thy heart may be made a delightfull house for God to dwell in Bodin hath a story concerning a great Rebell that had made a great strong party against a Roman Emperour the Emperour

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

been consumed by the sword and by the famine This is just the language of a world of ignorant prophane and superstitious souls in London and England that would have made them a Captaine 'T is said of one of the Emperours that Rome had no war in his daves because 't was plague eno●gh to have such an Emperour you are wise and know how to apply it to returne to bondage yea to that bondage that was worse then that the Israelites groaned under Oh say they since such and such persons have beene put down and left off we have had nothing but plundering and taxing and butchering of men c. and therefore we will doe as we and our Kings and Nobles and Fathers have formerly done for then had we plenty at home and peace abroad c. and there was none to make us afraid Now the Remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy is solemnly to consider 1 Remedy that no man knowes how the heart of God stands by his hand his hand of mercy may be towards a man when his heart may be set against that man as you may see in Saul and Tully judged the Jews Religion to be naught because they were so often overcome impoverish'd and afflicted and the Religion of Rome to be right because the Romans prospered and became Lords of the world yet though the Romans had his hand the Jews had his heart for they were dearly beloved though sorely afflicted others and the hand of God may be set against a man when the heart of God is dearly set upon a man as you may see in Job and Ephraim the hand of God was sorely set against them and yet the heart and bowels of God were strongly working towards them no man knoweth either love or hatred by outward mercy or misery for all things come alike to all to the righteous and to the unrighteous to the good and to the bad to the clean and to the unclean c. The sun of prosperity shines as well upon brambles of the Wildernesse as fruit-trees of the Orchard the snow and haile of adversity lights upon the best gardens as well as the stinking dunghills or the wild waste Ahabs and Josiah's ends concur in the very circumstances Saul and Jonathan though different in their natures deserts and deportments yet in their deaths they were not divided Health wealth honours c. crosses sicknesses losses c. are cast upon good men and bad men promiscuously The whole Turkish Empire is Nihil est nisi mica panis Luther nothing else but a crust cast by Heavens great House-keeper to his dogs Moses dies in the Wildernesse as well as those that murmured Nabal is rich aswell as Abraham Achitophell wise aswell as Solomon and Doeg honoured by Soul as well as Ioseph was by Pharoah Usually the worst of men have most of these outward things and the best of men have least of Earth though most of Heaven The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider That there is nothing in the world that doth so provoke God to be wrath and angry as mens taking incouragement from Gods goodnesse and mercy to do wickedly this you may see by that wrath that fell upon the old world and by Gods raining hell out of Heaven upon Such soules make God a God of clouts one that will not doe as he saith but they shall find God to be as severe in punishing as he is to others gracious in pardoning Good turnes aggravate unkindnesses and our guilt is increased by our obligations Sodome and Gomorah This is clear in that 44 of Jeremiah from the 20 verse to the 28 verse the words are worthy of your best meditation oh that they were engraven in all your hearts and constant in all your thoughts though they are too large for me to transcribe them yet they are not too large for you to remember them To argue from mercy to sinfull liberty is the Devils Logick and such Logicians doe ever walk as upon a mine of Gun-powder ready to be blown up no such souls can ever avert or avoid the wrath of God This is wickednesse at the height for a man to be very bad because God is very good a worse spirit then this is not in hell ah Lord doth not wrath yea the greatest wrath lie at this mans door Are not the strongest chaines of darknes prepared for such a soul To sin against mercy is to sin against humanity it is bestiall nay it is worse To render good for evill is Divine to render good for good is humane to render evill for evill is brutish but to render evill for good is devilish and from this evill deliver my soul oh God The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remdy of Satan is solemnly to consider that there is no greater misery in this life then not to be in misery no greater Religio peperit divitias filia devoravit matrem Religion brought forth Riches and the daughter soon devoured the Mother saith Augustine affliction then not to be afflicted woe woe to that soul that God will not spend a rod upon this is the saddest stroke of all when God refuses to strike at all Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Why should you be smitten any more you will revolt more and more When the Physician gives over the Patient you say ring out his knell the man is dead so when God gives over a soul to sin without controule you may truly say this soule is lost you may ring out his knel for he is twice dead and pluckt up by the roots Freedome from punishment is the mother of security the step-mother of virtue the poyson of Religion the moth of holinesse and the introducer of wickednesse nothing said one seemes more unhappy to me then he to whom no adversity hath happened Outward mercies oft-times prove a snare to our soules I will lay a stumbling block Ezek. 3. 