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
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 spirituaâ—â—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 youâ—â—â—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 readâ— 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
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
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
were once glorious on earth and are now triumphing in Heaven did look upon the mercy of God as the most powerfull argument to preserve them from sin and to fence their souls against sin and not as an encouragement Psal 26. 3 4 5 6. to sin Psal 26. 3 4 5 6. For thy loving kindnesse is before mine eyes and I have walked in thy truth I have not sat with vaine persons neither will I goe in with dissemblers I have hated the Congregation of evill doers and will not sit with the wicked So Joseph strengthens himselfe against sin from the remembrance of mercy How then can I saith he doe this great Gen. 39. 9. wickednesse and sin against God He had fixt his eye upon mercy and therefore sin could not enter though the irons entred into his soul his soul being taken with mercy was not moved by his Mistrisses impudency Satan knock't oft at the door but the sight of mercy would not suffer him to answer or open Joseph like a Pearle in a Puddle keeps his vertue still So Paul Shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound God Rom. 6. 1 2. The stone called Pâ—ntaurus is of that vertue that it preserves him that carries it from taking any harm by poison the mercy of God in Christ to our souls is the most precious stone or Pearleâ— in the world to preserve us from being poysoned with sin forbid how shall we that are dead to sin live any longer therein There is nothing in the world that renders a man more unlike to a Saint and more like to Satan then to argue from mercy to sinfull liberty from Divine goodnesse to licentiousnesse this is the Devils Logick and in whom ever you find it you may write This soul is lost A man may aâ— truly say the Sea burns or fire cools as that free grace and mercy should make a soul truly gracious to doe wickedly So the same Apostle I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice holy acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service So John These things I write unto you that you sin not What was it that he wrote He wrote that we might have fellowship with the Father and his Son 1 John 2. 1 2. and that the Blood of Christ cleanseth us from all sin and that if we confesse our sins he is just and faith full to forgive us our sins and that if we doe sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous These choyce favours and mercies the Apostle holds forth as the choycest means to preserve the soul from sin and to keep at the greatest distance from sin and if this won't doe it you may write the man void of Christ and grace and undone for ever The sixt Device that Satan hath to 6 Device draw the soule to sin is by perswading the soul that the work of Repentance is â—n easie work and that therefore the soul need not make such a matter of sin why suppose you do sin saith Satan 't is no such difficult thing to return and confesse and be sorrowfull and beg pardon and cry Lord have mercy upon me and if you doe but this God will cut the score and pardon your sins and save your souls c. By this Device Satan draws many a soul to sin and makes many millions of souls servants or rather slaves to sin c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy is seriously to consider 1 Remedy Fallen man hath lost imperium suum and imperium sui the command of himselfe and the command of the creatures and certainly he that cannot command himselfe cannot repent of himselfe Da poenitentiaÌ„ postea indulgentiam said dying Fulgentius that Repentance is a mighty work a difficult work a work that is above our power There is no power below that power that raised Christ from the dead and that made the world that can break the heart of a sinner or turn the heart of a sinner thou art as well melt Adamant as to melt thine owne heart to turn a flint into flesh as to turn thine own heart to the Lord to raise the dead and to make a world as to Repent Repentance is a flower that growes not in Natures garden Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the Leopard his spots then may yee also doe good that are accustomed to doe evill Jer. 13. 23. Repentance is a gift that comes down from above men are not born with Repentance in their hearts as they are borne with tongues in their mouths Acts. 5. It was a vain brag of King Cyrus that caused it to be written upon his Tomb-stone 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I could doe all things So could Paul too but it was through Christ which strengthned him 31. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour for to give Repentance to Israel and forgivenesse of sins So in that 2 Tim. 2. 25. In meeknesse instructing them that oppose themselves if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth 'T is not in the power of any mortall to repent at pleasure Some ignorant deluded souls vainly conceit that these five words Lord have mercy upon me are efficacious to send them to Heaven but as many are undone by buying a counterfeit Jewell so many are in Hell by mistake of their Repentance many rest in their Repentance though it be but the shadow of Repentance which caused one to say Repentance damneth more then sin The second Remedy against this Device 2 Râ—medy of Satan is solemnly to consider of the nature of true Repentance Repentance is some other thing then what vain men conceive Repentance is sometimes taken in a more strict and narrow The Hebrew word for Repentance is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to returne implying a going back from what a man had don it notes a returning or converting from one thing to another from sin to God The Greeks have two words by which they expresse the nature of repentance one is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to be carefull anxious solicitous after a thing is done the other word is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 is resipiscentia after-wit or after-wisdom the minds recovering of wisdome or growing wiser after our folly Ab 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 dementia 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 post it being the correction of mens folly and returning ad sanam mentem True repentance is a thorough change both of the mind and manners optima aptissima poenitentia est nova vita saith Luther which saying is an excellent saying Repentance for sin is nothing worth without repentance from sin If thou repent with a contradiction saith Tertullian God will pardon thee with a contradiction thou repentest and yet continuest in
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 enoâ—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
