those that are drawn from the consideration of the great and glorious things that Christ hath done for you and if such arguments will not take yee and win upon yee I doâ— think the throwing of hell fire in your faces will never do it The third Remedie against this device 3. Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that those precious souls which Jesus Christ The Saints Motto in all ages hath been Laboremus let 's be doing hath done and suffered as much for as he hath for you have been exceeding active and lively in all religious services and heavenly performances he did as much and suffered as much for David God loves curristas not quaristas the runner not the questioner or disputer saith Luther aâ— for you and yet who more in praying and praysing God then David seven times a day will I praise the Lord who more in the studying and meditating on the word then David Thy law is my meditation day and night The same truth you may run and read in Jacob Moses Job Daniel and in the rest of the holy Prophets and Apostles for whom Christ hath done as much for as for you ah how have all those Worthies abounded in works of righteousnesse and holinesse to the praise of free grace Certainly Satan hath got the upper hand of those souls that do argue thus The day is at hand when God will require of men non quid legerint sed quid egerint nec quid dixerint sed quomodo vixerinâ— He that talks of heaven but doth not the will of God is like him that gazed upon the Moon but fell into the pit Christ hath done such and such glorious things for us therefore wee need not make any care or conscience of dâ—ing such and such religious services as men say the word calls for if this Logick be not from Hell what is ah were the holy Prophets and Apostles alive to heare such Logick come out of the mouths of such as professe themselves to be interested in the great and glorious things that Jesus Christ hath done for his chosen ones how would they blush to look upon such souls and how would their hearts grieve and break within them to heare the language and to observe the actings of such soules The fourth Remedy against this device 4. Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider this that those that doe not walk in ways of righteousnesse and holines that do not wait upon God in the several duties and services that are commanded by him cannot have that evidence to their own soules of their righteousnesse before God of their fellowship and communion Certainly 't is one thing to judg by our graces another thing to rest or put our trust in them There is a great deal of difference betwixt declaring and deserving on with God of their blessednesse here and their happinesse hereafter as those soules have that love and delight in the wayes of the Lord that are always best when they are most in the works and service of the Lord. Little children saith the Apostle let no man deceive you he that doth righteousnesse is righteous even as he is righteous In this saith the same Apostle the children of God are manifest and the children of the Devill whosoever doth not righteousnesse is not of God neither hee As Davids daughters were known by their garments of divers colours so are Gods children by their piety and sanctity that loveth not his brother If ye know that he is righteous saith the same Apostle ye know that every one that doth righteousnesâ— is born of him He that saith I know him and keepeth not his commandements is a lyer and the truth is not in him But who soever keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected hereby know we that we are in him He that saith he abideth in him ought himselfe also to walke even as he A Christians embleme should be an house walking towards Heaven High words surely make a man neither holy nor just but a vertuous life a circumspect walking makes him deare to God A tree that is not fruitful is for the fire Christianity is not a talking but a walking with God who will not be put off with words if he misse of fruit he will take up his axe and then the soul is cut off for ever walked If wee say that we have fellowship with him and walk iâ— darknesse we lie and doe not the truth but if we walk in the light as he is in the light wee have fellowship one with another and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin saith the same Apostle So James in his second chapter What doth it profit my brethren though a man say he hath faith and have no workes can faith save him i. e. it cannot for as the body without the spirit is dead so faith without works is dead To looke after holy and heavenly works is the best way to preserve the soule from being deceived and deluded by Satans delusions and by sudden flashes of joy and comfort holy works being a more sensible and constant pledge of the precious spirit begetting and maintaining in the soule more solid pure clear strong and lasting joy Ah souls as you would have in your selves a constant and blessed evidence of your fellowship with the Father and the Sonne and of the truth of grace and of your future happinesse look that you cleave close to holy services and that you turne not your backs upon religious duties The fifth Remedy against this device 5 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that 'T is a precious truth never to be forgotten Quod non actibus sed finibus pensantur officia that duties are esteemed not by their acts but by their ends there are other choice and glorious ends for the Saints performance of religious duties then for the justifying of their persons before God or for their satisfying of the Law or justice of God or for the purchasing of the pardon of sin c. viz. to testifie their justification a good tree cannot but bring forth good fruit to testifie their love to God and their sincere obedience to thâ— commands of God to testifie their deliverance from spirituall bondage to evidence the indwellings Finis moveâ— ad agendum the end moves to doing of the spirit to stop the mouths of the worst of men and to glad those righteous souls that God would not have sadded These and abundance of other choise ends there be why those that have an interest in the glorious doings of Christ should notwithstanding that keep close to the holy duties and religious services that are commanded Tene mensuram respice sinem keep thy selfe within compasse and have an eye always to the end of thy life and actions was Maximimilians the Emperours Motto by Christ And if these considerations will not prevail with you to wait upon God in
thousand worlds Ah! if the vailes be thus sweet and glorious before pay-day comes what will be that glory that Christ will crown his Saints with for cleaving to his service in the face of all difficulties When he shall say to his father Loe here am I and the children which thou hast given me if there be so much to be had in a wildernesse what then shall be had in Paradise c. The fourth Device that Satan 4 Device hath to keep soules off from holy exercises from religious services is BY working them to make false inferences from those blessed and glorious things that Christ hath done As that Jesus Christ hath done all for us therefore there is nothing for us to doe but to joy and rejoyce he hath perfectly justified us and fulfilled the Law and satisfied divine Justice and pacified his Fathers wrath and is gone to Heaven to prepare a place for us and in the mean time to intercede for us and therefore away with praying and mourning and hearing c. Ah! what a world of Professors hath Satan drawn in these dayes from religious services by working them to make such sad wilde and strange inferences from the sweet and excellent things that the Lord Jesus hath done for his beloved ones Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this device 1. Remedie of Satan is to dwell as much on those Scriptures that shew you the duties and services that Christ requires of you as upon those Scriptures that declare Tertullian hath this expression of the fulnesse of the Scriptures Adoro plenitudinem Scripturarum I adore the fulnesse of the Scripture Gregory calls the Scripture cor animam Dei the heart soule of God and who will not then dwell on it to you the precious and glorious things that Christ hath done for you 'T is a sad and a dangerous thing to have two eyes to behold our dignity and priviledges and not one eye to see our duties and services I should look with one eye upon the choise and excellent things that Christ hath done for me to raise up my heart to love Christ with the purest love and to joy in Christ with the strongest joy and to lift up Christ above all who hath made himself to be my all And I should look with the other eye upon those services and duties that the Scriptures require of those for whom Christ hath done such blessed things as upon that of the Apostle What know yee not that your body 1 Cor. 6. 19 20. is the Temple of the holy Ghost which is in you which ye have of God and ye are not your owne For ye are bought with a price therefore glorifie God in your body and in your spirit which are Gods And that 1 Cor. 15. 58. therefore my beloved brethren be yee stedfast unmoveable alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord knowing that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord. And that And let us not be weary in well doing for in due Gal. 6. 9. 2. season we shall reape if we faint not And that of the Apostle rejoyce alwayes and pray without ceasing and that in the Philippians Worke out your salvation with Phil. 2 12 13 1 Cor. 11. 26. Heb 10. 24 25. feare and trembling and that This doe till I come and that Let us consider one another to provoke one another to love and to good workes not forsaking the assembling of our selves together as the mannor of some The Jews were much in turning over the leaves of the Scripture but they did not weigh the matter of them John 5. 39. You search the Scripture Gr. there seemeth to be indicative rather then imperative is but exhorting one another and so much the more as you see the day approaching Now a soule that would not be drawn away by this device of Satan hee must not look with a squint eye upon these blessed Scriptures and abundance more of like import but he must dwell upon them he must make these Scriptures to be his chiefest and his choisest companions and this will be a happy meanes to keep him close to Christ and his service in these times wherein many turn their backs upon Christ under pretence of being highly interested in the great and glorious things that have been acted by Christ c. The second Remedie against this Device 2. Remedie of Satan is to consider that the great and glorious things that Jesus Christ hath done and is a doing for us should be so far from taking us off from religious services and pious performances that they should be the greatest motives and encouragements to the performance of them that may be as the Scriptures do abundantly evidence I 1 Pet. 2. 9. Luke 1. 74 75. This I am sure of that all mans happines here is his holinesse and his holinesse shall hereafter be his happiness Christ hath therefore broke the Devils yoke from off our necks that his Father might have better service from our hearts 2 Cor. 6. 6. 17 18. ch 7. 1. compared will only instance in some as that That we being delivered out of the hands of our Enemies might serve him without feare in holinesse and righteousnesse before him all the dayes of our lives Christ hath freed you from all your Enemies from the curse of the Law the predominant damnatory power of sin the wrath of God the sting of death and the torments of hell but what is the end and design of Christ in doing these great and marvellous things for his people 't is not that they should throw off duties of righteousnesse and holinesse but that their hearts may be the more free and sweet in all holy duties and heavenly services So the Apostle I will be their God and they shall be my people And I will be a Father unto you and yee shall be my sonnes and daughters saith the Lord Almighty mark what follows Having therefore these promises dearly beloved let us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the feare of the Lord. And againe The grace of God that Yit 2. 11 12 13 14. bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men Teaching us that denying all ungodlinsse and worldly lusts we should live soberly righteously and godly in this present world Looking for that blessed hope and the glorious Tace lingua loquere vita talk not of a good life but let thy life speak Your actions in passiâ—g pass not away for every good work is a grain of seed for eternall life appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ who gave him selfe for us that he might redeeme us from all iniquity and purifie unto himselfe a peculiar people zealous of good workes Ah soules I know no such arguments to worke you to a lively and constant performance of all heavenly services like
3 4 5. the Devil had malice enough to destroy him yet he had not so much as power to touch him till God gave him a Commission They could not so much as enter into Luke 8. 32. the swine without leave from Christ Satan would faine have combated with Peter but this could not he doe without leave Satan hath desired to have you Luke 22. 13. to winnow you So Satan could never have overthrown Ahab and Saul but by 1 Kings 22. a commission from God Ah! what a cordiall what a comfort should this be to the Saints that their greatest subtilest and watchfullest enemie cannot hurt nor harme them without leave from him who is their sweetest Saviour their dearest husband and their choysest friend And as Satan must have leave from Adversaria poâ—e 〈…〉 non habet vim câ—gendi sed persuadendi Isâ—doâ—e God so he must have leave of us when he tempts we must assent when hee makes offers we must hearken when he commands we must obey or else all his labour and temptations will be frustrate and the evill that he tempts us to shall be put down only to his account that 's a remarkable passage of the Apostle in Acts 5. 3. Why hath Satan Acts 5. 3. filled thy heart to lie to the holy Ghost c. He doth not expostulate the matter with Satan he doth not say Satan why They are the worâ—â— and grossest lyars who pretend Reâ—igion and the Spirit and yet are acted onley by carnall principles to carnal ends host thou filled Ananias heart to make him lie to the holy Ghost but he expostulates the case with Ananias Peter said Ananias why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Ghost Why hast thou given him an advantage to fill thy heart with infidelity hypocrisie and obstinate audacity to lie to the holy Ghost as If he had said Satan could never have done this in thee which will now for ever undoe thee unlesse thou hadst first given him leave If when a temptation comes a man cries out and saith ah Lord here is a temptation that would force me that would deflowr my soul and I have no strength to with-stand it oh help help for thy honours sake for thy Sonnes sake for thy promise sake 't is a signe that Satan hath not gained your consent but committed a rape upon your soules which he shall dearly pay for The fourth Proposition is this That no weapons but spirituall 4 Proposition weapons will be usefull and serviceable to the soule in fighting and combating with the Devill this the Apostle shewes VVherefore take unto you saith Ephes 6. 13. he the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand in the evill day and having done all to stand So the same Apostle tells you that the weapons of your warfare are not carnall but mighty through God to 2 Cor. 10. 4. the casting downe of strong bolds you have not to do with a weak but with a mighty We read of many that out of greatnesse of spirit could offer violence to nature but were at a loss when they come to deale with a corruption or a temptation enemy and therefore you had need look to it that your weapons are mighty and that they cannot be unlesse they are spirituall carnall weapons have no might nor spirit in them towards the making of a conquest upon Satan 'T was not Davids sling nor stone that gave him the honor advantage of setting his feet upon Goliah but his faith in the name of the Lord of Hosts Thou comest 1 Sam. 17. 45. to me with a sword with a speare and with a shield but I am come to thee in the name of the Lord of Hosts the God of the Armies of Israel whom thou hast defied Hee that Heraclius his Motto was a Deo victoria it is God that gives victories and that should be every Christians Motto fights against Satan in the strength of his owne resolutions constitution or education will certainely flie and fall before him Satan will be too hard for such a soule and lead him captive at his pleasure The onely way to stand conquer and triumph is still to plead 't is written as Christ did There is no sword but the two-edged sword of the Mat. 4. 10. Spirit that will be found to be mettle of proofe when a soule comes to engage against Satan Therefore when you are tempted to uncleannesse plead 't is written Be ye holy as I am holy And 1 Pet. 15. 16â— 2 Cor. 5. 7. Chap. 1. lâ—t us cleanse our selves from all filthinesse of the flesh and spirit perfecting holinesse in the â—eare of the Lord. If he temptsâ— you to distrust Gods providence and fatherly care of you plead 't is written They Psal 34. 9. that feare the Lord shall want nothing that is good 'T is written The Lord will give Psal 84. 11. grace and glory and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that purlely live If he tempt you to feare that you shall faint and fall and never be able to run to the end of the race that is set before Iob 17. 9. you plead 't is written The righteous shall hold on his way and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger 'T is written I will make an everlasting covevenant with them that I will not turne away Ier. 32. 40. from them to doe them good but I wil put my feare in their hearts that they shall not depart from me 'T is written They that wait upon the Lord they shall renew their Isa 40. 31. strength they shall mount up with wings as Eagles they shall run and not be weary and they shall walke and not â—aint If Satan tempt you to think that because your sunne for the present is set in a cloud that therefore 't will rise no more and that the face of God will shine no more upon you that your best days are now at an end and that you must spend all your time in sorrow and fighing plead 't is written He will turn again he Mica 7. 19. will have compassion upon us and cast all our sins into the depths of the sea 'T is written For a small moment have I forsaken Isa 54. 7. thee but with great mercies will I gather Verse 8. thee In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment but with everlasting kindnesse will I have mercy on thee saith the Lord thy Redeemer 'T is written The mountaines shall depart and the hills be Verse 10. removed but my kindnesse shall not depart from thee neither shall the Covenant of my peace be removed saith the Lord that hath mercie on thee 'T is written Can a woman Isa 49. 15. forget her sucking child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will not I forget
