at you would repent and emember this, grievous ess of the punishments, nishments. For to be s beyond the bounds of this make the damned and tear their hair, and at they must dwell in the soul to sin is, atan are those that follow: hell: Ne quæramus ubi sit, sed how we shall escape it. turn or two in hell by our dail n a lame foot. ke the dogs of Congo, they bite AGAINST S It was God's heavy and dreadful plague t given up to a mind void of judgment, or an mind rejected, disallowed, abhorred of God, or cause to glory in, but rather to be ashamed that in these days God punisheth many men's giving them up to soul-ruining errors. Ah, Lo beg, that thou wouldst rather take me into t anything with me, than give me up to those s sands have married their souls, and are in a w Remedy (2). The second remedy against To receive the truth affectionately, and let plenteously. When men stand out against would enter, and men bar the door of their s God in justice gives up such souls to be delude to their eternal undoing: 2 Thes. ii. 10-12, not the love of the truth, that they might be them strong delusions (or, as the Greek hath it évegyeíav hans), that they should believe a lie; damned who believed not the truth, but had plea Ah, sirs, as you love your souls, do not temp God, by your withstanding truth and out-faci to believe a lie, that you may be damned. Th so fenced against error as those are that recei of it. Such souls are not easily tossed to and with every wind of doctrine by the sleight of 1 ness, wherein they lie in wait to deceive,' Ep that receives most of the truth into his head, bu of the truth affectionately into his heart, that s of having his judgment sound and clear, when and deceived by them, who make it their judgments and to undo the souls of men. Ah, souls, as you would not have your judg filed with error, 'Let the word of the Lord,' tha gold, yea than fine gold, 'dwell plenteously i is not the hearing of truth, nor the knowing mending of truth, nor the talking of truth, but in your souls, that will keep your judgments o midst of all those glittering errors that betr hands, that can easily 'transform himself into xi. 14, that he may draw others to lie in chain for ever.5 Oh, let not the word be a stran choicest familiar! Then will you be able to st 1 Through animosity to persist in error is diabolical erred; next to that, that we amended our error. 2 The greatest sinners are sure to be the greatest suffer iv T xubig, Gr., signifies cogging with a die; such s gamesters use at dice. ivoista, i. e. indwell in you as an ingrafted word inc concocted and digested by you, as that you turn it into a 5 They must needs err that know not God's ways, yet as to miss of hell. many shall fall on your right hand, and on your left, by the subtlety of those that shall say, 'Lo, here is Christ, or lo, there is Christ.' There was more wit than grace in his speech that counselled his friends, 'Not to come too nigh unto truth, lest his teeth should be beaten out with its heels.' Ah, souls, if truth dwell plenteously in you, you are happy; if not, you are unhappy under all your greatest felicity.1 'It is with truth,' saith Melancthon, 'as it is with holy water, every one praised it, and thought it had some rare virtue in it; but offer to sprinkle them with it, and they will shut their eyes, and turn away their faces from it.' Remedy (3). The third remedy against this device of Satan is, solemnly to consider, That error makes the owner to suffer loss. All the pains and labour that men take to defend and maintain their errors, to spread abroad and infect the world with their errors, shall bring no profit, nor no comfort to them in that day, wherein 'every man's work shall be made manifest, and the fire shall try it of what sort it is,' as the apostle shews in that remarkable scripture, 1 Cor. iii. 11-15. Ah, that all those that rise early and go to bed late, that spend their time, their strength, their spirits, their all, to advance and spread abroad God-dishonouring and soul-undoing opinions, would seriously consider of this, that they shall lose all the pains, cost, and charge that they have been, or shall be at, for the propagating of error; and if they are ever saved, it shall be by fire, as the apostle there shews. Ah, sirs, Is it nothing to lay out your money for that which is not bread? and your strength for that which will not, which cannot, profit you in the day that you must make up your account, and all your works must be tried by fire ?2 Ah, that such souls would now at last 'buy the truth, and sell it not,' Prov. xxiii. 