so the good things we have from thee though they may refresh us yet they satisfie us not without thy self Ber. It is an excellent speech of Bernard bonus es domine animae quaerenti quid invenienti Good art thou oh Lord to the soule that seeks thee what art thou then to the soul that finds thee God and to act for God and the sense of the excellency and sweetness of communion with God and the choise and precious discoveries that the soule hath formerly had of the beauty and glory of God whilst it hath been in the service of God The good looks the good words the blessed love-letters the glorious kisses and the sweet embraces that gracious soules have had from Christ in his service do provoke and move them to waite upon him in holy duties ah but restraining grace temporall grace that puts men upon religious duties only from externall motives as the eare of the creature the eye of the creature the rewards of the creature the keeping up of a name amongst the creatures and a thousand such like considerations as you may see in Saul Jehu Judas Demas and the Scribes and Pharisees c. The Abbot in Melancton lived strictly and walked demurely and look'd humbly so long as hee was but a Monke but when by his seeming extraordinary sanctity he got to be Abbot hee grew intollerable proud and insolent and being asked the reason of it confessed that his former lowly look was but to see if he could find the keyes of the Abbie Such poore low vaine motives work temporary soules to all the service they do perform c. 8. Saving grace renewing grace wil cause a man to follow the Lord fully in the desertion of all â—in and in the observation of all Gods precepts Joshua and Numb 14. 2. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 hath fulfilled after me a metaphor taken from a ship under saile that is strongly carried with the wind as fearing neither rocks nor sands Luke 1. 5 6. Rev. 14. 4. Mat. 23. 23. Caleb followed the Lord fully Zacharias and Elizabeth were righteous before God and walking in all the commandements and ordinances of the Lord blamelesse The Saints in the Revelation are described by this that they follow the Lamb wheresoever he goes but restraining grace temporary grace cannot enable a man to follow the Lord fully all that temporary grace can enable a man to do is to follow the Lord partially unevenly and haltingly as you may see in Jehu Herod Iudas and the Scribes and Pharisees who paid tithe of Mint and Anise and Cumming but omittted the weighty matters of the Law Judgement Mercy and faith c. True grace works the heart to the Psal 119. 104. 128. I had rather goe to hell pure from sin then to Heaven polluted with that filth saith Anselm hatred of all sin and to the love of all truth it works a man to the hatred of those sins that for his blood he cannot conquer and to loath those sins that he would give all the world to overcome So that a soule truly gracious can say though there be no one sinne mortified and subdued in mee as it should and as I would yet every sinne is hated and loathed by me So a soule truly gracious can say though I doe not obey any one command as I should and as I would yet every word is sweet every command of God is precious dearly prize and greatly love those Da quod jubes jube quâ—d vis give what thou commandest and command what thou wilâ— Psal 119. 119. 127. 167. verses commands that I cannot obey though there be many commands that I cannot in a strict sense fulfill yet there is no command I would not fulfill that I do not exceedingly love I love thy commandements above gold above fine gold My soule hath kept thy testimonies and I love them exceedingly 9. True grace leads the soule to rest in Christ as in his summum bonum chiefest good it works the soul to center in Christ as in his highest and ultimate end Whether should we goe thou hast 〈◊〉 6. 68. Cant. 5. 10. Cant. 3. 4. Grace is that star that leads to Christ 't is that cloud pillarâ— of fire that leads the soule to that heavenly Canaan where Christ siâ—s chiefe the worlds of eternall life My beloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand I found him whom my soule loved I held him and would not let him goe That wisdome a Beleever hath from Christ it leads him to center in the wisdome of Christ and that love the soule hath from Christ it leads the soule to center in the love of Christ and that Righteousnesse the soule hath from Christ it leads the soule to rest and center in the Righteousnesse of Christ 1 Cor. 1. 30. Phil. 3. 9. True grace is a beame of Christ and where it is it will naturally lead the soul to rest in Christ The streame doth not more naturally lead to the fountain nor the effect to the cause then true grace leads the soule to Christ But restraining grace temporary grace works the soule to center and rest in things below Christ Sometimes it works the soule to center in the prayses of the creature sometimes to rest in Mat. 6. 1 2. Zach. 7. 5 6. the rewards of the creature verily they have their reward saith Christ and so in a hundred other things c. 10. True grace will inable a soule to sit down satisfied and contented with the naked enjoyments of Christ The Cui cum paupertate bene convenit pauper non est saith Seneca A contented man cannot be a poor man enjoyment of Christ without honour will satisfie the soule the enjoyment of Christ without riches the enjoyments of Christ without pleasures and without the smiles of creatures will content and satisfie the soule 'T is enough Joseph is alive So saith a gracious soule though honour is not and riches are not and health is not and Charles the great his Motto was Christus regnat vincit triumphat And so 't is the Saints friends are not c. It is enough that Christ is that he reigns conquers and triumphs Christ is the pot of Mannah the cruice of oyle a bottomlesse ocean of all comfort content and satisfaction hee that hath him wants nothing he that wants him enjoys nothing having nothing saith Paul and yet possessing 2 Cor. 6. 10. Saint Austine upon Psal 12. brings in God rebuking a discontented Christian thus what is thy faith have I promised thee these things what wert thou made a Christian that thou shouldst flourish here in this world all things Oh! but a man that hath but temporary grace that hath but restraining grace cannot sit downe satisfied and contented under the wanâ— of outward comforts Christ is good with honours saith such a soule and Christ is good with riches and Christ is good with pleasures and he is
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 soulâ— 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 insâ—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
his bowels is turned it is the gall of Asps within him Forbidden profits and pleasures are most pleasing to vaine men who count madnesse mirth c. Many long to be medling with the murthering morsels of sin which nourish not but rent and consume the belly the soule that receives them Many eat that on earth that they digest in hell sins murthering morsels will deceive those that devoure them Adams If intemperance couâ—d afford more pleasure then temperance Heliogobalus should have been more happy then Adam in Paradise Apple was a bitter-sweet Escu's messe was a bitter-sweet the Israelites quails a bitter-sweet Jonathans honey a bitter-sweet and Adonijahs dainties a bitter-sweet after the meale is ended comes the reckoning Men must not think to dance and dine with the Devil and then to sup with Abraham Isaac and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven to feed upon the poison of Asps and yet that the Vipers tongue shall not slay them when the Aspe stings a man it doth first tickle him so as it makes him laugh till the poison by little and Plutark little gets to the heart and then it pains him more then ever it delighted him so doth sin it may please a little at first but it will paine the soule with a witnesse at last yea if there were the least reall delight in sin there could be no perfect Hell where men shall most perfectly be tormented with their sin The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that sin will usher in the greatest and the Isa 59. 2. Psal 51. 12. Isa 59. 8. 2 Chron. 15. 3 4. Jer. 17. 