A77614:117
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.
Now the Remedies against this Device of Satan, are these that follow.
The first Remedy is, solemnly to consider,1 that no man knows 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, and2 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 Wilderness, as fruit-trees of the Orchard; the snow and hail of adversity lights upon the best gardens, as well as the stinking dunghills, or the wild waste. Ahab's and Josiah's ends concur in the very circumstances. Saul and Jonathan, though different in their natures, deserts, and deportments, ⟨p. 76⟩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 is3 nothing else but a crust, cast by Heavens great House-keeper to his dogs. Moses dies in the Wilderness, as well as those that murmured; Nabal is rich, aswell as Abraham; Ahithophel wise, aswell as Solomon; and Doeg honoured by Soul, as well as Joseph was by Pharaoh. Usually the worst of men have most of these outward things, and the best of men have least of Earth, though most of Heaven.