A77614:331
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 consider, that the loss of comfort is a separable adjunct from grace; the soul may be f•ll of holy affections, when 'tis empty of Divine consolations. There may be, and often2 is true grace, yea, much grace, where there is not a drop of comfort, nor a dram of joy. Comfort is not of the being, but of the well-being of a Christian. God hath not so linked these 2 choice lovers together, but that they may be3 put asunder. That wisdom that is from above, will never work a man to reason thus, I have no comfort, therefore I have no grace, I have lost that joy that once I had, therefore my condition is not good, was never good, &c. but 'twill enable a man to reason thus, tho my comfort is gone, yet the God of my comfort abides; though my joy is lost, yet the seeds of grace remain. The best mens joys are as glass, bright and brittle, and evermore in danger of breaking.
THe first Remedy against this Device1 of Satan, is to consider, that the losse of comfort is a separable adjunct from grace; the soul may be f•ll of holy affections, when 'tis empty of Divine consolations. There may be, and often2 is true grace, yea, much grace, where there is not a drop of comfort, nor a dram of joy. Comfort is not of the being, but of the wel-being of a Christian. God hath not so linked these 2 choice lovers together, but that they may be3 put asunder. That wisdome that is from above, will never work a man to reason thus, I have no comfort, therefore I have no grace, I have lost that joy that once I had, therefore my condition is not good, was never good, &c. but 'twill inable a man to reason thus, tho my comfort is gone, yet the God of my comfort abides; though my joy is lost, yet the seeds of grace remaine. The best mens joyes are as glasse, bright and brittle, and evermore in danger of breaking.