to grapple with this mighty Adversary and that notwithstanding all the plots devices and stratagems of Satan yet he will make them victorious here and crown them with glory hereafter the greater and the subtiler the enemies of the children of Israel were the more did divine power wisdome and goodnesse sparkle and shine that notwithstanding all their power plots and stratagems c. yet to Canan he would bring them at last When Paul had well weighed this he sits downe and glories in his infirmities 2 Cor. 12. 7 8 9. and distresses and Satans buffetings that the power of Christ might rest upon him The use of the Point IF Satan hath such a world of devices Vse and stratagems to ensnare and undo the soules of men then instead of wondering that so few are saved set down and wonder that any are saved that any escape the snares of this cunning fowler who spreads his nets and casts forth his baits in all places and in all cases and companies c. But this is not the main thing that I intend to speak to my main business shall be to set before you some speciall Rules and helps against all his Devices and the first is this If you would not be taken by any of Satans Devices then walk by rule hee that walks by rule walks most safely Prov. 12. 28. Gal. 6. 16. Prov. 15. 24. he that walks by rule walks most honourably he that walke by rule walks most sweetly when men throw off the word then God throws off them and then Satan takes them by the hand and leads them into snares at his pleasure he that thinks himselfe too good to be ruled by the word will be found too bad to be owned by God and if God doe not nor will not owne him Satan will by his stratagems overthrow him Them that keep to the rule they shall be kept in the hour of temptation Because Revel 10. 3. thou hast kept the word of my patience I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth 2. As you would not be taken with any of Satans devices take heed of vexing Spiritus Sanctus est res delicata the divine spirit is a very tender thing if you grieve him he will certainly grieve and vex your precious soules Lam. 1. 16. grieving the holy Spirit of God 't is the Spirit of the Lord Jesus Christ that is best able to discover Satans snar'e unto us 't is only he that can point out all his plots and discover all his methods and inable men to escape those pits that he hath digged for their precious souls Ah souls if you set that sweet and blessed spirit a mourning that alone can secure you from Satans depths by whom will you be secured man is a weake creature and no way able to discover Satans snares nor to avoyd them unles the spirit of the Lord gives skil power therfore who ever be grieved be sure the spirit be not grieved by your enormities nor by your refusing Isa 63. 10. Psal 73. 2 3. the cordials and comforts that he sets before you nor by slighting and dispising his gracious actings in others 1 Thes 5. 19. Acts 2. 13. nor by calling sincerity hypocrisie faith fancie c. nor by fathering those things upon the spirit that are the brats and fruits of your own hearts The spirit of the Lord is your counsellor your comforter your upholder your strengthner 'T is onely the spirit that makes a man too great for Satan to conquer Greater is he that is in you 1 John 4. 4. then he that is in the world Thirdly if you would not be taken with any of Satans devices then labour for more heavenly wisdome Ah souls If men could but see the faire face of wisdome with mortaâ—l eyes they would be in love with her saith Plaâ—â— you are much in the dark you have but a little to that others have and to that you might have had had you not been wanting to your selves There are many knowing soules but there are but a few wise soules there is oftentimes a great deale of knowledge where there is but a little wisdome to improve that knowledge knowledge without wisdome Sine prudentia simplicitas stulâ—â—tia est Druâ—ius is like mettle in a blind horse which is often an occasion of the Riders fall and of his bones being justled against the walls 'T is not the most knowing Christian but the most wise Christian that sees avoids and escapes Satans snares The way of life is above to Prov. 15. 24. the wise saith Solomon that he may depart from hell beneath Heavenly wisdome makes a man delight to flye high and the higher any man flies the more he is out of the reach of Satans snares Ah soules you had need of a great deal Malim prudentiae guttam quam foecandioris fortunae pelagas said Nazianzen A Serpents eye is a singular ornament in a doves head of heavenly wisdome to see where and how Satan layes his baits and snares and wisdome to finde out proper Remedies against his Devices and wisdome to apply those Remedies seasonably inwardly and effectually to your owne hearts that so you may avoid the snares which that evill one hath laid for your precious soules 4. If you would not be taken with any of Satans devices then make present resistance against Satans first motions 't is safe to resist 't is dangerous to dispute Eve disputes and falls in Paradise Gen. 3. Job resiâ—te and conquers upon the dunghill He that will play with Satans bait will quickly be taken with Satans hook The promise of conquest is made over to resisting not to disputing Resist the Devill and hee shall file Iam. 4. 7. from you Ah souls were you better at resisting then at disputing though happily you are not very expert at either your temptations would be fewer and your strength to stand would be greater then now it is c. Fifthly if you would not be taken with any of Satans Devices then labour to be filled with the spirit the spirit of the Lord is a spirit of light and power and what can a soule doe without light power against spiritual wickednesses Ephes 6. 12. in high places 'T is not enough that you have the spirit but you must be filled with the spirit or else Satan that evill spirit will be too hard for you and his plots will prosper against you That 's a sweet word of the Apostle Ephes 5. 18. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 To be filled with the spirit as the sailes of a ship is filled with wind Luther saith a hoâ—y gluttony is to lay on to seed hard and to fetch hearty draughts till they be even drunke with loves with the abundance of the Spirit oh that there were more of such holy gluttony in the
hottest oppositions against those vessells that are most richly laden so doth Satan that arch Pirate against those truths that have most of God Christ and Heaven in them met with from Satan in the study of this following discourse hath put an edge upon my spirit knowing that Satan strives mightily to keep those things from seeing the light that tend eminently to shake and break his Kingdome of darknesse and to lift up the Kingdome and glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in the soules and lives of the children of men c. Its exceeding usefulnesse to all sorts ranks and conditions of men 4. Reason in the world here you have salve for every sore and a plaister for every wound and a Remedy against every disease especially against those that tend most to the undoing of soules and to the ruine of the State c. I know not of any one or 5. Reason other that have writ of this Subject all that I have ever seen have only toucht upon this string which hath been no small provocation to me to attempt to doe something this way that others that have better heads and hearts may be the more stirred to improve their Talents in a further discovery of Satans Devices and in the making knowne of such choice Remedies as may inable the soules of men to triumph over all his plots and stratagems c. I have many precious friends in 6 Reason severall Countries who are not a little desirous that my pen may reach them now my voice cannot I have formerly been by the help of the mightie God of Jacob a weake instrument of good to them and cannot but hope and beleeve that the Lord will also blesse these labours to them they being in part the fruit of their desires and prayers c. Lastly not knowing how soon 7. Reason my Glasse may be out and how soone I may be cut off by a hand of death from all opportunities of doing further service for Christ or your soules in this world I was willing to sow a little handfull of spirituall seed among you that so when I put off this earthly Tabernacle my love to you and that deare remembrance of you which I have in my soule may strongly engage your minds and spirits to make this Book your Companion and under all externall or internall changes to make use of this heavenly Salve which I hope will by the blessing of the Lord be as effectuall for the healing of all your Wounds as their looking up to the brazen Serpent was effectuall to heale theirs that were bit and stung with fiery Serpents I shall leave this Book with you as a Legacie of my dearest Love desiring the Lord to make it a far greater and sweeter Legacie then all those carnall Legacies are that are left by the high and mighty ones of the earth to their nearest and dearest relations c. Beloved I would not have affection carrie my pen too much beyond my intention therefore onely give me leave to signifie my desires for you and my desires to you and I shall draw to a close My desires for you are That he would grant you according to the riches Ephes 3. of his glory to be strengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner Vers 17. man That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith that ye being rooted and grounded in love May be able to Vers 18. comprehend with all Saints what is the breadth and length and depth Vers 19. and height And to know the love of Christ that passeth knowledge That ye might be filled with all the fullnesse of God And that yee might walke Colos 1. 10. worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing being fruitfull in every good worke and increased in the knowledge of God Strengthned with all might according Vers 11. to his glorious power unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfullnesse That ye doe no evill That 2 Cor. 13. 7. your love may abound yet more and more in Knowledge and in all Judgement Phil. 1. 9. That yee may approve things that are excellent that ye may be sincere Vers 10. and without offence till the day of Christ And that our God would 2 Thess 1. 11. count you worthy of this calling and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodnesse and the worke of Faith with Vers 12. power That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you and ye in him according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ And that you may be eminent in Psal 93. 5. Sanctitie Sanctitie being Zions glory that your hearts may be kept upright your judgements sound and your lives unblamable That as you are now my joy so in the day of Christ you may be my Crown That I may see my labours in your lives that your conversation may not be earthly when the things you heare are heavenly but that it may be as becomes the Gospel That as the Fishes which live in the salt Sea yet are fresh so you though you live in an uncharitable world may yet be charitable and loving That ye may like the Bee suck Honey out of every Flower That ye may shine in a sea of troubles as the Pearle shines in the skie though it grows in the Sea That in all your trials you may be like the stone in Thracia that neither burneth in the fire nor sinketh in the water That ye may be like the Heavens excellent in substance and beautifull in appearance that so you may meet me with joy in that day wherein Christ shall say to his Father Loe here am I and the children that thou hast given me My desires to you are That you would make it your businesse to study Christ his Word your own Hearts Satans Plots and Eternity more then ever that ye would endeavour more to be inwardly sincere then outwardly glorious to live then to have a name to live That yee would labour with all your might to be thankfull under Mercies and faithfull in your Places and humble under Divine Appearances and fruitfull under precious Ordinances that as your meanes and mercies are greater then others so your account before God may not prove worse then others That ye would pray for me who am not worthy to be named among the Saints that I may be a precious instrument in the hand of Christ to bring in many soules unto him and to build up those that are brought in in their most holy Faith And that Utterance may be given to me that I may make knowne all the will of God That 2 Cor. 11. 23 24 25 26 27 28. I may be sincere faithfull frequent fervent and constant in the worke of the Lord and that my labour be not in vaine in the Lord That my Labours may be accepted of the Lord and his Saints and I may daily see the travell of my soule
last to advance and lift up themselves and their Christ-dishonouring and soul-damning opinions A young man being long tempted to kill his Father or lie with his mother or be drunk he thought to yeeld to the lesser viz. to be drunk that he might be rid of the greater but when he was drunk he did both kill his Father and lie with his Mother above Scripture and Ordinances Sinne gaines upon mens soules by insensible degrees Ecclesiastes 10. v. 13. The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishnesse and the end of his talking is mischievous madnesse Corruption in the heart when it breaks forth is like a breach in the Sea which begins in a narrow passage till it eat through and cast down all before it The debates of the soul are quick and soone ended and that may be done in a moment that may undoe a man for ever When a man hath begun to sin he knowes not where or when or how he shall make a stop of sin usually the soule goes on from evill to evill from folly to folly till it be ripe for eternall misâ—ry men usually grow from being nought to be very nought and from very nought to be starke nought and then God sets them at nought for ever The third Remedy against this third 3. Remedie device that Satan hath to draw the soul to sin is solemnly to consider that 't is sad to stand with God for a trifle Dives would not give a crum therefore Luk 16. 21. he should not receive a drop 't is the greatest folly in the world to adventure the going to hell for a small matter I tasted but a little honey said Jonathan 1 Sam. 14. 43. and I must dye it is a most unkinde and unfaithfull thing to break with God for a little little sins carry with them but little temptations to sin It was a vexation to King Lysimachus that his staying to drink one small draught of water lost him his Kingdome and so it will eternally vex som souls at last that for some one little sin compared with great transgressioâ—s they have lost God Heaven and their soules for ever and then a man shewes most viciousnesse and unkindnesse when he sins on a little temptation 'T is divelish to sinne without a temptation 't is little lesse then divelish to sin on a little occasion the lesse the temptation is to sin the greater is that â—inne Saul's sin in not staying for Samuel was not so much in the matter but it was much in the malice of it for though Samuel had not come at all yet Saul should not have offered Sacrifice but this cost him dear his Soul and his Kingdome 'T is the greatest unkindnesse that can be shewed to a friend to adventure the complaining bleeding and grieving of his soule upon a light and slight occasion so 't is the greatest unkindnesse that can be shewed to God Christ and the Spirit for a soul to put God upon complaining Christ upon bleeding and the Spirit upon grieving by yeelding to little sins therefore when Satan sayes 't is but a little one doe thou answer that often times there is the greatest unkindnesse shewed to Gods glorious Majesty in the acting of the least folly and therefore thou wilt not displease thy best and greatest friend by yielding to his least enemy The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that there is great danger yea many times most danger in the smallest sins 1 Cor. 5. 6. A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump if the Serpent wind in his head he will draw his whole body after Greater sins doe sooner startle the soule and awaken and rouse up the soul to repentance Caesar was stab'd with bodkins then lesser sins doe little sins often slide into the soule and breed and work secretly and undiscernably Pope Adrian was choaked with a Gnat. in the soule till they come to be so strong as to trample upon the soule and to cut the throat of the soule there is oftentimes greatest danger to our bodies in the least Diseases that hang upon us because we are apt to make A Scorpion is little yetable to sting a Lion to death a Mouseis but little yet killeth an Elephant if he gets up into his trunck light of them and to neglect the timely use of means for the removing of them till they are grown so strong that they prove mortall to us so there is most danger often in the least sins we are apt to take no notice of them and to neglect those heavenly helps whereby they should be weakned and destroyed till they are grown up to that strength that we are ready to cry out the Medicine is The Leopard being great is poysoned with a head of Garlick too weak for the Disease I would pray and I would hear but I am afraid that sin is growne up by degrees to such a head that I shall never be able to prevaile over it but as I have begun to fall The smallest errors prove many times most dangerous It is as much treason to coyne pence as bigger pieces so I shall utterly fall before it and at last perish in it unlesse the power and free grace of Christ doth act gloriously beyond my present apprehension and expectation The Viper is killed by the little young ones that are nourished and cherished in her belly so are many men eternally killed and betrayed by the little One little miscarriage doth in the eyes of the world over-shaddow all a Christians Graces as one little cloud doth sometimes overshadow the whole body of the Sun sins as they call them that are nourished in their own bosomes I know not saith one whether the maintenance of the least sin be not worse then the commission of the greatest for this may be of frailty that argues obstinacy a little hole in the Ship sinks it a small breach in a Sea-bank carries away all before it a little stab at the heart kills a man and a little sin without a great deale of mercy will damn a man The fift Remedy against this Device 5 Remedy Melius mori fame quam Idolothys is vesci August It is better to dye with hunger then to eat that which is offred to Idols of Satan is solemnly to consider that other Saints have chosen rather to suffer the worst of torments rather then they would commit the least sin i. e. such as the world accounts so as you may see in Daniel and his Companions that would rather chuse to burne and be cast to the Lions then they would bow to the Image that Nebuchadnezzer had set up when this peccadillo in the worlds account and a hot fiery furnace stood in competition that they must either fall into sin or be cast into the Many Heathens would rather dye then cozen or cheat one another so faithfull were they one to another
whipping Gods corrections are our instructions his lashes our lessons his Psal 94. 12. Pro. 3. 12 13. ch 6. 23. 26. Isaiah 9. scourges our School-masters his chastisements our advertisements and to note this both the Hebrewes and the Greeks expresse chastening and teaching 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 by one and the same word musar paideia because the latter is the true Job 36. 8 9 10. end of the former according to that in the Proverb Smart makes wit and vexation gives understanding whence Luther fitly calls affliction The Christians mans Divinity Theologiam christianorum so saith Job Chap. 33. 16. 19 God speaketh once yea twice yet man perceiveth it not in a dream in a vision of the night when deep sleep falleth upon men in slumbrings upon the Bed then he openeth Afflictiones benedictiones Ber. Afflictions are blessings the ears of men and sealeth their instruction that he may withdraw man from his purpose and hide pride from man he keepeth back his soule from the pit and his life from perishing by the sword When Satan shall tell thee of other mens sins to draw thee to sin doe thou then think of the same mens sufferings to keep thee from sin lay thy hand upon thy heart and say oh my soul if thou sinnest with David thou must suffer with David c. The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider That there are but two main ends of Gods recording of the fals of his Saints and the one is to keep those from fainting I have known a good man said Bernard who when he heard of any that had committed some notorious sin he was wont to â—ay with himselfe ille bodie ego cras he fell to day so may I to morrow sinking and despaire under the burden of their sins who fall through weaknesse and infirmity and the other is that their falls may be as Land-marks to warn others that stand to take heed lest they fall it never entred into the heart of God to record his Childrens sins that others might be incouraged to sin but that others might be warned to look to their standings and to hang the faster upon the skirts of Christ and avoid all occasions and temptations that may occasion the soul to fall as others have fallen When they have been left by Christ the Lord hath made their sins as Land-marks to warn his people to take heed how they come near those sands and rocks those snares and baites that have been fatal to the choycest treasures to wit the joy peace comfort and glorious enjoyments of the bravest spirits and noblest souls that ever sailed through the ocean of this sinfull troublesome world as you may see in David Job Peter c. There is nothing in the world that can so notoriously crosse the grand end of Gods recording of the sins of his Saints then for any from thence to take incouragement to sin and where ever you find such a soul you may write him Christlesse Gracelesse a soul cast off by God a soule that Satan hath by the hand and the eternall God knowes whether he will lead him The fifth Device that Satan hath to 5 Device draw the soul to sin is to present God to the soul as one made up all of mercy oh saith Satan you need not make such a matter of sin you need not be so fearfull of sin nor so unwilling to sin for God is a God of mercy a God full of mercy a God that delights in mercy a God that is ready to shew mercy a God that is never weary of shewing merey a God more prone to pardon his people then to punish his people and therefore he will not take advantage against the soule and why then saith Satan should you make such a matter of sin Now the Remedies against this Device of Satan are these THe first Remedy is seriously to consider 1 Remedy that 't is the sorest judgement in this world to be left to sin upon any pretence whatsoever oh unhappy man when God leaveth thee to thy Humanum est peccare Diaboli cum perseverare AngelicuÌ„ resurgere Austin i. e. It is a humane thing to fall into sin a diveâ—ish to persevere therein and an Angellcal or supernatural to rise from it self and doth not resist thee in thy sins woe woe to him at whose sins God doth wink when God lets the way to Hell be a smooth and pleasant way that is hell on this side hell and a dreadfull signe of Gods indignation against a man a token of his rejection and that God doth not intend good unto him that is a sad word Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone he will be uncounsellable and uncorrigible he hath made a match with mischiefe he shall have his belly-full of it he falls with open eyes let him fall at his owne perrill and that 's a terrible saying So I gave them up unto their own hearts Psal 81. 12. Hosea 4. 14. lusts and they walked in their owne counsels A soul given up to sin is a soul â—ipe for hell a soul posting to destruction Ah A me me slava Domine Deliver me O Lord from that evil man my self Aug. Lord this mercy I humbly beg that what ever thou givest me up to thou wilt not give me up to the wayes of mine own heart if thou wilt give me up to be afflicted or tempted or reproached c. I will patiently sit down and say 'T is the Lord let him doe with me what seems good in his owne eyes doe any thing with me lay what burden thou wilt upon me so thou doest not give me up to the wayes of my own heart c. The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that God is as just as he is mercifull as the Scriptures speak him out to be a very mercifull God so they speak him 2 Pet 2. 4 5 6. God hang'd them up in Gibbets as it were that others might hear and fear and doe no more so wickedly out to be a very just God witnesse his casting the Angels out of Heaven and his binding them in chains of darknesse till the judgement of the great day and witnesse his turning Adam out of Paradise his drowning of the old world and his raining Hell out of Heaven upon Sodome and witnesse all the crosses losses sicknesses and diseases that be in the world and witnesse Tophet that is prepared of old witnesse his treasuring up of wrath against the day of wrath unto the revelation of the just judgements of God but above all witnesse the pouring forth of all his wrath upon his bosome Son when he did bare the sins of his people and cryed out My God my God why hast thou forsaken-me Mat. 27. 46. The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of
