Thomas Brooks “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Remedies”

PRIORITY:

Beloved in our dearest Lord, Christ: the Scripture, your own hearts, and Satan’s devices, are the four prime things that should be first and most studied and searched.  If any cast off the study of these, they cannot be safe here, nor happy hereafter.  It is my work as a Christian, but much more as I am a Watchman, to do my best do discover the fullness of Christ, the emptiness of the creature, and the snares of the great deceiver. – 15

SATAN’S TACTICS:

Whatever sin the heart of man is most prone to, that the devil will help forward. – 16

He hath several devices to destroy the great and honourable, the wise and learned, the blind and ignorant, the rich and the poor, the real and the nominal saints. One while he will restrain from tempting, that we may think ourselves secure, and neglect our watch; another while he will seem to fly, that he may make us proud of the victory; one while he will fix men’s eyes on others’ sins that their own, that he may puff them up; another while he may fix their eyes more on others’ grace than their own, that he may overwhelm them.  – 16-17

PERSPECTIVE IN THE BATTLE

…remember this, that your life is short, your duties many, your assistance great, and your reward sure; therefore faint not, hold on and hold up, in ways of well-doing, and he shall make amends for all.  – 20

ON MEDITATION AND USEFULNESS 

First, Thou must know that every man cannot be excellent, that yet may be useful.  An iron key may unlock the door of a golden treasure, yea, iron can do some things that gold cannot.  Secondly, Remember, it is not hasty reading, but serious meditating upon holy and heavenly truths, that make them prove sweet and profitable to the soul.  It is not the bee’s touching of the flower that gathers honey, but her abiding for a time upon the flower that draws out the sweet.  It is not he that reads most, but he that meditates most, that will prove the choicest, sweetest, wisest and strongest Christian.   – 22

ON CHRISTIAN ACTIVITY

God loves, saith Luther, curistas, not queristas, the runner, not the questioner – 22

EXPERIENCING GRACE BRINGS GRIEF FOR THE GRACELESS

Gracious souls use to mourn for other men’s sins as well as their own, and for their souls and sins who make a mock of sin, and a jest of damning their own souls. Guilt or grief is all that gracious souls get by communion with vain souls (Ps. 119. 136, 158). – 25

THE JOY OF MOURNING OVER ONE’S SIN

It was a sweet saying of Jerome, ‘Let a man grieve for his sin, and then joy for his grief. -25

BERNARD ON TEMPORAL HAPPINESS AND ITS PERIL

Men had need pray with Bernard, “Grant us, Lord, that we may so partake of temporal felicity, that we may not lose eternal.”  – 30

RELATIONSHIP TO THE DEVIL

“Men must not think to dance and dine with the devil, and then sup with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” – 32

THE MAGNITUDE OF CHRIST’S PAYMENT OF SINS, SINS THAT SATAN PAINTS AS REASONABLE TO COMMIT

Remedy (4).  Seriously to consider, That even those very sins that Satan paints, and puts new names and colours upon, cost the best blood, the noblest blood, the life-blood, the heart-blood of the Lord Jesus.  That Christ should come from the eternal bosom 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 clothed with glory should be wrapped with rags of flesh; he that filled heaven and earth with his glory should be cradled in a manger; that the power of God should fly from weak man, the God of Israel into Egypt; that the God of the law should be subject to the law, the God of circumcision circumcised, the God that made the heavens working at Joseph’s homely trade; that he that binds the devils in chains should be tempted; that he, whose is the world, and the fullness 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 me?” (Matt 27.46); that he that had the keys of hell and death at his girdle should lie imprisoned in the sepulchre of another, having in his lifetime nowhere to lay his head, nor after death to lay his body; that that head, before which the angels do cast down their crowns, should be crowned with thorns, and those eyes, purer than the sun, put out by the darkness of death; those ears, which hear nothing but hellelujahs of saints and angels, to hear the blasphemies of the multitude; that face, that was fairer than the sons of men, to be spit on by those beastly wretched Jews; that mouth and tongue, that spake as never man spake, accused for blaspheme; those hands, that feely swayed the scepter of heaven, nailed to the cross; those feeT, ‘like unto fine brass,’ nailed to the cross for man’s sins; each sense annoyed: his feeling or touching, with a spear and nails; his smell, with stinking flavor, being crucified about Golgotha, the place of skulls; his taste, with vinegar and gall; his hearing, with reproaches, and sight of his mother and disciples bemoaning him; his soul, comfortless 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 soul against it, and work the soul to fly from it, and to use all holy means whereby sin may be subdued and destroyed!  -36- 37

‘Never let go out of your minds the thoughts of a crucified Christ.’ – 38

It is an excellent saying of Bernard , “Quanto pro nobis vilior, tanot nobis charior.  The more vile Christ made himself for us, the more dear he ought to be to us.”  – 38

