u y*— * THE Albert M. Library Presented to TRINITY COLLEGE LIBRARY By Miss Susie V. Shipp November, 1921 tHE TOUS REMEDIES PERKINS LIBRARY Duke University Kare books fllE TOUS REMEDIES UNST THE PRECIOUS REMEDIES AGAINST SATAN'S DEVICES BY THOMAS BROOK. ABRIDGED BY W. SMELLE, LINCOLNSHIRE, ENGLAND. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us ; for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Cor. ii. 11. EDITED BY STAUNTON STEVENS BURDOTT, MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL IN SOUTH CAROLINA. FIRST AMERICAN EDITION. NEW HAVEN : PRINTED FOR THE EDITOR BY NATHAN WHITING. 1832. / CONTENTS. Page. Introduction 13 Satan's Devices to draw the soul to sin ... .17 To keep the soul from holy duties . . - . 103 To keep the soul in a sad and doubting state . . . 143 To destroy the great and honorable in the world 191 To destroy the sons of God ...... 208 To deoeive by false teachers 232 Helps to the Christian 241 Directions to the man that gets to heaven . . . 249 237679 PREFACE TO THE FIRST AMERICAN EDITION The " Precious Remedies against Satan's Dc\ by Thomas Brook, is a work of great import;' every child of God: and if attentively read by them, it cannot fail to produce on their minds the happiest ef-. fects. I conceive it to he one of the most useful books, aside from the Holy that ;• Christian can possess- ne of the best hooks in the world. It should he in the possession of every family, and form an important part of their library. For the importance of this work is no ^ confined to the Christian ; bin tends to every individual; and in particular to the youth of our country. They are drawn imperceptibly by Sa- tan's devices into sin. Not so with the experienced Christian. The apostle Paul, in his letter to the saints at Corinth, says, " we are not ignorant of his devices." But the young are ignorant of his cunning arts to draw them unto ruin. It is in this book that the machinations of Satan are happily brought to view, and the " precious remedies" 1* 237679 VI. PREFACE pointed out. Therefore to the youth as well as to the aged this work must be valuable. And in presenting the present edition to the christian public, it is with the earnest desire, that it may prove a great blessing to the youth of our land, and to the tempted followers of the b essed Jesus. The remedies are indeed precious. And they should be so regarded by every Christian. And may God grant that this effort of his servant, (who is now, I trust, in heaven,) to advance his kingdom, prove a precious remedy to those who are exposed to the devices of him who " goeth about as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." That God may be glorified in the happy life, triumphant death, and con- summate bliss of poor sinners saved by grace, is the prayer of the EDITOR. Long Town, S. C, June, 1832. PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITION. The knowledge of men and things may be of some use in the affairs of life ; but the knowledge of the hu- man heart, and the Devices of Satan exceedeth all. Whosoever is possessed of so valuable a branch of knowledge, is thereby enabled to judge rightly of himself, and to hnd out the various wiles of the devil practised against his own soul, and the souls of others. Lest Satan should get an advantage of us : i. e. over- reach us. The comparison is taken from a greedy merchant, that seeketh and taketh all opportunities to beguile and de- ceive others. Satan is this greedy merchant, that seek- eth to devour the souls of men. We are not ignorant of Satan's devices, plots, ma- chinations, and stratagems, which he practices to way- lay the souls of men. Satan hath snares for the wise and snares for the simple ; snares for hypocrites and snares for the upright ; snares for generous souls and snares for timorous souls ; snares for the rich and snares for the poor; and snares for the aged, and snares for the youth. Oh ! what depths of Satan and the human heart may yet be discovered by a diligent attendance to the work- ▼111.. PREFACE. iflgsof the mind ! For, while I speak of the devices of Sa- tan, I would not have any to suppose that I exempt the human heart from being a principal agent in these de- vices of Satan. Notwithstanding the grace of God pro- duceth in the heart an hatred of all sin, and a love to truth, so that the soul may say, though there be no one sin in me absolutely routed, or conquered as it should, yet truly every sin is hateful, and loathed by me ; and though I do not obey any one commandment of God as I ought, and as I would do, yet (the pious soul can say that) every word of God is good, and every commandment is precious, and what I daily prize ; therefore though I cannot strict- ly fulfil all the righteous will and commandments of my God, there are none but what I would most gladly keep, and hate in me that which wars against my soul for delight- ing in the law with my inward man. Satan and the human heart are mighty in abilities to deceive. Satan has long studied the heart of man, and is master of even secret avenue ; and he well knows that there is no pow- er upon earth that is so well qualified, and that would prove so faithful to his devices, as the human heart; therefore he will not with a little feeble effort, be persuaded to relinquish his possession of the heart: yea, he is a strong man, armed, &c, and it requireth the strength of the strongest, even the Almighty, to bind Satan, and cast him out of the heart of man ; nevertheless, any thing that tendeth to a discovery of so grand and so secret an enemy, ought to be esteemed precious. Though the discovery may be attended with some difficulty, yet the end and conquest will repay with unspeakable joy. I am free to confess, that I never read or saw any work, next to the blessed book, the bible, that appears PREFACE.. n„ (to me, at least,) so complete a pursuit and detection of Satan and the human heart, as the Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices. The title is truly in the work, and the work is the glory of the title. I have abridged some parts, where I judged the subject had been stated with advantage in some other part of the work; I have also introduced this work with a few introductory propositions from the conclusion of the author ; and I have taken the liberty to reduce it from the form of a sermon, which it originally bore, to that of chapters, and to each chapter appointed six remedies ; I have also applied a portion of scripture to each chapter and reme- dy, that the several devices and remedies might be easily read and distinguished; hoping herein to assist thread- er, to take the devil in his own craftin^j c0 say e the souls of men, and to cast some l^gta on more than two hundred texts of scripture ; all which is possible to him under whose care and influence this humble attempt was bogun, and wtito whoso glory may it tend forever. Amen, and Amen.. W. SMEI^LE, TO THE READER, Solomon bids us buy the truth, bt* doth not tell us what it must cost ; because we must get jt though it be never so dear ; we must love it, shining ^d scorching : every part of truth is precious as the faiths of gold ; we must live and die with it, as Ruth said to Naomi, " Whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest I will lodge," &c, for nothing shall part the soul and truth. A man may sell his house and lands lawfuty, but truth is a jewel that exceeds all price, and must rot be sold, for it is our heritage. Psal. cxix. 111. 'Tis a legacy that our forefathers have bought with their blood. If thou, Reader, pleasest to read this work, and receive counsel from me, thou must first know, that every man cannot be excellent that yet may be useful. An iron key may unlock the door of a golden treasure ; yea, iron can do some things that gold cannot. Secondly, remember that 'tis not hasty reading, but serious meditating upon holy and heavenly truths, that makes them prove sweet and profitable to the soul. 'Tis not the bee's touching the flower that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time upon it that draws out the sweet : therefore it is not he that reads most, nor he that talks most, but he that meditates most, that will prove the choicest and strongest Christian. If thou knowest these things, happy and blessed art thou if thou doest them. Xll. frefaoe. " Not every one that saith, Lord. Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that doeth the will of my Father that is in heaven." Matt, vii. 21. Reader, if it be not strongly impressed upon thy mind to practice what thru readest, to what purpose dost thou read? Thy tnowledge will be that rod that will eternally lash tb^e. that scorpion that will for ever bite thee, and tha' worm that will everlastingly gnaw thee. Seneca saith I like not such persons who are always about to * Ve 0Llt never begin. God loves the runner, not the iuestioner, saith Luther. When Demosthenes was a«ied what was the first part of an orator, what the second, and what the third 1 he answered, action. If any slould inquire what is the first, the second, and the third i>art of a Christian "? I will answer, action. I pray and desire that thou mayest find as much sweet- ness, &c. in reading this Treatise, as I have found in the writing of it. I recommend thee to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build thee up, and to give thee an inheritance among them which are sanc- tified. And rest, Reader, Thy soul's servant in every office of the gospel, THOMAS BROOK. INTRODUCTION. That Satan hath a great hand in sin cannot be denied ; yet ought we to be careful that we do not Jay all the blame of our sins, and compliance with temptations, upon Satan, and so father that upon him which should, in justice, be charged upon our own evil hearts. Sin and evading came into the world to- gether. The whole frame of man is out of order : the understanding is darkness ; the will is cross and rebellious ; the affections are crooked ; the conscience corrupted ; the tongue poisoned ; and the heart evil, only evil, and that continually. Satan hath only a persuading, not an enforcing might ; he can tempt, but cannot conquer without our hearts : yet Satan tempted our first parents to rebellion, moved David to number Israel, put Peter upon rebuking Christ, entered into the heart of Judas to persuade him to betray his Lord and Master, and filled the heart of Ananias, and Sapphira his wife, to lie to the Holy Ghost. Such, therefore, is Satan's malice against God, and his envy against men, that he will resolutely have a hand in all Sin, one way or other. Satan must obtain permission of God before he can prevail against us. Job. ii. 6. The Lord said unto Satan, behold, he is in thine hand. The devil 3 14 INTRODUCTION. has malice sufficient to devour, but hath not power so much as to touch the least and the weakest of God's children, without a commission. How long did he try to des'troy Job, but in vain ? What at- tempts did he make to ruin Peter and his compan- ions, and desired to have them, that he might sift them as wheat ? But Jesus prayed for them. So Satan seeks to overthrow you, as he did Saul, Ahab, and others. But what a soul-supporting consola- tion and cordial is the consideration, that the great- est, subtlest, and the most daring enemy of the saints, cannot hurt or harm them without special leave from him who is their sweetest Saviour, their dearest hus- band, and their choicest friend. Ambrose repre- sents the devil as boasting over Jesus Christ, in Ju- das : he is not thine, Lord Jesus, he is mine : his heart beats for me ; he eats with thee, but is fed by me; he takes bread from thee, but money from me; he T drinks wine with thee, but sells thy blood to me. As Satan must obtain permission from God, so must he also gain the consent of our hearts before he can prevail. Acts. v. 3. Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie ? Satan can never undo a man without himself; but a man may easily undo himself without Satan : he can only present the glory of the world, but cannot force us to fall down and worship him. When he tempts, we must assent; when he makes offers, we must accept ; when he commands, we must obey ; and when he threatens, we must fear, or INTRODUCTION. 1 6 he will labor in vain. Peter expostulates the case with Ananias, Why hast thou given Satan such an advantage over thee, to fill thy heart with infidelity, hypocrisy, and obstinate audacity, to lie to the Holy Ghost ? As if he had said, Ananias, Satan could never have done this in thee, (which will forever undo thee,) unless thou hadst granted him access to thine heart. If, when a temptation comes, a man cries out, and saith, Ah ! Lord, here is a strong temptation that would force me, and that would devour my soul. I have of myself no strength to withstand. Oh ! help, help thou me ; for thy Son's sake, for thy promise sake, and for my soul's sake : then it is not the soul that consents, but Satan that has forced. PRECIOUS REMEDIES SATAN'S DEVICES CHAP. I. SATAN'S FIRST DEVICE TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN, IS TO REPRESENT THE BAIT AND HIDE THE HOOK. Genesis iii. 5. Ye shall be as Gods, fyc. Oh ! saith Satan, fear not. Ye shall not surely die : for the Lord doth know, that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. Here is the bait, the sweet, the pleasure, and the profit. Oh ! but the hook, the shame, the wrath, and the loss that would inevitably attend the compliance, he carefully hides. There is an opening of the eyes of the mind to contemplation and joy, and there is an opening of the eyes of the body to shame and confusion : Satan promiseth them the former, and intendeth the last ; and so deceives them, giving them an apple in exchange for Paradise. 2* 18 PRECIOUS REMEDIES The Precious Remedies against this device of Sa- tan are these : First. To keep at the greatest distance from sin* 1 Thessalonians v. 22. Abstain from all appearance of Evil. Anselm used to say, that if he should see the shame of sin on the one hand, and the pains of hell on the other, and must of necessity choose one, he would rather be thrust into hell without sin, than go into heaven with sin. 'Tis our wisest and safest course to stand at the furthest distance from sin, and to fly from all appearance of evil. It is surely the best method to prevent any person from falling in- to the pit, to keep at the greatest distance from it. He that will be so bold as to play upon the brink of the pit, may find, by woeful experience, that it is a righteous thing with God that he should fall into the snare. Joseph kept himself at a proper dis- tance from sin, and from attempting to play with the golden bait, though continually urged by his mis- tress ; yet he retires, and abstains from all appear- ance of evil, with a " how can I do this great wick- edness, and sin against God?" David boldly draws nigh, and sports with the bait ; but, at last, he is snared and taken, and laments the folly of i( all his days. 19 The second Remedy is, humbly to consider that sin is a plague. 1 Kings viii. 38. The plague of his own heart. Sin is a plague, yea, the greatest and most infec- tious plague in all the world ; yet, alas ! how few are there that tremble at it ? As soon as one sin had seized upon Adam's heart, all sin entered into his soul, and overspread it. And how hath Adam's one sin spread over all mankind ? Rom. v. 12. Ah ! how doth the father's sin infect the child : the husband's infect the wife; the master's, the ser- vant . ? Yes, the sin that is in one man's heart is able to infect a whole world. The Italian, who first made his enemy deny God, to save his life, did after- wards stab him, and then boasted, that he had at once murdered both soul and body, declares the per- fect malignity of sin. 'Twas a good saying of a heathen, that if there were no God to punish him, no devil to torment him, no hell to burn him, no man to see him, yet would he not sin, for the ugliness and filthiness of sin, and for the grief of his own conscience — " I will not buy repentance so dear : 1 am not so ill a merchant as to sell eternals for tempo- rals." Demosthenes. The third Remedy is, carefully to consider that sin is but a bitter-sweet. 20 PRECIOUS REMEDIES Job xx. 12, 13, 14. Though wickedness be sweet in the mouth, it is the gall of asps within. The seeming sweetness that is in sin will quickly vanish, and lasting shame, sorrow, horror, and ter- ror will come in the room thereof. Adam's apple was a bitter-sweet ; Esau's mess was a bitter-sweet ; the Israelites' quails were a bitter-sweet ; and Adoni- jah's kingly sweets proved a bitter-sweet unto him : for after the feast comes the reckoning. When the asp stiugs a man, it doth at first tickle him so as to make him laugh, till the poison, by little and little, gets to his heart ; then it pains him more than ever it could delight him before : so doth sin — it may please a little at first, but it will pain the soul with a wit- ness at last; yea, if there were the least real sweet or delight in sin, there could be no perfect hell, where men must be eternally tormented with their sins. Forbidden profits and pleasures are most pleasing to vain men, who count madness mirth. Many long to be meddling with the murdering mor- sels of sin, which nourish not, but rent and consume the belly and the soul that receive them. Many eat that on earth which they are forced to digest in hell. The fourth Remedy is, solemnly to consider that sin will bring upon us infinite losses. 21 Mark viii. 36, 37. Gain the world and lose the soul. Sin will usher in the loss of the Divine favor that is better than life ; the loss of that joy which is un- speakable and full of glory ; the loss of that peace that passeth all understanding ; the loss of those di- vine influences by which the soul hath been re- freshed, quickened, raised, strengthened, and glori- ously led to triumph in the divine light: and the loss of many outward, desirable mercies, which otherwise the soul might have enjoyed. That was a sound and savory reply of an Eng- lish captain, at the loss of Calais, who, when a proud Frenchman scornfully demanded, " When will you fetch Calais again?'' replied, "When your sins shall weigh down ours." Ah ! England, England, my constant prayer for thee is, that thou mayest not sin away thy mercies into their hands, that cannot call mercy, mercy, and that would joy in nothing more than to see thy sor- row -and misery, and to see that hand to make thee naked which hath long clothed thee with much glory and mercy. The fifth Remedy is, seriously to consider that sin is very deceitful and hardening. 