04/27/2021
By Pastor Joe Romeo
Building upon this past Sunday’s sermon, I wanted to share a thought with you. I am currently reading a book by the Puritan Thomas Brooks (1608–1680) titled Precious Remedies against Satan’s Devices. According to Brooks, one of Satan’s devices is to “pollute and defile souls with dangerous errors.” The remedy to overcome this Satanic trap is to remain humble. Brooks counsels, “The God of light and truth dwells with the humble; and the more light and truth dwells in the soul, the further off darkness and error will stand from the soul.” Since fallen sinners are not humble by nature, however, they must constantly guard against pride. Read the following words by Brooks carefully:
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 of humility, usually fall into the very worst of errors, as experience doth daily evidence.
And so, we pray:
Almighty God, which showest to all those that be in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteousness; Grant unto all them that be admitted into the fellowship of Christ’s religion, that they may eschew those things that be contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as be agreeable to the same; through our Lord Jesus Christ. (The Collects of Thomas Cranmer, “The Third Sunday After Easter”)
