Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

EncmY3· Enemy 5· Enen~ 7· Enemy 8. Enemy9· _Enemy ro. The Enemies of Love to the Godly. ?r cov_erous ~umours, th~y .cannot love him, _A fclfi01.pcrfon mal<~th ~o great a matter 0~ m6.rmtty_whtch cr.offcth hts mtcrdl, or every rntfiake whtch crof!'cth hts opmon, or every litde inju– ry that hts done htm,_ that he cryeth out. prcf~ntly,. ? what ~tc_kc:~ and unconfcionable people art: thefe! What hypocrttes arc they? Is thts thctr Rehgton ~ Is th1s }llfhcc or charity? All virtues and vices are d\irnated by them, according to their own ends and intcrdls chiefly ; They can think bet– iter of a common Whoremonger, or Swearer, or Atheilt, or Infidel that lovcth, and honourcrh, ;and ferveth I hem, than of the mo1l holy and upright fervant of God, who thinketh meanly or hardiy of them, and fiandeth in their way, and feemcth to be againfi their imerdl.: Iris no commendations 10 hi~ in this mans account, that he lovcth God and all that are godly, if he feem ro injure or crofs a felhlh man: Acarnal felf-lover can love none bqt him}elf and for himfelf; and rnaktth all faults whic:h are againll. himfelf to be the charaeters·of an odious pcrfon, rathc:r than thofc which arc committed againfi God. Enemy 3• Ch1iflian love is often dirninilhed and marred by Degenerati1tg into a Carnal fort of Lovt, through the prevalency of feme Carnal Vic:e. Thus they that loved a man for GodlindS, turn it imo a folfij1J love, for fome honour, or flVour, or benetits to thcmfclves ; And young perfons of different s~xe:~, begin to love each other for piety, and by undifcreet, and unwary, and fihful f3.mi\j.. ars; are drawn before they are aware, to carnal, fond aud finful love. And rhefc: perfons think that their holy love is fhongcr than before; when as it is fliflcd, confuming and languifhing, as natural heat by a burning Feavor., and is overcome and turned into another thing. Enemy+· Paffion and Impatiency is a great enemy to Chrifiian Love. It is fiining up difpleafing words and carriage, and then cannot bear them: It meeteth every where with matter of difplea– fure and offence; and is fiill ca.fiing water on this facred fire; and feigning or finding faults in all. E;umy 5• Self-igHrJrance and p.Jrtiality is a great enemy to Iove : when it rnaketh men over!oJk their own corrllptlons, and extenuate all thofc: faults in thcmfclves, which in others they take fot heinous crjmes ; And fo they want that compaffion to others, which would bear with infirmities, bccaufc they know not how bad they are thcmfelvcs, and what need they have of the forbearance of others. Enemy6. Cenforioujitefi is an enemy to brotherly love (as is aforefaid:) A cenforious ptrfon will tell you how dearly he lovech all the godly: But he can allow fo few the acknowledgement of their godlinefs, that few are beholden to him for his love. His Gnful hamour blindcth his mind, that he <annot fee anothers godlinefs: HFwill love them for their fincerity when he can fee it: but rhat will not be till he bath better eyes. Timon was a great lover ofwifdom : but a hater of ail men, becaufe he took no man to be wife. Enemy?• Fatiim JJnd Partiu, or jiding in Rtligion, is one of the greatdl enemies ofChrifii1n love. tor this caufeth Centorioufnefs, and maketh men fo overvalue the Opin~s which they have chofen, and the interd\ of their party, that they hardly fee goorl-·ft. in any tEat arc not of their mind, and quickly find faults (or devife them) in thofc that ' 1:•inli hem. · Enemy 8. Converfing rPitiJ malicibus wicked 1r cmforious perfon~, . ,..~t hinderance ofrhe lo\·e of godly mtn: For he that hearerh them daily flandered, and rcr .c•tntcc\ .-.. br..infick, fcditiouS1fclt'– conceited, humorous, hypocritical people, will eafily rake them a~ odlcu ;, tout :q' ·ts. amia.ble, un· lefs he c:ome nearer them, and know them better than by a lyars words. Enemy 9· 7'oo High txpellations is a great enemy to love. When men either Iook that S.1ints on earth, fhould be like Saints in Heaven, who have no intirmity, or look for greater parrs of nature, or art, ingenuity or excellency of fpcech than 1s in other perfons, or when feltiflmefs, and covetoufnefS, or pride doth make men look for great refpcd, and obfervancc, and efteem, or gifts 1 or commodity from others; When fin and error raifeth thefe unreafonabl~ expectations, and the imperfect graces ·of Chri1lians do not ani\ver them, fuch perfons think contemptibly of good men, and call them hy– pocrites and as had as others, becaufe they are not fuch as they expected. Enem} IO· The placing of mens goodnefs in JeJfer matters in which it doth not confiil, is alfo a common enemy of Love. When a man is hirnfelf fo carnal as not to know what fpirirual c:xcel– lcncy is, but prefer fome common gifts before it, fuch a one can never be f.uisfied in the ordinary fort of upright men: Thus feme make a great matter of Complement and Courtlhip, and handforne deportment, when (Qme holy perfans are fo taken up with the great matcers of God and their hl– VJiion1 and fo retired from the company of Cornplementers, that they have neither time, nor mind, nor skill, nor will, for fuch impertincr.cies: Some place fo much in fome pnticular opinions, or Ceremonies, or Forms of Church·Governrnent and Worfbip, that they can think well of no man that is againtl them: Whereas good men on earth are fo imperfeCl,that they are anJ will be of fcveral opinions about fuch things; And fo rhefe perfons oblige themfelves by their Own Opinionativ::nefs, to be alwaycs againfl one part of the {incerefi fervants ofChrifi. One man can think well of n?nc thar is nor for hit Church·party, or way of Government and Worfhip ; and another ca.n .tlnnk well of none that is not for hil way: One can think well of none that prayeth not by h1s Book, od doth not turn, and bend, and look jufi in the fame manner, garb and poflure with himfclf, and ·1at uft:th not all the Ceremonies which he alfecteth; or at leafi, if his weaknefs make him guilty of _ny unhaBfome tone or gef\urc, or' of any incompt and unapt expreffions, or needlefs repetitions, or unpleafing fiile: (which all we wifi1 that all good men were frecJrom ); Another can think well ~f no man, that is for pomp andforce in Church·Governrnent, or for Ceremonies , Forms and Books m prayer, and for prefcribed words in worfi1ipping God. And thus placing Religion where they lhould not,.

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