23. Remember you can never over-buy it, whatsoever you give for it; you can never sufficiently sell it, if you should have all the world in exchange for it. It is said of Cæsar, that he had greater care of his books than of his royal robes,' for, swimming through the waters to escape his enemies, he carried his books in his hand above the waters, but lost his robes.3 Ah, what are Caesar's books to God's books? Well, remember this, that one day, yea, one hour spent in the study of truth, or spreading abroad of truth, will yield the soul more comfort and profit, than many thousand years spent in the study and spreading abroad of corrupt and vain opinions, that have their rise from hell, and not from heaven, from the god of this world and not from that God that shall at last judge this world, and all the corrupt opinions of men. Remedy (4). The fourth remedy against this device of Satan is, To hate, reject, and abominate all those doctrines and opinions that are contrary to godliness, and that open a door to profaneness,* and all 1 Veritas vincit, Truth at last triumphs. Veritas stat in aperto campo, Truth stands in the open fields; ay, and it makes those souls stand in whom it dwells, when others fall as stars from heaven. Error as a glass is bright, but brittle, and cannot endure the hammer, or fire, as gold can, which, though rubbed or melted, remains firm and orient. 3 Major fuit cura Cæsari libellorum quam purpuræ. One old piece of gold is worth a thousand new counters, and one old truth of God ur left, by the subtlety o, there is Christ.' ech that counselled his st his teeth should be 1 dwell plenteously in inder all your greatest with holy water, every rtue in it; but offer to r eyes, and turn away is device of Satan is, in aperto campo, Truth stands ndure the hammer, or fire, as and orient. ters, and one old truth of God such doctrines and opinions that require men ness above what the Scripture requireth; and opinions that do advance and lift up corrupt of supernatural things, which none can do bu power that raised Christ from the grave; a do lift our own righteousness in the room of that place good works in the throne of Christ partners with Christ, &c. And all those opini do so set up and cry up Christ and his righted all duties of holiness and righteousness, and a opinions that do make the glorious and blessed in the days of the gospel to be lesser, fewer, a were in the time of the law. Ah, did your s hatred, and a strong indignation against such you would stand when others fall, and you wou his glory, when many that were once as shining stinking snuffs.1 Remedy (5). The fifth remedy against this hold fast the truth. As men take no hold on th let go the arm of God, Jer. xvii. 5, so men tak they have let go their hold of truth; therefor 2 Tim. i. 13, and Titus i. 9. Truth is thy crow and let no man take thy crown from thee. Hat sweet to thy soul, yea, sweeter than honey, or wilt not thou go on to heaven, feeding upor honeycomb, as Samson did of his honeycomb. not found truth sweetening your spirits, and and warming your spirits, and raising your spi your spirits? Have not you found truth a gu to uphold you, a cordial to strengthen you, and And will not you hold fast the truth? Hath n friend in your worst days? Hath not truth stoc have forsaken you? Hath not truth done mo world could do against you, and will you not h not truth your right eye, without which you cann your right hand, without which you cannot do right foot, without which you cannot walk with not hold fast truth? Oh! hold fast the truth understandings, in your wills and affections, i conversation. Truth is more precious than gold or rubies thou canst desire are not to be compared t Truth is that heavenly glass wherein we m is more than a thousand new errors. True hatred is εἰς το is sad to frown upon one error and smile upon another. 1 Gideon had seventy sons, and but one bastard, and yet the rest (Judges viii. 13, et seq.). One turn may bring a m The priests of Mercury, when they ate their figs and abua), Sweet is truth. It is with truth as with some plants, which live and th 4 Said of wisdom.'-G. glory of divine wisdom, power, greatness, love, and mercifulness. In this glass you may see the face of Christ, the favour of Christ, the riches of Christ, and the heart of Christ, beating and working sweetly towards your souls. Oh! let your souls cleave to truth, as Ruth did to Naomi, Ruth i. 15, 16, and say, 'I will not leave truth, nor return from following after truth; but where truth goes I will go, and where truth lodgeth I will lodge; and nothing but death shall part truth and my soul."1 What John said to the church of Philadelphia I may say to you, 'Hold fast that which thou hast, that no man take thy crown,' Rev. iii. 11. The crown is the top of royalties: such a thing is truth: Let no man take thy crown.' 