18. saddest losses that can be upon our souls it will usher in the losse of that Divine favour that is better then life and the losse of that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory and the losse of that peace that passeth understanding and the losse of those Divine influences by which the soule hath beene refreshed quickned Jer. 5. 25. raised strengthned and gladded and the losse of many outward desirable mercies which otherwise the soule might have injoyed It was a sound and savory reply of an English Captain at the losse of Callice when a proud French-man scornfully demanded when will you fetch Callice again replied * Quando peccata vestra erunt nostris graviera When your sinnes shall weigh downe ours ah England my constant Prayer for thee is that thou mayest not sin away thy mercies into their hands that cannot call mercy mercy and that would joy in nothing more then to see thy sorrow and misery and to see that hand to make thee naked that hath cloath'd thee with much mercy and glory The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy In Sardis there grew an herb called Appium Sardis that would ' make a man lye laughing when he was deadly sick-such is the operation of sin of Satan is seriously to consider that sin is of a very deceitfull and bewitching nature sin is from the greatest deceiver 't is a child of his owne begetting 't is the ground of all the deceit in the world and 't is in its own nature exceeding deceitfull Heb. 3. 13. But exhort one another daily while it is called to day lest any of you be hardned through the deceitfullnesse of sinne it will kisse the soul and pretend fair to the soul and yet betray the soul for ever it will with Dalilah smile upon us that it may betray us into the hands of the Devil as she did Sampson into the hands of the Pro. 5. 22 23. Philistimes sin gives Satan a power over us and an advantage to accuse us and to lay claime to us as those that weare his badge 't is of a very bewitching nature it bewitches the soule where 't is upon the throne that the soule cannot leave it though it perish eternally by it Sin so bewitches the soul that it makes Which occasioned Chrysostâ—me to say when Eudoxia the Empress threatned him Goe tell her Nil nisi prâ—â—atum ti 〈…〉 I feare nothing but sin the soul call evill good and good evill bitter sweet and sweet bitter light darknesse and darknesse light and a soul thus bewitcht with sin will stand it out to the death at the swords point with God Let God strike and wound and cut to the very bone yet the bewitched soul cares not fears not but will still hold on in a course of wickednesse as you may see in Pharaoh Balaam and Judas tell the bewitched soul that sin is a Viper that will certainly kill when 't is not killed that sin often kils secretly insensibly eternally yet the bewitched soul cannot nor will not cease from sin When the Physitians told 〈…〉 nen 〈◊〉 Ambrose Ambrose Theotimus that except he did abstain from drunkennesse and uncleannesse c. he would loose his eyes his heart was so bewitch't to his sins that he answers Then farewell sweet light he had rather loose his eyes then leave his sins So a man bewitcht with sin had rather loose God Christ Heaven and his own soul then part with his sin O therefore for ever take heed of playing or nibling at Satans golden baits The second Device of Satan to draw 2 Device the soule to sin is by painting sin with vertues colours Satan knowes that if hâ— should present sin in its own nature and dresse the soul would rather fly from it then yield to it and therefore he presents it unto us not in its owne proper colours but painted and guilded over with the name and shew of vertue that we may the more easily be overcome by it and take the more pleasure in committing of it Pride he presents to the soul under the name and notion of neatnesse and cleanlinesse and covetousnesse which the Apostle condemns for idolatry to be but good husbandry and drunkennes to be good fellowship and riotousnesse under the name and notion of liberality and wantonnesse as a trick of youth c. Now the Remedies against this Device of Satan are these FIrst Consider that sin is never a whit 1 Remedy the lesse filthy vilde and abominable by its being coloured and painted with vertues colours A poysonous Pill is never a whit the lesse poysonous because 't is gilded over with gold nor a Wolf is never a whit the lesse a Wolfe because he hath put on a sheeps-skin nor the Devil is never a whit the lesse a Devil because he appears somtimes like an Angel of light so neither is sin any whit the lesse filthy and abominable by its being painted over with vertues colours The second Remedy is this That the 2 Remedy more sin is painted forth under the colour Turpiora sunt vitia quae virtutum specie celantur Jerome Thus the Illuminates as they called themselves a pestilent Sect in Arragon professing and affecting in themselves a kind of Angelicall purity fell suddenly to
and by the strongest and the choicest Arguments that the Scripture doth afford And why doe they kill two at once The faithfull Labourers name and their own souls by their wicked words and actings because they are put upon repenting which Satan tells them is so easie a thing surely were repentance so easie wicked men would not be so much enraged when that doctrine is by evangelicall considerations prest upon them The fift Remedy against this Device 5 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that to repent of sin is as great a work of grace as not to sin By our sinfull falls the powers of the soule are weakned the Yet it is better to be kept from sin then cuâ—ed of sin by Repentance as it is better for a man to be preserved from a disease then to be cured of the disease strength of grace is decayed our evidences for Heaven are blotted feares and doubts in the soul are raised will God once more pardon this scarlet sin and shew mercy to this wretched soul and corruptions in the heart are more advantaged and confirmed and the conscience of a man after falls is the more inraged or the more benummed now for a soul notwithstanding all this to repent of his falls this shewes that 't is as great a work of grace to repent of sin as 't is not to sin Repentance is the vomit of the soul and of all Physick none so difficult and hard as 't is to vomit the same means that tends to preserve the soul from sin the same means works the soul to rise by Repentance when 't is fallen into sin We know the mercy and loving kindnesse of God is one speciall means to keep the soul from sin as David spake Thy loving kindnesse is alwayes before mine eyes and I have Psal 26. 3 4 5. walked in thy truth I have not sat with vain persons neither will I go in with dissemblers I have hated the Congregation of evill doers and will not sit with the wicked So by the same means the soul is raised by Repentance out of sin as you may â—ee in Mary Magdalen who loved much and Luke 7. 37 38 39 c. Hos 6. 1 2. wept much because much was forgiven her so those in Hosea Come let us returne unto the Lord for he hath torne and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will binde us up after two dayes he will revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight or before his face as the Hebrew hath it i. e. in his 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 favour confidence in Gods mercy and love that he would heal them and bind up their wounds and revive their dejected spirits and cause them to live in his favour was that which did work their hearts to repent and return unto him I might further shew you this truth in many other perticulars but this may suffice onely remember this in the gnerall that there is much of the power of God and love of God and faith in God and fear of God and care to please God and zeale for the glory of God requisite to work a man to repent 2 Cor. 7. 