A77614:212
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 first Remedy against this device1 of Satan, is, to dwell as much on those Scriptures that show you the duties and services that Christ requires of you, as upon those Scriptures that declare2 to you, the precious and glorious things that Christ hath done for you. 'Tis a sad, and a dangerous thing, to have two eyes to behold our dignity, and privileges, and not one eye to see our duties, and services. I should look with one eye upon the choice and excellent things that Christ hath done for me, to raise up my heart, to love Christ with the purest love, and to joy in Christ, with the strongest joy, and to lift up Christ above all, who hath made himself to be my all. And I should look with the other eye upon those services and duties, that the Scriptures require of those, for whom Christ hath done such blessed things, as upon that of the Apostle; What, know ye not that your body 3is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: ⟨p. 160⟩therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are Gods. And that 4therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. And that, And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due 5season we shall reap, if we faint not. And that of the Apostle, rejoice always, and pray without ceasing; and that in the Philippians: Work out your salvation with 6fear and trembling; and that, This do till I come; and that, Let us consider one another, to provoke one another to love, and to good works; not forsaking the assembling of our selves together, as the manner of some 7is, but exhorting one another, and so much the more, as you see the day approaching. Now a soul that would not be drawn away by this device of Satan, he must not look with a squint eye upon these blessed Scriptures, and abundance more of like import; but he must dwell upon them, he must make these Scriptures to be his chiefest, and his choicest companions, and this will be a happy means to keep him close to Christ, and his service in these times, wherein many turn their backs upon Christ, under pretence of being highly interested in the great and glorious things that have been acted by Christ, &c.