Precious Remedies Against Satans Devices, Part 1 · Subpart 2
Now the Remedies againſt this Device of Satan are theſe.
FIrſt, Conſider that ſin is never a whit1 Remedy. the leſſe filthy, vilde, and abominable, by its being coloured and painted with vertues colours. A poyſonous Pill is never a whit the leſſe poyſonous, becauſe 'tis gilded over with gold; nor a Wolf is never a whit the leſſe a Wolfe, becauſe he hath put on a ſheeps-skin; nor the Devil is never a whit the leſſe a Devil, becauſe he appears ſomtimes like an Angel of light, ſo neither is ſin any whit the leſſe filthy, and abominable, by its being painted over with vertues colours.
The ſecond Remedy is this, That the2 Remedy. more ſin is painted forth under the colourTurpiora ſunt vitia quae virtutum ſpecie celantur, Jerome. Thus the Illuminates (as they called themſelves) a peſtilent Sect in Arragon, profeſſing and affecting in themſelves a kind of Angelicall purity, fell ſuddenly to the juſtifying of beaſtiality, as many have done in theſe dayes. of vertue, the more dangerous 'tis to the ſouls of men; this we ſee evident in theſe days, by thoſe very many ſouls that are turned out of the way that is holy, (and in which their ſouls have had ſweet and glorious communion with God) into wayes of higheſt vanity and folly, by Satans neat colouring over of ſin, and painting forth vice under the name and colour of vertue; this is ſo notoriouſly knowne, that I need but name it; the moſt dangerous vermine is too often to be found under the faireſt and ſweeteſt Flowers, and the faireſt glove is often drawn upon the fouleſt hand, and the richeſt robes are often put upon the filthieſt bodies: ſo are the faireſt and the ſweeteſt names upon the greateſt, and the moſt horribleſt vices and etrors that be in the world; ah! that we had not too many ſad proofs of this amongſt us.
The third Remedy againſt this Device,3 Remedy. is to look on ſin with that eye,Tacitus ſpeaks of Tiberius. …hat when his ſins did app…ar in their own colours, they did ſo terrifie and torment him, that he proteſted to the Senate, that he ſuffered death daily. which within a few hours we ſhall ſee it; ah ſouls! when you ſhall lye upon a dying bed, and ſtand before a judgement ſeat, ſin ſhall be unmaskt, and its dreſſe and robes ſhall then be taken off, and then it ſhall appear more vile, filthy, and terrible then Hell it ſelf; then that which formerly appear'd moſt ſweet, will appear moſt bitter, and that which appear'd moſt beautifull, will appear moſt ugly, and that which appear'd moſt delightful, will then appear moſt dreadfull to the ſoul; ah! the ſhame, the paine, the gall, the bitternes, the horrour, the hell, that the fight of ſin, when its dreſs is taken off, will raiſe in poor ſouls. Sin will ſurely prove evill, and bitter to the ſoul, when its robes are taken off. A man may have the Stone, who feels no fit of it. Conſcience will work at laſt, though for the preſent one may feele no fit of accuſation, Laban Satan that now allures thee to ſin, will ere long make thee ſee, that (Peccatum eſt deicidium) ſin is a murthering of God, and this will make thee murther two at once, thy ſoule and thy body, unleſſe the Lord in mercy holds thy hand.ſhewed himſelf at parting; ſin will be bitternes in the latter end, when it ſhall appear to the ſoul in its own filthy nature. The Devil deals with men, as the Panther doth with Beaſts, he hides his deformed head, till his ſweet ſent hath drawn them into his danger; till we have ſinned, Satan is a Paraſite, when we have ſinned, he is a Tyrant. Ah ſouls! the day is at hand, when the Devil will pull off the paint and garniſh that he hath put upon ſin, and preſent that monſter ſin in ſuch a monſtrous ſhape to your ſoules, that will cauſe your thoughts to be be troubled, your countenance to be changed, the joynts of your loines to be looſed, and your knees to be daſhed one againſt another, and your hearts to be ſo terrified, that you will be ready with Achitophel, and Judas, to ſtrangle, and hang your bodies on earth, and your ſoules in Hell; if the Lord hath not more mercy on you, then he had on them; oh! therefore looke upon ſin now, as you muſt look upon it to all eternity, and as God, Conſcience, and Satan will preſent it to you another day.