20. Vatablus his note there is Faciam ut omnia habeant prospera calamitatibus eum à peccato non revocabo I will prosper him in all things and not by affliction restraine him from sin Prosperity hath been a stumbling block at which millions have stumbled and fallen and broke the neck of their souls for ever The fourth Remedie against this device 4 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that the wants of wicked men under all their outward mercy freedom from adversitie is far greater then al their outward injoyments They have many mercies yet they want more then they injoy the mercies which they injoy are nothing to the mercies they want 'T is true they have honors and riches and pleasures and friends and are mighty in power their seed is established in their sight with them and their off-spring before their eyes their houses are safe from feare neither is the rod

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 the● 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

shall not be so hot to thee as to others yet thou must as certainly to hell as others unlesse the glorious grace of God shines forth upon thee in the face of Christ God wil suit mens punishments to their sins the greatest sins shall be attended with the greatest punishments and lesser sins with lesser punishments alasse what a poor comfort will this be to thee when thou comest to die to consider that thou shalt not be equally tormented with others and yet must be for ever shut out from the glorious presence of God Christ Angels and Saints and from those good things of eternall life that are so many that they exceed number The gate of Indulgence the gate of hope the gate of mercy the gate of glory the gate of consolation and the gate of salvatio● will be for ever shu● against them Mat. 25. 10. so great that they exceed measure so precious that they exceed estimation Sure it is that the tears of hell are not sufficient to bewaile the losse of heaven the worme of grief gnawes as painfull as the fire burnes if those soules Acts 20. wept because they should see Paul's face no more How deplorable is the eternall deprivation of the beatificallvision But this not all thou shalt not be onely shut out of heaven but shut up in hell for ever not onely shut out from the presence of God and Angells c. but shut up with devills and damned spirit for ever not onely shut out from 'T was a good saying of Chrysostome speaking of Hell Ne quaeramu● ubi sit sed quomodo illam fugiamus let us not seek where it is but how we shall escape it those sweet surpassing unexpressabl and everlasting pleasures that be at Gods right hand but shut up for ever under those torments that are easelesse remedilesse and endlesse Ah soules were it not ten thousand times better for yee to break off your sins by repentance then to goe on in your sins till you feele the truth of what now you hear The God of Israel is very mercifull ah that you would repent and returne that your soules might live for ever Remember this grievous is the torment of the damned for the bitternesse of the punishments but most grievous for the eternity of the punishments For to be tormented without end this is Surely one good means to escape Hel is to take a turne or two in Hell by our daily meditations that which goes beyond all the bounds of desperation ah how doe the thoughts of this make the damned to roare and cry out for disquietnesse of heart and teare their haire and gnash their teeth and rage for madnesse that they must dwell in everlasting burnings for ever The eleventh Device that Satan hath 11 Device to draw the soule to sin is by polluting and defiling the soules and judgements of men with such dangerous errors that doe in their proper tendency tend to carry the soules of men to all loosnesse and wickednesse as wofull experience doth abundantly evidence Ah! how many are there filled with these and such like Christ-dishonouring and soule-undoing opinions viz. That Ordinances are poor low carnall things and not onely to be lived above but without also That the Scriptures are full of fallasies and uncertainties and no further to be heeded then they agree with that spirit that is in them That 't is a poor low thing if not idolatry too to worship God in a Mediator That the Resurrection is already past That there was never any such man or person as Jesus Christ but that all is an Allegory and it signifies nothing but light and love and such good frames borne in men That there 's no God nor Devill Heaven nor Hell but what is within us That there is no sinne in the Saints they are under no Law but that of the spirit which is all freedome That sin and grace are equally of God and agreeth to his will with a hundred other horrid opinions which hath caused wickednesse to break in as a flood among us c. Now the generall Remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that an erroneous vain mind is as odious A blinde eye is worse then a lame foot Lev. 13. 