Precious Remedies Against Satans Devices, Part 1 · Subpart 1
Now the Remedies againſt this Device of the Devil, are theſe.
FIrſt, keep at the greateſt diſtance from1 Remedy. ſin, and from playing with the golden bait that Satan holds forth to catch you; for this you have the 12 Rom. 9. v. Abhor that which is evill, cleave to that which is good; when we meet with any thing extreamly evill, and contrary to us, nature abhors it, and retires as far as it canforeign. The ſimple verb imports extreame deteſtation, wch is aggravated by the compoſition. Chryſoſt. from it. The Greek word that is there rendred abhor, is very ſignificant, it ſignifies to hate it as Hell it ſelfe, to hate it with horror. Anſelm uſed to ſay, that if he ſhould ſee the ſhame of ſin on the one hand, and the pains of hell on the other, and muſt of neceſſity chuſe one, he would rather be thruſt into Hell without ſin, then goe into Heaven with ſin: ſo great was his hatred and deteſtation of ſin. 'Tis our wiſeſt and our ſafeſtProv. 5. 8. 1 Theſſ. 5. 22. courſe to ſtand at the furtheſt diſtance from ſin, not to goe neer the houſe of the Harlot; but to flie from all appearance of evill; the beſt courſe to prevent falling into the pit, is to keep at theIt was a divine ſaying of a Heathen, that if there were no God to puniſh him, no Devil to torment him, no Hell to burne him no man to ſee him; yet would he not ſin ſer the uglineſs and filthineſs of ſin, and the griefe of his owne Conſcience. Seneca. greateſt diſtance; he that will be ſo 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 ſhould fall into the pit. Joſeph keeps at a (diſtance from ſin, and from playing with Satans golden baites, and ſtands; David drawes near, and playes with the bait, and falls, and ſwallowes bait and hook with a witnes. David comes neer the ſnare, and is taken in it, to the breaking of his bones, the wounding of his conſcience, and the loſſe of his God.
Sin is a plague, yea the greateſt and the moſt infectious plague in the world, and yet, ah how few are there that tremble at it? that keep at a diſtance from it, 1 Cor. 5. 6. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? As ſoon as one ſin had ſeiſed upon Adams heart, all ſin entred into his ſoul and over-ſpreadSinne is like thoſe Diſeaſes that are called by Phyſitians, Corruptio totius ſubſtantiae. it. How hath Adams one ſin ſpread over all mankinde. 5. Rom. 12. ver. Wherefore as by one man ſin entred into the world, and death by ſin: and ſo death paſſed upon all men, for that all have ſinned. Ah! how doth the Fathers ſin infect the child, the Husbands infect the Wife, the Maſters the Servant? The ſin that is in one mans heart, is able to infect a whole world, 'tis of ſuch a ſpreading and infectious nature. The ſtory of the Italian, who firſt made his enemy deny God, and then ſtab'd him, and ſo at once murthered both body and ſoule, declares the perfect malignity of ſin; and Oh! that what hath been ſpoken upon this head▪ may prevaile with you, to ſtand at a diſtance from ſin.
The ſecond Remedy, is, to conſider2 Remedy. When the golden bait is caſt forth to catch us, wee muſt ſay as Demoſthenes the Oratour did, of the beauti…ull Lais, when he was asked an exceſſive ſum of money to behold her; I will not buy repentance ſo dear, I am not ſo ill a merchant as to ſeleternals for temporals. that ſin is but a bitter-ſweet; that ſeeming ſweet that is in ſin will quickly vaniſh, and laſting ſhame, ſorrow, horrour, and terrour will come in the room thereof. 20. Job 12, 13, 14. Though wickedneſſe be ſweet in his mouth, though he bide it under his tongue, though he ſpare it, and forſake it not, but keep it ſtill within his mouth, yet his meat in his bowels is turned, it is the gall of Aſps within him. Forbidden profits and pleaſures are moſt pleaſing to vaine men, who count madneſſe mirth, &c. Many long to be medling with the murthering morſels of ſin, which nouriſh not but rent and conſume the belly, the ſoule that receives them. Many eat that on earth, that they digeſt in hell; ſins murthering morſels will deceive thoſe that devoure them. Adams If intemperance cou…d afford more pleaſure then temperance, Heliogobalus ſhould have been more happy then Adam in Paradiſe.Apple was a bitter-ſweet; Eſcu's meſſe was a bitter-ſweet; the Iſraelites quails a bitter-ſweet, Jonathans honey a bitter-ſweet, and Adonijahs dainties a bitter-ſweet; after the meale is ended comes the reckoning: Men muſt not think to dance and dine with the Devil, and then to ſup with Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob in the Kingdome of Heaven: to feed upon the poiſon of Aſps, and yet that the Vipers tongue ſhall not ſlay them; when the Aſpe ſtings a man, it doth firſt tickle him ſo, as it makes him laugh, till the poiſon by little andPlutark. little gets to the heart, and then it pains him more then ever it delighted him: ſo doth ſin, it may pleaſe a little at firſt, but it will paine the ſoule with a witneſſe at laſt; yea, if there were the leaſt reall delight in ſin, there could be no perfect Hell where men ſhall moſt perfectly be tormented with their ſin.