THE REALITY OF OUR SIN, IF WE SEE IT AS IT IS

The least sin will press and sink the stoutest sinner as low as hell, when God shall open the eyes of a sinner, and make him see the horrid filthiness and abominable vileness that is in sin.  – 44

…others, that have had some unworthy thought of God, have been so frightened, amazed, and terrified for those sins, which are small in men’s account, that they have wished they had never been; that they could not take no delight in any earthly comfort, that they have been put to their wits’ end, ready to make away themselves, wishing themselves annihilated.  – 44

BELIEVERS’ NEW RELATIONSHIP TO SIN: GRACE DOES NOT LEAD TO SIN AND INCLUDES REPENTANCE

The saints cannot sin with a whole will, but, as it were, with a half will, an unwillingness; not with a full consent, but with a dissenting consent.  – 47

There is a nothing in the world that can so notoriously cross the grand end of God’s recording of the sins of his saints, than for any from thence to take encouragement to sin; and wherever you find such a soul, you may write him Christless, graceless, a soul cast off by God, a soul that Satan hath by the hand, and the eternal God knows whither he will lead him. – 49-50

Do anything with me, lay what burden thou wilt upon me, so thou dost not give me up to the ways of my own heart. -51

A me, me salva Domine; Deliver me, O Lord, from that evil man myself (Augustine). – 51

Rom 6.1,2:  There is nothing in the world that renders a man more unlike to a saint, and more like to Satan, than to argue from mercy to sinful liberty; from divine goodness to licentiousness.  This is the devil’s logic, and in whomsoever you find it, you may write ‘This soul is lost.’  – 55

The heart must be changed from the state and power of sin, the life from the acts of sin, but both unto God; the heart to be under his power in a state of grace, the life to be under his rule in all new obedience. – 57

Repentance for sin is worth nothing without repentance from sin.  – 57

…repentance doth include turning from the most darling sin.  – 58

He that turns not from every sin, turns not aright from any one sin.  – 58

…repentance is not only a turning from all sin, but also turning to all good; to a love of all good, to a prizing of all good, and to a following after all good. – 58

…true repentance doth include sorrow for sin, contrition of heart.  It breaks the heart with sighs, and sobs, and groans, for that a loving God and Father is by sin offended, a blessed Saviour afresh crucified, and the sweet Comforter, the Spirit, grieved and vexed.

…Repentance doth include, not only a loathing of sin, but also a loathing of ourselves for sin. – 59

Joseph was famous for all the four cardinal virtues, if ever any were.  In this one temptation (Potiphor’s wife) you may see his fortitude, justice, temperance, and prudence….    – 68

This is wickedness at the height, for a man to be very bad, because God is very good.  A worse spirit than this is not in hell.

To render good for evil is divine, to render good for good is human, to render evil for evil is brutish; but to render evil for good is devilish; and form this evil deliver my soul, O God.

Woe, woe to that soul that God will not spend a rod upon!  This is the saddest stroke of all, when God refused to strike it all.

Freedom from punishment is the mother of security, the step-mother of virtue, the poison of religion, the moth of holiness, and the introducer of wickedness.

THE PERILS OF PROSPERITY

Prosperity hath been a stumbling-block, at which millions have stumbled and fallen, and broke the neck of their souls forever. – 73

Religion brought forth riches, and the daughter soon devoured the mother, said Augustine.  -73

It was a good speech of an emperor: ‘You, said he, ‘gaze on my purple robe and golden crown, but did you know what cares are under it, you would not take it up from the ground to have it. – 75

PRAYER FOR “LOW-NESS”

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 clothed with rags, so thou wilt clothe me at last with thy robes; let me now be set upon a dunghill, so I may at last be advanced to sit with thee upon thy throne.  Lord, make me rather gracious than great, inwardly holy than outwardly happy, and rather turn me into my first nothing, yeah, make me worse than nothing, rather than set me up for a time, that thou mayest  bring me low for ever. – 77

THE DAY OF JUDGMENT

Men’s 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 pass upon all despisers and abusers of mercy. – 79

Jerome still thought that voice was in his ears.  “Arise ye dead, and come to judgment.’ As oft as I think on that day, how doth my whole body quake, and my heart within me tremble.  -79

As in heaven one is more glorious than another, so in hell one shall be more miserable another (Augustine) – 90

It was a good saying of Chrysostom, speaking of helL: Let us not seek where it is, but how we shall escape it.  – 91

SUFFERING

The more saints are beaten with the hammer of afflictions, the more they are made the trumpets of God’s praises, and the more are their graces revived and quickened. – 84

When Athanasius’s friends came to bewail him, because of his misery and banishment, he said, “It is but a little cloud, and will quickly be gone.’  It will be but as a day before God will give his afflicted ones beauty for ashes, the oil of gladness for the spirit of heaviness; before he will turn all your sighing into singing, all your lamentations into consolations, your sack-cloth into silks, ashes into ointments, and your fasts into everlasting feasts. -85