22 FRECIOUS REMEDIES Hebrews iii. 13. Hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. Sin is the greatest deceiver in the world ; it will kiss the soul, and pretend fair to us to our face, but will betray the soul forever: it will, with Delilah, smile upon us, that it may betray us into the hands of the devil, as she did Sampson into the hands of the Philistines. Sin gave Satan his power over us; and he lays claim to us as those who wear his badge and mark. Sin is a very bewitching thing upon the human heart, that the soul calls good, evil ; and evil, good ; bitter, sweet ; and sweet, bitter ; light, darkness; and darkness, light; and the soul be- witched with sin, will stand out against God, even unto death. Let the Almighty strike and wound, even unto the bone, the soul cares not, nor fears not: see Pharoah, Balaam, and Judas. There is an herb in Sardis, that would make a man lye laughing on his bed when he was deadly sick; such is the operation of sin. Prov. v. 22, 23. The sixth Remedy is, attentively to consider that there is neither rest nor peace in sin. Isaiah lvii. 20, 21. Like the troubled sea. For the curse, the wrath, the hatred, and indigna- tion of God doth always attend sin and sinners. AGAINST SATAN S DEVICES. 5&S The curse of God haunts the sinner (as it were a fury) in all his ways : in the city it attends him, in the country it hovers over him ; coming in it ac- companies him, going forth it follows him ; in travel it is his comrade ; it fills his store with strife, and mingles the wrath of God with his sweetest morsels ; it is a moth in his wardrobe, murrain among his cat- tle, mildew in his field, rot among his sheep, and of- tentimes makes the fruit of his loins the greatest vexation and confusion of his life. There is no solid joy nor lasting peace to a sinner in his sins, for the sword of divine vengeance doth every moment hang over his head. Syrens sing wonderfully curious while they live, but roar most dreadfully horrible when they die ; so must the ungodly sinner. Deut. xxviii. 15. to the end. Levit. xxvi. 14. to the end, 24 PRECIOUS REMEDIES CHAP. II. THE SECOND DEVICE OF SATAN IS TO PAINT SIN WITH VIRTUE'S COLORS. 1 Kings xxii. 22. A lying spirit. Satan knows, that if he should present sin in its own nature and dress, the soul would rather fly from it than yield to it ; therefore he presents sin unto us, not in its own proper colors, but painted and dis- guised ; gilded over witli names and shew of virtue, that we may be more easily overcome by it, and so take the greater pleasure in committing of it. Pride he presents to the soul under the name and notion of neatness and cleanliness in life. Covetousness, (which the apostle condemns for idolatry,) Satan points out to be good husbandry in a family. Drunk- enness which is an open sin, Satan pleads for, and persuades the soul that it is but cheerfulness and good fellowship. Riotousness, Satan presents under the fair name and notion of liberty and liberality to mankind : and wantonness he represents only as a trick of youth. The precious Remedies against this device are these: against satan's devices. 25 First. To consider that sin is nevertheless sin, and vile, though painted. Jeremiah iv. 30. Though thou rentest thy face with painting, in vain shaltthou make thyself fair. Surely sin cannot be one degree the less filthy, vile, and abominable, by its being colored and var- nished with virtue's colors. A poisonous pill is no less poisonous though it is gilded over with gold ; a wolf is no less a wolf, although he hath put on a sheep's skin ; and the devil is nevertheless a devil, and an adversary to souls, though he may sometimes appear like an angel of light : so sin is no less sin, and abominable unto the pious soul, in crimson, and decked with ornaments of gold, than when it is in rags : and thus the evils of the heart are to be loath- ed and watched, though they may appear to be at peace- with us. The second Remedy is, carefully to consider, that the more sin is painted and colored with virtue, it is the more dangerous to souls. 2 Samuel xx. 9. 10. Art thou in health my brother ? So he smote him. That the more sin is varnished, and appears as a friend to virtu< , the more ruinous it is to the souls of men ; that while it asketh after our health and peace 26 PRECIOUS REMEDIES as a brother, and takes us by the beard with the right hand, to kiss, it stabs us with the sword in the left, as Joab did Amasa. This is so notoriously known, that I need but name it. The most dangerous ver- min are too often to be found under the fairest and sweetest flower ; the neatest glove is often drawn upon the foulest hand ; and the richest robes are of- ten put upon the filthiest bodies : so are the fairest and sweetest names put upon the greatest and the most horrible vices and errors that are in the world. Ah ! that we had not too many sad proofs of this among us at this day. The third Remedy is, to look on sin with proper eyes. Genesis Hi. 7. Their eyes ivere open and they knew that they were naked. To view sin with open eyes, or with such eyes as within very little time we shall see it before the throne of God. Ah ! souls, when you shall lie upon a dy- ing bed, and stand before a judgment seat, sin will be unmasked, and its dress and robes shall then be all taken off, and then it will appear more vile, filthy, and terrible than hell itself. Oh! my soul, the shame, the pain, the gall, and alarming consternation to our first parents, when they saw sin undressed and naked ! So the sinner at death or at the bar of 27 God, will find, to his eternal astonishment, sin is a monster, in whatsoever dress it hath appeared to men. Conscience will work at last : though for the present you may feel no fit of pain or accusation, sin will be bitterness in the end. Satan deals with men now as the panther doth with the beasts ; he hides his deformed head until the sweet scent hath drawn then; into danger: so Satan is a parasite un- til we sin, then he turns a tyrant. The fourth Remedy is, seriously to consider, that even those very sins that Satan painteth as virtues, require infinite love and power to redeem us from them. 1 Timothy iii. 16. Great is the mystery of godliness. Yes, those very sins that Satan paints and puts new names and colors upon, cost the best love, the noblest love, the heart-love of the Lord Jesus. That Christ should come from the eternal bosom of his fa- ther to a region of sorrow and death ; that God should be manifest in the flesh ; the Creator made a creature ; that the Eternal, who was clothed with in- finite glory, should be wrapped with rags of flesh ; that he who filled heaven and earth with his bright- ness should be laid in a manger ; that the power of God should fly from weak man ; [the God of Israel went into Egypt ;] that the God of the law should PRECIOUS REMEDIES be subject lo the law ; that he who binds Satan in chains should be tempted by the devil ; that he who is the judge of all flesh should be judged and con- demned; that the God of life should be put to death: that he who hath the keys of hell and death should lie imprisoned in the grave, to save guilty men from sin and death eternal, was infinite love indeed ! The fifth Remedy is, solemnly to consider, that freedom from sin cost an infinite price. 1 Peter i. 19. Precious blood of Christ. Every sin is costly to the Redeemer. Yea, sins colored with virtue cost the best blood, the noblest blood, the heart's-blood of Jesus Christ. Ah ! my soul, to see that face which was fairer than the sons of men, spit on ; that mouth and tongue, which spake as never man spake, accused of blasphemy ; those hands and feet, that swayed the sceptre of heaven, and shined as fine brass, nailed to the cross for my sins ! After Julius Caesar was murdered, Antonius brought forth his coat, all bloody and cut, and laid it before the people, saying, " Look, here you have your Emperor's coat, thus bloody and torn ;" where- upon all the people were presently in an uproar, and AGAINST SATAN S DEVICES. 29 run and slew and burnt the murderers. So let my soul arise and slay those sins, the monstrous mur- derers of my Lord. When Dionysius, in Egypt, heard the noise, and saw the eclipse of the sun at the time of Christ's suf- ferings he cried out, " Either the God of nature suf- fers, or the world will be dissolved. " The sixth Remedy is, seriously to consider, that the soul will never be able to endure the weight of the least sin. Numbers xxxii. 23. Be sure your sin will find you out. The soul is never able to abide the guilt and weight of the least sin, when God shall set it home upon the mind : the least sin will press and sink the stoutest sinner as low as hell. What so little, base, and vile among creatures as lice ? Yet God so pla- gued the stout-hearted Pharoah; yea, and all Egypt fainted under them, and the greatest men were for- ced to cry out, " this is the finger of God." Just so, when God shall cast the sword into the hand of a little sin, and arm it against the soul of man, the stoutest shiner shall faint and fall before it. One drop of an evil conscience will swallow up the whole sea of worldly joy. — Mr. Perkins makes 3* W PRECIOUS REMEDIES mention of a good, but very poor man, who> being ready to starve, stole a lamb, and being about to eat it with his family, and (as his manner was be- fore meat) to crave a blessing upon it, he durst not do it, but fell into a great perplexity of soul, and went and acknowledged his fault to the owner, and promised payment. against satan's devices. 31 CHAP. III. THE THIRD DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN, IS TO REPRESENT GOD AS ONE MADE UP ALL OF MERCY. Genesis iii. 4. Ye shall not surely die. Oh ! saith Satan, though God hath said that ye shall die, he doth not so intend ; he is too great and merciful to punish you for so small a fault as this. You need not make so great a matter of sin. Do not be so fearful of sinning, nor so unwilling to this : is it not a little one r And 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 never wea- ry of exercising mercy, and a God that is more prone to pardon sin in his people, than to punish them for it ; therefore he will not take any advantage of you : why then should you be so thoughtful about sin? And, besides all this, God is become more merciful and kind through his Son Jesus Christ ; there is nothing now for you to fear; Christ died for all sin- ners, and you are but a sinner. The precious Remedies against this device of Sa- tan are these : 32 PRECIOUS REMEDIES First. To consider, that to be given up of God to our own wills is the greatest hell upon earth. Romans i. 28. God gave them over to a reprobate mind. That is the sorest judgment in the world to be left to sin, upon any pretence whatever. Oh ! un- happy man, when God leaveth thee to thyself, to thy free will, and doth not resist thee in thy choice, and in thy sins. Wo, wo to him at whose sins God doth wink. When the Lord suffers the way to sin and hell to be smooth and pleasant unto the heart, it is an awful token that he doth not intend good unto that man : for my own part, I pray as much to be kept from my sinful self, and my free will, as I do from Satan and hell ; for a soul given up to its own inven- tion and sin, is a soul ripe for hell. " Ephraim is joined to idols ; let him alone." Hosea iv. 17. Psal. lxxxi. 12. — Ah! Lord! this mercy I humbly beg, that whatever thou shalt see good to deliver me up to, thou wilt not give me up to the ways of my own heart : shouldest thou give me up to be afflicted, or tempted, or reproached, he. I will say, it is the Lord. 2 Sam. xv. 26. Only deliver me from that evil man, myself. The second Remedy is, seriously to consider, that God is as just as he is merciful. against satan's devices. 33 2 Peter ii. 4. For if God spared not the angels. Against this artful device of Satan let us consider, that though the scriptures represent the mercy of God in beautiful and striking colors, yet they also speak him to be a just and holy God, and will by no means clear the guilty. The casting of the an- gels out of heaven, and binding them in chains of darkness till the judgment of the great day ; the turning of Adam out nf Paradise : the drowning of the old world ; the raining down from heaven of fire and brimstone upon Sodom and Gomorrah; but above all, witness the pouring forth of his wrath up- on his own only beloved Son, when he bare our sins, and cried, " My God, My God, why hast thou for- saken me ?" Oh ! Christian, it was all for thee and for me that Jesus was forsaken of his Father, that he might know how to comfort thee under the hidings of thy Father's countenance. The third Remedy is, Humbly to consider that sins against mercy are attended with the heaviest judgments; from God. Hebrews ii. 3. How shall we escape ? Mercy is Alpha, Justice is Omega. David, speak- ing of these attributes, placed IVJercy in the front, 34 PRECIOUS REMEDIES and Justice in the rearward, saying, "My song shall be of mercy and judgment." But sins against mer- cy will bring down the greatest and sorest judgments upon the heads and hearts of men that can be inflic- ted by the Lord upon the rebel. Let us consider this in the Israelites ; the Lord loved them, and chose them to be his people before all people, and that when they were in their blood : he multiplied them, not by means, but by miracles ; and from sev- enty souls they grew, in a few years, to six hundred thousand ; the more they were oppressed, the more they prospered. But they abused the mercy of the Lord, and soon became the objects of his severest wrath. As I know not the man that can reckon up their mercies, so I know not the man that can sum up their miseries ; for God was turned against them. The fourth Remedy is, diligently to consider, that God's special mercy is over the righteous. Isaiah liv. 8. With everlasting kindness will 1 have mercy on thee. Let us remember, that though God's general mer- cy be over all his works, yet his special mercy is on- ly to those that love him, and are the called accord- ing to his purpose. Exod. xxxiv. 67. Psal. xxv. 10; xxxiii, 18; and ciii. 11, 17. When Satan, there- against satan's devices. 35 fore, tempts to draw thee to sin, by presenting God as a God made up all of mercy, oh ! then reply, that though it be true that God's general mercy ex- tendeth to all his works, yet his loving kindness is confined to them that fear him, to them that love him and keep his commandments ; therefore, if ever I taste his mercy in a saving -sense to my soul, it must be through his infinite goodness and grace in Jesus Christ, or else I must eternally perish in everlasting misery, notwithstanding all the mercy of God in nat- ural life. The fifth Remedy is, solemnly (o consider, that all those that do taste and see that God is gracious un- to them, find that the greatest victory over sin is drawn from the mercies of God. 2 Corinthians xiii. 8. We can do nothing against the truth. Yea, the souls that were once glorious on earth, and are now triumphing in heaven, did all look up- on the mercy of God as the most powerful argument to preserve them from sin. Psal. xxvi. 3, 4, 5. So Joseph strengthens himself against sin: he kept his eyes fixed upon mercy, and therefore sin could not enter. There can be nothing in the world that ren- ders a man more unlike a child of God, and more like to the devil, than to argue from mercy to sinful liberty; from divine goodness to licentiousness: this 36 PRECIOUS REMEDIES is Satan's logic, and wheresoever you find this you may write, this man's soul is lost. A man may as well say that the sea burns him, and the fire makes him cool, as to say that the grace and mercy of God encourages him to sin. Rom. vi. 1, 2. And if these mercies will not do these glorious things for us, you may write us void of all good, Christless and hope- less forever. The sixth Remedy is, seriously to reflect upon that strict account sinners must give of all the mer- cies they have enjoyed. Luke xvi. 25. Son, remember in thy lifer-time, fyc. Ah ! did men but dwell more upon the mercies they have received, and the account that they must ere long give of them, they would cry out, in an- guish of soul, " Oh ! that our mercies had been fewer, that our account might have been easier, and our torment and misery, for our abuse of those infinite mercies, not greater than we are able to bear." Philip the third of Spain, whose life was free from gross evils, professed, that he would rather lose all his kingdom than offend God willingly ; yet at his death cried out " Oh ! would to God I had never reigned ! Oh ! that those years I have spent in my against satan's devices. 37 kingdom I had lived a solitary life in the wilderness! Oh, that I had lived a solitary life with God ; how much more securely should I now die ! What doth all my glory profit me? but only causeth me so much the more torment of soul in my death." The sleeping of vengeance causeth the overflow- ing of sin, and the overflowings of sin cause the awakening of vengeance : abused mercy will certain- ly turn into fury. 38 PRECIOUS REMEDIES CHAP. IV. THE FOURTH DEVICE OF SATAN 13, TO REPRESENT SIN AS A LITTLE THIiNG. Genesis xix. 20. It is but a little one ; and my soul shall live. By extenuating and lessening sin, Satan gets an advantage over us ; and when we are ignorant of his devices, we pass on until we are snared and taken. Ah ! saith Satan, 'tis but a little pride, a little worldliness, a little cheerful company ; it is a poor heart that never rejoices ; and at most it can be but a very little sin, and what may be committed without danger, when compared with others who de- file themselves with all manner of sin and unclean- ness daily, wherein I can mean no harm ; and when I do sit and chat, and even sip with the drunkard, I am not like him that sits drinking himself drunk, swearing, and uttering all manner of lewdness. Thus we not only stand upon comparison, but upon disparison : I am not as this publican. The precious Remedies against this device of Sa- tan are these : against satan's devices. > ( ) First. To consider, that although sins be not all equally heinous, yet the least deserves eternal death. James i. 10. Lust conceived, bringeth forth sin : sin finished, bringeth forth death. Let us reflect, that those sins which we are apt to account small, have brought upon men the greatest wrath of God : as tiie eating of the forbidden fruit ; the gathering of sticks on the Sabbath ; and the touching of the ark. Oh ! the dreadful wrath that little sins have brought down from heaven upon men ? The least is contrary to the law of God, the nature of God, the being, and the glory of God, and therefore it is often punished severely by the Lord, And do we not see and hear, almost daily, the ven- geance of the Almighty falling on the heads of some one sinner or other f Surely, if we are not utterly left of God, and blinded by Satan, we cannot but know these things. Oh ! therefore, when Satan saith 'tis but a little one, do you say, " Oh ! but those sins that thou callest little are such that will cause the anger of God forever." Csesar was stabbed with a bodkin ; Pope Adrian was choaked with a gnat ; King Lysimachus stopped to drink a draught of water, and lost his kingdom for it : so the least i'm unpardoned will ruin the soul forever. 