he sits down and blushes as the Hebrew hath it as one ashamed yea true Repentance doth Quantum displicet Deo immunditia peccaâ—â— in tantum placet deo eruhiscentia poenitentis Ber. i. e. So much the more God hath been displeased with the blacknesse of sin the more will he be pleased with the blushing of the sinner They that do not burn now in zeale against sin must ere long burne in Hell for sin work a man to crosse his sinfull self and to walk contrary to sinfull selfe to take a holy revenge upon sin as you may see in Paul the Jaylor Mary Magdalen and Manasses this the Apostle shewes in that 2 Cor. 7. 10 11. For godly sorrow worketh repentance never to be repented of but the sorrow of the world worketh death for behold the selfesame thing that ye sorrowed after a Godly sort what carefullnesse it wrought in you yea what clearing of your selves yea what indignation yea what feare yea what vehement desire yea what zeale yea what revenge Now souls sum up all these things together and tell me whether it be such an easie thing to repent as Satan would make the soul to beleeve and I am confident your hearts will answer that 't is as hard a thing to repent as 't is to make a world or to raise the dead I shall conclude this second Remedy with a worthy saying of a precious holy man Repentance saith he strips us stark naked of all the garments of the old Adam and leaves not so much as the shirt behind in this rotten building it leaves not a stone upon a stone As the Flood drowned Noa'hs own friends and servants so must the flood of repenting tears drown our sweetest and most profitable sins The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that Repentance is a continued act the word Repent implies the continuation of it True Repentance inclines a mans Anselme in his Meditations confesseth that all his life was either damnable for sin committed or unprofitable for good omitted and at last concludes Quid restat o peccatâ—r nisi ut in tota vita tua deplores totam vitam tuam Oh what then remaines but in our whole life to lament the sins of our whole life heart to perform Gods Statutes always even unto the end a true Penitent must goe on from Faith to Faith from strength to strength he must never stand still nor turne back Repentance is a grace and must have its daily operation as well as other graces true Repentance is a continued spring where the waters of godly sorrow are alwayes flowing My sins are ever before me a true penitent is often casting his eyes back to the dayes of his former vanity and this makes him morning and evening to water his couch with his tears Remember not against me the sins of my youth saith one blessed Penitent and I was a blasphemer and a persecuter and injurious saith another Penitent Repentance is a continued act of turning a Repentance never to be repented of a turning never to turne again to folly a true penitent hath ever something within him to turn from he can never get near enough to God no not so near him as once he was and therefore he is still turning and turning that he may get nearer and nearer to him that is his chiefest good and his onely happinesse optimum 'T is truly said of God that he is omnia super omnia maximum the best and the greatest they are every day a crying out O wretched men that we are who shall deliver us from this body of death They are still sensible of sin and still conflicting with sin and still sorrowing for sin and still loathing of themselves for sin Repentance is no transient act but a continued act of the soul and tell me oh tempted soule whether it be such an easie thing as Satan would make thee believe to be every day a turning more and more from sin and a turning nearer and nearer to God thy choicest blessednesse A true Penitent can as easily content himselfe with one act of faith or one act of love as he can content himselfe with one act of Repentance A Jewish Rabbie pressing the practice of Repentance upon his Disciples exhorting them to be sure to Repent the day before they dyed one of them replyed that the day of any mans death was very uncertaine Repent therefore every day said the Rabbin and then you shall be sure to repent the day before you dye you are wise and know how to apply it to your own advantage The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that if the work of Repentance were such an easie work as Satan would If thou be backward in the thoughts of Repentance be forward in the thoughts of Hell the flames whereof onely the streams of the penitent eye can extinguish Tertul. make it to be then certainly so many would not lye roaring and crying out of wrath and eternall ruine under the horrours and terrours of conscience for not repenting yea doubtlesse so many millions would not goe to hell for not Repenting if 't were such an easie thing to repent Ah! doe not poor souls under horrours of conscience cry out and say were all this world a lump of gold and in our hand to dispose of we would give it for the least dram of true Repentance and wilt thou say it is an easie thing to repent When a poor sinner whose Conscience is awakened shall judge the exchange of all the world for the least dram of Repentance to be the happiest exchange that ever sinner made tell me oh soul is it Oh how shalt thou â—ear and rend thy self how shalt thou lament fruitlesse repenting what wilt thou say woe is me that I have not cast off the burden of sin woe is me that I have not washed away my spots but aâ— now pierced with mine iniquities now have I lost the surpassing joy of Angels Basil good going to hell is it good dwelling with the devouring fire with everlasting burnings Is it good to be for ever seperated from the blessed and glorious presence of God Angels and Saints And to be for ever shut out from those good things of eternall life which are so many that they exceed number so great that they exceed measure so precious that they exceed all estimation we know 't is the greatest misery that can befall the sons of men and would they not prevent this by Repentance if it were such an easie thing to repent as Satan would make it well then doe not run the hazard of loosing God Christ Heaven and thy soul for ever by hearkening to this Device of Satan viz. That it is an easie thing to Repent c. If it be so easie why then doe wicked mens hearts so rise against them that presse the Doctrine of repentance in the sweetest way
c. But above all pray for me that I may more and more finde the power and sweet of those things upon my owne heart that I give out to you and others and that my soule be so visited with strength from on high that I may live up fully and constantly to those truths that I hold forth to the world and that I may be both in Life and Doctrine a burning and a shining light That so when the Lord Jesus shall appear I may receive a crown of glory which he shall give to me in that day and not onely to me but to all that love his appearing c. For a close remember this that your life is short your duties many your assistance great and your reward sure therefore faint not hold on and hold up in wayes of well doing and Heaven shall make amends for all I shall now take leave of you when my heart hath by my hand subscribed that I am Your loving Pastor under Christ according to all Pastor all affections and engagements in our dearest Lord. THOMAS BROOKS A WORD TO THE READER Deare Friend SOLOMON bids us buy the Pro. 23. 23 Truth but doth not tell us what it must cost because we must get it though it be never so deare wee must love it both Multi amaÌ„â— veritatem lucentem o derunt redarguentem shining and scorching every parcell of Truth is precious as the filings of gold wee must either live with it or dye for it As Ruth said to Naomi Whither thou goest I will goe and Ruth 1. 16 17. where thou lodgest I will lodge and nothing but death shall part thee and mee So must gracious spirits say where Truth goes I will goe and where Truth lodges I will Si veritas est causa discordiae mori possum tacere con possum Jâ—rome lodge and nothing but death shall part me and Truth A man may lawfully sell his House Lands and Jewells but Truth is a Jewell that exceeds all price and must not be sould 'T is our Heritage Thy Testimonies have I taken Psal 119. 11â— as an Heritage for ever 't is a Legacie that our fore-fathers have hought with their bloods which should make us willing to lay downe any thing and to lay out any thing that wee may with the wise Merchant in the Gospel purchase this precious Pearle Mâ—t. 5. 18. Veritâ—s vinâ—it Truth at last triumphs which is more worth then Heaven and Earth and which will make a man live happily die comfortably and reign eternally And now if thou pleasest reade the Worke and receive this councell from mee First Thou must know that every man cannot be excellent that yet may be usefull An iron key may unlocke the doore of a golden treasure yea ferrum potest quod aurum non potest Iron can doe some things that gold cannot c. Secondly Remember 't is not hasty reading but serious meditating upon 'T is a Law among the Persees in India to use premeditation in what they are to doe that if it be bad to reject it if good to act it holy and heavenly truths that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soule 'T is not the Bees touching of the Flower that gathers Honey but her abiding for a time upon the Flower that drawes out the sweet 'T is not he that reads most but he that meditates most that will prove the choicest sweetest wisest and strongest Christian c. Thirdly Know that 't is not the knowing nor the talking nor the reading man but the doing man that at last will be found the happiest man If you know these things blessed John 15. 14. Mat. 7. 21. and happie are you if you doe them Not every one that saith Lord Lord shall enter into the 'T was a good saying of Justin Martyr Non in verbis sed in factis res nostrae religioniâ— consistunt Kingdome of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father that is in Heaven Judas called Christ Lord Lord and yet betrayed him and is gone to his place ah How many Judasses have we in these dayes that kisse Christ and yet betray Christ That in their words professe him but in their workes deny him that bow The Heathen Philosopher Seneca liked not such that are semper victuri alwayes about to live better but never begin God loves saith Luther curristâ—â— not quâ—ristas the â—unner not the questioner Pacunius hath an elegant saying I hate saith he the men that are idle in deed and philosophicall in word c. their knee to him and yet in their hearts despise him that call him Jesus and yet will not obey him for their Lord. Reader If it be not strong upon thy heart to practise what thou readest to what end doest thou read to encrease thy owne condemnation If thy light and knowledge be not turn'd into practise the more knowing man thou art the more miserable man thou wilt be in the day of recompence thy light and knowledge will more torment thee then all the Devills in hell Thy knowledge will be that rod that will eternally lash thee and that Scorpion that will for ever bite thee and that worme that will everlastingly gnaw thee therefore reade and labour to know that thou mayest doe or else thou art undone for ever When Demosthenes was asked what was the first part of an Orator what the second what the third he answered action the same may I say if any should aske me what is the first the second the third part of a Christian I must answer action as that man that reades that he may know and that labours to know that he may doe will have two Heavens a Heaven of Joy Peace and Comfort on earth and a Heaven of glory and happinesse after death Fourthly and lastly if in thy reading thou wilt cast a serious eye upon the Margent thou wilt finde many sweet and precious Notes that will oftentimes give light to the things thou readest and pay thee for thy paines with much comfort and profit So desiring that thou mayest finde as much sweetnesse and advantage in reading this Treatise as I have found by the overshadowings of Heaven in the studying and writing of it I commend thee to God and to the word of his grace which is able to Acts 20. 32. build thee up and to give thee an inheritance among them which are sanctified And rest Reader Thy soules Servant in every office of the Gospel THOMAS BROOKS PRECIOUS REMEDIES AGAINST SATANS Devices 2 CORINTH 2. 11. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us for we are not ignorant of his Devices IN the fifth Verse the Apostle shews that the incestuous person had by his incest sadded those precious souls that God would not have sadded soules that walk sinfully are Hazaels to the godly and draw many sighes and tears from them Jeremy weepes in secret for Judah's sins and Paul cannot speak of those
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
subdued and destroyed After Julius Caesar was murdered Antonius brought forth his coat all bloody and cut and laid it before the people saying look here you have your Emperours coat thus bloody and torne whereupon the people were presently in an uproar and cryed out to slay those murderers and they tooke their tables and stooles that were in the place and set them on fire and ran to the houses of them that had slam Caesar and burnt them so when we consider that sin hath slaine our Lord Jesus ah how should it provoke our hearts to be revenged on sin that hath murdered the Lord of Glory and Nolo vivere sine vulnere cum te video vulneratum Oh my God! as long as I see thy wounds I will never live without wound saith Bonaventure hath done that mischief that all the Devills in Hell could never have done 'T was good counsell one gave never let goe out of your mindes the thoughts of a crucified Christ let these be meat and drinke unto you let them be your sweetnesse and consolation your honey and your desire your reading and your meditation your life death and resurrection The third device that Satan hath to 3. Device draw the soul to sin is by extenuating and lessening of sin ah saith Satan 't is but a little pride a little worldlinesse a little uncleanness a little drunkennesse c. As Lot said of Zoar Gen. 19. 20. it is but a little one and my soule shall live ahlas saith Satan 't is but a very little sin that you stick so at you may commit it without any danger to your soule 't is but a little one you may commit it and yet your soul shall live Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these FIrst solemnly consider that those 1. Remedy sins which we are apt to account small hath brought upon men the greatest wrath of God as the eating of an Apple gathering a few sticks on the Sabbaoth day and touching of the Ark oh the dreadfull wrath that these sinnes brought down upon the Draco the Rigid Law-giver being asked why when sins were not equall he appointed death to all Answered he knew that sins were not all equall but he knew the least deserved death So though the sins of men he not all equall yet the least of them deserves eternall death heads and hearts of men the least sin is contrary to the Law of God the nature of God the being of God and the glory of God and therefore t is often punished severely by God and doe not we see daily the vengeance of the Almighty falling upon the bodies names estates Families and soules of men for those sins that are but little ones in their eyes Surely if we are not utterly left of God and blinded by Satan we cannot but see it Oh! therefore when Satan saies t is but a little one doe thou say oh but those sins that thou callest little are such that will cause God to raine Hell out of Heaven upon sinners as he did upon the Sodomites The second Remedy against this device 2. Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that the giving way to a lesse sin makes way for the committing of a greater he that to avoide a greater sin will yeild to a lesser ten thousand to one but God in Justice will leave that soule to fall into a greater if we commit one sin to avoid another 't is just we should avoid neither we having not law nor power in our own hands to keep off sin as we pleas and we by yeilding to the Psal 137. ver 9. Happy shall he be that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones Hugho's Glosse is pious c. Sit nihil in te Babylonicum Let there be nothing in thee of Babylon noâ— onely the grown men but the little ones must be dashed against the stones not onely great sins but little sins must be killed or they will kill the soul for ever lesser doe tempt the tempter to tempt us to the greater Sin is of an incroaching nature it creeps on the soule by degrees step by step till it hath the soule to the very height of sin David gives way to his wandring eye and this led him to those foule sins that caused God to breake his bones and to turne his day into night and to leave his soule in great darknesse Jocab and Peter and other Saints have found this true by wofull experience that the yeelding to a lesser sin hath been the ushering in of a greater the little thief will open the doore and make way for the greater and the little wedge knock't in will make way for the greater Satan will first draw thee to sit with the drunkard and then to sip with the drunkard and then at last to be drunke with the drunkard he will first draw thee to be unclean in thy thoughts and then to be unclean in thy looks and then to be unclean in thy words and at last to be unclean in thy practises he will fiâ—st draw thee to looke on the golden wedge and then to like the golden wedge and then to handle the golden wedge and then at last by wicked wayes to gaine the golden wedge though thou runnest the hazard of loosing God and thy soul An Italian having found his enemy at an advantage promised him if he would deny his faith he would save his life he to save his life denyed his faith which having done he stab'd him rejoycing that by this he had at one time taken revenge both on soule and body for ever as you may see in Gehazi Achan and Judas and many in these our dayes Sinne is never at a stand Psal 1. v. 1. First ungodly then sinners then scorners here they goe on from sin to sin till they come to the top of sin viz. to sit in the seat of scorners or as ris in the Septuagint 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to affect the honour of the chair of Pestilence Austin writing upon John tells a story of a certaine man that was of an opinion that the Devill did make the flye and not God saith one to him if the Devill made flies then the Devill made wormes and God did not make them for they are living creatures as well as flies true said he the Devil did make wormes but said the other if the Devil did make wormes then he made birds beasts and man he granted all thus saith Austin by denying God in the fly he came to deny God in man and to deny the whole Creation by all this we see that the yeelding to lesser sins drawes the soul to the committing of greater Ah! how many in these dayes have fallen first to have low thoughts of Scripture and Ordinances and then to slight Scripture and Ordinances and then to make a nose of wax of Scripture and Ordinances and then to cast off Scripture and Ordinances and then at
that he rises by repentance Behold I am vile saith he what shall I answer thee Job 40. 4 5. ch 42. 5 6. I will lay my hand upon my mouth once have I spoken but I will not answer yea twice but I will proceed no further I have heard of thee by the hearing of the â—are but now mine eye seeth thee Wherefore I abhor my Tertullian saith that he was Nalli rei natus nisi penitentiae borne for no other purpose but to repent selfe and repent in dust and ashes Peter fals dreadfully but rises by repentance sweetly a look of love from Christ melts him into tears he knew that repentance was the key to the Kingdome of Grace As once his Faith was so great that he leapt as it were into a sea of waters to come to Christ so now his repentance was so great that he leapt as it were into a sea of tears for Luther confesses that before his conversion he met not with a more displeasing word in allhis study of Divinity then Repent but afterward he took delight in the work poenitens de peccaio dolet de dolore gâ—udet to sorrow for his sin and then to rejoyce in his sorrow that he had gone from Christ Some say that after his sad fall he was ever and anon weeping and that his face was even furrowed with continual tears he had no sooner took in poyson but he vomited it up again ere it got to the vitals he had no sooner handled this Serpent but he turned it into a rod to scourge his soule with remorse for sining against such clear light and strong love and sweet discoveries of the heart of Christ to him Clement notes that Peter so repented that all his life after every night when he heard the Cock crow he would fall upon his knees and weeping bitterly would beg pardon of this sin Ah soules you can easily sin as the Saints but can you repent with the Saints Many can sin with David and Peter that cannot repent with David and Peter and so must perish for ever Theodosius the Emperour pressing that he might receive the Lords Supper excuses Theodorit hist l. 4. c. 17. his own foul fact by Davids doing the like to which Ambrose replies Thou hast followed David transgressing follow David repenting and then think thou of the Table of the Lord. The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that these Saints did not make a trade of sin they fell once or twice and rose by Repentance that they might The Saints cannot sin voluntate plenâ sed semiplena with a whole will but as it were with an halfe will an unwilling willingnes not with a full consent but with a dissenting consent keep the closer to Christ for ever they fell accidentally occasionally and with much reluctancy and thou sinnest presumptuously obstinately readily delightfully and customarily thou hast by thy making a trade of sin contracted upon thy soul a kind of cursed necessity of sinning that thou canst as well cease to be or cease to live as thou canst cease to sin sin is by custome become as another nature to thee which thou canst not which thou wilt not lay aside though thou knowest that if thou dost not lay sin aside God will lay thy soul aside for ever though thou knowest that if sin and thy soul doe not part Christ and thy soul can never meet if thou wilt make a trade of sin and cry out did not David sin thus and Noah 2 Pet. 2. 14. Pro. 4 14. 16. Though sin doe habitare dwell in the regenerate as Austin notes yet it doth not regnare reign over the regenerate they rise by repentance sin thus and Peter sin thus c. No their hearts turn'd aside to folly one day but thy heart turns aside to folly every day and when they were fallen they rise by repentance and by the actings of Faith upon a crucified Christ but thou fallest and hast no strength nor will to rise but wallowest in sin and wilt eternally dye in thy sins unlesse the Lord be the more mercifull to thy soul Dost thou think oh soule this is good reasoning Such a one tasted poyson but once and yet narrowly escapt but I doe daily drink poyson yet I shall escape yet such is the mad reasoning of vaine soules David and Peter c. sinned once foully and fearfully they tasted poyson but once and were sick to death but I tast it daily and yet shall not tast of eternall death Remember oh souls that the day is at hand when self-flatterers will be found self-deceivers yea self-murtherers The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that though God doth not nor never will disinherit his people for their sins yet he hath severely punished his people for their sins David sins and God breaks his bones for his sin Make me to Psalm 51. 8. Josephus reports that not long after the Jews had crucified Christ on the crosse so many of them were condemned to be crucified that there were not places enough for crosses nor crosses enough for the bodies that were to be hung thereon hear joy and gladnesse that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce And because thou host doâ—e this the Sword shall not depart from thy house to the day of thy death Though God will not utterly take from them his loving kindnesse nor suffer his faithfullnesse to faile nor breake his Covenant nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth yet will he visit their transgressions with a rod and their iniquity with stripes Psal 89. 30. 35. The Scripture abounds with instances of this kind this is so known a truth among all that know any thing of truth that to cite more Scriptures to prove it would be to light a Candle to see the Sun at noon The Jewes have a Proverb that There is no punishment comes upon Israel in which there is not one ounce of the Golden Calfe Meaning that that was so great a sin as that in every plague God remembred it that had an influence into every trouble that befell them Every mans heart may say to him in his sufferings as the heart of Apollodorus 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 in the kettle I have been the cause of this God is most angry when he shewes no anger God keep me from this mercy this kind of mercy is worse then Qui non est crucianus non est christianus saith Luther there is not a Christian that carries not his crosse all other misery One writing to a sick friend hath this expression I account it a part of unhappinesse not to know adversity I judge you to be miserable because you have not been miserable 'T is mercy that our affliction is not an execution but a correction he that hath deserved hanging may be glad if he scape with a
