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
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
of God upon them They send forth their little ones like a flock and their children dance They take the Timbrell and Harp and rejoyce at the Men that injoy all worldly comforts may truly say Omnes humanae conjolationes sunt desolationes sound of the Organ they spend their dayes in wealth their eyes stand out with fatnesse they have more then heart can wish And they have no bands in their death but their strength is firme They are not in trouble as other men as David and Job speak yet all this is nothing to what they want they want interest in God Christ the Spirit the Promises the Covenant of Grace and everlasting Glory They want acceptation and reconciliation with God They want Righteousnesse Justification Sanctification Adoption and Redemption They want the pardon of sin and power against sin and freedome from the dominion of sin They want that favour that is better then life and that joy that is unspeakable and full of glory and that peace that passes understanding and that Nec Christus nec coelum pati tur hyperbolen Neither Christ nor Heaven can be hyperbolized grace the least spark of which is more worth then Heaven and Earth They want a House that hath foundations whose builder and maker is God they want those riches that perish not that glory that fades not that Kingdome that shakes not Wicked men are the most needy men in the world yea they want those two things that should render their mercies sweet viz. The blessing of God and content with their condition and without which their Heaven is but Hell on this side Hell When their hearts are lifted up and grown big upon the thoughts of their abundance if conscience do's but put A crowne of gold cannot cuâ—e the head ach nor a velvet slipper cannot ease the Gout no moâ—e can honour or riches c. quiet and still the Conscience The heart of man is a three square triangle which the whole round circle of the world cannot fill as Mathematicians say but all the corners will complaine of â—mptines and hunger for somâ—hing else in a word and say 't is true here is this and that outward mercy oh but where is an interest in Christ Where is the favour of God Where are the comforts of the holy Ghost Where are thy evidences for Heaven c. This word from Conscience makes the mans countenance to change his thoughts to be troubled his heart to be amazed and all his mercies on the right hand and left to be as dead and withered Ah! were but the eyes of wicked men open to see their wants under their abundance they would cry out and say as Absalom did What are all these to me so long as I cannot see the Kings face What 's honour and riches and the favour of Creatures so long as I want the favour of God the pardon of my sins an interestin Christ and the hopes of glory O Iod give me these or I dye give me these or else I shall eternally dye The fift Remedy against this Device 5 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to confider that outward things are not as they seem and are esteemed they have indeed a glorious outside but if you view their insides you will easily find that they fill the head full of cares and the heart full of feares what if the fire should consume one part of my estate and the sea should be a grave to swallow up another part of my estate what if my servants should be unfaithfull abroad and my children should be deceitful at home ah the secret fretting vexing and gnawing that doth daily yea hourly attend those mens souls whose hands are full of worldly goods 'T was a good speech of an Emperour you said he gaze on my purple Robe â—nd golden Crown but did you know what cares are under it you would not take it up from the ground to have it 'T was a true saying of Augustine on the 26 Psalm many are Multi amando res noxias sunt miseri habendo miseriores August miserable by loving hurtfull things but they are more miserable by having them It is not what men injoy but the principle from whence it comes that makes men happy much of these outward things doe usually cause great distraction great vexation and great condemnation at last to the posessors of them if God gives them in his wrath do not sanctifie them in his love they will at last be witnesses against a man and racks to torture and torment a man and milstones for ever to sink a man in that day when God shall call men to an account not for the use but for the abuse of mercy The sixt Remedy against this Device 6 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider the end and the designe of God in heaping up mercy upon the heads of the wicked and in giving them a quietus est rest Valerian the Roman Emperour fell from being an Emperour to be a foot-stool to Sapor King of Persia Dionysius King of Sicily fell from his Kingly glory to be a School-master The brave Queen Zenobia was brought to Rome in golden chaines and quiet from those sorrows and sufferings that others sigh under David in that 73 Psal 17 18 19 20 verses shews the end and designe of God in this saith he When I went into the Sanctuary of God then I understood their end Surely thou diddest set them in slippery places thou castedst them downe into destruction How are they brought into desolation as in a moment they are utterly consumed with terrors As a dreame when one awaketh so O Lord when thou awakest thou shalt despise their image So in the 92 Psal 7. When the wicked spring as grasse and when all the workers of iniquity doe flourish it is that they shall be destroyed for ever Gods setting them up is but in order to his casting them down his raising them high is but in order to his bringing them low Exod. 9. 