Tag: Experimental Religion

A Pastoral Letter To One Oppressed By Demons

In a pastoral letter by John Sprint from his 1623 publication “The Christian Sword & Buckler,” he addresses a man tormented for seven years by demonic oppression and spiritual affliction. He provides scriptural comfort, emphasizing God’s power and Christ’s victory over Satan, His ministers’ duties to reassure the afflicted, and His mercy toward sinners. The pastor also guides the man in overcoming demonic temptations and despair with faith, and teaches him to find the comfort of the Spirit, and solace in his spiritual trials as proof of God’s love.… Read More A Pastoral Letter To One Oppressed By Demons

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Meditations In Times Of Sickness

Thy sins have deserved the pains of hell; therefore thou mayest with greater patience endure these fatherly corrections. These are the scourges of thy heavenly Father, and the rod is in his hand. If thou didst suffer with reverence, being a child, the corrections of thy earthly parents, how much rather shouldst thou now subject thyself, being the child of God, to the chastisement of thy heavenly Father, seeing it is for thy eternal good?… Read More Meditations In Times Of Sickness

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The Christian’s Encounter With Satan

It is found by continual experience, that near the time of death, when the children of God are weakest, then Satan makes the greatest nourish of his strength, and assails them with his strongest temptations. For he knows that either he must now or never prevail; for if their souls once go to heaven, he shall never vex nor trouble them any more. And therefore he will now bestir himself as much as he can, and labour to set before their eyes all the gross sins which ever they committed, and the judgments of God which are due unto them; thereby to drive them, if he can, into despair, which is a more grievous sin than all the sins that they committed, or he can accuse them of.… Read More The Christian’s Encounter With Satan

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How To Keep The Lord’s Day Holy

The sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things: First, in resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life. Secondly, in consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God, and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are, generally, all civil works, from the least to the greatest (Ex. 31:12-15). The consecration of the Sabbath’s rest consists in performing three sorts of duties: before, at, and after the public exercises of the church.… Read More How To Keep The Lord’s Day Holy

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Practical Religion At Meals

Hunger is like the sickness called a wolf; which, if thou dost not feed, will devour thee, and eat thee up; and that meat and drink are but as physic, or means which God hath ordained, to relieve and cure this natural infirmity and necessity of man. Use, therefore, to eat and to drink, rather to sustain and refresh the weakness of nature, than to satisfy the sensuality and delights of the flesh. Eat, therefore, to live, but live not to eat. There is no service so base, as for a man to be a slave to his belly; the apostle terms such, belly-gods (Phil. 3:19). And as no one action (God’s ordinances excepted) makes a man more to resemble a beast, than eating and drinking, so the abuse of eating and drinking to surfeiting and drunkenness, makes a man more vile than a beast.… Read More Practical Religion At Meals

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How To Govern Your Actions

Fly with Joseph from all sins, as well those that are secret in the sight of God, as those that are manifest in the eyes of men. For God, as he is just, without speedy repentance will bring the secret sins, as he did David’s, to the open light, before all Israel, and before the sun (2 Sam. 12:12). Be therefore as much afraid of secret sins as of open shame (Luke 8:17; 12:2). And so avoid all in general, as that thou dost not allow to thyself any one particular or darling sin, which the corruption of thy nature could best agree withal (Prov. 5:8; 6:27); for the crafty devil can hold a man’s soul as fast by one as by many sins; and faster by that one which pleases thee, than by all those which begin to be abominable to thee. And as thou desirest to avoid a sin, so be careful to shun the occasion.… Read More How To Govern Your Actions

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How To Govern Your Tongue

Remember, that thou must answer for every idle word, that in multiloquy, the wisest man shall overshoot himself. Avoid, therefore, all tedious and idle talk, from which seldom arises comfort, many times repentance: especially beware of rash answers, when the tongue outruns the mind. The word was thine whilst thou didst keep it in; it is another’s as soon as it is out. O the shame, when a man’s own tongue shall be produced a witness, to the confusion of his own face! Let, then, thy words be few, but advised; forethink whether that which thou art to speak be fit to be spoken; affirm no more than what thou knowest to be true; and be rather silent than speak to an ill, or to no purpose.… Read More How To Govern Your Tongue

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