Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

I• ~------------------------------------------------ 'Direhiom for )'0ung [/!r·iftians. - - - -·- ·-- --· f)~~11 ~f;i~: in reward ) ; that the t!ea are jtdli.fifd brfirc tht)' arc bvril, or repent, or bcllctlf:, lb.zt tbtir fin i1 p.rrdomd thc!c polm-, before ,it i1 com~Jit!r~, t!J..lt Gud took._ tber~ a: JuffaiJrf!.. a;;dful1~Uing all th: Law in Cht{lf,. ~~!fit b.1d rc:~d Mr Gib~ been W~)' tboJ.t d:d zt 11t IJim : tb,zt we a~e }trjltficd kY f .mb or.ly Jn .tllft eonfw:nccr: that ptjrifym" f .Jitb hoH.•s Sermon U h~tt tbebc!icvhrg th.1t wc:o are jujlijild: tiJ.:zt ever;· uum muff bclicv.c tb:rt he if pardai!td, tbt b~ may ofJ~·fbfiuti· be pardoned in hi1 confciwcc; and thiJ he is to do by a Di.vl11e j<Jitb, a1zr;l tbJt tbiJ i1 the fenfi of the M' m_ I he_ Article, [I believe the forgivenefs of fins J that i<1, that my {;n1 prc f urgivcn; tmd that all art f or· er~i(;~ga;x- given tf,at btliet•e it: that it is legal and finfitl to,Wlirk._ tJr do any tbhtg f or {alvatioH: that fin once St. Giles. ~~. pardomd ~>.red 11ot be conjfJ!cd and lamrnud, or at leaf1, we mcd 1101 a1k._ pardm fJj' fin daily, or of one AnJ.Mr.'I'III· fiJt oft: tbat caftigatio11! Me 110 punl(hmcms; and J•EIHo otbct purl~fhmtnt if tbrcatned tq believerJf 11 r mM'J two tbeir fins; and cMljcquently tbat Chl'ift. bath not procured them a par'don flf any fin afier believing, but ~~~~J~f~~~ prev~nt~d all 1 1tccr[fity of pardon: and therefore they mtt)f not a:"-. the pardon ~~ them, nor .ti(l any thing to 1..· Blancts obtam lt: ltJ.I~ fear of HeU muft hJve no hmd iAt our obedtei1CC, or rejframt fromfi;t: A11d }ome add, Thefes in 1:1.· that IJt tb.lt cannot rtpent or believe, mitjl comfort himfelf that Cbrijt repented ar,d Vtlie11cd f or him: tin, with ~~-7 ( a ccmtradit1i01t): J M,.,,ry fuch Dol7rims of L~centii)Ufmji the abufcrs of Gr.tct have brouglit Tiuf Sa{m,ul- {ol·tb. • • "f.&:. And the Seer which imitateth the Father of Pride in alfeeting to be from under rhe Government of God, and to be the Law-givers and Rulers of themftlves and all others ( wliich I therefore call the Autonomians) arc Licentio1u and much tmre. They equally contend ~tgainfi Chrifts Govemm'em, and f or their own : They fill the world with Wars and blOod{hed, opprctEon and crudrr, and the ears of God with thecryes of the Martyrs and opprdfed ones, and all that the fpiritual and holy Difcipline of Chrifi may be fuppreffcd, and ferioufnefs in Religion made odious, or banilhed from the eanh, and that themfelvts.may be taken for the Cenrer, and Pillars, and Law-givers of the Church, ana the Con· fciences of all men may be taught to cafl: otf all fcruples or fears of offending God, in cornparifon of offending them; and may abfolutely fubmit w them, .and never flick at any feared difobedience t0 Chrill:They are the [corners and perlecutors ofllriet obedience to the Laws of God,and take thofe th~t fear his judgements, to be men alfrighted our of their wits; and that to obey him exacUy ( which at.s who can do, when he hath done his befi) is but to be hypoctiticd or too prccife : btll to quelli– on their domination, or break their Laws ( irnpoftd on the world, even on Kings arid States With· out any Authority) this mull be taken for Herefie, Schifrn, or a Rebellion like thll ofCorab and his company. This Luciferian Spirit of