A77614:115
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 other precious Saints that were once glorious on earth, and are now triumphing in heaven, have turned from the occasions of sin, as Hell it self; as you may see in Joseph, Gen. 39. 10. And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lye by ⟨p. 70⟩her, or to be with her. Joseph was famous for all the four Cardinal virtues; if ever any were in this one temptation, you may see his Fortitude, Justice, Temperance,2 and Prudence, in that he shuns the occasion (for he would not so much as be with her) and that a man is indeed, that he is in a temptation, which is but a tap to give vent to corruption. The Nazarite might not only not drink wine, but not taste a grape, or the husk of a grape. The Leper was to shave his hair, and pair his nails. The Devil counts a fit occasion, half a conquest; for he knows that corrupt nature hath3 a seed-plot of all sin, which being drawn forth, and watered by some sinful occasion, is soon set a work to the producing of death and destruction; God will not remove the temptation, till we remove the occasion. A Bird whiles a loft, is safe, but she comes not near the snare without danger; the shunning the occasions of sin renders a man most like the best of men; a soul eminently gracious, dares not come near the train, though he be far off the blow. So Job 31. 1. I made a Covenant with mine eyes, 4why then should I think upon a maid? I set a watch at the entrance of my senses, that my foul might not by them be infected, and endangered; the eye is the ⟨p. 71⟩window of the soul, and if that should be always open, the soul might smart for it. A man may not look intently upon that, that he may not love entirely. The Disciples were set a gog, by beholding the beauty of the Temple; 'tis best and safest to have the eye always sixth upon the highest and noblest objects; as the Mariners eye is sixth on the star, when their hand is on the stern: so David, when he was himself, he shuns the occasion of sin,