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<DATE>2013-05-17</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Colm MacCrossan</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed.</ITEM>
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<VID>169941</VID>
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<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>PRECIOUS <HI>REMEDIES AGAINST</HI> SATANS Devices. OR, <HI>Salve for Believers and &V;nbelievers Sores.</HI> Being a Companion for tho&s;e that are in Chri&s;t, or out of Chri&s;t; That are high, or low, learned, or illite|rate, &s;taggering, or wandering; That &s;light, or neglect Ordinances, under a pretence of living above them; That are growing (in &s;piritualls) or decaying; That are Tempt|ed, or De&s;erted, afflicted, or Oppo&s;ed; That have A&s;|&s;urance, or that want A&s;&s;urance; That are Self-&s;eekers, or the Common-wealths Caterpillars; That are in love &s;weetly united, or that yet have their &s;pirits too much imbittered, &amp;c. <HI>By</HI> THOMAS BROOKES, <HI>a willing Ser|vant unto God, and the faith of his people, in the glorious Go&s;pel of Chri&s;t, at</HI> Margarets Fi&s;h-&s;treet hill. <HI>The Second Edition Corrected and Enlarged.</HI></P>
<Q>Put on the whole Armour of God, that yee may be able to &s;tand again&s;t the <HI>Wiles</HI> of the Devil. <BIBL><HI>Ephe&s;. 6. 11.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<Q>But unto you I &s;ay, and unto the re&s;t in <HI>Thyatira,</HI> as many as have not this Doctrine, and which have not knowne the <HI>Depths</HI> of Satan, as they &s;pake, I will put upon you no other burthen, but that which you have already, hold fa&s;t till I come, <BIBL><HI>Rev. 2. 24, 25.</HI></BIBL></Q>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed by <HI>M. Simmons,</HI> for <HI>John Hancock</HI> at the fir&s;t &s;hop in <HI>Popes-head Alley,</HI> next to Corn-hill. 1653.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="dedication">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>THE EPISTLE Dedicatorie. TO HIS <HI>Most Dear and Precious Ones,</HI> The Sons and Daugh|ters of the mo&s;t High God, over whom the holy Gho&s;t hath made him a Watchman.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Beloved in our deare&s;t Lord;</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P>_CHri&s;t, the Scripture, your owne hearts, and Satans Devices, are the foure prime things that &s;hould be fir&s;t and mo&s;t &s;tudied &amp; &s;earch|ed; if any ca&s;t off the &s;tudy of the&s;e,
<PB REF="3"> they cannot be &s;afe here, nor hap|pie<NOTE PLACE="marg">If a Mini&s;ter had as many eyes as <HI>Argus,</HI> to watch; as many heads as <HI>Typheus</HI> to di&s;po&s;e, and as many hands as <HI>Briareus</HI> to labour, he might finde imployment enough for them all.</NOTE> hereafter. 'Tis my worke as a Chri&s;tian, but much more as I am a <HI>watchman,</HI> to doe my be&s;t, to di&s;|cover the fulne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t, the emptine&s;&s;e of the creature, and the &s;nares of the great Deceiver; which I have endeavoured to doe (in the following di&s;cour&s;e) ac|cording to that mea&s;ure of grace, which I have received from the Lord. God once accepted a hand|full of meale for a &s;acrifice; and a gripe of Goats haire for an oblati|on; and I know that you have not &s;o learned the Father, as to de&s;pi&s;e the day of &s;mall things. Beloved, Satan being fallen from light to darkne&s;&s;e, from felicity to mi&s;e|ry, from Heaven to hell, from an Angell to a Devill, is &s;o full of malice and envy, that he will leave no meanes unattempted, whereby he may make all others eternaly mi&s;erable with him&s;elfe; he being &s;hut out of Heaven, <HI>and &s;hut up under chaines of darkne&s;&s;e till the judgement of the great day,</HI> makes u&s;e
<PB REF="3"> of all his power and skill, to bring all the &s;ons of men into the &s;ame condition, and condemnation with him&s;elfe. Satan hath ca&s;t &s;uch &s;in|full &s;eed into our &s;oules, that now he can no &s;ooner tempt, but we are ready to a&s;&s;ent; he can no &s;ooner have a plot upon us, but he makes a conque&s;t of us; if he doth but &s;hew men a little of the beauty, and bravery of the world, how ready are they to fall down, and wor&s;hip him.</P>
<P>What ever &s;in the heart of man is mo&s;t prone to, that the Devill will help forward. If <HI>David</HI> be proud of<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 24.</NOTE> his people, Satan wil provoke him to number them, that he may be yet prouder. If <HI>Peter</HI> be &s;lavi&s;hly<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 16. ver. 22. 26. ch. 69. ult.</NOTE> fearfull, Satan will put him upon rebuking and denying of Chri&s;t, to &s;ave his owne skin. If <HI>Ahabs</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kings 22.</NOTE> Prophets be given to flatter, the Devill will &s;trait way <HI>become a lying &s;pirit in the mouthes of foure hun|dred of them,</HI> and they &s;hall flatter <HI>Ahab</HI> to his ruine. If <HI>Judas</HI> will<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 13. 2.</NOTE> be a Traitor, Satan will quickly
<PB REF="4"> enter into his heart, and make him &s;ell his Ma&s;ter for money, which &s;ome Heathens would ne|ver have done. If <HI>Ananias</HI> will lye<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 5. 3.</NOTE> for advantage, <HI>Satan wil fill his heart that he may lye</HI> (with a witne&s;s) <HI>to the Holy Gho&s;t.</HI> Satan loves to &s;aile with the winde, and to &s;uite mens temptations to their conditions, and inclinations; if they be in pro|&s;perity, he will tempt them to de|ny God; if they be in adver&s;ity, he will tempt them to di&s;tru&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 30. v. 9.</NOTE> God; if their knowledge be weak, he will tempt them to have low thoughts of God; if their con&s;ci|ence be tender, he will tempt to &s;crupulo&s;ity; if large, to carnall &s;ecurity; if we be bold-&s;pirited, he will tempt to pre&s;umption; if timerous, to de&s;peration; if flex|ible, to incon&s;tancie, if &s;tiffe, to im|penitency, &amp;c.</P>
<P>From the power, malice, and skill of Satan, doth proceed all the &s;oule killing plots, devices, &s;tra|tagems, and machinations, that be in the world; Severall devices
<PB REF="4"> he hath to draw &s;oules to &s;in, and &s;everall plots he hath to keepe &s;oules from all holy, and heaven|ly &s;ervices; and &s;everall &s;trata|gems he hath, to keep &s;oules in a mourning, &s;taggering, doubting, and que&s;tioning condition. He hath &s;everall devices, to de&s;troy the great, and honourable, the wi&s;e, and learned; the blinde, and ignorant; the rich, and the poore; the reall, and the nominall Saints, &amp;c. One while he will refraine from tempting, that we may think our &s;elves &s;ecure, and neglect our watch; another while he will &s;eeme to flie, that he may make us proud of the victory; one while hee will fix mens eyes more on others &s;ins, then their own, that he may puffe them; another while he will fix their eyes more on others graces then their own, that he may overwhelme them &amp;c. A man may as well tell the &s;tars, and number the &s;ands of the &s;ea, as reckon up all the devices of Satan; yet tho&s;e which are mo&s;t con&s;ide|rable,
<PB REF="5"> and by which he doth mo&s;t mi&s;chiefe to the precious &s;oules of men, are in the following Treati&s;e di&s;covered, and the <HI>Remedies</HI> again&s;t them pre&s;cribed, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Beloved, I think it nece&s;&s;ary to give you, and the world a faithfull account of the Rea&s;ons, moving me to appear in Print, in the&s;e dayes, wherein we may &s;ay there was never more writing, and yet neverle&s;&s;e practi&s;ing, and they are the&s;e that follow, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, becau&s;e Satan hath a<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Rea&s;on.</NOTE> greater influence upon men, and higher advantages over men (ha|ving the winde and the hill as it were) then they thinke he hath, and the knowledge of his high advantages is the high way to di&s;appoint him, and to ren|der the &s;oul &s;trong in re&s;i&s;ting, and happy in conquering, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Your importunity, and the im|portunity<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Rea&s;on.</NOTE> of many other precious &s;ons of <HI>Zion</HI> hath after much &s;tri|ving with God, my own heart, and others, made a conque&s;t of
<PB REF="5"> me and forced me to doe that at la&s;t, which at fir&s;t was not a little contrary to my inclination, and re&s;olution, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The &s;trange oppo&s;ition that I<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>3. Rea&s;on.</HI> Pirates make the &s;tronge&s;t and the hot|te&s;t oppo&s;iti|ons again&s;t tho&s;e ve&s;|&s;ells that are mo&s;t rich|ly laden; &s;o doth Satan that arch Pirate again&s;t tho&s;e truths, that have mo&s;t of God, Chri&s;t, and Heaven in them.</NOTE> met with from Satan, in the &s;tudy of this following di&s;cour&s;e, hath put an edge upon my &s;pirit, knowing that Satan &s;trives migh|tily, to keep tho&s;e things from &s;ee|ing the light, that tend eminently to &s;hake and break his Kingdome of darkne&s;&s;e, and to lift up the Kingdome and glory of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, in the &s;oules and lives of the children of men, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Its exceeding u&s;efulne&s;&s;e to all &s;orts, ranks, and conditions of men<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Rea&s;on.</NOTE> in the world; here you have &s;alve for every &s;ore, and a plai&s;ter for every wound, and a <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t every di&s;ea&s;e; e&s;pecially again&s;t tho&s;e, that tend mo&s;t to the undoing of &s;oules, and to the ruine of the State, &amp;c.</P>
<P>I know not of any one, or<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. Rea&s;on.</NOTE> other that have writ of this Sub|ject; all that I have ever &s;een,
<PB REF="6"> have only toucht upon this &s;tring, which hath been no &s;mall provo|cation to me, to attempt to doe &s;omething this way, that others, that have better heads and hearts, may be the more &s;tirred to im|prove their Talents, in a further di&s;covery of Satans Devices, and in the making knowne of &s;uch choice <HI>Remedies,</HI> as may inable the &s;oules of men to triumph over all his plots and &s;tratagems, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>I have many precious friends in<NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Rea&s;on.</NOTE> &s;everall Countries, who are not a little de&s;irous, that my pen may reach them, now my voice can|not. I have formerly been, by the help of the mightie God of <HI>Jacob,</HI> a weake in&s;trument of good to them, and cannot but hope, and beleeve, that the Lord will al&s;o ble&s;&s;e the&s;e labours to them, they being (in part) the fruit of their de&s;ires, and prayers, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>La&s;tly, not knowing how &s;oon<NOTE PLACE="marg">7. Rea&s;on.</NOTE> my Gla&s;&s;e may be out, and how &s;oone I may be cut off by a hand of death, from all opportunities of
<PB REF="6"> doing further &s;ervice for Chri&s;t, or your &s;oules in this world, I was willing to &s;ow a little handfull of &s;pirituall &s;eed among you; that &s;o, when I put off this earthly Ta|bernacle, my love to you, and that deare remembrance of you, which I have in my &s;oule, may &s;trongly engage your minds and &s;pirits, to make this Book your Compani|on; and under all externall, or internall changes, to make u&s;e of this heavenly Salve, which I hope, will by the ble&s;&s;ing of the Lord, be as effectuall for the healing of all your Wounds, as their look|ing up to the brazen Serpent, was effectuall to heale theirs that were bit, and &s;tung with fiery Serpents. I &s;hall leave this Book with you, as a Legacie of my deare&s;t Love, de&s;iring the Lord to make it a far greater, and &s;weeter Legacie, then all tho&s;e carnall Legacies are, that are left by the high and mighty ones of the earth, to their neare&s;t and deare&s;t relations, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<PB REF="7">
<P>Beloved, I would not have affe|ction carrie my pen too much be|yond my intention; therefore onely give me leave to &s;ignifie my de&s;ires for you, and my de&s;ires to you; and I &s;hall draw to a clo&s;e.</P>
<P>My de&s;ires for you are, <HI>That he would grant you according to the ri|ches</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 3.</NOTE> <HI>of his glory, to be &s;trengthned with might by his Spirit in the inner</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 17.</NOTE> <HI>man. That Chri&s;t may dwell in your hearts by faith, that ye being rooted and grounded in love; May be able to</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 18.</NOTE> <HI>comprehend with all Saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 19.</NOTE> <HI>and height: And to know the love of Chri&s;t that pa&s;&s;eth knowledge; That ye might be filled with all the fullne&s;&s;e of God. And that yee might walke</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Colo&s;. 1. 10.</NOTE> <HI>worthy of the Lord unto all plea&s;ing, being fruitfull in every good worke, and increa&s;ed in the knowledge of God, Strengthned with all might, ac|cording</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 11.</NOTE> <HI>to his glorious power, unto all patience, and long-&s;uffering with joy|fullne&s;&s;e. That ye doe no evill. That</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 13. 7.</NOTE> <HI>your love may abound yet more and more in Knowledge, and in all Judge|ment.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 1. 9.</NOTE>
<PB REF="7"> <HI>That yee may approve things that are excellent, that ye may be &s;in|cere,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 10.</NOTE> <HI>and without offence till the day of Chri&s;t. And that our God would</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 The&s;&s;. 1. 11.</NOTE> <HI>count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good plea&s;ure of his good|ne&s;&s;e, and the worke of Faith with</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 12.</NOTE> <HI>power. That the name of our Lord Je|&s;us Chri&s;t may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God, and the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</HI> And that you may be eminent in<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 93. 5.</NOTE> Sanctitie; Sanctitie being <HI>Zions</HI> glory, that your hearts may be kept upright, your judgements &s;ound, and your lives unblamable. That as you are now my joy, &s;o in the day of Chri&s;t you may be my Crown; That I may &s;ee my labours in your lives, that your conver&s;a|tion may not be earthly, when the things you heare are heavenly; but that it may be as becomes the Go&s;pel. That as the Fi&s;hes which live in the &s;alt Sea, yet are fre&s;h; &s;o you, though you live in an un|charitable world, may yet be cha|ritable and loving. That ye may
<PB REF="8"> like the Bee, &s;uck Honey out of every Flower; That ye may &s;hine in a &s;ea of troubles, as the Pearle &s;hines in the &s;kie, though it grows in the Sea; That in all your trials you may be like the &s;tone in <HI>Thra|cia,</HI> that neither burneth in the fire, nor &s;inketh in the water. That ye may be like the Heavens, ex|cellent in &s;ub&s;tance, and beauti|full in appearance; that &s;o you may meet me with joy, in that day, wherein Chri&s;t &s;hall &s;ay to his Father, <HI>Loe, here am I, and the children that thou ha&s;t given me.</HI></P>
<P>My de&s;ires to you are, That you would make it your bu&s;ine&s;&s;e to &s;tudy Chri&s;t, his Word, your own Hearts, Satans Plots, and Eternity, more then ever; that ye would endeavour more to be inwardly &s;incere, then outwardly glorious; to live, then to have a name to live. That yee would labour with all your might, to be thankfull under Mercies, and faithfull in your Places, and humble under Divine Appearances, and fruitfull under
<PB REF="8"> precious Ordinances; that as your meanes and mercies are greater then others, &s;o your account be|fore God may not prove wor&s;e then others. That ye would pray for me, who am not worthy to be na|med among the Saints, that I may be a precious in&s;trument in the hand of Chri&s;t, to bring in many &s;oules unto him, and to build up tho&s;e that are brought in, in their mo&s;t holy Faith; And that Utterance may be given to me, that I may make knowne all the will of God. That<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 11. 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.</NOTE> I may be &s;incere, faithfull, frequent, fervent, and con&s;tant in the worke of the Lord, and that my labour be not in vaine in the Lord; That my Labours may be accepted of the Lord, and his Saints, and I may daily &s;ee the travell of my &s;oule, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>But above all, pray for me, that I may more and more finde the power, and &s;weet of tho&s;e things upon my owne heart, that I give out to you and others; and that my &s;oule be &s;o vi&s;ited with &s;trength
<PB REF="9"> from on high, that I may live up ful|ly, and con&s;tantly to tho&s;e truths that I hold forth to the world; and that I may be both in Life and Do|ctrine, a burning and a &s;hining light; That &s;o, when the Lord Je&s;us &s;hall appear, I may receive a crown of glo|ry, which he &s;hall give to me in that day, and not onely to me, but to all that love his appearing, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>For a clo&s;e, remember this, that your life is &s;hort, your duties many, your a&s;&s;i&s;tance great, and your re|ward &s;ure; therefore faint not, hold on, and hold up in wayes of well do|ing, and Heaven &s;hall make amends for all.</P>
<P>I &s;hall now take leave of you, when my heart hath by my hand &s;ub&s;cri|bed that I am,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Your loving Pa&s;tor under Chri&s;t, according to all Pa&s;tor all affe|ctions, and engagements in our deare&s;t Lord. THOMAS BROOKS.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="to the reader">
<PB REF="9">
<HEAD>A WORD TO THE READER.</HEAD>
<OPENER><SALUTE>Deare Friend!</SALUTE></OPENER>
<P><HI>_SOLOMON</HI> bids us buy the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 23. 23</NOTE> Truth, but doth not tell us what it mu&s;t co&s;t, becau&s;e we mu&s;t get it, though it be never &s;o deare; wee mu&s;t love it both<NOTE PLACE="marg">Multi ama~<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> veritatem lucentem, o derunt re|darguen|tem.</NOTE> &s;hining and &s;corching; every parcell of Truth is precious, as the filings of gold; wee mu&s;t either live with it, or dye for it; As <HI>Ruth</HI> &s;aid to <HI>Naomi, Whither thou goe&s;t, I will goe, and</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ruth 1. 16, 17.</NOTE> <HI>where thou lodge&s;t, I will lodge, and nothing but death &s;hall part thee and mee;</HI> So mu&s;t gracious &s;pirits &s;ay, where Truth goes, I will
<PB REF="10"> goe, and where Truth lodges, I will<NOTE PLACE="marg">Si veritas e&s;t cau&s;a di&s;cordiae, mori po&s;&s;um tacere con po&s;&s;um. <HI>J<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rome.</HI></NOTE> lodge, and nothing but death &s;hall part me and Truth. A man may lawfully &s;ell his Hou&s;e, Lands, and Jewells, but Truth is a Jewell that exceeds all price, and mu&s;t not be &s;ould. 'Tis our Heri|tage; <HI>Thy Te&s;timonies have I ta|ken</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 11<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>as an Heritage for ever;</HI> 'tis a Legacie that our fore-fathers have hought with their bloods, which &s;hould make us willing to lay downe any thing, and to lay out any thing, that wee may with the wi&s;e Merchant in the Go&s;pel, purcha&s;e this precious Pearle,<NOTE PLACE="marg">M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t. 5. 18. Verit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s vin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">it. <HI>Truth at la&s;t tri|umphs.</HI></NOTE> which is more worth then Heaven and Earth, and which will make a man live happily, die comfortably, and reign eternally.</P>
<P>And now if thou plea&s;e&s;t, reade the Worke, and receive this councell from mee.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, Thou mu&s;t know that every <MILESTONE N="1"> man cannot be excellent, that yet may be u&s;efull. An iron key may unlocke the doore of a golden trea&s;ure, yea (fer|rum pote&s;t quod aurum non po|te&s;t) Iron can doe &s;ome things that gold cannot, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<PB REF="10">
<P>Secondly, Remember, 'tis not ha&s;ty <MILESTONE N="2"> reading, but &s;erious meditating upon<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Tis a Law among the <HI>Per&s;ees</HI> in <HI>India,</HI> to u&s;e preme|ditation in what they are to doe, that if it be bad, to reject it, if good, to act it.</NOTE> holy, and heavenly truths, that makes them prove &s;weet and profitable to the &s;oule. 'Tis not the Bees touching of the Flower that gathers Honey, but her abiding for a time upon the Flower, that drawes out the &s;weet. 'Tis not he that reads mo&s;t, but he that meditates mo&s;t, that will prove the choice&s;t, &s;weete&s;t, wi&s;e&s;t, and &s;tronge&s;t Chri|&s;tian, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, Know, that 'tis not the <MILESTONE N="3"> knowing, nor the talking, nor the reading man, but the doing man, that at last will be found the happie&s;t man; <HI>If you know the&s;e things, ble&s;&s;ed</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John 15. 14. Mat. 7. 21.</NOTE> <HI>and happie are you, if you doe them. Not every one that &s;aith Lord, Lord, &s;hall enter into the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">'Twas a good &s;ay|ing of <HI>Ju|&s;tin Martyr, Non in ver|bis &s;ed in factis res no&s;trae reli|gioni<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> con|&s;i&s;tunt.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Kingdome of Heaven, but he that doth the will of my Father that is in Heaven. Judas</HI> called Chri&s;t Lord, Lord, and yet betrayed him, and is gone to his place; ah! How many Juda&s;&s;es have we in the&s;e dayes, that ki&s;&s;e Chri&s;t, and yet betray Chri&s;t; That in their words profe&s;&s;e him, but
<PB REF="11"> in their workes deny him; that bow<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Hea|then Phi|lo&s;opher (<HI>Seneca</HI>) liked not &s;uch that are (<HI>&s;emper victuri</HI>) al|wayes a|bout to live better, but never begin. God loves (&s;aith <HI>Lu|ther) curri|&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">,</HI> not <HI>qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ri&s;tas,</HI> the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">unner not the que&s;tioner <HI>Pacunius</HI> hath an e|legant &s;ay|ing, I hate (&s;aith he) the men that are i|dle in deed and philo|&s;ophicall in word, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></NOTE> their knee to him, and yet in their hearts de&s;pi&s;e him; that call him Je|&s;us, and yet will not obey him for their Lord.</P>
<P><HI>Reader,</HI> If it be not strong upon thy heart, to practi&s;e what thou reade&s;t, to what end doe&s;t thou read, to encrea&s;e thy owne condemnation? If thy light and knowledge be not turn'd into practi&s;e, the more knowing man thou art, the more mi&s;erable man thou wilt be in the day of recompence; thy light and know|ledge will more torment thee, then all the Devills in hell. Thy knowledge will be that rod that will eternally la&s;h thee, and that Scorpion that will for ever bite thee, and that worme that will ever|la&s;tingly gnaw thee; therefore reade, and labour to know, that thou maye&s;t doe, or el&s;e thou art undone for ever. When <HI>Demo&s;thenes</HI> was asked what was the fir&s;t part of an Orator, what the &s;econd, what the third; he an&s;wered, action; the &s;ame may I &s;ay, if any &s;hould aske me, what is the fir&s;t, the &s;econd, the third part of a Chri&s;tian? I mu&s;t an|&s;wer, action; as that man that reades
<PB REF="11"> that he may know; and that labours to know, that he may doe, will have two Heavens; a Heaven of Joy, Peace, and Comfort on earth, and a Heaven of glo|ry, and happine&s;&s;e after death.</P>
<P>Fourthly, and la&s;tly, if in thy reading <MILESTONE N="4"> thou wilt ca&s;t a &s;erious eye upon the Mar|gent, thou wilt finde many &s;weet and pre|cious Notes, that will oftentimes give light to the things thou reade&s;t, and pay thee for thy paines, with much comfort, and profit; So de&s;iring that thou may|e&s;t finde as much &s;weetne&s;&s;e, and advan|tage in reading this Treati&s;e, as I have found (by the over&s;hadowings of Hea|ven) in the &s;tudying and writing of it, <HI>I commend thee to God, and to the word of his grace, which is able to</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 20. 32.</NOTE> <HI>build thee up, and to give thee an inheritance among them which are &s;anctified.</HI> And re&s;t</P>
<CLOSER><SALUTE>Reader,</SALUTE>
<SIGNED>Thy &s;oules Servant in every office of the Go&s;pel, THOMAS BROOKS.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="part">
<PB REF="12">
<PB REF="12">
<HEAD>PRECIOUS REMEDIES <HI>AGAINST</HI> SATANS Devices.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<BIBL>2 CORINTH. 2. 11.</BIBL>
<Q>Le&s;t Satan &s;hould get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his Devices.</Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_IN the fifth <HI>Ver&s;e,</HI> the Apo&s;tle &s;hews, that the ince&s;tuous per|&s;on had by his ince&s;t, &s;added tho&s;e precious &s;ouls that God would not have &s;added; &s;oules that walk &s;infully are <HI>Hazaels</HI> to the godly, and draw many &s;ighes and tears from them; <HI>Jeremy</HI> weepes in &s;ecret for <HI>Ju|dah's</HI> &s;ins, and <HI>Paul</HI> cannot &s;peak of tho&s;e <HI>Belly&punc; Gods</HI> with drie eyes, <HI>Phil.</HI> 3. 18.
<PB N="2" REF="13"> And <HI>Lots</HI> righteous &s;oule was burdened,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">.</NOTE> vexed, and racked by the filthy <HI>Sodo|mites, 2 Pet.</HI> 2. 7, 8. Every &s;infull <HI>Sodo|mite</HI> was a <HI>Hazael</HI> to his eyes, a <HI>Hada|drimmon</HI> to his heart; Gracious &s;oules u&s;e to mourne for other mens &s;ins as well as their owne, and for their &s;oules<NOTE PLACE="marg">119 P&s;al. 136. 158.</NOTE> and &s;ins, who make a mock of &s;in, and a je&s;t of damning their owne &s;oul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. Guilt or grief is all that gracious &s;oules get by communion with vain &s;ouls.</P>
<P>In the &s;ixth <HI>Ver&s;e,</HI> he &s;hewes, that the puni&s;hment that was inflicted upon the ince&s;tuous per&s;on was &s;ufficient, and therefore they &s;hould not refu&s;e to re|ceive him, who had repented, and &s;or|rowed for his former faults and follies. 'Tis not for the honour of Chri&s;t, the credit of the Go&s;pel, nor the good of &s;oules, for Profe&s;&s;ors to be like tho&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. and Mon. &s;ol. 1392.</NOTE> bloody wretches, that burnt &s;ome that recanted at the &s;take, &s;aying that they would &s;end them out of the world while they were in a good minde.</P>
<P>In the 7, 8, 9, and 10 <HI>Ver&s;es,</HI> the A|po&s;tle &s;tirres up the Church to forgive him, to comfort him, and to confirme their love towards him, le&s;t he &s;hould be &s;wallowed up with over much &s;or|row, Satan going about to mix the de|te&s;table darnell of de&s;peration with the godly &s;orrow of a pure penitent heart.
<PB N="3" REF="13"> It was a &s;weet &s;aying of one, Let a man<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Doleat &amp; de dolore gaudeat,</HI> Jerome.</NOTE> grieve for his &s;in, and then joy for his grief; that &s;orrow for &s;in that keeps the &s;oule from looking towards the Mercie-Seat, and that keeps Chri&s;t and the &s;oul a&s;under, or that &s;hall render the &s;oule unfit for the communion of Saints, is a &s;infull &s;orrow.</P>
<P>In the eleventh <HI>Ver&s;e,</HI> he layes down another rea&s;on to work them to &s;hew pity and mercy to the penitent &s;inner, that was mourning and groaning under his &s;in and mi&s;ery, <HI>i. e. Le&s;t Satan &s;hould get an advantage of us: for we are not igno|rant of his Devices.</HI> A little for the open|ing of the words.</P>
<P><HI>Le&s;t Satan &s;hould get an advantage of us,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">.</NOTE> lea&s;t Satan over-reach us, the Greek word &s;ignifieth to have more then be|longs to one; the compari&s;on is taken from the greedy Merchant, that &s;eeketh and taketh all opportunities to beguile and deceive others. Satan is that wily Merchant, that devoureth not widowes hou&s;es, but mo&s;t mens &s;ouls.</P>
<P><HI>For we are not ignorant of</HI> Satans <HI>devices,</HI> or plots, or machinations, or &s;trata|gems;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Non<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span">.</NOTE> he is but a titular Chri&s;tian, that hath not per&s;onall experience of Satans &s;tratagems, his &s;et and compo&s;ed machi|nations, his artificially-moulded me|thods, his plots, darts, depths, whereby
<PB N="4" REF="14"> he out-witted our fir&s;t parents, and fits us a penny-worth &s;till, as he &s;ees rea&s;on.</P>
<P>The maine Ob&s;ervation that I &s;hall draw from the&s;e words, is this.</P>
<P><HI>That Satan hath his &s;everall devices to deceive, intangle, and undoe the &s;ouls of men.</HI></P>
<P>I &s;hall fir&s;t prove the point, and &s;e|condly &s;hew you his &s;everall Devices; and thirdly the Remedies again&s;t his Devices; and fourthly, how it comes to pa&s;&s;e, that he hath &s;o many &s;everall Devices to deceive, intangle, and undoe the &s;oules of men. Fifthly, I &s;hall lay downe &s;ome Propo&s;itions concerning Satan, and his Devices. For the proofe of the point, take the&s;e few Scriptures. <HI>Ephe&s;. 6. ver. 11. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to &s;tand again&s;t the wiles of the Devil.</HI> The Greek word<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">.</NOTE> that is here rendred <HI>wiles,</HI> is a notable emphaticall word.</P>
<P N="1">1. It &s;ignifies &s;uch &s;nares as are laid behind one, &s;uch treacheries as come up|on ones back at unawares. It notes the methods, or way-layings of that old &s;ubtile Serpent, who, like <HI>Pans</HI> adder in the path, biteth the heels of pa&s;&s;engers, and thereby transfu&s;eth his venome to the head and heart; the word &s;ignifies an ambu&s;hment, or &s;tratagem of War, whereby the enemy &s;ets upon a man <HI>ex in&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">diis,</HI> at unawares.</P>
<PB N="5" REF="14">
<P N="2">2. It &s;ignifies &s;uch &s;nares as are &s;et to<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">.</NOTE> catch one in ones road; a man walks in his road, and thinks not of it, on the &s;udden he is Catcht by thieves, or falls into a pit, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P N="3">3. It &s;ignifies &s;uch as are purpo&s;ely, artificially, and craftily &s;et for the ta|king the prey at the greate&s;t advantage that can be; the Greek <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> being de|rived from <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> and <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, &s;ignifies pro|perly a way-laying, circumvention, or going about, as they doe which &s;eek af|ter their prey. <HI>Julian</HI> by his craft, drew more from the Faith, then all his per|&s;ecuting Predece&s;&s;ors could doe by their cruelty. So doth Satan more hurt in his &s;heepskin, then by roaring like a Lyon.</P>
<P>Take one Scripture more for the proof of the point, and that is in the &s;econd of <HI>Timothy,</HI> the &s;econd chapter, and the la&s;t ver&s;e, <HI>And that they may re|cover them&s;elves out of the &s;nare of the de|vil, who are taken captive by him at his will.</HI> The Greek word that is here rendred <HI>recover them&s;elves,</HI> &s;ignifies to awake<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">.</NOTE> them&s;elves. The Apo&s;tle alludeth to one that is a&s;leep, or drunk, who is to be awaked and re&s;tored to his &s;en&s;es; and the Greek word that is here rendred <HI>ta|ken captive,</HI> &s;ignifies to be taken alive;<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"></NOTE> the word is, properly, a warlike word,
<PB N="6" REF="15"> and &s;ignifies to be taken alive, as Soul|diers are taken alive in the wars, or as Birds are taken alive, and in&s;nared in the Fowlers net. Satan hath &s;nares for the wi&s;e, and &s;nares for the &s;imple, &s;nares for Hypocrites, and &s;nares for the up|right; &s;nares for generous &s;oules, and &s;nares for timerous &s;oules, &s;nares for the rich, and &s;nares for the poore, &s;nares for the aged, and &s;nares for youth, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> happy are tho&s;e &s;oules that are not ta|ken and held in the &s;nares that he hath laid. Take one proofe more, and then I will proceede to the opening of the Point, and that is in the 2^d <HI>Revelations,</HI> and the 24. <HI>v. But unto you I &s;ay, and unto the re&s;t in</HI> Thyatira, <HI>as many as have not</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Pareus <HI>in loc.</HI> 1 Tim. 4. 1.</NOTE> <HI>this Doctrine, and which have not knowne the depths of Satan, as they &s;peake, I will put upon you no other burden, but to hold fa&s;t till I come.</HI> Tho&s;e poore &s;oules called their opinions the depths of God, when in|deed they were the depths of Satan; you call your opinions depths, and &s;o they are, but they are &s;uch depths as Satan hath brought out of Hell, they are the whi&s;perings and hi&s;&s;ings of that Ser|pent, not the in&s;pirations of God.</P>
<P>Now the &s;econd thing that I am to &s;hew you, is his &s;everall Devices, and herein I &s;hall fir&s;t &s;hew you the &s;everall Devices that he hath to draw the &s;oule
<PB N="7" REF="15"> to &s;in; I &s;hall in&s;tance in the&s;e twelve, which may be&s;peake our mo&s;t &s;erious con&s;ideration.</P>
<P>His fir&s;t Device to draw the &s;oule to<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Device.</NOTE> &s;in, is to pre&s;ent the bait, and hide the hook; to pre&s;ent the golden cup, and hide the poi&s;on; to pre&s;ent the &s;weet, the plea&s;ure, and the profit that may flow in upon the &s;oule, by yielding to &s;in, and by hiding from the &s;oule the wrath and mi&s;ery that will certainly follow the committings of &s;in. By this Device he took our fir&s;t Parents, <HI>Gene&s;is 3. 4, 5. And the Serpent &s;aid unto the wo|man, yee &s;hall not &s;urely die. For God doth</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">So to reduce D. <HI>Taylor</HI> Mar|tyr, they pro|mi&s;ed him not onely his par|don, but a Bi|&s;hoprick. <HI>Act. and Mon. folio 1386. Ine&s;t peccatum cum delectaris: regnat &s;i con&s;en<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;er<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> Augu&s;t <HI>in P&s;al. 50.</HI></NOTE> <HI>know, that in the day ye&punc; eat thereof, then your eyes &s;hall be opened, and ye &s;hall be as Gods, knowing good and evill.</HI> Your eyes &s;hall be opened, and ye &s;hall be as Gods, here is the baite, the &s;weet, the plea&s;ure, the profit, Oh! but he hides the hook, the &s;hame, the wrath, and the lo&s;&s;e that would certainly follow. There is an o|pening of the eyes of the mind to con|templation and joy, and there is an o|pening of the eyes of the body to &s;hame and confu&s;ion. He promi&s;eth them the former, but intends the latter, and &s;o cheats them, giving them an Apple in exchange for Paradi&s;e, as he deales by thou&s;ands now adayes. Satan with ea&s;e puts fallacies upon us, and then, by his
<PB N="8" REF="16"> golden baites, leads us, and leaves us in a fools Paradi&s;e; he promi&s;es the &s;oule honour, plea&s;ure and profit, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> but paye's the &s;oule with the greate&s;t con|tempt, &s;hame, and lo&s;&s;e that can be; by a golden bait he laboured to catch Chri&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">This world at la&s;t &s;hall be burnt for a witch, &s;ayeth one. <HI>Multi amando res noxias &s;unt mi&s;eri, habendo mi&s;eriores.</HI> Au|gu&s;t. <HI>in</HI> P&s;a. 26. Many are mi|&s;erable by lo|ving hurtfull things, but they are more mi&s;erable by having them. Men had need pray with <HI>Ber|nard, Da domi|ne ut &s;ic po&s;&s;ide|amus tempora lia ut non per|damus aeterna.</HI> Grant us Lord that wee may &s;o partake of temporall fe|licity, that we may not loo&s;e eternall.</NOTE> in the 4 of <HI>Mat.</HI> 8. 9. he &s;hewes him the beauty and the bravery of a bewitching world, which doubtle&s;&s;e would have ta|ken many a carnall heart; but here the devils fire fell upon wet tinder, &amp; there|fore took not; the&s;e tempting objects did not at all win upon his affections, nor dazle his eyes; though many have eternally died of the wound of the eye, and fallen for ever by this vile Strumpet the world, who by laying forth her two faire brea&s;ts of profit and plea&s;ure, hath wounded their &s;oules, and ca&s;t them downe into utter perdition; &s;he hath by the gli&s;tering of her pomp and pre|ferment, &s;laine millions, as the S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rpent <HI>Scytale,</HI> which when &s;he cannot overtake the fleeing pa&s;&s;engers, doth, with her beautifull colours, a&s;toni&s;h and amaze them: &s;o that they have no power to pa&s;&s;e away, till &s;he have &s;tung them to death. Adver&s;ity hath &s;lain her thou|&s;and, but pro&s;perity her ten thou&s;and.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="9" REF="16">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this De|vice of the Devil, are the&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>FIr&s;t, keep at the greate&s;t di&s;tance from<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedy.</NOTE> &s;in, and from playing with the gol|den bait that Satan holds forth to catch you; for this you have the 12 <HI>Rom. 9. v. Abhor that which is evill, cleave to that which is good;</HI> when we meet with any thing extreamly evill, and contrary to us, na|ture abhors it, and retires as far as it can<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. The &s;imple verb imports extreame de|te&s;tation, w^c^h is aggravated by the com|po&s;ition. <HI>Chry|&s;o&s;t.</HI></NOTE> from it. The Greek word that is there rendred <HI>abhor,</HI> is very &s;ignificant, it &s;ig|nifies to hate it as Hell it &s;elfe, to hate it with horror. <HI>An&s;elm</HI> u&s;ed to &s;ay, that if he &s;hould &s;ee the &s;hame of &s;in on the one hand, and the pains of hell on the other, and mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity chu&s;e one, he would rather be thru&s;t into Hell without &s;in, then goe into Heaven with &s;in: &s;o great was his hatred and dete&s;ta|tion of &s;in. 'Tis our wi&s;e&s;t and our &s;a|fe&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 5. 8. 1 The&s;&s;. 5. 22.</NOTE> cour&s;e to &s;tand at the furthe&s;t di|&s;tance from &s;in, not to goe neer the hou&s;e of the Harlot; but to flie <HI>from all appea|rance of evill;</HI> the be&s;t cour&s;e to prevent falling into the pit, is to keep at the<NOTE PLACE="marg">It was a divine &s;aying of a Heathen, that if there were no God to pu|ni&s;h him, no Devil to tor|ment him, no Hell to burne him no man to &s;ee him; yet would he not &s;in &s;er the ug|line&s;s and fil|thine&s;s of &s;in, and the griefe of his owne Con&s;cience. <HI>Seneca.</HI></NOTE> greate&s;t di&s;tance; he that will be &s;o bold as to attempt to dance upon the brink of the pit, may find by wofull experience, that 'tis a righteous thing with God, that he &s;hould fall into the pit. <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> keeps at a (di&s;tance from &s;in,
<PB N="10" REF="17"> and from playing with Satans golden baites, and &s;tands; <HI>David</HI> drawes near, and playes with the bait, and falls, and &s;wallowes bait and hook with a witnes. <HI>David</HI> comes neer the &s;nare, and is taken in it, to the breaking of his bones, the wounding of his con&s;cience, and the lo&s;&s;e of his God.</P>
<P>Sin is a plague, yea the greate&s;t and the mo&s;t infectious plague in the world, and yet, ah how few are there that trem|ble at it? that keep at a di&s;tance from it, 1 <HI>Cor. 5. 6. Know ye not that a little lea|ven leaveneth the whole lump?</HI> As &s;oon as one &s;in had &s;ei&s;ed upon <HI>Adams</HI> heart, all &s;in entred into his &s;oul and over-&s;pread<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sinne is like tho&s;e Di&s;ea&s;es that are called by Phy&s;itians, <HI>Corruptio totius &s;ub&s;tantiae.</HI></NOTE> it. How hath <HI>Adams</HI> one &s;in &s;pread over all mankinde. 5. <HI>Rom. 12. ver. Where|fore as by one man &s;in entred into the world, and death by &s;in: and &s;o death pa&s;&s;ed upon all men, for that all have &s;inned.</HI> Ah! how doth the Fathers &s;in infect the child, the Husbands infect the Wife, the Ma&s;ters the Servant? The &s;in that is in one mans heart, is able to infect a whole world, 'tis of &s;uch a &s;preading and infectious nature. The &s;tory of the <HI>Italian,</HI> who fir&s;t made his enemy deny God, and then &s;tab'd him, and &s;o at once murthered both body and &s;oule, declares the per|fect malignity of &s;in; and Oh! that what hath been &s;poken upon this head&punc;
<PB N="11" REF="17"> may prevaile with you, to &s;tand at a di|&s;tance from &s;in.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedy,</HI> is, to con&s;ider<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2 Remedy.</HI> When the golden bait is ca&s;t forth to catch us, wee mu&s;t &s;ay as <HI>Demo&s;thenes</HI> the Oratour did, of the beauti<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ull <HI>La|is,</HI> when he was asked an exce&s;&s;ive &s;um of money to behold her; I will not buy repentance &s;o dear, I am not &s;o ill a mer|chant as to &s;el+eternals for temporals.</NOTE> that &s;in is but a bitter-&s;weet; that &s;eem|ing &s;weet that is in &s;in will quickly va|ni&s;h, and la&s;ting &s;hame, &s;orrow, hor|rour, and terrour will come in the room thereof. 20. <HI>Job 12, 13, 14. Though wickedne&s;&s;e be &s;weet in his mouth, though he bide it under his tongue, though he &s;pare it, and for&s;ake it not, but keep it &s;till within his mouth, yet his meat in his bowels is turn|ed, it is the gall of A&s;ps within him.</HI> For|bidden profits and plea&s;ures are mo&s;t plea&s;ing to vaine men, who count mad|ne&s;&s;e mirth, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Many long to be med|ling with the murthering mor&s;els of &s;in, which nouri&s;h not but rent and con&s;ume the belly, the &s;oule that receives them. Many eat that on earth, that they dige&s;t in hell; &s;ins murthering mor&s;els will deceive tho&s;e that devoure them. <HI>A|dams</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">If intempe|rance cou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d afford more plea&s;ure then temperance, <HI>Heliogobalus</HI> &s;hould have been more happy then <HI>Adam</HI> in Para|di&s;e.</NOTE> Apple was a bitter-&s;weet; <HI>E&s;cu's</HI> me&s;&s;e was a bitter-&s;weet; the <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> quails a bitter-&s;weet, <HI>Jonathans</HI> honey a bitter-&s;weet, and <HI>Adonijahs</HI> dainties a bitter-&s;weet; after the meale is ended comes the reckoning: Men mu&s;t not think to dance and dine with the Devil, and then to &s;up with <HI>Abraham, I&s;aac,</HI> and <HI>Jacob</HI> in the Kingdome of Heaven: to feed upon the poi&s;on of A&s;ps, and
<PB N="12" REF="18"> yet that the Vipers tongue &s;hall not &s;lay them; when the A&s;pe &s;tings a man, it doth fir&s;t tickle him &s;o, as it makes him laugh, till the poi&s;on by little and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Plutark.</NOTE> little gets to the heart, and then it pains him more then ever it delighted him: &s;o doth &s;in, it may plea&s;e a little at fir&s;t, but it will paine the &s;oule with a wit|ne&s;&s;e at la&s;t; yea, if there were the lea&s;t reall delight in &s;in, there could be no perfect Hell where men &s;hall mo&s;t per|fectly be tormented with their &s;in.</P>
<P>The third Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that &s;in will u&s;her in the greate&s;t and the<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 59. 2. P&s;al. 51. 12. I&s;a. 59. 8. 2 Chron. 15. 3, 4. Jer. 17. 18.</NOTE> &s;adde&s;t lo&s;&s;es that can be upon our &s;ouls; it will u&s;her in the lo&s;&s;e of that Divine favour that is better then life, and the lo&s;&s;e of that joy that is un&s;peakable, and full of glory, and the lo&s;&s;e of that peace that pa&s;&s;eth under&s;tanding, and the lo&s;&s;e of tho&s;e Divine influences, by which the &s;oule hath beene refre&s;hed, quickned,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 5. 25.</NOTE> rai&s;ed, &s;trengthned, and gladded, and the lo&s;&s;e of many outward de&s;irable mercies, which otherwi&s;e the &s;oule might have injoyed. It was a &s;ound and &s;avory reply of an Engli&s;h Captain at the lo&s;&s;e of <HI>Callice,</HI> when a proud French-man &s;cornfully demanded, when will you fetch <HI>Callice</HI> again? replied, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Quando pec|cata ve&s;tra, e|runt no&s;tris gra|viera.</NOTE> When your &s;innes &s;hall weigh downe
<PB N="13" REF="18"> ours; ah <HI>England!</HI> my con&s;tant Prayer for thee is, that thou maye&s;t not &s;in a|way thy mercies into their hands, that cannot call mercy mercy, and that would joy in nothing more then to &s;ee thy &s;orrow and mi&s;ery, and to &s;ee that hand to make thee naked, that hath cloath'd thee with much mercy and glory.</P>
<P>The fourth Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>4 Remedy.</HI> In <HI>Sardis</HI> there grew an herb cal|led <HI>Appium Sardis</HI> that would' make a man lye laughing when he was deadly &s;ick-&s;uch is the o|peration of &s;in.</NOTE> of Satan, is &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that &s;in is of a very deceitfull and be|witching nature, &s;in is from the greate&s;t deceiver; 'tis a child of his owne be|getting, 'tis the ground of all the deceit in the world, and 'tis in its own nature exceeding deceitfull. <HI>Heb. 3. 13. But exhort one another daily, while it is called to day, le&s;t any of you be hardned through the deceitfullne&s;&s;e of &s;inne;</HI> it will ki&s;&s;e the &s;oul, and pretend fair to the &s;oul, and yet betray the &s;oul for ever; it will with <HI>Dalilah</HI> &s;mile upon us, that it may be|tray us into the hands of the Devil, as &s;he did <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> into the hands of the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pro. 5. 22, 23.</NOTE> <HI>Phili&s;times;</HI> &s;in gives Satan a power over us, and an advantage to accu&s;e us, and to lay claime to us, as tho&s;e that weare his badge; 'tis of a very bewitching nature, it bewitches the &s;oule where 'tis upon the throne, that the &s;oule cannot leave it, though it peri&s;h eternally by it.
<PB N="14" REF="19"> Sin &s;o bewitches the &s;oul, that it makes<NOTE PLACE="marg">Which occa|&s;ioned <HI>Chry|&s;o&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">me</HI> to &s;ay, when <HI>Eudoxia</HI> the Empre&s;s threatned him, Goe tell her (<HI>Nil ni&s;i pr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">atum ti|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"></HI>) I feare nothing but &s;in.</NOTE> the &s;oul call evill good, and good evill, bitter &s;weet, and &s;weet bitter, light darkne&s;&s;e, and darkne&s;&s;e light; and a &s;oul thus bewitcht with &s;in will &s;tand it out to the death, at the &s;words point with God; Let God &s;trike, and wound, and cut to the very bone, yet the be|witched &s;oul cares not, fears not, but will &s;till hold on in a cour&s;e of wicked|ne&s;&s;e, as you may &s;ee in <HI>Pharaoh, Balaam,</HI> and <HI>Judas;</HI> tell the bewitched &s;oul that &s;in is a Viper that will certainly kill when 'tis not killed; that &s;in often kils &s;ecretly, in&s;en&s;ibly, eternally, yet the bewitched &s;oul cannot, nor will not cea&s;e from &s;in. When the Phy&s;itians told<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span">nen <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> Ambro&s;e.</HI> Ambro&s;e.</NOTE> <HI>Theotimus</HI> that except he did ab&s;tain from drunkenne&s;&s;e, and uncleanne&s;&s;e, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> he would loo&s;e his eyes, his heart was &s;o bewitch't to his &s;ins, that he an&s;wers, <HI>Then farewell &s;weet light;</HI> he had rather loo&s;e his eyes then leave his &s;ins: So a man bewitcht with &s;in, had rather loo&s;e God, Chri&s;t, Heaven, and his own &s;oul, then part with his &s;in; O therefore for ever take heed of playing, or nibling at Satans golden baits.</P>
<P>The &s;econd Device of Satan to draw<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Device.</NOTE> the &s;oule to &s;in, is, by painting &s;in with vertues colours; Satan knowes, that if h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;hould pre&s;ent &s;in in its own nature
<PB N="15" REF="19"> and dre&s;&s;e, the &s;oul would rather fly from it, then yield to it, and therefore he pre&s;ents it unto us, not in its owne proper colours, but painted and guild|ed over with the name and &s;hew of ver|tue, that we may the more ea&s;ily be o|vercome by it, and take the more plea|&s;ure in committing of it. Pride, he pre|&s;ents to the &s;oul under the name and notion of neatne&s;&s;e, and cleanline&s;&s;e; and covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e (which the Apo&s;tle condemns for idolatry) to be but good husbandry, and drunkennes to be good fellow&s;hip, and riotou&s;ne&s;&s;e under the name and notion of liberality, and wan|tonne&s;&s;e as a trick of youth, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this De|vice of Satan are the&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>FIr&s;t, Con&s;ider that &s;in is never a whit<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedy.</NOTE> the le&s;&s;e filthy, vilde, and abomina|ble, by its being coloured and painted with vertues colours. A poy&s;onous Pill is never a whit the le&s;&s;e poy&s;onous, becau&s;e 'tis gilded over with gold; nor a Wolf is never a whit the le&s;&s;e a Wolfe, becau&s;e he hath put on a &s;heeps-skin; nor the Devil is never a whit the le&s;&s;e a Devil, becau&s;e he appears &s;omtimes like an Angel of light, &s;o neither is &s;in any whit the le&s;&s;e filthy, and abominable,
<PB N="16" REF="20"> by its being painted over with vertues colours.</P>
<P>The &s;econd Remedy is this, That the<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> more &s;in is painted forth under the co|lour<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Turpiora &s;unt vitia quae vir|tutum &s;pecie celantur,</HI> Jerome. Thus the <HI>Illu|minates</HI> (as they called them&s;elves) a pe&s;tilent Sect in <HI>Arragon,</HI> profe&s;&s;ing and affecting in them&s;elves a kind of Ange|licall purity, fell &s;uddenly to the ju&s;tify|ing of bea&s;ti|ality, as many have done in the&s;e dayes.</NOTE> of vertue, the more dangerous 'tis to the &s;ouls of men; this we &s;ee evident in the&s;e days, by tho&s;e very many &s;ouls that are turned out of the way that is holy, (and in which their &s;ouls have had &s;weet and glorious communion with God) into wayes of highe&s;t vanity and folly, by Satans neat colouring over of &s;in, and painting forth vice under the name and colour of vertue; this is &s;o notoriou&s;ly knowne, that I need but name it; the mo&s;t dangerous vermine is too often to be found under the fai|re&s;t and &s;weete&s;t Flowers, and the fai|re&s;t glove is often drawn upon the foul|e&s;t hand, and the riche&s;t robes are often put upon the filthie&s;t bodies: &s;o are the faire&s;t and the &s;weete&s;t names upon the greate&s;t, and the mo&s;t horrible&s;t vices and etrors that be in the world; ah! that we had not too many &s;ad proofs of this among&s;t us.</P>
<P>The third Remedy again&s;t this De|vice,<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedy.</NOTE> is to look on &s;in with that eye,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tacitus</HI> &s;peaks of <HI>Tiberius.</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hat when his &s;ins did ap|p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ar in their own colours, they did &s;o terrifie and torment him, that he pro|te&s;ted to the Senate, that he &s;uffered death daily.</NOTE> which within a few hours we &s;hall &s;ee it; ah &s;ouls! when you &s;hall lye upon a dying bed, and &s;tand before a judge|ment &s;eat, &s;in &s;hall be unmaskt, and its
<PB N="17" REF="20"> dre&s;&s;e and robes &s;hall then be taken off, and then it &s;hall appear more vile, filthy, and terrible then Hell it &s;elf; then that which formerly appear'd mo&s;t &s;weet, will appear mo&s;t bitter, and that which appear'd mo&s;t beautifull, will appear mo&s;t ugly, and that which appear'd mo&s;t delightful, will then appear mo&s;t dread|full to the &s;oul; ah! the &s;hame, the paine, the gall, the bitternes, the hor|rour, the hell, that the fight of &s;in, when its dre&s;s is taken off, will rai&s;e in poor &s;ouls. Sin will &s;urely prove evill, and bitter to the &s;oul, when its robes are ta|ken off. A man may have the Stone, who feels no fit of it. Con&s;cience will work at la&s;t, though for the pre&s;ent one may feele no fit of accu&s;ation, <HI>Laban</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Satan that now allures thee to &s;in, will ere long make thee &s;ee, that (<HI>Peccatum e&s;t deicidium</HI>) &s;in is a murther|ing of God, and this will make thee murther two at once, thy &s;oule and thy body, unle&s;&s;e the Lord in mercy holds thy hand.</NOTE> &s;hewed him&s;elf at parting; &s;in will be bitternes in the latter end, when it &s;hall appear to the &s;oul in its own filthy na|ture. The Devil deals with men, as the <HI>Panther</HI> doth with Bea&s;ts, he hides his deformed head, till his &s;weet &s;ent hath drawn them into his danger; till we have &s;inned, Satan is a Para&s;ite, when we have &s;inned, he is a Tyrant. Ah &s;ouls! the day is at hand, when the Devil will pull off the paint and garni&s;h that he hath put upon &s;in, and pre&s;ent that mon&s;ter &s;in in &s;uch a mon&s;trous &s;hape to your &s;oules, that will cau&s;e your
<PB N="18" REF="21"> thoughts to be be troubled, your coun|tenance to be changed, the joynts of your loines to be loo&s;ed, and your knees to be da&s;hed one again&s;t another, and your hearts to be &s;o terrified, that you will be ready with <HI>Achitophel,</HI> and <HI>Judas,</HI> to &s;trangle, and hang your bo|dies on earth, and your &s;oules in Hell; if the Lord hath not more mercy on you, then he had on them; oh! therefore looke upon &s;in now, as you mu&s;t look upon it to all eternity, and as God, Con&s;cience, and Satan will pre&s;ent it to you another day.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that even the&s;e very &s;ins, that Satan paints, and puts new names and co|lours<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>V<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a guttula plus valet quam coelum &amp; ter|ra Luther i. e.</HI> one little drop (&s;peak|ing of the blood of Chri&s;t) is more worth then Heaven and Earth.</NOTE> upon, co&s;t the be&s;t blood, the noble&s;t blood, the life-blood, the heart|blood of the Lord Je&s;us; that Chri&s;t &s;hould come from the eternall bo&s;ome of his Father to a Region of &s;orrow, and death; that God &s;hould be mani|fe&s;ted in the fle&s;h, the Creator made a Creature; that he that was cloathed with glory &s;hould be wrapped with raggs of fle&s;h; he that filled heaven and earth with his glory, &s;hould be cradled in a manger; that the power of God &s;hould flie from weak man, the God of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> into <HI>Aegypt;</HI> that the God of
<PB N="19" REF="21"> the Law &s;hould be &s;ubject to the Law;<NOTE PLACE="marg">One of the Rabbins, when he read what bitter torments the <HI>Me&s;&s;ias</HI> &s;hould &s;uffer, when he came into the world, cryed out <HI>Ve|niat Me&s;&s;ias at ego non videam i. e.</HI> Let the <HI>Me&s;&s;ias</HI> come, but let not me &s;ee him. <HI>Diony&s;ius</HI> be|ing in <HI>Aegypt</HI> at the time of Chri&s;ts &s;uf|fering, and &s;eeing an Eclip&s;e of the Sun, and knowing it to be contrary to nature, cry|ed out (<HI>aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina di&s;&s;olvitur</HI>) Either the God of Na|ture &s;uffered, or the frame of the world will be dl&s;|&s;olved.</NOTE> the God of Circumci&s;ion circumci&s;ed; the God that made the Heavens work|ing at <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> homely trade; that he that bindes the Devills in chaines &s;hould be tempted; that he who&s;e is the world, and the fulne&s;&s;e thereof, &s;hould hunger and thir&s;t; that the God of &s;trength &s;hould be weary, the Judge of all fle&s;h condemned, the God of life put to death; that he that is one with his Fa|ther, &s;hould cry out of mi&s;ery, <HI>my God, my God, why ha&s;t thou for&s;aken mee;</HI> that he that had the keyes of Hell and death at his girdle, &s;hould lie impri|&s;on'd in the &s;epulcher of another, hav|ing in his life time, no where to lay his head, nor after death, to lay his body; that that head, before which the Angels doe ca&s;t down their Crowns, &s;hould be crowned with thornes; and tho&s;e eyes, purer then the Sun, put out by the darkne&s;&s;e of death; tho&s;e eares, which hear nothing but Hallelujahs of Saints and Angels, to hear the bla&s;|phemies of the multitude; that face, that was fairer then the Sons of men, to be &s;pit on by tho&s;e bea&s;tly wretched <HI>Jewes;</HI> that mouth and tongue, that &s;pake as never man &s;pake, accu&s;ed for bla&s;phemy; tho&s;e hands that freely &s;wayed the Scepter of Heaven, nailed
<PB N="20" REF="22"> to the Cro&s;&s;e; tho&s;e feet like unto fine bra&s;&s;e, nailed to the Cro&s;&s;e for mans &s;ins; each &s;en&s;e annoyed, his feeling, or touching with a &s;peare and nailes;<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Tis an ex|cellent &s;aying of <HI>Bernard (quanto pro no|bis vilior tanto nobis charior</HI>) the more vilde Chri&s;t made him&s;elf for us, the more dear he ought to be to us.</NOTE> his &s;mell with &s;tinking &s;avour, being crucified about <HI>Golgatha,</HI> the place of <HI>Skulls;</HI> his ta&s;te with vinegar and gall; his hearing with reproaches; and &s;ight with his mother and Di&s;ciples be|moaning him; his &s;oule comfortle&s;&s;e, and for&s;aken; and all this for tho&s;e very &s;ins that Satan paints, and puts fine colours upon; oh how &s;hould the con&s;ideration of this &s;tir up the &s;oule again&s;t it, and worke the &s;oule to flie from it, and to u&s;e all holy meanes, whereby &s;in may be &s;ubdued, and de|&s;troyed. After <HI>Julius Cae&s;ar</HI> was mur|dered, <HI>Antonius</HI> brought forth his coat all bloody, and cut, and laid it before the people, &s;aying, look, here you have your Emperours coat thus bloo|dy, and torne; whereupon the people were pre&s;ently in an uproar, and cry|ed out to &s;lay tho&s;e murderers, and they tooke their tables and &s;tooles that were in the place, and &s;et them on fire, and ran to the hou&s;es of them that had &s;lam <HI>Cae&s;ar,</HI> and burnt them: &s;o when we con&s;ider that &s;in hath &s;laine our Lord Je&s;us, ah! how &s;hould it provoke our hearts to be revenged on &s;in, that
<PB N="21" REF="22"> hath murdered the Lord of Glory, and<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nolo vivere &s;ine vulnere cum te video vulneratum.</HI> Oh my God! as long as I &s;ee thy wounds, I will never live without wound, &s;aith <HI>Bonaventure.</HI></NOTE> hath done that mi&s;chief, that all the Devills in Hell could never have done. 'Twas good coun&s;ell one gave; never let goe out of your mindes, the thoughts of a crucified Chri&s;t; let the&s;e be meat and drinke unto you, let them be your &s;weetne&s;&s;e, and con&s;olation; your ho|ney, and your de&s;ire; your reading, and your meditation; your life, death, and re&s;urrection.</P>
<P>The third device that Satan hath to<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Device.</NOTE> draw the &s;oul to &s;in, is by extenuating, and le&s;&s;ening of &s;in; ah! &s;aith Satan, 'tis but a little pride, a little worldli|ne&s;&s;e, a little uncleanne&s;s, a little drunkenne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. As <HI>Lot</HI> &s;aid of <HI>Zoar,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 19. 20.</NOTE> <HI>it is but a little one, and my &s;oule &s;hall live;</HI> ahlas! &s;aith Satan, 'tis but a very little &s;in, that you &s;tick &s;o at, you may com|mit it without any danger to your &s;oule, 'tis but a little one, you may commit it, and yet your &s;oul &s;hall live.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this de|vice of Satan are the&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>FIr&s;t, &s;olemnly con&s;ider, that tho&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Remedy.</NOTE> &s;ins, which we are apt to account &s;mall, hath brought upon men the greate&s;t wrath of God; as the eating of an Apple; gathering a few &s;ticks on
<PB N="22" REF="23"> the Sabbaoth day, and touching of the Ark; oh! the dreadfull wrath that the&s;e &s;innes brought down, upon the<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Draco</HI> the Ri|gid Law-giv|er, being ask|ed why, when &s;ins were not equall, he ap|pointed death to all? An&s;wered, he knew that &s;ins were not all equall; but he knew the lea&s;t de|&s;erved death. So though the &s;ins of men he not all equall, yet the lea&s;t of them de&s;erves eter|nall death.</NOTE> heads, and hearts of men; the lea&s;t &s;in is contrary to the Law of God, the na|ture of God, the being of God, and the glory of God, and therefore tis often puni&s;hed &s;everely by God; and doe not we &s;ee daily the vengeance of the Almighty falling upon the bodies, names, e&s;tates, Families, and &s;oules of men for tho&s;e &s;ins, that are but little ones in their eyes. Surely, if we are not utterly left of God, and blinded by Satan, we cannot but &s;ee it. Oh! therefore, when Satan &s;aies tis but a little one, doe thou &s;ay, oh! but tho&s;e &s;ins that thou calle&s;t little, are &s;uch, that will cau&s;e God to raine Hell out of Heaven upon &s;inners, as he did upon the <HI>Sodomites.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that the giving way to a le&s;&s;e &s;in, makes way for the committing of a greater; he that to avoide a greater &s;in will yeild to a le&s;&s;er, ten thou&s;and to one, but God in Ju&s;tice will leave that &s;oule to fall into a greater; if we commit one &s;in to avoid another, 'tis ju&s;t we &s;hould avoid neither; we having not law nor power in our own hands, to keep off
<PB N="23" REF="23"> &s;in, as we plea&s;, and we by yeilding to the<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 137. ver. 9. <HI>Happy &s;hall he be that taketh and da&s;heth thy little ones again&s;t the &s;tones. Hugho's</HI> Glo&s;&s;e is pi|ous, &amp;c. (<HI>Sit nihil in te Babylonicum</HI>) Let there be nothing in thee of <HI>Baby|lon,</HI> no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> onely the grown men, but the little ones mu&s;t be da&s;h|ed again&s;t the &s;tones, not onely great &s;ins, but little &s;ins mu&s;t be killed, or they will kill the &s;oul for ever.</NOTE> le&s;&s;er, doe tempt the tempter to tempt us to the greater. Sin is of an incroach|ing nature, it creeps on the &s;oule by degrees, &s;tep by &s;tep, till it hath the &s;oule to the very height of &s;in; <HI>David</HI> gives way to his wandring eye, and this led him to tho&s;e foule &s;ins, that cau&s;ed God to breake his bones, and to turne his day into night, and to leave his &s;oule in great darkne&s;&s;e. <HI>Jocab,</HI> and <HI>Peter,</HI> and other Saints have found this true, by wofull experience, that the yeelding to a le&s;&s;er &s;in, hath been the u&s;hering in of a greater; the little thief will open the doore, and make way for the greater; and the little wedge knock't in will make way for the greater; Satan will fir&s;t draw thee to &s;it with the drunkard, and then to &s;ip with the drunkard, and then at la&s;t, to be drunke with the drunkard; he will fir&s;t draw thee to be unclean in thy thoughts, and then to be unclean in thy looks, and then to be unclean in thy words, and at la&s;t, to be unclean in thy practi&s;es; he will fi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t draw thee to looke on the golden wedge, and then to like the golden wedge, and then to handle the golden wedge; and then at la&s;t, by wicked wayes to gaine the golden wedge, though thou runne&s;t the
<PB N="24" REF="24"> hazard of loo&s;ing God, and thy &s;oul<NOTE PLACE="marg">An <HI>Italian</HI> having found his enemy at an advantage, promi&s;ed him, if he would deny his faith, he would &s;ave his life; he to &s;ave his life denyed his faith, which having done, he &s;tab'd him, rejoycing, that by this, he had, at one time, taken re|venge both on &s;oule and body.</NOTE> for ever: as you may &s;ee in <HI>Gehazi, Achan,</HI> and <HI>Judas,</HI> and many in the&s;e our dayes. Sinne is never at a &s;tand, <HI>P&s;al. 1. v.</HI> 1. Fir&s;t, <HI>ungodly,</HI> then <HI>&s;inners,</HI> then <HI>&s;corners;</HI> here they goe on from &s;in to &s;in, till they come to the top of &s;in, <HI>viz. to &s;it in the &s;eat of &s;corners,</HI> or as ris in the <HI>Septuagint</HI> (<GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">) to affect the honour of the chair of Pe&s;tilence. <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> writing upon <HI>John,</HI> tells a &s;tory of a certaine man, that was of an opi|nion, that the Devill did make the flye, and not God; &s;aith one to him, if the Devill made flies, then the Devill made wormes, and God did not make them; for they are living creatures, as well as flies; true &s;aid he, the Devil did make wormes; but &s;aid the other, if the Devil did make wormes, then he made birds, bea&s;ts, and man; he granted all: thus &s;aith <HI>Au&s;tin,</HI> by denying God in the fly, he came to deny God in man, and to deny the whole Creation; by all this we &s;ee, that the yeelding to le&s;&s;er &s;ins, drawes the &s;oul to the com|mitting of greater; Ah! how many, in the&s;e dayes have fallen, fir&s;t, to have low thoughts of <HI>Scripture,</HI> and <HI>Ordi|nances,</HI> and then to &s;light <HI>Scripture,</HI> and <HI>Ordinances,</HI> and then to make a no&s;e of wax of <HI>Scripture,</HI> and <HI>Ordinances,</HI> and
<PB N="25" REF="24"> then to ca&s;t off <HI>Scripture</HI> and <HI>Ordinances;</HI> and then at la&s;t, to advance, and lift up them&s;elves, and their Chri&s;t-di&s;ho|nouring, and &s;oul-damning opinions,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A young man being long tempted to kill his Fa|ther or lie with his mo|ther, or be drunk, he thought to yeeld to the le&s;&s;er, <HI>viz.</HI> to be drunk, that he might be rid of the greater; but when he was drunk, he did both kill his Father, and lie with his Mother.</NOTE> above <HI>Scripture</HI> and <HI>Ordinances.</HI> Sinne gaines upon mens &s;oules by in&s;en&s;ible degrees, <HI>Eccle&s;ia&s;tes 10. v. 13. The be|ginning of the words of his mouth is fooli&s;h|ne&s;&s;e, and the end of his talking is mi&s;chie|vous madne&s;&s;e:</HI> Corruption in the heart, when it breaks forth, is like a breach in the Sea, which begins in a narrow pa&s;&s;age, till it eat through, and ca&s;t down all before it. The debates of the &s;oul are quick, and &s;oone ended; and that may be done in a moment, that may undoe a man for ever. When a man hath begun to &s;in, he knowes not where, or when, or how he &s;hall make a &s;top of &s;in; u&s;ually the &s;oule goes on from evill to evill, from folly, to folly, till it be ripe for eternall mi&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ry; men u&s;ually grow from being nought, to be very nought, and from very nought to be &s;tarke nought, and then God &s;ets them at nought for ever.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this third<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Remedie.</NOTE> device, that Satan hath to draw the &s;oul to &s;in, is &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that 'tis &s;ad to &s;tand with God for a trifle; <HI>Di|ves</HI> would not give a crum, therefore<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luk 16. 21.</NOTE> he &s;hould not receive a drop; 'tis the
<PB N="26" REF="25"> greate&s;t folly in the world, to adven|ture the going to hell for a &s;mall mat|ter; <HI>I ta&s;ted but a little honey, &s;aid</HI> Jo|nathan,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 14. 43.</NOTE> <HI>and I mu&s;t dye;</HI> it is a mo&s;t un|kinde, and unfaithfull thing, to break with God for a little; little &s;ins carry with them but little temptations to &s;in,<NOTE PLACE="marg">It was a vex|ation to King <HI>Ly&s;imachus,</HI> that his &s;tay|ing to drink one &s;mall draught of water, lo&s;t him his King|dome: and &s;o it will eter|nally vex &s;om &s;ouls at la&s;t&punc; that for &s;ome one little &s;in, (compared with great tran&s;gre&s;&s;i|o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s) they have lo&s;t God Heaven, and their &s;oules for ever.</NOTE> and then a man &s;hewes mo&s;t viciou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and unkindne&s;&s;e, when he &s;ins on a lit|tle temptation; 'Tis diveli&s;h to &s;inne without a temptation, 'tis little le&s;&s;e then diveli&s;h to &s;in on a little occa&s;ion; the le&s;&s;e the temptation is to &s;in, the greater is that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">inne; <HI>Saul's</HI> &s;in in not &s;taying for <HI>Samuel,</HI> was not &s;o much in the matter, but it was much in the ma|lice of it; for though <HI>Samuel</HI> had not come at all, yet <HI>Saul</HI> &s;hould not have offered Sacrifice; but this co&s;t him dear, his Soul, and his Kingdome. 'Tis the greate&s;t unkindne&s;&s;e that can be &s;hewed to a friend, to adventure the complain|ing, bleeding, and grieving of his &s;oule, upon a light and &s;light occa&s;ion,: &s;o 'tis the greate&s;t unkindne&s;&s;e that can be &s;hewed to God, Chri&s;t, and the Spirit, for a &s;oul to put God upon complain|ing, Chri&s;t upon bleeding, and the Spi|rit upon grieving, by yeelding to little &s;ins; therefore, when Satan &s;ayes 'tis but a little one, doe thou an&s;wer, that often times there is the greate&s;t unkind|ne&s;&s;e
<PB N="27" REF="25"> &s;hewed to Gods glorious Maje&s;ty, in the acting of the lea&s;t folly, and there|fore thou wilt not di&s;plea&s;e thy be&s;t and greate&s;t friend, by yielding to his lea&s;t enemy.</P>
<P>The fourth Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that there is great danger, yea many times mo&s;t danger, in the &s;malle&s;t &s;ins;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 5. 6.</NOTE> <HI>A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump;</HI> if the Serpent wind in his head, he will draw his whole body after. Greater &s;ins doe &s;ooner &s;tartle the &s;oule, and a|waken, and rou&s;e up the &s;oul to repen|tance,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> was &s;tab'd with bodkins.</NOTE> then le&s;&s;er &s;ins doe; little &s;ins often &s;lide into the &s;oule, and breed, and work &s;ecretly, and undi&s;cernably<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pope <HI>Adrian</HI> was choaked with a <HI>Gnat.</HI></NOTE> in the &s;oule, till they come to be &s;o &s;trong, as to trample upon the &s;oule, and to cut the throat of the &s;oule; there is, oftentimes, greate&s;t danger to our bodies in the lea&s;t Di&s;ea&s;es, that hang upon us, becau&s;e we are apt to make<NOTE PLACE="marg">A Scorpion is little, yetable to &s;ting a Li|on to death; a Mou&s;eis but little, yet kil|leth an Ele|phant, if he gets up into his trunck.</NOTE> light of them, and to neglect the timely u&s;e of means for the removing of them, till they are grown &s;o &s;trong, that they prove mortall to us: &s;o there is mo&s;t danger often in the lea&s;t &s;ins, we are apt to take no notice of them, and to neg|lect tho&s;e heavenly helps, whereby they &s;hould be weakned and de&s;troyed, till they are grown up to that &s;trength that
<PB N="28" REF="26"> we are ready to cry out, the Medicine is<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Leopard being great, is poy&s;oned with a head of Garlick.</NOTE> too weak for the Di&s;ea&s;e; I would pray, and I would hear, but I am afraid that &s;in is growne up by degrees to &s;uch a head, that I &s;hall never be able to pre|vaile over it; but as I have begun to fall,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;malle&s;t errors prove many times mo&s;t danger|ous. It is as much trea&s;on to coyne pence, as big|ger pieces.</NOTE> &s;o I &s;hall utterly fall before it, and at la&s;t peri&s;h in it, unle&s;&s;e the power, and free grace of Chri&s;t doth act gloriou&s;ly, be|yond my pre&s;ent apprehen&s;ion, and ex|pectation. The Viper is killed by the little young ones that are nouri&s;hed, and cheri&s;hed in her belly: &s;o are many men eternally killed and betrayed by the lit|tle<NOTE PLACE="marg">One little mi&s;carriage doth in the eyes of the world, over|&s;haddow all a Chri&s;tians Graces, as one little cloud doth &s;ome|times over|&s;hadow the whole body of the Sun.</NOTE> &s;ins (as they call them) that are nouri&s;hed in their own bo&s;omes. I know not, &s;aith one, whether the maintenance of the lea&s;t &s;in, be not wor&s;e then the commi&s;&s;ion of the greate&s;t; for this may be of frailty, that argues ob&s;tinacy; a little hole in the Ship &s;inks it; a &s;mall breach in a Sea-bank carries away all before it; a little &s;tab at the heart kills a man, and a little &s;in without a great deale of mercy, will damn a man.</P>
<P>The fift Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>5 Remedy. Melius mori fame quam Ido|lothys is ve&s;ci,</HI> Augu&s;t. It is better to dye with hun|ger, then to eat that which is offred to Idols.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that other Saints have cho&s;en rather to &s;uf|fer the wor&s;t of torments, rather then they would commit the lea&s;t &s;in, <HI>i. e.</HI> &s;uch as the world accounts: &s;o as you may &s;ee in <HI>Daniel,</HI> and his Companions,
<PB N="29" REF="26"> that would rather chu&s;e to burne, and be ca&s;t to the Lions, then they would bow to the Image that <HI>Nebuchadnezzer</HI> had &s;et up: when this <HI>peccadillo</HI> (in the worlds account) and a hot fiery furnace &s;tood in competition, that they mu&s;t either fall into &s;in, or be ca&s;t into the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Many Hea|thens would rather dye, then cozen or cheat one another: &s;o faithfull were they one to another. Will not the&s;e ri&s;e in judgement again&s;t many Profe&s;&s;ors in the&s;e dayes, who make nothing of o|ver-reaching one another?</NOTE> fiery furnace; &s;uch was their tender|ne&s;&s;e of the honour and glory of God, and their hatred and indignation again&s;t &s;in, that they would rather burn, then &s;in; they knew that it was far better to burne for their not &s;inning, then that God and con&s;cience &s;hould rai&s;e a hell, a fire in their bo&s;omes, for &s;in. I have read of that noble &s;ervant of God, <HI>Mar|cus Arethu&s;ius,</HI> Mini&s;ter of a Church in the time of <HI>Con&s;tantine,</HI> who in <HI>Con&s;tan|tines</HI> time, had been the cau&s;e of over|throwing an Idols Temple; afterwards, when <HI>Julian</HI> came to be Emperour, he would force the people of that place to build it up again, they were ready to doe it, but he refu&s;ed; whereupon, tho&s;e that were his owne people, to whom he preached, took him, and &s;tript him of all his cloaths, and abu&s;ed his naked body, and gave it up to the Children, to lance it with their pen-knives, and then cau&s;ed him to be put in a basket, and anointed his naked body with Ho|ney, and &s;et him in the Sun, to be &s;tung
<PB N="30" REF="27"> with Wa&s;ps; and all this cruelty they &s;hewed, becau&s;e he would not doe any thing toward the building up of this Idol-Temple; nay, they came to this, that if he would doe but the lea&s;t to|wards it, if he would give but a halfe|penny to it, they would &s;ave him; but he refu&s;ed all, though the giving of a half-penny might have &s;aved his life; and in doing this, he did but live up to that principle that mo&s;t Chri&s;tians talk of, and all profe&s;&s;e, but few come up to it, <HI>viz.</HI> That we mu&s;t choo&s;e rather to &s;uffer the wor&s;t of Torments that men and Devils can invent, and inflict, then to commit the lea&s;t &s;in, whereby God &s;hould be di&s;honoured, our con&s;ciences wounded, Religion reproached, and our own &s;ouls endangered.</P>
<P>The &s;ixt Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that the &s;oule is never able to &s;tand under the guilt and weight of the lea&s;t &s;in, when God &s;hall &s;et it home upon the &s;oul; the lea&s;t &s;in will pre&s;&s;e, and &s;ink the &s;toute&s;t &s;inner as low as hell: when God &s;hall open the eyes of a &s;inner, and make him &s;ee the horrid filthine&s;&s;e, and abomina|ble vildne&s;&s;e that is in &s;in. What &s;o lit|tle, ba&s;e, and vile creatures as lice or gnats, and yet by the&s;e little, poor crea|tures, God &s;o plagued &s;tout-hearted
<PB N="31" REF="27"> <HI>Pharaoh,</HI> and all <HI>Aegypt,</HI> that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ainting under it, they were forced to cry out, <HI>This is the finger of God:</HI> When little<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 8. 16, 17, 18, 19.</NOTE> Creatures, yea the lea&s;t Creatures, &s;hall be armed with a power from God, they &s;hall pre&s;&s;e and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> down the greate&s;t, proude&s;t, and &s;toute&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> Tyrants that breath: &s;o when God &s;hall put a &s;word<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Tyrant <HI>Maximinus,</HI> who had &s;et forth his Pro|clamation in|graven in bra&s;&s;e, for the utter aboli&s;h|ing of Chri&s;t, and his Reli|gion, was eat|en of Lice.</NOTE> into the hand of a little &s;in, and arm it again&s;t the &s;oule, the &s;oule will faint and fall under it. Some, who have but projected adultery, without any actuall acting it; and others having found a trifle, and made no con&s;cience to re&s;tore it, knowing by the light of naturall Con&s;cience, that they did not doe, as they would be done by; and others, that have had &s;ome unworthy thought of God, have been &s;o frighted, amazed,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>&V;na guttula malae con&s;cien|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">iae totum mare mundani gaudii ab&s;orbet. i. e.</HI> One drop of an evill con|&s;cience &s;wal|lows up the whole &s;ea of worldly joy. How great a pain, not to be borne, comes from the prick of this &s;mall thorne, &s;aid one.</NOTE> and terrified for the&s;e &s;ins which are &s;mall (in mens account) that they have wi&s;ht they had never been, that they could take no delight in any earthly comfort; that they have been put to their wits end, ready to make away them&s;elves, wi&s;hing them&s;elves anni|hilated.</P>
<P>M^r <HI>Perkins</HI> mentions a good man, but very poor, who being ready to &s;tarve, &s;tole a Lamb, and being about to eat it, with his poor children, and (as his manner was afore meat) to crave a ble&s;|&s;ing,
<PB N="32" REF="28"> dur&s;t not doe it; but fell into a great perplexity of <HI>Con&s;cience,</HI> acknow|ledged his fault to the owner, promi&s;ing payment if ever he &s;hould be able.</P>
<P>The &s;eventh Remedy again&s;t this De|vice,<NOTE PLACE="marg">7 Remedy.</NOTE> is &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, That there is more evill in the lea&s;t &s;in, then in the greate&s;t affliction; and this appears as clear as the Sun, by the &s;evere dealing of God the Father, with his beloved Son, who let all the vials of his fierce&s;t wrath upon him, and that for the lea&s;t &s;in as well as for the greate&s;t; <HI>The wages</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Death is the hire of the lea&s;t &s;in; the be&s;t wages that the lea&s;t &s;in gives his &s;ouldiers, is death of all &s;orts; in a &s;trict &s;ence, there is no &s;in little, becau&s;e no little God to &s;in again&s;t.</NOTE> <HI>of &s;in is death,</HI> of &s;in indefinitely, whe|ther great or &s;mall; Oh! how &s;hould this make us tremble, as much at the lea&s;t &s;park of lu&s;t, as at hell it &s;elfe? Con&s;idering that God the Father would not &s;pare his bo&s;ome Son, no, not for the lea&s;t &s;in; but would make him drink the dregs of his wrath. And &s;o much for the Remedies that may fence and pre&s;erve our &s;ouls from being drawn to &s;in, by this third Device of Satan.</P>
<P>The fourth Device that Satan hath<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Device.</NOTE> to draw the &s;oul to &s;in, is, by pre&s;enting to the &s;oul the be&s;t mens &s;ins, and by hiding from the &s;oul their virtues; by &s;hewing the &s;oul their &s;ins, and by hi|ding from the &s;oul, their &s;orrow<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ep<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ntance; as by &s;etting before the &s;oul the Adultery of <HI>David,</HI> the Pride of
<PB N="33" REF="28"> <HI>Hezekia<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> the Impatience of <HI>Job,</HI> the Drunkenne&s;&s;e of <HI>Noah,</HI> the Bla&s;phemy of <HI>Peter,</HI> &amp;c. and by hiding from the &s;oul the tears, the &s;ighes, the groans, the meltings, humblings, and repentings of the&s;e precious &s;ouls.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this Device of the Devil are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that the Spirit of the Lord hath been as carefull to note the Saints ri&s;ing by re|pentance out of &s;in, as he hath to note their falling into &s;in; <HI>David</HI> falls fear|fully, but by repentance he ri&s;es &s;weet|ly. <HI>Blot out my tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, wa&s;h mee throughly from my iniquity, and clean&s;e me from my &s;in; for I acknowledge my tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ions, and my &s;in is ever before me. Purge me with Hy&s;op, and I &s;hall be clean, wa&s;h me, and I &s;hall be whiter then &s;now; deli|ver me from blood-guiltine&s;&s;e, O God, thou God of my &s;alvation.</HI> 'Tis true, <HI>Hezeki|a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">'s</HI> heart was lifted up, under the abun|dance of mercy, that God had ca&s;t in upon him; and 'tis as true, that <HI>Heze|kia<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 32. 25, 26.</NOTE> <HI>humbled him&s;elfe, for the pride of his heart: &s;o that the wrath of the Lord came not upon him, nor upon Jeru&s;alem, in the
<PB N="34" REF="29"> dayes of Hezekiah.</HI> 'Tis true, <HI>Job</HI> cur&s;es the day of his Birth, and 'tis <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> true, that he ri&s;es by repentance. <HI>Behold, I am vile</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>what &s;hall I an&s;wer thee?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job. 40. 4, 5. ch. 42. 5, 6.</NOTE> <HI>I will lay my hand upon my mouth, once have I &s;poken, but I will not an&s;wer, yea, twice, but I will proceed no further. I have heard of thee by the hearing of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">are, but now mine eye &s;eeth thee: Wherefore I abhor my</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tertullian</HI> &s;aith that he was <HI>(Nalli rei natus ni&s;i penitentiae)</HI> borne for no other pur|po&s;e, but to repent.</NOTE> <HI>&s;elfe, and repent in du&s;t and a&s;hes. Peter</HI> fals dreadfully, but ri&s;es by repentance &s;weetly; a look of love from Chri&s;t, melts him into tears; he knew that re|pentance was the key to the Kingdome of Grace. As once his Faith was &s;o great, that he leapt, as it were, into a &s;ea of waters, to come to Chri&s;t: &s;o now his repentance was &s;o great, that he leapt, as it were, into a &s;ea of tears, for<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luther</HI> con|fe&s;&s;es, that be|fore his con|ver&s;ion, he met not with a more di&s;|plea&s;ing word in allhis &s;tudy of Divinity, then Repent, but afterward he took de|light in the work (<HI>poenitens de peccaio dolet &amp; de dolore g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">udet</HI>) to &s;or|row for his &s;in, and then to rejoyce in his &s;orrow.</NOTE> that he had gone from Chri&s;t. Some &s;ay, that after his &s;ad fall, he was ever and anon weeping, and that his face was even furrowed with continual tears; he had no &s;ooner took in poy&s;on, but he vomited it up again, ere it got to the vitals; he had no &s;ooner handled this Serpent, but he turned it into a rod to &s;courge his &s;oule with remor&s;e, for &s;in|ing again&s;t &s;uch clear light, and &s;trong love, and &s;weet di&s;coveries of the heart of Chri&s;t to him. <HI>Clement</HI> notes, that <HI>Peter</HI> &s;o repented, that all his life after,
<PB N="35" REF="29"> every night, when he heard the Cock crow, he would fall upon his knees, and weeping bitterly, would beg pardon of this &s;in; Ah &s;oules! you can ea&s;ily &s;in as the Saints, but can you repent with the Saints? Many can &s;in with <HI>David</HI> and <HI>Peter,</HI> that cannot repent with <HI>Da|vid</HI> and <HI>Peter,</HI> and &s;o mu&s;t peri&s;h for ever. <HI>Theodo&s;ius</HI> the Emperour pre&s;&s;ing, that he might receive the Lords Supper, ex|cu&s;es<NOTE PLACE="marg">Theodorit. hi&s;t. l. 4. c. 17.</NOTE> his own foul fact by <HI>Davids</HI> doing the like, to which <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> replies, <HI>Thou ha&s;t followed David tran&s;gre&s;&s;ing, follow David repenting, and then think thou of the Table of the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;econd Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that the&s;e Saints did not make a trade of &s;in, they fell once, or twice (and ro&s;e by Repentance) that they might<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Saints cannot &s;in (<HI>voluntate plen&acirc; &s;ed &s;emi|plena</HI>) with a whole will, but as it were with an halfe will, an un|willing wil|lingnes, not with a full con&s;ent, but with a di&s;|&s;enting con|&s;ent.</NOTE> keep the clo&s;er to Chri&s;t for ever; they fell accidentally, occa&s;ionally, and with much reluctancy; and thou &s;inne&s;t pre|&s;umptuou&s;ly, ob&s;tinately, readily, de|lightfully, and cu&s;tomarily; thou ha&s;t by thy making a trade of &s;in, contracted upon thy &s;oul a kind of cur&s;ed nece&s;&s;ity of &s;inning, that thou can&s;t as well cea&s;e to be, or cea&s;e to live, as thou can&s;t cea&s;e to &s;in; &s;in is by cu&s;tome become as another nature to thee, which thou can&s;t not, which thou wilt not lay a&s;ide,