'Hold fast the faithful word,' as Titus speaks, chap. i. 9.2 You were better let go anything than truth; you were better let go your honours and riches, your friends and pleasures, and the world's favours; yea, your nearest and dearest relations, ay, your very lives, than to let go truth. Oh, keep the truth, and truth will make you safe and happy for ever. Blessed are those souls that are kept by truth. Remedy (6). The sixth remedy against this device of Satan is, To keep humble. Humility will keep the soul free from many darts of Satan's casting, and erroneous snares of his spreading. As low trees and shrubs are free from many violent gusts and blasts of wind which shake and rend the taller trees, so humble souls are free from those gusts and blasts of error that rend and tear proud, lofty souls. Satan and the world have least power to fasten errors upon humble souls. The God of light and truth delights to dwell with the humble; and the more light and truth dwells in the soul, the further off darkness and error will stand from the soul. The God of grace pours in grace into humble souls, as men pour liquor into empty vessels; and the more grace is poured into the soul, the less error shall be able to overpower the soul, or to infect the soul.3 That is a sweet word in Psalm xxv. 9, 'The meek' (or the humble) 'will he guide in judgment, and the meek will he teach his way. And certainly souls guided by God, and taught by God, are not easily drawn aside into ways of error. Oh, take heed of spiritual pride! Pride fills our fancies, and weakens our graces, and makes room in our hearts for error. There are no men on earth so soon entangled, and so easily conquered by error, as proud souls. Oh, it is dangerous to love to be wise above what is written, to be curious and unsober in your desire of knowledge, and to trust to your own capacities and abilities to undertake to pry into all secrets, and to be puffed up with a carnal mind. Souls that are thus a-soaring up above the bounds and limits 1 Though I cannot dispute for the truth, yet I can die for the truth, said that blessed martyr. 'AVTEXμvo, Hold fast as with tooth and nail, against these that would snatch it from us. 3 I have read of one who, seeing in a vision so many snares of the devil spread upon the earth, he sat down mourning, and said within himself, Quis pertransiet ista, who shall pass through these? whereunto he heard a voice answering, Humilitas pertransiet, humility shall pass through them. Ps. xxv. 9, Dy, Gnanavim, from y, Gnanah, which signifies the humble or afflicted. The high tide quickly ebbs, and the highest sun is presently declining. You know how to apply it. love, and mercifulness. st, the favour of Christ, =t, beating and working ouls cleave to truth, as 'I will not leave truth, where truth goes I will and nothing but death n said to the church of that which thou hast of The crown is the top take thy crown.' 'Hold .9.2 You were better et go your honours and rld's favours; yea, your truth. go es, than to let safe and happy for ever. s device of Satan is, To ree from many darts of preading. As low trees nd blasts of wind which uls are free from those oud, lofty souls. Satan ors upon humble souls. th the humble; and the urther off darkness and in grace into race pours yvessels; and the more all be able to overpower 14 e meek' (or the humble) hares of the devil spread upon hich signifies the humble or of humility, usually fall into the very worst of doth daily evidence.1 Remedy (7). The seventh remedy against th solemnly to consider, The great evils that errors is a fruitful mother, and hath brought forth such hath set towns, cities, and nations on fire.2 Error that hath cast down many, wounded many, yea, s many great men, and many learned men, and in former times and in our time, as is too evid much left of God, destitute of the truth, and bl the graces that error hath weakened, and the s that error hath clouded, if not buried! Oh, the weakened, the eyes that error hath blinded, t that error hath perverted, the minds that err hearts that error hath hardened, the affections the consciences that error hath seared, and the hath polluted! Ah, souls! can you solemnly co tremble more at error than at hell itself? &c. The twelfth device that Satan hath to draw t Device (12). To affects wicked company, to kee oh! the horrid impieties and wickedness that Sat sin, by working them to sit and associate themse Now, the remedies against this device of the Remedy (1). The first remedy against this dwell, till your hearts be affected, upon those c do expressly require us to shun the society of th 'And have no fellowship with the unfruitful w rather reprove them;' Prov. iv. 14-16, Enter n wicked, and go not in the way of evil men. turn from it, and pass away.' 1 Cor. v. 9-11, 10-15. Turn to these Scriptures, and let your till a holy indignation be raised in your souls a vain men. 'God will not take the wicked by th xxxiv. 20, xxx. 24. Why then should you? G like those that are easily reversed, but they are li that cannot be changed. If these commands be thee, they will at last be witnesses against thee, thee, in that day that Christ shall judge thee.1 Remedy (2). The second remedy against th seriously to consider, That their company is ver gerous, as is clear from the scripture above many have lost their names, and lost their esta God, and heaven, and souls, by society with wick a stinking carcase, as the seaman shuns sands a as ye shun those that have the plague-sores 1 The proud soul is like him that gazed upon the moon, * Errors in conscience produce many great evils, not only but also ad extra, in human affairs. 3 Non parentum aut majorum authoritas, sed Dei doceb commands of God must outweigh all authority and exampl 5 Shoals,'-G. A |