A77614:182
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 rich, now poor, now full, now empty, now in favour, anon out of favour, now honourable, now despised, now health, now sickness, now strength, now weakness. Oh! let not these uncertain things keep thee from those holy services, and heavenly employments, that may make thee happy for ever, and render thy soul eternally blessed, and at ease, when all these transitory things shall bid thy soul an everlasting farewell.
Now rich, now poore, now full, now emptie, now in favour, anon out of favour, now honourable, now despised, now health, now sicknesse, now strength, now weaknesse. Oh! let not these uncertaine things keep thee from those holy services, and heavenly imployments, that may make thee happy for ever, and render thy soule eternally blessed, and at ease, when all these transitory things shall bid thy soule an everlasting farewell.
The fourth Remedy against this Device1 of Satan, is, to consider, that the great things of this world are very hurtful, and dangerous to the outward ⟨p. 132⟩and inward man, thorough the2 corruptions that be in the hearts of men; oh! the rest, the peace, the comfort, the content that the things of this world do strip many men off. Oh the fears, the cares, the envy, the malice, the dangers, the mischiefs, that they subject men to. They oftentimes make men carnally confident. The rich mans riches are a strong tower in his imagination. I said in my prosperity I should never be moved. They often swell the heart with pride, and make men forget God, and neglect God, and despise the Rock of their salvation; when Jesurum waxed fat, and was grown thick, and covered with fatness, then he forgot God, and forsook God that made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his salvation, as Moses spake; ah the time! the thoughts, the spirits, that the things of the world consumes and spends. Oh! how do they hinder the actings of faith upon God? how do they interrupt our sweet communion with God? how do they abate our love to the people of God, and cool our love to the things of God, and work us to act like those, that are most unlike to God? oh! the deadness, the dullness, the barrenness, that doth attend […]n under great outward mercies.