<PB N="36" REF="30"> though thou knowe&s;t, that if thou do&s;t not lay &s;in a&s;ide, God will lay thy &s;oul a&s;ide for ever; though thou knowe&s;t, that if &s;in and thy &s;oul doe not part, Chri&s;t and thy &s;oul can never meet; if thou wilt make a trade of &s;in, and cry out, did not <HI>David</HI> &s;in thus, and <HI>Noah</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2 Pet. 2. 14. Pro.</HI> 4, 14. 16. Though &s;in doe (<HI>habitare</HI>) dwell in the regenerate, as <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> notes, yet it doth not (<HI>regnare</HI>) reign over the regene|rate, they ri&s;e by repent|ance.</NOTE> &s;in thus, and <HI>Peter</HI> &s;in thus, <HI>&amp;c.?</HI> No, their hearts turn'd a&s;ide to folly one day, but thy heart turns a&s;ide to folly every day, and when they were fallen, they ri&s;e by repentance, and by the act|ings of Faith upon a crucified Chri&s;t, but thou falle&s;t, and ha&s;t no &s;trength, nor will to ri&s;e; but wallowe&s;t in &s;in, and wilt eternally dye in thy &s;ins, un|le&s;&s;e the Lord be the more mercifull to thy &s;oul. Do&s;t thou think, oh &s;oule, this is good rea&s;oning? Such a one ta&s;t|ed poy&s;on but once, and yet narrowly e&s;capt, but I doe daily drink poy&s;on, yet I &s;hall e&s;cape: yet &s;uch is the mad rea&s;oning of vaine &s;oules; <HI>David</HI> and <HI>Peter, &amp;c.</HI> &s;inned once foully and fear|fully, they ta&s;ted poy&s;on but once, and were &s;ick to death, but I ta&s;t it daily, and yet &s;hall not ta&s;t of eternall death. Remember, oh &s;ouls, that the day is at hand, when &s;elf-flatterers will be found &s;elf-deceivers, yea, &s;elf-murtherers.</P>
<P>The third Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider,
<PB N="37" REF="30"> that though God doth not (nor never will) di&s;inherit his people for their &s;ins, yet he hath &s;everely puni&s;hed his people for their &s;ins. <HI>David</HI> &s;ins, and God breaks his bones for his &s;in. <HI>Make me to</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;alm 51. 8. Jo&s;ephus</HI> re|ports, that not long after the Jews had cru|cified Chri&s;t on the cro&s;&s;e, &s;o many of them were condemned to be cruci|fied, that there were not places enough for cro&s;&s;es, nor cro&s;&s;es e|nough for the bodies that were to be hung thereon</NOTE> <HI>hear joy and gladne&s;&s;e, that the bones which thou ha&s;t broken, may rejoyce. And becau&s;e thou ho&s;t do<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e this, the Sword &s;hall not depart from thy hou&s;e, to the day of thy death. Though God will not utterly take from them his loving kindne&s;&s;e, nor &s;uffer his faithfull|ne&s;&s;e to faile, nor breake his Covenant, nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth, yet will he vi&s;it their tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions with a rod, and their iniquity with &s;tripes,</HI> P&s;al. 89. 30. 35. The Scripture abounds with in&s;tances of this kind; this is &s;o known a truth, among all that know any thing of truth, that to cite more Scriptures to prove it, would be to light a Candle to &s;ee the Sun at noon. The <HI>Jewes</HI> have a Proverb, that <HI>There is no puni&s;hment comes upon I&s;rael, in which there is not one ounce of the Golden Calfe:</HI> Meaning, that that was &s;o great a &s;in, as that in every plague God remembred it, that had an influence into every trouble that befell them. Every mans heart may &s;ay to him in his &s;ufferings, as the heart of <HI>Apollo|dorus</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">.</NOTE> in the kettle, <HI>I have been the cau&s;e of this.</HI> God is mo&s;t angry, when he &s;hewes no anger, God keep me from this
<PB N="38" REF="31"> mercy; this kind of mercy is wor&s;e then<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Qui non e&s;t crucianus non e&s;t chri&s;tianus,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Luther,</HI> there is not a Chri&s;tian that carries not his cro&s;&s;e.</NOTE> all other mi&s;ery. One writing to a &s;ick friend, hath this expre&s;&s;ion, <HI>I account it a part of unhappine&s;&s;e not to know adver&s;ity, I judge you to be mi&s;erable, becau&s;e you have not been mi&s;erable.</HI> 'Tis mercy that our affliction is not an execution, but a correction; he that hath de&s;erved hang|ing, may be glad if he &s;cape with a whipping. Gods corrections are our in&s;tructions, his la&s;hes our le&s;&s;ons, his<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 94. 12. Pro. 3. 12, 13. ch. 6. 23. 26. I&s;aiah 9.</NOTE> &s;courges our School-ma&s;ters, his cha|&s;ti&s;ements our adverti&s;ements; and to note this, both the Hebrewes, and the Greeks expre&s;&s;e cha&s;tening and teach|ing<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">.</NOTE> by one and the &s;ame word (<HI>mu&s;ar paideia</HI>) becau&s;e the latter is the true<NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 36. 8, 9, 10.</NOTE> end of the former, according to that in the Proverb, <HI>Smart makes wit, and vexa|tion gives under&s;tanding;</HI> whence <HI>Luther</HI> fit|ly calls affliction, <HI>The Chri&s;tians mans Di|vinity:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Theologiam chri&s;tianorum.</NOTE> &s;o &s;aith <HI>Job (Chap. 33. 16. 19) God &s;peaketh once, yea twice, yet man per|ceiveth it not, in a dream, in a vi&s;ion of the night, when deep &s;leep falleth upon men, in &s;lumbrings upon the Bed: then he openeth</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Afflictiones be|nedictiones. Ber.</HI> Afflictions are ble&s;&s;ings.</NOTE> <HI>the ears of men, and &s;ealeth their in&s;truction, that he may withdraw man from his purpo&s;e, and hide pride from man: he keepeth back his &s;oule from the pit, and his life from pe|ri&s;hing by the &s;word.</HI> When Satan &s;hall tell thee of other mens &s;ins, to draw thee
<PB N="39" REF="31"> to &s;in, doe thou then think of the &s;ame mens &s;ufferings, to keep thee from &s;in; lay thy hand upon thy heart, and &s;ay oh my &s;oul, if thou &s;inne&s;t with <HI>David,</HI> thou mu&s;t &s;uffer with <HI>David,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The fourth Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, That there are but two main ends of Gods recording of the fals of his Saints; and the one is, to keep tho&s;e from faint|ing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I have known a good man, &s;aid <HI>Bernard,</HI> who when he heard of any, that had com|mitted &s;ome notorious &s;in, he was wont to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ay with him&s;elfe (<HI>ille bodie &amp; ego cras</HI>) he fell to day, &s;o may I to morrow.</NOTE> &s;inking, and de&s;paire, under the burden of their &s;ins, who fall through weakne&s;&s;e and infirmity; and the other is, that their falls may be as Land|marks, to warn others that &s;tand, to take heed le&s;t they fall; it never entred into the heart of God to record his Childrens &s;ins, that others might be in|couraged to &s;in, but that others might be warned to look to their &s;tandings, and to hang the fa&s;ter upon the skirts of Chri&s;t, and avoid all occa&s;ions and temptations, that may occa&s;ion the &s;oul to fall, as others have fallen. When they have been left by Chri&s;t, the Lord hath made their &s;ins as Land-marks, to warn his people to take heed how they come near tho&s;e &s;ands, and rocks; tho&s;e &s;nares and baites that have been fatal to the choyce&s;t trea&s;ures, to wit, the joy, peace, comfort, and glorious enjoy|ments of the brave&s;t &s;pirits, and noble&s;t
<PB N="40" REF="32"> &s;ouls that ever &s;ailed through the ocean of this &s;infull, trouble&s;ome world; as you may &s;ee in <HI>David, Job, Peter,</HI> &amp;c. There is nothing in the world, that can &s;o notoriou&s;ly cro&s;&s;e the grand end of Gods recording of the &s;ins of his Saints, then for any from thence, to take in|couragement to &s;in, and where ever you find &s;uch a &s;oul, you may write him Chri&s;tle&s;&s;e, Gracele&s;&s;e, a &s;oul ca&s;t off by God, a &s;oule that Satan hath by the hand; and the eternall God knowes whether he will lead him.</P>
<P>The fifth Device that Satan hath, to<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Device.</NOTE> draw the &s;oul to &s;in, is, to pre&s;ent God to the &s;oul, as one made up all of mer|cy; oh! &s;aith Satan, you need not make &s;uch a matter of &s;in, you need not be &s;o fearfull of &s;in, nor &s;o unwilling to &s;in; for God is a God of mercy, a God full of mercy, a God that delights in mercy, a God that is ready to &s;hew mercy, a God that is never weary of &s;hewing merey, a God more prone to pardon his people, then to puni&s;h his people; and therefore he will not take advantage again&s;t the &s;oule, and why then, &s;aith Satan, &s;hould you make &s;uch a matter of &s;in?</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="41" REF="32">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this De|vice of Satan are the&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t Remedy is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con|&s;ider,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedy.</NOTE> that 'tis the &s;ore&s;t judgement in this world, to be left to &s;in upon any pretence what&s;oever; oh! unhappy man, when God leaveth thee to thy<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Humanum e&s;t peccare, Diaboli cum per&s;evera|re, &amp; Angelicu~ re&s;urgere</HI> (Au|&s;tin) <HI>i. e.</HI> It is a humane thing to fall into &s;in, a di|ve<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">i&s;h to per|&s;evere there|in, and an An|gellcal or &s;u|pernatural to ri&s;e from it.</NOTE> &s;elf, and doth not re&s;i&s;t thee in thy &s;ins; woe, woe to him, at who&s;e &s;ins God doth wink: when God lets the way to Hell be a &s;mooth and plea&s;ant way, that is hell on this &s;ide hell, and a dread|full &s;igne of Gods indignation again&s;t a man; a token of his rejection, and that God doth not intend good unto him; that is a &s;ad word, <HI>Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone, he will be uncoun&s;ella|ble, and uncorrigible, he hath made a match with mi&s;chiefe, he &s;hall have his belly-full of it, he falls with open eyes, let him fall at his owne perrill;</HI> and that's a terrible &s;ay|ing, <HI>So I gave them up unto their own hearts</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 81. 12. Ho&s;ea 4. 14.</NOTE> <HI>lu&s;ts, and they walked in their owne coun&s;els.</HI> A &s;oul given up to &s;in&punc; is a &s;oul <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ipe for hell, a &s;oul po&s;ting to de&s;truction. Ah<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>A me, me &s;lava Domine.</HI> Deli|ver me <HI>O Lord</HI> from that evil man, my &s;elf. <HI>Aug.</HI></NOTE> Lord! this mercy I humbly beg, that what ever thou give&s;t me up to, thou wilt not give me up to the wayes of mine own heart; if thou wilt give me up to be afflicted, or tempted, or re|proached,
<PB N="42" REF="33"> <HI>&amp;c.</HI> I will patiently &s;it down, and &s;ay, <HI>'Tis the Lord, let him doe with me what &s;eems good in his owne eyes;</HI> doe any thing with me, lay what burden thou wilt upon me, &s;o thou doe&s;t not give me up to the wayes of my own heart, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;econd Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that God is as ju&s;t, as he is mercifull: as the Scriptures &s;peak him out to be a very mercifull God, &s;o they &s;peak him<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2 Pet</HI> 2. 4, 5, 6. God hang'd them up in Gibbets, as it were, that o|thers might hear, and fear, and doe no more &s;o wic|kedly.</NOTE> out to be a very ju&s;t God; witne&s;&s;e his ca&s;ting the Angels out of Heaven, and his binding them in chains of darkne&s;&s;e, till the judgement of the great day; and witne&s;&s;e his turning <HI>Adam</HI> out of <HI>Paradi&s;e;</HI> his drowning of the old world; and his raining Hell out of Heaven upon <HI>Sodome;</HI> and witne&s;&s;e all the cro&s;&s;es, lo&s;&s;es, &s;ickne&s;&s;es, and di&s;ea&s;|es that be in the world; and witne&s;&s;e <HI>Tophet</HI> that is prepared of old, witne&s;&s;e his <HI>trea&s;uring up of wrath, again&s;t the day of wrath, unto the revelation of the ju&s;t judge|ments of God;</HI> but above all, witne&s;&s;e the pouring forth of all his wrath upon his bo&s;ome Son, when he did bare the &s;ins of his people, and cryed out, <HI>My God, my God, why ha&s;t thou for&s;aken-me?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 27. 46.</NOTE></P>
<P>The third Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that
<PB N="43" REF="33"> &s;ins again&s;t mercy, will bring the great|e&s;t, and the &s;ore&s;t judgements upon mens heads and hearts; Mercy is <HI>Alpha,</HI> Ju|&s;tice is <HI>Omega; David</HI> &s;peaking of the&s;e Attributes, placeth Mercy in the fore|ward, and Ju&s;tice in the rereward, &s;ay|ing, <HI>My Song &s;hall be of Mercy and Judge|ment;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 101. 1.</NOTE> when Mercy is de&s;pi&s;ed, then Ju|&s;tice takes the Throne. God is like a<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Quant&ograve; gradus altior tant&ograve; ca|&s;us gravior,</HI> the higher we are indignity, the more griev|ous is our fall and mi&s;ery.</NOTE> Prince, that &s;endeth not his Army a|gain&s;t Rebels, before he hath &s;ent his Pardon, and proclaimed it by a Herauld of Arms. He fir&s;t hangs out the white Flag of Mercy, if this wins men in, they are happy for ever; but if they &s;tand out, then God will put forth his red Flag of Ju&s;tice and Judgement; if the one be de&s;pi&s;ed, the other &s;hall be felt with a witne&s;&s;e; &s;ee this in the <HI>I&s;|raelites,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Deus tardus e&s;t ad iram &s;ed tarditatem gra|vitate <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">nae compen&s;at.</HI> God is &s;low to anger, but he recompen|ceth his &s;low|ne&s;&s;e with grievou&s;ne&s;&s;e of puni&s;h|ment.</NOTE> he loved them, and cho&s;e them, when they were in their blood, and mo&s;t unlovely, he multiplied them, not by means, but by miracle; for from &s;even|ty &s;ouls, they grew in few years, to &s;ix hundred thou&s;and; the more they were oppre&s;&s;ed, the more they pro&s;pered: like <HI>Camomile,</HI> the more you tread it, the more you &s;pread it; or to a <HI>Palme</HI> tree, the more it is pre&s;&s;ed, the further it &s;preadeth; or to fire, the more it is raked the more it burneth; their mer|cies came in upon them, like <HI>Job's</HI> Me&s;|&s;engers,
<PB N="44" REF="34"> one upon the neck of another.<NOTE PLACE="marg">If we abu&s;e mercy to &s;erve our lu&s;ts, then in <HI>Salvians</HI> phra&s;e, God will rain hell out of Hea|ven, rather then not vi&s;it for &s;uch &s;ins.</NOTE> <HI>He put off their &s;ackcloath, and girded them with gladne&s;&s;e, and compa&s;&s;ed them about with &s;ongs of deliverance; he carried them on the wings of Eagles, he kept them as the Apple of his eye,</HI> &amp;c. But they abu&s;ing his mercy, became the greate&s;t objects of his wrath; as, I know not the man that can reckon up their mercies: &s;o I know not the man that can &s;um up the mi&s;eries that are come upon them for their &s;ins; for as our Saviour prophe|&s;ied concerning <HI>Jeru&s;alem, That a &s;tone</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ve&s;pa&s;ian</HI> brake into their City at <HI>Cedron,</HI> where they took Chri&s;t, on the &s;ame Fea&s;t day that Chri&s;t was taken. he whipped them where they whipped Chri&s;t, he &s;old twenty Jews for a penny, as they &s;ould Chri&s;t for 30 pence 8. <HI>Andr. cat.</HI></NOTE> <HI>&s;hould not be left upon a &s;tone:</HI> &s;o it was fulfilled forty years after his A&s;cen&s;ion, by <HI>Ve&s;pa&s;ian</HI> the Emperour, and his Son, <HI>Titus,</HI> who having be&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ged <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> the <HI>Jewes</HI> were oppre&s;&s;ed with a griev|ous famine, in which their food was old &s;hooes, old leather, old hay, and the dung of Bea&s;ts; thene died partly of the Sword, and partly of the Famine, eleven hundred thou&s;and of the poorer &s;ort; two thou&s;and in one night were imbowelled, &s;ix thou&s;and were burned in a porch of the Temple, the whole, City was &s;acked and burnt, and laid levell to the ground, and ninety &s;even thou&s;and taken Captives, and applied to ba&s;e and mi&s;erable &s;ervice; as <HI>E<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;e|bius</HI> and <HI>Jo&s;ephus</HI> &s;aith: and to thi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> day, in all the parts of the world, are they
<PB N="45" REF="34"> not the off-&s;couring of the world? none le&s;&s;e belov'd, and non<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> more abhor'd, then they: And &s;o <HI>Caparnaum,</HI> that was lifted up to Heaven, was threatned to be<NOTE PLACE="marg">Men are ther|fore the wor&s;, becau&s;e they ought to be better, and &s;hall be deep|er in Hell, be|cau&s;e Heaven was offered unto them, but they would not. <HI>Ingentia bene|ficia flagitia, &s;upplicia,</HI> good turnes aggra|vate unkind|ne&s;&s;es, and mens offences are increa&s;ed by their obli|gation. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. &s;hift off, di&s;|regard.</NOTE> thrown down to Hell. No &s;ouls fall &s;o low into Hell (if they fall) as tho&s;e &s;ouls, that by a hand of mercy, are lift|ed up neare&s;t to Heaven; you flight &s;ouls that are &s;o apt to abu&s;e mercy, con&s;ider this, that in the Go&s;pel dayes, the plagues that God inflicts upon the de&s;|pi&s;ers, and abu&s;ers of mercy, are u&s;ual|ly &s;pirituall plagues; as blindne&s;&s;e of mind, hardne&s;&s;e of heart, benumedne&s;&s;e of con&s;cience, which are ten thou&s;and times wor&s;e then the wor&s;t of outward plagues that can b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">fall you, and there|fore though you may e&s;cape temporall Judgements, yet you &s;hall not e&s;cape &s;pirituall Judgements: <HI>How &s;hall we e|&s;cape if we neglect &s;o great &s;alvation?</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle. Oh! therefore, when ever Satan &s;hall pre&s;ent God to the &s;oul, as one made up all of mercy, that he may draw thee to doe wickedly, &s;ay unto him, that &s;ins again&s;t mercy will bring upon the &s;oul the greate&s;t mi&s;ery, and therefore, whatever becomes of thee, thou wilt not &s;in again&s;t mercy, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The fourth Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that though Gods generall mercy be o|ver
<PB N="46" REF="35"> all his works, yet his &s;peciall mercy<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Augu&s;tus</HI> in his &s;olemn Fea&s;ts gave trifles to &s;ome, but gold to others that his heart was mo&s;t &s;et upon: &s;o God by a hand of generall mercy, gives the&s;e (poore trifles) out|ward ble&s;&s;ings <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o tho&s;e that he lea&s;t loves, but his gold, his &s;peciall mercy is one|ly towards tho&s;e that his heart is mo&s;t &s;et upon.</NOTE> is confined to tho&s;e that are divinely qualified; &s;o in <HI>Exod. 34. 6, 7. And the Lord pa&s;&s;ed by before him, and proclaim|ed, the Lord, the Lord God, mercifull and gracious, long-&s;uffering, and abundant in goodne&s;&s;e and truth; keeping mercy for thou|&s;ands, forgiving iniquity, tran&s;gre&s;&s;ion, and &s;in, and that will by no means clear the guil|ty,</HI> Exod. 20. 6. <HI>And &s;hewing mercy unto thou&s;ands of them that love me, and keep my Commandements,</HI> P&s;al. 25. 10. <HI>All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth: unto &s;uch as keep his Covenant, and his Te|&s;timonies,</HI> P&s;al. 32. 10. <HI>Many &s;orrows &s;hall be to the wicked, but he that tru&s;teth in the Lord, mercy &s;hall compa&s;&s;e him about,</HI> P&s;al. 33. 18. <HI>Behold, the eye of the Lord is up|on them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy.</HI> P&s;al. 103. 11. <HI>For as the Heaven is high above the earth: &s;o great is his mercy to as ard them that feare him.</HI> Ver. 17. <HI>But the mercy of the Lord is from ever|la&s;ting, to everla&s;ting, upon them that feare him.</HI> When Satan attempts to draw thee to &s;in, by pre&s;enting God as a God all made up of mercy; oh! then reply, that tho Gods general mercy extends to all the works of his hand; yet his &s;peciall mercy is confined to them that are divinely qualified, to them that love h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">m, and keep his Commandements, to
<PB N="47" REF="35"> them that tru&s;t in him, that by hope hang upon him, and that fear him, and that thou mu&s;t be &s;uch a one here, or el&s;e thou can&s;t never be happy hereafter; thou mu&s;t partake of his &s;peciall mer|cy, or el&s;e eternally peri&s;h in everla&s;ting mi&s;ery, notwith&s;tanding Gods generall mercy.</P>
<P>The fifth Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that tho&s;e that were once glorious on earth, and are now triumphing in Heaven, did look upon the mercy of God, as the mo&s;t powerfull argument to pre&s;erve them from &s;in, and to fence their &s;ouls again&s;t &s;in, and not as an encouragement<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al 26. 3, 4, 5, 6.</NOTE> to &s;in. <HI>P&s;al. 26. 3, 4, 5, 6. For thy loving kindne&s;&s;e is before mine eyes, and I have walked in thy truth; I have not &s;at with vaine per&s;ons, neither will I goe in with di&s;|&s;emblers: I have hated the Congregation of evill doers, and will not &s;it with the wicked.</HI> So <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> &s;trengthens him&s;elfe again&s;t &s;in, from the remembrance of mercy. <HI>How then can I</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>doe this great</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 39. 9.</NOTE> <HI>wickedne&s;&s;e, and &s;in again&s;t God?</HI> He had fixt his eye upon mercy, and therefore &s;in could not enter, though the irons entred into his &s;oul, his &s;oul being ta|ken with mercy, was not moved by his Mi&s;tri&s;&s;es impudency; Satan knock't oft at the door, but the &s;ight of mercy
<PB N="48" REF="36"> would not &s;uffer him to an&s;wer, or o|pen: <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> like a Pearle in a Puddle, keeps his vertue &s;till. So <HI>Paul, Shall we continue in &s;in that Grace may abound? God</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 6. 1, 2. The &s;tone called <HI>P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ntau|rus,</HI> is of that vertue, that it pre&s;erves him that carries it, from taking any harm by poi&s;on; the mercy of God in Chri&s;t to our &s;ouls, is the mo&s;t pre|cious &s;tone, or Pearle<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> in the world, to pre&s;erve us from being poy&s;oned with &s;in.</NOTE> <HI>forbid; how &s;hall we that are dead to &s;in live any longer therein?</HI> There is nothing in the world, that renders a man more un|like to a Saint, and more like to Satan, then to argue from mercy to &s;infull li|berty; from Divine goodne&s;&s;e to licen|tiou&s;ne&s;&s;e; this is the Devils Logick, and in whom ever you find it, you may write, This &s;oul is lo&s;t. A man may a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> truly &s;ay, the Sea burns, or fire cools, as that free grace and mercy &s;hould make a &s;oul truly gracious to doe wickedly. So the &s;ame Apo&s;tle, <HI>I be&s;eech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye pre|&s;ent your bodies a living &s;acrifice, holy, ac|ceptable unto God, which is your rea&s;onable &s;ervice.</HI> So <HI>John, The&s;e things I write unto you, that you &s;in not;</HI> What was it that he wrote? He wrote, that <HI>we might have fellow&s;hip with the Father and his Son;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 2. 1, 2.</NOTE> and that <HI>the Blood of Chri&s;t clean&s;eth us from all &s;in:</HI> and that, <HI>if we confe&s;&s;e our &s;ins, he is ju&s;t and faith full to forgive us our &s;ins;</HI> and that, <HI>if we doe &s;in, we have an Advocate with the Father, Je&s;us Chri&s;t the righteous.</HI> The&s;e choyce favours, and mercies the Apo&s;tle holds forth, as the choyce&s;t means to pre&s;erve the &s;oul from
<PB N="49" REF="36"> &s;in, and to keep at the greate&s;t di&s;tance from &s;in, and if this won't doe it, you may write the man void of Chri&s;t, and grace, and undone for ever.</P>
<P>The &s;ixt Device that Satan hath to<NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Device.</NOTE> draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, by per&s;wading the &s;oul that the work of Repentance is <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n ea&s;ie work, and that therefore the &s;oul need not make &s;uch a matter of &s;in; why &s;uppo&s;e you do &s;in, &s;aith Satan, 'tis no &s;uch difficult thing to return, and confe&s;&s;e, and be &s;orrowfull, and beg pardon, and cry, Lord have mercy upon me; and if you doe but this, God will cut the &s;core, and pardon your &s;ins, and &s;ave your &s;ouls, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> By this Device Sa|tan draws many a &s;oul to &s;in, and makes many millions of &s;ouls &s;ervants, or ra|ther &s;laves to &s;in, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this de|vice of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t Remedy is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con|&s;ider,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>1 Remedy.</HI> Fallen man hath lo&s;t (<HI>im|perium &s;uum,</HI> and <HI>imperium &s;ui</HI>) the com|mand of him|&s;elfe, and the command of the creatures; and certainly, he that can|not command him&s;elfe, can|not repent of him&s;elfe. <HI>Da poenitentia~ &amp; po&s;tea in|dulgentiam,</HI> &s;aid dying <HI>Fulgentius.</HI></NOTE> that Repentance is a mighty work, a difficult work, a work that is above our power. There is no power below that power that rai&s;ed Chri&s;t from the dead, and that made the world, that can break the heart of a &s;inner, or turn the heart of a &s;inner; thou art as well
<PB N="50" REF="37"> melt Adamant, as to melt thine owne heart, to turn a flint into fle&s;h, as to turn thine own heart to the Lord; to rai&s;e the dead, and to make a world, as to Repent. Repentance is a flower that growes not in Natures garden. <HI>Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the Leopard his &s;pots, then may yee al&s;o doe good, that are accu&s;tomed to doe evill,</HI> Jer. 13. 23. Re|pentance is a gift that comes down from above, men are not born with Repen|tance in their hearts, as they are borne with tongues in their mouths, <HI>Acts.</HI> 5.<NOTE PLACE="marg">It was a vain brag of King <HI>Cyrus,</HI> that cau&s;ed it to be written upon his Tomb-&s;tone (<GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">) I could doe all things. So could <HI>Paul</HI> too, but it was through Chri&s;t which &s;trengthned him.</NOTE> 31. <HI>Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give Repentance to I&s;rael, and forgivene&s;&s;e of &s;ins.</HI> So in that 2 <HI>Tim. 2. 25. In meek|ne&s;&s;e in&s;tructing them that oppo&s;e them&s;elves, if God peradventure will give them repent|ance, to the acknowledging of the truth.</HI> 'Tis not in the power of any mortall to re|pent at plea&s;ure: Some ignorant, de|luded &s;ouls vainly conceit that the&s;e five words, <HI>Lord have mercy upon me,</HI> are efficacious to &s;end them to Heaven; but as many are undone by buying a coun|terfeit Jewell: &s;o many are in Hell, by mi&s;take of their Repentance; many re&s;t in their Repentance, though it be but the &s;hadow of Repentance, which cau&s;ed one to &s;ay, Repentance damneth more then &s;in.</P>
<PB N="51" REF="37">
<P>The &s;econd Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 R<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">medy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider of the nature of true Repentance; Re|pentance is &s;ome other thing then what vain men conceive. Repentance is &s;ome|times taken in a more &s;trict and narrow<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Hebrew word for Re|pentance, is <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> from <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> w^c^h &s;ignifies to returne, implying a going back from what a man had don, it notes a re|turning or converting from one thing to ano|ther, from &s;in to God. The Greeks have two words, by which they expre&s;&s;e the nature of re|pentance, one is <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, which &s;ignifies to be carefull, anxi|ous, &s;olicitous after a thing is done; the other word is <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, is <HI>re&s;ipi&s;centia,</HI> after-wit, or after-wi&s;dom, the minds re|covering of wi&s;dome, or growing wi&s;er after our fol|ly. <HI>Ab <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> dementia &amp; <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> po&s;t,</HI> it being the cor|rection of mens folly, and returning <HI>ad &s;anam men|tem.</HI> True re|pentance is a thorough change, both of the mind and manners, <HI>optima &amp; ap|ti&s;&s;ima poeni|tentia e&s;t nova vita,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Luther,</HI> which &s;aying is an excellent &s;ay|ing. Repent|ance for &s;in is nothing worth, with|out repent|ance from &s;in. If thou re|pent with a contradiction (&s;aith <HI>Tertul|lian</HI>) God will pardon thee with a con|tradiction; thou repent|e&s;t, and yet continue&s;t in thy &s;in, God will pardon thee, and yet &s;end thee to Hell; there's a pardon with a contradicti|on. Negative goodne&s;&s;e &s;erves no mans turn to &s;ave him from the axe. It is &s;aid of <HI>Ithacus,</HI> that the hatred of the <HI>Pri&s;cillian</HI> Here&s;ie, was all the vertue that he had. The evill &s;er|vant did not riot out his Talent. Tho&s;e Reprobates, <HI>Mat.</HI> 25. rob|bed not the Saints, but relieved them not; for this they mu&s;t eternal|ly perish</NOTE> &s;en&s;e, for godly &s;orrow; &s;ometimes Repentance is taken in a large &s;en&s;e, for Amendment of Life. Repentance hath in it three things, <HI>viz.</HI> the <HI>Act,</HI> the <HI>Sub|ject,</HI> and the <HI>Termes.</HI></P>
<P N="1">1. The formall <HI>Act</HI> of Repentance is a changing, and converting; 'tis often &s;et forth in Scripture by Turning, <HI>Turne thou me, and I &s;hall be turned,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Ephra|im; after that I was turned, I repented,</HI> &s;aith he; 'tis a turning from darkne&s;&s;e to light.</P>
<P N="2">2. The <HI>Subject</HI> changed, and conver|ted, is the whole man; 'tis both the &s;inners heart and life: fir&s;t his heart, then his life; fir&s;t his per&s;on, then his practice and conver&s;ation. <HI>Wa&s;h yee, make you cleane;</HI> there's the change of their per&s;ons; <HI>put away the evill of your doings from before mine eyes; cea&s;e to doe evill, learne to do well;</HI> there's the change of their practi&s;es: So <HI>Ca&s;t away</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Ezekiel) all your tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, whereby you have tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed;</HI> there's the change of the life; <HI>and make you a new heart, and a new &s;pirit,</HI> there's the change of the</P>
<PB N="52" REF="38">
<P N="3">3. The <HI>Tearmes</HI> of this change, and conver&s;ion from which, and to which, both heart and life mu&s;t be changed from all &s;in, to God; the heart mu&s;t be changed from the &s;tate and power of &s;in, the life from the acts of &s;in, but both un|to God, the heart to be under his power in a &s;tate of grace, the life to be under his rule, in all new obedience, as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks, <HI>To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkne&s;&s;e to light, and from the power of &s;atan unto God:</HI> &s;o the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> &s;aith, <HI>Let the wicked for&s;ake their wayes, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him returne unto the Lord.</HI> Thus much of the nature of Evangelicall Re|pentance. Now &s;oules, tell me whither it be &s;uch an ea&s;ie thing to repent, as Satan doth &s;ugge&s;t; be&s;ides what hath been &s;poken, I de&s;ire that you will take notice, that Repentance doth include a turning from the mo&s;t darling &s;in: <HI>Ephraim</HI> &s;hall &s;ay, <HI>What have I to doe any more with Idols?</HI> Yea, it's a turning from all &s;in to God. <HI>Ezek. 18. 30. Therefore I will judge you, O Hou&s;e of I&s;rael, every one according to his wayes, &s;aith the Lord God: repent, and turne your &s;elves from all your tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions: &s;o iniquity &s;hall not be your ruine. Herod</HI> turn'd from ma|ny, but turn'd not from his <HI>Herodias,</HI> which was his ruine; <HI>Judas</HI> turn'd
<PB N="53" REF="38"> from all vi&s;ible wickednes, yet he would not ca&s;t out that golden Devil Cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and therefore was ca&s;t into the hotte&s;t place in Hell. He that turnes not from every &s;in, turnes not aright from any one &s;in; every &s;in &s;trikes at the Honour of God, the Being of God, the Glory of God, the Heart of Chri&s;t, the Joy of the Spirit, and the Peace of a mans Con&s;cience; and therefore a &s;oul truly penitent, &s;trikes at all, hates all, conflicts with all; and will labour to draw &s;trength from a crucified Chri&s;t to crucifi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> all; a true penitent knowes neither father nor mother, neither right eye, nor right hand, but will pluck out the one, and cut off the other. <HI>Saul</HI> &s;pa|red but one <HI>Ag<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">g,</HI> and that co&s;t him his &s;oul and his Kingdome: be&s;ides, Re|pentance is not onely a turning from all &s;in, but al&s;o a turning to all good, to a love of all good, to a prizing of all good, and to a following after all good. <HI>Ezek. 18. 21. But if the wicked will turne from all his &s;ins that he hath committed, and keep all my Statutes, and doe that which is lawfull and right, he &s;hall &s;urely live, be &s;hall not die;</HI> that is, onely negative righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e and holine&s;&s;e is no righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e nor holine&s;&s;e; <HI>David</HI> fulfilled all the wills of God, and had re&s;pect unto all his Commandements, and &s;o had
<PB N="54" REF="39"> <HI>Zacharias</HI> and <HI>Elizabeth.</HI> 'Tis not enough that the Tree bears not ill fruit; but, <HI>it mu&s;t bring forth good fruit,</HI> el&s;e, <HI>it mu&s;t be cut downe, and ea&s;t into the fire:</HI> So, 'tis not enough that you are not thus and thus wicked, but you mu&s;t be thus and thus gracious, and good, el&s;e Divine Ju&s;tice will put the Axe of Divine Ven|geance to the root of your &s;ouls, and cut you off for ever. <HI>Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn downe, and ca&s;t into the fire;</HI> be&s;ides, Repentance doth include a &s;en&s;iblene&s;&s;e of &s;ins &s;infulne&s;&s;e, how oppo&s;ite and contrary 'tis to the ble&s;&s;ed God: God is light, &s;in is dark|ne&s;&s;e, God is life, &s;in is death, God is Heaven, &s;in is hell, God is beauty, &s;in is deformity. Al&s;o true Repentance in|cludes a &s;en&s;iblenes of &s;ins mi&s;chievou&s;|ne&s;&s;e, how it ca&s;t Angels out of Heaven, and <HI>Adam</HI> out of Paradi&s;e; how it laid the fir&s;t corner-&s;tone in hell, and brought in all the cur&s;es, cro&s;&s;es, and mi&s;eries, that be in the world, and how it makes men liable to all temporall, &s;pirituall, and eternall wrath; how it hath made men Godle&s;&s;e, Chri&s;tle&s;&s;e, hopele&s;&s;e, and heavenle&s;&s;e in this world: further, true repentance doth include &s;orrow for &s;in, contrition of heart; it breaks the heart with &s;ighes and &s;obs, and groans, for that a loving God, and Father is by &s;in
<PB N="55" REF="39"> offended, a ble&s;&s;ed Saviour a fre&s;h cru|cified, and the &s;weet Comforter, the Spi|rit,<NOTE PLACE="marg">True repent|ance is a &s;or|rowing for &s;in as it is <HI>offen&s;i|vum Dei, aver|&s;ivum &agrave; Deo,</HI> this both comes from God, &amp; drives a man to God, as it did the Church in the <HI>Canti|cles,</HI> and the Prodigall. <HI>Ezek. 20. 22, 23.</HI></NOTE> grieved and vexed. Again, Repen|tance doth include, not onely a loath|ing of &s;in, but al&s;o a loathing of our &s;elves for &s;in; as a man doth not onely loath poy&s;on, but he loaths the very di&s;h or ve&s;&s;el that hath the &s;mell of the poy&s;on: &s;o a true Penitent doth not onely loath his &s;in, but he loaths him|&s;elfe, the ve&s;&s;el that &s;till &s;mels of &s;in. So <HI>Ezek. 20. 43. And there &s;hall ye remember your wayes and all your doings, wherein yee have been defiled; and ye &s;hall loath your &s;elves in your owne &s;ight, for all your evills that ye have committed;</HI> true Repentance will work your hearts, not onely to loath your &s;ins, but al&s;o to loath your &s;elves. Againe, true Repentance doth not onely work a man to loath him&s;elf for his &s;ins, but it makes him a&s;ham'd of his &s;in al&s;o. <HI>What fruit have ye of tho&s;e things, whereof ye are (now) a&s;hamed?</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle: &s;o <HI>Ezekiel, And thou &s;halt be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, becau&s;e of thy &s;hame, when I am pacified toward thee, for all that thou ha&s;t done, &s;aith the Lord God.</HI> When a pen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|tentiall &s;oul &s;ees his &s;ins pardoned, the anger of God pacified, and Divine Ju|&s;tice &s;atisfied, then he &s;its down (and blu&s;hes, as the Hebrew hath it) as one
<PB N="56" REF="40"> a&s;hamed; yea, true Repentance doth<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Quantum di&s;|plicet Deo im|munditia pec|ca<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">, in tantum placet deo eru|hi&s;centia poeni|tentis.</HI> Ber. <HI>i. e.</HI> So much the more God hath been di&s;plea&s;ed with the blackne&s;&s;e of &s;in, the more will he be plea&s;ed with the blu&s;hing of the &s;inner. They that do not burn now in zeale again&s;t &s;in, mu&s;t ere long burne in Hell for &s;in.</NOTE> work a man to cro&s;&s;e his &s;infull &s;elf, and to walk contrary to &s;infull &s;elfe, to take a holy revenge upon &s;in, as you may &s;ee in <HI>Paul,</HI> the Jaylor, <HI>Mary Magdalen,</HI> and <HI>Mana&s;&s;es;</HI> this the Apo&s;tle &s;hewes in that 2 <HI>Cor. 7. 10, 11. For godly &s;orrow work|eth repentance never to be repented of, but the &s;orrow of the world worketh death; for behold the &s;elfe&s;ame thing that ye &s;orrowed after a Godly &s;ort, what carefullne&s;&s;e it wrought in you; yea, what clearing of your &s;elves; yea, what indignation; yea, what feare; yea, what vehement de&s;ire; yea, what zeale; yea, what revenge.</HI> Now &s;ouls, &s;um up all the&s;e things together, and tell me, whether it be &s;uch an ea&s;ie thing to repent, as Satan would make the &s;oul to beleeve; and I am confident your hearts will an&s;wer, that 'tis as hard a thing to repent, as 'tis to make a world, or to rai&s;e the dead. I &s;hall conclude this &s;econd Remedy, with a worthy &s;ay|ing of a precious holy man, Repentance (&s;aith he) &s;trips us &s;tark naked of all the garments of the old <HI>Adam,</HI> and leaves not &s;o much as the &s;hirt behind; in this rotten building it leaves not a &s;tone upon a &s;tone. As the Flood drown|ed <HI>Noa'hs</HI> own friends, and &s;ervants: &s;o mu&s;t the flood of repenting tears drown our &s;weete&s;t, and mo&s;t profitable &s;ins.</P>
<PB N="57" REF="40">
<P>The third Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that Repentance is a continued act; the word Repent, implies the continuation of it. True Repentance inclines a mans<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>An&s;elme</HI> in his Meditations confe&s;&s;eth, that all his life was either damnable for &s;in commit|ted, or unpro|fitable for good omitted and at la&s;t concludes (<HI>Quid re&s;tat o peccat<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">r ni&s;i ut in tota vita tua deplores totam vitam tuam</HI>) Oh what then remaines, but in our whole life, to lament the &s;ins of our whole life.</NOTE> heart to perform Gods Statutes always, even unto the end; a true Penitent mu&s;t goe on, from Faith, to Faith, from &s;trength to &s;trength, he mu&s;t never &s;tand &s;till, nor turne back; Repentance is a grace, and mu&s;t have its daily operation, as well as other graces; true Repentance is a continued &s;pring, where the waters of godly &s;orrow are alwayes flowing; <HI>My &s;ins are ever before me;</HI> a true peni|tent is often ca&s;ting his eyes back to the dayes of his former vanity, and this makes him morning and evening <HI>to wa|ter his couch with his tears: Remember not again&s;t me the &s;ins of my youth,</HI> &s;aith one ble&s;&s;ed Penitent; and <HI>I was a bla&s;phemer, and a per&s;ecuter, and injurious,</HI> &s;aith ano|ther Penitent: Repentance is a conti|nued act of turning, a Repentance ne|ver to be repented of, a turning never to turne again to folly; a true penitent hath ever &s;omething within him to turn from he can never get near enough to God, no, not &s;o near him as once he was; and therefore he is &s;till turning and turning, that he may get nearer and nearer to him; that is his chiefe&s;t
<PB N="58" REF="41"> good, and his onely happine&s;&s;e (<HI>optimum</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">'Tis truly &s;aid of God, that he is <HI>omnia &s;u|per omnia.</HI></NOTE> <HI>maximum</HI>) the be&s;t, and the greate&s;t; they are every day a crying out, <HI>O wret|ched men that we are, who &s;hall deliver us from this body of death?</HI> They are &s;till &s;en&s;ible of &s;in, and &s;till conflicting with &s;in, and &s;till &s;orrowing for &s;in, and &s;till loathing of them&s;elves for &s;in; Repent|ance is no tran&s;ient act, but a continu|ed act of the &s;oul; and tell me, oh temp|ted &s;oule! whether it be &s;uch an ea&s;ie thing, as Satan would make thee believe, to be every day a turning, more and more from &s;in, and a turning nearer and nearer to God, thy choice&s;t ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e. A true Penitent can as ea&s;ily content him&s;elfe with one act of faith, or one act of love, as he can content him&s;elfe with one act of Repentance. A Jewi&s;h <HI>Rabbie</HI> pre&s;&s;ing the practice of Repent|ance upon his Di&s;ciples, exhorting them to be &s;ure to Repent the day before they dyed; one of them replyed, that the day of any mans death was very uncer|taine; Repent therefore, every day (&s;aid the <HI>Rabbin</HI>) and then you &s;hall be &s;ure to repent the day before you dye; you are wi&s;e, and know how to apply it to your own advantage.</P>
<P>The fourth Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that if the work of Repentance were
<PB N="59" REF="41"> &s;uch an ea&s;ie work, as Satan would<NOTE PLACE="marg">If thou be backward in the thoughts of Repent|ance, be for|ward in the thoughts of Hell; the flames where|of, onely the &s;treams of the penitent eye can extin|gui&s;h. <HI>Tertul.</HI></NOTE> make it to be; then certainly &s;o many would not lye roaring, and crying out (of wrath and eternall ruine) under the horrours and terrours of con&s;cience, for not repenting; yea, doubtle&s;&s;e, &s;o many millions would not goe to hell for not Repenting, if 'twere &s;uch an ea&s;ie thing to repent: Ah! doe not poor &s;ouls under horrours of con&s;cience, cry out, and &s;ay, were all this world a lump of gold, and in our hand to di&s;po&s;e of, we would give it for the lea&s;t dram of true Repentance, and wilt thou &s;ay, it is an ea&s;ie thing to repent? When a poor &s;inner, who&s;e Con&s;cience is awa|kened, &s;hall judge the exchange of all the world, for the lea&s;t dram of Repent|ance, to be the happie&s;t exchange that ever &s;inner made, tell me, oh &s;oul! is it<NOTE PLACE="marg">Oh how &s;halt thou <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ear, and rend thy &s;elf? how &s;halt thou lament fruitle&s;&s;e re|penting? what wilt thou &s;ay? woe is me, that I have not ca&s;t off the burden of &s;in; woe is me, that I have not wa&s;hed away my &s;pots, but a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> now pier|ced with mine iniquities, now have I lo&s;t the &s;ur|pa&s;&s;ing joy of Angels. <HI>Ba&s;il.</HI></NOTE> good going to hell? is it good dwel|ling with the devouring fire? with e|verla&s;ting burnings? Is it good to be for ever &s;eperated from the ble&s;&s;ed and glorious pre&s;ence of God, Angels, and Saints? And to be for ever &s;hut out from tho&s;e good things of eternall life? which are &s;o many, that they exceed number, &s;o great, that they exceed mea|&s;ure&punc; &s;o precious, that they exceed all e&s;timation; we know, 'tis the greate&s;t mi&s;ery that can befall the &s;ons of men;
<PB N="60" REF="42"> and would they not prevent this by Re|pentance, if it were &s;uch an ea&s;ie thing to repent, as Satan would make it? well then, doe not run the hazard of loo&s;ing God, Chri&s;t, Heaven, and thy &s;oul for ever, by hearkening to this Device of Satan, <HI>viz.</HI> That it is an ea&s;ie thing to Repent, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> If it be &s;o ea&s;ie, why then doe wicked mens hearts &s;o ri&s;e again&s;t them, that pre&s;&s;e the Doctrine of repent|ance in the &s;weete&s;t way, and by the &s;tronge&s;t and the choice&s;t Arguments that the Scripture doth afford? And why doe they kill two at once? The faithfull Labourers name, and their own &s;ouls, by their wicked words and act|ings, becau&s;e they are put upon repent|ing, which Satan tells them is &s;o ea&s;ie a thing: &s;urely, were repentance &s;o ea&s;ie, wicked men would not be &s;o much en|raged when that doctrine is by evangeli|call con&s;iderations pre&s;t upon them.</P>
<P>The fift Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that to repent of &s;in is as great a work of grace, as not to &s;in. By our &s;infull falls the powers of the &s;oule are weakned, the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Yet it is bet|ter to be kept from &s;in, then cu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ed of &s;in by Repent|ance, as it is better for a man to be pre&s;erved from a di&s;ea&s;e then to be cured of the di&s;ea&s;e.</NOTE> &s;trength of grace is decayed, our eviden|ces for Heaven are blotted, feares and doubts in the &s;oul are rai&s;ed (will God once more pardon this &s;carlet &s;in, and &s;hew mercy to this wretched &s;oul) and
<PB N="61" REF="42"> corruptions in the heart are more ad|vantaged, and confirmed, and the con|&s;cience of a man after falls, is the more inraged, or the more benummed; now for a &s;oul, notwith&s;tanding all this, to repent of his falls, this &s;hewes, that 'tis as great a work of grace to repent of &s;in, as 'tis not to &s;in. Repentance is the vomit of the &s;oul, and of all Phy&s;ick, none &s;o difficult, and hard, as 'tis to vo|mit; the &s;ame means that tends to pre|&s;erve the &s;oul from &s;in, the &s;ame means works the &s;oul to ri&s;e by Repentance, when 'tis fallen into &s;in: We know, the mercy and loving kindne&s;&s;e of God, is one &s;peciall means to keep the &s;oul from &s;in, as <HI>David</HI> &s;pake, <HI>Thy loving kind|ne&s;&s;e is alwayes before mine eyes, and I have</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 26. 3, 4, 5.</NOTE> <HI>walked in thy truth; I have not &s;at with vain per&s;ons, neither will I go in with di&s;&s;emblers. I have hated the Congregation of evill doers, and will not &s;it with the wicked:</HI> So by the &s;ame means the &s;oul is rai&s;ed, by Re|pentance out of &s;in, as you may <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ee in <HI>Mary Magdalen,</HI> who loved much, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 7. 37, 38, 39, &amp;c. Ho&s; 6. 1, 2.</NOTE> wept much, becau&s;e much was forgiven her: &s;o tho&s;e in <HI>Ho&s;ea, Come, let us re|turne unto the Lord, for he hath torne, and he will heale us; he hath &s;mitten, and he will binde us up: after two dayes he will re|vive us, in the third day he will rai&s;e us up, and we &s;hall live in his &s;ight;</HI> or before his
<PB N="62" REF="43"> face, as the Hebrew hath it, <HI>i. e.</HI> in his<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"></NOTE> favour, confidence in Gods mercy, and love, that he would heal them, and bind up their wounds, and revive their deje|cted &s;pirits, and cau&s;e them to live in his favour, was that which did work their hearts to repent, and return unto him; I might further &s;hew you this truth in many other perticulars; but this may &s;uffice: onely remember this in the gnerall, that there is much of the power of God, and love of God, and faith in God, and fear of God, and care to plea&s;e God, and zeale for the glory of God, requi&s;ite to work a man to re|pent<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 7. 11.</NOTE> of &s;in, as there is to keep a man from &s;in, by which you may ea&s;ily judge, that to repent of &s;in, is as great a work, as not to &s;in; and now tell me, oh &s;oul! is it an ea&s;ie thing not to &s;in? we know then certainly, 'tis not an ea&s;ie thing to repent of &s;in.</P>
<P>The &s;ixt Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that he that now tempts thee to &s;in, upon this account, that repentance is ea&s;ie, will ere long, to work thee to de&s;paire,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Beda</HI> tells of a certain great man, that was admoni&s;hed in his &s;icknes to repent, who an&s;wer'd, that he would not repent yet, for if he &s;hould reco|ver, his com|panions would laugh at him, but growing &s;ick|er and &s;icker, his friends pre&s;&s;ed him again to re|pent; bu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">then he told them it was toolate (<HI>Quia jam ju|dicatus &s;um &amp; condemnatus</HI>) for now (&s;aid he) I am jud|ged, and con|demned.</NOTE>
<PB N="63" REF="43"> to &s;ay, we are thine, and we mu&s;t follow thee; Now Satan will help to work the &s;oul to look up, and &s;ee God angry, and to look inward, and &s;ee Con&s;cience accu&s;ing and condemning; and to look downwards, and &s;ee Hells mouth open to receive the impenitent &s;oul, and all this to render the work of repentance impo&s;&s;ible to the &s;oul; what, &s;aith Sa|tan, doe&s;t thou think that that is ea&s;ie which the whole power of grace cannot conquer, while we are in this world? Is it ea&s;ie, &s;aith Satan, to turn from &s;ome outward act of &s;in, to which thou ha&s;t been addicted? Do&s;t thou not remem|ber that thou ha&s;t often complained a|gain&s;t &s;uch and &s;uch particular &s;ins, and re&s;olved to leave them, and yet to this hour thou ha&s;t not, thou can&s;t not? What will it then be to turn from every &s;in? Yea, to mortifie, and cut off tho&s;e &s;in<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, tho&s;e darling lu&s;ts, that are as joynts and members, that be as right hands, and right eyes? Ha&s;t thou not loved thy &s;ins above thy Saviour? Ha&s;t thou not preferred earth before Heaven? Ha&s;t thou not all along neglected the means of Grace, and de&s;pi&s;ed the offers of Grace, and vexed the &s;pirit of Grace? There would be no end if I &s;hould &s;et before thee the infinit evils that thou ha&s;t committed, and the innumerable
<PB N="64" REF="44"> good &s;ervices that thou ha&s;t omitted,<NOTE PLACE="marg">As one <HI>Lama|chus</HI> a Com|mander &s;aid, to one of his &s;ouldiers, that was brought before him for a misbe|haviour, who pleaded he would doe &s;o no more, &s;aith he (<HI>Non li cet in bello bis pecca|re</HI>) no man mu&s;t offend twice in war: &s;o God will not &s;uffer men often to neg|lect the day of grace.</NOTE> and the frequent checks of thy owne Con&s;cience, that thou ha&s;t contemned, and therefore thou maye&s;t well con|clude, that thou can&s;t never repent, that thou &s;halt never repent; now &s;aith Sa|tan, doe but a little con&s;ider thy num|berle&s;&s;e &s;ins, and the greatne&s;&s;e of thy &s;ins, the foulne&s;&s;e of thy &s;ins, the hain|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e of thy &s;ins, the circum&s;tances of thy &s;ins, and thou &s;halt ea&s;ily &s;ee, that tho&s;e &s;ins that thou thoughte&s;t to be but motes, are indeed mountaines; and is it not now in vain to repent of them? Surely &s;aith Satan, if thou &s;houlde&s;t &s;eek repentance and grace with tears, as <HI>E&s;au,</HI> thou &s;halt not find it; thy gla&s;&s;e is out, thy &s;un is &s;et, the door of mercy is &s;hut, the golden Scepter is taken in, and now thou that ha&s;t de&s;pi&s;ed mercy, &s;halt be for ever de&s;troyed by Ju&s;tice; for &s;uch a wretch as thou art to attempt repent|ance, is to attempt a thing impo&s;&s;ible; 'tis impo&s;&s;ible that thou, that in all thy life coulde&s;t never conquer one &s;inne, &s;houlde&s;t ma&s;ter &s;uch a numberles num|ber of &s;ins, which are &s;o near, &s;o dear, &s;o nece&s;&s;ary, and &s;o profitable to thee, that have &s;o long bedded and boarded with thee, that have been old acquaint|ance and companions with thee; ha&s;t thou not often purpo&s;ed, promi&s;ed,
<PB N="65" REF="44"> vowed, and re&s;olved to enter upon the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Repentanceis a work that mu&s;t be time|ly done, or men are ut|terly undone for ever. <HI>Aut poenitendum aut pereundum.</HI></NOTE> practice of repentance, but to this day coulde&s;t never attain it: Surely 'tis in vain to &s;trive again&s;t the &s;treame, where it is &s;o impo&s;&s;ible to overcome; thou art lo&s;t, and ca&s;t for ever to hell, thou mu&s;t to hell, thou &s;halt; ah &s;ouls! he that now tempts you to &s;in, by &s;ugge&s;t|ing to you the ea&s;ine&s;&s;e of repentance, will at la&s;t, to work you to de&s;paire, pre&s;ent repentance as the harde&s;t work in all the world, and a work as far a|bove man, as Heaven is above Hell, as light is above darkne&s;&s;e. Oh! that you were wi&s;e, to break off your &s;ins, by timely repentance.</P>
<P>Now the &s;eventh Device that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">7 Device.</NOTE> hath to draw the &s;oul to &s;in, is, by ma|king the &s;oul bold to venture upon the occa&s;ions of &s;in. Saith Satan, you may walk by the Harlots door, though you won't goe into the Harlots bed; you may &s;it and &s;ip with the drunkard, tho you won't be drunk with the drunkard; you may look upon <HI>Jezabels</HI> beauty, and you may play and toy with <HI>Dali|loh,</HI> though you doe not commit wick|edne&s;&s;e with the one, or the other; you may with <HI>Achan</HI> handle the golden wedge, though you doe not &s;teale the golden wedge, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="66" REF="45">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this Device are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t Remedy, is, &s;olemnly to<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedy.</NOTE> dwell upon tho&s;e Scriptures that doe expre&s;sly command us to avoid the occa&s;ions of &s;in, and the lea&s;t appearance of evill. 1 <HI>The&s;&s;. 5. 22. Ab&s;taine from all</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Epiphanius</HI> &s;aith, that in the old Law, when any dead body was carried by any hou&s;e, they were in|joyn'd to &s;hut their doors and windows.</NOTE> <HI>appearance of evill;</HI> what&s;oever is hete|rodox, un&s;ound, and un&s;avory, &s;hun it, as you would doe a Serpent in your way, or poy&s;on in your meats. <HI>Theodo|&s;ius</HI> tare the <HI>Arrians</HI> Arguments, pre&s;ent|ed to him in writing, becau&s;e he found them repugnant to the Scriptures; and <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> retracted even <HI>Ironies</HI> onely, becau&s;e they had the appearance of ly|ing. When God had commanded the Jewes to ab&s;tain from <HI>Swines</HI> fle&s;h, they would not &s;o much as name it, but in their common talk would call a <HI>Sow</HI> a|nother thing. To ab&s;tain from all ap|pearance of evill, is to doe nothing wherein &s;in appears, or which hath a &s;hadow of &s;in. <HI>Bernard</HI> glo&s;&s;eth finely,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Quicquid e&s;t male celoratu~.</NOTE> Whatever is of an ill &s;hew, or of ill re|port, that he may neither wound con|&s;cience, nor credit; we mu&s;t &s;hun, and be &s;hie of the very &s;hew and &s;hadow of &s;inne, if either we tender our credit a|broad, or our comfort at home. It was
<PB N="67" REF="45"> good coun&s;ell that <HI>Livia</HI> gave her Hus|band<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Socrates</HI> &s;pea|keth of two young men that flung a|way their belts, when being in an I|dols Temple, the lu&s;trating water fell up|on them, de|te&s;ting &s;aith the Hi&s;torian, the garment &s;ported by the fle&s;h.</NOTE> <HI>Augu&s;tus;</HI> it behoveth thee, not onely not to doe wrong, but not to &s;eeeme to doe &s;o, &amp;c. So <HI>Jude 23. v. And others &s;ave with fear pulling them out of the fire, hating even the garment &s;potted by the fle&s;h.</HI> 'Tis a phra&s;e taken from le|gall uncleane&s;&s;e, which was contracted by touching the hou&s;es, the ve&s;&s;ells, the garments of uncleane per&s;ons. Under the Law men might not touch a men|&s;trous cloath, nor God would not ac|cept of a &s;potted peace-offering. So we mu&s;t not onely hate, and avoid gro&s;&s;e &s;ins, but every thing that may carry a &s;avor, or &s;u&s;prition of &s;in; we mu&s;t ab|hor the very &s;ignes and tokens of &s;in; &s;o in <HI>Proverbs 5. ver. 8. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the doore of her hou&s;e.</HI> He that would not be burnt mu&s;t dread the fire; Hee that would not heare the bell, mu&s;t not meddle with the rope. To venture upon the occa&s;ion of &s;in, and then to pray, lead us not into<NOTE PLACE="marg">One &s;aid, as oft as I have been among vaine men, I returned home le&s;&s;e a man then I was before.</NOTE> temptation, is all one, as to thru&s;t thy finger into the fire, and then to pray that it might not be burnt. So in the 4. <HI>Prov.</HI> 14. 15. you have another com|mand, <HI>Enter not in the path of the wicked, and goe not in the way of evell men, avoid it, and pa&s;&s;e not by it, turne from it, and pa&s;&s;e away.</HI> This triple gradation of <HI>Solomon</HI>
<PB N="68" REF="46"> &s;heweth with a great Empha&s;ie, how ne|ce&s;&s;ary it is for men, to flee from all ap|pearance of &s;in: as the Sea-man &s;huns &s;ands, and &s;helves, and as men &s;hun tho&s;e, that have the plague-&s;ores run|ning upon them: as weeds doe endanger the corne, as bad humor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> doe endanger the bloud, or as an infected hou&s;e doth indanger the neighbourhood: &s;o doth the company of the bad endanger tho&s;e that are good; intirene&s;&s;e with wicked conforts, is one of the &s;tronge&s;t chaines of hell, and bindes us to a participation, both of &s;in and puni&s;hment.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that ordinarily there is no conque&s;t over &s;in, without the &s;oule turnes from the occa|&s;ion of &s;in; 'tis impo&s;&s;ible for that man to get the conque&s;t of &s;in, that playes and &s;ports with the occa&s;ions of &s;in; God will not remove the tentation, ex|cept<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Fable &s;aith, that the Butterflie asked the Owle how he &s;hould deale with the fire, which had &s;inged her wings, who coun&s;el'd her not to behold &s;o much as its &s;moak.</NOTE> we turne from the occa&s;ion. It is a ju&s;t and righteous thing with God, that he &s;hould fall into the pit, that will adventure to dance upon the brink of the pit; and that he &s;hould be a &s;lave to &s;in, that will not flee from the occa&s;ions of &s;in. As long as there is fuell in our hearts for a temptation, we cannot be &s;ecure; he that hath gun-powder a|bout him, had need keep far enough off
<PB N="69" REF="46"> from &s;parkles; to ru&s;h upon the occa|&s;ions of &s;in, is both to tempt our &s;elves, and to tempt Satan to tempt our &s;ouls; 'tis very rare that any &s;oule playes with occa&s;ions of &s;in, but that &s;oul is in&s;nar'd by &s;in; 'tis &s;eldome that God keeps that &s;oul from the acts of &s;in, that will not keep off from the occa&s;ions of &s;in; he that adventures upon the occa&s;ions of &s;in, is as he that would quench the fire with Oyle, which is a fuell to maintaine it; and increa&s;e it. Ah &s;ouls! often re|member, how frequently you have been overcome by &s;in, when you have boldly gon upon the occa&s;ions of &s;in; look back &s;ouls, to the days of your vanity, where|in you have been as ea&s;ily conquered, as tempted, vanqui&s;hed, as a&s;&s;aulted, when you have played with the occa&s;ions of &s;in; and therefore, as you would for the future be kept from the acting of &s;in, and be made victorious over &s;in, oh flee from the occa&s;ions of &s;in.</P>
<P>The third Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that other precious Saints that were once glorious on earth, and are now triumphing in heaven, have turned from the occa&s;ions of &s;in, as Hell it &s;elfe; as you may &s;ee in <HI>Jo&s;eph, Gen. 39. 10. And it came to pa&s;&s;e, as &s;he &s;pake to Jo&s;eph day by day, that he hearkned not unto her, to lye by
<PB N="70" REF="47"> her, or to be with her. Jo&s;eph</HI> was famous for all the four Cardinall vertues; if ever any were in this one temptation, you may &s;ee his Fortitude, Ju&s;tice, Tem|perance,<NOTE PLACE="marg">There are &s;to|ries of Hea|thens, that would not look upon excellent beauties, le&s;t they &s;hould be in&s;nared.</NOTE> and Prudence, in that he &s;huns the occa&s;ion (for he would not &s;o much as be with her) and that a man is in|deed, that he is in a temptation, which is but a tap to give vent to corruption. The <HI>Nazarite</HI> might not only not drink wine, but not ta&s;te a grape, or the husk of a grape. The <HI>Leaper</HI> was to &s;have his haire, and paire his nailes. The Devill counts a fit occa&s;ion, halfe a conque&s;t; for he knowes that corrupt nature hath<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Democritus</HI> pluck't out his own eyes, to avoid the danger of un|cleanne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> a &s;eed-plot of all &s;in, which being drawn forth, and watered by &s;ome &s;infull oc|ca&s;ion, is &s;oon &s;et a work to the produ|cing of death and de&s;truction; God will not remove the temptation, till we re|move the occa&s;ion. A Bird whiles a loft, is &s;afe, but &s;he comes not near the &s;nare without danger; the &s;hunning the oc|ca&s;ions of &s;in renders a man mo&s;t like the be&s;t of men; a &s;oul eminently gra|cious, dares not come near the traine, though he be far off the blow. So <HI>Job 31. 1. I made a Covenant with mine eyes,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> I cut a Cove|nant; In ma|king Cove|nants, it was a cu&s;tome a|mong the Jewes, to cut &s;ome bea&s;t or other in pie|ces, and to walk between the pieces, to &s;ignifie, that they de&s;ired God to de|&s;troy them that &s;hould break the Covenant.</NOTE> <HI>why then &s;hould I think upon a maid?</HI> I &s;et a watch at the entrance of my &s;en&s;es, that my foul might not by them be in|fected, and endangered; the eye is the
<PB N="71" REF="47"> window of the &s;oule, and if that &s;hould be alwayes open, the &s;oul might &s;mart for it. A man may not look intently upon that, that he may nat love intire|ly. The Di&s;ciples were &s;et a gogg, by beholding the beauty of the Temple; 'tis be&s;t and &s;afe&s;t to have the eye alwayes fixt upon the highe&s;t and noble&s;t ob|jects; as the Marriners eye is fixt on the &s;tar, when their hand is on the &s;terne: &s;o <HI>David,</HI> when he was him&s;elf, he &s;huns the occa&s;ion of &s;in, <HI>P&s;al. 26. 4, 5. I have not &s;at with vaine per&s;ons, neither will I goe in with di&s;&s;emblers; I have hated the Con|gregation of evill doers, and will not &s;it with the wicked.</HI> Stories &s;peak of &s;ome that could not &s;leep, when they thought of the Trophies of other Worthies, that went before them; the highe&s;t and choy|ce&s;t examples are to &s;ome, and &s;hould be to all very quickning and provoking; and oh! that the examples of tho&s;e worthy Saints, <HI>David, Jo&s;eph,</HI> and <HI>Job,</HI> might prevaile with all your &s;ouls to &s;hun and avoid the occa&s;ions of &s;in; e|very one &s;hould &s;trive to be like to them in grace, that they de&s;ire to be equall with in glory. He that &s;hooteth at the Sun, though he come far &s;hort, will &s;hoot higher, then he that aimeth at a &s;hrub; 'tis be&s;t (and it &s;peaks out much of Chri&s;t within) to eye the highe&s;t,
<PB N="72" REF="48"> and the worthie&s;t examples.</P>
<P>The fourth Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that the avoiding the occa&s;ions of &s;in, is an evidence of grace, and that which lifts up a man above mo&s;t other men in the world; that a man is indeed, which he is in temptation; and when &s;infull occa&s;ions doe pre&s;ent them&s;elves before the &s;oul, this &s;peaks out both the truth,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Plutarch</HI> &s;aith of <HI>Demo&s;the|nes,</HI> that he was excellent at prai&s;ing the worthy acts of his Ance&s;tors, but not &s;o at imitating them, oh that this were not applicable to many profe&s;|&s;ors in our times.</NOTE> and the &s;trength of grace; when with <HI>Lot,</HI> a man can be cha&s;t in <HI>Sodome,</HI> and with <HI>Timothy</HI> can live temperately in <HI>A&s;ia,</HI> among the luxurious <HI>Ephe&s;ians;</HI> and with <HI>Job</HI> can walk uprightly in the land of <HI>&V;z,</HI> where the people were pro|phane in their lives, and &s;uper&s;titious in their wor&s;hip; and with <HI>Daniel,</HI> be ho|ly in <HI>Babylon;</HI> and with <HI>Abraham</HI> righ|teous in <HI>Chaldea;</HI> and with <HI>Nehemiah,</HI> zealous in <HI>Dama&s;co, &amp;c.</HI> Many a wick|ed man is big, and full of &s;inful corrup|tion, but &s;hews it not for want of occa|&s;ion; but that man is &s;urely good, who in his cour&s;e will not be bad, though tempted by occa&s;ions; a Chri&s;tle&s;&s;e &s;oul is &s;o far from refu&s;ing occa&s;ions when they come in his way, that he looks and longs after them, and rather then he will go without them, he will buy them not onely with love or money, but al|&s;o with the lo&s;&s;e of his &s;oul; nothing
<PB N="73" REF="48"> but grace can fence a man again&s;t the occa&s;ions of &s;in, when he is &s;trongly tempted thereunto; therefore as you would cherri&s;h a precious evidence in your own bo&s;omes, of the truth and &s;trength of your graces, &s;hun all &s;infull occa&s;ions.</P>
<P>The eight <HI>Device</HI> that Satan hath to<NOTE PLACE="marg">8 Device.</NOTE> draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, by pre&s;enting<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Twas a <HI>weigh|ty</HI> &s;aying of <HI>Seneca (Nihil e&s;t infelicius eo, cui nil nunqua~ contigit adver|&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">;</HI> there is nothing more unhappy, then he who never felt adver&s;ity.</NOTE> to the &s;oule the outward mercies, that vaine men inioy, and the outward mi|&s;eries, that they are freed from, whil'&s;t they have walked in the wayes of &s;in. Saith Satan, do'&s;t thou not &s;ee oh &s;oule! the many mercies, that &s;uch and &s;uch inioy, that walk in tho&s;e very wayes, that thy &s;oul &s;tartles to think of, and the many cro&s;&s;es that&punc; they are delivered from, even &s;uch as makes other men (that &s;ay they dare not walke in &s;uch wayes) to &s;pend their dayes in &s;ighing, weeping, groaning, and mourning, and therefore &s;aith Satan, if ever thou woul|de&s;t be freed from the dark night of ad|ver&s;ity, and injoy the &s;un-&s;hine of pro|&s;perity, thou mu&s;t walk in their wayes: by this &s;tratagem the Devil took tho&s;e in the 44 <HI>Jeremiah, 16, 17, 18. As for the word that thou ha&s;t &s;poken unto us, in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee; but we will certainly doe what&s;oever thing goeth forth of our mouth, to burne In|cen&s;e
<PB N="74" REF="49"> unto the Queen of Heaven, and to pour</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Some of the Heathens would be wicked as their Gods were, count|ing it a di&s;ho|nour to their God, to be unlike to him. <HI>Lactan tius.</HI></NOTE> <HI>out drink-offrings unto her, as we have done, we and our Fathers, our Kings, and our Prin|ces in the Cities of Judah, and in the &s;treets of Jeru&s;alem: for then had we plenty of vi|ctualls, and were well, and &s;aw no evill. But &s;ince we left off to burn Incen&s;e to the Queen of Heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings unto her, we have wanted all things, and have been con&s;umed by the &s;word, and by the famine.</HI> This is ju&s;t the language of a world of ignorant, prophane, and &s;u|per&s;titious &s;ouls in <HI>London,</HI> and <HI>England,</HI> that would have made them a Captaine<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Tis &s;aid of one of the Emperours, that <HI>Rome</HI> had no war in his daves, be|cau&s;e 'twas plague e|no<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">gh to have &s;uch an Em|perour; you are wi&s;e, and know how to apply it.</NOTE> to returne to bondage, yea to that bon|dage that was wor&s;e then that the I&s;ra|elites groaned under. Oh, &s;ay they, &s;ince &s;uch and &s;uch per&s;ons have beene put down, and left off, we have had nothing but plundering and taxing, and butch|ering of men, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and therefore we will doe, as we and our Kings and Nobles, and Fathers have formerly done; for then had we plenty at home, and peace abroad, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and there was none to make us afraid.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="75" REF="49">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this Device of Satan, are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t Remedy is, &s;olemnly to con|&s;ider,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedy.</NOTE> that no man knowes how the heart of God &s;tands by his hand, his hand of mercy may be towards a man, when his heart may be &s;et again&s;t that man; as you may &s;ee in <HI>Saul,</HI> and<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tully</HI> judged the Jews Re|ligion to be naught, be|cau&s;e they were &s;o often overcome, &amp; impoveri&s;h'd, and afflicted; and the Reli|gion of <HI>Rome</HI> to be right, becau&s;e the <HI>Romans</HI> pro|&s;pered, and became Lords of the world; &amp; yet though the Romans had his hand, the Jews had his heart; for they were dearly belo|ved, though &s;orely afflict|ed.</NOTE> others; and the hand of God may be &s;et again&s;t a man, when the heart of God is dearly &s;et upon a man, as you may &s;ee in <HI>Job</HI> and <HI>Ephraim;</HI> the hand of God was &s;orely &s;et again&s;t them, and yet the heart and bowels of God were &s;trongly working towards them; no man knoweth either love or hatred, by outward mercy or mi&s;ery; for all things come alike to all, to the righteous, and to the unrighteous; to the good, and to the bad, to the clean, and to the un|clean, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> The &s;un of pro&s;perity &s;hines as well upon brambles of the Wilder|ne&s;&s;e, as fruit-trees of the Orchard; the &s;now and haile of adver&s;ity lights upon the be&s;t gardens, as well as the &s;tinking dunghills, or the wild wa&s;te. <HI>Ahabs</HI> and <HI>Jo&s;iah's</HI> ends concur in the very circum|&s;tances. <HI>Saul</HI> and <HI>Jonathan,</HI> though dif|ferent in their natures, de&s;erts, and de|portments,
<PB N="76" REF="50"> yet in their deaths they were not divided. Health, wealth, honours, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> cro&s;&s;es, &s;ickne&s;&s;es, lo&s;&s;es, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> are ca&s;t upon good men, and bad men promi&s;|cuou&s;ly. The whole Turki&s;h Empire is<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nihil e&s;t ni&s;i mica panis.</HI> Luther.</NOTE> nothing el&s;e but a cru&s;t, ca&s;t by Heavens great Hou&s;e-keeper to his dogs. <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> dies in the Wilderne&s;&s;e, as well as tho&s;e that murmured; <HI>Nabal</HI> is rich, a&s;well as <HI>Abraham; Achitophell</HI> wi&s;e, a&s;well as <HI>Solomon;</HI> and <HI>Doeg</HI> honoured by <HI>Soul,</HI> as well as <HI>Io&s;eph</HI> was by <HI>Pharoah.</HI> U&s;ually the wor&s;t of men have mo&s;t of the&s;e out|ward things, and the be&s;t of men have lea&s;t of Earth, though mo&s;t of Heaven.</P>
<P>The &s;econd Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, That there is nothing in the world that doth &s;o provoke God to be wrath, and angry, as mens taking incouragement from Gods goodne&s;&s;e, and mercy, to do wickedly; this you may &s;ee by that wrath that fell upon the old world, and by Gods raining hell out of Heaven up|on<NOTE PLACE="marg">Such &s;oules make God a God of <HI>clouts,</HI> one that will not doe as he &s;aith, but they &s;hall find God to be as &s;e|vere in pu|ni&s;hing, as he is to others gracious in pardoning. Good turnes aggravate un|kindne&s;&s;es, and our guilt is increa&s;ed by our obli|gations.</NOTE> <HI>Sodome</HI> and <HI>Gomorah.</HI> This is clear in that 44 of <HI>Jeremiah,</HI> from the 20 <HI>ver&s;e,</HI> to the 28 <HI>ver&s;e,</HI> the words are worthy of your be&s;t meditation; oh that they were engraven in all your hearts, and con|&s;tant in all your thoughts! though they are too large for me to tran&s;cribe them, yet they are not too large for you to re|member
<PB N="77" REF="50"> them: To argue from mercy to &s;infull liberty, is the Devils Logick, and &s;uch Logicians doe ever walk, as upon a mine of Gun-powder, ready to be blown up; no &s;uch &s;ouls can ever avert, or avoid the wrath of God. This is wickedne&s;&s;e at the height, for a man to be very bad, becau&s;e God is very good, a wor&s;e &s;pirit then this is not in hell; ah Lord! doth not wrath, yea the greate&s;t wrath, lie at this mans door? Are not the &s;tronge&s;t chaines of darknes prepared for &s;uch a &s;oul? To &s;in a|gain&s;t mercy, is to &s;in again&s;t humani|ty, it is be&s;tiall, nay it is wor&s;e. To ren|der good for evill, is Divine, to render good for good, is humane, to render evill for evill, is bruti&s;h; but to render evill for good, is devili&s;h; and from this evill deliver my &s;oul oh God.</P>
<P>The third Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remdy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that there is no greater mi&s;ery in this life, then not to be in mi&s;ery; no great|er<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Religio peperit divitias &amp; filia devoravit matrem.</HI> Religion brought forth Riches, and the daughter &s;oon devou|red the Mo|ther, &s;aith <HI>Augu&s;tine.</HI></NOTE> affliction, then not to be afflicted; woe, woe to that &s;oul that God will not &s;pend a rod upon; this is the &s;adde&s;t &s;troke of all, when God refu&s;es to &s;trike at all. <HI>Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone. Why &s;hould you be &s;mitten any more, you will revolt more and more.</HI> When the Phy&s;ician gives over the Patient, you &s;ay
<PB N="78" REF="51"> ring out his knell, the man is dead: &s;o when God gives over a &s;oul to &s;in, with|out controule, you may truly &s;ay, this &s;oule is lo&s;t; you may ring out his knel, for he is twice dead, and pluckt up by the roots. Freedome from puni&s;hment is the mother of &s;ecurity, the &s;tep-mo|ther of virtue, the poy&s;on of Religion, the moth of holine&s;&s;e, and the introdu|cer of wickedne&s;&s;e; nothing &s;aid one, &s;eemes more unhappy to me, then he to whom no adver&s;ity hath happened. Out|ward mercies oft-times prove a &s;nare to our &s;oules. <HI>I will lay a &s;tumbling block, Ezek. 3. 20. Vatablus</HI> his note there is<NOTE PLACE="marg">Faciam, ut om|nia habeant pro|&s;pera; calami|tatibus eum &agrave; peccato non re|vocabo.</NOTE> I will pro&s;per him in all things, and not by affliction, re&s;traine him from &s;in. Pro&s;perity hath been a &s;tumbling block, at which millions have &s;tumbled, and fallen, and broke the neck of their &s;ouls for ever.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that the wants of wicked men under all their outward mercy, &amp; freedom from adver|&s;itie, is far greater then al their outward injoyments. They have many mercies, yet they want more then they injoy; the mercies which they injoy are nothing to the mercies they want; 'Tis true, they have honors, and riches, and plea&s;ures and friends, and are mighty in power,
<PB N="79" REF="51"> their &s;eed is e&s;tabli&s;hed in their &s;ight with them, and their off-&s;pring before their eyes; their hou&s;es are &s;afe from feare, neither is the rod of God upon them; <HI>They &s;end forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. They take the Timbrell and Harp, and rejoyce at the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Men that in|joy all world|ly comforts, may truly &s;ay, <HI>Omnes huma|nae conjolationes &s;unt de&s;olatio+nes.</HI></NOTE> <HI>&s;ound of the Organ; they &s;pend their dayes in wealth, their eyes &s;tand out with fatne&s;&s;e, they have more then heart can wi&s;h: And they have no bands in their death, but their &s;trength is firme; They are not in trouble as other men;</HI> as <HI>David</HI> and <HI>Job</HI> &s;peak; yet all this is nothing to what they want; they want intere&s;t in God, Chri&s;t, the Spirit, the Promi&s;es, the Covenant of Grace, and everla&s;ting Glory. They want acceptation and reconciliation with God; They want Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, Ju&s;tification, Sanctification, Adoption, and Redemption. They want the par|don of &s;in, and power again&s;t &s;in, and freedome from the dominion of &s;in: They want that favour that is better then life, and that joy that is un&s;peak|able and full of glory; and that peace that pa&s;&s;es under&s;tanding; and that<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nec Chri&s;tus nec coelum pati&punc; tur hyperbolen,</HI> Neither Chri&s;t, nor Heaven, can be hyperbo+lized.</NOTE> grace, the lea&s;t &s;park of which, is more worth then Heaven and Earth. They want a Hou&s;e that hath foundations, who&s;e builder and maker is God; they want tho&s;e riches that peri&s;h not; that
<PB N="80" REF="52"> glory that fades not, that Kingdome that &s;hakes not. Wicked men are the mo&s;t needy men in the world, yea, they want tho&s;e two things that &s;hould ren|der their mercies &s;weet, <HI>viz.</HI> The ble&s;|&s;ing of God, and content with their condition; and without which, their Heaven is but Hell, on this &s;ide Hell: When their hearts are lifted up, and grown big upon the thoughts of their abundance; if con&s;cience do's but put<NOTE PLACE="marg">A crowne of gold cannot cu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e the head ach, nor a vel|vet &s;lipper cannot ea&s;e the Gout, no mo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e can ho|nour or rich|es, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> quiet and &s;till the Con&s;cience. The heart of man is a three &s;quare trian|gle, which the whole round circle of the world cannot fill (as Mathe|maticians &s;ay) but all the corners will complaine of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">mptines and hunger for &s;om<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hing el&s;e.</NOTE> in a word, and &s;ay, 'tis true, here is this and that outward mercy, oh! but where is an intere&s;t in Chri&s;t? Where is the fa|vour of God? Where are the comforts of the holy Gho&s;t? Where are thy evi|dences for Heaven, <HI>&amp;c.?</HI> This word from Con&s;cience makes the mans coun|tenance to change, his thoughts to be troubled, his heart to be amazed, and all his mercies on the right hand, and left, to be as dead and withered. Ah! were but the eyes of wicked men open to &s;ee their wants, under their abun|dance, they would cry out, and &s;ay as <HI>Ab&s;alom</HI> did, <HI>What are all the&s;e to me, &s;o long as I cannot &s;ee the Kings face?</HI> What's honour, and riches, and the favour of Creatures, &s;o long as I want the favour of God, the pardon of my &s;ins, an inte|re&s;tin Chri&s;t, and the hopes of glory. O Iod, give me the&s;e, or I dye, give
<PB N="81" REF="52"> me the&s;e, or el&s;e I &s;hall eternally dye.</P>
<P>The fift Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to confider, that outward things are not as they &s;eem, and are e&s;teemed; they have indeed a glorious out&s;ide, but if you view their in&s;ides, you will ea&s;ily find that they fill the head full of cares, and the heart full of feares; what if the fire &s;hould con|&s;ume one part of my e&s;tate, and the &s;ea &s;hould be a grave to &s;wallow up ano|ther part of my e&s;tate; what if my &s;er|vants &s;hould be unfaithfull abroad, and my children &s;hould be deceitful at home? ah the &s;ecret fretting, vexing, and gnaw|ing, that doth daily, yea hourly, attend tho&s;e mens &s;ouls, who&s;e hands are full of worldly goods. 'Twas a good &s;peech of an Emperour, you (&s;aid he) gaze on my purple Robe, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nd golden Crown, but did you know what cares are under it, you would not take it up from the ground to have it. 'Twas a true &s;aying of <HI>Augu&s;tine</HI> on the 26 <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> many are<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Multi amando res noxias &s;unt mi&s;eri, habendo mi&s;eriores.</HI> Augu&s;t.</NOTE> mi&s;erable by loving hurtfull things, but they are more mi&s;erable by having them. It is not what men injoy, but the principle from whence it comes, that makes men happy; much of the&s;e outward things doe u&s;ually cau&s;e great di&s;traction, great vexation, and great condemnation at la&s;t, to the po&s;e&s;&s;ors of
<PB N="82" REF="53"> them; if God gives them in his wrath, &amp; do not &s;anctifie them in his love, they will at la&s;t be witne&s;&s;es again&s;t a man, and racks to torture and torment a man, and mil&s;tones for ever to &s;ink a man, in that day, when God &s;hall call men to an account, not for the u&s;e, but for the abu&s;e of mercy.</P>
<P>The &s;ixt Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider the end and the de&s;igne of God, in heaping up mercy upon the heads of the wicked, and in giving them (a <HI>quietus e&s;t</HI>) re&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Valerian</HI> the Roman Em|perour, fell from being an Emperour, to be a foot-&s;tool to <HI>Sapor,</HI> King of <HI>Per&s;ia. Diony&s;ius</HI> King of <HI>Sicily,</HI> fell from his Kingly glory, to be a School-ma|&s;ter. The brave Queen <HI>Zeno|bia</HI> was brought to <HI>Rome</HI> in gol|den chaines.</NOTE> and quiet from tho&s;e &s;orrows and &s;uf|ferings that others &s;igh under. <HI>David</HI> in that 73 <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 17, 18, 19, 20 <HI>ver&s;es,</HI> &s;hews the end and de&s;igne of God in this, &s;aith he, <HI>When I went into the Sanctuary of God, then I under&s;tood their end: Surely thou didde&s;t &s;et them in &s;lippery places: thou ca&s;ted&s;t them downe into de&s;truction. How are they brought into de&s;olation as in a mo|ment, they are utterly con&s;umed with ter|rors. As a dreame when one awaketh, &s;o, O Lord, when thou awake&s;t: thou &s;halt de|&s;pi&s;e their image.</HI> So in the 92 <HI>P&s;al. 7. When the wicked &s;pring as gra&s;&s;e, and when all the workers of iniquity doe flouri&s;h, it is that they &s;hall be de&s;troyed for ever.</HI> Gods &s;etting them up, is but in order to his ca&s;ting them down; his rai&s;ing them high, is but in order to his bringing
<PB N="83" REF="53"> them low. <HI>Exod. 9. 16. And in very deed, for this cau&s;e have I rai&s;ed thee up, for to &s;hew in thee my power, and that my name may</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Valens</HI> an Em|perour, <HI>Beli|&s;arius</HI> a fa|mous general, <HI>Henry</HI> the 4^t^h, <HI>Bajazeth, Py|thias,</HI> Great <HI>Pompey,</HI> and <HI>William</HI> the Conqueror; the&s;e from being very high, were brought very low; they all fell from great glory and maje&s;ty, to great po|verty and mi&s;ery <HI>Da Domine ut &s;ic po&s;&s;ideamus temporalia ut non perdamus aeterna.</HI> Bern. Grant us Lord that we may &s;o partake of temporall fe|licity, that we may not lo&s;e eternall.</NOTE> <HI>be declared throughout all the earth. I have con&s;tituted and &s;et thee up as a But-mark,</HI> that I may let flie at thee, and follow thee clo&s;e with plague upon plague, till I have beaten the very breath out of thy body, and got my &s;elf a name, in &s;etting my feet upon the neck of all thy pride, power, pomp, and glory. Ah &s;oules! what man in his wits would be lifted up, that he might be ca&s;t down, would be &s;et higher then others, when 'tis but in order to his being brought downe lower then others. There is not a wic|ked man in the world, that is &s;et up with <HI>Lucifer,</HI> as high as Heaven, but &s;hall with <HI>Lucifer</HI> be brought down as low as Hell. Can&s;t thou think &s;eriou&s;ly of this oh &s;oul? and not &s;ay, O Lord, I hum|bly crave that thou wilt let me be little in this world, that I may be great in a|nother world; and low here, that I may be high for ever hereafter: Let me be low, and feed low, and live low, &s;o I may live with thee for ever; let me now be cloathed with rags, &s;o thou wilt cloath me at la&s;t with thy Robes; let me now be &s;et upon a dunghill, &s;o I may at la&s;t be advanc'd to &s;it with the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> upon thy Throne; Lord, make me ra|ther
<PB N="84" REF="54"> gracious, then great; inwardly holy, then outwardly happy; and ra|ther turn me into my fir&s;t nothing, yea, make me wor&s;e then nothing, rather then &s;et me up for a time, that thou maye&s;t bring me low for ever.</P>
<P>The &s;eventh Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">7 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that God doth often mo&s;t plague and puni&s;h tho&s;e, whom others think he doth mo&s;t &s;pare and love; that is, God do's plague and puni&s;h them mo&s;t with &s;pirituall judgements (which are the greate&s;t, the &s;ore&s;t, and the heavie&s;t) whom he lea&s;t puni&s;hes with temporall puni&s;hments; there are no men on earth<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al. 81. 12. P&s;al. 78. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. P&s;al.</HI> 106. 15. He gave them their reque&s;t, but &s;ent lean|ne&s;&s;e into their &s;oule. 'Tis a heavy plague to have a fat bo|dy, and a lean &s;oul; a hou&s;e full of gold, and a heart full of &s;in.</NOTE> &s;o internally plagued, as tho&s;e that meet with lea&s;t externall plagues. Oh! the blindne&s;&s;e of mind, the hardne&s;&s;e of heart, the &s;earedne&s;&s;e of Con&s;cience, that tho&s;e &s;ouls are given up to, who in the eye of the world, are reputed the mo&s;t happy men, becau&s;e they are not out|wardly afflicted and plagued as other men. Ah &s;ouls! 'twere better that all the temporall plagues that ever befell the children of men &s;ince the fall of <HI>A|dam,</HI> &s;hould at once meet upon your &s;ouls, then that you &s;hould be given up to the lea&s;t &s;pirituall plague, to the lea&s;t mea&s;ure of &s;pirituall blindne&s;&s;e, or &s;pirituall hardne&s;&s;e of heart, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> no|thing
