A77614:183
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 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. ⟨p. 133⟩Oh! the riches of the world chokes3 the word, that men live under the most soul-searching, and soul in riching means with lean souls; though they have full purses, though their chests are full of silver, yet their hearts are empty of grace. In the 13. Gen. 2. It is said that Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold, according to the Hebrew (Chabbedh) 'tis Abraham was very heavy, to show that riches are a heavy burden, and a hinderance many times to heaven, and happiness. King Henry the fourth asked the Duke of Alva, if he had observed the great Eclipse of the Sun, which had lately happened, no (said the Duke) I have so much to do on earth, that I have no leisure to look up to Heaven; ah! that this were not true of most Professors in these days; 'tis very sad to think, how their hearts and time is so much taken up with earthly things, that they have scarce any leisure to look up to Heaven, or to look after Christ, and the things that belong to their everlasting peace.