The third Remedy againſt this Device3 Remedy. of Satan is, ſolemnly to conſider, that ſin will uſher in the greateſt and theIſa. 59. 2. Pſal. 51. 12. Iſa. 59. 8. 2 Chron. 15. 3, 4. Jer. 17. 18. ſaddeſt loſſes that can be upon our ſouls; it will uſher in the loſſe of that Divine favour that is better then life, and the loſſe of that joy that is unſpeakable, and full of glory, and the loſſe of that peace that paſſeth underſtanding, and the loſſe of thoſe Divine influences, by which the ſoule hath beene refreſhed, quickned,Jer. 5. 25. raiſed, ſtrengthned, and gladded, and the loſſe of many outward deſirable mercies, which otherwiſe the ſoule might have injoyed. It was a ſound and ſavory reply of an Engliſh Captain at the loſſe of Callice, when a proud French-man ſcornfully demanded, when will you fetch Callice again? replied, *Quando peccata veſtra, erunt noſtris graviera.When your ſinnes ſhall weigh downe ours; ah England! my conſtant Prayer for thee is, that thou mayeſt not ſin away thy mercies into their hands, that cannot call mercy mercy, and that would joy in nothing more then to ſee thy ſorrow and miſery, and to ſee that hand to make thee naked, that hath cloath'd thee with much mercy and glory.
The fourth Remedy againſt this Device4 Remedy. In Sardis there grew an herb called Appium Sardis that would' make a man lye laughing when he was deadly ſick-ſuch is the operation of ſin. of Satan, is ſeriouſly to conſider, that ſin is of a very deceitfull and bewitching nature, ſin is from the greateſt deceiver; 'tis a child of his owne begetting, 'tis the ground of all the deceit in the world, and 'tis in its own nature exceeding deceitfull. Heb. 3. 13. But exhort one another daily, while it is called to day, leſt any of you be hardned through the deceitfullneſſe of ſinne; it will kiſſe the ſoul, and pretend fair to the ſoul, and yet betray the ſoul for ever; it will with Dalilah ſmile upon us, that it may betray us into the hands of the Devil, as ſhe did Sampſon into the hands of thePro. 5. 22, 23. Philiſtimes; ſin gives Satan a power over us, and an advantage to accuſe us, and to lay claime to us, as thoſe that weare his badge; 'tis of a very bewitching nature, it bewitches the ſoule where 'tis upon the throne, that the ſoule cannot leave it, though it periſh eternally by it. Sin ſo bewitches the ſoul, that it makesWhich occaſioned Chryſoſt…me to ſay, when Eudoxia the Empreſs threatned him, Goe tell her (Nil niſi pr…atum ti… ) I feare nothing but ſin. the ſoul call evill good, and good evill, bitter ſweet, and ſweet bitter, light darkneſſe, and darkneſſe light; and a ſoul thus bewitcht with ſin will ſtand it out to the death, at the ſwords point with God; Let God ſtrike, and wound, and cut to the very bone, yet the bewitched ſoul cares not, fears not, but will ſtill hold on in a courſe of wickedneſſe, as you may ſee in Pharaoh, Balaam, and Judas; tell the bewitched ſoul that ſin is a Viper that will certainly kill when 'tis not killed; that ſin often kils ſecretly, inſenſibly, eternally, yet the bewitched ſoul cannot, nor will not ceaſe from ſin. When the Phyſitians told…nen … Ambroſe. Ambroſe. Theotimus that except he did abſtain from drunkenneſſe, and uncleanneſſe, &c. he would looſe his eyes, his heart was ſo bewitch't to his ſins, that he anſwers, Then farewell ſweet light; he had rather looſe his eyes then leave his ſins: So a man bewitcht with ſin, had rather looſe God, Chriſt, Heaven, and his own ſoul, then part with his ſin; O therefore for ever take heed of playing, or nibling at Satans golden baits.
The ſecond Device of Satan to draw2 Device. the ſoule to ſin, is, by painting ſin with vertues colours; Satan knowes, that if h… ſhould preſent ſin in its own nature and dreſſe, the ſoul would rather fly from it, then yield to it, and therefore he preſents it unto us, not in its owne proper colours, but painted and guilded over with the name and ſhew of vertue, that we may the more eaſily be overcome by it, and take the more pleaſure in committing of it. Pride, he preſents to the ſoul under the name and notion of neatneſſe, and cleanlineſſe; and covetouſneſſe (which the Apoſtle condemns for idolatry) to be but good husbandry, and drunkennes to be good fellowſhip, and riotouſneſſe under the name and notion of liberality, and wantonneſſe as a trick of youth, &c.