11. of sin as there is to keep a man from sin by which you may easily judge that to repent of sin is as great a work as not to sin and now tell me oh soul is it an easie thing not to sin we know then certainly 't is not an easie thing to repent of sin The sixt Remedy against this Device 6 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that he that now tempts thee to sin upon this account that repentance is easie will ere long to work thee to despaire Beda tells of a certain great man that was admonished in his sicknes to repent who answer'd that he would not repent yet for if he should recover his companions would laugh at him but growing sicker and sicker his friends pressed him again to repent buâ—then he told them it was toolate Quia jam judicatus sum condemnatus for now said he I am judged and condemned to say we are thine and we must follow thee Now Satan will help to work the soul to look up and see God angry and to look inward and see Conscience accusing and condemning and to look downwards and see Hells mouth open to receive the impenitent soul and all this to render the work of repentance impossible to the soul what saith Satan doest thou think that that is easie which the whole power of grace cannot conquer while we are in this world Is it easie saith Satan to turn from some outward act of sin to which thou hast been addicted Dost thou not remember that thou hast often complained against such and such particular sins and resolved to leave them and yet to this hour thou hast not thou canst not What will it then be to turn from every sin Yea to mortifie and cut off those sinâ— those darling lusts that are as joynts and members that be as right hands and right eyes Hast thou not loved thy sins above thy Saviour Hast thou not preferred earth before Heaven Hast thou not all along neglected the means of Grace and despised the offers of Grace and vexed the spirit of Grace There would be no end if I should set before thee the infinit evils that thou hast committed and the innumerable good services that thou hast omitted As one Lamachus a Commander said to one of his souldiers that was brought before him for a misbehaviour who pleaded he would doe so no more saith he Non li cet in bello bis peccare no man must offend twice in war so God will not suffer men often to neglect the day of grace and the frequent checks of thy owne Conscience that thou hast contemned and therefore thou mayest well conclude that thou canst never repent that thou shalt never repent now saith Satan doe but a little consider thy numberlesse sins and the greatnesse of thy sins the foulnesse of thy sins the hainousnesse of thy sins the circumstances of thy sins and thou shalt easily see that those sins that thou thoughtest to be but motes are indeed mountaines and is it not now in vain to repent of them Surely saith Satan if thou shouldest seek repentance and grace with tears as Esau thou shalt not find it thy glasse is out thy sun is set the door of mercy is shut the golden Scepter is taken in and now thou that hast despised mercy shalt be for ever destroyed by Justice for such a wretch as thou art to attempt repentance is to attempt a thing impossible 't is impossible that thou that in all thy life couldest never conquer one sinne shouldest master such a numberles number of sins which are so near so dear so necessary and so profitable to thee that have so long bedded and boarded with thee that have been old acquaintance
that other precious Saints that were once glorious on earth and are now triumphing in heaven have turned from the occasions of sin as Hell it selfe as you may see in Joseph Gen. 39. 10. And it came to passe as she spake to Joseph day by day that he hearkned not unto her to lye by her or to be with her Joseph was famous for all the four Cardinall vertues if ever any were in this one temptation you may see his Fortitude Justice Temperance There are stories of Heathens that would not look upon excellent beauties lest they should be insnared and Prudence in that he shuns the occasion for he would not so much as be with her and that a man is indeed that he is in a temptation which is but a tap to give vent to corruption The Nazarite might not only not drink wine but not taste a grape or the husk of a grape The Leaper was to shave his haire and paire his nailes The Devill counts a fit occasion halfe a conquest for he knowes that corrupt nature hath Democritus pluck't out his own eyes to avoid the danger of uncleannesse a seed-plot of all sin which being drawn forth and watered by some sinfull occasion is soon set a work to the producing of death and destruction God will not remove the temptation till we remove the occasion A Bird whiles a loft is safe but she comes not near the snare without danger the shunning the occasions of sin renders a man most like the best of men a soul eminently gracious dares not come near the traine though he be far off the blow So Job 31. 1. I made a Covenant with mine eyes 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I cut a Covenant In making Covenants it was a custome among the Jewes to cut some beast or other in pieces and to walk between the pieces to signifie that they desired God to destroy them that should break the Covenant why then should I think upon a maid I set a watch at the entrance of my senses that my foul might not by them be infected and endangered the eye is the window of the soule and if that should be alwayes open the soul might smart for it A man may not look intently upon that that he may nat love intirely The Disciples were set a gogg by beholding the beauty of the Temple 't is best and safest to have the eye alwayes fixt upon the highest and noblest objects as the Marriners eye is fixt on the star when their hand is on the sterne so David when he was himself he shuns the occasion of sin Psal 26. 4 5. I have not sat with vaine persons neither will I goe in with dissemblers I have hated the Congregation of evill doers and will not sit with the wicked Stories speak of some that could not sleep when they thought of the Trophies of other Worthies that went before them the highest and choycest examples are to some and should be to all very quickning and provoking and oh that the examples of those worthy Saints David Joseph and Job might prevaile with all your souls to shun and avoid the occasions of sin every one should strive to be like to them in grace that they desire to be equall with in glory He that shooteth at the Sun though he come far short will shoot higher then he that aimeth at a shrub 't is best and it speaks out much of Christ within to eye the highest and the worthiest examples The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that the avoiding the occasions of sin is an evidence of grace and that which lifts up a man above most other men in the world that a man is indeed which he is in temptation and when sinfull occasions doe present themselves before the soul this speaks out both the truth Plutarch saith of Demosthenes that he was excellent at praising the worthy acts of his Ancestors but not so at imitating them oh that this were not applicable to many professors in our times and the strength of grace when with Lot a man can be chast in Sodome and with Timothy can live temperately in Asia among the luxurious Ephesians and with Job can walk uprightly in the land of Vz where the people were prophane in their lives and superstitious in their worship and with Daniel be holy in Babylon and with Abraham righteous in Chaldea and with Nehemiah zealous in