Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

Dirt/l.li· Dirdi.S. Dircii·9· Dirt{!- JC. • H01v to mortifie ji11Jt1l Low. )'ond what reafon '"ill undertake to juflifie, yet this is rare, and commonly f,mfie or folly or carna!ity is the caufc: However it is more to be fufp(cted ar.d tryed, than Rational L~vc. §. 8. Direct. 6. Sujpt'{i aU tb.zt fervent Love to any Creature JJ;hich is ba)ljt_ bEfore fufficient tr)':Zl: for commanly botb perJOus and tbhrgs h..zve tbe bejf fide outward, and. form bewr at the firjl- appeara~tce tba 1 t they provt. Not but that a modetate Love may be taken up upon the firjf. appearance qf any excel~ lenc~, c:f~ecially fpirirull : But fo as to allow for .a poffibiliry oLbeing ~eceived, and finding more faulunefs upon a fuller tryal, than we at firfi perce1vc. .Have you dwelt m the hou[e with the per~ Cons whom you fo tnllch admire? and have you tryed them in their converfations ? and· feen them tryed by croffes, Joffcs, injuries, adverfi1y, profperity, or the oJftrs of preferment or plenty in the world? you would little 'think what lurkcth undifcovered in the hearts of many, tHat- have excellmt parts, till tryal manifefi it! 9 9· Direct. 7· ~l'ry yoztr affeaiom in ptayet befote Gad, whether they be fucb at you date boldly pray Ge~ either to increafi! or comim~e and blcjj ; and wbcther tb:y b~ [uch ar Confr:ience htJth no quarrel ag.mifl:. If they t'l)durc nor tlus uy:ll, be the more lufpic1ous, and feareh more narrowly: The ~tame and prcfcnce of God in Prayer, doth much difpcl the frauds of carnal rcafonings. Yet perrons who by Mdancholy arc cafi into difeaf~d fears and fcrupulofities, are uncapable of this way of trvaf. 9· 10. DireCt. 8e C.mfitlt rritb wife iir.p:utiJl ptr[onJ: and open your cafe to them wirbout deceit befvrt aff.cWnz h..we gone fo [.1r ,If tob/i;:d yort, or leave you uncapable of belp. In this cafe if in an; cafe, th~)udgerrenc of a Hander by that's fai~hful and in"!~artial is. ufua!ly to be pre~errcd before your own. for we are too near c.ur felves; and JUdgement Will be bnbcd and byaffi:d c:.ven in the bdt and wiJdi ped(ms. ~· I I. DireCl. 9· Yet cafl" not away aU, becaufe ) ?lJ difc.•vtr muc!J r.y;ccfi or Carn:zlity i;z yo 11 t affe– CiiMJ: For frequently there it a mixture both in the CJtt{c of Lov! and in the Love it fllf of'good and evil. And when )'Ou have but rakm out all that was folfijh and camal and erroneolU in rhc caufe the c.<rNal 'violent LM:e will ccafc ; but not aULove : For Hill there will and mull remain the mo: derate r.1tional and holy Love, which is proportioned ro thecreatures worth and mrrit, and is tcrmi~ nated ultim:J.tdy on God: The ftp.tr.ltion being m::~de, this pur muft be prdcrved. 9· rz. D,ire(}. ro. M~cr N.mtr.Jl appetite in it fdf is IICithcr morally gMd or evil : Bur as it is wtll pb,e;d and ordered it isgood) and a1 unruled or iU-rH fed it is evil. I-l<lps t? mortifie finJ;tl Lo~e. 1Jirtli· I · §· 13· DircCt. I· 7b~ gre.tujC tif _all mc~;t.l to c~ft out a~ fiHji~l DJVr.' iJ to .~ccp the JO.td !i1 tbt Love N>Jpti:lllov~ of G.:d. Jud. 2 1. JvboLy tal{_clt up m ,1dnnrmJ!. bmt, fcrvmg bzm, praijing lum and rf)O)'cmg- in him; nuketh ma'!