16. And in very deed for this cause have I raised thee up for to shew in thee my power and that my name may Valens an Emperour Belisarius a famous general Henry the 4th Bajazeth Pythias Great Pompey and William the Conqueror these from being very high were brought very low they all fell from great glory and majesty to great poverty and misery Da Domine ut sic possideamus temporalia ut non perdamus aeterna Bern. Grant us Lord that we may so partake of temporall felicity that we may not lose eternall be declared throughout all the earth I have constituted and set thee up as a But-mark that I may let flie at thee and follow thee close with plague upon plague till I have beaten the very breath out of thy body and got my self a name in setting my feet upon the neck of all thy pride power pomp and glory Ah soules what man in his wits would be lifted up
doth with her beautifull colours so astonish and amaze them that they have no power to passe away till she have stung them Ah! how many thousands are there now on earth that have found this true by experience that have spun a faire thread to strangle themselves both temporally and eternally by being bewitch't by the beautie and braverie of this enticeing world The fift Remedy against this Device of 5. Remedie Satan is to consider that all the felicity of this world is mixt our light is mixt with darknesse our joy with sorrow our pleasures with paine our honour with dishonour our riches with wants If our fight be spirituall cleare and quick we may see in the felicity of this world our wine mixt with water our honey with gall our sugar with wormewood and our roses with prickles Sorrow attends worldy joy Harke scholar said the Harlot to Apuleius 't is but a bitter sweet that you are so fond off Surely all the things of this world are but bitter sweets danger attends worldly safety losse attends worldly labours teares attend worldly purposes As to these things mens hopes are vaine their sorrow certaine and joy fained The Apostle calleth this world a sea of glasse a sea for the troubles of it and glasse for the brittlenesse and bitternesse of it The honors profits pleasures and delights of this world are true gardens of Adonis where we can gather nothing but triviall flowers surrounded with many bryers The sixt Remedy against this Device 6. Remedy of Satan is to get better acquaintance and better assurance of more blessed and glorious things That Let Heaven be a mans object and earth will soone be his abject which raised up their spirits in the tâ—nth and 11th of the Hebrews to trâ—mple upon all the beautie bravery and glory of the world was their acquaintance with and assurance of better and more durable things They tooke joyfully the spoyling of their goods knowing in themselves that they had in Heaven a better and a more durable substance They Luther being at one time in some wants it happened that a good sum of money was unexpectedly sent him by a Noble man of Germany at which being something amazed he said I seare that God will give me my reward here but I protest I will not be so satisfied look't for a house that had foundations whose builder and maker was God And they look't for another Country even an heavenly They saw him that was invisible and had an eye to the recompence of reward And this made them count all the glory and bravery of this world to be poore and contemptible for them to set their hearts upon The maine reason why men dote upon the world and damne their soules to get the world is because they are not acquainted with a greater glory Men ate Acorns till they were acquainted with the use of wheat Ah! were men more acquainted with what union and communion with God means what 't is to have a new name and a new stone that none knowes but he that hath it did they but taste more of Heaven and live more in Heaven and had more glorious hopes of going to Heaven ah how easily would they have the Moone under their feet It was an excellent saying of Lewis of Bavyer Emperour of Germany * Hujusmodi comparandae sunt opes quae cum naufragio simul enatent such goods are worth getting and owning as will not sinke or wash away if a shipwrack happen but will wade and swim out with us It is recorded of Lazarus that after his resurrection from the dead he was never seen to laugh his thoughts and affections were so fixt in Heaven though his bodie was on earth and therefore he could not but slight temporall things There is saith Augustine bona Throni goods of the throne and there are bona Scabelli goods of the foote-stool his heart being so bent and set upon eternalls There are goods of the throne of grace as God Christ the Spirit Adoption Justification remission of sin peace with God and peace with Conscience and there are