A77614:107
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.
only remember this in the general, that there is much of the power of God, and love of God, and faith in God, and fear of God, and care to please God, and zeal for the glory of God, requisite to work a man to repent1 of sin, as there is to keep a man from sin, by which you may easily judge, that to repent of sin, is as great a work, as not to sin; and now tell me, oh soul! is it an easy thing not to sin? we know then certainly, 'tis not an easy thing to repent of sin.
onely remember this in the gnerall, that there is much of the power of God, and love of God, and faith in God, and fear of God, and care to please God, and zeale for the glory of God, requisite to work a man to repent1 of sin, as there is to keep a man from sin, by which you may easily judge, that to repent of sin, is as great a work, as not to sin; and now tell me, oh soul! is it an easie thing not to sin? we know then certainly, 'tis not an easie thing to repent of sin.
The sixth Remedy against this Device1 of Satan, is, seriously to consider, that he that now tempts thee to sin, upon this account, that repentance is easy, will ere long, to work thee to despair,2 ⟨p. 63⟩to say, we are thine, and we must follow thee; Now Satan will help to work the soul to look up, and see God angry, and to look inward, and see Conscience accusing and condemning; and to look downwards, and see Hells mouth open to receive the impenitent soul, and all this to render the work of repentance impossible to the soul; what, saith Satan, doest thou think that that is easy which the whole power of grace cannot conquer, while we are in this world? Is it easy, saith Satan, to turn from some outward act of sin, to which thou hast been addicted? Dost thou not remember that thou hast often complained against such and such particular sins, and resolved to leave them, and yet to this hour thou hast not, thou canst not? What will it then be to turn from every sin? Yea, to mortify, and cut off those sin, those darling lusts, that are as joints and members, that be as right hands, and right eyes? Hast thou not loved thy sins above thy Saviour? Hast thou not preferred earth before Heaven? Hast thou not all along neglected the means of Grace, and despised the offers of Grace, and vexed the spirit of Grace? There would be no end if I should set before thee the infinite evils that thou hast committed, and the innumerable