Precious Remedies Against Satans Devices, Part 1 · Subpart 8
Now the Remedies againſt this Device of Satan, are theſe that follow.
THe firſt Remedy is, ſolemnly to conſider,1 Remedy. that no man knowes how the heart of God ſtands by his hand, his hand of mercy may be towards a man, when his heart may be ſet againſt that man; as you may ſee in Saul, andTully judged the Jews Religion to be naught, becauſe they were ſo often overcome, & impoveriſh'd, and afflicted; and the Religion of Rome to be right, becauſe the Romans proſpered, and became Lords of the world; & yet though the Romans had his hand, the Jews had his heart; for they were dearly beloved, though ſorely afflicted. others; and the hand of God may be ſet againſt a man, when the heart of God is dearly ſet upon a man, as you may ſee in Job and Ephraim; the hand of God was ſorely ſet againſt them, and yet the heart and bowels of God were ſtrongly working towards them; no man knoweth either love or hatred, by outward mercy or miſery; for all things come alike to all, to the righteous, and to the unrighteous; to the good, and to the bad, to the clean, and to the unclean, &c. The ſun of proſperity ſhines as well upon brambles of the Wilderneſſe, as fruit-trees of the Orchard; the ſnow and haile of adverſity lights upon the beſt gardens, as well as the ſtinking dunghills, or the wild waſte. Ahabs and Joſiah's ends concur in the very circumſtances. Saul and Jonathan, though different in their natures, deſerts, and deportments, yet in their deaths they were not divided. Health, wealth, honours, &c. croſſes, ſickneſſes, loſſes, &c. are caſt upon good men, and bad men promiſcuouſly. The whole Turkiſh Empire isNihil eſt niſi mica panis. Luther. nothing elſe but a cruſt, caſt by Heavens great Houſe-keeper to his dogs. Moſes dies in the Wilderneſſe, as well as thoſe that murmured; Nabal is rich, aſwell as Abraham; Achitophell wiſe, aſwell as Solomon; and Doeg honoured by Soul, as well as Ioſeph was by Pharoah. Uſually the worſt of men have moſt of theſe outward things, and the beſt of men have leaſt of Earth, though moſt of Heaven.
The ſecond Remedy againſt this Device2 Remedy. of Satan, is, ſeriouſly to conſider, That there is nothing in the world that doth ſo provoke God to be wrath, and angry, as mens taking incouragement from Gods goodneſſe, and mercy, to do wickedly; this you may ſee by that wrath that fell upon the old world, and by Gods raining hell out of Heaven uponSuch ſoules make God a God of clouts, one that will not doe as he ſaith, but they ſhall find God to be as ſevere in puniſhing, as he is to others gracious in pardoning. Good turnes aggravate unkindneſſes, and our guilt is increaſed by our obligations. Sodome and Gomorah. This is clear in that 44 of Jeremiah, from the 20 verſe, to the 28 verſe, the words are worthy of your beſt meditation; oh that they were engraven in all your hearts, and conſtant in all your thoughts! though they are too large for me to tranſcribe them, yet they are not too large for you to remember them: To argue from mercy to ſinfull liberty, is the Devils Logick, and ſuch Logicians doe ever walk, as upon a mine of Gun-powder, ready to be blown up; no ſuch ſouls can ever avert, or avoid the wrath of God. This is wickedneſſe at the height, for a man to be very bad, becauſe God is very good, a worſe ſpirit then this is not in hell; ah Lord! doth not wrath, yea the greateſt wrath, lie at this mans door? Are not the ſtrongeſt chaines of darknes prepared for ſuch a ſoul? To ſin againſt mercy, is to ſin againſt humanity, it is beſtiall, nay it is worſe. To render good for evill, is Divine, to render good for good, is humane, to render evill for evill, is brutiſh; but to render evill for good, is deviliſh; and from this evill deliver my ſoul oh God.
The third Remedy againſt this Device3 Remdy. of Satan, is, ſolemnly to conſider, that there is no greater miſery in this life, then not to be in miſery; no greaterReligio peperit divitias & filia devoravit matrem. Religion brought forth Riches, and the daughter ſoon devoured the Mother, ſaith Auguſtine. affliction, then not to be afflicted; woe, woe to that ſoul that God will not ſpend a rod upon; this is the ſaddeſt ſtroke of all, when God refuſes to ſtrike at all. Ephraim is joyned to Idols, let him alone. Why ſhould you be ſmitten any more, you will revolt more and more. When the Phyſician gives over the Patient, you ſay ring out his knell, the man is dead: ſo when God gives over a ſoul to ſin, without controule, you may truly ſay, this ſoule is loſt; you may ring out his knel, for he is twice dead, and pluckt up by the roots. Freedome from puniſhment is the mother of ſecurity, the ſtep-mother of virtue, the poyſon of Religion, the moth of holineſſe, and the introducer of wickedneſſe; nothing ſaid one, ſeemes more unhappy to me, then he to whom no adverſity hath happened. Outward mercies oft-times prove a ſnare to our ſoules. I will lay a ſtumbling block, Ezek. 3. 20. Vatablus his note there isFaciam, ut omnia habeant proſpera; calamitatibus eum à peccato non revocabo. I will proſper him in all things, and not by affliction, reſtraine him from ſin. Proſperity hath been a ſtumbling block, at which millions have ſtumbled, and fallen, and broke the neck of their ſouls for ever.