goods of the foot-stoole as honours riches the favour of creatures and other comforts and accommodations of this life Now he that hath acquaintance with and assurance of the goods of the Throne will easily trample upon the goods of the foot-stoole Ah! that you would make it your businesse your worke to mind more and make sure more to your owne soules the great When Basil was tempted with money and preferment saith he give me money that may last for ever and glory that may eternally flourish for the fashion of this world passeth away as the waters of a river that runs by a City things of eternity that will yeeld you joy in life and peace in death and a Crown of Righteousnesse in the day of Christs appearing And that will lifte up your soules above all the beauty and bravery of this bewitching world that will raise your feet above other mens heads When a man comes to be assured of a Crown a Scepter the Royall Robes c. he then begins to have low mean and contemptible thoughts of those things that before he highly prized so will assurance of more great and glorious things breed in the soule a holy scorn and contempt of all these poore meane things which the soule before did value above God Christ and Heaven c. The seventh Remedie against this device of Satan is solemnly to consider 7 Remedie that true hahpinesse and satisfaction is not to be had in the injoyment of any worldly good true happinesse is too big and too glorious a thing to be True happinesse lies only in our injoyment of a suitable good a pure good a totall good an eternall good and God is onely such a good and such a good can only satisfie the soul of man found in any thing below that God who is a Christians summum bonum chiefest good The blessed Angells those glistering Courtiers have all felicities and blessednesses and yet they have neither gold nor silver nor jewels nor none of the beauty and bravery of this world certainly if happinesse was to be found in these things the Lord Jesus who is the right and Royall Heir of all things would have exchanged his cradle for a Crown his Birthcham-ber a stable for a Royall Palace his poverty for plenty his despised followers for shining Courtiers and his meane provisions for the choisest delicates c. Certainly happiness lies not in those things that a man Philosophers could say that hee was never a happy man that might afterwards become miserable may injoy and yet be miserable for ever now a man may be great gracelesse with Pharaoh honourable and damnable with Saul rich and miserable with Dives c. therefore happiness lies not in these things Certainly happinesse lies not in those things that cannot comfort a man upon a dying
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
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
shall not be so hot to thee as to others yet thou must as certainly to hell as others unlesse the glorious grace of God shines forth upon thee in the face of Christ God wil suit mens punishments to their sins the greatest sins shall be attended with the greatest punishments and lesser sins with lesser punishments alasse what a poor comfort will this be to thee when thou comest to die to consider that thou shalt not be equally tormented with others and yet must be for ever shut out from the glorious presence of God Christ Angels and Saints and from those good things of eternall life that are so many that they exceed number The gate of Indulgence the gate of hope the gate of mercy the gate of glory the gate of consolation and the gate of salvatioâ— will be for ever shuâ— against them Mat. 25. 10. so great that they exceed measure so precious that they exceed estimation Sure it is that the tears of hell are not sufficient to bewaile the losse of heaven the worme of grief gnawes as painfull as the fire burnes if those soules Acts 20. wept because they should see Paul's face no more How deplorable is the eternall deprivation of the beatificallvision But this not all thou shalt not be onely shut out of heaven but shut up in hell for ever not onely shut out from the presence of God and Angells c. but shut up with devills and damned spirit for ever not onely shut out from 'T was a good saying of Chrysostome speaking of Hell Ne quaeramuâ— ubi sit sed quomodo illam fugiamus let us not seek where it is but how we shall escape it those sweet surpassing unexpressabl and everlasting pleasures that be at Gods right hand but shut up for ever under those torments that are easelesse remedilesse and endlesse Ah soules were it not ten thousand times better for yee to break off your sins by repentance then to goe on in your sins till you feele the truth of what now you hear The God of Israel is very mercifull ah that you would repent and returne that your soules might live for ever Remember this grievous is the torment of the damned for the bitternesse of the punishments but most grievous for the eternity of the punishments For to be tormented without end this is Surely one good means to escape Hel is to take a turne or two in Hell by our daily meditations that which goes beyond all the bounds of desperation ah how doe the thoughts of this make the damned to roare and cry out for disquietnesse of heart and teare their