A77614:159
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 second Remedy against this Device1 of Satan, is, to receive the truth affectionately, and let it dwell in your souls plenteously; when men stand out against the truth, when truth would enter,2 and men bar the door of their souls against truth, God in justice gives up such souls to be deluded, and deceived by error, to their eternal undoing▪ 2 Thess. 2. 10, 11, 12. Because they received not the love of the truth that they might be saved: God shall send them strong delusions 3(or as the Greek hath it, the efficacy of error) that they should believe a lye. That they all might be damned, who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. Ah sirs! as you love your souls, do not tempt God, do not provoke God by your withstanding truth, and out-facing truth, to give you up to believe a lye, that you may be damned. There are no men on earth so fenced against error, as those are that receive the truth in the love of it. Such souls4 are not easily tossed too and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the slight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lye in wait to deceive. 'Tis not he that receives most of the truth into his head, but he that receives most of the truth affectionately into his heart, that shall enjoy the happiness of having his ⟨p. 111⟩judgement sound, and clear, when others shall be deluded, and deceived by them, who make it their business to infect the judgements and to undo the souls of men.
The second Remedy against this Device1 of Satan, is, to receive the truth affectionately, and let it dwell in your soules plenteously; when men stand out against the truth, when truth would enter,2