Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

'DireEtions for a 1vell grounded Fait/,. 121 ftcution to Libertinifm, or from Libe.rtini.fin to perfuttting cru_elty ; from hyp~criti_cal formality r_o hypocritical pretended JPirituality; or from enrhufiafms, and faChon to dead formaltty : But ot tins 1 have fpokeat large Chap. 5· Part. 2. Dir. to Studenu. §· 71 . Tempt. 2 4 . On tbe "ntrary, tht"Tcmpter •ifieaUy pleadeth Moderation and Prudence ag~in/1 Tempt. 2 4 • a ho?y lift, and acctfrtJit zealu111 obedience to God: and would mak;_e )IOU belJev~ that to bt fo dzlzgem in duty and f.rupuloufly afraid ~1 fin , is to run intv an e::tream, and to be rzgbteotu over much, and 10 mak.! RcligiiJn a vcxatiour or dijlra8ing thing, and that tt.f more a do thalt n~edJ. . § 72 • Dirtll. 2 4 . This I have anfwcred fo oft, that I thall here fay but tlus : that God cannot be Dm8. 24. roo much loved : nor Heaven coo much valq_ed, nor too dili~ently fought or obeyed : nor tiC,. and Htll be too mud) avoided: nm doth any man'need to fear dotng to? much, where he is fure whei) he hath done his be!\ to do too ljttle: Hearken what men fay of thrs at death. , . §· 7 3. Tempt. 25• The Tempter wo•ld per[wade M that one fi7 it llmffary tov woid another; and Tempt. 25• 1 bat of two ivil1 you mrljt choofe the lefl: M if there were no otfJer way: 'fhtH James andJohn d.id , by finful uncharitable zeal dejire to punijh fin , Luke 9· . H· Peter would .fmf9/ly fight ag~infl tht finful Jtwl, Mat. 26. 52• 1hm he bid1 mrn he to 4vord fome dijhonour .to 'God and ReHginn-; and ptrfecute 10 prefc;ve tbe unityof the Clmrch, and k,sep out fin ; ,and co1mm.t a lcj[er fin themfelves to efcape agreater. . . ·- . . . 9· 74 . Dire{/. 2 5· ThiS IS to abufe God, as 1f he had made that nwffary. winch he forbids, and Dma. 25· had not provi~ed you lawful means enough to ufe agamft every fin! ,Th1s ~s P'JUfully to do that which you pret~ you are 1mwiUing to do, even to fin : Of two tVJls av01d both, but be fure you confent tO neither. . . . 1 • • , • • 9· 75· Tempr. 26· He pleadeth Chnfi~an Liberty to entife to fin : tJPtc~aLy to [tnfoaluy: Hath Tempt. 26, nfst Chri{l purcha{td ycu Liberty to 1tje the Creaturu l all tbinLt are yottrt• No mm but tbe gotily have juj! title ID tbcm. §· 76. Dire{/. 26. He never purchafed us Liberty to abufe the Creature, as poyfon to hurt our Dire{/. 26. (elves; to hinder MordficatiOil, and firengthen 9ur enemy'· and our fnar~, and to !leal away our hearts froin God ; le'S a Liberty from·tin, and not a Liberty to fin. that Chrili: bath purchafed us. . . §· 77• Tempt. ~7· He ple•deth the Necellity of Wife, Children, Eftatt, Life, &c. Necef]ity mak.er Tempt. 27. it Lawful. , . . , 9· 78. Dire{/. 27. There js no Necef!ity of finning. He cannot be Clui!ls Difciple, that thinks it Dire{/. 2J• more neceffary tofave his life, or provide for Wifo, and Children rhan to obey his l,.ord, Lu/t,! 14·26,33· · (iod mufi be Trujlcdwith thefe. 9·79· Tempt. 2S. But, faith the.Temprer, ~es Natura\ to Luft, to love I1oHo~r, Eafe, Pltafure, &c. Tempt. 28. 'thcrefort it's no fin. . 9· 8o. Direll. 28. Natute is corrupttil and finful : And it's Natural to you to be Rational, and to- Direl1. 28. rule your fenfe and appetlrc by Reafon, and not to ~o what lull: or appetite defiret~. Elfe maQ. is but a bcafi. 9· 81. Tempt. 29· But, faith the Tempter, Aut!Jority commaJtdeib it : It it your P~Jrmtl, or Mqfter 1 Tempt. 29 • ·~~~~ ' ' 9· 82. Dire[]. 29· There is no power but from ~od: Therefore: none againA: him or above him: Dir~9• They mufi be obeyed in all things lawful, but not m fin: They cannot fave you nor them{elves from ·,.- the wrath of God. §. 83. Tempt. 30. llut, faitlllhe 1empter, you have promifedor vowed thatyou rviUde it, and are mt Tempt. 3 0 • tU liberty. §. 84. Direll. 30. The vow of a lawful thing mufi be kept: but if you vow to fin, it's another Diretl. 30 • tin to perform it, and to wrong God or man becaufe you h~ve vowed to wrong him. §. 85· Tempr. 3I· But, faith the Temp.ter, it i1 a comroverjie, and many learned ~nd good mm .Tempt. 3I· tbinJt it is no fin. ' §. 86. Dire8•3r. You have the more reafon to be fearful and cautclous, when you fee that the Dire{/. 31. ca{e is fo obfure, and the fnare fo fubtile, al)d are fure that many learned and good men on one fide or other are deceived before you; Remember God is your King and Judge ;-who will nor take it for an cxcufe for fin, that learned or good men did it, or defended it. Confult not with fldh. and blood, but with God. 9· 87. Tempt' 32. llut, faith the "f~mpter, wiUy_ou be fiAgular, and be p'i11ted" hooted at by~ aU? Tempt. 3 2 • jS. 88. Dm8.}2· In dochme I, will not be hngular from the Holy Catbolici(, Church of God: Dire{/. 3'· Jn worflup I w1U not m fingulanry or fch1fme fc:petate from the Commomi~1t of Saiffts: But in do/iriue 'I will be fingular from Infidelt and Hcretici~J: and in a holy life I will be fingular from the ~•godly, and prophane, and fenfi<al; Jell if I do as they, to avoid their fcorns, I fpecd., they. ?· 89. Tempt. 33· Btd yo~~: are wt'a~l and you cannot help it, till Gud wiU. give you grace to Tempt. 33· JoJt? 9· f)O· Dire/i. 33• Therefore I mull not be. 'lf>illfHl, and negligent, and rajh, and do !hat evil· Dire{/. 33· which I may forbear, nor refitt and refufe chat Grace, and belp, and mercy without which I ~an do · nothing. . . §. 91· Tempt. 34· But yo~< repent and ari(, God forgivenefs through Chrijl, e~rry night fa. tke jim Tempt. 34• •f the day. • §· .9,2· Dire{/. 34• Repenting is a forrowful turning of the_ heart from fin to God. You Repent Dire{/. 3~· not It you turn not. To mock God With fuch Hypocnllca! praying and repenting is it felf a Rz ~M~ .

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