44. to God as a vicious life he that had the leprosie in his head was to be pronounced utterly unclean Grosse errors make the heart foolish and render the life loose and the soul light in the eye of God Errour spreads and frets The breath of the erronious is infectious and like the dogs of Cong● they bite though they barke not like a Gangreen and renders the soul a leoper in the sight of God It was Gods heavy and dreadfull plague upon the Gentiles to be given up to a mind void of Judgement or an injudicious mind or a mind rejected disallowed abhorred of God or a mind that none have cause to glory in but rather to be ashamed Through animosity to persist in errour is diabolicall it were best that we never erred next to that that we amended our errour of I think that in these dayes God doth punish many mens former wickednesses by giving them up to soule-ruining errours Ah Lord this mercy I humbly beg that thou wouldest rather take me into thine owne hand and doe any thing with me then to give me up to those sad errours to which thousands have married their souls and are in a way of perishing for ever The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is to receive the truth affectionately and let it dwell in your soules plenteously when men stand out against the truth when truth would enter The greatest sinners are sure to be the greatest sufferers and men bar the door of their souls against truth God in justice gives up such souls to be deluded and deceived by errour to their eternall undoing 2 Thess 2. 10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved God shall send them strong delusions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the Greek hath it the efficacie of errour that they should believe a lye That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse Ah sirs as you love your soules doe not tempt God do not provoke God by your withstanding truth and out-facing truth to give you up to beleeve a lye that you may be damned There are no men on earth so fenc'd against errour as those are that receive the truth in the love of it Such soules Ephes 4. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. signifies cogging with a dye such slights as cheaters and false gamesters use at D●c● are not easily tossed too and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive

in Christ surely none Ah sinners you should reason thus Christ hath bestowed the choisest mercies the greatest favours the highest dignities the sweetest priviledges upon unworthy sinners and therefore O our souls doe not you faint do not you despair but patiently and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord who can tell but that free grace and mercy may shine forth upon us though we are unworthy and give us a portion among those Worthies that are now triumphing in Heaven The third Remedie against this Device 3 Remedie of Satans is that if the soule will keep off from Christ till it be worthy it wil never close with Christ it will never embrace Christ 't will never be one with Christ it must lie down in everlasting Isa 50. ult sorrow God hath laid up all worthinesse in Christ that the creature may know where to finde it and may make out after it There is no way on earth to make unworthy soules worthy but by believing in Christ Believing in Christ of slaves 't will make 〈◊〉 1. 12. you worthy sons of enemies 't will James 2. 23. make you worthy friends c. God wil count none worthy nor call none worthy nor carry it towards none as worthy but Believers who are made Reuel 3. 4. worthy by the worthinesse of Christs person righteousnesse satisfaction and intercession c. The fourth and last Remedie against 4 Remedie this Device of Satans is solemnly to consider that if you make a diligent search into your own hearts you shall find that 't is the pride folly of your own hearts that puts you upon bringing of a worthinesse to Christ Oh you would faine bring something to Christ that might render you acceptable to him you are loft to come empty handed The Lord cries out Ho Isa 55. 1 2. every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and he that hath no money come yee buy and eate come buy wine and milke without money and without price Wherefore doe you spend your money upon Verse 2. that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Here the Lord calls upon money lesse soules upon penni-lesse soules upon unworthy soules to come and partake of his precious favours freely but sinners are proud and foolish and because they have no money no worthiness to bring they 'l not come though he sweetly invites them Ah sinners what is more just then that you should perish for ever that preferre huskes among swine before the milke and wine the sweet and precious things of the Gospel that are freely and sweetly offered to you c. Well sinners remember this 't is not so much the sense of thy unworthinesse as thy pride that keeps thee off from a blessed closing with the Lord Jesus The