40 PRECIOUS REMEDIES The second Remedy is, carefully to consider, that the giving way to less sins generally makes a way for greater. 2 Samuel xii. 9. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord? If we commit one sin to avoid another, it is just that we should avoid neither ; for he that to avoid a greater sin will yield to a lesser, ten thousand to one but God, injustice, will leave his soul to fall into the greater. David first gave way to the wandering of his eyes, and this led him to a train of foul sins that caused God to break his bones, and to leave his soul in darkness. Jacob, Peter, and other saints, have found this true by woful experience, that the yield- ing to a little sin hath been the ushering in of a greater. Ah ! how many have in our days fallen, first to have low thoughts of the scriptures and ordi- nances, and then to slight the scriptures and ordi- nances, counting them a nose of wax, and so at last to advance and lift up themselves and their Christ-dis- honoring arid soul-damning opinions above the scrip- tures and ordinances ! When a man begins to sin he knows not where or when he must stop. The third Remedy is, seriously to consider, that the children of God have chose to suffer the worst AGAINST BATAN'B DEVICE*. 41 of torments here, rather than give way to the least sin. Daniel iii. 39. If it be so, our God is able to deliver ; but if not, we will not serve thy gods. Some saints have chosen to suffer the worst of tor- ments rather than they would commit the least sin. (i. e. such as the world accounts least.) Behold Daniel and his companions, that would rather choose to burn, and be cast to lions, than they would bow to the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. When this is the case with a man, that he must either fall into sin or be cast into the fiery furnace, Satan bids him sin to save himself: it is but a little thing to bow the knee to an image; but true grace saith, try the furnace, thy God is able to deliver: but if not, it is far better to burn for not sinning, than that God and conscience should raise a hell in thy bosom for gin. Thus we must choose rather to suffer the worst of punishments that men and devils can invent and iuflict, than commit the least sin whereby God should be dishonored, conscience and religion wounded, and our souls endangered. The fourth Remedy is, solemnly to consider, that there is more evil in the least sin than in the greatest affliction. 4* 42 PRECIOUS REMEDIES Lamentations iii. 39. Wherefore doth a living man complain*? That there is a greater evil in the least sin than in the greatest affliction, appears as clear as the sun at noon-day, if we do but reflect upon the severe dealing of God the Father with the infinite person of his beloved Son, (and that in the room and place of sinners,) who poured out the vials of his fiercest wrath upon him, yea, and that for the least sin as well as the greatest. The wages of sin is death ; of sin indefinitely, whether great or small. Oh ! brethren, how should this make us tremble, as much at the least spark of lust as at hell itself! consider- ing, that God the Father would not spare his own Son, his bosom Son, yea, his eternal Son, no, not for the least sin, but would have him drink the dregs of his wrath 4o make satisfaction for sin through his blood. Oh ! my soul, there is therefore no little sin, because there is no little God to sin against. The fifth Remedy is, seriously to consider, that God will proportion his judgments to the nature of the offence. Matthew xxv. 26. Thou wicked and slothful servant. This man's sins lay in his slothfulness, in not do- ing the good he might, and in entertaining wrong thoughts of God, and bringing false charges against his providence and grace, supposing and complain- ing of them as unequally distributed amon g men. How many of this cast are there in the world at this day ? God will suit men's punishments to their sins; the greatest sins shall be attended with the greatest punishments, and the lesser, (so called by men,) with lesser judgments. Alas ! what a poor comfort will this be to thee when thou comest to die, to consider, in thy departing moments, that thou shalt not be equally tormented with other sinners, and yet know- est that thou must be shut out forever from the glo- rious presence of God, of Christ, of angels, and of saints, and from those great and good things of eter- nal life, that are so many that they exceed all number, so great that they exceed all measure, and so pre- cious that they exceed every estimation '? The sixth Remedy is carefully to consider, that nothing but the truth can keep us from sin. 2 Timothy i. 13. Holdfast sound words. Truth is more precious than gold or rubies ; and all things that thou canst desire are not to be com- pared to her. Truth is that heavenly glass wherein we may see the lustre and glory of divine wisdom, power, greatness, love, and mercy : in this glass you may behold the face of Christ, the riches of Christ, 44 PRBGIOUS REMEDIES t4ie heart of Christ, beating sweetly towards your souls. Oh ! let our souls cleave to the truth as a guide to lead us, a staff to uphold us, a cordial to strengthen, and a balm to heal all our wounds. Ts not truth our right eye, without which we cannot behold Jesus ; our right hand, without which we can do nothing for Christ; and our right foot, without which we cannot walk with God ? The crown is the top of royalties ; so is truth ; let no man take thy crown. " Hold fast the faithful word." Titus. i. 9. against satan's devices. \"i CHAP. V. THE FIFTH DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN, IS BY REPRESENTING [TO MEN] THE SINS OF THE GREATEST SAINTS, AND HIDING THEIR RE- PENTANCE. ECCLES1ASTES vii. 20. Not a just man upon earth. Yea, saith Satan, dost thou not know that Noah was a just man, and perfect in his generation ? " And Noah walked with God." Yet Noah was guilty of drunkenness. Lot was a righteous man, and "Lot's righteous soul was vexed from day to day with the filthy conversation of the wicked ;" yet even he com- mitted incest with his daughters. Abraham and Isaac were good men, yet both denied their wives. Jacob was a man of piety, but he was guilty of both deceit and lies. David was a man after God's own heart, yet he committed adultery, and shed innocent blood. In short, Satan artfully states the pride of Hezekiah, the impatience of Job, the blasphemy of Peter, he. as encouragements to the soul to sin with- out despair; but carefully hideth from the soul the tears, the sighs, the groans, the meltings, the hum- blings, and the repentings of these pious men. 46 PRECIOUS REMEDIES The precious Remedies against this device of Sa- tan are these : First. Faithfully to remember, that the Spirit of God hath been as careful in describing the repent- ance of these saints as he was particular in noticing their sins. Job xlii. 6. I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. 'Tis true, O Satan, that saints do fall fearfully when left to themselves ; but by repentance they ail rise sweetly, and become ensamples for us ; and by the Spirit of the Lord they are set forth as beacons, to direct our way. 'Tis true, Job curses the day of his birth ; but behold him in the text. Peter falls dreadfully ; but see his repentance; Christ looks upon him and melts him into tears. Clement notes, that Peter so repented that all his life after, every night when he heard the cock crow, he would fall upon his knees, and weeping bitterly would crave pardon for this sin. Ah ! souls, you can easily sin with David, and Peter, and the rest of these saints, but can you repent with them? Ambrose reproves an Emperor, (who had sinned with David, and was pleading his right to the Lord's supper from this circumstance,) by crying out, " thou hast followed David transgres- sing, follow David repenting, and then think of the table of the Lord." against satan's devices. 47 The second Remedy is, seriously to consider, that these saints did not make a trade of sinning. Romans vi. 2. God forbid. They fell once or twice, (and rose by repentance,) that they might live the closer to Christ forever. They fell through surprisals, accidentally, occa- sionally, and with much reluctance ; but it may be thou sinnest as a common trade, or sin is by custom become a second nature to thee, which thou canst not, which thou wilt not lay aside, though thou know- est that if thou dost not lay it aside, God will lay thy soul aside forever ; though thou knowest, that if sin and thy soul do not part, Christ and thy soul can never meet. Jf thou wilt m^ke a trade of ain, and cry out, did not David, and Peter, and other great men do so, knowest thou not that this is a bad mark against thee ? Their hearts turned aside to folly one day, but thy heart every day ; when they fall, they rise through faith and repentance in a crucified Christ; but thou fullest, and hast no strength, no faith, no repentance, nor a crucified Christ to look to. The third Remedy is, humbly to consider, that though God will not cast off his people forever, yet he will visit their iniquities with severe chastisement. 48 PRECIOUS REMEDIES Psalm Ixxxix. 32, 33. Their iniquity ivith stripes. God's corrections are our instructions, his lashes our lessons, his scourges our school-masters, and his chastisements our advertisements. Luther saith, " afflictions are the Christian man's divinity." Da- vid sin?, and God breaks his bones for his sins. Psal. lxi. 8. The Jews have a proverb, that there is no punishment comes upon Israel in which there is not one ounce of the golden calf: meaning that that was so great a sin, as that in every plague God remembered it, and that it had an influence in every trouble that befel them. Josephus reports, that not long after the Jews had crucified Christ on the cross, so many of them were condemned to be crucified that there were not places enough for crosses, nor crosses enough for the bodies. When Satan shall inform thee of other men's sins, to draw thee to sin, do thou then think of these afflictions and sufferings that they endured on account of their sins, then Jay thy hand upon thy heart, and say, oh ! my soul, art thou able to bear these sorrows? The fourth Remedy is carefully to consider, that the recording of the sins of good men is to accom- plish some great end. AGAINST SATAN S DEVICES. 49 Job xxxiii. 17. To draw man from his purpose, and to hide pride from him. The Lord may be said to have designed the magnifying of his grace and mercy in them that fell; the preserving the souls of his children from sinking in despair under the burden of their sins, who fall through weakness and infirmity : and that their falls may be as land-marks, to warn others that stand to take heed lest they fall. It never could be supposed, for a moment, that God would have recorded the sins of his people in so pointed and faithful a manner, that those who should read the account might be en- couraged to sin thereby, but rather to evince the pu- rity of the Divine perfections, the honor of the holy law, the eternal hatred of sin, and the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and knowledge of God in pardoning the soul, yet scourging it for sin, and in exciting the minds of those that stand to keep the closer to the skirts of Christ. The fifth Remedy is, thankfully to consider, that the excellence and power of God's grace and truth are the more illustrated, and the evil of sin exposed. 2 Corinthians xii. 9. I glory in infirmities. There is an evident excellency in the grace of Ood, in its reigning authority and glory over sin and 5 50 PRECIOUS REMEDIES emptation, through faith in Jesus Christ, hereby ma- king men able to stand out against this mighty ad- versary ; and that notwithstanding all the plots, devi- ces, and stratagems of Satan, grace and truth makes them victorious here, and crowns them with glory hereafter. The greater and subtler the enemy, the more divine wisdom, and power, and goodness shine in preserving his children from a compliance with the snares of the devil. When Paul considered this sub- ject, he revoked his sad conjectures, and took cour- age to glory in his infirmities, his own weaknesses and distresses, and in Satan's bufferings, that the power of Christ might rest upon him. Thus, though there should not be a just man upon the earth that doeth good and sinneth not, yet there cannot arise the en- couragement to any person to live in sin from hence, if we reflect upon the repentance of the saints, or the conduct of God to them under those sins, he. The sixth Remedy is seriously to consider, that the society of such men is dangerous. JUDE 16. Walking after their own lusts. Against this fifth device of Satan to draw the soul to sin, from the sins and fallings of good men, be it remembered, that the company of such men, who take encouragement to sin from the sins of the right- eous, is ever to be considered as infectious and ruin- AGAINST SATAN S DEVICES. ">1 ous to souls. The scriptures speak loudly and most solemnly on this point, in the different names, no- tions, and characters that the Holy Ghost hath given to such men: take, for instance, this short epistle of Jude, and profit by the relation of them. Ah ! my friends, how many have lost their names, their es- tates, their strength, their God, their heaven, and their souls forever by the society of wicked men ! As the seaman shuns the sands, and rocks, and shoals, and as ye would shun the house where the plague dreadfully reigns, so (lee from that man or woman that can take liberty to sin from the failings of pious men. 52 PRECIOUS REMEDIES CHAP. VI. THE SIXTH DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN, IS BY PERSUADING THE SOUL, THAT THE WORK OF REPENTANCE IS AN EASY WORK. Psalm vi. 2. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, <^e. Why, suppose you do sin, saith Satan, its no iuch difficult thing to return and confess, and be sorrowful and ask forgiveness, saying, " have mer- cy upon me, O Lord!" If you do but this, there can be no doubt but that God will hear you, quit the score, pardon your sins, and save your souls ; upon this repentance you have nothing to fear ; for the goodness of God is great, and sinners of all casts and characters have cried for mercy, and found a ready pardon : and therefore the soul doth not need to be troubled, nor make so much of sin- ning, as repentance is so easy a work. By this artful device Satan draws many souls to sin : and may be said to make millions slaves to lust : or frighten them to despair that there is no repentance for them ; for sometimes, and to some characters, he represents repentance as a light affair, and anon he cries it up so high and difficult that (ew can at- tain it. against satan's devices. 55 Hosea xvi. 8. Ephraim shall say, what have I to do any more with idols ? Herod turned from many sins, but turned not from his Herodias, which was his ruin. Judas turn- ed from all visible wickedness, yet he would not cast out that golden devil, covetousness, and therefore he was cast into the hottest place in hell. He that turns not from darling sins, turns not aright from any one sin. Every sin strikes at the honor of God, the being of God, the heart of God, the heart of Christ, the joy of the Spirit, and the peace of a man's own conscience. True repentance therefore strikes at all sin, hates all, and conflicts with all ; right eyes and right hands plucks out and cuts off from the real penitent; for one Agag spared cost Saul his kingdom, and at last his soul. Thus re- pentance is a great work, and not only includeth a sorrow for sin, but a loathing of a person's self be- fore God, accompanied with a holy shame, and blushing (of the face) at the throne of grace, a long- ing of the soul to all good things, and a new obe- dience in life, through faith in Jesus Christ. The fourth Remedy is, carefully to consider, that repentance is a continued act and exercise, both in heart and life. 56 PRECIOUS REMEDIES Psalm li. 3. J acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ev- er before me. Repentance is a grace of God, and it must have its daily operation as well as other graces. A true penitent must go on from faith to faith, from strength to strength : he can never stand still nor turn back. Repentance is a continued act of turn- ing, a repentance never to be repented of, a turn- ing never to turn again to folly. True penitents have ever something within them, as well as those things that are without them, to turn them ; they are still sensible of sin, and still conflicting with sin ; still sorrowing, still loathing, and still humbling themselves before God for their sins : and daily find that repentance is no transient act, but a continual act of the soul : therefore tell me, O tempted soul, whether it be an easy thing, as Satan would make thee believe, to be every day turning more and more from sin, and turning nearer and nearer to God, as thy chiefest good and only happiness. As one act of faith and love cannot content a believer, so nei- ther can one act of repentance. The fifth Remedy is, seriously to consider, that if the work of repentance is so easy as Satan would represent, then certainly the soul would not cry out with such terror and horror of conscience for not repenting. against Satan's devices. ">;J The precious Remedies against this device of Sa- tan are these : First, Seriously to consider that repentance is a great and difficult work. Jeremiah xiii, 23. Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots ? There is no power, below that power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead, that can break the heart of a sinner, and turn a sinner by repentance, to God. O man ! thou art as well able to melt ada- mant, as to melt thine own heart : to turn a flint into flesh, as to turn thine own heart to the Lord ; to raise the dead, and to make a new world, as to repent. Repentance is a flower that grows not in Nature's garden. Men are not born with repent- ance in their hearts, as they are with tongues in their mouths. Repentance is a gift that cometh down from above ; and there is no man able (by his own power) to repent at pleasure. Fallen man hath lost the command of himself; and therefore he that cannot command himself, cannot repent of himself. As many are undone by buying a counterfeit jewel, so many are in hell by mistaking their re- pentance. The second Remedy is, attentively to consider the nature of true repentance. 54 PRECIOUS REMEDIES Jeremiah xxxi. 18, 19. Turn thou me and I shall be turned. Repentance is sometimes taken in a more strict and narrow sense for godly sorrow ; sometimes it is taken in a large sense for a change in the person, and in his life. True repentance hath three things, viz. the act — subject — terms. 1. The act of repentance is a turning, a chang- ing, or converting from one thing to another, as from sin to God. 2. The subject changed and converted, is the whole man ; 'tis both the sinner's heart and life : first his heart, then his life : his person first, then his practice and conversation. 3. The terms of this change and turning, from which and to which both heart and life must be con- verted from all sin to God. The heart must be changed from the state and power of sin, and the life from the practice, and both unto God; the heart to be under his power in a state of grace, and the life un- der his rule in all new obedience. Luther saith, " Repentance for sin is nothing worth, without re- pentance from sin." The third Remedy is, solemnly to consider, that repentance includeth a turning from the sweetest and most darling sin. against satan's devices. 57 Luke xvi. 24, 30. / am tormented in this flame. — Nay, hut if one went unto them from the dead, they would repent. If repentance be a thing so easy, why should so many lie roaring under the terrors of their con- science for not repenting ? Surely so many millions would not perish forever if it were an easy thing to repent. All ! do not poor souls, under the horrors of their conscience, cry out and say, that were the world a lump of gold, and in their hands to dispose of, they would give it all for the least drop of true repentance ? If repentance be so easy, why then do (wicked) men's hearts rise so furiously against the preaching of the doctrine of repentance in the strongest and choicest arguments that the scriptures doth afford? Tell me, O soul! when a poor sinner, whose conscience is awakened, shall judge the exchange of all the world for the least tear of true repentance to be the happiest and no- blest exchange ever made, if repentance can be an easy work ? The sixth Remedy is, duly to consider, that to re- pent of sin is as great a work of grace as not to sin. 2 Corinthians vii. II. For behold this self-same thing, Spc. By our sinful fall the powers of the soul are weak- ened, the strength of grace is decayed, our evidences 58 PRECIOUS REMEDIES . for heaven blotted, fears and doubts are raised in the soul, and corruptions in the heart are advantaged and confirmed : now for the soul, notwithstanding all this, to repent of his falls, must shew, that it is a great work of grace to repent of sin. Christ is the soul's physician, and repentance is the emetic that causeth the conscience to throw off its load of sin ; and Jesus' blood is the healing balm. The same means that tend to preserve the soul from sin, the same means work in the soul to rise by repentance when fallen into sin. Psal. xxvi. 3, 4. Hos. vi. 1, 2. Remember, that there is much of the power of God, love of God, faith in God, fear of God, care to please God, and zeal for the glory of God, requi- site to work a man to repent of his sins, as there is to keep him from sin ; therefore it is as great a work of the Lord in us to repent truly of sin, as not to sin ; consequently it is not an easy thing to repent, 59 CHAP. VII. THE SEVENTH DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN, IS TO MAKE THE SOUL BOLD TO VENTURE UPON THE OCCASIONS OF SIN. Joshua vii. 21. When J saw among (he spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, fyc. and a wedge of gold, I coveted. Yea, saith Satan, you may walk by the harlot's door, though you won't go into her bed, there can be no danger in coming by the house ; you may look upon Jezebel's beauty, though you do no come near to her chamber ; you may sit and play upon the lap, and freely chat with Delilah, though you do not com- mit wickedness with her ; and with Aclian handle the golden wedge, though you do not steal it. Sure- ly saith Satan, a man may sit, converse, and trade with other men, although they should not be so reli- gious as he is, and yet receive no harm ; for it is not our being in company, but our heart that can make us sinners ; therefore we may venture to go by the way side, and sit and enjoy the lively company of such men as differ, from us, without any danger at all to our persons and characters. 60 PRECIOUS REMEDIES The precious Remedies against this device of Sa- tan are these : First. Seriously to consider, that the scriptures expressly forbid us to come near to the occasion of sin. Proverbs v. 8. Remove thy way from her, and come not nigh the door of her house. The word of God expressly commands us to avoid the occasion of sin, and abstain from the very ap- pearance of evil, and do nothing wherin sin appears, or which hath a shadow of it ; whatsoever is unsound and unsavory shun, as you would a serpent in your way. Theodosius tore the Arian's arguments pre- sented to him in writing, because he found them re- pugnant to the scriptures ; and Augustine retracted all his ironies, because they had the appearance of lying. It was good counsel that Livia gave her hus- band Augustus : "It behooveth thee not only to do no wrong, but not to seem to do so." Bernard saith, whatever is of an ill shew, or of ill report, that we may neither wound conscience nor credit, we must shun, and be shy with the very shadow, if we value our credit abroad, or our comfort at home. Jude 23. 61 The second Remedy is, solemnly to consider, that there can be no conquest over sin without the soul turns from the occasion of sin. Psalm i. 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the council of the ungodly. As long as the human heart carries its own fuel for every temptation, we cannot be secure : for he that taketh gunpowder with him had need keep at a distance from the sparks. To rush upon the occa- sions of sin, is both to tempt ourselves and to tempt Satan to tempt our souls. It is very rare that any soul plays with the occasions of sin, but that soul is insnared by sin ; yea, it is morally impossible for that man to get the conquest of sin, that daily sports and plays with the occasions of sin. He that adven- tures upon the occasions of sin, is as one that would attempt to quench the fire with oil, which is as fuel to inflame and increase its rage. Ah ! souls, often remember how frequently you have been overcome by sin when you have boldly ventured upon the oc- casion. Look back, and view the days of your van- ity, wherein you have been as easily conquered as tempted ; vanquished as assaulted. If you would be victorious over sin, oh ! flee from the occasion of sin. 6 62 PRECIOUS REMEDIES The third Remedy is, attentively to consider, that the children of God have turned away from the occa- sions of sin, as from sin itself. Job xxxi. 1. / have made a covenant with mine eyes, fyc. I set a watch at the entrance of my senses, that my soul might not by them be infected and endan- gered. The eye is the window of the soul, if that should always be open, the soul must smart for it. The Heathens would not look upon beauty, lest they should be insnared. Democritus plucked out his own eyes to avoid the danger of uncleanness. The Nazarite might not only not drink wine, but he must not taste a grape, or the lush of a grape. The leap- er was to shave his hair and to pare his nails, to take away all occasion of danger. Satan counts a fit oc- casion half a conquest, for lie knows that corrupt na- ture hath a seed-plot of all sin, which being once drawn forth and watered by sinful occasions, is soon set to work, to the producing of death and destruc- tion. The fourth Remedy is, diligently to consider that to depart from the occasion of sin is a strong evi- dence of the grace of God in us. ft Psalm xix. 12,13. Keep back thy servant from presumptive sins ; then shall I be upright. That the avoiding the occasions of sin is an mitic- niable evidence of grace, and that which exalts a man above most other men in the world. He is a man of grace indeed, who, when in temptation, and when sinful occasions present themselves before the soul, can nobly withdraw himself from the snare : this speaks out both the truth and the strength of his grace, when with Lot a man can be chaste in Sodom; with Job can walk uprightly in the land of Uz ; with Timothy can live temperately in Asia, among the luxurious Ephesians ; and, with Daniel and his com- panions, lead an holy life amongst the profane and superstitious Babylonians. Many a man is big and full of sinful corruption, but shews it not, for want of an opportunity to favor his lust: but that man must surely be good, who, when the most favorable occasions to sin are given him, still avoids the evil. Therefore, as you would cherish a precious evidence of grace in your own souls, shun all occasion to sin. The fifth Remedy is, seriously to consider, that by closer communion with God we shall prevail both against sin and the occasions of sin. 64 PRECIOUS REMEDIES 1 John i. 7. If we walk in the light, we have fellowship one with another. Our strength to stand and withstand all Satan's fiery darts is from our nearness to God : a soul high in communion with God may be tempted, but will not easily be conquered ; for this communion is the result of our union, and a reciprocal exchange be- tween Christ and a gracious soul. Communion is Jacob's ladder, where you have Christ coming down into the soul, and the soul sweetly ascending up to Christ, by the divine influences. Adam loseth his communion with God, and is overcome through the snare of the devil. Sampson, Davkl, Job, and Pe- ter, whilst they kept up communion with God, no enemy could stand before them ; for Job conquered even upon the dunghill. Thus communion with God furnisheth the soul with the greatest and the choicest arguments to turn away from the bold ventures and occasions of sin. The sixth Remedy is, carefully to consider, that whenever sin, or the occasions of sin, do attempt to draw us to a compliance, we should call for fresh strength from Christ. John xv. 5. For without me ye can do nothing. Certainly for the soul not to be taken in by the oc- casions of sin, but manfully to stand out and con- against satan's devices. M quer, supposeth the soul daily to be receiving new supplies from Jesus Christ. Oh ! saith the soul, I see a new snare laid to catch my soul, and the grace, resolution, and ability I had for the former one will not do for this ; give me new strength, new power, new influence, and new measures of grace, that I may escape this sad snare also. Ah ! souls, consid- er that your strength to stand and overcome the oc- casions of sin, must not be expected from graces re- ceived, but from the fresh and renewed influences of heaven : you must lean more upon Christ than upon spiritual tastes and discoveries, or Satan will lead you captive by this device, in emboldening you to venture upon the occasions of sin. 66 PRECIOUS REMEDIES CHAP. VIII. THE EIGHTH DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN, IS BY REPRESENTING THE PROSPERITY AND MERCIES THAT ATTEND THE WICKED. Jeremiah xliv. 16, 17, 18. For then had we plenty, and were well, and saw no evil. Oh ! soul, saith Satan, dost thou not see the ma- ny mercies that such and such enjoy, who walk in those ways that thy soul startles to think of; and how many crosses they are delivered from, even such as make other men spend their days in sighing, weeping, groaning, and mourning ? And therefore, saith Satan, if thou vvouldst be freed from the dark night of adversity, and walk in the sunshine of pros- perity, thou must come forth and walk cheerfully in jthe ways of such men as never knew adversity : thus should all things go well with you in this world, and your souls be preserved from those distressing fears and afflictions that bring down the strength and sink the spirits of religious men. The precious Remedies against this device of Sa- tan are these : 67 i First. Carefully to consider, that no man can know either the love or the hatred of God by al) outward things. ECCLESIASTES ix. 1, 2. All tilings come alike to all. Seriously consider that no .man knows how the heart of God stands by his hands : his hand of mer- cy may be towards a man, when his heart is against him ; as you see in Saul : S \ the hand of God may be set against a man when i is heart is dearly set up- on him ; as you see in Jo'j and Ephraim ; the hand of God were sorely set against them, and yet the heart and bowels of God re strongly working to- wards them. No man then, can know either the love or the hatred of the Lord by outward mercy or miser}' ; for all things come alike to all, to the right- eous and to the unrighteous, to the good and to the bad, and to the clean and to the unclean. The sun of prosperity shines as well upon the brambles of the wilderness, as upon the fruit-trees in the orchard ; the snow and hail of adversity lights upon the best garden, as well as upon a stinking dunghill. Saul and Jonathan were different characters in life, yet in their deaths were not divided. Health, wealth, honor, crosses, losses and sicknesses, are cast upon good and bad men promiscuously ; and in general 68 PRECIOUS REMEDIES the worst of men have the most of this world, and the best men the least. The second Remedy, is seriously to consider, that wicked men are the most needy men in the world. Esther v. 12, 13. Yet all this availeth me nothing. It is true the wicked have honors, riches, pleas- ures, and friends, and are mighty in power ; their seed is established in the earth, and their hearts are lifted up and grown big through the thoughts of their abundance, and their eyes stand out with fat- ness ; neither are they in trouble like other men : yet all this is nothing to what they want — they want an interest in God, Christ, the Spirit, the promises, the covenant of grace, and the everlasting glory ; they want acceptance and reconciliation with God : they want righteousness, justification, sanctification, and adoption, through Jesus Christ our Lord ; they want pardon of sin, power, freedom, and dominion over all sin. A crown of gold cannot cure the head- ache, nor a velvet slipper ease the gout ; so neither can all the glory of this world still the conscience. The heart may be compared to a triangle, which the whole round circle of the world cannot fill, but the corners would complain, and cry out for something against satan's devices. 69 else. But Oh ! the wants of such men that are with- out God. The third Remedy is, solemnly to consider, that outward things are not as they seem and are esteemed by vain men. Psalm lxxiii. 3. / was envious at the foolish when I saw the 'prosperity of the wicked, fyc. fyc. They have, indeed, a glorious outside ; but when you view their insides, you will soon find that they fill the head full of cares and the heart full of fears. What if the fire should consume one part of my es- tate, and the sea should swallow up another part ? What if my servants should be unfaithful abroad, and my children deceitful at home ? It was a good saying of Augustine, " Many are miserable by lov- ing hurtful things, but they are more miserable by having them." It was a noble speech of an Empe- ror, "You gaze on my purple robe and golden crown, but did you know what cares are under it, you would not stoop to take it up from the ground tho' you might have it for that." Ah ! the secret fret- tings, vexings, and gnawings that do daily, yea, and hourly attend those men's souls whose hands and hearts are full of this world's goods ; therefore, it is not what a man enjoys, but the principle from whence it comes, that can make men happy. If God gives 70 PRECIOUS REMEDIES them in his wrath, and does not sanctify them in his love, they will be swift witnesses against a man for the abuse of these good things. The fourth Remedy is, attentively to consider the end and the design of God in heaping up mercy without misery upon the head of the wicked. Exodus ix. 16. For this cause have I raised thee up, fyc. God's setting them up is but in order to his cast- ing them down ; his raising them high is but in or- der to his bringing them low, that he may let fly at them his arrows, and pursue them safely, and over- take them with his sore judgments, that his name may be great in Israel, when he has brought down the pride, power, pomp, and glory of the wicked. The Emperor Valens fell from his throne, to be a footstool to Sapor, King of Persia; Dyonisius fell from bis kingly glory, to be a schoolmaster ; and how did the Lord bring down the rage and glory of Pbaroah, king of Egypt! There is not a wicked man or woman in the world that is lifted up, with Lucifer, as high as heaven, but shall, with him, be brought down as low as hell. O Lord, make me rather gracious, than great ; inwardly holy, rather than outwardly happy ; little in this world, that I may be great in another ; low here, that I may be high forever hereafter : yea, let me be now clothed against satan's devices. 