A77614:57
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, is, to consider1 that sin is but a bitter-sweet; that seeming sweet that is in sin will quickly vanish, and lasting shame, sorrow, horror, and terror will come in the room thereof. 20. Job 12, 13, 14. Though wickedness be sweet in his mouth, though he bide it under his tongue, though he spare it, and forsake it not, but keep it still within his mouth, yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of Asps within him. Forbidden profits and pleasures are most pleasing to vain men, who count madness mirth, &c. Many long to be meddling with the murdering morsels of sin, which nourish not but rent and consume the belly, the soul that receives them. Many eat that on earth, that they digest in hell; sins murdering morsels will deceive those that devour them. Adams 2Apple was a bitter-sweet; Escu's mess was a bitter-sweet; the Israelites quails a bitter-sweet, Jonathans honey a bitter-sweet, and Adonijahs dainties a bitter-sweet; after the meal is ended comes the reckoning: Men must not think to dance and dine with the Devil, and then to sup with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven: to feed upon the poison of Asps, and ⟨p. 12⟩yet that the Vipers tongue shall not slay them; when the Asp stings a man, it doth first tickle him so, as it makes him laugh, till the poison by little and3 little gets to the heart, and then it pains him more then ever it delighted him: so doth sin, it may please a little at first, but it will pain the soul with a witness at last; yea, if there were the least real delight in sin, there could be no perfect Hell where men shall most perfectly be tormented with their sin.
The second Remedy, is, to consider1 that sin is but a bitter-sweet; that seeming sweet that is in sin will quickly vanish, and lasting shame, sorrow, horrour, and terrour will come in the room thereof. 20.