and companions with thee hast thou not often purposed promised vowed and resolved to enter upon the Repentanceis a work that must be timely done or men are utterly undone for ever Aut poenitendum aut pereundum practice of repentance but to this day couldest never attain it Surely 't is in vain to strive against the streame where it is so impossible to overcome thou art lost and cast for ever to hell thou must to hell thou shalt ah souls he that now tempts you to sin by suggesting to you the easinesse of repentance will at last to work you to despaire present repentance as the hardest work in all the world and a work as far above man as Heaven is above Hell as light is above darknesse Oh! that you were wise to break off your sins by timely repentance Now the seventh Device that Satan 7 Device hath to draw the soul to sin is by making the soul bold to venture upon the occasions of sin Saith Satan you may walk by the Harlots door though you won't goe into the Harlots bed you may sit and sip with the drunkard tho you won't be drunk with the drunkard you may look upon Jezabels beauty and you may play and toy with Daliloh though you doe not commit wickednesse with the one or the other you may with Achan handle the golden wedge though you doe not steale the golden wedge c. Now the Remedies against this Device are these that follow THe first Remedy is solemnly to 1 Remedy dwell upon those Scriptures that doe expressly command us to avoid the occasions of sin and the least appearance of evill 1 Thess 5. 22. Abstaine from all Epiphanius saith that in the old Law when any dead body was carried by any house they were injoyn'd to shut their doors and windows appearance of evill whatsoever is heterodox unsound and unsavory shun it as you would doe a Serpent in your way or poyson in your meats Theodosius tare the Arrians Arguments presented to him in writing because he found them repugnant to the Scriptures and Augustine retracted even Ironies onely because they had the appearance of lying When God had commanded the Jewes to abstain from Swines flesh they would not so much as name it but in their common talk would call a Sow another thing To abstain from all appearance of evill is to doe nothing wherein sin appears or which hath a shadow of sin Bernard glosseth finely Quicquid est male celoratū Whatever is of an ill shew or of ill report that he may neither wound conscience nor credit we must shun and be shie of the very shew and shadow of sinne if either we tender our credit abroad or our comfort at home It was good counsell that Livia gave her Husband Socrates speaketh of two young men that flung away their belts when being in an Idols Temple the lustrating water fell upon them detesting saith the Historian the garment sported by the flesh Augustus it behoveth thee not onely not to doe wrong but not to seeeme to doe so c. So Jude 23. v. And others save with fear pulling them out of the fire hating even the garment spotted by the flesh 'T is a phrase taken from legall uncleanesse which was contracted by touching the houses the vessells the garments of uncleane persons Under the Law men might not touch a menstrous cloath nor God would not accept of a spotted peace-offering So we must not onely hate and avoid grosse sins but every thing that may carry a savor or susprition of sin we must abhor the very signes and tokens of sin so in Proverbs 5. ver 8. Remove thy way far from her and come not nigh the doore of her house He that would not be burnt must dread the fire Hee that would not heare the bell must not meddle with the rope To venture upon the occasion of sin and then to pray lead us not into One said as oft as I have been among vaine men I returned home lesse a man then I was before temptation is all one as to thrust thy finger into the fire and then to pray that it might not be burnt So in the 4. Prov. 14. 15. you have another command Enter not in the path of the wicked and goe not in the way of evell men avoid it and passe not by it turne from it and passe away This triple gradation of Solomon sheweth with a great Emphasie how necessary it is for men to flee from all appearance of sin as the Sea-man shuns sands and shelves and as men shun those that have the plague-sores running upon them as weeds doe endanger the corne as bad humor◠doe endanger the bloud or as an infected house doth indanger the neighbourhood so doth the company of the bad endanger those that are good intirenesse with wicked conforts is one of the strongest chaines of hell and bindes us to a participation both of sin and punishment The second Remedie against this device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that ordinarily there is no conquest over sin without the soule turnes from the occasion of sin 't is impossible for that man to get the conquest of sin that playes and sports with the occasions of sin God will not remove the tentation except The Fable saith that the Butterflie asked the Owle how he should deale with the fire which had singed her wings who counsel'd her not to behold so much as its smoak we turne from the occasion It is a just and righteous thing with God that he should fall into the pit that will adventure to dance upon the brink of the pit and that he should be a slave to sin that will not flee from the occasions of sin As long as there is fuell in our hearts for a temptation we cannot be secure he that hath gun-powder about him had need keep far enough off from sparkles to rush upon the occasions of sin is both to tempt our selves and to tempt Satan to tempt our souls 't is very rare that any soule playes with occasions of sin but that soul is insnar'd by sin 't is seldome that God keeps that soul from the acts of sin that will not keep off from the occasions of sin he that adventures upon the occasions of sin is as he that would quench the fire with Oyle which is a fuell to maintaine it and increase it Ah souls often remember how frequently you have been overcome by sin when you have boldly gon upon the occasions of sin look back souls to the days of your vanity wherein you have been as easily conquered as tempted vanquished as assaulted when you have played with the occasions of sin and therefore as you would for the future be kept from the acting of sin and be made victorious over sin oh flee from the occasions of sin The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider
that he might be cast down would be set higher then others when 't is but in order to his being brought downe lower then others There is not a wicked man in the world that is set up with Lucifer as high as Heaven but shall with Lucifer be brought down as low as Hell Canst thou think seriously of this oh soul and not say O Lord I humbly crave that thou wilt let me be little in this world that I may be great in another world and low here that I may be high for ever hereafter Let me be low and feed low and live low so I may live with thee for ever let me now be cloathed with rags so thou wilt cloath me at last with thy Robes let me now be set upon a dunghill so I may at last be advanc'd to sit with theâ— upon thy Throne Lord make me rather gracious then great inwardly holy then outwardly happy and rather turn me into my first nothing yea make me worse then nothing rather then set me up for a time that thou mayest bring me low for ever The seventh Remedy against this Device 7 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that God doth often most plague and punish those whom others think he doth most spare and love that is God do's plague and punish them most with spirituall judgements which are the greatest the sorest and the heaviest whom he least punishes with temporall punishments there are no men on earth Psal 81. 12. Psal 78. 26 27 28 29 30 31. Psal 106. 15. He gave them their request but sent leannesse into their soule 'T is a heavy plague to have a fat body and a lean soul a house full of gold and a heart full of sin so internally plagued as those that meet with least externall plagues Oh! the blindnesse of mind the hardnesse of heart the searednesse of Conscience that those souls are given up to who in the eye of the world are reputed the most happy men because they are not outwardly afflicted and plagued as other men Ah souls 't were better that all the temporall plagues that ever befell the children of men since the fall of Adam should at once meet upon your souls then that you should be given up to the least spirituall plague to the least measure of spirituall blindnesse or spirituall hardnesse of heart c. nothing will better that man nor move that man that is given up to spirituall judgements let God smile or frowne stroke or strike cut or kill he minds it 'T is better to have a sore then a seared conscience 'T is better to have no heart then a hard heart no mind then a blind mind not he regards it not let life or death heaven or hell be set before him it stirs him not he is made up on his sin and God is fully set to doe Justice upon his soule this mans preservation is but a reservation unto a greater condemnation This man can set no bounds to himselfe he is become a brat of fathomlesse perdition He hath guilt in his bosome and vengeance at his back where-ever he goes neither ministry nor misery neither miracle nor mercy can mollifie his heart and if this soul be not in hell on this side hell who is who is 8 Remedy The eigth Remedy against this Device of Satan is to dwell more upon that strict account that vain men must make for all that good that they doe injoy In this day men shall give an account De bonis commissis de bonis dimissis de malis commissis de malis permissis of good things committed unto them of good things neglected by them of evils committed by them and of evills suffered by them then upon the outward good they doe injoy Ah! did men dwell more upon that account that they must ere long give for all the mercies that they have injoyed and for all the favours that they have abused and for all the sins they have committed would make their hearts to tremble and their lips to quiver rottennesse to enter into their bones it would cause their soules to cry out and say oh that our mercies had been fewer and lesser that our account might have been easier and our torment and misery for our abuse of so great mercy not greater then we are able to bear O cursed be the day wherein the Crown of honour was set upon our heads and the treasures of this world were cast into our laps O cursed be the day wherein the sun of prosperity shin'd so strong upon us and this flattering world smil'd so much upon us as to occasion us to forget God to slight Jesus Christ to neglect our souls and to put far from us the day of our account Philip the third of Spaine whose life was free from grosse evills professed that he would rather loose all his Kingdome then offend God willingly yet being in the Agony of death and considering more throughly of his In die judicii plus valebit conscientia pura quam marsupia plena Bernard Then shall a good conscience be more worth then all the worlds good account he was to give to God feare struck into him and these words brake from him Oh! would to God I had never reigned oh that those years I have spent in my Kingdome I had lived a life in the wildernesse oh that I had lived a solitary life with God! how much more securely should I now have dyed how much more confidently should I have gone to the Throne of God What doth all my glory profit me but that I have so much the more torment in my death God keeps an exact account of every penny that 's laid out upon him and his and that is laid out against him and his and this in the day of account men shall know and feel though now they wink and Hierome still thought that that voyce was in his ears Surgite mortui venite ad judicium Arise you dead and come to judgement As oft as I think on that day how doth my whole body quake and my heart within me tremble will not understand The sleeping of vengeance causeth the overflowing of sin and the overflow of sin causeth the awaking of vengeance abused mercy will certainly turn into fury Gods forbearance is no quittance the day is at hand when he will pay wicked men for the abuse of new and old mercies if he seem to be slow yet he is sure he hath leaden heels but iron hands the farther he fetcheth his blow or draweth his arrow the deeper he will wound in the day of vengeance Mens actions are all in print in heaven and God will in the day of account read them aloud in the ears of all the world that they may all say amen to that righteous sentence that he shall passe upon all the despisers and abusers of mercy The ninth Device that Satan hath to 9 Device draw the soule to sin
is seriously to consider that the longer you keepe off from Christ the greater and stronger your sinnes wil grow All divine power and strength against sin flowes from the souls union Rom. 8. 10. 1 Iohn 1. 6 7. and communion with Christ while you keepe off from Christ you keep off from that strength and power which is only able to make you trample downe strength lead captivity captive and slay the Goliah's that bids defiance to Christ 'T is only faith in Christ that makes a 1 Iohn 5. 4. man triumph over sin Satan Hell and the world 'T is onely faith in Christ Mar. 5. 25-35 that binds the strong man hand and foot that stops the issue of blood that makes a man strong in resisting and happy in conquering Sin always dies most where faith lives most the most believing soule is the most mortifyed soule Ah sinner remember this there is no way on earth effectually to be rid of the guilt filth and power of sinne but by believing in a Saviour 'T is not resolving 't is not complaining 't is not mourning but believing that will make thee divinely victorious over that bodie of sinne that to this day is too strong for thee and that will certainly be thy ruine if it be not ruin'd by a hand of faith The seventh Remedie against this Device 7 Remedie of Satans is wisely to consider that as there is nothing in Christ to discourage the greatest sinners from believing in him so there is every thing in Christ that may encourage the greatest sinners to believe in him to rest and leane upon him for all happinesse and blessednesse If you look upon his nature his disposition his names his titles his offices as King Priest and Cant. 1. 3. Prophet you shall finde nothing to discourage the greatest sinners to receive Coloss 1. 19. Chap. 2. 3. Cant. 5. 10. him to believe on him Christ is the greatest good the choisest good the chiefest good the most sutable good the most necessary good he is a pure good a reall good a totall good an eternall good and a soul-satisfying good Sinners are you poor Christ Rev. 3. 17 18. hath gold to enrich you are you naked Christ hath royall robes hee hath white rayment to cloath you are you blind Christ hath eye-salve to enlighten you are you hungry Christ will be Manna to feed you are you thirsty Iohn 6. 48. Iohn 7. 38. he will be a Well of living water to refresh you are you wounded hee hath balm under his wings to heale you are Mal. 4. 2. Mat. 4. 23. Mat. 20. 28. you sick he is a Physitian to cure you are you prisoners he hath laid downe a ran some for you Ah sinners tell me tell me is there any thing in Christ to keep you off from believing No is there not every thing in Christ that may incourage you to believe in him Yes O then believe in him and then though your sinnes be as searlet they be as Isa 1. 18. white as snow though they be red like crimson they shall be as wool Nay then your iniquities shall be forgotten as well as Isa 43. 25. Isa 38. 17. Micha 1. 19. forgiven they shall be remembred no more God will cast them behinde his back he will hurle them into the bottome of the Sea The 8. and last Remedie against this 8 Remedie Device of Satan is seriously to consider the absolute necessity of beleeving in Christ Heaven is too holy and too hot to hold unbelievers their lodging is prepared in hell Revel 21. 8. But Revel 21. 8. the fear full and unbelieving c. shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire brimstone which is the second death If ye believe not that I am he saith Christ Iohn 8. 24. you shall die in your sins And he that dyes in his sins must to judgment and to hell in his sins Every unbeliever is a condemned man He that beleeveth not saith John is condemned already because Iohn 3. 18. he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten sonne of God And hee that Vers 36. beleeveth not the Son shall not see life but the wrath of God abideth on him Ah sinners the Law the Gospel and your owne Consciences has pass'd the sentence of condemnation upon you and there is no way to reverse the sentence but by believing in Christ and therefore my counsell is this Stir up your Isa 64. 7. selves to lay hold on the Lord Jesus and look up to him and wait on him from whom every good and perfect James 1. 17. Isa 62. 7. gift comes and give him no rest till he hath given thee that Jewell Faith that is more worth then Heaven and Earth and that will make thee happy in life joyfull in death and glorious in the day of Christ And thus much for the Remedies against this first Device of Satans whereby he keeps off thousands from believing in Christ The second Device that Satan hath to keepe poor sinners from believing from closing with a Saviour is BY suggesting to them their unworthinesse 2 Device Ah saith Satan as thou art worthy of the greatest misery so thou art unworthy of the least crum of mercy what dost thou thinke saith Satan that ever Christ will owne receive or embrace such an unworthy wretch as thou art no no if there were any worthinesse in thee then indeed Christ might be willing to be entertained by thee thou art unworthy to entertain Christ into thy house how much more unworthy art thou to entertaine Christ into thy heart c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this Device 1 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that God hath no where in the Scripture required any worthinesse in the creature before believing in Christ If you make a diligent search through all the Scripture you shall not find from Iohn 5. 29. the first line in Genesis to the last line in the Revelation one word that speaks Mat. 19. 8. out Gods requiring any worthinesse in the creature before the soules believing in Christ before the souls leaning and resting upon Christ for happinesse and blessednesse and why then should that be a bar and hinderance to thy faith which God doth no where require of thee before thou comest to Christ that thou maist have life Ah sinners remember Satan objects your unworthinesse against you only out of a Designe to keep Christ and your soules asunder for ever and therefore in the face of all your unworthiness rest upon Christ come to Christ believe in Iohn 6. 40. 47. Christ and you are happy for ever The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedie of Satans is wisely to consider that none never received Christ embraced Christ obtained mercy and pardon from Christ but unworthy soules Pray what worthinesse was in Matthew Zacheus Mary Magdalen Manasseh Paul and Sydia before their coming to Christ before their faith
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.