71 with rags, and at last decked with thy robes, rather than set up for a time, that thou mayest bring me low forever. Psal. xcii. 7. The fifth Remedy is, humbly to consider, that God doth often most singularly plague and punish those whom we are ready to think he loveth most. Psalm cvi. 15. He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their souls. The Lord doth plague and punish with spiritual judgments (which are the greatest and sorest of all calamities) them whom he seems to punish the least with temporals. There are no men on earth so iruer- nally plagued as those that meet with the least exter- nal plague. Who can describe the blindness of mind, the hardness of heart, the searedness of con- science, that those men are given up to, who, in the eye of the world, are reputed the most happy, be- cause they are not afflicted, and in trouble, as other men ? My friends, nothing can belter or move that man who is given up to spiritual judgments : let life or death, heaven or hell, be set before him, it stirs him not : he is made up in his sins, and God is fully set to do justice upon his soul. This man's treas- ures and preservations are but his fuel and reserva- tion unto greater condemnation. It is better to have a sore, than a seared conscience ; it is better to have 72 PRECIOUS REMEDIES no heart, than a hard heart ; yea, it is better to have no mind than to have a blind mind. Oh ! 'tis a heavy plague to have a fat body and a lean soul ; a house full of gold, and a heart full of sin. The sixth Remedy is, solemly to consider, that there is no greater misery in this life, than for a man to go unpunished. Hebrews xii. 8. If ye be without chastisement, then are ye bastards, and not sons. There is no greater misery in this life, than not to be in misery; no greater affliction, than not to be afflicted. Woe, woe to the soul that God will not spend a rod upon. This is the saddest stroke of any when God refuses to strike at all. When the physician gives over the patient, you say there is no hope, the man is dead ; so when God gives over a soul to sin without afflictions or control, you may say that that man is a bastard, and no son of God ; for he is as dead to God and happiness, as the man whose knell is rung. Freedom from the rod is the mother of carnal security. Nothing, saith one, seems more unhappy to me, than he to whom no ad- versity hath happened. Outward mercies and pros- perity are oftentimes stumbling blocks, at which mil- lions have stumbled, and fallen eternally. " I will against satan's devices. 73 lay a stumbling block." Ezek. Hi. 20. Vatablus, in his notes, saith thus, " I will prosper him in all tilings, and not by afflictions restrain him from sin." The heart of man is like a top, that will not go un- less it be whipped, and the more you whip it the bet- ter it goes. Bees are killed with honey, but quick- ened with vinegar ; so does the honey of prosperity kill the soul, and the vinegar of correction quicken our spirits. PRECIOUS REMEDIES CHAP. IX. THE MXTH DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN, IS BY REPRESENTING TO IT THE CROSSES, LOSSES, AND DAILY REPROACHES AND EVILS THAT ATTEND THOSE WHO WALK IN THE WAYS OF HO- LINESS. Hebrews x. 33. A gazing-stock both by reproaches and afflictions. Saith Satan, do you not see that there are none in all the world that are so hard set, vexed and af- flicted and tossed about, as those that walk more circumspectly and holily than their neighbors ? They are a by-word at home, and a reproach abroad ; their miseries come in upon them like Job's messengers, one upon the neck of another, and there is no end of their sorrows and troubles ; therefore saith Satan you had better walk in the ways of the worldly good man, where there are less crosses, losses, and afflictions, than to be so very religious and circumspect; for who but a mad- man would spend all his days in sorrow, vexation and sore travail and contempt, when he might pre- vent all this weight of affliction by walking in the way of his forefathers and his neighbors, whom he seeth to live in peace, who are far from trouble ? against satan's devices. 75 The precious Remedies against this device of Sa- tan are these : First. Seriously to consider, that all the afflictions that attend the righteous shall tend to their instruc- tion and profit. Isaiah i. 25. / will turn my hand upon ihee, and purely purge away thy dross. Crosses, losses, and afflictions are the Christian's glass, wherein the soul hath the clearest sight of the ugly face of sin ; and views it not only as sin, but as the greatest evil in the world, yea, worse than hell itself. By these afflictions God mortifies and purgeth away the sins of his people ; they serve as his furnace, to cleanse and refine from their dross and tin ; it is a potion to carry away all bad humors, better than all the benedicta medicamentum of phy- sicians. Aloes kill worms; colds and frosts de- stroy vermin ; so do afflictions the corruptions of the heart : they have also a preserving and prevent- ing good to all his saints. Afflictions are sweet preservatives to keep the saints from sin ; as the burnt child dreads the fire, so the child of God dreads sinning more than hell. Salt preserves from putrefaction ; and salt marshes keep the sheep from the rot : so doth affliction keep the saints from sin. The second Remedy is, carefully to consider, that afflictions are but inlets to the soul of the more 76 PRECIOUS REMEDIES abundant sweets, and full enjoyment of God and di- vine truth in this world. Hosea ii. 14. 1 will bring her into the wilderness, and speak com- fortably unto her. The flowers smell sweetest after a shower: vines bear the better for bleeding ; the walnut-tree is most fruitful when most beaten : so the saints spring and thrive most internally, when they are most exter- nally afflicted. When was it that God appeared in his glory to Jacob, and favored his soul with more than common inlets of joy and transport, but in the days of his trouble, when the stone was his pil- low, the ground his bed, and the heavens his canopy? When did Stephen see the heavens open, and Christ standing at the right hand of God, but when the stones were about his head and ears, and there was but a short step betwixt him and eternity ? The plant in Nazianzen grows by cutting, lives by dying, and by cutting flourishes the more : so saints by their losses, gain more experience of the power of God to support them, the wisdom of God to direct them, and the grace of God to refresh them. The third Remedy is, solemnly to consider, that the afflictions of the saints only reach the body. i ' against satan's devices. 77 Luke xii. 4. Be not afraid of them that kill the body, §c. The afflictions that befal the people of God reach their worst part, but touch not nor hurt their noble part; all the arrows stick fast in the target, they reach not the conscience. And who shall harm you if ye be followers of that which is good? They may afflict you, but shall never harm you. It was a good saying of an heathen, who when a tyrant commanded him to be put into a mortar, and beat- en to pieces with an iron pestle, cried out, " You do but beat the vessel, the case, the husk of Anaxar- chus : you beat not me." The body is but the case, the vessel or the husk ; the soul is the man which they cannot reach. Socrates said to his enemies, you may kill me, but you cannot harm me ; so say the children of God to their afflictions, crosses, loss- es, and temptations, you may kill us, but you can- not harm us ; you may take away life, but cannot take away our God, our Christ, or our crown. The fourth Remedy is, attentively to consider, that the afflictions of the righteous are short and mo- mentary. Psalm xxx. 5. Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. Those light afflictions, which are but for a mo- 7* 78 PRECIOUS REMEDIES ment, will end in everlasting joy. It is but a very short space between grace and glory : between our title to the crown, and our wearing the crown ; be- tween our right to the heavenly inheritance and our possession of the heavenly inheritance. What is our life, but a shadow, a bubble, a flower, a post, a span, and as a dream in the night. Luther was at a loss to find diminutives to express its shortness. The prophet (Isa. xxvi. 20) saith it is but a little moment. Athanasius, in his misery, said to his friends, when they wept over him, " It is but a little cloud, and will quickly be gone." 'Twill be but as a day before God will give his afflicted ones beauty for ashes ; the oil of gladness for the spirit of heav- iness; before he will turn all their sighing into sing- ing, all our lamentations to consolations, our sack- cloth into silks, ashes into ointments, and our fasts into everlasting feasts : these all work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. The fifth Remedy is, joyfully to consider, that all afflictions to the saints proceed from God's love to them. Revelations Hi. 19. As many as 1 love I rebuke. To the saints God saith, think not that I hate you, because I thus chide you. He that escapes repre- hension, may suspect his adoption. God had one against satan's devices. 79 Son without corruption, but no son without correc- tion. A gracious soul may look through the dark- est cloud and see his God smiling on him : we must therefore look through the anger of his corrections to the sweetness of his countenance ; and as by a rainbow we see the beautiful image of the sun's light in the midst of a dark and watery cloud, so the love of God to the soul is known by the cloud of affliction. A soul, at first conversion, is but a rough cast ; but God by afflictions, doth square, and fit, and polish it for that glorious building, where it shall appear as a lively stone, growing up to an holy temple for the Lord. Therefore afflic- tions spring from God's love to the soul, and can be no bar to holiness, nor any motive to draw the soul to the works and ways of the wicked. The sixth Remedy is, studiously to consider that we should not measure the afflictions of the saints by the smart, but by the end of them. Genesis xv. 13, 14. They shall come out with great substance. Israel was in bondage and affliction four hun- dred years in Egypt ; but they were dismissed with gold and ear-rings ! Israel was seventy years in Bab- ylon, covered with sorrows, but came out with gifts, jewels, and every needful thing ! Look more at the latter end of a christian, than at the beginning 80 PRECIOUS REMEDIES of his afflictions. Look not at the beginning of Joseph's sorrows, and his dreams, but behold him, after he had passed through the sea, set upon the throne, and made ruler over all the land of Egypt. Consider the patience of Job, and what was the end of the Lord to him. Look not upon David when his life was hunted like a partridge upon the mountain, but behold him established upon the throne of Israel. Look not at Lazarus' sores, but at his sweet repose in Abraham's bosom. Afflic- tions that attend the righteous ways of God, are but as a dirty lane to a royal palace, and as a dark en- try to our father's house; we will therefore walk in wisdom's ways. against satan's devices. 81 CHAP. X. THE TENTH DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN, IS BY DEFILING THE SOULS AND JUDG- MENTS OF MEN WITH DANGEROUS ERRORS. 1 John iv. 6. The spirit of error. How numerous, harmonious, courageous, and ac- tive are Satan's faithful subjects to sow the seeds of error, aided by their great lord and master, in his unwearied attempts to destroy the souls of men ! Satan, by polluting and defiling the souls and judg- ments of men with dangerous errors, doth ruin thou- sands, who are ignorant of his devices. How active is Satan in spreading all manner of error against the doctrine of the Trinity, the divinity of Jesus Christ, the necessity of divine teaching, the resurrec- tion of the dead, the glory of heaven, and the tor- ments of hell ; and, with a plausible pretence to pi- ety, through affected courtesy, and fawning flattery and smoothness, entice multitudes to spiritual whore- dom ; and for carnal advantage reject, corrupt, and misapply the oracles of God ; and with shifts, eva- sions, and self-inconsistencies, spoil God's vineyard, 82 PRECIOUS REMEDIES unsettle weak and young professors, ruin the souls of men, and promote the kingdom of darkness ? The precious Remedies against Satan's devices to defile the soul with error are these : First. To consider, that an erroneous mind is as offensive to God as a vicious life. JUDE 11. Woe unto them ! for they ran greedily after the er- ror of Balaam. He that had the leprosy in his head was to be pro- nounced utterly unclean. Gross errors make the heart foolish, and render the life loose and the soul light in the eyes of God. Error spreads and frets like a gangrene, and renders the soul a leper in the sight of God. It was God's heavy and dreadful plague upon the Gentiles, to be given up to a mind void of judgment ; a mind rejected, disallowed, and abhorred of God ; an injudicious mind, and a mind that none have any cause to glory in, but rather to be ashamed of. A blind eye is worse than a lame foot. The breath of the erroneous is infectious ; and, like the dogs of Cango, they bite, though they will not bark. To persist in error, in the open face of truth, is diabolical. They must needs err who know not the ways of God ; yet can they not wan- der so wide as to miss of hell. AGAINST SATAN S DEVICES. 83 The second Remedy is, to receive the truth affec- tionately, that we may be saved. 2 Thessalonians ii. 10, 11, 12. Because (hey received not the love of the truth, $$c. Let the truth of God dwell in us plenteously. When men stand out against the truth, and bar the door of their souls against the conviction of truth, God injustice gives them up to be deluded and de- ceived by error, to their eternal ruin. Ah ! souls, if you have love to yourselves, do not tempt God to give you up to believe a lie, that you may be dam- ned. There are no men on earth so fenced against error, as those are who receive the truth in love. It is not our receiving the truth into our heads, but the receiving it into our hearts, that can give us the hap- piness to enjoy clear and sound judgments, while others go on deluded) and deceive both themselves and others with the errors of the wicked ; until all fall into the dyke together. Oh ! my friends, as you would not have your judgments polluted and defiled with errors concerning your temporal, why should you suffer yourselves to be led into the snares of the devil concerning your spiritual estate f The third Remedy is, seriously to consider, that error is without profit or reward. 84 PRECIOUS REMEDIES 1 Corinthians iii. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. The fire shall try it, fyc. All the pains and labor that men take to defend and maintain their errors, to spread abroad and in- fect the world therewith, shall bring neither profit nor comfort to them in that day when the fire shall try every man's work, of what sort it is : then all those that rise early and go to bed late, that spend their time, their strength, their spirits, and their all to support, advance, and spread abroad God dishon- oring and soul-ruining opinions, shall find that they now must lose all the pains, cost, and charges which they have been put to for the propagation of their pernicious errors. Ah ! sirs, is it nothing to you to lay out your money for that which is not bread, and your strength for that which satisfieth not, nor can profit you in that day when you must give up your accounts, and your works be tried with fire ? Caesar loved his books more than his royal robes : when he was forced to swim through some water, he carried his books above it, and lost his robes. Ah ! what are Caesar's books to God's book ? The fourth Remedy is, solemnly to hate and re- ject all opinions that are contrary to real godliness. against satan's devices. 85 Psalm cxix. 104. Through thy precepts I get understanding, therefore I hate every false way. To abominate, and turn from all those doctrines and opinions that are contrary to godliness, and that open a door to profaneness ; and all such doctrines and opinions that require men to hold forth a stiffness above what the scriptures have recommended ; and all such doctrines and opinions that do advance and lift up corrupt nature to do those things (of them- selves) which require supernatural power and grace; all such opinions and doctrines which establish a righteousness in man, contrary to the righteousness of God ; also all those doctrines and opinions which do set up Christ and his righteousness, and cry down all duties and holiness in believers; and finally, all those doctrines and opinions that are designed to set the soul against the purity and spirituality of the ho- ly law of God. Thus let our souls arise with an holy hatred against every thing that sets itself against God and his holy word. The fifth Remedy is, carefully to cherish a lowly and teachable disposition before the word of God. Psalm cxix. 129, 130, 131. The entrance of thy word giveth light, it giveth un- derstanding to the simple. A teachable disposition to the divine word will keep the soul free from many devices which Satan 86 PRECIOUS REMEDIES casts in the way of truth. As low trees and shrubs are free from many violent gusts and blasting winds, which shake and rend the taller trees, so humble, teachable souls are freed from those gusts and blasts of errors, that rend and tear proud, lofty, and con- ceited souls. The God of light and truth delights to dwell with the lowly and teachable : and the more light and truth dwells in the soul, at the greater distance must darkness and error be kept : and the God of grace pours grace into the humble soul, as we pour water into empty vessels ; and the more grace is poured into the soul, the less error shall be able to overpower, or to infect the principles within the soul. The highest tide quickly ebbs, and the highest sun is presently declining ; it is just so with all high and exalting notions in men, who set them- selves to pervert the way of life. " Though I can- not dispute for the truth, yet I can die for the truth," said a martyr. The sixth Remedy is, seriously to consider, that error has produced great evil in this world. John xvi. 2. Whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service. Errors in judgment and conscience have produced infinite evils, not only in men's own souls, but also in human affairs. Error is a fruitful mother, and against satan's devices. 87 hath brought forth such monstrous children, as have set whole towns, cities, nations, congregations, fami- lies, and individuals all on fire and in confusion, in former days; and it were to be desired that in our time there were not too just reason to complain of monsters in religion, that think they do God service in laying waste the heritage of Jacob. Oh ! the graces that error hath weakened, and the sweet joys and comforts that error hath clouded, if not buried ! Oh ! the hands that error hath shortened, the eves error hath blinded, the judgments of men that error hath perverted, the hearts that error hath hardened, the consciences that error hath seared, and the souls that error hath sent to hell ! Therefore when Satan would deMle and pollute your souls and judgment*, by dangerous errors, seriously consider the loss that must inevitably attend a compliance. 