A77614:104
Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices
Precious remedies against Satan's devices or, salve for believers and unbelievers sores. Being a companion for those that are in Christ, or out of Christ; that are high, or low, learned, or illiterate, staggering, or wandering; that slight, or neglect ordinances, under a pretence of living above them; that are growing (in spirituals) or decaying; that are tempted, or deserted, afflicted, or opposed; that have assurance, or that want assurance; that are self-seekers, or the common-wealths caterpillars; that are in love sweetly united, or that yet have their spirits too much embittered, &c. By Thomas Brooks, a willing servant unto God, and the faith of his people, in the glorious gospel of Christ, at Margarets fish-street hill.Precious remedies against Satans devices or, salve for believers and unbelievers sores. Being a companion for those that are in Christ, or out of Christ; that are high, or low, learned, or illiterate, staggering, or wandering; that slight, or neglect ordinances, under a pretence of living above them; that are growing (in spiritualls) or decaying; that are tempted, or deserted, afflicted, or opposed; that have assurance, or that want assurance; that are self-seekers, or the common-wealths caterpillars; that are in love sweetly united, or that yet have their spirits too much imbittered, &c. By Thomas Brookes, a willing servant unto God, and the faith of his people, in the glorious gospel of Christ, at Margarets fish-street hill.
London: printed by M. Simmons for John Hancock, 1653
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
The third Remedy against this Device1 of Satan, is, seriously to consider, that Repentance is a continued act; the word Repent, implies the continuation of it. True Repentance inclines a mans2 heart to perform Gods Statutes always, even unto the end; a true Penitent must go on, from Faith, to Faith, from strength to strength, he must never stand still, nor turn back; Repentance is a grace, and must have its daily operation, as well as other graces; true Repentance is a continued spring, where the waters of godly sorrow are always flowing; My sins are ever before me; a true penitent is often casting his eyes back to the days of his former vanity, and this makes him morning and evening to water his couch with his tears: Remember not against me the sins of my youth, saith one blessed Penitent; and I was a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious, saith another Penitent: Repentance is a continued act of turning, a Repentance never to be repented of, a turning never to turn again to folly; a true penitent hath ever something within him to turn from he can never get near enough to God, no, not so near him as once he was; and therefore he is still turning and turning, that he may get nearer and nearer to him; that is his chiefest ⟨p. 58⟩good, and his only happiness (optimum 3maximum) the best, and the greatest; they are every day a crying out, O wretched men that we are, who shall deliver us from this body of death? They are still sensible of sin, and still conflicting with sin, and still sorrowing for sin, and still loathing of themselves for sin; Repentance is no transient act, but a continued act of the soul; and tell me, oh tempted soul! whether it be such an easy thing, as Satan would make thee believe, to be every day a turning, more and more from sin, and a turning nearer and nearer to God, thy choicest blessedness. A true Penitent can as easily content himself with one act of faith, or one act of love, as he can content himself with one act of Repentance. A Jewish Rabbi pressing the practice of Repentance upon his Disciples, exhorting them to be sure to Repent the day before they dyed; one of them replied, that the day of any mans death was very uncertain; Repent therefore, every day (said the Rabbin) and then you shall be sure to repent the day before you dye; you are wise, and know how to apply it to your own advantage.