Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

12l Direffiom for a well.grormcled FaitiJ. hey~ous fin. yvill you take i~ for R_epenting if a man that fpits in your _fac~ and bcateth you, Ouil do 1t every day, and ask you forgtvehefs at night, and purpofe to do tt lhll, becaurc he ask'd for. gtvends. Tempt. 35· 9· 93· T empt. 35· But mry man fi•ntth daily: Yot< do bltl llf tbe be{f "''"in the world do. Ditcf:i. 35. ~· 94· Dire{/. 'K· No true Chritlian that is Ju!lified hath any fin but what he hateth more tha 'ovcth, and would fain be rid of, and firiveth ag1inft in the ufc of holy means. He hath nob~ ~~~~~-~~~~~~~~ . ' Tempt. 36· 9· 9s· Tempt. 36· .But thofe th"t feem .ffrill and godly are hypocrite! and fecretly"' bad"' yoH. Dirc[l. 36. 9· 96. Direll. 36. This is julllike the Devil, the accurer of thol< that are fanCl:ified and jullifi. cd by Chrill; the father of malice and lies ; to charge that on them, which he confetferh is fe. cret and he cannot prove. So he f<~id of Job that H he were touched in his efiate or body he Hcb. n.. 14. would 'forfake his godlincfc;; but he was found a lyar. But he it how it will, I am fure I mull b· Rom. 8·9,,;. Holy or I Chall not fie God, and ifI live after the firjh I jhaUdie : and other mens mifery will be n~ ea{c to me·. 'iempt. 37· §. 97· Tempt. 37• But, faith the Tempter, ifyou wiU not fin, come b111 near it, and do that wbicb is /awf•l· · Dir<ll. 37• 9· 98. Dire[l. 37· Indeed we mull net run into a contrary extream, ~nder pretence of flying far enough from fin ; But if you keep out of o1hcr fin, you cannot go too fJr from any. To be near fin, is to be near Gods wrath, and near that which tr.nderh to Hell tire. And to comt near it is the common way of coming to it. He that could wijh he might do it, is infected JY' the heart alle ready. Keep a tender confcience, and a conflant fenfe of the danger of finning.~_. :z Tempt. 38.,~ I( f. 99· Tcmpt. 38~. It' 1 agreat fnart, when fin ir got into credit, I· By puttzng fair namer upa;t · Mt, caL'ing L:1xury and Glzmony keeping a.good houfe, and a goc.d table; tipling if caUed, drinking a '"P with a friend: Luj! and filthinep it c.Ued Love : worldlint]l i< caUtd rhrifriners and good husbandry: Idlencfs and l<{t of Ttme, u caUed the Jearurc ofa Gentleman: jloth[Hlnefl it <aUed, a not being too worldly : Time wafting [portJ are caUed, Recreations : Pride ~ cal!ed, Decency and Handfomnefs : Proud revenge is caUed Honour and Gallantry: Romijh crutltJ•, and perfecution, and wafting ,the (jburch, ir caUed, keeping up order, obedience and uniry. DiWbedience to fuperiorJ if caUed, no; fearing man: Chtul·h-divifi<;HlS are called firid:nefs and zeaf. 2· S.peciaUy if a fin be 11r,• in difgrace among tiJe ftriller fort, it greatly prepartth nun to commit it, As breakjng the Lords day beyond [ea in many riformed Churchu: And at home, {pi ritual pride, ctnflrioufnrfl, bacl.tbiting, dif~ bedienct and Cburch~tlivifionJ, are not in half tb.Jt di[grace among many pr(lfejJIJTI ofjlrianift, IH tbry defcrve, and M {wearing &c. is Dirdl. 38. §.lOO· Dirc[l. 38. Remember that whlt <vet be the Namt or Cloak, God judgcth righteoully, according to the trutb : Names may deceive Jtf, but not our Judge. And fin is 11111 in difgrace with God, howtver it be with men. Remtmber the comlier the paint and cover is, rhe greater is the danger, and the more watchful and cau~clous we !hould be. Ir is nor imperfeli man, bur the ptrfell Law of God, which mull bl: our Rule. The great (uc<'fs o( this Temptation Choul<i deterr us from entertainir.g it! What abundlllce of mifchief hath ir done in the world ? Tempt. 39• ~· IC~I· Tempt. 39· Sonwime tbtDevil tempttth men to fome heynotu fin, tb:zt if he prevail HJ)f,at leajt he m..:~y ilraw them into a lefl : AJ cheating chaffererr wiU a~k,. twict the prict of their commq.. dity, that by abating m~tch thty may mak! you wiliing to give too mu:h: He that w·mld get a little muf/ aJlr,. a grw deal. He wiU tempt you to drunkennefs , and if ~e drar~> y•u bat to tipling " time-watiing he bath got fomething. If he tempt you to fomication, and he get you but t~ fome filthy thoughts or immodcft Jafi:ivioM tal~ or aliiom, he b.Jth done much of tb.tt wbi:h he intend– ed: If he tempt you to fume horrid cruelty , and you yje/d but to {lme lefi degree , or to {omt unjuft or uncluritable cenfuru , you thiHJt )'OU have conquered, when it' J be that conquereth. ])' ll 3 9· 102•. Dire{/. 39· Remember that the Jeafl degree of fin is fin , and death tbe ll>ag<J of it, Jrt ' I• Romans 6. 23· Think nor that you have fcapt well, if your htart have taktn any ot rhe . lf· infc&ion, or if you have been wounded any where, though ic might have been worfe. If the Tempter had tempted you no further but to a Iufiful, malicious or proud thought or word. you would perceive that if he prevail, he conquereth: fo may you when he getteth this much by a Chamelefs asking mo". 1empt. 40 , 9·103· Tempt.40· He temptetb ru flmetime to be ]<fearful a•J ""f•U ag.,inft ont fin, or about fome ent danger , M to be mindlcfi of fome other , and lie open to his temptation : Li/;! .s Fencer that wiU feem to ~Jime aU at one place tbcJt be m.sy jlrik.! you in an1thcr while you (J(e guarding that : Or lik.! an enemy that givetiJ aU the aUarm at one end of the C~ry , tint he _m:Jy dr,sw the people tbitbtr, t¥hile he jiormetb in another plact: So S4tan m.Jk,.er fame fo afrJtd of worldlinefs thJt they watch not againft Idlenefs; or fl fwful of hard-heartednefs, and deadners, and hypocrific, thttt they watch not againjf Pt~Jfian, neglell of their caDingr , or dejctJedneji; or fo fearful of finning or being deceived about thti.r falvation , tbat they f ear uot the want of ~ve, anrl Joy , anrl Thankfulne!S for aU tht mercy tbty bJve received , nor the neg/e[l of !JOly Praife to .God. Viteti. 41 , §. I04· Direl1. 40• Remember that as obedience mi.tfl: be emire a11d univerfal, ~o is Sata?s temptation again(\ all parrs of our obedience ; and our caie mult extend to all 1f we will ff efcapeo It would cure your inordinate fear in Come one point, if you extended it to .all the reil.

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