GODLY DISCIPLINE

God had one Son without corruption, but no son without correction. – 86

PRAYER ABOUT HELL

O Lord, let me not go to hell, where the wicked are: for Lord, thou knowest I never loved their company here, said a gracious gentlewoman, when she was to die, being in much trouble of conscience. – 101

VANITY

Chrysostom once said, That if he were the fittest in the world to preach a sermon to the whole world, gathered together in one congregation, and had some high mountain for his pulpit, from whence he might have a prospect of all the world in his view, and were furnished with a voice of brass, a voice as loud as the trumpets of the archangel, that all the world might hear him, he would choose to preach upon no other text than that in the Psalms, O mortal men, how long will yet love vanity, and follow after learning (Ps. 4.2) – 104

NO VIEW OF ETERNITY AND HEAVEN

King Henry the Fourth (of France) asked the Duke of Alva if he had observed the great eclipse of the sun, which had lately happened.  No, said the duke, I have so much to do on earth, that I have no leisure to look up to heaven.  Ah, that this were not true of most professors in these days!  It is very sad to think, how their hearts and time is so much taken up with earthly things, that they have scarce any leisure to look up to heaven, or to look after Christ, and the things that belong to their everlasting peace.  – 107

TREASURES OF THE BELIEVER

The treasures of the saint are the presence of God, the favour of God, union and communion with God, the pardon of sin, the joy of the Spirit, the peace of conscience, which are jewels that none can give but Christ, nor none can take away but Christ. – 113

WHEN GOD SENDS TROUBLES, HE SAVES FROM TROUBLES

That God knows how to deliver from troubles by troubles, from afflictions by afflictions, from dangers by dangers.  God, by lesser troubles and afflictions, doth often-times deliver his people from greater, so that they shall say, We had perished, if we had not perished; we had been undone, if we had not been undone; we had been in danger, if we had not been in danger.  – 115

Though the cross be bitter, yet it is but short; a little storm, as one said of Julian’s persecution, and eternal calm follows. – 117

THE NEED FOR MEETING WITH GOD

If meeting with God, who is goodness itself, beauty itself, strength itself, glory itself, will not sweeten his service to thy soul, nothing in heaven or earth will. -118

PERSECUTION OF THE SAINTS

It is not fit, since the Head was crowned with thorns, that the members should be crowned with rosebuds, saith Zanchius – 119

Though the work be hard, yet the wages is great.  Heaven will make amends for all.  Ay, one hour’s being in heaven will abundantly recompense you for cleaving to the Lord and his ways in the face of all difficulties. – 121

Godfrey of Bullen, Crusader King of Jerusalem (1099), refused to be crowned with a  crown of gold, saying, it became not a Christian there to wear a crown of gold, where Christ for our salvation had sometime worn a crown of thorns.  – 120

Christians that would hold on in the service of the Lord, must look more upon the crown than upon the cross, more upon their future glory that their present misery, more upon their encouragements than upon their discouragements. – 121

HAPPINESS IN CHRIST’S WORK BRINGS HOLINESS

Device 4 – By working them to make false inferences from those blessed and glorious things that Christ hath done. As that Jesus Christ hath done all for us, therefore there is nothing for us to do but joy and rejoice.  He hath perfectly justified us, and fulfilled the law, and satisfied divine justice, and pacified his Father’s 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.  Ah!  What a world of professors hath Satan drawn in these days from religious services, by working them to make such sad, wild, and strange inferences from the sweet and excellent things that the Lord Jesus hath done for his beloved ones. – 122

This I am sure of that all man’s happiness here is his holiness, and his holiness shall hereafter be his happiness.  -124

Certainly Satan hath got the upper hand of those souls that do argue thus – Christ hath done such and such glorious things for us, therefore we need not make any care and conscience of doing such and such religions services as men say the Word calls for.  If this logic be not from hell, what is?  Ah, were the holy prophets and apostles alive to hear such logic come out of the mouths of such as profess themselves to be interested in the great and glorious things that Jesus Christ hath done for his chosen ones, how would they blush to look upon such souls!  And how would their hearts grieve and break within them to hear the language and to observe the actings of such souls!  – 125

He that talks, but doeth not the will of God, is like him that gazed upon the moon, but fell into the pit.  – 125

WALKING WITH “THE CROWD”

They that walk with the most shall perish with the most.  They that do as the most shall ere long suffer with the most.  They that live as the most, must die with the most, and to hell with the most.  – 133

The way to hell is broad and well beaten.  The way to be undone for ever is to do as the most do.  The multitude is the weakest and worst argument, saith Seneca.  – 133

Satan doth so dog and follow my soul, and is still a-casting in such a multitude of vain thoughts concerning God, the world, and my own soul, that I even tremble to think of waiting upon God in any religious service.  Oh!  The vain thoughts that Satan casts in do so distaste my soul, and so grieve, vex, perplex, and distract my soul, that they even make me weary of holy duties, yea, of my very life.  Oh!  I cannot be so raised and ravished, so heated and melted, so quickened and enlarged, so comforted and refreshed, as I should be, as I might, and as I would be in religious services, by reason that multitude of vain thoughts, that Satan is injecting or casting into my soul.

