A77614:354
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 Remedy against this Device 1of Satan, is, to consider, that all the temptations that befall the Saints, shall be sanctified to them by a hand of love; ah! the choice experiences that the Saints get of the power of God, supporting them, of the wisdom of God directing them (so to handle their spiritual weapons, their graces, as not only to resist, but to overcome) of the mercy and goodness of the Lord, pardoning and succouring of them. And therefore saith Paul, I received the messenger 2Satan for to buffet me, lest I should be exalted, lest I should be exalted above measure, 'tis twice in that verse he begins with it, and ends with it; if he had not been buffeted, who knows how his heart would have swelled; he might have been carried higher in conceit, then before he was in his extacie. The school of temptation is a choice school, a school wherein God gives his people the clearest, and the sweetest discoveries of his love; a school wherein God teaches ⟨p. 257⟩his people to be more frequent, and fervent in duty; when Paul was buffeted, then he prayed thrice, that is, frequently, and fervently; A school wherein God teaches his people to be more tender, meek, and compassionate to other poor tempted souls then ever; A school wherein God teaches his people to see a greater evil in sin then ever, and a greater emptiness in the creature then ever, and a greater need of Christ, and free-grace then ever; A school wherein God will teach his people, that all temptations are but his Gold-smiths, by which he will try, and refine, and make his people more bright and glorious. The issue of all temptations shall be the good of the Saints; as you may see by the temptations that Adam, and Eve, and Christ, and David, and Job, and Peter, and Paul met with. Those hands of power, and love that bring light out of darkness, good out of evil, sweet out of bitter, life out of death, Heaven out of Hell, will bring much sweet and good to his people, out of all the temptations that come upon them.
The second Remedie against this Device 1of Satan, is, to consider, that all the temptations that befall the Saints, shall be sanctified to them by a hand of love; ah! the choise experiences that the Saints get of the power of God, supporting them, of the wisdome of God directing them (so to handle their spirituall weapons, their graces, as not only to resist, but to overcome) of the mercy and goodnesse of the Lord, pardoning and succouring of them. And therefore saith Paul, I received the messenger