PRECIOUS REMEDIES AGAINST SATANS Devices OR Salve for Believers and Vnbelievers Sores Being a Companion for those that are in Christ or out of Christ That are high or low learned or illiterate staggering or wandering That slight or neglect Ordinances under a pretence of living above them That are growing in spiritualls or decaying That are Tempted or Deserted afflicted or Opposed That have Assurance or that want Assurance That are Self-seekers or the Common-wealths Caterpillars That are in love sweetly united or that yet have their spirits too much imbittered c. By THOMAS BROOKES a willing Servant unto God and the faith of his people in the glorious Gospel of Christ at Margarets Fish-street hill The Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged Put on the whole Armour of God that yee may be able to stand against the Wiles of the Devil Ephes 6. 11. But unto you I say and unto the rest in Thyatira as many as have not this Doctrine and which have not knowne the Depths of Satan as they spake I will put upon you no other burthen but that which you have already hold fast till I come Rev. 2. 24 25. LONDON Printed by M. Simmons for John Hancock at the first shop in Popes-head Alley next to Corn-hill 1653. THE EPISTLE Dedicatorie TO HIS Most Dear and Precious Ones The Sons and Daughters of the most High God over whom the holy Ghost hath made him a Watchman Beloved in our dearest Lord CHrist the Scripture your owne hearts and Satans Devices are the foure prime things that should be first and most studied searched if any cast off the study of these they cannot be safe here nor happie If a Minister had as many eyes as Argus to watch as many heads as Typheus to dispose and as many hands as Briareus to labour he might finde imployment enough for them all hereafter 'T is my worke as a Christian but much more as I am a watchman to doe my best to discover the fulnesse of Christ the emptinesse of the creature and the snares of the great Deceiver which I have endeavoured to doe in the following discourse according to that measure of grace which I have received from the Lord. God once accepted a handfull of meale for a sacrifice and a gripe of Goats haire for an oblation and I know that you have not so learned the Father as to despise the day of small things Beloved Satan being fallen from light to darknesse from felicity to misery from Heaven to hell from an Angell to a Devill is so full of malice and envy that he will leave no meanes unattempted whereby he may make all others eternaly miserable with himselfe he being shut out of Heaven and shut up under chaines of darknesse till the judgement of the great day makes use of all his power and skill to bring all the sons of men into the same condition and condemnation with himselfe Satan hath cast such sinfull seed into our soules that now he can no sooner tempt but we are ready to assent he can no sooner have a plot upon us but he makes a conquest of us if he doth but shew men a little of the beauty and bravery of the world how ready are they to fall down and worship him What ever sin the heart of man is most prone to that the Devill will help forward If David be proud of 2 Sam. 24. his people Satan wil provoke him to number them that he may be yet prouder If Peter be slavishly Matth. 16. ver 22. 26. ch 69. ult fearfull Satan will put him upon rebuking and denying of Christ to save his owne skin If Ahabs 1 Kings 22. Prophets be given to flatter the Devill will strait way become a lying spirit in the mouthes of foure hundred of them and they shall flatter Ahab to his ruine If Judas will John 13. 2. be a Traitor Satan will quickly enter into his heart and make him sell his Master for money which some Heathens would never have done If Ananias will lye Acts 5. 3. for advantage Satan wil fill his heart that he may lye with a witness to the Holy Ghost Satan loves to saile with the winde and to suite mens temptations to their conditions and inclinations if they be in prosperity he will tempt them to deny God if they be in adversity he will tempt them to distrust Prov. 30. v. 9. God if their knowledge be weak he will tempt them to have low thoughts of God if their conscience be tender he will tempt to scrupulosity if large to carnall security if we be bold-spirited he will tempt to presumption if timerous to desperation if flexible to inconstancie if stiffe to impenitency c. From the power malice and skill of Satan doth proceed all the soule killing plots devices stratagems and machinations that be in the world Severall devices he hath to draw soules to sin and severall plots he hath to keepe soules from all holy and heavenly services and severall stratagems he hath to keep soules in a mourning staggering doubting and questioning condition He hath severall devices to destroy the great and honourable the wise and learned the blinde and ignorant the rich and the poore the reall and the nominall Saints c. One while he will refraine from tempting that we may think our selves secure and neglect our watch another while he will seeme to flie that he may make us proud of the victory one while hee will fix mens eyes more on others sins then their own that he may puffe them another while he will fix their eyes more on others graces then their own that he may overwhelme them c. A man may as well tell the stars and number the sands of the sea as reckon up all the devices of Satan yet those which are most considerable and by which he doth most mischiefe to the precious soules of men are in the following Treatise discovered and the Remedies against them prescribed c. Beloved I think it necessary to give you and the world a faithfull account of the Reasons moving me to appear in Print in these dayes wherein we may say there was never more writing and yet neverlesse practising and they are these that follow c. First because Satan hath a 1. Reason greater influence upon men and higher advantages over men having the winde and the hill as it were then they thinke he hath and the knowledge of his high advantages is the high way to disappoint him and to render the soul strong in resisting and happy in conquering c. Your importunity and the importunity 2. Reason of many other precious sons of Zion hath after much striving with God my own heart and others made a conquest of me and forced me to doe that at last which at first was not a little contrary to my inclination and resolution c. The strange opposition that I 3. Reason Pirates make the strongest and the
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
golden cup and hide the poison to present the sweet the pleasure and the profit that may flow in upon the soule by yielding to sin and by hiding from the soule the wrath and misery that will certainly follow the committings of sin By this Device he took our first Parents Genesis 3. 4 5. And the Serpent said unto the woman yee shall not surely die For God doth So to reduce D. Taylor Martyr they promised him not onely his pardon but a Bishoprick Act. and Mon. folio 1386. Inest peccatum cum delectaris regnat si consenâ— serâ— August in Psal 50. know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods knowing good and evill Your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as Gods here is the baite the sweet the pleasure the profit Oh! but he hides the hook the shame the wrath and the losse that would certainly follow There is an opening of the eyes of the mind to contemplation and joy and there is an opening of the eyes of the body to shame and confusion He promiseth them the former but intends the latter and so cheats them giving them an Apple in exchange for Paradise as he deales by thousands now adayes Satan with ease puts fallacies upon us and then by his golden baites leads us and leaves us in a fools Paradise he promises the soule honour pleasure and profit c. but paye's the soule with the greatest contempt shame and losse that can be by a golden bait he laboured to catch Christ This world at last shall be burnt for a witch sayeth one Multi amando res noxias sunt miseri habendo miseriores August in Psa 26. Many are miserable by loving hurtfull things but they are more miserable by having them Men had need pray with Bernard Da domine ut sic possideamus tempora lia ut non perdamus aeterna Grant us Lord that wee may so partake of temporall felicity that we may not loose eternall in the 4 of Mat. 8. 9. he shewes him the beauty and the bravery of a bewitching world which doubtlesse would have taken many a carnall heart but here the devils fire fell upon wet tinder therefore took not these tempting objects did not at all win upon his affections nor dazle his eyes though many have eternally died of the wound of the eye and fallen for ever by this vile Strumpet the world who by laying forth her two faire breasts of profit and pleasure hath wounded their soules and cast them downe into utter perdition she hath by the glistering of her pomp and preferment slaine millions as the Sâ—rpent Scytale which when she cannot overtake the fleeing passengers doth with her beautifull colours astonish and amaze them so that they have no power to passe away till she have stung them to death Adversity hath slain her thousand but prosperity her ten thousand Now the Remedies against this Device of the Devil are these FIrst keep at the greatest distance from 1 Remedy sin and from playing with the golden bait that Satan holds forth to catch you for this you have the 12 Rom. 9. v. Abhor that which is evill cleave to that which is good when we meet with any thing extreamly evill and contrary to us nature abhors it and retires as far as it can 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The simple verb imports extreame detestation which is aggravated by the composition Chrysost from it The Greek word that is there rendred abhor is very significant it signifies to hate it as Hell it selfe to hate it with horror Anselm used to say that if he should see the shame of sin on the one hand and the pains of hell on the other and must of necessity chuse one he would rather be thrust into Hell without sin then goe into Heaven with sin so great was his hatred and detestation of sin 'T is our wisest and our safest Prov. 5. 8. 1 Thess 5. 22. course to stand at the furthest distance from sin not to goe neer the house of the Harlot but to flie from all appearance of evill the best course to prevent falling into the pit is to keep at the It was a divine saying of a Heathen that if there were no God to punish him no Devil to torment him no Hell to burne him no man to see him yet would he not sin ser the ugliness and filthiness of sin and the griefe of his owne Conscience Seneca greatest distance he that will be so bold as to attempt to dance upon the brink of the pit may find by wofull experience that 't is a righteous thing with God that he should fall into the pit Joseph keeps at a distance from sin and from playing with Satans golden baites and stands David drawes near and playes with the bait and falls and swallowes bait and hook with a witnes David comes neer the snare and is taken in it to the breaking of his bones the wounding of his conscience and the losse of his God Sin is a plague yea the greatest and the most infectious plague in the world and yet ah how few are there that tremble at it that keep at a distance from it 1 Cor. 5. 6. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump As soon as one sin had seised upon Adams heart all sin entred into his soul and over-spread Sinne is like those Diseases that are called by Physitians Corruptio totius substantiae it How hath Adams one sin spread over all mankinde 5. Rom. 12. ver Wherefore as by one man sin entred into the world and death by sin and so death passed upon all men for that all have sinned Ah! how doth the Fathers sin infect the child the Husbands infect the Wife the Masters the Servant The sin that is in one mans heart is able to infect a whole world 't is of such a spreading and infectious nature The story of the Italian who first made his enemy deny God and then stab'd him and so at once murthered both body and soule declares the perfect malignity of sin and Oh! that what hath been spoken upon this head may prevaile with you to stand at a distance from sin The second Remedy is to consider 2 Remedy When the golden bait is cast forth to catch us wee must say as Demosthenes the Oratour did of the beautiâ—ull Lais when he was asked an excessive sum of money to behold her I will not buy repentance so dear I am not so ill a merchant as to seleternals for temporals that sin is but a bitter-sweet that seeming sweet that is in sin will quickly vanish and lasting shame sorrow horrour and terrour will come in the room thereof 20. Job 12 13 14. Though wickednesse be sweet in his mouth though he bide it under his tongue though he spare it and forsake it not but keep it still within his mouth yet his meat in
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
last to advance and lift up themselves and their Christ-dishonouring and soul-damning opinions A young man being long tempted to kill his Father or lie with his mother or be drunk he thought to yeeld to the lesser viz. to be drunk that he might be rid of the greater but when he was drunk he did both kill his Father and lie with his Mother above Scripture and Ordinances Sinne gaines upon mens soules by insensible degrees Ecclesiastes 10. v. 13. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishnesse and the end of his talking is mischievous madnesse Corruption in the heart when it breaks forth is like a breach in the Sea which begins in a narrow passage till it eat through and cast down all before it The debates of the soul are quick and soone ended and that may be done in a moment that may undoe a man for ever When a man hath begun to sin he knowes not where or when or how he shall make a stop of sin usually the soule goes on from evill to evill from folly to folly till it be ripe for eternall misâ—ry men usually grow from being nought to be very nought and from very nought to be starke nought and then God sets them at nought for ever The third Remedy against this third 3. Remedie device that Satan hath to draw the soul to sin is solemnly to consider that 't is sad to stand with God for a trifle Dives would not give a crum therefore Luk 16. 21. he should not receive a drop 't is the greatest folly in the world to adventure the going to hell for a small matter I tasted but a little honey said Jonathan 1 Sam. 14. 43. and I must dye it is a most unkinde and unfaithfull thing to break with God for a little little sins carry with them but little temptations to sin It was a vexation to King Lysimachus that his staying to drink one small draught of water lost him his Kingdome and so it will eternally vex som souls at last that for some one little sin compared with great transgressioâ—s they have lost God Heaven and their soules for ever and then a man shewes most viciousnesse and unkindnesse when he sins on a little temptation 'T is divelish to sinne without a temptation 't is little lesse then divelish to sin on a little occasion the lesse the temptation is to sin the greater is that â—inne Saul's sin in not staying for Samuel was not so much in the matter but it was much in the malice of it for though Samuel had not come at all yet Saul should not have offered Sacrifice but this cost him dear his Soul and his Kingdome 'T is the greatest unkindnesse that can be shewed to a friend to adventure the complaining bleeding and grieving of his soule upon a light and slight occasion so 't is the greatest unkindnesse that can be shewed to God Christ and the Spirit for a soul to put God upon complaining Christ upon bleeding and the Spirit upon grieving by yeelding to little sins therefore when Satan sayes 't is but a little one doe thou answer that often times there is the greatest unkindnesse shewed to Gods glorious Majesty in the acting of the least folly and therefore thou wilt not displease thy best and greatest friend by yielding to his least enemy The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that there is great danger yea many times most danger in the smallest sins 1 Cor. 5. 6. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump if the Serpent wind in his head he will draw his whole body after Greater sins doe sooner startle the soule and awaken and rouse up the soul to repentance Caesar was stab'd with bodkins then lesser sins doe little sins often slide into the soule and breed and work secretly and undiscernably Pope Adrian was choaked with a Gnat. in the soule till they come to be so strong as to trample upon the soule and to cut the throat of the soule there is oftentimes greatest danger to our bodies in the least Diseases that hang upon us because we are apt to make A Scorpion is little yetable to sting a Lion to death a Mouseis but little yet killeth an Elephant if he gets up into his trunck light of them and to neglect the timely use of means for the removing of them till they are grown so strong that they prove mortall to us so there is most danger often in the least sins we are apt to take no notice of them and to neglect those heavenly helps whereby they should be weakned and destroyed till they are grown up to that strength that we are ready to cry out the Medicine is The Leopard being great is poysoned with a head of Garlick too weak for the Disease I would pray and I would hear but I am afraid that sin is growne up by degrees to such a head that I shall never be able to prevaile over it but as I have begun to fall The smallest errors prove many times most dangerous It is as much treason to coyne pence as bigger pieces so I shall utterly fall before it and at last perish in it unlesse the power and free grace of Christ doth act gloriously beyond my present apprehension and expectation The Viper is killed by the little young ones that are nourished and cherished in her belly so are many men eternally killed and betrayed by the little One little miscarriage doth in the eyes of the world over-shaddow all a Christians Graces as one little cloud doth sometimes overshadow the whole body of the Sun sins as they call them that are nourished in their own bosomes I know not saith one whether the maintenance of the least sin be not worse then the commission of the greatest for this may be of frailty that argues obstinacy a little hole in the Ship sinks it a small breach in a Sea-bank carries away all before it a little stab at the heart kills a man and a little sin without a great deale of mercy will damn a man The fift Remedy against this Device 5 Remedy Melius mori fame quam Idolothys is vesci August It is better to dye with hunger then to eat that which is offred to Idols of Satan is solemnly to consider that other Saints have chosen rather to suffer the worst of torments rather then they would commit the least sin i. e. such as the world accounts so as you may see in Daniel and his Companions that would rather chuse to burne and be cast to the Lions then they would bow to the Image that Nebuchadnezzer had set up when this peccadillo in the worlds account and a hot fiery furnace stood in competition that they must either fall into sin or be cast into the Many Heathens would rather dye then cozen or cheat one another so faithfull were they one to another
Will not these rise in judgement against many Professors in these dayes who make nothing of over-reaching one another fiery furnace such was their tendernesse of the honour and glory of God and their hatred and indignation against sin that they would rather burn then sin they knew that it was far better to burne for their not sinning then that God and conscience should raise a hell a fire in their bosomes for sin I have read of that noble servant of God Marcus Arethusius Minister of a Church in the time of Constantine who in Constantines time had been the cause of overthrowing an Idols Temple afterwards when Julian came to be Emperour he would force the people of that place to build it up again they were ready to doe it but he refused whereupon those that were his owne people to whom he preached took him and stript him of all his cloaths and abused his naked body and gave it up to the Children to lance it with their pen-knives and then caused him to be put in a basket and anointed his naked body with Honey and set him in the Sun to be stung with Wasps and all this cruelty they shewed because he would not doe any thing toward the building up of this Idol-Temple nay they came to this that if he would doe but the least towards it if he would give but a halfe-penny to it they would save him but he refused all though the giving of a half-penny might have saved his life and in doing this he did but live up to that principle that most Christians talk of and all professe but few come up to it viz. That we must choose rather to suffer the worst of Torments that men and Devils can invent and inflict then to commit the least sin whereby God should be dishonoured our consciences wounded Religion reproached and our own souls endangered The sixt Remedy against this Device 6 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that the soule is never able to stand under the guilt and weight of the least sin when God shall set it home upon the soul the least sin will presse and sink the stoutest sinner as low as hell when God shall open the eyes of a sinner and make him see the horrid filthinesse and abominable vildnesse that is in sin What so little base and vile creatures as lice or gnats and yet by these little poor creatures God so plagued stout-hearted Pharaoh and all Aegypt that â—ainting under it they were forced to cry out This is the finger of God When little Exod. 8. 16 17 18 19. Creatures yea the least Creatures shall be armed with a power from God they shall presse and 〈◊〉 down the greatest proudest and stoutesâ— Tyrants that breath so when God shall put a sword The Tyrant Maximinus who had set forth his Proclamation ingraven in brasse for the utter abolishing of Christ and his Religion was eaten of Lice into the hand of a little sin and arm it against the soule the soule will faint and fall under it Some who have but projected adultery without any actuall acting it and others having found a trifle and made no conscience to restore it knowing by the light of naturall Conscience that they did not doe as they would be done by and others that have had some unworthy thought of God have been so frighted amazed Vna guttula malae conscienâ—iae totum mare mundani gaudii absorbet i. e. One drop of an evill conscience swallows up the whole sea of worldly joy How great a pain not to be borne comes from the prick of this small thorne said one and terrified for these sins which are small in mens account that they have wisht they had never been that they could take no delight in any earthly comfort that they have been put to their wits end ready to make away themselves wishing themselves annihilated Mr Perkins mentions a good man but very poor who being ready to starve stole a Lamb and being about to eat it with his poor children and as his manner was afore meat to crave a blessing durst not doe it but fell into a great perplexity of Conscience acknowledged his fault to the owner promising payment if ever he should be able The seventh Remedy against this Device 7 Remedy is solemnly to consider That there is more evill in the least sin then in the greatest affliction and this appears as clear as the Sun by the severe dealing of God the Father with his beloved Son who let all the vials of his fiercest wrath upon him and that for the least sin as well as for the greatest The wages Death is the hire of the least sin the best wages that the least sin gives his souldiers is death of all sorts in a strict sence there is no sin little because no little God to sin against of sin is death of sin indefinitely whether great or small Oh! how should this make us tremble as much at the least spark of lust as at hell it selfe Considering that God the Father would not spare his bosome Son no not for the least sin but would make him drink the dregs of his wrath And so much for the Remedies that may fence and preserve our souls from being drawn to sin by this third Device of Satan The fourth Device that Satan hath 4 Device to draw the soul to sin is by presenting to the soul the best mens sins and by hiding from the soul their virtues by shewing the soul their sins and by hiding from the soul their sorrowâ— and â—epâ—ntance as by setting before the soul the Adultery of David the Pride of Hezekiaâ— the Impatience of Job the Drunkennesse of Noah the Blasphemy of Peter c. and by hiding from the soul the tears the sighes the groans the meltings humblings and repentings of these precious souls Now the Remedies against this Device of the Devil are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that the Spirit of the Lord hath been as carefull to note the Saints rising by repentance out of sin as he hath to note their falling into sin David falls fearfully but by repentance he rises sweetly Blot out my transgressions wash mee throughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin for I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me Purge me with Hysop and I shall be clean wash me and I shall be whiter then snow deliver me from blood-guiltinesse O God thou God of my salvation 'T is true Hezekiaâ—'s heart was lifted up under the abundance of mercy that God had cast in upon him and 't is as true that Hezekiaâ— 2 Chron. 32. 25 26. humbled himselfe for the pride of his heart so that the wrath of the Lord came not upon him nor upon Jerusalem in the dayes of Hezekiah 'T is true Job curses the day of his Birth and 't is â—â— true
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