<PB N="85" REF="54"> will better that man, nor move that man, that is given up to &s;pirituall judgements; let God &s;mile or frowne, &s;troke, or &s;trike, cut or kill, he minds it<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Tis better to have a &s;ore, then a &s;eared con&s;cience. 'Tis better to have no heart then a hard heart; no mind, then a blind mind.</NOTE> not, he regards it not; let life, or death, heaven, or hell, be &s;et before him, it &s;tirs him not, he is made up on his &s;in, and God is fully &s;et to doe Ju&s;tice upon his &s;oule; this mans pre&s;ervation, is but a re&s;ervation unto a greater condemna|tion. This man can &s;et no bounds to him&s;elfe, he is become a brat of fathom|le&s;&s;e perdition. He hath guilt in his bo|&s;ome, and vengeance at his back, where|ever he goes; neither mini&s;try, nor mi|&s;ery, neither miracle, nor mercy, can mollifie his heart; and if this &s;oul be not in hell on this &s;ide hell, who is? who is?<NOTE PLACE="marg">8 Remedy.</NOTE></P>
<P>The eigth Remedy again&s;t this Device of Satan, is, to dwell more upon that &s;trict account that vain men mu&s;t make for all that good that they doe injoy,<NOTE PLACE="marg">In this day men &s;hall give an ac|count (<HI>De bo|nis commi&s;&s;is, de bonis dimi&s;|&s;is, de malis commi&s;&s;is, de malis permi&s;|&s;is</HI>) of good things com|mitted unto them, of good things negle|cted by them, of evils com|mitted by them, and of evills &s;uffered by them.</NOTE> then upon the outward good they doe injoy. Ah! did men dwell more upon that account, that they mu&s;t ere long give for all the mercies that they have injoyed, and for all the favours that they have abu&s;ed, and for all the &s;ins they have committed, would make their hearts to tremble, and their lips to qui|ver, rottenne&s;&s;e to enter into their
<PB N="86" REF="55"> bones; it would cau&s;e their &s;oules to cry out, and &s;ay, oh! that our mercies had been fewer, and le&s;&s;er, that our ac|count might have been ea&s;ier, and our torment and mi&s;ery (for our abu&s;e of &s;o great mercy) not greater then we are able to bear. O cur&s;ed be the day wherein the Crown of honour was &s;et upon our heads, and the trea&s;ures of this world were ca&s;t into our laps; O cur&s;ed be the day wherein the &s;un of pro&s;perity &s;hin'd &s;o &s;trong upon us, and this flattering world &s;mil'd &s;o much upon us, as to occa&s;ion us to forget God, to &s;light Je&s;us Chri&s;t, to neglect our &s;ouls, and to put far from us the day of our account. <HI>Philip</HI> the third of <HI>Spaine,</HI> who&s;e life was free from gro&s;&s;e evills, profe&s;&s;ed, that he would rather loo&s;e all his Kingdome, then offend God wil|lingly; yet being in the Agony of death, and con&s;idering more throughly of his<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>In die judicii plus valebit con&s;cientia pu|ra, quam mar|&s;upia plena.</HI> Bernard. Then &s;hall a good con|&s;cience be more worth then all the worlds good.</NOTE> account he was to give to God, feare &s;truck into him, and the&s;e words brake from him; Oh! would to God I had never reigned; oh that tho&s;e years I have &s;pent in my Kingdome, I had li|ved a life in the wilderne&s;&s;e! oh that I had lived a &s;olitary life with God! how much more &s;ecurely &s;hould I now have dyed? how much more confidently &s;hould I have gone to the Throne of
<PB N="87" REF="55"> God? What doth all my glory profit me, but that I have &s;o much the more torment in my death. God keeps an ex|act account of every penny that's laid out upon him, and his, and that is laid out again&s;t him, and his; and this in the day of account, men &s;hall know and feel, though now they wink, and<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Hierome</HI> &s;till thought that that voyce was in his ears (<HI>Surgite mor|tui &amp; venite ad judicium</HI>) Ari&s;e you dead, and come to judgement. As oft as I think on that day, how doth my whole body quake, and my heart within me tremble?</NOTE> will not under&s;tand. The &s;leeping of vengeance, cau&s;eth the overflowing of &s;in, and the overflow of &s;in cau&s;eth the awaking of vengeance; abu&s;ed mercy will certainly turn into fury; Gods forbearance is no quittance; the day is at hand, when he will pay wicked men for the abu&s;e of new and old mercies; if he &s;eem to be &s;low, yet he is &s;ure: he hath leaden heels, but iron hands; the farther he fetcheth his blow, or draw|eth his arrow, the deeper he will wound in the day of vengeance. Mens actions are all in print in heaven, and God will, in the day of account, read them aloud, in the ears of all the world, that they may all &s;ay amen to that righteous &s;en|tence that he &s;hall pa&s;&s;e upon all the de&s;pi&s;ers and abu&s;ers of mercy.</P>
<P>The ninth Device that Satan hath to<NOTE PLACE="marg">9 Device.</NOTE> draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, by pre&s;enting to the &s;oule, the cro&s;&s;es, lo&s;&s;es, reproach|es, &s;orrows, and &s;ufferings, that doe daily attend tho&s;e that walk in the
<PB N="88" REF="56"> wayes of holine&s;&s;e. Saith Satan, do not you &s;ee that there are none in the world that are &s;o vexed, afflicted, and to&s;&s;ed, as tho&s;e that walk more circum&s;pectly, and holily then their neighbours; they are a by-word at home, and a reproach abroad; their mi&s;eries come in upon them, like <HI>Job's</HI> me&s;&s;engers, one upon the neck of another; and there is no end of their &s;orrowes and troubles; therefore &s;aith Satan, you were better walk in wayes that are le&s;&s;e trouble|&s;ome, and le&s;&s;e afflicted, though they be more &s;infull; for who but a mad man would &s;pend his dayes in &s;orrow, vexa|tion, and affliction, when it may be pre|vented, by walking in the wayes that I &s;et before him.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this de|vice of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that all the afflictions that doe attend the people of God, are &s;uch, as &s;hall turne to the profit, and glorious ad|vantage of the people of God; they &s;hall di&s;cover that filthine&s;&s;e and vile|ne&s;&s;e in &s;in, that yet the &s;oul hath ne|ver &s;een. It was a &s;peech of a Germane
<PB N="89" REF="56"> Divine, in his &s;ickne&s;&s;e; In this Di&s;ea&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gu&s;par Olevi|anus.</NOTE> I have learned how great God is, and what the evill of &s;in is; I never knew to purpo&s;e what God was before, nor what &s;in meant till now. Afflictions are a chri&s;tall gla&s;&s;e, wherein the &s;oul hath the cleare&s;t &s;ight of the ugly face of &s;in; in this gla&s;&s;e the &s;oul comes to &s;ee &s;in to be but a bitter-&s;weet; yea, in this gla&s;&s;e the &s;oul comes to &s;ee &s;in, not only to be an evill, but to be the great|e&s;t evill in the world, to be an evill far wor&s;e then hel</P>
<P>Againe, they &s;hall contribute to the<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 1. 25. c. 27. 8, 9.</NOTE> mortifying and purging away of their &s;ins; afflictions are Gods furnace, by which he clean&s;es his people from their dro&s;&s;e; affliction is a fire, to purge out<NOTE PLACE="marg">In times of peace our Ar|mer is ru&s;ty, in time of war 'tis bright.</NOTE> our dro&s;&s;e, and to make virtue &s;hine; it is a potion to carry away ill humours; better then all the <HI>Benedicta Medicament|um,</HI> as Phy&s;itians call them. <HI>Aloes</HI> kills worms, colds and fro&s;ts doe de&s;troy Vermine: &s;o doe afflictions the corrup|tions that be in our hearts. The Jewes under all the Prophets thundering, re|tained their Idols; but after their ba|byloni&s;h captivity, 'tis ob&s;erved, there have been no Idols found among&s;t them.</P>
<P>Again, afflictions are &s;weet pre&s;erva|tives to keep the Saints from &s;in, which is a greater evill then hell it &s;elf: as <HI>Job</HI>
<PB N="90" REF="57"> &s;pake, <HI>Surely it is meet to be &s;aid unto God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Job 34. 31, 32</NOTE> <HI>I have borne cha&s;ti&s;ement, I will not offend any more. That which I &s;ee not, teach thou me; if I have done iniquity, I will doe no more. Once have I &s;poken fooli&s;hly, yea,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Salt brine pre|&s;erves from put<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">efaction, and &s;alt mar|&s;hes keep the &s;heep from the rot: &s;o do afflictions, the Saints from &s;in.</NOTE> <HI>twice, but I will doe &s;o no more,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Job.</HI> The burnt child dreads the fire; ah! &s;aith the &s;oul, under the rod, &s;in is but a bitter-&s;weet, and for the future I in|tend by the &s;trength of Chri&s;t, that I will not buy Repentance at &s;o dear a rate. The <HI>Rabbins</HI> to &s;care their &s;cholars from &s;in, were wont to tell them, that &s;in made Gods head ake; and Saints under the rod have found by wofull expe|rience, that &s;in makes, not only their heads, but their hearts ake al&s;o. <HI>Augu|&s;tine</HI> by wandring out of his way, e&s;ca|ped one that lay in weight to mi&s;chief him; if afflictions did not put us out of our way, we &s;hould many times meet with &s;ome &s;in or other, that would mi&s;|chief our precious &s;ouls.</P>
<P>Again, they will work the Saints to be more fruitfull in holine&s;&s;e, <HI>Heb. 12. 10, 11. But he afflicts us for our profit, that</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ll in the emblem<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &s;aith, <HI>Percu&s;&s;a Su<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">go,</HI> the har|der you beat me down in affliction, the higher I &s;hall bound in af|fection to|wards heaven and heavenly things.</NOTE> <HI>we might be partakers of his holine&s;&s;e.</HI> The flowers &s;mell &s;weete&s;t after a &s;hower; Vines bear the better for bleeding, the Walnut-tree is mo&s;t fruitfull, when mo&s;t beaten; Saints &s;pring and thrive mo&s;t internally, when they are mo&s;t exter|nally
<PB N="91" REF="57"> afflicted; afflictions are called by &s;ome, the mother of virtue. <HI>Mana&s;&s;es</HI> his chain was more profitable to him, then his Crown. <HI>Luther</HI> could not un|der&s;tand &s;ome Scriptures, till he was in affliction; the Chri&s;-cro&s;&s;e is no letter, and yet that taught him more then all the letters in the row; Gods hou&s;e of<NOTE PLACE="marg">Schola crucis Schola lucis.</NOTE> correction, is his &s;chool of in&s;truction; all the &s;tones that came about <HI>Stevens</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ars, did but knock him clo&s;er to Chri&s;t the corner-&s;tone. The waves did but lift <HI>Noah's</HI> Ark nearer to Heaven, and the higher the waters grew, the more near the Ark was lifted up to Heaven; afflictions do lift up the &s;oule to more rich, clear, and full injoyments of God, <HI>Ho&s;ea 2. 14. Behold, I will allure her into the wilderne&s;&s;e, and &s;peak comfortably to her</HI> (or rather, as the Hebraw hath it) I<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> Vedib bartig|nal-libbab.</NOTE> will <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">arne&s;tly, or vehemently &s;peak to her heart. God makes afflictions to be but inlets to the &s;oul, more &s;weet and full injoyment of his ble&s;&s;ed &s;elf. When was it that <HI>Steven</HI> &s;aw the Heavens open, and Chri&s;t &s;tanding at the right hand of God? but when the &s;tones were about<NOTE PLACE="marg">It is reported of <HI>Tiberius</HI> (the Empe|rour) that pa&s;|&s;ing by a place where he &s;aw a Cro&s;&s;e lying in the ground upon a mar|ble &s;tone, and cau&s;ing the &s;tone to be <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> di<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ged up, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ound a great deale of trea|&s;ure under the Cro&s;&s;e. So many a pre|cious Saint, hath &s;ound much &s;piritu|all and hea|venly trea&s;ure under the cro&s;&s;es <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hey have met withall.</NOTE> his ears, and there was but a &s;hort &s;tep betwixt him and eternity; and when did God appear in his glory to <HI>Jacob?</HI> but in the day of his troubles, when the &s;tones were his pillows, and the ground
<PB N="92" REF="58"> his bed, and the hedges his curtaines, and the Heavens his Canopie; <HI>Then he &s;aw the Angels of God a&s;cending and de|&s;cending in their gli&s;tering robes.</HI> The plant in <HI>Nazianzen</HI> growes with cutting, be|ing cut, it flouri&s;heth; it contends with the axe, it lives by dying, and by cut|ting it growes: &s;o doe Saints by their afflictions that doe befall them. They gaine more experience of the power of God &s;upporting them, of the wi&s;dome of God directing them, of the grace of God refre&s;hing, and cheering them, and of the goodne&s;&s;e of God quieting and quickning of them, to a greater love to holine&s;&s;e, and to a greater delight in holine&s;&s;e, and to a more vehement pur|&s;uing after holine&s;&s;e. I have read of a Fountaine, that at noon day is cold, and at midnight it growes warm: &s;o many a precious Saint is cold God-wards, and Heaven-wards, and Holine&s;&s;e-wards, in the day of pro&s;perity, that grow warm God-wards, and Heaven-wards, and Holine&s;&s;e-wards, in the midnight of ad|ver&s;ity.</P>
<P>Againe, afflictions &s;erve to keep the hearts of the Saints humble and tender, <HI>Lam. 3. 19, 20. Remembring my affliction, and my mi&s;ery, the wormwood, and the gall; My &s;oule hath them &s;till in remembrance,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> from <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"></NOTE> <HI>and is humbled in me, or bowed downe in me,</HI>
<PB N="93" REF="58"> as the Originall hath it. So <HI>David,</HI> when he was under the rod, could &s;ay, <HI>I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, becau&s;e thou didde&s;t it;</HI> I have read of one, who when any thing fell out pro&s;perou&s;ly, would read over the <HI>Lamentations</HI> of <HI>Jeremiah,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gregory Nazi|anzen.</NOTE> and that kept his heart tender, humble and low; pro&s;perity doth not contri|bute more to the puffing up of the &s;oul, then adver&s;ity doth to the bowing down of the &s;oule; this the Saints by expe|rience find, and therefore they can ki&s;&s;e, and imbrace the Cro&s;&s;e, as others doe the worlds Crowne.</P>
<P>Againe, they &s;erve to bring the Saints nearer to God, and to make them more importunate and earne&s;t in prayer with God; <HI>Before I was afflicted, I went a&s;tray,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al 119. 67. 71. Ho&s;. 5. 14, 15. Ch. 6. 1. 2.</NOTE> <HI>but now have I kept thy word. It is good for me that I have been afflicted, that I might learne thy &s;tatutes. I will be to</HI> Ephraim <HI>as a Lion, and as a young Lion to the hou&s;e of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The more precious o|dours, and the pure&s;t &s;pices are beaten and brui&s;ed, the &s;weeter &s;ent and &s;a|vour they &s;end abroad: &s;o doe Saints when they a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> afflicted.</NOTE> Judah. <HI>I, even I will teare, and goe away, I will take away, and none &s;hall re&s;cue him; I will goe and returne to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and &s;eek my face; in their affliction they will &s;eek me early:</HI> and &s;o they did, <HI>Come</HI> (&s;ay they) <HI>and let us returne unto the Lord; for he hath torne, and he will heale us, he hath &s;mitten, and he will bind us up. After two dayes he will revive us, in the third day he will rai&s;e
<PB N="94" REF="59"> us up, and we &s;hall live in his &s;ight.</HI> So when God had hedg'd up their way with thorns, then they &s;ay, <HI>I will goe and re|turne</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">He&s;. 2. 6, 7.</NOTE> <HI>to my fir&s;t husband, for then was it with me better then now.</HI> Ah the joy, the peace, the comfort, the delight, and content that did attend us, when we kept clo&s;e communion with God, doth be&s;peak our return to God. <HI>We will returne to our fir&s;t Husband, for then was it with us better then now.</HI></P>
<P>When <HI>Tiribazus</HI> a noble <HI>Per&s;ian,</HI> was arre&s;ted, he drew out his &s;word, and defended him&s;elfe, but when they told<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mo&s;t men are like atop, that will not goe unle&s;&s;e you whip it, and the more you whip it, the better it goes you know how to ap|ply it They tha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> are in ad|ver&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">y, &s;aith&punc; <HI>Luther,</HI> doe better under|&s;tand Scrip|ture; but tho&s;e that are in pro&s;pe|rity read them as a vers in <HI>Ovid.</HI> Bees are kill'd with hon<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y&punc; but quickned with vineger: The honey of pro|&s;perity kills our graces, but the vine|ger of adver|&s;ity quickens our graces.</NOTE> him that they came to carry him to the King, he willingly yielded; &s;o, though a Saint may at fir&s;t &s;tand a little out, yet when he remembers, that af|flictions are to carry him nearer God, he yields, and ki&s;&s;es the rod. Afflictions are like the prick at the Nightingales brea&s;t, that awakes her, and puts her upon her &s;weet and delightfull &s;ingings.</P>
<P>Again, afflictions they &s;erve to revive and recover decayed graces, they infame that love that's cold, and they quicken that faith that is decaying, and they put life into tho&s;e hopes that are wi|thering, and &s;pirits into tho&s;e joyes and comforts that are langui&s;hing. Musk (&s;aith one) when it hath lo&s;t its &s;weet|ne&s;&s;e, if it be put into the &s;ink among&s;t
<PB N="95" REF="59"> filth, it recovers it: &s;o doe afflictions recover and revive decayed graces. The more Saints be beaten with the hammer of afflictions, the more they are made the Trumpets of Gods prai&s;es, and the more are their graces revived and quick|ned. Adver&s;ity aba&s;es the loveline&s;&s;e of the world, that might intice us; it a|bates the Iu&s;tine&s;&s;e of the fle&s;h within, that might incite us to folly and vanity, and it abets the &s;pirit in his quarrell, to the two former, which tends much to the reviving and recovering decayed graces. Now &s;uppo&s;e afflictions, and troubles doe attend the wayes of holi|ne&s;&s;e, yet &s;eeing that they all work for the great profit, and &s;ingular advantage of the Saints, let no &s;oul be &s;o mad, as to leave an afflicted way of holine&s;&s;e, to walk in a &s;mooth path of wickedne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>The &s;econd Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that all the afflictions that doe befall<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Chri&s;tian &s;ouldier &s;hall ever be ma|&s;ter of the day (<HI>Mori po&s;|&s;e vinci non po&s;&s;e,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Cy|prian</HI> to <HI>Corne|lius</HI>) he may &s;uffer death, but never conque&s;t.</NOTE> the Saints, doe onely reach their wor&s;er part; they reach not, they hurt not their noble part, their be&s;t part, all the arrowes &s;tick in the Target, they reach not the Con&s;cience. <HI>And who &s;hall harme you, if you be followers of that which is good,</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) that is, none &s;hall harm you; they may thus and thus af|flict you, but they &s;hall never harm you.</P>
<PB N="96" REF="60">
<P>It was the &s;peech of a Heathen, when as by the Tyrant he was commanded to be put into a morter, and be beaten to pieces with an iron pe&s;tell, he cries out to his per&s;ecutors, you doe but beat the ve&s;&s;ell, the ca&s;e, the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">usk of <HI>Anaxarchus,</HI> you doe not beat me; his body was to him but as a ca&s;e, a husk; he counted his &s;oul him&s;elf, which they could not reach; you are wi&s;e, and know how to apply it. <HI>Socrates</HI> &s;aid of his enemies, they may kill me, but they cannot hurt me: &s;o afflictions may kill us, but they cannot hurt us; they may take away my life, but they cannot take away my God, my Chri&s;t, my Crown.</P>
<P>The <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ird Remedy again&s;t this De|vi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"><NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that the afflictions that doe attend the Saints in the wayes of holine&s;&s;e, are but &s;hort, and momentary; <HI>Sorrow may abide for a night, but joy comes in the morn|ing;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">There are none of Gods afflicted ones that have not their (<HI>lucida intervalla</HI>) in|termi&s;&s;ions, re&s;pits, and breathing whiles, under their &s;hort a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d momen|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="4 letters"> afflicti|o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s. Wh<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n Gods hand is on thy back, let thy hand be on thy mouth; for though the affliction be &s;harp, it &s;hall be but &s;hort.</NOTE> this &s;hort &s;torm will end in an everla&s;ting calm; this &s;hort night will end in a glorious day, that &s;hall never have end. 'Tis but a very &s;hort time betweene grace and glory, between our title to the Crown, and our wear|ing the Crown, between our right to the heavenly inheritance, and our po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ing of the heavenly inheritance. Fourteen thou&s;and years to the Lord,
<PB N="97" REF="60"> is but as one day, what is our life, but a &s;hadow, a bubble, a flower, a po&s;t, a &s;pan, a dream, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> yea, &s;o &s;mall a while doth the hand of the Lord re&s;t upon us, that <HI>Luther</HI> cannot get diminutives e|nough to extenuate it; for he calls it a very little little cro&s;&s;e that we beare. The Prophet in <HI>I&s;aiah 26. 20. (to pikron mikron</HI>) &s;aith the <HI>indignation</HI> doth not (<HI>tran&s;ire</HI>) pa&s;&s;e, but (<HI>pertran&s;ire) over|pa&s;&s;e.</HI> The &s;harpne&s;&s;e, &s;hortne&s;&s;e, and &s;ud|denne&s;&s;e of it is &s;et forth by the travell of a woman, <HI>John</HI> 16. 21. And that is a<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 16. 21. Heb. 10. 36, 37.</NOTE> &s;weet Scripture, <HI>For yee have need of pa|tience, that after yee have done the will of God, yee might receive the promi&s;e: For yet a little while, and he that &s;hall come, will come, and will not tarry. (Tantillum, tan|tillum</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">.</NOTE> <HI>adhuc pu&s;illum</HI>) A little, little, lit|tle while. When <HI>Athana&s;ius</HI> friends came to bewaile him becau&s;e of his mi&s;ery and bani&s;hment, he &s;aid, It is but a lit|tle cloud, and will quickly be gone. <HI>'Twill be but as a day before God will give his</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nebecula e&s;t cito tran&s;ibit.</HI> Athana&s;ius.</NOTE> <HI>afflicted ones beauty for a&s;hes, the oyle of gladne&s;&s;e, for the &s;pirit of heavine&s;&s;e;</HI> be|fore he will turne all your &s;ighing into &s;inging, all your lamentations, to con|&s;olations, your &s;ackcloath into &s;ilks, a&s;hes into oyntments, and your fa&s;ts in|to<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedy.</NOTE> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">verla&s;ting fea&s;ts, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The fourth Remedy again&s;t this De|vice
<PB N="98" REF="61"> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to confider, that the afflictions that doe befall the Saints, are &s;uch as proceed from Gods deare&s;t love. <HI>As many as I love I rebuke</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Au&s;tine</HI> asketh (<HI>Si amatur quomedo infir|matur</HI>) if he were belov'd, how came he to be &s;ick? So are wicked men apt to &s;ay, becau&s;e they know not that cor|rections are pledges of our adoption, and badges of our Son &s;hip. God had one Son without &s;in, but none without &s;or|row.</NOTE> <HI>and cha&s;ten;</HI> be zealous therefore, and repent. Saints &s;aith God, think not that I hate you, becau&s;e I thus chide you; he that e&s;capes reprehen&s;ion, may &s;u&s;|pect his adoption; God had one Son without corruption, but no Son with|out correction. A gracious &s;oule may look through the darke&s;t cloud, and &s;ee a God &s;miling on him. We mu&s;t look through the anger of his correction, to the &s;weetne&s;&s;e of his countenance, and as by a Rain-bow, we &s;ee the beauti|full image of the Suns light, in the mid&s;t of a dark, and wateri&s;h cloud. When <HI>Mun&s;ter</HI> lay &s;ick, and his friends asked him how he did, and how he felt him|&s;elfe, he pointed to his &s;ores and ulcers (whereof he was full) and &s;aid, the&s;e are Gods Gems, and Jewells, wherewith he decketh his be&s;t friends, and to me they are more precious then all the gold and &s;ilver in the world. A &s;oul at fir&s;t conver&s;ion is but ruf ca&s;t, but God by afflictions doth &s;quare and fit, and fa|&s;hion it for that glory above, which doth &s;peak them out, to flow from pre|cious love; therefore the afflictions that doe attend the people of God, &s;hould be
<PB N="99" REF="61"> no bar to holine&s;&s;e, nor no motive to draw the &s;oul to wayes of wickedne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>The fift Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that 'tis our duty, and glory, not to mea|&s;ure afflictions by the &s;mart, but by the end. When <HI>I&s;rael</HI> was di&s;mi&s;led out of<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 11.</NOTE> <HI>Aegypt,</HI> 'twas with <HI>gold,</HI> and <HI>ear-rings.</HI> So the <HI>Jewes</HI> were di&s;mi&s;&s;ed out of <HI>Babylon,</HI> with <HI>gifts, jewels,</HI> and all nece&s;&s;ary <HI>uten|&s;ils.</HI> Look more at the latter end of a<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezra 1.</NOTE> Chri&s;tian, then the beginning of his af|fliction; con&s;ider the patience of <HI>Job,</HI> and what end the Lord made with him. Look not upon <HI>Lazarus</HI> lying at <HI>Dives</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Afflictions they are but our fathers Gold Smiths, who are work|ing to adde pearls to our Crownes.</NOTE> door, but lying in <HI>Abrahams</HI> bo&s;ome; look not to the beginning of <HI>Jo&s;eph,</HI> who was &s;o far from his dream, that the Sun and Moon &s;hould reverence him, that for two years he was ca&s;t where he could &s;ee neither Sun, Moon, nor Stars; but behold him at the la&s;t made Ruler over <HI>Aegypt.</HI> Look not upon <HI>David,</HI> as there was but a &s;tep between him and<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tiburtius</HI> &s;aw <HI>paradi&s;e,</HI> when he walked up|on hot burn|ing coals. <HI>He|redotus</HI> &s;aid of the <HI>A&s;&s;yrians,</HI> let them drink nothing but worm|wood all, their life long; when they dye, they &s;hall &s;wimme in honey; you are wi&s;e and know how to apply it. 6. <HI>Remedy.</HI></NOTE> death, nor as he was envied by &s;ome, and &s;lighted and de&s;pi&s;ed by others, but behold him &s;eated in his Royal Throne, and dying in his bed of honour, and his Son <HI>Solomon,</HI> and all his gli&s;tering No|bles about him. Afflictions they are but as a dark entry into your Fathers hou&s;e, they are but as a dirty lane to a
<PB N="100" REF="62"> Royall Palace. Now tell me &s;oules, whether it be not very great mad|ne&s;&s;e to &s;hun the wayes of holine&s;&s;e, and to walke in the wayes of wickedne&s;&s;e, becau&s;e of tho&s;e afflictions that doe at|tend the wayes of holine&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>The &s;ixt <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this device of Satan, is &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that the de&s;igne of God in all the afflictions that do befall them, is only to try them; 'tis not to wrong them, nor to ruine them, as ignorant &s;oules are apt to think. <HI>He knoweth the way that I take, and when he hath tryed me, I &s;hall come forth as gold,</HI> &s;aith patient <HI>Job</HI> So in that 8. <HI>Dan. 2. And thou &s;halt remember all the way which the Lord thy God l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d thee, the&s;e fourty yeares in the willderne&s;&s;e, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The King of <HI>Aracum</HI> in <HI>Scaliger</HI> tries her whom he meanes to marry, by &s;weating; if they be &s;weet, then he mar|ries them, if not, he rejects them; you may ea&s;ily make the ap|plication.</NOTE> <HI>woulde&s;t keep his Commandements or no.</HI> God afflicted them thus, that he might make known to them&s;elves, and others, what was in their hearts. When fire is put to green wood, there comes out abundance of watery &s;tuffe that afore appeared not; when the pond is emp|ty, the mud, filth, and toads come to light. The &s;now covers many a dung|hill; &s;o doth pro&s;perity many a rot|ten heart. It is ea&s;ie to wade in a warme-bath, and every bird can &s;ing
<PB N="101" REF="62"> in a &s;un-&s;hine-day, &amp;c. Hard weather tries what health we have; afflicti|ons trie what &s;ap we have, what grace we have. Weathered leaves &s;oon fall off in windy weather; Rotten boughes quickly break with heavy weights, &amp;c. you are wi&s;e, and know how to apply it.</P>
<P>Afflictions are like pinching fro&s;ts,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dunghills raked &s;end out a filthy &s;teame, oynt|ment a &s;weet per&s;ume; this is applicable to &s;inners, and Saints un|der the rod.</NOTE> that will &s;earch us; where we are mo&s;t un&s;ound, we &s;hall &s;oone&s;t complaine, and where mo&s;t corruptions lie, wee &s;hall mo&s;t &s;hrinke; We try mettall by knocking, if it &s;ound well, then we like it: &s;o God <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ies his by knocking, and if under knocks they yeeld a plea|&s;ant &s;ound, God will turne their night into day, and their bitter into &s;weet, and their Cro&s;&s;e into a Crown; and they &s;hall hear that voice, <HI>ari&s;e and &s;hine, for the glory of the Lord is ri&s;en upon thee, and the favours of the Lord are flowing in on thee.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;eventh, and la&s;t <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">7. Remedie.</NOTE> this device of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that the afflictions, wrath, and mi&s;erie that doe attend the wayes of wickedne&s;&s;e, are far greater, and heavier then tho&s;e are, that doe at|tend the wayes of holine&s;&s;e. Oh! the gauling, girding, la&s;hing, and gnaw|ings of Con&s;cience, that doe attend
<PB N="102" REF="63"> &s;oules in a way of wickedne&s;&s;e&punc; <HI>The wicked</HI> (&s;aith <HI>I&s;aiah) are like the trou|bled &s;ea, when it cannot re&s;t, who&s;e waters</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Sin often|times makes men in&s;en&s;i|ble of the wrath of the Almighty; Sin transformes many a man, as it were in|to tho&s;e beats in <HI>Pliny,</HI> that could not be &s;tirred with the &s;harpe&s;t prickles; or tho&s;e fi&s;hes in <HI>Ari&s;totle,</HI> that though they have &s;peares thru&s;t into their &s;ides, yet they awake not.</NOTE> <HI>ca&s;t up mire and dirt. There is no peace to the wicked, &s;aith my God.</HI> There are &s;nares in all <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">heir mercies; and cur&s;es, and cro&s;&s;es doe attend all their com|forts, both at home, and abroad; what is a fine &s;ute of cloathes with the plague in it? and what's a golden cup&punc; when there is poy&s;on at the bottome? or whats a &s;ilken &s;tocking with a bro|ken leg in it? the cur&s;e of God, the wrath of God, the hatred of God, and the fierce indignation of God doe al|wayes attend &s;inners, walking in a way of wickedne&s;&s;e. Turne to that 28. of <HI>Deuteronomie,</HI> and read from the 15. <HI>ver&s;e,</HI> to the end of that <HI>chapter,</HI> and turne to the 26. <HI>chapter</HI> of <HI>Leviti|cus,</HI> and read from the 14. <HI>ver&s;e,</HI> to the end of that <HI>chapter,</HI> and then you &s;hall &s;ee, how the cur&s;e of God haunts the wicked (as it were a fury) in all his wayes; In the City it attends him,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sin brings in &s;orrow, and &s;ickne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. The <HI>Rabbins</HI> &s;ay, that when <HI>Adam</HI> ta&s;ted the forbidden frui<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, his head a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ed.</NOTE> in the Country it hovers over him; coming in, it accompanies him; go|ing forth, it followes him; and is travell it is his Comrade, it fills his &s;tore with &s;trife, and mingles the wrath of God with his &s;weete&s;t mor|&s;ell; It is a moth in his wardrope,
<PB N="103" REF="63"> murren among his cattle, mildew in his field, rot among &s;heep, and oft|times makes the fruit of his loynes his greate&s;t vexation, and confu&s;ion. There is no &s;olid joy, nor la&s;ting peace, nor<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sirens</HI> are &s;aid to &s;ing curiou&s;ly while they live, but to rore horribly when they dye; So doe the wicked.</NOTE> pure comfort, that doth attend &s;inners in their &s;infull wayes. There is a &s;word of vengeance, that doth every moment hang over their heads, by a &s;mall thread; and what joy and content can attend &s;uch &s;oules, if the eye of Con&s;cience be but &s;o far open, as to &s;ee the &s;word? ah! the horrours, and terrours, the tremblings, and &s;hakings that attend their &s;oules.</P>
<P>The tenth <HI>Device</HI> that Satan hath,<NOTE PLACE="marg">10. Device.</NOTE> to draw the &s;oules of men to &s;in, is, by working them to be frequent, in<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Non vulnera &s;ed munera o&s;tendit.</HI> He &s;hewes not his want, but his worth, and &s;tands not onely upon his con|pari&s;ons, but upon his di&s;pari&s;ons; I am not as this Publican. They are ve|ry good, that are not very bad; and they that are very bad, doe alwayes prize them&s;elves above the market.</NOTE> comparing them&s;elves, and their wayes with tho&s;e, that are reputed, or re|ported to be wor&s;e then them&s;elves. By this device, the devill drew the proud Phari&s;ee to ble&s;&s;e him&s;elfe, in a cur&s;ed condition. <HI>God, I thanke thee that I am not as other men are, extortioners, un|ju&s;t, adulterers, or even as this Publican &amp;c.</HI> Why &s;aith Satan, you &s;weare but pet|ty oaths, as by your faith, and troth, &amp;c. but &s;uch, and &s;uch &s;weare by wounds and bloud; you are now and then a little wanton; but &s;uch and &s;uch doe daily defile, and pollute them&s;elves,
<PB N="104" REF="64"> by actuall uncleanne&s;&s;e, and filthine&s;&s;e; you deceive, and over-reach your neighbours, in things that are but as toyes, and trifles; but &s;uch and &s;uch deceive, and over-reach others in things of greate&s;t concernment, even to their ruine and undoings; you doe but &s;it, and chat, and &s;ip with the drunkard; but &s;uch, and &s;uch &s;it, and drinke drunk with the drunkard; you are onely a little proud in heart, and ha|bit, in looks, and words, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this Device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Remepy.</NOTE> of Satan, is &s;olemnly to con&s;ider this, that there is not a greater, nor a clearer argument to prove a man an<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hi&s;tory &s;peaks of a kinde of witches, that &s;tirrin abroad would put on their eyes, b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t re|turning home, they boxed them up again. So doe Hypocrites.</NOTE> hypocrite, then to be quick-&s;ighted abroad, and blinde at home; <HI>then to &s;ee a mote in another mans eye, and not a beame in his own eye,</HI> then to u&s;e &s;pectacles to behold other mens &s;ins, rather then looking-gla&s;&s;es to behold his owne; then to be alwayes holding his finger upon other mens &s;ores; then to be ampli|fying, and aggravating other mens &s;ins, and mitigating of his own, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this de|vice.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE>
<PB N="105" REF="64"> of Satan, is, to &s;pend more time<NOTE PLACE="marg">The nearer we draw to God, and his word, the more rotten|ne&s;&s;e we &s;hall finde in our bones. The more any man looks in|to the body of the S<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n, the le&s;&s;e he &s;eeth when he lookes down again. It is &s;aid of the <HI>Ba&s;ilisk,</HI> that if he look into a gla&s;&s;e, he pre&s;ently di|eth: &s;o will &s;in, and a &s;in|ner (in a &s;pi|rituall &s;ence) when the &s;oule look; into the word which is Gods gla&s;&s;e, &amp;c.</NOTE> in comparing of your internall, and externall actions with the Rule, with that word, by which you mu&s;t be judg'd at la&s;t, then in comparing of your &s;elves with tho&s;e, that are wor&s;e then your &s;elves; that man that comparing his &s;elfe with others, that are wor&s;e then him&s;elfe, may &s;eeme, (to him&s;elfe and others) to be an Angel; yet com|paring him&s;elfe with the word, may &s;ee him&s;elfe to be like the devill, yea, a very devill. <HI>Have not I cho&s;en twelve, and one of you is a Devill.</HI> Such men are as like him, as if they were &s;pit out of his mouth. Satan is called the God of this world, becau&s;e, as God at fir&s;t did but &s;peake the word, and it was done: &s;o, if the Devill doth but hold up his finger, give the lea&s;t hint, they will doe his will, though they undoe their &s;oules for ever. Ah! what mon|&s;ters would the&s;e men appeare to be, did they but compare them&s;elves with a righteous Rule, and not with the mo&s;t unrighteous men; they would appeare to be as black as Hell it &s;elfe.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that though thy &s;ins be not as great as others, yet without &s;ound repentance on thy &s;ide, and pardoning mercy on
<PB N="106" REF="65"> Gods, thou wilt be as certainly damned<NOTE PLACE="marg">As in Heaven one is more glorious then another; &s;o in Hell, one &s;hall be more mi&s;erable then another. <HI>Augu&s;tine.</HI></NOTE> as others, though not equally torment|ed with others; what though hell &s;hall not be &s;o hot to thee as to others, yet thou mu&s;t as certainly to hell as others, unle&s;&s;e the glorious grace of God &s;hines forth upon thee in the face of Chri&s;t. God wil &s;uit mens puni&s;hments to their &s;ins; the greate&s;t &s;ins &s;hall be attended with the greate&s;t puni&s;hments, and le&s;&s;er &s;ins with le&s;&s;er puni&s;hments; ala&s;&s;e! what a poor comfort will this be to thee, when thou come&s;t to die, to con|&s;ider, that thou &s;halt not be equally tor|mented with others, and yet mu&s;t be for ever &s;hut out from the glorious pre&s;ence of God, Chri&s;t, Angels, and Saints, and from tho&s;e good things of eternall life, that are &s;o many, that they exceed num|ber,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The gate of Indulgence, the gate of hope the gate of mercy, the gate of glory, the gate of con&s;olation, and the gate of &s;alvatio<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, will be for e|ver &s;hu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> a|gain&s;t them, <HI>Mat. 25. 10.</HI></NOTE> &s;o great, that they exceed mea&s;ure, &s;o precious, that they exceed e&s;timation, Sure it is, that the tears of hell are not &s;ufficient to bewaile the lo&s;&s;e of heaven, the worme of grief gnawes as painfull, as the fire burnes; if tho&s;e &s;oules, Acts 20. wept, becau&s;e they &s;hould &s;ee <HI>Paul's</HI> face no more? How deplorable is the eternall deprivation of the beatificall+vi&s;ion. But this not all, thou &s;halt not be onely &s;hut out of heaven, but &s;hut up in hell for ever, not onely &s;hut out from the pre&s;ence of God and Angells, &amp;c.
<PB N="107" REF="65"> but &s;hut up with devills, and damned &s;pirit, for ever, not onely &s;hut out from<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Twas a good &s;aying of <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome,</HI> &s;peaking of Hell (<HI>Ne quae|ramu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> ubi &s;it, &s;ed quomodo il|lam fugiamus</HI>) let us not &s;eek where it is, but how we &s;hall e|&s;cape it.</NOTE> tho&s;e &s;weet &s;urpa&s;&s;ing, unexpre&s;&s;abl, and everla&s;ting plea&s;ures that be at Gods right hand, but &s;hut up for ever under tho&s;e torments, that are ea&s;ele&s;&s;e, reme|dile&s;&s;e, and endle&s;&s;e. Ah &s;oules! were it not ten thou&s;and times better for yee to break off your &s;ins by repentance, then to goe on in your &s;ins, till you feele the truth of what now you hear. The God of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> is very mercifull; ah that you would repent, and returne, that your &s;oules might live for ever. Remember this, grievous is the tor|ment of the damned, for the bitterne&s;&s;e of the puni&s;hments; but mo&s;t grievous for the eternity of the puni&s;hments. For to be tormented without end, this is<NOTE PLACE="marg">Surely, one good means to e&s;cape Hel, is to take a turne or two in Hell, by our daily meditations.</NOTE> that which goes beyond all the bounds of de&s;peration; ah! how doe the thoughts of this make the damned to roare, and cry out for di&s;quietne&s;&s;e of heart, and teare their haire, and gna&s;h their teeth, and rage for madne&s;&s;e, that they mu&s;t dwell in everla&s;ting burnings for ever?</P>
<P>The eleventh Device that Satan hath<NOTE PLACE="marg">11 Device.</NOTE> to draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, by pollu|ting and defiling the &s;oules and judge|ments of men with &s;uch dangerous er|rors, that doe in their proper tendency
<PB N="108" REF="66"> tend to carry the &s;oules of men to all loo&s;ne&s;&s;e and wickedne&s;&s;e, as wofull experience doth abundantly evidence. Ah! how many are there filled with the&s;e, and &s;uch like Chri&s;t-di&s;honour|ing, and &s;oule-undoing opinions, <HI>viz.</HI> That Ordinances are poor, low, carnall things, and not onely to be lived a|bove, but without al&s;o. That the Scrip|tures are full of falla&s;ies and uncertain|ties, and no further to be heeded, then they agree with that &s;pirit that is in them. That 'tis a poor low thing, if not idolatry too, to wor&s;hip God in a Mediator. That the Re&s;urrection is already pa&s;t. That there was never any &s;uch man or per&s;on, as Je&s;us Chri&s;t; but that all is an <HI>Allegory,</HI> and it &s;ignifies nothing but light and love, and &s;uch good frames borne in men. That there's no God, nor Devill, Heaven, nor Hell, but what is within us. That there is no &s;inne in the Saints, they are under no Law, but that of the &s;pirit, which is all freedome. That &s;in and grace are equal|ly of God, and agreeth to his will: with a hundred other horrid opinions, which hath cau&s;ed wickedne&s;&s;e to break in as a flood among us, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="109" REF="66">
<HEAD>Now the generall Remedies again&s;t this Device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that an erroneous vain mind is as odi|ous<NOTE PLACE="marg">A blinde eye is wor&s;e then a lame foot. <HI>Lev. 13. 44.</HI></NOTE> to God, as a vicious life; he that had the lepro&s;ie in his head, was to be pronounced utterly unclean. Gro&s;&s;e er|rors make the heart fooli&s;h, and render the life loo&s;e, and the &s;oul light in the eye of God. Errour &s;preads, and frets<NOTE PLACE="marg">The breath of the erronious is infectious, and like the dogs of <HI>Cong<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">,</HI> they bite though they barke not.</NOTE> like a Gangreen, and renders the &s;oul a leoper in the &s;ight of God. It was Gods heavy and dreadfull plague upon the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> to be given up to a mind void of Judgement, or an injudicious mind, or a mind rejected, di&s;allowed, abhor|red of God, or a mind that none have cau&s;e to glory in, but rather to be a&s;ha|med<NOTE PLACE="marg">Through ani|mo&s;ity to per|&s;i&s;t in errour, is diabolicall; it were be&s;t that we never erred, next to that that we amended our errour.</NOTE> of. I think that in the&s;e dayes God doth puni&s;h many mens former wicked|ne&s;&s;es, by giving them up to &s;oule-ru|ining errours. Ah Lord! this mercy I humbly beg, that thou woulde&s;t rather take me into thine owne hand, and doe any thing with me, then to give me up to tho&s;e &s;ad errours, to which thou|&s;ands have married their &s;ouls, and are in a way of peri&s;hing for ever.</P>
<PB N="110" REF="67">
<P>The &s;econd Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to receive the truth af|fectionately, and let it dwell in your &s;oules plenteou&s;ly; when men &s;tand out again&s;t the truth, when truth would en|ter,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The greate&s;t &s;inners are &s;ure to be the greate&s;t &s;uf|ferers.</NOTE> and men bar the door of their &s;ouls again&s;t truth, God in ju&s;tice gives up &s;uch &s;ouls to be deluded, and deceived by errour, to their eternall undoing&punc; 2 <HI>The&s;&s;. 2. 10, 11, 12. Becau&s;e they recei|ved not the love of the truth that they might be &s;aved: God &s;hall &s;end them &s;trong delu&s;i|ons</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">.</NOTE> (or as the Greek hath it, the effica|cie of errour) <HI>that they &s;hould believe a lye. That they all might be damned, who be|lieved not the truth, but had plea&s;ure in un|righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</HI> Ah &s;irs! as you love your &s;oules, doe not tempt God, do not pro|voke God by your with&s;tanding truth, and out-facing truth, to give you up to beleeve a lye, that you may be damned. There are no men on earth &s;o fenc'd a|gain&s;t errour, as tho&s;e are that receive the truth in the love of it. Such &s;oules<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 4. 14. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. <HI>Gr.</HI> &s;ignifies cogging with a dye; &s;uch &s;lights as cheaters and fal&s;e game|&s;ters u&s;e at D<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> <HI>are not ea&s;ily to&s;&s;ed too and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the &s;light of men, and cunning craftine&s;&s;e, where|by they lye in wait to deceive.</HI> 'Tis not he that receives mo&s;t of the truth into his head, but he that receives mo&s;t of the truth affectionately into his heart, that &s;hall injoy the happine&s;&s;e of having his
<PB N="111" REF="67"> judgement &s;ound, and clear, when o|thers &s;hall be deluded, and deceived by them, who make it their bu&s;ine&s;&s;e to in|fect the judgements and to undoe the &s;ouls of men.</P>
<P>Ah &s;oules! as you would not have your judgements polluted, and defiled<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Col. 3. 16. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. i. e.</HI> indwell in you, as an ingrafted word, incor|porated into your &s;ouls, &s;o concocted, and dige&s;ted by you, as that you turn it into a part of your &s;elves. They mu&s;t needs erre that know not Gods way<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s, yet can they not wander &s;o wide, as to mi&s;&s;e of hell. <HI>Veritas vincit</HI> truth (at la&s;t) triumphs.</NOTE> with errour, let the word of the Lord that is more precious then gold, yea, then fine gold, dwell plenteou&s;ly in you. 'Tis not the hearing of truth, nor the knowing of truth, nor the com|mending of truth, nor the talking of truth, but the indwelling of truth in your &s;ouls, that will keep your judge|ments cha&s;te and &s;ound, in the midde&s;t of all tho&s;e gli&s;tering errours, that be|tray many &s;ouls into his hands, that can ea&s;ily <HI>transforme him&s;elfe into an An|gel of light,</HI> that he may draw others to lye in chaines of darkne&s;&s;e with him for ever. Oh! let not the word be a &s;tranger, but make it your choice&s;t fa|miliar; then will you be able to &s;tand in the day, wherein many &s;hall fall on your right hand, and on your left, by the &s;ubtilty of tho&s;e that &s;hall &s;ay, loe here is Chri&s;t, and loe there is Chri&s;t. There was more wit, then grace, in his &s;peech, that coun&s;elled his friend, not to come too nigh unto truth, lea&s;t his teeth &s;hould be beaten out with its heels.
<PB N="112" REF="68"> Ah &s;ouls! if truth dwell plenteou&s;ly in<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Veritas &s;tat in aperto campo.</HI> Truth &s;tands in the open fields, I, and it makes tho&s;e &s;ouls &s;tand, in whom it dwels, when others <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">all as &s;tats from Heaven. 3 <HI>Remedie.</HI></NOTE> you, you are happy, if not, you are un|happy under all your greate&s;t felicity. It is with truth, &s;aith <HI>Melancton,</HI> as 'tis with holy water, every one prai&s;ed it, and thought it had &s;ome rare vertue in it, but offer to &s;prinkle them with it, and they will &s;hut their eyes, and turne away their faces from it.</P>
<P>The third Remedy again&s;t this De|vice of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that error makes the owner to &s;uffer lo&s;&s;e! All the paines and labou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> that men take, to defend and maintain their errours, to &s;pread abroad, and infect the world with their errours, &s;hall bring no profit, nor no comfort to them in that day, wherein <HI>every mans</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Errour as a gla&s;s, is bright, but <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rittle, and cannot in|d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">r<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the ham|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">er, or fire, as go<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d can which though <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> or mel|ted, remaines <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> and o|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ient.</NOTE> <HI>work &s;hall be made manife&s;t, and the fire &s;hall try it, of what &s;ort it is,</HI> as the Apo&s;tle &s;hewes, in that remarkable Scripture, the 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. Ah that all tho&s;e that ri&s;e early, and goe to bed late, that &s;pend their time, their &s;trength, their &s;pirits, their all, to advance &amp; &s;pread abroad God-di&s;honouring, and &s;oul un|doing opinions, would &s;eriou&s;ly con&s;i|der of this, that they &s;hall loo&s;e all the pains, co&s;t, and charge, that they have bin or &s;hall be at, for the propagating of er|rour; and if they are ever &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ved, it &s;hall be by fire, as the Apo&s;tle there &s;hewes.
<PB N="113" REF="68"> Ah &s;irs! is it nothing to lay out your money for that which is not bread? and your &s;trength for that, which will not, which cannot profit you in the day that you mu&s;t make up your ac|counts, and all your works mu&s;t be tried by fire? Ah! that &s;uch &s;oules would now at la&s;t, buy the truth, and &s;ell it not; Remember, you can never over buy it; what&s;oever you give for it, you can never &s;ufficiently &s;ell it, if you &s;hould have all the world in ex|change for it. It is &s;aid of <HI>Cae&s;ar,</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Major fuit cura Cae&s;ari libellorum quam purpurae.</NOTE> that he had greater care of his Bookes, then of his royall Robes; for &s;wimming thorough the waters, to e&s;cape his ene|mies, he carried his bookes in his hand above the waters, but lo&s;t his Robes; ah! what are <HI>Cae&s;ars</HI> books to Gods bookes? well, remember this, that one day, yea, one houre &s;pent in the &s;tudy of truth, or &s;preading abroad of truth, will yeeld the &s;oule more com|fort, and profit, then many thou&s;and years &s;pent in the &s;tudy, and &s;preading abroad of corrupt and vaine opini|ons, that have their rice from Hell, and not from Heaven; from the God of this world, and not from that God, that &s;hall at la&s;t judge this world, and all the corrupt opinions of men.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Kemedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Remedy.</NOTE>
<PB N="114" REF="69"> of Satan, is, to hate, reject, and abominate all tho&s;e doctrines, and opi|nions, that are contrary to godline&s;&s;e, and that open a doore to prophanene&s;&s;e;<NOTE PLACE="marg">One old peice of Gold is worth a thou&s;and new counters, and one old truth of God is m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">re worth then a thou|&s;and new er|rours. True hatred is (<GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">) to the whole kinde: 'tis &s;ad to frowne up|on one er|rour, and &s;mile upon another. <HI>Gideon</HI> had &s;eventy &s;ons, and but one <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;tard, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> that <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a&s;tard de|&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">oyed all the re&s;t. <HI>Judge</HI> 8. 13. one tur<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e may <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ri<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">g a man quite out of the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span">.</NOTE> and all &s;uch doctrines and opinions, that require men to hold forth a &s;trict|ne&s;&s;e, above what the Scripture requir|eth; And all &s;uch Doctrines and opi|nions, that doe advance, and lift up corrupted nature, to the doing of &s;u|pernaturall things, which none can doe, but by that &s;upernaturall power, that rai&s;ed Chri&s;t from the grave; And all &s;uch opinions, that doe lift up our own Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, in the Roome of Chri&s;ts Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, that place good works in the Throne of Chri&s;t, and makes them co-partners with Chri&s;t, &amp;c. And all tho&s;e opinions, and Do|ctrines, that doe &s;o &s;et up, and crie up Chri&s;t and his Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, as to cry down all Duties of Holine&s;&s;e, and Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e; And all tho&s;e Do|ctrines and opinions, that doe make the glorious and ble&s;&s;ed priviledges of be|leevers in the dayes of the Go&s;pell, to be le&s;&s;er, fewer, and weaker, then they were in the time of the Law. Ah! did your &s;oules ari&s;e with a holy hatred, and a &s;trong indignation again&s;t &s;uch Doctrines and opinions, you would &s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nd when others fall, and you would
<PB N="115" REF="69"> &s;hine as the Sun in her glory, when many, that were once as &s;hining &s;tars, may goe forth as &s;tinking &s;nufs</P>
<P>The fift <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to hold fa&s;t the truth; as men take no hold on the arme of fle&s;h, till they have let goe their hold on<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 17. 5. v,</NOTE> the arme of God: &s;o men take no hold on errour, till they have let goe their hold of truth; therefore hold fa&s;t the truth, truth is thy Crown, hold fa&s;t thy Crown, and let no man take thy Crown from thee; hath not God made<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2 Tim. 1. 13. 1 Titus</HI> 9. The Prie&s;ts of <HI>Mercurie</HI> when they eat their figs, and honey, cried ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> (<GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">) &s;weet is truth.</NOTE> truth &s;weet to thy &s;oule? yea, <HI>&s;weeter then the honey, or the honey combe,</HI> and wilt thou not goe on <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o Heaven, feeding upon truth, that heavenly honey|comb, as <HI>Sam&s;on</HI> did of his honey|comb. Ah &s;oules! have you not found truth &s;weetning your &s;pirits, and cheering your &s;pirits, and warming your &s;pirits, and rai&s;ing your &s;pirits, and corroborating your &s;pirits; have you not found truth a guide to leade you, a &s;taffe to uphold you, a cordiall to &s;trengthen you, and a plai&s;ter to heale you? and will you not hold fa&s;t the truth? hath not truth been your be&s;t friend in your wor&s;t dayes? hath not truth &s;tood by you, when friends have for&s;aken you? hath not truth done more for you, then all the world
<PB N="116" REF="70"> could doe again&s;t you, and will you not hold fa&s;t the truth? is not truth your right eye, without which you cannot &s;ee for Chri&s;t? and your right hand, without which you cannot doe for Chri&s;t? and your right foot, with|out which you cannot walke with Chri&s;t? and will you not hold fa&s;t truth? oh! hold fa&s;t the truth in your judgements, and under&s;tandings, in your wills and affections, in your pro|fe&s;&s;ion,<NOTE PLACE="marg">It is with truth, as with &s;ome plants, which live, and thrive not, but in warme cli|mates.</NOTE> and conver&s;ation. Truth is more precious then gold, or Rub<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">es; and all the things thou can&s;t de&s;ire, are not to be compared to her. Truth is that heavenly gla&s;&s;e, wherein we may &s;ee the lu&s;ter, and glory of divine wi&s;|dome, power, greatne&s;&s;e, love, and mercifulne&s;&s;e. In this gla&s;&s;e, you may &s;ee the face of Chri&s;t, the favour of Chri&s;t, the riches of Chri&s;t, and the heart of Chri&s;t, beating and working &s;weetly towards your &s;oules. Oh! let your &s;oules cleave to truth, as <HI>Ruth</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ruth 1. v.</HI> 15, 16, 17. Though I cannot di&s;|pute for the truth, yet I can die for the truth, &s;aid that ble&s;&s;ed Ma<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">yr.</NOTE> did to <HI>Naomi,</HI> and &s;ay, <HI>I will not leave</HI> truth, <HI>nor returne from following after</HI> truth, <HI>but where</HI> truth <HI>goes, I will goe, and where</HI> truth <HI>lodgeth I will lodge, and nothing but death &s;hall part</HI> truth <HI>and my &s;oule.</HI> What <HI>John</HI> &s;aid to the Church of <HI>Philadelphia,</HI> I may &s;ay to you; <HI>Hold th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> fa&s;t which thou ha&s;t, that no man
<PB N="117" REF="70"> take thy Crowne,</HI> the Crowne is the top of royalties; &s;uch a thing is truth; let<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tit. 1. v.</HI> 9. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">.</NOTE> no man take thy Crown; <HI>Hold fa&s;t the faithfull word,</HI> as <HI>Titus</HI> &s;peaks; you were better let goe any thing then truth; you were better let goe your<NOTE PLACE="marg">Hold fa&s;t as with tooth, and naile, again&s;t tho&s;e that would &s;natch it from us.</NOTE> honours, and riches, your friends, and plea&s;ures, and the worlds favours; yea, your neare&s;t, and deare&s;t relations, I, your very lives, then to let goe truth. Oh! keep the truth, and truth will keep you &s;afe, and happy for<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>6. Remedy.</HI> I have read of one, who &s;ee|ing in a vi&s;ion, many &s;nares of the devill &s;pread upon the earth, he &s;ate downe mourning, and &s;aid, with|in him&s;elfe (<HI>Quis periran|&s;iet i&s;ta</HI>) who &s;hall pa&s;&s;e thorough the&s;e? where|unto he he<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d a voice an|&s;wering (<HI>hu|militas&punc; per|iran&s;iet</HI>) hu|mility &s;hall pa&s;&s;e tho|rough them.</NOTE> ever, ble&s;&s;ed are tho&s;e &s;oules that are kept by truth.</P>
<P>The &s;ixt <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this device of Satan, is, to keep humble; humi|lity will keep the &s;oule free from many darts of Satans ca&s;ting, and erronious &s;nares of his &s;preading. As low trees and &s;hrubs are free from many violent gu&s;ts, and bla&s;ts of winde, which &s;hake and rend the taller trees; &s;o humble &s;oules are free from tho&s;e gu&s;ts, and bla&s;ts of errour, that rend, and teare proud lofty &s;oules; Satan and the world hath lea&s;t power, to fa&s;ten er|rours upon humble &s;oules. The God of light and truth delights to dwell with the humble; and the more light and truth dwells in the &s;oule, the fur|ther off darkne&s;&s;e and errour will &s;tand from the &s;oule. The God of grace
<PB N="118" REF="71"> poures in grace into humble &s;oules, as men poure liquor into empty ve&s;&s;ells, and the more grace is poured into the &s;oule, the le&s;&s;e errour &s;hall be able to over-power the &s;oule, or to infect the &s;oule That's a &s;weet word in the<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;a. 25. v. 9. a <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> Gnanavim</HI> from <HI>gnanah,</HI> which &s;igni|fies, the hum|ble, or affli|cted. The high tide quickly ebs, and the high|e&s;t Sun is pre&s;ently de|clining; you know how to apply it.</NOTE> 25. <HI>P&s;al. 9. v. The meek</HI> (or the hum|ble) <HI>will he guide in judgement, and the meeke will he teach his way;</HI> and cer|tainly &s;oules guided by God, and taught by God, are not ea&s;ily drawn a&s;ide, into wayes of errour. Oh! take heed of &s;pirituall pride; pride fills our fan|cies, and weakens our graces, and makes roome in our hearts for errour; there are no men on earth &s;o &s;oone en|tangled, and &s;o ea&s;ily conquered by er|rour, as proud &s;oules. Oh! 'tis dan|gerous, to love to be wi&s;e above what is written; to be curious, and un&s;ober in your de&s;ire of knowledge, and to<NOTE PLACE="marg">The proud &s;oule is like him that gaz|ed upon the Moon, but fell into the pit.</NOTE> tru&s;t to your own capacities and abili|ties, to undertake to prie into all &s;e|crets, and to be puffed up with a carnall minde; &s;oules that are thus a &s;oaring up, above the bounds and limits of hu|mility, u&s;ually fall into the very wor&s;t of errours, as experience doth daily evidence.</P>
<P>The &s;eventh <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">7. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, the great evills that errours have pro|duced;
<PB N="119" REF="71"> errour is a fruitfull mother, and hath brought forth &s;uch mon&s;trous<NOTE PLACE="marg">Errours in con&s;cience produce ma|ny great evills, not onely (<HI>ad in|tra</HI>) in mens own &s;oules, but al&s;o (<HI>ad extra</HI>) in hu|mane affaires.</NOTE> children, as hath &s;et Towns, Cities, and Nations on fire. Errour is that whori&s;h woman, that hath ca&s;t down many, wounded many, yea, &s;laine ma|ny &s;trong men, and many great men, and many learned men, and many profe&s;&s;ing men in former times, and in our own time, as is too evident to all, that are not much left of God, de&s;titute of the truth, and blinded by Satan. Oh the graces that errour hath weakned, and the &s;weet joyes and com|forts that errour hath clouded, if not buried; oh! the hands that errour hath weakned; the eyes that errour hath blinded; the judgements of men that errour hath perverted; the mindes that errour hath darkned; the hearts that errour hath hardened; the affections that errour hath cooled; the Con&s;ci|ences that errour hath &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ared; and the lives of men, that errour hath pollut|ed; ah &s;oules! can you &s;olemnly con|&s;ider of this? and not tremble more at errour then at hell it &s;elfe, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The twel<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">th <HI>Device</HI> that Satan hath<NOTE PLACE="marg">12. Device.</NOTE> to draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, to affect wicked company, to keep wicked &s;o|ciety, and oh! the horrid impieties and wickedne&s;&s;es that Satan hath
<PB N="120" REF="72"> drawn men to &s;in by working them, to &s;it, and a&s;&s;ociate them&s;elves with vaine per&s;ons.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to dwell (till your hearts be affected) upon tho&s;e com|mands of God, that doe expre&s;&s;ely re|quire us, to &s;hun the &s;ociety of the wicked, <HI>Ephe&s;. 5. 11. And have no fel|low&s;hip</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Non paerentum aut majorum authoritas &s;ed Dei docentis imperium,</HI> Jerom. The com|mands of God mu&s;t ou<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">-weigh all authority, and example of men.</NOTE> <HI>with the unfruit fud works of dark|ne&s;&s;e, but rather reprove them.</HI> Prov. 4. 14, 15, 16. <HI>Enter not into the path of the wicked, and goe not in the way of evill men. Avoid it, pa&s;&s;e not by it, turne from it, and pa&s;&s;e away.</HI> 1 Cor. 5. 9, 10, 11. 2 The&s;&s;. 3. 6. Prov. 1. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. turne to the&s;e Scriptures, and let your &s;oules dwell upon them, till a ho|ly indignation be rai&s;ed in your &s;oules, again&s;t fellow&s;hip with vaine men. <HI>God will not take the wicked by the hand,</HI> as <HI>Job</HI> &s;peaks, why then &s;hould you? Gods commands are not like tho&s;e that are ea&s;ily rever&s;ed; but they are like tho&s;e of the <HI>Medes,</HI> that cannot be changed; if the&s;e commands be not
<PB N="121" REF="72"> now ob&s;erved by thee, they will at la&s;t be witne&s;&s;es again&s;t thee, and mil|&s;tones to &s;inke thee, in that day, that Chri&s;t &s;hall judge thee.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that their company is very infectious,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Eu&s;ebius</HI> re|ports of <HI>John</HI> the Evange|li&s;t, that he would not &s;uffer <HI>Cerin|thus</HI> the he|retick, in the &s;ame bath him, left &s;ome judge|ment &s;hould abide them both. <HI>Eu&s;eb. lib. 3. cap.</HI> 25. A man that keepeth ill company, is like him that walketh in the Sun, tan|ned in&s;en&s;i|bly.</NOTE> and dangerous, as is cleare from the Scriptures above mentioned. Ah! how many have lo&s;t their names, and lo&s;t their e&s;tates, and &s;trength, and God, and Heaven, and &s;oules, by &s;ociety with wicked men? As ye &s;hun a &s;tink|ing carca&s;e; as the Sea-man &s;huns &s;ands, and rocks, and &s;helves; As ye &s;hun tho&s;e, that have the plague-&s;ore run|ning upon them: &s;o &s;hould you &s;hun the &s;ociety of wicked men. As weeds endanger the corne, as bad humors en|danger the blood, or as an infected hou&s;e the neighbourhood: &s;o doth wicked company the &s;oule. <HI>Bias</HI> a hea|then man, being at Sea in a great &s;torme, and perceiving many wicked men with him in the &s;hip, calling up|on the Gods; oh &s;aith he, forbear prayer, hold your tongues, I would not have the Gods take notice that you are here, they will &s;ure drowne us all; if they &s;hould. Ah &s;irs! could a hea|then<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 13. 20. v.</NOTE> &s;ee &s;o much danger in the &s;ociety of wicked men, and can you &s;ee none?</P>
<PB N="122" REF="73">
<P>The third <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>3. Remedie. 2 Tim. 4. 17. I&s;a. 11. 7. 29. Ezek. 3. 10. Mat. 16. 9. Revel. 3. 5. 10. Mat. 3. 7. I&s;a 10. 17. 27. ch 4. 55. 13. Ezek 26. Judg. 9. 14. Job 21. 18. P&s;al. 18. 42. P&s;a. 14. 18. P&s;a. 42. Ezek. 22. 18, 19. 65. E&s;a. 5. Ezek 24. 6. Lactantius</HI> &s;aith of <HI>Luci|an (nec diis, nec hominibus pepercit</HI>) he &s;pared neither God, nor man; &s;uch mon&s;ters are wicked men, which &s;hould render their company to all that have ta&s;ted of the &s;weetne&s;&s;e of divine love, a burden and not a delight.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to looke alwayes upon wicked men, under tho&s;e names and notions, that the Scripture &s;ets them out under. The Scripture calls them <HI>Lions</HI> for their fiercene&s;&s;e, and <HI>Beares</HI> for their cruelty, and <HI>Dragons</HI> for their hi|deou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and <HI>Dogs</HI> for their filthi|ne&s;&s;e, and <HI>Wolves</HI> for their &s;ubtilne&s;&s;e. The Scripture &s;tiles them <HI>Scorpions, Vi|pers, Thornes, Briars, Thi&s;tles, Brambles, &s;tubble, dirt, chaffe, du&s;t, dro&s;&s;e, &s;moke, &s;cumme;</HI> as you may &s;ee in the mar|gent. 'Tis not &s;afe to look upon wick|ed men, under tho&s;e names, and no|tions, that they &s;et out them&s;elves by, or that flatterers &s;ets them out by; this may delude the &s;oul; but the look|ing upon them under tho&s;e names, and notions, that the Scripture &s;ets out by, may pre&s;erve the &s;oule from frequent|ing their company, and delighting in their &s;ociety. Doe not tell me what this man calls them, or how &s;uch and &s;uch count them; but tell me, how doth the Scripture call them? how doth the Scripture count them. As <HI>Na|balls</HI> name was, &s;o was his nature; and as wicked mens names are, &s;o are their natures; you may know well enough what is within them, by the apt names that the Holy Gho&s;t hath given them.</P>
<PB N="123" REF="73">
<P>The fourth and la&s;t <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>4. Remedie.</HI> O Lord, let me not goe to hell, where the wicked are, for Lord, thou knowe&s;t, I never loved their compa|ny here, &s;aid a gracious gen|tlewoman, when &s;he was to die, being in much trou|ble of con|&s;cience.</NOTE> this device of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that the &s;ocietie and company of wick|ed men, have been a great griefe and burden, to tho&s;e precious &s;oules, that were once glorious on earth, and are now triumphing in heaven. <HI>P&s;al. 120. ver. 5, 6. Woe is mee that I dwell in Me|&s;ech; that I &s;ojourne in the tents of Ke|dar. My &s;oule hath long dwelt with him that hateth peace.</HI> So <HI>Jeremiah, Oh that I had in the wilderne&s;&s;e a lodging place of wayfaring men, that I might leave my peo|ple, and goe from them; for they be all adulterers, an a&s;&s;embly of treacherous men,</HI> Jer. 9. ver. 2. <HI>So they vexed Lots</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 2. c. ver. 7, 8 Vide Bezam.</NOTE> <HI>righteous &s;oule by their filthy conver&s;ation;</HI> they made his life a burden, they made death more de&s;irable to him then life; yea, they made his life a lingering death. Guilt, or grief is all the good, &s;oules get by conver&s;ing with wicked men.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="part">
<PB N="124" REF="74">
<HEAD>The &s;econd thing to be &s;hewed is, the &s;everall De|vices that Satan hath (as to draw &s;oules to &s;in, &s;o) to keep &s;oules from holy duties, to hinder &s;oules in holy Services, and to keep them off from Religious performances.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><HI>And he &s;hewed me</HI> Jo&s;hua <HI>the high Prie&s;t, &s;tanding before the Angell of the Lord, and Sa|tan &s;tanding at his righthand to re&s;i&s;t him.</HI><BIBL>Zach. 3. 1.</BIBL></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>The truth of this I &s;hall &s;hew you in the following particulars.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD><HI>The fir&s;t device that Satan</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Device.</NOTE> <HI>hath to draw &s;oules from holy duties, and to keep them off from religious &s;ervices is,</HI></HEAD>
<P>BY pre&s;enting the world in &s;uch a dre&s;&s;e, and in &s;uch a garbe to the &s;oule, as to in&s;nare the &s;oule, and to
<PB N="125" REF="74"> winn upon the affections of the &s;oule;<NOTE PLACE="marg">The beauty of the world &s;oils a Chri|&s;tian more then the &s;trength; the flattering Sun &s;h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ne more then the blu&s;ter|ing &s;torme; in &s;tormes, we keep our garments clo&s;e about us.</NOTE> he repre&s;ents the world to them in its beauty, and bravery, which proves a bewitching &s;ight to a world of men. 'Tis true, this tooke not Chri&s;t, be|cau&s;e Satan could finde no matter in him for his temptation to worke up|on; but Satan findes matter in us, for this temptation to worke upon: &s;o that he can no &s;ooner ca&s;t out his gol|den bait, but we are ready to play with it, and to nibble at it; he can no &s;ooner throw out his golden ball, but men are apt to run after it, though they loo&s;e God, and their &s;oules in the pur&s;uit. Ah! how many Profe&s;|&s;ors in the&s;e dayes, have for a time followed hard after God, Chri&s;t, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">The inhabi|tants of <HI>Nilus</HI> are deafe by the noi&s;e of the waters: &s;o the world makes &s;uch a noi&s;e in mens eares, that they cannot heare the things of Heaven. The world is like the &s;wallowes dung, that put out <HI>Tobias</HI> eyes.</NOTE> Ordinances, till the Devill hath &s;et be|fore them the world, in all its beauty, and bravery, which hath &s;o bewitched their &s;o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">les, that they have grown to have low thoughts of holy things, and then to be cold in their affections to holy things, and then to &s;light them, and at la&s;t, with the young man in the Go&s;pell to turne their backs upon them; ah the time! the thoughts, the &s;pirits, the hearts, the &s;oules, the du|ties, the &s;ervices, that the inordinate love of this wicked world doth eat up, and de&s;troy, and hath eat up, and de|&s;troyed;
<PB N="126" REF="75"> where one thou&s;and is de|&s;troyed<NOTE PLACE="marg">The champi|ons could <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">or wring an Apple out o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">'s</HI> ha <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> by &s;trong hand, but a faire maid by faire meanes got it pre&s;ently.</NOTE> by the worlds frownes, ten thou&s;ands are de&s;troyed by the worlds &s;miles. The world <HI>Siren</HI>-like, it &s;ings us, and &s;inks us; it ki&s;&s;es us, and be|traies us, like <HI>Judas;</HI> it ki&s;&s;es us, and imites us under the fifth rib, like <HI>Joab.</HI> The honors, &s;plendor, and all the glory of this world are but &s;weet poy|&s;ons, that will much endanger us, if they doe not eternally de&s;troy us. Ah! the multitude of &s;oules that have &s;ur|&s;eited of the&s;e &s;weet baites, and died for ever.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>1 Remedy.</HI> The <HI>Prior</HI> in <HI>Melancton</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> his hands up and down in a ba|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">n full of <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">ells, thinking thereby to have charmed <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> gour, but <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> would not <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">oe.</NOTE> of Satan, is to dwell upon the impo|tency, and weakne&s;s of all the&s;e things below; they are not able to &s;ecure you from the lea&s;t evill. They are not able to procure you the lea&s;t de&s;irable good. The Crown of Gold cannot cure the head-ach; nor the velvet &s;lipper ea&s;e the gout; nor the Jewell about the n<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ck cannot take away the paine of the teeth. The F<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ogs of <HI>Egypt</HI> entered into the rich mens hou&s;es of <HI>Egypt,</HI> as well as
<PB N="127" REF="75"> the poore; our daily experience doth<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nugas</HI> the <HI>Scy+thian</HI> de&s;pi&s;e|ing the rich pre&s;ents, and ornaments that were &s;ent unto him by the Empe|rour of <HI>Con|&s;tantinople,</HI> ask|ed whether&punc; tho&s;e things could drive away calami|ties, di&s;ea&s;es, or death.</NOTE> evidence this, that all the honors, and riches, &amp;c. That men enjoy cannot free them from the collick, the feaver, or le&s;&s;er di&s;ea&s;es. Nay, that which may &s;eem mo&s;t &s;trange is, that a great deal of wealth cannot keep men from falling into extreame povertie. In the fir&s;t of <HI>Judges 6. ver.</HI> you &s;hall finde &s;eventy Kings with their fingers and toes cut off, glad like whelps to lick up crummes under another Kings table; and &s;hortly after, the &s;ame King that brought them to this penury, is reduced to the &s;ame po|verty and mi&s;ery; Why then &s;hould that be a bar to keep thee out of Hea|ven, that cannot give thee the lea&s;t ea&s;e on earth?</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to dwell upon the vanity of them, as well as upon the impotencie of all worldly good. This is the &s;umme of <HI>Solomons</HI> &s;ermon; <HI>Vanity of vanity, and all is vanity.</HI> This<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gilimex</HI> King of <HI>Vanda<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">s,</HI> led in tri|umph, by <HI>Bel|li&s;arius,</HI> cried out, <HI>Vanity of vanity, all is vanity.</HI></NOTE> our fir&s;t parents found, and therefore named their &s;econd <HI>Abell,</HI> or <HI>vanity. Solomon</HI> that had tried the&s;e things, and could be&s;t tell the vanity of them, he preacheth this &s;ermon over, againe, and againe; <HI>Vanity of vanity, and all is vanity.</HI> 'Tis &s;ad to think, how many thou&s;ands there be, that can &s;ay with the
<PB N="128" REF="76"> preacher, <HI>vanity of vanity, all is vanity,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The fancie of <HI>Lucian,</HI> who placeth <HI>Cha|ron</HI> on the top of an high hill, viewing all the af|faires of men living, and looking on their greate&s;t Cities as lit|tle birds ne&s;ts, is very plea&s;ant.</NOTE> nay, &s;wear it, and yet follow after the&s;e things, as if there were no other glo|ry, nor &s;elicity; but what's to be found in tho&s;e things, they call vani|ty. Such men will &s;ell Chri&s;t, Hea|ven, and their &s;oules for a trifle, that call the&s;e things vanity, but doe not cordially beleeve them to be vanity, but &s;et their hearts upon them, as if they were their Crown, the top of all their Royalty, and glory. Oh! let your &s;oules dwell upon the vanity of all things here below, till your hearts be &s;o thoroughly convinced, and per|&s;waded of the vanity of them, as to trample upon them, and make them a a foot-&s;toole for Chri&s;t to get np, and ride in a holy triumph in your hearts.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Oh the im|perfection, the ingrati|tude, the le|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ity, the in|con&s;tancy, the perfidiou&s;|ne&s;&s;e of tho&s;e creatures&punc; we mo&s;t &s;ervilly affect.</NOTE> <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> &s;aid once, that if he were the fitte&s;t in the world, to preach a Sermon to the whole world, gathered together in one Congregation, and had &s;ome high <HI>Mountaine</HI> for his Pulpit, from whence he might have a pro&s;pect of all the world in his view, and were furni&s;hed with a voice of bra&s;&s;e, a voice as loud as the Trumpet of the Arch-Angell, that all the world might hear him, he would chu&s;e to preach upon no other text, then that in the <HI>P&s;aln<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">es, O mortall men how long will
<PB N="129" REF="76"> yee love vanity, and follow after lea&s;ing.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ah! did we but weigh mans paine with his pai|ment, his cro&s;&s;es, with his mercies; his mi&s;eries with his plea|&s;ures; we &s;hould then &s;ee that there is nothing got by the bargaine, and conclude, <HI>Va|nity of vanity, all is vanity.</HI></NOTE> Tell me, you that &s;ay all things under the Sun is vanitie, if you doe really beleeve what you &s;ay, why doe you &s;pend more though<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">, and time on the world, then you doe on Chri&s;t, Heaven, and your immortall &s;oules? Why doe you then neglect your duty towards God, to get the world? Why doe you then &s;o eagerly pur&s;ue after the world? and are &s;o cold in your pur&s;uing after God, Chri&s;t, and holine&s;&s;e? Why then are your hearts &s;o exceedingly rais'd, when the world comes in, and &s;miles upon you, and &s;o much dejected, and ca&s;tdown, when the world frownes upon you, and with <HI>Jonah's</HI> Gourd withers before you?</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to dwell much upon the uncertainty, the mutabilitie, and in|con&s;tancie of all things under the Sun.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Riches were never true to any, that tru&s;ted to them; they have deceiv|ed men, as <HI>Jobs</HI> brook did the poore traveller, in the Summer &s;ea&s;on.</NOTE> Man him&s;elfe is but the dreame of a dreame, but the generation of a fancie, but an emptie vanity, but the curious picture of nothing, a poore, feeble, dying fla&s;h. All temporalls are as tran|&s;itory, as a ha&s;tie, head-long torrent, a &s;hadow, a &s;hip, a bird, an arrow, a po&s;t that pa&s;&s;eth by; <HI>why &s;houlde&s;t thou &s;et thine eyes upon that which is not,</HI> &s;aith
<PB N="130" REF="77"> <HI>Solomon:</HI> and &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>the fa|&s;hion of this world pa&s;&s;eth away. Heaven</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>1 Cor.</HI> 7. 31. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> inti|mateth, that there is no|thing of any firmne&s;&s;e, or &s;olid con&s;i|&s;tence in the creature.</NOTE> <HI>onely hath a foundation, earth hath none, but is hanged upon nothing,</HI> as <HI>Job</HI> &s;peaks. The Apo&s;tle willed <HI>Tymothie, to charge rich men that they be not high minded, nor put their tru&s;t in uncertaine riches.</HI> They are like bad &s;ervants, who&s;e &s;hooes are made of running leather, and will ne|ver tarrie long with one Ma&s;ter; as a bird hoppeth from tree to tree, &s;o doe the honors and riches of this world, from man to man; let <HI>Job</HI> and <HI>Nebu|chadnezzar</HI> te&s;tifie this truth, who fell<NOTE PLACE="marg">The mo&s;t re|nowned <HI>Fre|derick</HI> lo&s;t all, and &s;ued to be made but Sexton of the <HI>Church,</HI> that him&s;elfe had built. I have re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d of a poore fi&s;her|man, who while his nets were ad<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ying, &s;l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">pt upon the Rock, and dreamed that he was made a King, on a &s;udden &s;tarts up, and leap|ing for joy, falls down f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> the Rock, and in the place of his imagina<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y felicities, lo&s;es his little por|tion of plea|&s;ures.</NOTE> from great wealth, to great want. No man can promi&s;e him&s;elf to be wealthie till night; one &s;torme at Sea, one coal of fire, one fal&s;e friend, one unadvi&s;ed word, one fal&s;e witne&s;&s;e may make thee a begger, and a pri&s;oner all at once. All the riches and glory of this world is but as &s;moke, and chaff that va|ni&s;heth; <HI>as a dreame, and vi&s;ion in the night that tarrieth not;</HI> as if an hungrie man dreameth, and thinketh that he eateth, and when he awaketh, his &s;oule is emptie; and like a thir&s;tie man, which thinketh he drinketh, and behold when he is awaked, his &s;oule is faint, as the Prophet <HI>E&s;ay</HI> &s;aith. Where is the glory of <HI>Solomon?</HI> the &s;umptuous build|ings of <HI>Nebuchadnezzar?</HI> the nine hun|dred
<PB N="131" REF="77"> Chariots of <HI>Si&s;era?</HI> the power of <HI>Alexander?</HI> the authority of <HI>Augu|&s;tus,</HI> that commanded the whole world to be taxed? Tho&s;e that have been the mo&s;t glorious, in what men generally account glorious and excellent, have had inglorious ends; As <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> for &s;trength; <HI>Ab&s;olom</HI> for beauty; <HI>Achito|phel</HI> for policie; <HI>Hamon</HI> for favour; <HI>A&s;ael</HI> for &s;wiftne&s;&s;e; <HI>Alexander</HI> for great conque&s;t, and yet after twelve yeares poy&s;oned; the &s;ame you may &s;ee in the mighty foure Kingdomes. The <HI>Caldean, Per&s;ian, Grecian,</HI> and <HI>Romane,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The pompe of this world <HI>Iohn</HI> compar|eth to the Moone, which (<HI>cre&s;cit &amp; de|cre&s;cit</HI>) in|crea&s;eth, and decrea&s;eth. <HI>Apoc. 12. v. 1.</HI></NOTE> how &s;oone were they gone, and for|gotten. Now rich, now poore, now full, now emptie, now in favour, anon out of favour, now honourable, now de&s;pi&s;ed, now health, now &s;ickne&s;&s;e, now &s;trength, now weakne&s;&s;e. Oh! let not the&s;e uncertaine things keep thee from tho&s;e holy &s;ervices, and hea|venly imployments, that may make thee happy for ever, and render thy &s;oule eternally ble&s;&s;ed, and at ea&s;e, when all the&s;e tran&s;itory things &s;hall bid thy &s;oule an everla&s;ting fare|well.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that the great things of this world are very hurtfull, and dangerous to the out|ward
<PB N="132" REF="78"> and inward man, thorough the<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Henry</HI> the &s;e|cond hear|ing <HI>Menz</HI> his chiefe City to be taken, u&s;ed this bla&s;|phemous &s;peech, I &s;hall never (&s;aith he) love God any more, that &s;uffered a Ci|ty &s;o dear to mee, to be taken from me. When one pre&s;ented <HI>Antipater</HI> King of <HI>Macedonia,</HI> with a book, treating of happine&s;&s;e, his an&s;wer (<HI>ou &s;cholazo</HI>) I have no lea|&s;ure.</NOTE> corruptions that be in the hearts of men; oh! the re&s;t, the peace, the com|fort, the content that the things of this world doe &s;trip many men off. Oh the feares, the cares, the envie, the ma|lice, the dangers, the mi&s;chiefs, that they &s;ubject men to. They oftentimes make men carnally confident. <HI>The rich mans riches are a &s;trong tower in his ima|gination. I &s;aid in my pro&s;perity I &s;hould never be moved.</HI> They often &s;well the heart with pride, and make men forget God, and neglect God, and de&s;pi&s;e the Rock of their &s;alvation; <HI>when Je|&s;urum waxed fat, and was grown thick, and covered with fatne&s;&s;e, then he forgot God, and for&s;ooke God that made him, and lightly e&s;teemed the Rock of his &s;alvation,</HI> as <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> &s;pake; ah the time! the thoughts, the &s;pirits, that the things of the world con&s;umes and &s;pends. Oh! how doe they hinder the actings of faith upon God? how doe they in|terrupt our &s;weet communion with God? how doe they abate our love to the people of God, and coole our love to the things of God, and worke us to act like tho&s;e, that are mo&s;t unlike to God? oh! the deadne&s;&s;e, the dul|ne&s;&s;e, the barrenne&s;&s;e, that doth attend <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span">n under great outward mercies.
