A77614:225
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 fifth Remedy against this device1 of Satan, is, seriously to consider, that 'twill be but as a day, before these poor despised Saints shall shine brighter then the Sun in her glory; 'twill not be long before you will wish, oh! that we were now among the poor, mean, despised ones, in the day that God comes to make up his jewels. 'Twill not be long before these poor few Saints shall be lifted up upon their Thrones to judge the multitude, the world, as the Apostle speaks: Know ye not that the Saints shall judge the world? and in that day? oh! ⟨p. 174⟩how will the great, and the rich, the2 learned, and the noble wish, that they had lived, and spent their days with these few, poor, contemptible creatures in the service of the Lord? oh! how will this wicked world curse the day, that ever they had such base thoughts of the poor, mean Saints, and that their poverty became a stumbling block, to keep them off from the ways of sanctity. I have read of Ingo an ancient King of the Draves, who making a stately feast, appointed his Nobles, at that time Pagans, to sit in the Hall below, and commanded certain poor Christians, to be brought up into his Presence-chamber, to sit with him at his Table, to eat and drink of his Kingly cheer; at which many wondering, he said, he accounted Christians, though never so poor, a greater ornament at his Table, and more worthy of his company, then the greatest Peers unconverted to the Christian faith; for when these might be thrust down to Hell, those might be his Consorts, and fellow Princes in Heaven; you know how to apply it. Although you see the stars sometimes by their reflections, in a puddle, or in the bottom of a Well, I in a stinking ditch, yet the stars have their situation in Heaven: So, though you see a godly man in a poor, ⟨p. 175⟩miserable, low, despised condition, for the things of this world, yet he is fixed in Heaven, in the Region of Heaven. Who hath raised us up (saith the Apostle) and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Oh!
The fifth Remedie against this device1