thy sin God will pardon thee and yet send thee to Hell there 's a pardon with a contradiction Negative goodnesse serves no mans turn to save him from the axe It is said of Ithacus that the hatred of the Priscillian Heresie was all the vertue that he had The evill servant did not riot out his Talent Those Reprobates Mat. 25. robbed not the Saints but relieved them not for this they must eternally perish 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 1. The formall Act of Repentance is a changing and converting 't is often set forth in Scripture by Turning Turne thou me and I shall be turned saith Ephraim after that I was turned I repented saith he 't is a turning from darknesse to light 2. The Subject changed and converted is the whole man 't is both the sinners heart and life first his heart then his life first his person then his practice and conversation Wash yee make you cleane there 's the change of their persons put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes cease to doe evill learne to do well there 's the change of their practises So Cast away saith Ezekiel all your transgressions whereby you have transgressed there 's the change of the life and make you a new heart and a new spirit there 's the change of the 3. The Tearmes of this change and conversion from which and to which both heart and life must be changed from all sin to God the heart must be changed from the state and power of sin the life from the acts of sin but both unto God the heart to be under his power in a state of grace the life to be under his rule in all new obedience as the Apostle speaks To open their eyes and to turn them from darknesse to light and from the power of satan unto God so the Prophet Isaiah saith Let the wicked forsake their wayes and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him returne unto the Lord. Thus much of the nature of Evangelicall Repentance Now soules tell me whither it be such an easie thing to repent as Satan doth suggest besides what hath been spoken I desire that you will take notice that Repentance doth include a turning from the most darling sin Ephraim shall say What have I to doe any more with Idols Yea it 's a turning from all sin to God Ezek. 18. 30. Therefore I will judge you O House of Israel every one according to his wayes saith the Lord God repent and turne your selves from all your transgressions so iniquity shall not be your ruine Herod turn'd from many but turn'd not from his Herodias which was his ruine Judas turn'd from all visible wickednes yet he would not cast out that golden Devil Covetousnesse and therefore was cast into the hottest place in Hell He that turnes not from every sin turnes not aright from any one sin every sin strikes at the Honour of God the Being of God the Glory of God the Heart of Christ the Joy of the Spirit and the Peace of a mans Conscience and therefore a soul truly penitent strikes at all hates all conflicts with all and will labour to draw strength from a crucified Christ to crucifiâ— all a true penitent knowes neither father nor mother neither right eye nor right hand but will pluck out the one and cut off the other Saul spared but one Agâ—g and that cost him his soul and his Kingdome besides Repentance is not onely a turning from all sin but also a turning to all good to a love of all good to a prizing of all good and to a following after all good Ezek. 18. 21. But if the wicked will turne from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my Statutes and doe that which is lawfull and right he shall surely live be shall not die that is onely negative righteousnesse and holinesse is no righteousnesse nor holinesse David fulfilled all the wills of God and had respect unto all his Commandements and so had Zacharias and Elizabeth 'T is not enough that the Tree bears not ill fruit but it must bring forth good fruit else it must be cut downe and east into the fire So 't is not enough that you are not thus and thus wicked but you must be thus and thus gracious and good else Divine Justice will put the Axe of Divine Vengeance to the root of your souls and cut you off for ever Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn downe and cast into the fire besides Repentance doth include a sensiblenesse of sins sinfulnesse how opposite and contrary 't is to the blessed God God is light sin is darknesse God is life sin is death God is Heaven sin is hell God is beauty sin is deformity Also true Repentance includes a sensiblenes of sins mischievousnesse how it cast Angels out of Heaven and Adam out of Paradise how it laid the first corner-stone in hell and brought in all the curses crosses and miseries that be in the world and how it makes men liable to all temporall spirituall and eternall wrath how it hath made men Godlesse Christlesse hopelesse and heavenlesse in this world further true repentance doth include sorrow for sin contrition of heart it breaks the heart with sighes and sobs and groans for that a loving God and Father is by sin offended a blessed Saviour a fresh crucified and the sweet Comforter the Spirit True repentance is a sorrowing for sin as it is offensivum Dei aversivum à Deo this both comes from God drives a man to God as it did the Church in the Canticles and the Prodigall Ezek. 20. 22 23. grieved and vexed Again Repentance doth include not onely a loathing of sin but also a loathing of our selves for sin as a man doth not onely loath poyson but he loaths the very dish or vessel that hath the smell of the poyson so a true Penitent doth not onely loath his sin but he loaths himselfe the vessel that still smels of sin So Ezek. 20. 43. And there shall ye remember your wayes and all your doings wherein yee have been defiled and ye shall loath your selves in your owne sight for all your evills that ye have committed true Repentance will work your hearts not onely to loath your sins but also to loath your selves Againe true Repentance doth not onely work a man to loath himself for his sins but it makes him asham'd of his sin also What fruit have ye of those things whereof ye are now ashamed saith the Apostle so Ezekiel And thou shalt be confounded and never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done saith the Lord God When a penâ—tentiall soul sees his sins pardoned the anger of God pacified and Divine Justice satisfied then
been consumed by the sword and by the famine This is just the language of a world of ignorant prophane and superstitious souls in London and England that would have made them a Captaine 'T is said of one of the Emperours that Rome had no war in his daves because 't was plague enoâ—gh to have such an Emperour you are wise and know how to apply it to returne to bondage yea to that bondage that was worse then that the Israelites groaned under Oh say they since such and such persons have beene put down and left off we have had nothing but plundering and taxing and butchering of men c. and therefore we will doe as we and our Kings and Nobles and Fathers have formerly done for then had we plenty at home and peace abroad c. and there was none to make us afraid Now the Remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy is solemnly to consider 1 Remedy that no man knowes how the heart of God stands by his hand his hand of mercy may be towards a man when his heart may be set against that man as you may see in Saul and Tully judged the Jews Religion to be naught because they were so often overcome impoverish'd and afflicted and the Religion of Rome to be right because the Romans prospered and became Lords of the world yet though the Romans had his hand the Jews had his heart for they were dearly beloved though sorely afflicted others and the hand of God may be set against a man when the heart of God is dearly set upon a man as you may see in Job and Ephraim the hand of God was sorely set against them and yet the heart and bowels of God were strongly working towards them no man knoweth either love or hatred by outward mercy or misery for all things come alike to all to the righteous and to the unrighteous to the good and to the bad to the clean and to the unclean c. The sun of prosperity shines as well upon brambles of the Wildernesse as fruit-trees of the Orchard the snow and haile of adversity lights upon the best gardens as well as the stinking dunghills or the wild waste Ahabs and Josiah's ends concur in the very circumstances Saul and Jonathan though different in their natures deserts and deportments yet in their deaths they were not divided Health wealth honours c. crosses sicknesses losses c. are cast upon good men and bad men promiscuously The whole Turkish Empire is Nihil est nisi mica panis Luther nothing else but a crust cast by Heavens great House-keeper to his dogs Moses dies in the Wildernesse as well as those that murmured Nabal is rich aswell as Abraham Achitophell wise aswell as Solomon and Doeg honoured by Soul as well as Ioseph was by Pharoah Usually the worst of men have most of these outward things and the best of men have least of Earth though most of Heaven The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider That there is nothing in the world that doth so provoke God to be wrath and angry as mens taking incouragement from Gods goodnesse and mercy to do wickedly this you may see by that wrath that fell upon the old world and by Gods raining hell out of Heaven upon Such soules make God a God of clouts one that will not doe as he saith but they shall find God to be as severe in punishing as he is to others gracious in pardoning Good turnes aggravate unkindnesses and our guilt is increased by our obligations Sodome and Gomorah This is clear in that 44 of Jeremiah from the 20 verse to the 28 verse the words are worthy of your best meditation oh that they were engraven in all your hearts and constant in all your thoughts though they are too large for me to transcribe them yet they are not too large for you to remember them To argue from mercy to sinfull liberty is the Devils Logick and such Logicians doe ever walk as upon a mine of Gun-powder ready to be blown up no such souls can ever avert or avoid the wrath of God This is wickednesse at the height for a man to be very bad because God is very good a worse spirit then this is not in hell ah Lord doth not wrath yea the greatest wrath lie at this mans door Are not the strongest chaines of darknes prepared for such a soul To sin against mercy is to sin against humanity it is bestiall nay it is worse To render good for evill is Divine to render good for good is humane to render evill for evill is brutish but to render evill for good is devilish and from this evill deliver my soul oh God The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remdy of Satan is solemnly to consider that there is no greater misery in this life then not to be in misery no greater Religio peperit divitias filia devoravit matrem Religion brought forth Riches and the daughter soon devoured the Mother saith Augustine affliction then not to be afflicted woe woe to that soul that God will not spend a rod upon this is the saddest stroke of all when God refuses to strike at all Ephraim is joyned to Idols let him alone Why should you be smitten any more you will revolt more and more When the Physician gives over the Patient you say ring out his knell the man is dead so when God gives over a soul to sin without controule you may truly say this soule is lost you may ring out his knel for he is twice dead and pluckt up by the roots Freedome from punishment is the mother of security the step-mother of virtue the poyson of Religion the moth of holinesse and the introducer of wickednesse nothing said one seemes more unhappy to me then he to whom no adversity hath happened Outward mercies oft-times prove a snare to our soules I will lay a stumbling block Ezek. 3. 20. Vatablus his note there is Faciam ut omnia habeant prospera calamitatibus eum à peccato non revocabo I will prosper him in all things and not by affliction restraine him from sin Prosperity hath been a stumbling block at which millions have stumbled and fallen and broke the neck of their souls for ever The fourth Remedie against this device 4 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that the wants of wicked men under all their outward mercy freedom from adversitie is far greater then al their outward injoyments They have many mercies yet they want more then they injoy the mercies which they injoy are nothing to the mercies they want 'T is true they have honors and riches and pleasures and friends and are mighty in power their seed is established in their sight with them and their off-spring before their eyes their houses are safe from feare neither is the rod
Heaven-wards and Holinesse-wards in the midnight of adversity Againe afflictions serve to keep the hearts of the Saints humble and tender Lam. 3. 19 20. Remembring my affliction and my misery the wormwood and the gall My soule hath them still in remembrance 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 from 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and is humbled in me or bowed downe in me as the Originall hath it So David when he was under the rod could say I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou diddest it I have read of one who when any thing fell out prosperously would read over the Lamentations of Jeremiah Gregory Nazianzen and that kept his heart tender humble and low prosperity doth not contribute more to the puffing up of the soul then adversity doth to the bowing down of the soule this the Saints by experience find and therefore they can kisse and imbrace the Crosse as others doe the worlds Crowne Againe they serve to bring the Saints nearer to God and to make them more importunate and earnest in prayer with God Before I was afflicted I went astray Psal 119. 67. 71. Hos 5. 14 15. Ch. 6. 1. 2. but now have I kept thy word It is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learne thy statutes I will be to Ephraim as a Lion and as a young Lion to the house of The more precious odours and the purest spices are beaten and bruised the sweeter sent and savour they send abroad so doe Saints when they aâ—â— afflicted Judah I even I will teare and goe away I will take away and none shall rescue him I will goe and returne to my place till they acknowledge their offence and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early and so they did Come say they and let us returne unto the Lord for he hath torne and he will heale us he hath smitten and he will bind us up After two dayes he will revive us in the third day he will raise us up and we shall live in his sight So when God had hedg'd up their way with thorns then they say I will goe and returne Hes 2. 6 7. to my first husband for then was it with me better then now Ah the joy the peace the comfort the delight and content that did attend us when we kept close communion with God doth bespeak our return to God We will returne to our first Husband for then was it with us better then now When Tiribazus a noble Persian was arrested he drew out his sword and defended himselfe but when they told Most men are like atop that will not goe unlesse you whip it and the more you whip it the better it goes you know how to apply it They thaâ— are in adversâ—â—y saith Luther doe better understand Scripture but those that are in prosperity read them as a vers in Ovid. Bees are kill'd with honâ—y but quickned with vineger The honey of prosperity kills our graces but the vineger of adversity quickens our graces him that they came to carry him to the King he willingly yielded so though a Saint may at first stand a little out yet when he remembers that afflictions are to carry him nearer God he yields and kisses the rod. Afflictions are like the prick at the Nightingales breast that awakes her and puts her upon her sweet and delightfull singings Again afflictions they serve to revive and recover decayed graces they infame that love that 's cold and they quicken that faith that is decaying and they put life into those hopes that are withering and spirits into those joyes and comforts that are languishing Musk saith one when it hath lost its sweetnesse if it be put into the sink amongst filth it recovers it so doe afflictions recover and revive decayed graces The more Saints be beaten with the hammer of afflictions the more they are made the Trumpets of Gods praises and the more are their graces revived and quickned Adversity abases the lovelinesse of the world that might intice us it abates the Iustinesse of the flesh within that might incite us to folly and vanity and it abets the spirit in his quarrell to the two former which tends much to the reviving and recovering decayed graces Now suppose afflictions and troubles doe attend the wayes of holinesse yet seeing that they all work for the great profit and singular advantage of the Saints let no soul be so mad as to leave an afflicted way of holinesse to walk in a smooth path of wickednesse The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that all the afflictions that doe befall The Christian souldier shall ever be master of the day Mori posse vinci non posse said Cyprian to Cornelius he may suffer death but never conquest the Saints doe onely reach their worser part they reach not they hurt not their noble part their best part all the arrowes stick in the Target they reach not the Conscience And who shall harme you if you be followers of that which is good saith the Apostle that is none shall harm you they may thus and thus afflict you but they shall never harm you It was the speech of a Heathen when as by the Tyrant he was commanded to be put into a morter and be beaten to pieces with an iron pestell he cries out to his persecutors you doe but beat the vessell the case the â—usk of Anaxarchus you doe not beat me his body was to him but as a case a husk he counted his soul himself which they could not reach you are wise and know how to apply it Socrates said of his enemies they may kill me but they cannot hurt me so afflictions may kill us but they cannot hurt us they may take away my life but they cannot take away my God my Christ my Crown The â—â—ird Remedy against this Deviâ—â— 3 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that the afflictions that doe attend the Saints in the wayes of holinesse are but short and momentary Sorrow may abide for a night but joy comes in the morning There are none of Gods afflicted ones that have not their lucida intervalla intermissions respits and breathing whiles under their short aâ—d momenâ—â—â—â— afflictioâ—s Whâ—n Gods hand is on thy back let thy hand be on thy mouth for though the affliction be sharp it shall be but short this short storm will end in an everlasting calm this short night will end in a glorious day that shall never have end 'T is but a very short time betweene grace and glory between our title to the Crown and our wearing the Crown between our right to the heavenly inheritance and our possessing of the heavenly inheritance Fourteen thousand years to the Lord is but as one day what is our life but a shadow a bubble a flower a post a span a dream c. yea so small a while doth the