Damasco c. Many a wicked man is big and full of sinful corruption but shews it not for want of occasion but that man is surely good who in his course will not be bad though tempted by occasions a Christlesse soul is so far from refusing occasions when they come in his way that he looks and longs after them and rather then he will go without them he will buy them not onely with love or money but also with the losse of his soul nothing but grace can fence a man against the occasions of sin when he is strongly tempted thereunto therefore as you would cherrish a precious evidence in your own bosomes of the truth and strength of your graces shun all sinfull occasions The eight Device that Satan hath to 8 Device draw the soule to sin is by presenting 'T was a weighty saying of Seneca Nihil est infelicius eo cui nil nunquā contigit advers◠there is nothing more unhappy then he who never felt adversity to the soule the outward mercies that vaine men inioy and the outward miseries that they are freed from whil'st they have walked in the wayes of sin Saith Satan do'st thou not see oh soule the many mercies that such and such inioy that walk in those very wayes that thy soul startles to think of and the many crosses that they are delivered from even such as makes other men that say they dare not walke in such wayes to spend their dayes in sighing weeping groaning and mourning and therefore saith Satan if ever thou wouldest be freed from the dark night of adversity and injoy the sun-shine of prosperity thou must walk in their wayes by this stratagem the Devil took those in the 44 Jeremiah 16 17 18. As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord we will not hearken unto thee but we will certainly doe whatsoever thing goeth forth of our mouth to burne Incense unto the Queen of Heaven and to pour Some of the Heathens would be wicked as their Gods were counting it a dishonour to their God to be unlike to him Lactan tius out drink-offrings unto her as we have done we and our Fathers our Kings and our Princes in the Cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem for then had we plenty of victualls and were well and saw no evill But since we left off to burn Incense to the Queen of Heaven and to pour out drink-offerings unto her we have wanted all things and have
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
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 salvatioâ— will be for ever shuâ— 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 quaeramuâ— 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 Congâ— 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 Dâ—câ— 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
and dominion of sin but from this plague this hell Christ frees all Beleevers Sin cannot say of a beleever as the Centurion said of his servant I bid one goe and be goeth and to another come and he cometh and to another do this and he doth it No the heart of a St. rises against the commands of sin and when sin would cary his soule to the Devill he hales his sin before the Lord and cries out for Justice Lord saith the beleeving soule sinn playes the Tyrant the Devill in mee it would have mee to doe that which makes against thy holinesse as well as against my happinesse against thy honour and glory as my comfort peace therefore do me justice thou righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth and let this tyrant sin die for it c. The third Remedie against this device 3 Remedie of Satan is constantly to keep one eye upon the promises of remission of sinne Isa 44 22. Mica 7. 18 19. Coloss 2. 13 14. The promises of God are a precious booke every leafe drops myrthe and mercy as well as the other eye upon the inward operations of sin This is most certain truth that God will graciously pardon those sins to his people that he will not in this life fully subdue in his people Paul prayes thrice i. e. often to be delivered from the thorn in the flesh all he can get is my grace is sufficient for thee I will graciously pardon that to thee that I will not conquer in thee Though the weak Christian cannot open read and apply them Christ can will apply them to their souls Ier. 33. 8. Isa 43. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Hebrew participle notes a constant a continued act of God I I am he blotting out thy transgressions to day and to morrow c. 4 Remedie saith God And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and whereby they have transgressed against me I even I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Ah! you lamenting soules that spend your dayes in sighing and groaning under the sense and burthen of your sins why doe you deale so unkindly with God and so injuriously with your own soules as not to cast an eye upon those precious promises of remission of sinne which may beare up and refresh your spirits in the darkest night and under the heaviest burden of sin The fourth Remedie against this device of Satan is to look upon all your sins as charged upon the account of Christ as debts which the Lord Jesus hath fully satisfied and indeed were there but one farthing of that debt unpaid that Christ was engaged to satisfie it would not have stood with the unspotted justice of God to have let him come into Heaven and sit down at his owne right hand but all our debts by his death being discharged we are freed and he is exalted to sit down at the right hand of his Father which is the top of his glory and the greatest pledg of our felicity For he hath made him to be sin for 2 Cor. 5. 21. Christ was peccatorum maximus the greatest of sinners by imputation and reputation Isa 53. 5 6. us that knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him saith the Apostle All our sins were made to meete upon Christ as that Evangelicall Prophet hath it He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his owne way and the Lord hath layd on him the iniquity of us all or as the Hebrew hath it he hath made the iniquity of us all to meet in him In Law we know that all the debts of the Wife are charged upon the Husband saith the Wife to one and to another if Christ hath the greatest worth and wealth in him as the worth and value of many pieces of silver is in one piece of gold so all the excellencies scattered abroad in the creatures are united to Christ I owe you any thing go to my husband so may a beleever say to the Law and to the justice of God if I owe you any thing go to my Christ who hath undertaken for me I must not sit downe discouraged under the apprehensions of those debts that Christ to the utmost farthing hath fully satisfied would it not argue much weaknesse I had almost said much madnesse for a debtor to sit down discouraged upon his looking over those debts that his surety hath readily freely and fully satisfied the sense of his great love should engage a man for All the whole volume of perfections which is spread through Heaven earth is epitomized in him ever to love and honour his surety and to blesse that hand that hath paid the debt and crost the books c. but to sit down discouraged when the debt is satisfied is a sinnne that bespeaks Repentance c. Christ hath cleared all reckonings betwixt God and us you remember the Scape-goate upon his head all the iniquities Levit. 16. 21. of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sinns were confessed Christ is Canalis gratiae the channell of grace from God and put and the Goate did beare upon him all their iniquities c. Why the Lord Jesus is that blessed Scape-Goate upon whom all our sins were laid and who alone hath carried our sins away into the Land of forget fulnesse where they shall never never be remembred more a beleever under the guilt of his sin may looke the Lord in the face and sweetly plead thus with him 'T is true Lord I owed thee The bloods of Abel for so the Hebrew hath it as if the blood of one Abel had so many tongues as drops cryed for vengeance against sinne bâ—t the blood of Christ cries louder for the pâ—rdon of sin much but thy Son was my Ransome my Redemption his blood was the price he was my surety and undertook to answer for my sinnes I know thou must be satisfied and Christ hath satisfied thee to the utmost farthing not for himself for what sins had he of his own but for me they were my debts that he satisfied for be pleased to look over the book and thou shalt find that 't is crost by thy owne hand upon this very account that Christ hath suffered and satisfied for them The fifth Remedy against this device 5 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider of the reasons why the Lord is pleased to have his people exercised troubled and vexed with the operations of sinful corruptions Augustin saith that the first second and third vertue of a Christian is humility and