haire and gnash their teeth and rage for madnesse that they must dwell in everlasting burnings for ever The eleventh Device that Satan hath 11 Device to draw the soule to sin is by polluting and defiling the soules and judgements of men with such dangerous errors that doe in their proper tendency tend to carry the soules of men to all loosnesse and wickednesse as wofull experience doth abundantly evidence Ah! how many are there filled with these and such like Christ-dishonouring and soule-undoing opinions viz. That Ordinances are poor low carnall things and not onely to be lived above but without also That the Scriptures are full of fallasies and uncertainties and no further to be heeded then they agree with that spirit that is in them That 't is a poor low thing if not idolatry too to worship God in a Mediator That the Resurrection is already past That there was never any such man or person as Jesus Christ but that all is an Allegory and it signifies nothing but light and love and such good frames borne in men That there 's no God nor Devill Heaven nor Hell but what is within us That there is no sinne in the Saints they are under no Law but that of the spirit which is all freedome That sin and grace are equally of God and agreeth to his will with a hundred other horrid opinions which hath caused wickednesse to break in as a flood among us c. Now the generall Remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that an erroneous vain mind is as odious A blinde eye is worse then a lame foot Lev. 13. 44. to God as a vicious life he that had the leprosie in his head was to be pronounced utterly unclean Grosse errors make the heart foolish and render the life loose and the soul light in the eye of God Errour spreads and frets The breath of the erronious is infectious and like the dogs of Congâ— they bite though they barke not like a Gangreen and renders the soul a leoper in the sight of God It was Gods heavy and dreadfull plague upon the Gentiles to be given up to a mind void of Judgement or an injudicious mind or a mind rejected disallowed abhorred of God or a mind that none have cause to glory in but rather to be ashamed Through animosity to persist in errour is diabolicall it were best that we never erred next to that that we amended our errour of I think that in these dayes God doth punish many mens former wickednesses by giving them up to soule-ruining errours Ah Lord this mercy I humbly beg that thou wouldest rather take me into thine owne hand and doe any thing with me then to give me up to those sad errours to which thousands have married their souls and are in a way of perishing for ever The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is to receive the truth affectionately and let it dwell in your soules plenteously when men stand out against the truth when truth would enter The greatest sinners are sure to be the greatest sufferers and men bar the door of their souls against truth God in justice gives up such souls to be deluded and deceived by errour to their eternall undoing 2 Thess 2. 10 11 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved God shall send them strong delusions 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or as the Greek hath it the efficacie of errour that they should believe a lye That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousnesse Ah sirs as you love your soules doe not tempt God do not provoke God by your withstanding truth and out-facing truth to give you up to beleeve a lye that you may be damned There are no men on earth so fenc'd against errour as those are that receive the truth in the love of it Such soules Ephes 4. 14. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Gr. signifies cogging with a dye such slights as cheaters and false gamesters use at Dâ—câ— are not easily tossed too and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine by the slight of men and cunning craftinesse whereby they lye in wait to deceive
and dominion of sin but from this plague this hell Christ frees all Beleevers Sin cannot say of a beleever as the Centurion said of his servant I bid one goe and be goeth and to another come and he cometh and to another do this and he doth it No the heart of a St. rises against the commands of sin and when sin would cary his soule to the Devill he hales his sin before the Lord and cries out for Justice Lord saith the beleeving soule sinn playes the Tyrant the Devill in mee it would have mee to doe that which makes against thy holinesse as well as against my happinesse against thy honour and glory as my comfort peace therefore do me justice thou righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth and let this tyrant sin die for it c. The third Remedie against this device 3 Remedie of Satan is constantly to keep one eye upon the promises of remission of sinne Isa 44 22. Mica 7. 18 19. Coloss 2. 13 14. The promises of God are a precious booke every leafe drops myrthe and mercy as well as the other eye upon the inward operations of sin This is most certain truth that God will graciously pardon those sins to his people that he will not in this life fully subdue in his people Paul prayes thrice i. e. often to be delivered from the thorn in the flesh all he can get is my grace is sufficient for thee I will graciously pardon that to thee that I will not conquer in thee Though the weak Christian cannot open read and apply them Christ can will apply them to their souls Ier. 33. 