A77614:181
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, to dwell much upon the uncertainty, the mutability, and inconstancy of all things under the Sun.2 Man himself is but the dream of a dream, but the generation of a fancy, but an empty vanity, but the curious picture of nothing, a poor, feeble, dying flash. All temporals are as transitory, as a hasty, head-long torrent, a shadow, a ship, a bird, an arrow, a post that passeth by; why shouldest thou set thine eyes upon that which is not, saith ⟨p. 130⟩Solomon: and saith the Apostle, the fashion of this world passeth away. Heaven 3only hath a foundation, earth hath none, but is hanged upon nothing, as Job speaks. The Apostle willed Timothy, to charge rich men that they be not high minded, nor put their trust in uncertain riches. They are like bad servants, whose shoes are made of running leather, and will never tarry long with one Master; as a bird hoppeth from tree to tree, so do the honours and riches of this world, from man to man; let Job and Nebuchadnezzar testify this truth, who fell4 from great wealth, to great want. No man can promise himself to be wealthy till night; one storm at Sea, one coal of fire, one false friend, one unadvised word, one false witness may make thee a beggar, and a prisoner all at once. All the riches and glory of this world is but as smoke, and chaff that vanisheth; as a dream, and vision in the night that tarrieth not; as if an hungry man dreameth, and thinketh that he eateth, and when he awaketh, his soul is empty; and like a thirsty man, which thinketh he drinketh, and behold when he is awaked, his soul is faint, as the Prophet Isaiah saith. Where is the glory of Solomon? the sumptuous buildings of Nebuchadnezzar? the nine hundred ⟨p. 131⟩Chariots of Sisera? the power of Alexander? the authority of Augustus, that commanded the whole world to be taxed? Those that have been the most glorious, in what men generally account glorious and excellent, have had inglorious ends; As Sampson for strength; Absalom for beauty; Ahithophel for policy; Hamon for favour; Asael for swiftness; Alexander for great conquest, and yet after twelve years poisoned; the same you may see in the mighty four Kingdoms. The Chaldean, Persian, Grecian, and Roman,