88 PRECIOUS REMEDIES CHAP. XT. THE ELEVENTH DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN IS BY WORKING MEN UP TO COMPARE THEMSELVES WITH THOSE THAT ARE WORSE THAN THEY. Luke xviii. n. God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men. Oh ! saith Satan, though we must ever acknowl- edge that there wanteth not sin in the best of men, and although your sins do greatly exceed the sins of good men, yet there is no cause for any distress on that head, when you look around upon the thou- sands that are greater sinners than yourself. You are no extortioner, nor unjust, nor an adulterer, nor even as this publican. You may bless God that you was not born a Gentile, are not a swearer, a drunk- ard, a Sabbath breaker, nor an unclean and lustful man. Why, saith Satan you swear, but petty oaths, as by your faith and troth, &c. but you know that neighbor such-a-one swears stoutly by his God. — You now and then are a little merry : but such and such are profanely wanton. You may deceive and over-reach in things that are but toys and trifles ; but you know those who deceive and over-reach others in things of the greatest moment, even to against satan's devices. 89 their ulter ruin : therefore cheer up, you are not only not worse than your neighbors, but you are better than they. The precious Remedies against this device of Satan are these : First. Seriously to consider, that for a person to be frequently comparing himself with those that are worse than he, is a proof of hypocrisy. Matthew vii. 5. First cast out the beam out of thine own eye, fyc. There needeth no clearer argument to prove a person a hypocrite, than to be quick-sighted abroad, and blind at home; than to use spectacles to behold other men's sins, rather than a looking glass to be- hold his own. I have read of some artful witches, who, when stirring abroad, would put on their eyes, but when returning home would box them up again : so applies my text. Thou hypocrite, first open thy eyes upon thine own sins, then look abroad if thou canst. How apt are such persons to hold their fingers upon other men's sores, magnifying and ag- gravating them, when they can lessen and smooth their own to the eye of the world ! Hypocrites pray to God only in time of affliction and danger ; they show much love to God, to religion, when pros- 8* 90 PRECIOUS REMEDIES perity smiles upon them ; they are more for out- ward ceremonies and human traditions, than for pure spiritual worship : they are open-eyed to worldly affairs, but blind to divine. Oh ! my friends, be afraid of hypocrisy : oh ! buy the truth and by no means sell it, for your soul's sake. The second Remedy is, solemnly to consider, that the sin of hypocrisy is difficultly cured. LUKE xii. 1; 2, 3. Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees. The difficulty of a cure for hypocrisy lies in the sin not being easily discovered by men, and that it does not expose to shame, but is made subservient to many carnal ends. For what man can dive into the depth of the human heart, and there discern be- tween the paint of hypocrisy and the life of holi- ness ? And besides this, hypocrisy can turn the ve- ry means of salvation into poison, to the persons who use them ; for the frequent exercise of religious duties, which is the means of sanctifying and saving others, the same means confirm and harden hypo- crites. The effectual means to cure hypocrisy, is a solemn and steadfast belief of the pure and all-see- ing eye of God, who sees sin wherever it is, and will bring it into judgment. An hypocrite may hide his sins from the eyes of others, and sometimes from his own conscience, but can never impose upon 91 God: therefore the steadfast belief of the truth will cause frequent and solemn thoughts of God, and in- cite you to look up to him as your inspector, and judge. The third Remedy is, carefully to spend more time in comparing ourselves with the scriptures. John v. 39. Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life. To spend more time in comparing ourselves both internal and external, with the divine rule, we should find a remedy sufficiently powerful against this de- vice of Satan. That man, who by comparing him- self with others that are worse than he is, may seem, to himself and to others, to be an angel, yet, by searching the scriptures, and comparing himself with the word that shall judge him at the last, will see himself to be like the devil ; for the nearer we draw to the world, the more we stir up the vermin that lurk within the heart. The more steadfast a person looks upon the face of the sun, the less beau- ty and perfection he sees below. It is said of the basilisk, that if he looks into a glass and beholds himself, he presently dies ; so will sin and a sinner in a spiritual sense, when the soul looks into the glass of God's word, and compares himself with its 92 PRECIOUS REMEDIES purity. Oh ! that you and I may see what mon- strous things sin and our hearts are, that we may die unto sin and live unto God, through Jesus Christ. The fourth Remedy is, attentively to consider, that such comparison betrays us to be strangers to God and to ourselves. Job xxii. 2t. Acquaint thyself with him and be at peace. The man that passeth his time away in compar- ing himself with others, and strives to quiet his con- science with his neighbor's sins being greater than his, giveth sufficient evidence that he is a stranger to God, to the true knowledge of him in Jesus Christ, to the fear and love of God, to his convert- ing grace, and to his nature, offices, righteousness, and work ; a stranger to the way of peace, life, ho- liness, and salvation through him ; to faith in, love to, and communion with him: a stranger to the Holy Ghost in his divine person, in his work of re- generation, sanctification, and comfort ; and a stranger to himself, to the evils of his own heart and life, to the deceilfulness and exceeding sinful- ness of sin : never pricked to the heart for sin ; never was its filthiness discovered, or the hardness removed ; never to loath himself in his own eyes, against satan's devices. 93 or to renounce his own righteousness, and to cast himself at Jesus' feet for mercy and salvation. The fifth remedy is, seriously to consider, that without true repentance, and the pardoning love of God to us in particular, we shall still come short of eternal life, although we were better than others. Ezekielxv'i. 63. Never open thy mouth any more because of thy shame, when I am pacified. The soul should never open his mouth to justify self, nor to condemn others ; but like a true peni- tent, be silent under the rod, which his sins have justly deserved, and God hath inflicted, in wisdom, to draw his soul from vain conceit, and confidence in his moral excellencies and comparisons with other men. Divine mercy and repentance bring down the high and lofty soul to submit to God and to give him glory ; yea such a confusion for thy sins will cover thee, that thou wilt readily approve the word of truth, and justify God in that description of thy own heart; and thou shalt blush at the remem- brance of thy own secret wickedness, when God shall reveal his pardoning love and mercy to thy soul, in the day that he is pacified towards thee. Ah ! sirs, then ye shall no more live upon compar- isons, nor disparisons, but live to sound aloud that saving love, and sing that bleeding heart. 94 PRECIOUS REMEDIES The sixth Remedy is, solemnly to consider those names and characters which Jesus Christ has given to those who are pure in their own eyes, and live up- on comparisons. Matthew xxiii. 1-— 33. How can ye escape, fyc. Whomsoever they may be that would find a rem- edy against this device of Satan, let them but attend to the scripture names and characters given to self- righteous persons, and, in particular, consider the chapter referred to above, and they must certainly obtain strong convictions of the danger of the temptations presented by Satan in the eleventh de- vice to draw the soul to sin. It is not safe to look upon men in the names and notions that they set themselves forth by, nor the flattering titles they assume ; our Lord still calls them hypocrites, blind guides, fools, whited sepulchres, serpents, genera- tion of vipers, that cannot escape the damnation of hell. Do not tell me then what this man calls him- self, or how you account of him, but inform me what the scriptures say of him, and how they vindi- cate his character. As Nabal's name was, so was his nature ; and as those men's names are in scrip- ture, so are their natures and lives before God. AGAINST SATAN'S DEVICES. 95 CHAP. XII. THE TWELFTH DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN, IS BY REPSESENTING THE GLORY OF THE WORLD. Luke iv. 6. All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them. Satan sheweth the beauty, bravery, and glory of the world, to ensnare and win upon the affec- tions of the soul to sin : see, saith he, all this con- sequence, riches, glory, and honor will I give unto thee, if thou wilt but love and follow me. It is true, this took not with Christ, because Satan could not find matter in him to work upon; but it is not so with us ; he can no sooner cast the golden bait, but we are ready to play with, and nibble at it ; he no sooner casts out the golden ball, but we run after it to the loss of God and our souls. The beauty of the world soils a christian more than the strength of it ; the flattering sunshine, more than the blustering storm : for in storms we keep our gar- ments close about us. Ah ! the time, the thoughts, the spirits, the hearts, the souls, the duties, and the strength that the inordinate love of the world hath eaten up and destroyed. Where one thousand are 96 PRECIOUS REMEDIES destroyed by the world's frowns, ten thousand have fallen by its smiles. The inhabitants of Nilus are deaf, by reason of the noise of the waters ; so the world rings such charms in men's ears, that they are deaf and blind to the voice and ways of God. The precious Remedies against this device of Sa- tan are these : First. Attentively to consider the impotence and weakness of the world. James v. 2, 3. Riches are corrupted, gold and silver are cankered. Alt the riches and glory in the world cannot se- cure us from the least evil, neither are they able to procure us the least desirable good. The crown of gold cannot cure nor prevent the head ache; the vel- vet slipper cannot ease, nor cure the gout; and the jewels about the neck cannot take away the pain of the teeth. The frogs and plagues of Egypt enter- ed into the houses of the rich, as well as the poor. Our daily experience doth testify, that all the riches in the world that men enjoy cannot free them from the least diseases ; nay, what may seem more strange is, they cannot keep men from falling into the great- est extremes of poverty and distress. Look at the royal picture, Judges i. 6. and mark a conqueror, against satan's devices. 97 who, having taken seventy kings, and subdued them to his own pleasure, forcing them to gather their bread under his table, with their fingers and toes cut off, is himself at last taken and brought to the same poverty and misery that he had inflicted upon others. Let us then remember the impotency and weakness of all the world, could we obtain the whole. The second Remedy is, seriously to consider the vanity of the world. Ecclesiastics i. 2. Vanity of vanities, all is vanity. This our first parents found, and therefore called their second son Abel; that is, vanity. Solomon, who had tried these things again and again, declar- eth them all vanity. It is a sad thing to see how many thousands there are that can speak with Solo- mon, " vanity of vanity, all is vanity;" yet after all this can follow after the world, as if there were no other glory or felicity but what was to be found in those things they call vanity. When Gilimex, king of the Vandals, was led in triumph by Belisarius, he cried out, " Vanity of vanity, all is vanity." Tell me, ye who say that all things under the sun are vanity, if you really do believe what you say, why you spend more thoughts and time on the world than you do on Christ, heaven, and your own immortal souls? .Why do you neglect your duty towards 9 98 PRECIOUS REMEDIES God, to get back to the world ? Why so e3ger and lively in the pursuit after the world, and so cold and backward to the things of God f And why are your hearts so glad when the world comes in smiling, and so sad and cast down when it frowns upon you ? The third Remedy is, solemnly to consider, that the riches of the world are uncertain and incon- stant. 1 Timothy vi. 17. JYor trust in uncertain riches. Man himself is but a dream, a generation of fan- cy, an empty vanity, and but a curious picture of nothing. All things below the skies are transitory, and as hasty as a strong Torrent, a shadow, a ship, a bird, an arrow, and as a post that passeth by. No man can promise himself to be rich : one storm at sea, one coal of fire, one false friend, one unadvised word, and one false witness, may make thee a beggar and a prisoner all at once. Where is the glory of Solomon? The sumptuous buildings of Nebu- chadnezzar ? The nine hundred chariots of Sise- ra ? The power of Alexander ? The authority of Augustus, who commanded the whole world to be taxed ? The most renowned Frederick lost all, and applied to be made but the sexton of the church he had built ! Those who have been most glorious AGAINST SATAN S DEVICKS. HO and excellent in things of this life, have come down from all with loss: as Sampson, for strength ; Absa- lom for beauty ; Ashithopbel, for policy; and Ha- inan for favor. So the Chaldean, Persian, Grecian, Roman ; and so the present shakings and convul- sions, that have impoverished and laid waste ten thou- sands. Love not the world. The fourth Remedy is, carefully to consider, that the riches of the world are dangerous. Deutrronomy xxxii. 15. Jeshuran waxed fat, and then he forsook God. That the great things of this world are very hurt- ful and dangerous to the outward and inward man, through the corruptions of the heart, is too plain to be denied : they often swell the heart with pride, and make a man forget God, and so to despise the rock of his salvation. How do they abate our love to God, to his people, to his ordinances, and steal otir spirits from sweet communion above ! And what, alas ! what deadness, barrenness, and leanness of soul attend the love of the world ! Henry the second, on hearing that Mentz, his chief city, was taken, blasphemously cried out, " I shall never love God any more, for suffering a city so dear to me to be taken from me." Henry the fourth asked the duke of Alva, if he had observed the great eclipse of 100 PRECIOUS REMEDIES the sun f "No," said the Duke, "I have so much to do on earth, that I have no leisure to look up to hea- ven." Ah! would to God this were not true of too many professors in these days : for the love of mo- ney is the root of all evil, which, while some have coveted after they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows. The fifth Remedy is, seriously to consider, that true happiness is not to be found in any worldly good. ECCLESIASTES V. 10. He that loveth silver shall not be satisfied with silver. God is the Christian's chiefest good. True hap- piness is too great and too glorious to be found in any thing below that good. The glorious angels and spirits above (those glittering courtiers) have their felicities and blessednesses, and yet have they neither gold, nor silver, nor jewels, no, nor any of the beauty and bravery of the world. Real happi- ness lies only in our enjoyment of a suitable good, a pure good, a total good, and an eternal good : God only, is such a good, and therefore God only can satisfy the soul of man. Certainly happiness lies not in those things that a man may enjoy here in this world : if it was so, then a man might be against satan's devices. , 101 great and graceless, with Pharoah ; honorable and damnable, with Saul; rich and miserable, with Dives, &.c. Philosophers used to say, that he was never a happy man who afterwards became miserable. Greg- ory the Great used to say, *' he is a poor man whose soul is void of grace, not whose coffers are empty of money." In short, had there been the least real happiness in the world, then should the Lord Jesus Christ have enjoyed a large portion of it himself while inthe world, and he would have granted to his people the glory of all. The sixth Remedy is solemnly to acquaint our- selves with better riches and glory than the world. 1 Peter i. 4. An inheritance incorruptible and undejiled. Let but heaven be our object, and the world will soon be our abject. A better acquaintance with, and better assurance of more blessed and glorious tilings above, will raise up our spirits to trample up- on all the beauty and glory of the world. The saints of old took joyfully the spoiling of their goods, knowing in themselves that they had in heaven a better and more durable substance ; this made them count all the glory and bravery of the world to be too poor and contemptible for them to set their hearts sjpon. Luther being at one time in want, a noble- man, unexpectedly, sent him a large sum of money, 9* 102 PRECIOUS REMEDIES at which he was sorely amazed, and cried, " I feat that God will give me my reward here, but I protest I will not be satisfied." The main reason why men dote upon the world and lose their souls, is because they are unacquainted with the great rewards of saints above. Oh ! did we but live in communion with God, taste more of heaven, and enjoy more glo- rious hopes of shortly going to eternal happiness, how soon should we have this world under our feet f When Basil was tempted with money and prefer- ment, he replied, " Give me money that may last for- ever, and glory that may eternally flourish." against satan's devices. 