The fourth Remedie againſt this device4. Remedie. of Satan, is, ſolemnly to conſider, that even theſe very ſins, that Satan paints, and puts new names and coloursV…a guttula plus valet quam coelum & terra Luther i. e. one little drop (ſpeaking of the blood of Chriſt) is more worth then Heaven and Earth. upon, coſt the beſt blood, the nobleſt blood, the life-blood, the heartblood of the Lord Jeſus; that Chriſt ſhould come from the eternall boſome of his Father to a Region of ſorrow, and death; that God ſhould be manifeſted in the fleſh, the Creator made a Creature; that he that was cloathed with glory ſhould be wrapped with raggs of fleſh; he that filled heaven and earth with his glory, ſhould be cradled in a manger; that the power of God ſhould flie from weak man, the God of Iſrael into Aegypt; that the God of the Law ſhould be ſubject to the Law;One of the Rabbins, when he read what bitter torments the Meſſias ſhould ſuffer, when he came into the world, cryed out Veniat Meſſias at ego non videam i. e. Let the Meſſias come, but let not me ſee him. Dionyſius being in Aegypt at the time of Chriſts ſuffering, and ſeeing an Eclipſe of the Sun, and knowing it to be contrary to nature, cryed out (aut Deus naturae patitur aut mundi machina diſſolvitur) Either the God of Nature ſuffered, or the frame of the world will be dlſſolved. the God of Circumciſion circumciſed; the God that made the Heavens working at Joſephs homely trade; that he that bindes the Devills in chaines ſhould be tempted; that he whoſe is the world, and the fulneſſe thereof, ſhould hunger and thirſt; that the God of ſtrength ſhould be weary, the Judge of all fleſh condemned, the God of life put to death; that he that is one with his Father, ſhould cry out of miſery, my God, my God, why haſt thou forſaken mee; that he that had the keyes of Hell and death at his girdle, ſhould lie impriſon'd in the ſepulcher of another, having 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 caſt down their Crowns, ſhould be crowned with thornes; and thoſe eyes, purer then the Sun, put out by the darkneſſe of death; thoſe eares, which hear nothing but Hallelujahs of Saints and Angels, to hear the blaſphemies of the multitude; that face, that was fairer then the Sons of men, to be ſpit on by thoſe beaſtly wretched Jewes; that mouth and tongue, that ſpake as never man ſpake, accuſed for blaſphemy; thoſe hands that freely ſwayed the Scepter of Heaven, nailed to the Croſſe; thoſe feet like unto fine braſſe, nailed to the Croſſe for mans ſins; each ſenſe annoyed, his feeling, or touching with a ſpeare and nailes;'Tis an excellent ſaying of Bernard (quanto pro nobis vilior tanto nobis charior) the more vilde Chriſt made himſelf for us, the more dear he ought to be to us. his ſmell with ſtinking ſavour, being crucified about Golgatha, the place of Skulls; his taſte with vinegar and gall; his hearing with reproaches; and ſight with his mother and Diſciples bemoaning him; his ſoule comfortleſſe, and forſaken; and all this for thoſe very ſins that Satan paints, and puts fine colours upon; oh how ſhould the conſideration of this ſtir up the ſoule againſt it, and worke the ſoule to flie from it, and to uſe all holy meanes, whereby ſin may be ſubdued, and deſtroyed. After Julius Caeſar was murdered, Antonius brought forth his coat all bloody, and cut, and laid it before the people, ſaying, look, here you have your Emperours coat thus bloody, and torne; whereupon the people were preſently in an uproar, and cryed out to ſlay thoſe murderers, and they tooke their tables and ſtooles that were in the place, and ſet them on fire, and ran to the houſes of them that had ſlam Caeſar, and burnt them: ſo when we conſider that ſin hath ſlaine our Lord Jeſus, ah! how ſhould it provoke our hearts to be revenged on ſin, that hath murdered the Lord of Glory, andNolo vivere ſine vulnere cum te video vulneratum. Oh my God! as long as I ſee thy wounds, I will never live without wound, ſaith Bonaventure. hath done that miſchief, that all the Devills in Hell could never have done. 'Twas good counſell one gave; never let goe out of your mindes, the thoughts of a crucified Chriſt; let theſe be meat and drinke unto you, let them be your ſweetneſſe, and conſolation; your honey, and your deſire; your reading, and your meditation; your life, death, and reſurrection.
The third device that Satan hath to3. Device. draw the ſoul to ſin, is by extenuating, and leſſening of ſin; ah! ſaith Satan, 'tis but a little pride, a little worldlineſſe, a little uncleanneſs, a little drunkenneſſe, &c. As Lot ſaid of Zoar, Gen. 19. 20.it is but a little one, and my ſoule ſhall live; ahlas! ſaith Satan, 'tis but a very little ſin, that you ſtick ſo at, you may commit it without any danger to your ſoule, 'tis but a little one, you may commit it, and yet your ſoul ſhall live.