A77614:98
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 Device1 of Satan, is, solemnly to consider of the nature of true Repentance; Repentance is some other thing then what vain men conceive. Repentance is sometimes taken in a more strict and narrow2 sense, for godly sorrow; sometimes Repentance is taken in a large sense, for Amendment of Life. Repentance hath in it three things, viz. the Act, the Subject, and the Terms.
The second Remedy against this Device1 of Satan, is, solemnly to consider of the nature of true Repentance; Repentance is some other thing then what vain men conceive. Repentance is sometimes taken in a more strict and narrow2 sense, for godly sorrow; sometimes Repentance is taken in a large sense, for Amendment of Life. Repentance hath in it three things, viz. the Act, the Subject, and the Termes.
- 12 Remedy.2 R•medy.
- 2The Hebrew word for Repentance, is [Greek or Hebrew] from [Greek or Hebrew] wch signifies to return, implying a going back from what a man had don, it notes a returning or converting from one thing to another, from sin to God. The Greeks have two words, by which they express the nature of repentance, one is [Greek or Hebrew], which signifies to be careful, anxious, solicitous after a thing is done; the other word is [Greek or Hebrew], is resipiscentia, after-wit, or after-wisdom, the minds recovering of wisdom, or growing wiser after our folly. Ab [Greek or Hebrew] dementia & [Greek or Hebrew] post, it being the correction of mens folly, and returning ad sanam mentem. True repentance is a thorough change, both of the mind and manners, optima & aptissima poenitentia est nova vita, saith Luther, which saying is an excellent saying. Repentance for sin is nothing worth, without repentance from sin. If thou repent with a contradiction (saith Tertullian) God will pardon thee with a contradiction; thou repentest, and yet continuest in thy sin, God will pardon thee, and yet send thee to Hell; there's a pardon with a contradiction. Negative goodness serves no mans turn to save him from the axe. It is said of Ithacus, that the hatred of the Priscillian Heresy, was all the virtue that he had. The evil servant did not riot out his Talent. Those Reprobates,