OVERCOME THOUGHTS OF DISCOURAGEMENT BY THOUGHTS OF GOD’S GREATNESS

Remedy (1) – the first remedy against this device of Satan is, To have your hearts strongly affected with the greatness, holiness, majesty, and glory of that God before whom you stand, and with whom your souls do converse in religious services, and with whom your souls do converse in religious services.  Oh!  Let your souls be greatly affected with the presence, purity, and majesty of that God before whom thou standest.  A man would be afraid of playing with a feather, when he is speaking with a king.

…There is nothing that will contribute so much to the keeping out of vain thoughts, as to look upon God as an omniscient God, and omnipresent God, an omnipotent God, a God full of all glorious perfections, a God whose majesty, purity, and glory will not suffer him to behold the least iniquity. – 135

SERVING GOD WHEN DOUBTING

Remedy (2) – To be peremptory in religious services, notwithstanding all those wandering thoughts the soul is troubled with.  This will be a sweet help against them: for the soul to be resolute in waiting on God, whether it be troubled with vain thoughts or not; to say, Well I will pray still, and hear still, and meditate still, and keep fellowship with the saints still. – 136

Remedy (3) – That those vain and trifling thoughts that are cast into our souls, when we are waiting upon God in this or that religious service, if they be not cherished and indulged, but abhorred, resisted, and disclaimed, they are not sins upon our souls, though they may be troubles to our minds; they shall not be put upon our accounts, not keep mercies and blessings from being enjoyed by us.  When a soul in uprightness can look God in the face, and say, Lord, when I approach near unto thee, there be a world of vain thoughts crowd in upon me, that do disturb my soul, and weaken my faith, and lessen my comfort and spiritual strength.  Oh, these are my clog, my burden, my torment, my hell!  Oh, do justice upon thee, free me from these, that I may serve thee with more freeness, singleness, spiritualness, and sweetness of spirit.  These thoughts may vex that soul, but they shall not harm that soul, nor keep a blessing from that soul.  If vain thoughts resisted and lamented could stop the current of mercy, and render a soul unhappy, there would be none on earth that should ever taste of mercy, or be everlasting happy.  – 136-137

THE THOUGHT LIFE

Thoughts are first-born, the blossoms of the soul, the beginning of our strength, whether for good or evil, and they are the greatest evidences for or against a man that can be.  – 137

The several devices that Satan hath to keep souls in a sad, doubting, questioning, and uncomfortable condition. Though he can never rob a believer of his crown, yet such is his malice and envy, that he will leave no stone unturned, no means unattempted, to rob them of their comfort and peace, to make their life a burden and a hell unto them, to cause them to spend their days in sorrow and mourning, in sighing and complaining, in doubting and questioning.  Surely we have no interest in Christ; our graces are not true, our hopes are the hopes of hypocrites; our confidence is our presumption, our enjoyments are our delusions.  – 142

 THE BELIEVER IS NOT CONDEMNED

The law cannot condemn a believer, for Christ hath fulfilled it for him; divine justice cannot condemn him, for that Christ hath satisfied; his sins cannot condemn him, for they in the blood of Christ are pardoned; and his own conscience, upon righteous grounds, cannot condemn him, because Christ, that is greater than his conscience, hat acquitted him.  – 143

SIN HAS NO DOMINION OVER THE BELIEVER

Thou sayest that sin doth so molest and vex thee, that thou canst not think of God, nor go to God, nor speak with God.  Oh!  But remember it is one thing for sin to molest and vex thee, and another thing for sin to reign and have dominion over thee.  – 143

GOD USES OUR SINFUL WEAKNESS FOR HIS OWN PURPOSES

Of the reasons why the Lord is pleased to have his people exercised, troubled, and vexed with the operations of sinful corruptions; and they are these: partly to keep them humble and low in their own eyes; and partly to put them upon the use of all divine helps, whereby sin may be subdued and mortified; and partly, that they may live upon Christ for the perfecting the work of sanctification; and partly, to wean them from things below, and to make them heartsick of their absence from Christ, and to maintain in them bowels of compassion towards others that are subject to the same infirmities with them; and that they may distinguish between a state of grace and a state of glory, and that heave may be more sweet to them in the close.  – 147

AUGUSTINE ON HUMILITY

Augustine saith, that the first, second, and third virtue of a Christian is humility. -146