third Device that Satan hath to keep poor sinners from believing in Christ from closing with Christ from resting on Christ c. is BY suggesting to them the want of 3 Device such and such preparations and qualifications saith Satan thou art not prepared to entertain Christ thou art not thus and thus humbled and justified thou art not heart-sick of sin thou hast not been under horrors and terrours as such and such thou must stay till thou art prepared and qu●lified to receive the Lord Jesus c. Now the remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this Device 1 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that such as have not been so and so prepared and qualified as Satan suggests have received Christ believed in Christ and being saved by Christ Mathew Mat. 9. 9. was called sitting at the receipt of custome and there was such power went along with Christs call that made him to follow We read not of any horrors or terrours c. that hee was under before his being called by Christ Pray what preparations and qualifications were found in Zacheus Paul the Luke 19. 9. Acts 16. chap. Jaylor and Lydia before their conversion God brings in some by the sweet and still voyce of the Gospel and usually such that are thus brought in to Christ are the sweetest humblest 〈◊〉 isest and fruitfullest Christians God is a free agent to worke by Law or Gospel by smiles or frownes by presenting hell or heaven to sinners soules God thunders from Mount-Sinai upon some souls conquers them by thundering God speaks to others in a still voyce and by that conquers them You that are brought to Christ by the Law do not you judge and condemn them that are brought to Christ by the Rom. 14. Gospell and you that are brought to Christ by the Gospel do not you despise those that are brought to Christ by the Law Some are brought to Christ by fire storms and tempests others by more easie and gentle gales of the Spirit The Spirit is free in the works of Iohn 3. 8. conversion and as the wind it blows when where how it pleases Thrice happy are those souls that are brought to Christ whether it be in a winters night or in a summers day The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to dwel upon these following Scriptures which do clearly evidence that poor sinners which are not so and so prepared and qualified to meet with Christ to receive and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ may notwithstanding that believe in Christ and rest and lean upon him for happinesse and blessednesse according to the Gospel Read the first of the Proverbs from vers 20. to the end and the 11. first verses of the 8. of the Proverbs and the six first verses of the 9. of the Proverbs and the 14. first verses of Ezek. chap. 16. and the 3. of John 14 15 16 17 18. 36. verses and the 3. of the Revelations vers 15 16 17 18 19 20. Here the Lord Jesus Christ stands knocking at the Laodiceans door he would faine have them to sup with him and that he might sup with them that is that they might have intimate communion and fellowship one with another Now pray tell me what preparations or qualifications had these Laodiceans to entertain Christ surely none for they were luke-warm they were neither cold nor hot they were wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked and yet Christ to shew his free grace and his condescending love invites the very worst of sinners to open to him though they were no wayes so or so prepared or qualified to entertain him c. The third Remedie against this Device 3 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider that the Lord does not in all the Scripture require such and such preparations Rom. 4. 5. God justifies the ungodly qualifications before men come to Christ before they believe in Christ or entertaine or embrace the Lord Jesus Christ Believing believing in Christ is the great thing that God presses upon sinners throughout the Scripture as all know that know any thing of Scripture Obj. But does not

is seriously to consider that the longer you keepe off from Christ the greater and stronger your sinnes wil grow All divine power and strength against sin flowes from the souls union Rom. 8. 10. 1 Iohn 1. 6 7. and communion with Christ while you keepe off from Christ you keep off from that strength and power which is only able to make you trample downe strength lead captivity captive and slay the Goliah's that bids defiance to Christ 'T is only faith in Christ that makes a 1 Iohn 5. 4. man triumph over sin Satan Hell and the world 'T is onely faith in Christ Mar. 5. 25-35 that binds the strong man hand and foot that stops the issue of blood that makes a man strong in resisting and happy in conquering Sin always dies most where faith lives most the most believing soule is the most mortifyed soule Ah sinner remember this there is no way on earth effectually to be rid of the guilt filth and power of sinne but by believing in a Saviour 'T is not resolving 't is not complaining 't is not mourning but believing that will make thee divinely victorious over that bodie of sinne that to this day is too strong for thee and that will certainly be thy ruine if it be not ruin'd by a hand of faith The seventh Remedie against this Device 7 Remedie of Satans is wisely to consider that as there is nothing in Christ to discourage the greatest sinners from believing in him so there is every thing in Christ that may encourage the greatest sinners to believe in him to rest and leane upon him for all happinesse and blessednesse If you look upon his nature his disposition his names his titles his offices as King Priest and Cant. 1. 