The fourth device that Satan hath to keep souls off from holy exercises, from religious services, is,
Device (1). 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 to 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.
Now, the remedies against this device are these:
Remedy (1). The first remedy agaist this device of Satan is, To dwell as much on those scriptures that shew you the duties and services that Christ requires of you, us upon those scriptures that declare to you the precious and glorious things that Christ hath done for your It is a sad and dangerous thing to have two eyes to behold our dignity and privileges, and not one to see our duties and services. I should look with one eye upon the choice and excellent things that Christ hath done for me, to raise up my heart to love Christ with the purest love, and to joy in Christ with the strongest joy, and to lift up Christ above all, who hath made himself to be my all; and I should look with the other eye upon those services and duties that the Scriptures require of those for whom Christ hath done such blessed things, as upon that of the apostle: What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye have of God? and ye are not your own: for ye are bought with a price; therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s, 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. And that: Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labour
is not in vain in the Lord,” 1 Cor. xv. 38. And that: And let us not be weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not,’ Gal. vi. 9. And that of the apostle: ‘ Rejoice always,’ 1 Thes. v. 16, and Pray without ceasing, 1 Thes. v. 17. And that in the Philippians, Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,’ ii. 12; and that, This do till I come,” 1 Tim. iv. 13; and that, “Let us consider one another, to provoke one another to love, and to good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some 1s, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the day approaching,” Heb. x. 24, 25. Now, a soul that would not be drawn away by this device of Satan, he must not look with a squint eye upon these blessed scriptures, and abundance more of like import, but he must dwell upon them; he must make these scriptures to be his chiefest and his choicest companions, and this will be a happy means to keep him close to Christ and his service in these times, wherein many turn their backs upon Christ, under pretence of being interested in the great glorious things that have been acted by Christ, &e.
Remedy (2). The second remedy against this device of Satan is, to consider, That the great and glorious things that Jesus Christ hath done, and is a-doing for us, should be so far from taking us off from religious services and pious performances, that they should be the greatest motives and encouragements to the performance of them that may be, as the Scriptures do abundantly evidence. 1 will only instance in some, as that, ‘ That we, being delivered out of the hands of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and rightteousness before him all the days of our lives 1 Peter ii. 9, Luke i. 74, 75. Christ hath freed you from all your enemies, from the curse of the law, the predominant damnatory power of sin, the wrath of God, the sting of death, and the torments of hell; but what is the end and design of Christ in doing these great and marvellous things for his people? It is not that we should throw off duties of righteousness and holiness, but that their hearts may be the more free and sweet in all holy duties and heavenly services? So the apostle, T will be their God, and they shall be my people:’ And I will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. Mark what follows: Having therefore these promises, and spint, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord,” 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18, A dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh chap. vii. 1 compared. And again: The grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying all ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, looking for that blessed hope, and the elorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and
purify us unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works,” Titus il. 12-14. Ah, souls! I know no such arguments to work you to a lively and constant performance of all heavenly services, like those that are drawn from the consideration of the great and glorious things that Christ hath done for you; and if such arguments will not take you and win upon you, I do think the throwing of hell fire in your faces will never do it.
Remedy (3). The third remedy against this device of Satan is, seriously to consider, That those precious souls which Jesus Christ hath done and suffered as much for as he hath for you, have been exceeding active and lively in all religious services and heavenly performances. He did as much and suffered as much for David as for you, and yet who more in praying and praising God than David? Seven times a day will I praise the Lord, Ps. cxix. 174. Who more in the studying and meditating on the word than David? The law is my meditation day and night,” Ps. cxix. 97. The same truth you may run and read in Jacob, Moses, Job, Daniel, and in the rest of the holy prophets and apostles, for whom Christ hath done as much for as for you. Ah, how have all those worthies abounded in works of righteousness and holiness, to the praise of free grace? 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 religious 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.
Remedy (£). The fourth remedy against this device of Satan is, seriously to consider this, That those that do mot wall: in the ways of righteousness and holiness, that do not wait upon God in the several duties and services that are commanded by him, cannot Lave that evidence to thevr own souls of their righteousness before God, of their fellowship and communion with God, of their blessedness here, and their happiness hereafter, as those souls have, that love and delight in the ways of the Lord, that are always best when they are most in the works and service of the Lord “Little children,” saith
the apostle, “let no man deceive you: he that doth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous,” 1 John ni. 7. In this,’ saith the same apostle, the children of God are manifest, and the children of the devil whosoever doth not righteousness 1s not of God, neither he that loveth not his brother,” ver. 10.” If ye know that he is righteous,’ saith the same apostle, ye know that every one that doth righteousness, is born of him. He that saath, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a har, and the truth 1s not in him. But whosoever keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him. He that saith he abideth in him, ought himself also to walk, even as he walked.” If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do pot the truth; but if we walk in the light, as he 1s in the light, we have fellowship one with another; and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth us from all sin,” saith the same apostle, 1 John ii. 4-6, and 1. 6, 7. Seo James ii. 14, 20, What doth 1t profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have no works; can faith save him? i.e. it cannot. For as the body without spirit is dead, so faith without works 1s dead also.” To look after holy and heavenly works, 1s the best way to preserve the soul from being deceived and deluded by Satan’s delusions, and by sudden flashes ot joy and comfort; holy works being a more sensible! and constant pledge of the precious Spirit, begetting and maintaining in the soul more solid, pure, clear, strong, and lasting joy. Al souls! As you would have in yourselves a constant and a blessed evidence of your fellowship with the Father and the Son, and of the truth of grace, and of your future happiness, look that you cleave close to holy services; and that you turn not your backs upon religious duties.
Remedy (5). The fifth remedy against this device of Satan is, solemnly to consider, That there ave other choice and glorious ends Jorthe swint’s performance of religious duties, than for the justifying of their persons before God, or for their satisfying of the law or justice of God, or for the purchasing of the pardon of sin, Le. viz, to testify their gustification A good tree cannot but bring forth goed fruits,” Mat. vii. 17, to testify their love to God, and their sincere obedience to the commands of God; to testify their deliverance from spiritual bondace, to evidence the indwelling of the Spirit, to stop the mouths of the worst of men, and to glad those righteous souls that God would not have sadded. These, and abundance of other choice ends there be, why those that have an interest in the glorious doings of Christ, should, notwithstanding that, keep close to the holy duties and religiqus services that are commanded by Christ. And if these considerations will not prevail with you, to wait upon God in holy and heavenly
duties. I am afraid if one should rise from the dead, his arguments would not win upon you, but you would hold on in your sins, and neglect his service, though you lost your souls for ever, &c.!