'T is not he that receives most of the truth into his head but he that receives most of the truth affectionately into his heart that shall injoy the happinesse of having his judgement sound and clear when others shall be deluded and deceived by them who make it their businesse to infect the judgements and to undoe the souls of men Ah soules as you would not have your judgements polluted and defiled Col. 3. 16. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. indwell in you as an ingrafted word incorporated into your souls so concocted and digested by you as that you turn it into a part of your selves They must needs erre that know not Gods wayâ—s yet can they not wander so wide as to misse of hell Veritas vincit truth at last triumphs with errour let the word of the Lord that is more precious then gold yea then fine gold dwell plenteously in you 'T is not the hearing of truth nor the knowing of truth nor the commending of truth nor the talking of truth but the indwelling of truth in your souls that will keep your judgements chaste and sound in the middest of all those glistering errours that betray many souls into his hands that can easily transforme himselfe into an Angel of light that he may draw others to lye in chaines of darknesse with him for ever Oh! let not the word be a stranger but make it your choicest familiar then will you be able to stand in the day wherein many shall fall on your right hand and on your left by the subtilty of those that shall say loe here is Christ and loe there is Christ There was more wit then grace in his speech that counselled his friend not to come too nigh unto truth least his teeth should be beaten out with its heels Ah souls if truth dwell plenteously in Veritas stat in aperto campo Truth stands in the open fields I and it makes those souls stand in whom it dwels when others â—all as stats from Heaven 3 Remedie you you are happy if not you are unhappy under all your greatest felicity It is with truth saith Melancton as 't is with holy water every one praised it and thought it had some rare vertue in it but offer to sprinkle them with it and they will shut their eyes and turne away their faces from it The third Remedy against this Device of Satan is solemnly to consider that error makes the owner to suffer losse All the paines and labouâ— that men take to defend and maintain their errours to spread abroad and infect the world with their errours shall bring no profit nor no comfort to them in that day wherein every mans Errour as a glass is bright but â—rittle and cannot indâ—râ— the hamâ—er or fire as goâ—d can which though 〈◊〉 or melted remaines 〈◊〉 and oâ—ient work shall be made manifest and the fire shall try it of what sort it is as the Apostle shewes in that remarkable Scripture the 1 Cor. 3. 11 12 13 14 15. Ah that all those that rise early and goe to bed late that spend their time their strength their spirits their all to advance spread abroad God-dishonouring and soul undoing opinions would seriously consider of this that they shall loose all the pains cost and charge that they have bin or shall be at for the propagating of errour and if they are ever sâ—ved it shall be by fire as the Apostle there shewes Ah sirs is it nothing to lay out your money for that which is not bread and your strength for that which will not which cannot profit you in the day that you must make up your accounts and all your works must be tried by fire Ah! that such soules would now at last buy the truth and sell it not Remember you can never over buy it whatsoever you give for it you can never sufficiently sell it if you should have all the world in exchange for it It is said of Caesar * Major fuit cura Caesari libellorum quam purpurae that he had greater care of his Bookes then of his royall Robes for swimming thorough the waters to escape his enemies he carried his bookes in his hand above the waters but lost his Robes ah what are Caesars books to Gods bookes well remember this that one day yea one houre spent in the study of truth or spreading abroad of truth will yeeld the soule more comfort and profit then many thousand years spent in the study and spreading abroad of corrupt and vaine opinions that have their rice from Hell and not from Heaven from the God of this world and not from that God that shall at last judge this world and all the corrupt opinions of men The fourth Kemedie against this device 4. Remedy of Satan is to hate reject and abominate all those doctrines and opinions that are contrary to godlinesse and that open a doore to prophanenesse One old peice of Gold is worth a thousand new counters and one old truth of God is mâ—re worth then a thousand new errours True hatred is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 to the whole kinde 't is sad to frowne upon one errour and smile upon another Gideon had seventy sons and but one â—astard and â—eâ— that â—astard destâ—oyed all the rest Judge 8. 13. one turâ—e may â—riâ—g a man quite out of the 〈…〉 and all such doctrines and opinions that require men to hold forth a strictnesse above what the Scripture requireth And all such Doctrines and opinions that doe advance and lift up corrupted nature to the doing of supernaturall things which none can doe but by that supernaturall power that raised Christ from the grave And all such opinions that doe lift up our own Righteousnesse in the Roome of Christs Righteousnesse that place good works in the Throne of Christ and makes them co-partners with Christ c. And all those opinions and Doctrines that doe so set up and crie up Christ and his Righteousnesse as to cry down all Duties of Holinesse and Righteousnesse And all those Doctrines and opinions that doe make the glorious and blessed priviledges of beleevers in the dayes of the Gospell to be lesser fewer and weaker then they were in the time of the Law Ah! did your soules arise with a holy hatred and a strong indignation against such Doctrines and opinions you would stâ—nd when others fall and you would shine as the Sun in her glory when many that were once as shining stars may goe forth as stinking snufs The fift Remedy against this device 5. Remedy of Satan is to hold fast the truth as men take no hold on the arme of flesh till they have let goe their hold on Jer. 17. 5. v the arme of God so men take no hold on errour till they have let goe their hold of truth therefore hold fast the truth truth is thy Crown hold fast thy Crown and let no man take thy Crown from thee hath
are apt to run after it though they loose God and their soules in the pursuit Ah! how many Professors in these dayes have for a time followed hard after God Christ and The inhabitants of Nilus are deafe by the noise of the waters so the world makes such a noise in mens eares that they cannot heare the things of Heaven The world is like the swallowes dung that put out Tobias eyes Ordinances till the Devill hath set before them the world in all its beauty and bravery which hath so bewitched their soâ—les that they have grown to have low thoughts of holy things and then to be cold in their affections to holy things and then to slight them and at last with the young man in the Gospell to turne their backs upon them ah the time the thoughts the spirits the hearts the soules the duties the services that the inordinate love of this wicked world doth eat up and destroy and hath eat up and destroyed where one thousand is destroyed The champions could â—or wring an Apple out oâ— Mâ—lâ—'s ha 〈◊〉 by strong hand but a faire maid by faire meanes got it presently by the worlds frownes ten thousands are destroyed by the worlds smiles The world Siren-like it sings us and sinks us it kisses us and betraies us like Judas it kisses us and imites us under the fifth rib like Joab The honors splendor and all the glory of this world are but sweet poysons that will much endanger us if they doe not eternally destroy us Ah! the multitude of soules that have surseited of these sweet baites and died for ever Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this device 1 Remedy The Prior in Melancton 〈◊〉 his hands up and down in a baâ—â—n full of â—â—â—ells thinking thereby to have charmed 〈◊〉 gour but 〈◊〉 would not â—oe of Satan is to dwell upon the impotency and weakness of all these things below they are not able to secure you from the least evill They are not able to procure you the least desirable good The Crown of Gold cannot cure the head-ach nor the velvet slipper ease the gout nor the Jewell about the nâ—ck cannot take away the paine of the teeth The Fâ—ogs of Egypt entered into the rich mens houses of Egypt as well as the poore our daily experience doth Nugas the Scythian despiseing the rich presents and ornaments that were sent unto him by the Emperour of Constantinople asked whether those things could drive away calamities diseases or death evidence this that all the honors and riches c. That men enjoy cannot free them from the collick the feaver or lesser diseases Nay that which may seem most strange is that a great deal of wealth cannot keep men from falling into extreame povertie In the first of Judges 6. ver you shall finde seventy Kings with their fingers and toes cut off glad like whelps to lick up crummes under another Kings table and shortly after the same King that brought them to this penury is reduced to the same poverty and misery Why then should that be a bar to keep thee out of Heaven that cannot give thee the least ease on earth The second Remedy against this device 2. Remedy of Satan is to dwell upon the vanity of them as well as upon the impotencie of all worldly good This is the summe of Solomons sermon Vanity of vanity and all is vanity This Gilimex King of Vandaâ—â—s led in triumph by Bellisarius cried out Vanity of vanity all is vanity our first parents found and therefore named their second Abell or vanity Solomon that had tried these things and could best tell the vanity of them he preacheth this sermon over againe and againe Vanity of vanity and all is vanity 'T is sad to think how many thousands there be that can say with the preacher vanity of vanity all is vanity The fancie of Lucian who placeth Charon on the top of an high hill viewing all the affaires of men living and looking on their greatest Cities as little birds nests is very pleasant nay swear it and yet follow after these things as if there were no other glory nor selicity but what 's to be found in those things they call vanity Such men will sell Christ Heaven and their soules for a trifle that call these things vanity but doe not cordially beleeve them to be vanity but set their hearts upon them as if they were their Crown the top of all their Royalty and glory Oh! let your soules dwell upon the vanity of all things here below till your hearts be so thoroughly convinced and perswaded of the vanity of them as to trample upon them and make them a a foot-stoole for Christ to get np and ride in a holy triumph in your hearts Oh the imperfection the ingratitude the leâ—ity the inconstancy the perfidiousnesse of those creatures we most servilly affect Chrysostome said once that if he were the fittest in the world to preach a Sermon to the whole world gathered together in one Congregation and had some high Mountaine for his Pulpit from whence he might have a prospect of all the world in his view and were furnished with a voice of brasse a voice as loud as the Trumpet of the Arch-Angell that all the world might hear him he would chuse to preach upon no other text then that in the Psalnâ—es O mortall men how long will yee love vanity and follow after leasing Ah! did we but weigh mans paine with his paiment his crosses with his mercies his miseries with his pleasures we should then see that there is nothing got by the bargaine and conclude Vanity of vanity all is vanity Tell me you that say all things under the Sun is vanitie if you doe really beleeve what you say why doe you spend more thoughâ—â— and time on the world then you doe on Christ Heaven and your immortall soules Why doe you then neglect your duty towards God to get the world Why doe you then so eagerly pursue after the world and are so cold in your pursuing after God Christ and holinesse Why then are your hearts so exceedingly rais'd when the world comes in and smiles upon you and so much dejected and castdown when the world frownes upon you and with Jonah's Gourd withers before you The third Remedy against this device 3. Remedy of Satan is to dwell much upon the uncertainty the mutabilitie and inconstancie of all things under the Sun Riches were never true to any that trusted to them they have deceived men as Jobs brook did the poore traveller in the Summer season Man himselfe is but the dreame of a dreame but the generation of a fancie but an emptie vanity but the curious picture of nothing a poore feeble dying flash All temporalls are as transitory as a hastie head-long torrent a shadow a ship a bird an arrow a post that passeth
bed Is it honours riches or friends c. that can comfort thee when thou comest to die or is it not rather faith in the blood of Christ the witnesse of the Gregory the great used to say he is poor whose soule is void of grace not whose cofers are empty of money spirit of Christ the sense and feeling of the love and favour of Christ and the hopes of eternall reigning with Christ Can happinesse lie in those things that cannot give us health or strength or ease or a good nights rest or an hours sleep or a good stomack why all the honours riches and delights of this world cannot give these poor things to us therefore certainly happinesse lies not in the injoyment of them c. And surely happinesse is not to be found in those things that cannot satisfie the soules of men now none of these things can satisfie the soul of man He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver nor he that loveth abundance Anima rationalis caeteris omnibus occupari potest impleri non potest The reasonable soule may be busied about other things but it cannot be filled with them with increase this is also vanity saith the wise man The barren womb the Horse-leeches daughter the grave and Hell will as soon be satisfied as the soule of man will by the injoyment of any worldly good Some one thing or other will be for ever wanting to that soule that hath none but outward good to live vpon You may as soone fill a bag with wisdome a chest with vertue or a circle with a triangle as the heart of man with any thing here below A man may have enough of the world to sinke him but he can never have enough to satisfie him c. The eighth Remedie against this device 8. Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider of the dignity of the soule oh the soul of man is more wotrh then a thousand worlds 't is the greatest abasing of it Plutarch tells of Themistocles that he accounted it not to stand with his state to stoop down to take up the spoiles the enemies had scattered in flight but saith to one of his followers 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 you may for you are not Themistocles Oh what a sad thing is it that a Heathen should set his feet upon those very things that most Professors set their hearts and for the gain of which with Balaam many run the hazard of sing their immortall souls for ever that can be to let it dote upon a little shining earth upon a little painted beauty and fading glory when it 's capable of union with Christ of communion with God and of enjoying the eternall vision of God Seneca could say I am too great and born to greater things then that I should be a slave to my body oh do you say my soule is too great and born to greater things then that I should confine it to a heap of white and yellow clay I have been the longer upon the Remedies that may help us against this dangerous device of Satan because hee doth usually more hurt to the soules of men by this device then he doth by all other devices for a close I wish as once Chrysostome did that that sentence Eccles 2. v. 11. Then I looked on all the workes that my hands had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to do and behold all was vanity and vexation of Spirit and there was no profit under the Sun were engraven on the door posts into which you enter on the tables where you sit on the dishes out of which you eate on the cups out of which you drinke on the bedsteads where you lie on the walls of the houses where you dwell on the garments which you weare on the heads of the horses on which you ride and on the foreheads of all them whom you meet that your soules may not by the beautie and braverie of the world be kept off from those holy and heavenly services that may render you blessed while you live and happy when you die that you may breath out your last into his bosome who lives for ever and who will make them happy for ever that prefers Christs spiritualls and eternals above all temporall transitory things The second Device that Satan hath to draw soules from holy duties and to keepe them off from religious services is BY presenting to them the danger 2 Device the losses and the sufferings that do attend the performance of such and such religious services by this device Satan kept close those that beleeved on Christ from confessing of Christ in that 12. John 42. Neverthelesse among the chief Rulers also many believed on him but because of the Pharisees they did not confesse him lest they should be put out of the Synagogue I would walke in all the wayes of God I would give up my selfe to the strictest wayes of holinesse but I am afraid dangers will attend me on the one hand and losses and happily such and such sufferings on the other hand saith many a man Oh! how should we helpe our selves against this temptation and device of Satan Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is to consider that all the troubles and afflictions that you meet with in a way of righteousnesse shall never hurt you they shall never harm you And who is he that shall harme Nemo proprie lâ—dâ—ur nisiâ— a seipso No body is properly hurt but by himselfe and his own fault you if you be followers of that which is good saith the Apostle i. e. none shall harme you naturall conscience cannot but doe homage to the image of God stamped upon the natures words workes and lives of the godly as we may see in the carriage of Nebuchadnezzar and Gordius that blessed Martyr accounted it a losse to him not to suffer many kinds of tortures he saith tortures are but tradings with God for glory The greater the combate is the greater is the following reward Darius towards Daniel All the afflictions and troubles that do attend men in a way of righteousnesse can never rob them of their treasure of their jewels they may rob them of some light slight things as the sword that is by their side or the stick that is in their hand or of the flowers or ribbons that be in their hats The treasures of a Saint is the presence of God the favour of God union and communion with God the pardon of sin the joy of the spirit the peace of Conscience which are Jewels that none can give but Christ nor none can take away but Christ Now why should a gracious soule keep off from a way of holinesse because of afflictions c. when no afflictions can strip a man of his heavenly jewels which are his ornaments and his safety here and will be