<PB N="133" REF="78"> Oh! the riches of the world chokes<NOTE PLACE="marg">That foure good mothers beget foure bad daugh|ters; great familiarity begets con|tempt; truth hatred; ver|tue envie; riches igno|norance; is a french Pro|verb. <HI>Gen.</HI> 13. 2. <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> <HI>Policrates</HI> be|&s;towed five talents for a gift, upon one <HI>Anacrion,</HI> who for two nights after was &s;o trou|bled with care, how to keep them, and how to be&s;tow them, as he carried them back againe to <HI>Po|licrates,</HI> &s;ay|ing, they were not worth the paines which he had already taken for them</NOTE> the word, that men live under the mo&s;t &s;oule-&s;earching, and &s;oule in riching meanes with leane &s;oules; though they have full pur&s;es, though their che&s;ts are full of &s;ilver, yet their hearts are emptie of grace. In the 13. <HI>Gen.</HI> 2. It is &s;aid that <HI>Abraham was very rich in cattell, in &s;ilver, and in gold,</HI> according to the Hebrew (<HI>Chabbedh</HI>) 'tis <HI>Abra|ham</HI> was very heavie, to &s;hew that riches are a heavie burden, and a hinderance many times to heaven, and happine&s;&s;e. King <HI>Henry</HI> the fourth asked the Duke of <HI>Alva,</HI> if he had ob&s;erved the great Ecclip&s;e of the Sun, which had lately hapned, no (&s;aid the Duke) I have &s;o much to doe on earth, that I have no lea&s;ure to looke up to Heaven; ah! that this were not true of mo&s;t Pro|fe&s;&s;ors in the&s;e dayes; 'tis very &s;ad to thinke, how their hearts and time is &s;o much taken up with earthly things, that they have &s;carce any lea&s;ure to looke up to Heaven, or to looke after Chri&s;t, and the things that belong to their everla&s;ting peace.</P>
<P>Riches, though well got, yet are but like to <HI>Manna,</HI> tho&s;e that gathered le&s;&s;e bad no want, and tho&s;e that ga|thered more, 'twas but a trouble, and annoyance to them. The world is
<PB N="134" REF="79"> trouble&s;ome, and yet it is loved; what would it be, if it were peaceable? you imbrace it, though it be filthy; what would you doe, if it were beautifull? you cannot keep your hands from the thornes; how earne&s;t would you be then in gathering the flowers? The world may be fitly likened to the Ser|pent <HI>Scytale,</HI> whereof it is reported, that<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sicily</HI> is &s;o full of &s;weet flowers, that dogs cannot hunt there; and what doe all the &s;weet contents of this world, but make us loo&s;e the &s;ent of Heaven.</NOTE> when &s;he cannot overtake the flying pa&s;&s;engers, &s;he doth with her beauti|full colours &s;o a&s;toni&s;h, and amaze them, that they have no power to pa&s;&s;e away, till &s;he have &s;tung them. Ah! how many thou&s;ands are there now on earth, that have found this true by ex|perience; that have &s;pun a faire thread to &s;trangle them&s;elves, both temporally and eternally, by being bewitch't by the beautie, and braverie of this entice|ing world.</P>
<P>The fift <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this Device of<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. Remedie.</NOTE> Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that all the feli|city of this world is mixt; our light is mixt with darkne&s;&s;e, our joy with &s;or|row, our plea&s;ures with paine, our ho|nour with di&s;honour, our riches with wants. If our fight be &s;pirituall, cleare, and quick; we may &s;ee in the felicity of this world, our wine mixt with wa|ter, our honey with gall, our &s;ugar with wormewood, and our ro&s;es with
<PB N="135" REF="79"> prickles. Sorrow attends worldy joy,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Harke &s;cho|lar, &s;aid the Harlot to <HI>Apuleius;</HI> 'tis but a bitter &s;weet, that you are &s;o fond off. Surely, all the things of this world are but bitter &s;weets.</NOTE> danger attends worldly &s;afety, lo&s;&s;e attends worldly labours, teares attend worldly purpo&s;es. As to the&s;e things, mens hopes are vaine, their &s;orrow cer|taine, and joy fained. The Apo&s;tle cal|leth this world a &s;ea of gla&s;&s;e; a &s;ea for the troubles of it, and gla&s;&s;e for the brittlene&s;&s;e and bitterne&s;&s;e of it. The honors, profits, plea&s;ures, and delights of this world are true gardens of <HI>Ado|nis,</HI> where we can gather nothing but triviall flowers, &s;urrounded with many bryers.</P>
<P>The &s;ixt <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">6. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to get better acquain|tance, and better a&s;&s;urance of more ble&s;&s;ed, and glorious things. That<NOTE PLACE="marg">Let Heaven be a mans object, and earth will &s;oone be his abject.</NOTE> which rai&s;ed up their &s;pirits, in the t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nth and 11^t^h of the <HI>Hebrews,</HI> to tr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">mple upon all the beautie, bravery, and glory of the world, was their ac|quaintance with, <HI>and a&s;&s;urance of better and more durable things. They tooke joyful|ly the &s;poyling of their goods, knowing in them&s;elves, that they had in Heaven a bet|ter, and a more durable &s;ub&s;tance. They</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luther</HI> being at one time in &s;ome wants, it happened that a good &s;um of money was unexpe|ctedly &s;ent him, by a No|ble man of <HI>Germany,</HI> at which being &s;omething amazed, he &s;aid, I &s;eare that God will give me my reward here; but I prote&s;t, I will not be &s;o &s;atisfied.</NOTE> <HI>look't for a hou&s;e that had foundations, who&s;e builder and maker was God; And they look't for another Country, even an hea|venly. They &s;aw him that was invi&s;ible, and had an eye to the recompence of reward;</HI>
<PB N="136" REF="80"> And this made them count all the glo|ry and bravery of this world, to be poore, and contemptible for them, to &s;et their hearts upon. The maine rea|&s;on why men dote upon the world, and damne their &s;oules to get the world, is, becau&s;e they are not acquainted with a greater glory. Men ate Acorns, till they were acquainted with the u&s;e of wheat. Ah! were men more acquainted with what union and communion with God means; what 'tis to <HI>have a new name, and a new &s;tone, that none knowes, but he that hath it;</HI> did they but ta&s;te more of Heaven, and live more in Heaven, and had more glorious hopes of going to Heaven; ah! <HI>how ea&s;ily would they have the Moone un|der their feet.</HI> It was an excellent &s;aying of <HI>Lewis</HI> of <HI>Bavyer,</HI> Emperour of <HI>Ger|many,</HI> <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Huju&s;modi comparandae &s;unt opes quae cum naufragio &s;imul enatent.</NOTE> &s;uch goods are worth getting, and owning as will not &s;inke, or wa&s;h away, if a &s;hipwrack happen, but will wade and &s;wim out with us. It is re|corded of <HI>Lazarus,</HI> that after his re&s;ur|rection from the dead, he was never &s;een to laugh, his thoughts and affecti|ons were &s;o fixt in Heaven, though his bodie was on earth; and therefore he could not but &s;light temporall things,<NOTE PLACE="marg">There is &s;aith <HI>Augu&s;tine (bo|na Throni)</HI> goods of the throne; and there are (<HI>bona Scabel|li</HI>) goods of the foote|&s;tool.</NOTE> his heart being &s;o bent, and &s;et upon eternalls. There are goods of the throne of grace; as God, Chri&s;t, the
<PB N="137" REF="80"> Spirit, Adoption, Ju&s;tification, remi&s;|&s;ion of &s;in peace with God, and peace with Con&s;cience; and there are goods of the foot-&s;toole, as honours, riches, the favour of creatures, and other com|forts, and accommodations of this life; Now he that hath acquaintance with, and a&s;&s;urance of the goods of the Throne, will ea&s;ily trample upon the goods of the foot-&s;toole. Ah! that you would make it your bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, your worke, to mind more, and make &s;ure more to your owne &s;oules, the great<NOTE PLACE="marg">When <HI>Ba&s;il</HI> was tempted with money, and prefer|ment; &s;aith he, give me money that may la&s;t for ever, and glory that may eternally flouri&s;h; for the fa&s;hion of this world pa&s;&s;eth away, as the waters of a river that runs by a Ci|ty.</NOTE> things of eternity, that will yeeld you joy in life, and peace in death, and a Crown of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e in the day of Chri&s;ts appearing; And that will lifte up your &s;oules above all the beauty, and bravery of this bewitching world; that will rai&s;e your feet above other mens heads. When a man comes to be a&s;&s;ured of a Crown, a Scepter, the Roy|all Robes, &amp;c. he then begins to have low, mean, and contemptible thoughts of tho&s;e things, that before he highly prized: &s;o will a&s;&s;urance of more, great, and glorious things breed in the &s;oule a holy &s;corn, and contempt of all the&s;e poore, meane things, which the &s;oule before did value above God, Chri&s;t, and Heaven, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The &s;eventh <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice
<PB N="138" REF="81"> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider,<NOTE PLACE="marg">7 Remedie.</NOTE> that true hahpine&s;&s;e and &s;atisfaction, is not to be had in the injoyment of any worldly good; true happine&s;&s;e is too big, and too glorious a thing, to be<NOTE PLACE="marg">True happi|ne&s;&s;e lies only in our injoy|ment of a &s;ui|table good, a pure good, a totall good, &amp; an eternall good; and God is onely &s;uch a good, and &s;uch a good can only &s;atisfie the &s;oul of man.</NOTE> found in any thing below that God, who is a Chri&s;tians (<HI>&s;ummum bonum</HI>) chiefe&s;t good. The ble&s;&s;ed Angells, tho&s;e gli&s;tering Courtiers have all felicities, and ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;es; and yet they have neither gold, nor &s;ilver, nor jewels, nor none of the beauty, and bravery of this world; certainly, if happine&s;&s;e was to be found in the&s;e things, the Lord Je|&s;us, who is the right and Royall Heir of all things, would have exchanged his cradle for a Crown, his Birth|cham-ber (a &s;table) for a Royall Pa|lace; his poverty for plenty; his de&s;pi|&s;ed followers, for &s;hining Courtiers; and his meane provi&s;ions, for the choi|&s;e&s;t delicates, &amp;c. Certainly, happine&s;s lies not in tho&s;e things, that a man<NOTE PLACE="marg">Philo&s;ophers could &s;ay, that hee was never a happy man that might af|terwards be|come mi&s;era|ble.</NOTE> may injoy, and yet be mi&s;erable for e|ver; now a man may be great, &amp; grace|le&s;&s;e with <HI>Pharaoh;</HI> honourable, and damnable with <HI>Saul;</HI> rich, and mi&s;era|ble with <HI>Dives,</HI> &amp;c. therefore happine&s;s lies not in the&s;e things. Certainly hap|pine&s;&s;e lies not in tho&s;e things that can|not comfort a man upon a dying bed; Is it honours, riches, or friends, &amp;c.
<PB N="139" REF="81"> that can comfort thee when thou co|me&s;t to die? or is it not rather faith in the blood of Chri&s;t? the witne&s;&s;e of the<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gregory</HI> the great u&s;ed to &s;ay, he is poor, who&s;e &s;oule is void of grace, not who&s;e co|fers are emp|ty of money.</NOTE> &s;pirit of Chri&s;t; the &s;en&s;e and feeling of the love, and favour of Chri&s;t, and the hopes of eternall reigning with Chri&s;t? Can happine&s;&s;e lie in tho&s;e things that cannot give us health, or &s;trength, or ea&s;e, or a good nights re&s;t, or an hours &s;leep, or a good &s;tomack? why all the honours, riches, and de|lights of this world cannot give the&s;e poor things to us; therefore certainly, happine&s;&s;e lies not in the injoyment of them, &amp;c. And &s;urely happine&s;&s;e is not to be found in tho&s;e things, that can|not &s;atisfie the &s;oules of men; now none of the&s;e things can &s;atisfie the &s;oul of man. <HI>He that loveth &s;ilver &s;hall not be &s;atisfied with &s;ilver, nor he that loveth a|bundance</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Anima ratio|nalis caeteris omnibus occu|pari pote&s;t im|pleri non pote&s;t.</HI> The rea&s;ona|ble &s;oule may be bu&s;ied a|bout other things, but it cannot be filled with them.</NOTE> <HI>with increa&s;e; this is al&s;o vanity,</HI> &s;aith the wi&s;e man. The barren womb, the Hor&s;e-leeches daughter, the grave and Hell will as &s;oon be &s;atisfied, as the &s;oule of man will by the injoyment of any worldly good. Some one thing, or other will be for ever wanting to that &s;oule that hath none, but outward good to live vpon. You may as &s;oone fill a bag with wi&s;dome, a che&s;t with vertue, or a circle with a triangle, as the heart of man with any thing here be|low?
<PB N="140" REF="82"> A man may have enough of the world to &s;inke him, but he can never have enough to &s;atisfie him, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The eighth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">8. Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider of the dignity of the &s;oule; oh! the &s;oul of man is more wotrh then a thou&s;and worlds; 'tis the greate&s;t aba&s;ing of it<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Plutarch</HI> tells of <HI>Themi&s;tocles,</HI> that he ac|counted it not to &s;tand with his &s;tate, to &s;toop down to take up the &s;poiles the e|nemies had &s;cattered in flight, but &s;aith to one of his followers. (<GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">) you may, for you are not <HI>Themi&s;tocles.</HI> Oh what a &s;ad thing is it, that a Hea|then &s;hould &s;et his feet upon tho&s;e very things that mo&s;t Profe&s;&s;ors &s;et their hearts, and for the gain of which with <HI>Balaam,</HI> many run the hazard of &s;ing their im|mortall &s;ouls for ever.</NOTE> that can be, to let it dote upon a little &s;hining earth, upon a little painted beauty, and fading glory, when it's capable of union with Chri&s;t, of com|munion with God, and of enjoying the eternall vi&s;ion of God. <HI>Seneca</HI> could &s;ay, I am too great, and born to grea|ter things, then that I &s;hould be a &s;lave to my body; oh! do you &s;ay, my &s;oule is too great, and born to greater things, then that I &s;hould confine it to a heap of white and yellow clay. I have been the longer upon the <HI>Remedies,</HI> that may help us again&s;t this dangerous device of Satan, becau&s;e hee doth u&s;ually more hurt to the &s;oules of men, by this de|vice, then he doth by all other devices; for a clo&s;e, I wi&s;h, as once <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI> did, that that &s;entence, <HI>Eccle&s;. 2. v. 11. (Then I looked on all the workes that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do, and behold all was vani|ty and vexation of Spirit, and there was no profit under the Sun</HI>) were engraven on
<PB N="141" REF="82"> the door po&s;ts, into which you enter; on the tables, where you &s;it; on the di|&s;hes out of which you eate; on the cups, out of which you drinke; on the bed|&s;teads, where you lie; on the walls of the hou&s;es, where you dwell; on the garments, which you weare; on the heads of the hor&s;es, on which you ride, and on the foreheads of all them whom you meet; that your &s;oules may not by the beautie, and braverie of the world be kept off from tho&s;e holy, and heaven|ly &s;ervices, that may render you ble&s;&s;ed, while you live, and happy when you die; that you may breath out your la&s;t into his bo&s;ome, who lives for ever, and who will make them happy for ever, that prefers Chri&s;ts &s;piritualls and eter|nals above all temporall, tran&s;itory things.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>The &s;econd <HI>Device</HI> that Satan hath to draw &s;oules from ho|ly duties, and to keepe them off from religi|ous &s;ervices, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY pre&s;enting to them the danger,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Device.</NOTE> the lo&s;&s;es, and the &s;ufferings that do attend the performance of &s;uch and
<PB N="142" REF="83"> &s;uch religious &s;ervices; by this device Satan kept clo&s;e tho&s;e that beleeved on Chri&s;t, from confe&s;&s;ing of Chri&s;t, in that 12. <HI>John 42. Neverthele&s;&s;e, among the chief Rulers al&s;o, many believed on him; but be|cau&s;e of the Phari&s;ees, they did not confe&s;&s;e him, le&s;t they &s;hould be put out of the Syna|gogue.</HI> I would walke in all the wayes of God, I would give up my &s;elfe to the &s;tricte&s;t wayes of holine&s;&s;e; but I am a|fraid dangers will attend me on the one hand; and lo&s;&s;es, and happily &s;uch, and &s;uch &s;ufferings on the other hand, &s;aith many a man. Oh! how &s;hould we helpe our &s;elves again&s;t this temptation, and device of Satan.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this de|vice of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that all the troubles and afflictions that you meet with in a way of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;hall never hurt you; they &s;hall never harm you. <HI>And who is he that &s;hall harme</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nemo proprie l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ur ni&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> a &s;eip&s;o.</HI> No bo|dy is properly hurt, but by him&s;elfe, and his own fault.</NOTE> <HI>you, if you be followers of that which is good,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle, <HI>i. e.</HI> none &s;hall harme you; naturall con&s;cience cannot but
<PB N="143" REF="83"> doe homage to the image of God, &s;tam|ped upon the natures, words, workes, and lives of the godly; as we may &s;ee in the carriage of <HI>Nebuchadnezzar,</HI> and<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gordius</HI> that ble&s;&s;ed Mar|tyr accounted it a lo&s;&s;e to him, not to &s;uffer many kinds of tor|tures; he &s;aith, tortures are but tradings with God for glory. The greater the combate is, the greater is the following reward.</NOTE> <HI>Darius</HI> towards <HI>Daniel.</HI> All the afflicti|ons and troubles that do attend men in a way of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, can never rob them of their trea&s;ure, of their jew|els; they may rob them of &s;ome light, &s;light things; as the &s;word that is by their &s;ide, or the &s;tick that is in their hand, or of the flowers, or ribbons that be in their hats; The trea&s;ures of a Saint is the pre&s;ence of God, the favour of God, union and communion with God; the pardon of &s;in, the joy of the &s;pirit, the peace of Con&s;cience, which are Jewels that none can give, but Chri&s;t, nor none can take away, but Chri&s;t. Now, why &s;hould a gracious &s;oule keep off from a way of holine&s;&s;e? becau&s;e of afflictions, &amp;c. when no af|flictions can &s;trip a man of his heavenly jewels, which are his ornaments, and his &s;afety here, and will be his happi|ne&s;&s;e and glory hereafter. Why &s;hould that man be afraid, or troubled for<NOTE PLACE="marg">That was a notable &s;peech of <HI>Lu|ther,</HI> let him that dyed for my &s;oule, &s;ee to the &s;alvati|on of it.</NOTE> &s;tormes at Sea, who&s;e trea&s;ures are &s;ure in a friends hand upon land? why, a believers trea&s;ure is always &s;afe in the hands of Chri&s;t; his life is &s;afe, his &s;oule is &s;afe, his grace is &s;afe, his
<PB N="144" REF="84"> comfort is &s;afe, and his Crown is &s;afe in the hand of Chri&s;t. <HI>I know him in</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 1. 12.</NOTE> <HI>whom I have beleeved, and that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him, untill that day,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle. The childes mo&s;t precious things are mo&s;t &s;ecure in his Fathers hands; &s;o are our &s;oules, our graces, and our comforts, in the hand of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that other precious Saints, that were &s;hining<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Will: Flower</HI> (Martyr) &s;aid, that heaven &s;hould a&s;&s;oon fall, as I will for&s;ake my profe&s;&s;ion, or budge in the lea&s;t degree from it. So <HI>Santus</HI> being under as great torment as you have read of, cries out (<HI>Chri&s;tianus &s;um</HI>) I am a Chri&s;tian; no torment could worke him to de|cline the &s;er|vice of his God. I might produce a cloud of wit|ne&s;&s;es; but if the&s;e do not work you to be noble and brave, I am afraid more will not.</NOTE> lights on earth, and are now triumph|ing in Heaven, have held on in religious &s;ervices, notwith&s;tanding all the trou|bles and dangers that have &s;urrounded them; <HI>Nehemiah,</HI> and <HI>Ezra</HI> were &s;ur|rounded with dangers on the left hand, and on the right; and yet in the face of all, they hold on building the Temple, and the wall of <HI>Jeru&s;alem:</HI> &s;o <HI>Daniel,</HI> and tho&s;e precious worthies, in the 44 <HI>P&s;al.</HI> under want of outward incou|ragements, and in the face of a world of very great di&s;couragements, their &s;ouls clave to God, and his wayes; <HI>Though they were &s;ore broken in the place of dragons, and covered with the &s;hadow of death; yea, though they were all the day long counted as &s;heep for the &s;laughter, yet their hearts were not turned back, neither did their &s;teps de|cline from his wayes.</HI> Though bonds and
<PB N="145" REF="84"> impri&s;onment did attend <HI>Paul,</HI> and the re&s;t of the Apo&s;tles in every place; yet they held on in the work, and &s;ervice of the Lord; and why then &s;hould you de|generate from their worthy examples, which is your duty, and your glory to follow.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that all the troubles, and dangers that doe attend the performance of holy duties, and heavenly &s;ervices, are but tempo|rall, and momentary; but the neglect of them may lay thee open, to all tem|porall, &s;pirituall, and eternall dangers. <HI>How &s;hall we e&s;cape, if we neglect &s;o great &s;alvation?</HI> He &s;aith not, if we reject, or renounce &s;o great &s;alvation; but if wee neglect, or &s;hift off (as the word is) <HI>&s;o</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. Di&s;-regard, not care for it.</NOTE> <HI>great &s;alvation;</HI> he doth not &s;ay, how &s;hall we e&s;cape, if we oppo&s;e, or per&s;e|cute &s;o great &s;alvation? no, but if we let &s;lip, or neglect &s;o great &s;alvation, how &s;hall we e&s;cape? that is, we cannot by any way, or meanes, or device in the world, e&s;cape; divine Ju&s;tice will be a|bove us, in &s;pight of our very &s;ouls. The doing of &s;uch, and &s;uch heavenly &s;ervices may lay you open to the frowns of men; but the neglect of them will lay you open to the frowns of God; the doing of them may render
<PB N="148" REF="85"> you contemptible in the eyes of men;<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Francis Xave|rius</HI> coun&s;el|led <HI>John</HI> the third, King of <HI>Portugal,</HI> to meditate eve|ry day a quar|ter of an hour upon that Text, <HI>What &s;hall it profit a man to gain the whole world, &amp; loo&s;e his &s;oule.</HI></NOTE> but the neglect of them may render you contemptible in the eyes of God; the doing of them may be the lo&s;&s;e of thy e&s;tate; but the neglect of them may be the lo&s;&s;e of God, Chri&s;t, Heaven, and thy &s;oule for ever; the doing of them may &s;hut thee out from &s;ome outward, temporal contents; the neglect of them may &s;hut thee out from that excellent, matchle&s;&s;e glory, that <HI>eye hath not &s;eene, nor eare heard, neither hath it entred into the heart of man to conceive.</HI> Remember this, there is no man that breaths, but &s;hall &s;uffer more, by neglecting tho&s;e holy, and heavenly &s;ervices that God commands, commends, and rewards, then po&s;&s;ibly he can &s;uffer by doing of them, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider this, that God knows how to deliver from trou|bles, by troubles; from afflictions, by afflictions; from dangers, by dangers; God by le&s;&s;er troubles and afflictions doth oftentimes deliver his people from greater: So that they &s;hall &s;ay, we had peri&s;hed, if wee had not peri&s;hed; we had been undone, if we had not been<NOTE PLACE="marg">P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rii&s;&s;em ni&s;i perii&s;&s;em.</NOTE> undone; we had been in danger, if wee had not been in danger; God will &s;o order all the afflictions that befall you
<PB N="149" REF="85"> in the way of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, that your<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Non e&s;&s;em ego &s;alvus ni&s;i i&s;tae perii&s;&s;ent. Anaxagoras,</HI> had not the&s;e things peri&s;h|ed, I could not have been &s;afe, &s;aid this Philo&s;opher, when he &s;aw great po&s;&s;es&s;i|ons that he had lo&s;t.</NOTE> &s;oules &s;hall &s;ay, we would not for all the world, but that wee had met with &s;uch, and &s;uch troubles, and afflictions; for &s;urely, had not the&s;e befallen us, it would have been wor&s;e, and wor&s;e with us; Oh! the carnal &s;ecurity, pride, formality, dead-heartedne&s;&s;e, luke|warmne&s;&s;e, cen&s;oriou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and earth|line&s;&s;e, that God hath cured us of, by the troubles and dangers that we have met with, in the wayes and &s;ervices of the Lord. I remember a &s;tory of a god|ly man, that as hee was going to take &s;hipping for <HI>France,</HI> he broke his leg, and it plea&s;ed Providence &s;o to order it, that the &s;hip that he &s;hould have gone in, at that very time, was ca&s;t away, and not a man &s;aved; &s;o by breaking a bone, his life was &s;aved. So the Lord many times breaks our bones, but 'tis in order to the &s;aving of our lives, and our &s;oules for ever; he gives us a poti|on that makes us heart-&s;ick, but 'tis in order to the making us perfectly well, and to the purging of us from tho&s;e ill humours, that have made our heads ake, and Gods heart ake, and our &s;ouls &s;ick, and heavy to the death, &amp;c. Oh! therefore, let no danger, or mi&s;ery hin|der thee from thy duty.</P>
<P>The fifth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device
<PB N="148" REF="86"> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that you &s;hall gaine more in the &s;ervice of God, and by walking in righteous, and holy wayes, though troubles and affli|ctions &s;hould attend you, then you can po&s;&s;ibly &s;uffer, or loo&s;e, by your being found in the &s;ervice of God. <HI>Godline&s;&s;e is great gaine;</HI> Oh the joy, the peace,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tertullian</HI> in in his book to the <HI>Martyrs,</HI> hath an apt &s;aying (<HI>Nego|tiatio e&s;t ali|quid amittere ut majora lu|creris) i. e.</HI> thats right, &amp; good mer|chandize when &s;ome|thing is par|ted with to gain more, he applyeth it to their &s;uf+ferings, wher|in, though the fle&s;h lo&s;t &s;omething, yet the &s;pirit got much more.</NOTE> the comfort, the re&s;t, that Saints meet with in the wayes and &s;ervice of God; they find that Religious &s;ervices are not empty things, but things, in which God is plea&s;ed to di&s;cover his beautie and glory to their &s;oules. <HI>My &s;oul thir&s;ts for God</HI> (&s;aith <HI>David) that I might &s;ee thy beauty, and thy glory, as I have &s;een thee in thy Sanctuary.</HI> Oh! the &s;weet looks, the &s;weet words, the &s;weet hints, the &s;weet joggings, the &s;weet influences, the &s;weet love-letters, that gracious &s;oules have from Heaven, when they waite upon God, in holy and heavenly &s;ervices, the lea&s;t of which will darken, and out|weigh all the bravery and glory of this world, and richly recompence the &s;oul for all the troubles, afflictions, and dan|gers, that have attended it in the &s;ervice of God; oh! the Saints can &s;ay under all their troubles, and afflictions, that they have meate to eate, and drinke to<NOTE PLACE="marg">When the Moble Gene|rall <HI>Ze<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;laus</HI> had lo&s;t his hand in the Wars of the K. of <HI>Poland,</HI> the King &s;ent him a golden hand for it; what we lo&s;e in Chri&s;ts &s;er|vice, he will make up, by giving in &s;ome golden mercies.</NOTE> drinke, that the world knows not of; that they have &s;uch incomes, &s;uch re|fre&s;hments,
<PB N="149" REF="86"> &s;uch warmings, &amp;c. that they would not exchange for all the honours, riches, and dainties of this world: Ah! let but a Chri&s;tian com|pare his externall lo&s;&s;es with his &s;piri|tuall, internall, and eternall gain, and he &s;hall find, that for every penny that he lo&s;es in the &s;ervice of God, he gaines a pound; and for every pound that he loo&s;es, hee gains a hundred; for every hundred lo&s;t, he gains a thou&s;and; wee loo&s;e pins in his &s;ervice, and find pearls; we loo&s;e the favour of the creature, and peace with the creature, and happily the comforts and contents of the crea|ture; and we gain the favour of God, peace with con&s;cience, and the com|forts and contents of a better life; Ah! did the men of this world know the &s;weet that Saints injoy in afflictions, they would rather chu&s;e <HI>Mana&s;&s;es</HI> iron chaine, then his golden Crown; They would rather be <HI>Paul</HI> a pri&s;oner, then <HI>Paul</HI> rap't up in the third Heaven; for light afflictions, they &s;hall have a<NOTE PLACE="marg">Though the Cro&s;&s;e be bit|ter, yet 'tis but &s;hort, a little &s;torm, as one &s;aid of <HI>Julians</HI> per&s;e|cution, and an e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nall calm follows.</NOTE> weight of glory; for a few afflictions, they &s;hall have tho&s;e joyes, plea&s;ures, and contents, that are as the &s;tars of heaven, or as the &s;ands of the &s;ea, that cannot be numbred; for momentany afflictions, they &s;hall have an eternall Crown of glory; 'tis but winking, and
<PB N="152" REF="87"> thou &s;halt be in heaven pre&s;ently, &s;aid the Martyr; oh! therefore, let no affli|ctions, nor troubles work thee to &s;hun the wayes of God, or to quit that &s;er|vice, that &s;hould be dearer to thee then a world, yea then thy very life, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>The third <HI>Device</HI> that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Device.</NOTE> hath to hinder &s;oules from holy and heavenly &s;ervi|ces, from gracious, and religious perfor|mances, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY pre&s;enting to the &s;oule the diffi|culty of performing them; &s;aith Satan, 'tis &s;o hard and difficult a thing to pray as thou &s;hould&s;t, and to wait on God as thou &s;hould&s;t, and to walke with God as thou &s;hould&s;t, and to be lively, warm, and active in the commu|nion of Saints, as thou &s;hould&s;t, that you were better ten thou&s;and times to neglect them, then to meddle with them; and doubtle&s;&s;e by this Device Satan hath, and doth keep off thou|&s;ands from waiting on God, and from giving to him that &s;ervice that is due to his name, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="153" REF="87">
<HEAD>Now the remedies again&s;t this Device are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to dwell more upon the nece&s;&s;ity of the &s;ervice, and duty, then on the difficulty that doth attend the duty; you &s;hould rea&s;on thus with your &s;oules; oh! our &s;oules, though &s;uch and &s;uch duties and &s;ervices be hard, and difficult, yet are they not ex|ceeding nece&s;&s;arie for the honour of God, and the keeping up of his name in<NOTE PLACE="marg">The nece&s;&s;ity of doing your duty, appears by this, that you are his &s;ervants by a three-fold right; you are his &s;er|vants (<HI>jure creationis, jure &s;u&s;tentationis, jure redemptio|nis</HI>) by right of creation, and by right of &s;u&s;tentati|on, and by right of re|demption.</NOTE> the world? and the keeping under of &s;in, and the keeping under of weak gra|ces, and for the reviving of langui&s;hing comforts, and for the keeping clear and bright your ble&s;&s;ed evidences, and for the &s;cattering of your fears, and for the rai&s;ing of your hopes, and for the gladding the hearts of the righteous, and &s;topping the mouths of unrighte|ous &s;ouls, who are ready to take all ad|vantages, to bla&s;pheme the name of God, and throw dirt and contempt up|on his people, and wayes? oh! never leave thinking on the nece&s;&s;ity of this, and that duty, till your &s;ouls be lifted
<PB N="152" REF="88"> up far above all the difficulties that doe attend religious duties.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that the Lord Je&s;us will make his &s;ervi|ces ea&s;ie to you, by the &s;weet di&s;covery of him&s;elfe to your &s;oules, whil&s;t you are in his &s;ervice. <HI>Thou meete&s;t him that rejoyceth, and worketh righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, tho&s;e that remember thee in thy wayes,</HI> as the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> &s;aith; if meeting with<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a. 64. v. 5. <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> Paganta</HI> is di|ver&s;ly taken; but mo&s;t take the word here, to meet a &s;oule with tho&s;e bowells of love and tenderne&s;&s;e as the Father of the Prodi|gall met the Prodigall with. God is <HI>pater mi&s;era|tionum,</HI> hee is all bowels, he is as &s;wift to &s;hew mercy, as he is &s;low to anger.</NOTE> God, who is goodne&s;&s;e it &s;elfe, &s;weet|ne&s;&s;e it &s;elfe, beauty it &s;elfe, &s;trength it &s;elfe, glory it &s;elf, will not &s;weeten his &s;ervice to thy &s;oule, nothing in Heaven or Earth will. <HI>Jacob's</HI> meeting with <HI>Rachel,</HI> and enjoying of <HI>Rachell,</HI> made his hard &s;ervice to be ea&s;ie, and delight|full to him; and will not the &s;oules en|joying of God, and meeting with God, render his &s;ervice to be much more ea&s;ie and delightfull? doubtle&s;&s;e it will. The Lord will give that &s;weet a&s;&s;i&s;tance, by his Spirit and grace, as &s;hall make his &s;ervice joyous, and not grievous, a de|light, &amp; not a burden; a Heaven, and not a Hel to believing &s;ouls; the confidence of this divine a&s;&s;i&s;tance rai&s;ed up <HI>Nehe|miah's</HI> &s;pirit, far above all tho&s;e diffi|culties, and di&s;couragements that did attend him in the work and &s;ervice of the Lord, as you may &s;ee in that 2 <HI>Ne|hemiah,</HI>
<PB N="153" REF="88"> ver&s;. 19, 20. <HI>But when Sanballat</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luther</HI> &s;pake excellently to <HI>Melancthon,</HI> who was apt to be di&s;con|raged with doubts and difficulties, &amp; feares from foes, and &s;o <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ea&s;e the &s;er|vice they had undertaken; if the work be not good, why did we ever own it; if it be good? why &s;hould wee e|ver decline it? why &s;aith he, &s;hould we feare the con|quered world that have Chri&s;t the Conquerour on our &s;ide? <HI>I&s;a. 40. ult. 3. Remedy.</HI> It is not fit &s;ith the head was crowned with thorns, that the members &s;hould be crowned with ro&s;e-buds, &s;aith <HI>Zanch.</HI></NOTE> <HI>the Horonite, and Tobiah the &s;ervant, the Ammonite, and Ge&s;hem the Arabian heard it, they laughed us to &s;corn, and de&s;pi&s;ed us, and &s;aid, what is this thing that ye do? will ye rebell again&s;t the King? Then an&s;wered I them, and &s;aid unto them, the God of hea|ven he will pro&s;per us, therefore we his &s;er|vants will ari&s;e, and build: but you have no right, nor portion, nor memoriall in Jeru&s;a|lem.</HI> Ah &s;ouls! while you are in the ve|ry &s;ervice of the Lord, you &s;hall find by experience, that the God of Hea|ven will pro&s;per you, and &s;upport you, and incourage, and &s;trengthen you, and carry you through the harde&s;t &s;ervice, with the greate&s;t &s;weetne&s;&s;e and cheer|fulne&s;&s;e that can be. Remember this, that God will &s;uit your &s;trength to your worke, and in the harde&s;t &s;ervice you &s;hall have the choi&s;e&s;t a&s;&s;i&s;tance.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device of Satan, is, to dwel upon the hard and difficult things that the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath pa&s;t through, for your tem|porall, &s;pirituall, and eternall good. Ah! what a &s;ea of blood? a &s;ea of wrath? of &s;inne, of &s;orrow, and mi&s;ery did the Lord Je&s;us wade through, for your internal and eternall good? Chri&s;t did not plead, this Cro&s;&s;e is too heavy for me to beare, this wrath is too great
<PB N="156" REF="89"> for me to lie under, this Cup (which hath in it all the ingredients of divine di&s;plea&s;ure) is too bitter for me to &s;ip off, how much more to drink the very dregs of it? no, Chri&s;t &s;tands not upon this; he pleads not the difficulty of the &s;ervice, but re&s;olutely, and bravely wades through all, as the Prophet <HI>I|&s;a</HI> &s;hews: <HI>The Lord God hath opened my ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. I gave my back to the &s;miters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the haire; I hid not my face from &s;hame and &s;pitting.</HI> Chri&s;t makes nothing of his Fathers wrath, the burden of your &s;ins, the ma|lice<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Godfrey</HI> of <HI>Bullen</HI> fir&s;t K. of <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> refu&s;ed to be crowned with a crowne of gold, &s;aying, it became not a Chri&s;tian there to wear a crown of gold, where Chri&s;t for our &s;alvation had &s;ometime were a crown of thorns.</NOTE> of Satan, and the rage of the world, but &s;weetly and triumphantly pa&s;&s;es through all. Ah &s;oules! if this con&s;i|deration will not rai&s;e up your &s;pirits, above all the di&s;couragements that you meet with, to owne Chri&s;t and his &s;er|vice, and to &s;tick, and cleave to Chri&s;t, and his &s;ervice; I am afraid nothing will. A &s;oule not &s;tir'd by this, not rais'd, and lifted up by this, to be re&s;o|lute and brave in the &s;ervice of God, notwith&s;tanding all dangers and diffi|culties, is a &s;oule left of God to much blindne&s;&s;e, and hardne&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>The 4. <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this Device of<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Remedie.</NOTE> Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that religious duties, holy and heavenly exerci&s;es are
<PB N="157" REF="89"> only difficult to the wor&s;er, to the ig|noble part of a Saint; they are not to the noble, and better part of a Saint, to the noble part, the &s;oule, and the re|newed affections of a Saint; holy exer|ci&s;es are a heavenly plea&s;ure, and re|creation, as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks, <HI>I de|light in the Law of God, after the inward</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">As every flowr hath its &s;weet &s;avour, &s;o every good duty carries meat in the mouth, com|fort in the performance of it. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> <HI>i. e.</HI> my yoke is a benigne, a gracious, a plea&s;ant, a good, and a gainfull yoke, oppo&s;ed to <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, pain|full, tedious.</NOTE> <HI>man. With my minde I &s;erve the Law of God, though with my fle&s;h the law of &s;inne.</HI> To the noble part of a Saint, <HI>Chri&s;ts yoke is ea&s;ie, and his burden is light;</HI> all the commands and wayes of Chri&s;t (even tho&s;e that tend to the pulling out of right eyes, and cutting off of right hands) are joyous, and not grievous to the noble part of a Saint; all the wayes and &s;ervices of Chri&s;t are plea|&s;antne&s;&s;e (in the ab&s;tract) to the better part of a Saint; a Saint, &s;o far as he is renewed, is alwayes be&s;t, when he &s;ees mo&s;t of God, when he ta&s;ts mo&s;t of God, when he is highe&s;t in his injoyments of God, and mo&s;t warme, and lively in the &s;ervice of God; oh! &s;aith the noble part of a Saint, that it might be al|wayes thus; oh! that my &s;trength were the &s;trength of &s;tones, and my fle&s;h as bra&s;&s;e, that my wor&s;er part might be more &s;erviceable to my noble part, that I might act by an untired power in that &s;ervice, that is a plea&s;ure, a Para|di&s;e to me.</P>
<PB N="156" REF="90">
<P>The fifth <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that great reward, and glorious recom|pence that doth attend tho&s;e that cleave to the &s;ervice of the Lord, in the<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ba&s;il</HI> &s;peaks of &s;ome Martyrs that were ca&s;t out all night naked, in a cold fro&s;ty time, &amp; were to be burned the next day, how they comforted them&s;elves in this manner; The winter is &s;harp, but Paradi&s;e is &s;weet; here we &s;hiver for cold, but the bo&s;ome of <HI>Abraham</HI> will make amends for all.</NOTE> face of all difficulties, and di&s;courage|ments; though the work be hard, yet the wag<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s is great, Heaven will make amends for all, I, one hours being in heaven will abundantly recompence you for cleaving to the Lord, and his wayes, in the face of all difficulties. This carried the Apo&s;tle through the greate&s;t difficulties; <HI>hee had an eye to the recompence of reward; he look't for a hou&s;e that had foundations, who&s;e builder and ma|ker was God, and for a heavenly countrey;</HI> yea, this bore up the Spirit of Chri&s;t, in the face of all difficulties and di&s;cou|ragements: <HI>Looking unto Je&s;us the au|thor and fini&s;her of our faith, who for the joy that was &s;et before him, endured the Cro&s;&s;e, de&s;pi&s;ing the &s;hame, and is &s;et downe at the right hand of the Throne of God.</HI></P>
<P>Chri&s;tians that would hold on in the &s;ervice of the Lord, mu&s;t look more up|on the Crown, then upon the Cro&s;&s;e; more upon their future glory, then their pre&s;ent mi&s;ery; more upon their incouragements, then upon their di&s;|couragements. Gods very &s;ervice is wages, his wayes are &s;trewed with ro|&s;es,
<PB N="157" REF="90"> and paved with joy that is un&s;pea|kable,<NOTE PLACE="marg">This is <HI>prae|mium ante prae|mium,</HI> a &s;ure reward of wel doing, in do|ing thereof (not only for doing there|of) there is great reward, <HI>P&s;al. 19. v. 11.</HI></NOTE> and ful of glory, and with peace that pa&s;&s;eth under&s;tanding. Some de|gree of comfort follows every good a|ction; as heate accompanies fire, as beames and influences i&s;&s;ue from the Sun. <HI>Moreover by them is thy &s;ervant war|ned, and in keeping of them there is great reward;</HI> not only for keeping, but in keeping of them, there is great reward; the joy, the re&s;t, the refre&s;hing, the comforts, the contents, the &s;miles, the incomes that Saints now injoy in the wayes of God, are &s;o precious and glo|rious in their eyes, that they would not exchange them for ten thou&s;and worlds; Ah! if the vailes be thus &s;weet and glorious before pay-day comes, what will be that glory, that Chri&s;t will crown his Saints with, for clea|ving to his &s;ervice in the face of all diffi|culties: When he &s;hall &s;ay to his father, <HI>Loe here am I, and the children which thou ha&s;t given me;</HI> if there be &s;o much to be had in a wilderne&s;&s;e, what then &s;hall be had in Paradi&s;e? &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="160" REF="91">
<HEAD>The fourth <HI>Device</HI> that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Device.</NOTE> hath to keep &s;oules off from holy exerci&s;es, from reli|gious &s;ervices, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY working them to make fal&s;e in|ferences, from tho&s;e ble&s;&s;ed and glorious things that Chri&s;t hath done; As that Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath done all for us; therefore there is nothing for us to doe, but to joy, and rejoyce, he hath perfectly ju&s;tified us, and fulfilled the Law, and &s;atisfied divine Ju&s;tice, and pacified his Fathers wrath, and is gone to Heaven to prepare a place for us, and in the mean time, to intercede for us; and therefore away with praying, and mourning, and hearing, &amp;c. Ah! what a world of Profe&s;&s;ors hath Satan drawn in the&s;e dayes, from religious &s;ervices, by working them to make &s;uch &s;ad, wilde, and &s;trange inferences, from the &s;weet and excellent things, that the Lord Je&s;us hath done for his beloved ones.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="161" REF="91">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to dwell as much on tho&s;e Scriptures that &s;hew you the du|ties and &s;ervices that Chri&s;t requires of you, as upon tho&s;e Scriptures that de|clare<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tertullian</HI> hath this expre&s;&s;i|on of the ful|ne&s;&s;e of the Scriptures (<HI>Adoro pleni|tudinem Scrip|turarum</HI>) I a|dore the ful|ne&s;&s;e of the Scripture. <HI>Gregory</HI> calls the Scripture (<HI>cor &amp; ani|mam Dei:</HI> the heart &amp; &s;oule of God and who will not then dwell on it?</NOTE> to you, the precious and glorious things that Chri&s;t hath done for you. 'Tis a &s;ad, and a dangerous thing, to have two eyes to behold our dignity, and priviledges, and not one eye to &s;ee our duties, and &s;ervices. I &s;hould look with one eye upon the choi&s;e and excellent things that Chri&s;t hath done for me, to rai&s;e up my heart, to love Chri&s;t with the pure&s;t love, and to joy in Chri&s;t, with the &s;tronge&s;t joy, and to lift up Chri&s;t above all, who hath made him&s;elf to be my all. And I &s;hould look with the other eye upon tho&s;e &s;ervices and duties, that the Scriptures require of tho&s;e, for whom Chri&s;t hath done &s;uch ble&s;&s;ed things, as upon that of the Apo&s;tle; <HI>What, know yee not that your bo|dy</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 6. 19, 20.</NOTE> <HI>is the Temple of the holy Gho&s;t which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your owne? For ye are bought with a price:
<PB N="160" REF="92"> therefore glorifie God in your body, and in your &s;pirit, which are Gods. And that</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 15. 58.</NOTE> <HI>therefore my beloved brethren, be yee &s;ted|fa&s;t, unmoveable, alwayes abounding in the worke of the Lord, knowing that your labour is not in vaine in the Lord.</HI> And that, <HI>And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 6. 9. 2.</NOTE> <HI>&s;ea&s;on we &s;hall reape, if we faint not.</HI> And that of the Apo&s;tle, <HI>rejoyce alwayes, and pray without cea&s;ing;</HI> and that in the <HI>Phi|lippians: Worke out your &s;alvation with</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 2 12, 13 1 Cor. 11. 26. Heb 10. 24, 25.</NOTE> <HI>feare and trembling;</HI> and that, <HI>This doe till I come;</HI> and that, <HI>Let us con&s;ider one another, to provoke one another to love, and to good workes; not for&s;aking the a&s;&s;embling of our &s;elves together, as the mannor of &s;ome</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Jews were much in turn|ing over the leaves of the Scripture; but they did not weigh the matter of them, <HI>John</HI> 5. 39. You &s;earch the Scripture, <HI>Gr.</HI> there &s;eemeth to be indica|tive, rather then impera|tive.</NOTE> <HI>is, but exhorting one another, and &s;o much the more, as you &s;ee the day approaching.</HI> Now a &s;oule that would not be drawn away by this device of Satan, hee mu&s;t not look with a &s;quint eye upon the&s;e ble&s;&s;ed Scriptures, and abundance more of like import; but he mu&s;t dwell upon them, he mu&s;t make the&s;e Scriptures to be his chiefe&s;t, and his choi&s;e&s;t compa|nions, and this will be a happy meanes to keep him clo&s;e to Chri&s;t, and his &s;er|vice in the&s;e times, wherein many turn their backs upon Chri&s;t, under pretence of being highly intere&s;ted in the great and glorious things that have been a|cted by Chri&s;t, &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="161" REF="92">
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that the great and glorious things that Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath done, and is a doing for us, &s;hould be &s;o far from taking us off from religious &s;ervices, and pious perfor|mances, that they &s;hould be the greate&s;t motives and encouragements to the performance of them that may be, as the Scriptures do abundantly evidence. I<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>1 Pet. 2. 9. Luke</HI> 1. 74, 75. This I am &s;ure of, that all mans happines here is his ho|line&s;&s;e, and his holine&s;&s;e &s;hall hereafter be his happine&s;s, Chri&s;t hath therefore broke the Devils yoke from off our necks, that his Father might have better &s;ervice from our hearts. 2 <HI>Cor. 6. 6. 17, 18. ch.</HI> 7. 1. compared.</NOTE> will only in&s;tance in &s;ome, as that, <HI>That we being delivered out of the hands of our E|nemies, might &s;erve him without feare; in holine&s;&s;e and righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e before him all the dayes of our lives;</HI> Chri&s;t hath freed you from all your Enemies, from the cur&s;e of the Law, the predominant damnato|ry power of &s;in, the wrath of God, the &s;ting of death, and the torments of hell; but what is the end and de&s;ign of Chri&s;t in doing the&s;e great and marvellous things for his people? 'tis not that they &s;hould throw off duties of righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e and holine&s;&s;e, but that their hearts may be the more free, and &s;weet in all holy duties, and heavenly &s;ervices: So the Apo&s;tle; <HI>I will be their God, and they &s;hall be my people: And I will be a Father unto you, and yee &s;hall be my &s;onnes and daughters, &s;aith the Lord Almighty</HI> (mark what follows) <HI>Having therefore the&s;e pro|mi&s;es (dearly beloved) let us clean&s;e our
<PB N="164" REF="93"> &s;elves from all filthine&s;&s;e of the fle&s;h, and &s;pi|rit, perfecting holine&s;&s;e in the feare of the Lord.</HI> And againe, <HI>The grace of God that</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Yit. 2. 11, 12, 13, 14.</NOTE> <HI>bringeth &s;alvation hath appeared to all men. Teaching us, that denying all ungodlin&s;&s;e, and worldly lu&s;ts, we &s;hould live &s;oberly, righ|teou&s;ly, and godly in this pre&s;ent world; Loo|king for that ble&s;&s;ed hope, and the glorious</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tace lingua lo|quere vita,</HI> talk not of a good life, but let thy life &s;peak. Your actions in pa&s;&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">g pa&s;s not away; for every good work is a grain of &s;eed for eternall life.</NOTE> <HI>appearing of the great God, and our Saviour Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who gave him &s;elfe for us, that he might redeeme us from all iniquity, and purifie unto him&s;elfe a peculiar people, zea|lous of good workes.</HI> Ah &s;oules! I know no &s;uch arguments to worke you to a lively and con&s;tant performance of all heavenly &s;ervices, like tho&s;e that are drawn from the con&s;ideration of the great and glorious things that Chri&s;t hath done for you; and if &s;uch arguments will not take yee, and win upon yee, I do<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> think the throwing of hell fire in your faces will never do it.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that tho&s;e precious &s;ouls which Je&s;us Chri&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Saints <HI>Motto</HI> in all a|ges hath been (<HI>Laboremus</HI>) let's be do|ing.</NOTE> hath done, and &s;uffered as much for, as he hath for you, have been exceeding a|ctive and lively in all religious &s;ervices, and heavenly performances; he did as much, and &s;uffered as much for <HI>David,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">God loves (<HI>curri&s;tas,</HI> not <HI>quari&s;tas</HI>) the runner, not the que&s;tio|ner, or di&s;pu|ter, &s;aith <HI>Lu|ther.</HI></NOTE> a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> for you, and yet, who more in pray|ing, and pray&s;ing God then <HI>David? &s;e|ven
<PB N="165" REF="93"> times a day will I prai&s;e the Lord;</HI> who more in the &s;tudying, and medita|ting on the word, then <HI>David. Thy law is my meditation day and night.</HI> The &s;ame truth you may run, and read in <HI>Jacob, Mo&s;es. Job, Daniel,</HI> and in the re&s;t of the holy Prophets, and Apo&s;tles, for whom Chri&s;t hath done as much for, as for you; ah! how have all tho&s;e Worthies abounded in works of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and holine&s;&s;e, to the prai&s;e of free grace? Certainly Satan hath got the upper hand of tho&s;e &s;ouls, that do argue thus;<NOTE PLACE="marg">The day is at hand when God will re|quire of men <HI>non quid lege|rint, &s;ed quid egerint, nec quid dixerint, &s;ed quomodo vixerin<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</HI> He that talks of heaven, but doth not the will of God, is like him that gazed upon the Moon, but fell into the pit.</NOTE> Chri&s;t hath done &s;uch and &s;uch glori|ous things for us: therefore wee need not make any care or con&s;cience of d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|ing &s;uch and &s;uch religious &s;ervices, as men &s;ay the word calls for; if this Lo|gick be not from Hell, what is? ah! were the holy Prophets and Apo&s;tles a|live, to heare &s;uch Logick come out of the mouths of &s;uch as profe&s;&s;e them|&s;elves to be intere&s;ted in the great and glorious things that Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath done for his cho&s;en ones; how would they blu&s;h to look upon &s;uch &s;ouls? and how would their hearts grieve, and break within them, to heare the lan|guage, and to ob&s;erve the actings of &s;uch &s;oules.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">4. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider this,
<PB N="164" REF="94"> that tho&s;e that doe not walk in ways of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e and holines (that do not wait upon God in the &s;everal duties and &s;ervices that are commanded by him) cannot have that evidence to their own &s;oules of their righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e before God, of their fellow&s;hip and communi|on<NOTE PLACE="marg">Certainly 'tis one thing to judg by our graces, ano|ther thing to re&s;t, or put our tru&s;t in them. There is a great deal of difference betwixt de|claring and de&s;erving.</NOTE> on with God, of their ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e here, and their happine&s;&s;e hereafter, as tho&s;e &s;oules have, that love and delight in the wayes of the Lord, that are always be&s;t, when they are mo&s;t in the works and &s;ervice of the Lord. <HI>Little children</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>let no man deceive you; he that doth righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, is righteous even as he is righteous. In this</HI> (&s;aith the &s;ame Apo|&s;tle) <HI>the children of God are manife&s;t, and the children of the Devill; who&s;oever doth not righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e is not of God, neither hee</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">As <HI>Davids</HI> daughters were known by their gar|ments of di|vers colours, &s;o are Gods children by their piety and &s;anctity.</NOTE> <HI>that loveth not his brother. If ye know that he is righteous</HI> (&s;aith the &s;ame Apo&s;tle) <HI>ye know that every one that doth righteou&s;ne&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> is born of him. He that &s;aith I know him, and keepeth not his commandements, is a ly|er, and the truth is not in him. But who &s;o|ever keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected, hereby know we that we are in him. He that &s;aith he abideth in him, ought him&s;elfe al&s;o to walke, even as he</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">A Chri&s;tians embleme &s;hould be an hou&s;e walk|ing towards Heaven&punc; High words &s;urely make a man neither holy, nor ju&s;t; but a vertuous life, a circum|&s;pect walking makes him deare to God. A tree that is not fruitful is for the fire. Chri&s;tianity is not a talk|ing, but a wal|king with God, who will not be put off with words, if he mi&s;&s;e of fruit, he will take up his axe, and then the &s;oul is cut off for ever.</NOTE> <HI>walked. If wee &s;ay that we have fellow&s;hip with him, and walk i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> darkne&s;&s;e, we lie, and doe not the truth; but if we walk in the light
<PB N="165" REF="94"> as he is in the light, wee have fellow&s;hip one with another; and the blood of Je&s;us Chri&s;t clean&s;eth us from all &s;in,</HI> &s;aith the &s;ame A|po&s;tle. So <HI>James</HI> in his &s;econd chapter; <HI>What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man &s;ay he hath faith, and have no workes, can faith &s;ave him? i. e.</HI> it cannot; for as the body without the &s;pirit is dead, &s;o faith without works is dead. To looke after holy and heavenly works, is the be&s;t way to pre&s;erve the &s;oule from be|ing deceived, and deluded by Satans de|lu&s;ions, and by &s;udden fla&s;hes of joy and comfort, holy works being a more &s;en|&s;ible and con&s;tant pledge of the precious &s;pirit, begetting and maintaining in the &s;oule more &s;olid, pure, clear, &s;trong and la&s;ting joy. Ah &s;ouls! as you would have in your &s;elves a con&s;tant, and ble&s;|&s;ed evidence of your fellow&s;hip with the Father, and the Sonne; and of the truth of grace, and of your future hap|pine&s;&s;e; look that you cleave clo&s;e to holy &s;ervices, and that you turne not your backs upon religious duties.</P>
<P>The fifth <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Tis a preci|ous truth ne|ver to be for|gotten (<HI>Quod non actibus, &s;ed finibus pen&s;an|tur officia</HI>) that duties are e&s;teemed not by their acts, but by their ends.</NOTE> there are other choice and glorious ends for the Saints performance of religious duties, then for the ju&s;tifying of their per&s;ons before God, or for their &s;ati&s;|fying of the Law, or ju&s;tice of God,
<PB N="168" REF="95"> or for the purcha&s;ing of the pardon of &s;in, &amp;c. <HI>viz.</HI> to te&s;tifie their ju&s;tification; <HI>a good tree cannot but bring forth good fruit,</HI> to te&s;tifie their love to God, and their &s;incere obedience to th<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> commands of God, to te&s;tifie their deliverance from &s;pirituall bondage, to evidence the in|dwellings<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Finis move<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> ad agendum,</HI> the end moves to doing.</NOTE> of the &s;pirit, to &s;top the mouths of the wor&s;t of men, and to glad tho&s;e righteous &s;ouls, that God would not have &s;added. The&s;e, and abundance of other choi&s;e ends there be, why tho&s;e that have an intere&s;t in the glorious do|ings of Chri&s;t, &s;hould notwith&s;tanding that, keep clo&s;e to the holy duties, and religious &s;ervices that are commanded<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tene men&s;uram &amp; re&s;pice &s;i|nem,</HI> keep thy &s;elfe within compa&s;&s;e, and have an eye always to the end of thy life and actions was <HI>Maximi|milians</HI> the Emperours <HI>Motto.</HI></NOTE> by Chri&s;t. And if the&s;e con&s;iderations will not prevail with you, to wait up|on God in holy and heavenly duties, I am afraid, if one &s;hould ri&s;e from the dead, his arguments would not win up|on you, but you would hold on in your &s;ins, and neglect his &s;ervice, though you lo&s;t your &s;oules for ever, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="169" REF="95">
<HEAD>The fifth Device that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">5. Device.</NOTE> hath to draw &s;oules off from religious &s;ervices, and to keep &s;oules off from holy duties, and heavenly per|formances, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY pre&s;enting to them the paucity, and poverty of tho&s;e that walk in the wayes of God, that hold on in reli|gious practices; &s;aith Satan, do not you &s;ee that tho&s;e that walk in &s;uch and &s;uch religious wayes, are the poore&s;t, the<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 47, 48, 49. ver&s;es.</NOTE> meane&s;t, and the mo&s;t de&s;picable per|&s;ons in the world; this took with them in that &s;eventh of <HI>John. Then an&s;wered the Phari&s;ees, are ye al&s;o deceived? Have a|ny of the rulers, or of the Phari&s;ees beleeved on him? But this people who knoweth not the law are cur&s;ed.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="170" REF="96">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>1. Remedy.</HI> Do you not &s;ee (&s;aith <HI>Chry&s;o&s;tome</HI>) the places where trea|&s;ures are hid, are rough, and over-grown with thorns. Do not the naturalli&s;ts tel you, that the mountaines that are big with gold within, are bare of gra&s;&s;e without. Saints have as Scholars, poor commons here, becau&s;e they mu&s;t &s;tu|dy hard to go to heaven.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that though they are outwardly poor, yet they are inwardly rich; though they are poor in temporalls, yet they are rich in &s;piritu|alls; the worth and riches of the Saints is inward: <HI>The Kings daughter is all glori|ous within. Hearken my beloved brethren, hath not God cho&s;en the poor of this world rich in faith, and heires of the Kingdome, which he hath promi&s;ed to them that love him,</HI> &s;aith <HI>James. I know thy poverty, but thou art rich,</HI> &s;aith <HI>John</HI> to the Church of <HI>Smyr|na.</HI> What though they have little in po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ion, yet they have a glorious King|dome in rever&s;ion. <HI>Feare not little flocke, 'tis your Fathers plea&s;ure to give you a King|dome.</HI> Though Saints have little in hand, yet they have much in hope; you count tho&s;e happy in a worldly &s;en&s;e, that have much in rever&s;ion, though they have but little in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion; and wil you count the Saints mi&s;erable, becau&s;e they have little in hand? little in po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion? though they have a glorious Kingdome
<PB N="171" REF="96"> in rever&s;ion of this. I am &s;ure, the poo|re&s;t Saint that breaths wil not exchange (were it in his power) that which hee hath in hope, and in rever&s;ion, for the po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ion of as many worlds, as there be &s;tars in Heaven, or &s;ands in the Sea, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that in all ages God hath had &s;ome that have been great, rich, wi&s;e, and honourable, that have cho&s;en his wayes, and cleaved to his &s;ervice in the face of all difficulties,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Good Nobles (&s;aith one) are like black &s;wans, and thinly &s;catte|red in the fir|mament of a &s;tate, even like &s;tars in the fir&s;t m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">g|nitude, yet &s;ome God hath had in al ages, as might be &s;hewed out of Hi&s;to|ries.</NOTE> though not many wi&s;e men, yet &s;ome wi&s;e men have; and though not many mighty, yet &s;ome mighty have; and though not many noble, yet &s;ome no|ble have; witne&s;&s;e <HI>Abraham,</HI> and <HI>Jacob,</HI> and <HI>Job,</HI> and &s;everall Kings, and others that the Scriptures &s;peak of; and ah! how many have we among our &s;elves, who&s;e &s;oules have cleaved to the Lord, and who have &s;wum to his &s;ervice, through the blood of the &s;lain, and who have counted their lives dear unto them, that they and others might injoy the holy things of Chri&s;t, according to the mind and heart of Chri&s;t, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that the &s;piritual riches of the poore&s;t Saints do infinitely tran&s;cend the temporall
<PB N="172" REF="97"> riches of all the wicked men in the<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Alexanders</HI> va&s;t mind en|quired, if there were a|ny more worlds to conquer.</NOTE> world; their &s;pirituall riches do &s;ati&s;|fie them, they can &s;it downe &s;atisfied with the riches of grace that be in Chri&s;t; without honours, and without riches, &amp;c. <HI>He that drinks of that water that I &s;hall give him, &s;hall thir&s;t no more.</HI> The riches of poor Saints are durable, they will bed and board with them, they<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Cra&s;&s;us</HI> was &s;o rich, that he maintained an Army with his own reve|nues, yet he, his great Ar|my, with his &s;on and heire &s;ell together, and left his great e&s;tate to others.</NOTE> will goe to the Pri&s;on, to a &s;ick bed, to a grave, yea to Heaven with them. The &s;pirituall riches of poore Saints are as wine, to cheer them; and as bread to &s;trengthen them, and as cloathes to warme them, and as Armour to protect them. Now all you that know any thing, do know, that the riches of this world cannot &s;atisfie the &s;oules of men, and they are as fading as a flower, or as the owners of them are, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedie.</NOTE> is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that though the Saints con&s;idered comparatively are few, though they be <HI>a little, little flocke, a</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 12. 32.</NOTE> <HI>remnant, a garden enclo&s;ed, a &s;pring &s;hut up,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 4. 12.</NOTE> <HI>a fountaine &s;ealed; though they are as the Summer gleanings, though they are one of a City, and two of a Tribe;</HI> though they be<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier. 3. 14.</NOTE> but a handfull to a hou&s;e-full; a &s;parke to a flame, a drop to the Ocean; yet con&s;ider them &s;imply in them&s;elves, and &s;o they are an innumerable number that
<PB N="173" REF="97"> cannot be numbred, as <HI>John</HI> &s;peaketh. <HI>After this I beheld, and lo a great multitude which no man could number, of all Nations,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rev. 7. 9.</NOTE> <HI>and kindred, and people, and tongues, &s;tood before the Throne, and before the Lambe cloathed with white robes, and palmes in their hands.</HI> So <HI>Matth.</HI> &s;peaks; <HI>And I &s;ay</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mat. 8. 11. Hebr.</HI> 12. 22, 23. When <HI>Ful|gentius</HI> &s;aw the Nobility of <HI>Rome</HI> &s;it mounted in their bravery, it mounted his meditati|on to the hea|venly Jeru&s;a|lem.</NOTE> <HI>unto you, that many &s;hall come from the Ea&s;t, and We&s;t, and &s;hall &s;it down with</HI> Abraham, I&s;aac, <HI>and</HI> Jacob <HI>in the Kingdome of Hea|ven.</HI> So <HI>Paul: But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the City of the living God, the heavenly Jeru&s;alem, and to an innumerable company of Angells. To the generall a&s;&s;em|bly, and Church of the fir&s;t borne, which are written in Heaven, and to God the judge of all, and to the &s;pirits of ju&s;t men made per|fect.</HI></P>
<P>The fifth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that 'twill be but as a day, before the&s;e poor de&s;pi&s;ed Saints &s;hall &s;hine brighter then the Sun in her glory; 'twill not be long before you will wi&s;h, oh! that we were now among the poor, meane, de&s;pi&s;ed ones, in the day that God comes to make up his jewells. 'Twill not be long before the&s;e poor few Saints &s;hall be lif|ted up upon their Thrones to judge the multitude, the world, as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks: <HI>Know yee not that the Saints &s;hall judge the world?</HI> and in that day? oh!
