Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices

Name: Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices
Author: Thomas Brooks

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.

Thomas Brooks 1608–1680London: printed by M. Simmons for John Hancock, 1653

[22], 378, [16] · 86k words · Wing B4954

Title page typeset from the transcription.

The second thing to be showed is, the several Devices that Satan h… › Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow.The second thing to be shewed is, the severall Devices that Satan h… › Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow.

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.

[ Earlier:238–253 of 565

:238p. 186–187

The fourth Remedy against this device¹ of Satan, is, solemnly to consider, that watching against sinful thoughts, resisting of sinful thoughts, lamenting and weeping over sinful thoughts, carries² with it the sweetest, and strongest evidence of the truth, and power of grace, and of the sincerity of your hearts, and is the readiest and the surest way to be rid of them; many low and carnal considerations may work men to watch their words, their lives, their actions; As hope of gain, or to please friends, or to get a name in the world, and many other such like considerations; oh! but to watch our thoughts, to weep and lament over them, &c. this must needs be from some noble, spiritual, and internal principle, as love to God, a holy fear of God, a holy care and delight to please the Lord, &c. The Schools do well observe, that outward sins are of greater³ infamy; but inward heart sins are of greater guilt, as we see in the Devils. There is nothing that speaks out a man to be throughly, and kindly wrought ⟨p. 187⟩upon, as his having his thoughts to be⁴ brought into obedience, as the Apostle speaks, Grace is grown up to a very great height in that soul, where it prevails, to the subduing of those vain thoughts that walk up and down in the the soul; well, though you cannot be⁵ rid of them, yet make resistance and opposition against the first risings of them; when sinful thoughts arise, then think thus; the Lord takes notice of these thoughts, he knows them afar off, as the Psalmist speaks; he knew Herod's bloody thoughts, and Judas his betraying thoughts, and the Pharisees cruel and blasphemous thoughts afar off; oh! think thus, all these sinful thoughts, they defile and pollute the soul, they deface and spoil much of the inward beauty, and glory of the soul; if I commit this or that sin, to which my thoughts incline me, then either I must⁶

[ Earlier passages Later passages ]

Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices

The eighth Device that Satan¹ hath to keep souls from religious services, from holy performances, is,

The eighth Device that Satan¹ hath to keepe soules from religious services, from holy performances, is,

Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow.

The third thing to be showed, is the several Devices that Satan hath to keep souls in a sad, doubting, questioning, and uncomfortable condition.¹

The third thing to be shewed, is the severall Devices that Satan hath to keep souls in a sad, doubting, questioning, and uncomfortable condition.¹

The first Device that Satan¹ hath to keep souls in a sad, doubting, and questioning condition, and so making their life a hell, is,

The first Device that Satan¹ hath to keepe souls in a sad, doubting, and questioning condition, and so making their life a hell, is,

The author

Transcription key

Reformers309

Puritans1,782

Westminster Assembly24

Evangelicals36

The eighth Device that Satan1 hath to keep souls from religious services, from holy performances, is,

The eighth Device that Satan1 hath to keepe soules from religious services, from holy performances, is,

Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow.

The third thing to be showed, is the several Devices that Satan hath to keep souls in a sad, doubting, questioning, and uncomfortable condition.1

The third thing to be shewed, is the severall Devices that Satan hath to keep souls in a sad, doubting, questioning, and uncomfortable condition.1

The first Device that Satan1 hath to keep souls in a sad, doubting, and questioning condition, and so making their life a hell, is,

The first Device that Satan1 hath to keepe souls in a sad, doubting, and questioning condition, and so making their life a hell, is,