REPENT OF YOUR DISCOURAGEMENT OVER YOUR SIN

That believers must repent for their being discouraged by their sins.  Their being discouraged by their sins will cost them many a prayer, many a tear, and many a groan; and that because their discouragements under sin flow from ignorance and unbelief.  It springs form their ignorance of the richness, freeness, fullness, and everlastingness of God’s love; and from their ignorance of the power, glory, sufficiency, and efficacy of the death and sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ; and from their ignorance of the worth, glory, fullness, largeness, completeness of the righteousness of Jesus Christ; and from their ignorance of that real, close, spiritual, glorious, and inseperable union that is between Christ and their precious souls.  Ah!  Did precious souls know and believer the truth of these things as they should, they would not sit down dejected and overwhelmed under the sense and operation of sin. – 147

God never gave a believer a new heart that it should always lie a-bleeding, and that it should always be rent and torn in pieces with discouragements.  – 147

ASSURANCE OF SALVATION ISN’T EVERYTHING

That there may be true faith, yea, great measures of faith, where there is no assurance.-149

There may be true faith where there is much doubting. – 150

Though assurance be a precious flower in the garden of a saint, and is more infinitely sweet and delightful to the soul than all outward comforts and contents; yet it is but a flower that is subject to fade, and to lose it freshness and beauty, as saints by sad experienced find. Again, a man must first have faith before he can have assurance, therefore assurance is not faith. – 151

The difference betwixt renewing grace and restraining grace, betwixt sanctifying and temporary grace:

(1) True grace makes all glorious within and without; True grace makes the understanding glorious, the affections glorious.It makes men look gloriously, and speak gloriously, and walk and act gloriously, so that vain souls shall be forced to say that these are they that h ave seen Jesus. – 155 True grace changes the very nature of a man…so temporary graces restrain many men from this and that wickedness, but it doth not change and turn their hearts from wickedness.  But now true grace, that turns a lion into a lamb. The objects of true grace are supernatural.  True grace is conversant about the choicest and the highest objects. – 156

(2) The objects of temporary grace are low and poor, and always within the compass of reason’s reach. – 156

(3) True grace enables a Christian, when he is himself, to do spiritual actions with real pleasure and delight.  To souls truly gracious, Christ’s yoke is easy, and his burden is light. -156 To souls that have but temporary grace, but moral virtues, religious services are a toil, not a pleasure; a burden, and not a delight. – 157

(4) True grace makes a man most careful, and most fearful of his own heart. …temporary grace, moral virtues, make men more mindful and careful of other, to instruct them and counsel them, and stir up them, and watch over them. But temporary grace will not bear up the soul against all oppositions and discouragments in the ways of God, as is clear by their apostasy in John 6:6, 66, and by the stony ground hearers falling away. – 157

(5) Grace will work a man’s heart to love and cleave to the strictest and holiest ways and things of God, for their purity and sanctify, in the face of all dangers and hardships. – 157

(6) True grace will enable a man to step over the world’s crown, to take up Christ’s cross; to prefer the cross of Christ above the glory of this world. Temporary grace cannot work the soul to prefer Christ’s cross above the world’s crown; but when these two meet, a temporary Christian steps over Christ’s cross to take up, and keep up, the world’s crown.-158

(7) Sanctifying grace…doth constrain the soul to wait on God, and to act for God. – 158 The good looks, the good words, the blessed love-letters, the glorious kisses, and the sweet embraces that gracious souls have had form Christ in his service, do provoke and move them to wait upon him in holy duties…temporary grace, puts men upon religious duties only from external motives, as the care of the creature, the eye of the creature, the rewards of the creature, and the keeping up of the name among the creatures, and a thousand such like considerations… – 159

(8) Saving grace, renewing grace will cause a man to follow the Lord fully in the desertion of all sin, and in the observation of all God’s precepts. …restraining grace, temporary grace, cannot enable a man to follow the Lord fully. – 159  True grace works the heart to the hatred of all sin, and to the love of all truth; it works a man to the hatred of those sins that for his blood he cannot conquer, and to loathe those sins that he would give all the world to overcome…Though there be no one sin mortified and subdued in me, as it should, and as I would, yet every sin is hated and loathed by me. – 160

It is an excellent speech of Bernard; Good art thou, O Lord, to the soul that seek thee, what art thou then to the soul that finds thee? – 159

THIS IS SOME QUOTE!