<PB N="174" REF="98"> how will the great, and the rich, the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mr. <HI>Fox</HI> being once asked whether he knew a cer|tain poor man, who had received &s;uc|cour of him in time of trouble, he an&s;wered, I remember him well, I tel you I forget Lords &amp; La|dies to re|member &s;uch. So will the Lord deale by his poor S^t^s. he will forget the great and mighty ones of the world, to remember his few, poor, de&s;pi&s;ed ones. Though <HI>Iohn</HI> was poore in the world, yet&punc; the holy gho&s;t calls him the greate&s;t that was born of women; ah poor Saints! men that know not your worth cannot have &s;uch low thoughts of you, but the Lord wil have a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> high.</NOTE> learned, and the noble wi&s;h, that they had lived, and &s;pent their dayes with the&s;e few, poor, contemptible creatures in the &s;ervice of the Lord? oh! how wil this wicked world cur&s;e the day, that e|ver they had &s;uch ba&s;e thoughts of the poor, meane Saints, and that their po|verty became a &s;tumbling block, to keep them off from the wayes of &s;anctity. I have read of <HI>Ingo</HI> an ancient King of the <HI>Draves,</HI> who making a &s;tately fea&s;t, ap|pointed his Nobles, at that time Pagans, to &s;it in the Hall below, and command|ed certaine poore Chri&s;tians, to be brought up into his Pre&s;ence-chamber, to &s;it with him at his Table, to eate and drink of his Kingly cheer; at which ma|ny wondering, he &s;aid, he accounted Chri&s;tians, though never &s;o poore, a greater ornament at his Table, and more worthy of his company, then the grea|te&s;t Peers unconverted to the Chri&s;tian faith; for when the&s;e might be thru&s;t down to Hell, tho&s;e might be his Con|&s;orts, and fellow Princes in Heaven; you know how to apply it. Although you &s;ee the &s;tars &s;ometimes by their reflicti|ons, in a puddle, or in the bottome of a Well, I in a &s;tinking ditch, yet the &s;tars have their &s;cituation in Heaven: So, though you &s;ee a godly man in a poor,
<PB N="175" REF="98"> mi&s;erable, low, de&s;pi&s;ed condition, for the things of this world, yet he is fixed in Heaven, in the Region of Heaven. <HI>Who hath rai&s;ed us up</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>and made us &s;it together in heavenly places in Chri&s;t Je&s;us.</HI> Oh! therefore, &s;ay to your owne &s;ouls (when they begin to decline the wayes of <HI>Zion,</HI> becau&s;e of the pover|ty and paucity of tho&s;e that walke in them) the day is at hand, when the&s;e few, poor, de&s;pi&s;ed Saints &s;hall &s;hine in glory, when they &s;hall judge this world, and when all the wicked of the world will wi&s;h that they were in their condi|on, &amp; would give ten thou&s;and worlds (were it in their power) that they might but have the honour, and happi|ne&s;&s;e to waite upon tho&s;e, whom for their poverty and paucity they have ne|glected and de&s;pi&s;ed in this world.</P>
<P>The &s;ixt and la&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this<NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Remedy.</NOTE> device of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider that there will come a time even in this<NOTE PLACE="marg">The&s;e follow+ing Scrip|tures do a|bundantly confirm this truth. <HI>Ier. 31. 12. I&s;a. 30. 23. I&s;a. 62. 8, 9. Ioel 2. 23, 24. Mica 4. 6. Amos</HI> 9. 13, 14. <HI>Zech. 8. 12. I&s;a. 41. 18, 19. I&s;a. 55. 13. I&s;a. 66. 6, 7. I&s;a. 65. 21, 22. I&s;a. 61. 4. I&s;a. 60. 10. Ezek. 36. 10.</HI></NOTE> life, in this world, when the reproach and contempt that is now ca&s;t upon the wayes of God, by rea&s;on of the poverty and paucity of tho&s;e that walk in tho&s;e wayes, &s;hall be quite taken away, by his making them the head, that have dayes without number been the taile, and by his rai&s;ing them up to much outward riches, pro&s;perity, and glory, who have
<PB N="176" REF="99"> been as the out-ca&s;t, becau&s;e of their po|verty and paucity. <HI>John</HI> &s;peaking of the glory of the Church, the new <HI>Jeru|&s;alem</HI> that came downe from Heaven, in that 21. of the <HI>Revelation,</HI> tells us, <HI>That the Nations of them which are &s;aved, &s;hall walke in the light of it, and the Kings of the earth do bring their glory into it.</HI> So the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah: They &s;hall bring their &s;ons from far, and their &s;ilver and their gold with</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Only take the&s;e 2 cau|tions. Fir&s;t, that in the&s;e times the Saints chie|fe&s;t comforts, delights, and contents will con&s;i&s;t in their more cleer, full, and con|&s;tant injoy|ments of God. 2. That they &s;ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> have &s;uch an abundant <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ea&s;ure of he &s;pirit poured out <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">pon them, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hat their ri|ches and out|ward glory &s;hall not be &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ares to <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hem, but gol|den &s;teps to lead them to a richer living in God.</NOTE> <HI>them,</HI> ver&s;. 9. <HI>For bra&s;&s;e I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring &s;ilver, and for wood bra&s;&s;e, and for &s;tones Iron,</HI> ver&s;. 19. And &s;o the Prophet <HI>Zechariah</HI> &s;peaks, <HI>Chap. 14. v. 14. And the wealth of all the heathen round about &s;hall be gathered together, gold, and &s;ilver, and apparell in great abundance.</HI> The Lord hath promi&s;ed <HI>that the meek &s;hal inherite the earth: And heaven and earth &s;hall pa&s;&s;e away, before one jot or tittle of his word &s;hall pa&s;s unfulfilled;</HI> Ah poor Saints! now &s;ome thru&s;t &s;ore at you, others look a &s;quint upon you, others &s;hut the door again&s;t you, others turne their backs upon you; and mo&s;t of men (ex|cept it be a few that live much in God, and are filled with the riches of Chri&s;t) do either neglect you, or de&s;pi&s;e you, becau&s;e of your poverty; but the day is coming, when you &s;hall be lifted up a|bove the dunghil, when you &s;hall change p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">v<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rty for riches, your rags for robes,
<PB N="177" REF="99"> your reproach for a crowne of honour, your infamy for glory, even in this world.</P>
<P>And this is not all, but God will al|&s;o mightily increa&s;e the number of his cho&s;en ones; multitudes &s;hall be con|verted to him. <HI>Who hath heard &s;uch a</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 66. 8.</NOTE> <HI>thing? who hath &s;een &s;uch things? &s;hall the earth be made to bring forth in one day? or &s;hall a Nation be borne at once? for a&s;&s;oone as Zion travelled, &s;he brought forth children. And they &s;hall bring all your brethren for an offering unto the Lord out of all Nations, upon</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 19, 20.</NOTE> <HI>hor&s;es, and in Chariots, in Litters, and upon Mules, &amp; upon &s;wift bea&s;ts to my holy moun|taine Jeru&s;alem, &s;aith the Lord; as the children of I&s;rael bring an offering in a cleane ve&s;&s;ell into the hou&s;e of the Lord.</HI> Doth not the Scripture &s;ay, <HI>that the Kingdomes of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 11. 15.</NOTE> <HI>this world mu&s;t become the Kingdomes of our Lord? Hath not God given to Chri&s;t the hea|then? and the uttermo&s;t parts of the earth for his po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions?</HI> Hath not the Lord &s;aid, <HI>that in the la&s;t dayes, the mountaine of the Lords</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 2. 8.</NOTE> <HI>hou&s;e &s;hall be lifted up above the hills, and &s;hall be e&s;tabli&s;hed in the top of the mountains, and all Nations &s;hall flow unto it.</HI> Pray read<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 2. 2. I&s;a. 54. 14. &amp; I&s;a. 61. 9.</NOTE> and meditate upon the &s;ixty chapter of <HI>I&s;aiah,</HI> and the &s;ixty &s;ixth chapter, and the five fir&s;t ver&s;es of the &s;econd chapter of <HI>I&s;aiah,</HI> and there you &s;hall finde the multitudes that &s;hall be converted to
<PB N="178" REF="100"> Chri&s;t; and oh! that you would be mighty in believing, and in wre&s;tling with God, that he would ha&s;ten the day of his glory, that the reproach that is now upon his people and wayes, may cea&s;e.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>The &s;ixth <HI>Device</HI> that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Device.</NOTE> hath to keepe &s;oules off from religious &s;er|vices, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY pre&s;enting before them the exam|ples<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 4. 12. 7. Chap. 48, 49. 1&punc; Cor. 1. 26, 27. Mica 7. 2, 3, 4.</NOTE> of the greate&s;t part of the world that walk in the wayes of their owne hearts, and that make light and &s;light of the wayes of the Lord; why &s;aith Satan, do not you &s;ee, that the great, and the rich, the noble and the honourable, the learned and the wi&s;e, even the greate&s;t number of men never trouble them&s;elves about &s;uch and &s;uch wayes, and why then &s;hould you be &s;ingular and nice&punc; you were far better doe as the mo&s;t doe, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="179" REF="100">
<HEAD>Now the remedies again&s;t this Device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider of tho&s;e Scriptures that make directly a|gain&s;t following the &s;infull examples of men; as that in <HI>Exodus, Thou &s;halt not</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The way to hell is broad, and well bea|ten, the way&punc; to be undone for ever, is to do as the mo&s;t do, (<HI>argumen|tum turpi&s;&s;i|mum e&s;t turba</HI>) the multitude is the weake&s;t and wor&s;t ar|gument, &s;aith <HI>Seneca.</HI></NOTE> <HI>follow a multitude to doe evill, neither &s;halt thou &s;peake in a cau&s;e to decline after many to wre&s;t judgement.</HI> The multitude gene|rally are ignorant, and know not the way of the Lord: therefore they &s;peake evill of that they know not, they are en|vious, and maliciou&s;ly bent again&s;t the &s;ervice and way of God, and therefore they cannot &s;peak well of the wayes of God. This way is every where &s;poken again&s;t, &s;aid they: &s;o in that <HI>Numb. 16. Seperate from them, and come out from a|mong them.</HI> So the Apo&s;tle; <HI>Have no fel|low&s;hip with the unfruitfull works of darke|ne&s;&s;e.</HI> So <HI>Solomon, Enter not into the way</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 4. 14. ch 9. v. 6.</NOTE> <HI>of the wicked, for &s;ake the fooli&s;h, and live.</HI> They that walke with the mo&s;t, &s;hall p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|ri&s;h with the mo&s;t. They that do as the mo&s;t, &s;hall ere long &s;uffer with the mo&s;t;
<PB N="180" REF="101"> they that live as the mo&s;t, mu&s;t dye with the mo&s;t, and to hell with the mo&s;t.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that if you will &s;in with the multitude, all the Angells in heaven, and men on earth cannot keep you from &s;uffering<NOTE PLACE="marg">Sin and pu|ni&s;hment are linked toge|ther with chains of ada|mant of &s;inn; we may &s;ay as <HI>I&s;idore</HI> doth of the &s;erpent (<HI>Tot dolores, quot colores,</HI>) &s;o many co|lours, &s;o many dolours.</NOTE> with the multitude; if you wil be wicked with them, you mu&s;t unavoidably be mi|&s;erable with them; &s;ay to thy &s;oule, oh my &s;oul! if thou wilt &s;in with the mul|titude, thou mu&s;t be &s;hut out of heaven with the multitude, thou mu&s;t be ca&s;t downe to hell with the multitude, &amp;c. <HI>And I heard another voyce from Heaven, &s;aying, come out of her my people, that ye be not partakers of her &s;ins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.</HI> Come out in affecti|on, in action, and in habitation; for el&s;e the infection of &s;in will bring upon you the infliction of puni&s;hment. So &s;aith the wi&s;e man; <HI>He that walketh with wi&s;e men &s;hall be wi&s;e, but a companion of fooles &s;hall be de&s;troyed,</HI> or as the <HI>Hebrew</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> <HI>a Ieroange,</HI> from <HI>ruange,</HI> to be naught.</NOTE> hath it, &s;hall be broken in pieces. Mul|titudes may help thee into &s;in; yea, one may draw thee into &s;in, but 'tis not multitudes that can help thee to e&s;cape puni&s;hments: As you may &s;ee in <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> and <HI>Aaron,</HI> that were provoked to &s;inne by the multitude; but were &s;hut out of the plea&s;ant Land, and fell by a hand of Ju&s;tice as well as others.</P>
<PB N="181" REF="101">
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider the worth and excellency of thy immortall &s;oule. Thy &s;oul is a jewell more worth<NOTE PLACE="marg">What wi&s;e man would fetch gold out of a fie<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y cru|cible, hazard his immortall &s;oule (to gain the world) by following a multitude in tho&s;e &s;teps that lead to the chambers of death and darkne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> then heaven and earth: The lo&s;&s;e of thy &s;oule is incomparable, irreparable, and irrecoverable; if that be lo&s;t, all is lo&s;t, and thou art undone for ever. Is it mad|ne&s;&s;e and folly in a man to kill him&s;elfe for company? and is it not greater madne&s;&s;e or folly to break the neck of thy &s;oule, and to damn it for company? Su&s;pect that way wherein thou &s;ee&s;t multitudes to walk, the multitude being a &s;tream that thou mu&s;t row hard again&s;t, or thou wilt be carried into that gulfe, out of which Angells cannot deliver thee. Is it not better to walke in a &s;trait way alone, then to wander into croo|ked wayes with company? &s;ure 'tis bet|ter to goe to Heaven alone, then to Hell with company. I might adde other things, but the&s;e may &s;uffice for the pre|&s;ent; and I am afraid if the&s;e arguments do not &s;tir you, other arguments will work but little upon you.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="182" REF="102">
<HEAD>The &s;eventh <HI>Device</HI> that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">7 Device</NOTE> hath to keepe &s;oules from holy and heavenly &s;ervices, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY ca&s;ting in a multitude of vaine thoughts, whil&s;t the &s;oule is in &s;ee|king of God, or in waiting on God, and by this device he hath cooled &s;ome mens &s;pirits in heavenly &s;ervices, and taken off (at lea&s;t for a time) many precious<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Vellem &s;ervire Domine &s;ed cogitationes non patiuntur,</HI> Lord now how fain would I &s;erve thee, &amp; vaine thoughts will not &s;uffer me.</NOTE> &s;oules from religious performances. I have no heart to heare, nor no heart to pray, nor no delight in reading, nor in the &s;ociety of the Saints, &amp;c. Satan doth &s;o dog, and follow my &s;oule, and is &s;till a ca&s;ting in &s;uch a multitude of vaine thoughts concerning God, the world, and my own &s;oule, &amp;c. that I e|ven tremble to think of waiting upon God in any religious &s;ervice; oh! the vaine thoughts that Satan ca&s;ts in, do &s;o di&s;ta&s;t my &s;oule, and &s;o grieve, vex, per|plex, and di&s;tract my &s;oule, that they e|ven make me weary of holy duties, yea, of m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> very life; oh! I cannot be &s;o rai|&s;ed and ravi&s;hed, &s;o heated and melted, &s;o quickned and enlarged, &s;o comforted and refre&s;hed as I &s;hould be, as I might
<PB N="183" REF="102"> be, and as I would be in religious &s;ervi|ces, by rea&s;on of that multitude of vain thoughts that Satan is injecting, or ca&s;t|ing into my &s;oule, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this de|vice of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>1 Remedie.</HI> When <HI>Pompey</HI> could not keep his &s;oul|diers in the camp by per|&s;wa&s;ion, he ca&s;t him&s;elfe all along in the narrow pa&s;&s;age that lead out of it, and then bid them goe if you will, but you &s;hall fir&s;t trample upon your Gene|rall, and the thoughts of this overcame them; you are wi&s;e, &amp; know how to apply it to the point in hand.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to have your hearts &s;trongly affected with the greatne&s;&s;e, ho|line&s;&s;e, Maje&s;ty, and glory of that God, before whom you &s;tand, and with whom your &s;ouls do conver&s;e in religious &s;er|vices; Oh! let your &s;ouls be greatly affe|cted with the pre&s;ence, purity, and ma|je&s;ty of that God before whom thou &s;tande&s;t. A man would be afraid of playing with a feather, when he is &s;pea|king to a King; ah! when men have poor, low, light, &s;light, &amp;c. thoughts of God, in their drawing neer to God, they tempt the Devill to be&s;tir him&s;elfe, and to ca&s;t in a multitude of vaine thoughts to di&s;turb and di&s;tract the &s;oul in its waiting on God. There is nothing that will contribute &s;o much to the kee|ping out of vaine thoughts, as to looke upon God as an omni&s;cient God, an
<PB N="184" REF="103"> omnipre&s;ent God, an omnipotent God, a God full of all glorious perfections; a God, who&s;e Maje&s;tie, purity, and glo|ry wil not &s;uffer him to behold the lea&s;t iniquity. The rea&s;on why the ble&s;&s;ed Saints, and glorious Angells in Heaven have not &s;o much as one vaine thought, is, becau&s;e they are greatly affected with the greatne&s;&s;e, holine&s;&s;e, maje&s;ty, purity, and glory of God.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to be peremptory in religious &s;ervices, notwith&s;tanding all tho&s;e wandering thoughts the &s;oule<NOTE PLACE="marg">It is a rule in the civil Law, (<HI>nec videtur actum, &s;iquid &s;uper&s;it quod a|gatur</HI>) nothing &s;eems to be done, if there remains ought to be done.</NOTE> is troubled with. This will be a &s;weet help again&s;t them for the &s;oul to be re|&s;olute in waiting on God, whether it be troubled with vain thoughts, or not; to &s;ay, wel, I will pray &s;till, and heare &s;till, and meditate &s;till, and keep fellow|&s;hip with the Saints &s;till; many precious &s;oules can &s;ay from experience, that when their &s;oules have been peremptory in their waiting on God, that Satan hath left them, and hath not been &s;o bu|&s;ie in vexing their &s;oules with vaine thoughts; when Satan perceives that all<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Si dixi&s;ti &s;uffi|&s;it perii&s;ti,</HI> i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> once thou &s;aye&s;t 'tis e|nough, thou art undone, &s;aith <HI>Augu&s;tin.</HI></NOTE> tho&s;e trifling vain thoughts that he ca&s;ts into the &s;oule, do but vex the &s;oule into greater diligence, carefulne&s;&s;e, watch|fulne&s;&s;e, and peremptorine&s;&s;e in holy and heavenly &s;ervices, and that the &s;oul
<PB N="185" REF="103"> loo&s;es nothing of his zeale, piety, and devotion, but doubles his care, dili|gence, and earne&s;tne&s;&s;e; he often cea&s;es to interpo&s;e his triflles, &amp; vain thoughts as he cea&s;ed to tempt Chri&s;t, when Chri&s;t was peremptory in re&s;i&s;ting his temptations.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider this, that tho&s;e vaine and trifling thoughts that are ca&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Tis not Sa|tans ca&s;ting in of vaine thoughts that can keepe mercie from the &s;oule, or undoe the &s;oul, but the lodging, and cheri&s;hing of vaine thoughts; oh <HI>Ieru&s;alem!</HI> how long &s;hall vain thoughts lodg within thee (<HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">er 4. 14.) Heb.</HI> in the mid&s;t of thee; they pa&s;&s;e through the be&s;t hearts, they are lodged and cheri&s;hed on|ly in the wor&s;t hearts.</NOTE> into our &s;oules, when we are waiting upon God in this or that religious &s;er|vice, if they are not cheri&s;hed, and indul|ged, but abhorred, re&s;i&s;ted, and di&s;clai|med; they are not &s;ins upon our &s;oules, though they may be troubles to our mindes, they &s;hall not be put upon our accounts, nor keep mercies and ble&s;|&s;ings from being injoyed by us; when a &s;oule in uprightne&s;&s;e can look God in the face, and &s;ay, Lord, when I approach neer unto thee, there be a world of vain thoughts croud in upon me, that do di|&s;turb my &s;oule, and weaken my faith, and le&s;&s;en my comfort, and &s;pirituall &s;trength; oh! the&s;e are my clog, my bur|den, my torment, my hell; oh! do ju|&s;tice upon the&s;e; free me from the&s;e that I may &s;erve thee with more freene&s;&s;e, &s;in|glene&s;&s;e, &s;piritualne&s;&s;e, and &s;weetne&s;&s;e of &s;pirit. The&s;e thoughts may vexe that &s;oule, but they &s;hall not harm that &s;oul,
<PB N="186" REF="104"> nor keep a ble&s;&s;ing from that &s;oule; If vaine thoughts re&s;i&s;ted and lamented, could &s;top the current of mercie, and render a &s;oule unhappy, there would be none on earth that &s;hould ever ta&s;t of mercy, or be everla&s;tingly happy, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that watching again&s;t &s;infull thoughts, re&s;i|&s;ting of &s;infull thoughts, lamenting and weeping over &s;infull thoughts, carries<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 139. 23. Thoughts are the fir&s;t born, the blo&s;&s;omes of the &s;oul, the beginning of our &s;trength, whe|ther for good or evill, and they are the greate&s;t evi|dence for, or again&s;t a man that can be.</NOTE> with it the &s;weete&s;t, and &s;tronge&s;t evi|dence of the truth, and power of grace, and of the &s;incerity of your hearts, and is the readie&s;t and the &s;ure&s;t way to be rid of them; many low and carnal con|&s;iderations may worke men to watch their words, their lives, their actions; As hope of gaine, or to plea&s;e friends, or to get a name in the world, and ma|ny other &s;uch like con&s;iderations; oh! but to watch our thoughts, to weep and lament over them, &amp;c. this mu&s;t needs be from &s;ome noble, &s;piritual, and inter|nal principle, as love to God, a holy fear of God, a holy care and delight to plea&s;e the Lord, &amp;c. The Schools do well ob|&s;erve, that outward &s;innes are of greater<NOTE PLACE="marg">Majoris infa|miae. Majoris reatus.</NOTE> infamy; but inward heart &s;innes are of greater guilt, as wee &s;ee in the Devills. There is nothing that &s;peaks out a man to be throughly, and kindly wrought
<PB N="187" REF="104"> upon, as his having his thoughts to be<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 10. 4, 5.</NOTE> brought into obedience, as the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks, Grace is growen up to a very great height in that &s;oule, where it pre|vailes, to the &s;ubduing of tho&s;e vaine thoughts that walk up and down in the the &s;oule; well, though you cannot be<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al. 139. 2. I&s;a. 59. 7. ch. 66. 18. Mat. 9. 4. ch. 12. 25. Zen<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"></HI> a wi&s;e heathen affir|med, that God even be|held the thoughts, <HI>Mat. 15. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.</HI></NOTE> rid of them, yet make re&s;i&s;tance and op|po&s;ition again&s;t the fir&s;t ri&s;ings of them; when &s;infull thoughts ari&s;e, then thinke thus; the Lord takes notice of the&s;e thoughts, <HI>he knows them afar off,</HI> as the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> &s;peaks; he knew <HI>Herods</HI> bloody thoughts, and <HI>Judas</HI> his betraying thoughts, and the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> cruell and bla&s;phemous thoughts afarre off; oh! think thus, all the&s;e &s;infull thoughts, they defile and pollute the &s;oule, they deface and &s;poyle much of the inward beauty, and glory of the &s;oule; if I commit this or that &s;inne, to which my thoughts incline me, then either I mu&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">Tears in &s;tead of Gems were the ornaments of <HI>Davids</HI> bed, when he had &s;inned, &amp; &s;o they m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t be thine, or el&s;e thou mu&s;t lie downe in a bed of &s;orrow forever.</NOTE> repent, or not repent; if I repent, it will c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t me more griefe, &s;orrow, &s;hame, heart-breaking, and &s;oul-bleeding, be|fore my con&s;cience will be quieted, di|vine Ju&s;tice pacified, my comfort and joy re&s;tored, my evidences cleared, and my pardon in the Court of Con&s;cience &s;ealed, then the imagined profit, or &s;ee|ming &s;en&s;uall plea&s;ure can be worth; <HI>What fruit had you in tho&s;e things whereof you are now a&s;hamed?</HI></P>
<PB N="188" REF="105">
<P>If I never repent, oh then my &s;infull<NOTE PLACE="marg">Inward blee|ding kils ma|ny a man; &s;o will &s;infull thoughts, if not repented of.</NOTE> thoughts will be the Scorpions that wil eternally vex me; the rods that will e|ternally la&s;h me; the thorns that will e|verla&s;tingly prick me; the dagger that will be eternally a &s;tabbing mee; the worme that will be for ever a gnawing me; oh! therefore watch again&s;t them, be con&s;tant in re&s;i&s;ting them, an<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> in la|menting and weeping over them, and then they &s;hall not hurt thee, though they may for a time trouble thee, and remember this; he that doth this, doth more then the mo&s;t gli&s;tering and blu&s;te|ring Hypocrite in the world doth.</P>
<P>The fifth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>5. Remedy. Ephe&s;.</HI> 3. 19. The words are an hebrai|&s;me; the He|brews when they would &s;et out many excellent things, they add the name of God to it, City of God, Cedars of God, wre&s;t|lings of God, &s;o here, that ye may be fil|led with the fulne&s;&s;e of God.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to labour more and more to be filled with the fulne&s;&s;e of God, and to be inriched with all &s;pirituall and heavenly things; what's the rea&s;on that the Angells in heaven have not &s;o much as an idle thought? 'tis becau&s;e they are filled with the fulne&s;&s;e of God; take it for an experienced truth, the more the &s;oule is filled with the fulne&s;&s;e of God, and inriched with &s;pirituall and hea|venly things, the le&s;&s;e room there is in that &s;oule for vaine thoughts. The fuller the ve&s;&s;el is of wine, the le&s;&s;e room there is for water; Oh! lay up much of God, of Chri&s;t, of precious promi&s;es, and choi&s;e experiences in your hearts, and
<PB N="189" REF="105"> then you wil be le&s;&s;e troubled with vain thoughts; <HI>A good man out of the good trea|&s;ure</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 12. 3.</NOTE> <HI>of his heart bringeth forth good things.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">6. Remedy.</NOTE></P>
<P>The &s;ixth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device of Satan, is, to keep up holy and &s;piri|tuall affections; for &s;uch as your affecti|ons are, &s;uch will be your thoughts; <HI>Oh!</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 97. P&s;al. 139. 8.</NOTE> <HI>how I love thy law, 'tis my meditation all the day;</HI> what we love mo&s;t, we mo&s;t mu&s;e upon; <HI>when I awake, I am &s;till with thee.</HI> That which wee much like, wee &s;hall much mind; them that are frequent in their love to God and his law, wil be frequent in thinking of God, and his<NOTE PLACE="marg">Simile.</NOTE> law; a childe will not forget his mo|ther.</P>
<P>The &s;eventh <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>7. Remedie. 2 Tim.</HI> 2. 4. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, is entangled, it is a compari&s;on which St <HI>Paul</HI> borroweth from the cu|&s;tome of the Roman Em|pire, wherein &s;oldiers were forbidden to be proctors of other mens cau&s;es, to un|dertake hu&s;|bandry or Merchandize.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to avoid multiplicity of wordly bu&s;ine&s;&s;e; oh! let not the world take up your hearts &amp; thoughts at other times; &s;oules that are torne In pieces with the cares of the world, will be alwayes vexed and tormented with vain thoughts in all their approaches to God; vain thoughts will be &s;till croud|ing in upon him that lives in a croud of bu&s;ine&s;&s;e. The &s;tars which have lea&s;t cir|cuit, are neere&s;t the Pole; and men that are lea&s;t perplexed with bu&s;ine&s;&s;e, are commonly neare&s;t to God.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="190" REF="106">
<HEAD>The eighth <HI>Device</HI> that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">8 Device.</NOTE> hath to keepe &s;oules from re|ligious &s;ervices, from holy performan|ces, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY working them to re&s;t in their per|formances, to re&s;t in prayer, and to re&s;t in hearing, reading, and the com|munion<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 58. 1, 2, 3. Zech. 7. 4, 5, 6. Mat 6. 2. Rom. 17.</NOTE> of Saints, &amp;c. and when Satan hath drawn the &s;oul to re&s;t upon the &s;er|vice done; then he will help the &s;oul to rea&s;on thus; why, thou wert as good never pray, as to pray, and re&s;t in pray|er; as good never heare, as to heare, and re&s;t in hearing; as good never be in the communion of Saints, as to re&s;t in the communion of Saints; and by this device he &s;tops many &s;oules in their hea|venly race, and takes off poor &s;oules from tho&s;e &s;ervices that &s;hould be their joy and Crown.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="191" REF="106">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to dwell much upon the imperfections, and weakne&s;&s;es that<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pride and high confi|dence is mo&s;t apt to creep in upon du|ties wel done, &s;aith one.</NOTE> doe attend your choi&s;e&s;t &s;ervices; oh the &s;pots! the blots! the blemi&s;hes, that are to be &s;een upon the face of our fair|e&s;t duties! when thou ha&s;t done all thou can&s;t, thou ha&s;t need to clo&s;e up all with this; <HI>Oh! enter not into judgement with thy &s;ervant oh Lord;</HI> for the weakne&s;&s;es that cleave to my be&s;t &s;ervices, we may all<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 64. 6.</NOTE> &s;ay with the Church; <HI>All our righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;es are as a men&s;truous cloath.</HI> If God &s;hould be &s;trict to marke what is done a|mi&s;&s;e in our be&s;t actions, wee were un|done. Oh! the water that is mingled with our wine, the dro&s;&s;e that cleaves unto our Gold.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider the impo|tency, and inability of any of your b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;t &s;ervices, divinely to comfort, refre&s;h, and beare your &s;oules up from fainting, and &s;inking in the dayes of troubles,
<PB N="192" REF="107"> when darkene&s;&s;e is round about you; when God &s;hall &s;ay to you, as he did<NOTE PLACE="marg">10. 14.</NOTE> once to the <HI>I&s;raelites, Goe, and cry unto the gods that you have cho&s;en, let them &s;ave you in the time of your tribulation:</HI> So when God &s;hall &s;ay in the day of your trou|bles, goe to your prayers, to your hear|ing, and to your fa&s;ting, &amp;c. and &s;ee, if they can help you, if they can &s;upport you, if they can deliver you; if God in that day doth but with-hold the influ|ence of his grace from thee, thy former &s;ervices will be but poore cordiall<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to comfort thee; and then thou mu&s;t, and wilt cry out, oh! none but Chri&s;t, none<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Omne bonum in &s;ummo bono,</HI> all good is in the chiefe&s;t good. <HI>Nec Chri&s;tus nec coelum pati|tur hyperbolen.</HI></NOTE> but Chri&s;t; oh! my prayers are not Chri&s;t, my hearing is not Chri&s;t, my fa|&s;ting is not Chri&s;t, &amp;c. oh! one &s;mile of Chri&s;t, one glimps of Chri&s;t, one good word from Chri&s;t, on nod of love from Chri&s;t in the day of trouble and dark|ne&s;&s;e, will more revive, and refre&s;h the &s;oule, then all your former &s;ervices, in which your &s;oules re&s;ted, as if they were the bo&s;ome of Chri&s;t, which &s;hould be the only center of our &s;oules. Chri&s;t is the Crowne of Crownes, the glory of glories, and the heaven of heaven.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that good things re&s;ted upon, will as cer|tainly undoe us, and everla&s;tingly de|&s;troy
<PB N="193" REF="107"> us, as the greate&s;t enormities that can be committed by us; tho&s;e &s;oules that after they have done all, doe not look up &s;o high as a Chri&s;t, and re&s;t, and center alone in Chri&s;t, laying downe their &s;ervices at the foot-&s;tool of Chri&s;t, mu&s;t lie down in &s;orrow, their bed is prepared for them in hell. <HI>Behold, all</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 50. ult.</NOTE> <HI>yee that kindle a fire, and compa&s;s your &s;elves with the &s;parks, and walk in the light of your fire, and in the &s;parks that yee have kindled, this yee &s;hall have at mine hand, yee &s;hall lye down in &s;orrow;</HI> Is it good dwelling with everla&s;ting burnings? with a devouring fire? if it be, why then re&s;t in your du|ties &s;till; if otherwi&s;e, then &s;ee that you center only in the bo&s;ome of Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>The fourth and la&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedie.</NOTE> this device of Satan, is, to dwell much upon the nece&s;&s;ity and excellency of that re&s;ting place that God hath provided for you, above all other re&s;ting places; him|&s;elfe is your re&s;ting place, his free mercy and love is your re&s;ting place; the pure, glorious, matchle&s;&s;e, and &s;potle&s;&s;e righ|teou&s;ne&s;s of Chri&s;t is your re&s;ting place; ah! 'tis &s;add to thinke, that mo&s;t men have forgotten their re&s;ting place, as the Lord complains; <HI>My people have been as lo&s;t &s;heep, their &s;hepheards have cau&s;ed them</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 50. 6.</NOTE> <HI>to goe a&s;tray, and have turned them away to the mountaines, they have gone from moun|taine
<PB N="194" REF="108"> to hill and forgotten their re&s;ting place.</HI> So poor &s;ouls that &s;ee not the excellen|cy of that re&s;ting place that God hath appointed for their &s;ouls to lye down in; they wander ftom mountaine to hill, from one duty to another, and here they will re&s;t, and there they will re&s;t; but &s;oules that &s;ee the excellency of that re&s;ting place that God hath pro|vided for them, they will &s;ay, farewel prayer, farewel hearing, farewel fa&s;ting, &amp;c. I will re&s;t no more in you, but now will re&s;t only in the bo&s;ome of Chri&s;t, the love of Chri&s;t, the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="part">
<PB N="195" REF="108">
<HEAD>The third thing to be &s;hewed, is the &s;everall De|vices that Satan hath to keep &s;ouls in a &s;ad, doubting, que&s;ti|oning, and uncomfortable con|dition.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Brad|ford</HI> in one of his Epi&s;tles &s;aith thus; O Lord, &s;ome|times me thinks I feel it &s;o with me, as if there were no difference between my heart and the wicked, I have a blind mind, as they, a &s;tout, &s;tub|born, rebelli|ous, hard heart as they, &amp; &s;o hee goes on, &amp;c.</NOTE></HEAD>
<P>THough he can never rob a Belie|ver of his Crowne, yet &s;uch is his malice and envy, that he will leave no &s;tone unturn'd, no means unattempted to rob them of their comfort, and peace, to make their life a burden, and a hell unto them, to cau&s;e them to &s;pend their days in &s;orrow and mourning, in &s;ighing and complaining, in doubting and que&s;tioning; &s;urely we have no intere&s;t in Chri&s;t, our graces are not true, our hopes are the hopes of hy|pocrites; our confidence is but pre|&s;umption; our injoyments are but de|lu&s;ions, &amp;c.</P>
<P>I &s;hall &s;hew you this in &s;ome parti|culars.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="196" REF="109">
<HEAD>The first Device that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Device.</NOTE> hath to keepe &s;ouls in a &s;ad, doubting, and que&s;tio|ning condition, and &s;o making their life a hell, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY cau&s;ing them to be &s;till poring,<NOTE PLACE="marg">A Chri&s;tan &s;hould weare Chri&s;t in his bo&s;ome as a flower of de light, for he is a whole para|di&s;e of de|light; he that minds not Chri&s;t more then his &s;in, can never be thankfull and fruitfull as he &s;hould.</NOTE> and mu&s;ing upon &s;inne, to minde their &s;ins more then their Saviour, yea, &s;o to mind their &s;ins, as to forget, yea, to neglect their Saviour, that as the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t</HI> &s;peaks; <HI>The Lord is not in all their thoughts;</HI> their eyes are &s;o fixt upon their di&s;ea&s;e, that they cannot &s;ee the <HI>Reme|die,</HI> though it be neare; and they doe &s;o mu&s;e upon their debts, that they have neither mind nor heart to think of their &s;urety, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="197" REF="109">
<HEAD>Now the fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> against<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> this device of Satan, is,</HEAD>
<P>FOr weake beleevers to con&s;ider, that though Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath not freed them from the pre&s;ence of &s;in, yet he<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Peccata enim non nocent, &s;i non placent,</HI> my &s;ins hurt me not, if they like me not. Sinn is like that wild fig|tree, or Ivie in the wall, cu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> off &s;tump, body, bough, and branches; yet &s;ome &s;trings or o|ther will &s;prout out a|gain till the wall be pluckt down. <HI>Rom. 8. 1.</HI></NOTE> hath freed them from the damnatory power of &s;in. It's mo&s;t true, that &s;inne and grace were never borne together, neither &s;hall &s;in and grace dye together; yet while a beleever breaths in this world, they mu&s;t live together, they mu&s;t keep hou&s;e together. Chri&s;t in this life will not free any beleever from the pre&s;ence of any one &s;in, though he doth free every beleever from the damning power of every &s;in; <HI>There's no condemna|tion to them that are in Chri&s;t Je&s;us, who walke not after the fle&s;h, but after the &s;pi|rit.</HI> The Law cannot condemn a belee|ver, for Chri&s;t hath fulfilled it for him; divine Ju&s;tice cannot condemn him, for that Chri&s;t hath &s;atisfied; his &s;inns can|not condem him, for they in the blood of Chri&s;t are pardoned; and his owne con&s;cience (upon righteous grounds) cannot condemn him, becau&s;e Chri&s;t, that is greater then his con&s;cience, hath acquitted him, &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="198" REF="110">
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that though Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath not freed you from the mole&s;ting, and vexing power of &s;in, yet he hath freed you from the reigne and<NOTE PLACE="marg">The primitive Chri&s;tians cho&s;e rather to be thrown to lions with|out, then left to lu&s;ts with|in <HI>Ad leonem magis quam le|onem,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Tertullian. Rom. 6. 14.</HI></NOTE> dominion of &s;in. Thou &s;aye&s;t that &s;inne doth &s;o mole&s;t and vex thee, that thou can&s;t not think of God, nor go to God, nor &s;peak with God; oh! but remem|ber, 'tis one thing for &s;in to mole&s;t and vex thee, and another thing for &s;inne to reigne, and have dominion over thee. <HI>For &s;inne &s;hall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace.</HI> Sin may rebell, but it &s;hall never reigne in any Saint; it fareth with &s;in in the regenerate, as with tho&s;e Bea&s;ts that <HI>Da|niel</HI> &s;peaks of, <HI>That had their dominion ta|ken</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 7. 12.</NOTE> <HI>away, yet their lives were prolonged for a &s;ea&s;on, and a time.</HI></P>
<P>Now &s;in reigns in the &s;oule, when the &s;oul willingly and readily obeys it, and &s;ubjects to its commands, as Subjects do actively obey, and embrace the com|mands of their Prince. The commands<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Tis a &s;igne that &s;in hath not gained your con&s;ent, but commit|ted a rape up|on your &s;ouls, when you cry out <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o God; if the ravi&s;hed Virgin under the Law cry|ed out, &s;he was guiltle&s;&s;e&punc; <HI>Deut.</HI> 22. 27. So when &s;inne plays the Ty|rant over the &s;oule, and the &s;oul cries out 'tis guiltle&s;&s;e, tho&s;e &s;ins &s;hall not be charg|ed upon the &s;oule.</NOTE> of a K. are readily embraced and obeyed by his Subjects; but the commands of a Tyrant are embraced &amp; obeyed unwill|ingly. All the &s;ervice that is done to a Tyrant, is out of violence, and not out of obedience; A free and willing &s;ubje|ction to the commands of &s;in, &s;peaks out
<PB N="199" REF="110"> the &s;oul to be under the reign and domi|nion of &s;in; but from this plague, this hell, Chri&s;t frees all Beleevers: Sin can|not &s;ay of a beleever, as the <HI>Centurion</HI> &s;aid of his &s;ervant; <HI>I bid one goe, and be goeth, and to another come, and he cometh, and to another do this, and he doth it.</HI> No, the heart of a St. ri&s;es again&s;t the com|mands of &s;in; and when &s;in would cary his &s;oule to the Devill, he hales his &s;in before the Lord, and cries out for Ju&s;tice, Lord, &s;aith the beleeving &s;oule, &s;inn playes the Tyrant, the Devill in mee, it would have mee to doe that which makes again&s;t thy holine&s;&s;e, as well as again&s;t my happine&s;&s;e; again&s;t thy ho|nour and glory, as my comfort &amp; peace; therefore do me ju&s;tice, thou righteous Judge of Heaven and Earth, and let this tyrant &s;in die for it, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, con&s;tantly to keep one eye upon the promi&s;es of remi&s;&s;ion of &s;inne,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>I&s;a. 44, 22. Mica 7. 18, 19. Colo&s;&s;.</HI> 2. 13, 14. The promi&s;es of God are a precious booke, every leafe drops myrthe and mercy.</NOTE> as well as the other eye upon the inward operations of &s;in. This is mo&s;t cer|tain truth, that God will graciou&s;ly pardon tho&s;e &s;ins to his people, that he will not in this life fully &s;ubdue in his people. <HI>Paul</HI> prayes thrice, <HI>i. e.</HI> often to be delivered from the thorn in the fle&s;h, all he can get is, <HI>my grace is &s;ufficient for thee;</HI> I will graciou&s;ly pardon that to
<PB N="200" REF="111"> thee, that I will not conquer in thee,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Though the weak Chri&s;ti|an cannot o|pen, read, and apply them, Chri&s;t can, &amp; will apply them to their &s;ouls. <HI>Ier. 33. 8. I&s;a.</HI> 43. 25. <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> An Hebrew participle, &amp; notes a con|&s;tant, a conti|nued act of God; I, I am he, blotting out thy tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ions, to day, and to morrow, &amp;c. 4 <HI>Remedie.</HI></NOTE> &s;aith God. <HI>And I will clean&s;e them from all their iniquity, whereby they have &s;inned again&s;t me, and I will pardon all their ini|quities whereby they have &s;inned again&s;t me, and whereby they have tran&s;gre&s;&s;ed again&s;t me. I, even I am hee that blotteth out thy tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions for mine owne &s;ake, and will not remember thy &s;innes.</HI> Ah! you lamen|ting &s;oules, that &s;pend your dayes in &s;ighing and groaning under the &s;en&s;e and burthen of your &s;ins; why doe you deale &s;o unkindly with God, and &s;o in|juriou&s;ly with your own &s;oules, as not to ca&s;t an eye upon tho&s;e precious pro|mi&s;es of remi&s;&s;ion of &s;inne, which may beare up, and refre&s;h your &s;pirits in the darke&s;t night, and under the heavie&s;t burden of &s;in.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice of Satan, is, to look upon all your &s;ins, as charged upon the account of Chri&s;t, as debts which the Lord Je&s;us hath fully &s;atisfied; and indeed were there but one farthing of that debt un|paid, that Chri&s;t was engaged to &s;ati&s;|fie, it would not have &s;tood with the un|&s;potted ju&s;tice of God, to have let him come into Heaven, and &s;it down at his owne right hand; but all our debts by his death being di&s;charged, we are freed, and he is exalted to &s;it down at the right
<PB N="201" REF="111"> hand of his Father, which is the top of his glory, and the greate&s;t pledg of our felicity; <HI>For he hath made him to be &s;in for</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2 Cor.</HI> 5. 21. Chri&s;t was (<HI>peccatorum maximus</HI>) the greate&s;t of &s;inners by im|putation, and reputation. <HI>I&s;a. 53. 5, 6.</HI></NOTE> <HI>us that knew no &s;inne, that we might be made the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of God in him,</HI> &s;aith the Apo&s;tle: All our &s;ins were made to meete upon Chri&s;t, as that Evangelicall Pro|phet hath it. <HI>He was wounded for our tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions, he was brui&s;ed for our iniqui|ties, the cha&s;ti&s;ement of our peace was upon him, and with his &s;tripes we are healed. All we like &s;heep have gone a&s;tray, we have tur|ned every one to his owne way, and the Lord hath layd on him the iniquity of us all;</HI> or as the Hebrew hath it, he hath made the i|niquity of us all to meet in him. In Law we know, that all the debts of the Wife are charged upon the Husband; &s;aith the Wife to one, and to another, if<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t hath the greate&s;t worth and wealth in him, as the worth and value of ma|ny pieces of &s;ilver is in one piece of gold, &s;o all the excellen|cies &s;cattered abroad in the creatures, are united to Chri&s;t.</NOTE> I owe you any thing, go to my husband; &s;o may a beleever &s;ay to the Law, and to the ju&s;tice of God; if I owe you any thing, go to my Chri&s;t, who hath un|dertaken for me; I mu&s;t not &s;it downe di&s;couraged under the apprehen&s;ions of tho&s;e debts, that Chri&s;t to the utmo&s;t farthing hath fully &s;atisfied; would it not argue much weakne&s;&s;e, I had almo&s;t &s;aid much madne&s;&s;e, for a debtor to &s;it down di&s;couraged, upon his looking o|ver tho&s;e debts, that his &s;urety hath rea|dily, freely, and fully &s;atisfied; the &s;en&s;e
<PB N="202" REF="112"> of his great love &s;hould engage a man for<NOTE PLACE="marg">All the whole volume of perfections, which is &s;pread through Hea|ven &amp; earth, is epitomized in him.</NOTE> ever to love, and honour his &s;urety, and to ble&s;&s;e that hand that hath paid the debt, and cro&s;t the books, &amp;c. but to &s;it down di&s;couraged when the debt is &s;a|tisfied, is a &s;innne that be&s;peaks Repen|tance, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t hath cleared all reckonings be|twixt God and us; you remember the Scape-goate, <HI>upon his head all the iniqui|ties</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Levit. 16. 21.</NOTE> <HI>of the children of I&s;rael, and all their tran&s;gre&s;&s;ions in all their &s;inns were confe&s;&s;ed</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t is (<HI>Ca|nalis gratiae</HI>) the channell of grace from God.</NOTE> <HI>and put, and the Goate did beare upon him all their iniquities, &amp;c.</HI> Why, the Lord Je|&s;us is that ble&s;&s;ed Scape-Goate, upon whom all our &s;ins were laid, and who alone hath carried <HI>our &s;ins away into the Land of forget fulne&s;&s;e, where they &s;hall ne|ver, never be remembred more;</HI> a beleever under the guilt of his &s;in may looke the Lord in the face, and &s;weetly plead thus with him; 'Tis true Lord, I owed thee<NOTE PLACE="marg">The bloods of <HI>Abel,</HI> for &s;o the Hebrew hath it (as if the blood of one <HI>Abel</HI> had &s;o many tongues as drops) cryed for vengeance again&s;t &s;inne; b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t the blood of Chri&s;t cries louder for the p<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rdon of &s;in.</NOTE> much, but thy Son was my Ran&s;ome, my Redemption; his blood was the price, he was my &s;urety, and undertook to an&s;wer for my &s;innes; I know thou mu&s;t be &s;atisfied, and Chri&s;t hath &s;atisfi|ed thee to the utmo&s;t farthing, not for him&s;elf, for what &s;ins had he of his own? but for me, they were my debts that he &s;atisfied for; be plea&s;ed to look over the book, and thou &s;halt find that 'tis cro&s;t
<PB N="203" REF="112"> by thy owne hand, upon this very ac|count that Chri&s;t hath &s;uffered, and &s;a|tisfied for them.</P>
<P>The fifth <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider of the rea&s;ons, why the Lord is plea&s;ed to have his people exerci&s;ed, troubled, and vex|ed with the operations of &s;inful corrup|tions,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Augu&s;tin</HI> &s;aith, that the fir&s;t, &s;econd, and third vertue of a Chri&s;tian is humility.</NOTE> and they are the&s;e; partly to keep them humble, and low in their owne eyes; and partly to put them upon the u&s;e of all divine helps, whereby &s;in may be &s;ubdued and mortified; And partly, that they may live upon Chri&s;t for the perfecting the work of Sanctification;<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Lilmod lelam|med,</HI> we there|fore learn, that wee may teach, is a pro|verb among the <HI>Rabbins.</HI> After the <HI>Tro|jans</HI> had been wandering, &amp; to&s;&s;ing up and down the Me|diterranean Sea; as &s;oon as they e&s;pied <HI>I|taly,</HI> they cried out with ex|ulting joy, <HI>I|taly, Italy:</HI> &s;o will Saints when they come to Hea|ven.</NOTE> and partly, to weane them from things below, and to make them heart-&s;ick of their ab&s;ence from Chri&s;t, and to main|tain in them bowels of compa&s;&s;ion to|wards others, that are &s;ubject to the &s;ame infirmities with them; and that they may di&s;tingui&s;h between a &s;tate of grace, and a &s;tate of glory, and that Heaven may be more &s;weet to them in the clo&s;e. Now doth the Lord upon the&s;e weighty rea&s;ons &s;uffer his people to be exerci&s;ed, and mole&s;ted with the operations of &s;infull corruptions; oh! then let no beleever &s;peak, write, or conclude bitter things again&s;t his owne &s;oule, and comforts; becau&s;e that &s;inne troubles and vexes his righteous &s;oule,
<PB N="204" REF="113"> &amp;c. but lay his hand upon his mouth, and be &s;ilent, becau&s;e the Lord will have it &s;o, upon &s;uch weighty grounds, as the &s;oule is not able to with&s;tand.</P>
<P>The &s;ixth <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">6. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that Beleevers mu&s;t repent for their being<NOTE PLACE="marg">God never g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ve a Belee|ver a new h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">art, that it &s;hould always li<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> a bleed|ing, and that it &s;hould al|ways be rent and torn in pieces with di&s;courage|ments.</NOTE> di&s;couraged by their &s;ins. Their being di&s;couraged by their &s;ins will co&s;t them many a prayer, many a teare, and many a groane: And that, becau&s;e their di&s;|couragements under &s;in flowes from ig|norance and unbeliefe; it &s;prings from their ignorance of the riches, freene&s;&s;e, fulne&s;&s;e, and everla&s;tingne&s;&s;e of Gods love; and from their ignorance of the power, glory, &s;ufficiency, and efficacy of the death and &s;ufferings of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t: And from their ignorance of the worth, glory, fulne&s;&s;e, largene&s;&s;e, and compleatne&s;&s;e of the righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Je&s;us Chri&s;t: And from their igno|rance of that reall, clo&s;e, &s;piritual, glo|rious, and in&s;eparable union that is be|twixt Chri&s;t, and their precious &s;oule: Ah! did precious &s;ouls know, and be|leeve the truth of the&s;e things, as they &s;hould, they would not &s;it down deject|ed, and over-whelmed under the &s;en&s;e and operations of &s;in, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="205" REF="113">
<HEAD>The &s;econd <HI>Device</HI> that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Device.</NOTE> hath to keep &s;ouls in a &s;ad, doubting, and questio|ning condition, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY working them to make fal&s;e defi|nitions of their graces: Satan knows, that as fal&s;e definitions of &s;inne wrong the &s;oule one way, &s;o fal&s;e de|finitions of grace wrong the &s;oule ano|ther way.</P>
<P>I will in&s;tance only in faith; oh! how doth Satan labour might and main to work men to make fal&s;e definitions of faith; Some he works to define faith too high, as that it is a full a&s;&s;urance of the love of God to a mans &s;oule in par|ticular, or a full per&s;wa&s;ion of the par|don, and remi&s;&s;ion of a mans owne &s;ins in particular; &s;aith Satan, what do&s;t thou talk of faith? faith is an a&s;&s;urance of the love of God, and of the pardon of &s;in, and this thou ha&s;t not; thou know|e&s;t thou art far off from this, therefore thou ha&s;t no faith; and by drawing men to make &s;uch a fal&s;e definition of faith, he keeps them in a &s;ad, doubting, and que&s;tioning condition, and makes them &s;pend their days in &s;orrow and &s;ighing,
<PB N="206" REF="114"> &s;o that teares are their drink, and &s;or|row is their meate, and &s;ighing is their work all the day long, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The Philo&s;ophers &s;ay there are eight d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">grees of heat; we di&s;cern three; now i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> a m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n &s;hould define heat only by the highe&s;t degree, then all other degrees will be ca&s;t out from being heat: &s;o if men &s;hall define fai<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">h only by the high|e&s;t degrees, by a&s;&s;urance of the love of God, and of the pardon of his &s;ins in particular, what will become of le&s;&s;er degrees of faith?</P>
<P>If a man &s;hould define a man to be a living man, onely by the highe&s;t and &s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">onge&s;t demon&s;trations of life, as laughing, leaping, running, working, walking, &amp;c. would not many thou|&s;ands that groan under internal, and externall weakne&s;&s;es, and that cannot laugh, nor leap, nor run, nor work, nor walk, be found dead men by &s;uch a defi|nition, that yet wee know to be alive; 'tis &s;o here, and you know how to ap|ply it, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="207" REF="114">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o con&s;ider, that there may be true faith, yea, g<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eat mea&s;ures of faith, where there is no a&s;|&s;urance. The <HI>Canaanite</HI> woman in the Go&s;pel had &s;trong faith, yet no a&s;&s;u|rance that we read of. <HI>The&s;e things have I written unto you</HI> (&s;aith <HI>John) that believe on the name of the Son of God, that yee may know, that ye have eternall life,, and that ye may beleeve on the name of the Son of God;</HI> In the&s;e words you &s;ee that they did be|lieve, and had eternall life, in re&s;pect of the purpo&s;e and promi&s;e of God, and in re&s;pect of the &s;eeds, and beginnings of it in their &s;ouls; and in re&s;pect of Chri&s;t their head, who &s;its in Heaven as a pub|lique per&s;on, repre&s;enting all his cho|&s;en ones; <HI>Who hath rai&s;ed us up together,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 2. 6.</NOTE> <HI>and made us &s;it together in heavenly places in Chri&s;t Je&s;us;</HI> and yet they did not know that they had eternall life. 'Tis one thing to have a right to heaven, and a|nother thing to know it; 'Tis one thing to be beloved, and another thing for a
<PB N="208" REF="115"> man to know that he is beloved. 'Tis one thing for God to write a mans name in the book of life, and another thing for God to tell a man, that his name is written in the book of life, and to &s;ay to him, <HI>rejoyce, becau&s;e thy name is written in heaven.</HI></P>
<P>So <HI>Paul: In whom yee al&s;o tru&s;ted after</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ephe&s;</HI> 1. 13. So tho&s;e in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ha<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>I&s;a.</HI> 50. 10 had faith, though they had no a&s;&s;u|rance. <HI>Mica 7. 8, 9.</HI></NOTE> <HI>yee heard the word of truth, the Go&s;pell of your &s;alvation, in whom al&s;o after that yee believed, yee were &s;ealed with that holy &s;pi|rit of promi&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>So <HI>Micha, Rejoyce not again&s;t me oh my enemie, when I &s;hall fall, I &s;hall ri&s;e; when I &s;hall &s;it in darkne&s;&s;e, the Lord &s;hall be a light unto me. I will beare the indignation of the Lord, becau&s;e I have &s;inned, &amp;c. or the &s;ad countenance of God,</HI> as the Hebrew hath it. This &s;oul had no a&s;&s;urance, for he &s;its in darkne&s;&s;e, and was under the &s;ad countenance of God, and yet had &s;trong faith: As appears in tho&s;e words, <HI>when I fall, I &s;hall ari&s;e: when I &s;it in dark|ne&s;&s;e, the Lord &s;hall be a light unto me.</HI> He will bring me forth to the light, and I &s;hall behold his righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and let this &s;uffice for the fir&s;t an&s;wer.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that God in the Scriptures doth define<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 1. 12.</NOTE> faith otherwi&s;e; God defines faith to be a <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ceiving of Chri&s;t; <HI>As many as received
<PB N="209" REF="115"> him, to them he gave this priviledge to be</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Act. 11. 23.</NOTE> <HI>the &s;ons of God, to as many as beleeved on his name;</HI> to be a cleaving of the &s;oule unto God, though no joy but afflictions attend the &s;oule. Yea, the Lord defines faith to be a coming to God in Chri&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 11. 28. John 6. 37. Heb. 7. 25. 26. I&s;a. 3. 4, &amp;c.</NOTE> and often to a re&s;ting, and &s;taying, or rouling of the &s;oule upon Chri&s;t. 'Tis &s;afe&s;t, and &s;weete&s;t to define as God de|fines, both vices and graces; this is the only way to &s;ettle the &s;oule, and to &s;e|cure it again&s;t all the wiles of men and devills, who labour by fal&s;e definitions of grace to keepe precious &s;oules in a doubting, &s;taggering, and langui&s;hing condition, and &s;o make their lives a burden, a hell unto them.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider this, that there may be true faith, where there<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 6. 30. chap. 14. 31. &amp; chap. 16. 8.</NOTE> is much doubtings; witne&s;&s;e tho&s;e fre|quent &s;ayings of Chri&s;t to his Di&s;ciples, <HI>Why are yee afraid oh yee of little faith?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 12. 28.</NOTE> Per&s;ons may be truly believing, who neverthele&s;&s;e are &s;ometimes doubting; in the &s;ame per&s;ons (that the fore-men|tioned Scriptures &s;peak of) you may &s;ee their faith commended, and their doubts condemned, which doth nece&s;&s;a|rily &s;uppo&s;e a pre&s;ence of both.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider,
<PB N="210" REF="116"> that a&s;&s;urance is an effect of faith; there|fore it cannot be faith. The cau&s;e can|not be the effect, nor the root the fruit; as the effect &s;lowes from the cau&s;e, the fruit from the root, the &s;tream from the fountain, &s;o doth the a&s;&s;urance flow from faith; this truth I &s;hall make good thus.</P>
<P>The a&s;&s;urance of our &s;alvation, and pardon of &s;in doth primarily ari&s;e from the witne&s;&s;e of the &s;pirit of God, that<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 1. 13. Gal. 5. 6.</NOTE> we are the children of God: And the &s;pirit never witne&s;&s;eth this, till we are beleevers; <HI>for we are &s;onnes by faith in</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 4 6.</NOTE> <HI>Chri&s;t Je&s;us:</HI> therefore a&s;&s;urance is not faith, but followes it, as the effect fol|lows the cau&s;e.</P>
<P>Againe, no man can be a&s;&s;ured, and per&s;waded of his &s;alvation, till he be u|nited to Chri&s;t, till he be ingrafted into Chri&s;t; and a man cannot be ingrafted into Chri&s;t, till he hath faith; hee mu&s;t fir&s;t be ingrafted into Chri&s;t by faith, be|fore he can have a&s;&s;urance of his &s;alvati|on, which doth clearly evidence, that a&s;&s;urance is not faith, but an effect and fruit of faith, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Again, faith cannot be lo&s;t, but a&s;&s;u|rance may; therefore a&s;&s;urance is not faith. Though a&s;&s;urance be a precious<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 51. 12. P&s;al. 30. 6, 7.</NOTE> flower in the garden of a Saint, and is more infinitely &s;weet, and delightful to
<PB N="211" REF="116"> the &s;oule, then all outward comforts,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 5. 6. I&s;a. 8. 17.</NOTE> and contents; yet 'tis but a flower that is &s;ubject to fade, and to loo&s;e its fre&s;h|ne&s;&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">There is many thou&s;and pre|cious &s;ouls, of whom this world is not worthy, that have the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">aith of reliance, &amp; yet want a&s;&s;u|rance, and the effects of it; as high joy, glo|rious peace, and vehement longings after the coming of Chri&s;t.</NOTE> and beauty, as Saints by &s;ad expe|rience finde, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Againe, a man mu&s;t fir&s;t have faith, before he can have a&s;&s;urance, therefore a&s;&s;urance is not faith; and that a man mu&s;t fir&s;t have faith, before he can have a&s;&s;urance, is cleare; by this a man mu&s;t fir&s;t be &s;aved, before he can be a&s;&s;ured of his &s;alvation, for he cannot be a&s;&s;ured of that which is not; and a man mu&s;t fir&s;t have a &s;aving faith, before he can be &s;a|ved by faith; for he cannot be &s;aved by that which he hath not; therefore a man mu&s;t fir&s;t have faith, before he can have a&s;&s;urance, and &s;o it roundly followes, that a&s;&s;urance is not faith, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>The third Device that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Device.</NOTE> hath to keepe the &s;oul in a &s;ad, doubting, and que&s;tioning con|dition, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY working the &s;oule to make fal&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 77. 7. 11. P&s;al. 88. 1. ult. P&s;al. 73. 2. 23.</NOTE> inferences from the cro&s;&s;e actings of providence; &s;aith Satan, do&s;t thou not &s;ee how Providence cro&s;&s;es thy prayers,
<PB N="212" REF="117"> and cro&s;&s;es thy de&s;ires, thy teares, thy hopes, thy endeavours; &s;urely, if his love were toward thee, if his &s;oule did delight and take plea&s;ure in thee, he would not deale thus with thee, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the remedies again&s;t this Device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider that many things may be cro&s;&s;e to our de&s;ires, that are not cro&s;&s;e to our good; <HI>Abraham, Jacob, David, Job, Mo&s;es, Jere|miah,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The <HI>Circum|cellians</HI> being not able to with&s;tand the preaching, &amp; writing of <HI>Augu&s;tine,</HI> &s;ought his de|&s;truction, ha|ving be&s;et the way he was to goe his vi&s;ita|tion, but by Gods provi|dence, he mi&s;&s;ing his way, e&s;caped the danger.</NOTE> <HI>Jonah, Paul, &amp;c.</HI> met with many things that were contrary to their de fires, and endeavours, that were not contrary to their good, as all know, that have wi&s;ely compared their de&s;ires and endeavours, and Gods actings toge|ther. Phy&s;ick often works contrary to the Patients de&s;ires, when it doth not work contrary to their good. I re|member a &s;tory of a godly man, who had a great de&s;ire to goe to <HI>France,</HI> and as he was going to take &s;hipping, he broke his leg, and it plea&s;ed providence &s;o to order it, that the &s;hip that he &s;hould have gone in, at that very &s;ame time was
<PB N="213" REF="117"> ca&s;t away, and not a man &s;aved, and &s;o by breaking a bone, his life was &s;aved. Though Providence did worke cro&s;&s;e to his de&s;ires, yet it did not work cro&s;s to his good, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that the hand of God may be again&s;t a man, when the love and heart of God is much &s;et upon a man; No man can con|clude how the heart of God &s;tands by his hand. The hand of God was again&s;t <HI>Ephraim,</HI> and yet his love, his heart was<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ier.</HI> 31. 18, 19, 20. Gods provi|dentiall hand may be with per&s;ons, when his heart is &s;et again&s;t them; Gods provi|dentiall hand was for a time with <HI>Saul, Ha|man, A&s;hur,</HI> &amp; <HI>Iehu,</HI> and yet his heart was &s;et again&s;t them. No man knoweth love or hatred by all that is be|fore them. <HI>Eccle&s;. 9. 1, 2.</HI></NOTE> dearly &s;et upon <HI>Ephraim. I have &s;urely heard Ephraim bemoaning him&s;elfe thus; thou ha&s;t cha&s;ti&s;ed mee, and I was cha&s;ti&s;ed as a bullocke unaccu&s;tomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I &s;hall be turned, for thou art the Lord my God. Surely after that I was tur|ned, I repented; and after that I was in&s;tru|cted, I &s;mote upon my thigh; I was a&s;hamed, yea, even confounded, becau&s;e I did beare the reproach of my youth. Ephraim is my deare &s;onne, he is a plea&s;ant child; for &s;ince I &s;pake again&s;t him, I doe earne&s;tly remember him &s;till: therefore my bowells are troubled for him, I will &s;urely have mercy upon him, &s;aith the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>God can look &s;owrly, and chide bit|terly, and &s;trike heavily, even where, and when he loves dearly. The hand of God was very much again&s;t <HI>Job,</HI> and yet
<PB N="214" REF="118"> his love, his heart was very much &s;et up|on <HI>Job,</HI> as you may &s;ee by comparing the 2. fir&s;t chap. of <HI>Iob</HI> with the two la&s;t. The hand of God was &s;ore again&s;t <HI>Da|vid,</HI> and <HI>Jonah,</HI> when his heart was much &s;et upon them. He that &s;hall conclude, that the heart of God is again&s;t tho&s;e that his hand is again&s;t, will condemne the generation of the ju&s;t, whom God unju&s;tly would not have condemned.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that all the cro&s;&s;e providences that befall the Saints, are but in order to &s;ome noble good, that God doth intend to conferre upon them. Providence wrote cro&s;&s;e to <HI>Da|vids</HI> de&s;ire, in taking away the child &s;in|fully begotten, but yet not cro&s;&s;e to a more noble good; for was it not farre better for <HI>David</HI> to have &s;uch a legiti|mate Heire as <HI>Solomon</HI> was, then that a Ba&s;tard &s;hould weare the Crown, and &s;way the Scepter?</P>
<P><HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> you know, was &s;old into a far Country by the envy and malice of his brethren, and afterwards impri&s;on|ed, becau&s;e he would not be a pri&s;oner to his <HI>Mi&s;tri&s;&s;es</HI> lu&s;ts; yet all the&s;e cro&s;s providences did wonderfully conduce to his advancement, and the pre&s;ervati|on of his Fathers family, which was then the vi&s;ible Church of Chri&s;t. It was &s;o
<PB N="215" REF="118"> ordered by a noble hand of providence, that what they &s;ought to decline, they did promote; <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> was therefore &s;old by his brethren, that he might not be wor&s;hipped, and yet he was therefore wor&s;hipped, becau&s;e he was &s;old.</P>
<P><HI>David</HI> was de&s;igned to a Kingdome; but oh the &s;traits, troubles, and deaths, that he run through, before he feels the weight of the Crown; and all this was but in order to the &s;weetning of his Crown, and to the &s;etling of it more firmly and gloriou&s;ly upon his head; God did &s;o contrive it, that <HI>Jonah's</HI> of|fence, and tho&s;e cro&s;&s;e actings of his that did attend it, &s;hould advantage that end which they &s;eemed mo&s;t dire|ctly<NOTE PLACE="marg">The motions of divine pro|vidence are &s;o dark, &s;o deep, &s;o changea|ble, that the wi&s;e&s;t and no|ble&s;t &s;oules cannot tell what conclu|&s;ions to make.</NOTE> to oppo&s;e; <HI>Jonah</HI> he flies to <HI>Tan|&s;hi&s;h,</HI> then ca&s;t into the Sea, then &s;aved by a miracle: Then the Marriners, as is very probable, who ca&s;t <HI>Jonah</HI> into the Sea, declared to the <HI>Ninivites</HI> what had hapned; therefore he mu&s;t be a man &s;ent of God, and that his threat|nings mu&s;t be beleeved, and hearkned to, and therefore they mu&s;t repent, and humble them&s;elves, that the wrath threatned might not be executed, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that all the &s;trange, dark, deep, and changeable providences that Believers
<PB N="216" REF="119"> meet with, &s;hall further them in their way to heaven, in their journey to hap|pine&s;&s;e; divine wi&s;dome and love will &s;o order all things here below, that they &s;hall work for the reall, internall, and eternall good of them that love him. All the rugged providences that <HI>David</HI> met with, did contribute to the<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Oro&s;ius</HI> &s;peak|ing of <HI>Valenti|nian,</HI> &s;aith, he that for Chri&s;ts name &s;ake had lo&s;t a Tribune &s;hip, within a while after &s;ucceed|ed his per&s;e|cutor in the Empire.</NOTE> bringing of him to the Throne; and all the rugged promi&s;es that <HI>Daniel,</HI> and the three children met with, did con|tribute to their great advancement; So all the rugged providences that Belie|vers meet with, they &s;hall all contri|bute to the lifting up of their &s;oules, above all things below God. As the waters lifted up <HI>Noah's</HI> Ark nearer Hea|ven: and as all the &s;tones that were a|bout <HI>Stevens</HI> eares, did but knock him the clo&s;er to Chri&s;t, the corner-&s;tone, &s;o all the &s;trange rugged providences that we meet with, they &s;hall rai&s;e us nearer Heaven, and knock us neerer to Chri&s;t, that precious corner-&s;tone, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="217" REF="119">
<HEAD>The fourth <HI>Device</HI> that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Device.</NOTE> hath to keep the &s;oule in a &s;ad, doubting, &amp; que|&s;tioning conditi|on, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY &s;ugge&s;ting to them, that their graces are not true, but counter|feit; &s;aith Satan, all is not gold that gli&s;ters, all is not grace that you count grace, that you call grace; that which<NOTE PLACE="marg">Yet it mu&s;t be granted, that many a fair flower may grow out of a &s;tinking root, and ma|ny &s;weet di&s;|po&s;itions, and fair actions may be where there is onely the corrupt root of na|ture.</NOTE> you call faith is but a fancy, and that which you call zeal, is but unnaturall heat and pa&s;&s;ion; and that light you have, 'tis but common, 'tis &s;hort to what many have attained to, that are now in hell, &amp;c. Satan doth not la|bour more mightily to per&s;wade hypo|crites that their graces are true, when they are counterfeit, then he doth to per&s;wade precious &s;ouls that their gra|ces are counterfeit, when indeed they are true, and &s;uch as will abide the touch-&s;tone of Chri&s;t, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="218" REF="120">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this de|vice of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that grace is taken two wayes.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t, 'tis taken for the gracious good will and favour of God, whereby he is plea&s;ed of his owne free love, to accept of &s;ome in Chri&s;t for his owne. This &s;ome call the fir&s;t grace, becau&s;e 'tis the fountaine of all other graces, and the Spring from whence they flow; and it's therefore called grace, becau&s;e it makes a man gracious with God, but this is only in God.</P>
<P>Secondly, grace is taken for the gifts of grace, and they are of two &s;orts, common, or &s;pecial.</P>
<P>Some are common to Beleevers, and hypocrites, as a gift of knowledge, a gift of prayer, &amp;c.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal. 5. 22, 23.</NOTE></P>
<P>Some are &s;pecial graces, and they are proper, and peculiar to the Saints, as faith, humility, meekne&s;&s;e, love, pati|ence, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, wi&s;ely to con&s;ider the
<PB N="219" REF="120"> differences betwixt renuing grace, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">God brings not a paire of &s;cales to weigh our graces, but a touch-&s;tone to try our graces. Purity, preci|ou&s;ne&s;s, &amp; ho|lines is &s;tampt upon all &s;a|ving graces. <HI>Acts 15. 9. 2 Pet. 1. 1. Iude 20.</HI></NOTE> re&s;training grace; betwixt &s;anctifyng grace, and temporary grace, and this I &s;hall &s;hew you in the&s;e following par|ticulars</P>
<P N="1">1. True grace makes all glorious within and without. <HI>The Kings daugh|ter is all glorious within, her raiment is of wrought gold.</HI> True grace makes the un|dera&s;tanding glorious, the will glori|ous, the affections glorious, it ca&s;ts a generall glory upon all the noble parts of the &s;oule; <HI>The Kings daughter is all glorious within:</HI> And as it makes the in&s;ide glorious, &s;o it makes the out-&s;ide glorious; <HI>Her cloathing is of wrought gold;</HI> it makes men looke gloriou&s;ly, and &s;peak gloriou&s;ly, and walke, and act gloriou&s;ly: &s;o that vaine &s;ouls &s;hall be<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Acts 4. ver&s;.</HI> 8. to <HI>ver&s;. 15.</HI></NOTE> forced to &s;ay, that the&s;e are they that have &s;een Je&s;us; as grace is a fire to burn up, and con&s;ume the dro&s;&s;e, and filth of the &s;oule, &s;o it is an ornament to<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2 Cor.</HI> 5. 17. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, a new creation, new <HI>Adam,</HI> new Cove|nant, new Pa|radi&s;e, new Creation, new Lord, new Law, new hearts, &amp; new natures go to|gether&punc;</NOTE> beautifie and adorn the &s;oule. True grace makes all new, the in&s;ide new, and the out-&s;ide new; <HI>If any man be in Chri&s;t he is a new creature;</HI> but tempora+ry grace doth not this. True grace changes the very nature of a man, mo|rall vertue doth only re&s;train, or chain up the outward man; it doth not change the whole man; a Lion in a
<PB N="220" REF="121"> grate is a Lion &s;till, he is re&s;trained, but not changed; for he retains his Li|on-like nature &s;till: &s;o temporary gra|ces re&s;traine many men from this and that wickedne&s;s, but it doth not change and turn their hearts from wickedne&s;&s;e; but now true grace, that turnes a Lion into a Lamb, as you may &s;ee in <HI>Paul,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 9.</NOTE> and a notorious &s;trumpet, into a ble&s;&s;ed and glorious Penitent, as you may &s;ee in <HI>Mary Magdalen, &amp;c.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 7.</NOTE></P>
<P N="2">2. The objects of true grace are &s;u|pernaturall; true grace is conver&s;ant about the choi&s;e&s;t, and the highe&s;t ob|jects,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2 Cor. 4. 18. chap. 11. Hebr. 15. Prov.</HI> 14. A Saint hath his feet where other mens heads are. <HI>Matth. 6.</HI></NOTE> about the mo&s;t &s;oul-enobling, and &s;oul-greatning objects, as God, Chri&s;t, precious promi&s;es, that are more worth then a world; and a Kingdome that &s;hakes not, a Crown of glory that wi|thers not, and Heavenly trea&s;ures that ru&s;t not. The objects of temporary grace are low, and poor, and alwayes within the compa&s;&s;e of rea&s;ons reach.</P>
<P N="3">3. True grace inables a Chri&s;tian (when he is him&s;elfe) to do &s;pirituall actions with reall plea&s;ure and delight. To &s;ouls truly gracious, <HI>Chri&s;ts yoke is</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 11. 30. 1 John 5. 3. Rom. 7. 22.</NOTE> <HI>ea&s;ie, and his burden is light, his comman|dements are not grievous, but joyous; I de|light in the law of God after the inward man,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Paul;</HI> the ble&s;&s;ed man is de|&s;cribed by this, <HI>that he delights in the law</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 1. 2.</NOTE>
<PB N="221" REF="121"> <HI>of the Lord; 'Tis joy to the ju&s;t to doe judg|ment,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 21. 15.</NOTE> &s;aith <HI>Solomon;</HI> To a gracious &s;oul <HI>all the wayes of the Lord are plea&s;antne&s;&s;e, and his paths are peace.</HI> But to &s;ouls that have but temporary grace, but morall vertues, religious &s;ervices, are a toile, not a plea&s;ure; a burden, and not a de|light: <HI>Wherefore have we fa&s;ted &s;ay they,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 58. 3.</NOTE> <HI>and thou &s;ee&s;t not? wherefore have wee affli|cted</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mal. 3. 14.</NOTE> <HI>our &s;oules, and thou take&s;t no knowledg, &amp;c. Yee have &s;aid</HI> (&s;ay tho&s;e in <HI>Mala|chi) it is vaine to &s;erve God, and what profit is it that wee have kept his Ordinan|ces, and that we have walked mournfully be|fore the Lord of Ho&s;ts? When will the new Moone be gone</HI> (&s;ay tho&s;e in <HI>Amos) that</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 8. 5.</NOTE> <HI>we may &s;ell corne? and the Sabbath, that we may &s;et forth wheat, making the Epha &s;mall, and the &s;hekell great, and fal&s;ifying the balances by deceit.</HI></P>
<P>Fourthly, True grace makes a man mo&s;t carefull, and mo&s;t fearfull of his owne heart; it makes him mo&s;t &s;tudious about his owne heart, in|forming that, examining that, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span">. 51. 10. P&s;al. 119. 36. 80. P&s;al. 139. 23. P&s;al. 86. 11. Matth. 23.</NOTE> watching over that; but tempora|ry grace, morall vertues, make men more mindfull, and carefull of others to in&s;truct them, and coun&s;ell them, and &s;tir up them, and watch over them, &amp;c. which doth with open mouth de|mon&s;trate, that their graces are not &s;a|ving,
<PB N="222" REF="122"> and peculiar to Saints; but that they are temporary, and no more then what <HI>Judus, Demas,</HI> and the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> had, &amp;c.</P>
<P N="5">5. Grace will work a mans heart to love, and cleave to the &s;tricte&s;t, and h<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|lie&s;t wayes and things of God, for their purity and &s;anctity, in the face of all dangers and hard&s;hips; <HI>Thy word is very</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 119. 140.</NOTE> <HI>pure, therefore thy &s;ervant loveth it;</HI> o|thers love it, and like it, and follow it, for the credit, the honour, the advan|tage that they get by it; but I love it for the &s;pirituall beauty and purity of it. So the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t, All this is come upon us,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 44. 17, 18, 19. Grace is a pa|noply again&s;t all troubles, &amp; a paradi&s;e of all plea&s;ures.</NOTE> <HI>yet have we not forgotten thee, neither have we dealt fal&s;ly in thy Covenant. Our heart is not turned backe, neither have our &s;teps declined from thy way. Though thou ha&s;t &s;ore broken us in the place of Dragons, and covered us with the &s;hadowes of death.</HI> But temporary grace that will not beare up the &s;oule again&s;t all oppo&s;itions and di&s;couragements in the wayes of God, as is cleare by their apo&s;tacie in that &s;ixt<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 13. 20, 21.</NOTE> of <HI>John,</HI> and by the &s;tony grounds fall|ing away, &amp;c.</P>
<P N="6">6. True grace will inable a man to &s;tep over the worlds Crown, to take up Chri&s;ts Cro&s;&s;e, to preferre the cro&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t above the glory and bravery of this world. It inabled <HI>Abraham,</HI> and
<PB N="223" REF="122"> <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and <HI>Daniel,</HI> with tho&s;e other<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 11.</NOTE> Worthies in the 11. of the <HI>Hebrews</HI> to do &s;o.</P>
<P><HI>Godfrey</HI> of <HI>Bullen,</HI> fir&s;t King of <HI>Jeru&s;a|lem,</HI> refu&s;ed to be crowned with a Crown of Gold, &s;aying, that it became<NOTE PLACE="marg">Few are of <HI>Hieroms</HI> mind, that had ra|ther have St. <HI>Pauls</HI> coate with his hea|venly graces, then the pur|ple of Kings with their Kingdoms. 2 <HI>Tim. 4. 10. Mat.</HI> 19. 20, 21, 22. The King of <HI>Navarr</HI> told <HI>Beza,</HI> that in the cau&s;e of Religion hee would launch no further in|to the Sea, then he might be &s;ure to re|turn &s;afe to the Haven.</NOTE> not a Chri&s;tian to weare a Crowne of Gold, where Chri&s;t had wore a Crown of thornes; oh! but temporary grace cannot work the &s;oul, to prefer Chri&s;ts cro&s;&s;e above the worlds Crowne; but when the&s;e two meet, a temporary Chri&s;tian &s;teps over Chri&s;ts cro&s;&s;e, to take up, and keep up the worlds crown. <HI>Demas hath for &s;aken us to embrace this pre|&s;ent world.</HI> So the young man in the Go&s;pel had many good things in him, he bid fair for Heaven, and came neer to Heaven; but when Chri&s;t &s;et his Cro&s;&s;e before him, he &s;teps over that to enjoy the worlds Crown. When Chri&s;t bid him <HI>goe, and &s;ell all that he had and give to the poor, &amp;c. He went away &s;orrowfull, for he had great po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ions.</HI> If Heaven be to be had upon no other terms, Chri&s;t may keep his Heaven to him&s;elfe, hee'l have none, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Then in the &s;eventh place, con&s;ider this, that &s;anctifying grace, renewing grace puts the &s;oule upon &s;pirituall du|ties, from &s;pirituall and intrin&s;ical mo|tives, as from the &s;en&s;e of divine love,
<PB N="224" REF="123"> that doth con&s;train the &s;oul to wait on<NOTE PLACE="marg">As what I have, if offe|red to thee, plea&s;eth not thee, oh Lord without my &s;elfe, &s;o the good things we have from thee, though they may re|fre&s;h us, yet they &s;atisfie us not without thy &s;elf. <HI>Ber.</HI> It is an excel|lent &s;peech of <HI>Bernard (bonus es domine, ani|mae quaerenti; quid invenien|ti?</HI>) Good art thou oh Lord to the &s;oule that &s;eeks thee, what art thou then to the &s;oul that finds thee.</NOTE> God, and to act for God, and the &s;en&s;e of the excellency and &s;weetne&s;s of com|munion with God, and the choi&s;e and precious di&s;coveries that the &s;oule hath formerly had of the beauty and glory of God, whil&s;t it hath been in the &s;ervice of God. The good looks, the good words, the ble&s;&s;ed love-letters, the glorious ki&s;&s;es, and the &s;weet embraces that gracious &s;oules have had from Chri&s;t in his &s;ervice, do provoke and move them to waite upon him in holy duties; ah but re&s;training grace, tempo|rall grace that puts men upon religious duties, only from externall motives, as the eare of the creature, the eye of the creature, the rewards of the creature, &amp; the keeping up of a name among&s;t the creatures, and a thou&s;and &s;uch like con|&s;iderations, as you may &s;ee in <HI>Saul, Je|hu, Judas, Demas,</HI> and the <HI>Scribes</HI> and <HI>Phari&s;ees,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The Abbot in <HI>Melancton</HI> lived &s;trictly, and walked demurely, and look'd hum|bly, &s;o long as hee was but a Monke; but when by his &s;eeming extraordinary &s;anctity, he got to be Abbot, hee grew intollerable proud and in&s;olent; and being asked the rea&s;on of it, confe&s;&s;ed, that his former lowly look was, but to &s;ee, if he could find the keyes of the Ab|bie.
