Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

t66 H01v to deligl1t our Jellies 'in God. God comforteth us mofi, when he harh made us fee that none clfe can or will relieve us. When all· friends have forfaken us {3.ve only ont, thlt one is fweerer to us then than (ver. When all our houfe is tired down txcept one room, that rvom is pleafanter to us than it was before. He that harh !oH one (ye, will love the other bett.er than before. In pro~perity our Delights in ~od are ~oo often corruprcd by a mixture of f~nfual dehght : But all that remamcth when the creature JS goners purely Divine. D' fi 6 9· rS. DirtCl. 16. Labour by {elfexaminatimt, dcliberattly managed mtder tbe dir'eliion of an able ~rt • 1 • Jpiritu,;/ Guide, to{cttle your fouls in tbe weli~grounded ptrfwafion ofyour[pecial intrrtji in God and Hea– ven: And then fuffrr not Sat.Jn by hi.I troublefome importuni~y, to reneziyour rkubti, or mo/rft )'our peace. An Order/)' weD-guided diligent fe!Fexamination, may quickly do much ro fhew you your con~ didon: And ifyou are convinced that the truth of Grace is in you, ~t not fear.r and fuffticion go for reafon, and cauiC you to deny that which y.ou cannot without the gainfaying of your Conicicnces deny. You fee not the:: d(fign of the Devil in all this: His bulinefs is by making you {ear that you have no inrereft in God, ro dcllroy your Delight in him and in his ftrvicc: And ~ext thar, to make you through wearinefi forfake him; and either defPair or rurn to fenfual deligh!J. foreft'e and prevent thtfe ddigns of S.itan, and filffc:r him not at his pleafurc: to raife new 1torrns of fears ar{d troubles and draw you to deny your Fathers mercies, or to fi1fp·ect his proved love. , Direl/. '7· §· 19. Di,~ct. 17. Damp 1101 your Delights by wi/iful fin. It you grieve your Comforter he will grieve you, or leave: you to grieve your fdves: In that meafure that any known tin is cherilhed, De~ light in God will cntainly decay. Direll. J8. §. 20· DireCt. rS. Improvt your obfirvatil}n of wick.!d menr fmfital delighu, to provol{e your [ouf 1 to dcilgbt in God. Think wid1 your felves: Cl1all hawks, and hounds, and pride, and tihhymfs, and cards, and dice, and pla)·es, and fports,_ and luxury, and idlencfs, and foolifh ralk, or worldly ho– nours be fo delightful to thefe deluded hnners? and lhall not my God and Saviou~ his Love,nd pro– mifes, and the hopes of Heaven, be more delightful to me? Is there any compuifon between the mat· ter of my ddights and theirs? Direll· 19• §. 21· DireCt 19· ~:zbo~tr '" ovetcot_nt thofe featJ of Death, :vhich u:~tm/d damp y.?ut J~y1 in zbe forefight of Everlajling J"Y"· As nothmg more feedeth Holy ddtghrs than the fore-thoughts ot Hea– ven; fo there is fcarce any thing that more hindrerh our delight in thofe fOrerhoughrsl 1han the fear of interpofing,death. See what I have written againfi this fear, in my Trc:atifc ot Sdf.denyal, and Saints Kejf, and in my Treatife of Death, M the lajt enemy, and in my Lajt rvorJt of a Believer. Dirttl• 20, §. 22· Direct. 20. Pretmd not any other Religious dutiti agninft yom· Dtlight in God and f!olinrjj; but ufe tbem aU i1t their proper fub(ervie'!cie to thi1. Penitent forrow is only a purge to call our thofe corruptions which hinder you from ~eh!hing your fpiritu~l delights. Ufe. it therefOre as .Phyfick, only when rhue is need; and not for It felf, but only to th1s end ; and tum tt nor into your ordina~ ry food. Delight in God is the Health of your fouls : Sly not you cannor have while rn be btatbfid, becaufe you mutt take phyfick, or that you take Phyfick. againjl Hralth, or in(ltad of health, bur for your bealth. So take up no forrow againft ) OHr Delit,bt in God, or inflead of ir, bur for it, and (o much as promoteth it. See the Direliioni tor Love beforegoing. §. 23. By rhis time:: you.may ~ee, tf_1ar Holy. D~light adj~yntd to Love, U the prjncipal parr of our Religion, and that they mtltake 1t whrch place 1t ~~any thJ.ng c:lfe. And t~c:rc:forc how unexcufable are all the ungodly enemies or neglectm of a holy hfe. If 1t had been a hfe of grief and Ioyle they had had fame prc:tenfc ~ But to fly from plta{ure, and refufe deligbt, and fucb delight, is unexcufJble. Be it known to you finner~, God cal!erh .you. nor to for{ak,.e Delight, bur to accept it: To cbange your DcligiJt in fin and vamty for Delight m h1m : you dare not fay bur this is be1ter : you cannot have your houles and lands for _ever, nor you~ lu~ and luxury (or c.ver; but you may have God for ever? And do you hope to ltve for cvt·r Wtth hun, and hav~ you no Ddighr in him? Melt deal with Chrifi as the Papifls with the Reformed Churches : B~cauft we reject thtir formaliries and ceremonious toyes, they fay we take down all Rc:ligion : fo b~caufc we would C«ll mt:n from their bruitifb pleaforeJ, they_fiy we wou.ld let them have 1tiJ ple.Jfiti'e: ~·or the Epicure thmks when his luxury, lull and fport JS gone, all. JS gone: C~ll a Jlugglrd trom h1s bed, or a glutton from his fealt, to receive a Kingdom, and he wdl grudge :, 1f he obferve only wlur you would ukc from him, 2nd not what you give him in its Head: W~cn earrhly pleafi.w:s end in mi(i.ry, {hen who would not wiih they had preferred the Holy durable Dehghts' • DIRECT.

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