who knows how his heart would have swelled hee might have been carried higher in conceit then before he was in his extacie The school of temptation is a choise school a school wherein God gives his people the clearest and the sweetest discoveries of his love a school wherein God teaches his people to be more frequent and fervent in duty when Paul was buffeted then he prayed thrice that is frequently and fervently A schoole wherein God teaches his people to be more tender meek and compassionate to other poor tempted souls then ever A school wherein God teaches his people to see a greater evill in sinne then ever and a greater emptiness in the creature then ever and a greater need of Christ and free-grace then ever A school wherein God will teach his people that all temptations are but his Gold-smiths by which he will try and refine and make his people more bright and glorious The issue of all temptations shall be the good of the Saints as you may see by the temptations that Adam and Eve and Christ and David and Job and Peter and Paul met with Those hands of power and love that bring light out of darknesse good out of evill sweet out of bitter life out of death Heaven out of Hell will bring much sweet and good to his people out of all the temptations that come upon them The third Remedie against this Device 3 Remedie of Satan is wisely to consider that no temptations don't hurt nor harm the Saints so long as they are not resisted by them and prove the greatest affliction that can befall them 't is not Satans tempting but your assenting not his enticing but your yeelding that makes temptations hurtfull to your soules if the soule when 't is tempted resists the temptation and saith with Christ get thee behind mee Satan and with that young Convert I am not the man that I Ego non sum ego was or as Luther counsells all men to answer all temptations with these words Christianus sum I am a Christian if a mans temptations be his greatest affliction then is the temptation no sin upon his soule though it be a trouble upon his mind when a soule can look the Lord in the face and say ah Lord I have many outward troubles now upon me I have lost such and such a neere mercy and such and such dear desirable mercies and yet thou that knowest the heart thou knowest that all my crosses and losses do not make so many wounds in my soule nor fetch so many sighes from my heart nor teares from my eyes as those temptations doe that Satan follows my soul with when 't is thus with the soule then temptations are only the souls trouble they are not the souls sin Satan is a malious and envious enemie â—â—metimeâ— he â—hewes his malice by letting those things abide by the soule as may most vex and plague the soule as Gregory observes in his leaving of Jobs wife which was not out of his forgetfulness carelesnesse or any love or pity to Iob but to vex and torment him c. and to work him to blaspheme God despair and die c. as his names are so is he his names are all names of enmity the Accuser the Tempter the Destroyer the Devourer the envious Man and this malice and envy of his he shewes sometimes by tempting men to such sins as are quite contrary to the temperature of their bodies as he did Vespasian and Julian men of sweet and excellent natures to be most bloody murtherers and sometimes hee shews his malice by tempting men to such things as shall bring hiâ— no honour nor profit c. fall downe and worship mee to blasphemie and Atheisme c. the thoughts and first motions whereof cause the bea rt and the flesh to tremble And sometimes he shewes his malice by tempting them to those sins which they have not found their natures prone to and which they abhor in others c. Now if the soule resists these and complains of these and groanes and mourns under these and lookes up to the Lord Jesus to be delivered from these then shall they not be put down to the soules account but to Satans who shall be so much the more tormented by how much the more the Saints have beene by him maliciously tempted c. Make present and peremptory resistance against Satans temptations bid defiance to the temptation at first sight When Constantine the Emperour was told that there was no means to cure his leprosie but by bathing his body in the blood of Infants he presently answered malo jemper aegrotare quam tali remedio convalescere I had rather not be cured then use such a remedie 't is safe to resist 't is dangerous to dispute Eve lost her selfe and her posterity by falling into the lists of dispute when she should have resisted and stood upon terms of defiance with Satan he that would stand in the hour of temptation must plead with Christ 't is written he that would triumph over temptations must plead still 't is written Satan is bold and impudent and if you are not peremptory in your resistance he will give you fresh onsets 'T is your greatest honour and your highest wisdome peremptorily to with-stand the beginnings of a temptation for an after remedie comes often too late Mistris Katherine Bretterge once after a great conflict with Satan said Reason not with me I am but a weake woman if thou hast any thing to say say it to my Christ he is my Advocate my strength and my redeemer and he shall plead for me Men must not seek to resist Satans craft with craft sed per apertum martem but by open defiance he shoots with Satan in his own bow who thinks by disputing and reasoning to put him off As soon as a temptation shewes its face say to the temptation as Ephraim to his idols get you hence what have I any Hosea 14. more to doe with you oh say to the temptation as David said to the sonnes of Zerviah What have I to doe with you 2 Sam. 16. 10. you will be too hard for me He that doth thus resist temptations shall never be undone by temptation c. Make strong and constant resistance I have read of one who being tempted with offers of money to desert Christ gave this excellent answer let not any man think that he will embrace other mens goods to forsake Christ who hath forsaken his own proper goods to follow Christ against Satans temptations make resistance against temptations by arguments drawn from the honour of God the love of God your union and communion with God and from the blood of Christ the death of Christ the kindness of Christ the intercession of Christ and the glory of Christ and from the voice of the Spirit the counsell of the Spirit the comforts of the Spirit the presence of the Spirit the seale of the Spirit
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.