- of which [t.c Cb.1p. 3· Dir. 11. we fee that th(y that are taken up in the Love and Service of om per– ki·M: Frien(t- j(m, are not apt to be rakcn much with any ~?ther. But it is not only by divcrfi"n,,nor only by prrpof ly Lo~e .P~rfiffi»g and employit~g all our Love, that the Lo;.:e of God cloth cure fi:1ful Love; bur be6dcs tlu.fe ~~~c~ 11~10re there is alfo a M.1jcjiy in his objdlh·e prr{eHce which aweth the foul, and cor:nmandeth all things eift: Divme LOvr:): to keep their diJhnce: And there is an unfprabble fplcndom and excenency 111 him, which obtcureth bot wan:on and annihihrcrh all things tlfe: ( though they are more m·er, and ckady fec:n and known.) A~1d loveCOII'U;>:- there is a cdcflialkind of fwewujj in bis Love, which P!-HS the foul rhac hath caHt:d it QU[ of re– ~:1fe~~~t~~~::rd Jifh, wi!h rrantitory infrrio!tl' go d. As he thlt.luth convetfed with wifC and learned mcu, will .no B. 1, 01 ,Effiq 10, more admire che w1t ot fools: And as he that hath brcn employed in the Govtmmenr of a _Kingdom or tbe fublimefi fiudics> will be no more in love with Childrens glmes and paddling 1n the dhr. • . J)' [f . 9· If· Dired:. 2· The nest help is to fee tbat tbe Cte.t!urc deceived yctt not; aml thtrifure tb.:t you be Ri::;~n~.1:;io: net r.t{h and h.zjiy; but }lay rvbite )!111t come ncerer it, and fee it u_nclo..ubcd of borro1-red or affeCted It:t :mt<tnd11m omaments: and j(e it not only in tbe drefi i;z wbicb it appurob abroad, rvhicb o{tw coverctb great de– quafi otl~o ti- furmitin, but iu i!I homely bJhit a11d 1Zif..bt attire: Bring it to the ligbt ; and if it may be a~J j(e mu, h.1bmm : it n:h:n it hu:b 01dured the'fire, rrbicb h.Jtb tak.._cn off thepaint aJid rcn:oz·rd tbe dreji. MoHof your in– ~~::~7:i~e::un ordinate Love t6 creatures is by millake apd ra(hnefs. The Dtvil tricks them ~p and plints them, Qu:tm t:tn'len that you may faJI in love with them: or cire he fhewcth you only the outfide of fome common good, f~_n·en~i:Hn.. and hiderh rhe emptinefs or rottennefs within. Come nearer therefore, and Hay longer, md prevent ~;~(i~~,~~ ~~·;: yo~tr (hjtne a~d difappointments. Is it not a flume to fee you dote on that. pl<~ce~ or offi.ce, or thing P-~ne indigthiS ye'ar, wh1ch you are weary of before .the .nex.t ~ Or to fee tw? per[ons 1mpat1ently fond of each num. other till they are marryed, and then to l1ve In ftiJf~ as aweary ot each other ? How few per[omor Amicos fe.. tbir~;,J have been too violouly loved, that were but fufficienrly tlrfl trycd? querequts ~~t §. lS· DireCt. 3· Tbe 11CXI grtat help is ta dcjlroy {elfl:Jve, (at car;ral and itJordinatt) For tbis i1 ~~;.,~a1bjJ.g' e. tbe Parent, ii[e a1:d root of aU other finful love wb~tever. \oVhy dorh the fYurldling over-lo~e his Dirctf. 3· n:calth, and the prottd man his greatnefl and reputt:, and the fw{ttallJI.his pleafures, but b"cau~e. t1_1ey hrll over-love, that fiefh and [elf which all thefc are bot the provtfion for. Why doth a dtvtdtn'g Sedary over-value J.nJ over-love all the p.1rty or ftC! that arc of his own opinion ; but becau~e he See before firll over-valuetb and ovcr-kv.:th him[elf : why do you love thofe above their worch who t~ink cbap. 4 Parr.,. highly of you, and arc on your tide) and ufe to ~raifc you behind your back, or that do )'Oll a good tum, but blc.m[t: you titli: over-love yom fdvcs? \Vhy doth Lullful Love enthme you, or the Love of meat and drink and fport and bravery, carry you into !itch a gulf of fin, but that firH: ~ou over-love your rlefhly plcafure ? what cnfnareth you in fondnefs to any perfon, but that )'Oll thmk they love yrm, or arc fuitable to your carnJl cn~s. See therefore that you rnorritle the filth. §. r6.

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