103 CHAP. xin. AS SATAN HATH HIS DEVICES TO DRAW THE SOUL TO SIN, SO HE HATH HIS DEVICES TO KEEP THE SOUL FROM HOLY DUTIES ; AND HIS FIRST DEVICE IS BY REPRESENTING THE DIFFICULTY OF PER- FORMING THEM. Numbers xiiL 31. We be not able to go up. How many are turned against the duties of reli- gion, from the formidable difficulties that Satan casts in the way of performing them aright ? Oh ! saith Satan, it is a hard and difficult thing to wor- ship God : thou canst not pray as thou shouldst ; thou art not able to wait upon him, nor to love him, nor to walk with him, nor to believe on him, nor to serve him as a true worshipper of God should ; neither art thou lively, warm, and active in communion with the saints as thou shouldst be; their souls are aeaJously attached to the service of God from principle; they are assisted and encoura- ged in their worship, so that the difficulty is remo- ved from them, and it becomes a delight to them to draw near to God, ; but as to thee, it is weari- ness and dejection ; therefore it would be better for thee to give up and neglect those ways that are 104 PRECIOUS REMEDIES neither acceptable to God, from the manner thou performest them, nor yet a pleasure or profit to thyself, in performing them. Thus, no doubt, Satan keeps back thousands from waiting upon the Lord. The precious Remedies against this device of Satan are these : First. Seriously to consider the necessity, more than the difficulty attending divine service. Job xxiii. 10, 11, 12. / have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food. Many are the arguments in scripture to awaken us to a sense of the necessity of waiting upon God in holy ordinances : there is a necessary obligation by creation, by providence, and by redemption ; and our souls should reason, that though the service of God should be difficult, yet it is exceeding ne- cessary for the glory of God to keep his worship up in the world, and for keeping under sin, Satan, the world, and an evil heart; for the strengthening of weak graces, the reviving of languishing comforts, the. keeping clear and bright our divine evidences, the scattering of our fears, the raising of our hopes, the gladdening of our hearts, and for the stopping against satan's devices. 105 of the mouths of the ungodly, who are ready on all occasions to take advantages to blaspheme the name of God, and to reproach both his people and his service. Oh ! let us then never leave thinking upon the necessity of all holy duties, until our souls are lifted up far above all the difficulties that attend true religion. The second Remedy is, carefully to consider, that the Lord Jesus will make his service both easy and delightful. Phillipians ii. 13. For it is God that worketh in you, both to will and to do. Consider the Lord Jesus Christ will make his own services easy to his people, by the sweet discoveries of himself to their souls, while in his service ; yea, you shall meet with God who is goodness itself, sweetness itself, beauty itself, strength itself and glo- ry itself. Will not, cannot this sweeten his service to thy soul, and give thee rest? Isaiah lxiv. 5. The Lord will give that sweet assistance, by his spirit and grace, as shall render his service joyful, and not grevious ; a delight and not a burden ; a heaven and not a hell, to believing souls. The confidence in this divine assistance raised up the spirits of Nehemiah far alcove all the difficulties aqd discouragements that attended him in the work 106 PRECIOUS REMEDIES and service of the Lord. Neh. ii. 19, 20. Ah ! souls, while you are in the very service of the Lord, you shall find by rich experience, that the God of heaven will prosper and support you, by encoura- ging, strengthening, and carrying you through the hardest service with the greatest cheerfulness of soul. Remember that they have no cause to fear who have Jesus Christ the conqueror on their side. The third Remedy is, solemnly to consider that Jesus Christ endured far greater difficulties for our sakes. Hebrews xii. 2. 3. For consider him, <^c. The Lord Jesus Christ hath passed through a sea of blood, a sea of wrath, a sea of sin, and a sea of sorrow and misery, for our good, internal, external, and eternal. Christ did not plead, this cross is too heavy for me to bear ; 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 drink, even the very dregs ; no, he pleads not the difficulties, but resolutely, cheer- fully, and courageously wades through all. Za'ncri saith, u It is not fit that the members should be crowned with roses, when the head was crowned with thorns." My brethren, if this consideration against satan's devices. 107 will not raise us up above all the discouragement* that Satan, sin, the world, and our own evil heart can cast in our way, to the service and worship of God, I am greatly afraid that nothing else can. A soul not stirred by this, nor raised and lifted up by this to be resolute and faithful in the service of God, notwithstanding all difficulties, must be a soul left of God. The fourth Remedy is, attentively to consider, that the difficulties attending the worship of God are only to the outward man, and not the inward man. 2 Corinthians iv. 16. For which cause we faint not, fyc. To the outward man, (which may be cn'ied the ignoble part of a saint,) the heavenly exercises are only difficult : but they are not to the most noble part of the christian, the soul : to the nobler part, holy duties are a heavenly pleasure and a recreation. I delight in the law of God after the inward man. The commands of Christ, even those that tend to putting out of right eyes, and cutting off right hands, are joyous and not grievous, to the inward man. A saint, so far as he is renewed, is always best when he sees most of God, when he tastes most of God, when he is highest in the en- joyment of God, and most warm and lively in the 108 PRECIOUS REMEDIES service of God. Oh ! saith the inward man, that it might be always thus and thus with me ; then should my strength be as the strength of stones, and my flesh as brass ; so should my outward man be more serviceable to my inward ; and though this my outward man must decay, still should I say, Christ's yoke is gracious, pleasant, and a profitable yoke to my soul. The fifth Remedy is, seriously to consider, that there is a great reward belonging to the service of God. Ecclestastes, viii. 12. It shall be well with them that fear God, fyc. There is a great and glorious recompence attend- ing those that cleave to the service of the Lord in the face of all difficulties and discouragements: therefore, though the work be hard, yet the wages are great, heaven will make ample amends for all ; yes, one moment's enjoyment in heaven, will abund- antly recompense you for waiting upon God in the open face of difficulties. Believers that would hold on through all danger, must look more at the crown, than upon the cross ; more upon the future glory, than their present misery ; and more upon their en- couragements, than upon their discouragements. This made the Apostle cry out, in all his difficulties m waiting upon God, We know that we have a igainst satan's devices. 109 building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. He looked for a house that had foundations, whose builder and maker was God, and an heavenly country. This also supported Jesus Christ through all his sufferings : He endu- red the cross, despising the shame, and is set down, The sixth Remedy is* solemnly to consider, that there is not only a reward for keeping the service of God, but in the present use of it. Psalm xix. 11. Great reward. The service of God and true religion is a present honor and reward lo the righteous, as well as a fu- ture glory and immortality. Wisdom's ways are strewed with roses, and paved with joy that is un- speakable and full of glory, and attended with that peace that in the present state passeth all under- standing to carnal men. The joy, the reward, the rest, the peace, the content, the smiles, the income that the saints enjoy in the ways of God, exceed all the delights of the world, and more than balance all the difficulties that can attend the faithful perform- ance of them ; yea they are so precious and glori- ous in their eyes, that they would not exchange them for ten thousand worlds. Ah ! my brethren, if the work of righteousness be peace, and the effect be 10 110 PRECIOUS REMEDIES quietness and assurance forever, what must the pay- day be, when Christ shall crown his saints with nev- er-tailing glory and blessedness; and shall say of them to his Father, M Lo, here am I, and the chil- dren which thou bast given me ; let them be with me where I am, to behold my glory.' against satan's devices. Ill CHAP. XIV. THE SECOND DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOtfL FROM HOLY DUTIES, 13 BY LEADING S0M£ 'J DRAW FALSE INFERENCES FROM WHAT CHRIST 1 1 A :< DONE. 2 Peter ii. 19, 20. They promise themselves liberty, fyc. — Are the ser- vants of corruption. Oh ! saith Satan, do you not know that Christ has done all for you ? Therefore there is nothing for you to do now, but to believe that he has done all, and to rejoice in this finished salvation ; for he hath perfectly fulfilled the law, satisfied divine justice, and pacified divine anger; and you are justified from all things, from which you never could have been justified by the law of Moses : and he is now gone into heaven to prepare a place for you, and to intercede for you, at the right hand of God. There- fore away with all those legal preachers, who would bring you into bondage again to works and to du- ties, since Christ is the end of the law for righteous- ness to every one that believeth ; away with all that praying, mourning, and hearing and repenting be- fore men for your sins ; you do not need these out- ward services ; ihey are designed for young proles- 112 PRECIOUS REMEDIES sors, and those who cannot believe, and rely upon Christ, without so many frames and feelings. Ah ! what a world of professors hath Satan deceived with this device, and drawn them from the use of the means, under false notions. The precious Remedies against this device of Sa- tan are these : First. Carefully to consider, that it is our duty to love and obey those scriptures that point out our duty to God, as well as those scriptures that declare the precious obedience of Christ, he. he. 1 Corinthians xv. 58. Abounding in the work of the Lord. To dwell as much upon those scriptures that shew you the duties that Christ requires of you, as upon those that represent the glorious satisfaction of Christ,. It is a sad and dangerous thing to have two eyes to behold the dignity and perfection of the doctrines of grace, and not one to see the honorable paths of righteousness and peace, to walk therein. I would look with one eye upon the excellent obedience of Christ, to raise my heart to love him with the purest affection, and to rejoice in him with the strongest joy, and lift up Christ as my Lord above all in the sin- ner's salvation, and give him all the glory ; and with against satan's devices. 113 the other eye 1 would look upon those services and duties that are required of me as evidence of my be- ing a child of God, and as testimonials of my believ- ing- in the merits of Jesus Christ, with a heart unto righteousness. Tertullian saith, " I adore the ful- ness of the scriptures." Gregory calls the scriptures, the heart and soul of God : and I will say that they are the whole of a Christian. The second Remedy is, attentively to consider, that the glorious merits, &c. of Christ, are the strongest motives to holy obedience that the scriptures make use of. 2 Corinthians vii. ]. Having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves, Sfc. perfecting holiness in the fear of God. The great and glorious obedience of Christ should be so far from taking us off from religious services, that it should be the greatest motive and the noblest argument to enforce the performance of them. Jesus Christ hath freed you from all your enemies, from the curse of the law, the predominant and damnato- ry 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 all these things for us ? Surely it cannot be to free you from all obligation to the law of righteousness and faith ; but to con r strain you to love, that your hearts may be the more 10* 114 PRECIOUS REMEDIES free, and sweetly engaged in all holy duties. Christ! hath therefore broken the devil's yoke from off our necks, that his Father might have better service from our hearts. Ah ! sirs, I know no such arguments to move you to a lively and constant performance of divine service, like those that are drawn from the great and glorious things that Christ hath done for you ; and if such motives will not win upon you to be diligent and lively in the ways of God, I do be- lieve, that if all the terrors of hell were let loose up- on you they could not. The third Remedy is, seriously to consider, that all the holy prophets, apostles, and saints of old were exceedingly active and lively in the duties of religion. Hebrews xii. 1. Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us mn, §-c. Those pious souls who believed in Jesus, and had taken rest under the shadow of his wing, were ex- ceedingly active and zealous for the performance of good works ; they prayed, praised, and meditated more on God's law than David: the same may I say of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Job, Daniel, and all the prophets. And who more attentive and holy in all conversation and godliness, than the apostles ? Have not all those worthies abounded in works of against satan's devices. 115 righteousness and peace, to the praise of the free grace of God? Certainly Satan hath got the mas- tery over such souls that can argue thus : Christ hath done such and such things that are glorious and complete in themselves, and can want nothing in or from us, to render them more acceptable to God ; therefore we need not be so much concerned for out- ward duties, nor trouble our consciences so much about ordinances, for they are no ways essential nor meritorious, for Christ is all and in all to his church. What would the apostles and prophets of our Lord have said unto such ? Surely they would blush to look upon such souls, and would turn away from them as sensual men ; men not having the spirit of God. The fourth Remedy is, solemnly to consider, that there can be no true faith in, nor reliance upon Jesus Christ for salvation, without evidences. 1 John iii. 7, 10. In this the children of God are manifest. Such persons that do not walk in ways of right- eousness and peace, that do not wait upon God in the several appointed duties that God's most holy word points out, cannot have that evidence to their own souls of their acceptance before God, their fellowship and communion with God, and of their blessedness here and happiness hereafter, which those souls have 116 PRECIOUS REMEDIES that love and delight in the ways of the Lord. Da- vid's daughters were known by their garments of di- vers colors ; st) are God's children known by their piety and attachment to the house of God. It is one thing to judge ourselves by our graces, and another thing to rest upon them ; for there must be a irreat difference between declaring ourselves to be ilie children of God by evidences in fruit, and our meriting by doing. Christianity is not a talking, but a walking with God. To look after holy and hea- venly works is the best way to preserve our souls from being deceived and deluded by Satan, or by sudden flashes of joy and comfort, or to a dry no- tional belief of the gospel ; fruits of good works be- ing a more sensible and constant pledge of the Holy Spirit, and a most solemn and clear manifestation of the sons of God, while the contrary is a stubborn evi- dence of the children of the devil. The fifth Remedy is, carefully to consider, thai saints are not esteemed for the number of duties, but for the manner and end (or design) of them. Galatians v. 25. If we live in the spirit, let vs also walk in the spirit. There are other choice and glorious ends for the saints performance of good works, than for the justi- fying of their persons before God, or for their satis- fying of the law and justice of God, or- for the pro- curing of pardon for sin, he. viz. to testify their against satan's devices. 117 justification, to testify their love to God, their sincere regard to his will ; to testify their deliverance from the power of sin and the bondage of corruption ; to evidence the in-dwellings of the spirit, to stop the mouths of the worst men, and to gladden or rejoice the souls of the righteous, who were sad. These, and abundance of other choice and precious ends and designs, move the children of God to a constant and lively attendance on the worship of God, and to keep close to all holy duties commanded by Jesus Christ. It is a precious truth, and ought never to be forgot- ten, that duties are to be esteemed not by their acts, but by their ends ; and the end moves to doing. The motto of Maximilian is worthy of imitation : " Keep thyself within the compass, and have an eye always to the end of thy life and actions." My brethren, if these considerations will not prevail with you to wait upon God, I am at a loss to say what would, The sixth Remedy is, seriously to consider, that the true use of the means of grace leads the soul to rest in Christ. John vi. 68. To whom should we go ? Thou hast the words of eternal life. The exercise of grace in the true use of the du- ties pf religion, is like the star that leads to Christ. 118 PRECIOUS REMEDIES That wisdom which a believer hath from Christ, Jeads him in the use of all means to centre in the wisdom of Christ : and that love the soul hath from Christ in the means, leads him to rest in his love to Christ ; and that righteousness the soul hath from Christ, constrains the soul to confide in his righteous- ness for justification. True grace is a beam of Christ, and where that is, it will naturally draw the soul to rest alone in Christ on all works and duties. The streams naturally lead to the fountain ; the effect to the cause : so a true use of the means of grace doth more forcibly draw the soul to rest in Christ. But temporary grace, restraining grace, and jnorality, only lead the soul to rest in acts and duties or centre in the creature : such souls have their re- ward, but not from Christ. against satan's devices. 