thy sin God will pardon thee and yet send thee to Hell there 's a pardon with a contradiction Negative goodnesse serves no mans turn to save him from the axe It is said of Ithacus that the hatred of the Priscillian Heresie was all the vertue that he had The evill servant did not riot out his Talent Those Reprobates Mat. 25. robbed not the Saints but relieved them not for this they must eternally perish sense for godly sorrow sometimes Repentance is taken in a large sense for Amendment of Life Repentance hath in it three things viz. the Act the Subject and the Termes 1. The formall Act of Repentance is a changing and converting 't is often set forth in Scripture by Turning Turne thou me and I shall be turned saith Ephraim after that I was turned I repented saith he 't is a turning from darknesse to light 2. The Subject changed and converted is the whole man 't is both the sinners heart and life first his heart then his life first his person then his practice and conversation Wash yee make you cleane there 's the change of their persons put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe evill learne to do well there 's the change of their practises So Cast away saith Ezekiel all your transgressions whereby you have transgressed there 's the change of the life and make you a new heart and a new spirit there 's the change of the 3. The Tearmes of this change and conversion from which and to which both heart and life must be changed from all sin to God the heart must be changed from the state and power of sin the life from the acts of sin but both unto God the heart to be under his power in a state of grace the life to be under his rule in all new obedience as the Apostle speaks To open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of satan unto God so the Prophet Isaiah saith Let the wicked forsake their wayes and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord. Thus much of the nature of Evangelicall Repentance Now soules tell me whither it be such an easie thing to repent as Satan doth suggest besides what hath been spoken I desire that you will take notice that Repentance doth include a turning from the most darling sin Ephraim shall say What have I to doe any more with Idols Yea it 's a turning from all sin to God Ezek. 18. 30. Therefore I will judge you O House of Israel every one according to his wayes saith the Lord God repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Herod turn'd from many but turn'd not from his Herodias which was his ruine Judas turn'd from all visible wickednes yet he would not cast out that golden Devil Covetousnesse and therefore was cast into the hottest place in Hell He that turnes not from every sin turnes not aright from any one sin every sin strikes at the Honour of God the Being of God the Glory of God the Heart of Christ the Joy of the Spirit and the Peace of a mans Conscience and therefore a soul truly penitent strikes at all hates all conflicts with all and will labour to draw strength from a crucified Christ to crucifiâ— all a true penitent knowes neither father nor mother neither right eye nor right hand but will pluck out the one and cut off the other Saul spared but one Agâ—g and that cost him his soul and his Kingdome besides Repentance is not onely a turning from all sin but also a turning to all good to a love of all good to a prizing of all good and to a following after all good Ezek. 18. 21. But if the wicked will turne from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live be shall not die that is onely negative righteousnesse and holinesse is no righteousnesse nor holinesse David fulfilled all the wills of God and had respect unto all his Commandements and so had Zacharias and Elizabeth 'T is not enough that the Tree bears not ill fruit but it must bring forth good fruit else it must be cut downe and east into the fire So 't is not enough that you are not thus and thus wicked but you must be thus and thus gracious and good else Divine Justice will put the Axe of Divine Vengeance to the root of your souls and cut you off for ever Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn downe and cast into the fire besides Repentance doth include a sensiblenesse of sins sinfulnesse how opposite and contrary 't is to the blessed God God is light sin is darknesse God is life sin is death God is Heaven sin is hell God is beauty sin is deformity Also true Repentance includes a sensiblenes of sins mischievousnesse how it cast Angels out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradise how it laid the first corner-stone in hell and brought in all the curses crosses and miseries that be in the world and how it makes men liable to all temporall spirituall and eternall wrath how it hath made men Godlesse Christlesse hopelesse and heavenlesse in this world further true repentance doth include sorrow for sin contrition of heart it breaks the heart with sighes and sobs and groans for that a loving God and Father is by sin offended a blessed Saviour a fresh crucified and the sweet Comforter the Spirit True repentance is a sorrowing for sin as it is offensivum Dei aversivum à Deo this both comes from God drives a man to God as it did the Church in the Canticles and the Prodigall Ezek. 20. 22 23. grieved and vexed Again Repentance doth include not onely a loathing of sin but also a loathing of our selves for sin as a man doth not onely loath poyson but he loaths the very dish or vessel that hath the smell of the poyson so a true Penitent doth not onely loath his sin but he loaths himselfe the vessel that still smels of sin So Ezek. 20. 43. And there shall ye remember your wayes and all your doings wherein yee have been defiled and ye shall loath your selves in your owne sight for all your evills that ye have committed true Repentance will work your hearts not onely to loath your sins but also to loath your selves Againe true Repentance doth not onely work a man to loath himself for his sins but it makes him asham'd of his sin also What fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed saith the Apostle so Ezekiel And thou shalt be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God When a penâ—tentiall soul sees his sins pardoned the anger of God pacified and Divine Justice satisfied then
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
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
is by presenting to the soule the crosses losses reproaches sorrows and sufferings that doe daily attend those that walk in the wayes of holinesse Saith Satan do not you see that there are none in the world that are so vexed afflicted and tossed as those that walk more circumspectly and holily then their neighbours they are a by-word at home and a reproach abroad their miseries come in upon them like Job's messengers one upon the neck of another and there is no end of their sorrowes and troubles therefore saith Satan you were better walk in wayes that are lesse troublesome and lesse afflicted though they be more sinfull for who but a mad man would spend his dayes in sorrow vexation and affliction when it may be prevented by walking in the wayes that I set before him Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that all the afflictions that doe attend the people of God are such as shall turne to the profit and glorious advantage of the people of God they shall discover that filthinesse and vilenesse in sin that yet the soul hath never seen It was a speech of a Germane Divine in his sicknesse In this Disease Guspar Olevianus I have learned how great God is and what the evill of sin is I never knew to purpose what God was before nor what sin meant till now Afflictions are a christall glasse wherein the soul hath the clearest sight of the ugly face of sin in this glasse the soul comes to see sin to be but a bitter-sweet yea in this glasse the soul comes to see sin not only to be an evill but to be the greatest evill in the world to be an evill far worse then hel Againe they shall contribute to the Isa 1. 25. c. 27. 8 9. mortifying and purging away of their sins afflictions are Gods furnace by which he cleanses his people from their drosse affliction is a fire to purge out In times of peace our Armer is rusty in time of war 't is bright our drosse and to make virtue shine it is a potion to carry away ill humours better then all the Benedicta Medicamentum as Physitians call them Aloes kills worms colds and frosts doe destroy Vermine so doe afflictions the corruptions that be in our hearts The Jewes under all the Prophets thundering retained their Idols but after their babylonish captivity 't is observed there have been no Idols found amongst them Again afflictions are sweet preservatives to keep the Saints from sin which is a greater evill then hell it self as Job spake Surely it is meet to be said unto God Job 34. 31 32 I have borne chastisement I will not offend any more That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity I will doe no more Once have I spoken foolishly yea Salt brine preserves from putâ—efaction and salt marshes keep the sheep from the rot so do afflictions the Saints from sin twice but I will doe so no more saith Job The burnt child dreads the fire ah saith the soul under the rod sin is but a bitter-sweet and for the future I intend by the strength of Christ that I will not buy Repentance at so dear a rate The Rabbins to scare their scholars from sin were wont to tell them that sin made Gods head ake and Saints under the rod have found by wofull experience that sin makes not only their heads but their hearts ake also Augustine by wandring out of his way escaped one that lay in weight to mischief him if afflictions did not put us out of our way we should many times meet with some sin or other that would mischief our precious souls Again they will work the Saints to be more fruitfull in holinesse Heb. 12. 10 11. But he afflicts us for our profit that The bâ—ll in the emblemâ— saith Percussa Suâ—go the harder you beat me down in affliction the higher I shall bound in affection towards heaven and heavenly things we might be partakers of his holinesse The flowers smell sweetest after a shower Vines bear the better for bleeding the Walnut-tree is most fruitfull when most beaten Saints spring and thrive most internally when they are most externally afflicted afflictions are called by some the mother of virtue Manasses his chain was more profitable to him then his Crown Luther could not understand some Scriptures till he was in affliction the Chris-crosse is no letter and yet that taught him more then all the letters in the row Gods house of Schola crucis Schola lucis correction is his school of instruction all the stones that came about Stevens â—ars did but knock him closer to Christ the corner-stone The waves did but lift Noah's Ark nearer to Heaven and the higher the waters grew the more near the Ark was lifted up to Heaven afflictions do lift up the soule to more rich clear and full injoyments of God Hosea 2. 14. Behold I will allure her into the wildernesse and speak comfortably to her or rather as the Hebraw hath it I 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Vedib bartignal-libbab will â—arnestly or vehemently speak to her heart God makes afflictions to be but inlets to the soul more sweet and full injoyment of his blessed self When was it that Steven saw the Heavens open and Christ standing at the right hand of God but when the stones were about It is reported of Tiberius the Emperour that passing by a place where he saw a Crosse lying in the ground upon a marble stone and causing the stone to be â— diâ—ged up â—ound a great deale of treasure under the Crosse So many a precious Saint hath sound much spirituall and heavenly treasure under the crosses â—hey have met withall his ears and there was but a short step betwixt him and eternity and when did God appear in his glory to Jacob but in the day of his troubles when the stones were his pillows and the ground his bed and the hedges his curtaines and the Heavens his Canopie Then he saw the Angels of God ascending and descending in their glistering robes The plant in Nazianzen growes with cutting being cut it flourisheth it contends with the axe it lives by dying and by cutting it growes so doe Saints by their afflictions that doe befall them They gaine more experience of the power of God supporting them of the wisdome of God directing them of the grace of God refreshing and cheering them and of the goodnesse of God quieting and quickning of them to a greater love to holinesse and to a greater delight in holinesse and to a more vehement pursuing after holinesse I have read of a Fountaine that at noon day is cold and at midnight it growes warm so many a precious Saint is cold God-wards and Heaven-wards and Holinesse-wards in the day of prosperity that grow warm God-wards and
upon thee and the favours of the Lord are flowing in on thee The seventh and last Remedy against 7. Remedie this device of Satan is solemnly to consider that the afflictions wrath and miserie that doe attend the wayes of wickednesse are far greater and heavier then those are that doe attend the wayes of holinesse Oh! the gauling girding lashing and gnawings of Conscience that doe attend soules in a way of wickednesse The wicked saith Isaiah are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest whose waters Sin oftentimes makes men insensible of the wrath of the Almighty Sin transformes many a man as it were into those beats in Pliny that could not be stirred with the sharpest prickles or those fishes in Aristotle that though they have speares thrust into their sides yet they awake not cast up mire and dirt There is no peace to the wicked saith my God There are snares in all â—heir mercies and curses and crosses doe attend all their comforts both at home and abroad what is a fine sute of cloathes with the plague in it and what 's a golden cup when there is poyson at the bottome or what 's a silken stocking with a broken leg in it the curse of God the wrath of God the hatred of God and the fierce indignation of God doe alwayes attend sinners walking in a way of wickednesse Turne to that 28. of Deuteronomie and read from the 15. verse to the end of that chapter and turne to the 26. chapter of Leviticus and read from the 14. verse to the end of that chapter and then you shall see how the curse of God haunts the wicked as it were a fury in all his wayes In the City it attends him Sin brings in sorrow and sicknesse c. The Rabbins say that when Adam tasted the forbidden fruiâ— his head aâ—ed in the Country it hovers over him coming in it accompanies him going forth it followes him and is travell it is his Comrade it fills his store with strife and mingles the wrath of God with his sweetest morsell It is a moth in his wardrope murren among his cattle mildew in his field rot among sheep and oft-times makes the fruit of his loynes his greatest vexation and confusion There is no solid joy nor lasting peace nor Sirens are said to sing curiously while they live but to rore horribly when they dye So doe the wicked pure comfort that doth attend sinners in their sinfull wayes There is a sword of vengeance that doth every moment hang over their heads by a small thread and what joy and content can attend such soules if the eye of Conscience be but so far open as to see the sword ah the horrours and terrours the tremblings and shakings that attend their soules The tenth Device that Satan hath 10. Device to draw the soules of men to sin is by working them to be frequent in Non vulnera sed munera ostendit He shewes not his want but his worth and stands not onely upon his conparisons but upon his disparisons I am not as this Publican They are very good that are not very bad and they that are very bad doe alwayes prize themselves above the market comparing themselves and their wayes with those that are reputed or reported to be worse then themselves By this device the devill drew the proud Pharisee to blesse himselfe in a cursed condition God I thanke thee that I am not as other men are extortioners unjust adulterers or even as this Publican c. Why saith Satan you sweare but petty oaths as by your faith and troth c. but such and such sweare by wounds and bloud you are now and then a little wanton but such and such doe daily defile and pollute themselves by actuall uncleannesse and filthinesse you deceive and over-reach your neighbours in things that are but as toyes and trifles but such and such deceive and over-reach others in things of greatest concernment even to their ruine and undoings you doe but sit and chat and sip with the drunkard but such and such sit and drinke drunk with the drunkard you are onely a little proud in heart and habit in looks and words c. Now the Remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this device 1. Remepy of Satan is solemnly to consider this that there is not a greater nor a clearer argument to prove a man an History speaks of a kinde of witches that stirrin abroad would put on their eyes bâ—t returning home they boxed them up again So doe Hypocrites hypocrite then to be quick-sighted abroad and blinde at home then to see a mote in another mans eye and not a beame in his own eye then to use spectacles to behold other mens sins rather then looking-glasses to behold his owne then to be alwayes holding his finger upon other mens sores then to be amplifying and aggravating other mens sins and mitigating of his own c. The second Remedy against this device 2 Remedie of Satan is to spend more time The nearer we draw to God and his word the more rottennesse we shall finde in our bones The more any man looks into the body of the Sâ—n the lesse he seeth when he lookes down again It is said of the Basilisk that if he look into a glasse he presently dieth so will sin and a sinner in a spirituall sence when the soule look into the word which is Gods glasse c. in comparing of your internall and externall actions with the Rule with that word by which you must be judg'd at last then in comparing of your selves with those that are worse then your selves that man that comparing his selfe with others that are worse then himselfe may seeme to himselfe and others to be an Angel yet comparing himselfe with the word may see himselfe to be like the devill yea a very devill Have not I chosen twelve and one of you is a Devill Such men are as like him as if they were spit out of his mouth Satan is called the God of this world because as God at first did but speake the word and it was done so if the Devill doth but hold up his finger give the least hint they will doe his will though they undoe their soules for ever Ah! what monsters would these men appeare to be did they but compare themselves with a righteous Rule and not with the most unrighteous men they would appeare to be as black as Hell it selfe The third Remedy against this device 3. Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that though thy sins be not as great as others yet without sound repentance on thy side and pardoning mercy on Gods thou wilt be as certainly damned As in Heaven one is more glorious then another so in Hell one shall be more miserable then another Augustine as others though not equally tormented with others what though hell
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
not God made 2 Tim. 1. 13. 1 Titus 9. The Priests of Mercurie when they eat their figs and honey cried ou◠〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 sweet is truth truth sweet to thy soule yea sweeter then the honey or the honey combe and wilt thou not goe on â—o Heaven feeding upon truth that heavenly honey-comb as Samson did of his honey-comb Ah soules have you not found truth sweetning your spirits and cheering your spirits and warming your spirits and raising your spirits and corroborating your spirits have you not found truth a guide to leade you a staffe to uphold you a cordiall to strengthen you and a plaister to heale you and will you not hold fast the truth hath not truth been your best friend in your worst dayes hath not truth stood by you when friends have forsaken you hath not truth done more for you then all the world could doe against you and will you not hold fast the truth is not truth your right eye without which you cannot see for Christ and your right hand without which you cannot doe for Christ and your right foot without which you cannot walke with Christ and will you not hold fast truth oh hold fast the truth in your judgements and understandings in your wills and affections in your profession It is with truth as with some plants which live and thrive not but in warme climates and conversation Truth is more precious then gold or Rubâ—es and all the things thou canst desire are not to be compared to her Truth is that heavenly glasse wherein we may see the luster and glory of divine wisdome power greatnesse love and mercifulnesse In this glasse you may see the face of Christ the favour of Christ the riches of Christ and the heart of Christ beating and working sweetly towards your soules Oh! let your soules cleave to truth as Ruth Ruth 1. v. 15 16 17. Though I cannot dispute for the truth yet I can die for the truth said that blessed Maâ—â—yr did to Naomi and say I will not leave truth nor returne from following after truth but where truth goes I will goe and where truth lodgeth I will lodge and nothing but death shall part truth and my soule What John said to the Church of Philadelphia I may say to you Hold thâ—â— fast which thou hast that no man take thy Crowne the Crowne is the top of royalties such a thing is truth let Tit. 1. v. 9. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 no man take thy Crown Hold fast the faithfull word as Titus speaks you were better let goe any thing then truth you were better let goe your Hold fast as with tooth and naile against those that would snatch it from us honours and riches your friends and pleasures and the worlds favours yea your nearest and dearest relations I your very lives then to let goe truth Oh! keep the truth and truth will keep you safe and happy for 6. Remedy I have read of one who seeing in a vision many snares of the devill spread upon the earth he sate downe mourning and said within himselfe Quis periransiet ista who shall passe thorough these whereunto he heâ—d a voice answering humilitas periransiet humility shall passe thorough them ever blessed are those soules that are kept by truth The sixt Remedy against this device of Satan is to keep humble humility will keep the soule free from many darts of Satans casting and erronious snares of his spreading As low trees and shrubs are free from many violent gusts and blasts of winde which shake and rend the taller trees so humble soules are free from those gusts and blasts of errour that rend and teare proud lofty soules Satan and the world hath least power to fasten errours upon humble soules The God of light and truth delights to dwell with the humble and the more light and truth dwells in the soule the further off darknesse and errour will stand from the soule The God of grace poures in grace into humble soules as men poure liquor into empty vessells and the more grace is poured into the soule the lesse errour shall be able to over-power the soule or to infect the soule That 's a sweet word in the Psa 25. v. 9. a 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gnanavim from gnanah which signifies the humble or afflicted The high tide quickly ebs and the highest Sun is presently declining you know how to apply it 25. Psal 9. v. The meek or the humble will he guide in judgement and the meeke will he teach his way and certainly soules guided by God and taught by God are not easily drawn aside into wayes of errour Oh! take heed of spirituall pride pride fills our fancies and weakens our graces and makes roome in our hearts for errour there are no men on earth so soone entangled and so easily conquered by errour as proud soules Oh! 't is dangerous to love to be wise above what is written to be curious and unsober in your desire of knowledge and to The proud soule is like him that gazed upon the Moon but fell into the pit trust to your own capacities and abilities to undertake to prie into all secrets and to be puffed up with a carnall minde soules that are thus a soaring up above the bounds and limits of humility usually fall into the very worst of errours as experience doth daily evidence The seventh Remedy against this device 7. Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider the great evills that errours have produced errour is a fruitfull mother and hath brought forth such monstrous Errours in conscience produce many great evills not onely ad intra in mens own soules but also ad extra in humane affaires children as hath set Towns Cities and Nations on fire Errour is that whorish woman that hath cast down many wounded many yea slaine many strong men and many great men and many learned men and many professing men in former times and in our own time as is too evident to all that are not much left of God destitute of the truth and blinded by Satan Oh the graces that errour hath weakned and the sweet joyes and comforts that errour hath clouded if not buried oh the hands that errour hath weakned the eyes that errour hath blinded the judgements of men that errour hath perverted the mindes that errour hath darkned the hearts that errour hath hardened the affections that errour hath cooled the Consciences that errour hath sâ—ared and the lives of men that errour hath polluted ah soules can you solemnly consider of this and not tremble more at errour then at hell it selfe c. The twelâ—th Device that Satan hath 12. Device to draw the soule to sin is to affect wicked company to keep wicked society and oh the horrid impieties and wickednesses that Satan hath drawn men to sin by working them to sit and associate themselves with vaine persons Now the Remedies against this device of
Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this device 1. Remedy of Satan is to dwell till your hearts be affected upon those commands of God that doe expressely require us to shun the society of the wicked Ephes 5. 11. And have no fellowship Non paerentum aut majorum authoritas sed Dei docentis imperium Jerom. The commands of God must ouâ—-weigh all authority and example of men with the unfruit fud works of darknesse but rather reprove them Prov. 4. 14 15 16. Enter not into the path of the wicked and goe not in the way of evill men Avoid it passe not by it turne from it and passe away 1 Cor. 5. 9 10 11. 2 Thess 3. 6. Prov. 1. 10 11 12 13 14 15. turne to these Scriptures and let your soules dwell upon them till a holy indignation be raised in your soules against fellowship with vaine men God will not take the wicked by the hand as Job speaks why then should you Gods commands are not like those that are easily reversed but they are like those of the Medes that cannot be changed if these commands be not now observed by thee they will at last be witnesses against thee and milstones to sinke thee in that day that Christ shall judge thee The second Remedy against this device 2. Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that their company is very infectious Eusebius reports of John the Evangelist that he would not suffer Cerinthus the heretick in the same bath him left some judgement should abide them both Euseb lib. 3. cap. 25. A man that keepeth ill company is like him that walketh in the Sun tanned insensibly and dangerous as is cleare from the Scriptures above mentioned Ah! how many have lost their names and lost their estates and strength and God and Heaven and soules by society with wicked men As ye shun a stinking carcase as the Sea-man shuns sands and rocks and shelves As ye shun those that have the plague-sore running upon them so should you shun the society of wicked men As weeds endanger the corne as bad humors endanger the blood or as an infected house the neighbourhood so doth wicked company the soule Bias a heathen man being at Sea in a great storme and perceiving many wicked men with him in the ship calling upon the Gods oh saith he forbear prayer hold your tongues I would not have the Gods take notice that you are here they will sure drowne us all if they should Ah sirs could a heathen Prov. 13. 20. v. see so much danger in the society of wicked men and can you see none The third Remedy against this device 3. Remedie 2 Tim. 4. 17. Isa 11. 7. 29. Ezek. 3. 10. Mat. 16. 9. Revel 3. 5. 10. Mat. 3. 7. Isa 10. 17. 27. ch 4. 55. 13. Ezek 26. Judg. 9. 14. Job 21. 18. Psal 18. 42. Psa 14. 18. Psa 42. Ezek. 22. 18 19. 65. Esa 5. Ezek 24. 6. Lactantius saith of Lucian nec diis nec hominibus pepercit he spared neither God nor man such monsters are wicked men which should render their company to all that have tasted of the sweetnesse of divine love a burden and not a delight of Satan is to looke alwayes upon wicked men under those names and notions that the Scripture sets them out under The Scripture calls them Lions for their fiercenesse and Beares for their cruelty and Dragons for their hideousnesse and Dogs for their filthinesse and Wolves for their subtilnesse The Scripture stiles them Scorpions Vipers Thornes Briars Thistles Brambles stubble dirt chaffe dust drosse smoke scumme as you may see in the margent 'T is not safe to look upon wicked men under those names and notions that they set out themselves by or that flatterers sets them out by this may delude the soul but the looking upon them under those names and notions that the Scripture sets out by may preserve the soule from frequenting their company and delighting in their society Doe not tell me what this man calls them or how such and such count them but tell me how doth the Scripture call them how doth the Scripture count them As Naballs name was so was his nature and as wicked mens names are so are their natures you may know well enough what is within them by the apt names that the Holy Ghost hath given them The fourth and last Remedy against 4. Remedie O Lord let me not goe to hell where the wicked are for Lord thou knowest I never loved their company here said a gracious gentlewoman when she was to die being in much trouble of conscience this device of Satan is to consider that the societie and company of wicked men have been a great griefe and burden to those precious soules that were once glorious on earth and are now triumphing in heaven Psal 120. ver 5 6. Woe is mee that I dwell in Mesech that I sojourne in the tents of Kedar My soule hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace So Jeremiah Oh that I had in the wildernesse a lodging place of wayfaring men that I might leave my people and goe from them for they be all adulterers an assembly of treacherous men Jer. 9. ver 2. So they vexed Lots 2 Pet. 2. c. ver 7 8 Vide Bezam righteous soule by their filthy conversation they made his life a burden they made death more desirable to him then life yea they made his life a lingering death Guilt or grief is all the good soules get by conversing with wicked men The second thing to be shewed is the severall Devices that Satan hath as to draw soules to sin so to keep soules from holy duties to hinder soules in holy Services and to keep them off from Religious performances And he shewed me Joshua the high Priest standing before the Angell of the Lord and Satan standing at his righthand to resist him Zach. 3. 1. The truth of this I shall shew you in the following particulars The first device that Satan 1. Device 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 soule as to insnare the soule and to winn upon the affections of the soule The beauty of the world soils a Christian more then the strength the flattering Sun shâ—ne more then the blustering storme in stormes we keep our garments close about us he represents the world to them in its beauty and bravery which proves a bewitching sight to a world of men 'T is true this tooke not Christ because Satan could finde no matter in him for his temptation to worke upon but Satan findes matter in us for this temptation to worke upon so that he can no sooner cast out his golden bait but we are ready to play with it and to nibble at it he can no sooner throw out his golden ball but men