The fourth Remedie againſt this device4 Remedy. of Satan, is ſeriouſly to conſider, that the wants of wicked men under all their outward mercy, & freedom from adverſitie, is far greater then al their outward injoyments. They have many mercies, yet they want more then they injoy; the mercies which they injoy are nothing to the mercies they want; 'Tis true, they have honors, and riches, and pleaſures and friends, and are mighty in power, their ſeed is eſtabliſhed in their ſight with them, and their off-ſpring before their eyes; their houſes are ſafe from feare, neither is the rod of God upon them; They ſend forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. They take the Timbrell and Harp, and rejoyce at the Men that injoy all worldly comforts, may truly ſay, Omnes humanae conjolationes ſunt deſolationes.ſound of the Organ; they ſpend their dayes in wealth, their eyes ſtand out with fatneſſe, they have more then heart can wiſh: And they have no bands in their death, but their ſtrength is firme; They are not in trouble as other men; as David and Job ſpeak; yet all this is nothing to what they want; they want intereſt in God, Chriſt, the Spirit, the Promiſes, the Covenant of Grace, and everlaſting Glory. They want acceptation and reconciliation with God; They want Righteouſneſſe, Juſtification, Sanctification, Adoption, and Redemption. They want the pardon of ſin, and power againſt ſin, and freedome from the dominion of ſin: They want that favour that is better then life, and that joy that is unſpeakable and full of glory; and that peace that paſſes underſtanding; and thatNec Chriſtus nec coelum pati▪ tur hyperbolen, Neither Chriſt, nor Heaven, can be hyperbolized. grace, the leaſt ſpark of which, is more worth then Heaven and Earth. They want a Houſe that hath foundations, whoſe builder and maker is God; they want thoſe riches that periſh not; that glory that fades not, that Kingdome that ſhakes not. Wicked men are the moſt needy men in the world, yea, they want thoſe two things that ſhould render their mercies ſweet, viz. The bleſſing of God, and content with their condition; and without which, their Heaven is but Hell, on this ſide Hell: When their hearts are lifted up, and grown big upon the thoughts of their abundance; if conſcience do's but putA crowne of gold cannot cu…e the head ach, nor a velvet ſlipper cannot eaſe the Gout, no mo…e can honour or riches, &c. quiet and ſtill the Conſcience. The heart of man is a three ſquare triangle, which the whole round circle of the world cannot fill (as Mathematicians ſay) but all the corners will complaine of …mptines and hunger for ſom…hing elſe. in a word, and ſay, 'tis true, here is this and that outward mercy, oh! but where is an intereſt in Chriſt? Where is the favour of God? Where are the comforts of the holy Ghoſt? Where are thy evidences for Heaven, &c.? This word from Conſcience makes the mans countenance 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 ſee their wants, under their abundance, they would cry out, and ſay as Abſalom did, What are all theſe to me, ſo long as I cannot ſee the Kings face? What's honour, and riches, and the favour of Creatures, ſo long as I want the favour of God, the pardon of my ſins, an intereſtin Chriſt, and the hopes of glory. O Iod, give me theſe, or I dye, give me theſe, or elſe I ſhall eternally dye.
The fift Remedy againſt this Device5 Remedy. of Satan, is, ſolemnly to confider, that outward things are not as they ſeem, and are eſteemed; they have indeed a glorious outſide, but if you view their inſides, you will eaſily find that they fill the head full of cares, and the heart full of feares; what if the fire ſhould conſume one part of my eſtate, and the ſea ſhould be a grave to ſwallow up another part of my eſtate; what if my ſervants ſhould be unfaithfull abroad, and my children ſhould be deceitful at home? ah the ſecret fretting, vexing, and gnawing, that doth daily, yea hourly, attend thoſe mens ſouls, whoſe hands are full of worldly goods. 'Twas a good ſpeech of an Emperour, you (ſaid he) gaze on my purple Robe, …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 ſaying of Auguſtine on the 26 Pſalm, many areMulti amando res noxias ſunt miſeri, habendo miſeriores. Auguſt. miſerable by loving hurtfull things, but they are more miſerable by having them. It is not what men injoy, but the principle from whence it comes, that makes men happy; much of theſe outward things doe uſually cauſe great diſtraction, great vexation, and great condemnation at laſt, to the poſeſſors of them; if God gives them in his wrath, & do not ſanctifie them in his love, they will at laſt be witneſſes againſt a man, and racks to torture and torment a man, and milſtones for ever to ſink a man, in that day, when God ſhall call men to an account, not for the uſe, but for the abuſe of mercy.
