Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

Sewral wayes of Murdering Sottls. CHAP. XIV. 'DireEtiom againft foul -murde;·, imd partakiug of other mens fins. THE fpccial Dire a-ions given Part 3· Cb. 22. to Parents and Mo~Oers, will i~ this caft, be of great ufe wall others ; But becn1fe it is ht~e feafonable to fpcak of it fmth~r, under the tixth Commandment, and the matter is of greatc:Cr confi::quencc, I fhall, r. -reil you how men are guilty of foul· murder. 2. And then give you fome General Dircdi:.ms foTthe furrhering of mens falvation. 3· And next g·tVe you fome fpecial Diredions for Chrilliun Exhonarwu and Reproofs. ~- t. I. Men are guilty of foul-murder liy >11 thefe wayes : I· By preaching falfe foul-murdering doCtrine: fuch as denyeth any necdfuy point of faith, or holy living: fuch as is oppofire ro a holy life, or to any particular necdllry duty: fuch as ~ruketh fin to be no fin ; which ell! gOJd evil, and evil good; wich pntterh darkndS for lighr, and light for darkncfs. ~· 2. 2· By fa!lC application of true dod"rine, indirctl:ly rtf\c6ting upon and difgracing that ho– lintfs of lift; which in terms they preach "for: By prevarication ~ndermining that caufc:: which their ctlice is appointed to promote~ As they do, who purpofely fo ddcribe any vice, that the hearers may be drawn to think that llrict and Godly pratftim, arc either that fin it felf, or but aCloak to hide ir. §. 3. 3· By bringing the prrfo11s of the moft religious into hatred, by fuch falie applications, re– fltCtions, or ftcrct infinuatioris, or open calumnies: Making mc::n beEeve that they :!re all but Hypo· c:rites, or Schi(maticks, orftditiou~: or fanatical .fclf-conceired pcrfons l Which is ufually done ei£her by i-mpudent llanders raifcd againfi fome particular men, and fo rdh:Clcd on the rcft ; or by the adV.mt'3~t of tattions, controverGes or Civil ·wars ; or by thefuUs of any profdTours, or the crimes of Hypoc'rirLs: w}.ercllpon they would make the World believe, that they are all alike ; As if a!i Chrifis family were to be judged of by Peters fall, or JudaJ faiOJood. And the odious repr•fenta– tion ofGodly men doth greatly prevail to keep' orhers from God!inefs, and is one of the Dcviis mo!t fuccefsful means, for the damnation of multitudes of fouls. 9· 4· 4· The difgraceof the per[on1 of the Preachers of the Gofpel, doth greatly further mens damnation. 1-~or when rhe people think their Teachers to be Hypocrites, Covccous, Proud. a::1d fe.. cretly as bzd as others, they are very like to think accordingly of their doctrine, and that :t!l tlri& Religion is but hypocrifie, or at leall to refufe their help and counkls. Even PimarJt noted, that [ It f9 comeJ top:zji, that we mtertai1znot virtue, 11or are rapt imo a drjire of imitati1tg it, "nlrfs rvc bigbly honour and /ovt the prrfim in whom it is difcerned. J And if they fee or think the Preacher to ot him· felf of a loofe and cudefs and licentious life, they will think that the like.is very excttf.lblc in them– ftlvcs; and that his doctrine is but a form of fp~:ech, wllich hisotlice bindL~h him to fJy; but is no more to be rcgard,J by them, than by himfdf. Two wayes is mens d.uhnation thus promotea: I· By the ill livesof hypocritical ungodly preach– ers, who actually bring their own perfons into difguct, and thereby alfo che pcrfuns of others, and c'onfequently their facrCd work and function : 2· By wicked Preachers and pt:ople, who, through a malignant hatred of rhofc thlt are abler, and better than themfdvcs, a:1d an envy of their rtputa– tior'l, do labour to make: the moll 7.calous and faithful Prc1chc:rs of the Gofpcl, to be thousht to be the mofi hypocritical, or erroneous, or tild:ious and fchifm.ttical. 9· 5· 5· The ntglell of Minijltriat dtniu is a common caufe of .fo,, 2nd of mens damnation. When they that take the charge of fouls are either unable or zmwiUing w Po their ('ffice: when they teach them too feldome, or too unskilfully; in an unfititable m1nner ; noc choofing that doChin: which chey mofi need ; or not op::ning it phinly and rnerhodicJtly in a litne[s to their cap.!cities; or not applying it with nccdfary fcrioufnc:fS and urgency to the hearers flare: \Vhen men prea, :l to the ungodly who arc neer to damnation, in a formal paCe, like a School-boy fayir.g hi$ ldfon, or in a drow{ie reading [one, as if rhey came to preach them all aflcep, or were afraid of wakening them: when they fpeakof fin aud mifery and Chriti, of Heaven and Hcll,as if by the m.JHner they came to cOntradict thematter, and to perfwadc men that th~re are no fuch thing<;. ' The fame mifchicffolloweth the neglect of private perfonal infpedion : When Minificrs think rh <it they have done all, when they have faid a Sermon, and never make confcicncc of labouring pertonal!y to convince the ungodly, and rec1J.im offenders, and draw finn.crs to God, and cont11·m the weak. And tht omiffion ( much more the pcrverfion and abufe ) of facred Difdplint.", hnh the like dEet.;. when the K<:ysof the Church are ufed to fhut out the good, or not uf~d when they ought, eo rebuke orto fhut our the impenitent wicked ones; nor to diff~:rence between the precious and the vile) it lmdcnerhmultitudes in their ungodlinefs,and perfwadcth them I hat they arc really of thefame f,rnily of

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