Baxter - BJ1441 B3 1673

~~jl.S. ~·ft· 12. Virea.,. pirelf.2· Direa.3. Direa. 4· The Drunkard Silenced one of them, couldft thou not) Nay, wo~tldjl thou r.nt do ir? If not, thou tc:llefl:. the world wh t ~usband, ~hat a Fathtr~ . what a 1-~ri~d, and what a Neighbo~r thou art, thac wouldfi not forb~:r = Cup of Dnnk to favc a Fnend or Ne1ghbours life: 1 tbould thmk thee an unworthy friend if th wouldfi not do that much at thy fr.iends- rtqmjt, though there were no fuch nec:dlity J;y upo ~~ If this be fo, l'll.nc.ver take a Drunkar? for my friend : for he would not forbear a Cup of Drink" f~ my fake, no not 1f 1t were to fave my hfc. If thou fay, God forbid, I would do mOre than rh t. Why then didf\ thou fay , 'tho" caJtj! not forbw·? Mark how thy toogue reproves thy falfhco~-? And cant\ thou not do that for thy own foul, wh1ch thou couldll do for the life, or at >he requell of a friend or Neighbour? ~· 70· Qgell. 8. Couldfl thou nOI forbear if it werr to get a.Lordfoip or a Kingdom l yra or to [ave· thy own cft.Jtt, if it wt~e aU in danger, and this would fave it? I doubt not but rhou couldfi. Why then dolt thou fay, tl~ou canft not do it? §. 7 1• ~e(\:. 9· If thou wert certain that tbou wcrtft to dye to mol"'"ow, wouldjl thou b~ dr:ml{_ to· night l Or 1fthou wtrr fure to dye within this Week or Month, wouldft thou be drunk ert ther:.·?' I do not believe thou would!\. Fear would fo long fhut thy mouth. Thou fed\ then that thou canf! forbear if thou were but wil/i11g, and were but -awakened out of thy ftupidily and folly, . ~· 72. ~ell. I<>· Wlmt if thou"''" fure that there wrre an ounce of Arfenick,. or othrr fuch poyfo• in tht Cup.? Couldjt thou not tbtn forbear it l Yes no doubt of it : It is plain therefore thu thou, fpeakell falfly, when thou faill that thou canjl not! And is not God! wrstb and Cltrfe in thy Cop much. worfe than poyfon > • ~- 73· Q:]_ett. t I· What if thou [a..rjl the Devil jlanding by chee aNd <ffrri11g tlm the Cup, and pe;o– Jwading thee to drink it, cotddjl thaunot thenforbtarl Yes, no doubt of h: And is he uot as cer– tainly there ttmpting. thee, as if thou (awejt him? Well, the matter is proved againfi thee to thy own confcience, that if thou wilt. fmbear, thou canft. • ~· 74· Ql!.cfi. 12· ~Jut if ~et. thoa canft l!Ot, betbinlz thee, wbctber tbou caf'lji bttter bear the pajltl of Hell? For ~od is not m jeall with thee in his threatning. If thy 1hid\ be harder to bear than Hell, then choofc that which is eafien to thee ' But remember hereafter that thou hadft thy choice. . ~· 75• Yet, art thou n>iUing tu let go thy fin >( for I am fure thou art able fo far as thou art wil– ling) 1 will rake thy cafe to be as it is; that is, that thou hafi fame half untffu~lual wiUingneji, or lazy wi{b which will not conquer a temptation, and that thou art fotnt: times in a liule better mood than at other times, and that thou level\ thy fin., and therefore wouldft not leave it if thou couldfi: <hoofe, but thou lovellnot Hell, and therefore hall fome thoughts of parting with thy Cups againft thywtll, for fear of punifumcnt. Thefe wifhes and purpofes will never fave thee: It mull be a re;uw– id N,uurt, -Loving God, and bating the fin, that mufi make thee capable of falvation. But ycr in. the mean time it is necdTary that thou forbear thy fin, though it be but throughfrar; for thou canfi: not expell el[e that the Holy Gholl fhould renew thy Nature. Therefore I will give thee Dire(Jiowhmv· to forbear thy fin moll Jitrely and eafily, if thou be but willing, and with•ll to promote thy wiUingmfi it fdf with the performance. · Praaical Direaions againf! Tipling and Drun~enncfi• 9. 76. Direct. I· 1Vrite over thy btd and thy chamber dco'r where thou maift read it every mornW.g· b~fore thvu gorft forth, fume 1cxt of holy Scripture thatr fit to be thy Memr;randum: As 1 Cor. 6. ro... Dru11k_ards ]hall not i>~bcrit the Kingdom of God : and Rom. 8. 13. If )'e live afterthe flefh , ye jhaU dye: but if by the Spirit you mortifie the deeds of the lx!dy, Y"' ]hall Jive. And read it before thou goell out of thy doors. 9. 77· Direct. 2. Alfo faU down on thy k,.nees to God, and earnrjlly beg of him to );ftp tlm that day from tcmpwioiiJ, and iU company, and from all thy firfhly tlefirrs a11d exce[s; anti <JprcioOy that he would renew thy nature, and give thee a hatred of the ji1z_. 9· 78· Direct. 3· Keep thy feif in the COitjlant rmploymmts of thy Calli~tg; altd [pend iJOI one quamr of an hour in idlenefr, and .~Uow not leifttre to thy thoughu, fo mrtcb a; toth.ink,.o{ thy drinlzand pleafure; much Jefs to thy body 18 follow it: God hath commanded th<e whoever thou att, to labour fix days, and in the fweat of thy brows to eat thy b0 ead; and hath forbidden idlenefs and negligence in thy cal– ling: Avoid this and it will help thee much. 9· 79· Direct. 4· Rrck_an n01 upon long life, bnt thin/;. how quici;Jy deatb will come, and that for ought thou k._norr:eft thou maijf dye tbat day, and how dreadful a cale it wou1d prove to thtc to be found among TipletS, or to dye before thou art truly converted. Think of this before tilou goeft · out of thy doors ! and think of it as thou 3rt going to the AL E-houfc: Look on the Ct<p and the Grave tognher : The dull of thofc bones will be wholfom Spice to thee. Remember when thou fcefl the Wine or Ale, how unlike it is to that blaclond lo~hfom liquor which thy blood and1l'umours will be turned imo, when thou art dead. Remember that the hand that taketh the Cup mull fhortly be fr.amred bones and dufl ; and the mouth that drinbph it down, mull fl1ortly be an ugly hole : and the Pallate, and Stpmach, and Brain that are delighted by it, mull flwrtly be llinking puddle : and that the Graves of Druni(ards are the Firld or Garden of the Devil, where Corpfc are fowed I<> rife at the refuuection to be !ewel for Hell. 9· So.

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