the proud Autonorriians hath tilled theChrillia11 world with blood– {hed, and been the greatell means of the m[feries. Of the oarth, and efpccially of hindering and perfecuting the Gofpel, and fctting up a Pharifaical Religion in the world ; It hath fought againfi the Gofpel, and filled with blood, the Countreys of Franct, Sa-v'ly, Rf:;£tia, Bohemia, Bdg,ia, Helvetia, Polonia, Hungary, Ge1·ma1ry, and many more: that it may appear how much of the Satanical nature they have, and how punetually they fulfill his will. ~. 3· And natural corruption containeth in it, the feeds of all thefc damnable Herefies; norhin 5 more natural to lapfed man, than to {hake otf the Government of God, and to~Oecome .a Liw– giVer to himfelf, and as many others as he can ; and to turn the grace of God into wamonnefs. Therefore the prophane, that never heard it from any Hereticks but themfdves, do make tlremfelves fuch a Creed as this ; that [ 6 od ir mtr~ifo/1 and therifdre we need not fear his threatnings, for he wiU be better tb.11t biJ word: It belongeth to hzm tofave tU, and not to UJ, and therefore we m:ry cajf our {riulJ ·upon bis care, ,thdugh tve ca1·e not for them our {tlvu. If he hath prcdejlinated us to falvalion, we]hall be flJved, and ifhe have not, we}h:tll not, n·h3t wer we da, or how weU [aEver n>e live: Cbr~ji dyed fur ]inners, and theref/J'te though we are finmu, he will [l17.1e m : God is JfroitgC'r tb.m the Devil, ohd. thtrefore tht Devil jhJU not have the moff: 1h•t which plea[etb tbe ficfh, and d01b God ~~~- halm, can never be [o great a. matter, or fo much offend bim, as to procure onr d.1mnarion. fYhat nC'e'd of fo much ado to be faved, o·r fo 'much haJle to tum .to God, when any one that at lajl dtJth but repent, ·altd tl')l God 'mercy, and believe that Cbrift dyed for bim, jhaU be foved l Chri/! it tbe Saviour of the wlrld, and bit grace is very great and ftce, and therefore God forbid tiJat none fhould be fo ved but tbofe [M tbat art of jlriU and holj lives, and makp fo much ado f or Heavm. No man can J:..now r::ho jhall be faved, and who jh~Zll not : and therefore it i1 the wi{tjl W~}1 , to donobody any barm, and tg live mcrrif.y, ami truft God with our fault, and put o:1r falvation up:m the venture: no bo~y i1 favrd f or hi1 ow;z n·or~ pr, tkfervings'; and therifore our livenniJy [ervethe turn ar weU as if tl~ry .weremore jlrift and!Jo!J.] · This is 'the Creed of the ungodly: by whtch you may fee how natural tt •s to them, to abu!e the Gofpel, and plead Gods grace to quiet and ftrengthtn them in their fin,and to embolden thernfelves on Chrill to difobey him. §. 4- But this is but to fet Chri{\ again£\ himfelf; _even his Merits and Mrrcy again£\ his Govrmmtnt tmd Spirit; and to fet his Death againfl the Endt of hts death ; and to fet our Saviour againft our fJ!– vation ; and to run fromGod and rebell againfi him, hecaufe Chrifi dyed eo recover u1 to God, and to give us Repentance unto life ; and to fin, becaufe he dyed to {a11e IJH people from tbci)' fins) and ro purifie a peculiar people to IJimfelf ze•lous of good wori([: Matth. •· 21 • Tir. 2- 14· He that commit– ttth fin i< of the Devil: for tbe Devil jinneth from the beginning: For thu pm-pofe the Son of God wat manifcfted that he might deftroy tbe'wori([ of the Devil, 1 John 3• 8. John 8. 44·

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