those that are drawn from the consideration of the great and glorious things that Christ hath done for you and if such arguments will not take yee and win upon yee I doâ— think the throwing of hell fire in your faces will never do it The third Remedie against this device 3. Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that those precious souls which Jesus Christ The Saints Motto in all ages hath been Laboremus let 's be doing hath done and suffered as much for as he hath for you have been exceeding active and lively in all religious services and heavenly performances he did as much and suffered as much for David God loves curristas not quaristas the runner not the questioner or disputer saith Luther aâ— for you and yet who more in praying and praysing God then David seven times a day will I praise the Lord who more in the studying and meditating on the word then David Thy law is my meditation day and night The same truth you may run and read in Jacob Moses Job Daniel and in the rest of the holy Prophets and Apostles for whom Christ hath done as much for as for you ah how have all those Worthies abounded in works of righteousnesse and holinesse to the praise of free grace Certainly Satan hath got the upper hand of those souls that do argue thus The day is at hand when God will require of men non quid legerint sed quid egerint nec quid dixerint sed quomodo vixerinâ— He that talks of heaven but doth not the will of God is like him that gazed upon the Moon but fell into the pit Christ hath done such and such glorious things for us therefore wee need not make any care or conscience of dâ—ing such and such religious services as men say the word calls for if this Logick be not from Hell what is ah were the holy Prophets and Apostles alive to heare such Logick come out of the mouths of such as professe themselves to be interested in the great and glorious things that Jesus Christ hath done for his chosen ones how would they blush to look upon such souls and how would their hearts grieve and break within them to heare the language and to observe the actings of such soules The fourth Remedy against this device 4. Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider this that those that doe not walk in ways of righteousnesse and holines that do not wait upon God in the several duties and services that are commanded by him cannot have that evidence to their own soules of their righteousnesse before God of their fellowship and communion Certainly 't is one thing to judg by our graces another thing to rest or put our trust in them There is a great deal of difference betwixt declaring and deserving on with God of their blessednesse here and their happinesse hereafter as those soules have that love and delight in the wayes of the Lord that are always best when they are most in the works and service of the Lord. Little children saith the Apostle let no man deceive you he that doth righteousnesse is righteous even as he is righteous In this saith the same Apostle the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither hee As Davids daughters were known by their garments of divers colours so are Gods children by their piety and sanctity that loveth not his brother If ye know that he is righteous saith the same Apostle ye know that every one that doth righteousnesâ— is born of him He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him But who soever keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himselfe also to walke even as he A Christians embleme should be an house walking towards Heaven High words surely make a man neither holy nor just but a vertuous life a circumspect walking makes him deare to God A tree that is not fruitful is for the fire Christianity is not a talking but a walking with God who will not be put off with words if he misse of fruit he will take up his axe and then the soul is cut off for ever walked If wee say that we have fellowship with him and walk iâ— darknesse we lie and doe not the truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light wee have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin saith the same Apostle So James in his second chapter What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and have no workes can faith save him i. e. it cannot for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead To looke after holy and heavenly works is the best way to preserve the soule from being deceived and deluded by Satans delusions and by sudden flashes of joy and comfort holy works being a more sensible and constant pledge of the precious spirit begetting and maintaining in the soule more solid pure clear strong and lasting joy Ah souls as you would have in your selves a constant and blessed evidence of your fellowship with the Father and the Sonne and of the truth of grace and of your future happinesse look that you cleave close to holy services and that you turne not your backs upon religious duties The fifth Remedy against this device 5 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that 'T is a precious truth never to be forgotten Quod non actibus sed finibus pensantur officia that duties are esteemed not by their acts but by their ends there are other choice and glorious ends for the Saints performance of religious duties then for the justifying of their persons before God or for their satisfying of the Law or justice of God or for the purchasing of the pardon of sin c. viz. to testifie their justification a good tree cannot but bring forth good fruit to testifie their love to God and their sincere obedience to thâ— commands of God to testifie their deliverance from spirituall bondage to evidence the indwellings Finis moveâ— ad agendum the end moves to doing of the spirit to stop the mouths of the worst of men and to glad those righteous souls that God would not have sadded These and abundance of other choise ends there be why those that have an interest in the glorious doings of Christ should notwithstanding that keep close to the holy duties and religious services that are commanded Tene mensuram respice sinem keep thy selfe within compasse and have an eye always to the end of thy life and actions was Maximimilians the Emperours Motto by Christ And if these considerations will not prevail with you to wait upon God in
the point in hand of Satan is to have your hearts strongly affected with the greatnesse holinesse Majesty and glory of that God before whom you stand and with whom your souls do converse in religious services Oh! let your souls be greatly affected with the presence purity and majesty of that God before whom thou standest A man would be afraid of playing with a feather when he is speaking to a King ah when men have poor low light slight c. thoughts of God in their drawing neer to God they tempt the Devill to bestir himselfe and to cast in a multitude of vaine thoughts to disturb and distract the soul in its waiting on God There is nothing that will contribute so much to the keeping out of vaine thoughts as to looke upon God as an omniscient God an omnipresent God an omnipotent God a God full of all glorious perfections a God whose Majestie purity and glory wil not suffer him to behold the least iniquity The reason why the blessed Saints and glorious Angells in Heaven have not so much as one vaine thought is because they are greatly affected with the greatnesse holinesse majesty purity and glory of God The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is to be peremptory in religious services notwithstanding all those wandering thoughts the soule It is a rule in the civil Law nec videtur actum siquid supersit quod agatur nothing seems to be done if there remains ought to be done is troubled with This will be a sweet help against them for the soul to be resolute in waiting on God whether it be troubled with vain thoughts or not to say wel I will pray still and heare still and meditate still and keep fellowship with the Saints still many precious soules can say from experience that when their soules have been peremptory in their waiting on God that Satan hath left them and hath not been so busie in vexing their soules with vaine thoughts when Satan perceives that all Si dixisti suffisit periisti iâ— once thou sayest 't is enough thou art undone saith Augustin those trifling vain thoughts that he casts into the soule do but vex the soule into greater diligence carefulnesse watchfulnesse and peremptorinesse in holy and heavenly services and that the soul looses nothing of his zeale piety and devotion but doubles his care diligence and earnestnesse he often ceases to interpose his triflles vain thoughts as he ceased to tempt Christ when Christ was peremptory in resisting his temptations The third Remedie against this device 3. Remedy of Satan is to consider this that those vaine and trifling thoughts that are cast 'T is not Satans casting in of vaine thoughts that can keepe mercie from the soule or undoe the soul but the lodging and cherishing of vaine thoughts oh Ierusalem how long shall vain thoughts lodg within thee â—er 4. 14. Heb. in the midst of thee they passe through the best hearts they are lodged and cherished only in the worst hearts into our soules when we are waiting upon God in this or that religious service if they are not cherished and indulged but abhorred resisted and disclaimed they are not sins upon our soules though they may be troubles to our mindes they shall not be put upon our accounts nor keep mercies and blessings from being injoyed by us when a soule in uprightnesse can look God in the face and say Lord when I approach neer unto thee there be a world of vain thoughts croud in upon me that do disturb my soule and weaken my faith and lessen my comfort and spirituall strength oh these are my clog my burden my torment my hell oh do justice upon these free me from these that I may serve thee with more freenesse singlenesse spiritualnesse and sweetnesse of spirit These thoughts may vexe that soule but they shall not harm that soul nor keep a blessing from that soule If vaine thoughts resisted and lamented could stop the current of mercie and render a soule unhappy there would be none on earth that should ever tast of mercy or be everlastingly happy c. The fourth Remedy against this device 4 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that watching against sinfull thoughts resisting of sinfull thoughts lamenting and weeping over sinfull thoughts carries Psal 139. 23. Thoughts are the first born the blossomes of the soul the beginning of our strength whether for good or evill and they are the greatest evidence for or against a man that can be with it the sweetest and strongest evidence of the truth and power of grace and of the sincerity of your hearts and is the readiest and the surest way to be rid of them many low and carnal considerations may worke men to watch their words their lives their actions As hope of gaine or to please friends or to get a name in the world and many other such like considerations oh but to watch our thoughts to weep and lament over them c. this must needs be from some noble spiritual and internal principle as love to God a holy fear of God a holy care and delight to please the Lord c. The Schools do well observe that outward sinnes are of greater Majoris infamiae Majoris reatus infamy but inward heart sinnes are of greater guilt as wee see in the Devills There is nothing that speaks out a man to be throughly and kindly wrought upon as his having his thoughts to be 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. brought into obedience as the Apostle speaks Grace is growen up to a very great height in that soule where it prevailes to the subduing of those vaine thoughts that walk up and down in the the soule well though you cannot be Psal 139. 2. Isa 59. 7. ch 66. 18. Mat. 9. 4. ch 12. 25. Zenâ— a wise heathen affirmed that God even beheld the thoughts Mat. 15. 15 16 17 18 19. rid of them yet make resistance and opposition against the first risings of them when sinfull thoughts arise then thinke thus the Lord takes notice of these thoughts he knows them afar off as the Psalmist speaks he knew Herods bloody thoughts and Judas his betraying thoughts and the Pharisees cruell and blasphemous thoughts afarre off oh think thus all these sinfull thoughts they defile and pollute the soule they deface and spoyle much of the inward beauty and glory of the soule if I commit this or that sinne to which my thoughts incline me then either I must Tears in stead of Gems were the ornaments of Davids bed when he had sinned so they mâ—st be thine or else thou must lie downe in a bed of sorrow forever repent or not repent if I repent it will câ—st me more griefe sorrow shame heart-breaking and soul-bleeding before my conscience will be quieted divine Justice pacified my comfort and joy restored my evidences cleared and my pardon in the Court of Conscience sealed then
downe their services at the foot-stool of Christ must lie down in sorrow their bed is prepared for them in hell Behold all Isa 50. ult yee that kindle a fire and compass your selves with the sparks and walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that yee have kindled this yee shall have at mine hand yee shall lye down in sorrow Is it good dwelling with everlasting burnings with a devouring fire if it be why then rest in your duties still if otherwise then see that you center only in the bosome of Christ The fourth and last Remedie against 4 Remedie this device of Satan is to dwell much upon the necessity and excellency of that resting place that God hath provided for you above all other resting places himselfe is your resting place his free mercy and love is your resting place the pure glorious matchlesse and spotlesse righteousness of Christ is your resting place ah 't is sadd to thinke that most men have forgotten their resting place as the Lord complains My people have been as lost sheep their shepheards have caused them Jer. 50. 6. to goe astray and have turned them away to the mountaines they have gone from mountaine to hill and forgotten their resting place So poor souls that see not the excellency of that resting place that God hath appointed for their souls to lye down in they wander ftom mountaine to hill from one duty to another and here they will rest and there they will rest but soules that see the excellency of that resting place that God hath provided for them they will say farewel prayer farewel hearing farewel fasting c. I will rest no more in you but now will rest only in the bosome of Christ the love of Christ the righteousnesse of Christ The third thing to be shewed is the severall Devices that Satan hath to keep souls in a sad doubting questioning and uncomfortable condition Blessed Bradford in one of his Epistles saith thus O Lord sometimes me thinks I feel it so with me as if there were no difference between my heart and the wicked I have a blind mind as they a stout stubborn rebellious hard heart as they so hee goes on c. THough he can never rob a Believer of his Crowne yet such is his malice and envy that he will leave no stone unturn'd no means unattempted to rob them of their comfort and peace to make their life a burden and a hell unto them to cause them to spend their days in sorrow and mourning in sighing and complaining in doubting and questioning surely we have no interest in Christ our graces are not true our hopes are the hopes of hypocrites our confidence is but presumption our injoyments are but delusions c. I shall shew you this in some particulars The first Device that Satan 1 Device hath to keepe souls in a sad doubting and questioning condition and so making their life a hell is BY causing them to be still poring A Christan should weare Christ in his bosome as a flower of de light for he is a whole paradise of delight he that minds not Christ more then his sin can never be thankfull and fruitfull as he should and musing upon sinne to minde their sins more then their Saviour yea so to mind their sins as to forget yea to neglect their Saviour that as the Psalmist speaks The Lord is not in all their thoughts their eyes are so fixt upon their disease that they cannot see the Remedie though it be neare and they doe so muse upon their debts that they have neither mind nor heart to think of their surety c. Now the first Remedie against 1 Remedie this device of Satan is FOr weake beleevers to consider that though Jesus Christ hath not freed them from the presence of sin yet he Peccata enim non nocent si non placent my sins hurt me not if they like me not Sinn is like that wild fig-tree or Ivie in the wall cuâ— off stump body bough and branches yet some strings or other will sprout out again till the wall be pluckt down Rom. 8. 1. hath freed them from the damnatory power of sin It 's most true that sinne and grace were never borne together neither shall sin and grace dye together yet while a beleever breaths in this world they must live together they must keep house together Christ in this life will not free any beleever from the presence of any one sin though he doth free every beleever from the damning power of every sin There 's no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walke not after the flesh but after the spirit The Law cannot condemn a beleever for Christ hath fulfilled it for him divine Justice cannot condemn him for that Christ hath satisfied his sinns cannot condem him for they in the blood of Christ are pardoned and his owne conscience upon righteous grounds cannot condemn him because Christ that is greater then his conscience hath acquitted him c. The second Remedy against this device 2 Remedie of Satan is to consider that though Jesus Christ hath not freed you from the molesting and vexing power of sin yet he hath freed you from the reigne and The primitive Christians chose rather to be thrown to lions without then left to lusts within Ad leonem magis quam leonem saith Tertullian Rom. 6. 14. dominion of sin Thou sayest that sinne doth so molest and vex thee that thou canst not think of God nor go to God nor speak with God oh but remember 't is one thing for sin to molest and vex thee and another thing for sinne to reigne and have dominion over thee For sinne shall not have dominion over you for ye are not under the law but under grace Sin may rebell but it shall never reigne in any Saint it fareth with sin in the regenerate as with those Beasts that Daniel speaks of That had their dominion taken Dan. 7. 12. away yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time Now sin reigns in the soule when the soul willingly and readily obeys it and subjects to its commands as Subjects do actively obey and embrace the commands of their Prince The commands 'T is a signe that sin hath not gained your consent but committed a rape upon your souls when you cry out â—o God if the ravished Virgin under the Law cryed out she was guiltlesse Deut. 22. 27. So when sinne plays the Tyrant over the soule and the soul cries out 't is guiltlesse those sins shall not be charged upon the soule of a K. are readily embraced and obeyed by his Subjects but the commands of a Tyrant are embraced obeyed unwillingly All the service that is done to a Tyrant is out of violence and not out of obedience A free and willing subjection to the commands of sin speaks out the soul to be under the reign
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
they are these partly to keep them humble and low in their owne eyes and partly to put them upon the use of all divine helps whereby sin may be subdued and mortified And partly that they may live upon Christ for the perfecting the work of Sanctification Lilmod lelammed we therefore learn that wee may teach is a proverb among the Rabbins After the Trojans had been wandering tossing up and down the Mediterranean Sea as soon as they espied Italy they cried out with exulting joy Italy Italy so will Saints when they come to Heaven and partly to weane them from things below and to make them heart-sick of their absence from Christ and to maintain in them bowels of compassion towards others that are subject to the same infirmities with them and that they may distinguish between a state of grace and a state of glory and that Heaven may be more sweet to them in the close Now doth the Lord upon these weighty reasons suffer his people to be exercised and molested with the operations of sinfull corruptions oh then let no beleever speak write or conclude bitter things against his owne soule and comforts because that sinne troubles and vexes his righteous soule c. but lay his hand upon his mouth and be silent because the Lord will have it so upon such weighty grounds as the soule is not able to withstand The sixth Remedy against this Device 6. Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that Beleevers must repent for their being God never gâ—ve a Beleever a new hâ—art that it should always liâ— a bleeding and that it should always be rent and torn in pieces with discouragements discouraged by their sins Their being discouraged by their sins will cost them many a prayer many a teare and many a groane And that because their discouragements under sin flowes from ignorance and unbeliefe it springs from their ignorance of the riches freenesse fulnesse and everlastingnesse of Gods love and from their ignorance of the power glory sufficiency and efficacy of the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ And from their ignorance of the worth glory fulnesse largenesse and compleatnesse of the righteousnesse of Jesus Christ And from their ignorance of that reall close spiritual glorious and inseparable union that is betwixt Christ and their precious soule Ah! did precious souls know and beleeve the truth of these things as they should they would not sit down dejected and over-whelmed under the sense and operations of sin c. The second Device that Satan 2 Device hath to keep souls in a sad doubting and questioning condition is BY working them to make false definitions of their graces Satan knows that as false definitions of sinne wrong the soule one way so false definitions of grace wrong the soule another way I will instance only in faith oh how doth Satan labour might and main to work men to make false definitions of faith Some he works to define faith too high as that it is a full assurance of the love of God to a mans soule in particular or a full perswasion of the pardon and remission of a mans owne sins in particular saith Satan what dost thou talk of faith faith is an assurance of the love of God and of the pardon of sin and this thou hast not thou knowest thou art far off from this therefore thou hast no faith and by drawing men to make such a false definition of faith he keeps them in a sad doubting and questioning condition and makes them spend their days in sorrow and sighing so that teares are their drink and sorrow is their meate and sighing is their work all the day long c. The Philosophers say there are eight dâ—grees of heat we discern three now iâ— a mâ—n should define heat only by the highest degree then all other degrees will be cast out from being heat so if men shall define faiâ—h only by the highest degrees by assurance of the love of God and of the pardon of his sins in particular what will become of lesser degrees of faith If a man should define a man to be a living man onely by the highest and stâ—ongest demonstrations of life as laughing leaping running working walking c. would not many thousands that groan under internal and externall weaknesses and that cannot laugh nor leap nor run nor work nor walk be found dead men by such a definition that yet wee know to be alive 't is so here and you know how to apply it c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this Device 1. Remedy of Satan is solemnly â—o consider that there may be true faith yea gâ—eat measures of faith where there is no assurance The Canaanite woman in the Gospel had strong faith yet no assurance that we read of These things have I written unto you saith John that believe on the name of the Son of God that yee may know that ye have eternall life and that ye may beleeve on the name of the Son of God In these words you see that they did believe and had eternall life in respect of the purpose and promise of God and in respect of the seeds and beginnings of it in their souls and in respect of Christ their head who sits in Heaven as a publique person representing all his chosen ones Who hath raised us up together Ephes 2. 6. and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus and yet they did not know that they had eternall life 'T is one thing to have a right to heaven and another thing to know it 'T is one thing to be beloved and another thing for a man to know that he is beloved 'T is one thing for God to write a mans name in the book of life and another thing for God to tell a man that his name is written in the book of life and to say to him rejoyce because thy name is written in heaven So Paul In whom yee also trusted after Ephes 1. 13. So those in â—haâ— Isa 50. 10 had faith though they had no assurance Mica 7. 8 9. yee heard the word of truth the Gospell of your salvation in whom also after that yee believed yee were sealed with that holy spirit of promise So Micha Rejoyce not against me oh my enemie when I shall fall I shall rise when I shall sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me I will beare the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned c. or the sad countenance of God as the Hebrew hath it This soul had no assurance for he sits in darknesse and was under the sad countenance of God and yet had strong faith As appears in those words when I fall I shall arise when I sit in darknesse the Lord shall be a light unto me He will bring me forth to the light and I shall behold his
