A77614:204
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, solemnly to consider, that the Lord Jesus will make his services easy to you, by the sweet discovery of himself to your souls, whilst you are in his service. Thou meetest him that rejoiceth, and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways, as the Prophet Isaiah saith; if meeting with2 God, who is goodness it self, sweetness it self, beauty it self, strength it self, glory it self, will not sweeten his service to thy soul, nothing in Heaven or Earth will. Jacob's meeting with Rachel, and enjoying of Rachel, made his hard service to be easy, and delightful to him; and will not the souls enjoying of God, and meeting with God, render his service to be much more easy and delightful? doubtless it will. The Lord will give that sweet assistance, by his Spirit and grace, as shall make his service joyous, and not grievous, a delight, & not a burden; a Heaven, and not a Hell to believing souls; the confidence of this divine assistance raised up Nehemiah's spirit, far above all those difficulties, and discouragements that did attend him in the work and service of the Lord, as you may see in that 2 Nehemiah, ⟨p. 153⟩vers. 19, 20. But when Sanballat 3the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, and Geshem the Arabian heard it, they laughed us to scorn, and despised us, and said, what is this thing that ye do? will ye rebel against the King? Then answered I them, and said unto them, the God of heaven he will prosper us, therefore we his servants will arise, and build: but you have no right, nor portion, nor memorial in Jerusalem. Ah souls! while you are in the very service of the Lord, you shall find by experience, that the God of Heaven will prosper you, and support you, and encourage, and strengthen you, and carry you through the hardest service, with the greatest sweetness and cheerfulness that can be. Remember this, that God will suit your strength to your work, and in the hardest service you shall have the choicest assistance.
The second Remedie against this device1