<PB N="225" REF="123"> Such poore, low, vaine motives work temporary &s;oules to all the &s;er|vice they do perform, &amp;c.</P>
<P N="8">8. Saving grace, renewing grace wil cau&s;e a man to follow the Lord fully in the de&s;ertion of all <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">in, and in the ob&s;er|vation of all Gods precepts. <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> and<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Numb.</HI> 14. 2. <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> hath fulfilled after me; a metaphor ta|ken from a &s;hip under &s;aile, that is &s;trongly carri|ed with the wind, as fear|ing neither rocks, nor &s;ands. <HI>Luke 1. 5, 6. Rev. 14. 4. Mat. 23. 23.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Caleb</HI> followed the Lord fully; <HI>Zachari|as</HI> and <HI>Elizabeth</HI> were righteous before God, and walking in all the comman|dements and ordinances of the Lord blamele&s;&s;e. The Saints in the <HI>Revelation</HI> are de&s;cribed by this, that <HI>they follow the Lamb where&s;oever he goes;</HI> but re&s;training grace, temporary grace cannot enable a man to follow the Lord fully; all that temporary grace can enable a man to do, is to follow the Lord partially, un|evenly, and haltingly, as you may &s;ee in <HI>Jehu, Herod, Iudas,</HI> and the <HI>Scribes</HI> and <HI>Phari&s;ees,</HI> who paid tithe of Mint, and Ani&s;e, and Cumming, but omittted the weighty matters of the Law, Judge|ment, Mercy, and faith, &amp;c.</P>
<P>True grace works the heart to the<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 104. 128. I had rather goe to hell pure from &s;in, then to Hea|ven polluted with that filth, &s;aith <HI>An&s;elm.</HI></NOTE> hatred of all &s;in, and to the love of all truth; it works a man to the hatred of tho&s;e &s;ins, that for his blood he cannot conquer, and to loath tho&s;e &s;ins, that he would give all the world to over|come: So that a &s;oule truly gracious can &s;ay, though there be no one &s;inne
<PB N="226" REF="124"> mortified, and &s;ubdued in mee, as it &s;hould, and as I would, yet every &s;inne is hated, and loathed by me. So a &s;oule truly gracious can &s;ay, though I doe not obey any one command as I &s;hould, and as I would, yet every word is &s;weet, every command of God is precious; dearly prize, and greatly love tho&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Da quod jubes &amp; jube qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">d vis,</HI> give what thou com|mande&s;t, and command what thou wil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. <HI>P&s;al. 119. 119. 127. 167. ver&s;es.</HI></NOTE> commands that I cannot obey, though there be many commands that I cannot in a &s;trict &s;en&s;e fulfill, yet there is no command I would not fulfill, that I do not exceedingly love. <HI>I love thy com|mandements above gold, above fine gold. My &s;oule hath kept thy te&s;timonies, and I love them exceedingly.</HI></P>
<P N="9">9. True grace leads the &s;oule to re&s;t in Chri&s;t, as in his (<HI>&s;ummum bonum</HI>) chiefe&s;t good; it works the &s;oul to cen|ter in Chri&s;t, as in his highe&s;t and ulti|mate end; <HI>Whether &s;hould we goe, thou ha&s;t</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> 6. 68. Cant. 5. 10. Cant.</HI> 3. 4. Grace is that &s;tar that leads to Chri&s;t, 'tis that cloud &amp; pillar<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> of fire that leads the &s;oule to that heavenly <HI>Ca|naan,</HI> where Chri&s;t &s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">s chiefe.</NOTE> <HI>the worlds of eternall life. My beloved is white and ruddy, the chiefe&s;t of ten thou&s;and. I found him whom my &s;oule loved, I held him and would not let him goe.</HI></P>
<P>That wi&s;dome a Beleever hath from Chri&s;t, it leads him to center in the wi&s;|dome of Chri&s;t; and that love the &s;oule hath from Chri&s;t, it leads the &s;oule to center in the love of Chri&s;t; and that Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e the &s;oule hath from Chri&s;t, it leads the &s;oule to re&s;t, and
<PB N="227" REF="124"> center in the Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e of Chri&s;t;<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 1. 30. Phil. 3. 9.</NOTE> True grace is a beame of Chri&s;t, and where it is, it will naturally lead the &s;oul to re&s;t in Chri&s;t: The &s;treame doth not more naturally lead to the foun|tain, nor the effect to the cau&s;e, then true grace leads the &s;oule to Chri&s;t. But re&s;training grace, temporary grace works the &s;oule to center, and re&s;t in things below Chri&s;t; Sometimes it works the &s;oule to center in the pray|&s;es of the creature, &s;ometimes to re&s;t in<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 6. 1, 2. Zach. 7. 5, 6.</NOTE> the rewards of the creature; <HI>verily they have their reward</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t, and &s;o in a hundred other things, &amp;c.</P>
<P N="10">10. True grace will inable a &s;oule to &s;it down &s;atisfied, and contented with the naked enjoyments of Chri&s;t. The<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Cui cum pau|pertate bene convenit, pauper non e&s;t,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Seneca.</HI> A contented man cannot be a poor man.</NOTE> enjoyment of Chri&s;t without honour will &s;atisfie the &s;oule; the enjoyment of Chri&s;t without riches, the enjoy|ments of Chri&s;t without plea&s;ures, and without the &s;miles of creatures, will content and &s;atisfie the &s;oule. 'Tis e|nough, <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> is alive. So &s;aith a graci|ous &s;oule, though honour is not, and riches are not, and health is not, and<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Charles</HI> the great his <HI>Mot|to</HI> was, <HI>Chri&s;tus regnat, vincit, triumphat.</HI> And &s;o 'tis the Saints.</NOTE> friends are not, &amp;c. It is enough that Chri&s;t is, that he reigns, conquers, and triumphs; Chri&s;t is the pot of <HI>Mannah,</HI> the cruice of oyle, a bottomle&s;&s;e ocean of all comfort, content, and &s;atisfacti|on;
<PB N="228" REF="125"> hee that hath him wants nothing; he that wants him enjoys nothing, ha|ving nothing (&s;aith <HI>Paul) and yet po&s;|&s;e&s;&s;ing</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2 Cor.</HI> 6. 10. Saint <HI>Au&s;tine</HI> upon <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 12. brings in God rebuking a di&s;contented Chri&s;tian thus; what is thy faith? have I promi|&s;ed thee the&s;e things? what, wert thou made a Chri|&s;tian that thou &s;hould&s;t flouri&s;h here in this world?</NOTE> <HI>all things.</HI> Oh! but a man that hath but temporary grace, that hath but re&s;training grace, cannot &s;it downe &s;a|tisfied and contented under the wan<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> of outward comforts; Chri&s;t is good with honours, &s;aith &s;uch a &s;oule; and Chri&s;t is good with riches, and Chri&s;t is good with plea&s;ures, and he is good with &s;uch and &s;uch outward contents. I mu&s;t have Chri&s;t, and the world, or el&s;e with the young man in the Go&s;pel (in &s;oight of my &s;oule) I &s;hall for&s;ake Chri&s;t to follow the world. Ah! how many &s;hi|ning Profe&s;&s;ors be there in the world, that cannot &s;it down &s;atisfied, and con|tented under the want of this, or that outward comfort and content, but are like Bedlams, fretting and vexing, ra|ging, and madding, as if there were no God, no Heaven, no Hell, nor no Chri&s;t to make up all &s;uch outward wants to &s;oules. I but a &s;oule truly gracious can<NOTE PLACE="marg">Content is the deputy of outward feli|city, &amp; &s;up|plies the place where its ab&s;ent. As the Jews throw the book of <HI>He&s;ter</HI> to the ground before they read it, be|cau&s;e the name of God is not in it, as the <HI>Rabbins</HI> have ob&s;er|ved: So do Saints in &s;ome &s;en&s;e, tho&s;e mercies wherein they do not read Chri&s;ts name, &amp; &s;ee Chri&s;ts heart. <HI>Luther</HI> &s;aid, he had rather be in hell with Chri&s;t, then in heaven without him.</NOTE> &s;ay, In having nothing, I have all things, becau&s;e I have Chri&s;t; having therefore all things in him, I &s;eek no o|ther reward, for hee is the univer&s;all reward; &s;uch a &s;oule can &s;ay, nothing is &s;weet to me without the enjoyment of Chri&s;t in it; honours, nor riches,
<PB N="229" REF="125"> nor the &s;miles of creatures are not &s;weet to me, no further then I &s;ee Chri&s;t, and ta&s;t Chri&s;t in them; the confluence of all outward good cannot make a Hea|ven of glory in my &s;oule, if Chri&s;t who is the top of my glory be ab&s;ent. As <HI>Ab|&s;olom</HI> &s;aid, <HI>What is all this to mee, &s;o long as I cannot &s;ee the Kings face?</HI> &s;o &s;aith the &s;oule, what do you tell me of this, and that outward comfort, when I cannot &s;ee his face whom my &s;oul loves? why, my honour is not my Chri&s;t, nor riches is not Chri&s;t, nor the favour of the creature is not Chri&s;t; let me have him, and let the men of this world take the world &amp; divide it among&s;t them&s;elves, I prize my Chri&s;t above all; I would in|joy my Chri&s;t before all other things in the world; his pre&s;ence will make up the ab&s;ence of all other comforts, and his ab&s;ence will darken, and embitter all my comforts; &s;o that my comforts will neither ta&s;te like comforts, nor look like comforts, nor warm like comforts, &amp;c. when hee that &s;hould<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lam. 1. 16.</NOTE> comfort my &s;oule &s;tands a far off, &amp;c. Chri&s;t is all, and in all to &s;oules truly gracious; we have all things in Chri&s;t, and Chri&s;t is all things to a Chri&s;tian;<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Colo&s;&s;.</HI> 3. 11. None but Chri&s;t, none but Chri&s;t, &s;aid <HI>Lambers,</HI> li&s;ting up his hands, and his &s;ingers ends flaming.</NOTE> if we be &s;ick, he is a Phy&s;ician; if wee thir&s;t, he is a fountaine; if our &s;innes trouble us, he is righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e; if wee
<PB N="230" REF="126"> &s;tand in need of help, he is mighty to &s;ave; if we feare death, he is life; if we be in darkne&s;&s;e, he is light; if we be weake, he is &s;trength; if we be in po|verty, he is plenty; if we de&s;ire Hea|ven, he is the way. The &s;oule cannot &s;ay, this I would have, and that I would have; but &s;aith Chri&s;t, 'tis in me, 'tis in me, eminently, perfectly, eternally.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>The fifth Device that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Device.</NOTE> hath to keepe &s;oules in a &s;ad, doubting, and que&s;tioning con|dition, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY &s;ugge&s;ting to them, that that con|dict<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Iohn</HI> 8. 44. The Devill is a lyar, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">he Father of it. The De|vils brea&s;ts &s;aith <HI>Luther,</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">re very fruit|full with lies.</NOTE> that is in them, is not a con|flict that is onely in Saints; but &s;uch a conflict that is to be found in hypo|crites, and prophane &s;oules; when the truth is, there is as much difference be|twixt the conflict that is in them, and that which is in wicked men, as there is betwixt light and darkne&s;&s;e, betwixt Heaven and H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ll. And the truth of this I &s;hall evidence to you in the follow|ing particulars.</P>
<P N="1">1. The whole frame of a B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">leevers
<PB N="231" REF="126"> &s;oul is again&s;t &s;in; under&s;tanding, will, and affections, all the powers and facul|ties<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Twas a good prayer of him that &s;aid (<HI>Do|mine libera me a malo homine meip&s;o.</HI>) Lord deliver mee from an ill man my &s;elfe. <HI>Au&s;tine</HI> com|plains, that men doe not tame the bea&s;ts in their own bo&s;omes. <HI>Rom. 2. 21, 22, 23.</HI></NOTE> of the &s;oule are in armes again&s;t &s;in. A covetous man may condemne cove|tou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and yet the frame and bent of his heart may be to it; a proud per&s;on may condemn pride, and yet the frame of his &s;pirit may be to it; &amp; the drunk|ard may condemne drunkenne&s;&s;e, and yet the frame of his &s;pirit may be to it; a man may condemn &s;tealing and lying, and yet the frame of his heart may be to it. <HI>Thou that preache&s;t a man &s;hould not &s;teale, do&s;t thou &s;teale? Thou that &s;aye&s;t a man &s;hould not commit Adultery, do&s;t thou commit Adultery? Thou that ab<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">orre&s;t idols, do&s;t thou commit &s;acriledg? Thou that make&s;t thy boa&s;t of the Law, through breaking the law, di&s;honoure&s;t thou God?</HI> But a Saints will is again&s;t it. <HI>The evill that I would not doe, I doe;</HI> and his affections are a|gain&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 7. 19. 17.</NOTE> it, <HI>what I hate, I doe.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. A Saint conflicts again&s;t &s;in univer|&s;ally,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 119. 104. I hate every fal&s;e way, <HI>Sa|nethi</HI> from <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> which &s;igni|fies to hate with a deadly+ly and irre|conciliable hatred.</NOTE> the lea&s;t as well as the greate&s;t, the mo&s;t profitable, and the mo&s;t plea&s;ing &s;in, as well as again&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ho&s;e that are le&s;&s;e plea&s;ing and profitable; he will com|bate with all, though he cannot con|quer one as he &s;hould, and as he would; he knowes that all &s;in &s;trikes at Gods holine&s;s, as well as his own happine&s;s; at Gods glory, as well as at his &s;oules comfort and peace.</P>
<PB N="232" REF="127">
<P>He knows that all &s;inne is hatefull to God, and that all &s;inns are Traytors to the Crown and dignity of the Lord Je|&s;us. He looks upon one &s;in, and &s;ees<NOTE PLACE="marg">He knows that all the parts of the old man hath, and doth play the part of a treacherous friend, and a friendly tray|tor; therefore his heart &s;trikes at all. The greater the combat is, the greater &s;hall be the following rewards, &s;aith <HI>Tertullian.</HI></NOTE> that that threw down <HI>Noah,</HI> the mo&s;t righteous man in the world; and hee looks upon another &s;inne, and &s;ees that that ca&s;t down <HI>Abraham,</HI> the greate&s;t be|leever in the world; and he looks upon another &s;inne, and &s;ees that that threw down <HI>David,</HI> the be&s;t King in the world; and he looks upon another &s;in, and &s;ees that that ca&s;t down <HI>Paul,</HI> the greate&s;t Apo&s;tle in the world. He &s;ees that one &s;inne threw down <HI>Samp&s;on,</HI> the &s;trong|e&s;t man in the world; another ca&s;t down <HI>Solomon,</HI> the wi&s;e&s;t man in the world; and another <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> the meek|e&s;t man in the world; and another &s;inn ca&s;t downe <HI>Job,</HI> the patiente&s;t man in the world, and this rai&s;es a holy in|dignation in his &s;oule again&s;t all: &s;o that nothing can &s;atisfie, and content<NOTE PLACE="marg">True hatred is <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> again&s;t the whole kind. <HI>Plutarch</HI> re|ports of one who would not be re&s;ol|ved of his doubts, be|cau&s;e he would not loo&s;e the plea&s;ure in &s;eeking for re&s;olution. So wicked men will not be rid of &s;ome &s;ins, becau&s;e they would not loo&s;e the &s;eeming plea|&s;ure of &s;inn|ing.</NOTE> his &s;oule, but a de&s;truction of all tho&s;e lu&s;ts and vermine, that vex and rack his righteous heart; it will not &s;atisfie a gracious &s;oul to &s;ee Ju&s;tice done upon one &s;in, but he cries out for Ju&s;tice up|on all; he would not have &s;ome cruci|fied, and others &s;pared, but cries out, Lord, crucifie them all, crucifie them all. Oh! but now the conflict that is
<PB N="233" REF="127"> in wicked men is partiall; they frown upon one fin, and &s;mile upon another; they &s;trike at &s;ome &s;ins, but &s;troake o|thers; they thru&s;t &s;ome out of doors, but keep others clo&s;e in their bo&s;omes, as you may &s;ee in <HI>Iehu, Herod, Iudas, Simon Magus,</HI> and <HI>Demas.</HI> Wicked men &s;trike at gto&s;&s;e &s;ins, &s;uch as are not on|ly again&s;t the law of God, but again&s;t the Laws of nature and Nations; but make nothing of le&s;&s;e &s;innes, as vaine thoughts, idle words, &s;infull motions,<NOTE PLACE="marg">John 3. 20.</NOTE> petty oathes, &amp;c. They fight again&s;t tho&s;e &s;ins that fight again&s;t their honor, profits, plea&s;ures, &amp;c. but make truce with tho&s;e that are as right hands, and as right eyes to them, &amp;c.</P>
<P N="3">3. The conflict that is in a Saint a|gain&s;t &s;in, is maintained by &s;pirituall Arguments, by arguments drawn from<NOTE PLACE="marg">Though to be kept from &s;in brings com|fort to us, yet for us to op|po&s;e &s;in from &s;pirituall, and heavenly ar|guments, and God to par|don &s;in, that brings mo&s;t glory to God. 2. <HI>Cor. 12. 7, 8, 9.</HI></NOTE> the love of God, the honour of God, the &s;weetne&s;s of communion with God, and from the &s;pirituall and heavenly ble&s;&s;ings, and priviledges that are con|ferred upon them by God, and from Arguments drawn from the blood of Chri&s;t, the glory of Chri&s;t, the eye of Chri&s;t, the ki&s;&s;es of Chri&s;t, and the in|terce&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t: And from Argu|ments drawn from the earne&s;t of the Spirit, the &s;eale of the Spirit, the wit|ne&s;&s;e of the Spirit, the comforts of the
<PB N="234" REF="128"> Spirit. Oh! but the conflict that is in wicked men, is from low, earnall, and legall Arguments drawn from the eye, eare, or hand of the creature, or drawn from &s;hame, hell, cur&s;es of the Law, &amp;c</P>
<P N="4">4. The conflict that is in Saints is a<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Twas an ex|cellent &s;aying of <HI>Eu&s;ebius E|me&s;enus;</HI> Our fathers over|come the tor|ments of the flames, let us overcome the fiery darts of vices. Con&s;ider that the plea&s;ure and &s;weetne&s;s that follows victory over &s;in, is a thou|&s;and times be|yond that &s;ee|ming &s;weet|ne&s;&s;e that is in &s;inne.</NOTE> con&s;tant conflict; though &s;in and grace were not born in the heart of a St. to|gether, and though they &s;hall not die together, yet whil&s;t a Beeleever lives they mu&s;t conflict together; <HI>Paul</HI> had been about fourteen years converted, when he cryed out, <HI>I have a law in my members rebelling again&s;t the law of my minde, and leading mee captive to the law of &s;inne.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Pietro Candiano,</HI> one of the Dukes of <HI>Venice,</HI> died fighting again&s;t the <HI>Naura|tines,</HI> with the weapons in his hands: &s;o a Saint lives fighting, and dies fighting, he &s;tands fighting, and falls fighting, with his &s;pirituall weapons in his hands. But the conflict that is in wick|ed men is incon&s;tant; now they fal out with &s;in, and anon they fall in with &s;in; now 'tis bitter, anon 'tis &s;weet; now the &s;inner turns from his &s;in, and anon he turns to the wallowing in &s;in, as the &s;wine doth to the wallowing in the mire; one hour you &s;hall have him<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Pet. 2. 19, 20.</NOTE> praying again&s;t &s;in, as if he feared it
<PB N="235" REF="128"> more then hell, and the next houre you &s;hall have him pur&s;uing after &s;in, as if there were no God to puni&s;h him, no ju&s;tice to damne him, no hell to tor|ment him.</P>
<P>The conflict that is in the Saints, is <MILESTONE N="5"> in the &s;ame faculties; there is the judge|ment again&s;t the judgement, the minde again&s;t the minde, the will again&s;t the will, the affections again&s;t the affecti|ons;<NOTE PLACE="marg">A Heathen could &s;ay, their &s;oule is in a mutiny; a wicked man is not friends with him&s;elf, he and his con&s;cience are at diffe|rence. <HI>Ari&s;t.</HI></NOTE> that is, the regenerate part a|gain&s;t the unregenerate part, in all the parts of the &s;oule; but now in wicked men, the conflict is not in the &s;ame fa|culties, but between the con&s;cience and the will; the will of a &s;inner is bent &s;trongly to &s;uch and &s;uch &s;ins; but con|&s;cience puts in, and tels the &s;inner God hath made me his Deputy, he hath gi|ven me a power to hang and draw, to examine, &s;courge, judge, and condemn, and if thou doe&s;t &s;uch and &s;uch wicked|ne&s;&s;e, I &s;hall be thy Jay<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">or, and thy tor|mentor; I doe not beare the rod, nor the &s;word in vaine, &s;aith Con&s;cience; if thou &s;inne&s;t I &s;hall doe my office, and then thy life will be a hell, and this rai|&s;es a tumult in the &s;oule.</P>
<P N="6">6. The conflict that is in the Saints, is a more ble&s;&s;ed &s;ucce&s;&s;efull, and prevail|ing conflict; a Saint by his conflict with &s;in, gaines ground upon his &s;in. <HI>They
<PB N="236" REF="129"> that are Chri&s;ts</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>have</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The&s;e two, Grace and Sin, are like two Buckets at a wel, when one is up, the other is down, they are like the two Law|rels at <HI>Rome,</HI> when one flouri&s;hes, the other withers. The more grace thrives in the &s;oule, the more fin dies in the &s;oule. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 13. From naught they gro<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to be very naught, and from very naught, to be &s;tark naught. <HI>Lactantius</HI> &s;aith of <HI>Luci|an, Nec diis nec hominibus pepercit,</HI> he&s;pa|red neither God nor man. Mortification is a continued act, 'tis a dai|ly dying to &s;in. <HI>I dye daily.</HI> A crucified man will &s;trive and &s;truggle, yet in the eyes of the Law, and in the account of all that &s;ee him, he is dead; 'tis ju&s;t &s;o with &s;in. <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 58. 11. There is no &s;uch plea&s;ure (&s;aith <HI>Cyprian</HI>) as to have o|vercome an offered plea|&s;ure, neither is there any greater con|que&s;t, then that that is gotten over a mans corrup|tions.</NOTE> <HI>crucified the world with the affections, and lu&s;ts.</HI> Chri&s;t puts to his hand, and helps them to lead captivity captive, and to &s;et their feet upon the necks of tho&s;e lu&s;ts that have formerly trampled upon their &s;ouls and their comforts. As the hou&s;e of <HI>Saul</HI> grew weaker and weaker, and the hou&s;e of <HI>David</HI> grew &s;tronger and &s;tronger, &s;o the Lord by the di&s;co|veries of his love, and by the influences of his &s;pirit, he cau&s;es grace, the noble part of a Saint, to grow &s;tronger and &s;tronger, and corruption like the hou&s;e of <HI>Saul,</HI> to grow weaker and weaker. But &s;in in a wicked heart gets ground, and growes &s;tronger and &s;tronger; not|with&s;tanding all his conflicts, his heart is more encouraged, emboldened, and hardened in a way of &s;in, as you may &s;ee in the <HI>I&s;raelites, Pharoah, Jehu,</HI> and <HI>Judas;</HI> who doubtle&s;&s;e found many &s;trange conflicts, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">umults, and mutinies in their &s;ouls, when God &s;pake &s;uch bitter things again&s;t them, and did &s;uch ju&s;tice upon them.</P>
<P>But remember this by way of Cauti|on, though Chri&s;t hath given &s;inne its deaths wound (by his power, &s;pirit, death, and re&s;urrection) yet it will die but a lingring death: As a man that is mortally wounded, dies by little and
<PB N="237" REF="129"> little, &s;o doth &s;in in the heart of a Saint. The death of Chri&s;t on the Cro&s;&s;e was a lingring death, &s;o the death of &s;in in the &s;oule, is a lingering death, now it dies a little, and anon it dies a little, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> as the P&s;almi&s;t &s;peaks, <HI>Slay them not lea&s;t my people forget, &s;catter them by thy power, and bring them downe oh Lord our &s;hield.</HI> He would not have them utterly de&s;troyed, but &s;ome reliques pre&s;erved as a memo|riall: &s;o God dealeth in re&s;pect of &s;in, 'tis wounded and brought downe, but not wholly &s;laine, &s;omething is &s;till left as a monument of the Divine grace, and to keep us humble, wakefull, and watch|full, and that our armour may be &s;till kept on, and our weapons alwayes in our hands. The be&s;t mens &s;oules in this life hangs between the fle&s;h and the &s;pi|rit, as it were like <HI>Mahomets</HI> Tomb at <HI>Aleppo,</HI> between two load-&s;tones; like <HI>Era&s;mus,</HI> as the Papi&s;ts paint him, be|twixt<NOTE PLACE="marg">The <HI>Romanes</HI> lo&s;t many a battel, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nd yet in the i&s;&s;ue were Conque|rors in all their wars; 'tis ju&s;t &s;o with the Saints.</NOTE> Heaven and Hell; like the Tribe of <HI>Mana&s;&s;eh,</HI> halfe on this &s;ide <HI>Jordan,</HI> in the Land of the <HI>Amorites,</HI> and halfe on that &s;ide in the Holy Land; yet in the i&s;&s;ue they &s;hall overcome the fle&s;h, and trample upon the necks of their &s;piri|tuall enemies.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="238" REF="130">
<HEAD>The Sixth Device that Satan hath to keep a poor &s;oule in a &s;ad, doubting, and que&s;tioning condition, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY &s;ugge&s;ting to the &s;oule, that &s;ure|ly<NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Device.</NOTE> his e&s;tate is not good, becau&s;e he cannot joy and rejoyce in Chri&s;t, as once he could, becau&s;e he hath lo&s;t that com|fort and joy that once was in his &s;pirit. Saith Satan, thou knowe&s;t the time was, when thy heart was much carried out to joying and rejoycing in Chri&s;t; thou doe&s;t not forget the time when thy heart u&s;ed to be full of joy and comfort; but now, how art thou fallen in thy joyes and comforts? Therefore thy e&s;tate is not good, thou doe&s;t but deceive thy &s;elfe, to think that ever it was good, for &s;urely if it had, thy joy and comfort would have continued. And hereupon the &s;oule is apt to take part with Satan, and &s;ay, 'tis even &s;o, I &s;ee all is naught, and I have but deceived my owne &s;oule, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="239" REF="130">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is to con&s;ider, that the lo&s;&s;e of comfort is a &s;eparable adjunct from grace; the &s;oul may be f<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ll of ho|ly affections, when 'tis empty of Divine con&s;olations. There may be, and of|ten<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;. 63. 1, 2, 8. I&s;a. 50. 10. 7. Mic. 7. 8, 9. P&s;al. 42. 5,</NOTE> is true grace, yea, much grace, where there is not a drop of comfort, nor a dram of joy. Comfort is not of the be|ing, but of the wel-being of a Chri&s;tian. God hath not &s;o linked the&s;e 2 choice lovers together, but that they may be<NOTE PLACE="marg">Spirituall joy is a Sun that is often cloud+ed&punc; though it be as precious a flower as mo&s;t Paradi&s;e affords, ye<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> 'tis &s;ubject to &s;ide and w<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">|ther.</NOTE> put a&s;under. That wi&s;dome that is from above, will never work a man to rea&s;on thus, I have no comfort, therefore I have no grace, I have lo&s;t that joy that once I had, therefore my condition is not good, was never good, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> but 'twill inable a man to rea&s;on thus, tho my comfort is gone, yet the God of my comfort abides; though my joy is lo&s;t, yet the &s;eeds of grace remaine. The be&s;t mens joyes are as gla&s;&s;e, bright and brit|tle, and evermore in danger of break|ing.</P>
<PB N="240" REF="131">
<P>The &s;econd Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that the precious things that thou &s;till injoye&s;t, are far better then the joyes and comforts that thou ha&s;t lo&s;t. Thy uni|on with Chri&s;t, thy communion with Chri&s;t, thy &s;on-&s;hip, thy &s;aint-&s;hip, thy heir-&s;hip, thou &s;till injoye&s;t by Chri&s;t, is far better then the comforts thou ha&s;t lo&s;t by &s;in; what though thy comforts be gone, yet thy union and communion with Chri&s;t remaines, though thy com|forts be gone; yet thou art a Son, tho<NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 31. 18, 19, 20.</NOTE> a comfortle&s;&s;e Son; an heir, though a comfortle&s;&s;e heir; a Saint, though a comfortle&s;&s;e Saint. Though the bag of &s;ilver (thy comforts) be lo&s;t, yet the<NOTE PLACE="marg">When one objected to <HI>Faninus,</HI> his chearfullne&s;&s;e to Chri&s;ts A|gony and &s;ad|ne&s;&s;e, he an|&s;wered, Chri&s;t was &s;ad, that I might bemer|ry, he had my &s;ins, and I have his righ|teou&s;ne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> box of Jewels (thy union with Chri&s;t, thy communion with Chri&s;t, thy Son|&s;hip, thy Saint-&s;hip, thy Heir-&s;hip) w^c^h thou &s;till injoye&s;t, is far better then the bag of &s;ilver thou ha&s;t lo&s;t; yea, the lea&s;t of tho&s;e precious Jewels is more worth, then all the comforts in the world; well, let this be a cordiall to comfort thee, a &s;tar to lead thee, and a &s;taffe to &s;upport thee, that thy box of Jewels are &s;afe, though thy bag of &s;ilver be lo&s;t.</P>
<P>The third Remedie again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is to con&s;ider, that thy condition is no other then what hath
<PB N="241" REF="131"> been the condition of tho&s;e precious<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 51. 12. P&s;al. 30. 6, 7. Job 23. 6 8 9. 30. 31. Lam. 1. 16. Mat. 27. 46.</NOTE> &s;oules who&s;e names were written upon the heart of Chri&s;t, and who are now at re&s;t in the bo&s;ome of Chri&s;t. One day you &s;hall have them prai&s;ing and rejoy|cing, the next day a mourning &amp; weep|ing: one day you &s;hall have them a &s;ing|ing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 42. 5.</NOTE> <HI>The Lord is our portion,</HI> the next day a &s;ighing and expo&s;tulating with them|&s;elves,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Lam. 5. 15.</NOTE> <HI>Why are yee ca&s;t downe oh our &s;ouls? Why is our Harp turned to mourning? And our Organ into the voice of them that weep?</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The fourth Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that the cau&s;es of joy and comfort are not alwayes the &s;ame. Happily thy for|mer joy and comfort did &s;pring from<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;pirit doth not eve|ry day make a fea&s;t in the &s;oul, he doth not make e|very day to be a day of wearing the wedding robes.</NOTE> the witne&s;&s;e of the &s;pirit, he bearing witne&s;&s;e to thy &s;oule that thy nature was changed, thy &s;ins pardoned, thy &s;oule reconciled, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Now the Spirit may upon &s;ome &s;peciall occa&s;ion, bear witne&s;&s;e to the &s;oul, that the heart of God is dearly &s;et upon him, that he loves him with an everla&s;ting love, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and yet the &s;oule may never injoy &s;uch a te&s;timony all the dayes of his life a|gain: Though the &s;pirit be a witne&s;|&s;ing &s;pirit, it's not his office every day to witne&s;&s;e to believers their intere&s;t in God, Chri&s;t, Heaven, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<PB N="242" REF="132">
<P>Or happily thy former joy and com|fort, did &s;pring from the newne&s;&s;e and &s;uddenne&s;&s;e of the change of thy con|dition; for a man in one houre to have<NOTE PLACE="marg">A pardon gi|ven unexpe|ctedly into the hand of a malefactor, when he is on the la&s;t &s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">p of the ladder, ready to be turn'd off, will cau&s;e mu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">h joy &amp; rejoy|cing; the newne&s;&s;e and &s;uddenne&s;&s;e of the change of his condi|tion, will cau&s;e his heart to leap and rejoyce; yet in proces of time much of his joy will <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e aba<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ed, tho his li<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e be as d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to him &s;till, as ever it was.</NOTE> his night turn'd into day, his darkne&s;&s;e turn'd into light, his bitter into &s;weet, Gods frownes into &s;miles, his hatred into love, his hell into a Heaven, mu&s;t greatly joy and comfort him. It cannot but make his heart to leap, and dance in him, who in one houre &s;hall &s;ee Satan accu&s;ing him, his owne heart condem|ning him, the eternall God frowning upon him, the gates of Heaven bar'd a|gain&s;t him, all the creation &s;tanding armed at the lea&s;t beck of God, to exe|cute vengeance on him, and the mouth of the infernall pit open to receive him. Now in this hour, for Chri&s;t to come to the amazed &s;oule, and &s;ay to it, I have trod the Win<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">-pre&s;&s;e of my Fa|thers wrath for thee, I have laid down my life a ran&s;ome for thee, by my blood I have &s;atisfied my Fathers Ju&s;tice, and pacified his anger, and procured his love for thee; by my blood I have purcha|&s;ed the pardon of thy &s;ins, thy freedom from hell, and thy right to Heaven, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Oh! how wonderfully will this cau&s;e the &s;oule to leap for joy?</P>
<P>The fifth Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that God will
<PB N="243" REF="132"> re&s;tore and make up the comforts of his people; though thy candle be put out,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Hud&s;on</HI> the Martyr de&s;er|ted at the &s;take, went from under his chain, and having pray|ed earne&s;tly, was comfort|ed immedi|ately, and &s;uffered vali|antly. So Mr. <HI>Glover,</HI> when he was with|in &s;ight of the &s;take, cry|ed out to his friend, he is come, he is come, mean|ing the com|forter that Chri&s;t pro|mi&s;ed to &s;end.</NOTE> yet God will light it againe, and make it burn more light then ever; though thy &s;un for the pre&s;ent be clouded, yet he that rides upon the clouds, &s;hall &s;cat|ter tho&s;e clouds, and cau&s;e the &s;un to &s;hine, and warm thy heart, as in form<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">r dayes, as the P&s;almi&s;t &s;peakes, <NOTE N="a" PLACE="marg">P&s;. 71. 20, 21.</NOTE> <HI>Thou which ha&s;t &s;hewed me great and &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">re trou|bles, &s;halt quicken me againe, and &s;halt bring me up againe from the depths of the earth. Thou &s;halt increa&s;e my greatne&s;&s;e, and comfort me on every &s;ide.</HI> God takes a|way a little comfort, that he may make room in the &s;oule for a greater degree of comfort. This the Prophet <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> &s;weetly &s;hewes, <NOTE N="b" PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 57. 18.</NOTE> <HI>I have &s;een his wayes, and will heale him, I will lead him al&s;o, and re&s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">re comforts unto him, and to his mourn|ers.</HI> Bear up &s;weetly oh precious &s;oule! thy &s;torme &s;hall end in a calm; and thy dark night in a &s;un-&s;hine day; thy mourning &s;hall be turn'd into rejoyc|ing, and the waters of con&s;olation &s;hall be &s;weeter and higher in thy &s;oule, then<NOTE PLACE="marg">See al&s;o the 126 <HI>P&s;al. 6. v.</HI> and the 42 <HI>P&s;al. 7, 8.</HI></NOTE> ever; the m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">rcy is &s;urely thine, but the time of giving it is the Lords: wait but a lit<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">le, and thou &s;halt find the Lord comforting thee on every &s;ide.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="244" REF="133">
<HEAD>The &s;eventh Device that Sa|tan hath to keep &s;ouls in a doubting and que&s;tio|ning condition, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY &s;ugge&s;ting to the &s;oule his often<NOTE PLACE="marg">7 Device.</NOTE> relap&s;es into the &s;ame &s;in which formerly he hath pur&s;ued with parti|cular sorrow, grief, &s;hame and tears, and prayed, complained, and re&s;olved again&s;t. Saith Satan, thy heart is not right with God, &s;urely thy e&s;tate is not good, thou do&s;t but flatter thy &s;elfe, to think that ever God will eternally owne, and embrace &s;uch a one as thou art, who complaine&s;t again&s;t &s;in, and yet relap&s;e&s;t into the &s;ame &s;in, who with teares and groanes confe&s;&s;e&s;t thy &s;in, and yet ever and anon art fallen into the &s;ame &s;in, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>I confe&s;&s;e this is a very &s;ad condition for a &s;oule, after he hath obtained mer|cy and pity from the Lord, after God hath &s;poken peace and pardon to him, and wip't the tears from his eyes, and &s;et him upon his legs, to returne to fol|ly; ah! how doe relap&s;es lay men o|pen
<PB N="245" REF="133"> to the greate&s;t afflictions, and wor&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">A back&s;lider may &s;ay (<HI>ope|ra &amp; impen&s;a periit</HI>) all my paines and charge is lo&s;t.</NOTE> temptations? How doe they make the wound to bleed afre&s;h? How doe they darken and cloud former a&s;&s;urances and evidence<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> for Heaven? How doe they put a &s;word into the hand of con&s;cience to cut and &s;la&s;h the &s;oule? They rai&s;e &s;uch feares, terrours, horrours, and doubts in the &s;oule, that the &s;oule can|not be &s;o frequent in duty, as formerly, nor &s;o fervent in duty as formerly, nor &s;o confident in duty as formerly, nor &s;o bold, familiar, and delightfull with God in duty as formerly; nor &s;o con|&s;tant in duty as formerly: they give Satan an advantage to triumph over Chri&s;t; they make the work of repent|ance mo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e difficult; they make a mans life a burden, and they render death to be very terrible unto the &s;oule, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="246" REF="134">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that there are many Scriptures that doe clearly evidence a po&s;&s;ibility of the S^t. falling into the &s;ame &s;ins, whereof they have formerly repented. <NOTE N="c" PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 14. 4.</NOTE> <HI>I will heale their backsliding, I will love them freely, for mine anger is turned away from them,</HI> &s;aith the Lord by the Prophet <HI>Ho&s;ea,</HI> &s;o the Prophet <HI>Jeremiah</HI> &s;peaks, <NOTE N="d" PLACE="marg">Ier. 3. 12. 14.</NOTE> <HI>Goe and pro|claime the&s;e words towards the North&punc; and &s;ay, returne thou back-&s;liding I&s;rael&punc; &s;aith the Lord, and I will not cau&s;e mine anger to fall upon you: for I am mercifull&punc; &s;aith the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;in of back&s;liding is a &s;oul-wound|ing &s;in. I will heale their back&s;liding: you read of no arms for the back, though you doe for the brea&s;t.</NOTE> <HI>Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Turne, oh backsliding I&s;rael, &s;aith the Lord, for I am married unto you: And I will take you one of a City, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion:</HI> So the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>They turned back and dealt unfaithfully like their Fathers, they were turned a&s;ide like a deceitfull bow.</HI> And no wonder, for tho their repentance be never &s;o &s;incere and &s;ound, yet their graces are but weak,
<PB N="247" REF="134"> and their mortification imperfect in<NOTE PLACE="marg">When a &s;oul|dier bragged too much of a great &s;car in his forehead, <HI>Augu&s;tus Cae|&s;ar</HI> (in who&s;e time Chri&s;t was borne) asked him if he did not get it when he looked back as he fled.</NOTE> this life; though by grace they are freed from the dominion of &s;in, and from the damnatory power of every &s;in, and from the love of all &s;in, yet grace doth not free them from the &s;eed of any one &s;in; and therefore 'tis po&s;&s;ible for a &s;oule to fall againe and againe into the &s;ame &s;in; if the fire be not wholly put out, who would thinke it impo&s;&s;ible that it &s;hould catch and burne againe and a|gaine?</P>
<P>The &s;econd Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that God hath no where ingaged him|&s;elfe by any particular promi&s;e, that &s;oules converted and united to Chri&s;t, &s;hall not fall againe and againe into the &s;ame &s;ins after conver&s;ion. I cannot find in the whole Book of God, where he<NOTE PLACE="marg">In &s;ome ca&s;es the Saints have found God better then his word; he prom<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;ed the Children of <HI>I&s;rael</HI> onely the Land of <HI>Canaan,</HI> but be&s;ides that he gave them two other Kingdomes, which he ne|ver promi&s;ed. And to <HI>Za|chary</HI> he pro|mi&s;ed to give him his &s;peech at the birth of the child, but be&s;ides that, he gave him the gift of Prophecy.</NOTE> hath promi&s;ed any &s;uch &s;trength or po|wer again&s;t this or that particular &s;in, as that the &s;oule &s;hall be for ever (in this life) put out of a po&s;&s;ibility of falling againe and againe into the &s;ame &s;ins; and where God hath not a mouth to &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eak, I mu&s;t not have a heart to believe. God will graciou&s;ly pardon tho&s;e &s;ins to his people, that he will not in this life effectually &s;ubdue in his people. I would goe far to &s;peak with that &s;oule that can &s;hew a promi&s;e, that when our
<PB N="248" REF="135"> &s;orrow and grief hath been &s;o great, or &s;o much, for this or that &s;in, that then God will pre&s;erve us from ever falling into the &s;ame &s;in; the &s;ight of &s;uch a promi&s;e would be as life from the dead, to many a precious &s;oule, who de&s;ires nothing more then to keepe clo&s;e to Chri&s;t, and feares nothing more then back&s;liding from Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>The third Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that the mo&s;t renowned, and now crow|ned Saints, have in the dayes of their be|ing on earth, relap&s;ed into one and the<NOTE PLACE="marg">A &s;heep may often &s;lip in|to a &s;lough, as well as a &s;wine.</NOTE> &s;ame &s;in. <HI>Lot</HI> was twice overcome with wine; <HI>John</HI> twice wor&s;hipped the An|gel; <HI>Abraham</HI> did often di&s;&s;emble, and Iay his wife open to adultery, to &s;ave his owne life, which &s;ome Heathens would not have done. <HI>And it came to</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 20. 13. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">h. 12.</NOTE> <HI>pa&s;&s;e, when God cau&s;ed me to wander from my Fathers hou&s;e, that I &s;aid unto her, this is thy kindne&s;&s;e which thou &s;halt &s;hew unto me, at every place whether we &s;hall come, &s;ay of me, he is my brother. David</HI> in his<NOTE PLACE="marg">Perhaps the Prodigall &s;ets out unto us, a Chri&s;tian re|lap&s;t; for he was a &s;on be|fore, and with his Father, &amp; then went a|way from him and &s;pent all, and yet he was not quite undone, but returned a|gaine.</NOTE> wrath was re&s;olved, if ever man was, that he would be the death of <HI>Nabal,</HI> and all his innocent Family, and after this he fell into the foule murther of <HI>&V;riah.</HI> Though Chri&s;t told his Di&s;ciples that his Kingdome was not of this world, yet againe, and againe, and again, three
<PB N="249" REF="135"> &s;everall times, they would needs be on hor&s;e-back, they would faine be high, great, and glorious in this world; their pride and ambitious humour put them (that were but as &s;o many baggars) upon &s;triving for preheminence, and greatne&s;&s;e in the world, when their Lord and Ma&s;ter told them 3 &s;everall times of his &s;ufferings in the world, and of his going out of the world. <HI>Jeho&s;haphat,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 18. ch. 1. 2. 3. 30, 31.</NOTE> though a godly man, yet <HI>joynes affinity with wicked Ahab,</HI> and though he was &s;aved by a miracle, yet &s;oon after he fals into the &s;ame &s;in, and <HI>joynes him&s;elf with</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">ch. 20. 35. 36, 37.</NOTE> <HI>Ahaziah, King of I&s;rael,</HI> who did very wickedly. <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> by the Spirit of the Lord numbred among the faithful wor|thies,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 11. 32.</NOTE> and yet he fell often into one gro&s;s &s;in, as is evident in the book of <HI>Judges;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jud. 14. 15. 16. ch.</NOTE> <HI>Peter</HI> you know relap&s;t often, and &s;o did <HI>Jonah;</HI> and this comes to pa&s;&s;e, that they may &s;ee their owne inability to &s;tand, to re&s;i&s;t, or overcome any tempt|ation, or corruption. And that they may be taken off from all fal&s;e confi|dences, and re&s;t wholy upon God, and onely upon God, and alwayes upon God; and for the prai&s;e and honour of the power, wi&s;dome, skill, mercy, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Prodigal &s;aw the com|pa&s;&s;ion of his Father, the greater in re|ceiving him, after he had run away from him.</NOTE> goodne&s;&s;e of the Phy&s;itian of our &s;ouls, that can heale, help, and cure, when the di&s;ea&s;e is mo&s;t dangerous, when the
<PB N="250" REF="136"> &s;oule is relap&s;t, and growes wor&s;e and wor&s;e, and when others &s;ay there is no help for him in his God, and when his owne heart and hopes are dying.</P>
<P>The fourth Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that ther<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> are relap&s;es into enormities, and there are relap&s;es into infirmities; now 'tis not u&s;uall with God to leave his people<NOTE PLACE="marg">Relap&s;es into enormities are (<HI>peccata vulnerantia &amp; divi&s;tantia</HI>) wounding &amp; wa&s;ting &s;ins. Therefore the Lord is graciou&s;ly plea&s;ed to put under his e|verla&s;ting arms, and &s;tay his cho&s;en ones from fre|quent falling into them.</NOTE> frequently to relap&s;e into enormities, for by his &s;pirit and grace, by his &s;miles and frownes, by his word and rod, he doth u&s;ually pre&s;erve his people from a frequent relap&s;ing into enormities; yet he doth leave his choice&s;t ones fre|quently to relap&s;e into infirmities (and of his grace he pardons them in cour&s;e) as idle words, pa&s;&s;ion, vaine thoughts, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> Though gracious &s;oules &s;trive a|gain&s;t the&s;e, and complaine of the&s;e, and weep over the&s;e, yet the Lord to keep them humble, leaves them frequently to relap&s;e into the&s;e; and the&s;e frequent relap&s;es into infirmities &s;hall never be their bane, becau&s;e they be their burden</P>
<P>The fift Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is to con&s;ider, that there are<NOTE PLACE="marg">There is a great diffe|rence be|twen a &s;heep that by weak|ne&s;&s;e fals into the mire, &amp; a &s;wine, that delights to wallow in the mire; between a woman that is forced, though &s;he &s;trives, and cries out, and and an allu|ring adultre&s;s.</NOTE> involuntary relap&s;es, and there are vo|luntary relap&s;es; involuntary relap&s;es are, when the re&s;olution and full bent of the heart is again&s;t &s;in, when the &s;oul &s;trives with all its might again&s;t &s;in, by
<PB N="251" REF="136"> &s;ighes and groans, by prayers and tears, and yet out of weakne&s;&s;e, is forced to fall back into &s;in, becau&s;e there is not &s;pirituall &s;trength enough to over|come; Now though involuntary relap|&s;es mu&s;t humble us, yet they mu&s;t never di&s;courage, nor deject us, for God will freely and readily pardon tho&s;e in cour&s;e. Voluntary relap&s;es are, when the &s;oule longs, and loves <HI>to return to the fle&s;h-pots of Egypt;</HI> when 'tis a plea&s;ure, and a pa&s;time to a man to return to his old cour&s;es; &s;uch voluntary relap&s;es &s;peak out the man blinded, hardned, and ripened for rulne, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The &s;ixth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Device</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Remedy.</NOTE> of Sathan, is, to con&s;ider, that there is no &s;uch power, or infinite vertue in the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;t upbra|ded his Di&s;ci|ples for their unbelief, and hardne&s;&s;e of heart, who had &s;eene his glory, as the glory of the only begotten &s;on of God, full of grace and truth. 1 <HI>John 14.</HI></NOTE> greate&s;t horror, or &s;orrow the &s;oul can be under for &s;in, nor in the &s;weete&s;t, or cho&s;e&s;t di&s;coveries of Gods grace, and love to the &s;oule; as for ever to fence, and &s;ecure the &s;oule from relap&s;ing into the &s;ame &s;in; Grace is but a created ha|bite, that may be prevailed again&s;t by the &s;ecret, &s;ubtile, and &s;trong workings of &s;in in our hearts: And tho&s;e di&s;cove|ries that God makes of his love, beau|ty, and glory to the &s;oule, doe not al|ways abide in their fre&s;hne&s;&s;e, and pow|er upon the heart; but by degrees they fade, and weare off, and then the &s;oule
<PB N="252" REF="137"> may return again to folly; As we &s;ee in <HI>Peter,</HI> who after he had a glorious te&s;ti|mony<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 16. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19. 22, 23, 24.</NOTE> from Chri&s;t his own mouth, of his ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e and happine&s;&s;e, labours to prevent Chri&s;t from going up to <HI>Je|ru&s;alem</HI> to &s;uffer out of ba&s;e &s;lavi&s;h fears, that he and his fellows could not be &s;e|cure, if his Ma&s;ter &s;hould be brought to &s;uffer. And againe, after this, Chri&s;t had him up into the <HI>Mount,</HI> and there<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 7. 1, 2, 3.</NOTE> &s;hewed him his beauty, and glory, to &s;trengthen him again&s;t the hour of ten|tation that was a comming upon him; and yet &s;oone after he had the honour, and happine&s;&s;e of &s;eeing the glory of the Lord (which mo&s;t of the Di&s;ciples had not) he ba&s;ely, and mo&s;t &s;hameful|ly denies the Lord of glory, thinking<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 26. 69. ult.</NOTE> by that means to provide for his owne &s;afety: And yet again, after Chri&s;t had broke his heart with a looke of love, for his mo&s;t unlovely dealings, and bade them that were fir&s;t acquainted with his re&s;urrection, to goe and tell <HI>Peter</HI> that he was ri&s;en; I &s;ay, after all this, &s;lavi&s;h fears prevail upon him, and he ba&s;ely di&s;&s;embles, and plays ehe <HI>Iew</HI> with the <HI>Iewes,</HI> and the <HI>Gentile</HI> with the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> to the &s;educing of <HI>Barnabas,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gal 2. 11, 12, 13.</NOTE> &amp;c.</P>
<P>Yet by way of caution, know it's ve|ry rare, that God doth leave his belo|ved
<PB N="253" REF="137"> ones frequently, to relap&s;e into one and the &s;ame gro&s;&s;e &s;in; for the law of nature is in armes again&s;t gro&s;&s;e &s;ins, a&s;well as the law of grace; &s;o that a gracious &s;oule cannot, dares not, will not frequently returne to gro&s;&s;e folly. And God hath made even his deare&s;t ones dearly &s;mart for their relap&s;es, as may be &s;een by his dealings with <HI>Sam|&s;on, Ieho&s;aphat,</HI> and <HI>Peter;</HI> Ah Lord! what a hard heart hath that man, that can &s;ee thee &s;tripping and whipping thy deare&s;t ones for their relap&s;es, and yet make nothing of returning to folly, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>The eighth <HI>Device</HI> that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">8 Device.</NOTE> hath to keepe &s;oules in a doubting, and que|stioning conditi|on, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY per&s;wading them that theis e&s;tate is not good, their hearts are not upright, their graces are not &s;ound, b<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|cau&s;e they are &s;o followed, vexed, and tormented with 'temptations; 'tis his method, fir&s;t to vex, and weary the &s;oul with temptations, and then to tempt
<PB N="254" REF="138"> the &s;oule, that &s;urely 'tis not beloved,<NOTE PLACE="marg">He may &s;o tempt, as to make a Saint weary of his life. <HI>Job</HI> 10. 1. My &s;oule is weary of my life.</NOTE> becau&s;e 'tis &s;o much tempted; and by this &s;tratagem he keeps many precious &s;ouls in a &s;ad, doubting, and mourn|ing temper many years, as many of the precious &s;onnes of <HI>Sion</HI> have found by wofull experience, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the remedies again&s;t this Device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Device</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that tho&s;e that have been be&s;t, and mo&s;t beloved, have been mo&s;t tempted by Sa|tan. Though Satan can never rob a Chri&s;tian of his Crown, yet &s;uch is his malice, that hee will therefore tempt, that he may &s;poyle them of their com|forts; &s;uch is his enmity to the Father, that the nearer and dearer any child is to him, the more will Satan trouble him, and vex him with temptations;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Pirats do not u&s;e to &s;et up|on poor, emp|ty ve&s;&s;els; and beggars need not feare the thie&s;e; tho&s;e that have mo&s;t of God, and mo&s;t rich in grace, &s;hall be mo&s;t &s;et upon by Sa|tan, who is the greate&s;t and wi&s;e&s;t Pi|rate in the world.</NOTE> Chri&s;t him&s;elfe was mo&s;t neer, and mo&s;t deare, mo&s;t innocent, and mo&s;t excell|ent, and yet none &s;o much tempted as Chri&s;t; <HI>David</HI> was dearly beloved, and yet by Satan tempted to number the people; <HI>Iob</HI> was highly prai&s;ed by God
<PB N="255" REF="138"> him&s;elfe, and yet much tempted, wit|ne&s;&s;e tho&s;e &s;ad things that fell from his mouth, when he was wet to the skin; <HI>Peter</HI> was much prized by Chri&s;t, wit|ne&s;&s;e that choi&s;e te&s;timony that Chri&s;t gave of his faith and happine&s;&s;e, and his &s;hewing him his glory in the <HI>Mount,</HI> and that eye of pity that he ca&s;t upon him after his fearfull fall, &amp;c. and yet tempted by Satan. <HI>And the Lord &s;aid,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 22. 31, 32.</NOTE> <HI>Simon, Simon, behold Satan hath de&s;ired to have you, that he may &s;ift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith faile thee not, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Paul</HI> had the honour of being exalted as high as high as heaven, and of &s;eeing that glory that could not be expre&s;t; and yet hee was no &s;ooner &s;tept out of Heaven, but he is buffetted by Satan, <HI>le&s;t he &s;hould be exalted above mea&s;ure.</HI> If<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 12. 2. 7.</NOTE> the&s;e that were &s;o really, &s;o gloriou&s;ly, &s;o eminently beloved of God; if the&s;e that have lived in Heaven, and &s;et their feet upon the &s;tars, have been tempted, let no Saints judge them&s;elves not to be beloved, becau&s;e they are tempted.</P>
<P>It is as natural for Saints to be temp|ted that are dearly beloved, as 'tis for the Sun to &s;hine, or a bird to &s;ing; the E<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">gle complains not of her wings, nor the Peacock of his train, nor the Night|ingale of her voyce, becau&s;e the&s;e are
<PB N="256" REF="139"> naturall to them; no more &s;hould S^t^s. of their temptations, becau&s;e they are naturall to them; <HI>For wee wre&s;tle not a|gain&s;t</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 6. 12.</NOTE> <HI>fle&s;h and blood, but again&s;t principali|ties, again&s;t powers, again&s;t the Rulers of the darkne&s;&s;e of this world, again&s;t &s;pirituall wickedne&s;&s;e in high places.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>De|vice</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that all the temptations that befall the Saints, &s;hall be &s;anctified to them by a hand of love; ah! the choi&s;e experiences that the Saints get of the power of God, &s;up|porting them, of the wi&s;dome of God directing them (&s;o to handle their &s;pi|rituall weapons, their graces, as not only to re&s;i&s;t, but to overcome) of the mercy and goodne&s;&s;e of the Lord, par|doning and &s;uccouring of them. And therefore &s;aith <HI>Paul, I received the me&s;|&s;enger</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2 Cor. 12. 7. Vi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e B<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">zam, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word">, &amp; <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> Lather</HI> &s;aid there were three things this made a P<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eacher; M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">itation, prayer, and temptation.</NOTE> <HI>Satan for to buffet me, le&s;t I &s;hould be exalted, le&s;t I &s;hould be exalted above mea&s;ure,</HI> 'tis twice in that ver&s;e he be|gins with it, and ends with it; if he had not been buffeted, who knows how his heart would have &s;welled; hee might have been carried higher in conceit, then before he was in his extacie. The &s;chool of temptation is a choi&s;e &s;chool, a &s;chool wherein God gives his people the cleare&s;t, and the &s;weete&s;t di&s;coveries of his love; a &s;chool wherein God tea|ches
<PB N="257" REF="139"> his people to be more frequent, and fervent in duty; when <HI>Paul</HI> was buffeted, then he prayed thrice, that is, frequently, and fervently; A &s;choole wherein God teaches his people to be more tender, meek, and compa&s;&s;ionate to other poor tempted &s;ouls then ever; A &s;chool wherein God teaches his peo|ple to &s;ee a greater evill in &s;inne then e|ver, and a greater emptine&s;s in the crea|ture then ever, and a greater need of Chri&s;t, and free-grace then ever; A &s;chool wherein God will teach his peo|ple, that all temptations are but his Gold-&s;miths, by which he will try, and refine, and make his people more bright and glorious. The i&s;&s;ue of all temptations &s;hall be the good of the Saints; as you may &s;ee by the temptati|ons that <HI>Adam,</HI> and <HI>Eve,</HI> and Chri&s;t, and <HI>David,</HI> and <HI>Job,</HI> and <HI>Peter,</HI> and <HI>Paul</HI> met with. Tho&s;e hands of power, and love that bring light out of darkne&s;&s;e, good out of evill, &s;weet out of bitter, life out of death, Heaven out of Hell, will bring much &s;weet and good to his peo|ple, out of all the temptations that come upon them.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Device</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan is, wi&s;ely to con&s;ider, that no temptations don't hurt nor harm the Saints, &s;o long as they are not re&s;i&s;ted
<PB N="258" REF="140"> by them, and prove the greate&s;t afflicti|on that can befall them; 'tis not Satans tempting, but your a&s;&s;enting; not his enticing, but your yeelding, that makes temptations hurtfull to your &s;oules; if the &s;oule when 'tis tempted, re&s;i&s;ts the temptation, and &s;aith with Chri&s;t, <HI>get thee behind mee Satan;</HI> and with that young Convert, <HI>I am not the man that I</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ego non &s;um ego.</NOTE> <HI>was;</HI> or as <HI>Luther</HI> coun&s;ells all men, to an&s;wer all temptations with the&s;e words (<HI>Chri&s;tianus &s;um</HI>) I am a Chri|&s;tian; if a mans temptations be his grea|te&s;t affliction, then is the temptation no &s;in upon his &s;oule, though it be a trou|ble upon his mind: when a &s;oule can look the Lord in the face, and &s;ay, ah Lord! I have many outward troubles now upon me, I have lo&s;t &s;uch and &s;uch a neere mercy, and &s;uch and &s;uch dear de&s;irable mercies, and yet thou that knowe&s;t the heart, thou knowe&s;t that all my cro&s;&s;es and lo&s;&s;es do not make &s;o many wounds in my &s;oule, nor fetch &s;o many &s;ighes from my heart, nor teares from my eyes, as tho&s;e temptati|ons doe, that Satan follows my &s;oul with: when 'tis thus with the &s;oule, then temptations are only the &s;ouls trou|ble, they are not the &s;ouls &s;in.</P>
<P>Satan is a malious and envious ene|mie;<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">metime<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> he <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hewes his malice, by letting tho&s;e things abide by the &s;oule, as may mo&s;t vex, and plague the &s;oule, as <HI>Gre|gory</HI> ob&s;erves in his leaving of <HI>Jobs</HI> wife, which was not out of his forgetfulne&s;s, carele&s;ne&s;&s;e, or any love, or pity to <HI>Iob,</HI> but to vex, and torment him, &amp;c. and to work him to bla&s;pheme God, de&s;pair, and die, &amp;c.</NOTE> as his names are, &s;o is he; his
<PB N="259" REF="140"> names are all names of enmity; the <HI>Accu&s;er,</HI> the <HI>Tempter,</HI> the <HI>De&s;troyer,</HI> the <HI>Devourer,</HI> the <HI>envious Man;</HI> and this malice, and envy of his, he &s;hewes &s;ometimes by tempting men to &s;uch &s;ins as are quite contrary to the tem|perature of their bodies, as he did <HI>Ve&s;|pa&s;ian</HI> and <HI>Julian,</HI> men of &s;weet and ex|cellent natures to be mo&s;t bloody mur|therers; and &s;ometimes hee &s;hews his malice, by tempting men to &s;uch things as &s;hall bring hi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> no honour, nor pro|fit, &amp;c. <HI>fall downe and wor&s;hip mee,</HI> to bla&s;phemie, and Athei&s;me, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> the thoughts and fir&s;t motions whereof cau&s;e the beart and the fle&s;h to tremble; And &s;ometimes he &s;hewes his malice, by tempting them to tho&s;e &s;ins, which they have not found their natures prone to, and which they abhor in o|thers, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Now if the &s;oule re&s;i&s;ts the&s;e, and complains of the&s;e, and groanes and mourns under the&s;e, and lookes up to the Lord Je&s;us to be delivered from the&s;e, then &s;hall they not be put down to the &s;oules account, but to Satans, who &s;hall be &s;o much the more tormen|ted, by how much the more the Saints have beene by him maliciou&s;ly temp|ted, &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="260" REF="141">
<P>Make pre&s;ent and peremptory re&s;i|&s;tance again&s;t Satans temptations, bid defiance to the temptation at fir&s;t &s;ight;<NOTE PLACE="marg">When <HI>Con|&s;tantine</HI> the Emperour was told that there was no means to cure his lepro&s;ie, but by bath|ing his body in the blood of Infants, he pre&s;ently an|&s;wered (<HI>malo jemper aegrotare quam tali re|medio conva|le&s;cere</HI>) I had rather not be cured, then u&s;e &s;uch a re|medie.</NOTE> 'tis &s;afe to re&s;i&s;t, 'tis dangerous to di&s;|pute; <HI>Eve</HI> lo&s;t her &s;elfe, and her po&s;teri|ty, by falling into the li&s;ts of di&s;pute, when &s;he &s;hould have re&s;i&s;ted, and &s;tood upon terms of defiance with Satan; he that would &s;tand in the hour of temp|tation, mu&s;t plead with Chri&s;t, 'tis written; he that would triumph over temptations, mu&s;t plead &s;till, 'tis writ|ten. Satan is bold and impudent, and if you are not peremptory in your re&s;i|&s;tance, he will give you fre&s;h on&s;ets. 'Tis your greate&s;t honour, and your highe&s;t wi&s;dome, peremptorily to with-&s;tand the beginnings of a temptation, for an after remedie comes often too late.</P>
<P>Mi&s;tris <HI>Katherine Bretterge,</HI> once, after a great conflict with Satan, &s;aid, <HI>Rea&s;on not with me, I am but a weake woman; if thou ha&s;t any thing to &s;ay, &s;ay it to my Chri&s;t, he is my Advocate, my &s;trength, and my re|deemer, and he &s;hall plead for me.</HI></P>
<P>Men mu&s;t not &s;eek to re&s;i&s;t Satans craft with craft (<HI>&s;ed per apertum mar|tem</HI>) but by open defiance; he &s;hoots with Satan in his own bow; who thinks by di&s;puting and rea&s;oning to put him off. As &s;oon as a temptation &s;hewes its face, &s;ay to the temptation, as <HI>Ephraim</HI>
<PB N="261" REF="141"> to his idols; <HI>get you hence, what have I a|ny</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;ea 14.</NOTE> <HI>more to doe with you?</HI> oh! &s;ay to the temptation, as <HI>David</HI> &s;aid to the &s;onnes of <HI>Zerviah; What have I to doe with you?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 16. 10.</NOTE> you will be too hard for me. He that doth thus re&s;i&s;t temptations, &s;hall never be undone by temptation, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Make &s;trong and con&s;tant re&s;i&s;tance<NOTE PLACE="marg">I have read of one who be|ing tempted with offers of money to de|&s;ert Chri&s;t, gave this ex|cellent an|&s;wer, let not any man think, that he will embrace other mens goods to for|&s;ake Chri&s;t, who hath for|&s;aken his own proper goods to follow Chri&s;t.</NOTE> again&s;t Satans temptations, make re&s;i|&s;tance again&s;t temptations by argu|ments drawn from the honour of God, the love of God, your union and com|munion with God; and from the blood of Chri&s;t, the death of Chri&s;t, the kind|ne&s;s of Chri&s;t, the interce&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t, and the glory of Chri&s;t; and from the voice of the Spirit, the coun&s;ell of the Spirit, the comforts of the Spirit, the pre&s;ence of the Spirit, the &s;eale of the Spirit, the whi&s;perings of the Spirit, the commands of the Spirit, the a&s;&s;i|&s;tance of the Spirit, the witne&s;&s;e of the Spirit; and from the glory of Heaven, the excellency of grace, the beauty of holine&s;&s;e, the worth of the &s;oule, and the vildne&s;&s;e or bitterne&s;&s;e, and evill of &s;inne, the lea&s;t &s;in being a greater evil, then the greate&s;t temptation in the world.</P>
<P>And looke that you make con&s;tant re&s;i&s;tance, as well as &s;trong re&s;i&s;tance; be con&s;tant in armes, Satan will come
<PB N="262" REF="142"> on with new temptations; when old<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luke</HI> 4. 14. And when the Devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a &s;ea&s;on. Chri&s;t had no re&s;t untill he was exactly tried with all kinds of tem|tations. <HI>Calvin.</HI></NOTE> ones are too weak in a calme, prepare for a &s;torm; the temper is re&s;tle&s;&s;e, im|pudent, and &s;ubtile; he will &s;ute his temptations to your con&s;titutions, and inclinations; Satan loves to &s;aile with the winde; if your knowledg be weake, he will tempt you to errour; if your con&s;ciences be tender, he will tempt you to &s;crupulo&s;ity, and too much pre|ci&s;ene&s;&s;e, as to do nothing but heare, pray, read, &amp;c. If your con&s;ciences be wide and large, hee will tempt you to carnall &s;ecurity; if you are bold &s;pirit|ed, he will tempt you to pre&s;umption; if timerous, to de&s;peration; if flexible, to incon&s;tancy; if proud and &s;tiffe, to gro&s;&s;e folly, therefore &s;till fit for fre&s;h a&s;&s;aults; make one victory a &s;tep to a|nother. When you have overcome a temptation, take heed of unbending your bow, and look well to it, that your bow be alwayes bent, and that it remains in &s;trength; when you have o|vercome one temptation, you mu&s;t Be ready to enter the li&s;t with another; as di&s;tru&s;t (in &s;ome &s;en&s;e) is the mo|ther of &s;afety, &s;o &s;ecurity is the gate of danger; a man had need to feare this mo&s;t of all, that he fears not all; if Sa|tan be always a roaring, wee &s;hould be alwayes a watching, and re&s;i&s;ting of
<PB N="263" REF="142"> him; and certainely, hee that makes &s;trong and con&s;tant re&s;i&s;tance of Satans temptations, &s;hall in the end get above his temptations, and for the pre&s;ent is &s;ecure enough from being ruin'd by his temptations, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>For a clo&s;e of this, remember that tis<NOTE PLACE="marg">He that will yeeld to &s;in, to be rid of temptation, will be &s;o much the more tempt|ed, and the le&s;&s;e able to with&s;tand temptations.</NOTE> dangerous, to yeeld to the lea&s;t &s;in, to be rid of the greate&s;t temptation. To take this cour&s;e were, as if a man &s;hould think to wa&s;h him&s;elfe cleane in Inke; or as if a man &s;hould exchange a light cro&s;&s;e made of paper, for an Iron cro&s;&s;e which is heavy, toile&s;ome, and bloody, the lea&s;t &s;in &s;et home upon the con&s;ci|ence, will more, wound, vex, and op|pre&s;&s;e the &s;oul, then all the temptations in the world can; therefore never yeeld to the lea&s;t &s;in, to be rid of the greate&s;t temptation. <HI>Sidonius Apolinaris</HI> rela|teth, how a certain man named <HI>Maxi|mus,</HI> arriving at the top of honour, by indirect meanes, was the fir&s;t day very much wearied, and fetching a deep &s;igh, &s;aid, <HI>Oh Damocles!</HI> how happie doe I e|&s;teem thee, for having been a King but the &s;pace of a dinner, I have been one a wholeday, and can beare it no longer. I will leave you to make the Applica|tion.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="part">
<PB N="264" REF="143">
<HEAD>The fourth thing to be &s;hewed, is, the &s;everall wayes and devices that Sa|tan hath to de&s;troy and en|&s;nare all &s;orts and rankes of men in the world.</HEAD>
<P>I Shall begin with the honourable and the great, and &s;hew you the De|vices that Satan hath to de&s;troy them; I will only in&s;tance in tho&s;e that are mo&s;t con&s;iderable.</P>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>His fir&s;t Device to de&s;troy the<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Device.</NOTE> great, and honourable of the earth, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY working them, to make it their bu&s;ine&s;&s;e to &s;eek them&s;elves, to &s;eek how to greaten them&s;elves, to rai&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">Selfe-&s;eeking <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ke the de|luge over|flowes the whole world.</NOTE> them&s;elves, to enrich them&s;elves, to &s;ecure them&s;elves, &amp;c. As you may &s;ee in <HI>Pharaoh, Ahab, Rehoboam, Jeroboam,
<PB N="265" REF="143"> Ab&s;olom, Joab, Haman, &amp;c.</HI> But were the Scripture &s;ilent, our owne experi|ences do abundantly evidence this way and method of Satan, to de&s;troy the great, and the honourable, to bury their names in the du&s;t, and their &s;ouls in Hell, by drawing them wholly to mind them&s;elves, and onely to minde them&s;elves, and in all things to minde them&s;elves, and always to mind them|&s;elves. <HI>All</HI> (&s;aith the Apo&s;tle) <HI>minde</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 2. 21.</NOTE> <HI>them&s;elves,</HI> all comparatively, in re|&s;pect of the paucity of others, that let fall their private intere&s;ts, and drowne all &s;elf-re&s;pects in the glory of God, and the publick good, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this Device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Self-love is the root of the hatred of others. 2 <HI>Tim.</HI> 3. 2. Fir&s;t, lovers of them&s;elves, &amp; then fierce, &amp;c.</NOTE> that &s;elfe-&s;eeking is a &s;in that will put men upon a world of &s;in; upon &s;ins not only again&s;t the Law of God, the rules of the Go&s;pel, but that are again&s;t the very lawes of Nature, that are &s;o much darkned by the fall of man; It put the <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI> upon oppo&s;ing Chri&s;t, and
<PB N="266" REF="144"> <HI>Iudas</HI> upon betraying Chri&s;t, and <HI>Pilate</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Natura|li&s;t ob&s;erves, that tho&s;e bea&s;ts which are mo&s;t cruel to others, are mo&s;t loving to their own.</NOTE> upon condemning Chri&s;t. It put <HI>Gehe|zi</HI> upon lying, and <HI>Balaam</HI> upon cur&s;ing, and <HI>Saul</HI> and <HI>Ab&s;olom</HI> upon plotting <HI>Davids</HI> ruine. It put <HI>Pharaoh</HI> and <HI>Ha|man</HI> upon contriving wayes to de&s;troy tho&s;e Jewes, that God did purpo&s;e to &s;ave by his mighty arme. It puts men upon u&s;ing wicked ballances, and the bag of deceitfull weights. It puts m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n upon wayes of oppre&s;&s;ion, <HI>and &s;elling</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 2. 6.</NOTE> <HI>the righteous for &s;ilver, and the poore for a paire of &s;hooes, &amp;c.</HI> I know not any &s;in in the world, but this &s;in of &s;elfe-&s;eeking will put men upon it, though it be their eternall lo&s;&s;e.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that &s;elf-&s;eeking doth exceedingly a|ba&s;e<NOTE PLACE="marg">A &s;elf-&s;eeker is a <HI>Cato</HI> with|out, but a <HI>Ne|ro</HI> within. <HI>Do|mitian</HI> would &s;eem to love them be&s;t, whom he will|ed lea&s;t &s;hould live, &amp; that's the ve|ry temper of &s;elfe-&s;eekers.</NOTE> a man; it &s;trips him of all his roy|alty, and glory; of a Lord, it makes a man become a &s;ervant to the creature, I often to the wor&s;t of creatures; yea, a &s;lave to &s;laves, as you may &s;ee in <HI>Iudas, Demas, Balaam,</HI> and the <HI>Scribes</HI> and <HI>Pha|ri&s;ees.</HI> Selfe-&s;eekers bow downe to the creatures; as <HI>Gideons</HI> many thou&s;ands bowed down to the waters; &s;elf-&s;eek|ing will make a man &s;ay any thing, do any thing, and be any thing, to plea&s;e the lu&s;ts of others, &amp; to get advantages upon others; &s;elf-&s;eeking tran&s;forms a
<PB N="267" REF="144"> man into all &s;hapes, and formes; now<NOTE PLACE="marg">It was death in <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> Rites to counter&s;et that Ceremo|niall, and figu|rative oynt|ment, <HI>Exod.</HI> 30. what &s;hall it then be to counter&s;eit the &s;pirit of life and holi|ne&s;&s;e.</NOTE> it makes a man appeare as an Angell of light, anon as an Angel of darkene&s;&s;e; now &s;elfe-&s;eekers are &s;eemingly for God, anon they are openly again&s;t God; now you &s;hall have them crying <HI>Ho&s;anna</HI> in the highe&s;t, and anon cruci|cifie him, crucifie him; now you &s;hall have them build with the Saints, and anon you &s;hall have them plotting the overthrow of the Saints, as tho&s;e &s;elfe|&s;eekers did in <HI>Ezra,</HI> and <HI>Nehemiah's</HI> time. Self-&s;eekers are the ba&s;e&s;t of all per&s;ons; there is no &s;ervice &s;o ba&s;e, &s;o poor, &s;o low, but they will bow to it. They cannot look neither above, nor beyond their owne lu&s;ts, and the enjoy|ment<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 1. 25.</NOTE> of the creature, the&s;e are the prime and ultimate objects of their in|tendments.</P>
<P>'Tis &s;aid of <HI>Tiberius,</HI> that whil&s;t <HI>Au|gu&s;tus</HI> rul'd, he was no wayes tainted in his reputation; and that whil&s;t <HI>Dru&s;us</HI> and <HI>Germanicus</HI> were alive, hee feigned tho&s;e vertues which hee had not, to maintain a good opinion of him&s;elfe in the hearts of the people; but after hee had got him&s;elf out of the reach of con|tradiction, and controulment, there was no fact in which he was not faulty, no crime to which he was not acce&s;&s;a|ry. My prayer &s;hall be, that <HI>Tiberius</HI> his
<PB N="268" REF="145"> &s;pirit may not be found in any of our Rulers, left it prove their ruine, as it did his; and that where ever it is, it may be detected, loathed, and ejected, that &s;o neither the State, nor &s;oules may be ruin'd by it, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The third Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to dwell upon tho&s;e dreadfull cur&s;es, and woes that are from heaven denounced again&s;t &s;elfe-&s;eekers. <HI>Woe unto them that joyne</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 5. 8.</NOTE> <HI>hou&s;e to hou&s;e, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed a|lone in the mid&s;t of the earth.</HI> So <HI>Habak|kuk,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Hab. 6. 9, 10, 11, 12. Cra&s;&s;us</HI> a very rich Roman, and a great &s;elf-&s;eeker, for greedy de&s;ire of Gold, he managed war again&s;t the <HI>Parthians,</HI> by whom both he &amp; 30000. <HI>Romans</HI> were &s;lain: and be|cau&s;e the <HI>Bar|barians</HI> conje|ctured that he made this a&s;|&s;ault upon them for their gold; therfore they melted gold, &amp; pour|ed it into his dead body, &s;aying (<HI>&s;atura de auro</HI>) &s;ati&s;|fie thy &s;elfe with gold. <HI>I&s;a. 15. 1, 2.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Wo to him that increa&s;eth that which is not his, and to him that ladeth him&s;elfe with thick clay. Woe to him that coveteth an evill covetou&s;ne&s;&s;e to his hou&s;e, that hee may &s;et his ne&s;t on high, that he may be de|livered from the power of evill. Thou ha&s;t con&s;ulted &s;hame to thy hou&s;e by cutting off many people, and ha&s;t &s;inned again&s;t thy &s;oule. For the &s;tone &s;hall cry out of the wall, and the beame out of the timber &s;hall an&s;wer it. Woe to him that buildeth a Towne with blood, and &s;tabli&s;heth a City by iniquity.</HI> The materialls of the hou&s;e built up by op|pre&s;&s;ion, &s;hall come as joynt-witne&s;&s;es; The &s;tones of the wall &s;hall cry, Lord, we were built up by blood and vio|lence; and the beam &s;hall an&s;wer, True Lord, even &s;o it is; The &s;tones &s;hall cry
<PB N="269" REF="145"> vengeance Lord upon the&s;e &s;elf-&s;eekers, and the beame &s;hall an&s;wer, wo to him, becau&s;e he built his hou&s;e with blood. So <HI>I&s;aiah, Woe unto them that decree un|righteous decrees, and that write grievou&s;|ne&s;&s;e which they have pre&s;cribed. To turne a&s;ide the needy from judgement, and to take away the right from the poore of my people; that widdowes may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherle&s;&s;e.</HI> So <HI>Amos, Wo</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Amos 6. 1. 7.</NOTE> <HI>unto them that are at ea&s;e in Zion, and tru&s;t in the mountaine of</HI> Samaria, <HI>which are named chiefe of the Nations, to whom the hou&s;e of I&s;rael came. That put far away the evill day, and cau&s;e the &s;eate of violence to come neer. That lie upon beds of Ivory, and &s;tretch them&s;elves upon their couches, and eate the Lambs out of the flock, and the Calves out of the mid&s;t of the &s;tall. That drinke wine in bowles, and annoint them|&s;elves with the chiefe oyntments, but they are not grieved for the afflictions of</HI> Jo&s;eph. So <HI>Micah, woe to them that devi&s;e iniquity,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mica 2. 1, 2. Tacitus</HI> the <HI>Roman</HI> Empe|rours word was (<HI>fibi bo|nus aliis ma|lus</HI>) he that is too much for him&s;elfe, failes to be good to o|thers.</NOTE> <HI>and worke evill upon their beds: when the morning is light they practi&s;e it, becau&s;e it is in the power of their hand. And they co|vet fields, and take them by violence, and hou&s;es, and take them away: &s;o they oppre&s;&s;e a man and his hou&s;e, even a man and his he|ritage.</HI></P>
<P>By the&s;e Scriptures, you &s;ee, that &s;elfe-&s;eekers labour like a woman in
<PB N="270" REF="146"> travell, but their birth proves their death, their plea&s;ure their paine; their comfort, their torment; their glory, their &s;hame; their exaltation, their de&s;olation. Lo&s;&s;e, di&s;grace, trouble, and &s;hame, vexation and confu&s;ion will be the certaine portion of &s;elfe|&s;eekers. When the <HI>Tartarians</HI> had taken in battell the Duke of <HI>Mu&s;covia,</HI> they made a cup of his skull, with this in&s;cription, <HI>All covet, all loo&s;e.</HI></P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that &s;elf-&s;eekers are &s;elfe-loo&s;ers, and<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Adam</HI> &s;eeks him&s;elfe, and loo&s;es him&s;elf, Paradi&s;e, and that ble&s;&s;ed Image that God had <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">amp't upon him. <HI>Lot</HI> &s;eeks him|&s;elf, <HI>Gen.</HI> 13. 10, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">. and loo&s;es him&s;elf, and <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">is goods, &amp;c. <HI>Peter</HI> &s;eeks to &s;ave him&s;elfe, and mi&s;erably loo&s;e him&s;elf. <HI>Hezekiah</HI> in the bu&s;ine&s;&s;e of the Am|ba&s;&s;adours &s;eeks him&s;elf, and loo&s;es him&s;elf, and his life too, had not God &s;aved him by a Miracle.</NOTE> &s;elf-de&s;troyers. <HI>Ab&s;olom</HI> and <HI>Judas</HI> &s;eek them&s;elves, and hang them&s;elves. <HI>Saul</HI> &s;eeks him&s;elf, and kills him&s;elf; <HI>Ahab</HI> &s;eeks him&s;elf, and loo&s;es him&s;elfe, his Crown and Kingdome. <HI>Pharaoh</HI> &s;eeks him&s;elf, and overthrows him&s;elfe and his mighty Army in the red &s;ea. <HI>Cain</HI> &s;ought him&s;elfe, and &s;lew two at once, his brother, and his own &s;oul. <HI>Gehazi</HI> &s;ought change of rayment, but God changed his rayment into a leprous skin. <HI>Haman</HI> &s;ought him&s;elf, and lo&s;t him&s;elfe. The Princes and the Pre&s;i|dents &s;ought them&s;elves (in the ruine of <HI>Daniel</HI>) but ruin'd them&s;elves, their wives and children. That which &s;elfe|&s;eekers think &s;hould be a &s;taffe to &s;up|port them, becomes (by the hand of</P>
<PB N="271" REF="146">
<P>Ju&s;tice) an iron rod to break them; that which they would have as &s;prings to refre&s;h them, becomes a gulf utterly to con&s;ume them; the cro&s;&s;es of &s;elfe|&s;eekers &s;hall alwayes exceed their mer|cies, their paine, their plea&s;ure, their torments, their comforts; every &s;elfe|&s;eeker is a &s;elfe-tormenter, a &s;elfe-de|&s;troyer; he carries a hell, an executio|ner in his own bo&s;ome, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The fifth Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to dwell much upon the famous examples of tho&s;e worthy Saints that have denyed them&s;elves, and prefer'd the publick good before their owne particular advantage: As <HI>Mo&s;es; And the Lord &s;aid unto Mo&s;es, let me alone that I may de&s;troye them, and blot out their name from under Heaven, and I will make of thee a Nation mig<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ter, and greater then they;</HI> oh! but this offer would not<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Tis good to be of his opi|nion &amp; mind, who was rather willing to beautifie <HI>Italy</HI> then his own hou&s;e.</NOTE> take with <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> he being a man of a brave publique &s;pirit, is hot in his de|&s;ires and prayers that the people might be &s;pared and pardoned; &s;aith he, <HI>par|don I be&s;eech thee the iniquity of this people, according unto the greatne&s;&s;e of thy mercy, and as thou ha&s;t forgiven this people from Egypt untill now. And the Lord &s;aid, I have pardoned according to thy word.</HI> A<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">hould God make &s;uch an offer to many that write them&s;elves <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> and are called
<PB N="272" REF="147"> by many, <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> I am afraid they would prefer their own advantage above the<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Antients were wont to place the Sta|tues of their Princes by their foun|tains, intima|ting they were (or at lea&s;t &s;hould be) fountains of the pub|lick good.</NOTE> publique good; they would not care what become of the people, &s;o they and theirs might be made great and glori|ous in the world; they would not care &s;o they might have a <HI>Babell</HI> built for them, though it was upon the a&s;hes, and ruine of the people; ba&s;er &s;pirits then the&s;e are not in hell, no, not in hell, and I am &s;ure there are no &s;uch &s;pirits in Heaven; &s;uch mens hearts and principles mu&s;t be chang'd, or they wil be undone for ever. <HI>Nehemiah</HI> was a<NOTE PLACE="marg">A certaine great Empe|rour coming into <HI>Egypt,</HI> to &s;hew the zeal he had for the publick good, &s;aith to the <HI>Aegyptians,</HI> draw from me as from your river <HI>Nilus.</HI></NOTE> choice &s;oule, a man of a brave publick &s;pirit, a man that &s;pent his time, his &s;trength, and his e&s;tate for the good and ea&s;e of his people. <HI>Moreover</HI> (&s;aith he) <HI>from the time that I was appointed to be their Governour in the Land of Judah, from the twentieth yeer, even unto the two and thirtieth yeare of</HI> Artaxerxes <HI>the King, that is, twelve yeares; I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the Governour. Yea, al&s;o I continued in the worke of this wall, neither bought we any land, and all my &s;ervants were gathered thither unto the worke. Moreover, there were at my table an hundred and fifty of the Jewes and Ru|lers, be&s;ides tho&s;e that came unto us from a|mong the Heathen that are about us. Now that which was prepared for me daily, was
<PB N="273" REF="147"> one Oxe, and &s;ixe choice &s;heep: al&s;o fowles were prepared for me, and once in ten dayes &s;tore of all &s;orts of wine; yet for all this re|quired not I the bread of the Governour, be|cau&s;e the bondage was heavy upon the people. Thinke upon me, my God, for good, accord|ing to all that I have done for this people.</HI> So <HI>Daniel</HI> was a man of a brave publick &s;pirit; <HI>Then the Pre&s;idents and Princes</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Coun|&s;ellor &s;aith a State&s;-man &s;hould be thus tripartited, his will to God, his love to his Ma&s;ter, his heart to his Countrey, his &s;ecret to his friend, his time to bu&s;i|&s;ine&s;&s;e.</NOTE> <HI>&s;ought to finde occa&s;ion again&s;t</HI> Daniel, <HI>concerning the Kingdome, but they could finde no occa&s;ion nor fault, for as much as he was faithfull, neither was there any errour, or fault found in him. Then &s;aid the&s;e men, we &s;hall not finde any occa&s;ion again&s;t this</HI> Daniel, <HI>except we finde it again&s;t him, concerning the law of his God.</HI></P>
<P>Chri&s;t had a publick &s;pirit, hee laid out him&s;elfe, and laid down him&s;elfe for a publick good. Oh! never leave looking and meditating upon the&s;e precious and &s;weet examples, till your &s;oules are quickned, and rai&s;ed up, to act for the publick good, more then for your owne particular advantage; ma|ny<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Solomons</HI> Tri|bunall was underpropt with Lions, to &s;hew what &s;pirit, and mettall a Ma|gi&s;trate &s;hould be made of.</NOTE> Heathens have been excellent at this. <HI>Macrobius</HI> writes of <HI>Augu&s;tus Cae&s;ar</HI> (in who&s;e time Chri&s;t was borne) that hee carried &s;uch an entire and fatherly affe|ction to the Common-wealth, that he called it (<HI>filiam &s;uam</HI>) his own daugh|ter, and therefore refu&s;ed to be called
<PB N="274" REF="148"> (<HI>Dominus</HI>) the Lord or Ma&s;ter of his Countrey, and would only be called (<HI>pater patriae</HI>) Father of his Countrey, becau&s;e he governed it not by feare (<HI>per timorem &s;ed per amorem</HI>) but by love; the Senate and the people of <HI>Rome</HI> joyntly &s;aluting him, by the name of (<HI>pater patriae</HI>) Father of his Countrey. The people very much lamented his death, u&s;ing that &s;peech, <HI>Would hee had</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">&V;tinam aut non na&s;ceretur, aut non morere|tur.</NOTE> <HI>never been borne, or never dyed.</HI> So <HI>Mar|cus Regulus,</HI> to &s;ave his Countrey from ruine, expo&s;ed him&s;elfe to the greate&s;t &s;ufferings that the malice and rage of his Enemies could inflict. So <HI>Titus</HI> and <HI>Ari&s;tides,</HI> and many others have been fa|mous for their preferring the publick good above their own advantage. My prayer is, and &s;hall be, that all our Ru|lers may be &s;o &s;pirited by God, that they may be willing to be any thing, to be nothing, to deny them&s;elves, and to trample their &s;infull &s;elves under feet, in order to the honour of God, and a publick good, that &s;o neither Saints nor Heathens may be witne&s;&s;es again&s;t them in that day, wherein the hearts &amp; practi&s;es of all the Rulers in the world &s;hall be open, and bare before him that &s;hall judge the world in Righteou&s;ne&s;s, and Judgment, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The &s;ixth <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Remedie.</NOTE>
<PB N="275" REF="148"> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that &s;elf is a great let to divine things, there|fore the Prophets and Apo&s;tles were u|&s;ually carried out of them&s;elves, when they had the cleare&s;t, choi&s;e&s;t, highe&s;t, and mo&s;t glorious vi&s;ions. Self-&s;eeking blinds the &s;oul, that it cannot &s;ee a beau|ty in Chri&s;t, nor an excellency in holi|ne&s;s; it di&s;tempers the palate, that a man cannot ta&s;te &s;weetne&s;&s;e in the word of God, nor in the ways of God, nor in the &s;ociety of the people of God; it &s;huts the hand again&s;t all the &s;oule-enriching of|fers of Chri&s;t; it hardens the heart agan&s;t all the knocks and entreaties of Chri&s;t; it makes the &s;oul as an empty vine, and as a barren wilderne&s;&s;e. <HI>I&s;rael is an empty</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;ea 10. 1.</NOTE> <HI>vine, he brings forth fruit to him&s;elf.</HI> There is nothing that &s;peaks a man to be more empty, and void of God, Chri&s;t, and grace, then &s;elf-&s;eeking. The <HI>Phari&s;ees</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Selfe-&s;ee<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ers with <HI>E&s;au,</HI> prefer a me&s;&s;e of pottage a|bove thair birth-right, and with the men of <HI>She|chem,</HI> e&s;teem the bramble above the Vine, the Olive, and the fig|tree, yea emp|ty things a|bove a full Chri&s;t&punc; &amp; ba&s;e things above a glorious Chri&s;t.</NOTE> were great &s;elf-&s;eekers, &amp; great underva|luers of Chri&s;t his word &amp; &s;pirit. There is not a greater hindrance to all the du|ties of piety, then &s;elf-&s;eeking; oh! this is that that keeps many a &s;oule from loo|king after God, and the precious things of eternity; they cannot waite on GOD, nor act for God, nor a|bide in tho&s;e ways wherein they might meete with God, by rea&s;on of &s;elfe; &s;elf-&s;eeking is that which puts many a
<PB N="276" REF="149"> man upon neglecting, and &s;lighting the things of his peace; &s;elf-&s;eekers will neither go into Heaven them&s;elves, nor &s;uffer others to enter, that are ready to take the Kingdome by violence, as you may &s;ee in the <HI>Scribes</HI> and <HI>Phari&s;ees.</HI> Oh! but a gracious &s;pirit is acted quite otherwayes, as you may &s;ee in that &s;weet Scripture, <HI>Cant. 7. 13. At our gates are all manner of plea&s;ant fruits, new</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 7. 13.</NOTE> <HI>and old, which I have laid up for thee oh my beloved.</HI> All the Church hath and is, is<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Saints Motto is, <HI>Propter te, Do|mine, propter te.</HI></NOTE> only for him; let others beare fruit to them&s;elves, and lay up for them&s;elves; gracious &s;pirits will hide for Chri&s;t, and lay up for Chri&s;t; all the divine in|deavours, and productions of Saints fall into Gods bo&s;ome, and empty them&s;elves into his lap. As Chri&s;t layes up his merits for them, his graces for them, his comforts for them, his Crown for them: &s;o they lay up all their fruits, and all their loves, all their graces, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Saints Motto is, <HI>non nobis Domine.</HI></NOTE> all their experience, and all their &s;ervi|ces, only for him, who is the &s;oule of their comforts, and the crown, and top of all their royalty, and glory, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="277" REF="149">
<HEAD>The &s;econd Device that Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Device.</NOTE> hath to en&s;nare, and de|&s;troy the great and honourable of the earth, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY engaging them again&s;t the people of the mo&s;t high, again&s;t tho&s;e that are his jewels, his plea&s;ant portion, the delight of his eye, and the joy of his heart, &amp;c. Thus he drew <HI>Pharaoh</HI> to en|gage<NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 14.</NOTE> again&s;t the children of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and that was his overthrow. So he engaged<NOTE PLACE="marg">He&s;ter 7.</NOTE> <HI>Haman</HI> again&s;t the <HI>Iews,</HI> and &s;o brought him to hang upon that gallows that he had made for <HI>Mordecai.</HI> So he engaged<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dan. 6.</NOTE> tho&s;e Princes and Pre&s;idents again&s;t <HI>Da|niel,</HI> which was the utter ruine of them and their relations. So in <HI>Revel.</HI> 20.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 20. 7, 8, 9.</NOTE> 7, 8, 9. <HI>And when the thou&s;and yeares are expired, Satan &s;hall be loo&s;ed out of his pri|&s;on. And he &s;hall goe out to deceive the Na|tions which are in the four quarters of the earth&punc; Gog and Magog, to gather them toge|ther to battle: who&s;e number is as the &s;and of the Sea. And they went up upon the breadth of the earth, and compa&s;&s;ed the camp of the Saints about, and the beloved City:
<PB N="278" REF="150"> and fire came down from God out of Heaven, and con&s;umed them.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that none have engaged again&s;t the<NOTE PLACE="marg">As they &s;aid once of the <HI>Grecians</HI> in the Epigram, whom they thought in|vulnerable; we &s;hoot at them, but they fall not downe, we wound them, and not kill them, &amp;c.</NOTE> Saints, but have been ruin'd by the God of Saints; divine ju&s;tice hath been too hard for all that have oppo&s;ed and en|gaged again&s;t the Saints, as is evident in <HI>Saul, Pharaoh, Haman, &amp;c. He reproved Kings for their &s;akes, &s;aying, Touch not mine anointed, nor do my Prophets no harm;</HI> when men of <HI>Balaams</HI> &s;pirit tnd princi|ples have been engaged again&s;t the Saints, how hath the Angel of the Lord met them in the way, and ju&s;led their bones again&s;t the wall? how hath hee broke their backs, and necks, and by his drawn &s;word cut them off in the prime of their dayes, and in the height of their &s;ins? Ah! what a harve&s;t hath hell had<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Tanto plas glo|riae referemus quoniam eo plures &s;upera|bimus,</HI> the number of oppo&s;ers makes the Chri&s;tians conque&s;t the more illu&s;tri|ous, &s;aid <HI>Pae|darelus</HI> in <HI>E|ra&s;mus.</HI></NOTE> in our dayes, of tho&s;e who have enga|ged again&s;t the Lamb, and tho&s;e that are called cho&s;en and faithfull? ah how hath divine Ju&s;tice powred out their
<PB N="279" REF="150"> blood as water upon the ground? how hath he laid their honour and glory in the du&s;t? who in the pride, and mad|ne&s;&s;e of their hearts &s;aid, as <HI>Pharaoh, we will pur&s;ue, we will overtake, we will di|vide the &s;poile, our lu&s;ts &s;hall be &s;atisfied up|on them: we will draw our &s;word, our hand &s;hall de&s;troy them; in the things wherein they have &s;poken &amp; done proudly, Ju&s;tice hath been above them.</HI> Hi&s;tory abounds in no|thing more then in in&s;tances of this kind, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is to dwell &s;ometime eve|ry morning upon the&s;e following Scriptures, wherein God hath engaged him&s;elfe to &s;tand by his people, and for his people, and to make them victorious over the greate&s;t, and wi&s;e&s;t of their e|nemies.<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 8. 9, 10.</NOTE> <HI>A&s;&s;ociate your &s;elves</HI> (&s;aith the Lord by the Prophet) <HI>oh yee people, and</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Occidit poterant &s;ed vinci non poterant,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Cyprian</HI> of the Chri&s;tians in his time.</NOTE> <HI>and yee &s;hall be broken in pieces, and give eare, all ye of far Countries: gird your &s;elves &amp; ye &s;hal be broken in pieces gird your &s;elves and ye &s;hall be broken in pieces. Take coun|&s;ell together, and it &s;hall come to nougbt: &s;peake the word, and it &s;hall not &s;tand, for God is with us. Feare not thou worm Ja|cob,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 41. 14, 15.</NOTE> <HI>and ye men of I&s;rael, I will help thee &s;aith the Lord, and thy Redemer the holy one of I&s;rael. Behold, I will make thee a new &s;harp thre&s;hing in&s;trument having teeth,
<PB N="280" REF="151"> thou &s;halt thre&s;h the mountaines, and beate them &s;mall, and &s;halt make the hills as chaff.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 16.</NOTE> <HI>Thou &s;halt fanne them, and the winde &s;hall carry them away, and the whirle-winde &s;hall &s;catter them, and thou &s;halt rejoyce in the Lord, and &s;halt glory in the holy one of I&s;rael. No weapon that is formed again&s;t</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 54. 17.</NOTE> <HI>thee &s;hall pro&s;per, and every tongue that &s;hall ri&s;e again&s;t thee in judgement, thou &s;halt condemn. This is the heritage of the &s;ervants of the Lord, and their righteou&s;|ne&s;&s;e is of me &s;aith the Lord. Now al&s;o ma|ny</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mica 4. 11.</NOTE> <HI>Nations are gathered together again&s;t thee, that &s;ay, let her be defiled, and let our eye looke upon Zion. But they know not</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 12.</NOTE> <HI>the thoughts of the Lord, neither under&s;tand they his coun&s;ell; for he &s;hall gather them as the &s;heaves into the floore. Ari&s;e and thre&s;h</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 13.</NOTE> <HI>oh daughter of Zion, for I will make thy horne iron, and I will make thy hoofs bra&s;&s;e, and thou &s;halt beat in pieces many people, and I will con&s;ecrate their gaine unto the Lord, and their &s;ub&s;tance unto the Lord of the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zach. 12. 2, 3.</NOTE> <HI>whole earth. Behold, I will make Jeru&s;a|lem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they &s;hall be in the &s;iege both again&s;t</HI> Judah <HI>and again&s;t</HI> Jeru&s;alem. <HI>And in that day will I make</HI> Jeru&s;alem <HI>a burden &s;ome &s;tone for all people, all that bur|den them&s;elves with it &s;hall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together again&s;t it.</HI></P>
<PB N="281" REF="151">
<P>The 3. <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device of<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedie.</NOTE> Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that you cannot engage again&s;t the Saints, but you mu&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Acts</HI> 5. 39. It &s;eems to be drawn from the &s;able of the Gyants, which were &s;aid to make War with the Gods.</NOTE> engage again&s;t God him&s;elfe, by rea&s;on of that neer, and ble&s;&s;ed union that is between God and them; you cannot be fighters again&s;t the Saints, but you will be found in the ca&s;ting up of the account, to be fighters again&s;t God him&s;elf; and what greater madne&s;&s;e, then for weakne&s;&s;e it &s;elfe to engage a|gain&s;t an almighty &s;trength; the neer union that is between the Lord and Be|leevers, is &s;et forth by that neer union that is betwixt a husband and his Wife.<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;oules happine&s;&s;e con&s;i&s;ts not in any thing but in its uni|on with God; nor its mi&s;ery lies not &s;o much in any thing, as in its di&s;union from God.</NOTE> <HI>(They two &s;hall be one fle&s;h; This is a great Mi&s;tery, but I &s;peake concerning Chri&s;t &amp; the Church) We are members of his body, of his fle&s;h, and of his bones,</HI> &s;aith the Apo|&s;tle: This neer union is &s;et forth by that union that is between the head and the members, which make up one body, and by that union that is betwixt the graft and the &s;tock, which are made one by in&s;cition. The union between the Lord and a Beleever is &s;o neer, that you cannot &s;trike a Beleever, but the Lord is &s;en&s;ible of it, and takes it as done to him&s;elf, <HI>Saul, Saul, why per&s;ecute&s;t thou</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 9. 4. I&s;a. 63. 9.</NOTE> <HI>me? And in all their afflictions he was affli|cted, &amp;c.</HI> Ah &s;oules! who ever enga|ged again&s;t God, and pro&s;pered? who
<PB N="282" REF="152"> ever took up the &s;word again&s;t him, but peri&s;ht by it? God can &s;peak you to hell, and nod you to hell at plea&s;ure; 'tis your greate&s;t concernment to lay downe your weapons at his feet, <HI>and to</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 2. 12.</NOTE> <HI>ki&s;&s;e the &s;onne le&s;t he be angry, and you pe+ri&s;h in the mid-way.</HI></P>
<P>The 4th <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Device</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Hic homo potuit apud Deum quod voluit.</HI> Said one con|cerning <HI>Lu|ther,</HI> he could have what hee would of God.</NOTE> you are much engaged to the Saints (as in&s;truments) for the mercies that you do enjoy, and for the preventing and removing of many a judgment, that otherwi&s;e might have been your ruine, before this day; were it not for the Saints &s;ake, God would quickly make the Heavens to be as bra&s;&s;e, and the Earth as iron, God would quickly &s;trip thee of thy Robes, and glory, and &s;et thee upon the dunghill with <HI>Job:</HI> They are the props that bear the world from falling about thy eares, and that keep the iron rod from breaking of thy bones. <HI>Therefore he &s;aid that hee would</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 106. 23.</NOTE> <HI>de&s;troy them, had not</HI> Mo&s;es <HI>his cho&s;en &s;tood before him in the breach, to turn away</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prayer is (<HI>por|ta coeli, clavis Paradi&s;i</HI>) the gate of Hea|ven, a key to let us into Paradi&s;e.</NOTE> <HI>his wrath, le&s;t he &s;hould de&s;troy them.</HI></P>
<P>Ah! had not the Saints many a time ca&s;t them&s;elves into the breach, betwixt Gods wrath and you, you had been cut off from the land of the living, and have had your portion with tho&s;e,
