Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

n& Tempt• .'9· Direa. 12. Tempt. 20• Vird1. zo. Temptatio11s t~ fin wit/? the ~medies. ---------------- §· 37· Tempr. 1.8. SomaimeSatan corrupreth Duty by mms private paffionr,inttrtfl, and opinionr mJkJn;, meu in pre,Ecbing, and prtt}•i,lg to vent their own tonuits and {plecn> and inveigh againft thie tbat dijf£r from tbem, or offend tbem, and propbanethe name and work,. of God: or proudly to feek. the praijt 1{ mw. §· 3~· Dirc[i. 18. R(munbcr that God is mofi jealous in his Wor!hip, and hateth fypocritical pro. pbar.rfs above all proph>nefs: Search your hearts, and mortifie your paJfions, and fpecially filfifh•ifi . Rcmunbri11g that it is a poyfonous and infinuating fin, and will eatily hide it fdf with a C1ok; of zeal. . 9· 39· Tempt. 19. F•lfe-heartrd llefcrvednefs ~ amoj! accurfid corrupttr of holy duty: .rt>htn tbt foul u not rvbol)o ;.iven up toGod, but fctJ upon dmy from fomt common m9tivt, as becaufi it is in credit, or to pleafe fimc friend, purpofing to try it a while, and leave it if they lik.f it not. , jl. 40. Di•·e/1. 19· fear God thou Hypocrite, and halt not between two opinions: If the Lord he God, obey and fcrve him with all thy heart : But if the Devil, and the flen, be better Mafters, follow them, and lee him go. · • , 9· 4'· Tempt. 20. Lafily, 1he Tempter hinderetb holy duty much by wandring tb,ughtJ, and me– ./altchoty perplexitiu, and ahurry o[1tmptations, which torment and dijlrall fame ChrijliiiHS, fo that thty cry out, 1cmmnt pray, I c.:znnot medit"tt; and are weary of d,ty, and even of their lives. §. 4'· Dire/1. 20. This 01eweth the malice of the Tempter, and thy weaknefs; but if thou hadfi rather be delivered from it, it hindereth not thy acceptance with God. Read for this what I have fa id ChJp. 5· Part. 2· at large : fpecially in my DireCl:ions to the Melancholy. 9·43 .I have been forced to put offmany things briefly here,which deferved a larger handling; and 1 muH now omit the difcovoy of chofc'l'cmptations, by which Satan k,eepetb men in fin, when he hath drav:·n the-m into ir : 2. And thofe by which he caufeth declining ill grace, and Apoftacy, 3· And tliofe by which he d;.fcomfortetb true Believers; becaufe clfe this Dirtliion would fWell to a Trea– tifC; and moO: will think it too long and tedious already, though the Brevity which I ufe to avoid prfllixity, doth wrong the matttr throu&h the whole. 4cqu"intancewith Temptations is needful to our ovcrcomiug thtm. DIRECT: X. Gr. Dir-1o Your li1Jes ·mttft be laidotlt in doir~.g_ God fer1Jice, and doi11_g _all tbe good you ca11, in ~~rrffr'~~~ tvorks of piety, pifltce and chartty , zvtt!J prudence, ftdelzty, mduftry, z.!al aud de:: ~~~~~;.;"good light; remembriz~_g that yo11 are engaged to God tlS Jer1Jants to their Lord and P.fajler, 1111d are mtntfted tvith hu talents, of the imprt11emmt whereof yor' muft gi11e account. Wb2t itisto be Chrifls Servants. 9· 1• THe next Relation between Chrift and us, which we are to fpeak of ( fubordinate to that ofKi>~g and St<bjell!) is rhis of M AS T E R and SE R V AN T S. Though Chrifi faith to the ApoHiej, ]ohn15· 5· Henceforth I eaU you not fervants, hut fritnd!: the meaning is nor that he calleth them not fervanu at aU, hut not meer fervants, they beingmore thaJt firvams,,having fuch acquaintance with his counfds as his friends. For he prefently, vtrfe 20. bids them RemembfT that tbe fervam intot grrater thanthtLord.· And}ohn 13. 13. Ye call me M4ler antl Lord; and ye [dy weU, fur Ju I am. And Matth. 23. 8. O~e i< your M•fler, CIJrij!; and aU ye are bret~rm: So Ver. w. And the Apofiles c-..lled themfelves the fervanl! of Jefu! Chrijl, Rem. I· I· & 1 Cor. 4· I· Phi!. I· r. and ofGod, Tit. 1.r, &c. · 9· 2. He is called our Majler, and we hU fervantJ, becaufe he is our Rellor, ex plmo dominio with abfolrae propriety, and doth not give us LawJ t~ Obey, while we do our own worl(., but giveth us HI worl{, to do, and Laws for the right doing ofit : And it is a fervice under hil eye, and in dependance on him for our daily provifions, as flrvantl on their Lord. God hath W 0 R K for us to do in the world; and the performance of it he will require. God biddeth his Son!, Go n><>rl;. to day i• my Vi– my.,d, Matth. >-1• 28- and expe6tcth that they do it, Ver. 31. His Strvanl! are asHU<bandmen to whom be tlitruftcth his Vilreyard, that he may rectit~e the fruit, Ver. 33, 34, 41, 43· Faithful flrvantJ !hall be made Rulm over hi! houjhold, Matth. 24· 45, 46Chtift delivereth to his fervams his taltnts to improve, and will require an acco\lnt of the impmvement at his coming, Mat. 2 5.. 1 4• G 0 0 D W 0. RK S in the proper cornprehenfive fenfe, are all aCtion5 internal and external, that are mora!Jy good : But in the narrun.•er accepdon, they are TYorkJ not only formally good, as acts of Obedience in general, but alfo materially good, fuch as a fervant doth for his Mafter, that tcnd.to his advantage, ~~ the profit of fome other, whofe welfare he regardeth. Bccaufe the doctrine of GOOD WORKS JS <ontrovertcd in thefc times, I fha.II fir£\ open it briefly, ~ 1hcn &ivc you lhe Dirtllion1. ~- >· r. Nothing

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