righteousnesse and let this suffice for the first answer The second Remedie against this Device 2. Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that God in the Scriptures doth define John 1. 12. faith otherwise God defines faith to be a â—â—ceiving of Christ As many as received him to them he gave this priviledge to be Act. 11. 23. the sons of God to as many as beleeved on his name to be a cleaving of the soule unto God though no joy but afflictions attend the soule Yea the Lord defines faith to be a coming to God in Christ Mat. 11. 28. John 6. 37. Heb. 7. 25. 26. Isa 3. 4 c. and often to a resting and staying or rouling of the soule upon Christ 'T is safest and sweetest to define as God defines both vices and graces this is the only way to settle the soule and to secure it against all the wiles of men and devills who labour by false definitions of grace to keepe precious soules in a doubting staggering and languishing condition and so make their lives a burden a hell unto them The third Remedie against this device 3 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider this that there may be true faith where there Mat. 6. 30. chap. 14. 31. chap. 16. 8. is much doubtings witnesse those frequent sayings of Christ to his Disciples Why are yee afraid oh yee of little faith Luke 12. 28. Persons may be truly believing who neverthelesse are sometimes doubting in the same persons that the fore-mentioned Scriptures speak of you may see their faith commended and their doubts condemned which doth necessarily suppose a presence of both The fourth Remedie against this device 4 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that assurance is an effect of faith therefore it cannot be faith The cause cannot be the effect nor the root the fruit as the effect slowes from the cause the fruit from the root the stream from the fountain so doth the assurance flow from faith this truth I shall make good thus The assurance of our salvation and pardon of sin doth primarily arise from the witnesse of the spirit of God that Ephes 1. 13. Gal. 5. 6. we are the children of God And the spirit never witnesseth this till we are beleevers for we are sonnes by faith in Gal. 4 6. Christ Jesus therefore assurance is not faith but followes it as the effect follows the cause Againe no man can be assured and perswaded of his salvation till he be united to Christ till he be ingrafted into Christ and a man cannot be ingrafted into Christ till he hath faith hee must first be ingrafted into Christ by faith before he can have assurance of his salvation which doth clearly evidence that assurance is not faith but an effect and fruit of faith c. Again faith cannot be lost but assurance may therefore assurance is not faith Though assurance be a precious Psal 51. 12. Psal 30. 6 7. flower in the garden of a Saint and is more infinitely sweet and delightful to the soule then all outward comforts Cant. 5. 6. Isa 8. 17. and contents yet 't is but a flower that is subject to fade and to loose its freshnesse There is many thousand precious souls of whom this world is not worthy that have the â—aith of reliance yet want assurance and the effects of it as high joy glorious peace and vehement longings after the coming of Christ and beauty as Saints by sad experience finde c. Againe a man must first have faith before he can have assurance therefore assurance is not faith and that a man must first have faith before he can have assurance is cleare by this a man must first be saved before he can be assured of his salvation for he cannot be assured of that which is not and a man must first have a saving faith before he can be saved by faith for he cannot be saved by that which he hath not therefore a man must first have faith before he can have assurance and so it roundly followes that assurance is not faith c. The third Device that Satan 3 Device hath to keepe the soul in a sad doubting and questioning condition is BY working the soule to make false Psal 77. 7. 11. Psal 88. 1. ult Psal 73. 2. 23. inferences from the crosse actings of providence saith Satan dost thou not see how Providence crosses thy prayers and crosses thy desires thy teares thy hopes thy endeavours surely if his love were toward thee if his soule did delight and take pleasure in thee he would not deale thus with thee 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 many things may be crosse to our desires that are not crosse to our good Abraham Jacob David Job Moses Jeremiah The Circumcellians being not able to withstand the preaching writing of Augustine sought his destruction having beset the way he was to goe his visitation but by Gods providence he missing his way escaped the danger Jonah Paul c. met with many things that were contrary to their de fires and endeavours that were not contrary to their good as all know that have wisely compared their desires and endeavours and Gods actings together Physick often works contrary to the Patients desires when it doth not work contrary to their good I remember a story of a godly man who had a great desire to goe to France and as he was going to take shipping he broke his leg and it pleased providence so to order it that the ship that he should have gone in at that very same time was cast away and not a man saved and so by breaking a bone his life was saved Though Providence did worke crosse to his desires yet it did not work cross to his good c. The second Remedie against this device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that the hand of God may be against a man when the love and heart of God is much set upon a man No man can conclude how the heart of God stands by his hand The hand of God was against Ephraim and yet his love his heart was Ier. 31. 18 19 20. Gods providentiall hand may be with persons when his heart is set against them Gods providentiall hand was for a time with Saul Haman Ashur Iehu and yet his heart was set against them No man knoweth love or hatred by all that is before them Eccles 9. 1 2. dearly set upon Ephraim I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himselfe thus thou hast chastised mee and I was chastised as a bullocke unaccustomed to the yoke turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh
I was ashamed yea even confounded because I did beare the reproach of my youth Ephraim is my deare sonne he is a pleasant child for since I spake against him I doe earnestly remember him still therefore my bowells are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. God can look sowrly and chide bitterly and strike heavily even where and when he loves dearly The hand of God was very much against Job and yet his love his heart was very much set upon Job as you may see by comparing the 2. first chap. of Iob with the two last The hand of God was sore against David and Jonah when his heart was much set upon them He that shall conclude that the heart of God is against those that his hand is against will condemne the generation of the just whom God unjustly would not have condemned The third Remedie against this device 3 Remedie of Satan is to consider that all the crosse providences that befall the Saints are but in order to some noble good that God doth intend to conferre upon them Providence wrote crosse to Davids desire in taking away the child sinfully begotten but yet not crosse to a more noble good for was it not farre better for David to have such a legitimate Heire as Solomon was then that a Bastard should weare the Crown and sway the Scepter Joseph you know was sold into a far Country by the envy and malice of his brethren and afterwards imprisoned because he would not be a prisoner to his Mistrisses lusts yet all these cross providences did wonderfully conduce to his advancement and the preservation of his Fathers family which was then the visible Church of Christ It was so ordered by a noble hand of providence that what they sought to decline they did promote Joseph was therefore sold by his brethren that he might not be worshipped and yet he was therefore worshipped because he was sold David was designed to a Kingdome but oh the straits troubles and deaths that he run through before he feels the weight of the Crown and all this was but in order to the sweetning of his Crown and to the setling of it more firmly and gloriously upon his head God did so contrive it that Jonah's offence and those crosse actings of his that did attend it should advantage that end which they seemed most directly The motions of divine providence are so dark so deep so changeable that the wisest and noblest soules cannot tell what conclusions to make to oppose Jonah he flies to Tanshish then cast into the Sea then saved by a miracle Then the Marriners as is very probable who cast Jonah into the Sea declared to the Ninivites what had hapned therefore he must be a man sent of God and that his threatnings must be beleeved and hearkned to and therefore they must repent and humble themselves that the wrath threatned might not be executed c. The fourth Remedy against this device 4 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider that all the strange dark deep and changeable providences that Believers meet with shall further them in their way to heaven in their journey to happinesse divine wisdome and love will so order all things here below that they shall work for the reall internall and eternall good of them that love him All the rugged providences that David met with did contribute to the Orosius speaking of Valentinian saith he that for Christs name sake had lost a Tribune ship within a while after succeeded his persecutor in the Empire bringing of him to the Throne and all the rugged promises that Daniel and the three children met with did contribute to their great advancement So all the rugged providences that Believers meet with they shall all contribute to the lifting up of their soules above all things below God As the waters lifted up Noah's Ark nearer Heaven and as all the stones that were about Stevens eares did but knock him the closer to Christ the corner-stone so all the strange rugged providences that we meet with they shall raise us nearer Heaven and knock us neerer to Christ that precious corner-stone c. The fourth Device that Satan 4 Device hath to keep the soule in a sad doubting questioning condition is BY suggesting to them that their graces are not true but counterfeit saith Satan all is not gold that glisters all is not grace that you count grace that you call grace that which Yet it must be granted that many a fair flower may grow out of a stinking root and many sweet dispositions and fair actions may be where there is onely the corrupt root of nature you call faith is but a fancy and that which you call zeal is but unnaturall heat and passion and that light you have 't is but common 't is short to what many have attained to that are now in hell c. Satan doth not labour more mightily to perswade hypocrites that their graces are true when they are counterfeit then he doth to perswade precious souls that their graces are counterfeit when indeed they are true and such as will abide the touch-stone of Christ c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this device of Satan is seriously to consider that grace is taken two wayes First 't is taken for the gracious good will and favour of God whereby he is pleased of his owne free love to accept of some in Christ for his owne This some call the first grace because 't is the fountaine of all other graces and the Spring from whence they flow and it 's therefore called grace because it makes a man gracious with God but this is only in God Secondly grace is taken for the gifts of grace and they are of two sorts common or special Some are common to Beleevers and hypocrites as a gift of knowledge a gift of prayer c. Gal. 5. 22 23. Some are special graces and they are proper and peculiar to the Saints as faith humility meeknesse love patience c. The second Remedie against this device 2 Remedie of Satan is wisely to consider the differences betwixt renuing grace and God brings not a paire of scales to weigh our graces but a touch-stone to try our graces Purity preciousness holines is stampt upon all saving graces Acts 15. 9. 2 Pet. 1. 1. Iude 20. restraining grace betwixt sanctifyng grace and temporary grace and this I shall shew you in these following particulars 1. True grace makes all glorious within and without The Kings daughter is all glorious within her raiment is of wrought gold True grace makes the underastanding glorious the will glorious the affections glorious it casts a generall glory upon all the noble parts of the soule The Kings daughter is all glorious within And as it makes the inside glorious so it makes the out-side glorious Her cloathing
is of wrought gold it makes men looke gloriously and speak gloriously and walke and act gloriously so that vaine souls shall be Acts 4. vers 8. to vers 15. forced to say that these are they that have seen Jesus as grace is a fire to burn up and consume the drosse and filth of the soule so it is an ornament to 2 Cor. 5. 17. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a new creation new Adam new Covenant new Paradise new Creation new Lord new Law new hearts new natures go together beautifie and adorn the soule True grace makes all new the inside new and the out-side new If any man be in Christ he is a new creature but temporary grace doth not this True grace changes the very nature of a man morall vertue doth only restrain or chain up the outward man it doth not change the whole man a Lion in a grate is a Lion still he is restrained but not changed for he retains his Lion-like nature still so temporary graces restraine many men from this and that wickedness but it doth not change and turn their hearts from wickednesse but now true grace that turnes a Lion into a Lamb as you may see in Paul Acts 9. and a notorious strumpet into a blessed and glorious Penitent as you may see in Mary Magdalen c. Luke 7. 2. The objects of true grace are supernaturall true grace is conversant about the choisest and the highest objects 2 Cor. 4. 18. chap. 11. Hebr. 15. Prov. 14. A Saint hath his feet where other mens heads are Matth. 6. about the most soul-enobling and soul-greatning objects as God Christ precious promises that are more worth then a world and a Kingdome that shakes not a Crown of glory that withers not and Heavenly treasures that rust not The objects of temporary grace are low and poor and alwayes within the compasse of reasons reach 3. True grace inables a Christian when he is himselfe to do spirituall actions with reall pleasure and delight To souls truly gracious Christs yoke is Mat. 11. 30. 1 John 5. 3. Rom. 7. 22. easie and his burden is light his commandements are not grievous but joyous I delight in the law of God after the inward man saith Paul the blessed man is described by this that he delights in the law Psal 1. 2. of the Lord 'T is joy to the just to doe judgment Prov. 21. 15. saith Solomon To a gracious soul all the wayes of the Lord are pleasantnesse and his paths are peace But to souls that have but temporary grace but morall vertues religious services are a toile not a pleasure a burden and not a delight Wherefore have we fasted say they Isa 58. 3. and thou seest not wherefore have wee afflicted Mal. 3. 14. our soules and thou takest no knowledg c. Yee have said say those in Malachi it is vaine to serve God and what profit is it that wee have kept his Ordinances and that we have walked mournfully before the Lord of Hosts When will the new Moone be gone say those in Amos that Amos 8. 5. we may sell corne and the Sabbath that we may set forth wheat making the Epha small and the shekell great and falsifying the balances by deceit Fourthly True grace makes a man most carefull and most fearfull of his owne heart it makes him most studious about his owne heart informing that examining that and P 〈…〉 51. 10. Psal 119. 36. 80. Psal 139. 23. Psal 86. 11. Matth. 23. watching over that but temporary grace morall vertues make men more mindfull and carefull of others to instruct them and counsell them and stir up them and watch over them c. which doth with open mouth demonstrate that their graces are not saving and peculiar to Saints but that they are temporary and no more then what Judus Demas and the Pharisees had c. 5. Grace will work a mans heart to love and cleave to the strictest and hâ—liest wayes and things of God for their purity and sanctity in the face of all dangers and hardships Thy word is very Psal 119. 140. pure therefore thy servant loveth it others love it and like it and follow it for the credit the honour the advantage that they get by it but I love it for the spirituall beauty and purity of it So the Psalmist All this is come upon us Psal 44. 17 18 19. Grace is a panoply against all troubles a paradise of all pleasures yet have we not forgotten thee neither have we dealt falsly in thy Covenant Our heart is not turned backe neither have our steps declined from thy way Though thou hast sore broken us in the place of Dragons and covered us with the shadowes of death But temporary grace that will not beare up the soule against all oppositions and discouragements in the wayes of God as is cleare by their apostacie in that sixt Mat. 13. 20 21. of John and by the stony grounds falling away c. 6. True grace will inable a man to step over the worlds Crown to take up Christs Crosse to preferre the crosse of Christ above the glory and bravery of this world It inabled Abraham and Moses and Daniel with those other Heb. 11. Worthies in the 11. of the Hebrews to do so Godfrey of Bullen first King of Jerusalem refused to be crowned with a Crown of Gold saying that it became Few are of Hieroms mind that had rather have St. Pauls coate with his heavenly graces then the purple of Kings with their Kingdoms 2 Tim. 4. 10. Mat. 19. 20 21 22. The King of Navarr told Beza that in the cause of Religion hee would launch no further into the Sea then he might be sure to return safe to the Haven not a Christian to weare a Crowne of Gold where Christ had wore a Crown of thornes oh but temporary grace cannot work the soul to prefer Christs crosse above the worlds Crowne but when these two meet a temporary Christian steps over Christs crosse to take up and keep up the worlds crown Demas hath for saken us to embrace this present world So the young man in the Gospel had many good things in him he bid fair for Heaven and came neer to Heaven but when Christ set his Crosse before him he steps over that to enjoy the worlds Crown When Christ bid him goe and sell all that he had and give to the poor c. He went away sorrowfull for he had great possessions If Heaven be to be had upon no other terms Christ may keep his Heaven to himselfe hee 'l have none c. Then in the seventh place consider this that sanctifying grace renewing grace puts the soule upon spirituall duties from spirituall and intrinsical motives as from the sense of divine love that doth constrain the soul to wait on As what I have if offered to thee pleaseth not thee oh Lord without my selfe
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
good with such and such outward contents I must have Christ and the world or else with the young man in the Gospel in soight of my soule I shall forsake Christ to follow the world Ah! how many shining Professors be there in the world that cannot sit down satisfied and contented under the want of this or that outward comfort and content but are like Bedlams fretting and vexing raging and madding as if there were no God no Heaven no Hell nor no Christ to make up all such outward wants to soules I but a soule truly gracious can Content is the deputy of outward felicity supplies the place where its absent As the Jews throw the book of Hester to the ground before they read it because the name of God is not in it as the Rabbins have observed So do Saints in some sense those mercies wherein they do not read Christs name see Christs heart Luther said he had rather be in hell with Christ then in heaven without him say In having nothing I have all things because I have Christ having therefore all things in him I seek no other reward for hee is the universall reward such a soule can say nothing is sweet to me without the enjoyment of Christ in it honours nor riches nor the smiles of creatures are not sweet to me no further then I see Christ and tast Christ in them the confluence of all outward good cannot make a Heaven of glory in my soule if Christ who is the top of my glory be absent As Absolom said What is all this to mee so long as I cannot see the Kings face so saith the soule what do you tell me of this and that outward comfort when I cannot see his face whom my soul loves why my honour is not my Christ nor riches is not Christ nor the favour of the creature is not Christ let me have him and let the men of this world take the world divide it amongst themselves I prize my Christ above all I would injoy my Christ before all other things in the world his presence will make up the absence of all other comforts and his absence will darken and embitter all my comforts so that my comforts will neither taste like comforts nor look like comforts nor warm like comforts c. when hee that should Lam. 1. 16. comfort my soule stands a far off c. Christ is all and in all to soules truly gracious we have all things in Christ and Christ is all things to a Christian Coloss 3. 11. None but Christ none but Christ said Lambers listing up his hands and his singers ends flaming if we be sick he is a Physician if wee thirst he is a fountaine if our sinnes trouble us he is righteousnesse if wee stand in need of help he is mighty to save if we feare death he is life if we be in darknesse he is light if we be weake he is strength if we be in poverty he is plenty if we desire Heaven he is the way The soule cannot say this I would have and that I would have but saith Christ 't is in me 't is in me eminently perfectly eternally The fifth Device that Satan 5 Device hath to keepe soules in a sad doubting and questioning condition is BY suggesting to them that that condict Iohn 8. 44. The Devill is a lyar and â—he Father of it The Devils breasts saith Luther â—re very fruitfull with lies that is in them is not a conflict that is onely in Saints but such a conflict that is to be found in hypocrites and prophane soules when the truth is there is as much difference betwixt the conflict that is in them and that which is in wicked men as there is betwixt light and darknesse betwixt Heaven and Hâ—ll And the truth of this I shall evidence to you in the following particulars 1. The whole frame of a Bâ—leevers soul is against sin understanding will and affections all the powers and faculties 'T was a good prayer of him that said Domine libera me a malo homine meipso Lord deliver mee from an ill man my selfe Austine complains that men doe not tame the beasts in their own bosomes Rom. 2. 21 22 23. of the soule are in armes against sin A covetous man may condemne covetousnesse and yet the frame and bent of his heart may be to it a proud person may condemn pride and yet the frame of his spirit may be to it the drunkard may condemne drunkennesse and yet the frame of his spirit may be to it a man may condemn stealing and lying and yet the frame of his heart may be to it Thou that preachest a man should not steale dost thou steale Thou that sayest a man should not commit Adultery dost thou commit Adultery Thou that abâ—orrest idols dost thou commit sacriledg Thou that makest thy boast of the Law through breaking the law dishonourest thou God But a Saints will is against it The evill that I would not doe I doe and his affections are against Rom. 7. 19. 17. it what I hate I doe 2. A Saint conflicts against sin universally Psal 119. 104. I hate every false way Sanethi from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 which signifies to hate with a deadlyly and irreconciliable hatred the least as well as the greatest the most profitable and the most pleasing sin as well as against â—hose that are lesse pleasing and profitable he will combate with all though he cannot conquer one as he should and as he would he knowes that all sin strikes at Gods holiness as well as his own happiness at Gods glory as well as at his soules comfort and peace He knows that all sinne is hatefull to God and that all sinns are Traytors to the Crown and dignity of the Lord Jesus He looks upon one sin and sees He knows that all the parts of the old man hath and doth play the part of a treacherous friend and a friendly traytor therefore his heart strikes at all The greater the combat is the greater shall be the following rewards saith Tertullian that that threw down Noah the most righteous man in the world and hee looks upon another sinne and sees that that cast down Abraham the greatest beleever in the world and he looks upon another sinne and sees that that threw down David the best King in the world and he looks upon another sin and sees that that cast down Paul the greatest Apostle in the world He sees that one sinne threw down Sampson the strongest man in the world another cast down Solomon the wisest man in the world and another Moses the meekest man in the world and another sinn cast downe Job the patientest man in the world and this raises a holy indignation in his soule against all so that nothing can satisfie and content True hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 against the whole kind Plutarch reports of one who would not