8. Isa 43. 25. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 An Hebrew participle notes a constant a continued act of God I I am he blotting out thy transgressions to day and to morrow c. 4 Remedie saith God And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon all their iniquities whereby they have sinned against me and whereby they have transgressed against me I even I am hee that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine owne sake and will not remember thy sinnes Ah! you lamenting soules that spend your dayes in sighing and groaning under the sense and burthen of your sins why doe you deale so unkindly with God and so injuriously with your own soules as not to cast an eye upon those precious promises of remission of sinne which may beare up and refresh your spirits in the darkest night and under the heaviest burden of sin The fourth Remedie against this device of Satan is to look upon all your sins as charged upon the account of Christ as debts which the Lord Jesus hath fully satisfied and indeed were there but one farthing of that debt unpaid that Christ was engaged to satisfie it would not have stood with the unspotted justice of God to have let him come into Heaven and sit down at his owne right hand but all our debts by his death being discharged we are freed and he is exalted to sit down at the right hand of his Father which is the top of his glory and the greatest pledg of our felicity For he hath made him to be sin for 2 Cor. 5. 21. Christ was peccatorum maximus the greatest of sinners by imputation and reputation Isa 53. 5 6. us that knew no sinne that we might be made the righteousnesse of God in him saith the Apostle All our sins were made to meete upon Christ as that Evangelicall Prophet hath it He was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his owne way and the Lord hath layd on him the iniquity of us all or as the Hebrew hath it he hath made the iniquity of us all to meet in him In Law we know that all the debts of the Wife are charged upon the Husband saith the Wife to one and to another if Christ hath the greatest worth and wealth in him as the worth and value of many pieces of silver is in one piece of gold so all the excellencies scattered abroad in the creatures are united to Christ I owe you any thing go to my husband so may a beleever say to the Law and to the justice of God if I owe you any thing go to my Christ who hath undertaken for me I must not sit downe discouraged under the apprehensions of those debts that Christ to the utmost farthing hath fully satisfied would it not argue much weaknesse I had almost said much madnesse for a debtor to sit down discouraged upon his looking over those debts that his surety hath readily freely and fully satisfied the sense of his great love should engage a man for All the whole volume of perfections which is spread through Heaven earth is epitomized in him ever to love and honour his surety and to blesse that hand that hath paid the debt and crost the books c. but to sit down discouraged when the debt is satisfied is a sinnne that bespeaks Repentance c. Christ hath cleared all reckonings betwixt God and us you remember the Scape-goate upon his head all the iniquities Levit. 16. 21. of the children of Israel and all their transgressions in all their sinns were confessed Christ is Canalis gratiae the channell of grace from God and put and the Goate did beare upon him all their iniquities c. Why the Lord Jesus is that blessed Scape-Goate upon whom all our sins were laid and who alone hath carried our sins away into the Land of forget fulnesse where they shall never never be remembred more a beleever under the guilt of his sin may looke the Lord in the face and sweetly plead thus with him 'T is true Lord I owed thee The bloods of Abel for so the Hebrew hath it as if the blood of one Abel had so many tongues as drops cryed for vengeance against sinne bâ—t the blood of Christ cries louder for the pâ—rdon of sin much but thy Son was my Ransome my Redemption his blood was the price he was my surety and undertook to answer for my sinnes I know thou must be satisfied and Christ hath satisfied thee to the utmost farthing not for himself for what sins had he of his own but for me they were my debts that he satisfied for be pleased to look over the book and thou shalt find that 't is crost by thy owne hand upon this very account that Christ hath suffered and satisfied for them The fifth Remedy against this device 5 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider of the reasons why the Lord is pleased to have his people exercised troubled and vexed with the operations of sinful corruptions Augustin saith that the first second and third vertue of a Christian is humility and
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
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
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
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