3 4 5. the Devil had malice enough to destroy him yet he had not so much as power to touch him till God gave him a Commission They could not so much as enter into Luke 8. 32. the swine without leave from Christ Satan would faine have combated with Peter but this could not he doe without leave Satan hath desired to have you Luke 22. 13. to winnow you So Satan could never have overthrown Ahab and Saul but by 1 Kings 22. a commission from God Ah! what a cordiall what a comfort should this be to the Saints that their greatest subtilest and watchfullest enemie cannot hurt nor harme them without leave from him who is their sweetest Saviour their dearest husband and their choysest friend And as Satan must have leave from Adversaria poâ—e 〈…〉 non habet vim câ—gendi sed persuadendi Isâ—doâ—e God so he must have leave of us when he tempts we must assent when hee makes offers we must hearken when he commands we must obey or else all his labour and temptations will be frustrate and the evill that he tempts us to shall be put down only to his account that 's a remarkable passage of the Apostle in Acts 5. 3. Why hath Satan Acts 5. 3. filled thy heart to lie to the holy Ghost c. He doth not expostulate the matter with Satan he doth not say Satan why They are the worâ—â— and grossest lyars who pretend Reâ—igion and the Spirit and yet are acted onley by carnall principles to carnal ends host thou filled Ananias heart to make him lie to the holy Ghost but he expostulates the case with Ananias Peter said Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Ghost Why hast thou given him an advantage to fill thy heart with infidelity hypocrisie and obstinate audacity to lie to the holy Ghost as If he had said Satan could never have done this in thee which will now for ever undoe thee unlesse thou hadst first given him leave If when a temptation comes a man cries out and saith ah Lord here is a temptation that would force me that would deflowr my soul and I have no strength to with-stand it oh help help for thy honours sake for thy Sonnes sake for thy promise sake 't is a signe that Satan hath not gained your consent but committed a rape upon your soules which he shall dearly pay for The fourth Proposition is this That no weapons but spirituall 4 Proposition weapons will be usefull and serviceable to the soule in fighting and combating with the Devill this the Apostle shewes VVherefore take unto you saith Ephes 6. 13. he the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the evill day and having done all to stand So the same Apostle tells you that the weapons of your warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to 2 Cor. 10. 4. the casting downe of strong bolds you have not to do with a weak but with a mighty We read of many that out of greatnesse of spirit could offer violence to nature but were at a loss when they come to deale with a corruption or a temptation enemy and therefore you had need look to it that your weapons are mighty and that they cannot be unlesse they are spirituall carnall weapons have no might nor spirit in them towards the making of a conquest upon Satan 'T was not Davids sling nor stone that gave him the honor advantage of setting his feet upon Goliah but his faith in the name of the Lord of Hosts Thou comest 1 Sam. 17. 45. to me with a sword with a speare and with a shield but I am come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel whom thou hast defied Hee that Heraclius his Motto was a Deo victoria it is God that gives victories and that should be every Christians Motto fights against Satan in the strength of his owne resolutions constitution or education will certainely flie and fall before him Satan will be too hard for such a soule and lead him captive at his pleasure The onely way to stand conquer and triumph is still to plead 't is written as Christ did There is no sword but the two-edged sword of the Mat. 4. 10. Spirit that will be found to be mettle of proofe when a soule comes to engage against Satan Therefore when you are tempted to uncleannesse plead 't is written Be ye holy as I am holy And 1 Pet. 15. 16â— 2 Cor. 5. 7. Chap. 1. lâ—t us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the â—eare of the Lord. If he temptsâ— you to distrust Gods providence and fatherly care of you plead 't is written They Psal 34. 9. that feare the Lord shall want nothing that is good 'T is written The Lord will give Psal 84. 11. grace and glory and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that purlely live If he tempt you to feare that you shall faint and fall and never be able to run to the end of the race that is set before Iob 17. 9. you plead 't is written The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger 'T is written I will make an everlasting covevenant with them that I will not turne away Ier. 32. 40. from them to doe them good but I wil put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me 'T is written They that wait upon the Lord they shall renew their Isa 40. 31. strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walke and not â—aint If Satan tempt you to think that because your sunne for the present is set in a cloud that therefore 't will rise no more and that the face of God will shine no more upon you that your best days are now at an end and that you must spend all your time in sorrow and fighing plead 't is written He will turn again he Mica 7. 19. will have compassion upon us and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea 'T is written For a small moment have I forsaken Isa 54. 7. thee but with great mercies will I gather Verse 8. thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer 'T is written The mountaines shall depart and the hills be Verse 10. removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercie on thee 'T is written Can a woman Isa 49. 15. forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget
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 quâ—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