be resolved of his doubts because he would not loose the pleasure in seeking for resolution So wicked men will not be rid of some sins because they would not loose the seeming pleasure of sinning his soule but a destruction of all those lusts and vermine that vex and rack his righteous heart it will not satisfie a gracious soul to see Justice done upon one sin but he cries out for Justice upon all he would not have some crucified and others spared but cries out Lord crucifie them all crucifie them all Oh! but now the conflict that is in wicked men is partiall they frown upon one fin and smile upon another they strike at some sins but stroake others they thrust some out of doors but keep others close in their bosomes as you may see in Iehu Herod Iudas Simon Magus and Demas Wicked men strike at gtosse sins such as are not only against the law of God but against the Laws of nature and Nations but make nothing of lesse sinnes as vaine thoughts idle words sinfull motions John 3. 20. petty oathes c. They fight against those sins that fight against their honor profits pleasures c. but make truce with those that are as right hands and as right eyes to them c. 3. The conflict that is in a Saint against sin is maintained by spirituall Arguments by arguments drawn from Though to be kept from sin brings comfort to us yet for us to oppose sin from spirituall and heavenly arguments and God to pardon sin that brings most glory to God 2. Cor. 12. 7 8 9. the love of God the honour of God the sweetness of communion with God and from the spirituall and heavenly blessings and priviledges that are conferred upon them by God and from Arguments drawn from the blood of Christ the glory of Christ the eye of Christ the kisses of Christ and the intercession of Christ And from Arguments drawn from the earnest of the Spirit the seale of the Spirit the witnesse of the Spirit the comforts of the Spirit Oh! but the conflict that is in wicked men is from low earnall and legall Arguments drawn from the eye eare or hand of the creature or drawn from shame hell curses of the Law c 4. The conflict that is in Saints is a 'T was an excellent saying of Eusebius Emesenus Our father 's overcome the torments of the flames let us overcome the fiery darts of vices Consider that the pleasure and sweetness that follows victory over sin is a thousand times beyond that seeming sweetnesse that is in sinne constant conflict though sin and grace were not born in the heart of a St. together and though they shall not die together yet whilst a Beeleever lives they must conflict together Paul had been about fourteen years converted when he cryed out I have a law in my members rebelling against the law of my minde and leading mee captive to the law of sinne Pietro Candiano one of the Dukes of Venice died fighting against the Nauratines with the weapons in his hands so a Saint lives fighting and dies fighting he stands fighting and falls fighting with his spirituall weapons in his hands But the conflict that is in wicked men is inconstant now they fal out with sin and anon they fall in with sin now 't is bitter anon 't is sweet now the sinner turns from his sin and anon he turns to the wallowing in sin as the swine doth to the wallowing in the mire one hour you shall have him 2 Pet. 2. 19 20. praying against sin as if he feared it more then hell and the next houre you shall have him pursuing after sin as if there were no God to punish him no justice to damne him no hell to torment him The conflict that is in the Saints is in the same faculties there is the judgement against the judgement the minde against the minde the will against the will the affections against the affections A Heathen could say their soule is in a mutiny a wicked man is not friends with himself he and his conscience are at difference Arist that is the regenerate part against the unregenerate part in all the parts of the soule but now in wicked men the conflict is not in the same faculties but between the conscience and the will the will of a sinner is bent strongly to such and such sins but conscience puts in and tels the sinner God hath made me his Deputy he hath given me a power to hang and draw to examine scourge judge and condemn and if thou doest such and such wickednesse I shall be thy Jayâ—or and thy tormentor I doe not beare the rod nor the sword in vaine saith Conscience if thou sinnest I shall doe my office and then thy life will be a hell and this raises a tumult in the soule 6. The conflict that is in the Saints is a more blessed successefull and prevailing conflict a Saint by his conflict with sin gaines ground upon his sin They that are Christs saith the Apostle have These two Grace and Sin are like two Buckets at a wel when one is up the other is down they are like the two Lawrels at Rome when one flourishes the other withers The more grace thrives in the soule the more fin dies in the soule 2 Tim. 3. 13. From naught they groâ— to be very naught and from very naught to be stark naught Lactantius saith of Lucian Nec diis nec hominibus pepercit hespared neither God nor man Mortification is a continued act 't is a daily dying to sin I dye daily A crucified man will strive and struggle yet in the eyes of the Law and in the account of all that see him he is dead 't is just so with sin Psal 58. 11. There is no such pleasure saith Cyprian as to have overcome an offered pleasure neither is there any greater conquest then that that is gotten over a mans corruptions crucified the world with the affections and lusts Christ puts to his hand and helps them to lead captivity captive and to set their feet upon the necks of those lusts that have formerly trampled upon their souls and their comforts As the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker and the house of David grew stronger and stronger so the Lord by the discoveries of his love and by the influences of his spirit he causes grace the noble part of a Saint to grow stronger and stronger and corruption like the house of Saul to grow weaker and weaker But sin in a wicked heart gets ground and growes stronger and stronger notwithstanding all his conflicts his heart is more encouraged emboldened and hardened in a way of sin as you may see in the Israelites Pharoah Jehu and Judas who doubtlesse found many strange conflicts â—umults and mutinies in their souls when God spake such bitter things against them and did such justice upon them But remember this by way of Caution though
Christ hath given sinne its deaths wound by his power spirit death and resurrection yet it will die but a lingring death As a man that is mortally wounded dies by little and little so doth sin in the heart of a Saint The death of Christ on the Crosse was a lingring death so the death of sin in the soule is a lingering death now it dies a little and anon it dies a little c. as the Psalmist speaks Slay them not least my people forget scatter them by thy power and bring them downe oh Lord our shield He would not have them utterly destroyed but some reliques preserved as a memoriall so God dealeth in respect of sin 't is wounded and brought downe but not wholly slaine something is still left as a monument of the Divine grace and to keep us humble wakefull and watchfull and that our armour may be still kept on and our weapons alwayes in our hands The best mens soules in this life hangs between the flesh and the spirit as it were like Mahomets Tomb at Aleppo between two load-stones like Erasmus as the Papists paint him betwixt The Romanes lost many a battel â—nd yet in the issue were Conquerors in all their wars 't is just so with the Saints Heaven and Hell like the Tribe of Manasseh halfe on this side Jordan in the Land of the Amorites and halfe on that side in the Holy Land yet in the issue they shall overcome the flesh and trample upon the necks of their spirituall enemies The Sixth Device that Satan hath to keep a poor soule in a sad doubting and questioning condition is BY suggesting to the soule that surely 6 Device his estate is not good because he cannot joy and rejoyce in Christ as once he could because he hath lost that comfort and joy that once was in his spirit Saith Satan thou knowest the time was when thy heart was much carried out to joying and rejoycing in Christ thou doest not forget the time when thy heart used to be full of joy and comfort but now how art thou fallen in thy joyes and comforts Therefore thy estate is not good thou doest but deceive thy selfe to think that ever it was good for surely if it had thy joy and comfort would have continued And hereupon the soule is apt to take part with Satan and say 't is even so I see all is naught and I have but deceived my owne soule c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is to consider that the losse of comfort is a separable adjunct from grace the soul may be fâ—ll of holy affections when 't is empty of Divine consolations There may be and often Ps 63. 1 2 8. Isa 50. 10. 7. Mic. 7. 8 9. Psal 42. 5 is true grace yea much grace where there is not a drop of comfort nor a dram of joy Comfort is not of the being but of the wel-being of a Christian God hath not so linked these 2 choice lovers together but that they may be Spirituall joy is a Sun that is often clouded though it be as precious a flower as most Paradise affords yeâ— 't is subject to side and wâ—â—ther put asunder That wisdome that is from above will never work a man to reason thus I have no comfort therefore I have no grace I have lost that joy that once I had therefore my condition is not good was never good c. but 't will inable a man to reason thus tho my comfort is gone yet the God of my comfort abides though my joy is lost yet the seeds of grace remaine The best mens joyes are as glasse bright and brittle and evermore in danger of breaking The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that the precious things that thou still injoyest are far better then the joyes and comforts that thou hast lost Thy union with Christ thy communion with Christ thy son-ship thy saint-ship thy heir-ship thou still injoyest by Christ is far better then the comforts thou hast lost by sin what though thy comforts be gone yet thy union and communion with Christ remaines though thy comforts be gone yet thou art a Son tho Jer. 31. 18 19 20. a comfortlesse Son an heir though a comfortlesse heir a Saint though a comfortlesse Saint Though the bag of silver thy comforts be lost yet the When one objected to Faninus his chearfullnesse to Christs Agony and sadnesse he answered Christ was sad that I might bemerry he had my sins and I have his righteousnesse box of Jewels thy union with Christ thy communion with Christ thy Sonship thy Saint-ship thy Heir-ship which thou still injoyest is far better then the bag of silver thou hast lost yea the least of those precious Jewels is more worth then all the comforts in the world well let this be a cordiall to comfort thee a star to lead thee and a staffe to support thee that thy box of Jewels are safe though thy bag of silver be lost The third Remedie against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is to consider that thy condition is no other then what hath been the condition of those precious Psal 51. 12. Psal 30. 6 7. Job 23. 6 8 9. 30. 31. Lam. 1. 16. Mat. 27. 46. soules whose names were written upon the heart of Christ and who are now at rest in the bosome of Christ One day you shall have them praising and rejoycing the next day a mourning weeping one day you shall have them a singing Psal 42. 5. The Lord is our portion the next day a sighing and expostulating with themselves Lam. 5. 15. Why are yee cast downe oh our souls Why is our Harp turned to mourning And our Organ into the voice of them that weep c. The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that the causes of joy and comfort are not alwayes the same Happily thy former joy and comfort did spring from The spirit doth not every day make a feast in the soul he doth not make every day to be a day of wearing the wedding robes the witnesse of the spirit he bearing witnesse to thy soule that thy nature was changed thy sins pardoned thy soule reconciled c. Now the Spirit may upon some speciall occasion bear witnesse to the soul that the heart of God is dearly set upon him that he loves him with an everlasting love c. and yet the soule may never injoy such a testimony all the dayes of his life again Though the spirit be a witnessing spirit it 's not his office every day to witnesse to believers their interest in God Christ Heaven c. Or happily thy former joy and comfort did spring from the newnesse and suddennesse of the change of thy condition for a man in one
houre to have A pardon given unexpectedly into the hand of a malefactor when he is on the last stâ—p of the ladder ready to be turn'd off will cause muâ—h joy rejoycing the newnesse and suddennesse of the change of his condition will cause his heart to leap and rejoyce yet in proces of time much of his joy will â—e abaâ—ed tho his liâ—e be as dâ—aâ— to him still as ever it was his night turn'd into day his darknesse turn'd into light his bitter into sweet Gods frownes into smiles his hatred into love his hell into a Heaven must greatly joy and comfort him It cannot but make his heart to leap and dance in him who in one houre shall see Satan accusing him his owne heart condemning him the eternall God frowning upon him the gates of Heaven bar'd against him all the creation standing armed at the least beck of God to execute vengeance on him and the mouth of the infernall pit open to receive him Now in this hour for Christ to come to the amazed soule and say to it I have trod the Winâ—-presse of my Fathers wrath for thee I have laid down my life a ransome for thee by my blood I have satisfied my Fathers Justice and pacified his anger and procured his love for thee by my blood I have purchased the pardon of thy sins thy freedom from hell and thy right to Heaven c. Oh! how wonderfully will this cause the soule to leap for joy The fifth Remedy against this Device 5 Remedie of Satan is to consider that God will restore and make up the comforts of his people though thy candle be put out Hudson the Martyr deserted at the stake went from under his chain and having prayed earnestly was comforted immediately and suffered valiantly So Mr. Glover when he was within sight of the stake cryed out to his friend he is come he is come meaning the comforter that Christ promised to send yet God will light it againe and make it burn more light then ever though thy sun for the present be clouded yet he that rides upon the clouds shall scatter those clouds and cause the sun to shine and warm thy heart as in formâ—r dayes as the Psalmist speakes a Ps 71. 20 21. Thou which hast shewed me great and sâ—re troubles shalt quicken me againe and shalt bring me up againe from the depths of the earth Thou shalt increase my greatnesse and comfort me on every side God takes away a little comfort that he may make room in the soule for a greater degree of comfort This the Prophet Isaiah sweetly shewes b Isa 57. 18. I have seen his wayes and will heale him I will lead him also and restâ—re comforts unto him and to his mourners Bear up sweetly oh precious soule thy storme shall end in a calm and thy dark night in a sun-shine day thy mourning shall be turn'd into rejoycing and the waters of consolation shall be sweeter and higher in thy soule then See also the 126 Psal 6. v. and the 42 Psal 7 8. ever the mâ—rcy is surely thine but the time of giving it is the Lords wait but a litâ—le and thou shalt find the Lord comforting thee on every side The seventh Device that Satan hath to keep souls in a doubting and questioning condition is BY suggesting to the soule his often 7 Device relapses into the same sin which formerly he hath pursued with particular sorrow grief shame and tears and prayed complained and resolved against Saith Satan thy heart is not right with God surely thy estate is not good thou dost but flatter thy selfe to think that ever God will eternally owne and embrace such a one as thou art who complainest against sin and yet relapsest into the same sin who with teares and groanes confessest thy sin and yet ever and anon art fallen into the same sin c. I confesse this is a very sad condition for a soule after he hath obtained mercy and pity from the Lord after God hath spoken peace and pardon to him and wip't the tears from his eyes and set him upon his legs to returne to folly ah how doe relapses lay men open to the greatest afflictions and worst A backslider may say opera impensa periit all my paines and charge is lost temptations How doe they make the wound to bleed afresh How doe they darken and cloud former assurances and evidenceâ— for Heaven How doe they put a sword into the hand of conscience to cut and slash the soule They raise such feares terrours horrours and doubts in the soule that the soule cannot be so frequent in duty as formerly nor so fervent in duty as formerly nor so confident in duty as formerly nor so bold familiar and delightfull with God in duty as formerly nor so constant in duty as formerly they give Satan an advantage to triumph over Christ they make the work of repentance moâ—e difficult they make a mans life a burden and they render death to be very terrible unto the soule c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this device 1 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that there are many Scriptures that doe clearly evidence a possibility of the St. falling into the same sins whereof they have formerly repented c Hos 14. 4. I will heale their backsliding I will love them freely for mine anger is turned away from them saith the Lord by the Prophet Hosea so the Prophet Jeremiah speaks d Ier. 3. 12. 14. Goe and proclaime these words towards the North and say returne thou back-sliding Israel saith the Lord and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you for I am mercifull saith the The sin of backsliding is a soul-wounding sin I will heale their backsliding you read of no arms for the back though you doe for the breast Lord and I will not keep anger for ever Turne oh backsliding Israel saith the Lord for I am married unto you And I will take you one of a City and two of a family and I will bring you to Zion So the Psalmist They turned back and dealt unfaithfully like their Fathers they were turned aside like a deceitfull bow And no wonder for tho their repentance be never so sincere and sound yet their graces are but weak and their mortification imperfect in When a souldier bragged too much of a great scar in his forehead Augustus Caesar in whose time Christ was borne asked him if he did not get it when he looked back as he fled this life though by grace they are freed from the dominion of sin and from the damnatory power of every sin and from the love of all sin yet grace doth not free them from the seed of any one sin and therefore 't is possible for a soule to fall againe and againe into the same sin if the fire be not wholly
put out who would thinke it impossible that it should catch and burne againe and againe The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider that God hath no where ingaged himselfe by any particular promise that soules converted and united to Christ shall not fall againe and againe into the same sins after conversion I cannot find in the whole Book of God where he In some cases the Saints have found God better then his word he promâ—sed the Children of Israel onely the Land of Canaan but besides that he gave them two other Kingdomes which he never promised And to Zachary he promised to give him his speech at the birth of the child but besides that he gave him the gift of Prophecy hath promised any such strength or power against this or that particular sin as that the soule shall be for ever in this life put out of a possibility of falling againe and againe into the same sins and where God hath not a mouth to sâ—eak I must not have a heart to believe God will graciously pardon those sins to his people that he will not in this life effectually subdue in his people I would goe far to speak with that soule that can shew a promise that when our sorrow and grief hath been so great or so much for this or that sin that then God will preserve us from ever falling into the same sin the sight of such a promise would be as life from the dead to many a precious soule who desires nothing more then to keepe close to Christ and feares nothing more then backsliding from Christ The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that the most renowned and now crowned Saints have in the dayes of their being on earth relapsed into one and the A sheep may often slip into a slough as well as a swine same sin Lot was twice overcome with wine John twice worshipped the Angel Abraham did often dissemble and Iay his wife open to adultery to save his owne life which some Heathens would not have done And it came to Gen. 20. 13. â—h 12. passe when God caused me to wander from my Fathers house that I said unto her this is thy kindnesse which thou shalt shew unto me at every place whether we shall come say of me he is my brother David in his Perhaps the Prodigall sets out unto us a Christian relapst for he was a son before and with his Father then went away from him and spent all and yet he was not quite undone but returned againe wrath was resolved if ever man was that he would be the death of Nabal and all his innocent Family and after this he fell into the foule murther of Vriah Though Christ told his Disciples that his Kingdome was not of this world yet againe and againe and again three severall times they would needs be on horse-back they would faine be high great and glorious in this world their pride and ambitious humour put them that were but as so many baggars upon striving for preheminence and greatnesse in the world when their Lord and Master told them 3 severall times of his sufferings in the world and of his going out of the world Jehoshaphat 2 Chron. 18. ch 1. 2. 3. 30 31. though a godly man yet joynes affinity with wicked Ahab and though he was saved by a miracle yet soon after he fals into the same sin and joynes himself with ch 20. 35. 36 37. Ahaziah King of Israel who did very wickedly Sampson iâ— by the Spirit of the Lord numbred among the faithful worthies Heb. 11. 32. and yet he fell often into one gross sin as is evident in the book of Judges Jud. 14. 15. 16. ch Peter you know relapst often and so did Jonah and this comes to passe that they may see their owne inability to stand to resist or overcome any temptation or corruption And that they may be taken off from all false confidences and rest wholy upon God and onely upon God and alwayes upon God and for the praise and honour of the power wisdome skill mercy and The Prodigal saw the compassion of his Father the greater in receiving him after he had run away from him goodnesse of the Physitian of our souls that can heale help and cure when the disease is most dangerous when the soule is relapst and growes worse and worse and when others say there is no help for him in his God and when his owne heart and hopes are dying The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedie of Satan is to consider that therâ— are relapses into enormities and there are relapses into infirmities now 't is not usuall with God to leave his people Relapses into enormities are peccata vulnerantia divistantia wounding wasting sins Therefore the Lord is graciously pleased to put under his everlasting arms and stay his chosen ones from frequent falling into them frequently to relapse into enormities for by his spirit and grace by his smiles and frownes by his word and rod he doth usually preserve his people from a frequent relapsing into enormities yet he doth leave his choicest ones frequently to relapse into infirmities and of his grace he pardons them in course as idle words passion vaine thoughts c. Though gracious soules strive against these and complaine of these and weep over these yet the Lord to keep them humble leaves them frequently to relapse into these and these frequent relapses into infirmities shall never be their bane because they be their burden The fift Remedy against this Device 5 Remedy of Satan is to consider that there are There is a great difference betwen a sheep that by weaknesse fals into the mire a swine that delights to wallow in the mire between a woman that is forced though she strives and cries out and and an alluring adultress involuntary relapses and there are voluntary relapses involuntary relapses are when the resolution and full bent of the heart is against sin when the soul strives with all its might against sin by sighes and groans by prayers and tears and yet out of weaknesse is forced to fall back into sin because there is not spirituall strength enough to overcome Now though involuntary relapses must humble us yet they must never discourage nor deject us for God will freely and readily pardon those in course Voluntary relapses are when the soule longs and loves to return to the flesh-pots of Egypt when 't is a pleasure and a pastime to a man to return to his old courses such voluntary relapses speak out the man blinded hardned and ripened for rulne c. The sixth Remedie against this Device 6 Remedy of Sathan is to consider that there is no such power or infinite vertue in the Christ upbraded his Disciples for their unbelief and hardnesse of heart who
had seene his glory as the glory of the only begotten son of God full of grace and truth 1 John 14. greatest horror or sorrow the soul can be under for sin nor in the sweetest or chosest discoveries of Gods grace and love to the soule as for ever to fence and secure the soule from relapsing into the same sin Grace is but a created habite that may be prevailed against by the secret subtile and strong workings of sin in our hearts And those discoveries that God makes of his love beauty and glory to the soule doe not always abide in their freshnesse and power upon the heart but by degrees they fade and weare off and then the soule may return again to folly As we see in Peter who after he had a glorious testimony Mat. 16. 15 16 17 18 19. 22 23 24. from Christ his own mouth of his blessednesse and happinesse labours to prevent Christ from going up to Jerusalem to suffer out of base slavish fears that he and his fellows could not be secure if his Master should be brought to suffer And againe after this Christ had him up into the Mount and there Mat. 7. 1 2 3. shewed him his beauty and glory to strengthen him against the hour of tentation that was a comming upon him and yet soone after he had the honour and happinesse of seeing the glory of the Lord which most of the Disciples had not he basely and most shamefully denies the Lord of glory thinking Mat. 26. 69. ult by that means to provide for his owne safety And yet again after Christ had broke his heart with a looke of love for his most unlovely dealings and bade them that were first acquainted with his resurrection to goe and tell Peter that he was risen I say after all this slavish fears prevail upon him and he basely dissembles and plays ehe Iew with the Iewes and the Gentile with the Gentiles to the seducing of Barnabas Gal 2. 11 12 13. c. Yet by way of caution know it 's very rare that God doth leave his beloved ones frequently to relapse into one and the same grosse sin for the law of nature is in armes against grosse sins aswell as the law of grace so that a gracious soule cannot dares not will not frequently returne to grosse folly And God hath made even his dearest ones dearly smart for their relapses as may be seen by his dealings with Samson Iehosaphat and Peter Ah Lord what a hard heart hath that man that can see thee stripping and whipping thy dearest ones for their relapses and yet make nothing of returning to folly c. The eighth Device that Satan 8 Device hath to keepe soules in a doubting and questioning condition is BY perswading them that theis estate is not good their hearts are not upright their graces are not sound bâ—cause they are so followed vexed and tormented with ' temptations 't is his method first to vex and weary the soul with temptations and then to tempt the soule that surely 't is not beloved He may so tempt as to make a Saint weary of his life Job 10. 1. My soule is weary of my life because 't is so much tempted and by this stratagem he keeps many precious souls in a sad doubting and mourning temper many years as many of the precious sonnes of Sion have found by wofull experience 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 those that have been best and most beloved have been most tempted by Satan Though Satan can never rob a Christian of his Crown yet such is his malice that hee will therefore tempt that he may spoyle them of their comforts such is his enmity to the Father that the nearer and dearer any child is to him the more will Satan trouble him and vex him with temptations Pirats do not use to set upon poor empty vessels and beggars need not feare the thiese those that have most of God and most rich in grace shall be most set upon by Satan who is the greatest and wisest Pirate in the world Christ himselfe was most neer and most deare most innocent and most excellent and yet none so much tempted as Christ David was dearly beloved and yet by Satan tempted to number the people Iob was highly praised by God himselfe and yet much tempted witnesse those sad things that fell from his mouth when he was wet to the skin Peter was much prized by Christ witnesse that choise testimony that Christ gave of his faith and happinesse and his shewing him his glory in the Mount and that eye of pity that he cast upon him after his fearfull fall c. and yet tempted by Satan And the Lord said Luke 22. 31 32. Simon Simon behold Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy faith faile thee not c. Paul had the honour of being exalted as high as high as heaven and of seeing that glory that could not be exprest and yet hee was no sooner stept out of Heaven but he is buffetted by Satan lest he should be exalted above measure If 2 Cor. 12. 2. 7. these that were so really so gloriously so eminently beloved of God if these that have lived in Heaven and set their feet upon the stars have been tempted let no Saints judge themselves not to be beloved because they are tempted It is as natural for Saints to be tempted that are dearly beloved as 't is for the Sun to shine or a bird to sing the Eâ—gle complains not of her wings nor the Peacock of his train nor the Nightingale of her voyce because these are naturall to them no more should S t s of their temptations because they are naturall to them For wee wrestle not against Ephes 6. 12. flesh and blood but against principalities against powers against the Rulers of the darknesse of this world against spirituall wickednesse in high places The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is to consider that all the temptations that befall the Saints shall be sanctified to them by a hand of love ah the choise experiences that the Saints get of the power of God supporting them of the wisdome of God directing them so to handle their spirituall weapons their graces as not only to resist but to overcome of the mercy and goodnesse of the Lord pardoning and succouring of them And therefore saith Paul I received the messenger 2 Cor. 12. 7. Viâ—e Bâ—zam 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Lather said there were three things this made a Pâ—eacher Mâ—â—itation prayer and temptation Satan for to buffet me lest I should be exalted lest I should be exalted above measure 't is twice in that verse he begins with it and ends with it if he had not been buffeted