The ſixt Remedy againſt this Device6 Remedy. of Satan, is, ſeriouſly to conſider the end and the deſigne of God, in heaping up mercy upon the heads of the wicked, and in giving them (a quietus eſt) reſtValerian the Roman Emperour, fell from being an Emperour, to be a foot-ſtool to Sapor, King of Perſia. Dionyſius King of Sicily, fell from his Kingly glory, to be a School-maſter. The brave Queen Zenobia was brought to Rome in golden chaines. and quiet from thoſe ſorrows and ſufferings that others ſigh under. David in that 73 Pſal. 17, 18, 19, 20 verſes, ſhews the end and deſigne of God in this, ſaith he, When I went into the Sanctuary of God, then I underſtood their end: Surely thou diddeſt ſet them in ſlippery places: thou caſtedſt them downe into deſtruction. How are they brought into deſolation as in a moment, they are utterly conſumed with terrors. As a dreame when one awaketh, ſo, O Lord, when thou awakeſt: thou ſhalt deſpiſe their image. So in the 92 Pſal. 7. When the wicked ſpring as graſſe, and when all the workers of iniquity doe flouriſh, it is that they ſhall be deſtroyed for ever. Gods ſetting them up, is but in order to his caſting them down; his raiſing them high, is but in order to his bringing them low. Exod. 9. 16. And in very deed, for this cauſe have I raiſed thee up, for to ſhew in thee my power, and that my name may Valens an Emperour, Beliſarius a famous general, Henry the 4th, Bajazeth, Pythias, Great Pompey, and William the Conqueror; theſe from being very high, were brought very low; they all fell from great glory and majeſty, to great poverty and miſery Da Domine ut ſic poſſideamus temporalia ut non perdamus aeterna. Bern. Grant us Lord that we may ſo partake of temporall felicity, that we may not loſe eternall.be declared throughout all the earth. I have conſtituted and ſet thee up as a But-mark, that I may let flie at thee, and follow thee cloſe with plague upon plague, till I have beaten the very breath out of thy body, and got my ſelf a name, in ſetting my feet upon the neck of all thy pride, power, pomp, and glory. Ah ſoules! what man in his wits would be lifted up, that he might be caſt down, would be ſet higher then others, when 'tis but in order to his being brought downe lower then others. There is not a wicked man in the world, that is ſet up with Lucifer, as high as Heaven, but ſhall with Lucifer be brought down as low as Hell. Canſt thou think ſeriouſly of this oh ſoul? and not ſay, O Lord, I humbly crave that thou wilt let me be little in this world, that I may be great in another world; and low here, that I may be high for ever hereafter: Let me be low, and feed low, and live low, ſo I may live with thee for ever; let me now be cloathed with rags, ſo thou wilt cloath me at laſt with thy Robes; let me now be ſet upon a dunghill, ſo I may at laſt be advanc'd to ſit with the… upon thy Throne; Lord, make me rather gracious, then great; inwardly holy, then outwardly happy; and rather turn me into my firſt nothing, yea, make me worſe then nothing, rather then ſet me up for a time, that thou mayeſt bring me low for ever.
The ſeventh Remedy againſt this Device7 Remedy. of Satan, is, ſolemnly to conſider, that God doth often moſt plague and puniſh thoſe, whom others think he doth moſt ſpare and love; that is, God do's plague and puniſh them moſt with ſpirituall judgements (which are the greateſt, the ſoreſt, and the heavieſt) whom he leaſt puniſhes with temporall puniſhments; there are no men on earthPſal. 81. 12. Pſal. 78. 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31. Pſal. 106. 15. He gave them their requeſt, but ſent leanneſſe into their ſoule. 'Tis a heavy plague to have a fat body, and a lean ſoul; a houſe full of gold, and a heart full of ſin. ſo internally plagued, as thoſe that meet with leaſt externall plagues. Oh! the blindneſſe of mind, the hardneſſe of heart, the ſearedneſſe of Conſcience, that thoſe ſouls are given up to, who in the eye of the world, are reputed the moſt happy men, becauſe they are not outwardly afflicted and plagued as other men. Ah ſouls! 'twere better that all the temporall plagues that ever befell the children of men ſince the fall of Adam, ſhould at once meet upon your ſouls, then that you ſhould be given up to the leaſt ſpirituall plague, to the leaſt meaſure of ſpirituall blindneſſe, or ſpirituall hardneſſe of heart, &c. nothing will better that man, nor move that man, that is given up to ſpirituall judgements; let God ſmile or frowne, ſtroke, or ſtrike, cut or kill, he minds it'Tis better to have a ſore, then a ſeared conſcience. 'Tis better to have no heart then a hard heart; no mind, then a blind mind. not, he regards it not; let life, or death, heaven, or hell, be ſet before him, it ſtirs him not, he is made up on his ſin, and God is fully ſet to doe Juſtice upon his ſoule; this mans preſervation, is but a reſervation unto a greater condemnation. This man can ſet no bounds to himſelfe, he is become a brat of fathomleſſe perdition. He hath guilt in his boſome, and vengeance at his back, whereever he goes; neither miniſtry, nor miſery, neither miracle, nor mercy, can mollifie his heart; and if this ſoul be not in hell on this ſide hell, who is? who is?8 Remedy.