when something is parted with to gain more he applyeth it to their sufferings wherin though the flesh lost something yet the spirit got much more the comfort the rest that Saints meet with in the wayes and service of God they find that Religious services are not empty things but things in which God is pleased to discover his beautie and glory to their soules My soul thirsts for God saith David that I might see thy beauty and thy glory as I have seen thee in thy Sanctuary Oh! the sweet looks the sweet words the sweet hints the sweet joggings the sweet influences the sweet love-letters that gracious soules have from Heaven when they waite upon God in holy and heavenly services the least of which will darken and outweigh all the bravery and glory of this world and richly recompence the soul for all the troubles afflictions and dangers that have attended it in the service of God oh the Saints can say under all their troubles and afflictions that they have meate to eate and drinke to When the Moble Generall Zeâ—slaus had lost his hand in the Wars of the K. of Poland the King sent him a golden hand for it what we lose in Christs service he will make up by giving in some golden mercies drinke that the world knows not of that they have such incomes such refreshments such warmings c. that they would not exchange for all the honours riches and dainties of this world Ah! let but a Christian compare his externall losses with his spirituall internall and eternall gain and he shall find that for every penny that he loses in the service of God he gaines a pound and for every pound that he looses hee gains a hundred for every hundred lost he gains a thousand wee loose pins in his service and find pearls we loose the favour of the creature and peace with the creature and happily the comforts and contents of the creature and we gain the favour of God peace with conscience and the comforts and contents of a better life Ah! did the men of this world know the sweet that Saints injoy in afflictions they would rather chuse Manasses iron chaine then his golden Crown They would rather be Paul a prisoner then Paul rap't up in the third Heaven for light afflictions they shall have a Though the Crosse be bitter yet 't is but short a little storm as one said of Julians persecution and an eâ—eâ—nall calm follows weight of glory for a few afflictions they shall have those joyes pleasures and contents that are as the stars of heaven or as the sands of the sea that cannot be numbred for momentany afflictions they shall have an eternall Crown of glory 't is but winking and thou shalt be in heaven presently said the Martyr oh therefore let no afflictions nor troubles work thee to shun the wayes of God or to quit that service that should be dearer to thee then a world yea then thy very life c. The third Device that Satan 3. Device hath to hinder soules from holy and heavenly services from gracious and religious performances is BY presenting to the soule the difficulty of performing them saith Satan 't is so hard and difficult a thing to pray as thou shouldst and to wait on God as thou shouldst and to walke with God as thou shouldst and to be lively warm and active in the communion of Saints as thou shouldst that you were better ten thousand times to neglect them then to meddle with them and doubtlesse by this Device Satan hath and doth keep off thousands from waiting on God and from giving to him that service that is due to his name c. Now the remedies against this Device are these that follow THe first Remedie against this device 1. Remedy of Satan is to dwell more upon the necessity of the service and duty then on the difficulty that doth attend the duty you should reason thus with your soules oh our soules though such and such duties and services be hard and difficult yet are they not exceeding necessarie for the honour of God and the keeping up of his name in The necessity of doing your duty appears by this that you are his servants by a three-fold right you are his servants jure creationis jure sustentationis jure redemptionis by right of creation and by right of sustentation and by right of redemption the world and the keeping under of sin and the keeping under of weak graces and for the reviving of languishing comforts and for the keeping clear and bright your blessed evidences and for the scattering of your fears and for the raising of your hopes and for the gladding the hearts of the righteous and stopping the mouths of unrighteous souls who are ready to take all advantages to blaspheme the name of God and throw dirt and contempt upon his people and wayes oh never leave thinking on the necessity of this and that duty till your souls be lifted up far above all the difficulties that doe attend religious duties The second Remedie against this device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that the Lord Jesus will make his services easie to you by the sweet discovery of himselfe to your soules whilst you are in his service Thou meetest him that rejoyceth and worketh righteousnesse those that remember thee in thy wayes as the Prophet Isaiah saith if meeting with Isa 64. v. 5. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Paganta is diversly taken but most take the word here to meet a soule with those bowells of love and tendernesse as the Father of the Prodigall met the Prodigall with God is pater miserationum hee is all bowels he is as swift to shew mercy as he is slow to anger God who is goodnesse it selfe sweetnesse it selfe beauty it selfe strength it selfe glory it self will not sweeten his service to thy soule nothing in Heaven or Earth will Jacob's meeting with Rachel and enjoying of Rachell made his hard service to be easie and delightfull to him and will not the soules enjoying of God and meeting with God render his service to be much more easie and delightfull doubtlesse it will The Lord will give that sweet assistance by his Spirit and grace as shall make his service joyous and not grievous a delight not a burden a Heaven and not a Hel to believing souls the confidence of this divine assistance raised up Nehemiah's spirit far above all those difficulties and discouragements that did attend him in the work and service of the Lord as you may see in that 2 Nehemiah vers 19 20. But when Sanballat Luther spake excellently to Melancthon who was apt to be disconraged with doubts and difficulties feares from foes and so â—ease the service they had undertaken if the work be not good why did we ever own it if it be good why should wee ever decline it why saith he should we feare the conquered world that
have Christ the Conquerour on our side Isa 40. ult 3. Remedy It is not fit sith the head was crowned with thorns that the members should be crowned with rose-buds saith Zanch. the Horonite and Tobiah the servant the Ammonite and Geshem the Arabian heard it they laughed us to scorn and despised us and said what is this thing that ye do will ye rebell against the King Then answered I them and said unto them the God of heaven he will prosper us therefore we his servants will arise and build but you have no right nor portion nor memoriall in Jerusalem Ah souls while you are in the very service of the Lord you shall find by experience that the God of Heaven will prosper you and support you and incourage and strengthen you and carry you through the hardest service with the greatest sweetnesse and cheerfulnesse that can be Remember this that God will suit your strength to your worke and in the hardest service you shall have the choisest assistance The third Remedie against this device of Satan is to dwel upon the hard and difficult things that the Lord Jesus Christ hath past through for your temporall spirituall and eternall good Ah! what a sea of blood a sea of wrath of sinne of sorrow and misery did the Lord Jesus wade through for your internal and eternall good Christ did not plead this Crosse is too heavy for me to beare this wrath is too great for me to lie under this Cup which hath in it all the ingredients of divine displeasure is too bitter for me to sip off how much more to drink the very dregs of it no Christ stands not upon this he pleads not the difficulty of the service but resolutely and bravely wades through all as the Prophet Isa shews The Lord God hath opened my ear and I was not rebellious neither turned away back I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire I hid not my face from shame and spitting Christ makes nothing of his Fathers wrath the burden of your sins the malice Godfrey of Bullen first K. of Ierusalem refused to be crowned with a crowne of gold saying it became not a Christian there to wear a crown of gold where Christ for our salvation had sometime were a crown of thorns of Satan and the rage of the world but sweetly and triumphantly passes through all Ah soules if this consideration will not raise up your spirits above all the discouragements that you meet with to owne Christ and his service and to stick and cleave to Christ and his service I am afraid nothing will A soule not stir'd by this not rais'd and lifted up by this to be resolute and brave in the service of God notwithstanding all dangers and difficulties is a soule left of God to much blindnesse and hardnesse The 4. Remedy against this Device of 4. Remedie Satan is to consider that religious duties holy and heavenly exercises are only difficult to the worser to the ignoble part of a Saint they are not to the noble and better part of a Saint to the noble part the soule and the renewed affections of a Saint holy exercises are a heavenly pleasure and recreation as the Apostle speaks I delight in the Law of God after the inward As every flowr hath its sweet savour so every good duty carries meat in the mouth comfort in the performance of it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 i. e. my yoke is a benigne a gracious a pleasant a good and a gainfull yoke opposed to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 painfull tedious man With my minde I serve the Law of God though with my flesh the law of sinne To the noble part of a Saint Christs yoke is easie and his burden is light all the commands and wayes of Christ even those that tend to the pulling out of right eyes and cutting off of right hands are joyous and not grievous to the noble part of a Saint all the wayes and services of Christ are pleasantnesse in the abstract to the better part of a Saint a Saint so far as he is renewed is alwayes best when he sees most of God when he tasts most of God when he is highest in his injoyments of God and most warme and lively in the service of God oh saith the noble part of a Saint that it might be alwayes thus oh that my strength were the strength of stones and my flesh as brasse that my worser part might be more serviceable to my noble part that I might act by an untired power in that service that is a pleasure a Paradise to me The fifth Remedy against this Device 5 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that great reward and glorious recompence that doth attend those that cleave to the service of the Lord in the Basil speaks of some Martyrs that were cast out all night naked in a cold frosty time were to be burned the next day how they comforted themselves in this manner The winter is sharp but Paradise is sweet here we shiver for cold but the bosome of Abraham will make amends for all face of all difficulties and discouragements though the work be hard yet the wagâ—s is great Heaven will make amends for all I one hours being in heaven will abundantly recompence you for cleaving to the Lord and his wayes in the face of all difficulties This carried the Apostle through the greatest difficulties hee had an eye to the recompence of reward he look't for a house that had foundations whose builder and maker was God and for a heavenly countrey yea this bore up the Spirit of Christ in the face of all difficulties and discouragements Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the Crosse despising the shame and is set downe at the right hand of the Throne of God Christians that would hold on in the service of the Lord must look more upon the Crown then upon the Crosse more upon their future glory then their present misery more upon their incouragements then upon their discouragements Gods very service is wages his wayes are strewed with roses and paved with joy that is unspeakable This is praemium ante praemium a sure reward of wel doing in doing thereof not only for doing thereof there is great reward Psal 19. v. 11. and ful of glory and with peace that passeth understanding Some degree of comfort follows every good action as heate accompanies fire as beames and influences issue from the Sun Moreover by them is thy servant warned and in keeping of them there is great reward not only for keeping but in keeping of them there is great reward the joy the rest the refreshing the comforts the contents the smiles the incomes that Saints now injoy in the wayes of God are so precious and glorious in their eyes that they would not exchange them for ten
would be mighty in believing and in wrestling with God that he would hasten the day of his glory that the reproach that is now upon his people and wayes may cease The sixth Device that Satan 6 Device hath to keepe soules off from religious services is BY presenting before them the examples Iohn 4. 12. 7. Chap. 48 49. 1 Cor. 1. 26 27. Mica 7. 2 3 4. of the greatest part of the world that walk in the wayes of their owne hearts and that make light and slight of the wayes of the Lord why saith Satan do not you see that the great and the rich the noble and the honourable the learned and the wise even the greatest number of men never trouble themselves about such and such wayes and why then should you be singular and nice you were far better doe as the most doe c. Now the remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this device 1 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider of those Scriptures that make directly against following the sinfull examples of men as that in Exodus Thou shalt not The way to hell is broad and well beaten the way to be undone for ever is to do as the most do argumentum turpissimum est turba the multitude is the weakest and worst argument saith Seneca follow a multitude to doe evill neither shalt thou speake in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgement The multitude generally are ignorant and know not the way of the Lord therefore they speake evill of that they know not they are envious and maliciously bent against the service and way of God and therefore they cannot speak well of the wayes of God This way is every where spoken against said they so in that Numb 16. Seperate from them and come out from among them So the Apostle Have no fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkenesse So Solomon Enter not into the way Prov. 4. 14. ch 9. v. 6. of the wicked for sake the foolish and live They that walke with the most shall pâ—rish with the most They that do as the most shall ere long suffer with the most they that live as the most must dye with the most and to hell with the most The second Remedie against this device 2 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider that if you will sin with the multitude all the Angells in heaven and men on earth cannot keep you from suffering Sin and punishment are linked together with chains of adamant of sinn we may say as Isidore doth of the serpent Tot dolores quot colores so many colours so many dolours with the multitude if you wil be wicked with them you must unavoidably be miserable with them say to thy soule oh my soul if thou wilt sin with the multitude thou must be shut out of heaven with the multitude thou must be cast downe to hell with the multitude c. And I heard another voyce from Heaven saying come out of her my people that ye be not partakers of her sins and that ye receive not of her plagues Come out in affection in action and in habitation for else the infection of sin will bring upon you the infliction of punishment So saith the wise man He that walketh with wise men shall be wise but a companion of fooles shall be destroyed or as the Hebrew 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a Ieroange from ruange to be naught hath it shall be broken in pieces Multitudes may help thee into sin yea one may draw thee into sin but 't is not multitudes that can help thee to escape punishments As you may see in Moses and Aaron that were provoked to sinne by the multitude but were shut out of the pleasant Land and fell by a hand of Justice as well as others The third Remedie against this device 3. Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider the worth and excellency of thy immortall soule Thy soul is a jewell more worth What wise man would fetch gold out of a fieâ—y crucible hazard his immortall soule to gain the world by following a multitude in those steps that lead to the chambers of death and darknesse then heaven and earth The losse of thy soule is incomparable irreparable and irrecoverable if that be lost all is lost and thou art undone for ever Is it madnesse and folly in a man to kill himselfe for company and is it not greater madnesse or folly to break the neck of thy soule and to damn it for company Suspect that way wherein thou seest multitudes to walk the multitude being a stream that thou must row hard against or thou wilt be carried into that gulfe out of which Angells cannot deliver thee Is it not better to walke in a strait way alone then to wander into crooked wayes with company sure 't is better to goe to Heaven alone then to Hell with company I might adde other things but these may suffice for the present and I am afraid if these arguments do not stir you other arguments will work but little upon you The seventh Device that Satan 7 Device hath to keepe soules from holy and heavenly services is BY casting in a multitude of vaine thoughts whilst the soule is in seeking of God or in waiting on God and by this device he hath cooled some mens spirits in heavenly services and taken off at least for a time many precious Vellem servire Domine sed cogitationes non patiuntur Lord now how fain would I serve thee vaine thoughts will not suffer me soules from religious performances I have no heart to heare nor no heart to pray nor no delight in reading nor in the society of the Saints c. Satan doth so dog and follow my soule and is still a casting in such a multitude of vaine thoughts concerning God the world and my own soule c. that I even tremble to think of waiting upon God in any religious service oh the vaine thoughts that Satan casts in do so distast my soule and so grieve vex perplex and distract my soule that they even make me weary of holy duties yea of mâ— very life oh I cannot be so raised and ravished so heated and melted so quickned and enlarged so comforted and refreshed as I should be as I might be and as I would be in religious services by reason of that multitude of vain thoughts that Satan is injecting or casting into my soule c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this device 1 Remedie When Pompey could not keep his souldiers in the camp by perswasion he cast himselfe all along in the narrow passage that lead out of it and then bid them goe if you will but you shall first trample upon your Generall and the thoughts of this overcame them you are wise know how to apply it to