“I had rather go to hell pure from sin, than to heaven polluted with that filth.” Anselm.  (159)

GOD’S COMMANDS

I dearly prize and greatly love those commands that I cannot obey; though there may be many commands that I cannot in a strict sense fulfill, yet there is no command I would not fulfill, that I do not exceedingly love. – 160

True grace leads the soul to rest in Christ, as in his sumum bonum, chiefest good. – 160

(9) True grace is a beam of Christ, and where it is, it will naturally lead the soul to rest in Christ.  …restraining grace, temporary grace, works the soul to centre and rest in things below Christ. – 160

CHRIST, ALL THAT I NEED

(10) True grace will enable a soul to sit down satisfied and contented with the naked enjoyments of Christ. – 160  It is enough that Christ is, that he reigns, conquers, and triumphs. Temporary grace…cannot sit down satisfied and contented, under the want of outward comforts. But a soul truly gracious can say: In having nothing I have all things, because I have Christ; having therefore all things in him, I seek no other reward, for he is the universal reward. – 161 I prize my Christ above all, I would enjoy my Christ above all other things in the world; – 162 We have all things in Christ, and Christ is all things to a Christian.  If we be sick, he is a physician; if we thirst, he is a fountain; if our sin trouble us, he is righteousness; if we stand in need of help, he is mighty to save; if we fear death, he is life; if we be in darkness, he is light; if we be weak, he is strength; if we be in poverty, he is plenty; if we desire heaven, he is the way.  The soul cannot say, this I would have, and that I would have; but saith Christ, it is in me, it is in me eminently, perfectly, eternally. – 162

Luther said, he had rather be in hell with Christ, than in heaven without him. – 162

It was good saying of Augustine, Domine, libera me a malo homine, me ipso, Lord, deliver me from an evil man, myself. – 162

The conflict that is in a saint, against sin, is maintained by several arguments: by arguments drawn from the love of God, the honour of God, the sweetness and communion with God, and from the spiritual and heavenly blessings and privileges that are conferred upon them by God, and from arguments drawn from the blood of Christ, the glory of Christ, the eye of Christ, the kisses of Christ, and the intercession of Christ, and from arguments drawn from the earnest of the Spirit, the seal of the Spirit, the witness of the Spirit, the comforts of the Spirit.  Oh!  – 164

When one objected to Faninus’s cheerfulness to Christ’s agony and sadness, he answered, Christ was sad, that I might be merry; he had my sins, and I have this righteousness. – 164

SATAN ATTACKS US WHEN WE SIN

By suggesting to the soul his often relapses into the same sin…

Saith Satan, Thy heart is not right with God; surely thy estate is not good; thou dost not flatter thyself to think that ever God will eternally own and embrace such a one as thou art, who complainest against sin, and yet relapsest into the same sin; who with tears and groans confesses thy sin, and yet ever and anon art fallen into the same sin. ….Ah! How do relapses lay men open to the greatest afflictions and worst temptations!  How do they make the wound to bleed afresh!  How do they darken and cloud former assurances and evidences for heaven!  – 171

Though by grace they are freed from the dominion of sin, and from the damnatory power of every sin, and from the love of all sin, yet grace doth not free them from the seed of any one sin; and therefore it is possible for a soul to fall again and again into the same sin.  If the fire be not wholly put out, who would think it impossible that is should catch and burn again and again?  – 172

Involuntary relapses are, when the resolution and full bent of the heart is against sin, when the soul strives with all its might against sin, by sighs and groans, by prayers and tears, and yet out of weakness is forced to fall back into sin, because there is not spiritual strength enough to overcome.  – 174

Voluntary relapses are, when the soul longs and loves to ‘return to the flesh-pots of Egypt’ (Exod. 16.3); when it is a pleasure and a pastime to a man to return to his old courses, such voluntary relapses speak out the man blinded, hardened, and ripened for ruin.  – 175

That those that have been best and most beloved, have been most tempted by Satan.  Thou Satan can never rob a Christian of his crown, yet such is his malice, that he will therefore tempt, that he may spoil them of their comforts. – 176

All the temptations that befall the saints shall be sanctified to them by a hand of love. – 177

Temptation is God’s school, wherein he gives his people the clearest and sweetest discoveries of his love; a school wherein God teaches his people to be more frequent and fervent in duty…a school wherein God teaches his people to be more tender, meek, and compassionated to other poor, tempted souls than ever; a school wherein God teaches his people to see a greater evil in sin than ever, and a greater emptiness in the creature than ever, and a greater need of Christ and free grace than ever; a school wherein God will teach his people that all temptations are but his goldsmiths, by which he will try and refine, and make his people more bright and glorious. – 178

Make strong and constant resistance against Satan’s temptations.  Make resistance against temptations by arguments drawn from the honour of God, the love of God, your union and communion with God; and from the blood of Christ, the death of Christ, the kindness of Christ, the intercession of Christ, and the glory of Christ; and from the voice of the Spirit, the counsel of the Spirit, the comforts of the Spirit, the presence of the Spirit, the seal of the Spirit, the whisperings of the Spirit, the commands of the Spirit, the assistance of the Spirit, the witness of the Spirit, and from the glory of heaven, the excellency of grace, the beauty of holiness, the worth of the soul, and the vileness or bitterness and evil of sin, the least sin being a greater evil than the greatest temptation in the world. – 180-181

