A77614:267
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 Device that Satan1 hath to keep souls in a sad, doubting, and questioning condition, is,
- 12 Device.
BY working them to make false definitions of their graces: Satan knows, that as false definitions of sin wrong the soul one way, so false definitions of grace wrong the soul another way.
BY working them to make false definitions of their graces: Satan knows, that as false definitions of sinne wrong the soule one way, so false definitions of grace wrong the soule another way.
I will instance only in faith; oh! how doth Satan labour might and main to work men to make false definitions of faith; Some he works to define faith too high, as that it is a full assurance of the love of God to a mans soul in particular, or a full persuasion of the pardon, and remission of a mans own sins in particular; saith Satan, what dost thou talk of faith? faith is an assurance of the love of God, and of the pardon of sin, and this thou hast not; thou knowest thou art far off from this, therefore thou hast no faith; and by drawing men to make such a false definition of faith, he keeps them in a sad, doubting, and questioning condition, and makes them spend their days in sorrow and sighing, ⟨p. 206⟩so that tears are their drink, and sorrow is their meat, and sighing is their work all the day long, &c.
I will instance only in faith; oh! how doth Satan labour might and main to work men to make false definitions of faith; Some he works to define faith too high, as that it is a full assurance of the love of God to a mans soule in particular, or a full perswasion of the pardon, and remission of a mans owne sins in particular; saith Satan, what dost thou talk of faith? faith is an assurance of the love of God, and of the pardon of sin, and this thou hast not; thou knowest thou art far off from this, therefore thou hast no faith; and by drawing men to make such a false definition of faith, he keeps them in a sad, doubting, and questioning condition, and makes them spend their days in sorrow and sighing,