3. Prophet you shall finde nothing to discourage the greatest sinners to receive Coloss 1. 19. Chap. 2. 3. Cant. 5. 10. him to believe on him Christ is the greatest good the choisest good the chiefest good the most sutable good the most necessary good he is a pure good a reall good a totall good an eternall good and a soul-satisfying good Sinners are you poor Christ Rev. 3. 17 18. hath gold to enrich you are you naked Christ hath royall robes hee hath white rayment to cloath you are you blind Christ hath eye-salve to enlighten you are you hungry Christ will be Manna to feed you are you thirsty Iohn 6. 48. Iohn 7. 38. he will be a Well of living water to refresh you are you wounded hee hath balm under his wings to heale you are Mal. 4. 2. Mat. 4. 23. Mat. 20. 28. you sick he is a Physitian to cure you are you prisoners he hath laid downe a ran some for you Ah sinners tell me tell me is there any thing in Christ to keep you off from believing No is there not every thing in Christ that may incourage you to believe in him Yes O then believe in him and then though your sinnes be as searlet they be as Isa 1. 18. white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool Nay then your iniquities shall be forgotten as well as Isa 43. 25. Isa 38. 17. Micha 1. 19. forgiven they shall be remembred no more God will cast them behinde his back he will hurle them into the bottome of the Sea The 8. and last Remedie against this 8 Remedie Device of Satan is seriously to consider the absolute necessity of beleeving in Christ Heaven is too holy and too hot to hold unbelievers their lodging is prepared in hell Revel 21. 8. But Revel 21. 8. the fear full and unbelieving c. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire brimstone which is the second death If ye believe not that I am he saith Christ Iohn 8. 24. you shall die in your sins And he that dyes in his sins must to judgment and to hell in his sins Every unbeliever is a condemned man He that beleeveth not saith John is condemned already because Iohn 3. 18. he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten sonne of God And hee that Vers 36. beleeveth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Ah sinners the Law the Gospel and your owne Consciences has pass'd the sentence of condemnation upon you and there is no way to reverse the sentence but by believing in Christ and therefore my counsell is this Stir up your Isa 64. 7. selves to lay hold on the Lord Jesus and look up to him and wait on him from whom every good and perfect James 1. 17. Isa 62. 7. gift comes and give him no rest till he hath given thee that Jewell Faith that is more worth then Heaven and Earth and that will make thee happy in life joyfull in death and glorious in the day of Christ And thus much for the Remedies against this first Device of Satans whereby he keeps off thousands from believing in Christ The second Device that Satan hath to keepe poor sinners from believing from closing with a Saviour is BY suggesting to them their unworthinesse 2 Device Ah saith Satan as thou art worthy of the greatest misery so thou art unworthy of the least crum of mercy what dost thou thinke saith Satan that ever Christ will owne receive or embrace such an unworthy wretch as thou art no no if there were any worthinesse in thee then indeed Christ might be willing to be entertained by thee thou art unworthy to entertain Christ into thy house how much more unworthy art thou to entertaine Christ into thy heart c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this Device 1 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that God hath no where in the Scripture required any worthinesse in the creature before believing in Christ If you make a diligent search through all the Scripture you shall not find from Iohn 5. 29. the first line in Genesis to the last line in the Revelation one word that speaks Mat. 19. 8. out Gods requiring any worthinesse in the creature before the soules believing in Christ before the souls leaning and resting upon Christ for happinesse and blessednesse and why then should that be a bar and hinderance to thy faith which God doth no where require of thee before thou comest to Christ that thou maist have life Ah sinners remember Satan objects your unworthinesse against you only out of a Designe to keep Christ and your soules asunder for ever and therefore in the face of all your unworthiness rest upon Christ come to Christ believe in Iohn 6. 40. 47. Christ and you are happy for ever The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedie of Satans is wisely to consider that none never received Christ embraced Christ obtained mercy and pardon from Christ but unworthy soules Pray what worthinesse was in Matthew Zacheus Mary Magdalen Manasseh Paul and Sydia before their coming to Christ before their faith