That self is a great let to divine things; therefore the prophets and apostles were usually carried out of themselves, when they had the clearest, choicest, highest, and most glorious visions.  Self-seeking blinds the soul that it cannot see a beauty of Christ, nor an excellency in holiness; it distempers the palate, that a man cannot taste sweetness in the word of God, nor in the ways of God, nor in the society of the people of God.  It shuts the hand against all the soul-enriching offers of Christ; it hardens the heart against all the knocks and entreaties of Christ; it makes the soul as an empty vine, and as a barren wilderness.  – 189

GOD USES THE WEAK AND SMALL THROUGH HIS GRACE

There may be, and often are, great parts and abilities, where there is but little grace, yea, no grace; and there may, and often is, a great deal of grace, where there is but weak parts and abilities.  You may be higher than others in gifts of knowledge, utterance, and learning, and those very souls may be higher than you in their communion with God, in their delighting in God, in their dependence upon God, in their affections to God, and in their humble, holy, and unblameable walking before God.   – 196

And is it not madness and folly with a witness…when that those very persons that they make light and slight of have a thousand times more grace than they?  Judas and the scribes and Pharisees had great parts, but no grace.  The disciples had grace, but weak parts.  – -196

KNOWLEDGE WITHOUT FRUIT

Becanus saith, that the tree of knowledge bears many leaves, and little fruit. – 197

UNITY IN THE BODY OF CHRIST AND HUMILITY

And as you are all fellow-members, so you are fellow soldiers under the same Captain of Salvation, the Lord Jesus, fighting against the world, the flesh, and the devil.  And as you are all fellow soldiers, so you are all fellow-soldiers under the same enemies, the devil and the world.  And as you are all fellow-sufferers, so are you fellow-travellers towards the land of Canaan, ‘the new Jerusalem that is above.’ ‘Here we have no abiding city, but we look for one to come.’ The heirs of heaven are strangers on earth.  And as you are all fellow-travellers, so are you all fellow-heirs of the same crown and inheritance. – 204

Remember this, the disagreement of Christians is the devil’s triumph; and what a sad thing is this, that Christians should give Satan cause to triumph. – 205

Labour to be clothed with humility.  Humility makes a man peaceable among brethren, fruitful in well-doing, cheerful in suffering, and constant in holy walking (1 Pet 5:5).  Humility fits for the highest services we owe to Christ, and yet will not neglect the lowest service to the meanest saint. – 209

An humble soul always finds three things on this side of heaven: the soul to be empty, Christ to be full, and every mercy and duty to be sweet wherein God is enjoyed.  Humility can weep over other men’s weaknesses, and joy and rejoice over their graces.  Humility will make a man quiet and contented in the meanest condition, and it will preserve a man from envying other men’s prosperous condition.  Humility honours those that are strong in grace, and puts two hands under those that are weak in grace.  Humility makes a man richer than other men, and it makes a man judge himself the poorest among men.  Humility will see much good abroad, when it can see but little at home.  Ah, Christian! Though faith be the champion of grace, and love the nurse of grace, yet humility is the beautifier of grace; it casts a general glory upon all the graces in the soul.  – 210

Humility will make a man have high thoughts of others and low thoughts of man’s self; it will make a man see much glory and excellency in others, and much baseness and sinfulness in a man’s self; it will make a man see other’s rich, and himself poor; others strong, and himself weak; others wise, and himself foolish.  Humility will make a man excellent at covering others’ infirmities, and at recording their gracious services, and at delighting in their graces; it makes a man joy in every light that outshines his own, and every wind that blows others good.  – 210

The humble soul is like the violet, ‘which grows low, hangs the head downwards, and hides itself with its own leaves; and were it not that fragrant smell of his many virtues discovered him to the world, he would choose to live and die in his self-contenting.  – 210 fn 60

THE FLAWS OF IGNORANCE

Ignorance is the mother of mistake, the cause of trouble, error, and of terror; it is the highway to hell, and it makes a man both a prisoner and a slave to the devil at once.  Ignorance unmans a man; it makes a man a beast, yea, makes him more miserable than the beast that perisheth.  There are none so easily nor so frequently taken in Satan’s snares as ignorant souls.  They are easily drawn to dance with the devil all day, and to dream of supping with Christ at night.  – 211

Ignorant ones have this advantage, they have a cooler hell.  – 211

Jansenius….saith, it is very observable that our Saviour after his resurrection first appeared to Mary Magdalene and Peter, that had been grievous sinners; that even the worst of sinners may be comforted and encouraged to come to Christ, to believer in Christ, to rest and stay their souls upon Christ, for mercy here and glory hereafter. – 216

Sin always dies most where faith lives most.  The most believing soul is the most mortified soul. – 220

FAITH

That as there is nothing in Christ to discourage the greatest sinners from believing in him, so there is everything in Christ that may encourage the greatest sinners to believe on him, to rest and lean upon him for all happiness and blessedness. – 220-221

GOT CHRIST?