the point in hand of Satan is to have your hearts strongly affected with the greatnesse holinesse Majesty and glory of that God before whom you stand and with whom your souls do converse in religious services Oh! let your souls be greatly affected with the presence purity and majesty of that God before whom thou standest A man would be afraid of playing with a feather when he is speaking to a King ah when men have poor low light slight c. thoughts of God in their drawing neer to God they tempt the Devill to bestir himselfe and to cast in a multitude of vaine thoughts to disturb and distract the soul in its waiting on God There is nothing that will contribute so much to the keeping out of vaine thoughts as to looke upon God as an omniscient God an omnipresent God an omnipotent God a God full of all glorious perfections a God whose Majestie purity and glory wil not suffer him to behold the least iniquity The reason why the blessed Saints and glorious Angells in Heaven have not so much as one vaine thought is because they are greatly affected with the greatnesse holinesse majesty purity and glory of God The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is to be peremptory in religious services notwithstanding all those wandering thoughts the soule It is a rule in the civil Law nec videtur actum siquid supersit quod agatur nothing seems to be done if there remains ought to be done is troubled with This will be a sweet help against them for the soul to be resolute in waiting on God whether it be troubled with vain thoughts or not to say wel I will pray still and heare still and meditate still and keep fellowship with the Saints still many precious soules can say from experience that when their soules have been peremptory in their waiting on God that Satan hath left them and hath not been so busie in vexing their soules with vaine thoughts when Satan perceives that all Si dixisti suffisit periisti iâ— once thou sayest 't is enough thou art undone saith Augustin those trifling vain thoughts that he casts into the soule do but vex the soule into greater diligence carefulnesse watchfulnesse and peremptorinesse in holy and heavenly services and that the soul looses nothing of his zeale piety and devotion but doubles his care diligence and earnestnesse he often ceases to interpose his triflles vain thoughts as he ceased to tempt Christ when Christ was peremptory in resisting his temptations The third Remedie against this device 3. Remedy of Satan is to consider this that those vaine and trifling thoughts that are cast 'T is not Satans casting in of vaine thoughts that can keepe mercie from the soule or undoe the soul but the lodging and cherishing of vaine thoughts oh Ierusalem how long shall vain thoughts lodg within thee â—er 4. 14. Heb. in the midst of thee they passe through the best hearts they are lodged and cherished only in the worst hearts into our soules when we are waiting upon God in this or that religious service if they are not cherished and indulged but abhorred resisted and disclaimed they are not sins upon our soules though they may be troubles to our mindes they shall not be put upon our accounts nor keep mercies and blessings from being injoyed by us when a soule in uprightnesse can look God in the face and say Lord when I approach neer unto thee there be a world of vain thoughts croud in upon me that do disturb my soule and weaken my faith and lessen my comfort and spirituall strength oh these are my clog my burden my torment my hell oh do justice upon these free me from these that I may serve thee with more freenesse singlenesse spiritualnesse and sweetnesse of spirit These thoughts may vexe that soule but they shall not harm that soul nor keep a blessing from that soule If vaine thoughts resisted and lamented could stop the current of mercie and render a soule unhappy there would be none on earth that should ever tast of mercy or be everlastingly happy c. The fourth Remedy against this device 4 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that watching against sinfull thoughts resisting of sinfull thoughts lamenting and weeping over sinfull thoughts carries Psal 139. 23. Thoughts are the first born the blossomes of the soul the beginning of our strength whether for good or evill and they are the greatest evidence for or against a man that can be with it the sweetest and strongest evidence of the truth and power of grace and of the sincerity of your hearts and is the readiest and the surest way to be rid of them many low and carnal considerations may worke men to watch their words their lives their actions As hope of gaine or to please friends or to get a name in the world and many other such like considerations oh but to watch our thoughts to weep and lament over them c. this must needs be from some noble spiritual and internal principle as love to God a holy fear of God a holy care and delight to please the Lord c. The Schools do well observe that outward sinnes are of greater Majoris infamiae Majoris reatus infamy but inward heart sinnes are of greater guilt as wee see in the Devills There is nothing that speaks out a man to be throughly and kindly wrought upon as his having his thoughts to be 2 Cor. 10. 4 5. brought into obedience as the Apostle speaks Grace is growen up to a very great height in that soule where it prevailes to the subduing of those vaine thoughts that walk up and down in the the soule well though you cannot be Psal 139. 2. Isa 59. 7. ch 66. 18. Mat. 9. 4. ch 12. 25. Zenâ— a wise heathen affirmed that God even beheld the thoughts Mat. 15. 15 16 17 18 19. rid of them yet make resistance and opposition against the first risings of them when sinfull thoughts arise then thinke thus the Lord takes notice of these thoughts he knows them afar off as the Psalmist speaks he knew Herods bloody thoughts and Judas his betraying thoughts and the Pharisees cruell and blasphemous thoughts afarre off oh think thus all these sinfull thoughts they defile and pollute the soule they deface and spoyle much of the inward beauty and glory of the soule if I commit this or that sinne to which my thoughts incline me then either I must Tears in stead of Gems were the ornaments of Davids bed when he had sinned so they mâ—st be thine or else thou must lie downe in a bed of sorrow forever repent or not repent if I repent it will câ—st me more griefe sorrow shame heart-breaking and soul-bleeding before my conscience will be quieted divine Justice pacified my comfort and joy restored my evidences cleared and my pardon in the Court of Conscience sealed then
Christ hath given sinne its deaths wound by his power spirit death and resurrection yet it will die but a lingring death As a man that is mortally wounded dies by little and little so doth sin in the heart of a Saint The death of Christ on the Crosse was a lingring death so the death of sin in the soule is a lingering death now it dies a little and anon it dies a little c. as the Psalmist speaks Slay them not least my people forget scatter them by thy power and bring them downe oh Lord our shield He would not have them utterly destroyed but some reliques preserved as a memoriall so God dealeth in respect of sin 't is wounded and brought downe but not wholly slaine something is still left as a monument of the Divine grace and to keep us humble wakefull and watchfull and that our armour may be still kept on and our weapons alwayes in our hands The best mens soules in this life hangs between the flesh and the spirit as it were like Mahomets Tomb at Aleppo between two load-stones like Erasmus as the Papists paint him betwixt The Romanes lost many a battel â—nd yet in the issue were Conquerors in all their wars 't is just so with the Saints Heaven and Hell like the Tribe of Manasseh halfe on this side Jordan in the Land of the Amorites and halfe on that side in the Holy Land yet in the issue they shall overcome the flesh and trample upon the necks of their spirituall enemies The Sixth Device that Satan hath to keep a poor soule in a sad doubting and questioning condition is BY suggesting to the soule that surely 6 Device his estate is not good because he cannot joy and rejoyce in Christ as once he could because he hath lost that comfort and joy that once was in his spirit Saith Satan thou knowest the time was when thy heart was much carried out to joying and rejoycing in Christ thou doest not forget the time when thy heart used to be full of joy and comfort but now how art thou fallen in thy joyes and comforts Therefore thy estate is not good thou doest but deceive thy selfe to think that ever it was good for surely if it had thy joy and comfort would have continued And hereupon the soule is apt to take part with Satan and say 't is even so I see all is naught and I have but deceived my owne soule c. Now the Remedies against this device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedy against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is to consider that the losse of comfort is a separable adjunct from grace the soul may be fâ—ll of holy affections when 't is empty of Divine consolations There may be and often Ps 63. 1 2 8. Isa 50. 10. 7. Mic. 7. 8 9. Psal 42. 5 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 be Spirituall joy is a Sun that is often clouded though it be as precious a flower as most Paradise affords yeâ— 't is subject to side and wâ—â—ther 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 't will 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 The second Remedy against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that the precious things that thou still injoyest are far better then the joyes and comforts that thou hast lost Thy union with Christ thy communion with Christ thy son-ship thy saint-ship thy heir-ship thou still injoyest by Christ is far better then the comforts thou hast lost by sin what though thy comforts be gone yet thy union and communion with Christ remaines though thy comforts be gone yet thou art a Son tho Jer. 31. 18 19 20. a comfortlesse Son an heir though a comfortlesse heir a Saint though a comfortlesse Saint Though the bag of silver thy comforts be lost yet the When one objected to Faninus his chearfullnesse to Christs Agony and sadnesse he answered Christ was sad that I might bemerry he had my sins and I have his righteousnesse box of Jewels thy union with Christ thy communion with Christ thy Sonship thy Saint-ship thy Heir-ship which thou still injoyest is far better then the bag of silver thou hast lost yea the least of those precious Jewels is more worth then all the comforts in the world well let this be a cordiall to comfort thee a star to lead thee and a staffe to support thee that thy box of Jewels are safe though thy bag of silver be lost The third Remedie against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is to consider that thy condition is no other then what hath been the condition of those precious Psal 51. 12. Psal 30. 6 7. Job 23. 6 8 9. 30. 31. Lam. 1. 16. Mat. 27. 46. soules whose names were written upon the heart of Christ and who are now at rest in the bosome of Christ One day you shall have them praising and rejoycing the next day a mourning weeping one day you shall have them a singing Psal 42. 5. The Lord is our portion the next day a sighing and expostulating with themselves Lam. 5. 15. Why are yee cast downe oh our souls Why is our Harp turned to mourning And our Organ into the voice of them that weep c. The fourth Remedy against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to consider that the causes of joy and comfort are not alwayes the same Happily thy former joy and comfort did spring from The spirit doth not every day make a feast in the soul he doth not make every day to be a day of wearing the wedding robes the witnesse of the spirit he bearing witnesse to thy soule that thy nature was changed thy sins pardoned thy soule reconciled c. Now the Spirit may upon some speciall occasion bear witnesse to the soul that the heart of God is dearly set upon him that he loves him with an everlasting love c. and yet the soule may never injoy such a testimony all the dayes of his life again Though the spirit be a witnessing spirit it 's not his office every day to witnesse to believers their interest in God Christ Heaven c. Or happily thy former joy and comfort did spring from the newnesse and suddennesse of the change of thy condition for a man in one
the whisperings of the Spirit the commands of the Spirit the assistance of the Spirit the witnesse of the Spirit and from the glory of Heaven the excellency of grace the beauty of holinesse the worth of the soule and the vildnesse or bitternesse and evill of sinne the least sin being a greater evil then the greatest temptation in the world And looke that you make constant resistance as well as strong resistance be constant in armes Satan will come on with new temptations when old Luke 4. 14. And when the Devil had ended all the temptation he departed from him for a season Christ had no rest untill he was exactly tried with all kinds of temtations Calvin ones are too weak in a calme prepare for a storm the temper is restlesse impudent and subtile he will sute his temptations to your constitutions and inclinations Satan loves to saile with the winde if your knowledg be weake he will tempt you to errour if your consciences be tender he will tempt you to scrupulosity and too much precisenesse as to do nothing but heare pray read c. If your consciences be wide and large hee will tempt you to carnall security if you are bold spirited he will tempt you to presumption if timerous to desperation if flexible to inconstancy if proud and stiffe to grosse folly therefore still fit for fresh assaults make one victory a step to another When you have overcome a temptation take heed of unbending your bow and look well to it that your bow be alwayes bent and that it remains in strength when you have overcome one temptation you must Be ready to enter the list with another as distrust in some sense is the mother of safety so security is the gate of danger a man had need to feare this most of all that he fears not all if Satan be always a roaring wee should be alwayes a watching and resisting of him and certainely hee that makes strong and constant resistance of Satans temptations shall in the end get above his temptations and for the present is secure enough from being ruin'd by his temptations c. For a close of this remember that t is He that will yeeld to sin to be rid of temptation will be so much the more tempted and the lesse able to withstand temptations dangerous to yeeld to the least sin to be rid of the greatest temptation To take this course were as if a man should think to wash himselfe cleane in Inke or as if a man should exchange a light crosse made of paper for an Iron crosse which is heavy toilesome and bloody the least sin set home upon the conscience will more wound vex and oppresse the soul then all the temptations in the world can therefore never yeeld to the least sin to be rid of the greatest temptation Sidonius Apolinaris relateth how a certain man named Maximus arriving at the top of honour by indirect meanes was the first day very much wearied and fetching a deep sigh said Oh Damocles how happie doe I esteem thee for having been a King but the space of a dinner I have been one a wholeday and can beare it no longer I will leave you to make the Application The fourth thing to be shewed is the severall wayes and devices that Satan hath to destroy and ensnare all sorts and rankes of men in the world I Shall begin with the honourable and the great and shew you the Devices that Satan hath to destroy them I will only instance in those that are most considerable His first Device to destroy the 1 Device great and honourable of the earth is BY working them to make it their businesse to seek themselves to seek how to greaten themselves to raise Selfe-seeking â—â—ke the deluge overflowes the whole world themselves to enrich themselves to secure themselves c. As you may see in Pharaoh Ahab Rehoboam Jeroboam Absolom Joab Haman c. But were the Scripture silent our owne experiences do abundantly evidence this way and method of Satan to destroy the great and the honourable to bury their names in the dust and their souls in Hell by drawing them wholly to mind themselves and onely to minde themselves and in all things to minde themselves and always to mind themselves All saith the Apostle minde Phil. 2. 21. themselves all comparatively in respect of the paucity of others that let fall their private interests and drowne all self-respects in the glory of God and the publick good c. Now the Remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this Device 1 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider Self-love is the root of the hatred of others 2 Tim. 3. 2. First lovers of themselves then fierce c. that selfe-seeking is a sin that will put men upon a world of sin upon sins not only against the Law of God the rules of the Gospel but that are against the very lawes of Nature that are so much darkned by the fall of man It put the Pharisees upon opposing Christ and Iudas upon betraying Christ and Pilate The Naturalist observes that those beasts which are most cruel to others are most loving to their own upon condemning Christ It put Gehezi upon lying and Balaam upon cursing and Saul and Absolom upon plotting Davids ruine It put Pharaoh and Haman upon contriving wayes to destroy those Jewes that God did purpose to save by his mighty arme It puts men upon using wicked ballances and the bag of deceitfull weights It puts mâ—n upon wayes of oppression and selling Amos 2. 6. the righteous for silver and the poore for a paire of shooes c. I know not any sin in the world but this sin of selfe-seeking will put men upon it though it be their eternall losse The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that self-seeking doth exceedingly abase A self-seeker is a Cato without but a Nero within Domitian would seem to love them best whom he willed least should live that 's the very temper of selfe-seekers a man it strips him of all his royalty and glory of a Lord it makes a man become a servant to the creature I often to the worst of creatures yea a slave to slaves as you may see in Iudas Demas Balaam and the Scribes and Pharisees Selfe-seekers bow downe to the creatures as Gideons many thousands bowed down to the waters self-seeking will make a man say any thing do any thing and be any thing to please the lusts of others to get advantages upon others self-seeking transforms a man into all shapes and formes now It was death in Moses Rites to counterset that Ceremoniall and figurative oyntment Exod. 30. what shall it then be to counterseit the spirit of life and holinesse it makes a man appeare as an Angell of light anon as an Angel of darkenesse now selfe-seekers
are seemingly for God anon they are openly against God now you shall have them crying Hosanna in the highest and anon crucicifie him crucifie him now you shall have them build with the Saints and anon you shall have them plotting the overthrow of the Saints as those selfe-seekers did in Ezra and Nehemiah's time Self-seekers are the basest of all persons there is no service so base so poor so low but they will bow to it They cannot look neither above nor beyond their owne lusts and the enjoyment Rom. 1. 25. of the creature these are the prime and ultimate objects of their intendments 'T is said of Tiberius that whilst Augustus rul'd he was no wayes tainted in his reputation and that whilst Drusus and Germanicus were alive hee feigned those vertues which hee had not to maintain a good opinion of himselfe in the hearts of the people but after hee had got himself out of the reach of contradiction and controulment there was no fact in which he was not faulty no crime to which he was not accessary My prayer shall be that Tiberius his spirit may not be found in any of our Rulers left it prove their ruine as it did his and that where ever it is it may be detected loathed and ejected that so neither the State nor soules may be ruin'd by it c. The third Remedy against this Device 3 Remedy of Satan is solemnly to dwell upon those dreadfull curses and woes that are from heaven denounced against selfe-seekers Woe unto them that joyne Isa 5. 8. house to house that lay field to field till there be no place that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth So Habakkuk Hab. 6. 9 10 11 12. Crassus a very rich Roman and a great self-seeker for greedy desire of Gold he managed war against the Parthians by whom both he 30000. Romans were slain and because the Barbarians conjectured that he made this assault upon them for their gold therfore they melted gold poured it into his dead body saying satura de auro satisfie thy selfe with gold Isa 15. 1 2. Wo to him that increaseth that which is not his and to him that ladeth himselfe with thick clay Woe to him that coveteth an evill covetousnesse to his house that hee may set his nest on high that he may be delivered from the power of evill Thou hast consulted shame to thy house by cutting off many people and hast sinned against thy soule For the stone shall cry out of the wall and the beame out of the timber shall answer it Woe to him that buildeth a Towne with blood and stablisheth a City by iniquity The materialls of the house built up by oppression shall come as joynt-witnesses The stones of the wall shall cry Lord we were built up by blood and violence and the beam shall answer True Lord even so it is The stones shall cry vengeance Lord upon these self-seekers and the beame shall answer wo to him because he built his house with blood So Isaiah Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees and that write grievousnesse which they have prescribed To turne aside the needy from judgement and to take away the right from the poore of my people that widdowes may be their prey and that they may rob the fatherlesse So Amos Wo Amos 6. 1. 