hath set his love upon to eternity c. The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedie of Satan is to meddle with that which thou hast to doe secret things belongs to the Lord but revealed Deut. 29. 29. things belongs to thee thy worke sinner is to be peremptory in believing and in returning to the Lord thy worke is to cast thy selfe upon Christ lye at his feete to waite on him in his wayes and to give him no rest till he shall say Sinner I am thy portion I am thy salvation and nothing shall separate between thee and me FINIS A TABLE Shewing the principal things in this Treatise THE words opened and the Point proved from page 1. to page 7. In the next place is shewed the severall Devices that Satan hath to draw soules to sin Satans first Device to draw the soule to sin is to present the baite and hide the hooke c. foure Remedies against this Device from page 7. to page 14. His second Device to draw the soule to sin is by painting sin with vertues colours 4. Remedies against this Device from page 14. to p. 21. The third Device Satan hath to draw the soule to sinn is by extenuating and lessening of sin c. seven Remedies against this Device of Satan from page 21. to page 32. The fourth Device that Satan hath to draw the soule to sin is by prsenting to the soule the best mens sinns and by hiding from the soule their vertues c. foure Remedies against this Device of Satan from p. 32. to p. 40. The fifth Device that Satan hath to draw the soule to sin is by presenting God to the soul as one made up all of mercy c. five Remedies against this Device from pa. 40. to page 49. The sixth Device that Satan hath to draw the soule to sin is by perswading the soule that the work of Repentance is an easie worke c. six Remedies against this device from page 49. to 65. The seventh Device that Satan hath to draw the soul to sin is by making the soule bold to venture upon the occasions of sin c. four Remedies against this Device from p. 65. to page 73. The eighth Device that Satan hath to draw the soule to sin is by presenting to the soule the outward mercies that vaine men enjoy and the outward miseries that they are freed from whilst they have walked in the wayes of sin c. Eight Remedies against this Device from page 73. to page 87. The ninth Device that Satan hath to draw the soule to sin is by presenting to the soule the crosses the losses reproaches sorrowes and sufferings that daily attend those that walk in the wayes of holinesse c. seven Remedies against this Device from p. 87. to p. 103. The tenth Device that Satan hath to draw the soules of men to sin is by working them to be frequent in comparing themselves and their wayes with those that are reputed to be worse then themselves c. three Remedies against this Device from p. 103. to p. 107. The eleventh Device that Satan hath to draw the soule to sin is by polluting and defiling the soules and judgments of men with such dangerous errours that do in their proper tendency tend to carry the soules of men to all loosenesse and wickedness c. seven Remedies against this Device from p. 107. to p. 119. The 12. Device that Satan hath to draw the soule to sinne is to worke it to affect wicked company c. foure Remedies against this Device from p. 119. to p. 124. Secondly as Satan hath his severall devices to draw soules to sin so he hath his severall devices to keepe soules from holy duties to keep them off from religious services and they are these that follow The first Device that Satan hath to draw soules from holy duties and to keep them off from religious services is by presenting the world in such a dresse and in such a garbe to the soul as to ensnare the soul to win upon the affections of the soule he presents the world to them in its beauty and bravery which proves a bewitching sight to a world of men Eight Remedies against this Device from p. 124. to p. 141. The second Device that Satan hath to draw souls from the Ordinances or holy duties is by presenting to them the dangers the losses and the sufferings that doe attend the performance of such and such religious services five Remedies against this Device from p. 141. to p. 152. The third Device that Satan hath to dâ—â—w soules from holy duties and to keep them off from Religious services is by presenting to the soule the difficulty of performing them c. five Remedies against this device from p. 152. to p. 160. The fourth Device that Satan hath to draw the soule off from holy exercises from religious exercises is by working them to make false inferences from those blessed and glorious things that Christ hath done c. five Remedies against this Device from p. 160. to p. 169. The fifth Device that Satan hath to draw soules off from Religious services and to keepe soules off from holy and heavenly performances is by presenting to them the paucity and poverty of those that walke in the wayes of God c. six Romedies against this Device from p. 169. to p. 178. The sixth Device that Satan hath to keepe soules off from Religious servivices is by presenting before them the examples of the greatest part of the world that walke in the ways of their owne hearts and that make light and slight of the wayes of God c. three Remedies against this device from pa. 178. to pa. 182. The seventh Device that Satan hath to keepe soules from holy and heavenly services is by casting in a multitude of vaine thoughts whilst the soule is in waiting on God c. six Remedies against this device from p. 182. to p. 190. The eighth Device of Satan to keepe soules from holy and heavenly services is by working them to rest in their holy performances c. foure remedies against this device from p. 190. to p. 195. In the third place is shewed the severall Devices Satan hath to keep soules in a sad doubting and questioning condition and they are these that follow c. The first Device that Satan hath to keep soules in a sad doubting and questioning condition is by causing them to pore more and mind more their sins then their Saviour c. six Remedies against this device from p. 196. to p. 205. The second Device that Satan hath to keep soules in a sad doubting and questioning condition is by working them to make false definitions of their graces c. foure Remedies against this device from p. 205. to p. 211. The third Device that Satan hath to keep soules in a sad doubting and questioning condition is by working the soule to make false inferenrences from the crosse actings of Providence c.