<PB N="283" REF="152"> who&s;e names are written in the du&s;t;<NOTE PLACE="marg">When the danger is over the Saint is forgotten, is a French Pro|verb, and that which many Saints in <HI>Eng|land</HI> have found by ex|perience.</NOTE> many a Nation, many a City, and ma|ny a Family is &s;urrounded with ble&s;|&s;ings for the <HI>Jo&s;ephs</HI> &s;akes that live there|in, and are pre&s;erved from many cala|mities and mi&s;eries, for the <HI>Mo&s;eses,</HI> the <HI>Daniels,</HI> the <HI>Noahs,</HI> and the <HI>Jobs</HI> &s;akes, that dwell among&s;t them. That's a &s;weet word, <HI>Prov. 10. 25. As the whirlewinde pa&s;&s;eth, &s;o is the wicked no more: but the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> <HI>Je&s;odh gnolam</HI> from <HI>Jo&s;adh.</HI></NOTE> <HI>righteous is an everla&s;ting foundation, or is the foundation of the world;</HI> the righteous is the foundation of the world, which but for their &s;akes would &s;oon &s;hatter, and fall to ruine: &s;o the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>P&s;al. 75. 3. The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are di&s;&s;olved, I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mary</HI> Queen of <HI>Scots,</HI> that was Mother to King <HI>James,</HI> was wont to &s;ay, that &s;he feared Mr. <HI>Knoxes</HI> prayer more then an Army of ten thou&s;and men.</NOTE></P>
<P>The Emperour <HI>Marcus Antonius,</HI> be|ing in <HI>Almany</HI> with his Army, was in|clo&s;ed in a dry Countrey by his ene|mies, who &s;o &s;topped all the pa&s;&s;ages, that he and his Army were like to pe|ri&s;h for want of water; the Emperours Lievtenant &s;eeing him &s;o di&s;tre&s;&s;ed, told him that he had heard, that the Chri|&s;tians could obtaine any thing of their God, by their prayers; whereupon the Emperour having a legion of Chri&s;ti|ans in his Army, de&s;ired them to pray to their God, for his and the Armies delivery out of that danger; which
<PB N="284" REF="153"> they pre&s;ently did, &amp; pre&s;ently a great Thunder fell among&s;t the enemies, and abundance of water upon the <HI>Romanes,</HI> whereby their thir&s;t was quenched, and the enemies overthrowne without any fight. I &s;hall clo&s;e up this la&s;t Remedy, with tho&s;e &s;weet words of the P&s;almi&s;t. <HI>In Judah is God knowne, his name is great</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;. 76. 1, 2, 3.</NOTE> <HI>in I&s;rael: In Salem al&s;o is his Tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Sion. There brake he the arrowes of the bow, the &s;hield, and the &s;word, and the bettell. Selah.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD><HI>Secondly,</HI> Satan hath his De|vices to en&s;nare and de&s;troy the Learned and the Wi&s;e, and that &s;ometimes</HEAD>
<P>BY working them to pride them|&s;elves<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>John</HI> 5. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">4.</NOTE> in their parts and abilities;<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>1 Kings 22. 22, 23, 24, 25. 1 Cor.</HI> 1. 18. to 29.</NOTE> and &s;ometimes by drawing them to re&s;t upon their parts and abilities, &amp; &s;ome|times by cau&s;ing them to make light and &s;light of tho&s;e that want their parts<NOTE PLACE="marg">The truth of this you may &s;ee i'the lear|ned <HI>Scribes</HI> and <HI>Phari&s;ees.</HI></NOTE> and abilities, though they excell them in grace and holine&s;&s;e; and &s;ometimes by drawing them to ingage their parts and abilities, in tho&s;e wayes and things that make again&s;t the honour of Chri&s;t, the joy of the &s;pirit, the advancement
<PB N="285" REF="153"> of the Go&s;pel, and the liberty of the Saints, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this Device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that you have nothing but what you have received; Chri&s;t being as well the fountaine of common gifts, as of &s;aving<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>1 Cor. 4. 7. Quicquid es debes creanti, Quicquid potes debes redimen|ti,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Bern.</HI> What&s;oever thou art, thou owe&s;t to him that made thee, &amp; what|ever thou ha&s;t, thou owe&s;t to him that re|deemed thee.</NOTE> grace. <HI>What ha&s;t thou</HI> (&s;aith the Apo|&s;tle) <HI>that thou ha&s;t not received? And if thou ha&s;t received it, why do&s;t thou glory as though thou had&s;t not received it?</HI> There are tho&s;e that would hammer out their owne happine&s;&s;e, like the Spider climb|ing up by the thread of her owne weav|ing; of all the parts and abilities that be in you, you may well &s;ay, as the young man did of his Hatchet, Alas Ma&s;ter! it was but borrowed; Alas Lord! all I have is but borrowed from that Fountaine that fills all the Ve&s;&s;el in Heaven, and on Earth, and it over|flowes; my gifts are not &s;o much mine,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Chro. 29. 14.</NOTE> as thine: <HI>Of thine owne have we offered unto thee,</HI> &s;aid that Princely Prophet, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<PB N="286" REF="154">
<P>The &s;econd Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that mens leaning and tru&s;ting to their own wits, parts, and abilities, have been their utter overthrow, and ruine;<NOTE PLACE="marg">General coun|&s;els were &s;el|dome &s;ucce&s;|full, becau&s;e men came with confi|dence, lean|ing to their owne under|&s;tanding, and &s;eeking for vi|ctory rather then verity, &s;aith one.</NOTE> as you may &s;ee in <HI>Achitophel,</HI> and tho&s;e Pre&s;idents and Princes that engaged a|gain&s;t <HI>Daniel,</HI> and in the Scribes and Phari&s;ees; God loves to confute men in their Confidences; he that &s;tands up|on his parts and abilities, doth but &s;tand upon a quick-&s;and, that will certainly faile him. There is nothing in the world that provokes God more to with-draw from the &s;oul, then this, and how can the &s;oul &s;tand when his &s;trength is de|parted from him? Every thing that a man leanes upon, but God, will be a dart that will certainly pierce his heart through and through; ah! how many in the&s;e dayes have lo&s;t their e&s;tates? their friends? their lives? their &s;ouls? by leaning upon their admired parts and abilities? The Saints are de&s;cribed<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 8. 5.</NOTE> by their leaning upon their beloved the Lord Je&s;us; he that leanes onely upon the bo&s;ome of Chri&s;t, lives the highe&s;t, choyce&s;t, &s;afe&s;t, and &s;weete&s;t life; mi&s;eries alwayes lye at that mans doore, that leans upon any thing below the precious bo&s;ome of Chri&s;t. Such a man is mo&s;t in danger, and this is none
<PB N="287" REF="154"> of his lea&s;t plagues, that he thinks him|&s;elfe &s;ecure. 'Tis the greate&s;t wi&s;dome in the world, to take the wi&s;e mans coun&s;ell. <HI>Tru&s;t in the Lord with all thy</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 3. 5.</NOTE> <HI>heart, and leane not to thine owne under|&s;tanding.</HI></P>
<P>The third Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is to con&s;ider, that you doe not tran&s;cend others, more in parts and abilities, then they doe you in<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Judas</HI> and the <HI>Scribes</HI> &amp; <HI>Pha|ri&s;ees,</HI> had <HI>great parts,</HI> but no grace, the Di&s;|ciples had grace, but weak parts.</NOTE> grace and holine&s;&s;e, there may be, and often is great parts and abilities where there is but little grace, yea no grace; and there may be, and often is, a great deale of grace, where there is but weak parts and abilities; you may be higher then others in gifts of knowledge, ut|terance, learning, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> and tho&s;e very &s;ouls may be higher then you in their communion with God, in their delight|ing<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Luke 11. 1. Mark 8. 31, 32, 33. Luke</HI> 24. 19. to 28.</NOTE> in God, in their dependance upon God, in their affections to God, and in their humble, holy, and unblamable walking before God; Is it folly and madne&s;&s;e in a man, to make light and &s;light of another, becau&s;e he is not &s;o rich in lead, or iron, as he, when he is a thou&s;and thou&s;and times richer in &s;il|ver and in gold, in Jewels, and in Pearls, then he? And is it not madne&s;&s;e and folly with a witne&s;&s;e, in tho&s;e that have greater parts and abilities then others,
<PB N="288" REF="155"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">o &s;light them upon that account, when that tho&s;e very per&s;ons, that they make light and &s;light of, have a thou&s;and times more grace then they? And yet ah! how doth this evill &s;pirit prevaile in the world? 'Twas the &s;ad complaint of <HI>Au&s;tin</HI> in his time, <HI>The unlearned</HI> (&s;aid<NOTE PLACE="marg">Surgeant indo|cti &amp; rapiunt coelum &amp; nos cum doctrinis no&s;tris detrudi|mur in gehenna~.</NOTE> he) <HI>ri&s;e up, and take Heaven by violence, and we with all our learning are thru&s;t down to hell;</HI> 'tis &s;ad to &s;ee, how many of the Rabbies of the&s;e times, doe make an I|dol of their parts and abilities; and with what an eye of pride, &s;corne, and contempt doe they looke upon tho&s;e that want their parts, and that doe not wor&s;hip the idoll that they have &s;et up in their own hearts. <HI>Paul</HI> who was the great Doctor of the <HI>Gentiles,</HI> did won|derfully tran&s;cend in all parts and abi|lities, the Doctors and Rabbies of our times, and yet ah! how humbly, how tenderly, how &s;weetly doth he carry him&s;elfe towards the meane&s;t and the<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor 9. 22. 2 Cor. 11. 29.</NOTE> weake&s;t; <HI>To the weake I became as weake, that I might win the weak; I am made all things to all men, that I might by all meanes &s;ave &s;ome. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burne not? Where|fore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will ea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> no fle&s;h while the World &s;tandeth, lea&s;t I make my brother to offend.</HI> But ah! how little of this &s;weet &s;pirit is to be found
<PB N="289" REF="155"> in the Doctors of our age, who look &s;owrely, &amp; &s;peak bitterly again&s;t tho&s;e that doe not &s;ee as they &s;ee, nor cannot &s;peak as they &s;peak. Sirs, the &s;pirit of<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 60. 13, 14, 15, 16, 17.</NOTE> the Lord (even in de&s;pi&s;ed Saints) will be too hard for you, and his appearan|ces in them, in the&s;e latter dayes, will be &s;o full of &s;pirituall beauty and glo|ry, as that they will darken that, that you are too apt to count and call your glory; the &s;pirit of the Lord will not &s;uffer his choyce&s;t jewell grace, to be alwayes buried under the &s;traw, and &s;tubble of parts and gifts.</P>
<P>The fourth Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that there<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Becanus</HI> &s;aith, that the tree of Knowledge beares many leaves, and lit|tle fruit; ah! that it were not &s;o with many in the&s;e dayes, who once did out|&s;hine the &s;tars, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></NOTE> is no &s;uch way for men to have their gifts and parts bla&s;ted, and withered, as to pride them&s;elves in them, as to re&s;t upon them, as to make light and &s;light of tho&s;e that want them, as to engage them again&s;t tho&s;e per&s;ons, wayes, and things that Je&s;us Chri&s;t hath &s;et his heart upon. Ah! how hath God bla&s;t|ed, and withered the parts and abilities of many among us, that have once been famous &s;hining lights, how is their &s;un darkned, and their glory clouded? <HI>How</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zech. 11. 17.</NOTE> <HI>is the &s;word of the Lord upon their arme, and upon their right eye? How is their arm clean dried up, and their right eye utterly darkned?</HI> as the Prophet &s;peaks. This is
<PB N="290" REF="156"> matter of humiliation and lamentati|on; many precious di&s;cerning Saints doe &s;ee this, and in &s;ecret mourn for it; and oh! that they were kindly &s;en&s;ible of Gods withdrawing from them, that they may repent, keep humble, and car|ry it &s;weetly towards Gods Jewels, and lean only upon the Lord, and not up|on their parts and under&s;tanding, that &s;o the Lord may delight to vi&s;it them w^t^h his grace, at &s;uch a rate, as that their faces may &s;hine more gloriou&s;ly then e|ver, and they may be more &s;erviceable to the honour of Chri&s;t, and the faith of the Saints, then formerly they have been, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD><HI>Thirdly,</HI> Satan hath his De|vices to destroy the Saints, &amp; one great Device that he hath to destroy the Saints, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY working them fir&s;t to be &s;trange,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gal</HI> 5. 15. If we knock, we break&punc; di&s;|&s;olution is the d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ghter of d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">&s;&s;en<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ion.</NOTE> and then to divide, and then to be bi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">er and jealous, and then <HI>to bite and devoure one another;</HI> our owne wofull experi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">nce is too great a proof of this. The <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> in <HI>Aegypt</HI> did not more
<PB N="291" REF="156"> vex one another, then Chri&s;tians in the&s;e dayes have done, which occa&s;io|ned a deadly con&s;umption to fall up|on &s;ome.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the remedies again&s;t this Device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t Remedy again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to dwell more upon one anothers graces, then upon one a|nothers weakne&s;&s;es and infirmities: 'tis &s;ad to con&s;ider, that Saints &s;hould have<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Flavius Ve&s;pa|&s;ianus</HI> (the Emperour) was more rea|dy to conceal the vices of his friends, then their virtues; can you think &s;e|riou&s;ly of this Chri&s;tians (that a Hea|then &s;hould excell you) &amp; not blu&s;h? 2 <HI>Cor. 2. 7, 8.</HI></NOTE> many eyes to behold one anothers in|firmities, and not one eye to &s;ee each o|thers graces; that they &s;hould u&s;e &s;pe|ctacles to behold one anothers weak|ne&s;&s;es, rather then looking gla&s;&s;es to be|hold one anothers graces. <HI>Era&s;mus</HI> tels of one, who collected all the lame and defective Ver&s;es in <HI>Homers</HI> works, but pa&s;&s;ed over all that were excellent; ah! that this were not the practice of many that &s;hall at la&s;t meet in Heaven, that they were not carefull and skillfull to collect all the weakne&s;&s;es of others, and to pa&s;&s;e over all tho&s;e things that are excellent in them. The <HI>Corinthians</HI> did eye more the ince&s;tuous per&s;ons &s;inne,
<PB N="292" REF="157"> then his &s;orrow, which was like to have drown'd him in &s;orrow.</P>
<P>Tell me Saints, is it not a more &s;weet, comfortable, and delightfull thing, to look more upon one anothers graces, then upon one anothers infirmities? Tell me, what plea&s;ure, what delight, what comfort is there in looking upon the enemies, the wounds, the &s;ores, the &s;ickne&s;&s;es, the di&s;ea&s;es, the nakedne&s;&s;e of our friends? Now &s;in you know, is the &s;ouls enemy, the &s;ouls wound, the &s;ouls &s;ores, the &s;ouls &s;ickne&s;&s;e, the &s;ouls<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Non Gens, &s;ed mens, non Ge|nus &s;ed Genius,</HI> Not race, or place, but grace, truly &s;ets forth a m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">n.</NOTE> di&s;ea&s;e, the &s;ouls nakedne&s;&s;e; and ah! what a heart hath that man that loves thus to look? Grace is the choice&s;t flow|er in all a Chri&s;tians garden, 'tis the ri|che&s;t Jewell in all his Crown, 'tis his Princely Robes, 'tis the top of Royal|ty, and therefore mu&s;t needs be the mo&s;t plea&s;ing, &s;weet, and delightfull object for a gracious eye to be fixt upon. Sin is darkne&s;&s;e, grace is light, &s;in is hell, grace is Heaven; and what madne&s;&s;e is it, to look more at darkne&s;&s;e, then at light; more at hell, then at Heaven?<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Jam. 5. 11. 2. 25. 1 Pet. 2. 6. vide.</HI> Sin is Satans work, Grace is Gods work<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> &amp; is it not mo&s;t <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="3 letters">et that the child &s;hould eye mo&s;t, and mind mo&s;t his Fathers work, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></NOTE></P>
<P>T<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ll me Saints, doth not God look more upon his people graces, then up|on their weakne&s;&s;es, &s;urely he doth; he looks more at <HI>Davids</HI> and <HI>A&s;a's</HI> up|rightne&s;&s;e, then upon their infirmities, though they were great and many; he
<PB N="293" REF="157"> eyes more <HI>Job's</HI> patience, then his pa&s;&s;i|on, <HI>Remember the patience of Job,</HI> not a word of his impatience, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> He that drew <HI>Alexander</HI> while&s;t he had a &s;car upon his face, drew him with his finger upon the &s;car; God puts his finger up|on his peoples &s;cars, that no blemi&s;h may appear; ah Saints! that you would make it the top of your glory in this, to be like your heavenly Father; by &s;o doing, much &s;in would be prevented, the de&s;ignes of wicked men fru&s;trated, Satan out-witted, many wounds heal|ed, many &s;ad hearts cheared, and God more aboundantly honored, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;econd Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that love and unity makes mo&s;t for your own &s;afety, and &s;ecurity. We &s;hall<NOTE PLACE="marg">There was a Temple of Concord a|mong&s;t the Heathens, and &s;hall it not be found among Chri&s;tians, that are Tem|ples of the holy Gho&s;t.</NOTE> be <HI>in&s;uperabiles,</HI> if we be <HI>in&s;eperabiles,</HI> in|vincible, if wee be in&s;eperable. The world may frowne upon you, and plot again&s;t you, but they cannot hurt you; unity is the be&s;t bond of &s;afety, in eve|ry Church and Common-wealth. And this did that <HI>Scythian</HI> King in <HI>Plutark,</HI> repre&s;ent lively to his 80 Sons, when being ready to dye, he commanded a bundle of Arrowes fa&s;t bound together, to be given to his Sons to break, they all tried to break them, but being bound fa&s;t together, they could not, then he
<PB N="294" REF="158"> cau&s;ed the band to be cut, &amp; then they<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Pancirollus</HI> &s;aith, that the mo&s;t precious pearle among the <HI>Romans</HI> was call'd <HI>unio</HI> union.</NOTE> broke them with ea&s;e: he applyed it thus; My Sons, &s;o long as you keepe together, you will be invincible, but if the band of union be broke betwixt you, you will ea&s;ily be broken in <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ie|ces. <HI>Plinie</HI> writes of a &s;tone in the I&s;land of <HI>Scyrus,</HI> that if it be whole, though a large and heavy one, it &s;wims above water, but being broken, it &s;inks: &s;o long as Saints keep whole, nothing &s;hall &s;ink them, but if they break, they are in danger of &s;inking and drowning, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The third Remedy again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is to dwell upon tho&s;e commands of God that doe require you<NOTE PLACE="marg">To act, or run cro&s;&s;e to Gods expre&s;&s;e com|mand, though under pre|tence of Re|velation from God, is as much as a mans life is worth, as you may &s;ee in that &s;ad &s;tory, 1 <HI>Kings 13. 24.</HI></NOTE> to love one another; oh! when your hearts begin to ri&s;e again&s;t each other, charge the Commands of God upon your hearts, and &s;ay to your &s;ouls, oh our &s;ouls! hath not the eternall God commanded you to love them that love the Lord? And is it not life to obey, and death to rebell? Therefore looke that you fulfill the commands of the Lord, for his commands are not like tho&s;e that are ea&s;ily rever&s;ed, but they are like tho&s;e of the <HI>Medes</HI> that cannot be changed. Oh! be much in ponder|ing upon the&s;e Commands of God; <HI>A new Commandement I give unto you, that yee</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">John 13. 34.</NOTE> <HI>love one another as I have loved you; that
<PB N="295" REF="158"> yee al&s;o love one another.</HI> 'Tis called a new<NOTE PLACE="marg">Some con|ceive it to be an Hebrai&s;me, in which lan|guage, new, rare, and mo&s;t excellent are Synonima's. <HI>John 15. 12. 17.</HI></NOTE> commandement, becau&s;e 'tis renewed in the Go&s;pel, and &s;et home by Chri&s;ts example, and becau&s;e 'tis rare, choi&s;e, &s;peciall, and remarkable above all o|thers. <HI>This is my commandement, that ye love one another as I have loved you. The&s;e things I command you, that ye love one ano|ther. Owe no man any thing, but love one another; for he that loveth another, hath</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 13. 8.</NOTE> <HI>fulfilled the Law. Let brotherly love con|tinue.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 13. 1.</NOTE> <HI>Love one another, for love is of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Iohn. 4. 7.</NOTE> <HI>God: And every one that loveth is borne of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 1. 22.</NOTE> <HI>God, and knoweth God. See that ye love</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chap. 3. v. 8.</NOTE> <HI>one another with a pure heart fervently. Fi|nally, be ye all of one minde, having com|pa&s;&s;ion one of another. Love as brethren, be pittifull, be courteous. For this is the me&s;|&s;age</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Iohn 3. 11.</NOTE> <HI>that ye heard from the beginning, that we &s;hould love one another. And this is his</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 23.</NOTE> <HI>Commandement, that wee &s;hould beleeve on the name of his &s;onne Je&s;us Chri&s;t, and love one another as he gave us commandement. Beloved, if God &s;o loved us, we ought to love</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chap. 4. v. 11.</NOTE> <HI>one another.</HI></P>
<P>Oh! dwell much upon the&s;e preci|ous commands, that your love may be<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Ancients u&s;e to &s;ay commonly that <HI>Alexander</HI> and <HI>Ephe&s;tion</HI> had but one &s;oule in two di&s;tinct bo|dies, becau&s;e their joy and &s;orrow, glory, and di&s;grace was mutual to them both.</NOTE> inflamed one to another. In the pri|mitive times it was much taken notice of by the Heathens, that in the depth of mi&s;ery, when fathers and mothers for&s;ook their children, Chri&s;tians (o|therwi&s;e
<PB N="296" REF="159"> &s;trangers) &s;tuck one to ano|ther, who&s;e love of Religion proved firmer then that of nature. Ah! that there were more of that &s;pirit among the Saints in the&s;e dayes. The world was once de&s;troyed with water, for the heat of lu&s;ts, and 'tis thought it will be again de&s;troyed with fire, for the cold|ne&s;&s;e of love.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to dwell more upon tho&s;e choice and &s;weet things, wherein you agree, then upon tho&s;e things wherein you differ; ah! did you but thus, how would &s;infull heats be aba|ted, and your love rai&s;ed, and your &s;pirits &s;weetned one to another; you a|gree in mo&s;t, you differ but in a few; you agree in the greate&s;t, and weightie&s;t; as concerning God, Chri&s;t, the &s;pirit, the Scripture, &amp;c. you differ only in tho&s;e points that have been long di&s;putable among&s;t men of greate&s;t piety, and parts; you agree to own the Scripture, to hold to Chri&s;t the Head, and to walk<NOTE PLACE="marg">What a &s;ad thing was it that a Hea|then &s;hould &s;ay, No bea&s;ts are &s;o mi&s;|chievous to men, as Chri|&s;tians are one to another.</NOTE> according to the lawes of the new crea|ture. Shall <HI>Herod</HI> and <HI>Pilate</HI> agree? &s;hall <HI>Turks</HI> and <HI>Pagans</HI> agree? &s;hall <HI>Beares</HI> and <HI>Lions, Tygers</HI> and <HI>Wolves,</HI> yea, &s;hall a le|gion of <HI>Devills</HI> agree in one body? and &s;hall not <HI>Saints</HI> agree, who differ only in &s;uch things as have lea&s;t of the heart
<PB N="297" REF="159"> of God in them? and that &s;hall never hinder your meeting in heaven, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The fifth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that God delights to be &s;tiled <HI>(Deus pacis) the God of peace;</HI> and Chri&s;t to be &s;tiled<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2 Cor. 13. 11. I&s;a. 9. 6. &V;bi pax ibi Chri&s;tus, quia Chri&s;tus pax,</HI> where peace is, there is Chri&s;t, becau&s;e Chri&s;t is peace.</NOTE> <HI>(Princeps pacis) the Prince of peace; and King of Salem,</HI> that is, King of Peace; and the Spirit is a &s;pirit of Peace. <HI>The fruit of the &s;pirit is love, joy, peace, Gal.</HI> 5. 22. Oh! why then &s;hould not the Saints be children of peace? Certainely men of froward, unquiet, fiery &s;pirits cannot have that &s;weet evidence of their intere&s;t in the God of Peace, and in the Prince of Peace, and in the &s;pirit of Peace, as tho&s;e precious &s;ouls have that follow after the things that make for love and peace. The very name of peace<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Dulce nomen pacis</HI> &s;aid the Oratour. The <HI>Grecians</HI> had the &s;tatue of peace with <HI>Pluto,</HI> the god of <HI>Riches</HI> in her Arms.</NOTE> is &s;weet and comfortable; the fruit and effect thereof plea&s;ant, and profitable, more to be de&s;ired then innumerable Triumphs; 'Tis a ble&s;&s;ing that u&s;hers in a multitude of other ble&s;&s;ings. The Ancients were wont to paint Peace in the form of a Woman, with a horne of plenty in her hand. Ah! peace and love among the Saints is that which will &s;e|cure them, and their mercies at home; yea, it will multiply their mercies, it wil engage the God of mercy to crown them with the choice&s;t mercies, and 'tis
<PB N="298" REF="160"> that will render them mo&s;t terrible, in|vincible, and &s;ucce&s;&s;efull abroad; love and peace among the Saints, is that which puts the coun&s;ells of their Enemies to a &s;tand, and renders all their enterprizes abortive; 'tis that which doth mo&s;t weaken their hands, wound their hopes, and kill their hearts, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The &s;ixth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to make more care and con&s;cience of keeping up your peace<NOTE PLACE="marg">There is no fear of know|ing too much, but there is much feare in practi&s;ing too little.</NOTE> with God; ah Chri&s;tians! I am afraid, that your remi&s;ne&s;s herein is that which hath occa&s;ioned much of that &s;owre|ne&s;&s;e, bitterne&s;&s;e, and divi&s;ions that be among you; ah! you have not as you &s;hould kep't up your peace with God; and therefore 'tis that you do &s;o dread|fully breake the peace among your &s;elves. The Lord hath promi&s;ed, <HI>That</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 16. 7.</NOTE> <HI>when a mans wayes plea&s;e him, he will make his enemies to be at peace with him;</HI> ah!<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Pharnaces</HI> &s;ent a Crown to <HI>Cae&s;ar</HI> at the &s;ame time hee rebelled a|gain&s;t him&punc; but he retur|ned the Crown, &amp; this me&s;&s;age back (<HI>faceret impe|rata prius</HI>) let him return to his obedience fir&s;t; there is no &s;ound peace to be had with God or man, but in a way of o|bedience.</NOTE> how much more then would God make the children of peace to keep the Peace among them&s;elves, if their wayes did but plea&s;e him? All creatures are at his beck and check. <HI>Laban</HI> followed <HI>Jacob</HI> with one Troup, <HI>E&s;au</HI> met him with a|nother, both with ho&s;tile intentions; but <HI>Jacobs</HI> wayes plea&s;ing the Lord, God by his mighty power &s;o works,
<PB N="299" REF="160"> that <HI>Laban</HI> leaves him with a ki&s;&s;e, and <HI>E&s;au</HI> meets him with a ki&s;&s;e; he hath an oath of one, tears of the other, and peace with both; if we make it our bu|&s;ine&s;&s;e to keep up our league with God, God will make it his worke, and his glory to maintain our peace with men; but if men make light of keeping up their peace with God, 'tis ju&s;t with God to leave them to a &s;pirit of pride, envy, pa&s;&s;ion, contention, divi&s;ion, and con|fu&s;ion, <HI>to leave them to bite and devour one another, till they be con&s;umed one of ano|ther, &amp;c.</HI></P>
<P>The &s;eventh <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">7 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to dwell much up|on that neer relation, and union that is between you; this con&s;ideration had a &s;weet influence upon <HI>Abrahams</HI> heart. <HI>And Abraham &s;aid unto Lot, Let there be</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Gen.</HI> 13. 8. <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> Oh let there be no bitter|ne&s;s between us, for we are brethren.</NOTE> <HI>no &s;trife I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen, and thy herdmen, for we be brethren.</HI> That is a &s;weet word in the <HI>P&s;almi&s;t; Behold, how good, and how plea&s;ant it is for brethren to live together in unity.</HI> It is not good, and not ple&s;ant;<NOTE PLACE="marg">The party co|loured coats were charact|ers of the Kings chil|dren, &s;o is following af|ter peace now.</NOTE> or plea&s;ant and not good, but good and plea&s;ant; there be &s;ome things that be (<HI>bona &s;ed non jucunda</HI>) good, and not plea&s;ant, as patience and di&s;cipline; and there be &s;ome things that are plea|&s;ant, but not good, as carnall plea|&s;ures,
<PB N="300" REF="161"> voluptuou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &amp;c. and there are &s;ome things that are neither good, nor plea&s;ant, as malice, envy, worldly &s;orrow, &amp;c. and there are &s;ome things that are both good and plea&s;ant, as pi|ety, charity, peace and union among brethren; and oh! that wee could &s;ee more of this among tho&s;e that &s;hall one day meet (in their Fathers King|dome) and never part, &amp;c. And as they are brethren, &s;o they are all fel|low-members. <HI>Now yee are the body of</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 12. 27.</NOTE> <HI>Chri&s;t, and members in particular.</HI></P>
<P>And again, <HI>We are members of his bo|dy, of his fle&s;h, and of his bones.</HI> Shall<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 5. 30.</NOTE> the members of the naturall body be &s;erviceable, and u&s;efull to one another, and &s;hall the members of this &s;pirituall body cut, and de&s;troy one another? Is it again&s;t the Law of Nature for the na|turall members to cut, and &s;la&s;h one a|nother? and is it not much more a|gain&s;t the Law of Nature, and of grace, for the members of Chri&s;ts glorious bo|dy to do &s;o? And as you are all fellow|members, &s;o you are all fellow-&s;oul|diers<NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 12 7, 8. Heb. 2. 10.</NOTE> under the &s;ame Captain of &s;alva|tion, the Lord Je&s;us, fighting again&s;t the world, the fle&s;h, and the Devill. And as you are all fellow-&s;ouldiers, &s;o are you all fellow-&s;ufferers under the &s;ame enemies, the Devill, and the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 2. 10.</NOTE>
<PB N="301" REF="161"> world. And as you are all fellow-&s;uffe|rers,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>John 15. 19&punc; 20. Heb. 13. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. Heb.</HI> 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">.</NOTE> &s;o are you fellow-travellers to|wards the Land of <HI>Canaan, the new Je|ru&s;alem that is above. Here we have no a|biding City, but we looke for one to come;</HI> the heires of Heaven are &s;trangers on earth. And as you are all fellow&punc; tra|vellers, &s;o are you all fellow-heirs of<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 17.</NOTE> the &s;ame Crown and inheritance.</P>
<P>The eighth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>De|vice</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">8 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to dwell upon the mi|&s;eries of di&s;cord; di&s;&s;olution is the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Our di&s;&s;enti|ons are one of the Jews grea|te&s;t &s;tumbling blocks; can you thinke of it, and your hearts not bleed?</NOTE> daughter of di&s;&s;ention; ah! how doth the name of Chri&s;t, and the way of Chri&s;t &s;uffer by the di&s;cord of Saints? how are many that are entring upon the wayes of God hindered, and &s;added, and the mouths of the wicked opened, and their hearts hardned again&s;t God, and his ways, by the di&s;cord of his peo|ple? Remember this, the di&s;agreement of Chri&s;tians is the Devills triumph; and what a &s;ad thing is this, that Chri|&s;tians &s;hould give Satan cau&s;e to tri|umph. 'Twas a notable &s;aying of one, <HI>take away &s;trife, and call backe peace, le&s;t thou loo&s;e a man thy friend, and the Devill an enemie joy over you both,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>The ninth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">9 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that 'tis no di&s;paragement to you to be fir&s;t in &s;eeking peace, and reconcile|ment,
<PB N="302" REF="162"> but rather an honour to you,<NOTE PLACE="marg">They &s;hall both have the name, and the note, the comfort, and the credite of being mo&s;t like unto God, who fir&s;t begin to pur|&s;ue after peace.</NOTE> that you have begun to &s;eek peace. <HI>A|braham</HI> was the elder, and more worthy then <HI>Lot,</HI> both in re&s;pect of grace, and nature al&s;o (for hee was unkle unto <HI>Lot</HI>) and yet he fir&s;t &s;eeks peace of his inferiour, which God hath recorded as his honour. Ah! how doth the God of peace by his &s;pirit, and me&s;&s;engers pur&s;ue after peace with poor creatures. God fir&s;t makes offers of peace to us. <HI>Now then we are Amba&s;&s;adors for Chri&s;t, as</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 5. 20.</NOTE> <HI>though God did be&s;eech you by us: wee pray you in Chri&s;ts &s;tead, be ye reconciled to God</HI> Gods grace fir&s;t kneels to us, and who can turn their backs upon &s;uch ble&s;&s;ed, and bleeding embracements; but &s;oul<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, <HI>in whom Satan the God of this world</HI> kings it? God is the party wronged, and yet he &s;ues for peace with us at fir&s;t. <HI>I &s;aid,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 65. 1.</NOTE> <HI>behold me, behold mee, unto a Nation that was not called by my name;</HI> ah! how doth<NOTE PLACE="marg">Behold mee, behold me, 'tis gemina|ted to &s;hew Gods exceed|ing forward|ne&s;&s;e to &s;hew &s;avour and mercy to them.</NOTE> the &s;weetne&s;&s;e, the freene&s;&s;e, and the ri|ches of his grace break forth, and &s;hine upon poor &s;oules. When a man goes from the &s;un, yet the &s;un-beams follow him: &s;o when wee goe from the Sun of Righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, yet then the beames of his love and mercy follow us. Chri&s;t fir&s;t &s;ent to <HI>Peter</HI> that had denyed him, and the re&s;t that had for&s;aken him; <HI>Goe your wayes, and tell his Di&s;ciples and</HI> Pe|ter,
<PB N="303" REF="162"> <HI>that he goeth before you into Galilee,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Marke 16. 7.</NOTE> <HI>there &s;hall yee &s;ee him, as he &s;aid unto you.</HI></P>
<P>Ah &s;ouls! 'tis not a ba&s;e, low thing, but a God-like thing, though we are wronged by others, yet to be the fir&s;t in &s;eeking after peace, &s;uch actings will &s;peake out much of God with a mans &s;pirit, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Chri&s;tians! 'tis not matter of liberty, whether you will, or you will not pur|&s;ue after peace; but 'tis matter of duty that lies upon you, you are bound by expre&s;&s;e precepts to follow after peace; and though it may &s;eem to flie from you, yet you mu&s;t pur&s;ue after it. <HI>Fol|low</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 12. 14. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, it &s;ignifies to follow after peace, as the per&s;ecutor doth him whom he per|&s;ecuteth. <HI>P&s;al. 34. 14.</HI></NOTE> <HI>peace with all men, and holine&s;&s;e, with|out which no man &s;hall &s;ee the Lord.</HI> Peace and holine&s;s is to be pur&s;ued after with the greate&s;t eagerne&s;&s;e that can be ima|gined: So the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>Depart from e|vill, and do good, &s;eeke peace, and pur&s;ue it;</HI> the Hebrew word that is here rendred <HI>&s;eeke</HI> is in <HI>Pihil,</HI> and it &s;ignifies to &s;eeke earne&s;tly, vehemently, affectionately,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"></NOTE> &s;tudiou&s;ly, indu&s;triou&s;ly, and <HI>pur&s;ue</HI> it: that Hebrew word &s;ignifies earne&s;tly<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"></NOTE> to pur&s;ue, being a Metaphor taken from the eagerne&s;&s;e of wilde Bea&s;ts, or rave|nous<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"></NOTE> Fowles, which will run, or flye both fa&s;t, and far, rather then be di&s;ap|pointed of their prey. So the Apo&s;tle pre&s;&s;es the &s;ame duty upon the <HI>Romans,
<PB N="304" REF="163"> Let us follow after the things that make for</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 14. 19.</NOTE> <HI>peace, and things wherewith one m<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y edefie another.</HI></P>
<P>Ah! you froward, &s;ower, dogged Chri&s;tians, can you looke upon the&s;e commands of God without teares, and blu&s;hing? I have read a remarkable &s;tory of <HI>Ari&s;tippus,</HI> though but a Hea|then,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Plutarch.</NOTE> who went of his owne accord to <HI>Ae&s;chines</HI> his enemy, and &s;aid, &s;hall we never be reconciled, till wee become a Table-talk to all the Countrey? And when <HI>E&s;chines</HI> an&s;wered, he would mo&s;t gladly be at peace with him; Remem|ber then &s;aid <HI>Ari&s;tippus,</HI> that though I were the elder and better man, yet I &s;ought fir&s;t unto thee. Thou art indeed &s;aid <HI>Ae&s;chines,</HI> a far better man then I; for I began the quarrell, but thou the reconcilement. My prayer &s;hall be, that this Heathen may not ri&s;e in judg|ment again&s;t the flouri&s;hing Profe&s;&s;ours of our times; <HI>Who whet their tongues like</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 64. 3.</NOTE> <HI>a &s;word, and bend their bowes to &s;hoot their arrowes, even bitter words.</HI></P>
<P>The tenth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this device<NOTE PLACE="marg">10 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, for Saints to joyne toge|ther, and walk together in the wayes of grace and holine&s;&s;e, &s;o far as they do a|gree, making the word the only touch|&s;tone, and judge of their actions. That is &s;weet advice that the Apo&s;tle gves; <HI>I
<PB N="305" REF="163"> pre&s;&s;e toward the marke for the price of the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Phil. 3. 14.</NOTE> <HI>high calling of God, in Chri&s;t Je&s;us. Let</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 15.</NOTE> <HI>us therefore as many as be perfect</HI> (compa|ratively, or conceitedly &s;o) <HI>be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwi&s;e minded, God &s;hall reveale even this unto you. Nevertherle&s;&s;e, whereto we have already at|tained,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 16.</NOTE> <HI>let us walke by the &s;ame rule, let us minde the &s;ame thing.</HI></P>
<P>Ah Chri&s;tians! God loo&s;es much, and you loo&s;e much, and Satan gains much by this, that you doe not, that you will not walke lovingly together, &s;o far as your wayes lye together; 'Tis your &s;inne and &s;hame that you doe not, that you will not pray together, and heare together, and conferr together, and mourn together, &amp;c. becau&s;e that<NOTE PLACE="marg">Great is the power of joynt-prayer. <HI>Mary</HI> Queen of <HI>Scots,</HI> &s;aid, &s;he &s;eared more the prayers of Mr. <HI>Knox,</HI> and his accomplices, then an Army of 30000. men.</NOTE> in &s;ome far le&s;&s;er things you are not a|greed together; what folly and mad|ne&s;&s;e is it in tho&s;e, who&s;e way of a hundred miles lies four&s;core and nine|teen together, yet will not walk &s;o far together, becau&s;e that they cannot goe the other mile together; yet &s;uch is the folly and madne&s;&s;e of many Chri&s;tians in the&s;e dayes, who will not do many things they may doe, becau&s;e they can|not doe every thing they &s;hould doe. I feare God will whip them into a better temper before he hath done with them; <HI>He will breake their bones, and pierce
<PB N="306" REF="164"> their hearts;</HI> but he will cure them of this malady, &amp;c.</P>
<P>And be &s;ure you make the word the onely Touch-&s;tone, and Judge of all per&s;ons and actions. <HI>To the Law and to</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 8. 20.</NOTE> <HI>the Te&s;timony, if they &s;peake not according to this word, 'tis becau&s;e there is no light in them.</HI> 'Tis be&s;t and &s;afe&s;t, to make that to be the judge of all men, and things now, that all &s;hall be judged by in the latter day. <HI>The word</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t)<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 12. 48.</NOTE> <HI>that I have &s;poken, the &s;ame &s;hall judg him in the la&s;t day.</HI> Make not your dim light, your notions, your fancies, your opi|nions, the Judge of mens actions, but &s;till judge by rule, and plead, 'tis writ|ten, when a vaine, importunate &s;oule cryed out in conte&s;t with a holy man, heare me, heare me; the holy man an|&s;wered, <HI>Neither heare me, nor I thee, but</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Nec ego te, nec tu me, &s;ed am|bo audiamus Apo&s;tulum.</NOTE> <HI>let us both heare the Apo&s;tle.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Con&s;tantine</HI> in all the di&s;putes before him with the <HI>Arrians,</HI> would &s;till call for the word of God, as the only way, if not to convert, yet to &s;top their mouths, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The 11. <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">11 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to be much in &s;elf-judging.<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 11. 31.</NOTE> <HI>Judge your &s;elves, and you &s;hall not be judg|ed of the Lord:</HI> ah! were Chri&s;tians<NOTE PLACE="marg">Its &s;toried of <HI>Nero</HI> him&s;elf, being un|clean, he did think there was no man cha&s;te.</NOTE> hearts more taken up in judging them|&s;elves, and condemning them&s;eves, they
<PB N="307" REF="164"> would not be &s;o apt to judge and cen|&s;ure others, and to carry it &s;owrly, and bitterly towards others that differ from them. There are no &s;ouls in the world, that are &s;o fearfull to judge others, as<NOTE PLACE="marg">In the Olym|pick games, the wre&s;tlers did not put their Crowns upon their own heads, but upon the heads of o|thers; 'tis &s;o with &s;ouls, that are good at &s;elfe|judg|ing.</NOTE> tho&s;e that do mo&s;t judg them&s;elves, nor &s;o carefull to make a righteous judge|ment of men, or things, as tho&s;e that are mo&s;t carefull to judge them&s;elves. There are none in the world that trem|ble to think evill of others, to &s;peak e|vill of others, or to do evill to others, as tho&s;e that make it their bu&s;ine&s;&s;e to judge them&s;elves; there are none that make &s;uch &s;weet con&s;tructions, and charitable interpretations of men, and things, as tho&s;e that are be&s;t, and mo&s;t in judging them&s;elves. One reque&s;t I have to you, that are much in judging others, and little in judging your &s;elves; to you that are &s;o apt, and prone to judge ra&s;hly, fal&s;ly, and un|righteou&s;ly, and that is, that you will every morning dwel a little upon the&s;e Scriptures.</P>
<P><HI>Judge not that yee be not judged. For</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Math. 7. 1.</NOTE> <HI>with what judgement yee judge, yee &s;hall be judged: and with what mea&s;ures ye meet, it</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 2.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hall be mea&s;ured to you again. Judge not ac|cording</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 7. 24.</NOTE> <HI>to appearance, but judge righteous judgment. Let not him that eateth not, judg</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 14. 3.</NOTE> <HI>him that eateth, for God hath received him.
<PB N="308" REF="165"> Why do&s;t thou iudge thy brother? or why do&s;t</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 10.</NOTE> <HI>thou &s;et at nought thy brother? we &s;hall all &s;tand before the judgement-&s;eat of Chri&s;t. Let us not judge one another any more, but</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;a 13.</NOTE> <HI>judge this rather, that no man put a &s;tum|bling blocke, or an occa&s;ion to fall in his brothers way. Judg nothing before the time,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 4. 5.</NOTE> <HI>untill the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkne&s;&s;e, and will manife&s;t the coun&s;ells of the hearts, and then &s;hall every man have prai&s;e of God. Speak not evill one of another</HI> (brethren)<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iam. 4. 11.</NOTE> <HI>he that &s;peaketh evill of his brother, and judgeth his brother, &s;peaketh evill of the Law, &amp; judgeth the Law; but if thou judg|e&s;t the Law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a Judge. There is one Law-giver, who</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 12.</NOTE> <HI>is able to &s;ave, and to de&s;troy: who art thou that judge&s;t another? who art thou that judg|e&s;t</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 14. 4.</NOTE> <HI>another mans &s;ervant? to his own Ma&s;ter he &s;tandeth or falleth: yea, he &s;hall be holden up, for God is able to make him &s;tand.</HI></P>
<P>One <HI>Delphidius</HI> accu&s;ing another be|fore <HI>Julian,</HI> about that which he could not prove; the party denying the fact, <HI>Delphidius</HI> an&s;wers, if it be &s;ufficient to deny what is laid to ones charge, who &s;hall be found guilty? <HI>Iulian</HI> an&s;wers, and if it be &s;ufficient to be accu&s;ed, who can be innocent? You are wi&s;e, and know how to apply it.</P>
<P>The 12. <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Device</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">12 Remedy.</NOTE>
<PB N="309" REF="165"> of Satan is this. Above all, <HI>labour to be</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 5. 5.</NOTE> <HI>cloathed with humility.</HI> Humility makes a man peaceable among brethren, fruit|full in well doing, cheerfull in &s;uffer|ing, and con&s;tant in holy walking; hu|mility fits for the highe&s;t &s;ervices wee owe to Chri&s;t, and yet will not neglect<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 13. 5.</NOTE> the lowe&s;t &s;ervice to the meane&s;t Saint. Humility can feede upon the meane&s;t di&s;h, and yet 'tis maintained by the choice&s;t delicates, as God, Chri&s;t, and glory; Humility will make a man ble&s;s him, that cur&s;es him, and pray for tho&s;e that per&s;ecute him. An humble heart is a habitation for God, a &s;cholar<NOTE PLACE="marg">Humility is (<HI>con&s;ervatrix vir virtutum</HI>) &s;aith <HI>Bernard,</HI> that which keeps all gra|ces together.</NOTE> for Chri&s;t, a companion for Angels, a pre&s;erver of grace, and a fitter for glo|ry. Humility is the nur&s;e of our gra|ces, the pre&s;erver of our mercies, and the great promoter of holy duties. Hu|mility cannot finde three things on this &s;ide Heaven; it cannot find <HI>fulne&s;&s;e in the creature,</HI> nor <HI>&s;weetne&s;&s;e in &s;inne,</HI> nor <HI>life in an Ordinance without Chri&s;t.</HI> An humble &s;oule always finds three things on this &s;ide Heaven; <HI>the &s;oule to be empty, Chri&s;t to be full, and every mercy and duty to be &s;weet, wherein God is injoyed.</HI> Hu|mility can weep over other mens weak|ne&s;&s;es, and joy, and rejoyce over their graces. Humility will make a man<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 1. 2, 3.</NOTE> quiet, and contented in the meane&s;t
<PB N="310" REF="166"> condition, and 'twill pre&s;erve a man from envying others pro&s;perous con|dition. Humility honours tho&s;e that are &s;trong in grace, and puts two hands<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 3. 8.</NOTE> under tho&s;e that are weak in grace. Humility makes a man richer then o|ther men, and it makes a man judge him&s;elfe the poore&s;t among men. Hu|mility will &s;ee much good abroad, when it can &s;ee but little at home; Ah Chri&s;tians! though faith be the champion of grace, and love thee nur&s;e of grace, yet humility is the beautifier of grace; it ca&s;ts a generall glory upon all the graces in the &s;oule; ah! did Chri&s;tians more abound in humility,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The humble &s;oul is like the violet, which grows low, hangs the head downwards, and hides it &s;elfe with his own leaves, and were it not that the fragrant &s;mel of his many vertues di&s;co|ver him to the world, he would choo&s;e to live and die in his &s;elf contenting &s;ecre&s;ie.</NOTE> they would be le&s;&s;e bitter, froward, and &s;ower; and they would be more gen|tle, meek, and &s;weet in their &s;pirits and practi&s;es. Humility will make a man have high thoughts of others, and low thoughts of a mans &s;elfe; it will make a man &s;ee much glory and excellency in others, and much ba&s;ene&s;&s;e and &s;inful|ne&s;&s;e in a mans &s;elfe; it will make a man &s;ee others rich, and him&s;elf poor; others &s;trong, and him&s;elf weak; others wi&s;e, and him&s;elf fooli&s;h. Humility will make a man excellent at covering others infirmities, and at recording their gracious &s;ervices, and at delight|ing in the<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters"> graces; it makes a man joy
<PB N="311" REF="166"> in every light that out-&s;hines his owne, and in every winde that blowes others good; Humility is better at beleeving, then 'tis at que&s;tioning other mens hap|pine&s;&s;e. I judge, &s;aith an humble &s;oul, 'tis well with the&s;e Chri&s;tians now, but it will be far better with them hereaf|ter; they are now upon the borders of the new <HI>Ieru&s;alem,</HI> and 'twill be but as a day before they &s;lide into <HI>Ieru&s;alem.</HI> An humble &s;oule is willinger to &s;ay, Heaven is that mans, then mine, and Chri&s;t is that Chri&s;tians, then mine, and God is their God in Covenant, then mine; ah! were Chri&s;tians more hum|ble, there would be le&s;&s;e fire, and more love among them then now is, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>La&s;tly, <HI>as Satan hath his</HI> De|vices<NOTE PLACE="marg">La&s;t Device.</NOTE> <HI>to destroy gracious &s;oules, &s;o he hath his de|vices to destroy poore igno|rant &s;oules, and that &s;ome|times</HI></HEAD>
<P>BY drawing them to affect igno|rance, and to neglect, &s;light, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s; 4. 6. Prov. 22. 29.</NOTE> de&s;pi&s;e the means of knowledg; igno|rance is the mother of mi&s;take, the
<PB N="312" REF="167"> of trouble, error, and of terrour<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 22. 29.</NOTE> 'tis the high way to hell, and it makes a man both a pri&s;oner and a &s;lave to the Devill at once. Ignorance unmans a<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ignorants have this ad|vantage (<HI>ut mitius ardeant</HI>) they have a cooler hell.</NOTE> man, it makes a man a bea&s;t, yea, it makes him more mi&s;erable then the bea&s;t that peri&s;heth; there are none &s;o ea&s;ily, nor &s;o frequently taken in Sa|tans &s;nare, as ignorant &s;ouls; they are ea|&s;ily drawn to dance with the Devill all day, and to dreame of &s;upping with Chri&s;t at night, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that an ignorant heart is an evill heart; <HI>without knowledge, the minde is not good.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 19. 2.</NOTE></P>
<P>As an ignorant heart is a naughty heart, 'tis a heart in the dark, and no<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ign<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">at &s;ane improbus om|nis,</HI> &s;aith <HI>Ari|ri&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">otle. M<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">. 6. 22.</HI></NOTE> good can come into a dark heart, but it mu&s;t pa&s;&s;e through the under&s;tanding; <HI>and if the eye be darke, all the body is dark.</HI> A leprous head, and a leprous heart are in&s;eparable companions; ignorant hearts are &s;o evill, that they let flye on all hands, and &s;pare not to &s;pit their
<PB N="313" REF="167"> venone in the very face of God, as <HI>Pha|raoh</HI> did, when thick darkne&s;&s;e was up|on him.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this De|vice<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is to con&s;ider, that igno|rance is the deformity of the &s;oule; As blindne&s;&s;e is the deformity of the face, &s;o is ignorance the deformity of the &s;oule; as the want of fle&s;hly eyes &s;poils the beauty of the face, &s;o the want of &s;pirituall eyes &s;poils the beauty of the &s;oule. A man without knowledg, is as a work-man without his hands, as a painter without his eyes, as a traveller without his legs, or as a &s;hip without &s;ailes, or a bird without Wings, or like a body without a &s;oule.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this Device<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that ignorance makes men the objects of Gods hatred and wrath. <HI>It is a people</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Heb.</HI> 3. 10, 11. They mu&s;t needs e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">re that know not Gods wayes, yet cannot they wander &s;o wide as to mi&s;&s;e of hell. <HI>I&s;a. 27. 11. 2 The&s;. 1. 8.</HI></NOTE> <HI>that do erre in their hearts, and have not knowne my wayes; Wherefore I &s;ware in my wrath, they &s;hould never enter into my re&s;t. My people are a people of no under&s;tan|ding, therefore he that made them, will have no mercy on them</HI> Chri&s;t hath &s;aid, <HI>that he will come in flaming fire to render vengeance on them that know not God.</HI> Ig|norance will end in vengeance: When you &s;ee a poor blind man here, you doe not loath him, nor hate him, but you
<PB N="314" REF="168"> pity him; oh! but &s;oul-blindne&s;s makes you abhominable in the &s;ight of God; God hath &s;worn that ignorant per&s;ons &s;hall never come into Heaven, Heaven<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 4. 6. <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> cut off. <HI>Rome</HI> &s;aith Ignorance, is the mother of devotion; but the Scripture faith, 'tis the mother of de|&s;truction. 4 <HI>Remedy.</HI></NOTE> it &s;elfe would be a hell to ignorant &s;oules. <HI>My people are de&s;troyed for want of knowledge; becau&s;e thou ha&s;t rejected knowledge, I will reject thee.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Chilo</HI> one of the &s;even Sages, being asked what God had done, an&s;wered, <HI>he exalted humble men, and &s;uppre&s;&s;ed proud, ignorant fooles.</HI></P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this de|vice of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that igno|rance is a &s;in that leads to all &s;ins. All &s;ins are &s;eminally in ignorance: <HI>You doe</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 22. 29.</NOTE> <HI>erre, not knowing the Scriptures;</HI> It puts men upon hating and per&s;ecuting the Saints. <HI>They &s;hall hate you, and put you</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 16. 2, 3.</NOTE> <HI>out of the Synagogues, yea, the time cometh, that who&s;oever killeth you, will think that</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ari&s;totle</HI> makes igno|rance the mother of all the mi&s;rule in the world. 1 <HI>Tim. 1. 13.</HI></NOTE> <HI>he doth God &s;ervice. And the&s;e things will they doe unto you, becau&s;e they have not known the Father nor me. Paul</HI> thankes his ignorance for all his cruelties to Chri&s;tians. <HI>I was a bla&s;phemer, and a per&s;ecutor, and injurious, but I obtained mer|cie, becau&s;e I did it ignorantly;</HI> 'twas ig|norance that put the <HI>Jewes</HI> upon cruci|fying Chri&s;t; <HI>Eather forgive them,</HI> &s;aith Chri&s;t of his murtherers, <HI>for they know</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Co<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 2. 8.</NOTE> <HI>not what they doe; for if the Princes of this
<PB N="315" REF="168"> world had known, they would not have cru|cified the Lord of glory.</HI> Sinne at the fir&s;t was the cau&s;e of ignorance, but now ignorance is the cau&s;e of all &s;in: <HI>&s;wear|ing,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">They did like <HI>Oedipus,</HI> who killed his fa|ther <HI>Laius,</HI> K. of <HI>Thebes,</HI> and thought he killed his ene|my.</NOTE> <HI>and lying, and killing, and &s;tealing &amp; whoring abound,</HI> &s;aith the Prophet, be|cau&s;e there is no knowledg of God in the Land. There are none &s;o frequent, and &s;o impudent in the wayes of &s;in, as ignorant &s;oules; they care not, nor mind not what they do, nor what they &s;ay again&s;t God, Chri&s;t, Heaven, holi|ne&s;&s;e, and their own &s;oules. <HI>Our tongues</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;ea 4. 1, 2. P&s;al. 73. 8, 9.</NOTE> <HI>are our owne, who &s;hall controule us? They are corrupt, and &s;peake wickedly, concerning oppre&s;&s;ion, they &s;peake loftily. They &s;et their mouth again&s;t the Heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. Have all the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 14. 4.</NOTE> <HI>workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eate up my people as they eate bread, and call not upon the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>And now to prevent Objections, I &s;hall lay down &s;ome <HI>Propo&s;itions,</HI> or <HI>Con|clu&s;ions</HI> concerning Satan and his <HI>Devi|ces,</HI> and then give you the Rea&s;ons of the Point, and &s;o come to make &s;ome U&s;e and Application of the whole to our &s;elves.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="316" REF="169">
<HEAD>The fir&s;t <HI>Propo&s;ition</HI> or <HI>Con|clu&s;ion</HI> I &s;hall lay downe is this.</HEAD>
<P>THat though Satan hath his <HI>Devices</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Propo&s;ition.</NOTE> to draw &s;oules to &s;in, yet we mu&s;t be carefull, that we do not lay all our temptations upon Satan, that we doe not wrong the Devill, and father that upon him, that is to be fathered upon our own ba&s;e hearts; I thinke that of|tentimes men charge that upon the De|vill, that is to be charged upon their own hearts. <HI>And the Lord &s;aid unto the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 3. 13.</NOTE> <HI>woman, VVhat is this that thou ha&s;t done? and the woman &s;aid, the Serpent beguiled me, and I did eate.</HI> Sin and &s;hifting came into the world together. This is no &s;mall ba&s;ene&s;&s;e of our hearts, that they will be naught, I very naught, and yet will father that naughtine&s;&s;e upon Sa|tan. Man hath an evill root within him; that were there no Devil to tempt him, nor no wicked men in the world to entice him, yet that root of bitter|ne&s;&s;e, that cur&s;ed &s;infull nature that is in him, would draw him to &s;in, though he knows before hand, <HI>that the wages of &s;inne is eternall death. For out of the
<PB N="317" REF="169"> heart proceed evill thoughts, murders, adul|teries,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 6. ult. Mat. 5. 19.</NOTE> <HI>fornications, thefts, fal&s;e witne&s;&s;es, bla&s;phemies.</HI> The whole frame of man is<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Cum primum na&s;cimur in om|nt continuo pra|vitate ver&s;a|mur;</HI> we are no &s;ooner borne then buried in a bog of wick|edne&s;&s;e, <HI>Tully.</HI></NOTE> out of frame, the under&s;tanding is dark; the will cro&s;&s;e, the memory &s;lippery, the affections crooked, the con&s;cience corrupted, the tongue poi&s;oned, and the heart wholly evill, only evill, and continually evill. Should God chaine vp Satan, and give him no liberty to tempt, or entice the &s;ons of men to va|nity, and folly; yet they would not, yet they could not but &s;in again&s;t him, by rea&s;on of that cur&s;ed nature that is in them, that will &s;till be a provoking<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iude 15, 16.</NOTE> them to tho&s;e &s;ins, that will provoke and &s;tir up the anger and wrath of God again&s;t them. Satan hath only a per|&s;wading &s;leight, not an enforcing might; he may tempt us, but without our &s;elves, he cannot conquer us; hee<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iames 1. 4.</NOTE> may entice us, but without our &s;elves, he cannot hurt us; our hearts carries the greate&s;t &s;troak in every &s;in. Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. The fire is our wood, though it be the Devills flame, <HI>Nazi|anzen.</HI></NOTE> can never undoe a man without him|&s;elfe, but a man may ea&s;ily undo him|&s;elfe without Satan. Satan can onely pre&s;ent the golden cup, but he hath no power to force us to drinke the poy&s;on that is in the cup; he can only pre&s;ent to us the glory of the world, he cannot force us to fall down and wor&s;hip him,
<PB N="318" REF="170"> to enjoy the world, he can only &s;pread his &s;nares; he hath no power to force us to walke in the mid'd of his &s;nares; therefore do the Devill &s;o much right, as not to excu&s;e your &s;elves, by your accu&s;ing him, and laying that load up|on him, that you &s;hould lay upon your owne hearts.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>The &s;econd <HI>Propo&s;ition</HI> is this.</HEAD>
<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Propo&s;ition.</NOTE>
<P>That Satan hath a great hand, and &s;troak in mo&s;t &s;innes. 'Twas Satan that<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 3. 1. 4, 5.</NOTE> tempted our fir&s;t Parents to Rebellion. 'Twas Satan that provoked <HI>David</HI> to<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Chron. 21. 1.</NOTE> number the people. 'Twas Satan that put <HI>Peter</HI> upon rebuking Chri&s;t; there|fore &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>Get thee behind me, Sa|tan.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 16. 22, 23.</NOTE> 'Twas Satan that put <HI>Cain</HI> upon murdering of righteous <HI>Abel:</HI> there|fore 'tis that <HI>he is called a murderer from</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 8. 44.</NOTE> <HI>the beginning.</HI> 'Twas Satan that put trea|&s;on into the heart of <HI>Judas,</HI> again&s;t Chri&s;t. <HI>And &s;upper being ended, the Devill</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 13. 2.</NOTE> <HI>having put it into the heart of Iudas I&s;catiot, Simons &s;on, to betray him.</HI> 'Twas Satan that pu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Ananias</HI> upon lying: <HI>Peter</HI> &s;aid,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 5. 3.</NOTE> <HI>Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the holy Gho&s;t?</HI> As the hand of <HI>Io|ab</HI> was in the tale of the woman of <HI>Te|koah,</HI> &s;o Satans hand is u&s;ually in all the &s;ins that men commit; &s;uch is Sa|tans
<PB N="319" REF="170"> malice again&s;t God, and his envy<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Diaholus tendat deus orobat.</HI> Tertul.</NOTE> again&s;t man, that he will have a hand one way or another in all their finnes, though ke knows that all the &s;ins that he provokes others to, &s;hall be charged upon him to his greater woe, and eter|nall torment. <HI>Ambro&s;e</HI> brings in the Devill boa&s;ting again&s;t Chri&s;t, and cha|lenging <HI>Judas</HI> as his owne; hee is not thine Lord Je&s;us, hee is mine; his thoughts beat for me; he eats with thee, but is fed by me; he takes bread from thee, but money from me; he drinks wine with thee, and &s;ells thy blood to me; &s;uch is his malice again&s;t Chri&s;t, and his wrath and rage again&s;t man, that he wil take all advantages to draw men to that, that may give him advan|tage to triumph over Chri&s;t, and mens &s;oules for ever.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>The third <HI>Propo&s;ition</HI> is this.</HEAD>
<P>That Satan mu&s;t have a double leave,<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Propo&s;ition.</NOTE> before he can do any thing again&s;t us; he mu&s;t have leave from God, and leave from our &s;elves, before he can act any thing again&s;t our happine&s;&s;e; he mu&s;t have his commi&s;&s;ion from God, as you may &s;ee in the example of <HI>Iob;</HI> though<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 1. 11, 12. Chap. 2 v 3, 4, 5.</NOTE> the Devil had malice enough to de&s;troy him, yet he had not &s;o much as power to touch him, till God gave him a Com|mi&s;&s;ion.</P>
<PB N="320" REF="171">
<P>They could not &s;o much as enter in|to<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 8. 32.</NOTE> the &s;wine without leave from Chri&s;t; Satan would faine have combated with <HI>Peter;</HI> but this could not he doe with|out leave; <HI>Satan hath de&s;ired to have you,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 22. 13.</NOTE> <HI>to winnow you:</HI> So Satan could never have overthrown <HI>Ahab</HI> and <HI>Saul,</HI> but by<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kings 22.</NOTE> a commi&s;&s;ion from God; Ah! what a cordiall, what a comfort &s;hould this be to the Saints, that their greate&s;t, &s;ubti|le&s;t, and watchfulle&s;t enemie cannot hurt, nor harme them without leave from him, who is their &s;weete&s;t Savi|our, their deare&s;t husband, and their choy&s;e&s;t friend.</P>
<P>And as Satan mu&s;t have leave from<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Adver&s;aria po|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> non habet vim c<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">gendi, &s;ed per&s;uaden|di</HI> I&s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">do<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">e.</NOTE> God, &s;o he mu&s;t have leave of us: when he tempts, we mu&s;t a&s;&s;ent; when hee makes offers, we mu&s;t hearken; when he commands, we mu&s;t obey, or el&s;e all his labour and temptations will be fru|&s;trate; and the evill that he tempts us to, &s;hall be put down only to his ac|count; that's a remarkable pa&s;&s;age of the Apo&s;tle in <HI>Acts 5. 3. Why hath Satan</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 5. 3.</NOTE> <HI>filled thy heart to lie to the holy Gho&s;t?</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>He doth not expo&s;tulate the matter with Satan, he doth not &s;ay, Satan, <HI>why</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">They are the wor<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">, and gro&s;&s;e&s;t lyars, who pretend Re<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">igion, and the Spirit, and yet are acted onley by carnall princi|ples to carnal ends.</NOTE> <HI>ho&s;t thou filled Ananias heart to make him lie to the holy Gho&s;t?</HI> but he expo&s;tulates the ca&s;e with <HI>Ananias; Peter</HI> &s;aid, <HI>Ana|nias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie
<PB N="221" REF="171"> to the holy Gho&s;t?</HI> Why ha&s;t thou given him an advantage to fill thy heart with infidelity, hypocri&s;ie, and ob&s;tinate audacity, to lie to the holy Gho&s;t? as If he had &s;aid, Satan could never have done this in thee (which will now for ever undoe thee) unle&s;&s;e thou had&s;t fir&s;t given him leave. If when a temptation comes, a man cries out, and &s;aith; ah Lord! here is a temptation that would force me, that would deflowr my &s;oul, and I have no &s;trength to with-&s;tand it; oh! help, help, for thy honours &s;ake, for thy Sonnes &s;ake, for thy promi&s;e &s;ake, 'tis a &s;igne that Satan hath not gained your con&s;ent, but committed a rape upon your &s;oules, which he &s;hall dearly pay for.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>The fourth Propo&s;ition is this.</HEAD>
<P>That no weapons, but &s;pirituall<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Propo&s;ition.</NOTE> weapons will be u&s;efull and &s;erviceable to the &s;oule in fighting, and comba|ting with the Devill; this the Apo&s;tle &s;hewes, <HI>VVherefore take unto you</HI> (&s;aith<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 6. 13.</NOTE> he) <HI>the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to &s;tand in the evill day, and having done all, to &s;tand.</HI> So the &s;ame Apo&s;tle tells you, <HI>that the weapons of your warfare are not carnall, but mighty through God, to</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 10. 4.</NOTE> <HI>the ca&s;ting downe of &s;trong bolds;</HI> you have
<PB N="322" REF="172"> not to do with a weak, but with a migh|ty<NOTE PLACE="marg">We read of many that out of greatne&s;&s;e of &s;pirit could offer violence to nature, but were at a lo&s;s when they come to deale with a cor|ruption, or a temptation.</NOTE> enemy; and therefore you had need look to it, that your weapons are migh|ty, and that they cannot be, unle&s;&s;e they are &s;pirituall; carnall weapons have no might, nor &s;pirit in them towards the making of a conque&s;t upon Satan. 'Twas not <HI>Davids</HI> &s;ling, nor &s;tone that gave him the honor, &amp; advantage of &s;etting his feet upon <HI>Goliah,</HI> but his faith in the name of the Lord of Ho&s;ts. <HI>Thou come&s;t</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 17. 45.</NOTE> <HI>to me with a &s;word, with a &s;peare, and with a &s;hield: but I am come to thee in the name of the Lord of Ho&s;ts, the God of the Armies of I&s;rael, whom thou ha&s;t defied.</HI> Hee that<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Heraclius</HI> his <HI>Motto</HI> was <HI>(a Deo victoria)</HI> it is God that gives victo|ries, and that &s;hould be e|very Chri&s;ti|ans Motto.)</NOTE> fights again&s;t Satan, in the &s;trength of his owne re&s;olutions, con&s;titution, or education, will certainely flie and fall before him; Satan will be too hard for &s;uch a &s;oule, and lead him captive at his plea&s;ure. The onely way to &s;tand, conquer, and triumph, is &s;till to plead, 'tis written, as Chri&s;t did. There is no &s;word, but the two-edged &s;word of the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 4. 10.</NOTE> Spirit; that will be found to be mettle of proofe, when a &s;oule comes to en|gage again&s;t Satan: Therefore when you are tempted to uncleanne&s;&s;e, plead, <HI>'tis</HI> written, <HI>Be ye holy as I am holy. And</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 15. 16<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> 2 Cor. 5. 7. Chap. 1.</NOTE> <HI>l<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t us clean&s;e our &s;elves from all filthine&s;&s;e of the fle&s;h and &s;pirit, perfecting holine&s;&s;e in the <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">eare of the Lord.</HI> If he tempts<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> you to
<PB N="323" REF="172"> di&s;tru&s;t Gods providence, and fatherly care of you, plead, 'tis written, <HI>They</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 34. 9.</NOTE> <HI>that feare the Lord &s;hall want nothing that is good.</HI> 'Tis written, <HI>The Lord will give</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 84. 11.</NOTE> <HI>grace and glory, and no good thing will hee with-hold from them that purlely live.</HI> If he tempt you to feare, that you &s;hall faint, and fall, and never be able to run to the end of the race that is &s;et before<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 17. 9.</NOTE> you, plead, 'tis written, <HI>The righteous &s;hall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands &s;hall be &s;tronger, and &s;tronger.</HI> 'Tis written, <HI>I will make an everla&s;ting cove|venant with them, that I will not turne a|way</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ier. 32. 40.</NOTE> <HI>from them, to doe them good, but I wil put my feare in their hearts, that they &s;hall not depart from me.</HI> 'Tis written, <HI>They that wait upon the Lord, they &s;hall renew their</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 40. 31.</NOTE> <HI>&s;trength: they &s;hall mount up with wings as Eagles, they &s;hall run, and not be weary, and they &s;hall walke, and not <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">aint.</HI> If Satan tempt you to think, that becau&s;e your &s;unne for the pre&s;ent is &s;et in a cloud, that therefore 'twill ri&s;e no more, and that the face of God will &s;hine no more upon you? that your be&s;t days are now at an end, and that you mu&s;t &s;pend all your time in &s;orrow, and fighing? plead, 'tis written, <HI>He will turn again, he</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mica. 7. 19.</NOTE> <HI>will have compa&s;&s;ion upon us, and ca&s;t all our &s;ins into the depths of the &s;ea.</HI> 'Tis writ|ten, <HI>For a &s;mall moment have I for&s;aken</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 54. 7.</NOTE>
<PB N="324" REF="173"> <HI>thee, but with great mercies will I gather</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 8.</NOTE> <HI>thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everla&s;ting kindne&s;&s;e will I have mercy on thee, &s;aith the Lord thy Redeemer.</HI> 'Tis written, <HI>The mountaines &s;hall depart, and the hills be</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 10.</NOTE> <HI>removed, but my kindne&s;&s;e &s;hall not depart from thee, neither &s;hall the Covenant of my peace be removed, &s;aith the Lord, that hath mercie on thee.</HI> 'Tis written, <HI>Can a wo|man</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 49. 15.</NOTE> <HI>forget her &s;ucking child, that &s;he &s;hould not have compa&s;&s;ion on the &s;on of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will not I forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 16.</NOTE> <HI>palmes of my bands, thy walls are continu|ally before me.</HI> If ever you would be too hard for Satan, and after all your a&s;|&s;aults have your bow abide in &s;trength, then take to you the word of God, <HI>which is the two-edged &s;word of the Spirit,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 6. 1.</NOTE> <HI>and the &s;hield of faith, whereby you &s;hall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the De|vill.</HI> 'Tis not &s;pitting at Satans name, nor cro&s;&s;ing your &s;elves, nor leaning to your owne re&s;olutions, that will get you the victory.</P>
<P><HI>Luther</HI> reports of <HI>Staupicius</HI> a <HI>German</HI> Mini&s;ter, that he acknowledged him|&s;elf, that before he came to under&s;tand aright the free and powerfull grace of God, that he vowed, and re&s;olved an hundred times again&s;t &s;ome particular
<PB N="325" REF="173"> &s;inne, and never could get power over it; at la&s;t he &s;aw the rea&s;on, to be his tru&s;ting to his own re&s;olution; there|fore be skilfull in the word of righte|ou&s;ne&s;&s;e, and in the actings of faith up|on Chri&s;t, and his victory, and that Crown of glory that is &s;et before you, and Satan will certainly <HI>flye from you,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iames 4. 7.</NOTE> <HI>&amp;c.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>The fifth <HI>Propo&s;ition</HI> is this.</HEAD>
<P>That we may read much of Satans<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Propo&s;ition.</NOTE> nature, and di&s;po&s;ition, by the divers names and Epithites, that are given him in the Scriptures. Sometimes he is called <HI>Behemoth,</HI> which is <HI>bruta,</HI> where|by<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 40. 15.</NOTE> the greatne&s;&s;e, and bruti&s;hne&s;&s;e of the Devill is figured. Tho&s;e evill &s;pirits are &s;ometimes called <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">, Accu&s;ers, for their calumnies and &s;landers; and <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> evill ones for their malice: Satan is <HI>Ad|ver&s;arius,</HI> an adver&s;ary that troubleth<NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel 9.</NOTE> and mole&s;teth: <HI>Abaddon</HI> is a de&s;troyer. They are called <HI>Tempters</HI> for their &s;ug|ge&s;tion, <HI>Lions</HI> for their devouring, <HI>Dra|gons</HI> for their cruelty, and <HI>Serpents</HI> for their &s;ubtlety, &amp;c. As his names are, &s;o is he; as face an&s;wers to face, &s;o do Sa|tans names an&s;wer to his nature; hee hath the wor&s;t names, and the wor&s;t nature of all created creatures, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="326" REF="174">
<HEAD>The &s;ixth and la&s;t <HI>Propo&s;ition</HI> is this.</HEAD>
<P>That God will &s;hortly tread downe<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>6 Propo&s;ition. Rom. 16. 20. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> &s;un|trip&s;ei</HI> from <HI>&s;untribo,</HI> the Greek word &s;ignifies to break, or cru&s;h a thing to pie|ces, being ap|plyed to the feet; it noteth that breaking or cru&s;hing, which is by &s;tamping up|on a thing.</NOTE> Satan under the Saints feet. Chri&s;t our Champion hath already won the Field, and will &s;hortly &s;et our feet upon the necks of our &s;pirituall enemies. Satan is a foiled Adver&s;ary, Chri&s;t hath led him captive, and triumph't over him upon the Cro&s;&s;e. Chri&s;t hath already overcome him, and put weapons into your hands, that you may overcome him al&s;o, &amp; &s;et your feet upon his neck. Though Satan be a roaring Lion, yet <HI>Chri&s;t, who is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah</HI> will make Satan flye, and fall before you. Let Satan doe his wor&s;t, yet you &s;hall have the honour and the happine&s;s to triumph over him. Cheer up, you precious &s;ons of <HI>Sion,</HI> for the certainty and &s;weetne&s;&s;e of Victory will abun|dantly recompence you, for all the paines you have taken, in making re&s;i&s;t|ance again&s;t Satans temptations. The broken horns of Satan &s;hall be Trump|ets of our triumph, and the Cornets of our joy, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="327" REF="174">
<HEAD>Now I &s;hall come to the Rea|&s;ons of the Point, and &s;o draw to a clo&s;e, <HI>&amp;c.</HI></HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> is, that their hearts<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Rea&s;on.</NOTE> may be kept in an humble, pray|ing,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Philo&s;o|pher had a ball of bra&s;&s;e in his hand, which if he chanced to &s;leep with, the fall into a ba|&s;on awaked him to his &s;tudies; You are wi&s;e: and know how to apply it.</NOTE> watching frame; oh! hath Satan &s;o many devices to en&s;nare, and undoe the &s;oules of men? how &s;hould this a|waken dull, drow&s;ie &s;oules, and make them &s;tand upon their watch? A Saint &s;hould be like a <HI>Seraphim,</HI> be&s;et all over with eyes and lights, that he may avoid Satans &s;nares, and &s;tand fa&s;t in the hour of temptation. The Lord hath in the Scripture di&s;covered the &s;everal &s;nares, plots, and devices that the Delill hath to undo the &s;oules of men, that &s;o be|ing forwarn'd, they may be forearm'd, that they may be alwayes upon their watch-tower, and hold their weapons in their hands, as the <HI>Iewes</HI> did in <HI>N<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">he|miah's</HI> time, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> is, from that ma|lice,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Rea&s;on.</NOTE> envy, and enmity that is in Satan,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Malice cares not what it &s;aith, or doth, it may kill or gall.</NOTE> again&s;t the &s;ouls of men; Satan is full of envy and enmity, &amp; that makes him ve|ry &s;tudious, to &s;uit his &s;nares and plots to the tempers, con&s;titutions, fancies,
<PB N="328" REF="175"> and callings of men, that &s;o hee may make them as mi&s;erable as him&s;elf. The <HI>Ru&s;&s;ians</HI> are &s;o malicious, that you &s;hall have a man hide &s;ome of his own goods in the hou&s;e of him, whom he hateth, and then accu&s;e him for the &s;tealth of them: &s;o doth Satan out of malice to<NOTE PLACE="marg">An envious heart and a plotting head are in&s;epara|ble compani|ons.</NOTE> the &s;oules of men, hide his goods, his wares, as I may &s;ay, in the &s;oules of men, and then goe, and accu&s;e them be|fore the Lord, and a thou&s;and, thou|&s;and other wayes Satans malice, envy, and enmity puts him upon, eternally to undoe the precious &s;oules of men, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> is drawn from that<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Rea&s;on.</NOTE> long <HI>experience</HI> that Satan hath had, he is a &s;pirit of mighty abilities, and his abilities to lay &s;nares before us, are mightily increa&s;ed by that long &s;tand|ing of his; hee is a &s;pirit of above five thou&s;and yeares &s;tanding; he hath had time enough to &s;tudie all tho&s;e wayes, and methods, which tend mo&s;t to en|&s;nare, and undo the &s;ouls of men: And as he hath time enough, &s;o he hath made it his whole &s;tudy, his only &s;tudy, his con&s;tant &s;tudy to find out &s;nares, depths and &s;tratagems, to entangle, and over|throw the &s;oules of men; when he was but a young Serpent, he did ea&s;ily de|ceive, and out-wit our fir&s;t Parents, but now he is grown that <HI>Old Serpent,</HI> as<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 3.</NOTE>
<PB N="329" REF="175"> <HI>John</HI> &s;peakes, <HI>Hee is as olde as the world,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 12. 9.</NOTE> and is grown uery cunning by experi|ence.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> is, in Judgement<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Rea&s;on.</NOTE> to the men of the world, that they may &s;tumble, and fall, and be en&s;nared for ever; wicked men that with&s;tand the offers of mercy, and de&s;pi&s;e the &s;pirit of grace; that will not open, though God knocks never &s;o hard by his word, and rod; by his Spirit, and con&s;ceience, are given up by a hand of Ju&s;tice, to be<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 King. 22. 22.</NOTE> hardned, deceived, and en&s;nared by Sa|tan to their everla&s;ting ruine; and what can be more ju&s;t, then that they &s;hould be taken, and charmed with Satans wiles, who have frequently refu&s;ed to be charmed by the Spirit of grace, though he hath charmed never &s;o wi&s;e|ly, and never &s;o &s;weetly, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The fifth <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> is, That the excel|lency,<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Rea&s;on.</NOTE> and power of Gods grace may be the more illu&s;trated, and manife&s;ted, by making man able to grapple with this mighty Adver&s;ary, and that not|with&s;tanding all the plots, devices, and &s;tratagems of Satan; yet he will make them victorious here, and crown them with glory hereafter; the greater, and the &s;ubtiler the enemies of the children of I&s;rael were, the more did divine power, wi&s;dome, and goodne&s;&s;e &s;par|kle,
<PB N="330" REF="176"> and &s;hine; that notwith&s;tanding, all their power, plots, and &s;tratagems, &amp;c. yet to <HI>Canan</HI> he would bring them at la&s;t. When <HI>Paul</HI> had well weighed this, <HI>he &s;its downe, and glories in his infir|mities,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 12. 7, 8, 9.</NOTE> <HI>and di&s;tre&s;&s;es, and Satans buffetings, that the power of Chri&s;t might re&s;t upon him.</HI></P>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>The u&s;e of the Point.</HEAD>
<P>IF Satan hath &s;uch a world of devices,<NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">&V;&s;e.</NOTE> and &s;tratagems to en&s;nare, and undo the &s;oules of men, then in&s;tead of won|dering that &s;o few are &s;aved, &s;et down, and wonder that any are &s;aved, that a|ny e&s;cape the &s;nares of this cunning fowler, who &s;preads his nets, and ca&s;ts forth his baits in all places, and in all ca&s;es and companies, &amp;c.</P>
<P>But this is not the main thing that I intend to &s;peak to; my main bu&s;ine&s;s &s;hall be, to &s;et before you &s;ome &s;peciall Rules, and helps again&s;t all his Devices, and the fir&s;t is this.</P>
<P>If you would not be taken by any of <MILESTONE N="1"> Satans Devices, then walk by rule; hee that walks by rule, walks mo&s;t &s;afely,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 12. 28. Gal. 6. 16. Prov. 15. 24.</NOTE> he that walks by rule, walks mo&s;t ho|nourably; he that walke by rule, walks mo&s;t &s;weetly; when men throw off the
<PB N="331" REF="176"> word, then God throws off them, and then Satan takes them by the hand, and leads them into &s;nares at his plea&s;ure; he that thinks him&s;elfe too good to be ruled by the word, will be found too bad to be owned by God; and if God doe not, nor will not owne him, Satan will by his &s;tratagems overthrow him. Them that keep to the rule, they &s;hall be kept in the hour of temptation. <HI>Be|cau&s;e</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 10. 3.</NOTE> <HI>thou ha&s;t kept the word of my patience, I al&s;o will keep thee from the hour of temp|tation, which &s;hall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. As you would not be taken with any of Satans <HI>devices,</HI> take heed of vex|ing,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Spiritus San|ctus e&s;t res de|licata,</HI> the di|vine &s;pirit is a very tender thing; if you grieve him, he will certainly grieve and vex your pre|cious &s;oules. <HI>Lam. 1. 16.</HI></NOTE> &amp; grieving the holy Spirit of God; 'tis the Spirit of the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t that is be&s;t able to di&s;cover <HI>Satans</HI> &s;nar'e unto us; 'tis only he that can point out all his plots, and di&s;cover all his me|thods, and inable men to e&s;cape tho&s;e pits that he hath digged for their preci|ous &s;ouls; Ah &s;ouls! if you &s;et that &s;weet and ble&s;&s;ed &s;pirit a mourning, that a|lone can &s;ecure you from Satans depths by whom will you be &s;ecured? man is a weake creature, and no way able to di&s;cover Satans &s;nares, nor to avoyd them, unles the &s;pirit of the Lord gives skil &amp; power; therfore who ever be grie|ved, be &s;ure the &s;pirit be not grieved
<PB N="332" REF="177"> by your enormities, nor by your refu|&s;ing<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a 63. 10. P&s;al. 73. 2, 3.</NOTE> the cordials, and comforts that he &s;ets before you; nor by &s;lighting, and di&s;pi&s;ing his gracious actings in others,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 The&s;. 5. 19. Acts 2. 13.</NOTE> nor by calling &s;incerity, hypocri&s;ie; faith, fancie, &amp;c. nor by fathering tho&s;e things upon the &s;pirit, that are the brats, and fruits of your own hearts. The &s;pirit of the Lord is your coun&s;el|lor, your comforter, your upholder, your &s;trengthner. 'Tis onely the &s;pirit that makes a man too great for Satan to conquer. <HI>Greater is he that is in you,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 4. 4.</NOTE> <HI>then he that is in the world.</HI></P>
<P>Thirdly, if you would not be taken with any of Satans devices, then labour for more heavenly wi&s;dome: Ah &s;ouls!<NOTE PLACE="marg">If men could but &s;ee the faire face of wi&s;dome with morta<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">l eyes, they would be in love with her, &s;aith <HI>Pla<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">.</HI></NOTE> you are much in the dark, you have but a little to that others have, and to that you might have had, had you not been wanting to your &s;elves. There are ma|ny knowing &s;oules, but there are but a few wi&s;e &s;oules; there is oftentimes a great deale of knowledge, where there is but a little wi&s;dome to improve that knowledge; knowledge without wi&s;|dome<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Sine prudentia &s;implicitas &s;tul|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">tia e&s;t,</HI> Dru|<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">ius.</NOTE> is like mettle in a blind hor&s;e, which is often an occa&s;ion of the Riders fall, and of his bones being ju&s;tled a|gain&s;t the walls. 'Tis not the mo&s;t knowing Chri&s;tian, but the mo&s;t wi&s;e Chri&s;tian, that &s;ees, avoids, and e&s;capes
<PB N="333" REF="177"> Satans &s;nares. <HI>The way of life is above to</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 15. 24.</NOTE> <HI>the wi&s;e</HI> (&s;aith <HI>Solomon) that he may de|part from hell beneath.</HI> Heavenly wi&s;|dome makes a man delight to flye high; and the higher any man flies, the more he is out of the reach of Satans &s;nares; Ah &s;oules! you had need of a great deal<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Malim pruden|tiae guttam quam foecandi|oris fortunae pe|lagas,</HI> &s;aid <HI>Nazianzen.</HI> A Serpents eye is a &s;in|gular orna|ment in a doves head.</NOTE> of heavenly wi&s;dome, to &s;ee where, and how Satan layes his baits, and &s;nares; and wi&s;dome to finde out proper <HI>Reme|dies</HI> again&s;t his <HI>Devices,</HI> and wi&s;dome to apply tho&s;e <HI>Remedies</HI> &s;ea&s;onably, in|wardly, and effectually to your owne hearts, that &s;o you may avoid the &s;nares which that evill one hath laid for your precious &s;oules.</P>
<P N="4">4. If you would not be taken with any of Satans devices, then make pre|&s;ent re&s;i&s;tance again&s;t Satans fir&s;t moti|ons; 'tis &s;afe to re&s;i&s;t, 'tis dangerous to di&s;pute; <HI>Eve</HI> di&s;putes, and falls in Pa|radi&s;e;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 3.</NOTE> <HI>Job</HI> re&s;i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">te, and conquers upon the dunghill. He that will play with Satans bait, will quickly be taken with Satans hook. The promi&s;e of conque&s;t is made over to re&s;i&s;ting, not to di&s;pu|ting; <HI>Re&s;i&s;t the Devill, and hee &s;hall file</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iam. 4. 7.</NOTE> <HI>from you.</HI> Ah &s;ouls! were you better at re|&s;i&s;ting, then at di&s;puting (though hap|pily you are not very expert at either) your temptations would be fewer, and your &s;trength to &s;tand would be greater then now it is, &amp;c.</P>
<PB N="334" REF="178">
<P>Fifthly, if you would not be taken with any of Satans <HI>Devices,</HI> then la|bour to be filled with the &s;pirit; the &s;pirit of the Lord is a &s;pirit of light and power, and what can a &s;oule doe with|out light, &amp; <HI>power again&s;t &s;piritual wick|edne&s;&s;es</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ephe&s;. 6. 12.</NOTE> <HI>in high places.</HI> 'Tis not enough that you have the &s;pirit, but you mu&s;t be filled with the &s;pirit, or el&s;e (<HI>Satan</HI>) that evill &s;pirit will be too hard for you, and his plots will pro&s;per again&s;t you. That's a &s;weet word of the Apo|&s;tle,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Ephe&s;.</HI> 5. 18. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF">. To be filled with the &s;pirit, as the &s;ailes of a &s;hip is filled with wind. <HI>Luther</HI> &s;aith, a ho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y gluttony is to lay on, to &s;eed hard, and to fetch hear|ty draughts, till they be e|ven drunke with loves, &amp; with the a|bundance of the Spirit; &amp; oh! that there were more of &s;uch holy gluttony in the world.</NOTE> <HI>be filled with the Spirit, i. e.</HI> labour for abundance of the &s;pirit; hee that thinks he hath enough of the holy Spi|rit, will quickly find him&s;elfe vanqui|&s;hed by the evill &s;pirit. Satan hath his &s;nares to take you in pro&s;perity &amp; ad|ver&s;ity, in health &amp; &s;ickne&s;s, in &s;trength and weakne&s;s; when you are alone, and when you are in company; when you come on to &s;pirituall duties, and when you come off from &s;pirituall duties, and if you are not filled with the Spi|rit, Satan will be too hard, and too crafty for you, and will ea&s;ily, and fre|quently take you in his &s;nares, and make a prey of you in &s;pight of your &s;oules; therefore labour more to have your hearts filled with the Spirit, then to have your heads filled with notions, your &s;hops with wares, your che&s;ts with
<PB N="325" REF="178"> &s;ilver, or your bags with gold, &s;o &s;hall you e&s;cape the &s;nares of this fowler, and triumph over all his plots, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Sixtly, if you would not be taken in any of Satans &s;nares, then keep hum|ble;<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Tis reported of Satan, that he &s;hould &s;<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y thus of a lea<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|ned man (<HI>tu me &s;emper vin|cis</HI>) chou do<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">t alwayes over|come me; when I would exalt, &amp; pro|mote thee, thou keepe&s;t thy &s;elfe in humility; and when I would throw thee dawne, thou lifte&s;t up thy &s;elfe in a&s;&s;u+rance of faith.</NOTE> An humble heart will rather lie in the du&s;t, then ri&s;e by wickedne&s;&s;e; and &s;ooner part with all, then the peace of a good con&s;cience. Humility keepes the &s;oul free from many darts of Satans ca|&s;ting, and &s;nares of his &s;preading; as the low &s;hrubs are free from many vio|lent gu&s;ts, and bla&s;ts of wind, which &s;hake and rend the taller trees. The De|vil hath lea&s;t power to fa&s;ten a tempta|tion on him, that is mo&s;t humble; hee that hath a gracious mea&s;ure of humi|lity, is neither affected with Satans pro|fers, nor terrified with his threatnings. I have read of one, who &s;eeing in a vi&s;i|on many &s;nares of the Devil &s;pread up|on the earth, he &s;ate down, &amp; mourned, and &s;aid in him&s;elf (<HI>Q<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">is pertran&s;iet i|&s;ta</HI>) who &s;hal pa&s;s through the&s;e? wher|unto he heard a voyce an&s;wering (<HI>hu|militas pertran&s;iet</HI>) humility &s;hall; God hath &s;aid, that <HI>he will teach the humble,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 25. 9. I&s;a. 57. 15. James 4. 6.</NOTE> <HI>and that he will dwell with the humble, and that he will fill and &s;atisfie the humble;</HI> And if the teachings of God, the in-dwell|ings of God, if the pourings in of God will not keepe the &s;oule from falling
<PB N="336" REF="179"> into Satans &s;nares, I do not know what will: And therefore as you would be happy in re&s;i&s;ting Satan, and ble&s;&s;ed in triumphing over Satan, and all his &s;nares keepe humble, I &s;ay again, keep humble, &amp;c.</P>
<P N="7">7. If you would not be taken in any of Satans &s;nares, then keep a &s;trong, clo&s;e, and con&s;tant watch; a &s;ecure<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>1 The&s;.</HI> 5 6. We mu&s;t not be like <HI>Agrip|pas</HI> dormou&s;e, that would <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> awake, till ca&s;t into boy+ling lead&punc; but effectually mind the&s;e following Scriptures, wherein this duty of watchfulne&s;&s;e <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;trict<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">y enjoyned.</NOTE> &s;oule is already an in&s;nared &s;oul: That &s;oul that will not watch again&s;t temp|tations, will certainely fall before the power of temptations; Satan workes mo&s;t &s;trongly on the fancie, when the &s;oule is drow&s;ie. The &s;oules &s;ecurity is Satans opportunity to fall upon the &s;oule, and to &s;poil the &s;oule, as <HI>Jo&s;hua</HI> did the men of <HI>Ai.</HI> The be&s;t way to be &s;afe and &s;ecure from all Satans a&s;&s;aults, is with <HI>Nehemiah,</HI> and the <HI>Iews,</HI> to watch and pray, and pray, and watch; by this meanes they became too hard for their enemies, and the work of the Lord did pro&s;per &s;weetly in their hands. Re|member how Chri&s;t chid his &s;luggi&s;h Di&s;ciples, what, <HI>could you not watch with</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 24. 42. Chap. 26. 41. Mar. 1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">. 33, 34, 35. 37&punc; Luke 21. 36.</NOTE> <HI>me one houre?</HI> what, <HI>cannot you watch with mee? how will you then dye with mee?</HI> If you cannot endure words, how will you endure wounds, &amp;c. Satan always keeps a craftie, and malicious watch, <HI>&s;eeking whom he may devour (katapie</HI>) or<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 16. 13.</NOTE>
<PB N="237" REF="179"> whom he may drink, or &s;ip up, as the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Colo&s;&s;. 4. 2.</NOTE> Apo&s;tle &s;peaks in that 1 <HI>Pet.</HI> 5. 8. Satan<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Pet. 4. 7. Revel. 3. 3.</NOTE> is very envious at our condition, that we &s;hould enjoy that Paradi&s;e out of which he is ca&s;t, and out of which hee &s;hall be for ever kept.</P>
<P>Shall Satan keep a crafty watch, and<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Anniball</HI> never re&s;ted whe|ther hee did conquer, or was conque|red. 'Tis &s;o with Satan, Learn for &s;hame of the Devill, &s;aid ble&s;&s;ed <HI>Lati|mer,</HI> to watch, &s;eeing the Devill is &s;o watchfull.</NOTE> &s;hall not Chri&s;tians keep a holy &s;piritu|all watch? our whole life is be&s;et with temptations, Satan watches all oppor|tunities to break our peace, to wound our con&s;ciences, to le&s;&s;en our comforts, to impaire our graces, to &s;lur our evi|dences, and to damp our a&s;&s;urances, &amp;c. Oh! what need then have we to be alwayes upon our Watch-Tower, le&s;t we be &s;urprized by this &s;ubtle Serpent. Watchfulne&s;&s;e includes a waking, a rou&s;ing up of the &s;oule; 'Tis a conti|nuall, carefull ob&s;erving of our hearts and wayes, in all the turnings of our lives, that wee &s;till keep clo&s;e to God, and his word.</P>
<P>Watchfulne&s;&s;e is nothing el&s;e but the &s;oul running up and downe, too and fro, bu&s;ie every where; it is the heart bu&s;ied, and employed with diligent ob|&s;ervation of (<HI>Quid inde</HI>) what comes from within us, and of (<HI>Quid unde</HI>) what comes from without us, and into us. Ah &s;oules! you are no longer &s;afe and &s;ecure, then when you are upon
<PB N="338" REF="180"> your watch; while <HI>Antipater</HI> kept the watch, <HI>Alexander</HI> was &s;afe, and while we keep a &s;t<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">ct watch, we are &s;afe; a watchful &s;oul is a &s;oule upon the wing, a &s;oule out of gun-&s;hot, a &s;oule upon a rock, a &s;oule in a Ca&s;tle, a &s;oule above the clouds, a &s;oule held fa&s;t in everla&s;t|ing armes.</P>
<P>I &s;hall conclude this 7^t^h head with this advice: Remember the Dragon is &s;ubtle, and bites the Elephants ear, and then &s;ucks his blood, becau&s;e he knows that to be the onely place which the E|lephant cannot reach with his trunck to defend; &s;o our enemies are &s;o &s;ub|till, that they will bite us, and &s;trike us, where they may mo&s;t mi&s;chiefe us, and therefore it doth very much con|cerne us to &s;tand alwayes upon our guard.</P>
<P>Eightly, if you would not be taken with any of Satans &s;nares, and devices, then keep up your communion with God; your &s;trength to &s;tand, and with|&s;tand<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2 Cor.</HI> 6. 16. The words are very &s;ig|nificant in the original, there are two ins, as if God could never have neare e|nough com|munion with them.</NOTE> Satans fiery darts, is from your communion with God; a &s;oul high in communion with God may be tempt|ed, but will not ea&s;ily be conqu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">red, &s;uch a &s;oul wil fight it out to the death; Communion with God furni&s;heth the &s;oule with the greate&s;t, and the choi&s;e&s;t arguments to with&s;tand Satans tempta|tions;
<PB N="339" REF="180"> Communion is the re&s;ult of u|nion; communion is a reciprocall ex|change between Chri&s;t, and a gracious &s;oule; Communion is <HI>Jacobs</HI> ladder, where you have Chri&s;t &s;weetly coming down into the &s;oul, and the &s;oul by di|vine influences &s;weetly a&s;cending up to Chri&s;t. Communion with Chri&s;t is ve|ry inflaming, rai&s;ing, and &s;trengthning; while <HI>Samp&s;on</HI> kept up his communion<NOTE PLACE="marg">The &s;ea ebbs and flows, the Moon encrea|&s;es, and de|crea&s;es, &s;o 'tis with Saints in their commu|nion with God.</NOTE> with God, no enemy could &s;tand before him, but he goes on conquering, and to conquer; but when he was fallen in his communion with God, he quickly falls before the plots of his enemies; 'twil be &s;o with your &s;oules, &s;o long as your communion with God is kept up, you wil be too hard for <HI>&s;piritual wickedne&s;&s;es in high places;</HI> but if you fall from your<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Plutarch</HI> tells of <HI>Eudoxus,</HI> that he would be willing to be burnt up pre&s;ently by the Sun, &s;o he might be ad|mitted to come &s;o near it, as to learne the nature of it; what &s;hould not wee be content to &s;uffer for the keeping up of commuion with Chri&s;t?</NOTE> communion with God, you will fall as others before the face of every tempta|tion. <HI>David,</HI> &s;o long as he kept up his communion with God, he &s;tands, and triumphs over all his enemies; but when he was fallen in his communion with God, then he falls before the enemies, that were in his own bo&s;om, &amp; flies be|fore tho&s;e that pur&s;ued after his life; 'Twil be &s;o with your &s;ouls, if you doe not keepe up your communion with God. <HI>Iob</HI> keeps up his communion with God, and conquers Satan upon the dunghill.