7. unto them that are at ease in Zion and trust in the mountaine of Samaria which are named chiefe of the Nations to whom the house of Israel came That put far away the evill day and cause the seate of violence to come neer That lie upon beds of Ivory and stretch themselves upon their couches and eate the Lambs out of the flock and the Calves out of the midst of the stall That drinke wine in bowles and annoint themselves with the chiefe oyntments but they are not grieved for the afflictions of Joseph So Micah woe to them that devise iniquity Mica 2. 1 2. Tacitus the Roman Emperours word was fibi bonus aliis malus he that is too much for himselfe failes to be good to others and worke evill upon their beds when the morning is light they practise it because it is in the power of their hand And they covet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away so they oppresse a man and his house even a man and his heritage By these Scriptures you see that selfe-seekers labour like a woman in travell but their birth proves their death their pleasure their paine their comfort their torment their glory their shame their exaltation their desolation Losse disgrace trouble and shame vexation and confusion will be the certaine portion of selfe-seekers When the Tartarians had taken in battell the Duke of Muscovia they made a cup of his skull with this inscription All covet all loose The fourth Remedie against this device 4 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that self-seekers are selfe-loosers and Adam seeks himselfe and looses himself Paradise and that blessed Image that God had â—amp't upon him Lot seeks himself Gen. 13. 10 â—â— and looses himself and â—is goods c. Peter seeks to save himselfe and miserably loose himself Hezekiah in the businesse of the Ambassadours seeks himself and looses himself and his life too had not God saved him by a Miracle self-destroyers Absolom and Judas seek themselves and hang themselves Saul seeks himself and kills himself Ahab seeks himself and looses himselfe his Crown and Kingdome Pharaoh seeks himself and overthrows himselfe and his mighty Army in the red sea Cain sought himselfe and slew two at once his brother and his own soul Gehazi sought change of rayment but God changed his rayment into a leprous skin Haman sought himself and lost himselfe The Princes and the Presidents sought themselves in the ruine of Daniel but ruin'd themselves their wives and children That which selfe-seekers think should be a staffe to support them becomes by the hand of Justice an iron rod to break them that which they would have as springs to refresh them becomes a gulf utterly to consume them the crosses of selfe-seekers shall alwayes exceed their mercies their paine their pleasure their torments their comforts every selfe-seeker is a selfe-tormenter a selfe-destroyer he carries a hell an executioner in his own bosome c. The fifth Remedy against this Device 5 Remedy of Satan is to dwell much upon the famous examples of those worthy Saints that have denyed themselves and prefer'd the publick good before their owne particular advantage As Moses And the Lord said unto Moses let me alone that I may destroye them and blot out their name from under Heaven and I will make of thee a Nation migâ—â—ter and greater then they oh but this offer would not 'T is good to be of his opinion mind who was rather willing to beautifie Italy then his own house take with Moses he being a man of a
brave publique spirit is hot in his desires and prayers that the people might be spared and pardoned saith he pardon I beseech thee the iniquity of this people according unto the greatnesse of thy mercy and as thou hast forgiven this people from Egypt untill now And the Lord said I have pardoned according to thy word Aâ—â—â—hould God make such an offer to many that write themselves Moses and are called by many Moses I am afraid they would prefer their own advantage above the The Antients were wont to place the Statues of their Princes by their fountains intimating they were or at least should be fountains of the publick good publique good they would not care what become of the people so they and theirs might be made great and glorious in the world they would not care so they might have a Babell built for them though it was upon the ashes and ruine of the people baser spirits then these are not in hell no not in hell and I am sure there are no such spirits in Heaven such mens hearts and principles must be chang'd or they wil be undone for ever Nehemiah was a A certaine great Emperour coming into Egypt to shew the zeal he had for the publick good saith to the Aegyptians draw from me as from your river Nilus choice soule a man of a brave publick spirit a man that spent his time his strength and his estate for the good and ease of his people Moreover saith he from the time that I was appointed to be their Governour in the Land of Judah from the twentieth yeer even unto the two and thirtieth yeare of Artaxerxes the King that is twelve yeares I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the Governour Yea also I continued in the worke of this wall neither bought we any land and all my servants were gathered thither unto the worke Moreover there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jewes and Rulers besides those that came unto us from among the Heathen that are about us Now that which was prepared for me daily was one Oxe and sixe choice sheep also fowles were prepared for me and once in ten dayes store of all sorts of wine yet for all this required not I the bread of the Governour because the bondage was heavy upon the people Thinke upon me my God for good according to all that I have done for this people So Daniel was a man of a brave publick spirit Then the Presidents and Princes The Counsellor saith a States-man should be thus tripartited his will to God his love to his Master his heart to his Countrey his secret to his friend his time to busisinesse sought to finde occasion against Daniel concerning the Kingdome but they could finde no occasion nor fault for as much as he was faithfull neither was there any errour or fault found in him Then said these men we shall not finde any occasion against this Daniel except we finde it against him concerning the law of his God Christ had a publick spirit hee laid out himselfe and laid down himselfe for a publick good Oh! never leave looking and meditating upon these precious and sweet examples till your soules are quickned and raised up to act for the publick good more then for your owne particular advantage many Solomons Tribunall was underpropt with Lions to shew what spirit and mettall a Magistrate should be made of Heathens have been excellent at this Macrobius writes of Augustus Caesar in whose time Christ was borne that hee carried such an entire and fatherly affection to the Common-wealth that he called it filiam suam his own daughter and therefore refused to be called Dominus the Lord or Master of his Countrey and would only be called pater patriae Father of his Countrey because he governed it not by feare per timorem sed per amorem but by love the Senate and the people of Rome joyntly saluting him by the name of pater patriae Father of his Countrey The people very much lamented his death using that speech Would hee had Vtinam aut non nasceretur aut non moreretur never been borne or never dyed So Marcus Regulus to save his Countrey from ruine exposed himselfe to the greatest sufferings that the malice and rage of his Enemies could inflict So Titus and Aristides and many others have been famous for their preferring the publick good above their own advantage My prayer is and shall be that all our Rulers may be so spirited by God that they may be willing to be any thing to be nothing to deny themselves and to trample their sinfull selves under feet in order to the honour of God and a publick good that so neither Saints nor Heathens may be witnesses against them in that day wherein the hearts practises of all the Rulers in the world shall be open and bare before him that shall judge the world in Righteousness and Judgment c. The sixth Remedy against this Device 6 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider that self is a great let to divine things therefore the Prophets and Apostles were usually carried out of themselves when they had the clearest choisest highest and most glorious visions Self-seeking blinds the soul that it cannot see a beauty in Christ nor an excellency in holiness it distempers the palate that a man cannot taste sweetnesse in the word of God nor in the ways of God nor in the society of the people of God it shuts the hand against all the soule-enriching offers of Christ it hardens the heart aganst all the knocks and entreaties of Christ it makes the soul as an empty vine and as a barren wildernesse Israel is an empty Hosea 10. 1. vine he brings forth fruit to himself There is nothing that speaks a man to be more empty and void of God Christ and grace then self-seeking The Pharisees Selfe-seeâ—ers with Esau prefer a messe of pottage above thair birth-right and with the men of Shechem esteem the bramble above the Vine the Olive and the fig-tree yea empty things above a full Christ base things above a glorious Christ were great self-seekers great undervaluers of Christ his word spirit There is not a greater hindrance to all the duties of piety then self-seeking oh this is that that keeps many a soule from looking after God and the precious things of eternity they cannot waite on GOD nor act for God nor abide in those ways wherein they might meete with God by reason of selfe self-seeking is that which puts many a man upon neglecting and slighting the things of his peace self-seekers will neither go into Heaven themselves nor suffer others to enter that are ready to take the Kingdome by violence as you may see in the Scribes and Pharisees Oh! but a gracious spirit is acted quite otherwayes as you may see in that sweet Scripture Cant. 7. 13. At our gates are all manner
love one another as he gave us commandement Beloved if God so loved us we ought to love Chap. 4. v. 11. one another Oh! dwell much upon these precious commands that your love may be The Ancients use to say commonly that Alexander and Ephestion had but one soule in two distinct bodies because their joy and sorrow glory and disgrace was mutual to them both inflamed one to another In the primitive times it was much taken notice of by the Heathens that in the depth of misery when fathers and mothers forsook their children Christians otherwise strangers stuck one to another whose love of Religion proved firmer then that of nature Ah! that there were more of that spirit among the Saints in these dayes The world was once destroyed with water for the heat of lusts and 't is thought it will be again destroyed with fire for the coldnesse of love The fourth Remedie against this Device 4 Remedy of Satan is to dwell more upon those choice and sweet things wherein you agree then upon those things wherein you differ ah did you but thus how would sinfull heats be abated and your love raised and your spirits sweetned one to another you agree in most you differ but in a few you agree in the greatest and weightiest as concerning God Christ the spirit the Scripture c. you differ only in those points that have been long disputable amongst men of greatest piety and parts you agree to own the Scripture to hold to Christ the Head and to walk What a sad thing was it that a Heathen should say No beasts are so mischievous to men as Christians are one to another according to the lawes of the new creature Shall Herod and Pilate agree shall Turks and Pagans agree shall Beares and Lions Tygers and Wolves yea shall a legion of Devills agree in one body and shall not Saints agree who differ only in such things as have least of the heart of God in them and that shall never hinder your meeting in heaven c. The fifth Remedie against this Device 5 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to consider that God delights to be stiled Deus pacis the God of peace and Christ to be stiled 2 Cor. 13. 11. Isa 9. 6. Vbi pax ibi Christus quia Christus pax where peace is there is Christ because Christ is peace Princeps pacis the Prince of peace and King of Salem that is King of Peace and the Spirit is a spirit of Peace The fruit of the spirit is love joy peace Gal. 5. 22. Oh! why then should not the Saints be children of peace Certainely men of froward unquiet fiery spirits cannot have that sweet evidence of their interest in the God of Peace and in the Prince of Peace and in the spirit of Peace as those precious souls have that follow after the things that make for love and peace The very name of peace Dulce nomen pacis said the Oratour The Grecians had the statue of peace with Pluto the god of Riches in her Arms. is sweet and comfortable the fruit and effect thereof pleasant and profitable more to be desired then innumerable Triumphs 'T is a blessing that ushers in a multitude of other blessings The Ancients were wont to paint Peace in the form of a Woman with a horne of plenty in her hand Ah! peace and love among the Saints is that which will secure them and their mercies at home yea it will multiply their mercies it wil engage the God of mercy to crown them with the choicest mercies and 't is that will render them most terrible invincible and successefull abroad love and peace among the Saints is that which puts the counsells of their Enemies to a stand and renders all their enterprizes abortive 't is that which doth most weaken their hands wound their hopes and kill their hearts c. The sixth Remedie against this Device 6 Remedie of Satan is to make more care and conscience of keeping up your peace There is no fear of knowing too much but there is much feare in practising too little with God ah Christians I am afraid that your remisness herein is that which hath occasioned much of that sowrenesse bitternesse and divisions that be among you ah you have not as you should kep 't up your peace with God and therefore 't is that you do so dreadfully breake the peace among your selves The Lord hath promised That Prov. 16. 7. when a mans wayes please him he will make his enemies to be at peace with him ah Pharnaces sent a Crown to Caesar at the same time hee rebelled against him but he returned the Crown this message back faceret imperata prius let him return to his obedience first there is no sound peace to be had with God or man but in a way of obedience how much more then would God make the children of peace to keep the Peace among themselves if their wayes did but please him All creatures are at his beck and check Laban followed Jacob with one Troup Esau met him with another both with hostile intentions but Jacobs wayes pleasing the Lord God by his mighty power so works that Laban leaves him with a kisse and Esau meets him with a kisse he hath an oath of one tears of the other and peace with both if we make it our businesse to keep up our league with God God will make it his worke and his glory to maintain our peace with men but if men make light of keeping up their peace with God 't is just with God to leave them to a spirit of pride envy passion contention division and confusion to leave them to bite and devour one another till they be consumed one of another c. The seventh Remedie against this Device 7 Remedie of Satan is to dwell much upon that neer relation and union that is between you this consideration had a sweet influence upon Abrahams heart And Abraham said unto Lot Let there be Gen. 13. 8. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Oh let there be no bitterness between us for we are brethren no strife I pray thee between me and thee and between my herdmen and thy herdmen for we be brethren That is a sweet word in the Psalmist Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to live together in unity It is not good and not plesant The party coloured coats were characters of the Kings children so is following after peace now or pleasant and not good but good and pleasant there be some things that be bona sed non jucunda good and not pleasant as patience and discipline and there be some things that are pleasant but not good as carnall pleasures voluptuousnesse c. and there are some things that are neither good nor pleasant as malice envy worldly sorrow c. and there are some things that are both good and pleasant as piety charity
thee Behold I have graven thee upon the Verse 16. palmes of my bands thy walls are continually before me If ever you would be too hard for Satan and after all your assaults have your bow abide in strength then take to you the word of God which is the two-edged sword of the Spirit Ephes 6. 1. and the shield of faith whereby you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the Devill 'T is not spitting at Satans name nor crossing your selves nor leaning to your owne resolutions that will get you the victory Luther reports of Staupicius a German Minister that he acknowledged himself that before he came to understand aright the free and powerfull grace of God that he vowed and resolved an hundred times against some particular sinne and never could get power over it at last he saw the reason to be his trusting to his own resolution therefore be skilfull in the word of righteousnesse and in the actings of faith upon Christ and his victory and that Crown of glory that is set before you and Satan will certainly flye from you Iames 4. 7. c. The fifth Proposition is this That we may read much of Satans 5 Proposition nature and disposition by the divers names and Epithites that are given him in the Scriptures Sometimes he is called Behemoth which is bruta whereby Iob 40. 15. the greatnesse and brutishnesse of the Devill is figured Those evill spirits are sometimes called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Accusers for their calumnies and slanders and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 evill ones for their malice Satan is Adversarius an adversary that troubleth Revel 9. and molesteth Abaddon is a destroyer They are called Tempters for their suggestion Lions for their devouring Dragons for their cruelty and Serpents for their subtlety c. As his names are so is he as face answers to face so do Satans names answer to his nature hee hath the worst names and the worst nature of all created creatures c. The sixth and last Proposition is this That God will shortly tread downe 6 Proposition Rom. 16. 20. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 suntripsei from suntribo the Greek word signifies to break or crush a thing to pieces being applyed to the feet it noteth that breaking or crushing which is by stamping upon a thing Satan under the Saints feet Christ our Champion hath already won the Field and will shortly set our feet upon the necks of our spirituall enemies Satan is a foiled Adversary Christ hath led him captive and triumph't over him upon the Crosse Christ hath already overcome him and put weapons into your hands that you may overcome him also set your feet upon his neck Though Satan be a roaring Lion yet Christ who is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah will make Satan flye and fall before you Let Satan doe his worst yet you shall have the honour and the happiness to triumph over him Cheer up you precious sons of Sion for the certainty and sweetnesse of Victory will abundantly recompence you for all the paines you have taken in making resistance against Satans temptations The broken horns of Satan shall be Trumpets of our triumph and the Cornets of our joy c. Now I shall come to the Reasons of the Point and so draw to a close c. THe first Reason is that their hearts 1 Reason may be kept in an humble praying The Philosopher had a ball of brasse in his hand which if he chanced to sleep with the fall into a bason awaked him to his studies You are wise and know how to apply it watching frame oh hath Satan so many devices to ensnare and undoe the soules of men how should this awaken dull drowsie soules and make them stand upon their watch A Saint should be like a Seraphim beset all over with eyes and lights that he may avoid Satans snares and stand fast in the hour of temptation The Lord hath in the Scripture discovered the several snares plots and devices that the Delill hath to undo the soules of men that so being forwarn'd they may be forearm'd that they may be alwayes upon their watch-tower and hold their weapons in their hands as the Iewes did in Nâ—hemiah's time c. The second Reason is from that malice 2 Reason envy and enmity that is in Satan Malice cares not what it saith or doth it may kill or gall against the souls of men Satan is full of envy and enmity that makes him very studious to suit his snares and plots to the tempers constitutions fancies and callings of men that so hee may make them as miserable as himself The Russians are so malicious that you shall have a man hide some of his own goods in the house of him whom he hateth and then accuse him for the stealth of them so doth Satan out of malice to An envious heart and a plotting head are inseparable companions the soules of men hide his goods his wares as I may say in the soules of men and then goe and accuse them before the Lord and a thousand thousand other wayes Satans malice envy and enmity puts him upon eternally to undoe the precious soules of men c. The third Reason is drawn from that 3 Reason long experience that Satan hath had he is a spirit of mighty abilities and his abilities to lay snares before us are mightily increased by that long standing of his hee is a spirit of above five thousand yeares standing he hath had time enough to studie all those wayes and methods which tend most to ensnare and undo the souls of men And as he hath time enough so he hath made it his whole study his only study his constant study to find out snares depths and stratagems to entangle and overthrow the soules of men when he was but a young Serpent he did easily deceive and out-wit our first Parents but now he is grown that Old Serpent as Gen. 3. John speakes Hee is as olde as the world Revel 12. 9. and is grown uery cunning by experience The fourth Reason is in Judgement 4 Reason to the men of the world that they may stumble and fall and be ensnared for ever wicked men that withstand the offers of mercy and despise the spirit of grace that will not open though God knocks never so hard by his word and rod by his Spirit and consceience are given up by a hand of Justice to be 1 King 22. 22. hardned deceived and ensnared by Satan to their everlasting ruine and what can be more just then that they should be taken and charmed with Satans wiles who have frequently refused to be charmed by the Spirit of grace though he hath charmed never so wisely and never so sweetly c. The fifth Reason is That the excellency 5 Reason and power of Gods grace may be the more illustrated and manifested by making man able
