Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

Li)Je by Faith in Hea"llen. ~--------- thac mufi l'hlve pretty toycs bought him in the !-'air, and broug~t home to pleafe him. \Vhereas it' the unrcfonmd Churchts in the E:dt, Weft and Souch were Reformed,· al\d had a Learned, Piou~ Allk Miniliry, and cltarly preacht'd and {nioully applycd the ·word of God, and worfhippt.:d God with und~.:rfbnding, gravity, reverence, and ferious fpiritualicy, and lived a holy, heavenly, moni~ tied, fdf-dcnying convnhtion, this would be the way to proplgan: Chritlianity, and win rhe- Infi. dd world toChnll. rirctl. 12· 9. 43· DireCt. 12· If ~nu ~~jU glorifie Gud in J•~m livu, )'OU muff be ~bove a [e~lifh,. priv.tte, 11ar~ rurv mind, and_mujt be chujly mtwt r~pon. tbe p~bhck good, and tbe fpre.:Jdmg of the Gojpel througlJ tbe world. A fe!h(h, p1ivar:, narro~ foul bnn~s !mle honour t~ d1c caufe ol God; lrs a!tv:tyes raktn up about it (elf, or irnpr1foned m a cor~er m.tnc d:~rk, to the tntcrtiT of fome Sd1 or Party, and feeth uot how rhings go in the world: Its dlhres, and prayers, an.d e~deav.ours go no further rhan rhey can fee or travel. But a large~ foul beholdeth all the earth, and IS dcflrous to know how it gotrh with the Cau{e and S.erv:mts ?~ the Lord, and how the Gofpcl gets gr?und ~pan the Ull~elicving Nnions; and tuch arc afftChd wuh the flue of the Church a thoufand mlit.s off, almoll as tf it were at hand as being membns of the whole body of Chritt, and not only of a Se{]. They pray fer the HaUowin~ cj· Cods Name, and the comiug of his Kingdom, at:d the doing o[ his will throughout tbe EArth as it ir i,t Heaven, bctore they come to their own neceffioes, ar _lcatt m order of ~{item and difirr. The pro· fperity of themfdves, or their Party or Countrey farisfitth th~m nor, while the Chur£h abro:1d is in diHnfs. They lfve as tho[c: that know .the Honour of God JS more concerned in the welfare of th~; whole,than in rhe fuccefs ofany party agamft the reH.They pr.ay that the Gofpd m.~y havefree coztrfo and be glarified abroad, as it is rvilb .'hem.' and rhe.P.reachers of tt be delivettdfrom mzrea[m<~ble and wic~~d men, 2 ThefT. 3· 1, 2· The hlencmg the Mm1ilers, and fuppreffi~g the incerefi of Chrili and fouls, ts the rnoti grievous rydings to them ; Ther_cfore they pray fu~ lt~ngi, and aU iit ambority , 1101 for any carnal ends, but that we n1ay lead a quut and peaceable lift Jn aU godliJUfi aJtd b:mctfJ I T im. 2. I, 2, 3· Thus God mun be gloriticd by o~r Lives. - ) DIRECT. XVI. Gr. Dir. 1 6. Let your life on Earth be a COIJ"lJeifation i11 Hea"'Vm ; by the conjlant 1vork of Fait!J and Low: ewn Jucb a fatth as maketh thm.gs jutttre as no1v prefent, and the unfoen 1vorld as if it were continually open to your fight ; andjttch aLove as makes yort long to fee the glorious face of God, and the t)ory of your dear IJ(edeelfltr, and to be takm up 1vit/J blejfed Spirits in his perfeEt, endlejS Low and Praife. MY Treatife of 1ht Life ofFaitf, , and the fourth Part of 1he Saintt Rej! being written wholly or mofily to this ufe, I mull refer the Reader to th,m, and fay no •more of it in this Direction. , DIRECr'.

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