<PB N="340" REF="181"> <HI>Adam</HI> loo&s;es his communion with God, and is conquered by Satan in Paradi&s;e. Communion with God is a &s;hield upon land, as well as an anchor at &s;ea; 'tis a &s;word to defend you, as well as a &s;taffe to &s;upport you; therefore keep up your communion.</P>
<P N="9">9. If you would not be taken in any of Satans &s;nares, then engage not a|gain&s;t Satan in your own &s;trength, but<NOTE PLACE="marg">That is a re|markable &s;ay|ing of <HI>Mo&s;es, Exod.</HI> 15. God is <HI>fortitu|do mea,</HI> and <HI>Laus mea,</HI> and <HI>&s;alus mea,</HI> my &s;trength, and my prai&s;e, and my &s;alvation, all in the ab|&s;tract.</NOTE> be every day drawing new vertue, and &s;trength from the Lord Je&s;us; certain|ly, that &s;oule that engages again&s;t any old or new temptation, without new &s;trength, new influences from on high, will fall before the power of the temp|tation; you may &s;ee this in <HI>Peter,</HI> hee re&s;ted upon &s;ome old received &s;trength (<HI>Though all men &s;hould deny thee, yet will not I</HI>) and therefore he falls &s;adly be|fore a new temptation; he cur&s;es, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 26.</NOTE> &s;wears, and denies him thrice, that had thrice appeared gloriou&s;ly to him; ah &s;oules! when the &s;nare is &s;pread, look up to Je&s;us Chri&s;t, who is lifted up in the Go&s;pell, as the brazen Serpent was<NOTE PLACE="marg">'Tis but look up, and live, look unto me and be &s;aved from the ends of the earth, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> 45. 2<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">.</NOTE> in the wilderne&s;&s;e, and &s;ay to him, Dear Lord, here is a new &s;nare laid to catch my &s;oule, and grace formerly received wi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">hout fre&s;h &s;upplies from thy ble&s;&s;ed bo&s;ome, will not deliver me from this &s;nare; oh! give me new &s;trength, new
<PB N="341" REF="181"> power, new influences, new mea&s;ures of grace, that &s;o I may e&s;cape this &s;nare. Ah &s;oules! remember this, that your<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>John</HI> 15. 5. <GAP LANG="grc" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> is <HI>&s;eor&s;im a me &s;eparat,</HI> from me, or apart from me, ye can doe no|thing.</NOTE> &s;trength to &s;tand, and overcome, mu&s;t not be expected from graces received, but from the fre&s;h, and renewed influ|ences of Heaven; you mu&s;t leane more upon Chri&s;t then upon your duties, you mu&s;t leane more upon Chri&s;t, then up|on &s;pirituall taft<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> and di&s;coveries; you mu&s;t leane more upon Chri&s;t, then up|on your graces, or el&s;e Satan will lead you into captivity, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Tenthly, and la&s;tly, If you would not be taken in any of Satans &s;nares, then be much in prayer; prayer is a &s;helter to the &s;oule, a &s;acrifice to God, and a &s;courge to the Devill; <HI>Davids</HI> heart was oft more out of tune, then his Harp; he prays, and then, in &s;pight<NOTE PLACE="marg">Of <HI>Carolus Magnus</HI> it was &s;poken, <HI>Caro|lus plus cum Deo quam cum hominibus lo|quitur,</HI> that he &s;pake more with God then with men; ah! that I could &s;ay &s;o of the Chri|&s;tians in our dayes.</NOTE> of the Devill, cries, <HI>returne unto thy re&s;t oh my &s;oule.</HI> Prayer is (<HI>Porta coeli, clavis Paradi&s;i</HI>) the gate of Heaven, a key to let us into Paradi&s;e; there is nothing that renders plots fruitle&s;&s;e like prayer, therefore &s;aith Chri&s;t, <HI>watch and pray, that yee enter not into temptation;</HI> you mu&s;t watch and pray, and pray, and watch, if you would not enter into temptation. When <HI>Sennacherib</HI> and <HI>Ha|man</HI> had laid plots and &s;nares to have de&s;troyed the <HI>Jewes,</HI> they prayed, and
<PB N="342" REF="182"> their &s;ouls were delivered, &amp; <HI>Sennache|rib</HI> and <HI>H<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">man</HI> de&s;troyed. <HI>David</HI> had ma|ny &s;nares laid for him, and this put<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> him upon prayer; <HI>Keep me</HI> (&s;aith hee) <HI>from the &s;nare which they have laid for me,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 141. 9, 10.</NOTE> <HI>and the grins of the workers of iniquity. Let the wicked fall into their owne nets, whil&s;t that I e&s;cape. The proud &s;aith he, hath hid a &s;nare for me, and cords, they have &s;pread a net by the way &s;ide, they have &s;et grins</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 140. 5, 6.</NOTE> <HI>for me, Selab. I &s;aid unto the Lord, thou art my God, heare the voyce of my &s;upplication</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nunquam abs te, ab&s;que te recedo, Bern.</HI> Oh Lord, &s;aith he, I never go away from thee, without thee.</NOTE> <HI>oh Lord. Saul</HI> and many others had laid &s;nares for <HI>David,</HI> and this puts him up|on prayer, and &s;o the &s;nares are broken, and he is d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lived; ah &s;ouls! take words to your &s;elves, and tell God that Sa|tan hath &s;pread his &s;nares in all places, and in all companies; tell God that he digs deep, and that he hath plot upon plot, and device upon device, and all to<NOTE PLACE="marg">Let us &s;aith <HI>Ba&s;il,</HI> with a holy impu|dence, make God a&s;hamed that he can|not looke us in the face, if he do deny our importu|nity, <HI>Jacob</HI> like, I wil not let thee go, unle&s;&s;e thou ble&s;&s;e me.</NOTE> undo you; tell God, that you have nei|ther skill, nor power to e&s;cape his &s;nares; tell God, that 'tis a work too high, and too hard for any created crea|ture to work your deliverance, unle&s;&s;e he puts under his own everla&s;ting arms; tell God how his honour is engaged to &s;tand by you, and to bring you off, that you be not ruin'd by his plots; tell God how the wicked would triumph, if you &s;hould fall into Satans &s;nares;
<PB N="343" REF="182"> tell God of the love of Chri&s;t, of the blood of Chri&s;t, and of the interce&s;&s;ion of Chri&s;t for you, that away may be found for your e&s;cape; tell God, if he will make it his honour to &s;ave you from falling into Satans &s;nares, you will make it your glory to &s;peak of his goodne&s;&s;e, and to live out his kinde|ne&s;&s;e. Chri&s;tians mu&s;t do a<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <HI>Ded<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lus,</HI> that when hee could not e&s;cape by a way upon earth, went by a way of hea|ven, and that is, the way of prayer, which is the only way left to e&s;cape Sa|tans &s;nares, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The next U&s;e is a u&s;e of thankful|ne&s;s,<NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">&V;&s;e.</NOTE> to tho&s;e that e&s;cape Satans &s;nares, that are not taken by him at his will; ah Chri&s;tians! it &s;tands you upon with that Princely Prophet <HI>David,</HI> to call upon your &s;oules, and &s;ay, <HI>Ble&s;&s;e the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 103. 1, 2.</NOTE> <HI>Lord oh our &s;oules, and all that is within us, ble&s;&s;e his holy name; Ble&s;&s;e the Lord oh our &s;oules, and forget not all his benefits;</HI> who hath not given us to be a prey to Satan, and to be en&s;nared by tho&s;e &s;nares that he hath laid for our &s;ouls; the &s;en&s;e of this great favour did work up <HI>Davids</HI> heart to prai&s;es; <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed be the Lord</HI> (&s;aith<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;alm 144. 6, 7.</NOTE> hee) <HI>who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth, our &s;oule is e&s;caped as a bird out of the &s;nares of the Fowlers, the &s;nare
<PB N="344" REF="183"> is broken, and we are e&s;caped:</HI> Ah Chri&s;ti|ans! Remember, that the greate&s;t part of the world, yea, the greate&s;t part of Profe&s;&s;ors are taken in Satans &s;nares; can you think &s;eriou&s;ly of this, and not<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Ancients u&s;e to &s;ay, <HI>in|gratum dixeris omnia dixeris,</HI> &s;ay a man is unthankfull, and &s;ay he is any thing.</NOTE> blu&s;h to be unthankful; what are you better then others? and what have you de&s;erved of God, or done for God more then other<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">? that you &s;hould by the help of a Divine hand e&s;cape the &s;nares, when others are taken, and held in the &s;nares of the Devill, to their e|ternall<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al.</HI> 71. 14. I will yet prai&s;e thee more &amp; more; in the Origi|nall 'tis&punc; I will adde to thy prai&s;e.</NOTE> overthrow, &amp;c.</P>
<P>Will you be thankfull for the e&s;ca|ping the &s;nares that men &s;pread for your lives, or e&s;tates, &amp;c? and will you not be much more thankfull for e&s;caping tho&s;e &s;nares that Satan hath laid for your precious &s;ouls?</P>
<P>Remember this, that deliverance<NOTE PLACE="marg">The Stork is &s;aid to leave one of her young ones where &s;hee hatcheth them; and the Elephant to turn up the fir&s;t &s;prig to|ward Heaven, when he co|meth to feed, out of &s;ome in&s;tinct of gratitude; ah &s;oules! that the&s;e may not bear witne&s;&s;e again&s;t you in the day of Chri&s;t.</NOTE> from Satans &s;nares doth carrie with it the cleare&s;t, and the greate&s;t evidence of the &s;oule and heart of God to be to|wards you. Many a man by a common hand of Providence e&s;capes many a &s;nare that man hath laid for him, but yet e&s;capes not the &s;nares that Satan hath laid for him. <HI>Saul,</HI> and <HI>Iudas,</HI> and <HI>Demas,</HI> doubtle&s;&s;e e&s;caped many &s;nares, that men had laid for them, but none of them e&s;caped the &s;nares that the De|vill had laid for them. Many men are
<PB N="345" REF="183"> lifted up above the &s;nares of men, by a common hand of providence, that are left to fall into the &s;nares of the Devill, by a hand of Ju&s;tice; your deliverance from Satans &s;nares is a fruit of &s;peciall love; can you thus look upon it, and not be thankfull, oh precious &s;oules? I judge not.</P>
<P>The la&s;t u&s;e of this point is to be|&s;peak<NOTE PLACE="marg" TYPE="runSum">&V;&s;e.</NOTE> Chri&s;tians to long to be at home; oh! long to be in the bo&s;ome of Chri&s;t, long to be in the Land of <HI>Canaan;</HI> for<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Au&s;tin</HI> wi&s;hed that he might have &s;eene 3. things, <HI>Rome</HI> flouri&s;hing, <HI>Paul</HI> preach|ing, &amp; Chri&s;t conver&s;ing with men up|on the earth. <HI>Bede</HI> comes after, &amp; cor|recting this la&s;t wi&s;h, faith, yea, but let me &s;ee the King in his beauty, Chri&s;t in his heaven|ly Kingdome.</NOTE> this world, this wilderne&s;&s;e is full of &s;nares, and all employments are full of &s;nares, and all enjoyments are full of &s;nares; in civill things, Satan hath his &s;nares to entrapus; and in all &s;pi|rituall things, Satan hath his &s;nares to catch us. All places are full of &s;nares, City and Countrey, &s;hop, and clo&s;et, Sea, and Land, and all our mercies are &s;urrounded with &s;nares; there are &s;nares about our tables, &amp; &s;nares about our beds, &amp;c. yea, Satan is &s;o power|ful, and &s;ub<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">il, that he will oftentimes make our greate&s;t, neare&s;t, and deare&s;t mercies to become our greate&s;t &s;nares; &s;ometimes hee will make the wife that lies in the bo&s;ome, to be a &s;nare to a man, as <HI>Samp&s;ons</HI> was, and as <HI>Jobs</HI> was; &s;ometimes he will make the child to be a &s;nare, as <HI>Ab&s;olom</HI> was, and <HI>Elies</HI> &s;ons
<PB N="346" REF="184"> were; and &s;ometimes he will make the &s;ervant to be a &s;nare, as <HI>Jo&s;eph</HI> was to his Mi&s;tris; ah &s;oules! Satan is &s;o cun|ning, and artificiall, that he can turne your cups into &s;nares, and your cloths into &s;nares, and your hou&s;es into &s;nares, and your gardens into &s;nares, &amp; all your recreations into &s;nares, &amp;c. And oh! how &s;hould the con&s;iderati|on of the&s;e things work all your &s;ouls to &s;ay with the Church, <HI>Make ha&s;t my</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Cant. 8. ult. <GAP LANG="heb" DESC="foreign" RESP="OXF"> Berahh dodi</HI> flee away &s;peedily my beloved.</NOTE> <HI>beloved, and be like to a Roe, or a young Hart upon the mountaines of &s;pices, and to love, and look, and long for the coming of Chri&s;t;</HI> &s;hall the e&s;pou&s;ed Maid long for the marriage day? the &s;ervant for his freedome? the captive for his ran|&s;ome? the Traveller for his Inne? the<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Phil. 1 23. 2 Cor.</HI> 5. 2. 4:</NOTE> Mariner for his Harbour? and &s;hall not the people of the Lord long much more to be in the bo&s;ome of Chri&s;t? there being nothing below the bo&s;ome of Chri&s;t, that is not &s;urrounded with Satans &s;nares.</P>
<P>What <HI>Paul</HI> once &s;pake of bonds and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 20. 23.</NOTE> afflictions, that they attended him in e|very place; that may all the Saints &s;ay of Satans &s;nares, that they attend them in every place, which &s;hould cau&s;e them to cry out (<HI>migremus hinc, migr<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">|mus hinc</HI>) let us goe hence, let us goe hence; and to &s;ay with <HI>Monica, Au&s;tins</HI>
<PB N="347" REF="184"> mother, <NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Quid hic fa|ciemus? cur non ocyus mi|gramus? cur non hinc avola|mus?</NOTE> what do we here? why de|part we not hence? why flie wee no &s;wifter? Ah &s;oules! till you are taken up into the bo&s;om of Chri&s;t, your com|forts will not be ful, pure, and con&s;tant till then; Satan will &s;till be tempting you, and &s;preading &s;nares to entangle you, therefore you &s;hould alwayes bee crying out with the Church, <HI>Come Lord</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rev.</HI> 22. 20. It is as ea&s;ie to compa&s;s the Heavens with a &s;pan, and contain the Sea in a nut-&s;hel, as to relate fully Chri&s;ts excel|lencies, or heavens hap|pine&s;&s;e.</NOTE> <HI>Je&s;us.</HI> Is not Chri&s;t that &s;tar of <HI>Jacob, that giveth light to them that are in darke|ne&s;&s;e?</HI> that <HI>Prince of Peace,</HI> who brings the Olive-branch of Peace to &s;ouls that are perplexed? Is not the greate&s;t worth and wealth in him? Is not all the petty excellencies and perfections of all crea|ted creatures epitomized in him? Is not he the Crown of Crowns, the glo|ry of glories, and the Heaven of Hea|vens? Oh then! be &s;till a longing after a full, cleare, and con&s;tant enjoyment of Chri&s;t in Heaven; for till then, Satan will &s;till have plots and de&s;ignes upon you; he acts by an untired power, and will never let you re&s;t, till you are ta|ken up to an everla&s;ting re&s;t in the bo|&s;ome of Chri&s;t.</P>
</DIV2>
</DIV1>
</BODY>
<BACK>
<DIV1 TYPE="appendix">
<PB REF="185">
<PB N="349" REF="185">
<HEAD>An Appendix touch|ing five more &s;everall <HI>De|vices</HI> that Satan hath to keep poor &s;oules from be|lieving in Chri&s;t, from re|ceiving of Chri&s;t, from em|bracing of Chri&s;t, from re&s;ting, leaning, or relying upon Chri&s;t for everla&s;ting happine&s;&s;e, and ble&s;&s;edne&s;s, according to the Go&s;pel; and Remedies again&s;t tho&s;e <HI>Devices.</HI></HEAD>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>Now the fir&s;t <HI>Device</HI> that Satan hath to keep the &s;oule off from believing in Chri&s;t, from clo&s;ing with Chri&s;t, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> is,</HEAD>
<P>BY &s;ugge&s;ting to the &s;oule the<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Device.</NOTE> greatne&s;&s;e and vilene&s;&s;e of his &s;innes: what, &s;aith Satan, do&s;t thou think that thou &s;halt ever
<PB N="350" REF="186"> obtain mercy by Chri&s;t, that ha&s;t &s;inned with &s;o high a hand again&s;t Chri&s;t? that ha&s;t &s;lighted the tenders of grace? that ha&s;t grieved the &s;pirit of grace? that ha&s;t de&s;pi&s;ed the word of grace? that ha&s;t trampled under feet the blood of the Covenant, by which thou might'&s;t have been pardoned, purged, ju&s;tified, and &s;aved? that ha&s;t &s;poken and done all the evill that thou could&s;t? No, no, &s;aith Satan, he hath mercy for others,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ierem. 3. 5.</NOTE> but not for thee; pardon for others, but not for thee; righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e for o|thers, but not for thee, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> therefore 'tis in vaine for thee to think of belee|ving in Chri&s;t, or re&s;ting and leaning thy guilty &s;oule upon Chri&s;t.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the remedies again&s;t this Device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Device</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that the greater your &s;innes are, the more you &s;tand in need of a Saviour; the greater your burthen is, the more you &s;tand in need of one to help to beare it: the dee|per the wound is, the more need there is of the Surgeon; the more dangerous
<PB N="351" REF="186"> the di&s;ea&s;e is, the more need there is of the Phy&s;itian. Who but mad men will argue thus; my burden is great, there-I'le not call out for help; my wound is<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mad Logick.</NOTE> deepe, therefore I'le not call out for balm; my di&s;ea&s;e is dangerous, there|fore I'le not goe to the Phy&s;itian. Ah! 'tis &s;piritua<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">adne&s;&s;e; 'tis the Devills Logick to argue thus: My &s;innes are great, therefore I'le not goe to Chri&s;t; I dare not re&s;t nor leane on Chri&s;t, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> whereas the &s;oule &s;hould rea&s;on thus; the greater my &s;ins are, the more I &s;tand in need of mercy, of pardon, and there|fore I will goe to Chri&s;t, who delights<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mica. 7. 18.</NOTE> in mercy, who pardons &s;inne for his owne name &s;ake; who is as able and as<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 43. 25.</NOTE> willing to forgive pounds, as pence, thou&s;ands, as hundreds.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>De|vice</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that the promi&s;e of grace and mercy is to returning &s;oules: and therefore though thou art never &s;o wicked, yet if thou wilt returne, God will be thine, mercy &s;hall be thine, &amp; pardon thine, <HI>&amp;c. 2 Chron. 30. 9. For if you turn again</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chron. 30. 9.</NOTE> <HI>unto the Lord, your brethren, and your chil|dren &s;hall finde compa&s;&s;ion before them that lead them captive, &s;o that they &s;hall come a|gaine into this land; for the Lord your God is gracious and mercifull, and will not turne
<PB N="352" REF="187"> away his face from you, if ye returne unto him.</HI> So <HI>Jer. 3. 12. Goe, and proclaime</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 3. 12.</NOTE> <HI>the&s;e words towards the North, and &s;ay, returne thou back-&s;liding I&s;rael, &s;aith the Lord, and I will not cau&s;e my anger to fall upon you; for I am mercifull &s;aith the Lord, and I will not keepe ang<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 span"> for ever.</HI> So <HI>Joel 2. 13. And rent you<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">rts, and not</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioel 2. 13.</NOTE> <HI>your garments, and turne unto the Lord your God, for he is gracious and mercifull, &s;low to anger, and of great kindne&s;&s;e, and repent|eth him of the evill.</HI> So <HI>I&s;a. 55. 7. Let the wicked for&s;ake his wayes, and the un|righteous man his thoughts, and let him re|turne unto the Lord, and he will have mer|cy upon him, and to our God, for he will a|bundantly pardon;</HI> or as the Hebrew read<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> it, <HI>he will multiply pardons.</HI> So <HI>Ezek.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ezek. ch. 18.</NOTE> <HI>Chap.</HI> 18.</P>
<P>Ah &s;inner! 'tis not thy great tran&s;|gre&s;&s;ions that &s;hall exclude thee from mercy; if thou wilt break off thy &s;ins by repentance, and return to the foun|taine of mercy. Chri&s;ts heart, Chri&s;ts armes are wide open to embrace the re|turning Prodigall. 'Tis not &s;imply the greate&s;t of thy &s;ins, but thy perempto|ry per&s;i&s;ting in &s;inne that will be thy e|ternall overthrow.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>De|vice</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that the greate&s;t &s;inners have obtained
<PB N="353" REF="187"> mercy, and therefore all the Angells in heaven, all the men on earth, and all the Devils in hell, cannot tell to the contrary, but that thou maye&s;t obtain mercy. <HI>Mana&s;&s;eh</HI> was a notorious &s;in|ner,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 King. Chap. 21.</NOTE> he erected Altars for <HI>Baal,</HI> he wor|&s;hipped and &s;erved all the hoa&s;t of Hea|ven; <HI>He cau&s;ed his &s;onnes to pa&s;&s;e through the fire; he gave him&s;elfe to witchcraft and &s;orcerie; he made Judah to &s;inn more wick|edly then the heathen did, whom the Lord de&s;troyed before the children of I&s;rael; hee</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Hebrew Doctors write that he &s;lew <HI>I&s;aiah</HI> the Prophet, who was his father in law.</NOTE> <HI>cau&s;ed the &s;treets of Jeru&s;alem to run downe with innocent blood, &amp;c.</HI> Ah! what a de|vill incarnate was he in his actings; and yet when he humbled him&s;elfe, and &s;ought the Lord, the Lord was intrea|ted of him, and heard his &s;upplicati|on, and brought him to <HI>Jeru&s;alem,</HI> and made him&s;elfe known unto him, and crowned him with mercy and loving kindne&s;&s;e, as you may &s;ee in 2 <HI>Chron.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>2 Chron.</HI> chap. 33.</NOTE> <HI>chap.</HI> 33. So <HI>Paul</HI> was once a <HI>bla&s;phe|mer, a per&s;ecutor, and injurious, yet he ob|tained</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 1. 13.</NOTE> <HI>mercy.</HI> So <HI>Mary Magdalen</HI> was a<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 7.</NOTE> notorious &s;trumpet, a common whore, one out of whom Chri&s;t ca&s;t &s;eaven De|vills, yet &s;he is pardoned by Chri&s;t, and dearly beloved of Chri&s;t, <HI>Luke</HI> 7. So<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mar. 16. 9.</NOTE> in <HI>Mar. 16. v. 9. Now when Je&s;us was ri|&s;en early, the fir&s;t day of the week, he appea|red fir&s;t to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he
<PB N="354" REF="188"> had ca&s;t &s;eaven Devills. Jan&s;enius</HI> on the place &s;aith, 'tis very ob&s;ervable that our Saviour after his re&s;urrection fir&s;t appeared to <HI>Mary Magdalen,</HI> and <HI>Peter,</HI> that had been grievous &s;inners; that e|ven the wor&s;t of &s;inners may be com|forted and encouraged to come to Chri&s;t, to believe in Chri&s;t, to re&s;t and &s;tay their &s;oules upon Chri&s;t for mercy here, and glory hereafter; that is a very precious word for the wor&s;t of &s;in|ners, to hang upon <HI>P&s;al. 68. v.</HI> 18. The<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 68. 18.</NOTE> P&s;almi&s;t &s;peaking of Chri&s;t, &s;aith, <HI>Thou ha&s;t a&s;cended on high, thou ha&s;t led captivity captive, thou ha&s;t received gifts for men, yea for the rebellious al&s;o, that the Lord God might dwell among them.</HI></P>
<P>What though thou art a rebellious child, or a rebellious &s;ervant? what though thou art a rebellious &s;wearer, a rebellious drunkard, a rebellious Sabbath-breaker, &amp;c. yet <HI>Chri&s;t hath re|ceived gifts for thee, even for the rebellious.</HI> He hath received the gift of pardon, the gift of righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e; yea all the gifts of the &s;pirit for thee, that thy heart may be made a delightfull hou&s;e for God to dwell in.</P>
<P><HI>Bodin</HI> hath a &s;tory concerning a great Rebell that had made a great &s;trong party again&s;t a <HI>Roman</HI> Emperour; the Emperour makes Proclamation, that
<PB N="355" REF="188"> who-ever could bring the Rebell dead or alive, he &s;hould have &s;uch a great &s;umme of money; The Rebell hearing of this, comes and pre&s;ents him&s;elf be|fore the Emperour, and demands the &s;umm of money; now &s;aith the Empe|rour, if I &s;hould put him to death, the world would &s;ay, I did it to &s;ave my money, and &s;o he pardons the Rebell, and gives him the money. Ah &s;inners! &s;hall a Heathen do this, that had but a drop of mercy and compa&s;&s;ion in him? and will not Chri&s;t do much more,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Colo&s;&s;. 1. 19. Chap. 2, 3, 4.</NOTE> that hath all fulne&s;&s;e of grace, mercy, and glory in him&s;elfe? Surely his bow|els doe yerne towards the wor&s;t of Re|bels. Ah! if you will but come in, you will find him ready to pardon, yea one<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Nehem. 9. 17. Heb.</HI> but thou a god of pardons.</NOTE> made up of pardoning mercy: Oh! the readine&s;&s;e and willingne&s;&s;e of Je&s;us Chri&s;t to receive to favour the greate&s;t Rebels.</P>
<P>The father of mercies did meet, em|brace, and ki&s;&s;e that prodigall mouth which came from feeding with &s;wine, and ki&s;&s;ing of Harlots. <HI>Ephraim</HI> had<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ho&s;. 4. 17. 5. 3. 6. 8. 11, 12. 12. 14. 13. 12. vide.</NOTE> committed Idolatry, and was back&s;li|den from God; he was guilty of luke|warmne&s;&s;e and unbelief, &amp;c. yet &s;aith God, <HI>Ephraim is my deare &s;onne, hee is a</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Jer. 31. 20.</NOTE> <HI>plea&s;ant child, my bowels are troubled for him; I will have mercy</HI> (or rather as 'tis
<PB N="356" REF="189"> in the Originall, <HI>I will have mercy, mer|cy) upon him &s;aith the Lord.</HI> Well &s;aith God, <HI>Though Ephraim be guilty of crim&s;on &s;innes, yet he is a &s;onne, a deare &s;onne, a precious &s;onne, a plea&s;ant childe: Though he be blacke with filth, and red with guilt, yet my bowels are troubled for him, I will have mercy, mercy upon him.</HI> Ah &s;inners! if the&s;e bowels of mercy doe not melt, win, and draw you, Ju&s;tice will be a &s;wift witne&s;&s;e again&s;t you, and make you lye downe in eternall mi&s;ery, for kicking again&s;t the bowels of mercy.</P>
<P>Chri&s;t hangs out &s;till, as once that warlike <HI>Seythian</HI> did, a white flag of grace and mercy to returning &s;inners that humble them&s;elves at his feete for favour; but if &s;inners &s;tand out, Chri&s;t will put forth his red flag, his bloody flag, and then they &s;hall dye for ever by a hand of Ju&s;tice. Sinners, there is no way to avoid peri&s;hing by Chri&s;ts iron rod, but by ki&s;&s;ing his golden Scep|ter.</P>
<P>The fourth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>De|vice</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan i<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, to con&s;ider, that Ie&s;us Chri&s;t has no where in all the Scripture excepted again&s;t the wor&s;t of &s;inners that are willing to receive him, to be|live in him, and to re&s;t upon him, for happine&s;&s;e, and ble&s;&s;edne&s;s: Ah &s;inners! why &s;hould you be more cruell and un|mercifull
<PB N="357" REF="189"> to your own &s;oules, then Chri&s;t is. Chri&s;t hath not excluded you from mercy, why &s;hould you ex|clude your owne &s;oules from mercy? Oh that you would dwell often upon that choi&s;e Scripture, <HI>John 6. 37. All</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 6. 37.</NOTE> <HI>that the Father giveth me, &s;hall come to me, and him that cometh to me, I will in no wi&s;e ca&s;t out</HI> (or as the Originall hath it) <HI>I will not ca&s;t out.</HI> Well &s;aith Chri&s;t, if a|ny man will come, or is coming to me, let him be more &s;infull, or le&s;&s;e; more unworthy, or le&s;&s;e; let him be never &s;o guilty, never &s;o filthy, never &s;o rebel|lious, never &s;o leprous, &amp;c. yet if hee will but come, I will not, not, not ca&s;t him off. So much is held forth in that 1 <HI>Cor. 6. 9, 10, 11. Know ye not that the un|righteous</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor! 6. 9. 10, 11.</NOTE> <HI>&s;hall not inherite the Kingdome of God? Be not deceived: Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abu&s;ers of them&s;elves with man-kinde. Nor theeves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, &s;hall inherite the Kingdome of God. And &s;uch were &s;ome of you: but ye are wa&s;hed, but ye are &s;ancti|fied, but ye are ju&s;tified in the name of the Lord Je&s;us, and by the &s;pirit of our God.</HI></P>
<P>Ah &s;inners! do not thinke that hee that hath received &s;uch notorious &s;in|ners to mercy, will reject you; <HI>Hee is</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 13. 8.</NOTE> <HI>ye&s;terday, and to day, and the &s;ame for ever.</HI></P>
<PB N="358" REF="190">
<P>Chri&s;t was borne in an Inne, to &s;hew that he receives all commers; his gar|ments were divided into four parts, to &s;hew, that out of what part of the world &s;oever we come, we &s;hall be re|ceived; If we be naked, Chri&s;t hath Robes to cloth us; if we be harbour|le&s;s, Chri&s;t hath room to lodg us. That is a choi&s;e Scripture, <HI>Acts</HI> 10. 34, 35.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Acts 10. 34, 35.</NOTE> <HI>Then Peter opened his mouth, and &s;aid, of a truth I perceive that God is no re&s;pecter of per&s;ons. But in every Nation, he that fear|eth him, and worketh righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, is ac|cepted with him.</HI></P>
<P>The three Tongues that were writ|ten upon the Cro&s;&s;e in <HI>Greeke, Latine,</HI> and <HI>Hebrew,</HI> to witne&s;&s;e Chri&s;t to be<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 19. 19, 20.</NOTE> the King of the <HI>Jewes,</HI> do each of them in their &s;everall Idiom avouch this &s;in|gular Axiome, that Chri&s;t is an all &s;uffi|cient Saviour, and a three-fold cord is not ea&s;ily broken. The Apo&s;tle puts this out of doubt in that <HI>Heb. 7. v.</HI> 25.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 7. 25.</NOTE> <HI>Wherefore he is able al&s;o to &s;ave them to the vttermo&s;t, that come unto God by him, &s;eeing he ever liveth to make interce&s;&s;ion for them.</HI> Now he were not an Al-&s;ufficient Savi|our, if he were not as able to &s;ave the greate&s;t, as the lea&s;t of &s;inners. Ah &s;in|ners, tell Je&s;us Chri&s;t that he hath not excluded you from mercy, and there|fore you are re&s;olved that you will &s;it,
<PB N="359" REF="190"> waite, weep, and knock at the doore of mercy, til he &s;hall &s;ay, &s;ouls be of good cheer, your &s;ins are forgiven, your per|&s;ons are ju&s;tified, and your &s;oules &s;hall be &s;aved.</P>
<P>The fifth <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Device</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to con&s;ider, that the grea|ter &s;inner thou art, the dearer thou wil<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> be to Chri&s;t, when he &s;hall behold thee as the travel of his &s;oule. <HI>I&s;a</HI> 53. 11.<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 53. 11.</NOTE> <HI>He &s;hall &s;ee of the travell of his &s;oule, and be &s;atisfied.</HI> The dearer we pay for any thing, the dearer that thing is to us; Chri&s;t hath paid mo&s;t, and prayed mo&s;t, and &s;ighed mo&s;t, and wept mo&s;t, and bled mo&s;t for the greate&s;t &s;inners, and therefore they are dearer to Chri&s;t then others that are le&s;&s;e &s;inful. <HI>Rachel</HI> was<NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 29. 30.</NOTE> dearer to <HI>Jacob</HI> then <HI>Leah,</HI> becau&s;e &s;hee co&s;t him more; he obeyed, endured, and &s;uffered more by day and by night for her, then for <HI>Leah.</HI> Ah &s;inners! the greatne&s;&s;e of your &s;inns does but &s;et off the freene&s;&s;e and riches of Chri&s;ts grace, and the freene&s;&s;e of his love, this ma|keth Heaven and Earth to ring of his prai&s;e, that he loves tho&s;e that are mo&s;t unlovely; that hee &s;hewes mo&s;t favour to them that hath &s;inned mo&s;t highly a|gain&s;t him, as might be &s;hewed by &s;eve|rall in&s;tances in Scripture, as <HI>Paul, Mary Magdalene,</HI> and others, who &s;inned more
<PB N="360" REF="191"> again&s;t Chri&s;t then the&s;e? and who had &s;weeter, and choicer manife&s;tations of divine love and favour then the&s;e?</P>
<P>The &s;ixth <HI>Remedy</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Device</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">6 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that the longer you keepe off from Chri&s;t, the greater and &s;tronger your &s;innes wil grow. All divine power and &s;trength again&s;t &s;in flowes from the &s;ouls union<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8. 10. 1 Iohn 1. 6, 7.</NOTE> and communion with Chri&s;t; while you keepe off from Chri&s;t, you keep off from that &s;trength and power which is only able to make you trample downe &s;trength, lead captivity captive, and &s;lay the <HI>Goliah's</HI> that bids defiance to Chri&s;t. 'Tis only faith in Chri&s;t that makes a<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Iohn 5. 4.</NOTE> man triumph over &s;in, Satan, Hell, and the world. 'Tis onely faith in Chri&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Mar.</HI> 5. 25-35.</NOTE> that binds the &s;trong man hand and foot; that &s;tops the i&s;&s;ue of blood; that makes a man &s;trong in re&s;i&s;ting, and happy in conquering. Sin always dies mo&s;t, where faith lives mo&s;t; the mo&s;t believing &s;oule, is the mo&s;t mortifyed &s;oule. Ah &s;inner! remember this, there is no way on earth, effectually to be rid of the guilt, filth, and power of &s;inne, but by believing in a Saviour. 'Tis not re&s;olving, 'tis not complaining, 'tis not mourning, but believing that will make thee divinely victorious over that bodie of &s;inne that to this day is too
<PB N="361" REF="191"> &s;trong for thee, and that will certainly be thy ruine, if it be not ruin'd by a hand of faith.</P>
<P>The &s;eventh <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>De|vice</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">7 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satans, is, wi&s;ely to con&s;ider, that as there is nothing in Chri&s;t to di&s;courage the greate&s;t &s;inners from be|lieving in him, &s;o there is every thing in Chri&s;t that may encourage the grea|te&s;t &s;inners to believe in him, to re&s;t and leane upon him for all happine&s;&s;e, and ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e: If you look upon his na|ture, his di&s;po&s;ition, his names, his ti|tles, his offices, as King, Prie&s;t, and<NOTE PLACE="marg">Cant. 1. 3.</NOTE> Prophet, you &s;hall finde nothing to di&s;|courage the greate&s;t &s;inners to receive<NOTE PLACE="marg">Colo&s;&s;. 1. 19. Chap. 2. 3. Cant. 5. 10.</NOTE> him, to believe on him. Chri&s;t is the greate&s;t good, the choi&s;e&s;t good, the chiefe&s;t good, the mo&s;t &s;utable good, the mo&s;t nece&s;&s;ary good; he is a pure good, a reall good, a totall good, an eternall good, and a &s;oul-&s;atisfying good. Sinners, are you poor? Chri&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rev.</HI> 3. 17&punc; 18.</NOTE> hath gold to enrich you; are you na|ked? Chri&s;t hath royall robes, hee hath white rayment to cloath you; are you blind? Chri&s;t hath eye-&s;alve to enligh|ten you; are you hungry? Chri&s;t will be Manna to feed you; are you thir&s;ty?<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 6. 48. Iohn 7. 38.</NOTE> he will be a Well of living water to re|fre&s;h
<PB N="362" REF="192"> you; are you wounded? hee hath balm under his wings to heale you; are<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mal. 4. 2. Mat. 4. 23. Mat. 20. 28.</NOTE> you &s;ick? he is a Phy&s;itian to cure you; are you pri&s;oners? he hath laid downe a ran &s;ome for you. Ah &s;inners! tell me, tell me, is there any thing in Chri&s;t to keep you off from believing? No, is there not every thing in Chri&s;t that may incourage you to believe in him? Yes: O then believe in him, and then <HI>though your &s;innes be as &s;earlet, they be as</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 1. 18.</NOTE> <HI>white as &s;now; though they be red like crim|&s;on, they &s;hall be as wool.</HI> Nay then your iniquities &s;hall be forgotten, as well as<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 43. 25. I&s;a. 38. 17. Micha 1. 19.</NOTE> forgiven, they &s;hall be remembred no more; God will ca&s;t them behinde his back, he will hurle them into the bot|tome of the Sea.</P>
<P>The 8. and la&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this<NOTE PLACE="marg">8 Remedie.</NOTE> <HI>Device</HI> of Satan is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;i|der the ab&s;olute nece&s;&s;ity of beleeving in Chri&s;t. Heaven is too holy, and too hot to hold unbelievers, their lodging is prepared in hell <HI>Revel. 21. 8. But</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Revel. 21. 8.</NOTE> <HI>the fear full and unbelieving,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>&s;hall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire &amp; brim&s;tone, which is the &s;econd death. If ye believe not that I am he</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t)<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 8. 24.</NOTE> <HI>you &s;hall die in your &s;ins:</HI> And he that dyes in his &s;ins, mu&s;t to judgment, and to hell in his &s;ins. Every unbeliever is a condemned man: <HI>He that beleeveth not</HI>
<PB N="363" REF="192"> (&s;aith <HI>John) is condemned already, be|cau&s;e</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 3. 18.</NOTE> <HI>he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten &s;onne of God. And hee that</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;. 36.</NOTE> <HI>beleeveth not the Son, &s;hall not &s;ee life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.</HI> Ah &s;inners! the Law, the Go&s;pel, and your owne Con&s;ciences has pa&s;s'd the &s;en|tence of condemnation upon you, and there is no way to rever&s;e the &s;entence but by believing in Chri&s;t; and there|fore my coun&s;ell is this: Stir up your<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 64. 7.</NOTE> &s;elves to lay hold on the Lord Je&s;us, and look up to him, and wait on him from whom every good and perfect<NOTE PLACE="marg">James 1. 17. I&s;a. 62. 7.</NOTE> gift comes, and give him no re&s;t till he hath given thee that Jewell Faith, that is more worth then Heaven and Earth; and that will make thee happy in life, joyfull in death, and glorious in the day of Chri&s;t. And thus much for the <HI>Remedies</HI> again&s;t this fir&s;t <HI>Device</HI> of Satans, whereby he keeps off thou|&s;ands from believing in Chri&s;t.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="364" REF="193">
<HEAD>The &s;econd <HI>Device</HI> that Satan hath to keepe poor &s;inners from believing, from clo&s;ing with a Saviour, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY &s;ugge&s;ting to them their unwor|thine&s;&s;e.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Device.</NOTE> Ah &s;aith Satan! as thou art worthy of the greate&s;t mi&s;ery, &s;o thou art unworthy of the lea&s;t crum of mercy; what, do&s;t thou thinke &s;aith Satan, that ever Chri&s;t will owne, re|ceive, or embrace &s;uch an unworthy wretch as thou art? no, no, if there were any worthine&s;&s;e in thee, then indeed Chri&s;t might be willing to be entertain|ed by thee; thou art unworthy to en|tertain Chri&s;t into thy hou&s;e, how much more unworthy art thou to en|tertaine Chri&s;t into thy heart, &amp;c.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this de|vice of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Device</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that God hath no where in the Scrip|ture
<PB N="365" REF="193"> required any worthine&s;&s;e in the creature before believing in Chri&s;t. If you make a diligent &s;earch through all the Scripture, you &s;hall not find from<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 5. 29.</NOTE> the fir&s;t line in <HI>Gene&s;is,</HI> to the la&s;t line in the <HI>Revelation,</HI> one word that &s;peaks<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 19. 8.</NOTE> out Gods requiring any worthine&s;&s;e in the creature before the &s;oules believing in Chri&s;t, before the &s;ouls leaning and re&s;ting upon Chri&s;t for happine&s;&s;e, and ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e; and why then &s;hould that be a bar and hinderance to thy faith, which God doth no where require of thee before thou come&s;t to Chri&s;t, that thou mai&s;t have life. Ah &s;inners! remember Satan objects your unwor|thine&s;&s;e again&s;t you, only out of a De|&s;igne to keep Chri&s;t and your &s;oules a|&s;under for ever; and therefore in the face of all your unworthine&s;s re&s;t upon Chri&s;t, come to Chri&s;t, believe in<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 6. 40. 47.</NOTE> Chri&s;t, and you are happy for ever.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>De|vice</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satans is, wi&s;ely to con&s;ider, that none never received Chri&s;t, em|braced Chri&s;t, obtained mercy and pardon from Chri&s;t, but unworthy &s;oules. Pray what worthine&s;&s;e was in <HI>Matthew, Zacheus, Mary Magdalen, Ma|na&s;&s;eh, Paul</HI> and <HI>Sydia,</HI> before their co|ming to Chri&s;t? before their faith in Chri&s;t? &s;urely none. Ah &s;inners! you
<PB N="366" REF="194"> &s;hould rea&s;on thus, Chri&s;t hath be|&s;towed the choi&s;e&s;t mercies, the grea|te&s;t favours, the highe&s;t dignities, the &s;weete&s;t priviledges upon unworthy &s;inners; and therefore O our &s;ouls doe not you faint, do not you de&s;pair, but patiently and quietly wait for the &s;al|vation of the Lord; who can tell but that free grace and mercy may &s;hine forth upon us, though we are unwor|thy, and give us a portion among tho&s;e Worthies that are now triumphing in Heaven.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Device</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satans is, that if the &s;oule will keep off from Chri&s;t till it be worthy, it wil never clo&s;e with Chri&s;t, it will never embrace Chri&s;t, 'twill never be one with Chri&s;t, it mu&s;t lie down in ever|la&s;ting<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 50. ult.</NOTE> &s;orrow. God hath laid up all worthine&s;&s;e in Chri&s;t, that the creature may know where to finde it, and may make out after it. There is no way on earth to make unworthy &s;oules wor|thy, but by believing in Chri&s;t: Belie|ving in Chri&s;t, of &s;laves, 'twill make<NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> 1. 12.</NOTE> you worthy &s;ons; of enemies, 'twill<NOTE PLACE="marg">James 2. 23.</NOTE> make you worthy friends, &amp;c. God wil count none worthy, nor call none worthy, nor carry it towards none as worthy but Believers, who are made<NOTE PLACE="marg">Reuel. 3. 4.</NOTE> worthy by the worthine&s;&s;e of Chri&s;ts
<PB N="367" REF="194"> per&s;on, righteou&s;ne&s;&s;e, &s;atisfaction, and interce&s;&s;ion, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The fourth and la&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedie.</NOTE> this <HI>Device</HI> of Satans is, &s;olemnly to con&s;ider, that if you make a diligent &s;earch into your own hearts, you &s;hall find that 'tis the pride &amp; folly of your own hearts that puts you upon bring|ing of a worthine&s;&s;e to Chri&s;t. Oh you would faine bring &s;omething to Chri&s;t that might render you accepta|ble to him, you are loft to come emp|ty handed. The Lord cries out, <HI>Ho</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a 55. 1, 2.</NOTE> <HI>every one that thir&s;teth, come yee to the wa|ters, and he that hath no money: come yee, buy, and eate, come buy wine and milke without money, and without price.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Wherefore doe you &s;pend your money up|on</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 2.</NOTE> <HI>that which is not bread? and your labour for that which &s;atisfieth not?</HI></P>
<P>Here the Lord calls upon money le&s;&s;e &s;oules, upon penni-le&s;&s;e &s;oules, upon unworthy &s;oules, to come and partake of his precious favours freely: but &s;in|ners are proud and fooli&s;h, and becau&s;e they have no money, no worthine&s;s to bring, they'l not come, though he &s;weetly invites them. Ah &s;inners! what is more ju&s;t then that you &s;hould peri&s;h for ever, that preferre huskes among &s;wine before the milke and wine, the &s;weet and precious things of the Go&s;|pel
<PB N="368" REF="195"> that are freely and &s;weetly offered to you, &amp;c. Well &s;inners, remember this; 'tis not &s;o much the &s;en&s;e of thy unworthine&s;&s;e, as thy pride that keeps thee off from a ble&s;&s;ed clo&s;ing with the Lord Je&s;us.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The third <HI>Device</HI> that Satan hath to keep poor &s;inners from believing in Chri&s;t, from clo|&s;ing with Chri&s;t, from re&s;ting on Chri&s;t, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> is,</HEAD>
<P>BY &s;ugge&s;ting to them the want of<NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Device.</NOTE> &s;uch and &s;uch preparations, and qualifications: &s;aith Satan, thou art not prepared to entertain Chri&s;t; thou art not thus and thus humbled and ju|&s;tified; thou art not heart-&s;ick of &s;in&punc; thou ha&s;t not been under horrors and terrours as &s;uch and &s;uch, thou mu&s;t &s;tay till thou art prepared, and qu<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">lified to receive the Lord Je&s;us, &amp;c.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="369" REF="195">
<HEAD>Now the remedies again&s;t this Device of Satan are the&s;e that follow.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>Device</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedy.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that &s;uch as have not been &s;o and &s;o prepared and qualified, as Satan &s;ug|ge&s;ts have received Chri&s;t, believed in Chri&s;t, and being &s;aved by Chri&s;t. <HI>Ma|thew</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 9. 9.</NOTE> was called, &s;itting at the receipt of cu&s;tome, and there was &s;uch power went along with Chri&s;ts call, that made him to follow. We read not of any horrors or terrours, &amp;c. that hee was under before his being called by Chri&s;t. Pray what preparations and qualifica|tions were found in <HI>Zacheus, Paul,</HI> the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 19. 9. Acts 16. chap.</NOTE> Jaylor, and <HI>Lydia,</HI> before their conver|&s;ion. God brings in &s;ome by the &s;weet and &s;till voyce of the Go&s;pel, and u&s;u|ally &s;uch that are thus brought in to Chri&s;t, are the &s;weete&s;t, humble&s;t, <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 word"> i|&s;e&s;t, and fruitfulle&s;t Chri&s;tians. God is a free agent to worke by Law or Go&s;|pel; by &s;miles or frownes; by pre&s;en|ting hell or heaven to &s;inners &s;oules God thunders from Mount-Sinai upon &s;ome &s;ouls, &amp; conquers them by thun|dering
<PB N="370" REF="196"> God &s;peaks to others in a &s;till voyce, and by that conquers them. You that are brought to Chri&s;t by the Law, do not you judge and condemn them that are brought to Chri&s;t by the<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 14.</NOTE> Go&s;pell: and you that are brought to Chri&s;t by the Go&s;pel, do not you de&s;|pi&s;e tho&s;e that are brought to Chri&s;t by the Law. Some are brought to Chri&s;t by fire, &s;torms, and tempe&s;ts, others by more ea&s;ie and gentle gales of the Spi|rit. The Spirit is free in the works of<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 3. 8.</NOTE> conver&s;ion, and as the wind, it blows when, where, &amp; how it plea&s;es. Thrice happy are tho&s;e &s;ouls that are brought to Chri&s;t, whether it be in a winters night, or in a &s;ummers day.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>De|vice</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;olemnly to dwel up|on the&s;e following Scriptures which do clearly evidence, that poor &s;inners which are not &s;o and &s;o prepared, and qualified to meet with Chri&s;t, to re|ceive and embrace the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t, may notwith&s;tanding that be|lieve in Chri&s;t, and re&s;t and lean upon him for happine&s;&s;e and ble&s;&s;edne&s;&s;e, ac|cording to the Go&s;pel. Read the fir&s;t of the <HI>Proverbs,</HI> from <HI>ver&s;.</HI> 20. to the end, and the 11. fir&s;t ver&s;es of the 8. of the <HI>Proverbs,</HI> and the &s;ix fir&s;t ver&s;es of the 9. of the <HI>Proverbs,</HI> and the 14. fir&s;t
<PB N="371" REF="196"> ver&s;es of <HI>Ezek. chap.</HI> 16. and the 3. of <HI>John</HI> 14, 15, 16, 17, 18. 36. ver&s;es, and the 3. of the <HI>Revelations, ver&s;.</HI> 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20. Here the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t &s;tands knocking at the <HI>Laodiceans</HI> door, he would faine have them to &s;up with him, and that he might &s;up with them; that is, that they might have in|timate communion and fellow&s;hip one with another.</P>
<P>Now pray tell me, what preparati|ons or qualifications had the&s;e <HI>Laodice|ans</HI> to entertain Chri&s;t? &s;urely none; for they were luke-warm, they were neither cold nor hot; they were wret|ched, and mi&s;erable, and poore, and blind, and naked; and yet Chri&s;t to &s;hew his free grace, and his conde&s;cen|ding love, invites the very wor&s;t of &s;in|ners to open to him, though they were no wayes &s;o or &s;o prepared or qualified to entertain him, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The third <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>De|vice</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">3 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con&s;ider, that the Lord does not in all the Scrip|ture require &s;uch and &s;uch preparati|ons<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Rom.</HI> 4. 5. God ju&s;tifies the ungodly.</NOTE> &amp; qualifications before men come to Chri&s;t, before they believe in Chri&s;t, or entertaine, or embrace the Lord Je|&s;us Chri&s;t. Believing, believing in Chri&s;t is the great thing that God pre&s;|&s;es upon &s;inners throughout the Scrip|ture,
<PB N="372" REF="197"> as all know, that know any thing of Scripture.</P>
<P><HI>Obj.</HI> But does not Chri&s;t &s;ay, <HI>Come</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 11. 28.</NOTE> <HI>unto me all yee that labour, and are heavy laden, and I will give you re&s;t?</HI> To this I &s;hall give the&s;e three An&s;wers.</P>
<P N="1">1. That though the invitation be to &s;uch that <HI>labour and are heavy laden,</HI> yet the promi&s;e of giving re&s;t, its made o|ver to coming to believing.</P>
<P N="2">2. I an&s;wer, that all that this Scrip|ture proves and &s;hews, is, that &s;uch as labour under &s;in as under a heavy bur|den,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Math.</HI> 11. 28. opened and cleared.</NOTE> and that are laden with the guilt of &s;in, and &s;en&s;e of Gods di&s;plea&s;ure, ought to come to Chri&s;t for re&s;t; but it doth not prove that only &s;uch mu&s;t come to Chri&s;t, nor that all men mu&s;t be thus burthened, and laden with the &s;en&s;e of their &s;innes, and the wrath of God before they come to Chri&s;t. Poor &s;inners, when they are under the &s;en&s;e of &s;inne, and wrath of God, they are prone to run from creature to creature, and from duty to duty, and from Or|dinance to Ordinance, to find re&s;t; and if they could finde it in any thing, or creature, Chri&s;t &s;hould never heare of them. But here the Lord &s;weetly in|vites them, and to encourage them, he engages him&s;elf to give them re&s;t. <HI>Come</HI> (&s;aith Chri&s;t) <HI>and I will give you re&s;t.</HI>
<PB N="373" REF="197"> I'le not &s;hew you <HI>re&s;t,</HI> nor barely tell you of <HI>re&s;t,</HI> but <HI>I will give you re&s;t.</HI> I am faithfulne&s;&s;e it &s;elfe, and cannot lye, <HI>I will give you re&s;t.</HI> I that have the greate&s;t power to give it, the greate&s;t will to give it, the greate&s;t right to give it, <HI>come laden &s;inners, and I will give you re&s;t.</HI> Re&s;t is the mo&s;t de&s;ireable good, the mo&s;t &s;u|table good, &amp; to you the greate&s;t good. Come &s;aith Chri&s;t, that is, <HI>Believe in me &amp; I wil give you re&s;t.</HI> I wil give you peace with God, and peace with con&s;cience, I will turn your &s;torme into an everla|&s;ting calme: I will give you &s;uch re&s;t, that the world can neither give to you, nor take from you.</P>
<P N="3">3. I an&s;wer, no one Scripture &s;peaks out the whole minde of Chri&s;t; there|fore do but compare this one Scripture with tho&s;e &s;everall Scriptures that are laid downe in the &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> la&s;t mentioned, and it will clearly appear, that though men are not thus and thus burdened and laden with their &s;ins, and filled with horror and terrour, if they may come to Chri&s;t, they may receive and embrace the Lord Je&s;us Chri&s;t.</P>
<P>The 4. and la&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Remedie.</NOTE> <HI>Device</HI> of Satan is, to con&s;ider, that all that trouble for him, all that &s;or|row, &s;hame, and mourning, &amp;c. which is acceptable to God, and delightfull to
<PB N="374" REF="198"> God, &amp; prevalent with God, flows from faith in Chri&s;t, as the &s;tream doth from the fountain, as the branch doth from the root, as the effect doth from the cau&s;e. <HI>Zech. 12. 10. They &s;hall looke on</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zach. 12. 10.</NOTE> <HI>him whom they have pierced, and they &s;hall mourn for him.</HI> All Go&s;pel-mourning<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 14. 23.</NOTE> flows from believing; they &s;hall fir&s;t look, and then mourn. All that know any thing, knows this, <HI>that what ever is not of faith is &s;inne.</HI> Till men have faith in Chri&s;t, their be&s;t &s;ervices are but glo|rious &s;ins.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<HEAD>The fourth <HI>Device</HI> that Satan hath to keep Chri&s;t &amp; a &s;in|ner a&s;under, to keep a poore &s;inner from believing in Chri&s;t, from embracing of Christ, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> is,</HEAD>
<P>BY &s;ugge&s;ting to the &s;inner Chri&s;ts<NOTE PLACE="marg">4 Device.</NOTE> unwillingne&s;&s;e to &s;ave; 'tis true, &s;aith Satan; Chri&s;t is able to &s;ave thee, but is he willing &s;urely? though hee be able, yet he is not willing to &s;ave &s;uch a wretch as thou art, that ha&s;t tramp|led his blood under thy feet, and that ha&s;t been in open rebellion again&s;t him all thy daye<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">, &amp;c.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="subpart">
<PB N="375" REF="198">
<HEAD>The Remedie again&s;t this Device of Satans is briefly to con&s;ider the&s;e few things.</HEAD>
<P N="1">1. THe great journey that he hath<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedie.</NOTE> taken from heaven to earth, on purpo&s;e to &s;ave &s;inners, doth &s;trongly demon&s;trate his willingne&s;&s;e to &s;ave them. <HI>Math. 9. 13. I came not to call the</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 9. 13.</NOTE> <HI>righteous, but &s;inners to repentance. 1 Tim. 1. 15. This is a faithfull &s;aying, and wor|thy</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Tim. 1. 15.</NOTE> <HI>of all acceptation, that Je&s;us Chri&s;t came into the world to &s;ave &s;inners, of whom I am chiefe.</HI></P>
<P N="2">2. His dive&s;ting him&s;elf of his glory in order to &s;inners &s;alvation, &s;peaks out his willingne&s;&s;e to &s;ave them; he leaves his Fathers bo&s;ome, he puts off his glo|rious robes, and layes a&s;ide his glori|ous Crown, and bids adie<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter"> to his gli|&s;tering Courtiers the Angels, and all this he doth, that hee may accompli&s;h &s;inners &s;alvation.</P>
<P N="3">3. That &s;ea of &s;in, that &s;ea of wrath, that &s;ea of trouble, that &s;ea of blood<NOTE PLACE="marg">From the Cradle to the Cro&s;&s;e, his whole life was a life of &s;uffe|rings.</NOTE> that Je&s;us Chri&s;t waded through, that &s;inners might be pardoned, ju&s;tified, re|conciled, and &s;aved, doth &s;trongly evi|dence his willingne&s;&s;e to &s;ave &s;inners.</P>
<P N="4">4. His &s;ending his Amba&s;&s;adors ear|ly
<PB N="376" REF="199"> and late to wooe and intreat &s;inners<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Cor. 5. 19, 20.</NOTE> to be reconciled to him, doth with o|pen mouth &s;hew his readine&s;&s;e, and wil|lingne&s;&s;e to &s;ave &s;inners.</P>
<P N="5">5. His complaints again&s;t &s;uch as re|fu&s;e him, and that turn their backs up|on him, and that will not be &s;aved by him, doth &s;trongly declare his willing|ne&s;&s;e to &s;ave them. <HI>He came to his owne,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 John 11.</NOTE> <HI>and his owne received him not.</HI> So in that 5. of <HI>John, v. 40. But yee will not come</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 5. 40.</NOTE> <HI>to me, that ye may have life.</HI></P>
<P N="6">6. The joy and delight that he takes at the conver&s;ion of &s;inners, doth de|mon&s;trate his willingne&s;&s;e, that they &s;hould be &s;aved. <HI>Luk. 15. 7. I &s;ay unto</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Luke 15. 7.</NOTE> <HI>you, that likewi&s;e joy &s;hall be in heaven over one &s;inner that repenteth, more then over ninety and nine ju&s;t per&s;ons which need no repentance.</HI> God the Father rejoyceth at the return of his prodigall Sonne. Chri&s;t rejoyces to &s;ee the travell of<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 53. 11.</NOTE> his &s;oule: the Spirit rejoyces that he hath another Temple to dwell in, and the Angels rejoyce that they have ano|ther Brother to delight in, &amp;c.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<DIV2 TYPE="part">
<PB N="377" REF="199">
<HEAD>The fifth <HI>Device</HI> that Satan hath to keepe a &s;inner and Chri&s;t a&s;under, is,</HEAD>
<P>BY working a &s;inner to mind more<NOTE PLACE="marg">5 Device.</NOTE> the &s;ecret decrea&s;e and coun&s;els of God, then his own duty. What nee|de&s;t thou to bu&s;ie thy &s;elfe about recei|ving, embracing, and entertaining of Chri&s;t? Saith Satan, if thou art elected, thou &s;halt be &s;aved; if not, all that thou can&s;t doe will do thee no good. Nay, he will worke the &s;oule not onely to doubt of its election, but to conclude that he is not elected, and therefore let him doe what he can he &s;hall never be &s;aved.</P>
<DIV3 TYPE="subpart">
<HEAD>Now the Remedies again&s;t this <HI>Device</HI> of Satan are the&s;e.</HEAD>
<P>THe fir&s;t <HI>Remedie</HI> is, &s;eriou&s;ly to con|&s;ider,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Remedy</NOTE> that all the Angels in heaven, nor all the men on earth, nor all the Devills in hell cannot tell to the con|trary, but that thou mai&s;t be an elect per&s;on, a cho&s;en ve&s;&s;el. Thou maye&s;t
<PB N="378" REF="200"> be confident of this, that God never made Satan one of his Privie Councel, God never acquainted him with the names or per&s;ons of &s;uch that he hath &s;et his love upon to eternity, &amp;c.</P>
<P>The &s;econd <HI>Remedie</HI> again&s;t this <HI>De|vice</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Remedie.</NOTE> of Satan, is, to meddle with that which thou ha&s;t to doe; &s;ecret things belongs to the Lord, but revealed<NOTE PLACE="marg">Deut. 29. 29.</NOTE> things belongs to thee; thy worke &s;in|ner, is to be peremptory in believing, and in returning to the Lord; thy worke is to ca&s;t thy &s;elfe upon Chri&s;t, lye at his feete, to waite on him in his wayes, and to give him no re&s;t till he &s;hall &s;ay, Sinner, I am thy portion, I am thy &s;alvation, and nothing &s;hall &s;eparate between thee and me.</P>
</DIV3>
</DIV2>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="table of contents">
<PB REF="200">
<HEAD>A TABLE Shewing the principal things in this Treati&s;e.</HEAD>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>_THE words opened, and the Point proved, from</HI> page 1. <HI>to</HI> page 7.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>In the next place is &s;hewed, the &s;everall</HI> Devices <HI>that Satan hath to draw &s;oules to &s;in.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Satans fir&s;t</HI> Device <HI>to draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, to pre&s;ent the baite, and hide the hooke, &amp;c. foure</HI> Reme|dies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device, <HI>from</HI> page 7. <HI>to</HI> page 14.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>His &s;econd</HI> Device <HI>to draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, by painting &s;in with vertues colours,</HI> 4. Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device, <HI>from</HI> page 14. <HI>to</HI> p. 21.</ITEM>
<PB REF="201">
<ITEM><HI>The third</HI> Device <HI>Satan hath to draw the &s;oule to &s;inn, is, by extenuating, and le&s;&s;ening of &s;in, &amp;c. &s;even</HI> Re|medies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device <HI>of Sa|tan, from</HI> page 21. <HI>to</HI> page 32.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The fourth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, by pr&s;ent|ing to the &s;oule the be&s;t mens &s;inns, and by hiding from the &s;oule their vertues, &amp;c. foure</HI> Remedies <HI>a|gain&s;t this</HI> Device <HI>of Satan, from</HI> p. 32. <HI>to</HI> p. 40.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The fifth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, by pre&s;ent|ing God to the &s;oul, as one made up all of mercy, &amp;c. five</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device, <HI>from</HI> pa. 40. <HI>to</HI> page 49.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The &s;ixth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, by per&s;wa|ding the &s;oule, that the work of</HI> Re|pentance <HI>is an ea&s;ie worke, &amp;c. &s;ix</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> page 49. <HI>to</HI> 65.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The &s;eventh</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to draw the &s;oul to &s;in, is, by making the &s;oule bold to venture upon the oc|ca&s;ions of &s;in, &amp;c. four</HI> Remedies
<PB REF="201"> <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device, <HI>from</HI> p. 65. <HI>to</HI> page 73.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The eighth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, by pre&s;ent|ing to the &s;oule the outward mercies, that vaine men enjoy, and the out|ward mi&s;eries that they are freed from, whil&s;t they have walked in the wayes of &s;in, &amp;c. Eight</HI> Re|medies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device, <HI>from</HI> page 73. <HI>to</HI> page 87.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The ninth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, by pre&s;ent|ing to the &s;oule the cro&s;&s;es, the lo&s;&s;es, reproaches, &s;orrowes, and &s;ufferings that daily attend tho&s;e that walk in the wayes of holine&s;&s;e, &amp;c. &s;even</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device, <HI>from</HI> p. 87. <HI>to</HI> p. 103.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The tenth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to draw the &s;oules of men to &s;in, is, by working them to be frequent in com|paring them&s;elves and their wayes with tho&s;e that are reputed to be wor&s;e then them&s;elves, &amp;c. three</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device, <HI>from</HI> p. 103. <HI>to</HI> p. 107.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The eleventh</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath
<PB REF="202"> to draw the &s;oule to &s;in, is, by pollu|ting and defiling the &s;oules and judgments of men with &s;uch dange|rous errours, that do in their proper tendency tend to carry the &s;oules of men to all loo&s;ene&s;&s;e, and wicked|ne&s;s, &amp;c. &s;even</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device, <HI>from</HI> p. 107. <HI>to</HI> p. 119.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The</HI> 12. Device <HI>that Satan hath to draw the &s;oule to &s;inne, is, to worke it to affect wicked company, &amp;c. foure</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> De|vice, <HI>from</HI> p. 119. <HI>to</HI> p. 124.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Secondly, as Satan hath his &s;everall</HI> devices <HI>to draw &s;oules to &s;in, &s;o he hath his &s;everall</HI> devices <HI>to keepe &s;oules from holy duties, to keep them off from religious &s;ervices, and they are the&s;e that follow.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>The fir&s;t</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to draw &s;oules from holy duties, and to keep them off from religious &s;ervi|ces, is, by pre&s;enting the world in &s;uch a dre&s;&s;e, and in &s;uch a garbe to the &s;oul, as to en&s;nare the &s;oul, &amp; to win upon the affections of the &s;oule, he pre&s;ents the world to them in its
<PB REF="202"> beauty, and bravery, which proves a bewitching &s;ight to a world of men; Eight</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device, <HI>from</HI> p. 124. <HI>to</HI> p. 141.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The &s;econd</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to draw &s;ouls from the Ordinances, or holy duties, is, by pre&s;enting to them the dangers, the lo&s;&s;es, and the &s;uffe|rings that doe attend the perform|ance of &s;uch, and &s;uch religious &s;er|vices; five</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device, <HI>from</HI> p. 141. <HI>to</HI> p. 152.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The third</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to d<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="2 letters">w &s;oules from holy duties, and to keep them off from Religious &s;ervi|ces, is, by pre&s;enting to the &s;oule the difficulty of performing them, &amp;c. five</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device <HI>from</HI> p. 152. <HI>to</HI> p. 160.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The fourth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to draw the &s;oule off from holy exerci|&s;es, from religious exerci&s;es, is, by working them to make fal&s;e infe|rences, from tho&s;e ble&s;&s;ed and glori|ous things that Chri&s;t hath done, &amp;c. five</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device, <HI>from</HI> p. 160. <HI>to</HI> p. 169.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The fifth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to
<PB REF="203"> draw &s;oules off from Religious &s;er|vices, and to keepe &s;oules off from holy, and heavenly performances, is, by pre&s;enting to them the paucity and poverty of tho&s;e that walke in the wayes of God, &amp;c. &s;ix</HI> Rome|dies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> Device, <HI>from</HI> p. 169. <HI>to</HI> p. 178.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The &s;ixth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to keepe &s;oules off from Religious &s;ervi|vices, is, by pre&s;enting before them the examples of the greate&s;t part of the world, that walke in the ways of their owne hearts, and that make light and &s;light of the wayes of God, &amp;c. three</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> pa. 178. <HI>to</HI> pa. 182.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The &s;eventh</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to keepe &s;oules from holy and hea|venly &s;ervices, is, by ca&s;ting in a multitude of vaine thoughts, whil&s;t the &s;oule is in waiting on God, &amp;c. &s;ix</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> p. 182. <HI>to</HI> p. 190.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The eighth</HI> Device <HI>of Satan to keepe &s;oules from holy and heavenly &s;ervi|ces, is, by working them to rest in their holy performances, &amp;c. foure</HI>
<PB REF="203"> remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> p. 190. <HI>to</HI> p. 195.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>In the third place is &s;hewed the &s;everall</HI> Devices <HI>Satan hath to keep &s;oules in a &s;ad, doubting, and que&s;tioning condition, and they are the&s;e that follow, &amp;c.</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>The fir&s;t</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to keep &s;oules in a &s;ad, doubting, and que&s;tioning condition, is, by cau&s;ing them to pore more, and mind more their &s;ins, then their Saviour, &amp;c. &s;ix</HI> Remedies <HI>against this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> p. 196. <HI>to</HI> p. 205.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The &s;econd</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to keep &s;oules in a &s;ad, doubting, and que&s;tioning condition, is, by work|ing them to make fal&s;e definitions of their graces, &amp;c. foure</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> p. 205. <HI>to</HI> p. 211.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The third</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to keep &s;oules in a &s;ad, doubting, and que&s;tioning condition, is, by work|ing the &s;oule to make fal&s;e inferen|rences, from the cro&s;&s;e actings of Providence, &amp;c. foure</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> p. 211. <HI>to</HI> p. 217.</ITEM>
<PB REF="204">
<ITEM><HI>The fourth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to keepe poor &s;oules in a &s;ad, doubting, and questioning condition, is, by &s;ugge&s;ting that their graces are not true, but counterfeit; two</HI> Reme|dies <HI>again this, and in the hand|ling of the two</HI> Remedies, <HI>ten dif|ferences are &s;hewed betwixt renew|ing grace, and restraining grace, be|twixt &s;anctifying grace, and tem|porary grace, from</HI> p. 217. <HI>to</HI> page 230.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The fifth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to keepe &s;oules in a &s;ad, doubting, and questioning condition, is, by &s;ugge|&s;ting to them, that that conflict that is in them, is not a conflict that is only in Saints, but &s;uch a conflict, that is to be found in the hearts of hypocrites, and prophane &s;oules,</HI> &amp;c. <HI>&s;ix</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> page 230. <HI>to</HI> p. 238.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The &s;ixth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to keepe poore &s;oules in a &s;ad, doubt|ing, and que&s;tioning condition, is by &s;ugge&s;ting to the &s;oule, that cer|tainly the condition of the &s;oule is
<PB REF="204"> not good, becau&s;e the &s;oule cannot joy and rejoyce in Chri&s;t, &amp;c. as once it could, &amp;c. five</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> p. 238. <HI>to</HI> p. 244.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The &s;eventh</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to keep poor &s;oules in a &s;ad, doubting, and questioning condition, is, by &s;ugge&s;ting to the &s;oule its often Re|lap&s;es into the &s;ame &s;in, which for|merly he hath pur&s;ued with particu|lar &s;orrow, griefe, &s;hame, and tears, and prayed, and re&s;olved again&s;t; &s;ix</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> p. 244. <HI>to</HI> p. 253.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The eighth</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to keep poor &s;oules in a &s;ad, doubting, and que&s;tioning condition, is, by per&s;wading them, that their e&s;tate is not good, their hearts are not up|right, their graces are not &s;ound, becau&s;e they are &s;o followed, vexed, and tormented with temptations; &s;everall</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> de|vice, <HI>from</HI> p. 253. <HI>to</HI> p. 264.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>In the fourth place is &s;hewed the &s;eve|rall wayes and devices that Satan hath to de&s;troy all &s;orts, and ranks of men in the world.</HI>
<PB REF="205">
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Fir&s;t, he hath his</HI> Devices <HI>to de&s;troy the great and honourable of the earth; And that</HI>
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Fir&s;t, by working them to make it their bu&s;ine&s;&s;e to &s;eeke how to greaten them&s;elves, to enrich them&s;elves, to &s;ecure them&s;elves, &amp;c. &s;ix</HI> Reme|dies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> p. 264. <HI>to</HI> p. 277.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>The &s;econd grand</HI> Device <HI>that Satan hath to de&s;troy the great, and hono|rable of the earth, is, by engaging them again&s;t the people of the mo&s;t high; foure</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> p. 277. <HI>to</HI> p. 284.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Secondly, Satan hath his</HI> Devices <HI>to de&s;troy the learned, and the wi&s;e, &amp; that &s;ometimes, by working them to pride them&s;elves in their parts, and abilities; and &s;ometimes by draw|ing them to re&s;t upon their parts and abilities; and &s;ometimes by work|ing them to make light and &s;light of tho&s;e that want iheir parts and abi|lities, though they excell them in grace and holine&s;&s;e, &amp;c. four</HI> Re|medies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> p. 284. <HI>to</HI> p. 290.</ITEM>
<PB REF="205">
<ITEM><HI>Thirdly, Satan hath his</HI> Devices <HI>to en&s;nare and de&s;troy the Saints, and that by working them, fir&s;t to be &s;trange, &amp; then to be bitter, &amp; jea|lous, and then to divide, &amp;c. twelve</HI> remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> p. 290. <HI>to</HI> p. 311.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Fourthly, Satan hath his</HI> Devices <HI>to de&s;troy poor ignorant &s;ouls, and that &s;ometimes, by drawing them to af|fect ignorance, &amp; to neglect, &s;light, and de&s;pi&s;e the means of Knowledg, &amp;c. Foure</HI> Remedies <HI>again&s;t this</HI> device, <HI>from</HI> p. 311. <HI>to</HI> p. 316.</ITEM>
</LIST></ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>To prevent &s;ome objections, &s;ix</HI> Pro|po&s;itions, <HI>or</HI> Conclu&s;ions <HI>concer|ning Satan, &amp; his</HI> devices <HI>are laid down, from</HI> p. 316. <HI>to</HI> page 327.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Five</HI> Rea&s;ons <HI>of the Point are laid downe, from</HI> p. 327. <HI>to</HI> p. 330.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Severall &s;weet and profitable</HI> U&s;es <HI>of the Point, from</HI> p. 330. <HI>to</HI> p. 347.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>To this &s;econd Impre&s;&s;ion is added an</HI> Appendix <HI>touching five more &s;e|verall</HI> Devices <HI>that Satan hath to keep poore &s;oules from believing in Chri&s;t, from receiving of Chri&s;t,
<PB REF="206"> from embracing of Chri&s;t, from re|&s;ting, leaning, or relying upon Chri&s;t for everlasting happine&s;&s;e, and ble&s;|&s;edne&s;&s;e, according to the Go&s;pel, &amp;</HI> Remedies <HI>against tho&s;e</HI> Devices, <HI>from</HI> page 349. <HI>to the end of the Booke.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="imprimatur">
<P>Imprimatur,</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Jo&s;eph Caryll.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="publisher's advertisement">
<PB REF="206">
<HEAD>A Catalogue of the Names of &s;everall Books printed, and to be &s;old by <HI>Iohn Hancocke</HI> in Pope&s;|head Alley.</HEAD>
<P>A Book of <HI>Short-writing,</HI> the mo&s;t ea&s;ie, exact, and &s;peedy Method, by <HI>Theophilus Medcalf,</HI> with a School-ma&s;ter to explain it.</P>
<P>Another Book of <HI>Short-hand,</HI> written by <HI>Thomas Cro&s;&s;e.</HI> You may buy <HI>Shelton,</HI> or any other &s;ort of him al&s;o.</P>
<P>A <HI>Copie-booke</HI> teaching to write &s;everall hands.</P>
<P>A Treati&s;e of <HI>Chri&s;ts per&s;onall reign on earth 1000. yeares,</HI> written by Mr. <HI>Robert Maton,</HI> &s;hewing the manner and beginning of his Reigne.</P>
<P>Al&s;o another Treati&s;e of <HI>Chri&s;ts per&s;onall Reign,</HI> by Mr. <HI>Farmer.</HI></P>
<P>The Covenant of <HI>Gods free Grace</HI> unfolded, by that worthy Mini&s;ter Mr. <HI>John Cotton</HI> of <HI>New Engl.</HI></P>
<P>A de&s;cription of the State of <HI>Great Britain,</HI> writ|ten 1100. years &s;ince, by that famous Author <HI>Gil|das</HI> treating of its Scituation, Di&s;obedience, Sub|jection, Religion, &amp;c.</P>
<P><HI>Spirituall Intervalls,</HI> or the <HI>Soules Exerci&s;e</HI> in <HI>Me|ditations</HI> on &s;everall Occa&s;ions, written by <HI>Lancelot Reynolds.</HI></P>
<P><HI>States Policie,</HI> written by <HI>Robert Sprye,</HI> &s;etting forth Rules of Civill Government.</P>
<PB REF="207">
<P><HI>Satans Stratagems,</HI> or the <HI>Devills Cabinet-Councell di&s;covered:</HI> Shewing an ea&s;ie way to end <HI>Controver|&s;ies</HI> in matters of Religion; written by <HI>Jacobus Accontius,</HI> tran&s;lated into Engli&s;h, 1648.</P>
<P>Recreations for ingenuous Head-pieces, contai|ning &s;everall witty Poems, Epigrams, Epi<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="KEYERS" EXTENT="1 letter">aphs, <HI>&amp;c.</HI> 1650.</P>
<P>The famous Hi&s;tory of <HI>Edward</HI> the fourth, King of <HI>England,</HI> written by <HI>William Babington,</HI> E&s;q;</P>
<P>A Treati&s;e of <HI>Church-government</HI> approved by many godly and learned Mini&s;ters, 1644.</P>
<P>A Gla&s;&s;e for the Times, confuting divers Errors in Religion briefly.</P>
<P>A Sermon before the Parliament, 1645. by <HI>Sa|muel Gib&s;on,</HI> called <HI>The ruine of the Authors and fo|menters of Civill Warre.</HI></P>
<P>Ca&s;es con&s;idered, and re&s;olved, touching Bap|ti&s;me of Infants, and the Lords Supper, wherein all godly con&s;cientious Mini&s;ters in <HI>England,</HI> whe|ther Congregationall, or Presbyteriall, are con|cerned; by Mr. <HI>Brookes,</HI> 1653.</P>
<P>A Sermon preached by Mr. <HI>Brooks</HI> at the Fune|rall of the renowned Colonel <HI>Reinsborough,</HI> called, <HI>The glorious day of the Saints appearance, calling for a glorious Conver&s;ation,</HI> &amp;c. 1648.</P>
<P>A Sermon preached by Mr. <HI>Brooks</HI> at Chri&s;t-Church, at the Funerall of Mrs. <HI>Martha Randol,</HI> 1651. Entituled, <HI>A Beleevers la&s;t day is his be&s;t day.</HI></P>
<P>Two other Sermons preached by Mr. <HI>Brooks</HI> be|fore the <HI>Parliament,</HI> one in <HI>Decemb.</HI> 6. 1648. the o|ther in <HI>Septemb.</HI> 3. 1650. both printed by their or|der, but not to be had now.</P>
<P>All the former Books mentioned, you may have of <HI>John Hancock</HI> in <HI>Pope&s;-head Alley.</HI></P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="errata">
<PB REF="207">
<P>Chri&s;tian Reader, be plea&s;ed to pa&s;&s;e by of cour&s;e, &s;ome mi&s;takes in pointing, and &s;ome le&s;&s;er literal faults, &amp; to correct with thy pen gro&s;&s;er <HI>Errata's</HI> before thou read&s;t the Book, as being occa&s;ioned by the Authors ab&s;ence from the Pre&s;&s;e.</P>
</DIV1>
</BACK>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