world be filled with the Spirit i. e. labour for abundance of the spirit hee that thinks he hath enough of the holy Spirit will quickly find himselfe vanquished by the evill spirit Satan hath his snares to take you in prosperity adversity in health sickness in strength and weakness when you are alone and when you are in company when you come on to spirituall duties and when you come off from spirituall duties and if you are not filled with the Spirit Satan will be too hard and too crafty for you and will easily and frequently take you in his snares and make a prey of you in spight of your soules therefore labour more to have your hearts filled with the Spirit then to have your heads filled with notions your shops with wares your chests with silver or your bags with gold so shall you escape the snares of this fowler and triumph over all his plots c. Sixtly if you would not be taken in any of Satans snares then keep humble 'T is reported of Satan that he should sâ—y thus of a leaâ—ned man tu me semper vincis chou doâ—t alwayes overcome me when I would exalt promote thee thou keepest thy selfe in humility and when I would throw thee dawne thou liftest up thy selfe in assurance of faith An humble heart will rather lie in the dust then rise by wickednesse and sooner part with all then the peace of a good conscience Humility keepes the soul free from many darts of Satans casting and snares of his spreading as the low shrubs are free from many violent gusts and blasts of wind which shake and rend the taller trees The Devil hath least power to fasten a temptation on him that is most humble hee that hath a gracious measure of humility is neither affected with Satans profers nor terrified with his threatnings I have read of one who seeing in a vision many snares of the Devil spread upon the earth he sate down mourned and said in himself Qâ—is pertransiet ista who shal pass through these wherunto he heard a voyce answering humilitas pertransiet humility shall God hath said that he will teach the humble Psal 25. 9. Isa 57. 15. James 4. 6. and that he will dwell with the humble and that he will fill and satisfie the humble And if the teachings of God the in-dwellings of God if the pourings in of God will not keepe the soule from falling into Satans snares I do not know what will And therefore as you would be happy in resisting Satan and blessed in triumphing over Satan and all his snares keepe humble I say again keep humble c. 7. If you would not be taken in any of Satans snares then keep a strong close and constant watch a secure 1 Thes 5 6. We must not be like Agrippas dormouse that would 〈◊〉 awake till cast into boyling lead but effectually mind these following Scriptures wherein this duty of watchfulnesse 〈◊〉 strictâ—y enjoyned soule is already an insnared soul That soul that will not watch against temptations will certainely fall before the power of temptations Satan workes most strongly on the fancie when the soule is drowsie The soules security is Satans opportunity to fall upon the soule and to spoil the soule as Joshua did the men of Ai. The best way to be safe and secure from all Satans assaults is with Nehemiah and the Iews to watch and pray and pray and watch by this meanes they became too hard for their enemies and the work of the Lord did prosper sweetly in their hands Remember how Christ chid his sluggish Disciples what could you not watch with Mat. 24. 42. Chap. 26. 41. Mar. 1â— 33 34 35. 37 Luke 21. 36. me one houre what cannot you watch with mee how will you then dye with mee If you cannot endure words how will you endure wounds c. Satan always keeps a craftie and malicious watch seeking whom he may devour katapie or 1 Cor. 16. 13. whom he may drink or sip up as the Coloss 4. 2. Apostle speaks in that 1 Pet. 5. 8. Satan 1 Pet. 4. 7. Revel 3. 3. is very envious at our condition that we should enjoy that Paradise out of which he is cast and out of which hee shall be for ever kept Shall Satan keep a crafty watch and Anniball never rested whether hee did conquer or was conquered 'T is so with Satan Learn for shame of the Devill said blessed Latimer to watch seeing the Devill is so watchfull shall not Christians keep a holy spirituall watch our whole life is beset with temptations Satan watches all opportunities to break our peace to wound our consciences to lessen our comforts to impaire our graces to slur our evidences and to damp our assurances c. Oh! what need then have we to be alwayes upon our Watch-Tower lest we be surprized by this subtle Serpent Watchfulnesse includes a waking a rousing up of the soule 'T is a continuall carefull observing of our hearts and wayes in all the turnings of our lives that wee still keep close to God and his word Watchfulnesse is nothing else but the soul running up and downe too and fro busie every where it is the heart busied and employed with diligent observation of Quid inde what comes from within us and of Quid unde what comes from without us and into us Ah soules you are no longer safe and secure then when you are upon your watch while Antipater kept the watch Alexander was safe and while we keep a stâ—â—ct watch we are safe a watchful soul is a soule upon the wing a soule out of gun-shot a soule upon a rock a soule in a Castle a soule above the clouds a soule held fast in everlasting armes I shall conclude this 7th head with this advice Remember the Dragon is subtle and bites the Elephants ear and then sucks his blood because he knows that to be the onely place which the Elephant cannot reach with his trunck to defend so our enemies are so subtill that they will bite us and strike us where they may most mischiefe us and therefore it doth very much concerne us to stand alwayes upon our guard Eightly if you would not be taken with any of Satans snares and devices then keep up your communion with God your strength to stand and withstand 2 Cor. 6. 16. The words are very significant in the original there are two in s as if God could never have neare enough communion with them Satans fiery darts is from your communion with God a soul high in communion with God may be tempted but will not easily be conquâ—red such a soul wil fight it out to the death Communion with God furnisheth the soule with the greatest and the choisest arguments to withstand Satans temptations Communion is the result of union communion is a reciprocall exchange between Christ and a gracious soule Communion is Jacobs ladder where you have Christ
in Christ surely none Ah sinners you should reason thus Christ hath bestowed the choisest mercies the greatest favours the highest dignities the sweetest priviledges upon unworthy sinners and therefore O our souls doe not you faint do not you despair but patiently and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord who can tell but that free grace and mercy may shine forth upon us though we are unworthy and give us a portion among those Worthies that are now triumphing in Heaven The third Remedie against this Device 3 Remedie of Satans is that if the soule will keep off from Christ till it be worthy it wil never close with Christ it will never embrace Christ 't will never be one with Christ it must lie down in everlasting Isa 50. ult sorrow God hath laid up all worthinesse in Christ that the creature may know where to finde it and may make out after it There is no way on earth to make unworthy soules worthy but by believing in Christ Believing in Christ of slaves 't will make 〈◊〉 1. 12. you worthy sons of enemies 't will James 2. 23. make you worthy friends c. God wil count none worthy nor call none worthy nor carry it towards none as worthy but Believers who are made Reuel 3. 4. worthy by the worthinesse of Christs person righteousnesse satisfaction and intercession c. The fourth and last Remedie against 4 Remedie this Device of Satans is solemnly to consider that if you make a diligent search into your own hearts you shall find that 't is the pride folly of your own hearts that puts you upon bringing of a worthinesse to Christ Oh you would faine bring something to Christ that might render you acceptable to him you are loft to come empty handed The Lord cries out Ho Isa 55. 1 2. every one that thirsteth come yee to the waters and he that hath no money come yee buy and eate come buy wine and milke without money and without price Wherefore doe you spend your money upon Verse 2. that which is not bread and your labour for that which satisfieth not Here the Lord calls upon money lesse soules upon penni-lesse soules upon unworthy soules to come and partake of his precious favours freely but sinners are proud and foolish and because they have no money no worthiness to bring they 'l not come though he sweetly invites them Ah sinners what is more just then that you should perish for ever that preferre huskes among swine before the milke and wine the sweet and precious things of the Gospel that are freely and sweetly offered to you c. Well sinners remember this 't is not so much the sense of thy unworthinesse as thy pride that keeps thee off from a blessed closing with the Lord Jesus The third Device that Satan hath to keep poor sinners from believing in Christ from closing with Christ from resting on Christ c. is BY suggesting to them the want of 3 Device such and such preparations and qualifications saith Satan thou art not prepared to entertain Christ thou art not thus and thus humbled and justified thou art not heart-sick of sin thou hast not been under horrors and terrours as such and such thou must stay till thou art prepared and quâ—lified to receive the Lord Jesus c. Now the remedies against this Device of Satan are these that follow THe first Remedie against this Device 1 Remedy of Satan is seriously to consider that such as have not been so and so prepared and qualified as Satan suggests have received Christ believed in Christ and being saved by Christ Mathew Mat. 9. 9. was called sitting at the receipt of custome and there was such power went along with Christs call that made him to follow We read not of any horrors or terrours c. that hee was under before his being called by Christ Pray what preparations and qualifications were found in Zacheus Paul the Luke 19. 9. Acts 16. chap. Jaylor and Lydia before their conversion God brings in some by the sweet and still voyce of the Gospel and usually such that are thus brought in to Christ are the sweetest humblest 〈◊〉 isest and fruitfullest Christians God is a free agent to worke by Law or Gospel by smiles or frownes by presenting hell or heaven to sinners soules God thunders from Mount-Sinai upon some souls conquers them by thundering God speaks to others in a still voyce and by that conquers them You that are brought to Christ by the Law do not you judge and condemn them that are brought to Christ by the Rom. 14. Gospell and you that are brought to Christ by the Gospel do not you despise those that are brought to Christ by the Law Some are brought to Christ by fire storms and tempests others by more easie and gentle gales of the Spirit The Spirit is free in the works of Iohn 3. 8. conversion and as the wind it blows when where how it pleases Thrice happy are those souls that are brought to Christ whether it be in a winters night or in a summers day The second Remedie against this Device 2 Remedie of Satan is solemnly to dwel upon these following Scriptures which do clearly evidence that poor sinners which are not so and so prepared and qualified to meet with Christ to receive and embrace the Lord Jesus Christ may notwithstanding that believe in Christ and rest and lean upon him for happinesse and blessednesse according to the Gospel Read the first of the Proverbs from vers 20. to the end and the 11. first verses of the 8. of the Proverbs and the six first verses of the 9. of the Proverbs and the 14. first verses of Ezek. chap. 16. and the 3. of John 14 15 16 17 18. 36. verses and the 3. of the Revelations vers 15 16 17 18 19 20. Here the Lord Jesus Christ stands knocking at the Laodiceans door he would faine have them to sup with him and that he might sup with them that is that they might have intimate communion and fellowship one with another Now pray tell me what preparations or qualifications had these Laodiceans to entertain Christ surely none for they were luke-warm they were neither cold nor hot they were wretched and miserable and poore and blind and naked and yet Christ to shew his free grace and his condescending love invites the very worst of sinners to open to him though they were no wayes so or so prepared or qualified to entertain him c. The third Remedie against this Device 3 Remedie of Satan is seriously to consider that the Lord does not in all the Scripture require such and such preparations Rom. 4. 5. God justifies the ungodly qualifications before men come to Christ before they believe in Christ or entertaine or embrace the Lord Jesus Christ Believing believing in Christ is the great thing that God presses upon sinners throughout the Scripture as all know that know any thing of Scripture Obj. But does not
who knows how his heart would have swelled hee might have been carried higher in conceit then before he was in his extacie The school of temptation is a choise school a school wherein God gives his people the clearest and the sweetest discoveries of his love a school wherein God teaches his people to be more frequent and fervent in duty when Paul was buffeted then he prayed thrice that is frequently and fervently A schoole 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 evill in sinne 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 darknesse good out of evill 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 third Remedie against this Device 3 Remedie of Satan is wisely to consider that no temptations don't hurt nor harm the Saints so long as they are not resisted by them and prove the greatest affliction that can befall them 't is not Satans tempting but your assenting not his enticing but your yeelding that makes temptations hurtfull to your soules if the soule when 't is tempted resists the temptation and saith with Christ get thee behind mee Satan and with that young Convert I am not the man that I Ego non sum ego was or as Luther counsells all men to answer all temptations with these words Christianus sum I am a Christian if a mans temptations be his greatest affliction then is the temptation no sin upon his soule though it be a trouble upon his mind when a soule can look the Lord in the face and say ah Lord I have many outward troubles now upon me I have lost such and such a neere mercy and such and such dear desirable mercies and yet thou that knowest the heart thou knowest that all my crosses and losses do not make so many wounds in my soule nor fetch so many sighes from my heart nor teares from my eyes as those temptations doe that Satan follows my soul with when 't is thus with the soule then temptations are only the souls trouble they are not the souls sin Satan is a malious and envious enemie â—â—metimeâ— he â—hewes his malice by letting those things abide by the soule as may most vex and plague the soule as Gregory observes in his leaving of Jobs wife which was not out of his forgetfulness carelesnesse or any love or pity to Iob but to vex and torment him c. and to work him to blaspheme God despair and die c. as his names are so is he his names are all names of enmity the Accuser the Tempter the Destroyer the Devourer the envious Man and this malice and envy of his he shewes sometimes by tempting men to such sins as are quite contrary to the temperature of their bodies as he did Vespasian and Julian men of sweet and excellent natures to be most bloody murtherers and sometimes hee shews his malice by tempting men to such things as shall bring hiâ— no honour nor profit c. fall downe and worship mee to blasphemie and Atheisme c. the thoughts and first motions whereof cause the bea rt and the flesh to tremble And sometimes he shewes his malice by tempting them to those sins which they have not found their natures prone to and which they abhor in others c. Now if the soule resists these and complains of these and groanes and mourns under these and lookes up to the Lord Jesus to be delivered from these then shall they not be put down to the soules account but to Satans who shall be so much the more tormented by how much the more the Saints have beene by him maliciously tempted c. Make present and peremptory resistance against Satans temptations bid defiance to the temptation at first sight When Constantine the Emperour was told that there was no means to cure his leprosie but by bathing his body in the blood of Infants he presently answered malo jemper aegrotare quam tali remedio convalescere I had rather not be cured then use such a remedie 't is safe to resist 't is dangerous to dispute Eve lost her selfe and her posterity by falling into the lists of dispute when she should have resisted and stood upon terms of defiance with Satan he that would stand in the hour of temptation must plead with Christ 't is written he that would triumph over temptations must plead still 't is written Satan is bold and impudent and if you are not peremptory in your resistance he will give you fresh onsets 'T is your greatest honour and your highest wisdome peremptorily to with-stand the beginnings of a temptation for an after remedie comes often too late Mistris Katherine Bretterge once after a great conflict with Satan said Reason not with me I am but a weake woman if thou hast any thing to say say it to my Christ he is my Advocate my strength and my redeemer and he shall plead for me Men must not seek to resist Satans craft with craft sed per apertum martem but by open defiance he shoots with Satan in his own bow who thinks by disputing and reasoning to put him off As soon as a temptation shewes its face say to the temptation as Ephraim to his idols get you hence what have I any Hosea 14. more to doe with you oh say to the temptation as David said to the sonnes of Zerviah What have I to doe with you 2 Sam. 16. 10. you will be too hard for me He that doth thus resist temptations shall never be undone by temptation c. Make strong and constant resistance I have read of one who being tempted with offers of money to desert Christ gave this excellent answer let not any man think that he will embrace other mens goods to forsake Christ who hath forsaken his own proper goods to follow Christ against Satans temptations make resistance against temptations by arguments drawn from the honour of God the love of God your union and communion with God and from the blood of Christ the death of Christ the kindness of Christ the intercession of Christ and the glory of Christ and from the voice of the Spirit the counsell of the Spirit the comforts of the Spirit the presence of the Spirit the seale of the Spirit