119 CHAP. XV. THE THIRD DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOUL FROM HOLY DUTIES, IS BY REPRESENTING THE PAU- CITY AND POVERTY OF THOSE THAT WALK IN THEM. John vii. 47, 48, 49. Are ye also deceived 1 ? Have any of the rulers be- lieved on him 9 SAlTH Satan, look into the world amongst those who pretend to believe on Christ, and you will be satisfied that neither the Pharisees, nor rulers, nor rich, no, nor yet the scribes nor learned men oi' the age, have believed on him, nor walked in his ways ; but this poor, weak, and ignorant few, who are not to be regarded. If there was any thing noble, pro- fitable, and praise-worthy, you may rest assured that such great and good men as the Pharisees, and other wise men, would be found in the duties and services of the gospel ; and that the ways of reli- gion would be esteemed by the great and more ho- norable part of mankind. There can be no real greatness or satisfaction in these ways and practi- ces, that so few and so poor a part of mankind doth choose to walk in ; and therefore consider, that you will be singular, and lose all your comforts in life, 120 PRECIOUS REMEDIES if you associate yourselves with the poor, weak and ignorant worshippers of Christ in this odd and new mode of worship : and besides, your grandfathers and great-grandfathers kept at a proper distance from all those weak-headed people ; cleave to the mode and manners of your noble ancestors, and let them take their course. The precious Remedies against this device of Sa- tan are these : First. Deliberately to consider, that though the saints are in general poor, yet they are rich. Luke xii. 32. Fear not little flock, it is your Father's good pleas- ure to give you the kingdom. What though the people of God should in gene- ral be but few, and poor in this world, yet are they inwardly rich : poor in temporals, but rich in spirit- uals : the true worth of the saints is inward. The king's daughter is all glorious within. What though they have little in possession, yet' have they a glorious kingdom in reversion : though they have little in hand, yet have they much in hope. You count those happy in the world that have much in reversion, though they may not have great things in possession ; and can you then count the saints mis- AGAINST SATAN S DEVICES. erable, because they have little in hand, or litil possession, though they have a glorious kingdoi reversion of this ? Chrysostom saith, that " pla- ces where gold or treasures are hid, are rough, and covered with thorns." Naturalists tell us, that mountains that are big with gold within, are poor, bare, and ill-looking without. So saints, to the world, look a poor, despicable few, outwardly ; but within are big with true riches and honor : and they would not exchange treasures with the world for ten thousand worlds. The second Remedy is, carefully to consider, that in all ages God hath had some wise, and great, and rich men, who have chosen his ways. 2KlNGSxxiii. 21, 22. The king commanded all his people to keep the pass- over. Although not many wise men, yet some wise men, and though not many mighty, yet some mighty men : and though not many rich men yet some rich men have followed Christ, and been (bund among the despised few that cleave to the service of God in the open face of difficulties. Abraham, Isaac. Ja- cob, Job, and several kings, and others, that are re- corded in the scriptures, were all righteous men of God, and loved the place were his honor dwelled, and yet were noble and rich in this world's goo™ 11 122 PRECIOUS REMEDIES Good nobles, saith one, are like black swans, and tbinly scattered in the firmament of a state, even like stars of the first magnitude. And how many have we, among ourselves, whose souls cleave to the Lord, find to his courts, notwithstanding all the poverty of the far greater part of the saints? But call to re- membrance the noble army of martyrs, that have swam to the service of God through seas of blood, and who have not counted their lives dear unto them, that they and others might enjoy the holy things of Christ, according to the word and will of God. The third Remedy is, attentively to consider, that the riches of the poorest saint exceeds the glory of the worldly rich man. l Corinthians ii. 9. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it en- tered into the heart of man. The spiritual treasures and riches of the poorest child of God, infinitely transcend the temporal rich- es, honor, and glory of all the carnal and wicked men in the world. Spiritual riches satisfy them that possess them : they can retire, and sit clown satisfied with the riches of grace and peace that are treasured up in Christ for them, as sons and heirs of God, without the honors and riches of this world. The riches of poor saints are durable treasures; they will bed and board with them, will go to prison, to a AGAINST SATAN fl DEVICES. I2S sickbed, to the grave, yea, to heaven with them ; for they can never be parted in life or death, in sick* ness or in health, in a time of war, or peace, and in heaven or Iieli. The spiritual riches of the saints are their wine, to cheer them ; bread to feed and strengthen them : clothes, to adorn and warm them ; and armor, to protect and defend them. Now ask yourselves but for one moment, if the treasures and glory of the world can satisfy the soul of the possessor, or keep him rich in sickness and in death, that he shall thirst no more in his soul ? The fourth Remedy is, seriously to consider, that though the saints comparatively, are few in number, yet are they without number, and innumerable. Revelations vii. 9. Which no man can number, fyc. Although the flock of Christ may, to a carnal eye appear a little flock, a remnant, a garden en- closed, a spring shut up, a fountain sealed ; though they are as a summer's gleaning, a handful, a spark to a flame, a drop to the ocean ; and though they are but as one of a city, and two of a tribe, consid- ered in themselves simply, yet are they an innume- rable number, that cannot be numbered. So John speaking on this subject : M After this I beheld, and lo ! a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindred, and people, and tongues, 124 PRECIOUS REMEDIES stood before (he throne, and before the Lamb, clo- thed with white robes, and palms in their hands." So saith Matthew : " And I say unto you, that ma- ny shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, in the king- dom of heaven." And so Paul: " But ye are come unto mount Sion, unto the city of the living God, &c. and to an innumerable company of an- gel?," kc. When Fulgentius saw the nobility ot Rome set mounted in their glory, it mounted his meditations to the heavenly Jerusalem. What should the redeemed throng do to us, but mount our souls ? The fifth Remedy is, solemnly so consider, that it will be but as a day before these poor despised saints shall shine brighter than the sun in his glory. Matthew xiii. 43. Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun, <^c, [t will not be long before you will wish, and cry, " Oh ! that we were now among the poor, mean, and despised sons of God, who are numbered among his jewels." Ft will not be long before these poor fee- ble saints shall be lifted upon their thrones, to judge the multitude of the world. Ingo, an ancient king Draves, making a stately feast, appointed his nobles, at that time pagans, to sit in the hall below, •,ma commanded certain poor Christians to be against Satan's devices, 12.5 brought up into his presence chamber, to sit with him at his table, to eat and drink of his royal cheer; at which many wondering and murmuring, he said that he accounted the Christians, though never so poor, a greater ornament at his table than his nobles. Just so doth God esteem them. And in that day, oh ! how will the great, the rich, the learned and the noble, wish that they had but lived and spent their days with those few, poor, contemptible creatures, in the service of the Lord ! Ah ! how will this wicked world curse the day that ever they had such low and base thoughts of the poor saints ; and that their poverty became a stumbling block to keep them from the ways of God ! The sixth Remedy is, seriously to consider, that a day is approaching, when, in this life, God shall wipe away all reproach from his ways. Revelations xxi. 24. The nations shall walk in the light of it, and kings of the earth shall bring their glory unto it. The Lord hath promised great and glorious days, and that the meek shall inherit the earth : and heaven and earth must and shall pass away, before one jot or tittle of his word shall pass unfulfilled. Ah ! poor saints, now some thrust sore at you, others shut you out of doors, others look shy, and turn their backs on you, because of your poverty, and most neglect 11* 126 PRECIOUS REMEDIES and forsake you, because you are few in number in the world. Doth not the scripture say, that the kingdoms of this world must become the kingdoms of our Lord, and that they shall be given to the saints ? Hath not God given to Jesus Christ, the heathen, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession? Then shall the saints be lifted up above the dunghill, and change poverty for riches, rags for robes, reproaches for crowns, and infamy for glory, even in this world. Who then shall dare to open his mouth to speak a word against the saints, or reproach the ways of God? For the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and all nations shall flow into it. Saints pray hard for these delightful, these glorious days, that shall roll their reproach away. against satan's devices. 127 CHAP. XVI. THE FOURTH DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOUL FROM WAITING UPON GOD IN THE USE OF THE MEANS, IS BY CASTING A MULTITUDE OF VAI> THOUGHTS INTO THE MIND. Ezekiel xxxviii. 10. Thou shalt think an evil thought. Satan, by stirring up a multitude of vain thoughts whilst the soul is seeking of God, or in waiting up- on God, in the use of the means, doth so take 6fj our attention, and so cool the affections of main, that they cry, I have no heart to hear, no heart to pray, no heart to read, and no heart to the society of the saints, he, for Satan doth so closely follow mv soul, and cast in my way such a multitude of vain and foolish thoughts concerning God, the world, and my own soul, that I even tremble to think of wait- ing upon God in any religious service. Oh ! the vain thoughts that I feel when at a throne of grace, and on the Lord's day, or at the table of the Lord. What is my service but vanity, and a vexation to rry own soul ? And I am so distressed and perplexed, that my soul is even weary of holy duties, yea, of my very life. Oh ! I am not so raised, ravished, enlar- 128 PRECfOPS REMEDIES ged, and comforted in the ways of God, as I see and hear others are. Surely there is no person so troub- led .with vain and wicked thoughts at the time of di- vine service. If I were a child of God 7 and the ways of God a delight to me, sure I could not be so over-charged with the enemy. Alas ! what is there that Satan will not do to hold us back? The precious Remedies against this device of Sa- tan are these : First. Humbly to consider, that our hearts should be greatly affected with the glory of the Divine Ma- jesty. 2 Chronicles vi. 18, 19, 20. But will God in very deed dwell with men ? In order to have our souls lifted above vain thot r s in our religious exercises, our hearts should be strong- ly affected with the greatness, holiness, majesty, and glory of God, before whom we stand, and with whom our souls do more immediately converse in re- ligious services. Oh ! let your souls be greatly con- cerned with the presence, purity, and majesty of that God, before whom you stand. A man would be afraid to play with a feather when in the presence of a king. When men have poor, low, light, and flighty thoughts of God. in their drawing near to the 129 Divine Being, they even tempt the devil to bestir himself, and assist them with a multitude of vain ami foolish thoughts, to divert their souls while in wait- ing upon God. There is nothing can contribute so much to the keeping out of vain thoughts as to look upon God as an omnipotent, omniscient, and omni- present God ; Jehovah, full of all-glorious perfec- tions, and a God, whose infinite purity will not suffer him to behold the least iniquity.: these serious con- siderations and reflections become you, when you come before God, in his worship. The second Remedy is, carefully to consider, that the soul must be peremptory in waiting upon God. Joshua xxiv. 15. As for me and my house we will serve the Lord. A full purpose and resolution to wait on God, notwithstanding all those vain thoughts that wound and trouble the soul. This would be a sweet help against them, saying, " Well, I will pray still, hear still, meditate still, and keep the worship of God still, let my own wicked heart and Satan oppose me never so much with vain thoughts." Many precious souls have by experience found that when their spirits have been peremptory in waiting upon God, Satan hath left them, and hath not tempted them so much as before; when, therefore, Satan finds all these 130 PRECIOUS REMEDIES vain thoughts that he tempts the soul with, to keep it back from divine worship, do but vex the soul into greater diligence, carefulness, watchfulness, and a bold peremptoriness in holy and heavenly services, and that the soul loses nothing of its zeal, piety, and devotion, but rather doubles its care, diligence, and earnestness, he ceases to interpose with his tri- fles and vain thoughts ; and thus the worshipper of God cometh off victorious over the enemy. The third Remedy is, seriously to consider, that vain thoughts, if resisted, are not so sinful as they may be painful. Romans vii. 19. For the good that I would 1 do not, fyt. Those vain and trifling thoughts that are cast into our souls when waiting upon God, if they be not cherished and indulged, but abhorred, resisted, and totally disclaimed, then they are not sins upon our souls, though they 'may' be troubles to our minds ; they shall not be placed to our account, nor keep mercies and blessings from being enjoyed by us in waiting upon God. When a soul, in uprightness, can look God, as it were, in his face, and say, " Lord, thou knowest that when I would approach near unto thee there is a world of vain thoughts crowding upon me to disturb my soul, weaken my faith, lessen my comforts and spiritual strength, and against satan's devices. 131 to pollute thy holy place ; but these are my clog, my burden, my torment, and my hell : oh! do justice upon these ; free me from them, that I may serve thee with more singleness and sweetness of spirit." Vain thoughts pass through the best of hearts, but are lodged and cherished only in the worst : hatred and resistance of our vain thoughts testify the sin- cerity of our souls to the worship of God. The fourth Remedy is attentively to consider, that it is a great duty to watch against vain thoughts, as they are inlets to greater evils. Psalm cxxxix. 23, 24. Try me and know my thoughts. Watching against sinful thoughts, resisting, la- menting and complaining of vain thoughts, carries with it the sweetest and the strongest evidence of the truth and power of grace, and the sincerity of your hearts : and it is the readiest and most certain way to be delivered from them. There are many low and carnal considerations that will move a man to watch his words and actions before men ; but to watch the thoughts is something more noble, and springs from a spiritual and internal principle of love to God, a holy fear of God, and a holy care and de- light to please. Thoughts are the first born, the blossoms of the soul, the beginning of our strength, whether for good or evil ; and they are 132 PRECIOUS REMEDIES the greatest evidence for or against a man that can be. Grace is grown up to a good degree in that soul, where it prevails to the subduing of vain thoughts ; and though others should complain that they cannot get rid of them, and it wanteth not their will to overcome them, but they have not the Dower ; still watch, and still make resistance, for htlp is nigh. The fifth Remedy is, solemnly to consider the necessity and advantage of having the mind stayed upon God. Isaiah xxvi. 3. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed upon thee. Labor to be more and more filled with the fulness of God, and to be enriched with all spiritual and heavenly things ; then both the necessity and ad- vantage of having our thoughts stayed upon God, ap- pears very plain. May I ask, what is the reason that the angels in heaven have not so much as one idle thought ? Is it not because that they are so taken up with God, and filled with his fulness, and enriched with spiritual and heavenly objects, and there is not the least room for vain thoughts ? The more full a vessel is of wine, the less room there is for water, &c. The more you keep your mind above this world, and stayed upon God, in the against satan's devices. 133 contemplation of the divine goodness and beauty, the more shall vain thoughts be put down and spoil- ed, so as not to be able to lead you captive as here- tofore. Oh ! then, lay up much of God, of Christ, of precious promises, and choice experience in your hearts ; then shall you be less troubled with vain and foolish thoughts that break your peace, and leave you in sad disquiet. The sixth Remedy is, seriously to consider, that to keep up holy and spiritual affection in the soul, is a proof that we hate vain thoughts. Psalm cxix. 113. I hate vain thoughts : but thy law do I love. The natural affections of man are so placed that they will bring upon your thoughts that will require all that love or hatred you have got, with or against an object. The lawful business of the world, and your calling, will crowd in a multitude of vain thoughts, when in the worship of God ; and this, if you are sincere in your soul, you will say, 1 hate vain thoughts, but thy law do 1 love. But souls that are torn in pieces with cares of this world will be always vexed and tormented with vain thoughts in their approaches to God : they will still come crowding in upon him that knows but little else than the world ; so that he will be in the full pursuit of 12 134 PRECIOUS REMEDIES business in his mind, while his body is in the house of God, and his eyes beholding the preacher, nay, while he has the very name of God upon his tongue. What we most love, we most muse up- on ; what we most hate, we keep at a greater distance from. Oh ! that you may hate vain thoughts and love God's law. against satan's devices. 135 CHAP. XVII. THE EiFTH DEVICE OF SATAN TO DRAW THE SOUL FROxM HOLY DUTIES, IS BY WORKING THE SOI REST IN THE PERFORMANCE. Ezekiel xxxiii. 13. If he trust to his own righteousness,