Christ is the greatest good, the choicest good, the chiefest good, the most suitable good, the most necessary good.  He is pure good, a real good, a total good, an eternal good, and a soul-satisfying good.  Sinners, are you poor?  Christ hath gold to enrich you.  Are you naked?  Christ had royal robes, he hath white raiment to clothe you.  Are you blind?  Christ hath eye-salve to enlighten you.  Are you hungry Christ will be manna to feed you.  Are you thirsty?  He will be a well of living water to refresh you.  Are you wounded?  He hath a balm under his wings to heal you.  Are you sick?  He is a physician to cure you.  Are you prisoners?  He hath laid down a ransom for you.  Ah, sinners!  Tell me, tell me, is there anything in Christ to keep you off from believing?  No!  is there not everything in Christ that may encourage you to believe in him?  Yes!  Oh, then, believe in him, and then, ‘Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.’ (Is 1.18). – 221

EVANGELISM AND CONVERSION

God brings in some by the sweet and still voice of the gospel, and usually such that are thus brought into Christ are the sweetest, humblest, choicest, and fruitfullest Christians.  God is a free agent to work by law or gospel, by smiles or frowns, by presenting hell or heaven to sinners’ souls.  God thunders from mount Sinai upon some souls, and conquers them by thundering.  God speaks to others in a still voice, and by that conquers them.  You that are brought to Christ by the law, do not you judge and condemn them that are brought to Christ by the gospel; and you that are brought to Christ by the gospel, do not you despise those that are brought to Christ by the law.  Some are brought to Christ by fire, storms, and tempests, others by more easy and gentle gales of the Spirit.  The Spirit is free in the works of conversion, and as the win, it blows when, where, and how it pleases.  Thrice happy are those souls that are brought to Christ, whether it be in a winter’s night or in a summer’s day.  – 225

OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS IS AS FILTHY RAGS

“Till men have faith in Christ, their best services are but glorious sins.” – 227

PROOF THAT JESUS SAVES!

That sea of sin, that sea of wrath, that sea of trouble, that sea of blood that Jesus Christ waded through, that sinners might be pardoned, justified, reconciled, and saved, doth strongly evidence his willingness to save sinners. – 228

It is not spitting at Satan’s name, nor crossing yourselves, nor leaning to your own resolutions, that will get you the victory.  – 239

If Satan hath such a world of devices and stratagems to ensnare and undo the souls of men, then, instead of wondering that so few are saved, sit down and wonder that any are saved, that any escape the snares of this cunning fowler, who spreads his nets and casts forth his baits in all places, in all cases and companies. – 243

…some special rules and helps against all his devices:

The first help.  If you would not be taken by any of Satan’s devices, then walk by rule.  – 243 When men thrown off the Word, then God throws off them, and then Satan takes them by the hand, and leads them into snares at his pleasure.  – 243

The second help…take heed of vexing and grieving of the Holy Spirit of God.  – 243

The third help…labour for more heavenly wisdom. Heavenly wisdom makes a man delight to fly high; and the higher any man flies, the more he is out of the reach of Satan’s snares.  – 244

The fourth help…make present resistance against Satan’s first motions. He that will play with Satan’s bait, will quickly be taken with Satan’s hook.  The promise of conquest is made over to resisting, not to disputing: ‘Resisting the devil, and he will fly from you’ (James 4.7). – 244

The fifth help…labour to be filled with the Spirit. It is not enough that you have the Spirit, but you must be filled with the Spirit, or else Satan, that evil spirit, will be too hard for you, and his plots will prosper against you. – 245

The sixth help…keep humble. – 246

The seventh help…keep a strong, close, and constant watch.  A secure soul is already an ensnared soul. -246  Satan watches all opportunities to break our peace, to wound our consciences, to lessen our comforts, to impair our graces, to slur our evidences, and to damp our assurances. – 247

The eighth help…keep up your communion with God. – 248  A soul high in communion with God may be tempted, but will not easily be conquered.  Such a soul will fight it out to the death. Communion is a reciprocal exchange between Christ and a gracious soul.  – 248

The ninth help…engage not against Satan in your own strength, but be every day drawing new virtue and strength from the Lord Jesus.  – 249

The tenth help…be much in prayer.

“David’s heart was oft more out of tune than his harp.”  – 250

Ah!  Christians, remember that the greatest part of the world, yea, the greatest part of professors, are taken in Satan’s snares.  Can you think seriously of this, and not blush to be unthankful?  What are you better than others?  And what have ye deserved of God, or done for God more than others, that you should by the help of a divine hand escape the snares, when others are taken and held in the snares of the devil to their eternal overthrow?  – 251

Oh!  Long to be in the bosom Christ!  Long to be in the land of Canaan!  – 252

THE END OF MANY QUOTES FROM THOMAS BROOKS’ PRECIOUS REMEDIES AGAINST SATAN’S DEVICES