A77614:113
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.
This triple gradation of Solomon ⟨p. 68⟩showeth with a great Emphasie, how necessary it is for men, to flee from all appearance of sin: as the Sea-man shuns sands, and shelves, and as men shun those, that have the plague-sores running upon them: as weeds do endanger the corn, as bad humor• do endanger the blood, or as an infected house doth endanger the neighbourhood: so doth the company of the bad endanger those that are good; entireness with wicked comforts, is one of the strongest chains of hell, and binds us to a participation, both of sin and punishment.
This triple gradation of Solomon ⟨p. 68⟩sheweth with a great Emphasie, how necessary it is for men, to flee from all appearance of sin: as the Sea-man shuns sands, and shelves, and as men shun those, that have the plague-sores running upon them: as weeds doe endanger the corne, as bad humor• doe endanger the bloud, or as an infected house doth indanger the neighbourhood: so doth the company of the bad endanger those that are good; intirenesse with wicked conforts, is one of the strongest chaines of hell, and bindes us to a participation, both of sin and punishment.
The second Remedy against this device1 of Satan is, solemnly to consider, that ordinarily there is no conquest over sin, without the soul turns from the occasion of sin; 'tis impossible for that man to get the conquest of sin, that plays and sports with the occasions of sin; God will not remove the tentation, except2 we turn from the occasion. It is a just and righteous thing with God, that he should fall into the pit, that will adventure to dance upon the brink of the pit; and that he should be a slave to sin, that will not flee from the occasions of sin. As long as there is fuel in our hearts for a temptation, we cannot be secure; he that hath gun-powder about him, had need keep far enough off