The eigth Remedy againſt this Device of Satan, is, to dwell more upon that ſtrict account that vain men muſt make for all that good that they doe injoy,In this day men ſhall give an account (De bonis commiſſis, de bonis dimiſſis, de malis commiſſis, de malis permiſſis) of good things committed unto them, of good things neglected by them, of evils committed by them, and of evills ſuffered by them. then upon the outward good they doe injoy. Ah! did men dwell more upon that account, that they muſt ere long give for all the mercies that they have injoyed, and for all the favours that they have abuſed, and for all the ſins they have committed, would make their hearts to tremble, and their lips to quiver, rottenneſſe to enter into their bones; it would cauſe their ſoules to cry out, and ſay, oh! that our mercies had been fewer, and leſſer, that our account might have been eaſier, and our torment and miſery (for our abuſe of ſo great mercy) not greater then we are able to bear. O curſed be the day wherein the Crown of honour was ſet upon our heads, and the treaſures of this world were caſt into our laps; O curſed be the day wherein the ſun of proſperity ſhin'd ſo ſtrong upon us, and this flattering world ſmil'd ſo much upon us, as to occaſion us to forget God, to ſlight Jeſus Chriſt, to neglect our ſouls, and to put far from us the day of our account. Philip the third of Spaine, whoſe life was free from groſſe evills, profeſſed, that he would rather looſe all his Kingdome, then offend God willingly; yet being in the Agony of death, and conſidering more throughly of hisIn die judicii plus valebit conſcientia pura, quam marſupia plena. Bernard. Then ſhall a good conſcience be more worth then all the worlds good. account he was to give to God, feare ſtruck into him, and theſe words brake from him; Oh! would to God I had never reigned; oh that thoſe years I have ſpent in my Kingdome, I had lived a life in the wilderneſſe! oh that I had lived a ſolitary life with God! how much more ſecurely ſhould I now have dyed? how much more confidently ſhould I have gone to the Throne of God? What doth all my glory profit me, but that I have ſo much the more torment in my death. God keeps an exact account of every penny that's laid out upon him, and his, and that is laid out againſt him, and his; and this in the day of account, men ſhall know and feel, though now they wink, andHierome ſtill thought that that voyce was in his ears (Surgite mortui & venite ad judicium) Ariſe 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? will not underſtand. The ſleeping of vengeance, cauſeth the overflowing of ſin, and the overflow of ſin cauſeth the awaking of vengeance; abuſed mercy will certainly turn into fury; Gods forbearance is no quittance; the day is at hand, when he will pay wicked men for the abuſe of new and old mercies; if he ſeem to be ſlow, yet he is ſure: he hath leaden heels, but iron hands; the farther he fetcheth his blow, or draweth 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 ſay amen to that righteous ſentence that he ſhall paſſe upon all the deſpiſers and abuſers of mercy.
The ninth Device that Satan hath to9 Device. draw the ſoule to ſin, is, by preſenting to the ſoule, the croſſes, loſſes, reproaches, ſorrows, and ſufferings, that doe daily attend thoſe that walk in the wayes of holineſſe. Saith Satan, do not you ſee that there are none in the world that are ſo vexed, afflicted, and toſſed, as thoſe that walk more circumſpectly, and holily then their neighbours; they are a by-word at home, and a reproach abroad; their miſeries come in upon them, like Job's meſſengers, one upon the neck of another; and there is no end of their ſorrowes and troubles; therefore ſaith Satan, you were better walk in wayes that are leſſe troubleſome, and leſſe afflicted, though they be more ſinfull; for who but a mad man would ſpend his dayes in ſorrow, vexation, and affliction, when it may be prevented, by walking in the wayes that I ſet before him.