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
the whisperings of the Spirit the commands of the Spirit the assistance of the Spirit the witnesse of the Spirit and from the glory of Heaven the excellency of grace the beauty of holinesse the worth of the soule and the vildnesse or bitternesse and evill of sinne the least sin being a greater evil then the greatest temptation in the world And looke that you make constant resistance as well as strong resistance be constant in armes Satan will come on with new temptations when old Luke 4. 14. And when the Devil had ended all the temptation he departed from him for a season Christ had no rest untill he was exactly tried with all kinds of temtations Calvin ones are too weak in a calme prepare for a storm the temper is restlesse impudent and subtile he will sute his temptations to your constitutions and inclinations Satan loves to saile with the winde if your knowledg be weake he will tempt you to errour if your consciences be tender he will tempt you to scrupulosity and too much precisenesse as to do nothing but heare pray read c. If your consciences be wide and large hee will tempt you to carnall security if you are bold spirited he will tempt you to presumption if timerous to desperation if flexible to inconstancy if proud and stiffe to grosse folly therefore still fit for fresh assaults make one victory a step to another When you have overcome a temptation take heed of unbending your bow and look well to it that your bow be alwayes bent and that it remains in strength when you have overcome one temptation you must Be ready to enter the list with another as distrust in some sense is the mother of safety so security is the gate of danger a man had need to feare this most of all that he fears not all if Satan be always a roaring wee should be alwayes a watching and resisting of him and certainely hee that makes strong and constant resistance of Satans temptations shall in the end get above his temptations and for the present is secure enough from being ruin'd by his temptations c. For a close of this remember that t is He that will yeeld to sin to be rid of temptation will be so much the more tempted and the lesse able to withstand temptations dangerous to yeeld to the least sin to be rid of the greatest temptation To take this course were as if a man should think to wash himselfe cleane in Inke or as if a man should exchange a light crosse made of paper for an Iron crosse which is heavy toilesome and bloody the least sin set home upon the conscience will more wound vex and oppresse the soul then all the temptations in the world can therefore never yeeld to the least sin to be rid of the greatest temptation Sidonius Apolinaris relateth how a certain man named Maximus arriving at the top of honour by indirect meanes was the first day very much wearied and fetching a deep sigh said Oh Damocles how happie doe I esteem thee for having been a King but the space of a dinner I have been one a wholeday and can beare it no longer I will leave you to make the Application The fourth thing to be shewed is the severall wayes and devices that Satan hath to destroy and ensnare all sorts and rankes of men in the world I Shall begin with the honourable and the great and shew you the Devices that Satan hath to destroy them I will only instance in those that are most considerable His first Device to destroy the 1 Device great and honourable of the earth is BY working them to make it their businesse to seek themselves to seek how to greaten themselves to raise Selfe-seeking â—â—ke the deluge overflowes the whole world themselves to enrich themselves to secure themselves c. As you may see in Pharaoh Ahab Rehoboam Jeroboam Absolom Joab Haman c. But were the Scripture silent our owne experiences do abundantly evidence this way and method of Satan to destroy the great and the honourable to bury their names in the dust and their souls in Hell by drawing them wholly to mind themselves and onely to minde themselves and in all things to minde themselves and always to mind themselves All saith the Apostle minde Phil. 2. 21. themselves all comparatively in respect of the paucity of others that let fall their private interests and drowne all self-respects in the glory of God and the publick good 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 Self-love is the root of the hatred of others 2 Tim. 3. 2. First lovers of themselves then fierce c. that selfe-seeking is a sin that will put men upon a world of sin upon sins not only against the Law of God the rules of the Gospel but that are against the very lawes of Nature that are so much darkned by the fall of man It put the Pharisees upon opposing Christ and Iudas upon betraying Christ and Pilate The Naturalist observes that those beasts which are most cruel to others are most loving to their own upon condemning Christ It put Gehezi upon lying and Balaam upon cursing and Saul and Absolom upon plotting Davids ruine It put Pharaoh and Haman upon contriving wayes to destroy those Jewes that God did purpose to save by his mighty arme It puts men upon using wicked ballances and the bag of deceitfull weights It puts mâ—n upon wayes of oppression and selling Amos 2. 6. the righteous for silver and the poore for a paire of shooes c. I know not any sin in the world but this sin of selfe-seeking will put men upon it though it be their eternall losse The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that self-seeking doth exceedingly abase A self-seeker is a Cato without but a Nero within Domitian would seem to love them best whom he willed least should live that 's the very temper of selfe-seekers a man it strips him of all his royalty and glory of a Lord it makes a man become a servant to the creature I often to the worst of creatures yea a slave to slaves as you may see in Iudas Demas Balaam and the Scribes and Pharisees Selfe-seekers bow downe to the creatures as Gideons many thousands bowed down to the waters self-seeking will make a man say any thing do any thing and be any thing to please the lusts of others to get advantages upon others self-seeking transforms a man into all shapes and formes now It was death in Moses Rites to counterset that Ceremoniall and figurative oyntment Exod. 30. what shall it then be to counterseit the spirit of life and holinesse it makes a man appeare as an Angell of light anon as an Angel of darkenesse now selfe-seekers
what greater madnesse then for weaknesse it selfe to engage against an almighty strength the neer union that is between the Lord and Beleevers is set forth by that neer union that is betwixt a husband and his Wife The soules happinesse consists not in any thing but in its union with God nor its misery lies not so much in any thing as in its disunion from God They two shall be one flesh This is a great Mistery but I speake concerning Christ the Church We are members of his body of his flesh and of his bones saith the Apostle This neer union is set forth by that union that is between the head and the members which make up one body and by that union that is betwixt the graft and the stock which are made one by inscition The union between the Lord and a Beleever is so neer that you cannot strike a Beleever but the Lord is sensible of it and takes it as done to himself Saul Saul why persecutest thou Acts 9. 4. Isa 63. 9. me And in all their afflictions he was afflicted c. Ah soules who ever engaged against God and prospered who ever took up the sword against him but perisht by it God can speak you to hell and nod you to hell at pleasure 't is your greatest concernment to lay downe your weapons at his feet and to Psal 2. 12. kisse the sonne lest he be angry and you perish in the mid-way The 4th Remedie against this Device 4 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that Hic homo potuit apud Deum quod voluit Said one concerning Luther he could have what hee would of God you are much engaged to the Saints as instruments for the mercies that you do enjoy and for the preventing and removing of many a judgment that otherwise might have been your ruine before this day were it not for the Saints sake God would quickly make the Heavens to be as brasse and the Earth as iron God would quickly strip thee of thy Robes and glory and set thee upon the dunghill with Job They are the props that bear the world from falling about thy eares and that keep the iron rod from breaking of thy bones Therefore he said that hee would Psal 106. 23. destroy them had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach to turn away Prayer is porta coeli clavis Paradisi the gate of Heaven a key to let us into Paradise his wrath lest he should destroy them Ah! had not the Saints many a time cast themselves into the breach betwixt Gods wrath and you you had been cut off from the land of the living and have had your portion with those whose names are written in the dust When the danger is over the Saint is forgotten is a French Proverb and that which many Saints in England have found by experience many a Nation many a City and many a Family is surrounded with blessings for the Josephs sakes that live therein and are preserved from many calamities and miseries for the Moseses the Daniels the Noahs and the Jobs sakes that dwell amongst them That 's a sweet word Prov. 10. 25. As the whirlewinde passeth so is the wicked no more but the 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Jesodh gnolam from Josadh righteous is an everlasting foundation or is the foundation of the world the righteous is the foundation of the world which but for their sakes would soon shatter and fall to ruine so the Psalmist Psal 75. 3. The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved I bear up the pillars of it Selah Mary Queen of Scots that was Mother to King James was wont to say that she feared Mr. Knoxes prayer more then an Army of ten thousand men The Emperour Marcus Antonius being in Almany with his Army was inclosed in a dry Countrey by his enemies who so stopped all the passages that he and his Army were like to perish for want of water the Emperours Lievtenant seeing him so distressed told him that he had heard that the Christians could obtaine any thing of their God by their prayers whereupon the Emperour having a legion of Christians in his Army desired them to pray to their God for his and the Armies delivery out of that danger which they presently did presently a great Thunder fell amongst the enemies and abundance of water upon the Romanes whereby their thirst was quenched and the enemies overthrowne without any fight I shall close up this last Remedy with those sweet words of the Psalmist In Judah is God knowne his name is great Ps 76. 1 2 3. in Israel In Salem also is his Tabernacle and his dwelling place in Sion There brake he the arrowes of the bow the shield and the sword and the bettell Selah Secondly Satan hath his Devices to ensnare and destroy the Learned and the Wise and that sometimes BY working them to pride themselves John 5. â—4 in their parts and abilities 1 Kings 22. 22 23 24 25. 1 Cor. 1. 18. to 29. and sometimes by drawing them to rest upon their parts and abilities sometimes by causing them to make light and slight of those that want their parts The truth of this you may see i' the learned Scribes and Pharisees and abilities though they excell them in grace and holinesse and sometimes by drawing them to ingage their parts and abilities in those wayes and things that make against the honour of Christ the joy of the spirit the advancement of the Gospel and the liberty of the Saints c. Now the Remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider that you have nothing but what you have received Christ being as well the fountaine of common gifts as of saving 1 Cor. 4. 7. Quicquid es debes creanti Quicquid potes debes redimenti said Bern. Whatsoever thou art thou owest to him that made thee whatever thou hast thou owest to him that redeemed thee grace What hast thou saith the Apostle that thou hast not received And if thou hast received it why dost thou glory as though thou hadst not received it There are those that would hammer out their owne happinesse like the Spider climbing up by the thread of her owne weaving of all the parts and abilities that be in you you may well say as the young man did of his Hatchet Alas Master it was but borrowed Alas Lord all I have is but borrowed from that Fountaine that fills all the Vessel in Heaven and on Earth and it overflowes my gifts are not so much mine 1 Chro. 29. 14. as thine Of thine owne have we offered unto thee said that Princely Prophet c. The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that mens leaning and trusting to their own wits parts and
13. he doth God service And these things will they doe unto you because they have not known the Father nor me Paul thankes his ignorance for all his cruelties to Christians I was a blasphemer and a persecutor and injurious but I obtained mercie because I did it ignorantly 't was ignorance that put the Jewes upon crucifying Christ Eather forgive them saith Christ of his murtherers for they know 1 Co◠2. 8. not what they doe for if the Princes of this world had known they would not have crucified the Lord of glory Sinne at the first was the cause of ignorance but now ignorance is the cause of all sin swearing They did like Oedipus who killed his father Laius K. of Thebes and thought he killed his enemy and lying and killing and stealing whoring abound saith the Prophet because there is no knowledg of God in the Land There are none so frequent and so impudent in the wayes of sin as ignorant soules they care not nor mind not what they do nor what they say against God Christ Heaven holinesse and their own soules Our tongues Hosea 4. 1 2. Psal 73. 8 9. are our owne who shall controule us They are corrupt and speake wickedly concerning oppression they speake loftily They set their mouth against the Heavens and their tongue walketh through the earth Have all the Psal 14. 4. workers of iniquity no knowledge who eate up my people as they eate bread and call not upon the Lord. And now to prevent Objections I shall lay down some Propositions or Conclusions concerning Satan and his Devices and then give you the Reasons of the Point and so come to make some Use and Application of the whole to our selves The first Proposition or Conclusion I shall lay downe is this THat though Satan hath his Devices 1 Proposition to draw soules to sin yet we must be carefull that we do not lay all our temptations upon Satan that we doe not wrong the Devill and father that upon him that is to be fathered upon our own base hearts I thinke that oftentimes men charge that upon the Devill that is to be charged upon their own hearts And the Lord said unto the Gen. 3. 13. woman VVhat is this that thou hast done and the woman said the Serpent beguiled me and I did eate Sin and shifting came into the world together This is no small basenesse of our hearts that they will be naught I very naught and yet will father that naughtinesse upon Satan Man hath an evill root within him that were there no Devil to tempt him nor no wicked men in the world to entice him yet that root of bitternesse that cursed sinfull nature that is in him would draw him to sin though he knows before hand that the wages of sinne is eternall death For out of the heart proceed evill thoughts murders adulteries Rom. 6. ult Mat. 5. 19. fornications thefts false witnesses blasphemies The whole frame of man is Cum primum nascimur in omnt continuo pravitate versamur we are no sooner borne then buried in a bog of wickednesse Tully out of frame the understanding is dark the will crosse the memory slippery the affections crooked the conscience corrupted the tongue poisoned and the heart wholly evill only evill and continually evill Should God chaine vp Satan and give him no liberty to tempt or entice the sons of men to vanity and folly yet they would not yet they could not but sin against him by reason of that cursed nature that is in them that will still be a provoking Iude 15 16. them to those sins that will provoke and stir up the anger and wrath of God against them Satan hath only a perswading sleight not an enforcing might he may tempt us but without our selves he cannot conquer us hee Iames 1. 4. may entice us but without our selves he cannot hurt us our hearts carries the greatest stroak in every sin Satan 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 The fire is our wood though it be the Devills flame Nazianzen can never undoe a man without himselfe but a man may easily undo himselfe without Satan Satan can onely present the golden cup but he hath no power to force us to drinke the poyson that is in the cup he can only present to us the glory of the world he cannot force us to fall down and worship him to enjoy the world he can only spread his snares he hath no power to force us to walke in the mid'd of his snares therefore do the Devill so much right as not to excuse your selves by your accusing him and laying that load upon him that you should lay upon your owne hearts The second Proposition is this 2 Proposition That Satan hath a great hand and stroak in most sinnes 'T was Satan that Gen. 3. 1. 4 5. tempted our first Parents to Rebellion 'T was Satan that provoked David to 1 Chron. 21. 1. number the people 'T was Satan that put Peter upon rebuking Christ therefore saith Christ Get thee behind me Satan Mat. 16. 22 23. 'T was Satan that put Cain upon murdering of righteous Abel therefore 't is that he is called a murderer from Iohn 8. 44. the beginning 'T was Satan that put treason into the heart of Judas against Christ And supper being ended the Devill Iohn 13. 2. having put it into the heart of Iudas Iscatiot Simons son to betray him 'T was Satan that pu◠Ananias upon lying Peter said Acts 5. 3. Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Ghost As the hand of Ioab was in the tale of the woman of Tekoah so Satans hand is usually in all the sins that men commit such is Satans malice against God and his envy Diaholus tendat deus orobat Tertul. against man that he will have a hand one way or another in all their finnes though ke knows that all the sins that he provokes others to shall be charged upon him to his greater woe and eternall torment Ambrose brings in the Devill boasting against Christ and chalenging Judas as his owne hee is not thine Lord Jesus hee is mine his thoughts beat for me he eats with thee but is fed by me he takes bread from thee but money from me he drinks wine with thee and sells thy blood to me such is his malice against Christ and his wrath and rage against man that he wil take all advantages to draw men to that that may give him advantage to triumph over Christ and mens soules for ever The third Proposition is this That Satan must have a double leave 3 Proposition before he can do any thing against us he must have leave from God and leave from our selves before he can act any thing against our happinesse he must have his commission from God as you may see in the example of Iob though Iob 1. 11 12. Chap. 2 v
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
foure Remedies against this device from p. 211. to p. 217. The fourth Device that Satan hath to keepe poor soules in a sad doubting and questioning condition is by suggesting that their graces are not true but counterfeit two Remedies again this and in the handling of the two Remedies ten differences are shewed betwixt renewing grace and restraining grace betwixt sanctifying grace and temporary grace from p. 217. to page 230. The fifth Device that Satan hath to keepe soules in a sad doubting and questioning condition is by suggesting to them that that conflict that is in them is not a conflict that is only in Saints but such a conflict that is to be found in the hearts of hypocrites and prophane soules c. six Remedies against this device from page 230. to p. 238. The sixth Device that Satan hath to keepe poore soules in a sad doubting and questioning condition is by suggesting to the soule that certainly the condition of the soule is not good because the soule cannot joy and rejoyce in Christ c. as once it could c. five Remedies against this device from p. 238. to p. 244. The seventh Device that Satan hath to keep poor soules in a sad doubting and questioning condition is by suggesting to the soule it s often Relapses into the same sin which formerly he hath pursued with particular sorrow griefe shame and tears and prayed and resolved against six Remedies against this device from p. 244. to p. 253. The eighth Device that Satan hath to keep poor soules in a sad doubting and questioning condition is by perswading them that their estate is not good their hearts are not upright their graces are not sound because they are so followed vexed and tormented with temptations severall Remedies against this device from p. 253. to p. 264. In the fourth place is shewed the severall wayes and devices that Satan hath to destroy all sorts and ranks of men in the world First he hath his Devices to destroy the great and honourable of the earth And that First by working them to make it their businesse to seeke how to greaten themselves to enrich themselves to secure themselves c. six Remedies against this device from p. 264. to p. 277. The second grand Device that Satan hath to destroy the great and honorable of the earth is by engaging them against the people of the most high foure Remedies against this device from p. 277. to p. 284. Secondly Satan hath his Devices to destroy the learned and the wise that sometimes by working them to pride themselves in their parts and abilities and sometimes by drawing them to rest upon their parts and abilities and sometimes by working them to make light and slight of those that want iheir parts and abilities though they excell them in grace and holinesse c. four Remedies against this device from p. 284. to p. 290. Thirdly Satan hath his Devices to ensnare and destroy the Saints and that by working them first to be strange then to be bitter jealous and then to divide c. twelve remedies against this device from p. 290. to p. 311. Fourthly Satan hath his Devices to destroy poor ignorant souls and that sometimes by drawing them to affect ignorance to neglect slight and despise the means of Knowledg c. Foure Remedies against this device from p. 311. to p. 316. To prevent some objections six Propositions or Conclusions concerning Satan his devices are laid down from p. 316. to page 327. Five Reasons of the Point are laid downe from p. 327. to p. 330. Severall sweet and profitable Uses of the Point from p. 330. to p. 347. To this second Impression is added an Appendix touching five more severall Devices that Satan hath to keep poore soules from believing in Christ from receiving of Christ from embracing of Christ from resting leaning or relying upon Christ for everlasting happinesse and blessednesse according to the Gospel Remedies against those Devices from page 349. to the end of the Booke Imprimatur Joseph Caryll A Catalogue of the Names of severall Books printed and to be sold by Iohn Hancocke in Popes-head Alley A Book of Short-writing the most easie exact and speedy Method by Theophilus Medcalf with a School-master to explain it Another Book of Short-hand written by Thomas Crosse You may buy Shelton or any other sort of him also A Copie-booke teaching to write severall hands A Treatise of Christs personall reign on earth 1000. yeares written by Mr. Robert Maton shewing the manner and beginning of his Reigne Also another Treatise of Christs personall Reign by Mr. Farmer The Covenant of Gods free Grace unfolded by that worthy Minister Mr. John Cotton of New Engl. A description of the State of Great Britain written 1100. years since by that famous Author Gildas treating of its Scituation Disobedience Subjection Religion c. Spirituall Intervalls or the Soules Exercise in Meditations on severall Occasions written by Lancelot Reynolds States Policie written by Robert Sprye setting forth Rules of Civill Government Satans Stratagems or the Devills Cabinet-Councell discovered Shewing an easie way to end Controversies in matters of Religion written by Jacobus Accontius translated into English 1648. Recreations for ingenuous Head-pieces containing severall witty Poems Epigrams Epiâ—aphs c. 1650. The famous History of Edward the fourth King of England written by William Babington Esq A Treatise of Church-government approved by many godly and learned Ministers 1644. A Glasse for the Times confuting divers Errors in Religion briefly A Sermon before the Parliament 1645. by Samuel Gibson called The ruine of the Authors and fomenters of Civill Warre Cases considered and resolved touching Baptisme of Infants and the Lords Supper wherein all godly conscientious Ministers in England whether Congregationall or Presbyteriall are concerned by Mr. Brookes 1653. A Sermon preached by Mr. Brooks at the Funerall of the renowned Colonel Reinsborough called The glorious day of the Saints appearance calling for a glorious Conversation c. 1648. A Sermon preached by Mr. Brooks at Christ-Church at the Funerall of Mrs. Martha Randol 1651. Entituled A Beleevers last day is his best day Two other Sermons preached by Mr. Brooks before the Parliament one in Decemb. 6. 1648. the other in Septemb. 3. 1650. both printed by their order but not to be had now All the former Books mentioned you may have of John Hancock in Popes-head Alley Christian Reader be pleased to passe by of course some mistakes in pointing and some lesser literal faults to correct with thy pen grosser Errata's before thou readst the Book as being occasioned by the Authors absence from the Presse