Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

:u8 1)ireEliollS againft [i1tf1tl M;an.pleafing. PART IV. 1)ireElions againft inordiuau Man~pleafing : or tbat Owr<valuing t!Je FalJour and [enfure of Man, wlnc!J ts the frutt of Pnde, a1zd a great [auF of Hypocrifie: Or1)ireElions againft I1)0LIZING M.AN. §.r. As in other cares, {o in tl•i<' iniquity conGfteth not Grnply in the hearts Ncgldl of Non_qualn God, but in rhe prrferriHg of fome c()mpetitor , and prevalence of )erne objelJ which f~~~~~S:~~~:as, U~ndeth llP for a~ oppofite intereft. And fo the obeying man before <?od and againll flude. Mm i'l. hun, and the valumg the fav~Jttr and approbation of man before or agamfi the approhaDu"it f. le tiott ofGod, and the fearing of ma~ts cenfure or difpteafure more than Gods, is an IDOL JZ 1NG M~rib. M AN, or ft:tting him up in the place ofGod. lt turne:th our chicfefi obfervance, and care, and labour, and pleafure, and gritf into this humane fldhly channel, and rnaketh all that to be bur Hu· m:1nt in our heartJ and livu, which ( objectively ) lhould bt Divine. Whi~h is fa great and dange– rous a tin, partaking of fo much Impiety, Hypocrifie 2nd Pride, as that it deterverh a fpecial place in my DirelriOJH, and in all wo~tchfulnefs and contlde:ration toefcape it. 9· 2· As all other Creatures, fo fpecially Man, mull be regarde4 and va!utdonly in a due fubor– dination and fubferviency to God. Ifthey bevalued otherwife, they are made his enemies, aOd fO lukc 14. t6, are to be b:;ted, and are made the principal engine of the ruine of fuch as ovtrvalue them. See what t7. the Scripture faich of this fin : Ifa; 2. 22· Ceafe ye from Man 'J'Phofe breath is in his 1tojlril.r : for rrburin i1 he to be accou11ttd ofl Matth. 23- 9• -And eaU no Man your Ft11her 11pon the tarlh: for R:~~~~i:a~~mi one iJ your Father n·lnch iJiJt Iieaveff. 8. A~td be not )it' caGed Rabbi, for o11e M_ynur Majler,even-Chrijl: c.wpentcs re but he that i~ greatejl among you p,a!l be your ferwrlt. Jer. 20· 15· Curfed be the Vla1t that truftetb atq; objurin man, and mozk,sth flljh his arm---P[al. I IS. 6, 8,,9. Tbe Lord is flit "~ fide; I wiU not fear ganres S11craw what man can d~~ unto me : It is bener tl) trujl in the Lord, thau to pm confidcHce in mau---:Yea. ~:-~:~~:~t. in Prittets. Job. 3'2· 2 I, 22. L_et me not _acceft any n:'-'nJ perjim ; nti.thtr let me give flattering titles unta man: For {know nut togwe .jl.,tten;lg wlcs : tn [o domg my Mak,_er would [oM tak,.e me hway. Wh Cb rJi. Job. 2 I· 4• As {ofl mt is nry. complaint to man? Gal. I· 10• DoI {rei<, to ple-a[t men? For if I yet piu/,~35 ~~~~d ploj(d men,_I jhottU 1 1tot be! fnvant ofChrift. ·1 Cor. 4• 3· But witb me it i1 a vtr) [ma~ thing to why he exbe judged of yuu or of mans ;udgemtnt. Luke 14· 26. If a man come to me and hate Hfit hHFathtr, cmfcd no_t and t.1othcr, and Wife,.~and Cbildren~ and Brrthrm, and Sifier;, yea, andhi I own life alfo, he canJtot h1mfelf With be my di{tiplc. Dlr.DCd lire ye n:hcn mm jh.:IJ revile you, and perfecute JOH, ami jhaU fay ati manner ~~,f~,;r~?t~ ~t of eVil ag•inJ1 you faljly fvr my !4k..e.. Rcjr.ryce and be exceeding ,glad, for g_reat ii your reward in 1 lbould do Heat•en. Matth. 5·1 1, 12· Notnmh tye-fervzce as mcn-pleafin Epnef. 6 6. Col. 3• 22. 1 Theff. 2 . 4 . :u the moll: So JVC [peak,_; ~rot as plea{ing men, b~t_Go~, n:·bJ hyeth o~tr heart/. Jude_J6. Ha~ing men! _pcrfo~s in c!o, I fuoulJ admiration beca!tfe 11[ advantage. llliS JS enough to £hew you what Scnpcure fa1th of tins mordJnate ~h;~_ Pl~;~t~ maJl·pleafing, or rdpect ro mau; And now 1!hall proceed to DireCt you ro efcJpe Jt. ~f~1it~ni (redum crimen fcrvitutis, maJ:gn:t:ati f.dfa fpecics libertatis inell. TadtJU lib. IJ· Secure Confcience lirfl, Q!u femd :l!nilla, pofk.a nu:Ius eris. Dire{}. I· 9· 3· DireCt. r. Vndo:fl.md well wherein the natwe of 1hi1 fin co;tfl}lub, tb.tl you may mt run into tbe contr.;~ry extreo~m, but may k_!zow whicb w"'y to bend)Q~r opp,ifilion. 1 (hall [heretore firtt !hew you, bow j~r z:re trfay a11d mujf pleafi men, and how fat not. 9· 4· l· Our Parent!, Rulers and Supcriours mujl be hoHoured , obcyrd and pleafed in all things which thty require of us in the fevcral places of authority which God hach givt.·n them over u~; And this mutt be not meerly as to man, but as to theOfficer! nfGod, f,·om whom, and for whom. (and not againfl him) they have all their power. Rom. 13· Exod. 20. f2· Ti1111 3·1· 1 Pn. 2. '3· & 2· 2 1 JO. 9· 5· 2· We mufi in charity and coJtekfunfion and mceknefi of beb.t-vio-ur fuk.. to pltafl all mm in order to their [a/wtion: We muf\: fa thirfi tor the converfion of finncrs, that we mutt become all things ( lawful ) to all men that we may win them. We mufi not Jhnd upon our terms, and ~om.T4· -keep at a diO:ancc from them, but conddCend to the lowefi) and bear the intirmicies of the weak, H· 1 ' 'd- and in things indifferent not take the courfe that pleafeth our [elves; but that which by plea_finl. him may edifie our wc«k brother; We mull forbear and fu)·give, and pare with our rigbt, anddeny our fclvu rhe ufe of our Chrillian liberty, were it as long as we live, if it be nccdTary to the flving of our brcthr<ns fOuls, Ly Hmoving the offence which hinderech chem by prejudice. We mutt not fct.k our own carnJ! cr;ds, buc ~he benclic of others, and do rhcm all !he good we can. §. 6. 3· As our neighbour is commanded to Love t~-r ilf himfelf, we are bound by all lawful means to renJcr our felves amiable to him, chat we may help and facilirate this hi<> Love, as ic is more neceffary to him than to us : For to help him in obeying {Q great a command muU needs be a grear duty: And therefore if his very fin poffcfs him with prejudice againlt us, or cauf~ him to diHaflc us

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